Title: This Too Shall Pass

(because I'm the king of dramatic yet unoriginal titles)
Author: DarkPhoenixBC
Rating: K+ ('cause it's pretty deep I guess)
Summary: What is more powerful than all the Shen Gon Wu?
Disclaimer: Master Kei: It's more fun being a fan who writes and roleplays than to actually own the thing, (which I don't) because then you can write whatever you want and don't have to worry about losing your job. So I'm happy not owning Xiaolin Showdown. Credit for the real episode writing goes to Bob Roth, Bill Motz, Madellaine Paxson, Amy Wolfram, Rob Humphrey, John Behnke, Ray DeLaurentis, Mark Palmer, Brian Swenlin, Steven Darancette, Brandon Sawyer, Eddie Guzelian, Steve Cuden, Stephen Sustarsic, David Silverman, Marc Drotman, Eric Molina, Mark Zaslove, Adam I. Lapidus, Art Everett... respectively. (Lucky tosspots.)

Marvin: Now you're just showing off.

Master Kei: Of course if they had come to me I'd still have done it better...

Chronology: I don't bloody well know. Just stick it somewhere.
Notes: Based on a story I read somewhere out of a book of proverbial anecdotes from around the world. I'll disclaim that properly when I find the book, but I think it got thrown away. Something about spilling Kool-Aid on it.

Created: 8-28-05 11:05PM; Completed: l8-28-11:25PM

This Too Shall Pass

The four monks looked dejectedly at their single Shen Gon Wu. Kimiko sighed. "This just sucks." She said vehemently. The other three nodded. "And blows." Added Omi. They were momentarily distracted by his correct usage of the phrase, and wondered if it was a coincidence. Then turned back to look at the Wu. "I can't believe this is the only one left."

"We're about as helpless as a dehorned steer in a slaughterhouse." Said Clay, passing a hand in front of his eyes. The others nodded without fully grasping his meaning.

"I guess we could always just hope we win the next one." Said Rai, without much conviction.

Master Fung stood in the doorway watching them. He cleared his throat, and they looked up from their gloom to eye him warily.

"I only wanted to mention that not all is as bad as you think." He said. "There happens to be, in our posession, a certain item that is more powerful to you than all of the Shen Gon Wu – those we know of, and those that have yet to be revealed – combined." He said softly.

"What is it Master Fung! Show us!" cried all four Xiaolin apprentices, jumping up and accosting him.

Master Fung held up a hand. "Ah ah ah." He said. "What is the magic word?"

Omi stepped forward and bowed deeply. "Master Fung, please show us this secret weapon." He said deferentially.

Master Fung smiled, and beckoned. "Follow me." He said.

They followed him solemnly out of the vault and into one of the smaller shrines. They expected some kind of hocus pocus to access a secret room and then possibly open another disguised vault, such as the Shen Gon Wu and Heylin Seed were protected in. However, Master Fung merely bowed to the single plain statue inside, and picked up a box, then turned around to show it to them. "Here is the one thing you will need to overcome any obstacle in life." He said warmly, and proceded to open the box.

Their expressions were eager, and they smiled as the box's contents were revealed. Inside, upon a small velvet cushion, sat five golden rings that sparkled momentarily in a stray ray of light.

Nothing happened for several moments.

"Master Fung?" inquired Raimundo. "What exactly are they?"

"Yeah, what powers do they have?" asked Kimiko. Master Fung smiled, and picked one up. He held it out for them to see.

Small, strange letters were inscribed on it. Clay, Kimiko, and Raimundo frowned. "Can you guys read that?" asked Raimundo. The other two shook their heads. "Omi?"

Omi was staring hard at it. He held out his hand. "May I?" he requested. Master Fung handed the ring to him.

"Sina... yando... autuva…" he read slowly, then looked up. "This too shall pass?"

Master Fung nodded, and passed out three of the other rings, and closed the box on the last.

The four Dragons looked at theirs without putting them on. "What does it say again?" asked Clay. Omi repeated the words, and their meaning.

"I don't think I get it."

Master Fung left the Shrine, and they followed. "Think about it." He said, leading them without their being aware. He returned them to the main temple building, and into a room used for meditation. 'Think about it' obviously translated to 'meditate on it'.

All was still, as each sat deep in his or her own concentration. Kimiko was the first to break the silence. "Does it have something to do with how many there are? There was one more in that box..." she trailed off, but Master Fung shook his head.

Lines creased Omi's forhead as he thought very hard about the meaning of the words. It went beyond what language they were in – sure that was merely the result of the artists preference. Obviously they had no magic powers; not in the way the Shen Gon Wu had, or anything they had encountered thus far. The magic was in the words.

This too shall pass.

What would pass? Their current adversity? The fact that they had nothing would pass? We have nothing – and this too shall pass...

Could that be it?

Our bad luckiness? This too shall pass.

And the good fortune of their enemies? This too shall pass.

Omi smiled. The lines disappeared. When he opened his eyes, Master Fung was looking directly at him, and shared the expression. They nodded to each other, and Omi found the ring in his hand.

It was a long time before the others learned the lesson of the ring. But learn it they did.

Word count: 768

Sina yando autuva. "This too shall pass." The language is Quenya, which you'll recognize as a Tolkien tongue. (Think Lord of the Rings.) I would have put it Hindi or Sanskrit, but I'm not very good at those languages yet (while I'm practically fluent in Quenya) and anyway, the diacritics might not have translated over This is NOT a crossover fic. Although now I've got the idea... evil grin

sina this

yando also

auta pass (leave, go away)

-uva will/shall (future tense)