Chapter 13 - Only One Wish

"I'm sorry if it's sloppy. . ." Lloyd looked down at the crudely drawn map, absent mindedly sketching extra lines in a weak effort to make it look good. "That's. . . The best I can do from memory. Do you think you can get us there?"

Zane looked down at the map. The lines were awkward in some instances, but for the most part, the map got the basic idea across. It wasn't possible to truly judge the distance between Ninjago and the other island from it, but Zane could make out which direction to head towards, at least.

"I believe I can, but it will not be easy. With only two of us, there will be a lot of work to do."

"That's okay. I'll do my best," Lloyd said.

"For now. . . We should be alright. You did a good job as we set sail. The knowledge you carry of Wu's ships is rather admirable."

"Well, I was bound to pick up some things." Lloyd tried his best to sound humble, but pride shone through his green eyes. "And now I'm glad I did. The sooner we find my uncle. . . The sooner he can fix all this."

Zane gave a small nod, but he wondered if Wu would truly have a solution. Zane was still trying to come to terms with all that had occurred, and he couldn't believe in a simple end to it all as easily as Lloyd seemed to be able to.

"So. . ." Lloyd leaned against the side of the ship, watching as the wind breathed life into the sails. There was a heavy silence between Lloyd and Zane, as each tried to figure out how to act around the other. Lloyd had, of course, grown up around Zane, and his presence was more than soothing. But despite always having Zane around, Lloyd couldn't actually remember ever getting to know the man. "What do you. . . like?"

"Like?" Zane frowned. "Well. . . I have always enjoyed keeping you and your family safe. It's an honor to-"

"No no." Lloyd shook his head. "That's work. That doesn't count. What do you do on your free time? When you don't have to work?"

"Well. . . I. . ." Zane felt rather uncomfortable, with Lloyd's eyes boring down on him, waiting expectantly. "I don't have much free time, really. I mostly . . . work."

"Huh," Lloyd said. "Well that's just sad."

"Oh, um it is. . . it is okay. Truly. I do enjoy being in Wu's service very much."

"Well, Uncle isn't here anymore, and you said you'd be loyal to me." Lloyd looked at Zane, studying the quiet, seemingly simple man, but there was something more beneath his stoic exterior. There had to be. "And I say, there has to be something more than doing your job. Something you find fun! Everyone has something."

"I suppose so," Zane nodded slowly, wishing Lloyd's attention would be diverted away from him. But if there was anything Zane had learned about Lloyd, it was that the kid was more than stubborn. So Zane tried to think, worked through his memories, attempted to pinpoint something that would satisfy the child.

And there was something, wasn't there? Something small, maybe a little silly. Something Zane hadn't really had time to dwell on, because of course, his enjoyment was not a priority. "There was. . . Well, once, the cook was having some difficulties. Some of the staff had not come to work, and he could not make the meal alone. I decided to step in and help. I do admit I enjoyed myself more than usual."

"So cooking, huh?" Lloyd smiled. "That's cool!"

"But of course, it is not my job to-"

"You should cook something! I bet we have enough things in the ship to make something good. Do you know many recipes? What can you make?"

"I have picked up a couple of dishes here and there," Zane stated, then proceeded to shake his head. "But we must make sure the ship stays on course. We cannot waste time."

"You worry too much!" Lloyd stated, pushing away from the edge of the ship, and towards the steps that led down to the hold. "We'll be okay. Besides, we have to eat anyway, don't we?"

"I. . . Well. . . That is true, but. . ."

"Zane, I'm in charge." Lloyd trotted down the steps, signaling Zane to follow. "And I say you should make us something delicious!"

Zane looked back at the open ocean one last time, before finally giving in and following Lloyd's steps.

Nadakhan was free.

He could feel the difference instantly. There was no insistent tug pulling him back towards the teapot. No stubborn whispers in his mind ordering him to grant every wish. But most of all, there was no one to serve.

No. Now, Nadakhan belonged only to himself. There would be no more masters.

Nadakhan felt better than he'd ever felt before.

This freedom had to be his, forever. He could not allow anyone to ever come close to chaining him down again. The best thing to do would be to remain in Ninjago, to make it his island, a place where no one would ever come close to sticking him back into the suffocating teapot.

Garmadon's idea to turn Wu's soldiers into his own had not been a bad one. Yes, the pirate captain hadn't been quite as foolish as others Nadakhan had encountered in his past. But, nevertheless, Garmadon had his weaknesses. His sharp mind had been corrupted all too easily by the rampaging emotions within his heart.

Nadakhan would not allow anything to weaken him. He had spent years watching others fail. He knew exactly which paths would only bring misfortune, and which would bring glory. Nadakhan closed his eyes, focusing on the power within him.

"I wish for the soldiers loyal to Wu, to find their loyalty now lies with me."

He felt the wish make its way throughout him, before finally settling itself upon reality. Nadakhan smiled, and chuckled softly, before responding to himself. "Your wish, is yours to keep."

Now. . . Now he was safe.

Safe. . . But alone. Nadakhan thought back to his short years of freedom, to the crew he had once shared his life with. They had been vanished from this world altogether, a cruel way to punish Nadakhan for his misdeeds.

It did not matter. Nadakhan could bring them back. Would bring them back. With the ability to grant himself no more than a single wish per sunrise, however, it would be a slow, agonizing progress. The Djinn would need more souls, in order to gain more wishes.

Luckily for him, he knew of at least one person in Ninjago whose mind was close to rupturing.

"How bad does it look?"

Cole studied Jay's face in the moonlight, eyes running through the small scars the spider's venom had burned upon his skin. For the most part, they were small, barely noticeable. Except for one, which had burned straight through his right eyebrow.

"Well. . . I don't think it looks bad." Cole answered honestly. "It gives your face a little more. . . character."

"Character." Jay rolled his eyes, feeling the slanted scar across his eyebrow. "Yeah right. It's awful, isn't it? Just be honest. It's okay. I can handle it."

"You look fine," Cole pressed. "Now let's get back to the others. Hopefully Kai found something helpful. If not, at least we got the venom."

Jay nodded, following Cole as he headed back through the path. The way back to the cave felt far shorter than the path they'd taken to the spider, a fact that Jay was more than glad for. After struggling to climb out of the web for what had felt like hours, his body was more than ready to call it quits.

Inside the cave, Kai had already returned, and he was engaged in conversation with Nya. They looked up in unison as Cole and Jay stepped inside. "You're back!"

Jay smiled, enjoying the hint of worry ringing in Nya's words. "Yup! And we got the spider venom!"

"Yeah, you got the venom alright." Kai responded, eyeing Jay's scars with mild amusement. "I didn't think the plan was to get it all over your face though."

"It's- I. . . We . . ." Jay stuttered, his cheeks glowing red as he tried to search for a witty remark.

"The spider came close to killing us both. Thus, the scars." Cole stepped in. "If it wasn't for Jay, we would've probably died, if I'm honest. He was pretty brilliant."

"Really?" Nya smiled, and Jay gave Cole a grateful look. "Well. . . You don't look bad either way. I like it. Adds character."

"Told you so." Cole smirked.

"Well thank you." Jay beamed.

Kai rolled his eyes. "Okay, so we've got the venom, but Wu's still unconscious and we have no way off the island. Seems to me like we're still stuck at square one. Plus, the beach is most definitely out of limits."

"Why?" Jay asked, plopping down in front of the small fire that lit the cave.

"Trust me, you don't want to know." Kai shuddered.

"We might. . . We might have no other choice but to wait." Nya sighed. "I hate to say it but. . . We're stuck. At least for now."

Nya felt the helplessness like a heavy cloak around her, weighing down every one of her thoughts. She could do nothing.

Kai wondered about Lloyd, his gut twisting with worry at every grim possibility. The kid was brave, and there was no denying he was smart, but in the end he was still just a kid.

Jay couldn't help but stress about his parents, stuck in Ninjago with a crazed Djinn and an infamous pirate. He had no way of knowing if they were okay, and had no way to let them know that he was okay.

Cole thought of nothing but Garmadon, hoping with all his might that the man was still alright. He wondered if, perhaps, staying by his side would have been the best course of action.

They all sighed in unison, lost within their own troubles.

Misako didn't know how long she'd been in the library.

Hours, surely, but how many? Not enough. She still didn't feel okay. Didn't feel like she could step outside. Too much was going on. And she was to blame for most of it.

But she couldn't stay in here forever. She knew that. There was Lloyd to worry about. She couldn't leave him alone with his father running around attached to a cunning Djinn. Garmadon had been right when he'd pointed out what a horrible mother she'd been, but it was never too late to change, never too late to do better.

Right?

Misako willed herself to stand. She wasn't just worried about Lloyd. She was worried about Garmadon too. She couldn't let him carry on with the Djinn by his side. Sooner or later, things would go wrong.

"You have to stop feeling sorry for yourself." Misako hissed at her wavering reflection against the window. "You brought this onto yourself, didn't you? Now do something about it before it's too late. . ."

Behind her reflection, a menacing shape grew. Misako whirled around, taking a couple of steps back as she recognize the Djinn before her. She narrowed her eyes, willing her mind to remain steady. "What are you doing here? Did Garmadon send you? Well you can tell him I've had more than enough of this."

"Garmadon? No, no." The Djinn shook his head, gliding closer. "He is. . . Well let's say he will not be making any more requests any time soon."

"No." Misako shook her head. Garmadon couldn't be gone. "This is a trick. I won't fall for it."

The Djinn shrugged. "Believe what you must."

Misako didn't want to believe in the Djinn's words, but how could she not? She knew that the Djinn was confined to the lamp, knew that he couldn't move freely on his own. There were only two possibilities. Garmadon had wished for the Djinn to find Misako, and torment her. Or Garmadon truly had. . . gone. Just as Ray had, years before.

She had to admit that Garmadon wishing for the Djinn to torment her didn't seem very possible. Garmadon could be cruel when he was angered, but he wouldn't have gone this far. Besides, it would have been a waste of a wish, wouldn't it?

And if Garmadon was gone. . . Misako's stomach twisted. What about Lloyd?

She looked up at the Djinn, her eyes flashing with emotions. "Where is my son?"

Nadakhan gave a small shrug. "And why should I tell you?"

"If you don't I'll. . .I will. . ." Misako's voice shook. She would what? It wasn't as if she could actually fight the Djinn and come out on top. She had nothing to use against him.

"Will what?" Nadakhan smiled. He could see the rampaging thoughts running through the woman's eyes. Could see how close her mind was to the breaking point. He simply had to keep pushing.

Misako shrugged. "I will find where my son is myself."

She headed towards the library doors, but the handles refused to twist open. The door had been locked from the outside. With shaking hands she rattled the doorknobs, even though she knew it was pointless. She was trapped.

"This is stupid," she growled, twisting around to face the Djinn once again. "Just let me out!"

"I do not really feel like doing so," Nadakhan shrugged. "But there is one way to know where your son is, isn't there? I may not be confined to my teapot, but I would be more than willing to grant you a wish."

Misako shook her head, but it was a weak gesture. She knew listening to the Djinn was a mistake. Yet. . . it was only one wish. There wasn't much harm in that.

"I. . ." Misako sighed in defeat. "I wish to know where my son is."

"Your wish, is yours to keep."

Reality before Misako rippled. Instead of rows and rows of shelves, she was suddenly standing on a ship, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. It took her a couple of seconds to spot her son. He was curled up on the side of the deck, half hidden in the shadows. His body was covered in a tattered sheet, and against his cheeks were dried, dirty tears.

"Lloyd!" Misako reached out, but the moment she took a step forward, the illusion broke. She was back in the library, miles and miles away from Lloyd. "No, no bring him back, I . . . Where is he? That didn't explain anything!"

"You wished to know where he was. And you now know, he is on a ship." Nadakhan laughed. "Could be heading anywhere. The ocean is quite vast. You would never find him."

Misako knew the Djinn was right, but there had to be a way to get to him. Another wish, maybe? But how, how could she word it in a way that would benefit her and not the Djinn? Wishing to be by her son's side could end up in another illusion. Wishing for his exact location wouldn't help her at all, not without knowing how to sail.

"Hmm. . . I see you are very worried," Nadakhan said. "And me? I am a kind Djinn, truly. So I will tell you where your son is heading."

"He is heading for the island where they originally found my teapot." When Misako's eyes widened, Nadakhan continued. "Yes, you know it well do you not? You seem to have a good thirst for knowledge. I am sure you know of all the dangers that island holds."

"Why?" Misako questioned. "Why would he go? He can't. . . He can't be there. Not by himself."

"Why? Well that is a simple question." Nadakhan said, as he tried to formulate a clever answer. They had left behind quite a couple of people on that island. Lloyd most likely believed he would find help there. "He wants his father back. And he believes someone there might have the answer as to how to go about it all."

Wu was still on the island. Misako frowned. But why would Lloyd go search for him? Wu didn't know as much about the Djinn as she did. It didn't make sense.

Except. . . It did. Misako had spent most of the day hiding out in the library. In her desperation to stay away from Garmadon's accusing eyes, she'd wound up abandoning her son. Of course Lloyd had gone after Wu. Misako hadn't been there.

She leaned back against the locked doors, sliding down onto the floor. "Well. . . he will be safe. Wu. . . Wu will take care of him."

"Will he? Perhaps. . . If he is alive."

"What?"

"Are you really so sure Garmadon didn't kill him?"

"He wouldn't! No. I'm sure of it. Garmadon would never. . ."

Was she sure of it? The increasing worry in her mind told her the opposite. She'd seen the state Garmadon had been in. Seen the rage in his eyes. For years, the sting of betrayal had clung to his mind, increasing the desire for revenge with each day.

How could she be sure Garmadon hadn't killed Wu?

Another wish. It was the only way. The Djinn wouldn't give up any information freely. One more wish wouldn't hurt. Not if she was careful.

Nadakhan watched her patiently, knowing she would eventually give in.

"I. . . I wish to see Wu."

The Djinn did his best not to smile. The woman was foolish, so, so foolish. She wanted to see Wu? She would see him. Nadakhan would show her a reality in which Wu had, in fact, died. After all, Misako hadn't asked to see the truth.

"Your wish, is yours to keep."

Just like before, the world around her changed. She found herself in a cave this time. Misako felt a cold breeze blow in from outside, causing her to shiver. She walked deeper inside, her eyes searching desperately.

And then, she spotted him.

Wu's body lay against the ground, dried blood staining his chest. His skin was pale, his eyes half closed, completely devoid of life. Misako felt a strong ache growing from her heart, as it shattered into more fragments than she could collect. Wu was dead. Her son was mostly likely heading towards the same grim fate. And all, all because of her.

The scenery changed. She was back in the library.

Everything inside her hurt. She couldn't think, not with her mind plagued with guilt. Misako was alone. Her fickle heart had caused the end of both of the men she'd loved. And her selfish thoughts and self-pitying attitude had made her abandon her son in the moments when he most needed her.

Misako looked at Nadakhan, knowing her next decision was going to be her most selfish of all.

But what could she do? What could she do, other than make things worse? There was no point in fighting. She could care less if the Djinn grew stronger from her decision. It didn't matter. She was guilty of too much. She couldn't bear it.

Well then. One more wish. Her last.

"I wish. . . I wish for it all to go away!"

Nadakhan rejoiced. Misako bowed her head.

"Your wish, is yours to keep."