The sun was high and bright, shining down on Ninjago in vast rays of light. The Bounty was parked in the ocean, awaiting any news of the whereabouts of Lloyd or the Fangblades. It was a slow day overall, so three very curious ninja approached their white clad friend with questions and challenges.

"Zane!" Jay called, pulling said ninja from his history books. He had been looking for clues in the old texts about either the serpentine or fangblades, but had come up empty handed so far.

"Yes, what is it?" He said, folding the book into his lap, holding his fingers in the pages so as to not lose his place. Cole spoke this time.

"We remembered your story of how you met Master Wu, where he found you at the bottom of a frozen lake!" Zane cocked an eyebrow.

"We were wondering if you could maybe show us how long you could hold your breath underwater?" Kai looked away, and then focused back on him, grinning with mischievous intent. "Unless you think it's too much of a challenge?" Zane chuckled, setting the book down face open onto a pile he was sifting through. How could he say no to such a request?

"I oblige, though, I must warn you. Watching from the surface is far less exciting than what I will be doing." The ninja smiled at each other, excited to see how long the white ninja could last underwater. They raced to the deck, the sound of their feet pounding heard by no one other than the fish. Wu was likely meditating below deck, searching for anything that could help them get Lloyd back. Nya was probably napping, having spent the previous night running the scanner, and was therefore oblivious to her family's shenanigans. Zane jumped off the boat, wading in the water nearby while waiting for the ninja to get the stopwatch ready. He smiled once he found three pairs of wide eyes staring at him.

"All right, when I submerge my head, you should start the timer. I will be seeing you again in around ten minutes." He watched his friends whisper amongst themselves, debating whether or not Zane could truly hold his breath for ten minutes. He paused, adding: "Though I doubt anything will happen, I will find a way to warn you should I encounter any trouble." The other ninja nodded their heads furiously, looking at him with starstruck gazes. With a final glance up, Zane dove down, sinking gracefully to the bottom of the deep blue sea.

Zane was at peace, the ocean floor dim with little light filtered down through the water. There were many fish passing him by, wondering what this new object was. He had settled down on a shipwreck, figuring it would be a nice, flat area to meditate. He had a foot wedged under some of the framing in order to keep himself static as he closed off his senses. Zane had found that mediation cleared out his mind enough to which he could ignore most bodily functions necessary to survive, like breathing. He was pretty good at it, only once snapping from his trance when Master Wu startled him. He wondered to himself how long his Master had been waiting to find him, and wondered how long he could go without air. Surely much longer than what Zane could do currently, as who knows how long he'd been sitting in that frozen lake.

His mind was void of thought, focusing on the silence of the ocean. It was easy to meditate underwater where the distractions were kept to a minimum. It was quite a bit nicer than the Bounty. He loved the Bounty, make no mistake, but it could be quite distracting when his friends were left to their own devices. Especially now that Master Wu has gone off somewhere to find a way to save Lloyd, leaving a boat full of teens with the means to go anywhere and do anything they wanted. Quite the formula for mischief, especially when those teens have elemental powers. When meditating, time moved forward quickly, even more so underwater, and he sensed time was almost up if the strange pull in his chest was any indication. He kept on, his senses dulled, figuring he was still not close enough to his limit. Under the sea, he could cut off his senses quite easily. The darkness held his sight, his ears and nose filled with water, his mouth closed off to keep from breathing in, and his touch dulled by the sense of nothing that came with submerging yourself in water. Like this, he felt he could stay for hours if it weren't for the necessity of air. Which, speaking of…

This was it, he thought. He'd about reached his limit and needed to get ready to go back up before things got too dire. He uncrossed his legs and kicked up, but found himself unable to do so. His foot, the one he'd stuck into the wreck to keep himself from floating, was now restricting his escape for air. Zane froze, the water around him chilling. He could not panic, as that would cause him to try to breathe in, which would not end pleasantly. He looked around, the darkness of the ocean less relaxing and more foreboding now that he was trapped. He tried prying at the boat, hoping that he could loosen himself just enough to escape and swim back up and pretend nothing had happened at the bottom of the sea. The metal of the boat seemed too formidable, however, as no matter how hard he pulled, or kicked, or clawed, his foot was still imprisoned in the cage that was the wreck. He feared he soon would join the bodies that were no doubt hiding in the ship, laughing at him for putting himself in this situation. He wondered what his friends would think?

Wait.

His friends! Cole, Kai, and Jay were still up there waiting for him, unknowingly timing his demise. He had to signal them somehow, had to get their attention! Maybe he could send something up to the surface? He took one of the blades out from his gi pocket. Noting that it was growing harder to keep his lungs closed, he tossed the sharp object up and watched it float up a bit before it decided that saving him was too much effort and promptly sunk down to the ocean floor. He cursed at the blade, and then himself. He'd held it seconds ago, why didn't he feel it's weight was too much to float? Was his cognitive function shutting down due to lack of oxygen? He didn't have much time. He looked for anything else on his person and found nothing he could send up without it either floating away or sinking.

He was crying, his tears mixing with the ocean as soon as they fell from his eyes. He thought of his friends. He'd never be able to teach Cole to cook, to train with him and dance with him. He'd once walked in on him humming and dancing away while cleaning the kitchen, and swore Zane to secrecy once he'd noticed the white ninja standing in the doorway. He was embarrassed, yes, but Cole smiled the whole rest of the time Zane was in the kitchen, and even promised to teach him to dance in exchange for his silence. He remembered Cole had gotten him to laugh by dancing again, but rather exaggeratedly this time as he moved about the room. He eventually tripped over a chair, and while Zane didn't find it particularly funny, he had to laugh otherwise the effort Cole had gone through would be for nothing. He remembered the shared looks they had afterwards when the others questioned Cole's injuries, who excused it as an accident while cleaning

He'd never be able to fight with Kai again, to patch him up after missions, to comfort him when he had particularly bad nightmares. He remembered how one night, he'd woken up in a daze. He was usually a heavy sleeper, which is why he was so confused to find himself awake at such an hour. That is, until he looked over and saw Kai's empty bunk, and he knew that it was his second sight that had woken him. He remembered grabbing one of his shurikens as a precaution. He had been raised for a reason related to Kai, but his intuition was not able to specify what for, so it was better to be safe than sorry. He remembered sneaking around the Bounty, following the soft cries coming from the living room, and finding Kai with his head in his hands. He announced his presence so as not to startle his teammate and sat at the couch with him. It had taken a while, but Kai eventually told him about the nightmare. Of how his parents disappearance left him nervous about making serious bonds, of how his nightmare was of his family found in his teammates had left him for some stupid reason. It was easy of Zane to reassure him, but not so easy to actually convince him, and so he spent the night on the couch with Kai, where they eventually fell asleep together. He remembered waking up that morning to find him and Kai tucked under a blanket.

He'd never be able to play with Jay again, whether it be video games, chess, or however else they found to pass the time. He would never get to help him woo Nya, or see his next invention. Zane remembered a time after he had beaten Jay at a game of chess, Jay excused himself to his and Nya's workshop (which was really just a random room they had taken over). He missed dinner that night and Zane had brought a plate of food down to him, only to see him passed out at his work table. Zane had moved to wake him, but couldn't help taking a peek at the blueprints drawn up. Jay had always been shy about showing off his work, but Zane always loved seeing the designs for his next creation. It looked as though he was trying to recreate the Samurai X mech from memory and speculation, but there were also plans for future potential vehicles for them. He noticed a notepad sitting next to it all with all the ninja's names scribbled onto it, but thought it best not to pry any further. He remembered once Jay woke up, he instinctively hid the drawings, and made conversation with him while eating the plate Zane had brought him. He remembered Jay praising him on his cooking, which made Zane feel happy that his friends truly enjoyed his food. He remembered walking back down to the kitchen with Jay, who insisted on having seconds because he wouldn't ever miss out on the nights when Zane was tasked with cooking.

He thought of Master Wu, who would come up to the deck only to learn that he'd lost not only his nephew, but his student too. He thought of Nya, who was inside, who wouldn't learn what happened until she heard the other three panicking. He thought of Lloyd, who was being held captive by the Serpentine, and wouldn't learn of his demise until quite a bit later, if even at all. Zane regretted his coldness to the child, wishing he had treated him kinder when he was living with them.

He couldn't think anymore. The lack of oxygen to his brain was starting to hinder cognitive function. He was sure he would pass out soon and drown. With one last glance to the ship and silent pleas to his teammates, Zane, who could hold it no longer, took in a breath.

And then he exhaled. And inhaled and exhaled again and again. What? Zane was…well, confused was putting it lightly. He was breathing underwater! This shouldn't be happening! What could this possibly mean? He knew he was different from the others but...this was just…

Would he ever truly fit in with his friends? He behaved differently, spoke differently, even thought differently if his actions just now were any proof. Who spends so much time reminiscing about their friends rather than trying their hardest to escape back to them? Perhaps it would be better to just stay down here in isolation. If the hunger didn't end him (was that even a problem anymore too?) then surely he'd be picked away by some of the carnivorous fish in the sea. He was okay with this...is what Zane wished he could say. He was going to miss his friends so dearly. Surely they would feel the same way, right? Even if he wasn't human they wouldn't turn their backs on him, yes? Zane panicked, rightfully able to do so now that air wasn't a problem. They wouldn't sell him off to some circus, they weren't snakes! And that was just a dream (a dream he should really ask Master Wu about when he returns).

Calm down, Zane. He was falling into his own fear and despair and if he wanted to return to his friends, then he'd need to get over it. He thought about signaling them again but what could…he pulled off his hood. The gold headpiece was weighty, but it seemed buoyant enough to make it to the surface without being swept away in the currents. It was his last shot at saving himself. He tossed it up, and watched it disappear to the surface. He hoped it was enough of a message to get help. He debated. He could stay as he is now, and answer questions later about his ability to breathe underwater or…

Zane decided it would be better to pretend he was unconscious. That would buy him time to think things over, figure out what he was on his own. He was used to doing things alone.

"Ten minutes! He just broke his own record! The guy's inhuman!" The ninja were staring at the watch as if it were a snake they were shaking down for information. They were in awe. Realistically, no one could last this long without air, but Zane was something else. They wondered how long they'd be waiting for him, considering he'd been pretty intent on beating his record. They all leaned against the rail, intent on discussing their progress in unlocking their powers. Kai stared out at the ocean, zoning out as Jay and Cole discussed their strength and prowess. No matter how peaceful the ocean looked, he couldn't help but shutter at what existed below the surface. He was constantly telling himself he was safe, trusting in Jay's handiwork and the others' capability to swim. It was the only reason he didn't freak out when the bounty anchored in the middle of the sea.

He was about to tune back into the conversation when he saw it, the brightness contrasted exquisitely against the deep blue of the sea. Zane's ninja mask floated near the edge of the bounty, a clear sign that something was wrong, that something had happened. He could barely speak as he tugged on Cole's sleeve, turning his and Jay's attention to the damp fabric and the gleaming metal. In an instant, The two dove overboard, though the sound was deaf to Kai's ears. Zane had been drowning for who knows how long and they were oblivious to it. What if the mask had floated up on his own? What if the mask had actually been floating there for longer, but they just didn't notice? Kai's head was filling with more and more what if's. What if he was hurt? What if something dragged him away? What if he never got to say goodbye…?

Cole and Jay emerged soon after, carrying Zane's limp body. Cole carried him over his shoulder as Jay followed, holding the near forgotten about mask. Zane was set down on the deck gingerly and Cole started CPR, Jay running inside to find the first aid kit. Kai warmed his hands and set to warming the white clad boy up, shuttering at the ice cold temperature. Yes, Zane was usually cold because of his element, but this was just...too unnatural. He felt…

He felt dead.

Cole stopped and laid his head on his chest to listen for a heart and Kai felt the beginnings of a panic attack start when Cole's face soured. And then Zane startled up, coughing and gasping. He turned away to expel more of the water and when he sat back up, Kai nearly tackled him, pressing against his back and spreading warmth around. Zane was silent as Cole embraced his front. His breath was short as Jay joined in, apologizing like crazy and stopping every once and a while to ask if he was okay. Kai tried to listen for his heartbeat, but couldn't find it, thinking it must be because he had nearly died.

Cole knew better, having listened to his mother's heartbeat as she lay on her deathbed. With his head pressed against Zane's chest and any lingering feelings pushed down, he had confirmed his suspicions that Zane's heart was not beating. Upon looking up and seeing the other's tense expression, Cole decided that this was a conversation best saved for when they were in private. He looked into Zane's eyes knowingly, and Zane seemed to recognize that they would be speaking later. Finally, Zane's wall broke, and though with a stoic face, he let his tears flow freely. Kai only held him tighter while Cole pressed their foreheads together, Jay finally relenting and kneeling down at his side to wrap his arms where they'd fit around Zane's torso.

Jay sniffled, his emotions now getting the better of him. They'd almost lost him, their friend, their Zane. He buried his face into Zane's shoulder, the contact and movement of the damp teen reminding him that he was still here, still alive. Glancing at the other two of his team, he found that they'd also begun to cry. If they weren't close before, then surely a near death experience like this would kick things into gear. After a good few minutes of silent sniffles and whimpers, Jay decided he'd had enough and tried to lighten the mood.

"God, anymore crying and Nya will think we all went for a swim rather than just Zane." He got a smile from Cole, only two to go. "Kai think you could turn it up a notch? It's windy and I'm freezing! Jeez it's almost like you don't care about me!" That got Kai.

"Oh shut it mushmouth, it's warming-up-Zane time!" The three laughed, looking up to Zane, who's tears had stilled. His face had a more thoughtful edge to it now.

"Perhaps you should listen to him, Kai. I think we would do better just huddling for warmth." And with that, Zane grabbed onto Cole and Jay, still soaked from the recent rescue, and froze their gi to his own. The extreme drop in temperature caused them both to yelp, while Kai burst out laughing.

"You just made a joke! Zane! I'm so proud of you!" Jay laughed pressing closer, partly in celebration, and partly to melt the ice holding him hostage with his body heat. They spent a bit longer huddled close like that until Cole made the executive decision to go inside and get changed before the salt water dried and made their clothes smell. Once changed, they all sat around, talking and making jokes. Anything that would keep Zane from thinking about the traumatic experience he'd just suffered through. It was enough to make Zane feel wanted, and appreciated, and loved. And no matter what he was, he had no doubt in his heart that his friends would never abandon him.