The Xiaolin Dragon King: Third Arc

by Unicornblossem13

After sealing Hannibal Bean in the Ying-Yang World, Xiaolin Dragon King Juno and her Shoku Warriors find themselves enjoying a time of relative peace. They even take on a young monk, Ping-Pong, to be the new Xiaolin Dragon of Wood. However, their peace is disturbed by the appearance of Chase's new apprentice, the highly ambitious and power-hungry Shadow.

2. A Girl Named Willow

Hi, everyone, so happy to see you for the second chapter of the Third Arc. I want to give a quick thank you to everyone who reads, favors, and follows my story. And I would like to give a special shout-out to Hina714, HeavenedWolf, and tsukikami02, some of the series's biggest fans. Well, I won't keep you waiting anymore, let's get on with the show. Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

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The Xiaolin Dragon King: Third Arc

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Chapter Two: A Girl Named Willow

---

It was morning at the Xiaolin Temple and a certain redhead was in one of the rooms of its many buildings by herself. She was sitting on the floor, holding the Eagle Scope in her hands, and surrounded by a blue energy field that was coming from the active Fountain of Hui. The field spun around her fast for a moment before it became replaced by numerous images that held all kinds of information.

The redhead had her eyes closed, focusing on finding the answer to her biggest question. If she could get what she was looking for, it could be with the two sister Shen Gong Wu. After waiting a few moments, she finally opened her eyes and looked at the images that surrounded her.

One by one, all of them turned into dark, blank slates. Then they vanished from sight until there was none of them left. Juno stayed in place, just staring at the empty space of air that was now in front of her. Her hands gripped the handles of the Eagle Scope tightly.

"Dammit!" she threw it, making it crash into the Fountain of Hui and sending them both rolling on the wooden floor. After taking a moment to calm herself, she stood up and went over to the Shen Gong Wu, inspecting them to make sure nothing was wrong. "I hope I didn't break another one." she sighed. "Together, these two can answer any question the user has. So... why can't they tell me where Mei is?"

Juno had the idea that the Fountain of Hui and Eagle Scope could finally tell her what happened to her daughter. The thing is, though, she had been using them ever since she and the others began their search. Every time she used them, she hoped and prayed she would get at least a clue to where Mei could be. However, each time ended in the same results, absolutely nothing. It seemed that her worst fears were proven true. Her little girl was no longer a part of this world.

The female warrior sniffed and placed a hand to her face, feeling tears brimming her eyes. She took a deep, slightly shaky, breath and willed herself to relax. Having a breakdown in an empty room was not something she had planned for the day. After making sure she wasn't going to sob uncontrollably, and that the Shen Gong Wu weren't busted, the redhead got to her feet. Going to the door, she slid it open and walked out just as her dragon mark began to glow.

"I wish there was something I could do to help, Juno. Or, at least, ease your pain." Xiaolin said.

"I don't know why, but I thought that things might be different if I used this again." Juno replied, walking down the hallway. "I'm just starting to feel like an idiot for trying so hard when it's obvious there's no trace of Mei being alive."

"You wish to see your daughter again." he told her. "There is absolutely nothing foolish about that, any mother in your position would want the same thing."

"Thanks, Master Xiaolin." the redhead gave a small smile. "That makes me feel a little better."

"I will always be here for you, Juno. Even if I cannot do anything in my current state."

"Just having you to talk to is enough for me. I have to go put these Wu back and then check on the kids, I'll talk to you later."

"Until next time, Juno." Xiaolin said before the glow of the dragon mark went out.

Juno exited the building and headed in the direction of the Shen Gong Wu vault. While on her way, she saw someone leaning against one of the other buildings of the temple, almost as if they were waiting for her.

"Hi, Juno." Willow greeted, waving her hand.

The Xiaolin Dragon King made no reply, not even making eye contact, as she walked past her. The blonde scowled a bit, not liking she was so obviously ignored, but quickly covered it up with a smile and followed after the redhead.

"Are you heading to the Shen Gong Wu vault?" she asked, glancing at the mystical items the other girl had in her arms. "I'm really curious as to what it's like. Would you mind letting me take a peek?"

"We don't let people who aren't official Xiaolin Warriors into the vault." Juno told her, keeping her gaze forward. "If we're not careful about who we let in, then we might find ourselves a few Wu short."

"So it'll be all fine and dandy if I become a Xiaolin Warrior?"

"Only if you prove yourself worthy of being one. So far, though, you've failed to do that."

"You don't like me very much, do you, Juno?"

"Am I that transparent?" the redhead replied as they arrived at the Shen Gong Wu vault. "Anyway, I'm in no mood to put up with your bullshit, so go and do what you claim you're here to do. Train." she walked up the steps, stopping halfway and looking back at the blonde. "And, before you get any bright ideas, we've upped our security on the vault. Now, I've placed a barrier that will only allow the people I want to pass through it. If you do try to get through, well, you'll be in for a little surprised." she gave a small smirk.

Juno made her way up the rest of the steps and opened the doors to the vault, leaving them open as she went inside. Willow waited a few moments before going to the doors and stopping right in front of them. Staring for a moment, she slowly moved her hand to the opened space. Then, just as the tips of her fingers reached the door frame, she felt a violent, electrical shock, a see-through white barrier briefly revealing itself.

Willow cried out, immediately pulling her hand back and holding it in her other one. She looked and saw the burn mark that was on her skin, a small trail of steam coming from it. "Clever girl..." she mumbled to herself as she blew on her injury. Turning around, she walked down the stairs while nursing her hand.

Completing her assignment wasn't going to be as easy as she thought it would be.

---

(Later)

"Do not forget that the key is balance, little one." Omi said, walking across the grass on two of his fingers.

"Understood, Brother Omi." Ping-Pong replied, walking alongside him the same way. However, his body wobbled a little bit as he tried to keep himself upright. "Woah!" he leaned forward too far and fell to the ground, landing on his back. "Oh, Comme c'est humiliant (How humiliating)..." he sat up and adjusted his glasses.

"There is no need to be ashamed, Ping-Pong." the short monk got back on his feet and helped his relative to his own. "Even I had some trouble walking on my fingers in the beginning."

"Really, Brother Omi?"

"Indeed, it just takes a while to get used to. For now, we can try and see if using three fingers is more your pace."

"Oui! Thank you for taking the time to train me, Brother Omi."

"But, of course. It is my honor to help such a promising young warrior." Omi smiled, patting the younger boy's head.

Ping-Pong smiled widely himself, obviously pleased. It made him very happy that he was being praised by the Shoku Warrior he respected the most out of everyone. Ever since he came to the temple not that long ago, the others were all so nice and helpful. And he was already learning so many new things, too.

"How about we try a different move now?" the older boy suggested to his relative.

"Omi." a feminine voice spoke up before Ping-Pong could answer.

The two monks turned around and saw a certain blonde making her way towards him.

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind teaching me a thing or two." Willow said.

"Oh, I would love to, Willow. But I am in the middle of training Ping-Pong right now." Omi told her. "Perhaps, when I am done-"

"That is okay, Brother Omi." Ping-Pong interrupted. "I can just go and do some training with the others."

"Are you sure, little one?"

"Oui. I can see what everyone else has to teach me what they know while you teach Madamoiselle Willow what you know." he smiled.

"Hmm, very well." the bald monk said. "I will see you later, Ping-Pong. And best of luck to you with the rest of your training."

"Thank you, Brother Omi." the shorter boy bowed slightly. "Madamoiselle Willow." he nodded towards her before he ran off, going at his usual quick speed.

"Come with me, Willow, and I will teach you the many things I know."

"I'm really looking forward to it." the blonde said as she followed him.

---

The two left the temple and wandered into a swamp that was in the area around the large structure. It was there that they began training.

Omi was running across the ground with Willow close behind. He jumped high into the air and landed on a tree branch on his hands. He got to his feet and ran down the branch before moving to another one close by. It wasn't long before the blonde leaped up as well and grabbed the branch, spinning herself around it once before letting go to keep up with the short monk.

The Shoku Warrior grabbed a long vine, swinging across the air as Willow came up beside him on another one. Then he released it and landed on a large tree below, jumping down on its branches. She let go of hers and latched on to a different one, sliding down it.

They both landed on a large, long tree trunk and ran across its length. They went up to its highest point and proceed to slide down on its slope, the green moss on the bark making it easy to do so. When they reached the end and touched the ground, the duo saw that they were near a large, murky pond. In the distance, the Xiaolin Temple was in view.

"So, Omi, what's next?" Willow asked, about to take a step forward.

The short monk, however, held up his hand to stop her. "Watch and learn, Willow." he bent down and picked up a rock. Then he tossed it into the pond.

Not a second after he did that, dozens of snapping alligators sprung up from the water. The blonde was taken aback, one wrong move and she would have been caught in a death roll.

"You must rely on your tiger instincts in order to see what isn't there." Omi told her. "They come in quite handy in situations like this."

"What do we do now? Go around them?"

"There is no need for that. We can just go across them."

"Across them?"

"Do not worry. You will be just fine if you move quickly and do as I do. Observe." the bald monk turned to the alligators and prepared himself. "Puppy Running On Boiling Water!" he leaped forward, landing on one of the reptiles' backs. He made quick work of jumping from one to another, not giving them the chance to move and snap their powerful jaws at him. He soon made it to the other side of the pond, turning to look at the blonde. "Your turn, Willow!"

"Alright." she nodded. Turning her gaze to the scaly animals before her, she took a deep breath. Then, taking a minute to find the right moment, she charged forward and landed on the back of an alligator. Just as it turned its tail to hit her, she quickly jumped away from it and landed on another one. She did quite well in making her way across the rest, jumping into the air and doing an upside-down spin before landing right next to the short monk.

"See you later, alligators." Omi said to the large reptiles. "And you did most excellent, Willow. You indeed have quite a lot of potential."

"I've been told that." Willow smiled. "And thanks for the training, Omi. Come with me, it's my turn to show you what I know now." she walked away, leading him back to the temple.

---

(Later)

The monk and blonde were under a gazebo on the temple grounds, sitting at a small table across from each other. Willow picked up a small wheel of cheese and tossed it into the air. As it was coming back down, she sliced her hand through it in the blink of an eye. It broke apart into small pieces, which landed on the crackers there on the table.

"Bon appetite."

"I admire the way you cut cheese." Omi said, taking one of the snacks and eating it.

Willow chuckled. "You are way too cute."

"Thank you, and I am not even trying."

The blonde picked up a jug of water. She blew into it a bit and it immediately started to bubble.

"Ooh, most bodacious bubble-blowing technique." Omi admired.

"It's just my way of making sparkling water." Willow told him, pouring a glass of the bubbling liquid for him and her.

"Perhaps you can teach me how you are able to do such a feat."

"I would love, too." the blonde smiled, rubbing his head affectionately for a moment. "But, you know, there's something I really would like to learn about while I'm here."

"What is it?"

"I've heard a lot about the Shen Gong Wu that you and the others have collected. I wanted to take a look at them myself, but I can't seem to get into a vault."

"Oh, yes, due to past experiences, Master Juno has placed a barrier to keep unwanted people out." the short monk explained. "Only she, myself, fellow Xiaolin Warriors, Dojo, and Master Fung are allowed through it."

"Well, what if someone took down the barrier?" Willow asked.

"That would only happen if that someone had power that matched Master Juno's or was higher. And we know that would be entirely impossible, there is no one stronger than she is." he stated proudly.

"I see..." she took a quick sip of her drink. "So there's no way for me to get inside?"

"Not unless Master Juno takes down the barrier. However, there is another method. If you are touching a person who is allowed inside the vault, you can go through the barrier with no problem."

"My, how interesting. Then does this mean you can help me get inside?"

"I am not so sure." Omi told her. "I would have to discuss it with Master Juno, first. I am sure she would be most displeased if I let just anyone in without her knowing."

"Oh, I'm sure we can keep it a secret." Willow leaned more closer towards him. "What Juno doesn't know, won't hurt her. Besides, it shouldn't be that much of a problem if I'm with the very best Xiaolin Warrior." she batted her eyelashes at him.

The short monk blushed a little. "T-That is very kind of you to say, Willow. Not to brag, but I am Master Juno's favorite monk." he rubbed the back of his head. "And I would like to show you the vault, but I still think that-" he stopped when he saw the figure of his relative running across the grass in the distance. "Oh, there is Ping-Pong!" he got to his feet. "I should go check on him and see how his training is going. I will talk with you again soon, Willow."

Before the blonde could say anything, Omi was already heading in the direction the shorter boy had gone off him. She clicked her tongue in annoyance.

---

When the Shoku Warrior located Ping-Pong, he found him in the middle of a basketball match with the other monks. The young boy was zipping around the court, trying to get the ball from Clay as he was dribbling it.

"Shoku Jupiter Earth!" he slammed the ball down, making it go far into the ground and leaving nothing but a hole behind it.

A few moments later, the ball shot up on the other side of the court. Ping-Pong moved fast and caught it, now dribbling to the other team's goal. He maneuvered around his fellow monks when they tried to block him. Not once did he falter or lose control over the ball.

"Shoku Astro Wind!" Raimundo waved his hands and a strong breeze blew, knocking the ball out of the younger boy's hand.

"Oh, bonte moi (goodness me)!" Ping-Pong exclaimed as he went after it.

"Coming at you, Kimi!" the Brazilian manipulated the wind to carry the ball over to where his girlfriend was.

The Japanese girl jumped and grabbed the ball between her legs. "Shoku Venus Fire!" she kicked it hard, sending it hurling towards their opponent's goal with a trail of fire behind it.

"Mantis..." Ping-Pong leaped up high. He grabbed the basketball hoop and spun his body upward. "Kick!" his feet made contact with the flaming ball and sent it flying in the opposite direction. It went to the Shoku Warrior's goal, landing right in the net. The young monk released the hoop and also went through the net of his own goal, landing on his feet.

From the sidelines, Dojo blew a whistle. "The score is now all tied up!" he held up a sheet of paper in either hand, both having the number two on them.

"Whoo! Good hustle out there, little partner." Clay praised the shorter boy.

"You've got some mad skills, Ping-Pong." Raimundo added.

"Merci." he replied. "I appreciate you all training me, I am learning so much." he looked to the side and saw his relative. "Oh, Brother Omi! Did you see how I made my basket?"

"Indeed I did, little one." Omi said as he came over. "You have a most impressive Mantis Kick. I am happy to see training is going well for you."

"We thought a game of basketball would be a good idea of focusing on strengthening his speed and reflexes." Kimiko explained. "It's also more fun than regular training."

"I'm inclined to agree with, Kimiko."

"Juno." the monks turned and saw their leader standing not that far away.

"I've been watching the game." the redhead told them. "Nice footwork out there, kids. I'm also glad to see that being the teachers agrees with you."

"It is nice being able to tell someone else what to do and how to do it for a change." Raimundo joked with a grin.

"Brother Omi, how was your training with Mademoiselle Willow?" Ping-Pong asked the taller monk.

"You've been with her, Omi?" Juno questioned.

"Yes." he answered. "Our training was quite successful, Willow has the makings of a fine warrior."

"Hmm, is that so? I think you and the others should be careful around her."

"Why do you say that, Master Juno?"

"Let me guess, your instincts say she's no good." Clay spoke up.

"More or less, yeah." the redhead nodded.

"I agree with Juno." Kimiko said. "There's something about her that I just don't trust."

"Or, perhaps, Kimiko is jealous because she has flirted with Raimundo." Omi thought aloud.

"Jealous?" the Japanese girl glared at him, her whole body catching on fire. "Who said I was jealous?!"

The bald monk gulped nervously. "C-Certainly not me! Not that you have reason to be jealous of Willow, unless you think you do-"

The flames on her grew larger and hotter.

"Woah, woah, easy there, Kimi." Raimundo went over to her. "There's no need to get upset."

"I'm not upset!" Kimiko yelled, making him step back a little. Then she took a deep breath and eventually calmed herself down, the fire around her going out. "Like I said, I'm not upset, or jealous. I just get a bad feeling from Willow." she crossed her arms.

"Regardless, everyone should keep a close eye on her." Juno told the monks. "And make sure to mention if she does, or says, anything strange."

"Well, now that you mention it..." Omi started, thinking back to how the blonde had kept asking about going into the Shen Gong Wu vault. "There is one thing that I think-"

"Hey, ya'll."

"Speak of the she-devil." the female warrior mumbled when the very person they were talking about walked over.

"Pardon me for interrupting, but I was feeling lonely and though one of you could keep me company."

"Does it have to be one of us specifically?" Juno asked, hands on her hips.

"Oh, hi, Juno. I almost didn't see you there."

"We both know that's a lie, I'm very hard to miss."

"Since you're here, maybe you and I can do a little bit of training together. I can finally show you what I'm made of."

"As much as I would like to prove you wrong, I have better things to do. For example, it's my turn to train Ping-Pong."

"Ooh, how exciting!" the young monk bounced on the balls of his feet. "I cannot wait to see what you are going to teach me, Master Juno."

"I would also like to come along and participate." Omi spoke up.

"Sorry, Omi, but I'm going to be teaching Ping-Pong something I've already taught you. You would probably be bored, having to go through something you've done before. I'm sure you can find something more fun to do, though."

"Oh, I see, you might be right..." the short monk said, looking down at the ground.

He had begun to get this strange feeling in his stomach. For some reason, the thought of Juno spending more time Ping-Pong than with him made him uneasy. It's not like she ignored him or anything, but she did seem to pay closer attention to his relative ever since he arrived. It made sense, though, since he was still new to the team and needed as much training as he could get to catch up with the other Xiaolin Warriors. Despite that, Omi still couldn't help but feel uneasy.

"Master Juno, before you go, may I show you that move I have been working on? The one where I backflip through the air five times and stick the perfect landing?"

"Of course, I would love to see it." the redhead smiled.

The bald monk smiled as well, happy she still had time for him. Looking at the basketball goal, he got an idea of how to make his feat even more impressive. Taking a moment to get into position, he jumped high into the air. Tucking his body in, he backflipped five times as he said he would. Then, when he was over the hoop, he straightened himself out and dove right for the net.

However, instead of going through it and landing on the ground as he anticipated, his head got stuck in the hoop.

"Oh my." Juno said as the other Shoku Warriors laughed their own heads off. "Omi..." she let out a small chuckle herself. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yes, I am..." the short monk struggled to get unstuck. "Fine!"

The female warrior went over to the basketball hoop. She floated into the air and grabbed him, pulling him free.

"Whew! Thank you, Master Juno."

"I think Ping-Pong's head is a little bit smaller than yours." she told him, landing back on the ground and setting him on his feet. "Next time, make sure you can actually go through the net. We don't need that big dome of yours damaged."

"I understand, Master Juno..." Omi said as she rubbed his head.

"At least you got the flips down. Now, excuse me, but I have work to do. Ping-Pong, let's go get starting on your training, sweetie."

"Oui, Master Juno!" the young monk zipped over to her. "I am ready for whatever you decide to throw at me!"

"You are just the cutest little guy." Juno smiled as they both walked away.

Omi watched them go, letting out a small sigh.

"She's really fond of Ping-Pong, isn't she?"

"Huh?" he looked to the side and saw Willow crouching down beside him.

"Juno, she really likes him." she said. "Of course, it's obvious she's very fond of you and the other monks. But, who knows, Ping-Pong just might become her new favorite."

The short monk didn't reply, letting what she said sink in. For as long as he could remember, he has always been Juno's favorite monk. She's even told him more than once that he was. He never imagined that someone would take his place. But, now that the new monk was at the temple, he was just beginning to have doubts. Ping-Pong was young, talented, respectable, and so likable. The female warrior already said he was the cutest warrior, something she usually told him. It could be that he's overthinking things, but the thought of Juno replacing him did not make him happy.

"So..." Willow started to say, now standing up straight. "Do you think one of you could give me a full tour of the temple? Maybe you, Raimundo?"

"Well, I wouldn't mind, but-"

"Great!" the blonde went ahead and wrapped her arms around one of his. "You don't mind, do you, Kimiko?" she looked at the other girl.

"No." the Japanese girl replied through gritted teeth, crossing her arms. "Not at all."

"Even better." Willow smiled. "Well, what should we start with first, Raimundo?"

"Oh, uh..." Raimundo said as the blonde dragged him off. "I guess we can start with the main temple."

Kimiko watched them go with narrowed eyes, clenching her hands into tight fists.

---

(Later)

"I'm sorry to bother you while you're training Ping-Pong, Juno."

"Not at all." the redhead told the female monk as they were outside the temple. "This was actually the next part of our training anyway." she looked down at the young monk. "Now, Ping-Pong, I want you to run at least twenty laps as fast as you can around the temple. Got it?"

"Oui, Master Juno!" he replied. "J'aurai fini avant que vous puissiez dire 'Xiaolin' (I will be done before you can say 'Xiaolin')."

"Whatever you said, I believe you." Juno smiled at him. "Okay, here we go. On your mark, get set... Go!"

Ping-Pong immediately took off, already reaching the one end of the temple walls and turning the corner.

"So, what's your on mind?" the female warrior went to sit beside the Japanese girl on the temple steps. "I can tell something is bothering you."

"Well, yeah, something is." Kimiko replied.

"Does it have to do with Willow?" Juno asked just as Ping-Pong ran by, clearing his first lap. "Are you getting jealous of her?"

"I... I don't know, maybe. I shouldn't be worried, though, Rai and I have been having it good together. I don't have any reason to worry or to be jealous. I mean, sure, Willow is pretty, taller than me, and doesn't have that bad of a figure. But none of that should matter because I know my boyfriend loves me, he's told me so more than once. Then again... that doesn't mean he's not gonna fall for someone else one day."

"Kimiko..."

"I probably shouldn't have these doubts, but if Rai finds someone he thinks is better for him than me, then... I don't know what I would do." she looked down with a crestfallen expression.

Juno placed her hand over the other girl's in a comforting manner. "Just because you've established you're feeling for each other doesn't mean you stop being worried your relationship will end someday. Everyone is insecure about something when it comes to the person they love."

"Does that include you?" Kimiko asked, looking at her.

"Actually, yes, it does. Back when Chase and I first started dating, I was, surprisingly, worried that he would leave me for another woman one day. I had thought he might find someone who he liked more than me. As for him, he was worried that he wasn't good enough for me. But, eventually, we managed to overcome all those doubts. We've been through so much together that I know we'll be with one another forever." the redhead smiled.

"I wish I had your confidence." the female monk told her. "Is there anything you can tell me that would help with Rai?"

"I believe most people say that communication is key. No matter what your relationship is with a person, keeping your feelings bottled up so much isn't a good idea. You'll only end up hurting yourself and the one you love. If you talk with Raimundo, I know you both will come back stronger than ever."

"You really think so?"

"Has my advice ever been wrong before? Besides, I know Raimundo wouldn't leave you just because another pretty face is around. If Willow can't even compete with me, she definitely stands no chance against you." the female warrior winked.

Kimiko chuckled a bit. "Thanks, Juno, I really need to hear that."

"Anytime, Kimiko, anytime." Juno told her as they shared a hug.

"Master Juno! I have finished my laps."

The two pulled apart and looked at Ping-Pong, who was standing in front of them and only slightly out of a breath.

"Your speed and energy is no joke, Ping-Pong." the redhead remarked. "You did those twenty laps like it was nothing."

"Actually, I did twenty-one." the young monk adjusted his glasses. "I wanted to show off a little." he gave a small grin.

"Oh, you cheeky little thing." Juno smiled fondly and rubbed his head. "Why don't you take a bit of a break? Then you can get started on some chores."

"Oui!" Ping-Pong responded. "Thank you for the training." he bowed to her. "Please excuse me." he ran up the stairs, zipping in-between the two girls.

"I should get started on my chores myself." Kimiko said, standing up along with the redhead. "Thanks again for the talk, Juno."

"Just remember what I told you, communication is important in any relationship."

"I'll keep it in mind." the Japanese girl smiled. "See you later." she waved as she walked up the steps and past the temple gates.

"Ah, young love." Juno said to herself as she watched her leave.

---

(Later)

Kimiko was in the temple garden, watering a bed of flowers, when she saw two people walk into the area.

"Finally, we have the temple's garden." Raimundo used his arm to gesture to the wide space and all it contained. "Not bad, huh?"

"Why, it's just charming." Willow said. "That over there is really lovely." she pointed to the pond with the pink cherry blossom tree planted next to it.

"Yeah, that's actually Juno's favorite spot in the whole temple. She often goes there whenever she needs to do some thinking or needs time to herself."

"What an interesting thing to know." the blonde gave a slight smile. "Well, Raimundo, I have to say, this has been one mighty fine tour you've given me. But, if you don't mind, I really would like to see the Shen Gong Wu vault I've been hearing so much about."

"No can do, Willow, sorry." he told her. "You need permission from Juno herself if you want to get inside the vault. We're taking our security a little more seriously these days."

"Oh, what a shame." she gave a small sigh of disappointment. "Then how about this? You and I can go for a little swim together. Alone." she batted her eyelashes.

"Thanks for the invite, but, uh..." Raimundo turned his gaze to the side and saw his girlfriend nearby. "I promised Kimiko I would help her scrub the kitchen floor."

The female monk stopped watering and looked at him, confused. She didn't remember him saying he would do that. Then, when she saw the look on his face, it became clear what he was trying to do.

"That's right, he did." she confirmed. "We can go get started when I finish up here, Rai."

"I understand, a real shame we have to cut our time together short so soon." Willow said. "But I'll be seeing you around, Raimundo." she quickly leaned in and kissed the Brazilian on the cheek.

Kimiko saw that and her body immediately heated up in anger. The watering can she was holding melted in her hands, dripping to the ground in a puddle.

"Bye-Bye~" the blonde waved as she walked out of the garden.

"Whew!" Raimundo let out, soon going over to the female monk. "Gotta say, Willow is quite a girl."

"She sure is." Kimiko said, turning her glaring eyes away when the other girl was out of sight.

"Thanks for covering for me, Kimi. I'm definitely going to help you with those floors now."

"We both know I wasn't going to let you get out of that."

"Heh, yeah." he grinned.

"I should probably do something about this, though." Kimiko looked down at the puddle she had accidentally made, seeing that the liquid metal was already starting to harden.

"It'll be easy to get when it's more solid." Raimundo told her. "Let's go take care of the scrubbing now and deal with it later."

"Okay." she said as he took her hand. 'Maybe this would be a good chance to talk to him." she thought as they walked out of the garden.

---

(Later)

Even though she thought that, Kimiko couldn't find it in herself to just bring up the topic she wanted to discuss. Kneeling on the floor of the kitchen and scrubbing them wasn't a proper place to have a rather serious conversation. And bringing it up without warning would probably just make things awkward.

The female monk sighed as she wiped her forehead with her arm, not sure what to do next. No one said being in a relationship with someone was an easy thing.

"Hey, Kimi..." Raimundo suddenly spoke up, not that far from her.

"Yeah, Rai?" she replied, focusing on the spot she was trying to scrub out on the floor.

"About what Willow did, back in the garden..."

The brush she was using came to a stop.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, I know it must have made you pretty upset again."

"I wasn't..." Kimiko stopped herself. She released a sigh, sitting back on her knees. "You're right, it did upset me. I was also upset earlier, too. Sorry for snapping at you, by the way."

"Nah, don't sweat it." Raimundo told her, looking at her.

"It's just..." the female monk paused for a moment. 'Communication is key.' she mentally steeled herself. "I've been feeling a little jealous since Willow showed up. I know things have been going really great for us lately, but I still have my worries about what could happen. I really love being with you, Rai, and I want that to last as long as possible."

The Brazilian got to his feet and went over to her. "I totally get that." he held out his hands, pulling her up when she placed hers in them. "Getting together with you is one of the greatest things to ever happen to me. But, to be honest, I'm scared that, one day, you're gonna find some guy who's better for you than me. Back then, I thought you would never even consider going out with me, even though I've been into you since, like, the day we met."

"It's true that I never imagined this is where we would be when I first saw you. I used to think you were just some slacker who liked to make fun of people." Kimiko said. "Now, though, I'm glad I was wrong. You're an incredible guy, Raimundo Pedrosa. And, honestly, I can't imagine myself being with anyone other than you."

Raimundo smiled, squeezing her hands gently. "Same here, Kimi. And, while we don't know what's gonna happen from here on out, I do know that you're going to be the only girl I love."

The Japanese girl looked at him and saw how serious his expression was. She smiled as well. "Me, too. I don't think I could love another boy as much as I do you, Rai."

The couple stared at one another, the doubts they've been having melting away. It was then and there both of them knew that, no matter what obstacles they face, they would still be together through it all. Even though it wasn't going to be easy, neither of them would have it any other way.

After a few moments passed, Raimundo and Kimiko leaned in and their lips met. They wrapped their arms around one another, holding the other close. The longer they kissed, the more confident the both of them became in believing that they would be together for a long, long time.

They eventually had to pull back for air, separating slowly, and locked eyes with each other.

"I'm glad we had this talk." Kimiko said, though a little more to herself.

"Me, too." Raimundo agreed, leaning his forehead against her.

"I'm still gonna get angry if any more girls kiss you on the cheek." she told him firmly.

"Sorry about that, again." he chuckled. "But you're the only one I want to kiss me on the mouth. Man, that sounded weirder than what I thought."

"It did." the female monk giggled. "I'm happy you feel that way, though."

The couple smiled at one another. Then they moved closer to share another kiss.

"Raimundo! Kimiko!"

The two pulled away from each other in surprise at the sudden voice. They turned and saw a certain young monk standing in the doorway.

"Oh, Ping-Pong, you startled us." Kimiko said, trying to calm down the blush in her cheeks.

"Looks like interrupting people is something he and Omi have in common." Raimundo grumbled.

"Forgive my bothering you." Ping-Pong told them, unaware of the mood he had unintentionally ruined. "But I was walking by and thought I could lend you a hand with your scrubbing the floors."

"That's very kind of you to offer, Ping-Pong, but this isn't your chore to do." the female monk said.

"It would be no trouble at all." he insisted. "I used to clean the floors quite a bit back at my old temple. In fact, I had a method to help make the work go by more quickly." going over to a scrub brush, the short monk placed his foot on the flat top of it. Then, kicking off with his other foot, he slid across the floor while riding the brush. "Whee!"

"I think the little dude's got the right idea." Raimundo remarked.

"What do you say we do the kitchen cha-cha?" Kimiko asked her boyfriend, placing her foot on another scrub brush and holding her hand out to him.

"Let's do it." he smiled, taking her hand and setting his own foot on a brush, as well. "Just hope you can keep up with my moves."

The couple pushed themselves forward and rode the brushes across the kitchen floor. They laughed as they joined hands, spinning around in circles as Ping-Pong was going back and forth between the walls.

---

"Thanks for helping, Ping-Pong." Kimiko told the younger monk as they walked out of the building after they had finished cleaning.

"You made it more fun, that's for sure." Raimundo added.

"You are most welcome. It is an honor to serve my fellow monks and the temple."

"The little monk is quite wise." Master Fung remarked, sitting under a nearby veranda and hearing what Ping-Pong said. "Greatness often comes from going manual labor."

"So true, so true." Dojo agreed as he was clipping the man's toenails.

"Hi, kids." Juno greeted, walking over to the trio. "How are the chores coming along?"

"We got the floor scrubbing done a lot quicker thanks to Ping-Pong." Kimiko informed. "He really gave us a hand."

"I had already finished my chores and thought I could be of assistance." the young monk said.

"How very nice of you, Ping-Pong." Juno said, kneeling down in front of him. "You really are the sweetest little guy." she smiled and leaned forward, placing a kiss on the top of his head.

"Oh, merci, Master Juno." Ping-Pong flushed, adjusting his glasses sheepishly.

"Since you've done such a good job, how about I teach you Reverse the Monkey?"

"I would like that very much!" he grinned widely, his eyes shining. "I am most excited to learn one of your special moves."

The redhead giggled. "I've said this before, but you really are the most adorable little monk."

Unknown to them, a certain bald monk was in the distance, hearing what they were saying. Omi let out a sigh, turning around and walking away before he could be seen.

---

(Later)

"Something on your mind, Omi?"

"Huh?" the short monk blinked, looking at Willow.

"You seem quite distracted by something." she said. "Which is impressive considering the activity we're doing right now."

Earlier, the two of them had left the temple and went to an area with a tall, rock wall. It was there that they began to climb it as a part of training. Halfway up, though, the blonde noticed that the short monk didn't seem all that focused on the task at hand.

"Oh, I apologize for not giving you my full attention, Willow." Omi told her. "I do have my mind among the clouds at the moment."

"Head in the clouds." she corrected, grabbing a ledge sticking out of the wall and going up higher. "I can take a guess and say the reason for that is Juno, am I right?"

The bald monk nodded.

"She still giving the little jellybean more attention than you?"

"Master Juno gives all of her monks as much attention as she can." he defended. "But Ping-Pong is new, so I don't mind that she is spending more time with him to teach him what he needs to know."

"But you are starting to worry that he's gonna be her new favorite, aren't you?"

"I... I..." Omi tried to find the right words to say, but couldn't. "Yes, I am worried, and I do not know what to do."

"Well, maybe, you should remind her why you're her number one monk."

"What do you mean?" he asked as they were scaling closer to the top of the wall.

"Why not come up with a plan to impress Juno?" Willow suggested. "Something to show how different you and Ping-Pong are."

"But would could I do?"

"How about something that shows off your skills the next time you go on a quest or you're after a new Shen Gong Wu. Speaking of which, you and I can go to the vault and pick out a couple for ourselves to take with us. What do you say?"

"I do not know." Omi looked uncertain. "In the past, I have tried methods to prove I am a great warrior, and they always ended up badly for me and my friends."

"But your situation is a little different this time around." the blonde told him. "You wanna keep your spot as Juno's favorite, something you're awfully proud of."

"That is true..." he said as they finally reached the top, climbing over the edge and standing on it.

"Just give it a little thinking. I'm sure you'll make the right choice." Willow moved some hair out of her face when a breeze blew.

The short monk didn't reply as he looked out toward the horizon. From their vantage point, they could see for miles, taking in the forest, a great lake, and the Xiaolin Temple standing out among it all. It was quite a beautiful sight.

Despite that, though, Omi couldn't fully appreciate it because his mind was too full of the internal dilemma he was currently facing. Perhaps he should get some advice.

---

(Later)

"I do not know what to do, Grand Master Dashi. I feel as if I am, as they say, making a mountain out of moles."

"It's making a mountain out of a molehill, Omi." the older man told him, lounging against the trunk of the tree they were sitting under on the temple grounds.

"Either way, I have come a long way as a warrior. I should not be having these feelings of jealously towards Ping-Pong."

"Just because you're growing up, doesn't mean you stop having emotions. You're always gonna feel sad, angry, and even jealous sometimes."

"But how should I handle this situation? If it is true that Ping-Pong will become Master Juno's new favorite... I would be most sad."

Dashi looked at him the younger monk, seeing how much this was all troubling him. He sat up and moved closer to his descendent. "Listen, Omi, I understand why this would be upsetting you. You've been Juno's favorite since you first met, it's no surprise you would be afraid of being replaced. Plus, Ping-Pong is related to us, so he's naturally charming and charismatic."

"Most true." Omi nodded in agreement.

"But, in my opinion, if this is really bothering you that much, then maybe you should talk to Juno about it. Hear it directly from her rather than just speculating and making yourself miserable. Although, I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"You really think so?"

"No matter what, you're always gonna be Juno's favorite. She tells you all the time that you are, so I doubt that's gonna change anytime soon."

"Thank you, Grand Master Dashi." Omi smiled appreciatively. "I am glad I came to talk to you."

"Juno's not the only one who can give great advice." the Grand Master gave a small grin, rubbing the Shoku Warrior's head. "Actually, Omi, I was thinking that since you and I are-"

"I must go and speak with Master Juno at once!" the short monk quickly got to his feet. "Thank you again, Grand Master Dashi!"

"You're welcome..." the older man watched him run off. "Oh, well, maybe I can tell him some other time." he sighed and leaned back against the tree, arms behind his head.

---

(Meanwhile)

"How is your new monk's training coming along?"

"He's progressing really well." Juno told her husband, sitting on her bed and flipping through the pages of a book. "I'm not surprised, he's related to Dashi and Omi, after all."

"Is it alright for me to start showing my face around him now?"

"When did the get Chase Young get so shy?" she teased.

"I'm just trying to be more considerate towards people." the Heylin warrior replied, sitting behind his wife and brushing her hair for her. "Something that you've told me I needed to work on."

"Touche." the redhead chuckled. "But, if you're around Ping-Pong more, it'll give him a chance to get used to you. He just hasn't gotten to know you like me and the others have."

"By the way, darling, how is this other newcomer to the temple? The young woman you mentioned."

"Oh, Willow. She seems to be doing well, unfortunately. I don't know what it is yet, but I feel like she's up to something."

"Why do you think that?"

"Earlier, I caught her whispering something to Omi. Whatever she said, made him upset. And I don't like it when someone makes my kids upset." Juno closed her book. "Once I find out what her little plan is, I'm kicking her out myself."

"I see." Chase set the brush down on the nightstand. "Sometimes, Juno, I think you just don't trust other women in general."

"Only when I know they're up to no good." she replied as he tied some of her hair into its usual bun.

"Yes, it's quite hard to pull the wool over your eyes." he told her, picking up her jade dragon pin and sticking it in her bun.

"Sometimes I think I'm just too smart for my own good." the female warrior joked, leaning back against his chest. "Thanks for doing my hair."

"Taking care of my beautiful wife is one of the duties I take great pride in."

"You're so good to me." Juno smiled as he took her hand and kissed the back of it. "I got lucky in the husband department."

"I'm the one who's lucky, darling."

The two looked at one another lovingly. Turning around, Juno wrapped her arms around his neck as his own encircled her waist. They both leaned in, kissing tenderly. As the seconds ticked by, it got more passionate and their tongues clashed. The couple maneuvered so he was laying down while she was on top of him. When air was needed, they pulled away.

"I don't want to ask this, but is it okay to leave your apprentice unsupervised?" Juno questioned, running her fingers through his hair.

"Shadow is currently in the middle of a training assignment I gave her." Chase answered. "I'll be meeting with her to hear how her progress is going."

"Well, before that, how about you and I spend some much-needed time together?" she suggested. "Unless you have to meet her right away."

"I don't, but she can wait for a while." he told her, putting his hand on the back of her head and pulling her back in for another kiss.

While they were making out, his other hand went to her leg. It traveled up to her thigh, slipping under her skirt and feeling her smooth skin. Juno pulled back and lowered her head down to his neck. She placed her lips against it, sucking and slightly biting his skin. Chase's hand left her head and went to her front, hooking his fingers around the fabric of her top. Her own hand went down and placed it right between his legs.

Just as she was about to pull down his pants, and him with her top, there was a sudden knock at the door.

"Master Juno, are you in there?"

"That hasn't happened in a while." Chase sighed, leaning his head back.

"Sorry, looks like this will have to wait." Juno said, pushing herself up. "I should see what he needs."

"Next time, maybe we should just do it outside and far away from the temple." he sat up.

"Sounds kinky, I'm down for it." she smiled as she went to the door. After straightening her clothes out, she opened it. "Hi, Omi, what brings you here?" she greeted.

"I am sorry to bother you, Master Juno." the short monk apologized as he walked into her room, seeing the Heylin Warrior. "And Chase Young. But, if you do not mind, I would like to speak to you about something. Something rather important."

"Of course." the redhead told him. "What's up?"

"Can... can it be more private, please?"

"Say no more." Chase said as he got to his feet. "I have to go back to my lair and deal with some business, anyway."

"Alright, I'll be seeing you later?" Juno questioned.

"Absolutely, darling." he told her, walking over and exchanging a quick kiss. "I'll see you around, young monk." he patted Omi's head as he exited the room, disappearing into thin air.

"So, Omi, what do you want to talk about?" the female warrior asked, sliding the door closed.

"Well..." he went over to her bed and climbed up on it, sitting down. "I don't know how else to say this, so I will just come out with it. Master Juno, do you..." he looked at her. "Do you like Ping-Pong more than me?"

"What?" she blinked at him, definitely not expecting that.

"More specifically, is he becoming your new favorite monk? You are spending a lot of time with him, and I understand why, but, to me, it feels like..." his gaze turned to the floor. "I am being replaced." he clasped his hands together. "Maybe I am making something out of nothing, I just cannot help but feel that way."

Juno stared at him silently for a moment, then she went over and sat down next to him. "Omi, I love you." she told him, placing a gentle hand on his back. "I love you, Raimundo, Kimiko, and Clay as if you were my own kids. And I'm sure I'll feel the same way about Ping-Pong. However, that doesn't mean I'm going to replace you with him."

"But you have been saying things like how he is the cutest warrior." Omi pointed out. "Even though you used to say that about me."

"Ping-Pong is quite adorable." Juno said. "But I am sorry for not taking into account how you would feel about it. Would me saying that you're both the cutest warriors make you feel better?" she smiled gently.

"Yes, a little bit." he gave a slight smile himself. "So you are not replacing me?"

"Of course not. As fond as I am of Ping-Pong, you will always be my most favorite monk. And, I promise you, nothing will ever change that."

The short monk looked at her, seeing her sincere expression. He knew she was telling the truth, she had never lied to him before, he doubt she would be lying about this.

"Thank you, Master Juno. I feel a little silly, getting jealous over such a thing."

"Things like this happen all the time, there's no need to feel embarrassed. I'm glad you came to talk to me about it, though, Omi."

"I got some good advice from a wise man." Omi smiled.

"Sure sounds like it." Juno smiled back.

---

(Meanwhile)

Clay was outside and tending to a baby goat they had around the temple. He was kneeling beside it and running a brush across its fur as it let out a small bleat.

"You like that, little fella? Everyone deserves a good brushing." he said.

"Hi there, cowboy."

Turning his head, he saw a certain blonde entering the pen the goat was kept in. "Howdy, Willow." he greeted. "What brings you around here?"

"Oh, I was just walking around when I saw you. You have quite a way with animals."

"Yeah, it helps when you grew up on a farm and had to handle little fellas like these." he told her.

"How very interesting." Willow said as she stood next to him. "You know, since I'm here, I was wondering if you could give me a hand with something."

Sure thing, what do you need?"

"Well..." she leaned in, getting her face closer to his and making him blush. "You think you can help me get into the Shen Gong Wu vault? If I'm going to be a part of the team, I should be able to see what I can do to contribute. Such as having a Wu of my own." she touched his arm, looking at him sweetly.

"Uh, I-I would like to, Willow..." Clay stammered, his face reddening more. "B-But I need to get the a-okay with Juno before I can do that."

"I'm sure she would understand if you didn't tell her."

"Sorry, but, if there's one thing I've learned, it's not to go behind Juno's back when it comes to things like this. Trust me, you will not like what happens when she finds out what you did."

"Are you sure?" the blonde got closer, their noses nearly touching.

"I-I'm sure. She's really adamant about keeping the vault locked up tighter than the skin on a baby oinker's behind."

"You have a way with words, cowboy." Willow pulled back.

"I also have a way with the lasso if you want me to show you how it's done."

"Thanks, but I have things to do." she flicked the brim of his hat. "See you around~" she winked as she walked off.

"Quite a lady right there." Clay remarked as he watched her leave.

The young goat gave a small bleat.

---

(Later)

Kimiko was sitting at a table under a veranda, pouring herself a cup of tea. Next to her on the piece of furniture's surface, Kaze was having a drink from a bowl of water.

"Hi, there, Kimiko."

The female monk looked and saw Willow coming onto the veranda. The phoenix, when he laid eyes on her, immediately let out a loud squawk and flapped his wings angrily.

"Easy, Kaze, it's okay." Kimiko told him, putting her hand on his head to keep him from getting into the air just in case he was thinking of attacking the blonde.

"What a magnificent fellow." Willow said, taking a seat from across the other girl. "He yours?"

"He's bonded to Rai, actually."

"That makes sense. Such a handsome bird naturally belongs to such a handsome young man." she reached out to stroke the firebird, but pulled her hand back when he snapped at her fingers with his beak. "So, tell me, how does a girl like you handle being in a temple filled with boys?"

"Having Juno around really helps." Kimiko replied, pouring the blonde a cup of tea and handing it to her. "But the guys aren't bad at all." as she took a sip of her drink, her elbow knocked into the teapot and made it fall off the table. "Whoops."

Before it hit the floor, though, Willow caught it with one hand while holding her cup.

"Nice reflexes." the Japanese girl complimented.

"I learned from the best." she replied, setting the teapot back on the table. "Say, Kimiko, about what happened with Raimundo earlier-"

"You don't have to explain anything." Kimiko cut her off, taking one more sip of her tea. "Actually, I kind of want to thank you."

"Thank me?" the blonde didn't expect her to say that.

"Yeah, if you didn't do what you did, we might not have gotten a chance to strengthen our relationship." she smiled at her. "So thanks for that."

"You're... welcome. Does this mean you're not mad about the kiss?"

"Oh, I am mad about that." the female monk said. "In fact, I'm still gonna get upset when someone tries to get closer to Raimundo. However, I know I don't have to worry about him just suddenly leaving me for another girl. But I would appreciate it if you didn't do such things ever again with him."

"I'll try, but he's just so cute that I can't help myself." Willow smiled sweetly.

Kimiko smiled as well, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yes, my boyfriend is very cute, I'm lucky to have him."

Kaze let out a huff at the blonde, his feathers ruffling.

"Oh, and before you ask, I'm not going to be taking you into the Shen Gong Wu vault." the Japanese girl said. "If you want to, talk to Juno about it."

"I've tried before, but she doesn't like me very much."

"And I'm sure there's a very good reason for that."

The two sat in tense silence, just staring at each other.

Kimiko set her now empty teacup down. "I'm going to go get ready for dinner with the others." she got to her feet as Kaze flew up to her shoulder. "Will you be joining us, Willow?"

"I'm afraid not, I have some personal matters to attend to."

"What a shame." the female monk said, scratching the phoenix's head. "I guess I'll see you later, then. Good luck with your business."

As she walked away, Kaze looked at the blonde once more before giving a sharp turn of his head, sticking his beak into the air.

"I'm not having as much luck as I had hoped." Willow mumbled to herself when the other girl was out of earshot.

---

(Later)

After making sure that no one saw her leaving, Willow left the Xiaolin Temple and went to a certain Heylin warrior's lair. She entered the room that held his throne-like chair, which he was sitting in as his Jungle Cats were lounging on the floor. When she came to a stop in the middle of the room, shrouds of darkness circled around her and covered her entire body. When it disappeared, her appearance had changed to how it really was.

"Have you made any progress breaking into the Shen Gong Wu vault?" Chase asked her.

"Unfortunately, your pretty little wife's put up a barrier around it. And her little fan club isn't being of much help to getting me inside." Shadow told him.

"As I told you before, this assignment wasn't going to be an easy one." he said before taking a sip of his Lao Mang Lone Soup.

"Maybe things would go better if I had a taste of the Lao Mang Lone Soup." she suggested.

"Nice try. I also mentioned that I wouldn't let you drink it until you've proven yourself worthy, which you've been failing to do."

"Not my fault Juno's isn't falling for my deception."

"Then maybe you need to improve it." Chase told her. "Your goal is to steal one Shen Gong Wu from the Xiaolin Temple using your abilities as a Heylin warrior. If you cannot complete it, then it would seem I was wrong to take you on as an apprentice.

Shadow clenched her fists tightly. "I can do it." she declared. "Give me some more time and I will bring one to you. I have what it takes to do it."

"Very well, Shadow. I will give you another chance, but keep in mind that it won't be long before my patience starts to wear thin."

"I understand. Next time I come back, I will have a Shen Gong Wu with me." she turned around to leave.

"Shadow." the Heylin warrior called, making her stop and look back at him. "I did make it clear that you weren't to do anything unnecessary while trying to complete your assignment. I don't think emotionally manipulating one of the monks qualifies as necessary."

"Alright, so I tried to make the little yellow gumdrop doubt himself a bit. But what's the harm if it helps to get me what I want?"

"Regardless, cease further action on it from here on out."

"I don't get it, why do you care about how the little Xiaolin brats feel? It's not like they're your kids-"

Chase stood up and, in the blink of an eye, was standing directly in front of her. "I don't care if you don't understand my reasons." he told her in a dangerously low tone of voice. "However, you are my apprentice, and you will do as I tell you. Do you understand that?"

Shadow was going to say something, but the look in his eyes made her swallow down her words. "Crystal clear, sir..." she lowered her gaze.

"Good." he turned around and walked back to his throne-like chair. "I expect better results the next time I see you."

She said nothing and turned on her heels, storming out of the room.

---

(Later, back at the Xiaolin Temple)

"It is a shame that Mademosille Willow could not join us for dinner." Ping-Pong remarked, sitting at the dinner table with the rest of the Xiaolin Warriors.

"Indeed." Omi agreed. "I could have shown her my impressive skills with the chopsticks." he used said chopsticks to pick up an ear of corn and then balanced it on the very tip of them.

"Actually, since she's not here, maybe it would be a good time to talk about her." Juno said. "Tell me your thoughts, kids."

"Willow has the makings to be a skilled warrior." the short monk said.

"And she's pretty nice." Raimundo added, Kaze next to him on the table and eating seeds out of a bowl. "Although, she's a little on the pushy side. She was really interested in checking out the Shen Gong Wu vault."

"Yeah, she asked me if I would help her get through the barrier." Clay spoke up.

"I get the feeling Willow's been asking everyone to try and get her inside." Kimiko said. "And I don't think it's because she wants to observe the interior."

"I can admire persistence." Juno told them. . "But that is unless I sense that persistent person has ulterior motives."

"What do you suggest we do, Master Juno?" Omi asked. "If you suspect that Willow is up to no good, then..."

"We don't know what she's up, so I'm not sure how we should go about dealing with her. For now, we'll stick to monitoring her and seeing if she tries anything. And to keep her from having access to the vault. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am." the monks replied in unison.

Suddenly, Dojo let out a shout. He began scratching his tail, which developed a very red rash. "Uh-oh, we've got a new Shen Gong Wu alert! That or I need a better ointment."

"Looks like dinner's going to be put on hold for now, kids." Juno said, getting to her feet along with the others. "Let's hightail it to that Wu."

The team left the room, soon exiting the building to the outside. It was there that they almost ran into a certain blonde.

"Woah, where's this party going?" Willow asked.

"A new Shen Gong Wu as shown itself." Omi told her. "We must hurry to it right away."

"You don't say. Can I come along, you might need an extra hand."

"I highly doubt that." Juno responded as Dojo transformed into his larger size. 'Even though I don't want to take her along, it might be a bad idea to leave her without anyone to watch her.' she thought to herself. "Alright, you can tag along again."

"You have no idea how happy this makes me." Willow smiled.

"Don't get used to it." the redhead told her before they all jumped onto the green dragon's back.

He took off into the air, going in the direction he sensed the Shen Gong Wu was in.

"The Wu we're after is called the Indigo Pyramid." Dojo told the people on his back as they opened the ancient scroll. "Whoever possesses it can use it to change the mind of their opponent. It's quite handy when your parents tell you to eat your vegetables."

"That sounds like a really interesting Wu." Willow remarked. If she got her hands on it, it would surely please Chase. And, if she could use it to get into the Shen Gong Wu vault to steal one or more inside, it would definitely prove herself.

"Yeah, we can use it the next time Master Fung gives us chores." Raimundo remarked with a grin, Kaze squawking from his shoulder.

"I could use it to change Chase's mind about taking on Shadow as an apprentice." Juno said, slightly joking. "Then again, I'm sure he'll be kicking her unspecial ass to the curb sooner than we think."

Willow's face gave the slightest twitch, covering up her annoyance with a humorless laugh.

---

(Later)

As night fell, the group arrived in a canyon where the Indigo Pyramid was. On the ground below were a number of large, deep holes. While it looked like they were empty, that thought was soon proved to be false as huge, powerful streams of water shot out of the holes one by one.

Everyone shouted as Dojo tried to maneuver around the geysers. He managed to avoid them, having a few close calls. However, one stream of water shot up directly in front of him. He came to an abrupt stop, making the ones on his back go flying into the air. Kaze screeched as he tumbled around before straightening himself out. The dragon quickly went after the humans, catching Juno and Kimiko in his large hands while the others landed on his back.

"Nice save, Dojo." the redhead praised as he landed on the ground, dropping her and the other girl while the rest of the team jumped to the ground.

"Why'd you stash the Wu in a place like this, green dude?" Raimundo asked as his bird came flying back down, landing on his shoulder.

"There were a lot fewer geysers here than what I remember." Dojo answered, shrinking down to his smaller size.

"Over there!" Ping-Pong shouted, pointing ahead. "It is the Indigo Pyramid."

The group looked and saw the very Shen Gong Wu they came for resting on top of a rock that was close by. As its name suggested, it was shaped like a small pyramid. It had an indigo coloring with a line of gold underneath its pointed top. on its four sides were columns of gold that had a splash of orange inside them.

"Excellent eye, Ping-Pong." Omi complimented. "Victory is ours!"

Everyone went towards the Pyramid, but came to a stop when they felt the ground under them begin to shake. This caused the Shen Gong Wu to fall off the rock and land near the edge of one of the geyser holes. Then a large, black drill machine shot out of the rocky surface and landed in front of them. It took them to moment to recognize the design of the contraption. The top of it opened up and a certain evil boy genius jumped out.

"What up, Xiaolin-Losers?" Jack greeted, Wuya coming out of the drill and floating next to him. "How do you like my new, and improved, Molar-3000?"

"Eh, I liked your old one better." Juno shrugged.

"Good thing he's here, I was just in the mood to kick some evil butt." Raimundo said, slamming his fist into his palm.

"Oh, I will do everyone's chores if you let me kick Jack Spicer's buttock again, s'il vous plaît." Ping-Pong raised his hand.

"There's no need for that, Ping-Pong." the female warrior told him. "We're all gonna kick his butt together." she smiled. "Think of it as a team-building exercise."

"What kind of sick, twisted people are you?!" Jack yelled. "I swear, it's like you all have no better hobbies!"

"Jack, focus!" Wuya told him. "Getting the Indigo Pyramid could finally turn things around for us. Deal with them and go get it!"

"Alright, alright. Jack-Bots, attack!"

In an instant, a horde of Jack-Bots came flying in from the air, heading for the group.

"Battle stations, kids!" Juno held out her hand and summonsed her Xiaolin Dragon Blade.

"Yes, ma'am!" the monks responded, pulling out their Wudai Weapons and putting on their Elemental Shen Gong Wu.

"Ping-Pong, use this!" Omi grabbed the Eye of Dashi from his robes and tossed it to his relative.

"Oh, thank you, Brother Omi!" the young monk smiled. "Eye of Dashi!" he aimed it at some of the robots and a bolt of lightning shot out, destroying them.

"Don't I get a Wu?" Willow asked, jumping up and dodging a Jack-Bot that came at her. When she landed back on her feet, she quickly shot out a kick and took its head off. She then grabbed its body and threw it into more of the robots.

"You'll be fine." Juno told her before charging forward, slicing Jack-Bots with the blade of her weapon. Then she took control of the water shooting out of a nearby geyser and directed to more of them, crushing them underneath its intense pressure.

"Kaijin Charm! Shimo Staff!" Omi held up his Weapon and it grew larger and stretched out, going between a group of Jack-Bots. Then sharp ice spikes came out from its sides, impaling them.

"Cat's Eye Draco! Arrow Sparrow!" Kimiko grabbed some of her bird-shaped projectiles and threw them. They quickly caught on fire and circled around the robots, concealing them in a ball of flames. A moment later, it went off in a great explosion, leaving nothing but ashes behind.

"Longhorn Taurus! Big Bang Meteorang!" Clay threw his Weapon and it split into five more boomerangs. They sailed past some of the Jack-Bots and got closer to the canyon walls. They touched them, becoming covered in the hard stone that made them up. Then they turned around and went right through the machines, breaking them apart. The rock fell off them and they became one again, going back to their owner's hand.

While everyone was distracted by the fight, Willow spilled under the cover of the shadows in a hole that was in one of the canyon walls.

Kaze maneuvered around the arms of the Jack-Bot's that tried to grab him. He was doing good until one sneaked up from behind and gripped his sides with its metal hands, pinning his wings. He squawked as it began to crush him. Then his whole body caught on fire, making the Jack-Bot's hands melt and freeing him. The phoenix flew higher into the air, shooting fireballs from his beak at the robots and destroying them.

Raimundo went low to the ground, dodging the arm of the Jack-Bot that stretched out towards him. He lifted his legs up and got them around the machine part, throwing the robot attached to it into the rock wall. As he got to his feet, he saw more coming at him. "Crest of the Condor! Blade of the Nebula!" he spun around fast and a large slash of air came out of his Wudai Weapon as he did so. It not only destroyed the ones coming at him, but also the rest of the robot horde.

"Great work, Raimundo!" Juno praised as machine parts rained down around them.

"All in a day's work." he replied.

"My friends, Jack Spicer is about to get the Pyramid!" Ping-Pong suddenly yelled.

Just as he said, the evil boy genius was getting closer to the Shen Gong Wu, about to grab it.

"I think not!" Omi declared. "Shimo Staff!" his Wudai Weapon stretched out and hit the Ingido Pyramid, knocking it into the geyser hole.

"No!" Jack yelled as it fell a long way down.

"Don't just stand there, get it!" Wuya ordered.

The redheaded boy activated his Heli-Bot and flew down into the hole. The Xiaolin Warriors quickly chased after him, thankful that there were ledges sticking out of the sides they could jump down on. As they headed down, they saw something come out of the darkness at the bottom, barreling towards them quickly. Everyone pressed themselves as close to the rock wall as possible, narrowly avoiding the powerful stream of water that shot past them. When it stopped and it was safe to move, they all continued downward.

"Hope you're not too disappointed when I snatch the Wu before you, Xiaolin-Losers!" Jack laughed at those behind him.

"Do not count your chickens before they hatch, Jack Spicer!" Ping-Pong yelled back, jumping down from ledge to ledge along with Omi.

As they were running across one they had just landed on, a leg suddenly came out of the shadows and kicked the young monk. He yelled as he was sent flying back, crashing into his relative and sending them both over the side.

"Omi! Ping-Pong!" Juno yelled when she saw the two fall down the hole.

A moment later, another stream of water came up, carrying the two monks on the top of it. Jack had taken cover in a hole in the wall when it showed up. They went all the way to the surface and, when the water disappeared, they landed roughly on the ground.

Knowing they would be fine, the rest of the Xiaolin Warriors continued chasing after the evil boy genius. Unknown to them, a smirking figure was hiding in the shadows before it disappeared.

Kimiko saw an opportunity to grab at Jack and jumped. However, before she could get too far, a hand came out of the wall and grabbed her ankle. It then proceeded to throw her. The female monk screamed as she fell down towards the darkness below.

"Kimi!" Raimundo hopped off the ledge he was on and flew after her. He soon caught her in his arms and held her tightly. "Kimi! Are you okay?" he asked worriedly, floating in the air now.

"I-I'm fine." she replied, a little shaky. "But I think something-"

She was cut off when another stream of water hit her and her boyfriend. They shouted as they were pushed towards the top of the hole.

"What in tarnation?" Clay saw what was happening to his friends. Before he could try to help, something suddenly hit him in the back, sending him over the ledge and getting caught in the discharging water.

"Kids!" Juno watched as the monks were taken to the surface.

Behind her, a hand came out of the shadows of the wall and pushed her. The redhead turned to try and keep herself from falling, but the same hand caught her wrist and held her in place, her feet barely on the ledge. Looking in front of her, her golden eyes widened as what appeared to be a large shadow of a woman with long hair formed on the rock wall. They stared at one another, seeming to forget the stream of water that was still discharging.

Then, slowly, the shadow gave a wide, wicked grin before releasing Juno's wrist. She yelled as she got caught in the water, being taken to the surface. The shadowy woman watched until the redhead was out of sight and disappeared.

When the water stream disappeared, the Xiaolin Dragon King landed roughly on the ground.

"Juno!" the rest of the Xiaolin Warriors went over to her.

"Master Juno, are you okay?!" Omi asked.

"I've been better." Juno replied, groaning as Clay helped her to her feet.

"What happened back there?" Kimiko questioned. "I felt something grab me when I tried to get at Jack."

"Oui, and something kicked me." Ping-Pong said.

"I'm pretty sure I was pushed earlier." the cowboy added.

"I think I know what it is." the redhead told them. "It sounds strange, but I think we were attacked by some kind of... shadow."

"What?" the monks blinked at her.

"Or, at least, the shadow of a woman with long hair."

"Femme aux cheveux longs?" Ping-Pong said questionably.

"Whatever it is, it's definitely not on our side."

"Hey, are ya'll okay?" Willow asked, coming over to the group.

"And where have you been, missy?" Juno crossed her arms. "I didn't see you down there."

"Sorry I didn't help you. But a piece of rock fell while I was fighting one of the robots, knocked me out cold." the blonde rubbed her head.

"How very convenient." the redhead narrowed her eyes.

"It certainly looks like I missed some of the action, doesn't it?" Willow said, taking in the team's soaking wet appearances.

"Well, you didn't miss my superb victory!"

Everyone turned around and saw Jack flying in the air on his Heli-Bot. In his hand was the Indigo Pyramid.

"Jack Spicer's got his mojo back!" the evil boy genius declared.

"As surprised as I am, you didn't screw up this time." Wuya remarked, floating beside him.

"Now to go home and celebrate a long-awaited victory. See ya, Xiaolin-Losers!"

The duo went to the Molar-3000 and got inside. The top closed down and the drill started up, going into the ground and leaving a large hole behind.

"Well, this night officially sucks." Juno sighed. "Come on, kids, let's go home and do some thinking."

"Can we do it after we finish dinner? Getting our butts kicked makes a guy hungry." Clay said.

"Definitely not one of our better days." Raimundo remarked, Kaze letting out a sad chirp from his shoulder.

As Dojo transformed into his large size, and everyone climbed onto his back, Willow let out a wicked smirk to herself.

---

(Later, back at the Xiaolin Temple)

"What I don't get is why this shadow thing would attack us." Kimiko said when she finished blowdrying her hair. "And help Jack Spicer at that."

The Xiaolin Warriors, after drying off, were sitting on the floor in one of the rooms of the temple. They were discussing the events that took place not that long ago, dressed in their pajamas.

"Rather than helping Jack, I think it was more about making sure we failed." Juno told her.

"But who would want that?" Ping-Pong questioned. "I have not heard stories about any of your enemies turning into a shadow."

"That's because we don't have one." Raimundo replied, sitting behind Kimiko and combing her hair. "Until tonight, at least."

"And, thanks to this shadow lady, we've lost a pretty handy Wu to that Spicer-varmint." Clay added, eating a turkey leg.

"I can only imagine all the dumb things he's gonna do with it." Kimiko remarked, crossing her arms.

"Master Juno, what do you think?" Omi asked the redhead, who had a thoughtful expression on her face.

"I do have a theory. But it might a little too on the nose."

"Please, do tell us."

"Well... this shadow looked like a woman with long hair, right? And Chase's new apprentice is a woman with long hair.

"You think his trainee, whose name is Shadow, is the shadow who attacked us?" Raimundo questioned. "You're right, that would be too much a coincidence." he set the comb down.

"Thanks, Rai." Kimiko smiled as she pulled her now tangle-free hair over her shoulder.

"Anytime, Kimi." he leaned down and kissed her head.

"I'm saying this not just because I don't like her, but Shadow having the power to turn into a shadow would kinda make sense." Juno told them.

"If that is the case, then her parents don't have much imagination." Clay said, finishing his food and leaving nothing but the bone.

"I suppose we will have to ask Chase Young ourselves." Omi interjected.

"Ask me what?"

Everyone quickly turned their heads, seeing that a certain Heylin warrior had appeared out of thin air.

"Perfect timing." Juno smiled at her husband as Ping-Pong moved closer to her, keeping his wary eyes on the villain.

"Almost too perfect." Dojo commented.

"I could tell you were talking about me." Chase said, walking over and sitting next to his wife. "Now what question do you need me to answer?"

"Do you send the femme aux cheveux longs to impede us?!" Ping-Pong pointed an accusing finger at him.

"I beg your pardon, little one?"

"Easy, Ping-Pong." Juno rubbed the young monk's to calm him down. "What he meant to ask is whether you ordered Shadow to mess up our getting the new Shen Gong Wu that revealed itself today."

"I do no such thing." Chase answered. "Why do you suspect that?"

"We were attacked by some kind of shadow." Raimundo explained. "Sent us down a hole and hit by a geyser."

"And we were just thinking that it could be your apprentice because... her name is Shadow?" Kimiko said, a little uncertain.

"It is true that Shadow is able to travel through shadows and become one herself." the Heylin warrior told them.

"Knew it~" Juno looked pleased with herself.

"However, I did not tell her to prevent you from getting the Shen Gong Wu. I wouldn't have any reason to, you know wanting Shen Gong isn't my thing."

"So she was acting on her own?" Omi questioned.

"It would appear that way. I apologize for the actions of my apprentice, I will be sure to confront her about it the next time I see her."

"Good enough for me." Juno said. "I'm just glad you didn't sic her on us."

"You all weren't hurt too badly, were you, darling?"

"You know we can handle anything thrown at us." she placed her head on his shoulder. "And Shadow doesn't have that much power to do any real damage. But, if you feel bad, you can spend the night hanging out with me and the kids."

"Yeah, we can make it a little family sleepover thing." Kimiko suggested. "I'll go get some movies to watch." she left the room to go to hers.

"And I'll get the popcorn." Dojo spoke up, already slithering to the kitchen.

"I haven't even said if I'll be staying for the night." Chase reminded them.

"We both know you are." Juno told him, kissing his cheek. "Ping-Pong..." she looked at the young monk. "Are you okay with Chase staying?"

"Well, if Master Juno and everyone believes it to be okay, then..." he trailed off, still uncertain on whether he should trust the Heylin warrior or not.

"Just don't push yourself, okay, sweetie?" the redhead rubbed his head. "Oh, I should invite Aura to this little party."

"I don't think he's gonna be able to fit in here." Raimundo told her.

"We'll see about that." she stood up and summoned her Xiaolin Dragon Blade.

Twirling it a couple of times, she touched the spike to the floor. The ruby eyes glowed and Aura came out of the weapon, his entire self taking up practically the whole space of the room.

"I told you so..." the Brazilian said, him and the males being pushed against the wall by the dragon's long body.

"Aura, wanna join us for a little slumber party?" Juno asked, standing in the only free space that was available.

Aura looked at her and made a rumble at the back of his throat.

"I know you only like to come out for mission things, but I don't you want to feel left out on the fun. Tell you what, when you feel tired of being around everyone, you can go back inside. Deal?"

The dragon stared at her for a moment and let out a sigh. Then his whole body began to shrink. Soon, he was on the floor as a much smaller version of himself, about the same size as Dojo currently was.

"Woah, he can grow and shrink just like Dojo?" Clay questioned, looking at the now small creature in amazement.

"Quite a few dragons can do that." the green dragon explained, hearing him when he came back into the room and carrying a bowl of popcorn. "Want one, buddy?" he held out a piece to the fellow reptile.

Aura leaned forward and sniffed the popcorn. Then he took it into his mouth and chewed on it, swallowing a moment later.

"I think he likes it." Juno said as her dragon slithered up to her shoulders, wrapping himself loosely around them. She smiled and scratched his head, making him release a purr-like sound.

"Room for one more?" Dojo made a move to get on the redhead. However, when the white dragon growled at him, he back away. "Okay, that's your spot, my bad."

"Be nice, Aura." the female warrior told him.

"Chase Young, do you think you can teach me that move you once mentioned?" Omi asked the Heylin warrior. "The one called Panda Punching Stone?"

"How about I teach you before I leave tomorrow?"

"Oh, that would be most wonderful. Thank you!" the short monk jumped up and hugged him around the neck happily.

"Yes, yes, you're welcome, young monk." he patted his large head, giving a small smile himself.

"Hey, mind if I join you guys?" Raimundo asked. "Wouldn't be fair if Omi's the only one to learn cool stuff from you."

"The more the merrier, they say."

"Sweet, you're the best, dad." he grinned at the older man.

"I'm aware of that, son." Chase replied, putting his other hand on his head and ruffling his hair.

"I got the movies, and the projector." Kimiko announced as she came back into the room, carrying said items. "Hey, why is Aura so small?"

"It's a dragon thing." Juno told her. "Now what kind of movies did you get?"

As they were setting everything up, they were unaware that they were being overheard.

"Well, that's something you don't hear every day." Willow said to herself as she sat on the roof of the building the group was in. She heard what they were saying from the door that was left open.

Not that long ago, she was on her way to Jack Spicer's lair to steal the Indigo Pyramid. While she did prevent the Xiaolin Warriors from getting it, it was because she knew that they wouldn't have let her even touch it if they were able to obtain it. Her plan to use it to get into the Shen Gong Wu vault would have been useless if it was also put inside. That's why she more or less helped the evil boy genius, the Pyramid would have been much easier to get it from him if he had it in his hands.

As she was passing the building the group was in on her way out, she stopped upon hearing Chase's voice. Curious, she decided to stay and listen in. Much to her surprise, he was speaking not only to his wife in a fond tone of voice, but also to the monks. Especially with a certain Brazilian.

"Who would have thought the great, and villainous Chase Young isn't as hardened as he likes people to think he is." Willow remarked. "This changes some things." she thought things over in her mind for a moment. "Yes, changes some things, indeed."

Slowly, a wicked smirk came onto her face. She was curious to know just how soft the Heylin warrior was towards the monks.

To be continued...

---

And there you have it folks, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the chapter. For those who are curious, I got the idea for the Indigo Pyramid from a Shen Gong Wu that was used in the old Xiaolin Showdown card game. By the way, I am sorry for the late update, things have been pretty crazy. Also, next week, I start my new semester, so I'll most likely be putting up new chapters pretty late. I hope you all understand. But thank you all for your patience, I can't wait to see you all for the next chapter. Until then, take care!