The Xiaolin Dragon King: Third Arc

by Unicornblossem13

After sealing Hannibal Bean in the Ying-Yang World, Xiaolin Dragon King Juno and her Shoku Warriors find themselves enjoying a time of relative peace. They even take on a young monk, Ping-Pong, to be the new Xiaolin Dragon of Wood. However, their peace is disturbed by the appearance of Chase's new apprentice, the highly ambitious and power-hungry Shadow.

3. When the Walls Come Tumbling Down

Hello, everyone, I'm glad to see you all again for the next chapter of the Third Arc. I hope you're all ready, this one is gonna be a little intense. I won't keep you guys waiting, let's start the show. Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

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The Xiaolin Dragon King: Third Arc

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Chapter Three: When the Walls Come Tumbling Down

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(At Chase Young's lair)

"It seems, yet again, that I have to reprimand you on taking unnecessary action, Shadow." the Heylin warrior said, sitting down at a dining table and drinking a bowl of Lao Mang Lone Soup.

"I'm not sure I know what you're talking about." Shadow replied, standing a few feet away.

"Then I'll fill you in." he set the bowl down and looked at her. "Sabotaging the Xiaolin Warriors' mission to retrieve a new Shen Gong Wu does not seem like a good idea to get inside their vault."

"Oh, you heard about that." she said quite casually, recalling the night she overheard him talking with the Xiaolin Warriors about what she had done. "I actually do have a plan that involves me stealing the Indigo Pyramid back from Jack Spicer. Trust me, I know what I'm doing."

"I'm beginning to highly doubt that."

"Alright, and I might have roughed up the Xiaolin Dragon King and her little groupies a bit." Shadow told him. "But I don't see why you would be so concerned. Juno I can understand, but what about the monks? I mean, getting rid of them seems like the right idea, and-"

In the blink of an eye, Chase was standing directly in front of her. His hand grabbed her chin, holding it in a none-too-gentle grip. "Listen to me, Shadow..." he said in a low, dark tone of voice. "I'm getting sick and tired of your little acts of insubordination. I don't like it when people under me ignore my explicit orders."

The female villain couldn't reply, his hold on her chin tightening to the point where it felt like it was going to break.

"Admitting my mistakes is not something I make a habit of, but I'll make an exception in your case." he shoved her hard, making her fall to the floor. "I expect you to leave within five minutes."

"What?!" Shadow sat up. "You can't just-"

"I believe I can." Chase cut her off, glaring down at her. "I chose to take you on as my apprentice, and now I'm choosing to throw you out. It's a bit of a shame, really, you did have the potential to be a successful villain." he turned his back to her. "If you're still here when your time is up, I won't be so merciful."

The now-former apprentice said nothing as he walked out of the room. She sat in silence, letting everything that just happen to process in her mind. Then her teeth gritted tightly together, her clenched fist slamming into the hard floor beneath her.

"Dammit!" Shadow yelled, her voice echoing off the walls. "Dammit it all! I came all this way here just to..." she had come to train under the best, only to be tossed aside like it was nothing. She was just trying to prove herself, but, apparently, the great Chase Young didn't like it when she messed around with the lives of the Xiaolin Dragon King and the monks.

It was becoming very clear to her now that he wasn't the great villain she thought he was. If anything, he had become soft and weak. And it was all because of his holier-than-thou wife and her stupid kids. From what she heard the other night, though, it sounded like he had become a sort of father to the Shoku Warriors as well. It also sounded like he was closer with one in particular. Oh, how she would love to see the look on his face if he knew one of his precious kids was in trouble-

Shadow paused, her mind running over the thought again and again. Slowly, a smirk formed on her face as the thought transformed into an idea. Maybe seeing the kind of expression the great Chase Young can make would be worth it. Standing up, she walked towards one of the walls of the room, stopping when her feet touched the shadow it created from the light that shone overhead. She began to sink down, her whole body soon disappearing into the dark spot.

Traveling through the darkness, making sure to remain undetected by the Heylin warrior and his Jungle Cats, she went to an area that was on the far side of the lair. Entering a long hallway, she slipped through the cracks of a door and into a room that resembled a makeshift laboratory.

Stepping out from the wall, Shadow walked over to a tall shelf that held an assortment of jars containing different types of liquids, mysterious substances, and preserved specimens. One of the glass jars held something that was more on the alive side, though.

It looked to be a normal, regular-sized scorpion. However, it was pitch black and had four eyes, a pair underneath the other, that were blood red. On its back was a red mark that was in the shape of a human skull.

"Hello, love." Shadow cooed, tapping her finger against the glass. She smirked as the predatory arachnid slammed its deadly sharp, stinger in retaliation, its pinchers clicking warningly. "Mama has big plans for you." she picked up the jar, holding it directly in front of her face to stare into fiery eyes. "I give you freedom, and you take care of some pests for me."

---

(Later, at the Xiaolin Temple)

"Alright, kids, that'll be enough for today." Juno told the monks after they were done with training. "Just get your respective chores done and you're free for the rest of the day."

"Whoo, semi-freedom!" Raimundo cheered. "After chores, what do you say to a picnic and a little alone time?" he asked his girlfriend.

"I would love to." Kimiko smiled, standing up on her tiptoes and kissing his cheek. "Wanna meet by the usual place?"

"You know it." he grinned. "I'll see you in a bit."

The female monk waved as he ran off to do his chores.

"Come, Ping-Pong, let us go and get our sweeping done." Omi told his relative. "Afterwards, I will teach you my special Cougar Slicing Rock."

"Oh, that would be wonderful, Brother Omi." Ping-Pong grinned widely as he followed him.

"I'm off to do some dishes." Clay announced. "Catch ya'll later."

"It's so nice to see you and Raimundo going on strong." Juno said to the female monk after the boys left.

"It's because of your advice, Juno." Kimiko told her. "We got to talking and working some stuff out the other day. So, thank you."

"I am always happy to help my favorite couple." the redhead smiled as they walked together.

"By the way, Chase really did renounce Shadow as his apprentice, huh?"

"That's what he said when he called earlier. He tossed her out after he learned that she really was the one who messed up our last quest for the Indigo Pyramid." Juno said with a satisfied expression. "Life is turning out to be all sunshine and roses."

"Oh, I'm sure you're happy about that." Kimiko chuckled a bit. "Although, knowing people from the Heylin side, there's gonna be some revenge happening."

"Please, with all of us together, we can handle any kind of situation. Especially if it involves some rookie villain who already thinks too highly of herself when she hasn't accomplished anything on her own."

"You are so harsh, Juno."

"I just tell it how it is, no one said the truth was always nice. " Juno smiled brightly.

As the two walked by one of the temple buildings, a single figure stood with her back against the wall. Green eyes watched as they strolled past, waiting until they were out of sight.

"I just might be changing your opinion of me soon enough, Juno." Willow said to herself, looking at the glass jar that held the black scorpion in her hands. "Very soon, indeed." she smirked and came out from behind the building, heading in the opposite direction the girls had gone in.

---

(Later)

Raimundo was in the temple's storage room, wiping down all the dust that had gathered on the items that were kept inside. He let out a particularly loud sneeze when a cloud of the tiny particles found its way up his nose.

"Ah, man." he sniffed, using his sleeve to wipe his nostrils. "Why did I get storage room duty? The last thing I need is a runny nose on my date with Kimi." he sneezed once more. "Dang it."

"My, my, you could hear that throughout the whole temple."

The Brazilian turned around to the voice that just spoke, seeing a certain blonde leaning against the doorframe. "Willow."

"Howdy, there." she gave a smile, arms behind her back. "I was just wondering if you needed a hand."

"It would make the work go faster." he said. "And I get to make my appointment quicker." he grinned, tossing her a spare rag.

"I'm assuming with Kimiko." Willow grabbed it with one hand, keeping her other arm close to her back as she walked over.

"Yeah, we're going on a little picnic." Raimundo turned back to wipe one of the shelves.

"That sounds so sweet. Hey, I just wanted to say sorry for causing trouble for you two the other day. It wasn't my intention."

"Nah, don't sweat it." the Shoku Warrior replied, carefully picking up an old, small vase. "We managed to work things out, I actually think we've become more solid than before." he cleaned it up. "If it wasn't for you, that might not have happened. So, thanks, Willow."

"You know, it's funny..." she said, dropping the rag to the floor. "But Kimiko told me the same thing." she pulled her arm out from behind her, placing her free hand on the lid of the jar. "But I'm happy to help such a lovely couple."

"Yeah." Raimundo put the vase back gently. "I'll bet you are."

In the blink of an eye, he spun around with his leg shot out towards her. Willow barely had time to bring up her arm and block the attack, clutching the glass jar tightly so it didn't fall. She gritted her teeth as she pushed against his foot.

"Chase called earlier." the Shoku Warrior said, his leg still raised. "He told us that you were the one who sabotaged us from getting the Shen Gong Wu the other day. Not only that, but he also mentioned the mission he sent you on to steal from us before he fired you, Willow. Or, should I say, Shadow?"

"Tsk!"

Raimundo quickly pulled his leg back, but soon shot it out at her stomach this time. The blonde jumped back to dodge, putting distance between them.

"He also told us about your powers. Gotta say, given what you can do, your name is a little spot-on, don't you think?"

"I changed my name when I decided to walk the path of evil."

"You're not the most imaginative person, are you?" he smirked.

Willow glared at him. Then she tossed the jar up into the air and charged, shooting out a fist. Raimundo deflected it and threw his own punch. The two went back and forth, blocking one another's attacks. However, the Shoku Warrior soon began to overwhelm the blonde, his higher level of skill showing itself. When she sent out a kick, he dropped to the floor and swiped his own leg across hers, knocking her off balance.

Willow's hand touched the floor and she pushed herself back up to her feet. She caught the glass jar when it fell back down. "I admit, you're a lot better than what I thought you would be."

"I have been trained by the best." Raimundo said with a grin. "The one and only Xiaolin Dragon King herself."

"Yeah, she's taught you well. But, I wonder..." she placed her hand on the jar's lid, opening it. "If she taught you well enough!" she flung it out towards him.

The black scorpion went flying out and headed towards the monk. He reacted quickly and grabbed one of the old vases on the shelves nearby. He pulled off its lid and held it out, the predatory arachnid going through the opening. Returning the lid to seal it inside, the monk set it back on the shelf gently.

"Gonna have to come back to that later." Raimundo said to himself.

When he turned back around, he held up his hand and grabbed Willow's foot when she tried to kick him in the face. He pushed against her and made her stumble back a few feet. She quickly recovered and launched herself at the monk with a flurry of punches. Before any could make contact, though, he jumped into the air, did a flip over her head, and landed behind her. One of his arms wrapped around her neck in a choke-hold, trying to keep her in place.

Willow fought against Raimundo, both of them stumbling around the storage room. During the struggle, his back hit the shelf with the vases, some of them falling to the floor and shattering upon impact. Unknown to the two warriors, a black spot moved around the pile of broken ceramic pieces.

When the pair turned around, the blonde lifted up her legs and placed her feet on the shelf. Using all her strength, she pushed against it and made the male monk fall down on his back. With his grip on her loosened, she pushed his arm away and flipped off him.

Raimundo regained himself after the fall and looked up, seeing Willow standing over him with her leg raised into the air. Her foot soon came down quickly, aiming right for his head. He was faster, though, and managed to move his body around and fling his own leg towards the one she was standing on. When they made contact, she lost balance and began to fall to the floor.

Before she touched the hard surface, Raimundo lifted himself up a bit on his hands, and flung out both his legs. His feet made contact with her body and proceed to kick her in rapid session, doing so at a speed that was almost too quick for the eye. One last kick landed right in the middle of her stomach, the extra force behind it sending her flying through the storage room's door.

Willow landed roughly on the ground, coughing and groaning as she had to take a moment to recover. She wasn't given the chance, however, as she soon found a certain monk getting on top of her and pinning her wrists down.

"It's over, Shadow." Raimundo told her, making sure she couldn't move her legs. "You lose."

The blonde glared at him, trying to think of some way to get out of this mess.

"Raimundo!" a familiar voice suddenly called. "What's going on over there?"

The Brazilian turned his head and saw the Xiaolin Dragon King heading their way. "Juno, great timing! Guess who decided to show her- Agh!" a sharp pain suddenly exploded in his hand.

Willow looked and saw the scorpion she had brought, its stinger embedded in the skin of the monk's back hand. With him distracted, she freed one of her arms and pushed him off her.

"Hey!" Juno yelled when she saw the blonde get to her feet and run off in the opposite direction. "Where do you think you're going?" before she could chase after her, she quickly saw the Shoku Warrior laying on the ground, clutching his hand. "Raimundo!" she knelt down beside him. "Raimundo, what's the matter? Did she hit you?"

"N-No, it was..." Raimundo held up a shaking finger and pointed it toward the ground.

The redhead looked and saw the scorpion scuttling away. In the blink of an eye, she formed an icicle in her hand and threw it. The sharp end went through the arachnid's head, pinning it to the ground. Its entire body went slack in under a second.

"Raimundo, let me see your hand." Juno said gently, taking the younger male's hand into hers.

A gasp escaped her, her wide eyes taking in the ugly, reddish-black rash that was forming in the spot the scorpion stung the monk. Around it was a cluster of matching thin veins that, if one looked close enough, appeared to be growing by the second.

"Hang in there, Raimundo." Juno put his hand down and carefully gathered the monk in her arms. "We're going to get you help."

The only answer she got was his heavy breathing as she ran as fast as she could to get the others.

---

(Later)

"Rai..." Kimiko's worried eyes watched her boyfriend laying on a futon, his breath coming out in short and heavy pants. She wiped away the sweat that was gathering on his forehead with a wet cloth. "The medicine isn't working."

"Then this isn't the venom of a normal scorpion." Juno remarked, standing a few feet away with the rest of the Xiaolin Warriors, Dashi, and Guan.

"Sure is an ugly little fella." Clay commented, holding said scorpion that was still dangling from the icicle the redhead used on it. "Gives me the creeps just looking at it, especially with that red skull on it."

"Let me look." the Master Monk stepped closer and looked over the arachnid carefully. His brows soon furrowed in a grim line. "It's just as I feared, this is the Heylin Scorpion. It is one of the most venomous creatures in the world. Just one prick from its stinger will kill a person in a matter of hours. Even if it's dead, it is still just as dangerous."

The cowboy grimaced and quickly dropped the dead scorpion.

"Is there an antidote we can give Raimundo?" Omi asked, his worry all too obvious on his face.

"I'm sorry, Omi." Dashi knelt down in front of him. "But, by the time one is made, the person is..."

The short monk let out a small gasp. He turned his face to the ground, his eyes beginning to water as his lips quivered. The Grand Master wrapped his arms around him and gently pulled him into a hug. Omi's small hands tightly clutched his relative's shirt as his shoulders began to shake. Ping-Pong came over and rubbed his back, sniffling softly.

"So..." Kimiko spoke up. "Rai is going to..." her voice cracked.

No one said anything, the atmosphere becoming chilled around them. The thought that the Brazilian, their friend and member of their family, was going to leave them forever weighed heavily.

"No." Juno said, her voice steeled over. "There's no way we'll let that happen." she went over to the female monk and placed her hands on her shoulders. "We're going to find a way to save Raimundo, whatever it takes."

Kimiko looked at her, blue eyes staring into golden ones. Whenever the redhead had that fierce, determined look on her face, she always found the strength to overcome anything, no matter how hopeless things seemed. She sniffled once, quickly wiping her eyes, and nodded, mimicking the taller girl's expression.

"What I do want to know is how Shadow got her hands on a Heylin Scorpion." Juno thought aloud. "I doubt you can just find them anywhere."

"I can answer that."

Everyone turned and saw a certain Heylin warrior standing in the doorway.

"When Juno called and told me what happened, I checked around my lair." Chase said as he walked in. "I have a room where I keep some specimens for research purposes, one of them was a live Heylin Scorpion. Shadow must have taken it after I dismissed her as my apprentice."

"And she was hoping to use it on us to get revenge." Juno added. "You wouldn't have happened to develop an antidote, would you, Chase?"

"I'm afraid I never got around to it. I had only acquired it not that long ago."

"How will we go about healing Raimundo, then?" Ping-Pong questioned.

"I have just the thing." Dojo slithered into the room, carrying the ancient scroll. "There's a Shen Gong Wu that's the answer to our problem." he opened the scroll. "It's called the Rejuvenating Butterfly."

"Oh, yeah, I remember that one." Dashi said, standing straight up. "This Wu can heal a person from anything, even bringing them back from the brink of death. However, there's one catch, it can only be used once every ten years."

"I'm sure it's been more than that since you hid it away, Grand Master Dashi." Omi spoke up.

"That's the thing, though, I didn't hide the Butterfly."

"Huh?"

"Similar to the Sapphire Dragon, it became sentient and disappeared of its own will. I honestly have no idea where it could be now after so long."

"Luckily, we have just the thing on how to find it." Juno said.

---

(Later)

Numerous images replaced the blue force field that surrounded the Xiaolin Dragon King, the Fountain of Hui floating above her head while the Eagle Scope was in her hands. Everyone else was standing outside the force field, waiting anxiously to see what information she would get from the sister Shen Gong Wu.

Juno closed her eyes and let her mind be filled with information regarding the Rejuvenating Butterfly. She hoped she would have more luck with this than when she tried to find out anything about Mei. After a while, her eyelids opened and she saw a single image floating directly in front of her.

"There you are." she said to herself. When the image disappeared after getting what she needed, she turned to the others. "The Butterfly is a few hundred miles north of here, resting in a place called the Cave of Isolation."

"Then let's mosey on over and get it." Clay spoke up. "We should be back with some time to spare if we take Dojo or one of the mobile Shen Gong Wu."

"It's not going to be that easy." Juno continued. "No one knows why, but that cave will only allow two people to enter it at a time."

"Not only that, but it's well-known for making sure only one, or neither, of the persons come out alive." Guan added.

"So who's gonna go into this death cave?" Dojo questioned.

"I'll do it." Kimiko immediately said. "Rai is my boyfriend, I can't just sit here and wait while he's in pain."

"I understand, Kimiko." Juno told her. "You should still take someone with you, as a precaution."

"Allow me, Juno." Chase stepped forward. "I know the location of the cave, and I will make sure we come back."

"Alright, you two will handle getting the Butterfly. In the meantime, the rest of us will stay here and see if we can delay the venom as much as we can. We don't have a lot of time, so we have to act fast, got it?"

"Yes, ma'am!" the monks replied in unison.

---

(Sometime later)

Kimiko was in the room Raimundo was resting in, kneeling down beside him and holding his hand tightly in hers. Kaze was also there, watching the one he was bonded to with worried eyes. "Just wait for me, Rai, I promise I'll get the Rejuvenating Butterfly and heal you." she squeezed his hand more, trying not to focus on the black veins that were now halfway up his arm.

Tears threatened to come out when the only response she got was his heavy breathing, hearing a slight groan from him. Knowing she didn't have time to cry, the female monk steeled herself and replaced the fear of losing her boyfriend with the resolve to save him.

"When I get back, and after you're healed, we're gonna kick Shadow's sorry ass together, okay?" Kimiko leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Part of her hoped that would be enough to help him, but she knew this situation wasn't that kind of fairy tale. "I love you, Rai..." she pulled back and scratched the phoenix's head. "Watch over him for me, okay, Kaze?"

He let out a low squawk, settling himself down more comfortably by the Brazilian.

Slowly, the Japanese girl released his hand and stood up. Walking to the door, she paused for just a moment to look back at the unconscious monk, clutching the strap of the satchel that was her Wudai Weapon as it rested on her shoulder. She took a deep breath, filling herself with determination, and marched out of the room to head outside. When she was out, she saw that Juno and Chase were already standing in the middle of the temple.

"Now I want you both to be careful." the redhead told her husband. "We don't know what sort of dangers are in the Cave of Isolation."

"Not to worry, darling, I'll make sure we return in one piece." he said.

"Just watch out for Kimiko, I know this whole situation is hitting her hard."

"Believe me, I understand her fear. There's nothing that scares a person more than the thought of losing a loved one."

Juno looked at him. "And how are you feeling? You can act tough, but I know you're just as frightened as what's happening with Raimundo. You know it's not your fault, right, Chase?"

"Back then, I would have agreed with you. Now, though..." the Heylin warrior's eyes became downcast. "I'm not so sure about it."

"Chase..."

"Juno, Chase." Kimiko walked over. "I'm ready to go."

"Oh, Kimiko, good." the redhead turned to her. "You both take care while on your quest, alright? We'll watch over Raimundo and try to make sure the venom doesn't take full effect."

"Thank you." the female monk said, sharing a quick hug with the taller girl.

"We'll be back as soon as possible." Chase spoke up as they pulled apart. "It will save us time if I teleport ourselves there."

Kimiko nodded and went over to him, grabbing onto his arm.

"Good luck, you two." Juno told them, stepping forward and giving her husband a quick kiss. "Everyone will be waiting for you to get back."

"See you soon, Juno." the Heylin warrior responded as the female monk gave a small wave.

The Xiaolin Dragon King stood and watched the pair disappear in a flash of light.

---

(Meanwhile)

Outside the temple, high up in a tree, someone had seen everything that had happened in the middle of the impressive structure through a pair of binoculars.

"Well, I can't say this isn't how I expected my plan to turn out." Shadow said to herself, watching Juno head back inside. "But, with those two away, and everyone else distracted with the dying monk, this might work out just fine for me." she smirked as she set the down the field glasses.

Originally, she had planned to have the Heylin Scorpion inject its venom into all the Xiaolin Warriors. Her fight with Raimundo had put a wrench in it, though, and she had gotten lucky when the arachnid stung him when it did. However, with everything that was happening now, she could use this opportunity to do what she couldn't as Chase's apprentice. Steal from the Shen Gong Wu vault.

While there was a problem with the barrier that still surrounded it, she thought of a way to get through. She just had to pay a little visit to someone.

Putting the binoculars away, Shadow jumped down from the branch she was standing on. She did a few flips while falling, landing safely on the ground. With one last look towards the Xiaolin Temple, she gave a devious smirk before disappearing into the shadows of the forest.

---

(Later)

"This is the Cave of Isolation?" Kimiko looked down the long, dark tunnel that was before her

"Yes, I once tried to get in myself many years ago." Chase said. "However, I was unable due to most likely there already being people inside."

The pair had teleported to a cliff that was on the side of a dark, stone mountain. One couldn't even see the land that surrounded it as it was so tall. Additionally, there was a great circle of fog that concealed practically everything from view, some of it billowing around the duo's feet. The sky above them was also covered by thick gray clouds, not a speck of sunlight slipping through and giving everything an extra gloomy feeling.

"Let's just hope there's no one in there now." Kimiko remarked, stepping towards the cave and stopping just at its entrance. She slowly reached out her hand, almost expecting some sort of invisible force to repel her. However, her fingers went right into the natural void of the mountain without any problem. A relieved sigh escaped her. "Great, we can go in!"

"Kimiko, wait a moment-" Chase started, but she was already rushing ahead.

The female monk has just taken a few steps before her foot touched empty space. She let out a scream as she began to fall, but a hand grabbing the back of her clothes kept her in place. Holding out her hand, a flame sprung to life on her palm and she looked down. What greeted her was the sight of a wide, dark hole that traveled far down into the cave. It was also impossible to see the bottom of it, too.

"I understand your anxiousness to charge in." Chase said, pulling her back to set her properly on her feet. "However, you need to think calmly in this situation. We have no idea what sort of things lie in this cave. If we're not careful, we may not have enough time to find the Rejuvenating Butterly and save Raimundo."

Kimiko looked up at him for a moment and then back down at the hole before them. He was right, she just went into the cave without a second thought. If the Heylin warrior didn't catch her, she could have most likely hurt herself or worse while falling down. If she wanted to save her boyfriend, then she needed to have a clear head.

"You're right, Chase." she told him. "I'm sorry for being so impatient. I'll be more careful, I promise."

"Just keep your eyes peeled for any more dangers, alright? Juno would kill me if I let anything happen to you."

The female monk let out a small laugh. "Yeah, I don't think you have to worry too much about that, Mr. Immortal."

A small smile appeared on Chase's face. He held out his arm and wrapped it around her waist in a secure grip. The next thing Kimiko knew, they were floating carefully down the deep hole of the cave.

"Make your flame brighter, so we can see better."

Kimiko nodded and did as he said, the fire in her hand growing bigger and lighting their path more. "Why do you think the Rejuvenating Butterly hid itself in a place like this?" she questioned.

"Unlike the Sapphire Dragon, it wasn't a Shen Gong Wu designed for battle." Chase told her. "Dashi created it so it could be used to help people who needed it most. Perhaps the reason for it going into hiding was so no one could misuse it. And it could be waiting for someone who is truly in need of it to come and find it. Then again, I never did quite understand the minds of Shen Gong Wu."

"Well, let's just hope we can find it soon. For Raimundo's sake."

After what felt like hours, but was really a few short minutes, the two finally reached the bottom of the hole. The Heylin warrior removed his arm from the female monk when their feet touched the ground. Holding her flame out in front of them, they saw a pathway that split into three different tunnels ahead of them.

"This complicates things a bit." Chase said to himself. "We don't have time to check all of them."

"There has to be a way to know which is the right one." Kimiko looked from one tunnel to the next. "You don't think splitting up would work, do you?"

"I would advise against it."

"Yeah, that makes sense." the female monk sighed. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw something. In the light of her flame, she saw a small, golden sparkle coming through the darkness of the tunnel on the right. 'What is that?' she thought as she took a step closer to try to get a better look. However, the sparkle soon disappeared. "Huh?" she blinked. For some reason, she had a strong feeling that told her to follow it. "Chase, I think we should go down this tunnel."

"What makes you so sure?" he asked curiously.

"I saw something down there. It's gone now, but we should go after it."

"Are you positive about that? For all we know, it could be something dangerous."

"I can't explain it, but there's something telling me this is the right way." Kimiko pointed at the tunnel. "I know it's risky, but it's better than just standing here and speculating for who knows how long."

Chase looked at her and saw her determined expression. It reminded him of the one he had seen on Juno's face many times. "You and your fellow monks usually have good warrior instincts." he said. "If you truly believe this is the right path, then we'll take it."

The Japanese girl smiled. Leading the way with her flame to light the darkness, she and the Heylin warrior went down the right tunnel.

---

(Meanwhile, back at the Xiaolin Temple)

Juno squeezed the pipette, dropping a few drops of the clear liquid inside it into Raimundo's open mouth. Making sure he swallowed them, she pulled back and stared at him. After a while, a sigh left her when nothing happened.

"Looks like phoenix tears don't work on venom."

Kaze let out a sad squawk beside her, hanging his head.

"It's not your fault, Kaze." Juno told him, petting his head in a comforting manner. "Who knows, maybe it will slow the venom a bit."

"Let's hope that's the case." Dashi remarked, sitting on the other side of the futon the male monk was laying on. "Things look to be getting worse by the minute."

They had removed Raimundo's shirt earlier to keep track of the venom's progress, and it was not good. The thin reddish-black veins had climbed all the way up to his arm, now on his shoulder. They tried all the medicine and herbs they had their disposable, but there was no sign of the Heylin Scorpion's venom stopping any time soon.

"I gotta tell you, Juno, I'm starting to suspect the worst outcome for this situation." the Grand Master said, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"I understand, Dashi, but we can't give up." the redhead replied. "We have to make sure the venom doesn't come to full effect until Chase and Kimiko get back."

"We tried everything, and nothing's worked. I don't think there's anything else we can do."

"There is one thing we haven't tried."

"What's that?"

Instead of answering, Juno reached out both hands and grabbed one of Raimundo's. Gripping it firmly, she closed her eyes and concentrated. A pure white glow surrounded her body, another one soon appearing around the male monk.

"Juno..." Dashi blinked once before his eyes widened slightly. "Are you..."

"Here's hoping some Xiaolin magic will do the trick." the female warrior opened her eyes, looking at the unconscious Brazilian.

Upon closer inspection, the veins that were stretching across Raimundo's shoulder seemed to come to a halt. They were still moving, but at a much slower rate than before.

"Looks like it's working." the Grand Master observed. "You're not thinking of doing this until those two return, are you? You could exhaust yourself."

"Small price to pay to make sure Raimundo survives." Juno told him. "Besides, I have plenty of magic I don't mind spending. I wish it could knock the venom out completely, but this will have to do."

Suddenly, a small groan came from the male monk, his body stirring a bit.

"He is waking up?" Dashi questioned.

Raimundo's eyes didn't open, but his mouth started to move. He was saying something that was too quiet to hear, but it soon became louder.

"Ki...miko... Kimiko..."

Juno squeezed his hand gently. "Just hang in there, Raimundo." she said softly. "Kimiko is doing all she can to help you, I know she'll be back soon. I'll make sure you two see one another again."

She poured more of her magic into him, putting all of her efforts into keeping the Heylin Scorpion's venom at bay.

---

(Meanwhile, back at the Cave of Isolation)

Kimiko's foot landed on the piece of stone that was sticking out of the water. "You know, this whole cave layout would make for an interesting video game." she flipped to another stone directly in front of her, landing on her hand for a moment before pushing herself off to the next one.

After walking down the tunnel, she and Chase came to a wider, open area that was completely covered in water. It was dark and too deep to see the bottom of it. Additionally, there was no way to get to the other side but through the straight line of stones that were sticking out in the middle of the large body of liquid. The pair didn't hesitate to start making their way across.

"Let's just hurry to the other end." Chase said, following close behind the female monk. "This water looks surprisingly deep, who knows what could be down there."

"Could any living thing really survive down here?" Kimiko asked, hopping to another stone.

"You would be surprised at how well some creatures can adapt to certain environments."

"Yeah, we have seen some pretty crazy stuff over the years. I think one of my top ten crazy moments was finding out you and Juno were married. Honestly, I didn't know what she saw in you at the time. Considering, when we first met, I totally thought you were just some crazy, narcissistic sociopath who didn't care about anyone."

"It seems Juno's bluntness is rubbing off on all of you." the Heylin warrior remarked more to himself.

"Now, though, I can understand." the female monk continued, stopping for a moment to face him. "After everything we've been through, you're a lot nicer now than what you used to be." she smiled. "Even if you do try to hide it from others."

Chase looked at her for a moment. "I will admit, the reason I am here now is because of Juno. If she wasn't reborn, I doubt I wouldn't be as kind as you think I am."

"Maybe you're right." Kimiko clasped her hands behind her back. "But what really matters is the person you are now, not the person you used to be. You're here trying to help me save Rai, a person I know you care very much for."

"About that, there's something I've been wondering..." the Heylin warrior trailed off when he noticed something in the water below them. A patch of bubbles had appeared on the liquid surface. And, underneath them, was a shadow that appeared to be growing bigger. "Kimiko, there's something in the water!"

"What?"

In a flash, something broke through the surface of the water, causing large droplets to rain down on the pair. When they stopped, both of them looked up and their eyes went wide.

Towering over them was a giant octopus-like creature that nearly reached the cave ceiling, water dripping down its greyish skin. A pair of large, milky-white eyes stared down at them as a couple of its long tentacles came out of the water.

"Giant octopus..." was all Kimiko said as she stared dumbly at the cephalopod. "That is definitely on my top ten list now."

"Actually, I think it's a kraken." Chase told her.

"Is that better, or worse?"

Before he could answer, the kraken let out a loud screech and swung one of its large tentacles at them. The pair jumped, dodging the attack and landing back on top of the stones.

"We don't have a lot of room for movement." the Heylin warrior told the female monk. "Don't let it get you into the water, we'll be at a serious disadvantage then."

"Got it." Kimiko responded, the both of them taking stances.

The kraken screeched again, this time sending a tentacle each towards the duo. They leaped up, landing on its extended appendages and running down them. The creature flexed its body parts to shake them off, but the two kept their balance. Another tentacle went flying towards the female monk, but she flipped into the air.

"Shoku Venus Fire!" Kimiko threw balls of fire from her hands, aiming them at the kraken's eyes.

The attack hit just above its mark, making the creature release a pained cry from the burning sensation on its skin. With it distracted, Chase jumped high into the air and towards the cave ceiling. He swung out his leg and kicked some of the stalactites that were hanging from there. They broke off from the ceiling and fell towards the kraken, breaking apart when they made contact with its head.

It let out a screech before it began to dive back under the water, tentacles and all. The duo landed back on the stones just as it fully disappeared.

"Let's move before it resurfaces." Chase said.

Kimiko nodded and jumped from stone to stone as fast as she could, the Heylin warrior practically at her heels. The other side was within reach, just a few more steps and they would be home free. However, before that could happen, a pair of tentacles shot out of the water right in front of them. They stopped in their tracks as the suction-cupped appendages came down.

The duo jumped out of the line of fire, landing on another pair of stones as the tentacles slammed on the ones they were on previously. More of the long body parts rose up, surrounding them. The female monk blasted the ones that attacked her with her fire, while the Heylin warrior punched and kicked away the ones coming at him.

"This thing won't let up!" Kimiko ducked to avoid a tentacle swinging at her.

Chase jumped into the air, dodging an appendage himself. He summoned his Kwan-Dao sword and slashed it down, cutting off part of the limb. It swung around wildly, a flow of blood pouring out and spilling into the water, staining it a dark purplish black.

"We'll need to force our way, though." the Heylin warrior told her. "We can't waste our time fighting it."

"You're right, Rai can't wait."

Suddenly, the Japanese girl felt something wet and slimy wrap around her ankle. She only got a glance at the tentacle before it pulled her high into the air. A small scream escaped her as she found herself hanging upside down.

"Kimiko!" Chase went into the air after her. However, another tentacle wrapped around his midsection and held him in place before he could help her. "Dammit!"

"This is so gross." Kimiko complained about the slime-like feeling wrapped around her skin. "Now what do we do?"

"I think..." the Heylin warrior started to say as they both saw the kraken's head raise up from the water. "It's going to be turning us into its meal now."

"Oh, being eaten by a monstrous cephalopod is definitely not how I plan to leave this world." the female monk declared as the tentacles moved them closer to said cephalopod. "I have an idea, but wait until I give the word."

They were directly in front of the kraken now. It leaned its head back and soon revealed its large beak, black and razor-sharp. It opened and shut a few times, a loud snapping sound emitting from it, as the duo was moved towards it.

"Is your plan to be eaten?" Chase asked.

"Not exactly." Kimiko replied, opening the lid of her satchel and pulling out some of the bird-like projectiles inside.

"Ah, I see now." the Heylin warrior said, understanding what she had in mind.

"On my signal, fire into its mouth." she told him, aiming her Wudai Weapon at the kraken. Her eyes stayed on its beak, waiting as it was pulling them dangerously close. Then, when it opened its mouth wide, that's when the opportunity showed itself. "Now! Arrow Sparrow!"

Chase held up his hand and fired a blast of dark energy from his palm while Kimiko threw her bird-like projectiles. They immediately caught on fire and went towards the beam, circling around it in rings of flames. The combined attack went straight towards the giant octopus, shooting right into its opened beak. A small explosion went off inside, making the creature release a screech so loud it caused the cave to shake. Stalactites broke off from the ceiling, crashing into the water below.

The tentacle around Kimiko's ankle went slack and she was dropped. Chase got himself free as well and launched himself after her. Once he grabbed her, he front-flipped through the air a few times before landing in a crouch on the other side of the cave. He stood up straight and turned around, the pair seeing the kraken sinking into the water, a trail of smoke emitting from it.

"Was that enough to kill it?" the female monk asked, tucked under the older man's arm.

"Let's not stick around to find out." he told her. "At least we didn't have to deal with a fully grown kraken."

"Wait, are you saying that huge thing is a baby?!" she exclaimed in disbelief.

"More like an early adolescent." Chase replied, still holding her as he turned around and walked down the path that was laid out before them.

---

(Meanwhile, at Jack Spicer's lair)

"Okay, so what if I used the Molar-3000 to drill a tunnel under the Xiaolin Temple and into the Shen Gong Wu vault?" Jack said, showing Wuya the crude drawing that depicted his plan. "And, by the time the Xiaolin-Losers realize what's happened, we'll have taken all of their Wu!" he pointed to the corner of the paper, where a cluster of stick people looked to be crying.

"I doubt they won't feel the ground shaking when you drill too close to the surface." she told him. "Besides, for all we know, Juno has the barrier she put up surrounding the entire vault, even the part stuck in the ground."

"Well, I'm out of ideas." the redheaded boy crumpled the paper into a ball and tossed it to the side, missing a nearby trashcan. "You have any you would like to throw in?"

"I might have one."

"Aah!" Jack screamed at the voice that spoke up out of nowhere. "W-Who said that?!" he hid behind the floating head, his eyes darting around the room quickly.

"No need to be afraid, love, I'm no enemy." a shadow moved across the wall. "I've come to lend you a helping hand." an arm stretched out of the spot of darkness, a whole person soon stepping out.

"And just who might you be?" Wuya demanded of the tall, blue-haired woman as her partner continued to cower behind her.

"Sorry for the later introductions, my name is Shadow. I take it you're Wuya, the once-great Heylin witch."

"I'm still the greatest Heylin witch!" she declared. "I'm just experiencing some setbacks at the moment."

"Right my mistake." Shadow waved her hand. "And this must be the Jack Spicer, evil super genius."

"You've heard of me?" Jack straightened up.

"Oh, I know all about you and your fabulous inventions. I especially like your Jack-Bots, very creative."

"Finally, someone who appreciates true genius." the redheaded boy grinned.

"Jack, may I speak with you privately for a moment?" Wuya leaned in close, putting one of her transparent limbs on his shoulder.

The two went to a corner while Shadow sat on the table that was set up in the middle of the lair.

"I don't like the looks of this woman." the ghost said lowly. "Anyone who really knows you doesn't just compliment you."

"Hey, there's a lot about me to compliment." Jack retorted.

"We shouldn't trust her, especially when she just came out of the wall. Besides, I've heard talk that Chase had obtained a new apprentice by the name of Shadow."

"Are you kidding me?!" the evil boy genius exclaimed. "I practically get on my knees for him to make me his apprentice, and he chooses a complete stranger? That is so not fair!"

"For all we know, this is some sort of trick on his part." Wuya continued.

"I assure you, dearie, I'm here on a solo mission." Shadow spoke up, overhearing them. "As for me being Chase's apprentice, I soon figured out he wasn't the right mentor for me."

"Let me guess, he kicked you out because you got too comfortable." the floating head turned to her. "And that didn't sit well with him and his precious Juno."

The blue-haired woman cleared her throat once and got to her feet. "Regardless, I'm on my own now. And I could use your help with my little plot of breaking into the Shen Gong Wu vault. We can use your Indigo Pyramid."

"How did you know I had this?" Jack asked, pulling out the Wu in question from his coat.

"I have my ways, love." Shadow answered. "Anyway, I know for a fact the Xiaolin Dragon King and her little groupies are very distracted at the moment. So we can use the Pyramid to get into the vault and you can steal the Wu."

"I like the sound of that." the redheaded boy grinned. He blinked once, now looking at her suspiciously. "Hey, now, what do you expect to get out of this whole thing? I doubt you're telling me this out of the kindness of your heart."

"Cute and smart, how lovely." she smirked, walking around the lair. "To put it simply, I get my own little revenge against the Xiaolin Warriors. And maybe a small cut of the Shen Gong Wu you manage to take?"

"Hmm." Jack thought for a moment. "That does sound pretty fair. Alright, you've got yourself a deal!"

"Excellent."

"I don't like this, Jack." Wuya told him. "I'm willing to bet she's going to backstab us the second the opportunity shows itself."

"I don't exactly trust her, either, but I like her plan." he said. "Also, seeing a bit of what she can do, she should be helpful if we run into any trouble with the monks."

"Well, I guess that is true."

"She'll definitely be more helpful than you, that's for sure."

The floating head glared at him heatedly. Then she phased herself right through his head, making him shudder and scream as he fell to the ground.

"Some interesting gadgets you've got here, dearie." Shadow remarked, observing all inventions that were scattered around.

"Yeah, I've had a lot of free time on my hand recently." Jack said, picking himself up.

"I can see that." the blue-haired woman stopped at one of the workbenches. "Now what's this one?" she picked up a device that looked like a mini Jack-Bot with a white grin painted on its face. Clutched between its mechanical hands was a rectangular piece of glass that looked like something from an alarm clock.

"Hey, careful with that!" the redheaded boy went over and snatched it from her. "This is my latest Bomb-Bot. I designed it so that it's small, but packs a powerful explosion once it detonates."

"Now, isn't that interesting?" Shadow remarked. "I'm sure you can do a lot of damage with this."

"Yeah, I just haven't had the chance to test it out yet." he said, gently setting the Bomb-Bot back down on the workbench. "Anyway, let's plan that vault raid." he walked towards the table in the middle of the lair.

The female villain looked back at the device. "I'm sure I know just the perfect testing site." she said to herself, a devious smirk spreading across her face.

---

(Meanwhile, back at the Cave of Isolation)

Kimiko shot out a flame-covered fist, punching the face of the human-sized mole in front of her. "Why is it that almost all creatures we face, it's some animal on steroids?" she jumped out of the line of fire from the long, sharp claws of another. Her leg shot out, kicking it repeatedly in the stomach and face swiftly.

Chase ducked the swipe of claws aimed at him. He swept his legs across the reduced hindlimbs the mole attacking him was standing on, knocking it off balance and making it fall to the ground. "In my opinion, facing a group of oversized rodents is better than facing a humungous octopus." he did a backflip and landed on the head of one of the creatures, forcing it to slam to the ground.

A mole got behind Kimiko and wrapped its powerful forelimbs around her waist. Before it sink its claws into her skin, raised her arms and grabbed its head. With little effort, she threw the large mammal off of her, making it crash into another one.

More moles began to advance on them and the duo ended up back-to-back. They glanced at one another once, the same idea entering their minds. When they both nodded, the female monk held out her hand towards the older male. He grabbed it and lifted her body into the air, spinning her around in a circle. She stuck out her foot, hitting the human-sized mammals in the face and knocking them down.

Once Kimiko landed back on the ground, she and Chase quickly ran down the tunnel they were in. They didn't look back, but they could hear the moles getting back up and chasing after them. Up ahead, the end of the tunnel was in sight. They soon got through it, turning around and seeing the creatures gaining on them.

"Arrow Sparrow!" the Japanese girl threw some of her bird-like projectiles.

The flaming weapons collided at the top of the tunnel, releasing a fiery explosion. Large pieces of rock rained down, covering the exit of the tunnel. The roar of the moles could be heard on the other side when they realized their path was blocked.

"That should buy us some time." Kimiko said. "But let's hurry before they start digging their way out."

Chase nodded and they hurried down another path. Soon, they came across two separate tunnels for them to pick from. "Which one do we choose?"

The female monk looked between them, unsure. If she didn't decide, they would have to face the moles again, and they did not have that kind of time. Not with Raimundo's life on the line.

That's when she saw it, in the darkness of the tunnel on the left. It was the same golden sparkle from before, shining like a beacon for her to follow. She didn't know what it was, but something was telling her that it was leading her to where she needed to go.

"That one." Kimiko pointed at the tunnel just as the sparkle disappeared. "This is the right way."

Chase didn't question her and they went inside it. She held up her hand, a flame appearing on her palm and lighting their way down the dark path. Soon, they came to the end of the tunnel, with no other way to go.

"It's a dead-end!" the female monk touched the solid rock wall, part of her hoping there was some sort of mechanism to open it. She looked back behind her, hearing a sound growing closer to them. It looked like the moles had dug their way out of the previous tunnel.

"Not quite." the Heylin warrior grabbed her shoulder and pointed upwards.

Kimiko threw her head back and saw a large hole in the cave ceiling above them. It was long, too far and dark to see where it led. However, taking their chances in a mysterious hole was better than facing a small army of angry, human-sized subterranean mammals.

Chase grabbed onto the Japanese girl and jumped into the hole. He placed his foot on one side, pushing himself off to the other and repeating the process to climb up. Kimiko held onto him tightly, making sure to keep the fire burning so they could see where they were going. After a while, a spot of light appeared from above.

Picking up the pace, the Heylin warrior got them through the hole and landed on solid ground beside it. Setting the female monk on her feet, they bent close to the empty space and looked down it. They hear the noises of the moles, which eventually faded away into silence.

"Since they have poor eyesight, I doubt they'll see the hole." Chase remarked.

"Which means, they won't follow us." Kimiko sighed in relief, extinguishing the flame in her hand. With her adrenaline calming down, she looked around the new area they had entered. It was very wide and spacious with nothing but stone walls around them.

"Whatever it is we're following seems to be leading us down an interesting path." the male warrior remarked as they stood up straight. "We're surely deep within the cave now."

"I just hope we're getting closer to the Rejuvenating Butterfly." she said. "There's not a lot of time left before the Heylin Scorpion's venom completely takes over Rai."

"Juno and the others are doing all they can to keep that from happening." Chase told her as they walked away from the hole. "We need to have faith in them."

"I know that, I really do. It's just..." the female monk clutched the strap of her satchel tightly. "I'm scared we're going to run out of time. If he dies, I don't know what I'm doing to do."

The Heylin warrior looked at her silently, seeing the genuine fear in her eyes. He was very familiar with that fear, he had felt it many times when he thought he would lose Juno. Now he was feeling it again, this time scared of the thought of losing the monk who had come to be like a son to him. He had already lost one child many years ago, he refused to lose another one. Additionally, he was not about to let Kimiko go through the same pain of losing a loved one. Even if he was the reason this was all happening in the first place.

"Wow, that's deep." Kimiko spoke up, bringing him out of his thoughts.

She had stopped walking and was looking at the wide gorge that separated them from the other side. There was nothing but deep darkness, no way of knowing how far down it was and what lay at the bottom.

"Maybe we can use that over there." the female monk pointed to where a long, thick stone pillar had formed near the gorge. "If it's long enough, we could use it as a bridge to get across."

"Allow me." Chase walked over to where the pillar stood erect. When he got behind it, he took a stance and pulled back a fist. After a few moments passed, he punched the stone. He did it again with his other fist, alternating between punches a couple of more times before he stopped.

Soon, cracks appeared in the spot where he had hit. They spread all the way around the pillar in a circle. There was a loud snap and the tall stretch of stone began to lean forward. It fell all the way down, the top end hitting the other side of the gorge with a loud slam.

"Ladies first." the Heylin warrior held out his arm towards the makeshift bridge.

"Awesome work, Chase." Kimiko praised, letting him help her onto the stone pillar. It looked stable and was wide enough that she didn't have to worry about keeping her balance too much. "I'm glad you came along with me." she smiled at him and began to walk across.

He jumped up and followed after her. "Kimiko, earlier, there was something I wanted to ask you."

"What is it?" she replied as they were halfway across the pillar.

"I know this may not be the best time, but... are you not angry with me?"

The female monk came to a stop, looking back at him with a confused expression. "Huh?"

"Since I had the Heylin Scorpion in my possession, Shadow was able to take it and use it to poison Raimundo." Chase continued, having also ceased walking. "Because of me, we're in this situation. But you don't seem to hold any animosity towards me despite that."

Kimiko said nothing, silence lingering between them. Then she turned her head away from him, not meeting his eyes. "Honestly, there's a part of me that does hold you responsible for what happened to Raimundo. If you didn't have the Heylin Scorpion, or if you kept it locked away better, then he wouldn't be in the position he's in right now." her voice was soft, an unreadable tone in it.

He turned his gaze to the side, knowing he deserved this.

"But, then..." she continued. "I remember that you didn't want this to happen."

"You seem quite sure about that."

"I think I know you pretty well by now to know that you wouldn't do anything to hurt any of us." the female monk turned around to face him. "You didn't give Shadow the Heylin Scorpion, and you didn't tell her to use it on Rai. Maybe in the past, you would have done that without blinking, but you're not that person anymore, are you? Besides, I know Rai wouldn't blame you if he was here right now."

"You say that, but I still am partially responsible for what happened to him."

"That is true. Tell me, though, are you sorry for what happened?"

Chase slowly turned his gaze to meet hers. "Yes. I am sorry."

"Then that's good enough for me." Kimiko gave a small smile. "The you back then would never apologize, no matter what. I know you're doing all you can to make up for things, hence why you're here now."

The Heylin saw the sincerity on her face, she meant every word she said. "When did you get so wise?"

"Your wife is a fabulous teacher." she replied, turning on her heels. "Now, come on, we still have a Butterfly to find." she continued walking across the pillar.

He watched her silently for a moment. Then he gave a small smile and followed her.

---

(Meanwhile, back at the Xiaolin Temple)

Omi sighed, his reflection staring back at him in the tea in front of him.

"Brother Omi, they say if you sigh many times, you are letting out happiness." Ping-Pong said, sitting with him at the table that was on the veranda. Clay, Dojo, and Master Fung were also there with them.

"I am afraid I do not have much to be happy about, Ping-Pong. Especially not with what is happening with Raimundo."

"Yeah, things aren't looking too good, little partners." the cowboy spoke up, his own cup of tea untouched. "I checked in earlier with Juno and Dashi, she's still using her magic to hold back the Heylin Scorpion's venom. With how long she's been doing it, I'm worried she's gonna collapse next like a bronco after a twenty-four-hour rodeo."

"If only we could have gone with Kimiko and Chase, it would have been better than sitting here and feeling useless." Omi said as he leaned his arms on the table, burying his face in them.

"Hey, don't talk like that." Dojo told him from on top of the piece of furniture. "Our options are just really limited right now."

"Dojo is correct, young monks." Guan said from outside the veranda, sitting in a meditative position. "We must put our faith that those two will return in time with the Rejuvenating Butterfly. That is all we can do."

"I know you are right, Master Monk Guan." the short monk lifted his head up a bit. "But I want to do something that could help one of my dearest friends when he needs it most."

"Then I would suggest wishing for his recover, young monks." Master Fung spoke up, taking a sip of his drink. "You would be surprised how making a simple wish can help in situations such as these. One made by a true friend will prove to be the most effective.

"Master Fung..." Omi looked at him. Then he gave a small smile. "Thank you, Master, I will do just that."

The older monk smiled in return, giving the younger one a tender pat on the head. "Please excuse me, everyone." he stood up from the table. "I think I will go see how things are with Master Juno and Grand Master Dashi."

As he left the veranda, the short monk turned his head to look outside. It had been a couple of hours since Kimiko and Chase left for their quest, the sun beginning to set and turning the blue sky into a combination of reddish-gold and violet-blue. A beautiful sight to behold, indeed.

'Please...' Omi mentally prayed to the sky. 'Please have Kimiko and Chase return in time to heal Raimundo. I do not want to lose a member of my family. So, please, help them to help him.'

He hoped that his wish would come true, and he would keep wishing until it did.

---

Master Fung was heading towards the building Juno and Dashi were in when he heard a sudden noise behind him. Looking back, he saw that one of the potted plants had fallen over, the soil spilling out across the ground. Giving a quick look around the area, he noted there was no one else around. He soon carried on in the direction he was going in, deciding to take care of the pot on his way back.

As the older monk was walking, small ripples appeared in his very own shadow. They grew larger as a hand reached out of the dark shape, stretching towards his ankle. However, before the fingers could touch him, another hand grabbed the person's wrist and proceed to pull them effortlessly out of the shadow and throw them.

Shadow grunted as her back hit the stone wall that surrounded the temple, falling ground. She quickly got to her feet and looked at Master Fung. "Not bad for an old bag of bones." she said, dusting off her armor.

"Old I may be, but you have some ways to go before getting the jump on me, young villain." he replied, taking a stance.

"Worth a shot." she gave a small shrug before preparing to fight herself.

The two stared one another down, waiting for the other to make a move. The female villain charged first, shooting out a punch. The older monk simply moved to the side, dodging the attack, and swung his hand, the back of it hitting her in the face. She stumbled for a bit before recovering, narrowing her eyes at him.

Master Fung stuck his arms out and spun his entire body around so fast he became a blur. Shadow held up her hands and blocked his spinning fists as best she could. Before she could get hit, she jumped and did a flip over his head. Once she landed behind him, she aimed a kick at him. However, he stopped just in time and blocked it with his arm. Grabbing her ankle, he turned once and threw her to the side.

The female villain regained herself in time for her feet to make contact with the stone wall of the temple. She pushed herself and landed in front of the older monk. They shot out attacks at one another, blocking and deflecting each other. Shadow caught one of Master Fung's fists, aiming her free one at his head. He ducked down to dodge it, soon shooting back up and slamming the heel of his palm against her chin.

The blue-haired woman backed away, holding a hand to where she was hit. Then she saw him jump into the air towards her, spinning around once before his foot made contact with the side of her face. Her body tumbled across the ground for a moment before coming to a stop, just as he landed back on the ground.

"Are you ready to give up, young villain?" Master Fung questioned as he took another stance.

"Actually..." Shadow got to her feet, wiping some blood from her bottom lip. "I would like it if you took me to where you keep your Shen Gong Wu."

"I will never let you inside the vault."

"We'll see about that." she smirked before she stepped to the side, revealing a certain evil boy genius was behind her.

"Indigo Pyramid!" Jack pointed the Wu directly at the older monk.

The pointed tip of the Pyramid rose up, connected to a small golden pole. It then began to spin around, quickly picking up speed as a bright, indigo-colored glow surrounded it. A beam of light shot out from the twirling tip, hitting Master Fung right in the middle of his forehead before he could avoid it. His body went still, his eyes glowing the same indigo as the beam.

"Perfect." Shadow said. "Well done, Jack."

"All in a day's work." the redheaded boy grinned, tossing the Indigo Pyramid into the air and catching it a few times.

"Now the old man will get us inside the vault with no problem." she added as Master Fung began to walk in the direction of the Shen Gong Wu vault.

"I have to say, I like your style." Wuya remarked, floating over. "Not a bad plan for a newbie villain."

"What can I say, I just have the makings of one." the blue-haired woman said. "Let's hurry before someone notices anything funny."

Jack gave a thumbs-up as he and the other two followed the older monk to where the Wu was kept.

---

(Meanwhile, back at the Cave of Isolation)

"We've been walking for quite a while." Kimiko remarked, a bright flame covering her hand to light their way down the dark tunnel. "And I haven't seen that golden sparkle thing for a minute, either."

"I'm still not entirely convinced it isn't leading us into a trap." Chase said.

"I understand that, but it did lead us down that tunnel to escape the moles." she pointed out. "I just wanna know what it could be."

"I get the feeling we're going to know quite soon."

Up ahead, they spotted a way out of the tunnel. They went through it and found themselves in a wide, open area. However, both of them were a bit surprised to see green vines hanging from the cave ceiling and stretching all the way down to the floor.

"I didn't think any kind of plant life could grow in a place like this." Kimiko said.

"Yes, it is peculiar." Chase agreed, looking closely at the thick vines that looked to cover the entire room.

"So what do we do? It doesn't look like we can go around them or anything."

"We'll have to go through this mess, then. Just be careful, something about this is a bit unsettling."

The female monk nodded as she and the Heylin warrior headed into the forest of vines. They pushed those in front of them to the side, trying to make sure they were going straight. It looked like it would be easy to get lost, and that was certainly something they didn't want to happen. And, since the plants were so close together, it was hard to tell exactly what lie ahead of them.

'Now I understand what Chase was getting at.' Kimiko thought to herself, moving more vines out of her way. 'There's just something about these vines that make me feel uneasy.' out of the corner of her eye, she could have sworn she saw some of the long plants swaying. It couldn't have been the wind, there was none blowing in the cave. If it was a living being, she hoped they would be out of this area before they had a chance to run into it.

"What's the matter?" Chase spoke up, standing beside her. "Did you see something?"

"I'm not sure..." the Japanese girl answered honestly. "I think, maybe..." she trailed off when she caught sight of something. Between the gap of two vines that weren't too far off from the side, there was a golden sparkle. "Over there!" she pointed.

The Heylin warrior followed her finger, his eyes narrowing as he finally saw the very thing that lead them here. "That's the sparkle you keep seeing?"

"It is! It could want us to follow it again, maybe even lead us to the Rejunvating Butterfly."

"I wouldn't get your hopes us too high, we still don't know what it is."

"Well, I think it's worth a shot. Besides, my warrior instincts are telling me to trust it. And you trust me, don't you?"

"Yes, I do." he told her. "Very well, it's better than wandering aimlessly."

Kimiko smiled and headed in the direction the sparkle was in, seeing it had started to move. She tried to keep up, making sure to not lose sight of it for even a second. Despite not being able to explain it, she knew whatever it was could help her get what she needed to save Raimundo.

"Kimiko, don't get too far." Chase called after her, close behind. "We can't get separated in here."

"Don't worry." she replied. "I'm not going to-" she came to an abrupt stop when something pulled on her leg. Looking down, she saw one of the vines had somehow gotten around her. "Oh, come on, we don't have time for this." she tried to pull it off, but it was surprisingly tight.

"Hold still, I'll take care of it." the Heylin warrior said, summoning his Kwan-Dao sword.

"Hurry, please." Kimiko told him, not wanting to lose track of the golden sparkle.

With one swift motion, he sliced the plant neatly off the female monk's leg. However, the second he did, there was a loud, unholy screech. The duo stood in silence, their minds processing what just happened.

"Please tell me the plant didn't just scream." she said.

"Okay, I won't." he replied.

Suddenly, one of the vines wrapped itself around the Heylin warrior's wrist. He quickly cut it off, making another shriek escape from it. They soon noticed more of the long plants moving on their own, shifting towards them.

"Run now!" Chase yelled, pushing the Japanese girl forward.

"Of course, the vines are alive!" Kimiko rushed through the vines in front of her before they could ensnare her. "And I suppose they want to kill us, too."

"That would be a fair assumption." he said, slicing more of the plants that shot at them. "We need to find a way out of here before it's too late."

"I don't even remember which way we came from." she shot a blast of fire from her hand, burning a portion of the vines in front of them. "And that sparkle's nowhere in sight, either."

"Kimiko, do you think you can-Ack!"

"Chase!" the female monk stopped and turned around, seeing that a vine had gotten around his neck. She held up her hands to shoot fireballs at it, but two more caught her wrists and stretched her arms apart. She struggled to get herself free, but they just got tighter.

"K-Kimiko..." Chase choked out. He lifted his weapon, but another vine captured his arm before he could slash it down.

Kimiko tried to summon her flames, but it was hard to focus as more of the long plants snaked around her legs. Another soon found its way to her neck, soon squeezing around her throat. More of them were coming in, no doubt intending to trap her and the Heylin warrior in their forest forever. She didn't know if they could eat them, but she did know they were going to strangle them. He would survive and eventually find a way out, but she would be dead by the time he figured it out.

The female monk thought of her boyfriend, how he was laying and waiting for her to return with the Shen Gong Wu that could save his life. However, it seemed that would never happen. Raimundo was going to die, all because she had failed her quest, even though she promised him she would succeed.

'No...' Kimiko thought, clenching her fists tightly. 'I can't give up here. We're so close to the Butterfly, I can feel it. There's no way I'm going to let Raimundo die. And I'm not going to let these stupid plants stop me!'

Her hands grabbed the vines holding her, closing her eyes, and concentrating hard. Her mind drifted to Raimundo, thinking about how he made her laugh and smile. She thought about how much she loved him, and how much he loved her. No matter what it took, she was going to save him.

"Shoku Venus..." Kimiko opened her eyes, which were now glowing a bright red. "Fire!"

Flames erupted from her body, swiftly covering the vines holding her and the Heylin warrior. They didn't stop there, though. Quick as a flash, the fire had spread all over the area. The long plants now looked like a great wall of flames. The screeching of the vines went silent as they all burned away into nothingness.

The fire began to die down, soon going out completely. Kimiko fell to her knees, panting heavily from unleashing such a strong blast, as traces of smoke drifted off her body. Chase stood, not a single burn on him, and rubbed his neck. He looked around the area, seeing no trace of the vines, not even ashes. She had indeed grown a lot stronger than when he had first met her.

"Are you alright?" he asked, kneeling down in front of her.

"I'm... I'm fine." she replied, catching her breath as her eyes returned to normal. "But we need to hurry and find the Butterfly, we don't have much time before Rai..."

"We're going to find it, I promise you." the Heylin warrior told her, his expression serious. "Easy now." he helped her to her feet.

"After this, I'm done with caves for a while." the Japanese girl declared as the last traces of smoke disappeared from her skin.

"I'm inclined to agree with you." he chuckled.

Just as they were about to move on, there was a sudden bright, golden glow above their heads. Looking up, the pair saw it moving towards them. Kimiko held out her hands as it came closer to her. When it landed in her palms, the glow around it burned out and revealed itself properly.

"Is this..." her eyes widened.

As its name indicated, the Rejuvenating Butterly looked just like a butterfly. Its black head, which had two antennas attached to it, and thin body appeared to be made of obsidian, wide golden wings covering both her hands. Both wings had a black mark running along their edges, four matching diagonal lines running down them. Each line had a row of gemstones embedded in them. The first one was made up of rubies, the second one consisted of emeralds, the next one was made of sapphires, and the last one had amethysts. Around the Wu were golden sparkles that the female monk instantly recognized as the ones she kept seeing since they entered the cave.

"The Butterfly!" Kimiko's smile stretched wide across her face. "We found it!" she gently took it by the wings and held it out at arms-length.

"I think it was testing you." Chase told her. "It wanted to see if you were worthy of using it. And I would say you passed." he smiled at her.

"We can save Rai, thank goodness." she held the Shen Gong Wu to her chest, her relief undescribable. "Now we just have to get out of the cave, and-"

"Leave that to me." the Heylin warrior cut her off, placing a hand around her shoulder.

In a flash of light, the duo had vanished from the cave, returning to where they were needed.

---

(Back at the Xiaolin Temple)

"Juno, you've got to stop." Dashi said. "You've been using your magic for too long, you'll have no energy left at this rate. At least let me take over for you."

"I can't, Dashi." the redhead replied, her eyes on the still unconscious Raimundo as she kept holding his hand. "What if, the second I stop, the venom will continue at full force and it'll be too late? I have to keep going until Kimiko and Chase get back."

The female warrior could feel her energy being depleting, the pure white glow around her and Brazilian dimming. Sweat dripped down her brow as she stubbornly continued to keep her magic flowing into him. She knew she was going overboard, but she didn't care. Her only concern at the moment of making sure the monk stayed alive long enough for him to be healed. And if that meant exhausting herself, then so be it.

"Juno..." the Grand Master stared at her, seeing how tired she was becoming. He knew it would be useless to try and convince her to stop, she would go through with something once she made up her mind. Just as he began thinking of a way to help her, the door suddenly slammed open.

"W-We're back!" Kimiko panted out. "And we have the Butterfly!" she held up the Shen Gong Wu.

"It's about time..." Juno sighed tiredly as her hands released Raimundo's, the glow around them disappearing. She started to fall backwards, but a pair of hands caught her shoulders.

"We'll take it from here, darling." Chase told her as he held her.

The female monk rushed over and knelt down beside her boyfriend. "I'm back, Rai." seeing that the black veins were beginning to travel over his body again, she placed the Wu they obtained on his chest. "Rejuvenating Butterfly!"

A golden light appeared emitted from the Butterfly, getting brighter and brighter. It stretched out, wrapping around Raimundo's entire body like a cocoon. After what felt like forever, the light began to go out, slowly unwrapping from the monk until it disappeared completely. The wings of the Rejunveting Butterfly curled around its own body, forming into a golden chrysalis.

Everyone looked at the Brazilian, seeing that the black veins had all vanished from his skin like they were never there at all. A low groan escaped him, his body shifting slightly. His eyes slowly blinked open, green orbs staring at the ceiling for a moment before they turned to where Kimiko was still kneeling beside him.

"I must have died..." Raimundo said lowly. "Cause I'm seeing an angel right now." he gave a weak smile.

A laugh left the female monk before she could stop herself, tears beginning to fill her eyes. "Rai!" she threw her arms around him, being careful to not hold him too tight. "Thank goodness!" she sobbed into his chest. "I was so scared that you would..."

"It's okay, Kimi." he slowly lifted his arm, placing his hand on her head. "I'm alright now."

The three warriors in the room watched the couple in complete relief. They had used the Shen Gong Wu in time, and Raimundo was going to live.

---

(Sometime later)

"You sure gave us a scare, partner." Clay said, clapping the Brazilian on the back gently after he was put in a sitting position.

"Looks like I was right to make you this get-well card." Dojo commented, giving the card in question to the monk.

"Thanks, guys." Raimundo told them appreciatively, Kaze on his shoulder and nuzzling his head close to his face. He had been doing that ever since he woke up. "I'm really glad to still be here with you all."

"Master Fung was correct, a true friend's wish is indeed effective." Omi remarked with a wide smile.

"Now that you mention it, Brother Omi, where is Master Fung?" Ping-Pong questioned. "I have not seen him since earlier."

"He should be here to celebrate." Juno spoke up. "I'll go find him and let him know the good news."

"Are you sure, Juno?" Chase asked. "You should rest up after using your magic the way you did for so long."

"I'm well enough to look for Master Fung." she insisted. "But thank you for your concern." she leaned over and kissed his cheek before looking at the Brazilian. "Speaking of rest, I don't want to see you leave this bed for the next few days, got it, mister?"

"Hey, I'm not gonna complain about having some time off." Raimundo replied, giving a small grin.

"Perfect." the redhead smiled, placing a kiss on the top of his head, before getting to her feet. "I'll be right back." she waved to everyone as she left the room.

"I'll go with her, just to make sure things are all good." Dojo said, slithering after the Xiaolin Dragon King.

"Rai, are you sure you're feeling okay?" Kimiko asked her boyfriend. "Do you need anything? Water? Something to eat? Maybe a softer pillow?"

"I'm good, Kimi, really." he told her. "That Rejuvenating Butterfly really worked wonders."

"Truly one of my best works." Dashi remarked, holding the Shen Gong Wu in dormant, chrysalis form.

"Let us just hope we won't be needing it for the next ten years." Guan added.

"I really owe you and Chase, Kimiko." Raimundo said as the female monk was fluffing the pillow his back was leaning against. "If it wasn't for you guys, I would be in the ground right about now."

"Credit should mostly go to Chase." Kimiko told him. "I don't think I would have gotten the Butterfly if he wasn't with me."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." the Heylin warrior spoke up. "Seeing how strong you've become from when you first started out as a Xiaolin Warrior, I have no doubt that you would have been able to handle whatever the Cave of Isolation threw at you if you were on your own."

"Chase..." the Japanese girl blinked at him. Then she smiled. "Thank you. And I also really appreciate all your help."

"It was the least I could do." he said before turning his attention to the Brazilian. "Raimundo, I do apologize for everything that happened. Because I had the Heylin Scorpion, Shadow used it to poison you. You almost died due to my carelessness. For that, I am truly sorry." he bowed his head to the younger male.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up, dude." Raimundo told him. "You didn't plan for any of this to happen, and you helped to save my life in the end. I think that would make things square between us. Thanks for saving me, and for looking out for Kimi for me."

Chase raised his head, seeing the other smiling at him. He smiled back, incredibly relieved to have him sitting here, alive and well. "I am very happy you're alright now, Raimundo." he placed his hand on his head. "Make sure you rest well, you're going to need your strength for when we start training again."

"I look forward to it." the Brazilian grinned as the older male ruffled his hair affectionately.

"I'm going to be heading to my lair right now." the Heylin warrior informed, pulling his hand back a moment later. "And I need to dispose of this properly so it can't be used again." he held up his other hand, showing a bottle that contained the dead body of the Heylin Scorpion. "I'll come back and check on you later." he got to his feet.

"Alright, see you around, old man."

"Take care, son." Chase left the room, a flash of light appearing in the hallway a moment later as he teleported to his lair.

---

"Where could Master Fung be?" Juno thought aloud, looking all over the temple for the older monk. The full moon hung in the sky above, lighting the way. "It's not like him to disappear into thin air without telling anyone."

"You don't think something could have happened to him, do you?" Dojo asked from her shoulder, starting to get worried.

"He can take care of himself, but it is strange no one has heard from him in a while."

The two arrived in the area of the Shen Gong Wu vault. Once there, they saw something laying at the bottom of the steps that lead to the double doors. Upon closer look, it was soon revealed to be a person.

"Master Fung!" Juno rushed forward, kneeling beside the unconscious older monk when she reached him. "Master Fung?" she shook his shoulder, but he didn't stir.

"What happened to him?!" Dojo got off her shoulder and looked him over for any injuries. "Could he have fallen down the stairs, old age finally catching up with him?"

"I don't know." the redhead said, turning her head to where the doors of the vault were wide open. "But something doesn't feel right. Dojo, stay with him, I'm going into the vault."

The dragon nodded, trying to wake up Master Fung as she stood and raced up the stairs.

---

"And that's the last of it." Jack said as he walked to the surface level above the vault, carrying a large sack filled with Shen Gong Wu. "Shadow, what do you say to a permanent evil alliance?"

"Hmm, it's tempting, love." the blue-haired woman replied, holding two other sacks of Wu. "But I think I'm more suited to being a lone wolf, I only made an exception this one time to pay back Chase and his little 'family'."

"Well, if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me." he told her, slinging his sack over his shoulder.

"Yes, yes, now let's get going." Wuya spoke up. "Having nothing going wrong for this long is making me nervous."

"Leaving so soon, are we?"

The villains turned around, coming face-to-face with a certain Xiaolin Dragon King. It was easy to see from her expression that she was not at all happy to see them. Jack squeaked and hid behind Shadow, looking over her shoulder and staring at the other redhead with scared eyes.

"I knew it wouldn't be that easy." Wuya grumbled.

"Why, hello, Juno." the blue-haired woman greeted. "I thought you would have been too busy with Raimundo to come and see me."

"Fortunately, your little plan failed, he's fine now." Juno told her. "And, you know, I'm actually glad you came back to steal our Wu. It gives me the chance to beat the living shit out of you."

"Well, then..." Shadow dropped the sacks she was holding. "You're welcome to try." she took a stance.

The female warrior's golden eyes narrowed, preparing to fight herself. Both of them stared one another down, waiting for the other to make a move.

"I'll just take these..." Jack grabbed the Shen Gong Wu-filled sacks on the floor and dragged them to the side.

After a moment passed, both Juno and Shadow charged at the same time. When they were close enough, the latter delivered a spinning kick, but the former dropped to the floor just in time to dodge. Then she shot out her leg, kicking her in the stomach and sending her flying across the vault.

The female villain's back crashed into the stone wall. She looked up and move to the side, avoiding the redhead's fist and making her punch the spot her head was just a second ago. They then launched into a frenzy of kicks and punches. While they were fighting, Jack was trying to drag all three sacks out of the vault.

"I have to say, Juno, you're a lot slower than what I thought." Shadow remarked, using her arm to block a kick from the other.

'Looks like I did use too much of my magic while trying to help Raimundo.' Juno thought, pulling her leg back. 'My energy hasn't completely returned yet.'

The female villain raised her leg and kicked at her repeatedly in rapid session. She blocked them all, her energy may be low, but that didn't mean she couldn't handle someone like her. Holding up one hand, she caught the other's foot and gave it a harsh twist.

"Agh!" Shadow cried out and was tossed to the floor. Before she could get up, her opponent got on top of her and punched her in the face.

"Let me guess..." Juno punched her again. "You used Jack's Indigo Pyramid on Master Fung to get you inside the vault, didn't you?"

"A smart one, aren't you, love?" the blue-haired woman smirked. "Once the old geezer started to wake up from his little trance, I had no choice but to give him a small push down the stairs. I sure hope he doesn't get a concussion."

The redhead gritted her teeth at the other's smug expression, a low growl escaping her. She punched her in the face once more, putting a bit more extra force behind it. While she was dazed, she stood up and grabbed her by the hair. Spinning her around a few times, she threw the female villain and sent her flying into Jack just as he reached the doorway.

The two landed on the ground outside, tumbling for a moment before coming to a stop. The three sacks of Shen Gong Wu scattered, as well.

"Juno!" Dojo exclaimed as the Xiaolin Dragon King came out of the vault, shocked to see the villains. "We've got raiders?!"

"The unattractive kind, too." she said. "Don't think I'm through with you yet, Shadow. I have to make sure there's enough of you for Kimiko to pummel."

The female villain got to her feet, dusting off her armor. Then she held up her hand and a weapon materialized in it. It was a sword with a light blue crystalline single-edged blade, a smaller one attached to the long, dark blue handle. It also appeared to be giving off a soft glow.

"What do you think of my Blue Moon Blade?" Shadow asked, giving the sword a few test swings across the air.

Juno stared at her impassively as she summoned her own weapon. She spun it around for a moment before pointing the tip of the blade at the other. "Mine is bigger than yours." she smirked.

The blue-haired woman clicked her tongue before she ran ahead. The redhead charged, as well, and met her halfway, their blades clashing and causing sparks to fly between them.

"Rawr, talk about a catfight." Jack remarked, sitting up on the ground and watching the two fight.

"Jack, quick!" Wuya floated over to her partner. "Grab the Shen Gong Wu and let's get out of here!"

"Oh, right!" the redheaded boy got to his feet and quickly grabbed one of the filled sacks. He activated his Heli-Bot and took to the air, the ghost following him. "At least we didn't come out of this empty-handed." he gave a victorious grin as they flew away from the temple.

He went unnoticed by the two females as they were focused on battling each other. Juno noticed that Shadow's Blue Moon Blade was lighter than her Xiaolin Dragon Blade, her attacks coming in swiftly. If she wasn't careful, then she would end up with a few cuts before the night was over.

The redhead slashed her weapon at the female villain, but she jumped and did a flip over her head. The second she landed behind her, she jabbed her blade forward to stab her in the back. However, the green pole of the guandao deflected it before that could happen. Juno lowered herself to the ground and swiped the end of her weapon across Shadow's legs, knocking her off balance.

The blue-haired woman touched her hand to the ground and pushed herself back to her feet. When she was standing straight, she leaned her head back, narrowly dodging the sharp silver spike aimed at her face. She backed away as the female warrior kept thrusting the end of her guandao at her repeatedly, trying to block the attacks with her own blade.

Shadow felt her back being pressed against the wall surrounding the temple. She held up her Blue Moon Blade to deflect the redhead's next attack, but she lifted up her leg and kicked the weapon out of her hand, sending it clattering to the side. The sharp spike of the Xiaolin Dragon Blade went directly for the middle of the female villain's head. However, it came to a sudden stop just an inch from its target.

Juno's eyes widened in surprise at the locks of blue hair that wrapped around the pole of her weapon. "What the?"

"You would be surprised at how many tricks I have up my sleeve." Shadow smirked.

Her hair pulled the guandao up, making the Xiaolin Dragon King rise into the air. Then she was tossed to the side, sent tumbling across the ground.

"As much as I've enjoyed our little date, love..." the taller woman used her long blue strands to grab her Blue Moon Blade and return it to her hand. "I'm afraid I don't want to be caught in the blast."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Juno demanded, lifting herself up to her knee.

"Oh, you'll know soon enough." Shadow's hair stretched out again to grab one of the sacks of Shen Gong Wu and pull it into her arm. "But, I must admit, it's a shame to see that favorite spot of yours be blown to smithereens. Well, here's hoping I see you again, Xiaolin Dragon King." she blew a kiss towards the redhead.

Before the female warrior could stop her, the villainess stepped into the shadow of one of the temple's buildings. Then she sank into it, giving a quick smirk and wink before she disappeared completely.

"She said blast and smithereens..." Juno said to herself, getting to her feet. "Does that mean..."

"Juno!" Dojo called. "Master Fung is waking up."

She grabbed the sack of Shen Gong Wu that was left and rushed over, arriving in time to see the older monk open his eyes with a groan. "Master Fung, are you alright?"

"Y-Yes, I believe so..." he slowly sat up, rubbing his head. "But I feel I will have quite a headache for a while."

"I'm sorry to spring this on you when you have just awoken, but there's a bomb on the temple grounds."

"A bomb?!" Dojo exclaimed, panic already setting in.

"There could be more, I'm not sure." Juno said as she released her weapon, making it disappear. "But I need you and Dojo to take the Shen Gong Wu and find the others. Tell them what's going on, and get them to safety quickly."

"What are you going to do, Master Juno?" Master Fung asked, taking the sack from her as he managed to get to his feet.

"I have a bomb to find." she replied before she ran off.

"Come on, Master Fung, we have to hurry!" Dojo declared, leading the way to where the rest of the Xiaolin Warriors were with the older monk following him.

Juno jumped high into the air, flying over to the temple's tallest building on landing on the very top of it. Her eyes scanned over the area before her, trying to spot anything that could be out of place. However, there wasn't a trace of a bomb from where she was. For all she knew, Shadow had planted it somewhere inside one of the buildings. She didn't have time to check every inch of the temple, who knows how long they had before it went off.

'Think, Juno, where could Shadow have put it?' the female warrior thought to herself, looking around fervently. 'There has to be some way of knowing...' her eyes landed on the garden, spotting the pink head of the cherry blossom tree. A realization clicked in her mind. 'What she said earlier, about my favorite spot being blown to smithereens. The garden! The tree!'

She jumped down from the building, landing on the roof of another. Running as fast as she could, she went from roof to roof until the garden was before her. Giving one more leap, her feet touched the grass and immediately headed for the tree by the pond.

Juno quickly saw that something had been stuck to the bark of the cherry blossom tree. It looked like a mini Jack-Bot with a painted white grin on its face, holding a clock that was counting down. Her hand reached for it to pull it off, but it was too late.

The Bomb-Bot's countdown had reached zero.

---

(Meanwhile, a few moments before the bomb went off)

After doing away with the carcass of the Heylin Scorpion, Chase was going to head back to the Xiaolin Temple. He was just heading for the entrance when he felt a sudden presence, the Jungle Cats in the room growling when they also felt it.

"It's barely been a day, and your skills are already diminishing without my guidance." the Heylin warrior said into the supposedly empty space.

One of the shadows on the wall formed into a large spot. Soon, a certain female villain stepped out.

"I wanted you to notice me." Shadow told him.

"You have a lot of nerve, coming back here after what you did." Chase narrowed his eyes dangerously at her.

"You mean poisoning your 'son'?" she questioned, using air quotes. "Part of it was to get revenge on you and your little wife, another part of it was to see what you would do. I mean, the mighty Chase Young lowering himself to help someone from the Xiaolin side. I can't say this would do your reputation much good."

"I don't give a damn about my reputation anymore." he stated. "I would do anything to save a member of my family."

Shadow let out a laugh, which echoed off the walls. "Your family? Wow, you really have become a complete softie, haven't you? You honestly see those monks as your kids, that's just pathetic. Yes, you're not the great villain I once thought you were."

A low growl found its way to the Heylin warrior's throat, his fists clenching and unclenching.

"But, you know, it is a shame Raimundo didn't fall victim to the Heylin Scorpion's venom." she continued. "I personally would have loved to have seen the life drain from his eyes." her lips spread out in a cruel smirk.

Something flew past her face in a flash. Shadow blinked once, turning her gaze to the Kwan-Dao sword that was now embedded in the wall behind her. Feeling something wet on her cheek, she lifted her hand and touched it. When she pulled it back, she saw her own blood on her fingers.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't turn you into my cats' new chew toy." Chase snarled with burning eyes as the Jungle Cats began to advance on her.

"Can't say I have one to give at the moment." the blue-haired woman replied, taking one step back from the felines that looked ready to attack her. "However, I do think I'll be getting my wish with Raimundo soon. As well as with the other monks."

"Jungle Cats, seize her!"

The big cats all roared, leaping all at once at Shadow with claws and fangs bared. However, before they could touch her, she vanished into the shadows of the walls, which some of the Jungle Cats slammed into face-first.

"I wonder how pretty your wife will look after she's blown to pieces." the villainess's mocking laughter echoed around the room before it died down.

"What have you done, Shadow?!" Chase shouted, but was met with only silence.

In less than a second, that silence for broken by something so incredibly loud that he heard it all the way in his lair. Running as fast as he could, the Heylin warrior went outside, some of the Jungle Cats following him, and stopped at the very edge of the cliff. It didn't take him long to see the pillar of smoke rising from the treetops. He also quickly figured out where it was coming from.

"The Xiaolin Temple..." Chase's eyes widened. "The monks... Juno!"

---

(Back at the Xiaolin Temple)

Every one of the buildings had fallen, and the tall walls that used to surround the temple were now large piles of stone. Flames, their embers floating into the night sky, were scattered about and burning the leftover remains of what was once the mighty Xiaolin Temple. There was nothing left of it but wood and rubble. And there was not a single person in sight.

Then, right in the middle of the grounds, one of the stone tiles was lifted into the air.

"I knew those secret underground tunnels we dug years ago would come in handy." Dashi remarked as he lifted himself out of the hole. He reached down into it and pulled out Omi and Ping-Pong.

"Good thing there was an entrance in the room Dojo and Master Fung found us in." Clay said, getting out of the hole along with the others. "If we had waited a second sooner, we all would have been as crisped and burned as a Christmas ham.

"I don't believe it..." Kimiko's voice was soft as she looked over all the damage done, Raimundo putting his hands on her shoulders. "The temple, it's... it's gone. Just like that."

Kaze let out a sad chirp, flapping in the air.

"Most terrible." Omi agreed, turning his crestfallen expression to the ground. It then turned angry a second later, his hands clenching tightly. "Shadow shall not be forgiven for this."

"Oui, Brother Omi!" Ping-Pong nodded his head.

Suddenly, there was a flash of bright light and everyone saw a certain Heylin warrior had appeared.

"Chase!"

"Is everyone alright?" he quickly asked. "I heard the explosion and saw the smoke."

"We are all okay." Guan answered. "However, we do not know where Juno is."

"What?"

"She said she was going to try and stop the bomb." Dojo informed. "But, since it went off, that would mean..." he trailed off.

Everyone let that what he was trying to say sink in, their eyes slowly widening. If the Xiaolin Dragon King had failed to stop the bomb, that would mean she got caught in the powerful blast. And she was laying somewhere among the wreckage.

Omi immediately ran over to a pile of debris and started to dig through it. "Master Juno! Master Juno, are you there?!"

"She's gotta be okay, right?" Raimundo questioned, moving wooden beams for any sign of the redhead. "I mean, she's immortal now. She can't die from an explosion, right?" one could hear the desperation in his voice.

"That doesn't mean she's not seriously injured." Dashi answered as he and everyone else rummaged through the wreckage as quickly as possible.

"Where are you, Juno?" Chase asked himself, trying not to let panic and fear overtake him.

They combed through the area, moving as much debris as they could in hopes of finding the female warrior. Preferably in one piece rather than parts of her scattered around. Just as it seemed their search was fruitless, Kaze flew in and let out a loud squawk to get their attention. Once he did, he pointed a wing in one direction and flew that way.

Everyone followed him, quickly realizing he was leading them to an area near the now-destroyed garden. When they were there, the phoenix circled around a large pile of rubble. The group's eyes quickly spotted the pale arm that was sticking out of it.

Not wasting another second, they got to work on digging through the wreckage. With their combined efforts, it didn't take them long to uncover the one they were looking for.

Juno laid motionlessly on the ground, her bun undone and her hair flared out beneath her. Her clothes were badly torn, covered in dirt and scorch marks while patches of her top, skirt, and sleeves were missing. Cuts, bruises, and burns littered her body, blood dripping out of some of her wounds. To everyone else, she looked like a freshly discovered corpse.

"Master Juno?" Omi reached out and gently touched her shoulder.

Her eyelids fluttered, slowly opening. She looked at everyone huddled around her, her blurry vision beginning to become clear, and saw their worried expressions. She waited for the ringing in the ears to go silent before speaking.

"Hi, everyone..." Juno said weakly, letting out a pained groan. "Oooh, shit."

"You're alive!" Clay shouted in relief, smiling widely along with the others.

"Thank Xiaolin!" Omi cheered, wanting to hug her but holding back because he knew it would cause her discomfort in her current condition.

"Kinda wish I wasn't right now, everything hurts like a bitch." she groaned as she tried to sit up, only to have Chase help her. "Immortality is really starting to suck. Well, I guess it has its uses." her eyes took in the injuries on her body, seeing they had already begun to heal.

"We were so worried when the explosion happened, and we didn't see you." Kimiko told her.

"Just before the bomb went off, I put up a barrier to try and contain the blast." the redhead informed as her husband put her arm around his shoulders and carefully pulled her to her feet, one hand around her waist. "I couldn't hold it for long since I was low on energy, and it was a lot stronger than I thought."

"I cannot believe Shadow would go such a despicable thing to our home." Omi spoke up, his anger for the female villain returning.

"Trust me, Omi, she's not gonna get away with this." Juno swore. Her eyes gazed over the remnants of the completely wrecked temple, a burning rage filling her and making her forget the pain that ached her body. "Definitely not while I'm alive."

No one destroys her home and lives to tell about it.

---

(Meanwhile, at Jack Spicer's lair)

"Alright, let's see what we got here." the evil boy genius placed the sack on the table and looked through it. "Oh, the Monkey Staff!" he pulled out the Shen Gong Wu. "I've missed you so much!" he held it close before placing a kiss on the small monkey statue on top.

"Yes, yes, very nice." Wuya waved one of her limbs. "Now let's see if we have anything more useful."

"Okay, okay." he said, setting the Staff to the side. Just as he began to rummage through the sack again, he looked over to one of his workbenches and noticed something. "Hey, do you know where my Bomb-Bot went?"

---

(Later, back at the Xiaolin Temple)

The sun had just risen, painting the sky a beautiful deep golden red. The flames that burned on the temple had finally extinguished, leaving charred wood and smoke behind. Among the wreckage, the Xiaolin Warriors were gathered together to talk about their next course of action.

"At least we still have some Shen Gong Wu left over." Omi said, gesturing to the sack that held the mystical items.

"Doesn't do us much good when we don't have a proper vault to store them in." Raimundo pointed with his thumbs to the open area where the Shen Gong Wu vault once stood.

"What are we going to do now, Master Juno?" Ping-Pong asked the redhead, who was now able to stand on her own feet.

"Yeah, it's supposed to rain tomorrow." Dojo added.

"Well, first order of business is to find a new place to live." Juno sighed, running a hand through her hair.

Someone cleared their throat and everyone turned their heads.

"I believe my lair is more than suitable to accommodate everyone." Chase said as he walked over along with the other male warriors.

The female warrior let out a small laugh. "Okay, Chase, you win. The kids and I can live with you until something more permanent comes up."

"It's about time, I would say." he remarked.

"Sweet, we got a roof over our heads already." Raimundo said with a grin, putting his arm around Kimiko while Kaze landed on his shoulder. "Thanks, dad."

"While you all stay with Chase, I could probably crash at Guan's place or something." Dashi spoke up.

"Juno, will you and the monks find a new temple to live at? Or will you rebuild the Xiaolin Temple?" Guan questioned the redhead.

"I don't know yet." she answered. "But I do know this, we've got a lot of work ahead of us."

"Indeed, you do." Master Fung agreed. "As for me, I must be on my way for a long walk."

"Master Fung sure picked a fine time to go for a stroll." Raimundo commented as Kaze chirped a couple of times.

"Do you have to leave?" Dojo asked the older monk, quickly slithering up his leg to his arm."Can't I go with you?" his eyes began to water from the thought of being separated from him.

"No, Dojo, you must stay with Master Juno and the young monks." Master Fung used one finger to rub his head comfortingly. "They will need you on their new journey." he handed the dragon over to the Xiaolin Dragon King. "However, we will meet again in the future. Xiaolin Warriors, take care of yourselves. I wish you all the best of luck." he smiled warmly at the group.

A thick cloud of smoke moved in front of him, blocking his entire self from view. When it dissipated, everyone blinked when they saw the older monk had disappeared into thin air.

"Classic Master Fung." Juno chuckled as Dojo traveled up to rest on her shoulders.

"Master Juno..." Ping-Pong spoke up. "I cannot help but wonder... will we be okay?" his expression had a trace of worry in it.

"Of course, we will." she crouched down, took him into her arms, and stood back up. "With all of us together, there's nothing we can't overcome." an encouraging smile came onto her face, making some of the youngest monk's anxiety melt away. "Isn't that right, kids?"

"Yes, ma'am!" the Shoku Warriors responded in unison, Kaze squawking and flapping his wings.

Chase, Dashi, and Guan stood to the side and watched the Xiaolin Warriors, smiles on their faces. While they may have lost their home, they hadn't lost their spirit and determination. No matter how dark and bleak things got, the group always found a way to keep their hopes up and overcome the most impossible of odds.

While it was unknown what the future holds, the Xiaolin Dragon King and her monks will face whatever comes their way head-on.

To be continued...

---

And there you have it, everyone. Thank you all so much for being patient with the new chapter, and I hoped you liked it. I look forward to seeing your reviews on it. I would also like to give a big thank you to Hina714 for giving me the idea for the plot, as well as the Rejuvenating Butterfly Shen Gong Wu.

The next part will show Juno and the monks living with Chase and going on a new adventure. I'll be sure to let you know who has what Wu now, as well. Until then, every one of you take care! I love all of you readers so much and appreciate your support!