Finally, the chapter you have all been waiting for...number 14!
This is the one where Zane and Willow will reunite after so long! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea for this story.
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I was surrounded by a most curious sight. Snow-capped trees surrounded me on all sides. All was quiet, my breath the only sound for miles around.
That is when I heard it; the most melodious tune to ever grace my ears. A voice, female in nature, echoed through the trees. Her voice sounded so somber, as if she were pouring her heart out to her audience of pines and oak. As I stepped closer I was able to make out the words.
"Oh, nowhere left to go.
Are we getting closer, closer?
No, all we know is no.
Nights are getting colder, colder."
That voice; it sounds so familiar, but I cannot seem to recall who its owner is. Despite searching my database and memory banks, I could not place a name to who ever possessed this angelic voice. I push on, determined to find out who this melancholy singer is.
"Hey, tears all fall the same.
We all feel the rain.
We can't change."
A silence fell over the forest. I stopped, straining my ears to try to locate that voice. Did I take a wrong turn? Have I lost her? Suddenly, the singing returned, passion enveloping every word.
"Everywhere we go,
We're looking for the sun.
Nowhere to grow old,
And always on the run.
They say we'll rot in hell,
But I don't think we will.
They've branded us enough.
Outlaws of love."
I have to find this girl. She needs someone, for she sounds like she has no where left to go. Her cries of agony are piercing through me, shaking me to my very core. It is making my circuits go haywire!
Suddenly, I came upon a small clearing in the forest. In the center were a few stones, rising out of the snow. Sitting upon them was a hooded figure, their back towards me. They were the source of the singing, its somber tones floating in the chilled air.
She did not hear me, so I dared to step closer.
"Scars make us who we are.
Hearts and homes are broken, broken.
Far, we could go so far
With our minds wide open, open."
The singer has not noticed me yet, too engrossed in her song. I do not want her to stop. Despite its melancholic melody, the song is soothing. I slowly continue my approach, careful not to make a sound.
"Hey, tears all fall the same.
We all feel the rain.
We can't change."
As she continued the next line she stood up, her head to the sky while she sang. Entranced by her display, I was unable to be mindful of my approach. I could faintly tell that I was not being as stealthy as I should have been. Reality came crashing back to me with the sickening SNAP of a branch I had carelessly stepped on.
I could have never guessed what happened next. In one, swift movement, the figure spun around in surprise, and the second I saw that starlight braid fly out from under the hood I knew who this mysterious singer was.
Willow's eyes widened when she saw me. "Zane?" She looked utterly astonished to see me standing before her. Looking all around, it was apparent that she was making sure we were alone. Fear flashed in her eyes as she searched for others. Why would that frighten her so?
Once she was assured that we were alone, her attention advanced on me. In a quiet voice, she asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I do not know, but please, do not stop singing." The last few words left my lips on their own accord. I have not seen her in so long, it is hard to believe she is standing before me. She has not changed at all in our separation. Her hair is still a most striking shade of pure white, while her eyes continue to be two pools of black. Adorning her petite frame is a black dress that brushed the snow beneath her feet.
Her cheeks become pink and a small smile forms on her pale lips. "Okay."
Willow's next words were a repetition of the chorus, but she delivered them differently this time. Now that she had a live audience, her voice took on a new passion, gaining more power in its metamorphosis. Her arms spread open, she practically shouted the last few words, her emotions reaching their limit.
My snowy-haired companion never broke eye-contact in her slow approach towards me.
"Outlaws of love.
Outlaws of love.
Outlaws of love.
Outlaws of love."
Her voice rang through the air with the last note. Now she was right before me, the smile on her face not matching the sad look in her eyes.
Placing my hand on her shoulder, I asked, "What is wrong Willow?"
No longer looking me in the eye, the only thing she said was, "Zane."
At that moment, static started to form around the edges of my vision. Not only that, but Willow's voice became distorted in her response.
"Zane?"
The static became worse, blurring my vision almost completely. And Willow's voice was no longer her own. It had taken on a masculine tone.
"ZANE!"
My eyes opened suddenly, and in my shock, I fell to the floor, landing on my back in a mess of blankets and pillows. A sharp noise erupted to the left of me, and I quickly identified it as laughter. Shifting my gaze to the source of the noise, I spotted three figures standing above me, each filling the room with their uncontrolled chuckles.
"Have a nice nap, Mr. Roboto?" Kai asked bemusedly, offering his hand to help me up.
I accepted his gesture, and once I was on my feet I brushed myself off. In that moment I pondered his question. Did I sleep well? I am not sure. My dream was definitely interesting, to say the least. I should meditate later to find its deeper meaning.
"Yes, my slumbers were peaceful," I answered, not mentioning my dream. If I had, my brothers would surely use it against me in one of their weird jokes.
"I'll say. It took us forever to get you up!" Jay commented, a cheeky grin plastered on his features.
"I apologize for the inconvenience."
"Don't worry about it," Cole waved off nonchalantly, "but we better get moving. Incase any of you have forgotten, we have guests coming over later."
Immediately, my attention was wrenched away from my mysterious dream. How could I have forgotten? Today was a most joyous occasion! One I was beginning to think would never come to pass.
"Our friends from the North. They are arriving today," I said to no one in particular, my mind becoming distracted by other things. Images of long, silvery white hair, smiling onyx eyes, and etherial grace emerged from my memory banks. A light sigh left my mouth, and the beginnings of a smile tug at the corners of my mouth.
My thoughts were broken by the devilish sound of snickering.
"I betcha ten bucks I know what he's thinking about?" Kai muttered to Jay.
"It's not what but who he's thinking about," my blue companion replied slyly.
The dull pain of annoyance began to drum against my skull. The day after he proposed to Nya, Jay told the others about my feelings for Willow. While Cole, Nya, and Sensei Wu have left me alone about it, there were three certain ninja who turned my life into a living nightmare. The Red, Blue, and Green Ninja have not ceased in their taunting for these past few weeks.
"Okay you two numbskulls, let's leave the guy alone so he can get ready." As Cole ushered the two tricksters out of my room, I nodded in thanks to him. He nodded back, accepting my gesture of gratitude.
Once they were gone, I began to prepare myself what would unfold today. Myself, along with the others, have been looking forward to this ever since the letter arrived stating Willow, Enzo, and Miss Lin would attend the wedding. But despite this being a happy occasion, something seemed off within my system.
And unfortunately, I knew the odd sensation had to do with Willow. It has been years since we last met, and so much has changed in that time. With my newly confirmed feelings for her, I do not know how I will react when I see her. How can I act normal when the very sight of her will surely shake me to my core? How will I be able to concentrate when I will be hanging on her every word?
These questions and many more spun through my thoughts as I got dressed for the day ahead. Luckily I would have plenty of time to brace myself; our guests will not be arriving until midday.
Until that time comes, my brothers and I will be training with Lloyd. A few days ago he performed Spinjitzu, but only for a few seconds. We are now training him to maintain and control his new ability.
Once dressed in my white garments, I left my room and headed for the kitchen. Inside I saw Cole preparing himself a bowl of cereal. Grabbing a bowl from the cupboard, I followed suit.
"So, are you excited?" Cole asked nonchalantly while pouring the milk over top of his dry breakfast.
"Nervous would be the more correct term," I clarified.
"Now why should you be nervous?"
"Is it not obvious?" I countered, curious as to why he is asking such a unnecessary question.
With a light chuckle, my dark-haired friend replied, "Oh, I know why you're nervous. That's easy to figure out. But I don't understand why you should be."
Cocking my head to the side, I asked, "Now I am the one who does not understand. Would you care to elaborate?"
"Of course." Cole grabbed his bowl and gestured for us to continue in the dining room. As soon as were both seated, he continued, "Willow's coming over. That's no reason to be worried or anything."
"But how should I act around her?"
"Like nothing has changed. As of right now, you don't know if she shares your feelings," he took a bite of his cereal, "In my opinion, don't act upon them until you get some sort of sign of what her feelings are for you."
I took a moment to ponder his advice. It seemed to be very reasonable, considering the circumstances. "Very well, I shall follow your advice. Thank you, Cole," I then added, "That is twice today you have helped me, I must make it up to you in some way."
With a wave of his hand, the Black Ninja replied, "Don't mention it. I'm just happy to help."
Within minutes we were both finished and deposited our dishes in the kitchen sink. The two of us then went below the decks to the training room.
Inside we spotted Kai and Jay in the corner, their heads bent towards each other, chattering excitedly among themselves. Normally I would not think anything of it, but that changed when I managed to overhear what they were saying.
"Oh yeah! Jay, you're a genius!" Kai exclaimed, patting the Blue Ninja on the back.
Jay snickered darkly, "Why thank you. And get this; he won't be able to stop us! I'll have complete control over him!"
Why do I have this feeling that I should be concerned for my personal well-being?
A loud cackle erupted from my fiery brother's throat. "That is just evil! I love it!"
"And what, pray tell, do you love Kai?" Cole asked suspiciously, listening in to their conversation as well.
Both of our brothers jumped at the sound of his voice. The two pranksters quickly spun around, trying to wear masks of calm as they stood before our leader.
"I love training?" Kai answered weakly.
"Sure you do," Cole shot back sarcastically, "Look, I don't know what you two are up to, but please try to keep it to yourselves, just this once."
"Sure, will do Boss," Kai replied much too innocently to not be lieing through his teeth.
"Yeah, no problem," Jay added in the same suspicious tone.
The two of them immediately began sparring with one another, trying to get out the current situation as quickly as possible.
After a few minutes, we were joined by a sleepy-eyed Lloyd, his green robes rumpled and hastily thrown over his body. "Sorry I'm late guys," he greeted with a loud yawn, "My alarm clock didn't go off when it was supposed to."
"At least you got up at all," Kai shot back jokingly as he dodged a kick from his sparring partner.
Jay instantly roared with laughter, and in his distracted state his fiery companion unleashed a powerful counter attack. Unable to respond fast enough, the Ninja of Lightning stumble backwards, falling to the floor. That did not stop him from quickly recovering and continuing to taunt our young comrade.
Lloyd glared at the two of them, but before he could do anything, Cole announced, "Okay, enough fooling around. It's time to get to work."
Throughout the training session those tricksters had their eyes fixated on me, devilish expressions painting their features. When I would meet their gazes, they would simply snicker and turn away, only to return to their staring when my attention was no longer on them.
What are they up to? I thought as I jumped out of the way of the green whirlwind heading my way. As the tornado slowed, Lloyd's young form could be seen at its center, performing the sequences with expertise. To think that only a few mere days ago he could barely do it at all.
Once stopped, the Green Ninja eagerly asked, "So, how am I doing?"
"You are much improved, my friend," I responded with a smile.
"Soon you will be ready to face Lord Garmadon when he returns." Everyone turned to see Sensei Wu enter the training hall, walking stick in hand.
A silence fell over all of us. Lord Garmadon; he has been quiet for quite some time. So long, in fact, that few civilians view him as a threat anymore. Just a bad memory. But we know better. He is just buying his time, wherever he is, waiting to strike when he believes we are most vulnerable.
Our teacher strode over to us and said, "You should all be getting ready. Our guests will be arriving soon."
We all nodded in acknowledgement and headed up to the deck. Once up there, Sensei Wu and my brothers continued their journey up to the helm, where Nya was navigating. I chose to stay behind, for I would then be the first to spot our comrades when they arrived.
A loud drumming sounded in my ears as I waited up there for the ship to land. Any second now I would see her, standing before me, no longer confined to my memories. The mere thought of it sent shivers through my circuits.
Within minutes, our ship landed in a large clearing surrounded by trees. Miss Lin had instructed that this would be a safe place to meet. Apparently the surrounding area never had a high demon count, so it was never really necessary for Sanctum to station priests in any of the towns or villages.
That fact did not ease any tension in the air. We knew all too well that if the wrong person saw us it could spell trouble for all of us. Not only would Sanctum be angered with us, but they would no doubt severely reprimand our comrades. With that ever-present danger hanging around, the next few days had to be approached with the utmost caution, for everyone's sake.
After what felt like an eternity of staring at nothing but the arboreal landscape, I saw a break among the trees. Three figures, walking side-by-side, emerged from the forest's edge. Two of them had such blindingly bright hair that it could not be anyone else but Willow and Enzo. And with them was no other than Miss Lin; I could see her iconic bun even from this distance.
I immediately ran up to the helm, eager to inform the others of my discovery. Turns out that I did not need to go to the trouble. As soon as I entered the technology laden room my friends were making their way towards me, excitement upon their countenances.
"Zane? Why aren't you on the deck? They're here!" Nya chirped as she whipped past me, hand-in-hand with Jay.
With a smile, I nodded and followed after them, returning to the deck. There, the seven of us stood, watching the three figures close the distance between us.
Unfortunately, their pace was slow, and it took all of my willpower to not leap over the edge and race over to them. The others felt the same, for I could easily detect it in their body language. Nya's foot was tapping slightly as she listened to her fiancé talk in a rushed and unintelligible voice. The drumming of Cole's fingers on the deck's railing rang through the air. Kai and Lloyd could not stand still, the older pacing agitatedly why the younger ran all over, complaining about being bored. Sensei Wu seemed to be the only one not showing a sign of impatience, standing calmly with his staff placed firmly on the ground.
I was shaken from my observations when three pairs of footsteps met the floorboards of the ship. My head snapped up, my eyes immediately focusing on the three figures walking towards us.
Now that they were up close I could see that they have indeed changed in the past few years.
The most noticeable was Enzo, for upon each of his cheeks was a thin, jagged scar. His nose was now slightly crooked, as if he had broken it. I also spied that some of his fingers were bandaged and in splints.
He must have had an accident while hunting, my mind said as I turned my attention to the next in the group.
Miss Lin's changes were more subtle. Her hair was paler, containing more white hairs than grey. The wrinkles on her face, while once being faint and soft, were now deep and sharp. My subconscious simply put these observations off as signs of aging and paid them no mind.
Last, but not least, was the youngest of the three travelers. Willow's changes were by far the hardest to detect. They were things only someone who paid attention to detail would notice. Like the way her hair no longer shone like freshly fallen snow, or the fact that the fire that once burned in her eyes has been reduced to a few glowing embers. It was disturbing, honestly, and filled me with great concern.
What has happened? I hope she is okay.
As soon as their eyes fell upon us, looks of joy painted their faces with wide grins and sparkling eyes. My brothers rushed over to Enzo, and after a quick greeting they began to ask him about his scars. My thoughts had proven correctly, for I heard him regale a tale of how he accidentally fell out of a tree while hunting.
Miss Lin and Sensei Wu bowed to one another and began heading to the lower decks, a conversation of their own emerging.
After placing a kiss on Jay's cheek, Nya retreated up to the helm. Within seconds, the ship's engines roared to life, lifting us off the ground.
My gaze locked with Willow's as she stood away from our companions. Her cheeks suddenly became a pale rose color as she took a few steps towards me, her hair blowing slightly in the breeze. I barely realized that I was doing the same until the gap between us closed to a few mere feet.
A small smile graced her lips as she said, "Hello Zane."
"Hello." Do I really have nothing else to say? I have not seen her in years and all that comes out of my mouth is 'hello.'
Quickly I added, "I have missed you greatly."
"As have I. I was beginning to think I would never see you again."
"The feeling is mutual."
At that moment I heard a light beeping noise echo in my ears. It progressively grew louder until it was the only thing I could hear. Looking around for assistance, I saw that Willow and I were the only ones on the deck. Our comrades had all disappeared.
My snowy-haired companion gave me a concerned look as she placed her hand on my shoulder. She said something to me, but I could not hear the words due to the ringing in my ears.
The beeping died down just enough for an anonymous voice to take its place. "Warning! Security breach! Warning! Security breach!"
That cannot be good!
The warning continued, and pretty soon it was joined by my body convulsing wildly. Willow backed away from me, a frightened expression on her face. I would have probably done the same thing if I was in her position.
This has never occurred before! What could possibly be happening to me?
Suddenly, the warning cut off, and my thrashing stopped as well. But what was odd was that I could not move an inch. Nor could I speak. I was simply standing there, still as a statue.
Yoo hoo! Zane!
Jay? Why can I hear his voice?
Can you hear me? Of course you can! I just hacked into your mainframe!
Did I hear him correctly? He did WHAT?
And let me just say, your dad was a genius! For a second I thought I wasn't going to-
Jay! Stop fooling around and start the program!
Wait, Kai is in on this too? Realization hit me like a ton of bricks. This has to do with whatever they were talking about before training! I am doomed!
Oh yeah! Sorry Kai. Any who, Zane, let me just say right now that what's going to happen over the next few minutes is for your own good. You see, I'm going to temporarily seize control of your-
Get on with it Jay, before Willow gets the others!
Right! Any way, you'll figure it out soon enough Zane. Program 'Romance Mode' will be activated in five, four, three, two, one!
This is not going to end well!
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Sounds like poor Zane is in for an embarrassing time! Well, you'll all find out in the next chapter!
And let me just say this: I do appreciate that some of you have been asking me to update these past few weeks. It lets me know that you really do enjoy this fic.
That being said, I am at college right now, which means my studies are my first priority. No, that does not mean I will abandon this fic. It just means that the updates will not arrive on a regular basis.
Any who, the song from Zane's dream at the beginning is Outlaws of Love by: Adam Lambert. I highly recommend it.
See ya!