Author's note: Well I had been inspired to write this after doing my "Water that is too pure holds no fish" story. Now this is my first XS story that is not Rai-centric so I would really like to know what you people think of it so please review. Ideas on how to improve are also welcome.
"Thank you for your assistance, Miss Tohomiko," Inspector Tanaka said, "You have already done more than what we would have asked of you. You need not be there for the arrest."
Kimiko, not looking Inspector Tanaka in the eye, just nodded. Inspector Nakamura put a comforting hand on her shoulder and said "You did the right thing, Miss Tohomiko, don't feel bad about it."
"Yea, what ever," Kimiko replied not entirely convinced.
"Would you like a ride home?"
"No thanks, I can walk."
Kimiko then muttered a brief farewell and left the police station without saying another word.
Kimiko stopped in the small park that was near her home. She sat down on her favourite bench in the park. It was under a big Oak tree, facing the small pond in the middle of the garden. All the other trees in the park were Sakura (cherry blossom) so for a short while in spring this place would erupt into a world of soft coloured blossoms. Kimiko had always wondered what person would plant something as plain and out of place as an Oak tree in a park of Sakuras. Despite this or perhaps because of this, Kimiko loved the Oak and would come here from time to time to clear her head when her computer or Keiko weren't able to help. But tonight not even the Oak tree could lift her spirits. She looked down at her feet, just wanting the earth to swallow her whole.
"Lovely night tonight isn't," a voice said.
"Yea I guess so," Kimiko replied not bothering to look up.
"Do you mind if I sit down?"
"It's a free world."
"Though not one free of guilt it would seem."
This got Kimiko to finally look up. She saw that the voice belonged to an old, bald-headed man with a moustache. He did look Asian but the clothes he wore made him look more out of place than the oak tree did when the Sakura's bloomed.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that you seem to be regretting turning Daitaro into the police."
Kimiko suddenly shot up, taking a few steps back to put some distance between her and this strange man .
"Alright, who are you and how did you get that name?" Kimiko demanded.
The old man smiled slightly at Kimiko's reaction.
"My name is Master Fung," He said, "And I know all about Daitaro Satou or Kitsune as he prefers to be called online, it means fox I believe."
"Yea it does," Kimiko replied, not sure what else to say.
"Now I am not that well acquainted with computers so I do not know how he did it," Master Fung continued, "But I know that by using computers he stole alot of money from innocent people. When you found out about this you confronted him, telling him that if he didn't stop you would call the police. He blatantly refused so you not only contacted the police; you gave them enough evidence for them to get an arrest warrant and set up a situation that would result in an easy arrest. At 8 O'clock Daitaro will be at Mayu's coffee place expecting to be meeting up with you but instead he will be met by Inspector Tanaka and Inspector Nakamura."
Kimiko stared at him, her mouth hanging slightly open.
"How do you know all of this?"
"It is not how I know that matters, it is what I know," Master Fung replied ominously, "And what I know is that Daitaro is a criminal and what I also know is that you did the right thing. Now the question you need to ask is do you know that?"
Instead of answering, Kimiko picked up a handful of rocks and started throwing them into the pond.
"He said that I didn't understand," Kimiko said, suddenly seething, "He said that being from a well to do family meant that I had no idea of how the world works. Maybe I don't but I know how his world works! He's a crook; stealing honest people's money and what's worse is that he used tricks I taught him to cover his tracks."
"I can understand you feeling betrayed knowing that your lessons were being used wrongly."
"He's a lying, stealing jerk! I should hate his guts and be glad that he's going to pay for his crimes," Kimiko half shouted, "Now why do I feel like dirt?"
"Because he is your friend."
Kimiko stopped in mid-throw just as she was about to throw her last stone into the pond. Master Fung walked up and stood beside her.
"While the people that he wronged are faceless, his face and the friendship you shared are vivid in your mind."
Kimiko's hand returned to her side. The stone fell out of her hand and landed beside her foot. Her eyes became slightly misty.
"Kimiko, the world we live in is rarely black and white. Sometimes the hardest choice is doing what is right, not what feels right. However in the end, it is the most rewarding."
After saying this, Master Fung threw the stone with a flick of his wrist, sending it skipping across the water, all the way to the other side of the pond.
"Whoa, how did you do that?" Kimiko asked.
She turned to see, much to her amazement, that Master Fung had vanished. Thinking about what he had said, she looked down at her watch. 7:45, there's still time. Kimiko ran off, knowing what she had to do.
Kimiko sat at one of the outside tables of Mayu's coffee place. She hadn't ordered anything yet and was waiting for Daitaro. At 8: 02 Daitaro finally arrived.
"Hi Kimi, how's it going?" Daitaro asked while sitting down.
There was an awkward silence before Kimiko finally spoke.
"It ends now Daitaro," Kimiko said keeping her voice cool and her gaze steely.
"What are you talking about?" Daitaro asked.
The look on Kimiko's face answered Daitaro's question.
"Oh that, Look Kimi, I'm sorry that you're not fond of what I do but I'm not going to stop and nothing you do will change that."
"I beg to differ."
Daitaro would have asked what she meant but at that moment, Inspector Tanaka and Inspector Nakamura walked up to where Kimiko and Daitaro were sitting.
"Daitaro Satau?" Inspector Tanaka asked.
"Yea that's me," Daitaro replied
Inspector Tanaka and Inspector Nakamura pulled out their badges.
"You're under arrest," Inspector Tanaka said curtly.
"What?! There must be some mistake."
"No mistake, Mr Satau," Inspector Nakamura replied while making Daitaro stand up so that he could be hand cuffed, "Or would you prefer if we called you Kitsune?"
Daitaro looked both shocked and confused. He turned back to see Kimiko sitting there quietly. It only took a moment for him to put 2 and 2 together.
"You," Daitaro said accusingly.
"I told you I would call the cops," Kimiko replied, looking Daitaro in the eye.
"How could you do this?" Daitaro demanded, "I thought we were friends."
"Your right, we were friends."
The Inspectors carried away a defeated Daitaro. Kimiko slumped back against her chair, feeling slightly deflated. A moment later a strange sense of closure swept over her, closure that she wouldn't have gotten if she had stayed in the park.
"Kimiko Tohomiko?"
Kimiko looked up to see a waitress standing there with a tray.
"That's me," Kimiko replied.
The waitress took a cup from her tray and lay it down on the table.
"One green tea, compliments of a gentleman who came by earlier. He also asked me to give you this."
She took an envelope out of her pocket and handed it to Kimiko. She then started to walk off.
"Wait," Kimiko said, stopping the waitress, "Did he give you a name?"
The waitress paused for a moment.
"You know, he did. It was Master Fing or Fong or something like that."
"Fung?"
"That's it," the waitress replied before walking off.
Kimiko open the envelope to find a note and a ticket. She looked at the ticket and saw that it was for a plane heading to China. Not sure what to make of this, Kimiko read the note.
Dear Kimiko
If you are reading this then you are the brave and just individual that I thought you were. I hereby would like to invite you to come to the Xiaolin Temple and train to become a Xiaolin Dragon.
Kimiko raised an eyebrow. What's the Xiaolin Temple and what the heck is a Xiaolin Dragon? She was definitely going to have to Google it.
Now the path of a Xiaolin Dragon is not always easy but it is the path of good none the less. It is also a path that we would be honoured for you walk alongside the other chosen ones.
Sincerely
Master Fung
Kimiko reread the letter before taking another look at the plane ticket. She then pulled her cell phone and pressed speed key 2. She waited for an answer on the other end.
"Hey Keiko, guess where I'm going."
