Author's Notes: Welcome to Chapter 7, the final chapter of Episode 1 of my RaiKim fanfic series. The story will be continued in my new story, Episode 2, so be aware of my profile for the first Chapter of Episode 2. Enjoy and please comment!

P.S.: Sorry that it took a bit; I had finals.

Disclaimer: Xiaolin Showdown is property of Warner Bros. and Christy Hui.

Chapter 7

Kimiko steps onto the porch outside and into the moonlight after leaving her room. Her winter skin illuminated itself underneath the crescent moon as she stared upwards upon the ocean of stars. Her father was right; the clarity of the night sky allowed every star to have its shining moment. Kimiko then pin pointed the two star lovers, Orihime and Hikoboshi. The two stars shined vividly next to one another within the sky. Kimiko gently smiled, as she flashed back to when she and her mother sit together dressed in their kimonos underneath the stars during the Tanabata festival, as her mother would tell her the story of Orihime and Hikoboshi.

Kimiko's train of thought was then interrupted, when a lavender-colored portal suddenly appears four feet away from the porch. Kimiko's hands went up ablaze as she summoned her fire, but what exited the portal was no threat. It was an adolescent dressed in casual clothing, but for some reason had a blacken eye and white cloths wrapped around the palms of his hands, along with the Gold Tiger Claws (the transporting Shen Gong Wu) on his right hand. The adolescent then looked up toward the petite girl in slight surprise. The flames on Kimiko's hands instantly go out, as a mixed expression of shock, relief, and fear spread across her face.

"RAI!" Kimiko shouted as she runs to the top of the staircase at the porch.

"Kimiko?" Raimundo says in confusion as the portal disappears behind him. "Y-you're still awake…?"

Kimiko ignored Raimundo's question. "Where have you been, Rai? And what happened to your eye?"

"You don't have to worry about anything," Raimundo replied with a light smile. "And besides, I've gotten worse than this black eye; you know that…I…um…I see that you put your hair back up….how you always have it. How are you feeling?"

Kimiko stood completely bewildered and sensed her impatience rise. Raimundo couldn't possibly believe that he could just disarm Kimiko's questions with a smile, a compliment, and a question about her feelings while he beats around the bush. This would probably work on Omi, but not on Kimiko. How gullible does Raimundo think she is?

Kimiko returned a stern glare toward Raimundo, as she placed her hands on her hips. "C'mon Rai; seriously, where were you and what happened?"

"Kimiko, nothing 'serious' happened," Raimundo answered.

"Don't talk to me like I'm stupid, Rai," Kimiko snapped.

Raimundo tried to start over. "Kim-."

"Was it Chase?" Kimiko asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Raimundo replied.

"You went after Chase, didn't you?" Kimiko asked.

"What?" Raimundo said baffled. "No, of course not."

"C'mon Rai," Kimiko stated in a calmer tone, "Admit it. I know how you get after days like today. You went after Chase to retrieve the Sun Amulet, right? Look, I understand that you feel that you need to do things like this because you're leader, but you shouldn't do things like this without all of us together. You'll get yourself severely hurt, or worse."

"Kimiko, I didn't-," Raimundo began in a slightly louder tone.

Kimiko interrupted him. "I'm not blind, Rai; I can clearly see your black eye!"

"Kimiko, I did NOT go after Chase," Raimundo said firmly. "After today, I wouldn't even dare to; it'll only jeopardize the little safety we have, especially if I got captured."

Raimundo then released a deep sigh as he slowly pulled the Golden Tiger Claws off his right hand. "I talked with Master Fung and the monks more on Chase. With the team currently frazzled after what Chase had done today and two weeks ago, I doubt any of us will be ready to go against him right now. The best thing for us to do is to prepare and to attack when the time is right. I already may that mistake when Jack Spicer had the Rio Reverso Shen Gong Wu (reverses the state of objects). I wouldn't let that happen again, especially with Chase."

"Oh….I…um…," Kimiko stuttered.

The two friends then stood staring at their own toes, until Kimiko broke the awkward silence. "I-I'm sorry; I…"

"You don't have to apologize at all," Raimundo said with a gentle smile. "You had every right to be worried. I just really appreciate that you were."

Kimiko softly smiled back. "You're welcome."

However, the teen girl's smile changed into a look of concern.

"Rai?" Kimiko then asked.

"Yeah, Kimiko?" Raimundo answered.

"Where were you, really?" Kimiko asked.

Raimundo softly smiled. "During the meeting with the monks, the issue with Chase wasn't the only thing I brought up for discussion."

"What are you-," Kimiko began.

A sudden realization stopped Kimiko's question in its tracks. Her widened eyes stared directly into the normal and swollen eye of the Brazilian boy.

"Y-you…you didn't…," Kimiko finally stuttered out.

Raimundo looked back down at his toes as he meekly nodded. "Yeah…I did."

Kimiko's eyes remained fixated onto Raimundo as she slowly stepped down the staircase. Each step increased in speed until the Japanese girl found herself sprinting toward her teammate once she had reached the bottom of the staircase.

Raimundo's mind completely gone blank until Kimiko's body collided into his, knocking him back into reality, along with the Golden Tiger Claws out of his hand. Kimiko then stood on her tip toes as she snatches the collar of Raimundo's shirt and pulls the boy's face down to hers. Her lips then connected to Raimundo's cheek in the form of a long kiss. Raimundo's face lit up in a deep hue of scarlet as Kimiko slowly pulled away and repeated her prior action onto Raimundo's other cheek. She pulled away once more and then nuzzled her head against Raimundo's upper chest. Her arms tightly wrapped across the Brazilian's back, squeezing out the already small amount of air he had in his lungs.

"Thank you," Kimiko then gently whispered, "so much."

Raimundo didn't response. The rhythm of his heart loudly pounded in his ears. He could barely hear Kimiko's words, yet he caught her voice. A consuming restraint overwhelmed the boy's chest; although it was unnerving, it also brightly ignited all his senses to life. Not a single thought appeared in Raimundo's mind; no memories, no analytical thoughts, nor anything imaginative. He was fully submerged in the moment. Slowly, Raimundo wrapped his arms around Kimiko and dropped his head down and against the top side of Kimiko's head. He inhaled the jasmine fragrance of Kimiko's hair, as his sun-kissed fingers, which were exposed from the cloths around both of his hands, tenderly stroked the red silk of her tunic. Raimundo then suddenly felt Kimiko's head leave his chest. He looked down and found himself starring into large sapphire eyes. The tightening in Raimundo's chest intensely increased. He opened his mouth to speak, but his words were trapped in his throat.

Finally, Kimiko again broke the silence. "It's getting really late."

Raimundo was taken aback from Kimiko's sentence; however he did understand her point. Raimundo felt he chest slightly relax and some analytical thoughts return, yet he wanted more time underneath the stars. No, he needed it. A desire throbbed within his heart and shrieked within his mind. It was loud, clear, and eloquent. Raimundo knew it purely and wholeheartedly. But, how will he release it? Could he? He didn't have time to ponder.

At last, Raimundo released a deep sign and muttered, "Y-yeah…you're right."

Raimundo then felt Kimiko's hand against his cheek. Kimiko stood up on her tip toes again and leaves a peck kiss next to Raimundo's black eye, before hugging him once more.

"Thanks again, Rai," Kimiko said, "You're a true friend."

Raimundo returns the hug. "You don't have to thank me."

Kimiko then slowly pulls away and smiles warmly at Raimundo. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Raimundo replied.

Raimundo watched as Kimiko began to walk farther away from him. Words gathered onto the tip of his tongue as Kimiko reached the top of the staircase. One word managed to escape.

"W-wait!" Raimundo called.

Kimiko stopped in her tracks and turns to her friend. "Yes?"

"I-I…um…," Raimundo stuttered.

Once again no words could come out. Although the clarity of what he wanted to say was still vivid, all of those words died on the tip of Raimundo's tongue.

Then, Raimundo sighed. "You're…you're dad says 'hi.'"

Kimiko's face instantly lit up. "Thank you, Rai."

"You're welcome," Raimundo gently answered.

Kimiko then disappeared behind the doorway of the temple building, leaving Raimundo alone outside. Raimundo then ran his right hand through his dark mocha hair as his emerald eyes looked upon the stars. Taking in a deep breath and then releasing it, the Brazilian bent over and retrieved the Golden Tiger Claws from the stone tile ground. Gradually, Raimundo began to walk toward the temple vault as the memory of a desire, which haunted him from the first year he came to the Xiaolin temple, zealously burned in both his heart and mind.

Far away and hidden in the mountains of the Land of Nowhere, sits a volcano with a malevolent face carved in its side. Within the volcano, stood a large marble palace surrounded by waterfalls and big cats. In the heart of the palace lies the throne room, where a levitating Chase Young floats in Indian style in deep meditation. Wuya stood leaning against Chase's throne as she examined the Sun Amulet clutched in her hands.

"You've been staring at that thing ever seen we've returned," Chase said suddenly.

"And you've been floating in the corner by yourself," Wuya spat. "We should be crushing the warriors and conquering the world, not waiting for the world to stop spinning."

"Patience, Wuya," Chase calmly replied.

"You sound as if you're returning back to your Xiaolin ways, or are you?" Wuya spat. "'Patience' has never gotten any members of the Heylin anywhere; action has."

"Wuya-," Chase began.

"We've gotten the Sun Amulet," Wuya interrupted. "We should be attacking the temple and raiding all of their Shen Gong Wu."

"Silence, Wuya!" Chase then shouted.

Chase then gradually returns to the floor and stands up. However, his provoked expression instantly became calm again as he put his arms behind his back.

"I'm clearly aware of our current advantage," Chase then said, "and most certainly so are the monks. That mere Shen Gong Wu in your hands holds little significance to our advantage; rather, it's their fear."

Wuya stood baffled before then smirking wickedly.

Chase smirked back. "In time, anxiety and the desire for glory and stability will eventually lead to hasty decisions being made."

To be continued in new story, Episode 2…..

Author's Notes: Stay tuned for the continuation in my new story, Episode 2. I hope that you enjoyed my fanfic so far. Please comment and have a nice day. : )

.