Texas Rodeo
Kimiko's POV
"Are you sure you want to come, Omi? I know you just got part of your memories and all back, but . . . I can understand if this is a lot to take in and you just need a moment to yourself." I explained, but then he shook his head.
"Thank you very much for your concern, Kimiko. However, it does not seem fair for me to stay behind and cope with my thoughts and memories, when you were never given the chance." Omi spoke much to my surprise as he hoped on Dojo with me.
I looked to him and smiled warmly to him as I gave him a big hug.
"When did you become so mature and wise, Omi?" I smiled as he smiled back.
"Well I have spent a great deal of meditating for three years." He replied as I laughed.
Soon Master Fung came toward us as we got ready to go. He looked up to us and gave a warm smile to us as he spoke.
"Good-luck young monks and have a safe journey. I shall wait for your arrival when you return." Master Fung spoke as we nodded to him.
As Dojo took flight, I looked down and said one last thing to him before we left.
"Thank you Master Fung! For believing in me!" I exclaimed as he nodded to me with a smile as we started to take off.
"Alright kids, first stop . . . Texas!" Dojo exclaimed.
. . . . .
I felt the sandy wind blowing through my hair as my eyes were closed. The sun radiating brightly giving me warmth. I could hear the seagulls chirping in the air and the sound of the waves crashing along the shore up to my feet. The atmosphere seemed so nice and peaceful here. However, I knew this was all just a dream. Just like I knew he would be here when I fall asleep just like he is almost every night. He was the reason I was here. I heard soft footsteps from behind me as I still had my eyes closed. I knew he was there behind me and for the first time, I spoke first.
"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked him, but he said nothing so I spoke once more.
"I knew I've seen you before. That's why your face, eyes, hair, the way you talk to me, and the way you touch me seemed all too familiar to me. It's because we knew each other. You knew who I was and yet you never said a word to me about who you were." I explained and he still said nothing.
"Why didn't you just tell me it was you, Raimundo? I mean why out of everyone is it that I see you in my dreams? What does this all mean?" I questioned finally opening my eyes as I came into view of the beautiful blue clear ocean sunset.
"You didn't know who I truly was back then before you're got your memories. Even now when you find me, you still won't know who I am. I'm completely lost and different man. I'm not the same person you once knew. I'm going to be very hard to convince and very stubborn. However, you have to promise me that no matter what you won't give up on me. That you'll keep trying even when it seems hopeless. Can you promise me that?" He asked of me as I sighed in relief that he finally spoke and nodded.
"I promise," I swore and for the first time in a long time I actually meant it.
I could tell he was grinning behind me as I didn't have to look to know that he was. The only reason why I wouldn't face him is because if I were to look at him now, I wouldn't know what was real or what was a dream with him standing there in front of me with that idiotic smile on his face. I heard him leaving, but then I quickly spoke.
"You still never answered my question!?" I exclaimed and everything was quiet, but I spoke again.
"Why is it that I see you in my dreams and no one else? Why is it that you've been visiting my dreams almost every night?" I questioned and there was a long period of silence.
I believed for a moment he had left already, but then I felt something warm behind me. It made me feel slightly nervous as I felt the tiny little hairs of the back of my neck rise up a little. I felt his breath near my ear as he began to whisper something to me.
"Ask me that question again when you've found me and I've got my memories back, Kim." He whispered to me.
My eyes widen as I quickly turned to face him, but he had already disappeared from my dream. He called me Kim . . . That was the first time he's ever used my name in my dream before.
"Kimiko? Kimiko, wake up." A voice spoke to me suddenly as I jolted up from my sleep.
I blinked a few times before realizing where I was. We were currently still on Dojo's back as we were heading to Texas. I must have dozed off or something without even realizing it. I turned my attention to Omi as he now pointed at something up ahead.
"We're almost there," He spoke as I looked past him and my eyes widen a bit.
That place still looked the same after all those years. It's exactly as I remembered it too, when we first came here. As we started to slowly descend down near the ranch it made me think what it was that I was even going to say. I mean convincing Clay might not be so hard, but getting him to leave the ranch will be. Especially since he will believe he's stayed here at the ranch all his life. Once Dojo transformed back into his smaller form we asked him to for now hid in Omi's robe as it might freak out Clay and his father. As Omi and I walked over to the ranch, we could already see Clay's father standing on the porch waiting for us there as he saw us. He tipped his hat back to get a closer look at us as we got closer to him.
"Can I help you folks with somethin?" Clay's Father asked as Omi and I looked at one another before speaking.
"Yes, is Clay here?" I asked as I decided to be more direct.
His father on the other hand lifted an eyebrow at me as he knew suspected something.
"Are you a friend of Clay's?" He questioned.
"Sort of . . . If we can just talk to him we'd-." I spoke, but was cut off.
"Sorry Miss, but my boy Clay doesn't really have any friends and I'd know his friends if he had any. So I'm gonna ask you again why you're here and I better get an honest answer." Clay's father said sternly, but before we could explain I heard the front door open from behind.
"Daddy? What's goin on here?" A voice came from behind.
I turned to see Clay standing on the front porch and my eyes widen a bit. He looked like Clay, but for whatever reason he looked a little older and maybe a bit mature. He walked out from the front porch and then looked to Omi and I as we looked at each other in surprise.
"Clay?" Omi spoke as he looked at us confused.
"Do I know you little fella?" Clay questioned as he scratched his head.
Omi's expression fell a little, but I placed my hand on his shoulder as he looked up to me with sad eyes. I gave him a small smile before I looked back to confused Clay as he stared at us.
"What I'm about to tell you is going to be really crazy, but I need you to have an open mind to what I'm about to say. Look this is my friend Omi and I'm-." I spoke, but was cut off.
"Kimiko," Clay interrupted as my eyes widen.
I looked to Omi who looked at me as surprised as I was. We both looked straight at Clay as he moved closer to us. He then stopped in his tracks and began to just stare at us intensely. Eventually I couldn't take the silence and spoke.
"Do you remember me? Do you know us!?" I exclaimed.
He didn't say anything for a while, which sort of made me even more anxious. However, then then took a deep breath and sighed before speaking.
"I'm afraid I don't know who you two are." He answered which made Omi and I sort of upset, but then he spoke again.
"However, I've seen your face before . . . and I do know your name though." He continued as I looked at him confused now.
"How? If you don't know me, then how?" I questioned.
"A couple of times recently this year I've been haven these dreams . . . Look I know you'll might think I sound nuts, but in my dreams hear this voice. He told me that a pretty little lady named Kimiko would be coming my way. Then I saw a brief picture of you in my dream. However, to me it still was just a dream, but to actually see you is pretty impressive." Clay admitted as I stared at him in awe.
I thought for a moment and then thought of Rai. He's been communicating with me through my dreams, so maybe he's been doing the same for Clay. Or at least giving him a sign that I was coming. I smiled a little to that thought and then turned my attention back to Clay.
"I don't think you're crazy for having a dream like that, because there is a reason why I'm here. Now what I'm about to tell you is going to sound crazy, but I need you to just try and understand like I did with your dream about me. It's asking a lot, but you owe it to yourself to at least now what that dream meant and why I'm here, right?" I asked him.
"Clay this is ridiculous, I've had enough of listening to this nonsense!" Clay's father shouted, but Clay shook his head at his father and walked toward us.
"Sorry daddy, but I think it's only fair I at least listen to what they have to say. I mean wherever there from, they're probably not from Texas." Clay replied to his fathers who glared to us a little as we smiled to Clay who looked to us with a small smile.
. . . . .
"Wow . . . That is one interesting story folks told me, but it can't be true." Clay responded after we explained everything.
We currently were sitting in the dining room area with glasses of water on the table as Omi and I tried to explain our best of what we remember and hoped Clay would as well. However, he doesn't seem to believe anything we tell him.
"It is true, you just don't remember!" Omi exclaimed getting defensive as I calmed him down before speaking.
"We meant what we said and it's all true. I know it may be hard to believe but-." I spoke, but got interrupted.
"It's definitely hard to believe since, I've lived in Texas my whole like and haven't gone to some temple! You people must think I'm as dumb as a sack of hammers if you think I'm going to believe whatever you say without any proof!" Clay exclaimed defensively.
"But I do have proof . . ." I spoke.
He looked at me a little suspiciously, until I slowly reached in my purse and took out a photo of all of us and placed it on the table for him to see. He looked to me as I nodded and then looked at the picture and studied it. He sat there staring at the picture for five minutes straight, until he spoke.
"Even if I was to believe you all, it just still wouldn't make sense! I mean if what you're telling me is true, then why haven't I remembered anything yet after you showing me the photo?" He questioned as Omi looked to me now.
"He does have a point, Kimiko. Why hasn't our dear friend Clay not remember us?" Omi questioned I looked as confused and lost as them.
"I don't know, I mean it worked after I saw the picture and held it in my . . . Wait that's it, you have to touch the picture! Master Fung said that the photo carries magic! Maybe if you touch it, you'll remember!" I exclaimed, but Clay looked at me as if I was crazy and my expression fell a little bit, but then I quickly gave a small smile.
"I know this is a lot to take in and I wouldn't force this on you unless I needed too. I mean even though you don't know me and I don't know your life here at the ranch, I can see that you're conflicted right?" I asked as he stared at me in surprise as I was right.
"You're torn because you're a little scared. Curiosity is making you want to know if what we saw is true. I get that and I also get that if what we say is true, it also means leaving the ranch." I explained and he stared at me in shock.
"How did you know all that?" He questioned as I gave a small laugh.
"It's because I do know you, Clay. However, like you I was in a sort of similar situation like this like you are in. The only difference is that I didn't have a say if I wanted to get my memories back. They just came back on their own accord. All I had was a decision to make. I was torn between the life I had believed was real for so long, only for it to be all a lie. I was torn because even though that life was a lie . . . it was still a pretty good one. I got everything I wanted and more and my life was just perfect, but . . . it just wasn't the truth. The truth is that I'm a Xiaolin Dragon Warrior and I fight against the darkness of evil to protect the world. I have amazing and incredible friends; I wouldn't give up for the world for." I explained tearing up a bit, but then Clay spoke.
"You still had a choice . . . I mean you could have chosen not to find all of us and make us remember. You still could have had the life you wanted despite it all being a lie." Clay said and I gave a small laugh and I nodded.
"Yeah I could have your right . . . However, if you remembered the things I remembered then you'd know why I just couldn't give up this life." I explained and then he looked at the picture again as I spoke.
"The decision is yours Clay . . . Just know whatever you choose you probably won't be able to turn back." I continued.
He looked to me as I gave a small nod. He then looked to Omi who had hope in his eyes, that Clay would pick up the photo and remember everything. Clay sat there for a while staring at us and then the photo. After a while he took a deep breath and looked to us.
"I . . . I want to believe you guys. If what you say is try, then I want to remember." Clay spoke as we smiled brightly to him as he grinned.
"Sounds like a pretty swell life after all." He said.
He then reached suddenly for the photo and the moment he touched it, he had the same reaction Omi has as he fell out of his seat. Omi and I quickly went to help him, but then we noticed the look of shock in his eyes. After a moment he blinked a few times and sat up. Omi and I quickly helped him up as he took a moment to catch himself. He didn't saw a word and he avoided our gazes. The suspense was killing me, but soon enough he turned to face me and slowly made that goofy smile I had actually missed as he smiled to both of us.
"I remember!" He exclaimed and suddenly scooping Omi and I into a big bear hug.
"I am most happy you remember us Clay, but please try not to press us to death!" Omi exclaimed.
"It's squeeze Omi and yeah what he said." I replied as Clay put us down.
"I can't believe it! I mean how did this all happen!?" Clay questioned, but we slowly frowned to him.
"We were hoping you might be able to tell us, as we did not know." Omi answered him, but his face fell as he scratched his neck.
"I'm afraid not littler feller, I remember just as much as you all do. Well at least some of it, because truthfully I don't remember a lot like I thought I would. I mean I know all about you guys and all, but still." Clay said as I sighed.
"It seems to be a reoccurring thing, expect I'm the only one that truly remembers everything except that day about a year ago. We were preparing to fight something, but that's as far as I truly can remember. I'm hoping maybe with all of the Xiaolin Warriors, we might be able to unlock the last pieces of our memories." I explained.
"Then what are we waitin for! Let's go get Raimundo and get this sorted out!" Clay exclaimed about to walk out the door, until I stopped him.
"Wait Clay, what about your family and your life here!?" I shouted.
"What do you mean?" He asked confused.
"How are you going to explain all this to your father? I mean I'm happy that you want to come with us and that you finally have your memories back, but . . . You still have a life here, I life your walking away from. You realize you'll be leaving this everything behind. All those memories from the past three years were all lies expect for the memories you just got back. However, you can still have a choice. Are you sure this is what you want?" I asked of him.
For a moment he said nothing. I watched as he looked around his home and all the pictures around him and his family. Suddenly though his eyes caught on something in the living room area. Omi and I followed him and when he picked up the picture frame his eyes widen. I looked past him and at the picture he held in his hand and my eyes widen a bit in surprise. There was a girl in the picture hugging Clay. I realized that if he went with us now, he'd be leaving behind the same thing I left behind. The people that we care about the most.
"Clay . . ." I spoke understanding his struggle, but he shook his head and then spoke.
"This here is my little lady Annabella. She means the world to me, I mean we've been datin for the past year now . . . I don't know if I can just leave her behind without some explanation." Clay admitted as I nodded and placed a hand on his shoulder and spoke.
"I understand, because I had to do the same thing only I lied." I admitted and both Omi and Clay stared at me as I sighed and sat on the couch taking a breath as I suddenly felt winded before speaking.
"I've been dating the guy Ren for the past year as well and I left him behind. I left behind everything . . . The only person that truly knows what I'm doing here is my best friend Keiko. Ren just believes the lie I told him. In either case I know how hard it is for you. I made my decision for now to see all this through and then go back and explain everything to everyone once it's through. It's still your . . . your . . ." I explained.
I suddenly stopped talking though for a moment as I all of a sudden began to feel dizzy and light headed. I couldn't even think straight with my now throbbing headache. I heard Omi and Clay calling my name, but soon there voices faded along with my vision. Soon everything went black.