Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kai watched the stars closely from where he stood on the roof. They had always fascinated him, burning bright without any real purpose. Everybody admired the stars for their beauty and brightness but when Kai found his fire, he was shunned and told to put it out, hidden away until he gained some semblance of control.

Now years later, he sat down on the roof, listening to Nya and Cole talk in the kitchen right under him. Their murmuring comforted him in a way, he knew he wasn't alone. Ever since they'd taken him in, Lloyd had been sort of afraid of Kai. Sure, they got along. Even so, he was climbing up onto the roof beside him.

Lloyd settled in about 2 feet away, staring up at the sky.

"You burn too hot, Kai."

Glancing over, confused, he responded, "Whadya mean? How so?"

Sure, he'd been warmer than in past years, but he wasn't that bad.

Turning to look him in the eyes with a stare almost like looking into the depths of the ocean, piercing and sinking, scarring and screaming, Lloyd whispered.

"You burn too hot, Kai. You will burn up. You are a star, but even the sun will die one day." And he turned back to the sky.

Left scared and confused, Kai tried to ask more. "Lloyd, what do you mean by that? None of that made sense!!"

Mild panic was apparent on his face but Lloyd made no motion to answer.

— — — — — — — — — — —

Cole eventually came out and called them down for dinner. As they climbed off the roof, Lloyd muttered to Kai.

"Even the sun will burn up one day."

They sat at opposite ends of the table, Kai listening to the constant mixture of conversations while Lloyd would throw his opinion or a joke in every so often. Kai never looked up, finishing his food quickly and then appearing to listen.

His mind was everywhere but the dinner table. He didn't notice until he came out of autopilot and was laying in his bed, late into the night.

His hands burned and his room felt too warm. He hid in the bathroom, trying to calm down, thinking it was just a panic attack at worst. He tried to gently splash his face with some water to calm down and cool down, it usually worked.

The water burned.

Kai was burning too hot.

Chapter Text

As the morning sun rose above Ninjago, the rest of the ninja got up for the day. Kai had already left to find a place to try to calm down, to understand what was happening. To understand how Lloyd knew.

Suddenly, he heard his phone ringing on the dusty dining room table of his childhood home. He'd driven here in hopes that nobody would come by. He stumbled getting up from the couch where he sat, tripping over a toy that hadn't been moved in years. Dust flew up around him, in his eyes and his mouth.

By the time he finally made it, he'd missed the call. It had been Nya calling him. Something about that made him scared deep down. His fingers hovered over the screen as he debated to call back.

He decided against it. Nya would figure he was busy and would call back when he could. He sighed heavily, disturbing the dust that coated him and everything.

Shoving the phone in his pocket, Kai walked down the halls he used to run down every day. Pausing outside his room, his hand rested on the doorknob. Something drew him inside inexplicably.

The hinges squeaked and the wood creaked as it slowly swung open. There were two handprints burnt into the wall, his father's and his own. Kai had somehow inherited his father's firepower but taken it in the process. His walls were painted like the galaxies he'd loved so much. The galaxies he loves so much. His bed was still messy and unmade from the last day he was here. From the day he left behind almost everything he knew. The carpet felt familiar under his feet, the walls smooth under his touch, the light shining through the window was exactly how he'd remembered. Not a thing had changed, and it was heart-rending to remember just how young he was when he was forced to leave. Forced into a life he didn't want. Forced to harness the power he'd been shunned for.

Tears slowly rolled from Kai's eyes, bubbling up into steam as they touched his cheeks, burning and painful. He paid it no mind as he walked to Nya's room.

The walls were painted blue and white, with her drawings tacked up against them. Her bed was made perfectly. Her light brown carpet looked like sand, perfectly pulling together the beach theme. Stuffed animals sat dust covered in the corner, waiting for their best friend to return. Their eyes seemed to follow Kai as he strode across the room to pick up a note that lay on the nightstand. It was new, the paper not yet covered in a thick layer of dust and grime, not yet yellowed and crunchy, not yet forgotten.

It unfolded to a note from Kai's childhood best friend, Morro, who turned out to be a ghost possessing someone's child. It explained everything about who he really was and why he left Kai all alone one day in the woods. At the bottom, it said "Wind and fire don't mix, Starboy."

Kai could've sworn he heard it be read out loud, but the voice came from all around him. The blinds to the window fluttered in the breeze that made it through a crack in the glass. He chalked it up to misinterpreting the wind, though he knew it wasn't.

He didn't dare enter his parents' old room. Kai ran down the hall, feeling suddenly unsafe in the house. He tried to pull on his shoes faster than ever before, needing to get out of this place. It was cursed and forgotten, empty for a reason.

He tripped on the step leading up to the door, landing hard on the concrete driveway. His palms bled and his chest hurt. His knees shone red where his pants had ripped. But he paid the pain no mind. He scrambled to get up, barely catching himself from falling again.

He drove away faster than he'd ran after Nya that fateful night. Looking in the rear view mirror, he swore he saw a flash of transparent green.

Chapter Text

Starboy.

That name rang in his head for the rest of the day, no matter how he tried to distract himself. Starboy. Starboy. Starboy.

"Kai? Kai, are you listening?"

Jay suddenly brought him out of his thoughts. Kai looked up into brown eyes with the slightest electric blue tint.

"Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts. What's up?" He admitted guiltily, giving a small smile of apology.

Jay sighed and returned to talking about some electronic thing involving Zane that Kai didn't understand. At least he tried to stay focused on the blue ninja in front of him this time.

Lloyd walked past the living room where they sat together, muttering something about colors.

"Hey, Lloyd! Come back! Whatcha mumblin about?" Cole called out to him, hoping he'd come back into the room.

And he did. Lloyd stepped back, leaning against the door frame. "Why are ghosts always green? Like why wouldn't they be whatever their favorite color was or something? Or just why green?"

Cole, who'd previously been turned into a ghost, tried to come up with a reason. "Is green an easy color to see maybe? Like with the light waves or whatnot??"

"During daylight, yes, it is the easiest to see. But no, I'm not explaining light waves to you again, Cole." Jay retorted with a pointed look that devolved into the two laughing. "Anyways, why'd you wanna know?"

Lloyd paused for a moment, contemplating, "I swear I saw a ghost today." His voice dropped low as he said it, as if the supposed ghost could hear him.

A heavy silence laid over them like a weighted blanket. It was so quiet you could hear Zanes' internal machinery.

Finally, Kai spoke up. "Where.. Where do you think you saw this.. ghost?" Skepticism and curiosity flooded his tone as he spoke. His eyes came to look right into Lloyd's. Bright green and almost glowing, they looked exactly like the green he saw earlier standing outside his house.

Lloyd hesitated for a long, quiet minute. "Following you, Kai. I've seen it a lot. Especially lately."

The others all looked at Kai as if they'd see a transparent, bright green being standing behind him. "Does this.. ghost. Communicate, perhaps?" Kai had a connection with a few dead people, so he didn't quite know who it could be.

"Yeah, it actually does!" And Lloyd ran off to his room, returning with an armful of folded letters, dumping them on the floor before Kai. "They're all addressed to a Starboy? Who's Starboy?"

Starboy.

Chapter Text

Kai had hoped and prayed to every god he'd never believed in that Morro would leave him be after the day he disappeared from his life. He'd always been a bit odd and a bit creepy. But stalking him from beyond the grave? That was just maybe a couple miles past the line where it starts to be weird.

Along with never being particularly religious, Kai never liked the ocean. Both felt like a trap to him.

Somewhere he didn't want to be caught and trapped. Even so, he sat on the beach tonight, staring out at the waves as they crashed. The sand beneath him threatened to melt into glass and trap him like an item on display in a museum. His hands burned with the heat of the raging fire in his blood. He didn't notice as the ends of his hair turned to fire, a small blaze in the midst of what was to come.

"Kai?" A voice called behind him. Sand crunched as they approached. Something held him in place, staring at the ocean. Nya sat beside him, placing a concerned hand on his shoulder.

She jerked her hand back, burnt. "What happened back there?" She tried to ignore the blooming pain in her hand, though her voice shook a bit with the shock of the pain.

"Nya. We both know who used to call me Starboy." He looked up to the sky under the guise of searching for stars, though he was just trying not to cry. "I don't know what he wants from me. I don't know why he's contacting anyone," He turned to face Nya, one or two tears falling loose from the motion, bubbling up and boiling away in seconds, still speaking. "Much less me! He disappeared for years and now he wants to talk!"

Nya watched as steam rose off her older brother's cheeks, listening to his fear. "Have you at least read them yet..?" She offered as a single consoling phrase. "Lloyd really hadn't read any."

"No.. Haven't brought myself to." He sighed, picking one up from where he'd dropped them. "I'd initially intended to burn them all. I didn't care what they said.." He unfolded the stark white paper carefully. "Something felt wrong about it." They both dropped into silence as he read.

It took around an hour to read the 15 long letters. All of them had weird cryptic messages at the end.

"Tell Nya I said happy 16th birthday. The ocean is beautiful this time of year."

"But I still have another month of being 15? And he dated the letter, so he clearly knows it wasn't for a while." They looked at each other confused. "I mean, all of them have ended in weird shit." Nya added after a moment of silence.

As if something clicked, Kai started lining them up in order of the dates. "Maybe they mean something?"

Nya stopped him, "We should really do this inside. It's getting dark. And you melted the sand under you." She pointed with a look that was a mix of almost bored, not surprised, and nearly disappointed.

— — — — — —

Sitting in Kai's room, they laid the letters out by date.

The first was from shortly after Kai had harnessed his firepower. "Really burning like a star now, aren't you, Starboy?"

The second one had a date from soon after they took in Lloyd. "Red and green are complete opposites, yknow."

The third was dated around the time they'd gone into the digiverse. "You can't change your code, Kai. This is how you were made to be."

The fourth was written rougher than the others, and the paper was beat up. Dated around the tournament, it read, "Don't go insane with power, Starboy."

The fifth was much neater, much smoother. "How I've missed having a body. I'll see you soon, Starboy."

The sixth and every after seemed to have a faint, otherworldly glow to it. "May your every wish come true."

The seventh was covered in drawings of clocks. The only words read, "Starboy, your time is running out and you know it. Watch out."

The eighth was blackened around the edges. "Drop the act. Your mask barely works anymore."

The ninth was simple. "Enjoy your island vacation."

The tenth was completely black paper, the writing was an almost glowing purple. "Self discovery is important."

The eleventh felt like scales. "Exploring is fun, but just read about ancient beings next time."

The twelfth was covered in binary and random strings of code. "Up up down down left right left right b a start. Also, blonde is not your color."

The thirteenth was pristine. The creases had seemed to disappear after the paper was unfolded. "Nothing is perfect, though perfection is not permanent."

The fourteenth was unreadable.

The fifteenth was simple. It ended with "Tell Nya I said happy 16th birthday. The ocean is beautiful this time of year."

The letters lay lined up, except the fourteenth, which they had put in a ziplock bag.

"So I'm noticing a theme of him writing letters about knowing what's going on while it's happening. Or even before it." Kai muttered.

Still staring at the papers, "So what would the last one mean? And why would he write about me and the ocean?" Nya sounded exasperated.

Kai stood up suddenly, digging through the pockets of a jacket he'd worn earlier that day. The letter that had laid on Nya's old nightstand lay folded neatly in the pocket.

Opening it gently, the last message still read, "Wind and fire don't mix, Starboy." But there was a line at the bottom he'd missed originally.

"But they could."

Kai practically threw the letter down, right beside the fifth. "Nya, I found this in our old house." They made the most intense eye contact after she finished reading the last line.

"Why the hell was he in our house?!"

"It was in" He pointed at her non accusingly. "Your room!"

Nya gave the letter a disgusted look as if it was actually the ghost who wrote them. Kai muttered a few Spanish curse words he'd learned years ago from their parents. Nya hadn't known their parents long enough for Spanish to really count as a language she knew. Kai was decently fluent in Spanish and English, while Nya grew up speaking predominantly English.

"What'd you say?" She looked up at him, not having understood.

"Nothing, nothing.." Kai sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That ocean one is sticking in my mind. Nothing happened. And you're still 15. So something is coming. And I'm guessing we only have about a month."

Nya looked out the window across the room. "I mean, water is my element.. and the ocean is a lot of water.. Maybe whatever happens is inevitable."

"We can't run away from the future, Kai."

Chapter Text

It was around 3 am when Kai finally decided that sleep wasn't a likely possibility. Rolling over and sitting up, he sighed and glanced at the clock. His hands lay palm up on his knees, almost mocking him.

After sitting in silence for several long minutes, he stood up, opting to take a shower, figuring that it'd take longer to burn him if the water was cold. He grabbed a red towel, turning the shower on as he stripped down to as bare as the day he was born.

He made eye contact with himself in the mirror. Reddish brown eyes stared back accusingly as if to say, "This is all your fault." Before he managed to look away.

Kai had a routine of playing music on his phone while he bathed. It was always the same playlist on a low volume. His phone sat on the countertop across from the shower, waiting so simply.

The water went from freezing to burning in a matter of seconds. The songs that played mocked him. "Believe me darling," The water burned lines and streaks down his body. "The stars were made for falling." The song sang so sweetly, so safely, so unaware. Kai tried so desperately to ignore the constant icy burn as he washed his hair. He'd grown it out over the past few years, opting to keep it pulled up in a ponytail like Nya did. It was a good look, his loose bangs framed his face well.

The song ended, switching to the next. He tried to finish quickly, stepping out of the shower. He shuddered as the cool air hit him, warming quickly. All The Good Girls Go To Hell started playing as he dried off quietly. His hair was barely damp by the time he finished getting water off the parts that hadn't gotten hot enough to burn anything yet.

He slipped on his black pajama shorts and a Queen t-shirt before stepping out. His room was dark and quiet after he turned off his playlist. He tossed his towel to a laundry basket in the corner, making a mental note to do laundry later. Sitting on the edge of his bed and laying back with his legs still off the bed, he closed his eyes and sighed.

"Whatcha doing, Starboy?" A voice spoke slightly above a whisper.

Kai jumped up, looking around. "Who's there?" He saw nothing and nobody as he backed into a corner.

Ever so slowly, a faint green light descended from the ceiling, intensifying as it touched the ground. Features were defined slowly and Morro became obvious now. "It's just me. Relax, Starboy. Not here to hurt you." He gave a familiar smile, stepping forward. "So, whatcha doing?"

Kai seemed skeptical and almost disturbed by his presence, but he responded. "I just finished showering.. Why are you here, Morro?" Caution laced his tone as he stayed in his corner.

"Wouldn't that burn? I know all about your little predicament." His smile turned almost chilling. "I'm here because I missed you, Starboy! I meant to come talk to you while I had a body, but you all were so aggressive." Morro stepped closer. "Didn't you miss me?"

"How do you..?" Kai started to say, scared. "I mean when I was younger, I missed you! But now you're a fucking stalker!" He tried to back away, having forgotten the situation he'd put himself into. His palms pressed against the walls that trapped him.

Morro continued to approach, only a few steps away from forcing Kai to stay exactly where he was, though he could've grabbed and stopped him no matter how he tried to run. "Haunting, not stalking, Starboy. And why so scared? You know I'd never hurt you." He closed the gap, lifting his chin with 2 ice-cold fingers and a horrible smile.

"You always knew I'd never really left you, didn't you?" Morro hissed, gripping Kai's jaw tightly. "Yet you walked around flaunting yourself as if you didn't belong to someone. Remember Kai, we made a blood pact."

Kai struggled against him, "A blood pack with not your blood!" He spat out, his body temperature skyrocketing.

Morro's cold, dead fingers gripped tighter, slamming his head back against the wall. "Listen here, Starboy, you're gonna obey me, and you're going to like it. Or else."

"Or else what? What're you gonna do that's sooo horrible that it'll make me listen to y-" Fingers gripped Kai's throat, cutting him off. "It's either your body or your green friend's." Morro hissed, his fingernails pressing sharp marks into Kai's neck. His smile returned, eyes wide and wild. "I'll be back in an hour. I know you need to think over your options, even if we both already know what you'll pick."

His hand released and he faded away. Kai sank to the floor, silent and breathing heavily. His throat hurt and he could feel tears forming. He'd been given an ultimatum from hell. And he did already know who he'd pick. The person who knew how to deal with Morro. Even so, he sobbed. It burned and it seared lines down his face but he couldn't stop. He shook with every breath.

Chapter Text

The allotted hour went by too quickly. Kai spent around 35 minutes sobbing, 10 packing a bag, and 15 driving as far as he could to protect the others. He knew Morro would find him either way, but at least he could warn someone.

Nya's phone rang on her nightstand where it sat plugged in. Groggy and barely awake, she picked it up.

"Hello..? The fuck are you still doing awake, Kai?.."

"Nya. I don't have long. And I need you to be as awake as you can. There's a problem."

She rubbed her eyes, trying to wake up a bit more. "Okay? What's the deal?"

Kai seemed panicked. "Morro gave me an ultimatum between possessing Lloyd or me. I need you to keep an eye on Lloyd because even though I won't say to possess him, you know Morro."

"Woah woah woah, what?! Kai, slow down! Morro contacted you directly?!"

It took 5 minutes of the drive to explain what had happened. "Nya. My hour is almost up. Please watch Lloyd. Please be careful. We'll figure it out."

And he hung up.

Nya bolted up, running to Kai's room, not knowing he wasn't there. Barely having woken up, it didn't occur to her yet that he wouldn't have called if he was still in the house.

She slammed his door open, the doorknob forming a dent in the wall. The alarm clock on his nightstand read 4:57. Kai had 3 minutes left. Nya saw what looked like burnt handprints in the corner.

Next she ran to Lloyd's room, opening the door more carefully in case he was still asleep. He wasn't though.

"Um, excuse me, what happened to knocking??" He glared before noticing Nya's panic. "Is something happening..?"

Two minutes were filled with a basic rundown of what was happening, minus most details. "Kai has one minute left. He told me to keep an eye on you."

A heavy silence surrounded them just before the clock turned 5 am. The crickets outside stopped chirping. "It's time now, isn't it?" Lloyd whispered right before every alarm clock blared unusually loudly, every room almost unbearably hot.

The house went cold and silent as it turned 5:01.

Chapter Text

Kai felt Morro apparate behind him. He was standing on a beach, facing the rising sun. Steam rose soundlessly off his cheeks. His hair was loose and blowing in the wind. Stray embers blew away from the ends.

"Did you think you could run?" Morro's voice sounded out, with a tone that sounded like a deep, dark green, a forest at night rumored to be haunted, the abandoned house of a murderer who'd been sent to jail.

"No. I just couldn't be there any longer. I've made up my mind." Kai sighed, his voice sounded like a soft, grayish purple, a ruined sunset painting, a forgotten childhood toy. "I guess my body is yours then." He turned around, trying to keep calm.

Morro smiled horrifically, stepping forward and holding his hand out to Kai. His eyes shone with intentions unreadable.

Kai hesitated for a moment before finally agreeing to take his hand. There wasn't any other option. As they shook hands, everything went black. And just like that, Kai was gone.

— — — — — — —

Kai, no, Morro, stretched his new arms. He rolled his shoulders and his head, working out how everything felt. And it felt warm. So very warm. He put his legs out one at a time to check his new balance.

It only took a minute before Kai's phone was buzzing in their pocket. Morro carefully pulled it out, reading the caller ID. It was Nya, Kai's sister.

He answered, trying to use the body's natural voice. "Hello?" It sounded scratchy and raw. Kai had been crying after all.

"Kai?! Please tell me you're okay! Things got really weird here and now it's just back to normal?!" Nya almost yelled. He heard people moving and talking in the background.

"Yeah.. For some reason, I'm alright. Morro hasn't shown up." He tried to mimic Kai's voice. "I'm gonna stay here a while just in case.. but I'm alright."

Nya seemed to believe him and relaxed. "Stay safe then.. If he shows up, you call me. Or if anything goes wrong. I'll see you when you get home, right?" She sounded almost desperate to confirm his safety.

"Yes, Nya, I'll be safe, and I'll be back." He paused. "Lo prometo." (Promise in Spanish, thank you for the correction!!) He added, knowing Nya knew a bit of Spanish from their childhood and it would convince her just in case of any doubts.

"Alright. Be safe, don't stay out too late. Bye bye."

Morro slipped the phone back in their pocket, snickering to himself about how she suspected nothing. "What a fucking idiot.." He muttered to himself.

Sitting on the beach, he slowly learned to control Kai's fire. Forming swirls and plumes of flames in the air, he gained full control of Kai's abilities. It was easier because he had control of the body that learned it.

The sand didn't melt under him, it simply warmed like a rock under a nice spring sun.

Morro took out their phone, looking in the camera to see how the possession had changed how they looked.

The ends of his hair were a greenish flame instead of red and orange. His eyes seemed a bit darker, his skin only slightly paler. His scars and burns seemed more prominent.

Overall, he looked sick and suffering. He found the ability to turn their hair back to red.

Morro smiled sadistically. He wouldn't be caught.

Starboy would be his forever.

Chapter Text

Morro walked into the house where he'd seen Kai stay for years now. He'd seen the way people look at him. He'd seen the edits and heard the comments and he had enough of listening to people say they were going to make his Starboy theirs someday. Now, he had him all to himself, and nobody would notice. So he put on a calm face as he walked in, playing it cool.

Cole and Jay were sitting on the couch. Jay was playing an odd game, Cole was watching. Nya and Lloyd seemed to be talking in hushed whispers in the kitchen with Zane. Suspicious.

"NYA! LLOYD! KAI'S HOME!" Cole turned and shouted into the kitchen before promptly paying attention to Jay again.

There was a lot of shuffling quickly before Nya came stumbling out right after Lloyd, Zane right behind them.

"Are you hurt? Are you possessed? How many fingers am I holding up? What's my middle name?!" She asked anxiously like a mother when you come out of a storm.

"Nya, I'm fine! See?" Morro gestured to Kai's body. Sure, he'd stumbled a bit while getting used to having to use legs instead of float, but he was okay.

She sighed in relief. "Dios mio.. I know how Morro was to you when we were younger. Clingy and angry if he didn't get his way. I'm so glad you're okay." Nya smiled softly. (Dios mio should translate into my god if I did it right.)

Morro faked a reassuring smile back. "Yeah yeah, he didn't show up though. Chickened out I guess." He mocked chicken noises to make her laugh and dissolve any possibly remaining doubts.

Lloyd was still skeptical. "Answer these questions cause I don't quite believe you yet.." He gave an accusing glare. "What's my middle name?"

"Montgomery." He responded without thinking. He had access to Kai's knowledge and memories too. That made this all the more fun.

"And what color did my eyes used to be?" He seemed a little less accusatory.

"Red." There was no hesitation.

Lloyd stared for a moment, looking directly into their eyes. "I got it right, yes?" Morro asked, slightly annoyed.

"Yeah, I guess you did." He stared with narrow eyes and sighed. "I'm watching you." Lloyd turned away, sitting beside Cole and watching Jay. He still occasionally glanced over at them, suspicious.

— — — — — — — —

As the door closed behind them, Morro sighed in relief. Pretending to be Kai was much harder than he'd expected. But now he was alone, he could finally try to wake up Kai who'd been unconscious in his own mind since losing control.

(The next several events happen in a mindscape type area within Kai's mind.)

Morro turned away from the screen to the outside world to face Kai, who sat in a deep red colored armchair. There was a dark green one opposite of where he sat in the room, awaiting Morro.

The room had black walls that seemed to fade into a nothingness of unseen ceiling. There was a white rug under the chairs, with an end table sitting between them. The table held a lit candle and two clear glass cups, about half full of what appeared to be whiskey. The screen to Kai's left illuminated the room only slightly. The candle gave off much more light than it usually would have.

Morro sank into the seat, facing Kai. "You're awake."

" 'Course I'm awake. Don't see why I wouldn't be." Kai responded, glancing over his nails without a care to give Morro the pleasure of eye contact.

"Well Lloyd didn't wake up for a while after I possessed him. I figured you'd be the same."

"For starters, you've possessed me before and I'm much more used to handling the change. And Lloyd is younger. He's still learning to control his element, for fuck's sake." He seemed annoyed at Morro's ignorance, but he did glance up at him once.

Morro sighed. "You know why I'm doing this though, don't you?" He seemed reluctant to even suggest it. "I wouldn't have to if you all just let me do what I wanted the first time."

That got Kai to look up at him. "Let you have your way? And what would that have done, hm?" Kai faked a face as if he was thinking. "Oh, that's right! Killed us all." He glared.

"You know that's not what I wanted to happen! I just wanted to make a place for just us, Kai! I missed you! You were all I had and all I wanted! You are still all I want, Kai!"

A heavy silence fell as they stared at each other.

"And this is how you went about that?" Kai practically whispered. He seemed upset, this wasn't what he'd expected.

Kai sighed in reluctance, picking up his glass and taking a sip. "This wasn't the right way, Morro. There's ways to get someone to care about you. This was a way to make someone hate you." He avoided looking up at him. "Try again if you like, but it had better be good." He downed the rest, setting the empty glass back on the table.

Morro looked at the cup, seeing how his finger prints had melted into the glasswork. Such a simple addition to a perfect design. Exactly unlike them. A complex addition to a ruined design.

Kai stood up, starting to walk towards a door at the wall opposite the screen. His hair was down, the fiery ends seemed brighter. He wore a simple red sleeveless turtleneck and elbow length black gloves, black ripped jeans and black boots. Hands reached back to tie his hair up, practiced and perfected.

Morro was suddenly standing between Kai and the door before he realized what he was doing. His hands were holding Kai's in front of him.

"Please don't leave yet."

"Morro, you're insane. What do you want now?"

"Just one dance. Just while we're still here together. For old times sake." He pleaded, feeling Kai's warmth spread from his hands into his arms.

— — — — — — (still in Kai's head)

Morro held one of Kai's hands in his own, the other rested just above his hip. Kai's other hand was set gently on Morro's shoulder.

It was a familiar dance, they'd taught each other how to dance when Kai was too tired to work in the smithing area at his house or when his hands hurt too much to deal with the metal again for a bit.

Even though it'd been roughly half a decade since they'd last held each other this way, the movements came to them like their elemental control.

It was a calm, simple ballroom dance that they'd never used in any other situation. And likely never would.

It really only felt right to hold each other like this, their hands felt familiar and comforting. To hold someone else felt alien and betraying.

Kai eventually gave in, allowing the motion to be free and flowing, whatever happened, happened. He sighed, knowing Morro truly meant well.

"Isn't this better than fighting?" Morro whispered, a small smile sliding onto his face.

Kai refused to give him the satisfaction of eye contact again, "I guess so. Only if you're able to keep it up without stepping on my feet." He tried to hide how a slight smile was forming.

"I haven't yet, thank you." Morro huffed back at him, smiling.

"Thank you for saying yes, Starboy." 

Chapter Text

Kairo, as they'd agreed to refer to the body they were sharing, was laying in bed silently. The bed was warm and the lights were off. A thin black blanket lay over them for comfort. Kairo lay, seeming sound asleep. Technically, Kairo was. Kai and Morro however, were not.

They sat across from each other again, just as they had yesterday. The table held a lit white candle and two glasses, again, full of whiskey.

Kai wore a simple pair of black shorts that fit him a bit too snugly to wear out of the house, a mismatched pair of white and gray socks, and a blue t-shirt he'd stolen from Jay. He had his hair down again. It ended around his shoulders, the blazing ends illuminated his face in a soft, warm light.

Morro wore long black pants and simple black socks, and a nirvana t-shirt. His fluffy black hair was parted down the middle, with green streaks in the front.

The two sat, talking about what they would bring if they could only bring one thing to a deserted island.

"I'd bring food. If it's an island, there's water everywhere. I could survive, no doubt." Morro boasted, confident.

Kai busted up laughing. "You'd only survive cause you're already dead! You can't just drink salt water, Morro!"

"Wait what?! You can't?!" He looked at Kai incredulously. "Shit, maybe I wouldn't survive.."

"I'd bring a boat." Kai tried to stifle his laughter, smiling.

Morro stared at him. "That's no fair! You said I'm not allowed to float away or fly away using my wind, you're not allowed to bring a boat!!"

"Fine, fine! A glass knife then."

"Why specifically a glass one?" Morro asked, genuinely confused.

Kai smiled, feeling like he thought this through really well. "Well I can cut things but also to start fires because the glass can focus the sunlight like you do with glasses."

"You'd better hope it's shaped exactly how you need it to be, Starboy." Morro sighed happily. "That is smart though."

Kai smiled at Morro, not saying a word, but clearly thinking.

"Whatcha thinking about over there, hm?" Morro noticed, leaning over the arm of the chair to look at him closer.

Bringing him out of his thoughts with a start, Kai tried to change the subject. "Nothing! I mean, I wasn't thinking about anything! Just about other things to bring to the island!" He stumbled over his words a few times, clearly trying and failing to hide something.

"Kai. I know how you are. And also, you're a horrible liar. So what're you thinking about?" Morro looked unamused.

He sighed. "Only when it doesn't really matter." Kai interjected, correcting Morro's statement. "And I was just thinking about how I was wrong about you." His eyes dropped down to his hands that sat in his lap. "You really aren't a bad person. You just mean to do things that end up happening in bad ways." His eyes focused on the dark scar in the middle of his palm. "I-" Kai's voice shook slightly, a few wisps of steam rising up. "I'm sorry for what happened. You didn't deserve to die like that. And I'm sorry we banished you. Even though it kinda didn't work."

Morro looked at him, seeing a glimpse of the scar permanently embedded into Kai's hand. He opened his mouth to speak but was beaten to it.

"I guess what I mean to say is, I missed you."

Kai held his hand out, the one with the scar. It stayed extended, palm up. "Maybe it was really you I made a blood pact with. Not some kid. I mean, I always find myself finding you again and again.

Morro put his right hand out. A similar scar lay across the ghostly skin of his palm.

Their hands were right next to each other, just like they were the day the pact was made. They were different now though.

Kai pulled a knife from his pocket. "I think it's time to update the pact. Times have changed and so have we.

He flicked the knife open as Morro responded. "What'll it be this time, Starboy?"

"Just something simple. I don't belong to you, you don't belong to me. But maybe an agreement to find each other in the afterlife." The blade pressed against Kai's palm, right over the old scar. It didn't cut, not yet.

Morro smiled. "Sounds perfect. I'll find you in the stars, Starboy." The blade sliced deep into Kai's flesh, dark red blood spilling like rain from the sky. He passed the knife to Morro.

Morro mirrored Kai's actions, the edge of the knife parting his skin like Nya parted water. His blood had an odd, almost green, otherworldly glow to it.

The knife was set directly between the glasses of whiskey that had turned red while they weren't looking.

Blood and blood swirled together in a simple handshake and an agreement was made.

"Death cannot do us part." 

Chapter Text

Kairo woke up early that morning. The sun wasn't up yet and the house was still quiet. But their hand felt like hell itself had made a deal with them.

Carefully stepping out of bed, they were overcome with a rush of lightheadedness. It took roughly five careful minutes of leaning against the wall to walk to the bathroom and turn on the light.

Their hand was covered in red. It dripped off their fingers and splattered on the floor in heavy drops. Kairo rushed to grab bandages, trying to wrap their dominant hand.

A deep, long cut following the scar on their right hand was spitting out blood. It was awkward to wrap and the bandages kept getting soaked by the time they got it around the full length of it.

The world started getting dark around the edges as they reluctantly gave in, readying a suture kit.

Kairo bit down on a towel as the needle pierced their skin. It was painful but necessary.

Sewing was something Kai had learned when he was 7. He'd learned how to patch holes in the knees of his pants or the elbows of his shirts.

Kai was 9 when he learned how to sew up his own injuries. The pain didn't quite faze him as much as it used to, nor did the copious amounts of blood.

They tied the last knot, cutting the thread and grabbing the not yet bloody bandages. It wasn't the greatest suture job they could do, but they were losing blood and running out of time.

The bandages went on easier this time. They wrapped it tightly, hoping it would be enough. Two rolls of bandages were wrapped around Kairo's right hand. The towel dropped from their mouth as both Kai and Morro lost control of the body they inhabited.

Their vision swam, looking up at the lights above Kai's mirror. As everything went dark, those bright little lights looked like the stars.

— — — — — — —

Cole woke up suddenly. There was no slowly coming to consciousness, no, he was just awake now. And he had a really bad feeling that something was wrong. He sat up, stretching away the last bits of the dream he was having about having his own cooking show.

Cole slept shirtless with a silk bonnet. Jay had made fun of him for it for a while until Cole saw just how bad Jay's hair was in the morning. Of course, Cole tried to make sure to put a shirt on before he left his room pretty consistently, but that was in the back corner of his concerns right now and he wasn't quite sure why.

He stood up, adjusting his pants as he walked towards his door. His hand landed on his door handle. Somehow, without realizing, Cole had walked over to Kai's room. His hand had landed on Kai's room's door handle. Something drew him in. A feeling of dread, like there was something inside that needed him.

The door creaked open and the light from Kai's bathroom flooded the room. Kai wasn't in his bed, and there was a trail of something red on the carpet leading to the bathroom. There was a large red stain on the side of his bed.

"Kai? You in here?" Cole called out quietly, cautiously walking towards the bathroom. He saw an open first aid kit sitting on the floor next to someone's leg.

He stepped closer, Kai slowly coming into view. A small pool of blood was near his right hand, which was wrapped in bandages that didn't seem to be all that bloody.

Cole practically dove down, sitting next to Kai and checking his pulse while looking at his hand.

His pulse was a bit weaker than usual, but not deadly. His hand seemed very well wrapped, and Cole guessed the blood on the floor was from before it was bandaged.

Kai was unconscious and didn't seem like he'd wake up any time soon, but he seemed like he was going to survive.

Cole sighed a heavy sigh of relief, taking the towel from where it sat on Kai's lap. He laid it over the puddle of blood, watching as the red stained the white. He would have to do laundry later.

Cole carefully hoisted Kai up off the floor, carrying him out to the living room. There was no sense in putting him on a bloody bed or leaving him on the floor. He laid him gently on the couch, sitting on the floor next to him so he could check on him occasionally.

He sat. And he worried. What happened? What would've happened if I didn't wake up? Isn't Kai able to cauterize his own wounds? His thoughts terrified him more. He couldn't lose him. Kai was a huge part of his life. Kai, Zane, and Jay were his best friends. But Jay and Zane had other relationships. Zane had Pixal and Jay had Nya.

Kai and Cole were both single and hadn't ever dated anyone. At least as far as Kai had told them. He tended to be pretty secretive. Especially about his life before being a ninja, to the point where Nya didn't even know his middle name.

Regardless, Cole cared about him deeply. He knew Kai probably needed time and there was probably a reason why he didn't talk about it. And he respected that. As long as he didn't lose him.

He looked up at Kai. His face was lit up by the moonlight filtering through the halfway open curtains. He looked peaceful, like a painting. His hair was down and it laid around his shoulders. It framed his face perfectly. The ends that normally burned and crackled were simple embers as he slept.

Cole turned back to face the TV that was still off. He laid his head back on the armrest of the couch. Within minutes, he was asleep again. 

Chapter Text

It had been several days since the hand incident. The cut was mostly healed, Kairo having cauterized it shortly after waking up. Tonight, the ninja were having a party to celebrate Nya’s 16th birthday.

Jay and Pixal were decorating. Kairo and Cole were cooking food and desserts. Zane was at the store buying alcohol,some candy and snacks they couldn't make at home, and supplies for the hangovers they'd all have tomorrow. Lloyd was doing random things around the house like grabbing things for Cole or Kairo around the kitchen or washing dishes as needed or handing Jay and Pixal tape or streamers or anything else they could need.

Things were going quite well.

The house was decorated in several shades of blue streamers and there were white, blue, and black balloons in the corners. A decently sized pile of presents sat in one of the corners. Each of the tables had a shiny blue tablecloth laid over it. Glasses and plates lay in each person’s place. There was a large empty space in the middle, awaiting the food that was being made.

In the kitchen, Kairo and Cole were unbelievably busy. Kairo was making enchiladas, one of Nya’s favorites. Cole was making red velvet cupcakes with buttercream frosting. They had lemonade and kool-aid chilling in the fridge that’d been made a few hours ago. A few hours ago, Cole had to enlist Lloyd’s help with keeping Jay from sneaking a sample.

Nya was supposed to stay in her room so she wouldn’t quite know what all was happening. Of course, she could occasionally hear Kairo yelling some Spanish curses at Jay when he snuck in, or the front door opening as Zane returned.

Kairo had a sinking feeling that he was forgetting something. They kept going over everything in their head and with Cole.

“We’ve got the food?”

“We’ve been making it all day, so I’d sure hope so.”

“And the presents?”

Cole glanced into the living room, looking at the pile. “Yep.”

“And I just checked, we have the drinks.”

“I don’t know what you think you’re forgetting, man.” Cole gave a reassuring smile.

Kairo sighed. Kai was in control at the moment, Morro was watching him closely though. “Thanks anyways.” He smiled sadly, turning back to the oven where the enchiladas were baking.

Nya was still in her room, fiddling with some water. It swirled and changed shape at her thought and will. It was simple and easy. Water was always something she’d loved and wanted to play with.

She had recently remembered a time when she was 9, Kai was 11. Kai had been cooking and accidentally caught his hand on fire somehow. Nya, wanting to help, had doused his hand in copious amounts of water that she’d summoned out of the air and controlled. She remembered the look of horror on Kai’s face as he realized. He had crouched in front of her and whispered, holding her hands in his.

“Nya, I need you to look at me and listen to me. For our own safety, you can’t ever do that again. Ever. Please.”

There was a certain desperation in his voice that scared her into forgetting how to until Sensei Wu had made her relearn. There was a certain look of true fear on Kai’s face that made her wonder every time she remembered. Kai even seemed scared for a few days after learning Wu had taught her how to control it again. Occasionally, she still saw the shimmer of panic in his eyes if she gathered up too much water.

Controlling large amounts of water was easy though. Water was water, no matter the amount, and water was her thing. The ocean was a bit too large to be easy though. It was massive and the water got heavy. Maybe if she was in the middle of the mass of water, she could control it all better.

Nya knew how she could control the ocean.

Chapter Text

It was the morning after Nya's 16th birthday. Everyone was beyond hungover, except Zane. Zane couldn't get hungover. Zane couldn't drink anyways.

Cole had dragged himself to his room sometime the night before, and for some reason Kairo was with him. In the same bed, both shirtless. Lloyd was sprawled out on the couch. Nya had somehow gotten on the roof with Jay. There were a couple bottles of water beside them and they were laying on a blanket that normally sat on the couch. Zane and Pixal were on their charging docks Jay had made for them.

Nya was the first awake out of everyone. She wrote a little note beside Jay that she'd be down at the beach. She wanted to try out what she'd figured out the night before.

The water splashed onto the beach in cool, quiet waves. The sea was a calm blue, rolling in and out. The shore was littered with seashells and a few beach chairs they'd brought down there when Jay was teaching Kai to swim.

She swam out a few yards, the water was familiar and bent to her will. Nya decided she was far enough to try. She floated in the water, arms spread out.

There was a familiar sense of power that coursed through her veins. She was one with the water.

The waves suddenly changed rhythm. They matched her breathing perfectly. There was no distinct line where her body stopped and the ocean began, there was no difference anymore.

Nya used the waves to push her back to shore, wanting to show the others what she's now capable of. It felt different when she stood up on the beach. The sand didn't crunch under her steps, and she sort of floated around almost.

Jay woke up with a start. He had a pounding headache and it took about five minutes to understand the note Nya had left him. He slowly climbed down off the roof, stumbling inside. To his left, the living room where Lloyd was slowly waking up.

"Morning Lloyd."

He received a groan in response. "I drank too much last night."

"It was your first time. So pretty much anything would've been too much." Jay responded, passing him a water bottle as he dropped down on the floor beside the couch.

"You know you got lucky that Kai didn't see you and Nya kiss, right?"

Jay's face was almost as red as Kai's usual clothing. He whipped around to look Lloyd in the eyes. "We kissed?! Oh god I am lucky Kai didn't see.."

Lloyd laughed a bit, cracking the seal of his water bottle. "Yeah, a few times. Then you stole my blanket and went to the roof." He took a drink.

Cole stumbled out into the living room, shirtless and not wearing a bonnet like he usually does. He seemed sort of panicked, but he was also trying to play it cool. "Do you guys know what happened with me and Kai last night?!"

Lloyd and Jay looked at each other before looking back at Cole. "No? I don't even remember last night." Jay admitted.

"I don't think I know of anything that happened? Why?" Lloyd gave a skeptical look.

Cole hesitated, dropping his voice to a low whisper. "He's shirtless in my bed right now." He was also very clearly blushing, but trying to ignore it.

Jay was doubled over laughing within seconds. Lloyd was trying really hard not to join him.

"So- so what you're saying is-" He kept snickering and trying to compose himself. "So you and Kai might've..?" He was smiling and trying so very hard not to laugh.

Cole's eyes went wide as he realized the possibility. "Oh god no, we might have. Is he in a relationship?! He doesn't talk about that a whole lot so I don't know!" He was starting to freak out.

"Woah, Cole, dude, you're okay. I don't think Kai could be in a relationship even if he wanted to be." Jay joked, trying to help Cole.

Jay motioned for Cole to come sit with them, offering a water bottle. He sat down, taking the water bottle and downing about half in one go.

About 30 minutes later, Kai came out of Cole's room looking absolutely wrecked. His hair was down and all over the place, he was shirtless.

"Cole. I got a question for you." His voice was hoarse and rough. It was debatable if it was just morning voice or if..

"What's up, Kai?" He responded, looking at some pictures from last night on his phone.

"Where are my pants?"

Chapter Text

In Kai's mind, a loud, angry argument was happening. Morro was more than displeased at what had happened last night. Kai didn't see the problem

"What's so bad about it?! It's my body, it's my life, and it's not like I'm dating anyone!" Kai yelled, his hair mostly burning now instead of the ends. It was a bright red and orange, glowing and blazing.

"We are sharing this body and I don't want to see or hear that! It's disgusting, Kai!" Morro screamed back at him, clearly hiding something.

"Then get out of my body if it bothers you that damn much! Nobody is making you stay here!"

"Goddammit, Kai! Why are you so oblivious?!" Morro was only maybe 2 feet away from him.

"The fuck do you mean?! I'm not oblivi-"

Morro grabbed him by the collar of his black t-shirt, kissing him.

"That's what I mean, oblivious." Morro practically whispered, looking Kai directly in the eyes. "I have wanted to kiss you for years, Starboy."

Kai stood there, shocked.

"You don't have to say anything yet. You know where to find me when you're ready to." And Morro walked out the door to the rest of Kai's mind space.

Kai sort of slumped against a nearby wall, confused and beyond shocked. His face felt warm and his shirt collar was still messed up from being grabbed.

Nya put her hand on the doorknob of the back door, hearing voices from inside. She pulled it open, practically gliding inside. She saw Cole, Lloyd, and Jay all sitting together.

There was no sound to her arrival, nor when she spoke. Words didn't exist beyond the sound of dripping water that was brushed off as the sink faucet leaking again.

She looked at her hands. Well, she looked through her hands. Flowing water dripped off her fingertips and gathered back by her feet, rolling back to her, even on the carpet. The light reflected and refracted through her body and played on the walls behind her.

Nya had become a part of the ocean.

Chapter Text

The smithing room of the old house. It was beyond dusty and cobwebs lined the corners. The anvil still had dents and random chips of metal on it. The hammer lay nearby, the wooden handle was slightly charred in several places. Buckets of pieces of metal sat against the walls, abandoned and still awaiting to be made into art.

A scarred hand reached into a bucket of an oddly colored metal, pulling out several large pieces. A fire had been started in the furnace, warming the whole room significantly, awaiting the metal. It was a blazing reddish orange. Almost magically, the lamps that hang from the ceiling lit up, flames sparking from inside. The whole room was cast in a warm light, reflecting off the torrential rains outside.

Cool metal slid easily into the furnace, moving with the practiced precision of a lifetime expert. It instantly began to warm, absorbing the heat provided. It slowly began to glow orange with the overwhelming temperature.

Hands swept the dust from the anvil, cleaning it off entirely in one go. The rain began to pour harder as those same hands removed one large piece of the metal from the fire, setting it on the anvil.

A hammer raised and fell repeatedly with a loud clang each time it made contact with the metal. Again and again, rise and fall. Occasionally, it had to be reheated.

Slowly, a blade took shape. A simple curved blade, much like Cole's golden scythe. An ungloved hand carefully touched the edge opposite the side to be sharpened. It carved out a name, written in cursive. The blade was then flipped, another engraving put in the same place.

It was then set to the side to cool. The second and third pieces of metal were removed by those same ungloved, scarred hands. Each piece was molded into a cylinder with a loop at the top.

Another name was engraved into the side of one, and a phrase into the side of the other. Then, avoiding the carvings, hands wrapped around each cylinder and pressed lightly. Hand prints were just barely there, but they existed enough to add a comfort unknown unless the recipient held another set.

A chain of the same metal hung on the wall, as it had for almost a decade. It was grabbed, looked over for any imperfections, and then promptly the last link was heated and opened. The loop of one cylinder was hooked onto it before the link was closed.

The process was repeated for the opposite side with the other cylinder, and the finished piece was set to the side by the scythe blade.

The rain was truly record breaking now. Valleys and rivers were beginning to flood. Regardless, the last two pieces were removed from the furnace and shaped.

Funny triangles with odd points took shape. There was a hole in the center and the points seemed to keep going even though the base of the triangle didn't.

As for the last two, a name was carved into one, and a phrase into the other. The last one was the simplest project. No chains, no weird curved blades.

The two pieces were set by the others with gentle hands. The fire in the furnace was suddenly gone. The lamps burned a little brighter now. Hands grabbed several grits of sandpaper and a sharpening block.

The scythe was first. It took forever, but it was put to a perfect point. It shimmered and reflected easily.

Next was the shurikens. The nunchucks didn't need to be sharpened. The shurikens had their points sharpened like a dragon's claws.

All three of the finished pieces reflected the face of their maker, the power of their intended owner. Their golden shine was perfect, it was just as it was meant to be.

Of course, the set looked incomplete without the sword. It hung on the wall tauntingly. He knew who he was supposed to be, who he couldn't be again. The gleam of the blade reflected the dancing flames from the lamps. He had to be who he was supposed to. There was no use in running.

Of course, Nya had said that they couldn't run from the future. 

Chapter Text

Kai held the sword in his hands. It was a familiar weight, the way it cut through the air was everything he remembered. Sparks went flying if he cut anything with it. He wrapped it in a simple, thick cloth to protect it.

It had been a week since he left the other weapons on the doorstep. Prior to that, he hadn't been home in 2 months. He'd assumed they'd come looking for him and eventually give up.

Lloyd was the first to give up, having known Kai was the most likely to leave if Nya wasn't there. Following him, Jay broke down and didn't come out anymore. Cole wasn't stable for long after Lloyd, and Kai wasn't sure who came first after Lloyd.

All he knew was that he needed to go back. Something held him at that house though. Almost like the memories existed as ghosts with hands that grabbed and pulled and wrapped around him and never let go. Kai didn't want to be there anymore. He'd done what he needed to. So he tried everyday to leave a little more. Stay out a little longer.

Tonight, he was leaving for good.

He threw his bag in the backseat of his car, the sword was wrapped up and set on the floor to create minimal damage in any possible case. A few of Nya's old favorite stuffed animals sat in the trunk. He locked the house and got in the car, sitting and staring.

He had no intentions of coming back any time soon, but it called to him. It called him inside, saying he forgot something and he needed to come back.

Before he knew it, Kai was pulling into the driveway beside Jay's electric blue Jeep. He parked, but didn't get out yet. The world was too loud and too quiet, the ringing in his ears was too constant, the sound of voices inside too infrequent.

Was this even his home? Was that still Jay's Jeep? What if it wasn't? What if they didn't want him back? What if they'd moved on and Kai was just a person of the past?

He gripped the steering wheel, his eyes shut tight. It was a warm spring day, cloudy though. A few raindrops splattered on his windshield. And he listened. He listened like Nya was communicating with him through the rain and the storm to come. Kai didn't know what to do or even how he'd gotten here.

There were voices inside the house. He couldn't make out what they said but he heard Pixal and Cole and probably Jay. He heard his name.

The birds were singing and people were talking and the raindrops were hitting the pavement and he could feel the seams of his jeans and texture of his shirt and he could feel the stitching of his steering wheel cover and suddenly

He was knocking on the front door.

Chapter Text

Kai's mind felt empty and lonely now. Morro had left. He was left alone and no matter how he tried to fill the time with his thoughts and ideas there was always a looming silence and darkness hidden behind it. A darkness Kai had ignored for the sake of his family, for the sake of Nya. But Nya wasn't here anymore and the darkness came ever closer. He'd given up and stopped avoiding it once in the past. Only once.

He was 7, Nya was 5. There was a strange, armed man lurking around their house. They had no way of protecting themselves. Kai did like he did every night, and put his hand in his father's burnt hand print on his wall. And he hoped maybe they'd come back right now and scare him off. Burn him to ashes. Keep them safe. LIKE PARENTS ARE SUPPOSED TO.

They didn't though, and the man knocked on the door, then banged on it, then tried to break it down. Nya hid under her bed and Kai grabbed a kitchen knife. He held it in both hands and pointed it shakily at the man when he got in. He was about to cry. He was only 7.

The man smacked it out of his hands, pushing a gun in his face and yelling at Kai to tell him where his parents were. Kai put up his hands to push the gun away in a move of deadly confidence. His blood felt weird and hot.

The man was now on fire. He screamed and jumped around as it consumed every piece of clothing he wore. He ran off into the night.

Kai's hands felt warm and his blood boiled. He looked down at his hands in disbelief. Had his father come to save them? No. Kai had inherited his father's firepower.

While he fixed the door, he looked up at the sky and saw the stars. And he would've sworn the stars looked back. The universe had smiled upon him that night. He climbed up onto the roof with paper and pencils the next night and he drew the constellations. He was up there for hours just mapping the skies.

Now, Kai still watched the stars that aligned in his favor. He knew his way through the world by the stars. He'd shown Nya the stars and explained that night probably a thousand times. Nobody really understood though.

Kai was currently on the roof, staring up at those stars. It had been a little over 2 and a half months since he'd been up here last. He sat on roofs and looked at the stars an awful lot. Nya used to joke that he slept on the roof more than in his bed.

He'd watched the stars on his own and with everyone he'd ever cared about. He'd looked up at them with Nya, Morro, Jay, Zane, Lloyd, everyone. It was Cole's turn tonight.

Cole climbed up onto the roof, hoisting himself over the gutters. There was already a blanket set out with Kai's speaker ready. The mood was.. definitely different than with anyone else. Sure, Morro had tried to make it this way but it wasn't ever quite right.

Cole sat beside Kai, looking at the bag on Kai's left.

"Whatcha got there, hotshot?" Cole had given him that nickname after Kai figured out he could shoot small bursts of fire, like bullets.

Kai laughed, opening the bag. "Snacks, drinks, basic stuff. You want something?" He offered, glancing back over at Cole.

Cole smiled back for a moment, staring into Kai's eyes. "Umm. I'm okay for now." He stumbled over his words after realizing he was staring.

Kai turned back to looking up at the sky, his hands behind him propping him up. He looked over at Cole, who went red in the face and tried to make it look like he'd been staring at the sky the whole time.

"Cole! Quit staring at me!" Kai laughed, having caught him red-handed.

Cole smiled guiltily. "What's that constellation called?" He asked, pointing somewhere in the northwestern sky.

Kai immediately delved into explaining what it was called, why it was named that, and the history behind it.

He used his fire to connect the stars in the sky, and suddenly, the air around them was lit up with designs and a beauty Cole had never noticed before.

Kai's reddish brown eyes reflected every flicker of the flames, his face was illuminated warmly. He wore his favorite black form fitting tank top with baggy, ripped black jeans. There was a simple chain with a black monster can tab connecting the ends. The tab had the loop and the connector piece. His favorite black combat boots were paired with, again, a pair of black socks. His hair was in a simple ponytail with the front strands left out. He wasn't wearing his gloves.

Cole's dark brown eyes seemed to absorb the light, taking in every sight he possibly could. He wore a red tank top that was originally a t-shirt and simple black cargo shorts. He didn't need anything more, the heat that radiated off Kai was just enough to keep him comfortable. He wore dark green sneakers and mismatched blue and white socks. He also had a necklace with a single safety pin hanging from it. He'd gotten his hair done a few days ago, it was in twists with a few pieces of golden jewelry and gold extension hair threaded throughout. Gold was really his color.

Kai finally made eye contact with Cole after explaining that night again and he saw how he understood. He'd finally found someone who understood. Not just understood, he was willing to listen and wanted to know more.

"Are those stars out tonight?" Cole asked, looking around them.

Now it was Kai's turn to stumble over his words, pointing behind him from where he faced Cole. "They're just over there! Hang on- You actually care?!"

Cole looked at him, confused. "Why wouldn't I?" He then looked past Kai watching as the fire all congregated to outline the stars Kai had met that first night.

"Nobody ever has. I don't understand why you care, Cole." Kai was genuinely confused, practically trying to read Cole's mind.

Cole made eye contact once again, the fire behind Kai lighting up his face. "I care about it because I care about you."

There was a long silence that blanketed them, the fire turning to a flowing ring around them.

Cole finally whispered, looking down at the roof.

"Hell, I'd say I love you."

Chapter Text

Morro was sitting on the roof of Kai's old house. The stars shimmered above him and the wind grew louder as he thought.

Kai was supposed to be HIS. Not some annoying earth elemental's.

His hands gripped the shingles as tightly as he could before his ghost fingers moved through the material. The wind shook the trees and whistled through the night. Clouds slowly moved to cover the full moon, blocking the only light that illuminated the night around Morro.

Morro hopped down from the roof. His weight against the grass was like a soft spring breeze at the absolute most. The full moon was a beautiful opportunity for him. A possession beginning on the full moon was more powerful, and the possessor had more control. This was his perfect chance.

Softly glowing footsteps padded through long grasses. A bonfire lit up the backyard, a few people standing around it. On the full moon, all elemental's abilities became exponentially stronger. And so, Nya had taken a watery form of her former self and joined her friends at the bonfire that Morro approached.

Silent, softly glowing footsteps moved towards Kai. He looked just perfect. His hair was tied up like usual, with two strands in the front framing his face. He wore a pair of black shorts, a red tank top, sandals, and a pair of the usual black elbow length gloves. He held a red solo cup, standing only a few feet from the blaze he was likely contributing to.

Cole and Jay had rigged up a contraption to hold food they were cooking just close enough to the fire to cook but not burn. It looked odd, but effective. Cole was watching the food, turning it occasionally. Jay had wandered off to talk to Nya.

Zane was standing near a table with a few types of drinks available. The table appeared to be made out of ice that he was maintaining.

Nya stood near the table, but not too terribly close, else she'd start to freeze.

Lloyd was standing next to the fire, but on the opposite side from Kai, sipping on what appeared to be orange juice maybe?

Lloyd was the perfect target. He'd been possessed before, and was distracted. It'd be easy. Just come up behind him and then fight him in his mind. Lloyd wasn't the strongest, but not the weakest. He'd put up a fight, but likely lose. An easy fight, an easy win.

Morro was just behind Lloyd before he walked off to go talk to Nya. He sighed, looking around to see who to try for next.

An unusually warm hand was suddenly on his shoulder.

"Morro?"

Chapter Text

It burned. It burned a lot. Every inch of his body burned and screamed under the boiling water that surrounded him. He screamed, and it filled his lungs.

It burned.

Morro screamed at Kai, trying to get out of the water.

Nya held Kairo there, tears rolling down her cheeks, though you would never have noticed.

At some point, it stopped burning.

Kai stared at Morro, and Morro stared back.

“This is it, Morro. You can’t escape now. Water kills you quicker than it does me.” Kai spoke calmly, even though he was actively dying.

“You’re a psycho!” Morro screamed back.

“I’m the psycho?! You stalked me, possessed me, and you call ME the psycho?!” Kai responded, shocked and confused.

Morro didn’t respond.

Everything started to feel cold. The water swirled and boiled around Kairo.

It was for the best.

Zane held Cole back, pinning him to the beach shore. Cole screamed and tried to get away, trying desperately to go save Kai from imminent death. He knew it was for the best but he couldn’t accept it.

Lloyd sobbed next to them, wrapped in Jay’s arms. Kai was like his older brother, he did all this to protect him.

Finally, Kairo stopped breathing, his heart stopped beating, the water stopped bubbling up.

Morro stood across from Kai, finally not loving him.

Kai stood across from Morro, finally having found love.

It was all for the best.