Chapter 3 - Inheritance
How could Omi get picked to be grand dragon? Kimiko demanded in her head as she lay on her cot that night. He's half the reason Raimundo's dead, and Master Fung knew it all along! Why would he still pick that self-absorbed little twit? Even Clay would have been a better leader than Omi! If anything, I deserved that robe. I mean, I'm not the best leader, but at least I'm the brains among these idiotic show-offs.
She sighed and rolled onto her left side. This is wrong. I can't believe this is going through my head right now. I wouldn't be a successful leader. I'd probably go crazy and make the temple into a modern industrial plant or something, considering the family I come from. I'm too technologically dependent to be a monk. At least Omi and Clay don't have that issue. I'm still amazed that Rai was able to adapt so well. I guess it's since his favorite hobbies became sort of minimalist as he grew up. All he liked to do after a while were things like playing soccer and surfing. He gave up a lot of video games, his dreams of being rich and famous and other things like that. He really did turn out to be a better leader than I had expected. I just hope Omi can do the same.
She tossed to her right. Still, I wonder how Papa is doing back home in Tokyo. I wish I could go help him out with Tohomiko and everything. Somehow, I think that kind of life would be a lot easier than staying here to be a Xiaolin monk fighting to protect the world. Scratch that, I know it would. But, my duties here are important, right? I can't just quit, can I?
She took a deep breath and calmed her thoughts enough to force her deprived body to sleep.
Wonder how Daddy's doin' back home on the ranch? Bet it's a lotta work fer him since he's gettin' older. I reckon it'd be a lot easier on 'em if Jessie'd just go back there an help insteada her wonderin' around the plains a Texas doin' who knows what?
Ah well, not much I can do. I gotta stay here an help keep the temple runnin'. I just hope Omi don't get too overwhelmed by bein' named the grand dragon. He's definitely all right for the job, I say he just wasn't quite ready fer it yet. He's gonna need some help fer a while at least. If only Master Fung coulda stayed around for just a bit longer. I reckon I'ma really miss havin' him 'round to give out advice an… The exhausted cowboy drifted off into a fitful sleep before he could finish his thought.
Unfortunately, unlike his comrades, the last thing Omi could think about was going to sleep. As the young monk sat on his head in meditation, his mind was a storm of thoughts, clouded by guilt, fear, and even a sense of pride. He had finally gotten what he always wanted; to be a grand dragon warrior. Yet, the achievement was bittersweet and Omi felt ashamed to be proud of it. I should not be so overjoyed by this. We have just lost Master Fung and Raimundo. I should be mourning their loss.
But, this feels so surreal! At last, I am the leader that I was always meant to be. I can finally show the forces of evil how much power I truly hold... He paused for a moment before it struck him. …if we ever even have to face them again. Now that we have defeated Jack Spicer and obtained all of the Shen Gong Wu, the war may be over.
He sighed in disappointment. This caused him to lose the balance he had sustained by concentration and roll, via his round, bald head, onto one side. This really is one of those…how do they say it? Bittersour moments? Maybe going out for a nice walk will help me clear my head. He pushed himself off the floor and wondered out of the room, heading towards the nearby forest.
The sound of his shoes shuffling across the ground, crinkling leaves as he went, was always a great way for Omi to erase tense thoughts from his mind. He took a deep breath of the fresh, crisp night air and, with a massive exhale, pushed his stress away. He sat down on the chilly ground and crossed his legs to meditate as a small firefly landed on his forehead.
Meanwhile, Jack Spicer was busy sneaking through the same woods as quietly as he could. He strained his memory from years ago, hoping that he could still remember the basic layout of the Xiaolin temple. Just watch, I'll get all of my Shen Gong Wu back. Those Xiaolin losers haven't seen the last of the great Jack Spicer! He had to satisfy his urge to gloat by laughing maniacally in his head, so as to prevent revealing his location. However, his shady cover was short lived when he tripped on a tree root, tumbling head first through the bushes and toppling over on top of something, or someone.
Omi was rudely snapped out of his tranquility by a tall, pale and boney figure knocking him over. The creature screamed in pain and shock as the two tumbled to the ground. Omi knew, by the high-pitched squeal, that it was none other than Spicer. He hopped to his feet and stared menacingly at his adversary, "Jack Spicer, how dare you show your face on my temple grounds. You will pay for this dishonor!" He grabbed the red-haired man by the collar and readied his fist to land a hit.
Jack cringed in fear, "Wait, wait, wait! Please, I-I didn't mean to dishonor you or whatever. I didn't even intend to kill your friend, it just kind of happened. But still, it is a war, you know? You really shouldn't let yourself get so out of control. Battles never go perfectly, and-"
Omi's mind snapped and his rage unleashed itself onto the defenseless villain. No longer holding back out of dignity or respect, the monk launched a fist into Spicer's face, knocking a tooth from the young man's mouth on impact, "You shut your tongue, Jack Spicer!"
Jack coughed and brought a hand to his face, flinching in pain when he touched his new wound, "OK. I bet that felt nice for you; getting all that anger out. You're good now, right? Can I go now? Please? Oh, and I think you meant "shut your mouth" with that one," he began to pat Omi's bald head with one hand, the other signaling that he wanted to escape by pushing on his attacker's chest.
"No! You may not go! I am sick of your pointless evil and dishonorable words. I told you that you would be punished and, even though I did not plan to, I will be glad to deliver it. I will not let you go until you feel the same level of suffering that you have caused so many!" Omi shouted in Jack's ear and punched his enemy in the stomach before releasing his grip on the young scientist's jacket.
The hit sent Jack to his knees, doubling over in a fit of coughs.
The assault did not end there. Next, Omi grabbed Jack's mop of red hair, which nearly matched the color of blood in the moonlight. Tugging him upright, Omi smashed a knee into his chin, forcing the mad scientist to spit out more teeth. Then, the monk sent a firm fist into his nose, splattering blood and snot across some nearby plants and, more than likely, breaking the young man's nose. After that, Omi threw Jack to the ground, screaming in his face, "How does it feel, Jack Spicer? Does it hurt? You do not even know the meaning of pain if this is all you can take!"
Jack could hardly move his hand to wipe the fluids from his face before he was attacked again. The furious monk threw a heavy kick directly into his side. Jack coughed up another mouthful of blood and cried out in pain as he brought an arm down to cradle his ribs, several of which had cracked when met with the impact of Omi's foot. The arm that Jack was not using to hold his side fell limp next to his body. The monk continued his unrelenting assault by stomping on this free arm with astounding force.
The attack was met with more screams as Jack could feel the bones in his lower arm being crushed, "OK! OK! Uncle! Uncle! I give up! Please, just stop! I can't take anymore! I learned my lesson already! Let me go, please!" He cried in pain, coughing up more blood, this time mixed with caustic stomach acid.
"You can cry to your family all you like Jack Spicer, but they will not help you. I do not believe that you have learned. You have not felt nearly enough pain to understand!" He reared his leg back for another kick and Jack winced in terror, preparing for the oncoming blow.
Yet, it did not come. At the moment that Omi was about to strike, he was stopped by the sounds of someone approaching.
"Omi, wait, stop! Don't do it!"
The little monk shot a glance back over his shoulder and saw that the voice had come from Kimiko, with Clay close behind her. The two were still in their pajamas and had urgent looks on their faces.
Kimiko had been awakened by the sound of Jack's screaming coming from outside and had immediately gone to rally Clay. Although, this had been with some difficulty as the cowboy was a very heavy sleeper. The pair had then attempted to awaken Omi and was shocked when they did not find him asleep in his space. They realized that their friend must have already heard Jack's screech, if not have been the source of it. The dragons were certain that they would find the two rivals together.
Yet, they would never have expected to see a blood-soaked Jack writhing in pain in the dirt with Omi towering over him.
Kimiko's heart wrenched at the sight and she felt tears begin to pool in her eyes. She had never before seen Omi become so vicious and could not stand to witness it. She rushed up to her friend, wrapped her arms around him and begged him to stop, "Please Omi, no more. No more violence and no more pain. Please…just…make it stop."
A drop of rain fell on the little monk's check and helped to cool his rage. Omi put his leg down and began to tremble with a hatred that was mixed with shame at his friends seeing him this way. As he felt Kimiko's warm and soft embrace, his mind began to pull itself out its adrenaline-induced rage and back to reality. What's going on? What have I done? He questioned himself as he looked down at his hands, which were splotched with Jack's blood. He remembered pounding on his foe, but it was as if he had not been able to control himself during. Omi realized that his rage had overwhelmed him and had temporarily taken control of his conscious will.
As it began to rain harder, the sounds of water dripping onto the earth became the only noise that Omi could focus on other than the thoughts in his head. Thus, the sound of Clay's voice hardly registered with him, "C'mon Omi. Just let Spicer go."
Omi's reaction had little to do with Clay's words and more to do with the overload that was taking place inside his brain. He felt his stomach do a somersault and twist all of his guts into a knot. His clothes began to stick to his skin on account of their growing dampness.
The young monk fell to his knees, bringing the sobbing Kimiko down with him, and his shoulders collapsed. Kimiko, Clay, what have I done? Did I do this to Jack Spicer? Why? What have I become? His head was no longer able to hold itself up and his gaze descended to the mud in front of him.
Only Clay paid any mind to the pitiful sight of Jack struggling to get on his feet. Upon rising, the young scientist began to chuckle and taunt, "So Omi, how does it feel to be worse than me? At least I never beat anyone to a bloody pulp just for my own satisfaction," he winced and wrapped an arm around his torso.
Clay stomped up to Jack and towered over him menacingly, "Y'all had best get outta here before ya get yerself in a whole new world a hurt, Spicer."
The villain spat on the ground at the cowboy's feet and limped away, still clutching his injured ribs.
Omi may not have reacted to Jack's words physically, but this was simply because his brain was so preoccupied with thoughts that he could not focus enough to move his body. The sounds began to play in his head like a broken record. How does it feel to be worse than me? …worse than me? …worse than me?
The little man's body began to shake even more violently, forcing Kimiko to let go and take a few steps back, "Omi? What's-"
Clay put a hand on her shoulder and cut her off, "C'mon Kim, let's go. I reckon Omi needs some time ta think."
Kimiko deliberated for a moment, but realized that Clay was probably right. If Omi was kneeling in the mud and allowing his robes to get covered in filth, then he was most likely in a harsh state of mind. The last thing she wanted was to make the situation any worse. She nodded to Clay and the two headed back to the temple to do some thinking of their own.
This left Omi by himself in the rain.
As lonely a scene as it was, it gave Omi time to breathe and come to terms with what he had done. Several thoughts clouded his mind. What has become of me? Did this one incident make me as horrible as Jack Spicer? Maybe Chase Young was right all those years ago. Perhaps there really is evil inside of me. Why have I been able to suppress it until now though? Is this what it means to be in power? I finally get what I have always wanted and it turns me into a monster? How could I let this happen? Tears began to flow freely from his eyes, blending seamlessly with the rain that fell down his face.
Nothing made sense anymore. Their lives used to be so full of joy; so simple and innocent. Where had all of that freedom gone? Was this all real? Everything that was going on was so different from what they had always known. Was one life a lie and the other real? Which was which?
Omi was not the only one that questioned these things. Kimiko and Clay were weighing these ideas as well.
Sadly, none of them could answer any of those questions. At least, not in a way that made sense. None of them could accept what was happening. They had always been such close friends, but now something was pulling them apart. What could it have been that had held them together in the past? Master Fung? Raimundo? The war itself?
It seemed as though everything went sour when Raimundo had been killed by that chunk of metal. Perhaps it was the fact that they had never been exposed to death like that before. The new experience was a harsh one and only became more difficult to cope with when a similar event occurred the following day. It was not a surprise that the whole thing was putting strain on their emotions. They all just needed to admit that they couldn't handle it. Yet, they were all too proud to consent to their weaknesses. It was because of this that their relationship was doomed.
Dojo was the only one who came to realize this.
That night, he was curled up next to the shrine that had been arranged in Master Fung's room, thinking. He soon began to hope that his old friend's spirit could give him some guidance from beyond.
Those poor guys; they've always been so close, and then all of this comes on. I've dealt with death before. I should've prepared them for this sort of thing ahead of time.
He peered up at the photo of Master Fung and sighed. You warned me that this would happen. I'm sorry Fung, I messed up. I should've told them how ill you were. Is there any hope left for them? Can I do anything to fix this? Please, I need some help. Can you give me a sign or something?
The little dragon reached out a scaly hand and laid it onto Master Fung's old robes. He felt a tingling sensation shoot up his arm and yanked it back in shock. What the- Was that you?
He looked back and forth, hoping to find some trace of the old master. He couldn't see anything definite, so he closed his eyes and tried to use his finely-tuned dragon instincts to find something. He listened closely for any sound and took in deep breaths, feeling the thick air drift throughout his lungs, as well as against his rough skin. Focusing everything that his senses took in, Dojo was able to "see" a cloud surrounding the area where the shrine had been constructed.
He was there.
Master Fung was still with him. Perhaps it was the elder's chi energy or spirit remaining in the room. Dojo didn't care. He began to weep when he realized that he was not alone.
Then, it struck him. That's it!
His eyes popped open as he realized an epiphany. That's what those guys need; each other! They just need to remember that they're all in this together. They need to be there to support each other. That's what friends are for.
He instantly began contemplating ways that he could bond the warriors together again. The next day he would put a plan into action. He smiled as a lovely feeling of optimism filled his heart once more, "Thanks Fung. You're awesome, you know that? Completely and utterly awesome," he curled up next to the shrine again, snuggling close to the robes and staining them with a tear of mourning; joy; fear and, most of all, hope.
The next morning, the three dragons shuffled out onto the temple training grounds with the enthusiasm of a band of sloths. This hour would have traditionally been their training time, had things been running normally. Yet, the group could not even begin to think about exercise. They were far too tired after the night's excursions and sat, cross-legged, in a triangular formation on the ground. They didn't even have the energy to hold their heads up and stared woefully at the ground beneath them, wishing for sleep.
Kimiko and Clay were simply tired because they had woken up at an awkward hour and had faced trouble getting back to sleep afterwards. Omi's troubles were much more severe. Not only had he been awake in the middle of the night, his blood had been racing from his fit of rage. This boost of adrenaline was enough to force any person's brain into a state that was far more awake than it should've been that late at night. Even worse was that afterwards, when he had tried to sleep, his mind had been racked with horrible nightmares.
The little monk had experienced many visions of himself committing violent deeds and destroying all of the things that he loved.
Yet, the worst dream, which he could recall most clearly, was one where he was drifting in the middle of a lake alone. There was nothing around him for miles; only darkness and calm, still water. He drifted motionlessly in this place for what seemed like hours on end.
Then, he began to weep. Tears streamed uncontrollably down his face. As the tears flowed, the level of water in the lake began to rise. This increase in volume caused the body of water to begin engulfing Omi's body, slowly drowning him. Still, for some reason, he could not bring his body to move. Once the water had surrounded him completely, he began to shift his eyes back and forth desperately in an attempt to find something or someone to help him.
Looking directly over his head, the terrified monk saw visions of Raimundo and Master Fung slowly closing their eyes and drifting into the sky. Raimundo's body still had a large wound in its center, which began to drip blood into the lake. After only a few drops, the entire world of water around Omi was stained a hideous red.
As the entities above him vanished, Omi looked from side to side once again. This time, he could see Kimiko and Clay's bodies began to sink on either side of him. They appeared to be unconscious; inertly falling deeper and deeper into the bloody depths.
Trying with all of his strength to move, Omi received the same results as before and was unable to even twitch a finger. The only thing he could think of was how he was going to save himself, despite the situation that his friends were in. As he attempted to cry out and awaken the two so that they might come to his rescue, he felt a rush of water force its way into his lungs.
Then it hit him. His friends were in the same danger that he was. What right did he have to ask for their aid when he hadn't even thought of helping them?
He tried his best to cough and force the water out of his lungs, but his muscles tightened and he could not move. Because he could not move his chest, there was no way that he could get enough power behind his cough to force anything out. As the liquid pooled in his chest, his brain began to suffer from a lack of oxygen and the world around him became blurred.
In the end, everything went black.
Omi had woken up covered in a cold sweat, filled with terror at what he had just witnessed inside of his head. He realized that it was a dream, but it felt all too real. His chest felt swollen and heavy, so he coughed a few times to be sure that he could. Standing up, he stretched every muscle that he knew of in his body, thankful that he could finally move them. The nightmare had a meaning, and Omi knew it.
Yet, stubbornness was dominating his mind and forcing him to deny the truth. He refused to accept it. It is not my fault; it is the world's. I do not need to change; everyone else does. Repetition of these thoughts further convinced him that they were true. There is nothing wrong with me. The rest of the world is having all of the problems. But those problems cannot last forever. Everyone will get over it in the end…right?
With all of these things plaguing Omi's mind, it was obvious to see why his eyes had thick blue and brown rings underneath them. Kimiko and Clay could more than assume that his night had been one of, if not, the worst of his life. Yet, they did not want to press him or make things worse, so they said nothing.
The two of them had not had the best night either. After returning to their rooms, they had decided to talk things over and try to sort some of them out.
"Clay, what's wrong with Omi? Why is he acting this way? He's never been so cruel and heartless before. It's like he's only pretending to feel so guilty about Raimundo's death to make himself look like a better person. I don't understand. We were all such great friends. Where did all of the good times go? We've been through so much together, but now it seems like all that means nothing. We've fought together, cried together, grown up together…how can everything be so worthless all of a sudden?" Kimiko stared up into Clay's eyes, searching for some sort of wisdom that would answer to all of her questions.
Clay sighed and shook his head, knowing that he could not give her all of what she sought, "I can't say Kim. I can't tell ya why all our good times became so insignificant. I reckon it's simply because everythin' is always changin'. We can't stop what the world does, an' we can't change how it runs. We're all adults now. Things're bound to be different than when we were younger. I'm just afraid that Omi's goin' crazy with power. Power is a tough thing ta handle. Even the best'a folks can lose control when they have too much of it. I dunno what we should do 'bout it. I wish I had 'n answer, but I don't," he felt ashamed of himself for not having anything more to say.
Kimiko placed her head in her hands and tried to process all of what was happening. She wanted nothing more than to save their friendship, but could think of no way to do so. Their problems were becoming too massive to comprehend and did not know how to cope. Then, a thought came to her mind, "Clay," she muttered, more to the floor than to the man himself.
Clay leaned down to get a better listen, "Yeah Kim?"
She sighed; hardly believing what she was about to say, "Have you ever thought about what it would be like if we weren't here anymore? Like, if we just left the temple and lived out normal lives back home?"
His mind drifted nostalgically to the days that he had spent on his father's ranch back in Texas. He had cherished the endless hours spent learning the ways of a cowboy. Waking up a dawn, wrangling cows, wrestling pigs, galloping for miles on a horse's back; nothing seemed better than that at a time like this. All of his worries and struggles could just melt away under the strong heat of the sun over his home state.
But he shoved all of those thoughts down, knowing that his duties at the temple were far more important than living a normal, peaceful life. No matter how wonderful that existence could be, he needed to accept the task that he had chosen to take on. He was a Xiaolin monk and had no right to let any struggle, no matter how difficult, take him away from his place as such, "I've thought 'bout it, sure. But ya know, it just wouldn't seem right. I already gave up so much ta come here. You 'kin bet that I would'a loved to live a peaceful life on the ranch back home in Texas. But we have a job ta do here. We have'ta take care a' the Shen Gong Wu an' get rid a' evil. There ain't nothin' more important than protectin' the world."
His words were so noble that Kimiko suddenly felt guilty for even considering giving up on the temple. He was completely right on all accounts. She nodded, lying through her teeth, "Yeah, that's what I was thinking."
Clay knew that she hadn't told the truth, but chose not to say anything about it. Instead, he desided to assert one last opinion, "Now if'n there weren't no reason for us to stay since we didn't have'ta fight anything, that'd be a different story."
Kimiko's eyes widened in shock. It was as if Clay had read exactly what was on her mind.
The cowboy said nothing more and went back to his area of the room to sleep. Kimiko then decided that it was in her favor to do the same. The two both did their best to get back to sleep, although Clay had a bit more success than his companion.
And so, the next morning's scheduled training session was not met with a great amount of energy. As the three friends sat together with crossed-legs and closed eyes, there seemed to be an ease of tension between them. The simplicity of being together in silence was comforting and helped to make them feel a little bit closer. The fact that they had all thought things over was helpful as well.
Even so, it was not solving their problems. Overall, things were still quite problematic. Each of them wanted to say something to another, but was afraid to do so, or did not know how they would go about it.
They sat without speaking for some time. Finally, Omi raised his head and opened his mouth to break the silence, but was halted by the sound of Clay snoring. The lead monk slapped his face into his palm and a bead of sweat slid down the side of Kimiko's face when she looked up and saw that their friend had actually fallen asleep without moving.
"That can't be good for his neck," she quipped.
Omi nodded and massaged between his eyes with his thumb and index finger. The pair stared at their friend, unsure of what to do in a situation such as this.
Luckily, the two of them did not have to worry about waking their friend up. Dojo readily burst onto the scene and did so for them, "Hey you guys! Yeesh. Looks like somebody didn't get enough sleep last night," he slithered up the back of Clay's shirt and seated himself atop the cowboy's shoulder.
The act of a dragon's scales sliding up his back snapped Clay out of his restful state and back to reality. He shivered and grumbled in shock before noticing Dojo perched on his left shoulder, "Now, Dojo, ya know I don't appreciate that! Ya'll could'a just woken me up like normal."
The two other monks grinned and Kimiko even let out a soft chuckle. The little dragon grew an ear-to-ear grin, proud to have accomplished his goal of cheering them up, "Glad to see you guys're feeling better."
The group lost their short-lived smiles and once again took on solemn expressions as they glanced back down at the ground. 'Better' wasn't really a word they could use to describe how they were feeling at the moment.
Dojo sensed their pain and felt somewhat defeated. Yet, refusing to give up, he decided to find some other way to get his friends into a better mood. Perhaps some sort of fun group activity would help lift their spirits.
"Hey guys, I've got an idea," he hopped off of Clay's shoulder and expanded to his full-size form. He wrapped his body in close to them and gestured for the group to climb aboard, "How's about we all take the day off and go on a little trip someplace? We can hit a mall, or maybe a monument somewhere. Whadd'ya say?"
The group looked up at their dragon friend and smiled, thankful that he was trying his best to comfort them. They looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders, coming to a sort of silent "why not?" consensus. Dojo felt accomplished when he saw that the group did not object to his idea.
Not surprisingly, the sudden gurgling Clay's stomach was what reminded them that they had nearly skipped breakfast. After stopping by the kitchen to indulge in a quick meal of dry-cured ham and scrambled duck eggs, the group set off for what they hoped would be a day of fun.
"Hello passengers, welcome aboard Xiaolin Airline Incorporated," Dojo jested as he donned a blond wig and flight attendant cap, "Your stewardess today will be Dojiro, the lovely dragon before you. She will be accommodating all of your travel needs on this beautiful day," he waved a hand as he glanced behind him at the monks on his back.
The whole team could not help but crack smiles and a few muffled chuckles at the cross-dressing dragon. All right, it's working! They're already starting to loosen up. Time for a day like no other; these guys deserve it. Dojo thought to himself as he pulled out a fake microphone and spoke in a pseudo-feminine tone.
"Hello and good morning everyone. Thank you for flying with us today. I would just like to take this brief moment to mention a few safety precautions," this got a few eye rolls from the warriors, but the dragon quickly followed his set-up with the punch line, "Rule number one: please keep your hands and feet attached to the dragon at all times. Unless of course you plan on transforming into a cat so that you land on your feet. However, this is strongly discouraged, as cats have been known to treat innocent dragons very poorly," he recalled the times that Katnappé had allowed her genetically-altered kittens to attack his face and shuddered, "Not to mention the fact that an impact from this height would undoubtedly break quite a few bones," this prompted a few winces from the rest of the group as they nodded in consent.
"And second: have a damn good day!" He picked up speed and ascended higher into the atmosphere.
The friends looked at each other with mouths agape at hearing Dojo's language. Still, it was not the first time they had heard the dragon swear, so they laughed it off. His language had become slightly more vulgar as the warriors had gotten older, obviously because he figured he no longer had to restrain himself on account of their ages. They turned their attention instead to the view of the ground from their height thousands of feet in the sky, marveling at how microscopic everything looked. Skyscrapers had become the size of a child's toy building blocks and people were nothing more than tiny black dots; about as large as gnats.
Whenever the group had flown on Dojo's back in the past, they had not taken time to admire the simple beauty of nature beneath their feet. Now that there were no Shen Gong Wu or villains to distract them, the warriors could finally enjoy the simple serenity of the world with a view from on high. Sights which had been insignificant in the past now became marvels and monuments in themselves; trees which had turned a variety of colors and lost their leaves in the crisp autumn wind; vast, pure blue ocean waters that stretched for miles but took almost no time to cover; even the clouds around them that looked like flawless, fluffy pillows.
"So everyone, where would you like our first stop to be on this day of freedom?" Dojo's inquired, reducing his speed so that he could be heard clearly. Unfortunately, the effort was seemingly wasted, as it brought on no response from the gawking sightseers. He planted his face into his palm and started to undulate up and down in a vigorous, wave-like motion to catch their attention.
His strategy was successful this time, as the monks let out various cries of distress and hung on tightly to the dragon's back, "Okay Dojo, we heard you! You may cease now if you please," Omi took charge and the dragon stopped his mid-air convulsions.
"So, where to, Chief?" Dojo fixed his eyes on the leader and waited for a definitive answer.
Omi sat pondering in silence for a moment, but could not think of a specific place that he wanted to go. He did not want to ask for advice though. The young monk was too stubborn to even uncross his arms, let alone glance back over his shoulder to accept the ideas of his teammates.
As could be expected, Kimiko refused to be ignored and spoke up before Omi could come to a conclusion, "I say we should go to the Mall of America. I hear it's a great mall. Plus, we've already been to the Mall of the World, so why not? I bet the stores have gotten some awesome new winter shipments in. I really want to buy some new winter boots. My old ones have some Silk Spitter web stuck on them that just will not come off," she emphasized the word to make it evident that she had tried everything she could think of to clean her footwear, hoping that it would provide her a legitimate excuse to go shopping.
Clay nodded and added his own input to the plan, "That'd be a good time, but what 'bout lunch after that? We at least gotta save some cash for some Longhorn Restaurant t-bone steaks! That there is some dee-licious meat!" He made a fist and bent his arm into a 90 angle while swinging it back and forth in a renowned southern gesture.
Omi rolled his eyes, facing forward so that his friends could not see, "Well, I think we should only go to those two boring places after we go to see some great historical sites. I have heard much about a Big Bob and I-Full Tower in places very far from our home. I wish to go see them first, so as to gain more knowledge."
The two other monks felt a slight irritation at Omi's somewhat pompous rejection of their ideas.
Once he realized that Omi was talking about Big Ben in England and the Eiffel Tower of France, Clay tried to be the mediator and establish a compromise, "But I reckon we could see those anytime. How 'bout we go to them places after we go shoppin' and get our lunch?"
"But I want to see them first! Can we please visit those sites before the lousy mall? Besides, we can get your steaks for dinner instead," although this sounded like a decent compromise, the tone in which Omi had said it only enhanced Kimiko's anger.
Sensing the tension, Dojo decided to step in and formulate a plan, "How's about this guys; we go to the mall first and get a good amount of shopping time in. After that, we can go to France for a nice lunch. I know this great little bistro in Camembert that makes the best fondue you've ever tasted. That way, we can stop by the two monuments while we're in the area too. Depending on how long we stay, we can either make some more trips or just head to dinner at the steakhouse. Does that sound good to everybody?"
Clay nodded and Kimiko chimed in, "Works for me."
Omi sighed and decided that he was not in the mood to argue; especially when that plan made a lot of sense, although he would not admit it out loud, "I suppose so," he muttered.
"Then it's settled!" Dojo made a slight turn to starboard and picked up speed again, "To the Mall of America!" He exclaimed, with Kimiko grinning gleefully all the while.
Upon their arrival to the massive mall, Dojo landed in the north lot and shrank to his portable size, attracting quite a few incredulous looks from uninformed strangers. Each warrior was stricken with awe as they passed the north garden and entered the building. It was huge! There were so many stores that they hardly knew where to start.
The group began to debate over what stores to visit, since they knew they wouldn't have time to hit all, or perhaps even half, of them. Kimiko's main interest was, obviously, clothing and accessory outlets. Clay leaned more towards sporting goods. Dojo was more inclined to visit gift shops with various knickknacks (particularly the Mall of America Gift Store that was directly to their left when they entered). All the while, Omi was completely overwhelmed and had no idea what he wanted to do.
Dojo seemed adamant about buying what he wanted, but realized that everyone else felt the same. He, again, took it upon himself to keep the team in order, "Well, how's about we split up and hit the stores we want, then meet back up here when we're all done?" He suggested.
The three monks all thought it was a good idea. But Omi, feeling it was his duty as grand dragon, took charge of making the final plans, "All right then, I have decided on what we will do. It is 7:30 am right now, therefore, we will each take slightly less than four hours to shop and meet back in this location at 11:30 am sharp to depart for lunch. Can we all agree on this?"
Kimiko looked slightly disappointed, knowing that four hours would be a slightly small window of time for what she had in mind. The young woman began to raise her hand and opened her mouth to speak, but Omi did not give her a chance to object.
"Great! It is the perfect plan. All right everyone, enjoy your shopping!" Omi smiled, full of confidence at having the opportunity to lead his group and proudly marched off to find something that interested him.
Kimiko frowned and her head drooped as she watched her friends wonder off. Yet, she realized that she could still have a ton of fun and refused to be discouraged. Her heart jumped as she noticed an adorable ensemble in the window of the Heritage 1981 to her right and scampered in, hoping to find the pieces in her sizes.
After their various mall excursions, the Xiaolin group met up in the designated location at 11:30 to head off and enjoy their lunch in France.
During the ride, each member of the team decided to show off the spoils of their shopping adventures. Kimiko was proud to display her variety of clothes, footwear, jewelry and handbags. Clay had chosen a simple approach by purchasing only a leather cowboy hat, a pair of spurred boots and some new lasso rope, which he happily promised to demonstrate with when they returned home. Dojo allowed the warriors to pick through his collection of novelty candles, bobble-heads and other useless knickknacks as he flew along. Lastly, Omi showed off his new belongings with vigor; pulling action figures, some kid's toys and a pool cue from his bags. He explained that all of his items were battle ready. He was especially proud of his new "staff" that he was sure would make even Master Monk Guan jealous. The little monk did not understand exactly why everyone else giggled when he said this, but decided not to question them. He found it safe to assume that they were mocking Master Monk Guan.
Next on their list was to spend some quality time in Europe.
Their lunch of cheese fondue at the bistro Dojo mentioned was absolutely delicious. It consisted of an array of small cubed items which were to be skewered and dipped into a warm, melted pot of Camembert cheese. The creamy, mild flavored cheese revealed a taste that reminded them of salted butter and matched perfectly with every side item; from airy cubes of French bread to berries and melon chucks. The meal was a very social one and everyone got a chance to converse between each dip. The meal became a bonding experience, with each member of the group picking items off of trays, recommending things to try, dipping them into the same pot and play-fighting with their skewers when heading for the same item as another.
Dojo had planned this all from the start and was glad to see the group bonding over a good meal. Delicious and functional; you can't beat that. The little dragon smiled to himself as his teeth slid a cheese-coated cube of croissant into his mouth.
After their lunch, the group travelled to their nearest destination; Paris. The city was vast and beautiful, with massive buildings as far as the eye could see. As they flew west towards the inner city, they saw it; the Eiffel Tower. Surrounded by trees and with a paved path leading to it, the immense structured towered over the entire city. Standing 324 meters (1,063 feet) from foot to spire tip, the triangular tower was one of the greatest marvels of architecture that the dragons had ever seen. The monks leaned over to get a better look and gasped in awe.
"You guys want to know a cool fact?" Dojo glanced back and received nods from the rest of the group. He turned his gaze back, so as not to accidentally fly into the tower, and continued, "This tower was built back in 1889. It was actually designed by an engineer to be the entrance arch to the World's Fair that year. The fair was a celebration of the 100th anniversary of an event that supposedly started France's war for independence."
"That's cool Dojo. I had no idea," Kimiko smiled.
What's a "World's Fair"? Omi wondered to himself. He looked at Kimiko and Clay's faces, hoping that one of them would ask so that he would not feel like a fool. However, they both looked as if they knew what Dojo was talking about and he was too embarrassed to ask. If they know then it must be something I should know. I will just act like I know. I have been to a fair before. A "World's Fair" cannot be much different than what I have seen.
"Yes, that is fascinating. The World's Fair that I went to once was such fun. I loved riding the roller coaster," he grinned and put his hands on his hips, expecting the rest of them to be impressed.
The remainder of the group glanced back at Omi, utterly confused. They all knew that the last World's Fair had been years ago and that the little monk had not gone to it. They also knew that none of the World's Fairs within his lifetime had included a roller coaster. All of them giggled to one another, knowing that he was lying.
The young monk could not tell why his friends were laughing. Huh? No way! Did they go to the World's Fair? He gasped. Was the roller coaster actually a dull one? Oh no, now they are making fun of me! He slumped in shame as they headed for the ground.
After climbing and exploring every level of the Eiffel Tower, the team left France for England. Hovering over the city of London, Kimiko tapped Dojo on the back, "So, do you know anything neat about Big Ben, Dojo?"
The dragon tapped his chin for a moment, "Well, it was finished back in 1858 and I believe it's the second largest free-standing clock tower in the world. Or is it the third? I always forget."
"That is very interesting. Look at all of the buildings around here too! This is amazing!" Omi smiled happily and everyone nodded, charmed by his innocent fascination.
After exploring the clock tower from the ground, the group decided that it would be fun to ascend once more and sit on the top. They perched on the edge of the roof and dangled their feet over the side.
Dojo sat atop Clay's hat, curled up in the dip at its center, "So, it seems like we still have time to go somewhere else before dinner. Is there anywhere in particular you all want to go?"
Kimiko placed her chin in her hands, with elbows resting on her knees, "I don't think so. Is there anything you guys want to do?" She turned to the others.
Clay shrugged, "I dunno. I'm thinkin' we could just stay right here 'n chat if ya'll want."
The young woman pondered a bit before responding, "That sounds nice, but how about we go somewhere and watch the sun set? That's something that always puts me at ease. Dojo, do you know where the sun is setting right now?"
Contemplating this for a moment, the dragon soon came up with an answer, "Well, based on what time it is right now, I think that we could catch a sunset in Brazil pretty soon."
This immediately struck an emotional note with everyone, as they instantly recognized Brazil as Raimundo's homeland. Although their leader had always wanted to show them his birthplace, there had never been enough time on account of the war. The group felt that this would perhaps be a good way to pay homage to their fallen comrade.
"I think that we should go. What do you think Omi?" Kimiko agreed and turned her attention to their leader.
Omi stared out into the distance and nodded, too calm to find any objection with the idea, "Yes. I think that sounds like a very nice plan," he smiled back at his friends and they all felt a mysterious warmth between them, even though their faces were being hit by the drift of a chilly autumn breeze.
The flight to Brazil did not take long and gave the group ample time to find the perfect viewing spot. A strange force seemed to guide them to one location, which was a hilltop overlooking Rio de Janeiro. The location had a wonderful view of the city, while nothing obstructed their vision into the sky. Although it did not occur to them until they got there, they all soon realized that this was the exact area of Brazil that Raimundo had come from. This made the location even more serene as they all sat down on the cool grass to take in the sights.
The sunset was beautiful. Each color that appeared was the most vibrant tone imaginable. The soft sky blue blended flawlessly into a shade of red that looked nearly pink. The pink then faded into a deep orange, the likes of which might come from the rind of a blood orange. Closest to the sun itself, there was a goldenrod yellow that very nearly reminded the group of Omi's head.
The whole spectacle was fantastic and they almost didn't want to leave. However, every one of them (Clay in particular) began to feel a rumbling in their stomachs that could not be ignored.
The cowboy stood up, "All right y'all, how's 'bout we go get us somethin' ta eat?"
Everyone looked at one another and nodded; both from their own hunger, and because they all knew that it was never a good idea to deny Clay a meal when he wanted food.
"You got it kids!" Dojo hopped off of the hill and enlarged his frame before their eyes to fly and avoid taking a nasty fall, "Hop on!" Everyone climbed aboard and they took off for the Longhorn Steakhouse Restaurant. They chose the location in San Antonio, Texas, since it was Clay's favorite.
The group entered the restaurant and was promptly seated by a kind young waitress with a ruby-colored bobbed haircut. Not until they all sat and were asked for their drink orders did they recognize her.
Clay was eager to be the first to order his drink. He looked up from the menu that had been at the table when they were seated and was flabbergasted when he realized that their waitress was one of the Black Vipers. He gasped, causing the rest of the group to look up and probe their memories for her face. They all recognized who she was as well, leading the girl to blush and avert her gaze, "Well I'll be a blue-skinned, toothless copperhead! Y'all was with ma sister in the Black Vipers. What 'n tarnation 'r you doin' workin' in a steakhouse like this?" Clay inquired.
The redhead glanced back at Clay's face, so as not to appear rude to a customer, "Well, ya see…the Black Vipers kinda split up, so I had to git a job 'n start makin' an honest livin'. By the way, I'm right sorry 'bout all the trouble we caused y'all. It was wrong of us ta be such an awful gang 'n ta harass ya the way we did. Guess I should introduce maself too, seein' as how I'd like ta git rid a' all the hard feelin's an' I didn't git the chance last time. Ma name's Mindy," she took a slight bow and smiled, hoping for forgiveness.
The Xiaolin were happy to oblige and Omi took the lead, "It is very nice to know that you have twisted to the other ear and are no longer on the side of evil. We are pleased to make your acquaintance."
There was a moment of silence as a puzzled look crossed Mindy's face. Kimiko decided to translate, "I'm sure he meant 'turned the other cheek.'"
Mindy nodded in comprehension and smiled, "Thank y'all fer understandin'."
Clay knew that it was probably not best to bring up the issue here, but could not help himself, "Oh, um, Mindy. Would ya happen ta know what happened ta Jessie after yer gang split?"
The same question had been on the rest of the team's minds and they all looked up at Mindy inquiringly. She sighed and shook her head, "Na. She just up 'n decided one day that she wanted to split, 'n we'all agreed that we couldn't stick tagether without 'er. She was the best leader we eva' had. I reckon I'll never know why she broke it up so suddenly," she shrugged, "Ah well. What's past is past. So, what can I get y'all ta drink ta-night?"
The group all ordered their drinks and Mindy left to fetch them.
At first, the atmosphere at the table was a bit somber, as everyone was pondering what could have become of Jessie. Yet, Clay refused to let his troubles with his sister get in the way of their dinner and decided to lighten the mood.
"I'm just hopin' that Jessie finally went straight an' found somethin' good ta do with 'erself. She may not'a been the purest girl, but she has a good spark in 'er. I do love ma sister."
Everyone smiled at Clay and Omi put a hand on his shoulder, "Do not worry. I am sure that your sister has come to the side of good. I could always sense that she was a good person. And I am never wrong about these kinds of things."
Kimiko nodded in agreement, ignoring her leader's concluding egocentric remark, "Yeah. I mean, she did return all of the Shen Gong Wu, even the Wings of Tinabi after she borrowed them for that couple of years. I bet she found a job and decided to live a normal life, just like Mindy."
Dojo decided to join in, "Those two are right, big guy. You should definitely be proud of your sister for turning over a new leaf."
The cowboy smiled at his friends' words, "Thanks guys. That means a lot. Although, Kim, I can't right see ma sister doin' anythin' "normal" to be honest."
The group chuckled and believed that Clay was probably right.
A few minutes later, Mindy returned bearing a tray of drinks and delivered them to the proper recipients. She propped the round tray under her arm and pulled a pen and small notepad out of her apron pocket, "Would y'all like an appetizer to start with, or are ya ready ta order yer meals now?"
The group glanced to one another across the table and nodded in the consensus that they would just take entrées, as none of the appetizers had stricken their fancy. Omi spoke for the group, "I think we are all ready for our meals now."
"A' right then. What'll ya have Clay?" She gestured to him with her pen since he was the closest to her, but stopped him before he could answer, "Ah, wait a minute, I forgot. I can't take yer order first. It's a rule that ya always ask any ladies first. Proper servin' etiquette; I'm always gettin' busted fer that," she shuffled to an open space behind Kimiko's right shoulder and corrected herself, "May I take yer order?"
Everyone giggled and Kimiko smiled at their server, "Sure. I'll take the Grilled Chicken and Strawberry Salad."
Mindy scribbled the order on her pad and proceeded to take Omi's order next, going in the proper fashion of moving to the customer's left to reach the next guest. After writing his choice a rare-cooked Grilled Fresh Rainbow Trout, Mixed Green Salad and Seasoned Rice Pilaf; she continued her clockwise direction. Clay asked for a Fire-Grilled T-bone, grilled medium rare, with a Caesar Salad and Loaded Baked Potato on the side. Dojo finished with his choice of the Cowboy Pork Chops, asking for them to be cooked rare with a Caesar Salad and an order of Mashed Potatoes to go along.
Mindy read off the orders once more to confirm and, upon receiving no digressions, scampered off to the kitchen, promising to return ASAP.
While they waited for their orders, the group engaged in some light conversation. They shared more stories of their mall adventures and discussed some of their old tales from back home.
The whole time, Dojo was proud that they were getting along once again. For the first time in days, everyone seemed to be friends again. It almost brought a sentimental tear to his eye to see how happy they were.
They were all enjoying their time to chat when, somehow, Clay knew by instinct that their food was coming. Before Mindy even made it to the table, he clapped his hands and began rubbing them together hungrily, "An' here we go!" He took in a massive sniff and let out his trademark hoot, "Hoo-wee! Man, there ain't nothin' like the smell of a freshly charred steak, I tell ya!" He grinned ravenously as Mindy proceeded to place each order in front of its respective diner.
The waitress noticed the expectant looks that each of her customers had and giggled, "Here y'all are. Enjoy!" She chirped with a smile as she moved on to her next task.
The amount of discussion held at the table was greatly reduced as everyone dove into their meals.
No one was disappointed. The proteins were all cooked exactly as they had been ordered and were succulent and juicy. The salad greens were crisp and the side dishes were hearty and flavorful enough to stand alone.
Clay was especially thrilled to have a real Texas meal. By no means did he dislike the Asian food that they gave him at the temple, he just appreciated the nostalgia of a thick and juicy steak with all the fixings. Even the others were happy to have something different for a change and gobbled down their dinners with great satisfaction.
Not long after they had finished their entrées, Mindy returned to clear their plates, "Did y'all enjoy everything?"
She received simultaneous nods from the entire table and smiled politely, "Glad ta here it. Now, can I interest y'all in some dessert?"
Even though their stomachs were full, everyone perked up at the idea. Everyone in the group concluded that they could afford dessert, based on the fact that they had skipped the appetizers. Of course, they all realized that this was just an excuse and that they would have accepted Mindy's offer either way.
Seeing sparkling eyes and cheeky grins all around, Mindy giggled and handed the group a dessert menu, "I reckon a group like yer's might enjoy our LongHorn Dessert Sampler. Get's y'all a lil' taste of all the best desserts we offer," she recommended.
The group could find no reason to disagree, "That sounds good. We will order one to share," Omi spoke for everyone.
"Comin' right up! I'll make sher ta git some extra utensils, as I'm sure yer each gonna need one of yer own," she checked everyone faces and did not see anyone dispute her idea. So, she marked their table with additional silverware and then headed back to the kitchen to fire their order.
It did not take as long for the dessert to arrive as it did the entrées. This, along with the fact that their bellies had expanded to a nearly uncomfortable size, caused there to be little conversation during the wait.
They all knew that they would undoubtedly regret eating so much, but it would be worth it to have such a delicious meal. After all, they did not have this opportunity very often. Besides, a satisfying dinner was a great way to rebuild a relationship; so why not get the whole experience? Everyone knows that no matter how full someone gets, they always have room for dessert, right?
Their hearts jumped when they saw Mindy coming out of the back with a large dish on her serving tray. Atop the platter were three cake-like items; chocolate, apple and cheesecake offerings, with various flavors of ice cream on top. The four diners had their spoons at the ready before their server could even put the dish on their table. Still, they held back until she left, so as not to seem gluttonous.
"Here ya are. An' here's yer bill too. Y'all enjoy now!" Mindy grinned as she put the dessert in front of them and placed their bill booklet close to the edge of the table.
Oh, I don't think there'll be any problem with that. Aw geez, why did I have to promise to treat them to whatever they wanted? Dojo thought to himself after looking over the check. He placed the appropriate amount in the book and slipped an $11 tip under a drink glass as he watched everyone dive for their first bites, quickly joining in afterwards.
Every item on the platter was a symphony of sweet delight. The apple and chocolate cakes had been delivered so quickly that they had still retained some warmth and began to melt the ice creams that they were paired with. The cheesecake was thick and creamy, with a crust that was still crisp and not soggy at all, proving that it was well-baked and fresh. Everyone at the table got to have a taste of each. Thankfully, there was enough that no one was left fighting over the last bites. Clay was happy to finish the final morsels of each element and prevent his friends from having to eat more than they could handle.
Mindy came back and admired the group's satiated faces as she picked up the bill, "So, I 'kin see y'all musta enjoyed everything," everyone nodded lazily, attempting to fight off their food-induced comas, as she checked over the cash that had been left in the book, "Looks like yer all set now," she glanced down at the table and noticed her tip, "Aw, thanks a bunch. Y'all didn't have'ta leave so much; yer so sweet. Come again now, ya hear?" The young woman smiled as she removed her tip and watched her guests lift themselves, with considerable effort, from their chairs.
"Thank you, Mindy. It was very nice to see you. I am certain that we will be able to come see you again one day," Omi responded, holding his bloated stomach.
Everyone else mimicked his gesture of surfeit and nodded in polite consensus before heading out to go home.
Dojo's center of balance was slightly thrown off by the amount of food in his stomach. Yet, miraculously, the team made it back to the temple without any casualties.
Upon their return, they decided to sit together for a while and talk about some things that they needed to get off the chests. They sat in a circle with crossed legs, much like the way that they had in the morning, and took a few minutes before speaking.
Omi was the first to speak and chose to tackle one of the most severe issues, "Well everyone. I would like to address the hippo in the building right now. Are you all content with me being your leader?"
There was silence for a moment, and not because they had to interpret the fact that Omi had meant to say 'the elephant in the room.' It took time for Kimiko and Clay to think of the best way to answer their friend's question, so they chose not to speak until they were ready.
Dojo had previously anticipated this question and had already formulated a response. He took the silence as an opportunity to insert his opinion and give the two warriors some time to think, "As far as I'm concerned Omi, it doesn't matter either way. Personally, I think you can handle it, and I know you best. You've got determination and skill. You could just use some tuning up in a few other areas, if you know what I mean."
Kimiko and Clay felt the same and nodded to show it. Omi was puzzled by the ambiguity of Dojo's remark, "What do you mean by that exactly?" His heart had felt a pang of guilt and offense, which was reflected in his voice.
The dragon winced a bit at the snap in Omi's tone, even though he had expected to be met with some frustration. He scratched the back of his head, probing his brain for the least offensive way to say what he wanted to.
"Look, don't take this the wrong way, but you're just not used to being the leader yet. You've always been," he paused for a moment to keep from using the wrong words, "confident in yourself. But you need to understand that it takes more than that to be a good leader. If you're going to be in charge, you have to be able to adapt to any situation. This especially means listening to your teammates if they want to do something differently."
Kimiko agreed and could not help but interject, "Dojo's right. I feel like you never want to listen to what we have to say. Our opinions are just as valid as yours. You need to take our thoughts into consideration before you make a decision."
It took a moment for Omi to fully comprehend what his friends were saying. He had always been single-minded. It just never crossed him to consider other people's ideas against his own. It seemed childish to those around him, but he could not help it. He usually figured that he was right since he was always eager to step in and take charge of any situation. He believed that the person in charge, or whoever he thought should be, always knew best. Perhaps it was his upbringing. He had always listened to his master and never questioned the words of any elder. He had always just assumed that the word of the person in charge was law and should never be opposed, except to overthrow when there was dire need. The very concept of a leader integrating other people's opinions into their own was such a stretch that he could hardly wrap his mind around what Kimiko and Dojo were suggesting.
The struggle began to put a strain on his mind and he could not help himself from turning it into a challenge, "Well, maybe your ideas are just wrong! If I am the leader, it is my duty to decide what the best thing to do is. Why would you want to doubt my ideas?" He did not realize what he had said until after it came out. The moment he saw Kimiko's eyes moisten with tears, he felt an even stronger sense of guilt wretch through his chest.
Not content to be a damsel in distress, Kimiko lashed back, "Well maybe you're not always right! Maybe we're right sometimes! You should at least consider what we have to say before you just assume that your opinion is the only one that matters!" She pounded her fist into her leg, "The word 'assume' says it all. You just assume that things are what you think. You never stop to consider anything different than what you believe to be true. And then you figure that other people are in the wrong for trying to tell you something else. It's like the saying goes, 'If you assume, you make an ass out of 'you' and 'me'!' That's why you'll never be as good a leader as Raimundo was!"
Time seemed to stop after those words came out of Kimiko's mouth. Everyone's jaws dropped, even her own. There were horrible feelings all around, but the fact that no one could readily dispute the young woman's outburst made the atmosphere even tenser.
Omi's first reaction would have been fight or flight, but he forced himself to hold it together. Instead of continuing the conflict by sticking to his old ways, he took a moment to adopt their suggestions and ask for other opinions, "Clay, Dojo, is that how you feel as well?" He inquired without looking up from his lap.
Kimiko knew that her choice of words had been too harsh and wanted to take them back, but was stopped by Omi holding up a hand to her face. The little monk had sensed that she was going to speak, but did not want to hear it. He followed by waving his hand, this time gesturing the other two to continue.
Dojo let his eyes float to Clay, figuring it best that the quiet cowboy finally get a say in the whole ordeal. Clay took the opportunity, but was a bit overwhelmed and had very little to say, "Well, I reckon I can't say I disagree with Kim completely. Still, I don't doubt that it's possible fer ya to become a great leader, Omi. Ya just need s'more experience."
Omi still did not lift his gaze.
Dojo tried to offer an ease to the tension, "At least look on the bright side you guys. We're not at war anymore. Omi has plenty of time to learn more about leading before he may ever actually need to put it to use, right?"
Unfortunately, no one listened to the little dragon's sense of reason.
After a few more minutes of silence, Omi decided to bring up the thought that was on everyone's mind. He forced the lump in his throat aside and took a deep breath before letting it out, "Well, if you two are not content here, then maybe you should leave."
Dojo's heart dropped to his tail and he leapt to the middle of their circle, demanding full attention, "No! What're you saying Omi? Are you really telling them to leave, just like that? What about all that you've been through? I know the fight with the Heylin is pretty much over, but isn't that-"
Omi cut him off, "I am not forcing them to leave Dojo," he shifted his gaze up to his friends' faces, "I just want the two of you to live the best lives that you possibly can. If you feel that you would rather return home than stay here at the temple, I would like nothing more than for you to do so."
Kimiko and Clay had to avert their gazes and were unable to look at their leader out of culpability. They had talked about this and had concluded afterwards that they did not see any reason to stay now that the war was over. Still, it was hard to say that they wanted to leave so suddenly. After all of their years fighting and growing together, could everything really end in an instant?
Kimiko realized that she had no choice, "I want to go home."
The words pierced Omi's heart like a dagger. He had not expected such an absolute answer on the spot, "I see," he responded calmly, using all of his will to keep his emotions from showing through. He turned to focus on his other teammate, "Clay, is that how you feel as well?"
The cowboy had to take a moment to process all of what was happening. He had not realized how serious Kimiko had been about returning home and had not fully weighed the benefits of doing the same, "I can't really tell ya right off the bat like this," he took a pause, "But, way I see it, there ain't really much good I 'kin do here anymore. I reckon I could be of more use to ma Daddy back on the ranch. I mean, not to be rude 'er nothin', but I don't really think y'all need me 'round here now that the war's over."
It pained Kimiko and Clay to say these words just as much as it hurt Omi to hear them. No matter how lightly they put it, the end result was the same. They were leaving the temple to return to their normal lives. The fact that they were giving up their monkhood was not shameful. Yet, it felt so because they were abandoning their dearest friends.
It was essentially not a surprising action. In the modern day and age, the traditions of an ancient Xiaolin temple were not an appealing way of life. The world was changing and neither Omi, nor Dojo, nor anyone else could stop it completely.
"Very well," the lead monk nodded calmly and solemnly to appear in control. Meanwhile, on the inside, his chest felt swollen and his head began to ring with a dull ache from all sides, "You may leave whenever you are ready. However, I would like to invite you to stay at least for tonight so that we can all say good bye and spend one last night together."
As hard as Omi tried to put on a Zen mask, Kimiko and Clay could sense that he was in pain. They knew him well enough to expect it. The two leaned over and gave their friend a massive hug, crushing Dojo in the middle. The little dragon did not care though. He was simply heartbroken at what he was hearing. After thousands of years of living through war, death and disaster, seeing such close friends have to leave one another this way was the most painful thing that he had ever witnessed.
Everyone went into the bedroom quarters together to pack Kimiko and Clay's belongings. There was little conversation between them, other than the occasional, "Where should I put this?" or "Are you really going to keep that?"
After all was said and done, the group decided to go outside once more to enjoy their last moments together. Dojo felt uncomfortable intruding and left the warriors to themselves.
The monks laid down on the grass in a triangle and stared up at the night sky. It was a beautiful sight. All of the stars danced with vibrant color around a delicate, waning crescent moon. The stars looked as though they were making patterns against the clear, dark sky and each of the three friends saw different shapes within them.
"Look at that y'all, looks like there's a pig right ther' wrestlin' a chicken," Clay pointed upward and traced the shapes that he was seeing with his finger.
Kimiko giggled, "Really? It looks like there's a puppy chasing a ball over there to me. And I can see an absolutely gorgeous pair of shoes right there," she gestured toward the sky as well to let them know where she was looking.
"I think you are both wrong. I do not see a pig, a puppy or a shoe. All I see is…" Omi squinted to get a better view of the shape, "a squirrel!" He screamed in fear and curled into the fetal position on his side. Kimiko and Clay both burst into laughter and the little monk could not help but do the same.
They spent the next few hours pointing out the variety of designs in the stars and sharing more fun stories. After a while, they felt as if the mood had been lightened enough that they could move on to what was on everyone's mind.
"So, how do you plan to live out your lives at home?" Omi's inquiry was of a genuine curiosity, so it did not make the other two uneasy.
Clay, always the gentleman, allowed the lady to speak first.
Kimiko hummed in thought for a moment, "Well, I guess I'll just go back and help Papa with the company. I mean, it's a lot for one man to handle and I'd really like to give him a hand. I'm not sure where life'll take me, but I can't wait to find out!" She answered excitedly.
Omi chuckled, "What about you, Clay?"
Clay rubbed his chin in thought, "Mmm…Reckon I'll just be goin' back to help Daddy out on the ranch. I feel the same as Kim in a lot'a ways. Daddy might be needin' help runnin' the ranch. The older he gets, the rougher it must be to take care 'a the animals all by 'imself. Then, I'll prolly settle down with a nice gal 'n…" the cowboy stopped when he noticed the awkward expressions on his friends' faces, "What? Ain't that everybody's dream, er 'm I just a sucker fer the old fashioned American romance?"
Their laughter filled the chilly evening air with the magic of friendship. It was at that moment that they all came to realize that no matter what came between them, they would always be the best of friends. All three fell asleep together on the temple lawn without a care in the world.
The next morning, Kimiko and Clay prepared for their departure, each taking turns packing their belongings on Dojo's back. Omi was there to see them off after they had finished.
Although they felt comforted by their bond as a team, there were still tears all around. Dojo was the most sentimental and gushed rivers of tears as he grabbed them all in a massive and constricting group hug. The warriors chuckled until they lost their ability to breathe and their faces began to turn blue; at which point, the dragon released them.
Their final goodbye was not a completely sad one. They all had accepted their fate. There were no regrets among any of them, as they all knew that their experiences together had taught them invaluable lessons and left them with memories that they would never forget.
In the end, Omi wished only the best for his friends. As he waved goodbye, he could only think of the great futures that they had ahead of them. Good luck you two. May you both live long and prosperous lives.