It didn't take long to pack for the trip to Bhutan, mostly because the monks insisted that - as far as the Chosen One was concerned - the trip was to be an ascetic one, bringing with her nothing of her present life as she embraced her role as the Chosen One to better acclimate to the awakening of her previous lives. This had left Jade so put out and distraught that no one else had packed much beyond absolute essentials so as to not leave her feeling worse.
On the long flight there, everyone attempted to talk to Jade, to try and gauge how she was feeling about all this and try and comfort her. However, she didn't respond to any of their conversational gambits, at most nodding or shaking her head in response to direct inquiries, or putting them off by saying she was going to meditate. The only ones she hadn't actively chased away in this way - mostly because they hadn't attempted to talk to her - were Hsi Wu and Tohru. Hsi Wu simply sat by her side, oddly silent as things happened. Tohru had taken up his position behind her and assumed the pose of bodyguard, well practiced after how long he served that very role for Valmont. Still, the scowl that made him intimidating wasn't entirely a role, as he remained angry with himself that he could not provide proper comfort. He didn't even know where to begin.
Before long, and yet far too soon, the plane touched down in Bhutan at the only available airport in range of the Temple that was their destination. The airport was some distance from the base of the mountain, and the Temple stood at its peak. Along the path up the mountain were the various settlements that supported the Temple in terms of its mundane and magical needs, as well as providing connection between the Temple and the outside world. Minor temples were visible from the air in each settlement, stops that the group would be taking on the way up the mountain.
At the airstrip, more monks awaited happily, bowing to Jade as she stepped off the plane, Tohru right behind her. The monks held out white silk robes to Jade. "Your sacred garments, Chosen One," they offered warmly and happily.
Sighing, Jade took the robes. While any other day she'd have been impressed by just how fine the robes were - truly the best quality available in this magical world, she had gotten good at recognizing the feel of Jorumungo silk as opposed to that of worms, and could sense the sheer amount of purification, cleansing, protective, and sanctifying spells inlaid into the very fabric - just now she could only see it as one more piece of her own personal identity she was losing as the monks were bound and determined to turn her into 'The Chosen One'. Sadly, she walked off to where Hsi Wu had already erected a privacy screen for her to change in.
"Many rituals surround the journey of the Chosen One," Ysabelle spoke up, unfolding a book she'd brought with as she flipped through the pages. "Some of us are going to have to fill some of those roles as best we can, to ensure Jade's chi catalyzes safely. It would also be good for Jade if we filled those roles rather than the monks, so that she doesn't feel abandoned in this."
"What are the rituals?" Tohru asked curiously. "As her Guardian, I'm pretty sure my role is to stay close, look intimidating, and keep her safe...and I have the feeling Hsi Wu could pull that off better by temporarily discarding his human form."
"More or less," Ysabelle confirmed, pushing her glasses up. "First, though, someone is supposed to walk ahead of Jade to ensure her path is strewn with flowers, to symbolize her walking in life."
"So Ah walk ahead of her and stop holdin' mah magic in?" Apple Bloom asked curiously. "That's easy enough." To demonstrate, she took a few steps along the stone path, grass and flowers springing up in her steps. The monks gasped in awe and murmured to each other excitedly.
"She's also suppose to be 'cooled by natural breeze," Ysabelle continued. "This is generally done by having someone walk beside her with a leaf fan-"
"Or me riding Cumulo beside her and using my wings?" Scootaloo suggested helpfully.
"Does that mean I get to walk beside her as a sign of good portent, that she's accompanied by a Qi Lin?" Sweetie Belle asked hopefully.
Ysabelle flipped through a few pages. "Well, it's not part of the ritual done every time, but accompanied by great Good Chi like you three definitely bodes well..."
"Well, since you've all decided how the rest of my time as me is going to go, I guess we should get going," Jade spoke as Hsi lowered the privacy screen, holding her regular clothes now she was garbed in the sacred robes...which were really too big for her, and thus hung quite loosely around her body, as though she were being swallowed up by them and the role they represented. "Before forces of darkness decide to interfere."
"The Chosen One shows great wisdom!" one of the monks declared proudly. "Truly, the forces of darkness would seek to disrupt the Chosen One's awakening as we journey to the Temple atop the mountain. We must be cautious, but swift, as the catalyzation has already begun. If we take too long..."
As no one wanted to know the rest of that statement, the group immediately began the climb up the mountain.
About halfway up the mountain, the group stopped for the night in one of the communities along the mountain path. Jade, as the Chosen One, would rest inside the minor temple in as great comfort as the community could provide. The others would be housed elsewhere within the community, save Tohru and Hsi. Tohru took up his post at the entrance to the Temple to act as Guardian, while Hsi - as Jade's familiar - was allowed to stay in the temple with her.
To Jade's surprise, Hsi instantly moved around the chamber they were resting in, finding various things hidden in nooks and crannies that made the stay a little more comfortable. "Been here before?" Jade asked curiously.
"Had this very journey before," Hsi allowed softly.
"...you were Emeraude's familiar before she awoke?"
Hsi nodded. "For a long while before," he confirmed.
"...what's it like?"
"Hmm?" Hsi turned to Jade in confusion.
"The...the awakening," Jade explained. "What...what happens? What's going to happen? T...to me? Will...will I still be me when it's over? Still Jade? Or..." Jade swallowed, unable to get the words out.
Hsi stared at her for a time, then sighed sadly. "I can't answer that," he allowed finally.
"What?" Jade demanded in shock, her voice hurt...almost betrayed. "WHY?"
"I promised Emeraude," Hsi answered softly, knowing this was not the answer Jade would want. "If ever I found myself in the same position to a future Chosen One as I was to her, I wouldn't give any spoilers."
Jade stared at Hsi in disbelief. "W...why would you promise that?" she finally gasped out, her voice the barest whisper.
Hsi looked away, not meeting her eyes...and did not answer. Unnoticed to Jade, Saint watched on sorrowfully from her shoulder.
Tears beaded Jade's eyes as her hands slowly clenched into fists, only the silk robes keeping her nails from digging into her palms until they bled. "...get out..." she finally hissed out.
"Jade?" Hsi asked in shock, turning back to her.
"Get out!" Jade screamed out, grabbing the nearest object to hand - a pillow, as it turned out - and chucking it at Hsi with all her might. "I thought you were my friend! I thought you were mine! But the one thing I thought would still be for me when this is all over is just on loan!" She continued to throw things at him, not caring what she grabbed.
Hsi desperately struggled to contain any damage, redirecting anything more breakable than a pillow to a soft landing, letting pillows hit him, and dodging anything sturdy enough to do more damage to him than the other way around. "Jade, I-"
"You don't care about me at all!" Jade screamed out in despair, tears flying off her face as she wailed. "You just want Emeraude back! Just go away and leave me alone!" Grabbing the Taijitu half from around her neck, she hurled it at him.
Hsi caught the coin gently, letting the string it hung from fall around his hand. He stared at Jade sadly...and let his human form fade. Standing tall in his altered demon form, like a living beast of stone made flesh, he gently set the half-coin down on the floor. In this form, he wore naught but a loincloth...and his own half coin hanging around his neck, the one Jade had given him. "...as you wish," he whispered softly in his gravelly voice before turning and walking out of the Temple.
Jade stared after him, her hand to her mouth as she actually heard the things she'd shouted and realized what she'd done. When the door swung shut behind him, Jade rushed to where the half-coin sat on the floor. Taking it up in her hands, she wept bitterly.
On her shoulder, Saint watched on, her own eyes wet and her robes - a match to the ones Jade presently wore - wrapped tight around herself.
It's probably a lot less impressive than everyone's making it out to be.
Pre-teen couple fights are always so dramatic.
... I've got nothing to say here.
Holy crap. I was just clearing my tracking, can't do it on my phone anymore after whatever weird crap update the site did for mobile app, thinking 'It would be nice to catch a Three more things' update then BOOM. Next refresh leaps it straight to the top of the page. Kind of leaving me equal parts excited and creeped out, honestly. Anyway, great job on another gripping update and leaving us on a massive cliff hanger...sadist.
My guess is that, either through intent or through her lifelong exposure to the world's most eclectic combination of magics, this whole process will result in little more than gaining one or more additional shoulder angels. She's still, of course, Jade, but can also query past lives' memories at will like a glorified google [with a shoulder mounted humanoid (probably Emeraulde-based) interface].
Ah the Teen Drama... and everyone getting into it is just making Jade worse.
Bitterness and frustration can easily fuel the dark thought. Guess her part as the Dark Shadow Queen still hasn't closed for certain.
Ain't that what always happens? A chosen one wants to make something nice for their future self, but then doesn't consider that the future self might not exactly want to be the chosen one.
J: "You mean to tell me that all my past versions...were just as much a hell raiser as me?"
A loud, resounding 'yeah, pretty much' came from her past selves.
J: "...and you didn't tell me becau-"
The crowd all responded at once: "Because the previous one didn't want to spoil the surprise at it's pretty much tradition."
One of them then speaks up: "Well, so long as Em didn't make it as vague as possible to Hsi, making it seem like he was still holding a torch for her."
Silence fell, save for Em's nervous whistling...followed by a loud, resounding face palm from every other incarnation.
And one shrill voice from the back going 'Called it!'
8717629
While not accurate to story plans, it is quite the hilarious alt-script, and the laugh I desperately needed right now. Thanks.
8717633
Happy to help my favourite author feel good, like the stories you write make me feel....that sentence made more grammatical sense in my head.
I know this'll probably end up working out, somehow.
8717569
Speechless? I never thought I'd see the day...
Am I the only one who thinks that Saint is Emeraude?
8717665 There's actually been multiple times I've done this if only because there's nothing funny about the situation/chapter. It's in bad taste to pun for these.
Emotions run high, tempers run higher...I can only hope things will mend by the end.
8717576
My bet is that her shoulder Angel has secretly been Esmeralda the entire time, or at least the manifestation of the Chosen One stuff considering how its pointed out that the Shoulder Angel is wearing the exact same Robe.
i wonder if Jade will be able to hold her emotions for Hsi at the end of all this Drama. It's just too nerve racking.
8717788
And that is why you are best Sans, you know when to and not to pun. -thumbs up-
Also I do so love how many a story or movie or what have you always get some odd reason for the one person that knows what the hell is going on to not share any info. Be it a promise, some odd mindset that it for the best the others don't know, or some such.
I wonder if there is a trope for that...hmm
8717576
And now I am thinking of her asking that `google` like collection of herselves things like. 'How do I say 'HE IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND' in every other language.' And cue her using the many ways to say that to make that statement =w=
Chapter One Hundred Seventy Two
"Aiyah!"
Chapter Count: 0
Total Count: 49
"One More Thing!"
Chapter Count: 0
Total Count: 83
plural's dont get apostrophe's (that hurt to type)
has
So... "Saint" is Emeraurde. Well, that is interesting.
8717698
You're not the only one. It's kinda strange for a Shoulder Angel to feel That guilty unless they had former connections to certain beings.
. . . I hate being empathic sometimes. Chapters like this resonate strongly enough that I literally feel it. The fact that I had a very similar fight with someone I once held dear doesn't help... and it's no consolation that she's no longer among the living...
Still, it could always be worse. I don't want to think of how it could be worse here, though.
It's been said many times already, but I think it bears repeating... Oh, the drama.
Looks like Jade immediately realized that she went a little too off-kilter there, though, so I have a feeling things are all going to turn out alright as this arc progresses.
Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Two
"Bad Day"
Chapter Count: 0
Total Count: 43
"He's Not My Boyfriend!"/"I'm not his Mistress!"
Chapter Count: 0/0
Total Count: 49/7
Maybe it will be like Avatar, where she's her own person but can talk to past selves for advice and or lulz. Just hope she doesn't pull a Kora and wipe the slate clean during her tenure.
Poor Jade... but Emeraude probably didn't have the Crusaders or similar beings helping her. Still, Emeraude not allowing Hsi to offer Jade encouragement and comfort on what will happen is a pretty BH move. I mean, this is a great set up for Jade to build up anger and resentment and ruin the ritual.
8717966 Both has and had are grammatically correct in this case, with one implying that it has literally just started, while the other denoting that it had begun a while ago.
English be weird, yo.
They want sunshine, rainbows and sparklefarts and all they are asking for is blood, death, the sky raining fire and brimstone and death staying as far back as possible going "Yeah, ain't going to touch that! I'll come back later for what's left of your souls."
8717569
best thing I've read in the comment section ever
DRAAAAAWMAAAAAAA!!
8718064
... oh geez... I can't handle all of these feels!
...
...OH GOD THERE'S A CHANGELING IN THE COMMENT SECTION! Get 'em!
8717808 8718025
But if Saint is Emeraulde, or at least an aspect of her as filtered through Jade, what does that say about Queen?
8718789
She's Jade's 'Life' from the alternate future where Valmont changed the past. Jade still remembers the timeline, and Queen is likely that and her emotions for Hsi... Seriously, she is flirty as Hek.
8718836
Bah. Having one of Jade's previous incarnations being goth, evil, both, or the original Shadow Kahn Queen would be much more fun.
...for us.
So sad. Nevermind the fact that Jade may or may not get her life stolen from her, but the one she trusted most had to deny her the comfort and answers she so desperately craved.
8718177
I kinda wonder: if Korra didn’t clean the slate... could we have an Avatar-only season? Like every ____ years, an Avatar will be in a coma and within that coma’s time an Avatar Tournament hosted by the incarnation that won the previous Tournament.
Like Aang was in cased in ice for so long but then died before the next Tournament that the one Korra participates in becomes a big deal. I think it would be cool to see more Avatars.
Great. Now I want to ask Tatsorou another dumb request. Like have a Chosen One Tournament for Jade’s personal identity and have Bruce Lee as a Chosen One spirit.
I really don't want there to be any chance of my influencing how this plot line turns out—I'm seriously holding my breath for how this one turns out—so instead I'll just focus on the next episodes in the season and see what we have.
Let's see, we have Glove Story (so that's how Valmont's vault is going to get robbed), then there's The Chan Who Knew Too Much and Chi of the Vampire… oh I seriously hope those two are combined (and swapped in order) to allow this guy to show up.
Because ideas like this Chosen One always work out so well, don't they Khadgar?