This chapter is some emotional resolution for Zane and some other loose ends.
WARNING: There are some sentiments similar to suicide in this chapter.
The tower shuddered. Cole snapped his head up.
"We need to get down." He said.
He scooped up Xavier, careful of the boy's wound. Garmadon struggled to stand with Lloyd's body. Cole's heart wrenched again. Lloyd. Little Lloyd. No. Not now. Kai rushed over and took Garmadon's burden.
"I've got him." Kai muttered.
Nya and Jay broke apart. Cole led the way to the staircase but paused. The building was collapsing; he could feel it. There was no way they'd get down in time.
Zane stepped forward. With a flick of his wrist, the steps were leveled under a sheet of ice. The nindroid beckoned to them and began sliding his way down to prepare the way.
Cole clutched Xavier tightly the whole way down. At any other point in his life, Cole would have loved this. Now, he just felt sick at the whipping wind and gut wrenching speed.
He managed to land on his feet with Zane's help. Large chunks of the tower were falling now. When everyone had arrived, Cole summoned the last bit of strength he had and stomped. The earth rippled and a large slab of stone jabbed into the air. The tower's debris bounced off of it.
Cole panted for a moment before the shrieks reached his ears. He, along with the others, stared at the panicking mass of Lordings. The tower had fully collapsed backwards. Jay and Nya readied their weapons.
Xavier shifted in Cole's arm. He peered out over the army and stretched out his hand. A soft glow radiated from his fingers. The light reached the first Lordings and the darkness began to melt away, leaving behind its human host.
A person. People fell to their knees as the darkness was purged.
Cole's shock was broken by Xavier's heaving chest.
"Stop!" Cole snapped. "You'll kill yourself!"
Xavier lowered a trembling hand and the light faded. His fingers wove words Cole couldn't see.
"He says they'll recover by themselves, he's just helping them along." Jay said quietly.
The remaining Lordings weren't attacking anyone, in fact they were retreating out of sight of the disoriented citizens. The nearest people to them seem to have recognized Cole's group.
"Is that the ninja?"
"What's going on?"
"What happened to Ninjago City?"
"Is that the Green Ninja? Is he dead?"
The last comment made Cole flinch. Garmadon stepped forward wearily.
"People of Ninjago!" He called in a commanding, but tired voice. "There has been a great disaster over this land that has only now been lifted. Many lives have been lost, but many will be found. You will see dark creatures among you; do not fear. In time they will become the people they used to be."
The crowd murmured at that. People started to catch sight of the Lordings and retreated into huddles. Garmadon took a deep breath before continuing.
"For now, do what you can for each other. The ninja will help you in time, but now we must rest."
Somehow the crowd didn't turn into a mob. Cole watched as they split off into groups.
"Let's get out of here." Kai muttered.
The dragons seemed to have noticed their situation and came flapping in.
Cole swept the crowd with his eyes as their little group moved to mount the dragons. Was his dad here? Though he could remember all the way up until he had been infected by darkness, Cole still had no idea what had happened to his father.
As short as the ride there was, the ride back was eternal. Cole just wanted to sleep. Every muscle and even his skin hurt. His mind was numb and his heart sick. He looked over the horizon of Ninjago and let his tears fall.
Pixal paced her mech in front of the base entrance. Back and forth, back and forth. She had circled the Sentinel approximately one thousand times. There had been no Lordings. She was glad. She was in no condition to fight. No emotion had ever gripped her like the fear she felt for her friends. Especially Zane. It was paralyzing.
Finally, bright colors formed themselves into dragons. Pixal launched out of her mech and jogged to meet them.
Her sharp eyes immediately noticed the distinct lack of a white dragon. She felt sick. As soon as the first one, Jay, landed and dismounted, Pixal grabbed him by the shoulders.
"Where is Zane?" She hissed.
Jay blinked at her. He was confused.
"Has he not landed yet or-" Jay looked around. "What the heck, where'd he go?"
Nya had slid down after Jay.
"We won, Pixal." Nya said with a wan smile.
"Zane is missing." Pixal asserted.
Her chest had flared with relief that had been frozen for her wild concern about Zane.
Nya's eyes widened.
"What? But-" She whipped her head back towards the others.
Cole was carrying Xavier into the base. Kai was helping Garmadon with a body. Pixal moved to run to it. Nya grabbed her shoulder.
"Pixal, no! That's not Zane!" Nya gasped. "Listen, we don't know what happened to him, but he was fine when we left."
"We got our memories back." Jay supplied. "He remembers everything. He might have gone to his father's lab."
Pixal blinked at him before sprinting to her mech. She would find Zane and drag him back safe and sound.
"Bring him home." Nya said with agitation.
Pixal landed with a crunch in the snow of the Birchwood Forest. She couldn't feel the cold, but her scanners registered the air temperature as well below zero. She looked around and easily spotted the tree Nya had described to her. The door embedded in its base was ajar.
Pixal approached with caution. There was no noise from within. She pushed it open. A staircase spiralled down into the depths of the tree. At the bottom, among scattered blueprints, sat Zane.
Pixal made her way down the stairs. As she got closer, she realized his chest was open. He didn't look up as she approached him.
His hand was fingering his memory switch.
"Zane." Pixal said. "Close your chest."
"Why?" Zane asked. "I can leave my pain behind."
"You would lose your joy as well." Pixal said carefully.
"You would not leave me." He said in a monotone. "Memories or not."
Pixal grit her teeth. She could easily turn his switch back on, but the process was disorientating and not guaranteed to restore his memories completely.
"Tell me why I wouldn't want to forget this experience." He went on. "Lloyd is dead. My father is dead. And I have betrayed my primary function to protect."
His voice was low and blank. Pixal sat down in front of him.
"How do you know your father is dead?" She asked quietly.
He was shaking.
"I can sense it. He has been gone for four years."
Pixal gently took his hand and guided it away from his switch.
"Zane. Please." She whispered. "I love you, the person these experiences have created. As do the others. Please do not take him away from us."
She clutched his hand in hers. He finally met her gaze. His blue eyes were overflowing with tears. Pixal eased his chest shut. He didn't stop her, just lowered his head again.
She cupped his face with her hand. He leaned into her touch and she felt tears slip down his face. She leaned forward and rested her forehead against his.
"It will pass." She whispered. "You will overcome."
Zane let out a strangled sob. They sat together for a long time.
Nya let out a huge breath she didn't know she was holding when Pixal returned with Zane. They had all gathered in the med bay to be treated. Lloyd's body lay in a quiet chamber nearby.
"Zane." Nya said. "Don't scare us like that."
He nodded quietly and sank into a chair. Silence reigned for a few minutes.
"Now that Zane's back." Jay said cautiously. "Will you tell us what happened after we got darkness'd? How we got in those caves?"
Nya suddenly couldn't look at them.
"I-" she swallowed. "Kai knows more of the story."
Kai looked down as five pairs of eyes moved to him.
"I was the only one not corrupted." He said heavily. "So yeah, I know the most. But-"
"Please." Cole said. "Do you know what happened to my dad?"
"And my parents?" Jay piped up.
"How did my father die?" Zane asked quietly.
Nya felt a stab of guilt and sympathy as Kai looked at them and settled down to tell his story.
Kai stood with six others in the Temple of Light. They were the only ones that had escaped the dark power of the Overlord. Kai's brothers still lay prone before him, the Overlord's corruption still clinging to them. Nya held his hand as Lou, Edna, and Doctor Julien stared at their children. Dareth hovered behind Wu, for once without anything to say.
"Lloyd has fallen to darkness." Wu said quietly. "The Overlord has taken him for his own purpose. He is lost."
Kai felt sick.
"No!" Kai choked. "No, we have to go back for him! We can save him!"
Wu shook his head. Dr. Julien stepped forward.
"This doesn't explain why my son is still like this." He said almost too evenly.
"The ninja have deep bonds with Lloyd due to their elements and the prophecy. His new darkness is being poured into them. They cannot be purified." Wu said and looked to Kai. "Kai, you too will fall soon to this darkness."
Edna gave a terrified sob and Lou and Julien both were frozen in shock.
"There has to be something you can do!" Nya protested.
She had taken Kai's hand. He was numb.
"Sensei, I'll take care of it." Kai managed to say. "I'll leave, take them with me. I-I can make sure they go out quietly. They wouldn't want to be like this."
Nya turned to him with blazing eyes.
"Don't you dare!" She snarled. "We are going to figure this out!"
Wu had nodded in agreement.
"There is a way." He said. "But it requires a great sacrifice."
"I'll do whatever you need." Nya said firmly.
"Not from you, Nya." Wu said, turning his gaze to Edna, Julien, and Lou. "From those that love them most."
Cole was first. Kai refused to stay behind when Wu and Lou carried the black ninja into the crack of the rock. Wu explained that throughout Ninjago, there were springs of elemental energy. This was one of earth.
They settled Cole down. Lou looked over to Sensei Wu.
"What-" The older man swallowed. "What do I do?"
"Just be willing." Wu said. "I will do the rest."
"Lou, are you sure-" Kai tried, but Cole's father shook his head.
"I'll be with Lily again." He said softly.
Kai couldn't look away as Wu began chanting in an unknown language. Light swirled from Lou and Kai flinched at the look of pain on his face. Kai was confused as soft singing joined the light in filling the room. It was Lou. Kai recognized the words as an old lullaby.
Hush, my perfect, baby boy
Cole's face relaxed.
Let your dreams be filled with joy.
The color was draining back into Cole's skin.
Though I will soon leave your side.
Cole's eyes fluttered.
"Dad?" He whispered.
Know that you alone are my pride.
Lou disappeared into light. The light churned around Cole, forming a crystalline protective shell.
"It is done." Wu said heavily. He turned to leave. Kai gave Cole a final glance before leaving his brother behind.
Kai insisted on being there with Edna and Julien. Edna had taken his hands and given him a searching look.
"When you remember, tell Jay that there is a letter for him in our home, in Ed and I's special trunk." She said quietly. "And please take care of him."
"I will." Kai had said with a lump in his throat.
Edna had talked constantly throughout Jay's sealing. Words of love, words of comfort, words that a mother would say to an ailing child. Then she was gone, and Kai felt that much weaker.
Julien had held Zane during the sealing. Like Edna, he had spoken to his son, but just the same words, over and over.
"I love you, son. You were built to protect. Always remember that."
Kai felt sick as Julien faded into light like the others.
"It is time, Kai." Wu said gently.
Kai shook himself from staring at Zane's prison and turned to his Sensei.
"Okay." He muttered.
His cave was near his home town of Ignacia. He drank in the familiar sights and tried to forget what was about to happen. Wu beckoned to him and Kai followed him into the dark.
"Good luck, Kai." Wu said quietly.
The light began to flow from Wu.
"Sensei." Kai said. "Is there- is there hope?"
Sensei Wu smiled.
"There is always hope."
Behind the old man's head, Kai could have sworn he could see a glow of gold and green light. Then the world went black.
This Kai scene was originally so bulky. So, so bulky. I was ready to just throw it away, but my editor liked parts of it a lot. I'm much happier with the way we cut it. The beginning part of Kai's story can now be found at the beginning of Chapter 1. My editor and I thought it would make a good prologue. The official explanation is this: There is light in every person, purer than that found in the Temple of Light. Wu knows magic to basically purify anything at the cost of a person's life. Julien, Lou, and Edna are down.
A bit of a reference to Xavier in those last few lines. I think he turned out well for a character I originally made because I didn't like Lloyd as a 14 year old.
Anyway, wear your masks, remember to review, and have a great week!
