Great Minds Think Alike
In the Xiaolin Temple, the monks were too occupied with their pasttimes to pay attention to their master during their training session. Kimiko was styiling her hair, Raimundo was listening to his music player, Clay was carving a wooden cow, Omi had his eyes focused on a bee flying around him, Emily was taking notes on her notepad, and Max was fidgeting with the chain around her neck.
Their task was to attack the dummy hanging from the tree all at once using Shen-Gong-Wu. Completely umprepared, they all used the Shen-Gong-Wu recklessly. The wind from Raimundo's Sword of the Storm knocked Clay off balance. Clay used the Ruby of Ramses to levitate his comrades. The lightning from Kimiko's Thorn of Thunderbolts and the fire from Emily's Star Hanabi collided with the wind, creating a firey electric wind. To protect herself, Max used the Reversing Mirror, but accidentally attacked her comrades.
"Your choices were far from complimentary," said Master Fung. "Your minds are too easily distracted." His apprentices sighed in disappointment towards themselves.
In the basement of the Spicer residence, Jack was babysitting his little cousin Megan, who came over to visit. He wasn't much company and wanted to work on his inventions, but his Jack-bots made good playmates for her. Megan wasn't even frightened of Wuya.
Wuya continued to spout empty threats to Megan, but to the witch's delight, a new Shen-Gong-Wu had revealed itself. It was the Mind Reader Conch and it allowed its user to listen to the thoughts of anyone nearby.
Dojo brought the monks to a small remote island. Rather than join them on his search, he decided to sit by and relax in the sun, figuring a tan would attract lovely girls. Talk about wishful thinking. No one had ever seen any other dragons through their travels. But the monks decided to leave Dojo be.
The shores of the island were littered with conches and the only way to know which one was the Shen-Gong-Wu was by trying to listen through every one of them. As Omi bragged about his instincts, he put a shell next to his ear and heard Raimundo making comments about his instincts saying they were as keen as the hair on his head. Omi didn't take kindly to the smart remark and barked at Raimundo for his commentary.
Raimundo picked up the same shell Omi dropped and put it next to his ear. He heard Omi smartly state, "Raimundo thinks he's all this."
"It's all that, Omi," Raimundo corrected.
Kimiko was confused. "What's all what?"
"Not all what, all that," Raimundo said again.
Even Clay didn't understand what was going on. He picked up the same shell and put it next to his ear. He heard Kimiko wonder what boys would be like without brains. He grinned and remarked, "If I had no brain, little lady, then how could I figure out that this was the Mind Reader Conch?" and tossed it to Kimiko.
She held it next to her ear. She heard Jack's voice, saying it would be easy to swipe, and she warned her friends. Jack was coming in to attack with Megan riding on his back. Megan wanted a turn to pilot the heli-pack, but Jack wouldn't let her. She blocked her cousin's vision, reminding him that he promised her she could use the heli-pack and a promise is a promise. Unable to fight, Jack commanded his robots to attack.
Clay used the Ruby of Ramses to recover the Mind Reader Conch after Kimiko lost her grip on it. Kimiko tried to use the Thorn of Thunderbolts to attack, but the lightning accidentaly slipped the Conch out of Clay's grip. Raimundo used the Sword of the Storm to attack the Jack-bot and get back the Mind Reader Conch. Max saw the wind carrying the Conch coming in for her and she used the Reversing Mirror to repel it.
The wind from the Sword of the Storm began to create a sandstorm. Dojo saw this and hurried to rescue the Apprentices along with the Mind Reader Conch. "Not bad for a 1500 year old dragon," Dojo commented. "Do I hear a 'thank you' for my brave and valliant rescue?"
Without much appreciation, the monks thanked Dojo for his help. The dragon listened to their thoughts using the Mind Reader Conch and heard their complaints.
Master Fung decided to secure the Mind Reader Conch in the vault. He knew his students would not be able to wisely use its power until they could mind their opinions and come together. It's hard enough for a person to be able to keep their comments to themselves, but keeping their thoughts to themselves is more difficult. But the Apprentices agreed that they needed to do better to put their differences aside and come together.
Jack finished modifying his machine. Now he could use it to tunnel below the earth and break into the temple from below. Jack was ready to lead his robots on an attack, but the Jack-bots continued to play with Megan. She even had the Ju-Ju Flytrap in her hand and used it on her cousin, unleashing a swarm of bees.
Jack finally managed to control his cousin by containing her in his force-field sphere. She sat still, pouting, watching her cousin and partner take their leave.
That night, when things were quiet at the temple, Omi snuck into the vault to listen to the minds of his comrades. "As long as I am here, I will test my ability to use the Conch wisely. I'm sure if Max and Emily can, then I can too."
He placed the Conch next to his ear and heard Raimundo's thoughts. I'll just tell Omi that I went out to meditate. He believes everything he hears.
Omi was outraged. "People tell me all the time that I don't believe everything I'm told! And I believe them!" He left the vault and returned to his chambers.
Raimundo snuck into the vault and got the same idea. He placed the Conch next to his ear and heard Omi's thoughts. I am still most uncertain of Raimundo's trustworthiness. Raimundo didn't like the sound of that. Carefully, he left the vault and snuck back into his chambers.
Kimiko decided to use the Mind Reader Conch too. She held it next to her ear and heard Clay's thoughts. I can't believe the way Kimiko threw a hissy fit today. She gets angrier than a cat in a hot tub of water.
"Angry? Me?" Kimiko asked herself. She raised her voice and argued, "I am not angry. I'm the least angry person I know!" Listening to herself, she calms down and quietly leaves the shrine.
It was Clay's turn. "This place is colder than a hound dog's nose after sniffin' in a fridge."
Kimiko's thoughts were heard through the Conch. If I hear one more lame-o hoedown saying, grrr!
Normally, Max and Emily were too smart for this, but they invited themselves to join the party. Max used the Conch. I got to be more careful. After all that's been going on, it seems no one can be trusted. But the only way to handle the situation is for me to control myself, not my companions.
Max scoffed. "You think you're so perfect, don't you, Princess?" She put the Conch away and left the shrine.
Emily saw Max leave and wondered. Her thoughts were justified when she heard Max's thoughts through the Conch. We can't all be as thorough as you, Emily.
Emily was appaled. It was like she knew she was going to attempt to read Max's mind. But Emily had to remember that nothing gets past Max. She is a mastermind when it comes to minds.
The next day, while everyone was peeling onions, they felt the ground below their feet shaking violently. Jack was invading the temple from under.
"I will lead the way," Omi said eagerly.
"Why?" Raimundo smartly asked. "Because you don't think anyone else can handle it?"
"No," Omi argued. "It is only you I have doubts about."
Clay told him to stop. "That's about as lowdown as a snake's belly button."
"Snakes don't have belly buttons," Kimiko screeched.
"Stop fighting with each other," Max demanded.
Emily agreed. "We're on the same team and it's time we started acting like it."
By the time everyone went to the entrance to the temple vault, Jack finished gathering the Shen-Gong-Wu and made his escape.
Master Fung was aware of what was going on and knew the cause of this misfortune. "Your infighting has cost us dearly. But if you open your minds, it can also bring you enlightenment. By opening your minds, you adapt to each other and grow physically and as a team."
Clay tried to make sense of his master's wisdom. "So you're sayin' we should thank each other for the insults?"
Omi was the first. "Thank you for insulting me, Raimundo. I am most appreciative."
Raimundo returned the gesture. "Thank you for humiliating me."
It was Clay's turn. "I reckon I owe ya a big thank you for commentin' on the way I talk," he told Kimiko.
She appreciated it and replied, "And thank you for pointing out my many anger flaws."
Emily took her turn. "I appreciate you for pointing out that I'm not perfect. Thanks for always looking out for me."
"Don't mention it," said Max. "And right back at you."
Now that the Apprentices had made amends with each other, they could recover the stolen Shen-Gong-Wu. The Spicer residence was heavily armed with traps and robots, but the apprentices managed to make it inside without getting caught. On their way to the basement, they saw Megan coming their way, still inside the sphere.
"Hi, I'm Megan. Are you looking for Jack and the ugly old hag?" Everyone nodded. "My stupid cousin thinks he locked me inside. But I found the door." And she came outside.
"We're not only looking for Jack," Emily was saying. "We're also looking for-"
"All the cool stuff he stole?" Megan interrupted. Everyone nodded again. "I'll tell you where he hid it if you let me play with your dragon," she proposed.
Max gave her Dojo. "He's yours."
Emily patted Dojo. "You're really helping us out here."
So Megan led the heroes to the basement. It seemed a little too convenient that Jack would leave the stolen Shen-Gong-Wu unprotected, but it was a trap. Using their Dragon Excume formation, the monks fought off the robots. But Jack had the Mind Reader Conch and was able to anticipate their moves, making him prepared to counter attack.
The heroes were surrounded, but Megan and Dojo came to the rescue and used the force-field sphere to repel their attacks back at the robots. Now that the robots were destroyed, they could race to claim the Shen-Gong-Wu.
It was time to engage in a Xiaolin Showdown. Omi pitted his Silk Spitter against Jack's Mind Reader Conch. The game would be over when the first player would cry out 'uncle' and yield. The lair turned into a maze of pipes. Jack used the Conch to read Omi's thoughts and anticipate his moves. But it wasn't just Omi's plans he could hear. He could also hear his personal opinions.
That gave Omi an idea. He approached his friends and told them his plan. "If our petty insults can distract warriors as disciplined as ourselves,"
"Then they can distract Jack." Emily finished.
Imagine what our insults can do to that Mama's boy, Max wondered, knowing Jack could hear her.
"Who're you calling a Mama's boy?" Jack shouted.
It was Kimiko's turn. Maybe if he worked out once in a while, he wouldn't look like a scrawny old lady.
"I do not look like a scrawny old lady!" Jack argued.
The plan was working. Jack was so distracted, he couldn't anticipate Omi's thoughts and predict his strategies. That Jack is slower than a three-legged cow in quicksand, Clay teased.
I read somewhere that 'uncle' is a foreign word for 'very important person', Emily thought. Did Jack know that?
"Please keep your thoughts to yourself," Jack cried.
This time, Omi teased him. For someone who claims to be a boy genius, Jack does not play well with a deck of cards that have not been properly counted.
"Playing with a full deck," Jack corrected. He tried swinging on the pipes, but couldn't keep his grip. Omi used the Silk Spitter to create a web. Jack landed in the web. Having had enough, he cried, "Uncle! Uncle!"
Omi was the one fighting the Showdown, but he only won because of the help he got from his friends. So he thanked every one of them. Having had enough humiliation, Jack used the Changing Chopsticks and hid in a rat hole.
The monks thanked Megan for her help and they remembered to thank Dojo too. If he didn't agree to play with her, Megan never would have told them where they could find the Shen-Gong-Wu. And together, Megan and Dojo protected the heroes from Jack's robots.
The monks returned to the temple, ready to practice the powers of their elements. Max used the Shroud of Shadows to conceal herself. Emily exposed her by using the Eye of Dashi and the power of light. Omi used the Orb of Tornami to unleash a blast of water. Raimundo used the Sword of the Storm to blow it away. The water was about to rain on Kimiko, but she used the Star Hanabi to create a plate of fire above her and protect her. Clay used the Fist of Tebigong and the ground below her came apart.
The fire bursted from the ground and came into contct with the plants in the garden. Omi and Raimundo used their Shen-Gong-Wu to douse the flames. Most of the plants were destroyed, meaning the Apprentices had to uproot them and replant fresh new plants. They caused this mess together and they were going to fix it together.