Hello one and all! I welcome you back to yet another installment of Discovery of Mt. Horn! In today's chapter, we have a whole lot going on! We finally see what becomes of Zane after getting yeeted off the canyon by the Untamed. We also get to see the further reactions from the ninja when they discover Lloyd's ice powers are no longer intact. We also see some character development, where we learn that Hailey is not as perfect as she seems, nor as she originally thinks she is.
A couple things:
For those who don't know, I've recently gotten an AO3 account and have this story posted on there as well as I've been looking for ways to expand my story. So feel free to check it out!
Another huge announcement: I originally published the first chapter of this story on June 23, 2015. Today I post this chapter on the fifth birthday of this story! I just want to say thank you for all those who have put up with my crappy writing, long absences, and sporadic update schedule. I wouldn't have gotten this far without your support. I appreciate each and every one of you with all my heart! Thank you!
Now review responses!
TitaniumNindroid: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy it! And MWAHAHAHA! In this next chapter, you'll see what happens to him!
NinjagoZane17: *Evil laughter*
Romeo451: Oh crap is right! You are justified in that reaction...
ProffesorYeti: [Chapter 43 response] BAHAHAHA the review for chapter 43 cracked me up! Don't worry, there's a method to my madness, you'll see in time ;). And haha really? Yes, I've never seen a horse shown in Ninjago so it works perfectly. And yes, Hailey is helping Zane, but I can't tell you if he's ready or not for more. He may not be alive by the end of this chapter...
[Chapter 44] Yes, it is scary! And now in this next chapter, you'll get to see their reactions! And ah HA HA! I love throwing people for a loop! Keeps things interesting! And thank you! Its what I strive to do! And yes, I've seen the trailers and I am HYPED for season 13! I'm sooo glad Cole FINALLY gets his own season! The poor guy has been waiting too long! And I think it's giving you that problem due to me deleting a few chapters but the site still keeping the reviews for those chapters even though they're gone.
Enjoy!
The sun began to peek out from behind the plateau, turning the morning sky into shades of red and orange as it rose.
Outside of Apenimon's hut, Hailey paced anxiously. She saw the sun coming up.
"Shit…" She muttered. "Where is he?" She cast a glance at where he had left. "He's been gone for hours…"
Zane had left to scope out the base as soon as it was dark, but now it was starting to get light out. He said he wouldn't be long. But he still hadn't come back, even after being gone for the entire night.
Every possible scenario Hailey could think of ran through her head. Had Zane been discovered by the Untamed? What did they do to him? Took him hostage? Killed him? What if their plan was foiled? What would happen to Samuel? What if a skinwalker had gotten to him?
Hailey growled and kicked at the dirt in frustration. So many what ifs, and no answers!
As the sun rose higher in the sky, the village slowly came to life. Women came out from their huts, some cradling small children, to make the morning's meal. Others went to tend to their horses and livestock.
Hailey saw them and decided she'd do the same. It would be a welcome distraction from what was going on.
She walked behind Apenimon's hut, where the horses were penned. She did her best to shake off her worry as she stepped over the fence. Zane could hold his own.
Right?
She walked up to Ranger, who nickered in greeting. He turned to her and she scratched his neck.
"Hey buddy." She said to him. "How are y'all holding up?"
Ranger nibbled at her hair. She chuckled and fidgeted with his forelock.
"Oh, Ranger…" She sighed. "Zane's been gone all night. I hope he's okay…"
Hailey happened to spy Ranger's saddle sitting on the fence behind him. She looked around. There weren't many people out yet. If she really wanted to, she could saddle up Ranger and slip out of the village before anyone noticed and look for Zane herself.
Hailey looked around to see if anyone was watching. Then she dashed across the pen, grabbed her saddle, and threw it on Ranger's back. She was tightening the cinch strap when she sensed someone behind her.
"Ahem."
Hailey turned and saw Christopher standing over her.
"What do you think you're doing?" He asked.
Hailey thought about coming up with an excuse, but taking another look at his face she realized he already knew what she was going to do.
She sighed. "He said he'd be back soon, but he's been gone all night. I was thinking about going to look for him."
Christopher raised an eyebrow and looked at a fully tacked Ranger. "Thinking about it?"
"Okay, okay!" Hailey admitted. "I was. I was about to go look for him until you got here."
Christopher opened his mouth to scold Hailey, but saw the conflicted look on her face and shut it. The words that he spoke were softer than the ones he originally intended.
"Look Hailey, I understand you're worried about Zane. I am too. He may have faced different enemies in the past, but this is all still new to him. But even then, he's dealt with danger before. He can handle himself."
Hailey didn't look so sure.
"If he could, he would have been back by now." She told him.
"I won't let you go looking for him." Christopher said firmly. "It's too dangerous."
"But Christopher!" Hailey cried. "Zane could be hurt or worse! What happens if that's the case and we don't get to him in time? What then?"
"If he doesn't show up in the next hour, I'll ask Apenimon if the chief can get a posse together and we'll go look for him. But in the meantime you stay put."
"What's going on out here?"
The two turned and saw Tony and Apenimon standing by the fence.
"Zane hasn't been back since he left." Hailey said. "Knowing him, he would have been back by now."
Apenimon furrowed his brow. "That is concerning. I will alert the chief immediately."
Apenimon turned and left, returning with Chief Aditsan.
"Apenimon has told me Zane has not returned since his departure. This worries me greatly. Did he say when he would be back?"
Hailey shook her head. "He just said 'Not long.' But I didn't know what he meant."
Chief rubbed his chin. "Very well. If he does not return soon, I will get my best men and send them to go search for him."
The chief turned to leave, when suddenly the faint sound of pattering hoofbeats was heard. They seemed to be coming towards the village, and from the canyon that led to the village.
Hailey's face brightened. "Oh thank the Four Legends, he's back!"
Hailey jumped the fence and rushed to the other side of the village. As she neared the entrance, she heard the many voices of people and saw them gathered on the sides of the path. She felt like she could jump for joy when she saw a familiar white horse walking amongst the natives.
But as she approached the group, she began to tell something was wrong. The people were speaking in hushed, worried tones, and they all turned to look at her as she came up to them.
"What's wrong?" She asked. The natives looked at each other before stepping out of her way. Gale walked up to her, but something was terribly wrong.
Gale was limping. One of his back legs was covered in red. Blood stained his white hair on his rump and shoulder. And his saddle was empty.
Hailey's heart dropped. She rushed over to Gale.
"Oh, no no no!" She said, taking the horse's face in her hands. "Gale, what happened to you?!" She frantically felt along his leg and felt the wound, shooing the flies that were chewing away at it. "Where's your owner?!"
A glimmer in the morning sun caught her eye. She looked at the saddle. There was a smear of silver on the leather. It was Zane's blood.
Oh no.
"Hailey! What's going on? Where's Zane?"
Hailey turned around and saw Tony, Christopher, Apenimon, and Chief Aditsan running toward her.
"Gale's hurt and Zane isn't with him!" Hailey told them as they raced up. "There's blood on the saddle! Look!"
Tony grabbed the fender of Gale's saddle to get a better look.
"She's right." Tony told Christopher. He pointed to it.
Christopher grabbed his head and turned away, muttering under his breath. Apenimon stepped up and rubbed a finger on the blood spot, examining it.
"It appears to be dry, so he must have been injured quite a while ago." He said. "If he was severely so, we may already be too late."
"But why?" Hailey asked. "He's a ninja with ice powers for Four Legend's sake! And he said he'd be okay! Zane never lies!"
"The Untamed must have killed him!" Shouted a man. "Those plundering men have no respect for human lives!"
"They could have taken him hostage!" Yelled another. "He was our only hope!"
"He was taken by the yee naaldlooshii *skinwalker*!" A woman cried.
Suddenly the entire village was in an uproar, yelling about any possible thing that could have caused Zane to disappear. Chief Aditsan held up a hand.
"Please!" He said, demanding silence. The clamor died down.
"Yes, Zane has gone missing." He said. "But rather than panic, we must take urgent action. I need someone to get his horse and treat his wounds. He is hurt badly. Also, I want my best men to go and search for him. He is out there somewhere and if we look hard enough we will find him."
"We need to go now!" Christopher said.
He, Tony, Hailey, and Apenimon raced for their horses. They quickly saddled them up and away they rode, along with a group of a dozen Chacam men on their horses, riding through the canyon Zane had ridden through the night before.
Hailey rode at the front of the group, frantically looking around for any sign of the nindroid.
This cannot be happening. This cannot be happening. Zane had overcome so many things and had come so far, it couldn't end here. Not now, of all times. They needed him now more than ever. They wouldn't have gotten this far without him, and they were counting on him to help them come up with a plan to get Samuel back. If Zane was dead, then Samuel soon would be too.
The search party looked in the canyon and the surrounding area. There was no sign of him to be found. They went farther, approaching the Thunder River.
"There are tracks!" One of the natives called.
The others rode over and looked to where he was pointing. Sure enough, there were horse tracks, big and with shoes, like Gale, headed from the canyon and bank towards the direction of the Untamed's base. Zane had been here, no doubt.
"It's him." Tony confirmed. "He was headed that way."
"Alright, let's spread out!" Christopher said. "We'll head over near the base. Some of you come with but be lookouts in case we're being followed. The rest keep searching the canyon and go downstream!"
The group disbanded and took up their respective places. Hailey, Tony, Christopher, and a couple of the Chacam followed the direction Zane had gone while the others combed the surrounding area. Gale's tracks led across to the other side of the river and forwards, so that's where they rode, travelling cautiously in case the Untamed were to see them.
The group of six had ridden along in silence for a long time, quietly scanning the ground and surrounding land for any signs of Zane's whereabouts. Hailey was standing in her saddle, searching among the sagebrush, when suddenly a flash of light caught her eye.
Intrigued, she rode up to where she had seen it. It seemed to have come from behind a large cluster of bushes. She got off her horse and looked around. It took some searching around, but soon her hand felt warm metal.
Gasping in surprise, she grasped the object and pulled it from the brush. It was a gun. But not just any. It was Zane's gun.
"Hey!" Hailey shouted. She waved to the others. "I've got somethin'!"
They dropped what they were doing and rode over to Hailey.
"What is it?" Christopher asked. Hailey held out the weapon.
"It's his gun." She said, handing it to him. "I found it right here."
Christopher turned it over in his hands. He checked the chamber. "It hasn't been fired. He must have dropped it."
"That is not the only thing he left behind." One of the natives said. He pointed near Hailey's foot. "Look."
Right next to her boot, spattered amongst the ground and sage leaves was another spot of Zane's blood. Hailey bent down and touched it. It too was dry.
"He's been shot…" She said.
"I see the vegetation has been stepped on." Another Chacam said. "If he was on his horse at the time of the attack, it seems he would have gone that way." He gestured to the desert beyond, pointing in the direction of Chacam Run. Perhaps we go in the general direction and see what we can find."
They did so. While riding along, they saw more of the vegetation had been trodden on, as if there was more than one person. In spots where the ground became more bare and sandy, they saw four sets of tracks.
Panic rose in Hailey's chest as they followed. By the looks of it, he'd not only been shot but also pursued afterwards. His situation was looking bleaker and bleaker by the minute.
Hailey tried to hold onto hope that he was still alive, but everything they've been finding was proving otherwise.
Tears pricked her eyes as she thought of Zane being dead. He would be and Samuel too, all because of her. This whole mess was her fault.
Zane was their only hope of getting Samuel back. But that wasn't the only reason she was so upset. When her uncle was kidnapped, Zane assumed his role in his absence. He comforted her when she was upset, cared for her when she was ill, protected her in danger, and guided them not only through the desert, but had been guiding her through her internal conflicts. They helped each other. Zane had become Hailey's mentor, and she noticed she surprisingly had been looking up to him more and more as the days went by. They had grown close, even if they didn't exactly get off on the right foot when they first met. When it came to any decision, he always knew what to do.
Now, with Zane possibly being gone, Hailey had lost all that. She'd lost her sense of direction. She'd lost her confidence in herself. She'd lost her teacher. She'd lost her friend. She'd lost a member of her family. And soon her uncle was bound to follow.
Hailey dropped her head in a silent prayer, begging the Four Legends to spare Zane's life.
'He doesn't deserve to die.' She thought. 'Of all the people, he doesn't deserve it. Please, oh Four Legends please let Zane be alright. Don't let him die because of me. I won't ask for anything more.'
"Hold it! We've got something."
The group came to a halt. Christopher got off his horse and walked up to the sand ahead. He bent down to examine it closer.
"Sand's been disturbed like someone's been here." he said. He found more of Zane's blood in the sand. "Seems like there was a struggle."
There were two pairs of boot prints and two deep lines in the sand. Hailey and Christopher followed them right up to the edge of the canyon. Hailey stared down the gorge, seeing the rushing whitewater swirling violently among the rocks below. She looked at Christopher. The look on his face told her he was thinking the same thing.
"Oh no…" She said. She looked down the canyon again. It had to be a three-hundred foot drop at least. The water wouldn't have given Zane a chance.
Christopher drew in a breath and shook his head. "No one would survive that…"
"He's a nindroid." Hailey said. "He's capable of putting up with more than a normal human. He could still be alive."
"Hailey, if the fall didn't kill him, then the water did. Nindroid or not…" He paused.
"Hailey, I'm sorry. But all the signs are pointing in the same direction. Zane's most likely dead."
"No, he couldn't have gone down that easy." She said. "He's tougher than that."
"He was shot and thrown over a cliff!" Christopher told her. "What makes you think he could have possibly lived?!"
"Because he's Zane, that's why! He's faced worse than a gunshot!" Hailey was desperately trying to reassure Christopher he was still alive, but more so herself.
"They threw him over a cliff! It's at least a few hundred feet! And if he was alive, the river drowned him!"
Hailey didn't want to believe it. Zane couldn't be dead. Not now. The Chacam needed him. Samuel needed him. She needed him.
Hailey turned back to the canyon. "Zane!" She called. "ZANE!"
Her voice echoed off the canyon walls. The only answer was the sound of the rushing river far below. She looked among the rocks, searching for something, anything, to tell her that he was alive. But there was nothing.
Christopher got back on his horse and rode up next to Hailey. He sighed and rested a hand on her shoulder.
"I know you were close to Zane. But y'all have to face the truth. We're still gonna look for him, but we're gonna have to do the rest without him."
He turned his horse and he and the natives began riding along the edge of the canyon to search for Zane. Hailey and Ranger stood, still staring down at the churning water. Hailey thought about what Christopher said a moment more before shaking her head and following the others. Maybe Christopher was right. Maybe Zane really was gone.
But she had faith in Zane. She wouldn't accept his death until she saw his body herself.
They rode along the edge, looking down at the water, searching for any sign of Zane and occasionally calling his name. But there was no sign of him.
The search wore on through the day. After several hours, Zane still hadn't turned up.
Hailey was walking Ranger along the edge of the canyon when something caught her eye. Peering closer, she saw a black hat caught on the rocks in the river down below.
"Hey!" She said to the others. "I think I see something!"
Christopher and the natives came over. Hailey pointed down below. "On those rocks down there in the water. It's a hat."
Christopher got as close as he could without falling over. "You're right." He said. "Let's get a closer look."
They guided their horses carefully down the canyon walls to the river below. Hailey got off Ranger and picked her way across the river. She got to the rocks and picked up the hat. She recognized it immediately.
"It's Zane's!" She yelled over the rushing river. "It's his hat!"
She crossed the river back and handed it to Christopher, who turned it over in his hands, examining it.
"Yep. This is his hat for sure." He handed it back to her. "We'll keep looking."
They didn't have to keep searching for long. They got back on their horses and rode along the river and came around a bend.
When they cleared the corner they saw a figure laying on the riverbank upstream.
Hailey gasped. There was no mistaking who it was.
"ZANE!" She yelled, kicking Ranger into a gallop and racing over. She jumped off her horse and kneeled by Zane's side. She shook his shoulder.
"Zane, hey, Zane!" She said. She shook his shoulder. "Hey! We found you, are you okay?"
Zane didn't answer. He didn't even move.
Panicking and assuming the worst, Hailey tried again. Zane was facedown in the sand with his legs still submerged in the water. She pulled him out of the river.
"Zane?" She asked, turning him onto his back. Scrapes and bruises covered his face. His shoulder was covered in his silver blood. His eyes were shut. "Zane! Answer me!" She shook him. He still didn't respond. He was completely limp. "No no no. Please, don't be dead…"
Hailey placed an ear on Zane's chest. He wasn't breathing. There was no heartbeat. He was gone.
"Zane!" Hailey cried. She shook him. "Wake up! This isn't funny!"
Zane was unresponsive. Hailey felt her eyes burn as tears threatened to fall. "Zane...please…"
Zane was still. He was dead. And it was her fault.
Tears fell down as she buried her face into Zane's chest and began to cry.
"N-no, please don't go…" She wept. "I can't lose you...not now, not ever…" She held him closer to her. "Y-you told me you'd be okay, you never lied. W-why now?"
There was only silence.
"I-I can't do this without you…" She sobbed. "I'm so sorry...t-this is all my fault…"
Sloshing water and the sound of hoofbeats made her look up. Christopher and the natives approached.
"How is he?" Christopher asked, though it seemed as if he already knew the answer.
Hailey couldn't talk. She just shook her head before silently resting her face on Zane's shoulder to muffle her crying.
Christopher looked at the pitiful sight of Hailey clutching poor Zane's body as she cried. A lump formed in his throat as he saw him dead. It was a shame to see such a fine man meet his end so soon.
He rode across the river to Hailey and Zane. He got off his horse and knelt down beside the two.
"Here." He said. "Let me see."
Reluctantly, Hailey held Zane out to him. He took him in his arms. He felt along his neck for a pulse, watched for breathing, and listened for a heartbeat. There was nothing.
Christopher sighed. He took off his hat and rested a hand on Hailey's shoulder. "I'm sorry." He told her.
Hailey sniffed and shook her head. "I can't believe it...I knew he shouldn't have gone…Now what are we gonna do?"
Christopher sighed again. "We'll have to finish this without him." He told her. "We've come too far to turn back now. It's what he would want us to do." He scooped Zane up in his arms. "Now let's get back. It's getting dark."
…
"How is she?"
"Taking it pretty hard. I knew her and Zane were close, but-" Christopher paused to run his fingers through his hair before placing his hat on his head. "His passing's really got the poor girl torn up."
"Should we go in?" Tony asked him. Christopher shook his head.
"No. I've tried. She's inconsolable. Let's just give her some space."
Tony nodded in agreement and the two went to care for their horses and check up on Gale.
Inside of Apenimon's hut, Zane lay on the cot, covered by a blanket. Hailey had sat next to his body, face covered by her hat as she cried. It's all she could do. No matter who tried to calm her down, no matter what they said, none of it lessened her pain. She tried multiple times to walk away, to accept the fact he was dead. But she couldn't. She found herself rooted to the spot. She couldn't leave him alone. Not after what happened.
Hailey thought about what happened in the moments leading up to Zane's death. Was it quick and painless? Or did his killers drag it out and make him suffer? Was he terrified? Was he not ready to die? Or did he willingly accept his fate? What was he thinking in his final moments? Could it have ended differently? If she had only begged Zane perhaps a little harder to not go alone, would she or someone else have been there to protect him and have kept this from happening?
Hailey slammed her fist on the ground in a flash of anger. She could have done something. She had a gut feeling something was wrong right when Zane said he was leaving. She should have listened to it and snuck out when she got the chance. It may have pissed some people off, sure, but that was nothing compared to having to ride out carrying your friend's dead body out of a canyon.
No matter what she did-or didn't do- now people seemed to get hurt. What happened when she went on her own investigation because her traps were getting destroyed, even though Zane and Samuel warned her against it? She landed Zane, herself, and Samuel right in the Untamed's clutches. And what happened when she was told to stay put by the others while Zane went out alone, and she didn't go out after him even though her instincts told her to do otherwise? Zane wound up dead. She did the right things at the wrong times. Why? Why couldn't she do anything right? And why did other people have to suffer from her mistakes? And why especially Zane, who had the biggest, kindest heart, and was one of the most gentle souls she'd ever known? He may have been a nindroid, but he had more humanity than most humans did. Why did this have to happen to him?
Hailey looked up to Zane. With a shaky hand she pulled back the blanket to reveal Zane's bruised and battered face.
"I'm sorry, Zane…" She said, her lip trembling. "I'm so sorry...this is all my fault…"
Tears welled in her eyes again. She collapsed on his chest, bawling.
"T-this shouldn't have happened to you…" she wept. "You didn't deserve it…"
Hailey continued crying. She cried until no more tears would come. She would have to leave him at some point. Christopher said they would bury him in the morning.
Eventually, Hailey finally decided it was time to go. The more she stayed she knew the harder it would be to say goodbye.
She stood up, wiped her eyes and nose and sighed a shaky breath. She rested a hand on Zane's shoulder.
"I...I guess this is goodbye…" She said. "At least for now. I'll see you again sometime down the road…"
She turned to leave. Her fingers caught on something hard on Zane's chest, stopping her. Confused, she turned back around.
"What the…" She muttered to herself.
It felt like an edge to something, straight, thick, and narrow. She felt along with it.
Furrowing her brow, she pulled back the blanket off of him. Something was sticking out from under his shirt.
"What the…" She said again. That wasn't normal. Not even for Zane. Was it a clue of what happened to him?
Hailey briefly looked around to make sure no one was watching. Then she quickly unbuttoned his shirt. His torso was dented and battered. But what caught her eye was a part that protruded from the rest of his body. It was the edge she had felt earlier. She felt along it more thoroughly. She felt a fine seam that led along his lower abdomen and another up near his chest. It was connected. Was it-
"A...door?" She asked herself quietly. "Why would he have that…"
Hailey decided to find out. She found the edge and managed to get her fingers under it. She tried to open it. It wouldn't budge. She tugged at it, and felt the door give slightly. Harder, and it started to open.
"Sorry Zane…" She muttered before tugging with all her might. Suddenly the door flew open.
"OW!" Hailey yelled as she fell to the floor. "Goddammit!" She growled and rubbed her head. She saw the door in Zane's chest was open. She got up and looked at what was behind the door,and gasped.
It was a circuit board, full of switches, wires, and buttons. Up in the right area of his chest was a circular piece of glass where a blue wire was leading from it to a switch labeled 'Power.' There were other switches like 'Visual', 'Audio', 'Memory', 'Voice', and 'Humor', to name a few. It was also full of water.
"Whoa." Hailey said, slightly overwhelmed at all the circuitry. "These control his functions…" Her finger hovered over the switches, then the glass circle. "And that's probably his power source."
In the dim light of the hut, she saw that the glass had a slight pulsing glow. It was a dark cyan like his unlit eyes, but probably would be a light blue if it was lit.
Hailey stood back, scratching her head. Checking the switches, everything was in the 'On' position like it should be. And even though she didn't know a shred about robots, if Zane was really dead, his power source wouldn't be glowing still.
Hailey sighed and rubbed her chin, thinking. Zane's shut down before, but he was also able to turn himself back on. There had to be something causing him to not be able to power himself. But what?
"I mean, it can't be that hard to figure out…" She muttered to herself. "His chest panel is really just a bunch of electrical connections. It can't be that much different from the console of a truck or tractor…"
Hailey looked over at Zane again. The water inside the compartment had to be at least a few inches deep.
Water...electricity…
Suddenly it hit her like a brick. How could she be so stupid?!
"That's it!" She yelled. She ran out of the hut to find Tony and Christopher. There was still hope!
She found them at the corral where they were keeping their horses.
"Hey!" She called to them. "HEY!"
The two men looked up and saw Hailey jumping the fence and running towards them.
"Hailey!" Tony said. "Is something wrong?"
Hailey skidded to a stop in front of them, out of breath. "I know what's wrong with Zane…" She panted.
The two looked at each other and Christopher sighed.
"Hailey." He told her. He went to rest a hand on her shoulder. "I know you and Zane were close, but you need to-"
"Listen to me!" She said, swatting his hand away. "He has a chest panel that controls everything...he has a power source...it's still on…" She said between breaths.
"What are you talking about?" Tony asked.
Hailey grabbed them. "Follow me!" She said. She dragged the two back into the hut. They became even more confused when they saw Zane's shirt unbuttoned and his chest open.
"What the-" Christopher began to say. Hailey pushed them over to Zane so the three were staring down at his inner workings.
"I just found this." She explained to them. "It's his chest panel. It's where all the electrical components of him are, including his power switch, see?" She pointed to the switch. "It's connected to here. That's his power source. You can barely see it, but it's glowing. It wouldn't if he's dead."
"Okay?" Tony asked.
"But he's completely unresponsive." Christopher said. "What makes you think he's still alive?"
"There's water in his chest panel, see?" Hailey told them. "What happens when you have an electrical connection and water gets in?"
"It causes an electrical short." Tony answered.
"Exactly." Hailey said. "And when that happens, what do you do?"
"Cut off the power and make sure the connection's dry before turning it back on." Christopher answered.
"Exactly."
"But what are you getting at here?"
"Zane's shut down on me before when we first found him. He calls it a system-induced-shutdown. But once he had enough strength, he was able to power himself back on. He ain't dead, but he's shut down, and this time something isn't allowing him to turn back on." Hailey explained. "When he was thrown off the cliff, water must have gotten into his chest panel and caused him to short. Y'all see where I'm getting at here?"
She watched as Tony and Christopher thought over what she said.
"Please, guys, I know you're skeptical and y'all think I'm just being crazy. But please for the love of the Four Legends give Zane a second chance." Hailey begged.
Christopher and Tony glanced at each other. Christopher sighed.
"Okay." He said. "We'll give it to him."
Hailey grabbed them both and hauled them outside. "We have to move fast. The longer we let the water sit in there the more damage it'll do!"
They rushed to find Chief Aditsan and explained the situation to him. He called upon Apenimon and he and the elders gave them as many cloths as they could find. The four then rushed back to the hut. Apenimon lit a fire in the hearth of his home while the others set to work drying Zane's chest panel. They worked quickly, checking to make sure that every connection was secure and dry and careful to avoid damaging his power source. Once they were done getting all the water they could out, they placed him by the hearth so the fire's heat could dry off what the others couldn't.
After a while, Hailey felt around Zane's wires and switches.
"Alright." She said. "Let's give it a try."
The four hoisted Zane back on the cot. Hailey's hand hovered over Zane's power switch, which was still in the 'On' position. In order to see if their plan worked, they would have to turn Zane's switch off before turning it back on. This was the easiest part.
So why was Hailey hesitating to do it?
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Christopher asked. "Flip the switch!"
Still, Hailey was unsure. What if by flipping Zane's power off, she actually did kill him? What if he didn't power back on like he was supposed to? What if they didn't do something right? Would it damage him permanently? Or worse?
A hand seized hers and forced her to press the switch off.
Hailey gasped and drew her hand back as if she had been burned. "Why would you do that?!" She snapped.
"You wouldn't flip the goddamn switch, Hailey!" Christopher barked.
"I was afraid to! I didn't want to kill him!"
"This whole thing was your idea!"
"Ahem!" Tony said, breaking it up. He pointed to Zane's limp form.
Hailey bit her lip. "Please work…" She muttered as she reached for the power switch. She pressed it.
Flick.
There was a moment of tense silence as nothing happened.
'Oh no.' Hailey thought. 'It didn't work!'
Suddenly, Zane's power source began to glow brighter and pulse stronger. The four watched on as each of his systems off and on lights began to light up.
"Commencing system reboot." said a monotone voice that wasn't Zane's.
"All systems online."
Zane's eyes shot open as he drew in a breath.
"YES!" Hailey yelled. "YES! HE'S ALIVE!"
Zane took another breath and suddenly exploded into a coughing fit. He started hacking out water from his lungs.
Christopher quickly kneeled down to help Zane sit up as he continued coughing up water. He firmly slapped his back to force it out. The others were drying Zane off as it came.
Soon Zane stopped sputtering and flopped back down on the cot, gasping for breath. He groaned.
"You alright, son?" Christopher asked him. Zane managed to nod weakly.
"I'll be alright…" he croaked.
"Zane!" Hailey cried. "Oh my god." She drew him into a hug. Tears rolled down her face. "Thank the Four Legends, you scared me! I thought y'all were dead…"
Zane did his best to return the hug. "It's okay…" He muttered. "I'm here now…"
Tony tapped Hailey's shoulder. "Give him some space." He told her. "He's in bad shape."
Hailey nodded and backed away a few steps, but refused to let Zane leave her sight.
…
There was a shocked silence that settled across the Bounty as the ninja stared at Lloyd's hand, where there was supposed to be ice. But even though he tried again and again, the green ninja couldn't get it to come.
Which meant-
"OH MY FSM ZANE'S DEAD!" Jay screamed.
Cole gasped. "NO!"
"ZANE!" Kai yelled. "What happened?!"
"I don't know!" Lloyd said. "I'm trying, but I can't use my ice powers!"
Sensei covered his ears and groaned.
"Sensei!" Nya said. "Are you alright?"
"The volume inside of this ship is astronomical!" He replied. "It is way too loud!"
"Guys!" Nya yelled at the three boys. "Quiet down! You're hurting Sensei's ears!"
Jay slid down the wall and sat on the floor, head in his hands. "No, no, no!" He cried. "Not Zane, not now!"
Kai said nothing, resting his head on the table and clasping his hands over his neck, trembling silently. Cole just stared at Lloyd's hand, gaping, a look of agonizing shock on his face.
"H-he can't be…" Nya said. "He was just fine an hour ago…"
Cole looked desperately at Wu. "Sensei, what do we do now?"
Wu sighed and stared down at the floor for a long moment before looking back up at his students.
"We must continue our search." Wu said finally. "Whether Zane is passed or not, we will not rest until we find him. We must also ensure we keep Morro from obtaining the Realm Crystal. If we don't...well….I don't want Zane to die in vain."
The students nodded their understanding. Lloyd stood up.
"I don't care if Zane is dead or alive, that doesn't change my determination of finding him." He stated. "He needs to be brought home to us either way. He's just as important as any of us and deserves it just as much, if not more so. Zane would do the same for us, and we've come too far to give up on him now."
The ninja nodded again in agreement. Wu sighed again.
"I will be going off to meditate now." He said. "I will be in my room if anyone needs me."
Sensei left, leaving the four ninja alone in the room together. They were silent, looking at each other, unsure of what to say or do. They were shell shocked, to say the least. One moment, they had all the hope in the world- Zane was alive and they were finally getting answers- and the next, their hopes were dashed, world turned upside down once again.
Finally, after several painstaking minutes of quietly sitting and trying to register it all, Jay's squeaky voice broke the silence.
"H-hey guys…" He asked, voice shaky.
The others looked up at him. "Yes Jay?" Nya asked.
He gulped, clearly fighting back tears.
"W-what do you think happened?"
The ninja went quiet again, a thick silence settled over them as they tried to think of an answer to Jay's question.
"I-I don't know." Cole said. "Anything could have happened…"
"I-I can't believe he's actually gone…" Lloyd said, still in disbelief.
"It's like the Overlord all over again…" Nya said.
Kai, who was mostly silent during this whole time, looked around at his team. It hurt him to see them this way. He cleared his throat.
"Hey, uh, guys…" He began. "I, uh don't really know how to say this, but I want to let you all know that I, uh...I appreciate you all."
Cole smiled. "Thanks Kai. That's what we need right now. You're not one for really showing your soft side much, though, what makes you say it?"
Kai sighed. "You all know how concerned I was for Lloyd and basically neglecting Zane. It's not like I didn't care about him, because I did. But that's not the message I had been sending beforehand. I don't want Zane to feel like I don't care about him, and neither do I want any of you to either."
Lloyd nodded. "I see." He looked around at his team, weary from the hours of reading and writing and now because of this new predicament.
"I know we're not in a good spot right now, but we should all get some rest." He said. "We need to clear our heads and figure out how to navigate things from here."
The others nodded and wearily trudged off to bed. Lloyd followed suit. He stared down at his hand, willing to summon ice one more time.
There was nothing.
Lloyd heaved a sigh. "Oh, Zane…" He said. "Why?"
The next day passed in a blur. In an attempt to do what Sensei asked of them, Lloyd and Nya stayed at the Bounty to try and get tabs on Morro while Jay and Kai went to the library to continue their research. The day passed uneventfully. Kai made dinner that evening, but nobody was hungry. Even Cole, who usually had a ravenous appetite, barely picked at his food.
Later that night, Jay and Lloyd were tidying up the Bounty before going to bed. Jay had walked to the kitchen to get a glass of water.
"Ugh," He whined. "The ice cube maker isn't working again!"
"Well then maybe you should fix it?" Lloyd asked. "You're the mechanic on the Bounty after all."
"It's too hard." Jay said. He opened the freezer side to see if the ice maker was jammed. "Maybe you can help?"
Lloyd rolled his eyes and walked over to the kitchen, picking up Jay's water.
"Yeah, what do you want me to do, make ice cubes for you?" He asked sarcastically, unaware of a quiet cracking noise of freezing water.
Jay huffed in annoyance. Lloyd smirked and went to take a sip, confused when no water touched his lips. "Huh?"
He looked into the cup. He gasped.
"Jay." He said.
"Not now, Lloyd, I'm trying to do something."
"Jay." Lloyd said again. "You're gonna want to see this…"
"I said not now!"
Lloyd grabbed Jay by the back of the neck and yanked him out of the freezer and shoved the cup in front of his face. "Jay, look!"
Jay looked. The water inside his cup had frozen solid.
"That was not like that a few seconds ago." He said in disbelief.
Lloyd looked at him. "I know."
Jay went wide-eyed. "You don't think-"
Lloyd already knew what he was thinking. Without a word, he held up his hand.
"Come on, Zane." Jay said. "You can't give up on us now. We're getting closer to finding you every day."
Lloyd closed his eyes, afraid his hopes would be crushed.
"Please…" He said quietly. He tried to summon his ice powers.
Jay screamed. "LLOYD!" He yelled. "LOOK!"
Lloyd cautiously cracked one eye open and peered at his hand. He saw it and was so shocked he had to do a double take.
Shards of ice floated around his hand. His ice powers were back. Zane was alive.
Jay had already rushed off to get the others. They burst into the room, including Sensei.
"This better not be a joke, Jay!" Kai growled.
"It's not!" Lloyd said. "Why would I be joking about this?" He held up his hand. Snow and ice surrounded it.
Nya jumped for joy. "He's alive!"
"B-but how?" Cole sputtered in disbelief.
"It seems he's not alone." Sensei said.
"Someone's helping him." Kai said. "But who?"
"I don't know," Jay said. "But when we find them they're gonna get the biggest thank-you hug of their lives!"
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