Chapter 11: Royal Rumble
Sat in the grass with her legs crossed, Rory was supposed to be meditating. However, with her music playing in her trusty headphones, she wasn't sure if Master Fung would consider it meditation. But he had left them to it, and while she was meditating, the others were training in other ways.
Kimiko and Omi, who had both begun to harness their control over Fire and Water respectively, were training their focus, starting with the basics of conjuring their element in small doses. Neither Clay nor Raimundo had found a catalyst for their powers yet, and so were sparring in hopes that the slightest thing could allow their control over Earth and Wind to kick in.
Rory's main priority was to hone her focus - since her powers had only manifested in her sensitivity to the Heylin side, she needed to master that. Master Fung had told them that they'd only scratched the surface of their newfound abilities.
"What's the word, Dojo?" Rory cracked an eye open as she heard Clay call out to the Temple Dragon. "We got ourselves a bite this morning?" the cowboy asked hopefully, seeing Dojo holding the Scroll of the Shen Gong Wu. He shook it, listening carefully, before shaking his head.
"Zip. Nada. Bupkiss," Dojo denied, setting the scroll down to lean on it. "Not even a nibble," the group groaned, having gathered in hopes that he had something for them.
"Is it medically possible to actually die from boredom?" Kimiko complained, leaning on Omi's head as her own dropped.
"At this rate, we might be the first," Rory sighed, just as disappointed.
"It's been like...forever since the last Shen Gong Wu went active," Raimundo grumbled, arms folded as he slumped as well.
"Two months...four days...six hours," Clay announced, head bowed as he gave the exact timing. The last Shen Gong Wu had been on Rory's birthday, and since then they'd had no adventures to go on. Rory was sure Kimiko was right and they were close to dying of boredom.
"Look towards the bright direction!" Omi's sudden yell made them all jump. Raimundo flailed, knocking Clay's hat off. It landed on Rory's head, immediately obscuring her vision. "This only gives us more time to bond together through rigorous training!" Omi cartwheeled away as they all groaned. Omi glared, and ran back to shove them, making them go with him.
To the disgust of the four other Dragons-in-training, Master Fung was more than happy to oblige Omi's request, and they soon found themselves in a ravine, working together to pull a boulder up.
"The boulder was easily brought down by gravity. Bringing it up will take something far more elusive," Master Fung told them as he watched the five climbing. "Teamwork," he spoke as they struggled. Rory's grip slipped, and she struggled not to curse as she scrambled for a sturdier hold.
"I might just have to drown Omi for this," she hissed, pulling herself up. The sharp rocks scraped her palms, making her wince.
"Come on Kimiko, pull your weight already!" Clay complained as he seemed to take on most of the work. "Can't expect me to do all the heavy lifting," he called as Kimiko managed to find a ledge to rest her knee on.
"Why not? You do all the heavy snoring!" Kimiko shot back, irritated at him only targeting her. "It shakes the temple rafters!" she told him.
"You're the one complaining about him, when you're on the cellphone 24/7?" Raimundo asked in disbelief. "'Oh, no way! What else did he say? No way!'" he mocked Kimiko, who turned her glare on him. "And could you possibly download a more annoying ringtone?" Raimundo asked, listing more faults with the girl.
"Do you ever do anything other than complain?" Rory groaned as she managed to climb to a ledge for a small rest. "'We're saving the world, why do I have to do dishes?' It drives everyone crazy," she repeated what seemed to be Raimundo's catchphrase when they were doing chores. He scowled at her.
"Oh, you have a voice again?" he challenged. Rory's brow rose. "Only time you wanna talk to us is when you don't have your headphones," Raimundo complained, and Rory's temper grew.
"Can you blame me? You're either whining about the slightest bit of hard work, or you're picking fights," she snapped at him. Raimundo gave a low growl, but before he could speak, music filled the air and they all looked at Kimiko.
"You brought your cell phone?" Clay spoke with disbelief as he reached their level. "Boy, Raimundo's really got you pegged," he laughed, continuing to climb with Raimundo.
"Oh, don't even come at me with that male bonding vibe, Clay!" Kimiko snapped at him. "I've had to listen to you listen non-stop about Raimundo's music," she outed the cowboy, who faltered as Raimundo turned on him.
"What about my music?" the Brazilian asked in a dangerous voice. Rory groaned.
"And I quote 'I can't understand a single word them folks is singing 'bout. And I use the term 'singing' mighty loosely'," Kimiko mimicked Clay, right down to the accent as Clay went red and Raimundo's glare darkened.
"I do not talk like that," Clay growled as they continued to climb. "Do I?" he asked, a little uncertain.
"A little," Rory admitted as she passed him.
"Please, my friends! Remember that we are most powerful when we work together!" Omi pleaded as they finally caught up to him. "We must accept each other's bad points along with the good," he told them.
"If you guys had any good points, I might-" Kimiko stumbled as the rocks broke under her foot, and she fell.
"Kimiko!" Rory grabbed her arm, but the extra weight caused her to fall too, and they were all yanked off the edge of the cliff. Several loud splashes echoed, and above, Master Fung slapped a hand to his face in exasperation.
"See what you made me do!" Kimiko shouted as she broke the surface of the water and spat out water.
"I was merely attempting to bond our group!" Omi defended, sitting on the boulder that was now barely out of the water.
"Oh, stow it," Kimiko rolled her eyes.
"For real, Omi," Raimundo grumbled as he untied the rope from around his waist. "Your goody-goody attitude is getting on all of our nerves," he told the boy, whose eyes widened.
"Whoo, ain't that the truth," Clay agreed as he made for dry land. Omi looked at Rory, the only one who hadn't spoken, but found her already halfway to shore as her own frustration showed on her face.
Once they were in dry clothes, the five sat in the temple meditating. At Omi's request, they sat together, but completely ignored one another. Omi, unable to focus, would glance at the other four nervously, as if hoping they'd calmed down and would continue as if nothing happened. Unfortunately for him, they were all still mad.
Eyes closed, Rory concentrated on her breathing and ignored Raimundo on one side, and tried to ignore Omi's restless shuffling on her other side. 'Ignore it. Just focus on your breathing,' she told herself repeatedly.
"Game on, party people!" to the relief of all five, Dojo's yell echoed through the temple. "Shen Gong Wu alert, we got a live one!" he warned, interrupting their meditation.
"Finally," Rory breathed a sigh of relief as they stood and rushed over to the dragon. Dojo suddenly started to shudder again, eyes widening.
"Looks like it's this way!" he pointed, and as they prepared to head off, Dojo's tail shot up. "Hold up! It could be a double-header!" he warned.
"Two Shen Gong Wu at the same time?" Kimiko asked. Dojo yelped, arms twisting as if he'd lost control over them.
"It's three! A Shen Gong Wu hat-trick! Wait, no!" his shuddering continued. "This is ridiculous! Not three, not even four! Five Shen Gong Wu activating at the same time!" Dojo's shrieks continued as his writhing had him twisted into knots.
"A flock of birds will gather more seeds if they fly in different directions," Master Fung led the five Warriors into the vault to provide them with Shen Gong Wu, surprised by Dojo's news that five Shen Gong Wu had activated.
"That means we're splitting up?" Kimiko asked as she took the Mantis Flip Coin. "Good," with that, she walked back up.
"Yeah, fine by me," Raimundo growled, taking the Falcon's Eye.
"I reckon we could all stand to ride solo for a while," Clay agreed as he was handed the Serpent's Tail.
"Thanks," she didn't respond to their words, instead just taking the Monkey Staff from Master Fung. Omi looked downcast, sighing as he took the Star Hanabi, upset that his friends weren't speaking. He followed them back up to where Dojo was waiting, and even the dragon looked concerned.
The awkward quiet continued in the sky as Dojo flew the five to their destinations. Raimundo was stretched out on his back, glaring at the clouds and making Rory roll her eyes, annoyed that he insisted on taking up so much space.
"The first Shen Gong Wu is called the Lotus Twister," Dojo spoke, breaking the silence. Omi held the scroll, watching the demonstration.
"It has the power to turn your limbs into stretchable rubber," he explained as Dojo descended.
"I'm on it," Kimiko announced, leaping down into the swamp without waiting for the dragon to stop. Dojo glanced back at her, a little worried, but continued on his path.
"Our next target: the Longi Kite," Omi spoke as they flew over the ocean. Below, they could see a remote island. "With it, one can sail through the air," he explained.
"Deserted island? Sweet," Raimundo volunteered, slipping on a pair of sunglasses. "Take your time picking me up," he told them, and jumped off.
'Or maybe we should just leave him there,' Rory thought, then scolded herself. 'Be nice. They're still your team, even if they are getting on your nerves,' she told herself, watching as they reached land again and eventually came to a forested area.
"This next Shen Gong Wu is the Circlet of Protection. Those who the wearer addresses are compelled to protect them, and can do them no harm," Omi explained, and Rory stood.
"I'll take this one," she said, and after taking a quiet breath, she leapt from Dojo's back and dropped towards the trees. "Monkey Staff!" Rory activated the Shen Gong Wu she carried and landed on a branch easily. She leapt through the trees with a laugh, finally able to relax for a moment as she headed towards the ground.
Once she landed, Rory straightened, and let go of the Monkey Staff, allowing her features to return to normal. She rubbed her mouth, not too sure how she felt about fangs, and looked back up. Despite her irritation towards her fellow Dragons-in-Training, Rory couldn't stop the ping of anxiety that settled in her stomach. It was the first time that they had split up to search for Shen Gong Wu, and the pressure to succeed had her pulling her headphones back on. After choosing a song, Rory started to walk in the direction that Dojo had pointed her in.
The forest was quiet, and the trees grew tall and thick enough to cover the sky, leaving Rory with very little sunlight. If not for her task, Rory might have enjoyed the walk, finally alone with her thoughts.
'Maybe I should have just stayed out of it,' Rory wondered to herself, holding the Monkey Staff tightly in her hand. 'Just left Kimiko and Raimundo to fight it out as usual,' she sighed, mind still on the argument that had shattered their teamwork. Rory squeezed her free hand into a fist, frustrated at not only the others, but herself for getting involved and letting her temper get the best of her.
'You must always consider your words before you speak, Aurora,' her mother had chided after another sarcastic remark during training. 'You have a sharp tongue, and it will not serve you well if used in anger,' Jiao warned her.
'Like it matters,' Rory scoffed in response, gulping down water. 'There's nobody around to hear those words. And why should it matter how I talk?' she asked. Jiao just sighed. They'd had this conversation plenty of times.
'I blame your father for your foul mouth,' she muttered. However, what was intended to be a complaint, only made Rory happy. She admired her dad's open personality. 'Aurora, you are a young woman, you need to present yourself in the proper fashion,' Rory just rolled her eyes in response. "We will discuss this later. For now, let us continue with your stances. I would like to see how your dancing has benefited you," Jiao told her. Rory set her bottle down and moved to obey her.
Rory took a deep breath and unclenched her hand. She had always struggled to heed her mother's words, and when she lost her temper, it always left her frustrated with herself.
She stopped suddenly, distracted from her thoughts, and gave a heavy sigh. Rory pulled her headphones off to rest around her neck, letting the bouncy music play out loud.
"It had to be you, didn't it?" Rory called, glancing to her left.
"Oh?" the tall figure of Rose emerged from behind a tree. "Would you have preferred that whiny boy? I could always go swap. I believe he's in the desert," Rose offered with her sweet smile. Rory groaned and kept walking, in no mood to put up with her. "Aw, it looks like someone's upset. Want to talk about it?" to her annoyance, Rose followed with a laugh. Rory didn't reply, trying to ignore her. "It's interesting to know that it's true, that the Dragon of Light can sense Heylin energy," Rory tripped in surprise, and whirled around. Rose's brown eyes gleamed.
"Who are you?" Rory demanded as her frustration bubbled again. She was tired of the woman who seemed to know far more than she should. "How do you know so much about me?" she asked. Rose just smiled her irritatingly pleasant smile.
"I could answer you, or…" Rose trailed off and pointed over Rory's head. As if obligated, Rory couldn't help but look up, and her eyes widened as she saw a silver circlet dangling from a branch above. "We could try and get that?" Rose suggested. Rory didn't wait to leap into action.
"Monkey Staff!" she leapt into the trees, grabbing a branch above. She threw herself up, climbing higher and higher. As she reached the Circlet of Protection, Rose caught it at the same time, and Rory hissed a curse, glaring at her opponent.
"You look quite cute as a monkey," Rose told her with a giggle, unfazed by the look. "I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown!" she declared.
"Name it," Rory grumbled, hoping to be rid of the young woman quickly.
"A race through the woods. Whoever reaches the end first wins," Rose told her. "I'll wager my Tangle Web Comb against your Monkey Staff," she decided.
"I accept your challenge," Rory nodded, determined to beat Rose again.
"Let's go, Xiaolin Showdown!" the two echoed together. Immediately the ground began to shake, and the trees that surrounded them grew even taller and thicker, hiding the sky entirely. When the ground stopped shaking, the trees towered over them, forming paths and trails along in the direction they were to go. "Gong Yi Tanpai!" they shouted, and leapt up into the branches.
"Tangle Web Comb!" Rose used the Comb with perfect focus, swinging from branch to branch.
"Monkey Staff!" Rory summoned the power from her own Shen Gong Wu, running nimbly along the stretched branch to jump to another. Her eyes remained focused on the end, trying to ignore Rose. Instead, she jumped to the left, climbing higher to a smooth path. Her attention was diverted, however, when a soft laugh reached her now much more sensitive ears. Looking around, Rory gave a loud cry and instinctively dropped from the branch, hanging from it by her tail, as the vines that the Tangle Web Comb created sailed over.
"Nice reflexes," Rose laughed, standing on a higher branch as the vines returned to her, disappearing.
"You know this is a race, right?" Rory bit back as she swung back up onto the branch and landed on all fours. She shook her head, straightening up as she fought to focus.
"Yeah, but where's the fun in just running?" Rose asked, holding the Shen Gong Wu up. "Tangle Web Comb!" Rory cursed and started running to avoid the vines, now having to push herself harder as she made a break for the end. Her lungs were burning as she scrambled along, trying to avoid the vines that chased her.
Sunlight made her flinch as she reached the edge of the forest, and she raised a hand to shield her eyes to let them adjust. 'So close,' she pushed herself despite her aching limbs, but before she could reach the exit, the vines wrapped around her tightly. The air was forced from her lungs and she tripped, falling as the Monkey Staff fell from her grasp and dropped to the forest floor far below. Rory groaned as her tail vanished and her fangs returned to her normal straight teeth. "Ah, you were so close," Rose crouched beside her as Rory struggled with her restraints. "I was kinda hoping you'd come up with something fun, like you did last time," Rose admitted.
"Let me out of these and I'll show you fun," Rory growled as she wriggled uselessly on the ground. Rose laughed, seeming delighted by the response.
"You're a fun one alright," she nodded. "But sadly, I'm doing this so I can call in a favour in future," Rose straightened, and Rory struggled as she was forced to watch Rose step into the light. As she did, the Circlet of Protection flew down into view, landing in her hands. It began to glow golden, and when the light faded, the trees had returned to normal, and Rory was still struggling in the dirt.
"Dammit, let me go!" she demanded as Rose stood over her, holding the Tangle Web Comb, Monkey Staff and Circlet of Protection in her arms. After slipping the two smaller Shen Gong Wu into the pockets of her dark red jacket, Rose stood over Rory.
"Nothing personal, Aurora," she said, raising the Monkey Staff. Rory's eyes widened, but all she could do was watch as she brought the end of the Staff down, and everything went dark.
Fog swirled around Rory as she looked around, trying to find anything that would tell her where she was. She frowned, recalling the dream that she'd had before.
"Why do I never remember this when I wake up?" she complained aloud, completely lost and disoriented due to the fog that obscured her vision.
"Because you don't want to remember," Rory whirled around at the voice, coming face-to-face with herself. She wore the same hoodie and ripped jeans, looking as if she were Rory herself. Rory's eyes lingered on the black streak in her hair, replacing her own white streak. Her double tilted her head, staring with eerie black and red eyes.
"Don't want to remember what?" Rory asked, confused. The double smirked, sending a chill through her.
"You don't want to remember me. The you that could be," she answered.
"The...what?" her answer only confused Rory more. Her twin sighed, shaking her head.
"It's too early for you to understand. You're only just starting to develop your powers, just like the other Dragons," she told Rory as her brow furrowed in the same frown that Rory knew she had. "Soon you'll learn the truth of your role, and I'm curious to see how your fate will play out in response," as she spoke, the fog grew thicker, starting to obscure her from Rory's vision.
"Wait!" Rory cried, reaching out a hand. "I don't understand!" she shouted.
"You will," was the only response before silence fell.
When Rory came to, the pulsing pain was the first thing she registered. The second was the cloth in her mouth, tied around in a gag that stopped any curses that might have slipped free because of the pain.
"Remember, boy, I did what Wuya asked," Rose's voice reached her, and Rory's eyes opened as she remembered what had happened. She'd lost her Showdown, and Rose had knocked her out. Blinking rapidly, Rory didn't recognise the dark room that she was in, but had a suspicion. Kimiko had told them all about Jack's 'evil lair' when he had kidnapped her. "Now you and the hag will owe me a favour, and you'd be wise to come when I call," despite being only slightly taller than Jack, Rose seemed to tower over him. It helped that he was shrinking in on himself at her threatening attitude. Not that Rory blamed him too much; the last time they'd crossed paths, she'd beaten him up and taken his Shen Gong Wu.
When she heard shuffling to her side, Rory glanced to her right and her eyes widened when she found Kimiko, Raimundo and Clay in the same position as her - chained to the wall and gagged, struggling to try and get free.
"We will!" Jack insisted. Rose then stepped back, seeming appeased.
"Good," with that, she turned and walked towards what Rory assumed was the exit.
"Hey! Where are you going?" Jack called, seeming surprised that she was just leaving. Rose stopped and glanced over her shoulder, seeming bored.
"I did what was asked of me. Track down the Shen Gong Wu, and bring my opponent back with me," Rose told him, indifferent. "It's not my fault you lost your own Showdown and have to lure in the small one," she said, and with that, she turned and walked up the steps and out the door.
"She's right, doofus," Katnappe mocked from where she was shaping her claws with a nail-file. Jack turned a glare on her, irritated that she had been one of the few that Wuya had called in to help. He'd been the only one to lose his Showdown, costing him the Mask of Rio.
"Whatever. We don't need her," Jack fixed his coat and turned to the four warriors chained to the wall. They glared at him as he smirked. "There's no way the cueball can take all of us," he smirked, and Rory realised that it wasn't just Katnappe lurking in the shadows that she could sense. Tubbimura was also there, with a robot with limbs that reminded her of the Chameleonbot.
Rory looked at Kimiko, hoping that her power over fire was good enough to break free. However, Kimiko just shook her head, not able to will the flames to obey her with the stress of everything that had gone on over the course of the day.
Rory's eyes narrowed when Jack taunted them for struggling. "Give it up, losers. Even you can't break out of that," he told them. "Maybe now you'll understand my genius at last," he declared. Wuya sighed heavily, exhausted at his arrogance.
"Gloat after you win, how many times must I say it?" she grumbled.
"Hey, I have four at my mercy. How can I lose?" Jack shrugged, turning back to them as he stood in front of Rory. "They're finished!" he laughed, and Rory rolled her eyes before jerking forward to smash her forehead against his in a headbutt. Jack shrieked, staggering backwards and falling as Rory cursed at how hard his head was.
"Now that was entertaining," Katnappe laughed. With his forehead now bright red, Jack stood unsteadily and glared at Rory, who glared back as Raimundo, Clay and Kimiko couldn't stop their laughter.
"Yeah yeah," he grumbled. "Just wait, you won't be laughing when Omi gets here," Jack warned them, stalking off. As they vanished into the shadows, the laughter faded and the four exchanged worried looks, hoping that Omi would be okay.
As the night progressed, the four dragons-in-training grew restless in their chains, all trying to think of ways to break free. Kimiko was still trying to make her power over Fire obey, but she was too new to the power to control it well enough. Master Fung had warned them that it would take years to gain full control. Clay was trying to break free with pure strength, but while he'd succeeded in cracking some of the links, it seemed he'd reached his limit, especially after almost drowning in ice-cold water during his Showdown. Raimundo alternated between thrashing and shouting, and going quiet, as if willing his power over Wind to kick in, and Rory spent most of the time examining the cuffs around her wrists, wondering if there was a way to pick them open.
A rustling above earned their attention, and they looked up to see a panel in the ceiling being removed. A moment later, they saw Omi's face peer out, and both relief and worry rushed through them.
"My friends!" he called to them as they struggled, trying to call out warnings as he leapt down. He wore a headband wrapped around his bald head, and carried a strange Lantern by his side. "Hearing the sound of your voices again will give me tremendous pleasure," Omi beamed as he hurried over.
'Oh, I doubt it,' Rory thought to herself as he removed their gags.
"Omi!"
"Run!"
"It's a trap!"
"Behind you!" the four shouted in unison.
"That did not give me as much pleasure as I had hoped," Omi admitted as he dropped the cloth. A beat later, a light turned on behind him, and the three villains and the robot leapt down to surround him.
"Ah, so predictable," Wuya floated into view, her eyes glowing yellow in the dark. "The little monk couldn't resist rescuing his precious friends," she taunted as he glared at them.
"You know, this trap would never have worked if I hadn't lost my Xiaolin Showdown in the first place," Jack considered, and earned multiple blank looks from both sides. He then coloured red. "Wait, that didn't come out right," he commented.
"I think that bump to the head knocked that last brain cell loose," Clay considered, glancing at Rory. She smirked in response.
"Soon, we shall have all five of the Chosen Ones out of the way," Wuya spoke up before Jack could say anything else stupid.
"And the rest of the Shen Gong Wu will be easy pickins," Jack agreed.
"Even for Jack," Katnappe smirked. He glared at her as Wuya rolled her eyes.
"The weak talk," Omi leapt away from them. "The strong take action!" he lifted his headband as the dots on his head began to glow.
"Yes, and so we shall! Attack!" Wuya ordered. Omi dodged each of their attacks, causing them to fall into each other rather than stopping him. "You fools! He has you fighting each other!" she snapped.
"Remind me why they listen to the ghost lady?" Rory murmured, before the Chameleonbot threw out its arms to punch at Omi. They extended, and the boy was forced to duck and roll as the metal smashed through the walls. However, Tubbimura then landed on him, and Omi cried out as he was pinned to the ground by the large ninja. They restrained him before he could try and wiggle free, forcing him into submission.
"And so it ends," Wuya chuckled. Omi looked up at his friends, who were forced to watch him with worried looks. He then looked down at the lantern he carried, and grinned.
"Sun Chi Lantern!" he nudged it into an upright position, and it began to glow with blinding light.
"Stop him!" Wuya shrieked as she turned to the other four in time to see light fly from them. "He's merging his chi with the others!" she warned as the light went into the lantern. Omi's eyes lit up as he was empowered with Fire, Earth, Wind and Light chi. With a yell, he threw the four off, sending them flying, and stood up, glowing brightly. Katnappe screeched, running at him.
"Fire!" Omi sent her flying with a powerful spinning kick. The Chameleonbot looked up as Katnappe landed in a heap beside it, and transformed into a lion to run at the boy. "Wind!" he dashed at the robot and kicked it hard, throwing it back to land on top of Katnappe. Tubbimura took his turn and rushed Omi. "Earth!" he planted his feet and crouched low, not budging when the massive ninja collided with him. His fat stretched out as he stumbled. "Light!" Omi leapt up and grabbed Tubbimura, throwing him into the shelves. He crashed into them before falling and landing on Katnappe and the Chameleonbot, and the shelves fell on top of them. Omi then turned to Jack, who was holding a long metal pipe.
"Don't make me bust you up, little man," he warned, only to immediately scream and run off when Omi moved into a fighting stance.
"Wait! Where do you think you're going?!" Wuya screeched. "Get back here you coward!" she ordered, flying after him. The four still chained to the wall laughed, and Omi grinned as he straightened up.
Dojo grunted several times when he was caught off-guard, having been waiting outside the walls of Jack's home.
"Five oofs, that's all of them," he glanced over his shoulder to the five who carried multiple Shen Gong Wu that they had taken back from Jack, and with a grin he flew off.
For a while, the five were quiet, none too sure of what to say as they held the Longi Kite, Tongue of Saiping, Monkey Staff, Serpent's Tail and Orb of Tornami. Finally, Kimiko broke the silence.
"Omi, I don't know what to say," she spoke softly as he looked around.
"Thank you, sounds like a mighty good place to start," Clay suggested.
"He's right. Thanks Omi. You were amazing," Rory nodded.
"Yeah," Raimundo patted Omi on the head. "You kicked some major butt back there bro," he praised, making Omi's smile grow.
"It was not me," he lifted the Sun Chi Lantern. "It was all of us," he said as it started to glow, and they all put their hands on it as they were filled with energy.
Once they returned to the Xiaolin Temple, after Master Fung had shown his relief that they were all okay, the five made their way to the vault to store their Shen Gong Wu.
"We got the Serpent's Tail, Orb of Tornami…" Kimiko started to list their haul.
"The Longi Kite and the Tangle Web Comb…" Clay lifted the large green dragon-shaped Shen Gong Wu and small comb.
"The Monkey Staff," Rory grinned, lifting up the staff that had become one of her favourites to use. "Oh, and the Circlet of Protection," she pulled the silver Shen Gong Wu from her pocket.
"And the Tongue of Saiping," Raimundo grimaced as he held the large bronze Shen Gong Wu lightly. "Which I do not recommend touching," he warned, having been too curious not to try.
"We have done well," Omi said as he placed the Orb of Tornami in one of the drawers. "But we still have one task to accomplish," he said, and they all nodded, knowing exactly what he meant.
"Move a little to the left," Raimundo directed Rory as she reached the top of the cliffside they were scaling. "There's a solid place there," he said, and Rory nodded, stretching her leg up and balancing her foot on it. Once she pushed herself up, she reached down and pulled Omi up a little, and in turn he helped Clay, who assisted Kimiko.
Finally the five reached the top of the cliff, sweating and breathing heavily as they held their ropes tightly and ignored their stinging hands.
"You all ready now?" Clay called to the others.
"All together!"
"On three!"
"One, two and…"
"Three!" the five shouted together as they yanked with all their strength. The boulder they had been carrying was flung through the air, crashing down directly in front of Master Fung, who stepped back to avoid being crushed.
"Well done, my young dragons," Master Fung praised as they untied the ropes from their waists. They cheered, walking back down the hill, delighted with themselves and their teamwork, and none of them noticed Master Fung groan and lift his foot, rubbing it where the boulder had landed.
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