Well, this is my first fanfiction! I hope you all like it! I don't own the rights to Xiaolin Showdown, or to any character, item, or thing from the show. Rated T for themes.

Chapter 1: Fears

Raimundo couldn't sleep. He hadn't slept the past three nights. Clay had mentioned trying to drink a warm glass of milk, but all this stupid temple had was goat milk. Man that stuff was bitter! He paused and thought again. He knew he was going to have the dream again, did he really want to go back to sleep?

He paused, holding his breath. He was listening to see if Kimiko had fallen asleep, or if she was texting Keiko on her phone. Slow, deep breathing greeted his ears, and Raimundo sighed. Great. She was asleep.

Lately, he and Kimiko had been listening to see if the other was awake, then would lift the heavy curtain that separated their "rooms" and talked about everything under the sun, from past relationships, to Omi's ego, to their favorite flavor of ice cream. Kim's was mint chocolate chip. Raimundo had gotten used to their little chats, even craved them. He had thought Kimiko needed them too, but obviously not tonight.

Sighing, Raimundo rolled over. He knew that this relationship, or whatever it was, couldn't be. They were too close of friends, and though he liked Kimiko, something held him back from ever trying to make something between them. They had a duty, and no one could get in the way of duty. Sure, Clay would be okay with it. He usually teased Rai through quick jabs or raised eyebrows when they would have a moment. Omi would be fine too-he just would get all hurt no girl fell for him. Obviously, he is the most talented, and handsome, and humble of them all, right? Dojo and Master Fung might be a challenge. They would worry the relationship would get too physical and lead down dangerous paths. Rai shuttered. Yeah, better not have Master Fung kick his butt for….

Duty. That came first.

Sighing, Raimundo flipped over again, grumbling to himself. Yep. This was going to be a long night. If it weren't for that dream, he could get some sleep.

It first happened after he first held Kimiko's hand after a long late-night chat. She was worried about he dad because he had turned to drinking. Her mom died when she was nine due to cancer, and Mr. Tohomiko had never been able to able to quite get over the shock of losing his wife. He poured his love into Kimiko, and letting her come train at the temple had been one of the hardest things he had ever done. She was only 13 when she first came to the temple. Now at 18, he felt she could handle herself-which lead to him finding salvation in a bottle. His little girl didn't need him anymore.

Kimiko had tears in her eyes, and she looked at Raimundo with such heartbreak, that he impulsively grabbed her hand and held it, rubbing his thumb over her hand. Kimiko stiffed at first, and looked at Raimundo with such sadness, but she still smiled and squeezed his hand. They held hands for the rest of the night, and fell asleep like that. Clay woke them up, saying "You're in more trouble then a beef sirloin on my plate!" Rai had to take two weeks of chores to get him to not tell Dojo or Omi.

But the dream came anyway, while he was holding Kimiko's hand. At first it seemed like nothing big was going on.

Kimiko was smiling, and holding Raimundo's hand. They were at the temple, but for some reason weren't training. They were finished-officially Xiaolin Dragons. Omi and Clay were dancing around screaming at the top of their lungs, cheers from the older monks filled their ears. "Congratulations, young monks!" "Way to go, Kiddos!" "I knew you could do it, Bobo!" Everyone was clapping, and Kimiko beamed at Raimundo. Dojo blew his nose, and snot filled his handkerchief, (which honestly was not as gross as he normally was.) Everyone was happy, when suddenly, the sky turned grey, storm clouds blew in, and suddenly everyone was gone. Everyone. Rai's hand felt empty, and Kimiko was gone. Omi and Clay were nowhere to be seen.

"Guys?" Rai called, slowly turning and surveying his surroundings. "Anybody?" Only the wind answered him. Slowly, Raimundo walked to the Shen Gon Wu vault, and it was locked from the inside. "Hey, is anyone in there?" Raimundo started pounding on the door. "Oh, forget this. Shoku Star, Wind!" Raimundo used his elemental powers and blew down the door with the force of the hurricane. Inside, the candles were snuffed out, and the smell of smoke and wood filled his nostrils. Raimundo looked around, confused, and suddenly stopped when he say Kimiko kneeling on the ground, holding her stomach in her arms. Her back was to him, and she was shaking. She was silently sobbing, which made no sense.

"Kimiko? Are you alright?"

She gave no indication that she heard him, so he walked up to her slowly, deciding if he should touch her or not. "Are you okay, Kimi? What's up?" She stiffed at him calling her Kimi.

"Only my Papa calls me that." She whispered, her lips barely moving. She stopped shaking, and slowly unwound her arms from around her.

"Kim-sorry, Kimiko. What has happened? Talk to me girl? We're best friends! You can tell me anything. I never even told Omi that you thought his head looked like a tangerine! Come on, what is it?"

Kimiko straightened up, and looked Raimundo straight in the eye. Rai gasped, shocked. Her normally sky blue eyes were blood red. Her teeth were razor sharp like blades, and her face was more defined then usual. Her check bones were pointed, like she hadn't eaten in weeks, her eye sockets hollowed out. "I COULDN'T PROTECT HIM!" She screamed; her tongue flicked out like a snake's.

Raimundo blinked multiple times, composing himself, then asked. "Who? Who couldn't you protect?"

"MY PAPA! They took him. It was the only way! You have to forgive me Rai! Omi-he will never understand! I hardly forgave you after you returned from the Heylin side!" Rai drew in a breath, that was a low blow, whether she meant it or not. He tried to forget his days under Wuya, but he never could shake the feeling he wasn't good enough-as a leader, or as a person. He was evil once. He helped destroy the world. No one ever comes back from that unchanged. "Clay-he only sees black and white! He can't see the grey area! Rai, they bent me. They made me bend until I could break. And I'm broken Rai. I can never come back."

"Kimiko-No! No, you don't have to do this! You don't have to join them! Look at yourself! Kimi!" Rai said, taking a step toward her, trying to comfort her.

"I SAID NEVER TO CALL ME THAT!" She shrieked, and suddenly the world turned into a fire. Rai was trapped in a flame, and all the oxygen was being sucked from his lungs. He was going to die.

"What in tarnation?"

Huh? Raimundo jerked awake, twisting up and slamming his head against the wall nearest his head. "Oww, what the hell, Clay?"

"Uhh, you tell me, Raimundo. What is this?!" Clay gestured to Kimiko, who for some odd reason was sleeping through the mess. Her head was buried under all her blankets, with only a little hole for her mouth so she could breath. It was kind of adorable, but a little bit weird at the same time. "Uhhhhh…." The curtain was pulled back, and they had still been holding hands while sleeping.

"Nothing happened! Clay, buddy! You have to believe me! You wouldn't want your best buddy Raimundo beaten to a pulp over something that was just speculation and nothing actually happened, would ya buddy?"

"You're in more trouble then a beef sirloin on my plate."

"Clay, man, you gotta come up with some better back-home sayings!"

"Raimundo…."

Rai gulped, and waved his hand casually in the air. " Nothing happened Clay. Kim and I stayed up late talking, and fell asleep. It was nothing big!"

"You were saying her name in your sleep."

"Ohh…"

"Look, I won't say nothin' if you do my chores for two weeks." Clay smiled, and wiggled his eyebrows at Raimundo. "And don't protest or nothing," Clay stated as he saw Raimundo open his mouth angrily, "because I can make it four weeks. We have a deal?"

Sighing, Raimundo had no choice. Bowing his head, he mumbled "Deal."

Clay smiled and tipped his hat as he walked away. Rai irritably watched him go, then glanced at Kimiko. It had felt so real. Dreams like that didn't just happen for no reason-not when you were a Shoku warrior. Raimundo had the same dream two more nights in a row, and hardly slept a wink. It was affecting his training, and he lost three times in a row to Omi playing one on one futbol.

Sighing, Raimundo turned over one more time, and tried to get to sleep.

Maybe the dream wouldn't come again.

But it did come. And this time, Rai woke up screaming.