Chapter 9

Kai nearly fainted when the room began to get hotter; and he had to live with this every day. His hair, which was usually stuck up and tangled, fell down and plastered on his forehead, gluing to the sweat. Kai gritted his teeth. He struck the metal and stopped for a breath. Using the back of his hand to brush the hair from his eyes, he blew out a breath of cool air.

"Hey, Nya! Where are the nun chucks? I still haven't worked with them yet!" He set the hammer on a work bench and walked out of the melting room. "Nya?" Suddenly, he heard wild panting. "What's going on?" Kai arched a brow as his sister sprinted in front of him. She wiped her face with a nearby cloth and inhaled deeply, nearly fainting in Kai's arms.

"Dust… he's back! We don't – no one – he just…" Nya gasped loudly and looked down at her arm. "I was cut badly," she hissed and held it out for Kai to see.

The blacksmith's eyes widened. He dragged Nya into their shared bedroom and sat her down. "Just gimme a sec," he told her and unraveled a long strip of cloth. "It's all we've got close enough to medical tapes." He ripped a chunk off and began to wrap it around Nya's arm.

He gazed into her eyes and noticed she was losing focus. "Rest, sis. You need it," he moved his sister sideways and set her head atop of a pillow. He then turned his attention to the small opening to the outside. "That…" he cursed under his breath and stood up, heading to the weapons and swiping a katana off the shelf. It'll have to do, he thought.

Nya turned her head weakly to Kai. "Kai, be careful out there… last time you were tricked, remember?" Kai nodded, but his eyes set on Dust.

Stomping to the outside, he made a loud noise to grab the sorcerer's attention. "What is it with you and destruction?" Kai narrowed his eyes in.

Dust slowly spun around to face Kai, his eyes staring intensely at Kai.

"I am destruction, Kai! If you want the end of the world, I'll give it to you; you want Cole dead, oh I'll give it to you!"

Kai gritted his teeth in anger. "No one will hurt my friends!"

Dust laughed. "How funny," he crept closer and twirled his fingers above the blacksmith's head. Kai's eyes became a bright purple, matching the same shade as Dust's. His mind began to cloud and he could hear Dust's voice echoing in his head. "Forget me, you want Jay. He's who you're after… isn't he the one that began that friendship with Cole? Isn't that the reason I'm here?"

Kai stared into the distance with an open mouth.

"Kai!" Lloyd yelled, running after him. Dust growled and said a few more words before leaving Kai and heading for Lloyd.

The blond boy stared at Kai. He looked drained of his – "Lloyd, care to join us?" Lloyd pushed aside Dust and shook Kai.

"Kai! Kai, snap out of it!" The blacksmith suddenly inhaled deeply and blinked a few times at Lloyd. "Kai, you okay?" Kai shook his head and groaned.

"No…Dust, he… we're looking at this all wrong."

Lloyd arched a brow and turned to look at Dust. "Kai, no, Dust did something. Whatever you're thinking right now isn't what you actually think… I can't even find the right words to say! Kai, these aren't your real thoughts!"

Dust crept up behind Lloyd as he was shaking Kai. Dust did the same thing to Lloyd and suddenly, the two were struck in a daze.

"Kai, never mind what I said. It's the only way to end things," Lloyd said in a monotone – ish voice. Dust grinned and drifted into a cloud of smoke.

"Perfect, then we both know what to do next," Kai said, smirking at Lloyd.


Cole's mouth was getting dry and his legs were stiffening. He pulled harder at the braces but no matter what he tried, he couldn't snap them off. All he wanted was out, out from this stupid place – better yet, away from this prison. He curled his fingers and pulled again. His strength was draining real quick.

I need a way out; he thought and scanned the room. Nothing. THERE WAS LITERALLY NOTHING TO HELP! Cole sighed, when suddenly, a bright flash of smoke appeared in front of him.

He tensed.

"Hello, Cole. Enjoying your little cage?" Dust smirked.

Cole drew his brows in. He wanted to snap at Dust.

Just then, something behind his head formed and he was only able to look forward. "Oh, that, that's just a little something to keep you watching the show; it's still a work in progress, but it'll come up soon… you're favorite channel!" Dust yelled, pretending to act excited.

The image flickered to Kai and Lloyd, whose eyes were haunting, reminding Cole of Dust. "These two already have their parts aid out…" Dust drifted from the scene, "Now, where is that droid?"

Cole's eyes widened. Not, Zane! He thought harder.

"Be quiet, Cole! Unless you want me to rip your heart out! Oh, but then you'd die right there, where's the fun in that? No suffering… no entertainment…"

Cole squinted. Did Dust enjoy watching others suffer? Cole felt stupid; he already knew the answer to that question.

Suddenly, the smoke blackened. Cole felt his eyes stinging. Not, Jay…


Jay shut the panel and wiped the front of it. He stood back and said for Zane to wake up. Pixal stood by his side, watching Zane open his icy blue eyes. "That should do it for now," Jay sighed and threw the cloth behind him. "You're going to have to stay in here for now, Pixal should keep you company. I'm gonna go see Nya," Jay told the two.

Zane nodded and sat up running a hand over his panel. "Pixal, I sense danger," he told her when Jay left them. Pixal nodded her head like Zane.

"I sense some danger here too. And I fear it is heading for Jay," she stared at Zane with worried eyes. She could tell Zane felt the same.

Suddenly, Zane's blue eyes flashed a bright purple. Pixal began to step back. "Pixal…" Zane began, trying to fight against the magic, "protect, Jay." He stopped talking and looked right through the female droid, his purple eyes haunting her.

"Zane," she said softly and turned, running to hide and find Jay.

The droid stood there as Dust fidgeted with his mind. "Kai and Lloyd know it," he told Zane, "you know it… Jay's the reason this all started."

Zane flinched. Once Dust left, he scanned the room.

He needed to find Jay.


Curling her metal fingers around Jay's wrists, Pixal pulled him out of the stall. "Pixal, what are you doing?" Jay asked her as they walked further into the village.

Pixal didn't answer.

Jay looked at the wrench sitting in his free hand. "Pixal, what's going on?"

Instead, Pixal said in a monotone voice: "Nya has not been affected yet." Jay arched a brow and was pulled harder along the paved road. Pixal marched up to the blacksmith's shop. She scanned she stall, making sure Kai wasn't anywhere near.

Jay ripped his arm from Pixal's hold and traveled inside. "Nya?"

"Jay!" he heard her cry. She stooped off the bed and ran, forgetting her injuries. "Jay, we need to get out of here! Kai's after you… Dust is after you!"

Pixal followed Jay in and stepped in between the two. "Nya is correct. I saw him take Zane."

Jay looked at Nya. "Let's get outta here… do you know anywhere safe to hide?" Nya shook her head.

"We need to move, now!" Nya suddenly yelled. Jay pulled her out, following Pixal. He could hear Kai and Lloyd already back from wherever they were.

They got almost everyone, Jay said to himself and felt his stomach twisting. Now, he wished someone were here to protect them, to protect him. He didn't want to leave yet.

"Jay, watch out!" Nya yelled.

Too late to react, Jay saw darkness.


*cries* as I was writing this chapter, I was listening to Flashlight. Sorry... ok.

So what do you think happened here at the end? And don't worry... I have everything planned out *evil laugh*

R&R