Jackie Chan Adventures: J: Enesis

CHAPTER EIGHT

Jade stood as still as a statue as she let the waves wash over her bare feet.

She was alone now.

Alone with her thoughts and feelings. Of loss, regret, and abandonment.

She figured it was the easiest possible means of slipping back into her old ways. Find her way back home somehow. Continue the good fight. Whoop Demon tail.

But she didn't quite want to rush back into it.

She had involved herself far too much. Such is the price you pay when you blossom on a battlefield at such a young age. You never have the chance to grow in the regular way.

The way of all warriors leads to nothing but damage, missed opportunities, and the neglect of the little things that make all the true details of life flourish.

The regularities.

The waters rose high above her, and the great Dragon God Ryujin came before her.

"I guess this is the part where you give me a royal burn" she said, holding back her tears.

"We are within and without" Ryujin said, "You have seen to that...but you could have been without harmony many months ago had you given in to you have seen in your own time, but instead chose the finer qualities in your life, to see in light and love, you did not choose to be without. And for that, you are forgiven"

"But I led your race to ruin, Shendu is going to ultimately become the corrupt and repugnant conqueror that is greatly feared"

"So feared that it inspires courage in the souls of humankind, and forges a great legacy. The Age of Demons, like all dynasties, will have its time, and then it will end, and another, more durable age will begin, until their time too, is ended. This I cannot permit, for it is the will of the Gods I am a part of, the web I must help to preserve, as much as it breaks my own heart"

"Wait...if the Immortals banished all of the Dragon Valleys...why didn't you get caught?"

"Come beneath and I will show you" he said, returning to the depths of the water. On instinct, Jade followed him, diving beneath the waves and following the Dragon God's trail. She thought and hummed an incantation that allowed her to maintain her oxygen levels underwater.

She slowly made her way to a vast and lush underwater palace. Which belonged to Ryujin. The domes of the citadels opened, allowing her and the God to enter. Once inside, Ryujin shrank down in size to a more manageable humanoid level and approached Jade

"You are of another time, rest within this city for a spell, and you will be returned to your own, step out when you feel enough of time has elapsed"

"Of course, now you're ringing a bell with me, in the Pali Cannon text, it is said that a day for a deity is a hundred years to the rest of us" Jade replied. Ryujin nodded

"You are wise, and that wisdom will carry forward, in Shendu's own way, the time you spent will never be truly forgotten"

"I must make a note of this with the Orchant...do you mind?" said Jade, producing the small pocket mirror device.

"Let it be what lights your candle before your rest. When you depart, keep me in your thoughts, for I will remember you and DaoLong, immortals forgotten by history, understood and acknowledged by above, like many other things"

"So how sleepless were your nights?" said Jackie as he watched Jade chronicle her story to him.

"Oh you know what I'm like without caffeine, a little more composed and organized, it didn't take me long to finish this and take a nap. I'm pretty sure when I get back that you'll be free from DaoLong's shackles and ready to give me a long overdue hug. Just remember that incantation DaoLong chanted that freed Shendu from similar bonds"

"So that's it? The end of your story? I can wake up now and possibly tell your even more adolescent self all of the crazy, selfish and arrogant decisions you've made on this trip to the past and prevent this whole Demon business from even coming to pass?"

"Jackie, please, Drago may be the enemy, but he's my son, you can't unmake him"

"Then why did you show me all of this?"

"In some way, sending DaoLong on this mission, to preserve the threads of time as they were, in effect extending the desires of Ryujyn, even if that part was unintentional, was Shendu's way of letting me know he still loves and values me" said Jade, "And that's what I need Drago to know Jackie. If there's one thing I want, it's for him to be with his father, no matter what he may think of him, however dysfunctional they happen to be, family needs to be all they will have in the end. Find a way to make it work Jackie, please?"

"I will find a way. I promise" Jackie said

"Good...I gotta go to sleep now. Got a lot to do in a hundred years...might finally dance with Paco, might let him cash in a few of his chips too"

"Jade...don't we be so quick to move on. You just lost your family. As your uncle I am urging you on this: No rebounds"

"Don't worry about me Jackie, I'll find a way back to my family, I can assure of that" said Jade

"What...no, you can't just bring them back" said Jackie

"Guess you'll just have to stop me in the future then, I'm sure it'll be a SNAP" said Jade, clicking her fingers.

Jackie's eyes snapped open, he found himself on the floor of the wrestling stadium, surrounded by El Toro, Paco, and Jade.

"Jackie, you're back" Jade said in elation, giving her Uncle a hug, "That looked like it was a real shock to the system"

"Did you learn anything from that experience?" said El Toro

"Plenty" said Jackie, looking at the Orchant

"Jade must have left the city twice" he thought, "Once to plant the Orchant where it needed to be found, the next to return to her present"

He dropped the mirror to the floor and took a bold step forward, crushing it

"Hey, that's seven years worth of bad vibes coming your way" remarked Jade.

"I count a lot more than that Jade"

"Hey, at least you're back in one piece. If something happened to any one of my family, I'd spend most of my days trying to piece the jigsaw back together"

"Yes, about that Jade" Jackie began, before catching himself. He stroked his chin, thinking of what to say next. At first, he was lost for words, but then soon found the right things to say

"Never let go of the opportunities you have" he said, "Family is important, but living life to the full is also a privilege, do not obsess, be harmonious within, even when you are without"

"I'm not going to get this 'till I'm older am I?" Jade asked

"Precisely" Jackie said, "But rest assured, I'll be there to hold your hand when that day comes"

As the four of them departed, Jade took one last gander at the shattered Orchant

"But what about my breaking news story?"

"Jade...in life, there are some stories where all that breaks is your heart" Jackie replied

THE END

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