Whoot, whoot . This is a two-parter. I split it up because it's gonna be over 4000 words and I feel that's a little bit too long for me so, tada. The next update will be out by next week - at least it should. Btw: I'd like to say that there will most likely be a bonus chapter that takes place right before season 9 after this is wrapped up. So..stay on the look out.
annd! Ahhhahah! Bless all of you who read my stories! I was so happy to see more reviews - you guys are amazing.
"How are you guys not cold?"
Kai shivered as the words escaped his lips, watching the puff of heat enter the air. Even the huge, fluffy fur jacket that covered his body still couldn't keep him warm all the way. The thought crossed his mind that it was because his element was fire, and being in this large open snow-covered forest was an issue. But the other ninja complained that they never went out for fun together, that they just played video games...or saved the world. So, yes; this was their big idea.
Walking in the center of a snow-filled forest to someplace Zane supposedly knew about.
"I mean, we are in the middle of a winter wonderland," Kai continued.
Apparently, no one was listening nor responding. Not even Jay...which was somewhat odd. Kai just gave into the strange silence and let the snowflakes land on his gloved fingers. He swayed to the wind that clawed at his jacket. Ah, the nice calm silence. It was strange to him, considering it was pretty new. But Kai believed it was actually quite relaxing when he got used to-
"Are we there yet?"
There it was. Jay's high-pitched voice filled the air, followed by a huff from Cole.
"If we were there, we wouldn't still be walking," Cole replied.
Oh, of course now - after Kai was drifting off to the silence - they were all in the mood to chat. How convenient?
Jay seemed to shake his head, as if implying No duh. "Yeah, okay true. Question: Where's Nya? And Lloyd? How come we just didn't take some vehicle? Or use the dragons?"
"Sensei Wu wouldn't let us, remember?" Kai answered, ignoring the fact that it was much more than a question. "He said we'd attract to much attention or break something."
"Zane, how much farther?" Jay whined.
Kai, being at the rear, was able to watch him kick snow at Cole. Who, in turn, picked some up and threw it back at Jay. It all happened in about a second before Zane, who was leading, could answer.
"200 yards." Zane's robotic voice danced in the air as he replied.
"We've been walking for years," said Jay, dragging out the last word.
"It's only been like twenty-five minutes, lightning rod," responded Cole.
"Well, where's that humming sound coming from?" Jay asked, cranking his neck to look around.
"Humming?" repeated Kai. He cocked his head to the side as he walked, listening in on the distant sounds, muffled by the wind. His hood slipped off as he tried to hear it clear, and what do you know? For one of the first times ever, Jay was right. There was humming, almost like a motor. The sound bouncing off the trees.
He put his hood back on and continued walking. "You don't think we're being followed, do you?"
"There was no one behind us as we started to walk," answered Zane.
"Mhm," Kai huffed, looking forward at the Lightning Ninja.
Jay formed a snowball between his hands. Kai watched him look back at the Fire Ninja, as if gesturing he was going to do something worth both their wild. And so that was when they both made their move.
Jay whined up his arm, clearly ready to peg the newly formed snowball at Cole, who seemed to be happily enjoying the snow covered earth. That was what Kai could see from behind, though, before he himself felt his own arm whined up and throw his own fireball to stop the snow mid-air before it could smashed into the Earth Ninja. All three paused, which Zane could sense and made him stop, too.
"How did the fire even stay lit? It's like, three degrees!" questioned Jay, his eyes full of shock as he watched the water fall into the snow-covered floor.
"Who cares?" Cole interrupted. "You were going to throw snow at me!"
Jay shrugged, a smile masking his lips. "A little snow never hurt anyone."
"How about a couple rocks?" replied a grinning Cole, lifting his hands up slightly as if he was going to rip the ground up from below the four ninja.
"We're not here to destroy each other," Kai said. Him and Zane stepped closer, creating a small square. Kai put his hands up as well, but in the non-threatening manner. "We're here to..."
He trailed off, watching Cole relax. "What are we here to do, Zane?"
"Well, we are here, by the way," Zane answered, turning behind him and motioning with one hand.
"It's a lake?" piped up Cole.
"Not any lake, Cole," Jay responded, waving his hand in the air. His voice was hushed by the end of his sentence. "It's a frozen lake."
Kai sighed. "What's the difference?"
"The difference is that we can skate on a frozen lake, provided it is thick enough," Zane said. "Run around it, throw snowballs."
At the mention of throwing snowballs, Jay looked towards Kai. The Lightning Ninja stuck out his tongue as Kai gritted his teeth in response.
"But Kai can't skate, remember?" added Cole.
"Can to."
"That's not what I saw at Master Chen's," Jay added, puting his hands on his hips.
Kai rolled his eyes, walking forward and past the other three ninja. The full view of the frozen-overed lake entered his view. It was quite large and the ice seemed to be like a shining layer frozen on top like icing on a cake. The surrounding trees glisented in snow, icicles dripping off. They twinkle in the distant sun, as if inviting the ninja to join in.
And before they knew it, all four ninja were standing in a line, taking in the view. The humming got louder behind them, but none of them cared about that at the precious moment.
"It's beautiful," muttered Jay breathlessly.
"You can say that again," Cole replied.
"It's beautiful," repeated Zane.
Kai did a face-palm, grinning slightly. "It's just an expression, Zane."
"Noted," replied the Nindroid.
"Okay, but where are Lloyd and Nya still?" Jay repeated, spinning in circles as if they were going to pop out from behind a tree. Which, they didn't of course. "They should be coming and can't miss whatever this thing is."
Cole managed to break an icicle from the closest tree and was licking the newly gathered frozen treat. "Well, they had to...to..." he cluelessly trailed off, coming up short of an actual answer.
"...to help Master Wu with something," Nya finished, the roaring sound of her bike drifting as she shut it off.
"Lame," added Jay quietly under his breath.
"Speak for yourself," Lloyd said, the sound of his own vehicle hissing off, "because we got to drive here."
"Not that lame."
The six ninja ended up splitting up in different directions and looking around. The beautiful snow was layered so evenly on the delicate floor it astonished Kai. He almost felt bad about walking in the fluffy white flakes, creating deep footprints to follow his trail. Eventually, he made his way to the lake. Fear told him to scurry away with his body still intact, but Kai was more curious about if he would be able to stand on the thin, slippery casing just to prove his friends wrong.
It was a stupid idea, but the fire ninja always believed Nya was the intelligence one between them.
Cautiously, he looked up to make sure Jay wasn't going to throw snow at him or Cole wasn't about to record. Then Kai leaned forward with one leg and placed a foot on the ice. It seemed to stay ahold when he put pressure on it; therefore, he added his second foot. Slowly he let go of the lake's snow-covered bank and took a slippery step forward.
Kai let a quiet "Woah," escape his lips as his right foot shifted back and forth, as if debating whether or not to give out and cause the fire ninja to tumble down. He eventually stationed his footing and was in the process of standing straight up. A light snap took place below him, like a small rock had dropped, but Kai thought nothing of it.
That was when was he heard a name. Although it was not his own.
"How long will it hold?"
"Not very long if he continues to crack it."
It was spoken softly, but loud enough to be heard; Kai turned his head around and there was the owners of the two voices. Nya's hands were protectively up and she slowly inched closer to the lake's bank, aware that she was heard. Zane was behind her, his cold blue eye taking in the situation. Jay and Cole were farther behind, cautiously taking it all in while Lloyd was running towards them, dropping the icicles in his hands as he ran to fulfil his leader duties.
"Kai," Nya said, her eyes blinking down to his feet, "slowly walk off the ice and to me."
But he only shook his head, lowering it down to the semi-stable ground. There was a line in the ice below him. There was a crack.
"Kai, please."
The master of fire felt a split moment of pride: he was actually standing on ice. Kai slid his feet forward, closer to the center of the lake.
He grinned, thinking for sure that his sister should be proud of him for getting over his fear of water and standing on ice - plus it was cracked! Man, he was such a good ninja, light on his feet enough to not break the ice. Kai started to look up. "Nya, I-"
Lloyd's voice echoed throughout the trees: "Kai, you stupid flamethrower, get off the ice!"
Heavy wind tore at his jacket; it echoed off the sheet of ice, sounding like a bungie cord. Kai froze as realization hit him harder than a snowball. This was not his element - this was wrong.
"Uh, oh," he whispered. All of the confidence was gone. Once more, he looked down; anticipation of when the frozen water cracked filled his veins.
"Time is drifting away," Zane inquired. "Kai, you need to get off."
A familiar green gi ran up, now holding a large stick. Lloyd pointed it towards the ice, motioning for Kai to grab the wooden stick. Although it was too short.
Lloyd mumbled some words, then shuffled his feet closer to the bank of the lake, inch by inch. "Here, I'll get closer," he softly spoke, as if his voice would contribute to the ice cracking. He wasn't even picking up his feet; just sliding them against the snow-covered floor. His toes were off the edge and his heals were approaching fast. But he was a ninja; he should be fine with balance, right?
Clumps of snow bundled up at the lake's edge due to this. And when it finally slid off into the ice, there was nothing keeping Lloyd from dipping forward too.
He fell.
Kai yelled his name as Nya reached out to grab the said Green Ninja's hand - she failed, and instead her fingers wrapped around the stick - while Zane attempted to steady Nya's legs. The earth and lightning ninja were now sprinting to the lake.
Lloyd landed on all fours, sprawled across the ice. He watched in slow motion as the crack enveloped both him, and the master of fire. That was it: they were falling inside the freezing liquid below.
And FSM, it was cold.
