When The Wind Blows

Disclaimer: I don't own Xiaolin Showdown or any of its characters.

A/N: Well, it's happening… I'm hell bent on finishing this story since everyone seems to like it so much! Thank you all for the support :D I will try and do regular updates, but I can't promise anything.

Chapter 9: Run

"Starting back with the basics…" Charlie mumbled, irritated as he watched Raimundo stand, clueless as to what to do. Even Charlie could do this stuff… He grimaced when he remembered (and grudgingly reminded himself, though he'd never admit it) that he couldn't do it well, but still…

"You have missed a few years of training, young one…" Master Fung nodded to the boy who stood with an apologetic shrug. "But I feel you will progress faster, now that you're older…"

He went through a few trivial things like battle stances, and some basic tai chi – something that Raimundo was already good at. He beamed when he was showered with surprised praise, and Charlie was slowly admitting (again though he wouldn't admit it) that this kid was good.

"I think he's as good as you were when you first started, Omi!" They all turned to a laughing Kimiko who waved as she stepped forward, a brand new set of Xiaolin robes, and her hair up in signature pig tails.

"Kimiko!" The youngest on the team bounded towards her, eyes wide, "You remember?"

"Like I said," she waved him off, "bits and pieces… I definitely remember your enthusiasm, and let's not forget how you think you're better than everyone else…" She giggled as the big headed kid blushed, and she put her hand on his head. "But it's okay…"

Charlie stared at her, feeling as though she had changed. Or maybe she hadn't changed, but the weight of these answers, and feelings, and stresses of being a Dragon were no longer hers – or at least – not remembered yet. Maybe she was just back to being the carefree girl he had once met, and completely fallen for.

Though instead of turning and smiling at him, she moved her attention towards the Brazilian teenager dodging multiple attacks from Master Fung.

"He's good," she nodded in approval, and grinned when he landed a hit on their mentor.

Clay and Omi whooped, while Charlie balled his hand into a tight fist.

Master Fung straightened, and actually let out a small laugh, "Very good!" At that point, he caught sight of Kimiko. "Ahh yes, just the girl I was waiting for…" He turned back to the brunette, "Have a seat and take a well earned rest…"

Kimiko stepped forward and bowed to him, "Thank you for doing all of this, Master Fung…"

He let on another tender smile, and nodded, taking out a Shen Gong Wu, "Do you remember?" He questioned, knowing she would understand his meaning.

"I think so…" She shook her head hastily, "But I'm probably going to be pretty rusty…"

"You may also be stronger…" He nodded to her, "Have you had any memory of attacks that you have done with the Dragon of Wind?"

She glanced back, conflicted as to who he was speaking of. "Raimundo," He answered for her. She nodded as she tried to bring the memories forward.

"Fight with your destined style – not the one you have learned." She recollected the memories she had regained from the potion, and the bits and pieces – more than she recalled remembering (thanks to Chase's ever watchful eye) – from her past with Raimundo, and slipped into an altered fighting stance.

While the one she had learned with Charlie around had been firm and planted into the ground, this was flickery – almost like a dancer. She was poised like a crane ready to swipe down on his prey, one foot planted on the ground, the other tightly pulled upward. One arm out, and the other above her, and everyone blinked in surprise at her choice.

"Let us begin…" He summoned powers of water to him, using a Wu she wasn't familiar with.

As the icy water shot towards her like a bullet, she swiped low to the ground and somersaulted away. Springing back up as though she'd never been on the ground, she spun with an intricate system of movements and blasted her own fire at the attack.

She gasped, momentarily stunned. It was one thing to see herself doing this in memory, but another entirely to see it in live action. A smile smiled cracked on her lips, and she flexed her fingers, wanting to see more fire.

A change in hue of the metallic artifact her mentor was using, and suddenly ice was surrounding her, threatening to cave in around her. Out of pure instinct, Kimiko collapsed into herself, and spun, sending a wave of fire around her. A circle began around her body and slowly increased, engulfing the ice and melting it into tiny sprouts of steam.

Everyone was cheering for her, clearly impressed with her newfound abilities.

"Well done Kimiko!" Omi cheered and danced around a little. Clay tipped his hat at her, and Charlie mumbled a congratulations.

"Now, I would like to try something…" They all glanced up in surprise as Master Fung ushered Kimiko and Raimundo into the ring.

"What's going on?" Raimundo asked, tilting his head, hair ruffling in the wind.

"You two will spar against each other." Kimiko's eyes bulged and she glanced at her newfound comrade.

"What? But he can barely –"

"If he trusts his instincts, I believe we will see results…"

He laughed and threw a hand behind his head, scratching it sheepishly, and throwing a hand up in a half shrug, "I kind of have always been good at that –" Kimiko socked him in the stomach, causing him to groan. "Damn girl, stop hitting me!"

She only smiled and moved across the ring, bowing to him as he hesitantly did the same.

"Ready?" She called.

"I'm totally betting on her kicking his ass," Charlie said bitterly…

"I feel like he's gon' surprise us…" Clay nodded, causing Charlie to roll his eyes. Something about them sticking up for Raimundo was really pissing him off.

"Ready!" He called with a grin.

They both slipped into a stance, and suddenly, Kimiko puffed in a breath, and slowly blew out fire, though it shot at her opponent almost faster than he could blink. He dodged – just barely, and sucked in a breath, eyes wide.

She danced with him around the ring, both circling each other – the Japanese girl like a panther ready to strike. Soon she was up in the air, kicking and creating a tunnel of fire. His eyes widened when he realized he couldn't get out of the way fast enough.

You've got the wrong guy… He shook his head, as he watched his death come closer. I'm not who you want me to be…

He felt a certain power well in him – one that he hadn't felt before. He'd always had a special connection to the wind – but this – this was different. They do have the right guy… With a very powerful breath, he blew a gust of wind towards the girl, splaying her fire all around the ring in dots.

Jumping up with the momentum of his attack, he clapped his hands together as a wave of air washed over her. A tornado slowly started, and she found herself, with such little weight, being drawn towards it.

She switched stances, and planted herself into the ground, shooting fire into the very bricks of where she stood, as though lacing her to the spot. It helped slow her down, but didn't stop her. She flickered small fires around the tornado, and so much wind helped feed them. Soon, she blocked it in, hoping she had enough strength to stop it where it stood.

Raimundo pushed his own attack as well. He felt himself trying to wield more powerful sources, but then got an idea. He cut off the tornado, allowing it to feed on the fire, and continue at its own rate, and ran around the ring. With Kimiko distracted, he let out a war cry, and slid into her, knocking her off of her feet.

The fire was sucked into the tornado, as he leapt onto her being. She stopped him with petite feet and flung him backwards, but summoning his element, he was able to calmly fall in slow motion, flipping a few times solely to show off.

She grinned as she pushed herself off the ground. "You're pretty good… for a beginner…" She shot another attack at him, that he barley dodged.

"I could say the same about you!" He called back with a laugh, "For not remembering!" He taunted, and threw his own attack in her direction.

She snarled in irritation and threw a wave of fire in his direction. It caught up in his wind attack, and both dissipated together. They were left staring at each other – exhaustion catching up to them, before each cracked a smile.

Raimundo walked forward, and Kimiko began to mirror his movements. Charlie watched in horror as the girl – his very last defense on this team – moved towards his new enemy.

When they were close enough, she cocked her head to the side, remembering.

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"Way to go, Rai!" She ran up to him, jumping into his arms, and kissing him on the cheek. Raimundo laughed and grinned, trying not to blush. The rest of his team surrounded him, and she watched from within his grasp as the others congratulated him as well.

When he finally put her down, she took in the looks of his new robes. It was amazing that he was chosen leader, after all this time, and he watched as Omi approached him, and acknowledged him finally, after everything that had happened.

As the youngest of them all, and the unofficial leader, he glanced up at Raimundo a wide grin on his face, and suddenly it was as though everything were right…

Kimiko smiled a little, and cocked her head to the side as the brunette turned towards her. Things were going to be okay.

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She stuck out her hand and glanced up at him, sapphire meeting emerald it almost seemed, for the first time. "Welcome to the team…"

Something between playful and tender crossed his face, dancing in his lively eyes, before he clasped his hand in hers, a silent conversation sweeping over them and only them. But to Charlie, it was all too loud and clear.

Before anything more could be said, he turned swiftly on his heel, scoffed, and stormed away. Omi and Clay shifted, confused and wondering if they should follow him, while Kimiko and Raimundo stayed in their own little world.

?

"Charlie, come out!" The banging on the door was louder than ever, and her frantic voice bounced off the walls of the room.

He knew that the voice belonged to his sweet Kimiko – the girl he had fallen for hard and fast… And yet, the piercing image of her taking his hand enraged him. He tried to drown it all out, throwing another valuable against the ancient walls, shattering it.

How dare she?! His thoughts stampeded forward. How dare them?! How could they just let this… this STRANGER –he threw another priceless vase against the wall, satisfied as a million tiny shards scattered into the air and all over the ground- into their life so freely without even wondering where he came from or who he is?!

He snarled at nothing as he continued to boil. Just because Kimiko said so?! No! This must still be part of Chase's spell! Pedrosa is going to murder us in our sleep! He –

Charlie stopped altogether, anger vanishing as though it were never there. He took a good long look around the room he had just demolished – many pieces of the Xiaolin history gone forever, because of his anger. It's not Charlie's fate to be the Dragon of Wind, but it is Raimundo's…

Chase's words that seemed so long ago suddenly echoed through his mind again. It's like Chase knew this was going to happen… It's like Chase was trying to get Charlie angry, just so he'd go to him – seeking power…

The teenager squeezed his hazel eyes shut. He couldn't do that… No matter how angry or betrayed or hurt he was, he would never join Chase – that would mean the destruction of everything he held dear. He wouldn't let the dragon lord get a hold of him.

"Charlie…" the voice moaned, pleading welling to the point that it almost hurt.

He turned sadly to the door, unsure of what to do. Should he open it? Should he stay behind it, or try to fix his wrong doings? Should he apologize? Or should… he just run?

Could he run?

"I could still check up on them…" He whispered to himself, so quiet as to not let the audience behind the thick door hear him. "Every once in a while, but stay in hiding… Stay in hiding so that I know nothing that happens will make me go to Chase… This will be for the good of everyone…"

He tried to wrack his brain for an escape plan. Almost everyone in the temple was surrounding this area, trying to find a way in to calm Charlie down. What had they recently done in this room? What could he possibly do?

Then it clicked…

Only the day before the attack, they had been playing hide and go seek with Clay's hat – each person trying to hide it from the blonde. It had always been a favorite game, though the cowboy wasn't too fond of it. He muddled around, irritated and distraught, feeling naked without his hat.

Omi had been cleverly hiding in this very room with the Shroud of Shadows, the hat cradled in his lap. Clay went pounding into the room, Kimiko and himself desperately trying to stop him – to make sure he didn't truly murder Omi.

They all thought they were for sure done for, until Dojo slithered in – almost like a God – and announced a very important Wu had revealed itself. Omi flung the Shroud off of his body, politely put the hat back on Clay's head, and made a beeline for the door, exclaiming they must not waste time, and get to the Wu. Everyone had completely abandoned the game…

Frantically, Charlie threw blankets upon blankets off of the many couches and chairs in this sitting room. He threw scrolls around the room, and almost came to the point of tipping over bookcases before he saw it peeking out from its hiding place behind the chair.

"Of course…" he murmured, still conscious of the pounding in the background of his plan. "Right where Omi had hid…" He threw the fabric over himself, and whispered its name, before escaping out the window.

He crept to the vault – stealth seemingly on his side tonight. He would run… he would become a past memory. His heart ached when he realized he wouldn't be able to be with Kimiko and his friends anymore… but this was to keep them safe… It had to be done…

His mind flashed, as he dug in the vaults for the Golden Tiger Claws, back to his tantrum in the sitting room. That's the exact violence that Chase wanted him to acknowledge and feed. Charlie wasn't going to let that happen.

Slipping the claws onto his hand, and feeling the warmth of the fur, he sucked in a breath. "Golden Tiger Claws!" He yelled, and then jumped into the portal, feeling the familiar heaviness as the Shoud and himself were sucked through.

Just like that, Charlie was gone…

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A/N: I have to say I'm proud of myself… Though I won't be posting this for a little while, I managed to sit down and write this all in one day…

Well kids, you have definitely motivated me :D I now have a direction for this story (even though I always claim I have one, and then forget it due to the long gaps between updates) but this one is relatively simple, and lots of people seem to still be liking the story.

How about this?

You keep leaving me comments, and I'll keep updating… sound like a go? :D Love you all! Thanks for sticking with me!

-zesty-