A/N: Thanks for the reviews.
My friend knows exactly how the apocalypse started, how Neuro got amnesia, where the other Ninja are, who the bad guy is, who dies, who lives, how the story ends and, despite not even being in the fandom, is contributing by suggesting little things to avoid plot holes.
I have good friends.
Damn NerdyJD, that's a lot of questions I can't answer yet XD.
ponygirl009, that's fine, and I can't answer that though.
Serious question I need you to answer - should I rename this A Small Soul?
The reasons I named it When the Darkness Comes:
- It's about Ninjago falling into a dark state, with people dying and loss and hate and death.
- Kai has become depressed due to the traumatic events of the incident and then being attacked and nearly killed by the person to continue the apocalypse (what happened before has been touched upon and will be fully explained later).
- People are making bad choices or are forced to do things against their will because of the darkness looming in and they have to do certain things to survive.
- Everything they do has a consequence - everything's a shot in the dark.
Okay, reasons why it could be called A Small Soul:
- Neuro is the main character (as well as Kai) and he's young and stuff, a smaller soul which is important to the story.
- Neuro could develop the ability to save lives if he gets trained by Sensei.
- To Kai, the telepath is his salvation and a reason for him to carry on going, so he's the hope, the smaller soul that is depended on.
So, When the Darkness Comes (WDC) or A Small Soul (ASS)? Vote in the reviews please.
Clouse stood beside Chen, a frown forever on his face as if someone had carved him out of stone, and his master elbowed him slightly.
"Lighten up, Clousey Clouse," He winked, which made the sorcerer feel unnerved. "Just because they're gone it doesn't mean you won't see him again. It's likely that he'll share his mother's Element or perhaps even your sorcery. That'll be funny, wouldn't it, if he finds he has sorcery and asks his mother where it came from."
"Yes, Master, it would be... hilarious." Clouse responded with a roll of his icy blue eyes. "Absolutely hilarious."
"Seriously, you need to cheer up. You're so deadpan and monotone, you're even boring as a drunk."
"I don't get drunk... because I never drink."
"Oh you have not lived!"
"Shouldn't you go back to looking after your daughter... Master?"
"Oh stop talking about her as if she's a monster, Clousey, she's just a toddler, just like him. Better yet, she's got her Element."
"And how do you know that?"
"Sorcery's kind of an Element except it's useless in the staff. She's already touched you and she's been using sorcery quite a bit." Chen chuckled. "Impressive, huh?"
Clouse didn't reply, he just looked back at the ocean.
"You really need to cheer up, Clouse, I haven't seen you smile since they left."
Clouse sighed. "She was my smile." And with that comment, he left, though it was more like a flee since his pace was quick and Chen could sense Clouse was desperate to leave the conversation.
It wasn't his fault that this was the exact place they watched the two leave.
"Tell me Skylor, do you have a reason for working with me?"
"Well, I need the money since few people are buying food at the Noodle House since Karloff opened up his flat as somewhere to buy weapons and food."
"You do, huh?" Her boss chuckled slightly.
"What are you doing?"
"So there's no other reasons? No secret hatred for someone I'm against? No spying? Nothing?"
"No sir. Money is the only way to survive in this apocalypse unless you're... Sir?"
"Mm?"
"Where is... you know? Your boss?"
"You know about my boss?"
"Yes."
"I am my own boss."
"... Oh gosh."
A smirk painted itself onto the facial features of Skylor's boss, and as they approached her, she scrambled back.
"I knew you'd find out in time Skylor, but you know what's funny?"
She tried to look away with a whimper, but nails dug into her chin and drew blood, forcing her to look in the insane eyes. She shook her head.
"You're never leaving, and neither is Zane."
Never let go.
Never stop.
Need them.
A part of you.
Take two.
Take water.
Everyday.
He'd say his life was a nightmare, but these brought safety from them, and he felt no fear when they were in play, and the only time he questioned his (or her) choices was when he emerged from the void.
Days passed quickly. More times than one he fell asleep as soon as he'd take them and then woke when he had to take two more.
But now that he was awake, he was conflicted - the one who'd taken him to the doctor who gave him the tablets was now begging him to stop, and once more, he was staring at her and then the tablets and then at the glass water.
And every time she begged, he would point out how she had taken him to the doctor and then he would take the tablets and he would wonder why she cried because he was better and everything would be fine and the memories couldn't hurt him and the pain wouldn't be there and he would feel nothing.
He couldn't find them that day, when he needed to take them, and he was scared and angry and confused and all his emotions were rushing back and dizzying him. He felt like he was being choked by the cruel hands of feeling after weeks of being left alone by them and he confronted her.
"I'm trying to help."
She said that so much but he didn't need help if he had the tablets and she had the tablets so he couldn't take them again and the newly returned emotions were whispering different opinions, anger saying they needed them, fear saying either way they lose, sadness saying it was hurting them and everything else was screaming in his ears and it took all his might to not scream or faint or pass ou-
"Ezekiel? Ezekiel!"
"Griffin, where are you going?"
"You coming?" Griffin grinned, patting to the space behind him on the stone. Neuro frowned at him. "Come sit beside me."
"I thought you meant walking over there." Neuro gestured out to the ledge that overlooked the ocean.
"Eh, that was the original plan but you're too much of a pussy." Griffin once again patted the stone, and this time Neuro complied and sat beside him.
Griffin looked over at Karloff, who was walking the dog (one of the people who lived in the houses beside the block of flats had a dog - Karloff got money from walking it), the thirteen year old grinning as Neuro, twelve and three months, looked out at the ocean. "Come on, squirt."
"Don't call me that."
"All right short stack." Griffin hopped back over to the land and then ran out to a ledge, Neuro asking where he was going and he gestured to the ledge he was running to.
"You're going to the edge?"
"Nah, just looking out." Griffin did just that, Neuro joining at his side as Karloff offered to take a picture for a family.
Shadow was of course on his phone for most of the refreshing walk but Neuro and Griffin stuck together, since Griffin kept resting his arm on Neuro's head (the teenager had gone through a growth spurt at that time and Neuro was still short, so it wasn't as if it were hard - Griffin had to lean down a little), and Karloff smiled at this.
"You're a pussy when it comes to water."
"Shut up."
"Imagine if there was an apocalypse. What would you do?"
"I guess I would find a way to survive. If money is needed, I'd start a job that I could do to gain money. If friends were needed, I'd gain as many allies as possible."
"Eh, I'd just make a weapon and kill those who try to kill me."
"That's unwise, Griffin."
The teen chuckled and ruffled Neuro's hair to his discontent, giving out a sarcastic and dry chuckle. "Very funny, Flash."
"I'm not the Flash!"
"Suuuuuure." Neuro could hear Karloff laugh in the near distance and could even hear Shadow chuckle.
Neuro'd been minding his own business when Beatrix knocked on their door that morning - really early morning; Neuro 'minding his own business' had been sleeping and he woke up with a grumble (Kai was sleeping nearby but was locked in a deep one so it was left to Neuro to attend to any duties until Kai woke up).
She was holding Ezekiel's container of tablets.
"Beatrix? You haven't-"
"What, no! I need you to hide these."
"Why?"
"Ezekiel has to let them go! These aren't good for him, aren't good for any of us."
Neuro bit his lip and looked at them. He wanted to argue against it, he really did, but he had to admit empty Ezekiel did more damage than good - he wondered if he could feel pain. With a sigh, he nodded, putting the tablets into his pocket and asking her if that was all.
Beatrix tightly hugged him, breathing in the coconut scent of his hair. "Thank you."
"All I'm doing is hiding tablets."
She chuckled a little; her eyes were wet so she dried them.
"Are you allergic to coconut?"
She burst out laughing and stammered a denial because no she was not allergic to coconuts. "Just... thank you..." She ruffled his hair affectionately (but platonically), which made Neuro grumble even more, and thanked
him.
"You've done that a million time, Beatrix, staaaaahp." She just laughed.
"It's not the same without Ezekiel's flirting or shyness, and I know he really needs to let these go."
"Ezekiel flirts?"
"Only to those he really cares about." A blush grew her face.
Neuro's eyes widened. "You don't..."
"I... I do..."
"Oh my Element that is adorable!"
"Shut up." Beatrix playfully slapped him. "I have to get back. He'll be waking up soon." She hugged him one last time and bid him goodbye.
"What was that about?" Kai mumbled as he sat up from waking up.
"Just doing our friends a favour." Neuro pulled out the tablet container from his pocket so Kai would understand.
Kai smiled gently, as if thinking about something but then shook his head.
"What?"
"Nothing, just thinking."
Just thinking about my love for you.
"Kai, let me back in. Kai, I'm not leaving that easy."
"Just... go away. I'm happier now. I have Neuro with me, he's healing my wounds."
"But wounds never fade. Whenever someone hits you, you remember it and you can almost feel the pain, can't you? The incident happened, you know as well as they do, and it's all your fault."
He didn't want the memory, but it was hard to not remember the cause of the pain, the cause of the killing, the cause of everything.
"Come on, just take my hand and finally be relieved."
"No. Neuro depends on me like I depend on him."
"Fine. But you'll follow me one day."
He knew his mission, and he knew the rules - never kill, only hurt and damage them as far as stealing their memories.
He didn't even click, because surviving made him cold but not heartless.
He didn't even click that stealing memories was just a continuation of what had started a year ago now.
He would always follow Sensei's rules no matter how horrible, because he knew they would never be corrupt and force him to kill people. He pushed away all thoughts as he pushed the doors open, all eyes turning.
"It's been a long time since I last saw you."
"Hmph." He grunted, turning away. "You're a man who knows people, aren't you?"
"Yes... I am..."
"Good, you seen this particular one?" He held up a picture, the one he was conversing with shook his head.
"Fraid not, why?"
"Thought so."
"Huh?"
He kicked the other speaker in the stomach, pushing him back, almost satisfied with the grunt. He casually sauntered over and grabbed his hair, pulling the other forward toward his face. "I know you, buddy, you're a dirty, rotten liar, and it doesn't take much for someone to know when you lie. So I suppose you tell the truth, if it's not too hard for your puny brain, or else you might end up as someone I know."
"All right, all right, sheesh!" The man rolled his eyes. "They're called Ash Cloud, he's done business with me since two months before Ninjago got into this state, and he's assisted me with things like food and money, okay?"
He nodded in satisfaction at the response, knowing full well who was the person in the picture, and put said photo away.
"Why do you ask?"
"He's gone missing recently, and guess what?"
"What?"
"He left a message to his partner. He doesn't specify whether it be lover or business partner but I presume he means both." Upon saying that, he pulled out a written piece of paper, and began to read:
"My dear partner, you helped me survive all my thoughts and pain, and I will always remember you as the star in the sky I looked up to as a child and wished upon, for I wished for someone to hold onto and then you came. You aided me, gave me supplies, and I returned them to you, and you supported me. I didn't know you for as long as I could have, but in those few first months, I knew more about you than my own family. Remember me. Survive for me please, for I survived because of you."
A blush appeared on the fair skinned face of the man he spoke to, and he stammered out a reply, "He never mentioned a lover... And the relationship between was strictly professional."
He sighed and looked away. "Everywhere I look there is denial."
He went to strut out but then the man quickly asked if he could have the picture and message. He gently dropped it on the floor as his reply, and, whether it was accidental or on purpose no one could know, he stepped on the photo of Ash on his way out.
He couldn't care less anymore.
He emerged from the darkness like an angel rising, but with hesitation and fear. The fear was the only thing that rised when he searched his jacket for the tablets but then came to a devastating realisation as he searched through the pockets once, twice, thrice, countless times.
The tablets weren't there.
Without them he was stuck in a cruel world and he could have screamed.
She began to insist she was helping, but the tablets helped him, and he found it really hard to stand all of a suddenly and he stumbled backward, his feet no longer touching the floor and then he was against a wall but she was leaning over him and he was dazed and tired and she was shaking him so hard but his eyes rolled over and he fell asleep but he could feel her pull him into her arms (his shortness didn't make it too hard, plus she was strong) before he truly faded.
Beatrix ran to where the boys were staying, holding Ezekiel's now pale frame to her, panting but holding her strength, seeing the building come into sight and hope filled her as she approached it, slamming her elbow against to knock, not daring to let Ezekiel go for a second.
Kai answered this time and the sight before him shocked him to say the least. "So, you finally put him out of his misery?" He joked, to which he got a deadly glare, so he sighed. "Come in, lay him down on my sleeping bag. Neuro's getting groceries, Shadow's gone with him."
Beatrix laid her friend down on the sleeping bag. "I don't know what happened."
"I had a friend who was taking these tablets a while back, his friend took him off, similar thing happened except the friend nearly suffered a heart attack. Turns out the return to having emotions after so long of lacking them is a bit of a shock on the mind and they can't take it. They rarely die."
"Rarely?!"
"Hey Kai, hey... Beatrix? What are you doing here?" Neuro and Shadow entered, Neuro the speaker.
"Neuro, now's not the time, we kinda have a problem."
"Ezekiel!" Neuro gasped, dropping everything and sliding over. "What happened?!"
"Is this a bad time?" Shadow asked, peering over at the four.
"Actually yes." Kai responded, filling a bottle with water, not looking at him.
"Sorry."
"Kai what are you doing?" Neuro asked, raising an eyebrow at what he was doing.
He was soon answered when Kai splashed the water on Ezekiel, the man waking up due to the coldness and he spluttered.
Beatrix tightly held him in an embrace, and then he immediately demanded where his tablets were.
"Ezekiel, they aren't good for you!"
"But I need them! They help me!"
"They're more harmful than helpful, how many times do I have to say?!"
"It's not true! Why are you trying to stop me?!"
"Because I..."
"Because you wha-" He was interrupted by her lips smashing against his. His eyes widened but it set in that the thing that he'd yearned for so long was finally happening and he sunk into it contently.
Kai covered Neuro's eyes, the younger male slapping him in the face, a grin appearing on the Fire Master's face. "It's getting hot in here."
"You didn't... You just made a pun!"
"I sure did."
The two adults peeled their lips away from each other, staring at each other before bursting into laughter and hugging each other.
"Are you two officially dating now?" Neuro asked.
"Yeah... Yeah, I guess we are."
"Oh thank Nadakhan I came off those tablets."
There was an awkward silence.
"Who?" Neuro questioned.
Kai simply patted his hair. "Soon, young one, soon."
"Look at them Kai, look how happy they are."
"So?"
"You will never be that happy."
It usually would of hit him like a brick but he shrugged it off. "Maybe not."
"Why are you so content?"
"While I do have emotions for Neuro, I am content with our friendship."
"But surely you want what they have?"
"Yes. But it's like you said, I'll never have that."
"Are you ready?" She looked over at him.
"Of course, is there a time I'm not?" He replied, crouching and looking over the scene from the hill. He had to admit, it was quiet nice despite the state of the world, but he could only look down and immediately the view was not so beautiful.
Children were being kidnapped for money or servants (one of them, they weren't sure), being lead in a rectangle shape - four across, six down - with the five kidnappers in front and behind. He was sickened, they were no older than him, some even younger, and he had to suppress a scream of anger. He looked over at her again and nodded, and they slid down the hill on their feet, the rocks flying against and away from them. They pulled down their masks and he stood in front of the line while she stood at the back.
"Huh?"
"You'll pay for your sins." He whispered, drawing his weapon and impaling the first one before kicking at the second one and then shooting their chest. The third one ran at him with a weapon, but he jumped over the attack, on the sword and shot through his head.
Some people didn't deserve to live.
"You finished?"
"Yep."
The children were relieved to say the least, and the older ones thanked the two after they unlocked their chains before rushing off home.
"You think they'll be okay?"
"Hopefully. We don't need more deaths today." He walked off, putting his weapon away on his back and climbing back up the hill. She followed him with no more than a sigh, and they then casually strolled along the top of the hill. When they came to a cliff edge, he stared out, hair being blown back with a little hitting his face. She stood a little ways back, hesitant of what he might do.
He looked at his hands, scarred and bruised, and clenched them into fists, letting a hiss of pain out. He hiccuped out tears and she held him in an embrace from behind.
"I... I miss them..."
"I do too."
"I miss him."
She was silent for a short period of time.
"I do too."
The choice the Djinn was forcing upon him was hard. He wanted so badly to spend time with his now deceased father, but knowing Nadakhan, that would mean he would trapped in the past forever and even the smallest interaction with him could change the future, and he would never see Nya or the Ninja again because he chose his father and death over his family and life.
He couldn't just turn around though because his father wanted help and perhaps they could talk for a few minutes before Nadakhan left, but he couldn't risk it.
He made his second wish.
Immediately he regretted it, Ninjago City's streets empty and no one in sight.
Then the girls came.
It sounds funny but really it wasn't, they might as well have been foaming at the mouth and each time they yelled out his name, he felt the fear increase and then the shelter was his salvation, but it wouldn't last forever, the girls were coming in, they would get him.
Nadakhan coaxed him, and then he made his third wish.
He wished it all away.
He was so sorry.
"Jay Walker, get your butt in here!" Ed called for his eight year old son for dinner. "Dinner's ready, and your ma's made spaghetti!"
"Coming Pa!" Jay yelled back, picking up what was once scrap metal but was now a mini robot (not that it worked, it was just metal) and rushing into the house happily.
"Edna, I think we're going to have to go to the blacksmith in Ignacia for some metal since the junkyard is running out of it." Ed sighed as he and Jay came into the house, the little boy setting his robot on the table. "Jay, what's this and why's it on the table?"
"It's ma robot!" Jay happily replied, kicking his legs under the table and munching on the food.
"Robots go under the table, and stop that kicking." Edna reminded him, not at all fazed by how odd that may have sounded to guests.
"Okay Ma!" Jay gently placed his creation under the table and stopped his kicking. Ed ruffled his son's hair and the little boy giggled and continued eating.
"So Ed, what were you saying about Ignacia?"
"We're running out of metal for inventions, dear, so I'll go to Ignacia to collect some. Might take Jay along with me, the blacksmith has two kids of his own, both a little younger than him."
"And how do you know that, Ed?"
"I know the blacksmith quite well. He has a son a month younger than Jay and a daughter roughly a year."
"Ooh!" Jay butted in - he liked people especially kids and he loved making new friends whenever possible (not that it was easy, since he did live in a junkyard. "I wanna go with Pa!"
Edna smiled. "Eat your dinner dearie."
"Okay Ma."
Ed and Edna smiled at each other and then at their son.
Ezekiel had shown Beatrix that he was never using the tablets again by flushing them down the toilet and washing out the container and throwing it in the bin. She told him that was a bit extreme with the washing out but he nonchalantly shrugged before holding her tightly and kissing her cheek.
That night they pushed their beds together and basically slept together, Beatrix pulling him against her body tightly but not too tightly, Ezekiel placing a hand on her chest, Beatrix wrapping a leg around his and Ezekiel placing his head in her neck.
When later that night Ezekiel had his nightmare, he awoke with her and instead of breaking or leaving, he gave a content sigh and relaxed once more, his partner not even stirring, and he slept again.
With her by his side, the nightmares couldn't hurt him and he was safe and happy. They were terrifying still, but she was there and she was all he needed.
Ezekiel had everything he wanted in her.
A/N: Beziel/Beatriel (Beatrix x Ezekiel) is canon now. It felt forced a little. It's also called SilentWinnerShipping. I was going to call it PirateShipping, but there's two different pirate crews and about twenty or more pirates in one alone. I could mean anyone.
So it's SilentWinnerShipping.
It's practically my ship, you can't control me. XD
Bless Neuro, he's so confused.
Skylor got herself in some deep shit and she has no shovel to dig herself out.
I want KaiNeuro (HotMind? I don't even know nowadays) to be canon too guys.
You'll just have to wait and see.
Like I said earlier, big thing coming up in Chapter Nine. I was considering putting it off but it's kind of important and if I don't do it know, I may never do it at all.
Watched Zootropolis (or Zootopia or whatever it is) today. Good film. Liked Nick.
And yes, Ash Cloud is a pun - completely accidental, I assure you, didn't realise until I wrote it, I kid you not.
I found my funeral song - RWBY's Cold (1:57 length so yeah) and it's fucking feelsy man!
I had fun writing this chapter, and it took three days again. I am on fire!
So yeah.
I have this big ass journal which people think is heavy but it's really not and when I was writing Chapter Three, I planned scenes.
It doesn't have Shadow x Zane (Shane? Zadow? I like Shane, and perhaps IcyHeart because Shadow used to be a bit of a jerk with an ice cold heart? Naming shit is hard - I say shit because I mean fanfictions, fanart, OCs, shippings, etc. as well) or Beatrix or Ezekiel or whatever else because I hadn't planned them, they were little 'I need to fill this gap, what should I do now?' things, last minute, but surprisingly they didn't fuck up the story.
I used that book for Jay's kid scene, the voice attempting to lure Kai to suicide and the scene with Nadakhan.
I'd say more but they contain spoilers - as in, who died and who's the antagonist and the fate of all the characters.
Yeah.
If you didn't get the pun, Fire Master says it's getting hot.
It's stupid.
If you're wondering when KaiNeuro will become canon:
Soon, readers, soon.
That is IF it becomes canon.
Well it kind of already is since Kai obviously has feelings for Neuro, it was pointed out last chapter.
But what about our sweet little telepath?
Anyways, should the story be called A Small Soul (ASS - I fucking love that) or When the Darkness Comes (WDC)? Tell me in the reviews.
Good day to you all and enjoy your life.
