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Kai looked around the place.
Nya! Where was Nya?!
He made the fire, burned the building.. Everyone would be so mad at him.. But right now, his main priority was to find his younger sister.
Kai whipped around, the smoke starting to fog his vision.
“Nya! Nya, where are you?!” Kai called out desperately, coughing from the acidic smell of burning.
He heard coughing, unmistakable.
Kai ran to the source of the sound, and found his little sister, leaning on an innocent piece of a wall.
“Nya! There you are!” Kai called out in relief, slinging her arm around his shoulder.
He held her hand tightly. “You’d be okay..”
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Nya!” Jay called, seeing Nya and Kai come out of the withered building’s entrance.
Nya collapsed in Jay’s arm; and he caught her with love.
Kai and Cole exchanged looks, and.. The earth ninja didn’t look too happy.
Kai swallowed down all the fear and anger. “Guys I..”
For some reason, he found himself backpedaling, back behind the doorframe.
“I’ll explain once we get back to-”
He was cut off by a burning piece of wood falling onto him first.
“Kai!” Cole called out, his eyes widening. All his anger vanished into fear.
The fire ninja looked pained, but still alive.
Just as Cole was about to reach Kai.. A flaming curtain fell between them, the flames igniting more violently.. Engulfing Kai himself in the building.
“Kai!!” Lloyd yelled out, about to push through the fire.
Zane held him back. “Lloyd, think wisely. Going in would kill yourself too.” He sounded stern, in a worrying way.
Cole froze. “Too? W-what do you mean by too Zane?!” He shook his friend’s shoulders, trembling slightly. “You aren’t saying Kai’s..?” He whispered the last part.
Zane looked away. “I’m afraid so, old friend. We.. We have to have a funeral once the police find his body..” He murmured, his sensors dimming in a more respectful glint.
Nya groaned, sitting up a bit. “Did you say my older brother’s.. D-dead?” She blinked.
Suddenly, the fire roared louder than ever. The firemen came as soon as possible..
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“You don’t deserve my love Kai.”
“But–”
“Leave it. You and I both knew this was never going to work.”
Cole woke up in his bed, panting.
His hands were still covered in bandages, fresh, showing the flames only burned a few hours ago.
Beside him, what should’ve been warm, comforting, and someone reassuring him from a nightmare..
Cole pushed him away around a week before he lost him. They broke up. But he always cared. Cole still loved him.
His hair.
His eyes.
His body.
His personality.
His selflessness.
His everything.
Cole missed Kai. But he had no right to.
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kai woke up, alone, slightly bandaged, and his whole body stung.
Where did everyone go? Did they abandon him? Did they even bother?
He sat up, pain pulsing all around his body. Who bandaged him?
Everyone thinks he’s dead. Kai has to go back.
So Kai did. He limped to the monastery.. Well, barely.
There were moments when he saw heaven a bit, they told him he was going to die soon.
But Kai was determined not to let himself die. For the sake of his friends, the city..
He was incredibly hungry.. Thirsty.. No, shut up. Keep on going.
Eventually, Kai made it. The stairs felt like his legs were about to fall off. Maybe they did. The body was starting to numb all over. It was much less painful..
Knock knock..
Hoping someone would answer, his legs finally gave out as the door opened.
Someone caught him. Familiar, large and warm hands..
“K-Kai?! You’re alive! You’re alive!” Cole stuttered for a second, before hugging him tight.
“I promise I’ll never leave you again.. I’m so sorry..” He sobbed, ignoring how thin and cold Kai was.
Whatever. It was probably just from staying alone too long.
“Right! The others! Let’s get you back inside-!” Cole remembered, picking him up.
Kai’s gaze suddenly went blurry. It always was. And his happiest memories already started flashing in his head..
He tugged the hem of Cole’s gi. “Cole.. Do you remember that one night? We.. We watched a movie together.. What was it called?” He murmured, trying to make it sound like he isn’t dying right now.
Cole blinked away the rest of the tears. “Huh? Oh, it’s Travelling to Heaven Together.. That was a sad movie, huh?” He chuckled wetly.
Kai forced out a short laugh. “Mmh.. Yeah, you picked the wrong movie..” He slurred a bit. He was losing energy.
“I hope I didn’t let you down..”
“What–?”
Cole felt the body he was holding go slack. At first, he stood completely still, as if his body was processing what just happened.
“Kai? Buddy, you can’t just fall asleep like that! People would mistake you for dead!” Cole laughed nervously, grabbing his hand and shaking it.
Horrifyingly cold.
Cole dropped to his knees. What was he doing?!
“Kai, c’mon. I just got you back. Don’t do this to me..” Cole’s voice shook so violently, checking anything- Anything to see Kai was alive.
Cole pressed his ear to Kai’s chest. His old gi was torn, burned.. Kind of rough. However, no beat. No rise. Nothing.
“No, please, Kai, I beg you..” Cole whispered, shaking Kai’s motionless body gently.
He looked so small, nothing like the confident ninja he once was..
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Cole, that was a terrible movie! You almost had to be crying!” Kai complained, wiping his eyes for the 10th time.
Cole sobbed, blowing his nose with tissues. “That was so sad..” He hiccuped, standing up.
“I’m going to get some ice cream and pick my favourite comedy..” He murmured.
Kai hummed in agreement, though the hum was suspiciously shaky.
Cole spoonfed Kai some ice cream when he got back to the couch.
“Hm? You got some ice cream.. There,” Cole directed Kai to the ice cream still left on his mouth.
“Where?” Kai frowned, wiping where it was directed.
“Here..”
Kai was caught off guard when Cole suddenly kissed him, but he melted into it.
“What was that for? I’m usually the charmer!” Kai huffed, a bit embarrassed.
“Oh, my bad!” Cole teased, blushing a bit.
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cole hugged Kai’s body, somehow becoming colder than it already was. “Don’t leave.. Please.. I’m so, so sorry..” He sobbed, crying into the torn fabric of the dead fire ninja.
One drop.
Then two.
Then it started raining. Pouring. What amazing timing,
Almost instinctively, Cole sheltered Kai from the rain as much as possible, using his own body as coverage.
He refused to believe Kai was dead. No matter how cold, how motionless..
And Kai hated the rain. He hated water.
“Please.. Don’t leave me..” Cole murmured, his voice hurting from crying so much now.
“I still have so much love to give you..”