Oh noes!! The last chapter!! D: (cries) Man, I've come to LOVE this fic!! Ah well, every beginning has to have an end, doesn't it? :( I hope that everyone has enjoyed reading this, and again, I thank every single one of the people who have reviewed, faved, and alerted. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THIS MY BEST FIC YET!! SERIOUSLY GUYS, YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH YOU ALL MEAN TO ME!! :)

Thank you so much. ;D

Alright guys, this is goodbye for the moment, until I can get into another fic mood and start a new one. Goodbye for now, thank you all. :)

Enjoy this last chapter.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN XIAOLIN SHOWDOWN; IT BELONGS TO CHRISTY HUE, CARTOON NETWORK, AND WARNER BROS!! NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED!!

16

Rai POV

The pain engulfed my body, both physical and mental, as I limped weakly toward Kimiko. She lay in front of me, unmoving, only very faintly breathing. Blood surrounded her, staining her armor.

My right hand clutched my left arm, which spouted dark red blood from a cut above my elbow. The pain traced along my arm, springing to the rest of me. My sprained ankle somehow supported my weight, though it hurt like hell as I walked towards her.

I reached Kim, dropping to my knees next to her. I took her in my arms, looking down at her. I brushed a lock of her hair out of her eyes, wiping the blood off her face with my sleeve.

Her eyelids fluttered. "Rai..." she murmured. I pushed my index finger to her lips. "Shh, you're okay. You're going to be fine." I said it even though I knew she wasn't going to be, however much I didn't want to believe it.

The faintest smile crossed her lips and she shook her head weakly. "Ah Rai, you were always the one to try to lie to yourself."

I swallowed, feeling the tears start to come. I was reminded of my mother dying, and I'd never wanted Kimiko to go like this, not as cruelly as my mother had. My hand brushed her cheek, brushing away the dried blood. Her hand brushed my cheek in turn, lightly brushing the stinging cut along my cheek.

A strange rush of emotion rushed over me, agony, anguish, sadness, and fury all mixed together. I swallowed harder, desperate to get a grip on myself.

I noticed her breathing was slowing.

"Kim...you can't" I choked out. "Please...stay. I need you Kimiko. I love you."

Her eyes were fluttering shut. I pursed my lips, choking back sobs, causing my throat to hurt and burn as though it were on fire. "Kimiko..."

When it came out, her voice was a single rush of air, her lips barely moving, just barely forming the words. "Love you...Rai..."

I knew she was gone as my fingers brushed her lips and I didn't feel any breath emitting from her mouth. My throat was on fire, and I released the tears, letting a few sobs escape my throat.

My heart snapped in two, part of it going with Kim.

The pain was immediate, sending sharp flashes of pain all over me, up and down my arms and legs. My heart was screaming and crying for Kimiko, begging her to come back, though my lips wouldn't form the words.

Somehow, God knows how, the glass roof had been smashed, letting the rain from outside spill in. The rain drops landed all over her, washing away any blood that wasn't dried yet. The rain seeped into the corner of her eyes, making it look as though she were crying too.

I held her body against my chest, resting my head on top of hers, smelling her hair and trying to picture she wasn't dead, just unconscious. My brain did this willingly, though it and I knew full well that the pain would become ever worse. I didn't care. I wanted to be with Kim again. Suddenly, my sprained ankle didn't seem like such a big deal.

"Raimundo."

Omi was standing behind me, unblinking, stock still, staring at Kim and me. His brain couldn't quite process what he was seeing, his brain also not believing Kimiko was dead.

I let out a shaking exhale, feeling my lips quiver with the effort. Gently, I stood up, expecting myself to hiss as the pain from my ankle caught up with the rest of me, even though I was in so much mental pain right now it didn't really matter.

My ankle responded as soon as my weight landed on it, threatening to buckle, though I made myself stand up, made myself bear the weight of Kimiko in my arms. I'd never noticed how light she was, probably not over one hundred and ten pounds. In my arms, she looked as fragile and small as ever...so breakable.

I limped towards the others who were waiting at the entrance, staring at them with solemn eyes. All of them just stared at me, letting me pass as I walked past them, out the door, into the rain. Best get to the temple before the rain got any worse.

Three months later...

"Raimundo...eat something...please?"

"No." My voice was flat, expressionless as always these days. I coughed into my arm, feeling the gesture vibrate in my chest.

"Rai...please, you need to eat. You haven't eaten in a month!"

I attempted to block out Omi's and Clay's voice. When I spoke, my voice had a very slight expression to it, a tone of disregard. "I've managed, haven't I?"

I heard Clay sigh deeply.

"Rai..."

"Don't even try, Clay" I told him. "You should know by now it doesn't work. Nothing will work."

There was silence, which Omi broke in the smallest of voices.

"But Raimundo...Kimiko would have wanted this, would she have not?"

I grimaced at the sound of her name, and the pain struck, far worse than ever before, right in the chest. Images of her laughing, smiling, filled my brain. Dying in my arms...in a coffin, being lowered into the ground...

I clutched my head, trying to shake off the painful memories. "Well she's not here, is she?!" I hissed. "So we really wouldn't know what she'd want!"

A very violent cough interrupted my yelling, more violent than before, shaking my whole body this time. I felt faintly dizzy.

Omi used a firm voice this time. "Raimundo Pedroso, you are ill, and you must eat something! Or at least get some sleep!"

"I'm not hungry!" I hissed, standing up to leave the table. "But I think I will go get some sleep!" My tone softened a little bit. "Goodnight, guys."

My gaze flashed to Master Fung, who stood in the corner with Dojo wrapped around his shoulders. "Goodnight Master Fung, Dojo."

I left the room.

I shut myself in my room, coughing violently as I sank into my pajamas. The moon spilled bright silver light through the window, onto the wood floor. I sighed, blowing my bangs out of my eyes and coughing again.

My mat was as hard and uncomfortable as always, not helping me sleep. As each night, the pain was immediate as soon as I shut my eyes, as soon as her face flashed at me beneath my closed eyelids, smiling. I squeezed my eyes, ridding my eyes of the tears.

I curled into a ball, shaking slightly, coughing violently again. The room was spinning more urgently now, sending stars inside my vision. Everything started to go black...

I opened my eyes.

The place was foggy and gray, with mist surrounding me on all sides. I was curled up just as I had been left, in a ball, shaking slightly. The pain that had so often tortured me every second of my hellish life for the past few months was gone. I felt no pain, only confusion. My scarred cheek felt somehow lighter than before...

As I touched my cheek, feeling for the rough, permanent line in my skin, there was none. My confusion growing, I felt along the rest of me. No scars from the battle. None whatsoever. What was going on here?!

"You're not going to find any scars, Raimundo."

Her voice surrounded me just as the mist was, sending shivers down my spine and my heart galloping faster than I'd ever felt it go. I curled out of my ball, standing up instantly, noticing how my walk wasn't lopsided anymore from the bone that had never healed properly in my ankle.

"Kimiko?!"

She came out of the mist, her black hair swirling around her. She was dressed in jeans and a white tank top with a white jacket over it. She wore no makeup, but she looked as beautiful as the first day I'd met her. She smiled at me as she stopped in front of me.

There was radiance about her, a kind of aura that emitted from her. A silver cloud outlined her figure, and for a brief moment, I felt hesitant to touch her, afraid that she would vanish if I lay hands on her. But she just smiled, taking my hand and putting it on her waist.

She didn't vanish, just continued to stand there and smile.

I grinned, wrapping my arms around her waist fully, pulling her closer to me. My chin rested on her head, in her sweet hair, sending the shivers rushing through me again. I inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, savoring the scent that wafted around me.

I felt her tears soak into my shirt as she cried onto my shoulder. "I've missed you so much, Rai" she murmured. My heart screamed with agreement, shouting for her to say the words that always made my heart beat a little faster, and would most likely soothe the pain that still rested in me somewhere. "I missed you too" I whispered into her hair. "Please, don't leave me again."

Kim pulled away from me, looking up into my eyes. "I'll never leave your side ever again, Rai" she murmured. Her eyes dropped to the ground. "You need to leave, however. It's...time to go."

She swallowed heavily, looking up back into my eyes. I stared down at her, nodding. "I know."

A smile lit up her face, and she took my hand. "I love you, Rai. Walk with me now..." Her free hand reached up and brushed against my lips, her eyes shutting. "Walk with me forever."

Her hands were cold, icy against my lips. "I promise" I whispered.

Her hand dropped to her side, and she led me forward.

My body suddenly felt lighter as I started walking with her, and as I looked back, I saw myself sink to my knees. I stopped walking. "I hope that the guys won't miss me too much."

Kim stopped too. "Death is a curious thing, Rai" she whispered. "If they do miss you, you can always visit them, one way or another." She watched me as I watched myself die, watching me clutch my chest and let out a single, anguished cry. Then I fell to the ground, unmoving, still as a statue.

"Let's go" I whispered.

Kim tugged me forward and I obeyed, following her, walking with her, into the mist.