Bullet Boy:

Takes five years after 'Xiaolin Showdown'. I have invented several Shen Gong Wu for this fan fiction;

Band of Shinobi: Makes user incarnate version of their Xiaolin element.

Twin Bracelets of Panaka: Shoots out fire, water, earth, wind, ice, lightning and light and gives ability to fly

Box of Change: Allows user to interpret foreign languages.

Orb of Light: Creates aura of searing light.

Shield of Stone: Creates shield that can deflect anything

Pendant of Unity: Unites soul mates together – when united and glowing, the holders are soul mates.

THE TEMPLE:

Clay closed his brown-green eyes as he focused on his opponent, Omi. He relaxed and then they leaped into the air.

Omi used the Changing Chopsticks and the Reversing Mirror to make himself bigger than Clay, but Clay used a new Shen Gong Wu, called the Band of Shinobi, which made the user an incarnate version of their Xiaolin element. Clay turned into solid earth and Omi furiously tried to stamp him out. Then Clay used the Tangle Web Comb to trap one of Omi's legs and bring him down.

The gong sounded and Omi reverted to his normal size. Clay grinned and shook Omi's hand. Omi was better at losing now than five years ago, when the Four Xiaolin Dragons first met.

"Nice, Clay!" Raimundo called out, as he lazily used the Sword of the Storm to fly over there. Kimiko followed him and she hugged Clay. He was her best friend and they worked together a lot.

"Guys! There's a new Shen Gong Wu that's just revealed itself." Dojo shouted and they ran over to where the scrolls lay.

"It's the Twin Bracelets of Panaka. When the bracelets are put together, they give the ability to fly and when used in combat, they sprout fire, water, earth, wind, ice, lightning or light."

"Nice!" Raimundo said and they set off.

The Twin Bracelets of Panaka were located at the top of a very high mountain with various tiers. It gleamed gold in the light, but they heard Jack Spicer heading towards them.

Even after five years, they were still collecting Shen Gong Wu. There were about a hundred left and Wuya was on their tails again.

"Jack, get the Twin Bracelets of Panaka, now!" Wuya screamed. Omi, Raimundo and Clay distracted Jack, while Kimiko climbed up and grabbed the Bracelets. She threw them to Clay, and then dropped down to their level.

Jack's face was purple with contorted anger.

"Kimiko, give the Bracelets and go out with me – or you will suffer the consequences!"

"Dream on, Jackie Boy!" Kimiko said, smirking.

He pulled out a gun and then everything seemed to slow down. Clay saw Jack pull the gun and then he sped towards Kimiko, as Jack cocked the pistol and fired four shots at Kimiko. Clay slipped the Twin Bracelets of Panaka on his wrists and shouted, 'Light! Ice!'

A beam of searing light blocked Jack's vision and Clay pushed Kimiko onto the path of ice that had formed. The four bullets found Clay. The first hit him in the shoulder, the next two found his leg and the last one got him in the chest. He slumped to the ground and Kimiko ran over, screaming, "Omi, Raimundo, Clay's hurt!"

Dojo got them to the Xiaolin Temple at double-speed and the monks and Master Fung began to work on Clay. They removed the bullets and treated him as well as they could.

Kimiko sat by him all day and night. Omi and Raimundo tried persuading her into eating, but her teary reply was, "Clay took four bullets for me. I'm not leaving him, damn it!"

They left her and Kimiko prayed. She had never been religious, but she prayed and prayed and prayed.

"Please, God, I love him, please, he can't die!" She screamed, before sleep took her prisoner.

The next morning, Kimiko woke up with Clay's warm hand on her back.

"Clay!" She shouted happily, hugging him.

"Ow, Kimi, still a bit tender. Can you get me a Twinkie? Or some candy and a soda? I'm so hungry and thirsty, Kimi!"

Kimiko let go gently, but kept holding his hand. Omi, Raimundo and Master Fung entered running and they smiled happily as Dojo hopped to the kitchen and got Clay his food.

Over the next few weeks, Clay's health improved dramatically and he was soon walking around with a walking stick. He watched the others sparring, but Kimiko would sit by him and they would talk.

Then, one late night, Clay woke up with a rumbling stomach. He snuck to the kitchen and took an entire box of candy. He looked over at the countryside and saw Kimiko, sat cross-legged on the porch. Her shiny dark hair was loose and flowing over her thin shoulders like a waterfall of liquid ebony. She wore a scarlet sleep tunic and a dark blue skirt. She was barefoot.

"Hey Kim, what you doing out here?"

"Nothing. This is my time of day. Or night, technically."

"You hungry?"

Kimiko smiled and took a bar of white chocolate. She broke off a square and munched on it appreciatively.

"Thanks, Clay."

"It's nothing."

They sat in perturbed silence, until Kimiko leaned over and rubbed herself against his muscular leg. He responded by planting a feather-light kiss onto her forehead.

"Clay?" The Texan cowboy turned his best friend.

"What?"

"Why did you take those bullets for me?"

"Do you have to ask? You're my best friend, I love you." He said and those last three words sent a flood of warmth through her cold body, like a dam finally being free.

Kimiko stood up, so that she was slightly taller than Clay and kissed him on the lips. It lasted a fraction of a moment longer than normal. Clay was surprised, but then made the chaste, sweet kiss longer, passionate. He stood and took her into his embrace.

They breathed heavily and Kimiko pressed her head to Clay's blue tunic-laden chest. He stroked her hair gently, caressing the silky strands between his thick fingers.

"I was wondering…if you're not doing anything Friday night…?"

"I'd love to." Kimiko answered, hugging him gently, before finishing her chocolate and padding back to bed.

FRIDAY NIGHT:

Clay and Kimiko met outside in the courtyard. Kimiko had dyed red streaks in her hair for tonight and wore a pair of black leather pants and a scarlet halter-top. Over that she had a red jacket on and onyx earrings in her pierced ears. Her hair was down her shoulders and she wore black leather boots. She had grown a few inches and was nineteen, so it worked.

Clay was looking particularly smart in a big dark blue shirt and a pair of baggy black jeans. He had on a new pair of smart trainers and his cowboy hat was gone. His blond hair was gently ruffled and he had a yin-yang pendant on that separated into the two halves. He had a dark leather jacket on top of that shirt. Now he was twenty-one, he had developed a sense of style outside of the Xiaolin clothes.

Dojo flew them to Rome, in about half an hour, where Clay treated Kimiko to a proper authentic Italian meal. He translated the Italian using the Box of Change. They had pizza, spaghetti bolognaise and ice cream, with white wine. They went for a walk along the Neapolitan Riviera and snuck into the Colosseum at night. The stars gleamed like billions of diamonds in the heavens.

It was there, when they had their first kiss. A proper kiss, not in passing. Then, flying back to the Temple, Clay asked Dojo to stop off in Beijing for five minutes. He bought his date a beautiful bracelet, embedded with onyxes. She kissed him again and then they said goodbye.

The next day, a new Shen Gong Wu, called the Orb of Light revealed itself. One of the most powerful Shen Gong Wu, it allowed the user to become surrounded by a light so strong, it could burn off skin or enemies.

On the way there, Clay removed his yin-yang pendant and separated it. He gave the black section to Kimiko, the Yin, feminine to Kimiko. She thanked him, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and put it on. The white, masculine Yang hung around Clay's neck.

They found it at the bottom of a rocky gorge. Both Clay and Jack Spicer grabbed it at the same time.

"I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown!" Clay cried. "I'll wager my Twin Bracelets of Panaka against your Shield of Stone. The contest will be a race. Whoever manages to get to the Shen Gong Wu wins them. That okay with you? " Clay didn't wait for an answer as mountains shot from the earth, cracking open pits of lava and water spilled from the east and the temperature dropped to well below zero.

Spicer sent off with his flying twirlers, but Clay caught up by using the Wings of Tunabi,

that sent off a beautiful rainbow colored stream as they flew.

"Twin Bracelets of Panaka – fire!" Clay shouted and a huge river of fire shot to Clay's left, towards Jack.

"Reversing Mirror!" It turned and aimed towards Clay.

"Twin Bracelets of Panaka – water!" A pale blue shot of H20 extinguished the fire and sent great clouds of steam. They surrounded Jack and he steered off course, slamming into the side of a mountain with a THUMP despite his attempts to stop it with the Shield of Stone.

Clay easily got the Orb of Light and then everything reverted back to normal. They cheered and Kimiko kissed Clay. His cheeks turned bright red.

"Clay! How dare you beat me!" Jack said angrily. Clay leapt over to where the man stood and punched him in the face.

"How dare you try to kill my Kimiko!" Clay shouted, kicking Jack. He spun on his left leg, raised his head and straightened his right leg, as it swung into Jack's face. He was knocked unconscious by Clay's kick. The Xiaolin Dragons quickly removed him off his Shen Gong Wu and went back to the Temple.

"You guys, me and Clay have been…"

"Dating, we know!" Raimundo said, taking a sip from a low-calorie drink.

"We have known for some time."

Clay and Kimiko looked at each other sheepishly. Their hands linked and the Xiaolin Dragons of Water (Omi) and Wind (Raimundo) looked upon their brother and sister in arms as Clay and Kimiko kissed again as the Dragons of Earth (Clay) and Fire (Kimiko) relaxed.

Back at the temple, Clay sat on his bed reading a book of poetry, Kimiko reading with him in his lap.

Kimiko felt right with him. He was her best friend, her protector, her 'older brother', her partner in crime, her soul mate. He loved her for who she was. He was deep and meaningful and sweet and kind. Unlike her other dates and boyfriends.

Clay loved Kimiko. Truly, deeply, loved her. She cheered him up and introduced him to a relaxed life away from the ranch. She treated him like he mattered. Like he was important. His first and only love. Love.

"Marry me, Clay." Kimiko whispered.

"What?"

"Will you marry me?"

"Kimi, I'm 21, you're 19. We've got our entire lives ahead of us. Are you sure?"

"Yes, Clay. I want to be your wife more than I want to live. So?"

"Of course." They kissed and hugged.

The wedding took place in the courtyard of the Temple. Master. Fung was the priest and Omi and Raimundo were Clay's best men. Clay's dad came, but no-one else could.

Clay wore a smart suit and Kimiko wore a beautiful Xiaolin-style white wedding dress. Instead of wedding rings, they used the yin-yang pendant. Master. Fung blessed them and the pendant and the two halves glowed with pure light.

"What's it doing?"

"Oh my – it's a Shen Gong Wu!" Dojo exclaimed, bringing the scrolls over. It was the Pendant of Unity. It united soul mates. Clay and Kimiko grinned happily as the glow surrounded their bodies as they embraced and became one.

Capricornus152