Hello, everyone, I hope you are all doing well. Now, as I mentioned in the last chapter, this chapter will be sort of a breather from all that has been going on in the story. After this, it will be time for the two-parter of the original series. I would like to give thanks to Hina714 for the idea that inspired this chapter. Now, I won't keep you guys waiting anymore, let's get down to the story. Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OOC.
The Xiaolin Dragon King: Second Arc
Chapter Fourteen: Adventures in Kaze-Sitting
(One day, at the Xiaolin Temple)
"You know, in case you forgot, I'm a mystical, Shen Gong Wu finding dragon, not a phoenix-sitter."
"I'm sorry, Dojo." Juno said to the dragon as they were standing outside in the middle of the temple with Chase and the Wudai Warriors. "But the island that we've heard of that has information on the next ingredient of the mortal potion, the scales of the jade dragon, probably won't be a safe environment for Kaze, so we can't take him with us."
"Plus, Master Fung and the other temple monks are gonna to be busy with their own duties all day." Raimundo added, the small phoenix perched on his shoulder. "You're the only one who can watch him while we're gone."
"What am I even suppose to do with him while you're away for who knows how long?" Dojo questioned, crossing his arms.
"Just take care of him and make sure he stays out of trouble, that's all." Kimiko told him. "And I'm sure we'll be back before you know it."
"I don't know..."
"We'll totally owe you one, Dojo." Raimundo said. "Besides, Kaze is a good bird, he won't be too hard to watch. Right, buddy?"
Kaze chirped, hopping into the monk's hand when he lifted it up to his shoulder.
"Well, if there's no other choice..." Dojo reluctantly agreed, taking the small phoenix into his hands after the Brazilian knelt down and held him out. "I could use a break from flying."
"Thanks a lot, Dojo, it's a huge help." Raimundo smiled. "Oh, before I forget, a couple of other things you should know. His fire abilities have begun to show themselves, so be careful with that. And he's been trying to learn how to fly by himself by jumping off of high places, so keep a close eye on him."
"Don't worry, you can count on old Uncle Dojo." the dragon reassured. "I actually used to help watch over Mei a few times, back in the day."
"It's true, he was rather good with her, I'll admit." Chase spoke up.
"Yeah, but she wasn't a little fire bird." Juno added. "Well, either way, I'm sure it'll be fine. Right now, we have an island to get to." she pulled out a certain Shen Gong Wu. "Silver Manta Ray!" she threw it into the air, allowing it to grow to its larger form.
"If you're having trouble, or you need us for anything, just give us a call." Kimiko said, handing Dojo a cell phone.
"Thanks, but I got this in the bag." the dragon replied confidently. "You guys focus on finding out where the next ingredient is."
"You be good for Dojo, Kaze." Raimundo told the phoenix, using his finger to rub his small head. He stood up straight and jumped into the Silver Manta Ray with the others.
"Have fun, boys!" Juno waved down at them, in the driver's seat with her husband in the passenger's seat while the monks were in the back. "We'll bring you back a souvenir, see you later!"
After strapping in, the top of the Shen Gong Wu closed down on the group. It went higher into the air before it took off with a burst of speed.
"Have a safe trip!" Dojo called, waving one hand while holding Kaze in the other, as the Silver Manta Ray quickly disappeared from view. "Well, Kaze, it's just you and me today." he looked at the phoenix, having him be level with his face. "You and I are gonna lots of fun, aren't we?" he poked him lightly in the stomach, making him chirp. "Yup, there's nothing to worry about when Uncle Dojo's-"
Kaze suddenly shot out a blast of fire from his beak, burning the reptile's face to a crisp.
"Around..." the dragon coughed out a puff of smoke.
(Later)
"Okay, Kaze, let's start our day with a little education." Dojo said, standing in front of a miniature chalkboard and wearing a mortarboard on his head. "Since you are now a part of the Xiaolin Warrior team, it is important that you know how Xiaolin Showdowns and such work." he tapped the words on the board that said "Basics of the Xiaolin Showdown" with the pointer in his hand. "Now, first, a Xiaolin Showdown happens when two or more people touch a Shen Gong Wu at the exact same time. Further explanation, Shen Gong Wu are mystical objects created by Grandmaster Dashi that have all sorts of powers. Any questions so far?"
Kaze chirped from the small desk he was sitting at.
"Good. Now, Shen Gong Wu are fought over by the people on the Xiaolin side, which is us, the good guys, and those on the Heylin side, the bad guys." the dragon pointed to a set of photos that were taped to the board. "Currently, our most dangerous Heylin enemies are Wuya, Hannibal Roy Bean, and debatable Jack Spicer. Chase is also on the Heylin side and is evil, technically, but that's a long, complicated story that would take forever to-" he stopped after turning his head and seeing that the desk was empty. "Kaze?" he looked around for the small phoenix. "Kaze, where are you?!"
A series of chirps answered his cry and he immediately turned his head in the direction that it came from. He saw Kaze had somehow climbed up onto the top of the nearby well of the temple. He was right at the edge of the deep, deep hole, his wings flapping in his eagerness to try and fly across to the other side.
"Aaah, Kaze, no!" Dojo shot off, slithering as fast as he could towards the well.
The small fire bird didn't seem to hear him and jumped. He flapped his wings as hard as he could, hovering over the hole for just one second before he began to fall. Dojo leaped the rest of the way, his tail turning into a hook and sinking into the side of the well as his upper body went into the well's hole. He stretched out his arms and caught Kaze before he could fall any further.
"Whew!" Dojo breathed a sigh of relief. "If I was a second too late, you would have gone a long way down, Kaze." he gulped after looking at the darkness that stretched down below them. "I wonder why we have such a deep well, anyway." he pulled himself over the well and back to the ground, his tail turning back to normal after it was pulled out of the side of the water source. "From now on, you stay away from wells until you can properly fly, understood?" he said sternly, pointing at the little phoenix.
Kaze chirped in response, looking at the dragon with big, innocent eyes.
"Aw, well, since you're okay and everything." he smiled. "Just be more careful, alright?"
The phoenix chirped again just as his stomach rumbled.
"After that excitement, we could use a little snack break. Let's go and I'll fix you up something nice." Dojo said as he headed in the direction of the kitchen, still holding the fire bird in his hands.
(Later)
"There we go, enjoy." the dragon, sitting in a chair, placed a small bowl of bird seed on the table that Kaze was settled on top of.
The little phoenix chirped happily and immediately began to peck at the seeds.
"Don't go too fast, now, or you'll get a stomachache." Dojo told him as he heard a cellphone ringing. He pulled out the device Kimiko had given to him earlier and answered it. "You've reached Dojo, expert babysitter." he put his elbow on the table.
"Hey, Dojo." Raimundo's face appeared in the screen. "I'm just calling to check in to see how things are with you and Kaze. Everything okay?"
"There was a little scare a moment ago, but it's all good now. What about you guys, find anything out about the next ingredient?"
"Not yet. We arrived at the island and went to this bar to ask some questions. The owner knows something, but he won't talk unless we pay him. Instead of that, though, Juno made a bet that if she can outdrink every customer in the bar, he would tell us what we want to know for free. It's been a while since it started and, well... I think regrets are being made."
The Brazilian moved the phone from his face to show the table the redhead was sitting at. She was just finishing the alcoholic drink she had when the man sitting across from her collapsed and joined the other bodies of unconscious men already laying on the floor.
"Alright, who's next?" Juno questioned as she put her glass down, a light red hue on her cheeks. "I'm not even that close to being drunk." she grinned.
"Yeah, Juno's tolerance for alcohol is almost as famous as she is." Dojo remarked. "Must be the dragon in her. You know, I remember all the times when she and Dashi would-"
He was cut off when he saw that Kaze's entire body suddenly got covered in bright flames.
"Aah!"
"What's wrong?" Raimundo's face reappeared in the screen.
"N-Nothing!" Dojo answered, ducking down a bit to keep from being burned. "But, just out of curiosity, is it normal for Kaze to burst into flames? I mean, he's a little young to start being reborn again."
"Oh, that. Don't worry too much, that's just his abilities acting up again. Not gonna lie, spontaneous combustion can be a real pain sometimes."
"What should I do? He's still on fire!"
"Just dump some water on him and he should be fine. He'll be wet, but fine. Dojo, do you need me or one of the others to come home and help you out? We can get the Silver Manta Ray and-"
"No, no, that's not necessary." the dragon cut him off. "I got this handled, remember? You guys just focus on your quest, don't worry about me." he ducked his head when a flame leaped at him "Gotta go, tell the others I said hi!" he hung up before the monk could say anything.
Jumping off the chair, Dojo rushed to the sink and filled up a glass with water. When there was enough, he went back to the table and jumped onto it. He dumped all of the liquid on the phoenix, the flames around his small body immediately going out. Kaze chirped as his shook the water off, steam emitting from him.
"Sorry, Kaze, but it's better for you to be wet than burnt to a crisp." Dojo said as he set the now empty glass down and took the fire bird into his hands. "Although, looks likes it's a little too late to save the table." he looked down at the black, burn mark that was now in the wood underneath him. "Eh, I can just tell Master Fung someone left a boiling kettle on it or something."
Kaze let out a burp-like sound and a small fireball shot out of his beak. The dragon managed to move his head out of the way to avoid getting hit, but the same couldn't be said for the wall behind him.
"That... might be a little harder to explain." Dojo said, pulling out a fire extinguisher to put out the flames burning on the wall.
(Later)
"Okay, after a hearty meal, a little playtime is in order." the dragon told the phoenix as he set him down on the floor of the room they entered. "I'm going to find something to entertain us. You wait right here, okay?"
Kaze chirped as the reptile slithered over to a chest that was in the corner. He opened it up and began to dig through it.
"Alright, let's see..." Dojo pulled out a rubber duck. "Nope." he tossed it to the side. "There's got to be something here." he continued to rummage through the chest, throwing away a banjo, an old bicycle, a kazoo, and more. "Aha! Here we go!" he held up a baseball and two baseball gloves. "What do you say you and I play a little catch, Kaze?" he turned to the phoenix, but stilled when he saw that he wasn't there anymore. "Kaze?" he looked around the room, not seeing a sign of him. "Oh, no, not again!"
Dropping the ball and gloves, he slithering out of the room. He made quick work of checking every inch of the building, trying to see where Kaze had gone off to. But, even after he searched all over, the little fire bird was no where to be seen.
"Kaze! Where are you?!"
Then, out of nowhere, the dragon heard the sound of familiar chirping. And, it was coming from the outside. Dojo rushed out of the building and looking around the nearby area of the temple. He still didn't see Kaze, but soon realized that the chirping was coming from above. Turning his head towards the roof, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when he saw the very phoenix he had been looking for was standing on the very edge of it.
"Kaze, what are you doing up there?! How did you even get up there?"
Kaze chirped in response, flapping his wings a little.
"Oh, no, you don't." Dojo said, quickly understanding what he was trying to do. "You are not attempting to fly off of that roof, young man. Now, you come down from there right this second!" he pointed his finger at the ground.
The phoenix chirped again. Then, a second later, he hopped down from the roof.
"That's not what I meant!" the dragon slithered as quickly as he could to where the fire bird was falling before he could hit the hard ground.
He lowered his body and slid the rest of the way, holding his arms over his head and catching Kaze just in time. Still sliding, Dojo sighed in relief. However, that was cut short when his face made contact with the wall of the building he was in not too long ago.
Groaning, the dragon lifted himself up and rubbed the bump growing on his head with one hand while he held the little phoenix with the other. "Okay, from now on, no more jumping off of roofs, understand?"
Kaze chirped.
"I'll take that has a yes." Dojo said before he fell backwards to the ground.
(Meanwhile)
"I really hope the info that bar owner gave us wasn't false." Kimiko said, moving the vine that was hanging in front of her to the side. "Juno had to outdrink a lot of people to get it."
"I don't think we have much choice but to believe it." Clay told her. "The people who know about the jade dragon are suppose to be deep within this jungle."
"This whole thing smells most foul to me." Omi spoke up.
"Smells fishy." Raimundo corrected him. "Hey, you guys think Dojo is really okay with watching Kaze by himself?"
"I'm sure they're fine." Juno reassured him. "Dojo's not gonna let anything happen to him while he's watching him. And he did get some experience from helping to watch Mei."
"Yeah, but the little guy can be a handful sometimes, especially with his powers coming in." the Brazilian said.
"I understand your worry." Chase told him. "But, right now, we have our own important quest to focus on."
"I know, but..."
"We'll give Dojo another call later to check in." Juno said. "But they're probably having the time of their lives even as we speak."
(Back at the Xiaolin Temple)
"Okay, next time, we're using non-flammable paint." Dojo remarked as he was drying off Kaze with a towel after giving him a bath, both of them in Raimundo's room.
After the attempted test flight earlier, the dragon suggested that try a more simple, safer activity like finger-painting. Since the phoenix didn't have fingers, they had to settle with dipping his feet in the colored liquid. And it was going well for a while. Until Kaze had slipped into the paint bottles, getting covered completely in the colored liquid and looking like a small, walking rainbow.
It didn't end there, though, since his body chose that exact moment to burst into flames again and setting all the paint, and almost the entire room, on fire. It took nearly two fire extinguishers to put out the flames, leaving the table and floor a charred mess. Leaving before anyone could see them, Dojo proceed to give Kaze a long bath to make sure there was no leftover paint on him.
"And, with that, we're done." the dragon said as he pulled the towel back. "You should be all dried up now."
Kaze chirped as he shook himself. A moment later, all of his feathers puffed up, making him look like a little fuzz ball.
"Uh-oh, someone's feathers need to be smoothed out." Dojo leaned over and grabbed a small brush that he had seen Raimundo use before to brush the fire bird. He ran the bristles over the feathers gently until they were all smooth and neat. "That's more like it. How's that, Kaze?"
The little phoenix chirped his thanks, flapping his wings a bit.
"You are very welcome, just another service done by Uncle Dojo." the dragon smiled. Then he gave a sudden yawn. "Oh my goodness, I think it's naptime." he stretched his arms over his head for a moment. "We'll rest up and play some more later, okay?" he curled his body around Kaze loosely and settled his head down on his crossed arms. "Nighty night, Kaze." he gave one more yawn before closing his eyes.
Soft snores could be heard from him a few seconds later. Kaze looked to be asleep, as well, but his eyes opened soon after the reptile dozed off. He gave a soft chirp and poked Dojo with his beak. He just kept snoring, not even stirring in the least bit.
The small phoenix got to his feet and hopped over the dragon's long body. He pecked Dojo once more to see if he would wake up, but there was no sign of that happening. Turning, Kaze headed out of the room and towards the exit of the building, going outside to have himself some fun.
(Later)
"Ah, now that was a nice power nap." Dojo yawned when he woke up, stretching his body out. "Are you still sleeping, Kaze?" he looked over to where the fire bird was, but froze instantly when he saw that he wasn't there at all. "Kaze!" he looked all over the room to see if he was hiding.
When he didn't find the phoenix, he went to the other rooms, but it was the same result. He checked all over the building until deciding to go outside. Thankfully, Kaze wasn't on the roof again, but he was still no where in sight.
"Kaze!" Dojo called out, but was only met with silence. "Oh, what do I do?! Where could he be?! Raimundo and the others are going to be so angry that I lost him, or worse!" he was slithering back and forth in panic, having no idea what to do now. "If only I could find some trace of him or- wait, what's that?" his eyes locked in on something on the ground and looked closely.
It was tracks. More specifically, it was small bird tracks.
"Oh, convenient." the dragon said to himself. His gaze followed the line of tracks until he saw that they lead straight to the temple's gates. "Oh, no, he left the temple! Something could eat him! I'm coming for you, Kaze!"
He slithered right for the gates, hoping he was fast enough to find the little phoenix before he could get hurt or devoured.
(Later)
"Kaze! Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Dojo yelled as he was traveling through the forest the tracks had led him to. It had been a while since he left the temple, and he still didn't see the fire bird at all. "Oh, who knows how far he's gone. And, what if I can't find him before the others get back? What kind of babysitter looses the person they're babysitting? They're gonna be disappointed, I just know it. And don't even get me started on the judgmental stares." he shuddered at the thought.
He kept following the tracks until they came to an end at an area with a flowing river. Now that he had lost his main way of finding Kaze, who knows if he could pick up his trail again. Just as he was about to give up all hope, he heard a sound coming from nearby. It was a familiar chirping. Turning his head so fast that it could have snapped off from the force, the dragon saw the very phoenix he was searching for.
Kaze was on top of a tree branch that was hanging a few feet over the river, jumping up and down on it and making it sway a bit. He chirped in delight from the movement, flapping his little wings. When the branch stopped moving, he jumped up again. However, when he landed this time, his feet slipped and he fell off, twirling right for the running water below.
"Kaze!" Dojo screamed, running towards him as fast as he could go. When he saw the fire bird already halfway to the river, he leaped up high and stretched out his arms as far as they allowed themselves. Almost as if in slow-motion, he caught him in both hands just in time. "Whew!" he sighed in great relief. Although, he soon noticed that his entire body was now just an inch over the river. "Uh-oh." he fell in a second later, his arms and Kaze being the only ones sticking out of the water.
The dragon lifted his head above the water, gasping for air. Before he could get out, the current carried him downstream. Dojo kept Kaze raised over his head, keeping him out of the river while he was getting hit by rocks that were sticking out of the water, crying out in pain every time he collided with them.
Eventually, Dojo managed to get his tail wrapped around a stump as he past by it, pulling himself out of the river and plopping down on dry land. Panting heavily, his arms fell down and Kaze tumbled out of his hands. Getting to his feet, the phoenix chirped at the dragon.
"You..." Dojo caught some of his breath. "Are in big trouble, young man." he pushed himself up so he was standing over the fire bird. "You can't just leave the temple like that, you could have been seriously hurt, or worse!"
Kaze chirped again, looking up at him.
"Don't you give me that look, I'm putting my tail down." the dragon crossed his arms. "If you run off on your own just one more time, you definitely can't count on me to come save you." he turned his head, sticking his nose up in the air. "Now, we're going back to the temple and-" he looked back down and saw that the fire bird was gone from the spot he was standing in. "Kaze?" he blinked. "Kaze?"
Dojo heard chirping and looked up, seeing the one in his care was already making his way towards the forest.
"Kaze, wai-" the dragon stopped himself from going after him. "I warned you, mister, don't expect me to come and help you when you get in trouble!" he called out, but Kaze just kept making his way through the trees until he was out of sight. "Hmph." he slithered over to a nearby log and sat on it, wringing out leftover water from his tail.
Kaze was wandering around the forest after leaving Dojo, taking in all the sights and sounds that sent his curiosity humming. He never really got to outside the temple much since Raimundo was worried something could happen to him if he lost sight of him even for a moment. But, now, the young phoenix was taking the chance to look and see what the world had to offer him.
He observed every flower, pecked at every insect on the ground, admired every tree that was so much taller than him, and anything else his eyes landed on. His feet came to a stop when he took a moment to bask in the warm rays of the sun beaming up from the blue, cloudless sky. He saw some other, non-fire, birds soaring through the air, whistling their sweet, carefree songs.
Kaze felt a breeze blew and spread out his wings as far as their could go, closing his eyes. He imagined himself flying through those same skies, just as, or even more so, majestically as the other birds when he was a bigger phoenix.
Just as he was done fantasizing, opening his big eyes, he saw a single, pretty blue butterfly flutter over his head. Chirping, Kaze chased after it, jumping up and trying, and failing, to catch it in his beak. He was so preoccupied with the insect, he didn't at all notice the wide, deep hole that was coming up ahead of him.
When the butterfly flew over the edge, Kaze gave one more big jump to get it, flapping his small wings as hard as he could. However, his beak caught nothing but air and he fell down instantly. He landed on the sloped side of the hole and rolled all the way to the bottom. Getting to his feet, the small phoenix shook his body for a moment to regain himself. He looked up to see that the butterfly was now long gone, but that wasn't his biggest problem.
Kaze turned his gaze to the steep slope that separated him from the ground above. He began to walk u it, but he ended up slipping back down. He tried again, and again, and again, and again. Not even running at full speed could get him halfway up the slope. He tried to fly up, but his wings could only get him barley an inch above the ground for just a moment before he landed back on his feet.
Looking up at the only way to get out, Kaze released a long, distressed chirp.
(Meanwhile)
"It's been a while since he went off..." Dojo said to himself, still sitting on the log by the river. "Maybe I should go and see... no." he shook his head. "He'll never learn anything if I always go to his rescue. In times like this, it's best to be strict with children who won't listen."
Then he heard a ringing sound and pulled out the phone that had, miraculously, survived the dip in the water. Answering the call, a certain redhead appeared in the screen with what looked like a wrestling ring behind her.
"Hey, Dojo." Juno greeted. "I'm just calling to check in and see how things are going with Kaze. Raimundo was gonna call, but he's a little preoccupied at the moment."
Then, out of nowhere, the Brazilian appeared in the screen as he was thrown down on the floor of the ring.
"Tag me! Tag me!" he yelled, stretching out his hand as far as possible.
"I got you, partner!" Clay came up and smacked the body part with his own. He grabbed the three ring ropes and stood on top of the highest one. "Yeehaw!" he jumped, aiming out his elbow at whoever they were wrestling as he fell down.
"So, how are things with Kaze?" Juno asked as a loud crash sounded out. "Everything good?"
"To be honest, Juno..." Dojo started to say, letting out a sigh. "Kaze is more of handful than I first thought he was, and I got the burn marks to prove it. Maybe I'm just not cut out for babysitting."
"Oh, Dojo." the redhead looked at him sympathetically. "I know it's hard, Chase and I had our troubles with Mei every now and then."
"But I had an easier time watching her than I am with Kaze right now." he grumbled.
"True, but Mei was much bigger than what he is now, and she didn't start to develop her powers yet. Depending on the child, babysitting can be a different experience every time. And while Kaze may be a mystical fire bird, he's still a baby who needs constant care and attention. There will be rough patches, but I can tell you that taking care of a child and helping them grow is one of the greatest things in the world." she smiled. "It just mainly takes a lot of love and patience when you're willing to put in the effort."
"You have a point there..." the dragon said. "Juno, I have to go now, there's something I got to do."
"Okay, if you need anything, just call." she told him when she heard a practically loud crash. "I gotta get going, too, think the kids kind of need me right now."
"Juno!" the monks yelled from the wrestling ring. "Help!"
"Coming" Juno called back. "Talk to you later, Dojo." she had just turned to the ring when the called ended, leaving the reptile staring at his reflection in the phone's screen.
Putting the device away, Dojo got off the log and started making his way in the direction he saw a certain phoenix go in.
"Kaze!" he shouted. "Kaze!"
Kaze slid back down to the bottom of the hole he was still stuck in after once again failing to climb up the side of it. His body covered in dirt, he looked up at the sky above him as fresh tears began to brim his emerald green eyes. He let out a pitiful chirp as he sat down on his tail feathers, feeling defeated.
He was going to be stuck this hole forever. He should have listened to Dojo, now there was no one coming to save him. He would never see Raimundo or the others again, they would probably never even find his body after they learned he had gone missing. And it's not like he could fly out and-
Suddenly, there came a low growl from behind. Turning his head, Kaze saw a large-sized cave on one side of the hole he hadn't notice before, the growl coming from the darkness inside it and getting louder by the second. The source of it soon stepped out into the open, making the small phoenix let out a shocked squawk.
It was not one, but two large leopards that came out of the cave, their stance predatory. Though he had never seen the animals before, Kaze's instincts told him that he was in danger, that and the sharp fangs the felines flashed at him along with their hungry gaze. One of them charged at him with quick speed, barely giving him time to get to his feet and run away before the deadly claws aimed at him could slice him.
Even though he didn't have anywhere safe to run, Kaze still tried to get away. However, the second leopard jumped in front of him and made him stop in his tracks. It took a moment to lick its chomps before diving its opened jaws towards him. The phoenix squawked, squeezing his eyes shut and waiting to be devoured. But, before the feline's fangs could touch him, flames suddenly surrounded his entire body.
The leopard yowled and immediately pulled back, the tips of its whiskers getting singed a bit. Kaze opened his eyes and saw the larger creature pace back and forth in front of him, probably waiting for the fire to go out so it could attack. Though he didn't have control over his powers yet, if the flames could shield him just for a while longer, than maybe the small fire bird had a chance to find a way to escape.
But then, the first leopard came up from behind him. It swiped its paw at the still on fire phoenix, figuring it was worth getting burned a little if it meant a meal, and sent him flying into the side of the hole. Kaze slid down to the bottom, his flames going out and leaving him totally defenseless. Shaking his head a little, he looked up to see the two large felines towering over him.
"Kaze, if you're around, say something!" Dojo called out into the forest, still searching for the phoenix. "Kaze!" the answer to his shouts were regular bird calls and the rustling of leaves when the wind blew through them. "I should probably talk to the others about getting this kid chipped." he sighed as he carried on. "Maybe I should fly around to see if I can spot him from above. But that might be harder since he's so small, and-"
Then, out of no where, he heard a series of loud chirps. Very familiar chirps that sounded like the one calling out was in distress.
"Kaze!" the dragon went in the direction the calls were coming from.
He soon came to the wide hole in the ground, stopping just at the edge. He looked down and he saw Kaze at the bottom, but he wasn't alone. There were two, large leopards surrounding him, one of them holding down the phoenix with its paw. It bared its fangs, leaning down to bit the fire bird's head off as he let out a tiny, helpless chirp.
Dojo gasped. "Hang on, Kaze! Uncle Dojo's coming!" he took off, running down the side of the hole.
Halfway down, he jumped and transformed into his larger form. When he landed on the bottom, causing it to shake and drawing the attention of the leopards. Letting out a loud roar, Dojo flung out his tail and hit them with it, making them fly and colliding with the other side of the hole. Going over to Kaze, the dragon gently picked him up in his larger hand.
He saw the leopards regaining themselves and let out angry growls, ready to lunge at him. Dojo opened his mouth and shot out a blast of fire at the felines, making them step back to avoid getting hit. He sent out another blast and made them run away this time. He then used the attack to force them back into their cave. It was only until they were out of sight that the dragon stopped the fire.
"Let that be a lesson to pick on someone your own size." he stated before flying out of the hole with Kaze still in his hand. He flew until they were a good distance away and landed back down on the forest floor. "Whew, talk about a scare." he shrunk back down to his smaller size. "Are you okay?" he looked at the phoenix.
Kaze chirped in response, looking and sounding very happy to see the reptile. He was covered in dirt and had a couple of harmless scratches, but he was just fine.
"I'm glad to hear that." Dojo sighed in relief as he set him down on his feet. "Listen, Kaze, I'm sorry for letting to go off on your own and nearly letting you get eaten by hungry leopards when I was suppose to be watching you. But you also have to understand that you're still a little phoenix who can't still use his powers, or fly, properly, which is why you need someone to look after you until you learn to take care of yourself."
The fire bird chirped in understanding, looking down at the ground with a look that was similar to shame.
"And I know that there's a lot of things you're curious about. So, if you want, I'll be happy to go exploring with you and show you a lot of cool things in a way that's safer. What do you say?"
Kaze looked up at the dragon and gave a happy chirp, smiling as he got closer to him and nuzzled his head against his long body.
Dojo smiled himself. "In that case, I'll take you to this spot that has an impressive-sized venus flytrap." he said as he started slithering forward, the phoenix trotting beside him. "You can look at it, but only at a safe distance, understand?"
His answer was an affirmative chirp as they went on their way through the forest.
(Later that evening)
The sun was just beginning to set as the Silver Manta Ray landed in the temple grounds.
"Well, that was a waste of time." Juno said as she and the others climbed out of the Shen Gong Wu after the top opened. "I can't believe that whole lead with the jade dragon was just a ruse some assholes came up with to try and swindle people. And, since that bar owner was a part of it all, it makes more sense why he asked us for payment on the information."
"I know, but, after we were done with them, they won't be doing that again for quite a while." Raimundo told her.
"I must admit, though, that was quite an adventure." Omi remarked as they headed towards one of the buildings, holding a large watermelon over his head.
"Yeah, it's not everyday a fella gets into a wrestling match with a man-chicken and his goons." Clay agreed, spitting out a couple of white feathers from his mouth.
"By the way, Kimi, when you just flipped over and kicked that centaur right in the face was awesome." Raimundo said to his girlfriend with a smile.
"He had it coming, he was so sexist." the female monk replied.
"That he was." Juno nodded as they got into the building. "And I guess we didn't come back totally empty-handed, we brought this back for Dojo." she gestured to the watermelon the shortest monk was still holding. "Speaking of which, where he is? I thought he and Kaze would have greeted us by now."
"I hope everything is okay, I know the little green dude was a little panicky about Kaze and his powers the last time I talked to him." the Brazilian told them.
"I'm sure they're fine." Chase spoke up. "I mean, the worst possible situation is that they're dead."
"That's not reassuring, Chase." Juno said.
"Hey, ya'll." Clay called in a soft tone, poking his head out from the room he had walked into not too long ago. "I found'em, and you gotta see this."
Everyone else joined him in the room and saw the dragon and phoenix. Both of them were sleeping on a large, plush pillow, Kaze settled around Dojo's curled body as soft snores emitted from them.
"Now that is just precious." Juno smiled, pulling her phone out and taking a picture.
"I told you they were fine." Chase said.
"Looks like they had quite a day, too." Kimiko remarked. "Dojo must be a pretty good babysitter after all."
"Yeah." Raimundo agreed as he also smiled at the sight. "Maybe I can employee him more often."
"Alright, we'll let these two sleep while we get started on dinner." Juno told the others. "We can have the watermelon for dessert. Now, who wants chicken tonight?"
"After today, no thank you." Omi said.
"I could go for a nice, juicy hamburger." Clay voiced his thoughts.
They all quietly left the room, leaving the dragon and phoenix by themselves. Sometime after their footsteps receded, Dojo blinked open his eyes and lifted up his head a bit. He looked at the still snoozing Kaze and smiled to himself, placing a small kiss on the top of his head.
Curling his body around the small fire bird a bit more, the reptile laid his head back down on his crossed arms and drifted off to sleep again.
To be continued...
And there you have it, folks. I know this chapter is a little short compared to the other chapters, but I hope you enjoyed, nonetheless. Be sure to leave a review to let me know your thoughts on it. Next will be the two-parter of the original series, then it'll be chapters of my own making before the Second Arc is complete, so look forward to that. Until then, take care everyone!