Kairocksrainbow: Ronin is very cool. XD Thanks for reviewing!
Breeze Winder: Indeed! Him and Kyle both provided some much-needed comic relief to the story, eh? Let's just hope Ronin gets a happier ending than Kyle did... Thanks for the review!
GAH. You guys. Have you all seen the finale of the latest Ninjago season? It was quite...intense. I'm slightly embarrassed that the entire season managed to be released before I'd even started writing chapter 3 of The Ties that Bind (my theory fic for this season). And I'm just gonna say...most of my theories were wrong. Though I have one about Jay that may still come into play in the series... ;) It was hinted at, at least. And by the way, I don't believe that the Fritz Donegan actor is actually Jay's dad. Your thoughts?
OMIGOSH! *Laughs and dances like a psycho* YESSSSSS. Gahhh. You can tell that this was a bit of a fanservice season. What, with the Hageman brothers breaking the fourth wall, and them clarifying the "fear" and "fair" thing in that Fritz Donegan quote, and them finally fixing IT at the end... (trying to keep spoilers at a minimum here) And Jay was quite clever with that wish of his...
Ahem. Anyways. On with the show!
'Till Sunlight's End
Zane sat at his desk, staring at the cup of coffee in his hands that had long since gone cold.
"Thank you, Peran," he said dully, meeting the General's eyes. "Make sure it's done. By tonight. I want every citizen in the South to know their options."
General Peran was a sturdy, stern man in his early forties with piercing gray eyes and hair: shaved on the sides, combed forward on top. Those who knew his family always reflected that he looked just like his elder brother, Colvyr, the late General of the Western army.
"Consider it done, my lord," Peran said, bowing stiffly before leaving the room.
Alone at last. Zane looked out the window. The sky was black, stars visible through patchy clouds.
He'd been sitting for hours with Peran, discussing what to do now that Zane was unexpectedly the leader of his own country. What should they tell the people? Would they be forced to stay within the Southern borders, or were they going to let them leave if they still wanted Garmadon's rule? What about defense? Would they draft people into the Southern guard, or would service be voluntary?
Zane said open borders: he was confident that all of the people were as tired of Garmadon's tyranny as he was. Peran was more hesitant. They'd discussed it for a while before coming to a consensus: Two days of closed borders, to contain the greater part of the chaos. No one allowed to or from the South. When that time was up, people outside could come and seek refuge here, or leave. And, at least for now, joining the South's defense would be voluntary.
Why? Zane had asked. Why are you so nervous about letting the people leave?
Peran's answer was long in coming. He spoke slowly. Because things have been the same way for nearly a thousand years.
But people have been crying for change for months now, Zane argued.
People want change, Peran had consented. But they are rarely willing to pay the cost that comes with it.
The door reopened, and Zane snapped back to attention. He relaxed when Josi entered the room, followed by Varasach in her wheelchair.
"If it makes any difference," Josi said quietly, sitting in the chair Peran had occupied moments earlier, "I think seceding was the right choice."
Zane grunted, staring back out the window. He pushed aside his cup. "You did it?" he asked.
"Yes," Josi answered. "I sent a Nindroid runner for the antidote. He will make sure your father gets it by tomorrow night."
"Tomorrow night." Zane clenched his fist on the table, sucking in a quiet breath through his teeth. "What if that's too late? What if the antidote doesn't work?"
"I don't know," Josi admitted. "There are a thousand factors that could change the board: how long he's been sick for, his age, his health before the plague took him…"
"Does he know God?" Varasach interrupted, her big green eyes round with concern. Zane briefly wondered if she were related to the First King. That would be ironic. A descendant that had rejected the doctrine of her ancestors.
Zane offered the girl a stiff smile. "He knows our God," he said. "My father has been loyal to our doctrine his entire life. I am confident that he has earned a high place in the First King's kingdom."
Varasach's hopeful expression wilted, and she looked down at her hands. Zane felt a little guilty for relishing in her disappointment. It's just that she was always so…happy.
You're jealous, Duskweaver said. Aren't you? No, more than that. She's felt so much pain, like you. But she's dealing with it so differently. And it makes you bitter.
Nonsense, Zane said too quickly. He knew he was lying to himself. Lying out of shame, because he liked Varasach, and he hated his new bitter feelings. To make things even worse, he wasn't even sure he knew how to let go of this bitterness.
Maybe the only way to do it was to find his happy ending. To cure Garmadon and his father, bring peace back to the realms, and get Pixal home. Then the bitterness would go away.
Zane let this thought fade and sat back in his chair, considering his options. Option one: I go to the North to be with my father while he dies the slow, painful death of the plague. Or is healed. Option two: I stay put and trust that Cyrus' people will take care of him.
"I can't leave," Zane whispered. "Not now. I'm too deep into this mess. Every hour counts as I prepare the South for Garmadon's inevitable invasion. I can't afford to leave in the middle of that."
Josi nodded gravely. She understood his dilemma, and how both options carried a heavy price. Knowing that someone understood his pain made him feel a little better, and he drew in a calming breath.
"I feel so…small," he admitted at last. "I know it seems silly, Josi. But…it's like, when I look at what I've done in the past, and what my options for the future are…nothing looks good. It's wearing me down."
"Trying to shape your own future is difficult," Josi said, nodding again. "And slightly impossible."
"Slightly?" Zane repeated. "Well. Good to know that it's not entirely impossible."
Josi rolled her eyes.
Zane stood and stretched his stiff limbs. "I need to speak with Driniah," he said. "Why don't you two head to bed?"
Josi stood and touched Varasach's shoulder. "Make sure you eat something before you sleep, Zane," she said. "You haven't had a bite since this morning."
"All right, mother," Zane said, ushering the girls from the room with a tired smile.
"And bring something to Driniah's room, too," Josi said as she pushed Varasach's chair out the door. "She hasn't had much today, either. She should be eating enough for two people right now."
"Good night." Zane shut the door, trying to appear impatient, but his heart wasn't into it. The latch clicked. He was alone.
Again.
Cole felt a pang of fear as he looked into Chedva's eyes, which sparkled merrily as she grabbed his chin with five chubby fingers and giggled.
Overlord was right. Chedva's eyes, once as silver as a mint coin, were now laced with veins of green. What did it mean? That he was from the First King's bloodline?
It didn't seem possible: he'd been poor his whole life. Those of the First King's lineage were supposed to be blessed. People of power, riches, and comfort. Three things that Cole had never experienced in his life. Not in the traditional sense, at least.
"So…" Ronin began. He gestured to the sack of blankets on Cole's back. "Does your wife play?"
"Does she what?"
"The violin," Ronin said. "I saw her pack it. She plays?"
"Oh." Cole looked down. "No." Just thinking about the instrument made his fingers itch. If there weren't other people around- and if he wasn't holding Chedva- he might have been tempted to play as he walked. "It's mine."
"Cool." Ronin nodded. It quickly became clear to Cole that he was only trying to break the silence that had consumed the solemn group on their way to Wu. "What can you play?"
Jay snorted. "What can't he play?"
"So he's good?" Ronin asked, turning to Jay, who walked between him and Kai in the procession.
"I'll say! I've never heard anyone better."
"Really?" Ronin looked back to Cole, eyebrows raised in disbelief. "So…you can play anything?"
Cole ignored him, sighing inwardly. Why didn't they get that he didn't want to talk?
Sage elbowed him hard. It didn't hurt his stony skin, but the message got across.
"I'm proficient at playing by ear," Cole grumbled. "So if I hear a song, I can probably play it."
" 'Till Sunlight's End," Ronin said. "That's one of my favorites. But it's so old, not many people know how it goes." He sighed wistfully. "I haven't heard that song in ages…"
Cole nearly stopped dead in his tracks. He caught himself though, and continued walking as though those three words hadn't just shattered his composure. Just thinking about that song made his insides twist uncomfortably. No, he would not play that song! Especially not for this stranger Ronin.
Sage recognized the twisted look of rage on Cole's face and prodded him again, more gently. Cole let out an angry puff of air.
"You're not very subtle, are you?" he said.
"Nope." Ronin shrugged again. He enjoyed doing that a lot, apparently. "You don't have to play it, but-"
"Good," Cole snapped. "Because I'm not going to play it."
"But you know how to?" Ronin asked. "You've heard it before?"
Cole did not answer.
Misako found her husband by Lloyd's tree.
Garmadon knelt in the snow, his hand on the maple sapling's slender trunk. Head bowed, Misako could hear his cries from across the garden. She approached him cautiously, shivering. Each breath sent a puff of condensation into the still air.
"My King," she said quietly, draping a cloak over his shoulders. "You shouldn't be out here without something to keep you warm."
Garmadon ignored her, still weeping softly.
He was back, Misako realized, sinking to her knees beside him. The poison had loosed its control. For a few moments, at least.
In the beginning, when Garmadon had first been poisoned, he had been mostly himself, with intermittent fits of anger and irrationality. Now, he was mostly consumed by the poison. It had been almost a week since the last time Garmadon- the true Garmadon- had shown itself through this red-eyed, demonlike shell.
Misako placed a tentative gloved hand on his shoulder. "You will see him again," she said. A painful thing to promise.
"No," Garmadon said through gritted teeth. His face shimmered with tears that would probably freeze to his face soon. "No, I won't."
"Why would you say that?"
"Because Lloyd was perfect," Garmadon said, voice hardly reaching a whisper. "The First King will reward him. But I…" He brought his hand up to his shoulder, squeezing hers. He wore no gloves, and his fingers were blue. "I'm a monster. I have failed our God, and will be punished."
Misako closed her eyes, fighting tears of her own. When she'd first given her life to God- the real one, not the so-called First King- she had known it would be hard, keeping such a secret from her family. She knew that if her husband found out, he would have no choice but to send her away. But Lloyd… She should have taught him about the Way. She had planned to, eventually. She had felt that he wasn't yet mature enough to bear such a heavy secret- a secret that would result in the death of many, if their group were discovered.
Now Lloyd was gone. That was Misako's greatest regret in life. She had failed, both as a mother and as a leader of her people.
Thank you, she prayed, wrapping her arms around Garmadon's bowed shoulders from behind. Thank you for Your grace. Thank you for loving me, even when I fail.
"How could I have done that?" Garmadon asked.
"Done what, My King?"
"Don't call me that," Garmadon snapped. Then, softly, "Please. The other me might demand that respect from you, but I know I don't deserve it."
"All right, Garm." Misako held him tight, savoring every bittersweet moment. Because soon, he would be the other man again. "What did you do?"
"Driniah," Garmadon explained weakly. "She's lost so much. And I…I kicked her while she was already down. Why did I do it?"
"That wasn't you," Misako explained patiently. "That was the other you."
"The other me," Garmadon repeated bitterly. "The other me is destroying everything. He's taking over my nation, killing my people."
"I know."
Garmadon shook his head. "If you knew… If you really knew…you would not still be here."
"Not this again," Misako sighed. "I'm not leaving you, Garm."
"You must!" Garmadon shivered. "I know what the other me thinks of you. He hates you. I can't figure out why, but he wants you dead. It won't be much longer before he…I…"
"Shh…" Misako squeezed him tighter, nose in his snowy hair. How long had he been out here in the cold before she found him?
"Run," Garmadon whimpered, rocking back and forth. "Please, Misako. Run. I can't hold him back forever."
"I'm not leaving you. We'll find a cure, Garm. Then-"
"Don't call me that," Garmadon growled, disentangling himself from her embrace. He flung her roughly to the side. Drawing his sword, he stood over her fallen form, a scowl twisting his aged face. "Don't you ever call me that, wench!"
Misako froze, one side of her face buried in the snow, watching as he raised his hand to swing. Heart beating fast in her chest, each second drawn out into an eternity. There was nowhere to run. She could only hope that…
Garmadon paused, then lowered his sword. Slammed it into its sheath. Kicked Misako's ribcage with such ferocity that she cried out.
"Your days are numbered," Garmadon hissed, kicking her once more before stomping through the snow, toward the mansion.
Crying softly, Misako tried to get her head off the ground. But her body hurt too much. The best she could do was bring a hand up to wipe snow from her eyes. Gratefulness. She tried to focus on that word and forget about the pain. She was not dead yet. He still cared about her.
She set her jaw, trying once again to sit up. She needed to get out of the cold. But her old body was not as resilient as it had once been. The pain remained, and she grew colder.
Why can't I leave yet? she prayed. I love him, but I want to run. I want to help others. Yet…You keep me here. Why?
She trusted her God, and believed that He knew best. She knew He wanted her here with Garmadon, at least for now. I'll try to be patient. Please, give me strength to endure until the end.
And what was her end? The question made her a little uneasy. Yes, she knew where she was going when she died. She was eager to finish her race and collect the prize. Yet…do I really want my race to end with getting murdered by my own husband? How would that help him get better? How would it help our country?
"My lady?"
Misako opened her eyes. One of her servants crouched over her, a worried expression on her young face.
"Senai," Misako said, allowing the woman to help her up. The pain flared, and she grimaced.
"My lady. Where are you hurt?" Senai brushed the snow from Misako's hair.
"My ribs," Misako answered. "It will be all right. Please, help me inside."
"Of course, my lady." Senai helped Misako to her feet and half supported, half dragged the Queen across the garden.
"Why don't you leave?" Senai whispered at last.
"Because I can't, Senai. We've been over this."
"But why?" Senai made them pause by the garden doors. She glanced around to be sure no one was close enough to hear them. "I could help you, my lady. I mean it. We could all help you."
"I could never make you do that for me. Thank you, but no."
"But my lady-"
"No," Misako panted. "Open that door, please. Help me to my bed."
He could have chosen a better hideout, Cole thought as they approached the cliffs that surrounded the river delta. Inset in the cliff wall, near the ground, was a cave with a mouth roughly five feet tall, and wide enough for two men to pass through shoulder-to-shoulder.
The cave was too open. Overlord would find this place in a heartbeat if he only tried to look. It made Cole uneasy.
"Well. Here we are. Please, follow me." Ronin ducked his head so he could enter. Jay followed, towing Nephilim behind him by her leash. Being the tallest in the group, he had to crouch to enter without hitting his head. Besai, Pixal, Kai, Merv, and Sage came next. Cole went in last, slightly embarrassed that he was the only one besides Nephilim who didn't have to duck. Even nature loved to remind him of his paltry height.
Bah. We're at the end of the world and all I can think about is my stubby legs.
In the center of the cave a small fire burned. Some sort of large bird cooked on a spit. Smoke wafted into the air, slightly sweet-smelling. Cole decided there had to be a crack somewhere in the cave besides the door where the smoke was escaping. It was hard to find such a crack, however, in the low, flickering light.
"Welcome," Ronin said. He clapped his hands together, then spread his arms wide. "Looks like Wu went for a walk. But I'm sure he'll be back soon. Please, make yourselves at home until he returns. Sit around the fire, grab a drink of water from the bucket over…" He paused, staring at the empty wall. He muttered a curse under his breath. "Wu must have gone out to fetch more water. I'll be right back." He rushed outside.
Cole continued observing the place Wu supposedly now called home. The ceiling was low. In most places it stood just over six feet. In other places- particularly the back end of the cave perhaps thirty to thirty-five paces away- tapered off to about two feet from the floor. Cole felt a sudden surge of anxiety from being in such a cramped place. This confused him: he'd always found small spaces cozy. But for some reason he now felt like the walls were going to crush him, and chills crawled along his spine. Had his suspicions about Ronin been right? Was this a trap?
Then he noticed Kai, standing stiff next to Besai. His hand hovered over his Blade on his belt.
That must be it, then. Kai was making them- or maybe just Cole- feel his claustrophobia?
Cole touched Kai's arm and nodded. It'll be okay.
Kai glanced his way and ever-so-slowly nodded back. The anxiety trickled away from Cole's mind. But Kai looked no better.
What was that? Cole released Kai's arm and walked closer to the fire. Had Kai deliberately used his Blade to communicate with Cole? Or had it been an accident?
Cole realized how little he knew of Kai's powers. They seemed very strong whenever Sage used them. Did they work differently for her than they did for Kai? Or was it something else? Cole recalled Kai admitting to him once that the powers made him uncomfortable.
"This is…cozy," Pixal offered to the awkward silence. The walls swallowed her words. She circled the fire, eyes taking the entire cave in with an intensity only she could pull off. There were a few rucksacks on the floor alongside a stack of old, faded blankets, neatly folded.
Ronin reentered the cave a moment later, dragging an old man- Wu- behind him.
"Honestly," Ronin sighed, setting down a full bucket of water. "I leave for an afternoon and you get into trouble. I'm going to have to drag you home with me to keep you from breaking your back."
"Oh, you're too stiff, Ronin," Wu rasped. The old man ran a wrinkled hand through his beard, eyes twinkling. "I was just fetching water. I do it all the time when you're not around."
Ronin shot Wu a withering glance, but said nothing as he filled a few cups with water.
Wu looked like he'd aged ten years in the space of two months that had passed since Cole had last seen him. But his green eyes still sparkled with the light of a child. It unnerved Cole for a reason that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Not the color, but the light.
"Prince Wu," Jay said, bowing slightly. The others followed his lead. Even Kai pulled himself together enough for a quick nod of his head.
"Please, don't call me that," Wu said. "I gave up that title long ago." He then coughed into a gnarled fist.
Ronin sighed. "When I come back, I'll bring you a Nindroid who can do all this work for you," he grumbled, setting the bucket aside. "It's a miracle you're still able to move around as well as you do. You're way too old for this."
"Time is an illusion, and so is age," Wu said with a smile. Ronin groaned.
"How long have you known each other?" Cole asked.
"A couple years," Ronin answered. "He pulled me out of a tough spot when we first met. We've been friends ever since."
"And you never told me about him?" Pixal asked Wu. "I stayed with you for, what, three weeks? You said nothing of him."
"I wasn't aware that I had to tell you everything," Wu retorted, still smiling. "But enough about me. Cole, Jay, Pixal, Merv, Besai, Hagar, Nephilim. I have been waiting anxiously for your arrival. Kai…" He paused there, meeting Kai's solemn brown eyes.
Then, surprising everyone, Wu wrapped Kai in a gentle hug. There was a moment of tense quiet. The fire crackled, and smoke rose toward the hidden hole in the ceiling. Hesitantly, Kai accepted the embrace. Then he quickly pulled away. Wu did not seem put off by this, and he turn his attention to the others.
"I apologize," he said. "I don't have many supplies. Some of you will have to sleep without blankets, and Ronin only came back with one bird for supper. Things are tight, but…" He spread his arms. "What I have is yours."
"Thank you," Jay said. "We brought enough supplies for ourselves. We won't be too much of a burden."
"Who said anything about a burden?" Wu scoffed. "I'm happy to have you. All of you. My only regret is that most of you will leave after the storm passes."
"What storm?" Pixal asked. "The sky is clear."
"As it often is before a storm, my dear." Cole sensed a double meaning behind the old man's words. "The wind has picked up. I'd say you arrived just in time, because we will be caught in a gale by daybreak. But where are my manners?" Wu hobbled to Ronin and snatched the cups of water from him. He offered drinks to Sage, Besai, and Merv. "Again, I apologize: I don't have enough cups for all of you at once. But when the women have had their fill, you can have your turn."
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Jay said. He limped to the fire- the day's exertion seemed to have taxed him more than it had the others- and sat on the floor. He immediately went to work taking care of Momo.
"I don't understand," Cole said. "How did you know we were on the island? And how did Ronin find us?"
"With his bird," Ronin answered for Wu. "Cyrus gave him one of those mechanical birds as a parting gift when he left Ninjago."
"A…dove?" Pixal guessed.
"Yeah. You've seen it?"
Pixal nodded.
"I've had it keeping an eye on you all for a while now," Wu explained. "It's seen many things. Including last night's…battle."
Cole stiffened. He turned his eyes to Kai, who looked a little pale.
Wu cleared his throat. "I apologize: I've touched a sore spot. Please, get settled in. The bird will be done soon, and then we can eat."
Overlord stormed into Senzo's cell, keys in one hand, Nephilim's dark locks of hair in the other. Bitter tears, narrowly held back by bitter rage.
"Get up." Overlord growled, casting the keys to the floor. Oh, the sweet irony. Yuki had worked so hard to steal those keys so she could free John and the others. And now here he was, casting them at her feet. Not so she could escape. No, nothing so gracious.
So she could feel true pain, as he now felt it: everything they both wanted, so close, but so far away.
Yuki sat frozen by Senzo's cot, staring at Overlord with those ridiculously round amber eyes. They reminded him of Kai.
With a furious howl, Overlord struck Yuki across the cheek. Her head snapped backwards, and she fell against the wall.
"Don't," Senzo said hoarsely. He weakly pushed himself to a sitting position, elbows shaking. He still hadn't recovered from his punishment a week prior.
"It's your fault, too," Overlord hissed, drawing his Blade. "You left my prisoners with weapons. Weapons, you fool!" As he spoke he thrust the Blade into Senzo's chest, forcing the boy onto the cot, embedding the tip of the Blade into the wood.
"Sen!" Yuki screamed.
"SILENCE!" Overlord's eyes flashed white. His voice caused the walls to shake, the lantern to snuff out, and the legs of the cot beneath Senzo to crack, lurching the boy to the floor, still pinned to the cot by the Blade. Morningbloom emitted a furious purple light, illuminating the room in the lantern's absence.
Overlord breathed deeply, Senzo's warm blood spurting over his hand, and dimmed his eyes. He couldn't kill both of them right now, and he couldn't afford to have rumors spreading about his eyes. You're losing control, he told himself. Kill coldly. Kill deliberately. Do not kill while blinded by emotion.
It was hard- Hosts, it was hard. Especially when he still held his Neph's hair in his other hand. He took another deep breath.
It wasn't worth it. She wasn't worth it. All his planning, a thousand years of hard work, could fall around him like a house of cards if he didn't get a grip and let her go.
He couldn't have Nephilim and his victory. It was one or the other.
Slowly, ever-so-slowly, holding Senzo's fear- and pain-filled eyes in his own, he released his hand, letting the cut locks of hair- his dear, precious Neph's beautiful hair- flutter to the floor. He did not watch them fall, but he imagined it must have looked very similar to the way they had fallen when that cursed Nindroid's bird dropped them only an hour before, over his head like a damned trophy. We have her, Overlord. She might be dead. Why don't you come and find out? Oh, by the way, if she's actually alive, we'll kill her if you dare try anything.
Still holding Senzo's eyes, hearing Yuki's quiet cries over his shoulder, he removed his Blade from Senzo's body and healed the wound. It closed in a flash of purple light from Morningbloom's Gem, and Senzo gasped, coughing up the blood that had flooded his lungs before Overlord healed him. Every bone in the boy's body trembled as he tried, and failed, to get up from the floor. He looked at his sister helplessly as his chest heaved, tears forced into his eyes.
Helpless. So, so helpless. Overlord stood, his face calm as the hurricane of wrath and hate swirled in his chest, making it difficult to breathe.
Mind made up, Overlord commanded Morningbloom to grow into a sword.
"You tried to be a hero," he said coolly, looking between the two siblings. "Leaving them with weapons. Unlocking their doors. Granted, it took me by surprise."
He thrust the Blade back into Senzo's body. It pierced into his chest.
Into his heart.
Yuki screamed again.
"But it takes more than surprise to upend my plans." Overlord withdrew the Blade and turned to Yuki, drinking in the girl's flurry of uncontrollable, frenzied emotions with a slight smile. Tears fell from her dirty, gaunt cheeks. Her lips parted in a look of disbelief. But after that initial outburst, no other sounds made their way out. She shuddered on her hands and knees, unable to breathe, those beautiful Kai-eyes fixed on her little brother.
"H-heal him," she croaked breathlessly. It sounded more like Eel im. "He-eal him. Please."
So many emotions in her mind battling for the surface that they became congested, and her body shut down. Broken.
It was about time.
Overlord picked up his keys, ground Nephilim's hair into the floor with a boot, and left the room.
He did not bother locking the door.
"How do you feel about death?" Wu asked as they sat around the fire, slowly picking at their meal.
Cole froze, fork halfway to his mouth, and looked at the old man.
"What prompted this question?" Pixal asked. Of all the people sitting in the cave, she seemed the least disturbed by this impudent interjection of their silence. The sun was nothing but a low red streak on the cloudy horizon now, and the temperature had dropped considerably.
"Nothing that you might think," Wu said, sipping at his tea. "I've simply come to the decision that this was a good time to discuss some important questions. And I want answers from each of you. Besai? What do you think?"
Besai slowly chewed her food, then swallowed, expression unreadable. "It's sad," she said, looking to her left, where Kai sat. He looked sick, staring at his untouched bowl of meat and baked root vegetables.
"It's the ending of a life, clearly," Pixal said. "What else is there to say?"
"Hmm. Maybe I should reword my question." Wu stroked his beard. "What do you think death is? Where do people go when they die?"
"Nowhere," Cole said. "It's as it was before we were born."
"Interesting theory. Ronin, what do you think?"
Ronin sighed and set down his bowl. "What kind of death are we talking? Like, bodily death, or spiritual death?"
"That's an important distinction," Wu said approvingly. "How about we start with spiritual death?"
They're nuts, Cole thought, turning his attention back to his food. Believers in the First King really needed to get a life.
Ronin absently scratched under his eyepatch as he thought. "Well, as Besai so eloquently said, it's sad. It happens when people allow evil to rule their thoughts and actions."
"Like Overlord," Besai interjected.
"Kind of, yeah." Ronin nodded. "Though, usually not on such a grand scale."
"What makes Overlord different?" Jay asked.
Ronin drew his Gem from his pocket and turned it between his fingers. Each facet sparkled in the firelight. "Well, I have a theory. Overlord isn't human. Or at least, he isn't human anymore."
Cole leaned forward. "Explain."
Ronin held out the Gem. Cole took it in his hands. It was warm against his cold, stony hands.
"I think Overlord may be one of these," Ronin said.
"A Gem?" Pixal asked.
"Kind of." Ronin shrugged. "I mean, think about it. Your Blades are intelligent and very powerful. If a more sophisticated Gem were to be implanted in a human body…"
"…the Gem could possess the human," Pixal finished with a nod. "Huh. But how would Overlord get these Gems into a human's body?"
"Colvyr," Cole said, and all eyes turned to him. "To the best of my knowledge, Overlord took Colvyr only after they'd been on the island for several days. I don't know, maybe it was like when we found our Blades. We were attracted to them. And then we touched them, and we could feel them in our minds. Maybe Overlord telepathically drew Colvyr to him, then took over his mind somehow."
"But none of our Blades have done that," Jay said.
"Maybe Overlord is a different type of Blade," Pixal said.
"It could be," Jay agreed. "I mean, we don't know very much about the Blades. There could be different classes, some more powerful than others, and more…prone to violence."
"That doesn't explain how Overlord can jump from person to person, though," Merv interjected. "He had Colvyr. But then he took Cole's father."
"Moonsong can be used by me and Kai," Sage said.
"That's right." Cole closed his fingers around the Gem. "So it's possible that Overlord could jump into the minds of specific people and control them, I guess."
"I kind of like this Blade theory," Ronin said. "But there's only one problem: does Overlord even own Blades?"
Everyone stared at Ronin.
"You're really out of the loop," Jay said.
Cole gave the Gem back to Ronin. "Judging by what we've seen, Overlord has an overabundant supply of Blades. He has Morningbloom. Nephilim has fought us with two different Blades. He probably has more."
"He does," Besai affirmed. "I saw. He has many. A box full of them."
"Okay." Pixal smiled. "We're finally getting somewhere. So maybe all we have to do is find out which Blade the Overlord's mind is in, and destroy it."
"Destroy it how?" Cole took out his Blade and tapped its edge against a stone. "Blades are indestructible. Like me."
Ronin cleared his throat. "Actually…there is a way. To hurt stone warriors without using Blades."
Cole felt an instinctive jolt of fear. He knew what Ronin said was true: Nephilim had hurt him during their battle last night by slamming her forehead into his.
"How?" Pixal asked eagerly.
"I broke a finger off of a stone warrior during my first visit to the Dark Island a couple years back." Ronin tapped his eyepatch. "He kinda returned the favor. Anyways, I brought the finger to Cyrus and he analyzed it. He has a few theories about the composition, and about how I managed to break it off." He stopped there, looking at everyone with a slight smile.
"Well?" Pixal asked impatiently.
"A stone warrior is, essentially, a human body soaked in a graphene-like substance which seeps into the pores, changing the skin into an ultra-thin- yet flexible and strong- suit of armor."
"So it's not magic," Cole said, not sure if he was disappointed or relieved.
"It's alchemy," Ronin said. "Which is just, like, super advanced chemistry, I guess. I don't know. If you want the science of it, talk to Cyrus."
"So you were talking about a weakness," Pixal said, eager to get back on topic. "What's their weakness?"
"I'm getting there, honey," Ronin said, earning a withering glare from the Nindroid. "Well, Cyrus managed to recreate the formula. He made a few dozen Transformed mice." He laughed dryly. "Cutest little things, but Hosts, their teeth were sharp. Anyways, he ran some tests with them. They were able to procreate, but their offspring were normal, non-Transformed mice. Which meant that the change wasn't in their pants."
"Genes," Jay said, then flushed. "…Oh."
Ronin winked, then went on. "So the weakness. As far as Cyrus could gather, the only way to hurt a Transformed creature, human or otherwise, without a Blade is to attack them where they had an injury prior to being Transformed."
They all took a moment to process this information.
"So…you were able to break off that stone warrior's finger because it had broken it before it was Transformed?" Pixal asked.
"Probably. That's what Cyrus said, at least."
Cole touched his forehead in the place Nephilim had hit him. Had he been injured there before? Maybe he'd been dropped as a baby or something.
"My ribs," Cole said. "I broke my ribs a few months back. Does that mean that if someone punches my chest, I'll feel it?"
"With the right force, probably," Ronin said, grabbing a rock. His one eye glinted humorously. "Can we test it?"
"No," Cole and Sage said as one.
"I think we need our stone warrior intact," Pixal said. "But please. Once we've defeated Overlord, you can beat him to your heart's content."
"Pixal!" Jay exclaimed.
Pixal regarded Jay with an expression not unlike Ronin's.
Jay sighed. "I'm sorry, Wu. We got off… He's asleep."
Cole looked at the old man, who'd drifted off in his cross-legged position, tea cup empty in his lax hands.
"By Beun's beard." Ronin gently moved Wu so he slept on his back. "He is way too old to be out here alone. Look at this! If he'd tipped forward, he might have fallen into the fire."
Cole let out a breath, looking across the fire at Kai. Kai looked back briefly before averting his eyes.
Ronin was anxious about Wu's age getting him into trouble. Cole was just glad that they'd avoided any more of his talk about death.
Ronin. Just...Ronin. That guy. X'D You wanna hug him and slap him. And then hug him again. He's presented some interesting theories on the Overlord, huh? What are your thoughts? And what do you think is up with Cole and the song Ronin wanted him to play? :0
Senzo! D: That poor boy. Well, now you know what's happening with him and Yuki...
And Garmadon and Misako. Man, everyone is breaking my heart. This really sucks. Don't worry, Misako. This won't last forever...
Nope! Definitely not forever. Man, we're so close to the end. I can count on my hands the number of chapters we have left to read, and it's both depressing and a relief to me. I'm so ready to finish this. But I'm not ready to let the characters go yet, so I'm entertaining the idea of a shorter sequel, though I'm not sure what it would be about yet. Perhaps you could give me some ideas? :) Hmm. Maybe I could just write a series of one-shots, like I did for my NJ series.
Thank you all for your lovely reviews! I really appreciate them. I ask for feedback on this chapter if you have a spare minute? Thank you! ^_^ [_] Here's some mini cheesecakes. Have a good week!