Chapter 4- Omi-Cat

Chase sighed loudly as one of his servants nervously approached. It was a young girl, no more than maybe fifteen. She looked as if she was going to run away at any second.

"What is it?" he asked crossly. The girl instantly dropped to a low bow before him, shaking with fear. Chase rolled his eyes. Couldn't they ever defy him for once, or loose the formality?

"Your-your maj- your majest-" she squeaked.

"Get on with it," he grumbled.

"Your- your Majesty," she said at last. "They wish to tell you that the shipment to Tianjin is ready, and they want you to inspect it," she said quickly.

"Yes, yes," he replied, somewhat harsher than he expected. He waved his hand to dismiss her and the young girl ran off as fast as she could.

Chase Young got off of his throne and walked down the few short steps. He didn't know why he was in such a mood. Usually seeing off one of the shipments of humans to the auctions pleased him.

He passed a group of his warriors, who instantly bowed down to him. "Get me Omi!" he barked. One of them ran off and within a minute returned with the little yellow cat following at his side.

"Yes, Master." Omi said, bowing down. Chase sighed.

"Come Omi, the next shipment is going out."

Omi's furry ears drooped as he looked sorrowfully ahead. He despised Chase's actions, but he could do nothing to stop them.

"In time, Omi," Chase laughed, seeing his expression. "Soon you will learn to crave evil, if you have not already."

Chase began to walk again towards the great hall. Omi followed, his tail between his legs and a look of sadness on his face.

Kimiko sat confined within the cruel bars of a small cage. She kept her head down and her hair over her face, just incase someone would recognize her. She was lucky though. The warriors took no notice of her at all.

She glanced around the others confined beside her. She guessed there were maybe thirty people in total, all crammed into the painful cages.

Kimiko knew why she was where she was; she was going to die. She had decided it the moment the icy energy had flown from the bars through her.

She knew that Chase despised the human race, even though he had used to be one. Why he had not already destroyed them all, or turned them to zombies she didn't know.

Kimiko figured that the others around her were to die also. They must have done him a wrong, or in the little girl's case, had their parents do him a wrong. Chase Young was harsh and merciless. It was not in his nature to forgive. And what better way to punish was there but death?

Chase Young had hunted them down mercilessly for the past three years, one of which they had spent hidden in the mountains; he wanted them dead. Kimiko knew that the warriors who had captured her didn't know she was a Xiaolin Dragon, but they had been out of touch for a long time with the world. Maybe Chase instantly killed anyone he found hiding.

Kimiko's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden feeling of dread. She felt cold flow throughout her body and her heart stop. Her eyes widened, and Kimiko quickly turned her head towards the entrance to the room.

Chase Young stood calmly above them all, staring down at the humans stuffed mercilessly into these tiny quarters. He began to walk down towards them, an expression of pure hate on his face. Kimiko lingered upon him, her eyes narrowed and snarling.

But a flash of yellow caught her eye.

Kimiko snapped her head to behind Chase, and she let out a muffled cry. Omi! A lump came into her throat, and she fought to keep it back. Kimiko had not seen him since the Xiaolin Temple was raided, and then even for a brief moment.

She watched entranced as they made their way between the first row of enclosures. He walked sorrowfully, his ears drooping and his eyes grief-stricken. His tail was between his legs as Chase nodded at the warriors in charge, who had hastily transformed back into jungle cats.

As Chase came nearer and nearer, Kimiko prepared herself for when he would walk by. She was not afraid to die, especially at the hands of Chase Young. After Omi had sworn his loyalty to him, Kimiko had expected her death almost every day in their situation.

Kimiko sat up straight, careful not to touch the bars. She hastily combed her hair with her fingers, and swept it out of her face. She would make sure Chase saw her, and she would face it like Xiaolin Dragon she was.

After what felt like hours, Chase finally entered her row. She sat calmly in her meditation pose, staring at the bars in front of her. Her eyes were serene and showed no emotion. Time passed slowly, each second like a drop of golden pearl falling into endless space.

"Well, what do we have here?" an icy voice sounded above her. Kimiko looked up to see Chase cruelly standing over her, an expression of astonishment on his face. Omi-cat stood obediently beside him, but his eyes were wide with shock as he stared at her.

"Kimiko!" He mouthed silently. She stared back at him, her eyes full of sadness.

"The Xiaolin Dragon of Fire? No, it cannot be…" Chase trailed off, still looking as if he didn't quite realize she was truly sitting in front of him. He reached through the bars towards Kimiko, whose eyes hardened immediately

"Don't touch me!" she snarled, smacking his hand away. "You foul, evil, loathsome, disgusting-"

Chase narrowed his eyes, filled with hate, yet a smug smile was strangely on his face. He looked as if someone had just given him the best present anyone could ever receive, and Kimiko knew why.

If one of the Xiaolin Dragons had been captured, then they would not have enough power to defeat Chase, if they even had enough to begin with. Apart, the Xiaolin Dragons had barely enough elemental and martial art powers to put up a good fight against Chase. They were no match for him and his mighty army of warrior cats.

"Where are the other Dragons?" Chase demanded, towering down above her. Omi still stood meekly at his side, but he watched Kimiko with curiosity.

"They've escaped! And they're coming to kick your a-" Chase's hand slapped Kimiko firmly across her cheek. She recoiled as he grasped her chin and pulled her strongly up to the bars. His golden eyes stared into hers, cold and intrusive.

Suddenly, Kimiko felt her memories flow from her mind. Looking into Chase, she saw his eyes lit with an unrecognizable fire. Quickly, she tried to break eye contact, but it was as if she was in a trance. His eyes poured down into hers and flooded her mind.

Omi swearing his loyalty and the sky growing dark. Master Fung falling to the hard earth and not moving. The Shen Gong Wu, all missing. Dojo standing innocently besides a fountain…

"Stop!" Kimiko murmured. It was if she was frozen in time, with Chase reading all of her memories. She desperately tried to break contact, but it was no use.

The Xiaolin Temple destroyed. People screaming, flames licking the sky. Toshiro Tohomiko disappearing under a mountain of rubble. Raimundo, staring out of the cave with Kimiko…Raimundo, his arms around her…

Kimiko spat in Chase's face.

Instantly, he drew back, fuming with anger. He furiously wiped her spit from his face and stood up.

"Guard!" he growled at the nearest warrior. The man hurried over to Chase and bowed low before him. "Find the patrol that brought in THIS!" Chase snarled, heatedly pointing at Kimiko. She smiled almost smugly and crossed her arms, her eyes cold and hardened.

Within a minute, a different warrior hurried over to them and bowed before Chase. "My Lord," he said quietly.

"I understand you are responsible for the capture of this human," Chase said calmly, gesturing at Kimiko. She sneered at them both.

"Yes, my Lord. We captured her during a patrol in the mountains."

"Were there any others with her at the time?"

"Two young males." Kimiko looked up sharply. Raimundo! Clay!

"And of them?"

"Dead, sir. They resisted while trying to hide her."

Kimiko let out a cry. Dead? No, they couldn't be. Clay! Raimundo! Oh, Raimundo…She bit her lip, trying to keep back her tears. No, they couldn't be dead! Raimundo promised...he promised he would meet me…A silent sob shook her body as she grasped what had happened. They had died trying to protect her.

She looked up to see that the warrior had gone. Chase peered down at her, looking in an evil way, ecstatic. Her gaze fell to Omi, who's eyes were filled with overbearing sadness.

"And so ends the mighty Xiaolin Dragons," Chase said quietly. Kimiko glared back at him with all the hatred she could muster as a small tear ran down her cheek. He laughed evilly and turned away.

"Omi!" he called. The little yellow cat ducked his head.

"Yes, Master."

"See that she is moved back to the dungeons. Position six warriors around her cell and tell her that no one is to enter, only myself. I personally want to kill her." Omi nodded and bit his lip.

"Yes, my Lord." Chase cruelly smiled at Kimiko one last time and stalked off. Within a minute, he was gone.

Omi-cat and Kimiko stared at each other, a silence filling the air around them. Finally, Omi spoke.

"Kimiko, I'm so sorry." An awkward pause rested upon them. "It's all my fault!" He cried. "If I hadn't messed up in the first place, nothing would have happened! Clay and Raimundo-they'd be-they'd-"

"It's alright Omi," Kimiko said quietly. "None of us knew what this would lead to. We cannot change the past." She looked up at him, her eyes shining. "But we can change the future. Omi-cat, please, help me escape-"

"You know I can't do that," he said sorrowfully. "Chase would kill me in an instant; he doesn't need me anymore, now that the world is his. Besides, I am bound by my word."

Kimiko looked away. Omi stared at her, his ears drooping.

"You know I can't help you escape directly," he said suddenly. "I cannot directly disobey my orders. But, I think I might be able to get you away."

Kimiko furrowed her eyebrows. "How?"

"I can still have you moved, just not to the dungeons. I will do nothing."

"Nothing? What do you mean?"

"The warriors will move you, but I will not fulfill my orders. If you stay here with the other humans-"

"Why?" Kimiko choked out, her voice full of malice. "Aren't they just going to die also? Don't prolong my death. If I can't escape, then I want to be with Raimundo."

"Kimiko," Omi-cat said slowly. "These humans aren't going to die. Chase- he sells them."

She looked up at him. "Sells them? Like slaves?" Omi nodded mournfully, and Kimiko stared down at her dirty, tattered robes. "We've been out of touch with the world for a long time."

Omi sighed and paced before her cage. "I cannot offer you your life or your freedom. If you do go with these humans, you will be sold. Some Heylin person will buy you, and you will become a slave. It will be a hard life, if you are not spotted before the auction."

He paused and sighed again. Then, looking up startled he realized that more than half the humans in the room had already disappeared with warriors.

"I have to go," he cried out quickly. Kimiko nodded, then reached through the bars and scratched his head. A meaning of understanding passed between them, and Omi ran off.

Kimiko watched him go as warriors neared her own imprisonment. "Good bye, Omi," she whispered.

She wondered if she would ever see him again.