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I don't own Xiaolin Showdown

Chapter fourteen

Kim's POV

"Give up, mere child, and WE may rule this world. Together." The creepy whisper said as it swirled around in my head.

"Together? Ha! You just want my 'perfect vessel', you have no intentions of me ever coming out of my own mind ever again."

"But you will always have ME to talk to." It cooed.

"What makes you think I wanna talk to you!?" I spat. "You're just trying to make me give up, because you know you're not as strong as me." I smirked.

It laughed. "Child...the only thing stronger in you than me is your Xiaolin will of pure goodness." It spat back. "Once you've given it up though, I will take full control."

This time it was my turn to laugh. "What the hell makes you think I'll ever give up that!?"

"Once I've found every single little weak point inside of you, every fear, every secret, everything, I can tear you apart," At this it seemed as though it got right next up to my ear, even though this whole thing is just going on in my mind. "From the inside...out."

I gasped a shot straight up. What it had said had shocked me out of my coma like state. But what shocked me even more was where I was. I was laying in the same bed I had been 'held prisoner' in just a few days ago. The same, big, soft bed, the same boring stone room, and that one perfect little stained glass window. I sat there admiring it for a little bit, until I thought back to just before I passed out.

Jack.

Crap. I couldn't deny it anymore. I loved that man. I mean...Raimundo IS great...and handsome, and cute, and super sweet...but obnoxious, and mean, and always pull pranks on me...

I started getting more and more upset the more I thought of him. But all of that melted away when I thought of Jack. His muscular, protective arms around me, his crazy, fire red hair tangled in my fingers, and his perfect lips planted on mine.

Crap! I was falling for him...hard. The only thing I could think of was...

What will the guys think? Do they still see him as the wimpy little brat he used to be? Do they see the man he truly is deep inside now?

But then again...why does it matter what they think? I can't help that I love him...I just do. And that's that.

Yup. I'm in love with Jack Spicer, and I just realized that with this crazy monster somewhere deep inside me trying to take over me and then the world. What could possibly go wrong?

Rai's POV

I was pacing back in forth in front of Kimiko's door. I was so worried about her. She was in so much...pain before she finally passed out. It looked like...her broken soul had been torn into even smaller pieces...and that just tears me up inside to see someone I love so much have to go through that.

I pressed my ear up against the thick oak door. I heard a something stirring in there. I could just picture her perfect little angelic body, tangled up in those blankets. Her stretching and sitting up with her beautiful raven black hair flowing down her back. Gah, I can't take this.

I knocked slightly on the door, and cracked it open.

"Kimi?" I whispered. When my eyes caught her, she was nothing like in my mind. She was sitting straight up, her hair a tangled mess, sticking out everywhere, her face twisted into twenty some different emotions, and I could tell she had just broken out into a cold sweat. Yet still...she looked so gorgeous.

A frail little gasp escaped her lips as she looked up to see me there. "Rai?" It looked like I had broken her out of a deep trance.

"How're you doing?" I asked, trying to sound casual as I made my way over to her bed.

"Just peachy..." She mumbled, scooting to the edge of the bed so her legs were hanging off.

"Is that Queen thing gone...for now?" I asked as I sat next to her, gently brushing a strand of her hair out of her face so I could see every perfect feature of her face. Her high cheek bones, cute little nose, rosy red lips, and those sapphire eyes I could stare into for eternity.

A light blush swept across her cheeks as she tucked that piece of hair behind her ear. "Yeah..." She sighed and looked at me with fear filled eyes.

"What's wrong Kimi?" I scooted closer to her and gently placed an arm around her slender shoulders.

"I was talking to that monster inside of my head while I was out...what it said scared me." She bit her lip to keep it from trembling as her eyes filled with heavy tears.

"Shh Kim....It's all gonna be okay, you hear me?" I took her legs and placed them across my lap and took my other arm to wrap around her waist. With the arm around her shoulders I softly pressed her head against my chest. To my surprise, she snuggled closer to me as her body trembled slightly, a sign of her crying. I gently stroked her hair, and just sat there, holding her. This was everything I had hoped for, I just wish she wasn't sobbing against my chest. But I'll take anything I can get, and I really hope I can comfort her.

Then my head snapped up as I heard the door creak open.

"Kim?"

Kim's POV

It's not like I planned breaking down and crying like that. But Rai was just so open, and his arms looked too loving, I couldn't help myself. I threw myself at him. But boy, did it feel good to let it all out. But as I was sobbing, I couldn't help thinking, that these were the wrong arms around me. It felt good to cry, but it felt wrong to cry into this person. But before I could pull away, the unthinkable happened.

"Kim?"

Jack.

My head slowly lifted from Raimundo's chest as my red, puffy eyes fell onto Jack's face. So much hurt, disappointment, and anger was in his eyes right now.

"Jack....no..." As I started getting up Raimundo's arms tightened around me, and pulled me back down into his lap. I looked up at Jack with desperate eyes. "It's not what you think." I tried to explain.

"Save it...it's clear what your decision is." Pure hatred was in his voice right now. And it hurt me so bad.

"Jack please you don't understand..."

"Oh I understand perfectly. You played me like a violin Kim." With that, he turned and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind him. I sat there, shocked, as I listened to the echo of the slam make it's way down the hallways.

Then realization hit me.

No. I love him. I LOVE him. This can't be happening. No!

I burst out of Raimundo's tight grasp and flung the door open and half ran, half stumbled down the hallway after him, sobbing. "No!" Was all I could manage to scream out. He can't leave. No.

I made it to Chase's main room, just as Jack was collecting his things. I flung myself at his feet, unable to hold myself up any longer. "Jack please!" I blubbered. "I Love you! Please no!" I clutched my sides. Normally, I wouldn't let this kind of thing tear me up like this, and I wouldn't look so pathetic, but after everything I had been through previously, he was the only thing I had to look forward to in this cruel world. And now he was about to walk out of my life. I couldn't let that happen.

He looked down at me with blank eyes. "Just go back to your boyfriend. You don't need me anymore." He started turning.

"I love YOU! Not him!" I clutched his leg. "Please..." I begged.

He kicked me. Hard. In the face. I yelped in pain and clutched my face as blood began seeping out of my nose and mouth.

"Get off of me you...you...whore." He had to force the words out, and it pained him to say it. He picked up his things. "Goodbye." He glided swiftly to the large stone door, and didn't even bother to glance back at my pathetic, sobbing, and bleeding self. The door slammed close. And he was gone.

I laid there, crying, clutching my bleeding face. This pain was terrible. It was unimaginable. My vision began faltering, and before I knew it, I blacked out. And right before I did, the last thing I heard was a farmiliar whisper inside my head...

"Give up yet?"

(Review please!)

firecracker-girl