In a distant land, a great roar filled the Palace of Jade. "Kuji! Kuji Chunagi Di! Come here at once!"
The massive doors of the throne room were pushed open by a tiny, four legged brown and purple dragon. The timid looking creature scurried across the long green carpet and towards the golden throne where a huge dragon sat. The enormous winged creature was a pale green, with a white underbelly and enormous yellow antlers.
"You called for me, Lady Yulin?" Kuji asked her hesitantly.
She pointed up at the corner of the ceiling with her long claw. "There's a fly in my throne room!" Yulin bellowed.
Kuji briefly glanced at the tiny insect buzzing around. "Ah, I see! I'm sure it'll fly out the way it came in!" Kuji said with a tentative smile. The huge dragon scowled at him, and as her scowl became greater, the palace became dark and the sound of distant thunder could be heard. "Actually, I'll get the guards to deal with it as soon as possible! Don't you worry!" he spluttered.
Kuji hurriedly left the throne room, and Yulin's scowl faded along with the sound of thunder. The darkness was lifted, but the ruler of the City of Jade was still in a foul mood. Kuji closed the massive doors behind him and hurried down the hallway to retrieve some of the palace's mightiest soldiers to deal with the annoying fly.
On the way to the guard's quarters, Kuji passed the palace's treasure vault, noticing a bright light shining through the keyhole. Out of curiosity, the dragon removed the master key from his tiny belt and unlocked the door.
As he opened the door, the light within became almost blinding. When Kuji's eyes managed to adjust to the radiance, he noticed that the light was emanating from a single object atop a pile of gold coins. The item in question appeared to be a jade figurine of an armoured warrior, which caused Kuji to widen his eyes and smile.
"The Knight of Jade has awakened!" he muttered to himself excitedly. "It's the gift that Grandmaster Dashi gave to the city! The Xiaolin Warriors must be coming to retrieve it!"
In the Xiaolin Temple's courtyard, three of the four Xiaolin Warriors were playing basketball with Ping Pong. It was four against one, and Dojo was keeping score. What started as just a simple session of exercise became a heated competition, as Ping Pong had managed to score a field goal against them several times, while they were not so lucky.
"I am most impressed by your score, Ping Pong!" Omi said, arriving to see the warriors of wind, earth and fire looking worn out. "A warrior who can keep his cold when faced with being outnumbered would make a good addition to the team!"
Ping Pong eagerly raced towards his idol. "Brother Omi! I am pleased that you have time to train me!" he exclaimed.
"This reminds me about the time I first experienced the game of baskets and balls! It was a most exciting showdown!" said Omi, patting his tiny lookalike on the shoulder. "Your training is now my number one priority, little gecko!"
"Something about that nickname rubs me the wrong way…" Dojo muttered.
Omi closed his eyes and put his palms together, focussing his thoughts. "To excel at the game, one must become the ball," he said calmly.
"Muy bueno!" Ping Pong yelled. "I shall become the ball immediately!"
To the surprise of the Xiaolin Warriors, Ping Pong leapt into the air and dived through the basketball hoop head first. Raimundo, Kimiko and Clay applauded him while Omi prepared to leap towards the hoop himself. To the Shoku Warrior's dismay, he found that his round head was far too large to fit through the ring.
"Does that count as a field goal, Dojo?" Raimundo asked the little dragon.
He and his friends burst into laughter, but they were silenced when Willow came rushing to help Omi, looking concerned for the warrior of water. "Y'all should be helping him instead of laughing!" she cried, managing to push Omi out of the basketball hoop and placing him back in his feet. "You're such a brave, brave warrior," Willow said softly, giving Omi a small kiss on the forehead. "I hope you're not too hurt."
Omi's face had been bright red due to anger, but then it became red out of bashfulness. "Thank you, Willow maiden. I am feeling much better now! Your healing touch would make an even better addition to the team! It takes courage to face multiple enemies at once, but it takes even greater courage to help others in the heat of battle!" Ping Pong appeared to be somewhat saddened by Omi's words.
Dojo sprang into the centre of the group and began to twitch. "We've got a new Shen Gong Wu!" he exclaimed, grabbing hold of his tail and pointing at a grotesquely swollen lump that had formed on the end of it. "Judging from the size and shape of this cyst, I'd say it's the Knight of Jade!"
"Do you want me to look it up for you while you're dealing with your…lump?" Kimiko asked, trying to look away from Dojo's unpleasant problem.
"You won't find it in the mystic scroll!" Dojo exclaimed. "Dashi gave it as a gift to the City of Jade as a sign of peace, shortly after he imprisoned Wuya. The city is ruled by an old but powerful dragon named Yuwang!"
"So all we've gotta do is go to the city and ask to have it back?" Raimundo questioned.
"Yeah, pretty much!" Dojo answered, trying to ignore his cyst. "We've gotta be polite though!"
"Perhaps Yuwang will help us in deciding who will be the new apprentice!" exclaimed Omi. He looked up and smiled bashfully at Willow, who smiled back.
Soon enough, Dojo was flying over the clouds with the six warriors. Dojo's swelling had grown with him, and the Xiaolin Warriors were finding it hard to look at. They had no idea where in the world they were, as the City of Jade was a secretive place.
"I ain't never been a diplomat before," Clay said, sounding anxious.
"Maybe you should let us do the talking," muttered Raimundo, thinking about Clay's Texan drawl.
Dojo began to descend slowly, calling out to his passengers. "The city's just under these clouds! Prepare to be amazed!"
The dragon dived through the clouds, and a huge expanse of green fields and lush forests surrounded by jagged mountains lay before them. The sight of the City of Jade contrasted with the lush surroundings; every building appeared to be a dull shade of grey.
"This place looks pretty run down," Raimundo said to Dojo.
"It used to be a lot better looking than this! Normally the City of Jade is as green as fields that surround it! Something must be wrong," Dojo said, sounding genuinely concerned. "The palace is up ahead! We've got to get to the bottom of this!"
"Speaking of bottoms, monsieur Kanojo Cho, yours is looking a lot better now!" Ping Pong proclaimed, pointing to the quickly diminishing lump on the dragon's tail.
Dojo landed at the entrance of the Palace of Jade, shrinking down to his original size after his passengers got off. The portcullis opened, and out scurried the diminutive Kuji. He was flanked by several soldiers brandishing spears, wearing armour that appeared to be made from jade.
"Hey, Kuji, long time no see!" Dojo exclaimed, shaking the dragon's hand eagerly. "You sure have been doing well! First you were class president, now you're steward of the palace!"
"Ah, yes! It seems that you're doing well too," Kuji said. "I suppose you're now guardian of these six young warriors!"
"We can take care of ourselves," Omi added. "We are the Xiaolin Warriors of water, wind, earth and fire!"
"Ah, so you are the Xiaolin Warriors!" Kuji exclaimed excitedly as he escorted the party inside the temple, followed by the guards. "I do hope your visit lifts Lady Yulin's spirits. She's been in such a foul mood since her father Yuwang passed away."
Dojo gasped loudly. "Lord Yuwang is…gone? That explains the state of this place. I feel bad for not keeping in touch!"
"That sounds sad, but what does that have to do with the state of the city?" Kimiko asked Dojo quietly as their footsteps echoed through the marble halls. Ping Pong was darting about, looking at the numerous works of art and antiques on display.
"Yuwang was one of the mightiest dragons; he had the power to control the weather, bringing prosperity to this land. He was also responsible for keeping the City of Jade shining nice and bright!" Kuji answered Kimiko's question for Dojo. "When he passed away, the colour went with him. Now it is his daughter's duty to protect the land, but in her current mood she'll never be able to return the city to its former glory."
"We are happy to spread joy all around!" Omi yelled. "When she sees that the Xiaolin order is still alive and well, Lady Yulin will be happier than ever!"
"That's what I was hoping," Kuji continued. "If you succeed, we shall give you the Knight of Jade. If the Shen Gong Wu is reactivating, it must mean there is a great evil you must defeat."
They eventually approached the towering entrance to the throne room, and the guards opened the doors to let them see Lady Yulin. The huge dragon woke from her slumber and frowned at the strangers that were entering her abode. The four Xiaolin Warriors assembled in front of Dojo, Willow and Ping Pong.
"Are these really the Xiaolin Dragons?" Yulin questioned.
Her voice was almost powerful enough to knock Raimundo off his feet, but the team leader remained calm. "We're not Dragons yet, but we're Shoku Warriors! I'm this generation's leader."
The great dragon seemed to grow irritated. "Kuji Chunagi Di! These pipsqueaks aren't even fully fledged Xiaolin Warriors yet! I wanted to see Xiaolin Warriors, just like the ones father used to know!"
Dojo slithered out from between Raimundo's feet. "I was personally selected by grandmaster Dashi to hide the Shen Gong Wu! I was his best pal!"
Yulin narrowed her eyes at the tiny dragon. "Father never told me Dashi had a dragon; the grandmaster must've never mentioned you. What kind of dragon lets a human tell him what to do, anyway?"
Dojo was flabbergasted, but he was too afraid of Yulin to get angry. Kimiko picked him up and put him on her shoulder. "We're only trying to cheer you up, your highness," she said, bowing her head towards the great dragon.
"If you really want to help, you should leave!" Yulin snapped. There was a sudden flash of lightning outside. She then buried her head in the coils of her sinuous body, ignoring her guests completely.
Kuji stood in front of the Xiaolin Warriors and their friends. "Maybe you should come back another time. It must be one of those days," whispered the palace steward regretfully. "You can stay at the Palace of Jade as long as you like."
"I am sorry we could not lift her spirits on our first try!" Omi proclaimed.
"I shall escort the Xiaolin Warriors to the palace gardens and leave you in peace, Lady Yulin," Kuji announced to the great dragon. She did not respond, but it was also clear that she was not really asleep.
The steward led them out of the throne room, but the guards failed to notice that Ping Pong was lagging behind as they shut the massive doors on their way out. The tiny monk had been busy admiring the architecture of the throne room, and was still looking at its dome ceiling as he collided with the closed doors. Ping Pong rubbed his face and readjusted his glasses, but his impact with the doors had alerted Lady Yulin of his presence.
"I thought you were all told to leave!" she yelled.
Ping Pong turned around to face the menacing creature, quaking in fright. "Je suis désolé! I was just admiring the wonderful architecture of this fantastique palace!" he stuttered. "I have visited many beautiful places before, and this is one of the most beautiful!"
Yulin became a lot less angry, but still sounded somewhat irritated. "Yes, it is a beautiful palace. Would you say there are palaces out there that are just as attractive?"
Ping Pong was still cowering, but he was somewhat less frightened than he was when the dragon had yelled at him. "I can tell you about the places I've been, if you want." Lady Yulin raised an eyebrow and hummed intently.
The rest of the party were sitting in the palace's luxurious garden. Willow, Raimundo and Omi had gathered under a pagoda gazebo to have a picnic. Willow had prepared it herself, and Omi could not stop complimenting her, even with his mouth full.
"When we get back to the Temple with the Knight of Jade, it's your job to stash it away, Omi," Raimundo said to the warrior of water.
"Is Omi the chosen one in charge of the Shen Gong Wu?" Willow questioned Raimundo.
"We all have access to the Shen Gong Wu vault," the warrior of wind explained, "But some Wu are more dangerous than others. When Kimiko set up the Temple's security systems, she installed a special vault where the most risky ones are kept away from the others."
Omi noisily swallowed his food. "Kimiko entrusted me with the secret!" Omi added. "It is so secret that she erased its whereabouts and the secret combination to the vault from her mind! Dojo said that the Knight of Jade is a very risky Shen Gong Wu!"
Raimundo hastily placed his hand over Omi's mouth and laughed nervously. "How about we go for run to Mount Hong when we get back?" he asked Willow.
"I wish I could, Rai," Willow answered, "But I can't. I'm on kitchen scrubbing duty for the evening!"
"Hey, that's unfair! You're our guest until we decide who's gonna be the new apprentice, so no chores for you!" Raimundo exclaimed with a grin. "Leave all that scrubbing to me!"
The blonde trainee giggled. "That's so sweet of you, Rai! No wonder you're Xiaolin Leader." To Raimundo's surprise, Willow leant forward and gave him a tiny kiss on the cheek.
The Shoku Warrior of wind winced and forced a smile. "Why thank you!" he said with a nervous chuckle. "I'm just gonna see what Clay and Kimiko are doing for tonight." Raimundo got to his feet and hastily walked to his other companions. On the way he interrupted Dojo and Kuji's conversation to ask the little green dragon if he could do Willow's chores instead of him, without her noticing.
Willow turned her attention towards Omi, who had almost finished off all the food she had prepared. "Maybe you could tell me about the location of the super secret Shen Gong Wu vault," she questioned him quietly. "It might be safer if more than one person knows about it."
"It would be most terrible if I were to go missing and leave my friends with no idea where the most valuable Shen Gong Wu can be found," Omi said. "They would not be able to find the Treasure of the Blind Swordsman and wish me back! Or the Fountain of Hui and Eagle Scope to know of my whereabouts! Or the Sapphire Dragon to turn the villain who dealt me such a terrible fate into a statue! But a Xiaolin Warrior never tells secrets to anyone, especially those who are not yet Xiaolin Warriors."
After thinking for a while as she watched Omi devour the rest of the food, Willow asked him again. "What if I guessed the secret combination?"
Omi's eyes lit up. "That is a most interesting idea, Willow! I am not allowed to tell you the combination, but we could see if you have the tiger instincts necessary to predict the code!" He looked around hastily before leaning towards her. "If you were to prove that you have tiger instincts, you would become the fifth Xiaolin Warrior for sure!"
Their attention turned towards the buildings towering above them; the clouds had parted and were letting the sunshine through, revealing that the buildings were now shining green. Kuji, noticing the change immediately, hurried to a rock in the centre of the garden and raised his hands to the sky.
"It's a miracle!" the brown dragon exclaimed. "Lady Yulin has cheered up! I guess all she needed was some alone time after all!"
The whole gazebo suddenly shook, and Willow and Omi found themselves sliding forwards as it was lifted up at one of its corners. Clay was looking underneath it for some reason, seeming rather concerned as he gently put the gazebo back down.
"Have you seen little Ping Pong anywhere?" He asked the two of them.
"No we have not," Omi replied, wearily getting to his feet after he quickly recovered from the turmoil. "It is most unwise of Ping Pong to go wandering off in an unfamiliar area. True Xiaolin Warriors always glue together like sticks."
Willow giggled at Omi's jumbled up sentence, patting him on the head. "How can you be so adorable and funny at the same time?"
Kuji suddenly flew into a panic. "Oh no, this is bad! If your friend Ping Pong bumps into Lady Yulin after she thought you were all going away, she might become bad-tempered again!"
The air was abruptly filled with the sound of thunderous laughter coming from the throne room. The Xiaolin Warriors, Dojo and Willow followed Kuji out of the garden and down the hallway to the towering doors, hoping to see what the commotion was about. When the massive doors of the throne room were opened, they were surprised to see Ping Pong sitting next to a cheerful looking Yulin.
"I'm sorry if this boy is bothering you, your highness!" Kuji exclaimed, kneeling and bowing. "We're here to remove him from your quarters immediately!"
"I don't want him to go!" Yulin said cheerfully. "This little one has accomplished a lot, and he's seen many things on his journeys! He's told lots of fascinating stories and interesting facts! He's told me why a bumblebee can fly with such tiny wings, and why baboons have such colourful bottoms!"
The worries of the Xiaolin Warriors had faded away; it seemed like Ping Pong had succeeded in calming the great dragon. Kuji scurried towards the tiny monk and shook the boy's hand. "The City of Jade has been returned to its former glory, and it's all thanks to you!"
"I can't wait to hear more facts about the world you live in!" Yulin said to Ping Pong softly. "You're going to love living here at the palace."
Ping Pong looked as shocked as everyone else. "Pardon?" he asked timidly.
"He can't stay here," Raimundo began to explain as sincerely as he could. "We're supposed to be testing him."
Yulin began to look cross, but Kuji stepped in to hastily address Raimundo. "You have another trainee, don't you?" he asked, gesturing towards Willow. "She can be the new Xiaolin Warrior! Ping Pong can stay here in the palace with us."
"Being a Xiaolin Warrior is an important duty, but ensuring that the city remains shiny is a more important duty!" Omi said, seemingly agreeing with Kuji. His teammates looked quite upset at what he just said, with Raimundo even scowling at him.
Kuji handed Raimundo the Knight of Jade. "You better get going now! Lady Yulin really dislikes guests overstaying their welcome."
"Ping Pong's coming back with us! He has a home in the outside world, he can't stay here forever!" the Xiaolin Leader said, handing the Shen Gong Wu back to the steward. "If it means we can't have the Knight of Jade, so be it."
Omi snapped at Raimundo. "You may be our leader, but I must advise you to think carefully! We can always come and visit Ping Pong in his new home! Perhaps there will be times when we need six people to find a new Shen Gong Wu, and we can request Ping Pong's help!"
"Brother Omi…" mumbled a dejected sounding Ping Pong. Omi briefly turned to look at his tiny doppelganger, suddenly feeling gripped by remorse.
Yulin turned her nose up at the Xiaolin Warriors. "I don't want to see you in my palace ever again. You're all so plain looking," she said pompously. Kimiko looked at the vibrant outfit she had put on for the day and glared at the dragon.
Ping Pong patted Yulin to get her attention. "I need to complete my training," he said. "I am sorry that I have to go."
Yulin smiled at the young boy. "I understand, Ping Pong. Your friends will stay here as well, then." With a clap of her hands, the heroes were surrounded by armed guards. "There's plenty of room in the dungeon. I can't have them where they can be seen, I'm afraid."
Raimundo growled and prepared to use his Shoku Astro Wind powers, but Dojo hastily tapped him on the shoulder. "It's no use! Yulin can control the weather; that includes wind! It'd be like trying to get rid of some hornets by adding more hornets!"
The guards grabbed hold of the Xiaolin Warriors, Dojo and Willow and immediately placed handcuffs on them. The manacles seemed to be fashioned from some kind of glowing, enchanted jade. They tried to summon their powers, but it was no use. With a weary sigh, Raimundo allowed the guards to escort them to the prison below the palace.
The heroes were placed in individual cells, while Dojo was placed in a tiny cage. "This brings back memories," he groaned.
"If Lady Yulin had chosen me to be her entertainer, I would have told her a tale so bewildering it would have kept her occupied for many years!" Omi grumbled.
"Maybe Ping Pong would be better off here," Clay added. "I know the little hombre wanted to become a Xiaolin apprentice and all, but is that better than keeping an entire city in order?"
"Ping Pong should not have wandered off like that!" Omi continued to grumble. "That dragon would have never become fixated upon him if it wasn't for his itchy feet!"
"Will you quit being so hard on him?" Raimundo snapped at the warrior of water. "Geez, earlier today you were talking to him like he was your little brother. You're just jealous because he's a newbie who looks like a cuter version of you, and you think he's getting all the attention!"
"Knock it off, Rai," said Kimiko. "We didn't cooperate too well in the early days either. It takes time to bond with new people."
While the warriors were preoccupied with squabbling, Willow made sure that there was no one looking in her direction. She placed her hand on one of the shadows inside her cell, using her secret powers to make it meld into the darkness. Willow's hand reappeared, but from the shadow of a guard standing near the entrance of the dungeon.
Willow gave the guard a pinch on the neck, making him fall unconscious. The only sound he made was a thud as he hit the floor, but the Xiaolin Warriors did not hear it over the argument they were having. Willow removed her hand from the shadow and placed it in again; this time her hand emerged from a different shadow near where the guard lay. She reached into his pocket and removed the key, pulling it back through the shadow and into her cell.
Willow tapped the bars of her cell with the key to alert her companions, and the four of them turned to see it in her hand. "While they bought us in here I managed to snatch the key!" she whispered. "I was waiting for the guard to fall asleep."
Omi's face lit up. "That is most ingenious, Willow! Maybe you should become our tactical sneaking expert!"
"I don't need any special titles," Willow giggled, unlocking the door to her cell.
All the other heroes were freed a few seconds later, and Raimundo was the first to run quietly to the exit. They looked at the unconscious guard as they walked buy, creeping silently, some of them pondering why he had fallen asleep on the job. Raimundo found a large chest that held the Shen Gong Wu and Wudai Weapons they had bought with them, sharing the objects amongst the group.
"How are we going to save Ping Pong?" Kimiko asked the warrior of wind as he handed her the Arrow Sparrow, Cat's Eye Draco and Star Hanabi.
"We've gotta show that spoilt dragon we mean business," Raimundo answered sternly. "Maybe if we can convince her we're real Xiaolin Warriors, she'll let us go."
Meanwhile, Ping Pong was still sitting with Lady Yulin. He was upset that his friends were locked away, but the box of sweets that the dragon had given him was putting his mind off his sorrow. The dragon patted him on the head with her massive hand surprisingly gently.
"I think it's about time we decide what you're going to wear for the big day," Yulin said to him softly.
Ping Pong looked at her doubtfully, but quickly forced a smile. "What big day?" he asked her.
Yulin laughed tenderly. "You've bought me so much happiness, so I've arranged for us to be wed."
The little monk dropped the box of sweets immediately and laughed hesitantly. "You are very funny, mademoiselle!"
Yulin joined in with his laughter with some genuine giggling. "I suppose it is funny how I could fall in love with someone so soon!"
Ping Pong stopped laughing and tried to grin, but it was almost a look of pain. "Mama Mia…" he mumbled to himself.
The doors to the throne room were suddenly blown open, catapulting several guards standing watch off their feet and sliding across the marble floor. Yulin quickly stood on her feet and began to growl angrily, almost knocking Ping Pong over. When the dust cleared, the Xiaolin Warriors and Willow were standing there, assuming a fighting position and brandishing their Shen Gong Wu.
"Here we are again, your highness," Raimundo proclaimed. "We're here to show you what Shoku Warriors can do!"
"Oh my," squeaked Kuji, peering into the room, "This may put a strain on the relationship between the city and the Xiaolin Temple."
"Guards!" bellowed the dragon ruler, her voice accompanied by the rumble of thunder, "Seize them! I want them out of my sight!"
Jade armoured soldiers came flooding into the throne room behind the Xiaolin Warriors, almost trampling Kuji underfoot as the little brown dragon ran to find a hiding place. The heroes turned around immediately to face the guards, unperturbed by the fact that they were outnumbered.
"Shoku Neptune, Water!" Omi proclaimed, enveloping himself in water from the Orb of Tornami. The little monk flew around the room, propelled by a jet of water, sending several guards flying left and right.
A mob of soldiers were charging at Kimiko, who quickly readied her Wudai Weapon. "Arrow Sparrow!" she cried, scattering several of the bird shaped projectiles at them. The fiery projectiles each hit a soldier at the front of the crowd and stopped them in their tracks, causing their comrades to collide with them from behind.
"Third Arm Sash, Earth!" yelled Clay, transforming the silky Shen Gong Wu around his waist into a giant fist of stone. The earth arm slammed into the ground, creating such an impact that it rocked the palace and knocked over nearby guards.
A guard dived at Willow, but she leapt over him gracefully and caused him to accidentally strike a comrade. Rather than attack them directly, Willow was using her swift movements to evade the attacks and cause the soldiers to strike each other.
Raimundo summoned a blast of air and directed it towards another group of enemies. "Shoku Astro, Wind!" he exclaimed, bowling them over with a miniature hurricane.
Most of the guards were on the floor, struggling to get to their feet. The most able bodied soldiers regrouped in the centre of the room, but the Xiaolin Warriors closed in. Lady Yulin frowned and snapped her clawed fingers, illuminating the room briefly with a flash of green light. The jade armour of the soldiers began to glow eerily.
"Let's find out how your elemental powers stand against the power of jade!" Yulin bellowed.
The guards suddenly floated off the ground, as though they were in zero gravity. They were then all pulled towards a single soldier hovering in the centre of the mass, making their armour glow brighter. With another flash of green light, the soldiers merged into a towering creature that resembled a centipede made from green stone.
"This was most unexpected," Omi mumbled, slightly unnerved by the monster that the guards had become.
The giant centipede crawled across the floor on its many pairs of legs, circling around the Xiaolin Warriors and Willow. The heroes grouped together and exchanged looks of hesitation, readying their Shen Gong Wu. Ping Pong tried to run to them, but Yulin curled her tail around him tightly.
The creature suddenly charged at Clay, but the warrior of earth leapt up into the air at just the right time. During the few seconds he was airborne above the monster, Clay used the Lasso Boa-Boa as a makeshift leash, reining in the beast as he rode on its back. Yulin seemed insulted by the cowboy's brave actions.
"Now's our chance!" Raimundo exclaimed to his friends. "Hit with everything you've got!"
Clay caused the centipede to rear up, exposing its underside to the warriors of water, wind and fire. The three of them leapt towards the monster, but even though it was restrained, it managed to swat them away with three of its legs.
"What a shame, you sounded so hopeful!" laughed Lady Yulin.
Willow carefully aimed the Rio Reverso at the towering monster before black lightning shot out from its blue crystal, enveloping the creature in magical energy just as it managed to throw Clay off its back. The creature hissed before it fell apart like crumbling stone, each piece transforming back into a soldier. Morphed back into their original forms, the dazed soldiers lay in a pile, moaning painfully.
The Xiaolin Warriors got back on their feet and smiled. "This place needs a little tidying up!" Raimundo said, brandishing the Blade of the Nebula.
He swung the blue sword around, transforming it into a tornado nunchaku that wrapped up the pile of guards and sent them spinning out of the throne room. Ping Pong cheered, but he was silenced by the dragon ruler's thunderous roaring.
"Do you believe we're true Xiaolin Warriors now?" Kimiko asked the enraged dragon boldly.
Omi glanced at Willow and smiled. "I believe that someone else could be a true Xiaolin Warrior!" he said to her quietly. She giggled and blew him a kiss, making him giggle too.
Yulin wrapped up Ping Pong even tighter, causing the tiny boy to groan in pain. The Xiaolin Warriors were appalled, but the dragon grinned. Omi and Clay leapt forward in an attempt to rescue Ping Pong, but the dragon caught them with a stream of misty green dragon breath.
The warriors of water and earth fell back down to the ground, their bodies encased in jade, save for their faces. "She's a real dragon lady," Clay grunted, trying to move and break free.
"You can have your boy back if you win against me in a Xiaolin Showdown," Lady Yulin said slyly. "Kuji Chunagi Di, bring the Knight of Jade!"
The little dragon steward scurried into the room, placing the green statuette in the centre of the throne room. He leapt away as Willow, Raimundo and Kimiko ran towards it, touching it at the same time as the tip of Lady Yulin's tail. The dragon pressed Ping Pong tightly, causing the Moonstone Locust to be squeezed out of his clothes.
"It'll be our Kahuna's Crown, Golden Tiger Claws and Cannon Blaster against your Moonstone Locust!" Raimundo announced.
He looked at Willow, who appeared to be rather anxious. "I'll try and do my best! Please trust me," she said.
"The game will be quick and simple!" cackled Yulin. "You must survive my wrath until the time runs out!" She quickly glanced at Kuji, who immediately produced a large hourglass from somewhere.
"Let's go! Xiaolin Showdown!" yelled the four competitors.
Their surroundings quickly blinked in and out of visibility as a thunderstorm sounded outside, and in a flash, Lady Yulin was nowhere to be seen. The ground shook as the Palace of Jade began to take on a new form, the domed roof opening up to reveal the dark clouds above.
A large circular section of the tiled floor began to rise upwards with Raimundo, Willow and Kimiko on it. Willow almost lost her footing with the sudden movement, but the Xiaolin leader grabbed her by the hand and ensured her that she would not fall. The three of them found themselves floating high above the City Of Jade, with a smaller platform orbiting the circular arena. Omi and Clay were stood on the platform, still trapped in jade, along with Kuji, Ping Pong, Dojo and the hourglass.
"Gong Yi Tan Pai!"
A bolt of lightning shot down from the sky, but the three heroes managed to jump out of the way, with Kimiko almost toppling off the platform. Raimundo looked upwards and saw the dark clouds were illuminated briefly by a flash of lightning, revealing the dragon's silhouette.
"She's above the clouds!" Raimundo yelled to his companions. "We can't get her, but we can avoid her!"
The air was filled with the sound of Yulin's laughter before a mighty gust of wind was summoned; the dragon was attempting to blow them off the platform. Kimiko and Willow clenched their teeth and shielded themselves with their arms, but Raimundo managed to protect them by shaping the air using his powers.
"How much time do we have left, Dojo?" Kimiko called out, trying to make her voice be heard above the sound of the wind.
Dojo, sat on the petrified Omi's head, glanced at the green sands of the hourglass. "You're about one quarter of the way through! Hold on!"
The wind suddenly stopped, but then it started to rain torrentially. The rain was accompanied by more bolts of lightning, and the now slippery surface of the arena was making them harder to avoid. Kimiko was using the transportation powers of the Golden Tiger Claws to avoid the lightning, but then she felt something grab her ankle.
The warrior of fire looked down to see a disembodied feminine hand, emerging from her shadow, making her shriek in fright. Kimiko tried to jump away, but the hand held on, making her trip over. Kimiko found herself slipping off the edge of the arena, as though she was being dragged there.
"Kimiko!" cried Raimundo, attempting to run to her, but he too was tripped over by something.
The team leader watched Kimiko disappear off the side with a yell, realizing she was out of the game. Raimundo got to his feet and looked back at Willow, who seemed to be kneeling. When the blonde girl realized the warrior of wind was looking in her direction, she quickly got to her feet.
"I'm so sorry, Raimundo!" she said to him forlornly. "It's just too slippery here!"
Yulin's laughter filled the air again as the rain stopped. Raimundo angrily looked up at the clouds above, only to see several fireballs hurtling towards him. The fireballs were large, and Raimundo knew that without the Golden Tiger Claws, they could not be dodged.
"Lady Yulin has started to use fire against them now that Kimiko isn't around to protect them from it!" Omi exclaimed as Dojo tried to chisel him free.
"Let's hope Rai and Willow can take the heat!" Clay added.
Before the fireballs made contact, Raimundo used the Kahuna's Crown to grow several times his size. He bowed over Willow to protect her, growling in pain as the fire scorched his giant back. "What's the time, Dojo?" he asked.
The little green dragon was startled by Raimundo's now deep and booming voice and dropped his chisel, but when he gazed at the hourglass again, he began to look hopeful. "Only a few seconds left!"
Kuji began to look panicked and quickly rushed over to the hourglass, gripping it in his tiny arms. However, despite his small size, it looked like he would be able to move it. "Stop! Vous trichez!" Ping Pong exclaimed angrily, trying to grab hold of the dragon. However, Kuji sneered and tripped the little monk with his tail, causing him to drop his glasses.
"Stop Kuji from throwing a monkey's tool into our plans!" Omi shouted to Dojo as Ping Pong crawled around on his hands and knees.
Dojo growled and leapt onto Kuji, wrapping around him and pulling him away from the hourglass. "I always secretly thought you were the worst class president!" Dojo yelled, slapping Kuji repeatedly in the face. "You never listened to my idea of bringing pizza back on the cafeteria menu for Wednesdays!"
"I helped bring back taco Tuesdays!" Kuji wailed, cowering under Dojo's assault "Wasn't that enough?"
Raimundo removed the Kahuna's Crown and shrank back to his ordinary size, weary from the attack but prepared to win. Lady Yulin swooped down, screaming in rage, but Willow and Raimundo leapt over her to avoid the attack. However, Yulin's strike had caused the arena to begin to crumble.
When the Shoku Warrior leader noticed that the great dragon was back in the sky, he called for Willow to use the Cannon Blaster. The Shen Gong Wu became a cannon large enough for Willow and Raimundo to climb inside, and the two of them were launched upwards as a red cannonball just as the arena crumbled completely.
The ruler of the City of Jade was struck by the cannonball just as the time ran out; Raimundo and trainee Willow had managed to survive the Xiaolin Showdown. The heroes quickly found themselves back in the palace's throne room, just as it was before the challenge began. Clay and Omi had been spontaneously freed from their imprisonment. Raimundo was relieved to see that Kimiko was alright, but was almost tripped over by Ping Pong hugging his legs. Yulin was sulking on her throne, facing away from the Xiaolin Warriors.
"We'll be leaving now," Kimiko said, holding up the Knight of Jade.
"But sister Kimiko," said Ping Pong worriedly, "Without me, Lady Yulin is unhappy. If she stays unhappy, the City of Jade may never have a pleasant day ever again."
The crowd of guards, still bruised and battered from their earlier ordeal, walked wearily into the throne room. "Turn him over!" grunted a soldier at the front of the group, "We are loyal to the City of Jade! We will not allow it to spend another day without its shine!"
The other soldiers began to rant, filling the throne room with noise. Ping Pong sadly approached Omi and tugged his arm to distract him from the angry men. "Brother Omi, I am afraid that it may be best for me to stay here."
Lady Yulin briefly turned to look at the Xiaolin Warriors facing the angry crowd, but then she became transfixed by Omi and Ping Pong's moment together. "It all makes sense now," she muttered sorrowfully, before suddenly rising off her throne and walking towards the crowd of soldiers.
The guards cowered in fear, but Yulin seemed more upset than enraged. "Your majesty!" some of them squealed, ducking for cover.
"It's not correct to force misery on others just because I am miserable," she spoke softly, making the guards less afraid, but somewhat puzzled. "Ping Pong has done nothing wrong. He only wishes to be with his father."
"His father?" Raimundo mumbled, before quickly realizing that she somehow meant Omi. "Yes, his father!"
Omi was baffled, but the other Xiaolin Warriors were quick to join in with the charade. "Don't forget all his little brothers and sisters at the Temple, too!" added Clay.
The great dragon lowered her head and surprisingly gave Ping Pong a tender kiss on the forehead with her reptilian lips. "Please enjoy every moment you have with your father. Treasure each day you journey together." Omi was about to open his mouth to speak, but Dojo quickly slithered onto his shoulder and held it shut. "You are free to go," Lady Yulin muttered, returning to her throne.
The Xiaolin Warriors and their companions quietly left and began to make their way out of the Palace of Jade. "We got the Shen Gong Wu, but it's a shame we couldn't help the city," Kimiko said sadly.
Kuji watched the soldiers close the huge doors of the throne room dejectedly. "What'll happen now?" he mumbled to himself as he looked out the window to see the dull buildings outside.
To his astonishment, the clouds above the City of Jade began to part, letting the bright sunshine through. The buildings of the city began to sparkle and become vibrant once again. Kuji looked back at Lady Yulin and saw that she was smiling softly.
"I hope Ping Pong stays close to his father," she said. "Do you think my father would be happy for them too?"
As the Xiaolin Warriors flew away from the city on the back of Dojo, they looked back at the land they had visited and were surprised to see the improved appearance of the city. "Magnifique!" gasped Ping Pong, "The land is beautiful once more!"
"Now that's the City of Jade I remember!" Dojo added.
"Since we got our happy ending, do you mind telling us what the Knight of Jade can do?" asked Raimundo.
"Beats me!" replied Dojo. "Dashi never put it in the mystic scroll of the Shen Gong Wu, remember? But he gave it to Yulin's father to protect the city, so I guess it must have some ability that can sort out huge problems!"
"May I ask what kind of huge problems?" Omi questioned.
"Huge enough for a weather controlling dragon ruler's scales to stand on end," answered Dojo with a hint of dread. Omi's mouth opened wide in anticipation, hoping they would encounter and overcome such an obstacle.
Willow tapped Raimundo on the shoulder and smiled at him when he turned around to face her. "Do you think you're any closer to figuring out who's gonna make the team, leader Raimundo?" she asked with her sensuous voice followed by a giggle.
Raimundo chuckled uneasily before letting out a small cough. "You did awesome in the showdown, but then again, so did Ping Pong in his first showdown," the leader replied quietly. "Maybe we should give it one more day. There needs to be a challenge where we can measure you and Ping Pong against each other."
Willow looked briefly frustrated, but then rapidly resumed looking serene. "Maybe you could allow me and the cute little jellybean to compete in the next Xiaolin Showdown?"
The warrior of wind nodded and smiled, and then put his hand to his chin as though he was pondering something. "We'll see."
Chase Young had observed the Xiaolin Warriors adventuring in the City of Jade for the whole day, and was reviewing the footage in his scrying pool. "I may have underestimated that little monk," he said indignantly. "The Xiaolin Warriors have grown quite attached to him already."
His jungle cats suddenly began stirring as Willow entered the cave, gradually shifting her appearance into her 'Shadow' persona. "I would've broken into the Shen Gong Wu vault by now if it wasn't for that Ping Pong," she added. "I'm not surprised they're so attached to him, he looks so much like their bigger gumdrop."
"If Ping Pong is anything like Omi, I feel like this small problem may grow into a great obstacle if we don't get rid of him soon enough," Chase muttered.
He cast his hand over the scrying pool and changed the image within its waters to that of a destroyed city, one with buildings made of jade. "I see you visited the city shortly after we left," Shadow said with a chuckle.
She watched the Heylin Warrior walk towards a massive cauldron that was suspended off the ground by iron chains. The liquid that was bubbling inside seemed to glow a sickly yellowish green, providing most of the illumination in the evil lair. Shadow licked her lips as she observed Chase pour some of the brew into a drinking bowl with a ladle.
"I was gathering ingredients for the improved Lao Mang Long soup," he said. "It would've been more difficult if you hadn't helped the monks take the Knight of Jade away."
Shadow sniffed the air, inhaling the aroma of the wicked concoction as Chase took a sip. "May I try some?" she asked with a chuckle. "Perhaps it'll help me focus on my mission." Chase paused from enjoying the soup and stared at her with his glowing reptilian eyes. "I'll just make do with the usual, then," Shadow said with a shrug.
A tiny mouse scurried by her feet, out of the clutches of a lazy lion. The rodent's run for freedom was put to an end by the chameleon like tongue that shot out from behind Shadow's lips, pulling the helpless animal into her mouth.