A/N: Hey everyone! K-Zittles here! Back at it again with another chapter!
Chapter Six
Sirocco
As the Silver Manta Ray somersaulted in the air, its inhabitants screamed as Raimundo tried to regain control of the Wu.
"I'M GONNA THROW UP!" Jack shouted.
"YOU BETTER NOT!" Clay yelled back over screams of confusion and fear.
After several rolls the Ray finally straightened out with everyone inside reeling from dizziness. Omi poked his head between the front seats with a shaking Dojo clamped to his bald head.
"Raimundo, Kimiko! What happened?" He asked.
Kimiko shook her head, "I don't know! Something just exploded in front of us!"
Jack emerged above the smallest monks pointing out the front window, "Look!"
All monks focused their attention to where the teen was pointing. About a mile ahead of them was a blazing inferno. It reached well above the treeline burning so brightly that the team had to shield their eyes.
Raimundo stared in disbelief, "Where did that come from?" No one answered.
Clay hovered above both Jack and Omi pointing towards the valley, "Jumpin' jack rabbit! There's a town down there!"
Sure enough, between the roaring flames were houses being destroyed. Even more horrifying were the specks of people scrambling to leave the encased town.
"We have to do something!" Kimiko shouted. Pressing a button on the dashboard the top of the Manta Ray opened up.
"Kimiko wait-!"
With no hesitation the girl propelled herself out the top landing on the ground with ease. Running towards the danger, Kimiko began searching for those who needed help. Many people rushed past her away from the raging inferno without much difficulty. However, she spotted an elderly lady falling to her knees coughing uncontrollably. Kimiko rushed to her and knelt down.
"Hang on, ma'am. I'll get you out of here." The girl soothed. The lady looked up at her with tear stained eyes and nodded. Kimiko helped her up. She looked around for anything to help the elderly lady move quicker. Thankfully she found a man hauling his family in a hand drawn carriage. They stopped to graciously take the elder with them.
Satisfied with this outcome, Kimiko ran back towards the flames only to be stopped by a certain boy who landed in front of her.
"Kimiko, what are you doing?!" Raimundo flailed his arms about.
The defiant girl stood her ground, "I'm helping, Raimundo! These people need all the help they can get!" From her vantage point she could see the inferno growing larger behind him. Kimiko moved around him, "We don't have time for this-"
Raimundo grabbed her bicep, "And if you get devoured by those flames? Then what, Kim?" He asked with urgency.
The dragon frowned but before she could say anything, Clay shouted, "RAI! I think you're needed, bud!"
In the middle of the town, Omi and Clay were hard at work trying to douse the fire. The smaller used his water element on burning houses while the older used his earth element to create barriers between the escaping townspeople and wild flames. Even Dojo grew large to help move the people to a safe distance.
Raimundo, spotting Jack trying to tiptoe away from the situation, grabbed onto his jacket and pulled him towards himself and Kimiko.
Jack yelped in surprise, "I wasn't trying to leave!"
The leader ignored this. He pointed at Kimiko, "She doesn't leave your side, got it?!"
Jack nodded, "Yeah, yeah! Alright, stay put. Got it."
If Kimiko could use her power she would burst into flames with indignation, "WHAT?! You're putting Spicer in charge of babysitting me?!"
Letting out a frustrated groan, Raimundo turned on Kimiko, "Just stay put!" Without another word he used his wind powers to rocket himself towards Omi.
The Dragon of Fire watched as the two began combining their elements to spread the water across the valley. Fury coursed through her veins as she watched her friends work together to steadily help the people. She should be in there. Fire was her element. She could easily redirect the fire or even control it down to the most insignificant flame but no. No, her power had been benched. Had been taken from her and that really ticked her-
"Uh, Kimiko?"
"What, Jack?" She growled.
Jack tapped her on the shoulder, "You're gonna wanna see this."
Turning her attention to the 'boy genius' Kimiko gasped. Jack pointed towards the other end of the village where a lone figure stood amidst all the chaos. Though at quite a distance, Kimiko would recognize those sharp armored shoulders anywhere.
Her face scrunched up into righteous fury, "Chase Young." She took off running.
"Wha- HEY!" Using his pack to catch up, Jack shouted, "Not that I'm afraid of your boyfriend or anything but Raimundo said to STAY. PUT!"
Dodging obstacles left, right, and center, Kimiko shouted back, "He's not my-!" Wait, is he? She shook her head, "Go back then, Jack! I can take Chase Young on my own!" To prove her point, Kimiko reached into her pocket and pulled out the Star Hanabi, "Star Hanabi!"
The fire ball launched towards Chase. Unfortunately, the thousand year old master neatly dogged the oncoming attack. He smirked once Kimiko landed in front of him poised for a fight.
"My, my. Aren't you a bit far from your pack? Wouldn't want you to get hurt now." Chase mocked.
Kimiko sneered, "I can take you on just fine."
The man shrugged, "I do not doubt your abilities, young one. But can you take on all of us without your power?"
Despite the surrounding fire, a chill went down Kimiko's spine as she heard familiar voices.
"Moby Morpher!"
"Ruby of Ramses!"
Wasting no time to react, the girl dodged the boulders flung at her. Yet while she was occupied with that, Hannibal delivered a blow to her back sending her flying into a nearby tree. With the wind knocked out of her, Kimiko struggled to get back up.
Wuya placed her hands on her hips and stood in front of the fallen girl, "Aw, is the great Dragon of Fire all out of juice?" She gasped dramatically, "Oh wait, you don't have that power anymore do you? What good are you now that you have no Dragon abilities?"
Kimiko shakily got to her knees, "I am still chosen to be the Dragon of Fire." She held her side, "Nothing you say will get to me."
Hannibal joined his comrade, "Oh really? How's about we introduce you to a good friend of ours?" The three villains parted, giving Kimiko a full view of the village.
Amidst the chaos in the roaring blaze, Kimiko was able to make out the searing stare of the massive figure morphing in and out between the flames. Her heart stopped. There was no mistake in who that figure was. The one who caused all of this.
"No." Kimiko gasped out, "No, it can't be!"
Chase Young nodded, "Oh but it is. No matter where you go Kimiko, no matter how far you run or how you try to defeat it, the Yaoguai will always be with you."
Tears threatened to spill down Kimiko's face, "NO!"
With all the strength she could muster, she launched herself at the bad guys and began fighting them. Deflecting their blows and getting her own punch in there as the three gained up on her. Kimiko knew this was not smart. Foolish even. Yet how can one ignore the raging fire burning from within her? All she wanted to do was fight.
"That's right, Kimiko." Chase Young growled as he blocked her punch, "Feed the fire within. Soon there will be nothing left." He swept his feet under her.
"Ugh!" Landing on her back, the young girl was about to get up when pain in her lungs made her double over, "AH! Wh-what's happening?" Shallow and rapid breaths came out as she lifted her hand and placed it to the spot where it hurt most.
Wuya knelt down in front of her, "Haven't you figured it out yet?"
Kimiko looked up at her trying her absolute best to seem calm. It would not surprise her however if she was failing miserably. The witch's grin was filled with malevolence as she raised her hand towards the gigantic demon. Horror filled Kimiko's veins as she pieced together what they were telling her.
The fire blazing in the town was coming under control but not because of Raimundo, Clay, or even Omis' abilities. No, the flames began dancing towards each other combining into one entity. The Yaoguai was growing bigger. Because of her.
As the realization dawned, the sharp pain began throbbing inside of Kimiko, "AGH!" She felt a tentacle wrap around her middle and she was lifted into the air. Not wanting to go down without facing the enemy, she opened her pale eyes. One tear cascading down her cheek.
Hannibal smiled, "I wonder what will happen to you when it gets bigger? Maybe you'll turn into ash? Or maybe go out in a puff of smoke?" He laughed, "I can't wait to see."
"Guess that will have to wait! Jackbots, attack!"
Momentarily caught off guard, the giant bean dropped the girl as a few bots went flying towards him. Both Hannibal and Wuya began fighting off the oncoming swarm of machinery with ease.
Jack knew the bots would be destroyed in a matter of seconds but that's all he needed to rush in and grab Kimiko. Lifting her up by the arm he said, "Come on, before Raimundo realizes we're gone." Lucky for him the girl made no effort to argue and allowed herself to be dragged away from the bot v. Heylin five-second-showdown.
Unlucky for them both, they did not make it very far before Chase Young stood in their way. He gazed at them with humor in his eyes, "Jack Spicer. I should have known you'd go crawling to the monks."
"Hey! I don't crawl!" Jack whined.
"I can vouch for that!" With rocket speed, Raimundo found himself once again between Chase Young and Kimiko. With a steel gaze of his own he told Chase, "Actually, Jack flew into our window. And apparently doesn't know how to follow orders." He looked over his shoulder briefly to glare at the teen.
Jack scoffed, "Excuse me, I'm my own boss thank you very much!"
The Xiaolin leader rolled his eyes. Giving Chase his undivided attention, he continued on, "You better stay out of this, Chase. Or I'll-"
"You'll what?" Chase laughed, "You'll blow me away like a pathetic leaf? Have you forgotten that I was once a Xiaolin Warrior as well? Or did our time in that alternate timeline make your brain a little fuzzy?"
Raimundo shook his head, "Nope. I remember. I remember everything." He smirked, "Especially knocking you on your sorry butt during that last showdown."
Chase Young frowned, "A lucky shot. Something that I swear won't happen again." With a loud roar he transformed into his monster form.
"Oh, this ought to be good."
Jack nearly dropped Kimiko as Wuya and Hannibal appeared next to them watching the scene unfold before them. Shoku Warrior versus Heylin Warrior.
The warriors took their stances, waiting for the other to strike first. The fire grew larger in the middle of town.
"SHOKU LIBRA WIND!"
"FROG CLEANING KITCHEN!"
Raimundo and Chase leapt into the air. The lizard used his tail to strike but the leader was quick and dodged with a punch in the air sending a small cyclone towards Chase. Leaping out of the way, the man used a nearby tree (that was barely hanging on from both the cinders and wind) to propel himself upwards in order to attack from the air.
But the Wind Dragon was easy to adapt. Using his power, he flew into the air to meet Chase halfway. Lucky for him he was at least able to land a kick before the lizard tried striking him in the chest. With the wind, Raimundo sent a punch of air into Chase's face sending him backwards.
The lizard landed on the ground with a THUD. He groaned, sharp eyes landing on Raimundo, "You certainly have grown stronger. You must be proud." He growled. As he watched the young leader land in front of him, Chase let his gaze wander over to Kimiko. Worry was evident on her face as she watched Raimundo. With renewed malice, Chase stood up, "She must especially think highly of you now." He taunted.
It was Raimundo's turn to growl. With a burst of energy he slammed into Chase until he was against a burnt tree. He glared into the beast's eyes, his voice low and dangerous, "Don't ever talk about Kimiko!"
Chase laughed in his face doing nothing to move either of them from the spot, "I can't wait for the Yaguai to take her!" His voice lowered, "I wonder how long it will take for her to turn when she sees your corpse!" He struck.
"RAIMUNDO!"
….+++++ +++++...
Clay stopped all he was doing when he heard Kimiko shriek. Whipping his head away from the flame he was trying to douse any way he could with his element. Not that it was any use. No matter what he, Raimundo, or Omi did the flames were still going stronger than ever.
Speaking of Raimundo… Where was the fearless leader? And where was Kimiko?
Clay gasped. Blue eyes landing just beyond the village, he could barely make out through the smoke the tell tale sign of a group of people. Kimiko's shriek had definitely come from there.
The cowboy spotted Dojo landing just by him, "Are all the people out?!" He shouted above the sound of crackling and roaring.
The dragon nodded, "I think so!"
"Good! 'Cause I think we're needed elsewhere!" He turned to Omi who was busy trying to put out a burning building, "Omi!" When his friend caught his eye he pointed towards the woods and started running, trusting that Omi had understood the command.
All three made a mad dash to the woods, completely ignoring the combining and growing flames around them. When they reached where the others were, both warriors gasped at the scene before them.
Lizard Chase Young stood with his arm stretched towards the sky. In his grasp was Raimundo struggling to be released. The boy gasped for breath as the man squeezed his neck. Behind them stood Kimiko and Jack looking on helplessly. Clay noted the fatigue mixed with fear on his surrogate sister's face. They had to act.
Both Omi and Clay raised their hands to summon their power.
"WUDAI CRATER- GAH!"
"WUDAI NEP- AH!"
From behind Wuya and Hannibal attacked the two unsuspecting warriors, pinning them down.
"Ah, ah, ah! We mustn't disturb such a victorious scene." Wuya purred into Omi's ear to which he shrunk away with disgust.
"You attack us from behind?! Have you no honor?!" The monk said while squirming under her grasp.
Watching from the sidelines was never a Kimiko Tohomiko thing to do. Yet as she stood by with nothing to offer the situation, she felt helpless. Helpless, weak, and oh so angry. Two sides of her battled from the inside out tearing at her lungs, stomach, nerves- any and all feeling churning together in one massive headache.
As she watched Raimundo, Clay, and Omi struggle against each captor's hold, she lost it.
"Kimiko… Don't."
But I have to do something!
"Don't give in…"
But it was too late.
"STOP!" She screamed, scaring Jack in the process who hid behind a tree.
None of the others were startled by her outburst. What they were shocked by was the calm in the air. The flames silenced only for a moment before it all turned to chaos. The rush of fire collided together in one massive ball forming in the middle of the village.
In his astonishment, Chase dropped Raimundo who gasped for breath before looking up at the obvious disturbance. Even Wuya and Hannibal let go of Clay and Omi. All too stunned at the now massive figure hovering just above the trees.
The Yaoguai with his distorting features smiled down at the group.
For a second, Raimundo thought it was going to wipe them all out. That would be it- the end of both the Heylin and Xiaolin side. Yet the demon did no such thing. Instead, it leapt into the air spiraling into a ball.
Wuya was the first to say, "I think it's time to go!" And bolted away from the group.
"An excellent idea! Moby Morpher!" Hannibal shouted and leapt onto his bird flying away into the distance.
Raimundo could have cared less about the villains at that point. He was more focused on the fireball directly in front of them… No, they weren't the target. It wasn't in front of them. It was in front of Kimiko. It took no genius to figure out what its intentions were.
"KIM!" Raimundo launched into action just as the fireball began its mad dash. Putting himself in front of Kimiko- her gaze fixed on the oncoming monster, the boy mustered all of his strength into this one powerful move, "SHOKU LIBRA, SIROCCO!"
Just as the demon was mere inches from him, the air fought against it. It screamed in frustration as the Shoku Warrior concentrated on his hand movements. The Yaoguai tried maneuvering against the air current but Raimundo blocked it with extra precision. Nothing was getting past him. Nothing.
With one final shove, Raimundo released all his energy into forcing the Yaoguai back.
It bounced backwards on the ground like a tumbleweed. As if it were a dog shaking away the dust, the demon hovered in the air glaring hot embers at the warriors. With a deafening roar the Yaoguai leapt away from the group, bounding into the air with the speed of a comet. The Xiaolin Dragons watched the demon soar through the sky. The colors of its tail blending into the break of dawn.
With a final huff of powerful air, Raimundo shook the weight off his shoulders. He turned and fell on his knees at Kimiko's side, "Kim?" He asked warily.
Her eyes once glued to the very spot where the demon was, slowly looked up at him. Eyes wide with shock. She mumbled, "R-Rai?" She gulped, "The Phoenix warned me not to do that…" Kimiko shook her head in defeat, "It's getting stronger."
With tears in his own eyes, Raimundo wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her close. Her arms wrapped around his middle as she buried her face into his neck.
From a respectful distance, Clay, Omi, and Dojo bowed their heads in respect. From his perch on one of the destroyed beams of the houses, Chase Young looked on this scene with quiet reverence. As he turned to leave a feeling of slight remorse filled his heart. He had done his part. He left the monks to their duty to one another.
It wasn't until Jack Spicer emerged from his hiding spot behind one of the many scarred trees that he cleared his throat. The monks and dragon- having forgotten that he was even there- looked up at him in surprise.
He waved awkwardly, "Hey, hate to break up this touching moment but maybe we should get a move on before that horrible demon thing comes back?"
From Raimundo's arms, Kimiko nodded, "I hate to say it but Jack's right." She wiggled just enough so the boy would understand to stand with her. She let him hold her hands, "That demon needs to go down." Kimiko hissed, ignoring the searing pain from within. She put on a brave face as she looked at each of her friends, "One way or another we are going to end this."
Powers or no, Kimiko was determined to not let her own fire burn out.