Hello, everyone, and welcome to the final chapter of the Xiaolin Dragon King: Second Arc. The Xiaolin Warriors face Hannibal Bean in a final battle, with many more big surprises laid out. I want to give you readers thanks for all of your support of the story, it's been a joy to write it. I especially want to give a big thanks to Hina 714, HeavenedWolf, and tsukikami02, who are big fans of the series.

Also, HeavenedWolf has done another amazing drawing of Juno on Deviantart, I highly recommend checking it out. By the way, a voice actor I was thinking who could voice Xiaolin would be Daman Mills. If you're curious as to what he sounds like, he also voices Jyugo of Nanbaka and Kaoru/Cherry Blossom of the SK8 anime. Now, I won't keep you waiting anymore, let's get on with the story! Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OOC.


The Xiaolin Dragon King: Second Arc


Chapter Eighteen: Together With You


Juno jumped to the side, dodging the giant limb of Hannibal Roy Bean that sunk into the spot she was standing in a second ago. She leaped on it and ran up its length, doing flips with one hand while slicing his skin with the blade of her weapon. He roared and flung out his limb, sending her flying off it. The redhead straightened out in mid-air and landed back on the ground on her feet.

"Kimiko, give him some firepower!" Juno called, pointing her Xiaolin Dragon Blade to the female monk.

Kimiko ran forward and, when she jumped on the flat part of the blade of the female warrior's guandao, she was launched into the air when it lifted up with a strong force. "Cat's Eye Draco!" she slipped on her elemental Shen Gong Wu. "Arrow Sparrow Fire!"

Her bird-like projectiles immediately caught on fire when she threw them at the demon. They spun around each other in a circle, creating a cyclone made of flames. The attack made contact with its target, making him let out a shout and reel back from the intense burning sensation on his skin.

"Crest of the Condor!" Raimundo held up his elemental Shen Gong Wu-covered arm, his Wudai Weapon in hand. "Blade of the Nebula Wind!" the sword transformed into their nunchuck form. He flung one end of them out and it grew to a much larger size, the typhoon that held it together wrapping itself around Hannibal Bean's body. "You're up, Clay!"

"Longhorn Taurus!" Clay put on his own elemental Shen Gong Wu. "Big Bang Meteorang Earth!" he threw the boomerang-like Wudai Weapon.

It sailed through the air and split into five more boomerangs. They looked like they would hit the demon but, instead, they flew to the ground and landed on different sides of him. Then the earth around him rose in two, long and large strips of rock and began to close in on him. Hannibal Bean, not being able to move because of the typhoon still around him, lifted his limbs and pushed them against the rock strips, struggling to keep them from crushing him.

"Kaijin Charm!" Omi jumped into the air with his elemental Shen Gong Wu covering his arm. "Shimo Staff!" his Wudai Weapon transformed into a giant, spiked mace.

He aimed at the demon's face, hitting him dead-center and sending him flying into the air. Before he could get any higher up, Raimundo pulled down on the one nunchuck end he was holding and sent the giant villain crashing back down to earth, making the ground shake.

"Awesome work, kids." Juno praised. "That's what I call Shoku power."

"Yeah, I could get used to this." Raimundo said. "At this rate, beating Mr. Muscial Fruit will be a snap." he grinned.

"Is that what you think?" Hannibal Bean was in the process of standing up, now back to towering over the group. "I'll show you all want happens when you get on the wrong side of Hannibal Roy Bean! Moby Morpher!"

The Shen Gong Wu, which had grown to a large size like with the demon, on his limbs glowed for a moment. Then two more limbs appeared on either side of his body, the ends forming into fists. The transformed appendages rained down on the Xiaolin Warriors to flatten them.

Everyone moved out of the line of attack as quickly as they could. They had a few close calls as the fists were coming at them swiftly. One of them nearly hit Omi, but a certain humanoid reptile got in front of him and caught it in his hands.

"Chase Young!" the short monk looked at the Heylin warrior as he struggled to keep the fist, which was bigger than his own body, at bay.

Then Dash flipped over Chase's head, landing on the demon's wrist and forcing it to the ground. When the two jumped away, Guan came and slashed his spear down on the giant fist, separating it from the arm. The villain let out a shout that was a mix of anger and pain.

"Nice one, boys." Juno said.

"Man, have I missed beating up evil." Dashi remarked. "Maybe I should come out of retirement when this is over."

"I think we can make room for you at the temple." the redhead told him.

"Thanks. By the way, you might want to move to the side a bit."

Juno turned her head, immediately jumping back and dodging the fist that almost hit her. More came at her and she did her best to avoid them, sending out elemental attacks every now and then. Then, just as she jumping over one fist, she was suddenly grabbed by another and lifted up into the air to be held directly in front of a giant pair of eyes.

"I should have done this a long time ago." Hannibal Bean said. "I'll crush you until there's nothing left of you, Xiaolin Dragon King."

Juno grunted as she felt him tighten his grip, attempting to squeeze the life out of her. "Just because you're bigger, Hannibal..." she looked at him. "Doesn't mean you're better. But you will be falling harder." she smirked as she clenched her free hand into a fist, shooting it out towards him.

Below, a large fist made of rock shot out of the ground and flew toward the demon, hitting him in the face and making him release the redhead. She straightened herself out in midair and landed on her feet. Lifting her guandao above her head, she began to twirl it around fast enough for it to become a blur, summoning a sizeable tornado from it. Aiming it at the giant villain, the wind attack collided with him and pushed him back a few feet.

Hannibal Bean fought against the tornado, planting himself firmly in the ground to keep from being sent flying. He and the female warrior both held up strong as she kept firing the swirling attack. Then, with an extra amount of force, the demon caused the tornado to break apart, the wind that made it up blowing in different directions.

"Moby Morpher!" he used the Shen Gong Wu to transform the ends of his limbs into very sharp, spike-like points.

Juno jumped back and dodged the limbs when he slammed all of them down at her, the spot she was just standing in turning into a hole. "We're gonna need a new strategy." she told the others.

Chase leaped over one of the appendages that were thrown at him and landed beside her. "Does number nine sound like a good one, darling?"

"I think it'll work in this situation." the redhead smiled. "Kids!" she called the monks as they were defending themselves from the sharp limbs as best as possible. "Me and the guys will hit him high, you all hit him low. Sound good to you?"

"Yes, ma'am!" the Shoku Warriors responded in unison.

"Alright, let's give him hell."

"Arrow Sparrow!" Kimiko threw her bird-like projectiles.

"Blade of the Nebula!" Raimundo twirled his Wudai Weapon, which was back in sword form, and sent out a whirlwind.

The vortex of wind made contact with the now on fire projectiles, combining into one silvery-red attack. It collided with the middle of Hannibal Bean's body, sending him back quite a ways.

"Big Bang Meteorang!" Clay tossed out his Weapon. As it twirled through the air, it split into five smaller boomerangs. They crashed to the ground and five, large boulders flew into the air.

"Shimo Staff!" Omi held up his staff and it transformed into a bat that was large enough to hit the rocks. He swung at all of them, sending them towards the demon.

Hannibal Bean spun around and used his limbs to hit three of the boulders, knocking them away before they could touch him. However, the other two managed to crash into him and sent him to the ground. He groaned as he picked himself back up. But, the second he did, he was kicked right between the eyes by both Dashi and Guan.

"Chase, now!" Juno turned to her husband as the demon was stunned for the moment.

The Heylin warrior nodded and wrapped his tail around her waist. Then he spun around once and threw her high into the air. When she was over Hannibal Bean's head, the redhead straightened herself out and held up her weapon.

"Sic'em him, boy." Juno said before she slashed the blade down.

When she did, her giant, pure white Chinese dragon shot out and headed straight for the villain. It roared as it collided with him and pushed him to the ground. Hannibal Bean tried to hit the beast with his limbs, but it pinned them all down with its large, clawed hands. Then, opening its mouth, it grabbed him in-between its jaws, sinking its sharp teeth into his skin as far as they could go.

Standing on all fours, the dragon turned its head and tossed the demon into the air. It shot out its tail and smacked him with it hard, sending him up even higher. The mystical creature flew after him, quickly appearing in front of him before he got too far. Lifting up one hand, it slammed it against the villain, making sure its claws slashed him.

As Hannibal Bean was now falling back down, the dragon opened its mouth and a powerful, bluish-white beam shot out. It collided with the demon instantly and sent him crashing to the ground much faster and harder. The ground shook and a large cloud of dust was kicked up, concealing the area he had landed in. The dragon roared loudly in the sky.

"Good boy, Aura." Juno praised as the creature flew down and landed in front of her. "You've just earned yourself a special treat later." she smiled as she rubbed the end of his muzzle. "We can take it from here now."

Aura released a low rumble from his throat, staring at the redhead with his glowing blue eyes.

"I'll be fine, really. You just worry too much, that's all. We got this, okay?"

The dragon continued to look at her for a moment longer until he gave the slightest nod of his head. The female warrior held out her Xiaolin Dragon Blade and he went back inside it, a faint glow burning out when his tail was the last to disappear.

"Such a worrywart." Juno said to herself, smiling at her weapon.

"Wait, time out here." Raimundo spoke up. "The dragon has a name?"

"Of course he does, doesn't everyone?" the redhead replied causally.

"We thought he was just, like, a spell or something." Kimiko said.

"But he is a real being?" Omi questioned.

"Yeah, I thought you kids knew that already. I've had Aura with me for a long time." Juno told them. "He's a little overly serious and doesn't really like to come out of my weapon unless it's for battle or eating. But that's because he's a little shy with new people, he's very sweet when you get to know him.

"Well, I'll be darned." Clay said.

"I'll tell you more about him later, we have someone else to take care of." the female warrior turned to the dust cloud that still floated around. "Hannibal took a big hit, but he's not out of the game yet. Be ready, everyone." she held her guandao up in front of her.

Everyone took stances, not moving an inch as they kept their eyes on the concealed spot. It felt like time had slowed down as the seconds ticked by and nothing happened. Just as they were beginning to think the demon had been beaten, and the dust was beginning to clear, something shot out and headed straight for the group.

They all jumped out of the line of fire of the sharp-pointed limb. It was soon joined by another, and another, and another. The team did their best to dodge them all.

"Blade of the-" Raimundo held up his Wudai Weapon, but one of the appendages smacked him and sent him to the ground.

"Rai!" Kimiko yelled when she saw her boyfriend get grabbed by one of the limbs. She ran over to help, but another one suddenly slammed into her, wrapping itself around her.

Omi was blocking one of the limbs with his elongated Shimo Staff, seeing his friends get pulled into the dust cloud. "Kimiko! Raimundo!" he hit the appendage away before going after them.

"Hold on, little partner!" Clay called, following close behind him.

"Omi! Clay! Wait!" Juno called just as she sliced the sharp end off of one of the limbs.

Just as the two monks got close to the dust cloud, another limb came out of it. It wrapped around them both before they had a chance to fight back and pulled them in, their screams sounding out as they disappeared from view.

"Kids!" the Xiaolin Dragon King yelled as the rest of the limbs retreated back to where they came from.

A deep chuckle was let out as the dust finally cleared completely. Hannibal Bean was now back to towering over the team, holding up the captured Shoku Warriors. Juno would have charged ahead if he also didn't have the sharp points of his other limbs aimed at their heads.

"Remind you of anything, Xiaolin Dragon King?" the demon asked with a vicious smirk.

"Juno, what do we do?" Guan asked, staring up at the villain and the monks with the other male warriors.

The redhead didn't reply, frozen on the spot. Memories of fifteen hundred years ago flashed through her mind, Hannibal Bean holding her daughter before he sent her over the cliff and down to the rushing water below it. And she was too powerless to prevent it from happening.

Right now, in the present, all of her monks were in the same situation. Except, this time, the demon was threatening to poke a hole right through their skulls. She clenched her fist tightly, trying to keep herself acting rash. She wasn't able to save Mei because of her mistake, but she wasn't about to make another one again.

"Put them down, Hannibal." Juno demanded with a glare, making her voice as even as possible.

"You're in no position to be giving orders." he retorted. "If you don't want your monks to lose their brains, then drop your weapon. And don't even think about calling for your scaly pet again."

"Do not do it, Master Juno!" Omi called, struggling to get free along with the others.

"Yeah, we'll find a way out of this!" Raimundo agreed. He grunted out when he felt the limb holding him squeeze him tightly. "Hopefully."

Still glaring, Juno held up her weapon with one hand and released it. It disappeared into thin air before it even touched the ground. "Now what?"

"Hmm, good question." Hannibal Bean was still smirking. "I could just go ahead and kill your precious monks." he moved the sharp limb points to the monks' heads. "Or maybe I'll kill you, instead."

In the blink of an eye, another limb was directly in front of Juno's face. However, she didn't flinch one bit and kept her gaze on him.

"No, that would be too easy." the demon said, pulling it back from the redhead. "It would be foolish of me to give up the chance to make you pay for every little trouble you've caused me." he tightened his hold on the Shoku Warriors, making them all cry out.

"Stop it, Hannibal!" Juno yelled. "I'm the one you want to get back at, aren't I? Don't involve them any further."

"They got involved the second they met you." Hannibal Bean told her. "And it also makes sense for them to get their just desserts since they also caused me a lot of grief. Not to mention, this one..." he focused his now narrowed eyes on Raimundo, pressing the very tip of the limb point to his head. "Killed Ying-Ying. Repentance is an order." he turned his attention back to the female warrior. "And it's not like you and your little friends can do anything now, not unless you want your monks to end up worse than your daughter, Xiaolin Dragon King. You're not willing to make the same mistake twice, are you?"

Juno lowered her head, her bangs covering her eyes. "You're right..." she said lowly. "I did make a mistake all those years ago. There was more I could have done to save Mei, things probably would have been different if I tried harder. However..." she raised her head, looking at the demon with fierce eyes. "Things are different now, I'm not going to let history repeat itself."

"And just how are you going to do that without your little weapon?" he mocked.

"You seem to be under the impression that I need one to stop you."

In a flash, she moved her hands and large tree roots shot out of the ground. They wrapped themselves around the limbs pointed at the monks' heads and pulled them back.

"What?!" Hannibal Bean exclaimed, fighting against the roots.

Three more came and got hold of the rest of the appendages, making the demon release his captives. Juno waved her hands again and a strong breeze blew underneath the Shoku Warriors, carrying them gently to the ground.

"We're okay!" Raimundo exclaimed as he and the others picked themselves up.

Juno sighed in relief as she looked at them, smiling to herself. "Thank goodness. Kids, come back over so we can-"

One of Hannibal Bean's limbs snapped free from the tree root holding it. She took her attention off the monks just in time to see it shoot out towards her in the blink of an eye. A second later, she felt herself being lifted up into the air.

Juno's entire body froze. Slowly looking down, her eyes fell on the sharp point of the limb that had embedded itself in her stomach. Pain coursed through her, but she couldn't find it in herself to scream or cry out. When she finally felt that she could move again, her head turned in the direction of her husband, her eyes meeting his wide, shocked ones.

"I'm sorry..." Juno said right before the limb pulled out of her and she headed towards the ground.

Chase immediately shot forward, jumping up and catching the redhead in his arms. When he landed on his feet, he turned back into human form. "Juno!" he lowered himself to his knees, still holding her as blood flowed out the wide hole in her stomach. "No, no, no, no! Juno!"

No response came from her, her eyes closed. His mind flashed back to that day fifteen hundred years ago, seeing the life drain out of her golden orbs. He had lost her, just like he was losing her all over again now. He had failed, once again, to protect the woman he loved.

"Juno, please..." Chase held her body close to his, trying hard to not break down into tears. "I can't lose you, not again. Please..."

The monks, frozen stiff when they saw their leader get impaled by Hannibal Bean, finally came out of their stupor. They raced to where the couple was, soon being joined by Dashi and Guan.

"Master Juno!"

"Is... Is she...?" Kimiko couldn't bring herself to say it, her wide eyes on the unmoving redhead.

"It can't be..." Clay didn't know what else to say.

"Juno, you can't be..." Raimundo knelt down on the other side of the female warrior. "You just can't..." he covered his eyes with his hand.

"This isn't right." Dashi said, clenching his fists tightly and gritting his teeth. "We just got her back only to lose her? How does that make any sense?"

"It doesn't." Guan answered, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Nothing makes sense when you lose someone like Juno." he took a breath to try and calm himself, though it was very hard to do.

"That wasn't quite how I expected to get rid of her." Hannibal Bean said as he looked down at the group. "But I'll take another fifteen hundred years with her being gone. At least, this time, I can do as I please without worrying about her stopping me." he let out a snicker, which soon turned into a full-on laugh.

Chase lifted his head slightly, a dark rage he hadn't felt in a long time surging through his body. It got darker the longer he listened to the demon's sickening laughter. "Raimundo..." he placed his wife in the younger man's arms. "Take care of her for me." he got to his feet.

"Such a shame you can't join your precious Xiaolin Dragon King in death." the towering villain remarked as the Heylin warrior turned to him and started making his way forward. "But, maybe, you'll get a chance to see her for a moment if I do the same to you." he shot one of his sharp-pointed limbs at him.

Just as it was about to make contact, Chase lifted up his hand and caught the limb, holding it in a tight grip. "You did it again..." he said lowly. "You took her away from me again." he held firm when the demon tried to pull his appendage back. "Rather than locking you in the Ying-Yang World, I should have just erased every trace of you from this world." a dark green aura surrounded his body. "Just like I'm going to do now."

In an instant, he had shifted into his humanoid reptile form again. He roared up at Hannibal Bean, a line of tears flowing from both of his eyes.

"Insolent pest!" the villain slammed another one of his limbs down at him.

Chase moved to the side and dodged it. He jumped on top of the appendage and began to run up it. Hannibal Bean swiftly moved it upwards, making him airborne. The Heylin warrior straightened himself and fell back towards the demon. He shot out his clawed hands and slashed against them his skin, making long and deep gashes.

He saw more of Hannibal Bean's limbs coming at him and he jumped away. More and more slammed down at him and he avoided them as best he could, biting, scratching, and hitting the demon whenever the opportunity showed itself.

"We're gonna go help him." Dashi said to the Shoku Warriors. "You all stay here with Juno. Let's go, Guan."

The Master Monk nodded and followed after the Grand Master.

"What do we do?" Clay asked. "Is there anything we can do?"

"I... I don't know." Raimundo answered, looking at Juno as he kept holding her in his arms. "Juno is..."

"This just doesn't feel real." Kimiko said, her eyes brimming with fresh tears. "After everything we went through, Juno can't be dead." her voice cracked at the end.

"I also do not want to believe it." Omi spoke up, looking at the redhead's face as his own tears flowed from his eyes. "Master Juno is... gone." he sobbed a bit.

Despite all of their efforts to get their leader back, it was all for nothing as she was laying still before them. If they didn't let themselves get captured, then this wouldn't have happened. What was the point of becoming Shoku Warriors and getting stronger if they couldn't use their new powers to protect someone who was so dear to them? And, now, she was gone because of their careless mistakes.

"Who the hell said I was dead yet..."

The monks' eyes all widened at the sudden, weak voice that spoke. They looked down and saw the Xiaolin Dragon King's eyelids slowly open up.

"Juno!"

"Hey, kids..." Juno greeted.

"You are alive!" Omi exclaimed.

"Just barely." she let out a groan. "Shit, a hole in my stomach, that's a new one."

"We'll go get Chase and-"

"No, don't..." the female warrior cut off Kimiko. "This is our chance..." she let out a cough.

"Chance for what?" Raimundo asked.

"To make the mortal potion... and get rid of Hannibal."

"But, Juno, we don't any of the ingredients with us." Clay told her.

Juno slowly lifted up her hand and a faint, white glow appeared in her palm. In a flash of light, all of the items that had been gathered for the potion appeared before them. There was also a stone mortar and pestle.

"Better?" she said with a weak smile.

"Okay, but we still don't have the essence of the good." Raimundo pointed out.

"That's where you're wrong." the redhead retorted. "You have it right here." she moved her hand to the blood that covered the wound on her stomach, the red liquid staining her pale skin. "It just dawned on me that essence is another word for lifeblood. And who's blood could be more good than the Xiaolin Dragon King's? Use this and make the potion."

"Juno, but..."

"Hurry, you don't want Hannibal to notice, do you?" she said, letting out another cough.

Raimundo stared at her for a moment longer before turning to the others. He nodded and they got to work. They put all of the ingredients into the mortar; plucking off the petals of the rainbow tulip, spilling out the seeds of the midnight pomegranate, poured in the tears of a unicorn, scattered around the ashes of a phoenix, and sprinkled in the scales of the jade dragon.

Juno, with the help of Raimundo holding her wrist, moved her blood-covered hand over the mortar. A few drops of it fell on top of the other ingredients. Omi grabbed the pestle and used it to grind and pound them together. When it was all mixed, a bright light shone from the bowl. When it faded, what was inside it was now a shining, white crystal-colored liquid.

"Master Juno, we have done it!" Omi beamed at the redhead.

"Great work, kids..." she praised. "Now, make sure you give it to Hannibal when you get the opportunity, okay?"

"But what about you?" Kimiko asked worriedly.

"For me, well, looks like I'm dying again." Juno said. "It sucks, but... I'm really glad I got the chance to come back and meet all of you. Getting to know you kids was one of the greatest things to ever happen to me." she smiled at them before she let out another cough, spitting out some blood in the process.

"Master Juno, please, there must be a way to save you." Omi insisted, tears beginning to spill from his eyes again. "We do not want to lose you. I do not want to lose you."

"I'm sorry to do this to you, I really am, but I don't think there's nothing we can do now. You'll be fine, though, I just know it. You've all become such incredible warriors..."

"This just ain't right." Clay sniffled, pulling the brim of his hat over his eyes. "After everything we've been through together..."

"The world can be an unfair place, but don't let that stop you kids." Juno told them. "Remember the good times we've had together, I'm sure I will. Well, I hope I will if I'm ever reborn again."

"But what if you're not reborn again?" Kimiko questioned, her tears flowing freely down her face. "Or what if we're all long gone by the time you do?"

"Things always work out somehow, even if it does take fifteen hundred years. Hey, by the way, can you make sure you'll be there for Chase? He's gonna need someone to look out for him while I'm gone and I don't him to be all alone again."

"We will..." Raimundo said, trying to keep his voice from cracking. "You don't even have to ask." tears brimmed his eyes now.

"Thank you..." Juno gave a small smile, her eyes beginning to close. "I love you kids so much..."

The monks all went quiet as they watched their leader's eyes close shut for the last time. They stared at her unmoving form, their ears deaf to the battle that was still going on between the male warriors and the demon.

"I guess..." Clay spoke up after a few moments. "We better mosey on to giving the mortal potion to Hannibal Bean..."

"Yeah." was all Kimiko said softly. "Be careful not to spill it, Omi."

The short monk just nodded as he held the mortar, attempting to calm himself down as they got to their feet.

"No."

The three stopped and looked at Raimundo, who was still kneeling on the ground and holding Juno.

"We're not giving the potion to Hannibal." he declared.

"Rai, what do you..." Kimiko blinked at her boyfriend in surprise.

"We're going to give it to Juno." the Brazilian looked at them with a serious expression.

"What are you talking about, partner?" Clay asked, shocked, to say the least, along with the other two monks.

"She's still alive, but barely." Raimundo told them, his fingers on the redhead's neck and feeling her weak pulse. "So we have to hurry."

"But, Raimundo, the potion is to be given to Hannibal Roy Bean and make him mortal." Omi said.

"I know that, Omi. But what if we give it to Juno and it helps her live? What if the potion not only makes an immortal mortal but also a mortal immortal? Think about it, all of the ingredients for the potion we've gathered all represent good in some way, right? And the ashes came from a phoenix, a creature that basically lives forever. It could be like the Lao Mang Lone Soup, but it doesn't turn a person evil."

"Rai... that's a pretty big leap." Kimiko said. "Wouldn't we have learned that when we used the Fountain of Hui and the Eagle Scope?"

"Maybe it wasn't mentioned because we were only focused on the making mortal part or something." Raimundo said. "Look, I know I'm grasping at straws here, but I think we should try it."

"But if we give it to Juno and we're wrong..." Clay started. "We might have lost our chance to get rid of Hannibal Bean."

"You're right, it's a big risk. But..." the Brazilian looked at the nearly dead redhead in his arms. "If there's a chance Juno can live, no matter how small, I'm willing to take it."

The female monk and cowboy looked at one another, conflicted expressions on their faces.

"As I am." Omi stepped forward.

"Omi."

"Master Juno said to use the potion on Hannibal Bean, but if it can possibly save her..." his face steeled in determination. "Then we must take the chance."

Kimiko and Clay looked at one another once more before turning to Raimundo. They took on similar expressions and nodded. "Let's do it." they said in unison.

Omi walked over and held out the mortar to the Brazilian. He grabbed the bowl with one hand and held Juno with one arm. Looking back down at her, he placed the rim of it to her lips. He tipped it and poured the liquid into her mouth. The others watched silently as he made sure she drunk it all. When the mortar was empty, he pulled it back.

"Please work..." Raimundo pleaded to himself as he kept his eyes on the female warrior. "Please, please, work."


"It's as dark as it was last time." Juno remarked, staring up at the pure blackness that surrounded her all over. "Well, at least it's not as lonely, right?" she tilted her head back a bit, looking up into a pair of crystal blue eyes.

"I believed this would be a good opportunity for us to talk to one another." Xiaolin told her, kneeling down and stroking her hair as her head was laying on his lap.

"Hmm, yeah." she closed her eyes contently from his action. "I still can't believe your soul was inside me this entire time. Why didn't you let me know sooner?"

"Forgive me, but I did not have any real power when I first transferred myself." he explained. "I could not make myself known. Also, I thought you might have found it a little disturbing."

"It's a little weird, yeah." the redhead let out a small chuckle. "But I'm more than happy to know that you've been with me still. I really thought I had lost you forever."

"I have been able to see everything you have been through since my passing." Xiaolin said. "I am glad to know that you are surrounded by people who love you so much." he smiled down at her.

"That also includes Chase, you know?" she opened her eyes to look at him.

"I am still not very fond of him, but I can tell how devoted to you he is. Despite all that he has done."

"He's learned his lesson." Juno told him. "But now..." her smile fell. "I ended breaking my promise to him, about him not losing me again. What kind of wife am I, hurting the man I love so much? And the kids, Dashi, Guan, and Dojo? I'm causing a lot of grief to everyone."

"It is not your fault, Juno." Xiaolin insisted.

"Even so, I would have liked to see Hannibal get what's coming to him. But that will probably happen in another fifteen hundred years." she sighed.

"You might get the chance sooner than you think." the original Xiaolin Dragon King told her with a knowing smile.

"What do you mean?"

Suddenly, a bright light appeared beside them. When it died down a bit, it revealed a glowing, pure white Chinese dragon.

"Aura." Juno smiled when she saw him. "Hey, buddy, how's it going?" she lifted up her hand and touched his muzzle, feeling him nuzzle gently into her palm. "You remember when you gave him to me, Master Xiaolin? He used to be so small, but he's all grown up now."

"Indeed he is. I knew he would be a perfect match for you, given your similar circumstances."

"Yeah. It's a shame I'm going to be leaving him again, though. I'm really sorry to do this to you once more, Aura."

"On the contrary, Aura is here to take you back home." Xiaolin told her.

"What?" Juno looked back at him.

"You have been given yet another chance at life, Juno. And, this time, you do not have to worry about anyone taking you from your loved ones again."

"How is that possible?"

"Let us just say that the potion you have been working to make has another effect when used on a mortal."

"You mean...?" she blinked in surprise. "Oh, kids, I told them to give it to Hannibal."

"Do not be upset with your monks, losing you would be worse than losing to Hannibal. I am sure you would have done the same if it was one of them."

"You're right about that." Juno said. "And, to be honest, I still want to be with them. I don't want to wait years and years again. I want to with the kids, Dojo, Dashi, Guan, and especially Chase more than anything."

"You will have your wish." Xiaolin told her.

"I want to go, but..." she looked at him. "Will I ever see you again?" her expression told she was worried that this would be the last time they saw each other.

"If you ever need me, or you just want to talk, you know where to find me." he smiled kindly at her.

"Right." Juno smiled back. Then she looked at her dragon. "Aura, take me back."

He nodded and used both of his large hands to gently pick her up. The redhead looked at the original Xiaolin Dragon King, their hands holding one another.

"I'll see you later, Master Xiaolin."

"Until next time, Juno."

Her hand slipped from his as Aura flew off. Her golden eyes never left his blue ones as the dragon went higher up towards the darkness. A bright light began to shine above and she looked at it.

As they got closer, Juno shut her eyes and let the warm light embrace her.


Gasping loudly, the redhead's eyes snapped opened and she sat straight up, panting heavily. Her hands went to her stomach, which was still covered in drying blood but was completely intact. No hole whatsoever in it.

"It worked..." she said to herself as she calmed down.

"Master Juno!"

Juno looked up and felt a pair of small arms immediately wrap around her neck. "Omi..."

"Oh, I am most happy to know that you are alive!" the short monk exclaimed as he held onto her tightly, smiling widely as tears were in his eyes.

The female warrior smiled to herself and hugged him back. "I'm happy about that, too, my favorite monk. Sorry for scaring you like that. For scaring all of you." she looked at the other, highly relieved-looking monks.

"We're just really, really glad to see that the potion worked." Kimiko said, wiping leftover tears away.

"Sure is great to see you back up and about." Clay told her.

"You can say that again." Raimundo agreed. "Hey, Juno, I know that I lost our chance to get rid of Hannibal Bean, but I don't regret what I did. Especially if it means you get to live." his expression was serious.

"I don't expect you to regret anything." Juno replied as Omi reluctantly pulled away. "It was a big risk, but I'm glad you took it, Raimundo. Thank you." she smiled at him.

"So does this mean that you-" the short monk began but was cut off by a loud sound from close by.

"Hold that thought." the redhead said as she got to her feet and looked at the battle that was still going on.

Hannibal Bean was stabbing at the ground with his limbs, trying to hit the male warriors fighting him. Chase was still attacking him any way he could, rage-filled and almost animalistic. Guan was using his spear to slice and cut the appendages while Dashi was using his moves and magic.

The demon slammed three of his limbs down at them, but they jumped away to dodge. Then the Heylin warrior got on top of one of them, the Grand Master and Master Monk getting on the others, and ran up their lengths. When they were closed enough, they leaped high and went for the towering villain's face, poised to strike. However, before they could touch him, a limb came out of nowhere and smacked into them. The trio landed back on the ground hard.

"Time to say your prays, you pests!" Hannibal Bean lifted up all of his limbs and was about to crush them.

"Hey, you oversized fungus!"

At the sudden voice, the villain looked up. The second he did, a giant stone fist slammed into his face. Letting out a cry, he backed away and shook himself a bit. He turned his gaze to the direction the attack had come from and his eyes widened to an impossible size.

"No... No, it can't be!"

"Hi~" Juno greeted cheerfully, floating in the air and sitting on the pole of her Xiaolin Dragon Blade. "Hope you didn't miss me too much while I was gone."

"You... but I... you shouldn't be..." Hannibal Bean was at a complete loss for words.

"No way..." Dashi looked at the redhead in disbelief.

"As always, Juno truly knows how to surprise people." Guan remarked with a wide smile.

Chase had frozen when he saw his wife, unconsciously turning back into human form. There was still blood on her stomach, but she seemed completely fine. He thought he had lost her again, but there she was, alive. The relief he felt was immeasurable.

"How is it possible?" Hannibal Bean was finally able to form a sentence. "You are not supposed to be alive!"

"Not surprisingly, your plans for getting rid of me fall short once again, Hannibal." Juno said casually, tilting her head to the side to lean against her shoulder. "Maybe, if you were a little smarter, we wouldn't be here right now."

"Why..." the demon was beyond seething. "Why. Can't. You. Just. Die?!" he shot his limbs out towards her.

The female warrior quickly got off her weapon and moved out of the way of the attack. She maneuvered around them as best she could, slashing them with her blade. For each sharp-pointed limb end she cut off, a new one would soon grow in its place. Juno twirled her guandao before she slashed it across the air, sending a wave of flames at the appendages. Hannibal Bean pulled them back when they got burned by her attack.

"A little too hot for you, Hannibal?" she asked, smirking at him.

Releasing an angry growl, the villain sent some of his limbs towards her once again.

The redhead flew around them, cutting them every chance she got. However, one shot up from below and nearly impaled her. She had managed to move out of the way in time but was soon smacked with another limb. Just as she straightened herself out, she saw the sharp end of a limb come right at her. She was too late to stop it from embedding itself into her chest. Right where her heart was.

"Juno!" the others on the ground yelled.

"Maybe destroying your heart is the way to go this time, Xiaolin Dragon King." Hannibal Bean said with an incredibly evil grin.

Juno hung limply from his limb, a stunned expression on her face. Then her lips moved slowly as her arms began to rise. "Sh... Sh... Shit! Son of a bitch, this hurts!"

The demon balanced when he heard the redhead shout. Rather than sounding in pain, her tone was closer to angry. Though, to be honest, he didn't expect her to speak at all.

"Ah, dammit!" Juno grabbed the limb and pushed herself off the sharp end. "So not being able to die anymore doesn't mean I can't feel pain. That sucks big time." she released the appendage and let herself fall to the ground, floating the rest of the way down.

"Master Juno, are you alright?" Omi asked as he and the other monks came over to her.

"I'll be fine, but my clothes are gonna need a serious washing later." she replied as she looked at the blood staining her outfit, the hole in her chest almost instantly healing. If it wasn't for the red liquid, one wouldn't think she got hurt.

"Juno..." Chase came over with the other male warriors, all of them looking at her with stunned expressions. "How..."

"Don't get us wrong, we're ecstatic you're alive." Dashi told her. "But how are you?"

"That's what I want to know!" Hannibal Bean shouted, staring down at the group with a mixture of shock and anger. "No one should be able to survive having holes put in their bodies, or their heart crushed unless they're..." he trailed off.

"I think he's figuring it out, kids." Juno said when she saw the look of realization coming onto the demon's face.

"It can't be..." he began to say. "You... You became immortal?"

"Yeah, I've only had it for two minutes and I already have my issues with it." the redhead said casually, moving some of her bangs from her face. "Mainly because I still have to deal with the pain. But I think I can live with it, especially if it helps me kick your sorry ass." she smirked at him.

"But how?! How were you able to just suddenly gain immortality?!"

"You can thank the monks for that." she gestured with her head to the Shoku Warriors. "They gave me quite an energy drink."

Hannibal Bean looked at her in confusion for a moment before things began to click into place. "The unicorn tears, the phoenix ashes, and the other ingredients you were gathering, you used them to make a potion, didn't you?

"Ding-ding, you are correct." Juno smiled brightly. "There was another plan for it, but I'm more than satisfied with this outcome. Sadly, for you, having me gone for good is a dream you'll never reach, Hannibal."

"You... You..." the demon looked like he was ready to explode any second. "Moby Morpher!" he used the Shen Gong Wu to give himself even more limbs, the ends of them just as sharp. He slammed them down on the group. They dodged, but he didn't stop and continued to try and hit them, his movements frantic and wild.

"I guess that was the last straw for him." the female warrior remarked, jumping up and dodging a limb coming her way. She sliced it as she landed back on the ground.

"Got any ideas, Juno?" Dashi asked, using his magic to deflect the attacking appendages.

"I do, actually. Kids..." she looked at the monks. "You ready to end this?" she smiled at them.

"Yes, ma'am!" they responded in unison.

"Just what I wanted to hear." Juno said, holding up her Xiaolin Dragon Blade. "Time to let your new powers shine."

The Shoku Warriors looked at one another and nodded. Then they all jumped into their respective positions for their Wudai Orion formation. Except, it was much better than last time.

"Shoku Star Formation!" their bodies' glowed with their respective aura colors.

"Xiaolin Dragon King Boost!" Juno twirled her guandao around for a moment before she slammed the spike into the ground, a pure white aura surrounding her own body.

The ruby eyes of the golden dragon head shined and the aura covering the Xiaolin Warriors glowed brighter. So bright that the male warriors and demon had to cover their eyes. It took a moment for the light to finally die down enough for them to put their arms down.

They saw the Shoku Warriors now floating in the air, their bodies surrounded by the bright glow of their auras. The Xiaolin Dragon King, levitating in front of them, held up her weapon and pointed the blade at the giant villain.

"Bring it." was all she said.

With a loud roar, Hannibal Bean sent all of his limbs towards the group. They went in different directions and dodged the multiple attacks. Omi landed on one of the long appendages and ran down it. When more came at him, he jumped and ducked to dodge them, deflecting them as well. When he was halfway down the limb, he leaped up into the air.

"Shoku Tsunami Water!" the short monk spun his body around fast, water appearing and covering every inch of him The water grew and grew, becoming a long, giant swirling whirlpool.

The attack plowed through the barrage of limbs and soon crashed into Hannibal Bean, sending him flying high into the air. Just as he was beginning to fall, Clay landed on the ground beneath him.

"Shoku Jupiter Earth!" the cowboy slammed his fists on the ground.

There was a brief shaking before a dozen of large rock fists shot up from the ground. They all headed for the demon and began to pummel him, hard and swift, not giving him a chance to recover and defend himself. Then they broke apart to form into a much bigger fist, which opened up and slammed into the villain, making him crash to the ground.

"Moby... Moby Morpher!" Hannibal Bean used the Shen Gong Wu to turn the ends of his limbs into hands. He placed them on the rock palm holding him down and squeezed tightly, causing it to crumble into rubble. Panting heavily, he got up. Then he noticed two other monks land on either side of him.

"Shoku Venus Fire!"

"Shoku Astro Wind!"

Kimiko launched a powerful blast of fire from her hands while Raimundo released a blast of wind from his. Both of their attacks took on the form of large birds and closed in on the demon. They circled around him, leaving a trail of flames and wind crisscrossing each other before they sent high into the air, flying back to back. Then they turned around and dived straight down towards him. He didn't have time to put his arms up as the two attacks collided with him.

Wind and fire exploded in all directions, a strong force causing everyone to get pushed back a bit. When it had calmed down, they looked back at Hannibal Bean. To their surprise, he was still standing, but he looked like he wouldn't be able to take another hard hit.

"You think..." the villain panted out, willing himself to keep his body straight. "You think that would be enough to stop Hannibal Roy Bean?"

"I think it was pretty close." Juno said, floating above him. "But do you feel like giving up yet?"

"You..." he glared at her. "You wish, little lady!"

Hannibal Bean sent his multiple hands at her, going to grab her. However, the redhead stayed in place and held up her Xiaolin Dragon Blade. When she slashed it at the hands, shooting out a pure white beam of energy that split in two. Then they both took on the form of large, sharp blades that sliced right through the attack, not stopping until it cut off all of the demon's lower limbs. Now he only had two left, the ones with the Moby Morpher on them.

Hannibal Bean's wide eyes looked at Juno, now seeing her falling towards him with the blade of her weapon pointed right towards him. A white light formed on the tip of her guandao, which glowed brighter the closer she got to him. Not knowing what else to do, he lifted up his remaining limbs, putting the Shen Gong Wu together to make a shield.

The Xiaolin Dragon Blade collided with the giant Moby Morpher, sparks flying when the two metals met. The ones wielding them pushed against one another, fighting to overcome the other. Their eyes stayed locked on each other the whole time.

Then, much to the demon's surprise, cracks began to appear in the Shen Gong Wu. They started out small, originating from where the guandao's blade was, but they quickly grew until they covered nearly every inch of the mystical item. Just as he was considering pulling back, the female warrior released a shout and an extra burst of power. The Xiaolin Dragon Blade broke through the Moby Morpher, which shattered into dozens of pieces of various sizes. In the blink of an eye, she was back on the ground and standing behind the towering villain, slashing her weapon to the side.

"You lose, Hannibal." Juno said, turning her head and looked at the demon who appeared to be frozen on the spot, a large hole made right in the middle of his body.

Hannibal Bean fell backwards, landing hard on the ground, and began to shrink down until he was once again the size of a bean. His eyes were closed, appearing to be unconscious. Then a boot-covered foot came down on him, crushing him underneath the soles.

"Looks like he's out for a while." Juno said, grinding her boot against the demon. "What should we do with him now? We don't have time to make another potion to give him."

"Well, we could always lock him back up in the Ying-Yang World." Raimundo suggested as he and everyone else came over, the glow surrounding him and the other monks going out.

"Yeah, but what if he gets out again?" Clay questioned.

"He was able to escape the last time because he had help from the Ying-Ying Bird." Chase said. "Since it's dead now, I don't think that will be a problem anymore."

"That's true." Juno agreed. "Also, I can make sure it'll be even harder for him to get free. Anyone got the Yo-Yos?"

"I got you covered." Dojo slithered over from where he was taking cover with Kaze, who was perched on top of his head. "One Ying Yo-Yo." he pulled out the Shen Gong Wu. "And one Yang Yo-Yo." he held up his other hand, which was empty. "Huh?" he blinked. "I could have sworn I grabbed it earlier. I guess we were in such a rush to leave the temple that I missed it. My bad." he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Looks like we have to go back and get it." Dashi sighed.

"Let's hope Hannibal doesn't recover by the time we get there." Juno remarked.

"I do not think that will be necessary."

"Master Xiaolin?" the redhead blinked when she heard the original Xiaolin Dragon King's voice.

"What is it, Master Juno?" Omi asked.

"I heard Master Xiaolin's voice just now."

"I didn't hear anything." Kimiko told the other girl, the others shaking their heads.

"I am only able to speak to you in my current state, Juno." Xiaolin said.

"Woah." the female warrior looked at that dragon mark on her chest when it emitted a light glow. "That's amazing, but what did you mean earlier?"

"As the original Xiaolin Dragon King, I had many great abilities. One of them was particularly useful, but there was a little something extra about it that I never got around to telling you."

"What is it?"

Everyone stared at the redhead as she listened to her former master, the monks then looking at one another and shrugging.

"Wow, really?" Juno said. "Would have been really nice to know that a long time ago, would have saved us a lot of grief. Okay, I got it, I'll try it out. Can you guys give me some space?"

"What are you about to do, Juno?" Guan asked as he and the others stepped back.

"Something cool." she replied, holding her Xiaolin Dragon Blade over her head with both hands. She slashed her weapon down fast. When nothing happened, she did it again and again, but not a thing happened. "Just do what Master Xiaolin said..." she mumbled to herself, lifting her weapon up again. "Just focus." she eyes closed, took a breath, and concentrated.

The seconds ticked by and everyone stood in silence. Just as the others were about to say something, a glow suddenly shone from the guandao's blade. Juno opened her eyes and, with a shout, slashed her weapon down swiftly. This time, a white line appeared in thin air and it opened up, revealing a swirling portal.

"Woah..." Raimundo blinked in surprise along with the rest of the group. "How did you do that?"

"Master Xiaolin had the ability to make portals." the redhead explained. "Including one that lead to the Ying-Yang World, and he didn't have to worry about losing his chi when he left."

"Well, I'll be a goat's nanny." Clay remarked.

"Most extraordinary." Omi said with a wide grin.

"You get more and more incredible every time, darling." Chase told his wife.

"I know, I'm awesome." Juno replied casually. "But I mostly have Master Xiaolin to thank." she smiled at the mark on her chest, which glowed a bit longer before going out. "Alright then..." she lifted up her foot, bent down, and grabbed a still unconscious Hannibal Bean. "Time to put him where he belongs. You wanna come with me?" she asked her husband.

"I think you'll be fine on your own." the Heylin warrior said. "I've already had the satisfaction of locking him away, now it's your turn."

"Thank you." she smiled at him. "I'll be back soon." she gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Do be careful, Master Juno." Omi told her. "There is a chance you could run into the Chi Creature."

"That thing better hope it doesn't see me." Juno said as she faced the portal she created. She looked at her clenched hand that was holding the demon, and then at the others. Giving them one more smile, she turned back to the portal and stepped inside it.

The group just stood and watched as the mystical doorway closed behind the Xiaolin Dragon King.


(Later, in the Ying-Yang World)

Hannibal Bean groaned as he slowly opened his eyes, which hurt to do as more pain coursed through his body. As he weakly pushed himself up with his limbs, he looked down and saw that the hole that was made in the middle of him was now healed up. After a few moments, he took in his surroundings and realized he was on the hard floor of the cell he was locked in previously. The one that was in the Ying-Yang World.

"Morning, Sleeping Ugly." a very familiar, feminine voice spoke up from close by.

Turning around quickly, the demon came face-to-face to a pair of rather smug golden eyes.

"Xiaolin Dragon King..."

"Hello, Hannibal." Juno greeted as she stood on the other side of the glass that separated them. "Happy to be home?"

"I wouldn't be so smug if I was you." Hannibal Bean glared at her. "Even without Ying-Ying, I can still find a way to get out of here. And, when I do, you better hope we never see one another again."

"Is that so? Well, there's nothing stopping you." she raised her hand and used it to open the nearly unseeable door that was on the glass cage. "You're free to leave if you want." she stepped back and crossed her arms.

The villain blinked in surprise, not expecting her to do that. It was suspicious, but he ignored the feeling and headed for the opening. He hopped high into the air and went straight for the female warrior. However, before he could touch her, he collided with an invisible force and was sent back to the floor.

"Oh, my bad, I forgot to mention one tiny detail." Juno said, uncrossing her arms and placing her hand against the invisible wall that blocked the doorway. "I used my magic to create a force field that's meant to keep you in, and other people out." she explained as said force field began visible, a white glow surrounding it. "And if anyone from the outside tries to break it, they have to deal with the security system I installed."

Two bright lights came from the force field, taking the form of large dragons. They growled lowly as they flew around for a bit, landing on either side of the female warrior.

"Although, they might not be necessary as you won't be able to find someone to do that for you without your precious bird." Juno told the demon as she petted the muzzle of one of the creatures made of light. She pulled her other hand back, making the force field turn invisible again. "You really are going to be here forever, Hannibal." she said as the dragons disappeared. "But, look on the bright side, you'll have plenty of time to reflect on everything."

"You... You can't do this to Hannibal Roy Bean! Who do you think you are?!"

"I'm the Xiaolin Dragon King, and I can do whatever I so please. And that includes locking you away for eternity." the redhead closed the door of the cage and turned around. "Take care of yourself, Hannibal, I will miss beating you up." she began to walk around.

"Wait, Xiaolin Dragon King!" Hannibal Bean went to the glass, banging his limbs against it. "Come back here!" he yelled, but she continued on her way. "No, listen to me! Your daughter's alive!"

Juno came to a stop in the middle of the room, her back to the villain.

"You know I learned a lot of things over the years." he told her. "I almost didn't believe it myself, but I know she's out there. If you free me, I can take you right to her. Isn't that what you want most, to reunite with your little girl?"

The redhead said nothing, still not facing him. "Ever since you and I first met..." she finally spoke, her voice echoing off the walls. "You've done nothing but lie, scheme, and manipulate others into doing what you want so you could have your way. You've done it for years and I'm just..." she clenched her hands into tight fists. "Sick of it."

"No, I'm not lying this time, I swear!" Hannibal Bean told her, but she ignored him and summoned her Xiaolin Dragon Blade. "She really is alive!"

Juno held up her weapon and slashed the blade down on the air, creating a portal in front of her.

"You can't just leave me here like this, Juno!"

She looked over her shoulder, staring at him with a cold, blank expression. "Goodbye, Hannibal Roy Bean."

The demon could do nothing but watch her disappear when she went into the portal, which closed behind her. He gritted his teeth and banged his limbs again the glass once more.

"Xiaolin Dragon King!"

The voice of Hannibal Roy Bean shouted throughout the prison, and some parts of the Ying-Yang World, where he was forever trapped.


(Later)

"So he's really gonna be there for good, huh?" Dashi said as a transformed Dojo landed on the temple grounds.

"That's right, the force field I made can only be broken by someone whose power is the same, or greater, than mine." Juno explained, dismounting along with the others.

"I almost can't believe it's finally over." Kimiko said. "Hannibal Bean is gone, for good this time."

"Yeah, all of that hard work paid off." Raimundo agreed, Kaze on his shoulder.

"Not only have we defeated Hannibal Roy Bean, but we are all Shoku Warriors now." Omi spoke up as Dojo shrunk down to his smaller size.

"This sure has been one wild rodeo." Clay remarked.

"You kids were all amazing." Juno told them. "You're one step closer to being official Xiaolin Dragons, I couldn't be more proud."

"We've got you to thank for that, Juno." the Brazilian said.

"That's right, I was able to level up because I remembered all that you taught me." Japanese girl added.

"Same here." the cowboy nodded.

"It is truly thanks to your teachings that we have become the warriors we are now." the short monk told the redhead. "You are the best master we could ever have, Master Juno." he bowed to her along with the other monks.

"Oh, kids." Juno looked at them with slightly teary eyes. "You're the best monks I could ask for!" she wrapped her arms around all of them, hugging them tightly.

"Hey, you get in on this, too, dad." Raimundo said to Chase.

"I might as well get used to it now." the Heylin warrior let out a small sigh as he went over to the Xiaolin Warriors.

The female warrior grabbed his hand and pulled him into the group hug. He blinked once as she and the monks hugged him, too. He let out a small smile and returned the favor.

"Aw, that's just sweet." Dashi remarked as Dojo slithered up to his shoulder.

"Indeed." Guan agreed with a smile on his face. "I would say today calls for a celebration."

"You got that right." Juno said as the group broke apart. "Not only do we have to celebrate Hannibal being beaten, but also Wuya. Isn't that right, Dashi?"

"For sure." the Grand Master replied, reaching into his sleeve. "All we have to do is lock it in someplace secure and she won't be bothering anyone..." he trailed off.

"Dashi?"

"Hm, that's funny." he said to himself as he checked his other sleeve. "I know put the puzzle box somewhere."

"Are you telling us that you lost it?" Chase questioned.

"It must have slipped out while we were fighting Hannibal Bean, I didn't even notice."

"So we have to go back and get it?" Kimiko spoke up.

"Unless someone else already grabbed it." Juno said. "Anyone noticed the absence of a certain evil boy genius?"

The Shoku Warriors looked at her, then at each other. They groaned and face-palmed.


(Meanwhile, at Jack Spicer's lair)

The evil boy genius, sitting at a table, opened the lids of the puzzle box that was set before him. The second he did, a certain ghost came out of it.

"I swear, if I get put in that thing one more time, I am going to lose it." Wuya said. "Although, I do have to commend you for releasing me, Jack."

"Yeah, well, you owe me now." he told her, tossing the box away. "If I'm going to rule to the world, then I need a little extra help, even if it is from you."

"Tell you what, if we work together, I rule one half of the world and you rule the other half. And I get revenge on Juno, her monks, Dashi, and anyone else I want. How does that sound?"

"Hmm." Jack thought it over for a moment. "Okay, you got yourself a deal. But I want the half with the better countries."

"Fair enough." the floating head said. "Good to have you back, partner." she stuck one of her limbs out.

The redheaded boy went to shake it, but his hand just phased right through. "You know, Wuya, I got to be honest, I have kinda missed having you around."

She blinked at him, not expecting him to say that. "Oh, Jack." she cleared her thoart once "Well, I would be lying if I said I also didn't..."

"Even though I was the one who pulled more weight around here." he added.

Wuya glared at him for a moment before she went and phased herself right through his face. Jack screamed at the feeling and fell.

"Good to be back indeed." the ghost grumbled as her partner wringed on the floor.


(Later that night, at the Xiaolin Temple)

"A toast to all of us and defeating Hannibal Roy Bean."

"Yeah!" the monks cheered, touching the small cups they held with their leader's as they sat around the table out in the veranda.

"I'm glad you kids decided to finally try sake." Juno said.

"After everything, I think it's time to start trying new things." Raimundo told her as Dojo was on the table and eating the food that covered it. "Bottoms up." he raised his cup to his lips and took a sip along with the others.

"How is it?" the redhead asked.

"It taste most bitter." Omi said, sticking out his tongue.

"I don't think my tastebuds are suited for it yet." Kimiko wrinkled her nose.

"Whoo, a little too strong for me." Clay set his cup down. "I'll stick with good old root beer for now."

"I think it's alright." Raimundo said when he finished his drink. "Maybe I'll have another."

"Looks like I got a new drinking buddy." Juno smiled. "But try to take it easy for now, you're a beginner after all. You don't want to end up on the floor like Dashi."

"Oh, very funny." the Grand Master responded sarcastically.

The redhead chuckled a bit before looking at him. "By the way, Dashi, sorry about the Moby Morpher."

"Nah, don't sweat it, it was best for everyone that it was finally destroyed. I'm sorry for how much it hurt you, and for losing the puzzle box."

"Don't worry about all of that now. Wuya might get free again, but at least she can't do anything as a ghost. We just have to make sure she stays that way. Also, I want to thank both you and Guan for all your help."

"We are just happy to have you back, Juno." Guan told her. "And that we don't have to worry about you dying anymore."

"Yeah, welcome to the immortal club." Dashi joked.

"Thanks, boys." the female warrior smiled.

"So what's the plan for us now, Juno?" Raimundo asked.

"Well, you kids still have a ways to go before you can become official Xiaolin Dragons. But I know you'll get there in no time." she winked. "For now, though, I think we've earned ourselves some time off. We can focus more on certain things now, right, Chase?" she leaned against her husband lovingly as he was sitting beside her.

"Absolutely, darling." he replied, kissing her head.

"I hate that I know what you guys are talking about." the Brazilian remarked.

"You get used to it." Dashi said.

"Grand Master Dashi, have you thought about moving back into the Xiaolin Temple?" Omi asked the older man. "I would most love to learn all that you know and become as skilled as you are."

"Oh, I'm positive you'll become like Dashi, Omi." Juno told the short monk. "I just hope you don't inherit his lazy ass."

"Hey." the Grand Master interjected.

"What do you mean by 'inherit', Juno?" Clay asked.

"I mean that Omi is Dashi's descendant, of course." the redhead replied simply.

The monks stared at her for a moment, processing what she just told them. "What?!" they exclaimed.

"You kids didn't know that?" Juno blinked. "It's pretty obvious just by looking at the both of them."

"I figured it out when I first saw the little monk." Chase said, taking a sip of his Lao Mang Lone Soup.

"I also had my suspicions." Guan spoke up.

"Omi is probably Dashi's great great great great nephew or something." the redhead added. "He did inherit his big, round head."

"My head is not that big, or round." Dashi denied. "Although, I did have a brother who was more the larger side. So I guess it is likely that you're my great great great great nephew, Omi."

"Y-You..." the short monk stammered, looking at the older man in shock and amazement. "You mean I am related to one of the greatest Xiaolin Warriors of all time?!" it almost looked like he was going to explode with joy. However, he just swooned and leaned back, getting caught by Clay before he could fall out of his chair.

"Someone's happy." Juno remarked.

"My nephew is a funny one." the Grand Master chuckled.

"I think it's gonna take him a while to fully wrap his head around it." Kimiko said as Dojo fanned Omi with a napkin.

"And when he does, he's gonna boast about it forever." Raimundo added. "Something else to make his head bigger."

"Speaking of big things..." Juno got up from her seat. "I have to give someone his reward. You kids wanna join me and watch?"

The Shoku Warriors looked at her, not sure what she meant.


After Omi had woken up, everyone went outside and moved to the middle of the temple ground. The redhead summoned her Xiaolin Dragon Blade, twirling it around a few times before touching the spike to the ground. The weapon glowed for a moment before Aura came out of it and settled down in front of the group.

"Reward time, Aura." Juno said, petting the dragon's muzzle when he leaned his head towards her. "You've earned it, enjoy as much as you want."

He let out a low rumble from his throat before he flew into the air, heading straight for the starry night sky. He went higher and higher until he could no longer be seen.

"Where in tarnation is he going?" Clay questioned, squinting his eyes.

"Aura is a special one." the female warrior told the monks. "He's a celestial dragon, and his diet is a little different from others."

"What do you mean?" Kimiko asked.

"Just keep your eyes on the sky."

The Shoku Warriors looked at one another before turning their gazes upward. They stared and waited for something to happen, and something did. One of the many stars above suddenly went out. And then another and another.

"Master Juno, what is going on?" Omi asked.

"As I said, Aura's eating habits are different from other dragons'." Juno said. "He actually has to leave the earth."

"You mean he's eating the stars?" Raimundo questioned in amazement as more of said stars blinked out of existence.

"They're his favorite snack." the redhead confirmed. "And, since there are too many to count, he has an all-you-can-eat buffet every night."

"That is incredible." Kimiko marveled.

"The dragon is as unique as his owner." Dashi remarked.

"Isn't that the truth?" Juno smiled and winked.

After a few more stars went out, a white glow appeared in the sky and headed towards the temple. Soon, Aura landed back on the ground.

"Get enough, buddy?" the female warrior asked.

The dragon let out a content growl, moving his head down and nudging the end of his muzzle gently against her shoulder.

"Good to hear." she petted him. "Now, hold it." she said when he made a move to go back inside her weapon. "You're not going back in just yet. Take this opportunity to finally get to know the kids, they're very dazzled by you."

Aura looked at the monks, seeing their expressions of wonderment as they stared at him. He turned back to the Xiaolin Dragon King, releasing a low growl as it seemed his face took on a blank expression.

"Come on, you're basically a hermit." Juno told him. "You need to get over your shyness."

He let out another, slightly louder growl.

"You are shy, you're just too proud to admit it." she retorted. "There's nothing wrong with making new friends, I know you'll like them."

Aura let out a sound that was similar to a grumble and lowered himself down until his stomach touched the ground.

"Good boy." the redhead praised, patting his muzzle. "Have at him, kids."

"Oooh." Omi's eyes shined as he and the other Shoku Warriors got closer to the dragon. "Up close, he is even bigger than Dojo."

"And skinnier, too." Clay added.

"Hey!" Dojo interjected. "I am perfectly well-sized, thank you very much. But..." he got closer Aura, leaning against one of his clawed hands. "Just between us, how do you stay the same size when you eat stars? I mean, they can't be the most nutritious things in the universe. And what's it like living inside a weapon? Must be pretty spacious."

"He really is beautiful." Kimiko marveled, running one of her hands along his smooth, glowing scales.

"And surprisingly soft." Raimundo remarked, his own hands buried in the dragon's mass of white fur that ran along his back. "What do you think, Kaze?"

The small phoenix chirped in response, snuggled into the larger creature's mane.

Aura exhaled through his nostrils, already looking tired from the interactions.

"He really is such an introvert." Dashi commented.

"Even fifteen hundred years ago, he would prefer to keep to himself and ignore socializing." Guan agreed, letting out a small chuckle.

As everyone was else was occupied with Aura, Chase noticed that Juno wasn't around anymore. Walking away from the group, he headed to the temple garden. When he got there, he saw her figure standing by the pond with the cherry blossom tree. He headed over to her, seeing she was staring at her reflection in the water, a conflicted expression on her face.

"What are you thinking about, Juno?" the Heylin warrior asked, putting his arm around her shoulder.

"As I was leaving the Ying-Yang World..." the redhead began, keeping her eyes on the pond. "Hannibal told me that Mei was alive."

Chase said nothing, looking at her.

"He said that he would take me to her if I set him free. I knew I couldn't trust him, but, the thing is, I actually considered it for a moment. For even the smallest chance of Mei being alive somehow..." she gripped her arms. "What I want to know is, did I make the right choice where she's concerned?"

"Juno..." he held her close. "I know you must have struggled with making a decision, I would have as well. However, you don't need to feel bad about not accepting Hannibal Bean's offer. There is a strong possibility that he was trying to trick you again."

"I know, but still."

"I understand, darling. If Mei is still alive, then you and I can find out ourselves."

"Do you really think we can?" she asked, leaning against him.

"I wasn't able to all those years ago, but things are different now." Chase told her, placing his hand on the side of her face and gently making her look at him. "You are here, we have the monks, Dashi, and Guan. We might be able to find something if we work together. Even if things don't work out as we want, we can at least try."

Juno stared at him as tears came into her eyes. Then she gave a small nod, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly. He put his own arms around her. holding her just as tight.

"Thank you..." the redhead said softly.

"Anything for you, darling." the Heylin warrior replied, rubbing her back comfortingly. "Anything for you."

They pulled their heads back a bit and looked at one another. Then they leaned in again and kissed, the moonlight shining down on them as a breeze blew and shook the cherry blossom petals of the tree off their branches. When they pulled apart, they held each other firmly, but gently.

"I love you, Chase."

"I love you, too, Juno."


After settling down, the couple left the garden, hand-in-hand, and went back to where everyone else was.

"Hey, you two are just in time." Dashi said when he saw them. "Dojo's just felt a new Shen Gong Wu revealing itself."

"And it's a pretty big one, too." the dragon spoke up as his tail was twitching madly.

"Wuya and Jack are sure to be on their way." Juno thought aloud. "Let's head out to try and beat them to it, kids."

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

"Hey, you wanna see which dragon can get there faster?" the redhead asked, a competitive glint entering her eyes.

"Oh, you are so on." Raimundo said, grinning as Dojo transformed into his larger form.

"It is a shame we must go now." Omi remarked. "I was hoping to learn more about my family history from you, Grand Master Dashi."

"Don't worry, I'll be here when you get back." Dashi told him, kneeling down and patting his head. "I'll answer any questions you have, okay?" he smiled at him.

The short monk nodded vigorously, beaming widely as he went to board Dojo's back with the other monks.

"I take it you won't be joining us again." Juno said to her husband.

"Maybe next time, darling." Chase replied. "But I'm sure you'll have fun beating up Spicer for me."

"I'll be sure to get in a few good hits for you." she smiled as she kissed him for a moment, placing her forehead against his when she pulled back. "Told you you wouldn't lose me again." she said softly.

"I know." his tone was the same as hers. "Thank you."

They smiled at one another before she slowly pulled away from him. Then she went over to her dragon and jumped onto his back.

"Alright, Aura, let's show them how it's done." Juno told him as he got to his feet and stood side-by-side with Dojo.

"Take care of yourselves." Guan waved at them.

"Try not to break this Shen Gong Wu, okay?" Dashi joked.

"Ready, kids?" the redhead questioned.

"Always." Raimundo answered as the others nodded.

"One..." she started.

"Two..." the monks continued.

"Three!" they yelled in unison as the dragons took off into the sky at the same time, the three male warriors on the ground smiling to themselves as they watched them go.

"Dojo, pick up the speed!" Omi shouted as their leader was already pulling ahead of them.

"You mean pace." Raimundo corrected.

"You try flying when you got four people riding on your back!" Dojo snapped back.

"It also doesn't help that you eat more than you should." Kimiko added.

"We really got to start putting you on that diet, partner." Clay said.

Juno laughed as they tried to catch up with her and Aura. "Don't hold back, buddy, show them what it means to be a celestial dragon." she told him, getting a roar in response as he flew faster.

"You truly sound happy, Juno." Xiaolin spoke up.

"Yeah." she said as the mark on her chest glowed, looking up and smiling at the sky. "I really am."

The Xiaolin Dragon King and her Shoku Warriors raced to where the Shen Gong Wu was on their dragons.

One adventure may have ended for them, but a new one was just beginning.


(Later)

Sometime after the Xiaolin Warriors had left, Chase had returned to his lair. He was currently sitting in his throne-like chair, staring at a picture in his hand. It was one that Juno had insisted they take together with the monks some weeks after he began to stay at the temple.

The photo showed them outside, all of them huddled close together. She had her arms wrapped around one of his while Kimiko and Omi were on her side, Raimundo and Clay on his. The Heylin warrior was the only one who wasn't smiling. Even though he had expressed reluctance to join in, his wife still gave him a copy when it was developed.

Chase couldn't help the small smile from forming on his face the longer he stared at the picture.

Suddenly, the Jungle Cats that were in the room with him got to their feet, low growls emitting from them. Putting the photo away, he summoned his Kwan-Dao Sword and threw it at the wall. One of the shadows on the wall quickly moved and dodged the weapon's blade, which embedded itself into the stone material.

"If you're going to sneak into someone's lair, I highly suggest you do a better job of hiding your presence." Chase said as he got to his feet.

The dark shape reappeared and widened itself. Then a foot stepped out of it, followed by a whole leg. Soon, an entire person was standing in the room.

It was a young woman with long blue hair, which reached to her knees, light green eyes that had slit pupils, and a pale complexion. She had purple armor on her shoulders and torso with lighter purple accents and long purple gloves, both having a golden trim on them. A thick, brown belt was around her waist as purple leggings covered her legs, black platform boots on her feet. On her forehead was a purple headband that had a ying-yang symbol in the middle of it.

"I expected nothing less from the great Chase Young himself." she spoke in an Australian accent. "Your skills are known far and wide."

"Spare me the flattery." the Heylin warrior said, petting one of the Jungle Cats, who were ready to attack the intruder at his command. "Tell me what it is you want before I let my cats do as they please to you."

"As one of the greatest villains to exist, I believe I can learn a lot from you in the ways of evil. With your help and knowledge, I can obtain the power that I desire to have." she told him, stepping forward a bit before getting down on one knee. "I would like to be your apprentice." she bowed her head to him.

"And what makes you think I am looking to take one on?"

"Because I am quite sure you will be satisfied with me and my impressive skill set. I will prove myself to be a valuable asset to you in the future."

"Hmm." Chase looked at her, contemplating. "I do admire your confidence, and you seem quite adept in Heylin magic. However, if I were to make you my apprentice, I should at least know your name." he smirked a bit.

"Of course." the mysterious woman lifted her head. "You can call me..." she gave a smirk of her own. "Shadow."

And so begins the new adventure.


The Xiaolin Dragon King: Second Arc

End


And that's the end, everyone. I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter of the Second Arc, I look forward to reading your reviews. Now, I will be taking a break from writing as I want to focus on my new semester of school. But I will, hopefully, get the Third Arc started before the year is over. I look forward to seeing you all again when that happened. Until then, take care and thank you for reading!