Coronation by Lightning

Kimiko and Dojo approached the hurtling figure as quickly as they dared. It was falling extremely quickly, and getting too close would most likely be dangerous. But as they drew nearer, they realized that they couldn't quite make out its features. It was swathed in an inky black cloak and quivery somehow, as if it was being viewed as a blurry photograph.

"What is that?" Kimiko asked.

Before Dojo could formulate a response, they heard a shout from below. They looked down only to see Clay standing atop the Silver Manta Ray flying toward them. Closely behind him was Raimundo, surfing on the winds.

"Did you guys see it too?" Raimundo asked.

"Yeah." Kimiko motioned towards the figure, which was maybe less than 20 feet above them. "Let's get out of the way."

"I'll grab it." Clay volunteered.

He pulled out the Cannon Blaster and loaded it atop the immobile Silver Manta Ray. Laying a finger atop it, he whispered the Shen Gong Wu's name and was suddenly and rudely transformed into a living cannonball. The nose of the weapon tilted from left to right until it was pointed directly at the plummeting figure. Clay was then shot out of the cannon, zooming through the air with his arms outstretched. He gritted his teeth, expecting to latch onto a struggling creature that he would have to wrestle into submission. But even as his arms closed around the cloaked figure, it seemed to deflate like a balloon. Clay's eyes widened with surprise as the creature went slack. Before he could compose himself however, it started flowing around him, wrapping itself around his body like a hideous living straitjacket.

"Hey, leg-g-go!" He grunted, clawing at the thing as it flowed all over him. The cloak stuffed itself into his mouth, gagging him, and wrapped itself around his eyes. Even without sight he could feel his momentum disappearing. Soon, he too would be falling to Earth to be dashed against the unrelenting mountain rock or, worse, drowned in the deep blue sea.

"Clay!" shouted Raimundo.

"We have to help Clay!" Kimiko yelled. His friends sounded muffled to his covered ears.

What are they taking so long? Clay said, starting to feel woozy.

"Don't shoot it!" Rai snapped. "You'll hit Clay!"

"What else am I supposed to do?"

"How about not killing Clay?"

"Got any bright ideas on how to rescue him then, Mr. Shoku Warrior?"

I guess I'm going to have to save myself. Clay thought grimly. Good luck; I'll definitely need some of it.

Jack Spicer was hovering about two hundred feet away, a Slurpee in one hand and a pair of binoculars in the other. The binoculars were pressed firmly against his eyes and he was watching everything that was going on.

"I thought they would be guarding it better." Jack said. "They have to guarding it better than that."

The Slurpee spoke. 'They ARE guarding it, Your Highness, but I have most cleverly taken precautions.'

"What kind of precautions?" Jack asked.

'Ones that will keep them quite occupied.Now, fly onward, towards your destiny!'

Jack rocketed forward. As he flew, he checked constantly that the Crown was still there. "I still can't believe this is really happening." Jack said. "I never win. Not for real. The only times I get close are when the Xiaolin monks screw up really badly. Could my luck really be getting this good?" If someone had told him just a week ago, the day before he met his spectral advisor, that he would soon rule the planet, he would have agreed out loud but in secret would have questioned his own ability. All of his best-laid plans had failed so far and he had been on the verge of despair. But that was before he had his new advisor. With this powerful being by his side, nothing could stand in his way. Not the Xiaolin monks, not Wuya, not Hannibal Roy Bean, not Chase Young...

'Your regrettable failures of the past are just that -- a thing of the past.' The voice reminded him. 'You have recognized and acknowledged your true heritage, and now you are invincible.'

"Invincible!" Jack said with a whoop. "Yeah! I like that!" He descended down onto Hawk Rock, his boots making contact with the meticulously formed surface. He looked around then. "Dude, where's my Throne?"

'In the mouth of the bird.'

Jack Spicer knelt down into the carved mouth of the Hawk. Without his goggles on, he could see something vivid and sparkling lying within. "I think I see it." He reached into the mouth, pulling out everything he could find. As he dumped it on the ground beside his Slurpee, his hands quickly became covered with dirt and mildew. "Yuck, this stuff is old!"

'Ancient they may be, but they are the tools with which you shall carve your empire. Look upon them now!'

Jack finally turned and look at the prizes that the Slurpee had promised him. He picked one up nervously, wiping off the grime. It turned out to be a blood-red stamp. The image underneath was of a pair of serpents in a circle, each one devouring the tip of the other's tail. He set it aside and picked up the next object; a gleaming sword with an obsidian hilt and a blade so well-polished that Jack could use it as a mirror. The third and final object was a large horn, dusty because of its age but radiating with untold energies.

"What do they do?" Jack questioned.

'The Stamp of Ouroboros shall your seal. Through its power you can bring the world to its knees.' The creature said. Jack picked up the Stamp again, gazing at it with newfound respect. 'The Sword of Tartarus shall be your chief weapon. It is filled with strong magic that will allow it to defend you vigorously of its own volition. No man can defeat you so long as you have it with you.' Jack picked up the sword with his other hand, feeling that it was not very heavy at all. 'And lastly is your Horn of Splendor. It will muster your armies and allow them to walk upon the earth and enforce your will throughout the realms of mortals.' Jack placed the Stamp and the Sword beside the Horn and let them lay there. Together with your Amulet of Mayun and your Crown, these five sacred tools will ensure your eternal reign.'

"Now can I put the Crown on?" Jack asked.

'As you wish, Your Highness.'

Jack closed his eyes and placed the Crown on top of his head. He took several deep breaths and waited.

He felt nothing.

Come on... He thought anxiously. He didn't have all day to spend there, sitting like a loon on top of an ugly rock in the middle of nowhere. "Do something!" He shouted, raising his arms up into the air.

Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled over ahead. Jack was stunned to see the bright afternoon suddenly become dark and stormy. The air was humming with energy; something was going to happen, and it was coming soon.

"Give me your best shot!" Jack Spicer cried, rising to his feet.

He got his wish.

A bolt of lightning shot through the sky directly at him. The evil boy genius was hit full on in the head. He let out a scream and almost jumped, but something told him that he had better stay completely still. The Crown on his head was pulsing now, sending out an unearthly glow. He stumbled backwards, falling flat on his behind. Oh, what have I done?

Clay was starting to lose consciousness when the cloak suddenly withdrew. He had fallen flat on his back on top of the SIlver Manta Ray's hood, flailing in attempt to get loose from its strangling grip. His friends were trying their best to destroy it without harming him but were failing. As if by a miracle, the thing crawled off him and slithered away without so much as a passing threat.

"Ohh," Clay mumbled as he looked up to see the Sun become enshrouded in shadow. "Who turned off the lights?" He asked.

Dojo was trembling. "S-s-something b-b-b-big's going on!" The dragon said.

"Let's go find Omi." Kimiko declared.

"We don't have time to get him." Raimundo said. He pointed at a faint sparking coming from somewhere in the mountains. "Whatever's causing this looks like it's hiding back there. Let's go get it before it does any serious damage."

Without any further discussion, Raimundo took off.

Sighing irritably, Kimiko and Dojo followed, pursued closely by Clay.

The three monks and their dragon found their way to Hawk Rock. The familiar stone sculpture stood as imposing as ever, but what they were really interested in was what -- or who -- was sitting in the on top of it.

"Jack Spicer!" Raimundo snarled.

The evil boy genius was in the middle of being struck by lightning. It came in the form of one long, continuous bolt that seemed to be aiming at something on top of his head. The Xiaolin monks didn't need to get closer in order to tell that it was the Crown. The awful illumination that seemed to emanate from it, in varied hues of green and yellow, were sign enough that it was their lost magical object. And oddly enough, sitting beside Jack on Hawk Rock was a Slurpee and a bunch of old moldy trinkets.

Jack didn't seem to have noticed them. Raimundo, Kimiko, and Clay jumped down onto the Hawk's head, landing in tight formation across from Jack. It was then that the pale boy's eyes finally fluttered open. He stared around for a few moments, then noticed their presence. All of a sudden, his face got a bit paler.

"Give us back the Shen Gong Wu!" Kimiko demanded.

Jack didn't answer.

"Begone," said a deep unnatural voice.

"Who said that?" Raimundo asked.

"It is I! Mayun the Great! One and only true servant of the King!"

Before their very eyes, the cloaked figure that had almost strangled Clay rematerialized. This time, it was not just a bundle of rags. It had taken the form of a stooped, shadowy man, about as tall as Clay with broad shoulders and a narrow waist and legs. In one hand was a set of heavy nunchucks. In the other was a long sharp rapier. "You shall not harm the King so long as I draw breath."

Raimundo cocked his head to one side. "Is that right? Well, bring it!"

Mayun walked forward slowly, his rapier slashing through the air as his nunchucks began to spin with the speed of a helicopter's blades. "Stop this foolish mission or you will perish."

"Hey... psst ... " Clay murmured to Kimiko as Rai squared off against Mayun. "While he keeps old tall dark and ugly busy, why don't we see if we can get that Crown from Jack?"

Kimiko nodded and the two monks began to carefully sidle away from Raimundo and Mayun and towards Jack Spicer. But Mayun noticed what they were doing. Instead of coming after them himself, however, he split himself into three equally large and formidable pieces. One remained in front of Raimundo, while the other two ran over to Kimiko and Clay. Kimiko's opponent was carrying a pair of deadly sais -- or twin daggers, while Clay's foe had opted for a giant club made of shadow.

"None shall pass!" The three Mayuns said in unison.

"We'll see!" Raimundo yelled, and the three monks charged into combat.