Into the Breach

Raimundo sat cross-legged on a boulder deep within the caverns underneath the Xiaolin Temple. There, he could hear everything -- the sound of the waterfall and the awful noise of battle taking place above. He knew that Echidna was crawling above him, hunting down his friends and devouring them. He wanted to go up there and stop her but his head told him that it simply couldn't be done.

Hurry, he thought angrily to himself. Echidna, come here quickly. I have something for you…

"Raimundo?" called a voice. Raimundo leapt to his feet, expecting to see an enemy slipping behind him. But instead he saw Hannibal Roy Bean, looking dusty and worn.

"Bean!" Raimundo snapped. "What are you doing down here?"

"Rai, I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this but…" Bean rubbed his forehead, smearing a trail of greenish blood across his face. "We held out as long as we could. Well, by 'me', I meant the dragons and the warrior-monks. I was kinda functioning as an 'observer'. They cut Echidna's army to pieces like a hundred times but every time we knocked one over Echidna would create a thousand more from their bones."

"Don't tell me…" Raimundo groaned.

Bean nodded. "We had to retreat. The few surviving dragons flew off and led Echidna's skeletons after them. The rest of the warriors disappeared into the forest. I managed to slip into the vault just behind Echidna."

Raimundo furrowed his brow. "How come she didn't notice you?"

Hannibal Bean held up a necklace with a tiny bronze bird dangling from it.

The Great Garuda… Raimundo realized with a start.

"It couldn't ward off Echidna but it did keep her from paying too much attention to it." Bean said. "You know, she really is a worm, deep down where it counts. An old, evil, blind worm."

Raimundo nodded sagely. "Tell me about it." He looked around the wide cavern. "She's going to be dropping in soon. You'd better hide."

Bean didn't need telling twice. He flounced off into a corner and tried to blend in with the lichen. It was a poor disguise to be sure but hopefully Echidna would be too preoccupied with Raimundo's attack to even bother to search for the little legume.

As the sound of Echidna's movement grew louder and closer, Raimundo decided that it was probably a good idea to start setting up for her appearance. He started by setting down the Sphere of Yun in the center of the room, making sure that Echidna could spot it the moment she showed up. Then he used the Serpent's Tail to phase partway through the floor so that he could see Echidna before he saw her. Finally, he settled in to wait. If all went well, Echidna would show up soon.

Echidna did not disappoint.

"RAIMUNDO!" She howled in a voice so loud that it sent tremors throughout the room. Her head crashed through the ceiling of the cavern, quickly followed by her entire body. "RAIM--,"

Right on cue, she looked down and spotted the Sphere of Yun sitting in the middle of the room, glowing brightly due to the presence of her Sword, Amulet, and Crown within. "I see you've left a present for me." She commented, dropping down upon the orb with a greedy look on her face. "Really, this is very sweet of you. If you keep this up, I might even be persuaded to make your end quick!"

Raimundo rolled his eyes. What is with these smarmy bad guys? He leapt up out of the rocky ground, Serpent's Tail in hand. "Serpent's Tail!" He cried, lunging towards Echidna. The surprised lizard let out a horrific shriek as Raimundo slammed into her, turning her body intangible and sending her spinning across the room. By the time she regained her corporeal form, she was wedged partway through the opposite wall.

"Excellent work!" She said, pulling herself free and destroying the wall at the same time. "It won't do you any good, unfortunately."

The Dragon of the Wind wasn't paying her any mind at that point. He was steadily walking over to the Sphere of Yun, a determined look fixed upon his face.

"What are you doing?" Echidna demanded.

He did not answer.

"Get away from there. I command you!"

Raimundo raised one fist high above the Sphere, infusing it with crackling elemental force.

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Echidna snarled, rocketing forward with phenomenal speed. Raimundo watched her approach casually. Just as she was almost upon him, he leapt nimbly backwards and dangled the Yin-Yang Yo-Yos out from inside his sleeves.

"Yin Yo-Yo!" He said, ripping a portal directly into Echidna's path. The dragon vanished into it, screaming all the while. "Yang Yo-Yo!" A second portal appeared.

"No, don't do it!" Hannibal Bean cried. Raimundo scarcely noticed him until Bean launched himself into the portal, his tendrils flailing through the air. Raimundo yelled after him and jumped in seconds before the portal closed.

"Bean!" Raimundo groaned as he and Hannibal Roy Bean collapsed in a heap in the Yin-Yang World.

"Aw, way to go, Xiaolin warrior! Now we're in here with the dragon queen." Bean said.

Raimundo snorted in disgust. It honestly didn't matter if Bean was there or not. He would have preferred to do this last part alone but if Bean had to be here then he might as well utilize his assistance. "Bean," He said, looking down at the reformed villain. "Echidna's somewhere in the Yin-Yang World and she's going to be coming after us so that she can get her hands on both Yo-Yos." He handed Bean the Yang Yo-Yo. "Take this away." Raimundo said. "Do whatever it takes to make sure that she doesn't get her claws on it."

Bean nodded and took off. Raimundo watched him go then turned to the matter at hand. "Echidna!" He shouted. "I'm coming after you!"

Unfortunately for him, Echidna was heading in the wrong direction. Furious at being tricked, she had decided to fly around the entire Yin-Yang World, using the advanced senses she had acquired from absorbing Dojo to track the Shen Gong Wu that would allow her to be free. She smelled one heading east away from her and hurried in pursuit.

Hannibal Bean was deep in the maze of shelves that held the chi of everyone in the world. It felt like the best place to hide since it was protected by the Chi Guardian who lurked along its perimeter.

As he made his way down the shelves, he began to wonder if it might be a good idea to try and find his own chi vessel. He would never admit it, but he was starting to miss his dark chi. He very much preferred being good but ever since he had lost his darkness his powers had been dwindling. He hadn't noticed it until he had performed the spell to restore King Marduk to his body earlier. The incantation had gone off without a hitch but afterwards he felt as if almost all his magic had been lost.

Bean was distracted from his musings by a rush of flapping wings above him. He looked up only to see Echidna zooming past, her eyes scanning the magical halls below.

Aw, jeez… Bean thought to himself.

"I see you!" Echidna shrieked a split second later. She dived him at him. He raised his tendrils and sent a rush of dark energy that knocked over the shelves on either side of him. Echidna was buried underneath while he leapt to safety. But that proved to be only a temporary solution; the lizard broke free a moment later and began chasing after him again.

"You…" Echidna began, shooting a blast of lightning at the fleeing Bean. "Will…" The surge of electricity nipped him on the bottom, sending him flying off into the air with a pained yelp. "Surrender!" She got him this time with a blast that hit him squarely in the back. Bean toppled to the ground and sent the Yang Yo-Yo rolling away.

She bounded after it and snatched it up, making sure to tread on Bean as she did. She held up the Yo-Yo into the air triumphantly.

"It ain't gonna work by itself." Bean muttered. "Need the other half."

"Where is it?" Echidna demanded, rounding on him.

The second Yo-Yo flew through the air at her, wrapping itself tightly around Echidna's neck. She grabbed at it but before she could pull it off of her Raimundo yanked the string back.

"What's up?" Raimundo asked casually.

"Give it to me." Echidna said.

Raimundo tossed the Yo-Yo at her. She lunged for it, grabbing the Yo-Yo between two fat claws. To her surprise, it suddenly began to glow.

"Oh…" Echidna whispered, following the length of string to see that Raimundo was still holding the other end in his hand. "Raimundo, I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown."

The Dragon of the Wind suddenly looked panic-stricken, which gave Echidna great pleasure. "The game will be an old dragon favorite – Prisoner of War. Whoever can capture the other three times first will be the victor!"

Raimundo nodded reluctantly. "It's a deal. I'll wager my Serpent's Tail against your Yang Yo-Yo."

"Heh, you wish." Echidna said. "I Shen Yi Bu dare you. In addition to the Yang Yo-Yo, I will wager the Shard of Lightning." She held up the Shard of Lightning that she had taken from Omi after eating him.

"I don't have--," Raimundo protested.

Bean crawled up to him and tossed the Great Garuda into his outstretched hand. "Deal." Raimundo said finally.

"Gong Yi Tampai!" The two challengers announced in unison.

The battle for the Yin-Yang World and the Earth was begun.