Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Survive. Survive. Survive.

Jay Walker knew, in that moment, that he hated sand. His legs burned as he ran on top of it, his shoes sliding every which way, trying to gain a sturdy surface to grip onto, but there was nothing. His feet sunk into it, trapping him briefly before he gained enough strength to free himself. All that was around him was sand, sand, and more sand, making true escape impossible. How could he run away when the sand wouldn’t let him?

He heard screams of anger from behind him, and he stumbled, urging himself to go faster, to make some distance from the ever growing army behind him.

He didn't have a chance to turn back and check how big the army had gotten, yet he knew that, at this point in the chase, they would have deployed mechs. There were probably no less than fifty agents on his tail, all tasked to do one thing: capture Jay and bring him back to the Administration. The thought made his stomach twist into knots, and he tried to run even faster.

Jay just escaped the claws of the Administration. He wasn’t going back. He wasn’t going back to the endless days of paperwork, the meaningless job he was thrust into. He wasn’t going back to where no one cared about anything but check marks and signatures on useless paper, where everyone stared with unseeing eyes, only obeying orders like slaves. And he wasn’t going back to the Chamber. Never, ever, again.

The sun above him burned his skin, sand carried by a strong wind landed in his hair, in his suit, and in his eyes. But he didn’t stop running. Stopping meant more pain, and he didn’t want to be in pain anymore. He wanted to live. He wanted to be free.

“Agent Walker! By the all encompassing authority of the Administrator you must come with us immediately!” The voice behind him was loud, too loud, and Jay knew that he was running out of time. He had to go faster. He had to do something to buy himself time.

His heart pounded strongly in his chest, fast, repeating the same word over and over again.

Survive. Survive. Survive.

He screamed as he felt one of the lasers from a gun hit his shoulder, causing him to stumble into the sand below him, knees digging into the rough, gritty surface. He coughed, grabbing his shoulder with a cry, feeling warm blood dribbling down his fingers. But he tried not to let it concern him. The laser wasn’t going to be what killed him. It was going to be his stumble into the sand that did that.

He fought to get up, once, twice, three times, yet he couldn’t pull himself up, his legs shaking with exhaustion, his feet unable to dig themselves out of the sand without sliding.

An agent finally caught up to him, no expression on his face, and aimed the gun right at Jay’s head. Jay stilled, knowing that it was too late now.

“You are to be taken back to the Administration, where the Administrator will determine what to do with you.” The agent said sternly, and Jay turned away, pulling himself into a tight ball. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see the gun, and not knowing what to do.

He couldn’t breathe. The fear of what was waiting for him seemed to take hold of his throat, crushing it, squeezing it with more strength than a mountain, causing darkness to loom at the edge of his vision.

He didn’t want to go back. He wouldn’t. He couldn’t.

Survive. Survive. Survive.

As if it had woken up from slumber, for the first time in days, Jay could feel his lightning. It snaked underneath his skin, an electric current that pulsed with every beat of his heart, growing stronger. Jay felt the lightning move through his veins as if it had a life of its own. And he welcomed the feeling, gripping it with his mind and heart, eager to feel it after having lost it for so long.

He knew that that was what the Administration wanted. He knew that they wanted his powers, his lightning. Yet, as Jay faced certain doom, he couldn’t help but be thankful that at least some of his powers were returning. That he could finally do something instead of succumbing to the fear. That he could finally defend himself.

The lightning that had been forced away from him was finally his to control again, and he wasn’t going to let it go to waste.

The Administration could take his memories, his strength, but they could never fully take away the lightning that he controlled. The lightning that was his.

“Agent Walker, get up and come with us immediately!”

Jay took a deep breath, allowing the lightning to flow through him, and with a speed he didn’t know he possessed, he reached up, shooting the lightning out of his fingertips and into the air. He shocked the agent above him, sending the other man down to the sandy ground, shaking.

Blue lightning danced on his fingertips, and he shakily got to his feet, showing the raw power to the other agents who had approached him. Everyone shuttered to a stop, and before Jay could relish his victory and escape, one of the mechs lifted its arm and shot Jay in the chest, causing him to stumble back. His vision began going black, and Jay ran once more, shooting bolts of lighting behind him, hoping that he could slow them down. A part of him wondered if he could do more with his powers, but the other part of him didn’t care. All that mattered now was escape.

Laser fire flew past him, and he ducked as one whizzed right over his head. Jay’s chest seized, fighting for a breath that Jay couldn’t stop to take, and his shoulder throbbed with every step he took, the movement jarring his body. He didn’t even want to look down at his chest to see the sort of damage the mech did to him. He knew that he would give up if he did.

Suddenly, the sand underneath his feet turned to stone, and he flailed out his arms, his feet slamming to a rough stop as he saw a steep drop in front of him, leading down into darkness. It was a crack in the earth guiding the way to nothing, a dark expanse that Jay didn’t want to imagine for a second longer. Jay cried out, fear pulsing through his body as he stood on the edge, so, so close to falling to his death. Too close.

Looking back, he could see the Administration still in pursuit, dozens of agents closing in on him with one united purpose. He couldn’t fight them all, even though his powers had returned he wasn’t strong enough to face the army. And he couldn’t continue forward, he couldn’t fly, and he certainly couldn’t jump far enough to make it to the other side. Before he could scramble away from the edge, another shot from a gun hit Jay’s side, causing him to stumble back, his right foot teetering on the edge of nothingness.

“Wait! Wait!” Jay called, raising his hands up, resting his foot as much on the ground at possible, yet he knew that one strong gust of wind would send him over. “Can we talk about this?”

“Depends.” A female agent now said, stepping forward confidently. Her gun was held loosely in her hands, but Jay knew that she wouldn’t miss. “Are you willing to come with us? The Administrator values your participation in the Administration.”

“Participation? You mean how he would throw me in the Chamber and drain my powers? The Administrator doesn’t care about people, all he wants is to expand and take over all of the Merged realm! Surely you see that!” The words escaped before he knew it, and somehow Jay knew that that was normal for him.

“Agent Walker, under Section A4G67, you must remain silent, you cannot speak of the Administrator so freely.”

“No! I quit! You can’t tell me what to do! And neither can the Administrator! This is absolutely ridiculous! Can’t you see that you work in the Realm of Madness? You know what that word means, right? You’re mad, all of you! Absolutely crazy!”

“Says the man who’s standing on the edge of a cliff. Who has lightning powers that he refuses to use to help the Administration.” The woman was calm; a startling contrast to Jay’s own mind and heart.

“I’m not giving my powers to someone who would use it to make weapons. To take over.”
Jay’s breathing was ragged as he sensed the looming fall behind him, and he stepped forward, further onto solid ground, only to be stopped by another raised gun. All of the agents were aiming at him now, and Jay knew what he had to do.

He didn’t know who he was, not really. He didn’t know what he did before the Administration, if he had friends, a family, or even if he was a good person. Yet he knew that he would never stand for something like this. There was no way he would let his lightning be taken to hurt others. That wasn’t a part of who he was. It couldn’t be.

He couldn’t let them take it. And that left only one option.

Without a second thought, Jay backed up and stepped off of the ledge, hoping that there was something safe at the bottom. He could hear the confused voices of the others until the sound was swallowed by the wind rushing around his ears, his hair, his suit, enveloping him into it’s cold embrace. A scream escaped him, short as it was taken away by the air around him. He could feel himself falling, his limbs losing control, his mind muddled with fear. The top of the cliff got smaller and smaller in his gaze, and Jay knew that he was running out of time.

Looking around frantically, he skimmed the cliff walls for anything he could hold onto, a tree, a vine, anything, but there was nothing. If only he had a grappling hook or something to catch him一

Wait. His teleporter. He could make a portal and get out of here!

Reaching for his belt, he grasped the small device in his hand, thankful that he hadn’t lost it when he lost his gun. A part of him wondered why he hadn’t thought of it before, but he was thankful that he did now.

The ground was rushing towards him, and Jay didn’t waste a second turning the transporter on, setting it to any location other than this one, and pressed the button.

A portal swallowed him as he fell, and after that dizzying feeling that always came with teleporting, he landed on dusty ground with a huff. He heard a snap, followed by a burning pain in his arm, and he didn’t even have the breath to cry out. All he could hear was the ringing in his ears, and darkness covered the rest of his vision.

Keep going. Survive. Survive. Survive.

With a rough groan Jay rolled onto his hands and knees, crying out as his left arm buckled under the weight of his body. He looked over at it, but closed his eyes as soon as he saw bone, his stomach swirling at the blood that seemed imprinted at the back of his eyelids. His legs quaked under him, but somehow he managed to get to his feet. Opening his eyes once more, avoiding looking at his arm, he looked around, and saw that he was teleported to a desert, the same one or different he didn’t know. But he knew that the Administration would find him soon; they could track the teleporter; it was their own device after all.

Jay had to keep moving despite his pain, despite his fear. He had to escape. He couldn’t give up. He couldn’t quit.

And, for reasons he still didn’t know, or never would, the words never quit continued with him with every footstep.

---------------------------------

Rontu could always hear the sound of struggle. Like the changing winds, or the turning of the tides, something like voices of fear and suffering always reached her ears. Sometimes it was a whisper, other times it was loud, sometimes she could hear words, other times it was just murmurs, those that sounded terrified.

As often as she could feel those voices, she equally felt them quiet, peace and comfort no doubt pushing their fears away. She knew it was real peace, as the voices quieted gradually, not suddenly, and she found comfort in it. When the voices quieted, she knew that someone had helped them. Someone had saved those who the voices belonged to. She knew that, despite how she had retired from saving the world, that there were other protectors, people who brought safety, hope, inspiration, and peace. And it brought her comfort too.

Even after the Merge, she could hear the voices soften, and as time wore on even less and less voices could be heard. Whoever was saving Ninjago before was back, and was helping people like they always have.

A part of her always wanted to go and help those heroes, to quiet even more of the cries of fear, yet she knew that her time for battle had passed. Egalt would agree with her. They both fought their battle long ago. Now they could rest.

Yet, the voice that entered her ears now was different from the others. It was louder, no words echoing through its frantic tones but survive. It seemed lost, worried, yet determined, but so, so scared. It wasn’t the kind of fear that was present in someone’s mind, it was the fear that was rooted in someone’s heart, in their entire being.

She had never felt something like this before. Rontu knew, in that moment, she couldn’t sit and wait for the heroes to help that voice. She needed to stop the fear however she could. And, the voice was so strong it pulsed through her mind, sending shockwaves through her bones; whoever it was wouldn’t be hard to find.

Was it a good idea? Perhaps not. Yet she had to help. No one should live with so much fear.

She slowly got up from where she was resting against the stones of her home, gaining the attention of Egalt, who lifted his head in response.

“What are you doing, Rontu? Surely you have nowhere to be.”

“I do. There is one out there who needs me.” She replied, watching him with a steady gaze.

“We’ve fought our battle. Now we can rest.” Egalt urged, getting up himself, but Rontu turned away from him, stretching out her wings, preparing to fly a long journey, something that she hadn’t done in years.

“I cannot rest as long as this being is so afraid. I must help. But you can stay here if you so wish, I will not argue.”

Egalt’s eyes took on a hard look, yet he knew as well as she did that Rontu wouldn’t be swayed. “Fine. Go. But don’t expect my help.”

“I will not.”

With a swift beat of her wings, she was in the air, with wind at her back and under her wings, guiding her to the cry of help. The fear still coursed through her, pulsing with every second that passed, strong enough that not even the sun on her scales could distract her. She tried to study the voice as she flew, yet there wasn’t much she could gather other than the fear. What had this being gone through to be so afraid, that the fear was as deeply ingrained in them as their own self?

Rontu didn’t know, but she wanted to find out. She was a protector, and she needed to protect this voice from whatever had come upon it.

The voice led her to a wide desert in between the Realm of Madness and some stray islands from Shintaro, an expanse of nothing but sand and heat. She knew that there were no water sources for miles on end, was that what the voice was scared about?

No. The cry was too full of terror, as if they were afraid of what was behind them as well as ahead.

She looked among the sands with an eagle eye, studying the rolling dunes for any signs of life, anything moving among the sand, and she finally spotted it. The voice. The being. The one who feared.

From her view above, it was a male human, with curly brown hair matted with blood, who dragged himself through the sand, holding his left arm protectively. He stumbled every so often, falling into the sand in the harder moments, forcing himself up slowly. The suit he wore was not a good outfit for the desert he traversed, and was covered in blood, and she knew that he needed her. There was no one else who could help him.

She didn’t waste a second landing onto the sandy hills in front of the boy, ducking her head down to meet his gaze, expecting him to look up at her. He didn’t. His eyes were still trained on the ground, despite how loud her landing must’ve been for him.

“I’m not going with you.” He said, his small voice cracking. His body sagged with exhaustion, and Rontu knew that, if he didn’t get help soon, he would die. Now that she was closer, she could see how injured the boy was. He had two burn injuries, one on his shoulder and one in the middle of his chest, a broken arm, and a bleeding head.

In her experience, only two kinds of people could continue walking with injuries such as these, those great warriors who knew pain, or the ones that had to continue on no matter what.

Something in her told her that this boy was both.

“I’ll not force you to do anything, little one.” Rontu said, her voice echoing across the expanse, and he finally looked up, his sapphire blue eyes widening as he took in her presence.

“I…I thought you were someone else.” He said weakly, swaying where he stood yet still stayed standing. His legs were shaking, and his eyes were full of fear. She hoped that she could get rid of that fear.

“Is someone trying to take you?” She asked, yet the boy did not acknowledge her.

“Are…are you a talking dragon?”

Rontu found herself chuckling, despite the worry that blossomed in her chest. “Yes, I am Rontu, Dragon Master, protector of the realms. What is your name?”

The boy looked at her, his eyebrows furrowed, before his whole body went slack, his eyes closing as he crumpled to the sandy ground. Rontu didn’t waste a second in walking forward to him. As gently as she could, she scooped him up with her wing, letting him gently slide down to her back, where she knew it was the safest for him. His hand grazed the scales where he laid, and with one piercingly clear moment, she sensed something different in him, something that felt like the sky above her and completely opposite to the ground underneath her paws. It felt like the power of lightning, thrumming under his skin like the very blood that kept him alive.

Could this be the Master of Lightning? If he was, what was he doing all the way out here? Who had hurt him? And why did his element feel weaker, like part of it had vanished?

She had very few experiences with elemental masters, yet those she knew had a powerful element within them, one that couldn’t be stopped. Yet this one felt as if it could be snuffed out like a candle, taken out by one strong gust of wind.

The thought saddened her. Not only was the element weak, but the wielder was too, and was likely close to death. Who had done such a thing? Where were they?

Rontu felt something shift within her, rage building in her stomach, a righteous rage that she was familiar with, the rage that sought to bring the wrong to justice and help the innocent keep going. Yet she forced the rage down. She knew that the boy on her back needed help. She didn’t have time to chase down whoever did this. If she did, he would die. It was not a fair trade.

Without a second thought, she beat her wings and lifted herself into the air, careful to keep steady for the boy resting on her back. Going slower than she ever had before, she made her way back to her home. She knew that she and Egalt could be his only chance at survival, not just for his physical body but for the element contained within him. It was her only option.

Like the voice, the boy, always said.

Survive. Survive. Survive.

Chapter Text

Jay woke up slowly to loud voices breaking through the ringing in his ears. Distantly he knew that he should be concerned that the ringing was still present, yet he felt too tired to even think about it. Second by second he became more aware of what was around him, and he could already tell that things were bad.

His limbs felt like weights, impossible to lift. Everything ached, a throbbing pain branching out from his chest and into his fingers. Bursts of agony ripped through his shoulder when he shifted. He groaned weakly, moving once more, hoping to be rid of the pain. As he did so, he felt a soft surface under him running against his skin, a welcome distraction from the pain that swelled within him.

The voices got louder. Somehow, despite the pain, Jay could understand them.

“This is a mistake, Rontu, this is the last thing we needed! He is basically a child, he is not our concern!”

“He has an elemental power. Surely it is our place to help him. It is our duty.” That voice was familiar to Jay, female and kind, sounding passionate as she spoke. Jay couldn't place where he heard it from, but he did recognise the words. They were talking about someone with powers. Were they talking about him? Or was there someone else like him here? Someone who could control the impossible?

He’d heard of more people like that. Elemental Masters. The Administration wanted to keep eyes on them, every one of them, just in case one of them broke the rules, and all agents were made aware of their existence. Jay has never met one though, not until lightning burst from his fingertips late into his shift.

Jay pushed those thoughts away and continued listening, his body failing him as he tried to open his eyes, too exhausted to even see.

“We decided that we were finished with that life.” The first voice, one that sounded older, more gruff than the other, spoke once more, seeming to be more and more upset with every word. He sounded like he was barely containing his frustration. For some reason it made Jay upset. He didn’t really know why.

He also didn’t know this voice, and a bit of fear took root in his heart at that fact. It could be anyone. He could be in trouble.

“Perhaps that was a mistake. Was I supposed to leave him there, Egalt?”

“Leaving him with his own people would’ve been better. You know this.”

“He has no one else. He was alone.” The female voice stopped, a light clanging filling his ears, before she continued. “The decision has been made, I will help him, you don’t need to do anything. The little one is my responsibility.”

“Fine.”

The voices stopped abruptly, followed by loud steps walking away, and Jay couldn’t stop another groan from escaping him as he shifted his arm. One of the voices was still familiar to him, yet the other one wasn’t.

Suddenly, like the lightning that flowed through him, the fear that had been growing in him branched out, taking hold of every part of his being. All he knew was terror. Breathing became harder with every second, his chest heaving his whole body fighting to move, to escape. Where was he? Who was that? Was he safe? Was he going to get hurt again? His chest suddenly tightened, terror flooding his body, like a snake around his ribs, a torrent of water in his lungs, and he couldn’t breathe.

His eyes finally shot open, and he managed to sit up, fueled by his fear, trying to take in some air. Jay clutched the bandages on his chest, doing everything he could do to get rid of the feeling of pain and panic. Glancing around frantically, he couldn’t take in anything around him, all of it being a blur of gray and pale yellows.

“Breathe, little one. Breathe.”

He tried to listen to the kind voice, but deep down he knew that it wouldn’t help. Fear was in control. All he could do was hope he stayed above the torrent and not drown.

But he never could.

One trail of panic led to another, and he couldn’t stop his fears from flooding into his mind, suffocating him, dragging him down into their cold embrace.

Who was he? Where was he? Was he safe where he was? Was there anyone out there looking for him? Did he mean anything to anyone?

He could hear the same clanging above him from before, and it was that calming noise that cut through the panic, like a gentle chime of a clock, one that Jay couldn’t picture. He couldn’t picture a lot of things anymore.

The noise brought Jay back, collecting his thoughts until the fear was dulled down into a pulsing ache in the back of his consciousness, joining hand in hand with the pain.

Through the haze his mind had become, struggling to come back together, one thought became clear. The Administration. They were after him.

It didn’t matter who that voice belonged to. It didn’t matter where he was. It didn't matter what that noise was. He just had to run.

Jay blinked, his vision clearing, slowly coming back to himself. He started to come up with a plan on how to escape. He knew he needed one. He ignored the chiming around him, and tried to put his feet under him, crying out as his body protested at the jarring movement.

“Rest. You’re safe. There is no one here but you and I.”

Jay finally looked up at the voice, eyes widening as he took in the majestic dragon in front of him. She had a bright blue and purple body, scales reflecting the firelight that Jay now noticed in the room. Her head was knelt down to him, her pink horns were adorned with lanterns, close to his head, her eyes watching him with concern. She seemed so concerned that Jay couldn’t find himself to be afraid of her.

Something deep within him, something so hidden by a loss of memories and self told him that he could trust her. And for some reason he listened to it.

He was safe. The Administration wasn’t here. And whoever that other voice belonged to was gone, and all that was left was safety and kindness.

But….where was he? Who…

“My name is Rontu. We encountered each other in the desert, do you remember?”

“I…I remember.” It wasn’t very often that Jay could say those words, and he found comfort in it now. His voice was weak and scratchy, as if he hadn’t drank water in too long.

Now that he thought about it, when was the last time he had something to drink?

“Lay down, will you? You’ll over exert yourself.”

Jay found himself listening to her, too tired to question it, and as he settled down, he allowed himself to glance around. He was in a cave, one with a wide opening, allowing sunlight to come through and hit the rocky ground. There was a fire close to him, lighting up the cave even more. The blankets he laid on were of muted colors, surrounding him, giving him more cushioning than one needed. Though, if the dragon, Rontu, used this, it would make sense why there was so much of it.

It was cozy. Comforting. Completely different from the cold white rooms in the Administration.

Looking down at himself through his messy curls, he noted that he was covered in bandages, his chest was tightly bound and he could feel the fabric tie around to his shoulder. His left arm was even in a sling. He couldn’t say that he was surprised that it was broken, but had the dragon wrapped his bandages? Put the sling around him? He would never have expected a dragon to do such a thing.

The Administration hated dragons. Not only did they disobey all of their rules, but there were always questions about if they could be reasoned with, or if they were animals without complete thoughts. They never liked the unknown.

Jay was thankful to know the truth now. Dragons were able to think, talk, wrap bandages, be kind, and were smart, if not smarter than the people of the Administration. Even smarter than Jay himself, but that wasn’t much of an accomplishment. He wasn’t very smart, not from what he’d seen. Jay had made himself an enemy of the Administration, after all. It was probably the stupidest thing that he had done, but it was necessary. He knew that more than he knew himself.

He couldn't let his element, his lightning, get in the wrong hands.

“Where am I?” He asked, his voice still hoarse, and Rontu moved around him, studying him, the lanterns on her horns clinging softly.

“My home. You were near death when I found you, and I couldn’t leave you. I wouldn’t be a good sport if I did that, now would I?”

Jay managed a smile, wincing as more pain shot through his body.

A large bowl was quickly pushed over to him, and Jay looked at it with confusion, watching the water within it move.

“Drink. Then we'll talk more. You must be thirsty.”

Jay listened to her, not in any mood to complain, and took the bowl with his right hand, bringing the water to his lips. The bowl shook as he took it, but he didn’t drop it, and for that he was thankful. He drank thirstily, and he could feel Rontu’s eyes on him as he did so.

“You’re an elemental master?” Rontu asked, and Jay nodded.

“I guess.”

“What do you mean ‘you guess?’ I can feel it within you, surely you must be well versed in it.”

Jay set down the bowl, leaning against the cave wall with a hitched breath. The pain was still there, prominent in his bones, but the Administration wasn’t here. He could afford to rest, if only for a little while. Only long enough for the pain to go away.

“I found out pretty recently. I…I can’t do much with it.”

Rontu lowered herself to the ground, her tail swaying as she did so, seemingly curious.

“You have not been trained?”

He shook his head no. Unless shooting lightning at his office walls counted, he didn’t receive training, never from someone else.

At least, that he remembered. Who knew about it before the Merge?

Jay forced the thought away, hating how his stomach twisted, and thankfully Rontu didn’t ask him about it.

“Little one, who’s after you? You were running from someone. You were scared.”

Jay liked these questions. They were safe. They didn’t touch on the things he wanted to avoid. Why wasn’t she asking more about who he was? Where he came from? He didn’t know, but he appreciated the gesture.

“The Administration. They…they took my powers. The lightning just started coming back.” Jay’s eyes widened as he continued to think, his heart pounding restlessly once more, his mind racing. Just because he was safe now, it didn’t mean that it would last. He could be in trouble. They both could be in trouble. “Wait, they might find me here! They might hurt you!”

Rontu laughed. It was a kind laugh that could dispel all worries, if not for how strongly they pushed through his veins.

“No one can come here that we do not want here, not through teleportation or those hunks of metal they sit in. You’re safe. No joke, I’m a dragon of my word.”

Jay tried to take her words to heart, but the fear that plagued him was back, wondering if the Administration would find a way to get to him, if he would be stuck in the Chamber again一

His fists pounded against the glass, watching as the lightning that was his, and only his, vanished from his fingers and into the air around him, suffocated by the machine he stood in. The Chamber. The place he never, ever wanted to be in.

It was taking his powers. It was collecting it and bleeding him dry of the power that once flowed through him. It was claiming it as its own.

Pain rippled through his spine, reaching up to his neck, aggravating the scars that lined his back. He screamed, falling to his knees as his vision swam, leaning against the glass walls, wanting nothing more than the pain to stop.

He could feel his lightning failing within him, flickering out, dying as it reached into the air, desperate for a freedom that wouldn’t come. He was losing it. He was losing the one thing that defined him. The one thing that was his.

Losing, losing, losing, losing

Jay could feel himself swaying where he sat, and closed his eyes, taking in the cool rock of the cave behind him. He tried to stop thinking about it. But he couldn’t.

He couldn’t.

“What is your name?” Rontu asked softly, as if she knew the inner turmoil he faced.

“Jay.” He said just as softly, slowly opening his eyes once again. The word “agent” sat on the tip of his tongue, but he stopped it before it could escape. “Jay Walker.”

“Well, Jay Walker. You’re safe here. Myself and Egalt will protect you until you’re well enough to be on your own. We will watch over you as your element grows stronger. It’s as weak as a dragon youngling right now, and so are you.”

“I…” Jay was about to refuse, he was used to being alone, he had been alone for so long he couldn’t imagine anything else. Even in the Administration no one was on his side, all he had was himself to speak to, to be friends with. And, he needed to escape the Administration once and for all and not bring anyone else into this mess. He couldn’t do that. He couldn’t hurt Rontu, who had shown him a kindness he didn’t fully understand.

Why would she help him, a nobody? Why save him?

But…he didn’t want to be alone. Rontu wasn’t someone who knew who he was before, wasn’t a friend who had been looking for him, but Jay was relieved to finally have someone who seemed to care. It didn’t matter that she didn’t seem to be from his past. It was about time he started worrying about his future, and his survival.

“Jay? Would you like to stay? Would you allow us to help you?”

“I would.” He said with a small smile, “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me, though you do have some good manners!” Rontu said, swinging her head higher as she stood up, joy tangible in the air as she spoke. Though, it melted away just as quickly, her voice softening, gentle in the quietness of the cave. “Get some rest. I would like to talk to you more, but I can tell that you’re in pain. I will look for some herbs that can reduce the pain, although we don’t drink much tea here I can make something up.”

“Why do you have bowls and stuff like that here?” Jay found himself asking, his inner curiosity piquing unexpectedly. “Are there more humans here?”

“Nope, just you! It’s been a while since Egalt and I have gotten guests.”

“Egalt?”

Rontu’s eyes took on a worried look before returning back to the comforting glaces Jay had been getting the entire time. “He’s the other Dragon Master, a close friend of mine. You’ll meet him soon, but there’s nothing to worry about. Rest.”

Jay didn’t argue, though he couldn’t help but feel a bit worried at how Rontu reacted to the question. He had no doubt in his mind that Egalt was the other voice from before. At least he was someone that Rontu seemed to trust, even if she was a bit hesitant. Nonetheless, he gently leaned his body back onto the blankets, keeping all of the weight off of his injured arm. Rontu walked out of the cave, her large dragon body blocking the sunlight for only a brief moment before the light broke through again.

Jay still had questions. He was used to questions now, ever since he woke up in the Administration without a clue as to who he was, his mind was full of them. Often he couldn’t focus on the questions, or else it would be too overwhelming, yet he could still feel them weighing heavily on his heart, fears of the unknown being familiar to him.

A part of him hoped that he would have a chance to ask Rontu his questions. The other part of him didn’t. He couldn’t really understand.

He couldn’t understand a lot these days. He just learned to roll with the punches, not knowing, only surviving.

Taking the bowl that sat in front of him, a bit of water still at the bottom, he took a slow sip, trying to calm his racing heart. Taking some deep breaths, he let himself settle down, avoiding jostling any part of his battered body. Putting the bowl down, he rested his head on the blankets, closing his eyes, hoping that sleep would come quickly.

But it never did.

------------------------------------

“You’re making a mistake.”

Egalt stood on the training grounds, overseeing the lands that surrounded their home. The wind was gentle that day, causing leaves from the trees around them to fall. He didn’t turn to her, yet Rontu knew that he was well aware of her presence.

“You sound certain.”

“That’s because I am. He doesn’t belong here.”

“He is injured, and has elemental powers. I couldn’t just leave him, and you know that, Egalt. I have said it before, and I will not cease until you understand.”

“Yet you sense something else within him, something more than an element. That is what concerns me. Is the fear you felt from him real, or is it a lie?”

Rontu shook her head, rolling her eyes. “Egalt. No one can make up that fear. And what reason would the little one have to be found by us? He is no danger. He can barely sit up.”

“Perhaps.” Egalt replied evenly, finally turning to her. “Yet he is your responsibility. If he attacks us, you will defeat him, and swiftly. He stands no chance against us. If he means well, you, and only you, will keep watch over him.”

“And what of his elemental powers? He says he hasn’t had training. He barely understands the true power he holds.” Rontu knew that this was a touchy subject, yet she had to know. The little one needed training, he must know how to defend himself, he must know more about the lightning that surged through him.

Egalt snarled, baring his teeth, but Rontu wasn’t afraid. He spoke in a low growl, his tail flicking around with anger. “I will not train him in his abilities, I refuse to train anyone but dragons.”

“As did I. But, is it not dangerous to have an elementalist who doesn’t understand his power?”

“No. We will not train him. He will be of no harm to the world. His will is weak, his lightning will be the same. For it to be strong, lightning requires focus, controlled emotions. He does not have that, I have known him for mere minutes and know this to be true. His lightning will be uncontrolled, yet harmless. I will not train another like him, there is no point.”

Rontu felt something shift in her chest with the words, yet she knew it to be true. Training beings other than dragons was risky, perhaps it was a risk that she shouldn’t take.

“He will stay here until he heals,” She said, a tone of finality in her tone, “And from there I will determine how to help him with his future. For the moment, he is not safe without us. Whoever those people were who hurt him will hurt him again, the young one fears it.”

“Then let’s hope he can stand up for himself without our training, we are too old to fight battles that are not our own.”

With those words said, Egalt walked away, giving her a sharp glance as he did so. Rontu stayed where she was, watching as the sun set in front of her, asking herself if she made the right decision.

She understood that she could not face an army again. Her time for fighting had passed, she was not as agile as she once was. Yet her heart ached for the little one, for Jay, who’s skill and abilities seemed too young to fight anyone. He was like a newborn dragon, with powers beyond what he could even comprehend, yet barely able to stand on his own, let alone fly.

Perhaps she could train him. Egalt would disapprove of it, that she knew. Would it be worth it to help this human she found? The Master of Lightning who still feared something she didn’t know?

She could help him understand his abilities. She could teach him to fight. She could teach him to be able to stand against his enemies. She could help him fly.

After she collected the herbs that she promised Jay, she made her way back to the cave. Walking back into the shelter, she watched as Jay slept fitfully on the blankets, red splotches of blood already appearing through the bandage, soaked through. It had been a struggle to get them on him, her claws were sharp and she feared hurting him even more. She had managed to successfully wrap the injuries without incident, yet it pained her to see that the wounds had to be wrapped again. He would be aware and awake when she did. He would be in more pain.

Jay stirred in his sleep, his brown curly hair more unruly than seemed right, his face pale and sweaty, looking sickly. It was at that moment that Rontu knew the truth. She would train him. She would do everything she could do to help him.

His battle was not hers. She admitted that. Yet the least she could do was help him gain the strength and skills he needed to battle once again. To live another day. To survive.

And, perhaps, she could help him understand his element more, too, and in turn, himself.

Chapter Text

Jay sat still, his legs crisscrossing beneath him, studying what was left of his old outfit. Rontu had come back into the cave in the morning and gave Jay some new clothes, apparently left over from a time long ago when humans did come here. Wherever here was.

But Jay was grateful. His suit from the Administration was always uncomfortable, too tight around the shoulders and neck, and too loose near his waist. And that’s not even to mention the tie, which always felt like it was strangling him. The suit was even more unbearable now that it was covered in his dried blood, tarnished with gaping holes surrounded by frayed fabric. The outfit Rontu gave him wasn’t as tight, leaving him enough room to move, yet the sleeves could be tightened with the strips of fabric attached, wrapping around his arms like bandages. Similar strips tightened around his waist, much like a ninja outfit, and Jay was more comfortable than ever. Not only was it clean, but it was well balanced enough between comfort and agility, even coming with a hood that covered his face, and a bandana for his mouth, meaning that he could avoid and fight the Administration easily. Well, if not for his broken arm, which sat in a sling, immobile for the time being.

And, the outfit he wore was black with dark blue accents. He didn’t know if Rontu knew that he liked the color blue, but he was happy for it all the same. Distantly a question was asked in the back of his mind, something about the color blue, full of hope and longing, yet he couldn’t point out the exact words. He hoped that one day he could. The question seemed important.

Jay was thankful for Rontu’s kindness. Even in the times he was confused, or injured, he knew that he wasn’t alone. And she was patient with him. She allowed Jay to rest, sleeping off the pain of his injuries. They did hurt less, whatever was in that tea seemed to be working,, but he hated how he wasn’t able to use his arm, because what if the Administration came back? What if he couldn’t defend himself? He told his worries to Rontu, and she once again reassured him that he was safe. He still didn’t believe it, not fully, and hoped that his arm would heal quickly.

Jay pulled himself from his thoughts. In front of him sat the suit he used to wear, his belt, his tie that used to be blue but was now stained red, and the teleporter that he had used to escape the fall. Not that it helped much, he still broke his arm, but at least he was alive and free from the Administration. At least for now.

With a shudder he remembered all of the pain that would be waiting for him if he returned.

Picking up the small device with his free hand, he glanced at the screen, reading that it only had one teleport left.

The Administration, despite its far reach across the Merged Realm, still had limitations. Their teleport devices could only be used ten times before it had to be recharged. It was a weakness, one that Jay hated as an agent himself, but one he was thankful for now. The teleport devices took days to charge, so if they were all used, they couldn’t travel and capture those who disobeyed their rules, at least for a little while.

Jay assumed that that was one of the reasons that the Administrator wanted Jay’s powers. His lightning, if it was put into a device or battery of sorts, could no doubt charge all of their transporters instantly, giving the Administration unlimited energy, which would lead to unlimited power. They could travel anywhere they wanted without limitations, capturing anyone they wanted and even killing them. The thought was a scary one.

Unlimited power, especially one of lightning, was scary enough in anyone’s hands, even in Jay’s. But the Administration would no doubt use it to spread out their reach, turning the Merged Realms into their own playground, bullying whoever they wanted. Killing whoever stood in their way.

And all the while they would be filling out forms and quoting rulebooks.

He set the device down. He knew that he wouldn’t get a chance to charge his, not without some device to channel his lightning into it, like a battery of sorts (how he knew that he had no idea), but at least he didn’t need it fully charged at the moment. The Administration hadn’t found him yet, he didn’t have to run. He shouldn’t have to use it. He hoped that he didn’t have to.

Deep down, he trusted Rontu. Something about her put him at peace, like she would fix everything, even though he knew that no one would have the power to do that. No one could bring his memories back. He had long since given up on it.

But, without the Administration chasing him, maybe he would have a chance to make some new memories. Maybe he won’t be able to find out who he was, but he could find out who he can be. The thought would’ve been more exciting to him if he had the energy to be excited.

His whole body still aches with every second that passes. Rontu had changed his bandages, which was so painful it brought tears to his eyes, but she made up for it by giving him a sweet tea, one that soothed his injuries enough that he could sleep after. He’d been doing a lot of sleeping lately. It felt wrong after endless hours writing paperwork, countless days spent losing his powers in the Chamber.

Picking up the remains of his Administration jacket, he wondered what to do with it. He didn’t want to wear the suit again. Would Rontu let him burn it? The thought brought a small smile to his face. He didn’t know much about himself before the Merge, but he did know that he hated office work, then, and especially now. It might be good to finally get rid of the suit he wore to do it.

“You don’t wake up with the sun, do you, sport?”

Jay looked up to see Rontu walk into the cave, a large basket hanging from her tail.. He scrambled to get up, curious what was in it, ignoring the pain that flared up, but she stepped in front of him, her head gently pushing him back down.

“How do you feel this morning?”

Rontu’s eyes were bright, yet full of an aged wisdom, and Jay let himself settle down once more.

“Better. The burns don’t feel as bad, but my arm still hurts.”

“I imagined as much, you have quite the pain tolerance, little one.” Rontu said, “You act as if your chest isn’t hurt at all.”

“It does, but I can manage.” Jay set his jacket down, a small smile on his face. “Is my pain tolerance connected to my element?”

“I will admit, I don’t know as much as I probably should about your powers, but it may be.” Rontu explained, sitting down beside him. She also set the basket down, and Jay peaked in it, pleasantly surprised to see a collection of colorful fruit that appeared ripley picked. After giving Rontu a questioning glance, she nodded, and Jay began eating one with a soft skin, no doubt in his mind that they were safe.

“Yet,” Rontu continued, watching him kindly, “You do carry a strength that I did not expect. Anyone else in your position would’ve likely been dead. Your lightning can only do so much. Where do you get your strength from?”

Jay swallowed back the sweet fruit, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. He knew that he would have to tell her about his memory issues at one point or another. It’s not like he had any reason to keep it from her. She saved his life, he trusted her, and she couldn’t do anything to help him get his memories back, anyways. And, it would be nice to finally tell her, to tell anyone that cared.

“I….I don’t know. I don’t have any memories of before the Merge. I don’t know who I was before the Administration.”

“What? You don’t remember anything?” Rontu asked, sitting down beside him. Her voice was filled with concern, and Jay nodded.

“Is that why you’re so afraid?”

Jay nodded again, curling in on himself. He wasn’t surprised that she knew about his fear. She was a talking dragon, of course she knew. And maybe he wasn’t too good at hiding it. He thought of a half-hearted joke that he could tell her, one that could remove the tension from the cave, one that would hide how he really felt, but he couldn’t voice it. He didn’t have the energy to.

“I could’ve been anyone.” Jay said weakly. “I could've been a killer, or a thief, or…”

A nobody. Someone no one loved.

Those were the only explanations why no one would’ve found him yet, why he was still alone if not for Rontu. No one found him because no one was looking. No one cared for him. He wasn’t somebody worth looking for.

The thought brought a sharp pain to his chest, a tight hand that began to squeeze his ribs, even reaching up to crush his heart.

No one loved him.

“Little one. Listen to me. Why do you focus on the bad things when you could’ve been someone good?”

“Someone that knew me would’ve found me by now if I deserved it.” Jay replied dejectedly, his voice just above a whisper.

Rontu shook her head. “Now, don’t think like that. They could’ve been looking for you. I have no doubt that someone was. Why, with a strength such as yours, and the kindness I see in you, you could’ve been a hero! One of the greats that parents would tell their children about. Someone would’ve cared for you, and with that I have no doubt.”

Tears burned in the back of his eyes, and he took another bite of the fruit in his hand. He couldn’t have been a hero. He was too scared for that. He had very little control of his powers, of his emotions. He could fight well, sure, but that was because the Administration taught him how. He was a fast learner.

He couldn’t be a hero. He doubted that he could’ve even been a good person.

“I cannot promise that we will discover who you were.” Rontu said, rising to her feet. Her voice was stern yet kind. “The Merged Realm is a wide place, with hundreds of places and even more people. But I will do my best to help you, Jay Walker, in whatever form that takes.”

----------------------------------------------------

Egalt watched as Jay and Rontu stood on the sporting grounds, Rontu holding one of the large stones used for their tests in her paw, talking to Jay, her passionate tone reaching Egalt’s ears. Yet, he paid no attention to the words. He instead focused on Jay, who, unlike any other being, was a mystery to Egalt.

At first, he thought he understood the boy. He believed that he was weak, overly emotional like all humans, unable to listen to reason or instruction. He believed that Jay couldn’t understand pain, not like Egalt did, and that he was nothing more than someone gifted powers that they didn’t deserve.

Not that Egalt didn’t have faith in elemental masters, yet one as young as Jay? How could someone like him deserve to have powers such as lighting?

But that was before Egalt paid attention to the boy. And, he was willing to admit that Egalt himself could be wrong.

Jay held himself tall, despite his arm in a sling, despite the burns that marred his body. His young face, splashed with faint freckles, was also slightly scarred, a few faint white lines being visible in the right frame of light. Some scars Egalt could identify as ones that a master of lightning carried, brought about by an excessive use of their lightning powers, yet others he could not. Jay’s limbs were tense, his body standing at attention, and his eyes reflected the burdens of hundreds of men. Fear could be seen in them, yet beyond the fear, a fierce determination, one that could only be kindled by past experiences, past pain, an eagerness to survive when the world around him wanted him dead. It was the determination of a warrior, one who lost as well as gained, one who needed to continue on.

If Egalt were an enemy, he would be afraid of that look in his eyes.

Rontu had told Egalt that Jay had forgotten everything about who he was before the Merge. Yet Egalt knew that those memories, however they were taken or lost, were still the reason Jay acted as he did.

The question was, who was he? Why did he carry those scars, the burdens that he did? Why did he search for danger even in safety?

Those were the questions Egalt wanted to ask, yet he didn’t. The boy couldn’t answer them. Perhaps, if he could, he wouldn’t be training with Rontu right now.

Drawing back his thoughts, Egalt saw Rontu throw the stone in the air, away from the basket, and Jay pivoted, his hair gently bouncing at the movement. Lightning sparking at his fingertips before he let it fly, no doubt trying to hit it, but missing the stone in the air. The lightning fizzled out, and Jay’s fist clenched.

“You were close, but you need to predict where the stone is going.” Rontu was explaining to him, picking up another rock. “Again.”

Jay took a deep breath, spreading out his feet, and shot his lightning again, narrowly missing the stone. Egalt could see that he was becoming frustrated, yet the boy didn’t say a word.

Rontu didn’t waste a second throwing another rock, taking it from a pile she had made beside her, and Jay missed again, the frown on his face seemingly getting deeper with every throw. Yet, he didn’t give up, and that fierce determination he carried could be seen in everything he did.

Perhaps it was fueled by his need to know more about who he was. Egalt wouldn’t be surprised if it was.

He continued to watch. Finally, Jay hit a stone, the lightning scattering across the surface of the rock, causing the boy to jump up with joy, wincing as he landed. The impact no doubt aggravated his wounds. Rontu came closer to him, concern in her features, but Jay’s smile was enough to dismiss it.

“Congrats! You did well.” She said, and Jay shrugged sheepishly.

“I can’t believe that it took that long, but…”

“But you did it. That’s all that matters. What changed? That wasn’t luck.”

Jay took on a distant look before replying. “I…I just thought of coconuts.”

Rontu stepped back at that, and Egalt could even admit that he was surprised by the answer as well.

“Coconuts?”

“Yeah.” Jay looked to the ground, “I…just. The thought came to me. It’s like I shot lightning at a coconut before, but I can’t place when or how.”

“A memory perhaps?”

“Maybe.”

Jay grew somber then, but Rontu didn’t let him rest in it.

“Why don’t we test how strong your element is? We can explore that memory later.” At Jay’s nod, she gestured for him to sit down, the boy wincing as he did so. Egalt walked closer to them, yet still stayed far enough away so that the boy wouldn’t be distracted.

“Now,” Rontu continued. “Conjure lightning in your palm. Control it.”

Jay took a deep breath, and almost immediately lightning sparked between his fingers, forming a ball of yellow and blue lightning in his hand. The lightning shot out frantically in every direction, wild, and Jay bit his lip, fighting to control it. The lightning only grew in strength, becoming more unstable as time passed, despite Jay’s attempts. Rontu met Egalt’s eyes,a slight bit of concern passing through her gaze and to him.

Egalt had experience with elemental masters, he had to, given he was one of the two only beings to ever accomplish the Rising Dragon technique. And he could see Jay’s issue immediately.

But, should he help him? Egalt promised himself to never train another human. Rontu promised this too, yet something about Jay changed her mind, and Egalt could feel the same thing changing his.

The boy was so determined to do better, to survive despite the world being against him. Living through his wounds was proof of that. Yet, he struggled. He may be difficult to train.

Perhaps it was the good that Egalt could see in Jay that essentially changed his mind.

Stepping forward once more, onto the training stone, Egalt’s footsteps echoed across it, and Jay startled, the lightning he held vanishing.

“Your lightning is weak, and uncontrolled.” Egalt said, and Jay’s eyes widened.

“Jay, this is Egalt, my friend and fellow Dragon Master.” Rontu said, and Jay scrambled to his feet, trying to hide the wince that came from it.

“You say that they took your element?” Egalt said, ignoring the common pleasantries of the human race, and Jay nodded, his voice louder, as if he felt that he needed to be brave in Egalt’s presence.

“Yeah, they did. Not all of it, but it’s weaker than it was.”

“That is no excuse for an unstable element. You need to control the power that you have, and more will come with time.”

Jay’s voice broke, yet his gaze didn’t break away from Egalt’s. “I don’t know how.”

“Have you not trained at all?” Egalt’s voice was nearing a growl, and Rontu’s own hissed with warning.

“Egalt.”

“No.” Jay responded. “I hid my element.”

“Then hide it no longer, and come with me.”

“What?” The confusion in his voice was a startling difference that before, yet Egalt ignored it.

“Come with me. Rontu, let him ride on your back. We will travel, and you will learn.”

Jay seemed stunned by the words, but silently climbed onto Rontu’s back when she kneeled down for him, as if he trusted them fully. His dark suit was a stark contrast to the light colors of Rontu’ scales, and Egalt turned away. With a little more effort than should have been needed, he lifted in the air and flew, beating his wings to the pulse of his heart, and, despite his better judgment, led the way.

Chapter Text

Wind rushed past Jay’s ears, ruffling his hair, chilling him down to his bones. Rontu flew fast but carefully, and for that Jay was thankful. He tried to hold onto her, but with one arm still in a sling, he often worried that he was going to fall.

Despite that, the feeling of flying through the air felt familiar. Had he done this before in his past life, his life before the Merge? Did he enjoy flying through the air, feeling the wind on his face, feeling that thrill of being away from everything?

Jay didn’t ask anyone, because he knew that no one had the answers. But, he knew that he would enjoy the experience despite not knowing.

“Your arrival has changed things, little one.” Rontu said over the wind, and Jay glanced down to her, turning his eyes away from the blue ocean below them. “Egalt hasn’t left our home for decades. He seems very eager to teach you.”

“Do you have any ideas on what I’m going to learn?”

“Some. But, I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise, now would I?”

Jay let himself fall silent then, taking a deep breath as they flew, his mind wandering. As much as Egalt intimidated him, as the dragon towered above him, clearly gruff in nature and very, very strong, Jay was looking forward to learning from him. He seemed wise, and for that Jay was thankful.

Even over the past few days, Jay learned so much about his element from Rontu, who spoke highly of Egalt.

And Jay found that, even if he didn’t understand himself, at least the lightning that thrummed under his skin was something that he now knew. Well, knew better, at least. A part of him told him that there was still a lot that he needed to understand about it. He was sure that Rontu would agree.

Up ahead, Jay could see a tall mountain, looming above a small village that looked abandoned, surrounded by a green forest. Above the jagged rock, Jay could see hundreds of trails of lightning, cutting through the dark clouds. Thunder echoed around them, and if he was alone he would’ve been terrified. Yet, with Rontu’s protection, he was more in awe at the sheer strength of the atmosphere around them than afraid.

He had never been surrounded by such power before, it was daunting as well as thrilling at the same time.

“You will be able to control it.” Rontu said, as if sensing his thoughts. “It is what you were born for.”

“How do you know?” Jay’s voice was soft, unable to draw his eyes away from the lightning, and Rontu chuckled.

“All masters of the elements are. Like you, there are dozens of people out there with the power to control elements of the world. Fire. Earth. Water. Wind. Nature. There are many.”

“I’ve heard of a few, but…how could anyone deserve such power? Why do I have any right to control this?”

Rontu chuckled. “Some don’t, but I know that you deserve yours. You have a good heart, Jay, and that’s something the lightning gravitates towards. It is powerful, and dangerous, so it appreciates those who are kind, yet strong in spirit.”

Jay didn’t know what to say to that. The words sunk into his chest, leaving behind a sense of purpose that he hadn’t felt since…since forever.

He wasn’t just someone who was surviving anymore. He wasn’t just floating day by day, doing boring paperwork and useless filing. He wasn’t just a man who didn’t know who he was. He had a purpose, to control the lightning that shot through the air around him, and to help others.

Maybe he was a hero in his life before the Merge. Maybe he was someone good.

Egalt landed on a flat rocky surface, and Rontu joined him, Jay’s injuries jostling as she landed. Rontu glanced back at him, concern in her eyes, but he gave her a comforting smile. He was already used to the pain, and her landing didn’t make things any worse. Jay hoped that his smile reflected that.

“Jay.” Egalt said, and his stern tone was enough to make Jay jump off of Rontu’s back, holding his head high.

“This is one of the most active lightning storms in all of the Merged Realm, one that never ends, and only gets stronger in intensity.” Egalt continued, walking around Jay, as if he was studying him. “You lack many things, yet one in particular is startling to me.”

Jay nodded, knowing that he had nothing to add to Egalt’s observation.

“You do not understand your element. You do not know it as you should.” Egalt’s words were harsh, and Jay hid a wince, remembering how not moments before, he thought that his lightning was the only thing he marginally understood. It turns out that was wrong.

He didn’t understand it at all, did he?

But, wasn’t it true? He couldn’t control the lightning around him, he could barely contain his own that branched from his fingertips.

“What can I do? To get better?” He asked, trying to sound strong, but he knew that it came off as sounding desperate.

Egalt studied him. “You must listen to the lightning around you. Let it flow through your veins, become one with it. Let its power surge through you, feel it deep in your bones.”

“That’s…cryptic.” Jay muttered, confusion swirling in his gut, and Rontu smiled.

“It sounds complicated, and it is.”

“Then how can I do this?”

“We will take time. One of us must return home, in case someone searches for us, yet you can stay here as long as you need.” Egalt said. “Now, sit down among the lightning. Feel it. Listen to it.”

After one last comforting glance from Rontu, Jay walked forward, looking around for where the lightning struck the most. He could feel the static electricity in his hair, making it more frizzy than it normally was, and the lightning in him seemed to be going faster, as if it was happy to be reunited with an old friend. Jay began walking up one of the rocky hills, seeing a small piece of the mountain that was flat, yet was struck by lightning more often than any other place.

A part of him was still scared that he was going to get struck by lightning, but if he needed to understand it more, feel it as if it’s an extension of himself, he might as well start with the location with the most lightning bolts. He didn’t want to start small and work his way up, he would waste too much time. He might as well push himself to something greater right away.

Deep in the back of his mind, he was reminded of a time where he did the same, but the only thing he could remember of it was slamming into a…billboard? Poster? Wall? He didn’t know, all he knew was that he started big, risking it all. But for what? What was he risking? Jay pushed the thought away, not wanting to be distracted by the memories, or lack thereof.

“Put all of what concerns you to the side.” Egalt said from behind him, most likely noticing Jay’s hesitation, “Your mind must be clear, your body relaxed, for the lightning to reach out to you.”

Jay nodded, finally getting to the spot and lowering himself gently to sit down on the rocky surface, his legs crossed under each other. His body ached at the movement, yet he forced his limbs to loosen up. Resting his hand on his knees, his other arm suspended by the sling, he watched as lightning shot through the air, landing on the rock around him, as if taunting him with its strength. Yet, it didn’t hit him. Each strike missed his body. Jay didn’t dare entertain the idea that it was him who was doing that. Or that it was the lightning bending to his will, protecting him.

There was no way Jay was that capable yet, that familiar to the lightning. He barely scratched the surface of what he should know, according to Egalt.

He took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. He reached out with his senses, taking in every echo of thunder, every hiss of lightning as it struck beside him. He could feel the sheer power radiate in the air, casting static all around him.

Let it flow through your veins, become one with it. Let its power surge through you, feel it deep in your bones.

Jay didn’t know if he was there yet, but he could feel it. He could feel the lightning.

You have to act as our lightning rod or else the storm will tear our ship apart!

Jay’s eyes instantly flew open at the words, and in that moment a bolt of lightning struck him, causing him to cry out in pain. It felt as if his insides were on fire, the lightning cutting through him like a hot knife, melting his muscles into heaps of goo. He jumped back when the lightning had coursed through him, falling to the ground in a heap. His shoulder throbbed with every breath, and he groaned.

He heard two loud thumps, and Rontu was in front of him, an amused smile on her lips.

“I must say, I didn’t think you were ready to be struck by lightning. That is a skill only the advanced masters risk.”

“I didn’t want to!” Jay exclaimed, sitting up. “It just hit me!”

He wrapped his good arm around his stomach, willing the tingling he still felt to go away. There was a headache forming at the front of his forehead, and Jay was about ready to scream from how uncomfortable everything felt. It felt like his body wasn’t his own. His arms twitched and spasmed, his legs weren’t any better.

First he lost his memories and now this? He couldn’t catch a break. Hasn’t he suffered enough?

“What happened, Jay?” Egalt asked, walking up close to them, and Jay tried to shrug, yet failed to do so.

“I don’t know! It was working, and then…”

Then he heard those words. That he had to be struck by the lightning.

Were those memories?

“Then what? You wanted the lightning to hit you, did you not?”

“But I didn’t! Why would I ever want that?”

Egalt watched him, understanding in his eyes. “Something tells me you already know.”

“Little one.” Rontu interrupted, “You wanted to be struck, even if subconsciously. Even before, when you were sitting, you were not being hit by the lightning. Your body knew to direct the lightning away from you, even if your mind didn’t realize it. Then that changed. Why?”

Jay sighed. He couldn’t get out of this.

“I heard something. A voice. It told me that I had to be struck by lightning to save a ship. I guess…maybe that made me want to direct the lightning to myself? Because I was listening to the voice instead of what you told me?”

Some of his thoughts began to make sense, and he couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. He was regaining his memories, but it was making him get hurt? Why would thinking of getting struck by lightning out of necessity make him get struck in real life? Was he really that uncontrolled? Was his mind really that broken?

“It’s possible. You must get these memories under control, they will distract you from understanding the power you hold.” Egalt said, a tone of finality in his voice, and Jay protested.

“But一”

“Perhaps we devote more time to understanding both.” Rontu said, her voice calm and reassuring. “Jay, if you want to remember, we will do all we can to help. But you must know your lightning as well.”

“You cannot focus on both at the same moment.” Egalt agreed, and Jay found himself agreeing, too. He did not want to get struck by lightning again. He was the Master of Lightning, but it still hurt.

Egalt looked up to the sky, where the lightning storm was still brewing. “Now, start again. You will not stop until nightfall.”

---------------------------------------------------

The two moons were high in the sky when Rontu had decided that training was over for the day. Egalt had left early, claiming that he needed to be back at their home, in case there were visitors, which Jay didn’t really understand, and Rontu stayed back with Jay.

Jay couldn’t say that he understood the lightning as well as he wanted, but he definitely knew it more than he did before. Sitting among the lightning, feeling its strength, he could feel his own mind reach out to grab it, letting the lightning speak to him in fast tones, bending to his will like never before. They weren't friends, not yet, but the lightning listened to Jay more, and he listened to it. Even now, as he and Rontu walked down the mountain, he could feel the lightning speaking to him, letting him know that it was there to help Jay whenever he needed it.

Now, he could form a tight ball of lightning in his palm, controlled and restrained. Now, he could reach to the sky and guide the lightning through an intricate dance across the clouds. Now, the lightning he shot from his fingers was close to as bright, as powerful, as the ones in the sky.

A part of Jay wondered why he had learned so fast, why after a day of training he had improved so much, and he voiced his thoughts to Rontu, who walked behind him slowly on the worn path.

“You’re right, sport, it was a very fast improvement, probably some of the fastest I’ve seen. Which leads me to believe that you understood all of these things before the Merge, before you lost your memories. That is the only explanation.”

Jay sighed, kicking a small stone that was ahead of him. “You’re probably right, if I could direct lightning before the Merge, it would make sense why I was used as a lightning rod before, too. If that really was a memory.”

He couldn’t help but feel a bit like something was wrong with the thought.. He knew that there were pieces that he was missing, a story that he only had one line of context with, but being used as a lightning rod? Surely it was a one-time thing, right? Jay hated the idea that he was just a lightning rod on some person’s boat. He had to be more than that. He couldn’t stomach the thought that that was all he was.

It would make sense why no one was looking for him, though.

“Hey, Rontu?” He asked, wanting to think about anything else, “Why are we walking? Why can't we just fly back?”

“Egalt and I wanted to give you a break from the sky for a bit, even though you do control lightning, we did not want to overwhelm you. Besides, a little walk didn’t hurt anyone, did it?”

Jay shook his head no, a small smile on his face.

“We’ll walk to the coast, and then we’ll fly back.”

The mountain was behind them as they continued to walk, the lush greens of the forest a nice break from the startling blue above them. Jay could hear the gentle trickle of streams near them, the soft crunch of pine needles under their feet, and let himself breathe in the earthy smells of the soil. He could see the village from before ahead of them, and the coast beyond that, the waves foaming as they hit the shore.

It was that sight, the water crashing on the shore, that brought a sense of peace to him, a sense of longing. His heart clenched, as if he missed something about the ocean, and he couldn’t explain it.

He knew one thing for certain. Ever since he escaped the Administration, he had been remembering more, seeing more things that reminded him of his past. It was as scary as it was comforting.

“Jay.”

Jay startled when Rontu spoke, stopping in his tracks. His eyes refocused to see a wooden rope bridge ahead of them, crossing over a deep cavern. He was a few paces from it, close to walking off of it because of how deep he was stuck in his thoughts. Yet something about seeing the bridge terrified him, causing his heart to beat fast in his chest. His eyes widened, and he took a step back into Rontu’s shoulder, the dragon standing behind him. His breath sped up in his chest, a tight feeling in his throat, and he could barely breathe.

If this was a reaction to the bridge, then something must’ve happened in his past to make him feel that was. Wasn’t he just thinking about that?

He would’ve laughed at how crazy it was if he wasn’t paralyzed with fear. He tried to swallow, but couldn’t, keeping his eyes on the bridge, unwavering.

He imagined the rough wooden planks breaking under his feet. The rope snapping. Falling into the nothingness below.

“Little one? Is everything alright?”

Jay stayed silent. He couldn’t say anything even if he wanted to.

“Let’s avoid the bridge, shall we?”

Jay barely managed a nod.

Rontu seemed to understand, and silently she lowered herself down, allowing Jay to slowly hop onto her back, clutching the cloth draped across her neck, closing his eyes as she lifted off, leaving the bridge behind them.

They were back in the sky, and Jay tried to take a deep breath, failing once, twice, and three times as his breath hitched in his throat, but Rontu gave him time to pull himself together.

“What happened?”

“I…” Jay couldn’t talk about this. He couldn’t even think about it. “Can we just go home?”

Home. He didn’t know when the caves and the training grounds became his home, but he wanted to be there. He wanted to be safe. He wanted to be away from that bridge, and whatever else caused him to be so afraid.

“Of course.”

Rontu’s lanterns chimed as she flew faster, and Jay allowed himself to lean further into her warm presence, the lightning-filled skies falling behind them, and the ocean leading their way back.

Chapter Text

“It’s called a kusarigama. An interesting choice, if I do say so myself.”

Jay held the weapon in his hand, frowning as the weight felt both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. He took some time to observe it once more, squirting as the metal reflected the high sun above. His arm ached as he studied the wooden hilt reinforced with leather, his broken arm recently healed and able to be out of the sling. His other hand, the stronger one, held the kama, the blade, and held it with a confidence that Jay himself didn’t know. He had gripped the weapon as if it was an extension of his own arm. Much like the nunchucks he had trained with the previous day, his body seemed to know what to do with it, and not his mind.

It was yet another mystery that Jay didn’t know would ever get solved. But that, in the grand scheme of his new life, devoid of any memories, was the last thing he wanted to know.

“Why is it an interesting choice? It’s a weapon, isn’t it?”

Rontu hummed, watching him with a small smile. “Yes. But it is a hard one to master. The blade can be unpredictable if swung at an enemy incorrectly.”

“Same like lightning, right? If used wrong, it could be lethal.” And didn’t Jay know that well now. He would never forget the way that his body burned as that one bolt of lightning shot through him, the tingling sensation it left behind for hours. He knew that if he were anyone but the elemental master of Lightning, he would’ve been dead.

Once again, he wondered how often he was used as a lightning rod, but he pushed that thought away. There were other things to focus on.

“Very good.” Rontu replied. Gesturing with her head, the lanterns on her horns clinging softly, she pointed to the training dummies standing in front of him, piles of rocks that stood tall, unmoving, despite Jay’s attempts to knock them down. Rontu assured him that they weren’t magic, but Jay didn’t believe her. It was one of the few things they disagreed on, that Jay didn’t trust her on.

“Try again, Jay.” She said, “Use your weapon against the rocks. They will collapse, provided that you use the right moves against them.”

“Are you going to give me any hints at least? Please? Those rocks aren't falling!”

“Little one.”

Jay sighed, knowing that there was no point to his arguing. Rontu wasn’t going to let him get off easy.

“Can I have a sword at least?”

“You chose the kusarigama. It is your weapon for this training session. You know how to use it, so why do you hesitate? It’s not a sword, but at least it has a sharp edge, unlike the nunchucks from yesterday.”

Jay shook his head, walking towards the rocks. Despite Rontu’s teasing, the nunchucks were the first weapon in the entire ancient armory that seemed familiar to him. He could wield it with his eyes closed, and that was saying something, as the only weapon he knew from after the Merge was his gun from the Administration. The kusarigama was his second choice, and he just about liked it as much as the nunchucks.

“Take your time, little one.”

Taking a deep breath, Jay positioned himself in the way that felt the most natural, swinging at the stack of rocks. Nothing happened except the shrill sound echoing from the weapon, the sharp edge hitting the rocks with a shower of sparks. Jay tried again, letting the blade swing with the chain, slamming against the rocks, searching for a weakness in his enemy. A weakness in a pile of rocks.

It felt odd that this was how he was training. Yet, one thing he learned from Rontu was that one had to make the most out of what was given to them. If rocks were all Jay had to train with, he still had to train. No complaints.

In the back of Jay’s mind, he was reminded of other times he trained, even when his mind and body refused to enjoy it. He couldn’t pick out certain events, or even glimpses of who he trained with, but he could hear his own complaints in his ears, the feeling of annoyance deep in his body. Jay could tell by how he felt that he was younger then, and had lived through less of what he had now. Even without his memories, he could feel the tension that sat in his shoulders, a testament to how much he must’ve had to endure. How much he had to live though. How much he forgot.

Yet, the time with Rontu and Egalt helped. The training helped. The peace helped.

Jay didn’t know how long he had been living with them, but with every day he could tell that he was less and less worried about his future, and his past. Not only had the Administration not come for him yet, but Rontu assured him that if Jay ever faced them again, he would likely be ready. That comfort was enough to keep him going, to keep getting stronger.

And, he enjoyed having something close to a family again. Egalt was like a gruff older uncle, always giving him advice with a roll of the eyes, yet teaching him all of the same. The two often sat and watched the stars at night, Jay restless because of nightmares. He never knew why Egalt was out there. But the older dragon didn’t push him away, and Jay was grateful. Sometimes the silence was as valuable as the words that could’ve been spoken.

Rontu was like a mother to him. Jay felt a little guilty for thinking that, as he probably had a mother out there that he didn’t remember, yet it was true. She always made sure that he was eating and training, and was often willing to take him back to what he dubbed the Lightning Mountain, where he could train his element. Her presence was one Jay looked for when the silence became too much, or when he wanted a laugh. He could laugh easier with her, a sound that was soon natural in his ears, and was getting easier every day.

Things were getting better. Jay didn’t think that anything could go wrong, not for a while, at least. For the first time in what felt like years, he was safe. Whatever storm had been following him since the Merge had dissipated into the sky, leaving only warmth and sunshine. It was a feeling that he could get used to.

As he thought, he noticed something about the rock structures in front of him. All of them were held up by a smaller stone at the bottom, a stone that, if moved or hit correctly, would make the whole thing fall.

Knowing that this was going to hurt, Jay braced himself, and crouched down, swinging his leg out and into one of the rocks. The movement felt natural to him, and with a shout of joy he watched as the rock structure crumbled, hitting the training grounds with a crash.

Jay’s foot hurt, but it was a dull pain, and he didn’t waste a second getting to his feet, a beaming smile on his face.

“I got it! It wasn’t about the weapon at all, it was about finding the weak spot!”

Did you guys notice on his forehead? It has a weak spot.

Jay blinked away the thought, the possible memory, his smile turning to a frown as he watched Rontu. She didn’t seem to be paying attention to him, and was eagerly focused on Egalt, who was speaking to her quietly. It was too quiet, Jay couldn’t hear it.

Yet something told him that whatever it was was important.

“Rontu? Egalt?”

Finally, Rontu turned to him, her eyes looking slightly confused before refocusing.

“You did it! Well, done, sport! I take it that you learned the lesson?”

“Well, yeah, but…what’s going on?”

Rontu looked about to speak, but Egalt stepped forward, raising his head tall.

“There are visitors coming our way. And we have not had visitors in decades, so we were discussing why they might be here.”

“Visitors? What do you mean?” Jay asked, the words spilling out without his control, “You guys always keep saying that you need to be ready in case someone comes, but why would anyone come here? Do they know you’re here? Are they here to hurt you?”

Jay knew from his travels to the Lightning Mountain that the way home was a long journey, no one could randomly come across it. Whoever these visitors were, they were here on purpose.
He didn’t dare think about who they could be. What damage they could come to do.

Rontu must’ve seen his worry. She knelt down to him, her head nearly touching Jay’s and he forced himself to take a deep breath, searching for peace in her blue eyes.

“It is not the Administration. These are likely warriors, searching for guidance. There is no need to worry, little one.”

“However, until we know exactly who they are, what they intend, we would like you to stay in the caves.” Egalt added, his voice gruff, but kind. “Just in case they have connections to the Administration, or anyone else who can hurt you. You have potential, Jay, and I do not want anyone knowing of your existence until you’re able to fight whatever battle comes to you. Until you are ready. Or until we can guarantee that whoever knows about you won’t hurt you.”

“Wait, so you want me to hide?”

Jay couldn’t help the pang of worry and fear from bursting forth in his chest, as well as a bit of hurt that he couldn’t place, and Rontu nodded sadly.

“Just for a while. I will take you to the larger caves, ones with food, drink, and a small training ground under the surface. We will check on you as frequently as we can.”

Jay sighed, complaints on his tongue, waiting to escape, but he nodded. He trusted Rontu. He trusted Egalt.

He trusted them more than he trusted himself at this point. If hiding is what they thought was best, then that’s what he would do.

“When will they be here?”

Egalt looked to the side, as if hearing something that wasn’t there. “It depends how quickly they pass the tests.”

“Tests?”

Rontu jerked her head to the side, and Jay got up, collecting his weapon from the ground. “I will tell you later. For now, you must go. Something tells me that these warriors will be something special, and we must be ready.”

Jay couldn’t help the waver in his voice when he replied, fear still rooting itself in his stomach, tightening with every breath. “Okay.”

With that word said, Jay and Rontu walked away from the training yards, Egalt heading to where the front gate was, where the large stones sat. Jay pulled his eyes away, and fought to keep his words of worry away.

“I’m sorry, little one.” Rontu said kindly as they walked. “We just want to keep you safe.”

“I know. I just…I don’t want them hurting you.”

Rontu chuckled. “They can’t hurt me, there’s a reason I’m a Dragon Master. What else is bothering you?”

Jay had to think for a moment, trying to decipher what the fear he felt was. It didn’t take long.

“I just don’t want to be alone again.”

He remembered those days in the Administration well. Being alone in his office, working on paperwork, unable to talk to anyone. Spending all of his freetime staring at the wall in his dorm room, trying to keep his tears of frustration at bay. Not knowing if anyone out there loved him, if he mattered to anyone, if someone was looking for him. And he especially remembered being left alone in a glass cage, his lightning being yanked from his body, and not a person in sight to even cast a glance his way. Alone.

“Jay.” Rontu replied, stopping. He stopped beside her. “You won’t be alone. I promise to check on you every few hours, and if you do need anything desperately, you can come find me.”

“But, the visitors一Egalt一” His voice cracked, but she shushed him gently.

“If you need me, find me. You are not alone. And as long as I have breath in my lungs, you will never be alone again. We will deal with whatever comes next.”

They began walking again, Jay memorizing her every word, committing it to his fragile memory, knowing that he could repeat it to himself over and over again if he ever felt too lonely. If the fear decided to come back.

When they reached the cave, one larger than the last, with a curtain of leaves and moss, Jay stopped and turned to Rontu. The dragon knelt down to him, and Jay didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around her neck, hugging her. He could feel her tuck her head in, pressing herself against his own neck, and Jay felt her protection from all sides, an unshakable wall that no enemy could break through.

“Rontu. They’re here.”

Jay stiffened at Egalt’s voice, letting go, Rontu letting go of him too. After meeting Rontu’s eyes one last time, made his way into the cave, and let the leaf curtain fall behind him, hiding him from the world outside.

And then, he waited.

---------------------------------------------------------

Jay, over the course of the time that he had lost his memories, found that he didn’t like waiting. Whether it be for reports to come to his desk, or lunchtime, he couldn’t calm his mind or his body, he couldn’t find peace when waiting for anything. His foot would always jump in place, he would always pace, and he noticed that he even began muttering under his breath when things got too hard to wait for.

And he was doing all three of those things now.

He didn’t know how long it had been since Rontu and Egalt had left, but it had felt like days. Jay tried to pass the time with training, but his mind wandered too quickly to focus on anything. He even picked up a few swords and swung them around, but he couldn’t even find the desire to hit the training rocks.

He could hear a commotion outside, unfamiliar voices reaching his ears, but he couldn’t make out the words. A part of him wanted to go outside and see them, but he knew that Egalt would disagree. And, the last thing he wanted was for Egalt to be mad at him.

The waiting was torture. But, Jay knew that there were worse places to be. So, he dealt with it.

He spent his time reading through the old scrolls that were left behind, he barely understood them, but it passed the time. His foot never stopped tapping, though.

As he read, he kept a constant eye on the bits of light that poked through the curtain, watching it as it dimmed into darkness. The voices quieted, and Jay felt his apprehension spiking. Had the visitors left? Were Egalt and Rontu okay?

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Rontu poked her head through the curtain, and Jay scrambled to her, questioning words on his lips. But before he could say anything, she fully walked into the cave, her eyes full of worry.

“Rontu? What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing you should concern yourself with, little one.”

Jay wanted to argue, he could see the tension in her wings, the heaviness in her walk, but he knew better. He didn’t want to stress her out even more than she already was.

“And the visitors?”

“They will be staying. Egalt and I will be training them. I’m sorry, but you’ll be here for a little while longer.”

Jay hesitated before speaking up again. He wanted his fears gone. He wanted to know who they were. He wanted to know what was going on.

“Could I meet them?”

“Not now. There are other things they must focus on. But perhaps after.” Rontu walked over to him, laying down and closing her eyes. Her voice was weary, as if the fate of the world was resting on her shoulders, and Jay didn’t know what else to say. Without hesitation, he sat by her, grabbing one of the blankets and curling up himself.

“Jay.”

Rontu’s blue eyes opened to meet his, and Jay gave her a grim smile.

“Please don’t do anything rash. One of the greatest lessons one can learn is how to think before acting. Things are strange right now, little one, but do not jump into a situation without thinking it through first. I understand you want answers. But don’t find them acting without thought. More pain could come if you do.”

And that’s the last thing that they needed. Her unspoken words echoed in his mind, and he nodded.

“I won’t. I trust you, Rontu.”

“I trust you too, little one. Now rest.”

Jay laid back down, his head resting on some of the bundled up blanket. He closed his eyes, but his mind was racing, thoughts of confusion and worry growing with every second. He tried to take comfort in the sound of Rontu’s breathing beside him, but if anything it made his worry worse.

What was happening? Why was Rontu so worried? Who were those visitors?
That night he slept fitfully, leaving him frustrated and exhausted, and deep down he knew things would only get worse. He tried to tell himself that it wasn’t the Administration, that he wouldn’t be locked up again, but Rontu’s barely concealed concern told him that it was something bigger. Something that posed a danger to more than just his element.

Was someone planning an attack on the Merged Realm? Is that why Rontu was training these warriors, so that they could defeat whatever was coming?

He thought until his head hurt, thinking of all of the enemies that the Administration told him about, searching for answers for her worry. Could it be Ghosts from the Departed Realm? Imperium? Oni?

He sighed, curling in further on himself. He could feel his lightning shifting within him at the thought of danger, and he wished….no, he longed to go outside and unleash it into the air.

He knew that he couldn’t. He couldn’t do anything to help himself, or Rontu.

He had felt useless too often in his new life after the Merge. Useless to escape the Chamber. Useless to escape the Administration. And now, too useless to help Rontu and Egalt, the closest that he has to family.

He knew that this uselessness was worse. He couldn’t help them. All he could do was sit and hide, waiting for answers that might not come.

So, that’s what he did. And he hated every second of it.

Chapter Text

Jay woke up with a shout, his heart pounding in his chest. His skin was coated in sweat, and he clutched his chest, willing his lungs to draw in some air. Bile rose in his throat, but he swallowed it down, not wanting to puke in the cave that he would be spending who knew how much time in. His whole body shook, with tremors that made his limbs jerk.

He didn’t even remember the nightmare he woke from. He just knew he never wanted to experience that again.

He gasped, his stomach churning, and he knew that he needed to get outside, now.
Pushing his way through the leaf wall, he ran for a few trees, knowing that he couldn’t be seen through their dense leaf coverage, and hoped that he was fast enough to escape the eyes of the visitors. Tucking his body between a tree and a large bush, he knelt down, closing his eyes as his body shook with nausea. He took a deep breath, focusing on the fresh air around him, the sunshine on his neck, the feeling of the wind on his cheeks.

Wait. His hood. He needed to put it up. That way, if anyone did see him, they wouldn’t know who he was. Throwing on his hood, he kept his bandana down, just in case, but willed the nausea to go away so that he could put it up, too.

He breathed for a few moments, in through his nose, and out through his mouth, before his stomach began to settle. Opening his eyes, he pulled his badanda up, and leaned against a rock that was nearby. He didn’t trust his quaking body to let him take a step, let alone walk him back to the cave.

“That was gross.”

Jay yelped when he heard a new voice, whipping his head around to see a young girl looking at him. The first thing he noticed about her was her fiery red hair, held together in place by…was that a bone? A rock? The second thing he noticed was that her leg was wrapped in a heavy bandage, and Jay couldn’t help but sympathize with her.

She must’ve been one of the visitors. Why wasn’t Rontu or Egalt training her? Was it because she was injured?

He was thankful that he threw on his hood, though. He didn’t want to know what would’ve happened if the girl knew him from somewhere, or if she was giving information to the Administration.

“Umm…hi?” Jay finally responded, and the girl rolled her eyes.

“You nearly just, like, puked and that’s all you say? Gross!”

“Uh. Sorry?”

“I’m not bothered by it, I’m not grossed out by anything!”

Somehow, Jay knew that that was a lie, but he nodded.

“Sure.”

“I’m serious! I’m not!” She nearly swung her arms around madly as she said that, but the stick that she was holding, like a cane, stopped her from doing so, and she stumbled. Jay tried to get up to help her, but his own legs shook, and he fell right back down.

“Are you injured, too?” The girl asked, and Jay shook his head.

“No. I’ll be fine.”

“Good.” The girl huffed, sitting beside him without a second of hesitation. “Because Rontu won’t let you train if you’re hurt. At least that’s what she told me. Everyone else is learning Spinjitzu and the Rising Dragon technique and all I can do is sit and watch! It’s not fair!”

Jay didn’t know what to say to that. He wasn’t surprised that Rontu was strict about the injury, even as he trained with an injury she didn’t let him have any weapons. But, there were so many things that this girl said that he didn’t understand. Spinjitzu? Rising Dragon?

“And I know I can learn it, even while injured! Nothing can stop me! Not even a stupid leg!” The girl continued, unfazed by Jay’s silence, and he couldn’t help but stare at her. He knew he barely knew anything anymore, other than his lightning and his own training, but he couldn’t help but speak up to that.

“But, if you keep training while injured, it could get worse. You might be unstoppable, but even dragons take breaks sometimes, and they’re unstoppable, right?”

The girl stared at him, her eyebrows furrowing in thought, before she shook her head.

“It’s different! It’s not fair!”

And somehow, Jay knew that there was no convincing her otherwise.

His eyes wandered to a gap in the trees and bushes, where he heard more voices, muffled by the sound of the wind.

“And who even are you?” The girl asked suddenly, and Jay turned back to her, curling in on himself at the question.

“I…I’m a student of Rontu’s.”

He couldn't say his name. If the Administration somehow came here, he didn’t want anyone knowing that he was Jay Walker. Not even a girl who didn’t seem to care much.

“And why aren’t you training with us? Rontu didn’t mention you. Do you know Spinjitzu? Not like I care. At all.”

Jay could’ve smirked at her response, exactly as he guessed.

“It’s a long story. We probably don’t have time to go over it.”

“Fine! I have better things to do, anyways.”

“Wyldfyre! Where are you? Nya is looking for you!” Another voice called, getting closer, and Jay finally got to his feet, his hand going to a knife that he kept at his belt since the visitors arrived. The girl, apparently called Wyldfyre, didn’t seem too scared, and only looked at him with slight confusion.

Jay’s heart was pounding. Somehow he knew that, if this other visitor found him, their meeting would be a lot less carefree. He tried to keep his breathing even, despite the panic that shot through his veins, struggling to take a full breath.

Like the mask on his face, he put on another mask, one of calm. He forced himself to act like he wasn’t terrified, that his fears weren’t at the forefront of his mind.

He couldn’t be recognised. He couldn’t be known. Not until Rontu said that it was safe. Whoever that was couldn’t see him. He couldn’t let them.

“I’m fine, Sora!” Wyldfyre finally called back, and the footsteps stopped. “I’ll be there soon.”

Jay looked at Wyldfyre, and he hoped that she could sense his seriousness as he spoke.

“Hey, could you keep this a secret?” He asked softly, “I shouldn’t have talked to you. Egalt might get upset if he finds out.”

Rontu too. But Jay didn’t want to think about that.

He disobeyed their orders, their request to keep him safe. If they found out they would not only be disappointed in him, but scared for his future. He couldn’t do that to them, not after all that they’ve done for him.

Jay had never disappointed them before. He didn’t want to start now.

And, more people knowing him meant more of a chance that the Administration would find out about him. The more chance he had to get back to the Chamber, to have his lightning taken from him.

He could barely stomach the thought.

“A secret?”

“Yeah. Just between us two.”

“Duh! Of course I can! That’s easy-peasy!”

Jay let himself smile, even though his lips were hidden by the bandana. “Thanks.”

Without saying another word, Wyldfyre began making her way back to the training yard. Through the break in the trees, Jay could see a girl with pink hair waiting for her.

He didn’t wait to see how the interaction went. He needed to hide. He couldn’t interact with anyone else.

He just really, really hoped that Wyldfyre would keep his secret.

At this point, he didn’t care about the nightmare. He just didn’t want things to get worse in reality,

After quickly running back into the cave, letting the leaf wall fall behind him, he took a deep breath, forcing his heart to stop racing. Leaning against one of the cold stone walls, he slid to the ground, putting his head in his hands, gasping for breath. He pulled down the bandana, but kept the hood up. He didn’t really know why. Something about it made him feel safer than he did without it.

He didn’t know how long he sat there, breathing, but eventually his body became too sore to stay against the rocks. Getting up quietly, he made his way to the back of the cave, to the scrolls that he was reading before. He knew that he had to do something or the panic would get worse.

Sitting down, he grabbed one of the fruits that sat nearby, cutting it open with his knife. As he ate, he quickly looked through the scrolls, wondering if any of them spoke of any of the techniques that the girl, Wyldfyre, had mentioned. Spinjitzu, was it? And Rising Dragon.

As he read, as no one else entered the cave, he felt his mind calm down, his nerves setting as much as they could. Rontu’s attitude from the night before crossed his mind, and he wondered if these two fighting styles were crucial in stopping whatever evil it was.

Wouldn’t it be good if he knew them, then? So that he could help?

He knew that Rontu wanted him to stay away. But what if he’s the only chance that they have? What if he needs to know how to fight like the others?

Reading through the scrolls faster than he thought possible, Jay couldn’t see anything talking about Rising Dragon, but one mentioned Spinjitzu.

It was an ancient technique, one used by many elementalists, one that balanced speed and precision. It was described as a tornado, covered by their element, a whirlwind of power. Jay read the instructions on how to accomplish such a technique, yet at the end of the page he read the final words, his heart sinking.

No one could accomplish Spinjitzu without being taught it. No one could be self-taught. Did that mean that Jay couldn’t do it? Or was reading the scroll enough?

Jay decided that he was too worried to even try. His mind still wandered back to the girl, to Rontu, to the trouble that was coming. Egalt always told him that he needed to be focused to use his element. Shouldn’t it also apply to Spinjitzu?

He tried to read it again, memorizing it, but the concept seemed so odd, so not like him, the words didn’t mean anything to him. The Administration taught him to shoot his gun whenever necessary, without hesitation if the right paperwork was in place. His own self wanted to panic in fights, his body being able to keep up with the punches without his mind realizing it, instinctively. He didn’t have the concentration, or the understanding of motion like Spinjitzu needed. Perhaps it would come with time and practice, like his understanding of his lighting.

But with everything going on, with the visitors, Rontu’s strange actions and the danger that was no doubt coming, he doubted he could concentrate on something new.

With a sigh, he got up and grabbed a pair of nunchucks. If he was going to help stop whatever this was, he might as well get better at something instead of doing nothing.

In the distance, he could hear the voices again, along with the cries of exclamation that accompanied training. He swung his nunchucks faster, hitting some of the rock training dummies, something cold dropping in his stomach. He didn’t know what it was, not really, but it got worse as he heard more voices, their tones echoing against the rocks. The tight feeling in his chest, the one that often accompanied a morning after a nightmare, came back. No matter how hard he trained, it wouldn’t go away.

Eventually, he settled down by the leaf wall, sitting against the wall. He listened to the voices, wondering why he felt like this, and waiting for them to give an answer. As if they would know that he was here and why his heart ached.

He was happy. He had Rontu and Egalt. He had a family. He wasn’t alone anymore. And, the people out there could be a danger. They could hurt him.
But hearing those voices, a mix of very young voices and voices much like his own, slightly older but still sounding burdened by what Jay didn’t know, changed something in him.

It was at that moment that he realized that he wanted friends. He missed the friends that he may have left behind.

Was he selfish for wanting more friends than Rontu and Egalt? For thinking that they weren’t enough? He loved laughing with Rontu, sitting with Egalt. But he wanted more. Was he wrong for that?

They saved his life. They gave him a home. A family. A purpose.

They taught him more than he remembered being taught before. How to listen to lightning. How to fight. How to be strong.

Why did he want more? Why did his heart long for more friends, for people to be by his side, to train with? Why did he want to know people? To have people like the visitors outside had each other?

He knew that the world might be ending soon. He knew that it didn’t matter, not in the grand scheme of what his life had become. But, deep down, it did matter. It mattered more than his memories. It mattered more than even his lightning.

If he went out there, met the visitors, maybe he could get more friends. All he had to do was walk out and go to the training grounds.

But, could he trust them? Did they give the Administration information? Would they hurt him?

Wouldn’t it be best if he went out and met them first, before his mind wandered?

Jay felt tears burn in the back of his eyes. No. He couldn’t think about that. He couldn’t do that. He still cared for Rontu and Egalt, he couldn’t do that to them. He couldn’t put anything more on their shoulders.

Nonetheless, he still sat by the leaf wall, listening, so close to a chance at getting another friend, a group of friends, more family, but still so impossibly far.

-------------------------------------------

He didn’t know how long he sat there, but Rontu came to visit him, this time in the day. She only came at night usually, so seeing her in the daylight made him more nervous than he liked to admit.

It also didn’t help that, before she came, the voices he listened to turned to yelling, followed by a growl of pain, one that sounded like Egalt. Before he knew what he was doing, he was on his feet, rushing to grab his kusarigama from the other side of the cave and back to the leaf wall.

His arms were trembling, eager to fight, eager to help, but the leaf wall stopped him, echoes of Rontu and Egalt’s request, their orders, rushing through his mind. He wanted to help. But should he leave? Was Egalt okay? Did the visitors attack him?

His lungs struggled to find air. His breath hitched, his mind whirling, fighting to find a solution that would help everyone.

He wanted to go out to help. He needed to. The urge thrummed through his veins, as if it was a second nature to him, as strong as the lightning under his skin. He needed to go and save Egalt. He needed to save the little family he had.

He was ready to risk being hunted by the Administration for it. Yet, his feet didn’t move from the entryway. He didn’t want to disappoint them. But he didn’t want to lose them either.

Jay stepped forward, pulling the curtain back, and prepared to run forward, prepared to save Egalt from whatever had happened.

That was when Rontu found him, her wings opening to block the outside world., trapping him inside the cave. She looked worried, more than the nights prior, and it took everything in Jay’s power to not push past her.

He felt like a caged animal, then. Needing to escape. Needing to save Egalt. Needing to help. And not being able to.

“Rontu! What happened?” Jay asked desperately, his chest heaving with panic, “Egalt sounded hurt, and….”

“Little one. Everything is alright.” Rontu said, no doubt trying to calm him, but her voice shook.

Jay didn’t believe it. Everything wasn’t alright.

“What happened?” Jay demanded, something close to determination breaking through the fear, and he stood his ground. “You don’t have to tell me everything if you don’t want to, but if Egalt is hurt, and I can help, you have to let me! What happened?”

Rontu opened her mouth to reply, but Jay interrupted her, the words that had been bottled up now spilling out, fueled by panic and fear.

“I can’t stay here hiding while Egalt gets hurt! Who’s next? You? I thought you said they couldn’t hurt you. What’s going on? Please!”

“Jay.” The word word, spoken softly, burdened, was what made Jay finally fall silent. He didn’t even realize that his fists were clenched until Rontu looked down at them. He could feel that his cheeks were wet, tears finally escaping after days of fear, of waiting.

He didn’t like waiting.

“Jay.” Rontu continued, letting her wings drop, and Jay fought the urge to run outside. “It was an accident. Everything’s alright.”

“What do you mean by an accident?” He whispered, the words barely escaping his lips.

“There was a stray stone that hit his eye in a training exercise. He will be alright. Now, I must go and make sure everything is alright, he is upset, as expected.”

“Let me come with you!” Jay suddenly exclaimed, the words escaping before he thought about them. “I just need to see if he’s okay. If…”

If the visitors really were a danger to them. If Rontu and Egalt were safe.

Rontu studied him. Jay barely could contain the pent up nerves in his body, and bounced his knee as he waited. Finally, Rontu sighed, and nodded.

“Wear your hood and bandana. If you are seen, at least your face will be hidden. Keep in the trees and above the training grounds.”

“I will.”

Rontu led him outside, and Jay put on his hood, raising the bandana above his nose and mouth. He blinked at the brightness of the sun, and lowered his hood further, hiding his eyes. They both quickly made their way to the training grounds, rushing up the hill beside it and hiding behind a large group of rocks. Still keeping a strong grip on his kusarigama, he climbed up it and lifted himself as high as he could on them, keeping unseen but being able to see the others.

And what a sight it was.

Egalt stood in front of two men, a young one in orange and one in green, who looked slightly older. The one in orange was cowering, with the one in green standing slightly in front of him protectively. Beside Egalt, two others stood, a guy in red with spiky hair, the other in gray and blue, a girl.

The girl that Jay had talked with before, Wyldfyre, stood with a girl with pink hair in front of Rontu, who had just made it there, all of them watching with anticipation and worry.

The tension in the air was palpable, and Jay kept his breathing even.

One of Egalt’s eyes was cloudy white, squinting, the dragon clearly flustered and angry. He spoke, his voice as gruff as ever, and Jay felt bad for whoever he was talking to.

“I knew you weren't ready, child.” Egalt was saying to the one in orange, “You’re demoted down to First Fang!”

First Fang. Jay didn’t know what it meant. But whatever it was meant a lot to the boy in orange, as his eyes widened. Green walked over to him, going to put a comforting hand on his shoulder, but the boy turned away.

“ You’ll be back in our group before you know it.” The green one said, but the boy only walked back to Rontu, looking defeated.

Everyone was silent as the training ground emptied. Jay stayed where he was, watching as Rontu led her group away, Egalt wandering the other way, followed by the one in red and the girl. The one in green stayed on the training grounds, sitting down right where he stood, heaving out a heavy sigh.

Jay decided that he wasn't going to be creepy and watch this guy no doubt think about what just happened. Jay already knew that Egalt was alive, and the visitors didn't seem like too much of a danger. Anyone with an evil intention would take Egalt’s moment of weakness and use it to their advantage, hurting Egalt even more, but the one in orange looked remorseful. No one went to attack Egalt even with his damaged eye.

Maybe these visitors weren’t a danger. Maybe Jay could trust them.

But, he still wanted to help Egalt and Rontu, and maybe the visitors. He wanted to make sure that Egalt didn’t get hurt again.

He let out a light sigh himself. He might as well head back to the caves, lessen the risk of him being seen, and try to learn Spinjitzu again. Then he might be able to help whenever danger was coming. And that way the guy in green could process everything without being watched.

He slid down the rocks slowly, but his foot caught on a loose crop of stones, causing a pile of them to stumble to the ground. Jay winced as they made noise as they fell, clattering against the other stones and rocks, thumping down onto the soil below. The sounds echoing across the courtyard, until they settled in a strained silence.

Jay stood still. He couldn’t risk moving until he knew that the sound had been dismissed as nothing.

But, he had never been so lucky.

He heard movement below him, clothes shifting, a metallic clang of a weapon being drawn.

“Hello? Is someone there?”

Chapter Text

Lloyd thought that things couldn’t get any worse. With the visions plaguing his days and nights, the Blood Moon coming, and now Arin being demoted to First Fang, how could anything else go so badly? He hated the defeated look on Arin’s face when he was demoted, he hated the exhaustion that clung to his being with every second of every day, he hated how he was expected to have all the answers when he didn’t have them. Things couldn’t get worse.

He wondered if Sensei Wu would be proud of him for staying strong despite it all. He wondered how long he could keep it up.

But things did get worse. And Lloyd knew that he couldn’t keep up for much longer.

There was a noise across the training yard, one that sounded like a scattering of rocks. He hoped that it was just an animal, or just the natural shifting of the earth, but his heart raced, telling him otherwise.

“Hello? Is someone there?”

He pulled his sword out from his sheath, the metallic ringing echoing through the silence.

Then there was more noise, branches breaking and dirt scattering, the telltale signs of someone running.

So Lloyd ran after it.

It could’ve just been an animal, but it could’ve been something else. It could’ve been an intruder, someone here to hurt them, someone from the Administration, or even working with Ras. What if it was Ras?

Lloyd’s heart pounded in his chest at the thought. No. He wasn’t going there. Ras wouldn’t dare come here, not when these two Dragon Masters knew the Rising Dragon Technique. It was probably something else.

Hopefully.

Without a second thought, Lloyd got to his feet, holding his sword tightly in his hands, and ran after whatever it was.

It didn’t take him long to run up the slight slope, watching as a figure clad in black and dark blue ran ahead of him, pushing itself through the dark greenery of the forest around him.

“Hey! Stop!” Lloyd called, but the person only ran faster, and Lloyd knew without a doubt that this person was faster than him. A lot faster than him. Not as fast as the Master of Speed, but fast enough that it was inhuman. Was it a sign of an elemental power perhaps?

The only other elementalist with accelerated speed was Jay, and Jay wasn’t here.

Lloyd forced himself to not think about his missing friend. He couldn’t get distracted. Not now.

Branches hit his face as he passed, but he didn’t slow down, eager to catch whoever this person was and find out exactly who they were. Why were they spying on him? On them? What did they want?

Lloyd knew that he couldn’t catch up on his feet. With a jump, Lloyd grabbed onto a branch above him and began jumping from tree to tree, catching up slowly but surely. His muscles ached as he jumped and grabbed branches for support, sweat coating his face, but he didn’t slow down. He couldn’t.

He was covering more ground, off the ground. The person below him seemed to trip on piles of rocks and bushes, constantly looking up at Lloyd above him, their eyes and mouth covered by a black hood and bandana. Lloyd could now see that they held a kusarigama, one of the hardest weapons to master, and he knew that this person was a skilled warrior.

But Lloyd knew himself. He knew his element. He could beat whoever this was. Easily.

Finally, Lloyd was ahead of him, and with a graceful drop he landed right in the person’s path, causing them to stutter to a stop, holding out their weapon defensively.

The two of them stopped in a small clearing, the sun high above them, but Lloyd didn’t let himself focus on it for very long. His chest heaved as he took a good look at his enemy, and he held out his own sword in front of him. His blond hair stuck to his forehead, but he couldn’t afford to brush it away, or lose focus.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” Lloyd demanded, and the person in front of him didn’t move, their limbs stiff.

Lloyd took a moment to study his opponent. They looked like a man, with a thinner figure, yet muscled. He was tall, and held himself with confidence, the confidence of someone who had fought many battles. He had light skin, his eyes, nose, and mouth completely covered in a black cloth, hiding his identity, but Lloyd could see some faint freckles scattered across the skin he could see.

“Stay back.” The man said, his voice low, but Lloyd could hear the fakeness in his tone. He was pretending to have a lower voice than he did. Why? How old was this guy?

Nonetheless, Lloyd wasn’t letting his guard down.

“No. Who are you?” He demanded, and the man stiffened.

“I’m…I’m a student of Rontu’s. I’m not here to hurt anyone.”

“But you were spying on us? Why? Why hasn’t Rontu told you about us?”

“It’s…it’s hard to explain.”

Hard to explain?

Lloyd wanted to think that he was a patient person. He has dealt with his crazy, evil father, lived with so many others who could be unbearable at times, and now trained two kids who couldn’t be more troublesome. He remained calm throughout all of it, not losing his cool, and never getting too angry. But, now, when the world was about to end and it felt like it was all on his shoulders, he had reached his limit.

This man had just told him that things were hard to explain, thus not explaining it. Lloyd wouldn’t take that. He was tired of not knowing. He needed answers, now. His patience had worn off.

“That’s not enough! You’re going to tell me right now, or else I’ll take you to Rontu and Egalt and see if you’re telling the truth!”

“Okay, okay!” The man lowered his weapon slightly, but didn’t let his guard down. “I’ve been hiding in the caves. Rontu didn’t want me to meet you, but I heard that Egalt got hurt. I just wanted to make sure that he was alright.” His voice was still deep, but it wavered uncertainley, as if he was afraid. Lloyd wasn’t proud of that, making this person afraid, but he needed to know that this man wasn’t a danger to him or his family.

“Why would Rontu train you?”

“I’m an elemental master. She knew that I had no one else to train me, so she’s been teaching me how to use my powers.”

An elemental master? One who might be able to help them stop Ras? Why would Rontu keep him hidden? They could use all the help that they could get. Didn’t she know that?

“Which element?” Lloyd demanded, and that question caused the man to pause. “I know many elemental masters, and trust me, you’re not one of them. If you’re lying, I’ll know. Answer the question wisely.”

The man still didn’t respond, but he lowered his weapon completely. “Um…”

“Little one! Where are you?” Rontu’s voice interrupted him, echoing above them, frantic, and without warning she landed in front of the man in black, her teeth bared and her body poised to attack. Yet, her wide eyes filled with recognition when she saw Lloyd, and she immediately relaxed.

“Lloyd. I’m glad it was you. I feared the worst.”

He didn’t want to waste a second. He wanted answers. “Who is this, Rontu? Why would you hide him from us?”

“Little one.”

With those words spoken, the man came forward, hiding under Rontu’s shadow.

“What were you thinking?” Rontu asked, turning to the man, and he glanced at Lloyd before turning back to her.

“I tried to leave, but I made some noise. He heard.”

Rontu chuckled. “Of course he did, he’s a trained ninja. This is Lloyd, the Green Ninja. Lloyd, this is my student.”

“Student? Why didn’t you tell us?” Lloyd asked, and the man tensed.

“He’s been attacked and hunted by others, others who have tried to capture him. We have been keeping him hidden from strangers. By the time we determined that you and the other ninja were people we could trust, our focus had diverted.”

Lloyd sighed, trusting her and knowing exactly what she was referring to. “With the Blood Moon coming, you thought that introducing him wasn’t important, right?”

“Indeed. Things of this nature became less important than your training.”

“What blood moon?” The man asked, his voice becoming a bit higher pitched, to the point it was almost familiar, but Lloyd dismissed it. “What’s going on?”

“The world is ending, little one.” Rontu said, her tail flicking nervously. “I didn’t want to tell you. Lloyd and his friends are going to save us, but if they didn’t, I wanted you to have as much peace as you could. I didn’t want you to worry.”

“I could’ve helped. I can help.” The man said, sounding determined. Lloyd found himself agreeing with him. He didn’t trust this student, but in order to defeat Ras, maybe his help was necessary.

“He’s right, Rontu. We need all the help we can get. If he’s an elemental master, we could use him. From the way he’s holding that weapon, he’s good at hand to hand combat, too.” A bit of hope sparked in Lloyd’s chest, knowing that they might have a chance, another pair of hands to help them save the Merged Realm. Turning to the man, he sheathed his sword. “Do you know Spinjitzu? Rising Dragon Technique?”

The man shook his head. “I…I don’t.”

“He’s not ready to fight the villains you must face, Lloyd.” Rontu replied sternly. “He must remain behind.”

“But一”

“His element is powerful, admittedly one of the most powerful of them all. He needs complete focus, or else he could hurt everyone, including his allies. He is not ready. Perhaps, if Ras and his Wolf Warriors fail, then he can join you in future battles.”

Lloyd hated to admit that she was right. He didn’t know this man’s element, but he knew how dangerous elements can be without the control that trained elementalists have.

In that moment he remembered Jay again. Jay was, is, one of the most powerful, yet most controlled, of his friends. If someone only looked at Jay’s frantic anxiety, his constant talking in battle, his fear so clearly displayed, one would think that he had no control. That his focus was gone, replaced only with concern that bled off of him. But Lloyd knew better. All of the Ninja knew better.

Jay was able to control the lightning as if it was his own arm, an extension of himself, powerful yet tamed under his watchful eye. No matter how scared Jay got, his lightning never wavered. If it did, they would all no doubt be dead. He knew control. He knew how to be focused.

He remembered how Jay had taught him to control his own lightning powers, way back when Lloyd was a child. How patient he was, how he never stopped encouraging him.

Lloyd missed Jay. Perhaps, after all of this was over, when the Merged Realms were at peace, they would find him. But they couldn’t afford to look now.

But knowing Jay meant that Lloyd understood how important control was. Someone with a powerful element needed to have focus, nor else they would hurt others more than they would help.

“I understand.” Lloyd said, giving the man a nod. “I hope that one day we’ll fight beside each other as allies.”

“I hope so, too.” The man replied, and he quickly hopped onto Rontu’s back, resting his hand on Rontu’s neck.

“Lloyd, we must keep training you to learn the Rising Dragon Technique.” Rontu said. “Egalt has resumed his training. And my student will return to the caves. The only thing I ask is that you do not mention this to your friends until after the battle, the last thing they need right now is another thing to worry about.”

“I agree. I’ll keep it a secret.” He could imagine the chaos that would come from this knowledge, and the confusion. He wondered what Nya would think, or Kai. Would they welcome the newcomer, or would they be doubtful of how trustworthy he could be? Even Lloyd himself didn’t trust the man completely. And how would the kids react? Would they be scared, or curious?

There were too many things at stake to risk being distracted. Lloyd would keep it a secret. He had to.

With a few beats of her wings, Rontu rose into the sky, flying away quickly, likely to return the man back to the caves. Lloyd watched her as she left, something close to worry churning in his gut. Would that man ever reach his full potential? Ever learn to focus his element? Would Lloyd ever get to learn his name?

None of that would matter if Ras won. Lloyd knew that. So, he would train, and learn the Rising Dragon Technique. Somehow, it felt more important now than ever.

-----------------------------------------------------

Jay didn’t want to say that he was embarrassed, but he was. One of the visitors caught him. If it weren’t for Rontu, he didn’t know what would’ve happened. Would he have had to admit that he had the elemental power of lightning? That the Administration wanted to use him to power their weapons, risking the visitor wanting the same thing? Would he have had to fight Lloyd?

The guy seemed nice, even familiar in a way that Jay didn’t understand. When he had first seen the man, standing in front of him with his sword drawn, Jay’s first thought was of lightbulbs.

Out of all of his possible memories, that one was the most strange. But at the moment it didn’t matter. Even now, it didn’t.

Jay wanted to think that he could beat Lloyd in battle, but something told him that he couldn’t. Lloyd seemed like a seasoned fighter, one who had fought in every battle imaginable. Jay hadn’t. He may have before the Merge, but those memories were gone. He couldn’t face anyone like Lloyd, at least not yet.

Maybe with time he could.

But he didn’t have time.

In mere days, the world could end. Everything could end.

Jay would lose the only chance he had at a new life. At remembering any life at all.

His chest felt empty at the thought, as if there was nothing left to think about, to feel.

He didn’t have any memories of his past life. He didn’t know exactly who he was now. He didn’t know what he could do, not fully. He might never grow older to learn that. And now that was being ripped away from him. His past was gone, his present was vanishing, and his future was changing to never exist.

He hoped more than anything else in the world that Lloyd could save them. That he had his team could stop Ras, stop the Wolf Warriors, and save them all.

Rontu had explained everything to him, and Jay wished, no, hoped, that he could help them. But he wasn’t ready yet, was he?

He found himself sitting by the leaf wall again, back in the cave, his weapon resting at his side.

The sun was lowering in the sky, and he could feel his eyes slip closed, despite the knowledge that the world was ending. Whether it was because of what he recently learned, the excitement from the day, knowing that he was useless to do anything more, the heavy acceptance of what was coming, or the worries from two lives bleeding into one, Jay didn’t know, but he couldn’t fight the exhaustion that clung to him, despite how hard he tried.

He dreamt of nothing.

But when he awoke, it was jarring, as if lightning had struck him from the sky above. He gasped, his eyes widening.

The first things he noticed was that the sky was red, and the world was silent.

Not a voice could be heard. Not even a sound.

Jay hated silence. And he knew what it meant now. What the red sky meant.

He didn’t waste a second running outside, his kusarigama tightly held in his hands. He bolted for the training grounds, wind whipping through his hair, panic racing through his heart. His chest was tight, suffocating him, stealing the strength that he fought so hard for, pushing his body into survival mode, trying to make it to the next breath.

What was happening? Where were Rontu and Egalt? Were they okay? Was the world ending?

He hated that he fell asleep. He could’ve been training! He could’ve stopped this, right? He had to have been able to!

Deep down, he knew that he couldn’t have. But that knowledge did nothing to stop the fear.

He made it to the main training grounds, where the lower rock ground was connected to a higher ground by a stone staircase.

He saw the stone statues before he realized what they were.

“Rontu? Egalt?” His voice was strained, breathless, weak. He reached the bottom of the graystatues, looking up at the grand figures made of stone.

It didn’t feel real. It didn’t feel real at all.

The red moon, the blood moon, lit up the darkness, highlighting the details of the statues in startling horror. Each of the statues looked exactly like the Dragon Masters, like his family. Their eyes looked the same, Rontu’s kind, Egalt’s wise, but they were lifeless.

They couldn’t be stone. This had to be a joke, right? This was one of Rontu’s tricks, one to keep Jay laughing. This was a test from Egalt, seeing if he would let his guard down when things seemed safe.

He let out a strained laugh. “Egalt, come on, I know this isn’t real.”

There was no response. Nothing.

The only noise Jay could hear was a ringing in his ears, growing louder and louder with every second, his limbs freezing in place, paralyzing him.

It was them. Rontu and Egalt were turned to stone.

How? Why would this happen? Who could…

No. This couldn’t be happening.

“Rontu, wake up!” Jay screamed, desperation in his tone, and he touched the stone with the palm of his hand, right on Rontu’s shoulder, waiting for a response, a bit of movement, anything. Their eyes stayed still. Their wings didn’t move. Their hearts didn’t beat.

No movement came.

Nothing.

“Rontu! This isn’t funny! Wake up! Wake up!”

His weapon clattered to the ground, and his body followed moments later, his knees collapsing from under him.

Tears burned in his eyes, and Jay tried to hold back the sobs that shook his chest.

“Wake up! Wake up! Come on! Wake up!

He couldn’t be alone. Not again. He couldn’t lose his family. Not again.

Not again. Not again.

Please not again.

“Wake up…please…” his voice broke, and the little composure he held fractured. His eyes closed. Hot tears finally fell down his cheeks, sobs seizing his body, shaking him down to his core. His hair fell limply onto his forehead, quaking with every sob, and he cried.

He cried for the confusion that didn’t leave him. He cried for the fear that he couldn’t shake. He cried knowing that maybe he could've helped them. He cried for the ones he had lost.

The world might be ending soon, but as far as Jay was concerned, his world had already ended. Rontu and Egalt were gone. And Jay was alone again.

He didn’t know how long he sat there, wailing. Time had no meaning anymore. Nothing did.
Rontu and Egalt had saved him when he couldn’t save himself. They didn’t deserve this. They deserved to be happy.

Behind him, a sharp noise cut through his despair, familiar, and terrifying. Jay opened his eyes weakly, feeling a stirring in his chest, a building of worry that he couldn’t shake.

That was the sound of a portal opening. An Administration portal opening.

Wasn’t losing Rontu and Egalt enough? Now he had to deal with this?

He struggled to take a deep breath, holding it in his weak lungs before letting it out slowly. With a shaky hand, he lifted his hood over his head, his bandana over his nose. He could hear the whirr of the mechs behind him, coming closer, and the sound of agents headed his way.

A million questions filled his mind, numbed by grief and sorrow, like how they got here, what they were here for, but none of it mattered. Not really. Not anymore.

He grabbed his weapon, gripping the handle harshly, and rose to his feet.

“Drop your weapon! According to rule 23AGZ5, we will remove you if you stand in our way!” One of the agents said, but Jay ignored him. Raising his head, he let the lightning under his skin thrum with the beat of his heart, the electricity in the sky listening to his call.

Everything became numb then, only one thought crossing his mind as he turned towards the agents, armed with his kusarigama and the lightning he could call his.

Survive. Survive. Survive.

Chapter Text

Nya had a hard time finding peace. Often, before the Merge, she found peace in tinkering, building vehicles and mechs beside Pixal. She would find it in Jay holding her in his arms, or Nya holding him in hers, both of them finding comfort in the steady heartbeat of the other, proving that they were still alive, that they were still together.

Now, she found her peace in the unshakable ocean. What once scared her, what once threatened to take her from her family forever, now gave her a strength that she soaked in like a sponge. No matter what occurred on the new Merged lands, no matter what new creatures or enemies they faced, the ocean always remained constant. It was an immovable force, unbroken by the events of the sky. It didn’t change if someone got lost, if everything that made up the world fell apart, it was still there. It still moved. It still fought.

Nya never wanted to be a part of the ocean again. But she wanted to be like it. She wanted that unbreakable force that didn’t waver, only getting stronger with every storm.

She found peace in it at this moment, flying over it on Jiro’s back. She watched as the rolling waves flowed far below them, the wind in the air brushing her cheeks with a caring touch, the sun above her warming her skin. She knew that she could easily get lost there if it weren't for the mission that they were on. Lloyd’s presence behind her, and the quickly repaired jet that Cole rode in beside them was a reminder of why they were out there.

Yet, a part of her wondered why they were going on this mission in the first place. The Blood Moon had passed. Rontu and Egalt were probably alive and well, if it was the Blood Moon that turned them into statues. So, why were they coming all this way, when there was still so much to do? They still had to get Kai back. They still had to train the kids. They still had to find Pixal and Wu. They still had to find Jay.

They had even left the kids behind with Zane at the Monastery to go on this mission. Was it really important? That dangerous? Or was it not that dangerous at all, so very few of them needed to come?

“Lloyd, why are we doing this again?” Nya asked over the wind, and Lloyd took a moment to reply. Lloyd had been carrying such a heavy weight over the past few months, and losing Kai was the last thing that he needed. This mission might’ve even been adding to his stress, too. She let him take his time replying.

After Kai got back, after they found Jay and Pixal, Nya would force everyone to take a long break. They all needed it, but Lloyd needed it most of all.

“I need to make sure that Egalt and Rontu are okay.” Lloyd replied. “I know that they’re probably alright, but after all that they did for us, it’s the least that we can do. And…”

“And…?”

“There was someone else training under them. Someone I want to help.” Lloyd admitted. “Another elemental master. I…I have a feeling that with more training, he could become an ally.”

Nya’s stomach dropped at the words, her eyes widening. “What? Another elemental master? Why didn’t you tell us?”

Another elemental master could mean any number of things. They could be someone they can trust, someone powerful who would fight beside them, a possible friend. Nya was honored to know many kind elemental masters, one who would fight beside them if they were here. But she also knew some who weren't so kind. Some who wanted to kill, to take her family from her, who did take her family, some who lived and breathed destruction.

She hoped that this new elemental master was one of the kind ones. Didn’t he have to be, if Rontu was training him?

“Rontu didn’t want me to tell you. He isn’t ready to fight enemies like ours, and the last thing we needed was to be distracted by him. Could you imagine the amount of chaos knowing about him could’ve made, especially when we were learning the Rising Dragon technique? The kids would’ve probably freaked out, not to mention how many questions we would all have.”

Nya knew that he was right, so she didn’t reply.

A million questions flew through her own mind, and she stuttered over her words, eagerly trying to gather her thoughts.

Was this elemental master on their side, or his own? Where had he been all of this time? What was his element?

Yet, only one question passed her lips. “Who is he?”

Lloyd took a second before replying. “I didn’t get his name, but Rontu told me that his element is a strong one. He seems…about our age, I think, and experienced. He’s tall too, and fights with a kusarigama.”

“A kusarigama? That’s not a popular weapon.”

Lloyd chuckled. “No, it isn’t. I think Jay was the only one I knew who used it. But whoever this guy is, he held it like he knew how to wield it.”

Nya couldn’t help but ask, hoping to get rid of the thought of Jay. She couldn’t start thinking about him now. “Did you fight him?”

“No. I was about to, until Rontu showed up.”

“I have to say, we can use another elemental master with combat training.” Cole said over the comm system, and Nya flinched, forgetting that he was hearing their whole conversation from the jet. “If we can train him in his element even more, he can help us fight Ras.”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking, Cole.” Lloyd replied. “We need all the help we can, now that Nokt is freed, and now that Kai…”

Lloyd didn’t have to finish his sentence. Nya found herself looking back down to the ocean, taking deep breaths, ignoring the stab of pain in her chest at the reminder.

“Let’s just talk to this guy first. We can’t get ahead of ourselves.” Nya said firmly.

“Agreed.”

The rest of the ride was taken in silence, and as soon as they arrived they made their way to the training grounds. Rontu, before the Blood Moon arrived, had shown them where they could go to avoid the tests. Nya was thankful for it. The last thing she wanted to see right now was Jay forgetting her name.

As soon as the training grounds came into view, Nya knew that something was wrong. The stone was covered with charred marks, the gray marred with black. There were dozens of these spots, as if a fire had rushed through, or lightning rained down from the sky repeatedly.

“Oh, no.” Lloyd said, and Nya soon saw why. There were mechs sprinkled on the ground, some broken beyond repair, others charred like the ground, fitting the exact description of the Administration mechs that Cole and Lloyd had seen. And Rontu and Egalt were gone. There were no statues, but there were no dragons protecting their home, or cleaning up the rubble from the battle that obviously happened.

Then Nya saw him.

A man knelt in the middle of the destruction. He wore a black hood, hiding his face, and held his arm to his chest. A kusarigama rested at his side, on the ground, and Nya knew that this was the man that Lloyd had met, the one that he wanted to train.

If that elementalist did all of that, how powerful was he? Was his element heat based? Did he take down all of those mechs?

“Set Jiro down, Nya. Cole, land the jet. That’s him.” Lloyd said in the leadership Nya had learned to admire.

“Did he fight off an army of the Administration? How powerful is this guy?” Cole asked, stunned, and Nya could admit that she was shocked, too.

“I don’t know. But we’re about to find out.”

Nya led Jiro to the training grounds, where the Lightning Dragon landed with a low growl. Lloyd hopped off, heading straight for the man, while Nya readjusted the reins and fell in step behind Lloyd.

“Woah, Jiro, easy!” Cole said, suddenly, and Nya looked back to see the dragon attempt to follow them, his eyes focused on Rontu’s student.

“Jiro, stay there, alright? We’ll be back soon.”

The dragon looked displeased, but obeyed her, his feet lifting from the ground periodically, as if holding back took all of his strength. A small part of Nya wondered why, but she knew that Jiro liked meeting new people, so she didn’t dwell on it. Not while there were other more important things on her mind.

Cole soon rushed up beside Nya, and the duo finally made their way to Lloyd and the man. The man was now on his feet, swaying slightly, yet still stood.

The first thing Nya noticed was that Lloyd was right. Rontu’s student was tall. He was thinner than Cole, yet it was clear that he didn’t slack in training. It reminded Nya of a trained soldier, one who didn’t care how many muscles he had, but only focused on being able to help others. As Nya studied him, she noticed that his arm was bleeding, a large gash tainting the fabric of his black and blue suit. He even wore a bandana, every bit of skin on his face either covered by fabric or by shadow.

“What happened?” Lloyd was asking him, gently going to grab the man’s injured arm, no doubt wanting to inspect the injury, but the man pulled away.

“The Administration.” The man, Rontu’s student, said. “They came and took Rontu and Egalt.”

Nya noticed that he sounded younger than he looked, and he sounded honest, like someone that they could trust. It probably helped that he even sounded familiar to them, like they had come across him in their travels at one point or another.

There was a slight nagging in the back of her mind, something poking her, as if there was something that she needed to remember. She didn’t focus on it.

“But how could they capture two Dragon Masters?” Cole asked, stepping forward, and the man stepped back, as if in fear.

“Who…”

“This is Cole and Nya, my teammates.” Lloyd said, pointing to each of them accordingly. “You can trust them.”

The man seemed hesitant, but nodded. “They were still statues. I fought the Administration with everything I had, but one hit me in the head and…” Rontu’s student stopped, looking down to his weapon and back up at them. “That was the only distraction that they needed.”

“Can I check your arm? If it’s bleeding, I have a few bandages in the jet.” Cole offered, and Lloyd nodded.

“Go grab them, Cole. Hey, could you sit down? I won’t ask you to put your hood down, but if you hurt your head you should rest.”

The man seemed hesitant, yet he gently grabbed Lloyd’s own arm, letting the green ninja lower him to the ground. Cole ran to grab the supplies, while Nya took the time to stand back, observing. Every part of her wanted to rush up to the man, shake his shoulders and demand answers, yet she practiced restraint. Scaring someone who was still learning their element wasn’t smart, especially someone who could be an ally. She didn’t want to push him away from them, and she didn’t want anyone to get hurt.

It didn’t take long for Cole to return with bandages, soon kneeling beside Rontu’s student, loosening the strips of fabric around the man’s arms to access the cut fully. The man seemed hesitant to accept help, but let Cole tend to him, his limbs tense.

“It’s not too deep, you’ll be okay.”

The man seemed to visibly relax at that.

“Are you dizzy at all?” Lloyd asked gently, “Is your vision blurry?”

“No. I blacked out for a minute, and that was it. That’s all the Administration needed to teleport Rontu and Egalt away. If I had avoided that hit, I could’ve stopped them.”

The man sounded angry, no doubt angry at himself, and Nya hated it. No one should blame themselves for something that they couldn’t do.

Nya remembered, some time ago, when she became human after living as the ocean for a year. She remembered how distraught Jay had been, blaming himself for Nya’s decision, saying that if he had been stronger, if he had been faster, Nya wouldn’t have had to sacrifice herself. He wouldn’t have drowned, and they wouldn’t have lost a year of their lives together.

The argument was a silly one, and Nya told him as much, silencing his rambling with a kiss, telling him that it wasn’t his fault. None of it was.

It was one of the last times they kissed before the Merge. Before she lost him.

No. She wouldn’t think about that. She wouldn’t.

Turning her attention back to the present, she watched Lloyd give the man a small smile. “Hey. It’s not your fault. We’re going to get them back.”

Nya had no doubt that they would. Lloyd was tired of losing people that they cared about. They all were. And, seeing Rontu’s student sit down in front of them, his hands in fists, his body tense with the aftermath of battle, she knew that he would do everything he could to save them, too. She couldn’t see his eyes, they were covered in the shadow of his hood, yet she could imagine a sharp determination in them.

“But, how?” Cole asked, finally finished wrapping the man’s arm. “We can’t get to the Administration without their teleporters.”

There was a beat of silence, before the man spoke up softly.

“I have a way.”

“What?” Nya asked, shocked that the man had come up with an answer so quickly. “How?”

Rontu’s student seemed to smile under the mask, even though they couldn’t see his lips or eyes.

“Follow me.”

----------------------------------

Jay didn’t know if he fully trusted Lloyd’s friends, but he trusted Lloyd, and he needed all of the help that he could get.

Before the Ninja had arrived, Jay was ready to collapse onto the ground, too sore to think of a rescue attempt. All he could see was Rontu and Egalt being swallowed by a teleporter, taken to a place that Jay was too familiar with, followed by dozens of agents. The ones who were awake carried the ones that Jay had hurt, those who had fallen unconscious because of his lightning, stepping through the portal to their home.

Egalt and Rontu were right. His element was dangerous.

He could still hear the crack of the lightning bolts hitting the ground, the smell of static in the air, the sheer energy that coursed through his veins giving his strength. He could still see the dark, red sky light up with white and blues, a torrent of power cutting through the horizon. He knew that he could never forget how strong he was in that moment, how it felt to fully harness his element.

Yet, now that there were no enemies, everything in his body began to fail him. His limbs shook, everything stung, and it took every bit of power that he had to keep breathing evenly. His arm stung, his head pounded, and he knew that he was running on the last bit of strength left in his body.

He had been fighting all night. And, when he thought that there was no hope left, that he would die where he sat, weak and burnt out, Lloyd showed up with kind words and a helping hand. His friend, Cole, showed up with bandages. The girl, Nya, showed up, strength pouring off of her in waves. And all of them wanted to get Rontu and Egalt back.

Somehow, the sight and presence of the Ninja, of their determination, gave Jay a renewed strength, strength that he took in as soon as he could.

There would probably be another battle, but somehow Jay knew that he would be okay, at least for a little while.

Leading the way to the cave, Jay watched the trio out of the corner of his eye. Cole was talking quietly to Nya behind them, while Lloyd trailed closely beside Jay, watching him with concern.

“Hey,” Lloyd said, no doubt noticing Jay’s gaze. “What’s your name?”

Jay didn't know if he should tell them yet, if he could trust them with his name. He probably could, he knew that Rontu trusted them, but for some reason his name got caught in his throat, refusing to come out. Was it his fear of danger that stopped him from speaking? Or was it because he was so used to hiding that he couldn’t stomach finally telling someone?

He must’ve taken too long to reply. Lloyd gave him a small smile.

“It’s okay. Maybe after all of this you can tell us.”

“Thanks.”

Finally, they made it to the cave, and Jay pushed back the leaf wall, his injured arm stinging in protest, his stomach sinking to his toes as he remembered him hiding in here as Rontu and Egalt turned to stone.

But he couldn’t change the past. He just had to get them back and save them, so they could all live another day.

He didn’t even want to think about what would happen if he didn’t save them. What would the Administration do with two Dragon Masters? How far would they be willing to go? Would they kill them? Study them?

“Wow, this is a nice cave.” Cole said, interrupting his thoughts, looking around, and Jay turned to glance at him.

“He’s the master of Earth. Caves are sort of his thing.” Lloyd said with a shrug.

“I mean, this fits a whole training area in it. Pretty cool stuff. You lived here?”

“Yeah. While Rontu and Egalt were training you guys.”

“Cole wasn’t here.” Nya said, her black pony tail swaying as she turned to the Master of Earth. “But Lloyd and I were. We had no clue that you were here.”

Lloyd chuckled. “You would make a good Ninja, you’re good at hiding.”

Jay didn’t know what to say to that. Instead, he made his way to a corner of the cave, where he had hid his Administration gun and his teleporter under a blanket.

“But if we come back here in the future, then this would make a great gym.” Cole was saying, his words becoming further and further away. “Look how big this cave is!”

Future. Future. Future.

For some reason, the word spun around in Jay’s head, consuming his every thought. His eyes wandered, searching for an answer for his confusion, and his eyes landed on Nya.

But if I’m ever gonna have a say in our future, it’s me who has to protect you…

A sharp pain cut through Jay’s thoughts, and he clutched his head, groaning. Everything throbbed, and before he realized what was happening, he was on his knees, Lloyd hovering uncertainty beside him.

Save me, Jay Walker.

“Hey! Hey! Are you okay?” Lloyd was saying, his voice breaking through the droning in his ears. Lloyd’s hand was pressed against Jay’s shoulder, and slowly the pain in his head lessened, as if his mind decided that Jay had been tortured enough.

“I…” Jay could barely speak. He felt Nya’s presence on the other side of him, her brown eyes boring into his, and Jay looked away. Something about her caused him to remember something, something important, but he didn’t want to feel that pain again.

He hoped that it was his head injury that had caused the memory to hurt so much. But, he knew that it was because it was so important that it hurt. Those words had meant a lot to him. Whoever said them meant the world to him. The memory was foggy, yet the words were clear, and they were more than just words.

For some reason Jay didn’t know, those words had changed everything, at one point in his past life. And he didn’t know what.

Finally, he managed to speak. “I’m okay.”

“Was it your head?” Cole asked from behind him, and Jay nodded, reaching for the weapon and teleporter.

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

Picking up the blanket that hid the devices from the world, he slid the weapon in his waistband, well aware of the stares he was receiving, and held up the teleporter, turning to them.

“This is an Administration teleportation device. It has one use left, enough to get us in, but we would have to find a way out.”

Lloyd raised his eyebrows in question, and Jay handed it to him, allowing himself to take a deep breath after than memory, refocusing himself.

“How did you get it?” Cole asked, and Jay shakily got to his feet.

“I used to work at the Administration.”

“What?” Nya asked, her voice raising. “You used to work with them?”

“Yes, but I hated every second of it. I escaped after they tried to kill me. Trust me, I was never on their side. The teleportation devices are the only way to get in or out, I used this one to get out.”

“If you used to work there, you would know the way around.” Lloyd commented, and Jay nodded.

“I know the Administration better than I know myself.”

He hated that it was the truth, but it was. Luckily, the Ninja didn’t have to know that.

Lloyd handed the device back to Jay, and he took it gratefully.

“Ready to go?” Jay asked, and they all nodded. Silently, the four of them left the cave, and headed back to the training grounds, where the remains of the battle still sat. Jay couldn’t bring himself to look at the mechs for long. The dragon that the Ninja rode in on watched Jay, his tail wagging, and Jay could resist the smile that broke across his face.

“That’s Jiro.” Nya said, and Jay raised his hand, letting the dragon press his nose against it, Jiro eagerly pushing playfully. “He likes people, but usually not this much.”

Jay scratched Jiro’s nose. “Hey there, buddy. He’s a lightning dragon?”

He didn’t know how he knew that, but the words came to him suddenly, as if on instinct.

“Yup. One of the best. He’s staying back, though.” Lloyd said, and as Jay turned away he saw that the ninja was handing him his kusarigama. “Ready to go?”

Jay nodded, taking the weapon thankfully. After making sure that they all had their weapons drawn, Jay took a deep breath, setting the teleporter to a safe spot in the Administration, where he knew they could find information about the whereabouts of Rontu and Egalt quickly.

Turning the transporter on, he stepped back, watching as a portal formed, its telltale whine breaking through the silence. He could see Cole tense beside him, but the man stood tall. They all did, as if the unknown didn’t fill them with terror.

Without hesitation, Jay stepped through, and he was glad to see that the others were following him, their steps falling in tune with his.

He might still be alone after this, only finding company in Rontu and Egalt once he saved them. But, for now, he would take comfort in having other elemental masters beside him, fighting with him, no matter how long it lasted.

It felt nice. He finally felt like he was a part of something. And he found himself enjoying it.

Chapter Text

Cole often wondered how things would’ve changed if the Merge hadn’t separated the Ninja team. Would Cole have ever met his new family from the Land of Lost Things? Would Lloyd have ever met Arin and Sora? Would Wyldfyre still be living among dragons? Would Jay and Nya continue to pursue their relationship, even get married, despite the changes the realms went through? Would Zane and Pixal have become Yin and Yang? Would Kai understand himself like he did right before he was thrown into the portal? Would Wu have finally found the peace he often looked for, but couldn’t find with all of the evil threats Ninjago faced?

He knew that he may never know. The Merge didn’t just separate realms, they separated families, homes, teams, friends, brothers, sisters, everyone. It ripped their team apart. Even now, years later, there were still those in his family that were missing. Jay. Pixal. Sensei Wu. And now Kai.

Cole knew that they would all be together eventually. But, for now, he had to reunite another family. He had to save Rontu and Egalt.

So, he decided to focus on that.

He didn’t know the dragons, he never got a chance to meet them, but he knew that they were special. Lloyd and the others spoke highly of them, and as he watched Rontu’s student, the stranger with elemental powers, lead them through the Administration, so full of determination, Cole knew that they meant a lot to him, too.

The Administration was exactly how Lloyd, Arin, and Zane had described it, full of hundreds of hallways, all brightly lit with white light. Rontu’s student navigated the pathways expertly, avoiding the busy hallways to avoid suspicion. Cole wasn’t surprised about that. If he did work at the Administration at one point, why wouldn’t he know the way?

As Cole ran behind him, he watched how the man ran, his feet barely touching the floor yet still propelling him forward, allowing him to go faster than any of the rest of them. It seemed familiar, achingly so, yet Cole didn’t know why. Despite his speed, the man kept close, looking behind him every so often, no doubt checking to make sure that Nya, Lloyd, and Cole were still there.

“Where are we going?” Lloyd asked in loud enough to be heard by only them, and the man fell back to them, his kusarigama swinging lazily from where it hung on his waist.

“There’s a lab not far from here, Lab A. It's never guarded unless it’s being used.” Rontu’s student said, and Nya glanced at him in question.

“How do you know it won’t be used?”

“It isn’t. It’s only used when they capture an elementalist. I was the last one there, and I’m pretty sure that if anyone else here had powers the Administration would have dealt with them a long time ago.” His voice quivered slightly as he spoke, yet no one called him out on it.
The words took a minute to register in Cole’s mind. He was captured because of his element? What did the Administration do to him in the lab? What happened in there that would make a man like Rontu’s Student afraid?

“They experimented on you?” Lloyd asked, his eyes wide, and Cole couldn’t blame him. His own stomach twisted at the thought of someone being studied, someone probably being tortured, just because of their element.

It was wrong. It was disgusting.

“They tried to take my element from me, to power their weapons. I escaped before they could take it all. So, not experiments or torture, but it was painful.” The man said simply, despite the fear that was evident, pushing away his trauma like dirt under a rug.

“Dude, that is torture. That’s probably one of the most painful experiences you’ll ever go through.” Cole said, and Lloyd hummed in agreement.

“Trust me, I've been through worse.” The man replied, and everyone fell into silence. Cole knew that it was because no one knew what to say.

How could anyone have been through something worse than torture? How much had this guy lived through? Did he lose someone in the Merge? Did he have a family before he was ripped away from them? Or did he come from a place that put him through more pain than the Administration? How evil was the Administration?

Cole didn’t get a chance to ask. Rontu’s student began slowing down, an office door in front of them. There was only a corridor in their way, but after making sure that there was no one in it, they crossed easily.

The office was tucked away in an odd corner, nearly completely hidden from any prying eyes, with only one corridor near them, the one that they had just ran across. The office looked just as normal as the rest of the offices did. The only difference was that instead of a regular lock, there was an electric keypad, no doubt placed to keep people out…or in.

He didn’t let himself think about that for long.

The man stopped, hesitating at the door, before reaching for the electronic keypad. Lloyd pulled Nya aside, looking down the corridors, no doubt keeping watch. If an agent found them now, their plan would need to be changed, and fast.

But, one thing was clear. They needed to get out of the hallways and into the office. That way less people would see them, and they could continue on. Rontu’s student still hadn’t opened the door, seemingly watching the keypad with confusion, so Cole walked over, causing the man to turn to him.

“I got it.” Cole said, slamming his fists together, conjuring the strength of earth from within himself, but the man shook his head.

“Give me a second. Whatever….that is, it might be too loud. Let me have a go.”

In a mere second, blue lightning sparked from his fingertips, and Cole stuttered to a stop, watching as the man shocked the keypad easily, allowing the door to open with a soft click.

Lightning. The man just used lightning.

Cole’s breath left his lungs, his body struggling to take a breath, leaving him lightheaded. He stumbled into the nearest wall, confusion and panic seeping into his bones, dazed, the world spinning around him.

He used lightning. He used Jay’s element. He…he…he…

Through the blurry haziness his surroundings had become, Cole could see Lloyd and Nya make their way to him, their hands held up, as if they were worried about him. Nya grabbed Cole’s shoulder, her grip strong yet still so far away.

“Cole! Are you okay?”

Her voice sounded like it was traveling through a layer of stone, muffled and muted. But one thing became clear to Cole.

They didn’t see it. They didn’t see the lightning.

Was Cole going crazy? Or did Rontu’s student actually use lightning? Was he missing Jay so much that he started hallucinating? But if so, how did the door open?

What was going on?

That couldn’t be Jay. If it was, he would’ve told them right away, he would’ve thrown off his mask, he would’ve embraced them all with the biggest hugs, he would be talking all of their ears off and they wouldn’t care, he would’ve kissed Nya and told Cole all of the adventures he had been on.

He wouldn’t have hid. He would never hide from them.

But, if that wasn’t Jay, and the lightning was real, what did that mean? Was Jay dead? Was his element transferred to another man? Was Cole never going to see his best friend again?

Yet, deep down, Cole knew that that wasn’t true. This man ran like Jay, it was why it was so familiar. His voice sounded exactly like Jay’s. He fought with a kusarigama. He used lightning.

This was Jay. It had to be.

“Cole, what happened? Cole!” Lloyd sounded scared, desperate, and it was that fear that brought Cole back, all of the noises around them flooding back like a landslide. He took a moment to regain his bearings, taking in deep breaths, avoiding looking at Rontu’s Student, who was no doubt watching him.

Was he watching Cole with those sapphire blue eyes that never stopped shining? Or with the eyes of a stranger?

“I’m…I’m okay.” He managed to whisper, but Nya didn’t seem convinced. Cole didn’t know if he should tell her what he began to believe. What he saw. He didn’t even know if what he thought was even possible.

He couldn’t give her a false hope. But he was so sure.

Jay was there, this whole time. He was running alongside them, like old times.

And they didn’t know. None of them knew.

He wanted to tell them. He needed to. But the words got caught in his throat.

“Come on, we need to get inside. We’ll talk later, alright, Cole?” Lloyd replied, and he nodded weakly.

Cole could feel all of their eyes on him, including Rontu’s student, but no one said a word. They made their way into the room, the door now opened, the keypad fried. As they entered, Cole paid no attention to the area around him, but only Rontu’s student.

The man walked around the lab, around a large glass cage, and focused on multiple computer screens, all blacked out. With swift fingers, fingers that Cole knew had worked in the belly of hundreds of mechanical pieces, had mastered lighting, had nearly destroyed video game controllers with how frantically they played, Rontu’s student turned the screens on. Now reaching for a keyboard, it looked like he was typing in a password, and he let out a little whoop of delight when it allowed him access.

That was so Jay. Everything about it screamed Cole’s best friend. Told him that Jay was standing right there in front of them.

How had they all been so blind?

Finally, Cole found the strength to speak.

“Jay?” Cole asked, his voice barely above a whisper, the words tumbling out with no control. “Jay. Isーis that you?”

Rontu’s student stiffened, and both Nya and Lloyd turned to Cole in shock.

“Coleー”

“No.” Cole replied, dodging Lloyd’s hand, walking closer to Rontu’s student, who didn’t move from where he stood at the console, frozen. “Jay. What happened to you? I’m not blind. You used lightning back there. You talk like him. Run like him. You’re Jay.”

“Cole, I know you miss him, we all do, but Rontu’s student can’t be Jay.” Lloyd was arguing, but Cole couldn’t find it in himself to reply. His heart ached knowing the truth. He wasn’t going to waste any time trying to convince the others of what he was so sure about.

“Look,” That was Nya now, her eyes expressing concern, as if he was losing his mind. But he wasn’t. “That can’t be Jay. It’s impossible.”

She looked sad, and he felt her pain, the pain of loss, the pain that came with mourning someone you cared about, of wanting them to be here when they weren't. He felt her pain, but he knew that they could stop it. He just needed to show them what he saw.

A tense silence fell over them, and Cole didn’t know how to break it. But he wasn’t the one who did.

“How do you know my name?”

The man’s voice lowered, and Cole watched as he tensed. Nya gasped beside Cole, her eyes widening, and Lloyd’s mouth dropped open in shock.

“What?” He asked softly, but Rontu’s student, Jay, didn’t acknowledge him.

“How do you know my name?”

Each word was cold, sharp, like the kusarigama at his waist that the man grabbed, his fingers tight around the hilt.

Cole didn’t know what to do. So, he spoke. It felt like the right thing to do, if the roles were reversed. But why was Jay acting so defensive? Why did he ask that question, of course Cole knew Jay’s name!

“I know that you’re Jay Walker. I’m Cole, your best friend!”

“You’re working with them. The Administration.” Rontu’s student said darkly, “You want to take my powers again, don’t you?”

“No, no, I would never do that! Don’t you know who I am? I would never hurt you!”

“You would! The only people who know my name are the Administration, Rontu, and Egalt! You’re one of them! You have to be!” The man turned to them then, his body tense with worry, and Cole could feel his own heart racing.

“Jay.” Lloyd said, slowly walking towards him, but Rontu’s student pointed his kusarigama at him, his hand shaking. “Jay. Please. Can you take off your mask? We can talk about this.”

The man huffed, and with a fluid motion, one born of years of practice, his hood was off, revealing startling blue eyes, blue eyes that Cole hadn’t seen in forever. They didn’t meet Cole’s own. His tousled brown hair was unkempt, and a galaxy of freckles was scattered across his cheeks, a slight brush of scars light on his skin.

The man standing before them was Jay. It had to be. Despite the dark clothing, which now looked odd on him, it was clearly Cole’s best friend. The Master of Lighting. Jay Walker.

But something was so, so wrong. Why didn’t he recognise them? Why was he afraid of them?

“There. Happy? Finally got all of the proof you needed to throw me in the Chamber again? Let me guess, in accordance with file DT5Y-RM7?” Jay was nearly yelling now, fear and panic evident in his features.

Nya didn’t move as this happened. All she did was stand there in shock. He couldn’t imagine how she felt right now. Why did he think that they were working with the Administration? Didn’t he know who they were? Didn’t he know that they would never do anything to him?

“We won’t hurt you. You’re our friend.” Lloyd said calmly, authoritatively, like a leader, despite the shock that he must be feeling, and Jay fixed his eyes on him, his face set with determination.

“I don’t know you. I don’t know any of you.”

The words felt like a knife to the heart, and Cole flinched back. He reached for Nya’s hand, and she grabbed it, her body slightly shaking.

What? Jay didn’t know them? How….how could…

No. No. He couldn’t have forgotten them. No.

It was in that moment of hesitation that Jay attacked them. The blade of his weapon swung, narrowly missing Lloyd, and the Green Ninja sidestepped it, bringing his own sword in front of him.

“Jay! Wait!”

With a swift kick, Lloyd was on the ground, his sword clattering by his feet, and within a second Cole felt a fist in his stomach. He landed roughly, the air escaping his lungs with a wheeze, where he coughed, struggling to take in a breath. Jay stood above him, and for the first time in years Cole’s brown eyes met familiar blue, the blue eyes wide and terrified.

Cole hated seeing that. He hated seeing Jay so afraid.

“Jay, no!”

There was no hesitation as lightning sparked around them. Cole closed his eyes, refusing to fight his best friend again, trying to think of a way to convince him that they were friends, but nothing came.

He expected a shock of electricity that didn’t come.

He opened his eyes to the sound of struggle, and saw Nya holding Jay’s arms back, twisting his wrist so the kusarigama fell from his grip.

“Jay?” Nya said, her voice trembling, “Jay, it’s me, it’s Nya!”

“I don’t know you!” Jay thrashed in her arms, fighting tooth and nail to escape, as if he was being held by a monster insead of the woman that he loved. His breathing was ragged, and his lungs couldn’t take in a full breath. “Let me go!”

“Why don’t you remember us? What happened to you?” Nya demanded, yet Cole could see tears in her eyes, a slight waver in her limbs, showing her true fear.

What didn’t Jay know who Nya was? Why didn’t he know that they were here to help? Why did he fight them?

“Jay! I promise we’re your family.” Lloyd was saying, as if words could calm Jay down, raising his hands as if Jay was a rabid animal. But he wasn’t. Jay was the kindest, most caring one of them all.

He was. He was until now.

In that moment, Cole could see Jay’s eyes focus, taking on a familiar look, one that told Cole that Jay was about to use his lightning. He didn’t hesitate to get to his feet and move his own sword to Jay’s throat. He hated to do this to his friend, hating that it came to this, but he couldn’t let Nya get hurt.

“Shock her and I’ll swing.”

Jay’s eyes widened even further, he still struggled in Nya’s grip, but he made no move to attack her. Cole counted that as a blessing, though it was a small one.

“Please, just listen to us! We’re your friends, your family!” Lloyd said, getting to his feet, and Jay shook his head rapidly.

“No, no, that’s not possible! If I had friends they would’ve found me by now!” Jay yelled, and Cole’s heart broke.

He was right, wasn’t he? How great of friends were they if they hadn’t found him for so long? The Merge happened so long ago. Was Jay alone all of that time, other than his time with Rontu and Egalt? Did he spend his time thinking that no one came for him because no one loved him? That they all just forgot about him and moved on? Was that why Jay was pretending that he didn’t know them? He didn’t see them as his friends anymore?

Jay spoke up again, his voice a whisper. “They…they would’ve found me.”

With those words said, it was as if a string had been cut, Jay going still in Nya’s grip. He frowned deeply, and Cole could see anguish and conflict stirring in those blue eyes, blue eyes that were becoming wet with tears.

“I don’t have anyone left. My only family is Egalt and Rontu now.” Jay said, defeated, the tears falling from his eyes now. He looked confused, more confused than ever. “I lost all of my memories after the Merge, alright? I woke up, and I just knew my name. Nothing else. So if I did know you before, I don't anymore. But I know that you aren't my friends. You…you can’t be.”

It was those words that shocked them all into silence. Nya let go of Jay, stepping away from him, her hands shaking, but Jay made no move to attack them. His body crumpled in on itself, like rocks tumbling down a slop and crashing on the ground in one heep, defeated and weak. He curled in on himself, his arms wrapping around his torso, his head tucked low.

Lloyd looked devastated. Cole could see it in his eyes. He looked as if what happened to Jay was his fault, that he couldn’t protect his friend from the lost memories, that he had failed him. Cole felt the same.

If what Jay said was true, he lost all of his memories. It…it made sense. It explained why he didn’t recognise them, why he had hid his identity from Lloyd and the rest of them, why he was so afraid of them. Did he not remember anything about them? All of their adventures, the nights spent playing too many video games, the roads and journeys they had taken together? Did Jay forget meeting Cole, becoming friends, sticking by each other’s side no matter what? Did he forget his love for Nya, how much he was willing to die for her? Did he forget how much he trusted Lloyd?

And what about the rest of them? Did Jay not remember Kai? Zane? Pixal? Sensei Wu? Did he forget all of the enemies they fought, all of the battles that they won? Did he know that he was a ninja, a hero? Did he know anything about his life from the Merge? Anything about who he was?

Cole knew that he probably didn’t, and the thought was too much to bear.

Jay seemed to get even smaller as they watched him, speechless. He refused to meet their eyes. He was basically unrecognizable. How could someone so lively, so joyfully loud and happy, be so sad and scared?

Cole hated seeing Jay like that. He found it in himself to speak up, when everyone was too stunned to say a word. If Jay had truly forgotten them, which was a thought that destroyed Cole, making him feel like he had lost his best friend for good, then they needed to first make sure he felt safe around them. He wouldn’t listen to them if he was still afraid of them.

“We won’t hurt you. I promise. We aren't with the Administration, we’re only here to help.”

Jay took a moment, watching them all hesitantly. “How do I know?”

“For starters, we have elements too. We know how precious they are, and we would never dream of taking your lightning from you. Wouldn’t the Administration have found us too, if we had worked for them? We wouldn’t be free right now if we did. They would be draining our elements like they tried to drain yours.”

Once again, Cole could barely stomach that thought. He knew deep down that the glass cage near them was for draining an elemental power from what Jay had said, and he couldn’t bear to think of Jay being trapped in there, alone and hurting. But Jay was afraid of them. Cole had to change that, he had to use words and ideas that would make sense.

Lloyd then spoke up, his voice even and sure, seemingly catching on Cole’s plan. “The Administration attacks quickly and quotes rulebooks. They don’t really have a conversation during them either, do they, like we’re having now?”

Jay visibly relaxed slightly at the words. “No. No, they don’t.”

“So, we’re not with them. I promise.” Lloyd finished, and Jay hesitantly nodded.

“If I do believe you, then how can I trust that you know me? From before the Merge? Why haven’t…why hasn’t anyone come for me?”

Cole spoke up then, knowing that his words were true, despite the chaos that the last few months had been for them. “We looked. We never stopped looking for you, Jay.”

“How do I know that you’re my friends? You could just be saying that! You could be lying!”

“Can’t you feel it?” Nya asked, her voice softer than Cole had ever heard it. “Doesn’t some part of you know that we’re special to you? That I’m…”

She couldn’t finish the sentence, but Cole knew what she wanted to say. Did he know how special she was to him? How much Jay loved her? Because how could Jay forget Nya? Those two had been through everything together, had loved each other with a deeper love, an unbreakable love that Cole could never doubt was real.

If someone could completely forget that, then how unbreakable was it?

Nya forgot Jay. Cole reminded himself, She forgot him but then she remembered.

He hoped that Jay would do the same.

Jay met her gaze, watching her, studying her, as if he was trying to determine what to say through her eyes.

“I…I don’t know.” His voice was weak, breaking up, and he looked away, shaking his head. “I don’t know.”

Jay’s body shook with sobs, his shoulders quaking with the force of dozens of bolts of lightning. He looked so lost in front of them, so confused. Cole had to hold himself back from taking Jay in his arms and giving him a big hug, because he knew that all it would do was scare him even more.

“I don’t know. I’m sorry. I don’t know.”

Nya nodded firmly at his words, but Cole could see that she was breaking on the inside. Her eyes filled with tears, tears that he knew wouldn’t fall, and she stood tall.

“It’s okay.” She said gently. “It’s okay.”

He wondered how difficult it was for her to stay away from Jay too. Nya was never the one to initiate hugs, Jay was the more physically affectionate one of the two. But whenever Jay fell into panic, whenever the world got too rough, he would always run to her, run to her embrace. She would hold him, protecting him, letting him take in as much comfort as he could.

Now, Jay didn’t run to her. He stepped further away.

“Look.” Lloyd said. Jay watched him warily, yet didn’t run. “We’re asking you to trust us. I promise we’re your friends, and I have photographs that I can show you to prove it, just not here. There’s a monastery that we live at, there’s a lot of proof there that you’re one of us. You could even see your old bedroom.”

Cole knew that that was true. Despite the chaos that the Merge caused, the rooms within the Monastery had barely been touched. Lloyd had checked them all himself. Cole didn’t dare go into Jay’s old room before, it was too painful to admit that he was still missing, yet now…now he might be able to.

He also remembered a few things that would be in there, too.

“I’m sure Mister Cuddlywomp is still there. Do you remember him?” Cole asked, and Jay shook his head, a small, uncertain smile on his lips. “We fixed him up after…well, that’s a bit of a story. Anyways, there’s probably still video games in there that we still need to beat, too.”

“I…” Jay took a deep breath, his chest still shaking with sobs. “I have a hard time trusting people.”

Cole thought back to the cage that sat beside them, one that Jay had told them takes elements.

Of course Jay couldn’t trust anyone after that.

“I promise, we’ll一”

Lloyd’s voice was cut off by a loud wailing sound, a siren, one that pierced the air, causing Jay and Cole to jump. A deep voice echoed around them, and Cole’s breath caught in his throat.

Intruder alert. Intruder alert. All agents proceed to Lab A. Intruder alert.

All of them glanced at each other, their eyes wide with fear, Jay’s being the widest. Cole was kicking himself. In all of the chaos of finding Jay, of trying to understand what happened, they had completely forgotten that they were in enemy territory.

And now the Administration knew that they were here. Now, their whole plan was in jeopardy.

Now, Cole had no clue what to do.

Chapter Text

Jay thought that he would be over the fear that he felt when it came to Administration. He thought, with his lightning, with the understanding that he had of the power he contained, that he wouldn’t be scared of anything. He thought that he wouldn’t be afraid of the agents that nearly killed him, the hallways that haunted his nightmares, of the scratchy static that followed all of the announcements spoken.

But, despite how much he improved or how much time passed, that fear remained. The fear of being taken again, the fear of losing his powers, the fear of being alone. It made him do things he didn’t want to do. It made him fight the people that Rontu trusted, the people that claimed that he was their friend. Their family.

He still didn’t know if he could trust them. But, they were the only tentative allies he had. And, after that announcement, he could use all of the allies he could get.

Intruder alert. Intruder alert. All agents proceed to Lab A. Intruder alert.

They had found out they were there. The Administration was after him again. And that fear that plagued his every moment was back.

Jay frantically looked around, ignoring the worried looks of the Ninja around him. With a sharp inhale, he noticed that the door was left wide open, letting anyone who walked by see them. Maybe the Ninja were more careless than Jay thought, why else wouldn’t they have closed the door? Or, was it Cole’s confusion about Jay that made them forget such a simple yet crucial thing?

No. Jay wasn’t blaming anyone, they didn’t have time for that. They needed to get out of here, and now.

“Someone close that door! And someone come help me with this computer! ” He whispered harshly, well aware of how careful they had to be, and Lloyd rushed to comply, without hesitation, shutting the door quickly. The girl, Nya, seemed hesitant at first, but soon came to his side as he rushed to the collection of computers. Jay was thankful that it still allowed his password. Was maybe that what gave them away?

It didn’t matter now. All they had to do was avoid the Administration, find Rontu and Egalt, and he could deal with the rest later.

“What’s the plan?”

Jay didn’t feel like he was much of a planner, and yet one was forming in his mind.

“We have to find out where they’re keeping Rontu and Egalt. We’ll have to find a way out of here after.” Jay said, his fingers flying across one of the keyboards with an agility he couldn’t understand. “You take one computer, I’ll take the other. Search for asset listings.”

Nya nodded firmly, frantically typing on the computer, and all they could hear was the clicking of keys as the two searched.

The Administration had hundreds, if not thousands, of relics, weapons, scrolls, and even some vehicles that defied the Administration’s laws. The agents called them assets. Some were sent to be destroyed, others were kept to be studied. Jay didn’t know how quickly they could find Egalt and Rontu’s file, a file that was no doubt created the second they were captured, but he hoped that they would find it fast. He didn’t know how much time they had.

“Um, guys?” Cole said sternly, “I think they’re coming.”

And that’s when Jay felt it. A tremble in the floor, like heavy footsteps shaking the room around him. The Administration mechs. Before Jay could figure out what to do, Nya’s voice echoed across the space.

“I got it!” Nya exclaimed, “They’re in Archive 65-4BG, section seven!”

“I know where that is!” Jay said eagerly, and Lloyd nodded.

“Can we get there using the vents?” Lloyd asked, his voice stern, like a leader, and Jay felt something stir in his chest at the tone. “Would you know the way if we didn’t use the hallways?”

Jay took a moment to think, taking a deep breath. Could he? What if a memory came back, what if he lost his focus and got them all lost?

He didn’t know if they were his family. He didn’t trust them completely. He still feared that they would turn on him. But, something deep within him knew that he needed to protect them. He needed to keep them safe.

“I mean…I think so.”

“We’ll take it. Everyone, in the vents, now!”

Within seconds, Cole and Nya were standing under the vents, Nya watching him with uncertainty as Jay walked closer.

Cole, without hesitation, gave Lloyd a boost, letting the Green Ninja step in his palms and be lifted up towards the vent, where he quickly broke through using his green powers…was it energy? Climbing into it, he soon reached down, lifting Cole and Nya up into the vent with him.

Jay hesitated when Lloyd reached out his hand. He didn’t know why. His breathing picked up, his hands becoming sweaty as he reached down and grabbed his weapon from the floor, slinging it on his waistband.

“Come on. You can trust us.”

He could hear the mechs coming closer, followed by a string of orders. They were out of time.
Jay jumped up and grabbed Lloyd’s hand, letting him pull him into the vent, where darkness greeted him. All three of the Ninja had backed up, and Jay was thankful that they had let him take the lead in what he hoped was the right direction.

Something about the darkness and the close walls made Jay’s heart pound. But he didn’t have an option. They had to go.

Yet, he wouldn't move.

“Jay. Breathe. You’ll be out of here soon.” Nya said from behind him, and for reasons he still didn’t understand her words calmed him. “Just breathe.”

“Okay. Okay.”

He tried to push away the fear to the corner of his mind, knowing that they didn’t have time for him to panic.

He gently stepped over the open vent, heading deeper into the vents and away from the lab, ignoring the pounding of his heart. He repeated Nya’s words in his head, over and over again, like a broken record. The action felt natural to him, but he couldn’t focus on why it did, not now.

As they got further from the room, he could hear the Administration burst through the door, yells and shouts breaking into the tense silence, and Jay moved faster. He could barely hear the others behind him, as silent as the Ninja they were. It didn’t seem shocking to him that Jay was just as silent as the rest of them.

Was it true, then? Was he one of them? Was he a Ninja? Would that be the reason he focused so much on Nya’s words?

No. Don’t focus on this now. Don’t get lost. Don’t let Rontu and Egalt down.

Thankfully, the four of them were quiet enough to make their way through the vents, undetected, taking their time whenever they could hear noises from below them, fearful that someone would hear them. Jay’s mind began to calm down, the walls around him feeling less constrained, yet he still couldn’t wait to get out of here.

He didn’t know how long they traveled for, but soon an exit vent came ahead of them. Jay knew that it was the right one, he had spent enough time in the halls of the Administration to know that the vents followed a similar route. If he hadn’t taken a wrong turn, they should be right in front of the cage where Rotnu and Egalt were being held. That’s if he went the right way.

Something about leading the Ninja, the Ninja who Rontu held in such high regard, scared him. What if he did lead them the wrong way and disappointed them? What if they turned on him and told him that he was only wanted until he wasn’t useful anymore? What if, if he failed, they would leave him to be captured by the Administration?

“This is it.” Jay whispered, despite his fears, and reached for his weapon. He could hear the ninja behind him do the same. With steady hands, Jay unlatched the vent from the inside, grabbing it before it could fall, and lifted it to the other side of the vent.

“On three.” Lloyd said, and Jay positioned himself over the vent, his body poised to drop without him even thinking about it. Cole positioned himself behind him, and somehow Jay knew that he was only going to be seconds behind him. “Three!”

Jay dropped, and as he landed on the floor, his knees bending to take the impact, he lifted his head, his eyes widening as he took in what was around him.

“Wait! Stop!” He screamed, holding his weapon out, but it was too late, Cole had already dropped down beside him.

In front of them was a whole army of Administration agents, all of them holding a gun. Behind them were three mechs, who stood guard at a large cage.

Cole froze beside him, and thankfully Nya and Lloyd stayed in the vents. Jay stood frozen too, his jaw slightly dropped in fear.

Rontu and Egalt, who Jay could finally see, were in the cage. Unlike the last time Jay saw them, they were alive, made of flesh and blood, a stark difference from the stone forms they took when the Blood Moon arrived. The cage itself seemed like a regular cage, thick metal bars, and metal roof, yet the metal was coated with lightning, the electricity sparking as it danced up and down the bars. A live current.

Rontu and Egalt were bound by a chain made of a dark stone, chains that held them to the floor. Jay could see orange veins cutting through the material, giving the dark stone an eerie look, and something about it made Jay tense up, as if he knew that the chains were more dangerous than they looked. Egalt was unconscious, his head resting on his paws, but Rontu was awake. In a moment, her blue eyes met his. They were full of concern, concern for Jay or for Egalt he didn’t know, but he knew at that moment that Jay hated seeing that look in her eyes.

“Agent Jay Walker. It’s a pleasure to see you again, sir.”

Jay forced a smile onto his face, focusing his attention on the man that spoke up. “Sub Agent Prentis! How have you been? Have you gotten any better at your job? I have to say, the amount of paperwork I had to write in the Department of Reassignment一”

“I got better than you. It’s Agent Prentis now, and I’m the manager after you betrayed us.”

The curly haired man stepped forward, a cocky smile on his lips, his voice like a hiss. His eyes were hidden with his sunglasses, but Jay knew that they would be full of arrogance. Cole went to stand in front of Jay, as if he was going to protect Jay with his body, but Jay held him back. He couldn’t let Prentis hurt Cole, he couldn’t let Cole get hurt fighting a battle that wasn’t his.

Distantly, Jay realized how quickly they both fought to protect each other. Was Cole really his teammate? His brother?

“You see, I knew that you would be here. The Administrator knows you well. He knows that you would do everything in your power to get your pathetic family back.” Prentis was saying, waving his gun around, and Jay knew he couldn’t fight him. Prentis’ gun wasn’t the only one aimed at them.

“And you!” Prentis said, pointing his gun at Cole. “You don’t even have the authorization to be here!”

“You don’t know what you’re doing.” Jay said, his voice wavering slightly, “Those dragons are more powerful than you realize. You can’t trap them for long.”

“And that’s where you’re wrong, Agent Walker. They’re trapped in what we discovered is called ‘Vengestone’. Strong enough to subdue even the strongest masters of Spinjitzu, and dragons”

Jay didn’t know what to think of that other than to be afraid. How could one material be enough to stop a dragon? Stop Rontu and Egalt? And did it pose a danger to Jay or the other Ninja?

“We also made the cage impossible to break through, even if they became free of the chains.” It seemed as though Prentis was pleased with himself, and it made Jay sick. “It was quite easy when we had some of Agent Walker’s elements to work with. The power to turn the bars of the cage into currents of electricity. Even if the chains don’t work, they’ll be electrocuted the second they touch any of the walls. One of the dragons learned that the hard way.”

Egalt.

“How dare you.” Cole said from behind him, his voice low and threatening, a tone that Jay hadn’t heard from the Ninja before.

Jay glanced behind him to see Cole’s eyes take on a hard look, one that made something cold shift in his chest.

“Cole一”

With a deep battle cry, Cole jumped forward, his body instantly being consumed by a dark tornado, rocks forming out of nowhere and flying around him too. Jay stepped back in shock, taking in whatever Cole just did, but before he could do anything more Lloyd and Nya landed beside him. In seconds, they too were hidden behind tornadoes made of their element, Lloyd being surrounded by green energy and Nya surrounded by torrents of water.

The Administration agents didn’t hesitate to start shooting, yet not one bullet touched the Ninja, and the three of them advanced through the army effortlessly.

Jay quickly summoned his element, letting lightning spark between his fingers. With a fluid motion, he let the lightning cut through the air, briefly touching three agents, sending them sprawling to the ground, quivering but not unconscious. His arm throbbed, the excitement from the last few hours no doubt reopening the wound from before, but he ignored it, taking cover from the bullets and lasers behind a desk.

“Little one!”

Rontu’s warning cry wasn’t enough for Jay to dodge away from the kick that Agent Prentis sent right into Jay’s stomach, leaving him gasping for breath. He never thought that the agent had the strength to jump over the desk and attack, but Jay was getting the feeling that there was a lot that he didn’t know about Prentis.

“Give up now, Walker! You can’t beat an army!”

He fought for breath that couldn’t seem to come to him. In a last ditch effort to get the upper hand, Jay let his lightning form in his palms, and he reached for Prentis’ leg. Prentis dodged, and sent another kick into Jay’s back. He coughed, his body landing on the floor roughly after his arms gave out.

With a strength Jay didn’t know he possessed, he grabbed his weapon from the floor and swung, the move barely being blocked by Prentis’ gun. He got back to his feet, swinging powerful punches Prentis’ way, yet each time he was blocked, unable to land a solid hit.

“The Administrator trained me personally, Walker!” Prentis exclaimed with a short laugh. “Who trained you? Those dragons that don’t even have thumbs?”

Jay grinned, despite the anger that swirled in his chest. “Something tells me I still have a chance, Prentis!”

He quickly let lightning form in his palm, summoning the strength that he carried, and shot it through the air, landing a solid strike onto Prentis’ chest. The man screamed, stumbling back, and crumbled to the floor, twitching.

But before Jay could move onto his next opponent, he felt something hard hit the back of his head, sending him to the floor.

His vision swam, and a heavy foot was pressed against his back, leaving him struggling to take in a full breath. Something metal once again hit his head. He didn’t have the strength to scream.

Agony flooded through his body, a painful throbbing pulsing through his head, making his stomach swirl and his vision fade. Deep down, he knew he could summon his lightning, yet he couldn’t find the will to bring it to the surface.

“Get away from him!”

In a rush of light blue, the weight on his back was gone. An agent fell beside Jay, his hair completely wet, a gun falling out of his hand, and before Jay could react something pulled him up, the grip on his shoulders familiar and comforting.

He lifted his throbbing head, letting the hands guide him to a sitting position, one that Jay gratefully fell into.

Nya was kneeling beside him, her mask off of her face, revealing eyes so full of concentration and courage Jay was taken aback.

She looked beautiful at that moment. Jay could barely take his eyes off of her.

“Are you okay?” She asked, letting go of his shoulders, and he managed to give her a small smile.

“Yeah, I’m…I’m okay.”

Looking around, Jay could see that Cole and Lloyd were overwhelmed with enemies from all sides, even their magical tornadoes didn’t seem to be helping them now. Suddenly, he was stricken with guilt. Nya had saved him when she should’ve been helping the others. Why was she here, with him? Why had she bothered to come to his help when he’d done nothing to deserve it?

He wasn’t her friend, not now that he lost his memories. Why was she treating him like one? Why was she helping him like he was still her teammate, when the people that were her teammates needed her?

“Why did you come?”

“You needed me.” The answer seemed so simple to her, and he shook his head, wincing as more pain flared up as he did so.

“But…”

“But what?”

The words tumbled out before he could think, confusion bleeding into his heart, his mind. There were so many others that she could’ve helped. Cole might need her. Lloyd might. She could’ve even gotten Egalt and Rontu out of the cage. But she came for him, someone who failed at remembering who she was, someone who didn’t even see her as a friend.

“Why help me? I don’t even…I don’t remember you.”

She gave him a sad smile. “I just got you back. I’m not going to lose you again.”

Get out of there! Run!

Jay winced as a voice echoed in his head, breaking through every thought, making even the tiniest light burn his eyes. Yet the voice was strong, stronger than anything he had thought before, and another voice, one just as strong, responded. It didn’t take him long to realize that it was his own.

And leave you here? I don’t think so. I just got you back!

Please, Jay! Run!

“Jay? Jay! Are you okay?”

He held his hands to his ears, crouching down as another wave of pain shot through him, jarring him to his core.

“I…”

His vision blacked out, only to be replaced by a figure made of water, standing on a rooftop, sun glinting off of her figure. Light blue eyes seemed to pierce his soul, watching him, full of confusion, yet making his heart break with every second.

Jay thought that he was crying. He could sense the tears on his cheeks but couldn’t feel them, he knew that his friends were beside him but it didn’t make the pain in his chest lessen.

Who was that? Who was the figure made of water that made him feel like his world was ending? That there was no more joy left, no more happiness to feel?

“Jay! Look at me! Look at me!”

And, somehow, Jay knew that he was the one who made this happen. It was his fault.

“Is he alright?”

“I don’t know! Jay! Jay!”

“Little one!”

It was that voice that brought him back, a voice that wasn’t present on the rooftop with the woman made of water. A voice that wasn’t screaming at him to run.

He could finally feel air enter his mouth, choking gasps that he didn’t know was coming from him until now. There were hands holding him up, the sounds of battle still echoing around him, a blur of sounds that made his head swim.

“Little one. What you’re seeing, what you’re hearing, it’s all real, sport. But that was from the past.” Rontu’s voice was louder than the chaos around him, and he focused on that, letting her words wash over him. “But now, you must focus on the present. Focus on the lightning that surrounds you, the people that help you. They’re always there, always beside you. There is no need to be afraid of what was. We can think about the past in time, but not now.”

“She’s right, Jay. Whatever you’re seeing, we’ll work it out, together. But we need you to help us fight this battle first.”

Nya’s voice was desperate, pleading, much like his on the rooftop, when he begged the woman made of water to stay with them, to not leave him.

It was hard not to listen to that voice. He found that he couldn’t say no to it. He couldn’t ignore it, not like he had before when the memory was too loud.

Jay opened his eyes, seeing Nya looking at him with fear and concern in her eyes. Her gloved hands held his shoulders once more, and they were both sitting on the ground, Jay’s legs aching from where he knelt for who knows how long.

“Are you back with us, Jay?” Nya asked, and he nodded, still unable to forget what he saw but able to push it away, if only for now.

He had never had a memory hurt him like that one did. How important was it to him? How much did it change his old life?

It didn’t matter, not now. He had to focus on what was happening in front of him.

“How much did I miss?” His tone was playful, but he could tell that Nya saw right through it.

“They sent more mechs. Cole and Lloyd are losing their strength. We need a plan, and fast!
Jay looked around, now seeing at least a dozen mechs surrounding the two ninja, as well as more agents swarming to them from the other ends of the room. Jay and Nya were hidden by the desk, but soon they would get overrun.

“Let us free, Jay.” Egalt said, and Jay looked over to him, thankful to see that the older dragon was awake. He was wincing when he moved, fighting the chains that held him, yet his voice didn’t waver. “Then we can assist you in the battle.”

A plan quickly formed in Jay’s head, and he looked back to Nya, who still held him. “I need you to distract them. If I can get to that cage, I should be able to free them.”

“That’s impossible, it’s vengestone! You can’t break the chains!”

“Well, I think I might know who has the key.”

The mechs were getting closer, so Jay didn’t hesitate to reach for Agent Prentis, who still lay unconscious beside him, ignoring the pain in his head. Just as Jay thought, he had a large key slung around his neck, hidden under his shirt, attached to a thin string. Jay just hoped that it was the right key for the chains. He quickly grabbed it, tying it around his wrist, knowing what he had to do, and hoping that it would work.

Jay got to his feet shakily, and Nya joined him.

“I got your back.” She said, and those were the only words that he needed.

Ignoring the pain in his chest and arm, Jay vaulted over the desk, running for the cage. Nya was right beside him, attacking the agents that got in his way, sending torrents of water at the mechs, slowing down their stride.

Jay made it to the cage, watching as the lightning snaked up and down the bars, threatening to kill all who touched it.

You must listen to the lightning around you. Let it flow through your veins, become one with it.

He let himself take a deep breath, listening to Egalt’s wisdom from a simpler time.He then closed his eyes as he reached for the bars, preparing for the wave of power that would no doubt come.

As soon as his hands made contact, his body surged with hot pain, a burning sensation branching up from his hands and to his shoulders, causing him to cry out. Agony shot through him, yet Jay forced himself to stand tall, letting all of the lightning from the cage enter his body, rushing through his veins, overwhelming his senses with nothing but the raw power of the lightning he could control.

He began screaming at one point, and every part of him wanted to stop, to give up, to let the lighting do what it wanted, but he couldn’t. He needed to free Rontu and Egalt. He needed to control the lightning.

He swayed where he stood, his vision blacking out at the edges, and with one final surge of electricity, all of the lightning was gone from the cage, instead moving inside of him, making his hands shake, his limbs tremble, his eyes well up with tears of pain.

He stumbled, falling to the ground, clutching the bars of the cage for support, willing himself to get back to his feet. Yet he couldn’t. His body refused to listen to him, breaths refused to enter his lungs, his hearing flickering in and out.

He needed to get rid of the lightning. But where? How?

The lightning consumed everything in him, but Jay couldn’t control it. Not for much longer. He knew that it wanted to be free, yet he knew if he let the lightning go now, too many people could be hurt, people who weren’t even attacking them. He could hurt the Ninja, too. Maybe even Rontu and Egalt.

With all of the strength he had left, Jay forced the lightning to stay in him, willing it away from his skin, away from the air and floor around him, containing the power that only wanted to be free.

He couldn’t hurt the Ninja. He couldn’t.

Cole was in front of him then. His mask was off, his mouth forming words Jay couldn’t hear. Jay couldn’t find the strength to nod, or shake his head, or do anything, but Cole seemed to understand. With hesitation, Cole cut the key away from Jay’s wrist, grabbing the key when it fell to the floor. Soon he was reaching for the cage and pulling it open with his hands, the metal screeching under the raw strength that Cole possessed. Jay tried to cover his ears, but everything he heard and felt was too much for him and his arms wouldn’t lift.

Darkness consumed his vision before Cole could even enter the cage, and he slumped against the bars, losing the strength he needed to stay aware of what was going on around him. All of his energy was focused on keeping the lightning contained, and that was all that he could do.

He just hoped that he could keep it up for as long as he needed to. As long as he needed to keep them safe.

Chapter Text

Lloyd always prided himself with knowing how to be a leader, even when plans got derailed, even when something unexpected happened that made everyone question what to do.

This day had tested him with this, more than he had been tested before.

First, they found out that Jay was Rontu’s student. Lloyd couldn’t help being relieved about that, yet shocked that he had been so close to his friend yet didn’t know it was him. That Jay had been with Rontu and Egalt, that he wasn’t as lost as they all thought.

Then, he learned that Jay had forgotten them. They had dealt with memory loss before as a team, yet something about this time felt worse. Jay didn’t feel like he could trust them. He was scared of them.

Yet Lloyd kept going. He pushed all of the distractions to the side and made a plan, getting them free from the Administration’s grip, taking them to the vents where Jay led the way. But he didn’t plan on running into the Administration army. He didn’t plan on Jay struggling to get up after one strong hit. He didn’t plan on more mechs attacking them, becoming a swarm that he couldn’t fight.

And he didn’t plan on Jay absorbing all of the lightning from the cage, allowing Cole to break it open and free Egalt and Rontu.

But here they were.

Nya was at Lloyd’s back, protecting him from behind while he attacked from the front. He could hear the battle cry of the dragons from beside him, and spared a quick glance. He couldn’t help the smile that pulled at his lips when he saw Egalt face a half a dozen mechs, all of the agents looking so, so scared. Rontu flew above them, attacking the army that still came into the room, swinging at them with her tail, causing them all to fall to the floor.

The dragons were shifting the tide of the battle. There were so many agents, and so few of the Ninja, so Lloyd was happy for the reinforcements.

He just hoped that it would be enough.

He could see Cole defending Jay from Administration agents that swarmed around him, Jay unable to get to his feet. Lloyd could see the sheer amount of pain Jay was in, his face pale, his limbs quivering. Cole was protecting him with a determination Lloyd was familiar with, sweat beading down his forehead, stopping every Administration attack directed at either of them.

Rontu roared, and with a powerful jump she landed on a half-dozen agents, her attacks becoming more fierce, yet still controlled. Lloyd could hear Nya’s heavy breathing behind him, the constant shrill of metal on metal, swords against guns. His own limbs throbbed with fatigue, the familiar burn that accompanied every long battle. Lloyd didn’t let it slow him down.

Their struggle was eventually worth it. Little by little he could see the Administration’s numbers dwindling down to next to nothing, many of them unconscious on the floor, and some even retreating. With one jump and swing of the tail, Rontu knocked over the last of the army, the determination in her eyes like a star burning in a dark sky.

“We do not have long, I have no doubt that more agents will come.” Egalt said from where he stood behind him, two agents held under his paw.

“I agree.” Rontu said, looking around the room. “We must be quick.”

“Jay would know the way out, I just don’t know if…” Cole said, now kneeling beside Jay, and Nya didn’t waste a second coming to Jay’s side, Lloyd right behind her.

He was breathing heavily, his eyes tightly closed, and Lloyd could see flickers of lightning jump off of his body. Cole and Nya both hesitantly held their hands over him, scared to touch him, yet no doubt wanting to give him comfort, make sure he’s alright. Egalt and Rontu soon walked over, their footsteps echoing across the room, and Cole made room for Rontu to lower her head near Jay, her forehead nearly touching his.

“He absorbed the lightning from the cage, it’s all contained in his body now.” She said, and Lloyd could see Nya stiffening beside him.

“Is he going to be alright?”

“Why can’t he release it now?” Cole asked, his voice breaking with emotion.

But Lloyd knew. He knew why Jay held the power back. He knew if Jay was going to be okay or not.

“He can’t let the lightning go, that sort of charge could hurt everyone in the Administration. If it was enough to hold back dragons, it’s certainly enough to kill a lot of people, including us.”

“The more he holds it back, the more tired his body will become.” Egalt added. “We must escape this prison and get back home, only then could he release the power that surges within him.”

“Okay, but half of the Administration just tried to kill us.” Cole argued. “If we get out of the way, he could let it go, and then we can all get out of here!”

Nya shook her head, her hands formings. “I hate the Administration for what they did to Jay and to us, I really do, and I would love for them all to be shocked to unconsciousness. But Jay wouldn't want to hurt them, not like this. Some of them didn’t even attack us, and some of them are only following orders. He could kill them if he wasn’t careful, and that’s the last thing Jay would want.”

Cole looked about to argue, but eventually he sighed, nodding. Nya then turned back to Jay.
“Jay? Jay, can you hear us?”

He gave a weak nod, and cracked open his eyes, the blue in his eyes seeming to glow brighter.

“Do you know the way out of here?”

Jay breathed heavily, and Lloyd recognised that he was trying to find the strength to reply.

“...Yes…”

His voice was weak, scratchy, as if he hadn’t drunk any water in years. Nya went to grab his arm, help him get to his feet, but Jay shook his head.

“I…I don’t want to hurt you. I can do it myself.” Jay replied, and using the cage as support, he managed to get to his feet, his legs shaking with a tremor that wouldn’t go away. He was already sweating, his hair damp against his forehead, but he managed to open his eyes fully.

“Are you alright, little one?” Rontu asked, and he nodded weakly.

“I don’t know how much longer I can stand. Or if I can walk.”

“You’re going to have to.” Egalt said gruffly, and once again Lloyd felt angry at how Egalt pushed the people he cared about to do more than they could. First Arin, and now Jay. But, Lloyd knew that he was right. Jay had to walk, he had to find enough strength to keep going. If he didn’t, they might not get out of here. Jay was their guide. Even if Jay told them how to get out of here, choosing to stay, Lloyd wouldn’t leave him behind, not again.

“You can do this, Jay. As soon as we’re out of the Administration you can let all of the lightning go.” Lloyd added, trying to keep his voice even. He didn’t want anyone knowing how nervous he really was about all this.

Jay didn’t reply; Lloyd didn’t have to wonder why. He looked as if he was one step away from collapsing.

“Can any of us hold onto him? Help him walk without getting hurt?” Nya asked, staying close to Jay, and Rontu shook her head.

“Whoever would help him would have to be able to withstand the lightning that Jay cannot contain, the lightning that Jay cannot fully keep within himself. Egalt is too weak, and I fear that I am not as strong as I once was, before the Vengestone. I will need some time to recover. You are all too human, you couldn’t withstand the lightning if you tried.”
“I might be able to take it.” Cole said, slamming his fists together, his elemental powers lighting up his skin. “Not for long, but more than anyone else.”

Lloyd didn’t like it. He didn’t like risking another member of his team, another brother. But, they had no other options.

“Alright. We need to get out of here as quickly as we can. Jay, try to keep as much of that lightning in as possible.” Lloyd said firmly, placing his sword back in the holster. “Nya, I want you to run ahead with me, follow Jay’s instructions. Rontu, Egalt, stay behind us. Jay and Cole will be in the middle.”

“We will follow your lead.” Egalt said, and after Cole slugged Jay’s arm over his shoulder, wincing as the lightning jumped off of Jay’s skin and into his, and took a moment to breathe, they all began to move.

Beside Lloyd, Nya made quick work of attacking the agents that rushed for them as soon as they entered a large hallway, and Lloyd could hear the same sounds of battle from behind him. Jay’s voice was weak as he told them where to go, Cole having to echo them louder to be heard above the chaos. Cole let out short gasps as they ran, and Lloyd knew that they had to be fast.
Eventually, Lloyd recognised the long hallway that he had gone down before, with the large portal device right at the end of it.

“Straight ahead, Jay?”

“Yup, press the previous teleports button and…”He let out a groan, and Cole had to take all of Jay’s weight as he stumbled into him. “Find the right one.”

“And do it fast! I don’t know how much longer I can take this!” Cole yelled, and Lloyd nodded, running up to the panel and pressing the required buttons. Nya stood beside him, defending him, and soon the portal opened, leading them to Rontu and Egalt’s home.

They didn’t spend another second at the Administration. Lloyd never wanted to go back.

After they jumped through the portal, sunlight hit them like a wave. With a collective sigh they all slowed down, taking in the stone under their feet, the wind in their hair, and watched as the portal closed behind them. But before they could fully relax, Jay ran past them, letting go of Cole and climbing up to the higher stone platform. He stumbled up the steps quickly, and soon he was screaming, lightning shooting out from his body in all directions. Everyone just barely had time to duck before a wave of electricity shot above him, cutting through the air before disappearing into nothing.

It took a few seconds to get rid of all of the lightning, but it only took a second for Jay to crumble, and Nya was by his side in a second, scooping him up and pressing him to her chest, cradling him in her arms. Lloyd didn’t waste a second coming to his side. Jay’s eyes were closed, his breathing uneven, but Lloyd was so thankful to see that there was no more lightning jumping off of his skin.

Cole soon fell beside them, Cole’s hand going to Jay’s forehead. His own arm was shaking, no doubt from the lightning that he had to withstand.

“He’s running at a bit of a temperature, but it’s not too warm. He should be alright.”

“Are you sure that we’re safe here?” Lloyd asked, turning to Rontu and Egalt, who stood behind them.

“Yes.” Egalt replied, “The Administration wouldn’t risk coming here, not while we are alive. This place renews our strength, no one would dare face us in our own home.”

“We will all be safe, even Jay.” Rontu said kindly, walking forward. “I can take him to a cave so he can rest.”

“I’m coming too.” Nya said, and effortlessly she lifted him up, letting Jay rest his head on her shoulder.

The three wandered to the further cave systems, the same ones that Jay had shown them before. Egalt watched them go to, before turning back to them, his tail weakly moving in the air. Cole sat down with a huff, putting his head in his hands, but Lloyd stayed standing, despite the emotions and adrenaline that still ran though his body.

Now that they weren't running from the Administration, Lloyd finally allowed himself to feel a stab in his stomach, guilt and shame swirling around, choking his throat, making him feel nauseous.

Jay was here. He was here the entire time, and Lloyd had no clue. He didn’t remember them.

And, through it all, Jay was right. If Lloyd was a good friend, Jay wouldn’t have been alone all this time. They should've found him sooner.

“It’s not your fault, Lloyd.” Cole said firmly, “We all didn’t know it was him.”

“But I saw him. I talked with him. And I didn’t have a clue.”

“You speak of Jay?” Egalt asked, proceeding to sit on the ground himself, and Lloyd turned to him, a frown on his face.

“Yes. You knew?”

Egalt took a minute to speak, looking up to the sky, returning his gaze to Lloyd.

“I did. But, I didn’t know that he was one of your friends. I had suspicion, as did Rontu, yet…”

“With the Blood Moon, it didn’t matter.” Cole said, and Egalt nodded.

“But it does matter! He’s our friend! Our teammate! If you had told us that he was Jay, we could’ve helped him remember! We could’ve done something!” Lloyd argued, unable to contain the anger that bubbled within him.

“There was no time before the Blood Moon. The distraction would have been unwelcome. Now that the battle is over, you can focus on his recovery. You know this, Lloyd.”

And he did. He remembered, not hours before, when Nya asked why Lloyd didn’t tell them about the new Elemental Master. Lloyd had said nearly the same words to her. They couldn’t afford the distraction. They didn’t have time to focus on someone new. On another potential problem.

It still didn’t make him feel better. Jay was here the entire time, and Lloyd had done nothing to help him. Rontu and Egalt kept him a secret. Jay was hidden from them, even when he was more than their friend, he was their brother. Lloyd didn’t even know it was him.

“How has he been doing?” Cole asked, looking up, interrupting Lloyd’s thoughts, “With losing his memories? Do you know what happened?”

“I do not. But, he is slowly recovering his memories, usually through outside influences reminding him of the things of the past. Yet, he still has much to remember.”

“Thank you. For taking care of him.” Cole said, and with those words all of the anger bleed out of Lloyd, leaving him exhausted and weak.

If it wasn’t for Egalt and Rontu, he had no doubt that Jay would be in more trouble than he already was. He could even be dead, or have all of his element drained out of him. Lloyd was just so angry at himself for letting Jay down, letting down his team, that he became angry at everyone around him. He knew that.

Taking a deep breath, he looked to the rough stone, shame filling his gut.

“Thank you, Egalt.”

“You don’t need to thank me.” Egalt replied evenly, but Lloyd could see the kindness in his eyes. “It was Rontu who found him, and protected him. I merely trained him. And, I must thank you for finding us. The Administration didn’t know what to do with us, but I do not want to spend the rest of my days being bound by Vengestone.”

It was Cole who spoke up then. “You can thank Jay for that. He did most of the heavy lifting.”

Egalt hummed in response. “Now, I want you two to get some rest. Jay will be sleeping for a few hours, after, we can talk and decide where to go from here.”

Lloyd nodded, and he and Cole made their way to the caves. Rontu was standing outside, giving them a small nod as they entered. As soon as they walked into the cave, Lloyd could see Nya sitting beside a sleeping Jay, bundled up in blankets, his chest now rising and falling evenly.

“How is he?” Lloyd asked softly, and Nya smiled softly.

“Tired. But okay.”

“We’re going to get his memories back, Nya.” Cole said. He was pulling out a few blankets from the corner of the cave, his voice soft. “We’re going to figure things out.”

“I know.”

Nya reached to pull back a few strands of Jay’s hair that had fallen onto his forehead, but pulled away at the last moment. Lloyd couldn’t imagine the pain she was going through, having finally found the love of her life but to only find that he had forgotten everything. Lloyd hoped that they would get Jay’s memories back soon, and fast. He and Nya had been through so much together, all Lloyd wanted for them was happiness. He knew that Nya would never truly be happy while Jay still saw them as strangers.

Silently, Lloyd grabbed a blanket from Cole, and found his own corner of the cave to lay down in. He knew that sleep wouldn’t come, but he knew that he had to try. He didn’t know what the next few hours would bring, but he would need all the strength he had.

---------------------------------------------------------

Nya couldn’t help but feel guilty for the look that she put on Zane’s face.

She was sitting in the jet, resting her hands on the controls, trying to keep herself from crying as Zane’s eyes expressed more pain than she ever thought possible. Although he could only be seen on the video communication that she sent, even though he was back at the Monastery with the kids, Nya felt as if he was right in front of her.

“Nya. I…I don’t know what to say.”

She nodded, fighting to keep herself from crying, though she couldn’t help how her hands shook. “Me too.”

“He doesn’t remember anything?”

She took a deep breath. “Rontu says that Jay remembers a few things, but not a lot. He likely wouldn’t be able to recognise you. He didn’t recognise any of us. He thought that we were there to hurt him.”

He didn’t even recognise her. She always thought that he could never forget her, that those blue eyes would only look at him with love, and never confusion. Never fear.

“That makes three of us.”

“What?”

Zane frowned. “Three of us who have lost our memories. Who have forgotten our friends.”

He was right. Zane had forgotten them before. She herself had forgotten them before. And now Jay.

The thought was more painful than she thought it would be.

“Once he comes back to the Monastery, Cole and I can do a quick medical scan.” Zane said, not speaking more about his previous comment, something that she was thankful for. “We can then see if the memory loss is physical. It will give us a starting point in his recovery.”

“Thanks, Zane.”

“Nya?” His voice was kind, and it brought Nya’s eyes back to him, tears finally escaping. “He loves you. He may not remember now, but he still loves you, deep down, I know that for a fact. He will regain his memories, and things will be made whole once again.”

“But we both know how hard this is to forget. How hard it will be to remember again, to look at the people he loves knowing he forgot them. I hate that he has to go through it.”

“So do I. Yet, we can help him. We will help him. Find peace in that, Nya. Things will get better.”

She didn’t want to say that things would get better, not soon at least; she didn’t really believe it herself. She wouldn’t give up on Jay, she couldn’t, not after all that they had been through together, not after she had given her heart to him, but it could take years to get him back. If he even came back at all.

No. She couldn’t think like that. She couldn’t give up on him.

“Could you tell Arin and the others what’s going on? I don’t know how much Arin looked up to Jay, but…” Nya said, her voice shaking, and Zane nodded.

“I will. I look forward to your arrival, Nya. Stay safe.”

“You, too.”

With those words spoken, Zane signed off of the communication, and Nya took a deep breath, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

She knew that life wasn’t fair. She knew that better than anyone. But now, with the love of her life not even knowing who she was, with her brother stuck in another dimension, she felt angry at how unfair life was. Didn’t she and Jay deserve to be happy together, after everything they’ve gone through, after everything they’ve sacrificed? Didn’t Kai deserve to be free, deserve to be with his family after all that he’s done for the world?

Her fingers soon formed fists, and she let the tears flow, sobs shaking her chest as she resisted the urge to scream. This wasn’t fair. None of this was fair.

She gave herself a minute to break down. A minute to cry, a minute to feel all that she was feeling, until she had to get it together and face Jay. So that’s all that she took.

Her face was red by the time she was done, and Nya took a deep breath, composing herself. She could see Jay outside the jet, talking to Rontu and Egalt, sitting down yet clearly upset, waving his hands as he talked.

Rontu and Egalt were no doubt telling him that he should go with herself, Lloyd, and Cole, back to the Monastery. Rontu and Egalt had spoken about it the night before, and Lloyd quickly agreed. Jay should be around people that could help him remember who he was, around his teammates, people who he had lived with and fought alongside for years. It looked like Jay wasn’t too happy about that.

Wiping her face once more, Nya stepped out of the jet, ignoring Cole’s look of concern that he sent her.

“Jay’s not too happy.” Lloyd said, and Nya nodded.

“I’m not surprised. They’re like a family to him.”

“And we’re strangers.” Cole added solemnly.

Nya took a moment to study Jay from a distance. She could still see the exhaustion that clung to him, the too pale skin, the tremor in his limbs, and hated that he was still suffering. Containing all of that lightning drained him. He would need a lot of rest over the next few days, and she was afraid that all of these changes would make that harder. How could Jay rest his mind and body when he didn’t even know the people he lived with? Lloyd also suspected that his lightning would be unstable for a while, and planned on training Jay as soon as he could, to be sure that Jay would regain the control that he needed.

Nya could tell that Lloyd was conflicted about that. Who wouldn’t be? Jay had trained Lloyd all that time ago, and now Lloyd had to reteach him what he should already know.

Everything would feel different now. Cole and Jay wouldn’t have that connection they’ve had ever since they first met. How is Jay going to react to Zane being a nindroid? When they got Kai back, would Jay feel as comfortable around him as he once was? Or would Kai’s loud emotions scare him away? And what about Nya? Will he ever trust her like he once did?

“I hope you guys don’t mind, but I told Jay a bit about us this morning.” Cole said. “I told him about the battles we’ve fought since the Merge, and about the kids at home. I even told him about Kai.”

“He’ll need to learn about it eventually, with or without his memories.” Lloyd said distantly, and Cole shook his head.

“That’s not just it. That teleportation device that Jay used to get us into the Administration? He kept it. And he thinks that if we can find a way to charge it, we might be able to get into the Nether-Space. We might be able to get Kai out of there!”

The words shocked Nya to her core, and she turned to him in shock. “Are you serious?”

“Jay’s pretty confident. He just told me that he wouldn’t know how to charge it. I guess he’s forgotten that he’s good with tech, but if this works一”

“We could get Kai back.” Lloyd finished, finally smiling after too long. “Cole, that’s genius!”

Nya let herself smile a bit, too, hope bursting forth from within her, only dulled slightly by the world around her. “I can take a look at the device as soon as we get home.”

Rontu and Egalt were now making their way to them, Jay sitting on Rontu’s back, no doubt too weak to walk on his own. He was holding a small satchel, and Nya realized that he must’ve packed some things before Rontu told him where he was going. It broke her heart seeing how empty the bag was. Yet, she knew that his room back at the Monastery was still full of his own stuff. She just hoped that some of it might bring back some memories.

She wondered if he still had his Yin-Yang medallion. Would he even know what it meant?

“Jay has agreed to go with you, but he is still very weak. He will need rest when he arrives at your home.” Rontu said, letting Jay slide off of her back, and he landed roughly. Cole was instantly at his side, holding him up, his arm under Jay’s, and brought him closer to Lloyd and Nya. She could now see that Jay was sweating, and he looked at them with a bit of sadness and apprehension. He didn’t seem to be scared of them, though.

Nya would take the small victories when she could get them.

“Are you feeling okay?” Cole asked Jay, and he nodded weakly.

“Yeah.”

“I’ll keep holding onto you, okay? If you ever want me to stop, let me know.”

“Jay.” Lloyd said, stepping forward. “I promise that we’re going to help you. We’re going to get this figured out.”

“You’re going to love the Monastery,” Cole added with a wide smile. “Zane’s there right now, he’s an amazing cook! Trust me, you haven’t tasted anything until you’ve had his lasagna! And, the training yard is huge. Not to say this training yard isn’t, but you’re going to love ours.”

Nya could see Jay relax slightly as Cole talked, his eyes filling with a little bit of hope.

“I can even show you around the garage.” Nya added, giving Jay a comforting smile. “We build mechs and bikes there.”

“Something tells me you’ll fit right in with them, little one.” Rontu said, lowering her head to be close to Jay’s. “And you can always visit us.”

“I just…I’m so scared.” Jay said, his voice no louder than a whisper.

“It is natural to be afraid, but you’ve already endured so much. There is no need to be. These people will show you that you don’t have to be scared, but if you are, they will pick you up and stand beside you. They are good people.” Rontu told him, her voice kind and gentle. “It’s time for you to be who you were meant to be. Who you are.”

“I don’t remember who I am.”

“It doesn’t matter that you’ve forgotten.” Egalt replied firmly, yet anyone could hear the care that he spoke with, too. “I can see the man you are, despite you not knowing yourself. You are kind, selfless, and smart. You are a true Elemental Master, one that I am proud to know. Memories or not, you are a good man. You just need to let who you are shine through the fear that you feel.”

Nya could feel the warmth of the words envelop her own chest, she couldn’t imagine how Jay felt. He seemed to regain some confidence, standing taller, yet still leaning on Cole for support.

“Thank you, Rontu, Egalt…for everything.”

“No need to thank us, little one. It’s been an honor.” Rontu said, touching his forehead with her nose quickly, and Jay leaned into it, closing his eyes. She pulled away, and gave a large smile to the others.

“I wish you all a safe journey, and you all, even anyone who you consider a teammate, is welcome to visit us at any time.”

“Thank you, Rontu.” Lloyd said. “We’ll be sure to come by when our team is finally back together, so you can meet them all.”

“We look forward to it.”

“Alright. Let’s head home. Cole, Jay, I want you guys in the jet, Nya, you’re with me on Jiro.”

But before Jay could go into the jet, he weakly freed himself from Cole’s grip, stumbling over to Rontu, and wrapped his arms around his neck, hugging her. Rontu dipped her head, resting it on his shoulder, and the two stayed like that for a moment, no doubt taking in each other's presence for as long as they could.

Nya didn’t have to wonder how close Jay and Rontu had gotten, that hug showed her all that she needed to know. A part of her felt horrible for taking him away from her, but it was what was best. He needed to be with his team. He needed to let himself be who he truly was.

“Go now, little one.” Rontu said kindly, “Learn and grow, and never be afraid of what is to come. You’re not alone. You never have been.”

Jay’s eyes were filled with tears as he pulled away, weakly trembling as Cole went to his side again. With one final looked shared between Jay and Rontu, they headed to the jet, Jay looking back with a small smile on his face.

And only a minute later, they were in the sky, Cole and Jay flying beside Jiro, who held Lloyd and Nya, leaving the Dragon Masters behind.

---------------------------------------------

It didn’t take them too long to fly to the Monastery. Nya and Lloyd spent the ride in silence, yet whenever Nya looked over to the jet she could see Cole talking to Jay, Jay sometimes replying. The comms were off, so she couldn't hear them, and she wondered if Jay trusted him yet. She wondered how long it would take for him to trust her. Would he ever regain his memories? Or would they have to start over? Would he ever love her again, like Zane said? Or was that love truly gone?

Nya was thankful that the Monastery soon appeared below them, silencing her thoughts. She could see Arin and Sora already waiting outside, Arin waving at them eagerly. Cole took the jet to the underground garage, while Lloyd landed Jiro on the training grounds.

“You guys took so long!” Arin exclaimed as soon as Lloyd jumped down from Jiro. “Zane told me that you guys found Jay?”

“We did, but you guys have to give him some space, okay?”

Sora frowned. “So, what Zane said is true, right? He’s…he lost his memories?”

Lloyd fell silent then, only giving them a slight nod. Arin looked absolutely heartbroken, while Sora put on a brave face, rubbing Arin’s shoulder.

“We’ll bring back his memories.” She said, determination clear in her tone.

“Sora…” Lloyd said, but she interrupted.

“Look. It may seem impossible, but after everything we’ve been through, I don’t see why we can’t.”

Arin nodded. “Sora’s right. We’ll figure it out.”

Nya found herself feeling relieved that the kids believed in what could be impossible. She had a hard time believing that Jay would remember who he was, yet seeing their determination made her smile.

“He’ll be in the garage if you want to meet him, but don’t crowd him, okay?” Lloyd said, and Arin and Sora didn’t hesitate rushing to the garage, leaving Nya and Lloyd following them slowly.

Nya couldn’t stop the question from escaping. “Do you really think we’ll get him back?”

“Jay, or Kai?”

“Both.”

Lloyd took a moment to think. “Jay thinks that Kai will be easy to get back, and if Jay believes it, I do too. Jay, on the other hand…”

He stopped, meeting her eyes, and she met his.

“We thought that we lost Zane, when he was the Ice Emperor. But we got him back. When you turned into the Ocean, we got you back. Somehow we’ll get Jay back too. I know that we won’t give up on him, and he won’t give up on us. He’ll fight to remember, Nya, I know he will. We just have to keep fighting for him too.”

She nodded, a small smile on her lips, giving her thanks silently. Lloyd seemed to understand, and soon they were in the garage. Jay, Cole, and Zane were standing in the middle of it, Cole and Zane talking, while the kids surrounded Jay, asking him questions, yet still giving him time to reply. Wyldfyre was standing across from them, muttering how she met Jay first, and Nya knew that she had to ask Wyldfyre about that.

Jay was going red from all of the attention, a stark contrast to the paleness from before, and Nya couldn’t help but think that it was cute. It wasn’t often that Jay got this embarrassed, not even when he hosted his own television show.

Then she realized that he probably didn’t remember that, either.

Before she let that sadness and despair creep up on her again, she watched as Jay turned to her, a hesitant smile on his face as he met her eyes. As she stared into those blue eyes, blue eyes that reminded her of comforting words, joyous laughter, and unwavering trust, she knew that it was going to be okay.

He may not remember her for a while. He may not remember her at all. But he was here. He would fight beside them. He would be a part of their team once again. And maybe now, after years of struggle, years of running out of time, they were finally getting the time they needed to recover, to heal everything that was broken, to be whole once more.

Nya would make sure that they would get that time. She just got Jay back, and she was never going to let him go again.