Hey peeps! Me again, and after writing two stories about just Rai and Kim – one fun and humorous, the other serious and tragic, I was getting kinda tired of writing stories only about them in love and all that. Besides, I haven't really seen any hard-core action in a while so I decided to write one myself. I was itching to get back to some good old serious action battles anyways instead of just RaixKim fluff. Believe me, I sill love that pairing… it's just that the need to write some action was killing me. So I did.
After some thought, I finally came up the idea of a sequel to a story I wrote all the way back in July: Your Last Night. I figured that I could definitely continue it and so I did, and as I wrote it, the whole story just came out naturally. And I feel pretty confident about it.
So please give it a chance and read it and review! Thank you all!
Summary of what happened in Your Last Night (for those of you who are too lazy or don't want to read the story – relax, not calling you lazy or anything, and it's totally ok with me): In 600 AD, Chase had assembled an army of warriors in a plan to destroy all the Xiaolin temples in China. The first temple he attacked is where the story takes place. The main character was Kira and she was the dragon of fire and her best friend was Arissa, the dragon of water. Master Liu was their teacher. (Those are the only three characters along with Chase). Chase attacked and everyone at the temple was killed, and the temple itself was burned to the ground. Before though, Chase and Kira had this huge battle to the death, in which Chase won, but with difficulty and he was injured greatly. All of his warriors were also killed in the battle, so as a result, he couldn't continue his plans of destroying all the temples and was forced to retreat. End of summary.
Now, on with the story! Enjoy!
650 AD:
I pulled the cloak I was wearing around my body tighter as I walked through the grass, resolute and unforgiving. The wind clawed at my face and whipped my long, silky black hair behind me, revealing my rich, chocolate colored eyes. The dark, black cloak that I was wearing flapped noisily around me, but it stayed on as I trudged along; nothing could stop me from my mission. It was freezing cold, but not as cold as my heart. My heart…
I sighed with bitterness. My heart had once been filled with love and hope and spirit. I used to be loving, playful, and warm… but not anymore. Not since Chase appeared that dreaded night nearly fifty years ago. That night he had ruined my life, ripped my heart out and stomped on it until the fire inside me extinguished. Until my heart was filled with nothing but hate and frosty anger.
He had killed my only family, destroyed the home in which I used to live, and scarred me eternally for life. And only after he had obliterated me and everything that I cared about did he depart, leaving me to rot and die in front of the temple that I used to live at. Leaving me to mourn.
But after fifty years I was finally back to kill him. Like I had promised way back then. To wipe that smug face from the face of the planet. Fifty long years had been more than enough time for me to plot my revenge, and now my hate for him was greater than anything in the world.
And tonight, he would die.
The sky above me was an ominous red. Almost as though fate knew that tonight was the night of one of the biggest battles to ever be fought. And I wasn't going to lose. Not this time. The stars winked brightly above me and the moon was full, its silvery ray reflecting off my pale face and angry eyes.
I stopped in front of a giant volcano. I had arrived. Although I had no idea where Chase lived when I began my quest, I had followed my heart. And my heart was telling me that this was where Chase resided. I smiled maliciously. I still had my Xiaolin powers and underneath my black cloak I was still wearing the Xiaolin robes Master Liu had ordered my best friend and I to wear back when we were training to become grand masters. But now I couldn't help but wonder if I was still on the side of good.
Yes, I told myself immediately. Wasn't what I was doing good? I was killing Chase Young to stop him from taking control of the world. But a part of my heart kept telling me that my brain was contaminated with hate, and that I was only doing this to quench my thirst for revenge. And in essence, that was thinking like a Heylin.
But I didn't care anymore as I stood outside his lair, my eyes flashing angrily with hatred. So I was on the side of evil. What did I care? So long as Chase was dead by the time I left.
My heart cold and my face emotionless, I sent one flying kick into the wall and cracked a hole open. Rubble exploded everywhere and I stepped inside.
I smiled cruelly. My power and martial arts skilled were now near perfection. In fact, they were much stronger than ever before. My faithful elemental sword hung at my side and I drew it out, it's serrated silver blade gleaming under the light of the moon. I could barely wait for it to attack human skin and taste the sweet flavor of revenge.
Sword in hand, I advanced. Chase Young wasn't going to get away this time. Tonight he was going to pay dearly for ruining my life. With death.
Chase sat at his dining table, sipping his lao mien long soup contently when the sudden explosion of a wall crashing drew his attention. He immediately sat up, his eyes narrowing to slits. He had not been disturbed for a long time and he didn't want it to start now. Reaching behind him and pulling out his spear, he stood and left the room to enter the main hallway, his eyes filled with annoyance, but not fear. Chase didn't feel fear. He was the prince of darkness. Nothing could stop him, human or inhuman.
"Who dares to disturb my evening?" Chase shouted angrily, his eyes surveying the room until the found the source of the explosion. A whole section of his wall had been disintegrated, and smoke from the crushed rocks was still frothing out the hole.
He had not expected an answer, but was given one, and it reverberated loud and clear around his lobby, filled with hatred.
"Chase Young!"
The simple stating of the name did not give much information away, but the voice that shouted it said otherwise. It was threatening and cold, unlike any he had heard before. For just a minute, doubt flickered across his young features before returning to its cold stare.
A girl stepped out of the hole, no more than seventeen. Her hair was long, black, and lustrous, and her eyes were a deep brown. Her figure was slender, her skin pale like the moon but beautiful nonetheless.
That face… he had seen her somewhere before. But Chase could not remember. Where? He racked through his brain but just couldn't remember. After living for nearly a hundred and fifty years it was hard to keep track of people's names. But his young girl… she was someone important. Someone he had fought before… fifty years ago… His eyes widened in sudden remembrance as the name hit him full force.
"Kira!" he shouted in disbelief.
"So you remember me and my name," Kira said, smiling, letting her cloak drop to the ground, revealing her Xiaolin robes underneath. Only now they were covered with a silver armor that emphasized her curves and added to her beauty. She looked like a goddess of war. She smiled again. But it was a small, secret, evil smile. Chase didn't like the look of that. He had fought her to the death, and after their battle he had been left with so many wounds it was scary to think about. He had never ever been that badly hurt before. And something was telling him that she was now stronger than before. Way stronger.
"But… but… how are you here? Alive? And well? With no injuries? You… I KILLED you fifty years ago!" Chase stuttered. For the first time in his life he was speechless.
The girl only smiled again. "You did," she whispered ominously. Then her face hardened. "You killed my body. But not my soul. My soul was left alive, bitter with memories of pain and heartbreak. And after fifty long years my body was resurrected. Don't ask me how, because I don't know. And quite frankly, I don't give a shit. The point is that I'm alive and well NOW, and that YOU are going down tonight."
Her eyes suddenly glowed yellow as she continued. "You killed my master, my best friend, and destroyed my home, the temple. You left me with nothing, NOTHING. My soul was broken. Absolutely broken with grief and anguish. But after a while of mourning my angst turned to hate. Hatred for you. And it has grown a lot in the last fifty years. But now I finally have a body again. A body to complete what I failed to do fifty years ago." Her eyes were completely glowing now, glowing inhuman with hate.
"Tonight, you die!" Kira screamed. Then, sword in hand, she leapt at Chase Young.
My elemental sword glowed red as soon as I unsheathed it and it burst into flames as I lunged at him.
But before I could attack I was stopped by an unseen force. My body refused to move at all. I glared at Chase with nothing but hate in my heart. "Coward!" I screamed. "Stop using your damn magic! That's cheating and it's not fair at all!"
Chase refused to let me go, and as long I was trapped under his gaze, I would be helpless. He could have come over right then and chopped my head off. Then all my effort would have been for nothing. I despised him.
"Ah, but isn't magic the same thing as the use of elements?" he asked instead.
I glared at him, pure hatred within my glowing eyes. What the hell did that mean?
As though reading my mind, he said, "If you get to use your element, fire, then I would think that I have to the right to use my magic. After all, I don't have an element and you don't have magic. That would make it fair."
I wanted to kill him. It was a trap to get me to not use my element and elemental sword. But what choice did I have? If he used his magic against me, I would be dead in seconds. And I had vowed that I wouldn't lose tonight. Gritting my teeth in anger and frustration, I growled, "Fine. You win."
He released me and I extinguished my flaming sword. He continued with, "No use of elements or magic in this battle. You are to simply rely on your martial arts skill and fighting abilities." He stared coldly at me. "Last one standing wins."
"A battle to the death," I added, matching his glare. After a minute of silence and staring at each other, I leapt into the air.
"Gong yi tan pai!" we shouted in unison. The battle had begun.
I immediately charged at him, my eyes dancing dangerously and my sword raised above my head. I brought it down only to have it blocked my Chase's steel spear. I growled furiously and spun around to attack to his right. Chase predicted my move and our blades met with a loud clang, its sound ringing through the deathly quiet lobby.
He thrust his spear towards my chest and I dropped back, its tip missing my face my centimeters. He suddenly kicked at my leg and I fell to the ground, my breath coming out in a whoosh. My eyes flashed open just in time to see his blade come flying at my chest. I rolled over and onto my knees, my sword held out protectively in front of me as he attacked me again.
Our weapons clashed again and again. But I was far from tired. I was just warming up. I gritted my teeth and fought on. I wasn't going to die this time. This time it would be his turn.
I swung my sword across at his neck but he dodged, the blade sailing harmlessly over his head. As he ducked, he thrust his sword at my chest. My eyes widened in surprise. I hadn't expected that. Too late, I dodged, and its tip cut through the cloth and my skin in a perfect red line on my arm. Blood immediately began to pour out; the pain was killing me. Chase took this chance to plunge his weapon into my heart.
But I bit my lips and dodged, his spear just missing my body. Ignoring the pain in my left arm, I leapt at him again, determination making my heart fearless. I brought my sword down once more as he brought his up. The blades clashed and we were locked in place. After about five seconds of staying in place, neither of us admitting defeat, I suddenly withdrew my sword.
Since all of Chase's force had been sent to that spear, he stumbled forward when my sword was removed. I grinned evilly as I swung my sword at his neck.
He was still just too quick and he dodged my attack, but not completely. My blade hit his armor, but it still broke it and my sword was buried into his arm. I dug it in deeper and he screamed in pain. But then he punched me in the face and I let go of my sword, stumbling back, my nose badly broken and blood flowing from it.
I hit the wall and fell to the ground. His fist had so much more power than I had anticipated. Sparks were flying in front of my face and I could barely see. When I finally could he had removed my sword from his arm and had hurled it halfway across the room. Blood seeped through his armor where I had wounded him but he ignored it like it was nothing.
He lunged forward with his spear aimed at my chest. I rolled away and as quick as lightening had pulled a small dagger from my right boot. While his back was towards me I plunged it into his shoulder, pushing with all my might.
The blood oozed from the gash and I only drove it in farther. Farther and farther in until his fist connected with my chest. The force sent me sprawling to the floor and I landed with on my left arm with a loud crunch. I moaned in pain. It felt like my arm was broken.
Across the room Chase yanked the dagger out of his shoulder and advanced at me, pure rage in his eyes. For just a second I was hit with the reality of what I was doing. I was trying to kill Chase fro revenge… that was not the way of the Xiaolin! But the thought was quickly erased my mind as an evil force seemed to take over my mind.
Chase Young destroyed your life. He murdered your family and friends, and demolished your home and temple. Why shouldn't he die? He deserves to die. You're simply defending good by killing him. So kill him! It whispered.
My eyes began to glow yellow again in an inhuman way. Chase saw this and for a second I thought I saw a shadow of fear run across his features. Good. He deserved to be scared. I savored the moment before lunging at him.
He never saw what was coming. I was a foot away form him in seconds and leapt into the air for a roundhouse kick to his chest. He stumbled back, wheezing, as I pulled back and swung hard, catching the upside of his face. His head snapped back and I yanked his spear away in the process before throwing it away.
"It's just our martial arts skills now," I snarled. "Come on lizard breath. Let's play."
Chase recovered quickly and in moments he was on me, battering me with punches. I dodged them to the best of my ability and raked my nails, sharp as knives, across his face. It stopped him just long enough time for me to land a roundhouse kick to his chest. He slammed into the wall and I flew at him, my hand clenched into a fist. Before it could connect though, he grabbed my leg and swung me into the wall, hard. I hit it face-first and my bones crunched. I fell to the floor, wiping the fresh flow of blood away with my hand.
I leapt up and slammed my fist into his left eye. Chase answered with a punch to my stomach that sent me doubling over in pain. As I fell to the ground though I swung my arm hard at his legs. He lost his balance and fell the floor along with me. I scrambled up, jabbing my elbow into his stomach in the process. Chase soon followed and we were fighting again.
The battle went on for hours. Neither of us would admit defeat, but our stubbornness was tolling on us. We were both so sleepy and tired. Or at least I was. I had to end it NOW. But how? Chase was still too strong. Even with my much improved battle skills.
Cheat… that strange voice whispered again.
I… I can't… my heart whispered back. It wouldn't be fair.
Don't you want him to die? To suffer as you had? To pay the price for the murders he committed?
Yes… my heart seemed to reply. Great ghost of Dashi, I was going crazy.
Kill him… the voice whispered yet again.
My eyes dilated and the pupils disappeared until they were little specks against the white of my eyes. But you could barely tell with the yellow glowing from my eyes. To anyone I must have looked like an evil monster. But I didn't give a shit. Chase was going down and he was going down now.
I let out in inhuman cry and pounced at him. I landed on his chest and the force sent him sprawling to the floor. I punched him again and again in the face; his nose was broken, his lips cracked and bleeding, and his eyes were black and swollen. But the whole time I felt nothing but sheer joy. And it scared me. Why was I being such a barbarian?
I saw his spear and picked it up. Standing above him, Chase made no move to stop me. He looked unconscious and half dead. My mind filled with nothing but hate, I plunged his own spear towards his heart, only to stop abruptly about an inch above his chest.
My eyes suddenly stopped glowing and widened in shock and horror and disgust as they returned back to their chocolate brown color. I stared at Chase's battered face, my stomach suddenly churning with nausea. The spear in my hands clattered to the ground as I dropped to the floor, sobbing.
What was happening? A moment ago I had been prepared to kill him. I had WANTED to kill him… so what was stopping me now? What was stranger was that I felt funny. The whole battle that had just occurred felt like a wild dream to me now. Like, it didn't really happen. Or at least, I felt like I wasn't conscious when it happened…
My temples were pounding and I clutched my head in pain and confusion. That's when I heard the voice again.
Kill him… it whispered.
My eyes started to glow again but I stopped them with a sudden gasp of dread, my mouth wide open with dismay. That voice… it was… the dark side of me!
I had always been loyal, Master Liu had said. That had been my inner strength. But my loyalty was so strong, he said that it caused a deep need of vengeance whenever something happened to someone I cared about. That was my darkness; the dark part of me. Master Liu had warned that if I didn't control it, it was lead me to rashness… and just during the battle I had let it control me. I had let it make all my decisions. And now Chase was practically dead.
But isn't that what I had always wanted? Ever since that day he had destroyed my life?
No, my heart declared. That was what my dark side had always wanted. The need to for Chase to finally get what he deserved. For him to die so that my family, Arissa and my teacher, would be avenged. And that was what restored my body, I realized. My evilness had been slowly building its strength inside me ever since that day… and it had finally been able to completely take over my good side. And once it did, it had somehow revived my body so I could kill Chase once and for all. Then it had been set loose on him. Only the result didn't feel as great as I had thought.
Instead, I felt horrified beyond words and disgusted at myself.
To my surprise, I felt myself loosing touch with the real world. I looked down and saw that my body was slowly disappearing to nothing, and I smiled a genuine, happy smile. Ever since that day, my dark side had taken over and controlled my mind. It had not let me die to be with my friends. Instead, its thirst of revenge had kept my soul alive in the real world. But I had defeated it the moment I stopped myself from plunging Chase's spear into his chest. And now, my body was disappearing as the darkness inside me started to die. I was finally able to move on.
And what was more, I didn't feel angry or sad anymore. Chase was evil, after all. He might kill people, but what else would you expect from a man like him? However I would never murder as a Xiaolin warrior. And strange enough, I forgave him. And looking down at him, I actually pitied him and regretted all the injuries I had inflicted on him. But he was still alive. And just defeating Chase in battle was victory enough for me.
And I was finally joining my family again.
The dark side of me wailed inside my brain, begging me to kill Chase, but I blocked out all sounds of it. I was in control now. And I was finally going to move on.
I looked down with serenity at Chase again before the last of my body disappeared and I was gone. Like I had never been there. I was invisible and floating up towards the sky. I smiled a joyful smile, one I had not let on my lips since fifty years ago. But now, I had never been happier.
I was finally at peace.
The Endpeers around anxiously at ppl's faces
Sooo… what did you think of it? Like I said, the story just flowed out as I typed, and it was just all so natural. And what did you think about the whole "dark side, good side" thingy? I totally made that up as I was typing… I never planned that. Everything just flowed as I typed.
And now that I think about, it was more than just action… there was some self-discovery in there too…
So just please review and tell me how I did cuz I really wanna know. Like, was the ending kind of confusing or too abrupt? Was the beginning not that well explained, or was it confusing? Was the action okay? What did you think about the whole Kira battling with her two sides…?
R&R PLEASE!
Laters, xxFireWarriorxx