Sugarmakesmeangry -- Don't worry; it's my intention to make this story about everyone. I have a bunch of character arcs planned out for almost everyone that appears; just keep reading and I'll reveal all!

Raigirl -- Thanks for the compliment!

Mad-Hatter L-Carol -- Eh, he's been hanging out with dragons and overweight ninjas and talking vegetables for so long that he's desensitized to that kind of thing.

Shadir -- He really is naive, isn't he?

Guardian

The sound of a gong being sounded summoned everyone in Guan's temple to the courtyard. The Xiaolin dragons reluctantly made their way down the stairs, realizing that the gong was only sounded when an announcement was to be made and wondering what was going to happen now. They found Master Monk Guan and Master Fung standing in the courtyard, with Dojo in between them looking as nervous as they felt.

"We have two announcements to make!" Master Guan called. He seemed to be staring right at the Xiaolin dragons standing amid the other monks. "I have been conferring with Master Fung, and according to the mystic signs we have been observing the powers of the Heylin masters have grown too great to ignore. We have decided that we must go forth and capture Chase Young."

"I wish to go with you!" Omi said. The other monks shouted their assent. Master Fung raised a hand to bid them all to be silent.

"We need you -- all of you -- to stay here. There are other dangers still encroaching and you must remain vigilant." Master Guan said.

"This brings me to the second announcement." Master Fung continued. "We do not know how long this journey will take, so one of you has been named Guardian of the temple and will be responsible for staying behind and protecting the Temple while the others pursue Shen Gong Wu." He nudged Dojo gently with his sandaled foot and whispered, "Call out the name."

Dojo cleared his throat and began speaking in an ostentatious voice. "By the pow-er ves-ted in me-e-e-e-e, in the name of great Dashi, fierce Tebigong, tasty Hamachi, and the ancient land of Manchuria, I, Dojo the dragon, of the brood of Tiamat and Echidna, who I beat up once, I--,"

"Out with it!" Master Guan said.

Dojo frowned. "Hey, don't rush me! This is supposed to be very dramatic." He cleared his throat once more, and said, "Raimundo Pedrosa. You're it!"

Everyone was silent.

"Uh... congratulations, Rai." Kimiko said.

"Yes, ahem, I am most pleased that you have won this prestige position." Omi added.

"Wow, I don't know what to say... this is a great honor... I..." Raimundo began. "I'm so...uh... so happy for this."

"This is indeed a great honor." Master Fung said. "There have been only a handful of Guardians in the history of the Xiaolin Order at all--,"

"I'm one of them, of course." Dojo piped up.

"--and only one Guardian charged with the task of protecting a Temple -- Grandmaster Dashi himself." Master Fung finished.

"Since you are excused from chores and Shen Gong Wu missions, you will have plenty of time to study and meditate to prepare yourself for your role as Shoku warrior." Master Guan said.

"Thank you. I'll live up to your expectations." Raimundo said, bowing.

"He's certainly sounding better." Kimiko said to Clay and Omi as the crowd of monks dispersed.

"You know what I figger?" Clay said. "I figger Master Fung gave him this job on purpose. Sort of a confidence boost." He grinned toothily. "Sneaky old coot!"

"'Sneaky old coot' indeed," Master Fung said as he stepped up behind them, smiling enigmatically. Clay yelped and stumbled forward in surprise.

"Boy, you made me jump a mile!" Clay said.

"Come, young monks, I have something to show you." Master Fung said.

"What about Rai? He just went off with Master Monk Guan." Kimiko pointed out.

"He does not need to know this just yet." Master Fung said. He led them out across the courtyard towards Guan's Shen Gong Wu vault. The building was kept locked and protected with far more safeguards than the old Temple ever had. Fortunately, Fung had a key and opened the door, allowing them all to step down into the muggy gloom that lay below.

Kimiko conjured a torchlight in her fingertips to guide their way down as they travelled down the spiral staircase towards the landing below. Master Fung had gone down much quicker than they had, and when the rest of the dragons got there they found him standing over a small ornate wooden table. Rested atop it large leatherbound book that was partially-opened.

"I have another Wudai Quest to present to you before I go." said the old monk.

"What's it about?" asked Kimiko.

"Have you ever heard of Typhon and Echidna?" Master Fung asked.

"10,000 times. Dojo won't give it a rest." Clay said.

"He does not know the true story." Master Fung said. "Or rather, he does not know one of the many true stories that have been told about this pair throughout all of history." He started flipping through the book until he reached a particular chapter. Nestled around the words TYPHON and ECHIDNA was a pencil sketch of a thousand snakelike tendrils that seemed to be wrapped tightly around on one another to create an enormous, macabre braid across the edges of the page. "We will concern ourself with but one of many legends," The old monk began. "According to the ancient text, Typhon and Echidna were the first of dragons, emerging from the mists as the world was being made. These monsters reigned over the Earth for a year and a day until a warrior -- some say he was a god -- managed to slay them with a lightning-bolt spear. But they were immortal, and once the warrior grew old and died they returned from the ocean to begin their reign of evil once again."

"But this time," The old monk continued. "They brought with themselves a powerful army. Echidna birthed forth powerful beings of fire, darkness, and air -- Wuya's Cyclops is one of them, as well as the ancient wild dragons that are the ancestors of Dojo and all the serpents, wyrms, wyverns, and dragons that walk upon the earth today. This time they were defeated again, not by a human warrior or a god, but by their own dragonspawn who rose against their tyranny and cast them down back into mists from whence they came. It was then that they bided their time; they realized that they were not strong enough to defeat both dragons and humans without a steadfast ally, one that would serve them and help them get the power that they need to retake and hold onto this world, our world, that they once held in their grasp."

"Let me guess," Kimiko said thoughtfully. "That ally was... Chase Young?"

"Chase Young served them," Master Fung confirmed. "As did Hannibal Bean. But Chase Young disregarded their commands to free them, and we were able to capture Bean and shake their confidence in him. But the elder monks and I have determined that they are still reaching out to find more powerful humans to help them in their plans."

"What is our quest, then, Master?" asked Omi.

"You are to prevent Tiamat and Echidna from forming an evil alliance with the warriors of the Heylin side." Master Fung said.

"But how can we do that?" Omi asked.

"I do not know," The old monk admitted. "All I can tell you is that they have but little time left before their influence over the world begins to fade. If you can stave off their attempts till then, the world will be safe... at least from them."

Clay whistled. "That's a mighty long list we've got though." He began counting on his fingers. "Cyclops, Pandabubba, Katnappe, Vlad, Tubbimura, Wuya, Raksha, Dyris... "

"Yeah, and with Raimundo hanging back now we're going to have a lot of work to keep up with." Kimiko said.

"If I did not think you could handle it, I would not have advanced any of you to Wudai Warrior." Master Fung said, his eyes twinkling.

"We can handle it!" Omi declared. "No challenge can conquer the might of the Xiaolin." He turned to his fellow Xiaolin dragons. "Come, Wudai Warriors! Let us prepare ourselves for this quest!"

Propelled by the littlest monk's enthusiasm, Kimiko and Clay ran up the stairs after him.

"I wonder how we're going to pull this off..." Kimiko murmured as they stepped out of the vault door into the fresh air of the courtyard.

"You and me both, Kimiko. You and me both." Clay replied.

Author's Note: These first three chapters were kind of like framing chapters, to set up character roles like Raimundo's special job, the new Wudai quest, and Jack's tale with the coffee cup as well as to introduce characters that need to be in for the rest of the story to make sense. I solemnly swear that the next ones will have more action and magic and character development in them. See you then, and, as always, read and review!