Me: Hello there peoples. I love you all! (big hugs)
Rai: She changed her pen name so she's happy you all found the story.
Omi: Even though we aren't. (grumble, grumble)
Amelia: (snaps Omi upside the head) No trash talking her! Varioustheme doesn't own X.S.
Omi: Luckily. (gets kicked where sun dont shine)
Rai: (wince) Ouch! Well, on to the story.
After a few weeks, everything became normal. Everyone got up and did chores at dawn, then breakfast, and finally to the training. Amelia was still an in training but she was still good.
Amelia comes on of her room, with clothes and hair dripping wet. She yells out, "Raimundo! Where are you, you little…"
"Hello, Amelia. Having a good day?" Master Fung walks up behind her.
Amelia suddenly smiles, "Yes, Master Fung. My day has been fine. Yours?" She spots Raimundo out a window, behind Master Fung.
"Excellent. Hope you enjoy the rest of it." They bow and the master walks off.
Amelia runs over to the window, "Raimundo! You are dead! You hear me? Dead!"
Kimiko watches Amelia threaten Raimundo from the window. He obliviously had done something. Probably just because she was lower than him. "Amelia, don't lose your head. It was just some water." Raimundo tries to shrug it off.
"Just some… Raimundo that water ruined my painting that I was working on! You will pay for that!" Amelia threatens him. Kimiko chuckled. Amelia usually did get even, one way or another. Usually, it was embarrassing, and funny.
Raimundo makes a sad, worried face, teasing her. "Oh no! Amelia is going to get me! Help!"
"Raimundo. Tu estas un asno! Hijo de una perra! Caes de la tierra!"(1) Amelia starts to swear in Spanish. Kimiko doesn't understand a word but Raimundo understands enough to get the point.
"Okay! I get the point!" Raimundo covers his mouth in surprise. He gets out of her view so she can't throw more insults.
Amelia starts drying herself off. "Hey, Amelia. Do I want to know what you said to Rai?" Kimiko appears behind her.
Amelia smiles, "No you don't! Now, how can I get Rai back without getting in trouble with Master Fung? Water won't work. Maybe kicking his butt at practice later may help. Or getting then next Shen-Gong-Wu before him, but I don't know if that will happen." Amelia starts walking toward her room.
"How about making another painting and give it to him?" Kimiko suggests.
"Huh? How'll that help?"
"For one, he'll see what you do with paints and feel sorry for ruining this one. AND it will annoy him that you didn't try to prank him back. He'll be so busy looking over his shoulder, he can't prank you again." Kimiko explains.
Amelia weights the options, "Good idea. What should I paint?"
"A picture of something he likes, like a Brazilian scene or sports, like soccer and surfing. Or even me. He is in love with me." Kimiko thinks.
Amelia chuckles. "True. Maybe it can be…" She starts whispering into Kimiko's ear.
"Good idea. He'll love it. You can do a painting like that for everyone." Kimiko suggests.
Amelia smiles. "You know, that's a good idea. Everyone will love them. But if I do, acted surprised." She warns the girl.
Kimiko smiles. "And you'll have enough time to do them. It will be fun. Besides, I've seen your paintings of dragons. They will come out great."
Amelia walks into her room. Kimiko runs back outside to find Rai. Amelia wouldn't hurt him now but she will. "Hey, Kimiko. Did you calm Amelia down yet?" Raimundo calls from a bush.
"She has, Rai. But now you need to deal with me. The painting that was ruined was a painting she was doing for my family!" Kimiko starts fuming. After a minute, Rai is on the ground, covered with burns and bruises.
Amelia leans out her window, watching Kimiko helping her with her Rai problem. She has a new board on the easel with a pencil sketch on it. "Rai and Kimiko. You to are made for each other. If I have extra time before Christmas, I have one more painting to do."
"Shen-Gong-Wu alert!" Dojo calls out into the dorm hallway. It was midnight! Wonderful!
Clay sleepy walks out of his room, "Dojo, it's the middle of the night. What Shen-Gong-Wu relives itself at night?"
Dojo expanses himself, "No time now. Get on." The five of the warriors get on Dojo's back wearily. "The Wu is the Lullaby Bird. It puts the listeners to sleep instantly. The activator blows into it and instant sleep."
"Great. When we get home, Dojo is using it!" Amelia calls wearily.
Dojo disagrees, "The Lullaby Bird makes the victims have nightmares of the worst kind. Worst fears are easier to handle then the nightmares."
Omi rubs the sleep away, "Great. Just apple like."
Everyone groans but they don't have the energy to correct him. "Where we going?" Kimiko rubs her eyes.
"Where it's not night, Guatemala!" Dojo flies very fast toward the other country. Slowly, the sunlight grows and becomes easy to see. Soon, they are in a field surrounded by trees.
Everyone starts walking around the area. They hoped that Jack was too lazy to wake up and Wuya was trying to get Chase to come with her. So, they just started looking lazily. Suddenly, Amelia cries out, "I found it!" She point into a tree high above everyone's heads.
"I'll get it!" Raimundo uses the wind to push himself up to the right level. Suddenly, an arrow flies through the air and hits Rai in the shoulder, right near his neck.
Kimiko cries out, "Rai!" Amelia quickly moves into action. She runs under where Rai was falling to in a flash, from 25 meter out, and catches him easily. She then runs and jumps up a tree, bouncing from tree to tree, gaining height.
"Amelia, watch out!" Clay calls out. An arrow flies at Amelia. Some how, she is out of harms way in a millisecond. She grabs the Shen-Gong-Wu and jumps back to her friends.
"Dojo, get ready!" Amelia orders. She hands the Wu to Kimiko, "Clay, keep those arrows away from Rai and Dojo, Omi, help me carry Rai to Dojo. Kimiko, follow us!" She grabs Rai by the arms and pulls him on her back with Omi giving her a little help.
Quickly, she is on Dojo's back. Omi, Kimiko and Clay jump on. Soon, they are out of harm's way. Amelia starts breathing heavy. "Everyone okay?" She looks at her teammates. They nod. She turns to Rai.
"Shoulder, hurt. Pain," he mutters through tense teeth. Kimiko looks over Amelia's shoulder and sees Rai's shirt covered in blood around the arrow shaft. Amelia rips off the shirt to look at the full damage.
"Omi, I need a little water. Clay, crave this stone into a sharp knife shape. Kimiko, tear the shirt into strips and get Omi to give you a little water on the strips and warm them up. I'll tell you when I need them."
She takes the makeshift knife from Clay and starts cutting the arrow out. Slowly, she pulls the end out entirely. Omi helps her wash off the wound then they get the makeshift bandages on the wound.
"Dojo. I don't care how cold it would make us but speed up. We need to get Rai back to the temple. NOW!" Amelia screams.
After minutes of blood freezing speed, Dojo finally lands. "Go get Mater Fung." Soon, they have Rai in the medical part of the temple.
After what seems like an entirety, Master Fung finally walks out. "He's going to be okay. Minor blood lose and nerve damage but thanks to Amelia's quick thinking, he's going to live." A sigh of relief is let go around the room.
The next morning came, Rai was still in the medical part so everyone ate and did their chores silently. They walk out onto the training area. Soon, Master Fung walks onto the field. "No practice today, with Rai injured. You may go see him. Kimiko, he asked for you first."
Kimiko nods her head and walk toward the medical rooms. She walks into the room where Raimundo was put. "Hey. Morning." She whispers.
"It isn't a library. You can speak normally." He laughs. "So, what happened? All I remember was the pain of the arrow being stopped then I lost it. The only thing I remember clearly is a warm voice talking to me the whole time, keeping me calm. Was that you?" Raimundo looks at her.
She smiles but shakes her head, "No, that was Amelia. Her quick thinking saved you. She talked you through the whole time she was taking the arrow out. She saved you from that fall. Amelia was the one who was in charge when you were hit. I was just thinking of the pain and crying the whole time."
Rai is surprised by her response, "Amelia saved me? She took out the arrow, stopped my bleeding and saved me from falling from 20 yards in the air?"
Kimiko nods, "Yup. She even got Clay and Omi to follow her orders."
"Oh. I thought someone else…" Raimundo falls silent. Soon, he waves her off. When he is left alone in the room, he calls out, "Okay, Master Fung, you can come out now."
"Well, what do you think? She saved your life, her life and your friends' lives. She may have been as scared as everyone else but she stayed cool. From Clay and Omi's versions of the event, she was faster than they have seen you move. And she bounced from tree to tree, climbing. She even avoided an arrow that would have killed anyone else."
Rai looks around and at his arm, "She's ready. But let me be out of here before you promote her. I want to talk to her."
Master Fung smiles, "I am sure she will be happy to talk." He leaves the room.
Dojo slithers into the room and sits with Rai while they wait. "So, Rai, are you surprised at your rescuer?"
He smiles, "Not really. I just want to hear what she wants to say." Dojo leaves the room. Soon, Amelia comes into the room.
"Hey, Raimundo. How's the arm?" She looks at his bandaged arm. "They fix it up right?"
He looks into her eyes and mutters, "You did save me. I guess that's your payback."
"Nope. I have something else in mind." Rai's face goes pale. "Don't worry. It won't be that bad. More surprise than horror."
Rai sighs, "How did you save me? You were a good 20-25 yards away from me. I can't even disappear and appear in milliseconds."
"I don't know," she answered honestly. "All I thought about was saving you and getting the Wu before whatever it was got it, and to get everyone out of there. How I was so fast? Honestly, I'm clueless."
Rai sighs. Under his breath, he mutters, "Lighting speed and an optimistic heart."
"Huh?"
"Nothing. Ah, how did you get Omi and Clay to listen to you?" Rai asks.
Amelia says, "I don't know. I guess they were scared so they listened to whatever was reasonable to save our butts." She smiles.
"True." Rai starts laughing. Suddenly, a bolt of pain surges through his shoulder. He grabs it tightly, "Ouch!"
Amelia's eyebrows knit together in concern, "It still hurts, huh? Do you want me to leave?"
"If you want to. Bye," Rai mutters through tense teeth.
"Bye." Amelia leaves the room. She slowly walks to her room. Amelia sits down in the middle and start to meditate. Slowly, her eyes open and she gazes around the room. Her eyes fall on the easel.
The paint on it was a grayish white color. The colors formed clouds. A sketchbook next to it has many pictures of dragons and mystical beast. It even has pictures of her friends.
She sighs.
It was a week later before Raimundo got out of the medical center of the temple. At the obstacle course, he stands at the start/finish line with a stopwatch and clipboard. Clay, Kimiko and Omi were sitting at on the bench with Dojo. Amelia stood at the line.
"Go!" Amelia sprints into the course. It is a slightly harder one then she is use to. She takes off. Seconds later she is standing at the line with the stuffed dog in her hands.
"Done!" Rai's mouth hands open in surprise. Everyone else is used to this, because they've been training together since the day after their vacation day. "How did I do?"
Raimundo tries to say something, but Clay cuts in. "Better than yesterday. Which was better than the day before." He starts counting on his fingers.
"Why is everyone so surprise? I was always fast." Amelia brushes off the stares. She turns around and walks toward the sidelines. "Rai, you turn."
"Actually, the course would need to be different to be a challenge for you friends, Amelia." Master Fung walks out onto the field. "Besides, it is lunch time. You may have the afternoon off." Everyone runs toward the dinning room.
Oddly, Rai would get there first. But Amelia beat him, easily. After a quick lunch, Amelia locks herself into her room.
Omi turns to Kimiko, "Do you know what she does every day she locks herself into her room?"
Kimiko shakes her head, "No, I don't." It was a lie. She knew that Amelia was making Christmas presents.
Hours later, everyone, minus Amelia, who was always late, sat at the table. They took this time to talk. "Warriors, do you think Amelia is ready to be promoted?" Master Fung asks as he closes the door.
Everyone gazes around the table, afraid to be the first to answer. "Yes, I do. She saved Rai's life and ours. She also has been doing well at training." Kimiko pipes up.
"She's right. If is wasn't for her, I wouldn't be around." Raimundo adds sorrowfully, looking at his shoulder.
Omi thinks, "She has the speed of lighting, Master. Amelia is going through the in training course with ease."
"She dedicates herself to what she is doing, even if it is dangerous or easy. She practically disappears when she runs. I have seen her try standing without use of the Wu once." Clay admits.
Master Fung nods his head, "I have seen improvement myself, young monks. Did you notice anything about her attitude? She has opened up to others since she has arrived to the temple."
Dojo suddenly jumps onto the table, "So, when is the promotion? Tomorrow? Tonight? Now?"
Everyone starts to smile. "Tomorrow, during training. No one may speak of this till then. Understand?" Master Fung glares at Omi.
"Yes, Master Fung." Everyone says in unison. Soon, Amelia walks into the room.
"Sorry. I was working on something and I lost track of time." She smiles a sorry. Soon, everyone is eating. Amelia notices something in their behavior, but she decides to shrug it off.
Soon, everyone goes to bed. Amelia's light stays on till late hours. On the floor, leaning against a wall, was one finished painting. On the easel, there was one that was almost finished. It had brown tone painting covering it.
After the clock hits midnights, Amelia finally steps away from the easel. "Rai, done. Clay almost finished. Just have to do Kimiko's, Omi's and Master Fung and Dojo's." She smiles to herself.
A shadowy figure sits outside of Amelia's window, watching her paint. "Hmm, this dragon in training is very loyal to her friends and persisted. She will be a good target to use to get close to Master Fung and the Dragons."
The figure smiles, turns and bounces away into the night.
Me: Okay, I guess I have to tell you what Amelia says in Spanish.
Amelia: No, I will so you don't get into trouble. I said, "You are an ass! Son of a bitch! Fall off the world!"
Omi: (jaw drop) Amelia can swear?
Rai: Yeah. (rubs shoulder) Did you have to shoot me in the shoulder with and arrow?
Me: (hide bow) Who me? I can't even hit the broad side of a barn!
Amelia: Whatever. Just, please, review before our authoress kills someone!