Life Of A Xiaolin Dragon
Chapter 3: Chasing the Wind
The clouds above were grey and the sky was filled with smoke. The impact of the explosion was spreading to the clearing that the monks were all stationed in. The only noise was the cries of Kimiko pleading for Rai to wake up.
"Is he dead? He better not be dead!" Kimiko screamed.
"Let's not jump to conclusions." said Clay. He placed his hand on Raimundo's wrist and felt a steady beat. "He's alive! I can feel his pulse. Quick! Let's take him to Master Fung so we can see what's wrong with him."
Clay easily lifted Raimundo off of the ground and placed him on Dojo's back. Kimiko got on behind him and Clay behind her. Omi was still staring at the site of the explosion with sheer horror on his face.
"Omi are you okay?" Kimiko asked. She started to avert her worries to the young dragon of water.
"Who w-would do this?" Omi asked. "Who would hurt Raimundo so bad? I have a very bad feeling about this. Only someone most powerful could make an explosion that big and I fear that they are after our friend."
With that Omi turned around and sat on Dojo, right in front of Raimundo. Kimiko took Raimundo into her lap. His head was resting on her shoulder and her arms were wrapped around his waist. Suddenly he began to move.
"Oh my god! Raimundo!" Kimiko screamed.
Raimundo opened his eyes. He could see a very blurry girl looking down at him. She had dark black hair that was pulled into two pigtails at the side of her head and her eyes were a deep blue. She was rocking him softly and he felt compelled to say something, so she knew that he was aware of what was going on around him.
"Could you quit shaking me...please?" he asked.
Kimiko quickly obliged and just held him securely in her arms. Clay poked his head over Kimiko's shoulder to see his Brazilian friend finally waking up. "Well howdy there partner," Clay said while tipping his hat. "Looks like you have finally woken up."
"Yeah," Rai replied slowly. "I-I feel a bit dizzy... and tired."
Raimundo closed his eyes and started to drift off to sleep. Kimiko started shaking him more violently. "Raimundo! Stay with me! What's happening?"
"Shut up Kimi. I am just tired. Let me sleep." Raimundo grumbled. His head fell a bit and he started to drift off to sleep again.
Damn it! Why is Rai so cute when he is sleeping! No, stop that Kimiko! He is your friend.
She started running her fingers through his dark brown hair. Raimundo smiled a little bit in his sleep and that made Kimiko smile too.
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Dojo finally landed back at the temple along with the four Xiaolin Dragons. Clay and Omi got off first to help Raimundo up which would free Kimiko. They both grabbed one of his hands and he got up slowly but was a little shaky.
"Guys stop. I can walk by myself." Raimundo complained.
Clay and Omi let go of him but still had their arms out in case he were to topple over. Surely enough they were right and Raimundo fell right into Clay. "Just walk me over to the Garden." Raimundo said. He was agitated by the fact that he couldn't walk a few measly steps.
Clay got him to the large tree outside the garden. While he was walking him there Master Fung came in.
"Greetings young monks," he began. "Were you successful?"
"Oh, um no." Kimiko hesitated.
"Why the hesitation?" Master Fung questioned.
"Well, we sort of forgot about the Shen Gon Wu. We were flying to it but we stopped because there was a big explosion and we found Rai lying in the grass. He was unconscious but now he's awake and he and Clay are in the garden." Kimiko answered.
Master Fung walked off towards the garden signalling the other dragons in training to come with him. He spotted Clay helping Raimundo down so he could sit against a tree. Master Fung walked up to him and sat in front of him. Clay, Omi, and Kimiko followed suit.
"What happened when you were out on your 'walk' Raimundo?" Master Fung asked.
"I-I don't know. I can't remember right now. All I remember is that I was walking down that path," Raimundo pointed to a path in the middle of the garden. "Suddenly everything went black. I also remember my head hurting a lot and I woke up in the middle of the forest. There was a big explosion of some kind and I blacked out again. Then you guys came and I woke up."
"Do you happen to know the origin of the explosion?"
"No. Maybe if I get some sleep it'll come to me in the morning." Raimundo suggested.
Master Fung stood up and extended his arm. Raimundo took it and stood up. He was a little better so he was able to walk to his room by himself.
"I suggest that you all go and get some sleep as well." Master Fung advised.
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Raimundo woke up to the sound of his fellow monks fighting. He didn't however give it much thought. The fighting sounds that he heard were just his fellow monks training.
That's weird. They usually make us all get up at the same time for training. Suddenly the solution dawned on Raimundo. Oh that's right. I was found unconscious at the sight of an explosion. Of course they're letting me rest; they want to know what happened.
Raimundo knew full well what had happened. He even knew last night when he said he was 'too tired' to remember. He just didn't want to relive the memory so he tried to force it out of his head. Unfortunately that is impossible so he would be haunted by that day forever.
Raimundo walked outside into the training area. The monks were all doing tests that required them to use their elements. Clay was picking up sharp rocks off of the ground and aiming them at a target. He was doing very well. Kimiko was shooting balls of fire at practice dolls hanging from ropes and she hit every single one. Omi was just practicing his fighting skills. Raimundo could overhear him saying that he was already a master of his element so he was just going to work on his fighting skills.
"Hello Raimundo! It appears that you have just awoken from your slumber. In case you were wondering we are practicing our skills and I assume that you should join us." Omi was speaking while punching the air.
"Alrighty then." Raimundo got into his fighting position ready to cast a blast of wind but then Master Fung came up behind him.
He called all of the warriors over and looked Raimundo in the eye. "You seem well rested and are looking much better. Now I would like you to tell all of us everything that happened in the forest."
Raimundo sighed. He knew this was coming but he was just wishing it wouldn't come so soon. Oh well at least he would get it over with.
"Well, I honestly don't remember much else, other then what I told you last night. The only other thing I can add is that I know who started the explosion. I awoke in the middle of the forest. Then I heard a man say 'now it's time to go back but we will meet again' and he cast the explosion leaving me unconscious for you to find. That man...was Chase Young."
Master Fung along with every other person around him looked at him in disbelief.
"Something must have happened to you then," Kimiko whispered. "Chase Young wouldn't just take someone without doing something to them. Do you remember that?"
Raimundo contemplated what she had said.
What did he do to me then? I don't feel different, I feel fine.
Raimundo looked up at her and said, "No."
"Everybody get back to practicing." Master Fung turned around and walked back into the temple with Dojo around his neck.
Raimundo stationed himself in front of a large rock, attempting to smash it down. He got into fighting stance and shouted, "Typhoon Boom Wind!"
Nothing. No leaves on the trees rustled not blade of grass moved.
"No. This can't be happening. NO!" Raimundo was scared. He dropped to his knees, panting for air. His hands were balled up into fists pounding the ground and his head was bent down. He was crying.
The rest of the team heard his soft sobs that were growing louder and louder. They ran over to Raimundo who was now screaming in anger.
"He took my wind! HE TOOK IT!" with every word Raimundo's voice grew louder. The rest of the monks were scared. Clay ran inside to get Master Fung because he didn't know what else to do. Raimundo put his hands on either side of his head. He was now in a sitting position. Tears were rolling down his face and he kept whispering to himself. "This isn't happening. This isn't happening. This isn't happening."
A hand being placed on his shoulder broke his concentration. He looked up through watery eyes to see an old man with concern on his face.
"Raimundo this problem isn't to be taken lightly. You must go and retrieve your wind before it is gone forever. Chase may use it for something evil and we can't let that happen. We've already lost the Crown of Nightmares and for all we know, Chase Young could have it."
Raimundo slowly got up. He knew that he had to get his wind back but it would be dangerous.
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They arrived just outside of a very menacing looking cave. The four Xiaolin Dragons and Dojo slowly came to the door. Raimundo stuck his hand out in a fist, like he was going to knock on the door but stopped.
"Is somethin' botherin' ya there partner?" Clay asked.
Raimundo gulped. "I'm scared."
Omi looked up at his fellow teammate. "Just stay back. We will fight more because we have our powers and you don't. We don't want you getting hurt anymore."
It may seem that this came off in an arrogant way but it didn't. Omi was just worried for the well being of his friend. Raimundo extended his fist further creating a knock. The floor beneath them started to shake then they all plummeted down a dark hole. It didn't take long for them to land. "Ow. That wasn't the best landing." Kimiko said. She was rubbing her arm which was sore from hitting the stone floor. They all got up brushing dirt off of their clothes and scanned the room that they were now in. It was a very large room with the walls painted grey. At the very end there was a short flight of stairs that leaded on to a large ledge. On one side of the ledge there was a door. The only source of light was one hanging from the very middle of the ceiling. It cast an eerie glow that made everything look a little more ominous. The room itself however, was not empty. Large jungle cats surrounded the area and Chase Young was standing in the middle of the ledge. Beside him was Wuya.
"So nice of you to come Raimundo but like I said, you would be back." Chase laughed a little bit.
"Give me back my wind!" Raimundo screamed.
"Oh you mean this," Chase said. He held up a blue bottle. "I don't think so. I thought to myself, now that I have this I might as well get some fun out of it." Chase snapped his fingers and his cats started pouncing at the warriors. Raimundo fought them as best as he could but he winded up with a few scratches. He was slowly making his way towards Chase but then a green light flashed before his eyes. His friends were now bound in a ring of green light that they could not escape. One beam hit Kimiko and she fell to the ground. She was alive but was in pain from where the beam had hit. Raimundo cast an evil look at Wuya before he pounced on her. He went in to punch her in the face but she caught his wrist just before he could make contact. She bent it around behind him and forced him on his knees in front of Chase.
"Well it's nice of you to bow to me." Chase grinned.
Raimundo spit at his shoes in anger. Chase snarled and kicked him in the face. Raimundo now had a cut on his forehead but it would easily heal.
"That is no way to treat a person Raimundo." Chase taunted, waving a finger in his face. "But I must say. For somebody without their powers you fight incredibly well, not good enough but very well."
Raimundo was getting fed up with this small talk. "What do you want Chase!"
"I want you to join the Heylin side."
"That will never happen. I've done that once and it was a big mistake." Raimundo looked up at Wuya giving the worst look he could muster up at the time. Wuya just grunted and held his wrist tighter.
"Join the Heylin side and I'll give you your wind back."
"And what if I still refuse?"
"Then I will kill your friends."
Okay not so happy with the ending of this but it is late so I don't care. Now I would like to thank you for the reviews...motivated me to write this chapter and sorry that I took a long time to write it. Please keep them coming, they make me happy