Mudan

Oh beautiful Hells burn me alive.

The giant Spirit loomed over me. She had white hair, glowing blue eyes and a horrible slit of mouth. Her upperbody was womanly, while the bottom half belonged to a snake. I was the size of a pea compared to her.

"Recognize her?" Bavejo called mockingly. Oh go to Hell.

"Spirit of the Mountain Witch," I said. "Just my luck."

If this was real. I would die.

The witch circled around me, absolutely terrifying. Now I'm not saying I needed a weapon, but looking at how screwed I was, I'd say it would definetely help my case.

You and your big know-it-all mouth.

The witch shrieked, her hair standing up and pointed at me like spikes. Suddenly they shot out toward me, forcing me to break into a run.

The spikes landed in a path behind me, each narrowly missing my heel. I was tugged back harshly, hitting my back on the floor as a spike caught my cloak. I jumped to my feet in a second and began pulling on the fabric. The giant white spike literally pierced the middle of it. I pulled and pulled, but there was no time, the witch was speeding toward me.

I unhooked the cloak and let the thing fall, just when the witch smashed her snake tail onto it. I rolled away just in time, jumping to my feet. Oh, I was so screwed.

I gulped as I looked up at the Spirit, regretting my cockiness before.

You never learn, Mudan.

Her long arms stretched out to grab me. I somersaulted over her first hand, only to have my feet smacked out from under me by the second. I flipped in the air, my face hitting the floor hard.

I didn't even have time to absorb the pain. I rolled away as more spikes followed behind me. I conjured an Air shield in an instant, breathing frantically as the spike shattered against it. I wasn't fast enough to get away, but at least I avoided a giant hole in my chest.

I'm getting my ass kicked here.

"That's enough!" I growled, swinging my legs around and jumping to my feet. I whipped around to face the witch, rolling a wind sphere in my palms. I shot it at her face, splitting it into multiple shots. The witch shrieked as they hit her in the eyes, and I propelled myself up to her face, summoning a giant Air Spike above my head. I spun, aimed, and then fired.

Bullseye.

....Not really.

I landed in a crouch, then got smacked by her ugly tail into the glass. I hissed in pain as my entire back felt like it was getting burnt off and rolled away. Groaning, I looked at the witch, who took the spike into her hand instead of her eye. Damn it, I'll take what I can get.

If there was one thing I learnt about killing Spirits, is that they never really died. They just vanished into the Plane from which they came. We were taught about all the types of Spirits back at the temple, some gave us Crafts, others were guides, and some only wanted to kill. But they all had weaknesses.

All I needed to banish the Mountain Witch was to hit her right in the head, but with a killing shot.

"You're ugly!" I screamed at the Spirit as she wailed about her wounded hand. I waited for it. Her tail struck out again. I timed the jump and held onto her flesh as her tail whirled around, quickly pulling myself up. I ran as fast as I could onto her and her hair rose up again.

Come on. Hit me with it.

A giant spike flew my way. I bounced off her tail, missing the death trap by inches. It pierced the Witch and pinned her to the floor. I laughed obnoxiously as she screeched madly.

Great fact about the Mountain Witch? Not very clever.

Heaven knows I'd be toast if she was.

I pushed into the air with wind spiralling around my body, preparing to land on her hair.

She opened her mouth.

"Ah!" I thrusted out my arm, blasting her in the face, throwing myself in the opposite direction. That failed horribly. She growled, flailing out her unharmed hand. It hit me like a brick, but I held on as she tried to shake me off like I was crap on her shoe.

So. Much. Spinning. Would. Throw. Up.

In a desperate attempt to end it, I sliced with my hands, emitting Razor Air onto her wrist. It only cut a little, barely enough to amputate. I let go of her hand and dragged an Air Pillar from the ground, bouncing off of it and heading for the glass.

Multiple Air Plates appeared on the glass at my command and I bounced off every one of them, zipping around the witch at maximum speed. I flew above her head, summoning the Air Spike above me again. I dove down toward her, aiming it right for the centre of her skull.

The witch looked up. It was too late. Until then I'd been nothing but a fly buzzing around her crazily.

Now, I was her end.

The spike punctured her right between the eyes, and I stood victoriously atop the dead witch. I looked at Hana and Bavejo, my smugness radiating as I raised my chin in defiance.

Hana slow-clapped and nudged Bavejo. He didn't even so much as share a smile. Instead he tapped a button, causing the Spirit beneath me to vanish. There was only air. I was about to hit the ground with my butt, but a quick mini-tornado on the ground allowed me to gracefully float to my feet.

"Well, did I pass your test?" I scoffed. He rolled his eyes.

The opening appeared and I skipped down the steps. I flicked the sweat off my forehead, unable to stop smiling to myself. I didn't wanna say that was fun, but I truly needed to feel like a winner.

I needed a reminder of what I was capable of, and exactly who I was.

"Wipe that smug grin off your face," Hana told me, crossing her arms. "You passed. But it will get harder from here on out."

***

Shen

There wasn't a day I did not wake up sick to my stomach. And many would say I deserved it, and I would agree with them without a second thought.

Today I woke up thinking of her again.

I remembered that day like it was yesterday. We returned from Haichan, she was so hopeful, she even thanked me. She expected me to have her back, instead she found a knife in it.

Back then, I wasn't even under Old Master's spell. That was all me. I had no one to blame but myself. I was haunted by her screaming, the raw pain in her voice for months. I tried to numb myself to it but it came back constantly, especially when I looked at her. Since then I kept my distance, hoping it would make the guilt fade.

It did not.

Old Master stood over her like she was prey. "Which hand was it?" I remembered him cruelly asking.

"Please. Please, father. Don't do this. I'm sorry. I'm sorry-"

I remembered seeing her hand cave in as the bones broke when he hit her. Her screams were vicious, desperate and agonizing. She cried till she fainted and her mother picked up what was left of her. All I got for my transgressions were lashes. They hurt, but it was nothing in comparison to the Hell I watched her go through because of me.

How can she care for someone like me? Someone who is able to hurt those he cares for?

When it was not Mudan's broken face flashing infront of me, it was that of my parents. Since that ritual I could see them clearly, my memories were pristine. Unfortunately that included the emotions. It felt like I was feeling it all for the first time.

I remembered my mother preparing a room for my unborn brother, letting me pick his name. My father would vaguely tell me things of Suen, a city I didn't remember, but one he strived to keep safe from all threats. I remembered Yi Jiao, my bodyguard who would follow me everywhere. He would stand and watch me climb trees, even eating the strange fruit I would pull from them. Even if it tasted badly, Jiao would dare not show it on his face. He would make me think it was the best fruit he ever ate.

The memories were crippling. I wanted to free myself of them all.

The Rangers offered me to return to a distant aunt and uncle, who apparently lived a comfortable life away from the government. I said no, knowing that my presence in their lives couldn't be a good thing. I was an ex Clan member, and knowing so many people tried to leave and ended up dead, I didn't want to take the chance of wreaking havoc and killing the only family I had left.

I wasn't ready to completely let go of Mudan either.

I knew she was sick of me checking in and out of her life as though she were an inn. I thought she would feel the same about staying away from each other, that she would want me gone as well. But it turned out to be the opposite. I didn't know how to deal with it, so I just...didn't.

I couldn't. I was not strong enough. I was not strong at all.

"She's gonna hate you," Bhen told me when I let him know. It was only a while after, since coping with our newfound identities were highest on the priotity list.

"She already hates me," I mumbled. We were on our way to something the Moon Rangers organized, led by a random and barely alert to the world around us. Both of us were given Ranger uniforms to wear, which I thought was a formality of some sorts, but once I had it on, made me feel like a fish out of water.

We hadn't even begun thinking of what we were going to do about the Rangers. After getting our memories back, it was like being in a perpetual emotional and mental fog. I wondered if it was intentional. If Old Master had fooled us so many times, I doubt these people would be above it. Neither of us were prepared for the worst, which internally made me panic but I didn't have enough in me to care.

Bhen shoved me in the arm as we walked. "Don't you think you're making it easier for her to do it?" He scowled at me. "Come on, our life already sucks right now. Don't make it worse for yourself."

"I've already done that, Bhen."

We halted infront of a massive dome of glass before the Ranger in charge allowed us in. I was stunned by the amount of Dragon Ice weapons I saw. Even the deactivated ones when they were not empowered by Zen were majestic, gleaming under the luminescents.

"This is where I drop you off," the Ranger said before disappearing again. Chu's light brown hair was tied up and I was shocked to see her in a Rangers uniform as well.

Chu was distressed, grumbling and cursing to herself, not even noticing Bhen and I had slid in next to her. I followed her eyes and found exactly what she was losing her mind over.

Mudan was fighting a giant Zen monster inside a glass box.

The sight shook me. She was fast, her Air manipulation working to its fullest. When she was not catching her breath, her movements were a blur. She was suddenly smacked into the glass by the tail of the monster, which made my nerves spike and I shot forward almost involuntarily.

But just as quick as I tried intervening, Hana grabbed my arm.

"She is handling it," she told me sternly.

"What if that thing hurts her?" I asked, scowling.

"She won't need you to save her. Its not real."

"What?"

Mudan's aggressive pants and groans grew louder. She jumped from the body of the witch, running across the glass she was entrapped in. "Just let her be, she has to pass this test. You all do. Go pick out a weapon for yourself in the meanwhile."

Why did we have to prove ourselves? Was it not clear that we were capable of fighting at the palace? As things got more intense with Mudan, I moved away. I walked to the wall of weapons and searched for something that resembled my old double-edged sword.

There were things I could not detach from. They were too familiar, too a part of me. I thought long and hard on if I should keep my name or go back to my birth one. Bhen and Chu were keeping theirs because they considered the older versions of them to be dead and gone. Since I had gotten my memories back, I felt like I was falling back into the emotional patterns of a child.

I felt like I was two people at once. I wasn't just Shen, someone who killed my enemies, someone who spied and someone who could summon any venom. I was also Senji. Someone who wanted to go to the beach and build sandcastles, someone who would see seashells at the market and buy them all. Even with all that, I no longer knew who I was.

I couldn't find a double-edged sword, but there were a pair of hook swords staring right at me. I grabbed them off the wall, and instantly it charged up with my Zen. Indigo light washed over my face and I gawked. I had never seen my Zen shine this bright.

When I returned to Hana, Mudan was out of the box, her eyes going defensive when she saw me. Hana was talking to her and it was like she instantly tuned her out.

"Shen, look, Chu got the spirit that likes to eat brains!" Bhen told me excitedly. Chu was in the box, and I could hear her grunts but all I could focus on was Mudan.

She stepped forward and past Hana, coming to me. "May I speak with you?" She said.

Her hair...it looked like she tried to put it up and into a knot, but her fight caused long strands to unwind and fall all over her face. I wanted to put them behind her ears, the urge familiar because her hair was always messy. But I couldn't. I surrendered my ability to be that close to her.

Mudan grabbed my arm and dragged me across the place, stopping in an empty hall. I only realized afterward that I completely forgot to answer her, so fixated on her face.

"Look, I don't care if you can't be near me right now, this is important," she said harshly. "Are you listening?"

"Mudan...I'm sorry," I mustered up. It was pathetic. Her stern eyes immediately softened under the dim light of the hallway. I stepped forward and pulled her into a hug, her entire being smelling like fresh soap was leaking off her. She was so warm and soft, I hated that I starved myself of her.

I relished in the way she felt, but not long. Mudan stuck her palm against my chest, putting distance between us.

"I didn't pull you here to beg you to be with me." She said with a frown. Her eyes were conflicted, I couldn't tell if I made a mistake or not.

Well, if she didn't like it, then she certainly didn't love it.

"Plus, if you aren't going to be with me, then don't hug me. Or look at me like that. It's not fair, you know? You can't just check into my heart and then check out of it. It's not fair."

I was horrible, but I couldn't help myself. When she was out of my sight, I could live with it. But when she was infront of me, I felt like I couldn't be away from her. It was like all those years of having feelings and constantly being separated were weighing me down. But now the only weight was me.

"I'm sorry, I'm not trying to confuse you on purpose," I said, pleading. "I just want you to know I still love you. I'm just confused myself, I'm all over the place. I didn't want to push you away, I swear."

Mudan sullenly shook her head. "I'm not going to do this back and forth, Shen. Either you choose me or you don't. But don't be lukewarm. We aren't at the temple anymore, there's no reason we have to be suffering like this. It hurts when you're like this."

I wanted to cry again, but I held it together. "I know. I'll be better, I promise."

She didn't believe me. She casted down her gaze and cleared her throat. "Anyway...I told you I wasn't trying to talk about this. There's something awful happening soon that you need to know about. And I'm going to need you to pick a side."

"What is it?"

"Something happened this week. The Rangers pulled me into this room and extracted information about the temple out of me...forcefully. Then, they told me they were going to destroy the Penyin temple, and that we'd have to be a part of it. They're attacking soon, I don't know when, but this is what they're preparing us for. They're going to kill everyone."

Her words hung in the air for a bit before I truly grasped it. Why didn't they tell us any of this? Why did they only involve her?

"Why would they do that to you?" I asked, suddenly angry. "And what the Hell, how can they do that? Penyin doesn't stand a chance!"

Mudan started to breathe harshly, subconsciously reaching for my arm. "They targetted me because...because my mind wasn't as messed up as yours and the twins. They forced it out of me...and tried to make it seem like a transaction. Hana told me about my mother, but I don't know if I can trust her. Look at all they're doing, Shen. I don't think this place is safe."

"You don't think they're lying about our memories too, do you?" The fear suddenly rose in me. If I was missing people that didn't even exist...I would kill everyone here.

"I think its real, but they're using it to manipulate us. Like we have to stay here now because they have our Body Plans, we have nowhere else to go...we're stuck. They are our only bet at staying alive. And once we become useless...what then?"

Being in the heart of their compound meant fighting them off would be pointless. We'd die off in minutes.

"Don't you think this is exactly like the Renge?" Mudan asked, looking like she was afraid to mention them. "We have no choice but to fight their cause. Because we won't survive in the real world. Kai thinks we're dead, but Old Master knows we're alive. That means we'll never be safe if we step foot outside this place. Do you want to kill everyone at Penyin?"

"No!" I shook my head furiously. "The only person I hate is Old Master. Besides, that temple is so much more different. Old Master was trying to replicate Sueyin in the time that you left, he tried to turn those kids into what we had as the Golden League, but they were far too peaceful. Its like they were real monks who only knew that they had to kill. But...they didn't fully have the drive. They don't deserve to die."

Mudan nodded, trying to regulate her breath. "Alright, then we're on the same page. We lie low for now, but we need to come up with a plan. We need to run, but we need to make sure that attack doesn't happen. You need to tell the others too."

We were capable of that. It had been a while, but we still knew how to sabotage. The stakes were higher this time, we had to be more diligent.

"Hey!" Furn came running up to us. "Lovebirds, Hana is calling for you. Don't sneak off without telling her."

Mudan gave me a signal that we would continue this later. We split off on both sides of Furn, walking back to the group.

***

Mudan

When we returned to the box, it was Shen's turn to fight. But instead of getting to watch him, Furn pulled me aside to a different box where Trin was in control. Sammory, another one of their squad mates stood close by, greeting me subtly.

"Why are you separating us?" I questioned. I wanted to be near Shen so I could get the reactions of Chu and Bhen.

"Relax, love. I'm not keeping you from your boyfriend, Hana meant for you to see this too," Furn dismissed me with an eyeroll.

"You're up after this," Sammory told me, crossing his arms over his chest. Furn jumped into the box with a crystallized spear, and it lit up with a lime light.

"Again?" I frowned. "But I just got done fighting!"

"Its all mandatory," Trin replied, not looking at us. "We have to squeeze in training before the everything starts going to shit."

"And it's only a matter of time," Sammory muttered, which he thought was doing to himself. The conversation barely started and it was already going dark.

I thought back to the Nephatians. One of King Raej and Queen Mara's eldest borns must have taken over the throne already, probably trying to calm their panicking nation. Prince Cairo was an Army Officer and Princess Amara an ambassador overseas. How their world must have fallen when they had to come back because their monarchs were murdered.

"Where are we?" I suddenly asked.

"In the training?" Sammory asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Personally, I've completed all my stages. I was young when I got here, but I picked things up well. Sage Maisu helped me unlocked my Energy so that was advantageous, he doesn't teach us any monk stuff though."

"I meant where is this compound!" I gave him a bland look, even though I secretly noted that information. "Geographically, where is this place?"

"Sammory can be dense sometimes," Trin answered absentmindedly, tapping away on the screen. Furn's grunts and body slams played in the background. "But to answer your question, our compound's on the Western border of Nephati and Fujiyama. All of our compounds lie on the borders of countries, since we work independently from the governments."

So we weren't in Nephati then. My ears suddenly felt warm as I realized how far we were from Yuyang. I pulled at my collar, trying to cool myself. It was awfully hot in here.

"You're quiet," Sammory said to me. If we were going to be on the same squad, I suppose I should try and get along with them. "You nervous for your turn?"

I snorted, turning to look at how Furn was coping. He wasn't fighting a spirit like I had, instead he was fighting what looked like a person entirely made of green Zen that matched the Zen in his weapon. He was actually a good fighter, but the Zen person was just as good, almost like another him.

"What is that thing?" I tried to hide how impressed I sounded.

"We call em' Zummies," Sammory said with a light chuckle. "They're like Zen dummies. Get it?"

"The actual name of them are Mystics," Trin answered. So she was the reliable one. "They're like people but made out of our internal Zen. Furn's Energy is lime, so that's why the Mystic is lime. It's like fighting yourself, but as a spirit."

"Because there is no bigger enemy than oneself, right?" She looked at me with a smile. I would agree, but I've met a guy named Kai.

"I'd like to think I'm my only ally," I said truthfully. I might have had people by my side, but whenever I thought back to all those times I really needed saving, I realized I was the only one there to actually do it.

"Wait till you get into that box," Sammory snorted, then called to Furn, who was spluttering exhaustion by now. "Time's up, buddy, get your mop-headed ass out of there."

The glass door swung open at Trin's control and Furn came trudging down the steps. He dripping with sweat, his hair truly resembling a mop. He used his spear like a cane, dramatically moving and leaning on it like an old man. I snickered at him, earning a flat look.

A sardonic look was plastered on his face. "Laugh all you want, I'll be laughing when it's your turn," he said, shaking his head with a shudder. "You'll hate yourself after you fight yourself."

"Sammory, I think you should go in there with her, before we get into the other stuff," Trin suggested. Sammory looked at me, as if checking if it was fine. I shrugged in response. I just wanted to get this over with. The quicker I could return to Shen the better.

"I think I'm up for it," I was actually kind of excited. I was trying to suppress the images of seeing young Renge getting blown to pieces, hopefully it helped.

"By the way, Weise Hana insisted you grab a weapon for this one," Sammory told me.  "Said in a real battle you will get exhausted and your Craft won't always be there to fall back on."

I definetely was not going to be stubborn about it again. I'd learnt my lesson. Besides, I secretly wanted to try out the weapons that these Rangers were so famous for.

I followed Sammory as he walked to the wall of weapons, my eyes gazing in amazement. The weapons looked like they were made of white glass when they weren't lit up. How did they get this kind of technology? Thousands of weapons were on display, my mind racing in excitement as I thought of using each of them. My eyes fell on a staff.

"That one!" I pointed eagerly. Sammory used a hook on a stick and picked the staff off, giving it to me. It took a few moments, then suddenly the staff started glowing amber, brightening with my Energy.

"Woah."

Sammory gave me an amused look. "Our weapons are made of Dragon Ice. It's a stone found deep in mountains where old Zen Spirits used to dwell."

I was holding stone thousands of years old. This mineral probably lied right beneath our temples. And I hadn't held a staff in so long, everything about the moment was just a marvel.

"You two done?" Furn yelled impatiently. "Come on, I want to finish training! They're serving salmon at the canteen for lunch!"

Sammory rolled his eyes and grabbed a longsword from it's rack. The sword lit up with a magenta glow after settling in his hand. It was only after I stared at it did I realize the sword looked identical to the one Kai stabbed me with.

I began backing away, my chest heaving panicked breaths. No. Not again. I was not going to do this again. My head started to spin as my eyes glued to the weapon, making my heart ram against my ribcage.

"Mudan?" Sammory asked cautiously. "Hey, are you oka--"

"Get away from me!" I screamed, holding my hand out threateningly. I wouldn't hesitate to rupture his lungs if he took another step. "Don't come near me with that!"

"What?" He echoed in confusion. "What are you talking--?"

The sword rose up as he tried to walk toward me and I blasted an airwave, throwing him off his feet. The sword clanged to the floor, its metallic sound driving me mad. I covered my ears and closed my eyes, letting out a scream.

"Sammory!"

"What the Hell did you do?!"

I felt sick to my stomach. All I could feel was that pain again. That awful feeling of slowly losing life. That sharp, piercing pain that nearly wiped me from existence. It kept replaying over and over again and I just wanted it to stop. I opened my eyes and looked down at my stomach, seeing it soaked with crimson.

Oh no.

I didn't remember screaming. It just flew out of my throat. I was bleeding. I was dying. Kai had killed me. He won. It was over. I was dead because of him.

"Mudan!" I felt my hands being grabbed. It was Furn. He was livid. "What is wrong with you? Why did you attack Sammory?"

I didn't know what to say. I stared at him for so long, my limbs freezing up. His hair had turned black, his brown eyes now darker, boasting a shade of madness. Kai stood infront of me and he had me in his grip.

"I'm not done with you, Little Bird," he growled at me. Water leaked from my eyes. He's going to kill me. "You'll pay for what you did to me. You'll pay for taking Yura away from me."

"Let go of me, Kai!" I cried, my voice cracking witn desperation. I wasn't even fighting back. Why couldn't I fight back? My arms and legs were paralyzed as I looked at him.

"Mudan! I'm not Kai!" He grabbed my face. "Calm down! Why are you freaking out like this?"

I blinked rapidly, my breaths hitched in my throat. Kai was gone. Infront of me was Furn, with his eyes coloured in concern. I moved away from him, holding my head. Why did that just happen to me?

"I--"

"You need to go see Sage Maisu, immediately," Furn demanded. "You are not fine. You outright attacked Sammory!"

I peered over his shoulder, seeing Trin and Sammory looking over at me with disturbed expressions. Random Rangers came running, even the twins were on their way over. I didn't know how this got so bad.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly, gathering myself. That was embarrassing. "I must still be tired."

"That episode is not a product of tired, Mudan," he chastised. "Come on, I'll take you to Sage Maisu, he'll help you."

I couldn't even protest, because the second I moved, I dropped into darkness.