DISCLAIMER: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown, It belongs to its rightful owners. This story is purely fictional and for entertainment only.

Fire

Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable. "– Bruce Lee

"We're here" Kimiko said, pausing to survey the area. "Turn on your coms" she ordered, "we need to get this done quickly." The group quickly scattered, searching for the ladder to the world above. Kimiko reached behind her head, tightening her cotton mask, but it did little to block the putrid stench of decay.

"It's right above here, where is the damn thing" she muttered to herself. The words had barely left her mouth when she spotted it. She waved her companions over, and they quickly gathered around the rust infested ladder. She began climbing, her gloved hand squelching as it brushed over the slick surface. She grimaced slightly, disgusted by the sensation, and hastened, eager to get out of the decrepit tunnel. To her relief, she spotted a faint light emitting from the opening above. As she reached the top she held out her hand, signalling for her companions to wait, and slowly lifted the heavy grate. She poked her head out, scanning the old warehouse warily.

"Follow, but with caution," she whispered, and slowly slipped out. She begun moving towards the doorway, when she heard the sound off approaching footsteps marching in unison.

"Shit! Guards!" she ran towards the grate, but the footsteps we're getting louder. "Shut the grate." She hissed into her earpiece, as she hastily darted behind the nearest pile of shipping crates. Her hand slipped to her waist, hand grasping her Star Hanabei in anticipation.

Kimiko frowned as a squad of stone golems marched into the lofty room. According to their intel, this warehouse was unpatrolled from the inside. I am going to kick Jack's ass when we get back to the base. She counted six guards, thumping along in unison. She braced herself to attack, six stone dummies we're a piece of cake.

She stopped short as another figure entered the building. He wore a mask inlaid carefully with ebony and gold, swirling to form the face of a ferocious tiger. As he neared, she tensed, her heart thumping wildly in her chest. His clothes were of the finest quality, closely resembling the robes he had worn the night they had visited the Emperors palace all those months ago. On his right hand, the Golden Tiger claws glittered, and strapped to his back by a gold chain, the Sword of Storms.

Kimiko clenched her teeth in frustration, Raimundo was not supposed to be here. The mission could not succeed, not with Raimundo in the vicinity. Golems, she could handle, but with Raimundo summoning more with his Heylin magic, they would easily be overpowered.

Kimiko knew she needed to get out of the warehouse as fast as possible. She could not afford to be captured, regardless of the importance of the mission. As the Dragon of Fire, it was her duty to lead the Resistance alongside Clay. Especially since Omi was trapped in the past. She felt a pang of sadness at the thought of Omi.

She glanced at the grate which was her only possible means of escape, however the golems were too close for her to sneak out unnoticed. She lifted her hand to her earpiece, and whispered "Abort mission, get out asap and meet at rendezvous point c"

"Roger" they replied.

The golems were moving towards the far exit, just a little more and she would be able to make her escape. She glanced in Raimundo direction, only to find him missing. Her heart dropped, quickly she spun around. Leaning against a crate, watching her quietly was him. Raimundo.

She tensed her shoulders; Star Hanabei raised, "Ra—" she began.

"Shhh" he whispered, nodding towards the golems who were quickly exiting the warehouse. Kimiko paused, eying him suspiciously. He could have let her yell, alerting the golems, for goodness sake, he could have attacked her while her guard was down. It would have all been over for her, she was outnumbered and vulnerable. So why didn't he attack?

"There gone" she stated, still braced for combat.

"I know" Raimundo replied quietly. He raised his hand, reaching upwards, Kimiko tensed, but hesitated as he began removing the mask, revealing his traitorous face.

"You could have attacked me" she said, her curiosity getting the better of her, she echoed his movements, her cloth mask falling to her neck. "why didn't you?"

"I don't know. Why didn't I?" He echoed, his mask now lying on the crate. Kimiko found herself staring at the man that had been one of her closest friends, after what had felt like an eternity. So much had changed in such a short span of time. She gazed across the familiar planes of his face, the boyish features long replaced by a hardness she could not comprehend. The smirk that had often driven her to madness, was merely a distant memory. His large eyes, narrowed into thin distrustful slits. She could barely recognize the man standing before her.

"What happened to you Rai?" she murmured, aghast at the drastic change that had overcome her former friend. Lowering her weapon, she carefully took a step forward.

"I—" Raimundo hesitated, "I don't know" he admitted, looking down.

She paused, sensing a sadness within his voice. Perhaps the Rai I know is still in there, Kimiko wondered.

She took a step closer, his eyes darted up. Kimiko could see suspicion and distrust whirling within the stormy depths.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Kimiko snarled, Rai's eyes widened at her sudden hostility.

"What are you talking about Kimiko?" Rai muttered.

"Look at you!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the empty warehouse. "Look what you've become!"

Rai flinched at her words.

"What happened to the man who fought along side me to save hundreds of innocents? The man who worked tirelessly to defeat enemy after enemy? The man who came up with the most frustratingly ingenious solutions to the most complex problems? Who outsmarted Jack and Wuya on countless occasions?" Kimiko could hear the desperation creeping into her voice.

"What I want to know is what you did to him." She felt a lump within her throat, and swallowed heavily. "I want to know what you did to my friend."

Guild flashed across his face, and he turned away his head shamefully.

"You tell me Rai" he flinched as she said his old nickname. Kimiko slowly took a step towards him, placing the Star Hanabei back on her belt.

"Bring him back" she took another step.

He shook his head, "I can't"

"You can. Come back to us, your friends" she took another step. She was standing right before him. They were close, closer than they had been in a long time. Hesitantly she reached up, her hand brushing lightly across his cheek. "Come back" she whispered her voice barely audible "come back to me Rai"

His eyes widened, head snapping to face her. He grabbed her waist, pushing her up against the crate. He leaned over her, blocking any possible escape with his body. Her eyes widened in alarm, her heart beating rapidly, though whether in fear she did not know. Standing this close, she could see it clearly. His eyes reeling with confusion, fear, and distrust, as though he could not believe her words.

"Come back to you?" he scoffed "to what? Being friends?" He pulled away, giving her room to escape. "I don't want that" he murmured, the anger in his voice fading. "I never have." He began turning away.

I'm going to lose him! Alarm fared up inside of her, she couldn't lose him, not him too. She would never have another chance to bring him back, to bring their Rai back. She had lost Omi. She couldn't lose Rai too.

Her fiery nature took over. Before he could react she yanked his shirt, pulling him down towards her, quickly brushing her lips against his.

She began to pull away when his arms desperately grasped her. She felt herself being shoved against the crate. He captured her lips, his forearms on either side of her head, leaning over her lithe figure. His ferocity and desire surprised her, but she quickly responded to his passions with her own. Her arms encircled his neck, grasping fistfuls of his hair, tugging and clawing at him. She shivered as his hands ran down her body, yanking her closer to him. She felt herself being lifted lightly off the ground, his hands gripping her waist.

"Raimundo!" Kimiko froze, her blood running cold at the sound of the cold demanding voice. The Heylin witch was quickly approaching their anclove.

Raimundo took a step back, Kimiko turned back to him, fear evident in her eyes. "We can use the tiger claws" she breathily whispered, "Common Rai, we need to go!"

He quickly slipped Golden Tiger Claws on.

"You need to leave Kimiko" he said. Avoiding her desperate gaze, he thrust out the claws opening a portal.

"What about you?" she asked fearfully. "Rai come with me!"

He turned towards her, his eyes glittering with guilt, he placed his hands over her waist. Pulling her close, he kissed her softly. He pulled away, and she felt herself slip into the portal.

She watched in horror as he retrieved the mask, gripping it firmly in his hand.

"I've already made my choice." He whispered, turning his back to her.

That was the last thing Kimiko saw before she faded away.

Thanks for reading guys!

Let me know what you think in the comments! If you guys like it, I may just continue it ;)

~StarliteMuse~