Authors note: here the new chapter. I've been finding it hard to write chapters just because of the workload I am facing this year. I fully intend to finish the story but it will just mean that updates may not be as frequent as they used to be. Well on with the story.

Rai walked in silence as he followed his teacher. Sifu An, to her credit, knew to wait until they were in the privacy of her tea room before saying anything. Arriving back at the tearoom, Rai sat down as Sifu An began to prepare more tea. Rai pulled out his Order dagger and looked at his distorted reflection. After a few minutes, Rai finally spoke.

"So that's why the Order offered me a place," Rai said sullenly.

"No Raimundo, that's why the Order decided to test you to see if you were worthy of a place," Sifu An replied, "You earned that dagger, just like the rest of us, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

Rai took one last look at the dagger before putting it away; what Sifu An had said had brought him some peace on that matter. Sifu An placed a cup of tea in front of Rai.

"Drink this; it will help clear your head."

Rai took a sip and promptly spat it back into the cup.

"I never said that it would taste good," Sifu An replied to the unsaid statement.

Rai grudgingly drank the vile liquid.

"So what happens now?" Rai asked.

"Now you decide what you are going to do."

"Well the first thing I'm going to do is to get you to tell me what you put in that tea."

"Believe me, its better not knowing what went into that," Sifu An warned.

Rai looked at what was left of the concoction and realized she was probably right. Rai also realized that there was no use playing dumb.

"Do I have to give my answer now?" Rai asked, suddenly not so sure of him self.

"No you do not but until you make a decision that you are able to live with, I will not teach you anymore."

Rai looked at Sifu An almost in shock. Was she going to abandon him just when he needed her most? Seeing the look on Rai's face she walked over to stand beside him.

"Raimundo, I am still your teacher and that won't change no matter what you decide to do. However until you make peace with this matter and come to a decision on what you should do nothing I teach you will stick."

Rai, never feeling so unsure in his life, he started shaking a little. Sifu An placed a hand on his shoulder. It calmed him slightly.

"What should I do?" Rai asked.

"You should meditate in on it," Sifu An answered, "Raimundo, everyone in the Order can offer you an answer but none, including myself, can give you the right answer. It may seem unfair that such a choice must lie on your shoulders but when all is said and done; you are the only member of the Order in over a thousand years who has any idea of what the Shen Gong Wu are truly capable of, both great and terrible."

Rai nodded, while he hated to admit it, he realized Sifu An was right. Sifu An continued.

"Look to your past, to the lessons you have learnt, both here, the Temple and beyond. While some members may have a low opinion of the Temple, one can not deny that you have learned much there."

Rai sat quietly for a moment, allowing Sifu An's words to wash over her.

Sifu An asked, "Would you like me to take you back to your room so that you can have some privacy to think?"

"Actually could we go somewhere outside of the Order grounds?"

Sifu An paused for a moment, toying with an idea. Seeing the lost look on Rai's face made her come to a decision.

"I know just the place, follow me."

"Here we are."

Rai looked up at the giant weeping willow that was standing before him. Rai had never been good at guessing the age of trees but he could safely say that this must have had quite a few years to its name. Sifu An opened moved away some branches, alost like opening a curtain and motioned for Rai to go inside. Rai stepped inside and was amazed at what he saw. Inside was like something that couldn't be of this world. Light shone through the gaps of the branches, creating pillars of light. This made a world in which light and shadows seemed to be in a perfect balance. As Sifu An closed the branch curtain behind her a strange silence overcame this place. It was as if the rest of the world didn't exist. This place seemed almost unnatural yet at the same time almost too natural. Sifu An finally broke the silence but even then talked in awed whisper.

"Consider your self lucky that I am doing this," She whispered, "Normally no one is allowed in here but because of the importance of your decision I will let stay here to make your decision."

"What's so special about this place?" Rai asked.

"It is a place where I can guarantee that you will not be disturbed and that's all you need to know."

Realizing that was the most he would get from her, Rai lay down at the wide base of the giant tree.

"So now what?" he asked.

"Now I'll leave you to it."

Sifu An turned to leave.

"Oh and Raimundo, please be nice to the tree."

At that Sifu An left but not before praying that Rai didn't do anything to disturb the tree.

Rai was now all by himself, not even his wind sensitivity was reaching beyond the willow for some strange reason. It seemed as if no world outside of the willow existed. All he had was this big willow and his own thoughts to keep him company. Now all he needed was Aunt Dora and then he would have the top three dullest things to keep you company.

Ok I'm here to think so let's think…I'm thinking…I'm thinking…I'm thinking that this was the dumbest idea ever…that and giving me that disgusting tea to drink, I can still taste it.

Rai reached into his robes and pulled out his drink bottle. Since coming to the Order, Rai had gain the habit of carrying a drink bottle as a way of compensating for no longer carrying Shen Gong Wu with him. Rai took a sip and then closed the bottle, well that helped with the taste but I still don't know what to do. When Rai rested his arm by his side, his hand seemed to fall on a strange little hole in the base of the tree. Rai sat up to look at the hole, weird I could have sworn that wasn't there before. Rai looked at his drink bottle and then at the hole again. Did the tree want a drink as well? Rai shook his head, this is a tree! Thinking that this tree would want me to give it a drink is as crazy as…Rai paused …as an obese ninja, a magical mime and a mystical flying dragon.

Rai took one more look at his bottle and at the hole before letting out a sigh.

"Well as uncle Carlos always says," Rai stated to the tree, "there is nothing lonelier than a man with no-one to share a drink with."

Rai poured some water down the small hole before closing up the bottle and putting it away. He leaned back against the tree when he felt the base sinking slightly in certain places and rising in others; seemingly moulding it self to shape of Rai's back. This made it extremely comfortable. Rai started to feel a rhythmic pulse from the tree, it was like feeling a heartbeat; reassuring and welcoming. Rai let out a small sigh when he felt something creeping up his arm; he looked to see a tendril snaking across his body, and also saw that it had friends. Soon Rai was covered in them, yet Rai didn't try to get free. He knew he should be scared and try to escape but he felt safe. It was like receiving a hug from a stranger, at first you feel strange and you don't how to react but then, if you let it continue, you find odd comfort in it. Rai closed his eyes and let the tree continue. As the leaves and branches finally created a thick blanket around Rai, a weird yet wonderful sensation washed over him. He felt safe, at peace and, for the since the talk with Lin and Liu, calm.

Rai open his eyes to see images dancing in the pillars of light. At first it was blurry but then it cleared, revealing and reminding Rai the reason he was here.

The Shen Gong Wu.

His mind became the clearest it had been in a while as he began to make the biggest of his life.

Now what do I know about the Shen Gong Wu?

Images appeared in the light, Rai using the golden tiger claws, lighting shooting out of the eye of Dashi and Rai using the sword of the storm.

Yeah they're cool but that doesn't help me.

Images of Kimiko using the star Hanabi to distroy a jack bot and Clay using the Jetbootsu to do dusting appeared.

The Shen Gong are tools and weapons that can be used by good…

An image of Omi using the mantis flip coin flashed by.

... and evil.

An image of Jack using the mantis flip coin appeared.

And there is a lot of evil out there who seek to use it.

Images of Wuya, Jack, Le Mime, Tubimura, Katnappe and Chameleon bot appeared.

With time their numbers only grow.

Images of Vlad, Pandabubba, his henchmen, Robo Jack and Cyclops filled the area.

But that doesn't matter because there is always good to fight them.

Rai was greeted by images of Omi, Kimiko, Clay, Master Fung, the rest of the temple monks and surprisingly Rai himself. Rai was almost satisfied when a chilling realisation came over him.

But that isn't always enough is it?

Images appeared of when Rai was captured by Mala Mala Jong and used to reveal the where his friends were hiding. This had cost him apprenticeship and could have gotten his friends killed. Rai sighed.

We may try our hardest but when all is said and done we are only human. We make mistakes.

Rai saw images of them being deceived by the chameleon bot.

We give into anger.

Images of Kimiko losing her temper in the showdown for the monkey staff appeared.

We give into our pride.

Images of Omi losing the golden tiger claws and the changing chopsticks to Katnappe appeared.

We give into pressure.

Images of Clay obeying his father and leaving the temple followed.

And we give into temptation.

The images of Rai siding with Wuya almost brought tears, as did seeing Wuya being revived.

And when we deal with things as powerful as Shen Gong Wu, one mistake is enough to damn the world. It's a game with so much to lose that I'm longer sure if we should be playing.

As if to bring the right answers, Master Fung's voice pierced the silence.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

Yeah but what is the next step?

"Being a xiaolin dragon also means seeing the world in a different way. For example, finding simple solutions to complicated problems "

Maybe but just because it is the simple solution doesn't make it the right one.

"Your aim had been to win. My aim had simply been not to lose."

At this the answer seemed to come to Rai. The tree released Rai from its hug. Rai turned and bowed.

"Thank you," Rai whispered, "I don't know how I can repay you."

Rai witness another small hole appearing, a picture of his drink bottle flashed through his mind. Rai couldn't help but smile at this; he took out his drink bottle and drained all of its contents into the hole.

"There you go, you earned it," Rai said, putting away the now empty bottle, "Well I wish I could stay longer but I've got to go."

Rai opened the branch curtain and stepped out of the strange willow world.

Sifu An was sitting in her tea room when Rai walked in.

"Ah, I see you have returned," Sifu An said softly.

Rai sat beside Sifu An and accepted the cup she offered. He took a sip before speaking.

"I have made my decision."

"And what is that?"

"I'll do the ritual."