Chapter 2

Clay got off Dojo's back, looking at the strange sight that greeted him. In front of the temple entrance, were four different mounds of luggage. The one farthest to the right, had to be Kimiko's. The bags were all multicolored and monogrammed, there had to be over ten of them! The next one was definitely Omi's: sparse and old fashioned. Then came Raimundo's, who only had three bags, none of them seemed over-filled. Aw man! They had already packed without him. He'd be late! Now wasn't that always the way! He goes out, risking his neck, and they don't have the decency to wait for him!

"Hey, Clay! How'd you make out?"

The cowboy turned around, seeing Kimiko come out of the garden by the temple gate, he walked up to her. "What's the big idea of leaving me out in the cold? I thought we weren't leaving till two o'clock?'

She shook her head; letting her bright, green-dyed hair, sparkle in the sunlight. Her bright white halter-top went perfect with her sequined denim miniskirt. "Oh, Clay. Don't get yourself tied in a knot. We just moved the schedule up a little."

"Yes, we packed all your stuff for you."

Clay turned around and glanced at Omi, who was dragging out one of HIS bags into the line with the others. He had to do a double take! He couldn't remember a time that he had ever seen Omi, not in his red and black Xiaolin uniform! Instead, he wore a simple black tee-shirt and black jeans, along with his simple black Chinese shoes.

"You did?"

"Yes, we didn't want to fall behind schedule, and you were gone to get the new Shen Gong Wu. You were able to get it, weren't you?"

Clay dug in his pocket and pulled out the shining amulet. "What do you think?"

The sarcasm was, of course, lost on the Chinese seventeen year-old. "I think it looks very shiny and mysterious. Good job Clay, but are you sure you didn't need any help?"

He shrugged, "That's like askin' a bee if it needs any help makin' honey. Goin' up against Spicer and the others, is just gettin' pretty dull."

"Worry not, many other, more challenging dangers, still await you." A new voice answered.

Master Fung came out the doorway, helping Raimundo drag the rest of Clay's luggage into the open.

"Aw, you guys didn't have to do that." Clay said semi-accusingly.

Omi went to help them, "Don't worry, we have it all planned out. We get the luggage out, and YOU have to put it on Dojo."

In that instant, the dragon transformed himself into a green, scaly jet. Not even the newest Concord was as sleek (or had eyes and a tail for that matter!). Dojo's "cargo hold" opened up, ready to be filled.

Clay sighed at his seeming bad luck; removing his jacket and rolling up his sleeves, he took a deep breath and moved towards Kimi's luggage.

Twenty minutes later, they were ready to go. The four stood stock still at attention, as Lao-Tai gave his last speech to them as their master. "As you go, I no longer see the children who came to my door looking to be taught. I now see young men and woman, who have embraced their destinies. I see great futures for each of you, if you continue to do your best, and fight as a team. I trust that you will exceed even my and Master Kama's expectations, and that when you return, your skills will even have exceeded my own. Can I count on you to do this, Dragons?"

There was not a dry eye in the entire group, but they still answered with strength and dignity, "YES, MASTER FUNG!"

He held back his tears of farewell, "Then go out Dragons, go out and make me proud."

The four nodded, and without a backward glance, they boarded the Dojo-Air.

Master Lao-Tai Fung watched as they flew away, going on to their new dawns. That was when he let his tears free. It was always a proud moment, when one watched their children grow, graduate, and surpass them. Looking towards a thin willow tree, he saw a raven sitting there, as if it was watching him. The raven was beautiful; its plumage was not the normal jet-black, but seemed to have feathers of dark, iridescent green, that flashed in the sun.

It unfurled its wings and took off into the sky. Looking away, Lao-Tai went inside, praying that it wasn't a bad omen…

The raven took off towards the west, into the setting sun, but only went as far as the cliffs of the mountains that framed the outskirts of the Xiaolin Temple. There, on the cliff's edge, its master waited…

Crouched low, surveying with his keen cat-like eyes, Chase Young: the True Prince of Darkness, watched…

The raven landed on its master's shoulder. All it had seen and heard, was told in its eyes. Chase smiled roguishly, his dark, emerald hair swirling erotically in the wind, giving accent to his masculine, striking physique, and his creamy, light-olive skin.

"So, they have finally gone. Things are going to be coming together quite soon… Yes, soon, it will be the time for me to make my move in this game, and the young Dragons …well, let's just hope they are good at playing chess."

Standing to his full height, he turned his back to the temple and began to walk away. "Come along Hikari, we have no more business here."

The raven, Hikari, cried out in protest. What about the monks? Was he not going to keep an eye on them?

Chase kept walking, but answered the bird's unspoken questions, "You should know me better then that; I always have everything covered—to the last factor. The Dragons, are already taken care of."

Still walking, he formed rapid hand signs, faster than the human eye could see. Then, for an instant, he was there, the next—he vanished…

The monks hadn't been flying very long, but it was still very uncomfortable. I mean, they had plenty of legroom and all, but, sitting in chairs, that were made out of a dragon's intestines, was not a pleasant thing. So you can imagine how eager they were to disembark, when Dojo finally announced (and a loud and icky voice) that they had arrived.

Once they got out, the first thing to grab them, was the view. As far as the eye could see, were miles and miles of sierra tundra! Dusty cliffs and steep mountains framed them to the west, and nothing but desert like plateaus and rocky valleys was to the east. The sky almost seemed like a different shade of blue here. A crisp, clean color, that went well with the desert backdrop.

In the center of this majestic background, stood the new academy. Housed in by the mountain cliffs, the place made the Xiaolin Temple, look tiny. It was three stories high, and expanded for at least half a mile. The décor looked like a mix of Asian cultures. Chinese roofs, Korean columns, and Japanese ceilings and floors, all intermixed to form the place. And with its sepia coloring, it blended in with its surroundings, as if in a natural habitat.

Dojo shrunk in size (but not before throwing up the kids' luggage!), then transformed into his normal flying mode. "See, what did I tell you? Lots of space! I have to leave you now, but I'll be back whenever there's a Wu alert. Now just give me a hug, before I get all teary-eyed!" he said, his voice getting all choked up.

The four hugged the dragon that had been their transportation for the last five years, realizing how much they were going to miss him. Raimundo was the first to overcome his emotions and waved the others to release from their embrace as well. "You'd had better be going."

Dojo wiped a small tear from his eye, "Yeah, I've got some mileage points to rack up."

With one burst, he ascended towards the sky, heading back towards the east. Turning around to wave one last goodbye, Rai called up to him with his trademark smile, "Fly high, gecko. Fly high…"

He smiled quickly, as he was about to burst into tears, then rushed off into the sunset.

They stood there watching, for what seemed like hours, until the dragon was long out of sight in the setting sun. Sighing, Clay picked up his few bags and turned towards the school entrance. "Come on, guys. Get your bags, they'll be expectin' us."

Kimiko turned towards him, her hands on her hips in exasperation, "Clay, I can't possibly take all MY stuff in by myself."

Omi shook his head disapprovingly, "What is it with women and junk? It seems that the frailties of the feminine sex run deep in your veins Kimiko!"

Raimundo quickly stepped between the two, before the Japanese maiden could get her first punch in! "Look, don't worry about it Kim-ko. We'll leave them here until we get situated, then come back and get them later. I'll bring them all in myself, if I have to."

Her soaring temper died down, as she looked more at her boyfriend's smile, than at the bald head of the one she was about to send into the next dynasty! In the end, they all decided to leave their bags until they were ready. No use dragging them around everywhere.

As they stepped up to the huge, thick wooden door, Rai raised his hand to knock. Once he did this, there would be no going back. His hand began to waver, as did his thoughts. Was he doing the right thing? Was this truly what he wanted?

Suddenly his hand went still with abrupt determination. He didn't want this…he NEEDED it! There were some things he still had to deal with, and this change of scenery and pace was a perfect way to start. Knocking hard on the door, he could hear the noise echoing throughout the building.

After three minutes, there was no answer.

He knocked again, even louder, but after five minutes, Clay looked at him, "Wasn't he expecting us?"

"Maybe they are all asleep?" Omi offered.

Rai shook his head in response, "Not that sleep, that door's meant to vibrate for miles."

Reaching down, he tried the doorknob. To his surprise, it turned! Opening the door, he stepped into an enormous foyer, one which could be used for training, fencing, or—a football game, for that matter! The place had bamboo-matted floors, and high-crossbeam ceilings, the support beam posts were done in a grid pattern across the room, from floor to ceiling. The place had many dark and shadowy corners, the place in utter silence. It was airy and spacious and—entirely empty…

Clay scratched his head, slightly confused, "Though I said I like space, this is a little bit much. And where's everyone? This place is quieter than a graveyard on Sunday mornin'."

Omi creased together his thin eyebrows, "Something does not feel right, I don't know what it is, but, the place feels…"

"…abandoned." Kimiko finished.

Raimundo suddenly put his hand up, the universal sign for complete silence. Listening carefully, he thought he could hear something.

Whispering, he asked, "Do you hear that?"

The others listened hard, trying to catch what the sound was, but only Omi heard it clearly. The nine dots of strength, lit up on his head as he turned towards Rai, "I can feel it, water is running somewhere."

"Lead the way."

Omi took off, exiting left out of the giant foyer and through several hallways, until he stopped at a small sub-kitchen.

The other three had followed their teammate closely, noticing that there were no signs of life at all. That is—until they saw what was making the water run…

In front of the kitchenette sink, his back turned to them, washing his hands—was a young man. He was no older than his mid-twenties, but somehow his hair had prematurely grayed. He wore it high on his head, in a sleek silver ponytail. His clothes were black as night, as were his army-issue boots; everything, except for the fighting bandages that were wrapped around his calves, ankles, wrists, and knuckles. They were like the ones kick boxers used.

Kimiko decided to be the one to talk first (these boys would just keep staring for what seemed like forever!), "Excuse me? Isn't this the Temple of the Martial Arts?"

The man turned around and looked at them, as if noticing them for the first time. They saw he had Asian eyes, and that they were the color of burnished bronze: piercing, yet indulgent. His uncut bangs hung over a black headband tied around his forehead, and he had a black mask obscuring his mouth and nose (a lot like the ones you see in ninja anime). From what they could see of his face, he was, or had been, very handsome and dashing, in an exotic sort of way.

He smiled behind the mask, replying, "Yes, it is."

Rai decided to jump in, "Well, do you know were everybody went?"

Turning back around, the man flung excess water from his hands. Then, grabbing a nearby towel and drying them, he answered coolly, "Oh, they didn't actually go, anywhere."

Omi looked at him strangely, "What do you mean?"

Raimundo felt an angry pounding in his heart. Was the Four Dragons' Soul trying to warn him of danger? Stepping back slightly, he put a gentle but secure hand on Kimiko's shoulder.

Before answering Omi's question, the masked man twisted around to face them. Leaning against the counter, still drying his hands, he nonchalantly said, "They all died."

This was the last thing they were expecting to hear! "Died! What in tarnation happened?" Clay exclaimed, taking off his hat in respect.

Stepping out from under Raimundo's protective presence, Kimiko touched the man's shoulder in sympathy, "How?"

Hunching his shoulders, he answered, "Because—I killed them."

Jumping back as if stung, she let go and took several steps back! All four couldn't help but look at him in shock! Clay and Rai looked at each other, already devising an escape route between them. Rai though, still couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else missing.

Omi though, still couldn't believe his ears. "What did you say?"

Dropping the towel, the masked man reached into his pocket. From out of it, he pulled a strange, needle-sharp, throwing knife!

Kimiko recognized it immediately, "That's a kunai. It's usually used as a garden tool, but for people who are good, they can be used as deadly weapons. Many call them, the Japanese pocket-knife!"

The man smiled, as he lifted up the sharp blade to the light, letting it shine in deadly resplendence. "The little lady is quite right, of course, and, I didn't stutter young one. I said, I killed them all…"

His fiery light-brown eyes, suddenly went colder than Liquid Nitrogen, "…and whether you're ready or not—It's your turn…"