Author's note: I just remembered this show was a thing. I used to love it when I was younger, and found that a few episodes on YouTube was enough to rekindle my interest in the characters. I wrote this pretty much all at once. I'm not particularly thrilled with it, but I figured I'd put it out there anyways. Let me know what everyone thinks. It's set some time in the future, when the characters are in their late teens.
They fought evil. It was bound to happen at some point. Kimiko gets hurt. Raimundo reacts.
Spark
The rush of power caught Kimiko in mid-leap. It had come out of nowhere. She had no chance to dodge or block it.
She flew back, hair and clothes fluttering, her face a pale blur in the dim twilight, before crashing onto the ground. She didn't get up.
Raimundo was already running towards her. He'd known something was wrong a split second before she'd been hit. He was distantly aware of Clay and Omi's worried shouts, of Wuya's delighted laughter. None of it mattered.
He was fast. Always had been, even before he'd become a dragon. His training had enhanced the innate skill, his element increasing it to something barely human. He called up every bit of speed he could manage.
One of the monsters Wuya had created got in his way. Without slowing, he ripped it to pieces with a blast of wind that tore up the earth for meters around. His eyes stayed on Kimiko's terribly still figure. He didn't allow himself to consider the possibilities. He would get to her and she would be fine.
"Kimiko! He shouted as he finally reached her.
He dropped to his knees beside her. His heart pounded painfully hard in his chest. His world narrowed to the girl lying motionless on her back in front of him. He snatched up her closest hand, desperately feeling for a pulse with fingers that he barely kept from shaking. Her wrist was frighteningly fragile in his grip.
It took several seconds that felt like decades for him to find her pulse. When he did, his own heartbeat skipped in relief.
He started to pull her into his lap, needing to feel her alive in his arms. Hesitated. Thought about how hard she'd been hit, her uncontrolled fall. What if she had internal damage? Or a spinal injury? He didn't want to chance hurting her further.
"Kimiko?" he tried. He was surprised by how calm his own voice sounded. "Kim? Can you hear me? Come on, open those pretty eyes for me."
He stroked hair off her forehead with the hand not clutching her wrist, the dark strands feeling like silk under the rough skin of his fingertips. He cupped the side of her face. Her skin was warm.
"Kim, please. I need you to wake up."
Her lips parted, but no sound came out. A thrill surged through him. He slid his hand down to twine his fingers through hers, and leaned closer.
"That's it! That's my girl."
"Rai?" she murmured. Her eyelids flickered, once, then again.
"Yeah, neném. It's me. I'm right here."
On the third attempt, her eyes stayed open. She looked up at him a little dazedly. He squeezed her fingers in reassurance.
"How do you feel?" he asked, knowing it was a stupid question and not caring.
"I've been worse," she started. She gave him a week smile. "Can't quite think when, but I'm sure— "
A loud bang from somewhere nearby cut her off. Raimundo flung himself over top of Kimiko, remembering at the last instant to keep from putting any of his weight on her. The gesture was unnecessary though. Nothing came near them.
He gave it a few seconds, better safe than impaled, than pushed himself up enough to look around. Omi and Clay had Wuya on the run, the combined force of their powers, backed by their fear and rage for their downed teammate, proving too much for the witch.
Under him, Kimiko jerked and squirmed. She pushed hard on his chest.
"Let me up!"
Relief flooded through him. She could move. Hell, she was going to get away from him if he wasn't careful.
He gently pinned her shoulders down but sat back. "Shhhh. Stay still. You're hurt."
He looked at her. Her face was even paler than normal, lips pinched in pain, but her eyes blazed with blue flame when they met his. She was the Dragon of Fire. A warrior to her core.
"I can fight."
It took him a moment to find his voice. "I know you can," he soothed. "But you don't need to. Clay and Omi have everything handled."
"But," she started.
"No." The word came out with a sharp bight behind it. She could have died. That was all he could think. She could have died, and all of her wild fire, that bright spark of her life, would have been gone forever.
Miracle, luck, destiny. Whatever it had been had kept her alive, had allowed that bright spark to keep burning. And now she wanted to risk it again, to run right back into danger before she had even started to recover.
Pain tore at his insides. He started shaking and couldn't stop. All he could see was how still she'd been, sprawled like a broken doll, on the earth.
"Raimundo?"
She stared at him, worry evident on her face. Stupid. Her worrying for him after what had nearly happened to her.
"What's wrong?" she questioned.
There weren't words for how he felt. Furious at Wuya for hurting his teammate. Scared at just how close he'd come to losing Kimiko. Relieved that she was alive and more or less unhurt. Frustrated that she seemed completely oblivious to her own mortality. Angry at himself that he'd ever let her get in a position to be hurt in the first place.
Kimiko reached out to touch his cheek. He caught her hand, so tiny compared to his, and pressed it back to her side.
"Just rest," he said, making an effort to soften his tone. "That's all you need to do. Everything's fine."
His voice cracked on the last word. He pictured Kimiko taking the hit, flying back, crashing onto the unforgiving earth. All while he'd been too far away to help her.
"Rai," she said. She pushed herself up into a sitting position before he could stop her again. The effort made her eyes darken with pain. She muffled a whimpering gasp and sweat broke out on her forehead.
He wrapped his arms around her, intending to ease her back down. She jerked away, grabbing both of his shoulders and holding on hard as she shifted onto her knees to face him.
"Raimundo," she demanded. "Look at me. I'm okay. Just a little banged up. I promise."
He met her piercing gaze. He'd known her for years. Had seen her turn from a temperamental, reckless girl to a fierce, passionate warrior. He'd fought alongside her, protected her, and she'd done the same for him. They were teammates, friends. And something more. Something he couldn't, wouldn't, name, not yet.
Unable to stand the distance between them any longer, he pulled her close, tight against his chest. He twined his arms as tightly as he dared around her, feeling just how small and breakable she was, and tucked his head over hers to bury his face in her soft hair.
"Promise me," he muttered. "You'll never scare me like this again."
She slid her arms around his back and leaned her cheek against his shoulder. "You know I can't." At his sharp inhale, she stroked a hand down his spine. "We both have a responsibility. It's our duty to take the hits so that no one else has to."
He thought about cursing, saying that the world could go to hell for all he cared. But that wasn't true and he knew it. He wanted to order her, beg her if he had to, to stay out of danger, to stop taking chances. But he couldn't. She was a xiaolin warrior, a dragon every bit as strong and capable as him. They shared a responsibility; to their teammates, to the temple, to the world, and to each other.
"I won't let you fall again," he swore, instilling the vow with all of the power and authority of his title.
"I know," she said.
Clay and Omi reached them then.
"Kim!" Clay shouted at the same time as Omi's, "Kimiko!"
Kimiko pulled back and started to turn to face the rest of their team. The movement seemed to hurt her. She hissed out a sharp breath and swayed. Raimundo reached to pull her onto his lap at the same time as Clay went to put a steadying hand on her shoulder.
She shook them both off, tossing her head and scowling.
"Kim?" Clay asked. "You alright?"
"Does she look alright?" Omi demanded. "Kimiko I saw Wuya attack you and then you fell and I tried to reach you but I was not fast enough and Raimundo seemed as if he could be more helpful so I believed it wise to stay and fight."
"Thanks, Omi," she managed. She smiled weakly from him to Clay. "I'm okay. Just a few bumps and bruises. Nothing a hot bath won't fix."
Clay met Raimundo's eyes over her head. Raimundo gave the other dragon an exasperated look, mouthing, 'she's in pain.'
Clay gave a quick, sharp nod. "Let's get you back to the temple and see if we can't make that happen," he told Kimiko.
He started to scoop her up.
"I've got her," Raimundo said more sharply than he'd meant to. Clay blinked, surprised. He hesitated, looking like he was considering arguing. Not in the mood to deal with the other man's stubbornness, Raimundo shifted Kimiko closer, and then stood with her in his arms.
"I can walk!" she told him hotly.
He glanced down at her. She was stiff in his hold, pupils dilated with pain. He knew his arm on her back had to hurt, but couldn't think of a better way to move her. There was no way she'd let him put her over his shoulders in a fireman's carry.
"We'll talk about it once we get back," he placated.
"That doesn't make sense," she pointed out, voice off. He wondered if she had a concussion. It wouldn't surprise him. He picked up the pace.
He wanted to get her back to the temple to get checked out. His heart wouldn't stop racing until they did, and he knew she'd be alright.
She was light in his arms. So small, but with a soul as bright and wild as her element. He didn't ever want to let her go. One day, he'd have to think about what that meant. But for now, he could safely push that worry off for another time.
"Don't worry, Kim. I've got you."