Haven't updated in a while because my sister, who is pretty much done with school, has been home a lot and she hogs the computer. I don't blame her, I would do the same, but I haven't had time to update. Anyway, so here's the next chapter, slightly delayed:

I knew convincing my friends to help me free Ember would be no easy feat; but I had to try.

"You're crazy!" Kimiko screamed as I finished explaining my trip to the jail, and my plan of action. "You're crazier than she is!"

"And she sounds quite bad, my friend." Omi cuts in.

"I don't care! She's only like this because of them!" I argue. "We have to help her!"

"NO WAY!"

"Why not?" I yell back. "Huh? Why? Give me one good reason! You guys are my friends; you're supposed to help me with my problems!"

"OH, DON'T EVEN TRY IT, RAI!" Kimiko completely looses it and gets in my face. "Help you? Because we're your friends? ARE YOU ACTUALLY ATTEMTPING TO PLAY THE FRIEND CARD? Where were you? Where were you all those times we needed you? Huh? WHERE!"

"She has a point Raimundo." Clay says softly.

"I DON'T CARE IF SHE HAS A POINT!" I scream, loosing my temper much like Kimiko did. "I am saving her no matter what happens; now we can be in this together, or alone, but that choice is up to you three." I want to leave and make a dramatic exit, but my legs won't carry me. Like my brain is sending all sorts of signals to stay firmly planted where I am.

"Raimundo, I agree with you." Omi says and my face starts to light up. "I agree that she should not be put to death, especially at such a young age. But we cannot just go breaking a convicted criminal out of jail. If she were an innocent person I would not mind having to save her; but she is not."

"Innocent?" I want to say calm, but shriek the word against my will. "INNOCENT? What the heck? What does that have to do with anything?"

"It has to do with everything, Raimundo!" Clay exclaims, shocking us all because he hardly ever raises his voice. "Why should we save a criminal? They have done wrong and need to be punished. But an innocent person always deserves another chance." He explains, and then adds a little more calmly. "I agree that she should not be killed, but we can't do anything to stop that. Breaking her out is a little insane, partner."

I clench my fists together and my teeth start grinding against one another. "What about that avalanche? There was an avalanche a year ago. It was going to crush a village in the mountains, remember? And what did we do? We saved that village. We saved each and every last person. And how do we know? How do we know that they were all 'good' innocent people? It was a large village; there had to be some thieves in there. But no, we didn't ask questions. We just swooped in there and saved them all. They got a second chance. We just believed they were good people because we chose not to think about it. For all we know, that was a village of cannibals. We just saved them, because that's the Xiaolin way. They could have all be so bad. They could have been a group of people who didn't deserve a second chance, because they to were guilty. But that didn't stop us then, and that shouldn't stop us now."

"I hardly believe there are cannibals left anymore Rai, and we KNOW that Ember was guilty." Kimiko says curtly.

"That's not the point!" I'm only seconds away from having a hysterical breakdown. "Do you think she should die, Kimiko?"

"What?"

"Do you think Ember should die for the crimes she's committed?"

"No." Kimiko says while fidgeting uncomfortably.

"Exactly. All of you have agreed that she shouldn't die. That she needs help." I try to hide it as tears start pooling up in the corners of my eyes. "So why won't you help me?"

"Rai, you have to think of the risk here." Kimiko tells me. "We could, and will, get caught if we try and save her. For all you know, we'd all end up on death row. And what would that accomplish?"

"She was your friend." I can't help it and I start to cry again like an upset child. "She was your friend for a time…yes, she betrayed you all, but for those weeks, those first few weeks, she was our friend. And that was real. Yes she stole, and yes she burned down a lot of things along the way, but why? Is she really some evil person? She…she's screwed up. She's really screwed up. But we could help…we could save her…yes, we could save her on the one condition that she has to change her ways!" I gasp, excited. "We could convince her! I know we could! We can help her. We can help her become a good person. I know we can…so, what do you guys say?"

"Raimundo, my friend, you are quite the persuasive one." Omi says, stroking my ego. "But still…"

"But still what? She was your friend, was she not?"

"Well yes, but-"

"And she did have a messed up past that can be blamed for all thieving, right?"

"I suppose, but still-"

"And we're all in agreement that she shouldn't die, aren't we?"

"YES RAI, BUT STILL!"

"STILL WHAT?" I scream extremely loudly. I think I've scared them.

"Hold on Rai, just let us go talk for a minute." Kimiko says and other two follow her off into a building while I wait at the temple gates. Fifteen minutes later they return.

They're all standing there starring at me. Finally Clay nudges Kimiko forward.

"We've decided…uh," She begins. "None of us really like the idea, Rai…but, you're right about saving her. You're right about all of it. And we agree that it would be in her best interest if she became a better person. Maybe we could even hide her here at the temple for a while, and then when she's all… 'cured' we can tell Jim, and maybe cut some sort of deal. So…anyway, after a lot of debate and looking at it from all angles, we've decided that her sentence is unjust and unfair, and we'll help you."

"You will?" I start crying now, but they're tears of joy.

"Yes, but-"

"Oh no, there's a but…there's always a but…"

"But we're worried about the actual breaking out part. So we will help you on one condition. And that condition is you either find someone with experience in this field to help us, or you come up with some great master plan of saving her. Otherwise the risk is too much, and we're out."

I sigh heavily. "That's like the one thing I can't do…I know it isn't smart, but we don't have much time. How will we be able to devise a plan that quickly?"

"Oh, Raimundo, we had another plan." Clay says. "We had another plan that maybe we could hire someone to break her out…it's a little less risky but we don't know how to pay them."

"Maybe we'll find someone who doesn't want payment!" Omi says. I'm not sure if he's joking or being optimistic.

"Wait a minute…" I say, my heart rate starting to elevate. "What if there is someone? What if there is someone who did have enough experience to break her out? And someone who would for free?"

"Is there even anyone on the entire planet who would even do that?"

"Yes…yes there is!" I say growing more excited by the minute.

"Well, who?"

"Icicle!"

"Who?"

"Icicle! Her sister! Ember's sister Icicle!" The tears of happiness flowing very freely now. "She can help us! She will help us!"

My fellow monks exchange glances, then answer as a group;

"Sounds like a plan!"

I have to say, I like how this chapter turned out. I think I balanced the emotion well. I really like how the feeling went to just pure, overwhelming frustration and all other sorts of bad emotions, to hope. To happy, much welcomed hope. Also, I enjoyed bringing up Ember's past again. In most "OC" fics the character has this sad, tragic past, but at the same time is this happy, bubbly character. It just becomes very mary-sue-ish. But in this story, she is messed up, and she is messed up because of her childhood. Anyway, I just like how it all fits. I've been planning a lot of this story ever since "Seemingly Innocent," and I love the way everything is coming together. I just think I did a really good job…But, who care's what I think? What do youguys think?