When Viper learned that Jade had a date for the school dance, she immediately threw herself into helping her get ready, springing for a full dance outfit out of her own pocket. She had been confused when Jade had insisted on green, but had to admit that the young girl pulled the color off well. She'd been even more confused that Jade's date was apparently meeting Jade at the dance rather than at the shop to pick her up. Jade's explanation that he was skipping being grilled by the 'parents' as he'd already been grilled by the 'siblings', however, gave Viper a good laugh of understanding and led her to accepting the suggestion.
As such, Jade now stood nervously in the school gym where the dance was being held, waiting for Seymour to show up. She wore a green, Chinese-style dress that hung snugly over her body, leaving her legs free for dancing. There was a black and white Yin-Yang inscribed over her chest, matching the pendant she still wore. Her only makeup was a green lip gloss that almost seemed to glow faintly in certain lights. She hadn't bothered to do anything with her hair, deciding to keep it to her usual style.
She was unsurprised that Drew of all people came up to her. Disappointed, but unsurprised. "So where's your date, Jade?" he asked teasingly. He made a show of looking around. "Or is the 'ninja' invisible?" He - and a few kids nearby - laughed.
"Buzz off, Drew," Jade growled irritably, not willing to engage with him here.
"What'sa matter, Jade?" Drew taunted. "Can't admit-" His voice cut off as something pressed against his throat, something that felt sharp and glittered in the darkness.
"Is this one causing you trouble, Ojou-sama?" a cruel voice asked softly.
Jade smirked as Drew managed to wiggle out of the grip and run for it, plainly heading for a teacher. Seymour, meanwhile, pulled off his ninja mask and dropped the 'blade' into a nearby punch bowl, where it fell apart into oddly shaped ice cubes. "Nice one, Seymour!" Jade praised with a grin.
"And no evidence left, like a true ninja," 'Seymour' agreed playfully. He tucked the mask into his belt, the rest of his ninja outfit still enough for a school dance. He then offered his hand. "Shall we dance, my lady?" he asked warmly.
With a wide smile, Jade accepted the offered hand.
Hsi Wu could tell that Jade enjoyed the dance immensely. When the first song with the right beat for it began to play, he'd led her into the waltz that Bai Tza had told him was most appropriate for ballroom dancing at 'their' age group. When the songs turned less traditional, the dancing became more along the lines of 'club dancing', though without the more adult moves that older teenagers would utilize as part of modern 'courtship'. Hsi Wu was able to keep up, but Jade was far more natural on the floor. If not for the switch to a slow song, she'd have easily danced him under the table...but she was happy to put her arms around him to sway back and forth to the slow dance.
After that, Hsi had noticed that Jade's interest in dancing - and the dance in general - had started to wane, so he took action to help her enjoy it further. A few harmless pranks that got a few people excited filled Jade with giggles, and slight escalation turned it to wicked laughter. After making certain her shoes lacked heels - and thus could comfortably be run in - he'd capped off the evening by making a tiered cake - part of the refreshments - explode all over Drew and the teachers he was trying to convince that he'd been attacked with a knife that apparently no longer existed. Hsi and Jade had run out of the gym and off school grounds laughing gaily together.
As they approached the shop, Hsi knew the night was at an end. Though he heard flute music coming from an upper window as they approached, he pushed past it to end the night on a high note...until Jade stopped him at the door. "Wait here," she whispered softly. "I have something for you." With that, she ducked into the shop, carefully evading the attention of the adults present.
Hsi waited calmly, wondering what Jade could have planned. He idly considered several possibilities...all of them flying right out the window as Jade came back out clutching his wriggling tail. "Here you go, Hsi," she spoke softly. "No spells on it, as promised."
Hsi stared, completely dumbfounded as he took his tail. It wriggled around a bit before reabsorbing into his body, attaching itself in the right place on his true form when he eventually resumed it. "You...knew?" he asked, stunned.
"I guessed," Jade responded. "While my cousins certainly would have gone with the 'intimidate the new friend' route - heck, they pulled it on me when we first met - the only way they'd bring in Audrey is if they thought Dark Magic was involved. The way you carefully avoided touching them or Audrey every time you were over - and always waited patiently to be invited in - told me you were probably a demon. After that, I confronted the girls about it, and they told me the whole story."
Hsi blinked slowly, trying to parse through what she was saying. "You're...not mad?"
"With them? Nah!" Jade waved her hand dismissively. "They were just trying to do something nice for me. And why would I be mad with you? Sure, you didn't use your real name or face...but the friendship, and the things it was based on? That was all genuine."
Hsi smiled softly. "Indeed it was," he agreed softly. "Though...I guess that might make things awkward here?"
"Only if I decide to make up a story involving Shakespearean references and whatever might have happened to tell Uncle Jackie," Jade countered teasingly. "This was just an outing between friends."
Hsi chuckled quietly. "If we'd met seven years from now, the story might not have been made up," he offered gently. "I like you, Jade. It's been a long time since I met anyone like you, and I look forward to further interactions...especially after our conflict is resolved."
"Conflict?" Jade asked in surprise.
"You made me give up a piece of my tail, and you're aligned against the Demon Brotherhood," Hsi Wu explained. "I'm honor bound to do all in my power to lay waste to your works, drag you to your lowest, and either destroy you or compel you to bind yourself in magical servitude to me, you and all you care for and who cares for you." He smiled disarmingly. "But since we're friends, I'll wait till sunrise before I start...and I'll be sure to treat you well when I succeed."
Jade burst into laughter at just how absurd his statement sounded. "And what if I win?" she asked teasingly. "Does that mean you'll bind yourself in magical servitude to me and those I care for?"
Hsi Wu scratched his chin thoughtfully. "...yes, I will," he promised. "Either way, we'll have a long time to enjoy a fulfilling friendship. You'll either be my servant, or I'll be your familiar."
"Good." With that said, Jade stepped up to Hsi Wu, lifted herself up on her toes as she cupped his cheeks in her hands, and planted a gentle kiss on his forehead. He found his cheeks flushing as the spot tingled oddly, an effect he cursed as his human form starting to assault him with hormones. "I suppose whatever I say next will be the last thing I say to you before you start hunting me."
Hsi Wu nodded slowly. "I hate long, mushy goodbyes, though...so how about keeping it to 20 words or less?" They both giggled, enjoying the reference to the show the group had enjoyed watching the most.
"Well here's the thing, Hsi Wu," Jade spoke up, her voice getting softer as she leaned towards him, until her lips were right by his ear. He shivered as he felt her breath on his skin. "I never promised to wait until morning." His eyes widened in shock as she spoke again, the flute music suddenly shifting to match the cadence of her words. "Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao."
As the flute continued the rhythm of the words, Hsi felt the spot on his forehead suddenly flare with the burning of good chi. He clutched at the door frame as his human form was stripped away, sucked back towards his portal as the spell - now completed - dragged at him. His eyes fell on Jade's traitorous lips, the green glowing faintly. "Your lip gloss...you put the banishment spell in your lip gloss!" he cried out in shock.
Smirking, Jade waved silently to Hsi Wu, as she'd already used up all 20 words.
Hsi Wu began to laugh as his grip on the door, his toe claws digging slightly into the pavement. Deciding to graciously admit defeat, he released the door frame and brought his hands together to slowly applaud as the spell pulled him away and back towards his portal. He was beaten, and most cleverly. He looked forward to seeing what manner of spell Jade and her friends would come up with to pluck him from the Nether Realm and bind him in servitude as her familiar.
One thing is certain, he thought silently as the portal closed around him. It's going to be fun!
Well played
Glad to see, Jade is still the trickster on Team Chan
Aww. Still, I suppose all good things must come to an end...until they meet again anyway...
Wow, Jade is getting good in magic. Uncle would be proud (but probably not Jackie).
Heh. Ninjas are bestest servants.
YAY!
Just a little bit peeved at Jade for the quick turn around, but if she really does immediately pluck him back and bind him, I'm certainly not going to be mad.
They are going to have a wonderful future together. I can't wait.
And I take it back. Demonic Sorcerer Ninjas are bestest servants.
Also yay my silly Romeo and Juliet comment
Not a bad finish for this mini-arc. Jade was REALLY smart too to figure it all out. And the fact that they are good friends, I think it is pretty cool how Hsi doesn't hold a grudge against Jade at the end.
Wait until Uncle and Jackie learn about Jade tricking a Demon Lord into Familiar Service. Someone's bound to lose it... probably Jackie.
Is it OK for a grown man (turned Stallion) to be very afraid of this version of Jade Chan?
....
that ending
Jade you tricky little minx!
8257122
I think she's more of a capital 'T' Trickster. One who stands against Ruin and brings peace back to society. (Kind of like the main protagonist/PC in Persona 5)
This turned out better than I thought. It's also good to see that Jade has been able to harness that mischievousness she's harnessed into legitimate cleverness.
Let's see, so next is the Earth Demon. Are we going to see the armor like in the show?
Funny thing about living in a world where Time Magic exists. The chances of being hurtled back in time, live out a decade, and then return to the exact spot you left 10 seconds later in the present are very high. In fact I wouldn't be surprised at all if there was a Department of Temporal Investigatons created specifically to deal with those kinds of situations. Like determine whether the time travel was a predestination paradox, what the impact of said time travel was, whether the case involved a child and if retrieving said child from the past immediately after they arrived would cause more harm than good, and offering family counseling services along the lines of "How to Adjust to Your Time Traveling Adult Child. Tips and Tricks for Being a 30 Year Old Grandpa." And "So Your Daughter is Your Mother: The Grandfather Paradox and You!"
Considering Jade has time traveled a couple of times in the series, I could potentially see a situation where Jade travels back in time and finds herself as the very person Hsi is referring to as it's been a very long time since he met anyone like her. :P
8257155
I'm sure Uncle already knows who Seymour is. I'm also sure Jackie is the only one in the house who doesn't. Which will make Hsi's eventual summoning and all the more hilarious. :P
That is how you end a battle of wits.
20 words or less? A One Punch Man reference. Nice
Summoned familiar out of a demon sorcerer, huh? One who kinda likes you and enjoys verbal fencing?
I expect, during a confrontation with bad guys or a rescue mission, a round of back-and-forthing that goes something like this:
"I'm sure you guys are good, but he'll definitely take out at least three of you."
"Oh, seven easy."
"Really?"
"Eight for you, sweetheart..."
"Oh stop."
"Make me."
(chief bad guy or hostage loudly clears throat)
"Is this really important flirting? Because I feel like I should be higher on the list right now."
Why yes I am a Whovian, why do you ask?
Figures Jade would get to have quite a few sweet pranks done at the dance. Least it didn't blow up in her face.
It's almost certain Hsi Wu is green with envy at Jade and her little trick.
I'm pretty sure that Jade and Hsi will have quite a... familiar relationship after this.
8257289
I do so love all the Doctor/River interactions...
Even if I am a Doctor/Derpy shipper at heart.
Too bad it could not be the inverse... That could be a good plot twist, but well, all well that end well...
I have a feeling he won't have to wait long. Like three certain fillies were already performing the summoning ritual as Hsi was being dragged back to the Nether Realm. So he barely has time to get his bearings before being summoned to Uncle's Rare Finds, where he lands flat on his rump.
Hsi: Well, that was quick.
Sweetie Belle: Of course it was quick.
Scootaloo: Did you think we were going to banish our friend, and then throw him in the dungeon in the place he was banished to?
Hsi: That's exactly what you did!
Apple Bloom: Yeah, but that was just to keep anyone else from banishing you back there!
Hsi assumes his human form and face palms.
Jackie (from down stairs): Uncle! He's a 900 year old demon! And Jade is—Ouch!
Uncle (also from downstairs): Uncle is aware of what Seymour is. However, I trust the wisdom of my daughters on his character. One more thing.
Jackie: Ouch!
Uncle: Banishing Hsi Wu permanently to Nether Realm would mean Jade loses friend who is good influence on her.
Jackie: But he's an evil sorcerer! Ouch!
Uncle: Viper is master thief and Tohru is former Dark Hand enforcer. Both are good influences on Jade. One more thing! It is very difficult to research alternate Sky Demon summoning spell secretly with those five underfoot! You expect Uncle to waste all that effort! One more thing!
Hsi: So what happens now?
Jade: I overheard Jackie mention that "Seymour" has an appointment with Captain Black tomorrow at Section 13.
Apple Bloom: Uncle and Jackie have that appointment too. Something about a mountain of paperwork, civil rights violations, and Hsi having the same legal status as us?
Sweetie Belle: So Hsi was adopted by Uncle?
Hsi grimaces at that.
Apple Bloom: I think it was about being summoned in the US—
Scootaloo: Wait! Captain Black works on Saturdays?
Sweetie Belle: Jackie works on Saturdays.
Scootaloo: But Jackie's work is fun!
Audrey: Fun! Fun! Fun! Till his Daddy took the T-bird away!
Jade: Speaking of fun…
Jade pulls out the D&D GM screen.
Jade: Roll for initiative?
Bravo! Bravisimo! Insert Italian here!
No flies on Jade, that was a pretty successful dance.
Oh wow, that makes for interesting stakes force this conflict.
Holy crap, and the conflict is already over. Good work Jade and everyone, and I definitely look forward to seeing Hsi again in whatever form the girls decide for his service. Probably some pretty friendly terms, given how everything played out with him.
Go Jade, very clever.
Put simply: HOLY $H^%, SHORT $H^%S! The epic possibilities that this chapter has opened up is ALMOST frightening!
8257386SO MUCH YES!
Well, her name is JADE, after all.
Well played, Jade. Well played!
And Jade pulls a Judas, betraying her friend with a kiss.
Well played, Jade.
8257289
Oh, I would pay to see something like that, being one myself.
8257326
Your best yet
So as of now jade has one of the most creative and deadly demons as a familiar hehe why do I get the feeling bai is nit going to laugh but rather applaud jade when she finds out for such a romantic way to beat him
8257289 I seriously hope tatsuru uses your comment it would be hilarious especially if Jackie is there with no idea that she's summons him as he shows and they act like he's not on there side first before the flirting imaging he's reaction
8257386 now that would be funny especially if worded out later for laughs in the lines of Jackie finds out later
This chapter was sublime...From start to finish. Jade was pretty crafty here
It even helped that the music link ended when I finished the chapter.
8257614
Oh I have the feeling Bai Tza is going to have a very different reaction when she finds out what happened to Hsi Wu. While she would approve of the romantic trickery Jade used to win, she would also notice the situation her brother is now in is something he finds great happiness in (and a potential romance down the line). It might cause her to reflect on the goals of the brotherhood and what she really wants.
On another note: Susan Eisenberg (the voice actress of Viper) was also the voice of Wonder Woman in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. It could possibly be a fun gag if at a costume party Viper dons Wonder Woman's costume.
Nicely done. I can't wait to see how everything rolls from here.
So...no meeting between him and Goliath?
8257761 For this arc at any rate. There will probably be other possibilities now that Xanatos is a player in Three More Things. There's a whole bunch of possibilities to travel to New York City (or for Xanatos to travel to San Francisco) that Tats could potentially play with.
Especially if Valmont gets blindsided by Nightstone Unlimited's CEO Dominique Destiny. And depending on how and when Tats introduces Demona, there could be a ton of different possible story outcomes. For instance, should the Demon Brotherhood fracture into two factions (by being split straight down the middle with four demons each) the resulting civil war could result in a scramble for both sides to fill in their ranks. Demona could make an excellent Sky demon for the side against Hsi Wu.
Especially if the Split happens along these lines:
Siding for Living Among Humanity:
Tso Lan (Moon)--He's the most pragmatic of the bunch.
Hsi Wu (Sky)
Bai Tza (Water)
Valmont/Shendu (Fire)
Siding for Conquering/Destroying Humanity:
Po Kong (Mountain)
Xaio Fung (Wind)
Tchang Zu (Thunder)
Dai Gui (Earth)
This could potentially allow for both sides to fill in the gaps with new demon sorcerers, and potentially allow for villains from the other series mentioned in this fic to star filling in the gaps. With Demons becoming the new Sky Demon for destroying humanity.
That is assuming Tats doesn't go the route of redeeming all the Demon Sorcerers, or any other potential plot avenue.
I also wonder if Valmont knows Medieval Scholar Lemieux McDuffie (Macbeth). Might potentially become useful if the Chans make a future trip to Scotland.
On another note, I wonder what Tats has planned for Agent Taggart McStone. I know his episode is coming up, so I am curious how the best agent in Section 13 changed when the Timeline did.
8257535
Jade can be red too....
Just wanted to add that fact out there.
Your very first kiss was your first kiss goodbye.
*Bon Jovi plays as Hsi Wu gets dragged to the portal*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrZHPOeOxQQ
8257872 I did not know that.
Chapter One Hundred Twenty Six
"Aiyah!"
Chapter Count: 0
Total Count: 46
"One More Thing!"
Chapter Count: 0
Total Count: 80
Well Fing Played Jade... Well Fing Played...
so then. how long till uncle gets mad when jade & such gets his wu under there control??
8257326
👏 Very good Sans! Very good!
Oh I did not see that coming! Well played sir! Well played indeed!
Also, I need more JaWu.
8257620
Probably waffling between confusion and "Danger! Stay away from my daughter!"
8257932
Glade to be spreading knowledge.
8258440 eyup