꒾ CHAPTER 9 ꒾

"SO BASICALLY, IF WE DON'T GET THROUGH THE MAGIC FOREST IN TIME WE'LL ALL BE CRUSHED?"

"Pretty much"

"That's awesome!"

Ju winced as Shang cleaned the cut on her cheek with alcohol. Xialing and Katy were talking about the forest outside of Ta Lo while Trevor was driving with Morris. Yes, with Morris.

"Sorry," Shang mumbled as he continued cleaning the cut. "Y'know this is pretty big, how did you get it anyway?" He furrowed his eyebrows.

Ju only shrugged as Katy and Xialing continued talking. Right now, the group was on their way to Ta Lo, and Ju was trying to regain her strength in the cramped car. The other two women were on the backseats, which left Shang and Ju in the truck. They could faintly hear the conversations going on up front, but they doubted anyone could hear them since they were talking lowly.

Shang sat back with a sigh as he finished putting away the first aid kit. He looked across the compartment at his friend, who was taking her hair out of the buns she made, making her hair flow down her back. The space they were sitting in was small, with their legs pressed up against one another and faces at most a foot apart.

"What do you think is gonna happen?" Ju asked softly.

Shang looked at the woman front of him, who was staring out the tiny window. He looked at her for another second before looking down again.

"I don't know Ju," he responded. "I don't know."

Shang looked up at the feeling of a hand squeezing his own. Ju had leaned forward, facing him as she held his hand. She had a gentle smile on her face. One that she hoped would bring a small reassurance to her friend.

The man squeezed back, thankful for Ju. Suddenly, the car jolted, causing Ju to jump forward at the force. Shang's arms quickly caught her, preventing her from getting hurt.

Both adults locked eyes with one another, and for a split second, forgot where they were. Forgot what their mission was, who they were trying to stop. They melted into one another's dark eyes. Time seemed to stop even as the car kept bumping around.

Of course, the moment ended too soon with both of them coughing awkwardly, and Ju choosing to sit next to Shang in order to create more space for the both of them. She subconsciously leaned her head on his shoulder as her eyes started to feel extremely heavy. Shang chuckled.

"Get some sleep," he told her. "You've had a long couple of days."

"So have you..." Ju started to retort, only resulting in her body entirely shutting down without warning.

Shang, waiting for her answer, looked down and smiled softly at the sight of the woman. She looked so peaceful, almost as if having no worry in the world at that moment. He wondered why there was a warming in his chest. It had always been there, but now it was so strong, it was almost overwhelming. The man's eyes widened as he continued looking at Ju. Something happened that he never thought would happen to him.

He fell in love.

•••

"Oh my God! It's on my foot!"

"Katy calm down!"

"He takes great offense to that love-and his name is Morris!"

"You think I care what his name is?!"

Shang looked toward Ju in panic as she started to stir awake. She had finally gotten a decent amount of sleep with no interruptions after days of chaos. He knew that she always had trouble falling and staying asleep after a long day, especially if it was full of chaos.

As Ju rubbed her eyes and fully woke up with a defeated Shang, Trevor yelled to the rest of them.

"We're here my friends!"

Both Shang and Ju exchanged glances before they leapt forward to look above the seats where Xialing and Katy were. Ju's eyes widened at the sight of the forest. It was breathtaking.

The luscious green of the multiple trees contrasted with the pinks and reds of the occasional flower that clung to the vines. You could see the grass that stretched multiple feet across cover the acres of land. Multicolor birds flew across the sky, some transporting food to their own nests.

This was how Ju remembered it. This was everything that she longed for again for so long. This was home.

If she had returned under different circumstances, she would have practically ran to her people, jumping and cheering with delight. Now, there was a forbidden danger lying ahead of them.

"This should be fun, shouldn't it?" Trevor's accented voice rang through the air as a blanket of silence covered the group.

"We have about thirty more seconds until it opens, and limited time before the forest closes. Get ready everyone" Xialing announced to them.

Ju gulped with anxiety as a chill ran up her spine. As she slept, her energy had been regained so she could use her powers at anytime, but they would have no use in this situation. They all counted down in their heads the seconds that they had left.

5...

What if it didn't work?

4...

What if this was just a suicide mission waiting to happen?

3...

What if Wenwu somehow came before them?

2...

What if she never saw her people again?

1...

What if...?

"Go!"

Trevor slammed the gas pedal as the trees began to spread right in front of them. Ju clutched the seat in front of her in fear as they sped through the forest, Xialing screaming the directions on where to turn.

"Left!"

"Wide Right!"

A bang was heard as a side mirror was broken off of the car. Shang looked at her with panicky eyes.

"Hold on everyone!"

The window beside Ju was cracked and spread like a spider web, almost bursting the entire window. Ju scooted back into Shang as another bang was heard from somewhere else.

"We're almost there!"

"Take a sharp left exactly when I say...now!"

Another left.

"We're cutting it close guys!"

A splash.

They had made it.

Ju laughed in disbelief as the car drowned itself in water. She looked behind her as the forest sealed entirely, leaving only a couple of fallen leaves behind of the mess. Trevor pressed on the gas pedal slowly, moving the car through the waterfall.

The place that they entered was magical. Creatures of all kinds scurried around the vast land as the car drove through. Ju had a wide grin on her face as she recognized this.

"I'm home" She whispered the two words that she thought she would never say again. Shang, being the only one who heard it, laughed with Ju.

As the car pulled up toward the land by the lake where the houses and villagers were kept, the people stepped out of their homes, some with weapons. Ju recognized all of them. The group slowly got out of the car, except for Ju, who was running slightly behind. She could still here what they were saying though.

"I am Xu Shang-Chi and this is my sister Xu Xialing. We come in peace and want to help you. These are our friends."

"And why should we trust you?" Someone called out.

In that moment Ju walked out of the car, stepping in front of Xialing and Shang. Everyone's eyes turned to her, widening in shock and respect.

One by one, every villager, men and women, children and superiors, bowed before one woman. And that woman was Ju. She held her head up high and walked with grace toward her people. She was finally back home. Ju bowed in front of her village, and as she did so, one of the trusted superiors, Ying Nan, walked toward her with a smile on her wrinkled face.

Ying Nan put her hands on Ju's shoulders, and while doing so, she said,

"Welcome home Sheji"