Ah, yes, fanfic for fanfic's sake. No, really, my tamagotchi was annoying me and this happened. Go figure! Rai/Jack. This is actually sickeningly sweet. I thought that writing it...We'll see what you think.

"I challenge you to a Xiaolin showdown! The challenge is "King of the Hill." The first to knock the other off wins. What do you say?"

"You're on. Let's go, Xiaolin showdown!"

The scene became dizzy, spinning around as the hill grew into a mammoth of a mountain. Raimundo looked up at the huge structure jutting from the ground and got a nasty sinking feeling. Then the ground under him shifted and he was tossed on to the top. A wooden staff appeared in his hand and across the small space of the hill-top, Jack received similar weaponry. Jack threw the wood a confused look and then turned to his opponent.

"Gong yi tampai!" They shouted, beginning the showdown.

Rai wasted no time, cutting the short space in half and swinging at Jack. His jet-pack was ready, sending him up and away from Rai's kamikaze swing. Even as he swung down, he could still feel the wind disturbance at where Rai had aimed for.

He's out to kill today…

Jack gripped his staff and batted at where Rai stood. He landed the hit but Rai didn't move an inch, and Jack's leg met with a vicious strike from Rai's staff.

"Ouch!" Jack whined, flying higher and preparing a dive down. But Rai had no mind to let such plans come to fruition.

Rai smiled and slammed his hands together, "Typhoon boom!"

"Oh," formed on Jack's lips but the sound never escaped. He was already hurtling down towards the line that would put him out of the game and the shen gong wu lost.

"Jack-bots!" He called, catching one a adjusting his jet-pack to aid him in further alluding his adversary.

Rai was prepping for another strike, when an odd pinging noise flittered through the air. Jack paled.

And then it was like Jack was helping Rai win. He was madly smacking himself, frantically looking left and right as the noise continued. Finally he found what was making the noise.

"Look, tama, I fed you thirty minutes ago! I'm busy! Jack-bot, take care of him!" Jack said tossing the tamagotchi over to one of the floating bots.

Five incredulous eyes were on Jack now.

"You have a tamagotchi?" Kimiko whispered loudly, a laugh already bubbling out of her.

"Hey, pardner, don't forget your giga-pet," chuckled Clay, mimicking the old commercial.

"Tama-gotch-i? What?" Came the confused reply from Omi.

Rai was rolling in laughter in the boundaries of the showdown. Jack twitched in anger. Wuya just smacked herself in the forehead and flew away.

"How do I get stuck with these losers…" She said as she disappeared.

Jack dived down, staff still prepared, and whacked Rai hard in the stomach.

"Shut up, loser, you sleep with a teddy bear," Jack hissed, a flush of embarrassment fighting the anger in his eyes.

"How do you know that?" Rai growled back, rising to his feet and switching the staff to his right hand.

"Don't most guys deny stuff like that?" Jack haughtily answered, landing, also readying himself for the next attack.

Now Rai blushed, but more out of fury than embarrassment, and flew at Jack.

Jack heard more than felt the nasty crack of the wooden staff breaking as it landed a devastating strike on his arm. It was also after the showdown that he found out he lost the shen gong wu and consciousness simultaneously. And got to visit the hospital, all in the same day.

---

When he awoke, it was to white walls and a rather uncomfortable bed. Also in the category of uncomfortable was the pain he felt in his left arm and the odd looks he was receiving from certain Xiaolin monks.

"Good morning!" chirped out Omi, tiring of the silence that had come over the room.

Jack was dumbstruck, and couldn't think of anything to say, except; "So, I lost?"

Clay nodded and though he wasn't watching her, Kimiko rolled her eyes.

"And my arm is…?"

"Fractured," came an accented reply. Rai finally came into view, from off to the side. The boy looked frazzled and upset, like someone in shock.

Jack nodded. He could tell Rai was sorry though he had yet to say so. Part of Jack stored that away as later black-mailing material. Now wasn't the time.

"Look, Jack, I'm sorry…" Rai began, but a nurse appeared at the door, looking less than pleased.

"I've let you have twenty minutes over visiting hours, I'm afraid you'll have to leave now," she said pointedly to the monks, all of which looked regretful in return.

"We'll be back tomorrow," Kimiko said, waving a little at Jack as they all made their hasty retreat.

Then Jack glanced around at the relatively empty, boring room. Get well roses from his family sat near him on the table and so did a small stuffed bear with a note.

Ironically enough, the teddy bear was from the Xiaolin monks.

"You need your rest," the nurse said, interrupting Jack's thoughts. She injected something into Jack's right arm and sooner than later, Jack drifted to his dreams.

---

"Hey Jack…"

Jack turned and looked at the Brazilian boy approaching him in an obvious dreamscape of his own fabrication.

Anger seeped into Jack but before he could release all that was building up in him, Rai spoke again.

"Woah, before you kill me, cause I'm willing to bet it is possible when I'm in your dream, I am using the Shadow of Fear to be here, and I really don't want to die tonight," Rai's words were rushed and his hands were up as if in surrender. Jack felt his nerves relax a bit. A bit.

"Well, why are you here?" Jack said, crossing his arms in a manner that wouldn't be capable in real life for another six weeks. That thought alone irked him.

"To apologize. I know it won't mean much, I mean, God, I broke your arm…"

"Fractured." Jack corrected.

"You know, you're not making this any easier."

"Hey, you're the one who said in the first place…" Jack pointed out, trying to cover his irritancy.

"Look, I said I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you, not like that at any rate, and, just, lately I've been so overwhelmed with all the new responsibilities and my mother is sick, and I'm trying to help out at home and lead the Xiaolin warriors…"

"Rai, I really don't care about your life." Jack interjected, cutting off Rai's long story.

"Well, anyway, I know you don't care," defeat and exhaustion washing over his features, "just, I'm sorry and I'll do anything to make it up, so if you think of something you need, just ask."

And Jack watched as Rai faded away in a spinning whirlwind of dots.

---

Jack awoke the next morning feeling cold and hungry. Luckily for one of his needs, food was present, cold too, but present. He at it in an amazing show of speed, just as the door opened, admitting four visitors.

"Oh, you guys are back…" to bother me some more, Jack wanted to include, but bit it down. He had yet to see his family and whether he would ever admit it or not, hospitals freaked him out and he liked company. Even if his company was his rivals in battle.

"How are you feeling today?" Clay asked, smiling in his polite way.

"Alright. Uh, could one of you find me a blanket?"

Rai moved and pulled one from the cabinet present in the room.

"Thanks," Jack muttered and Rai nodded, adverting his eyes from Jack.

"Well, good news, you get to go home tomorrow!" Kimiko quipped.

"Yes! And you should be most pleased to know, the doctor has said you should heal just fine in six or so more weeks! In only four, they will take off the cast and you will be able to work on recovering! How amazing are all the things in this place…" and Omi began to ramble. Jack looked to where Rai had perched near the window, staring out to the world in silence. I wonder what he's thinking about, passed Jack's thoughts, but he stabbed them before they could truly begin to wonder what he was thinking about.

Time passed quickly, Clay had brought a DVD which they all watched, and Omi talked the whole time through, asking question after question, that someone was obligated to answer or he would not stop asking.

Around seven, the nurse again appeared and shooed them all away. Jack rolled into the bed and tried to ignore the cold that seemed to settle into the room.

---

The next day, however, Jack was standing at the doorway to his basement laboratory. His arm still hurt and in his right hand he clenched the pills that were designed to alleviate that pain.

He descended the stairs to see none other than Raimundo at the bottom.

"I just thought I could help out, until you feel well enough to do stuff on your own…" Rai muttered, keeping his eyes fixed on his feet.

Jack tried not to roll his eyes, or to allow his quick temper to further hurt Rai. It's like he's the one who broke his arm… Jack thought, stepping down the last few steps to end up beside Rai.

"You can stay," Jack said without even thinking, "but only until I'm settled. Then, get out of here. And stop sniveling all the time."

Raimundo lit up like a Christmas tree. He reached out, taking the pill bottle and hurriedly put it on the side table before returning to Jack's side.

Jack rolled his eyes while Rai's back was turned, but it then a small voice spoke in his mind, are you really going to refuse him when he's trying so hard to make this up to you?

Of course the other voice was louder and it was saying, abuse this to the fullest! What an idiot! He's so vulnerable right now! Destroy him!

"Could you bring me something to drink?" Jack asked, forcing back a smirk. Rai didn't know a thing about how his home was set up, it would take him a long time to find the glasses, let alone where they hid the refrigerator. Jack's inner evil laughed.

But Rai nodded and ran up the stairs. Jack moved to his bed and got comfortable. Too comfortable it seemed because he fell asleep.

---

When Jack awoke, he actually was thirsty, and in pain. He groaned fumbling for the pill bottle.

Another hand pushed two capsules into his hand, waited till he put those in his mouth and handed him a glass of water.

Jack swallowed both, and fell back into the pillows. The last thing he heard was a quiet sigh.

---

Twilight was filtering through the windows when Jack next awoke. In a chair but hunched over his bed, Rai was sleeping. A sinking feeling hit Jack before he could bring a different one up, something that would have felt better, like victory or triumph, not regret. For the last time, I'm the victim here, he screamed inside his head.

"Rai. Rai, wake up," Jack spoke in a soft voice, gently shaking the sleeping brown head.

"Unh. Oh, heh, guess I drifted off…" Rai said, hand drifting to his hair to smooth down wild hairs.

"What are you still doing here?" Jack finally managed, anger and understanding warring within him, making his voice sound colder than it should have.

"Well, you fell asleep, and I didn't want to wake you and not knowing what to do, I stayed, and…" Rai cut himself off, looking up at the expression Jack was wearing.

"Look, there's a couch over there, you can nap on that, since you're so hell-bent on staying here. But for God's sake, a week tops, and then get the fuck out of my house," Jack whispered, while looking away, "Also, there's a shower up the stairs and to the right… If you haven't already explored the place anyway…."

Rai whispered something in a language Jack didn't recognize, but he assumed it was a thank you.

"You're welcome." He replied.

---

The next week was a weird one. Rai spent the majority of his time at Jack's house, occasionally leaving to check on his family and to train with the monks. Lucky for all parties involved, the shen gong wu stayed dormant.

Jack and Rai got to know one another while in each others company. Jack's tamagotchi was cared for by Rai (somewhat unwillingly) and they both realized they shared a love for jazz. Rai preferred his rap and Jack preferred his emo-rock, but they both could agree to listen to the wordless songs when arguments over music got heated.

Jack taught Rai some robotic basics, and as bizarre as it was, Jack learned how to rap some and though he rarely participated, Rai showed him how to break dance.

They both enjoyed comedies, and though they watched a few horror movies, but it seemed that they freaked out a certain goth super-villain wannabee (Rai thought they were just hyped up comedies). Soon they were laughing over private jokes, and Jack was feeling overall, better.

---

Two weeks passed and Jack forgot all about telling Rai to leave. Some days Rai could stay longer than others, but it didn't matter. They soon developed a comfortable friendship that suited them both fine.

---

Four weeks passed and the Xiaolin monks were present at the hospital when he got the cast removed. The doctor advised against any drastic exercising or any stressful activity.

Everyone rolled their eyes when he left the room and the entire group shared a good laugh.

"How about some ice cream then?" Rai suggested, waving his wallet in the air.

"No way, you paid last time!" Jack said, leading the group from the hospital.

The other monks glanced at each other as they headed to the ice cream shop.

"When did they become so buddy-buddy?" whispered Kimiko to Clay.

"Not sure."

---

A few more days passed pleasantly, before the fateful event happened.

"New shen gong wu, guys, let's head out!" Dojo said, zipping into the common room of the Xiaolin temple.

"Where's Raimundo?" Kimiko questioned, looking about.

"With Jack." Clay answered, everyone's doubt clear in their eyes.

"He'll just have to catch up, let's go!" Dojo changed sizes, and the monks headed out to find the new wu.

---

"So, how on earth do you do that?" Jack asked, watching Rai flip for a new move in his break dancing.

"I cheat," Rai smiled, "it helps to have a mastery of the air," he winked, making the move flashier as he spun in the air.

"New shen gong wu detected, Jack, sir," a robot reported, appearing from around the corner.

Rai stopped and looked at Jack. Jack felt the tension.

"Well, since we're headed in the same direction, care to give me a lift?"

---

However, when they landed at the battle field, any friendliness Rai could offer was immediately stifled. It is physically impossible to stand on both sides of a fence.

Rai stood torn throughout the whole showdown, Omi beating Jack who was still recovering afterall, and winning the warriors another wu.

Jack took to the skies in his jet and Rai left on Dojo. Rai felt confused and tired, and this time he had no one to offer a couch to him for rest.

---

A few days later, Rai dredged up the courage to go to Jack's place. No guard-bots bothered him, and even Megan just gave him a passing glance. He walked down the stairs to hear the buzz of Jack working on some new robot. For once, he wondered if maybe he was just a distraction, an interruption in Jack's schedule.

"Hey," Rai said, passing the last step, and facing the working Jack.

"Hey," Jack replied, nodding at him and returning to his robots.

Rai cringed. Jack almost never continued working when he came. It just wasn't like him to leave company unattended.

Minutes later, however, Jack did pull off the mask protecting his face, and turned his attentions to Rai.

"How are you?" asked Rai, looking Jack over for any obvious wounds.

"He took it easy on me, and even you know that," Jack all but spat.

Brown locks fell into his face as he nodded, Rai knew that, it was true.

"I'm sorry…" Rai began, but Jack cut him off.

"What, do they send you to do all the apologizes around here? What are you, the ambassador of the monks?" Jack found himself yelling, throwing aside the blow-torch and turning his full anger onto the dragon of the wind.

"Yes, I mean, no, not technically. I am the leader so it is my duty to cover for my team, but, I came out on my own today."

Jack paused in his tirade, and just shook quietly in anger, "Look, just go, you've been really kind, but I know it's causing a rift between you and your teammates, so just go."

Rai rose and left before any more words could pass between them.

---

It would be weeks before they spoke again.

---

Showdowns passed, various thieveries occurred on both sides, Jack's arm completely healed, but he was still worthless in a fight.

Raimundo regretted the mood that had settled between himself and Jack, but without an idea of how to fix it, he couldn't improve the situation.

Time passed and then one night Rai had a dream with Jack in it.

"That favor you promised me, do you remember that?" Jack asked clenching his hands together, looking to the floor, a scene flip-flopped from their first days getting to know one another.

"Yea, I remember saying something about that." Rai responded, wishing for the compatible feeling they used to share.

"Good. Well, I thought of what I wanted… and…" Jack stumbled through his words, searching for the right mix.

"Spit it out," smiled Rai, recognizing Jack's habit of messing up words when he got truly serious.

"I want to fly." Jack said, looking up finally at the Xiaolin monk.

"Fly? You mean, like, fly fly?" Rai questioned, looking at Jack's face to see if he really meant to go through with this request.

"Yea," Jack nodded and Rai smirked at the sincerity there.

"Then wake me up."

---

Rai led Jack outside the temple to the empty courtyard, silent in the moonlit night.

He turned and spread his arms wide, "You ready?"

Jack nodded, confused by the starting position of Rai's signature attack.

But no "Typhoon boom" filled the air, only the sound the wind cutting out by his ears and around his body. The world shrunk beneath him and Jack felt the exhilaration run through his veins.

"High enough?" interrupted his thoughts. A smiling brunette had joined him, using his hands to keep them both above the earth.

Jack nodded again, "What does it feel like to fly all the time?"

Rai returned the question with a confused, "What do you mean? What does it feel like to be one with the wind?"

Jack was beginning to feel like a monkey, but he nodded all the same.

"It's like you can always feel the caress of the one you love," Rai smiled, his eyes looking out across the sky, "Always there to tell you it's okay, the wind lifts you, guides you, pushes you. It's like there is always someone to tell you, "Yea, you're alright."

"I wouldn't freak you out if I told you that you were that for me, would I?" Jack whispered, "I've missed you coming over. More than you might know."

"I've missed you, too," Rai responded, allowing the wind to float them around.

Jack leaned back and let himself just float. Repeating the motion, Rai laid alongside him.

Eventually, the sun began to peak over the horizon. A dry laugh escaped Jack's throat.

"With you, I'm… so comfortable," Jack whispered, "but then, it's like I have to remain separate from the other half of my soul out of duty. A duty I don't even remember receiving."
A sigh escaped Rai, and he rolled in the sky to face his friend, "Then eliminate it. Join us, Jack. Then I won't have to fight my friends to keep you as a friend. Things like that day we went for ice cream would be normal things. No fighting, we could all work as a team. I could finally show you how to break dance…"

Jack put a finger to Rai's lips, "You know that can't be. Look, maybe we could just be friends away from the battlefield and your friends wouldn't even have to know."

Rai kissed the finger on his lips silently, and though it wasn't exactly something they had ever done together, it felt natural.

"Then I'll make a new promise. The moment all the shen gong wu are found, we can be together. All the time. Until then, we'll hang out when we can. What do you say?"

"Gong yi tampai," Jack whispered.