Kimiko: Everything okay? It's been months since you updated our story.
Omi: Indeed. You haven't updated since June.
Marcus: Sorry. A couple things happened over the past several months.
Kimiko: Like….
Marcus: One, I was kinda waiting for a review on the last chapter.
Omi: I see.
Kimiko: Makes sense. Opinions of others really helps stimulate inspiration.
Marcus: Yes indeed. Thank you for the review, Power Taco.
Kimiko: What else…
Marcus: Two, I had my hands full with a fanfiction film that I was making for YouTube. I would've looked like a fool if I missed the deadline.
Omi: Oh. Very interesting.
Kimiko: I think I know which fanfic you're talking about. How did that film turn out?
Marcus: Oh it was GREAT! Everyone loved it!
Kimiko: Really?! That's awesome!
Omi: Yes! Very great news!
Marcus: Thank you. And three, I kinda felt out of it after such a hard loss.
Kimiko: What happened?
Marcus: My grandfather died.
Omi: !
Kimiko: Aww, I'm so sorry to hear that.
Marcus: Yeah. It's not easy losing a loved one like that.
Omi: *sniff* I can agree with you. I haven't forgotten the feeling of losing my mother.
Marcus: You do know those were just Jack's Jackbots disguised by the Moby Morpher, right?
Omi: Yes, but I still feel your pain.
Kimiko: In other words, he can relate.
Marcus: Understandable.
Kimiko: Either way, you have our condolences.
Marcus: Thank you. Now, let's get on with the new chapter.
Over the next few days, Omi and Kimiko trained together alone, focusing on strengthening their sub-elements. During their training, they seemed to be slowly repairing the hole in their friendship. For whenever one of them struggled, the other helped them find and correct their error. When Omi lost focus and went off target with one of his ice attacks, Kimiko would tell him to keep his mind clear and focus on only the target. Omi nodded and tried it, which allowed him to succeed in hitting his target. When Kimiko's lightning blasts came out weak, Omi would tell her to try again and channel emotions that made her strong into her attacks. Kimiko complied, thinking about bravery and determination, and also of the bond she shared with Omi. She would've thought of her love for the little monk, but after the confusion they went through earlier, that would've thrown her focus off. Besides, Omi was still confused about it too. So for now, she thought of the faith they had in each other. And by doing that, her lightning attack blasted her target to smithereens. Kimiko cheered and jumped up and down like a happy little girl.
"Excellent work, Kimiko!" Omi complimented.
"Thanks, Omi. You too." Kimiko replied. She turned to face the little monk.
"I'm glad we were able to work things out between us the other day." She said, taking Omi's hands in hers. "I don't think either of us would be doing this well if we didn't."
"You're probably right." Omi replied, blushing slightly. "I'm glad we worked things out too."
Kimiko smiled.
"Omi, Kimiko," Dojo called out, "It's time for Tag Team combat training."
The two monks nodded and headed for the courtyard, where Master Fung was waiting.
Once they got there, Tag Team combat training was about to begin. Today, the teams consisted of Omi and Kimiko vs Raimundo and Clay, which was very good news for Omi and Kimiko, but very bad news for Raimundo. He growled at Omi. Kimiko saw this and glared at him. Omi noticed and also glared.
"Cool yer jets, partner." Clay jammed an elbow into Raimundo's side.
"Ow!" Raimundo groaned.
"You keep that jealousy thing up, you're gonna get beat up worse than you did before." Clay reminded him. Raimundo scoffed. He was jealous of Omi, but no WAY he wanted to go through what he, Clay and Kimiko put him through a few days ago.
"Ok, young monks," Master Fung declared, "when I say the word, your tag team training begins."
Hearing that, both teams got into their battle stances, waiting for the signal. Each team readied their shen gong wu, which they would be using in this battle. Clay and Raimundo had the Third-Arm Sash and the Sword of the Storm. Omi and Kimiko had the Orb of Tornami and the Star Hanabi.
"And…." Master Fung started, "…GO!"
"Sword of the Storm! WIND!" Raimundo shouted, activating the sword. At that moment, a tornado of wind swirled from the sword and blew right towards Omi and Kimiko. Omi and Kimiko stared at the oncoming whirlwind for a second. Then they looked at each other and nodded. After that, the two monks darted in different directions, dodging the whirlwind. Omi went right and Kimiko jumped up left.
"Star Hanabi! FIRE!" Kimiko exclaimed, pointing the star at Raimundo and Clay. At her command, the star shot out a stream of fire towards the two. Raimundo turned to Clay and nodded. Clay nodded back.
"Third arm sash! EARTH!" The cowboy shouted. At that moment, the sash pounded the ground and shot a fist towards the fire stream, turning into solid earth as it did so. As it hit the fire stream, it started blasting right through it like it was nothing. Kimiko, who was still in the air, gasped as she saw this. And since she couldn't maneuver in mid-air, it was only a matter of time before the earth fist hit her. Omi, who saw this, decided to help Kimiko by going after Clay.
"Orb of Tornami! WATER!" Omi shouted, activating his wu. Raimundo heard this and quickly got on Clay's other side to counter Omi's move.
"Try it, cueball!" Raimundo taunted. But Omi knew that Raimundo would expect a head-on attack. So instead of aiming at Raimundo, he aimed the orb below him. At that instant, the orb shot water onto the ground.
"Huh?" Raimundo said with confusion as the water spread across the ground from Omi and eventually getting under Raimundo and Clay's feet.
"ICE!" Omi shouted. At that instant, the water below Raimundo and Clay solidified and turned into a sheet of slick and slippery ice. Raimundo and Clay's feet started slipping.
"WHOA!" The boys exclaimed as they lost their balance and fell. Due to this, the earth third arm sash, which was about to reach Kimiko at the time, suddenly changed direction and punched at nothing instead. Kimiko, who landed on solid ground seconds later, saw Clay and Raimundo sprawled on what appeared to be a sheet of ice. That was when she figured it out.
"Nice, Omi!" She complimented Omi as she ran up to him. "You immobilized them with a sheet of ice below them." Omi just smirked.
"Very crafty, you clever little monk, you!" Kimiko exclaimed. She hugged the little monk around the neck as she said this, causing Omi to blush.
"Th-Thank you, Kimiko." The little monk replied. "But that sheet of ice won't last long." He was right, for the ice sheet below Raimundo and Clay was starting to shrink thanks to the hot sun.
"Shall we finish this now?" Omi asked.
Kimiko let go of Omi and nodded. "Yes. Let's wrap this up."
"Hurry up, Partner." Clay warned Raimundo. "If we don't get back on our feet, we're toast!"
"I would.." Raimundo replied, "But this ice is too slippery." He was clearly struggling to get back on their feet on the slippery ice. Clay was slipping too. The way they were sprawled on the ice made them look like helpless bugs caught in a spider web. But they had to do something fast, or they'll lose. And even though the ice below them was melting, it still wouldn't be enough time for them to get back on their feet and prepare a counterattack.
Meanwhile, Omi and Kimiko got ready to deliver the final blow. And now with their bond and friendship repaired, they knew just how to do it.
"WATER!" Omi shouted.
"LIGHTNING!" Kimiko shouted right after. Omi then made clouds above their heads, and Kimiko sent lightning into them. The sounds of this alarmed both Raimundo and Clay.
"OH NO!" Clay exclaimed.
"They're unleashing their combo attack!" Raimundo exclaimed after. Master Fung and Dojo watched from their safe distance.
"Ooooh, this should be good." Dojo mused.
"Together, they create an unstoppable force!" Kimiko shouted.
"Let us show you the strength of the bond we forge!" Omi followed.
"DO SOMETHING, CLAY!" Raimundo shouted.
"SEISMIC KICK! METAL!" Clay exclaimed, stomping his feet. But due to him being sprawled on the ground, his feet could only land straight down and cause metal spikes to shoot from the ground around him and Raimundo, which broke the ice sheet under them.
"HERE WE GO!" Omi shouted.
"NOW!" Kimiko shouted right after.
"THUNDERSTORM!" They both shouted in unison. At that moment, the clouds started moving, thundering, and pouring heavy rain. Then the two monks did another move, and the storm clouds crashed into the ground, changing into a mass of water with lightning currents flowing through it. Raimundo and Clay managed to get back on their feet, but by then it was already too late, because the mass of water and lightning was coming at them real fast. The boys both screamed as the attack swept them away. Seconds later, the attack hit the wall, dying down right after. Once all the water and lightning were gone, their sprawled against the wall were Raimundo and Clay, both defeated.
"And the winners are…Omi and Kimiko." Master Fung declared.
"ALRIGHT!" Kimiko exclaimed.
"We won!" Omi cheered right after.
Dojo whistled with an impressed expression. "What a doozy."
"Well done, young monks." Master Fung congratulated Omi and Kimiko. "You both have gotten stronger."
"That's because the bond Kimiko and I share has gotten stronger, Master Fung." Omi explained. He looked at Kimiko as he said this and smiled. Kimiko smiled back, blushing a little.
"Very good." Master Fung complimented. "A strong bond between two warriors is very helpful in a tag team battle. It allows you to cooperate more effectively." Omi and Kimiko nodded as they heard this.
"May your bond continue to grow as you train." Master Fung bowed to the two young monks.
"Thank you, Master Fung." Omi and Kimiko replied, bowing back.
"And that concludes today's Tag Team combat training." Master Fung declared. "May what you learned today, whether it was failure or success, serve you well." And with that, he went back into the temple. By then, Raimundo and Clay have already recovered from being thrown around by Omi and Kimiko's attack and were now on their feet.
"Whew! That was excellent teamwork you two executed today." Clay complimented. "You two deserved that win."
"Thanks Clay." Kimiko replied.
"Yes, thank you." Omi added.
"Yeah. Just don't expect us to lose next time." Raimundo scoffed. And he stormed off to do his chores. Clay shook his head.
"Don't let him get to ya. He's just jealous of how you two work so well together." The cowboy said.
"It's only a matter of our effective teamwork, Clay." Omi reminded him. "It's what gives a tag team an advantage in battle."
"I know that, partner. But what you two showed us today was more than that." Clay replied.
"How so?" Kimiko asked.
"You two are so in sync." Clay pointed out. "And it's all because you two are so close."
Omi and Kimiko blushed slightly after hearing this.
"In fact, you've gotten much closer ever since making up after that incident a few days ago." Clay added.
Omi and Kimiko had to nod to that.
"I'm looking forward to see how far you two come in the long run." Clay said before tipping his hat and leaving to get some water.
"That Clay…" Kimiko shook her head.
"I'm sure he was just a compliment on how our bond has strengthened, Kimiko." Omi implied.
"I know he is, Omi." Kimiko replied. "I'm just amused by how he points things out about us, that's all."
Omi blushed slightly.
"Anyway, I'd better get to my chores." Kimiko said. "I'll see ya later, Omi." She winked at the little monk as she started to leave.
Omi stared at her as she left. He seemed to be in a trance at a moment. But he quickly shook any silly thoughts and went to do his own chores.
However, as he did his chores, Omi could hardly concentrate. He was still thinking about Kimiko. He had to admit, Clay was right. He and Kimiko have really gotten closer over the past several days since making up after the Heart's Desire incident a few days ago. And every day Omi was starting to feel a little tugging feeling inside whenever around Kimiko or even thinking about her. And that feeling was even stronger after Kimiko winked at him just now. It wasn't long before he realized that that feeling was indeed love. But the little monk was still unsure of what love is. His book, "The Ancient Guide to Females," didn't really have any good advice on the concept, or on how to ask a girl out, since it was 1500 years old after all. So Omi decided that after he finished his chores, he'll get some advice on dating.
And where he was getting that advice from was…..the INTERNET! Omi, after finishing his chores, was now in Kimiko's room and was on her PDA (Portable Digital Assistant). Kimiko had put strict rules against the boys touching her stuff without asking her permission first after the last time they rummaged through her stuff. Omi knew it was wrong of him to use Kimiko's stuff without asking her first. He would've asked, but he assumed she would ask why he wanted to use her stuff. And he didn't want her to know that….at least not yet. Right now, Omi was looking at websites containing advice on dating.
Hopefully I'll learn everything I need to know before Kimiko catches me. Omi thought to himself.
"OMI, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" A female voice exclaimed from behind him. Omi turned around in shock to see Kimiko right outside the entrance to her room. Apparently she finished her chores and was now going to play one of her video games. And she was NOT expecting to see Omi in her room.
"K-KIMIKO!" Omi stammered. "You finished your chores already." The little monk started to sweat, for Kimiko was now glaring at him. He could tell she was not happy. Kimiko then saw the PDA in Omi's hands and snatched it away. It was no trouble for her, for Omi's grip weakened from his terrified state.
"Omi, I told you not to touch my stuff without asking!" Kimiko snapped. She was clearly disappointed in him. "I haven't forgotten what you did to my lipstick!" She glared at him as she said this. Omi was embarrassed.
"I-I'm sorry, Kimiko." He stammered. "I would've asked your permission beforehand, but you most likely would've asked me why I would want to touch your stuff."
"You're darn right I would!" Kimiko snapped. "What? Had a problem with that?!" She was clearly upset that Omi would do this to her.
"O-Only in this case." Omi stammered. "I didn't want to ruin the surprise.."
"What surprise?!" Kimiko asked, raising a brow. She wanted to believe him, but she wasn't entirely sure. She liked him, but she knew he knew better than to use her stuff behind her back. But since Omi most likely won't tell her, instead of prying information out of him, she looked at the screen on her PDA to see what he was doing on it. But when she turned the screen on, she couldn't believe her eyes. The screen showed a website on dating advice. That's when she realized what Omi was thinking. She turned to look at Omi, with a smug grin on her face.
"Omi…" she said in a flirty tone. "Were you planning to ask me out?" Omi's eyes widened. He forgot to back out of the site he was on. Now the feline was not in the sack, aka, the cat was out of the bag.
"Th-That was why I hesitated on asking you." Omi stammered.
"Awww, you're sweet." Kimiko cooed. "Though I admit, I'm surprised you used my PDA to check the INTERNET for advice. I thought you would've turned to your "Ancient Guide to Females" for help."
Omi blushed at Kimiko's teasing. Kimiko giggled at this. This left Omi unamused.
"Kimiko, that book is 1500 years old!" The little monk seethed. "I needed a down-month!"
"Update?" Kimiko asked, still giggling.
"Y-Yeah, that." Omi stuttered in embarrassment.
"Well then, I hope you've learned a good amount so far.." Kimiko smirked. "Because now that I know, you wanna give it a try?"
Omi was shocked. She was asking him to try and ask her out. He didn't know how to respond. He wasn't sure if he learned enough about asking girls out. And the fact that Kimiko knew about it was putting more pressure on him.
"Don't be shy.." Kimiko reassured him. "Just treat it like a normal conversation. You got this, Omi."
Omi was now even more embarrassed. A NORMAL conversation? There was nothing normal about this topic. He assumed Kimiko was teasing him, and it was putting more pressure on him than ever. But then he thought back to all the times she taught him about technology and the outside world. Recalling that, he realized Kimiko was trying to help him. So he calmed himself down, faced Kimiko, and took a deep breath.
"Ok then. Kimiko…" Omi started. Kimiko stared at him intently. She was practically WAITING for it.
"W-Would you like to take a walk with me in the courtyard tonight?" The little monk asked her. At that instant, Kimiko squealed excitedly and hugged the little monk, causing him to blush.
"I'D LOVE TO!" Kimiko exclaimed with glee. Omi couldn't believe it. Kimiko accepted his offer to go out with him. This made the little monk very happy.
"Excellent." He exclaimed as she let go of him. "I'll see you on the temple porch at around…7."
"Sounds great." Kimiko agreed. Omi smiled after hearing this. With that, he exited Kimiko's room with a larger smile on his face. Kimiko watched as Omi left. Once he was gone, she exclaimed "YES! YES! YES!" over and over excitedly like a little girl who just received a new toy. She got exactly what she wanted: A date with Omi.
Later that evening, she was in her room again. The entrance was covered by her curtain, for she just got out of the shower. She was now in only her underwear, rummaging through her clothes. She was deciding what to wear for her date tonight.
"Gettin' ready for yer date with Omi?" Asked a voice from outside. It was Clay's voice. He overheard Kimiko pondering about what to wear tonight. Kimiko, who was shocked to hear Clay's voice, poked her head out from behind the curtain to see the Xiaolin Dragon of Earth outside the entrance of his own room. He had a smug smile on his face.
"How do you know about that, Clay?!" Kimiko asked with irritation.
"Omi asked me to keep a lasso on Raimundo while you two go out tonight." Clay explained. Kimiko looked at the cowboy in surprise. But she smiled. She was happy to know Clay was helping them out. And it made her even happier that Omi asked Clay to help.
"Wow Clay. You sure are quite the wingman." She complimented.
"Anytime." Clay tipped his hat.
"How about a little extra pressure then?" Kimiko added. "Tell Raimundo that if he interferes with my date with Omi, he's gonna get a beating a lot WORSE than before!"
"You bet." Clay smirked. He knew what she was referring to.
"Anyway, I gotta hurry." Kimiko hid behind the curtain. "I don't want to be late."
"Have fun." Clay tipped his hat.
Now it was around 7PM. Omi was sitting on the stone railing on the temple porch. He was waiting for Kimiko to show up.
"Where could she be?" He asked himself. "I hope she hasn't forgotten or decided not to show up." Even though the way she acted when she accepted his offer made such a possibility unlikely, the outcome would really break his heart.
"Evening, Omi." He heard Kimiko's voice behind him say. "I'm ready for our date."
Omi happily turned to face Kimiko. And when he saw her, her eyes widened with amazement.
Well, that's it for this chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it. If you're wondering why I decided to cut off here, then I'll tell ya it was for a few reasons. 1, to see what you all think of the direction I'm taking this story, 2, start throwing Kimiko's antics for appearance change into this, for I assume you're all thinking she's been in her Xiaolin robe throughout the entire story (except during the stormy night part in Chapter 2, of course), 3, I enjoy doing this whole element of surprise thing in my stories. And since Omi kinda did that with Kimiko in this chapter, now it'll be Kimiko's turn to do the same to him.
I'll get back to updating my other stories as soon as I possibly can. As my college semester is more than half over, and due to COVID concerns, we're moving to full online courses for the rest of the semester. I got a few weeks left, but once Winter Break starts, I'm sure to have more updates coming.
And you know what? Before I sign off, I'll say this. If you write a review for this chapter, if you want, you can also jot down ideas for what Kimiko is wearing for her date with Omi, which will be revealed in the next chapter.
Thanks for reading. See ya all next time!