And for our grand finale...

Requested by: Guest, FinnGal, ifangirltoomuch, jacobblu2000, Yuna53421, Katetheninja

Request: Kai/Skylor

Warnings: None

Kai hated the guilt he felt ever since Zane died. It burned inside him like an uncontrollable fire, one that could never be extinguished no matter what. Not when he joined the underground fighting ring, not when Lloyd brought them together to suggest bringing in a new team member, not when they received an invitation to some "Tournament of Elements" held on an island he'd never even heard of. If anything, all of this made the guilt in him burn at an even higher intensity.

When they waited in line to board the ferry to the island, he didn't expect much. In fact, the hope that Zane was actually on the island was barely more than a tiny flame on an even smaller candle. He wanted to believe Zane would be there, that he could make their team whole again, but the guilt had already eaten through him enough to make him think all was lost.

What he especially didn't expect, though, was her. The girl dressed in orange, most of her head and face obscured by a matching hood. He couldn't get a good grasp on her features, but he did see her eyes. A warm, light brown that was both comforting and alluring, a shine in them that he didn't think he'd ever seen in any other girl's eyes before. He stared dumbfounded at her while she looked at him. Then, she did the unthinkable.

She smiled.

Her smile and her eyes alone were enough to ignite a flame in his heart that spread through his entire body, a flame that was different than any other. He felt the heat rise to his face, and he grinned in a lopsided fashion back at her, sighing. He didn't break out of his trance until Lloyd attempted to bring him back to reality.

Everything seemed to happen all at once after that. Sensei Garmadon didn't know who she was, so he took it upon himself to learn about her. When Karlof threatened her, he fought to defend her, even after she said she could handle herself. When she took his hand to help him up once he was beaten to the ground, he felt an even more intense flame burning through him, starting from where their hands touched. Before he could thank her, she turned and left without another word.

When they reached the island and got to their rooms, joy filling him when he found out their rooms were right next door to each other, he learned even more about her. Her name was Skylor, but that was all he knew. Nothing about her elemental power, nothing about her family, nothing about where she came from. But he did learn she was strong and cunning, when she shoved him to the ground in order to get the Jadeblade above their heads.

He continued to learn about her as time went on. She was a possible Master of Fire, for one thing, which was a sign they were related. The hope that had filled him since coming to the island and meeting her dropped once again, feeling disgusted that he fell in love with a relative. He didn't speak to her after finding that out.

Until it turned out she wasn't what he thought she was. She was, in fact, the Master of Amber, able to absorb and emulate the power of anyone she touched, as Garmadon said. His hope soared out of his chest once more, and he let the fire she ignited in his heart consume him from then on.

He ended up embarrassing himself completely in the Thunder Blade event, when it turned out he could not skate even if his life depended on it. She supported him in the end though, figuratively and literally. She agreed to help them stop Chen in whatever it was that he was planning, rebuilding the hope in him that had been nearly destroyed.

When it turned out there was a spy among them, Kai hoped it wasn't Skylor, and believed strongly that it wasn't Skylor, but he had to check for a tattoo anyway to reassure the others. She didn't react well to his request, accusing him of not actually trusting her. When it turned out there was no tattoo, and she left without so much as a kind word, the hope wavered in him again.

His hope continued to waver until she met him in the jungle in the search for Nya, agreeing to help him. And then she used Ice. He knew she could absorb elemental power, but only Zane had access to Ice, and he'd never been in the Tournament. The fire that was his hope completely went out as he connected the dots.

"You're the spy!"

Everything went downhill from there as he learned more. She was Master Chen's daughter, and was placed in the Tournament to take everyone's powers and to distract the Ninja. Including Kai. The only reason she had no tattoo was because she used the power of Form. And most importantly: she never actually loved him.

When he was captured, and Chen taunted him over learning that Skylor played him for a complete fool, he tried to meet her gaze, but she wouldn't look up from the ground. He couldn't believe he allowed himself to fall in love with her, and he couldn't believe that he still loved her somewhat, even after everything she'd done.

The guilt started to burn once more.

~o~o~o~o~

He said it would be easy. He said there wouldn't be anyone in her way. He said he would always love her, but only if she helped him in his mission. She wanted to decline, but she remembered what he'd done to the others who had once betrayed him. Reluctantly, she allowed herself to be entered in his Tournament.

Skylor knew she was only there to help her father. Her mission was simple: Befriend everyone, copy their powers, let their powers be stolen, and then surrender her powers to Chen. It couldn't be any simpler. There couldn't be anything that stood in her way.

Until the famous Ninja showed up. The four of them, the fifth having already been imprisoned on Chen's island to bait them, showed up right on schedule at the docks. She almost felt sorry for them, knowing what fate had in store.

But she especially pondered on the red ninja, the one who was practically staring at her the entire time. In an effort to seem inconspicuous, she smiled at him. It wasn't supposed to do much but get him to stop, but what he did next surprised her.

He seemed to blush, his eyelids fluttering slightly and his mouth curving into a lopsided grin. She tried not to laugh at his expression, but at the same time was rather flattered by it. It was almost endearing in its own weird way. For a moment, she didn't want the expression to ever go away, to ever be marred by a single sad look. The feeling away as quickly as it showed up, though, when she decided the mission was more important than someone she'd only just met.

She could tell what his personality was like when he stood up for her against the Master of Metal. He was brash, impulsive, hotheaded, all things fitting his element of Fire. And yet, he had the protective qualities of fire, as well. It was obvious he had taken a liking to her, and his actions now expressed that. But she could handle herself. She didn't need him to protect her. She feigned gratitude, using the moment she helped him off the ground as a chance to copy his powers.

She learned he was Kai, the Master of Fire. He couldn't take it when someone flirted right back at him, as he demonstrated when he nearly burned his own hand trying to flirt with her, and when he was distracted long enough for her to grab the Jadeblade they were fighting over. He was clever, as he demonstrated when he stole Karlof's Jadeblade out of his grasp, allowing him to move to the next round of the Tournament. She felt herself admiring his qualities, starting to think she could perhaps make one friend while she was here.

He didn't speak to her for a couple of days, and she wondered if he found out about her father's plans, about her. Why she was so nervous about him finding out about her real purpose in the Tournament was what she didn't understand. And yet, despite her worries, she felt her heart soar when he heard his cheers above the rest when she won against the Master of Sound.

Though Skylor was happy with his company, and always looked forward to talking to him every day, she knew she had to keep lying to him and tricking him to ensure Chen's plan succeeded. Kai had to have his heart broken in the end, which she felt even more reluctant about accepting when her father went on and on about how proud he was of her, and how the Ninja would forever be divided thanks to her. She had no choice but to keep playing along, even as she became more aware of her feelings towards Kai.

When she agreed to help him find his sister before any of the other competitors did, the entire purpose was to lead him into Chen's grasp. She knew she was being tracked the entire time by her father and Clouse, so no matter how far she and Kai travelled, they were basically always surrounded. She was told that all the competitors had to be caught that day, which meant she also had to betray Kai.

When she used the power of Ice, and when she accidentally let it slip that Chen was her father, he was at first in complete disbelief, then became furious. Skylor had a sneaking suspicion that she was too successful in fooling him, considering how much he was holding back when fighting her. It was obvious he still loved her, and wanted to believe she loved him. She wanted to tell him she had no choice, but her father took up most of the conversation on the way to the stolen mobile base.

"I mean, did you really believe you had a chance of being with my daughter?" he had taunted. Kai never answered, remaining silent as the truth set in.

She felt Kai's gaze burn into her, waiting for her to speak up. But she didn't turn to look at him, not wanting to feel more of the burning guilt that she knew threatened to eat away at her. She only met his eyes when they finally reached the mobile base, Chen locking him in with the other captured competitors.

The look in his eyes nearly shattered her heart. His dark eyes burned with mingled anger and sadness, causing the guilt she was already feeling to burn worse within her. He trusted her, and here she was, on the other side of the bars separating them, watching as his own heart broke before her very eyes.

Even when she turned to leave, when she went to be with her father, who was filled with glee over the success of his plan, his expression had been permanently burned into her memory.

You guys have been asking, and now I have delivered! The first oneshot with a pairing involving a new character is Kailor! Yaaay! (Please don't kill me for overlooking other pairings with new characters, this one was highly requested, I had to write it, I just had to!)

Sadly, this is the end of another oneshot collection. Due to exams coming up and school coming to a close for the summer, I must leave again so I can focus. But don't worry! I will be back to make more oneshots, featuring many of the new characters, probably sometime in July.

I want to thank everyone who has left requests and kind reviews of the oneshots I have written. I also want to apologize to those who did not get their requests completed, since you guys have waited so long and now I'm leaving again. All of you have been so wonderful and patient with updates and you make me very happy every time I come here and see that a new review has been posted :)

Thank you for all the support you have given to this oneshot collection, everyone! See you in July!