WARNING: This chapter includes the depiction of someone dying.

The four monks sat in the common room, a chaotic board game set up on the floor. The three Shoku Warriors were trying to study and spend time with Omi at the same time. Clay was particularly having difficulties with the papers and managing his time. With so many interesting things in the ancient scrolls, it was hard to stay on task. They were working on deciphering a jade scroll, now the oldest scroll in the temple. It was a rite of passage, to attempt to translate one of the chapters, one that Raimundo insisted Omi participate in. However, the sheer length and illegibility of the text made the task more tedious than invigorating.

"I don't know about you guys," Kimiko sighed after an hour of research, "but I'm tired of getting beat down by Jack." She peeled a bandage off her leg to examine the cut. It had healed well over the last few days.

"Let me help you with that." Raimundo stood, but Kimiko waved him off.

"It's just a scratch, I can handle it." She poked at the wound before applying antibiotic. Raimundo slowly sat down and returned to copying charts. Clay looked between the two, then over to Omi who shrugged.

"It does feel like we've taken a few steps back." Clay agreed with Kimiko's previous statement. Moving his piece, Clay saw Raimundo glance frequently in Kimiko's direction. The cowboy coughed.

"Yeah," Raimundo said with a start, "the other monks are freaking out about the whole thing, calling it the End of Dashi's Era." The Dragon of Wind shuddered. "Even Dojo seems out of it."

"Who me?" Dojo coughed from his bed. "Nah, this is something else." The dragon rested his head and sighed. He just felt so tired. "Don't worry about me kids, it'll pass." The group seemed to brush it off, but Omi was concerned. Dojo wasn't usually one to under share about his condition, and he definitely would have told them if it was because of a Shen Gong Wu. However, the tiny dragon didn't seem terribly concerned, and insisted that he was fine. Omi in turn, tried to compensate for his friend's lack of energy.

"To think that Grand Master Dashi's teachers would teach from this paper." Someday, he would be the one writing scrolls for the temple, and his would be legible.

"Omi, weird question for you;" Raimundo frowned, "what did the monks tell you we're supposed to do to become Dragon Warriors? The final promotion, not all the training and stuff we do now."

"Well," Omi recited from memory, "the Grand Master will give us a final quest. Then after that is completed, we will each journey to our elemental temple and bond with its guardian. I have been training for this since the day I was born. The minute I walk through the doors, they will know I am truly worthy of being a Dragon Warrior." He sat down with a satisfied smirk. "As our leader, you should already know this forwards and backwards."

"That's not what it says here." Raimundo showed the group an image of an armored woman standing at the mouth of a vortex. "Look familiar?"

"That's the woman who was with Jack!" Kimiko jumped out of her seat.

"According to this, Shoku Warriors were sent off alone to find the guardian of the Ying Yang World and defeat her in battle. After that, she'd grant one wish, and you were supposed to ask her to enter the Ying Yang World safely to take the final test. Apparently a lot of warriors failed to complete the task."

"But why alone?" Omi asked.

"Well this was before Dashi united the dragons in training." Kimiko guessed. "They may have already been alone."

"Actually, I think it has more to do with the task itself." Clay deduced. "It says here that Shoku Warriors would have to fight themselves and win. If it's in the Ying Yang world, maybe they had to go against the other part of their chi? That way, only warriors with a strong good side would get to be Xiaolin Dragons."

"And if someone would grant you any one wish, it would be really tempting to use it on something else, if you didn't really want to be a Dragon Warrior." Kimiko concluded.

"But that bird thing was trapped inside the Ying Yang world with Hannibal." Raimundo shook his head. "I don't get it, what happened?"

"Hannibal happened." Dojo replied. "Dashi said Hannibal wanted to be known as the last Dragon Warrior. So when he defeated the guardian, he used his wish to become her master." Dojo shuddered. "Legend says when she took him to the Ying Yang World, where he destroyed what little good he had left in him. Without the guardian or the key, no one else would be able to complete the quest. Not even Dashi." He faced the kids. "So we changed the rules."

"Hannibal tried to destroy the temple from the inside out." Raimundo clenched his fist.

"He succeeded." Omi hung his head. "Even if Grand Master Dashi restored the temple, our traditions have completely changed. With Hannibal imprisoned, all dragon warriors could never unite." They were startled out of their conversation when Master Fung approached.

"Children, I have just received word from Master Monk Guan, he has requested your assistance." The children responded with a torrent of questions, most of which he dismissed with a gentle wave of his hand. "He did not specify why you are needed in his message, but considering the courier he used, it must be quite dire." He looked at the deflated dragon. "Dojo does not seem ready to fly, I would suggest taking him with you in the Silver Mantaray."

"But you-" Dojo began.

"I will remain here," Master Fung interrupted, "it shouldn't be more than a day." He could see the worry in both the dragon and Raimundo. "The temple will fine, right now children need you more."

~v~

The young dragons arrived at Guan's temple as the sun hung low in the sky. They were welcomed by the temple's many monks and ushered into the inner sanctum.

"I see." Guan sighed after the Xiaolin Warriors had summarized what happened. "This is indeed cause for concern. Hannibal's imprisonment was a symbol of peace and good will from the Heylin side. Were he to regain his elemental powers, it would surely tip the balance in neither of our favors."

"Are we finally talking 1,000 years of darkness?" Raimundo asked.

"Yes," Guan nodded, "and then some."

"We were about over do for an apocalypse." Clay agreed.

"You know, at first I got this as a joke." Dojo pulled out a calendar that said '61 days without the end of the world', and solemnly set it to zero. "Now it's just depressing. We have to at least shoot for one hundred kids."

"Speaking of 1,000 years of darkness," Raimundo continued, "do you have any idea what Chase Young is trying to do?" The bald master thought a bit. "From the items you described, it is likely to be the Liufang Ritual, used to seal Hannibal Bean 1500 years ago."

"Then that's a good thing right?" Kimiko asked. "We won't have to be fighting against him this time."

"If that is your definition of good, then yes." Guan nodded.

"I've been meaning to ask this for a while," Clay conceded, "but if there's some type of trap that catches immortal varmints, then why haven't we used it on Chase Young or Wuya?"

"That's an excellent question." Dojo began. The monks waited anxiously for him to continue. "What? I don't know! That's why I said it was an excellent question." The monks stumbled in disbelief.

"That's because you've been working with the good guys for the last 1500 years." A yellow dragon chortled as he slithered in the room. His scales were greased back with wax. While the monks were more accustomed to the dragon wearing a tiny Hawaiian shirt, the white temple robes suited him. "I don't see Fung as the type to sacrifice dragon eggs."

"Chucky Choo!" The children gasped.

"It's good to see you kids again." Chucky scratched his belly. "Can't thank you enough for landing me this gig. Temple life is nice, even if the work load's gonna kill me."

"Chucky has been helping my students restore forgotten scrolls." Guan explained.

"Don't trust a word that comes out of that no good, rotten, yoyo thief!" Dojo practically strangled the brim of Clay's hat before growing weary.

"Woah there Dojo, I gave it back didn't I? I'm a new dragon." Chucky held up his hands defensively.

"It. Was. A. FAKE!" Dojo trembled with anger. Clay scooped the flailing dragon into his hands.

"What was that about sacrificing eggs?" Clay redirected the conversation.

"Buddy of mine back in the day tried the Liufang Ritual with an ostrich egg instead of a dragon's, cheapskate that he was." He shook his head with a sigh. "Thing is, you need the magic of a dragon in order to make a cage that pulls someone out of time and space. Ostriches are probably the least magical of creatures. Now a platypus egg, that might've done something. Not necessarily a cage, but something."

"I think I need to lie down." Dojo whined, feeling faint. "That poor hatchling."

"That's terrible!" Kimiko covered her mouth. "We can't let that happen."

"Well, a mass murdering tyrant's also terrible." Chucky shrugged. "It's that kind of thinking that got Dashi stuck fighting Hannibal forever, while Chase was the one to do something about it." He felt the icy glare of Guan on his back. "But that doesn't mean there aren't alternatives. We just haven't found one yet."

"The reason I called you here s a matter of most importance." Guan folded his arms behind his back. "Recently, my monks have been struck by a plague of nightmare induced sleep walking."

"More like sleep running." Chucky shuddered.

"The Shadow of Fear." Raimundo theorized.

"We suspect whoever's using it, is trying to get their hands on the temple's greatest treasure... a flame."

"A what?" Raimundo balked.

"A flame." Guan repeated. "The dying ember of the first dragon of fire. It resides within the sacred Man Yidan Lamp and has become one with the mystical object. Anything that feels the warmth of its glow will experience one hundred years as if it were a second."

"If it's that powerful, how can anyone steal it?" Omi asked. "They'll stop on the tracks if they get to close."

"That's in their tracks," Raimundo shook his head, "on the tracks is way too grizzly."

"What does this have to do with bears?" Omi tilted his head to the side. His leader simple shook his head.

"So what do you want us to do Guanoman?" Raimundo asked.

"With your help," Chucky interjected, "we'd like to make a whole bunch of look-a-like lamps. That way we can catch the perp before they can make off with the real lamp."

"Why do you need us?" Kimiko asked.

"If it's made by real Xiaolin Warriors, with a flame from the Dragon of Fire, it will be harder for them magic sniffers to tell 'em apart." Chucky gave a noncommittal shrug. "Plus we need people to protect the door while we make 'em. Everyone around here is pooped."

"A most ingenious plan!" Omi nodded. "We do not have time to waste. The enemy could be on us at any moment."

~v~

Jack sat cross legged on the floor in front of his current teacher, desperately trying to meditate. Like always, his mind was racing with ideas and theories, too easily distracted to clear his mind. The major culprit this time was his conversations with Omi, or rather, what had happened at the temple. Finally having the upper hand was amazing, it had been so long since he had any amount of control in a showdown. He had even gotten the jump on Chase, but it had been the first time he drew blood. It was easy to laugh it off as an amazing feat with his new team of evil, but now that he was strong enough to do real damage, he wasn't sure he wanted to. Which didn't make sense, every villain worth their salt had was hell bent on destruction and world domination, regardless of who got hurt.

He opened an eyelid to peak that woman who had cleared her mind what seemed like hours ago. The lab had been darkened with a sole candle between them. He was supposed to be focusing on the flame as an aid, but that just reminded him of how easily he could have been burned by Kimiko. When he had briefly been on the Xiaolin side, everything had been about strict rules and levels, annoying yet structured. The Heylin side was the exact opposite. No one war lord or witch could agree on what it meant to be a Heylin Warrior. Yet somehow, miraculously, he finally earned the robes of an apprentice.

"I can feel you staring at me." Ying Ying sighed. "If there's something you want to say, say it."

"Sorry." Jack squeaked reflexively. "I've asked this a few times, and basically got laughed out of the room..." He sighed. "But what is the Heylin side? We don't have a temple or a team or anything that resembles structure. Just what exactly are we?" The woman let out a long sigh as she finally opened her eyes.

"Xiaolin was founded on the teaching of the first dragon warriors." Ying Ying replied. "Heylin was created, when warriors turned their back on the teachings of these dragons." She resumed her lotus pose and closed her eyes.

"That's it?" Jack exclaimed.

"Yes." Ying Ying replied tiredly.

"Wasn't there like, a kung fu civil war, or a battle between two grand masters?" Jack asked. "Or aren't there some cool dark powers you gain by being on the Heylin side that the Xiaolin losers ban or something?"

"No." Ying Ying frowned, trying to regain her concentration.

"But Chase has all those cool warrior cats, and a lair, and all kinds of cool sorcery! Wouldn't being on the Heylin side mean I get to learn stuff like that?" Jack became increasingly frustrated.

"No. Being Heylin does not earn you anything other than freedom." Ying Ying grimaced. "I am a warrior by trade and breeding; I do not know any magic." Being a magical creature, apparently, was not the same as knowing magic. "Before you ask, Hannibal only thinks he knows magic. We would not be in this situation if he did." Any malice she once had about their curse had been extinguished by years of imprisonment.

"Then what's the point of being over here instead of over there?" Jack finally asked, his voice echoed throughout the lab. Her eyes flew open, fiercely glaring at her student.

"You had your opportunity to train with them no?" She hissed. "Yet you left! They are taught by a dragon. You are taught by my master and I. You choose your teacher, that is the difference!" She took a cleansing breath, shouting at him would get nowhere. Perhaps a demonstration would be better. Within the confines of her sleeves she equipped her needle tip finger covers. Swiftly she went to strike him, the speed of her strike snuffing out the candle. Jack stumbled back in alarm.

"HEY!? What are you doing?" He screamed.

"Teaching you a lesson you will remember." Ying Ying drawled. The shadows of the lab concealed her movements, thankfully it seemed her student had taken cover. She paused, listening for the sound of his labored breathing. Once she identified where he was hiding, she launched forward. He deflected her blow with a kick, and with as much strength he could muster called upon the Reversing Mirror. She immediately reverted back to her falcon form, giving him enough time to stumble toward the lights.

"Have you lost your mind?" Jack sputtered. Ying Ying soared toward him, and landed on his head. She pecked his forehead before fluttering back to transform back into her human form.

"You are concerning me with your progress." Ying Ying she pointed at his chest with her taloned fingers. "You rely too much on that mirror, were this a real battle, you would have been subdued. We're standing in a room built from your element, yet you did not try to use it. You have gone through strength training, yet not once did you attack." She folded her hands into her sleeves.

"I didn't want to hurt you!" Jack tried to calm himself. For a moment, he thought he had been betrayed by his mentor yet again. His answer was honest, but it did not please either of his teachers.

"You assume others won't do the same." Ying Ying scowled.

"Now Ying Ying," Hannibal tsked from the balcony of the stairs, "you shouldn't scold him for showing loyalty to his teachers." He hopped down the stairs. "You of all people should understand the honor that comes from loyalty." There was a knowing glimmer in his eye, one that caused the woman to back down. "I appreciate that you didn't maim my vassal. My apologies Jack, sometimes she forgets herself." Jack squirmed under the bean's gaze. There was no way he could know Jack's plan to double cross him, but he was doing a smashing job of making him feel guilty about so much as considering it. "I think that is enough training for the day, the boy has a long day of school ahead of him."

"Rehearsals!" Jack exclaimed. "I totally forgot!" He scrambled to gather his school uniform and supplies. "Sorry, I have to duck out on training, I'll make it up to you later." Once he left Hannibal grinned at his vassal.

"That should paralyze those wandering eyes of his, for now." He grimaced. "We wouldn't have had to, if you just embellished what it means to be a Heylin Warrior. Dark powers are what all the kids are into these days. You should be careful, your guardian side is showing."

"What it means to be a Heylin Warrior depends on the warrior." She raised an eyebrow. "You are the one who decided that incorporates world destruction. He's your apprentice," she relented, "you are the one responsible for teaching him how to be an Evil Emperor... and a liar." It was a cutting remark that had lost all its edge, watered down to bare bone facts.

"You're too kind." Hannibal chuckled. "No real harm has been done. It's not like the boy will be around much longer to teach if everything goes as planned."

~v~

Even though he was tired, Dojo insisted on being a part of quality control when it came to the manufactured wu. By his estimation, Chucky's suppliers got the colors all wrong, and they needed to be fixed at once. Clay had his hands full repainting all sixty-four of them while Kimiko struggled to perfect the flame.

"I don't understand what I'm doing wrong!" Kimiko sighed after her 15th attempt.

"The flame is a brilliant pure white." Guan explained. "You will need to concentrate on increasing the heat of your attacks, not the volume. Picture the flame coming from the belly, rather than the heart." Kimiko nodded and tried again. All the while Raimundo poured over the temple's scrolls, struggling to find anything that could stop Hannibal Bean. Omi was stationed at the door, though no one was asleep at the moment. It wasn't the first time Omi had felt out of place after Clay had been promoted, however something stung at the back of his mind. He slipped away from the others to find the resident temple guardian gorging himself on ice cream.

"Hello Chucky." He greeted quietly.

"Woah!" Chucky flailed backwards off the counter, the empty ice cream carton falling on top of his head. "Don't sneak up on me like that kid!" He threw off the carton and quickly cleaned himself off. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be on guard duty?" The young monk sighed in response.

"It is not necessary at the moment." He glanced through the kitchen window, having a clear view of the door. "If anyone approaches I will be able to see." The yellow dragon dried his hands, a firm look of concern etched into his features.

"You look downer than Dojo, what's going on?" He wagered to guess that Omi was looking to talk to him about something, not to rat out to Guan that he had eaten the temple's stock of ice cream.

"I have lived at the temple my whole life, yet neither Dojo nor Master Fung told me there were other dragon warriors until they arrived." Omi relented. "It is not the first time they have hidden things from me, and it won't be the last... I don't think they trust me."

"Hold on there kiddo, where did all of this come from?" Chucky gapped.

"Ever since the Mantis Flip Coin first revealed itself, the elder monks have avoided us." Omi shook his head. "Up until that point my destiny was clear, built upon the stories of the warriors that came before me. But those stories, they were never the whole truth." Chucky began to sweat nervously. Guard the temple he could do, play historian he could do, but act as a mentor? He was probably the least qualified dragon for the job.

"Look kid, I don't know what exactly you've been told, but I do know Dojo." Chucky cleared his throat. "I mean they taught you everything you know about being a dragon warrior, right? Well that's just the thing, they taught you what a dragon warrior is supposed to be. Not what they are."

"Then what are they?" Omi asked in apprehension.

"They're human." Chucky clarified. "Like your master, like your friends, Dashi and all those good guys were people." Chucky shrugged. "I mean, if pure blooded dragons can mess up, imagine how many times a single person messes up in their lives." He laughed at himself. "Nobody's perfect, not even heroes." Omi was unsure how to respond. Grand Master Dashi had always been a model hero for him. Honorable, strong, wise; he had seen it first hand when he met him. The idea that Grand Master Dashi could be anything else was unsettling, but then again Omi could no longer claim he was a model hero himself. Out of everyone in his group of friends, he was painfully aware that it was him that had brought destruction to the temple the most.

"Did you ever meet Dashi?" Omi asked, knowing full well that Chucky for the majority of his life had paled around with evil doers.

"We crossed paths once during Hannibal's reign of terror." Chucky shuddered.

"What was he like?" Omi prodded.

"An idiot." Chucky sighed. "He got it into his head that he could save all of the dragons from Hannibal's quest for immortality. It didn't help that Xiaolin pretty much wanted his head on a stick at the time, but I'll give him credit, Dojo and I wouldn't be here without him... Needless to say, it's not a story people like telling from start to finish, and definitely not one Dojo would remember fondly. But the guy meant well, so in the end, he did well. Make sense?"

"People got hurt, didn't they?" Omi recalled the nightmares of his friend's death, now a hazy memory, but the fear remained strong. Meaning well was not enough to protect those around him, and it got him into more trouble than he could count. It was becoming increasingly difficult to trust his tiger instincts, stung too many times by reality.

"So I've heard." Chucky agreed. "Not that I was there. But take it from someone who knows firsthand, it is really hard to do the right thing when you're scared. I owe 50% of my failures to panic." He really felt like he was thrashing in the water on this one. "And even if Dojo doesn't trust you with the truth, there are others who do. I know I trust you kid." He pat Omi's calf in an attempt to comfort him. "You'll be able to work through this and come out on top, just like you always have." It was just what Omi needed to hear, though he knew he wasn't the only one who needed to hear it. Chewing on his bottom lip, he peaked out the window at his friends.

"Can you fly?" He asked.

"Uhh..."Chucky half choked. It had been a long time since he played taxi for anyone. "Probably, why?"

"There's something I need to check," He muttered, "but not before letting my friends know I'll be out."

~v~

With the Shard of Lightening, the monks were able to scatter the lanterns around the garden. It was odd, in reflection, being a part of building some sort of challenge for others to face in the future. At least, that was what Kimiko thought. The group let out a collective sigh of relief. There work was done for now, so far, in a few hours, the elder monks would try to sleep once more.

"When Omi get's back, we should do something to unwind. I bet the training grounds would be perfect for a game of soccer." Raimundo grinned.

"After that, I'll turn in early so I can pick up the graveyard shift on the door." Clay reclined against the wall of the tea room.

"Has anyone seen Grand Master Guan lately?" Kimiko asked.

"He went to check on the lantern placement." Raimundo took a gulp of tea and cringed, not nearly enough sugar.

"I'm going to go check on him." Kimiko set down her cup. "Where's the Shard of Lightening?"

"In the travel bag." Clay replied.

Something had bothered her about Guan since they had met. It wasn't that he seemed like a bad person, far from it, however his presence during their training was equally distant and disturbing. It didn't take long for Kimiko to make her way to the double doors of the garden. To her surprise, Guan was guarding them, though it looked like he was nodding off at his post.

"Is there something amiss young monk?" Guan asked.

"No, not exactly." Kimiko fidgeted with the Shen Gong Wu she had borrowed. "You've known Chase Young for a long time now, haven't you?"

"In a matter of speaking, yes." Guan agreed. "Well enough to know he has his sights set on the flame in order to perform the Liufang Ritual." So he had known before they even arrived Chase was up to something. It shouldn't have come as much of a surprise. He had now attacked two Xiaolin temples in a matter of days.

"And you trained together, right?" Kimiko prodded.

"Indeed," Guan agreed, "his eagerness to learn was his strength, and his downfall. After all these years, I doubt there is any room left for negotiation."

"Then, if you don't mind me asking, how are you still here?" Kimiko forgot tact in her eagerness.

"This Garden is not just used to protect the temple's treasure. It where I come to meditate." The silence that followed permeated the room. "I promised Dashi I would see this to the end. As long as Hannibal lives, I must continue to protect the future Dragon Warriors from our mistakes."

"What do you mean?" Kimiko asked. Suddenly Guan was on his feet.

"Go get the others," Guan armed himself with staff #87, "he's here."

~v~

The Prescott Charter School had a fairly modest stage, it was the number of dancers that made the space intolerable. After a series of fumbled steps, the music cut out, giving the performers their first break in hours. Jack dropped to his hands and knees heaving. Stuck in the ensemble again, Jack had to learn the choreography to every number for the play. Not unusual for Jack, but he felt more winded than usual. Perhaps he wasn't drinking enough water. A small applause pulled Jack out of his thoughts.

"That was wonderful!" A familiar monk smiled. "I am not quite sure what it was." Omi admitted. "But it looked like fun."

"Chrome dome?" Jack staggered to his feet and ushered the boy off stage, away from his classmates. "What are you doing here? How did you even know where to go?" He quickly looked around. "Where's everyone else?"

"They aren't here." Omi answered in reverse order. "I asked your mother after she sent us money."

"Mom." Jack groaned at the ceiling.

"And I came to talk to you Jack, alone." Omi confided. Granted Chucky wasn't far, but the dragon had caught on that Omi technically shouldn't be here. Plausible deniability was his best armor at this point. "No teachers, no allies; just as people." He sighed, Jack seemed defensive, but he didn't object. "I'm worried for you. Everything that has happened lately, the apprenticeship. It doesn't seem very Jack-like." Jack avoided the monk's scrutiny.

"Oh really, and what exactly would Jack-like be, hunh?" Jack retorted. He crossed his arms, waiting for the backlash.

"Not standing in someone's shadow," he began, "making your own plans, trying to find something that can help you." Omi folded his arms into his sleeves. "You haven't done any of those things lately. You are not acting like yourself." Jack appeared weary and weathered. Without the makeup covering his face, Omi could make out the dark circles under his enemy's eyes. "If it is some kind of magical malady, I'm sure the others would-" Jack waved him off.

"It ain't magic melon head, I made this decision on my own." He looked at the stage behind him. "And I've always been in someone's shadow, but that's all going to change soon."

"So you do have a plan." Omi narrowed his eyes.

"Gah!" Jack squeaked. He hadn't meant to give that much away. "Look, I'm just sick and tired of being behind everyone else, is that really such a crime?" That in itself wasn't a problem, but Raimundo had shown Omi first hand that this was not the way to get stronger.

"It is if others get hurt in the process, then yes." Omi noticed Jack flinched. "There are other people who could help you advance you skills. I tried to before." His face pinched into a frown when Jack burst into a fit of laughter. He remembered quite clearly letting Jack into the temple, trusting him to follow the Xiaolin ways, only to be betrayed the same day.

"You didn't teach me anything; you made me do your chores." Jack cackled.

"Discipline is the first lesson-" Omi began to recite.

"I learned more from Hannibal in five minutes than I ever learned from you." He clutched his sides. On reflection, it was clear the young monk had no clue what he was doing when he declared Jack his student. To be fair, he was literally a child. How had Jack ever thought of him as wise?

"I am a far better teacher than Hannibal." Omi spat out the name like it was venom. Being last in his class had definitely hampered his confidence, but his pride as a warrior was a whole different matter. Never in a million years would he accept that Hannibal was better than him at anything other than being evil.

"Oh really? Have any new students who want to vouch for you?" Jack whipped a single tear from his face. "Face it, you've got nothing."

"Are you suggesting you are nothing?" Omi asked. The red head froze in response. "You may have quit being my apprentice, but I do not recall ever resigning as your teacher." If there was anything he learned from his friends, it was how to find loop holes in an argument.

"So what, you gonna' teach me something?" Jack asked half as a joke and half out of curiosity.

"Meet me tomorrow night on the training grounds of the central temple at sundown. I will show you what true training looks like." With a curt nod, Omi bid the genius farewell.

"Kid, what are you doing?" Chucky's eyes were wide with panic. "If Dojo finds out about this I'm going to find myself in a gift basket to Chase Young!"

"If the only words of encouragement Jack hears are from the Heylin side, he will never understand why they're bad." Omi concluded, his hands shaking. This could end badly if he wasn't careful, statistically his plans when he went solo fell in the negative. "I hope I made the right decision." Omi grimaced. It was highly unlikely that his team mates would agree, but he wanted to believe that he was doing the right thing.

"Were you shaking in your boots when you made him the offer?" Omi's anxiety was infecting him, he could feel the monk grow cold as he boarded his back.

"No." Omi let out a shuddering breath. The cheap phone Master Fung had given him began to ring.

"Then it wasn't the wrong decision." Chucky concluded. Though he'd never deny that he thought it was a stupid one.

"Omi where are you?" Raimundo asked through the phone line, the audio distorted. "We're in the middle of a Showdown, get your butt over here."

"I- I'm on my way!" Omi sputtered.

~v~

Clay and Chase were in a stalemate of a showdown. With their Wu being switched every few minutes, the tides of the battle were subject to change at any moment. Giant Venus Fly traps threatened to snap them up if they dared step too close. Chase was calm as ever, dead set on collecting the lantern from the monks.

"Guan was no match for me child, and neither are you." Chase sighed. "Enough of these games, forfeit this showdown and hand over the Man Yidan Lamp." The showdown switched their Wu; leaving Chase in possession of the Glove of Jisaku and Clay with the Shadow of Fear.

"Alright Chase Young," Clay pointed the Wu at Chase, "let's see what you're afraid of." He called the name of the Shen Gong Wu and instantly the sky darkened. In the distance a man in black armor with a crooked grin chuckled atop a pile of bones.

"That was your last chance." The man shook his head and tossed a shimmering amulet into the heavens. The arena became overcast by the shadow of a circling dragon, a blood thirsty growl echoed around them. He could see golden talons destroying the original Xiaolin Temple. A pair of green serpentine eyes glowered through the smoke and derbies.

"Chosen? Had I been able to choose, none of you would have ever set foot on these sacred grounds. This transgression will be rectified." The creature bellowed. "You will NEVER be a Dragon Warrior! You are NOT WORTHY!" It decimated the rest of the temple in chilling explosion.

Clay felt an icy gale seep into his bones, the scenery peeled away to reveal the small confines of a dragon nursery. It was eerily quiet, with a lone, tiny figure standing before rows of empty nests. She was barely nine years old, her robe about three sizes too big for her trembling shoulders. The Orb of Tornomi sat on a small wooden crate next to her, ignored.

"If you are here for the dragons, they are gone." She spoke in a cracked whisper. "Dashi and the others are hiding them as we speak. Everyone has left."

"They left you unguarded Lao Mei?" Clay heard Chase's voice echo from all around him. It slowly became clear that this wasn't just a fear, it was a memory.

"I promised to protect this temple with my life." Her hand trembled as she traced the circumference of the orb with her fingers.

"So you're going to fight me?" He scoffed. "There is no way you could defeat me. It would be better for you to surrender to your fate."

"You're right." Her hand recoiled from the orb. "Maybe one day a Dragon of Water will bring an end to this madness, but they will not be like me. I'm too weak." She turned to look at him, her eyes red rimmed. "Hannibal has divided us. He knows Dashi and Gaun don't know what to do, and he won't stop until he has my blood for that potion." Her fingers clung to what appeared to be a golden spire."You can stop him, if you just work together." She backed up against the wooden posts, her voice trembling with every word. "But you need more time." It had taken Clay too long to realize what she was holding. "Kuzuzu Atom."

In a flash all that remained of the Dragon of Water was a pile of ash and the glimmering Shen Gong Wu. Clay felt all the blood rush from his face as he struggled to remain standing. He was surrounded by a whirlwind of memories, the deaths of the Dragon Warriors that came before.

"It's going to keep happening." Chase's voice was low and emotionless. "As long as there is a Xiaolin Dragon of Water, Hannibal will not rest. You children keep relying on supposedly sacred objects, hoping you'll find a better way while others die in futility. Right now two options stand before you if you wish to stop him; you allow me to perform the Liufang Ritual or you find the Imperial Jade Dragon and end Hannibal's life yourselves." Clay slowly stepped back, so close to the winning the showdown, but the visions had shaken him. "If you are not up for the task, I will handle things myself."

"Clay no!" Raimundo panicked.

"You saw it too, didn't you Rai?" Clay shouted back. "What Hannibal has planned is bigger than any Wu. We can't let that happen."

"It has to be a trick!" Kimiko shouted from the balcony, her arms shaking. Keiko had told her a Dragon of Water had died young, but she never imagined under what circumstances it would have happened.

"It's no trick." Guan shuddered, wishing with every fiber of his being he had not witnessed what he had. "Lao Mei sacrificed herself to prevent Hannibal making the Fountain of Youth. In that time, Hannibal was subdued."

"Dashi swore his creations would never take another life, so we hid them." Dojo hung his head.

"He's after Omi isn't he?" Raimundo asked Chase. A Xiaolin Dragon of Water was needed for the potion, yet this whole time Chase had desperately been trying to get Omi to switch sides spouting nonsense about prophecies. "Hannibal's going to try to use Omi to regain his original form."

"Xiaolin has had 1500 years to find a way to end this peacefully, and still nothing has changed." Chase said as he reached for the lantern.

"You cannot allow this to continue Clay, take the lantern!" Guan ordered. "We will find another way."

"No," Clay argued, "this isn't our fight."

"What are you talking about?" Kimiko gapped. "We're the ones who let him out in the first place! We have to do something-"

"Who says we have to stop Hannibal?" Clay shouted. "If Chase wants to take him down, then fine! I'm sick and tired of everyone having to risk their lives because generations of warriors wanted to make it somebody else's problem! I'm not willing to put Omi at risk over something as ridiculous as pride. It's not worth dying over!"

"Clay..." Kimiko mourned. "There has to be another way, right Rai?"

"Let him win this round." Raimundo relented. "We need to talk to Master Fung before proceeding."

"Dashi's Era has already begun to crumble." Chase stated. "If you do not wish to die with it, you must adapt." He took hold of the lantern and the showdown came to a close. "If you ever change your mind, you know where to find me." He left the grounds, nearly stopped by the Dragon of Water.

"Halt Chase Young!" Omi cried as he leapt to the ground from Chucky's back.

"Let him go Omi." Raimundo ordered.

"But-" Omi faltered. His monks looked unnaturally morose. "What happened?"

"We'll explain on the way back home." Clay sighed. "I get the feeling we're no longer welcome here."

Author's Note: DANG, it has been so long! Sorry for making you guys wait so long. But I've finally made it through Nursing School and have my license! Needless to say, but this story is far from dead. In fact, this is the first part of the finale! It feels so good to be writing again, and I really wanted to make sure I finish this story. I'm honestly not sure how many chapters it's going to take. Typically a chapter for this story is around 5,000 words, but this one far exceeded that, and it's just the buildup! So, since I've been away from the story for a while, I'd like to ask you guys. What loose ends do you feel need to be tied up? There will not be a sequel to this story, so I want to make sure to address everything before closing the book on this story. Thank you all so much for continuing to support this story, I look forward to seeing you in the next chapter!