Thanks for R&R! Part three, nothing else to say…Read

Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown

Xiaolin Showdown: Legend of the Thunder Child III: Apocalypse Clone

36: The Art of War: Part III

Main Hall, 10 hours, 45 minutes left…

Ryan, Master Fung, Guan and the others were crowded around table, carefully devising their battle plans. Maps of the surrounding land were spread out across the table, covered in beads to represent their troops and Chase's.

"Okay" said Ryan as he moved his beads into position and took a step back to admire his handy work, "This is it; this is our battle plan…"

"Looks rather complex" said Guan "Please explain it to us"

"Okay, I've split our army into four groups" said Ryan as he pointed to the four groups of bead, one group was in the temple, one was just outside the walls and the other two were in straight rows on the fields facing the enemy, "The beads right at the front is Team A, they will be leading the first charge on the enemy, the row behind them, Team B, will be Team A's backup"

His hand moved down the map towards the beads that were closer to the temple.

"Should our offensive fail to hold back the enemy" said Ryan "Team C will try to stop the enemy from entering the temple, Team D will provide the main defence for the temple itself"

"Very well" said Master Fung "We will need to pick team leaders though…"

"Oh! Oh!" said Omi as he bounced up and down excitedly, "Pick me! Pick me!"

"Lizz?" said Guan "I'm putting you as Leader D, okay? It's your job to defend the temple"

"Yes master" said Lizz.

"I will be Leader C" said Master Fung.

"Me! Me! Me!" said Omi "Pick me!"

"Leader B is…" said Master Fung as he looked around the room, "Jermaine? Can you do it?"

"Dude, you can count on me" said Jermaine.

"Excellent! That only leads the person who will lead the charge" said Master Fung "This position requires great courage though, and they must be able to provide the inspiration to help drive us on"

"ME! ME! ME!" said Omi as he stomped his feet on the ground, "MEEEEEEEE!"

"I don't mind if I do it" said Raimundo.

"I don't mind either" said Clay. Kimiko sighed as she looked down at her feet, she thought for a moment before she looked up at them.

"I'm…I'm going to fight too…" said Kimiko as she slipped her hand into Ryan's, "I have courage when I'm with you guys…"

Ryan smiled as he looked at her; she smiled back as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry" said Master Fung "But you four have a more important job, so you can't be any other the team leaders"

Omi groaned as he stopped bouncing up and down.

"So who's team leader?" said Kimiko.

"The person we pick has to be brave, smart and a good leader" said Guan. Everyone immediately looked at Ryan.

"What?" gasped Ryan "Me? You want me to lead the attack?"

"Can't think of anyone better to do it" said Clay.

"Chase will be there" said Guan "He will be expecting you at the frontlines"

"Hmm…" thought Ryan "I don't know, I don't think I'm leader material…"

He suddenly felt Kimiko's hand grip him tightly but lovingly.

"You can do it" said Kimiko "Because that is what the man I love is like…He is brave, tough and will stop at nothing to make sure he comes out on top…"

Ryan smiled as he pulled her into a hug.

"Okay" said Ryan as he looked up at the others, "Let's do this!"

Temple Dormitory, 9 hours left…
Kimiko and the others had just finished their work, the temple was now fully fortified and their attack was equipped and ready for combat. They slowly walked into the dorms because they were so exhausted, especially Ryan who hadn't slept for almost a day.

"Young monks" said Master Fung "I have an announcement for your assignments"

The five of them stood in front of him as he told them what they had to do.

"As of last time, the enemy will be after our Shen Gong Wu" said Master Fung "So according to the standard Xiaolin protocol, it is the Xiaolin Dragon's duty to hide them"

"You want us to take the Wu away?" said Omi "Like when Mala Mala Jong attack?"

Master Fung nodded.

"But what about the war?" said Raimundo "Surely you'll need us?"

"The Wu must be protected at all costs" said Master Fung "You will leave early to avoid being spotted, remember Raimundo, your promotion is in this as well…Remember what happened last time, Raimundo"

"Okay Master Fung" said Raimundo as he went into his room, "We know what to do"

"Come on Ryan" said Kimiko as she tugged at his robes, "We need to get ready to go"

"Err…Kimiko?" said Ryan "I'm not going…"

Kimiko looked at him with a face that said she didn't quite understand.

"What?" said Kimiko.

"Kimiko, Ryan has to lead the charge" said Master Fung "And the protocol state that all warriors, except the Xiaolin Dragons, are to help with the battle, Ryan isn't a Dragon like you…"

"So I'm staying behind…" said Ryan as he lowered his head, "I'm sorry…"

"You knew…" said Kimiko as she gave him a hurt look, "You knew we'd be separated and you didn't tell me?"

"I didn't…want to hurt you" said Ryan "If you knew, you would of…"

"Well I know now!" spat Kimiko as her eyes welled up with tears; she pulled open her curtains and pulled them shut as she ran into her room. Ryan sighed sadly as his head drooped to the ground; he looked up again as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Go to her" said Master Fung "Time is short…"

Ryan looked over at Omi, Clay and Raimundo, who were nodding in agreement. Ryan sighed as he opened Kimiko's curtains and stepped in. He found her with her head buried in her pillow, crying.

"Kimiko…" said Ryan as he knelt down besides her, gently stroking her hair "I'm sorry…"

Kimiko snivelled as she rolled over and looked up at him.

"Ryan…" cried Kimiko "Please come with me…"

"I can't" said Ryan. Kimiko burst into more tears as her head fell back onto her pillow.

"I can't leave you…" cried Kimiko "I lost you twice before…I promised myself I'd never lose you again…"

"Don't worry Kimiko…" said Ryan as he lifted her onto his lap, cradling her in his arms, "You will never lose me, you are mine and I am yours, that's the way it is…"

Kimiko cried as she rubbed her cheeks on him.

"Ryan…" said Kimiko "Please promise me you won't die out there…Please promise me you'll see me again…"

"I promise" said Ryan. She managed to put a small smile on her face as she looked up at him, their lips gently brushed each others as Ryan gently lowered her into her bed.

Temple Dormitory, 6 hours, 39 minutes left…

Ryan yawned as he tossed and turned in bed. He was tired, but he just couldn't get to sleep. He turned over and looked at Kimiko; she was all curled up with the blanket wrapped tightly around her, fast asleep. Ryan gently stroked her hair; she smiled slightly as her head moved towards his warm arms. Ryan quietly climbed out of bed, grabbed his robes and went out onto the temple grounds. He approached the wall and climbed up onto it, Chase's forces were growing in numbers as more and more spaceships kept falling from the sky.

"Can't sleep too huh?" said a voice from behind him. Ryan turned around and saw Lizz climbing up onto the wall too; she got to the top, sat down next to Ryan and looked out towards Chase's army.

"Look's like tomorrow's not far off…" said Lizz. Ryan sighed as he nodded in agreement. He looked at her, she was obviously nervous about tomorrow, but she didn't really look like a girl who was a combat expert.

"How did you get into fighting?" said Ryan "If you don't mind me asking…"

"Hmm…" thought Lizz "It was sort of jealousy about Kimiko, we were with her when she found out she could control fire at a young age, so I started training to make me as strong as the fire made her…"

"But you ended up teaching her how to fight" said Ryan "Did you get better than her?"

"I may be better at fighting, but there are things she has that I could never compare with…" sighed Lizz as she looked at Ryan, "How is she anyway?"

Ryan sighed as he looked up at the moon, not saying a word.

"Ryan?" said Lizz.

"Kimiko's fine…" said Ryan "She's going far away from this battle…She's going to be safe…I can fight without having to worry about her…"

"Wow…" said Lizz as she looked at him, "You're still willing to fight, even though you're fighting your own father…and exact copies of yourself…"

"Copies?" said Ryan as he gave her a sort of uneasy smirk, "Don't make me laugh, they're not even human…They're mass produced, they don't have souls…Mindless monsters that look like me…"

"But what about you?" said Lizz "Do you have…a soul?"

Ryan sighed as he looked at his hands; he never asked himself that question. He was a clone of his father; did clones made by magic have souls? Was he just another one of those mindless monsters?

"No…" thought Ryan "Can't be…Could a soulless person share the love me and Kimiko have?"

"Ryan…I'm sorry if I offended you…" said Lizz "I didn't mean to say something like that…"

"No…" said Ryan "It okay…"

They both sat there, watching the enemy. In six hours, they would be meeting them in fierce combat. The silence was broken as Ryan yawned loudly.

"I'll think I'll go back to bed now" yawned Ryan.

"Okay" said Lizz as Ryan jumped down, "Goodnight Ryan"

"Night Lizz…" yawned Ryan as he went off into the Dormitory.

Not long till the first battle…Can everyone hold up until then? R&R…