"Hi, Nya… Did you get everything you needed?" Jay asked.

"I got a few things… Let's try the Tomorrow's Tea before we pick up anything else though."

Nya poured the contents of the potion into a bottle and showed it to Kai. The baby opened his mouth, and without hesitation, Nya put the bottle to his lips. The room was filled with suspense as they watched Kai's face scrunch up in disgust at the taste.

"You gotta drink it, buddy," Nya said, trying to keep her voice calm despite the rising panic inside her. "It's for your own good."

A bright flash surrounded Kai, and his form was briefly engulfed by smoke. Kai let out a wail, a bit spooked by the smoke. Nya anxiously waved it away, but when the smoke cleared she was disappointed to see that he only looked a few months older.

"Dang it!" Nya sighed as she picked her brother up again and rocked him in her arms.

"He probably just needs to drink more of it. He barely had a sip. Don't panic, Nya, I know how to get him to drink it." Jay grabbed the bottle and brought it to the kitchen. He opened a cabinet door and pulled down a bag of something.

"What's that?" Nya asked as she continued to bounce her brother in her arms.

"Sugar," Jay replied with a grin.

This time, Kai greedily drank up the tea. Nya set him down gently.

Another bright flash surrounded Kai, and his form was again obscured by smoke. His eyes widened as he looked around, his baby babble turning into more coherent words.

"Whoa!" Kai exclaimed, his voice filled with wonder. "I so big now!"

Nya, however, looked disappointed. She sighed and said, "I thought he would turn into an adult. Well, I guess we have a toddler on our hands now."

"Well, he may not be back to normal, but at least he's a little less of a hothead than usual. Get it, little?" Jay smirked and laughed at his own joke.

Nya rolled her eyes. "Right…"

"Oh come on, I've spent a whole day working on that joke, ever since he turned younger in the first place! At least pretend to laugh!"

Kai let out a giggle.

"Thank you, Kai. At least someone appreciates my humor!"

Kai pointed at Jay and said, "Funny man!" in his new, childish voice.

With a new fan in Kai, Jay couldn't resist keeping the humor coming. "That's right, Kai, I'm the funny man of this team," the blue ninja said, scooping Kai up and balancing him on his hip. "I think we're going to get along pretty well, little dude, as long as you keep your burning desire for puns."

Kai giggled again. He didn't quite understand the joke, but he enjoyed the attention.

Just then, Zane entered the room. "I have successfully infiltrated the system," he announced, "but every file appears to be encrypted. It's uncertain how long it will take to decrypt them. The only exception is a file labeled 'Metamorphis Crystal.' This name was also mentioned in one of the scrolls the organization wanted us to bring to them."

"Hi, nindwoid!"

Zane seemed to take notice of the small fire ninja in Jay's arms for the first time. "Hello, Kai, it appears you've undergone another transformation. How are you feeling?"

"Good!" Kai shouted, bouncing happily on Jay's hip. "How nindwoid?"

"I'm alright, thank you."

"I wonder how much you remember…" Zane said, partially to himself and partially to Kai.

Zane left the room to check on Cole and Lloyd's interrogation. He wanted to probe them to ask the girl about the mysterious crystal before he returned to his work.

Lloyd and Cole stepped back into the room after a short conference with Zane.

"What do you know about the Metamorphis Crystal?" Lloyd asked, maintaining a steady gaze on Pinky.

Pinky squirmed uncomfortably. She hesitated for a moment, her voice filled with fear as she whispered, "The Metamorphis Crystal is a legendary artifact. It has the power to change who you are, but the effects are… unpredictable."

Lloyd's expression softened, and he leaned in slightly. "Tell us more, Pinky. What do you know about it?"

"I… it changed me. I'm not who I used to be. I've been working with them ever since."

Lloyd exchanged a glance with Cole. He prodded further, "Where is it located?"

Pinky leaned in closer, her voice trembling. "I don't know where it is now; I've only seen it once. It's a secret the organization has been guarding for centuries. Please, you have to understand, I'm trapped in this, just like you."

The ninjas shared a brief, silent exchange. It appeared that Pinky's story was far more complicated than they initially thought. They had a choice to make—should they believe her, or continue to treat her as an enemy and keep her in captivity?

[Author's note: Hello there! I think FFN's stats are broken so I have no idea if anyone's reading this. Feel free to leave suggestions or feedback!]