Everyone Ages (XIAOLIN SHOWDOWN)

Cats Scurry At Night Fall

After such a day how could I sleep? Everyone had their own room, mine was next to Kimiko's. I stared at the ceiling. If I dropped off, I'd dream And I only dream about two things: good and evil.

Maybe I dozed, because floating there before my sleeping self was the sun and the moon, both richly pale. A lovely, bright sun and a blue veined moon. But my sleeping self looked closer. The moon was no moon at all. It was no such thing. It was the shed in the last red glow of sundown. And lurking in that shed: unblinking glowing eyes and hovering heads and one sharp weapon after another.
I trembled awake, Something besides fear had stirred me. I got up and checked everyone's rooms. However, as I got to Raimundo's room I looked to his bed.

Raimundo eased back his red blanket and carefully, carefully slipped out of bed. He should know by know that nighttime is my time. I hardly sleep.

His night shirt caught on his wild ruffle of hair  as he pulled it over his head. Now he was stepping around his room. Stealthy Raimundo crept slowly as he made for the other door, the one I wasn't peaking out of. I knew where he was going. To meet Katnappe. Where else? 

They'd meet half way and they'd have one of their midnight chats. I saw her with my mind's eye: Katnappe, listening, her fake tail arranged around her as they sat in the grass.

I knew where Raimundo went when night fell. And he knew I knew, and he knew nobody liked it. Of course, we're all human. But nothing good comes of too much mixing. And it isn't fair. They will come to us if they like us. But we cannot come to them. We hear all about their joys, their sorrows. But they will hear nothing of ours if they don't want to. Nothing. Besides, I had joys and sorrows to share with my old friend from grade school, Jack Spicer. I tried to help him. Why was that not enough for him? I stared at the ceiling, now back in my own bed. All my worries and memories crowded around me like air.

Omi, naturally. Always Omi, thoughtless with death at every turn. The shed. Jack. The deadly robots. The heylin world around him.

I'd be worried into an early grave for trying to keep him out of his.

And now the entire heylin force, off to the ends of Earth without a backward glance. I myself am from Essex, though.
Raimundo was bound to be lost without Katnappe. Without Katnappe he would droop and loose interest.

Two rooms over, Clay snuffled in his sleep. I say less about him, but he was a worry too. His eating worried me, and despite my gut I thought it would die down over years, but it only got worse. And though I didn't want to say it - he was like a brother to me.

Wonder and worry like to crowd me out of my bed. But I may have drifted into a dream then. I must have, because there before my sleeping self rose an enormous sunlit moon, seething with a dark matter.

But any little thing will bring me around. I heard a familiar clunk of sneakers. Raimundo was back. He slipped into his bed. he night vibrated with his thoughts. He was all hyper, the way he gets.

He knew I never really sleep, and joined me in my room. "Well, it's all happening," he said, quiet because of our teammates. "And sooner than we thought." He muttered, sitting down on the floor next to my futon where I turned to him. I felt the faint breeze of his breath on my face. "They have ordered new suitcases for everyone."
We pictured that: the steamer trunks being bumped up to Chase's huge palace and the imaginary clunk of Jack's boots rung through my head.
"They're to have new clothes for Chase," Whispered Raimundo. "As the lady said, he doesn't have anything that will attract a woman. Off they will go to London England, maybe they'll go to Essex too.."
I did not reply, of course. What was there to say? Then Raimundo went back to his room to sleep. And there was I again with only my worries for company.

I tossed and turned on the futon. A thought occurred to me as it often does. Though I have my pride, it is not a foolish pride. I can go for advice when I need it - To Master Fung of course. Where else? He was the wisest person I knew.
Still - once I'd made up my mind to go to Master Fung, I may have drifted into a fitful sleep. I must have slept, because I seemed to dream. In this dream, I saw myself sit silently up. I folded back my olive green blanket, and up I watched myself rise, slipping out of my nightdress and into.. Lingerie? Then I was gone like a puff of smoke.
But how could this be a dream? But how could it been real, I can't watch myself. I dream of nothing but good and evil, but this is neither. This was just wrong.