Disclaimer,

"Hello and welcome to the Catprah Meowfrey show, I'm your host with the most, Darth Maud-dib. I'd like to welcome all of you felines in the audience, and remind everyone that I did not create Xiaolin Showdown and I don't own it. Now as a special treat today, I want all you fine cats to look under your seat where you'll find a surprise gift. That's right, strapped to each of your seats in three pounds of the finest military explosives money can buy. Let's see what happens when I push this button on the detonator I have in my hand. Everybody say kaboom!"

A/N

I am considering continuing this story, so if you would like to see it continue let me know. If there is enough reader interest then I'll finish this one.

Chapter Six

Finding Alex

A fresh breeze blew over Master Monk Guan's temple, pushing thick clouds in front of the afternoon sun. Sitting on the roof of one of the outer structures, Ayane played her flute while thinking about Alex as well as Rin. She had left Bob and the monks shortly after breakfast to continue their research. They had spent the entire morning buried in books, trying to find more about Tsu Lan with little success. Over near the southern wall, a leopard jumping into the temple caught her attention. Assuming it belonged to chase, she watched it hurry around the various buildings before running out of sight.

Continuing her slow melody, Ayane closed her eyes allowing the cool breeze to wash over her face. Focusing on her song, she slowly forced the fear and loneliness that clung to her mind out through her flute. Picking up the tempo, she twisted her doubt into determination. She needed to be strong, she would be strong. No matter what the monks had planed or Tsu Lan thought he was going to do, she would save Alex. The sound of foot steps pulled her out of her thoughts. Recognizing the persons scent, she stopped playing her flute and opened her eyes. "What do ya want?"

"I did not mean to interrupt, but what is that song you were playing?" Omi walked over and stopped a few feet behind her.

"Cantata one forty, seventh movement." Ayane slipped the flute back into her sleeve. "It's by Bach."

"Well you play it very well."

"I had a good teacher." Ayane smiled, remembering the nights spent practicing with her mother as a child. "Ya come up here just ta ask me that?"

"No, Master Monk Guan wants everyone to meet him in the library."

"Finally," Ayane muttered as she stood up. Stepping over to the edge of the roof, she allowed herself to fall off and landed lightly on her feet with Omi dropping down next to her. Maneuvering between the buildings, Ayane followed the short monk into the main hall and through the corridors until they reached the library. Stepping over Dojo, who was asleep in the archway, she found that everyone was spread out around the room and joined Bob near the back.

"You okay?" Bob leaned over.

"I just needed some air," Ayane replied. "So what's going on?"

"I'll explain now that you're all here." Chase closed the book he was reading. "One of my jungle cats just returned from Tsu Lan's citadel to inform me about a ritual being set up as we speak."

"A ritual to absorb the power of the Wu, I'm guessing." Raimundo leaned forward in his chair.

"Yes," Guan replied from the other side of the table. "We can not allow this to happen. Before the ritual is started we will go take back the Shen Gong Wu and free Alex."

"What about Tsu Lan?" Omi asked.

Chase glanced over to Omi. "He'll have to wait until we can find a way to deal with him. The more important thing now is stopping him from becoming stronger."

Clay leaned against the table and looked at Chase. "That's all well an' good, but has anyone thought 'bout how we're s'pose to free Alex?"

"Why not just use the Ying or Yang Yo-Yo like you did with the runt?" Bob crossed his arms.

"I doubt that would work." Kimiko turned to face the back of the room.

"Why not?" Ayane let some of her frustration slip into her voice. "If it worked once, why not do it again?"

"Because Alex is evil." Kimiko glared at her. "Sending Omi to the Ying Yang world removed the evil chi that controlled him and he came back normal because he was originally good. If we do the same thing to Alex, all of his evil chi would get left behind and he would come out twice as good as he was evil." She paused cringing with a shiver. "He could end like Good Jack."

"Trust me, you don't want that." Raimundo shook his head.

"So we give him the Reversing Mirror," Ayane stated.

"That might make him even more evil than before." Kimiko leaned back against the wall.

"So how do we get him back to normal?" Bob asked.

"When I was under Tsu Lan's control I had no memory of myself or any of you." Omi glimpsed around the room. "It was only after the chains feel off that I regained my memory."

"In my experience, the key to resisting the influence of others is knowledge of ones self." Guan turned towards Ayane. "If Alex has been robbed of his memories then perhaps he need only be reminded of who he is. If forced to confront his past by someone he cares for, he may be able to free himself."

Ayane felt a slight smile spread across her face as a sense of hope returned. Turning towards Bob, she took her backpack from him and slipped on the Golden tiger Claws before opening a portal. "Well, what are ya clowns waiting for?"

"Come along Dojo." Master Monk Guan picked the sleeping dragon up and woke him while everyone started through the portal.

"What… I'm awake." Dojo's eye's darted around as he was carried through the portal. "Where're we going?"

Ayane rolled her eye's then followed the monks and Chase through the portal, emerging in front of a large palace standing on scorched dirt. "Nice place."

"As far as evil hideouts go, I've seen better." Raimundo shrugged. "So, was there a plan or were we just going to rush the place?"

"We need only draw our enemy's attention away from their task." Guan started towards the palace. "With their focus on us, you shall be free to retrieve the Shen Gong Wu."

"Any idea's as ta how I'm supposed ta get Alex ta remember me?" Ayane trailed behind the group as they slowly approached the structure.

"This will help with that." Chase turned to face Ayane with his hand held out, holding a small blue shimmering ball of light. "This is a modified version of my Heylin Memory Recall spell. If you can handle this, then all you need do is hit Alex with it and you can steer his memories to the ones you want."

"I can handle anything you throw at me." A hint of anger swept through Ayane as she took the glowing ball. Surprised by the weight of the sphere, images of her time spent as a monk flashed through her mind, causing her to falter slightly. Breathing deeply, Ayane forced the memories back to the corners of her mind, focusing only on her task.

"You think we should ring the bell?" Kimiko asked.

"I do not think that will be necessary." Omi pointed forward just as a cloud of lavender smoke released a dozen familiar warriors.

"Insolent fools." Tsu Lan stepped onto the balcony the over looked the entrance. "You dare to defile my sanctum and interrupt my ascension to godhood."

"We heard you were having a party Tsu." Raimundo smirked. "I can call you Tsu right, although you look like a chuckles to me."

"Enough. I have no time for childish games, for the ceremony has already begun and in moments the power of your precious Shen Gong Wu will be mine." Tsu Lan waved his hand and Alex appeared in a beam of light, standing in front of the group. Turning briskly on his heels, Tsu Lan stepped back inside his citadel. "Herald, deal with these pitiable fools."

"Raimundo, you and the others go around to the right and take the Shen Gong Wu when you have a chance. Chase and I shall go to the left and deal with Tsu Lan." Guan waited for Raimundo's response before sprinting off with Chase and half of the lavenders warriors close behind.

"I will leave Alex to you." Omi smiled at Ayane before hurrying after his friends.

Bob stepped over to Ayane's side and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I'm with you."

"Go with the monks and get the Wu." Ayane took a deep breath while shifting her gaze to Alex, who slowly began to stalk his way towards them. "I should be the one ta do this."

"If this memory thing don't work, then…"

"I know," Ayane cut off his protest already knowing what he was going to say. Neither of them had spoken of it aloud but deep down she knew that it might come down to a worst case scenario. She knew Alex better than anyone else and she knew that he would rather die than be forced to bend to the will of someone else. "One way or another this is gonna end by my hand."

Bob held his gaze on her for a long moment before finally nodding. Taking a few hesitant steps back, he turned and ran around the side of the building just as a burst of flames erupted along with the sound of battle. The sound of chains rustling caught her attention, causing Ayane to return her focus to Alex. Sprinting towards her, Alex lashed out with a string of punches.

"I'm not gonna fight ya." Holding on the shimmering ball with her right hand, Ayane swayed or ducked under his attacks before jumping back. "Ya have ta snap outta this." Dodging another hail of punches, she cartwheeled to the side then flipped back, but Alex matched her maneuver and scored with a harsh kick to the ribs. With the wind knocked out of her, she blocked a punch with her free hand only to have a fresh wave of pain delivered to her chin by an uppercut. Staggering back, she ducked under a strike from Alex, hopping to gain some distance but a sweep from Alex's back leg caught her ankle. Landing hard on her stomach, Ayane rolled to her side only to have another jolt of pain rack her body as Alex's foot slammed onto her chest.

"Alex please, ya can't let this happen. Ya promised you'd never let me be alone." Ayane looked up hopping to see some sign that Alex was there but her only response were a pair of glowing, hollow eyes and another kick to the ribs. Ignoring the pain, she kept her eyes locked on his as he grabbed her by the shirt with his other hand ready to strike. "I'm sorry Alex. Heylin Memory Recall." Thrusting her right hand upward, she drove the luminous orb into his forehead, causing it to burst in a flash of light.

(Some time ago…)

The sound of swords clashing echoed over a small village hidden at the edge of Greece. Thick clouds of smoke fill the night air while fires blazed across rooftops or blew out windows. A sense of panic flooded the once decorated streets. Villagers scurried out of the buildings or fled from the town square while the unknown invaders trampled over the hand made decorations that had fallen to the ground. Some of the villagers tried to fight back, grabbing pieces of wood or drawing the ceremonial knifes that hung on their hips, only to get pushed back by the invaders.

After what seemed like an eternity, an eerie quiet fell over the town and Alex found himself standing alone in the street with tears running down his young face. Too terrified to move, he heard the sound of footsteps and turned around to find two of the attackers walking towards him. They each wore brown robes and carried a spear with a red string tied just below the tip.

"What should we do with him?" one man asked.

"Master told us to bring any survivors to the center of town." The second man stepped over to Alex and grabbed him by the arm. A fresh sense of terror gripped Alex as he was dragged through the burning ruins of his home. Finally reaching the town square, Alex froze at the sight of the gathered invaders standing around while the decorations his parents had said were in his honor burned around them. Glancing about, he tried desperately to locate his parents but all he could find were the cold stares of the assailants and the roaring fire.

A middle aged man in tan robes stormed over towards Alex then glared at the two that had brought him. "Is he the last?"

"Yes Master Chen Lao." The two men bowed then took a step back.

"Then we shall put an end to this now." Chen Lao frowned down at Alex with a fierce look in his eyes and drew the curved sword that hung on his back.

"No!" Another man stepped between Alex and Chen Lao. "There is no need for any more destruction, he is only a child."

"Look at his clothing, Huo. He wears the mark; we can not turn a blind eye to this." Chen Lao gestured towards Alex. "We don't know how far they got before we arrived. Let's just finish this now and be done with it."

"Did you not learn anything about compassion during your studies? This child is no more than five years old; he is no threat to anyone. Besides, have you forgotten why we came here in the first place? He is of the chosen ones, one of the elemental dragons."

"And you would take him with us knowing what was intended for him?" Chen Lao lowered his sword. "This is your quest, so do as you will, but nothing good will come from this."

"We shall see." Huo turned to face Alex and knelt down in front of him. "Do not be afraid young one; I am going to take you someplace safe."

Not knowing what else to do, Alex followed the monk as he rose and made his way down the streets. Walking behind the monk, Alex felt a cool breeze blow over his face and looked up see the fires blow out an instant before the village and monks vanished into darkness.

Ya have ta remember who ya are; remember Rin and what she taught you.

Vaguely recognizing the muffled voice, Alex felt an odd weight around his wrists that pulled him down into the darkness. Falling through what appeared to be a puddle, he found himself sitting on the roof of the temple, now six years older and wearing the red and white robes of a monk.

Letting the warm breeze wash over him, Alex looked over the temple while trying to push his anger aside. Glaring down at the courtyard, he spotted Master Huo putting out some of the lights as everyone else settled in for the night. Sanzo eventually joined the old monk, wearing the same aggravating smile he had since Alex first met the Dragon of Light. Alex felt his eye twitch as he watched the two stroll back inside, remembering Master Huo's constant badgering.

More and more each day Master Huo would say the same thing, "Why can't you follow orders like Sanzo? When will you learn to be more dependable like Sanzo? If you want to be a great warrior then you need to be more like Sanzo." Everyday now, Master Huo or Chen Lao would look down at Alex or criticize him for not being a brown nosing sycophant like their precious Sanzo.

"Why should I be like him anyway?" Alex thought aloud. "I've proven I'm twice the fighter he is. I'm the one who defeated Dao Sha, and my element is just as strong as his."

"I say stronger."

Startled by the voice, Alex spun around to find a woman wearing a black dress with long dark green hair smiling behind him. "Who are you?"

"My name is Rin, Rin Anor and I didn't mean to scare you."

"What do you want?" Alex looked at her suspiciously.

"I wanted to meet you and thank you." Rin lightly stepped over to him and sat down.

"For what?"

"I was a prisoner of Dao Sha and the bone men when you defeated him. I was impressed so I thought I'd come to meet you myself."

Alex sat down in front of her. "You were the one who helped that one monk in the tower, that Fung guy."

"So, I hear you're on your way to becoming a great warrior." Rin smiled again.

"I'm going to be the greatest warrior since Master Monk Guan."

"I can help you become stronger if you'd like. It's the least I can do considering the help you gave me." Rin leaned closer as she was whispering a secret. "I can teach you ways to manipulate your chi, show you how to put more power into your element until the skies are split by the lightning you command."

"I can learn that kind of power?"

"Not from the Xiaolin. I'm sure you've notice how they like to keep secrets and whisper behind the backs of their allies."

Alex glared down at the building that Master Huo had entered, recalling some of the conversations he had with Master Chen Lao. "They think I was too young to remember what happened to my parents, but I know what happened to my village."

"I've heard rumors about what they did to you, and for what it's worth I'm sorry. I know first hand what it's like to be betrayed by the Xiaolin." Rin's voice took on a bitter tone.

"What do you mean? I've heard a little about some of the things you've helped the Xiaolin do and some of it was pretty amazing. You're kinda like a hero."

"Unfortunately that's not a sentiment shared by many," Rin laughed. She began to explain the circumstances that led to her falling out with the Xiaolin and Fung. Surprised by everything she had told him, a part of Alex began to wonder what Master Huo and the other monks would do to him when they couldn't find a use for him anymore.

"They tried to kill you?" Alex glanced over to the side after Rin had finished her story, surprised to see the sun beginning to rise. "Why?"

"Because they're afraid of how my powers have grown, they know they can't simply bend me to there will and control me so they want to destroy me. You should be careful as well Alex, I see you becoming the greatest of the Dragons in training, but in time you may find yourself in a similar position as me." Rin rose to her feet and turned towards the rising sun. "I should get going; we've been up here for hours now."

"You're leaving?" Alex stood up.

"I don't want you get into any trouble if you're seen with me so it's best if I go now, but I can come back tonight if you want." Rin smiled at Alex. "You and I are kindred spirits. We both know how the Xiaolin use their holier than thou attitude to justify whatever they do, and I would like us to become friends."

"So would I." Alex smiled as Rin floated off into the distance. Feeling a comfortable breeze, he turned and hopped off the side of the roof only to land in a shimmering pool of darkness.

A sense of panic rose in Alex as his eyes darted from left to right while the temple melted away. The sound of a deep voice laughing echoed in his ears while the cold weight around his wrists threatened to pull him back down into the dark. Struggling against the pull of the dark, he felt a familiar presence but couldn't remember who it was.

Remember your promise; ya said ya would never let me be alone again. struggling to recognize the owner of the voice, Alex felt himself morph back to his regular age while the darkness that surrounded him pulled back to reveal a child version of himself talking to an unknown person.

"Why are you crying?" the young Alexander asked.

"I don't like it here," the familiar person replied in a girl's voice. "I don't wanna be alone."

Pulling against the weight and the laughter, Alex reached towards the scene playing before him. As he fought to move forward, he felt a growing sense of clarity the closer he got to the girl.

"You don't have to be scared, I'll keep you company while you're here," Alexander replied.

"You will?" The girl sniffled.

"I don't like it here either, that's why I'm going to become the strongest fighter in the world. I'll be free do whatever I want. You can come with me if you want, then neither one of us ever has to be lonely again." The young Alexander reached down and kissed the girls hand.

The closer Alex got to the girl the more the darkness tried to swallow the image from his past. A sheering pain raced through his body while the familiar voice rang in his ears. Ignoring the pain, Alex continued to pull towards the girl, recognizing the color of her hair and her playful smile. Pushing the laughter out of his mind, he focused on the voice calling out to him, calling every ounce of strength he had until he finally reached the girl. A bolt of white hot lightning struck the ground around Alex and Ayane, forming a wall that quickly drove the darkness back.

(Now…)

Letting out a cry of pain and furry, Alex dropped to his knees as his body crackled with electricity while the cold steel chains around his wrist cracked and shattered. Breathing heavily, his vision slowly began to clear and he found Ayane sitting in front of him with tears running down her face. "Ayane…"

"Alex?" Ayane stared deep into his eyes, clearly surprised to hear his voice.

"I… I'm so sorry." Alex shook his head as his memory of the last few days returned. He looked back to Ayane and started to speak when she pounced on top of him wrapped her arm around him like an anaconda.

"You're back." Ayane squeezed him tighter.

Alex returned her embrace as she struggled to stop crying. "I'll never leave you alone."

"Promise?" Ayane finally regained her composure after a few minutes.

"Cross my heart and wish me dead, stick a train spike through my head." Alex smiled at her, remembering the promise he made to her a as kid. "How about we go and get some revenge?"

"Let's," Ayane replied with a angry grin. "Ya sure you're up for a fight?"

"Oh yeah I'm up for it, besides we can't let Tsu Lan complete his plan and we got to help the others." Alex took Ayane's hand then turned and sprinted towards the side of the citadel.

"Ya mean Chase and the monks?"

"Not them. I'll explain everything later," Alex said recalling some of the things he had learned while under Tsu Lan's spell. Sprinting around the side of the building the duo skidded to halt just as a lavender warrior flew over head. The large quad was swarming with activity while Dojo hid behind one of several stone pillars with Celtic carvings that surrounded an ancient looking alter. The Shen Gong Wu floated over the stone alter while Dai Gui chanted in Hindu with his hands towards the Wu. Clay and Kimiko were the closest to the alter, each using their elements to fight off their attackers. Raimundo was near the back wall fighting side by side with Omi, while Bob used his Wudai weapon to fight through a group rushing towards him. To the left, Alex saw Master Monk Guan and Chase fighting their way towards Tsu Lan, who watched everything with an amused smirk.

"Look's like Dai Gui is casting his spell." Ayane glanced at Alex.

"Not for long." Alex smirked. Catching a nod from Ayane, the two of them sprinted forward and leapt high into the air. Moving in unison, they each flipped in mid air, building up their chi then shot down towards Dai Gui.

"Striking Hawks!" They both landed hard, cracking the smooth stone beneath them and forced the sorcerer to jump back. Driving their fists into the ground the duo combined their chi and a massive swarm of jade hawks appeared over the quad, each crackling with electricity. The swarm circled around them before spreading out through the crowd, crashing through any lavender flunky caught in their path and exploding an instant before a thick bolt of lightning shot from one hawk to another, frying them instantly.

"Nice move." Clay stepped over to Ayane as the last warrior turned to dust.

"We were hopping ta save that one ta use on you," Ayane replied between breaths. Alex felt a slight grin spread over his face as he glanced over the results of their attack. It had worked better than he thought it would have but that particular move always took a lot of energy.

"How dare you betray your lord and master." Tsu Lan glared angrily at Alex.

"Sorry but I don't much like it when chumps screw with my head." Alex clenched a fist while electricity crackled around him. Holding out his right hand, he smirked as a lightning rained from above, striking the alter and splitting it down the middle. "Look's like you won't be using that to absorb the Wu."

"You try my patience delaying the inevitable," Tsu Lan growled, clearly annoyed.

"We have a knack for that," Raimundo laughed.

"No longer." Tsu Lan waved his hand and a large porcelain jar formed in Dai Gui's hands. "I tire of these insects, remove their powers and destroy them."

"I will not allow you to do so." Guan lunged forward to attack Tsu Lan only to be blocked. Chase leapt over Guan and caught Tsu Lan on the jaw with a side kick. Using the distraction, Guan drove both of his fists into the large titan's gut then spun and delivered a high roundhouse kick. Staggering back a few steps, Tsu Lan's eyes flared just before he thrust his palm towards Guan and a pulse of energy sent him flying back into Chase as he rushed forwards.

"Your time is at an end." Dai Gui removed the lid from the jar with a laugh while seven azure spheres of light floated out then shot towards the young dragons.

Each orb of light seemed to lock on to one of the dragons as they all began to evade. Rolling under an orb, Alex noticed it curve around a pillar to fly back towards him while Ayane cartwheeled or flipped to avoid hers. Swaying to avoid its second pass, Alex then darted behind a pillar before leaping to the side. Clay stomped his foot on the ground causing a thin sheet of rock to rise up as shield but the orb sped around the obstacle and passed through his chest. Now pulsing, the orb quickly flew back into jar. Sprinting passed Omi, Alex flipped over the orb chasing him, only to land in front of a cloud of smoke and catch a lavender foot to the face.

Falling hard on his back, Alex tried to roll to the side but the orb flew into his chest, causing a chill to wash over him as the now pulsing orb returned to its jar. Looking up, he watched as Ayane fought off one of the warriors only to get hit by her orb. Raimundo and others were in similar situations, either trying to evade their orb only to get blindsided or distracted by an attacker and hit from behind. In a matter of seconds all of the orbs had returned to the jar.

"You're gonna pay for that." Kimiko held her hand as if she were going to throw a fireball but nothing happened. "What gives?"

"You precious elemental powers are here." Dai Gui held up the jar with a cold smile on his face. "Waiting for my master to absorb them and there is nothing you brats can do about it."

"Maybe they can't, but I can." Dojo sprang out from his hiding place and coiled around Dai Gui's head. The sorcerer clawed at Dojo, trying to rip him off when he slid down and bit the hand holding the jar. Dai Gui cried out in pain and staggered back while Dojo snatched the jar from him. "Anyone want their powers back?"

"If you wouldn't mind." Raimundo ducked under a kick from a warrior, but moved sluggishly as he joined Omi.

Reaching into the jar, Dojo pulled out two of the pulsing orbs and looked at each of them. "Which one is which?"

"Hurry it up you blasted gecko." Alex scrambled to his feet feeling weaker than normal and punched one of the goons while Ayane kicked another before they joined Omi and Raimundo by Dojo.

"Alright, alright." Dojo tossed an orb to each of them. Catching the orb with his right hand, Alex felt some of his strength return as the orb disappeared, but a jet of smoke sent the four fighters sailing back.

"Be gone vermin." Dai Gui grabbed Dojo and flung him at Guan before picking up the jar and returning the lid.

Scrambling to his feet Alex thrust his hand forward intending to unleash a blast of lightning but nothing happened. "What the?"

"Your usefulness is at its end." Tsu Lan sauntered into the center of the quad with glowing eyes. "Impressive you have been considering how you faired, but by my hand you'll be ensnared." A rotating lavender cube formed in front of him floating in mid air while a bright light streaked from the center. The light raced across the courtyard leaving a glowing trail behind as it passed through Clay, Bob, and Kimiko. An instant later the light retracted, pulling each of them into the cube.

"Kimiko!" Raimundo started towards Tsu Lan but Omi pulled him to the ground as another beam shot passed them.

"Do not fear; you shall soon join your friends in the confines of my prison." Tsu Lan grabbed the cube with one massive hand and pointed it towards the young monks.

"Unlikely." Chase darted passed the titan and stopped in front of Alex and the others. Just as another beam shot forwards, Chase grabbed one of the lavender warriors and used him as a shield.

Master Monk Guan flipped over Tsu Lan and landed next to Chase with Dojo clinging to his arm. "This battle is lost to us. We must fall back for now."

"What about Kimiko and Clay?" Raimundo climbed to his feet.

Guan shook his head. "There is nothing we do for them at the moment."

"Master Monk Guan is right." Omi motioned towards Tsu Lan as Dai Gui stepped over to his side and a fresh swarm of warriors appeared. "If we stay any longer we will only be captured ourselves."

"We can't leave yet, there's still something you don't know." Alex stared at the forces gathered in front of him wanting to fight till the end, but deep down he knew that without their powers they didn't stand a chance.

Looking from Alex to Guan then to Tsu Lan, Ayane slipped the tiger claws over her right hand and opened a portal behind her. "I'm thinking discretion is the smarter part of valor here."

"Flee while you can vermin." Tsu Lan laughed. "For you may have delayed my absorbing the power of the Shen Gong Wu, but soon the world will tremble and prostrate itself at the feet of its supreme ruler."

"This isn't over, we'll be back to free our friends." Raimundo glared at Tsu Lan for a moment before finally jumping through the portal followed by Chase, Guan, and Dojo.

"Count on it." Alex turned towards the portal and jumped through with Ayane. Passing through the portal, they stumbled out a second before it closed and found themselves in the courtyard of Guan's temple.

"We got to go back for Kimiko and the others." Raimundo stepped over to Guan.

"We will," Guan replied. "But first we need to find a way to weaken Tsu Lan."

"How, he seemed pretty untouchable ta me." Ayane returned the claws to her backpack.

"He is not invincible," Chase stated plainly. "I believe with a little training, Guan and I can deal with him. It's Dai Gui that posses a problem but in the shape you four are in, you're no match for him."

"Speaking of which, why don't we have our powers?" Alex held up his hand trying to get a crackle electricity to form.

Omi stepped to the front of the group with a odd look on his face while staring at his hand. "I believe I may have the answer." He put his index fingers together then slowly pulled them apart. As they separated, a small bolt of lightning jumped from one finger to the other.

"That was weird." Raimundo shook his head. "Here's something else that's weird. Has the air around here always been this crisp?"

"What do you mean?" Guan asked.

"I mean I can smell everything around here." Raimundo glanced around. "I smell each of you, I can hear bird's way off in the distance, and I can see better than I ever could before."

Ayane stepped over to Raimundo and looked him over as an irritated look washed over her. "Ya got my powers. Give 'em back." She pushed Raimundo and a small breeze blew over the courtyard. Clearly surprised, she turned to the side and swiped her arm, causing another small gust of wind. "That little gecko gave us the wrong elements."

"What?" Dojo glanced around nervously as everyone turned to face him. "It's not my fault, it's not like those orbs were labeled wind or fire. At least I was kinda close."

"So what, that mean I got water." Alex let his frustration slip into his voice, wishing he could blast the lizard. "I'm the Dragon of Water now? What am I suppose to do with water, splash people?"

"In your current condition you're all too weak to be of any use." Chase crossed his arms.

"How's that? If I can use my element, then I can certainly use the melon heads." Alex glared at Chase.

Guan shook his head then glanced over to Alex. "Using a different element will prove more difficult than you think. You'll find that different elements require a different mind set."

"What would you have us do then?" Omi asked.

"The answer is simple." Chase smirked. "We'll just have to restart your training from the beginning and teach you to use your new elements."

"Oh joy," Ayane mumbled dryly.

"Not to state the obvious but if we're fooling around training, wont Tsu Lan just absorb the Wu?" Raimundo glanced around at everyone.

"That might be hard without these." Dojo stuck his hand into his ear and pulled out a small object. He then whipped out the Changing Chopsticks and activated them, causing the object in his other hand to grow into a large bag. Opening the bag with a grin, he looked up at the group. "While Tsu Lan and Dai Gui were fighting with you guys, I used the Shroud of Shadows and the Changing Chopsticks to grab the Wu."

"Great, today wasn't a total failure." Raimundo rolled his eyes.

"With his plans foiled for the time being, we are free to find a way to deal with him as well as rebuild your strength," Guan stated thoughtfully.

"Yeah well we still gotta find a way to free Bob and Rin." Alex forced his anger to the back of his mind.

"What do you mean?" Ayane glanced at Alex. "Rin is gone, isn't she?"

"She's alive." Alex held her gaze for a moment then turned towards the monks. "So are Fung and Wuya. While I was under Tsu Lan's control, I saw them inside his throne room, trapped in one of those floating cubes."

"Then I suggest we get to work." Chase smirked again, before walking passed Guan. An uneasy sense of dread crept through Alex as he watched Chase enter the main hall followed Master Monk Guan, Raimundo, and Omi. Catching a similar look of doubt and apprehension from Ayane, Alex sighed deeply before starting towards the hall. Laughing slightly to himself, he couldn't help but wonder how they ended up working with their greatest enemies or what would happen next.