Chapter 1: Darkness in the Light

Disclaimer: I don't own Xiaolin Showdown or any of its characters. Only mine.

It was 85 degrees outside in New Orleans, Louisiana and the sun was shining like any other summer afternoon. The forecast predicted sun with minimal cloud coverage until nightfall, which was hours away. Many children and teenagers were playing outside and getting their last few days of summer in before the fall semester started. Even a few adults skipped work to enjoy this one of a kind, perfect day. At approximately 2:28 p.m., everyone in the city froze for a moment as they felt a dark presence enter their hearts. 2:28 also happened to be the exact time the plane transporting Kage Rakesh landed. One week later Hurricane Katrina hit.

Kage's classmates often joked about him being the reason the hurricane hit. He would simply force a laugh and jokingly apologized; however, on the inside, he knew that it was likely no coincidence as he was born containing the power of darkness.

…..

Nine years have passed since I've lived in New Orleans and I can successfully say that I have three friends. It's actually two more than I had in Japan…if you can consider my shadow a friend. Anyways, although I consider my ethnicity to be Japanese, considering I was born and raised there, I'm black in American terms. I'm 24 years old, about 6'2, and pretty athletic. I have shoulder length dreadlocks and am by no means close to being ugly. I had to leave my home in Okinawa because I was alienated from almost everyone else in town. Not school, but town. If you guessed because I'm an American or that I'm black, you're wrong. People stayed away from me because they say that I have a dark aura about me and bad things would often happen around me; this is likely due me being the Dragon of Darkness. I didn't mind being on my own because that's how I've been since my parents died when someone broke into our house and shot them both when I was about 4 or 5. I remembered his face because I slept in the room with them and my dad sent me into the closet when he heard the door open. Since guns are primarily outlawed in Japan, my parents kept their personal handguns downstairs in a locked safe. I watched an American man shoot my parents. No one believed me when I described one of my parents' fellow soldiers and the case was left unsolved. I was adopted by a Japanese couple that my parents befriended (they actually gave me my first name) before their passing and lived with them until I was 15. They were a nice couple and treated me like their own son until they too died. The same killer from 10 years ago had come back to finish the job. My adopted parents tried to hide me because they knew of my untamed powers and didn't want anything bad to happen to me. Again, I watched my family die and something inside of me snapped…I didn't mean to kill him. Before my adopted dad took his last breaths, he told me of my roots in New Orleans and the apartment my real parents left me. I took off immediately. Conveniently enough, a hurricane hit soon after I arrived in New Orleans. Apparently, I brought the bad luck with me. People gradually distanced themselves from me and it became like home all over again. They always wondered why I didn't smile or why I wore so much black. I couldn't help it, I doubt anyone would smile much after seeing some of the shit I have, and as far as the black is concerned, I can't control that. I haven't fully contained my powers, so most bright colors I wear turn into black when I put them on. I feel more comfortable in black anyways, because I don't want to attract any attention to myself. Back to reality.

…

*Knock Knock*

"What the hell…"

*Knock Knock Knock*

Kage turned to his clock and saw it was 9:00 a.m. and turned back over, muttering incoherently and hoping whoever was at his door would go away.

*Knock Knock Knock Knock*

Yet again, the knocks continued, more intense now.

Fully annoyed, Kage stumbled out of bed and peeped out his door, only to not see anyone there. He rolled his eyes and began to trudge back to his bed when the knocks continued yet again. Completely furious, Kage threw his door open and saw a robed male, who couldn't be any more than 5'0 tall.

"Hello sir," the boy spoke, "My name is Omi, I can assume you are Kage Rakesh, correct?"

Kage slowly nodded, suspicious of how this kid knew who he was.

"My name is Omi and I come from the Xiaolin Temple. I've been assigned to come get you, for you are the Dragon of Darkness."

Kage was informed by his adoptive dad that this time would come, but he hoped it never would. Without a word, he closed his door on Omi and walked inside to pack some clothes. Ignoring Omi's knocking, he stared in front of a mirror and formed a ball of dark energy in his hand.

'I guess it's time…' he thought.

With a sigh, he dissipated the ball and walked outside to go with a frustrated looking Omi. He asked Omi for the directions to wherever he was going and grabbed his motorcycle from his garage.

"I'll see you there kid," Kage called out as he began to drive away.

"KID? I'M 21! DO NOT BE MAKING FUN OF MY COMPACT STATURE!" a clearly annoyed Omi screamed.

"Whatever, kid," Kage muttered and drove off.

Little did Kage know, he was about to embark on a journey that would not only lead him to find out why someone attempted to kill him all those years ago, but also determine if he would be mankind's newest hero or villain.