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Pain. Each agonising breath he drew sent fire across his chest. He had to keep breathing. In and out. In and out. His eyes were closed, only still awake because if he stopped dragging air into his flooded lungs, he wasn't sure he'd wake again.
A gentle hand brushed over his forehead, pushing his curls out of his eyes. Jay tried to open his eyes, to see who it was, but he couldn't. He coughed harshly, arm twitching over his chest as he struggled to draw breath. Dizziness spread over him, adding to the loss of sensation through his body that had only been growing since they pulled him from that sub car.
Fit over, he sank back, face creasing as he manually drew in air. Someone sighed gently next to him, leaning close and laying their head on his chest, only pressing enough so he could feel it.
"I-I wish we had more time," It was Nya. Of course it was. He tried to force his eyes to open again, but failed, "We never—we never seem to get a break."
She pulled away from his chest, leaning down and kissing him on the cheek. He heard her stand, what was she doing? He cracked his eyelids open, making out her blurred form retreating toward the door, the one that led up to the roof. Jay tried to reach after her, to call out, but he fell back.
In. Out. In. Out. It was getting harder. Nya's presence no longer to ground him, he found himself drifting only to gasp and cough when he remembered he couldn't breathe. A blinding blue light burned his eyelid, coming from the direction of the window. The water was loud, swirling around, what was going on?
He gasped harshly, eyes shooting open as water ripped itself from his chest. His back arched, and tears brimmed in his eyes as it left his lungs, flowing towards the window. Faintly, he heard the others in the room shifting, panicked questions that he couldn't hear, only continuing to cough and hack up water. It didn't seem to stop.
Jay began to wonder if this was worse than simply being unable to breathe. It felt like it had been going on for hours, when it ceased. He tipped forward, catching himself on the edge of the sofa as coughs wracked his body. Jay drew in a full lungful of air, heaving breaths as clarity returned to his body and mind.
The light outside the window grew brighter, and he shielded his eyes. He heard more frantic voices, and the others fled from the room, just as Nya had.
"What—"
He looked forwards through the window, light reaching a peak before condensing down into a single silhouette.
"Nya?" He stood, stumbling to the window and pressing his hands to the glass. She was beautiful, made of water, flowing patterns over her body. She flipped around, delight filling her features before catching sight of him.
She flitted over to the window, coming to a rest as if she were standing opposite him, lifting her translucent hand to meet his. Jay met her eyes, pools of power as deep as the ocean itself, face crinkling into a smile.
A roar sounded out from across the flooded city, and Nya turned, to the sound pushing off from the glass.
"Nya! Wait—" he was thrown back by the force of her departure, left staring only at the empty space where she had been.
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Something shifted, a falling sensation filling him. A roar sounded and he looked up, startled, not fully understanding where he was.
A serpent exploded into a wave of purple energy, throwing them back on to the ground. A pale blue blur flew overhead, coming to rest on the rooftop behind them. Pulling himself up, Jay ignored the pain in his chest, running over to where Nya stood.
"Nya, you did it!" He cried, throwing himself towards her watery form. He passed right through. That wasn't right, he gasped, pulling back from his attempted hug, hands still inside her body. It reminded him of when Cole had been a ghost and would lose his physical body if he wasn't paying attention.
He stepped back, looking up at her face which remained impassive and unchanged.
Kai let out a short chuckle behind him, "That's going to take some getting used to. But we'll figure out a way to change you back, don't worry."
His tone was full of that easy confidence but only dread pooled in Jay's stomach. He continued to stare at Nya, listening to footsteps approach behind him.
"Back?" Nya sounded far away, she stared right past Jay to where Kai was standing, but even then, her gaze didn't seem to land on him.
"To normal. Y'know, The old you." Jay leant forward slightly, beaming up at her. Nya's glowing eyes shifted to him, and she spoke again, still maintaining a neutral expression.
"Normal?" She glanced down, sounding out the syllables in the word. He felt his anxiety creep higher; something was off about this.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?"
He reached forward to try and touch her again but stopped when she began to glow brighter. Nya leant around him, eyes going wide as she stared out towards the rising sun over the open ocean.
"Do you hear it?"
"Hear what?"
Her gaze was filled with awe. "The sea. It's so, loud... so, powerful."
She looked back at him, voice echoing as if they were inside a large cavern. Jay's face fell. Something was definitely not right, it didn't seem like Nya was even hearing them. Panic rose slightly inside of him, but he squashed it, determined to figure this out.
"It calls to her." Benthomaar spoke from behind him, where the others stood.
Nya gasped and looked down herself as the outline of her body rippled and shook. She looked afraid, as if she realised what was happening, only for a moment.
"Nya!" Jay gasped and held out his hands, hovering, unsure of what to do. Kai shifted by his shoulder, also reaching towards his sister. The ripples stopped, and she glanced around.
"Sorry. It's difficult maintaining this shape."
He flinched, taken aback by her statement. She was sounding less and less like Nya the longer they stood on this rooftop.
"What do you mean 'shape'? That—that's what you are!" He cried, she shook her head slowly. No, she didn't understand.
"What I was, yes," she corrected gently. Her expression softened fondly, this was wrong. Jay felt his eyes burn slightly, chest become tight with something other than the remnants of water in his lungs.
"I have to go now," She strode past him, eyes fixed firmly on the open water, "I will remember you."
Jay turned, watching her walk towards the edge of the rooftop. No—no-no-no-no. She, she didn't mean—she was leaving. Ane he couldn't stop her. He took a few faltering steps after her, spotting Kai's face crease in confusion. He hadn't realised yet.
"Remember? What are you talking about?" Her brother's face fell, voice sounding very small, "You're not going anywhere."
Jay clenched his fists, breaking into a run, "Nya, stop! Wait! Listen—"
He turned to face her, padding backwards as she continued to walk towards the edge. He raised his hands; she didn't seem to notice. Tears welled in his eyes, blurring his vision as he took in shaky breaths.
"Listen—something is wrong with you, you have to concentrate! You have to focus. You-you have to turn back."
He threw his arms out wide, desperation filling him as he glanced and saw the edge of the roof approaching. There was nowhere else to go. Jay stopped, trying to smile at her, showing her, he was right there.
Nya didn't stop. She walked through him. Her body was cold, damp as it passed through her but leaving him dry as she left. Tears began to fall down his face, chest tightening further. He had to stop her, do something - he, he had to.
"No!" He whirled round, grabbing at one of her retreating hands. It slipped from his grasp, blurring into simple shapes along with the rest of her body. With each step she took, some part of him was being ripped out, "Don't leave me!"
She paused, turning to him. He sniffed, bringing his hands together. Nya reached out and took them within hers, form solidifying. For a moment, hope swelled as she returned to him, now blue eyes meeting his own electric ones. Her hand wiped the tears from his cheeks, and she tilted her head.
His heart sank. She was finally looking at him, and yet all he could see was resolve. She pulled away again, turning and climbing up on to the lip of the roof. Jay felt something wet slide of his hand, looking down to see a few drops of her form falling from his glove.
Wu walked up beside him, begging, "Nya, I implore you, whatever you're hearing—whatever you're experiencing, fight it, Nya! Remember who you are. Remember!"
Jay knew it was no use. His hands fell limp at his sides; Wu was reasoning with a part of her that was no longer there. He stepped up beside Wu, ignoring his continued pleas.
She was so beautiful. Her new form caught the early morning light and shimmered, creating rainbows and refractions across the roof. His mouth parted slightly, tears still dripping down his face. She turned, markings on her face shifting with the edge of her form. Jay drank it in, pain filling him as he realised this was the last time.
"I am Nya. I am the sea. We are one."
He closed his eyes, squeezing them, quelling the pain in his heart before looking up at her again. He called out to her again, he needed her to know, to understand, if this truly was the last time.
"Nya, I-I love you."
Her eyes crinkled the way they always did when she smiled.
"Tell my mother I understand now. That's the way the cookie crumbles."
"No-no-no-no come back!" He ran to the edge of the roof, reaching as she dived off in one fluid motion, shape shifting as she fell, "Nya!"
His family ran up behind him, Kai's hand falling across his back. He bowed his head, dizzy with sorrow, before looking out across the flooded city.
A light moved under the water, and he could do nothing but watch, as Nya, his Yang, vanished with the retreating tide.
----------------------------------------------------
Jay's eyes flew open, hand flying to his chest as he scrambled out from under the blankets. He heaved in a breath, expecting pain, only to find nothing. He panted harshly, the remnants of his dream fliting around his head. Gaze darting around the dark room, his hand rubbed at his sternum, chasing away the phantom sensation.
Wait, where was she? His heart pounded in his ears as he spun around, jumping to his feet. Where was she, she had been right here! Hadn't she? Ripping the last of the tangled blankets off him, he tilted sideways as he almost fell over.
They had been right here, both of them, going to sleep like they had every night since his return to the monastery with his memories. Neither of them was keen to let the other out of their sight.
But she was gone, maybe, maybe it had been real. Maybe she was really gone. He couldn't tell – memories jumbled and fuzzy, sleep clutching at the edges of his mind. It was hard to tell what was real and not, many of his missing moments, particularly unpleasant ones, choosing to return in pieces through nightmares. So, Nya and him were sharing a room, for their comfort and also so she could tell him what was real, and what wasn't.
But Nya wasn't here. Just like his dream. He stepped towards the door, bursting out into the corridor and frantically searching. It was dark, moon risen to its peak, but he didn't care. He had to find her.
Jay stumbled out into the courtyard, space illuminated only by moonlight. He looked around the open space and stopped. There she was, surrounded by moonlight, staring at the murals painted on the monastery wall.
Her back was turned, and he walk up, gazing at the images and trying to calm his frantic heart. Jay still wasn't sure what all of them we're, though he now had the general outline for each one. Details were still fuzzy.
Nothing like his dream was depicted here, leading him to believe it must have happened after the monastery was rebuilt. Nya finally seemed to notice his presence, startling from her thoughts.
"Jay—what, are you okay?" She turned to face him, frowning as she took in his dishevelled state.
"I-I had a dream," He started, "I think it was a memory—you were gone an-and then when I woke up you weren't there either..."
He trailed off, fiddling with his hands.
"Was it Nahdakan?" She asked gently. He shook his head. No, that particular gem had been covered a few weeks ago – and was something he wished he could forget again.
"It-it was, I don't know," He tried to recall the details, so much had happened and it was already fuzzy, "Something about a giant serpent, and-and you turning into the ocean?"
She pulled him into a hug, whispering under her breath a word he didn't recognise, Wojira maybe? She squeezed him tight and he raised his arms to encircle her, a few stray tears dripping from his eyes.
"That was real, not too long before the merge actually," She laughed slightly, "I-it's a bit complicated, I can probably explain better when neither of us is this tired at two in the morning."
So that was the time then. He sighed, melting further into her embrace. Nya turned and planted a kiss on his cheek. They stayed like that for a few minutes, Jay's racing heart finally calming down.
"I thought I lost you," He said quietly, "I-I don't know what I would do if that happened. You mean everything to me."
Nya pulled back slightly but kept her arms around him. She looked up at him, eyes full of understanding he wasn't sure words could ever voice.
"What do you say we go back to bed?" She asked, "Both of us need the sleep, and even lying down has got to be better than standing out here."
They glanced at the murals, and Jay nodded. Slowly, never letting the other go, they returned to Nya's room where they had been sleeping. Jay had been in his room, but it didn't feel quite right. He still felt like too much of a stranger there.
Picking up the discarded blankets from the floor, they lay down on the bed, shifting around to get comfortable. Jay twined his fingers through Nya's thick black hair and she moved closer, burying her face in his chest.
Breathing slowly, they lay in the dark, both haunted by things the other could never understand fully. But not left to face them alone.