"RAIMUNDO…" echoed through out the caves.

Wuya turned around and looked back down the passage.

"Ki…Kimiko," said Raimundo, trying to call out, but he was weakening with every passing second.

Wuya spat on the floor and turned around again. Raimundo was curled up on the floor, stubbornly clinging to his knees. He wasn't going to let her chain him up again, at least not without a fight. He summoned up the last of his courage and strength.

"KIMIKO!"


"Did…did you hear that?" asked Omi.

"It's Raimundo," said Clay.

"I'M COMING RAI!" shouted Kimiko, running in the direction of the voice.

She suddenly found herself at a dead end. She stopped herself just in time to prevent herself from running into the stone.

"I do not understand, I'm sure I heard his voice coming from this direction," said Omi.

"We did," said Clay, "Maybe Wuya's pulling a trick on us. Maybe she made him call out from a different direction."

"It is a trick," said Kimiko, "but it's not his voice that's the trick."

"What?" asked Clay, "I don't get it."

Kimiko lifted her hand and ran it along the surface of the wall. It shimmered like ripples of the surface of a lake. She turned around.

"Wuya doesn't want us finding him," said Kimiko, "So she wants to make us think we found a dead end."

Kimiko lifted her hand again and pushed it straight through the wall. It rippled again and she stepped forward, walking straight through the fake rock. Omi and Clay hesitated, but then Kimiko's head poked through the wall.

"You guys wait here, just in case we need backup." Said Kimiko, before disappearing inside the wall again.


Master Fung continued to stare up at the mountains.

"Master Fung?" asked a monk, coming up behind him, "Does something trouble you?"

"They are up in those mountains, fighting for the life of their friend." Said Master Fung, "They might die, and I would've sent them to that death."

"Yet they might win, and you would've sent them to victory," said the monk.

Master Fung smiled gently, still staring out of the window. He knew that someone was going to lose their life today, there was a shift in the forces of good and evil, but right now be couldn't tell who would win. He prayed that it wouldn't be one of the chosen ones…


Kimiko stood in the passage way. It was damp and smelt musty. She shivered, but continued to walk anyway. Raimundo was counting on her and she was counting on him…

"RAIMUNDO?" she called again, but there was no reply.

She sighed; he had obviously used the last of his strength trying to call her last time. Maybe it was already over…no, don't think like that. It'll be alright. I'll find Raimundo and everything will go back to normal…I hope.

There was another fork in front of her. The floor was too wet to see any blood. These caves had obviously flooded before and the inside wasn't completely dry yet. There was moss on the walls and ceiling.

"Which way?" she asked, though no one was there to tell her.

Something was telling her to go left, but she didn't know why. Was Wuya trying to trick her? She closed her eyes, trying to blot out all distractions. Find her focus; if she could do that then it would lead her the right way.

"…right…" she whispered, "…it's telling me to go right…"

She hesitated, before taking the right path.


"Damn it," whispered Wuya.

She had been hissing in Kimiko's head that she should go left, but obviously she wasn't going to be fooled so easily.

"…y…you can't fool her…with silly…tricks…" whispered Raimundo through bleeding lips.

"What do you know? I fooled you perfectly well didn't I?" laughed Wuya.

"…taking…advantage of someone…who's feeling…angry…doesn't classify as…tricking them…" muttered Raimundo.

"Denial doesn't prove anything you know," laughed Wuya, "When she does arrive, I'll be ready for her. If she arrives…"


"I don't like just sittin' around," said Clay, kicking the wall.

This hurt quite a lot, but he didn't want to show it and so continued to face the wall.

"I know, but Kimiko wants to deal with Wuya on her own." Said Omi, staring at his feet, "I guess that's what happens when you feel that way. You start acting irresponsibly."

"When you feel what way?" asked Clay.

"Is it not obvious?" asked Omi, raising and eyebrow.

Clay stared at him for a second before it set in.

"Oh!" he said, "Do you really think that she likes him that much?"

"I think she does," said Omi, "And I think that we're being stupid just sitting here."

"Well let's get going then," said Clay, standing up, "We'd better catch up with her then."


Kimiko continued running down the damp paths in the caves, squeezing through thin spaces and choosing between different paths. She knew that she was getting closer, she didn't know how, but she knew. A few more times she came up against trick walls, other times she ran into real ones as she ran blindly through the dark.

"Rai, where are you? Why haven't I found you yet?" she asked, falling to her knees in exhaustion.

She swore loudly. Then something caught her eye. She looked up. At the end of the long tunnel in front of her was a dim light. It was flickering.

"Fire?" she asked.

She stood up.

"That's got to be them!" she gasped, "I'M COMING RAI!"


The words echoed through the caves. Backwards to Omi and Clay, running down the paths and forwards to Wuya and Raimundo.

"…Kim…Kimiko…I'm here...please…hurry…" he said, trying to call, but he was too exhausted.

"She can't hear you," said Wuya, "but that doesn't matter, she'll be here in a few seconds."

"You miscounted," said a voice from the mouth of the chamber.

Kimiko was standing in the entrance, her wet hair falling over her eyes. Her blue eyes shone through, pure hatred and anger consuming them. It was almost overwhelming to see a person who was normally so happy, filled with such fierce hatred.

As the anger welled up inside of her, she held out her arms. The flames from the torches attached to the walls spurted forward and danced in her hands.

"Now you'll know why I'm called 'Dragon of fire'"

(A/N) Next chapter is coming soon. Please R&R. I want to know!