Disclaimer- I do not own Xiaolin Showdown or any of its characters. I do not own Beauty and the Beast either, even if this story is only similar to it by the roots of its growth.

Title, hmmm……you come up with one! Satisfy your imagination for the day!

Kimiko was a sweet girl, as everyone said. Her father, Mr. Tohomiko loved her dearly, and did everything he could to please her. Despite this spoilish upbringing, Kimiko was kind down to the very marrow of her bone, and wished well to every soul. Although she was kind, her heart wasn't set on any of the boys who were infatuated with her, or any that were not. Though there was one who kept the others away, for he was the richest of the townsfolk, next to the Tohomiko's.

But this story isn't about him, or any of them in fact, this story is how Kimiko found her heart, in the most unexpected place. It dwelled in the body of a beast, high in the mountains, where the frightening tales to keep children obedient were born. But, it appears I am getting ahead of myself, so I will begin at the beginning, the point in which Kimiko began the journey to her heart, her love.

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"Kimiko! I will not let you go out there cough, wheeze alone. Oh dear girl, will you fetch me some water?" Mr. Tohomiko sunk back into the cushy armchair, winded from raising his voice.

"Yes father. Here's some water for your throat. You really shouldn't be raising your voice like that; you'll end up a mute! And yes, I am going out. Today is the first snow of the year, and I plan on going out to celebrate like always! I don't care if it's a blizzard outside, and I don't care if no one else will brave nature with me, I'm going! You just need to relax and work your way out of this cold you've got, and don't worry about me. I'll be fine to go out into the woods and get our Christmas tree, and it will be the best there ever was!" Kimiko smiled broadly at her father.

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Did I mention that Kimiko was as stubborn as three mules together? It must've slipped my mind. She was quite a fighter too, hardened by hanging out with a gang in her childhood years. Her father forbade her to see them when she turned thirteen, because he thought it was unladylike to be seen with such hooligans at an age in which she should be applying makeup for hours, and buying dresses for parties and such. Despite her father she still managed to visit with them once a week, to sneak about and do gang-like things. But she wouldn't have anything to do with fighting other gangs unless they were attacked. Ah, but I am drawing this out! Let's get back to the story….

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"Alright Kimiko, you may go out and mark a tree for us. But you must be back in one hour! No longer, or I will be sending a search party out for you!" Mr. Tohomiko warned.

Kimiko had finally persuaded him to let her go out, and she was currently bundling up in the warmest of clothing.

"Oh, thank you father! I promise to be back soon! Stay rested, and drink a lot of water. The doctor says it's good for your system. And keep those blankets on! The cold will go faster if you sweat it out." Kimiko chided as she pulled the woolen blanket over her father.

"Really, Kimiko. You are the image and spirit of your mother! Now go pick us a tree. And hurry back!" Mr. Tohomiko waved her away and smiled, watching her all the way out the door. He was really hoping she'd pop back in, deciding that it was too cold for a trip to the woods. But, he knew better than that, and rolled over to get some much needed rest.

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Kimiko stepped outside into the flurry of snow. The weather was biting cold, but it didn't bother her in the least. She whistled a Christmas tune that was lost on the wind as she went, not taking much notice that no one else was out. She had expected this, and was glad to get first pick of the trees. Although, it would be a bit difficult to see the trees in this blizzard………no matter! She was going out, and that was that.

Kimiko walked deep into the woods, glancing the pine trees up and down. She hadn't found one that suited her liking, so she continued on. But, Kimiko hadn't thought about the dangers of traveling in such a blizzard. In a matter of minutes her footprints were covered and there was no other way to get back home. She had walked further than the familiar section of trees, and was now walking uphill.

The day wore on and Kimiko realized she had to get back before her father had the entire town up and looking for her. At that moment the folly she had made struck her hard. Kimiko had only retraced a few steps when her footprints disappeared. Panic swept over her and she began to run, tripping and tumbling through the deep snow. She finally slowed to a halt, out of breath and with no sense of direction whatsoever.

"Oh no…..no, no! This can't happen!! Father will be heartbroken if I don't return and they find me here, frozen without a hope in the world!" Kimiko walked on, not even paying attention to the fact that she was going uphill again. She just knew that she had to keep moving, she had to stay warm.

After what seemed like hours of walking (which in truth was only about a half hour) Kimiko collapsed at the base of a large pine. It's wide, thick branches had sheltered the ground beneath it from snow, and Kimiko curled up amongst the dry needles. She prayed to any heavenly being that would listen, so that she might get out of these woods with her life. After a while even her attempts to stay awake failed, and she drifted into a deep sleep.

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"Hey, Nickit, look what I found!" A burly man with leathery skin and thick, bushy black eyebrows called out.

"What is it now, Avery? It better not be another squirrel, or I'll give you a good wallop with the flat of your own axe!" A skinny man with grayed hair and pale skin hurried over. "Oh my! We must get her back to the castle or she'll freeze out here!" His near black eyes widened at the sight of a young girl curled up under a pine tree.

Avery lifted the girl with ease and carried her like he would a baby to shelter her from the harsh winter winds. The other man, Nickit, hurried on ahead of Avery, muttering to himself. In a short while the two passed through a crevice in the side of the mountain, and reemerged to spring weather and a warm breeze. The men quickly sheded their winter coats and gloves, and then proceeded to remove the girls clothing so she wouldn't roast in them. Once they had done so it appeared that the mysterious girl had shrunk, for without the coat, mittens, hat, and boots she was a petite young lady.

Avery and Nickit paused for a moment to puzzle over why she was out in the middle of a blizzard, but then they dismissed the thought and carried on towards the castle. After about ten minutes of walking the two reached the outer wall of the castle and Nickit shouted up to the guard to let them in. A few seconds later the large, iron bar gate creaked open and the weary men entered the courtyard. There were servants aplenty milling about, doing their assigned duties.

Nickit called a short, bald man with shifty black eyes over and told him to inform the master that they had found a girl out in the woods. The man darted away, hurrying to relay his message in hopes of receiving a reward. He dashed up three staircases and didn't even glance at the fourth as he hurried down the hall to a large oak door. He grabbed the gold knocker and struck the door twice, shifting from foot to foot anxiously. He had some very juicy news for the master, very juicy indeed!

A few seconds later a tall, lank butler opened the door, his face expressionless. He wore a sleek black suit and clean white gloves, his face pale with age. A warm smile turned up the corners of his lips, and his clear blue eyes glittered kindly.

"Welcome, Marcus. Do you have some news for Master Young today?" His voice was smooth and light, cheery in all aspects.

"Yes I do, Carlisle, now if you would let me in I shall tell him." Marcus lowered his voice, "Nickit and Avery found a pretty little lady asleep out in the woods today! Isn't that somethin'?"

Carlisle's eyes lit with curiosity and he stepped aside. "Very interesting, very interesting indeed!"

"What is it now, Marcus? I grow weary of your constant company. This better be something good, or you might be stuck shoveling horse manure for the rest of the week!" Chase Young growled from his chair by a large fireplace. The flames were the only light in the spacious room, and they caused strange shadows to dance off the walls.

"Master Chase Young, sir, two men found a young lady out in the woods today. They brought her in out of the cold, and she's still asleep." Marcus bowed low before Chase, his voice timid and his eyes to the floor.

"Hmmm……thank you for informing me, Marcus. Tell them to take her to the infirmary. We want to make sure she's not sick. And who were the two that found her?"

"Nickit and Avery, Master."

"Ah, when they have made sure the doctor is tending to her tell them to come straight here. I must find out how they came upon such a thing in a blizzard." Chase waved Marcus away, and turned his gaze back to the fire.

A lovely young lady didn't just appear around these parts everyday, and his son would surely be intrigued. Maybe there was hope for him yet…

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Kimiko woke up and rubbed her eyes, trying to clear away her blurry vision. She stared confusedly at a grayish….thing above her, not quite sure what to make of it. After she blinked a few times she realized it was a stone ceiling, and then she wondered where on Earth she was. For one, Kimiko knew she wasn't dead, which was a plus, but she knew she wasn't home either, which wasn't so great.

"Ah! I see that you're awake little lady! Now, what be your name?" Kimiko sat bolt upright and looked around, trying to find the source of the voice.

Her gaze locked on a burly man with a thick russet beard and a beer belly. He laughed heartily at her startled expression, and she felt instantly at ease. His voice was warm and friendly, and his face was creased with laugh lines.

"I'm Kimiko Tohomiko, who are you? And where am I?"

"Well Miss Tohomiko, my name's Tobias, but most people around here call me Toby. And you're here in Master Young's castle."

"Who's Master Young?"

"Ah, he be Chase Young, the master. His son is our second master, but we never see 'em out and about. We only see Master Young walking around sometimes, but the little 'un is always up in his room."

"Why? Wouldn't he rather be outside?"

"Hahaha! You sure are a curious little thing! The young master is a dragon, and he frightens everyone, so he stays up there for the good of us all. Master Young is also able to change into a dragon, but he only does when there is a threat on our home."

"Wait….this is the place where all those stories come from? About the horrid dragons that terrorize the mountain?"

"Aye, this be where those stories are a comin' from! But, the masters aren't the kind to terrorize. Those are just tales to keep children from misbehavin' or wanderin' off."

"Oh…why is your younger master not human? If the father is, then why isn't the son?"

"Ah, an old witch hag came here about fifteen years ago when the young master was born and placed a curse on him for all the evil his father had done. Now he is unable to assume his human form, and is cursed to stay a dragon forever."

Kimiko was itching to ask more questions, but just then the door opened and a well built man with pitch black hair and golden, catlike eyes entered the room. Toby immediately kneeled down, and spoke in serious tone.

"Good day to you, Master Young. This be the girl Nickit and Avery found in the woods."

Kimiko studied the man, and when he looked at her she glanced away. His eyes were just too weird to look at!

"Ah, so this is her. What is her name, Tobias?" Kimiko was startled when Chase spoke, for his voice was smooth and unearthly, definitely not human.

"She says her name is Kimiko, my Master." Toby was still kneeling, and Chase didn't even look at him when he spoke. His eyes were focused on Kimiko.

Now, she was quite annoyed with the two of them. They were standing (or kneeling, in Toby's case) there talking about her as if she wasn't around! She could tell this 'Master Chase' her own name, she wasn't a mute!

"Excuse me, but I'm right here Toby, I could've answered him myself." Kimiko tried to hide it, but the annoyance in her voice was apparent.

"Hm, very well then Miss Kimiko. Come with me, you seem to be fine, and I'm sure you would like a little tour of the grounds." Chase opened the door for her and she waved goodbye to Toby before leaving.

"Sure, it sounds better than sitting around doing nothing!"

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Marcus scurried down the hallway. He sure had a lot of messages to relay today! He was on his way to the young masters' room to deliver the news of the girl. He stopped at the large oak door, which was the only other one in the castle besides the door to Chase's room. It was convenient, because having different doors for their rooms was much easier than memorizing where they were.

Marcus knocked on the door and waited for the maid to come. She was the only one besides Chase who interacted with the young master daily, and she wasn't the least bit bothered by him being a dragon.

"Yes? Oh hello there Marcus! How do you do?" A short stout woman answered the door. Her graying hair was pulled back in a messy bun and her face was creased with age, but her dark chocolate brown eyes were young and glad to see company.

"I'm fine, Hilda. I have some interesting news for the young master, if you wouldn't mind relaying it to him." Marcus peered into the dark room behind her, but he couldn't see any sign of the young master.

He told her everything he knew about the arrival of the new girl, and Hilda smiled with delight.

"He will be pleased to know this, thank you Marcus!" She began to close the door, but then she paused and dug her hand into the pocket on her apron.

"Here you go this is for your troubles, Marcus. I'm sure it is well deserved." Hilda nodded at him and closed the door.

Marcus pocketed the coin and hurried off to find Chase and confirm that the young master had been told.

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"Who was it, Hilda?" A thickly accented voice called from somewhere in the darkness.

"You will be delighted to hear this, Master. Two men found a pretty young lady out in the woods today, and she appears to be about your age. The men took her to the infirmary just in case she had caught something from being out in the blizzard, but she seems to be fine."

"Thank you for telling me Hilda. See to it that my father knows I wish to see this girl."

"Yes, Master Raimundo."

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So? How is it so far? I'm really excited to be starting another Xiaolin Showdown fic! My last one was just a one-shot, so I'm glad to be writing a chapter story now. I'll be as quick as I can with updating, but I've got another chapter story I'm working on, so please bear with me! I hope you enjoy this, because I'm having a lot of fun writing it. If there's anything you want to know that I didn't include, ask me!! It could benefit everyone else who's reading!! Please tell me what you think, and I'll get the next chapter up ASAP!!!

Mistoffelees Shadow