Raimundo stared at the closed door that Kimiko had just left through. He must've been staring at it for at least five minutes by now. His green eyes were fixed on the wood set into the stone wall. Kimiko had a boyfriend? Only yesterday they had almost kissed … no, for him it might have been only yesterday, but for Kimiko it had eight years. How could he have thought she would wait around for eight years? Of course she found someone else.

Raimundo scolded himself for being so arrogant. Kimiko was a beautiful girl and lots of guys had probably wanted to go out with her. But who was the Yuuji guy? Was he trust worthy? Kimiko had always had pretty good judgement. Maybe he was just over reacting, but … god, why did it hurt so much?

Kimiko's head slid back around the door.

"Raimundo, come on out. I'll show you around." She said in her calm and serious voice that sounded unfamiliar to Raimundo's ears.

He got sulkily to his feet and walked across the room, dragging his feet slightly.

"What's up with you?" Kimiko asked as he left the circular room.

"Nothing," He sighed, "It's stupid."

"Tell me." Said Kimiko.

"Well, it's just that …" Began Raimundo, but he was cut of by a shout.

"Nihon!"

Kimiko span around and ran towards the male figure standing at the other end of the passage. He lifted her up by the waist and span her around. She smiled properly since she had first seen Raimundo again and laughed as he put her down. Their lips touched and Raimundo rolled his eyes and stared gloomily at the ground.

"Raimundo!" Called Kimiko, with all her old enthusiasm, "Come and meet him!"

Raimundo groaned and walked up the passage.

"Raimundo, this is Yuuji." She said, smiling broadly, "Yuuji, this is Raimundo, one of my oldest friends."

"I've heard a lot about you, Dragon of the Wind." Said Yuuji, bowing before putting out his hand in an offer to Raimundo.

Raimundo took it and looked for the first time at his face. Yuuji was handsome. Like Kimiko, he was of Japanese origin. His face was calm and set in an expression of kindness with his eyes slightly closed and his mouth in a slight smile. Up to his neck he was still dressed in the black ninja gear, but without the mask Raimundo could see his hair that fell down to just below his eyes and down his neck. It was black with copper streaks at the front. His eyebrow was pierced and his dark eyes were deep and calming. His voice gave the impression of someone patient and caring. All together, Yuuji was a very handsome guy. This was Raimundo's worst nightmare; Kimiko had fallen for a seriously handsome guy.

Raimundo squeezed Yuuji's hand slightly tighter than normal, but Yuuji's expression did not change.

"Nice to meet you," Said Raimundo, putting on his charming, fake smile.

Kimiko knew that smile all too well and she watched him carefully as he let go of Yuuji's hand, but Yuuji appeared not to notice anything strained about Raimundo. But why should he? He didn't know Raimundo's disarming smile and charming features that he liked to use on anyone he came across to win them over. Of course, he had never been so stupid as to try them out on her.

"So … what else have I missed?" Asked Raimundo, back to his normal, arrogant self, "You know, while I was hurtling through time."

" Allow me to show you around our headquarters!" Said Yuuji, smiling.

He also had a very disarming smile. That was something Kimiko suddenly noticed was very similar about Raimundo and Yuuji, their smile was almost identical.

"Thanks," Said Raimundo, "You coming Kim?"

"Kim?" Asked Yuuji, "You mean Nihon."

Raimundo stared at him and back at Kimiko.

"You don't even let him call you by your real name?" he asked, amazed.

"Everyone calls me Nihon now," She explained, "And while we're out in public you will do the same."

"What ever you say captain tight ass." Said Raimundo, rolling his eyes in disgust.

Kimiko hit him hard in the arm and walked along towards the cart.

He rubbed the quickly forming bruise and Yuuji looked at him.

"She hasn't hit me like that in a while." Raimundo laughed, "She's learned to hit harder since she was fourteen. Ow!"

"Are you alright?" Asked Yuuji.

"I'm used to it," Said Raimundo coldly, walking past him.

For a moment, he'd almost been acting friendly towards this guy.

He settled himself in the cart opposite Kimiko and Yuuji followed him in and immediately sat beside her, taking her hand in his. Kimiko smiled at him gently.

"Well 'Nihon', where we going first?" Asked Raimundo in a distinctly bored tone.

"We're going round to the visitors entrance to sign you in as a permanent member." Explained Kimiko, tapping in her commands on the controls.

"Permanent member?" Asked Raimundo.

"Normally, permanent members have to go through training," Said Yuuji, obviously as surprised as Raimundo himself.

"If you see Raimundo's fighting, you'll know he doesn't need anymore training." Explained Kimiko.

Raimundo and Yuuji's eyes met and Raimundo smirked at him. Yuuji looked away. What was with this guy? Kimiko had told him that nothing ever happened between them. Or did she say nothing had a chance?

"Nice city you got here Ki … Nihon." Said Raimundo, leaning back lazily.

"It took a while us build." Said Kimiko, "And the help from everyone down here. Clay's settlement is still mainly tents and a few stalls, but Yuuji's father used to own a building company, that's how we met. He was helping with the supplies for the houses."

"How nice," Said Raimundo in a voice so obviously false that even Kimiko couldn't pretend not to hear it.

"I wanted to help." Said Yuuji, slowly, calmly but with a warning tone.

"Like I said …" Said Raimundo, shrugging as though there was nothing wrong, "Nice."

Kimiko watched him closely; unaware that Yuuji was also watching him.

As the cart came to a stop, Kimiko let Yuuji out first and as Raimundo got out, she pulled him back and glared at him.

"What is wrong with you?" She hissed.

"What do you mean?" Asked Raimundo.

"Don't act all innocent with me!" Said Kimiko, "What's with the attitude you're giving Yuuji?"

"What attitude?" Asked Raimundo.

"Raimundo, why are you acting like this? You never take anything seriously." She said, "You're acting like a … like a …"

"Teenager?"

She let go of his arm, glaring at him.

"Grow up Raimundo." She said warningly.

"In case you haven't noticed I have." Said Raimundo, "I was about to say the same thing to you too. You're acting like you don't even remember …"

"Remember what?" asked Kimiko, trying to pull some understanding out of his face.

Raimundo looked into her blue eye and stepped back. Kimiko had forgotten. She had forgotten how close they had come to being together before he had fallen into the time rip to save her life. She had forgotten that they had almost kissed …

"Nothing," He said distantly, "forget I said anything."

"Remember what Rai?" Asked Kimiko, still confused.

"Forget it!" Said Raimundo fiercely, pulling away and walking up the tunnel towards the doors into the main entrance to the headquarters.

They were now on the ground floor and Raimundo could see people bustling in every direction, just like on the surface. The Rebellion's headquarters had been cut out of the rock in the side of the cavern that (With help from Clay's element) had been carved out of the ground beneath what had once been the temple vault. The entrance to the cavern was in fact the vault's staircase. The cavern was large enough to fit the entire city in and, just before Clay had left for America, he had helped carve their headquarters out of the rock. Unless Chase's people had been told about the entrance to the city, they never would've found it. Only highly trained individuals were permitted to go above ground and so, they were never followed.

Walking into the headquarters was a little like walking into a bank crossed with a police station. There were armed individuals all over the place, listening to people's reports and complaints, but then there were desks where people were given information about anything they could need.

"This is where you'll pick up your identification and living arrangements." Explained Yuuji.

"What about cash?" Asked Raimundo, "I was broke for about a year before I ever fell into that portal."

"Everything in Chikatetsu Machi is free, but under ration." Said Yuuji.

"Now that's what I call hospitality!" Said Raimundo, "Free food!"

"Well, if everything's free, then no one needs money to get what they need from the shops and the shop owners don't need money from the customers to get what they need from other shops." Explained Kimiko, "If everything's free anyway and no one has taxes or fees or anything, then why would the people need money?"

"What about living arrangements?" Asked Raimundo.

"There are always a few houses spare. We always build extra." Said Yuuji.

"A whole house to myself?" Raimundo asked, "It's going to be strange living on my own."

Kimiko smiled softly, remembering them living together in the temple.

"You live on your own Nihon?" Asked Raimundo, still trying to get used to the name.

"I live with Yuuji." Explained Kimiko.

Raimundo's face didn't flickered, he just nodded and followed Yuuji towards the nearest counter, but Kimiko sensed something wasn't right about him.

Raimundo saw that the girl behind the counter was about the same age as Kimiko and very pretty. She had red hair that fell down in smoothly over her face and down her back right down to the tip of her spine. Her eyes, like Raimundo's were green, but whereas his were more of an olive green, hers were bright emerald and glittered like jewels, lighting her face with hundreds of expressions even when her face was blank. She was thin and dressed in black jeans and a black shirt. Her eyes stood out because they were outlined in black eyeliner and her lips were smooth and painted black. Her nose was pieced and had a small hoop through the hole with a small silver heart attached to it. But despite her striking looks, she still seemed to be perky and good-natured. In fact she smiled widely as she spotted them approaching.

"Hi Yuuji. Miss Nihon, you've got a recorded message from Amerika. I've sent it to your computer." Her eyes slid from each of their faces until she settled on Raimundo, "Hi there. Are you new?"

"He needs identification and living arrangements." Said Kimiko, shifting through some papers the girl had just handed to her, before looking up at Raimundo, "This is Tammy, she's in charge of communications between us and Clay, y'know. Amerika. Tammy, this is Raimundo, an old friend."

Raimundo stepped forward and his face was suddenly set back into that familiar and charming smile. He held out his hand as Tammy stood up to take it. Her nails were painted in alternating black and red and she had a silver thumb ring.

"Hi," He said, winking quickly at her.

"Have you just transferred from America or Europe?" Asked Tammy as she sat back down, slightly pink.

"Nope, got sucked into a time portal and ended up here." Explained Raimundo.

Tammy laughed and Raimundo raised his eyebrows. She thought he was joking.

"Well, I'm glad you're on our side," she said, smiling at him.

Kimiko sighed impatiently and tapped her nails on the desk.

"Tammy, we need Raimundo's details. We don't have time for you two to flirt all day." She snapped, "We are fighting an evil man with some of the most highly advanced technology on the planet after all."

Tammy's face set and she turned to her computer screen before she started tapping on the keys quickly.

"Yes ma'am," She said as she continued to tap, her fingers moving so fast they couldn't tell what she was typing.

Tammy printed off a sheet and held it out to Kimiko.

"Is that alright?" She asked.

Kimiko glanced at it. Raimundo was going to be living within a ten-minute walk from her and Yuuji's hope. This had advantages and disadvantages.

"Fine." Said Kimiko.

"Shall I sign him up for the training?" asked Tammy.

"No, it won't be necessary." Said Kimiko, her voice cold and toneless.

Tammy typed up the last few notes on Raimundo's record.

"Well then, I think we're done here." Said Tammy, "Will I see you three after work?"

"Well, I'll meet up with you, even if…" Began Raimundo.

"Yes!" Said Kimiko, suddenly.

"But I thought you wanted to finish your report on the new weapon supplies," Said Yuuji.

"It can wait, I need a break." Said Kimiko.

"Well, why wait? I'll finish them now while you show Raimundo to his house." Said Yuuji, "We get off at five Tammy."

They began walking away, Yuuji in one direction and Kimiko and Raimundo in another.

"Great," Said Tammy, "See you in an hour's time. Bye Raimundo."

"See ya," Said Raimundo, winking at her again.

Once they were outside the large building, Raimundo noticed that Kimiko was acting slightly icy towards him. Even Kimiko didn't know why.

"So … where do I live?" He asked.

"Not far from the main building," Said Kimiko.

They walked for a few more minutes in silence. Raimundo knew he had to say something.

"What's the food like here?" he asked, feeling stupid before the words were even fully out.

"Do you have to ask such stupid questions?" Snapped Kimiko.

"Okay, what's wrong?" Asked Raimundo.

Kimiko had been waiting for this moment to yell at him. He had been getting on her nerves since he had met Yuuji, for no apparent reason.

"Why do you have to flirt with everyone you come across?" She snapped suddenly.

"Excuse me?" Asked Raimundo, "I don't flirt with …"

"Yes you do!" Interrupted Kimiko, "You always have. For gods sake, you don't care if they're girl, boy, furniture or food!"

"Don't be ridiculous. I don't flirt with my furniture or food." Said Raimundo, attempting not to laugh.

"For god's sake," Groaned Kimiko, "If you were left alone in a room, you'd snog the walls!"

"Well, what do you care!" Shouted Raimundo, "It's not like I ever 'snogged' you? Nothing ever happened with you did it? We never went anywhere. We didn't even come close!"

Kimiko stopped and looked at him out of her one good eye.

"Is that what this is about?" She asked, "Because we used to fancy each other when we were teenagers?"

"Maybe for you it was 'used to'! However, to me it's only been twenty fours hours! I don't know if you've even thought about me for the past eight years." He said.

Kimiko stared at him. He was breathing heavily and his heart was pounding.

"Of course I've thought about you," She whispered, "I thought about no one else for the first year you were gone, but like you said. Nothing ever happened … and I moved on. I'm sorry, but did you think I was going to wait around for eight years on the off chance that it would spit you out again?"

Raimundo didn't answer.

"I know for you, no time at all has passed, but I think you need to move on as well." She said softly.

"I know," Said Raimundo, running a hand through his hair, "When I realised you had a boyfriend I felt like such a … a … baka."

Kimiko smiled. She hugged him.

"If it makes you feel any better, I didn't mean it when I said you'd snog the walls." She laughed.

"If it makes you feel any better, I probably would." Said Raimundo.

They stood there, holding each other in the middle of the path for a few minutes, before Kimiko pulled away.

"Come on, you've got a house to mess up to make it feel like home."

(A/N) Introduction of two new characters here and a few feelings out in the open. There will be more about the other XS characters later. Lots of luv. Becky.