Nicki's Story
116
Lou woke up late. It was the first time he had done so in a while, but he didn't feel like getting out of bed with the sun's rays today. He watched the light move across his bedroom ceiling and finally managed to pull himself out of bed. He remembered the mess in his living room, but still didn't feel like facing it. Instead, he crossed his bedroom to a cabinet and opened it, looking for something. He found the book buried under a few other nicks and knacks and rubbed the dust off of it. He slowly made his way back over to his bed where he sat down, fingering the cover of the photo album. He finally shook off his fears and flipped it open to the front page. The first picture was of a young quartet, and he had a shadow of a smile as he thought of his time at Marty Openheimer's. The next page had pictures of him dancing with a beautiful young woman.
"Oh, Bev…" he said softly. He sat for more than an hour, flipping through each page, reliving each memory.
Cole
Everything was white, and then Cole found himself in a sunlit house, lost in a memory.
"You have a good heart Cole…promise me…promise me you will always listen to it. No matter what goes on around you, I need you to always fight to do the right thing."
He looked up, but his mother faded away, and the room around him faded as well. The clean, bright floors suddenly seemed older, and as Cole blinked he realized they were littered with broken glass, knocked over tables, and fallen trophies and medals.
He took a deep breath as he looked around, and his ribs ached. He smiled in spite of the sharp pain; he was back home…he was still alive.
He heard a chuckle and a sniff come from down the hall. It seemed to be coming from his father's bedroom; his heart pounded as he realized that his Dad was home. Cole reached behind him, trying to use a nearby table to help him get to his feet.
Lou
A loud crash from his living room jolted Lou out of his thoughts. The photo album slammed shut as he jumped to his feet. Who on earth was in his home? Looters? He grabbed one of his canes and carefully made his way down the hall.
"Who's there?!" he called sternly.
"Sorry...I didn't mean to…"
Lou heard the voice and dropped his arm, his mouth suddenly dry. He didn't dare get his hopes up, but that sounded just like…
He rounded the corner and there was Cole, smiling sheepishly from his position on the floor among the debris. The performer froze.
"Dad…I…"
"Is it really you?" Lou's voice was low, like he didn't actually believe what he was seeing.
Cole trailed off his thought and nodded. His father approached slowly, kneeling down next to him. He reached for Cole, still not convinced that this wasn't just the fantasy of a broken-hearted father. As his hand rested on a solid shoulder, he sagged with relief and joy.
"I'm so sorry, Pop…" Cole mumbled as they hugged. Lou let out a little sob-laugh.
"How are you alive? How did you come back?"
"I never should have left in the first place."
Wu
Wu boarded the Ultra-Dragon slowly, turning back to those standing in front of the temple. Everyone had left their various jobs to come back and say goodbye. Even Jay was out of the hospital now, though his shoulder was still bandaged with his arm bound in a sling. The Dragon Master felt an ache of sadness as he looked at each of his students, his brother, his nephew, and their good friends. He couldn't help but feel a swell of pride towards each of them; they had come together and despite all they had saved their realm. But now he had to say goodbye so that he could go help keep another one safe. He returned the final waves everyone gave and turned to the silent Oni sitting behind him.
"Are you ready to go?"
She gave a slight nod, not looking at him. She was still fingering that small piece of black cloth he had found in the temple grounds. The Dragon took off and Wu steered it towards a small house on the outskirts of Ninjago City; their last stop before they went back to the first realm.
Keyda was silent for the entirety of the trip. At first Wu wondered what he should say, and then it occurred to him that it would be best if he didn't say anything at all. It was a little hard to find a place to land a dragon in the windy cobblestone streets, but The Dragon Master finally found a large enough place.
"Do you know what it is you wanted to say?" Wu asked gently as the two of them made their way to Lou's house. Keyda shrugged.
"I…I just wanted to say thank you." she said softly, the black cloth hidden in her left fist. She couldn't explain why she felt like she needed to see Cole's father before she left, but she did. She didn't expect Wu to understand but at least he had allowed the detour.
Wu approached the door and knocked. They waited a few minutes, and Wu wondered if Lou wasn't at home after all. He was about to knock again when the door swung open, revealing a bewildered Lou.
"Wu! How did you know? Did…did you have something to do with it?"
Wu blinked in surprise. "I'm sorry, Lou…I don't know what you're talking about…"
Lou ushered them in quickly, and Wu and Keyda looked at each other before entering the house.
"I was about to call you, of course…but I've just had the hardest time wrapping my own mind around it…"
The performer continued talking as he led them through his house. Nothing he was saying made much sense; the Dragon Master and the Oni followed blankly down the hall and into a bedroom. They both stopped dead as they caught sight of the figure seated on Lou's bed. Keyda's black scrap fluttered to the ground.
Cole looked up in surprise as Wu and Keyda followed his father into the room. Moments before the knock had sounded he and Lou had been looking through old pictures, but now the album nearly fell off his lap as he tried to think of what to say to the unexpected visitors.
Wu stood with his mouth open. "How…is this possible?"
Everyone was silent for a few minutes as they looked at Cole for an explanation. He cleared his throat, not even knowing how to begin to explain what had happened since last he had seen them.
"Um…I guess I really am just a hard guy to get rid of…" he said awkwardly. Wu shook his head, still baffled. Keyda suddenly burst into laughter, taking everyone by surprise.
"You Idiot!" she said, moving to hug him fiercely. Cole froze for a few moments before moving to hug her back. He would have thought she'd be angry…
"Keyds…I…"
She just hugged tighter, eyes closed. The tears were coming now and she buried her face into him as she cried. His attempt at an apology trailed off as he held her close. Lou and Wu watched for a few moments and then slowly exited the room. Wu rubbed his chin, still shocked.
"I don't understand, Lou…how…?"
"I really don't know; he just showed up in my living room." The performer shook his head. "I couldn't believe it at first…but I think it's really him. He was a little disoriented, and he's still pretty banged up…"
Wu tried to reason through the conundrum for a few more moments before he finally just laughed. Why did it matter how Cole had gotten back? He was back.
"Can I borrow your phone?"
Jay
Jay sat on the couch, staring at the bag that held his video game equipment. He still wasn't feeling great, and Wu leaving only made everything seem bleaker. In fact, given how lousy he felt, it was hard to believe that in the past week they had saved not one, but two realms. He heard a phone ringing somewhere in the temple and frowned. Who on earth was calling now? Could Ninjago already be in trouble again? He groaned as he fell backwards on the couch. Well, if it was, they could count him out; he didn't really feel like saving the world again anytime soon.
His mind wandered, and he found himself thinking about the offer Borg had given him. Inventing alongside his all-time favorite inventor? Of course he wanted to…but every time he thought about it the heavy feeling of sorrow set back in and he found himself not wanting to do anything at all.
"Jay!"
Nya was in the doorway, looking…well, Jay wasn't really sure what to call that expression. Flustered? Rattled? Maybe even…excited? He looked at her, confused.
"That call…that was Wu…" she started. Jay sat up as she talked, wincing as he accidently jarred his shoulder.
"He decide he's not going after all?" he asked, not even daring to have hope.
"No…he's found him…Wu found Cole."
Jay stared at her, eyes wide. Nya wasn't even sure if he had heard her or not. She knelt in front of him.
"Jay…he's alive!" she said, and his eyes finally seemed to focus as he stood up. She blinked in surprise as he hurried to the doorway. He turned back to Nya, incredulous.
"What are you waiting for?!"
Keyda
Keyda eventually stopped crying, but she made no attempt to move. Sitting there in his arms, with his hand stroking her hair, it was like she finally felt safe for the first time. The joy of the moment was passing though as she realized that she still had to go back. She still had to leave him.
Cole was realizing the same thing as he held her. They had gotten through so many other things…surely they could figure out some way that they could still be together…
"Why does it have to be so hard?" Keyda murmured. His hand came to a rest and he sighed. When he didn't say anything she took a shuddery breath and continued.
"You've put me through agony, you know that? A week ago I didn't even know what feelings were…and now you've gone and dragged me through the whole spectrum."
He laughed at that and she couldn't help but smile. But the comfort of the moment was tainted by the fact that she knew it had an expiration date. She was tired of getting him back just to lose him; she wasn't sure she could do it again.
"I'll come with you." he said softly, and her breath caught. She realized how much she wanted him to…but as she fingered the bandages that were somehow still tied around his ribcage, she knew that he couldn't. He was back, but he was still broken. Besides, he belonged here…
"You'll go to a hospital." she said firmly. He opened his mouth to argue and she pulled away enough to glare up at him.
"You promised, remember? And if I remember right… you said a month."
He shook his head; it was hard to take her seriously with her hair plastered to the tears on her face. He wanted to argue his point more, but one look at her expression and he knew there wasn't any point. He brushed the hair off of her face and gave her his own determined look.
"Then…I'd better see you in a month."
She didn't know what to say to that, so she leaned her head on his shoulder and let him hold her a little longer.
117
Nya insisted that Jay ride on her elemental dragon with her; she wasn't sure if his emotions would make his own disappear mid-flight.
Jay turned to face her as they flew.
"What if…what if Wu was mistaken…what if all the stress has gotten to him and he's just cracked?! WHAT IF…"
"Jay!" she said, interrupting his panicking. Part of her was relieved that he was starting to sound like his old self, but the other part of her was having similar doubts. If Wu had been wrong, she wasn't sure she could watch Jay's disappointment.
"Sorry…it's just…" he trailed off, trying to see how close they were to Lou's house.
"I know," she said, taking his hand with a smile. She turned to see that Kai and Zane weren't too far off on their own dragons. They reached their destination a few minutes later, the dragons dissolving as they jumped off onto the cobbled streets. Jay ran over to the door of the home, which had been left ajar. He pushed it open and saw Lou busy picking up various things off the floor. He looked up to see all the ninja in his doorway and raised his eyebrows.
"I should have started cleaning earlier…" he mused as they pushed their way in.
"Sorry to impose…" Zane started, but Jay cut off the nindroid off.
"Where is he?"
Lou straightened, back braced with one arm. He pointed down the hall to a bedroom.
"He's down in there. I don't suppose you would all like to help get him to the hospital? He…can't walk at the moment…"
The ninja didn't seem to hear him as they followed Jay down the hall. The Master of Lightning pushed the door open. He shook his head as he saw his friend, sitting on the bed getting examined by Wu. He barely even noticed Keyda sitting nearby.
"You just had to give us all a HEART ATTACK, didn't you!?" Jay said.
Cole smiled. "Guys…"
"I just want to go down in the books as saying I told you so...you're a stubborn, thick headed, boulder brain…and…and…"
Jay trailed off as his friends pushed past him to give Cole a hug. The blue ninja started laughing, having forgotten what he was ranting about. Cole was back…he had made it. Somehow or another, he had made it.
"Alright, move over!" he said, and his friends moved enough to give him space in the group hug.
Keyda
Keyda decided that she didn't like hospitals. Every hall looked the same…blinding lights, a strange chemical smell…white on white on white. She shuddered. The healers back home were rudimentary compared to the building she was currently in, but she decided she preferred them just the same.
Ever since they had gotten here, it had been hustle and bustle by men and women in long white coats. Keyda had shrunk into a corner as doctors, and visitors came in and out. Now things had finally seemed to calm down, and she realized how desperately tired she was. She didn't dare fall asleep though; Wu would be back any minute to tell her it was time to go. She sighed. It wasn't like Cole was even awake to talk to her, though. She waited in her corner chair, listening to the steady beeping that someone had explained was his heartbeat. She shuddered; rather than help her relax, the constant sound creeped her out more than anything.
The other ninja had been around for most of the afternoon and into the evening, but now they had all wandered off to let him sleep. The only other person still in the room was Cole's father, sitting in a chair near the bed. A few minutes ago a doctor had brought in some kind of file and handed it to the mustached man, but he seemed hesitant to look through it. Keyda watched him fiddle with the corners of the file until he finally opened it. His jaw clenched as he studied the contents, finally closing the file again with a sigh. It made her worry; she pushed herself out of her seat and walked over.
"What is that?"
Lou looked up at her in surprise, as if he forgot that she was in the room. He looked back at the file and waved a hand dismissively.
"Ah…just…just some X-rays the doctor's brought in…"
"Exrays?" she asked, not understanding. He smiled briefly.
"They let the doctors see inside someone…the status of one's skeleton, for instance…"
Keyda just shook her head. This realm just got more gruesome the longer she stayed.
"And…is it bad news?" she pressed further. Lou sighed again.
"Nothing life threatening…" he said, before looking over at his sleeping son. "But I think it may be a long road to recovery."
She nodded. She had assumed that much, at least. They spent a few minutes in silence, lost in their own thoughts. After a bit she turned to the man again.
"Um…sir…"
He laughed at that. "You can just call me Lou, if you'd like." he looked over at her, his expression becoming a little sheepish. "And…I must admit, I don't think I ever learned your name, miss…"
"Keyda." She rubbed her arm. "I…I wanted to say thank you. For what you did back at the temple." She felt foolish, not used to verbalizing gratitude. He just looked at her, surprised.
"I…I'm not sure I did much…"
She shrugged. "You did something. I don't know what would have happened…" she trailed off, feeling frustrated by her inability to express what she wanted. "I couldn't control it."
He laughed softly. "What…control grief? I'd be impressed if you could. Feelings aren't really something anyone can control." He was silent a moment before looking back over at her. "It's good to meet you, Keyda. I wish we could have met under…better circumstances,"
She thought about everything that had happened the last few days and briefly wondered how everything would have changed if it had all gone the way it was supposed to in the first place.
"Keyda,"
She looked up and saw Wu in the doorway, looking tired. He gave her a sad smile and she nodded her understanding. It was time to go.
She turned to Lou and gave him a ghost of a smile.
"It was good to meet you too. It was nice to see where he gets it from," she turned and walked away, leaving Lou to puzzle over what she meant by 'it.' She walked over to where Cole was, still deep asleep. She wanted to wake him up to say goodbye, but as she looked at him she realized that it would just make everything harder. She smoothed his hair out of the way so she could kiss him gently on the forehead before turning to go. She opened the door that led out into the blinding white hallway.
"Keyds?"
She couldn't help but turn at his hoarse and sleepy voice. He was squinting after her, eyes still half closed.
"One month, yeah?"
She gave a little smile, but didn't meet his eye.
"Goodbye, Cole."
And with that, she was gone.
118
"It's a rhythm, Cole…" Lou chided, and his son groaned in frustration.
"I think this stick is defective," he grumbled, glaring at the cane in his hand.
"It's for support, you see…it's not a third leg…" Lou was laughing now as Cole attempted to cross the room once again, stumbling as he continued to use the cane in the wrong spot. He shook his head, letting the cane clatter to the floor.
"Nope…not worth the trouble,"
Lou sighed, bending to pick up the cane as Cole made his way to a nearby chair. They were in the floating temple, with most of the place to themselves as everyone else was off somewhere or another.
"The doctor said if you ever want to get rid of the limp, you're going to have to use the cane for a bit…" he reminded, but Cole just shrugged. His father came over to sit next to him, not saying anything. A few minutes later Lou's watch began beeping, and he sighed in irritation as he turned off the alarm.
"It's alright Pop." Cole said, leaning back in the chair. Lou smiled briefly.
"It's nothing important…"
Cole snorted. "Just that play you've been working on for the last three months…" he trailed off, suddenly wrapped up in some other thought. Lou sighed again.
"And Ronin does get testy when I'm late to rehearsal…something about wasting his time or whatnot…" He shook his head. "Just…say the word, and I'll…"
"Dad." Cole cut him off, sounding irritated. "I'm fine. Honest."
Lou didn't look convinced and Cole rolled his eyes.
"Jay will be back in less than an hour from Borg Tower…so it's not like I'll be here by myself. You can go."
Lou still felt torn, but he was realizing that his son was feeling a little smothered.
"If you need anything, just call…" he said, heading to the pulley system outside. With all the non-ninja visitors, Jay had whipped it up as a way to help people get up and down.
Cole waved with one hand, not looking up. He was still busy staring at the cane Lou had left leaning against his chair.
Lloyd
Lloyd looked over at his father as they pulled up to the prison. Garmadon looked quite content behind the driver's wheel, though his smile faded as he saw his son's expression.
"You're under no obligation to do this, Lloyd." he reminded. Lloyd shrugged.
"I know…but…it kinda feels like I am. Even if it's just to myself."
Garmadon switched the car off and they went to go inside. After they had been through all the different checkpoints and scans they were led down a few hallways.
"She's been in solitary for a while…" the warden explained as they went deeper in the prison. "She has a bad effect in the other syndicate members in the prison, you understand…"
Lloyd didn't answer, still steeling himself for the conversation that was coming. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see his Dad looking at him. He smiled up at him, trying to act like nothing was wrong.
They finally got to the end of a hallway, where a thick steel door was barred. Lloyd felt goosebumps rise, but he couldn't back down now. He nodded at the warden, who nodded back before banging on the door twice.
"You've got a visitor!" he called. He turned to Lloyd. "No promises she'll even say anything…she's hardly said a dozen words since she's been here."
The door opened, and Lloyd closed his eyes briefly to compose himself. There in the small, dark room, Harumi sat on a simple prison bed. The Warden went in, listing off rights and expectations as he handcuffed her. She didn't ever look up, her outgrown bangs hanging in her face and covering her eyes. He ushered Lloyd and Garmadon into the room.
"I'll be right outside the door." he said, before locking them in with her. Lloyd wished his mouth wasn't so dry…and that he knew what to say. To everyone's surprise, she was the one who spoke first.
"I figured you'd come sooner or later…"
Her voice was hoarse, as if it hadn't been used in a while. It sent more goosebumps up Lloyd's arms but his body language betrayed nothing but cool assurance as she continued.
"I just didn't think it would take three months…. what on earth have you been up to, Lloyd?"
Her voice still had that honey sound to it…it left a bad taste in his mouth.
"Well, there's been plenty to do, thanks to you," he finally said. She chuckled without humor, finally glancing up at them. Her eyes had dark circles under them.
"Still playing hero, then?" she asked quietly. Garmadon shifted position by the door and her eyes darted over to him. "Speaking of false heroes…"
"Just stop, Harumi." Lloyd said, cutting her off. She just laughed at him; a rusty, bitter sound.
"I'm sorry…did I offend your father? Tell me, how is the general public reacting to following the man who destroyed their city in the first place?"
Lloyd glared and Garmadon clenched his jaw, and she shook her head, amused.
"Oh…I suppose he wouldn't really be out in the spotlight, would he? How much longer do you think you'll have to hide him before the public just forgets what he's done?"
"Everything that happened…was your fault." Lloyd said, trying to keep his anger at bay. He should have known this was a bad idea. "And besides…"
"I suppose the public does have a short memory…they are often easily swayed, the public…" she said thoughtfully. "But the true question is if you've forgiven him, Lloyd…I mean, what he did to you, your friends." She smiled cruelly. "Not all wounds heal neatly, you know…"
"This is not why we're here." Lloyd said, voice rising. She tilted her head, her dirty hair falling to the side.
"Ah….so why are you here, Lloyd? Come to convert me to your righteous ways? Help me turn my life around?"
He exhaled angrily. "To be honest? I don't know…."
She shook her head in a patronizing way.
"Well sorry to have wasted your oh-so-precious time…" she murmured poisonously.
Lloyd shrugged.
"I just didn't know how long you would last in here…trapped with your own hatred and need for revenge…"
Her eyes flashed.
"Is that why you waited so long?"
He didn't answer and she just scoffed.
"You didn't want to come here, did you Lloyd? You're just here on a trip of conscious…even after everything I did to you, you couldn't let me die in those tunnels. You can't just let me rot here either…all part of that hero complex of yours, I suppose."
He didn't speak for a few minutes. She had looked back down, her hair covering her expression once again.
"Rumi…"
She didn't appear to have heard him at all, and he had a feeling that she was done talking today. He stood and looked over at his father. They knocked twice on the door and Lloyd looked back before they left.
"I'll be back…next week."
There was no answer as the door slammed shut, the echo of it ringing in Lloyd's ears as they made their way back out.
Jay
Jay got home and threw his bag on the nearby chair, massaging his stiff shoulder. He headed up the stairs to get something to eat and then poked his head in the room with his video games. Sure enough, Cole was lounging on the couch, controller in hand.
"You better not be trying to beat my high score…" Jay said, tone mock-serious. Cole didn't respond and Jay shook his head as he came in and grabbed another controller to join his friend.
"You sure have been quiet recently…" he continued, adding his player to the screen.
"And you've been nosy." Cole responded dully.
They played awhile, Jay debating whether or not to address the elephant in the room. He guided his onscreen avatar around a bunch of sky mines.
"Maybe…maybe they're just stuck in traffic. Really bad, inter-realm traffic."
Cole's character dove to avoid a mine. He didn't ask who Jay was talking about, and he didn't reply. They reached the end of the first mine maze and entered the second level.
"I'm sure they'll visit sometime…" Jay added, and Cole's button pressing became more forceful.
"Guess there's no way to tell." he snapped, doing a barrel roll onscreen to avoid a trio bunch of mines. "I mean, maybe they're just busy…or maybe something awful happened." His character was zipping between the mines now, and Jay was struggling to keep up. "Or maybe they just….forgot." Cole's avatar slammed into the mines a few meters from the finish-line, and the screen dissolved into fire and bouncing "game over" text. Cole tossed his controller on the ground in disgust, leaning back in his seat. Jay shook his head at his moody friend.
"Look, Cole…I get you're upset…but even if they did come to visit, what then? I mean, she's still got a whole nation full of anger-management cases to run. So unless someone took her place and she could move here indefinitely…there's really no point in getting hung up on it, you know?"
Not surprisingly, Jay's points did nothing to lighten Cole's sour mood. The Master of Lightening sighed, exasperated.
"Honestly, unless you were planning on going back with her, there's no…" he trailed off when he caught a flash of guilt in Cole's expression. He sat up, incredulous.
"Oh I see how it is…we get you back just in time for you to run off again." he snapped. Cole sighed, irritated.
"It's not like you guys need me around here anyways…"
"Oh yeah, it's not like you're part of the team or anything!"
"What have I done the last three months, huh?!" Cole asked, yelling now. "I don't really have a lot to offer at the moment…"
Jay threw his hands up in the air, ready to argue further, but Cole suddenly deflated, leaning back in the chair once again.
"It doesn't even matter anyways. I…I don't think she's ever coming back."
Jay's own anger fizzled out as he saw Cole's expression. He couldn't help wondering what was taking Wu and Keyda so long to visit. No one really talked about it—especially not in front of Cole—but it was troubling to know that something crazy could have happened in the first realm and none of them would ever know about it. When they didn't show up after that first month, Jay was hoping that Cole would just…just move on. But as he looked at the master of earth's dejected posture, he knew that he wasn't moving on at all.
119
"I heard that you're giving my enforcers a hard time, Silas."
Keyda spoke calmly, but there was a threatening undertone to her words. The Oni she was facing narrowed his eyes, as if he refused to be cowed by her. When he didn't say anything, Keyda consulted her list.
"You still have 3 dragons in custody, Silas. That goes directly against the union that was made…"
"I ain't got nothin' to do with your cursed union!" the Oni spat. She glanced up at him, eyebrow raised.
"Releasing the dragons isn't a choice, Silas. You had your chance to do it willingly…now my enforcing team is going to have to get involved." she nodded at the group of guards to her left and they pushed their way past Silas to get into the cave where he was keeping his dragons. Silas yelled at them, but when that didn't work he turned his fury to the girl in front of him.
"You think you're so high and mighty?" He yelled. "You're nothin' but a dragon-loving fraud!" He raised both fists and Keyda resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He leapt forward to swing a fist, but one blast from her sent him flying backwards. He landed hard and a few more guards had grabbed him before he could even attempt to get back on his feet.
"And that just earned you six months jail time." Keyda said coolly as she turned to walk away. She had only gotten a few yards when Heavy Metal materialized by her side. She didn't even glance at him as she looked at the list again.
"He's last for today, yeah?" she asked, glancing over as the heavily-scarred Oni nodded. She exhaled, giving him the scroll. "Good. I have a headache."
He took the list, but was still looking at her with an unreadable expression as they walked. She finally looked over at him, annoyed.
"Let me guess…still wish the Baron was running the place, huh?" she asked bitterly. He shook his head.
"You're doing better than you think you are," he commented, but she just rolled her eyes.
"Oh, is that why all the higher castes want my head?"
"There are plenty of unhappy Oni, I won't lie about that." Heavy Metal admitted. "But you've earned a lot of their respect over the past few months…there are very few that would actually go out of their way to harm ya."
"Gee…considering that the last three visits ended with idiots trying to attack me…"
"Begrudging farmers don't count." Heavy Metal said with a small smile. "They don't really stand a chance against ya…"
"Oh, so you're only counting the threats that could actually work in getting rid of me. Good to know." She sped up her pace, eager to get back to the fortress so she could have some time to sit down. Alone.
He matched her pace.
"You've been pretty miserable ever since you got back." he noted.
"I'll work on my cheerful mask." she said dully. She could see the fortress now. It was hard getting everywhere by foot without Dragon transport; she was glad that Silas's village wasn't that far out.
Heavy Metal just shook his head, as if he had decided against saying what he was thinking.
"I should warn you, while you've been out, the Dragon Master came to visit."
"What a pity I missed him."
"Well, he insisted on waiting at the fortress for ya…"
"Of course he did." she growled. Just what she needed…another union meeting. Like her head didn't hurt enough already.
After another hour or so they had reached the fortress. She headed up the steps and one of the servants informed her that Wu was waiting in the Baron's office. Well…her office.
"Tell him he'll have to wait a little longer. I'm getting something to eat."
She went to the kitchen and was able to pick something up. She thought about just going to her room and ignoring Wu entirely, but she knew that she'd get more peace if she just went to the stupid meeting. She dragged herself up more stairs, headed to the office. She opened the heavy door and was surprised by what she saw.
Wu was old…older than he had even been at the last meeting a month ago.
"Wow…what happened?" she asked, her irate mood lessening somewhat at the sight of his long white beard. He smiled at her, eyes twinkling.
"I've finally returned to normal," he said simply, as if that explained everything. She shook her head.
"Normal? You're…ancient!"
"More than you know." Wu agreed. Keyda took a seat, still munching on the chunk of bread she had picked up. After a few minutes she swallowed, clearing her throat.
"Look…I don't know if we could reschedule this meeting for another time, but…"
"I didn't come to have a meeting, Keyda." Her brows furrowed and she looked at him quizzically as he continued. "I'm going back to Ninjago, to see how everything is going there. I came to ask if you wanted to come with me."
Her wall went up, almost visibly.
"No…I don't." she stood up to leave, but Wu had stood as well.
"It'll crush him, you know. If I show up without you." he said, going straight to the point.
She paused on her way to the door, jaw clenched. She finally turned back towards the old man.
"He'll get over it."
Wu shook his head, as if not understanding. That only made her angry.
"Don't pretend like you don't understand!" she snapped. "You know why I can't go back…why you could never bring him here."
"Do I?"
The feelings she had been pushing off for the last few months resurfaced and she wanted to strangle him.
"It would never work. Neither of us could ever go to the other realm….we don't belong! And what's the point in visiting?! It just starts the painful process all over again!" She was yelling and she noticed Heavy Metal looking at her from his head-guard position by the door. She didn't care what either of them thought of her…she had come to this conclusion a long time ago.
"He's got to move on…he's got a life to lead. I'm not going to…to keep him attached through a few days every couple months. There's no point." She sat heavily, eyeing the Dragon Master.
"If you want to go visit, then fine. But don't ask me to come along." She gave him an intense look. "And don't you dare bring him back with you."
"You're taking his choice out of all of this…" Wu pointed out. She slammed her hands on the desk. The sound echoed in the room in a satisfying way as she glared at the man across from her.
"He comes here, and he's just going to become something for my enemies to target….again. He's safe now, that's what's important. The second that he comes here…"
"He's still an elemental Master, Keyda…he's part of a team who fights evil every day. It doesn't matter where he is, he would always be in danger."
She scoffed. "So what, you're a fan of him coming here, then?"
"I just want him to be able to make his own choice in the matter." Wu said calmly. There was silence for a few moments before he spoke again. "We were supposed to visit months ago…"
"I never agreed to that." she snapped. "I never said I would." She pointed a finger at him, furious. "Don't you dare undo everything we've done up to this point by…"
"That's enough, Keyda." Wu said, cutting her off. She flushed; she hated it when he treated her like some young, irrational person. The Dragon Master stood and headed for the door. He paused before leaving, glancing back at her.
"I don't leave for a few more days…let me know if you change your mind."
She watched him go in silence. After a few minutes she put her elbows on the large desk so she could hold her pounding head. Heavy Metal came closer and she glared at the table.
"Go away…" she ordered, but her captain of the guard didn't leave. She looked up at him, furious.
"I said…"
"I heard you." he said softly.
She stared at him, trying to figure out what his deal was.
"What? Don't tell me you agree with him!" she said angrily. When Heavy Metal didn't respond she scoffed.
"You're the one who was mad at me for leaving the last time!" she accused. She gestured to the list that he had left on her desk. "I can hardly go anywhere with things like this piling…"
"Nah…" he shook his head, cutting her off. "Don't go pretending like you're hanging back due to a sense a duty. If this whole 'united nation' could survive being deserted in its beginning, then it can certainly survive it now."
She didn't respond, deciding to angrily attack the rest of the bread she had brought up. Why couldn't everyone just leave her alone?!
"You're afraid," the scarred Oni pointed out, and she glared daggers.
"I didn't ask for your opinion." she snapped. "Why don't you do what you do best and shut up?"
"The slaves have been talking," he said, ignoring her angry response. "You're not sleeping well at night…the nightmares aren't going away…"
She didn't say anything, tearing into the last of her lunch.
"Why does it scare you so much to see them again?"
Her brain pounded; her thoughts and emotions all felt jumbled together.
"I can't go back there…alright? If I were to see him now…if there were no more obstacles…" She held her head again, letting out a frustrated groan. "Don't you get it!? If I were to get him back now, I'll never let him go again. I'm staying away…to protect him!"
"From what?" Heavy Metal just shook his head. "This realm? Those… 'enemies' you mentioned to the Dragon Master?" He raised an eyebrow. "Or…you?"
She didn't respond. She was done with this conversation…she was done explaining herself. She pushed herself up out of her chair.
"You aren't the reason that he and his friends were in danger here. The Baron would have targeted, manipulated, hurt them regardless. Keyda…you're the reason that they're all still alive."
"What do you know anyways?" she muttered, headed for the exit. He grabbed her arm and she glared at him.
"I was there….through the whole thing. I watched every phase of the Baron's plan…I had a front row seat."
She pulled her arm out of his grasp.
"Why do you even care?! Why does it even matter?!"
"Because we just got done having an unfeeling leader. I thought things would be different under you."
She froze, turning on him again in disbelief.
"Are you seriously comparing me to the Baron?!"
"Iron Baron couldn't feel compassion or love…and you won't let yourself feel them. In the end, is there really much difference?"
She just stared at him, incredulous. Was he insane?!
"You're the only Oni in the whole realm that even knows what love feels like…who is even able to feelit. And you won't even let yourself..." he sounded a little angry now. "So you go ahead and shut down…it's good to know that in the end, everything's just been for nothin' anyways!"
She stormed out of the room, eyes blazing. She wanted to blast him, but she restrained herself. Why couldn't everyone just leave her alone?! Why did she have to explain everything she did….everything she felt? Why did it matter so much what she did with her own life?!
The door to her quarters slammed shut and she began pacing.
120
Wu came by the fortress the day he left, but Keyda had locked herself in her quarters and wouldn't come out. Even Heavy Metal couldn't get in to talk to her.
She sat on the floor, in the middle of a thick rug. These quarters were just another reminder of how her lot had changed; the floors were carpeted, her bed was large, and there was random furniture spread throughout. The Baron had liked his opulence.
Her arms were wrapped around her knees in her thinking pose. She ignored the many knocks on the door to inform her of various things; she let out a sigh of relief when they finally stopped coming.
Of course she wanted to see him. But she couldn't go… Didn't any of them realize?! This was the way it had to be…
She shuddered, and her eyes filled with tears. Why couldn't she just be strong enough? Why did it have to hurt so much?
She felt a hand on her shoulder and stiffened; who could possibly have gotten in here?!
"Oh…dear Keyda…"
Her blood ran cold and she began trembling. It…wasn't possible…
She bolted forward, away from the speaker. She turned, eyes wide…and sure enough, the Baron was standing behind her wearing his classic amused expression.
She shook her head.
"You're dead….you're dead and this isn't real!" she shouted. Just another nightmare. He laughed.
"Does it matter?"
She launched Hatred at him, but he had vanished. He appeared behind her, close enough to whisper in her ear.
"Is that any way to treat the man who raised you?"
She screamed in anger, whipping around with a glowing fist, but he was gone once again.
"You didn't raise me….you enslaved me!" she yelled, trying to figure out where he was. She was shaking as she ran to her bedroom door, trying to get out, but it wouldn't budge. Suddenly the door handle disappeared and she shook her head again, expression a mix of fear and disgust.
"Look how far you've come, Keyda…those fancy clothes are quite the step up from your lower-class rags…"
She closed her eyes, back still turned to the room. She had to wake up eventually…she would just ignore him till then.
"All you ever wanted was to change your station in life. So why is it you're still so unhappy?" He smiled sardonically. "Leading the Oni…it's no easy task, is it?"
She sank to the floor, hands over her ears. But she could still hear him…it was as if he was speaking right into her mind.
"Or perhaps your misery is because you are trying…unsuccessfully….to escape your own nature? You're an ONI, Keyda. Nothing is ever going to change that."
"Leave me alone!"
She felt herself getting blasted backwards, and her eyes flew open so she could catch herself. She wasn't even in the fortress anymore; she was surrounded by huge trees, like the kind she had seen in Ninjago. The Baron stood a few feet away, examining something in his hand. She glared at him and he finally glanced up at the trees.
"All the potential to grow an enormous tree is found in one of its single seeds…" he said, holding one up for her to see. "Your seed has cracked, Keyda…you've started to grow. But you continue to refuse to reach your full potential…you are stunting your own growth…"
"I don't care what you think…You're DEAD! You aren't even REAL!"
The scene flashed around them, and she was back in her room. Her fingers dug into the thick carpet as she tried to ground herself.
"You've been pushing off the Oni nature for too long, my dear Keyda."
She felt bile rise as he spoke. Why was it she could never be free of this monster?
"The power of Hatred is just the beginning!" He spread his arms out with a smile, as if ready to show her a world of possibilities. She chucked more aura at him, but it had no effect, crashing into the wall behind him. He didn't even miss a beat.
"You don't have to abide by any moral compass…you don't have to keep yourself stunted. Keyda, when an Oni wants something…they take it!"
Her memory flashed back to when Garmadon had told her something similar. She shook the memory away, but the Baron laughed, as if he had seen it too.
"I wanted control…Garmadon wanted power…and you…" he smiled in that patronizing way she had always hated. "You want that boy…"
"STOP!" she screamed. Why wouldn't she wake up? Why was she always trapped in these pointless nightmares, haunted by demons?
"You can deny it all you want, Keyda, but Oni nature is obsessive, neurotic even. You see, you'll never have any peace until you have gained what you want."
She had moved to a far wall, trying to put as much distance between them as possible, but now he was moving closer and she couldn't retreat any further.
"You can try to deny it, and you even did a good job suppressing it…but your reaction after he disappeared speaks volumes, don't you think?"
She lobbed more power at him, desperate to make him go away, but there was still no effect.
"You couldn't control it…because it was a reaction that stemmed from an obsessive Oni desire…"
"GET AWAY FROM ME!"
"Just go and take him, Keyda. He wouldn't fight it…he would come willingly! Why won't you just allow yourself to…"
"He wouldn't know what he was agreeing to!" she yelled back. "He would have no friends, no life…stuck in this horrible realm?" She shook as she thought about it. "But once he was here…I…I would never let him leave…"
"Of course not," The Baron said evenly. "After everything you've been through, he would be yours to own…"
"He's a person!" she snapped. The Baron was right in front of her now. "I can't own a person…"
"An Oni can own whatever she wants…" The Baron said softly, kneeling down to be eye-level. She gave him a murderous look, but he smiled blithely, tutting.
"Oh Keyda…you still won't just accept who you are…and you'll never be what you were meant to be until you do…"
He reached out a gloved hand and touched her face. She wanted to destroy him, but for some reason she was frozen in place.
"My little monster…"
The spell was suddenly broken, and she screamed and lashed out. But he was gone… and her eyes flew open. She was lying on her back, on the rug she had been on originally.
She shook her head, unable to clear it from the words of her demons. She curled up on the rug and cried.
Kai
Kai carefully walked towards the kitchen, having successfully balanced 14 noodle bowls. Skylor shook her head a few feet away.
"Kai…it's okay to make several trips…" she chastised. His brows were knit in concentration, but he flashed a smirk in her direction.
"The thing is, I'm way better than just okay. Trust me….I can get all of these in there, no problem. That's just the kind of efficiency…"
His com-link went off, causing him to lose his concentration. The pile of bowls wobbled dangerously and he spent of few panicked moments getting them all realigned. He glanced over at Skylor, sheepish, as his wrist continued to beep.
"Uh…could you maybe…"
She rolled her eyes, smiling, and came over to press the button on his wrist. Zane's voice crackled.
"P.I.X.A.L and I have just picked up a surge of dragon energy…"
"Looks like they finally came to visit!" Skylor said, looking up at Kai. He nodded, looking a little relieved.
"It's about time…"
"Can you meet at the temple?"
"Sure thing, Zane….see ya soon." Kai said. The com-link clicked off.
"I was starting to get worried they weren't ever coming back," Skylor said, pulling the top seven bowls off Kai's stack. He made an incredulous sound.
"I had it under control!" he complained. She leaned in.
"I know. I just wanted to help," she said, kissing him on the cheek. His face turned red and his arguments died in his throat as she walked away, carrying the bowls to the kitchen.
He was frozen for another thirty seconds or so before he moved to follow her.
"So…we still on for dinner tonight?" he asked, voice slightly higher than normal. She laughed in reply.
Ninja
"It's an impressive display," Nya said, admiring the room. Screens covered two of the walls, with tables full of panels and different kinds of measurement instruments. P.I.X.A.L smiled at the compliment, sliding her hand into Zane's.
"We based it on what we started down in Skylor's dojo," The android explained. "Though we wanted this model to be a little bit better than the first, given that we no longer have the Bounty or the Samurai X cave…"
Nya laughed, testing the different filters and scanners. "Hey…the dojo model was pretty good considering what we had to work with!"
They were in one of the top rooms of the floating temple, waiting for the Ultra-Dragon to show up.
"Hey, this is sweet!"
Jay walked in, his inventing bag still slung over his shoulder. Nya smiled at him.
"How was work?"
He shrugged, not doing a good job at hiding his smugness.
"Oh, you know…can't really talk about it. New prototypes, very hush hush, you understand."
"Oh, I see…" she rolled her eyes as she gave him a welcoming hug.
"So, is this set-up how you knew Wu and Keyda were coming?" Jay asked, turning to Zane. The nindroid shared a look with P.I.X.A.L.
"We did implement scanners searching specifically for Oni and Dragon signatures, so it is how we were made aware…" P.I.X.A.L started.
"But in our analysis, we didn't pick up any Oni signatures." Zane finished. Everyone was quiet for a moment while the meaning of what they said sank in.
"Oh…that's not gonna go over well…" Jay said.
"What's not going to go over well?"
Kai appeared at the doorway with Skylor. Their friends filled them in and Kai shook his head.
"I mean…there really isn't any reason for her to visit…except, you know, if she actually…" Kai trailed off. "Maybe she just has too much to do, leading the Oni…"
"Do you think Wu will be back to his 'old' self now?" Nya asked, changing the subject. Zane thought about it.
"More than likely," He finally said. A few minutes later they could hear the echo of a distant dragon roar.
25
