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Chapter Text

Antonia sighed, jumping over the rock that blocked the road.

The road to recovery isn't easy overnight. Its been a week, and yet the roads stay in broken chunks.

"Urgh, can you believe that those * elemental masters * are the so called 'protectors' now? My arse." A whispered voice hissed out nearby in distain.

Antonia glanced towards the voice worriedly, anger bubbled under her skin at the insults hurled under the breath by cowards who are too scared to say it to THEIR face.

But, really, Antonia did not care much for it. She passed out papers, so unfortunately she was the bane of many harsh words.

"Take this garbage out of my face." The women spat, slamming the door in Antonia's face.

The paper Antonia had held out crinkled at her side as she lowered her arm to her side almost in disappointment.

This was the fifth person to turn her away while she was handing out newspapers. She's learned not many want to be reminded that the elemental masters saved them. It was a little disappointing in humanity.

But, Antonia took a deep breath and continued to the next house.

The house was squat and small, the plants out front were broken and scattered across the street.

Knocking on the house, a young boy peered out. A purple slip of fabric on his face as he peered at her.

"Hello! I bring news!" Antonia held the paper out, watching as the young boy snatched the paper with ease and excited glint in his eye.

"Mom!!" The child turned inside. "Newspaper is here!"

The door started to shut, but was caught by a young women who peered at Antonia next. "Thank you." The woman said before gently closing the door behind her.

Antonia blinked at the shutting door, watching as it latched shut before she shook herself out of her trace to continue her route.

Yanking out the map she had in her pocket, she traced the route with careful eyes. She was near the end, the only place left was… the junkyard.
Who lived there? Antonia never really cared to learn. But she's heard people call them truthful, honest business people.

Others seemed to scorn them, Antonia never really knew why.
(Was it because the whole Elemental Masters thing started with their son? Or maybe it was something more…)

But, she set off on her bike, fastening her helmet and petaled off, the wind tossing her hair gently like a hand caressing her face as she rode across the road.

The sand was a difficult thing to traverse, hence why Antonia would be forever grateful for the road that the city had made.

She skidded to a halt, her bike perched up by the wall as she stalked inside yawning.

It was a long day for her, she couldn't wait until she could go home, get into her comfortable bed, and sleep.

Unfortunately, the world had other ideas.

A snake, one with purple markings and a long, broken-like neck, lunged towards her. Pinning her to the ground as she yelped in surprise.

"Where are the fangbladesss." The snake hissed, craning his (its?) neck down towards her carefully. His forked tongue flicking against her skin as she shrunk in fear.

".. the what?" Antonia squeaked in a bit of fear. Swallowing hard, she shook with an effort to hide the fear she felt. The weapon the snake held pressed ever closer to her neck.

"Hey, Pythor P Chumsworth! Pick on someone your own size! Man, you really need to get a shorter name. What about Pyths? Easy to remember and short!" A voice shouted out, and twisting her head, Atonia saw a young adult man dressed clad in red.

"Oh ninja…" Pythor, Atonia assumed that was the snake's name, hissed as he glared at the red guy. He sounded almost dissapointed. "Where'sss the othersss? Ssso overconfident you can deal with me ssssolo?"

Oh . That must be one of the ninja from the new ninja force. Atonia's brain supplied needlessly. Red… uh… is that the fire- fire ninja?

Thankfully, she didn't need to ask, as the ninja lunged, spraying fire at the snake as Pythor slithered off of Atonia.

Another ninja, this one wearing white, (really not a good idea. You kinda stick out, but also, white literally shows every single stain in existence!) ran over to help Atonia up.

"Are you okay?" The person asked in a strangely robotic tone. 

Antonia nodded, watching with wide eyes at the fight.

"You should get out of here." The white ninja suggested, gesturing towards the exit of the junkyard.

Antonia shook her head. "I need to deliver-"

Suddenly, the blue one, who Antonia didn't even see appeared, shot lightning, and it barely missed Antonia's foot.

"-You know what? You make a good point." Antonia concluded, throwing her newspaper over her shoulder and lunging to her bike. She got on and pedaled hard.

But, after that encounter, she never really viewed the ninja the same again.

(Maybe they really did deserve to be heroes… Antonia would certainly support them.)

Chapter Text

Mail is needed across the world. Despite what others might say.

He certainly knew that. Even after a whole war going on with a giant snake devouring half of the city.

But really, money doesn't make itself.

So, he would have to do it his way.

He climbed up the almost endless amount of stairs, his back aching in response as he adjusted his hat so slightly to hide from the scorching sun.

His back protested as he hefted the heavy bag up higher. 

At least he was getting his cardiac in. You gotta look on the bright side sometimes.

Ask him anything, and he would tell you the truth. Pinapple on pizza? Doesn't belong. The game that Miltan Dyer canceled? Stinks.

The ninja? Well, that was a bit more complex. Sure, they saved ninjago, twice now. But, people still didn't take them too well. They hiss in the newspapers face, throwing fits about the ninja who had risked their lives to save ninjago.

Maybe in another life, he could hate them. But really, he couldn't. It was thanks to them that he is still able to live, to deliver mail across Ninjago with style.

Okay, maybe he had his own reservations, but you can't blame him! The ninja have the full right to be upset at Ninjago, they don't need to risk their lives to save it over and over. What's stopping them from just, having enough, and blasting the city to smitherings.

Okay, maybe the last part was unprecedented. Bur, at the same time, could you really blame him? Sure, he had met the ninja on occassion, and most seem like pretty decent people. (The red one and the grey one glared at him silently while he was there. The brown one seemed welcoming. The white one was busy. And the blue one was kind. The green one… he never really interacted with them.)

But… He wouldn't- couldn't, get that sort of… opinions. He was the mail. He symbolized hope and joy for many when getting their packages.

They are only business partners. They get their mail, and then he takes his leave.

As simple as that.

As he crawled over the last step, he rubbed his eyes at the chaos happening in the courtyard of the monostary.

The ninja, all spread out, each doing their own pratice. Swinging swords, jumping over dummies, shooting ice for long periods. The whole thing. 

That old hermit guy, the long beard, exquisite taste in hats, was over seeing. Sipping his tea and yelling at some of the ninja about… skeletons.

"I have mail…" The mailman said, holding up the letter he had carried all the way up here.

Instantly, all eyes turned towards him.

The blue one hopped over, his face full of relief at having a distraction. "Who is it for?"

"I've got four." He explained, reaching into his back to pick out another white letters. A cheap package, but he won't judge them. "One addressed to 'Lloyd Garmadon', a package to 'Zane', another to a 'Cole', and the last one to a 'Jay Walker'?" He held the letters as the people came to collect them.

(Green took the Lloyd Garmadon one, White took Zane's, Brown took the Cole's, and Blue took Jay's.)

He panted, his back sliding down the wall as he sat. "I need to… take a break…" he panted, sitting dazedly on the ground as he wiped his brow of sweat.

He heard the quiet murmur of voices, glancing over he could see various faces.

Blue overjoyed and reading his letter with a shine to his eyes. Green frowned at his letter, his teeth gritted as he read it with a neutral expression. Brown looked disgusted, maybe even aghasted. And White looked broken, shocked, holding up a falcon in his hands carefully.

Blue's face was worth it, the mailman decided. Seeing those excited, happy faces was always worth it in his opinion. 

Distantly, he wondered what words entailed their reactions. What did those letters say?

He assumed Blue's was from a person he deeply cares about, family perhaps. But the others? 

Well, he shouldn't be prying. He forced his eyes away to silently regard the city laid out before him.

A set of gently footsteps had the Mailman jumping out of his skin. He twisted upwards to meet the gaze of a set of gentle, green eyes. (He had not met this woman before, he was sure of it. He was certain he would recall meeting a robot lady.)

He regarded the lady silently, watching as she kneeled down to his height. "Thank you." She told him gently, tossing a coin in his direction he fumbled slightly to catch. "Those stairs must be difficult to walk all the way up."

The Mailman shrugged, pocketing his coin gratefully. "It was nothing. Just extra cardio."

The woman laughed softly, her voice soft. Then, she pasued, her expression morphing to serious. "Be careful, would you? Warn people, I'm sure if we tried, no one would believe us. But, you have respect, yes? Warn people about staying away from skeletons on the loose."

The mailman paused, confused at her words but nodded regardless. "All…right." He agreed a bit more slowly.

"... Thank you." The woman smiled, standing up to join her friends. Brown smiled at her warmly, and White did too.

The mailman watched her go, before he sat up, hefting his bag up to bring more mail to the world.

Chapter Text

Cyrus Borgs. His name makes you think many things, doesn't it?

Smart, intellegent, maybe a bit detached, rich.

Or maybe that's just how he wishes he could be seen as.

Not some mindless monstrous intellect that he became.

To be honest, he didn't exactly understand the digital overlord's obsession with him. He was just some inventor. But maybe, as time went on, he saw it. Mindless fields of warriors with only one purpose, to destroy.

Maybe that's why P.I.X.A.L (Pixal, she wanted to be called now.) had lost half of her power source, and that white ice master, Zane, had given it to her.

(Was he a bad father to his daughter? Did.. Pixal actually see him as her father? Where those two dating, and if not, why weren't they? It's almost as bad as the water and lightning duo… but he got the feeling it was a tad bit more complex there.

He shook his head, he could only watch as the weapons was taken away to be burned down into mush. Turned into a giant spider, who's webs stretched across Ninjago in a silent grasp.

(He could only watch as the ninja he knew, Zane, who helped him in his endeavors, died in front of them. Watch as ninjago still scorned him because of who he once was. Borg could relate in that sense.)

But then, the ninja crashed at his tower more often than not. Pixal looked down, depressed even, in a way. (That's what he last saw, before she left. He sobbed, crying himself dry before he fell asleep. Why did she leave? Was he a bad father?!)

But, he was nothing but hopeless. He would find what happened to his daughter, (and his son, well, technically, kinda son?) and find out how to fix her. Fix them, both.

One day, it was a damp day, rain pattered outside, a constant memory of the dark times before.

But that was the day a ninja crashed onto his desk… litterally.

Out of the ninja, only really two remained full on ninjas after… his death. Lloyd was more often than not, out and about, usually on stealth missions. Jay seemed to be the only ninja in public, which of course heralded some bad comments towards the nervous freckled boy.

(That boy had more nerves than a computer, that was for sure.)

But every bad comment Cyrus Borg hears makes him want to tear out his hair and scream. They just didn't know what the ninja lost. They lost a brother and a sister to them.

(Besides, he's noticed another ninja, wearing clad orange, often helping Jay around on some missions. Whoever they are, Cyrus Borg can only feel gratitude towards them.)

But, Cyrus Borg feels… pity? for the blue ninja. He's already been through hell once. 

(He was poor, Cyrus had to remind himself the first time the ninja came to his tower to visit him. He had never seen a clean floor before, one not covered by an old dusty carpet.)

At least he had support of some of the public. Cyrus Borg recalled seeing a video of a young woman famous with an ombre-like colored hair, (brown to light brown) for making videos talk about the Ninja. Naomi- or something. All he knew is that she had maroon eyes, often wore headphones, and was very expressive about things.

(If Cyrus's memory serves correctly, he distantly recalled her being a good fighter against the Overlord.)

He took a deep breath, turning to the ninja that quite literally tripped over something and fell onto Cyrus's desk.

"Hello Jay, how can I help you?" Cyrus asked, moving his wheelchair to get a better angle of the blue ninja sprawled on the floor.

"New feet," Jay muttered, his joke landing as Cyrus laughed softly, helping the blue-clad man up.

"I haven't seen you around often. Last I saw ya, it was when I was repairing the bountry with you. How have you been? How's the two brother senseis?" Cyrus Borg chirped cheerfully. (Faker, faker. Don't lie to hide your fear of losing your daughter.)

"Ah, thank you for that, by the way. The ship is actually functional now, no thanks to Samukai." Jay laughed awkwardly, rubbing his nose. "As for Master h- Wu and Garmadon. They are doing pretty well. But I'm sure they are probably worried."

Cyrus Borg nodded. (Who wasn't at this time? The air felt like static, charged with some unknown force that was just itching to change the tides.) "I see."

Something he picked up on Jay was his self-sacrificing attitude. His humor to hide pain that he couldn't hide in his eyes. Emotions that are too pushed down to really be seen by the average person. "How are you though?"

Jay sat on a spinny chair, idly spinning around until he is probably beyond dizzy. "I am grand, fantastic. One could say 'shockingly' fine." Jay quipped back.

(He wasn't, but it wasn't Cyrus's place to tell. Despite it all, they were still kids. And Cyrus was nothing but a good parent. And the ninja, depsite many of them having their own messed up families, except maybe Jay?, deserved a loving parent. Even if Wu and Garmadon are their fathers, Cyrus still felt responsible. Expecially after the whole 'possession and torturing lloyd for his powers' thing.

"I'm grateful that you are doing okay." Cyrus smiled at the ninja. (Lies lies lies.) "Just know, if ninja training gets too hard or whenever you just need a break, you are always free to stop by.

Cyrus Borg turned, missing the grateful look Jay shot his direction.

(They don't talk about the missing gaps behind Jay and the crowd. The silence in the air and sad look Jay gets in his eyes. They don't talk about the missing laughter of the monastery, replaced by a cold silence.)

A soft sigh sounded next to Cyrus Borg. "I- thank you… Mr Borg."

"No no, what did I say Jay? Call me Cyrus, or just Borg. You are like a son to me. No formal titles here. Otherwise I would have to call ya 'Mr Walker'." Cyrus waved his hands towards Jay.

Jay sighed, his shoulders dropping minutely. "Sorry, it is… mainly a force of habit. I am… its difficult to know that others…" care about him, despite him growing in a junkyard.

"You know Jay, even if you didn't become a ninja, you have a sharp mind." Cyrus said, cutting through the air to get rid of the horrible tension that stuck between them. "I am sure, one way or another, I would've seen your potential." Even if he didn't become a ninja, he could've worked for Cyrus and in the end, he would still be a kid in Cyrus's eyes.

Jay smiled. "Thank you. You don't… exactly know what it means to hear that."

Cyrus Borg chuckled softly, moving to an old machine that was by now, very old and probably broken beyond repair. 

"Do you need any help?" Jay prompted, his voice steady as Cyrus took apart the machine.
"No, it is only a failed prototype. And honestly, I don't really know who's idea it was to make a 'love matching machine' anyways. Love can't be defined by a machine." Cyrus Borg shrugged as he yanked out the motherboard.

"Yeah. Ahah." Jay chuckled softly. Geninuely. "I heard Nya tried it. She had a good laugh after it. It matched her up with Cole, of all people!"

Cyrus Borg smiled at his laughter. It was a rare thing to hear nowadays. "I see."

(He always suspected Cole wasn't.. well, straight. No one really had told him anything, but on occasion, with all of his bonding sessions with possibly the chattiest ninja, no person, on the planet, he could pick up on some things.)

"I know! She explained to everyone, and we all had a go!" Jay laughed softly. "It was actually pretty funny. Funny enough, I ended up getting Nya." He laughed. (It was a bit more strained. He loved her, but it was never returned. Well, maybe as far as Jay was aware. Cyrus had heard enough rants from Pixal to last a lifetime of what the two shared. It was a bond, yes, but clearly to them both, and Jay especially, holding the friendship was enough. He may not know all of what happened in that prison, but he knew enough. Nya and Jay felt guilty about something, and they danced a waltz like a computer flickering on and off.)

"Must've been a fun day?" Cyrus Borg shot him a grin as Jay shared his smile. "Yeah. It was."

A comfortable silence fell, Cyrus taking apart a machine and Jay idly observing. It was an often occurrence, when Jay was not speaking at the speed of light.

But today, it felt different. More charged, perhaps.

"You know…" Jay started, his voice sounding more vulnerable than before. "Pixal loves you, right?"

Cyrus sucked his breath in, his eyes squeezing shut momentarily.

Jay pressed on. "I can tell, you're beating yourself up… aren't you? I can tell… it's.. something I guess we can relate." 

That , got Cyrus Borg's attention. He twisted around to see Jay's dull expression. "I-... what?"

"I-" Jay swallowed softly. "You.. you are a good parent, you know. Pixal loved- loves you. And I think… I know, the others see you as a father as well.. I know I do. You are like a second father to me, and I'm... thankful for your support. I-"

Jay took a soft sigh, his hands rubbing his temple. "You know.. Pixal didn't leave you.. right?"

Cyrus gently moved to stand in front of Jay, regarding Jay. "... what…?"

All of his fears, was this true? Did someone take his daughter away?

"She was… taken. The Black Vulture, if you know who that is, was ordered to take her. I found letters and…" Jay swallowed hard, holding up with shaking hands, letters that he didn't see before.

Taking them gently, he read the contents, his eyes growing more and more wide in horror. "... this is.. a joke… right?" He muttered, his voice dripping with horror.

(But Jay is known to be overly truthful, the only lies he hides is ones that hurts himself.)

"N.. no.." Jay sighed softly, his shoulders slumping gently. "Unfortunately… I-"

Cyrus Borg didn't hear, the papers fell to the floor silently. 

"-Because you deserve it at least." Jay was finishing his rambling, and Cyrus blinked at him again. 

"I am… sorry… I- I didn't hear…" Cyrus mumbled as he rolled his wheelchair to the window.

Jay remained silent, letting Cyrus process it. (He was thankful for Jay's patience.)

He couldn't.. believe it.. Pixal was… taken . He was… angry, no not angry, outraged .

"O- oh okay… I think… I think I'm okay now…" Cyrus took a small breath, releasing the rock inside of his throat. 

Jay frowned at him. "I am willing to wait longer if you need."

"No… I need- please, I want to know.. What is your plan now?" Cyrus cleared his dry, scratchy throat. 

"I… alright then.. If you are sure. I- I plan on investigating this, and just… who the mercenary is who took away our… sister. And just who hired him to take her away." Jay said.

Another thing Cyrus learned from the blue ninja, was that he was stubborn . Boy was he stubborn. Even more so than Pixal on occasion, and that's an accomplishment. But he saw that stubborn spark in his gaze.

"Well, just so you know. I am willing to aid you in any way you need." Cyrus told Jay resolutely. "They took my daughter. I will do anything to help."

Jay smiled at him. "Good, because the first order of business? We gotta go gather some ninja."

Chapter Text

Skylor hated this. She hated this with a burning passion.

How… dare he do this. He… he wasn't even human anymore.. was he? 

He was a monster now .

Skylor stepped back away from the snake before her. The purple scales covered the skin and trailed down to the tail behind him.

She regretted ever agreeing to that stupid mark.

Behind her, she heard the cries of her fellow Elemental Masters. A dragon of gemstones, Tsuki Williams, probably, flew overhead and vanished, as Tsuki jumped down into the crowd of snakes and continued to fight among the ranks of the snakes, adding a layer of chaos. The only thing Skylor could see was the occasional flash of pink in the ranks of Tsuki.

She waved her sword, blocking the monster's weapon with ease.

"You… you are a monsster." Skylor hissed angrily, glaring at… beast she couldn't even recognize anymore. "You aren't… my father ."

"Sssskylor." The thing that claimed to be her father hissed out slowly. "Oh Ssskylor. You are blind to the truthssss." 

"No." Skylor glared at him. "I am asshamed to be family with you." Skylor hissed back angrily, snapping her sword to block another blow.

"Oh Ssskylor, Ssskylor." Chen hissed softly. "Can't you tell I'm trying to help you? I'm jussst trying to make it ssso you are just asss average ass the ressst of usss."

Skylor glared at Chen. "No. You are jusst trying to make it sso you are the only one who iss different."

Chen flicked his tongue out, his tail flicking gently across Skylor's cheek. "Oh Sskylor, Sskylor. I've done thisss all for you!"

Skylor jerked away from him, slapping the tail that had moved to cup her face gently. "You are not doing thiss for uss. You are doing thiss for yoursself. You are nothing but a sselfish monsster. You've losst your humanity a long, long time ago.. Chen."

Chen regarded her with a cold expression. "Oh Sskylor. You are ssso brave. It'sss a pity you didn't sshow this ssside earlier. Perhapsss I could've ssshown you my sssside of view."

Skylor backed away from the Anacondrai that called itself her father. "No. I will never ssssside with you." She spat out in disgust, her tongue flicking out. (She can smell with her tongue. Oh god, she never want to have to do this ever again.)

Chen tipped his head, smiling at Skylor. "Oh Ssskylor.. you are ssstill ssso weak. Can't even raissse your sssword against your dear old father." Chen mocked calmly.

Skylor's fists dug into her side, the red hazing the edges of her vision as she let out a soft, angry hiss.

"No. You hurt my friendsss. You don't know what it isss like to be me. You don't know how much I craved for your pride, but I got nothing from you." Skylor slithered forward, her sword gripped firmly in her hands. "You have no idea, how much I hate you. You claim to be my father, but I've finally ssseen a real parent relationssship. One that isss not tainted with assss much venom assss our family wasss."

Skylor slowly approached the father she once loved. "You ssstole away my ssssisster. My brother. You forced them to fight each other. Your manipulation endsss here. I refussse to let you essscape again. Thissss time, I'm going to make ssssure you never hurt another persssson again." Skylor hissed softly. "I'm ssssure Kryptarium Prisssson will ssssave a cell for you."

Chen laughed softly, his rough hands snapping around Skylor's wrist in a death grip. "You think a mere prisssson will hold me? I am an Anacondrai! A mere prisssson cannot hold the besssst of the ssssnakesss!! Metal issss bent to my will!"

Skylor glared at him, her hands moving to yank Chen away from her and towards the rock. She watched, satisified at the sickening crunch of something breaking on impact. She held him there, her hands gripping Chen's back roughly as she repeatedly hit him over and over with the hilt of the blade of her sword.

"You. Will. Never. Again. Be. In. My. Life. Again." Skylor hit every other word as she snarled at her 'father'. "You. Are. A. Monster."

Chen laughed, a manic laugh that didn't remind Skylor of her once proud father. "Oh Ssskylor~! You think you are ssssso brave aren't you. Finally gaining gut? You did nothing againsssst me before. You are jussst a meek, worthless child." Chen sneered.

(Those words would hurt coming from someone she once saw as a father, but, Skylor had grown angry towards his words.)

"You think your wordsss affect me?" Skylor hissed, baring her teeth at Chen. "You are… disssappointing. No wonder mother left you. You are nothing more than a ssssniveling, sssslimy ssslob." Skylor glared at the snake before her. "Your wordssss isss nothing to me. Not anymore. You relied on trickssss, and liessss. Now you are now without either. You are the bottom of the totem. Skylor hissed angrily, glaring at Chen coldly, she stared down at him silently. "You have nothing. You are nothing, not anymore . You lossst your ressspect, you losst your family. You have lossst everything."

Chen remained silent, his eyes wide in shock, and Skylor leaned down to where he was held against the rock. "You claim you have power. But you are… pathetic."

Skylor hefted the snake up, throwing him into the cliff as she slithered after Chen. Her sword raised high. "You may claim to be a ssssnake now. An Anacondrai. But that doesss not mean it will lassst forever. You may be all powerful in your eyessss. But to me, you are jussst repeating hissstory. All empiressss fall."

Skylor glared down at Chen coldly. "You just learned the hard way… Chen ."

She brought her sword down, cutting the snake crown he proclaimed to claim.

Above, the sky turned green, and wisps spread outwards. Skylor let a sigh of relief, feeling the itchy scales retreat away and her tail vanished away as she feet replaced her tail. Chen's face became human again as Skylor brough the sword down again, knocking him clean out. She turned slightly, her back at an angle to the person she once called her father.

"I loved you, once." Skylor said darkly. "Before mother… you were nice. But clearly, this entire time, it has always only been lies.

She stalked off, her anger simmered in her chest. But she also felt… freeing.

No longer would she have to be under his… shadow. This time, she would make sure to expose his lies, the truths to the public. They deserve to know, even if she will be at the point of the public wraith.

No more lies would come out of his mouth, and he will never hurt another elemental master again as long as Skylor lived.
She walked away, leaving the broken figure of her father crumpled against the rock to her friends… to her new family.

(A family that means more than Chen ever tried.)

Chapter Text

Life in lifehouse is quiet and bland.

Nothing happens and nothing interrupts his silent vigil.

At least, not until the day pieces of land floated to the sky.

And then before, no one came… at first.

But then, two unfamiliar humans arrived. 

A young woman with sleek black hair in a rough ponytail, various shades of grey on her clothing which kins of reminded him of ninjas, dark brown eyes that studied the area with keen and cautious eyes.

The other person, a young man with electric blue eyes and a nervous anxious energy, who seemed to never stop moving. He was covered head to toe in scars, and a pirate-style eyepatch sat over his eye. Various bandages wrapped around his injuries and he often jumped at the smallest of noises. Scared of a sudden attack.

But he knew something, he was built to protect. And these two needed protection, so he would protect.

(Echo, Echo, Echo. A name, a name other than Zane. Different from the real Zane. Different.)

Peeking out, the robot set the various gears in front of the blue man. (Jay, Jay.)

The woman picked the gears up carefully and set to building traps for someone. (Someone they feared. Why would Elemental Masters be scared? They have powers no regular human has. What scared them so badly?)

Then, one dark moonlight night, the pirates came.

(Jay froze, he was scared. Echo tried to protect them, but he couldn't.. tossed aside like the scrap he was. Giszmo attended to him long after the pirates left with the woman. Echo failed, he failed, he failed…)

Repairing the lighthouse, he had nothing more to do anyways.

(What happened to Jay? Did Echo protect Jay?)

Then, he got his answer in the form of a roar outside.

A dragon, crafted of lightning, greeted him as Jay held his hand out in invitation.

"Echo, come with me! Come be heroes with me." Jay pleaded as if Echo would ever say no and turn against his own programming.

(He couldn't.)

Taking the hand offered to him, Echo was tugged up, (more climbed because Echo weighed a ton) onto the dragon who reacted like no change in weight happened.

(Echo made a note. Never again, would he fly. He would rather not fly again. He was sure he shrieked more than he held his dignity.)

Jay, meanwhile, made a small amused laugh.

(The first time Echo had heard him laugh.)

"I reacted most of the same way." Jay chuckled from behind his hand. "Though, Cole had a bit more of a reaction."

Echo felt… slightly better?

(Jay kind of sucked at trying to comfort people, but Echo could ignore that. Everyone had their own strengths.)

Then the rest of the group.

Skylor, a master of elemental powers, keen and quite nice, despite her last name.

Dareth, a loud boisterous and very extreverted person, expecially near Jay. Touching, hugging, rubbing the ninja's hair, a very physical person.

Ronin, Echo noticed, stood out slightly. Skylor was not friendly but talked when necessary to the older man. So did Jay. 

(And to an extent, the rest of the group. A kind of tension Echo was not programmed to understand stood between Ronin and the others.)

Then the old man. An old man with a large bushy mushtache. He introduced himself as the Commissioner. Was he nameless like Echo was once?

Finally, the other person who stood more out from the rest of the group. A peg leg, an eyepatch much like Jay had. A pirate hat and an odd way of speaking. Called himself 'Captain Soto', while he knit in the corner as everyone talked.

There, Echo learned what has been going on since he has been stuck in the lighthouse.

A pirate, Naddakan, a pirate captain dijnn, (Jay seemed traumatized by him. Echo could infer he had probably been tortured there. But it was not his place to bring that up.) had been capturing people in his sword to make pieces of land to float in the sky. On top of that, Jay also mentioned his plan of having infinite wishes to finish making dijnn-jago. His version of his old realm-home. So he captured the woman, (Nya, Nya, Echo reminded. Nya was her name. Master of Water.) in order to do so.

(Jay looked disturbed at the thought, a distant look of pain and longing in his eyes. Further prodding, Echo concluded that Jay loved Nya, but neither was in a relationship.)

They had to infiltrate the sky islands, not by ship, but by land.

Then, Echo detected listeners. Turning his head. he warned the group. "I detect evesdroppers." Echo warned. "Be careful with your words. Act normal."

Jay, in turn, took that in stride. Saying random things in parts of his sentances, turning away from the window and looking out the window. Echo worked on locating the listeners.

"Two, on the building across." Echo warned carefully. "Proceed with caution."

A chase later, and a pirate lost, the group crowded inside of a house as it floated upwards carefully.

They crowded around, the Commissioner had been left behind to deal with the pirate they did capture.

"So, we know the plan? We get in, I get my wish, and absolutely no one , makes a wish no matter what?" Jay stressed, as the gang nodded in various states of 'yup'.

Jay sighed, as the island slowed to a stop. "Let's go."

Things went wrong. Why wouldn't they?

They got the sword, they saved the ninja, they worked together to stop that pirate.

(They had to use some wishes, despite Jay's shouting. Despite the ducktape that covered half of Jay's group mouths. See: Captain Soto, Skylor and Dareth.)

(They gathered around as the water ninja died.)

"I wish.." Jay stuttered slowly, drawing Echo's attention. "I wish… " Jay sobbed breaking his sentance. "You had listened to us… and that no one ever found that teapot in the first place.."

The sound of a sword hitting the floor felt like the breaking of the universe. Sand rose up as a voice weakly responded.

"Your wish… is yours to keep…"

A watch fell out, and time went backwards.

***

Life in lifehouse is quiet and bland.

Nothing happens and nothing interrupts his silent vigil.

Until one day, a stranger in blue arrived at the steps. 

His name was Jay. An elemental master.

He called the nameless robot 'Echo Zane'. Or just Echo.

(A name that he won't be like the orginal.)

He offered an escape, a way off the lighthouse. To explore the world.

Echo took it without a second thought.

(Deep down, despite only knowing him for so long… he trusted him.)

Echo and Giszmo left, and not once looked back as they traveled on the large electric dragon.

(They were his heroes.)