Geez, I started this on Christmas break, got one hell of a writer's block, and didn't finish until the start of spring break! Maybe I should look into getting a partner for Iorek. Or maybe just someone to do my homework for me. Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed! I was surprised how many people seem to be rooting for Moonskin. I wonder why that is. smirks Anyway, sorry this took so long, please enjoy!

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As a result of living in darkness for the past few hours or so, the sunlight blinded the warriors at first when they stepped outside. Omi and Clay took a moment or two to get their eyes used to the light. Kimiko, who was anxious and impatient to see what had happened outside, forced her eyes open after a few quick hard blinks. She immediately regretted being in such a hurry. A few feet in front of her, two monks were holding a thick silver hoop around a more than half naked human Rustfoot. He never took the time to take his clothes off before changing into his wolf shape, so being unable to expand like his size, his clothing was ripped to shreds. Most of it was on the ground and a few surviving rags were draped around his chest and stomach. What Moonskin had said earlier in the caravan about there being nothing to see was wrong. It was the first thing that grabbed Kimiko's attention. Her face went redder than Omi's robes. "Ew." She said halfheartedly and threw the arm that wasn't holding Omi's hand over her face, although a part of her couldn't help peeking just a little.

Rustfoot rolled his eyes and tugged down on one of the remaining rags he was wearing until the area Kimiko found offensive was covered. After he did this, Kimiko lowered her arm to study the silver hoop surrounding Rustfoot and the other less disturbing parts of his body. The silver was only about three inches from Rustfoot's torso, which she noticed was covered in wounds that almost looked as if they were sizzling. Kimiko's stomach flipped when she noticed that his face was smeared from the bridge of his nose down in red stuff that looked a lot like blood and his hands and feet were also drenched in it. His hands were curled into fists and were being clenched so hard that they were shaking and the knuckles were white. Rustfoot's face was neutral, but there was something in his eyes that looked frightened, angry and overwhelmed. Kimiko saw this because he was looking right at her. Suddenly the monks both started walking away with the hoop still around Rustfoot and part of it collided into his back. His gaze broke and he gave a quick yelp of startled pain as he jumped away from the silver. His jump was a bit too far and the other side of the hoop just brushed his front. He winced and fell into step with the monks, staring at his feet to be sure his pace was right and to be sure his position was always in the center of the silver.

Kimiko's eyes widened as she watched them walk away. When the hoop came away from Rustfoot's flesh, the areas of skin it touched were gone and the large wounds it left that were similar to the others on the young werewolf's body actually were sizzling. Kimiko remembered there was something werewolves hated about silver and she guessed that she had just witnessed the reason.

When Rustfoot and the monks were probably about half a yard away from her, Kimiko suddenly became aware of her surroundings and sucked in a sharp intake of breath. Omi and Clay finally got their eyes adjusted to the light and they both looked up at the scenery. Omi's grip tightened on Kimiko's hand and Clay put a hand on Kimiko's shoulder and squeezed. Smeared across the forest floor and the sides of some of the tree trunks were broad trails of blood. Lying across some of them were dead or badly wounded monks. The surviving and uninjured monks were either carrying the dead into wooden carts or tending to the wounded.

Sudden movements of blue and red to the far right caught Clay's eye. Daggereyes was struggling fiercely against three monks. One had her arms twisted behind her back, another was kneeling beside her and had her legs wrapped in a tight hug (Clay understood all too well the reason for that), and the last one was standing in front of her trying to pull a burlap sack over her head. But she was flailing so violently, this appeared to be an impossible task with only one set of hands. The other two monks were too occupied in their task of keeping Daggereyes restrained to help. Without really thinking about why, Clay let go of Kimiko and took a few steps toward the tussle. He stopped when he felt something crunch under his foot. He looked down and saw one half of Daggereye's sunglasses sticking out from under his boot. When he lifted it, the broken remains of the other half were revealed. Clay bent to pick the intact half up, thinking that maybe Daggereyes had flung her head so violently that her glasses had come off. When he looked back up at the struggle he noticed that all the monks were looking away from the girl's face, even the one with the sack.

Then the one in front of Daggereyes stuffed the sack under his arm and both of his hands sprang forward, captured her head, and finally immobilized it. While one hand gripped her hair tightly, he withdrew the other, raised it, and slapped her hard across the face. Then quick as a flash, grabbed the bag from under his arm and slid it over her head.

Clay's jaw dropped open. A xiaolin monk had just hit a girl. Sure, she was on the dark side and was as sneaky and underhanded as a cheating poker player and she had a kick like two mules (Clay winced at the memory of his experience at finding that out), but still. What was even worse, they did it while she was defenseless.

The sack seemed to anger Daggereyes even more and she flailed about so much harder that Clay was afraid that she might break her own neck. The monk boxed her left ear and she finally grew still. Then the monk reached into his robes, pulled out some rope, and bound her wrists and ankles while the other monks held her limbs in place. Daggereyes gave a feeble struggle now and then while this took place, as if she knew that anything she did now was useless, but was not entirely willing to give up. Once she was bound, the monk who was more well-built than the other two picked Daggereyes up, tossed her onto his shoulder, and followed the monks that were leading Rustfoot away.

Clay glanced back at his fellow xiaolin apprentices to see if they had witnessed what he had, but they were still taking in the horrible sight of the bloody battlefield. Then Master Fung emerged from the followers' caravan, behind him were the other two monks dragging what looked like an upside-down bag of potatoes with legs. It took Clay a second to realize it was Moonskin. The monks slammed the door behind them, making Omi jump and grab Kimiko's arm with his free hand. He had her in such a death grip, Kimiko felt as though Omi's hand may as well have been a tourniquet. She looked down at the little monk. His eyes were wide with fear and alarm, darting around as if he expected an ambush at any second. He relaxed a bit when he saw that the abrupt noise was just the door, but just a little bit. Kimiko's concern easily turned from the monks on the battlefield back to Omi. This wasn't the fearless optimistic Omi she knew. Kimiko didn't get it. They were with Master Fung and the other monks from the xiaolin temple. They were safe now. "Omi, it's alright. What's the matter?"

Omi opened his mouth like he was going to answer, but nothing came out. He left it open a few more seconds as if to make sure there were no words stuck on his tongue trying to come out. When he closed it, a single tear slipped out of the corner of his eye. Kimiko reached down and gave him a gentle one-armed hug. "It's going to be okay." She said soothingly. "And hey, whenever you're ready to talk about what's bothering you, Clay and I will be here to listen."

Omi said nothing, and due to the fact that his face was over her shoulder, Kimiko didn't see Omi's facial reaction. But Clay did. He didn't hear what Kimiko said to Omi, although he heard her voice and after her comment Omi looked sick with fear and shame.

Omi was touched by Kimiko's concern, but he almost wished she weren't such a good friend. He wished she would focus on her duties and leave him alone. He just couldn't tell her what had happened; her concern would turn into scorn if she knew. As would Clay's if he found out. And what of Master Fung? What would he think if he knew? And Dojo-

That one small word was more than enough to drag Omi out of his self-pity and yank him into the present. He gasped. "Dojo! We forgot about Dojo!"

No sooner were the words out of his mouth when Omi's wish was granted. Kimiko's arm immediately left him and she bolted for the door of the caravan, but even though Clay's starting point was farther away than hers and he wasn't as fast as Kimiko, he somehow beat her to it and was in such a hurry he almost slammed the door on her.

"Dojo?" Kimiko and Clay were not the only ones who reacted to Omi's statement. Master Fung seemed to appear at Omi's side in less than a second. "Dojo is here? Are you sure? Where is he? Young monk, what happened here?"

Perhaps it was the words 'young monk' or the fact that he did not race into the caravan to help his friend once he had remembered him or maybe the fact that Omi had forgotten about Dojo in the first place or possibly even all three. But whatever it was, Omi was overcome by another huge wave of shame and began crying again. He knew that a true xiaolin warrior would make sure that the safety of others was assured before dwelling on his own emotions and mistakes.

"Omi?" Master Fung kneeled down, grasped Omi's shoulders, and gently shook him. Omi took a deep breath. Now was the time to act like a true warrior.

Except the door slammed again. Clay strode straight to Master Fung, struggling to untie the mouth of the sack Raimundo stuffed Dojo in. Kimiko was so close behind him, that she was stepping on his heels. Finally Clay managed to get the knot loose and pulled the sack open. Kimiko noticed that once he did, the bottom of the sack became soaked and started to drip.

"Dojo, it's okay, it's us!" She cried out to sooth him.

"Yeah, little buddy, you're alright, we're here now. Hey, and so is Master Fung!" Clay added.

At this, Dojo's head sprang from the sack like a jack-in-the-box and spun in all directions to see what had happened before it stopped at the old man. He and Master Fung locked eyes for a moment.

"What news do you bring, Dojo?" Master Fung asked with grave calm.

Dojo looked close to tears. "Tons, and none of it's good."