-Chapter 19-
Racing Drama II
Forests outside Shengcun
"Master Bunker… good of you to come," Flare the Pheasant greeted.
"Senseiiiiiii…" Cinder whispered in dread, prompting Bunker to get in front of her.
"Flare Dianxia…" the tortoise replied. "I never expected to see you in this quaint, little village."
"Quaint." Flare sneered. "I suppose that's one way to describe it."
"If you're here to watch the race, the river is that way." Bunker pointed in the direction she and Cinder had come from.
"I'm only here to… reclaim some lost property." He turned to Cinder, causing the younger pheasant to flinch. "Isn't that right, my Imouto?"
Cinder flinched in fear, shivering as she hid behind her sensei.
"Nothing was taken that was not freely given," Bunker replied, her gaze hardening. "Besides, you cast Cinder out yourself."
"No one was cast out. That… vile tiger has manipulated my poor, innocent sister. Honestly, I never should have let her leave Suzaku, something I intend to rectify here and now. Now…" He extended a hand, his expression softening somewhat. "Cinder, my sister, it's time to come home where you belong."
Cinder peeked out from behind Bunker, eyeing her brother with suspicion and fear.
"Why?" she asked. "Why do you want me back? We both know I'm useless to you without Suzaku's Flame."
"That…!" Flare cleared his throat, taking a moment to compose himself. "That is of no concern to me right now. I want you to come home because it's where you belong. You are of royal blood. Phoenix blood. The blood of gods. You should be by my side with the rest of our family, rebuilding our Empire. Not lowering yourself with these… Chunese vermin."
He narrowed his eyes at Bunker as the last words left his beak, a gesture Cinder mirrored at him.
"No," she replied, hesitating only for a moment.
"What?" Flare whispered, stunned at her response.
"I said no! I like it here! I like my friends! And I like Jian! You! You just want to use me! You don't love me! Not like them! I hate you!"
Suddenly, Cinder felt a chill run down her spine. In her act of defiance against her brother, she had closed her eyes for a brief moment. When she opened them, he was gone and a shadow loomed over her. She knew what it was, but she still looked over her shoulder to see for herself. Somehow, Flare had appeared right behind her, his sword drawn and poised to cut her down; his turquoise eyes cold, yet somehow burning with unbridled fury at the same time. A part of her knew this would happen, but it didn't make it any less terrifying.
But as Flare brought his blade down, she felt something grab her, then spin her around…
KLINK!
Flare let out a grunt of pain and frustration as his sword struck Bunker's shell; the blade failing to leave so much as a scratch.
"So…" Bunker began as she looked over her shoulder, glaring at the elder pheasant out of the corner of her eye. "This is how the great Entei of Suzaku acts when somebody goes against his will? Disgraceful."
"You…" Flare grits out, only for Bunker to buck her shoulders, pushing him back before spinning around and following with a kick to his chest, knocking him backward.
"Cinder," Bunker began. "Get back to the village and find Jian and Dulcinea. I will keep your brother occupied."
"H-Hai, Sensei!" Cinder replied, running off as fast as she could.
"Impudent reptile…" Flare snarled. "How dare you lay your hands on me!"
"But Dianxia, my hands did not touch you at all," Bunker replied cheekily as she tapped her feet, earning a growl from her opponent.
"Do not try my patience, kame! I…"
"Listen well…" Bunker cut in, her voice and expression devoid of mirth or emotion. "The path before you will not bring you neither glory, nor joy, nor peace. Continue down it, and all you will find is ruin, shame, and a cold, empty life devoid of meaning."
The tortoise's sudden shift in demeanor was enough to leave the normally unflappable Flare stunned. He swallowed nervously, taking in what she was telling him, then cast it aside with a shake of his head.
"It is my destiny to rebuild the Suzaku Empire…" Flare replied as he raised his sword. "To that end, I will do whatever it takes, and I will cut down anyone who gets in my way."
Bunker regarded the young Entei, then closed her eyes.
"Very well…" she sighed, assuming a combat stance of her own.
-X-
Jiaolong River
A little bit after the race started at the river, Kat and her team were making their way down at a good pace.
"Alright, we're making good time," Kat reported. "Glad we finally found our rhythm."
Everyone rowed in sync,
"Alright, up, down, up, down!" Lara declared. "Keep it up, you two! You're doing great!"
Wyn smiled. "Thank you, Lara, dearest"
"Hmmmm..." Locke looked around in thought, seeing how many people were still ahead of them. He scowled, then perked in remembrance.
"Ow!" he winced, rubbing his shoulder. "My arm!"
"Locke!" Lara cried.
"Head Guardian, what's wrong?" Wyn questioned.
"I think it's cramping! Dammit!"
"Crap!" Kat cursed. "We gotta slow down!"
As they did, Locke leaned over, positioning himself so nobody could see him looking at the map.
"Geez Locke," Kat said. "Are you okay?"
"This is unexpected," Wyn mused.
"Yes, fine. Locke reassured. "Just... need a moment to get my shoulder settled."
He looked over the map, trying to find the best route. "Yes, I... think I'm feeling better already. Thank Aurora for Chaos Energy." He retrieved his oar. "Now, let's go!"
He started rowing again.
"Right!" Kat nodded. "Let's go!"
"Onward!" Wyn declared.
"Yes, to victory!" Locke grinned. "Sweet, sweet victory."
The group continued, not realizing Locke's rowing sent them along a different path.
-X-
Just outside Shengcun Village
"Rantao…" Jian snarled, her fists clenching.
"So, you finally decided to show yourself," Dulcy added with a glare.
"My apologies," the Raiju replied with a sardonic chuckle. "I was having too much fun laughing at your little display there. It almost made me lose my lunch, as they say in Northamer." She perked. "Speaking of lunch, I'm surprised you two are up and about already after Yorokobi Kamen fried you into wantons. You even still smell a little crispy." She sniffed a bit, then gagged.
As if on cue, Dulcy sniffed herself.
"Dulcinea…" Jian gritted out in annoyance.
Dulcy smiled awkwardly. "Sorry…"
"Enough with the jokes, Rantao," the tigress continued. "We both know why you're here, so just get to the part where I rip you limb from limb."
"Oh my!" Rantao let out in mock shock. "Janjan! When did you get so violent and cruel?" She let out a dark chuckle. "What would Hazuki say if she saw you like this?"
Jian's eyes widened in shock.
"Don't you dare speak her name…" Jian ordered coldly.
"Hazuki?" Dulcy asked. "Who's that?"
"She doesn't concern you, ryu," Jian snapped.
"Jian?"
"Don't mind Janjan," Rantao cut in. "She always gets all huffy when people speak ill of Hazuki. Not sure why though, she more than earned it."
"Shut up…" Jian gritted out.
"Or what?" Rantao looked right at Jian. "You know I'm right. She was soft. Pathetic. Weak. A disgrace to the Raiju Clan."
"She was the greatest of us all!" Jian screamed. "She did things for the clan even hanayome-sama couldn't! She was my…" Jian paused, her eyes misting. "She was… I… She…"
"Died."
Jian froze, her eyes wide as dinner plates.
"She died, like a trapped mobini. Broken, bleeding…" Her grin redoubled. "And begging like a dog."
One second. That's how long it was before Jian snapped out of her stupor. But for her, it was like an eternity. The world seemed to go completely still and silent. The colors drained away, leaving nothing but a cold monochrome. Not even the wind blew in this void bereft of life and warmth. Nothing and nobody else existed. There was only Jian and the cloaked lynx standing before her, grinning at her with malicious delight.
Then… there was motion. The trembling of hands.
Then… there was color. A violently vivid red.
Then… there was a sound. A scream.
"RANTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAO!"
And with a boom that would impress even Sonic, the world exploded back into existence. Except Jian was no longer standing beside Dulcy, but behind Rantao, who'd flinched as a massive slash wound tore open across her chest.
"Y-You…" Rantao let out in shock.
"Give Arashi and Reppu my regards in Hell," Jian uttered, shaking off her tail-blade, after which, Rantao fell over, dead.
"Finally…" Jian sighed. "It's over. It's…"
SHNK!
"Ahhh!"
Jian fell to her knees, clutching the kunai that had been embedded in her shoulder.
"Jian!" Dulcy cried out as she ran over to the tigress.
"No…" Jian whispered. "It can't be… I…"
"Janjan!"
Jian looked over her shoulder, toward the village to find Rantao - now wearing her cloak and mask - standing on the rooftops.
"Catch me if you can!" the lynx assassin called out before running off, laughing wickedly.
"Rantao…!" Jian growled as she got up.
"Jian, wait!" Dulcy grabbed her.
"Let go, Dulcy!" the tigress demanded.
"No! You can't just run after her like that! That's exactly what she wants! We need to call Shifu and Cinder, then…"
"By the time we do that, Rantao will have hurt and killed Kaitian and who knows how many other people! She needs to be stopped, right here, right now! Now let go of me!"
"No! You're going to get yourself… Ahhhh!"
Just then, Dulcy felt sharp and cold come over her arms. Jian's blade had managed to slide out of her grasp and slash at her arms, causing her to release the tigress in reflex and cover them with frost.
"Bakame," Jian muttered as she ran off. "RANTAOOOO! Get back here!"
"Dammit!" Dulcy cursed before using her breath to thaw out her arms. "I gotta stop her!"
She took off into the air, activating her comm as she did.
"Shifu! We got a problem! Jian's gone after Rantao on her own and…!"
"My apologies, Dulcinea… But I'm a little occupied at the moment!"
-X-
Forests outside Shengcun
Flare let out a mighty kiai as he swung his sword down on Bunker, only for the tortoise to dodge it effortlessly. He swung again, but she backstepped out of the way. He lunged, but she sidestepped. Soon, the Entei found himself swinging and thrusting his sword about in a rapid barrage of strikes; but every single time, Bunker would avoid and evade all of them with an agility unheard of in her species.
"You swing your sword like a child playing war," she replied with a chuckle. "Shall I prepare you some milk and cookies for when you've tuckered yourself out?"
"Silence!" Flare screamed, gripping his sword with both hands as he raised it high. With all his strength, he brought it down, intending to cleave Bunker in two…
KLINK!
"Ah!"
…only for it to stop completely as she caught it between her index and middle fingers.
"The Ancient Weapon Goshiki Enchou. Royal Heirloom Blade of Suzaku the Phoenix, the first Entei." Bunker shook her head mournfully. "Such a blade is wasted on you. Can you even use it properly?"
Flare's eyes narrowed. "Why don't you tell me?"
Just then, the rainbow-colored flame pattern on Goshiki Enchou's blade began to glow, and Bunker began to feel a low heat between her fingers. A heat that was rapidly rising.
FWOOM!
"Gah!"
Bunker barely managed to let go of the blade and get out of the way as a plume of multicolored flame shot forth from the black steel, leaving her startled and disoriented.
"Now I have you!" Something Flare was more than eager to capitalize on. He swung his sword in a wide arc, flames still shooting from the blade, extending its range. Thinking quickly, Bunker channeled earth qi through her body, surrounding herself with a brown-yellow sheen that blocked the flames and the blade, which clanked harmlessly against her skin.
"Well…" Bunker panted. "I see you've been keeping to your qi training."
"Of course," Flare replied with a smirk. "Suzaku was more than the founder of the Empire, she was the incarnation of fire itself! I don't just command flame, I command the flame of the divine bird itself!"
"So that's what's going on," Bunker replied, her eyes narrowing in cold contempt. "I take back what I said that day, there's nothing kingly about you in the slightest."
Flare snarled. "It would seem I overplayed my hand."
"Mark my words, Flare, so long as I draw breath, you will not lay one rotten talon on that girl!"
"That was my plan from the start."
Flare unleashed another gout of fire from his sword, forcing Bunker to dodge again. Once she was far enough away, he held up his weapon.
"Now, moeagaru…" he recited as he ran his fingers along the flame pattern on the blade. "Goshiki Enchou!"
The pattern on the blade began to glow, enveloping the sword in a shining aura of rainbow fire. Bunker watched, mesmerized by the radiant display as Flare performed a martial kata, ending with him raising his sword above his head.
"Suzaku Zanjutsu Ougi…" he recited. "Jikuuryouzan!"
With all the swiftness of a samurai warrior, Flare swung his sword, unleashing a surge of flame and light. Bunker raised her arms, shielding herself and her eyes from the attack and brightness… only to pause when she felt nothing connect.
"What the…?" She opened her eyes, but to her surprise, Flare was gone. "Impossible… where did he…?"
SHNK!
"Guh!" Bunker winced as she felt something sharp pierce her shoulder, then something warm and wet. She looked at her shoulder to find a patch of blood rapidly forming on her robe, as well as the tip of a sword sticking out of it.
"No…" the tortoise whispered in shock. "It cannot be…"
"And yet it is," Flare whispered as he leaned in closer to where Bunker's ears would be. "Now, Master Bunker, out of respect for your help in stopping my sister's coup and your history with my family, I'm going to give you one last chance to surrender. Do so and I will let you live, refuse…" Bunker hissed and winced as Flare channeled fire qi into the blade, sharply raising its temperature. "...and my servants will be cleaning out your bones and ashes from your shell to use as my new kotatsu. Your response? "
Bunker let out a few sharp, but steady breaths. "My answer…" She closed her eyes, letting out a slow, heavy sigh. "My answer… is the same as before."
Without warning, Bunker raised her hand and pushed against the tip of the blade with her palm with such force, that it flew out of her shoulder…and Flare's hand.
"Nani!?" the self-proclaimed 'phoenix king' exclaimed.
"Zhāng shǒu…
Before Flare could react, Bunker spun around and struck him square in the chest with a palm strike, her hand glowing with shimmering green with wood qi.
"Chūn hé zhànfàng!"
Bunker followed up with another palm strike, this one infused with water qi.
"This… power…" he grits out. "What… is this?"
"Open Palm: Spring Lotus Blooming," Bunker replied. "It's a technique used to disable and subdue opponents while inflicting minimal damage. The first strike infuses the target with wood qi, which quickly spreads through their meridians. The second infuses them with the water qi, stimulating the excess wood elements in their body and making them blossom.
Flare gasped as Qi surged through his body, causing several glowing mounds of energy to appear on his back. The mounds quickly opened up, revealing pink, glowing plumes of energy in the shape of lotus flowers. Shimmering motes of light billowed out from the blooms, filling the air with a sweet aroma and Flare with a numb, tired feeling.
"I… can't move…" he wheezed out.
"That would be the blooms draining away your energy," Bunker continued. "Soon, they will drain you completely and you'll fall unconscious. By the time you wake, you will be back in Suzaku to answer for your crimes. I am sorry, Flare, but it's over. Your Empire is finished."
Flare's eyes widened. "No…" he gritted out. "NO!"
Suddenly, Flare's eyes began to glow crimson, wispy trails of steam rising from his body. The blooms on his back began to turn from pink to orange to bright red, then burst into flame before shriveling into nothing.
"Genbu's beard!" Bunker exclaimed. "Such power… how can he…?"
Bunker gasped as she felt something pierce her from behind. She looked back to find Goshiki Enchou had somehow lunged itself into her back, shell and all.
"I told you…" Bunker turned around, paling at the horrific sight before her. "I bear the blood of the Phoenix. I bear the blood of a god!"
-X-
Back in the village…
Jian chased Rantao along the rooftops, the Raiju giggling maniacally all the while.
"Y'know, what this reminds me of, Janjan? When hanayome-sama used to make us pair off and hunt each other down." She looked over her shoulder, no doubt flashing Jian a smug grin from under her mask. "You remember, don't you, Janjan? I'd always get the jump on you and smash your stupid face into the ground."
"Shut up, Rantao!" Jian snapped, throwing several kunai at her. The throwing knives hit their mark, and for a brief moment, she celebrated… only for Rantao's body to disappear in a puff of smoke.
"Another clone!?" Was all the time she had to say before Rantao appeared out of nowhere and flying-axe-kicked her into the ground, startling several villagers.
"Yep, just like that," Rantao replied as she landed on the roof. "Every day, I'd leave you eating dirt. Then, hanayome-sama would make you get up and we'd do it all over again until you could barely stand."
Jian growled as she forced herself up, glaring daggers at Rantao the entire time. "You didn't win every time!"
"True…" the lynx conceded with a shrug. "You did beat me a few times… When you had help from Hazuki."
Jian leaped up to the roof, appearing almost instantly in front of Rantao.
"I told you to keep her name out of your mouth!" She swung her tail-blade, slicing Rantao across her throat. Jian watched her gag and gurgle as she clutched her neck… only to gasp as she dissipated into nothing.
"Not bad, Janjan…" Jian looked over her shoulder to find Rantao casually sitting atop a nearby power line, balancing a shuriken on her fingertip. "You've actually improved a little bit. And the viciousness…" She chuckled as she seemingly split the shuriken into five and balanced them on top of each other. "Where was that when you went to murder that little yakitori nugget?"
Jian bolted toward the pole, running up it at a ninety-degree angle.
"Ohh! You even figured out vertical running! Very good!" Rantao praised mockingly, tossing her shurikens into the air. "Too bad you left yourself wide open!"
She grabbed the throwing stars mid-landing, then threw them at Jian just as quickly. To her surprise, however, Jian's tail-blade snaked around, striking them away before they could touch her.
"Hmmmm… omoshiroi," Rantao whispered.
Jian reached the top of the pole and made another swing at Rantao, only the Raiju to flip backward and land on the electrical cables, before drawing her own blade.
"Well, well, someone's been busy!" Rantao replied, parrying a thrust from Jian's blade. "You've grown much stronger, and that tail of yours is quite the weapon as always!"
"I've been training for this moment, Rantao!" Jian attempted another thrust. "Every day, since I fled Suzaku with Cinder. I knew that if you were still alive, you'd come after us." She swung her tail blade down heavily, forcing Rantao to block, leaving both their weapons locked together. "So, I spent every moment I could growing stronger so that when you came crawling out of the shadows, I'd be ready!"
"Heh! Time well spent!" Rantao grinned. "But skill isn't the only strength of the Raiju."
With her free hand, Rantao pointed downward, prompting Jian to look down. To the tigress' horror, several Rantao clones were rapidly approaching, each performing hand signs and stinking of ozone.
"No!"
Without a second thought, Jian abandoned her fight with Rantao and raced toward the clones.
"Ninpo…" she recited, icy mist forming around her tail blade. "Hyogetsuken: Hisame!"
She swung her tail blade, sending a barrage of small, but razor-sharp shards of ice toward the crowd below. With the precision only a ninja possessed, the shards struck the clones dead center of their foreheads. Within seconds, their bodies were completely enveloped in ice, which shattered into pieces, along with them.
Jian let out a sigh of relief. "Yokatta… that was too…"
"Ninpo: Nigami Tenkei! Fujin!"
Only to pause as the wind picked up. Without warning, Jian found herself enveloped in a miniature tornado, unable to move or escape.
"No…" she let out. "Dammit! How could I be so…!?" Before she could finish, the cyclone launched her into the air, high above the village. She spiraled and flailed about, trying to regain her bearings so she could try and mitigate the damage from her fall…
"Oh, Janjan!"
Jian looked up, seeing Rantao hovering overhead, clutching a sparking ball of electricity in her hands.
"Raijin!"
With all her might, Rantao threw the thunderball at Jian, who could only watch helplessly as it crashed into her…
-X-
Dulcy continued looking around the village, searching for Rantao and Jian.
"Come on, they have to be here somewhere!"
KRA-KOOOOOOOM!
" Aiyah… " Dulcy nearly jumped out of her scales as a deafening roar of thunder echoed through the village. "What in the world was…Ah!"
Her question was answered by the sparking ball of electricity flashing in the distance. A sight that filled her with dread.
"Jian…"
-X-
Jian let out a pitiful moan as she lay upon the broken tiles of a restaurant's roof. Her body sparked with electricity as her fingers twitched and spasmed, her singed fur standing up on its own. She was aching. She felt like she was being jabbed with Bunker-sensei's damned needles. But more than her wounded body was her wounded pride. She couldn't believe she fell for such an easy ploy. The next time she saw Rantao, she would…
"My, my, my…"
Speak of the devil…
"This is just pitiful," Rantao continued, manifesting before Jian, alongside several clones. "You finally manage to start putting up a fight and you fall for one of the oldest tricks." She sighed, shaking her head. "Maybe I spoke too soon about you, Janjan."
"Damn you…" Jian coughed out. "That… was a dirty trick."
"Of course it was, you idiot," Rantao scoffed. "What, did you expect me to fight you fair and square? We're ninjas. Assassins. The only thing that matters is that we complete our mission and vanquish our enemies. Everything else doesn't matter… or everyone. Seriously, didn't you learn anything from Hanayome-sama's lessons?"
"I learned that every single one of you is a complete lunatic!" Jian winced in pain. "How can you live like this? How can you just end peoples' lives like they're nothing!?"
That comment earned Jian a sandal to the chest.
"Because they are nothing," Rantao replied, her mock cheeriness completely gone, replaced with a cold emptiness. "Worthless wastes of air and water fit only to be slaughtered by those more deserving of it. They're soft. Fearful. Helpless. Worthless and weak. Just like you and Hazuki."
Jian growled. "Hazuki was not worthless, you…!"
"Damare!" Rantao shouted furiously, stomping into Jian's chest. "She was a pathetic bleeding heart! A parasite weakening us from within! She would've destroyed the Raiju!"
"She was trying to save the Raiju!" Jian shouted. "She knew that our obsession with strength and power was killing us! That if we threw away our emotions…"
"Emotions are for the weak!" Rantao cut in harshly. "Sentiment has no place in the heart of an assassin. Hazuki was a cancer that needed to be cut out."
"She was my friend! She was your sister!" Jian screamed, tears in her eyes. "And you killed her!"
"And your point is…?" Rantao replied, completely nonplussed by Jian's sorrowful rage.
"You…" the tigress gritted out, mist forming all over her body. "I'll kill you… I'm going to rip you apart, RANTAO!"
With a roar of agony, icy spikes erupted all around Jian's body, skewering several of Rantao's clones. Unfortunately, Rantao and several more of them managed to leap out of the way in time.
"Perfect… now the fight's getting interesting!" Rantao whispered as she landed, then bolted off with her clones.
"RANTAOOOOO!" Jian screamed as she gave pursuit.
-X-
"Damn it!" Dulcy cursed as she scoured the village for signs of feline fighting. "I can't find them anywhere! Why do ninjas have to be so fast!?"
Just then, something caught her eye, a group of black-cloaked figures in white masks running through the village streets, laughing gleefully.
"Rantao and her clones!" she cried out, only to pause as she saw another group in another street. "Wait… another one?"
She looked around some more and saw a third group. Then, a fourth, and a fifth. Then more!
"Hold on… what are they doing?" the dragoness whispered, noticing something…peculiar about them. The Rantao squads were just running about the village. "They're just… running around? Are they trying to find Jian? No… she would've sensed her qi and headed straight for her. They aren't even going very fast… what…?"
Dulcy shook her head, then slapped her cheeks. "Gah! Focus, Dulcy! Lives are at stake!"
Without a second thought, she flew ahead of one of the groups, and then landed right in front of them, cutting them off.
"Aha!" she declared. "Now one more step, Yamaneko…!"
To Dulcy's surprise, Rantao and her clones screamed in terror and ran off.
"Wh-What the…!?" the stupefied dragon let out as she ran forward. "Don't run from me, you…!"
Just then, her nostrils perked as a strange scent filled her nose. A smell she was all too familiar with.
"That's…"
Before she could dwell on this further, a soft thud greeted her ears. One of the Rantaos had fallen over, prompting the others to run over and help her up. Dulcy watched this play out, her eyes squinted, then a few seconds later…
"Oh no…" she whispered in terror.
"RANTAAAAAAAAAAAO!"
Dulcy gaped in shock as the temperature in the distance suddenly dropped.
"Oh, double no!" she shouted, taking off once again. "Jian!"
-X-
Jiaolong River
At a further point down the river, Kat and the Echidnas struggled to deal with the rapids.
"Ugh... what is going on?" Kat questioned. "The race route shouldn't be taking us through rapids."
The boat hit a bad current, rocking them. "Whoa!"
"Steady, Kathryn!" Wyn quickly helped her stabilize.
"What is going on? And where are the rest of the boats?"
"I'm not sure."
"Kathryn!" Lara cried. "What is this place? The currents are insane! And there are rocks everywhere."
"The Qirin Horn Rapids." Locke managed.
"The WHAT?!" All the color drained from Kat's face.
"They're a part of the river famous for the choppy, unpredictable currents… And many jagged rocks shaped like the horns of Chun-nan's dragon horses. Hence the name."
"Locke... How the fugg do you know this?" Kat demanded. "And WHY THE FUGG ARE WE HERE?! This isn't the race route!"
"Of course it is, I...Whoa!" A current rocked the boat. "We'll discuss this later! We need to focus! Lest we crash and sink!"
Lara leaned over to Kat. "Kathryn, I'm almost certain we took the correct turn."
"Yeah, I think so. But I was following the map and...wait…" Kat held up the map. "This isn't the correct map!"
The others froze.
"Say what!?" Wyn cried.
"The map! It's all wrong! We're supposed to follow the Jiaolong River, not take any of the tributaries! This one doesn't even connect to the finish line! It leads to-..." the blood drained out of her face. "Oh fugg…"
"What?" Locke demanded. "What is it?"
"Locke..." Lara pointed ahead. He followed her finger, going pale.
"Ohhhhh..."
They were headed straight for a waterfall.
"Bail! Bail!" Wyn grabbed Lara and immediately threw her out of the boat and toward the shore. He then did the same with Kat, also throwing her to safety.
"Wyn!" Kat cried. "Wyn, jump!"
"I am trying!" He then grabbed Locke, throwing him.
"Wait, what are you...!? However, before Wyn could jump himself, the boat took a nosedive. "Wynmacher, NO!"
The boat vanished over the falls.
"By Aurora..." Lara gasped.
"No, no, no, no…" Kat managed. "WYN!"
"He's… He's fine," Locke tried to assure them. "He's a Guardian, that won't kill him. It... It won't…"
"We need to get to the shore!" Kat cried. "C'mon! There's an embankment nearby that we can climb down. We need to hurry!"
"Right!" Lara followed her. "Locke! Locke. hurry!"
"It... It won't…" Locke stammered. "He's…I...I didn't...He can't be..."
"Locke!" Lara shrieked.
Locke snapped too, following. "Right! Coming!"
-X-
Shengcun Village
Despite being in the middle of summer, the rooftops of Shengcun looked more like the dead of winter as Jian dashed about them. The tigress had gone completely berserk, her body shrouded in icy qi; spreading ice and snow wherever she stepped.
"Dammit!" she shouted. "Where the hell is she!?"
Just then the sound of giggling greeted her ears, prompting her to look to the side. Rantao and five other clones had gathered in a small clearing just outside the village. As she stared, the clones looked in her direction.
"Here she comes!" one of them said.
"Now the game's really going to get fun!" added another.
Jian growled. A game, that's all this was to her. Who cares how many people she cut down as long as she got to show her strength and take what she wanted? But not this time. This time, she was going to be the one cut down.
"Found you!"
With a loud boom, Jian raced toward the Rantaos, who seemed to freeze in fright at the sight of the frigid, white killer rushing toward them. This was it. Soon, the monster would fall. The nightmare would be over. Hazuki would be avenged. And all her friends would be safe. Cinder, Kaitian, Bunker, even that idiot…
"Jian, stop!"
"Dulcy!?" Jian cried out as the dragon landed right in front of her, forcing her to stop to keep from crashing into her. "What the hell do you think you're doing!?" the tigress demanded.
"Jian, listen! You're making a huge mistake!" Dulcy began frantically.
"I'm making a mistake!? You're the one defending Rantao!"
"I'm trying to help you! Jian, Rantao…"
"I told you, I don't need your help, Dulcy! Rantao is my enemy! I'm the only one who can defeat her! And you're only getting in my way! Now get out of it before I make you!"
"Jian, listen! You need to calm down! Rantao is-"
Before Dulcy could finish, Jian lept at her, delivering a flying kick straight to her face, knocking her into the bamboo forest, the Rantaos leaping out of the way.
"I warned you," Jian muttered in disgust before turning her attention to the Rantaos. "Alright, Rantao…now it's your turn."
She advanced toward the cloaked quintet, her tail lashing menacingly like a viper preparing to strike. She watched as the Rantaos cowered in fear before fleeing for their lives.
"Not this time!" Jian swung her tail, causing several walls of ice to rise from the ground, trapping them. "No more running. No more tricks. It's time for you to pay for what you did!"
"W-We're sorry!" one of the Rantaos pleaded. "W-We were just playing!"
"Just playing!?" Jian snapped. "Just playing!? Only you would call beating people down and crushing them like bugs playing! Were you 'just playing' when you cut down your own sister? My friend!? My…!?" Jian panted heavily, her breathing growing harsh and ragged as she stifled a choking sob. "Well guess what? Playtime's over!" She rushed at the clones, tail-blade surging with qi. "DIE, RANTAO!"
If the Rantaos screamed, Jian couldn't hear it. Between her blinding speed and rage, the world had gone silent. Not that she cared. All that mattered was that she was finally going to make Rantao dead and burn in Hell.
FWOOSH!
"Nani!?"
The ice wall behind the Rantaos began to bubble and glow as a flaming mass burst through with an angry roar.
"ENOUGH!" yelled a flame-engulfed Dulcy as she flew toward Jian, tackling her and sending the two rolling several feet away.
"That's enough, Jian!" she shouted as she pinned the tigress to the ground.
"The hell are you doing!?" Jian demanded as she struggled to get free.
"Stopping you! You're completely out of control!"
"Let me go, Dulcy! Rantao's going to get away!"
"That's not Rantao, you idiot!"
"Then kill the damned clones before they…!"
"They aren't clones either! They're children!"
Jian froze. "What?"
Dulcy looked over her shoulder at the Rantaos.
"Alright, you all, take off those costumes," she ordered, sternly.
The Rantaos hesitated, more out of fear than anything, but did as they were told. To Jian's horror, instead of the cruel, mocking Raiju lynx she'd been pursuing, they were frightened, human children.
"A-Are we in trouble?" A young boy who seemed to be the leader of the group stammered.
Dulcy shook her head. "No, you're not. We just need to ask you some questions."
With that, Dulcy got off of Jian, allowing her to get up.
"What the…?" Jian whispered in shock. 'H-How did you…?"
"I ran into another group of kids while looking for you," Dulcy answered. "They smelled like sugar. Sugar, dirt, and sunscreen. Not only that, they were slow, way too slow for a ninja, especially one of Rantao's skill level. This was all a distraction, one she intended to use to break you."
Jian looked at the children, two of whom were now openly crying while hiding behind the boy. Then, down at her trembling hands. "And I fell for it…" She looked down at her trembling hands in horror. "I almost… I could've…" She fell to her knees. "Gaias below, what have I done?"
"You let your anger get the better of you," Dulcy replied bluntly. "You let Rantao rile you up and you almost did something horrible because of that. It's a good thing you had someone to stop you, otherwise, you would've played right into her hands."
Jian couldn't bring herself to reply, all she could do was hang her head in shame.
"Neechan! Dulcy-senpai!"
Jian and Dulcy turned around to see Cinder frantically running toward them. That alone was concerning, but more so that she was alone.
"Cinder? Where's Shifu?" Dulcy asked.
Cinder stopped for a moment to catch her breath. "She's… she's in the forest! Fighting Flare!"
"Flare!?" Jian shouted, snapping out of her stupor.
"Your brother!?" Dulcy exclaimed.
Cinder nodded. "Sensei sensed his qi and found him in the forest! He said he'd come to take me back! When I refused, he tried to cut me!"
"He what!?"
"Sensei told me to run away and find you, so I did!"
"Dammit!" Dulcy cursed. "We've gotta go help!"
"But what about Rantao!?" Jian shouted. "We can't just leave her running amok!"
"I don't think we'll need to." Dulcy turned to the kids. "Did someone put you up to this?"
One of the children perked. "Huh?"
"Your little game. Those cloaks and masks, and those hand signs you were making. Where did you get those and who showed them to you?"
"The lady gave them to us," the second child said. "Along with candy."
Dulcy raised an eyebrow ridge. "The lady?"
The child nodded. "She bought a lotta candy, but she couldn't eat it all. So she gave it to us and taught us this fun game. She even gave us these costumes to play it."
"She said that the tiger lady would play tag with us if we wore them," a third child said. "And that if we did the magic sign before she caught us, she'd give us more candy."
Dulcy nodded. "I see… And what did this lady look like? Was she an orange kitty with black hair?"
"Ya-huh!"
"She was really pretty!"
"Yeah... no wonder that birdy man was with her."
"Wait... Birdy man," Dulcy picked up Cinder. "Did he look kinda like this?"
The kids shook their heads. "No, he was blue."
Cinder gasped. "That's Flare!"
Jian went pale. "Oh no..."
"This is bad," Dulcy let out. "We need to find Kaitian and Shifu, now!"
Jian nodded, activating her comm. "Sensei! Sensei, can you hear me!?"
"No need to shout, I can hear you just fine… Iron Tail Jian."
The three Shijin Warriors felt chills run down their collective spines as a dark and distinctly male voice greeted their ears.
"I take it from your desperation that my sister informed you of my arrival," Flare replied casually. "And from your silence, you were expecting someone else."
"You hundan! " Dulcy snarled, smoke rising from her nostrils. "What have you done with our Shifu!?"
"Mind your tongue, ryu! Lest you want it grilled and served with onions and citrus sauce," Flare snapped. "And to answer your question, your beloved 'Shifu' is feeling a little under the weather." He chuckled darkly. "She's really burning up."
"No!" Dulcy cried.
"Teme…" Jian gritted out.
"Flare… how could you?" Cinder pleaded.
"That miserable turtle stood in the way of my ambitions," Flare continued, without a hint of remorse. "She was an obstacle to the revival of the Suzaku Empire, so I dealt with her appropriately. And unless you three wish to share her fate, I suggest you learn from her example."
"Shifu…" Dulcy whispered, her spirit broken.
"Dammit…" Jian cursed. "If he beat Sensei, we…" She clenched her fist, biting down on her lower lip.
"Ahhh… the sound of the flames of resistance being extinguished. It suits you well," Flare sighed with delight. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to take back Suzaku's Flame."
"I will never be yours!" Cinder shouted, tears in her eyes, startling Jian and Dulcy. "It doesn't matter what you do, Flare! You'll never take it! It doesn't belong to you anymore!"
"Suzaku's Flame is mine by birthright! And nobody will keep it from me! Not you, your worthless teacher, your pathetic friends, and especially not some filthy, gaijin mongrel! Now all of you shut your mouths and enjoy what little time you have left before I have that other mangy feline slit your loathsome throats!"
The Shijin Warriors winced as an explosion echoed from their communicators, followed by radio static.
"You guren…" Dulcy whispered fearfully.
"I knew he was horrible…" Jian swallowed nervously. "But this…"
But none of them were more terrified than little Cinder, who could only cling to Dulcy, desperately trying to think of a way to stop her brother's madness; only two other thoughts were on her mind.
"Sensei… Kacchan…"
-X-
In the forest…
Flare panted heavily as he stared at the remnants of Bunker's comm. His posture was hunched over. His ponytail was a disheveled mess. He strangled his bloodstained katana, talons trembling with pure rage. His entire body glowed with fiery qi, flickering between bright scarlet, glowing amber, pale viridian, deep cerulean, and dark violet.
"Insolent wretches…" he whispered. "Nobody speaks to me that way… nobody… nobody… NOBODY!"
He let out a primal roar, his aura flaring up in a small spire of flame. He screamed for what seemed like a full minute when he heard a low chiming noise. Immediately, he calmed down, taking a moment to adjust his hair and straighten out his kimono before snapping his fingers and conjuring his Mirror of Farsight.
"Rantao," he greeted curtly.
"Ugh... finally!" the ninja lynx groused. "What have you been doing!? I've been trying to get ahold of you for ten minutes!"
"Merely reminding an old peasant woman of her place."
Flare looked over his shoulder at his fallen opponent. Bunker lay on the ground in the center of a circle of scorched earth, eyes wide open and barely breathing. Her robe and clothing were in tatters, her body black with soot with burns and bruises decorating her skin. Her shell was cracked, the edges charred and the skin beneath an angry red. Were it not for the minute rising of her chest, one would assume she was dead.
"Unfortunately, I was unable to collect my wayward sister," he continued. "Not that it matters. She will return to where she belongs once she realizes these fools cannot protect her. Which reminds me…" His expression grew serious. "The hag and her acolytes have dealt with, but what of Winters? Is she in position?"
"Just about," Rantao replied. "The stupid one got her off the boat before it fell, but her emotional state is volatile. She'll have no control and will be ripe for the picking."
"Good…" Flare replied with a wicked grin. "As soon as you arrive, show me the location and I'll be there. Then, we incinerate Winters and her pathetic family into ashes."
"Just remember to leave the stupid one for me."
Flare nodded. "As you wish, see you then."
With that, he dispelled the mirror, tucking it away in his inner robes.
"And with that, the mighty Shijin Warriors have fallen," Flare proclaimed, conjuring a set of cloth sheets, which he used to wipe the gunk stuck to the blade. "Honestly, I don't know who to pity more, your fool wenches of students or you, Master Bunker."
Bunker let out a weak, pitiful gasp.
"I agree," Flare continued. "Your students are certainly fools, but they are but dumb children. You, on the other hand, should've known better than to oppose me."
Once he'd finished wiping down his sword, he gave it a quick swing, grinning in satisfaction as he did.
"But worry not, I won't kill them… not until they've witnessed the rebirth." He looked to the sky, a sick smile creeping over his face. "At last… At long last, Suzaku's Flame is within my grasp… and her glorious empire will rise from the ashes once again!"
-X-
Kat, Lara, and Locke ran down a path leading to where Wyn fell.
"Crap, crap, crap!" Kat cursed. "WYN! WYN!"
"Wynmacher!" Lara cried. "Can you hear us!?"
"Say something!" Locke attempted to sense him. "Come on... Where are you?"
"The boat!" Kat screamed.
They arrived at the end of the path, finding themselves in a lake that trailed into another, weaker river, the falls roaring. There, amidst the rocks, were the remains of the boat. The jagged stones were stabbing through the hull, the figurehead completely severed and clearly beyond repair.
"No..." Kat gasped.
"Aurora..." Lara managed.
Locke was speechless as Kat fell to her knees.
"It's... it's destroyed… Completely destroyed."
"Kathryn..." Lara knelt to her level, placing a gentle hand on her back.
Locke stared at the destroyed boat, realizing what fate he'd almost led everyone to before perking.
"Wait... over there! Look!"
Locke pointed ahead to an area near the wreckage. They all looked, seeing something down there, something red and bleeding.
"Wynmacher!" Lara cried.
"WYN!" Ka screamed.
Lara immediately rushes to help Wyn. He lay unconscious in the rubble, unconscious.
"Wyn?" Lara let out. "Wynmacher, can you hear me?"
Wyn groaned, slowly opening his eyes. "La...ra...?"
"Thank Aurora…"
"Lara...You're... okay. Oh... glorious…!" he winced in pain, clutching his arm.
"Wyn! Hang on!" Kat splashed over to him, reaching for the Power Ring capsule around her neck. She popped it open, pulled out a Power Ring, and held it over the Echidna. Wyn was bathed in the light, which began healing his wounds.
"Wyn?" She let out. "Did it work?"
"Ohhhh… Oh, thank the Walkers... I am alive again!" he grinned.
Kat collapsed. "Xiè tiān xiè dì."
Lara hugged Wyn, while Locke let out a sigh of relief.
"I am grateful for your aid, and that you all survived…" His good mood faltered. "Alas… I am sorry I could not save the boat…"
"Yeah..." Kat's face fell.
"Kathryn..." Lara replied, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I don't understand..." Locke let out. "The map...It said that was a shortcut!"
"Map…" Kat lifted her head, her tone cold. Locke took a step back, reminded all too well of the day he had been revealed to be actively trying to chase her out of the Brotherhood.
"That's right... you had a map. A wrong map... that destroyed... my boat…and nearly killed Wynmacher…" Her tattoo began to glow, and the tips of her hair began to lick with flames. "So tell me, Head Guardian...Where did you get that map?
"I... I found it. Under the futon...I-It was a gift. A sign from the Ancient Walkers!"
"Gift?! GIFT?!" Flames exploded around her. "Does this look like a gift to you?!"
Locke looked over what had happened, cringing. "I...I didn't... I thought... I..."
Kat grabbed him by the front of his robes, bodily lifting him up.
"It's gone because of you!" she shrieked. "The last thing I had of them! My last real connection! And it's GONE! "
Angry, grief-stricken tears streamed down her face. Locke could only look on in horror and shame. "You took it from me...and I can never get it back…"
The flames around her died and she slowly dropped Locke. She crumbled to the ground, openly sobbing as Wynmacher went to comfort her. Locke looked over the ruined boat, the shattered Kat, before hanging his head in shame and walking away.
"I accept full responsibility... for what I have done."
Author's Note:
Locke's plan ended exactly as we all expected it would... and this time, it's not as satisfying to see him fail.
Please R&R. Until next time.