This chapter's loads longer! I tried my very best on it and to you'd better appreciate it, since it's now twenty past one in the morning and I stayed up writing this for you. I'm just kidding, I'm just not tired and I love writing! I really hope you enjoy it though, I'm really proud of this chapter. Also, I'm really sorry about the clumping together of it all. If someone could tell me how to separate paragraphs and that for fanfiction I'd really appreciate it. Thanks. Enjoy!
Chapter 7
Fire Gone Bad
"Come on Kimiko, Rouge is right; this guy could really hurt you. We don't know what he's capable of," Raimundo pleaded.
"What, you think I need protecting?" Kimiko asked, her eyes glinting fiercely.
"Yes, I do," Raimundo said. He looked Kimiko in the eyes, daring her to argue back.
"I can look after myself," Kimiko said, glaring right back at Raimundo. And with that, she turned on her heel and left the Temple.
"Where's she going?" Clay asked.
"I don't know," Raimundo replied. "Probably for a walk. That always cools me off."
"It could be dangerous," Clay said.
"She'll be alright for now, I think," Raimundo said.
"I have it!" Omi suddenly exclaimed, making Raimundo and Clay jump. "The Shard of Lightening! That is how our enemy wrote that message on the wall without Kimiko knowing and how he got into Jack's lair!"
"Doesn't explain how he did both of those things without opening a door," Raimundo said. "Yeah, he'd move at the speed of light, but you'd still at least hear the door wouldn't you?" Omi sighed.
"How did he even get from China to Japan so fast?" Clay asked.
"We're just getting more problems and not enough solutions. This is stupid!" Raimundo exclaimed. The three warriors were sat around the kitchen table. They had just finished their breakfast and the Sun was only just beginning to rise on the Temple, its warmth only just beginning to banish the night's chill.
"We cannot just sit here!" Omi said in annoyance. He stood up and left, following Kimiko from the Temple. Raimundo and Clay exchanged puzzled, nervous glances.
Omi landed outside of Chase's palace, the Golden Tiger Claws clutched firmly in his hand. He entered the rock door and it opened before him, almost as though he had been expected. Omi entered, glancing around nervously. The big cats watched him, growling quietly.
"Omi, I thought I might be getting a visit from you sometime soon," Chase's cool voice drifted down the shadows. Omi peered into the gloom in the direction of the voice and Chase stepped into the light.
"Isn't it funny how it is always me you come to for help?" Chase said.
"I come to you because you are an expert on evil doings, not because I want to join you," Omi said calmly, not taking his eyes off Chase.
"I'm sure you'll change your mind one day," Chase said. "But I'm afraid you've wasted a journey today. I cannot help you with this murder business for I myself do not know who is behind them."
"You don't have any idea at all?" Omi said, a note of desperation in his voice. "Because it would be really appreciated of you'd tell me, I believe Kimiko's life may be in danger."
"I'm afraid not, Omi," Chase replied.
"Do you know anyone who might be able to help?" Omi asked. Chase simply shook his head. Omi sighed. His one hope had failed. He left without another word and returned to the Temple using the Tiger Claws.
The sight that greeted Omi was not a good one. Kimiko, Raimundo and Clay were battling each other. Not training, they were fighting. Actually fighting. Kimiko caught one of Raimundo's fists as he went to punch her and pushed it back. She kicked Raimundo in the stomach and he fell backwards, winded. Clay charged towards her, leading up to what looked like a good head butt and making Clay look more like a charging bull than a human being, but Kimiko simply stepped out of the way and stood out her leg. Clay tripped over and fell flat on his face in the dirt.
"What is going on?" Omi demanded, terrified.
"Typhoon Boom, wind!" Raimundo said. A hurricane materialised and began circling Kimiko. She tried to back away from the tugging wind but it was too strong for her and she was slowly dragged towards it.
"She's trying to steal our Wu!" Clay said, getting to his feet and wiping dirt off his face.
"Judallet Flip, fire!" Kimiko began to spin on the spot at a speed that rivalled the hurricanes and fire shot off in all directions. The trees around them caught fire. The hurricane was pushed away and instead it moved towards Clay. Raimundo dived out of the way of a jet of fire that came so close to him he felt the heat radiating off it. He landed on his stomach and was winded for the second time.
"Raimundo! Little help here partner!" Clay shouted as he was slowly pulled into the hurricane.
"Wind!" Raimundo called and the hurricane broke up. Clay's hat floated to the ground where it had been.
"Tsunami Strike, water!" Omi called. Water sprayed from his hands and doused the flaming trees and grass. "Kimiko, please tell me why you are doing this!"
"You all think I'm so useless and I'm weak because I'm a girl!" Kimiko said, her voice dripping with anger and loathing. "I'll fucking show you! I don't need you! I'm going to finds whoever killed my daddy and I'll kill them and I don't need any of you to tell me I need protecting!"
"Kimiko, you can't go evil just because of that," Raimundo said desperately.
"Well you would know wouldn't you Raimundo?" Kimiko said, a hideous grin spread across her lips and she laughed bitterly. Raimundo just looked at her, suddenly feeling empty.
"We know you're not weak, you've proven that loads of times!" Clay argued.
"Yet you continue to say it," Kimiko said in a cold voice. "Shroud of Shadows!" She disappeared. Omi, Clay and Raimundo looked around nervously, none of them daring to move in case she was close. Then the Golden Tiger Claws were yanked from Omi's hand and he cried out in surprise. Kimiko reappeared behind Omi, grinning victoriously.
"Goodbye, brilliant Xiaolin warriors. Let's see how you get on without me. Golden Tiger Claws!" She slashed a whole on the air. Omi made a desperate lunge for her ankles to try and pull her back but he was too late and she was gone. He lay on the ground, feeling hollow.
Kimiko slashed another whole and exited the vortex in Jack's lair. He screamed in shock at her appearance.
"I told you I don't have any more Wu!" he screamed, shielding his face and peering between his fingers. "Oh, it's you." His hands dropped back down by his sides. "What do you want? I told you, I don't know anything."
"You do have Wu," Kimiko said. "I want the Sun Chi Lantern. You stole that from us a while ago, didn't you? I want it back."
"You're just going to ask? No threats? And you think I'll just give you it? Fat chance," Jack sneered. "Hang on, why did you come on your own?"
"The others are useless. I'm bored of them," Kimiko said. Jack just looked at her.
"Does that mean you've turned to the dark side?" Wuya asked, making an appearance through the solid wall of Jack's basement.
"Yes, but I'm not joining you. Maybe another day. But not now," Kimiko replied. "Give me the Sun Chi Lantern." Wuya looked at Kimiko suspiciously.
"If we give you the Wu will you join us? We could use you on our side?" Jack said hopefully.
"No," Kimiko said shortly. "Give me it or I'll take it myself." Jack didn't move. Before he even knew what was happening, Kimiko ran at him and threw a powerful punch at his head, knocking him to the floor with the begins of a throbbing headache already appearing.
"I didn't know you were that strong!" Jack whined, sitting up and rubbing his aching head, feeling a lump. Kimiko kicked him in the same spot, sending him reeling and squealing in pain.
"I warned you," Kimiko growled.
"What's wrong with you?" Jack demanded. "You're not usually like this! This isn't usually how you steal Wu off me! I should know, it's happened a lot!" Kimiko ignored him. She kicked him in the chest and kept her foot there. Jack tried to scream but there was too much pressure on his diaphragm just below his ribs for him to get enough air into his lungs and he felt the horrible sensation of suffocation. He began to panic as unrealistic yet terrifying images of Kimiko's foot going right through his rib cage filled his mind.
"Please get off me!" he begged. "Wuya help me!"
"No hands," Wuya said, holding up her ghostly arms.
"Please get off me!" Jack cried again. "I'll give you anything! I promise!"
"If I let you get up and you've lied to me, I will kill you," Kimiko said in a horrific, believable, threatening voice. Jack stared at her in pure fear. Kimiko slowly removed her foot but never once took her cold, blue eyes off Jack. He gasped in air as relief swept over him. He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and walked over to his desk, afraid to take his eyes off Kimiko in case she attacked again while his back was turned. He unlocked a drawer on his desk and brought out the Sun Chi Lantern.
"Jack, don't give her it!" Wuya screamed.
"Be quiet Wuya," Kimiko said without looking at her.
"No one's ever spoken to me like that before!" Wuya said, startled. "Not since..." she trailed off as the Sun Chi Lantern passed from Jack's hands to Kimiko's. "Jack, what are you doing?"
"She's scaring me!" Jack said. His eyes were glittering with tears of fear he was battling to keep back and his hands were shaking badly. Kimiko seized Jack's left hand before he had a chance to put them back at his sides after giving Kimiko what she wanted. He screamed with fright and the tears began to fall down his cheeks. Kimiko spun Jack around his arm so he was facing away from her and gave him a hard kick in the back knocking him on his face.
"Thank you Jack," she said sweetly, looking down at him and he bawled in terror on the floor. Then she looked at Wuya.
"You'll thank me for this, my dear," she said. She giggled softly. "Golden Tiger Claws!" she jumped into the vortex and it closed behind her. Wuya stared at the spot where Kimiko had left, a name emerging into her memory. A name she had not thought about for almost- unbelievably- 1,000 years. But now she remembered as though it had been yesterday.
"I think I know who's behind the murders," she said quietly and she grinned with pleasure. Jack, who was still crying on the floor with a mixture or panic and relief that Kimiko and left, did not hear her.
Raimundo sat on the scorched grass outside the Temple grounds, replaying the last time he had seen Kimiko over and over again in his mind. He knew she had turned for some reason, but something kept telling him that she hadn't. Intuition? Or was it just his own stupid mind telling him Kimiko wasn't that kind of person? She wasn't like him.
It was like when his brother had died. He knew he was gone forever, but it still felt like he was just going to walk through the door at any moment. It was hard to grasp the idea that he was never going to see his brother again and the thought of it was laughable. That must have been how Kimiko was feeling. Maybe she was just confused? She just wanted revenge and she was willing to do anything she could to get it. Of course she'd want her father's killer dead and no one at the Temple would allow her to do that. She knew they'd all try and talk her out of it. Tell her it was the wrong thing to do and it would probably end up in her own death. Maybe that's why she left.
The moon was shining down on the silent Temple and there was a faint breeze rustling the leaves in the trees that survived the fire attack. Apart from the sound of the leaves, the night was completely silent. Raimundo had been lying in bed for two hours before he finally decided sleep was not coming tonight. Not while he knew Kimiko was gone and that she might get hurt. If she really had left because she thought she wasn't appreciated enough then it meant it was their fault. If something happened to her, Raimundo, Clay and Omi would be responsible. And Rouge. Rouge had said that he knew she could stand up for herself but he still thought she needed to be looked after. If something happened to Kimiko, Rouge Riddell would feel guilty for the death of a girl he had only known for just over a week. The thought of that guilt was something Raimundo couldn't stand but the thought of Kimiko being forever was worse. She was right. They didn't appreciate her enough. She had saved them all on so many times, she was the main reason he himself had returned to the Xiaolin Temple after his taste of the Heylin lifestyle, so she had saved them all then as well. They could all be dead if not for her. Even Raimundo. Thinking about it now, he was sure Wuya would have grown tired of him and decided just to dispose of him as well, since she'd already destroyed his friends there was no need to keep him around.
Raimundo suddenly snapped back to his senses at the sound of footsteps approaching the Temple grounds. His heart began to race. The Temple was out of the way of anywhere else so the likeliness of a simple passerby was slim. He thought briefly that maybe it was Kimiko coming back flashed across his mind but he told himself, the part of himself that knew she had really left, that that was almost as unlikely as an innocent pedestrian walking past. Even if she was going to decide she had been wrong to leave, she hadn't had enough time to think it over. Unless she was coming back for another fight.
A figure appeared at the entrance to the grounds but Raimundo couldn't make out who it was due to the cloudy night that blocked out most of the moon's light. All he knew was that it wasn't Kimiko.
"Are you Raimundo Pedrosa?" the figure asked. It was a male voice that Raimundo didn't recognise. He didn't say anything. The figure began to walk towards him but Raimundo stood his ground. Finally the figure was close enough for Raimundo to make out his features. He had short black hair and brown eyes. He wore baggy jeans that were torn in several places and a plain black T-shirt that showed off his tattooed arms.
"Who are you?" Raimundo asked.
"Rex LeBay," the man replied shortly. "Are you Raimundo replied?"
"Yes," Raimundo said.
"I need your help," Rex said. He stopped a few feet away from Raimundo. "I've heard you turned Heylin once and nearly brought about the end of the world." A small smile flitted across Rex's thin lips.
"If you want me to go Heylin again then you're wasting your time," Raimundo said coldly.
"No. Not Heylin," Rex said, unnerved by Raimundo's warning tone of voice. "I want to you help me defeat Wuya, Chase Young and Hannibal Roy Bean. And then you can have anything you want."
"I've heard that before. I've had that before. I didn't make me as happy as I'd expected," Raimundo replied, his promise to himself that he'd never speak of greediness aloud to anyone again blaring angrily in his head as he broke it for a complete stranger.
"I don't mean those material things," Rex smirked. "You can have Kimiko. That's what you want isn't it?"
"Is she with you?" Raimundo asked, avoiding the question by asking his own.
"No. But she will be."
"You're lying," Raimundo spat.
"Can you prove that, Raimundo?" Rex asked, smiling.
"Kimiko didn't turn evil. She doesn't really want to hurt anyone except the man who killed her dad. She's just angry and confused but she'll come round eventually. I know her," Raimundo said. Rex's cocky grin faltered slightly at Raimundo's reply but only for a moment, then it was back in place.
"We'll see," he said.
"Get out of here," Raimundo said, struggling to keep his voice calm. Rex remained where he was as he watched Raimundo fight to keep his anger at bay. Rex knew that deep down, Raimundo didn't even believe himself.
"You might change your mind. You're just an unappreciated as Kimiko. They don't trust you. They never have and they never will and you know it. You'll change your mind and I'll know when you do. I'll find you again. Until then Raimundo Pedrosa," Rex turned and left the Temple grounds. Raimundo didn't move. He listened to the sound of Rex's fading footsteps, making sure he was really leaving and then he went back inside the Temple to have another go at sleeping.
I hope you liked it! The next chapter should be up soon. Remember to review, all constructive criticism is welcome!
