Okay, the end of this might be slightly confusing, but I gave Raimundo a quality that is, I know, very strange later on. A little improvement on my favorite character! Rewritten – because I neglected that the Denshi Bunny was taken away in the last showdown, I changed it to the Wings of Tanabi. Yay, my favorite Wu. Oh, and that hanging sentence that I didn't complete is fixed as well.
Chapter Seven
Raimundo's Point of View
As the next day came, I knew what Kim and I were looking at – two heaping piles of "don't feel bad, Raimundo! I, being the well-read dragon of water, shall give you a few tips on the Wudai Chi" short-cake and "aw, don't be like, pardner, it's just an awesome Chi Configuration that is more wicked than Pecos Bill brought back to life! But it's not that great" gumbo.
As Kimiko and I watched Clay and Omi practicing their Chi Configurations from a distance, slightly bored, we heard Master Fung giving praise to them.
"Wudai Chi, Cascades Whip!" Omi shouted, creating the blue whip of life-force, even more impressive looking than yesterday.
"Wudai Chi, Gravity Claw!" Clay resounded back, improving his attack by tripling the cracks.
The torrent of azure and cracks of amber met, creating a white light, which was able to be stepped on. Omi and Clay jumped onto the island-like chi, and began to move around.
"Impressive," chuckled Master Fung. "Clay and Omi have mastered Wudai Chi Configuration, Duo Island." Omi and Clay, once again, grinned widely. Talk about a punch in the gut of self-worth. I took a quick glimpse at Kim, and she looked the exact same way.
"GAH!" Dojo burst onto the training field with a bag filled with ice. "I've got a massive migraine! Shen Gong Wu alert!" Omi and Clay dashed off to get ready for the trip with Kimiko following not far behind.
Just as I was about to leave, Master Fung stopped me and said sagely, "Raimundo, your Chi Configuration had not yet been revealed."
I slumped and grimaced. "Yes, Master Fung, I can see that quite clearly."
Master Fung raised an eyebrow. "But, Raimundo, this is not a bad thing." I looked up as he continued: "As Shoku Warrior, you have the utmost responsibility and pressure on your shoulders. When the time is perfectly ripe, your bud of chi will blossom. Dojo peeked behind Master Fung's legs, holding up a piece of paper, reading, "August 5, 2006: Your horoscope today is: 'Your bud of adulthood will blossom when the time is perfectly ripe.'" Master Fung, wide-eyed, started to sweat. I grinned and said quietly, "Well, thanks anyway, Master Fung." Racing off to my room to prepare, I was excited by what Master Fung had just told me.
Kimiko's Point of View
Holding out the Shen Gong Wu scroll, I found the one activated. "It's called the Bell of Ara," I recited. "Ah yes," Dojo pointed out. The Bell of Ara is able to manipulate the development of undergrowth, creating trees, flowers, vines, and etcetera. Not only that, but it also creates beautiful instrumental acoustics." I smiled; many instrumental songs made me think of Rai. I blushed a little, and looked up at him. He just blew me away entirely. He looked toward me for some reason, and since I was smiling almost idiotically, I flushed and frowned as I looked away. I could tell he gave me a supercilious look, and stared forward once again.
After that, Dojo continued to explain: "Since the foliage is dependant on the soil it grows in, the Bell of Ara can be combined with Clay's element." Clay then tipped his hat slightly and smiled slightly. Omi patted him on the back and said, "This Shen Gong Wu will be in the sack!" Raimundo frowned. "Due to your bad memory in slang, I'll say this again. 'It's in the bag.'" I grinned.
Raimundo's Point of View
After about half an hour (I don't know how Dojo flies so quickly with all that weight), we were heading north of Europe, and Dojo announced, "Welcome to Iceland!" I looked around and thought, 'There's absolutely no icy terrain.' I then slapped my head, and remembered that Greenland and Iceland were reverse literal meanings.
We all landed in a verdant glade. It was pretty small, and it was quite easy to see the bell. It was made of copper, but it had a topaz in the center surrounded by eight rhombus-shaped amethysts circling it, making the entire jewel piece look like a work of art. I ran to grab it, but Kimiko passed me to take hold of it herself. Confused, I ran more quickly and, when we finally reached it at the same time, two other hands grabbed the Bell as well – Wuya's and Chase Young's.
Even more baffled, I asked Wuya, "Why wasn't Chase with you at the last showdown?" Instead of Wuya answering, Chase replied coldly, "Wuya told me she was at an evil witches' sleepover. Wuya, smiling sheepishly for a moment, called, "I challenge you and Kimiko to a two-way showdown – my Doll of Domachi and Chase's Ants in the Pants versus your Wings of Tanabi and Jetbootsu." "The game is caged sparring in trees," said Kimiko, cutting Wuya short. "The walls and ceiling are closed off, and you step on the branches. The first team to land on the ground loses. Let's go!" In unison once again, we cried, "Xiaolin Showdown!" The short, small trees around us began to sprout into about fifty-feet of wooden abyss. Branches ruptured around us and over our heads; one particularly strong one came under Kimiko and my feet and lifted us into the air. When all the growing stopped, we seemed to be in an upright box of leaves and shoots. We both looked below us, and there were five levels of branches, then the ground. From all the way up there, I was quite dizzy.
"Gong Yi Tempi!" The match began. For a while, we all were flying around, and evenly matched on level five. Then, Wuya abruptly summoned, "Doll of Domachi!" A beam of ominous, pale blue light blasted toward Kim. I cheered her on, and I knew she had the perfect ability to avoid it without the Wings of Tanabi, even without her Wudai Mars, but something strange just happened…
Kimiko's Point of View
I was about to evade the attack when I heard Rai say, "C'mon, Kim! I know you can do this!" I slipped off the branch slightly and I got hit by the beam. I lost all feeling in my arms, legs, and neck and I just fell, without even being able to brace myself.
Raimundo's Point of View
Kimiko was falling toward me, and I was going to catch her when Chase Young used the Ants in the Pants on me. I was going to calculate the exact angle to avoid the insects and still be able to catch Kim – okay, I know I look like the person who doesn't study hard and isn't that intelligent, but I am, because I got straight A's in school, so just keep quite – but then, she just had to say in a sniffling manner, "I'm sorry, Rai…"
I got thrown off, of course, and I was assaulted by the minions of six-legged evilness, and in the action of scratching them off frantically, Kimiko dropped on me, we took a fall of those fifty feet I was talking about. Wuya and Chase, holding the five Shen Gong Wu, cackled together and flew off.
Omi's Point of View
Things were not looking upward. Kimiko and Raimundo had just lost the showdown, and all four of us rode on Dojo back to the Xiaolin Temple. For about one hour, everyone was silent.
Slicing the frost, Raimundo said, his voice seemingly crackly, asked Kimiko, "Kimiko, would you mind if we talk privately back in the temple?" Weakly, Kimiko replied, "Okay."
I opened my mouth to give some of my wonderful monk advice to Kimiko and Raimundo, but I decided not to, and the rest of the trip was silent.
When all five of us – that was including Dojo – landed, Raimundo immediately grabbed onto Kimiko's wrist, and raced off. The only thing I was able to hear was a door closing shut.
Chase's Point of View
'Everything is falling in place,' I thought to myself. 'Now that we have made Raimundo and Kimiko loose that silly Wu together, one of the most powerful darkness forces will shroud the earth…'
Me: Dun Dun Dun!
Omi: (waving arms in the air) I WANT TO KNOW WHAT KIMIKO AND RAIMUNDO ARE TALKING ABOUT!
Chase: (appears) I think I know.
Omi: GAH!
Me: (sigh) R&R.
Clay: Ya know, Ruwot, you seem to be sighin' an awful lot.
Me: Fine. How about this? (glares with flames in eyes)
Clay: (backs off) R&R.