Hi guys! So there had been an error on my part and this chapter had been originally published with Chapter 1. Sorry! Here it is as I should have pasted it - as Chapter 2. Because of this error I will go ahead and post Chapter 3 for those of you who have already read the chapter below. Thanks so much for all of your reviews and messages - I love your feedback!

"What have you done to him?!" screamed a young child's voice next to Cole's elbow. Cole looked down and saw a little boy, tears running down his little face as he clutched a Master of Lightning action figure. Cole's heart was aching for his friend, but it ached again for this child. Leaning down, he said softly, "Do you recognize me?"

The boy looked up, lip trembling, confused at this stranger talking to him. "What?"

Cole pointed to the ninja on the child's shirt. "I'm this one," he said, pointing to his image on the shirt and showing the hilt of his katana under his hoodie.

The child stared with wide blue eyes.

"There's always hope, kiddo. Even when it doesn't look like it," said Cole with a wink, and then started moving to the front of the crowd. "What is your name?"

"Timothy," said the child, sniffling.

"You be strong, ok?" said Cole. Hope he remembers that, he thought. Now, let's get to business!

But someone was already ahead of him.

NYA! Cole nearly yelled her name. She had pulled herself up onto the stage and was standing in between Soro and Jay.

"What have you done to him?!"

She had no microphone, but the crowd hushed at the dangerous edge in her voice.

"Ha!" Soro's voice was hard as he said, "I improved him. He was all sassy and rebellious before I put him under."

Nya was trembling with rage. Cole shouted into the com-link, "Stop! No one else get up there! If it becomes a fight, then we need to be the element of surprise! Kai just stay close. Don't get involved yet!"

"What are you doing this?!" screamed Nya, ignoring Cole.

"She's my sister," protested Kai into the com-link. "I have to get up there!"

"Kai," came Zane's urgent voice. "I have detected that there are enemies behind this stage! The moment any ninja appear I have a feeling that the people will be the first target!"

The image of the little boy flashed in Cole's mind.

"I am here," Soro was saying. "To be the next ruler of Ninjago."

Cole got a little closer. Ruler of Ninjago? He thought. There hadn't been a ruler since around 200 years ago, when the last tyrant of Ninjago died. Now there was a democracy.

"You can't be a ruler!" shouted Kai's voice. "The ninja will stop you!"

"And the people!" added Nya.

"You think I would try to take over Ninjago without taking into account it's guardians?!" laughed Soro. "You take me for a fool!"

"I take you for the horrible, smelly, two faced fat bellied jealous idiot that you are!" screamed Nya in his face.

"Whoa," said Cole, Kai, and Zane.

"Go Nya!" cried Dessie in delight.

Soro's face turned purple, and then he calmed himself. "I suppose you just don't see how things are," he said. "Even with the wig, I know who you are. You are Nya Tefuto, obviously. No one else in this world could be as fiery and rebellious as you are. Or loyal, for that matter. It's why Jay loved you."

"Loves," corrected Nya with a snarl. "He's still in there!"

"I hate to break it to you," started Soro, then laughed. "Actually I delight in telling you that I made sure he can never come back."

"How," demanded Nya.

"You wouldn't understand," he laughed. "I am a genius of a scientist and - "

"The only way you could totally remove who he is is if you took the barometer of this contraption and used a five sided Tenderetop and erase half of his neutrons in his brain," snapped Nya. "Is that what you did?!"

Soro stared uncertainly. He was a good liar, but bad on the spot.

"You didn't," she said, a triumphant smile on her face. "And I am taking him home!"

"You could always join me," Soro attempted feebly.

Nya's leg swung and caught him behind the knee. He feel with a very loud thud (don't forget, he was very fat). Nya spun and kicked again, this time practically shoving him from the stage. People moved quickly to get out of his way as Soro fell to the ground with a thud, breaking the microphone with his fall.

"Like I would ever join you, you…you…monster!" She screamed.

But from the ground, holding his aching leg, Soro just chuckled, and then laughed. "I'm not the monster," he laughed. "I'm the scientist." He looked up at her darkly and grinned. "I made the monster." And with that, he pressed a button on the remote that everyone had forgotten about.

Nya heard a sound behind her and turned. Jay was looking at her, and he had moved his arm. She looked at him - they were of equal height - and her breath caught in her lungs. She'd never seen that sort of look on his face. She'd seen him very serious, and even angry. But this look was worse. Much much much worse.

It was blank.

Nothing.

No emotion. No feeling.

No warmth. Not even cold. Not even hate.

Just nothing.

Jay's arms suddenly swung, and she heard a shing! as two metal katanas were unsheathed from their hiding places beneath his arms. The crowd gasped, and Nya's heart dropped to her toes. She dodged as he sliced the air she had been standing in, and with a scream of terror she rolled and leapt out of the way as he followed up with a second slice.

"Jay!" screamed Kai. "Stop!"

"ADVANCE!" screamed Cole into the com-link. "STOP HIM!"

Nya rolled again, but not fast enough. Jay's katana caught the leg of her jeans, and she was secured to the stage. She jerked and yanked, but he was closing in for the kill. The crowd gasped - this was all happening so fast no one could do anything at all.

Nya began to cry as she watched the love of her life raise his katana over his head, ready to kill her.

"Jay," she cried, tears falling. "I love you!"

He froze. She stared - had Zane done something? But no - there was no ice on him.

Jay's face contorted, and he breathed deeply. The katanas disappeared back into his arms, and he fell to his knees, groaning.

"Jay," gasped Nya, freed from the stage. She rushed to him and held his face in her hands, kneeling with him. "Jay, are you with me? Are you ok?"

"Ow," he wheezed, but he gave her a lopsided smile. "You…did something with your hair, didn't you."

Her eyes welled up with tears again. "I love you. Dessie will be here any minute and dope you up with pain killers."

He was breathing hard. "I…get away," he moaned suddenly, turning away. "…he's pushing all the buttons…" he looked up at her, eye pleading. "…Nya, run!"

Suddenly all the pain, anguish, and love disappeared. He stood up, straight as a pole. His blank face returned, and so did the katanas. He swung, and Nya knew instantly that this was it. She was going to die.

CLANG!

"Nya," came Kai's impatient voice. "RUN!"

Nya opened her tightly shut eyes to see her brother fighting Jay off. Cole was leaping onstage, and suddenly chaos erupted. Giant robots were climbing onstage too, and the people were screaming and running for their lives. Soro was laughing, and Zane was rushing up to the stage, defending the people and helping them escape.

"RUN!" screamed Kai, parrying an attack and blocking a kick from Jay. Nya jumped up and out of the way. "We can't leave him!" she cried.

"Dessie is coming with the Bounty," shouted Zane. "We have to protect the people!"

"Get the robots!" cried Cole. "Nya, use your water powers and kill them!"

Nya tried. She was still learning how to use her water powers on her own. She killed a lot of them, but there were a ton to begin with. And then they all heard a scream of agony that made the world stop turning for a moment.

Kai was on the ground, blood gushing from his right leg. He was trying to pull himself away from Jay, who towered over him with a bloodied katana. Zane recovered first and froze Jay's arms to his sides.

"Kai!" cried Nya, horrified at all the blood, when the lights of the Bounty shown down on them. Cole rushed over and scooped Kai up in his arms. "Hang in there, fireball," he said gruffly, though obviously concerned. Dessie let down the anchor, and it nearly broke through the stage.

"Get on!" shouted Dessie into the com-links.

"We can't leave Jay!" cried Nya.

"We aren't leaving him," said Zane, placing a forceful hand on her shoulder. "We are coming back for him. But your brother won't die in the process!"

"But - " started Nya, but then Zane gave her a look that told her don't-make-me-freeze-you-too, and resignedly she joined him.

Kai was rushed to the newly made healing cabin, and Dessie gave the controls to Cole. Zane helped her as she began to minister to Kai, and Nya quietly walked down into her room.

And for the second time in her life, she cried and cried and cried.

()

Dessie tried hard to help. Kai's leg was stitched quickly and with precision, and then heavily bandaged. She hummed gently, trying to settle her own nerves as well as bring something - she didn't know, maybe…relief? - to Kai's heart. But he didn't seem to notice anything - not the stitches, the wound, or her humming. As he lay in the bed, propped up by pillows, he stared with tear-filled eyes at the ceiling.

The healing cabin was warm and welcoming, with soft cream walls and lit candles on little shelves on the walls. The beds were built into the walls, and picture frames with pictures of everyone were in them. The latest picture Zane had taken of all of them had Jay in the front, making a monkey face. Nya was laughing, and Cole was making his I-can't-believe-how-immature-you-are face. Kai's heart hurt as he remembered the last image his mind had of Jay. Standing over him, sword drawn, ready to smite him. Face cold, dark, and emotionless.

Suddenly he felt something on his leg. Something wet. He looked up to see Dessie wipe a tear off of his bare calf. She was crying as she finished the last of his bandages.

"Dess?" he asked softly, his own tears making his voice sound cracked and deep. He looked at her, and felt his heart warm a little.

"I'm sorry," she hiccuped. She always did when she cried. "This is all I can do!" she gestured at his leg, frustration on her face. "I want to fix this," she sobbed. "But all I can tell you is to rest and not break the stitches!" She looked down, just crying out of hopelessness. "I thought maybe as a healer I could make a difference here. I guess not."

It hurt him to see her so down. "You aren't a miracle worker," he protested. "My leg just needs to heal, that's all. Besides, Zane is never so gentle."

"No," she wept, shaking her head furiously. Leaning forward, she laid a hand on his chest. "I want to heal your heart." She took a deep breath, trying to stop the hiccups. "Tell me what I can do." She looked up at him. "Tell me what I can do for your heart."

He looked at her and was lost again in her lovely eyes. They were puffy and tear filled, but still just as beautiful as ever. Mountains. Grassy hills. Love.

"Hold me," he whispered, and she saw his raw emotions. Anger. Fear. Loss. Betrayal. Pain.

She caught him up in a fast, but very tender hug. Her arms encircled him and held him closely, and her hand rested in the nape of his neck, soft and warm. His arms wrapped around her small form, but he felt smaller still in her motherly, loving embrace.

Something touched his cheek. He opened his eyes and his breath catch in his lungs. Little golden lights were gently floating around him, pulsing with a gentle light. A calming light. Like snow drifting down from invisible clouds, these golden lights floated around him, causing the room to suddenly feel cozier. He stared, trying to understand what he was seeing.

"Fireflies?" he whispered.

Dessie chuckled; a sweet, surprising sound. "No. This is my power." He could hear her blush in her smile. "I guess I've never shown it to you."

He stared, and then felt her heartbeat against his chest and realized that the lights were pulsating with her heart. With her life, he thought, and with a shuddering breath hugged her tighter, tears drying on his face.

"You know, I want you to be more careful," she said softly. "You nearly died last time you were in here. I'd be so lost without you, Kai."

He pulled away and held her hands in his, stroking the silver band with gem flowers on her promised ring finger.

"I love you."