Tears fell down the young woman's soft face. She panted quickly, as if having engaged in a brutal fight. This was likely because she was fighting.
This was the second battle she fought in as many nights. The fight wasn't so much for honor or for the hell of it as it was for property. The young woman had been fighting for what was rightfully hers…namely, her body.
Even though her spirit was in good condition, Kimiko was unable to defeat Wuya for control of her body. She fought like mad to gain the upper hand, exhibiting just about every facet of training she received at the temple. Wuya, on the other hand, barely broke a sweat when she faced the young woman. One would think that, given her time cooped up in a box, she wouldn't have much fight in her. However, one should not reckon with the power of a woman - especially one as powerful as Wuya - who's really ticked off.
Kimiko sat in darkness, aching and huddled, waiting for the next opportunity to face her captor. She took a breath before lowering her head. "I'm sorry, Raimundo."
XxXxXxXxX
The sun set over the horizon. To any and all who witnessed it, it was a gorgeous and inspirational sight.
Raimundo sat on his couch, facing away from the window. The phone receiver at his ear, he looked somewhat agitated. "I'm gonna take a week off. Yes, I know it's pretty short-notice, but this is important. I need to take care of my wife. No, I don't think you do get it. I'll see you later."
He glanced up as the door flew open. Standing outside was Kimiko, a furious look on her face.
"Where have you been?"
"Looking for you. Do you even care that I was alone in the city? Or that so many men flirted with me?"
"Dressed like that, it's no mystery", he muttered.
"What?"
"You heard me, Kimiko!" Frustrated, he put his hand to his head. "I don't know what it is with you! These last couple of days, it's like you're not yourself."
Kimiko ran her hands along Raimundo's chest. "Oh, of course I am. I'm just…lonely. I need you to be there for me", she pleaded in a babyish tone.
"I want to be there for me, but you need to get a grip."
"Way ahead of you." She reached behind him and grabbed his rear. He placed a vice-like grip on her hands and held them in front of him.
"Kimiko, I love you. I've always loved you…and I always will." The fight was gone from Raimundo's voice, replaced by a resigned tone that suggested a man at the end of his rope.
Kimiko's head turned to the side. Her eyes looked toward the floor. "Oh, Raimundo." There seemed to be genuine affection in her voice. She hugged him deeply. He couldn't help but return the gesture. In a matter of seconds, her face twisted, as though being reshaped by some insane sculptor. "Let's make love", she intoned, her voice having dropped several octaves.
Raimundo stretched out his arms and yawned theatrically. "I don't know." He blinked as he scratched his back. "I'm feeling a little tired. Maybe I could take a rain check on that." He started toward the stairs, facing away from the young woman.
Kimiko stared at him. "Are you kidding?!"
"I need my rest for work."
As he smirked, she stomped her foot on the floor. Of its own accord, her hand became engulfed in a ball of flame. She scowled, staring Raimundo down as he disappeared up the stairs. After a few moments, the fire dissipated in her hand as quickly as it appeared. Her time would come soon enough.
XxXxXxXxX
Kimiko had fallen dead asleep in bed, much to Raimundo's relief. He snuck downstairs not long after she retired and was sleeping on the couch.
A light groan escaped her lips. She turned in bed, panting heavily. She pounded the mattress with a balled-up hand. Another groan, but much longer.
XxXxXxXxX
The surrounding area was a mass of swirling pink smoke, almost like what one sees when they close their eyes.
Kimiko found herself on her feet, even though she couldn't remember standing up. Almost involuntarily, she balled her hands and grit her teeth. No doubt about it: she was angry.
"Come on out, you snake!", she yelled out into the void. She looked all around her when no answer came. "Where are you?!"
"Now why are you so angry, little girl?" Kimiko immediately turned behind her and leapt backwards. She would not allow her opponent the advantage of surprise.
"Show yourself, you crone!"
A very un-crone-like figure appeared before her: one of long red hair and a striking figure. It was Wuya…in her human form. "That's not very polite, Kimiko."
"Why should I be polite? You took my body from me!"
"I see it more as putting it to better use. Besides, I thought you'd appreciate a vacation from yourself."
Kimiko stared at the Heylin witch and summoned a burst of flame. Wuya simply snorted as it flew toward her. She caught it with both hands and, returning the determined stare, tossed it right back.
The young woman crossed her arms into an 'X', hoping to block it. She was successful, even though it knocked her back a few steps.
Wuya smiled. "My turn." She waved her hand across the ground where Kimiko stood. It collapsed beneath her, engulfing her like quicksand. The young woman groaned as she fought her way out. The witch waggled her finger. "Uh-uh. Mustn't struggle. That only makes it worse."
Halfway above ground, Kimiko shot a tiny flame at Wuya's feet.
"Aaaah!" She jumped out of the fire.
"A little too hot for you?" Kimiko put her hands on her hips as best as she could.
"That was very unwise, little girl."
"What? It's not like you believe in fighting fair."
The redhead narrowed her eyes. "You want a fair fight? You got one." With a snap of her fingers, Kimiko was standing on solid ground. Any traces of quicksand were history.
Wuya started to moan. From Kimiko's perspective, it looked like her opponent was shrinking by a few inches. Her long red hair shortened and darkened, re-arranging itself into a pair of pigtails. Her black dress rearranged itself into a red uniform and shoes appeared out of nowhere onto her feet. She had become Kimiko as she once knew her, although a bit older.
"Now, it's a fair fight", Wuya said in Kimiko's cute voice. The real Kimiko recoiled at this.
Wuya struck a fighting pose and, with her index and middle fingers, she beckoned the young woman.
Kimiko ran toward…herself and delivered a series of blows to Wuya's face and midsection. Firebending was not the only trick in her arsenal.
Wuya, seemingly unfazed by the assault, grabbed Kimiko's arm as it stopped short of her stomach and twisted it around her back.
She tightened the grip, causing Kimiko to groan. A smile grew on the double's face; this was music to her ears. Wuya whispered in Kimiko's voice. "How can you possibly hope to defeat me when you can't even defeat yourself?" A tear ran down the young woman's cheek. "Your husband is a tough nut to crack, but I'll break him soon enough. You wanna know why?" Wuya yanked Kimiko toward her, putting even more pressure on the arm. "Because he loves me more than he loves you. I could see it in his eyes when I turned human all those years ago. He…is…mine."
With lightning speed, Kimiko brought her free hand, now a fist, up and slammed it into Wuya's face. The witch reared back and shook her head. Kimiko shook the kinks out of her arm and lunged at Wuya once again.
Wuya grabbed her arm - the one that she'd been assaulted with - and slammed her to the ground. Kimiko tried to sit up, but Wuya placed her foot right on her chest.
Fake-Kimiko smirked at the real thing as the dark hair, red outfit and shoes disappeared, leaving only Wuya with her flowing red locks, black dress and bare feet. "'Fair fight'. Silly little girl." Kimiko's voice remained as if to further taunt the young woman. Wuya began to chuckle, her own dark voice gradually returning.
Kimiko grabbed onto Wuya's leg, but was unable to budge it. The chuckling rang inside her head.
XxXxXxXxX
Kimiko woke up in her bed, a big smile on her face. The place next to her was empty. "Raimundo?"
XxXxXxXxX
She ran down the stairs. The couch had a couple of blankets on it. She tossed the blankets aside. There was no one there.
"Where are you?!"
XxXxXxXxX
Raimundo sat at a sidewalk café staring at his lunch. It was a sushi platter. The idea of tuna wrapped in seaweed and rice hadn't been immediately appealing, but Kimiko - the woman he fell in love with and married, not the stranger who resided in his house - turned him onto the cuisine of her homeland.
He glanced up at the clear blue sky. What was he to do about his wife? Raimundo's mind started to wander…
XxXxXxXxX
Memories of Kimiko in her baby doll nightgown filled his mind. She walked up to him. "…the past is never too far away."
His meditation with Master Fung appeared next. "I'd been having this nightmare…"
"…I think you may have solved the problem with your wife."
"…wanted to make love to me…" The various moments of Kimiko's amorous attitude flashed in his memory, one after the other.
"Before today…"
The phone call flashed in his mind next. "I love you."
"I love you…"
Several more moments appeared, this time of Raimundo rebuffing Kimiko: at home, at the construction site… "I rejected her."
Next in his mind came the pile of ash that used to be a chair. "…she burned…me…"
XxXxXxXxX
At the table, Raimundo shook his head. The last set of images that invaded his mind were those of Kimiko. The concerned look she had on her face when she asked him about the nightmare gave way to her various trampy outfits. "Wuya had a body…" He looked off into the distance, a shocked expression on her face.
"Wuya's controlling Kimiko!", he stated in a hushed whisper.
Raimundo balled his hands in anger, but, after a few moments, his grip loosened. His anger was replaced with fear. Not just fear for himself and what Wuya was capable of with Kimiko's powers, but fear for his wife. He didn't want to hurt her to get to Wuya, but that option wasn't too far from his thoughts. There wasn't a court in the world that would consider possession grounds for spousal abuse.
If he couldn't outfight Wuya, he would have to outthink her.
He allowed his mind to wander once more.
XxXxXxXxX
The image of Master Fung appeared in his mind. "You will need to go back to the beginning."
The young man rubbed his chin. "Maybe, he means the beginning…of our training; the beginning of the trouble with Wuya."
"…you'll find an unlikely expert on the problem at hand."
"Well, Wuya's the problem, so an expert would be someone who knows her; someone who would have an inkling of how to stop her." Raimundo considered this. His eyes widened as an 'ah, come on!' expression filled his face. If there was a living expert of Wuya in the world, it could only be one person. He hoped he'd never have to see this person again, but, if he wanted Kimiko back, he'd have to seek the "expert" out.
Raimundo sighed. This was not going to be easy.