In the early morning, the four Xiaolin Warriors had been told to gather in the Temple's meditation room. Master Fung finally made an entrance, and the monks could feel the excitement building up inside them. He had told them that once they had mastered their new capabilities as Shoku Warriors, they would be able to go on their most important quest.

"You seem to have mastered your heightened powers already," he said. "It is time for you to undertake your new task; training a new Xiaolin Dragon."

There was a moment of silence; the four Shoku Warriors were taken aback. Eventually, Omi spoke up. "This is most exciting news! I wonder what kind of person he will be, and what strange attire he may be wearing!"

"Hold your horses, Omi," Clay added. "How are you sure that it's a guy?"

"Who is it?" Raimundo questioned. "Are they at the Temple now?"

Master Fung smiled slightly. "I do not know yet. It is your duty to work together to select and guide one new Xiaolin apprentice, so they too may eventually rise to become a Shoku Warrior."

"This is…pretty big," muttered Kimiko.

"Come on kids!" Dojo exclaimed cheerfully. "If Master Fung singlehandedly selected you to be the Xiaolin Warriors of earth, wind, fire and water, it should be easy for you four working together to select one person!"

Master Fung continued to explain. "Dojo is correct; Master Monk Guan and I have gathered many aspiring warriors at his temple. You will be travelling there to make a unanimous decision, but the young monk you choose must be willing to accept the role."


The Shoku Warriors were eager to climb aboard Dojo and fly to Guan's Temple, but first, Master Fung assured the dragon they would not be sent away for a long time. Once Dojo was happy to leave, it did not take long for the heroes to arrive at the ancient warrior's mountain sanctuary. As they landed in the Temple's expansive courtyard, the Xiaolin Warriors saw the large congregation of young looking fighters awaiting them.

"So this must've been why Master Fung went to visit Guan for such a long time," Raimundo said, referring to their teacher's period of absence shortly after the warrior of wind had been promoted to leader.

Some of the hopeful students, having never seen a dragon up close, crept away or even fell over in shock. As Dojo shrank back to his smaller size, he had a smug look about him, pleased with the fear he was inspiring in some of the hopeful warriors.

"Welcome, young monks," Master Monk Guan said as he walked through the crowd of trainees, parting to make way for him. "I assume that Master Fung has explained your important duty."

"Hey guys," said a sheepish voice from behind the martial arts master. The Xiaolin Warriors were surprised to see the familiar face of Manu, dressed in red robes.

"You may have already met some of the trainees gathered here today," Master Monk Guan continued, "But I do not want that to affect who you select in the end. There may be some new faces, with unseen abilities that you may believe are a worthy addition to your team."

Master Monk Guan walked off to reprimand some trainees who were fooling around, putting on his stern drill instructor façade. Raimundo chuckled, but then turned his attention to Manu. "What brings you here, dude?"

Manu smiled bashfully. "Well, I don't intend to be the fifth chosen one. I did pretty well on the obstacle course though!"

"Aw, you just wanted to say hi!" Kimiko said, making Manu look more sheepish than before.

There was a sudden explosion noise, coming from the direction of the obstacle course that Manu was speaking of. The Xiaolin Warriors and Manu witnessed a climbing wall topple over with a loud crash, making the trainees flee in all directions.

"Not exactly," Manu mumbled.

The four Shoku Warriors ran to see the accident, pushing through the crowd of novice fighters. On top of a pile of broken equipment was a familiar figure; El Guapo Lobo. He was dressed in red robes, but still wore the same wrestling mask he sported when they first encountered him.

"I have completed the course yet again!" he boomed.

Master Monk Guan's temple dragon Chucky Choo was sitting on a stool nearby, holding a clipboard and a stopwatch. "And it's another broken record!" he said, writing down the time. "And another set of expensive equipment broken too," he added, sounding irritated.

"What's that monster doing here?" Dojo asked, standing on top of Clay's hat.

"I thought you and Chucky were buddies again," Clay said. "I thought you forgave him for losing your yoyo and giving you a replica."

"I'm talking about that big stupid blowhard!" Dojo growled, pointing to the wrestler.

Manu caught up with them and began to explain. "After we parted ways the first time we met, I sort of changed my mind about joining you. I decided to stay at this temple, but he followed."

The Mexican wrestler loomed towards the Xiaolin Warriors, who seemed cautious about him. "Do not fear, for I have changed my ways! I am no longer El Guapo Lobo; I am Tito, Xiaolin Warrior in training!"

Master Monk Guan approached as well, placing a hand on the wrestler's shoulder. "Each time he has attempted the obstacle course, Tito has broken a record. I have never seen someone improve in such a short time; in some ways, he puts even me to shame."

"I would like the next set of equipment to be more dangerous!" Tito bellowed as a group of trainees helped to move the debris.

Omi put his hand on his chin. "I feel that Tito may be the fifth dragon we seek."

Raimundo pulled Omi closer towards him and whispered in his ear. "No way, not after the crazy things he did! Besides, we already have a big stupid muscle guy on our team." Raimundo sneakily pointed a finger at Clay.

"As much as I dislike saying it, none of the other warriors gathered here today seem strong enough for the role of Xiaolin apprentice," Guan said unhappily, casting a hand across the courtyard.

The Shoku Warriors surveyed the scene, watching the hopeless hopefuls running about. There were countless trainees tripping over each other, fumbling basic martial arts skills or being general nuisances to one another.

Suddenly, Chucky Choo slithered in front of them with his tiny arms in the air. "Why don't you let me be on your team? Wouldn't it be cool for the fifth Xiaolin Dragon to be a literal dragon?" The Xiaolin Warriors were bewildered by the fat little dragon's statement; even Master Monk Guan seemed confused by something so out of the blue.

Chucky looked around at their puzzled expressions and continued to explain. "I'm a reformed dragon, and as part of my reformation, I've been practicing some pretty sweet skills!"

"I'm not convinced," mumbled Kimiko.

"I may not be able to sense Shen Gong Wu, grow huge, or fly like Dojo, but I can do this!" the ex-con artist continued.

The dragon clenched his fists as he began to shake, and a grotesque bubbling noise filled the air. Chucky suddenly swelled up until he was about Kimiko's height, but due to his fatness, he was almost as wide as he was tall. Much to the monk's surprise, Chucky now possessed legs, although they were very blubbery.

"Neat trick!" Dojo exclaimed.

Raimundo, like his fellow warriors, had found the transformation rather monstrous. "Uh, I don't think it'd be a good idea to let you on the team if you're gonna be doing that a lot."

Chucky clapped a hand against one of his fat thighs, making Raimundo wince in revulsion as he watched it ripple. "Come on, every team needs a big fat guy to spread good cheer! It'll make the team more marketable with a charming new character the kids will love!"

"I am sorry, but the Xiaolin Warriors are a non-profit organisation," Omi said, causing Chucky Choo to sadly morph back into his original form with a comical deflation noise. "But it is pleasing to know that you would now rather make money by saving the world!"

"There's gotta be more good trainees!" Kimiko exclaimed in dismay. The warrior of fire noticed Omi's jaw hang open and his eyes widen. The bald monk pointed over to the corner of the courtyard, and Kimiko's eyes followed until she saw what he was seeing. "Wow! What about her?"

A crowd of the brawniest looking trainees were standing in a circle, surrounding a figure with long blonde hair. Unlike the other hopefuls, the girl wore a white short dress, with matching boots and a golden belt. She was sending her assailants flying, lashing out with spinning kicks. Guan quickly ran over to the brawl, causing the remaining trainees ganging up on her to flee. The Xiaolin Warriors followed him, gathering around the striking young woman.

"Thanks, Master Monk Guan," she said in a southern accent, before turning her attention towards the Shoku Warriors. "The name's Willow."

"She must've only just arrived!" Chucky added, hopping up onto Guan's shoulder. "She wasn't one of the people you and Master Fung picked!"

"I hope I'm not too late! I've heard so much about you," Willow said cheerfully. "I was hoping to compete in the search for the new Xiaolin apprentice."

Omi was enthralled by the beautiful stranger. "I sense a great fighting spirit within you, Willow!"

Tito plodded forward, puffing his chest out. "Unfortunately senorita, we have already made a decision, but it is wonderful for such a beauty to grace this Temple of rugged warriors!"

"A potential Xiaolin warrior chooses their own destiny; they do not wait for destiny to choose them," Guan explained. "Willow came here on her own volition; she is as worthy to be chosen as you are, Tito."

"I don't expect any special favours! I promise not to let you down," said a bashful sounding Willow.

"You must be highly trained in the art of blending into the shadows if you already knew all about us!" Omi said. "Such sneakiness would be most useful in our team!"

The girl looked slightly perturbed by Omi's comment, but then Raimundo chimed in. "Well, we're not exactly hard to follow; we fly around on a mystical green dragon." It sounded like the warrior of wind was trying to impress her.

Dojo suddenly slid out from between Raimundo's feet, startling everyone except Willow. The blonde girl seemed to eye the dragon enthusiastically as he twitched and writhed on the floor. Clay, who had formed a habit for dealing with Dojo's spasms, revealed he had bought the ancient scroll of the Shen Gong Wu with him to Guan's Temple and handed it to the dragon.

"We'll have to take a break from searching for the fifth warrior for now; we've gotta search for a new Wu instead!" Dojo exclaimed, opening the scroll to show the mystical item that had been activated. The moving illustration on the scroll displayed a black figure placing a crown on their head, causing them to grow until the image was completely black. "The Kahuna's Crown allows its wearer to become large and in charge!"

"I have already experienced being in charge and large," Omi boasted to Willow. "It's not all it is chopped in to be."

Willow giggled. "You mean, 'it's not all it's cut out to be'?" Omi blushed while Raimundo and Willow continued to laugh.

"Why don't we take Tito and Willow to retrieve the new Wu?" Raimundo asked his friends. "What could be better than testing them on something we do every day? Anyone else want to ride our dragon?" The trainees standing in the background began to cower, seemingly afraid of Dojo's enlarged form.

"Onwards to victory!" boomed Tito, leaping onto Dojo's back as soon as the dragon had finished growing to his full size.

"I can sense that the crown isn't too far from here!" Dojo explained as the others hopped on, with Raimundo and Clay helping Willow. "There's a forest at the foot of this mountain!"

Guan, Manu and Chucky waved them off as the dragon took to the skies. The martial arts master then turned his attention to the crowd of delinquent trainees that had surrounded Willow. "What do you have to say for yourselves? Such behaviour towards visitors will not be tolerated," Guan sternly said to the sorrowful looking students. "You're going to have to leave."

"You didn't see it?" asked one of the trainees, a look of fear in his eyes. "That girl…there's something wrong about her."


It was only a short journey to the forest, but it gave the Xiaolin Warriors plenty of time to introduce themselves to the new arrival. Raimundo was sitting closest to Dojo's head, while Willow sat between him and Clay. Kimiko and Omi sat behind the three of them, while Tito clung tightly to Dojo's tail in dread. The four Shoku Warriors and Willow gracefully leapt off Dojo as he came below the trees, while Tito landed with a thud.

Dojo shrank and started to slither across the forest floor, sniffing the ground like a bloodhound. "This Wu smells pretty strange compared to the others," he said in between sniffs. "Smells sort of like…pudding cups."

"What a cute little dragon!" Willow chuckled.

"Thank you, Willow," Omi said, turning bright red.

Willow laughed softly again and patted the warrior of water on the shoulder as they followed Dojo. "I meant the actual dragon! But, I'm not saying that you're not cute too," she said, much to Omi's delight.

Tito and Clay walked together, although the warrior of earth was still wary of him. "I am sorry for the trouble I caused you and your friends the last time we met, señor Bailey. After acting dishonourably, I decided to redeem myself by training in the ways of Xiaolin, so I could become as heroic as you."

Clay smiled slightly. "Well, that's mighty nice of you mister Lobo. Perhaps we'll get along after all!"

Dojo stopped in his tracks, finally spotting the object that his nose had detected. Raimundo followed where Dojo was looking and ran towards a hollow log, pulling out a shiny metal object. Instead of the Kahuna's Crown, the Xiaolin leader held an octahedron shaped device topped with a crown of spikes and an antenna. The strange object was technological as opposed to magical in nature, buzzing and beeping as the lights on its surface flickered on and off.

"That's not a Shen Gong Wu at all!" Dojo exclaimed. "But it sure smells like one!"

The object suddenly flipped open, startling Raimundo and the others who had gathered around him. Inside the device was a crudely drawn image of Jack Spicer, grinning at them. "You've been Jacked, baby!" said a low quality recording of Jack's voice.

Suddenly, a dozen or so Jack-Bots burst from the surrounding bushes and trees, brandishing their various bladed and laser weapons. These robots looked slightly different to the usual drones that the boy genius deployed, with red t-shaped visors that glowed fiendishly.

"Shoku Astro! Wind!" Raimundo cried, conjuring miniature tornados that wrapped around two of the robots, pulling them to pieces.

"Kaijin Charm!" yelled Omi, placing his elemental Shen Gong Wu on his arm. "Shimo Staff! Water!" The tip of the tiny rod he held extended and split into several spears of ice, impaling a couple of Jack-Bots.

A Jack-Bot extended its arms, ensnaring Tito. The wrestler simply growled in response, swinging the robot around and crashing it into its comrades. Omi and Raimundo had to duck out of the way, or else they would have been battered by the attack too. However, they were pleased to notice that Tito had vanquished more robots than they had. Tito finished by pulling in the Jack-Bot that had grappled him, smashing it to bits with a single head butt.

Kimiko weaved in and out of the Jack-Bots laser fire before tossing a Shen Gong Wu towards them. "Star Hanabi! Fire!" she yelled as the tiny star caught alight, spinning through the air and striking down the robots that surrounded her. The Hanabi Star returned to her hand like a boomerang.

More Jack-Bots closed in on Kimiko, but Clay came running to her defence, skidding to a halt in front of her and raising his arms upwards. "Shoku Jupiter! Earth!" Clay shouted, slamming his fists into the ground. A fissure extended towards a line of Jack-Bots, and then spikes of stone erupted from it, impaling them.

Clay and his friends failed to notice the remaining Jack-Bots creeping up behind him, lasers at the ready. However, Willow picked up two stones that had been scattered by the warrior of earth's elemental powers and tossed them towards the machines. The stones were suddenly encased in mystical white lightning, obliterating the two closest robots, and then continuing on to destroy the rest. The attack had occurred so quickly that none of the Xiaolin Warriors had noticed the magic that Willow had used.

"Our two new comrades have survived their first Jack-Bot encounter, but I fear what Jack Spicer has done with the Kahuna's Crown!" Omi exclaimed as the heroes gathered together after the battle. "It is most worrying how Jack managed to replicate the activation of a Shen Gong Wu!"


In a cave not too far from the forest, Jack Spicer had set up some machines from his lair. The computers were wired up to a spherical container that held the Kahuna's Crown, a golden piece of headgear decorated with tiki like figures. With a loud humming sound, the cables attached to the crown's control sphere began to briefly glow orange, and then a machine nearby produced a luminous cylinder. The container, large and heavy enough to require two men, was lifted by Vlad and Tubbimura onto a stack of similar containers.

"Just a few more to go!" said Jack eagerly. "These magical batteries are awesome; twice as powerful as nuclear energy and none of the environmental hazards!"

Vlad wiped the sweat from his brow. "Are you certain that these magic batteries will not cause mutation?" he questioned, gasping for breath.

"Eh, who cares?" Jack replied, putting his feet up on the computer console as he waited for another power cell to be generated. "Mutation triggers evolution, and I'm gonna evolve into the greatest evil genius ever! The future of evil starts in 2006, and it's me!"

The supernatural power cells were standing next to a stream that ran out of the cave, leading to a river at its entrance. Magical energy seeped out from the stack of batteries and into the stream, creating a shimmering light on the surface that was carried outside with the flow of water. At the mouth of the cave, a deer began to drink from the cool river, unaware that it was steadily increasing in size.


Meanwhile, at Guan's Temple, the trainees were preparing to go home. A few of them helped to clear up the debris that had been left from Tito's attempt at the obstacle course, while Guan looked forlornly across the expansive courtyard with Manu at his side.

"I thought that there would be more students with the potential," he said, folding his arms.

"I'm sure the Xiaolin Warriors are happy with Tito and Willow!" Manu added, cheerfully. "It'll be a tough decision when it's time to pick one of them, though."

Manu and Guan went inside the temple's main hall, but Chucky Choo was left outside, calculating the cost of the equipment that would need to be replaced. The dragon's work was interrupted by the sound of distant, rapid footsteps coming from the massive staircase that led up the mountain to the entrance of the sanctuary grounds.

A tiny figure ran into the courtyard, darting from place to place like a dragonfly. The stranger moved so fast that Chucky could not see them; some of the trainees that were getting ready to leave were knocked off their feet by the visitor's extreme speed. Finally, the figure came to a halt in front of Chucky, and the dragon was surprised. It was Omi, or at least it appeared to be him. The boy wore a pair of round, green tinted spectacles that were far too large for his face. He also appeared slightly shorter than Omi.

"Monsieur dragon! Où est le Xiaolin Warriors?" the boy frantically asked Chucky; his voice sounded even squeakier than the warrior of water's.

"Practicing French already, Omi? You barely have a grasp of English!" Chucky replied with a chuckle. "I thought you left with Dojo and the others!"

The boy looked confused by the name that the dragon had addressed him by, but rephrased his question in English. "Could you tell me which way the Xiaolin Warriors went?"

"They went to the forest at the foot of the mountain," answered Chucky, "I'd take you down in my vending truck, but you seem quicker on your feet!"

With a smile and a bow, the boy left as quickly as he arrived. "Danke, danke! Auf wiedersehen!" he said as he left, and Chucky Choo was left scratching his head.


The Xiaolin Warriors were busy leading their two recruits through the forest, with Raimundo holding Dojo ahead of him like a dowsing rod. Dojo had detected the scent of the real Kahuna's Crown, and was directing them towards it.

There was a sudden rumbling noise in the air, startling the party. "Sounds like a stampede," Clay exclaimed, carefully analyzing the sound. "But it sounds like its coming from some pretty huge critters, bigger than any cattle I've heard of."

Raimundo noticed some huge shapes moving towards them, out of the shadows of the forest. He quickly called to his allies to take cover, causing them to jump well out of the way of the stampeding creatures. The Xiaolin Warriors watched the stampede go by in bewilderment; the creatures looked exactly like deer, but they were so massive that they were almost as tall as the trees.

"Okay, looks like we're definitely near the Kahuna's Crown!" Dojo proclaimed as the deer vanished back into the forest despite their huge size.

"I thought that the crown only affected the wearer," Kimiko said. "Jack must've done something to it! He's using it to raise an army of giant woodland creatures!"

Omi gulped audibly out of fear. "There is one particular woodland creature that I do not wish to see enlarged."

"Omi's scared of squirrels," Raimundo said with a chuckle, nudging Willow's arm. "I'm not scared of much though."

Willow frowned at the Shoku Leader. "There's nothing wrong about being afraid of small things," she said. "There's no need to tease little Omi." Raimundo rolled his eyes as Omi immediately hopped to stand next to her with a grin.


The heroes continued forward, eventually coming to the river. Dojo found that the scent of the Kahuna's Crown seemed to be carried down by the stream, and it was coming from somewhere up ahead. The wind was rustling so loudly in the treetops that the Xiaolin Warriors did not notice the large creatures lurking in the branches above them.

With a loud crash, several enormous beetles dropped down from above, surrounding the party. Each of them was the size of a man, but their movements seemed slow and sluggish. One of the insects was lying on its back, its six legs flailing in the air. The heroes had assumed a fighting stance, but dropped their guard when they realized how helpless the beetles seemed.

"They're not attacking," Raimundo whispered. "They seem a little sick."

Clay put a finger to his chin as he pondered the situation. "Insects need to be small for their bodies to work properly. Now they're this big, their bodies don't work well at all."

The heroes turned their attention towards the sound of frantic footsteps and panting. From the bushes a few metres ahead emerged the tiny, round headed boy. The warriors of wind, water, fire and earth eyed the boy in disbelief, for he looked practically identical to Omi. Dojo slithered up Clay's body to sit on his shoulder and look at the stranger in disbelief as well.

"Omi, did you use the Ring of the Nine Dragons without Master Fung's permission again?" Dojo asked the warrior of water.

Omi's doppelganger darted towards them with a great smile on his face, shaking each warrior's hand. He began speaking frantically in a multitude of different languages, unable to contain his excitement. He was practically bouncing around, looking like a yellow ball of energy. Kimiko immediately produced her handheld computer from her pocket and tried to translate what the little boy was saying.

"Take it easy, little dude," Raimundo said, stopping the boy by grasping his shoulder.

"Lo siento, Xiaolin Warrior Raimundo," the boy said, managing to calm down surprisingly rapidly. "I have been very eager to meet you!"

"He knows lots of languages!" Kimiko said. "He must've been travelling all over the world trying to find us."

"He is a number one fan!" Omi exclaimed. "No wonder he looks so much like me!"

The tiny lookalike looked puzzled for a moment, briefly glancing at his reflection in the river beside them. "Ah, brother Omi, you are most observant! I have witnessed you are true to your reputation!"

"Anyone can see you look like him," Clay added with a chuckle.

"I must formally introduce myself! My official title is Boris Antonio Rolf Jean-Pierre Gaulle Le Grand…the fourth!" chirped the multilingual monk. "I was hoping you would consider me for your new apprentice."

"That name's quite a mouthful," the warrior of earth said, quite surprised at the boy's lengthy name. "I'll get tongue tied just thinking about it!"

"You are in need of a title worthy of a fearsome warrior if you wish to join us!" Omi proclaimed, causing his doppelganger to bounce around in excitement once again.

"Tell him he needs to slow down, too!" Dojo grumbled. "It's like trying to keep your eyes on the ball in a ping pong match."

"I do not know what ping pong is, but it sounds like a fearsome and fast activity!" Omi yelled. "From now on, your moniker is Ping Pong!"

The small boy's eyes lit up with excitement. "Fantastique! I have never had a nickname before!" He hugged Omi tightly, demonstrating surprising strength that squeezed the air out of the water warrior's lungs.

Tito approached Raimundo and tapped the warrior of wind on the shoulder. "Are you sure this boy should join us? He claims to be a warrior in training, yet he seems too young to experience battle! In a few years he may be a strong fighter, but your search for the fifth chosen one commences now! There is no time to wait!"

"He's out by himself in the middle of the forest, we've gotta protect him," Raimundo whispered sternly. "We'll find where he lives and take him home."

Ping Pong suddenly turned his attention towards the giant beetles struggling about, looking at them forlornly. Clay quickly grabbed hold of him before the boy could get closer to the potentially dangerous insects. Suddenly, an enormous white butterfly descended from the canopy, but it quickly fell out of the air and landed with a thud on riverbank. Ping Pong managed to break free of Clay's grip and rushed to the fallen insect.

"These creatures aren't dangerous," Ping Pong muttered, "They're victims!" He lifted the gigantic insect and cradled it in his arms, even though its wingspan was as wide as he was tall. "Something has made them big by force! When someone harms nature, it is the little creatures that pay the price…"

Kimiko ran to comfort Ping Pong, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We know who's doing this to the poor things. If you want to help restore the balance of nature in this forest, then you're worthy of working with us!"

"Ping Pong, for one so tender, you speak with great wisdom," Omi said softly.

"It must be the evil boy genius, Jack Spicer! I have admired you from afar for a very long time, brother Omi! I know of the many evildoers you have faced!" Ping Pong said excitedly, cheering up.

"Indeed!" Omi exclaimed. "Jack is cooking up a pot of evil stew!"

Tito ran ahead, following Dojo as he slithered alongside the river towards a cave in the distance. "We have no time to think about the measly insects! We must complete our mission!"

Tito's lack of care for the hurt animals made Omi and his lookalike scowl at him, but they followed the wrestler along with their other comrades. Willow stayed at the back of the group, eyeing the newcomer cautiously.


It was not long before the Xiaolin Warriors and the three hopeful apprentices had entered the cave, and it became apparent to them that it was the current dwelling of the evil boy genius. The walls of the cavern were fitted with lights and power cables, fuelling the many machines that they could hear deep inside the lair. Ahead they could see the ominous red glow from the eyes of Jack's robots approaching.

Raimundo quickly handed Tito and Willow a Shen Gong Wu each. "I think you guys are ready to try out our Shen Gong Wu against these robo-bozos!"

Willow was armed with the Wyrm's Whisker and Tito was armed with the Osu Stone. Willow immediately used the energy whip Shen Gong Wu to shatter several incoming robots to pieces with a mighty crack, while Tito laughed diabolically and used his mystical item to push a few of the machines into a wall.

"Crest of the Condor! Blade of the Nebula! Wind!" Raimundo yelled, placing his elemental Shen Gong Wu on his arm and unleashing the full power of his Wudai Weapon. The sword released a mighty tornado that crackled with electricity, obliterating what seemed to be the rest of the Jack-bots.

The Xiaolin Warriors continued onwards, passing the pile of debris that was all that remained of the robots. Unbeknownst to the rest of the party, Ping Pong lagged behind, taking his time to stare at the pieces of the machines that his new friends had vanquished. All of a sudden, an intact Jack-bot burst out of the pile. The rest of the party turned to see the Jack-bot leering over the tiny monk, but it seemed like it would be too late for them to save him.

Three glowing dots appeared on Ping Pong's forehead, and the small boy leapt into the air. "Piggy Taking Bubble Bath!" Ping Pong yelled, slamming down upon the mechanical foe. To the surprise of the Xiaolin Warriors, Ping Pong struck the robot with such force that it was smashed to pieces.

"Ping Pong, are you alright?" Raimundo asked, running to the little monk's side.

As the small boy got back on his feet and dusted himself off, Dojo slithered towards him excitedly. "He's more than just alright! That was a signature move from the Lotus Locust Clan! The last person who used that move was a Xiaolin Dragon!"

Omi became excited as well, placing a hand on Ping Pong's shoulder. "From now on, I would like to refer to you as my gecko!"

The party proceeded through the cave, but Omi and Ping Pong stayed at the back to talk privately. "I accept the title of Gecko, brother Omi!" the bespectacled warrior said animatedly.

The warrior of water began to whisper to his lookalike. "I have only known you for a very short time, but the sound of 'brother Omi' is growing louder inside me. It is quite clear to me you will be my choice of apprentice!"

Jack Spicer could hear the footsteps of the approaching warriors, ordering his lackeys to pick up the pace. Using the Kahuna's Crown once again, the villain produced one last mystical energy battery. Just as Vlad and Tubbimura stacked it on top of the other batteries, the Xiaolin Warriors made their entrance. Several Jack-bots tried to stop them from entering the chamber, but they were swatted away by the combined efforts of Willow with the Wyrm's Whisker and Kimiko with the Third Arm Sash.

"I see we're a bit late to the party," Raimundo said, observing the laboratory that Jack had set up around the Kahuna's Crown.

Omi and Ping Pong leapt in front of Raimundo, assuming a fighting stance immediately. "All this hard work must be making me feel a little woozy!" Jack exclaimed, rubbing his eyes. "I think I can see two chrome domes!"

"Ping Pong, Willow and Tito are our hopeful apprentices!" Omi announced.

"And they're about to take their first exam," Raimundo added. "Kicking your butt!"

Jack laughed and folded his arms. "You and your newbie friends are too late! As you can see, the Kahuna's Crown is in my impenetrable containment unit! Better shield their eyes, because my new evil plan might shatter their new and fragile minds!"

Unseen by the rest of the heroes, or by the villains, Willow slipped away into the shadows and vanished completely. As the heroes fought the swarm of Jack-bots being sent to combat them, Willow re-emerged from the wall behind the spherical container that held the crown. Before sinking back into the shadows, Willow pulled several wires from their sockets.

While Jack was laughing at the Jack-bots beginning to overwhelm the heroes, his machines suddenly stopped functioning. The globe that encased the Kahuna's Crown opened up, and it did not take long for Clay to notice. The warrior of earth leapt for the exposed Shen Gong Wu while Jack did the same, expressing disgust at how his machines had suddenly failed.

Clay saw that Tubbimura and Vlad were closing in on him as well, but he was pleased to see that Tito was rushing to his aid. Just as Clay, Tito, Jack and the two evil cronies were about to touch the Kahuna's Crown, Ping Pong was sent flying from the explosion of a Jack-bot. As expected, all six of them touched the Shen Gong Wu at once.

"It's already ours!" Jack shouted at Clay and the two newcomers, "But it'll be fun to see how mini chrome dome and the masked moron blow this showdown for you! Let's have a canoe race through the river caves! I wager the Shroud of Shadows!"

"We wager the Thorn of Thunderbolt and Tangle Web Comb!" Vlad said as he and Tubbimura presented their wagered items.

"I wager the Silk Spitter!" proclaimed Clay.

"And I shall wager the Osu Stone!" added Tito.

Ping Pong looked panicked all of a sudden. "I do not have a Shen Gong Wu to wager!"

Watching the spectacle unfold, Kimiko pulled the Orb of Tornami from Omi's grasp and threw it into the hands of his lookalike. "I'm sure Omi won't mind if you wager this! It is a canoe race, so water Shen Gong Wu might help!" Omi looked greatly perturbed, but he tried to show faith in Ping Pong by forcing a smile.

"Let's go! Xiaolin Showdown!" yelled Jack.

With a sudden flash of light from the Kahuna's Crown, the cave system began to warp and transform. Clay, Tito and Ping Pong suddenly found themselves sitting in a wooden canoe, floating on a stream of water suspended in a dark void. There were enormous boulders drifting through the space, like asteroids. While Ping Pong was looking around frantically, trying to process his new surroundings, Jack and his two henchmen appeared in a canoe beside them. Finally, a double bladed paddle appeared in each competitor's hands.

"Gong Yi Tan Pai!" yelled Clay and Jack.

The set off immediately, but the villains were lagging behind. Jack angrily looked back to see what was hampering his speed; Tubbimura was weighing the canoe down at the back, causing the front end to be held higher in the air.

"Of all the henchmen I could've bought to this race, I had to choose you," the boy genius muttered to the self-conscious looking ninja.

The heroes were a few metres ahead, but they were still experiencing difficulties. While Ping Pong and Tito were paddling perfectly, Clay was having great difficulty in wielding his paddle. "I'm sorry guys; I ain't used to paddling down a river!"

Tito was growing incredibly frustrated, but looked back at Jack Spicer. The boy genius laughed maniacally as he and Vlad pushed Tubbimura overboard, gleefully waving goodbye as the overweight crony drifted downstream, coughing and spluttering. Jack tossed his paddle away and lied back onto Vlad's lap, putting his feet up on the front of the canoe.

"Full steam ahead!" the boy genius yelled, pointing forwards.

Vlad put all of his might into paddling until his arms became a blur, propelling the canoe forward almost as fast as a speedboat. Now the Xiaolin side was far behind, Tito was furious. The wrestler looked back at Clay, who was still fumbling around with his paddle and looking incredibly embarrassed.

"I am sorry, señor Bailey, but in order to gain the advantage we must cast aside the obstacles that are holding us back!" bellowed Tito.

Clay was caught completely off guard by Tito suddenly unleashing the power of the Osu Stone, pushing the warrior of earth overboard. Stood upon a floating rock platform high above the river, the other Xiaolin Warriors looked on in disgust.

"That isn't apprentice material!" yelled Raimundo. "El Guapo Loco just stooped to Jack's level!"

"I hope that Ping Pong can show Tito what being a Xiaolin Warrior is about!" Omi added.

Tito grinned and looked at the Osu Stone in his hand. "I did it! I finally defeated señor Bailey!" He turned to Ping Pong and snapped at the young warrior. "Little boy! Give this canoe a burst of speed!"

Ping Pong, intimidated by the fearsome wrestler, used the Orb of Tornami to create a jet of water that propelled the canoe forward. The two of them caught up with Jack and Vlad quickly, but when Tito decided to use the Osu Stone against them, the villainous duo were pushed into the lead once again.

"He doesn't even know how to use that thing properly!" Dojo cried.

As Jack and Vlad sped ahead, rocks suddenly emerged from out of the water, creating a series of obstacles. The boy genius squealed and covered his eyes, but Vlad managed to steer around the jagged rocks easily. Jack removed his hands from his face and looked at a rock they passed by; he suddenly had a wicked idea.

"Shroud of Shadows!" he announced, placing the black cloak like Shen Gong Wu over the rock to make it seemingly vanish.

Tito and Ping Pong managed to avoid the rocks that came before it, but did not see the final invisible rock. The canoe hit the rock hard, pulling the Shroud of Shadows from it. The impact sent Tito tumbling into the water with a yelp, but Ping Pong managed to stay onboard. Ping Pong noticed that the canoe had split in two, but the two halves stayed afloat.

Thinking fast, Ping Pong grabbed hold of the Silk Spitter Shen Gong Wu. Using the sticky webs it created as an adhesive, Ping Pong pulled the two halves of the canoe together and restored its functionality. Ping Pong grabbed hold of his paddle with all of his might, moving his arms at a speed that was even greater than what Vlad had achieved.

Jack saw the lightning fast warrior gaining speed, and ordered Vlad to stop paddling and use the Thorn of Thunderbolt against him. Even though there were a great number of them, Ping Pong managed to weave in and out of the thunderbolts that were being sent in his direction.

"Silk Spitter!" cried Ping Pong, retaliating with sticky threads.

Vlad and Jack were entangled in a mess of silk, unable to free themselves so they could continue paddling. Ping Pong overtook the evil duo as their struggling caused their canoe to capsize, causing his allies to cheer him on. The tiny monk saw the Kahuna's Crown sitting on a rock in the middle of the stream ahead, and managed to snatch it as he went past.

In a flash of light, the environment returned back to normal. Jack, Vlad, Tubbimura and Tito were angrily splashing about in the water as the Xiaolin Warriors helped Clay out. Omi and Kimiko embraced Ping Pong, who handed them the Shen Gong Wu he had managed to win. Tito managed to get to his feet and waded towards his comrades, but Raimundo scowled at him.

"What a glorious victory! I hope the quick thinking that I used in the showdown has earned me the right to be Xiaolin Apprentice!" Tito said with a grin.

"Sorry bud, but we only let nice guys on our team," Raimundo said sternly. "Even when they're struggling, you should always count on your friends. Don't leave them behind."

"You're still one crazy son of a gun!" Clay added, ringing out the water from his neckerchief. The warrior of earth looked down at the triumphant Ping Pong. "Way to go little hombre!"

"I see how it is!" Tito growled, stepping out of the water. "It is you who are all unworthy! I am not the kind of warrior who allows his comrades to make costly mistakes! I shall take my matters elsewhere!"

Ping Pong pushed himself away from Kimiko and Omi's embrace and leapt forward to combat the violent wrestler. "Ping Pong Slapping Mosquito!" he cried.

The tiny warrior leapt up and smacked Tito in the face, but it did not harm the wrestler. However, Ping Pong continued to slap Tito all over his body, until the constant barrage was unbearable. Tito tried to swat the boy himself, but Ping Pong was too fast to catch. The only option for the wrestler to escape the bombardment was to run away. Ping Pong turned set his sights on Jack Spicer and his henchmen, but the boy genius was already running away with what remained of his machines and his Jack-bots.

"Not only are you a fierce fighter, you're the most adorable fighter!" Kimiko exclaimed, giving Ping Pong another hug to calm him down.

Omi looked rather envious; Ping Pong looked identical to him, and yet Kimiko never really showed him much affection. Willow approached him and patted his head, smiling at him. "As far as I'm concerned, you're the most adorable fighter! There's no need to feel jealous."


Eventually, the four Xiaolin Warriors and their two new friends returned to the Xiaolin Temple. The six of them gathered in the temple's main hall, where Master Fung approached them. "It appears that you have been taking the search for the new apprentice very seriously. I am pleased to hear that Ping Pong emerged victorious from his first Xiaolin Showdown."

"I think we all know who's gonna be the fifth warrior!" Dojo exclaimed, sitting on Master Fung's shoulder. Ping Pong blushed and looked down at his feet, avoiding eye contact out of timidity. However, it was still clear that he was happy.

"It's too soon to tell, Dojo," Raimundo said. "Willow didn't get a chance to be in a showdown today. We'll be able to decide once we see her in action."

"Seems the search for the new apprentice is gonna take a lot longer than we thought," Clay added.

Willow seemed somewhat uneasy. "I really don't wanna hold you guys back," she said. "Maybe I should drop out; I was late to sign up after all."

"You should stay and compete," Omi said softly, fearing that Willow was upset. "You will have plenty of time to prove yourself!"

Dojo sighed loudly. "Well, I was really only expecting one new mouth to feed tonight. I was going to throw a welcoming feast for the new apprentice."

Kimiko laughed nervously, remembering Dojo's previous cooking attempt. "Maybe we should get someone else to cook tonight's dinner."

Master Fung looked at Willow and Ping Pong with a smile. "Two hopeful warriors remain," he said, before shifting to a slightly wary tone. "You must make your decision soon, for I sense a dark cloud is on the horizon."


Far away, in the dark mountains, Chase Young waited in his lair. The interior of his mountain lair resembled a series of dark caves to better suit his change in personality, as the elegant citadel had been demolished by his previous rampage. Chase was standing at his scrying pool, which illuminated the chamber with an eerie green glow. In the waters of the pool, the Heylin warrior could see Willow cheerfully interacting with the Xiaolin Warriors.

Suddenly, the blonde haired girl herself appeared beside Chase, looking into the scrying pool with him. "Have I infiltrated the Temple well?" she asked the immortal evildoer.

The image in the water faded from view as Chase turned his attention to her. "Yes, mighty Shadow," he replied with a chuckle. "A curtain of darkness shall soon descend upon the Xiaolin Warriors."

Willow was enveloped in a shroud of blackness, and when the darkness lifted itself, she had taken on a new appearance. Her pure white outfit had been replaced by a suit of dark purple armour and headband, and her once blonde hair was now a dark green. Her eyes were strikingly reptilian, just like her master's.

"The forces of evil will reign supreme, and we'll rule what's left of the world side by side," she chuckled, her voice sounding much less innocent and naïve.

The two of them laughed in unison, and their amusement was joined by the triumphant roars of the jungle cats that surrounded them. Above the mountains, a flash of lightning lit up the night sky, and the moon was enveloped by ominous clouds.