The sounds of morning birdsong nearly made Jay rocket to a sitting position. After the night that he had just gone through, he was terrified that he might not have woken up. The truth was, he was only able to sleep after Cole coaxed him into a secure embrace, and even now his arms were still wrapped around the rabbit's form. The prey yokai gingerly twisted in order to not wake his partner, turning over so that he could look at his mate. Cole's features were totally relaxed, and not a single bit of his expression seemed as worried or frustrated as he was last night. He looked so peaceful, and for a moment Jay was able to convince himself that if he returned to sleep now he might be able to relax and just enjoy this solace for a little while longer.
As if by some jinx, however, the communication crystal — which Cole had kept around his neck just in case of another emergency — began to glow. Jay's heart plummeted, knowing that dark russet color all too well. It was Cole's boss. Sensing the pulse of the connection, the bear began to stir, soon letting go of Jay and leaving them both cold and disappointed that they must start their day so soon.
"Hello?" the ursa answered groggily, wiping sleep from his eyes. "Yes, Jay is alright, everything is fine. I hope your mate isn't too shaken up, sir. Mhm… I understand, sir. I'll be there soon." Swift and to the point, as usual, Cole let go of the pendant, and the stone lost its glow. The two of them sat up, both silent with a grave feeling of dread hanging over them, although neither of them wanted to admit it. Finally, the predator yokai took in a slow, drawn-out breath.
"I've gotta report to the border as soon as possible," he muttered, almost too low to make out entirely. "Chief says that I'm gonna be in charge of an investigation group-"
"Do you have to?" Jay interrupted timorously. Cole did not look at him, simply staring at the sheets until the rabbit forced himself to get out of bed to avoid looking too scared. Although, he was sure that his partner could feel his terror through the soul link. The smaller yokai hastily opened the drawer that held his day clothes, then picked out a muted berry blue outfit. His ears twitched at the rustling sounds of his partner getting up as well. A few moments of silence passed after that, and out of curiosity, Jay turned to face the bear. His mate was looking him up and down, drinking in his features for a while before stepping over to him. Cole reached up and tenderly placed his clawed hands on his cheeks, stroking the freckled skin with utmost care. The bunny leaned into the touch, locking eyes with him in silent appreciation.
The ursa slowly shifted away, and the two of them got dressed alongside each other. Normally, there would be some sort of playful flirtation or jokes, but there was nothing but the quiet sounds of the wintry forest beyond. Cole's investigator uniform consisted of dark brown bottoms and a black button up. It was a lot easier to move in than his usual traditional attire and fitted to his exact form.
Still hushed, the predator yokai took Jay's hand in his. Through their link, Jay understood that it was time to say goodbye, which was most likely going to be just as solemn as right now. He led the bunny out into the main area of the house, and the two of them made sure that Kai and Zane could still rest peacefully. Cole walked towards a closet and pulled out a pair of combat boots. As he began to put them on, Jay grabbed his partner's old cedar brown duster that his father, Lou, had passed down to him. He waited for the bear to hold out his arms, then carefully slipped the garment over his shoulders and buttoned it up.
Cole turned to leave, but Jay swiftly — if not desperately — put his hand on his shoulder and kept him from going anywhere. His mate turned back to him, and the rabbit could feel his strange yet familiar fear in the back of his mind. They both moved at the same time, bringing each other in for a deep, passionate kiss. It lasted until they needed to break quickly for air, then they kissed twice more. Reluctantly, realizing that Cole had to leave, they pulled away.
"I love you," Jay blurted in a whisper.
"I love you too," Cole replied.
"Be safe." The bunny tried not to seem too afraid for his safety, but he knew that lying to himself was futile, as the ursa could read him like a book. His partner did not answer verbally, but he pressed another swift peck to his forehead before whipping around and making his way out the door. Jay watched through the window as he changed into his fauna form and rushed into the woods. He stayed behind and let the quiet envelope him. The birds had gone completely silent as well. It seemed as though the entire forest had been shaken up, now that the world was awake and feeling the weight of the sudden revolt from Jamonikai.
The half-bunny retired to the kitchen, grabbing a tea kettle and his favorite mixture. His thoughts were swimming with terror, but he knew that Cole would want him to stay strong. He boiled the brew properly, staring blankly at the wall and moving his arms like unfeeling clockwork. He hardly even realized it when Kai suddenly appeared from the guest room door.
"The tea smells nice," the hunter commented. Jay poured him a cup and pushed the tray of additives towards him, not looking him in the eye. The human stared at him a little awkwardly, as if he was wondering what to say next. Kai cleared his throat and began to put a little bit of honey into his drink.
"Zane is still in bed, but he feels a little better today," he added, eyes tipped towards the counter. The bunny's heart was beating rapidly, not of his own volition, and he felt a tear pricking at the corner of his eye. Before it could fall he swiped it away and jumped to his feet. Kai recoiled a bit, clearly startled, but the rabbit ignored him.
I'm not gonna cry about it, the yokai told himself. I'm gonna do something about it.
He bolted for the closet, grabbing his own winter coat and boots before dashing outside into the snow. His shoes were almost too tight because he simply tugged them on instead of lacing them and he knew he looked like a mess because he had not had the time to freshen up, but he could not bring himself to care. Jay headed straight for the border, turning into his fauna form as he bounded through the winter landscape. He may not have been as fast as Cole was the previous night on their way to pick up Zane, but he was determined to get to his partner as quickly as possible. The rabbit could see his husband's tracks, and he decided to follow them. They took him over a few hills, past some fallen trees, and towards a drop-off near a clearing where some people were scattered about. When he finally reached the end of the trail, he transformed again, much to the chagrin of the local law enforcement who were now crowded around him.
"No press are allowed here, go back home," growled a partial kirin.
"I'm not a journalist. I'm here for my mate, Cole Brookstone," Jay replied. "He just got here. Where is he? He can't go out there, he'll get himself killed!"
"Sir, you can't follow him," a Noppera-bo warned him. "He's already out near the humans. It's too dangerous for civilians."
"I don't care! Cole could get hurt!" Jay protested meekly.
"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to-" Before anyone could deter him further, he transformed back into a full rabbit and he slipped past their legs into the woods, not listening to their shouts. Once he got out of range of the officers, he returned to his yokai form and started calling Cole's name. He received no response. Desperately, he attempted to shout for him a few more times before he suddenly heard a twig snap from somewhere nearby. Jay chased the noise, eventually ending up in a wide, open space where no trees had grown.
"Cole? Is that you?" he asked into the open air. "Say something! Please!" The presence felt familiar, but mixed with all the wild smells of the forest and village beyond, he could not decipher whether or not his mate was nearby.
A scent that he had had time to memorize reached his nose. Saltwater and jasmine. Nya's scent. His heart started to pound with fright, and he looked around the clearing for a place to hide. Before he could move, however, the sound of footsteps reached his ears, freezing him in place. He turned his gaze over his shoulder and saw the huntress approaching him slowly, spear in hand. Her eyes were emotionless pools of lime, and her brows were drawn in concentration. Jay whirled to face her, putting his hands up.
"Nya! What're you doing here?" he inquired, trying not to stumble over his words. The woman did not answer. She simply continued to take more steps forward.
"Nya? What's wrong? You didn't hurt Zane on purpose, right?" Even Jay knew that was a lie. She was now at the very edge of the clearing.
"Don't hurt me!" he begged. "You know me! It's Jay! I helped you find your brother!" Still no answer. Jay finally realized that he could not talk to her, and he knew he needed to run but fear and hope kept him in place. She adjusted her grip on the spear and pointed the blade at the rabbit. Now incentivized, he gulped and tried to scurry away.
"Cole! Cole, help me!" he cried into the trees. He barely ran five meters before Nya dashed forward, kicking his legs out from under him.
"Stay out of my way," she hissed. The huntress hoisted the spear and prepared to bring it down into his head, but Jay rolled out of the way and hopped to his feet again. He tried to transform into his fauna form, but his stress levels were way too high.
"Nya, please stop! Cole!" the yokai pleaded. The huntress slashed towards him with the blade. The rabbit leapt to his right, putting up his arms to protect his face. The moment that he looked up, Nya was already lunging at him, and he braced himself for the fatal impact, squeezing his eyes shut. A second passed, and he was surprised that he felt nothing. Was he dead?
No. Instead, he looked up to see Cole in his fauna form. The massive bear had pinned Nya to the ground, baring his fangs and roaring in her face. The spear had been thrown into a snow drift at the edge of the trees. Nya fought against the ursa's deadly jaws, slamming the heel of her palm into Cole's nose, which caused him to throw his head to the side for a moment. The human grabbed something from her side, and Jay cried out in fear when he saw the dagger in her grip. The bear did not react in time, and the metal slashed across his left shoulder. Cole reared back, allowing Nya to crawl out from under his paws.
Jay's knees buckled underneath him, and he was trying his hardest to control his breathing and avoid passing out. He told himself that his mate could handle the situation, trying to convince himself that his love would be safe. However, he then saw her dive for her spear again. Cole was ready for that, though, and moved to charge her and bite her dominant arm. Nya ducked at the last second and swerved to his left.
In the blink of an eye, he could see the shining weapon aimed straight for Cole's heart, and his legs practically moved on their own. He jumped between his husband and the blade, practically shoving the bear out of the way by pushing him with all his might. As he fell, he could feel the very tip of the spear hit his face. It crossed from his brow to his cheek, cutting into what felt like his eye. With a scream of pain, he collapsed on the ground, clutching at the wound while keeping his other eye trained on his attacker, although he could hardly see through the rapidly forming tears.
Nya was ready to strike again, but she suddenly froze. Jay faced the same direction she was looking and saw the rest of the investigation team with weapons outstretched towards the human. Still sobbing, the bunny called for help. The huntress pulled something from a pocket, and threw it down with a snarl. Smoke exploded from where the pellet landed on the ground, washing over him and Cole and causing him to screw his other eye shut when the powder got in it. Nya was able to make a getaway, much to Cole's obvious displeasure. The bear was causing a stir, kicking up snow, roaring, and throwing his head to and fro.
"Cole," he whimpered, reaching out blindly with one of his hands. The ursa then stopped and immediately returned to his yokai form. Cole's nose was bleeding heavily, and a major gash on his arm was seeping through his uniform and even his duster.
"Jay!" he yelled as he cradled his mate's body. "Oh my god, your eye!"
"What'd she do?" the bunny begged to know. "What did sh-she do?"
"It's just a scratch, I think," his partner assured him before picking him up. "But you need a doctor." He gestured to one of the officers standing by.
"Get him help!" the bear snapped.
"What about you, Brookstone?"
"I'm not in danger of losing my eye! Help him, damn it!" he barked. People rushed around the couple, and many voices clamored at once to rise above the others. Jay could feel pure fire in his eye, and although it seemed like he could still move it, and when he tried to open his lid he could still see, albeit fuzzily, he knew that he would need some deep medical attention. Minutes turned into seconds as his thoughts jumbled together, and Cole cradled him until the doctor arrived and pried him off of the rabbit. Dr. Skales was treating him, and he appeared to be disheveled due to the early hour that he had been summoned. Either that, or he was shaken up from the events of the previous night.
"Cole, I can heal him, but the procedure isss painful enough that I need to induce him with a sssleeping charm," the serpent informed his husband. "You sssit down, I will be ready to ssstitch you up in a moment."
"I'm so sorry," Jay suddenly sobbed. "I'm s-so so sorry Cole, I-I shouldn-n't have gone after you. Now you're hu-hurt-" Cole shushed him and whispered assurances that he could not quite catch. Dr. Skales appeared to be mumbling something, and as Jay looked into his bright red eyes he felt himself growing more and more drowsy.
Jamonikai Village was overturned and still. The red and gold hues of the party that had been held just a few days ago were now scattered across the ground. The cobblestones were washed in a mixture of spilled liquids from the market and broken furnishings. A few pigs from one of the local farmers were trotting around town, eating whatever morsels they could find. In the center of the disastrous community, the monastery had been transformed into a temple adorned with jade that had been given up as offerings by the townsfolk.
Nya walked through the nearly empty streets alone, hazy and angered, clutching her spear and her forearm. There was not too much blood, and she was nearly to the steps of the shrine. As she began to walk up the steps of the building, the face of Morro greeted her. The yokai had used the Guardian Sapphire to transform into his previous human-like form, although his lack of practice maintained his hair and the faint appearance of scales. His outfit had been weaved overnight by the seamstresses of the human village. The massive yukata was lopsided and the stitches were a little off, giving him the look of a deity of chaos. Beside him, the princess of Kyoboku sat on a throne that belonged to the elder who founded the town. Her fingers drummed over some furs that she had been given, and her knight stood sentry at her right.
"What did you find?" Morro grumbled. "And make it quick."
"Officers patrolling the border, and two more yokai have been injured," Nya grunted, applying more pressure to her cuts. "I need bandages." The kōjin snapped his fingers, and the spirit at the princess's side retrieved a small healing kit from one of the boxes that the elders kept within the temple. She tossed it to Nya with a snarky grin, and the human puppet caught it without a word.
"Return to the camp and tell everyone to wait for my orders," Morro ordered her with a wave of his hand. The woman bowed to him and turned, walking down the steps with grave sluggishness. The prince turned around and faced Harumi, who was still lazily stroking the soft pelt.
"Chen will be here soon," he informed her. "I believe we are in need of a discussion."
"Indeed," the peacock nodded to him. "It's time to expand our borders. Violet, fetch me my mirror." The knight dipped her head and crossed the room. One of the princess's bags that she had brought with her held the mirror that she sought, and when the spirit handed her lady the object she grinned wolfishly.
"As much as I hate speaking with your general, I am eager to get started," the princess smirked. "Just think. You'll have a new land-based kingdom, able to use the humans in whatever way you want. If you ask me, that fog is great for labor purposes." Harumi pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear, examining her image in the looking glass. Her tiara was poised perfectly on her head, and she was satisfied with her royal accessory. It was a symbol of her power, and soon it would be a symbol of the changes she would be making.
"Ah, there he is," Morro announced. The avian yokai handed her mirror back to Ultra Violet and stood, her billowing sleeves settling around her green and white dress. The half-Anacondrai that led the small group of soldiers slithered towards the two leaders with a crazed grin, bowing every two moments in overly eager reverence. His outfit was even more outlandish than Morro's new robes, colored with deep reds, golds, and purple hues, and he sported a circular rice farming hat atop his head, despite it being winter in the human territory. His violet skin was adorned with black and yellow patterns, and in the center of his forehead, the pale jewel that represented his family of Serpentine was cracked.
"It isss sssuch a joy to sssee you in the flesh, my Prince. And my lady, how lovely it isss to be in your presssence once more," Chen hissed. The general bowed once more, too deep to be truly polite. "General Chen, at your ssservice."
"General, station your men in the entrance of the temple, then follow us to the great hall," Harumi ordered. The partial snake snapped his fingers, and as the sound echoed throughout the monastery the soldiers lined themselves along the walls. The princess got a good look at the people Chen had brought with him. All of them sported different types of pure black armor that fitted each species, outfitted with spikes or embellishments that seemed almost dangerous to the wearer themselves. Their helmets blocked their faces entirely, giving them exceedingly ghoulish appearances.
"Shall we?" smiled Chen. The peacock motioned for her knight to follow her, and the four left the entrance before closing a large pair of doors behind them for privacy. The general set himself in the furthest corner of the room so that the shadows seemed to envelop the top part of his face. The yellow parts of his eyes flashed in the darkness, leering at the two young rulers as they stood around an empty table. The smell of toppled incense was thick in the air, adding a level of tension to the gloomy space.
"Let's begin with our strategy," Morro piped up. "I think we should focus on taking down the Blackwood Forest first. That'll give us plenty of lumber to build new forts with. From there, we need to take out their shipping ports-"
"I say we strike at the heart," Harumi interjected. "Ninjago City is clearly the best option. If we take down their capital, we can easily conquer the rest of the land."
"I appreciate the idea, and I agree that we have the numbers to do so, but we'll need to create strongholds for magical items so we don't have to travel between our territories so often," the kōjin reasoned. "General, what do you think?" The snake's eyes darted to the two yokai in front of him, then he steepled his fingers in thought.
"Both coursssesss appeal to me, but I believe that Blackwood Foressst should be firssst," he began. "Then we can burn Ninjago City to the ground." His lips curled in a sneer that chilled Harumi. Violet's eyes narrowed at the Anacondrai across from her, and the princess could see the distrust in her gaze. The Bondless Prince looked intrigued and even fascinated by the combination of their plans, as if this destruction was the fun part. In Harumi's opinion, the payoff was better than the act of war.
"How much more of that fog can you make?" the bird inquired. Morro furrowed his brows, drawing his mouth into a thin line.
"Not as much as I'd hoped," the prince muttered. "It will take me at least three days to make another batch of it, with what I have here. I'll have to harvest more back at the Dragon Palace as soon as I can." Chen mumbled an incoherent sentence and was counting on his clawed fingers, so Harumi assumed that he was calculating something in his head.
"You sssaid three daysss?" asked the serpent. Morro nodded, then the general brandished a knife from his side with a laugh. Violet shouldered her way in front of her princess, but before anything could be done Chen slammed the blade into the table, wedging it into the old wood and splintering the surface.
"I'll sssend my men to Blackwood Foressst in three daysss," he grinned. "My lord and lady, I will take care of everything and anyone that ssstandsss in your way." Harumi thought for a moment about Chen's army. It was vast, barely tamed, and fueled with the anger of the Bondless. Besides that, Chen was known to be quite the people pleaser, only to stab them in the back when they most needed him. That was how he had gained Morro's approval in the first place, rising to the rank of general by way of pure trickery and murder.
"Ultra Violet," Harumi addressed her ward. The spirit stepped closer to her and held her gaze, patiently awaiting instruction. "I want you to go with the general and see that everything runs smoothly. You will be entrusted with your own division, and you may use it how you see fit." The serpent's eyes went wide for a brief moment, coupled with a smile that showed how unhinged he was. However, his true feelings were then masked by his formerly eager expression.
"Of course, princess," Violet bowed. "I will return to you as soon as the battle is over."
"Travel safely," the peacock said. The avian yokai looked at the commander, hiding her own intent by remaining outwardly neutral. "I expect her to be safe, General Chen. Now, be off. I'm sure you have much to prepare for." Morro looked around the room, questioning her with his eyes.
"Indeed, my lady," Chen dipped his head with a familiar disturbing grin. The snake and the spirit walked off, disappearing into the main area of the temple and shutting the door behind them. Harumi already felt uneasy, letting her knight go with a man that she despised.
"You don't trust him," Morro accused her with a huff of air. The princess put her hands behind her back and clasped them together.
"No, I don't," she replied coolly. "He's going to have to prove himself in the field to gain my trust." The prince folded his arms and looked towards a tapestry on the wall. It seemed to be some sort of symbol for the monastery, a golden dragon.
"And I assume you have another plan, should he fail," the kōjin asked as he studied the wall art. Harumi smirked and walked towards the table where Chen's knife was still lodged. She took hold of the handle and yanked it out of the wood, watching the low lights dance across the jewels on the ornate cross-guard. The silver metal was decorated with rubies and violet topazes, shimmering brilliantly as she tilted the weapon.
"The three yokai that have been injured are just the beginning," the princess explained. "If Chen's army fails, we can simply use our new human slaves as motivation for yokai to take a stand. Fear is the best tactic there is when you want to rally behind a cause. I don't plan on killing anyone, but if enough people get injured by humans then there will be concerns, then concerns will turn into proposals to me to have something done, which will turn into our own army created out of patriotic yokai. The human territory is as good as ours. Our numbers dwarf theirs." The ruler of the Bondless was silent for a while, tapping his index finger against his arm and not even glancing at the princess even once.
"You know, for someone so adamant about keeping your subjects safe, you sure have an odd way of showing it," Morro shrugged. "I mean, using them as tools to get the rest of the kingdom to go to war? Even if nobody dies, there will certainly be some close scrapes. Humans are ruthless creatures, after all." Harumi's shoulders tensed a little bit, and her thoughts stirred with trouble as the other yokai turned to face her.
"Don't get me wrong," the kōjin smiled. "I like this approach."
The camp that held the citizens of Jamonikai Village was buzzing with the growls and yelling of distant people as they argued over possessions. Nya simply sat in her tent, holding out her arm so that Misako could treat it. Her other hand held a bowl of soup that had been prepared for her, and as it was being made by the old sage's wife, she relayed her tale of what happened in the woods.
That rabbit had seemed familiar, and he had clearly known her, due to his shouts for mercy, yet her mind was fuzzy on the specifics. That black bear had almost done her in, though, and that proved a challenge. All she knew she had to do was protect her brother, and if that involved obeying Morro at any cost to take trips into the forest, then so be it. He was in there somewhere, she could just feel it, along with that partial bird that she had shot just yesterday. It was still alive, and possibly keeping Kai as its prisoner. She scowled at the thought, angry that she had let him slip through her fingers like that. Though she could not be blamed for not expecting to be punched in the face and knocked unconscious as she hit the ground, especially by her own sibling.
"You're all patched up," the woman muttered. She was just as riled up as the other humans, especially if she was around her husband, but Misako had a better time quelling her rage than others. Most of the villagers were subjected to hourly fights between the rows of tents just for mere scraps. Nya was able to enjoy more comfortable accommodations, seeing as she had fought her way through the crowds of people in order to gain Morro's trust. Misako had been entrusted to the huntress to see to her needs, and throughout the night she doubted that the elderly woman had slept.
The sage's wife picked up Nya's clothing that needed to be removed in order to bandage her arm, and the huntress slung the fabric over her shoulders. At the moment, she was wearing only a rugged tank, still stained with scarlet, and the cold was beginning to nag at her skin. Thankfully, the top she was just handed was warm, although a little torn up near her wound.
"You can leave," Nya nodded to her before taking another drink of her soup. Misako gathered her medical supplies — the only ones in the camp — and stood up, exiting the tent with a few bitter murmurs.
I'd better heal fast, she grumbled in her mind. How am I supposed to find Kai if I'm holed up until Morro gives me more orders?
She pulled a blanket over her legs, shutting out the cold as she continued to eat her breakfast. It had been a few hours since she had seen Lloyd. Considering that Garmadon was being treated like a patrolling, magical guard dog and Wu was chained up in the center of the camp, it was likely that the young man was roaming around the town trying to sneak some remnants of candy from the festival. He had no direction anymore, now that his family did not seem to care for him. In just a few hours, he had reverted to an almost childlike state of impishness. But what did Nya care? Everyone in the village had their own problems, including herself.
Through the cold morning air, she picked up the sound of whispering outside of her tent. Cautiously, she set down her bowl and stood, reaching for her spear with her good arm, although it was not her dominant one.
"Be careful, she's dangerous," said a man with a gravely, higher-pitched voice. Suddenly, the entrance blew open and revealed three men, all standing there with clearly stolen fur clothing, as it did not fit them quite right. All of them wielded knives, and their chartreuse eyes were glaring at her. However, the moment that they saw her blade aimed squarely at their heads, their brows raised and they flinched. It was obvious that they had not expected her to know they were coming. Although, how could she not? They were clomping around in the snow and whispering at nearly a talking level.
"Get out," she snarled at them. The trio looked at each other, back at Nya, then turned around and ran. In the many hours since the fog had settled over the village, small bands of citizens had grouped up and started robbing people, typically for food and clothing, as there were enough tents to have multiple people fit comfortably inside. The huntress remained apathetic towards them, seeing no need to be concerned as long as she could protect herself. The others knew that she was a threat, considering that she had to go through so much trouble to get to such a high standing with the yokai prince.
However, she was only a threat to humans. They did not have magical abilities and could not transform into beasts like that bear could. Yokai were the crafters of magic, but it took hundreds of years before humans discovered their own abilities. If she was going to get her brother back, she needed to learn how to fight against magic.
Her thoughts returned to the blond sage, and how he might be able to be persuaded to teach her how to protect herself against yokai charms or spells. Of course, this would most likely require a fee, because every time that she had tried to approach him he would dart away. An offering of sweets might suffice, and she knew just where to find them. If she could reach the old marketplace, she could possibly persuade some of the merchants to give her some candy in exchange for some coins that she no longer had a use for. The people who still hung around that part of town were still loyal to Morro, but they had other uses than what was done inside the camp, so they were allowed to continue their businesses, although they were much more aggressive about pricing.
Nya tossed her spear aside and sat back down on her cot, picking up her now slightly cold soup and drinking again. She tuned out the sounds of anger outside and focused on making the rest of the plan. She did not care how long it took, but she would find and return Kai. Yokai were merely obstacles along the way, and she had already wounded those two beasts from earlier in the morning. If she had just a little more practice, she could destroy any yokai that stood between her and the only family she had left.