The Xiaolin Dragon King: Second Arc

by Unicornblossem13

The Xiaolin Monks, now Wudai Warriors, have grown stronger with the help of their leader, Juno. However, their skills are put to the test when they come face-to-face with the infamous Hannibal Roy Bean, the evil demon who turned Chase to the Heylin side and killed Juno fifteen hundred years ago. When the Xiaolin Dragon King meets her hated enemy again, she vows to make him pay.

17. Souls and Scales

Hey, everyone, so good to see you again. Last chapter, Hannibal Bean trapped Juno's soul in a Soul Pearl. However, someone expected showed up. I hope you're all excited to see what happens next, it's gonna be a roller coaster. By the way, while Xiaolin is in Juno's body, I will be using male pronouns so I hope not to cause confusion. Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OOC.

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The Xiaolin Dragon King: Second Arc

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Chapter Seventeen: Souls and Scales

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(Around fifteen hundred years ago)

"Master Xiaolin! Master Xiaolin!"

Her voice was high with panic, the arms she was using to hold him up trembling violently. The stars in the night sky shined brightly, but all he could focus on were the tears spilling from her golden eyes. How it pained him to see her like this.

"Please, just hang in there, I'll get you back to the temple, and-"

"I am afraid..." he voice came out weak and soft, struggling to keep from coughing up blood. "I am afraid that it is too late for me, Juno. After all these years, my time has finally come."

"No..." she pressed down harder on the wound on his stomach, the large amount of blood seeping out staining her hand along with the grass below them as it dripped to the ground. "No, it can't be your time. You can't die, you can't... you can't leave me. Please, stay with me, Master Xiaolin."

"I am so sorry to do this to you, my precious pupil." he gave her the saddest smile he had ever given in his many years of living. "Forgive me, I did not intend for things to be like this. To leave you alone, I wish I could..." he let out a harsh cough, the blood he tried to keep in spitting out.

"Master Xiaolin..."

"But, Juno, you will not be alone forever..." putting all of his effort into it, he raised his pale hand and placed it on her cheek, using his thumb to wipe away the tears under her eye. "You will go out and see the world, meet new people, make new friends, and, just maybe, find someone who will love you with all of their heart. Nothing will hurt you, you are so strong now. And you will be even stronger, for I will be giving you all of the powers that I possess. The powers of the Xiaolin Dragon King."

Her eyes widened. "But... But that's..."

"Though I wanted this to happen under better circumstances, I will use my last bit of strength to transfer my powers to you. What you do with them from here on out will be entirely up to you..."

"I... I..." she squeezed her eyes shut, taking a shaky breath in an attempt to calm herself. When she reopened her eyes, though tears still ran from them, she looked at him with resolve. "I, Juno, will be the new Xiaolin Dragon King. I vow to take your place and continue to protect good and fight any, and all, evil. I will not disappoint you, I will be the best Xiaolin Dragon King I can be and make you proud." her voice cracked at the end, her brave face crumbling.

"One way or another, you always make me proud." he smiled weakly at her. "I know that you will be a better Xiaolin Dragon King than I am."

"Master Xiaolin..." she pressed herself close to him and touched her head to his, minding his antlers even in her grief. "Father, please, please don't leave me!"

"Remember this, Juno..." his hand began to slip from her cheek. "Even when I am gone, I will always be with you, no matter what. That day I found you on the mountain, it was the greatest day of my life." he now felt tears brimming his own eyes. "I, myself, am surprised at how much I came to love you, my daughter."

The redhead released a sob as she held him tighter, as if hoping that would get him to stay with her.

"And now..." a bright, pure white glow surrounded his body, the same happening to her, but she didn't seem to notice. "Please be happy, Juno..."

The last thing he saw was the red dragon mark appear on her chest. The last thing he heard was her yelling "Father!" in anguish. How he regretted being the one to cause her such pain, especially when he promised to keep her from it when he took her in.

But he did keep his promise to always be with her. No matter what.

---

(Present Day)

Hannibal Bean was still looking at Juno in absolute shock, his expression showing he was unable to accept what was happening now. The redhead just smiled, her now crystal blue eyes staying zoned in on him.

"Did he just call her..." Kimiko started, looking surprised along with the other monks and Heylin warrior.

"Xiaolin?" Clay finished.

"As in Juno's old master?" Raimundo questioned.

"And the original Xiaolin Dragon King." Chase added. "But that shouldn't be possible, he's been dead for over fifteen hundred years."

"Are you..." Omi looked up at the female warrior in disbelief, still placed in her arm. "Are you really Master Xiaolin, Master Juno's master?"

The redhead looked back at him, her smile morphing into one more kind. "How nice to finally meet you, Omi, even if the current circumstances leave much to be desired." her voice was the same, but her way of speaking and tone were different.

"I do not understand, though. How are you here, right now, in Master Juno's body?"

"I will be happy to answer any questions you have, but after Hannibal Roy Bean has been dealt with and we have saved Juno." Xiaolin told him.

"Yes..." the short monk gave a small nod. "We must get Master Juno back."

"You heard that, right, Hannibal?" the former Xiaolin Dragon King turned to the demon, who seemed to be frozen in place. "Kindly return Juno's soul and you shall be let off very lightly." he stretched out his free hand. "Right now."

"It... It just can't be..." Hannibal Bean backed away. "You can't be alive!"

"Technically, I am not. However, I am here all the same."

"This has to be a trick!" Wuya, finally standing on her feet with Jack, declared as she looked at the other redhead with wide eyes. "There is no way the Xiaolin could still be around!"

"Who's Xiaolin?" the younger villain asked, blinking in confusion.

"Xiaolin was the original Xiaolin Dragon King before Juno, you idiot!" she grabbed him by the collar of his coat and shook him back and forth. "And he should be long dead right now!"

"Some special circumstances have lead me to be standing here before you now, Wuya." Xiaolin said, making the Heylin witch release the now dizzy redheaded boy and look at him. "And it very much me who occupies Juno's body. But I will not need to do that any longer if you give back her soul."

Wuya gritted her teeth together, narrowing her eyes. "You may be Xiaolin, but it has been well over fifteen hundred years since you've done any actual fighting, and you gave your powers away. You should be the definition of rusty right now."

"Is that so?' the original Xiaolin Dragon King replied calmly. "Then maybe we should put that to the test, see if you are right." he smiled.

The villainess glared and let out a low growl. Then she charged, reaching him in just a moment and pulling back her fist. However, Xiaolin just stood in place and lifted up his hand. He touched his finger to Wuya's chest, making her freeze on the spot with her fist still pulled back. In the blink of an eye, she was sent flying back by a powerful force that came from the warrior's finger, landing on the ground harshly.

"Woah, nellie..." was all Clay could say, his eyes wide along with the others'.

Xiaolin lifted his finger to his mouth and blew on it. "I did give Juno my powers, yes. However, since I am in her body now, I have regained them. As for my fighting abilities, well, we can also put those to the test if you wish." he was still smiling.

Wuya and Hannibal Bean looked at him in stunned silence. Then they turned to another and the same idea came to their minds.

"Retreat!"

"That will not do." the original Xiaolin Dragon King said when he saw the two villains beginning to run away. "Pardon me, Omi." he gently set the short monk on his feet and jumped high into the air, landing right in front of the Heylin witch and demon and making them stop in their tracks. "I cannot allow you leave with Juno."

"Moby Morpher!" Hannibal Bean used the Shen Gong Wu to transform his limbs into hands, which he quickly used to try and punch the other.

However, Xiaolin held up his own hands and easily caught the attacks. The villain tried to push against him, but he wouldn't budge even a little bit.

"Hannibal, you remember what happened the last time you battled me." the redhead said, squeezing the fists in his hands and making the demon cry out in pain. "Don't you?" his eyes turned cold.

"Mo..." Hannibal Bean grunted out. "Moby Morpher!" two more fists formed on either side of his body and shot out towards the warrior.

Xiaolin jumped away, doing a backflip before landing on both feet. He saw the demon charge at him and held up one of his hands, blocking all of the fists being aimed at him. When he saw an opening present itself, he shot out a spinning kick at the other's face. However, the attack missed by quite a bit.

"Heh, I guess you are rusty, after all, Xiaolin." Hannibal Bean smirked.

The original Xiaolin Dragon King moved his head to the side, dodging the foot that hit the spot it was in just a second ago. "Not rusty enough for you, it seems." he grabbed the foot's ankle and easily threw Wuya at the villain, making them both fall to the ground. "I can do this all night, you know?"

"Jack!" the Heylin witch looked at the redheaded boy. "Do something! Anything that can help us escape!"

"Uh, let's see." Jack rifled through his coat pockets. "Oh, hey!" he pulled out a small, round object. "That smoke bomb I stole from Tubbimura."

"Throw it! Throw it here!" Wuya shouted.

"Okay, okay. So bossy." the evil boy genius tossed the smoke bomb and it landed right where the other villains were.

Upon impact, it exploded into a cloud of thick, black smoke that covered the area and made it very difficult to see.

"Moby Morpher!" Hannibal Bean's voice yelled from the smoke. "Ying-Ying!"

"Jack, we're going now!"

"Woah, hey, don't pull so hard!"

Xiaolin moved his arms and a strong wind blew all of the smoke away instantly. His eyes couldn't locate the villains and quickly looked around. Wuya and Jack were out of sight, but he did see the figure of the Ying-Ying Bird getting smaller as it flew away in the sky, Hannibal Bean no doubt riding on its back. His crystal blue orbs stayed focused on the hawk-like creature, even when it was finally out of sight.

"Master Xiaolin?"

The original Xiaolin Dragon King turned around and looked at Omi and the others. He said nothing as they all stared at one another silently.

"Dear monks..." he finally said in a very calm tone. "We have much work to do."

---

(Later, at Jack Spicer's lair)

"Of all of the people who come back from the dead, it had to be Xiaolin!" Hannibal Bean shouted, packing back and forth on a table in his smaller form. "Juno was one thing, but he's even worse!"

"This is like a nightmare that's come true!" Wuya said to herself, biting down on the nail of her thumb. Her gaze turned to the Soul Pearl that was laying on the table the demon was on, still glowing a bright white. "Why do you and your master have to ruin everything?!" she grabbed it by the leather string, glaring. "I bet you knew this would happen, just to screw me over like always!"

The glow of the Soul Pearl pulsed a few time.

"Did you just give me sass, Juno? You're hardly in a position to do that!" she lifted up her hand to slam it on the table's surface.

"No, don't!" Hannibal Bean yelled, stopping her. "If you break the Soul Pearl, then her soul is free and goes back to her body. Xiaolin might go away, but we would still have to deal with her."

"Neither situation is ideal." Wuya said, calming down enough to set the Pearl down gently. "But with Xiaolin around, we can kiss any evil plans of ours goodbye." she crossed her arms.

"So this Xiaolin, he's, like, really strong?" Jack questioned.

The Heylin witch let out a frustrated sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Xiaolin was... is considered to be one of the most powerful beings in the entire world, he could defeat armies with just a flick of his wrist. And don't get me started on what he can do in his dragon form. Even if I had all of my powers, I wouldn't be able to defeat him." her expression gave away that she did not like admitting that.

"So he's unstoppable?"

"There was only one other being who could even match his power." Hannibal Bean informed. "The Heylin Dragon King, the dragon who protected and fought for evil. However, he's been gone for centuries, and no one knows what happened to him. Some believe Xiaolin defeated him in battle years ago, destroying his entire self and leaving no trace behind. But we don't have time to discuss conspiracy theories, we need to come up with a plan."

"What if we ambush him?" Jack suggested.

"Have you not been listening to a thing we said?" Wuya scowled. "You want to try and defeat the original Xiaolin Dragon King with a surprise attack?"

"Wait, the boy might actually be on to something."

"He is?"

"I am?"

"I could tell earlier that Xiaolin isn't use to fighting in Juno's body. We can probably use that to our advantage." Hannibal Bean began to grin evilly. "Boy, how fast can you make a robot? I really big one."

---

(Early the next morning, at the Xiaolin Temple)

"Hey!" Dashi jumped down from a transformed Dojo's back before he even landed on the temple grounds, Guan following after him. He looked at the Heylin warrior standing a few feet away. "Dojo told us what was going on when he picked us up. Is it true, is Juno really-"

"I'm afraid so." Chase confirmed. "Hannibal Bean has captured her soul."

Their eyes widened.

"That bastard!" the Grand Master slammed his fist against a nearby statue, making cracks in it. He took a moment to calm himself down. "It is also true? About... Xiaolin?"

"See for yourself." the Heylin warrior turned around and heading towards one of the temple buildings, Dojo shrinking into his smaller form and trailing behind him along with the other male warriors.

"Chase..." Dashi began. "I'm... I'm sorry, if I really had listened to you at the time, then Juno would be-"

"I'm not interested in apologies." Chase cut him off. "Right now, I just want to focus on getting my wife back."

"Yes, of course." Guan said. "And we will do whatever we can to help."

They entered the building and went into a room that the monks were in. Also there, sitting on his knees on a mat, was Xiaolin, his posture perfect as he was taking a sip of tea from a cup.

"Are you..." Dashi stepped forward. "Are you really Xiaolin, the original Xiaolin Dragon King?"

He lowered the cup from his mouth, looking at the two warriors with his crystal blue eyes. "Grand Master Dashi. Master Monk Guan. It is so very nice to meet the two who are such good friends with Juno." he smiled kindly.

"It really is..." Guan stared in shock for a moment before dropping down to one knee along with Dashi, their heads bowed. "It is a true honor to be able to be here before the one who had first protected good."

"Please, there is no need for that." Xiaolin told them. "I am the one who is honored to meet you, and I greatly appreciate you coming to help us in our time of need."

"Of course, we'll do whatever it takes to get Juno back."

"Thank you." the original Xiaolin Dragon King smiled as they got back to their feet.

"Master Xiaolin, I am most curious about something." Omi spoke up, sitting close to him. "How is it that you are here now, when you passed away so many years ago."

"Yes, an explanation is in order." Xiaolin set his drink down on the floor. "Over fifteen hundred years ago, I engaged in a battle that left me incredibly wounded. Juno found me and, with the last bit of strength I had, I transferred all of my powers to her. But that was not all. I had also transferred my soul to her, as my way of always being with her and watching over her. I could not do much, though, as I had no power in my current state."

"Until Hannibal Bean swooped in and stole Juno's soul." Clay said.

"That is correct. With her soul gone, and her body basically being an empty shell, I was able to take over. And, now, we must think of a plan to save Juno from Hannibal and make things right."

"So what do we do?" Raimundo asked.

"I will leave that up for you to decide, Raimundo."

"Me?"

"Juno said that if anything were to happen to her, you are to be the one who is to lead your fellow monks." Xiaolin told him. "I believe the time for that is now."

"Yeah, but..." Raimundo went quiet for a moment. "I didn't except for it to happen so soon."

"Raimundo, I know this puts much pressure on you." Omi said. "But Master Juno had good reasons to pick you, and you have already proven yourself a very capable leader. Whatever you decide to do, you can count on me to follow you." he smiled reassuringly.

"Omi..." the Brazilian looked at his friend. Then he smiled back. "Thanks, buddy." he turned his attention to the others. "Okay, to get Juno's soul back, we have to deal with Hannibal Bean, Wuya, and Jack. Though the hag doesn't have her powers, she's still a problem, so we're going to have to get her out of the picture. Dashi, can you make another puzzle box so we can trap her?"

"I can, but I need the wood we used last time." Dashi informed.

"I will go and retrieve it." Guan spoke up. "Hopefully, the tree we got it from is still in the same place."

"Okay, great. Clay, you go with him to make sure things don't go wrong." Raimundo said.

"You got it, partner." the cowboy replied.

"We can usually handle Jack with no problem, so Hannibal Bean is our biggest concern. We need to get the last two ingredients of the mortal potion to finish him off for good."

"But we don't know where we can get the scales of the jade dragon, or essence of the good." Kimiko told her boyfriend.

"The essence one is a little harder to figure out, but we might have more luck with the scales. I mean, there can't be that many jade dragons around." Raimundo said.

"As it just so happens..." Xiaolin spoke up, taking a moment to sip his tea. "I know the whereabouts of the very dragon you seek."

"Really?!" the monks exclaimed, getting closer in his space.

"Yes." he replied calmly. "He resides deep within a cave that is located inside of a mountain, which can found on an island in the ocean. I will draw you a map."

"Great, that takes care of that." Raimundo grinned at the others.

"However, he does not take too kindly to surprise visitors." Xiaolin added.

"Allow me to worry about that, as I will go and get the scales." Omi said.

"And I'll go with him to make sure nothing happens." Kimiko interjected.

"And I'll go and make sure they don't die." Dashi spoke up.

"Alright, we're rolling now." Raimundo said. "I'll stay here to see if I can find anything more out about the Soul Pearl. And come up with a plan of attack with Chase since he's good at this stuff."

"What would you have me do, Raimundo?" Xiaolin asked.

"Oh, uh, maybe you should hang back, too. I mean, we don't want to risk anything happening to Juno's body."

"I understand." the original Xiaolin Dragon King got to his feet. "I wish to thank you and everyone else for putting so much effort into helping Juno."

"Hey, if it's for her, we're willing to do anything." the Brazilian told him, the other monks nodding in agreement.

"Yes, that you all are." the redhead smiled. "Thank you again. Now, if you will excuse me, I have some things to take care of." he headed for the door.

"Xiaolin." Chase spoke up, making him stop. "I actually have something I wish to discuss-"

"Chase Young." Xiaolin cut him off, his back turned to him. "I do not remember giving you permission to call me in such a casual manner. The next time you address me..." he looked over his shoulder at the Heylin warrior, his stare cold. "Do it more politely."

No one said anything as the original Xiaolin Dragon King walked out of the room, it was like the temperature had dropped a few degrees when he spoke up.

"Woof, that was cold." Clay remarked.

"Uh, hate to tell you this, man, but..." Raimundo looked at a slightly stunned Chase. "I think your father-in-law hates you."

"And I wonder why." Dashi said. "I mean, you're just so lovable." he chuckled, nudging the other warrior with his elbow.

Chase looked at him with a stare that had him backing away, putting his hands up in a peaceful manner.

"Well, while you figure out whatever issues Xiaolin has with Chase, we're gonna get ready to head out." Kimiko informed.

"I don't understand it, though." the Heylin warrior said as they all left the room. "What could I have done to make a person I've only just met despise me?"

"You're married to the girl he sees has his daughter." Dashi told him. "Sometimes, that's all it takes for a father to hate a guy."

---

(Later)

"You guys all ready to go?"

"Yeah." Kimiko told her boyfriend as they were outside on the temple grounds. "We got the Shen Gong Wu we need and Xiaolin gave us the map. We're all set."

"Okay, great." Raimundo said. "You and the others be careful, alright?"

"We will, you don't have to worry about us. When we get back, we'll have the scales."

"I know, Kimi, but I can't help but feel uneasy. I mean, this is Juno's very soul at stake, we can't afford to screw up. I can't afford to screw up."

"Rai..." Kimiko took his hand in hers when she saw his anxious expression. "If it makes you feel any better, I think you're doing a great job of being a leader so far." she smiled at him. "And I know you're going to play a big part in getting Juno back."

Raimundo looked at her and smiled back. "Thanks, Kimi."

"Anytime."

They leaned closer to each other, their lips pressing against one another gently. Still holding hands, they stayed in that position for a while. Slowly pulling apart, they looked into the other's eyes.

"I love you." Kimiko told him.

"I love you, too." Raimundo said back, placing one more kiss on her mouth.

"Kimiko, are you ready?" Omi called from a transformed Dojo's back, Dashi sitting behind him.

"I'm coming." the female monk turned her head to him once before looking back at her boyfriend. "I should get going. And, seriously, you're being a great leader already."

"I hope so, for Juno's sake."

They squeezed one another's hands tightly before she pulled hers back. She turned around and went to join her fellow monk and the Grand Master, climbing on the dragon's back. Her eyes met the Brazilian's and they kept their gazes on each other, even when Dojo flew into the air.

"We should get a move on, too." Clay spoke up when the group was out of sight. "That wood isn't going to get itself." he pulled out a Shen Gong Wu. "Silver Manta Ray!" he tossed it into the air.

The Wu grew to its larger size and it hovered a few feet above the ground. The top lifted up and the cowboy and Master Monk jumped up into the seats.

"We'll be back with the wood faster than cowpokes in a three-legged race." Clay said, taking over the controls of the Ray. "See you doggies later!"

The top closed down and the Shen Gong Wu went further into the air. It took off with a great burst of speed, quickly disappearing from view.

"Good luck..." Raimundo said more to himself, still staring at the spot the Ray was last seen. He let out a sigh. Then he felt a hand touching his shoulder and turned his head.

"Are you ready to get to work?" Chase asked him.

"Oh, yeah, sure thing. It's just..." the Brazilian looked down at the ground. "I just hope I really am ready for the whole leadership thing. I don't want to let anyone down, especially Juno."

"I understand." the Heylin warrior said, tightening his grip on the younger male's shoulder enough to be considered comforting. "The situation indeed puts a lot of pressure on you, but you are doing well so far. Just follow your instincts and go with what feels right to you. I know you are going to do everything you can to save Juno, just like the rest of us. All you need to do is stay focused."

"Yeah... yeah, you're right." Raimundo looked at him, smiling a bit. "Thanks, Chase."

"You're welcome." he removed his hand. "Now, let's get started, shall we?"

"Right. And, maybe, we can also figure out why Xiaolin hates you." the Shoku Warrior said as they headed for one of the buildings.

"Very funny."

---

(Later)

"According to Master Xiaolin's map, we should be nearing the island." Omi said, looking up from the makeshift map in his hands to the vast ocean spread out before them.

"So, when we find the jade dragon, how do we get the scales?" Kimiko asked.

"That is gonna be tricky, especially considering what Xiaolin told us about him not liking visitors." Dashi thought aloud. "Dojo, you think you can do the talking for us?"

"Just because we're both dragons, doesn't mean we'll get along right away." Dojo told him.

"Look, there it is!" Omi pointed up ahead.

In the distance, a large island came into view. On it was an even larger mountain, whose peak stretched all the way to the clouds.

"That is one big mountain." Kimiko said, her eyes trailing up to the part that was cut off by the masses of white in the sky.

"Perfect place for a dragon." Dashi remarked. "Dojo, take us closer and circle around, we'll see if we can spot an opening or something."

The reptile nodded and did as he said. He got closer to the island, flying around the mountain from top to bottom to find a way inside. Eventually, they saw a cave opening right in the middle of it. It was definitely big enough for a creature on the larger side to fit through. Dojo hovered in front of it, allowing the ones on his back to jump onto the cave floor before he followed them in, shrinking into his smaller form.

"There is something I wonder about." Omi said, his voice echoing off the walls. "Do dragons normally live in such seclusion?"

"Well, not all of them are like Dojo." Dashi told him as they started making their way down the cave. "Some of them chose to live among humans, others prefer the company of other dragons, and there are those who like to keep to themselves more. In cases with that last one, it's because they're not fond of people."

"And we're walking right into the cave of one of those possible dragons." Kimiko commented. "How fun."

"Just be on your guard and don't appear hostile, we don't want to give the jade dragon a reason to attack."

As they went further down the cave, they noticed that the walls appeared to become smoother and shiner, to the point where they could see themselves in them. It was soon realized that the walls were actually made of some sort of crystal. The crystal wall continued until they came to an open area.

The group stood in awe as they took in their surroundings. The area was very spacious and every inch of it was covered in crystal, which shined and sparkled. There were chucks of different sizes sticking out of the walls and floor, even pillars of various lengths were scattered about.

"Most breathtaking." Omi said, looking around everywhere he could see.

"This dragon has got good taste in living spaces." Dashi remarked.

"Think we can take some of this home?" Dojo questioned, staring at his reflection in the clear crystal.

"Hey, guys..." Kimiko called, now ahead of them. "You might want to check this out."

They went over to where she stood, soon seeing what she was talking about. Right in the middle of the area was a very wide, and very deep looking hole. It was so deep, they couldn't see the bottom through the darkness below.

"Wow." the Grand Master low whistled. "You do not want to fall into that."

"I wonder how far it goes." Omi thought aloud.

"Hm, let's see." Dojo grabbed a small crystal chunk from the cave floor and held it over the edge of the hole, dropping it soon after.

The group all watched it fall and disappear into the darkness. They waited, and waited to hear the sound of it hitting the ground, but it didn't come. After what must have been a minute or two, they finally heard the crystal making contact with the bottom.

"Okay, I vote we stay away from the death hole." Dashi said, grabbing the monks by their shoulders and leading them away from it. "Now, we should get back to finding the jade dragon and-"

He was cut off a very loud roar, which caused the area to shake. Everyone looked back towards the hole, where the sound came from.

"Uh... are we sure nothing is done there?" Kimiko questioned nervously.

"I believe we are about to find out." Omi told her as whatever made the roar sounded like it was now climbing out of the hole, getting closer by the second.

Then, not very long after, something shot out of it and crashed to the cave floor. It was a giant, green-scaled foot with large, razor sharp iridescent claws. The foot pulled the leg it was attached to out of the hole, along with the rest of the body. The group stepped back, their eyes going almost impossibly wide.

Towering over them was a giant, long-bodied Chinese dragon with shining green scales, the end of its tail covered in light green feathers. A mass of light green fur surrounded its face, long green whiskers on either side of its large mouth. It let out a growl, revealing its set of pure white, sharp fangs as it glared down at the intruders with its glowing opal eyes.

"It looks like..." Omi started to say. "We have found the jade dragon."

"And it does not look happy." Kimiko said.

"I think you disturbed its nap, Dojo." Dashi added.

"My bad..." Dojo responded meekly, gulping nervously.

The jade dragon floated into the air and roared before charging down at the group, fangs and claws bared.

---

(Meanwhile)

"If memory serves me right, this should be the very spot the tree is in." Guan said, looking out the window of the Silver Manta Ray and down at the clearing of the forest below. "Clay, please take us down."

"Roger that, partner." the cowboy responded, guiding the flying Shen Gong Wu to the ground.

When they landed, the top opened up and they jumped out, heading for the tree that was right in the middle of the forest.

"That is one mighty fine tree." Clay remarked, his eyes scaling the large plant to the very top.

"Yes, in more ways than one." Guan said. "Its wood contains magical properties that helped to allow Dashi's puzzle box to contain Wuya. It is a good thing that it is still here after all this time." he touched the bark of the tree, feeling the magic emitting from it. "However, I also remember some rather unpleasant occupants living here."

"Yeah, Juno told me and the others about the giant praying mantises ya'll had to face when you were first getting the wood." the cowboy told him. "She also told us how she decimated them and nearly the entire area, save the tree."

"Indeed, Juno's fear of insects back then was nothing to scoff at. But she was able to finish them all off and we got the wood in the end." the Master Monk gave a small smile at the memories.

"You okay, partner?" Clay asked, seeing the glint of sadness in the older man's eyes.

"Yes, it is just... I am very worried about Juno. If we fail our mission and we lose her forever..." Guan went silent for a moment. "I fear that I could lose one of my greatest friend again."

"Hey, I get it, really. Juno means a lot to me, and everyone else, too. But we already have a pretty good plan on getting her back, and we're doing everything we can. We should play our part and get the wood for the puzzle box and head back as soon as possible."

The Master Monk looked at him and smiled. "You are correct, Clay. If we get the wood, we will be one step closer to saving her. It's a good thing that there are no more praying mantises about."

"I'll say." Clay agreed. "Although, I bet what Juno did to them was nothing compared to those giant spiders we had to-"

Suddenly, there was a hissing sound from above them. Looking up, the two warriors found themselves staring into a pair of large eyes that shone in the shadows of the tree. Another pair blinked into existence, following by three more.

"Uh, I think some others moved in during the mantises' absence." the cowboy said, him and the Master Monk moving away from the tree.

One of the eyes jumped down from the tree, revealing the being they were attached to in the sunlight. It was a lizard-like creature that was at least three times the size of a full-grown Komodo dragon. Its body was covered in leathery brown skin, sharp black claws attached to its feet. It hissed, showing off its sharp teeth and long, thin pink tongue.

"You don't suppose there's a chance they're friendly, do you?" Clay questioned.

Then four more of the lizard creatures dropped down from the tree. They were slightly smaller than the first one, but that wasn't really a reassurance.

"I will guess they are not." Guan said, drawing his spear and holding it out in front of him.

"Nothing can never be easy." the cowboy sighed, taking a stance.

The lizard beasts stalked towards them, poised in a predatory stance. They stopped when they were a few feet away from the warriors. A heartbeat passed before the largest one lunged with its mouth wide open.

---

(Meanwhile)

Xiaolin was sitting on the bed in Juno's room, holding a photo album he had found laying on the desk. Flipping through the pages, he saw that it was filled with pictures of his former pupil with the monks. Each one showed a different moment from her time at the temple; such as meditating with Omi, playing video games with Kimiko, learning how to play soccer from Raimundo, having an arm-wrestling match with Clay, and many more.

What really stuck with Xiaolin is how happy she looked in each picture, how much she was enjoying herself in her second life. Seeing her smile in the photos warmed his heart since the last expression he saw her with was one of sorrow. Knowing that she was surrounded by people who loved and cared for her as she deserved made him happier than anything else in the world.

Turning to the next page, the original Xiaolin Dragon King stilled his hand when his gaze landed on another picture of Juno. This time, she was with her husband and had her arms wrapped around his neck while his were around her waist. They both were smiling at one another, but Xiaolin could not feel particularly happy when looking at the Heylin warrior's face.

He closed the album softly and placed it down on the bed, getting to his feet. Walking out of the room, he wandered around the temple until he came upon the veranda Raimundo and Chase were on. They were standing at a table that had an unfurled scroll on top of it.

"Okay, I think we finally found something." the Brazilian said as he looked at the scroll, Kaze helping to keep it open by standing on one end. "In order to return a person's soul, you either have to touch the Soul Pearl to the body of the person it was taken from, or break the Pearl itself.

"Either way, we're going to need to get the Soul Pearl from Hannibal Bean." the Heylin warrior told him, crossing his arm. "Something I'm sure he won't make easy for us."

"That's true." Raimundo sighed. "My biggest concern is that he might hide Juno's soul who knows where."

Kaze chirped a few times.

"You're right, Kaze, if that did happen, we can use the Medallion of Truth to get him to tell us where. Good thing Dojo's been teaching you about Shen Gong Wu." he petted the little phoenix's head. "By the way, Chase, you have any idea on what essence of the good is? We're gonna need it if we want to give the mortal potion to Hannibal Bean after we get Juno back."

"As I told her, that one has me stumped." the older man answered. "Essence can have different meanings, and there is a chance it can only come from a person who is pure good."

"The only person who we know is like that is trapped in a pearl by a insane vegetable."

"We can figure it out later, our main objective is getting Juno back."

"Yeah, you're right." Raimundo agreed. "So, I was thinking, after we trap Wuya back in a puzzle box, we can charge at Hannibal Bean at the same time. I mean, he can't take all of us on at once, right?"

Before the other could answer, they heard someone clearing their throat and turned their heads towards the outside. They saw Xiaolin standing on the other side of the railing.

"Hello." he greeted pleasantly.

"Oh, Xiaolin, hey." Raimundo greeted back. "We were just in the middle of making plans."

"Yes, I heard. It seems to be going well, Juno would be proud at how hard you're working, Raimundo." he smiled at the Brazilian.

"Thanks a lot, though it's still a little strange talking to you like this."

"I understand, I hope for this to not be a permanent situation. But, I must admit, I came to find you for a reason. More specifically, him." Xiaolin looked at Chase, his expression turning cool. "I was wondering if you would fulfill a request for me, Chase Young."

"What request would that be?" the Heylin warrior asked.

"I wish for you to spar with me." the original Xiaolin Dragon King gave a simple smile.

---

"Kaze, you also feeling that tension?"

The little phoenix chirped from the Brazilian's shoulder.

"So it's not just me, good." Raimundo said, glancing back and forth between the two warriors nervously.

"Is there a reason as to why you want to spar all of a sudden?" Chase questioned Xiaolin, who was on the other end of the outdoor training field they were standing on.

"Earlier, I noticed how my attack at Hannibal was off by quite a bit." he said. "If I am to battle him and Wuya, then I need to get use to fighting in Juno's body, as it is quite different from my original one. And I believe you would be suitable for helping me with that, Chase Young. Plus, this will allow me to properly assess the strength of the one Juno chose to be her husband."

"I see." was the Heylin warrior's reply, staring at the other warrior. "Very well, I'm honored to have a chance to go against the original Xiaolin Dragon King."

Xiaolin just smiled and held up his hand, a white glow appearing in his palm. When it disappeared, he was now holding a hand fan. He opened it, revealing that it was white with a blue Chinese dragon on it, its body in a flying position as pink cherry blossom petals floated around it.

"It has been quite a while since I've used my weapon." he said, taking a stance. "But I am sure I will not disappoint you. Please do not hold back."

Chase just nodded and took a stance himself, staring the other down.

'Why do I feel like this won't end well?' Raimundo thought to himself.

The two warriors didn't move, still holding their positions even has a gentle breeze blew. Then, in the blink of an eye, Chase was right in front of Xiaolin and throwing a punch at his face. He, however, held up his closed fan and used it to successful stop the attack from hitting its mark.

"Hm, very fast." the redhead remarked simply, keeping the fist at bay with his weapon. "And there's plenty of force behind your attack. I appreciate you for actually giving it your all."

Chase pulled his fist back and switched to sending out a kick. The other warrior once again used his fan to block it, one arm behind his back. Every other attack that was thrown at him, no matter how fast it was, he blocked it perfectly with his weapon. It was like he could see every move his sparring partner was going to make before he made it.

Then he swiped his fan at the Heylin warrior, who jumped up dodge it. He did a flip over his head and landed behind him, immediately throwing another punch. But, once again, the original Xiaolin Dragon King blocked it with his weapon by bending his arm back. Chase growled lowly, backing up to put some distance between them. Xiaolin just turned his head a bit, giving him an impassive look over his shoulder.

"Man, he's good." Raimundo commented as he watched. "Then again, what else would you except from the one who taught Juno herself?"

Kaze chirped in response.

They saw Chase charge at Xiaolin, who hadn't moved once from the spot he was standing in. It looked like he was going to shoot out another punch, the original Xiaolin Dragon King holding up his fan again to block it, but it was a feint as the Heylin warrior, when he was close, crouched to the ground and swung up his leg, aiming at the other's. It looked like it would hit, but then its target vanished.

Chase looked up and saw that Xiaolin had jumped into the air. He was now falling towards him with an outstretched leg, making him put up his arm. The other's foot connected with it, the force behind the attack sending the Heylin warrior sliding back a few feet. The redhead backflipped and landed gracefully on the ground.

"Impressive." Xiaolin said as he opened his fan and held it up to the lower part of his face, only showing his still impassive eyes. "You are indeed a highly skilled warrior, Chase Young. Although, I can't figure out what other reason Juno would have for being drawn to you."

"What do you-"

In a flash, the original Xiaolin Dragon King was standing right in front of him. Chase barley had time to block the closed fan aimed at his head with his arm. Then he felt a punch in his stomach that sent him flying back. He managed to regain himself in time before he hit the ground, landing on his feet. Before he could do anything else, Xiaolin was in front of him again and slamming the heel of his foot down on him. The Heylin warrior held up both arms and blocked the attack, but the force of it made him fall down to one knee.

When the other warrior pulled his leg back, he immediately shot out his other one and kicked at his face. Chase held up his hand and caught his foot just a second before it could land a hit.

"Are you sure you need practice, Xiaolin?" he questioned, still holding his foot. "This is starting to feel like an excuse for you to beat me up."

"Well..." Xiaolin began. "You are not entirely wrong. And I believe I told you to not say my name so causally." he then shot out his free hand and slammed it against the Heylin warrior's chest, sending him across the training field.

"Chase!" Raimundo yelled as the older man landed roughly on his back.

Before he could get up, a foot planted itself on Chase's neck and held him down. He looked up and found himself staring into Xiaolin's cold eyes.

"Can I ask why you seem to despise me so much?"

"Do I really have to tell you?" the original Xiaolin Dragon King replied, still holding him down. "I figured it would be quite obvious given your, shall we say, track record?"

"What do you mean?" Chase asked.

"While my soul was dormant inside Juno's body, I could still see, hear, and feel everything she has experienced. That also includes her experiences with you, Chase Young. When you two first met and began your relationship, I truly believed you would be a suitable partner for her. However..." his stare seemed to turn even colder. "You betrayed her by switching to the Heylin side, hurting her in a way you cannot even imagine."

"That's..."

"To my surprise, though, she ended up forgiving you and even marrying you. I was skeptical, afraid you would hurt once again. And, as it turns out, I was correct when you betrayed her yet again by turning her evil without her knowledge. You even kept her against her will when she turned back." Xiaolin pressed his foot down harder, nearly choking the one under it. "However, despite all of that, she still finds it in her heart to forgive and love you. Perhaps I am just not as forgiving as her, but I find it hard to figure out how she can still trust you after everything you've done to her."

Chase said nothing, staring up at the original Xiaolin Dragon King's impassive, cold face. "You're right..." he finally said. "Though it wasn't my intention, I have hurt Juno because of my own selfishness. I was actually quite shocked myself when she said she was willing to forgive me despite all the harm I had done to her and others. But, even though she has forgiven me, I still feel regret what I've done. That is why..." he looked at him seriously. "I am doing everything I can to make up for my actions. I understand your reasons for hating me, but know that I truly love Juno and would rather drink the mortal potion and kill myself than hurt her again."

The two warriors stared at one another silently, time ticking away slowly. Then, after what felt like hours, Xiaolin removed his foot from the other's neck and stepped back.

"I can tell that you are indeed serious, Chase Young." he said. "Though I am still wary, if there is one thing we can agree on..." he held out his hand. "It is how much we both love and care about Juno." he gave a small smile.

Chase grabbed his hand and allowed for the original Xiaolin Dragon King to help pull him to his feet. "Yes, that we can. And I truly am sorry for everything."

"I believe you. You know, you are quite strange for someone on the Heylin side, apologizing for their mistakes is not a common trait. I think I can see now why Juno loves you so much as well. However, do keep this in mind..." Xiaolin gripped the other's hand tightly and pulled him closer, his mouth to his ear. "If you do anything that ends up hurting Juno again, I will find a way to remove any trace of you from this world down to your very atoms." his cold, even tone was enough to make it aware just how serious he was.

"I don't doubt it, Xiaolin." Chase said. "Or should I call you father instead?"

"Our relationship is not at that level yet." the redhead told him as he released his hand, pulling back. "Now, we should get back to planning. Thank you for the sparring session... Chase." he turned around and walked away.

"You good?" Raimundo asked when he came over to the Heylin warrior.

"Yes." Chase replied, clenching and unclenching his hand to make sure nothing was broken, as he watched the original Xiaolin Dragon King's retreating figure. "Juno has indeed inherited much from him, not just his powers."

"Yeah, like kicking your ass." the Brazilian said with a teasing grin.

"I'd like to see you do better." the Heylin warrior retorted, putting his hand on the younger man's head and pushing it down a bit. He began to ruffle his hair, making him chuckle. "Come on, we still have a lot of work to do."

"Right." Raimundo agreed as the other removed his hand. "I hope the others are doing okay, though."

"I'm sure they're fine." Chase told him as they went after Xiaolin.

---

(Meanwhile)

"We are most certainly not fine right now!" Omi jumped to the side, dodging the long, sharp claws of the jade dragon.

"This is one cranky dragon." Kimiko remarking, leaping up to avoid its tail.

"Maybe, if another dragon didn't wake him up." Dashi looked at Dojo, who was clinging to his shoulder.

"I said I was sorry. How was I suppose to know he was gonna be sleeping at the bottom of a pit."

"Well, now what do we do?" the female monk questioned. "I doubt we'll be getting the scales anytime soon."

"Looks like we've got no choice, we're gonna have to do this by force." the Grand Master said.

"Understood, Grand Master Dashi." Omi responded. "Wudai Neptune Water!" he held out his hands and shot a powerful blast of water from them.

The jade dragon saw the attack coming and held up its tail, blocking the water before it could hit it anywhere else. While it was distracted, Kimiko come up behind it.

"Wudai Mars Fire!" she threw three fireballs from her hands, sending them right at the dragon's back.

However, when they made contact with its scales, they bounced right off and went flying back at the source. The female monk gasped as her own attack was coming her way, but an arm suddenly wrapped around her and carried her out of the line of fire.

"So its body can't be penetrated that easily." Dashi remarked, setting Kimiko back on her feet.

The jade dragon pushed against the water still being shot at its tail, hitting Omi and sending him flying back. He landed on the crystal cave floor, his back hitting the wall. When he recovered, he looked up and saw the giant, mystical reptile coming at him.

"Oh, no, you don't." the Grand Master charged forward and Dojo fell from his shoulder. He jumped up and landing on the dragon's back.

The jade dragon roared when it felt the human run up its back. It bucked and moved around erratically to try and get him off, but he kept his balance the whole time. When he reached the neck, he leaped up into the air. He then flipped around and had his upper body facing the top of the creature's head. Pulling his hands back for a moment, Dashi slammed them together and emitted a strong force from them, strong enough to push the dragon's head to the ground when it made contact.

"Oooh, most impressive, Grandmaster Dashi." Omi said, his eyes shining respectfully as the older man landed near him.

"Don't celebrate too soon, that won't be enough to take it down."

Just as he said that, the jade dragon pulled up its head and glared down at them. It roared and charged at them, baring its fangs. But then, Kimiko jumped and grabbed the end of one of its long whiskers, using it to swing right up to its face and kick it right between the eyes. She backflipped into the air and sent a blast of flames from her hands, making the dragon back away to keep them from burning its face.

"How's that for fire power?" the female monk said when she landed back on the ground.

The dragon shook its head for a moment and let out a snarl, training its eyes on her Then it opened its mouth and a white, iridescent light shone in it.

"That doesn't look good." Dojo remarked, he and the humans stepping back.

A moment later, the light shot out as a powerful beam. The group ran out of the line of fire, but the force it made when it collided with the cave floor sent them all flying in different directions. Kimiko groaned as she picked herself up, gasping when she saw that she had landed right at the edge of the hole the jade dragon was sleeping in earlier. If she went just a bit further, she would have found herself having a one way trip deep down.

Then, right in front of her, the Japanese girl heard a low growl. Slowly turning her head, she found herself staring into the jade dragon's eyes. Before she could react, one of its arm shot out and hit her, sending her into the pit.

"Kimiko!" Omi yelled when he saw the female monk disappear out of sight. Before he could go to try and help her, the jade dragon got in front of him, roaring as it shot its head towards him, fangs bared.

In the hole, Kimiko only had a second to think as she was making her way to the bottom fast. As quick as she could, she summoned a piece of flame into both her palms and made them take on the shape of long daggers. She straightened herself out and stabbed them into the wall as hard as she could.

The fire blades went through the crystal, but she was still sliding down quickly. It took a second, but her speed slowed down until she came to a halt. She took a big sigh of relief, giving herself a chance to recover. Looking up, the Japanese girl saw just how far down she had fallen, the opening to the surface a small light above. She also saw the darkness below, giving her no indication of how far down the bottom of the hole was.

"Okay, okay, think, Kimiko." she said to herself, barely able to hear the fighting between her friends and the jade dragon that was still going on. "How are you going to get out of this?"

She tried to think of a solution, but there wasn't a lot of options coming to her mind. The wall was too smooth to climb out with bare hands, and it would take too long to scale it with her fire blades, she probably would get too tired halfway to the surface if she tried. She couldn't fly, so that idea was out. And she didn't have a Shen Gong Wu on her that could help. It looked like she was trapped.

"Dammit!" Kimiko cursed aloud, her voice echoing off the walls. "There has to be something I can do. I have to get out of here, I have to get the scales, I have to help Juno. Juno..." she squeezed her eyes shut tightly, the thought of never seeing her best friend again almost bringing her to tears. "What would you do if you were in my place, Juno?"

Just as she was about to give up hope, she was suddenly struck with a sudden memory.

---

(Flashback)

"You know, Juno, you're really amazing."

"I'm liking where this is going." the redhead said as she was brushing the female monk's let down hair. "Please continue."

"Well, it's obvious you're incredibly strong, smart, and beautiful..."

"That is all true, yes." Juno smiled brightly.

"But I think what I admire most about you is how you almost always seem to know your way out of a bad situation." Kimiko told her. "You hardly ever lose your cool when things get intense, except when giant insects are involved. If it was me, my head would probably spin from the pressure."

"It's true that staying calm is vital for getting out of messy spots." the female warrior said, parting the other's hair into two parts and starting to braid them together. "But I'll let you in on a little secret. On the inside, I'm always worrying about whether the decision I make is a good one. And now that I have your kids' safety to consider, I feel extra pressured."

"Really, Juno?"

"Really." she nodded. "However, I keep my emotions in check because I know panicking won't save anyone. I also rely on my imagination and instincts."

"Imagination and instincts?"

"Sometimes you have to think outside the box to come up with a solution to solve your problems. And, when all else fails, you'll have to trust your instincts to help you out. They may not work all the time for everybody, but mine haven't steered me wrong yet." Juno picked up a small hair tie and used it to hold the end of the other girl's braid in place when she was finished with it. "And, right now, my instincts are telling me that you look super cute." she held up a hand mirror to show her.

"Wow, thanks, Juno." Kimiko beamed as she admired her hairstyle. "You really are the best."

"Yes, I know. But, so are you, Kimiko."

The two smiled at each other.

---

(Present Day)

"Juno..." Kimiko opened her eyes, her face steeling with determination. "I'm not going to let you down, no matter what. And I'll start by using what you taught me to get out of this hole."

Looking down at the darkness below, she pulled one of her flame blades out of the wall, now dangling by the other, and dropped it. It fell down, lighting up the shadows. It kept falling and falling until, moments later, it went out.

"That's still a long way down." Kimiko said to herself. "But, if I get the timing right, and trust my instincts, I should make it work."

Turning her gaze to the opening far above, the female monk took a deep breath. Then, closing her eyes, she let go of the other fire blade. As she felt the wind whipping past her body, she turned herself around so she was facing the bottom when she reached it, concentrating and counting the seconds in her head.

She also thought about Juno and much she means to her. The Xiaolin Dragon King has always been someone she could look up to and admire, someone she inspired to be like. She helped her to become the Xiaolin Warrior she is now, and she wasn't about to disappoint her.

Then, Kimiko felt it. Her instincts telling her that the time was now.

"Wudai Mars Fire!" she curled her body into a ball and spun around fast, flames covering her from head to toe. The fire made contact with the very bottom of the hole just seconds before she touched it. The force of the strong flames pushed against the bottom and sent the female monk shooting straight up towards the opening above, gaining speed the higher she went.

Back up on the surface, the other humans were still fighting the jade dragon.

"Orb of Tornami Ice!" Omi shot a blast of water from the Shen Gong Wu, the attack hitting the mystical reptile's tail and freezing it in a block of ice.

However, the jade dragon hardly seemed bothered by it and swung its frozen body part at the short monk. He quickly ducked down, the encased tail hitting the wall behind him. The ice surrounding it cracked and broke apart.

"Uh-oh." Omi said right before a large, clawed hand grabbed him.

"Omi!" Dashi shouted as he saw the younger monk lifted up by the jade dragon. Just as he was about to rush to help, the giant reptile's tail slammed down on him and pinned him to the cave floor.

As the Grand Master struggled to get free, the jade dragon held Omi to its face.

"Uh..." he gulped nervously at the look the creature was giving him. "I do not suppose we can just chat things out, could we?"

It opened it mouth wide.

"I did not think so!" the short monk screamed as he was being taken closer to the fangs that would chew him to bits.

Then, just before the tip of one them could touch the top of his head, a giant fireball suddenly shot out of the hole. It headed straight for the jade dragon, slamming right into the side of its head. The mystical reptile roared as it was forced back, as well as releasing the two warriors.

"That fireball..." Omi kept his eyes on it even as he landed on the ground. "Could it be..."

The ball of flames hovered in the air for a moment more before it slowly went out. When all were gone, there was nothing left but single bright light, which dropped down to the cave floor.

"Kimiko?

The light soon went out and revealed the female monk, except her attire was different now. Her red robes were now sleeveless, the back and front ends reaching down to her thighs. Her black shoes reached to her knees with crisscross patterns covering her long, white pants. A yellow sash was around her waist and tied into a large bow in the back. And, finally, her arms were covered with black sleeves that reached to her wrist.

"Kimiko, you are okay!" Omi beam widely. "And I most love your new robes."

"Well, I'll be, I think she just graduated to Shoku Warrior." Dashi said, now standing on his feet.

"Amazing, how did she do that?" Dojo questioned.

"I just remembered some things that Juno taught me." Kimiko told them with a smile. Then she looked at the jade dragon, who just recovered and was now glaring at her. "Come and get it, you overgrown lizard." she took a stance, her clenched hands getting covered in flames.

The mystical reptile snarled before it let out a loud roar, charging straight at the female monk.

---

(Meanwhile)

"Take this, you no-good leathery varmint!" Clay slammed his fist against the head of one of the large lizard-like creatures as it lunged at him.

It flew back and landed on the ground away from him. But it soon shook it off and got back on its feet, hissing at the cowboy.

"They're as spunky as they are ugly."

"They are indeed hard to handle." Guan said as he sliced one of the lizards with his spear, making it let out a sound that was a combination of a squeal and growl. Then he stuck the blade of his weapon into the ground and lifted himself up, spinning around the pole and kicking it in the face. "At this rate, we may not get back with the wood in time." he landed back on his feet.

"No way I'm letting that happen." Clay declared. "Juno's counting on us to save her, and I'm not letting her down!" he kicked another one of the lizards when it came at him. "There's got to be a way to deal with this things quickly."

Suddenly, the largest of the lizard creatures hissed loudly and the other four went back over to it. Looking at the two warriors, they suddenly vanished right before their eyes.

"What in tarnation?"

"Where did they go?"

They quickly scanned the area, but didn't see any signs of the lizards. Then, out of no where, they were both hit by something hard, making them crash to the ground. Clay felt something heavy on his chest and, in the blink of an eye, one of the lizards was right on top of him. It hissed and bared its sharp teeth, shooting them towards his face. He grabbed it by both jaws and held it in place, but was struggling to keep it at bay.

"Why did they have to be invisible lizards?" the cowboy asked himself. "Oh..." he groaned as the lizard's tongue shot out and licked him across the face. "Oh, that is just wrong." he pulled up his legs and kicked it in the stomach, sending it off of him.

As he was getting up, he saw Guan holding up his spear sideways, as well as the two lizards that were holding onto it by their teeth. He twirled the weapon around fast, itself and the creatures becoming a blur. A moment later, they came flying off the spear and landed on the ground. The lizards regrouped before they turned invisible again.

"Sneaky sons of..." Clay said to himself. "What do we do?"

"We must find a way to figure out to where they are." Guan told him.

"Yeah, but how?"

"Think, Clay, I am sure that there is something Juno has taught you that can help."

The cowboy looked at him. Now that he mentioned it, there was something he remembered the Xiaolin Dragon King teaching him a while back.

---

(Flashback)

"Oof!" Clay out when he landed on his back. "Dang, Juno, how did you know where I was coming from?" he tilted his head back to look at the female warrior sitting in front of him. "I was quieter than a church mouse."

He had spotted her in the temple garden, looking to be meditating. She hadn't noticed him yet, and she looked so focused, that he thought he could give her a good scare. With that thought in mind, he tiptoed toward her, being extra careful not to make a sound. He stopped when he stood directly behind her back. Slowly, he reached out his hand and was about to touch her shoulder.

But then she suddenly grabbed his wrist and easily flipped him over her shoulder, putting him in the position he was in now.

"That's true, you were quiet." Juno told him. "However, I still knew you were coming."

"Tiger instincts, right?" Clay questioned.

"That, and I could feel your vibrations."

"Vibrations?"

"Give me your hand."

The cowboy sat up and turned around to face her, holding out his hand. The female warrior grabbed it and pulled it to the ground between them, pushing his hand against the earth underneath the grass.

"Your element can do a lot of things, Clay." Juno told him. "It can even tell you where a person is through the vibrations they sent out through the earth when they're moving."

"Wow, how do you do that?"

"It helps when you're more attuned to the earth. With practice, you can feel just about anything coming your way."

"You mind teaching me how to do that?"

"I would love to." she said and they both smiled at each other.

---

(Present Day)

"I have an idea." Clay said to Guan. "I hope just it works right."

Getting down on one knee, he placed the palms of his hands on the ground and closed his eyes. He and Juno have been working on this technique for a while, he couldn't get the hang of it right away, but he had been making progress. And, now, it was time to really put it to the test. Not for his sake, but for the sake of the female warrior who helped him to become stronger. It was time to make her proud.

That's when he felt it. At first it was one, then he was feeling five different vibrations. They were surrounding him on all sides and closing in slowly. Except, they weren't about to get closer on his watch.

"Wudai Crater Earth!" Clay lifted up both his hands and slammed them back on the ground.

The earth rose up around him, spreading out in a circle. The lizard creatures became visible when they were tossed high into the air. Clay and Guan jumped up after them, the cowboy hitting two of them with his fists while the Master Monk kicked the others. The reptiles landed hard on the ground in a heap while the warriors landed on their feet.

"There's more where that came from." Clay pointed at them.

The lizards got back up, the largest one seeming to glare at the duo. Then it let out a low hiss and slinked off into the shadows of the trees surrounding the clearing, the others following it.

"We should hurry and get the wood before they decide to come back." Guan said.

"Right." Clay agreed.

"You did very well, Clay. You are indeed a fine Shoku Warrior." the Master Monk smiled.

"Huh?" the cowboy blinked in confusion, seeing a faint glow disappearing from his body. He was so occupied with the lizards that he didn't even notice.

His red robes were now sleeveless with a yellow collar that went down to his midsection, two small black stripes over the end. There was also yellow lining at the ends of his robes along with a yellow sash around his waist. His white pants and black shoes were still the same, but there were now black wrist gauntlets on his arms.

"Well, I'll be..." Clay marveled.

"Juno would be very proud of you right now." Guan told him.

"Yeah, I can't wait to see the look on her face." the cowboy said, smiling widely.

---

(Meanwhile)

"Arrow Sparrow Fire!" Kimiko shot her bird-like projectiles at the jade dragon.

They immediately caught on fire and began to spin around in a cyclone made of flames. The attack hit the creature, making it reel back and roar in anger.

"It's good that Kimiko got an upgrade, but we can't keep this up forever." Dashi said. "We're gong to have to find a way to subdue it."

"Dojo, perhaps you can do something." Omi spoke up. "A dragon versus dragon battle."

"Are you kidding me, that guy would tear me apart and have me for dinner!"

"Well, we cannot just stand here and let Kimiko deal with it by herself!"

"Guys, look out!" they heard the female monk yell.

They turned their heads and immediately dropped to the cave floor, narrowly missing the swipe of the jade dragon's claws. The creature was on them, its mouth wide open. The trio quickly scattered and the iridescent beam shot from its mouth, hitting the spot they were in just a second ago.

"Shimo Staff!" Omi pulled out his Wudai Weapon and it turned into a long version of itself. He used it to pole-vault off the ground and land on top of a pillar of crystal. When his staff returned to normal size, he held his hands out towards the jade dragon. "Wudai Neptune Water!" he shot a powerful blast of water from his palms, hitting it right in the face.

The mystical reptile roared, shaking its large head. Turning its eyes at the short monk, it let out a growl before it was right on him, curling its long body around the pillar and towering over him. It bared its fangs, leaning forward.

"Oh my." Omi took a step back. "I should have asked Master Xiaolin for more information." he closed his eyes, holding up his arms over his face. However, when he didn't feel himself being chewed apart, he lowered his arms and opened his eyes, seeing that the jade dragon had stopped, its closed mouth mere inches from his body, and was now just staring at him. He blinked once before he realized why. "Do you... Do you know Master Xiaolin?" he asked softly.

His response was a low rumble emitting from its throat.

As he stared at the mystical reptile in amazement, Omi suddenly remembered something a certain female warrior had told him some time ago.

---

(Flashback)

"You know, Omi, there are cases where you can't fight your way out of a situation."

The short monk stopped his practice on the wooden training dummy and looked at the redhead, who was standing by the wall of the indoor training hall. "What do you mean, Master Juno?"

"Sometimes, your fists aren't always the answer to a problem. You would be surprised how effective just talking things out can be." she told him. "When it seems like fighting fails you, you might want to try using your words instead."

"Will that always work?"

"No, I'm afraid not, but it doesn't hurt to give it a try every now and then."

"I see..." Omi said as she came to stand beside him. "What you say indeed makes sense, Master Juno. I will be sure to keep it in mind and use it in practice for the future."

"You better be remembering all the things I've been teaching you inside that big melon of yours." Juno teased, crouching down to rub his bald head. "Now, what do you say to doing some sparring together before dinner?"

"Oh, yes, I most love to." he replied, smiling widely. "I want to show you how much I have improved on some of my moves."

"I look forward to seeing it, my favorite monk." she smiled back at him.

---

(Present Day)

Omi was pulled from his thoughts by a sudden roar. He looked back at the jade dragon and saw it was unfurling itself from the pillar, shaking its head back and forth violently. On the back of its head was a certain Grand Master, pulling on the fur that covered the sides of its face.

"Kimiko, now's your chance!" Dashi yelled, struggling to keep his hold. "Give it a good blast!"

The female monk nodded and held out her hands, aiming them at the mystical reptile's face. Two fireballs appeared on her palms, growing bigger and bigger and combining into one. She waited until the jade dragon was in a good position and was about to fire.

"Kimiko, wait!" Omi jumped down from the pillar and landed right in front of her and her attack.

"Omi!" Kimiko couldn't call off the giant fireball in time and, instead, shot it towards a section of the ceiling. It exploded on impact and chunks of crystal fell from above, scorch marks on the spot it had hit. "What are you doing?"

"Please, trust me, we are going at this all wrong." the short monk told her before turning to the jade dragon. "Grand Master Dashi, please allow me to talk to the jade dragon."

"Talk to it?!" he responded, still holding on to the bucking creature.

"Yes, I believe what Master Juno has taught me can help."

Dashi looked at the short monk and saw his serious expression. "Oh, alright, I just hope you know what you're doing." he released the mystical reptile's fur and jumped off its head, landing near the others.

"I do has well." Omi said as the jade dragon turned to them, growling as it prepared to strike. "Please, wait." he held up his hands in a peaceful manner. "Master Xiaolin sent us here."

The creature went silent, now staring at the group.

"I am sorry that we have disturbed your rest, and that we have done you harm, but we are in desperate need of your help." the short monk continued. "Someone very important to us, to me, is in great danger, and we need your scales in order to save her and stop a great evil. Master Juno has done much for me, helping me so many times despite all of the mistakes I have made. She is more than a teacher and friend to me, she is... she is the mother I love most dearly. And I am willing to do anything to get her back. So, please..." he got down on his knees and bowed his head to the cave floor. "Lend us your aid, mighty jade dragon."

No one breathed a word has the seconds ticked by, the mystical reptile staring down at Omi. Then it slowly lowered its head down to him, gently nudging his own head with its mouth. He looked up and saw it raise one of it hands to its body. There was a slight 'clink' sound, like glass touching glass, and it moved over to him, presenting what was in its palm.

It was five green scales that shined and sparkled, the short monk's face reflecting on their smooth surface. As he looked at them longer, he realized that they made of actual jade.

"Oh..." Omi got to his feet took them into his hands, being careful as if they could break easily. "Thank you, thank you indeed." he looked at the jade dragon. "I am most indebted to you, majesty jade dragon." he smiled widely.

The mystical reptile gave a low rumble in response, pulling its head back to tower over him and the others. Then it floated into the air and went back to the large hole, flying down into it. The group watched it until its feathered tail disappeared from view.

"Omi, that was incredible!" Kimiko went over to him, giving him a brief, tight hug. "You got the scales!"

"Not bad at all, kid." Dashi praised, rubbing his head. "Juno's taught you well."

"She would be really proud of you." Dojo added.

"Thank you, it is thanks to her that I was able to get the scales." Omi said, looking at said scales in his hands.

"And you were able to prove yourself, too." the Grand Master told him.

"Prove myself of what?"

"Being worthy of becoming a Shoku Warrior."

The short monk blinked in confusion just before a bright glow surrounded his body. Everyone else stepped back and stared as the glow slowly dimmed before going out completely. Omi looked at himself.

His robes and pants were still the same, but the red and black were much more vibrant and sleeker. There was also a black sash around his waist. And, on the back of his robes, there was the design of a black dragon.

"You mean..." the short monk could only stare in amazement. "I have really..."

"Congratulations, Omi." Dashi smiled.

"Oh, hoho, yes!" Omi jumped up and down, barely able to contain his excitement. "I knew I would make Shoku Warrior eventually!"

"You deserve it, Omi." Kimiko told him.

"Juno's gonna be real proud of you kids when we get her back." Dojo remarked.

"Oh, yes, Master Juno." the short monk stopped jumping. "We must hurry back to the temple, the others could be waiting for us."

"He's right, we should get a move on." Dashi agreed. "Dojo, make sure to go at full speed on the way back."

"I'll go faster than you've ever seen me." the dragon said, following him and the female monk out of the crystal cave.

Omi stayed in place for a moment, looking back at the hole in the middle of the ground. "Thank you again." he said softly before going after the others.

A soft roar came from the hole, indicating that his gratitude was heard and well-received.

---

(Later, at the Xiaolin Temple)

"Kimi, you guys are back!" Raimundo immediately hugged his girlfriend after she got off of Dojo's back when he landed on the temple grounds. "How did it go?"

"It was rough at first, but Omi managed to get us what we needed."

"I present to you, the scales of the jade dragon." the short monk held out the scales in his hands.

"That's great, you guys." the Brazilian said. "And, by the looks of it, that wasn't the only thing that happened." he took in their improved outfits. "Nice new threads, just as good as Clay's."

"He and Guan are back?" Kimiko asked.

"Yeah, arrived not very long before you. They went and gave the wood from that tree to Xiaolin."

"Speaking of which, did you figure out what his problem with Chase was?"

"I'll tell you the whole story later, but they did come to an understanding." Raimundo explained as they went inside one of the temple buildings.

When they got into a room where the others were, they saw Xiaolin kneeling on the floor and holding his hands on either side of a bright, white glow between them, his eyes closed in concentration. Everyone stayed silent as a few more moments past, the glow beginning to fade. When it was gone, he opened his eyes and picked up the finished wooden puzzle box that looked nearly identical to the ones the Grand Master had made.

"Finished." Xiaolin said with a smile, getting to his feet. "I hope you do not mind that I went ahead and made it, Grand Master Dashi."

"Not at all." he replied. "You made it a lot faster than I would have, your magic is something else."

"Master Xiaolin, look, we have collected the scales." Omi showed him.

"You have all done such excellent work." the redhead complimented. "You monks have proven yourselves to be the capable warriors Juno has helped you to become. I hope she will be able to see her mighty Shoku Warriors again soon."

"You can count on us to make sure that happens." Raimundo told him.

"It's good we got the box, and the scales, but we still need one more ingredient to finish the mortal potion." Clay spoke up. "And we still haven't figured out how to get the essence of the good."

"I know, but we might have to hold off on that for now." the Brazilian said. "Getting back Juno is our number one priority."

"So what do we do now, Rai?" Kimiko asked.

"Hannibal Bean, Wuya, and Jack are most likely holed up in his lair, trying to come up with a plan themselves. Let's see if they're in the mood for company."

"Do you mind if I come along this time?" Xiaolin questioned, handing the puzzle box to Dashi. "Hannibal and I have some unfinished business."

"We would like to see you kick his butt." Raimundo said with a grin.

"As would I." the original Xiaolin Dragon King smiled.

---

(Later)

"Hey, Xiaolin, what was Juno like has a kid?"

"Hm?" he looked at the monks and other warriors, all of them riding on a transformed Dojo's back and heading for Jack Spicer's lair.

"It's just that Juno doesn't really talk about herself, or you, that much." Raimundo said. "And we're curious as to what she was like when she was growing up with you."

"I see. Well, when I first took her in, she was someone who had incredibly low self-esteem."

"Are you serious?" the Brazilian and the other monks blinked in surprise. "I literally cannot imagine her being like that."

"Yes, it's hard to believe she could ever be different from the person she is now." Xiaolin said. "But I assume you all know about her life before she came to live with me, correct?"

Everyone nodded.

"The abuse she suffered at the hands of her biological family caused her to believe she was a person who was unable to be loved by anyone. She used to hate how she looked because it had brought her nothing but pain. Indeed, her younger self was very much unlike her older self." his turned slightly downcast.

The Shoku Warriors looked at each other, it was always hard to hear how terrible their leader's childhood was before she went to live with the original Xiaolin Dragon King.

"When started to raise her, I did everything I could to show her the care and affection she should have received in the first place." Xiaolin continued. "It was not easy at first, at first I feared she was too far gone for her views about herself to change. But, one day, she began to see things in a different way. Over time, she began to have more confident in herself, starting to believe she was a beautiful person, inside and out. Then, on the day I noticed she no longer flinched when I touched her head to stroke it, I knew all the doubts she had about herself were gone." he smiled to himself. "She eventually grew into the person she is now. Someone who is stubborn and a little arrogant. But also someone who is kind, strong, wise, and very loyal." he turned his head to the others. "You monks all actually remind me of her in your own way. I thank you for caring for her in my absence."

"You don't have to thank us." Kimiko told him.

"Yes, Master Juno is very important to each and everyone of us." Omi said.

"We can't imagine having a life without her." Clay added.

"We should be thanking you for helping her to become who we all know and love." Raimundo said, Kaze chirping from his shoulder.

Xiaolin smiled at them, happy to know that the Shoku Warriors cared for and loved Juno has much as he did.

"Evil lair incoming." Dojo suddenly spoke up, beginning to descent towards Jack Spicer's home.

When he landed, everyone climbed off his back and he shrunk down to his smaller size. Walking up to an outside wall, Clay pulled back his fist and slammed it against it. It immediately crumpled apart, making a hole wide enough for the group to go through.

"Hannibal Roy Bean!" Omi jumped ahead of everyone else. "Return Master Juno's soul at once, or prepare to suffer a humiliating-" he stopped when he realized that no one else was inside. "Huh?"

"Looks like they've already left." Kimiko stated the obvious.

"Shoot, we probably should have been faster." Clay said. "Where could they be now?"

"Maybe this will tell us." Raimundo spoke up, Kaze on his shoulder, as he picked up a folded piece of paper off a workbench that had "Read Me" written on it. Opening it, he read the contents. "If you want to save the Xiaolin Dragon King, then go to the place where it all ended the first time. From, H.R.B.. What does that all mean? Man, I hate riddles."

"Where it all ended..." Xiaolin thought it over. "I believe I know where we need to go."

"As do I." Chase said. "He wants us to come to the very place Juno first died fifteen hundred years ago."

---

(Later)

"When we first met over fifteen hundred years ago, I just knew you would be nothing but a pain in my ass and I would want to destroy you." Wuya read from a stack of papers in one of her hands, sitting on a branch of the tree she was leaning against. "Are you with me so far, Juno?" she smirked at the Soul Pearl in her other hand.

The Pearl pulsed a few times.

"Don't you diss me." the Heylin witch sat up straight, scowling. "I have been working on my gloating speech for years, and you are going to listen to every word of it. I mean, it's not like you have any other choice. Now, where was I?" she looked back at her papers.

"Your gloating will have to wait." a human-sized Hannibal Bean told her from the ground. "We have company." he pointed one of his limbs to the sky, where a certain dragon was flying towards them, passengers on his back.

"Oh, fine." Wuya sighed, putting her papers to the side and jumping down from the branch. She tossed the Soul Pearl to the demon just as Dojo landed on the ground.

"So nice of all of you come." the villain greeted the group as they got off the dragon's back, letting him shrink down to his smaller size. "I was worried you would be late."

"I am afraid that I am not in the mood for making idle chit-chat, Hannibal." Xiaolin said. "This is your final warning, return Juno or you will be facing severe retribution."

"Oh, you mean her?" he held up the Soul Pearl hanging from one of his limbs. "Now wait." he lifted up his other when the group made a move forward. "One wrong step and you'll lose her in the ravine down there." he pointed at the cliff that had the sound of fast flowing water coming from below. "You know, just like you lost your daughter, Chase Young." he smirked maliciously.

Chase glared at him and growled. He was about to charge but the original Xiaolin Dragon King held up his hand and stopped him.

"Stay calm." he told him. "We cannot afford to make a mistake."

"Your first mistake was coming back to life, Xiaolin." Hannibal Bean said.

"Very big words coming from a demon that I once crushed under my foot, don't you think, Hannibal?"

"That was fifteen hundred years ago!" the demon yelled, glaring at the warrior. "Things are different now!"

"I fail to see that." Xiaolin replied, crossing his arms. "All I see is the same demon who thinks things can go his way because he says the right thing from time to time. When, in reality, he really cowers on the inside when he's facing someone who is obviously superior to him. Such as right now, for instance." he smiled.

Hannibal Bean was now seething. "You... I'll show you! You and your successor will ever regret coming back to life, and getting on the wrong side of Hannibal Roy Bean!"

"For your sake, I do hope you can back up those words with action, Hannibal."

"Oh, you bet I will."

Suddenly, something fell from the sky, making the ground shake violently. When the dust that was kicked up cleared, everyone looked to see what it was. It was a Jack-Bot, except it was very different. Unlike other Jack-Bots, it was black and very, very big. So big that the group of warriors had to crane their necks back just to see its head. It was at least as tall as a skyscraper.

"What do you all think of my Mecha Jack-Bot?" Jack called from the robot's head, handling the controls. "Can you believe I built this in less than a day?"

"Girly-boy's been busy." Raimundo remarked, him and the other Shoku Warrior's staring up at the mechanical creation with wide eyes. Kaze let out a small chirp from his shoulder.

"Hmm, how interesting." Xiaolin said calmly, his expression matching his tone. "I take it this is your attempt at an ambush, Hannibal. Creative, I will give you that."

"It'll be quite something to see how you fare against a robot of this size and power." the demon told him, grinning wickedly.

"Alright, Jack, time to be useful!" Wuya called up to him. "Let them see it's not just for show!"

"You got it!" the evil boy genius pulled a lever. "Have a taste of this super punch!"

Everyone in the group took a stance as the Mecha Jack-Bot pulled back its giant arm, its hand forming a fist. However, Xiaolin just stayed in place.

"Please." he said to the others, his eyes still on the robot. "Allow me to handle this."

"But, Master Xiaolin..."

"Do you not worry, Omi." the original Xiaolin Dragon King turned his head and smiled kindly at the short monk. "I will have this wrapped up in just a moment." he looked back at the mechanical creation, seeing its fist coming straight at him.

In the blink of an eye, the attack hit its mark, sending dust flying everywhere.

"Xiaolin!" the others yelled.

Hannibal Bean laughed. "That was almost too easy! I guess, after so many years, he forgot dodging was important."

"Wait..." Wuya spoke up, squinting. "Something's not right."

When the dust finally cleared, everyone saw that Xiaolin was still standing in the same spot, not a scratch on him. The robotic arm was still stretched out, trying, and failing, to push again the end of the closed fan the warrior now had in his hand.

"It is indeed a strong contraption." the redhead said as cracks began to show appear on the arm, spreading all the way up to the shoulder. "However..." he smiled. "I believe I am just a little bit stronger."

A second later, the arm shattered into pieces that clattered to the ground. Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief.

"That's one strong fan." Dashi remarked.

Xiaolin snapped open his weapon and, with a flick of his wrist, threw it at the Mecha Jack-Bot. While it sailed through the air, it became covered in a bright, white that became more physical and sharp. Then, just as it was about hit the giant robot, it suddenly flew around it.

"Ha, you missed!" Jack stuck his tongue out at the warrior down below.

"Hmm, I wonder." was all Xiaolin said, holding up the hand he used to through the fan.

Behind the Mecha Jack-Bot, the attack turned around and flew down at high speed. It sailed right through the middle of the mechanical creation's chest, making a wide hole in it, and landed right back in the redhead's awaiting hand, the glow from it disappearing. He simply held his opened fan to the lower part of his face, not moving an inch as the Mecha Jack-Bot exploded, summoning a barrier above his head to protect him from the raining robotic pieces.

The entire area was filled with silence, everyone too shocked to know what to say. The original Xiaolin Dragon King was indeed powerful, but seeing it up close was something else all together.

"Ya'll starting to think Juno might actually be going easy on us." a wide-eyed Clay asked the others.

"Either that, or he's just that strong." Raimundo said.

"And that was suppose to be your strongest robot?" Wuya scowled at Jack as he came floating down on a parachute after he ejected from the Mecha Jack-Bot before it exploded.

"In my defense, I could have done more with its armor if I wasn't pressured with such a crazy deadline." he told her.

"You know, Hannibal..." Xiaolin turned his gaze to the stunned demon as the barrier vanished. "Bewilderment is an expression that actually suits you." he let out an amused chuckle.

Hannibla Bean snapped out of his shock, now glaring darkly at the other. "Xiaolin..." he growled. "Moby Morpher!" he used the Shen Gong Wu on his limbs to transform them into hands, two more appearing on either side of him. He charged, sending fists flying quickly.

The original Xiaolin Dragon King closed his fan and used it to block every one of them. As he kept deflecting the attacks, he saw Wuya coming in from the side, swinging her leg at him. Before he could hold up his free arm to block it, another one came and did it for him.

"Mind if I deal with her, Master Xiaolin?" Dashi asked.

"Be my guest, I do not make it a habit of getting involved in a quarrel between former lovers. "

"Yeah, our relationship wasn't like that when we... you know."

"As if I would ever want a relationship with you of all people." Wuya said, pulling her leg back.

"You read my mind, witchy." the Grandmaster retorted right before she lunged at him.

"Hannibal, I can't help but notice that you're getting a little flustered." Xiaolin turned his attention back to the demon, still block his attacks. "And that tends to make one sloppy when fighting."

"Shut up!" the villain pulled back all of his fists and sent them towards the warrior at the same time.

Xiaolin quickly crouched low to the ground, shooting out his leg and kicking the demon right in the middle of his body, sending him flying back. Just as he recovered and landed on the ground, he was kicked again, this time in the face, and sent crashing down. The one who hit him landed on his body.

"Return Master Juno at once, Hannibal Roy Bean!" Omi demanded as he stood on top of the demon, reaching down to take the Soul Pearl that was now around his neck.

"Make me, shrimpy!" Hannibal Bean grabbed the short monk before he could touch the Pearl and threw him away.

Then he saw someone else falling towards him from the sky. Rolling away, the villain managed to dodge Clay's fist and have it hit the spot he was in a second ago instead. As he got up, he moved back to avoid the spear aimed at him. Facing Guan, Hannibal Bean dodged his weapon as best as he could until he used two of his hands to grab the pole of it, the two struggling against one another. Then, just as the demon was about to use his other hands to hit the other, Raimundo suddenly slid in-between the Master Monk's legs and shot out out both of his, kicking him right in the face.

As the villain reeled back, the Brazilian jumped to his feet and charged forward. He shot out a punch, but Hannibal Bean recovered in time to block it. The two went back and forth, both trying to hit each other while also blocking and deflecting one another. When the demon shot out one more punch, the Shoku Warrior jumped and flipped over his head, landing behind him. When Hannibal Bean turned around, a kicked landed on his face and sent him flying back. He went right towards Kimiko, who also kicked him.

"Yeah, go, kids!" Dojo cheered from the sidelines, holding Kaze in one of his hands. "I wonder how Dashi's doing?" he turned to where the Grand Master was fighting the Heylin witch, seeing her on top of him while he was laying on the ground on his back. "You probably shouldn't be seeing this, Kaze." he covered the small phoenix's eyes.

"You really were the worse lay of my life!" Wuya yelled as she tried to hit him, but he held her wrists back.

"Believe me, the feeling is more than mutual!" Dashi yelled back. "That being said, though, I doubt you'll do better than me since that personality of yours turns off any sober guy who meets you!" he pulled his legs up and kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying off of him.

She straightened herself out and landed on her feet, glaring at him as he got up from the ground. Charing at him, she shot out a flurry of punches that he blocked and deflected. Then she dropped low to the ground and swiped her leg against his, knocking him off balance. However, he placed one hand on the ground to hold himself up and shot out his leg to kick her. The villainess held her arms up to block it, but it did send her sliding back a bit.

"You know, fighting you now is a lot easier than how it was all those years ago." Dashi remarked as he got to his feet, crossing his arms. "You've lost a bit of your touch, Wuya."

"If I had my powers right now, you wouldn't be looking so smug." Wuya retorted, putting her own arms down.

"Maybe. But, I do know this, I always had a blast whenever we fought each other."

"You..." she blinked at him in surprise. "Did?" her response was a nod. "I see..." she cleared her throat a bit. "Well, I would be lying if I said that I didn't have a bit of fun myself during our battles. You made things... interesting." she gave him a small smirk.

"Same to you." he replied.

"However, I would much rather be in another one of those puzzle boxes again than be around you."

"Oh, really? Well..." Dashi reached behind him. "Who am I to deny a lady her wishes? Catch!"

Wuya instinctively held out her hands and caught what he tossed at her. When she looked at it, she gasped as her eyes went wide from seeing it was a wooden puzzle box. "No!" she threw it in the air just as the lid opened up on its own.

A sparkling, purple mist came out and took the form of a hand, which reached down and grabbed the Heylin witch. She turned her glaring eyes at the Grand Master, who just smiled and waved at her.

"You son of a-" Wuya was pulled by the hand and into the air, transforming into her spirit form halfway through. When she was inside the puzzle box, the lid closed and fell to the ground.

Dashi went over and picked it up, feeling it shake for a while before it went quiet. "As always, it's been a blast, Wuya." he then looked over and saw the others still fighting Hannibal Bean. Tucking the puzzle box into his sleeve, he quickly went over to lend a hand.

"Glad you could finally join us, Dashi." Guan said, using the pole of his spear to block one of the fists of the demon.

"Sorry, had to deal with a clingy witch, you know how it is." the Grand Master replied, deflecting another fist. Then he put his palms together and slammed them against the middle of the villain's body, sending him back quite a ways.

Hannibal Bean growled and was about to charge forward, but felt something hold him back. He looked and saw Kimiko and Omi gripping the arms on his left side, trying as best as they could to keep him still. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he raised his other fists to hit the duo but Raimundo and Clay came and held onto to them, too.

"Now would be a mighty fine time for someone to snatch that Pearl!" Clay shouted as they tried to hold on to the struggling villain.

"That. Is. Enough!" Hannibal Bean spun his entire body around fast, getting the monks off their feet and making them spin along with him.

They tried to hang on, but the grips they had began to slip. One-by-one, the Shoku Warriors flew off the demon and landed on the ground. When he came to a stop, Hannibal Bean panted heavily to recover, beads of sweat dripping off his brow. Then, hearing someone clear their throat behind him, he turned around and was met with a double punch in the face, courtesy of Xiaolin and Chase. The attack had him sailing through the air and hitting the ground hard near the cliff above the ravine.

"Very nice form, Chase." the original Xiaolin Dragon King praised. "I except nothing else from Juno's husband."

"And it's quite obvious how she got so strong in the first place." the Heylin warrior said. "You taught her very well, indeed, Xiaolin."

"Thank you." the redhead smiled before he walked over to where Hannibal Bean had landed. "It's over, Hannibal, Wuya is sealed away once again, and you have no one tricks to pull. You have no other choice but to give back Juno." he held out his hand.

"Heh..." the demon pushed himself up a bit. "If you want her so badly..." he used one of his hands to remove the Soul Pearl from his neck. "Then go get her!"

Everyone froze on the spot when they saw him throw the Pearl at the cliff, watching it go over it and falls towards the ravine. The villain laughed evilly, but it was cut short when a foot landed on his head, pushing his face into the ground, and someone jumped off him.

"Master Xiaolin!" Omi yelled as the warrior went over the edge of the cliff.

Xiaolin went from falling to flying towards the Soul Pearl, going as fast as he could. When he got closer, he stretched out his hand and his fingers barley grazed the leather string. Halfway down, he put on an extra burst of speed and finally managed to take grasp of the Pearl, holding it to his chest as he turned his body around and was falling back-first towards the ravine.

"Juno..." he said softly, a small smile on his face as he looked at his clenched hand. "Welcome home." he tightened his grip and an audible crack sounded out right before he crashed into the water.

The Shoku Warriors were looking over the cliff, trying to spot any sign of Xiaolin, but no such luck. Just as they were beginning to think the worst, a bright light shone underneath the flowing water, growing bigger and bigger. Then it shot up straight to the sky, taking on the form of a large Chinese dragon that let out a fierce roar. It flew down towards the ground, making everyone step back as it landed a bit from the cliff's edge.

The dragon made of light stayed still and, in the blink of an eye, was done. Left standing in its place, was a certain redhead.

"Master Xiaolin?" Omi stepped forward as the warrior's eyes slowly opened.

"Not quite." Juno said, her golden eyes shining as she smiled. "Hey, guys."

No one said anything as thet stared at the Xiaolin Dragon King, almost unable to believe she was standing before them. They feared they had almost lost her and, now, she was back once again.

"Master Juno!" Omi ran forward, jumping up and landing in the redhead's arms. "I-It really is you!" tears spilled from his eyes as he held onto her tightly. "I-I almost thought we would never see you again!"

"Sorry for leaving you all like that, but I really am back." Juno rubbed his head comfortingly. "It's so great to see you again, too, and-woah!" she was suddenly tackled to the ground in a group hug by the other three monks.

"Welcome back, Juno!" Kimiko smiled widely.

"You will not believe how scared we were while you were gone!" Clay told her.

"I never thought I would be so happy to see your eyes again!" Raimundo added.

"Yeah..." the female warrior smiled happily, hugging them all back. "I missed you kids, too. Let me get a good look at you all." she made them pull back, taking in their new state of attire. "Something is different about you three. Omi, Kimiko, Clay, something you want to tell me?"

"It is most incredible, Master Juno!" Omi spoke up. "We have all risen to Shoku Warrior level!"

"That is just amazing!" Juno beamed brightly. "I am so proud of you all. But..." she sighed a bit sadly. "I can't believe I missed such big moments for you, dammit."

"We'll be sure to fill you in on everything that happened." Dashi said as he walked over, holding out his hand to her. When she took it, and he pulled her to her feet, he immediately hugged her. "Great to have you back, Juno."

"It's great to be back, Dashi." she hugged him back. When she separated from him, she looked down at Dojo, Kaze now settled on top of his head. "And how are my favorite dragon and phoenix doing?" she held out her arms.

"Juno!" the dragon cried, leaping up high and hugging the side of her face. "I missed you so much!"

The small fire bird had moved to her shoulder and nuzzled against her cheek, chirping happily.

"I had feared we had lost you yet again, Juno." Guan said as he came over and hugged her.

"You should know by now that you can't rid of me that easily, Guan." Juno hugged him back, smiling. When she pulled away, she turned to a certain Heylin warrior. "Chase..."

"Juno..." was all he said as he stared at her.

Dojo looked back and forth between the two, quickly getting the message. He grabbed Kaze and jumped down from the redhead, who ran forward before he even touched the ground. When she was close enough, she leaped on her husband and wrapped her arms around his neck as he put his own around her waist, keeping her feet above the ground.

"I was so worried that..." Chase began to say but trailed off, holding her tightly.

"I know." Juno said. "Me, too. But I'm here now, with you. Right where I belong."

The couple pulled their heads back a bit and looked at one another. Then they leaned back in and kissed, putting all the emotions they felt while separated into it. When they finally broke apart, they placed their foreheads together, staring into each other's eyes.

"So..." she started. "How did you and Master Xiaolin get along?"

"There was some tension, but we worked out some issues." he replied. "Though, he did threaten to destroy me."

"That's so like him." Juno chuckled as he set her back down on her feet. "But, still, I never imagined that his soul would be inside me this entire time." she held a hand to her chest, touching her dragon mark. "He really has been watching over me, hasn't he?" she smiled to herself.

"It's also because of him that we were able to get you back." Chase told her.

"And that we won't have to worry about Wuya anymore." Dashi spoke up, pulling out the wooden box and showing the redhead.

"Ha, good look giving your gloating speech now, Wuya." Juno smirked. "Now that she's out of our hair, there's only one more person to take care of. Oh, Hannibal..." she looked over to where the demon was standing.

"Xiaolin Dragon King..." was his response, his expression enough to tell he wasn't at all happy to see her.

The female warrior smiled and held up her hand, flicking something from her fingers towards him. It traveled at high speed, hitting him with such force right between the eyes that he crashed to the ground.

"Nice trinket, Hannibal." Juno said as the cracked Soul Pearl rolled off his face. "You really did catch me by surprised. However..." she lifted up her foot and slammed it right down on the middle of his body, knocking the breath out of him and making him cough harshly. "I think you and I both know that you're completely done now." she grinded her heel into him. "Ready to repent for every shitty thing you've done in your miserable life?"

"You..." Hannibal Bean coughed out. "Wish, little lady." he let out a loud, shrill whistle.

The redhead heard a screech and black feathers obstructed her vison. "Ah, stupid bird!" she stepped back to avoid the talons of the Ying-Ying Bird. "Why hasn't anyone eaten you, yet?"

"Moby Morpher!" Hannibal Bean used the Shen Gong Wu to shrink down to his smaller size and his bird flew over to him. "Time for us to get out of here, Ying-Ying!" he hopped on its back. "We'll have to recuperate and come up with a better plan next time."

"Hey!" Juno shouted, seeing he was about to leave.

However, just as the Ying-Ying Bird spread its wings to fly, it let out a pained cry. It looked down and saw a certain phoenix biting one of its legs with his small, but sharp beak.

"Kaze?" Raimundo blinked in surprised.

"When did he get over there?" Dojo looked at his empty hands. "Quick little guy, isn't he?"

"Ying-Ying, get rid of that little pest." Hannibal Bean ordered.

The Ying-Ying Bird flew into the air a bit and tried to shake the phoenix off, but Kaze held tight. Then the larger creature grabbed the smaller one between its other talons, squeezing him until he let go. It squeezed even tighter, making the small fire bird chirp weakly as the oxygen left his body.

"Kaze!" Raimundo yelled. He quickly pulled out his Wudai Weapon. "Blade of the Nebula!" he threw it, using the wind to make it go faster through the air.

It reached the Ying-Ying Bird in an instant, half of the blade going right into its back and coming out of its chest. The hawk-like creature let out a shrill squawk, finally releasing Kaze. Its body seemed to freeze in mid-air for a moment before it collapsed to the ground, motionless.

"You okay, Kaze?" the Brazilian went over and picked up the little phoenix.

He gave a few chirps in reply, showing he had no other injuries on him.

"Thank goodness, you scared me, buddy." Raimundo smiled in relief. "You gotta be more careful when trying to fight bad guys." he held up his hand and the Blade of the Nebula returned to it. "Uh..." he looked at the blood stain on the top of it. "Blood comes off easy, right?" he asked the others.

"Ying-Ying!" Hannibal Bean was on the ground and beside his bird's face. "Ying-Ying, say something!"

The Ying-Ying Bird let out the weakest of squawks, the light in its eyes going out completely as it fell silent. The demon just stared at the dead body of his bird, limbs gently touching its beak, almost unable to believe what had just happened.

"Ying-Ying..."

Juno walked up behind him. "Losing some you love and care about is one of the worse things to experience." she said. "I wouldn't wish that on anyone, not even you Hannibal. But, maybe, you can finally understand how Chase and I felt when you killed me and Mei that day, right at this very place."

The female warrior heard a sound coming from him. At first, she thought he was crying, but, the louder it got, she realized that he was actually laughing.

"You know..." Hannibal Bean began to say in-between slightly deranged laughs. "Every since I first saw you, you've been nothing but the bane of my existence. Both you and your master. You've made things difficult for me at every turn, foiled my schemes, and, now, you've taken away the only one I trusted. Everything is your fault, Xiaolin Dragon King..." he turned to her, showing his look of pure, dark anger and hatred. "And I'm going to make you regret ever coming back to life." he held up his limbs. "Moby Morpher!"

A bright light surrounded the demon, everyone moving back when a strong force emitted from him. When the light disappeared, they found themselves looking at the bottom part of his body. Moving their eyes upward, they quickly realized that the villain had used the Shen Gong Wu to grow into a much, much bigger size. He was now at least as big as Jack's Mecha Jack-Bot from earlier.

"Uh, Dojo, you mind getting Kaze away to somewhere more safe?" Raimundo asked, handing the phoenix to the dragon while keeping his wide gaze on the demon.

"No need to tell me twice." Dojo replied, quickly slithering away with Kaze in tow.

"I should have done this a long time ago!" Hannibal Bean slammed one of his limbs down on the group. He missed them when they all jumped out of the way, but the force it sent out when it hit the ground made them tumble to the ground. "I'll crush you until there's nothing left!"

"I would say he's finally lost whatever screws he had left." Kimiko remarked as they picked themselves up.

"Okay, kids, time to put your new Shoku powers to the test." Juno said, summoning her Xiaolin Dragon Blade.

"Yes, ma'am!" the monks responded, taking stances.

"Though we could handle this on our own, can we count on you guys to lend some support?" the redhead asked the male warriors with a smile.

"You don't even have to ask, darling." Chase told her.

"We're right behind you, Juno." Guan said, holding his spear out in front of him.

"Ah, really feels good to have the team together, new and old." Dashi remarked, stretching his arms for a moment before taking a stance.

"Alright, let's do this." Juno said as she turned her attention to the giant demon towering over them, staring one another down.

When he shot one of his limbs out, the team charged ahead into what was, hopefully, their last battle with Hannibal Roy Bean.

To be continued...

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There you have it, everyone. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, please let me know your thoughts in the comments. And I just want to let it be known that Kimiko and Clay's Shoku Warrior outfits came from Skyrawathi. I saw them on Deviantart and loved them, so the credit goes to their original creator, who did a very good job on designing them. The Second Arc will be coming to a close soon, but, before that, there will be quite a bit of things happening in the next chapter, which will be the last one for this Arc. Thank you all for reading this story and following it. I hope to see you all again soon. Until then, take care!