Xiaolin Showdown doesn't belong to me.
The person in mention did not possess any mind-reading abilities therefore he did not now what venomously sweet words his friend had thought and even he did, he wouldn't understand why it was said.
"Let the fight commence." said the dastardly being of fearsome power.
They battled or rather he battled while the child stood still. He did not move at all, but he talked about twisted manipulation. He urged and he pleaded and reasoned with his poor misguided friend.
"Chase Young…Clank….using you! Clink... Do you not see? Clank...A trick! Clink ...Believe me!"
His desperate little words chipped away at his mentality and slashed away Chase's ugly words. The bright fuzzy warm feeling that he felt for the dragon of water shimmered and boiled and fizzed towards the surface until it could not be denied any longer.
The boy from the slums slumped. "I give."
The worried frown melted away into a happy little smile and the victor ran over to his defeated friend. The nasty antagonists vanished with fuming defeated snarls and the protagonists jeered in triumph. The two former combatants remained where they were as the past events washed over them.
"It's alright, you did not know," said the child gently.
But neither do you.
"Maybe it'd be better if I left…"
All four, rosy with victorious celebration, gawked at the boy's confession and immediately they began to protest with promises of sweetness and kindness. A reluctant smile graced his lips at their endearing endeavors.
The littlest one of them all stepped forward. "Jermaine…I'm sorry, really I am."
The other's gaze wandered over to the faraway unimportant landscape in stubborn attitude. "I know, but..."
"But…?"
The non-elemental boy finally met the eyes of his ally and at once, he caved into the child's wordless request. He couldn't help it and the boy couldn't help it either. The child was far too adorable to deny and he tended to indulge others. Also, the water dragon was indeed vastly arrogant, but he was un-worldly and did not know any better.
The boy just needs sombody to teach him.
"Maybe I will stay…"
All of their faces lost their gloomy little frowns and brightened with bursting joy. They laughed with relief and made all sorts of farfetched vows to him.
"We shall…"
"We will…"
"We promise…"
"We swear…"
Their newest friend couldn't help being flattered and nor could he help the beaming smile.
"Jermaine!"
The tiny one hurled himself at his friend on impulse and embraced him in a jubilant cuddle. The other one smiled and wrapped tentative arms around his companion as well.
Arrogance, prepare to go away!"
And in his plotting mind, he heard the comical BANG!
The master of the monk temple listened to all the children's pleas and requests with a careful ear. He considered all the pros and cons of future life with this out-of-place child with logical deliberation.
"He can stay, but he has to follow my conditions."
The young children-in-training faltered in their enthusiastic coaxing and faced one another in nervous apprehension whilst the curly haired boy stared at his maybe-to-be master. The ones currently living under his watchful care feared the impending words to come, but the hopeful aspirant knew nothing of their guardian's usual refusal.
"He may be skilled, but our temple's priority is to train elemental dragons; so, if he wants to stay here, he has to promise me that he won't fight."
The three dragons blessed with elemental power did not see the downside to their master's plan; they thought it was a nice little agreement and none too harsh, but the out-of-place boy froze once he heard the seemingly simple request. He had pride, just like them and he eagerly wanted to, at least, help them in their hazardous quest. He can live here with them, but he would probably just scrub and learn of the scrolls and other non-exciting things that were not fit for an energetic city child.
He would learn by the mouthful at the master's firm command. He would clean at the master's request. He would get bored without the master's insistence. Argh! screamed his youthful fun-loving mind. No way, said his furious mind. I am outta here, said his now-dejected mind.
Resolved in his decision, he turned to them and immediately balked at their happy expressions. Crumbling, his gaze focused on the tiny little one and faltered even more in his dismal train of thought. He was reminded on what he wanted to do. He wanted to shrink the child's monstrous arrogance and show him how to have fun.
He wanted to show him the world that he does not know of. He wanted to teach him well-roundedness and on how not to sing his own praises all the time. He wanted this and that.
A sigh of decisive resignation. "I'll stay"
They smiled dazzlingly and hooted and hollered at their good fortune. Another companion to make merry with! The boy-who-now-belonged smiled more serenely and laid a hand on the water dragon's shoulder.
The child smiled. "You'll like it here, my friend."
He shrugged in response. "It's not New York, but I'm game…"
Jermaine was an avid believer in late sleeping and late waking back in his bustling hometown in New York, but this wasn't the big apple. Nosiree, this was a little temple in a little province that rose bright and early.
"New guy! Up and at 'em!"
He groaned and burrowed deeper in the blankets in response while the one assigned to wake him grunted in annoyed disapproval. Time for drastic measures…
The half-sleeping boy yelped in pained surprise as the little dragon jumped on his stomach in wild abandonment.
"Dojo! What the-!"
Dojo smiled cheekily. "Hi."
A tired anger-tinted glare was the comeback as well as a languid shove to the side. "What time is it? Eleven? Twelve?"
The shape-shifter snorted. "Six in the morn'in."
A pause was the reply. "…You serious…."
A rapid nod was the response. "Yup."
A slow-answering nod was the answer. "Ok…"
Dojo waited as sluggish comprehension seeped into chocolate-hued eyes in expectant glee. He was not disappointed. The child yelped and slapped his forehead with a clumsy hand. He did a little nervous dance on the balls of his feet as he struggled to fully awaken, but to no avail.
"I am so late!" With that, the child sprinted out of the room with reckless speed.
In between guffaws, Dojo managed to gasp out a sensible warning.
"You…hehe…can't go…hehe…out like…hehe…that…"
Of course, the new tenant failed to hear him.
The more or less-skilled children monks were currently absorbed in neck-breaking training. They leaped and kicked and they jabbed at the wooden swaying obstacles with fumbling refinement as their master watched their progress patiently.
A loud shout of surprise and a muffled thud interrupted their peaceful little session with messed up results. The wind dragon fell from the pole, the fire wielder fumbled her leap terribly and crashed to the ground, the earth-blessed monk got himself entangled in the ropes and the water wielder tripped on the booby-trapped ground.
"Ouch…"
"Argh!"
"Dang it!"
"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!"
The temple master peered at the new arrival with a stern frown. The boy smiled sheepishly in answer.
"Sorry…"
They turned to glare at him, but instead ended up in noisy laughter, blushing cheeks and ground rolling.
The newcomer raised a thick eyebrow with puzzled confusion. "What?"
"Young monk? Where are your clothes?"
The person in question glanced down at himself and promptly blushed furiously. Immediately, he darted back to his little do-it-yourself room in which a green little dragon gleefully waited.
"I tried to warn you…"
The scroll guardian received a furious glance and cringed. "Ah-maybe I should…err…go…"
The mystical dragon swiftly slithered out of the room, leaving the boy to do whatever he wanted. While still fighting a raging blush, Jermaine changed into more suitable attire and with a heaving sigh, he rejoined the others.
Raimundo was the first to speak. "That wasn't a pretty sight, dude."
Kimiko chimed in with a slight giggle. "Pretty much."
Clay snorted in amusement.
Omi shook his head in vague disapproval. "You will not learn the xiaolin way with being tardy and lacking in clothes."
Jermaine sighed again. What a rotten morning…wasn't he the one supposed to teach Omi and not the other way around?
Seriously.