She cries.
Her head is buried into his chest and he hugs her back, trying to comfort her, but failing miserably. The tears streak down her pale face, and she makes choking sounds every now and then. The cave is dark and dank, hiding secrets behind every rock, every corner, and every niche. Water drips down from the stalactites and made a horrible plopping sound.
Plop.
Plop.
Plop.
"Shh…it'll be all right," the male of the two said, his voice coarse and ragged.
"How, Raimundo? How will this be all right?" the female cried, suddenly sitting up straight. Her red robe was torn and dirty and her face was smudged with dirt. But her eyes still burned in with the same intense fire that had always burned there and she gritted her teeth bravely. Her little hands curled up into fists.
"I don't know," he said wearily, tiredly. His eyes hold none of the fire Kimiko has, and he stares down at the ground as if it had the hidden answer they had both been searching for.
"Then don't tell me lies," Kimiko demanded, trying to stand up. Raimundo hesitated, and then pulled her back into their sordid embrace.
"No," he rasped, tears welling up in his eye. "No. I'll make it all right."
"You can't, okay? You just can't!" Kimiko struggled against the hug, but slumped down again tiredly. She buried his face in his chest again, her voice tinged with hatred.
"I will," he promised softly and he distractedly touched her hair. "I promise."
…………………………………………
The story begins mostly at the Xiaolin Temple. The story can never begin with just event, though, but we will make do with the best of the choices we have.
The sun shone brightly out in the yard, showing a thick, heavyset teenager sitting cross-legged on the lawn. His cowboy hat is propped back and his shady blond hair hid one eye. The other was clearly closed, but if it had opened it would have shone a strong blue eye in return. He wore the appropriate red shirt and white pants and breathed calmly for a while.
He could feel the earth from the ground. He could feel its power, and its strength, and everything in between. He knew the worms by their names, he knew all the moles by their tunnels, and he knew that he could tremble the earth with a crack if he wished to at that very moment.
But he did not wish to.
Breathing out again, he could feel the earth mingle with his spirit, dancing around in an eternal dance…
"Hey Clay!" A smack on the back sent Clay sprawling forward, getting a face full of dirt. Angrily, he flipped over to face a tan Brazilian boy sending him a loping grin. He blocked the sun for Clay, but Clay couldn't exactly make out the distinguishing of his friend.
"Raimundo," Clay growled, his heavy Southern accent growing more pronounced.
"Come on, buddy, don't get mad," Raimundo laughed, stretching out a helping hand. Clay reluctantly took the token of apology and dusted his clothes off; still taking occasional glares at his 'friend'.
"I am sure both of you will be moooost happy to hear that Master Fung has devised a new way to protect the Shen Gong Wu," a familiar voice said, coming from behind them.
"What's up, Omi?" Clay asked, tipping his hat towards Omi. The small monk smiled grandly, his mouth stretching from ear to ear.
"Master Fung and his monks are creating a Xiaolin Net around the Shen Gong Wu for protection," another voice said, approaching both of them. Kimiko danced lightly towards both of them, her hair up in its regular pigtails.
"Why should I care?" Raimundo said, obviously disappointed that it wasn't news about food. His face dropped and he scratched his head, looking away.
"Hey, you should care because—" Kimiko began, fire sparking behind her. Raimundo still looked away, crossing his arms against his chest and whistling the other direction.
"AUGH!" Kimiko groaned, her hands balling up into fists.
"Don't worry about it, Kimiko, you cannot expect the last one to become a Xiaolin Apprentice to be concerned much with the important things," Omi said innocently, his grin stretching again.
"HEY!" Raimundo snapped, twisting back as his face turned red and steam billowed out of his ears.
"He is so not in about these things," Omi said dismissively, taking the cue to leave.
"IT'S OUT OF IT!" Raimundo yelled at his retreating figure, waving a fist.
"Then you agree with me, yes?" Omi was already gone as Raimundo panted heavily, his face still red with anger.
Kimiko burst out into giggles. "He really got you there, Rai."
"Don't get mad, pardner," Clay said, clapping Raimundo on the back. It sent Raimundo into the grass, falling face first into the dirt. Clay held back a small smile. "It's just Omi's way of doing things."
"I don't care if it's Omi's way of doing things," Raimundo argued, getting up and wiping the dirt off his face, "I deserve the same respect as all of you." Then he paused. "You know, maybe more."
Kimiko arched an eyebrow. "Yeah, right. Just admit it, Rai. You're just mad at Omi's jibes."
"So what if I am?" Raimundo shouted, waving his arms around frantically.
"It just means that you're jealous-er than a green-grass toad in a bullfrog contest." Clay winked at both of them before also taking his leave back into the temple.
"His expressions just keep on getting stranger and stranger," Raimundo muttered as the hulking figure. Kimiko shrugged and sat on the swing, pulling out her Palm Pilot thing and beginning to beep it.
"I hope you didn't put another virus on there," she sneered at him. Raimundo gave her his usual trademark grin.
"If I did," he said, "You'd know about it." Then he slunk away to presumably find Clay and Omi.
"Brat," Kimiko muttered, clicking at her machine. And then:
"RAIMUNDOOOOOOO!"
The virus had finally taken full effect over her machinery.
…………………………………………
Two figures stood in the darkness of the cylinder tower where the Shen Gong Wu lay. One was a human, tall and steady. The other was a dragon, curled around his neck.
"Hey, Master Fung," a heavily accented voice said, "Do you think that Xiaolin Net thing actually works?"
"It will until it needs to," a solemn voice said.
"Then what's the point of putting it up?"
"There is more than one enemy in the world, Dojo. The net will not work at the ultimate time, acting no more than a spider web when the true evil comes. But it will work at the other times."
There was a moment of respectful silence.
"You're a confusing man, Master Fung."
"That is what I must be for the Xiaolin Dragons to respect me."
"What? No way. They respect you all the way!"
"No, Dojo, they are growing up too quickly. I influenced them while I can and now they are teenagers. They are set in their ways. I can only give orders and they will decide whether or not to carry them out."
"They love you, Master Fung."
"Love and respect are too very different things. You may love a dog without respecting it. You may respect an actor without loving him."
"You're a very confusing man, Master Fung."
"I do what I must."
……………………………………………………….
Raimundo sneaked out of his room, opening the curtains slightly. It was almost midnight, and he was hungry. He couldn't remember what he had for dinner.
Oh, yeah. Omi threw his porridge in his face, which resulted in knocking him backwards into Clay who was eating his sausages that he threw up and smacked Kimiko right in the face making her scoot her chair back into the salt and pepper and sprinkling it over everyone which made Clay and Omi blind and somehow together they managed to pour the steaming hot stew in his lap which made him yelp in pain and knock into Kimiko who in return knocked off the rest of the stuff on the table.
No wonder he was hungry.
Slowly, silently, he sneaked into the kitchen. Rustling around, he managed to find some carrots.
"We live in a temple and all we got are carrots?" Raimundo asked disgustedly, holding out the offending objects. He paused, and then shrugged. "Eh. Food is food." He munched on the carrots as he made his way back into the 'room' he had. It was only a section of the ground that was separated by curtains from Omi and Clay. Kimiko had her own solid wall and door room now.
"Girls get everything," Raimundo muttered darkly. It amused him to tease Kimiko about her fiery temper, but in the end she still won overall.
He heard voices in her room and curious, he peered into the keyhole.
"…Raimundo…" After catching that word, he put his ear against the wall. Kimiko and Clay were talking inside.
"He really annoys me, you know," Kimiko said, fuming.
"All he wants to do is be your friend, Kimiko. He's extending the hand of friendship," Clay said, his thick voice growing thicker.
"Then I don't want it! I mean, yeah, I totally get that he wants to be friends, but he really gets on my nerves!" Kimiko said, fire burning behind her again.
"Kimiko, the best friends in the world are annoying," Clay said deeply. Raimundo snickered. He annoyed Kimiko? Yes!
Deciding against listening to the rest of the conversation, he cockily made his way back to the curtained room.
…………………………………………
Raimundo stuck out his tongue in concentration, his brow heavily sweating as he bent over his video game. Zombie Master III had come out! Frantically he pressed the little buttons, watching as the zapping increased more and more.
"HELLO THERE FRIEND!" Omi cried, bounding forward with his huge grin.
"AUGH!" Raimundo started, the game slipping out of his hands and hitting the stairs with a thump.
"Noooooo! I was the last level!" Raimundo wailed, "It took me three tries to get there!" He pressed the buttons, but the screen was blank.
"I apologize veeerrrrry deeply, then," Omi said with a little bow.
"You meant to do that!" Raimundo cried out in anger, waving his game in front of Omi's face. His face was twisted into some kind of snarl.
"That is a false accusation. I did nothing of that kind," Omi sniffed, turning away. "I only came by to greet my good friend—"
"Good friend my butt! You know that you would distract me," Raimundo accused.
"Hey, hold it there pardner. How could Omi know you were on the last level?" Clay asked, looking up from nearby. He had been busy fixing the little house for Dojo.
"Yeah, Rai. That's absurd," Kimiko scoffed.
"Absurd? ABSURD? If he's the best monk as he claims he is, then of course he would know," Raimundo said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Omi frowned a little up at him.
"Do not worry about it, Kimiko. This kind of thing can always be expected from Raimundo. He was, of course, last to become—"
"CAN YOU LET GO OF THAT ALREADY?" Raimundo shouted, throwing his game against the wall. Omi's words lashed out at his heart. Always be expected from me? The game broke into pieces and fell into the bushes.
There was a sudden silence.
"But, Raimundo, that is only true—" Omi tried.
"That is not true! You always rub it in like crazy, but it's done! It's over! If I had a dime every time you made a mistake I'd be a very rich man!" Raimundo yelled.
"But weren't you the one who switched to the Heylin side in the first place? You are the betrayer, the traitor, not me," Omi protested, "We cannot forgive mistakes like that easily. You went on your own free will."
There was a stiffening silence as Raimundo stared at the little monk, shocked. Kimiko and Clay followed his example. Nobody ever brought that situation up. Ever. It was a forbidden topic and just one not spoken about.
"Fine, then," Raimundo finally spat out, bitter. "If that's how you think of me…" He abruptly turned around and, his face red, marched out towards the gate.
"Wait, Rai," Kimiko said, beginning to stand up.
"It's best if you leave him some time to cool down," Clay whispered, taking her hand and pulling her back down.
"But I have to—"
"You don't have to do anything."
"What is the problem here?" Omi asked, oblivious. His little eyes blinked blankly at Kimiko, and then at Clay, but neither had the answer.
……………………………………
"'You go after him'," Kimiko muttered, "'You're a girl'." She shook her head. "What does me being a female have to do with anything? Guys can be just as emphatic as girls." Then she paused again. "Oh, wait, no, they can't. They're too busy being stubborn and thick-headed."
Snarling lightly, she made her way closer to the hill right outside of the Xiaolin Temple. The darkness had fallen quickly. Sighing slightly, she squinted against the tree to see a figure slumped against the roots.
"Hey, Rai," she said brightly, "Whatcha doing out here?"
"Nothin'."
"Then why don't you go back in?" Kimiko continued, just as sweetly. "So then I DON'T HAVE TO GO SEARCHING IN THE FREEZING COLD FOR YOU!"
Raimundo didn't react.
"Hey, are you all right?" Kimiko asked, her voice tinged with confusion.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he muttered, staring at the Xiaolin Temple. Kimiko hesitated, and then sat down next to him.
"Is it something that Omi said?" she prompted. There was quietness between them for a moment.
"I'm sorry if I annoy you." Raimundo said abruptly. The shadows covered his face.
"Um, well," Kimiko said, taken aback by the abruptness, "Sure."
"It's just fun to, you know? I guess I'm a natural bully. Or a natural Heylin warrior," he said spitefully.
"No, come on Rai. We both know you make a horrible Heylin warrior," Kimiko said, hesitating and then touching his arm. The warmth spread from her to him, sending a slight spark between them. Raimundo shivered subtly, pulling his arm away from the burning touch.
"But I can't do anything right," he said in a low voice.
"And I can do no wrong? We're all human. Yeah, so what you went to the Heylin side? The important thing is that you came back," Kimiko urged, giving him a smirk.
"But I still went to the Heylin side. I shouldn't have done that," Raimundo continued darkly.
"Shouldn't, shouldn't, shouldn't. Is that all you think about it? It's about the things you ARE going to do, Rai. Don't look back." Kimiko's voice was soft and lilting.
"Everybody knows that I'm bad and I don't deserve the apprenticeship," Raimundo said angrily, beginning to stand up, "And all I do is seem to do is annoy everybody."
"Rai," Kimiko said softly, tugging him back down again.
"Get off me, woman!" Raimundo yanked his arm away and began to walk off.
"Nobody thinks that. Omi just talks a lot of talk. I think…I think you're the only one who still thinks that."
Raimundo froze. "No I don't."
"You didn't when you accepted it. But I guess you still have some doubt left in you from Omi's talks," Kimiko continued, moving next to him and putting a slender hand on his shoulder. "But he doesn't mean it."
"Don't get psychological on me."
"Honestly, Raimundo. I think you act up and act different because you don't think you honestly fit in. I think all your mocking words are nothing but defenses because you're hiding your self-doubt. I don't think you really hate me when you tease me, I think all you want to do is make sure that you won't be missed," Kimiko said eloquently, getting caught up in her own speech.
Raimundo was silent.
"Rai? Are you…crying?" Kimiko whispered.
"No." Raimundo turned away.
"There's no shame in crying."
"I don't care. Go away."
"Okay, Rai. But just remember…we're your friends. We accept you just the way you are. No more and no less," Kimiko promised, backing away. Gritting her teeth, she turned around and went back down the hill.
That was a touching moment, she thought. That was deep. And she liked the feeling of helping Raimundo. He was a nice person, after all. And maybe…just maybe…
Raimundo stared at her retreating figure tiredly.
………………………………………
Hello! I know, long and awkward, but this is the best I can do. Will someone be my beta? Or explain to me patiently, like I'm a five-year-old, how C2 works? Thanx.
This will be eventual KimxRai.
Kimiko is sooo cool…