Thunderhoof galloped across the evening sky, following the path of color that stretched well into the horizon. A horizon that couldn't come soon enough for Dojo's sake; at this point the dragon was reduced to chewing on his own tail to starve off the restlessness. "Are we there yet?" he whined.
Exasperated, Omi reached out and clamped Dojo's mouth shut before he could open it again. "Enough with the consistent whining!" he growled, eyebrows scrunching down into a frown. "Thunderhoof knows where he's going!" the monk reiterated.
"Seriously Dojo, give it a rest. You've been asking that nonstop since Master Fung sent us off." Kimiko chastised. Although she had to admit, she was getting pretty impatient herself. Not to mention riding a horse without a saddle was beginning to chafe her thighs.
As soon as the grip around his snout was released, the dragon took a moment to inhale deeply. He then reached up to message it and shrunk toward Ping Pong behind him. "I'm sorry guys, I really am, but I just can't wait to see our new temple! I just know Baby Blue Eyes will be waiting for me there!" Dojo swooned.
"Remember Dojo; patience is a virtue," Ping Pong gave him a few sympathetic pats to the head. "It's also best to be realistic. Master Fung might still be absent once we arrive." he cautioned. That being said, he too was chafing from the lack of a saddle and hoped it wouldn't any further.
Thunderhoof suddenly reared up with a neigh and Kimiko grabbed onto Clay's shoulder to prevent herself from tumbling off. Raimundo peered over the cowboy's opposite one as their steed kicked his tail into high gear. "Woah! Where's the fire dude?!" he yelped.
"I reckon we're on the last lap of the derby," Clay held onto his hat as Thunderhoof leapt over a ridge and galloped down its leeward side. In the distance, he could see Thunderhoof's path dipping through a chain of hills. "Brace yerselves, looks like we're in fer some buckin!" he warned.
Everyone held each other tightly as Thunderhoof galloped through the chain of hills, twisting left and right when the directions called for it. Dojo clung to the collar of Ping Pong's jacket while the horse cut a corner that was too tight for his taste before plunging deep into a valley. He covered his mouth when feeling his stomach churn from this roller coaster of hair and lightning.
Likewise, Raimundo was going to either hurl on Clay's shoulder or to the side if they made another hairpin turn. Fortunately for both the monk and dragon, Thunderhoof had climbed over his last ridge for the time being. Instead of plunging into another valley his path remained smooth and stable.
Raimundo took the opportunity to collect himself, fixing the hairs that fell out of line during their sudden flight and then swallowed the nausea that still lingered in his mouth. He glanced ahead to see where Thunderhoof's path was heading and noticed a great mountain swelling on the horizon. In the foreground a simple village stood perched before a gorge that sliced deep into the earth.
Thunderhoof slowed his pace and then came to a halt when reaching the end of his path. A crowd of curious onlookers began to gather around the horse while the monks hopped off his back. Raimundo brushed horse hair off his pants before turning his attention to the villagers gawking at him.
"Thunderhoof, are you sure this is the right place?" he scratched the back of his head in confusion. He glanced back at the horse who remained idle, as if he were certain. "Everything looks so… peaceful." Raimundo noticed.
Suddenly the ground began to heave, and the great mountain that overlooked the village burst into a violent eruption. A column filled to the brim with volcanic gasses and superheated ash climbed through the sky before winds aloft dragged it laterally instead. Lava surged from the vent in a spectacular fountain, spilling over the crater's rim and then streaked down its flanks.
The crowd of curiosity transformed into a mob of pandemonium almost instantaneously. Kimiko stumbled back as people pushed and shoved their way to relative safety, running in all directions with arms laden with loved ones or prized heirlooms. "You might've spoken a little too soon there Raimundo." she said while bumping into his arm.
"I certainly agree Kimiko." the monks flinched at the voice ringing through their ears. It was followed up with a recognizable laugh and Clay turned skyward in time to see two figures land before them. When the dust settled, they could see that it was no other than the Heylin warlord himself and the mighty Shadow.
"Well, well, look what the cat dragged into our rodeo; reptilian Chase." Clay spat with the tip of his hat. Chase watched as the cowboy cracked his knuckles in preparation for a brawl. "Ah Bailey, just what I expect from a gluttonous pig; mudslinging." he grinned.
Clay growled at the insult and stepped forward, only to have Omi leap in front. Ping Pong joined him moments later and the pair shifted into their respective fighting stance. Yet the warlord remained unmoved by the display of valiance. "Young monks, your journey ends here." Chase declared.
"Hah! You are clearly mistaken! Our journey has only just begun – even if we don't know where we are going!" Omi reprimanded. "That's right! A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step!" Ping Pong added.
Shadow licked her lips in delight. "The lil' ones are so cute when their feisty," she cocked her head with a hum and then smacked her lips again. "I could just eat 'em right up, yum." the warrior said in a sing-song voice.
"You'll have to get in line," Chase snapped his fingers and cat warriors materialized from the shadows. Within minutes the monks were surrounded by ferocious, man-eating felines. "Because there are plenty who want a bite of them." he grinned.
Dojo poked his head from Omi's robes and swallowed thickly at the number of big cats surrounding them. He trembled in fright and slithered up to the monk's head, looking pleadingly to Chase's beastly form. "I-It uh, wouldn't be late to mention that I-I'm uh, allergic to cats? A-Also I'm not technically a monk!" he argued.
Chase smiled at him, green energy washing over him to reveal his human self once evaporated. As if he took this form to ease the dragon's concern. "I have big plans for you, Dojo. You'll be the center of my celebration feast once the monks have been picked clean to the bone." he revealed to the contrary.
"I'll bet Dojo will give the Lao Mang Lone Soup the extra kick it needs, bein' fresh dragon all." Shadow pointed out. She watched as Dojo recoiled in horror at her suggestion, green scales flacking off his body in consequence. "You'll let me have a sip when it's all fixed up right?" she turned to Chase with a hopeful grin.
"No will be eating fresh dragon tonight!" Omi shouted. Dojo slithered into the monk's robes as Chase's cat warriors slowly closed in on them. "Prepare yourselves for a humiliating defeat!" he warned.
"Cat warriors!" Chase barked with the snap of his fingers. His feline warriors roared in unison. "Tear them to pieces, and when you're done, tear those pieces into smaller pieces." he ordered.
Gallant as ever, Omi charged headfirst the moment Chase's cat warriors leapt upon their master's orders. He ducked when a mountain lion tried making a swipe at his face and then slammed a fist into their jaw in retaliation. The feline flung back and crashed into a pair of lynxes, incapacitating them as well.
The monk twirled around to evade a cheetah that charged toward him, the big cat skidding to a halt before doubling back for another charge. As the cheetah ran past Omi he reached out and gave their tail a hard yank. He mustered all his strength to swing them into a crowd of jaguars, giving him enough space to bring out his Shen Gong Wu.
"Orb of Tornami! Shoku Neptune Water!" the orb shimmered before a column of water blasted into the ash-filled sky. Doubling over, it surged toward the ground and then fanned into a massive wave. Cat warriors that weren't fast enough were carried along the churning rapids and washed into the gorge.
Raimundo's heels dug into dirt as he tried pushing back against two hundred pounds of spotted muscle. The jaguar roared right in his face and he could only think how awful the smell of rotten capybara flesh was. Despite the claws digging into his palms, the monk gave a cocky smirk before ramming his knee into the jaguar's chest.
A pained hiccup seemed to part from the jaguar's mouth and Raimundo took the opportunity to throw the feline aside with a growl. He turned to see more cat warriors running towards him and drew a golden blade. "Sword of the Storm! Shoku Astro Wind!" he cried.
With one swing, the battalion of Bengal tigers were swept aside by a powerful blast of wind. The monk turned to a barrage of snow leopards and swung again, chuckling as the felines were sucked into a vortex that propelled them away. "You guys are makin' this too—" Raimundo didn't get the chance to finish his taunt when he was struck in the back.
His Wu clattered to the ground while he tumbled several times. Raimundo let out a grunt when his back slammed against the dirt and then winced as Shadow pressed her whole weight onto him. She giggled at the sight of him struggling, tongue flicking out to swipe at his cheek. "Handsome and delicious. What a delightful combination." the warrior grinned.
"Girl, I got two words for you," Raimundo scrunched his legs back and then slammed them into Shadow's stomach, flinging her off. He jumped to his feet, brushing the wrinkles out of his jacket as the other rose with a hiss. "Breath mint." he sneered.
Kimiko ducked and the pair of cheetahs that tried to flank her from either direction collided head-first into each other. She then swung her leg around to strike a lion in the jaw, preventing its sharp canines from chomping down on her arm. "See, this is why I'm not a cat person!" she growled while fighting.
Within minutes another pack of big cats surrounded her. Before either of them could make a fatal bite or swipe of the paw, the monk jumped high into air. She counted the number of cats that surrounded her and then pulled out her signature Shen Gong Wu. "Star Hanabi! Shoku Mars Fire!" Kimiko yelled.
A massive ball of flame exploded from the gem at the center of the Wu. Bellowing toward the ground, the fire blossomed into ten individual streaks of flames; the same number of cats that encircled Kimiko. Cat warriors scrambled away as fire and brimstone drenched them, some considerably burned or their fur alight.
"Fearsome Cedar!" Ping Pong slammed his fist into the jaw of an Amur tiger, knocking several of its teeth out. He dodged a leopard swiping at him and then tossed the feline over his shoulder. "Galloping Birch!" he lashed out with a cry.
For a new monk, he was holding up quite well against the onslaught of cat warriors. At least he was until Chase Young decided to step into the fray. Ping Pong tried giving him a most humiliating defeat, but one swift kick from the warlord to his chest knocked the wind right out of him.
Ping Pong hit the ground with a hard thud and tried rising back up – only to have Chase slam a foot down on his chest. The monk squirmed like a roach pinned and denounced him sharply in French. He held his tongue when Chase raised his hand with a laugh, electricity gathering in his palm.
"Hey!" the warlord turned in time to see Clay's chest slam right into him, pushing off Ping Pong. Frowning, he watched as the pair gave each other a silent nod before the littlest monk scampered away. "Why don't cha pick on someone yer own size!" Clay growled.
"You're hardly my size to begin with." Chase scoffed. The cowboy growled again and then charged at him like an enraged bull. He wavered around his swings, blocking punches meant to knock his head clean right off his shoulders.
Likewise, Chase pushed back with the same amount of vigor, throwing punches made to topple Clay over. But just like his element, it was hard for him to topple a mountain – especially a mountain that was six foot three and wore leather boots. When the cowboy swung at him again he managed to catch both fists and locked the two of them into a stalemate.
"Goodness, you certainly swing hard, don't you?" Chase said with a grunt, pushing against Clay's hands. "Brawns aside, I hoped you'd actually put that pea-brain of yours into use." he taunted.
"Yer right, I should be usin' my head," the cowboy reeled back and then smashed his brow into the bridge of Chase's nose. When Chase stumbled back in a howl, Clay slammed his boot down and sent a rock pillar crashing into him. "Thanks fer the suggestion." he smirked.
The warlord was hurtled into the air and would've tumbled if it weren't for his quick reflexes. Skidding to a halt, his back bumped against Shadow's – her breath was coming short of a pant. "A bit feistier than I anticipated." she glanced to him.
"Seems as though I've underestimated their zeal." Chase wiped the blood dripping from his nose; that was going to take a while to heal. Green energy washed over him as he lowered his hand, changing the warlord into his reptilian form once more. "Let's give these amateurs a real right then." he growled.
The two parted ways; Shadow lunging at Kimiko with newfound enthusiasm, Chase barreling toward Clay again. Hearing a great roar, the cowboy turned to see Chase bearing down on him with claws extended. Hands shot up just in time to catch those claws as he and the warlord collided.
"Now, what was that about picking on someone your own size again?" Chase laughed a good head taller than the cowboy. He watched in delight as Clay struggled in vain to keep himself from being overwhelmed by his weight. "Not fun being the little guy, isn't it Bailey?" he chided.
Chase shoved him back and spun around to smack his tail into Clay's chest. The cowboy was flung into the air in consequence, his body falling toward the horizon. Despite the joy that came with inflicting such mayhem on the monks, the warlord found himself getting impatient.
He felt this fight of theirs had overstayed its welcome – not to mention it would only be a matter of time before they succumbed to volcanic ash. Changing into his human form one more time, Chase began charging toward the nearest monk, green energy collecting in the palm of his hands. The warlord had a plan to end it, albeit a little unorthodox for his standards.
Raimundo was busy throwing leopards over his shoulders when Chase came into sight. He shifted his stance to face him, assuming he too wanted a piece him as well. But unknown to him, Chase wasn't looking for a fight; he'd just found his first victim instead.
With a growl, he raised a hand and blasted the energy that gathered his palm. There was no time to evade and the monk screamed as it struck him dead on. His body contorted and Raimundo fell on all fours, Chase's sorcery transforming him into a cat.
Kimiko stopped dead in her tracks when hearing Raimundo's scream. She turned her attention from the lions she'd been fighting and glanced to where he'd screamed. "Raimundo?!" she called out.
Changing her attention proved to be a fatal mistake as when she glanced back, the lions were gone and Chase stood in their place instead. She barely turned to face him fully when Chase blasted her as well, adding another monk to his legion of cat warriors. The warlord laughed as she hissed at him and then sought the remaining three.
Ping Pong provided him some decent resistance but just like Raimundo and Kimiko he was quickly subdued. The warlord found Clay wrestling with Bengal tigers, raising an eyebrow when he watching him shattered a tiger's hind leg in just one hand. Well, he'd certainly didn't want to confront Omi with a broken arm.
The cowboy glanced over his shoulder to see a massive boulder rolling towards him. Chase smirked when the boulder rolled onto Clay and pinned him to the ground. That should hold him bay for now; brushing the dirt off his hands, he set his sights on the prodigy child himself.
Thunderhoof came galloping to his master's aid, only to have Clay wave him off, "It's no use partner! Save yerself Thunderhoof!" he yelled. The horse reared up with a neigh and then vanished with a bolt of lightning. His talisman clattered to the ground, just beyond an agonizing reach for the cowboy.
Omi was panting and sweat ringed his collar; he'd been too gallant in his charge to battle and now the fatigue was catching up to him. Shadow was relentless, her prehensile locks trying to hole him like Swiss cheese. "What's the matter Omi? Can't handle my female willies?" she jeered.
"No female willies haven't gotten the best of me, so don't think yours will be the first!" the monk snapped back with a punch to her gut. Shadow reeled back with a hiss and lashed out with her tongue. Omi yelped as his ankle as caught and then screamed as he was swung into the ground.
Tasting blood on his tongue, he barely had a chance to recover when the warrior swung him in the opposite direction. The second impact knocked the Orb of Tornami from his robes and it rolled harmlessly across the dirt, only to bump against Chase's feet. "This what I find? The famed 'Chosen One' subdued by a mere tongue?" he scoffed, kicking the Wu aside.
When Shadow flung him into the air, the warlord lashed out and the electricity meant for Ping Pong found a new target. "Just the way I like my cheeseballs," Shadow watched as Omi was zapped with a million volts before falling to the ground in a smoldering heap. "Fried to a crisp." she grinned.
Chase sauntered over the monk's body, which still twitched from the electric shock. Omi was barely conscious when his collar was yanked and he was brought face to face with the warlord. "Look at you; so weak, so pathetic. You've stayed by my side when you had the chance." he hissed.
Veins bulged on Clay's neck and brow as he tried pushing the boulder off himself. He couldn't stay pinned like this; Chase and Shadow were still running amuck and he needed to help his friends wrangle them in. Inhaling a deep breath, the cowboy pressed his hands against the hefty piece of rock.
His ears perked at the sound of a grunt and he turned up in time to see Omi soaring over him. "Omi!" Clay watched in horror as his friend plummet into the gorge; no one throws his friend like that! "Shoku Jupiter Earth!" he slammed his fists into the boulder, shattering it to pieces.
Scooping up the Longhorn Talisman, Clay stumbled back when Chase suddenly blocked his path. A wicked grin stretched across Chase's face and his palms shimmered green. "Now we could do this the easy way or the hard way. Your choice, cowboy." the warlord warned.
Clay glanced to the gorge and then to Chase. He swallowed thickly; talk about being either kicked in the face by a bronco or trampled by bulls. His eyes shifted back to the gorge before looking at Chase again, hands curling into fists.
Shadow ran just in time to see the cowboy dodge a blast of energy from Chase and dive into the gorge. She approached her lord's side as Clay vanished into the mist. "Aren't you goin' to go after him?" she pointed.
"No need, not even a lumbering oaf like Bailey could survive that fall." Chase smirked. A shame really, for both monks; Omi and Clay could've been great assets, if after making a few adjustments. Now they were nothing more than just carrion for the scavengers.
"Besides," he snapped his fingers and Shadow glanced over her shoulder to see cat warriors gathering at their feet. An eyebrow was raised when she spotted the feline bodies of Raimundo, Kimiko, and Ping Pong at the front.
"We have three new warriors to train." Chase grinned.
Author's Notes
Yikes, what a cliffhanger - no pun intended.
As mentioned in the summary, retelling of an episode from Xiaolin Chronicles. It's more like set in Chronicles but retains elements from Showdown, the Shen Gong Wu retaining their original names for example. So as you can see, the biggest divergence is that Clay didn't get turned into a cat warrior like he would've in the original episode. It bothered me why didn't he jump after Omi and there was enough time for him to make the jump before Chase popped in front of him.
That's how the idea for this story came to be. Not to mention my wondering of how would an Omi and Clay centered scenario work out. Especially since these two spend the least amount of time together in both series. How or what would their dynamic be?
All right, I'm done rambling. Feedback is welcomed!