This was requested by Determine Artist. I hope you enjoy, DA! And the rest of you, too! :D
Something Like That
A Ninjago One-Shot by Astrid16
Four months prior
"Kai!" Lloyd cried, barreling into the bedroom. "Kai, come quick!"
Kai sighed, setting down his comb. He reached for his hair gel. "What is it, kid? I'm kinda busy here."
Breathless, Lloyd pointed down the hall. "It's an emergency," he said. "Jay and Cole are..." He trailed off, watching Kai's fingers form a spike above his right ear. "...Whatcha doing?"
"My hair," Kai answered, squinting into the mirror. "What's Jay and Cole's emergency?"
"Uh...s'not that big of a deal..." Lloyd seemed enraptured by the way Kai molded his hair- laying dull and flat around his ears- into those spikes. "How do you do that, Kai?"
"It's a delicate process," Kai said absently. "One that requires a handful of hair gel and a generous dose of pure ninja awesomeness."
"Well...you've got hair gel," Lloyd said. "And I've got plenty of awesomeness, what, being the Green Ninja and all, so...maybe you could teach me?"
Kai snorted at Lloyd's reflection in his mirror. "You'd look ridiculous."
Lloyd kicked the floor, sighing dramatically. "Fine. See you later." He turned to leave.
Kai watched him leave, feeling slightly guilty. Slightly.
"Well..." he began, "I guess maybe..."
Lloyd turned around, eyes hopeful. "Really?"
Kai tossed the ten-year-old his gel bottle. Lloyd caught it easily- the kid had good reflexes. Better than Kai would ever admit.
"Sure, kid. On one condition."
"Yeah, okay. What?"
Kai flipped his comb through the air, caught it, and slid it into Lloyd's hair. "Tell me what Jay and Cole's 'emergency' is."
Now
Kai adjusted his red tie in front of the mirror, then examined his hair. Still a little damp from his shower. Kai blew his hair dry, then combed it carefully so it laid straight. Then he reached for his hair gel.
His hand faltered, and he slouched, resting his elbows on the dresser. He rubbed his forehead. Dammit, Lloyd, he thought, fighting tears. Damn you.
"Kai," Nya said softly. She entered the room on quiet feet, and Kai immediately stiffened, straightened, and cleared his throat. His sister wore a simple black dress that hugged her knees, silver flats, and a pearl necklace. Jay had given that necklace to her for her birthday a few months earlier. Nya's makeup expertly concealed eyes swollen from crying.
Nya set a hand on Kai's shoulder. "It's starting soon," she said. "You'd better do your hair fast."
Kai looked at the bottle, then shook his head. "I'll..." His voice cracked, and he swallowed. "I'll just leave it alone today."
Worry lines creased Nya's forehead, and she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "You were closer to him than anyone else," she said. "I know this has hurt you the most. I'm sorry."
"Don't be ridiculous. I'm fine," Kai lied. He wrapped an arm around her middle. "Come on. Let's get this over with."
The whole town was there. The mailman, Cyrus Borg, even the pizza guy with the crazy beard.
Cole sat with his father, elbows on his knees, expression unreadable. Zane with his father, falcon at his feet. Jay sat with his parents. He nodded when he saw Nya and Kai, and he gestured to the seats he'd saved for them.
Nya took Jay's hand and sat beside him, head on his shoulder. They stared off into the deep blue sky together, eyes vacant.
That's almost everyone, Kai thought, regarding the crowd gathered on the many benches in the park downtown. The wreckage of the Garmatron lay behind them, black rubble spread like a scattering of dead bugs. Bad simile, but Kai hardly cared.
The final guest arrived, and tapped Kai's shoulder. Kai turned and nodded to the guest, Misako, who stood alone. Her eyes were red from crying. Losing her son and husband had shaken her deeply.
The worst part was, the Overlord hadn't even been destroyed. Lloyd's sacrifice amounted to nothing in the end, except to weaken the dark beast and buy the ninja more time.
Time to do what? Kai asked himself. We don't have the power to defeat him. Sure, we're keeping him confined to the Dark Island, but not for much longer. He'll eventually gain enough strength to return. Ugh, damn you, Lloyd. When I die, I'm gonna give you a piece of my mind.
"Misako," Kai said, offering her a fake smile. "Uh...good morning."
Misako set her hand on Kai's shoulder. "Gather the team after the ceremony," she said. "I...have something to discuss with you all."
Kai hardly had the mental energy to be curious. "I'll tell them. Thank you. Here, let me help you to your seat..."
Misako unrolled a scroll and spread it on the bench before her. The courtyard was empty now, save for the ninja and the new statue of Lloyd that had been erected over his grave. It stood in the center of town, where everyone could see and remember his sacrifice.
Kai's hands clenched on his lap. If only I'd been able to help him more in the end. If only I were stronger...
"I found this scroll many years ago during my search for the Temple of Light," Misako said. "I never understood its meaning. But today I happened to open it, and..." She pushed it across the bench toward the four ninja.
After a moment of silence Jay muttered: "Great. More chicken scratch." There was no levity to his tone.
"Oh." Misako blinked, realizing only then that no one but her could read the language.
Except Zane. The Nindroid leaned in, intrigued. His eyes widened, and he looked to Misako for confirmation. She nodded.
"It...is instructions," Zane said, looking to the others. "On how to revive the Green Ninja."
"Revive?" Cole repeated, speaking for the first time that day. "It's called CPR. And I think we're a few days late for that."
"No," Zane said. "This is a magical revival, a summoning from the Underworld. And we can do it, if we go to the Temple of Light."
"What's the catch?" Kai asked, forcing down his excitement. "I doubt we'll be able to just waltz into the temple and find Lloyd alive in some closet there."
Zane hesitated, eyes flitting to the paper. Then he took a deep breath. "Our powers," he said. "Fire, Earth, Lighting, Ice. Together, they are the elements of Lloyd's soul. In order to get him back..."
"...we'll have to give up our powers?" Jay guessed.
"Yes."
"Done," Cole said, slapping his Elemental Blade down on the bench. "I don't need the stupid thing. Let's get our little brother back."
The others murmured their agreement, and Nya raised her hand. "You can take my mech," she said. "Good luck."
"All right, team," Cole said, pulling his mask over his head. They sat in the mech, tense from anticipation as they flew over the Dark Island. "Remember, this plan relies on speed. We've gotta get this mech to the Temple of Light as fast as possible. It doesn't matter if the Overlord sees us: he should still be weak enough that if he follows, he'll do so slowly."
The others murmured their agreement, hiding their faces behind their masks. Jay fiddled with the mech's controls, and the machine shot forward with explosive speed, flying above the Dark Island's tropical trees, straight for the Temple of Light.
There was a deep-throated roar that shook the air, and Jay struggled to keep the mech on its course. Moments later a curling blob of purplish-blackness streaked through the air, barely missing their craft.
"Step on it, Jay!" Zane shouted over a second thundering roar. "He knows we're here!"
"No, you think?" Jay screamed, turning a dial. The mech rose higher, but couldn't seem to get out of reach of the writhing dark matter, which came way too close for comfort.
Heart pounding, Kai looked over his shoulder at the huge black form running at breakneck speed through the trees behind them. That scroll had better not be a fake, 'cause I don't see us getting off this island without Lloyd's help.
The mech landed in the courtyard, and the four ninja leaped down. The ground trembled as the Overlord scrabbled up the side of the cliff, screaming unpleasant threats about what he'd do to them once he got his claws around their 'miserable necks'.
"The scroll, Zane," Cole said as they ran into the temple, footsteps echoing. "Hurry. What do we do?"
Zane unrolled the scroll, skimmed it, then stopped in the middle of the temple. "Stand on the plate with your element," he said. "Take out your Elemental Blade and shoot your powers into the Instrument of Peace."
"Easy enough," Jay said. He used a gust of his own wind to slide into his platform, then unsheathed his Elemental Blade. "Come on, guys. The Overlord's not gonna wait for us!"
"Don't need to tell me twice." Kai stepped onto his platform and took out his Elemental Blade, shooting one last burst of flame as a farewell. It's more than a fair trade, he reflected. I'd give my life to get my little brother back. Losing only my powers is a good bargain.
"Ready, guys?" Cole held up his Elemental Blade and looked at the others. "For Lloyd. Here we go."
They each pointed their Blade at the Instrument of Peace, then shot their powers at it. The bell was quickly covered in a thick coat of ice and earth.
But then, just as quickly, a raging flurry of fire and lightning broke it apart, and they were sprayed with an explosive shower of debris- mud and rubble, mostly.
Kai paused, then summoned his powers experimentally. A flame flickered to life on the tip of his Blade.
"It didn't work, Zane," Cole said. "We still have our powers, Lloyd isn't here, and the Overlord is coming closer. It-"
"Hold on!" Zane snapped, unraveling his scroll.
"I don't get it," he said at last. "It says that the elements must touch the Instrument of Peace. What did we do wrong? Do we do it one at a time? Do we..." He faltered, eyes narrowing at the parchment. "Oh."
"Oh?" Jay repeated. "Oh? What does Oh mean? Could you hurry it up?"
"Might I remind you that even Misako had trouble interpreting this scroll?" Zane paced, looking between his Blade, the bell, and the scroll. The Overlord's snarls grew louder as he ascended the cliff. The ground continued to tremble.
"Zane..." Cole began.
"Quiet! Please, let me think." Zane circled one of the four pillars and fingered the swirling designs of marble going up the sides, all the way up to the ceiling, converging around the Instrument of Peace.
"Quickly," Zane said, sliding his Elemental Blade into a slot in the pillar- the same one he'd used only a week before to unlock the First Spinjitsu Master's mech. "Follow my lead."
Cole, Jay, and Kai did, pushing their Blades into their pillars. Then they fed the pillars their powers.
Please let this work. Please, please, please! Kai watched as swirls on the pillar lit up bright red, feeding on his powers. Slowly at first, then, as if sensing Kai's urgency, the light shot at blinding speed for the bell, which began to glow golden as the other three Ninjas' powers joined in.
"Heh," Cole chuckled, turning to Zane. "It's working. Good job, Zane."
Abruptly, Kai's Elemental Blade stopped feeding the pillar. He let go of the handle, realizing that his Fire element had been taken from the weapon and was now churning like lava within the pillar's marble veins.
Zane released his Blade next. Then Cole, then Jay. They all backed away, watching the bell glow brighter and brighter, the Overlord closing in on them outside.
For a long time nothing happened. Kai held his breath, waiting anxiously. His hands clenched at his sides.
"Perhaps we need to strike the bell?" Zane suggested.
"Perhaps?" Jay threw his arms up, frustrated. "You're the one with the scroll! Does it say to strike the bell?"
"Well...no. But I just thought that because Lloyd had to strike the bell to get his Golden powers-"
"We don't want to mess something up!" Jay screamed. "Just-"
"All right, no arguing." Cole went into a crouch. "We'll strike the bell together."
Kai crouched, preparing himself for the jump. I'm coming, little brother. Just hang in there.
Briefly, he wondered if Lloyd could see them and was cheering them on.
"Three..." Cole began the countdown. "Two..." The Overlord roared triumphantly outside; he'd made it up the side of the cliff, and was now clawing his way across the courtyard, pausing to crushing the mech between two powerful fingers.
"One..." Cole breathed deeply. "Go!"
As one, the ninja leaped, deflecting off the pillars, then struck the bell. It rang loudly, shaking the foundation of the building, stunning the Overlord.
Kai landed beside the others, ears ringing with the final echoes of the Instrument of Peace.
White crystals all across the temple lit up with light. The temple grew so bright that Kai's eyes watered, but he forced himself to keep them open.
A column of ivory rays came down on each of the ninja, and Kai felt a tug at something in his chest; a slight alteration to his soul, taking every trace of his element away from him. Kai let it go willingly, and even smiled as the weight left him. His powers- and Zane's, Cole's, and Jay's- fed a new, brighter shaft in the center of the room, which throbbed with colors of green and gold.
The shaft around Kai's body receded, all the power now focused on the single beam under the bell. The four ninja waited anxiously for the better part of a minute, the Overlord rapidly recovering outside.
Then, in the center of the shaft, a body began to form. Kai's heart lurched, and then began to beat faster.
"No!" the Overlord screeched, clawing at the entrance of the temple. "No! No!" He shot a ball of dark matter at the ninja, but a tendril of light shot out of the shaft and disintegrated it.
The form within the shaft moved with a sudden jolt. The light retreated abruptly, and the form- Lloyd's body- fell to the floor, face down.
"Lloyd!" the ninja cried out as one, then rushed to his side. Kai knelt and rolled Lloyd onto his back.
"Lloyd," Kai whispered, touching Lloyd's forehead. The boy gasped loudly, filling his lungs with their first breath of air. He's alive!
Lloyd blinked, then turned his green eyes to Kai. "Hey," he smiled. "Thanks for the reboot."
With a soft laugh, Kai pulled Lloyd into his arms and held him tightly. "You're back," he breathed, realizing then how close to tears he was. "I can't believe that worked."
"He's back," Cole said, his mask hiding his own relieved smile. "And I hate to break this up, but there's a dragon on our doorstep. Lloyd, how do you feel?"
Lloyd untangled himself from Kai's embrace and stood, flexing his arm. "Better than I have in a long time," he said, smiling as he helped Kai to his feet. "Shall we?"
Kai took his place beside his brothers and pulled out his sword- a regular sword, as his Blade was now useless. The others drew their weapons as well.
"We shall," Zane said with a nod.
"There's no way we can lose with you by our side," Jay added.
"Let's do the whip!" Cole said, flexing his arm as Lloyd had moments earlier.
"Ninja Go!" Lloyd shouted, leading the charge, Kai at his right hand.
I'll be stronger now, Kai thought. We'll be stronger together, as a team. It's so good to have you back, little brother.
"You look ridiculous without your spikes, Kai," Lloyd shouted over the Overlord's roar. "What, did you lose your ninja awesomeness while I was away?"
Kai snorted, shaking his head. "Something like that."
Kira seems to think I have a thing for killing Lloyd. I have nooo clue what she's talking about. I've killed Nya the most. :P lol. I love you Kira! Thanks for your beta help! (Y'all can give her a shout-out too, if you review!)
I'm not a fan of the ending. It would be a pretty metal ending to an episode, but here it just looks weird. What do you think?
I may not be able to upload the next chapter of True Grit next week. Just letting you know. My apologies.
If I don't see you next week, I will certainly see you the week after that. :D Please spare a moment to review? And thanks, Determine Artist, for the fantastic idea! Thanks also for your patience.
(::)x100 Cookies for everyone who reads. Have a good one!