dl-sPirit: I'm back! Sorry for the quality of this chapter (ducks a watermelon) HEY! YOU HAVEN'T EVEN READ IT YET!
Reviewer: But you already said that it stinks!
dl-sPirit: ...Point taken. But Raimundo and Roni are both gone!
(in a bar somewhere)
Raimundo: I remember this place... me and everyone else went here during 'Dragon's Quest'.
Roni: I don't blame you! The drinks are excellent!
Raimundo: Let's hear it for bars!
(back with the authoress)
dl-sPirit: To replace them, I've employed an old friend. Ferret!
Ferret: HEY EVERYONE!
dl-sPirit: ...she had sugar
Ferret: YUP! I'M HYPER! BUT NOT INSANE!
dl-sPirit: Thank you for telling us. Now, tell everyone where the disclaimer is.
Ferret: SEE CHAPTER 1! LOOKIE A BUTTERFLY! BUTTER FLIES! I WANNA FLY TOO! (jumps up and lands on face)
dl-sPirit: -.-u Read. I'm taking Ferret to Detox. (grabs Ferret and begins walking away)
(Clay's POV)
Today was pretty dang disappointing. I mean, we lost three shen-gong-wu to some stranger, and Omi keeps blaming himself. Practice was canceled because no one could concentrate. But it gave me time to think.
Who was that stranger. I think Rai and Jack know him pretty darn well, judging by how they reacted. And, I think it was pretty bad. They both seemed terrified. Terrifying Jack is one thing, but terrifying Rai… it usu'lly takes a nasty surprise to do that. And I mean nasty.
I know Rai knows more than he's saying. I mean, that blood, the undead blood, it was fresh. Somethin' had been there before us. And Rai had been running. He saw it, but he won't tell us.
Besides, Rai's not good at making fires. How did he make one all by himself when he was, ya know, hurt like that? I don't think he did. Besides, there was something else.
Sets of four tiny holes in the mountain. They weren't too far apart. Something made them, and Rai knows what. But he's hiding it. And darn well too.
I wish he'd tell us. It'd be nice to know who that stranger was…
(Normal POV)
Kimiko sat beside the pond. Today had been confusing. The stranger, whoever he was, had managed to slip away unnoticed after the showdown. That left them three shen-gong-wu short, with the knowledge of another shen-gong-wu…
The Amethyst of the Third Eye…why did that sound so familiar?
Then, she remembered.
--
"Dojo, what shen-gong-wu are we looking for?" Omi asked as they headed to the mountain range. The green lizard responded with, "The Amethyst of the Third Eye. Who ever possesses it gains the ability of telepathy."
"You mean we can make people hear our thoughts?" Raimundo asked.
"Only if you activate it, of course," Dojo clarified.
They landed in the mountains, on a cliff. "It should be right…here?"
Dojo was looking at a small hole in the ground. It was littered with tiny pebbles and shards of pottery.
"Um…you sure this is it, right partner?" Clay asked, kneeling down to inspect the hole.
"I'm sure of it!" Dojo exclaimed. "Grandmaster Dashi had put it in a pot and I buried it right here! It's gone!"
--
That was it. The Amethyst was never found, come to think of it, only tiny droplets of dried blood. Had the challenger found it?
But how? Only Dojo and Wuya could sense shen-gong-wu, and Jack's detecto-bot. Dojo would've probably remembered if he helped someone find it and it was safe to assume that Jack hadn't lent his robot or Wuya to anyone. It didn't make any sense.
"Hey Kim." Raimundo's voice snapped Kimiko out of her thoughts. She looked at the brazilian, who seemed to have genuine concern on his face. "You ok, girl?"
"Just perfect," Kimiko mumbled. Actually, she was quite sure that they'd never see the Monkey Staff, Orb of Tornami, or the Reversing Mirror ever again. It was kind of depressing to think about.
"Is this about what's-his-face? The guy we don't know?" he asked, sitting down beside the Dragon of Fire. When Kimiko didn't respond, he told her, "Relax, Kim. Maybe it was a one-time thing. We'll get the wu back, I promise."
The Dragon of Fire reflected on this. Raimundo was right. After all, if the challenger had depended on darts to win, he couldn't be that tough. Besides, maybe he'd show up again. They'd recognize his voice. "Yeah, Rai, I guess so." Raimundo gave her a tiny half-smile. It was something he had picked up recently. Ever since… she didn't want to think about it.
"Oh, by the way, Kimiko," Raimundo started, pulling out a jewelry box. "Well, I was in Brazil, you know, there was a traders' bazaar. I looked around and, well, I got this for you." He handed her the small box. Kimiko looked at Raimundo carefully before taking the box and slowly opening it. She gasped.
It was a necklace. A beautiful heart-shaped sapphire, with emerald veins running through the center of it, was set on a silver heart. A thin chain held the necklace. Kimiko stared in awe.
"Look on the back," the brazilian hinted. Kimiko, curious as to what Raimundo meant, flipped over the necklace. She saw it. An inscription:
"Never forget how much I care.
Always remember who you are.
You will always be my fiery angel of beauty.
I would give my life for you.
I'm always there for you.
Never forget that."
Under that was her and Raimundo's names. Maybe it wasn't Shakespeare, but it had come from his heart. That was what mattered.
"Here. I'll help you get it on," Raimundo said, picking up the necklace and undoing the clasp. After a few awkward moments, the brazilian managed to get the necklace on Kimiko. The Dragon of Fire smiled.
"Thanks, Rai," she whispered. She wasn't quite sure what else to say. The Dragon of the Wind gave his tiny half-smile again.
"You should see how you look," he suggested. Kimiko nodded, got up, and went inside, leaving Raimundo to stare after with a sad smile.
There was so much meaning behind those words. He truly did care. That's why he was choosing to help Roni. To protect Kimiko.
Raimundo.
Raimundo groaned. Speak of the devil…
Nine o' clok ta-dae. Da vault. Remember dat.
That was it? Nine o' clock today, in the vault… wait. Raimundo thought. She was going in the vault? Take the remaining shen-gong-wu? Or made herself known? Which was it?
It really was time to find that secret room. Raimundo went inside.
(---)
Now, Raimundo was extremely frustrated. It was three in the afternoon. The brazilian was in his room, lying on his bed. Six hours until Roni attacked. Thinking about that alone gave him a bad feeling. And no lost room. Or hidden book. It was like trying to find a ghost.
Out of sheer frustration, Raimundo did the first thing that came to mind: he punched a wall. A solid wall. He punched a hole through it.
"Oh crap," he muttered. Master Fung didn't appreciate destruction of property. He quickly pulled his fist out of the hole. That's when he saw it: piles of scrolls behind the wall. And some old handmade books.
Forget what Master Fung liked. He had found the room. And he was going in.
dl-sPirit: Yeah...
Ferret: My head! Ouch!
dl-spirit: Why did you retire again?
Ferret: That vampire smurf sent a vacuum after me! I wasn't staying with a muse like that!
dl-sPirit: Well, he isn't here for now. Will you stick around until Rai and Roni return?
(at the bar)
Roni: More tequilla!
Raimundo: Da-da-da-da-da DA! GRIDLOCK!
Roni: (falls out of chair laughing)
(back with the authoress)
Ferret: Ok!
dl-sPirit: GREAT! Ok, guys, you know what to do!
Ferret: Review or I'll bite you!
dl-sPirit: Ferret...