Well it feels like I haven't updated for a while, and I guess for me it has been (it's been a very hectic few weeks!), but here's the next instalment. I'm hoping you don't think it's moving too slowly, there is some full on action coming up soon I promise! Anyways, as always thank you for the awesome reviews! And I hope you enjoy!
Shock
"What if she is becoming the next Master of Destruction?"
No one spoke, they all just looked at each other helplessly, letting Kai's words sink in. It was their sensei who broke the silence.
"It is an unfortunate possibility, and one that would make your sister and fellow ninja a very strong, formidable opponent." The stunned ninja turned to face Sensei Wu from where he stood with Misako in the doorway, a hand thoughtfully stroking his beard.
"Now, I do hope that some of that tea is for me." Wu walked over, taking a cup from his nephew and scraping the chair next to Kai out from under the table, sitting down and gesturing to those of the ninja who were still standing to also sit. The elderly master looked around at his ninja, his family who had grown in number so much with their recent additions over the last few turbulent months. He took in their subtle pats and reassuring rubs on the fire elemental's shoulders and arms as they passed him and took their seats, pride welling as he saw their ways of communicating their care for each other without needing to speak. Misako moved forward and leant over Wu, carefully placing an extremely old looking scroll down onto the table top. She gestured to Zane to hold it open from the other end of the table whilst she held down the other, smoothing it out as she gently unrolled it fully; the scroll must have been ancient, yellowed and torn at it's edges and decorated with swirls of gilded gold.
"Urgh, why are they always written in chicken scratch." Jay leant back in his chair, frustratedly holding his hands up. "I can't read that!"
"You are so uncultured sometimes, you know that?" Cole scolded, "But yeah, er, what does it say?" Cole's eyebrows rose as he leant back in his chair, dark eyes seeking enlightenment from Lloyd's mother.
"This was written by my father, the First Spinjitzu Master," Wu paused as the ninja gasped, Lloyd leaning over further and staring intently at his grandfather's ornate calligraphy. "It tells us here about the Elemental Essences. Here," Wu pointed to a particularly beautiful character set. "Your powers, Lloyd, both your Golden Power and your Energy. Here," his hand moved down, "This describes my own power, that of Creation, and then my brother's, Destruction. Now this," the ninja leant in to see where Wu was gesturing to. "This here tells how the Power of Creation is a combination of the main elements." The ninja could clearly see their symbols now amongst the fluid writing; Fire, Earth, Lightning and Ice.
"Now my father describes here how the secondary elements also have their masters, such as yours, Nya." The water ninja bowed her head, smiling.
"Yes, we know all this Sensei. But does it say anything about the Master of Amber?" Kai had forced himself to sit more upright, one hand clamped against his side whilst the other was curled into a fist on the edge of the table.
"I believe there is something here." Zane pointed to a smaller section towards the end of the scroll.
"Well done, Zane, you are quite correct."
"So what does it say?!" Kai stared at the section intently, eyes flicking up to Zane then back to Wu, irritation burning inside.
"Patience Kai. It unfortunately does not tell us much more than we already know; that the Master of Amber has the ability to possess parts of the Elemental Powers to utilise as their own.
"That's it?"
"I'm afraid so."
Kai threw his hands up and huffed, immediately wincing. Nya leaned over and rubbed his arm but did not break her gaze from the scroll as Wu continued.
"The part that interests me the most is here. Here it describes how the elemental powers can be passed to the next worthy of a generation, either by blood, the traditional route for power transference, or by choice."
Zane's eyes shone. "Which is how I gained my element."
"Correct Zane. But here it also says how the elements may be lost if this does not occur. Which is what unfortunately seems to have happened with Morro's powers as Master of Wind; as far as we know, Morro has not passed his Elemental Power on."
"I still don't see how this helps, we know all this Sensei." Wu placed a hand on the red ninja's arm, then pointed back to the scroll.
"But here, Kai, here it says how the Elemental Essences must be passed in order to keep balance in the world. Creation cannot exist without Destruction, and vice versa. The yin and the yang"
Lloyd stood up, pacing. "I took my father's power away from him. Are you saying that his power must go to someone if he no longer possesses it; it has to be controlled by someone?"
"Yes. That is precisely what my father has written. See here, "'The Elemental Essences will be passed, they cannot be vanished. They may be dampened but never eliminated. They may be weakened but never eradicated."' Wu sat back, his hand going back to stroking his beard as he looked over to Misako who nodded sadly then spoke in her gentle tone.
"Garmadon's power has to be somewhere. If he can no longer wield it, it will have passed to someone else. It is very likely that Skylor is the unfortunate reciprocate."
Kai suddenly stood and quickly stalked out of the room, slamming the front door on his way out, whilst the others exchanged worried looks with each other, processing the information and trying to make sense of it all. Nya stood to go after her brother but Lloyd's gentle hand stopped her. She nodded as he breathed a quiet give him a minute.
"You must not lose sight of the fact that Skylor is still one of you; she is your fellow ninja. She is not your enemy. Dangerous, yes, and no doubt in great turmoil. My brother is not dead, Misako and I will continue our research and try to find out what has happened to him and his powers, but you, my ninja, will need to find a way to bring Skylor back so we can help her. All is not lost." Nya nodded to Wu whilst Cole and Jay whispered their agreements. PIXAL and Zane looked at each other, then stood, Zane announcing "We will do everything we can to bring our sister back to us." Lloyd met their gazes, nodding from where he stood behind his uncle.
"Alright then, team, we need to regroup and try to work out where she could be. Cole can you start organising? I'm going to go find Kai."
"Right O!" The Earth Ninja nodded and jumped into action, beginning to delegate tasks out whilst Lloyd walked over towards the front door, following the footsteps of his older brother.
Lloyd knew exactly where he would have found the red ninja if he hadn't been so badly injured, but there was no way that Kai would have been able to get himself up onto the top of the monastery wall at the moment. Even so, it did not take the green ninja long to find his brother. As soon as he had pushed open the main gate the little flickering glows occasionally lighting up the narrow stairs to his right had given the fire elemental's whereabouts away. Lloyd had carefully followed the steps down and round, twisting around the mountainside edge to the old hollows in its side. Kai was sat on the edge of the mountain in front of what used to be Flame's stable, his legs dangling over as he stared out into the distance, absentmindedly sending small wisps of flame out into the slowly darkening evening sky. Lloyd walked over and carefully lowered himself next to him, briefly wondering how it could be that someone could be petrified of water but happily sit precariously on the edge of a very high up mountain like this…Kai did not acknowledge his presence but Lloyd could not fail to notice the glistening at the edges of his brother's eyes. They sat silently for a good five or so minutes, silently watching as Kai continued to blow curling tendrils of flame out into the wind, observing the small combustions as they twisted and danced briefly before curling and dying, disappearing in a small puff of meandering smoke.
"You know this is the cause of so much trouble."
Lloyd looked questioningly at his brother, not quite following. Kai just continued staring out, sending another flame out into the wind.
"This, my power. Our powers." Kai finally turned his head and met Lloyd's gaze, the latter sighing as he finally understood.
"Our powers do good as well, Kai."
"Your powers do good. Mine, well mine just destroys. It can look pretty," he blew a larger flame out into the wind, this one swaying and dancing elegantly, red and orange tendrils flickering and coiling before fading into smoke. "But we know that it does not create, it does not build or activate. Fire just destroys."
Lloyd looked into his friend's eyes, watching the same twisting amber tendrils dancing within their dark backdrop. Blinking, Lloyd shook his head.
"No, you're wrong there. Fire gives us heat and keeps us alive. We use it to cook, to power. It allows us to create weapons. Fire is light; light is life. Yes, it can destroy, it can do bad. But it can overwhelmingly do good when controlled by the right person." Stopping and staring intently at his brother, he paused. "You do believe you are the right person still?"
Kai sighed, lowering his head and staring at is feet, toes wiggling.
"Kai?"
"I don't know."
"What are you saying?"
"I don't know. I can't think straight. I don't want this anymore."
Lloyd didn't dare think about what "this" could mean right now…
"Kai, you've been through the Cursed Realm and back. You just need some time to rest, recover."
"I've never seen fire like this before, Lloyd. It was so… menacing. She nearly killed you."
And suddenly Lloyd got it. Kai had never wielded his power in a destructive way purposefully. Sure he was hot headed, brash and prone to recklessness, and had managed to set light to countless trees, buildings, the occasional phone booth…but he always used his power with noble purpose.
Skylor had not done this.
Skylor had wielded Kai's own power in a way he would never consider to; against an innocent and, even worse, against his brother.
And now Kai was grieving, desperately lost in the throes of the first stage of grief: shock.
"You know she's not herself right now. And all of our powers have the potential to be so destructive, not just yours."
The red ninja nodded his head miserably, gratefully leaning into the green ninja's hug as Lloyd leant over, grasping him carefully around the shoulders.
"Come on, let's get you back up and inside. It's only been a couple of days since we got you back. You should still be resting, not out here."
They both rose, the blonde helping the spikey brunette up as he stiffly tried to straighten. Nya suddenly appeared, coming over and supporting Kai on his other side as they made their way back up into the monastery together silently, Lloyd still praying that Kai's "this" was not as bad as what he was thinking it could be...