"Lets get one thing straight," the woman said sternly, "I'm not about to be a babysitter to a preppy teen. But to my misfortune I've been given the duty to watch you while Master Fung is away, which is just what I need," she added sarcastically, "is another brat to watch. So until you turn 18 and move out you're my responsibility."
Kimiko nodded quietly, already wishing she hadn't stepped onto the train with this woman, "I understand, Miss Wuya."
"Oh stop with the formalities. My names Wuya and that's it, no miss."
"Ok, Wuya."
The older woman sighed as if breathing out her hate for the world and read a magazine, leaving Kimiko to stare out the window gazing at the passing countryside. She could no longer see any buildings, the countryside was a beautiful place but she couldn't help but feel that "Master" Fung had made a mistake in assigning Wuya as her substitute guardian.
"Uh, Wuya," she sputtered.
"What?!!" she whined glaring at the teen from over the magazine.
"You mentioned that I was just another brat you needed to watch."
"Yeah, and…," she was losing her patience.
"Well are there any others that you are also looking after?"
"Unfortunately yes," she put the magazine down and rolled her eyes to the ceiling as if remembering a horrible memory.
"How many?" Kimiko dared to ask.
"Six I think," she replied eyes back into the magazine.
"Wow that must be exciting."
"Trust me its not all that glamorous, you know how little twerps act. It seems like their goal in life is to give me a new head ache for a new reason every hour on the hour."
"Actually," Kimiko lowered her head, "I don't know. I was home schooled. And I graduated kind of early so I have nothing to do these days."
"Lucky you," Wuya murmured from behind the magazine.
Kimiko soon found out Wuya wasn't much of a talker and decided to leave the older woman alone, 'Surely the Xiaolin Manor is big enough for me to wonder around in and not have to run into Wuya.'
She quietly studied the woman. She wore an old style Chinese outfit, a black dress with purple outlining the long sleeves. And to Kimiko's surprise she was barefooted. Her hair was a long reddish color that curled upwards at some parts. Her eye liner came down in three lines from her eyes. But the most peculiar thing about her were her nails, they were more like claws and Kimiko wasn't sure but she thought her incisor teeth looked more like fangs.
'Creepy,' Kimiko cringed.
The ride took a good 9 hours but it was silent the whole time. The only audible thing was Wuya's page turning every few minutes. Kimiko mostly just slept since they would probably arrive sometime in the early morning. Kimiko's last thoughts before dozing off were of her early memories of her mother and father.
The loud train whistle startled Kimiko awake. She nearly fell out her seat. Her breath was heavy at first as she took a moment to calm down. Wuya was no where in their booth and outside the train had come to a hault. It looked as if everyone was getting off the train from the outside and sure enough there was Wuya in the crowd.
Kimiko quickly grabbed all her bags and left the booth to walk right into the big exiting crowd in the hall way, 'Darn I should've known she'd be the type of person to do something like this,' Kimiko thought as she struggled to hold onto all of her baggage.
When she finally got out of that mess she traveled a few yards down the cobblestone road in the direction she saw Wuya go, while silently cursing in her mind. Soon she saw Wuya standing by a carriage talking to a slightly shorter boy with bright red hair and a black over coat.
"Wuya, why didn't you wake me up?" Kimiko asked more than a little annoyed.
Wuya shrugged, "You would've woken up eventually or one of the workers would've woken you up. Ours was the last stop after all."
Kimiko frowned.
"Oh and this is Jack, he's our ride there."
Jack bowed his head, "Here let me take your bags."
Kimiko smiled handing them to him, 'At least someone's nice,' she thought.
"C'mon stop flirting and get in," Wuya yelled getting in the carriage, "We haven't got all day. I'm sleepy as heck."
Kimiko obeyed while Jack strapped the bags on top of the carriage, and proceeded to get the horses going down the road.
After another 2 hours of Wuya looking through a different magazine she glanced out the window and nudged Kimiko who was determined to stay awake, "Hey look."
Kimiko looked out her window, "Over that hill is a clear view of the Xiaolin Manor, a living heck for all the inhabitants. And your new home congratulations," she said sarcastically.
Kimiko rolled her eyes and gazed at the horizon as they got to the hill top. And there she saw it the biggest manor in the whole countryside.
Kimiko stared in awe but Wuya seemed as though she could careless that they lived in such a beautiful place. 'Maybe Wuya is a sour person but a place like that can't have all bad people in it. Can it, father?'