Disclaimer;

I did not create Xiaolin Showdown and I do not own it or its characters. I did however create Dai Gui and the Fallen dragons, so ha, ha they be mine. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to duct tape some cats to a rocket and blast them into a supernova. Some of you may read this and ask why, but I read this and ask why not.

Chapter Two

A Red Dress and the Gate of the Blind Swordsman

Thick clouds obstructed the pale light from the crescent moon that hung over head. The usually pleasant breeze now carried an icy chill as it passed through the mountain temple that served as home for Master Monk Guan. Most of the other monks were fast asleep, as he wished he were. He had been quite cozy in his warm room when he awoke with a shiver. Sensing an odd presence, he had decided to take a look around the temple but couldn't find anything amiss. The strange, thundering roar from earlier had left the Master Monk wondering if some ill omen was drawing near but when nothing followed, he had dismissed it as nothing more than a sonic boom from a jet.

Satisfied that no one was lurking between the buildings, Guan opted to take one last look through the garden before heading back inside. Quickly making his way down the path, he stopped near a small pond just as an icy draft blew across his face. Sensing a presence, Monk Guan turned around to find a ten foot tall, two headed serpent appear out of a cloud of smoke. The lavender snake hissed from one head and attacked with other. Ignoring the questions that raced through his mind, Guan leapt backwards and landed a few yards away from the beast on the soft grass.

The Master Monk instantly took up a fighting stance when a rustling from behind him caused him to glance over his shoulder. Finding another serpent attacking from behind, he somersaulted over the snapping jaws of the snake and retaliated with a kick to its second head followed by a mid air roundhouse. The serpent snarled in pain while Guan fell towards the ground and lashed out with its tail, sending him flying to the left. Shaking off his surprise from the counter attack, Guan rotated in mid air and managed to land on his feet.

"Most impressive Master Monk."

Guan glanced over towards the sound of the smooth voice and spotted a man in Taoist robes. "Who are you?"

"I am Dai Gui, and I am here because you have something I need."

Master Monk Guan glared at the man. "Then you are most unfortunate. I will not allow you to take anything from this temple."

"Fortunately your cooperation is not a requisite for acquisition."

(-)

The morning sun slowly started to creep through the early haze that covered the warehouse district. Warm light shined faintly through the upper windows of the abandoned warehouse that Rin Anor and her Fallen Dragons had taken as their home. The sound of gun fire echoed from the large TV that sat a few feet in front of a bulky tan couch that was placed along the side wall. A black coffee table was set up between the TV and couch while matching bookshelves held stolen movies, pilfered video games, or ancient texts on the opposite wall. The refurbished kitchen and round dinning table were to the left of the couch while a three foot tall podium with a four foot wide circle etched into the concrete floor was to the right. The metal stairway to the second floor was near the kitchen and led to a balcony that over looked the warehouse interior as well as ran along the offices they had converted to bedrooms.

Stifling a yawn, Alex ran his fingers through his silver hair while walking down the stairs wearing his usual boots, blue jeans, and a black t-shirt with the words you must be fast 'cause you were flying when I passed you on the back. He glanced over and spotted Bob on the couch watching some movie. Stepping passed the kitchen, he noticed Rin floating by the table in her black dress with her legs crossed like she was sitting on a chair, and flipping through a worn book. "Morning," Alex said quietly as concern over the odd trance she had fallen into the night before returned.

"Is it?" Rin replied without looking up while moving a lock of her green hair from her vision.

"I take it you haven't had any luck figuring out what happened last night."

"I know what happened. I just don't know why or what it means." Rin turned the page. "I had a vision. A very painful vision."

"Is this gonna be problem?"

"Maybe, or it may prove to be the perfect tool to destroying Fung and his pitiful little dragons for good." Rin again turned the page in her book. After a second she growled in frustration and hurled it across the room. "These books are useless. I know the phrase none shall pass means something."

"Something to do with the seal you mentioned?"

"I believe so. Through the pain and flashes of light, I remember seeing a symbol like an inverted triangle and a Celtic pictogram, but none of the books here have the slightest mention of the symbol." Rin smiled slightly then dropped to her feet and started towards the door. "There are a few places that might have the text I need."

"You want us to tag along."

"No need to trouble yourself, I should be back in few hours." Rin opened the door and morphed into her cloud state before quickly flying off.

"It's no trouble, I'm just really bored," Alex grumbled softly as he closed the door. Turning around he noticed Ayane standing on the balcony wearing blue sneakers, a green skirt, and a navy blue sweatshirt. "Don't suppose you have an idea as to how to kill time till the next Wu activates?"

"Actually I do, but…" Ayane smirked.

"Great, I'm in. Let's go."

"I haven't told ya what it is yet."

"Don't care, I'm really bored."

"'Kay I'll get my bag." Ayane ran back into her room and returned after a second carrying her tan backpack that she used to carry Wu around in. Vaulting over the railing, she landed lightly on her feet. "Ya wanna come too, Bob?"

"Cant, watching James Bond marathon." Bob waved without looking away from the TV.

"So where're we going?" Alex asked.

"I want a new dress so I was thinkin' we could go ta the shopping district and look around." Ayane started over towards him.

Realizing his mistake, Alex let out a sigh as memories of their last trip to the shopping district flashed before him. "But I don't wanna go there."

"Too bad; ya already said yes." Ayane smiled as she pushed him out the door.

(-)

The morning passed faster than Alex had expected and he was surprised to find himself enjoying the shopping trip. They had started off by getting breakfast at small café. The food was good enough, but he had found the service lacking. Obviously Ayane had agreed since she practically mauled the man after they had finished. Leaving the café, the duo spotted Jack buying computer parts. After tormenting him for almost an hour they had finally tired of his girlish pleas for mercy, and decide to head to the fashion district.

After walking down the busy streets for about fifteen minutes they reached their destination. Alex's boredom quickly started to return while Ayane pulled him from one store to the next. An hour into the store hopping, Alex followed her into yet another shop and plopped down in a worn chair. "Are we done yet?"

"Don't tell me you're bored." Ayane looked through one clothes rack before turning to the next.

"I want some action, something to get the blood pumping." Alex leaned back. "You realize we haven't done much since we got back from Malintaria a few months ago."

"Fine, after this we can do whatever ya want." Ayane flipped through another rack when something seemed to catch her attention. She quickly walked out of sight and let out a satisfied ha. Glancing over, Alex found that most of his view was blocked by clothing but he could see Ayane's face smiling at a mannequin. "Hey shop dude, I'll take this dress." She hastily waved a salesperson over.

"Oh I sorry miss," the man said softly as he slid the dress off the mannequin. "I was just coming over to ring this one up; it's already been sold."

"So get me another one."

"Sorry this was the last," the man replied. Alex smirked imagining the annoyed look Ayane must have had. "You'll have to come back later."

"How about ya just give me that one and the other girl comes back?"

"Look kid, its first come first serve. If the other girl doesn't want it then it's yours." The man carried the dress over one arm as he passed by Alex.

"I'm sure I can convince her ta hand it over." Ayane narrowed her eyes dangerously as she followed the man towards the register.

"Finally, something fun to do," Alex said to himself as he hopped to his feet and followed Ayane. A sense of pity rose up in Alex as ideas of what Ayane had planned for the girl sprang to mind. Stepping around a rack of clothes, he turned to catch a look at Ayane's victim only to bump into her as surprise hit him like a brick. "Her?"

"Y… you?" Ayane stammered. Standing in front of the register were two familiar, and hated, faces of Kimiko and Raimundo.

"Aw, is the big bad Ayane going to cry 'cause I bought her dress?" Kimiko laughed.

"What are you two clowns still doing in town?" Raimundo stepped in front of Alex. "I figured you guys had run off after we kicked your butts last time."

"Don't mind us windbag, we're just looking to have a little fun." With a grin, Alex caught Raimundo with a swift punch to the jaw then quickly grabbed his shirt and hurled him into Kimiko. "Look's like we found some."

"I'll take this." Ayane ripped the dress from the surprised man's hands before lashing out with a kick to his gut. "See ya." Waving over her shoulder, Ayane sprinted out of the store followed by Alex.

Alex pushed through a group of people as he made his way down the sidewalk when he heard the sound of slamming doors. He peaked over his shoulder and found the two monks chasing after them. "Look's like they want to play some more."

"Fine by me." Ayane vaulted over a newspaper stand before veering into the street.

Alex turned to follow when a red laser beam flew into his shoulder, knocking him to the ground. Peering in the direction the beam had came from, he discovered that Raimundo now had a ruby eye on his forehead. "I see you found a new Wu."

"Yeah it's a handy one. Not only does it give me enhanced vision but it also shoot's lasers I can use to fry you." Raimundo aimed his vision at the former monk. "Red Eye."

Rolling to avoid the barrage of burning laser fire, Alex scrambled to his feet before diving behind a park car. Using the car as cover, he peaked around and spotted Ayane attacking Kimiko with one arm while holding the dress in the other. Swaying to avoid a shot from Kimiko, Ayane kneed her in the ribs then went for a high heel kick but she managed to duck under the attack. Kimiko landed two harsh shots to Ayane's midsection then followed up with a blast of flames that knocked the raven haired girl back.

"Ring of the Nine Dragons." Glaring down at Ayane, Kimiko reached into her pocket and pulled out the Wu. Slipping it onto her finger, she split into two and advanced on her opponent. Waiting until Ayane had popped up to her feet, the two Kimiko's exploded in a flurry of motion. One Kimiko would attack high, drawing Ayane's attention, and then the second would go low trying to get her off balance. Ayane managed to block or evade most of the attacks but more and more started to slip through her defenses until a low sweep tripped her up. Pressing the advantage, the Kimiko that had swept Ayane's leg nailed her with a uppercut as she fell, causing her to drop the dress and setting her up for a flaming kick to the ribs from the other Kimiko. Smiling as Ayane slammed against a light post; the twin monks reunited and picked up the dress. "I'll be taking this back now."

Anger raced through Alex as he tried get over to Ayane but another hail of lasers kept him pined behind the car. Peaking around the side again, he watched Kimiko step over to Raimundo as he started backing towards the way they came.

"You having fun losing to us again sparky?" Raimundo asked clearly pleased with himself as he shot another beam.

"This ain't over windbag." Alex let some of his frustration slip into his voice as he ducked back into hiding. He waited a few moments, expecting the monk to reply but when none came, he cautiously looked over the top of the car to find that the monks had run off. Returning his attention to Ayane, he saw that she was okay although her sweatshirt was completely charred. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." Ayane ripped her burnt sweatshirt off and revealed a navy blue tank top. "There getting away with my dress."

"Not for long." Alex grinned at his angry partner. "Can you track them?"

Ayane smiled maliciously and sniffed the air, calling on her animal senses. "Ya know I can."

"Good." A crackle of electricity ran along his fingers. "So which Wu did you bring?"

(-)

Moving across the hardwood floors of the Xiaolin library, Master Fung returned a large tome to its shelf. He had decided to give his charges the day off so he could focus on finding information on the vague warning on the shattered tablet, but so far he had come up empty handed. Dojo had mentioned traveling to India with Dashi, however there was no mention of it in any of the scrolls chronicling the Grandmaster's trip. He had even gone through the scroll of the Shen Gong Wu again but found no mention of what the rhyme inducing Wu was meant to warn of.

Returning his attention to the shelf, Fung glanced over the books looking for another to search through when he heard someone approaching from down the hall. Facing the archway, Fung smiled as Master Monk Guan entered and bowed slightly. "Pleasure to see you again."

"I only wish that our meeting was under better circumstances." Guan returned his bow.

"Has something happened?"

"Early this morning I was attacked by a man named Dai Gui. I defeated his conjured serpents, but not before he stole the Treasure of the Blind Swordsman."

"I see," Fung replied surprised. A sense of worry slowly began to work its way through him at the thought of the sorcerer gaining the treasures power. "We were also attacked by the same man. He destroyed a stone tablet Kimiko had found in India then left; claiming that our end had come."

"You did not by chance find a Shen Gong Wu near a temple?"

"Yes, Da…"

"Da Hippa hoppa," Guan finished for him.

Fung stared at the other monk for long moment as a thoughtful look washed over his face. "How did you know? I have spent hours going through the library and found nothing mentioning the Wu."

"And you won't." Guan stepped over to a bookcase and glanced around. "Grandmaster Dashi destroyed most of the records from his visit's to India. It was his intent to keep knowledge of a powerful demon away from the forces of evil. He once told me, that before I had met him, he knew a priest in India who had battled the demon. As a way to aid the aging priest, Dashi created Da Hippa Hoppa and hid it, knowing that it would only reveal itself if the demon were to return."

"I see." Fung nodded his understanding. "But what does this have to do with the Treasure of the Blind Swordsman?"

"Perhaps this Dai Gui is planning to us the treasure to free the demon."

"Not quite."

Feeling a familiar presence, Fung turned back to the door only to find a cloud of black smoke. A hint of anger mixed with surprise sprang through him as he glared at the ghost from his past. "Why are you here?"

The dark cloud quickly condensed to reveal Rin standing in the archway wearing the same black dress she had worn all those years ago. "Don't tell me you forgot about me? 'Cause I've certainly been thinking about you." Her dark eyes flashed dangerously. "Anyway, I'm not here to flay you, yet."

"Then why have you come?" Monk Guan asked.

"Last night I received a vision about the Blind Swordsman. After learning quite a bit about the man I found that there was no mention of what happened to him or his connection to the creature I saw." Rin smiled and slowly started to walk around the monks. "The one thing I did find was a vague passage mentioning your beloved grandmaster and the Blind Swordsman. Hitting a dead end in my search I decided to stop by here when I overheard your conversation."

"I assume you are nearing your point?" Fung kept his gaze locked on the Heylin witch.

"My point, you perfidious mendacious vicar, is that the man now known as the Blind Swordsman was one of ones who originally imprisoned the destroyer," Rin hissed. "There for this Dai Gui person cannot use the treasure to simply free him. He is using the treasure as nothing more than a key to open the gate that none shall pass."

(-)

The last of the morning haze faded as the sun shined over head, warming the street. Ignoring the protests from the people that were in her path, Ayane ran down the street with Alex a step behind her. Focusing on the scent of smoke and strawberry body wash, she turned at a crowded intersection eagerly anticipating her revenge on Kimiko. She was surprised that Alex was so willing to go to all this trouble just for a dress, but at the same time, it made her smile knowing that he was ready to deep fry the monks just for her. Not that either of them needed a reason to fry monks.

Noticing that Kimiko's scent veered to the left, Ayane followed it between two brightly colored buildings and stopped as she looked down the winding ally. Taking a whiff of the air, she cringed at the stench of alcohol and garbage that hung in the area. Returning her sense of smell to normal, she turned to Alex. "They went down here but the smells make it hard to follow their scent."

"That's okay. I remember these alleys go for a while with a lot of twist and turns; so let's take a short cut." With a smirk, Alex jumped up, bounded off the side of one building and landed on the roof. Ayane quickly followed him up then ran across the roof and jumped over to the next building. After another rooftop jump, they spotted their quarry standing in an empty parking lot talking and laughing. Alex stepped behind her and pulled out one of the Wu from her backpack. "It's so nice to see them having a good time."

"Yeah." Ayane pulled out the soft, plushy pair of arms and activated the Helping Hands, growing an extra pair of arms. "Ya wanna blast 'em, or beat on 'em?"

"Why not both?" Alex flashed his trademark grin then aimed the Wu in his hand. "Eye of Dashi." The bolt of lightning shot down at the surprised monks and nailed Raimundo just as he turned around. A second bolt hit Kimiko, knocking the dress from her hands and spun her down next to Raimundo.

Ayane jumped down and hit the ground running. Moving passed Raimundo; she threw a punch at Kimiko, who rolled to the side to avoid the fist. Kimiko spun on her heel and aimed a kick at Ayane's gut followed by a back fist, but the multi armed girl blocked the attacks with her upper arms. Using her second set of arms, Ayane scored with an uppercut with a left hand then pivoted and threw Kimiko over her shoulder with her lower right arm. A hint of annoyance crept through Ayane as she twirled her arms into a low snake stance while Kimiko flipped in mid air and landed ready to fight.

"Eye of Dashi." Alex stepped into view and unleashed a barrage of lightning bolts at Raimundo who flipped and rolled to avoid them.

Avoiding the last bolt, Raimundo slapped the ruby Wu he had used earlier onto his forehead and answered the lightning with a hail of lasers. "Red Eye." Blasting away at Alex, Raimundo's gaze followed the speedy warrior as he ran in a wide arc to avoid the lasers. After a running a quarter of the way around the lot, Alex began to zigzag his way towards Raimundo. As Alex neared his target, he fired a quick burst of lightning only to have it intercepted by a laser. Still firing at each other, the two warriors collided in a flurry of motion. Each kicked or punched the other until a laser beam or lightning bolt forced one to sway or duck.

Returning her attention to her own opponent, Ayane noticed that Kimiko had slipped the Star Hanabi out from a pocket. "That's not gonna help ya. You're just giving me the chance ta kick your butt and take another Wu from ya."

"All the arms in the world couldn't help you beat me." Kimiko started forward but stopped in mid step, her attention drawn to something behind Ayane. "I don't believe it."

"What are ya going on about now?" Ayane kept her eyes locked on Kimiko.

"Sorry, it looks like I got something else to do. Star Hanabi, fire." Kimiko unleashed a large ball of fire at Ayane, forcing her to leap to the side. Holding the flaming Wu in one hand, she twirled her other hand and flung a stream of flames at Alex. "Rai, we got a bigger fish to take care of."

"What?" Raimundo fired one last beam at Alex then turned to face Kimiko, who was pointing passed Ayane. Nodding in understanding, he quickly sprinted further down the ally with Kimiko close behind.

"Did they just ditch us?" Alex stepped over to Ayane.

"Yeah, they did." Ayane glanced in the direction they had ran and saw a lavender cloud dissipating. "Let's find out why." Hurrying after the monks, they reached the end of the ally only to find their rivals facing a middle aged man in Taoist robes standing in the middle of the street. In front of the unknown man sat a large black and red chest, covered with jewels.

"I am beginning to find you monks rather annoying." The man glared at the Xiaolin monks before noticing Ayane and Alex. "And yet I see there are even more children here to face me. Does you order think so little of me that they send kids to battle the sorcerer supreme?" Holding his hands out, he fired a plum of smoke at the monks then quickly turned and fired at Ayane and Alex. Rolling to avoid the attack, Ayane saw the irritated look on Alex's face as they came to their feet.

Letting an angry growl slip out, Ayane clinched her four fists and glared at the man. "Ya better get two things straight pal. One, we ain't monks and we ain't with them…"

"…And two, nobody takes pot shots at us and gets away with it," Alex finished for Ayane.

"I am Dai Gui. I will do as I please and you bothersome pests will not interfere."

"I don't know how you got the Treasure of the Blind Swordsman but we're taking it back." Raimundo stood ready to fight.

"Unlikely." Dai Gui waved his hand and eight warriors appeared from a cloud of smoke. "Destroy them."

The warriors wasted no time and rushed to attack the young dragons, splitting into groups of two. Kimiko was the first to meet her pair and quickly nailed one with a fireball. Her second attacker seemed to move a little quicker, forcing her to be more defensive. Raimundo had met his duo head on and was dancing around their attacks, looking for an opening.

Ayane stood back to back with Alex in her tiger stance and greeted the attackers with fierce slashes. Allowing her instincts to take over, she ducked under a kick from one allowing Alex to land high a sidekick while she hit two swift punches on another. Just as the first stumbled back, another set flipped over them, unloading a hail of fist. Caught off guard by their speed, Ayane and Alex were slowly pushed towards the two monks. Blocking another punch, Ayane spotted one of the warriors spinning low and caught Alex with a sweep, knocking him down. She let out an angry growl while hitting the low warrior with a kick, but the other attackers used her distraction and landed three painful shots to her sides.

"You fight well for children." Dai Gui turned away from the fight and began chanting in Chinese.

"Red Eye." Raimundo blasted one of the conjured goons and sent him flying into two of warriors standing over Ayane. Not wasting the opportunity, Alex popped up and caught one with spinning heel kick while Ayane swept the legs out from under then rolled to her feet.

"Did you just help me?" Alex glared at Raimundo for a second.

"No," Raimundo replied defensively. "That was an accident. Wont happen again."

"Good." Alex pushed him aside and fired a bolt of lightning at one of the foe's attacking Kimiko.

Kimiko slowly stepped over to the three dragons. "Did you…"

"No." Alex turned away from the girl. "I'm going to beat the snot out of this clown, then I'm gonna beat the crap out of you two."

"What's the clown doing over there anyway?" Ayane motioned towards the chanting sorcerer while moving closer to Alex. The eight henchmen each took up fighting stances as they slowly surrounded the elemental warriors.

The ground beneath them began rumble as the air became thick and warm. Continuing his chanting, Dai Gui thrust his hands into the morning sky. A split second later, a nine foot tall iron gate burst out of ground. Laughing, Dai Gui turned back towards the four fighters. "Here stands the fabled Gate of the Blind Swordsman. A gate able to resist the strongest magic's. A gate that once stood in front of a mighty kingdom, now buried by time under this horrid city, but soon this wasteland of weak and feeble vermin will bare witness to the return of true power." Shifting his gaze to the chest, he kicked the lid open. "Here me and do as I command. The gate you closed in life I will now see you open. Tear down this gate, this cursed seal and bring my master that much closer to freedom."

Rising from out of the chest, the sprite of the Blind Swordsman floated above the gate. "As you command." A beam of light shot from the spirits eyes; burning a hole through the lock on the gate until in a flash of light, the mystical entry exploded. Floating down to the ground, the spirit sank back into its chest, closing the lid behind it.

"So where's this big bad beastie ya were goin' on about?" Ayane glanced at Dai Gui.

"Do not be so anxious to leave this world. Your time will come to face oblivion soon enough." Dai Gui laughed as a cloud of smoke enveloped him and his warriors.

"You're not leaving yet." Raimundo used a gust of wind to blow the smoke away but Dai Gui had already disappeared.

"So what's the deal with that guy?" Alex reached into Ayane's backpack and pulled out the Golden Tiger Claws. "On second thought never mind. He's your problem." Swiping the claw, he opened a portal and jumped through.

"Later losers." Ayane followed Alex through. Emerging on the other side, she found herself back in the warehouse with Bob still watching TV. "Well that was a bust."

"True, but we can always go out tomorrow and ruin their day." Alex smirked.

"Yeah, but I really did want that dress." Stepping passed Alex; Ayane headed for the kitchen and let out a sigh. Even through part of her had only wanted the dress because Kimiko had it; she did genuinely want it. She remembered one night they had spent raiding a small town, he had commented on how nice she looked in red. Wanting something nicer to wear than her usual battle gear or tomboy wardrobe, she figured the red dress would have been perfect to wear at the birthday party she was planning for him.

Looking up from the TV, Bob glanced at Ayane as she passed by then back to Alex. "Dress?"

"Long story," Alex replied softly.

(-)

Raimundo walked through the doors to the temple anxious to find Master Fung and tell him about their encounter with Dai Gui. Looking over at Kimiko, he snickered as she held up her prize. "Was all this really worth a dress?"

"Yes," Kimiko replied plainly. "Beside I'll take any chance to mess with Ayane. I really hate her."

"I noticed." Raimundo laughed again then headed inside. "I'm going to find Master Fung."

Kimiko nodded and followed after him. "I'll just toss this in my room then join you."

Turning down the hall, Raimundo left Kimiko and began searching for the elder monk. After looking in the kitchen and the garden, he decided to check Master Fung's bedroom. He walked swiftly down the corridors, until he heard voices coming from the library. Reaching the archway, Raimundo practically choked on his surprise as the scene of Master Fung, Master Monk Guan, and Dojo standing in front of Rin, who was setting on the table. "What's she doing here?"

"If it isn't the little warrior." Rin smiled insincerely. "Long time no see."

"Rin is here to deliver a warning about the Gate of the Blind Swordsman." Master Fung turned to face him.

"Too late, Dai Gui already opened it." Raimundo eyed Rin carefully.

"We know," Guan replied solemnly.

"How? It just happened." Raimundo asked.

"The mind numbing vision I got was a dead give away." Rin rolled her eyes.

Kimiko stepped into the room and glanced around nervously. "Did I miss something?"

"Not to be a gloomy Gus but if the guy already opened the gate, where's the evil demon?" Dojo asked.

"According to my vision there's at least one more seal to be broken before the end of days is upon us." Rin glanced at each of the monks before shaking her head. "Considering the bang up job you fool's have done so far, I guess I will have to deal with this Dai Gui myself."

"You would help us?" Kimiko shook her head in disbelieve.

"I don't have much choice, do I? This demon and his herald seem to have some connection to your pathetic order, so I may need you for something. Besides it may prove hard to build a perfect Heylin empire if some freak burns the world to the ground first." Rin flashed another forced smile then glanced at Master Fung. "As much as it sickens me to say, for now, we're allies."

(-)

Sitting on the couch, Ayane reached over into a bowl and grabbed a handful of popcorn. Swallowing the snack, she leaned back to allow Bob to step passed. "Ya heading for the kitchen?"

"Yep."

"Good, 'cause we're outta popcorn." Ayane held up the bowl and shook it.

"That's 'cause you keep eattin' it all." Bob begrudgingly took the bowl and disappeared to make more. She turned back towards the TV when a purple portal opened and Alex stepped through.

"Where'd ya disappear to?" Ayane asked, surprised that he still had the Golden Tiger Claws on.

"I had an errand to run." Alex stepped a little closer as the portal closed.

Looking up at Alex, she noticed the he had his left hand behind his back. "What are ya hiding?"

"Close your eyes." Alex smirked.

"Why?"

"Just do it."

Curiosity getting the better of her, Ayane felt a slight smile spread across her face as she stood up and closed her eyes. After waiting for a minute she opened her eyes to find the red dress dangling in front of her. "I don't believe it." Too surprised to say anything else, she took the dress from his hands then hugged him tightly. Releasing him after a long moment, she smiled broadly. "Ya stole this for me?"

"You don't think I'd let some rotten monk get something over you." Alex returned her smile.

Holding her gaze on Alex for another second, Ayane pulled him down to the couch and set the dress on her lap. "Ya gonna watch the movie with us?"

"Sure."

Ayane smiled as Alex leaned back and pulled his arm over her while Bob joined them with a fresh bowl of popcorn. Today was fun, Ayane mused to herself. I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow.