I am so sorry this took so long, dear readers! My greatest apologies! =]

********************************************************************************************************************************

Raimondo stepped into the aeroplane with Clay and Omi, the latter clenching his stamped ticket excitedly. The plane took off, a big yellow head pressing itself against the oval window. As they flew over the clouds though, he stated plainly that Dojo's flying was far more exhilarating.

***

"They are on their way, Mr Bean sir!" A redhead declared with a punch into the air.

***

It was a private jet of her father's. She treaded from the grassy plain to carpeted steps. She greeted the steward in Japanese and he ushered her to a seat. I watched, silent.

The engines roared. She waved from her window. I nodded impassively alongside the other monks. The vehicle became airborne.

I couldn't resist.

I became airborne. I rapped on her window. Her face expanded with utmost surprise. I smiled. She blew me a kiss. I laid my hand on the glass. She set her hand with mine. The thought of its eventual end gnawed at my mind.

I never believed I could feel this way. This prospect is too good for evil – too good for me. Do I deserve this sensation? Do I deserve any affection from such a character from my adversary of fifteen hundred years as she? Is this sentiment mine to be, truly?

My hand slipped off the glass as I decended back onto solid ground.

***

"Kimiko is nearing Rendezvous 6, sir." Vlad called.

"Wuya?" Hannibal turned to the Heylin witch, "Are you ready?"

"Oh yes." Roars and savage growls drummed off the walls of the cave. Her gleaming lips stretched from ear to ear, revealing the sharp points of teeth hidden behind. "We are."

***

Instinct tortured my love-pained soul as I descended. The further I went from the skies, the pain intensifies. My mind battled with my body to turn back, but I was bound by honour. I continued the chores with an uneasy state of mind.

The sun was slightly on the west side when I finally threw down the tools and harnessed my dark magic. In literally no time at all, the temple was spick and span and not a monk was in sight. I rushed to the Master's door and rapped hard. I was firm about the notion and intended to do something about it. He emerged with his hands in his sleeves; the perfect picture of serenity. I glanced over his appearance and noticed the crumpled silk of his vest and the folds behind his knee. He gave a solemn nod, disclosing the notion that he was pondering a thought similar to my own and he led me to the hall.

We stood on opposite sides of the cauldron, his eyes focused on my every motion, scrutinising my reliability. At most I blinked and glared back through narrow slits. Finally he folded his arms, crumpling his vest further, and addressed me with a light but grave air. Twice the visions came but he had chosen to dismiss it for he believed no power was greater than good. However, the signs of nature pointed to an otherwise ominous beginning. He presently had a third. He firmly added all materials I required will be provided for under the condition of upholding a warrior's honour. I replied with immediate action.

Throughout his speech my eyes were fixed on the wisps of smoke formed by the burning incense. The smooth grey strands danced with any waft of air that passed, intertwining with the air and fading into transparency. They blended in unnoticed, unknown and unforeseen. Opportunity rose within my hand as I dipped it in to grasp the strings that would be tools for this first step to knowledge. I pulled at them and stepped back three feet from the black pot to adopt my meditation position, whilst levitating in mid air. I felt the warm wisps travel through my palms. The rest was a blur.

My soul joined the playful wisps as they breezed though the atmosphere. I could feel the wind driving past me, urging me to flow with it higher and higher, farther and farther from my body. Over land and sea, forests and deserts and mountaintops I soared until my sense of evil led me to source lurking in a cave far in the North. I entered the darkness, seeing nothing but feeling everything. I sensed an unspeakable fusion of life and death; my type of stir where fresh breath was inhaled and poison exhaled. Decomposition was amiss in the air yet a fragrant smell of cooked food was rampant. A peculiar ventilator was built into the cave wall and I escaped into its shafts. Through the occasional gaps, my mind pieced the puzzle together.

First the sounds of thousands of voices grunting in unison came; a massive army training in martial arts. The sight beheld would have shook Goodness itself to its core – filthy, black shapes that were akin to men form yet without eyes and noses but wide jaws lined with rows of sharp pointed teeth. One as evil could tell they were fit and built for, otherwise created to defeat and murder large populations of enemies. I passed to the next section –

***

I was rudely shaken out of the trance by a visually panicking Master Fung. The contrast took me by annoyance more than surprise – nothing surprises one who has lived fifteen centuries – but the anxiety written in his eyes that stared beyond me made me turn to that direction. Again, I was not taken by surprise.

Swarms of locusts darkened the sky into a shade of night. Below, animals were frantic for their lives, running away from the North. I spared no time.

I reached out my hand and touched the good Master's forehead, telepathically revealing to him in an instant all that I had seen. He turned to me and solemnly told me, "Go. Take all the Wu. Find the young monks and flee to the safest lodging." I saw beyond the mask of command a fear of the impending lying heavily on his mind as he uttered the last few words, "They will live and soon prosper to build a new Xiaolin era."

I turned to go, first changing to my own armour; I did not intend to fight in any less disreputable clothing. I rushed to the vault, reduced the Wu to rice grains with the changing chopsticks and vanished to Tokyo.

I found the dear girl with her father at dinner as I impertinently stepped in. I smiled, bowed honourably and took her away from him. She naturally protested, which no kiss could reconcile as I grabbed monk by monk. Finally we arrived at my lair and, after much time wasted on silencing their ungrateful mouths, I began the tale of the ominous doom that awaited the world. The silence lingered for the next two days as none of them could utter a word on the destruction I had so explained in detail.

Their faces betrayed their fear and despair, as well as the burden of re-establishing an entire world of good culture and tradition. Omi wept like a newborn babe. The cowboy lowered his hat to his chest as he quietly took a room. Raimondo walked aimlessly for hours every waking day.

The next two days were filled with horror and death.

I took Kimiko into my arms and led her away into the heart of my home. Sitting her into an upholstered chair, I let her weep on my shoulder as I sat next to her. Tears fell from her but for a bare hour before her head lifted, and I saw in her eyes a determination burning within I never forgot.