All facts and language presented about Rio and Tokyo are true and due to my research. A special thanks to Wikipedia and YouTube for being particularly helpful.

Warning: this fic will contain dark sequences and mild sensuality

Disclaimer: I don't own Xiaolin Showdown

Rated T for violence and torture

"Omi: Master, where are the new students?

Master Fung: Right in front of you.

Omi: They are . . .not what I expected.

Master Fung: The best things in life rarely are."

Prologue

It was dawn at the Xiaolin Temple.

The liquid yellow sun was just a band on the golden horizon line. The smell of clean, wet grass hung in the bordering mountains. It was peaceful on a surreal level. Silent and calm.

The temple itself was a pure white. Sloping roof and green courtyards were like decorative jewels.

Inside the temple it was just as tranquil. Moderately clean, dust still coated some corners white. The morning sunlight that came from the widows trickled down the walls and pooled on the wooden floors.

At an earlier time it wouldn't have been cleaner but it certainly would have been noisier. But that was six years ago. Things had changed.

The Xiaolin Temple had once been the home to the four chosen ones. They had fit together as a perfect team: a small Chinese boy, a slow-talking Texas cowboy, a fiery Japanese girl, and their free-spirited Brazilian leader. They embodied the elements of water, earth, fire, and wind. They had been an unstoppable force. They had moved through the ranks to become Dragons themselves, and defeated all their foes.

After that, free time was abundant. But for a team that loved the fight, that was not a good thing. Tensions rose and bitterness grew. They had spent years with each other, and it was easy to become annoyed when there was nothing to do.

On one moonless night they all had an argument. This one was worse than any they'd had before. It was everyone against everyone else.

Immediately after that, Kimiko left. She packed up her belongings, apologized to Master Fung, and had Dojo take her back to Tokyo.

The next morning Clay left, heading to his home ranch in Texas.

Without a team to lead, Raimundo felt no responsibility to stay at the temple. He had apologized profusely to Master Fung, but he had assured him it was not his fault. Then Raimundo went back to Rio de Janeiro.

Omi, of course, stayed at the temple, his only home.

Once they'd gone, the heart of the temple had dried up. It was still full of life, but not lively. Once they'd gone, the vault full of precious Shen Gong Wu became meaningless. Once they'd gone, they started up new lives that never seemed to hold the old spark.

Once they'd gone, a new evil awakened.

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