Sakura P.O.V

We were standing by a fork road with three paths, and MK was thinking on which path we should take

"He's gonna do it! He really knows which way to go!" Mei said

"Lead us to the next stone, kid" Uncle Pigsy said

'I think that's adding a bit more pressure' I thought and Uncle Sandy was thinking the same thing since his expression showed concerned

"The right path... is..." MK was pointing while looking at all the paths in front of us, but couldn't decide which path to take "I DON'T KNOW!" MK shouted and everyone fell onto the ground

"Awww... come on..." Mei said

"WHAT?!" Uncle Pigsy shouted

"I mean... We got lucky with the first stone! We wanted a map, o-or a magic compass, or something! Normally, we get a PreGuffin. BUT WE SKIPPED STRAIGHT TO THE FULL GUFFIN!" MK said as he started to freak out

"The kid takes ONE how to write seminar and now he won't shut it with the McGuffins" Uncle Pigsy said

"Well, it was Uncle Tang suggestion for him to take it" I said with a sweatdrop

"It's okay, MK! We're figuring it out as we go. Together!" Mei said as she tried to reassure him

"But we can't keep doing that! We don't know where the other five stones are, or what to do with them if we ever find them!" Then MK pulled out the red stone from his jacket pocket "We're just walking into-! ...chaos"

"We got this, MK!"

"Now we got the first-"

"We'll figure it out"

"Guys, can you please stop crowding MK..."

"ENOUGH!!!!!" Uncle Sandy shouted and everyone sat down on their knees, finally giving MK some space "MK's right, we don't know where we're going. So it's time we found out. Split up, cover more ground, regroup and then GET GOING! Nothing's gonna stop us!"

"I love this new commanding Sandy! Let's go, Sakura!" Mei grabbed my hand we boarded the jet

"Didn't know big blue had it in him" Wukong said as he took off on his cloud, then Mei and I took off not long after Wukong

MK P.O.V

Pigsy and Tang left after Monkey King, Mei and Sakura on a cart. Leaving only me and Sandy

"As for you, it's time for some training!" Sandy said and I got excited

"Woooooohooooo!"

"Guard the power truck, Mo" Sandy said to Mo

"Mrow mrow" Mo saluted and Sandy took me into the woods

"Special Sandy Training! What are you gonna teach me?! Heightened sense of smell so I can sniff out the stones?! Secret muscle growth techniques?! How to craft a fist aid kit using nothing but jungle debris and my own wits?!" I asked as I picked up a stone from the ground and started hitting another stone in front of me

"No, no" Sandy said and I looked at him with a confused look "The skill you need to learn is..." Then Sandy pulled the giant leaf to the side to reveal a relaxing spot with the right amount of sunlight and a flat stone in the center "Meditation"

"WHAT?! Noooooooo.... AAAUGH! That's the worst!" I complained

"MK, you are in serious need of some triple M! Mystic! Monkey! Meditation!" Sandy said

Uugh! We don't have time for that! No matter how cool the name is. You just did a whole thing about 'Nothing's gonna stop us!' And being all active!" I said

"Ahahahah! Yeah, that was a lie. You go here" Sandy placed me on the flat stone and patted my head

"AAAGH! I've gotta find the stones and save the world! Before it ends!" Then I looked at the sky and there was no cracks appearing "Oh, so NOW it decides not to crack" I looked away with an angry expression, then I heard the cracks. I turned around and saw the cracks in the sky "SEE! The cracky-ity cracks are back! I have to stop this!" I jumped up, but Sandy caught me and placed me back on the flat stone

"That's the thing, it's too much for these little... breadstick shoulders. I see you. Everything you've been through... You can't keep hiding from it" Sandy said

"Oh, you just watch! I've got my trauma bottling process down PACKED!" I told Sandy, but my scared expression didn't help

"You can't know where you're going until you accept where you are. Meditation teaches you to be here now" Sandy said and I gave in

"Ah, fine. This new tricksy Sandy, naughty list" I said as I crossed my legs and brought my hands together

"Remember little man. Be. Here. Now" Sandy said

'Ohhh, my sweet, sweet Sandy. I'll just... preteeend... to meditate. While, ACTUALLY, I get to figurin' out where the next stone is! Hrrrrrr, think! Think Smartie Kid!' While I was busy thinking, I recalled the time I changed into a monkey when I fought against Azure 'What if I lose control? If that thing inside takes over...' Then I immediately opened my eyes

"Okay! That's enough meditation, right?! Wow! So enlightened" I said with a nervous laugh

"I get it, you're afraid of what's inside you. But it's something you need to face head-on. Trust me" Sandy said

I was about to say something, but I was knocked over by something. I looked up and saw a demon

"DEMON!" I shouted but then realized it was tiny "A tiny demon"

The tiny demon got off me and slithered away into the woods

"You okay, MK?" Sandy asked

"Better than okay! I got someone to fight that's not my thoughts!" I said as I pulled out the staff from my ear and extended it

"MK, wait!"

"Can't hear you! I'm too busy not facing my fears. okay byeeeee!" I said as I left Sandy behind

No One P.O.V

MK was following the tiny demon into the woods and Sandy was running to catch up with MK. The tiny demon slithered through the wall

"Huh?" MK placed his hand on the wall and the same golden circle appeared on the wall, revealing a secret passage "Hah! Secret tunnel!" Both MK and Sandy entered the tunnel and continued to follow the tiny demon "Get back here you lil... legless... weirdo!!" The tiny demon slithered up a stone that's covered in moss "Hey! I'm talking to you!" Then the tiny demon turned into stone "NO FAIR! You just smack a guy in the face and then try to ignore me?!?" MK repeatedly smacked the tiny demon's stone head, then MK saw something in the moss. He moved the moss to the side and saw the blue stone "The second stone! Sandy! You were totally right about the be here now thing! Without your, eh... very interesting meditation class, we wouldn't be here now! With the stone!" Then the stone started shaking and MK fell off, luckily Sandy caught him "Agh, I forgot these stone dealies come with guardians!" Coming out from the ground was a giant turtle "That's a big turtle..."

"You cannot simply take the stone, hero. You must prove yourself worthy" The giant turtle said

"Worthy?" Sandy asked

"Um... your turtleness... Th-The fire bird said I was already worthy, soo... uh... can I have it?" MK asked

"The Vermillion Guardian tested your resolve. I now test your ability... to master yourself. The cycle is almost complete... time is running out" The giant turtle said as it looked at the cracked sky and the same crack appeared on its body

"So, uh... what we doin'?! Scary floaty vision time? I am ready for the test!" MK said

"Your worth shall be measured... by meditation" The giant turtle said and MK let out a ghost shriek

"I am not ready for the test" MK said as he slumped down on the ground

"Be here now" Sandy said as he sat down on the ground and crossed his legs

"But I don't wanna!" MK complained

"There is a storm inside you, hero. If you cannot master it, all will be lost. Time is not on your side. And so, the pain will not fall on you" The giant turtle said as more cracks appeared on its leg

"Huh? Oh, that actually sounds great" MK said

"But on your companion" MK looked to where Sandy is and saw MK tied up by the same tiny demon but it wasn't so tiny anymore

"Ow. Little stuck..." MK tried to free Sandy from the demon's grasp

"HEY! GET OFF MY SANDY!' MK tried to free Sandy, but the demon grew and knocked MK away. It made MK mad as he was to charge in, but the giant turtle stopped him

"Control yourself. Or it will grow" The giant turtle said as the serpent demon tightened around Sandy more

"Ooh! Just do what the turtle say. I can handle a little... snake..." Sandy said and MK did some breathing exercising

"I'm ready" MK said

"We will see" The giant turtle said and MK sat down on the floor and crossed his legs

"Okay, I can do this. Just Sandy's life on the line... No biggie" MK said, but still sounding a bit nervous

"You got this lil man!" Sandy encouraged him

"No more running" MK said as he closed his eyes and begun the meditation

In his mind, he saw the events that happened with LBD, the possessed Wukong and the death of Sakura, and he quickly opened his eyes from fright

"O-Okay! So ehdeh! Maybe a little running!" MK said, then he heard Sandy's yell as the serpent demon grew and tightening Sandy more "No. All these things, they're in the past. Be here. Now" Then MK entered his mindscape once again, the next vision he saw was when he turned into a monkey and the fight against Azure "Okay, I wanna push that away, but... Okay... Master yourself"

"There's something inside you that you can't control" MK heard his voice, but it sounded different "You know what you are, deep down. A beast" MK placed his hand on the ground a golden crack broke the ground "A monster. Harbinger of Chaos. The thing that wants to hurt. That wants to destroy. That WANTS CHAOS! You're so terrified to let it out. But the truth is... You like it. It makes you feel strong... It's who you are!"

MK fell backwards from the fear, then he heard Sandy scream louder as the demon serpent grew even bigger and tightening even more around Sandy

"Sandy, no!" MK exclaimed as his body started to glitch and changing into his monkey form "LET HIM GO!"

"Control yourself" The giant turtle said

"MK, I'm okay... Ough! Just... Focus!" Sandy said

"I c- I can't! This... This thing inside me, I-" Sandy let out another scream as the serpent demon continued to tightened around Sandy

"There's parts of ALL of us we don't like. But it's always still us. You choose to be who you are. And then you work at it everyday. The only one... who can control you... is YOU!" Sandy said in a strained voice

"Hero, there is only way to save your friend" The giant turtle said, MK let out a breath and sat down with his legs cross. His body started to glitch again and returned to his human form

"You are just a part of me" MK said with his eyes closed

"The Harbinger of Chaos?" His inner self asked while sitting across from MK

"I-I-I-I-I don't know what's gonna happen. Okay? But I can choose who I wanna be when it does. You're just a part of who I am!" MK said

"Rage? Fear? Desperation?"

"Yes! Everytime I've needed to fight to save the people I care about! I've been angry! Scared! Desperate! If I hadn't been, I couldn't have save everyone. You're me. But I'M in control" MK said and his inner self gritted their teeth

"You think you can just give yourself a little pep talk and make this fear go away?!" MK's inner self asked trying to scare MK as more golden cracks appeared, but MK let out a breath and the cracks disappeared

"No. But I'm gonna work at it. Everyday. And I'm gonna be here. Now" MK said as his inner self jumped forward towards him, but disappeared

Outside the mindscape, MK was still in his meditative state and his form changed into his monkey form once again. The giant turtle looks pleased at the result, and the serpent demon released Sandy as he finally catches his breath. Then Sandy ran towards MK's side and hugged him

"MK" MK smiled and he reverted back into his human form "It's over. Right? He passed your little test? WAS IT ENOUGH?! IS HE WORTHY?!" Sandy asked as he power came out as he glared at the giant turtle

"We will see. Good luck, hero. Do what must be done" The giant turtle said as it turned into the blue stone and floated in MK's hands

"We didn't get much actual meditation in there. Not exactly the relaxation I was going for" Sandy said as they headed back to the truck

"Sandy, are you... Are you okay?" MK asked

"You're asking me?"

"Well, it just... Pigsy always said you were this... Rage filled guy, and... I just never believed it" MK said and Sandy took a long inhale and let it out

"I spent a long time angry at myself. It's always gonna be a part of me. But it's what I do with it that matters" Sandy said and MK recalled the vision he saw with the stones and jumping into the pillar, making feel scared once again "Mo! Aww, you did such a good job guarding the truck!" Sandy picked up Mo and Mo started nuzzling against Sandy's cheek "This has gotta be some sort of record! Not a scratch on her!"

Then they heard screaming from above. It was Red Son, Sakura and Mei screaming as the jet was falling down from the sky. The jet hit the truck, but it didn't break down and the jet landed on the ground

"Next time, I'm driving" Red Son said as he fell off the jet with a dizzy look

"Wow, these things sure are durable" Mei said, but the truck's tires popped off and Sakura let out a groan

"You shouldn't have jinxed that!" Sakura shouted

"I found a thing! A stone thing!" Mei said as she pulled out a rolled paper "Uh... Sandy?"

Sandy was crying while hugging the tire, and both Mo and Sakura tried to reassure him

"Be here now... BE HERE NOW! BE HERE NOW!!!" Sandy cried

"I'll fix it once the world stops spinning" Red Son said as he layed on the ground

"Take your time to rest, Red Son" Sakura said

To be continued in Homecoming

In the next chapter, it's gonna be about Kyubi, Iris and Huli's journey to the village where Kyubi and Iris used to live. See you in the next chapter!