Crest of the Dragon

Chapter 1: Fatally Optimistic

1600 years ago, back when the great masters were still in training, a dangerous evil made itself known. He used ancient magic to manipulate the powers of the Elemental Dragon Warriors to rule the lands. This warrior called himself Hannibal Bean. Under his reign, the dragons in training were powerless, unable to use their Xiaolin Elements. However, this power wasn't enough. Hannibal wanted the ultimate power: eternal youth. Using his might, he destroyed the Xiaolin Temple and unsealed the Scroll of Jong. Within its passages was the Fountain of Youth, a potion that would give the user immortality. However, it required one rare ingredient: the blood of a dragon.

Misinterpreting the instructions, Hannibal made a potion using blood from his shield, only to be trapped eternally in a monstrous form. His quest for longevity had ripped his empire and human body from him, which left him too weak to fight on his own. With each new try, the potions fell shorter and shorter from their mark. Eventually, his physical state was too weak to take anymore experimentation. So, he found himself a new test subject: one of the chosen ones.

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A chilly summer wind blew over the empty beach of Alaska. On another Wu hunt, the Xiaolin Warriors were struggling to find the Shen Gong Wu. It had already been half an hour, and there was still no sign of the Wu. Jack Spicer was struggling to keep his locator functioning in the humidity. Clay rubbed his arms and looked up to the shivering dragon perched on his hat.

"I don't figure your sniffer's cleared up enough to help us?" Clay sighed.

"Sorry, I've got zip." Dojo shook his head. "I always was more of a Spring dragon."

"Maybe," A smug Heylin Witch cawed, "you should stop relying on a gecko to find all your Shen Gong Wu." She descended down to the sand in her human form, though considerably less powerful since she'd allied with Chase Young.

"GECKO!?" Dojo seethed. A dim glow came from the base of the hill. "THERE! It's there!" Xiaolin and Heylin alike ran headlong toward the luminescent sand. It was Jack who was victorious. He held up the bronze tunic with pride.

"The Terracotta Beizi is mine!" He cackled.

"Oh no you don't!" Kimiko shouted. She and Wuya lunged at the Wu causing the boy genius to shriek in terror. "A Showdown Trio." She challenged.

"My Ring of the Nine Dragons against your Sun Chi Lantern and Silk Spitter." Wuya added.

"Fine, fine," Jack said through a mouth full of sand, "but I got here first, so I pick the showdown. We race," he looked over at the frigid ocean, "on jet skis. First to reach the Beizi wins."

"LET'S GO!" They shouted. "Xiaolin Showdown!" Ice shot across the ocean and down below sea level. Arching waves were frozen into walls, the sea life within statuesque in mid-swim. The ice acted as the path for the roaring water. With no regards for the weather, their showdown gear consisted of fairly revealing swimsuits. The three found themselves mounted on Jet Skis, engines revved and ready for the race.

"GONG TI TANPAI!" They shouted. Jack immediately turned and pointed the magical spindle at this opponents.

"Silk Spitter!" The pearlescent goo shot out and formed a net-like trap over the two, preventing them from reaching the handles. "What's wrong girls?" Jack chortled. "Afraid of getting your hair wet?" He fish-tailed, soaking the pair, before zooming off. Wuya tore off the solidified casing and chased after Jack.

"Oh he is so going to pay!" Kimiko hissed as fire ran up her body. Her element charcolized the silk, returning her free range of motion as she floored the gas.

Sitting above the race on an ice pedestal, her teammates watched the flames coil up her arms, unable to help as she tore through the waves. Omi was the only one who didn't appear surprised, having grown up in the Xiaolin Temple all his life. Their dragon guardian had little advice to offer, as he usually preferred to stay away from such conflicts in the past.