Ziku "They did it."
Natsumi "Do you feel better?"
Ziku "Kind of, I feel bad I wasn't able to help."
Natsumi "They handled it very well. See this as a win, they were able to win with no casualties. As I told you, it's ok that you feel this way. Just don't let it take over and do what you think is best."
Ziku "How are you feeling?"
Natsumi "I'm fine, why?"
Ziku "I want to go check on Yumi again, she was pretty mad at me earlier. I want to see if there's anything I can do."
Natsumi "Ok go ahead."
Ziku heads over to Yumi's room and knocks again. He knocks 4 times and then decides to just walk in. When the door opens he finds out that she isn't there. Before being concerned he asks an incoming doctor if the girl in the room went outside or to the bathroom or something.
Docotor "Hmm, I actually don't know. I think this is patient 15 and she should be in bed no matter what. This is bad actually, she is in no condition to be out of bed, let alone away from the treatment!"
Ziku "What?!"
Doctor "We have to find her!"
Ziku goes back to his moms room. Before he can say anything she just smiles at him and tells him to go find her.
When he leaves, her smile fades as she grabs her hip and winces from the pain.
Ziku "She couldn't have gotten far."
Ziku looks in all directions frantically and then is suddenly hit with an idea of where he thinks she would go.
Yumi "Where is it?! Where is it?! I can't believe I let it get taken from me! This is bad, this is all my fault!"
She falls to her knees and starts crying, crying from the loss of the book and the pain she is in.
Ziku "Yumi!"
Yumi "What do you want?! Just leave me alone!"
Ziku "Yumi I'm sorry, I didn't know how important the book was to you. I prioritized you over the book."
Yumi "Why?! If I don't have the book, I might as well be dead! You don't know what this means!"
Ziku "I don't, but maybe we can get the book back?"
Yumi looks over at him, struggling to stand up. When she gets to her feet, she wobbles and is about to fall again. Before she can hit the ground, Ziku catches her.
Yumi "How can we get it back?"
Ziku "We can talk about it back at the hospital."
Before Yumi can say anything else, she falls asleep.
Asuna arrives at the hospital where he took Chu and his people.
Asuna "How are you holding up?"
Chu is silent and just looks away from Asuna.
Asuna "It's alright, you were being controlled. Besides no one died."
Chu "It's more than that. He was able to control me because of the negative emotions I feel towards you. This time we were fortunate, but what if it happens again? What if next time we're not so lucky?"
Asuna "There won't be a next time, I'm strengthening border security and adding to the interior so we can catch things that come in without having authorization."
Chu "It might take more than that."
Asuna "I've prepared for more."
Chu "Have you? See you're already doing better, just a needed a little push."
Asuna "I've always tried my best, I guess I just overlooked certain things. My attention always went to the immediate threats and never the underlying issues."
Chu "Nevertheless, this is what I wanted from you. Thank you."
Asuna "No, thank you. You've opened my eyes. This is what I needed. A way to see how I'm doing as an emperor. There was no better person for this than you Chu."
Chu "Glad to be of use."
Asuna "When you are able, I will like to have an opportunity for discussion. I will call a meeting and will need lots of people there. Can you handle that for me?"
Chu "Sure, just give me a few days and we can sort everything out."
Asuna nods and then walks out.
Shizuko "What the hell was that about?"
Kisaiju "Don't worry about it dragons breath, it's nothing that concerns you."
Shizuko "Sounds like to me your add was caught cheating your way to strength."
Kisaiju "I said don't worry about it!"
Shizuko "Look, I don't give a damn how much stronger you got. I'm kicking your ass and doing it the natural way."
Aurora "You guys need to stop, Tora said so."
Kisaiju "I don't care, this stove top wants to fight? I'll be glad to kick his ass like I did with Hiroyuki."
Shizuko "Is that supposed to mean something to me dumbass?"
Kisaiju "Oh I just thought I'd have you shaking since you've never actually beat Hiroyuki. You're second fiddle, the Icey bastard has you bested every single time."
Aurora "Ok Kisaiju, that's enough."
Kisaiju "You can shutup, the boys are talking. You just keep quiet and continue looking pretty. When I'm done taking him out, I'll take you out after. To dinner of course."
Aurora "Ugh."
Shizuko just stands there, steam is emitting from his body.
Kisaiju "Looks like I made him mad, I knew it was all true. Hiroyuki strikes a nerve for you, he will always be better than you."
Shizuko's body starts emitting even more heat, as his aura starts leaking out. Aurora notices and tries to calm him down.
Aurora "Zuko! Just let it go! He's just looking for a fight!"
Kisaiju "Damn right."
Shizuko takes a step a forward and burns the grass, also melting the ground.
Kisaiju "Ooh, this is gonna be good."
Aurora "Zuko wait!"
Kisaiju places his hands out ready to attack, but before he can Aurora releases her aura. The blue flames begin to emit from her body and stops Shizuko in his tracks. Shizuko nervously stops and then just turns around. Shizuko begins walking away with Aurora following.
Kisaiju "What?! That's it?! She shows you some colored fire and you stop! Truly pathetic! I'm not done with you!"
Kisaiju jumps towards them creates a solid cube and throws it at them. Aurora turns around and breaks it with such ease. Kisaiju shocked, to him that was one of his most powerful moves. Aurora stares into his eyes.
Aurora "You don't want this."
Kisaiju backs down and becomes confused. He watches as they both walk away. He looks down at his hands and notices they're shaking.
Kisaiju "How did she-. It doesn't make sense. How strong is she?"
Kisaiju decides to follow them. Shizuko and Aurora arrive back home.
Aurora "Than you for listening."
Shizuko "Yeah, whatever."
Aurora "Zuko, you're getting stronger."
Shizuko "Doesn't feel like it."
Aurora "Because of your personality. You're always grumpy and tense, it holds you back. Why are you always so angry?"
Shizuko "You looked at me and really asked that? My father has never acknowledged me as his son, Ever!" It's always been Jiro this, Jiro that! When Jiro died-, when Jiro died it's like a part of him died. He hasn't said a word to me ever since, like he blames me for it!"
Aurora "Zuko, you know that isn't true. Everyday I blame myself for not being strong enough! It's my fault and no one else's. Jiro was always smiling, I dedicate all my training to and for him."
Shizuko "Tch! You think I don't?!"
Aurora "I didn't say that, I just want to know why you are being your own weakness. You were angry before Jiro died, I get that your father has been a factor, but that can't be all of it. There's something you're not telling me."
Shizuko "It's cause he's not here anymore! Jiro was my sole purpose for training and getting stronger! He was the little brother and yet and found myself chasing after him. Not that he's gone, I have nothing to chase after anymore."
Aurora "Jiro doesn't want that."
Shizuko "Doesn't want what?"
Aurora "You to stop, he got strong for both of you. You can still beat him."
Shizuko "How would I know if I surpassed him?"
Aurora "You'll know. You can't get there alone, and you never will if you stop."
Shizuko "Then let's keep going, for Jiro."
Kisaiju "Hmph, you can try getting stronger all you want. This boost I received is obviously not enough. I have to keep going as well, for my sake."
Ruki "Asuna must die!"
Vestara "In time, he will."
Ruki "We both failed, we will continue to fail. It's just us."
Vestara "Don't ever talk to me like we're equal."
Ruki "Sorry!"
Vestara licking her lips and smiling.
Ruki "What are you thinking about?"
Vestara "That human I saw."
Ruki "The boy I encountered?"
Vestara "Yes, he is so. Fascinating."
Ruki "Does this mean?"
Vestara "Yes, I want him. Obviously won't be easy, it seems Mettanica's group has a quiet alliance with him. They won't let me have him without a fight."
Ruki "Why do you want him? He's a kid."
Vestara "I have my reasons."
She licks her lips some more while also rubbing her chest and hand flows all over her body. Going from chest to thighs.
Ruki "As for right now, what is our next move?"
Vestara "We have to find others, Sela will come for us soon. We might have to get ready for a fight sooner than we think."
Ruki "I have this book, does this help?"
Vestara "Can you read it?"
Ruki "I was hoping you could."
Vestara "Well, seems like we have our next move."
Ruki "The girl?"
Vestara "The girl."
Ruki "What if the girl is around the boy?"
Vestara "Hmm, that would be an issue. Like I said before, if we go after him Mettanica will come for us."
Ruki "But you're stronger than her, you could kill her."
Vestara "Yes, but you aren't stronger than Obnimi, or even Dante. So we would still lose."
Ruki "Then make me stronger!"
Vestara "I'm not Sela, my powers aren't as great as hers."
Ruki "Shinto and Sinitro are still out there. And they have Lori and Zaki at their disposal."
Vestara "What exactly are you saying?"
Ruki "I'm saying, we make the smart decision here. We join them until we find the right moments. Either them, or Totsuki."
Vestara "Don't ever mention his name to me again!"
Ruki "I'm sorry, forget I uttered his name."
Vestara "For right now, let's wait and see how things play out. I'll make my decision on what's next from there."
Ruki "Ok."
Rai-On "You haven't stepped foot inside yet."
Kame "Just weighing my options."
Rai-On "You have two."
Kame "And they are heavy!"
Rai-On "You afraid?"
Kame "I am not ready."
Rai-On "It opened for you, never for me. You are ready."
Kame "What am I supposed to do in there?"
Rai-On "Whatever feels right. Trust your instincts, you're the one that got it open. You can lead yourself."
Kame "Ok, here I go."
Kame walks inside and immediately after he steps foot inside the door slams behind him.
Kame "Rai-On! Rai-On!"
Rai-On "I can't help you brother. This is for you and only you. This is the next step in your training. When you're done, the door will open and you will be stronger."
Kame "How long will it take?"
Rai-On "Could take minutes, could take years."
Kame "Years!"
Rai-On "It all depends on you Kame. You got this. I'll be out waiting, no matter how long it takes. No matter what happens I'll be here when you get out."
Kame "I hope you are right. I hope you are."
Kokiruko "So we can leave now right?"
Rai-On "Why would we do that?"
Kokiruko "Get rid of him obviously. We don't need him anyway."
Rai-On "I don't know where you been mentally, but he is my brother. The uncle to my child. The person who saved you and helped you when you needed it."
Kokiruko "She already has an uncle, ME! Besides, what if I didn't want to be helped? What if he made my life worse cause I'm still alive? What if I resent him for that?"
Rai-On "You don't. Your sister took a liking to him as soon as she met him. I already told you that she meant the world to me, and I told her that I'd do everything I can to keep you safe for as long as I'm here. That goes for all of you, we are a family now and you will learn to accept that."
Kokiruko just stares at him while holding the baby.
Kokiruko "So what now then?"
Rai-On "Like I told him, we will wait for him. However long it takes him. I'll make sure I'm out when he comes out."
Kokiruko looks at the baby and then holds her up in the air. The baby starts smiling and laughing. Kokiruko smiles for the first time in awhile.
Kokiruko "Ok."
Rai-On "Whatever he finds in there, will change him forever."
Kame inside the temple looks around, but all he can see is darkness. He takes a step and immediately everything lights up. Hieroglyphs start to glow, but so bright to the point he has to close one eye and kind of shield the light away. He walks forward some more and the glowing comes to an end. At first the hieroglyphs start to flicker, but Kame can't read it. He stares at it and begins to get a bit frustrated.
Kame "What language is this? Did we come all this way just for me to fail in reading?"
He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath and starts looking around some more. He hears some noises behind him and turns frantically, the hieroglyphs start shaking as the language changes lands on English.
Kame "What the."
The hieroglyphs read: "Once the doors have been shut, he who has taken upon the trials must complete them in order for the doors to open back up."
Kame "Trials? What trials? Wait, so am I stuck in here?!"
He turns around immediately and tries punching the door, only for it to break his wrist. Kame looks down at his wrist, puzzled. Out of everything he has punched or even did, this was the only thing to break his wrist with such ease. In that moment, he felt weak, he felt unready for what's to come.
Kame "All this training, for what? I am not weak, I will open these doors and become stronger."
Kame punches his hand and begins to move forward. Instantaneously the first trial begins, a door has fallen from the ceiling and Kame doesn't have time to react, so instinctively he catches it. The door is super heavy and causes him to fall to one knee. As he struggles to hold it up, he starts to doubt himself and thinks he's already going to fail. That doubt makes him weaker as he then falls to both knees. His arms wiggling under the door as he sweats profusely.
Kame "Is this really it? Is this really my full strength? Can I not pass this first trial?"
He starts to think that he will fail. He ends up getting a memory in head of Shiro.
Shiro "You're probably the strongest person I know."
Kame "Probably?"
Shiro "Well I mean you definitely are, sometimes I wonder how you got so strong. I mean we're only 12."
Kame "You know I never really thought of it like that. It just seems so natural."
Shiro "Well I hope you never doubt yourself, the day you start to doubt your strength are the days I feel we might actually be in trouble."
Kame "Why do you say that?"
Shiro "I look up to you man, the day I see you doubt your strength and doubt yourself is the day I know we can't win whatever battle we are in."
Kame snaps back to reality and gets mad at himself. He starts pushing the door back up and gets back to his feet.
Kame "I am a Chikara! I will not lose!"
Kame pushes the door back up and he hears a chime. He falls to the ground tired as he's breathing heavily.
Kame "That noise, think it means I passed. Wonder what is next."
Its dark outside and Rai-On is still at the door of the temple waiting for Kame like he said. He looks back and sees Kokiruko and the baby asleep. Kokiruko's body starts twitching, he starts talking in his sleep. Rai-On just watches at first, but then Kokiruko gets louder and louder as he suddenly wakes up hyperventilating.
Rai-On "Everything alright?"
Kokiruko "Yeah, just a nightmare."
Rai-On "What about?"
Kokiruko "My father."
Rai-On "Really? About what he's done?"
Kokiruko "Yes, it's been hard to sleep. Everyone I even think of closing my eyes it's like what he did to me and Mina just plays over and over like I'm stuck in a loop living through what he's done!"
Rai-On "What did he do to you?"
Kokiruko "You want me to tell you?! So it can remain stuck in my brain?!"
Rai-On "I want you to tell me, so I can figure out how to help. Who knows, maybe what you need is an outlet. Maybe you just need to tell it and expel all the negative feelings you have towards it."
Kokiruko "He used us. We were like his experiments! Never did he ever tell us he loved us! We never even met our mom! He told us she died giving birth to me, to this day I don't know how true that is. For years he tested our bodies, trying to make us into machines! Forcing our bodies to take in shit it wasn't supposed to! We didn't have any powers, we were normal! He made us into what we are now! This scar! He gave it to me! For years! For years me and Mina suffered at the hands of our own father! Injections, surgeries, and torture! You met Mina when he was done with her, she couldn't get better. It was too late for her, the reason is because she forced him to do to her what he wanted to do to me. She did everything she could to protect me and in the end I couldn't protect her. Then there's you! Someone else she loves, has this baby with, knowing it would kill her!"
Rai-On "I didn't know."
Kokiruko "Of course you didn't! You just wanted something you could stick your- never mind. Forget it!"
Rai-On "You have the wrong impression of me. Kokiruko your sister told me everything already."
Kokiruko "Then why did you?!"
Rai-On "I wanted you to feel comfortable talking about it with me. So I can share what your sister told me tell you when you did."
Kokiruko "What?"
Rai-On "I didn't want to have a kid. I knew it would kill her. She insisted, she cried to me and begged me. She told me to please not let her die without ever having a child. I asked her what was the point if she would die. She told me, she at least wanted to die a mother. I didn't understand, I still don't. But trust me when I tell you thisx there was no way I was letting her die without giving her what she wanted. It was the least I could do for her. This baby is ours, and I love her to death. She will grow up without her mother, but at least Mina can be happy knowing she had a child who was normal and that she loved very much. Kokiruko im sorry for everything, I'm sorry for not being there. I know I already told you this but I truly am. All we can do now is show this baby unconditional love and honor your sister's dying wish."
Kokiruko just stares at Rai-On. He falls to the ground, just confused. He has no words and had no idea. He looks over at the baby who is still asleep. Tears fall down his cheek and he tries to hide them. His body starts to flicker with lightning. When Rai-On looks at him, he can see that Kokiruko winces when the lightning appears.
Rai-On "It hurts?"
Kokiruko "Just a little, I've gotten used to it a bit."
Rai-On "Look, I know how much pain you are in mentally. You don't ever have to forgive me or like me, but I can train you. Help you use your power."
Kokiruko "Ok."
Rai-On "Really?"
Kokiruko "Yeah, if I can get the hang of it, it will help me protect the baby. I can actually be of use."
Rai-On "I'm not lightning user, but I can teach about chi and how to control it."
Kokiruko "Ok."
Rai-On "I've seen Ziku in action, I think I can use what I seen from him to help you a bit."
Kokiruko "I don't know who that is, and I don't care."
Rai-On "Figured you wouldn't. Well stand back up."
Kokiruko stands up and they both just stare at each other.
Rai-On "Now show me your power."
Kokiruko closes his eyes and tries to make the lightning, but as he's doing it he's still wincing. Rai-On just looks at him observing. Kokiruko ends up creating lightning around his body, but when he does he blacks out and falls to the ground.
Rai-On "Kokiruko!"
Kame is back on his feet, and he starts to progress forward. This time the walls begin to close in, but an alarming speed to where he can barely react and purely has to use his strength. He holds out his arms keeping the walls from crushing him. He struggles again, but doesn't waver. The walls start to get heavier and heavier as he continues to struggle. The walls get super close to crushing him, but he hears a voice in his head. It's a female, he hears this soft voice as it echoes throughout his head.
The voice "You're strong, I think it's pretty great how strong you are."
Kame lifts his head up and lets out a scream. He pushes the walls away from him and again falls to the ground. Again he hears that chime, letting him know that he passed again. He stands back to his feet and walks forward again. This time he looks around waiting for something to happen, but nothing. He's on edge, he doesn't know what or when something will happen. He continues to walk, but then his legs start to get heavier and the air gets thinner. He begins to struggle with walking and starts getting pushed back and down. His body begins to ache as he starts to wonder what is happening. A door opens ahead of him as he struggles to move towards it. The gravity in the area has increased and he can barely move. With it being hard to even move his body there is also air being pushed towards his direction with great force making it even more difficult to move. It pushes him back and he falls. His body won't move anymore, he's stuck to the ground.
Kame "This might be where I fail."
Kame starts crawling, it's working. He starts punching the ground in anger. He tries standing up again but is immediately forced back down by the force of the room.
Kame "I do not know if I can do this. I might not be strong enough."
He closes his eyes and hears another voice. This time it's two voices as they talk to him.
Jaken "I'm proud of you Kame. You came a long way and it makes me happy to know that we can be apart of your growth."
Kenshi "You've gotten stronger, I am alls proud of you. Just continue training and never give up. You have the strength, just keep your heart in it."
Kame's eyes open and widen.
Kame "They helped me so much, I came this far because of them. They believe in me, they know I can do this and I will!"
Kame's body starts to glow, he stands to his feet and just walks through. He gets to the next door and just looks at his arms. He notices the glow, but doesn't understand what it means or if it's even real.
Kame "I am strong."
When he walks through the door, he sees his shadow. When he starts walking again he notices his shadow isn't mimicking his exact movements. The shawdow points to him and makes Kame back up in fear. Before he can even process anything the shadow starts to come to life. It forms a solid bidy and stands straight up. The shadow looks at Kame and Kame can't believe his eyes.
Kame "Is that, me?"