13
A slave woke her the next day and informed her that Wu had come to visit. She groaned; just what she needed on top of everything else. She dressed quickly and put her circlet on. She realized how familiar its weight was now. She had informed the slave to fetch her some breakfast to take to her office; she wasn't sure if the elderly Dragon Master had eaten or not, but she wasn't starving just because he had decided to show up in the morning.
The man in Golden Armor stood as she entered the room, and she rolled her eyes.
"Just sit down, Wu." She said as she took her seat. She looked around and frowned slightly. "Have you seen Heavy Metal?"
"No." Wu said, though he didn't seem worried about that fact.
"I guess it's been awhile since our last meeting, huh?" she said. Wu fixed her with a concerned look.
"Yes, but I came mainly to see how you were…" he trailed off as he sat forward in his chair. "I heard about the assassination attempt…"
She shrugged, trying to pass for nonchalant. "It wasn't the first time someone tried to kill me…"
"Keyda." Wu's tone was serious, and she sighed.
"We're fine…the only one hurt was a little slave girl…but we got her to a healer in time. Well…I guess the attackers themselves didn't fare too well." She fiddled unconsciously with the end of her braid before looking back up. "So, is there anything else you wanted to talk about, or did you just want to congratulate me on not dying?"
"You've taken measures to ensure your safety?" Wu asked, apparently not willing to drop the subject. "Where's Cole."
Keyda scoffed, having almost forgotten how annoyed she was with Wu's student.
"In the Dungeon at the moment…"
"What?" Wu's eyebrows shot up in alarm and she scowled.
"The Idiot could leave whenever he wants… he's choosing to stay down there." She leaned forward, suddenly willing to vent. "He's been so distant lately, like he doesn't want to work together… like he should be the only one to take risks…"
"He does get that way…" Wu admitted, and she slammed her hands down.
"It's so aggravating! He's down there now because he broke a few rules and the punishment apparently is three days dungeon time…but there's no need…"
"What kinds of rules?" Wu asked, and Keyda shrugged angrily.
"He's supposed to have an escort everywhere now…I wanted it for protection, but I think it was mainly another way for everyone to try to control him. The other night he was trying to help this slave kid, but it was after curfew and he wasn't bringing his escort. It's stupid…I should have gone with him. He talked me out of it, but if I had been there Dorhn wouldn't have dared…"
"He's got to find his place here." Wu said, interrupting. "He needs to find where he fits, and I think the other Oni need to know where he fits as well. If he's going to live here, he's going to need to be able to exist without you fighting his battles or pulling him out of consequences every time…"
"You always take his side!" Keyda snapped angrily. Wu smiled for the first time that visit as she stewed.
"I do agree that he needs to stop distancing himself…you realize that's how he reacts to fear, right?" Wu added gently. Keyda scoffed.
"What the heck is he so scared about?! I mean, sure….the attack was terrifying, but he's literally been on the brink of death so many times that I would think…"
"He's scared of losing you." Wu said bluntly, and Keyda looked up. "No doubt the attack has made him cautious…and even paranoid…of how the Oni see him—and as an extension—you."
"He's such an Idiot." Keyda muttered quietly, but she seemed to be considering what Wu was saying. The Dragon Master sat back in his seat, stroking his beard.
"Well…I'm glad you're both ok." he said. "Now that you mention it, there are a few items of business we could probably discuss, if you have the time…"
Keyda avoided going to see Cole that day, partly to punish him, and partly because she really didn't like seeing him locked up and she couldn't promise that she wouldn't just blast the door down. The meeting with Wu dragged longer than she would have wanted, and she visited a few more villages; basically, by the time it was time to turn in she was exhausted. Her bed had been fixed since the attack, and she collapsed into it gratefully. Just a few months ago she had spent every night on a bed mat on the floor…but now she doubted she'd ever be able to go back to that. Right before falling asleep she suddenly remembered the small jar full of dark colored petals hidden away in one of the drawers and had a moment where she wondered if she should use them. Then she shook her head, rolling over. She still wasn't sure that she trusted that Healer.
Cole spent a lot of the day pacing. He thought back to when he was injured; it had been difficult to want to fight and not be able to. But he was finding that it was even harder to be fully capable of fighting back but choosing not to.
He had no idea how long it had been. With no windows or much light at all in the dark cell, it could have been two days or a week or a few hours... his stomach growled painfully and he stopped pacing to frown down at it. He had been pretty sure that food was supposed to be included in this whole incarceration deal…but thus far he hadn't been brought anything to eat. It was making him feel weak and dizzy, and more than a little hangry. He sighed angrily and went over to the door, banging on it in frustration. There was no answer…just as there hadn't been each of the other times he had tried. He clenched his fist. He knew Dorhn was right outside the door, waiting for him to break down and break out. He took a deep breath and his arm powered up. With a punch the shuttered window on the door exploded out into the hall with a clatter.
"Dorhn!" Cole said, poking his face up to the window. He could make out the hulking guard's arm and side from his viewpoint and he narrowed his eyes as he was met with silence.
"What time is it?" Cole tried.
The guard didn't move and didn't answer, and Cole forced himself to just walk away so he wouldn't pound the door down. This whole situation felt like a test, and he wasn't about to give them the satisfaction of failing it. He went back to his corner and sat down, determined to try to get some sleep. Despite not knowing what the time was, he had a feeling that it was night, and he felt an ache of disappointment that Keyda hadn't even come to see him today. He knew why…but that didn't mean it hurt less. He grimaced as he lowered himself down to the cold stones; this situation was not doing his back any good. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, reminding himself that he only had one day left. He stomach growled again, loudly, and he scowled against the hunger pains. The kitchen was going to be one of his first stops once he finally made it out of here…
Aura whipped around Keyda's room as she cried out and fought, once again, with her inner demons. One of the blasts of Hatred hit the overhanging cloth on her bed and it began smoking. A chunk of it fell, landing on her face. The acrid smell woke her up, and she bolted up, coughing and choking as she shoved the charred cloth away from her face. She shuddered in the darkness, and the aura finally subsided. She glanced towards her side table and finally sighed in anger as she pushed herself out of bed. She yanked the drawer open and fished out the small jar, taking a deep breath. She went to the rarely-used fireplace in her room and lit a small fire to boil water in the tin kettle hanging above the fire. She sat in front of the fire while she waited, her chin resting on her knees while she looked at the contents of the jar. Once the kettle finally started whistling, she took a pinch of the fragile petals and dropped them into the boiling water. After allowing it to steep for a bit, she took the kettle off the fire and poured herself a cup of tea before dousing the rest of the fire.
She took a seat in her armchair, legs tucked up under her, and took a hesitant sip. The tea didn't have much of a flavor and she paused to see if she felt any different. After a minute or so she shrugged and began to drink the rest of it slowly. The hot liquid itself seemed to have a calming effect, and she realized that she was getting drowsy. She thought about how she needed to make her way back to bed, but she had fallen fast asleep before she had a chance to leave her chair.
The breeze rustled Keyda's hair, and she took a deep breath. The sun was beating down, but rather than glaring, the sunlight seemed softer. She spotted something colorful in the distance. Intrigued, she walked forward until she came across a field of bright red flowers. She marveled at them for a while, kneeling to touch their soft petals. She didn't realize that flowers could just grow on their own like this; she had seen a few over the years, mainly just buds on crops and such. But a field like this…
"Isn't it beautiful?"
Keyda whirled at the voice, and she was met by an Oni woman with kind eyes and carved ivory horns. Echo smiled at her as Keyda continued to stare, dumbfounded.
"Hello, Keyda." Echo said, her voice warm. She walked over and sat next to Keyda and reached into the flowers. She picked a single bloom and Keyda watched silently as the woman wove the poppy into the end of her braid. She caught Keyda's glance and laughed.
"You seem stressed, poor girl…"
"Are…" Keyda paused for a moment. "Are you real? Are you actually here, or…"
"Does it matter?" Echo picked another flower and gently tucked it behind Keyda's ear. Keyda frowned as she touched the poppy.
"Yes. I want you to be real."
Echo laughed again; it was such a light sound.
"I'm real to you, Keyda…and that is enough for me to be real." Her smile faded slightly as she gave Keyda an almost motherly look. "Just as your fear is real enough to bring the Baron to life…"
The younger girl shuddered slightly and gave Echo a pleading look.
"Isn't there any way to get rid of him? I can't…I can't keep going on like this!"
Keyda surprised herself by starting to cry and Echo pulled her into a hug.
"He's dead…. but it feels like I'm still under his thumb…like he's always right there…" She shuddered and Echo shushed her, running a comforting hand down her hair and back. "I'm afraid I'm becoming exactly what he always wanted me to be…"
"The Baron only ever wanted you to be pawn, Keyda…and you have grown so far beyond that." Echo comforted. "He tormented you for so long…it's no surprise his influence seems to linger. It won't be easy to get rid of him, but it is possible."
"How?"
Echo pulled back and looked at Keyda's forlorn expression. She smiled sadly.
"You are more powerful than you know, Keyda…but you need help to learn how to control it."
Keyda bristled. "You don't mean going to that old kook…"
Echo smoothed some hair out of her face. "I suppose he does give that impression…many Healers probably would, nowadays…but he could help you, Keyda. If you would let him, he could…"
Echo's voice seemed to be getting softer, and Keyda looked over in fear that she was waking up.
"Wait…don't go yet…" she said, and Echo looked over in surprise. Keyda bit her lip.
"Last time we talked…I never got the chance to ask you…" she trailed off, not sure if Echo was even real…or if she would even be willing to answer the question she was dying to ask.
The horned Oni gave her a comforting smile. "Go ahead, Keyda."
"The Elder….he….he mentioned that you loved someone, once…"
Echo's expression clouded suddenly, as if remembering a bad memory.
"The Elder…" her tone had become bitter and Keyda frowned. Echo turned back to her.
"I did love someone once…in fact, I still love them." Her smile returned. "I wasn't as careful as I should have been, perhaps…but I fell in love with Antirock. A dragon." She leaned back on her hands. "You can imagine how that went down…"
Keyda smiled slightly.
"And I thought people were giving me a hard time…"
"It proved to be the decision that pulled everything apart." Echo admitted suddenly. "But even though it all went wrong…even though it felt like in the end I lost everything…it wasn't the end. Not really."
"So…you don't regret it?"
Echo gave her a resolute look.
"I regret some of the things that happened…but regret loving him? No. I never have."
Keyda let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding, and she sagged in relief.
"Did he ever act like an Idiot?"
Echo looked at her in surprise.
"Are you kidding? Of course he did. The more you learn, Keyda, the more you are going to realize that all men are idiots!"
They chuckled together and Echo reached out and grabbed Keyda's hand.
"I know the road has been rough…and it probably won't smooth out anytime soon…but you aren't alone, Keyda. He's going to be with you through it all, and you have allies rooting for you, even if they feel like they have to root in silence."
Keyda gave her a questioning look and realized with a shock that the world around them really was starting to fade. Echo gave her one last hug.
"You are doing better than you think you are…" she whispered, and Keyda closed her eyes as she clung to her. But the next moment, she was opening her eyes to a room streaked with sunlight, her teacup still in her hands.
The three days aren't…
Open it, Dorhn!
The voices mingled and woke Cole. He could hear the keys jangling in the door and tried to sit up. The world swirled around him and he grabbed his head until the dizziness passed. When he opened his eyes again he could make out Keyda's silhouette, arms crossed as she studied him. He gave her a side smile.
"Hey."
She didn't say anything, and he realized she was waiting for him to stand up. He rose slowly, leaning up against the wall behind him. He hoped that it just looked like he was trying to be unconcerned, not like he was trying to support himself so he didn't pass out.
"Have you learned your lesson yet?" she asked dryly as she watched him, and he chuckled.
"You know, I feel like I have…but…"
"Then are you ready to get out of here?"
The pain in his stomach was reason enough to readily agree. "Has it been three days already?"
"Well let's see…" Keyda seemed to be thinking. "There was all of yesterday…and the day before…and the whole night before that…" she shrugged. "So I'd say that was enough for this little 'infraction of the law'. And since I'm in charge, I guess I get to decide that." She gestured with her head. "C'mon."
He pushed himself off the wall, the dizzy spell having passed. He followed her out of the cell and past Dorhn. The guard gave him a stony look and Cole held his gaze as they passed. The dragon master went to follow them, but Keyda turned suddenly and fixed him with an intense glare.
"When I am with him, there is no reason for you to be. I'll inform you when you can resume your position."
There was another flicker of emotion across Dorhn's face, but he bowed his head in understanding and stepped back as Cole and Keyda made their way out of the dungeons. Cole was panting by the time they reached the top of the stairs; apparently when you didn't eat for two and a half days, you had next to no energy…
"I don't suppose we could stop by the kitchen?" Cole asked, though he had already decided he was heading there whether Keyda wanted to or not. She turned and raised an eyebrow and he tried to shrug nonchalantly.
"They hadn't given me breakfast yet!" he explained, and she rolled her eyes.
"You and your food…" she muttered, but she started heading towards the kitchen. Cole sagged in relief, both that she was willing to do so and that she hadn't asked about how much he had already eaten. Part of him was angry enough with Dorhn and Heavy Metal to tell her…but he wasn't sure what the repercussions of that would be. He was not a fan of either man, but he wasn't sure he really wanted them to be the target of Keyda's uncontrollable wrath.
His mouth began watering the second he could even smell the cooking food, and he really had to fight the instinct to take off running. They entered the kitchen and after a few moments a few slaves brought some fresh loaves and fruit. He tore into the bread-like food and Keyda watched, slightly amused.
"Someday I'm going to have to teach you proper eating etiquette… " she finally said. It reminded her of the first day she had met all the outsiders, and the Baron had thrown a large banquet for them. She wondered if any of them even realized how much food they had eaten…how much all of that would normally cost. They had wolfed it down…she still remembered the Baron's disgusted expression as he watched them.
"Can't help it…." Cole said with a wink, already feeling a lot better. She rolled her eyes again and headed for the door. She didn't enjoy lingering in the kitchen…it brought back too many memories. He followed close behind with his arms still full of food. They walked in silence for a while and Cole eventually finished the last of his breakfast. He sighed contently and looked over at her. Her expression seemed far away and he wondered if she was still mad at him.
"Keyds…" he started, and she seemed to be jerked out of whatever train of thought she had been lost in. She stopped walking and looked over at him.
"Wu visited yesterday…he heard about the assassination attempt."
"How is he?" Cole asked, not sure why she was bringing this up.
She shrugged. "Old and cryptic…so I assume the same as always." He smirked at that as she continued. "But you know, he agrees with me…you need to stop distancing yourself every time you're scared."
"What?" he sounded defensive. "I'm not…there isn't any…" he trailed off and then raised an eyebrow. "He agrees with you, huh?"
She poked him angrily.
"Yes. He does. Look...you had your little macho martyr moment…but we need to set some things straight for the future."
He frowned, studying her carefully. "The…future?"
"I'm afraid of losing you…and you're afraid of losing me. We've established that…so no more of this trying to take on the world on our own. We promised we would do that together, so from here on out we're together. Got it?"
He looked at her for a few moments and then smiled and took her hands.
"Got it."
She looked up at him for a moment and then scoffed.
"Good. Now you need to go get cleaned up. You smell awful."
He laughed but managed to pull off an affronted expression as well.
"Hey…that's not fair; I've been in jail!"
"All the more reason to clean yourself up," she repeated, and he rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah…anything else, your majesty?"
"Actually, yes." she said, ignoring his sarcasm as she started walking away. "Pack."
He gave a start. "Pack?!"
She glanced over her shoulder at him and smirked.
"Yeah…if we're going to Ninjago for two days, you might need a few things."
14
Heavy Metal was not pleased when Keyda told him, but she was still pretty upset with him and didn't care. He had been adamant that it would be impossible for her to leave the realm so close to the assassination attempt, but she argued that this would be the best time to do it. No one would really wonder or become suspicious if she disappeared from the public eye or refused to hold meetings with Oni leaders after one of them had tried to kill her. As it was, she hadn't held any meetings since the execution, besides the one with Wu. He had finally relented on the condition that she and Cole left without anyone knowing. So here they were, riding Cole's Elemental Guardian into the wilderness in the dead of the night.
Keyda loved the feeling of the wind rushing past them; she wrapped her arms tighter around Cole as they travelled out to some corner of the wilderness.
"Are you sure you're ok trying it this way?" the Elemental Master finally asked.
Keyda smiled, though she knew he couldn't see her.
"I suppose it would be a good skill to try to master…besides, it's not like we can rely on your Guardian here to be of help, what with him not able to realm jump…"
The Dragon beneath them rumbled and Cole patted its neck.
"She knows, she does…she's just prone to sarcasm…"
She scoffed. "And who did I learn that from?"
"Oh, don't you even try to blame me…you were caustic and sarcastic from the second I met you…"
"Just because nothing else gets through your thick head…"
The Dragon rumbled again and Cole was silent a moment. Keyda smiled in victory.
"See? Even the Dragon agrees…"
Cole turned to face her. "He does not…you can't even hear him anyways, so how would you even know?!"
"I don't need to hear him," she said smugly, and Cole just shook his head. The Dragon rumbled again.
"Shut up." Cole grumbled and Keyda's grin grew bigger.
After a little while longer the Gaurdian swooped down for a landing. Cole dismounted and helped Keyda down before turning to give the Guardian a stern look.
"You're supposed to be on my side…" he chastised quietly, but his Dragon looked undisturbed.
"C'mon, Idiot…leave him alone." Keyda said from a few yards away, and he shook his head as he grabbed their bags and headed over to where she was.
"You ready?" he asked, but she didn't answer for a few minutes as she stared up at the stars. She finally turned to him.
"Yeah…I guess I am."
"You don't have to do this if you don't want to…we can always go and ask Wu if…"
"No. I…I want to. And Heavy Metal isn't going to give me many opportunities…" she said. He pushed some hair out of her face; the wind from the Dragon ride had made their hair stick out every which way.
"Do you remember how you did it before?"
She hesitated, thinking back. She had thought about her realm jump many times and had had a few conversations with Wu about it.
"I was picturing Ninjago…and the memory just kept getting more vivid until I was there…" she trailed off and shrugged. "It's hard to explain, but I remember how it felt."
"And you're sure you're going to be ok?"
"You're such a worry-wort." she said, but her hands were trembling slightly.
"Keyds…"
"Shhh…" she snapped. "I'm trying to concentrate."
He fell quiet as aura began to stir around them, first in little fluttering rifts then in bigger gusts. He looked around warily. They really should have just gone to Wu.
Keyda could see Ninjago….her memories flicking between the desert, the floating temple, and the decimated temple ground where their battle had gone down. Her face contorted as she focused on the floating temple, trying to visualize one of the rooms…but her thoughts kept turning to the rooftop.
The winds picked up and she reached out a hand, eyes still closed. Cole shouldered their bags and grabbed her hand, unsure how this was going to turn out but trusting her.
The rooftop became more vivid as she remembered the emotions connected to that memory. There was that stirring feeling. She had a feeling that she was about to make the jump and had a sudden flash of fear that she wouldn't be able to bring Cole with her. She released his hand, choosing instead to hug him, and he blinked in surprise. He held her close as the winds became fiercer. Cole shut his eyes as the purple light became blinding, and there was a sudden flash. The Guardian huffed as he watched the aura disappear, the couple having seemingly evaporated into the night air.
Cole stirred to the sound of birdcall and realized it had been awhile since he had heard that. He had seen some bird like creatures in the Oni realm…but the dragons liked to eat them, and they never sang like in…
He opened his eyes and stared up at the blue sky filled with fluffy clouds and smiled broadly. He felt something stir and realized that he was embracing Keyda; she was still sleeping, her head on his chest. No doubt the jump wore her out, just as it had the first time. He was aware of something digging into his back and he realized as he looked around that there were shingles everywhere. He blinked in surprise. Why did she transport them to the roof?
He laid there for a while longer, enjoying the sun and birdcall and the sleeping Oni. But after a while the shingle in his back became unbearable and he sat up slowly. As he moved Keyda inhaled suddenly and opened her eyes, blinking in the sunshine.
"Mmmm….did it work?" she asked tiredly, and he smirked.
"Well…kinda…I mean, it's not quite Ninjago… and everything is upside down in this realm…"
Her eyes opened wide as she bolted upright.
"What?!"
She glanced around for a few seconds and turned back to glower at him.
"You're hilarious." she said sardonically and he chuckled.
"I am, aren't I?"
She slugged him and he rubbed it in mock-hurt.
"Ah, abuse! You're the one who landed us on the roof… but you don't see me punching you!"
"It's the only place that I felt like I could connect to," she said matter of factly. He shook his head and stood up, stretching out his sore back and aching muscles. He really couldn't wait to have real night's sleep in a real bed…
"Well, I guess we'll just have to climb down from here," he said. He walked to the edge of the roof and took a deep breath, grinning broadly as he turned to her.
"C'mon…smells like Zane's making breakfast."
Skylor laid out the last tray of sausages and the ninja all stared at the breakfast feast, mouths watering. Jay went to reach for a muffin but the redhead smacked his hand with a wooden spoon.
"Hold it, Zane and P.I.X.A.L aren't even here yet…"
"They're up in the observation room…who knows how long they'll be?" Jay whined, staring at the food as his stomach growled. Nya laughed next to him.
"Five minutes; even you can wait that long, Jay…"
"Speak for yourself," the ninja in blue muttered.
"Hey…is there enough for us?"
Everyone at the table turned in surprise at Cole's voice. He grinned broadly, seemingly proud of his ability to surprise them. Keyda stood next to him, holding his arm and looking just as emotionally closed off as ever as she faced the large group of people.
"Well, look who decided to visit!" Kai said as they all went over to give him a quick hug. They said hello to Keyda too…though no one tried to hug her. Jay especially kept his distance, not wanting to repeat past mistakes.
"Well, I made plenty, so you're free to join us," Skylor said as everyone met back at the table. A few seconds later Zane and P.I.X.A.L burst through the door.
"We've picked up a surge of Oni power…" Zane started, but stopped as his processors picked up Cole in the room. He smiled at his friend.
"You traveled here by Oni power rather than dragon, then…" Zane marveled. "How did it go?"
Cole shrugged. "You know, it went pretty well. Didn't even have to endure a dive-bombing dragon ride…"
"Are you sure it's really a good idea to be travelling by Oni?" Nya asked, dishing herself up now that Zane and P.I.X.A.L had arrived. Keyda bristled slightly.
"Hey, it worked, so I'm not complaining." Cole said, piling some sausages onto his and Keyda's plates. He looked around as he put the plate down. "Where are Lloyd and his parents?"
"Lloyd's at the prison." Skylor offered. "Garmadon's upstairs meditating, I think. Misako left a few weeks back for an archeological mission of some kind or another."
"Ah man." Cole said, stabbing one of the sausages. "I had a question for her…" he trailed off and then shrugged, turning to Zane instead.
"Maybe you could help me out with it, nindroid."
"What is it?" Zane asked, puzzled.
"I'll show you after breakfast," Cole explained. He dug into the food and nearly died of happiness. Oni food was fine and all; nice and…nutritious. But nothing beat good old team meals in Ninjago.
"This is so good," he pointed out, and turned to Skylor in gratitude. "When I smelled the cooking, I thought it was Zane…but I shoulda known it was from the owner of my favorite restaurant…"
"Well thanks," Skylor said, smiling as she collected a few empty plates and bowls. "Even without powers, I cook a mean meal…"
Keyda poked Cole. "Maybe you ought to have your friends teach you how to make a cake…"
Cole flushed and gave her a warning look, but Jay had already heard it.
"Oh no…did Cole try to cook?"
"Is the realm still standing?" Kai added as everyone chuckled.
"It explains why they had to come here…" Jay pointed out, mock serious. "No doubt there was a huge evacuation after he got done in the kitchen…"
"Ha, ha. Very funny." Cole said, looking irritated as everyone laughed. Even Keyda was laughing and he glared at her.
"I'm feeling a little betrayed…" he said, but she just laughed harder.
"You should have seen this thing…" she said, and everyone quieted to hear more of the story. "He made a brick! It was hard as a rock…"
"Harder than his thick head?" Jay asked, and Keyda made a point of looking at Cole's head, as if considering.
"Woah, that's enough." Cole said amidst the second wave of laughing. "I'll have you know it's really hard to cook with Oni ingredients, ok?"
"You didn't try to eat it, did you?" Nya asked, and Keyda rolled her eyes.
"I couldn't have even if I tried…"
"Well, word of warning, do not put anything Cole makes in your mouth," Jay warned. "At very least it will glue you mouth shut…at very worst he'll get arrested for assassination!"
Everyone laughed again, reliving memories, but Keyda grew sober. Cole glanced over at her and cleared his throat.
"Ok…enough about me and my cooking, alright?" He turned to his friend and changed the subject. "How's your internship been, Jay?"
"Oh it's been…" Jay suddenly trailed off as he glanced up at the clock. "Oh shoot; I'm gonna be late. This is your fault, boulder brain!" The Master of Lightning shoveled food into his mouth before running out of the room and up the stairs. A minute or so later he came running back down, wearing an oversized orange scarf with a bag over one shoulder.
"I'm sure Borg will understand!" Cole called as Jay shoved shoes on.
"He may look all cute and cuddly in the commercials in his little wheelchair…" Jay said, managing to pull on his other shoe. "But I'm telling ya, the man does not tolerate tardiness! See you all later!" Jay slammed the door but had to open it again to get the scarf out of the door. Cole chuckled to himself and turned back to the others.
"So what brings you both here, Cole?" Zane asked.
Cole took another bite. "We needed a vacation. Things were getting a little…tedious."
"Well, boring is better, in some circumstances," Zane pointed out with a smile.
"What kinds of things are you going to do?" Nya asked.
Cole glanced at Keyda, who seemed absorbed with finishing her eggs.
"Oh…I have a few ideas."
"Well it's my turn to cook tonight," Kai said as he helped Skylor clear dishes and pack up the leftovers. "So if you want food don't be late…"
"Noted." Cole said with a smile. The table was filled with other small talk and chatter as they asked Cole and Keyda questions about the Oni Realm. They tried to answer as generically and positively as possible, and soon everyone had finished eating.
"What was it you wanted to show me?" Zane asked.
"Oh, right…lemme go get it…" Cole said, running up the stairs to where he left his bag in his room. Keyda stood awkwardly, not sure what to do with him out of the room.
"How has everything with your powers been?" P.I.X.A.L asked, coming up to talk to her. Keyda swallowed, wishing that these people wouldn't ask so many questions.
"It's…it's a lot better." Keyda said, pushing her nightmares out of her head. "What about you? How have things been…"
She trailed off, realizing she knew nothing about what any of these people were up to. She huffed in annoyance. Oni didn't really do "small talk"… it was one of the things she liked best about her home realm.
Cole came back into the room and gestured for Zane to follow. P.I.X.A.L and Keyda tagged along as well, following them into a side room.
"There's this Healer in the first Realm…" Cole started out, unrolling a scroll onto a coffee table. "He has all of these scrolls…he says that they're histories…"
"How interesting…" Zane said as he studied the open scroll. "The Kanji is rather similar to our own…"
"Right? That's why I wanted to talk to Misako, figure out if she could do some historical digging and come up with more connections…but I figure a nindroid or two is the next best thing!"
Keyda stared at the random markings on the scroll and looked over at Cole.
"You never told me about this…"
He blinked as he realized she was right.
"I...guess with everything else I just forgot." he said. "I should have asked you…can you read this?"
She glanced back down at it and shook her head.
"No. It's too old; I only read Oni shorthand."
"What's that?"
She bristled.
"Just basic symbols; we never needed more than that as slaves."
Cole looked dumbfounded; it had never even occurred to him that she couldn't read. She seemed ready to change the subject as she looked back up at him.
"Why do you need to know what it says, anyways?"
Cole shrugged.
"I don't know…if it's close to Ninjago kanji then we could maybe translate it…and if we could translate it than we could find out more about the past. I guess…I've always been kinda interested in history."
Zane and P.I.X.A.L had been analyzing the writing as they spoke, and P.I.X.A.L turned to them.
"Zane and I can spend the next few days doing some digging at places known for their historical writing, and see if we can make a comparable alphabet…"
"You wouldn't mind?" Cole asked, and the robots looked at each other.
"We've been needing a new project." Zane admitted, rolling up the scroll.
"Well, that'd be great, actually." Cole said with a smile. He gestured to the scroll.
"Don't lose that…if I go home without it Phos will no doubt shave me bald…"
The others gave him weird looks and he smiled sheepishly.
"Is that one of those…'expressions' you are always referring to?" Zane finally asked, and Cole shrugged.
"Yeah…yeah something like that."
Keyda rolled her eyes; she would never understand these outsiders. Cole turned to her and smiled.
"So…are you ready for some sight-seeing?"
15
Cole held out a hand and Keyda took it, emerging from the sewers.
"Ok, that was the weirdest experience I've ever had…"
He laughed as he pushed the man-hole cover back into place.
"I'm serious, you have…snake…people living under you! And no one even cares?"
Cole shrugged, still smiling.
"Hey, people used to care, enough for there to be wars, but now we've met a certain kind of peace. To be honest I haven't seen any serpentine for years…I wasn't even really sure if Scales would come talk to us. But to be honest, I think he was as curious about you as you were of him…"
Keyda thought back to the blue snake and shivered; she could go the rest of her life without talking to the serpentine again and be content with that.
"So…we checked snake-people off the list," she said dryly as they walked down the streets of Ninjago hand-in-hand. "What's next? Ghosts?"
Cole looked like he was thinking.
"That one may be a little trickier…"
"What, don't know any ghosts?"
Cole gave her a sideways glance.
"It's not that I don't know one…it's that I'm not sure how social he's willing to be."
She stared at him and shook her head.
"You have the weirdest friends, you know that? So what else was it that you wanted to show me?"
They were wandering past a second-hand store, and Cole looked over and caught sight of a few coats hanging on the clearance rack. He smiled and went and pulled one off.
"Try this one." he prompted, holding it up. She raised one eyebrow.
"I get that's it's a little chilly, but I hardly think it warrants…."
"No, trust me, I think you'll want it," he pressed, and she rolled her eyes and pulled off the scarf around her shoulders and handed it to him before pulling on the coat.
"Happy?" she asked, looking over at him, and he stepped back to get the full view.
"Looks nice," he commented, and she rolled her eyes. He went inside and paid for the coat and then came back out to join her.
"What…so you don't need one?" she asked crossly.
"I got my long sleeves on," Cole said looking down at his arms. "Besides…I've lived here long enough to know what 'cold' feels like…but you've lived your whole life in hot weather…"
"Oh, so you just think I can't handle it…"
He grinned, as if he found her defensiveness funny.
"I'm sure you could handle it Keyda…I just didn't want you to have to." He formed his elemental Dragon and Keyda climbed on with him.
They flew a while in silence. The further they flew, the colder the air became, and she was grudgingly grateful that the Idiot made her wear a coat. She hugged him against the chilled wind rushing past.
"This is the same Dragon as in the first Realm…" she pointed out. "I thought…"
"It's not really real," Cole said, and she shook her head, confused.
"We're riding on it, how can it not be real!?"
"No…I mean…" Cole trailed off, trying to figure out how to explain his elemental dragon. "It's connected to the guardian back in the other realm…but it's not a real dragon. It's formed from my elemental power."
"So this one can't talk to you?"
"Nope. I've never had this one talk to me."
She looked down at the beast beneath them and frowned. She had seen Cole form it several times today and she still really didn't understand how it was possible to make and dissolve something so physical just with elemental powers…
A freezing wind hit, and she gasped and held tighter. She had never felt cold like this before…how could the Idiot be taking this with nothing on but long sleeves?!
The Dragon dove suddenly and she closed her eyes. She still hated when they did that. She heard a weird crunching noise and opened her eyes to look around. She blinked in surprise. They seemed to be surrounded by some strange white material…
"What on earth…."
Cole turned back to her and grinned.
"You know, I figured you'd never seen snow before…"
"Snow." She repeated blankly. After staring at the white stuff on the ground she suddenly slid off the dragon to get a closer look. Her feet landed in the substance and she sank in, ankle deep.
"AH, it's COLD!" She gasped as Cole's dragon dissolved and he landed next to her.
"Shoot…forgot boots…" he said sheepishly and scooped her up out of the snow. She shuddered at the icy chill in her feet and hurried to brush the residual powder off them. She frowned as she looked at her wet hand.
"What…."
"Snow is just water…really cold, frozen water…"
"I thought frozen water was ice."
"Well, snow is kinda like ice, like, billions of tiny little ice-flakes…I guess."
She shook her head as he tromped through the snow.
"Why is there snow here, and not everywhere else?"
"We're pretty far north; it snows here first." He looked around at the birch trees lining the woods. "Fun fact, Zane actually grew up somewhere in these woods…"
"Grew up? How does a metal person grow-up, exactly?"
"Ok, ok…he was built somewhere around here…better?"
She opened her mouth to answer, but she forgot what she was going to say when she spotted a little fleck of white drifting past. She looked up as more flecks floated down.
"What's going on?"
He paused and looked around before smiling softly.
"It's snowing…" he explained. He noticed a large flat boulder sticking up out of the ground and set her down gently. She hardly glanced at him as the flakes came down in a thicker flurry. She held up her hands to catch the fat white flakes, eyes wide in wonder. She had all but forgotten the cold in her feet as the world around became speckled in white. Even the silence around them felt…softer.
"It's beautiful." she murmured. Cole came up next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Yeah…"
The snow fell for a while longer, but eventually it slowed and stopped. The clouds moved on, and rays of sunlight found their way into the wood, creating dappled glittering spots on the new fallen snow.
Keyda was shivering now, and Cole could feel it.
"Alright…probably time to go somewhere warmer…" he said, but she ignored him as she knelt down to scoop both hands into the snow. She stared at it closely, marveling at the intricate tiny patterns. Eventually she was forced to drop it as it melted through her fingers and made her hands ache and go numb. She felt something strike her shoulder and looked over in surprise to see Cole a few yards away with a mischievous look. She glanced down at the shoulder of her new coat to see a wet spot seeping in and what looked like a mangled ball of snow on the ground.
"Did you just…" she trailed off as she dodged another ball that he lobbed at her. She shook her head, incredulous, as she stood up. Within seconds she had formed a large ball of power and he held his hands up in defense.
"NO….you're supposed to use snow!" He cried out, and she raised an eyebrow.
"Says who?"
"Says…the laws of the snowball fight!"
She made the power ball a little bigger and he shook his head in defeat.
"Alright, alright…you win. Geez…"
Keyda let the powerball dissolve, smiling at her victory while Cole tromped back over. Her hands were feeling a lot warmer after using them to make the aura ball and Cole grabbed her around the waist to pull her close.
"You are a cheater," he chastised, and she rolled her eyes.
"You're such a baby."
"A baby?! You threatened me with a huge ball of Hatred!"
"I was just warming my hands…"
He smirked down at her.
"Oh, uh-huh…sure…"
She raised an eyebrow at him and he leaned down to kiss her. After a few moments a cold wind whipped through the forest and she shuddered. He pulled back, looking sheepish.
"Time to go somewhere to warm up…" he said. "I really shouldn't have brought you somewhere cold; you just got over being sick."
She snuggled into him.
"I'm fine, Idiot. I can handle it, remember?"
He hugged her, trying to warm her up.
"Nah, come on. Let's go find a hot cup of tea." He offered. She looked up at him.
"Is your Dad home?"
He pulled back, confused.
"My Dad? I don't know; why?"
"We should go see him, since we're here."
"Well yeah… if he's not off practicing somewhere I guess he'd appreciate the visit." he continued giving her a strange look. "The fact that you want to see my Dad is a little odd…"
"Nah, we bonded while you were dead. We're really good friends," she said, enjoying the almost queasy look on his face.
"You…what? You're friends with my dad?"
"Why is that so surprising?"
He just stared at her a little longer and finally laughed.
"Well, let's go see if Pop is home, then."
Lou was home, and he opened the door with a mix of surprise and excitement.
"Cole! And Keyda too…" He took in the heavily bundled Oni and raised an eyebrow. "Been somewhere cold then?"
"We were checking out the snow over in the Birchwood forest." Cole responded as Lou ushered them in.
"Ah…then I'll go get a pot of tea started…" the performer said, headed to the kitchen. Keyda removed her coat and Cole took it to hang it up. He removed her scarf, which he had been wearing through their trip to Birchwood and handed it back to her. She wandered over to a nearby table laden with trophies as she rewrapped her scarf.
"Hey…is this you?"
Cole came over and smiled at the picture she was pointing at.
"Yeah…the team and I had to compete to win that trophy...I won it with the triple tiger sashay."
She looked over at him in surprise. "The what-now?"
"The triple-tiger sashay!" Lou said, coming in from the kitchen. "It's the most difficult dance move to complete…and as far as I'm aware Cole's the only one who's ever done it…"
"Um…I have no idea what any of that means." Keyda admitted dryly.
Lou waved a hand as if that didn't really matter.
"That's alright…Cole can just show you…"
Cole face-palmed. "Dad…I can't just…"
"Now he's just being modest…" Lou whispered loudly to Keyda behind one hand. Cole gave him a withering look but now Keyda looked intrigued.
"Come on, Cole…" she said with a mischievous smile, and his father gave him a triumphant look as Cole glared at her.
"Soooonn…."
Cole sighed heavily. "Fine. But I'll need some of your furniture…"
About five minutes later Keyda and Lou were seated, with Cole facing a few tables of differing heights. He wore a determined look, calculating. After a few moments, he ran at the furniture and Keyda blinked in surprise as he did a series of flips across the tables. He landed and straightened and Lou stood up clapping.
"Ah, you still got it!" he said proudly as a tea kettle whistled in the kitchen. He excused himself as Cole came over, smiling at his ability to still stick the landing. Keyda didn't look as impressed.
"What the heck was that?"
Cole blinked.
"That was the triple tiger sashay…" he blew some hair out of his face. "You're the one who wanted to see it!"
She stood, shaking her head.
"Well no wonder no one else has ever done it…no one else would ever be caught dead doing something so ridiculous…"
Cole made an indigent noise, folding his arms.
"You have no appreciation for the arts," he pointed out mock-bitterly. She rolled her eyes and he continued. "I'm telling you, if you knew dancing, you'd know that that particular move…"
"Does Keyda not know dancing?!"
Lou looked aghast as he entered with a tray of tea. Cole gave Keyda a sideways glance.
"Now you're gonna get it…" he warned, and she narrowed her eyes in reply. Lou walked over and set the tray down before heading to his phonograph. Keyda helped herself to a cup of tea, watching Lou warily as he flipped through a few flat black disks. He finally selected one and put it on the strange table with a large…something coming out of it.
Lou positioned the needle over the vinyl and after a few seconds music started playing. Keyda blinked in surprise at the sudden light melody and Lou turned with a sparkle in his eye.
"Cole, move that furniture out of the way…" Lou said, and Cole sighed as he saw where his father was going.
"Dad…"
"C'mon, we don't have all day!" Lou pressed. Cole knew the song well enough; it was his mother's favorite waltzing melody. He wanted to dig his heels in further, but his father had such a hopeful look in his eyes that he finally just relented with a sigh. He pushed the tables out of the way, clearing an open space in the living room. Lou turned and gestured for Keyda to join them. She responded by crossing her legs from her position on the couch, nursing her tea.
"Come on, Keyda…" Lou urged again, and she glanced over at Cole. He just shrugged.
"Hey, don't look at me…your best friend is beckoning."
She glared at him, but Lou had come up to her and grabbed one hand, helping her to her feet. She had no idea what he wanted from her…but if it looked anything like what Cole had just done…
"I'll take that…" Lou said, taking her cup of tea from her. She tried to protest, but he waved it off.
"Just humor me for a few minutes, Keyda…" he said, pushing her over to where Cole was standing. He was over at the phonograph in the next second, starting the song over and looking at them expectantly.
Keyda whispered out of the corner of her mouth.
"What exactly is he waiting for us to do?"
"I believe he wants a waltz…" he murmured back, and she shook her head.
"What the heck is a…"
"You're the one who wanted to visit my Dad…" he reminded. Lou was shaking his head.
"C'mon son, don't tell me you've forgotten how to waltz…."
"Couldn't you just tell me what dancing is?" Keyda pleaded, turning back to the mustached man. He shook his head.
"Why tell when you can feel!"
Keyda turned back to Cole, glowering.
"I regret this decision," she muttered, and he laughed.
"C'mon," he said, taking both of her hands as he led her to the center of the space. "It won't be that bad, promise."
He positioned one of her arms on his shoulder and held the other in his hand.
"Cole…I don't think…" she tried again, but he put a hand around her waist and pulled her close.
"He's not gonna let us leave until we try," he said with a wink, and she sighed, irritated by how amused he looked. "It's easier than you think…just walk in a box."
She gave him a baffled and annoyed look and he showed her what he meant. She stumbled through the steps a few times, and Lou hovered nearby, giving pointers. Keyda was feeling a little ridiculous, not sure what they were doing or why…
"We can stop, if you want…" Cole whispered, seeing her becoming more frustrated. Her eyes flashed.
"If you can do it, Idiot…" she started, and he nodded his understanding.
"Alright, Keyds…if you're sure…"
Lou had started the song over for a third time when it finally seemed to click for her. Cole's grin broadened as she finally became confident enough with the steps to look up at him.
"Alright…we're walking in a box now…" she said dryly as they waltzed slowly around the room. "Is this it, then?"
"Nah…this is where things get fun…"
Keyda cried out as he suddenly picked her up by the waist and began twirling her around.
Lou had wandered over to the couch, where he sat with a steaming cup of tea. He smiled as Keyda's demands to be put down dissolved into laughter. The look on his son's face caused him to sigh contentedly; he hadn't seen Cole that happy dancing in a long time. He sipped his tea as the vinyl slowly played out and the light faded in the windows.
They didn't make it home in time for dinner, but after chastising them for their tardiness, Kai revealed that he had, in fact, saved them some leftovers. Before they ate, Keyda went upstairs to drop off her coat next to the rest of the stuff she had brought. A smile played at her lips as she thought about the events of the day.
"Oh…"
A voice interrupted her thoughts and she looked up to see Garmadon making his way down the stairs. She stopped dead, the smile disappearing.
"I…heard that you had come to visit…" he started, but the look she gave him in return was hard and stony. She pushed past him without saying anything and left him on the stairs, sighing and shaking his head as he continued his descent. She tore her coat off, throwing it at her bag as she readjusted the scarf. She had forgotten that Garmadon was part of this team in Ninjago. All the bad things that had happened…they were technically all behind them. But she still hadn't forgotten what he had done, and she didn't plan to anytime soon.
Cole reheated their dinners as he waited for Keyda to come back downstairs.
"There you are…"
He looked up to see Jay coming in, bag still over his shoulder from his internship. Cole frowned; hadn't Jay gotten back from that hours ago?
"What'd you got there?" he asked, and Jay smiled slyly as he pulled something out. Cole recognized it as the inter-realm communication device that Jay had introduced a while back.
"It's ready for preliminary testing." Jay explained. "Borg and I were wondering if you'd take it back with you…that way we can see if it really works!"
"Oh…um…" Cole said as Jay handed him the device. "I'm not sure that that would be a great idea, Jay…there are still plenty of Oni who think I'm some kind of spy. If they knew that I was talking to people here…"
"But there's no other way to test it!" Jay complained. When he saw Cole's continued unsure expression he sighed. "What if you just took it with you and gave it to Wu? Would that work? Then it wouldn't be anywhere near the Oni…"
Cole thought about it.
"Yeah, I guess that would work. I'll put it with my stuff…" he said, placing the strange object in his pocket.
"Just be careful with that…" Jay warned. "We don't have many prototypes made…"
"Ah…having your super secret prototype talk again?"
Nya sauntered into the room, eyebrow raised, and Jay winked.
"Shhhh, as far as Borg knows, no one knows anything…"
"I'm not going to tell anyone, Jay….sheesh." Nya looked over at Cole. "Where's Keyda?"
"Putting some stuff upstairs." Cole said as he tested the heat in the stew and stirred it. "Hey Nya, do you have any idea where I could get some vengestone?"
"Vengestone? Why do you want vengestone?"
"Is Keyda getting that out of control?" Jay joked, and Cole gave him a withering look.
"No. It's…for a project of mine back at the first realm."
"Does it have anything to do with that old scroll you gave Zane?" Nya asked, curious.
"Um, kinda. Anyways, do you happen to have any, or…"
"No, I don't…but you could always go and see Ronin. He has all kinds of odds and ends."
Cole thought about it as he ladled out two bowls of the re-heated stew. He wanted some kind of arm-band or ring. nbbb Nya was right; if anyone was going to have that sort of thing, it would be Ronin. He just hated the thought of having to buy anything from that guy.
"Yeah, Ok. I'll go see him tomorrow sometime…"
"See who?"
Keyda had come in and she came over to stand next to Cole. He gave her his classic side-smile and handed her a bowl.
"Ronin; the guy with the flying machine from before. He might have some vengestone we could get for…" he trailed off. It was strange; it wasn't like he couldn't trust his friends with the fact that Hershel had powers…but explaining how he got them would require explaining a lot of things that would just make them worry more than anything. Luckily, Keyda got the gist and nodded.
"Alright…we can go first thing tomorrow, if you want…"
"Actually, why don't you just make Cole run the errands and stay and hang out with the rest of us?" Nya prompted suddenly. Everyone else turned to her in surprise, but she ignored their looks. "Honestly it would be kinda fun to get to know you better…even Jay'll be home from interning tomorrow. What do you say?"
"Um…I'd…rather not." Keyda said, glancing over at Cole. He gave her a little smile.
"That's fine…"
"No, I'm with Nya." Jay cut in. "I mean you guys already spend all day everyday with each other…this may be one of our only chances to get to know you. Who knows when you will be willing to visit again?"
Keyda narrowed her eyes, but then even Cole spoke up.
"It might be nice for you to get to know everyone a little better….in a situation where lives aren't on the line and bad guys aren't seconds away from destroying the world."
Keyda sighed and looked at him with an unamused expression.
"How long would you be gone?" she finally asked. He shrugged.
"Not long; I think Ronin lives pretty close to here now that he and my Dad are working on plays together. It would be less than an hour."
The Oni leader still didn't really want to…but she also had this underlying feeling that it was important to Cole that she get along with his friends. He had never come right out and said it, but…
"Fine." she said, resigned, and Jay and Nya shared a triumphant look. "You can have one hour."
"Well, I don't know about the rest of you…but I'm excited about tomorrow!" Jay said, and his tone made Keyda regret ever agreeing to it at all.
Keyda was on the couch, wishing Cole had stayed up a little longer with her…but he had been falling asleep during their conversation and she finally just sent him to bed. He had offered her his bed, saying he didn't mind sleeping on the couch, but she had insisted he go get a good's night rest. He was, after all, the one who spent the last few days sleeping on the ground in a cell. Besides, it was only for one night.
She shuddered slightly when she thought about going back to the first realm. The feel of this realm was different…homier. For all the times Cole had told her about Ninjago being in danger or under attack, it still felt leagues safer than her own realm, where people tried to assassinate her in her own bedroom. She sighed loudly, trying to clear her head so she could fall asleep. It just felt like there was so much to think about these days.
Zane and P.I.X.A.L got back late. She gave him a kiss before heading to the room she shared with Nya, and Zane went upstairs to make sure everything was good with their surveillance system. He set down the bag with their findings on the scroll down by one of the computers, and after checking a few monitors and browsing the surveillance information, he felt satisfied enough to go to bed.
He was headed out the door when an alarm sounded, and he poked his head back in with a frown. The alarm was showing an increase in Oni power nearby…but how was that possible? He checked the stats and raised his eyebrows when he realized that the power source seemed to be inside the temple a few levels below them. It had to be Keyda…what on earth was she doing?
Zane made his way down the stairs towards the alcove where she was staying, wary of what he would find. His scanners were honing in on the aural disturbance, and he knocked on the door to her room. He frowned, unsure of what to do…but his processors were showing that the disturbance was only getting worse. Whatever she was doing, she was going to do damage to the temple if she didn't stop. He scanned through the door and was surprised to see that it appeared that Keyda was lying on the couch, sleeping. He pushed the door open to a swirling aural storm, with Keyda tossing and turning in her sleep. He looked around in confusion and alarm; it seemed she was having a reaction to a nightmare, but such a reaction could have disastrous consequences.
"Keyda! Keyda!"
He started by calling her name softly, but he raised his voice as the aural storm continued. After a few more times yelling her name she finally seemed to snap out of it, and she sagged suddenly as she blinked awake.
"Where…." she started, and caught sight of the wary looking robot a few yards away. She felt a jolt of panic as she looked up and saw the remains of an aural storm fading away.
"Are…are you ok?" Zane asked hesitantly, coming closer. She felt humiliated as she realized what had happened.
"I'm…fine." she said unconvincingly. "It was only a dream…"
"Do you have these reactions often?" Zane asked, and she refused to meet his eye.
"Not too often." she said quietly, and his frown deepened.
"Have you talked to Wu about…"
"I haven't really talked to anyone about them," she snapped, and Zane blinked at her tone. She sighed before speaking again, softer. "I'll get the hang of them…eventually. I mean, I have a tea that helps, but I forgot it…" she trailed off as he continued to look at her, concerned.
"You won't tell Cole, will you?" she finally asked, and he tilted his head.
"Does he not know?"
"I think he knows I'm having nightmares...but he's such a worry wort, if he knew how bad they were…" she shook her head, fixing Zane with a determined look. "You can't tell him. He's got enough to worry about, without this…"
"Enough to worry about?" Zane felt uneasy as he began to realize that there was a lot about life in the first realm that they hadn't told him and his friends. "What's been happening?"
"Nothing." Keyda's tone made it clear she didn't want to talk about it…or anything else for that matter. "Just don't tell the Idiot, ok? When I get back…there's someone I can go see for help with controlling my powers. I just haven't gone yet."
"Alright." Zane finally said. The truth was none of this was his business, though he would have liked to press for more details. "I won't tell him, but I still think you should."
She bit her lip and didn't respond. Zane looked at the ground, unsure of what else to say.
"Are you going to be ok? Can I get you tea, or anything?"
"I'm fine." she said quickly, flashing him a hint of a smile. "Sorry to wake you…you can go back to bed now."
"I wasn't ever asleep." Zane assured. She didn't reply and he knew she probably just wanted to be left alone now. He headed to the door, giving her one last look before leaving her alone.
"Goodnight, Keyda…"
"Goodnight." she replied quietly, and he shut the door. She huddled under the borrowed blanket, pretty sure she wouldn't get much more sleep that night.
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