AN: Did I use the same joke three times for chapter titles? Yes. Yes, I did.

Review Replies
SylasPantz: Lol, yeah, sorry, Yang's temple probably isn't going to crop up any time soon. I wanted to deviate from the original timeline as much as possible to make things interesting, so this little adventure is going to go quite differently than you might think.

phetiamwantip: Thanks! I felt like Wu and Morro needed to be addressed sooner or later, and the last chapter ended up being a nice filler place for me to insert some of that. It was also nice to flesh out Abby's character development a little bit as she learns how to be more sensitive with the information she holds. As for how she deals with Kai, well... Just keep reading and you'll find out. ;)

By the time Wu and I finished the tea, the boys were ready to go. We met them in the courtyard, where Wu made them drink every single drop of what was apparently a pretty nasty tea. I couldn't help but grin as I watched the foursome down the concoction, gagging and complaining loudly. Lloyd stood by, watching the others with a dejected look on his face.

"It's my grandfather's tomb, I should be going," the blond's voice verged on a whine as the boys began summoning their dragons.

"Sorry, chosen one," Kai said, snatching Lloyd in a headlock and ruffling his hair playfully, "But you heard Sensei Wu; somebody's gotta be here to keep the windbag in check."

The Green Ninja squawked in protest and struggled to push Kai off as the brunet laughed. I smiled at the display, though I felt a pang at Kai's wording. Sensei Wu hadn't actually been the one to suggest Lloyd stay; I was. Evidently, the Fire Ninja still hadn't forgiven me for my mistake with his parents. The others told me not to take his anger too seriously; he was a hothead, but he calmed down after time. While I trusted they were right, Kai's cold shoulder still bothered me.

"Maybe this is a good opportunity for you and Morro to have some bonding time," I told Lloyd as he finally broke away from Kai. When the blond gave me an incredulous look, I added, "Look, I know he can be difficult, and… yeah, he hates you, but every little bit counts. Besides, he's technically your cousin; you should give him a chance."

"Wait… what?" Jay sputtered as the others gave me nonplussed looks. A grin crept across my face as Wu, who was also seeing us off, froze stock-still. I shrugged.

"I mean, Sensei Wu basically adopted him," I pointed out, "So that kinda makes him Lloyd's cousin."

More stares. Both Lloyd and his uncle seemed to be rethinking their existence, while the boys looked to be in varying stages of shock and disgust.

"No," Cole whispered, and I let loose a diabolical cackle. After a few more vehement protests from the guys, which I teasingly rejoined, Wu began to urge us off in real earnest. Cole offered to give me a ride, but I found my attention drifting toward Kai. This might be a perfect chance for me to talk to him…

"Actually," I said hesitantly, "I'd kinda like to ride with Kai, if he doesn't mind."

From some of the looks I got, I figured most of them guessed what I was after. Kai regarded me for a moment, his face expressionless. Finally, he turned away with an impassive, "Sure, whatever."

Despite his tone, I felt a small burst of triumph. Sensei Wu and Lloyd were the only ones to wish us farewell; Nya and Misako had already gone to the library, and Garmadon was guarding Morro. I made sure to give Lloyd a hug before we left, and though he seemed surprised at first, he returned the gesture warmly.

After exchanging goodbyes and securing the satchel I had borrowed from Wu, I hurried to mount Kai's elemental dragon. The first time I was introduced to the beasts, I was awed and slightly intimidated. Dragons were one of my favorite mythical creatures, and to finally see and feel and experience them in real life… Granted, they weren't real dragons, but Ninjago did have real dragons, which I was determined to see before I went home.

It took me a second, but with Kai's help, I was able to clamber onto the dragon behind him. With a final wave to Lloyd and Wu, we took off. I instinctively hugged Kai tight, ignoring the way he stiffened as his dragon shot into the air. The wind whistled past us, freezing the tips of my ears and cheeks as I kept my eyes firmly shut. It wasn't until we had leveled out into a steadier flight pattern that I finally dared to let go of Kai and open my eyes.

The guys chatted and joked as we flew. They tried to show off their aerobatic skills, but after I screamed in terror when Kai pulled a corkscrew, that game was quickly shut down. I felt a little bad about ruining their fun, but I was already tense enough being so high up. The ground below us whizzed by in a blur of color and undefinable landscape. I couldn't deny it was a beautiful sight, and the experience of flying on the back of a freaking dragon was possibly the best thing I had ever done in my life. Yet my awe did little to overshadow my fear of heights, and while I knew I was safe with the boys, I was also perfectly fine with a nice, leisurely flight to Stiix.

Kai didn't speak to me much at first; he didn't speak to anyone much, really. The atmosphere around him was sullen, and he seemed lost in his own brooding. I could guess what he was thinking about, and I pondered how best to broach the topic. When the other three boys drifted away for a moment, I summoned up my courage and took the plunge.

"Kai?" I prodded carefully. The brunet tilted his head back, but he didn't respond. Taking this as an encouraging sign, I continued, "Look, the guys told me not to worry about it too much, but…" I sighed, "Kai, I'm sorry. I know I've said it a lot, but I mean it. You were right; I should have told you about your parents sooner. I was scared of… things getting out of my control. I thought as long as everything went according to how I planned it, it would be all right. I thought my way was best, and that was wrong. It was selfish. I should have given you the chance to make that call for yourself instead of manipulating you by keeping secrets."

I shut my mouth quickly, bracing myself for Kai's reaction. To my shock and chagrin, he gave nothing more than a snort, "Yeah, well, 'should' isn't going to help my parents now."

My blood boiled at his flippant tone, and I gritted my teeth, "I—!"

I cut myself off before I said something I knew I'd regret. I closed my eyes as I tried to curb the storm welling inside me. Taking a deep breath, I went on more calmly, "I'm doing my best, okay? I promise, I'll do everything I can to help find your parents. Just please don't stay mad at me forever. I can't stand it."

"This isn't about you, Abby," the boy said coldly, a note of bitterness in his voice. The short dismissal was like a slap to the face.

"I… I'm not trying to make it about me!" I sputtered, desperately trying to recover the situation. This was not how I expected this conversation to go.

"Then what are you doing?!" He snapped.

"I'm apologizing, you—!" I stopped again, suppressing a growl of frustration. I generally tried to be a patient person, but Kai's attitude was testing me. What would it take for me to get through to him? Was I supposed to just wait until he got over it? I knew I had messed up, but that didn't make the whole situation my fault. Why—?

"Thanks."

My mental grumbling was brought to a dead halt as I whipped my head up in surprise. Kai didn't make any move, continuing to look straight ahead. I was beginning to think I had been hearing things until he spoke again.

"Thanks for apologizing," he mumbled, ducking his head so his voice carried back to me, "I didn't mean that… that thing about you making it about yourself. I just… I'm…"

"Scared?" I prompted gently, my anger melting at the boy's awkwardness, "And disappointed? I got your hopes up, all for nothing…"

"Yeah," Kai agreed. He finally glanced back, giving me a small, sweet smirk, "But that wasn't your fault. You did everything you could, and you would have been right. Whatever happened, you obviously didn't expect it, so none of us did either… and yeah, I'm worried about my parents." the light in his eyes dulled a bit, and his voice grew sober, "Now that I know they're alive, I can't stop thinking about where they might be, or whether they might be in danger. That's stressful. But," he added, perking up again, "I shouldn't have been taking it out on you. The others are used to it, but I guess you aren't."

He fell silent for a moment before he smirked again, this one bolder and cockier, "The guys were right, you know. It wasn't about you; you really shouldn't have worried about it."

I chuckled slightly, "Yeah, I guess. Blame it on the intense social anxiety."

He hummed and, in an abrupt change of subject, asked, "So what's in the bag?"

Instinctively, I glanced at the satchel bumping gently against my hip before I looked back up at Kai.

"Just a little leverage," I said with a mischievous smile, "I know how difficult Ronin can be. Thought it'd be good to be prepared."

The boy's eyes widened at my implications; then he grinned dangerously.

"I like the sound of that," he said, and I laughed. Just then, Zane came swooping up next to us.

"We will be reaching Stiix in approximately forty-five minutes," he informed, "Jay has suggested we sing a traveling song. Would you two like to join in?"

Kai let out an audible groan, "Come on, again? I still haven't gotten 'Ninety-nine Bottles of Tea' out of my head from last time."

"Oh, come on, Kai," I teased, "It's just one song. What's the worst that could happen?"

The deadpan look he gave me was well worth the bad joke.

AN: I hope mature Kai doesn't seem too OOC, lol.