hello again. See? What did i tell you? i said i would get it in later today and i did. so there!
So yes, i hope you enjoy this chapter...
and i dont own Xiaolin Showdown! NOPE. (i only own the SGW i make up) i'm just a girl witha dream. looks up with sparkly eyes :-P
again, thank you reviewers. you dudes rock, man
okay. let's get going
"Mmm-hmm, it was really weird," Kimiko told Clay the next morning, after she had told him what had happened the last night. "And we still don't know why. Master Fung told us that he would talk about it today… Raimundo was just called to Master Fung's private chambers… Maybe he's talking about it with him right now."
"I can't believe I missed that!" Clay said disappointedly, feeling bad because he had missed out on all the action.
"Yeah, I can't believe you slept through all that noise!" replied Kimiko. "You could sleep through an earthquake! And knowing your element, you would probably be the one who caused it."
Clay narrowed his eyes. "Hey, Kim, you were sure were soundin' like Raimundo there."
Kimiko blushed slightly. She paused for a minute, thinking about what she had said and compared herself to Raimundo. "Actually, I sounded like the old Raimundo… Ever since he came back, he's been acting really different."
"Guess you're right there," Clay agreed. "But maybe Rai was always like that… and he was just hidin' it."
Kimiko considered this. The old Rai used to laugh and play pranks on everyone all the time. He used to cheer everyone up when they weren't feeling good. He used to always have a smile on. Always teasing. But still, everyone had liked him — appreciated him. But then he had turned… Why had he turned? Why? Kimiko didn't know for sure. She and the others had always assumed that it was because they had become Xiaolin Apprentices before him, and he was jealous. But what if that wasn't the reason? Raimundo had never given them a real excuse for going to the Heylin side…
And when Raimundo came back, he was so different. He barely ever joked about anything anymore, hardly smiles… The friendly teasing and practical jokes were a thing of the past. Always so dead serious or lost in thought…
Maybe the joyful acts had been a front. Perhaps Raimundo had always been like this. And he didn't want his friends to know because it would just weigh them down?
Kimiko stared down at her breakfast. She was worried about Rai. He was one of her friends — one among many — and of course she would worry about him.
She had finally decided to use the Red Robin on Raimundo… she would get it out in when everyone was sleeping that night, and she would be in and out in record time. No one would ever know.
"Raimundo, you are here," Master Fung exclaimed. "Please. Sit down."
Raimundo took a seat and nervously fingered his medallion. He wanted to know why he had caused so much destruction the last night. He hadn't tried to do anything. It just happened. He didn't even know he was doing it!
"First, I will tell you that this was not supposed to happen for at least three years from now," Master Fung started.
"What, exactly, wasn't supposed to happen for three years?" Raimundo asked.
Master Fung cleared his throat. "Well, it seems that when a student gains a certain amount of experience or training, his powers receive a permanent… power boost. This usually happens when the student is around eighteen…seventeen at the youngest."
"Wait, wait, wait. You're saying that I received a way too early power boost!" Raimundo questioned.
"Yes," Master Fung confirmed.
"But what if it's really just a…a…malfunction?"
Master Fung chuckled at Raimundo's choice of words. "No, Raimundo, that is not it. Believe me. When you were unconscious yesterday, I sensed something inside of you that shouldn't have been there — the power boost. But I was not sure. I thought that I might have made a mistake… But when I saw your element going out of control last night… my suspicions were confirmed, for I sensed definite power boost within you."
Raimundo folded his arms across his chest. "Do all students' powers go out of control?"
"Not usually. Or at least, not enough to do any real damage," Master Fung answered.
"Well, how do I control it?"
"Control will come to you in time."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Raimundo asked. "That I'm supposed to just sit around and wait until I get control over it?"
"Essentially, yes."
Raimundo was about to protest, but Master Fung cut him off. "Raimundo, your new, more powerful wind can be extremely strong. And the key is not to lose control. You see, right now, your new power is linked to your emotions. When you feel a particular bad emotion — we call them 'activating emotions' — the wind will start up. Like last night, for example. I have learned that the emotions that will cause the most chaos in this situation are pain, depression, anger… the sort."
Raimundo frowned. "But when will I get control?"
"As I said: it will come to you. It could take a week…or a year. The trick is not to try. It just comes to you," Master Fung responded.
He then herded Raimundo out pushed him gently in the direction of the breakfast table. He began to walk in the opposite direction. "Come to me if you have any more questions…," Master Fung called over his shoulder, before heading to where the other three teenagers were.
Omi, Clay and Kimiko stood astonished as Master Fung filled them in.
Kimiko guessed that all the time yesterday when a cold breeze had eerily come out of nowhere, it had really come from Raimundo. He must have been feeling one of those 'activating' emotions… Which means he must have been feeling a painful emotion…, she thought as she shivered.
Omi was baffled. But he was also almost green with jealousy. "Why is Raimundo getting a power boost now! He is not even a Xiaolin Apprentice yet! He is not even eighteen yet!"
"I do not know, Omi. It is just Raimundo's time," Master Fung answered.
"But I have more experience than Raimundo. I should be getting a power boost! When will I get mine, Master Fung?" Omi asked.
"You may have to wait until you are eighteen," Master Fung said, stating the obvious. "And do not begin wishing for a power boost now. Raimundo is having a hard time, and he his power boost only began yesterday. Every bit of painful emotion that he will feel, a wind will arise. The more powerful the emotion, the more powerful the wind. Right now he is vulnerable, and will be easily upset. His feelings will act out the same, of course. It is just that the painful ones will be amplified…just a bit." He looked to the three monks in turn. "I want you to be gentle with him."
"Sure thing, Master Fung," Clay finally said after it had all sunk in.
Raimundo sat on his bed, thinking. He didn't want to keep destroying stuff when he had an emotional meltdown. And he especially didn't want his friends to know when he was having an emotional meltdown. He was pretty sure they'd make him out to be a wimp.
He was used to covering up his feelings. And then this happens. A new power boost that just happens to be linked with his emotions.
Raimundo shook his head. That's why I have to learn how to control this… But he then remembered what Master Fung had said. "The trick is not to try. It just comes to you."
Raimundo glared into thin air. What kind of advice is that!
Thinking about not trying to learn control just made him think of how he could learn control, when he wasn't supposed to think about how he was going to gain control.
He exhaled in frustration. It'll just come to me? When! Hello? C'mon…can I get some answers here?
He looked up to the ceiling and sighed. And what perfect timing too! Ever since he had gotten back from fighting on the side of evil, everything has been flip-floppy. He knew his friends still didn't trust him fully, and he kept thinking about all of the things that he had done wrong. He couldn't believe how stupid he had been. What was he thinking when he listened to Wuya?
It was just that every time he would think about that and some other things, he would feel this bombardment of painful emotions. And now that would trigger the wind.
Raimundo didn't even notice the wind swirling around him until there was a knock at his door.
He fought to make the wind stop, but with no avail. He swore under his breath before saying, "Come in."
Omi stepped through the door and suddenly shivered. "Ooh! It is cold in here, Raimundo!" he looked around and felt the weak wind. "Are you practicing you new power boost power, my friend?"
"I don't practice it," said Raimundo evenly. "I don't have control."
"Then you are feeling a bad feeling?" Omi asked curiously.
"Uh, actually, that's none of your business." Raimundo didn't really like when Omi pried. It was bad enough that he knew when Raimundo was feeling bad emotions. The wind picked up ever so slightly.
"Stop that, Raimundo, I am going to die frozen!"
"I think you mean 'freeze to death'," Raimundo corrected. "And I told you, I don't have control, so I can't stop the wind."
"Perhaps I can teach you?"
"Okay, two reasons why you can't do that. Number one: You don't even know about power boosts. Number Two: Master Fung said that I shouldn't try to gain control. He said that it would just come to me…sometime…," Raimundo responded.
"I fail to see why you've begun your power boosting. I am the most experienced dragon here! I am the one who deserves a power boost…," Omi said, frustration clearly written all over his face.
"Sorry, Omi, but it's not like I asked for a power boost. I guess it just came."
"Well, it should have come to me first!" Omi said indignantly. "How is this even possible? You are not even a Xiaolin Apprentice!"
"Can you please stop reminding me about that?" Raimundo asked impatiently as the wind grew colder. "I get the damn point! You don't have to keep reminding me that I'm not as good as the rest of you! You don't have to keep saying how good you and the others are. Don't you understand? How would you feel if Kimiko, Clay and I were all ahead of you? And we just kept reminding that you weren't good enough…?"
Omi laughed in spite of the harshness in Raimundo's voice. "You! Getting ahead of me?" Omi choked out another laugh. "I am sorry, my friend, but I am afraid that you will never reach my level of accomplishment."
Raimundo inwardly shook with anger as the wind began to push Omi out the door. "How about you just leave me alone?"
And Omi disappeared as the door closed behind him.
"God, that kid needs to learn some modesty," Raimundo mumbled as he flopped down on his back, exhausted.
you know the drill. if you want more, review, if you dont...wellllllll... well, if you dont want more, dont tell me you do. lol
see you later
-Kaisa