While the hours stretched on, Dojo continued to aimlessly glide over Egypt. The sun set, the night passed, and the sun rose once again, all while Omi stubbornly sat upon Dojo's head and waited for his destiny to arrive. Dojo insisted that Dashi hid the Sands of Time "in Egypt, not Europe," and though the denial was oddly specific, no one had reason to doubt him.

"Are we there yet?" whined Jack for the hundredth time.

"Feels like we've been flyin' around for days," said Clay, lying flat on his back across Dojo's scales. "I'm feelin' more tired than a..." His sentence drifted into nothing; he was too tired to end it.

"You kids need your rest," said Dojo, eyes barely open. "How about we get a fresh start tomorrow and wander around aimlessly looking for the Shen Gong... Wu..."

Omi glanced up from the ancient scroll when the wind started to tug at his clothes. The clouds started to slowly rise, and the ground approached- They were sinking from the sky. He rolled up the scroll and whacked Dojo's head with it. "Dojo, are you falling asleep?"

Dojo's body practically yanked itself out of the descent. Eyes wide and bloodshot, the dragon blabbered, "J-just five more minutes, Mommy! I don't wanna go to school!"

"Okay, that's it!" Jack sat up and started clambering to his feet. "I've been a real good sport over the years, what with all the undulating and swirling, but I'm drawing a line in the sand. It's one thing to ride Dojo on a normal day, but there is no way I'm sticking around when he's about to pass out!"

"I don't say this often," said Kimiko, "but Jack's got a point."

Omi rolled his eyes. "I woke him up. He's fine. Right, Dojo?"

"I ate the dog's homework," said Dojo, blinking rapidly.

Clay shook his head and studied the landmarks below. "Omi, partner, I know you're eager to get ahold o' this Wu, but even if it were safe for the rest of us, it ain't fair to make Dojo keep flyin' around like this without any sleep."

Omi spun around to finally face the other riders. "Then what do you suggest we do? We have no Shen Gong Wu designed for travel; Dojo is our only swift method of transportation."

"Faster than a jet plane." Dojo blinked back at them with a listless grin.

"No offense, partner," said Clay, "but there ain't any point in flyin' around until we know where we're goin'. What if the Wu reveals itself far away, and Dojo's too tired to get us there? I reckon we oughta touch down for a while and let everyone get a lil shuteye."

"Yeah, I'm with Clay on this one," said Kimiko with a yawn.

"Me, too!" Jack clung to Dojo but still looked ready to switch on his helipack and hop off at any second. "Especially the part where we get off the barely conscious dragon! That's majority vote, Cue Ball."

Muscles coiled, Omi said, "We are not voting! This is my quest; none of you are even supposed to be here-"

The wind shifted upward again. Gliding down, Dojo said with slurred words, "Sorry, pal, going with the crowd on this one."

Despite Omi's loud and increasingly high-pitched protests, Dojo landed in the city of Cairo. Kimiko led the group to the nearest hotel, all while Clay physically dragged Omi along like a misbehaving puppy. When they reached the hotel room, Jack squealed and dashed inside. "Beds! Actual beds! I haven't slept on anything but those stupid mats for years! Oh, beds, how I missed you so!" He face-planted into the nearest one and fell asleep almost instantly.

While Clay and Kimiko sorted out sleeping arrangements, part of which involved rolling Jack onto one side of his bed to make room for Raimundo, Omi sat near the door and sulked. It wasn't fair; he had been perfectly willing to take on this quest alone. If his teammates were so concerned about getting sleep, they could have stayed home. Why did they have to come along if they were going to do nothing but slow him down?

For a brief moment, Kimiko and Clay bickered over whether she should have an entire bed to herself. ("Clay, I don't need that much space-" "Ladies get their own beds, it ain't right to make you share-" "I am not letting you sleep on the floor when there's a king size bed right here-") Kimiko ended the argument by physically pushing Clay onto the bed and threatening to sit on him until he fell asleep. Within minutes, the only noise left in the room was snoring.

Omi drummed a finger on his knee, stood, and then crept for the door. Clutching the Sword of the Storm, he stepped out of the room and trotted his way back to the stairs. If his friends could not be bothered to take their mission seriously, he would continue alone as he originally intended.

"So what's your plan here?"

Omi jumped and spun around. Raimundo leaned against the wall near their doorway, watching him with a raised eyebrow. Omi scowled and muttered, "I thought you fell asleep."

Raimundo smirked. "Sleep is for the weak."

Still backing toward the stairs, ready to bolt, Omi pointed and said, "If you plan on dragging me back into that room to waste valuable time, then you will not succeed. We cannot allow the Heylin side to get the Sands of Time; the world depends on my success-"

"Dude, I know." Raimundo pushed himself off the wall and strolled toward him. "I think you're right. Time travel is a game changer, man. It's harsh to tell Dojo to 'suck it up,' but we really can't be sleeping when something that important is about to show up."

Omi's mouth dropped open. "You agree with me?" He cleared his throat. "Ah. Good. Then you shall understand when I tell you it is for the best for you to return to the room and wait with the others. Old Omi assigned me this quest and no one else."

Raimundo's mouth pressed into a thin line, but he didn't roll his eyes like the others. "You shouldn't be wandering around a big city like this by yourself. And, uh... besides, how are you supposed to achieve triumph and glory and all that without an eyewitness?" His mouth curved into a mischievous grin.

Omi put a finger to his chin. "Hmm. Good point." Holding the door to the stairwell open, he said, "Very well, you may come along and observe if you wish."

"Cool beans." Raimundo followed Omi down the stairs and through the hotel lobby. The sun had not quite set in Cairo when they stepped outside, and Raimundo let Omi lead the way while they wandered vaguely through the tourist crowds and toward the Nile river. Folding his fingers behind his head, Raimundo asked, "So what are you gonna do with the Sands of Time when you get it?"

Omi paused and blinked up at him. "Put it in the vault?"

"Really?" Raimundo's eyebrows lifted. "You don't want to use it? I mean, I guess Master Fung and Master Monk Chase probably don't want us messing with time space continuum stuff, but like, if you could use it to do anything, what would you do?"

"Oh." Blinking another couple times, Omi resumed his stroll and put a finger to his lip while he thought. Beaming, he answered, "I suppose I would go into the future and see what kind of grand, heroic warrior I turn out to be!"

"Oh yeah?" asked Raimundo. "You wouldn't try to go to the past and change anything? Master Fung said we can go back and alter stuff if we want."

"Maybe so, but my past has led me to where I am now." Omi's casual walk shifted into more of a swagger. "I have no mistakes to fix; I am not the type to make mistakes."

"Heh. Speak for yourself." Raimundo's eyes turned murky and shifted to the stone pavement. "There's no way I'd go to the future. Probably won't like finding out if I'm dead or in jail or whatever. I'd rather go to the past, try to figure out what happened to my dad."

Omi had been about to ask exactly why a Xiaolin Warrior like Raimundo would land himself in jail, but the last part threw him off, and his topic changed. "Your father? Your sisters mentioned him."

Raimundo's fists pushed into his pockets. "Yeah. They said I was there with him when he died, but I don't remember it. A-and I know I was a really little kid and all, but what if I had something to do with it? I just," He grimaced and dipped his head, "I just want to know what happened, and if I have a chance to change it, I want to try. I'm a Xiaolin Dragon now. I could save him, I'm sure of it."

"You can!" Omi spun around and started walking backwards to give Raimundo his full attention. "After I rescue the universe and obtain the Sands of Time, you can use it to save your father, and his fate will no longer be sealed!"

Raimundo's eyes went round, and he stopped walking. "Dude, are you... are you sure? I mean, if I could go back and stop Os Anjos da Morte, it would fix everything, but I don't think Master Monk Chase will want us messing with the past, like-"

"Why not? I cannot think of any cause more honorable than rescuing your family from doom, and besides," Omi bounced on the soles of his feet, grinning, "even if Master Monk Chase does not approve, Jack Spicer never asks permission for anything, so why should we? I give you my word: as soon as I get the Sands of Time and finish my own adventure in the future, I shall make sure that you are the next in line to use it!"

Raimundo's answering grin lit his face, and Omi wasn't sure if he had ever seen the teen with a sincere smile before. In fact, in the entire year that they'd known each other, he wasn't sure if he and Raimundo had ever had a single conversation alone. He honestly didn't know much about Raimundo at all.

Ears turning a bit pink, Omi ducked his head and admitted, "Besides, your adventure sounds more noble than mine..."

Raimundo snorted and shook his head. "Dude, believe me: my name and the word 'noble' will never belong in the same sentence."

Twiddling his fingers, Omi muttered, "Do you think...?" With a gulp, he spun around and started walking again. "Never mind."

Following at his side, Raimundo asked, "What's up?"

"I don't know." Omi kept his gaze glued to the concrete sidewalk for a while, until he finally broke the silence and asked, "Why did Master Fung get so upset with me? I want to get the Sands of Time, and I want to do it alone." He looked up at Raimundo. "I should not need anyone's help to get it, right? What kind of warrior would I be if I cannot accomplish my own quest? Does he not want me to succeed?"

"I think maybe he's worried that you're doing stuff for the wrong reasons?" When Omi's eyes grew round, Raimundo shrugged and held his palms up. "I mean, I'm definitely not a shining example of a good person or anything, but I think a real warrior would do stuff to help people, not for glory and attention. So like, are you trying to get the Sands of Time to keep the universe safe, or do you just want people to think you're awesome?"

Face pink, Omi blurted out, "Of course I want to keep the universe safe!" He bit at his lip before anything else could come out, and he avoided eye contact.

After an awkward, silent minute of strolling next to the river, Raimundo reached over and tapped the top of Omi's head with his knuckles. "Well, if it matters, I think you're pretty awesome either way."

Omi almost stumbled while he cleared his throat and squared his shoulders. "W-well, of course, thank you! I do my best-"

"Kids! There you are!" The two boys spun and looked up, and Dojo passed over their heads and swirled to land his serpentine body around them. Eyes still a little bloodshot, he said, "Hop on! The Sands of Time just went active! I think I'm just recharged enough to get there, but we gotta go now!" From atop the dragon's back, Clay reached out, plucked Omi off the ground, and set him in front of the line. Jack grabbed Raimundo's hand and pulled him up, and the group took off to fly back the way they came.

Master Monk Chase slammed into a stone wall and landed on his hands and knees. He had no time to even wince in pain; he jumped back up to dodge a swipe of Guan's spear. For two days, he and Guan had dueled on the Xiaolin temple grounds, neither sleeping nor eating. All of the elder monks had fled except for Master Fung, who had stationed himself at the temple vault. The Jackbot security system lay scattered in shambles across the courtyard, as did the time-traveling contraption that had started this entire mess.

Crows circled overhead like buzzards waiting for a meal. Chase's lungs ached for a pause in the fight, but he didn't dare grant it. He swiped a kick at Guan's ankles, but Guan thrust his spear into the dirt, inches from Chase's head, and leaped clear over him. When he landed and the two whirled around to face each other again, something in the air shifted, and the two warriors froze.

Chase's eyes widened, and Guan grinned. "Did you feel that? It seems like the Sands of Time has revealed itself." A new bird, a red and silver parrot, glided overhead, and Guan called, "Ying Ying, it's in the well!"

The parrot swirled, and though Chase didn't hear the tell-tale sound of Hannibal Bean's wicked laughter, he lifted the nearest rock and threw it at Ying Ying. She squawked and dove, and while the rock sailed over her, she disappeared into the temple well. Chase bolted into a run, but Guan cut him off, blocking him with the spear and swinging it toward his chest. Chase was faster; throwing his weight backwards, he ducked under the spear and kicked Guan's shin. The Heylin opponent grunted when he dropped to one knee, and Chase had to spring away to dodge the incoming punch.

When Chase almost stumbled upon landing, Guan sneered, "Is your age catching up to you, Chase? You fight like an old man."

"At least I don't look like one," Chase spat back. "Wasn't that soup supposed to grant you eternal youth? Better ask your master for a refund, Chin Wrinkles."

The two lunged at each other once more in a flurry of kicks and punches, and just like the last dozen times they had done so, neither triumphed over the other. Chase sprang away and rushed toward the well once again, but he was too late: Ying Ying soared into the air, clutching a golden hourglass. Her belly faced Chase, who couldn't see if she bore her rider, who still hadn't announced his presence-

An enormous shadow passed over them, but Chase could only watch Ying Ying, who cackled while she swooped around the courtyard. Guan grinned in triumph, and Master Fung rushed to the battlefield and said, "Chase, what-?"

"Sword of the Storm!"

A whirlwind wrapped around Ying Ying, who shrieked as the hourglass was ripped from her talons and flung into the flowerbeds. Dojo dropped down from the sky, and the five Xiaolin Warriors sprang from his back. Landing in the center of the battlefield, they faced Guan in unified battle stances, and Omi pointed and shouted, "Prepare for a second round, Heylin Warlord Guan! You will not succeed against me today!"

Guan let his spear spin in his fingers before he pointed it at the group. "Isn't this precious, Chase? Your ducklings have arrived to rescue you."

"Young monks," said Chase, crouching, "stay away from Guan, get the Sands of Time-"

"Don't need to tell me twice!" said Jack, flipping on his helipack and taking to the air. Ying Ying dove down and pounced on Jack's face, who screamed and flailed his hands while he twisted in the sky.

When Raimundo took off after Jack to rescue him from the parrot, Guan charged at the other three. Omi and Kimiko sprang away, but Clay stood his ground, and he caught Guan's fists in his hands. Skidding back a few feet, Clay gritted his teeth while Guan bent over him and said, "I see you're getting stronger, almost as strong as I am. You're turning more like me every day."

"I'm nothin' like you," Clay spat. "I'm just keepin' ya still."

As Guan's brows furrowed, Kimiko lunged onto his back and hollered, "Tangle Web Comb!" The comb's tendrils latched around Guan's arms, snaking around his torso while he lurched back.

Meanwhile, Omi took off into the gardens. Overhead, he heard Jack's helipack buzz and sputter while he and Raimundo grappled with the loud, squawking parrot. Kicking and pushing aside the knee-high flowers, he frantically searched for a flash of anything metallic. Behind him, he heard Guan roar, and then Clay and Kimiko yelped, but he didn't look up quickly enough-

"Omi, look out!"

He heard a bizarre clinking, rattling noise, like a chain suddenly springing to life, and something solid collided with him from his right side. He rolled into the flowerbeds, scraping across the stems and branches, and when he sat up on his hands and knees, Master Monk Chase crouched next to him, head hanging down. The head of Guan's spear lay underneath him, stained scarlet.

Omi's voice came out in an octave too high, "Master Monk Chase?" His teacher grimaced and pressed a hand to his side, where a dark stain started spreading across his pale blue robes. The spear's head was attached to a long chain, and it stretched across the battlefield all the way to Guan, who smirked at the two. He pressed a button on the spear, and its blade retreated across the battlefield, leaving a trail of blood.

"Chase!" Jack wailed.

Omi staggered to his feet. "M-Master Chase, n-no!"

Master Monk Chase pushed himself up with a shaking arm. "Never mind me, Omi. Get the Sands of Time and run!"

A glimmer at the ground caught Omi's eye, and while Guan stomped toward them, he turned and lunged at the source. His hand slapped down on the shimmering hourglass, and Guan's massive hand slammed onto his own. Biting back a squeak of pain, Omi gripped onto the Shen Gong Wu while Guan lifted it up with him. As Omi dangled in the air and the Sands of Time glowed over him, Guan snarled, "It looks like our battle just ended, didn't it, little duckling?"

Baring his teeth, Omi kicked into empty space and said, "Our battle is just beginning, Warlord Guan! I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown!"

Jack dropped down behind him and rushed to Master Monk Chase. Raimundo landed on an undamaged chunk of roof, face twisted in a barely restrained grimace. Kimiko's eyes flashed from Chase to Guan, fingers twitching like she was ready to strangle the latter. Approaching the flowerbeds, Clay cupped his hands around his mouth and hollered, "Here ya go, lil partner! You got this!"

"Kick his butt, Omi!" Jack yelled.

Omi gulped to quell his heart pounding against his ribcage, and he held up his sword. "I wager my Sword of the Storm against your- your-" He blinked up at Guan. "What do you have?"

"I will battle without Shen Gong Wu." Guan turned and spat into the dirt. "I do not need any extra weapons to crush you like an ant, nor will I show as much mercy as I did last time. I will break every one of your bones just to see the look on your teacher's face." He cast a wicked smirk down at Chase, the only person on the battlefield who now looked absolutely terrified.

Omi's gaze flickered down to the wound in Chase's side, but it couldn't linger long. He shifted his eyes up to the Sands of Time, and though he could hear his fellow monks shouting encouragement and cheers, their voices grew distant in the glow. This was it: his chance to prove his worth, exceed the other monks, and triumph against their greatest foe. If he lost now, the whole universe would plunge into darkness, and Raimundo would never get a chance to rescue his father. He had to win-

No, they had to win.

"I-if you are so confident, Warlord Guan," he said, dipping his head down a fraction to lock eyes with his opponent, "then how about we raise the stakes? Instead of one Shen Gong Wu, I wager five, and you have to fight us all for them!"

Guan frowned, and after a few gasps from his teammates, Omi heard Kimiko ask, "Can we do that? Join the Showdown?"

"That'd be five against one," said Clay with a conflicted frown. Atop his hat, Dojo pursed his lips and pulled out a small red book.

"Fine by me," snarled Raimundo.

"Here we go!" Dojo tapped at one of the pages in his book. "According to the official rule book, it's called the Triple Dog Dare. Every member of both parties can compete, but the outnumbering party has to wager every Shen Gong Wu they have."

"Phew!" Clay leaned back with his hands on his hips. "You sure, lil partner? All seven of our Wu? Those're some high stakes."

"If we lose the Sands of Time," said Omi, "then none of the other Shen Gong Wu will matter. If Guan and Hannibal Bean harness the ability to travel through time, then the world will plunge into chaos, no matter how many other Shen Gong Wu we possess."

"Correct," said Guan. Pulling Omi closer to his face, he scowled. "I have no interest in your other Shen Gong Wu, so why should I accept these new terms?"

Omi blinked up at him with an expression that anyone but Jack would have interpreted as innocent. "Do you not think you can defeat us all at once? Master Monk Chase made it sound like you are a mighty Heylin Warrior, but if you think five pre-apprentices are too much, we can fight more fairly if you wish. I apologize for overestimating you."

Guan's eye twitched. After a second of stunned silence, the other monks' voices returned at full force, far louder and flooding the courtyard.

"OHHHHH, need some ice for that burn, you giant bald weenie?"

"All bark and no bite, huh, Guan? If you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen!"

"Aww, shucks, Guan, we didn't mean to scare ya! We can let you fight us one at a time if that's the best you can do!"

"Guan's a chicken! Bawk bawk bawk baaaaaaawk!"

"ENOUGH!" Guan shook the Sands of Time, rattling Omi along with it until the others went quiet. "You have brought an excellent point to my attention, Dragon of Water: why defeat only one of you when I can tear every one of you spoiled brats into pieces all at once? I accept your challenge. First to get the Sands of Time wins the match."

The other four monks rushed to Omi's side, and while Master Monk Chase looked on with wide eyes and gritted teeth, the Xiaolin Warriors and Guan all shouted, "Let's go: Xiaolin Showdown!"

The remaining shambles of the Xiaolin Temple erupted into an expanding battlefield. The scattered shingles and bricks fused, rose, and morphed into a blue-stoned mountain, atop which hovered the golden hourglass. Down at the base, the five monks' clothes morphed into their red Xiaolin robes, and as Ying Ying and the crows glided in circles overhead, Guan and the monks shouted, "Gong Yi Tampai!"

"Mask of Rio!" Raimundo pressed the colorful mask to his face and disappeared. Jack tapped the button on his chest, and his helipack buzzed to life once more, sending him into the air. Omi and Kimiko took off running up the mountaintop, and Guan barreled after them.

Still at the base, Clay swung his Shen Gong Wu overhead and hollered, "Lasso Boa Boa!" The rope glowed, and at his toss, it lashed out like a cobra and snagged Guan's ankle. Knocking some stones aside, Guan nearly stumbled, but as Clay pulled, Guan gripped the rope and pulled back. In a swift lurch, he yanked Clay clear off the ground and threw him at Jack. The two boys barely had time to yell in alarm before they collided and smashed into the stones.

Guan resumed his charge back up the mountain. Clambering onto a boulder, Omi turned to face him, but before Guan could even lift his spear, Raimundo dropped from the sky and slammed his heel into Guan's neck. The Heylin warrior dropped with a pained grunt. When Raimundo landed in front of him, a meaty hand lashed out and grabbed his calf. Glowering, Guan said, "I have heard such terrible things about you, Dragon of Wind. Perhaps Clay is not the one destined for the Heylin side-"

Kimiko slid down the mountainside and sprang to a stop in front of Guan. "Raimundo, duck!" When Raimundo dropped onto his back, she lifted her Shen Gong Wu from her hair and called, "Tangle Web Comb, Fire!"

Glowing, white-hot tendrils sprang from the comb and wrapped around Guan's bare torso. With an actual yell of pain, Guan released Raimundo and staggered back, grabbing at the fiery ropes. Kimiko gritted her teeth, continuing to step forward as the tendrils snaked around Guan's limbs, but then Guan let out a bellowing roar.

Raimundo, Kimiko, and Omi recoiled while spikes sprouted from Guan's back. The reddish brown exoskeleton encased his body, and his fists swelled into the giant lobster claws. Through the burning white ropes, his monstrous scarlet eyes glared down at the young monks, and his unhinged jaw opened with another, mountain-shaking roar.

Omi called, "Sword of the Storm!" His lucky Shen Gong Wu spun in his fingers, and a massive gust of wind bore down upon Guan, who barely budged under the currents. With a pinch of his claws, he snapped the tendrils from the Tangle Web Comb and yanked them off his body. Raimundo grabbed Kimiko around the waist and leaped right before Guan could snag them both from their spots. Hissing and growling, the Heylin beast stomped toward Omi, who bent his knees and spun the Sword of the Storm as fast as he could. Unfazed by the winds, Guan reached the boulder and reached for him.

A high-pitched monkey screech echoed over the mountainside right before Jack Spicer landed on Guan's face. Fuzzy and angry, Jack screamed and clawed at Guan's eyes before the massive beast managed to snag him by the tail, yank him away, and hold him upside down in the air. Guan's voice was hoarse and garbled when he hissed, "Aren't you the coward who ran and hid the last time we met?"

Jack bared his fanged teeth in a grin when he answered, "Are you kidding? Didn't Dojo tell you about me beating the Shadow of Fear? I'm the braveone of the group!" With another monkey scream, he swung his body closer and punched Guan right in the teeth.

Guan bellowed and slammed Jack into the rocks. When Raimundo dropped down next to Omi, Kimiko squirmed out of his arms. Jack screamed when Guan swung him and threw him again. Raimundo sprang to the edge of the boulder and yelled, "Jack, hold on-!"

"Raimundo, wait!" Omi cried, rushing forward and grabbing the teen's red sleeve. Glancing back, Omi pointed down at Guan and Jack and said, "Kimiko, go!" Kimiko sprang from the boulder and charged down the slope. Spinning Raimundo as best he could to face him, Omi held up the Sword of the Storm and said, "Take this."

Raimundo, who had just looked ready to lash out at Omi for slowing him down, froze and dropped his mouth open. "What? Dude, this is your lucky sword, it's your showdown-"

"Yes, the Sword of the Storm is my favorite." Omi spared a quick peek up the mountain; Clay was nearly at the top. All they had to do was buy him more time. Omi pressed the Sword of the Storm's handle into Raimundo's open palm. "But you were right about me: I was after the Sands of Time for the wrong reasons. I wanted to prove that I was as good as my fellow monks, if not better. But none of that matters. We need to win. You are the Dragon of Wind; the Sword of the Storm will be more useful in your hands than mine. Wield it now, and help me defeat Guan!"

With round eyes, Raimundo let his fingers close around the sword's handle, and his mouth curved up into another smile. Pulling his other Shen Gong Wu down over his eyes, he called, "Mask of Rio!" When he vanished, Omi sprang down from the boulder and dashed down at Guan.

Fighting Kimiko's Tangle Web Comb, Guan threw Jack into the dirt a final time. With a swipe of his tail, he knocked Omi and Kimiko aside and charged up the mountain. Up near the top, Clay panted, clambered to his feet, and slowly turned to face the rapidly approaching monster. He dug his boots into the dirt, bent his knees, and took a deep breath. Roaring, Guan lunged with his jaw open and his claws outstretched.

"REPULSE THE MONKEY!"

When Guan landed, Clay rolled with the hit and kicked from underneath, throwing Guan past the Sands of Time and far down the other side of the peak. Skidding, Guan dug his claws into the stone to stop his descent. Bug-eyed, he said, "You? You know Repulse the Monkey?"

"And you don't." Clay tipped his hat down. "So I reckon you and I don't have as much in common as you thought." Omi dashed past the cowboy, rushing toward the top, and Clay hollered, "Get 'em, lil partner!"

Kicking aside loose stones and dirt, Guan scrambled to his feet, pushing himself up with his claws. Before he could take a single step, Raimundo appeared in front of him, framed by the glow of the Sands of Time. Tossing the Mask of Rio aside, Raimundo swung his other Shen Gong Wu and yelled, "Sword of the Storm, WIND!"

A blast of wind cascaded down the mountain with the force of an avalanche, slamming into Guan and flinging him off the battlefield. With a screech, the Heylin beast tumbled out of sight. Reaching the peak, Omi stretched out his hand and grabbed onto the Sands of Time.

The mountain disintegrated back into the shattered remnants of the various Xiaolin temple buildings, and Guan crashed into one of the only walls still standing. It crumpled and buried him in stone. Ying Ying and the crows scattered, leaving the monks where they stood triumphant in the gardens.

Amid the cheers, Omi held the Sands of Time close and peered around at his teammates. Jack sank to the ground immediately, bearing two black eyes and possibly missing some teeth. Raimundo crouched next to him, tense and alarmed until Jack gave him a weak thumbs up. Clay and Kimiko went quiet and rushed to either side of Master Monk Chase, who still had a palm pressed into his bleeding wound when he sat back onto his knees. Like Jack, he brushed aside their concern and said, "Do not worry about me, young monks. If it were that easy for Guan to kill me, he would have done it by now."

Bowing his head a bit, Omi approached his teacher and said, "I am sorry, Master Chase. My failure to sense danger is what caused your injury, and my pride nearly doomed us all. I tried to redeem myself by inviting my teammates into the Showdown, but perhaps that was a coward's solution. Perhaps I should have faced Guan alone, so I could prove my worth to you-"

With a single, swift step, Master Monk Chase closed the distance between himself and Omi, and with his free hand, he pulled the smallest monk into a hug.

Omi's speech dissolved into a shocked stutter. Master Monk Chase held him close and said, "Omi, your actions today brought victory to our temple. My relief to see you unharmed pales only to the pride I feel for you and your fellow monks." Releasing Omi, who stumbled back with red ears and cheeks, the elder heaved himself to his feet. "Omi, Raimundo, Jack, Kimiko, and Clay, the five of you have triumphed over the Heylin forces and prevented a thousand years of darkness. Not only have you all proven your readiness to rise to Xiaolin Apprentice, you have all made it clear that I should have granted you that rank long ago."

The five monks gasped and beamed at each other. From the ground, Jack let out a weak, "Yaaaaaay..."

With a proud smile, Master Monk Chase turned to Master Fung. "If you would be so kind, Master Fung, would you please get five Xiaolin Apprentice sashes? I would find them myself, but I believe I need a trip to the infirmary."

With a nod and a smile of his own, Master Fung said, "Of course."

"Wait!" Omi threw his free hand into the air and waved the Sands of Time high. "Before anything else, I have a promise I need to keep!" Spinning to face Raimundo, he said, "B-but before I do that, there is someone I need to thank. Is that alright, Raimundo?"

With his thick eyebrows high, Raimundo said, "Uh. Yeah, sure?"

"Excellent!" Omi clasped the hourglass in both hands and called, "Sands of Time!"

In a flash of light, he disappeared. The remaining four monks and the two teachers blinked at the spot where he had just stood, and then Clay looked over at Raimundo and said, "So. Uh. Any idea where he just went?" Raimundo held his palms skyward and shrugged.

The group did not have to wonder long. In another flash, Omi reappeared with the Sands of Time still in hand, except he was not alone. A far older, wrinklier version of himself leaned on a cane at his side. Omi patted the old man's shoulder and said, "Everyone, meet Old Omi! We could not have won without him- I mean, me!"

From the dirt, Jack muttered, "Wow. Your ego was tamed for, like, a solid five seconds. That's gotta be a record."

Omi ignored him. "Old Omi, I wish to thank you for warning us of the impending danger! Though, I suppose doing so is what caused us to leave the temple and endanger it in the first place..." He pursed his lips a moment but recovered quickly. "Still! Your bones are old, but your Xiaolin heart is strong!"

Old Omi squinted around at the group. "Yes, thank you. I am certain you fought like a true warrior yourself." He paused, and when his nine dots glowed on his head, he frowned.

"I most certainly did!" said Omi. "But I suppose I have interrupted what you were doing in your timeline. Would you like for me to return you to the future, or would you like to stay awhile? I promised Raimundo a chance to use the Sands of Time himself, but I am certain that-"

"No." In a movement faster than anyone could have expected from someone so shriveled, Old Omi snatched the hourglass out of his younger counterpart's hands. "I am sorry, Omi, but I cannot allow the Sands of Time to remain here for another moment. It is far too dangerous."

"What?" Omi furrowed his eyebrows. "I do not understand. What danger? We defeated Guan, and the Heylin forces have retreated-"

"Yes," Old Omi bowed his head before he locked eyes with Omi, "but there is a traitor in your midst." In a single, blinding flash, Old Omi vanished with the Sands of Time, leaving Omi to gaze around at his four teammates.