Looking out of the corner of her eye, Jiang watched as Sandy tried to help Tang build up some muscles, starting with a fifteen pound dumbbell, which made Tang fall to the ground the second he grabbed it. Right in front of her, Pigsy was pan frying some vegetables for the noodles he was gonna make later. No one payed attention to how the ground shook and columns of sand suddenly burst up into the air, since it was just MK and Mei sparring against each other.

"Oh, go on kid. I know you want to join them" Pigsy said as he caught Jiang looking at the sparring friends. "What, and make this entire place a chaotic battle ground? Yeah, I don't think so" Jiang replied. "Well, you do need to work a bit with your knife skills" Sandy said.

"Oh yeah, that'll come in handy when we aren't fighting someone with a long weapon" Jiang told him. "Oo, someone's a little salty today" Tang said, making Jiang lightly glare at him. "Alright, what's up with you? Ever since this whole monkey business started, you rarely ever purposely missed out on a training session" Pigsy told her.

"Guys, honestly, I'm fine. I can handle it. Imma take an aerial view on this whole thing" Jiang said in a reassuring tone before nodding towards the fight that was happening off to the side of the airship. No one looked like they really believed her, but they let her go anyway as she transformed into an eagle and took flight. Thanks to her now sharpened vision, she could easily see MK dodging hits and energy blasts before he finally got the drop on Mei.

Literally. He shifted into a much larger version of himself, and rolled onto Mei, crushing the poor girl underneath him. Jiang shook her head, and flew back down, where she treated both kids for their injuries that they may have gotten as well as gave them the drinks and snacks that everyone had packed for the day.

"You guys totally got the hang of this mystic monkey business" Mei complemented MK. "Aw, thanks Mei" the boy said as he held an apple slice in his teeth. "The Monkey Kids! Masters of the staff, rulers of gloads, from a bit big to small, heroes of the universe, heroes of being smart enough to move the training sessions out here so we stop smooshing the city up real bad!" Mei cried, which made both MK and Jiang chuckle.

"We've got this guys!" Their energetic friend added as she hugged them both around the neck. "Soon, Monkey King won't even need to come back from vacation!" She said. The smiles disappeared from Jiang and MK's faces, and they both looked down at the ground.

Jiang began rubbing her arm a bit as thoughts began to run wild. What if they really had gotten so good that Wukong didn't need to come back? What if when he first went on vacation was the last time they would ever see him?

Jiang didn't really know how to feel about that. She really wanted to see the self proclaimed Great Sage equal to Heaven again. There, just, wasn't really anyone like him, both figuratively and literally.

Sure, he was impulsive and had done a lot of stupid things then, but, he wasn't really doing that now, right? I mean, he was still impulsive, but still. And there was something about him that had begun to make her feel... strange.

"Jiang?" Mei's voice startled the girl out of her thoughts. "Huh, what?" She asked, looking around until her eyes landed on her friend and brother. "You alright? You got really lost in thought, and it looked like you were blushing slightly" MK told her.

"Oh, uhm, I-" Jiang said before Mei cut her off. "Does someone finally have a possible crush in mind?" The girl said, waggling her eyebrows a bit. "What?! No! Nothing like that!" Jiang called out, slightly embarrassed, with made the blush on her cheeks become a bit more noticeable.

Thankfully, she was saved by Pigsy calling out, "Snack break!". He was holding a tray that held six small bowls of noodles that had everyone watering in their mouths. Jiang took a bowl and sat down, cross legged on the floor, then, she put her hair up with her signature hair sticks so that none of her hair would get in her food.

"Ugh, man. This stuff is great! Amazing job as always Pigsy" Jiang complimented after eating her first mouthful. Everyone else voiced their opinions and thanks, which had the pig demon beaming with pride. However, peaceful moments like this didn't usually last very long, and Jiang was halfway through her bowl when a blue colored explosion appeared.

It looked like it was coming from the city, and was bright enough that it casted a soft blue color on everyone's faces. "That's probably not good!" Mei called out over the wind that had been created by the explosion. Everyone darted over to the side of the parked airship in time to see a giant mech, that looked like a larger version of the spider drones, begin to make it's way out of the sand.

Jiang suddenly got a headache, which made her wince and rub at her temple, and in her mind's eye, she saw LBD's softly smirking face. "Spider Queen?!" Mei called out as the sudden sharp pain went down to a dulled throb. "No, it's something, that is much worse" Jiang said before she jumped down to the sand and began running towards the mech.

She could hear MK following right behind her. Holding out her hand, MK grabbed on, and Jiang flung him towards the mech as he performed the flaming fist maneuver. However, a giant blue speed circle appeared, and as MK went through it, red and gold symbols began to appear in a circle.

MK, and the mech, were both thrown back, away from the airship, and Jiang darted out, getting to his side in an instant. "MK! Are you alright?" She asked. Before MK could answer, the large spider mech jumped into the air.

MK put his hands together, and tried to perform the flaming fist move again, but all that came up was some golden sparks. "What-?" Jiang breathed out before the mech landed on the two. However, it didn't keep them down for long, and it wasn't really a match for MK when he suddenly made himself grow in size.

However, the circle thing appeared again, and the strange symbols began to light up again. A few more were added to the forming circle of symbols. MK slowly shrunk down to his usual size, where he fell to his hands and knees, panting and slightly sweating.

What is going on?!, Jiang thought as she set a hand against MK's back. The circle faded away, and wind and sand began to blow around as the airship, which had apparently taken off, began to land. "Yeah, MK! Jiang!" Sandy called out.

"You guys win! Atta kids!" Pigsy praised. "Yeah! Show that itsy bitsy spider who boss! You got them mad skills to pay those bills yo!" Mei cried. Tang, didn't seem to share their enthusiasm.

"Uh, Jiang, MK? I get the feeling you two aren't telling us something" he said. Jiang shared a worried look with MK. "I think it's time we told them. They've been in the dark about her for long enough" she said.

MK looked about ready to argue, until he actually thought about it. Then he sighed. "A few weeks ago, me and Jiang met someone" he said.

"Oo, do tell" Mei said as she and everyone else shared the same expressions. "Not like that" Jiang told them, with instantly killed whatever romantic mood had been worked up. "Remember when we fought DBK? We said he was different?" She told them.

"And then Spider Queen attacked, and she was stronger?! Me and Jiang were trying to protect you, keep it a secret" MK said. "All of it was the work if this strange woman. She calls herself-" Jiang said before she was cut off. "The Lady Bone Demon" a voice echoed as a blue glow appeared behind her.

Jiang sucked in a breath and whirled around. There, a few meters from where she and her brother was, stood LBD. Jiang did her best to gather her courage, but the woman in front of her had done enough to both Jiang and her brother to make the girl rather terrified.

"A girl?! Let's get her!" Mei cried out as she and everyone else jumped up. And the green dragon appeared in the air. "No, wait!" MK called out.

But LBD's hair turned white, and a strong gust of wind blew the dragon away while keeping Mei, Pigsy, and Sandy trapped against the airship. "You've both done well, MK and Jiang" LBD said, making the two turn around to face her. "Fast at summoning powers. It seems you two are ready to meet your destiny and-" she said before she was interrupted.

"Yeah, yeah, destiny shmestiny. You saw how fast the kids dismantled your little bone toy right?" Pigsy called out before his front half was buried into the airship. "That was part of the plan. I do apologize for what comes next" LBD said before a glowing blue whirlwind appeared behind her. The wind speed picked up, and Jiang brought her arms up to protect her face from them.

But through the gap, she saw the rest of the mech appear, and connect with what was already above ground. MK tried to summon the staff, but all he got were little golden sparks. "I- I can't summon it!" He called out.

Jiang took a sharp intake of air before quickly letting it out. Focusing her energy, she felt the familiar metal of the staff appear in her waiting hand, and so, she took up a protective pose in front of her brother. "It must've been the strange spell circles that you went through. They must be draining your powers somehow!" She said to him.

"Ugh, that's not good" MK called out before he yanked in his sister's shoulders, throwing them both to the ground and out of the way of a pincer ended scorpion tail that drove into the sand, landing where they used to be. Leaping up into the air, MK pulled out a few tuffs if his hair, summoning his clones, and they all attacked, but the clones disappeared, and the spell circle from before came back, gaining a few more golden symbols. "MK! Jiang! The more power you guys use-!" Tang called out.

"The more powerful I become? Very observant" LBD said before MK was caught in the pincer ended tail. "MK!" Jiang yelled. She saw him begining to glow a bit, but it seemed LBD was already a few steps ahead.

"Aw, trying to shrink? That's not going to work anymore" LBD said in a taunting voice as the pincers began to squeeze, slowly crushing the boy between them. "We won't let you win!" He yelled out, unable to stop a hint of pain from coming into his voice. "In your thirst to destroy me, you used all your powers boy" LBD said to him.

Having enough of the torment her brother was going through, Jiang leapt forward. "Let go of my brother!" She yelled, and she used the staff to force open the pincers, freeing her brother. Then, she destroyed the mech and made the pieces fly up, forming her own mech.

However, LBD giggled, and a large, three clawed mechanical hand caught onto the mech. "What is this?!" MK called out. "Now do you understand? From the start, the two of you never had what it took to defeat me. All your power could do is make me stronger!" LBD said.

Her mech crushed Jiang's, and the top part of it fell away. "Now, I will undo the memories of this world" she said as she appeared before the two siblings. Jiang, in a last ditch attempt, made the staff in her hands extend, aiming it straight for the heart, but LBD stopped it right before it could hit her.

Suddenly, the weapon felt extremely heavy, and it fell with Jiang barely holding on. "No" she breathed. "L-let me try" MK said.

Jiang moved aside and let go, letting him try, but the staff still wouldn't budge. And what was worse, the end of it became covered in ice that quickly inched it's way towards the boy. "Oh, and as for you, little warrior" LBD said as Jiang turned to look at her.

The woman's eyes glowed a bright red, and exploding pain made itself present in Jiang's head, making her cry out and hold her head as she went down on her knees. The cold slivers that had made their way up her spine during the fight began to spread, taking over everything, and setting in cold pain. And all through it, LBD's voice echoed in her head, slowly getting louder.

Oh Jiang, you really thought you had a chance? All you have to do is give in to me, and I'll let you live, she said. "N-no! Never!" Jiang yelled out, then she practically screamed as the pain intensified. Everything in her body was hurting and aching, and the cold seemed to seep down to her very bones, setting everything on fire and making her more aware of the pain, and less aware of the pained cried and yells she was letting out, and the screams her brother let out as he tried to get his sister's attention.

Just give in, and the pain will all end, LBD said in her mind. Jiang couldn't even muster up a reply with her voice beginning to go raw with all the yells and cries of pain she was letting out. Opening her eyes just a bit, she panicked at the sight of MK half covered by the ice that had completely spread over the staff. Screwing her eyes shut again, she couldn't stop the tears from falling out of the frustration that she couldn't go and help him, the pain she was in, and the terror for what could happen since they had failed.

Then, a bright golden light surrounded her, bringing with it warmth, and relief. The cold retreated, and the pain in her head and body eased up, letting Jiang open her eyes. And she almost began bawling her eyes out right then and there when her gaze landed on Wukong, who was standing in front of her and MK with his face turned upwards, glaring at LBD.

His clothes had tears everywhere, and cuts and scrapes also littered his fur covered skin. "Wukong" Jiang breathed. "Monkey King! Are you really here?!" MK cried as he came over and helped Jiang get back on her feet, since the ice that held him captive had broken and shattered away when Wukong landed.

"Destiny cannot be undone Sun Wukong!" LBD snapped as she brought the staff over to her. Wukong looked back at Jiang and MK, then up at the Lady Bone Demon. "Let's test that theory" he said before he grabbed both Jiang and MK and tugged them off the broken mech.

They free fell for a moment before Wukong summoned his cloud and took off. Looking back, Jiang watched as the glowing blue chains that surrounded and held LBD's mech broke and disappeared. And the light that was provided by the moment shined upon the city.

An instant symbol of their failure. Jiang felt the tears coming to her eyes as she hugged MK to her with one arm, and he held on with force that almost constricted her lungs, but at the moment, Jiang didn't care. Feeling something shift under her foot, she glanced down, and noticed some of the cloud slipping away.

She heard Wukong's strained grunts, like he was struggling to keep the cloud together and keep all of them up. Pulling out of the clouds they were in, Jiang immediately noticed the airship beside them, carrying the worried faces of their friends. Wukong steered the cloud over, and the trio landed more harshly than any of them wanted.

Sliding to a stop on her side, Jiang waited for the pain to dull before she managed to push herself up a bit. Just in time to see the remainder of Wukong's cloud drift away into nothingness. He reached out for it, then both his and Jiang's attentions were caught by Mei calling out, "MK!".

The young boy let out a soft groan as he came to, being gently pushed into a sitting position by Sandy. Jiang let out a soft sigh before looking back over at Wukong. Her eyes locked with his, and slight relief seemed to spread across his face.

The Monkey managed a small, somewhat sheepish smile. "Hey you two. Miss me?" he said, flickering his gaze between both siblings. Jiang didn't trust herself to speak out of fear that she'd start crying again, so, she let MK do the talking.

"Where were you?! You could've stopped this! We could've...!" He said before he began tearing up. Then he said something that even Jiang was against. "We have to go back! We have to take her down!" MK cried.

While he was talking, Wukong had bowed his head, strongly reminding Jiang of a child who was being scolded by a mother. At MK's last words, he spoke. "We can't " he said.

"No! I'm going back. I'm gonna get my staff, and finish this!" MK snapped, making Wukong look up with a somewhat hard expression. "The staff is gone bud. And I'm in no shape to face her. None of us are" he said, eyes flickering over to Jiang's form as she struggled to even fully sit up on her own. She finally gave up, and leaned against the barrier that surrounded the airship.

"I didn't get back in time" he muttered, looking off to the side. Jiang opened her mouth to say something, but Pigsy spoke before she could even make a sound. "Back from what? Your vacation?" He growled out.

"Pigsy-" Tang said, but he was interrupted with a hand to the face. "No! What could've been so important that you'd leave MK and Jiang alone to face that, that thing?! Your supposed to be their mentor!" Pigsy yelled. "Enough!" Sandy yelled, making everyone look at him in shock.

Well, Jiang flinched from the sudden loudness before she looked over. "I think, we should give Mr. Monkey King, a chance to explain" Sandy continued in his normal volume voice. Everyone looked at Wukong, who caved.

"Alright alright. I was never in vacation" he admitted. "Fucking knew it" Jiang muttered. "During the battle with Spider Queen, I found out Lady Bone Demon was back. Jiang knew it too, but I never told her who she was. She's bad news. I needed something to fight her, something so powerful even she wouldn't be able to win. A weapon" Wukong said.

MK let out a soft sigh. "Okay. A weapon. Aye, if you think you can beat her, let's go find it" the boy said. "What? No! Your not going, I'm going!" Wukong said.

"Ahem, who was the one who chose me and MK to be his successors? We can help, Wukong. We all can" Jiang said as she managed to push herself to her feet. "Yeah, so, here's the problem. You guys have this thing called mortality! So-" Sun Wukong said as he also got to his feet before being interrupted by a cough. "Your not looking so immortal yourself Mr. King" Mei said, making Jiang smile in spite of herself.

"We can do this. We're stronger together" MK said as Jiang walked over and stood beside him. Wukong let out a sigh of defeat. "Fine" he said.

Everyone celebrated, and Jiang, Mei, and MK shared a three way high five. "But it's not gonna be easy. In fact, it's going to be really, really dangerous" Wukong warned with a light smile. "Hey. When is it not difficult and dangerous?" Jiang pointed out with a half smirk half smile.

"So, where are we headed?" Pigsy asked. Wukong tossed over a scroll that had pieces tapped together, and MK caught it. Opening it, everyone gasped at what the scroll contained.

"Your kidding" Jiang said as she looked at Wukong with a smile that seemed to get larger. He gave her his signature smirking smile and looked to the front. "Well, I guess, we're going on a journey. To the west" he said.