Twilight Rising
Chapter 15
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Back to training on the warm day was the plan, Yugi, Omi and Kimiko watched. They were working on their elemental power, a simple fact that they could bend their element to work to their advantages. As apprentices, they could enhance those abilities and Yugi was all too excited to see what he could accomplish. Until then, he watched with bated breath as Raimundo walked through a premade ravine, the rend so quiet to any sort of noise. The wind dragon swallowed a little as he looked about before the ground started to shake, making him glance up as a few rocks began to fall in, the plan being that he would be buried if Clay, who was above, didn't get him out. "Clay! Any time, big guy!" Clay concentrated, sensed the footing of where Raimundo stood underneath. Attuned to the earth, he gave a nod before raising a foot.
"Seismic Kick: Earth!"
He shoved a boulder that was in front of him and like a switch, it unearthed a single column of ground from beneath Raimundo, sending the boy catapulting out the ravine and into the air. "Awesome, Clay!" Yugi praised as he walked over to the others with a warm smile. Fung nodded, also proud of the boy's mastery over his dragon element, a control so tight that it was proper for the level an apprentice should be. Raimundo huffed, coasting down on a gust of wind himself before bolting over to him, complaining the other couldn't have cut it closer with getting him out. Yugi covered his mouth to avoid snickering to the other's plight earlier before turning to the master as he spoke that it was Raimundo's turn to test his elemental control. All he was tasked to do is set a teammate gently onto a simple slab of rock situated on a bed of searing hot coals. When asked who the volunteer would be, three of the four were quick to scatter, making the trainee growl. Were they so worried he couldn't handle it?! "I'll do it." Yugi offered as he stepped forward. "But are you sure, Yugi?" Omi asked as he looked to the teen.
"Well if no one else plans to willingly, may as well. I trust him." he replied as he looked to Raimundo with a nod and he returned it. He had to give credit where it was due. The kid really knew how to make him not feel so low on the chain. Yugi stood in place as Raimundo began to focus. He envisioned the target and where he had to guide Yugi. He could do so easy, that is to say if he didn't have Omi trying to correct him every step of the way. Raimundo did ask for help with training, sure, but this one, he trusted to get right easy. With another snap to the small monk who finally decided to get out the way so he could concentrate, Raimundo was ready. 'I got this. I know I do...' he thought as the wind began to circle around Yugi's feet, the teen feeling the air shift around him before he was slowly being lifted. "You got it so far..." Yugi whispered but just before Raimundo could do as tasked, Omi decided to ruin it all with a sudden appearance into the boy's face, making him yelp in fright.
Falling over, his iron grip on the controlled gust of wind was lost, shooting Yugi into the air with a cry of fear as he was sent off course and heading straight for the coals. "Yugi!" Kimiko cried but Clay's quick thinking had a lasso around the teen's waist and brought back to solid ground. All before the shade could react itself. Soft panting met their ears before Yugi gave a nod of thanks to Clay though Raimundo's complaints topped it as he tried to excuse his lack of focus to Omi's sudden entry into said focus. "We will try again another day, Raimundo." The Brazilian sighed, running a hand through brunet locks as Omi began to once again lecture the boy though to him, it sounded more like degrading for something that wasn't even his fault. "I had it..." he grumbled as the others began walking off but Yugi stayed back. "I know you did. Omi just...took the assistance too far." Yugi replied as he patted his arm.
"You're not too far from being an apprentice. You've been making smarter decisions by the day." With that, Yugi stepped off to follow the others while Raimundo hummed. Unlike Omi, Yugi knew what to say and definitely knew how to let him handle things his own way. He'd almost forgotten that normally, he would give him a hard time but after today, Raimundo knew that he had to respect the kid for at least sticking up for him as a newbie dragon compared to the others that were by his side longer. An alert on Kimiko's PDA made her take the device out, seeing a newscast about a string of robberies happening in Hong Kong. The others gathered around her to listen once she turned the volume up, the reporter speaking how each crime was being committed by some form of mysterious power.
"Wait a minute...isn't that the Serpent's Tail?" Yugi questioned. "Yeah and the other guy has the Fist of Tebigong." Kimiko whispered before looking to Clay as he mentioned the last person that should have both after their daily Wu checklist was Jack. So it bore the question of why he and Wuya would stoop to being lowdown criminals now instead of wayward world conquerors. It didn't make sense but at the very same, they knew they couldn't ignore anyone who was misusing the Wu for any sort of evil, even for something petty as robbing.
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Jack was hard at work much to Wuya's annoyance, watching the boy fiddling with his newly made "Yes-Bot". It was an eyesore and just another little toy to praise Jack for anything when he does nothing of value. She had plans to follow and a boy to convert to evil and none of that would happen if this weak noodle of a child she was stuck with didn't train with the Wu. Floating to face him, she growled that there was no time to continue with his little toys and for him to get practicing with the Fist of Tebigong. A spit take from the nice warm glass of milk he was offered by the bot met her demand, red eyes shifting worriedly as Jack tried to make an excuse, one after another. Wuya grew tired of them and told him to pick anything and get to work, moving towards the cabinet to choose one herself if the boy wouldn't do so. Jack tried, oh how he tried, to keep her from noticing but he also forgets rather quick that trying to keep a ghost from entering was a futile effort, shivering as her body passed through his own and into the cabinet. Yellow eyes grew heated with anger, seeing the shelves empty of their collected trove and let the cabinet to demand what had happened to all of.
The genius swallowed before he explained to her of what he had done. Jack was stripped for cash and needed parts. When one needed a loan, you look no further than to the powerful crime boss in all of China; Pandabubba. He had gone to the boss in hopes to get lucky with said loan but the boss was finicky, he looked at Jack and expected nothing from him worth his time to get any sort of loan from him. But the boy surprised him, offering the Wu as collateral for money and the boss accepted the offer, giving him what he needed in exchange.
Wuya, as one could guess, was oh so livid to the explanation. The idiot genius traded her Shen Gong Wu, powerful mystical items, for robot parts?! Oh she wished she had hands to strangle the life out of him. And Jack knew, he could feel the killing intent coming off in waves. He did keep the Monkey Staff, that he couldn't part with; it was just too much fun to use. But in the case of the Wu itself, he assured the witch that Pandabubba saw the Wu as nothing but harmless antiques. He would never know how to use them in a million years. With the staff, he could just easily sneak into the boss' stronghold and steal them back. It was a genius plan Jack prided on himself.
Wuya gritted her teeth. Oh, it was a good one, alright...a good one that she was sure to see blow up in his face.
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"Be careful, kids. This is the side of Hong Kong Dashi refused to let me play in." Dojo commented as he descended down into the bad side of Hong Kong. Once they were situated with a plan, they had taken off to see if they could in any way stop the string of crimes that took to the streets. Raimundo took a glance around the withered streets, thinking of home and told them he could easily guide them through without problems though he was brushed aside from doing so. Instead, they took Omi's lead in finding the source of the problem first. Yugi frowned at the easy diss before the sound of something breaking had his head turn to see a man, taller than them in all white and a mask over his face, past before them. "Who is that guy?!" he gasped as he ran off once the police were onto him, using the revealed Serpent's Tail to slip through a wall. "I don't know but he has the Serpent's Tail! After him!" Omi called as they went to chase the path of the robber. Taking to the top of the roofing to get an aerial view, Yugi spotted the man in question and pointed him out. He was slippery and it was clear they had to box him in to get any sort of lead over his wily path through walls.
They nodded and did just that, Raimundo taking the Falcon's Eye to peer through the buildings. A flash of white caught his eye and grinned, moving to jump down in the path of the robber but instead of catching him, he gasped as the figure slipped through him, making him shake from the chilling feeling to come with it. The others landed to ask what happened and as Raimundo explained, Omi was there to chastise him. A rookie mistake, he told him, as grabbing the tail would've been more applicable in his situation than to try and stop him head on. Yugi sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he glanced away from the quick to anger dragon of wind. He can't blame him though. He was sure they weren't any older than he was but the playground style of bullying was getting old really quick. Yes, Raimundo wasn't an apprentice but he expected equality and trust among them. Not to tease and demean the boy for making simple mistakes.
'But I suppose it's a way of guidance...somehow. That's not accounting if Omi really has an inflated ego as he climbs the ranks.' The teen gave a sigh before questioning just how they were to do things as long as at least one of the henchmen had the Serpent's Tail. It was then an elderly fellow spoke up upon hearing their inquiries, telling them that there was no way to challenge Pandabubba with the power he accumulated and then some. "So you say..." Yugi murmured while Omi incited confusion at just exactly who or what a Pandabubba was.
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Outside the compound, Jack looked around silently to make sure no guards were milling about his general area. Wuya still felt the plan was going to be a catastrophe but another assurance told that he'd be fine. That he'd sneak it, swipe the Wu and be out before old Pandabubba knew what happened. Raising the Monkey Staff, his form was quick to alter and change, giving him the grace and skill of the clever monkey and he scaled the bamboo stalks around the compound to get to the main building on site. Getting in was easy, almost too easy but Jack hardly made to think of how easy things were. Landing in the holding room where the Jetbootsu and Helmet of Jong rested, Jack dusted himself off. No guards, no alarms.
This really was too easy for someone like Pandabubba. He made to step forward when Wuya snapped at him to watch where he stepped, exhaling a misty breath that covered the room ahead. With it, she revealed a netting of infrared beams. Typical of anyone with a brain to keep ones without out. Jack grunted, crossing his arms. He knew that, he was sure of it. But with the Monkey Staff, the tripwires were nothing. Easily leaping through, he landed before the table with a victorious holler but it was loud, much too loud that Jack often forgot. Two guards popped into the room to his surprise and with a screech, he made to run only to collide into a solid body. A body that belonged to the crime boss himself. A glare met his red gaze before Pandabubba gripped the redhead by his coat, commenting to never steal from a thief.
"So then, why did you lie to me that these are powerful mystical items beyond anyone's imagination, hmm?" Pandabubba spoke haughtily, Jack swallowing thickly before asking how he found out. Reaching into a pocket, he pulled out a ripped notebook page filled with Jack's scratchy handwriting, a list detailing each Shen Gong Wu he had and what they do. His little cheat sheet that he conveniently forgotten about inside the left Jetboostu. A fact that was now in the boss' hand and the reason behind the carefully executed crimes without fail. He shoved the boy into the hands of his henchmen, ready to deal with the boy in his own way but Jack begged and pleaded that he knew how to get more of the Wu for the stocky man.
That had piqued the boss' interest, asking just how he would accomplish that. "Partner up with me and in due time, it will come to you. Trust me on this." Jack spoke confidently and the boss hummed. The boy was weak, exceptionally so, but he knew about these items and had more knowledge of these wonderful creations of power. Once he outlived his usefulness, then he'll dispose of him. But for now, Jack will get the partnership he sought.
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Later in the evening where they suspected little activity to be happening on the front, Kimiko with her technological genius located the site of Pandabubba's compound and scaled the wall, looking to the many guards that patrolled the courtyard. Omi gazed at each side, seeing the number and made a mental calculation before nodding. "I will take the twelve on the north, Clay, the ten on the east, Kimiko, the eleven on the west and Raimundo..." Omi paused, making Yugi clap a hand over his eyes in embarrassment. "Omi please..." he whispered, almost agonizingly as if the next words to come from the small monk's mouth was made to pain him physically. The monk waved his concern away, pointing down to the guard below who looked to be rather out of shape to even be tasked as a fair fight.
Raimundo gritted his teeth and would've clocked the small monk over the head for the blatant disregard to his strength before a holler of a very familiar monkey grabbed their attention instead. "You won't be getting in whatever way you have going in that round head of yours." Jack commented, bringing everyone into a stance to fight the other but he calmed them. They listened as he told them he was in the same position. To reclaim what was stolen from him. Taking a glance to each other as Jack told them of a secret entrance into the compound, Raimundo sat back questionably. "You aren't suggesting a team up, are you?" Wuya huffed irritably.
"That I am. Once we bust into this place, I'll split my X amount of Wu 50/50." he offered as collateral. Kimiko crossed her arms as she watched the other critically. "I'm sure we'd have no problem getting in ourselves so forget it." Jack snickered a little as he rocked on his heels, asking if they were so sure of it. "You have the Falcon's Eye on you, right? Take a look inside and tell me that you're absolutely sure you want to take that risk." Omi did as suggested, sneaking the Wu from Raimundo's pocket before taking a glance into the compound. Jack could have any chance to lie about such but for this, he was right.
The inside was full of henchmen and each were harboring Wu of some form. Enough that with what they brought; they would be overwhelmed. It was a risk to believe in Jack but better him than to go in to a losing fight. The suggestion was made but Raimundo showed he was vehemently against it. He was sure of it, the other was conning them right into a trap. He had to be! Jack was willing once before to gain what he wanted and he was sure that the same was applied here. They're the muscle and he sneaks off with the Wu.
"Here, since your buddy here wants to be sure I will do wrong, as a show of good faith, I'll offer up my last Wu." Jack said, shooing Wuya away when she was about to go onto another spiel of how far he was taking this team up. If he wanted their trust, he had to play it a little close. "You gotta be kidding me, Omi! This is a classic con game! You can't be serious in trusting him!" Raimundo complained and Omi sighed, tapping the staff in hand. "I hear your concerns and I will take them under advisement with the other apprentices." he spoke before turning to the other three. Clay and Kimiko were on board to take the path Jack knew but Yugi made to step back.
"It sounds too easy, guys. I think Raimundo is on to something." he whispered and Raimundo looked relieved to have someone with common sense believe him. "See? He gets me so let's forget this and find another way inside." But what met him instead was gazes filled with uncertainty and he growled. "Fine! We'll find our own way inside! Let's go, Yugi!" Raimundo snapped, leaping down viciously which in turn, led him to take his anger out on the lone guard he was tasked to pick off originally. The others followed after him in hopes to calm him down and Yugi sighed, glancing briefly towards Jack who gave him a weak thumbs up.
"You better know what you're doing, Spicer." he whispered before leaping down as well. "You don't think he's on to us do you?" Jack hummed and Wuya huffed. "He IS a tad smarter. Older and wiser you could say compared to the others. But I DO hope you yourself know what you are doing." Jack chuckled and nodded. Of course he did. Once Pandabubba muscles the Wu from the monks, then he'll double-cross him and take all the Wu for himself. It was a plan in progress but the genius was confident he knew what he was doing. Big picture plans made for easier work than the tiny details. Following after the others, Jack led Clay, Omi and Kimiko to the hidden entrance. Following a plan he scrounged up from the internet, he pulled open a door that led to an old service entrance. The monks could be none the wiser though the idea of going into a darkened entrance was beginning to indeed sound like a trap. As Raimundo and Yugi predicted, the moment the door closed, Jack had rustled their Wu from them, the light flickering on to reveal Pandabubba before them and two of his henchmen ready to capture the monks.
"It was a trap!" Kimiko cried as they went to fight but that itself was short lived, Pandabubba raising the Tangle Web Comb to catch the three before they could do any harm to him. "Oh baby! That's what I'm talking about!" Jack gloated as he danced poorly before the monks. He knew his plan would work, now he just had to get out with the Wu under the boss' nose without getting caught himself. Dojo cowered before them, ready to duck away to warn the master in hopes that he'd have an idea of what to do when a pale hand stretched out from the darkness, grabbing his snout before pulling him back.
The dragon wriggled and struggled before a hush from behind made him glance back. "You're in good hands but keep quiet." Yugi whispered, Raimundo standing behind him to watch the scene before them unfold. He was right in being suspicious and now the others had gotten themselves caught. With the muscle under the boss' belt plus the Wu leads him to question just how they were going to get everyone out. Jack's own fanfare was cut short as Pandabubba glanced to him. "We? Don't you mean, me?" he whispered and Jack gaped before he too was tangled in the coiling teeth of the Wu as the crime boss ordered the two behind him to gear up for a raid of the Wu from the temple.
"Crud...we need to get back." Raimundo whispered and Yugi nodded, both of them climbing back out through the vent they had found to get them inside. Once back out, Dojo carted them away and Yugi watched Raimundo carefully. "Raimundo...I still don't know fully of what my element entails without the use of the lantern so for this, I'm putting all the plan work into your hands. Clearly I have no need to prove myself to the others but you can. Show them that you aren't the same kid as before." Yugi spoke and Raimundo looked back to him. "Thanks, Yugi. I...I know I've been pretty hard on you before but I'm really grateful you stuck with me for this. I know I'm still a bit immature and fool around a lot but I'm not dumb. I was chosen for this just as you were and it's time to get serious with it. The fun can come later." Yugi chuckled and nodded, making their way back to the temple in a timely manner and they rushed over to where the master was, Raimundo explaining that Pandabubba had men on the way to break into the vault.
Fung stood to alert the monks but Raimundo spoke that he had a plan but it had to be done alone. The master looked down critically, arms folded as he glanced briefly to Yugi. "Raimundo, this is all very sudden and you are the only..." he began. "I know I'm the only non-apprentice here! But you brought me here for a reason, because you believe I can be the dragon of wind! If I'm going to be the person I know I can be, I have to get people to trust in me." Fung was silent before a small smile passed his lips. "I was actually going to say you are the only one that knows the situation...and I trust in your judgement." Raimundo looked up, happy as can be before turning to Yugi. "I know I said alone but you're gonna help me out too." Yugi nodded.
"Just tell me what to do."
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The men arrived no later, landing in the Meditation Chamber where the vault was already opened, as if to invite them in. The two looked at each other before heading down into the stairwell, only getting so far before spotting Raimundo there, telling them they would have to get past him to claim the Wu. The men thought it to be easy, after all, he was a kid to them. They were bigger, stronger and armed. With use of the Fist of Tebigong and Lotus Twister, they tried to take down Raimundo but the Brazilian was quick, light on his feet and tossed both out from the vault before landing before them. "You're gonna have to try harder than that to stop me!" he teased, one growling before pulling out a ring from his breast pocket. "Ring of the Nine Dragons!" Splitting himself into nine figures, they all went to grab Raimundo while the other went to head down into the vault, grabbing the Wu from their receptacles and came back out with them. Peeking from the corner of the doorway, Yugi watched, seeing the men gather Raimundo to take with them and flew out from the skylight to head back to Hong Kong...and to Pandabubba.
"They took the bait, let's go." he whispered, looking to Dojo and he nodded before the two left out, another sack sitting in the teen's bedroom.
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Raimundo struggled and huffed as he was brought before Pandabubba, demanding to be let go as the sack of Wu was set before the crime boss. "You won't win this!" Raimundo called and the boss chuckled. "Oh, but I already have." he whispered before the men took him away, taking him to where the others were held and tossed him into the room with them. The others looked to him in disappointment, not of him but of themselves. With the time spent in holding, they got to talking, speaking that they had been rather unjust to Raimundo. He knew well of what was happening and the only one to stick by his side was Yugi. They were dishonorable to their fellow monk and felt ashamed now that he was caught and in the crime boss' clutches as well. Raimundo chuckled as he listened to each one apologize for what happened before shrugging. "Nah, you're cool. Besides, you didn't think I'd really get caught willingly, did you?" They blinked before coming to the realization that one was missing. "Wait...where's Yugi?" Kimiko questioned.
"I'd give him oh...a minute."
Outside, Pandabubba was eager to see what they had procured from the temple and in doing so, did not see the door opening and something sneaking its way in. "The shroud comes in handy to fool even the smartest people." Yugi whispered to Dojo who sat upon his shoulders, a pack of Wu, the real ones, on his back. Seeing the place where the others were locked away, clear by the fact that Jack was ranting up a storm beside Pandabubba, he moved over to the door and opened it. They looked up, thinking that the plan was caught on but saw nothing or at least they assumed nothing. The door closed again before Yugi brought his head out. "Hope you all got your apologies to Raimundo in cause we're busting out and getting back what's ours." The three nodded as Dojo came out with a pair of scissors to cut through the rope as Yugi opened the pack to let them grab what they need for the upcoming fight.
Seeing the trash they had collected, Pandabubba growled in annoyance while Jack laughed. "Your double-cross just got double-crossed." he snickered as the boss stood up. It was clear he didn't like to be made a fool of and the monks would pay dearly for it. "Get them." The men nodded and headed for the door, ready to open it when a clawed sash broke through the wall. Another hole, made by the Two Ton Tunic met his gaze as the room collapsed under their attacks, revealing the freed group with an addition they didn't account for. "Next time, try doing a headcount." Raimundo spoke before leaping into action along with the boss and his men. Jack, who didn't want to be left out on the collection game, called in his bots to assist him while untangling himself from the ropes that kept him bound as well.
The fight was intense, fire, water and brute force flung about as they tried to snatch the Wu from the other before a toss of the Star Hanabi struck the least favored. Yugi heard the girlish cry and turned to see the Yes-Bot malfunctioning and groaned. "That thing's gonna blow! Move!" he called and they all ran out from the warehouse, the resulting explosion taking down the hideout and with it, flung up what wasn't in the hands of others in a grab for all. The monks nodded before they were off to grab what they can, Yugi looking down to his shadow quietly.
"Assist me please. Find the lantern. I can help with the others but that is my main priority." he whispered and the shade darted from his shadow to look for the Wu as he went to help the others. Climbing onto a stack of crates, he saw a henchman reaching up for the Lotus Twister and chuckled, reaching for the Wu before looking down to him. "This isn't your lucky day, sir." he spoke kindly, stomping down on his fingers and watch the man crumple in pain, hitting the ground hard. Wuya shot her head up, looking to Yugi as he went to leap down. "The power...it's roaming!" she gasped but before she could tell Jack to focus upon it, he had his arms full of the Longi Kite with Raimundo and Pandabubba. An opportunity lost, she thought bitterly as the crime boss called the challenge, a showdown trio that was also written on the convenient cheat sheet Jack left behind. "Fine, I bet my Tangle Web Comb, Raimundo's Eye of Dashi and Pandabubba's Fist of Tebigong."
"Fine with me, winner gets the Longi Kite." Raimundo spoke before the two looked to Pandabubba to see what the challenge was. "Last boat afloat wins the showdown. Let's begin!" With the challenge set and Wu wagered, the change took effect, the mystical power swirling around the docks and rose withered wooden walls into a maze of waterways. A sunken ship was the effect and the onlookers stood in opposing crow's nest to watch below. The three in question awaited their vessels, boats pulling up to their side before climbing on. "Gong Yi Tan Pai!" They shouted before they were off. "You got this, Raimundo..." Yugi whispered as the showdown commenced. The path split off into three and each took one to find a way through the maze that kept them from the end of the harbor. Raimundo cursed as he found himself a dead end, the sharp sound of an engine other than his own head from behind. Glancing back, he was quick to drift to the side to avoid getting slammed by the heavyset form of Pandabubba and the Fist of Tebigong aimed to take him off the boat. The Brazilian grunted before leaving the path, coming alongside Jack who sent him a glare and he returned it.
Yugi watched critically, eyes following each player as they went. It was almost like a game of chess to him, each move calculated by the speed of thinking from the pieces themselves. Raimundo made to take out Jack with the Eye of Dashi but missed by a hair, the redhead retaliating with a move of his own, ripping off the bow of the boat with the comb. "Knock it off!" Raimundo snapped before turning to his other side to see the crime boss recovered and succeeded with his earlier plan, slamming the fist into the floor of the boat deep, enough that it started to sink as it took on water. "Later, loser!" Jack cackled before focusing on his last opponent. The evil genius had to be smart if he wanted to take down Pandabubba and not get a hole in his boat's floor. A whirlpool began to swirl around the dragon of wind, ready to drag his boat under and him with it. "No, Raimundo!"
"I got it! Typhoon Boom: Wind!" Calling upon his element, in full control, he left the remains of his boat and onto a thin landing, glancing towards the other two that were slowly closing in on the end of the harbor. If Raimundo didn't move fast, one of them will win. 'Everyone is counting on me...I cannot fail!' he thought as he took the Eye of Dashi in hand and raised it. "Eye of Dashi: Wind!" Storm clouds swirled above and sea water stirred viciously, eventually forming into a wave that he was ready to surf on. Kicking off a piece of wood to use, Raimundo leapt onto the surf and was off after the two. Jack and Pandabubba were neck in neck but as the boss raised a fist to take out Jack, the water shifting under their feet made them turn back and saw the wave coming for them. "Surf's up!" Raimundo taunted, rising higher before slamming the wave down upon them, sending them packing and slipping out the harbor. "He won!" Kimiko cried, hugging Omi as the challenge ended and the harbor returned to normal, Raimundo holding his bounty victoriously as the others ran to him. "Awright, buddy!" Clay cheered, Kimiko praising him on his surfing before they looked down to Omi.
"As a Xiaolin apprentice...I could not have done better myself." he praised, smiling softly and Yugi sighed in relief. Finally that ego was broken...for now, he can only imagine. But now is better than never. Leaving the harbor, they ignored Jack as he whined to his meager scrimping after all was said and done. "This is it?! This is all I got?! I've been robbed! Twice!" he wailed, Wuya patting his shoulder mockingly. "Forget it, Jack. What happens in Pandatown, stays in Pandatown. Now we have work to do. The power I seek roams freely yet again. I'm sure that big brain can do something in locating it." she spoke as the redhead walked off, holding the Jetbootsu, Serpent's Tail and Helmet of Jong. Pandabubba was under arrest and most of their Wu claimed once more. Something caught the corner of Yugi's eye as he went to climb onto Dojo's back and smiled as the Sun Chi Lantern sat in a darkened alley of freighter crates. A dark claw rested on it before a red eye met his gaze. "One lantern delivery~" It whispered and Yugi went to grab the Wu from the ground.
"Thank you." he whispered as he slipped the thin rope over his neck and nodded for the shade to return as he ran over once called on what was taking him so long. "Found one more!" Yugi called as he held the lantern up, taking Clay's hand to be pulled up and the dragon was off to return to the temple.
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Once everything was put away, Master Fung summoned them all out to the courtyard and there they stood, looking to the master. "Raimundo, step forward." The boy swallowed, looking back to them before Yugi waved him forward. Fung looked down to him before smiling, holding out the apprentice sash. "Please welcome our newest Xiaolin apprentice." he spoke and Raimundo smiled as he took the sash, finding that this time, the work put into it was worth taking it this time in comparison to before. He proved he could be trusted, proved that he knew what to do in the face of danger and help those that meant a lot to him. As he turned to the others, they congratulated him on finally becoming an apprentice like them before their attention was brought back to the master as he spoke with all five elements as apprentices, they were prepared to learn the next signature move given to them. The Dragon X-Kumei Formation it was called. Yugi smiled as they were guided on how to perform it.
It took little time to perfect it, each calling upon their element and struck the pose to channel the energies of their element while Yugi took his place as the key element, one to bless them with the invigorating light to bring their elements to peak capabilities for their current status. They still have much to grow into but for what they have now, the master expects them to continue to improve and grow stronger. Once they got a feel for their new signature move, Raimundo smiled before turning to the elder. "Master Fung, thank you for trusting in me. Without your support or Yugi's, I never would've gotten here." The elder smiled, telling him he was deserving of it. After all, everyone deserves an honest try to prove themselves and this was a chance Raimundo needed not only for himself but for the others that once thought him unable to handle things after what he had decided on before with reviving Wuya's real body.
It wasn't just a lesson learned by Raimundo but one learned by the others except to the one that knew. Looking to Yugi who was chatting with Kimiko, Fung rubbed his chin. The boy was smart, very much so but he also worried. There were stories that were passed down albeit fleetingly. Stories that spoke of the balance of light and darkness. One scroll that laid in their library was light on the subject but it was told of a warning, from the great Etherious, the Ether Master, that without light, darkness will prevail in search of it. Such darkness was never spoken about but it proved to be a dangerous insight to overlook. But what the elder didn't know was that the gears of the primal darkness revival was well underway. All it needed was a little more coaxing that the primal darkness will be the method to save many.
The violet eyed teen was smart, but to something smarter with cryptic words was proving to show just how foolish he was to become. That shown as the shade continued its ever vigilant watch over Yugi. In due time, it thought, in due time, little one, your purpose will be revealed.