A/N: Hey guys! For all those of you who don't follow my Fragments story but read Whisper: there's a new one-shot in there, featuring Soren and J'avi. And it's pretty dang ridiculous. For all you who like J'avi, Soren, sibling rivalry, pillows, and goldfish, I'd recommend it. XD

Also, over 300 reviews! You guys are the best. Seriously. Cookies. (::) (::) (::)

Wow. Okay, apparently this is a week of fluff. Have this fliffity-flaffity-flooferous chapter. You're gonna need it.

Thanks so much to my beta, Astrid16, for grooming it until it's as fluffy as it can be! :D


I'm Alive


The Compound, Dark Cell


December deactivated See. She didn't want to watch the two small souls walk into the center of that Abomination. Her gut told her that massive black void was the root of all Hidoi, and she did not want to even look at it.

But what now?

How could she escape from these chains?

There was no way she could hope that a Hidein would let her out. She couldn't count on Lloyd, since he was chained up. Zane was so far away. Nya—if that violet globe was indeed Nya—was trapped with Whisperers. And she couldn't rely on whoever the orange globe was to save her, either.

She was on her own.

December wracked her mind, considering every possibility. Could Shauto do anything to these cuffs? It had Decrypted the room, making the Hidoi leave. The door should be unlocked, too, as Hidoi had been what sealed the cell.

Spinjitzu was Shauto. But she didn't know Spinjitzu.

December paused.

Or did she?

If Spinjitzu was just another form of Shauto, then she could figure it out. She had known Shauto for most of her life. There was no reason why she couldn't figure out Spinjitzu.

Except for her chains.

There was just no way to get around these stupid chains!

"Stupid," she muttered. Her voice echoed.

If only she could just rip them off. If only they weren't spiked, then perhaps she could slip out of them, or used Shauto to—

Wait a minute.

December closed her eyes. She put her toe back at the base of the Shauto symbol, taking a deep breath.

She didn't know what she wanted to say to Shauto. What could she say? What did she want Shauto to do?

She hesitated.

Then she said, "Osvobodi menya."

Free me.

A long, low moan echoed through the room. The Shauto symbol shimmered and spasmed. The pain in her wrists, ankles, waist, and neck lessened; pressure lifted, blood poured wetter and freer.

December looked at her wrist.

The metal cuffs had peeled away.

They pulled themselves apart, melting into the stone, blossoming, hot and fluid, into downwards-flowing flowers of steel in the cell wall. It formed dandelion shapes in the walls, like some bizarre plant time-lapse.

December stumbled and hit the floor. Gasping, she turned around, watching the steel curl and smoke, swirling around threads of gray and silver. Like dragon's scales, like leaves, like snakes.

"First Spinjitzu Master," she breathed.

What had just happened? How had she had been able to do that? She had only asked Shauto to free her, she hadn't expected it to really work!

Her mind raced.

Then it was so plain. So obvious that December had to knock her forehead gently against the floor, chastising herself.

Shauto breathed life into the things of this world. Through the First Spinjitzu Master, Shauto had created all things.

Of course Shauto could change the form of steel. Of course Shauto could spread it over the walls, painting a valley of silver trees and blossoms and rivers. Of course Shauto could free December.

Everything belonged to Shauto. Shauto fueled all Elements, and in turn, Elements fueled Shauto.

Duh.

December struggled upright, stuck her finger clumsily in her own blood. Trembling, she drew Heal symbols over her legs, stomach, and wrists. The pain was so intense that her hands would barely do what she wanted them to do, but at last she sat covered in her runes of own blood.

Well don't I just look fantastic, she thought, slightly exasperated.

Despite this, she finally choked, "Zlo ischeznyet."

There followed the most intense Healing ritual December had ever gone through. She lacked peppermint oil to boost it. She lacked much energy to begin with. Shauto, as if understanding her weakness, wrapped her in light and held her upright as it cleaned and mended her wounds. December whimpered as the tendrils of light left her once-stinging wounds feeling numb and odd.

It was warm, there, submerged in Shauto.

December relocated the Punctuation she had dabbed on the floor, holding tight to reality, even as Shauto flooded her chest with peaceful heat.

Shauto at last let go of her, satisfied.

December flopped backward against the wet stone floor. She blinked until she didn't feel quite so lightheaded, her heart beating so hard it rattled her lungs.

"Oooh, boy," she wheezed. "Wooo baby."

She was free.

I'm free!

Her body was out of energy, but her mind raced, her eyes fluttering open and shut.

I can get out. I can rescue Lloyd and Nya and Zane, and get our stuff back. Then we can take the Kahgei. We'll know where these people are set up, and we can figure out how to attack them.

And I can learn Spinjitzu.

December managed a weak smile.

If I ever catch my breath, that is.


The Compound, the other Dark Cell


Rough hands shook Lloyd awake.

"Lloyd!"

His shoulders tensed to shield himself, even as he forced sticky eyes to open and focus.

"Who—what—?"

"It's me, December. Come on, wake up, Lloyd!"

December?

No, it couldn't be. He was dreaming.

... He was dreaming, right?

"Lloyd!"

Lloyd's vision finally focused, settling upon a pair of huge, ice-blue eyes only a foot from his own.

He stared at her blankly.

"Hi," he managed.

December sighed, hanging her head in sheer relief. "Hi," she returned with a chuckle.

Then Lloyd remembered it all.

Vengestone. Agony. Fire.

He looked down at his wrists.

They were whole. Aside from a lingering headache—and December's fingernails digging into his shoulders—he didn't feel any pain. Only a few smears of blood on his hands showed that he had ever been chained in Vengestone. On the outside, at least. His chains lay in shards on the floor.

"We have to get out of here," December said, catching his hand to help him up. "Can you stand?"

Lloyd nodded. "Let's go."

December got to her feet, starting to tug on Lloyd's hand. Lloyd made to follow her lead, only to find that—though he wasn't in pain—his legs barely responded.

"Lloyd?" December said, dropping back to the floor.

"I'm okay," Lloyd said. He was suddenly breathless. "Gimme a minute..."

December sat down next to him. "It's okay. Here, lean on me."

"What? No, I'm okay. Really. I just need maybe ten seconds."

"Shh, keep your voice down!" December said, glancing at the cell door. Then she looked back to Lloyd. "Look, you're not well. Shauto may have Healed your wounds, but you were chained in Vengestone, for crying out loud! Rest for a minute."

"December, I'm fine—"

She hooked one arm around his neck and pressed him to her shoulder in a half-embrace. "Shut up. Rest."

Lloyd's cheeks grew warm, but he didn't argue further.

December let go of him. Lloyd almost sat back upright, just to prove he could.

After about five seconds of urging himself, he gave up the half-hearted attempt. As much as he disliked having to lean on someone for support, all the mortification in the world couldn't have forced his exhausted body to reject her steady shoulder. He at last closed his eyes.

Then it finally dawned on him, and he opened his eyes again.

"Wait... you rescued me."

He said it and realized how stupidly obvious it was. Fortunately, December didn't seem to care.

"I used Shauto to escape my cell," she explained quietly. "Once I left, I knocked out a couple Hidein, took their stuff, and came here as fast as I could."

Lloyd surveyed her outfit from his vantage point on her shoulder. Black stretchy pants and a purple striped shirt. A dark cloak over top of that. That must of been what December meant by "their stuff."

Wait. Lloyd stiffened. What am I wearing?

Awkwardly enough, he wasn't fully clothed. He wore a scratchy shirt that came to about mid-thigh. ... But that was it.

Lloyd folded one knee across the other, scooting a little so that his legs were behind December. He glanced at her—there was no way she couldn't have noticed—but she seemed to be ignoring that particular situation entirely at the moment.

"The Hidein had some of these, too," she was saying.

She unwrapped white cloth from something in her lap. There were two pastel-colored buns in the center of the cloth.

"Mochi?" Lloyd realized.

December held one up for him. It was indeed a light pink mochi cake, perfectly sized to fit in her palm. "Happy birthday."

"It's not my birthday," Lloyd said, raising an eyebrow at the cake.

She rolled her eyes. "It's not exactly a Snickers bar, I know. But it really..." here she paused, "... takes the cake."

Lloyd turned his head slightly to glare at her. "Oh my gosh, December."

There was no trace of regret in her broad grin. Her smile made Lloyd's insides twist.

"You had to eat something," she added after a pause, holding it a little closer.

Lloyd reached up to do so, but his wrists felt oddly heavy - to his chagrin, his hands trembled as he held them out.

"It's okay," December said quickly. "Here, open your mouth."

Lloyd bit his lip. Then, sheepish, he obliged. December shoved it unceremoniously into his cheeks.

He coughed, then chewed. The mochi cake was cold, filled with sweet strawberry cream. It also should have been eaten in several different bites. Lloyd struggled with a mouthful of creamy, chewy cake for some time.

The oil lamp cast faltering shadows over the cell walls and floor. December kept glancing at the door, then back to Lloyd. Patiently, of course. Her anxiety was contagious, but Lloyd forced himself to relax, gathering his strength.

"While I was in my cell, I also used See," December said. "I think I found Nya and Zane."

Lloyd choked on the last swallow. December reached behind him and thwacked his back, but Lloyd shook his head, regaining composure quickly.

"Where are they?"

"Zane's at the top of the Compound," she said. "And Nya's directly beneath us. They're alive."

"They're alive," Lloyd repeated, though an exhale of pure relief. "We have to get out of here and rescue them."

"That was the plan," December agreed.

She hesitated.

"What?" Lloyd asked.

"Nothing," she said.

Lloyd opened his mouth to inquire further, but December stuffed another rice cake into him.

He was forced to chew again, then swallow, before he could speak. This one was raspberry cream.

"Thanks," Lloyd managed, finally downing the mochi—and his pride. "For saving me."

December smiled, again wringing Lloyd's stomach out with the simple act. "Well, it's not like I was gonna leave you here and let these Hidein do who-knows-what to you for who-knows-how-long."

She rested one hand on his shoulder. "You ready?" she asked.

Truth be told, the idea of standing up made Lloyd a little nauseous. It didn't help that his stomach kept flip-flopping every time December smiled.

But she slipped her hand into his... her hand, warm, firm, steady... and, bizarrely enough, Lloyd received strength, even as his heart banged for attention.

"Yeah," he said. "I'm ready."

December's hand tightened on his. She stood up, then pulled him gently to his feet. He teetered for a moment, but December caught his other wrist and steadied him.

His legs shook, but he was standing.

He let go of December and immediately tugged his shirt down.

"Oh yeah." December rummaged in her cloak, and pulled out a bundle of fabric. "Here. Pants, shirt, cloak, and boots."

"Thanks."

December turned around while Lloyd dressed. He tugged the pants on gratefully, shed the uncomfortable wool shirt for the purple-and-black cotton one, and threw a cloak over top of that.

"I'm good," he said. He smiled feebly as she turned back to face him. "Again, thanks."

"Oh, Lloyd."

December wrapped her arms around him, smothering him in an enormous, tight hug.

"Woah!" Lloyd was forced to wrap his arms around her torso to keep them both from falling over. They regained their balance, but December still hugged him desperately, her fists curling in the fabric of his stolen shirt.

"I thought I'd lost you," she whispered.

Lloyd softened. He gritted his teeth, trying to find the words to reassure her.

Then December abruptly pulled back, seized his face in both hands, and kissed him.

She parted almost within the same moment she had touched. But it was enough to paralyze Lloyd from head to toe—enough to shut Lloyd's eyes so fast and tight that he could barely pull them open to look at her again.

When he did, December offered a lopsided smile.

"Sorry," she said, completely unapologetic.

Lloyd couldn't even squeak in reply.

"Come on," December said, catching his wrist. "Let's get out of here."

Lloyd was dragged from the cell, his head spinning, their footsteps echoing in the deserted corridor.

She... kissed me.

They were running fast—veritably sprinting down the hall—but Lloyd's face caught fire in a brilliant blush.

She kissed me.

And it wasn't at all like Lloyd had expected it would be.

His whole body buzzed with sudden energy. It bubbled up inside him, and if he wasn't short of breath, he would have giggled.

He didn't feel weak anymore—far from it! He felt like he could take on the entire Hidein army! Like he could defeat the Overlord with a single blow!

Like he could stop December right here and kiss her again!

... Okay, maybe that was pushing it...

"Shoot," December said suddenly, jerking Lloyd back to reality with a tug on his wrist. She dashed into the nearest room, pulling him along with her. They pressed together up against the doorframe.

As the din of their footsteps faded, they could hear muffled shouts reverberating from the spiral staircase at the other end of the hall. They both did their best to stifle their ragged breathing, listening.

Cautiously, hearts racing, they peered around the doorway.

No one appeared for a moment. Then they watched a man in black clothes tumble backwards down the stairs and sprawl in a heap on the floor. He looked unconscious.

December and Lloyd glanced at each other, alarmed. More footsteps; they looked back to the staircase.

Another black-garbed figure descended the passage and jumped the bottom step. This one was Amid, glowing with a silver Shauto Shield, wearing a leather jacket and a deep scowl.

December laughed. "Gahiji!"

Gahiji looked up. Another figure, this one garbed in blue, came down behind him, stopping a few steps above him on the staircase.

"Hey!" Jay cried.

December and Lloyd burst out from around the door. Gahiji sprinted down the long corridor towards them, Jay hot on his heels.

"December," Gahiji breathed. He had barely slowed to a halt before December threw her arms around him in a desperate embrace that shimmered silver.

"Lloyd!" Jay said, when he reached him. "Thank the First Spinjitzu Master you're alright, kid!"

"I'm good, I'm good," Lloyd said, when Jay captured him in a strong hug. Lloyd went limp in the Blue Ninja's arms, resting his head upon his shoulder, trying to catch his breath.

Oh, it was Jay. Lloyd hadn't realized how much he had missed his brother until they clung to each other. Jay ruffled Lloyd's hair, Lloyd slapped Jay's back. They laughed until they couldn't breathe.

"Wow," Jay said. "That's really disorienting."

Lloyd looked up. "What?"

Jay's eyes were glowing white. He was using See. "I can't see you, but I hugged you," he explained.

Lloyd gave a light chuckle. Then he looked Jay up and down.

He was dressed in a new ninja suit. "Woah. Did I miss the fashion show?"

"Nope! You're just in time." Jay brandished his fist. The sleeve of his cobalt ninja suit was shot through with bright saffron-yellow Connection Rivers, and his ninja mask bore a Punctuated yellow Shauto symbol on the forehead. He was glowing with blue light from his Shield.

"Fancy," Lloyd remarked. "Do I get one?"

Jay made a face. "There's one back at Down, if you want it."

"Great. Thanks." Lloyd rolled his eyes.

"G-Gahiji," December whispered into her brothers' jacket.

Gahiji stroked her hair back, his eyes closed tight.

Then December pried herself away and grabbed his leather collar, shaking him. "How did you find us?" she demanded, grinning wildly. "Explain!"

"We tracked your wrist communicator," Gahiji said. It was hard to understand him when he was breathless like this. His accent made his words short and sharp. "It led us to Mount Akai. It's with Zane on the top floor."

"Is Zane okay?" Lloyd asked.

"He's completely wrecked," Jay said, his voice heavy. "Amilia and Azamat are trying to fix him. We've blocked the room off, but someone really went to town on him. Zane is scattered everywhere. If they can't put him together fast, we're screwed."

"Is everyone here?" December said, aghast. "How come the Hidein haven't found you?"

"We're doing what ninja do best, of course," Jay said with a smirk. "Sneaking around. We've had a number of close calls, though, including that guy back there." He nodded at the Hidein on the floor at the other end of the hall.

"But you really didn't think that you could come here and rescue us without getting discovered?" December inquired.

"No," Gahiji said.

There was a pause as December and Lloyd both registered what was being said.

"Wait. Do you mean..." Lloyd tried.

December's lips parted in realization.

"We're going to try to defeat Overlord?" she said.

Gahiji cast his gaze down over her, silently affirming.

Lloyd glanced at December.

Then he set his jaw. "We've defeated him before."

December smiled. This time, Lloyd grinned back.

"We can do it again," he said, feeling like Prince Donnigan.

Then he grimaced.

If he was Donnigan, would that mean that December was Princess Stoskai?

And then, of course, Gahiji would be Captain Orachid.

Lloyd glanced once at Gahiji's stoic expression.

It took all of his self-control to keep from bursting into helpless laughter.

Soooo professional.