Moi-Moi: You know… You could have read this chapter two weeks ago on my Wattpad account. It's under moi-moi819. The title of the story is the same there… Just saying.

Don't forget to review! :D

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The next morning, Raimundo strolled into the dining room where his friends were already eating breakfast. "Morning, guys. Where's Omi?" he questioned while sitting and grabbing some bread from the plate that held several small loaves.

"I think he's still sleeping," Kimiko said while tapping away at her PDA.

"Omi? Sleeping? The cue ball never sleeps in," Raimundo commented with a furrow of his brows. He took a bite from an apple and pondered as he chewed.

"Yeah. That's more yer style, Rai," Clay commented. Raimundo shot the cowboy an unamused glare, but didn't respond.

"Well, he's not meditating. I would have seen him when I went to water the plants this morning," Kimiko reasoned.

"You don't reckon he's still thinkin' bout goin' after Chase Young?" Clay questioned.

"I mean, I know the little dude's upset, but he wouldn't just go off on his own," Raimundo tried to convince himself.

"Master Fung already said no. Omi wouldn't disobey Master Fung," Kimiko pointed out.

Raimundo folded his arms as he glared down at the table. Rebellious disobedience wasn't Omi's style...unless he felt that it was absolutely necessary. The cue ball had a very strict sense of morality. But if the past was any indication, the lines dividing right and wrong had been a little blurred for Omi whenever it came to Chase Young. That combined with Omi's inability to deal with guilt and failure was a recipe for disaster. Tossing his half-eaten, apple core in the trash, Raimundo left the room.

"Rai?" Kimiko called after him, but Raimundo didn't respond. Kimiko and Clay exchanged a look before both rising and following their leader.

They found him outside the door to their bedrooms with a serious look on his face. When the three entered the room, they stopped at Omi's bed. The sheets hid a small, Omi-sized bulge beneath them. "See, Raimundo? He's asleep," Kimiko said and gestured to the bed.

With a narrowed gaze, Raimundo pulled at the sheets. Cursing lightly, Raimundo turned and quickly ran from the room. Kimiko and Clay were right on his tail, trailing him all the way to the meditation room.

Master Fung was currently in the middle of balancing himself on the tip of his index finger. His mind was completely focused and empty of all distractions. His muscles were lax and his chi balanced. He was about to switch to the other hand when the door to the meditation room suddenly slammed open.

Having four teenagers in the temple at once usually kept the place rather lively. The kids were very excitable to say the least. The once peaceful temple now usually housed the sounds of loud hip-hop music, arguing voices, breaking pots (the amount of pots that had broken must have been a world record by now), and sometimes explosions. Master Fung idly pondered what his students would be getting up to today...

"Master Fung! Omi's gone," Raimundo reported with a serious voice.

Pushing himself into a standing position, Master Fung stared at his three, remaining students with a surprised expression. He had not been expecting this turn of events. "Gone?" Master Fung repeated.

"He left his pillow in between his sheets. He must have snuck out last night," Kimiko explained.

"This is troubling," Master Fung said as he turned to leave the room. The worry had been on the back of his mind on what Omi would be willing to do, but he hadn't expected him to just leave. "I suppose I should have seen this coming."

"Omi's probably already at Chase's lair right now."

"We have to go get him. We can't just leave him there."

"I reckon Kimiko's right. We gotta help the lil guy."

"Now children-" Master Fung started.

"You have to let us go, Master Fung. Omi isn't just a teammate. He's our friend," Raimundo stressed.

"He'd do the same for us," Kimiko argued.

"I was just going to say that you should take the Silver Manta Ray. Dojo hasn't been feeling well and may not be able to fly," Master Fung explained patiently.

"Oh..." Raimundo replied. "Well, let's go guys!"

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Hitomi sighed as she flipped through one of Chase's ancient tomes. She was sprawled out on Chase's throne with several of the jungle cats surrounding her. Chase was busy meditating somewhere in the palace today, leaving Hitomi to her devices. She was studying the illustrations that depicted one of the original forms of Tai chi. Her left hand reached down to scratch the ear of one of the tigers at her feet.

Suddenly, some of the jungle cats raised their heads with low growls rumbling in their throats. Hitomi raised a brow a them in question before moving to sit up on the throne. Once the sound of a jet engine reached their ears, the cats all rose and snarled at the entryway to the throne room. Hitomi was surprised to see a silver, sting ray-like ship swoop into the room before landing. The silver ship opened at the top and Raimundo, Kimiko, and Clay leapt out at once.

"Guys, what are you doing here?" Hitomi questioned as she put away her tome and rose up from the throne. She smiled brightly down at the monks in greeting. She hadn't expected to be this happy to see her friends. "Nice of you to finally pay me a visit," she teased.

"We're not here for a visit, Hitomi. We're here for Omi," Raimundo said with a hard look.

Hitomi raised a brow. "Omi? Isn't he with you?" Hitomi questioned and tried to peer around them for the small monk.

"No. He left last night. We know he left to fight Chase Young for your freedom," Kimiko said.

"We don't want no trouble, Hitomi. We jus' want the lil pardner back," Clay said. The three slid into defensive stances as they stared up at Hitomi and the jungle cats. The many jungle cats all started roaring and snarling loudly down at the teens, sensing the challenge to their mistress. Chase had made it quite clear that no harm was to come to the girl.

"Guys, Omi's not here. I don't know where he is, but it's not here. I'm sorry," Hitomi explained as she walked through the jungle cats and approached the monks.

"If he's not here with you, then where is he?" Raimundo posed the question to everyone in the room as he rose up from his fighting stance. Hitomi shrugged once hopelessly. Raimundo shot Hitomi a look before raising a questioning brow at her. "You know. For someone being held against her will, you look pretty well taken care of..."

Hitomi's eyes widened as a light blush dusted her cheeks. She glanced down at the silk robe she was wearing. "Oh. This? It's not really my style. I already asked Chase for some clothes that weren't so flashy, but he takes his sweet time," Hitomi brushed him off with a wave and nervous laugh.

"That varmint hasn't been hurting you. Has he?" Clay questioned urgently. Hitomi was a bit surprised at Clay's tone. She had never seen the large boy act so direct before.

"No. I'm fine. But, thanks for asking. I guess?" Hitomi finished with a question. Questioning her well-being wouldn't have seemed like such a strange thing a few weeks ago. But now? The idea of Chase hurting her was... a little laughable. Other than getting a few hits in during sparring sessions, Chase wasn't really physical with her.

"Look. It's not too late to come with us," Raimundo got down to business.

He had said it in such a serious tone that it had caught Hitomi off guard. Leave with the monks? She hadn't even thought about leaving. She'd never once bothered to try to escape. Was there something wrong with her for nothing bothering to escape? What victim doesn't try to escape? "Um..." Hitomi started.

"That...is quite enough."

Feeling her fear and guilt spike, Hitomi turned to see Chase enter the room with two tigers growling lowly at his sides. To say that he looked angry was an understatement. Chase looked borderline furious. His anger seemed to be focused on the monks, however. Hitomi took a few steps backwards and away from the monks. A few lions stepped forward to block the Xiaolin warriors from making any moves towards her.

"Chase, where is Omi? What have you done to him?" Kimiko shouted accusingly at the immortal boy. Hitomi huffed. She had already told them that Omi wasn't here.

"Omi is not here. I do not know where he is. May I suggest that you keep better tabs on your teammate. Now, if you would be so kind as to leave," Chase growled the last word. He glared at the three monks so fiercely, promising bodily harm should they make even one wrong move.

Raimundo's eyes glanced at Hitomi. They had all felt terrible guilt over leaving her in Chase's hands, but she didn't look like she was suffering. It was a terrible thought though. How could anyone enjoy Chase Young's presence? This had to be some kind of show.

Raimundo fully turned to Hitomi. The question was at the tip of his tongue, but when Chase had suddenly placed himself in between the two, Raimundo hesitated. With a low growl, Chase spoke, "I will not ask again."

The threat hung thick in the air between Chase and the monks. The three monks shifted their stances to a defensive one. Hitomi could see Chase's entire body tense. In order to avoid the brawl that was threatening to happen, she frantically gestured for the monks to leave. Their eyes landed on her before shifting back to Chase. "Go. I'll be fine," she mouthed to them. Taking one look at the irate Chase Young, Raimundo couldn't help but doubt that.

"You cannot win. I suggest you leave now while you still have the chance to do so in one piece," Chase growled at them. He was losing it. The control he had over the transition was slipping. He didn't want to lose control in front of Hitomi again, but his chances were dwindling by the second.

"Let's go guys," Raimundo said through clenched teeth. Kimiko and Clay shot him surprised looks.

"But, Rai-" Kimiko started.

"Omi's not here. We still have to look for him. I hate to admit it, but we don't stand a chance," Raimundo told her.

"You're making a wise decision," Chase said in a somewhat cocky tone as he watched the monks turn and head back towards the Silver Manta Ray. His posture relaxed and the fists he had at his sides unclenched.

"Wait just a second, Chase Young!"

Chase nearly gnashed his teeth. Out of nowhere, Omi fell from the ceiling and faced Chase confidently. The three monks all called out to their comrade happily before joining his side. "I am sorry for worrying you, my friends. I could no longer live with going against what I know to be right. As Xiaolin monks, we must fight evil wherever it may exist!" Omi declared and pointed dramatically at Chase.

Chase had had enough. In a second, he shifted. With a small gasp, Hitomi backed away from Chase's reptilian form. "You think you have what it takes to defeat me?"

"No!" Omi declared confidently.

Everyone paused at the confession. Hitomi raised a dubious brow. Chase stared at Omi incredulously. "Uh...Omi?" Clay questioned.

"I am certain that we are no match for you, Chase Young. So I brought someone who is," Omi explained.

Chase growled loudly. He was remiss to not have noticed their new guest sooner. Master Monk Guan fell from the ceiling with his Spear of Guan in hand and a hard look to his face. While Chase was not pleased with Guan's arrival, the monks looked absolutely ecstatic. "Chase Young! I have come to challenge you for the freedom of the young girl you keep locked away with you," Guan declared in his stern tone.

Chase roared so loud that the room shook. His tail slammed agitatedly against the marble floors, easily cracking and shattering it. His clawed hands clenched and unclenched as a low growl rose up from his throat. "You've come to take her? I dare you," Chase's voice rumbled. His tail pushed Hitomi backwards and further away as he crouched lowly.

Hitomi watched Chase's back in shock. He couldn't be this serious about keeping her around. What value could she possibly have to him? She was just some girl. She was no match for him in battle nor did she possess any magical powers. There was no reason for all this fuss.

Guan widened the space between his legs as he sunk into a fighting stance. His eyes glanced from Chase to the girl standing behind him. 'That must be the girl Omi had-' Guan's eyes widened just as his jaw fell open slightly. He stared at the girl. She looked just like-

"It can't be," Guan whispered.