Chapter Text
Arin felt the heat of the sun blaring down on him, the hot sand beneath him, and the cool waves soaking his shoes. That’s all he could do at the moment, feel. The sounds of the waves crashing down onto the sand was the next thing he noticed. How long had he been here? When would Lloyd and the others come to find him?
He heard the soft footsteps slowly grow louder until they stopped right next to him. Still unable to open his eyes, he was left to his imagination of who it was. He felt cold fingers touch his wrist, presumably feeling his pulse, before it all went quiet again.
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Arin awoke to the wonderful aroma of food wafting through the room. He lay there for a few moments soaking in all the things happening around him. The wind, the warmth of the blankets he was bundled up in, the clanging of things being moved around by someone. His eyes shot open, he didn’t recognize this place, where was he?
He was greeted by a small room that had all the windows open. He saw someone with their back turned, they had neatly combed platinum silver hair and was sporting a baby blue turtleneck. They appeared to be the one preparing the food letting off the smell.
He quickly moved to sit up, but stopped. He sucked in air at the pain that shot through his ribs. He felt the tight wrap of what felt like bandages around his torso. This stranger must have patched him up. He carefully adjusted himself into a crisscross position.
“Be careful, you’re hurt.” A voice next to him said. Arin jumped, he hadn’t even heard the man walk over. He looked up at the man, “Who ar-” he stopped and went slack jawed. It was him. The Master of Ice. He had been missing for years. Arin had been around five when he disappeared, but he had seen many different videos of his heroic acts.
“Are you ok?” He said, slightly tilting his head in concern. Arin shook his head, “Zane?” He squeaked. “Yes,” he chuckled, “that is me.” Zane looked back, almost in shock at his pot on the stove. He hurried back and removed it from the burner.
Arin pushed himself off the small cot he had been laid upon and shakily stood up. He ignored the pain resonating from his hip as he looked at the White Ninja. “B-but, you’ve been missing for years. I don’t understand.” He heard Zane sigh while he took off a frilly pink apron that Arin had just noticed him wearing.
“It is best if it stays that way-” Zane replied sadly. Arin took a step forwards, using the table for support. “But the Ninja- no, everyone’s been looking for you for years.” Zane furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, “The Ninja are fully aware of my location.” He said slowly.
He walked over to Arin before he could respond and helped him onto the bench sat next to the table. They sat in silence until Zane set a bowl of soup in front of Arin. The man sat across from him and poured himself a cup of tea. Looking at the soup had made Arin realize how hungry he was. He put the first bite into his mouth. It was just regular chicken noodle soup, but something about it made it taste better than a lot of things he had eaten in his life. He quickly took another bite.
Zane had just finished a sip of his tea and was placing it down, “What is your name?” Arin looked up from his soup and swallowed, “Arin.” Zane looked him up and down, “What series of events made you end up here, Arin?” Arin knit his eyebrows, his memory was hazy. The last he remembered was the Mergequake. Something had come out of it, he must have been knocked off the Bounty.
Zane tapped on the table and pulled Arin out of his thoughts. Arin rubbed his head, “I think I got knocked off our ship.” Zane hummed in acknowledgement. Arin finished off his bowl and Zane quickly made him another one. “Why are you here?” Arin asked, “You’ve been missing for years and the Ninja need you more than ever right now. Why?”
Zane looked down at the cup in his hands and started swirling around the contents. He stayed silent, obviously not wanting to answer. He shook his head and put the cup down, “Staying here is helping the Ninja far more than being with them ever would.” He sighed and took one last sip of his tea before taking the cup to the sink.
Arin had more questions to ask, but it was clear Zane did not want to talk anymore. He finished the bowl and handed it to Zane to wash. Exhaustion finally took over Arin and he crawled back into the cot, drifting back to sleep with the sound of the wind.
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Lloyd was pacing back and forth on the Destiny’s Bounty deck, Nya was steering, and Kai and Sora were searching the waters. “I should’ve kept a better eye on him,” Lloyd kept rambling, pulling at his hair, “if I did this wouldn’t have happened.” Nya poked her head out from behind the wheel, “We’re all at fault Lloyd, all we can do now is try our best to find him.”
Sora called out and pointed at a small island, “Do you think he could be there?” She asked. Kai, who had been looking over the other side of the ship, ran over along with Lloyd. Kai squinted, “Nya, get lower.” The ship started descending and the details of it came into focus. Kai gasped and Lloyd made a squeaking noise. They looked at each other in a knowing fashion. Sora didn’t understand, it looked just like a regular lighthouse.
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Kai shimmied down the rope ladder that hung off the Bounty onto the beach. He used his hand to shield his eyes from the blinding morning sun. All the windows were closed and had curtains, hiding anyone that could be inside. The lighthouse had originally been a prison for Zane’s father, Dr. Julien. Now, it was a prison for the very son he had fought so hard to escape for. The only difference was, Zane could leave whenever he wanted, it was a self inflicted prison. Sometimes, Kai would wonder what Dr. Julien would think of Zane’s choice to coop himself up in his former prison.
Kai trudged forwards, dragging his feet in the sand. It had always been an unspoken rule that Kai would go to Zane with the more sensitive topics. He had spoken at the funeral of the White Ninja and before Pixal, Zane would come to him with the insecurities of his humanity he endured.
Before Kai had realized, he had made it to the wooden door shielding Zane from the rest of the world. He lightly knocked and waited. He briefly wondered if Zane was even still here, he knew the Merge had moved a lot of people around. His fear was eased when he heard the undoing of the bolted lock.
The door creaked open to reveal Zane Julien. There he was in his usual baby blue turtleneck with khaki dress pants. He looked exactly as Kai remembered. His brows were furrowed and he looked slightly taken aback. “Kai?” He asked slowly. Kai shook his head to pull himself from the stupor, “Z-zane-” he stammered. He had not been mentally prepared to see Zane today.
“Are you looking for a young boy by the name of Arin?” Zane questioned calmly. Kai nodded, still unsure what to say. Zane returned with a drowsy and rather beat up Arin. “Kai!” Arin hurried over to him. Zane chuckled, “He didn’t tell me he was with the Ninja.” Kai clenched his fists, “Don’t say it like that,” he shot back, “You’re a ninja too.”
Zane paused and gave Kai a sad hurt look. Kai saw him run a thumb over his fingers a few times. Zane made a weak smile and slowly shook his head, “Ninja help, they protect, they do not hurt.” Kai took a small step forward, “But-” he went silent when he saw Zane. His shoulders were hunched and he was looking off to the side. His hands were loosely clasped together.
Arin’s eyes were wide at the exchange. Kai sighed and looked down. It had been so long since he had seen him. He had these things he wanted to say to him, to try and set his mind right, but actually saying them to him was hard. He wanted to scream at him for leaving the team, for leaving him, but all he wanted now was to grab his hand and embrace him.
Kai looked back up at him, Zane was crying, tears immediately turning to frost as they touched his metal cheeks. He gingerly brought his hands up to Kai’s face and cupped it. Zane had a small smile again. A few tears slipped out of Kai’s eyes, evaporating almost instantly. Zane leaned down and gave Kai a gentle kiss on his forehead, whispering, “I love you.” Barely loud enough for even Kai to hear.
They stood like that for a few moments before Zane pulled away, hands lingering on Kai’s face, before closing the door to his prison and bolting the door. He stood there for a moment, listening to the light footsteps echo as they ascended the stairs. He didn’t want to move, he wanted to stay there forever, calling out to Zane. Kai wasn’t even sure Zane knew it was a prison he had put upon himself, but he certainly knew he wasn’t aware it was Kai’s prison too, he was just on the opposite side of the wall.
Finally, Arin tapped on Kai’s shoulder, telling Kai it was time to go. “Huh? Yeah…” Kai replied flatly. He turned around and slowly moved himself back over to the Bounty.