"It's time then?"
Raimundo nodded. He and the others were in the vault room, standing around the caldron that hid the safe.
"Dashi said so," he told them, reaching over and grabbing Kimiko's hand. "Can't really argue with that, can you?"
"Is there any way to stop this?" Omi asked quietly, his brow knit tightly. "We do not even know what is happening, and yet I do not wish to know..."
"None of us do, Omi," Kimiko said, reaching over and giving his shoulder a squeeze.
"If there's no way to stop it," Clay started, touching his hat. "Then we may as well roll with it."
"If we can," Rai muttered.
"Don't look so down, young ones."
They turned to see Grand Master Dashi enter with Master Fung. He was walking, even in his ethereal form, and had a smile on his face. Master Fung matched his cheer, more to encourage his students.
"This turn of events won't always be grim," Dashi said. "There is a chance still that we can take advantage."
"How?" Rai asked. "The prophecy says that they make their own side."
"True, true. But if you were to show them the right way, they could become another branch of the Xiaolin."
"Yeah, because the Jack Pack, as they're calling themselves, would surely agree to that," Kimiko sighed.
"We'd have ta hogtie 'em an' strangle 'em before they even think of it," Clay said.
"But we won't do that...will we?" Omi asked with a shudder.
"I am certain you can find a way to convince them, young monks," M. Fung said. "You simply have to be honest with them."
"I don't think you'll want me to be honest," Rai mumbled.
"In any case, I have something to tell you all," Dashi said. His tone changed to a serious one. "I have been shown a new section of the prophecy. It is much more specific than the rest."
"Good," Rai sighed. "What did it say?"
"Join hands, and I'll show you."
The monks raised their brows, then hesitantly did as they were told. Dashi grabbed Rai's and Kimiko's, since they were at each end, and then closed his eyes. The monks felt a rush of energy envelop them as the room disappeared around them. A barren, gray field replaced it, surrounded by trees that were singed and empty of leaves. Smoke swirled through the air and gagged them, surprising since it was supposed to be an illusion.
"Where are we?" Rai asked as he surveyed the land. "What happened?"
"It is hard to say," Dashi admitted, releasing him and Kimiko and pointing behind them. "But look."
The monks turned to see four bodies on the ground, eyes and mouths open wide. Their forms were glowing brightly, one red, one blue, one green, and one white. They didn't move, didn't breath, and a strange black liquid was seeping from their eyes. It put a bad taste in the monks mouths; was this them?
No, it wasn't. In a moment the glow diminished, and they were gaping at the lifeless bodies of Stryker, Entropy, Zephr and Cinder. Dashi grasped Rai's shoulder before he rushed to his brother, who let out a hiss of air before his eyes drooped closed.
"This is most troubling," Omi whimpered, shuddering as Kimiko pulled him close.
"This...this won't really happen, will it?" she asked the Grand Master.
"Hopefully not like this," Dashi said grimly. "But it could."
Something crashed nearby, and they turned to see another being beside them, glowing lightning blue and floating above the ground. It's eyes were black, bleeding the same strange liquid, and swollen large. In the center of them were small points of blue light; the being saw them and it's lips curled.
"We should go," Dashi decided as the form started groaning in pain.
"Who is that?" Clay asked as Dashi grabbed his shoulder.
It cried out, it's head snapping up to the sky. A blinding light shot out of it, almost hitting the monks. Dashi had managed to connect them again, so they were out of the dimension and back in the temple before they were effected. Each teen shook for a moment, shocked by what they had seen.
"...It was Jack, wasn't it?" Kimiko whispered.
Dashi nodded, his spirit seeming heavy and gray. The monks processed this silently, the image of their enemy crying out almost impossible to ignore.
"What was with the black stuff in their eyes?" Rai asked stiffly.
"We are not sure," M. Fung told him. "The only thing we have seen is what you were shown."
"That's not much help then, is it?" Clay said.
"It's just a possibility, right?" Rai asked. "It's not certain? We'll be able to change it-"
"I don't know, I don't know," Dashi interrupted. "Nothing about this is certain."
"But it is possible?" Omi asked, his brow still knit. "The others could really..."
He didn't even want to suggest the idea. The thought that the opposing teens could be destroyed by one of their own was too impossible to imagine.
"Look alive kids!" Dojo shouted as he came into the vault room, oblivious to the weighted discussion that had been taking place. "We've got a new Shen Gong Wu about to reveal itself! I..."
He finally looked up from the scroll and saw the stressed looks on his friend's faces.
"What's wrong?" he asked, turning to the Masters. "I missed something again, didn't I?"
"I'm sure the monks would be willing to explain it to you on the way, Dojo," M. Fung said.
"Master-" Rai started.
"We need to be on the look out, and that means you will have to face Jack and his friends once more."
"Better that you fight them than the Heylin," Dashi pointed out. "If something seems off, forfeit. We don't want anyone getting hurt. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Grand Master," the monks answered, bowing to him.
"Good. I trust you'll all know what to do when the time comes."
The monks weren't so convinced, but they left anyway, ignoring the dread knots tied in their stomachs.