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I hope you all have a Great Christmas, I know I am :D

Kai made his way out of the village and only stopped running when it was just a small dot against the white snow. Panting, he sat down on a large rock and sighed. Running off on his own in a place he knew practically nothing about might not have been a very good idea. He remembered that they had come through a forest shortly before they made it here, so he began walking in the general direction he believed they had came from.

Sure enough, a large forest soon made itself visible against the fields of snow. A sudden gust of wind blew through causing the teen to shiver. What he would give to be home with his sister right now.

Small birds fluttered around in the branches and Kai occasionally spotted a small white rabbit hopping here and there while he walked. He didn't have any real destination, and now he began to think that he probably shouldn't of ran out of that village as quickly as he did. At least not without asking for a map first.

Another strong gust of wind blew and Kai looked up, noticing large clouds moving in quickly.

"Well this is just great," He said aloud. He was going to have to go back now in order to take shelter from the coming storm. Maybe the others had already left and he wouldn't have to worry about running into them.

He began following his footsteps back to the village, and saw that the animals from before seemed to have vanished, leaving the forest completely silent. Deciding that it was probably because of the storm, he kept going.

A sudden roar echoed through the forest and the teen turned to see a giant grizzly bear charging strait at him. He dove to the right just as it lunged at him, it's claws raking his left arm. The beast charged again, and the brunette jumped over it's head, landing on it's back. The bear cried out in anger and started trying to get him off.

Kai took out a dagger and was about to use it when something nearby caught his attention. Two small cubs, attempting to hide in a nearby bush. The teen groaned and sheathed his weapon. He couldn't hurt the bear for just trying to defend it's cubs. He was the idiot who wasn't paying attention and got to close.

The bear finally succeeded in getting the ninja off of it's back, and Kai landed in the snow. He started to get up, but the bear bite down on the hood of his coat and started dragging him backwards. He quickly unzipped the coat and slipped out, running further into the woods as the bear shredded the fabric.

After a few minutes, he stopped and looked around. The bear hadn't given chase, probably deciding it's time was better spent finding shelter for it's cubs. Kai now realized that at some point during the encounter with the large animal, it had started to snow, and another strong gust of wind reminded him that he was now completely exposed to the elements.

Shivering, he turned to see if he could follow his footprints again, but they where already being covered up. Realizing that his best chance of surviving right now was to keep moving, he did just that. Hopefully he could find his way back to the village before it was to late.

~x~X~x~

"Hey guys!" Jay shouted," I think I found something!"

Cole glared at the younger ninja," You do realize that we're standing right next to you right?"

"Whoops."

"It appears that Jay has indeed figured out where our missing friend has gone," Zane stated, pointing at a set of tracks moving away from the village.

"Good work Zane," the oldest ninja complimented,"Let's follow them before Kai get's himself in trouble."

"Hey! What about me?" Jay complained.

"I'll give you a cookie when we get back, now come on."

The blue clad teen humphed before following his teammates out into the snow covered fields.

They followed the footprints to a forest as the wind began to steadily get stronger and the temperature dropped a few degrees.

"Surely that guy is smart enough to not stay out in the open with a blizzard on the way, right?"

"I do believe that he would have the sense to seek shelter Jay," The blond responded," Perhaps even backtracking his way back to the village."

"Hey, I think I see something over there," the black ninja pointed to something red in the distance. The three teens ran to it and found the remnants of Kai's coat.

Almost instantly Jay started to freak out," Oh no, this is bad. Very very very bad."

"Calm down Zaptrap, let's at least get a look around before we assume the worse."

"Well given these tracks, I would say that Kai had a run in with some of the native wildlife of this forest. From the lack of any blood or a body I would say that he managed to escape by sacrificing his coat," Zane observed," Then he ran off while the beast was distracted."

"So now he's stuck out here without a coat with a blizzard on the way," Cole pinched the bridge of his nose," We have to find him now."

"Um.. Not to be a bringer of bad news," Jay pointed up at the sky," But it's already snowing, and the temperature is dropping by the minute, and his trail is being covered up. How in the world are we supposed to find him before he freezes to death?!"

Cole was about to speak when he noticed Zane staring off into the distance.

"Zane, what's wrong?"

"I believe that Kai is in this direction," He responded, as if they wheren't in a life or death situation.

"Of course, your sixth sense couldn't have picked up his signal earlier," Jay complained as they started to walk in the direction that Zane suggested they go.