Jade groaned as she slowly regained consciousness. The text had warned about the recoil of the power reflection spell being equivalent to the deflected impact, but she'd thought she'd dispersed it properly. Quite a way to learn she hadn't mixed that part properly.
Slowly opening her eyes, she saw a wall of green and yellow. Confused, she stretched out her hand and felt the rough, scaly flesh before her before managing to part two fingers...and stare out at the crimson void she'd seen through the portal she'd summoned Hsi Wu through to make him her familiar. She felt her blood run cold as she realized what had happened. Po Kong had been banished back through the portal, and she'd been dragged along somehow.
She saw something starting to approach, but before she could see details the fingers closed up tight. Before Jade could voice a complaint, she felt the entire world shift around her. She quickly realized Po Kong was shifting positions...for some reason.
"And that's three of us trapped here now," Tchnag Zu growled out, the voice making Jade stiffen. That must have been what she saw approaching!
"Still arguing peaceful coexistence is possible?" Dai Gui demanded cruelly. "It seems you were banished even with that outlook."
"For your information, I banished myself!" Po Kong snapped out disdainfully. "It was the only way to prevent that dark wizard's spell from draining Bai Tza until she didn't have any demonic life force left! There's no record of anyone who had undergone a Demonic Ascension reversing the process, and I wasn't about to take a chance with our sister!"
"You really chose her well being over your own freedom?" Tchang Zu demanded in shock.
A judgmental silence hung in the air for a time. "It seems some of us take our brotherhood more seriously than others," Po Kong stated flatly. "I'll be certain to keep that in mind."
"What is that you have there, sister?" Dai Gui suddenly demanded. Jade flinched as she felt something impact near enough for her to sense it.
"What are you talking about?" Po Kong demanded evasively.
"You can't hide anything from us, sister!" Tchang Zu snapped.
Jade pulled back as blue and red hands dragged Po Kong's fingers apart, revealing her to Dai Gui and Tchang Zu's view. "The girl!" Dai Gui proclaimed in shock.
"At least we shall have entertainment!" Tchang Zu declared as he gathered a lightning bolt.
"Don't you-" Po Kong began, but too late to stop him from throwing the bolt.
Before it could reach Jade, Hsi Wu blurred into place between her and his brother, taking the bolt himself as he screamed in agony.
"HSI!" Jade screamed in worry and fear even as Tchang Zu and Dai Gui laughed.
Tso Lan snarled angrily as he closed the viewport to the netherrealm he'd just finished opening. "And just like that, our idiot brothers have closed our options," he growled under his breath.
"How so?" Xiao Fung asked curiously.
"By now the fillies will have told the other Chans that the girl got pulled into the Demon Netherealm by Po Kong," Tso Lan continued. "It was plainly unintentional, and we could have played that to our advantage and actually gained the assistance of the Chans as far as freeing our siblings. While individually, Tchang Zu and Dai Gui may have flaunted Valmont's assistance, if the rest of us were united they would have been forced to play along...and eventually been happy with what he presented them. I admit the idea of ruling Mars was...appealing."
"And how is that no longer an option?" Xiao asked curiously. "I thought you were trying to contact Po Kong to tell her to keep track of the child?"
"Hsi Wu is bound to more than just the child by his familiar magic," Tso Lan explained angrily. "Given the level of the discharge Tchang Zu just threw, it's likely they would have felt it backlash through the spell! The fillies at the least would have felt it. How exactly can we argue our position when they can feel one of our own tormenting a brother?"
Xiao's eyes narrowed angrily. "I see. There's no way they'll help us willingly if they can feel that. And taking the chance they didn't is foolhardy."
"The only one who would have had a chance of convincing them would be sister Bai," Shendu spoke up, puppeting Valmont's body and holding Bai up. "But she has not yet recovered from what the dark wizard did to her."
"Is Valmont recovered from what happened?" Tso Lan asked hopefully. "And do you have any idea what happened?"
"No on both counts, brother," Shendu offered apologetically. "And I have no idea when he will recover. I cannot feel his mind."
"Damn," Tso Lan growled angrily. "Then we cannot afford to wait and hope he can come up with a better plan. We must take action now, before the Chans do and close our last opportunity. Since Tchang Zu brought this situation on us, he can wait until his own portal unseals. Let's see if the three of us can bring enough force to bear to cow the Chans in this world. At least they do not have access to Hsi Wu at this time."
"Four Demon Sorcerers against that group?" Xiao asked dismissively. "They will surely know they are outmatched."
"Don't be so sure," Shendu murmured dryly.
"Enough, both of you," Tso Lan snapped out. He crossed his arms as he slipped into deep thought. He would have to approach this carefully, show just enough force to convince the Chans to cooperate, but not so much as to cause them to call out bigger guns to try and overcome them, and not so little that the Chans decided they could handle them themselves without cooperation. That would be a delicate balance, after all, and there would be no second chances. One wrong move and everything would fall apart, and time was not on their side. Tchang Zu already showed he had no patience for the situation, and they had to move fast before the situation was beyond recovery.
Ah yes, finding that happy medium where everything works out. Never easy.
Chapter One Hundred Forty-Four
"Bad Day"
Chapter Count: 0
Total Count: 39
"He's Not My Boyfriend!"
Chapter Count: 0
Total Count: 44
Oh boy. Things are about to get dicey.
Oh man, not good. But I think that soon there are going to be two vacancies in the Demon Sorcerer Brotherhood. Tchang Zu and Dai Gui might find themselves facing some very angry fillies backed by some Divine assistance like Raiden and Fujin for Scootaloo. Maybe Amaterasu would help Apple Bloom as a thank you for the awesome costume she did. Not sure who might help Sweetie, but I also wouldn't be surprised if she got multiple gods or spirits on her side. And then there's Jackie, Viper, Uncle, Mama T, Tohru.... maybe even the Enforcers who can all load up with magic weapons and get ready to lay down a demonic butt kicking!
Ouch, it looks like what every teacher says is true. Ignorance and stupidity are the worst enemies.
In the immortal words of the show BAD DAY
Well, that escalated quickly.
Yeeeah... next few chapters probably ain't gonna be pretty. Let's just hope Jade's magic is stable enough to not be overly influenced by the Demon Realm lest she go all Demon Queen on the Brotherhood.
Well, the situation gets complicate real quick. A delicate handling is surely called for. But I don't think the Chans are known for delicate planning, do they?
8412560
Also that volcano goddess that they met early on.
GRAH! MORE CLIFFHANGERS!
8412560
I vote Tohru for new Demon Lord of Earth. He beat Dai Gui with his bare hands and considering we're talking ancient laws and even older magics, I believe the Right of Conquest would easily apply in this situation. Tohru could literally lay claim to everything that makes Dai Gui, Dai Gui.
Very bad day.
Aiya!
No! Everything’s crumbling! Tat’s why must you pull at my feels like this?
8412648
And fucking SANTA CLAUS, maybe even Krampus if they met him off screen
What happened to the "Aiyah!" counter?
8412721 That is a good idea!!!! Though I can see Viper making a joke about him always being horny to his wives if he sprouts bull horns.
8409331
Also in many mythologies, gods are usually as dickish as demons, if not more.
( has a huge table set up with a sign that says bets next to a jar ) so who has first bet?
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Chapter One Hundred Forty Four
"Aiyah!"
Chapter Count: 0
Total Count: 47
"One More Thing!"
Chapter Count: 0
Total Count: 82
Not sure about those other 2, but I'd say they won't need much convincing to help get Po out
Hsi is bound to Jade, so where she goes, he goes.
Get to Shendu's portal to retrieve Jade. Then, a bit of research: How to open a new portal to the Demon Netherealm that will allow chosen beings to cross through safely. Location for this 'parole portal'? Section 13, of course.
8412721
You keep what you bitch slap.
Pretty sure the demons just managed to underestimate the Chans (and associates) two different ways at once - underestimating their ability to cause a whole world of pain if they ever go all out; and underestimating their ability to be reasonable and willingness to team up to rescue Jade.
hello Tatsurou;
Sew we are not going to do the Demon World Episodes are will.
fishh0029
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Demon World is caused by the modifications to the Book of Ages. Nothing so far precludes that yet.
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Santa only has power once a year.
Well... f...
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Indeed. The two banished brothers have burned their own bridges sure, but the actions of Po, Bai, and Hsi have ensured that each is solely responsible for their own fates... especially when coupled with the plan Valmont had laid out in front of everyone.
Damn...Thanks to Daolong Wong, the game's changed significantly
8413542
Of course the situation that leads to one of the demon sorcerers mucking about with the Book of Ages would be greatly different this time around. I mean provided everyone makes it out of this current fustercluck all right, only two maybe three Demons would actually want to make the attempt. And frankly Tchang Zu and Dai Gui (Who I will now refer to as Wingus and Dingus) don't seem smart enough to come up with a plan like that.
Then again Shendu is a wildcard here. While he's been overshadowed by Valmont's competence in this fic he does seem smarter than canon. On the other hand unlike Valmont, Shendu is forcibly bound to get ALL of his siblings free or suffer immensely. Even the screw-ups like Wingus and Dingus. So it will be interesting to see how things progress in the aftermath of the current crisis that's looks like its going to have Both the Demons and the Chans scrambling in a panic to fix things before Wingus and Dingus in the Nether-realm ruin Everything like the cruel idiots they are.
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Assuming that the chans can be made aware that the attacks they felt were made against their wishes.
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Po straight up sacrificed her freedom, I think that gets her some benefit of the doubt
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Assuming anyone other than the demons are aware of that. Jade was unconscious, after all. Who's to say the fillies weren't, too?
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Just to confirm, you've made this Valmot someone the Chans know wouldn't lie about something of this nature right?
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Valmont was also unconscious when it happened. And for that matter, still is.
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Well, guess the only thing left is for AB to crank her Honesty Type Harmony Magic up to 11 during the negotiations.
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Again, assuming she's there. And assuming it being revealed Valmont's had Shendu inside him all this time doesn't tank his credibility.
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At the expo and a goon when they first met El Toro.
I don't think Wong thought that through completely.
One he would have lost Valmont's trust by doing that, his most lucrative employer. It would not surprise me if Valmont now aids in his downfall.
Two, Succeed or fail, a good portion of the brotherhood would be out for his head, not just for taking the fillies, but for harming one or more of thier own in the process. Plus for knowing that spell.
Three he'd have the Chan's after him. Enough said.
Finally, if i've folloing along accurately, AB, Sweetie and Scoots are under the supervision and presumably protection of quite a number of magical authorities. So at the very least he'd likely have the full weight of Section 13 and The Jade Council after him too.
I miss anything?
Edit: Apologies if this got overly analytical, kinda having A Twi moment when I wrote this.
I know Hsi teleported... but I can imagine him backflipping into the portal to save Jade just as much as I pictured Shendu Valmont holding Bai out like how Discord held Twilight.