Thanks for reading the first chapter. Hope you survived XD

This chapter won't be any less feels than the last so...good luck.

Chapter 2: Agony

"Dear Agony,

Just let go of me

Suffer slowly

Is this the way it's gotta be?"

Kai sat for a moment. Stared. Confused. In shock. Then, he screamed. A sound I would never forget for the rest of my life. It was the sound of someone in the deepest pain imaginable. An agonized, heart-shattering cry.

He sobbed over his sister's body, putting his head on her lifeless chest. He was like that for a few minutes, and I stood nearby, not knowing what to do. Zane and Jay were still silent. Jay was still crying softly, but when I looked back, he was staring at Kai and Nya's body beneath him. He seemed as shocked as the rest of us.

Kai sat up, quickly, and laid his sister's body carefully on the ground. He stood up. He moved away from the rest of us, about fifteen feet. And he went into what seemed like a terrible temper tantrum. Except this one was filled with sobbing, choked screams, and fire. At one point, I thought Kai was going to pull his hair out.

He kicked at rocks on the ground. He picked one up and chucked it as far as he could. Then, he stood there and watched the rock fall. I looked down at his fists, which were now blazing. Wisps of smoke curled from his finger tips, and the backs of his hands were red hot.

I finally put my hand on Kai's shoulder, not knowing how he would react. I waited for him to turn around. He turned his head slowly to look at me, and I met his broken gaze. His eyes were full of pain - a terrible pain I couldn't describe.

I could hardly hold his gaze, because it hurt me to see so much brokenness there. His eyes that were normally bright and fierce and confident. Now, Kai seemed dark and weak and vulnerable. The light from the moon glinted off his eyes, reflecting on the tears that piled over, and I shuddered. His eyes were like glass - broken glass.

Kai did something that caught me off-guard. He collapsed into me, gripping my shirt for support, and he started sobbing again. I put my arms around his shoulders, and lifted him into a proper embrace. His head buried into my shoulder. He was shaking.

I needed to get him home. I needed to get him and the others back to the Bounty. Zane and Jay were waiting. Waiting for me to do something. Figure this out.

And Kai...well, he needed to be home. It would be better than here. Better than being in the middle of some, cold desert in the middle of some, cold night.

I would have to move him. I had no doubt that Kai wouldn't move on his own. He wasn't even holding himself up anymore - that was me.

I suddenly felt a great weight on my shoulders. I had felt it before, being the leader. I had felt the weight of responsibility, the protectiveness for my team. But, it had never felt this bad. This terrible. This heavy.

Kai needed me right now. Needed me to be strong. Needed me to be there for him.

I started walking, practically dragging Kai along with me. I walked towards the others, supporting Kai with one arm, now.

We passed her lifeless form. That was my first mistake.

Kai looked up just as we were passing Nya's body. His eyes locked on her, and he let go of my arm, which he had been gripping tightly. He pushed away from me, and flew towards Nya again.

But, I couldn't let him. It wouldn't help him. So, I moved after Kai, grabbed him, and yanked him backwards.

"No!" He screamed, straining against my arms. "No, stop! Let me go!" But, I couldn't let him go.

"I'm sorry, Kai," I mumbled.

He kept screaming. He kicked. He pushed my hands away, but there was no way he could get me to let go.

It felt awful. I didn't want to have to use my unnatural strength against my friend. I didn't want to force him to do anything. But, I had to, for his safety and his wellbeing. If Kai kept looking at Nya's dead body, it would drive him crazy.

"Please, Cole! Please, let me go," Kai pleaded. I couldn't bear the tears on his cheeks. I couldn't bear the pain in his voice.

Zane moved towards us then, his arm around Jay, gently supporting the ninja of lightning, who was silent for the first time in his life. Zane left Jay standing next to me, who looked like he was about to pass out. Kai was struggling weakly in my arms, but I could tell he was losing the strength and the will to fight.

It was so unlike him. Kai never lost the will to fight. But, I took the advantage and left one arm around Kai, the other going around Jay, to support his shaking form. He put his forehead against my shoulder and wept silently.

The difference between Kai's and Jay's reactions was strange. Kai - kicking and screaming and fighting. Jay - silent and crying and shaking. Both were pretty terrifying.

Zane walked up behind me with a bundle in his arms. It took me a minute to realize what, I mean who it was - Nya. I wanted to throw up at the sight of her limp form and her bloodstained shirt.

Kai froze in my arms, just stopped struggling completely, as he saw his dead sister in his teammates hold. Then, he fought back with ten times more force. His hand shoved at my arm and he almost got away, but thankfully I was able to push Jay away lightly, and use both arms to grasp Kai.

"No! No!" Kai sobbed.

I felt his body heat up. His hands were almost burning against mine as he shoved hopelessly. Tears stung my eyes, both sad and angry, but not at Kai. No. It wasn't his fault. None of this was his fault.

"Zane, call Sensei!" I shouted over Kai's screams. "Tell him what happened." More tears slid down my cheeks as I looked between Zane and Nya, and the desperate brother restrained by my arms.

Zane nodded, solemnly, and set Nya's body on the ground. He started speaking into the communicator device around his wrist, and I turned my attention back to Kai.

He was pleading again. "Please, Cole. Please let me go!" He sobbed again.

"I can't, Kai," I said, my throat tight. "I can't let you go. You gotta calm down. Then, I'll let you go. You gotta calm down."

Of course, he didn't calm down. He wanted his sister back. But, she was gone. Forever.

I heard Zane finish his conversation with Sensei, and we watched as the Bounty came into view and began its descent from the sky. Wind blew across the otherwise still landscape, coming off the Bounty's rotors.

As soon as it was on the ground, I started dragging Kai towards the ship. Towards home. He dug his feet into the ground, making it extremely difficult to pull him. I turned my back towards the Bounty, and continued to move.

Zane carried Nya's body and was following close behind me and the kicking-screaming Kai, and Jay was staggering along at a slow pace near the ice ninja. I felt bad. I wanted to help Jay, too, but there was no way I'd be able to support him and a fighting fire ninja.

I thought Kai would tire out, but the whole way to the Bounty was a mess.

"I can't leave her, Cole! I can't leave her," he screamed.

Every time he included my name, I felt ice crawl around my heart. I didn't want Kai to blame me for this. This couldn't be my fault. I wasn't the one who decided Nya should be the one to take the gunmen down.

"We're not leaving her, Kai. I promise. Zane has her. We're not leaving her." I knew that wouldn't help, but it's all I could say.

I didn't think the situation could get any worse. Kai's sister was dead. I was forced to drag my heartbroken friend back to our teacher in an emotionally terrible condition. Then came the gun shots.

I'm just gonna smile and wave.