Chapter 11


"I will take the body away," Pixal offered. Kai and the rest nodded, then left. When everyone was gone, Pixal turned her attention to Zane. "Follow me," she told him and picked Jay up.

Zane followed her back to the booth and watched as she laid Jay on a cleared table. "Aren't we supposed to bury the body?"

Pixal ignored Zane and scrambled to Jay's inventions. Finding the right one, she punched it into Jay's side and he gasped, his eyes shooting straight open.

He panted wildly. "How, how'd we do?" he asked her.

"Fine, Jay, although, Cole coming to kill you instead was not a part of the plan."

"Well, it didn't have much effect, right?"

"He was banished from the village."

Jay rubbed the back of his neck and screamed, "What? Why didn't you stop them?"

"No one would listen."

Jay then noticed Zane.

"Oh, right! Zane… uh yeah, I'm alive…" Jay let out a small laugh. "Pixal had sensed this battle coming – yup, she's a lot smarter than you – so, we planned out a way for me to still be alive. As Cole strangled me, she ran up and stabbed me with the shocker, causing me to black out as if I was choked by him."

Zane nodded, following along as Jay still spoke. Finally, he said, "Well, I am glad you are alright. What should we do now?" Jay shrugged.

Suddenly, his eyes sparked. "We need to get Cole back…"


When Cole opened his eyes, he saw a guard towering above him. Startled, Cole jumped up and scooted back in bed. "What the?"

"Sorry, Master Cole," he bowed and stepped aside for Cole to hop off of. "Dust wanted me to come fetch you."

Cole shooed him away, "Tell him I don't want to be near him… that freak." He walked over to the door and opened it, slowly stepping out. The Guard followed behind. Once outside, the guard kept following him. "Go away."

The Guard laid a hand on Cole's shoulder. "He demands to see you. You better listen to him, Master Cole, things don't go so pretty." Cole clenched his teeth and rubbed the hand off. He began to walk faster, wanting to leave the Guard and have some alone time. "Master Cole," the Guard said in a strict tone.

Cole tensed. "Stop calling me that!" He scoffed and headed into the kitchen, slamming the door.

Cole groaned and turned around from the door. His thoughts froze when he saw Dust standing there. "You should really listen to others, Cole."

"I don't listen to anyone who works for someone who just uses me!" Cole gritted his teeth and stomped past Dust. Then, he added softly, "And tell your guards to stop calling me Master Cole; I don't even think I live here anymore." Dust curled his fingers, Cole freezing in place. "Let go of me!"

Finally, Dust spoke, "It must've been hard loosing Jay."

Cole growled. "Don't say his name!"

"Oh, the pain. The horrors watching him die in your "arms"…"

"Quit it!"

Dust didn't stop. "I bet you feel… I don't know, what's that word?"

"Angry! Angry at you!" Cole spat and tried to move.

"Oh, that's right. I set you up to kill him… silly me!" Dust faked a smile and walked towards a cabinet, looking through the boxes and plastic. "Am I sorry? No! It was all part of my plan, and I should thank you, Cole. If you had died instead, well, you wouldn't be feeling what you're feeling right now… sorrow, of losing – no, murdering a friend."

Cole tried to block Dust's words out of his head.

"Just forget about him," Dust said, "forget about friends and family. You don't need any of that. Your "friends" don't even like you anymore… I could help you become the most feared in the land – even more frightening then me!"

At last, Cole was able to move. He gritted his teeth together and glared directly at Dust before disappearing. Dust hissed. This was going to be harder than he thought.

Cole sat on the floor by his bed, thinking about all the things Dust had made him done. Suddenly, he sensed Dust behind him. "I don't want any of your stupid words..." he disappeared again.

Dust clenched his teeth.


Cole stared into the village, humming a small tune. He looked down to see the line that Kai had drawn, Cole sighed and turned around.

"What are you doing here?" a voice spoke from behind him.

Cole spun around and met Nya's brown eyes. "What are you doing here?"

Nya smirked and stepped over the line, walking towards Cole. "Well, I was heading back home… until I saw you." Cole laughed.

"What, you think I'm some sad pup all on my own? Don't forget I "live" with Dust."

Nya punched Cole playfully in the shoulder. "Sorry about my brother, he wasn't right in the head. But he still doesn't realize his mistakes up to now. I saw everything though; I know you didn't mean it…" Cole noticed tears swelling up in her eyes. Nya wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "Sorry," she gulped, "Just… how about a walk? I need to get my mind off things."

Cole frowned.

"I guess."

"So… don't you wish you could leave that freak – wizard?" Nya asked Cole.

Cole nodded. "Always. But there's no use, every time I come back here, trouble stirs up and I run back home… I don't live anywhere else. He practically owns me." Nya heard a sigh escape his lips.

Silence drowned in. It felt awkward. So, she began humming.

Cole raised a brow. "I know that song," he smirked and kicked a rock.

"Really? I thought that since you lived with him, that you barely did anything!"

"There's a lot you don't know about me..."

You're right about that, Cole.

Cole stopped dead in his tracks.

"Is everything alight?" Nya asked with worry.

Cole held his head lightly. "Yeah… just a small headache, that's all." He flashed a fake smile and began walking again. Dust was trying to get in his head again.

Do me a favor and kill the girl too, Cole. She's too… oh whatever, just do it.

His eyes flashed purple, but he shook it off.

"Listen, Nya. I gotta go… it isn't safe here… well, near me," he stuttered and took off the other direction. Nya stood there, immobile and left with no more words to say.

As Cole walked towards the house, more like a mansion, he punched his own head several times. "This is what I mean by stirring up trouble," he whispered to himself. Unfortunately, there was no such spell to keep from people getting into your heads.

His head began to cloud again. Limping over to a tree, he leaned his forehead against it and groaned. Dust was doing something, but what?

He sunk lower to the ground, clenching his stomach.

Don't worry, this won't hurt

Cole squinted and fell back.

He's right; you don't need any friends… who cares about them. You want to be the greatest; you want to be better than Dust…

Cole slightly frowned. These were his own thoughts.

He couldn't take the pain anymore…

Opening his eyes, he heard Dust yapping beside him. What was going on?

"…everybody has a side of them that hides in the shadows…" he heard Dust say. "I think you just found yours."

Cole snapped, and looked around; he was back in the chair again…

"Finally, you'll see the bigger picture. What I've always wanted you to see" – he rubbed his forehead – "you'll become the greatest villain in this land."

"Let me go!" Cole cried, but found his voice was more harsh than usual. He could feel the anger spreading through him like wildfire. He clenched his fists, the purple fire growing bigger and stronger. His brows narrowed inwards.

Dust tsked. "Until you admit it. You hate me, you hate them, you hate everything…"

Cole rolled his eyes. What was happening to him? "I don't care about anything or you! Just let me go!" Dust didn't move. "Fine! I hate them; I hate everyone in that stupid little village!"

"How about Jay?"

"I said I hated everyone, including him. I don't care for that motor mouth anymore…" Finally, he added, "You already know I hate you more than anything."

Dust snapped his fingers.

"Great." Cole pushed past Dust, "Now, I have some planning to do."


Lloyd opened the door with a tired look on his face. "Zane, what're you doing here?" he yawned and opened the door wider to see Pixal standing beside him. "Um…"

"We need to talk to your dad," Zane told him.

"Sure, I guess…" he stepped aside, letting Zane and Pixal in. "Just across from my room." With that, Lloyd headed for the bed and the two droids headed for Garmadon.

Garmadon looked up from his book. "Hello, Zane." He raised a brow at Pixal, "Is that Pixal, the second droid Jay built?" Zane nodded. "I am sorry for your loss. What can I help you with?"

"Jay is alive… he planned it. And now, we need your help."

Garmadon laughed. "Are you sure Jay is alive? Maybe because of your grief, you just –"

"Zane is telling the honest truth. Our plan is to stop Dust and get Cole back. Kai has already sided with Dust, and we need more help. Jay believes you will join us?"

Garmadon nodded. "Of course, there is strange magic in this world… Cole must be in grave danger?"

"Is it possible you could convince Lloyd?" Garmadon nodded again. Pixal and Zane then left the room, saying night to Lloyd and heading their way back to Jay.


*Sigh* My Science CDSAs are over! Yay! I just have one last test tomorrow and I'm done... BUuuuttttT laptop turn in day is this Thursday, along with my Track Potluck! So I'll try to get updates in.

R&R