(a/n) well, I havent gotten five reviews yet... but Im to excited that I finished to care (and the fact that I only need one more to amke five new reviews adds to my decision). so here it is. the epilogue that many of my loyal readers have been waiting patiently for since the begining. and, as an added bonus, I've added a small preview of the upcoming sequal. dunno what Im gunna do now that Im done with this. I'll probably work on my Zelda story alone for a while and then start on anothe project. what that new project will be, you'll have to wait and find out. anyway, I hope you all enjoy the final enstallment of The Fifth Dragon.
Epilogue
Omi, Clay, Kimiko, Raimundo, and Dojo
If you're reading this then I'm either dead or I've simply vanished. If I'm dead, then don't bother reading the rest of this. Otherwise, I've got some things I need to get off my chest and I never got the chance to say it in person.
I know you all wanted life to go back to normal after we beat Chase. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen for a while. I just need some time to clear my head. All these memories of what I've done in the past few months are haunting me. I would apologize to Raimundo about the whole Hitsuji Hammer thing, but otherwise he and Kim probably wouldn't have gotten together, so I think you two owe me for that one. And Omi, I know that you've gone most of your life not knowing that you've had even one family member and I'm sorry to have to leave you alone again. But you should understand, Chase had control of you once too. And finally, Clay. I probably haven't said this to you yet, and if I have it was after I wrote this. Still, I feel like I need to tell you anyway. I love you, Clay. And I hope you feel the same about me when I get back.
But until that day comes, there are some thins I'd like you all to do for me. Omi, don't be slacking off while I'm gone. I don't want to have to whip you back into shape when I get back. Rai and Kim, don't be getting to close. I don't want any unexpected team mates when I get back. Clay, if I find out that you've been seeing anyone else I swear I'll rip your head off…just kidding. But seriously, stay away from other girls. Dojo… see you later. And finally, I'd like you all to apologize to Master Fung for me. He may be a forgiving man, but I don't think I'll be able to face him about… well, you probably know.
Don't worry about me. I live on my own for seven years of my life and I can do it again. And I'll be back one day. I don't know when, but I will. Until then, just keep me in mind.
Love,
Saya
That's what was written in the note that Saya gave to Omi. The group took turns reading it over and over again, trying to see if they'd missed something or not. Dojo was a bit pissed off tat all she said about him was "see you later." But he didn't show it. Clay was the last to read it before the group flew off to show Master Fung. When they returned Clay walked off, saying that he was just going for a walk and hadn't been seen since. Omi was depressed for the first few days, but returned to his usual self eventually. Rai and Kim had their time to think about her as well, but weren't nearly as emotional as the other two. When Master Fung returned a week later, patched up and in a wheel chair, Omi, Kim and Rai were given the job of cleaning up the Shen Gong Wu and do what they could to rebuild the temple. Clay still had yet to return by then.
Omi, Kim, and Rai were outside collecting the Shen Gong Wu. Picking up two or three at a time and carrying them back to the vault over crumbled walls and shattered statues. They'd been at it for hours in complete silence. There was really nothing to talk about. Everyone just wanted to get the work done and be done with it.
"Raimundo, Kimiko, come and look at this." Omi called. The other two walked casually over to Omi to see what he was looking at. It was a small, gold and bronze mouse statue with small rubies in the eye sockets. "The Hoduku Mouse?" Kim asked. "But I thought that Jack dropped it in a pool of Lava."
"Well, the Emperor Scorpion lasted fifteen hundred years in the earth's core." Rai said. "Maybe most Shen Gong Wu can survive in extreme heat."
"You guys really don't get the picture, do you?" Omi asked. "We've been given a golden opportunity. We could use the Hoduku Mouse to undo this. Not all of it, mind you, since Saya isn't here, but we can at least rebuild the temple."
"Yeah, uh, reality check, Omi." Rai broke in. "Saya was the one who used the Roosters Crow, which caused half the damage. And that, in turn, activated the Sleeping Boar, which caused the rest of the damage. She's the cause of all of this and she's not here. So tell me again what makes since in what you're saying."
"True, Saya was the one who usedthe Roosters Crow. But, Kimiko was the one who won it in the first place." Omi explained. "Perhaps if she used the Hoduku mouse to un-win it…"
"The Saya never would've had a chance to use it in the first place!" Kimiko said excitedly. "You're a genius, Omi!"
"I know." Omi said. He scratched the back of his head and grinned as his cheeks turned pink, telling the others that he was a bit embarrassed. He bent over and picked the mouse statue off the ground before handing it to Kimiko. "Now then, Kimiko, I would be most appreciative if we didn't have to completely rebuild this place."
"You got it!" Kim replied. She took the small statue from her friend, taking a few short seconds to gaze into its ruby eyes before holding it in the air and activating it. "Hoduku Mouse!" And just like that, everything as fixed: every building looked almost brand new; statues and tapestries reformed and returned to their rightful places around the temple; and all the Shen Gong Wu returned to their spots in the vault, except for the Hoduku Mouse of course. Everything looked perfect again. But it still felt like something was missing, like there was a big, invisible hole that rebuilding the temple just couldn't fill. They knew what would, and odds are Clay would be back soon. And who knows when or if Saya would come back. As far as they knew, she could be dead… or worse.
THE NEXT DAY
Kimiko was sitting alone in the kitchen, slumping over the table staring randomly into space. She'd been thinking a lot lately, and not just about her missing friend. It was about something Rai said back in the battle with Chase, after he'd saved her from Chase's vice grip. She lifted her head up and propped it on her arm as she looked out the window and her thoughts drifted back to that fateful few minutes.
A foggy image of Chase holding her up in the air with one arms back in Limbo appeared in her head. She struggled to free herself as Chase's claw slowly began to crush her rib cage. It was getting harder for her to breath and her heart was beating rapidly, working to keep her alive for as long as possible. All she could hear was Chase's laughing until he made that threat that obviously meant that he'd squeeze until her guts came flying out of her. His grip suddenly tightened and she gasped for what she thought would be her last breath. But then a loud "NO!" and the sound of running footsteps coming towards them. But she was too busy trying to breath to even consider what it was. Then Rai came flying out of nowhere and slammed the heel of his foot against Chase's jaw. The impact knocked her from his grasp and Rai caught her in his arms. He and Chase had a short glare off before Rai said the very words that had been plaguing her mind for the last week. "If you ever touch the girl I love again…"
Her thought's cut off there, for that was all she needed to hear. He'd said that if Chase ever touched the girl he loved. It was just the fact that that word was used that bugged her for some reason. No… maybe it wasn't just the word. Maybe it was the way he said it. She couldn't tell if he actually meant it or if he just said it in the heat of the moment.
It's not like she didn't want Rai to love her. That was exactly what she'd been wanting since before they got together. But still…she didn't expect to hear it so soon. They'd been together for, what, a month? Maybe a month and a half? It just didn't seem like something to say so soon, even if the person that said it actually meant it. Then again, now that she thought about it, she probably would've said the same thing if she were in the same situation. "Or would I" she asked herself. "I dunno… ugh! This is giving me a headache."
"What's giving you a headache, baby?" Rai asked as he walked into the room. He walked over to the table, sat down across from her, then used his wind powers to bring over a couple apples from the basket on the counter across the room. He took a bit before saying, "Must be pretty bad if you're actually complaining about it."
"Oh, it's…" she stopped herself before she could say it was nothing, because it obviously was. And knowing her boyfriend, he wouldn't stop pestering her about it until she told him. Plus, she'd been wondering if he actually meant what he said. Why not just ask him, right? "Actually, something has been bothering me." She corrected herself. "It's about when you saved me from Chase back in Limbo. I want to know, did… did you mean what you said back there?"
"Oh, you mean about me kicking his ass if he ever touched you again? Yeah, I'd beat him all the way to mars if I had to." Rai said, obviously not getting the message.
"As touching as that is, Rai, that's not what I mean. Back there, you said if he ever touched the girl you… the girl you loved." She paused, waiting to see how Rai would react. He just stared at her bug-eyed with a half chewed bit of apple in his mouth. "Is that true, Rai? Do you love me?"
This came as a complete shock to Rai. He didn't realize what he was saying back there, he just said let his mouth run, not knowing what he was going to say. Except for the threatening part to Chase, he didn't remember a word he'd said that day. He was to busy worrying about Kimiko to realize any of that. The second he saw Kim in danger, he jumped into action and the rest was history. All he wanted to do was protect Kimiko, his best friend and the girl of his dreams… the girl he was willing to die for.
"No, Kimiko… I don't love you." He said, hanging his head so that Kim couldn't see his face. Kim was about to say something when he looked back up at her with a loving smile. "Love doesn't even begin to describe how I feel about you."
Without another word needing to be spoken, Kim launched herself across the table, the next thing he knew, Rai was laying on the floor with Kim laying on top of him, kissing him like they'd done so many times already. But this time was different. There was no lust or yearning to it at all. It was just a passionate, loving kiss between a young couple… actually, lovers was more the word now.
It was quite a while before they broke apart, Kimiko resting her forehead onto Raimundo's while the two of them caught their breath. They didn't even notice Master Fung roll his wheel chair, with Dojo sitting on his shoulder, past the open kitchen door, stop for a second to make sure he'd seen what he thought he did, and then roll away, chuckling quietly to himself. "What?" Dojo asked. "You're not going to intervene? You know what that's probably going to lead to."
"Relax, Dojo Kanojo Cho. Those two know how to control themselves." Master Fung said cheerfully. "And besides, a little happiness is just what these children need right now."
JUST OUTSIDE THE TEMPLE WALLS
Clay stood at the edge of a forest just outside the temple walls. He was dirty, smelled like fish, and his clothes were tattered here and there. He'd been living in that forest for the last week, living off the land, trying to collect his thoughts. That's all he needed, some time alone. But he knew that the others might be worried about him by now. It had been a week, after all.
He'd read Saya's note at least ten times, just making sure he was sure about every word. For some reason, the thought of Saya being gone, possibly even dead, changed him completely. Sadness on the inside, angry depression on the outside. However you wanted to describe it, he just wasn't the same Clay anymore. Sure, as was the case with everyone, his thoughts would gradually drift away from his problem over time and he'd return to his normal, Texan stereotype self. But for now, he was just cold and uncaring.
Clay sighed as he pulled his hat over his face. "Why is this so hard on me?"
"Why indeed?"
Clay looked up to where the voice had come from. Omi was sitting atop of the tall stone wall, wearing his Xiaolin robes for the first time (that Clay could recall) since the day before Jacks raid on the temple. "I thought I'd find you out here." Omi said with a smile as he jumped down from his perch.
"Well, you thought right." Clay said, just as emotionlessly as he felt.
"You know, you're not the only one who misses her. She is my only living family, after all." Omi explained. "And Raimundo and Kimiko may not be as close to her as you or I, but they still think of her as a great friend. We all miss her just as much as you do. You don't have to deal with it alone."
Clay was silent for a moment, trying to find the right words to respond with. He couldn't find them, so he just went with the first thing that came to him. "I just don't see how this is so easy on you, Omi. Like you said, she's your only living family, and you barely seem to miss her at all. She's just my girlfriend and look at me, running off into the wood for a week without so much as a goodbye."
"You think it's easy one me?" Omi asked as he sat down under a tree, the one next to the one Clay was leaning against. "You don't know how hard it is for me to so much as talk about the subject, much less deal with it with a smile." Just to prove his point, Omi looked up to his friend with a big, cheap grin on his face.
Clay laughed sheepishly. "You know something, Omi, you're right. You probably had it harder than any of us and you take it with a smile on your face. And look at me…"
"Do not beat yourself up, my friend." Omi said as he got back to his feet. "Just do me a favor and come home. Raimundo is already planning your funeral."
Without another word, the two friends walked up the path back to the temple. They both had all but forgotten about Saya, and only wanted to go back to their normal lives… or at least as normal as life gets when one has control over the elements, lives with a vault of ancient mystical objects just beneath your feet, two of your friends are glued to each others sides and making out half the time, and, of course, the constant threat of ten thousand years of darkness. But hey, that was life for the monks of the Xiaolin Order, and that's the life they wanted.
A ways down the road from the temple, a hooded figure watched as the young monk and the cowboy walked back to their home. The figure had its arms crossed and was looking down at the ground. A single tear fell from the darkness of the hood and onto the ground. The figure looked back up to the temple and removed its hood, revealing a long mane of golden blond hair. "Way to go, little bro… way to go." Saya turned around and began to walk away from her home. Knowing that one day she'd return and when she did it would be for good.
(a/n) originally, I wasn't going to include this next part in the epilogue. but, I wanted to leave you guys with at least a small cliff hanger, so I added this small preview of the sequel. this wont reveal much at all except perhaps a few new characters who remain nameless throughout the next few paragraphs, so dont worry.so, enough of my talking. why don't I shut up so you can read it already.
SIX MONTHS AND ONE WEEK LATER
The sun glowed brightly in the cloudless sky over the Xiaolin Temple. Down in the yards below, nine figures were having a barbeque/ pool party to celebrate yet another defeat of the Heylin Witch Wuya. Master Fung was standing at the grill barbequing pork chops (in the case of two people, tofu chops) with Dojo napping atop his head. Not far off, four girls were lounging on lawn chairs next to a makeshift pool (made by Clay stomping on the ground, creating a huge hole and Omi filling it with the Orb of Tornami). Three of the girls (the first a red head from France, the next a short haired brunet from Spain, and the last with long, jet-black hair from Australia) were napping while the last, Kimiko Tohomiko was lying on her side watching four boys off in the distance play soccer. She couldn't help but burst out laughing at the many times Omi managed to slam the ball into Rai's face. The teams were Rai and Clay against Omi and the new guy (a black teenager from South Africa).
Omi slammed his foot into the soccer ball and sent it flying towards Clay in the goal. Clay dove in the way and managed to block it. Unfortunately, the ball went bouncing off of him and flew into a small grove of trees near by. "My bad!" Clay called out. "I got it!"
Clay went to get the ball, but before he was even half way to the goal, the ball came flying back out, soaring past his head, and straight into the goal he'd been guarding only minutes earlier. Clay turned to look at the ball, muttering, "What in the name of my great granddaddies world famous Pork and Bean just happened?" under his breath. He turned back to the grove to find exactly what he'd been hoping to see for the last half a year.
There she stood in front of the small collection of trees, hands placed proudly on her hips with a smugly happy look on her face. "So, whose team am I on?" Saya asked.
(a/n) and that's the end. I hope you all enjoyed my first Xiaolin Showdown fanfic: The Fifth Dragon, and are looking forward to its sequal which I have finally decided will be entitled: "Seven Sins". a mysteriously vague title indeed, eh? for those of you who review, I expect speculations on what "Seven Sins" will be about and who these four new people at the temple (as seen in "six months and one week later") are. I can, however, confirm right now that they're not Xiaolin Dragons. so just think about it. until nex time, and next story, this is Ojex... shutting up.