Recollections of the Past and Present

Disclaimer: I don't own Xiaolin Showdown or any of its characters. Anyone believing otherwise should be institutionalized. (Applies to all chapters)

Summary: Set post Citadel of Doom and AU after that. With Wuya out of commission and the Shen Gong Wu currently dormant, Master Fong decides to allow the Xiaolin Warriors (excluding Omi) to return home for three months. Upon returning from his "vacation", Raimundo finds the events of his life unfolding, and affecting him more than he had ever thought. There is an unseen enemy lurking in the corners of his mind and Raimundo is finding it hard to trust those around him.

Pairings: RaiKim (Later into the story)

Ages: (For the sake of the story, I'm making them older.)

Omi: 14

Clay: 17

Raimundo: 16

Kimiko: 16

A/N: 5-14-06

I've gone and edited a bit of the beginning because some of these earlier chapters make me cringe a little. Hopefully, you readers will overlook some of the oddities in the first three or four chapters and stick it through for the rest. I promise it gets better ). As a warning, I'm more inclined to focus on plot rather than strictly romance.

.:Prologue:.

Kimiko Tohomiko angrily stormed over to the small campfire that the others had built, creating small earthquakes and ruthlessly ending the lives of unsuspecting ants. Plopping down on one of the rugs lain out on the grass, she moodily chewed on her lower lip. Her whole body felt like it had been used as a seat cushion for Tubbimura. A few feet from her left was Clay, whose attention was focused on the amusing scene Omi was making. The shorter monk was not accustomed to the concept of marshmallows being literal balls of gooey sugar.

"Finally done unpackin'?"

Kimiko shot him a glare before folding her arms over her chest. "Yes, and no thanks to any of you," she spat. "I had to unpack thirty bags, thirty!"

Kimiko shot each of them an angry look before grabbing the bag of marshmallows that Clay had brought from home. Clay had intentionally arrived earlier in order to sneak his "stash" in before any of the other monks noticed. Unfortunately, he failed to take into consideration that Omi lived at the temple. The younger monk wanted to know what a "marshmallow" was, and Clay, not wanting to ruin Omi's enthusiasm, reluctantly agreed. At this rate, Clay knew he would be lucky if there was half a bag left.

While munching on a piece of the sweet, chewy goodness, Kimiko gave each of them a once over. In the three months she had put an end to decorative fingernails, the wild hair colors, and had sprouted a whopping inch. Granted, that only put her at the dismally short height of 5"4, and her doctor would argue that she was really only 5"3 and a half. Tugging at a long black strand of hair that escaped her pony-tail, Kimiko made note of the changes in her friends.

Omi looked just about the same as before they all took their short break from "saving the world"—as in he was still bald and still vertically challenged. Clay had gotten even taller than he was before, and judging from his roots, his blond hair was starting to fade to a light brown. Despite the growth spurt, the cowboy maintained his larger physique. The only one of them that seemed to have any obvious change was Raimundo, who though only seemed to have grown an inch, looked a little on the thin side. His hair had gotten longer, and messier, and he traded in his usual attire for a long sleeved, heather grey hoodie and dark blue jeans. He was still wearing his hood up.

"Kimiko! It is nice to see that you have joined us!" Omi shouted, "Would you like to participate in a game of 'Monopoly' with Clay and me?"

"Yeah Kimiko, it ain't much fun with just the two of us playing."

"Oh, Clay, you are just sore because I am winning all your pieces of colorful paper!"

A light chuckle emanated from the hollows of Kimiko's throat. "No, I think I'll sit this one out."

Watching Omi and Clay's banter, Kimiko couldn't help but notice an unidentifiable feeling in her stomach. It wasn't the nostalgia she felt when she was away from her friends in Japan for too long, nor was it the feeling she got when she finally got to see said friends again. It was a foreign concept of warmth at the thought of the "family" she had here at the temple. Halfway through Clay and Omi's game of monopoly, Kimiko must have dozed off because the next thing she knew, she was awoken by furious screeching and thumping noises. Kimiko's eyes quickly darted over to an Omi caked in chocolate, gooey, half-melted marshmallows and chunks of graham crackers. Looking around, she noticed that the Monopoly board was long since been abandoned as Clay and Omi seemed to have moved onto late night snacks.

"Grn! I demand that you release me, you wretched substance!" Omi shouted before toppling over.

Omi shot Clay a pleading look before hesitantly inquiring the cowboy for help. "I believe I have found myself in quite a predicament. Clay, would you kindly help me from myself?"

"Sure thing, little guy." Clay responded before ushering Omi back into the temple.

Before completely disappearing from sight, Clay turned his head back towards Kimiko and Raimundo "Don't go anywhere guys, Ah'll be back in a jiffy."

Kimiko nodded her head and shifted her gaze to Raimundo, who was currently sitting at her far right, staring blankly at the campfire. A silence soon followed, and Kimiko wasn't too fond of awkward silences. Well, it wasn't so much awkward per se, as it was just odd. She was accustomed to a chattier Raimundo. Lacing her fingers together, she started to idly twiddle her thumbs before abruptly stopping. Irritated by the silence, Kimiko decided to just say anything—which ended up being one of the world's most mundane questions.

"How was your vacation, Rai?"

She watched as he snapped out of his trance, a lock of dark hair falling over an eye, before he finally replied with a "Fine."

A frown graced her doll-like features. Something wasn't right. Raimundo was boisterous, loud, obnoxious and talkative. He was never quiet. Before she could further analyze this, Raimundo got up and mumbled something about being tired and headed off to bed. Moments later, Clay returned with a cleaned Omi. .

Omi moodily dragged his feet back to the mats, kicking a bag of marshmallows on the way up. "I am never eating these 'marshmallows' again…"

Of course, Omi's foul treatment of the last of Clays sugar stash elicited a cry of protest from the southerner.

---

Raimundo walked as silently as humanly possible on his way back to the temple. He finally stopped to open and lean against the doorframe of the front door. The sun had set about an hour ago, leaving an inky black sky illuminated only by the temple lamp posts and twinkling stars. He continued to gaze at the night sky, ignoring the odd wind that was biting at his skin. Strange was the fact that he had grown to cherish silences. Being part of a traveling circus forced him to grow accustom to loud music and rowdy crowds, and it replaced his childhood joy of simply observing a more quiet world. Opening his eyes, he took the opportunity to watch.

The Xiaolin temple had become something of a home to him, though granted, it took a while for his reckless self to realize it. In spite of all its homeliness, the Xiaolin Temple felt different after his…defection. The Xiaolin Temple was hardly a replacement for Rio de Janeiro, but his home back in Rio was empty and void. His train of thought was cut off by the sudden rustling of cloth and footsteps against soft grass that invaded his ears. He sensed someone approaching him.

"You are thinking about her, are you not?"

Surprise was the first emotion to register in Raimundo's mind, but he quickly replaced it with a mask of confusion. "Sorry, Master Fong, but I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"I did a little bit of background check on each of you. You were close to her; it is only natural that your return to Rio de Janeiro had brought back memories."

Raimundo stood there, flabbergasted for a good moment before collecting himself, calmly replying, "What happens and has happened in my life is none of your concern. I'd appreciate it if you didn't go digging around in my past."

His eyes narrowed to a dangerous degree while walking back into the temple. A large part of him was furious that the old Master thought it was okay to pry into the private confines of his life. His frustration at the lack of privacy around the temple was only broken for a brief second when he winced at his arm connected itself with a small cabinet.

Master Fong quietly observed Raimundo retreat back into the temple. There were things disturbing the apprentice that were unknown to Master Fong. This fact worried him greatly; secrets had the potential to become a liability. Sighing, he headed towards the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea. Yes, tea, that should settle his nerves.

---

Raimundo slowly walked down the hall that led to the large space occupied by the dragon-in-trainings' "bedrooms". He carelessly threw on a pair of pajamas before sitting on his mattress. He pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his forehead on them. It was extremely dark, but he didn't want to bother with lighting a candle. He felt, hollow. Everything had started to lose its appeal: food, training, Shen Gong Wu, friends…He despised his own carelessness and how it often caused things or people he cared about to be taken away from him. There were the atypical question of "why" and "what ifs" that began to flood his mind, despite his best efforts to suppress them. What if he couldn't open the puzzle box? Why didn't he return to Rio de Janeiro sooner? Would it have made a difference? Why did he forget to tell her—warn her? A lump had started to form in his throat. He tried swallowing it. He didn't like feeling helpless.

A/N: Okay, that's the first chapter. Be sure to tell me whether or not I should continue…R&R!