2 weeks later:

Clay, Omi, and Kimiko were sitting peacefully at the kitchen table enjoying their breakfast. That is until they heard an all too familiar growl of frustration followed by an alarming smash. All three monks rose from their chairs and dashed out of the room to the source of the sound, which they could tell came from the guy's stared bedroom. Kimiko moved out to have her own room just next door as a 14th birthday present from Master Fung. But the guys still shared that same room together. Clay and Omi entered the room first but Kimiko stood behind, just in the door way. Raimundo was on his knees, using his hand to sweep the shattered remains of a vase into a pile. He didn't even look up.

"Raimundo, what happened?" Omi asked concerned. Raimundo raised his head to look at his friend's puzzled faces.

"I'm sorry guys," Rai forced a small smile, still kneeling, turned so he was frontward facing them. He continued to sweep the vase's dust and shards with his right hand. "Stupid, morning accident I guess." Kimiko tilted her head to see him better passed Omi and Clay. Her eyes went from his beautiful emerald eyes, to the dusty pile of broken pottery, and then to his hands. She gasped under her breath when she saw his left hand he was supporting himself with. His knuckle was scratched up with blood slowly surfacing. Kimiko grabbed the dust pan by the door and pushed past Omi and Clay. She kneeled down across from the Brazilian and started to brush the pile of broken vase into the pan. Rai stopped to watch her, smiled and reached to take the dust broom from her. "It's my mess Kimiko, let me…" Before he could finish his sentence, Kimiko quickly dropped the brush and pan and grabbed Rai's left hand he had reach out with. Kimiko held his hand palm down, and studied his bloody knuckle. Raimundo gave a sigh as he looked at her face's reaction and knew what she was going to say.

"Accident, my ass," Kimiko said dryly not taking her eyes off of his hand. Raimundo frowned and jerked his hand out of her grip.

"I heard a crash, young monks," Master Fung said calmly from the door way with Dojo around his shoulders. Everyone looked to their teacher. "Is everything alright?" Everyone then looked to Raimundo. He gave a heavy sigh.

"Fine," he huffed as he stood up. "I just got a message from my mom back in Rio. You guys remember Franciscka?" They all nodded, including Master Fung and Dojo; Kimiko also showed them the clip of their dance shortly after Rai showed them. "Well, she's in Rio de Janeiro right now looking for a dance partner for another big competition there. She showed up at my house looking for me, but my mom told her I was still away. Then she told my mom more about the contest. And apparently, the first place winners get to perform on top of one of the floats during this year's Carnavale in Rio. But she understood I wasn't available and left." Raimundo looked back down at his left knuckles in disappointment. Kimiko could see how upset he was.

"That sounds might'dy exciting Rai," Clay stated to his friend. Raimundo looked up from his hand.

"My family has gone to see Carnavale live ever since I was a little kid," Raimundo said, a small smile creeping on his lips in remembering. "I thought there was nothing more amazing in the world, except maybe to actually be in the parade itself." Kimiko saw a sparkle in his eyes as he remembered and smiled herself.

"I am most confused," Omi stated, pulling both Raimundo and Kimiko out of their thoughts. "Parades during carnivals? Is this like the circus from your past Raimundo? I thought you disliked it."

"No Omi, Carnavale in Rio de Janeiro has nothing to do with the circus. It's the biggest party in the world. It's a world famous event held in Rio every year before Lent. With giant floats, great music with drums, tons of confetti and glitter, people in crazy and beautiful costumes, and an army of samba dancers marching freely everywhere you look," Raimundo described with excitement and lingering wonder from his childhood. "There are usually only floats for the many samba schools in Rio, but I guess they decided to have a contest to pick who'll dance on top of one of theirs this year." Raimundo looked back at his hand. Kimiko watched as he brought two of his fingers to the scratches. He cringed with a hiss from the stinging of it and Kimiko immediately grabbed it again with both her hands. Raimundo looked down at her with gentle eyes. She wasn't looking back but that just meant he could stare all he wanted and she couldn't tell.

"Perhaps you should get that wrapped up Raimundo," Master Fung suggested from the door way.

"I'll do it Master Fung," Kimiko said looking over to him with out removing her hands from Raimundo's. Master Fung watched as the two walked out and down the hall and a smile came upon his face at an idea.

In the medical room, Raimundo sat on one of the cots as Kimiko rummaged through the cabinets for disinfectant and bandages. When she found everything she needed, she walked over to the bed and sat right next to Raimundo and faced him. They both said nothing as he stuck his hand out to her and she began to clean the wound, then began to wrap a roll of cloth around his knuckles.

As she wrapped the cloth, the Dragon of Fire could only think and assume what her best friend was thinking. 'Raimundo must be more upset then I thought. He hears he's missed his chance to be in a huge dance competition and to possibly be part of the biggest event in his hometown. And he misses his little Salsa friend. I bet he punched that vase into the wall as soon as he learned that Franciscka girl was looking for a partner and he knew he wasn't there to say yes.' Kimiko's thought irritated her as she pulled the bandage tight.

"Oww," Raimundo cried softly pulling his hand away. This also pulled Kimiko out of her thoughts and looked to her best friend, thinking she hurt him "That's a little tight there Kim."

"Sorry Rai," she said, grabbing his hand again to finish wrapping it up.

"It's fine." Kimiko finished and took her hands away from Raimundo's so he could flex his hand to feel it was comfortable. She looked at him once again taking in how cute he looked in this state of being, even though she could very well tell he was still upset. It might hurt her to ask and hear the answer, but her curiosity of the whole thing was too great.

"Rai, are you that upset about missing out on the parade?" Raimundo looked at her and gave a weak smile seeing her concern.

"Nah. I've missed the parades before. It's just, the contest and the chance to be in the parade is something I've always dreamed of," Raimundo said in wonder with a bit of sad still in his eyes.

"And Franciscka?" Raimundo immediately looked back to his best friend with full attention.

"Yeah, I miss her too. And I feel bad that she was counting on me to be in Rio for the contest and be her partner. Literally, the last thing I said to her before she left Rio after the last contest was, 'If you're ever in town again for a dance competition, you know where to find me.' Now she has to go find herself someone else. I just feel like I let her down, you know?" Raimundo beat himself with his words. The sting came back to Kimiko's brain for a second, but she pushed it to the back and gently placed a hand on the wind dragon's bandaged knuckle. His eyes looked back and met her sapphire ones.

"Rai, she said she understands. Plus you're my best friend, and I know you could never let anyone down," Kimiko said with a smile and Raimundo smiled back. She quickly removed her hand with a hint of pink creeping on her checks and stood up. "Come on, our training session was supposed to have started a while ago." Raimundo nodded in agreement, stood and followed her out of the medical room and outside.

When they reached the training yard, they only saw their other fellow dragons sparring.

"Hey," Raimundo hollered over to his cowboy and cheese ball shaped friends as he and Kimiko walked up to them. "Where's Master Fung?"

"He left on Dojo not too long ago," Clay said, dropping his fighting stance.

"Yes, and he instructed us to practice our sparring with out any Shen Gong Wu or the use of our elements until he returns later this afternoon," Omi finished.

"Where did he go?" Kimiko asked.

"He didn't say. Just something he had to take care of I suppose," Clay responded starting to knack his knuckles, a wicked smile starting to form on his lips. "Now lets get to it, I've been itch' in to scrap all morning." All the other monks gave fierce grins back and took their fighting stances.

All morning into late in the afternoon, the monks continued with multiple sparring matches with each other. It was Clay and Omi's turns to spare, so the two remaining monks stood to the side and just watched. Although, every so often, Kimiko glanced back up at her tall, Brazilian friend. He was smiling while watching his friends but she could still see it in his emerald green eyes that he was still upset. She wanted to help him. In any way she could. She hated it when he was upset or angry, and she hated herself more when she couldn't do anything about it. But maybe she could. Kimiko opened her mouth to ask Raimundo something but no words came out. Instead, they came from Omi.

"Raimundo," the small monk called over annoyed. "Could you please come over and demonstrate for Clay the proper form of Spider Doing Hocky-Pocky?!" Raimundo shrugged with a small sigh and walked over to take Clay's place. Kimiko pouted that she missed her chance to talk to her bummed out friend. She stood their and watched as Raimundo talked their Texan friend through the move. Clay then tried to attempt it himself but once again messed up the form. Rai lightly squeezed the bridge of his nose.

"I'm sorry Rai, I just ante get' in it," Clay turned back to his leader. "Maybe you should just show me."

"If you insist," Raimundo sighed again, stepping into the sparring circle and in front of Omi. They both bowed and commenced the fight. Omi attacked first.

"Monkey Strike!"

"Spider Doing Hocky-Pocky!" Raimundo maneuvered around Omi as he attacked and avoided his Monkey Strike. And in doing so, also struck him and the young monk plopped to the ground while Raimundo landed gracefully on his feet and dusted himself off.

"Well hello Mr. Twinkle-Toes, still light on your feet as ever I see," a voice rang into the yard. Raimundo paused with a shock and thought for a moment.

"There's only one person in the whole world who calls me that," he said slowly to himself, dumbfounded. Raimundo turned to the front gate to see his suspicions correct. The others looked over as well. Kimiko's chest fell and the sting was back.