Jackie sighed in relief as the demon flew away. He didn't know what had possessed him to stand between a demon and the girls, or why he thought he had a chance. Still, he had to protect them...and that now meant freeing them. Turning, he swung the sword and shattered the chains that held them before setting it down, kneeling to pull them into a hug.
Once they all managed to calm down, Scootaloo was the first to speak. "So, uh...should we call you 'Fei' now?"
"Huh?" Jackie asked in confusion as the other girls giggled. "I don't get it."
"Uh...someone?" Captain Black gasped out nervously. "Explain?"
"Well, I already tried," Jade spoke up a tad bitterly, "but you said I should get into fiction."
Augustus blinked a few times, deciding to sort that part out later. Preferably much later, over several - possibly dozen - stiff drinks shared with Jackie. "And...the rest of it?" he pleaded, gesturing to where the...thing...had flown off.
"Oh, that was just it using the levitation of the Rooster Talisman and the speed of the Rabbit Talisman for supersonic flight," Scootaloo explained readily.
"Okay..." Augustus allowed, making sure to call in sick for the three days immediately following sharing those drinks with Jackie, just to be on the safe side. "And...what did all that for supersonic flight?"
"Some sort of demon, ah'm pretty sure," Apple Bloom spoke up. "At least...ah think so."
"It used to be a statue!" Sweetie Belle offered helpfully.
"I...think we should go ask Uncle about this," Jackie suggested, hoping they could get going before thoughts of Tohru's fate bothered Apple Bloom too much. He picked up his sword as they turned to go.
My sword? Jackie thought as he looked over it in confusion. Why do I think of it like that now? And...where'd the other one go? As he took a closer look at it, he noticed something startling. "AIYAH!" he screamed out in shock. "Inscriptions!"
Indeed, runic inscriptions now ran the full length of the blade on both sides, though the overall shape was unchanged.
"...definitely going to see Uncle," Jade murmured in awe.
Back at the antique shop, Uncle seemed much more interested in the inscriptions on the newly shaped sword than in anything Captain Black had to say about the demon. "Jackie...you say each of your selves was holding one sword when you rejoined?"
"Yes Uncle," Jackie confirmed.
"One more thing...your two halves came to an acceptance and understanding, yes?"
"Yes Uncle." This second confirmation came much more easily, as Jackie felt that for the first time in his life he was no longer fighting himself. The rage and anger was still there...but he'd accepted it as part of him. Knowing that, he was no longer afraid of it...and accepting his own former fear of it went a long way to finding peace with it.
"Aiyah...sword absorb magic of Tiger Talisman!" Uncle proclaimed in amazement. "That is what these inscriptions mean...Balance Breaker."
For some reason, Cumulo thundered dramatically as Uncle translated the descriptions, making Augustus jump.
"I don't understand," Jackie spoke up worriedly. "What...does it do?"
"See this edge?" Uncle asked, pointing to where the metal stopped with a visible flat spot with no true cutting edge...though he was careful not to actually touch the metal. "Observe." Turning, he swung the blade at a steel pipe Apple Bloom had brought in from out back. The pipe fell apart, flaking in rust where it had touched the blade. "Sword strikes at the aura of the target, cutting pieces off to break its internal balance of energies."
"So it cuts chunks off someone's magic?" Jade gasped in surprise.
Uncle nodded confirmation.
"So cool!" all four girls chorused.
"Yes," Uncle agreed as he handed the sword back to Jackie. "Cool."
"And I'm sure it'll be a great help against the demon," Augustus spoke up irritably. "Once you've researched it and told us where to find it!"
Uncle frowned at Augustus. "Did the demon have any distinguishing markings?" he asked coldly.
"Glowing red eyes, razor sharp claws, and giant teeth isn't specific enough for you?" Captain Black barked out at the edge of his patience.
"Hellhound girls summon as pet when they were three had red eyes, razor sharp claws, and giant teeth!" Uncle countered hotly. "And even if I limit research to demon sorcerers, there have been thousands throughout history! I need something unique! A symbol! A name! Anything!"
"Shendu," Tohru suddenly spoke from the doorway, startling everyone as they spun to look.
Tohru had certainly looked better. A large bruise on his forehead swelled his left eye shut. One arm clutched at his torso over broken ribs, while the other hung limply at his side. One leg dragged behind the other, and he swayed listlessly as though it was only sheer force of will that kept him upright, and even that was starting to run out. Blood flowed sluggishly from several cuts across his body, and the burns from the fire blast looked worse. "Tohru..." Apple Bloom whimpered fearfully.
"The demon said...not to let you learn its name," Tohru continued. "When he...attacked you, and I could not stop him...I knew what I had to do..." His swaying became more pronounced as his open eye began to glaze. "His name...is Shendu..." He toppled slowly forward.
Vines lashed out all around the store, anchoring in the rafters before wrapping around the falling giant, shifting his weight until he settled on his back in a hanging hammock that provided extra support to his damaged limbs. "Hush now, quiet now, it's time to lay your sleepy head..." Audrey began to sing quietly as he slowly rocked the gentle giant.
Uncle nodded firmly. "Now that I can use..."
Well boys and girls, it's official. Shendu is going down HARD.
I'm not sure if imagining Hush Now, Quiet Now in the Audrey voice is more comforting or disturbing,
Damn it, Tatsurou!
So how come Tohru is more fucked up than he was in the show and with this new sword does that mean it can negate Shendu's magic and slice him up?
7854322
Because he took more of a beating than in the show.
7854326
Only difference from the incident was in the show Shendu just flicked his finger at Tohru while your way was that he punched him.
Calling it now, Apple Bloom is going to hunt shendu like an animal.
7854338 True. But remember, Shendu (without the Ox Talisman) was as strong as Jackie WITH the Ox Talisman. With it, a 'flick' from Shendu would KILL a Normal man, and that 'punch' would reduce a person to MUSH.
7854338
Also, it was several punches, being slammed bodily into the floor, and then being hurled through a wall...after being roasted by the Dragon Talisman Fire Blast.
Or it could do that.
So they now have a weapon that can wound, or possibly even kill beings at the spiritual level (i.e. Deader Than Dead)? That's the kind of thing you can make enemies out of gods just for having. Balance Breaker is suddenly looking like a very fitting name.
Thank you, Old Man From Scene 24! Your dentures may have indirectly caused power to shift on a cosmic scale!
7854352
If you know what anime I got the name from, you can see why it would be that way.
(Note: in the anime, it's the name for a specific class of weapon/ability, rather than a specific weapon or weapon type.)
7854354 The only anime that has a thing similar with a similar name that I know of is Highschool DXD. That is more telling of my library than anything else, isn't it?
And now, magic shall defeat magic!
Balance Breaker is certainly a good weapon against Shendu, but it won't be a one hit KO....
The amount of magic Shendu possesses is most likely so large that a strike from the blade will hurt him, but not enough to "kill" him instantly. Multiple hits are most likely needed
7854387
Actually, that's where I got it from.
That second "before" is unnecessary.
So... Magical High-Frequency Blade of Godslaying?
Awesome!
Poor Captain Black has nervous breakdown. I thought the trio's amulets should help him 'accept' those facts more peacefully.
7854482 The amulets are limited in how much they can hide. Something as earth-shattering to Black, such as concrete evidence that magic exists, the kind he can't just ignore, will shove right past the normalization magic, and likely hit him harder than if the normalization magic wasn't there. There's no gradual acceptance. It just goes from peaceful non-magic, to "Oh my God I nearly got roasted by a giant dragon-statue-lizard thing!"
7854405 Or it will break the balance between the Talismans, causing them to lash out at Shendu. Or flat out eject them, one at a time.
Oooh, gonna get to see Jackie FLAY a demon now.
7854500 true. Or something similar will happen
7854312 Audrey III: It's going down! I'm yelling Timber!
...I am not sorry for that. You can't stop me, like how you can't stop "the other sans" from punning.
7854313 comfurbing
Fei?
I see that High School DxD reference. I finished BorN recently
7854551 Eye'm pretty sure Tohru is gonna have a swell time with that line.
Guess it's time for Augustus to drink it all in.
I'm pretty sure Jackie's new sword is Imba. Nerf pls.
7854743 Yeah, I don't get that joke either.
7854743
7854882
Xenogears reference.
7854882 The name of the original Warrior that defeated Shendu. The one that Jackie was channeling. Not entirely sure how the girls would know it, though.
7854970
Incorrect.
Shendu named that warrior last chapter.
This was a video game reference based on Jackie's experience with the Tiger Talisman.
I'm "ehh" on the suddenly magical sword. Jackie's biggest shtick was his improv drunken master styled fighting. Like how the old joke goes, "A Jackie Chan backed into a corner holding a ladder and a child saying 'I just want to be left alone!' is unstoppable" (well, something along those lines I forgot the exact wording, but the meaning is there). He just doesn't feel any more dangerous when holding a sword as he does with any other random object (magical or otherwise). Still, I have a feeling the magic sword is going to be plot relevant (as they're wont to do) so I'll wait.
7854390 Heck yeah! Also, perhaps Jackie will be the one to seal away Shendu again, using the same method that Lu Dongbin used only it seals away Shendu permanently. Or it goes like Canon and Jade blasts him with the Dragon Talisman, but this time it's an accident.
I laughed.
If I was a sapient cloud, you can bet I'd be doing this.
Chapter Seventy Eight
"Aiyah!"
\
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Chapter Count:
Total Count: 41
"One More Thing!"
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Chapter Count:
Total Count: 71
Thoru better wake up to a get well card from Apple Bloom if they have to leave him in bed at the shop. I love Jackie's new sword, very cool. But does the other edge just cut stuff like normal???? Still, a very cool upgrade for Jackie, can't wait to see him use it on Shendu.
7854447 Ya know? I just notice that there isn't that many fictions were modern magical artifacts are created, most magical stuff have to be at least a thousand years old or something.
it's good to see some magic enchanting our modern weaponry.
Ouch poor Tohru has certainly been through the wringer.
I haven't said so but I love how you're portraying all the characters.
7855334
There are a couple of things to bear in mind about artifacts - they're significantly more powerful than anything anyone can make deliberately, and they're the next thing to indestructible. This means they're either made very rarely or are remnants of a more knowledgeable age (since if they were made frequently they'd tend to pile up...)
Either way, the creation of an artifact in the present day of a setting is something that should be vanishingly rare and almost always have dire significance.
Please keep the "Donut Day" line.
7854978 wouldn't happen to be a Warcraft reference with Variance Wrynn's blade, would it?
Another enjoyable chapter. Good work.
7856050
I have no idea what that is, so no.
7855602 Agreed.
7856083 It's called Shalamayne.
7856615
Ah. Never heard of it.
So now we have a handy dandy MAGIC SWORD in addition to the canon information Tohru provides.
Valmont had the right idea avoiding bad blood with Tohru last chapter, there are MANY reasons to want to be on his good side. Besides the fact he's built like Andre the Giant.
7854970
But just last chapter Shendu had Flashbacks to Lü Dongbin, of the Eight Immortals... Well in the words of Uncle: "I must do Reeesearch."
*checks the Jackie Chan Adventures Wiki *
Huh, looks like there's some confusion even in the canon, Because each of the Eight Immortals banished one of the Demon Sorcerers to the Nether realm, and Lü Dongbin was the one who banished Shendu (His symbol is a sword and I remember during the finale of that arc after Shendu messes with history, Jackie uses a sword to banish him along with the other remaining demons). HOWEVER Lo Pei (wiki spells it with a P not an F but I have no idea which is correct) is the one who imprisoned Shendu in his statue form, creating and scattering the talismans in the process. Lü Dongbin's page suggests that Shendu somehow escaped imprisonment by Lu only to be brought down by Lo Pei when he started some shit.
*shrug*
7854328 Well, Shendu's size varies with his power and just because (He appears to have some control over it, and when he absorbs power from all of his siblings he grows to daikaijuu size), but at a few points he was about 15 feet tall with 12 feet wide shoulders. He has crazy linebacker shoulders.
7854312 And then he's coming back as the midget dragon from Mulan.
"I DEMAN OOLONG TEA!"
"Finish waking up girls!"
"FINE!"(Drags gong and mallet.)
7854993 Jackie Chan is the one who taught Pinkie Pie the unicorn shot gun technique.