Nicki's Story
26
Keyda didn't like the way the dragon was looking at her, but at least he seemed resigned to the fact that he couldn't kill her. She supposed that was going to have to be good enough for now.
Up to this point, she had accepted the fact that the Baron would eventually catch up with them, kill the outsiders, and possibly her as well. There were no other options. But now…sure, this dragon was part of a legend that represented the biggest threat to Oni-kind…but it also stirred up foreign emotions within her. Like hope. If these outsiders could find the other dragons, then maybe…just maybe…they could destroy the Iron Baron. It was a concept that had always been too impossible to consider, but now that it was just that bit more possible she couldn't help but think that maybe she would help these colorful idiots after all. She looked over at the group of them right as the one in red suddenly began freaking out, squirming and yelling and jumping around. She shook her head, slightly amused; they sure needed all the help they could get.
"A BUG?! Down my shirt…are you kidding me?" Kai yelled, looking around for the culprit. That's when Keyda noticed a ghost of a smile on the child's face. It was gone almost as quickly as it came, but all the random attacks on the outsiders over the past few days suddenly made sense.
She found herself laughing in spite of herself, and the child gave her a guilty smile. Kai glared at her.
"Are you serious? Why would you even do that?"
She held her hands up. "No way, hot-head. I had nothing to do with that."
"Then what's so funny?" Cole was looked at her curiously.
The child winked at her, and she chuckled again.
"Nothing. Just how stupid you all are." she said, regaining her deadpan expression. The other ninja seemed to shrug off her answer, but she caught the Idiot still staring at her.
"What?!" she asked, amusement replaced by irritation. Cole held up his hands in defense.
"Nothing…it's just…um…I've never seen you laugh before." he finished awkwardly, rubbing his hair with one hand and not meeting her eyes.
She looked at him for a minute.
"Yeah…which I suppose is impressive, considering how laughable you all are." she said, stone faced. She turned and walked away.
Cole watched her go and didn't notice that Kai and Jay were right beside him.
"Oooo….I'm beginning to see why you really wanted to bring her along…" Jay teased. Cole glared at him.
"Shut up Jay." he turned to go help Zane…do whatever he was doing.
"I don't know, Cole. I mean, she's kind of pretty when her eyes aren't filled with murderous hatred…" Kai added, joining in on Jay's fun.
"Huh, well, maybe you should tell her you feel that way." Cole said, brushing off his friends and heading to Zane. Kai and Jay continued to chuckle and fist-bumped.
Meanwhile Keyda was staring at the rising sun. She had so many emotions within her, it was driving her insane. Life was a lot simpler when she only had fear and loathing. She touched her face. Was she….smiling?
Suddenly a sound echoed over the rocky terrain, and her smile disappeared. She recognized those horns.
She began running back to the group.
"We have to go! NOW!
Everyone looked at her in shock.
"Don't you get it? Those are the Baron's battle horns—he's on his way and he brought his army!"
Survivors
Lloyd watched Nya pace the span of the dojo for at least the 20th time.
"I'm telling you, I'm sure she's fine!" he assured, trying to sound confident. Nya didn't look too sure.
"She's been gone all night Lloyd! What if something happened? How would we ever even know? I knew we should never have…"
Footsteps on the staircase caused them to both look up. P.I.X.A.L walked into the room, looking exhausted. Nya reached her first with Lloyd close behind.
"Oh, Pix! Thank goodness! Are you alright?" Nya asked, looking at her android friend as if she expected to find some injury. P.I.X.A.L gave her a small smile.
"I am fine, Nya. I was able to locate Cyrus Borg, and he gave me a mega processor." She pulled the piece out of her pocket and Nya grabbed it in disbelief.
"You did it! Oh Pix, you're incredible!" she said. Lloyd noticed that P.I.X.A.L didn't look as excited about the job well done.
"Are you alright, P.I.X.A.L?" he asked, and Nya clued in on their friend's melancholy air as well.
"Did something happen?"
P.I.X.A.L looked lost in thought. "It's nothing…really." Suddenly she looked up, remembering.
"Cyrus Borg said that we must be very careful in applying the processor, because even though it will give us valuable information, it may also allow Harumi and the others to locate us because they have taken Borg Tower for themselves…"
"What?!" Nya and Lloyd spoke at nearly the same time. P.I.X.A.L quickly filled them in on her visit to the Borg towers.
"What would Harumi want with a technology tower?" Lloyd muttered as P.I.X.A.L finished her update. "Just the prestige?"
"I'm afraid that isn't all…" P.I.X.A.L's eyes were downcast as she related her run in with Mr. E. For whatever reason, the whole situation made her feel ashamed.
"I stayed out the rest of the night…just to be sure that he didn't follow me. I only came back when I was 100% certain I was alone." she concluded.
Nya shuddered.
"I can't believe that guy can talk. He always creeped me out…"
"P.I.X…it isn't true what he said." Lloyd added, noticing that P.I.X.A.L was still staring at the ground. She sighed in return and sat down.
"You both knew Zane for a long time, correct?"
Nya and Lloyd looked at each other, a little baffled by the change in direction. Lloyd took a seat next to her, and Nya followed suit.
"Yeah, I knew him ever since Kai and I joined up with the group." Nya said, and Lloyd nodded.
"I mean, I didn't know him as long at Nya…but it was a while." He grew quiet, suddenly lost in memories.
"Why do you ask?" Nya prompted, and P.I.X.A.L looked up at her.
"In all that time…did he ever…malfunction?"
Nya and Lloyd both started laughing, as memories of Zane's many malfunctions came to mind.
"Well, you know, it seemed like if it wasn't one thing it was another…I'll never forget when Jay programmed him to talk like a pirate," Nya said, giggling.
"Wait…when did Jay do that?" Lloyd asked, but Nya waved him off.
"But Pix, you were in his head for all those moments. You've seen him malfunction plenty of times."
"I suppose those kinds of malfunctions, yes. But did he ever…go against his programming?"
Neither friend knew what to say…they weren't even sure what P.I.X.A.L was asking. She tried again.
"Zane was specifically programmed to protect those who cannot protect themselves…did he ever malfunction and go against that programming?"
"Well…there was one time when he was briefly affected by the Overlord…" Lloyd said, "But I don't think he ever hurt anyone at the time. Other than that…I can't think of any…"
"And yet, I have done so multiple times now." P.I.X.A.L sounded devastated. Nya touched her arm.
"P.I.X.A.L…"
"I attacked you shortly after meeting you, Nya. I was used to attack innocent people... children. While I was within Zane I never had any of those problems, but after becoming Samurai X I was again used to hurt people. I knocked the Bounty out of the sky…" she seemed to fold inward. "I could have killed someone…"
"But Pix…" Lloyd tried, but she cut him off as well.
"What is it that made Zane so infallible and yet makes me so vulnerable? By all logic, I should get away from you both because just my being here is a liability…"
"P.I.X.A.L." Nya was using her angry voice now. "You are not a liability. It's true that things have affected you in the past…but you aren't the only one. The Overlord turned me into a crazy psycho puppet and made me attack my friends."
"Remember when I was possessed by Morro? I had no control over what I did either." Lloyd chimed in. "But the scars of the past can't make us worry about the fights of today."
"Perhaps you are right…but the Overlord and Morro are both now defeated…whereas the people who controlled me are still at large. I would never forgive myself if they were able to do so again…"
"Then we will just make sure that doesn't happen." Nya stood abruptly. "You are one of us, Pix, and you're not going anywhere." She held up the mega processor. "Now, who's going to help me install this bad boy?"
27
The ninja rushed over to the two dragons, but the Maroon dragon took off before any of them could mount it. That just left Jay's dragon, which struggled as it hoisted the six of them into the air.
"I know, I know…it's rough but we've got no better options!" Jay yelled at his dragon. Kai looked at Zane.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that Jay's dragon complains almost as much as he does…"
Wu was holding onto Zane for support. He called up to Jay.
"We need to find the rest of the Elemental dragons! Ask him if he knows where they are!"
Jay looked down at his dragon, then back at the child.
"He says that if we want to seek out the rest of the harnesses, we have to go to Dragon Haven…"
"Where the heck is Dragon Haven?" Kai yelled, trying to be heard over the battle horns. They seemed to be getting louder.
"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW? I'm just repeating what he's telling me!"
"Just tell him to take us there, Jay!" Cole yelled, turning around. There was dust on the horizon and he could make out the first line of land dragons.
Jay paused a moment, as if listening.
The swift land dragons were coming closer by the minute. The over-burdened guardian was going to be overrun if they didn't do something quick.
"HE SAYS HE CAN'T!" Jay's voice screamed.
Kai shot fire at a passing land formation, knocking huge chunks out that he hoped would slow the Baron's forces down. "WHY NOT?!"
"Because he would never take an Oni there." It was Keyda who answered from her perch next to Cole. He looked at her, concerned.
"Yeah! What she said!" Jay called from the front. "…Apparently it's a no-Oni zone!"
Cole opened his mouth to say something, but the Baron's magically amplified voice cut him off. Despite his voice being incredibly loud, it still sounded as calm and silky poisonous as ever.
"OUTSIDERS…WE WILL SOON OVERRUN YOU. IF YOU WANT ANY CHANCE AT SURVIVING, YOU WILL TURN OVER THE CHILD."
"It seems he is onto Wu's identity…" Zane noted. Keyda looked over at the small child, who looked surprisingly calm. She knew there was something off about him! She looked behind her as the army approached and her heart sank. There went any hope she might have had. Cole noticed her expression.
"Keyda…it's gonna be alright…"
"NO…you idiot, it's not going to be alright. The Baron is here. He won. This dragon isn't going to get us out of here." she moved towards the edge of the dragon. "I'm just as dead down there as up here…" Cole grabbed her arm.
"No…we'll figure something out!"
She looked at him vacantly and shook her head.
"Don't be an imbecile."
And with that she pulled her arm from his grasp as she jumped off the dragon.
The rest of the ninja watched blankly as she fell, landing on top of a rock formation she must have been aiming for. Then, rather unconsciously, they all looked at Cole. He was staring at where she had landed in shock.
Kai snapped out of it first.
"OK Jay, tell him to get us there now!"
"HE SAYS HE STILL CAN'T" Jay yelled, having entered full panic mode. The Oni army was getting closer…
"WHAT?! WHY?"
"BECAUSE THE ONI ARE TOO CLOSE AND HE CANT RISK THEM FOLLOWING US!"
Jay's panic was infecting the rest of his companions. Even Wu looked at a loss for what to do.
Cole stood up on the dragon, looking over the edge for something to land on.
"ARE YOU CRAZY?! JUST LET HER GO!" Jay screamed at him, while Wu grabbed his leg.
"This isn't about her, guys. This about putting space between you and the Baron." He locked on a target.
"Cole, you cannot defeat them all on your own…we will come with you and let Wu get to the safety of the Dragon Haven…" Zane said, but Cole shook his head.
"I don't have to defeat them; I just have to buy you some time. The rest of you have dragon harnesses to find; you all need to get to that haven."
"SO DO YOU, BOULDER BRAIN!" Jay screamed. Sometimes he wished it was possible to knock sense into his friend's thick skull.
Cole looked down at Wu, still holding his leg. The small master knew that Cole had a point, but he didn't look happy about it. Cole smiled.
"Then I guess you'll all have to come back for me." And with that, he jumped.
Survivors
Nya wasn't one to lose. She gave another battle cry as she launched herself at her opponent, who dodged nimbly out of the way.
"You're going to have to try harder than that, Nya."Skylor smirked.
"I'm not losing to someone who's been spending all her time making noodles for the past few years," she retorted, launching water at the amber-dressed restaurant owner. Skyler flipped out of the way once again.
"See, that's what's going to get you in trouble. Assuming I spend all my time with noodles."
She used a dummy as a springboard and launched herself at the water ninja, who was only barely avoided the attack.
"I see what you mean," Nya panted. Suddenly, an arrow flew past their faces. They turned to see P.I.X.A.L standing with her bow.
"Sorry…but I needed to catch your attention. Misako wants to see us."
The three girls made their way into Misako's room, which was full of scrolls and books that she had asked Skylor to scrounge up for her. Lloyd was already in there, waiting.
"Good, you're all here." Misako started. "I think I've found a way to defeat Garamdon and Harumi." She pulled out a scroll with a picture of a white dragon and a dark colored figure.
"The dragon and the Oni." Lloyd commented, recognizing the picture. Misako nodded.
"The power that brought Garmadon back…and the power that he is currently wielding…is dark Oni magic. It is incredibly powerful, but can be combatted by its opposing force." she gestured to the dragon on the picture.
"But where are we going to get a dragon?" Nya asked, "We haven't even been able to conjure our energy dragons for months!"
"Yes…with the rising force of Oni magic in Ninjago, the opposing dragon force has been forced into decline." Misako explained. "Which explains the absence of both Lloyd's Ultra Dragon and your energy dragons."
"Ok…so how do we combat that?" Lloyd didn't really know where his mom was going with this.
"Based on the research I've done, I feel confident that if we were to destroy the three Oni masks that were used to bring your father back, we could disrupt the overbalance of Oni power and make it possible for you to summon your dragon again." here she turned to Nya.
"Though it makes logical sense, it does seem like a long shot…" P.I.X.A.L pointed out.
"It's also the only shot we seem to have." Skylor added, and the android had to admit that she was correct.
"Alright, new plan: get the masks." Nya said determinedly. "Then we can figure out how to destroy…"
"LLOYD GARMADON…"
The sudden voice echoed throughout the dojo, cutting Nya off. The group looked at each other in panic….it was Harumi.
28
Keyda watched him fall, incredulous. She had told him not to be an imbecile. Did he ever listen? No. He hit the rock formation hard but was on his feet quickly, scurrying down the side at an impressive rate. She watched him run into the open space that the Army was now heading for.
What was he doing? This was a whole next level of stupid, even for him.
She crouched down on her own formation as she watched. Her hope was that by abandoning the doomed outsiders she could hide up here unnoticed until…
Until what?
She realized with frustration that she didn't even have anything to survive for. She finally sighed and started to descend the rock formation.
Cole
Cole reached the center of the open space…only to realize that he had an army of dragon-riding personifications-of-destruction bearing down on him and no plan.
He let himself panic for a second, and then looked down at his hands. He had never really tried to test the limits of his earth punch…to be honest he had been worried what the consequences might be. But at the moment he didn't really have a lot of options.
Let's see what these babies can do.
Keyda
Keyda had a hard time climbing down quickly because she was busy watching to see what the fool would do next. He was up ahead of her, and she had a pretty good view. He brought his hands together and closed his eyes.
What's your plan? It better not be to rely on the Baron's mercy…because that will end very, very badly for you.
She noticed an orange-glow moving up his arms; his face contorted. She had seen that once or twice…before he used that "talent" of his. However, he seemed to be digging deeper and he began to yell. At first, nothing happened changed…but then she saw the orange glow move up his neck and down his chest. What was happening?
The Dragons were nearly upon them; whatever his plan was, he had better do it fast!
Small pebbles seemed to roll towards him on the ground; there was a heavy aura in the air as he continued to yell and the glow got brighter. Then, his eyes flew open, also glowing bright orange. He slammed his fists into the ground and all chaos broke loose.
Ninja
The Dragon picked up speed the moment Cole jumped off, and if he hadn't been so furious Jay might have made a derogatory comment about his friend's weight.
"THERE IS SO MUCH I WOULD SAY RIGHT NOW IF CHILDREN WEREN'T PRESENT!" He shouted. "DO I GO BACK FOR HIM?"
"No." It was Wu who answered, voice stern. "We cannot help what has been done. We must make the most of this opportunity and move on with the plan. We need to get to Dragon Haven."
"What is he thinking?" Kai scowled as they watched their friend disappear off the top of the rock formation to climb down. Everything was becoming smaller as the Guardian Dragon sped away. "He'll never survive."
"I cannot compute a scenario where he is victorious." Zane agreed. "Perhaps he has some plan we don't know of…"
Jay made an indigent sound. "This is COLE…HE…."
Somewhere behind them, something exploded. They were far enough away that they couldn't really see what happened other than the explosion itself.
"THE BARON JUST BLEW HIM UP!" Jay was reaching inconsolable panic mode.
"That was not dragon fire…" Zane said, processing the output of the blast. "It was elemental…"
"What? What are you saying?" Kai said, straining to get a better look. It was hopeless; they were too far ahead now.
"That was an Elemental Overdrive." Wu explained quietly. The ninja turned to him, confused.
"What does that even mean?" Kai asked, wishing not for the first time that their sensei could be less cryptic. "I've never even heard of that!"
"It is not in my database…" Zane admitted.
"You've seen one once before," the child answered simply, then looked at the nindroid. "When Zane used his ice element and defeated the Overlord."
It took a second to sink in.
"SO COLE'S DEAD?" Jay screamed, but Wu shook his head.
"In a normal elemental master, an elemental overdrive will knock you out before you reach that point. Though not dead, you will be completely drained of all energy for a while. The reason Zane was obliterated was due to a mix of the damage from the golden power and the fact that he—as a nindroid—could override his shut-down protocol for intense damage."
"So Cole's probably passed out back there…" Kai translated. "We really should go back."
Wu looked down, obviously upset.
"I'm afraid that is not an option. We must go forward to Dragon Haven before it is too late."
Keyda
Keyda screamed as a Wave of earth tore through the ranks of dragons, sending both beast and rider flying. The shockwave caused any nearby formations to crumble…including her own.
THIS IS THE SECOND TIME YOU'VE DONE THIS, IDIOT! She screamed in her mind as she tried to leap from the crumbling rock. As she landed a spooked Dragon ran right into her, sending her flying. She hit the ground and blacked out.
29
Nya's first thought was that they must have put the processor in wrong. And they had been so careful! But after the initial shock wore off, she realized that Harumi's voice sounded kind of…digitally. The five rebels followed the sound into the computer room, where footage of Harumi was playing on the screen.
"…I KNOW THAT YOU CAN HEAR ME, LLOYD GARMADON…."
"Why is this playing?" Skylor asked as P.I.X.A.L began typing on a nearby panel.
"It seems that this footage is getting broadcast from Borg tower to all the various screens in Ninjago." she replied. "Since we are connected with the tower, it is playing here as well.
"What do you want, Harumi?" Lloyd muttered, glaring at the person on the screen. Her hands were held up as she made her announcement to the world.
"I don't know where you are hiding, but trust me…eventually I will find out. But to save me the trouble, you are going to turn yourself in, Lloyd."
Nya scoffed. "Yeah, keep dreaming, Harumi." The Empress continued.
"If you will not, than you will have even more blood on your hands…you should be grateful." she continued, patronizingly . "I'm giving you the opportunity to play hero one last time. If you haven't handed yourself over by dawn tomorrow, than Emperor Garmadon will destroy Jumaniki villiage. People could get very very hurt."
Lloyd's hands clenched into fists. She was going to start hurting innocent people now? Just to get to him? Her monstrous nature sickened him. Nya noticed the look on his face.
"Lloyd, you CAN'T." she said.
"She's going to hurt people…" he suddenly looked a little lost. "I'm powerless, useless… Nya…maybe it would be best…"
Nya physically shook him.
"SO HELP ME, if you leave on your own again, I will save Harumi the trouble and kill you myself!"
"The fact that she is willing to do all of this to get to you shows that she believes that you still have the ability to stop her and Garmadon," Skylor pointed out.
Lloyd shook his head. "Or she just really wants her revenge…"
"We can stop her... her and Garmadon. Lloyd, promise me that we will stop them together." Nya still had ahold of his shoulders.
"Yeah…yeah ok." he said distractedly. A plan was already forming in his mind.
Baron
The Baron looked out over the mass destruction. The whole face of the earth had been torn up for an entire mile…such power.
"Baron…we found an outsider. And Keyda." Heavy Metal had appeared at his side. The Baron raised an eyebrow in interest and followed his second-in-command to the front of the destruction.
There was the one called Cole, passed out in the dirt. Whatever he had just accomplished and however he had just done it seemed to have wiped out all of his energy.
"Shall we regroup and head after the rest of the outsiders?"
The Baron shook his head. "No. They have escaped with the guardian, and where they go now we cannot follow." He turned his attention back to the boy in the dirt.
"Would you like me to dispose of him?"
The Baron looked a few yards away, where a certain Oni girl was also unconscious on the ground. His gaze rested on her for a while. Then he looked back out at the destruction, where riders and Dragons were picking themselves up and digging others from the wreckage.
"No." A smile spread across the Baron's face. "I think he could still prove useful."
Theater
It took an hour to convince Ronin to wear stage make-up. As much as he didn't want to be recognized, the thought of letting Dareth near his face with that…evil kit sounded like a worse option. Lou came to inspect them when they were all finished.
"Ah, marvelous. You all look great. Now, Dareth…" The brown ninja looked up, his face marred by a large make-up scar in his Robin-Hood-esque outfit. "We can't have you forgetting your lines, like in the dress rehearsal. This is the big leagues people!"
"For heaven's sake, Lou, it's just Jamanaki village." Ronin grunted. Lou looked over at the thief, wearing a villainous outfit of a hooded cape and half-face mask. He had refused to take off his armored eye, so Dareth was forced to get creative with the costuming.
"I don't even know what to say to you at this point. You've refused to even practice your lines!..."
"Who say's I haven't been practicing? Just because I'm not practicing with you…" The thief couldn't stand to be bossed around by the stuffy performer. He decided that many parts of Cole's personality were beginning to make sense.
"Yes, well, for the sake of us all, I hope you have. Now, Edna. You look wonderful." The junkyard owner was dressed in a sparkly gown and tiara, and Dareth's make-up skills had somehow made her look years younger.
"I don't know, Lou…I still don't see why I couldn't just wear my overalls…"
"Nonsense, honey, you look like a gosh darn royal in that get-up." Ed came up from behind her. She turned and blushed.
"Oh…you really think so? You not just saying that?"
"Well, I think you look great in just about anything…"
"Oh Ed…."
"Oh Brother." Ronin said. "Can we just get on with this, please?"
Lou motioned for everyone to be silent.
"Now…I'd like to take this chance to say that it's been a pleasure to work with you all. Now I want you all to go out there and do your best!" He seemed to be getting emotional, and Ronin rolled his eyes.
"Hey Ed, need any help getting the stage set up?" He cut into Lou's speech, earning him a glare from the director.
"Nah, that's ok, Ronin. I rigged the thing to set up itself." The inventor pulled a level, and the bus they were all sitting in started unfolding and buckling. Within a minute, the whole back of the bus had gone from a vehicle to a stage, complete with lights and a curtain.
"Well…that's one you don't see every day" Ronin said, scratching his head.
Dareth peered out of the curtains. "Hey, there are already people on their way! What do you know?"
"Guess our flyers made it out ok," Ed commented, holding one up.
Come and witness the finest acting in Ninjago! For this incredible first performance, you aren't even required to pay till after you've enjoyed the show! Bring your own seat to enjoy an amazing evening of action!
"I still don't get why we aren't getting the money upfront." Ronin grouched. Lou tsked.
"When we become famous, we will have those sorts of luxuries. But in the beginning you must do what you can to draw in the crowd! Now, places, we only have 30 minutes before the show…
Ronin joined Dareth to look out the curtain at the growing crowd.
"Sheesh, do these people have nothing better to do?"
Dareth scratched his head. "Well…their entire country has been taken over by a hostile psychopath and the personification of evil. So maybe they just want a little cheering up."
Ronin decided that was a fair point.
Lou cleared his throat behind them. "Come now, gentleman, plaaaces!"
30
Keyda listened to the water drip minute after minute. Why was it that dungeons always had dripping water? To make those stuck in them go mad?
Her arms were above her, chained into wall cuffs. The stone she was sitting on was cold…she had lost feeling in her hands and lower back.
She looked over in the dim light at her cellmate, chained up similarly to her, except with more chains around his arms. The Idiot was still passed out cold….he hadn't woken up the whole time they had been down here. She tried to figure out how long it had been. Hours? Days? Or had it been longer? It was hard to tell when they only received the occasional meal and no visitors.
Who were these outsiders? That explosion of power…she had never seen anything like that. Yet it seemed to do a number on the Idiot himself…perhaps that is why they didn't do it more often. She found herself wishing he would wake up…if only so she could force him to answer all of her questions.
As if granting her wish, he started to stir. After a few minutes he opened his eyes.
"Ach.. my head…" he winced, but as he tried to move his arms to cradle it he realized that his hands were cuffed above him. He blinked around the cell for a few moments, still looking a bit dazed as he tried to get his bearings.
"Keyda?"
She looked straight ahead. She had changed her mind; she did not want to talk to him.
He continued to speak to her anyways. His voice sounded tired.
"I take it we're back at the fortress." He looked up at his cuffed arms. "I see that the Baron is being as hospitable as ever."
She glared at him. How dare he make jokes right now; they were in the Baron's cell, awaiting their deaths.
"I don't even know how to adequately tell you how STUPID you are."
He sighed.
"I see you're feeling as well as usual."
"Why didn't you stay on your dragon?! What on earth could be earned by jumping off like an imbecile and taking out the Baron's entire army? Look where it got you!"
Cole chuckled to himself, which enraged Keyda all the more.
"Did I really take out his whole army?"
She wished so badly that she could smack that smirk off his face.
"Don't you remember? You obliterated everything! Including the rock I was positioned on, Idiot."
His smile disappeared.
"No…everything's kinda hazy actually. I don't remember much." He turned to look at her, an apology in his expression. "That explains how the Baron caught you…but why lock you up with me?"
She couldn't even talk to him. He was that senseless.
"Because I'm an accessory to your crime. And now we're both going to die for it."
"How long have we been here?" He seemed unfazed by her certainty of their imminent demise.
"I don't know. Could be hours…could be days."
He nodded, seeming to think.
"Then we just need to last a few more. My friends will be back for us."
"Are you JOKING? They left, Idiot. Your friends are long gone…safe in the dragon haven. Face it…we're on our own and we are going to die."
He smiled a bit.
"I never thought I would meet someone more likely to jump to the worst possible conclusion than Jay."
He was so aggravating; more jokes? He continued.
"But you don't know my friends. I don't know what it's like for you Oni, but where I come from we don't leave each other behind."
"You left yourself behind," she pointed out. "Why should they risk their necks to save you? They've probably already forgotten about you."
For some reason he flinched a bit at that comment. She looked at him curiously as he turned and met her gaze with a determined expression.
"They wouldn't. You couldn't understand…we've been through so much. This won't be the first tight spot they get me out of. I'm telling you, they'll be back."
Keyda found his optimism exasperating….but she also felt her anger leave her. What was the point in fighting? They were stuck here together whether they liked it or not. Her thoughts returned to all the questions she had formed while he had been unconscious.
"Could you…could you tell me more about where you come from?" her voice was quiet, and she refused to look at him.
Cole was confused by her sudden change of tone.
"Um…what do you want to know?"
She tried to shrug, but her current arm position made it difficult.
"What are the people like who live there? Do they all have powers like you guys?"
Cole smiled a bit.
"Well…most people are just your average…people, I guess. They have families and jobs and just go about their lives. Most people don't have powers…but some of us do. I guess. It's kinda hard to explain."
"How did you get your powers?"
Cole's brows knit as he pondered the question. He knew that all elemental powers were tied back to the First Spinjitzu master and that his powers had something to do with Lloyd's…but that was all information about the elemental powers themselves. How had he, personally, gotten his powers?
"I….I don't actually know how I got them. For people like Kai you get them from your parents, I guess. But Jay's parents are junkyard owners and Zane is a robot, so it's not like he can really inherit something genetically…"
He noticed that she was looking at him blankly and laughed.
"I guess it's safe to say that one is just kind of a mystery."
They were silent for a few minute as she absorbed the news. This time it was his turn to ask a question.
"I've been meaning to ask…I mean, you don't have to answer…but what is life like here?"
"Awful."
He laughed again. He laughed so easily.
"Yeah…you know, I could see that. But I mean what was life like growing up? Do Oni have parents? Do you…"
"No."
"Oh."
There were a few moments of silence before she spoke again.
"Not anymore."
Cole waffled a bit on whether he should ask his next question.
"What…what happened?"
She didn't look at him. He shifted position as best as he could.
"Look…I'm sorry, I shouldn't…"
"We were just nobody's, really." She cut him off, sounding like she was beginning a story. He shut up.
"Some Oni are powerful and live in fortresses like this…and the Baron is the strongest of them all. He has the most connection to the Oni power of our past. But some Oni are just nobody's and they live in little villages across the realm. We don't have the kind of brotherhood…the kind of love you people do…but we go about our lives. You know. Just living." She continued to stare at the ground.
He didn't answer. He was afraid to say anything that would cause her to stop.
"The Baron just showed up one day. His dragons destroyed my village and everyone one in it…"
"Why?" He couldn't help himself.
"He said he was purifying the Oni race. I was the only one who survived…I was just young at the time. He didn't kill me…I still don't know why. He dragged me back here and I spent countless years on the lowest rungs of the hierarchy of power."
"Like…a servant?"
"More like slave."
He went quiet again.
"That's why you wanted to be a Dragon Master?"
She looked up, but not at him.
"Anyone from any station can be a Dragon Master if they pass initiation. I had an extra hard time qualifying, though. It took months of begging…and he finally granted me permission. But it felt like the whole time he knew I would fail." She went quiet. "And I did."
Cole closed his eyes. Technically, that was his fault. He felt awful, but found that it was hard for him to wish that things had gone differently; If Keyda had passed her initiation she would have joined a crazy Dragon Army. And they would have never met.
She was done talking about herself. She finally turned to look at him, changing the subject.
"We seem to have a lot of time on our hands. Will you tell me more about what you and your friends did…back in your home?"
21
