Chapter 19: Sizing Up Omi

"As the chosen Xiaolin Dragons, you each possess unique abilities. This you've already witnessed in your control over your elements. Yet there is more to it than this. There is also the Soul Tie."

"Is there anyone that you feel aware of, when you look deep inside?"

"Once Tied, a Dragon is aware of their partner on a consistent, subconscious level. You will be able to sense if anything is wrong with them. Any danger they are in; any pain they feel, you will feel deep within."

Master Fung's words hadn't left Rory's mind since the day that Raimundo had become a Xiaolin Apprentice. Even a week later, the words haunted her, as she thought a Dragon's Soul Tie.

Formed in a moment of mutual connection, a Dragon's soul would form an imperceptible, magical link with another, allowing them to become even more powerful through an unbreakable bond that not even Master Fung was able to truly describe for them. It was an experience that the five Monks had to learn for themselves.

Omi already knew that feeling well. Bonded to the young man he'd met in New York, the Water Dragon was already on his way to growing stronger, utilising that bond.

Rory too, had a bond, but unlike Omi, she was not happy about it.

'My folks and Master Fung were so worried about me turning evil that they hid me away till I was old enough to join the temple. Imagine how they'd feel if they found out that I managed to Soul Tie to someone on the bloody Heylin side?' Rory thought to herself, not for the first time, and gave a heavy sigh. A tap to the back of her head pulled her from her agitated thoughts, and she pulled her headphones down to glance at Clay as he sat behind her on Dojo's back.

"You alright partner?" he asked. His concern made her smile.

"I'm fine," Rory assured him, and Clay nodded. He watched her for another moment as she turned forwards again, brow furrowing slightly, but he didn't press it. She'd talk when she was ready, that was something he'd come to learn about her. That they'd all come to learn about her.

"Can't you go any faster?" Raimundo complained from near the front, impatient.

"Maybe you'd like to take over while I sit on your back," Dojo shot back, never willing to put up with Raimundo's complaints over how they travelled.

"We just don't want to miss finding this new Shen Gong Wu!" Kimiko soothed. She held the ancient scroll in her hands, and Rory peeked over her shoulder to look at what was showing. "The Wings of Tinabi," Kimiko explained as they watched the scroll come to life, showing an animation of a man holding onto the Wings of Tinabi, flying off.

"They let you fly, all with a rainbow trail? Now that's my kinda Wu," Rory considered aloud. Kimiko grinned at her, nodding in agreement.

"Oh, I must possess the Wings of Tinabi!" Omi exclaimed eagerly, jumping to his feet. "I want to fly too - wah!" in his excitement, he slipped and fell off of Dojo's back, starting to plummet towards the ground. Dojo immediately dropped into a steep descent to try and keep up with the screaming monk.

"Whoa, easy there partner, or you'll end up like a rack of ribs," as the others held on tightly to Dojo's back, Clay swung his lasso, catching Omi and yanking him back to safety. Dojo immediately pulled up, continuing to fly as Omi settled back down.

"You haven't got the Wings just yet, genius," Rory told him as Kimiko punched him. Omi laughed weakly, embarrassed.


Recovering from the sudden descent, Dojo angled back up, headed straight for the mountain tops that pierced the clouds. The water vapour clung to their clothes, making all but Kimiko shiver as they passed through the clouds, relying entirely on Dojo's senses.

As they grew close, the familiar feelings of Heylin energy washed over Rory, and she shuddered. For a moment, her stomach gave an unpleasant lurch as she felt Jack's presence, once again reminded of her Soul Tie, before another energy hit her suddenly.

"You okay?" Kimiko turned to Rory as she heard the groan pass her lips.

"We've got company," she warned, putting a hand to her head as the heavy energy made her a little dizzy. "And it looks like Wuya and Spicer have found another new ally," Rory complained, making them all groan. When the two teamed up with someone else, it always caused them hassle.

"Here we are," Dojo called as they finally emerged from the clouds. "And Rory's right, as usual," he added.

"Wish I wasn't," Rory muttered, shaking her head to clear the cobwebs. She looked ahead, spotting Jack and Wuya in the air, with a large red creature on the cliffside. Whatever the creature was, it was on its knees with one massive arm down a large hole. Finally it straightened up, holding a piece of golden metal that looked tiny between its massive meaty fingers.

"What is that thing?" Clay asked as they landed.

"Looks like a Cyclops," Dojo hummed as he climbed up onto the cowboy's hat. "Their strength is only matched by their stupidity," he told them as the massive red-skinned monster beamed happy at its treasure.

"Because of course Cyclops are real," Rory sighed, weary. They all winced as Cyclops then dragged his tongue along the Wings of Tinabi.

"Give it here before you get any more slobber on it," Jack sighed, flying over to try and take the Wings from the monster. Immediately his one massive green eye narrowed, and with one powerful backswing, he knocked Jack out of the air. He slammed to the ground with enough force to drag along, coming to a stop in front of the five.

"Oh yeah, and they're real possessive," Dojo added as Jack gave a quiet moan.

"Cyclops," Wuya floated around Cyclops' head. "Rid us of those pests!" she ordered him. The massive, half-naked beast with a tuft of orange hair that clashed with his vibrant red skin, scowled down at the warriors with massive tusks jutting from his mouth.

Rory clenched her fist to hide her shaking, not in fear of the massive monster that towered over them, but because of the flash of pain that she'd felt across her body at the hit. If the Cyclops' heavy, greedy energy wasn't enough to make her feel ill, the pain was.

"If you accept defeat now, you will save yourself further embarrassment," Omi warned as Jack pushed himself up and took to the sky again. The Cyclops gave a snarl, stomping its massive feet towards them.

"Watch out!" Clay shouted, and they swiftly moved back before the monster reached them. Raimundo, who had been closest, was forced to use the Wind to push himself away before he was crushed. Omi, however, leapt up to bounce from the Cyclops' leg. He then pushed off the mountainside behind them, using the two to climb higher. He then lunged for the Wings of Tinabi, only for the monster to move its hand.

"Omi!" Rory gasped, barely managing to catch the monk as he fell with a shriek. Swinging his lasso, Clay tried to wrap it around the monster's wrist, but with an easy flick he was tossed away, landing across a gap between the two mountain tops. Kimiko then leapt up, only to be caught in the monster's hand.

"Bad idea," she realised too late, only to be flicked away. Before she could fall from the mountain, Clay managed to catch her as he leapt across the gap, and he landed by the others.

"You okay?" Rory asked the two as Kimiko stood. She smiled thankfully at Clay.

"Oh yeah," Kimiko then answered, and the five turned to glare at their opponent.

"Then let's show this guy that size isn't everything," Rory growled.

"Dragon-X Kumei Formation!" as the five stood in formation, the Cyclops gave a shrieking roar. As he did, energy blasted from his eye and hit them, making them cry out in pain.

"Excellent Cyclops," Wuya praised as the pulsing energy finally stopped, and he beamed up at her happily. "Use the Wings of Tinabi. We have evil to spread," she smirked. The Cyclops then lifted the newly activated Shen Gong Wu, making a series of noises. The Wings of Tinabi began to glow, and he was lifted off the ground with a delighted shriek. He then flew off, leaving a rainbow trail behind as Wuya and Jack followed.

"Phew! I thought my cousin Beaufort was big," Clay groaned as all of them lay on the ground, battered and bruised. "Hate to see what that fella puts away for breakfast," he commented.

"After smelling that guy, I don't even want to think about food," Rory whined.


The return to the temple was a miserable one, as dark clouds gathered overhead as if to help represent their mood. They'd been soundly defeated by the Cyclops, missing out on a new Shen Gong Wu that was now in Wuya's hands.

"We will have to stand together to defeat the evil one-eyed one," Omi told them as Dojo landed, and they jumped down.

"You're a tough little guy, Omi, but face it," Kimiko spoke as she jumped down last. "The Cyclops isn't exactly in your weight class," she pointed out, gesturing to the much smaller Dragon.

"That's right. If he were much bigger, he'd be his own country," Clay exclaimed.

"We may never win another showdown. That dude is unstoppable!" Raimundo complained.

"I hate to say it, but Rai's right," Rory sighed, taking a seat on the ground. She winced as she moved, a dull ache from the injuries making her body protest from the movement, especially after sitting on Dojo's back for the ride back. "We were super outmatched back there. Even the Dragon-X Kumei Formation wasn't enough," she pointed out with a heavy sigh.

"If only I was big," Omi stretched up and held one leg up, but even at this height, he was still shorter than Kimiko. "Then I would be unstoppable!" he declared.

"Ah, but strength is not determined by one's size," Master Fung spoke as he emerged from the temple and heard Omi's declaration. "But rather, by the size of one's strength," he said, pressing a finger to Omi's head as the young man's grin fell. With a small push, he knocked him over easily.

"Strength is determined by one's strength?" Rory repeated as they stood over Omi, who looked up at them in a daze. She then shook her head. "Nope, this one I can't even begin to work out," she decided, and the others nodded their agreement.


The next morning, it seemed Omi was up even earlier than usual. By the time the others rose, dragging Raimundo from his bed as usual, the Dragon of Water had already finished his breakfast and was outside.

"You uh…really think you're gonna stretch your way to being bigger?" Clay sounded dubious after they found Omi hanging from a wooden bar outside.

"Gravity is good, but I don't think it's that strong," Rory put her hands on her hips as she stood beside Clay. She looked just as doubtful as he did, but Omi just smiled confidently back at them.

"As the grass grows towards the sun," he replied, swinging forwards before letting go, so he could land by the scales he'd left lying in the grass. He stepped onto them, and gave an angry shout. "I weigh one pound less!" he exclaimed.

"Some people would be happy about that," Rory commented.

"Here, try a protein shake," Clay handed him the bottle that he usually drank from every morning before his own training. "Maybe it'll help," Omi took it eagerly, and gulped down the entire bottle in one go.

"Be careful dude," Rory warned as she watched him carefully. "That stuff can mess with your system if you're not used to it," she told him. Omi responded with a loud belch, and she rolled her eyes.

"Perhaps the secret lies within the food," Omi decided, walking over to where Kimiko and Raimundo were setting up breakfast. "I shall eat until I am big!" with that, he grabbed a plate and shoved his face into it, eating without his hands. Kimiko gave an angry growl when the mess he made flew along the table and hit her in the face.

"Someone should probably tell him that getting fat isn't the way to getting strong enough to fight Cyclops," Rory commented, her nose wrinkling at the sounds Omi was making. She sat down beside Kimiko, helping herself to a bowl of rice.

"You know, we've got a saying down in Texas," Clay considered as Omi continued to shovel food into his mouth. "You can't put a 20 gallon head in a 10 gallon hat," he said firmly.

"Yeah…you just made that up," Raimundo accused him with a roll of his eyes. "Here's an idea!" he jumped up from his seat and ran off.

"Whatever this idea is, it's going to be dumb," Rory decided.

"No kidding," Kimiko had to agree as she ate her own breakfast. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she looked back up at Rory. "Wow, that looks painful," she gently touched beside the bruise over Rory's blue eye. The Dragon of Light stopped, her stomach churning uncomfortably.

"Y-yeah. Guess I got hit harder than I thought when the Cyclops blasted us," she said, and immediately shovelled more rice into her mouth so she didn't have to say anything more. Now, on top of her own worry, guilt added to the pile.

She wanted to tell her friends, but she didn't even know where to begin. And above all, she was scared of what they would say. They had accepted everything else; even firmly saying that she would never willingly turn to the Heylin side. But if they found out that she was Soul Tied to Jack…Rory was scared to find out just how they would react.

"Watch this!" she jumped as Raimundo suddenly returned with an almost manic grin on his face. "Changing Chopsticks!" he dragged the chopsticks along the food across the table, and they watched as it all shrank. "Now you can eat every last bite!" the Dragon of Wind pointed out with a proud smirk.

"You were right," Kimiko rolled her eyes to Rory, who nodded.

"Raimundo!" Omi beamed as he lifted a tiny burger between his fingertips. Food clung to his mouth, making the two young women shudder. "That is the answer! I will grow bigger, backwards!" Omi declared.

"This'll be good," Rory muttered.

"You've got me on that one," Kimiko continued to brush the food from her that had sprayed across the table.

"Clay, may I please borrow the Reversing Mirror," Omi requested. The cowboy pulled it from his robes, having borrowed it for their training. "Raimundo, may I please borrow the Changing Chopsticks," he took the Shen Gong Wu from the pair, as all four frowned.

"Where are you going with this, Omi?" Clay asked, nudging his hat up to scratch at his head. However, Omi didn't reply.

"Changing Chopsticks!" instead, he activated the Chopsticks in his hand. They began to glow, but before they could take effect, Omi held up the other Shen Gong Wu. "Reversing Mirror!" instantly he began to grow until he smashed through the ceiling. The four scrambled backwards to avoid the collapsing debris.

"Now there is nothing I cannot accomplish!" the much larger Omi declared, his voice loud and echoing for miles. He then paused. "Except…perhaps explaining to Master Fung about the temple ceiling…" he considered, realising the damage he'd done. Rory pinched the bridge of her nose.


Omi refused to shrink back down to his regular size, insisting that instead he train in his much larger form to prepare himself for battle against the Cyclops when the time came.

"You sure you're okay, Rory?" Clay asked as he faced off against the Dragon of Light. As Omi trained alone, the other four sparred in pairs for their own training. He threw a punch after his question, and Rory weaved around it.

"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked, kicking out at him. Clay caught her strike, swinging her around. Rory yelped, and he let go, letting her stumble back. She managed to stay on her feet as she caught herself, and faced her opponent again.

"Seems you've had something on your mind for a while," Clay told her. Rory grimaced at how easily he read her, but as she ran at him, the ground suddenly shook and she stumbled. Clay, with his command over Earth, was unaffected, and Rory tried to calm her growing irritation at Omi.

Instead of speaking, she tried another attack, but as she threw a punch, the ground shuddered once more, and instead she fell into him. Clay gave a laugh as he caught her, and nearby Kimiko and Raimundo were pushing themselves back up.

"That-" before Raimundo could speak, warm water splashed against his head and soaked him through. He groaned, and they looked up to see Omi breathing heavily; sweat rolling off him. Raimundo looked ill as he realised what the water was, and they watched the geese that had been flying by almost get sucked into Omi's mouth.

"I'm starting to think that this is going to be more of a hindrance than help," Rory considered, handing Raimundo a towel.

"Everybody, hot off the wire!" they looked around as Dojo slithered over, holding the Shen Gong Wu scroll in his hand. "A new Shen Gong Wu has revealed itself!" he announced, opening the scroll for them to see. "The Glove of Jisaku. Whoever holds it attracts other objects. Sort of like a mystical magnetic…giga…whatever," Dojo shrugged as he gave up trying to explain it.

"Oh, I have been awaiting this moment since I was so big!" Omi stooped to gesture low to the ground.

"Yeah like…two minutes ago," Raimundo pointed out with a roll of his eyes. Floating into the air, Dojo spun in circles and began to grow much larger. He then landed by the group, but as they made to climb on, Omi stepped over and they were forced to sprint away before he stepped on them.

"Omi, bloody hell!" Rory shouted up at him as they narrowly avoided him. She saw him move to sit on Dojo's back, and her eyes widened. "Wait, don't-" she was too late, and Dojo gave a choked cry as he was squashed down painfully.

"Too big…too big…" he managed to croak out as Omi sat down fully on the dragon, managing to make him look tiny in comparison. "Can't fly…or breathe!" Dojo gasped, his tail thrashing until Omi finally got up again. He sucked in a deep breath.

"Guess you'll have to hoof it," Clay told Omi as the monk blinked rapidly. "Just be careful not to step on anybody," he warned.

"Here, take this," Kimiko handed a device to Omi that looked normal-sized in her hand, but miniscule to Omi. "It's programmed to track Dojo," she told him as they all hopped up onto Dojo's back.

"Oh yeah, that's why we had that chip installed," Rory remembered as Dojo looked shocked by their words. However, he didn't question it, and instead took to the air after glaring suspiciously at them. Omi followed them as they flew off.


Like the Wings of Tinabi, the Glove of Jisaku was found in a mountain range as well, and Dojo weaved around the peaks as he got closer and closer to it.

"Omi better hurry up," Rory said as they grew closer. "That Cyclops is about here somewhere," she warned.

"You really think he can beat the Cyclops?" Kimiko asked the others. None of them spoke, unsure. He was much taller now, yes, but Master Fung's cryptic words made them wonder.

"It's tough to say," Rory spoke softly.

"This Cyclops fella is used to throwing his weight around. Omi ain't," Clay considered. Landing nearby, they found the Glove of Jisaku sticking out of a pile of rubble that had fallen from the side of the mountain.

"Come on!" Raimundo shouted, leading the way, but as they ran towards the Shen Gong Wu, the ground began to shake once more, and all but Clay stumbled, forced to stop running before they fell.

"What up, losers?" Jack appeared from behind the mountain peak as the Cyclops charged towards them. The monster was babbling nonsense, waving his arms as he held the Wings of Tinabi between his fingers.

"Forget Spicer, let's take the big guy down and get that Wu!" Raimundo shouted to the other three. They nodded, running towards the prize in the centre.

"Scatter!" Rory shouted as the Cyclops roared and ran at them. The four split apart, dodging the monster's wild swings. His arm then slammed into the side of the mountain, causing rocks to rain down on them.

"Watch it, genius!" Jack snapped as he was forced back, veering away from where the Glove of Jisaku was.

"Monkey Staff!" Rory raised the Shen Gong Wu she held up, and it began to glow with a gentle golden light. She weaved between the falling rocks that came crashing down, using her enhanced agility to jump from one to another to avoid being hit, and leapt up high to avoid the Cyclops as it lunged her way.

"Gimme that!" Rory dodged as Jack grabbed for the Monkey Staff, and she flipped midair before catching hold of the cliff-face. She stuck out her tongue at him as he growled.

"Good luck with that," she mocked, before pushing off the rocks. Jack grunted as her boots planted in his stomach, and he went spinning away as he temporarily lost control of his helipack and crashed into the Cyclops. It roared, swatting at him as he managed to get out of reach, and Rory landed back on the ground. She grimaced at the faint pain that flickered deep within, as if trying to punish her for hitting him.

"Watch out!" Clay's shout reached the others as Kimiko sprinted towards the Glove of Jisaku, trying to take advantage of the distraction. She looked up, eyes widening, as she saw the Cyclops closing in on her. Before it could reach her, Raimundo shot in, using the wind to speed himself up as he grabbed Kimiko and pulled her to safety.

"Not again," Kimiko groaned as the Cyclops was now free to grab the Glove of Jisaku.

"If we don't do something, he's gonna get another Shen Gong Wu," Rory groaned, looking around to try and find something to help.

"Not if I can help it!" Clay's declaration made them turn to the Dragon of Earth, who braced himself before pushing up. The ground beneath his feet seemed to give him a push, and he launched into the air to land on the Cyclops' hand. He grabbed hold of the end of the Glove of Jisaku, and it began to glow.

"Come on, Clay," the other three whispered as Clay challenged the Cyclops to a Showdown. Instantly the ground beneath them began to rumble, rising up in pillars as the rest of the ground fell away around them. Dropping the Monkey Staff for just a moment, Rory shook her head to clear it, regaining the focus that she had been losing by holding onto the the Shen Gong Wu for too long. Once its magic faded, she lifted it again and held it tightly, watching Clay face off against the monster.

"Gong Yi Tanpai!" Clay shouted as the Cyclops babbled loudly, seeming to be trying to mimic him. "Seismic Kick, Earth!" as soon as it started, Clay pushed off again, using the ground under him to launch at the Cyclops and plant a powerful kick in his belly. The force was enough to send the monster flying, smashing through pillar after pillar and creating a huge cloud of dust.

For a moment, nobody spoke as they waited to see if the Cyclops had managed to catch himself before falling. There was then a loud, furious roar, and he burst from the dust. A rainbow trail followed behind him as he used the Wings of Tinabi to fly through the air, stopping him from falling, and headed straight towards Clay again.

"Oh no," Rory winced as the Cyclops smashed through the pillar that Clay had been standing on. He managed to keep his feet on the rock that had broken off, moving quickly.

"Come on Clay!" Raimundo shouted loudly to their friend as he used his power over earth to blend the rock with another pillar that it hit. Rather than smashing through, the rock slowly blended into the pillar, spinning around it. "Hold on!" Raimundo's yell echoed across the arena.

"You can beat him!"

"You've got this!" the three shouted words of encouragement as Clay pushed the platform he still stood on out, and it flew towards the Cyclops.

"Reversing Mirror!" he yelled, holding it up. The Cyclops' large eye then widened as the Wings of Tinabi veered off course, and he crashed into another of the pillars beside him. Clay landed on a safe platform, breathing heavily as the use of his powers winded him, and watched as the Cyclops couldn't find purchase on the pillar and began to slide down. However, before he completely fell, the Cyclops kicked out, smashing through the pillar.

"Clay, move!" Rory shouted as the cracks shot up towards Clay. He struggled to try and keep it together, but it broke apart faster than his powers were able to fix it, and with a cry he fell, plummeting towards the ground.

With Clay's defeat, the ground reverted to normal, and with an obnoxiously loud laugh, Cyclops flew off. "Clay, you okay?" Rory asked, running over to the defeated young man.

"Yeah…I'm fine," he sighed, taking her hand so that she could pull him back to his feet. "Just my pride that took a beating," Clay muttered. Before Rory could speak, the ground began to shake once more. For a moment, they thought that the Cyclops was back to hit them when they were down, but when Rory, Raimundo and Kimiko looked up, they instead found Omi running towards them.

"What has happened?" he asked, seeing their expressions.

"Got my hat handed to me, that's what," Clay muttered as he lifted his hat off to dust it off. Omi looked up, seeing the tell-tale rainbow trail of the Wings of Tinabi vanishing into the distance.

"Cyclops is still unstoppable…" Omi murmured, and saw the frustrated looks on his friends. None of them looked at him, and guilt managed to worm its way into his chest. "And now, because of me, we have lost two Shen Gong Wu…" he breathed, lowering his head.

"Don't be so down on yourself, Omi," Clay shook his head and looked up at him. "I'm the one who blew the Showdown," he pointed out.

"Yes, but only because I was not there to fight your battle. It is I who is to blame for your humiliating defeat," Omi declared. Clay's eyes narrowed as humiliation made his face turn red.

"Uhuh…excuse me while I crawl under a rock," he muttered.

"Don't listen to him, Clay," Rory leaned against one of the rock formations and folded her arms. "You did great in that Showdown. The Cyclops just got a lucky hit in," she told him. Clay managed a faint smile at her words, as both Raimundo and Kimiko looked just as annoyed at Omi's words. Just like Rory, they both wanted to say some choice words to the Dragon of Water, but didn't bother, knowing he wouldn't listen.

"Since you clearly can't get on without me, I will return to regular size," Omi fished the Changing Chopsticks from his robes. "Changing Chopsticks!" he shouted, and began to shrink. However, he didn't stop at his normal height, and instead shrank down further. He then gave a hum. "I do not remember my fellow warriors being quite so big," he commented.

"You overshot it, Omi," Rory told him as they all moved in closer.

"Yeah…maybe you ought to give that bronco another ride?" Clay suggested.

"Changing Chopsticks!" Omi tried again, only to shrink further down. "Changing Chopsticks!" he shouted once more.

"Omi, stop before we need a microscope to see you!" Rory exclaimed, their eyes going wider with every attempt. "What the heck went wrong?" she wondered as Omi climbed up onto Clay's shoe.

"You know what? You used both the Reversing Mirror and the Changing Chopsticks to get into this, I bet you need them both to get out," Raimundo guessed. Clay then gave a heavy sigh.

"I'm afraid that because of me…we're shy one Reversing Mirror," Clay admitted, tipping his hat to hide his face.

"I have much thinking to do…" Omi murmured, head bowed. "Can you carry me to the temple? If I walk, I fear it will take many months," he worried.


Whoever organised the library seemed to have their own ideas on how to do so, Rory had found very quickly after coming to the temple originally. It was next to impossible to find anything specific, and so by the time Rory had found even a mention of the Changing Chopsticks, night had fallen over the temple.

"Useless," she complained under her breath as she shoved the scroll back. Her mind went to Master Fung's grave warning, given when they had returned to the Temple and shown him Omi in his current state. They had to return him to normal, before it was too late. "I really hope that it's not down to getting the Reversing Mirror back…" Rory muttered, but as she moved on, a book caught her attention. Without pause, she pulled it down, and flipped it open.

"Anything?" Rory jumped when Kimiko seemed to appear beside her.

"Nothing useful on the Changing Chopsticks, no," she answered. Kimiko sighed, before her sharp eyes saw the book that she was holding.

"You found a book on that Soul Tie stuff?" she asked. Rory managed a shrug, heart pounding as she quickly shut it and slid it back onto the shelf. "Sounds too freaky for me. I don't know if I want to have that kind of connection with someone, even if it does mean I'd get stronger," Kimiko admitted as she eyed the book warily.

"Yeah…" Rory nodded. The words were on the tip of her tongue, begging to come out, but they heard staggered footsteps and glanced around to see Raimundo go past, carrying a large wooden structure. "Was that…"

"The old birdhouse?" Kimiko raised an eyebrow, and the two left the library to follow Raimundo.

"I figured it'd be a good place for Omi to stay until we get a way to make him bigger," Raimundo explained with a shrug as he set down the heavy wooden birdhouse, which had been designed to look like the temple.

"Where is Omi?" Rory wondered as Raimundo brushed the dust off the birdhouse.

"I hope nobody stood on him," Kimiko worried.

"I got him," they turned as Clay walked in, with Omi sitting on his finger. He set the tinier than normal monk down on the table beside the birdhouse, and he began to inspect it curiously.

"Maybe this'll help make you feel safe until you're back to normal," Rory suggested. Immediately he scowled.

"Safe?" he repeated, insulted as he walked up to the door. "Just because I am small does not mean I am no longer brave!" Omi told them firmly, stepping into the birdhouse. A moment later, he screamed and dove back out.

"Look out! It's an enormous beast!" he wailed. Rory couldn't stop her giggle as an earthworm slithered out, and Omi skittered backwards in terror.

"Oh, that's just a worm," Raimundo laughed as he lifted the worm away from the terrified Omi. "I meant to clean the birdhouse out first," he admitted with a sheepish laugh.

"We just don't want you to get eaten up by a stray cat or something. It's only temporary," Clay explained as he leaned down. Omi pushed himself back to his feet, brushing himself off and trying to pretend like he hadn't just been screaming in fear.

"Perhaps not…" he sighed. "Master Fung says that if I am not returned to normal within a day, I will forever remain small," Omi lowered his head. The other four exchanged looks, unsure of what to say or do.


"I'm not sure this is the thing to do," Rory confessed as she crept along the stone fencing with the other three. They peered over to Jack's house in the distance, grand and oddly threatening.

"We need the Reversing Mirror if we're gonna help Omi," Raimundo pointed out. "This is the only way we're gonna get him back to normal," his logic was sound, and Rory couldn't argue with it. That only made her huff.

"Can you tell where they are?" Clay asked Rory when she didn't argue. She closed her eyes, reluctantly grasping for the still faint feelings of Heylin energy.

"Well, I doubt that the big guy can fit inside the house, but he's here somewhere," Rory murmured, before her brow furrowed.

"At least we've got the element of surprise," Kimiko shrugged, only for the other young woman to laugh weakly.

"No, we don't," she told them. She was spared an explanation when the ground began to shake, and they looked up to see Cyclops stomping towards them.

"Looks like trouble," Clay gulped as they looked up at the massive monster. He snarled loudly, and a glob of spittle hit Clay. His hat took the brunt of it, but he was still splashed, and grimaced. "When it rains…it pours," he muttered.

Instantly the four scattered, running to try and find cover from the Cyclops, only for the tree near them to be ripped from the ground. They pressed up against a large rock formation, trying to think of what to do now that they'd lost the element of surprise.

"Cyclops looks hungry…" Raimundo gulped.

"Oh, don't say that," Rory whined.

"What do you think he eats?" Kimiko couldn't help but wonder as the Cyclops then tossed the tree aside.

"My guess…everything," Clay answered. As the monster was angled away, they started to run, but Cyclops was fast, turning back and blasting the ground with his eye beam once more and forcing them back against the rock.

"That feels unfair," Rory groaned as her back pressed to the rock again.

"Come on guys, we can take him!" Raimundo shouted words of encouragement as he ran towards Cyclops. "Sword of the Storm!" he began to spin the Sword, creating massive bursts of winds that forced the monster to take a step back. For a moment it seemed like it was working, but then he began to push back, and with a powerful swing of his arm, he sent Raimundo flying into a nearby tree.

"Tangle Web Comb!" Kimiko wrapped the long, hair-like vines around Cyclops. He gave an angry roar, struggling and dragging Kimiko along until he finally ripped free, and Kimiko was thrown backwards, bouncing along the ground.

"Golden Gopher!" Rory rose from the ground as she held onto the golden Shen Gong Wu, weaving around the Cyclops as he tried to swat her out of the air. As he stumbled from the force of his actions, the Shen Gong Wu glowed again and fired a laser that slammed into the Cyclops' stomach. However, it just bounced off, hitting the rocks behind Rory, and the debris caught her, sending her spinning back to the ground with a cry.

"Fist of Tebigong!" Clay ran in as Rory hit the ground hard. He leapt over her and threw a punch, hitting the Cyclops in the knee. He roared in pain, hopping along as he clutched at his knee, and stomped down on Clay before the cowboy could dodge.

"You might as well give up," as the Cyclops moved back to reveal Clay flat on the ground, Wuya flew in with a cackle. "None of you are a match for Cyclops," Wuya taunted them.

"I gotta admit, I was a doubter at first too," Jack agreed as he hovered in the air by Cyclops' shoulder.

"We'll never give up," Kimiko growled as she and Raimundo slowly pulled Clay from the ground. Woozy, Clay could only moan. "Not until we get the Reversing Mirror," she vowed.

"Kimi," Rory hissed as she pushed herself up, but it was too late.

"Of course," Wuya realised. She'd seen Omi racing towards the fight late. "That dear boy used the Reversing Mirror and the Changing Chopsticks to make himself bigger. And now without the Mirror, he can only make himself tinier and tinier," she laughed loudly.

"Great," Rory rolled her eyes.

"We might be willing to make a trade," Jack suggested, pulling the Reversing Mirror from his coat.

"What kind of trade?" Kimiko asked warily.

"I'm guessing the kind of trade we're not going to agree to," Rory guessed as she got back to her feet and walked over to the other three, helping get Clay back to his feet.

"The Reversing Mirror for all your Shen Gong Wu," Jack decided. Their eyes widened.

"Brilliant, Jack!" Wuya cackled.

"I do have my moments," he shrugged, smirking.

"Called it," Rory glared up at them. "Like hell we'd agree to that," she declared, and the others nodded their agreement.

"That's my final offer. Either that, or Omi will remain tiny forever," Jack mocked, and he and Wuya laughed loudly as even the Cyclops joined in.


"Well, that was a colossal waste of time," Rory grumbled as they returned to the temple, bruised and embarrassed and still without the Reversing Mirror.

"Yup," Kimiko agreed, just as irritated. They paused when they heard yells, and went to the room where Omi was staying in his birdhouse, and found him standing on the table amongst the swarm of ants that he'd been fighting.

"Sorry about the ants," Clay apologised, brushing them away from Omi. The Dragon of Water relaxed as he looked up at them. "I knew I left my chocolate bar somewhere," he spotted his snack on the table, lifting it up.

"No, I must thank you!" Omi insisted. "Battling ferocious ants is most valuable preparation for when I return to normal fighting size," he beamed up at them, and their guilt showed on their faces.

"Yeah…about that…" Clay trailed off, not able to muster the words.

"We weren't able to get the Reversing Mirror from Jack," Raimundo explained as Omi blinked up at them.

"He wants to trade it for all of our Shen Gong Wu," Kimiko told him about the deal that Jack had offered. Omi's eyes widened and he ran to the edge of the table.

"No! I will not allow it!" he yelled up at them firmly. "No matter what you say, you cannot trade the Shen Gong Wu for my mistake!" Omi refused, heated in his words.

"Yeah…we already told Jack to shove it," Rory admitted. Omi's fire died, and he looked upset.

"You did? Yes, I would have done exactly the same," he turned and walked away from them. "I just did not think that you would," Omi admitted as he walked away.

"Double standards much?" Rory rolled her eyes.

"Hey everybody!" Dojo suddenly appeared, clinging to the side of the table. "According to the size of these oddly-shaped welts…" he lifted his tail and they all grimaced at the pulsing welts that were poking out from under his scales. "We've got a Shen Gong Wu just ripe for the picking," he announced. Omi immediately lost his dejected look.

"We must leave at once! The Cyclops will be there, and so will the Reversing Mirror!" he realised.

"It's too dangerous Omi!" Raimundo protested, and Omi glared up at him.

"I live for danger!" he insisted. "I have tiger instincts, and I am still a fierce warrior!" he insisted, before shrieking as Rory lifting him by the scruff of his robes.

"Just don't get yourself squashed, okay?" she told him. He flashed a smile up at her, and Rory gave an exasperated sigh.


The flight to find the new Shen Gong Wu was precarious as Rory kept Omi in her pocket, holding it close so that he didn't get swept away by the strong winds that whipped around them.

"How you doing in there, Omi?" Clay called to their tiny friend, who peeked out from Rory's pocket.

"Oh, it is quite comfortable in here! I even found a snack!" he grinned. Rory's eyes widened as she realised what he meant. She put her hand into her pocket, careful not to hurt him, and pulled out the empty wrapper.

"Oi! I was saving that for later," Rory complained, sounding distraught as Omi dove back into the pocket. She grumbled under her breath, before they heard a scream. Dojo was forced to veer suddenly as Jack flew past, holding onto the Wings of Tinabi and screaming as he failed to control them.

"Take off those Wings!" Wuya screeched from the ground as Jack was dragged through the air, leaving a rainbow trail behind him.

"How do you control these things?!" Jack shrieked. "Can't…stop-" he was finally stopped as he crashed into Cyclops' belly. He bounced off, dropping the Wings of Tinabi as Cyclops looked down at him, not even slightly pushed back from the force. As Jack lay on the ground with a moan, the monster turned and ran towards the Sword sticking out of the rock with a delighted giggle.

"No!" Omi saw him as he peered from Rory's cardigan. "He must not get the Shen Gong Wu!" he cried out in horror, and as Dojo began to descend, he leapt from her pocket.

"Omi!" Rory gasped, trying to catch him, but he dropped like a stone down to bounce off the Cyclops' head before landing on the end of the Thorn of Thunderbolt. Instantly it began to glow golden.

"I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown!" Omi declared as Cyclops bent down to see him clearer. "My Orb of Tornami for your Reversing Mirror," he challenged.

"Cyclops accepts," Wuya answered for the monster, who nodded with a grin on his face.

"I call for a Shen Yi Bu Dare," Omi leapt from the Thorn of Thunderbolt. "I also want to add the Wings of Tinabi for the Jet Bootsu!" he landed on the fallen Shen Gong Wu beside Jack. His eyes widened when the Wings began to glow, shrinking down to Omi's size.

"You fool!" Wuya snarled at Jack, furious that he'd let Omi steal his Shen Gong Wu. "Very well. Cyclops accepts, again," she sneered at the tiny monk.

"The game is a race across the Valley of Death. Let's go, Xiaolin Showdown!" as soon as the words left Omi's mouth, everything began to change around them until they were surrounded by jagged rocks that towered over them and curled in. Black clouds covered the sky, and a strange red hue lit up the valley around them.

"Maybe we should change the name of this Showdown…to Xiaolin Annihilation!" Raimundo gulped.

"It's like a tiny little termite going up against a grizzly bear!" Clay agreed.

"Why did we let him come with us?" Rory put her hands to her face. They then looked down as they heard Omi clear his throat.

"You know, I am standing right here," he pointed out. "Please at least try to look as if you will see me again," Omi requested as all four looked scared. He then moved to stand in line with the Cyclops, and a moment later the monster made a series of grunts that they could only guess meant "go", and the two started running.

"Wings of Tinabi!" Omi lifted off the ground and flew along, keeping up with the Cyclops easily.

"Seems he can control them better than someone else," Rory couldn't help but comment.

"Oh, shut up," Jack glared at her as he heard. She smirked back at him.

"Come on Omi, I know you can do it!" Clay shouted. In the distance, the Cyclops gave a laugh as he pulled ahead, only to trip and fall on his face. Omi continued to stay ahead, managing to fly into a tiny hole of a large pillar of stone, and the Cyclops slammed into the side of it.

"The big oaf!" Kimiko giggled. "Can't see a thing," she laughed.

"Must need glasses," Rory grinned, before tilting her head. "Glass? A monocle?" she tried. Growing angrier with each fall, the Cyclops grabbed the Jet Bootsu, which looked tiny between his fingers. He roared, loud enough for it to easily carry across the valley, before managing to stick one on one toe. Instantly it took off, and he gave a scared roar as he hurled through the air.

"Remind me to never use those again," Kimiko shuddered.

"Same here," Rory agreed, looking disgusted. The Jet Bootsu then fell off, and the Cyclops crashed to the ground once more and rolled along. He recovered quickly, and started to run again, catching up to Omi.

"Uh oh!" Omi gasped, unable to veer aside before he was swatted out of the air by the Cyclops, leaving the finish line open for the monster.

"I can't watch," Raimundo put his hands over his eyes.

"Me neither," Kimiko buried her face in Rory's arm.

"Yeah, I'm done too," Clay pulled his hat over his face.

"Come on Omi!" Rory's heart was pounding and she felt like she was going to be sick from the nerves of watching what looked like yet another win for the Cyclops, but she refused to look away. After a moment, she spotted the rainbow trail fly back into view, before water began to pour from the Orb of Tornami, turning to ice under the Cyclops' feet. With a roar, he crashed, sliding towards the finish line.

"Is it over?" Raimundo whined. Omi was then blasted out of the air by the Cyclops, joining him in sliding along the ground, and managed to cross the finish line first.

The Xiaolin Monks cheered loudly at their victory, as the Cyclops huffed with his back to them. There was then a groan, as Omi fell over, unable to hold onto all five Shen Gong Wu at once.

"Here," Rory knelt in front of him and held out the Changing Chopsticks. Omi took them, and they shrank to match his size.

"Here we go…" Omi took the Reversing Mirror from his haul as well, holding them both. "Changing Chopsticks! Reversing Mirror!" the others backed up as Omi returned to his normal size. He gave a sigh of relief. "It is good to be regular again," he beamed as they lifted the other Shen Gong Wu and climbed up onto Dojo's back. "Yet, why do I still feel so small?" he wondered.

"You were always that height, Omi," Rory told him patiently as she sat on Dojo's back.

"Just stay the way you are, Omi," Kimiko told him with a smile. "You're perfect," she said, glad that he was back to normal.

"I know," Omi beamed back. "I just cannot help myself," he confessed.


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