Hello! I just didn't update last weekend, and my updates are on either Sunday or Saturday.

Hey there, JAY FAN! When I first saw 'NINJAGOJAYFAN left a review' in my Gmail, the first thing I thought was, 'Oh, look! I bet JAY FAN got an account!' It really was no surprise when you confirmed it in your review! :D Glad you have an account, by the way; it makes things so much easier rather than having a million tabs on and writing down the names and authors on your phone (I know by experience.) I'm really happy that you might write stories with your new account, and I really recommend writing your stories and chapters in Google Docs and then pasting them in Doc Manager in FanFiction.

This is a translation of the overly dramatic third-person beginning of this chapter that some might have trouble understanding (though I still recommend reading the actual beginning):

'The soul is something that can't be changed; it is what makes a person themselves. It is their beliefs and what causes their actions. It can be hidden by commands, lack of confidence, fear, and doubt.

Though actions may be forced, no amount of forcing or manipulation can change someone's feelings about the action made.

The soul is something that can't be changed because it is formed by free will and is the only thing a person can truly claim as their own throughout their life.'

I had so much fun writing this part because it's like it's from before a battle over free will and it's just SO DRAMATIC! Hehe!

Chapter 15: Soul

The soul is something one cannot change. It is a person's being, what makes them themselves. It is their beliefs, what justify their actions, their nature. It can be buried deep within by commands, lack of will, fear, and doubt.

No matter what conditioning or forcing one may commit, it is without doubt it would be in vain. Actions could be forced or manipulated upon oneself, but no amount of force or manipulation could be enough to change the feelings of the actions committed, whether one is aware of it or not.

The soul is something one cannot change, for it is from the birth of free will and the one thing one truly possesses from beginning to end.

POV: Cole

Great, now I can't even speak!

You brought this on yourself!

For some reason, the second opposing voice in my head sounded like Jay's. When I was first captured, things were civil enough; I was merely bound with vengestone rope with my hands behind my back, but that was it, really. I wasn't blindfolded, (though I wouldn't see anything anyway because there were no windows,) I wasn't restrained with an unnecessary amount of rope (though I took that for granted,) I wasn't roughly pushed for no reason or thrown in the mini-truck unceremoniously, I wasn't gagged (unlike now,) and the floor I was sitting on was fairly nice and clean, though the ever-concentrated gazes of literally every agent lingering on me were more than uncomfortable.

How did I get gagged and even more restrained, you say?

Well, to sum it up, I kept repeating Jay's name until he literally went insane, and, seeing the looks the agents were giving, it was a rare occasion to come by. I just wanted to get his attention so I could make him remember! …That's sort of half of the reason though; it was just so entertaining! I never knew I had missed it that much until I realized I was pushing it a bit, though that realization came after they restrained me. You see, after I was gagged, I made humming noises, but soon, when I noticed they probably weren't even hearing it for some reason, (advanced tech, I'm sure,) I started moving around and hitting the floor to make them, specifically Jay, of course, more irritated. That's when they used much more rope than necessary to try and stop my movements, and, though it wasn't very effective, I stopped either way: if Jay would be interrogating me like I hoped he would, then I would get the chance to properly pester him a lot more.

Though, now that I think about it, seeing the fun side of things (like Jay usually did) deterred me from accepting the situation and the fact that I was worried,

Jay would be okay, right?

He would remember, right?

He would be the same again, right?

and (somewhat) scared.

Oh, who are you kidding– he's probably been like this for years!

It's not like we can jump-start his brain or something!

What if he refuses to remember?

Would he be mad at us for not trying to find him sooner?

Why had I stayed at The Land of Lost Things? I should've been looking for the others, not making new friends as if the ones I had were long gone!

Maybe some are.

NO! The others can protect themselves! Jay is physically fine right now, and he can't possibly like being an emotionless agent and would be thrilled to get his memories back if I could just prove to him that he has lost his memories and belongs with us, his family.

I jolted forward as the mini-truck came to a stop.

POV: Agent Walker

This master of earth has been driving me up a wall for the past hour! He kept on talking and pestering me, trying to be as irritating as possible by shifting and thumping the ground and walls when he decided talking wasn't an option anymore, and I just so wanted to knock him out–

Calm down.

Okay.

No one has irritated me this much before and I couldn't even knock him out because I wanted the master of earth to be up and awake by the time we reached The Administration.

I mean, I couldn't even get the location of the Dragon Cores, and having to wait even more to achieve our goal just because I couldn't handle being annoyed– yeah, not great.

Thankfully after roping him one more time, the master of earth stopped being annoying and the rest of the ride had been peaceful.

Well, as peaceful as you can be with the faint annoying voice in the back of your head repeating 'This is wrong. This is wrong. This is wrong. This is wrong.'

Seriously, how is it wrong to fight for your side?

It isn't your side.

…what–?

Just when I was starting to question my own sanity, the mini-truck halted to a stop, and everyone hustled out. I, too, got out in a haste, to which some agents sent weird looks because it wasn't like me to go very fast– you should be fast– what?– and I turned to my right to see the master of earth being led out of the garage and into The Administration's main building.

For some reason Jeremy took the mute off of the earth master while we were entering the main building–

"Hey, Jay!"

I am going to kill him for releasing his gag!

Just ignore him, just ignore him, just ignore him–

"Remember when we were trapped in a temple overflowing with lava and you kept on saying 'brobrogoo-goo' because apparently it was good for relaxing your face?" He asked, silently chuckling to himself.

I turned around to glare at him so he could just shut up–

'Brobrogoo-goo! Brobrogoo-goo!'

'How is saying a bunch of nonsense possibly gonna help us?'

'It says it keeps you calm by relaxing your face.'

"Or the time you literally lost it when we got teleported to the first realm?"

I am going to shut him up so bad–

'This, is our new home.'

'You don't sound yourself, Jay.'

'I'm just saying, you don't have to freak out about it.'

'You not freaking out, is freaking me out!'

Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up–

"How about the time–"

'You know, you should never swear. It's a sign of wear verbal skills.'

'If that's Lord Garmadon, I'm Lord of the Jig.'

'You better start jiggin'.'

STOP. STOP. STOP. STOP.

'All right. Who took my pudding cup? My name was clearly written on it!'

'I didn't see 'motormouth' on it.'

"Uh… Jay–?"

"SHUT! UP!"

When the voices finally shut up and reality came back, I saw that everyone was frozen in their places, looking at me. My fists were clenched by my side and I realized my face was hurting from glaring so much.

I turned back to the direction we were going and yelled, "You are lucky I need you!"

POV: Cole

I didn't know why, but after I was lifted from the ground and out the back doors of the mini-truck, an agent just removed the gag on me. Not questioning it because I had better stuff to do, I quickly took chance of my opportunity and said, "Hey, Jay!"

I started grinning when Jay took a deep breath and didn't look back to acknowledge me.

Maybe I should try again.

"Remember when we were trapped in a temple overflowing with lava and you kept on saying 'brobrogoo-goo' because apparently it was good for relaxing your face?" I silently snickered to myself at the memory.

I looked back at Jay as he turned to me with a fierce– not fierce enough to convince me– glare but immediately stopped walking afterwards, everyone mimicking his halt.

His eyes looked weird– focus, Cole!

"Or the time you literally lost it when we got teleported to the first realm?"

Jay tensed, though his glare didn't change.

Please remember. Just do something– anything!

I wracked my brain for more memories,

"How about the time you tried to steal Wu's gong so we didn't have to wake up and he–"

"SHUT! UP!"

I quickly did so and, though I would never admit it, I was actually kind of intimidated by Jay's fuming– he looked ready to kill me–

That's when I realized what was wrong with his eyes.

Honestly, Cole, how could you not have seen it sooner?

"You are lucky I need you!"

With that, he turned around and headed for the doors.

POV: Agent Walker

time skip

Luckly for my sanity, the black ninja was quiet the whole journey to the 'Encouraging Room.' Once there, I left him with a few agents and headed to The Administrator's office to talk about our predicament.

The whole walk to his office was horrible, with no one to talk to and alone to my thoughts;

What were all of those voices?

What did it mean by The Administration not being my side?

How did the black ninja trigger all that madness?

What were the voices even saying–?

"Ow!"

I recoiled with a hand on my forehead as pain shot up in my face, and it took a few moments and confused looks from agents passing by to comprehend the fact that I just ran straight into the doors leading to The Administrator's office.

Did I seriously just do that?

Before I could go on trying to figure out my stupidity, the doors opened, showing a confused boss.

The Administrator retreated back into the office, indicating me to enter to which I nervously– nervously!– obliged.

Since when was I nervous?!

"Agent," The Administrator's voice brought me back to reality, "I heard you failed to locate the Dragon Cores and captured the master of earth instead. Explain your thoughts."

I quickly righted myself and put my neutral mask on, just now realizing who I was talking to.

"I thought–" what do you mean, 'you thought'?!

I cleared my throat to try again, "The master of earth could grant us information on where the Dragon Cores are. Since the other 'ninjas' are still kids, I expected them to tell the black ninja the location first. He is right now in the 'Encouraging Room' so we can get something out of him."

The Administrator just stared at me without so much as moving a muscle– it was like he wasn't even breathing– and seemed to be contemplating something.

My mind started to wander as it, too, contemplated all that had happened in one day; I lost my temper way too many times, clumsily crashed into the doors of The Adminsitrator's– The Administrator's!– office, of all places, showed nervousness, then said 'I thought,' a phrase indicating the uncertainty of a guess instead of speaking with confidence and like I have a plan that is bound to work out in the best way possible, and now I'm not focusing on what's happening infront of me and letting my mind wander–

"That is an exceptional plan, you will get right to it," The Adminstrator concluded, pulling me– yet again– back to the world around me, "Dismissed."

Without so much as a sound of affirmation, I quickly turned and headed back to the 'Encouraging Room' in a somewhat faze.

"Hey, Jay!"

I had entered the room with a hardened face that had quickly melted off when the black ninja had started talking.

Seriously, how does he do that?!

"Remember–"

"No," I cut him off, we are not doing that again.

When the earth ninja opened his mouth to probably ask another 'Remember?' question, I hastily jumped in, "Now, tell us where the Dragon Cores are."

The 'Encouraging Room' was a small square room with light gray sound-proof walls with a chair in the middle, connected to a wire that led to a short pole with a red button on it. Currently, the black ninja was strapped to the chair and looked a little on edge with how things were going.

"I already told you; I don't know. Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you," was the earth ninja's reply. He had a hardened and serious expression and was finally showing his ninja side other than his annoying playful side.

"Okay, fine. No one expects a ninja to give up on the first try," I said as I shifted myself to the button.

Just as I lowered my hand to press the button, everything seemed to screech to a halt. There were no sounds, time had stopped, and the only thing in the world seemed to be me, the button, and Cole.

Since when did I call him Cole?

I shouldn't do this.

We need the Dragon Cores!

It would hurt him.

So?

I don't want him to be hurt.

Why not?

He's my friend.

No, he isn't!

Don't push the button!

Push the button!

I shouldn't hurt anyone!

If it's the order of The Administrator, then I should!

I can't!

If it's an order, I will!

It was like time fastfowarded as my hand touched the button and went slow-motion as I pushed it.

The second I heard Cole scream I lifted my hand and recoiled, horrified.

Why would I be horrified?

I hurt him!

If he would just tell me what I wanted to know, then I wouldn't have had to!

I can't just torture people!

Why not?

It's wrong!

This is all WRONG!

I vaguely remembered touching a wall and running out as someone screamed, "I CAN'T!"