Chapter 4: waiting for the next dream

A/N: IAMSOSORRY. THIS TOOK WAY LONGER THAN I THOUGHT, BECAUSE I COMPLETELY NEGLECTED IT. I HAD A FINISHED CHAPTER, BUT I WASNT SATISFIED WITH THAT, SO I DIDNT PUBLISH IT. THAT WAS ALL THE WAY BACK IN OCTOBER. HHHH

I think I'll rewrite the old chapters soon. Look out for that! I read back and realized that much of the dialogue feels awkward… I'm trying to improve on that.

(Also, this could come off as Glacier-y, you can interpret it as you'd like. :D)

Description: Zane is currently out of order. You'll have to take it up with a furious Pixal.

"You don't remember? That's… That's your name." Jay's voice was hesitant.

Zane's gaze dropped to the floor.

"...what have I...?" The light blue in his eyes seemed to waver, and a pained expression consumed his face. On the ground, his silver feet, bare and full of scratches, had frost forming on them. Ever part of him trembled, from head to toe. "...I can't… I can't…"

There was an muffled click as Zane's legs collapsed out from beneath him. He fell straight to the ground with a horrible echoing clatter. The skull helmet, from where it had been tucked under the Nindroid's arm, crashed to the ground. Four others were carefully set down as the other ninja freed their hands. "...I can't…" he repeated, his face buried in his arms as he curled up against the wall. "I don't… know…"

Cole was the first one in action, kneeling down next to his friend. The Nindroid did not stir when Cole's hand took his own and drew him up to where his head was resting on the Earth Ninja's shoulder. Zane's knees were still on the ground, and they were iced over. The hands, face, and arms of the Nindroid that Cole could actually feel were cold as the his element.

"We'll help you remember." Cole whispered, The now-smaller ninja didn't stop shaking, even though it seemed like he hugged Cole harder. "After we get out of this place."

"...I don't… I…" Zane's voice broke as he tried to force the words out. "I…" the attempt became nothing but a muffled whimper.

"You don't have to talk." murmured Cole, before continuing with a gentle 'shh' sound that none of them had noticed him making before.

The Earth Ninja stood up carefully, lifting his friend along with him by settling him into a sort of bridal carry. The Nindroid's head lolled against Cole's shoulder, his eyes barely lit.

"Come on," he whispered to the rest of them. There were footsteps coming down the hall, making clicks. Unlike the dull thumps of the guards' shoes, they were sharp and fast. "Zane, are you okay? We're going to have to run."

"Clouse." hissed Kai. "Ugh, why don't we just knock him out?" A few sparks flew from his clenched fists as he prepared to do just what he said.

"I agree with Kai," Jay agreed, pulling out his nunchucks. But Lloyd shook his head.

"I'll bet that wherever the chanting is coming from, they're expecting Clouse back." Jay put his weapons back and pointed with his thumb behind him.

"Then lets book it!" They did so, taking off like bullets. They were streaks of color as they zipped down the hallways, all except for two- Cole, who had set Zane on the ground again and was trying to tug him along.

"Let's go Frosty! Clouse is coming this way!" The Earth Ninja urged. When Zane didn't move, seemingly frozen to the spot, the other ninja ran back quickly.

"We need to go." Lloyd insisted, his eyes flashing to the place where Clouse's footsteps were getting louder. Then-

"NINJA? HERE?" A shout came from the front of the tunnel, right where Lloyd had been looking. The small group heard the crackle as magic came to the sorcerer's hand, an orb that seemed to absorb the light in the already-dim tunnel. It grew for a second before it flew from Clouse's hand as a hail of dark bullets.

They headed for Kai, who readied his swords in defense, but it never made it there. In seconds, the fire ninja was out of the way. The orb of magic shot straight through the wall, creating a cloud of dust as the wall exploded.

A shock of green had burst through the scene, and metal feet had kicked against the swords, propelling Kai to the floor.

Kai's weapons had been used as a springboard to both get him out of danger, and to propel Pixal, now in control, right towards Clouse. The sorcerer tried to move in the last moment, but couldn't before Pixal's palms slammed into the center of his chest and encased him in a shell of ice.

She stood there for a few silent seconds, letting the ice spread into spikes. Her eyes flashed dangerously. Once Clouse toppled to the ground as a scary magic popsicle, she stepped away.

"...I believe that now is the time we should move." She said, voice as cold as the Clouse-sicle she had just made. "Apologies, that was the last resort." When she turned around, there was a pleasant smile on her face.

"Yeah."

In fear of the seemingly-cutthroat android, they moved on.


"We can't go to investigate the chanting. Lloyd is likely right, if some sort of ritual is going on, Clouse is probably the one behind it." Pixal's voice echoed through the tunnels as she jogged ahead of the ninja, trying to figure out the way back to Kai's room. "Am I correct in saying you left a trail?"

"Yep. Chocolate peas… Or something." Jay confirmed. Pixal hummed a tuneless song for a second, considering the routes.

"We must head this way." Pixal pointed down one of the tunnels, barely waiting for the ninja before she ran into it. "Quickly!"

They complied. "Why, Pix?" Lloyd asked, sprinting into the area. Pixal barely glanced back.

"That it because I did not wish to interfere with the physical contact Cole was giving Zane. Zane, when he gets into a saddened state such as this, has admitted to me that he likes to have physical contact." The other ninja, overhearing, gave her a questioning look, but didn't interrupt. "As we share a body at the moment, I cannot give him that physical contact. You ninja were the best choice for it."

"I don't think that's what Lloyd was asking, Pix." Kai said, slightly amused. The other ninja were catching up with the android. She glanced over and gave him a small smile.

"I am well aware, but I thought it vital that you should all know." She made another sharp turn, heels driving into the dirt as she skidded right. With a single shot of ice, the guard around the corner was frozen to the wall. "I do believe I'm getting better at this!"

Now the other ninja were heaving, trying to catch up with her. "Ugh," complained Jay, who had slowed down, clutching his side. "curse stamina-less Nindroids!" Hearing this, Pixal slowly jogged back to the colorful group.

"Are you including Zane and I in that 'cursed' category?" She questioned confusedly. The a Blue Ninja had a sheepish look.

"You two are really the only ones in the catagory at the moment, I think." Jay admitted.

Cutting in, Lloyd remarked, "Actually, while you guys were gone, Mr. Borg made the Nindroid army into security droids. But I'm not sure if they're good enough. If one ninja is enough to defeat them, I don't think…" he paused to send a playful half-glare at his friends. "Yeah, if a single ninja can defeat them, all on his own..."

Kai lightly punched him in the shoulder with a grin. "Can it, Green Bean. We're all back together now. No more complaining!"

Said 'Green Bean' looked up at Kai, smiling. "As long as we're all together, I'm not sure I can find any reason to."