dl-sPirit: (fending off angry reviewers) BACK! BACK I SAY! I HAVE THE UPDATE! (watches as reviews calm down some) Phew...
Raimundo: When will they stop?
Jack: I dunno. Wanna make a bet?
Raimundo: I bet 45 bucks they'll stop after this chapter.
Jack: You're on!
dl-sPirit: Great, they're making bets on my reviewers!
Omi: You only told them not to make bets on you...
Ferret: Go loophole!
dl-sPirit: (glares) Well, I'm doing disclaimer - I don't own Xiaolin Showdown. If I say otherwise, I'm lying or talking in my sleep.
Jack: (sniggers)
Cosmo: Do you want us to look at your reviews for you?
dl-sPirit: HECK YEAH!
Omi: Then let us look!
To Chaseforever: Jack: Thank you! And she updated! About four days later! Wow, a new world record.
Ferret: Yeah...
To SaphireStars: Raimundo: WHAT THE (censored)! COSMO I WISH THOSE SHARP POINTY OBJECTS WERE PILLOWS!
Cosmo: (entirely scared) GOT IT! (grants wish) Phew... oh yeah! Did you get dl-sPirit's review?
To Kosmic: Omi: Thank you for your words of... encouragement. I am most sorry about your home, person from the moon.
To DeafLizgon: Jack: Dunno if this is good or bad, but it wasn't the actual moon that clay blew up...
dl-sPirit: If you want, you can borrow the Amulet of the Moon and create a potion to cure Lobo of that whole 'crazy werewolf' thing.
To Catwarrior: dl-Spirit: I'm the person who only reads their work if they forget something. Thank you for reading both of my stories. And, uh... yeah, Escuro IS freaky.
To Kaisa/ Angelus-alvus: Omi: Here is your update!
To Rave Slave: Raimundo: I completely agree!
To distant6: Ferret: Blame writer's block!
Cosmo: And school! (reading from a notecard) 'dl-sPirit gave Kosmic her collection...long story.'
To Satoshi Silver Syoran: dl-sPirit: I rewrote my chapter as well as I could. It's up now. And, sorry, but i only have Yahoo. Sorry :(
Ferret: Enough talk, here's the chapter!
Kimiko shuddered as she entered Jack's house. They had stopped by the Xiaolin Temple to get the potion and fill up the Amulet and, now, they were going to find Raimundo.
The house was cold, as if it was made of ice. Clay, as they walked, paused by a thermostat. It was set at 75 degrees fahrenheit - but was covered in a thin layer of frost. In fact, as they approached Jack's lair, everyone noticed the thin layer of frost. It covered the walls, a nightstand, a few lamps, and a door. Kimiko tried creating a fire, but the cold air kept it too small to heat them. Finally, they were in front of the basement door, the door to Jack's lair - and the lair of the beast.
As they entered, the dim illumination revealed a terrifying scene. The lab was in almost total ruins, with the large computer dismantled and several robots that were missing key components - such as their heads. With some, only their heads were left. Blood splatter covered the walls. And, in a corner, was a metal cage, devastated by some unknown power. "Raimundo," Omi gasped.
As the three warriors descended the stairs, Kimiko paused as she spied what appeared to be a statue. The creature was hard to make out, but it certainly looked like it was lunging at an invisible foe, the light gleaming off its bared fangs. She shivered and continued down. Yet, even as she did so, the jaw closed, and the "statue" looked at her.
By the time she had reached the bottom of the stairs, Omi and Clay were examining the ruined cage. Clay held up a black electrical collar, charred skin burned onto it. The collar and bars of the cage were bloodstained. "Do you think Rai's ok?" Kimiko asked, the Amulet hanging at her side. Clay sighed.
"Dunno, partner, he might've been..." Clay trailed off, as if he feared that, by saying it, it'd be true.
"NO!" Omi suddenly cried. "Raimundo cannot be dead, we cannot have failed him!" Omi wanted to say for sure that Raimundo was alive, but there wasn't even a body, and all that blood...it was hard to tell. Clay hated to say it, but he had to. "Partner, I wish I could say that, but we don't even know where he is."
Kimiko spied a movement out of the corner of her eye. Turning her head, she saw a shadowy figure dart away. "Uh, guys? We aren't alone," she squeaked. Omi, thinking of the possibilty that Raimundo was at least injured, declared defiantly, "If it is the monster that hurt Raimundo, we will not allow it to leave!" He began moving towards the doorway.
A horrific screech, the kind that makes you wish that you were deaf, echoed throughout the lair, and a creature leaped out at Omi. Clay, thinking fast, yelled, "Third-Arm Sash - Earth!" The rock-solid (A/N: Pardon the pun) sash hit its target, sending the beast into a wall, remaining in the shadows. Kimiko could tell that its eyes were closed, but it reopened its eyes immediately. Everyone saw the faint emerald glow they had taken. At the same time, robot parts levitated off the floor and bombarded Clay.
"Star Hanabi -Fire1" Kimiko hollered, throwing the flaming star at the creature. As the star traveled through the freezing air, the flames began to die down, and the creature grabbed the shen-gon-wu, which only radiated off steam now. He threw it back, and Kimiko ducked the spinning death trap.
"Orb of Tornami - Water!" Omi yelled, shooting a jet of cold water at the creature. It leaped up agilely, dodging the drenching attack, and landed on the lit table in the middle of the room, hind legs bent. The three warriors gasped at the monster.
It was some sort of dragon. Its hind legs were abnormally long, ending in three clawed toes. Its color was a deep blue, much like a deep ocean. Brown spiky spines began at the base of the skull, ran down its backbone, and ended at the tip of its tail.The wings, which were a part of its arms, were batlike. The webbing on them was pitch black. Its eyes were a deep green with catlike pupils, and its fangs stuck out over its lower lip. On its head was a three-pronged crest that was light green. Two of the 'prongs' were over the eyes, giving it a malevolent look, and the last one was on the center of the face. Shadows danced on its face, making its expression unreadable.
Kimiko gasped as the creature turned to her, bloodlust in its eyes. Then, without warning, it leaped at her, going in for the kill. "Orb of Tornami - Ice!" Omi shouted, a stream of ice shooting out. It froze the dragon in mid-leap. For a few seconds, the warriors believed themselves victorious. Them, much to their shock, the ice begin to crack, and it shattered, releasing the creature. It snarled at Omi before it jumped up. The dragon's wings flapped slowly, enough to keep it airborne, then it dived at Omi.
Omi gave a cry of horror and tried to move out of the dragon's path. Unfortunately, not being fast enough, the dragon slashed at Omi's head with the claws on it feet. Clay and Kimiko stood shocked as Omi fell to the ground, bleeding. The dragon landed, bending its legs. Kimiko and Clay got into their fighting stances. Then, the beast stood up.
The Dragon of Fire gasped lightly. The dragon was about seven feet tall, even though its neck was bent. Though the creature was revolting, it had an air of grace and elegance. A feeling ran through her, much like the feeling one gets when staring at a snake ready to strike.She seemed to have becomed paralyzed under its gaze. The creature saw this too and flew up. It seemed to be considering to attack. Then, it swooped down and grabbed her with its legs. Flying high, Kimiko screamed. She was going to die, she knew it.
This was the end. This creature would kill her, it had probably killed Raimundo... unless ...no...
At that moment, the dragon let go of her. The Dragon of Fire screamed again and, out of reflex, grabbed the dragon's left foot. The dragon gave a howl of fury and flew around, trying to make her let go. Clay and Omi (who had recovered already) wanted to desperately help their friend, but there was too much of a chance that they'd miss the dragon or, worse, hit Kimiko. Kimiko hung on for her life.
An invisible force began to pry off her fingers. She looked up, to see the dragon's eyes glowing. But that wasn't what she was looking for. Looking into the dragon's eyes, she finally found it. It was weak, but there.
"Raimundo?" she asked quietly. Omi and Clay gasped, and the dragon's eyes stopped glowing, giving her a strange look. "Raimundo, please don't," she pleaded, tears beginning to leak out of her eyes. She could see the inner turmoil that was tormenting him, threatening his own life. She remembered the one word scrawled in blood on his door. "Rai, we're here to help. We can make sure that Escuro will leave you alone," she whispered, closing her eyes, expecting the worst.
The worst never came. Raimundo gently lowered her to the ground before flying to a corner of the room, trying to get away as far as possible. He landed, letting his tears flow, hanging his head. He had attacked Omi. He almost killed Kimiko. And, worse yet, that twisted part of him and Escuro continued their mental torture.
Finish me, please... I don't wanna live, he pleaded silently. Clay, Omi and Kimiko were exchanging glances, as if asking who would be the one to put the Amulet on their friend. finally, Kimiko walked over, holding the silver shen-gon-wu, and looked the brazilian right in the eye. Considering that she was about four and a half feet (A/N: I'm guessing) and he was seven feet, this wasn't too diificult.
"Raimundo, we need you to put this on," she explained, trying to prevent herself from crying. It was so hard though, he just looked so lost, so frightened. "Then, you'll be free," she finished. She lifted the Amulet to give it to Raimundo when-
"What the hell's going on down here!" a very familiar voice yelled. Everyone directed their attention to the top of the staircase. Standing there in all his glory was Jack Spicer, with Wuya floating beside him.
Omi: A cliffhanger!
Jack/Raimundo: Darn it!
Cosmo: I'm scared...
Ferret: Stupid Jack!
Jack: Hey!
dl-sPirit: I'll try to update soon. I'm so evil, a cliffhanger. :P
Raimundo: I'll say you are!
Omi: I agree!
Jack: Let's go on strike! (leaves with Raimundo and Omi)
Cosmo: This can't be good.
dl-sPirit: I'll say! Dang it!
Ferret: ...um, review please...