Three years had passed since the letter from the Xiaolin temple had reached the Pedrosa residence

(A:N) Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! Here's the next chapter!

(&)

Together Forever

Chapter seven

Three years had passed since the letter from the Xiaolin temple had reached the Pedrosa residence. Today was the day Raimundo would leave his home and everything he'd ever known. He was leaving him family, his friends and his dreams behind to go off to China to become the Xiaolin dragon of the wind. He has mixed emotions about his journey both excitement and dread consumed him. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as sadness niggled at his chest. He threw the last of his belongings in his rucksack before sitting down on his bed and taking one last look around his room. The walls were painted a brilliant emerald green colour while cream coloured curtains hung in front of the old ageing window that looked out at the Toho's old house. A desk sat in the corner now completely bare and a small TV sat on top of an oak wardrobe the contents of which where now in one of Raimundo's many bags. He sighed taking in his empty room it looked so bare and empty, almost as though no one had ever lived, eaten or slept in it. He stood up and grabbed his rucksack from the bed and swung it over his shoulder and closed the door quietly behind him. He slowly walked down the stairs glancing at the family photos. He reached the bottom and smiled at the sad faces of his siblings.

His eldest brother Gus held out his hand to Raimundo and shook his hand powerfully pulling him into a half hug half handshake kind of hug, being so masculine he never showed signs of weakness. "Cya bro, take care" was all Gus could manage without sounding too feminine in his own mind.

Next his younger brother Peter hugged him tightly, "Here's a parting gift for you… take good care of it it's my favourite" he said sheepishly handing Raimundo a small figurine of a transformer from his favourite TV show.

"Aww Peter I can't take this you keep it it's okay" Raimundo tried to give him back his toy.

"No!" Peter retorted pushing it back into Raimundo's hands, "I want you to have him he'll protect you" Raimundo smiled at his little brother and gave him a tight hug.

"Okay little buddy I'll keep him" his little brother smiled at him and let him go. Miranda stepped forward and grabbed him tightly around the neck almost choking him to death tears threatening to spill from her big eyes. "You be careful you hear me! Behave yourself! Don't do anything stupid don't annoy your sensei and try and grow up a little Rai," she scolded him before releasing him from her tight grip.

"I'll try sis," he wheezed coughing a little when a small tug on his trousers distracted him from his crushed windpipe. Little Cairo had a handful of his green cargo pants in her tiny hand Raimundo bent down and picked her up in his arms. "Hey squirt what you got there?" he asked as she handed him a piece of paper.

"It's a picture I drew," she stated simply resting her little head on his shoulder. Raimundo gazed down at the mass scribble of different coloured crayons, he could make out what he thought might be a stick man with lots of messy brown hair and a smaller stick girl in a pink triangle shaped dress and lots of curly brown hair.

"Is this me and you?" he asked her and she nodded happily, "Aww thanks Cairo, I love it I'll keep it on my wall always" he said kissing the top of her head.

"Rai" his fathers voice echoed from the front yard, "We gotta go buddy!" Raimundo handed Cairo over to Miranda and gave his siblings one last smile and wave before walking out of their home for the last time. He walked out into the bright Brazilian sunlight where his mother and father sat waiting for him inside the family car. He threw his rucksack into the backseat and hopped into the car himself as his father started up the car, he rolled down his window and waved goodbye to his family as he drove of to start his new journey.

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After a gruelling thirty hours and forty minutes the plane from Brazil to China finally touched down. Raimundo was feeling exhausted, dirty, ill tempered and yet grateful. He was happy to have made the journey in one piece and now he searched through the airport for the rest of his bags and for his guide. He happened t glace to his right and caught sight of a twenty something Chinese man holding up a sigh with his name on it.

"Hi, I'm Raimundo Pedrosa" he introduced himself to the young man.

"Your bags have been taken to temple, you come with me I show you way" he announced realising the man didn't speak good English he followed him outside where a small car waiting for them. Raimundo got into it hoping this really was his guide and not some serial killer or paedophile and with that they took off into the city of China.

--

They drove for over three hours and Raimundo was growing more and more tired and couldn't wait to reach this damned temple. Just then the car stopped Raimundo looked around wildly. The car had stopped in the middle of nowhere his worst fears where confirmed he was either about to be savagely murdered or indecently molested. The Chinese man leaned close to Raimundo and he felt his heart race and he scrambled back.

"Hey! Don't kill or molest me please I'm too young and pretty for that!" he yelled just as the Chinese man leaned over him and opened the car door.

"You climb now… prove you are worthy or temple" the Chinese man told him pushing Raimundo out of the car where he landed on his butt he was just about to shout at hi so called guide when his rucksack landed painfully on his stomach knocking the wind out of him. He grumbled some under his breath and swung his rucksack over his shoulder. He glanced up at the mountain and groaned when will all this be over? He thought.

He had been climbing for so long now he'd lost track of the time only that night had seemed to pass and daylight was slowly creeping up on him. He was sweating like a pig, he smelled bad, his hands ached, his legs where cramping, his eyes where heavy in his head, he was starving, thirstier than he'd ever been in his life and his rucksack had become increasingly heavy and was weighing him down.

An hour later after a few short resting stops and many slips and falls he reached up and pulled himself up with all his remaining strength and sat panting heavily staring at the sight before him. There it was in all its glory a huge temple with its high walls to help keep people out… or maybe to keep me in, Raimundo thought. He got up at staggered slightly to the entrance the huge doors opened automatically and he entered the temple grounds. The first thing he saw where three teenagers standing and sitting around a big beautiful fountain they all turned to look at him and he took them all in.

There was a tall broad shouldered cowboy with blonde hair, blue eyes and freckles leaning against a pillar. There was a very small child like boy with a very round baldhead Raimundo couldn't help but think he looked like a cheese ball he seemed to be engrossed in the third person in their company. The third person was a girl she was sitting on the fountains ledge with her slender legs crossed. She had pale white skin like the first bought of Christmas snow before someone has walked on it, she had bright beautiful eyes framed by long dark eyelashes, perfect pink lips, a gorgeous face which was famed by long blonde hair she was slender but with curves in all the right places. She was wearing a white vest top, blue plaid skirt with black knee high socks and a pair of silver high heels glistened on her dainty feet.

Raimundo gazed at her for a few minutes not knowing what to do or say panting heavily his throat to dry to speak, his stomach too empty to fuel his body, and his mind too tired to think his body finally gave into the exhaustion of his journey and he collapsed onto the soft inviting grass.

(A:N) The next chapter will be up soon hopefully; any criticism; ideas or even any suggestions are welcome! R&R please!

.:Dannii:.