Kimiko stretched as she woke up the next morning and frowned as the memory of her failure return to her. She had let Raimundo slip through her fingers and the rest of them were disappointed in her poor judgment. This was the sort of thing they would've expected from Omi, not her. Even though they hadn't said anything; she knew it was true.
"Stupid Raimundo." She muttered under her breath.
Raimundo smiled to himself as he woke up, but quickly return to an expressionless picture; he didn't want Wuya getting wise to his plans. At least, not yet. He sat up and yawned, scratching his head sleepily. He got up and rolled up his sleeping bag. He knew that Wuya was standing not far away, listening.
And sure enough, not five minutes later, he felt the familiar probe in is mind. Searching. Hoping that she would find something to prove her theory that he was plotting against her. Well she wouldn't. There was nothing there … at the moment.
Wuya turned away and walked out of the cave. Raimundo glared at her back. He frowned. Had she felt something when he had woken up? Did she get a hint of what had happened the previous night? What if she had? If she had then why wasn't she attacking him? No, she couldn't have done. It was stupid worrying about something that wasn't happening.
"Raimundo," Came Wuya's voice from the passage way.
Raimundo wandered over to the passage and gazed lazily at Wuya.
"Look." Said Wuya pointedly, stretching out a finger in the direction of the cave entrance.
Raimundo rolled his eyes and walked over to the entrance.
Down at the foot of the mountain was the Xiaolin dragons. All making their way in the direction of the river. Raimundo ducked back into the cave as he saw Omi look up at the sky.
"They found us!" Hissed Wuya.
"No," Said Raimundo shaking his head, "they're going to the river."
Raimundo began to walk back down the passage before turning back to Wuya.
"Don't go outside and keep quiet. Omi'll hear you." he said quickly.
Wuya glared at him. She wasn't used to being patronised by a 'side-kick'. She didn't think this partnership was going to last much longer. Not with what she had thought she had read in his mind when he woke up …
Omi stared at the mountain. For a split second he was sure he had seen Raimundo's head duck out of sight, but Raimundo wouldn't be stupid enough to hang around and he wasn't smart enough to figure out that staying close was the last thing they would expect.
"Omi? You see something interesting?" Asked clay as he and Kimiko stopped.
Kimiko looked up at the spot that Omi was staring at.
"I thought I saw …" Omi shook his head, "… nothing. Forget it."
"Do you know much about these mountains Omi?" Asked Kimiko.
"Not really. I did not choose to explore much." Said Omi.
Kimiko shrugged and walked towards the river once again. It was one of her favourite places next to the temple. She loved to dip her feet into the cool water and there was always a sense of calm. She never had to think about fighting at the river, just relaxing.
"Do you think we should've invited Dojo?" asked Clay.
"He will know where to find us." Said Omi, jumping into the smoothly flowing water.
"He's been awful grumpy lately." Said Clay.
Kimiko rolled her eyes. When wasn't Dojo grumpy about something or other? If it wasn't the state of his litter box then it was that they hadn't saved him any egg rolls or Clay had eaten the last pork chop. Come to think of it, the last time Dojo hadn't found something to complain about was when Raimundo had been on the team and even then, he still moaned from time to time. Maybe Dojo was missing him too …
"Are you alright Kimiko?" Asked Omi.
"What?" Asked Kimiko suddenly coming back from where ever her mind had been.
"You were staring into the stars." Said Omi.
"Staring into space." Said Kimiko, smiling at him, "And I'm fine."
"You were not thinking of your embarrassing mistake?" Omi caught Clay's eye who shook his head, "that anyone say myself could've made?"
"No," Said Kimiko, standing up stiffly, "I wasn't. And might I remind you that you were the one who thought that Raimundo's betrayal was just part of a 'secret elaborate plan'."
Kimiko shook her long black hair and glared down at him with her startlingly blue eyes.
"He just wanted to cling to somethin' hopeful" Said Clay, "We're all entitled to a mistake or two."
"Exactly," Snapped Kimiko, "So back off."
Kimiko turned on her heel and stormed off, fuming at Omi and Clay for sticking up for him. Entitled to a few mistakes. What an idiot. Was Raimundo joining Wuya 'just a mistake'? She didn't think so. Those jerks always thought that they were better than her even though she was fastest and the best dressed out of the lot of them. Raimundo included.
Kimiko stopped and stamped her foot. Why did her thought pattern keep returning to Raimundo? That stupid idiot wasn't worth her time. Asking her for help and then throwing her across the vault. He didn't deserve her help, even if he really did want it. It probably just a trick anyway.
"Gah!" She yelled, stamping her foot again, "What does it even matter? I'm not going to help him and that's that!"
"Help who?" Asked a small, grumpy sounding voice at her heels.
Dojo was curling his was around her ankle and making his way to her shoulder.
"Raimundo." Said Kimiko, sounding almost as grumpy as Dojo himself.
"Why does he need help?" Asked Dojo, settling around Kimiko's neck.
"Dunno," Said Kimiko, looking down at her feet, "Does it really matter?"
"Maybe he wants to come back." Said Dojo.
"Then he shouldn't left in the first place." Said Kimiko, walking along the path towards the fields.
Raimundo stared down at the figure with the dragon around her neck, frowning. The message had been placed, but Kimiko was taking it. She though it was a trap and who could blame her? He had betrayed them and helped Wuya back to her whole self. Why should she trust him? Well he was going to give her a reason why. He didn't know how, but he was going to try.
"Raimundo, I thought we were staying out of sight." Said Wuya.
"I'm just keeping a watchful eye is all." Said Raimundo, shrugging.
Raimundo pushed past her into the cave and Wuya glared at his back for the thousandth time since their partnership had begun. She had felt it again. A plan, a trick, a message had been put in place and Kimiko wasn't taking it? Was Raimundo plotting against her or the temple? It was too difficult to tell unless she dug further, but she could already tell that Raimundo was starting to feel the strain of her constant probing. He would figure her out soon and then she'd be in trouble. Or he would if he turned against her.
"Why is it that you never choose to tell me your plans?" Asked Wuya.
"Because then you'd decided to change them and they won't work." Said Raimundo, "Like stealing from the temple. I warned you that we should've waited a bit longer. You're always so impatient!"
Raimundo stopped and stared at the floor for a moment. He had just said the thing that he hated to hear himself the most. It was because of his impatience that he'd been thrown out the temple. If he'd just waited to fight mala-mala-jong …
"You regret your rash decision?" Asked Wuya, her red eyes gazing at him.
"You!" Raimundo shouted at her, "Keep your mind reading powers to yourself!"
Raimundo turned to walk away.
"You did not answer the question." Said Wuya.
Raimundo paused for a moment, but didn't turn around before continuing to walk. Wuya knew what the answer was already of course, but she wanted to hear him say it. Just for the fun of tormenting him more than anything else. She used to do it to Jack Spicer all the time, but he broke down a lot faster.
Raimundo muttered under his breath in annoyance as he stomped down the passage way.
"Question my loyalty?" He stormed, "She's the one who's constantly going through my thoughts trying to find out if I'm plotting against her. Stupid paranoid Bitch. I bet she's planning on betraying me anyway. Not that I care."
He fell down onto his rolled up sleeping bag and stared up at the ceiling of the cave, swearing under his breath.
"Raimundo?" Asked Wuya, looking slightly concerned.
"What?" he asked, not looking at her.
"I apologise for questioning your loyalty." Said Wuya.
"Yeah … apology accepted." Said Raimundo, trying to clear his mind before she started probing it again, "sorry for saying you're impatient."
"Apology accepted." Said Wuya, not looking at him.
They didn't speak again. Wuya sat down, staring at Raimundo, knowing that she had the right to accuse him. She couldn't prove it, but she was certain that he was plotting against her. But she couldn't make her move yet. At least, not until she had more proof. Raimundo was the only one on her side … for now at least.
Master Fung's blue eyes were expressionless as Kimiko recounted her concerns and her memories of the previous night. His face remained expressionless for the next few minutes after she finished.
"I see," he said after what seemed a life time, "You're unsure if he needs your help or if it is simply a trap."
"More or less." Said Kimiko, slightly annoyed that he could some up everything she had just said in approximately fourteen words.
He didn't speak again for a moment and then he smiled softly.
"You should do what you feel is right." He said.
Kimiko stared at him open mouth.
"Is that it?" asked Kimiko.
"Do you feel in your heart that he is telling the truth or that it is a trap?" Asked master Fung, "You should use your instincts."
Kimiko looked down into the fountain.
"I don't know." She said, "Part of me wants to believe him, but … he betrayed us. How can I trust him?"
"I'm afraid that there is no easy answer to this situation." Said Master Fung sadly, "You must understand what your heart is trying to tell you."
Master Fung walked away and Kimiko looked down at the palms of her hands. She spoke softly to herself.
"What if I don't know what my heart is trying to say?"
"Run away and join a convent!" Said Dojo.
Kimiko jumped. She had forgotten he was still wrapped around her shoulders.
"Is that what you would do?" asked Kimiko, smiling.
"Don't make the outfits in my size!" Laughed Dojo.
Night fell once again across the mountains over looking the temple stone guardians. Raimundo was sat on the edge of the small ledge sticking out in front of the entrance to the cave. He was leaning against the rock behind him and smiling softly to himself, swinging his foot to and fro. He hummed a soft tune as Wuya walked up the passage and watched him from the darkness inside the cave.
Raimundo felt the tell-tale grip in his mind as Wuya attempted to read it. He suddenly started thinking about 'goo-zombies-3' and she stopped.
"You alright Wuya?" He asked as he glanced over his shoulder and acted as though he had only just spotted her.
"I'm fine." She said, sitting on the ledge beside him.
"Nice evening huh?" Said Raimundo, looking up at the star scattered sky.
"It would be nicer if we ruled the world," She said, "But I suppose this is pleasant in its own way."
Raimundo gave a small smile.
"You mean … in a normal person's way." He said.
"Yes," She said, "But we are not normal."
"No," Said Raimundo, frowning slightly, "… no I suppose we're not."
Wuya watched him out of the corner of her eye.
"Do you have any other plans for defeating the Xiaolin warriors?" She asked, sounding as casual as she could.
Raimundo sighed; he had been waiting for this.
"I got nothing." He said, running a hand through his spiky brown hair, making it stick up more than usual, "I know there's got to be another way, but … I dunno. I'll try and think of something before the morning."
"Good," Said Wuya, "You should get some rest."
Raimundo nodded and got up before walking down the passage way. Wuya glared at him as he walked away. His thought pattern had changed too suddenly when she started trying to read his thoughts. He was onto her. But why would he change his thoughts so suddenly if he was thinking about something that he knew she wouldn't like to hear. He was plotting against her and she wasn't going to stand for it! She'd have to wait to make her move though. If he figured her out too soon then he'd run before she could make her move and that could let him get away.
"Sleep well Raimundo," She whispered, "For tomorrow is another traitorous day."
With that she stood up and walked into the cave.
(A/N) We're getting along and next chapter we revel Raimundo's full plan and we see how he got to where he was at the beginning of 'Remember me Rai?'. Hope you enjoy! Please tell me what you think. Luv Becky.