Chapter 11
Rai felt a lump in his throat as he looked down the next doorway. It was dark, and a funny smell. Like...pudding cups. That was Jack's room, alright.
Clay noticed his friend's uneasiness. "You've been actin' weird since after I beat Tubbimora."
"So?"
Clay narrowed his eyes. "Anyways, I think you should have this." The cowboy held out a small, spherical lamp. The Sun-Chi Lantern. "It could help against whatever mechanical doo-hickey Jack's got in store for ya."
"...Thanks." Rai took the lantern and stowed it in his robes. What does Jack have in store for me?
Rai stepped into the pit dark, fists clenched, eyes focused. "Show yourself, Spicer! I'm here to get Kimiko back!"
Silence.
Omi, Clay and Dojo stood out of the way, but still (hopefully) in range of the Sun-Ch Lantern. "Hope Rai can win." said Omi quietly.
Clay paused, remembering what Rai had told him about Omi. "Yeah..."
Their thoughts were interrupted with a loud "whirring" sound, and footsteps to rival an elephant's. Clay and Omi turned towards the source.
A giant robot, the size of the "Sweet Baby Among Us" Shen Gon Wu (when activated) appeared. Legs the width of tree thunks placed themselves in front of Rai, who jumped.
An all-too familiar laughter filled the air.
"I knew you'd get here this soon, Xiaolin Show-offs!" It was Jack. Sitting in the head of his new Exo-Bot, Jack grinned down at Rai. "I'll put this in simple terms for ya; You beat me...unlikely...I'll release Kimiko and let you go. I beat you, and you'll never see Kimiko again!"
"Shut it, Jack!" Rai growled. "I'll beat you, and take your dignity!"
"Hah! I have no dignity!"
Omi & Clay fell off the bench they were sitting on.
Rai growled. "Enough talking! Wudai Star WIND!" Rai blasted the Exo-Bot with all the Wind power he could muster. The attack hit the Exo-Bot square in the chest.
"That all you got?" asked Jack with a laugh. "That didn't even scratch!" The Exo-Bot slammed a giant fist into the ground, and sent Rai flying into the wall.
"Hunh? What's...going...?"
Rai turned around. There, shackled to the wall, was Kimiko.
Her black hair was long and dirty, covering her face. Numerous scars covered her face, and her blue eyes were irritated and tired.
"Kimiko! Are you okay?" asked Rai.
"Rai?...Yeah, I'm...fine..." Kimiko gave a weak smile.
"How sweet...NOT!" One of the fists from the Exo-Bot snatched Rai and gripped him tight. "You've gotten too close to Kimiko lately. That ruins my plans to rule the world!" Jack tossed Rai into a shelf stacked with machine parts.
Rai groaned as he picked himself. "Wudai...Star...WIND!" This had to be the last of Rai's energy.
The Exo-Bot shrugged the attack off like it was nothing.
"Rai! The Sun-Chi Lantern!" called Omi.
"Huh?...Oh, yeah!" Rai pulled the Lantern out from his robes. "SUN-CHI LANTERN!"
The candle inside the lantern burst into flame, and covered the entire room in golden aura. Yellow ribbons of energy flowed from Clay, Omi and Kimiko into the Lantern, then shot into Rai. Instantly, the Dragon of Wind felt the power of Earth, Water and Fire flow throughout his body. Feeling his energy returning, Rai stood.
"Huh?" The Exo-Bot turned to face Rai. "Oh, the Lantern...no problem!"
"Wudai Crater EARTH!" Now in his Wudia Orion form (complete with a blue aura that was the same color as Kimiko's eyes), Rai smacked a large chunk of rock at the Exo-Bot's right shoulder. In an explosion in dust and dirt, the arm fell off, shooting sparks everywhere.
"That's what I'm talkin' about!" cheered Clay.
Jack scowled. "Eat this!" Aiming the left arm of the Exo-Bot at Rai, Jack fired a laser at Rai.
With a mere swish of his hand, a wall of rock rose up in front of Rai, who then blasted it with fire, causing it to heat into glass, reflecting the laser. "Wudai Neptune WATER!" A gush of water hit the Exo-Bot, along with the metal bonds on Kimiko's ankles and wrists, causing them to rust.
"That's all you can do?" taunted Jack, slamming the Exo-Bot's foot down on Rai.
But the Dragon of Wind was faster. Rai sped towards Kimiko. "You never touch her! NEVER!" Rai shouted at Jack as he snapped the bonds of Kimiko, who re-gained some of her Chi from Rai. The Dragon of Fire followed Rai's lead, and changed into her Orion form, with a deep-red aura.
"Wudia Mars FIRE!" The air combust, and the left arm of the Exo-Bot snapped off from the heat.
"Hey! No fair!" whined Jack, now extinguishing the embers from the limb-less Exo-Bot.
Rai and Kimiko looked at each other. "Ready?" asked Rai.
"You know I am."
"WUDAI STAR WIND!" Slicing gales of wind cut the cables of the Exo-Bot's legs, causing the torso to fall with a loud THUD!
"O-okay, wait!" panicked Jack. "I-I'll make it up to ya! I won't pull this sorta thing again! I promise!"
Past experience told Rai & Kimiko that Jack can never be trusted. So they did the most natural thing they could do;
"WUDAI MARS FIRE!"
And so...
"I hope you're willing to tell Master Fung about this." said Dojo as he flew Rai, Kimiko, Omi and Clay back to the Temple.
"Only if he asks." replied Omi.
Clay said nothing. Maybe because he has falling asleep.
Omi looked at Rai and Kimiko, now "making up for lost time". "I might not ever understand how love works."
"I doubt that." said Dojo. "Just you wait."
Rai broke away from Kimiko and looked at his friend. "Tell me, did you have a crush on Kimiko?"
"Me? The Chosen One?" asked Omi, with pure innocence plastered on his face. "No!"
"Good." said Kimiko, peered between Rai's arms. "Because..."
"I know. You two are lovefowl."
"Lovebirds." came Clay's muffled voice.
"That too. Still, I must say I am happy for you two. Because if we ever need to beat Chase Young again..."
The mention of the evil prince stopped Omi for a moment, but he continued;
"Anyways, your teamwork is impressive."
Kimiko gave Rai's arm a squeeze. "I think it's more than just teamwork..."
Rai grinned in response.
"Whatever it is, it will help us with finding Shen Gon Wu." said Omi.
Maybe even more than that... thought Rai as he looked up at the sky, his arm around Kimiko. A lot more...