#but Jay asked Nya to be his yang

[riptidesblog]

Headcanon:

In Yin-Yang proposal it's always the person asking their partner to be their yang regardless of gender or any other factors,because it's asking to not only be their second half,but their better half(yang means good).

[dehliadelights]

Just thought about it. Does anyone remember the episode where Jay is trying to ask Nya to be his Yang?

Yang is masculine. It's associated with masculinity, whereas Yin is associated with femininity.

Jay was literally asking Nya to be his girlboss fem-husband to his cringefail malewife.

[nyasyang]

those jaya fanfics that have kai as the "really overprotective older brother" piss me off sm

like that's not the same kai that helped jay ask nya to be his yang or the same kai that covered his ass eyes to give jay and nya privacy when he walked in on them about to kiss in s7

[rosewalkersjayaforever]

⚡The Lightning Choice⚡

(Sorry if my English is bad. I am Russian myself, and so I used a translator. Unid and Mina Allison helped me, thanks to them for that. If you liked it, put the like button, it will be very pleasant for me and them)

AU, where Jay merges with his element / lightning instead of Nya in season 14. Possible ❗❗spoilers⚠️

Nya fought with Kalmaar and Wojira, but was defeated, the water master was struck by the Merlopian trident, which caused her to lose consciousness and fly into the water. Jay was the only one who saw what happened to the brunette, the lightning master jumps after her, hopes that he will save her, hopes that she is still alive.

The ninja pulls her out of the water on her hands, climbing higher on the roof, the brown-haired man began to check her pulse:

— No... Nya... please... don't leave me again!.. — almost crying, the lightning master pleaded, the rest of the team, noticing the loss of friends, begin to search, but when they find them, their gaze falls on Nya lying on the roof and Jay mourning her.

— Jay, what happened?! — Kai slowly approaches them, his heartbeat accelerates, his breathing slows down, it becomes harder and harder to speak, fear comes to the fore. — Jay, don't be silent! Please! — Kai wants to hear joyful words, which makes him shake his friend by the shoulders.

— Nya... — with a heavy pain in his heart, Jay begins to speak. — She fought Kalmaar, but lost to him… She was hit by a trident..." — speech slowed down, Jay could not speak calmly.

— Well, don't be silent! Tell me what's wrong with her! — The fire ninja shook him by the shoulders again.

— Nya fell into the water! Jay shouted at him. — I rushed after her and pulled her out... — the voice became quieter.

— Take her inside! Hurry up! Hide the transport! — Wu ordered, running up to the team, without hesitating for a second, the teacher took control of the whole situation. Everyone nodded in agreement, Jay took his Yang in his arms and carefully carried her inside, accompanied by the master, Pixal and Bentho.

— Nya! You can't hide from me! This world doesn't belong to you anymore! He's mine! — Kalmaar shouted from Wojira, tracking them down.

— «How he pisses me off» — Jay's gaze fell on Nya lying on the couch, Benthomaar was looking out the window nearby, the master and Pixal were discussing something aside, only briefly Jay heard his and Nya's name.

***

— How is she? — The fire master asked, approaching Zane.

The nindroid was running diagnostics.

— The condition is serious, but she is stable, now she is unconscious, it is possible that she will wake up soon. — the ice master replied.

That bastard almost killed my sister! He's going to pay for this! — a fire was lit in his hands — I'll kill him myself! — Smith said.

— Hush, Kai, don't get excited, we'll figure out how to deal with Kalmaar, but first we need to help Nya. — Lloyd tried to reason sensibly until Kai lay down next to her.

Looking out the window, Jay saw Benthomaar standing on guard, releasing the girl's hand, he approached him.

— Benthomaar, how did Nyad defeat Wojira? Do you remember what you told us? The brown — haired man asked, which distracted the Prince of Merlopia for a second.

— She sacrificed her body and merged with the sea — the Merlopian replied, sighing heavily, he was not looking at the sea or even Jay, who did not ask a question, his gaze was directed at Nya.

— Merged? But how exactly? — The blue ninja continued to ask with insistence.

— She absorbed all the power of the ocean, she became a part of it, and he became hers! — the brunette also replied coldly, already looking at him. Jay thought about it, Benthomaar quickly figured it out. — Don't even think about it! Although Nyad defeated Wojira, she eventually died… It was a one-way ticket… She disappeared… Forever! — The Merlopian threatened the lightning master, but Jay didn't take it as a threat, it was a challenge.

— «Nyad could not cope with the power of the received force, but I will cope, I will do everything for Nya, for the sake of our future with her!» — Jay no longer listened to Bento, his thoughts were occupied only with a plan that will bring peace to everyone. — «None of my friends are going to die today, only Wojira is going to die!»

— Benthomaar! Zane is calling you — Cole has disrupted their completed dialogue. Nodding, the Merlopian left the boys alone. Seeing the displeased look from his friends, Jay stepped back a little.

— Uh..Is something wrong, guys?.. — The lightning ninja asked them, smiling stupidly, occasionally a chuckle slipped through.

— Jay, we heard about your conversation with Benthomaar... — the second brown-haired man replied.

— And we won't let you do that! — The lightning master's face changed at the same moment. — Don't even think about it! — The brunette continued. Jay became serious.

— You can't stop me from doing that! Perhaps this is the only way to help her! — the winner of the «Prime Empire» rebelled.

— Jay — was just about to start Lloyd.

— What's Jay?! — The lightning ninja was no longer panicking, he was taking out all the pain on his friends.

— Zane said that Nya is stable, she will wake up soon — the blond man slowly approached him.

— Yeah? — Walker said without emotion. — I was there too, if you haven't forgotten, I also heard these predictions ... — the ninja took a pause, gathering his thoughts. — And you know what? These may be her last breaths, I already tried to start her heart, I tried to revive her before you came — the team started listening even more attentively from that moment on. — But I couldn't! She didn't take a single breath, nor did she open her eyes! Nothing happened! Do you understand, Lloyd? She needs to go to the hospital, but they are all flooded, and the only way to revive her without a doctor is to defeat Wojira and Kalmaar! — Jay pointed to the sea outside the window.

— Jay, but this is not the only way! — The master of energy did not believe in these words himself, and Jay only looked at him sadly, nodding.

— You heard what Benthomaar said, didn't you? When Nyad merged with the sea and defeated Wojira, she died! If you do the same, you could die too, Jay! Do you understand that?! — almost shouting ninja fire supported the leader.

— What would you suggest? Do nothing?! And wait for Kalmaar and Wojira to notice us and destroy us?! —Freckles asked.

— Of course not! But maybe there is still another way to defeat them? — The earth ninja asked anxiously.

— I'm listening to your suggestions — Jay said calmly.

— Vania — it dawned on Cole. — She said if we ever needed help, she'd call the whole army to our rescue, and — Zane interrupted him.

— We can't contact Shintaro, not with our situation — the ice ninja looked at his friends with sympathy, Cole just sighed heavily.

— Maybe.. — Lloyd wanted to suggest another option, but was interrupted by Jay.

— Lloyd, admit it... we're powerless here, the only way out is for someone to sacrifice themselves for all of us... — Jay looked around at everyone present. — For the Nya ... — the last words sounded in a barely audible voice that not many people caught. — Nya would have done the same if anyone else had been in her place, each of us can do it — Jay approached Wu. — Master Wu, you taught us to protect Ninjago, to protect those we love — the gaze fell on Zane, who drooped, remembering his self-sacrifice during the time of the Golden Master. — Who we value — my gaze fell on Nya and Kai, who also became sad, remembering how he rescued her from the captivity of skeletons, and then saved Lloyd from a volcano. — You prepared us for this, taught us to look fear in the eye, overcome barriers, be ready for anything — The Master drooped.

— I hoped that this would never happen ... never ... — the master hesitated, lowering his head, realizing that Jay was right a thousand times.

— I understand you, Jay. You're worried about her, just like me, because she's my sister... — Kai stopped, the words touched him to the core. — Maybe you're right, but please don't do this! And in this form, you're not going anywhere, you're tired, it's not you who's talking, but fatigue, why don't you rest? — Kai suggested, hoping to postpone this dialogue at least until tomorrow, to come up with arguments in opposition to this. — After all, tomorrow we will have a hard day — the elder Smith sighed. He nodded in agreement, exchanged glances, Kai and Cole smiled and left, leaving Jay alone.

— «We may not live to see this tomorrow, Kai, it needs to be done today» — Jay replied to himself, clenching his hand into a fist, looking after them. — «Everything will be decided today, and tomorrow we will celebrate another victory and rebuild the city» — his intentions were as unshakeable as his zeal for victory. — «I'll be back, Nya, wait for me» — the ninja headed in a direction known only to him.

The brown-haired man sneaks onto the roof while his friends are considering a plan without self-sacrifice.

— «I hope they won't bother me, forgive me for that» — Jay mentally said goodbye to his friends, jumping into his Sub car, the lightning master turned on full speed and sped off into the depths, leaving friends was a difficult but right decision, but not harder than what awaits him after.

Floating near the city center, Jay climbs a multi-storey building and looks around the city.

Everything was covered with water, but Kalmaar's voice could not be heard, and Wojira herself was nowhere to be found.

— «It's too late to retreat, too much is at stake» — emotions and excitement overwhelmed the lightning master, his heart was fluttering faster and faster, there was a desire to retreat inside, and in his eyes there was a determination to end this once and for all. Gathering his thoughts, Jay began to put his plan into action — Kalmaar! Wojira! I'm here! — the blue ninja shouted with all his might, and at the same moment a bright blue lightning flashed in the sky, followed by another flash, after which Jay took out his nunchucks and prepared for battle. — «Did they really not notice me?!» — panic appeared in his eyes. — «What if he's already found Nya and the others and they're in danger now, what if I'm late and Lloyd and the team are in trouble now, and I'm on the other side of Ninjago City?!» — eyes darted from side to side, looking for answers, Jay listened to every rustle around.

Suddenly, a glow appeared from under the water, and Jay froze in place. There was a splash in the water, after which a huge sea serpent climbed out of the water, towering over the ninja — it was she, the queen of the Endless Sea — Wojira, two amulets were on her forehead: Waves and Storms, and near one of the amulets stood the Self—proclaimed King of Merlopia - Kalmaar.

Jay's face changed in an instant, fear faded into the background, his hands involuntarily tightened on the weapon, the ninja got into a fighting position.

— Where is that stupid girl?! — Kalmaar was angry, looking around to see if this was a trap, although what kind of girl could we be talking about when you control the most powerful being alive in this world.

— Nya is not here, I will be your opponent instead! — Jay declared, taking a step forward.

— You?! — Kalmaar chuckled.— You are a nobody, a weakling, a pathetic and worthless hero who is looking for his death. — What can you do against me? — The King of Merlopia laughed.

— What can I do? — Jay began to play along, pointedly thinking about his question. — I challenge you to a fight! One on one! — The lightning ninja spoke loudly and clearly in a confident tone, Kalmaar was very surprised and laughed.

— You?! Are you calling me?! Who are you to fight the king?! You're nothing, just a land dweller, and I'm the ruler of all Ninjago! — King Kalmaar laughed. — Wojira, destroy the insolent man! — The King's trident was pointed at Jay.

— Do not rush to conclusions, Kalmaar — Walker decided to dare to say goodbye. — Yes, I am a resident of the land, I am an ordinary guy from a landfill, but that's not all. — Jay put on a mask. — I'm a ninja! I'm a lightning master! — Jay braced himself for the impact.

The sky darkened, it began to rain, thunderclaps sounded and lightning broke out among them, striking the brown-haired man, the first blow was the most powerful, it was he who served as the impetus for the counterattack.

At the moment of lightning hitting him, Jay felt it in every limb, in every place in his body, he did not fall, he stood up, the force that hit him began a metamorphosis:

Jay's body sparkled like lightning on the body of an electric eel, his eyes changed color to blue. His whole body began to transform, his skin turned purple, Jay rose into the sky, and Kalmaar rejoiced, seeing only some sparks of lightning, but when the smoke from the lightning strike dissipated, the sparkling lightning ninja appears before the villain.

— WHAT?! — Kalmaar's face was stricken with surprise, but soon changed to the usual displeasure.

— Did you want the lightning? So get it! — Jay concentrated a fireball in front of him and released it directly into the creature's face, the flash blinded Kalmaar for a short period of time, while Kalmaar was unaware, the ninja took advantage of this and rose into the sky, releasing a new discharge, but at Kalmaar himself. The King could barely resist.

The blow with the trident forced the beast to obey again, Wojira used her breath and a powerful wave was released at Jay, the ninja moved to the creature's forehead.

— Do you think that merging with the force will give you an advantage?! I'm driving a Wojira! The most powerful beast in the world! — The King was rising again.

— Then I'll take it away from you — Kalmaar fired several shots at Jay, but he didn't even try to dodge them, the elements simply dispelled the physical attack. — You wanted to know what a simple inhabitant of the land can do? — Jay came up close to the king. — We can do a lot, and now I'm not fighting on my own behalf, now I'm going to defeat you on behalf of all the inhabitants of the surface, and bring back dry land and peace to the world! — Jay released the force, the Merlopian tried to block the attack with his father's trident, but he could not withstand the onslaught and was broken in two. Wojira immediately freed herself from Kalmaar's control and rebelled against him, once the former king became a snack for her, Jay was more lucky, he managed to teleport from there with the help of the elements, Wojira, having lost control, began to rampage that even all the Merlopians fled to the sides, high-rise buildings that were not absorbed by water, the sea serpent simply destroyed them and their fragments fell into the water.

The ninja flew to a safe distance and saw what his decision to avenge Nya had led to.

— «My actions only made it worse, it seems that to stop all this, you need to destroy the amulets on her forehead, the only way to stop her, the only way to save Ninjago» — Jay fired several powerful lightning bolts into her neck, attracting the creature's attention to himself. — Wojira! I'm here! — The next blow was right in her face, but her breath swallowed him up, just a little more and he would have reached him, water and lightning are incompatible, especially if they are two pure forces.

Jay dodged her attacks and released his own, the sea snake did what it dodged or attacked from under the water, where Walker could not descend or approach.

At the main moment, the lightning master is transferred to her forehead and inhabits the amulet of the Storm, destroying it, because of this, Wojira roared and leaned out of the water at full height, lightning flashed, and she disappeared, and the Boundless waters began to leave the lands of Ninjago, returning to their former borders, the team that already I have been watching this for a long time, fighting with the Merlopians, covering their friend's back, after defeating Wojira, they climbed onto the roof, where Jay was already hanging in his elemental form.

The elemental ninja turns to his friends and looks at Nya lying in Kai's arms, Jay flies up to her and touches her chest, a light current passes through her body, after which Nya opens her eyes and begins to breathe, clearing her throat, greedily gulping air.

— Nya! — A joyful Kai hugged his sister.

— Well done, Jay! You did it! — the earth ninja wanted to hug his friend, but the lightning strike did not give, the earth master quickly moved away.

— Jay, you can be yourself again now — Master Wu said politely.

— Jay?! — The ninja didn't understand. — Who is this guy?! — the question baffled the ninja.

— That's your name — Cole said hesitantly.

Wu looked at him sadly.

— Do you recognize us? — the question is pretty stupid for the team, but the answer was the most unusual.

— I do not know you, but I know that you are good ... — the ninja said slowly.

— What does this mean?! Jay, stop fooling around! — friends did not understand what Wu had already realized.

— Jay — Nya called him softly, leaning on Kai, she came up to him.

— I'm glad you're alive — Jay said, and in a moment looked up at the sky, where lightning was flashing.

— Do you hear that? — Jay asked them, looking at the lightning.

— What are you talking about, Jay? — the brunette did not understand what her Ying meant.

— The Lightning… It's so fast… Such a formidable...— the lightning master answers her, mesmerized.

— It's calling him. — The Prince of Merlopia replied sadly.

— I have to go — Jay suddenly said, walking somewhere.

— Wait, buddy. Let it be you — Cole wanted to put his hand on his best friend's shoulder, but she passed through him like a ghost, electrocuting him. From this, the black ninja gasped, looking at his hand, like everyone else.

— Jay, wait! Where are you going?! Jay! You have to come to your senses, you have to come back to us! — standing in front of Walker, the ninja of the water said, but her beloved did not seem to listen to her and also went through. The girl hissed in pain, turning around, she saw that Jay was already at the edge of the roof.

— Jay, I don't understand what's going on, but I only know one thing: We will find a way and we will definitely bring you back to normal, just please don't leave — the fire ninja said proudly.

— My time in this world is running out, maybe one day we will meet again. — The elemental ninja said with a smile.

— What does it mean in this world?! — Kai approached his friend.

— Jay, Ninjago is your home, our home — Lloyd also joined the conversation.

— Your home, but not mine, flaws are calling me, I have to go, it's hard enough to be in this shell, goodbye! — a flash flashed in front of friends.

— I’m sorry, my friends, but it’s useless... If a person merges with his element together, over time he begins to lose himself: Who is he, does he have friends, family, acquaintances — all this, he will seemingly forget this never happened and is unlikely to ever remember it — Benthomaar spoke with pain in his voice and soul

Realizing this, Nya was speechless, tears involuntarily ran down the girl’s face, falling to the ground.

— Jay, I beg you, so that you don’t hear, so that you don’t experience. Fight it, Jay. Remember who you are, remember this always! — the master’s last instruction was hope for their friend’s return to life. Wu sincerely wished and hoped that Jay would overcome himself and stay, but unfortunately for him, this did not happen.

— I am Jay. I am The Lightning. We are one — turning to his master and friends, the guy says, smiling.

— Jay... I... I love you...— the brunette said sadly, deep down she hoped that he would wake up, remember why he did it, remember everything, in response to this Jay only smiled sweetly at her.

— Farewell, heroes — these were the last words of the savior, the ninja froze, at that very second each of them wanted to take off and rush and stop by force, but the body seemed to refuse them this, they could only watch him rise into the sky , and then disappeared, with the last lightning appearing in the sky before the clouds completely dissolved.

— JAY! NO!!! COME BACK!!! — Nya exclaimed, jumping up and running to the edge of the roof, but it was too late, Jay flew away, and the clouds became ordinary white clouds, as before.

Everyone looked at the sky where Jay was, even after he was gone, no one began to move or say anything, everything was clear without words.

***

— Today we honor the memory of Ninja Jay, who saved our city by sacrificing himself. — Master Wu, like the whole team, stood at the porch of the monastery, where residents from all over Ninjago, all their friends and acquaintances, all fans of ninja and Jay, gathered. — This day will be a day of mourning. — Wu finished his long and sad speech. — And now I give my word to Nya — the water master came forward.

— Jay… He... — It was difficult to start talking, especially about someone who was no longer there, all the residents were looking at her right now, but it was not this that worried her more, but the fact that his parents were among them and not somewhere, but in the very first row, closest of all, Ed — Jay's adoptive father, comforted his adoptive mother, Edna, who cried so bitterly over the loss of their son, they, like Nya, know the truth that Jay is not their own son, but the pain of his loss only increases. — Jay was a joker, it was his thing, he tried to look for nothing, but to put it in everything and everywhere, he could cheer everyone up, and even if sometimes his jokes could offend, but everything he did, including his act today, he wished for you, for us, I had never met such a thing before like Jay, he always helped and supported anyone who needed help, he was not just our friend, not just a ninja, he was something big for everyone here, and I would like to tell you all that despite the fact that he is no longer there, we will continue that what he gave his life for, we will continue to fight for Jay, for everyone who needs help, and let every resident of Ninjago sleep peacefully today! — Nya finished her speech with difficulty, returning to the others.

During her performance, she endured, endured the pain that was inside, held back tears and pain, pain turning into a tsunami that covered her head.

Upon completion, Nya returned to the monastery, and stood near the frame with their joint picture with Jay, only after making sure that she was alone, she let all the pain out, falling to her knees, allowing emotions to take over. Maya and Ray came to her.

— Nya, are you okay?.. — Maya carefully approached her daughter, and when she heard her mother's voice, she quickly removed her tears, getting up from her knees.

— Oh, hi, Mom, I'm just dusting, I think I got dust in my eyes...— the water ninja replied with a smile.

— It's all right. — The elder Smith said, putting her hand on her daughter's shoulder.

— I didn't even have time to say goodbye to him... — Nya tried to hold back her tears.

— Nya, I'm sure Jay will remember you and the others. You and Kai and your friends will save him and you will be together again — the elder Smith tried to comfort.

— I hope so, Mom.… I hope Jay comes back.… I hope that we will definitely bring him back to normal. — Maya's daughter could hardly hold back her tears, trying not to cry again, but her mother silently hugged her, and the water master did not respond with a hug from her mother, but she was not going to push her away.

— It's the time. Are you coming, Nya? — the father asked, Nya only nodded, Ray understood how much she was in pain, they felt the same pain when Krux threatened them with violence against their children.

When the Smiths went outside, the girl looked up at the sky, it was already dark, there was no moon or stars in the sky, just blackness, candles were lit all over the training hall, it was very quiet, as if the monastery was empty or extinct. Each of the residents, the ninja, and Jay's parents had lanterns in their hands.

Ray gave the lanterns to his daughter and wife, and he lit them for each of those present, Kai also took part in this.

And when the last lantern was lit, it was clear the number of those who went out to say goodbye to the hero who fell in battle, only now did Nya realize that the whole of Ninjago City went out into the street with only one single purpose — to say goodbye to the one who gave them peace and hope for a happy and peaceful future. Very soon, all the lanterns one by one were released into the sky, someone was letting out of the windows, someone from the top of the roofs, even the lantern from the Borg building was visible in the sky, this sad and dark night was covered with bright light in an instant, Nya looked at her lantern for a long time, she was the only one who still he did not launch it into the sky, but soon she decided and let it out of her hands, looking at him with a sad sight. Kai was by her side all this time, there was no one closer to him, seeing Nya's condition, with sadness on his face and pain in his heart, he looked at her ... The Fire Ninja hugged his sister.

It was so warm... The brunette remembered how her brother supported her if she couldn't cope and Jay... Remembering her beloved, Nya cried again and cried into her older brother's shoulder, the fire master calmed his sister, sharing her heartache, stroking her back and whispering in her ear that this was not the end yet and they will definitely save him, find a solution, find a way, sooner or later it will happen, and when Jay remembers them and returns, he will start joking and telling different history again, even if sometimes they are not always so funny. Soon, the water master calmed down, she was grateful to Kai and everyone who went outside to support her lover and honor his memory:

— Thank you for being with me this day, thank you to everyone who is next to me now — the brunette whispered, Kai only smiled in response, hugging her again, and Nya only snuggled closer into him.

Kai and Nya's parents looked at their children with a smile, their friends came to the Smiths, everyone looked up at the sky with a smile, illuminated by lanterns, watching as they moved further and further away, flew higher and higher, imperceptibly disappearing one after another.

They will definitely bring their friend back, they hope that they will find a way to return him to his former shape, they hope that Jay will return to them soon... But until that happens, the team had to go through personal problems, as they did before, on the day of Zane's death.

[oppositeslut]

You guys I never realized Jays hand was shaking was he was trying to ask Nya to be his yang 🥺

[kindaasrikal]

So like i came across a post a bit ago (can’t be bothered to find it but GOD did it put me in the feels) about how Nya would automatically think Jay is dead in the tournament when Agent walker (in mask) uses lightning because she thinks it couldn’t be Jay fighting her. And like, I made it worse.

Imagine she’s instead asking “Jay? Jay is that you? Please, Jay, tell me that’s you.” Because she cannot comprehend a world where Jay isn’t with her in it. A world without her yin is like a world without her other half, what completes her, her beginning and end. And she’s already deep in grief because her mind is already telling her thats not Jay, it couldn’t be Jay fighting her. It doesn’t feel right, thinking Jay would ever truly fight against her, truly try and harm her.

But her heart, her soul, is telling her it has to be Jay, that Jay couldn’t have just died without her ever knowing. She needs to know if it’s actually Jay or not or she’ll fall into an endless spiral trying to figure out who they are, she needs to find out how long they had the element to know how long she’s lost her yin and how long she should’ve been grieving, she needs to know if the other knows how he died. Did he suffer? Was he all alone? Did he die heroically, or did he die begging for his yang, for his brothers, for his parents and sensei until his very last breath? Did she let him die all on his own?

She’s burdened by grief and guilt in a span of a few seconds, and it drops her into a deep hole of desperation when she’s already lost her brother, don’t tell her she lost her yin too.

[ghostscrown]

Jay telling Kai before anyone he was going to ask Nya to be his yang and asking for his help, and Kai actually helping him was just so cute

They pretend to hate each other but they're actually the brothers in law ever

[chebyshevptera]

Hi hello

Who is Plasma’s certified third wheel?

hey hi!

likely cole i would think, dumbass trio or whatever, he’s the only one able to get sucked into their shenanigans by mistake . nya’s probably a close second because best friends with jay (in my hc) + kai’s her brother but she just invites her girlfriend soo

i do think nya is the one jay pathetically practiced with before asking kai to be his yang though ❤️ (season 10 roleswap moment)

[skierisa]

Ninjago 90 AU headcanons - part 1(?)

Yeah idk, just an important detail: this would be like the og series, but they're regular teens in the 90s. Dragons Rising would be around early to mid 2000s in this AU, so the ninja are teens

OC'S ARE INCLUDED! 100% IGNORABLE IF YOU DON'T LIKE THEM

-------

Lloyd

- 2nd year of high school (to Americans it would be junior year, i guess)

- works part time in Doomsday Comix store

- plays electric guitar

- hides when seeing Harumi in public

- got arrested TWICE (first at 15, second time a few days before turning 16)

- the first time was because he stole something from Hot Topic, did community service and then was free. Never told anyone (besides Morro and of course his family) about the second time

- reads comics all the time while working

- favourite place to hang out is the skatepark, but also likes the arcade

- can skateboard, just doesn't do it as much anymore

- Starfarer collector

- spends too much money with this comics and the merch and the collector's stuff

- sometimes skip school with Jay and Kai just to play videogames

- has a crush on my OC, Valerie, but only knows her as "the girl from the music store on the other side of the road"

- randomly makes desserts at night

- is in the top 10 best students in school

Kai

- 3rd year of highschool (to Americans it would be senior year)

- tutor's kids after school, mostly history tutoring

- can not and refuses to use or learn how to use a computer

- likes Britney Spears, but hides it at all costs

- in a situationship with Skylor

- has a bunch of nirvana shirts

- knows Lloyd was arrested the first time because he was there too, but for drunk driving

- "party guy"

- drinks. a. lot.

- favourite food is Kahlua pig

- part of school's basketball team

- cuts his own hair (sometimes makes a bit extra cash by cutting his friends hair as well)

Nya

- 2nd year of highschool

- works as a lifeguard at a public pool

- robotics club member

- knows about Kai's love for Britney Spears, constantly blackmails him with it if he doesn't do what she wants

- favourite places to hang out are the skatepark and the theater

- favourite music genres are late 70s to late 80s pop and riot grrrl

- joan jett's biggest fan

- still prefers to listen to indie bands

- knows Lloyd was arrested because Kai told her

- of course she scolded him, like "i'm mad that you did this but im glad you're okay", like some sort of older sister

- LOVES bracelets, has both the beads bracelets and the slap bracelets

- has a yang necklace (to match Jay's yin necklace)

- has a bead bracelet done with all her friends' favourite colour (red for Kai, dark blue for Jay, navy blue with glitter for Valerie (OC), pink for Vanessa (OC), purple for Pixal, orange for Skylor, black for Cole, green for Lloyd, white for Zane and light blue for her)

- regrets her bob-cut phase, but wants to cut it short again

Jay

- 2nd year of highschool

- the unemployed friend that seems to be unable to find work (because no one hires him)

- at least once a day complains about not having a job, and knows he'd definitely still complain if he had one

- robotics club member

- listens Spice Girls, and is no longer afraid of demonstrating his love for the group once everyone made fun of him for liking it for two weeks straight

- knows Lloyd was arrested because Nya told him

- "how was it like?" first question he asked right after discovering it because he just doesn't know what to say

- spends too much of his free time in the arcades and sometimes brings Lloyd and Kai with him

- has dates at home with Nya, where they usually watch trashy horror movies and old dramas (sometimes anime)

- also collects Starfare merch and comics

- constantly visits Lloyd at his job just so he can read comic's while he works and for free

- has a yin necklace (to match Nya's yang necklace)

- wants to pierce his ear, but it's too afraid to do so

- his knees are always scratched due to skating, so he does have a few scars because of this

Cole

- 3rd year of highschool

- works at a vynil store

- when they can't go to watch movies at Lloyd's house, Cole's house is the second best place for their Friday movie nights that turn into sleepovers

- is dating Geo, but doesn't tell his name to his friends just to mess with them, so they're always trying to guess "who the hell" he's dating

- openly bisexual (preference for guys)

- knows Lloyd was arrested because Jay told him

- also scolded him, being mostly glad Lloyd was okay

- has been playing the drums since he was a kid, because his dad wanted him to play the piano and drums aren't piano

- his favourite music genre, surprisingly, is bossa nova (followed by metal and punk)

- he's a painter and participates in art competitions, meeting my OC, Vanessa, in one of those. They are friends with a healthy and friendly artistic rivalry, encouraging each other to try new things with their art

- smokes pot (mostly at parties and also with Kai and Lloyd)

- trying to get into art school after high school

Zane

- 3rd year of highschool

- volunteers in a animal rescue center

- into a one year relationship with Pixal

- knows Lloyd was arrested because Lloyd told him

- his pet falcon is a rescue, since it damaged it's wing so hard that it barely functions well, making it impossible for it to survive in nature again. Zane then took it with him after his shift;

- he really just calls it Falcon, like Marie Antoinette naming her pug Pug

- since Pixal is some sort of "celebrity" she was his celebrity crush

- 15 year old Zane: "so... we're dating her?"

18 year old Zane: "yes, she fell in love with you at first sight!"

15 year old Zane: *Zane.exe has stopped working, please, restart*

- quite too much of a fan of noir movies and noir books

- (once on college in the 2000s he'd 100% collect the Blacksad comics, I mean, it's his two favourite things together, animals and noir!)

- likes to wear a slightly more vintage style, but at school wears regular clothing as he recognizes that vintage clothing is somewhat more fragile and needs to be taken care of, and school isn't the best place to wear those

- was in the robotics club in middle school and changed to computer science club in highschool

- wants to be a veterinarian

Morro

- second year of college

- nobody knows his major and gets comically interrupted every time he tries telling someone what he does

- got fired from his previous work as a bartender

- now works with Wu in his tea shop

- adopted by Wu, btw

- taught Lloyd how to play guitar (he can play bass and mostly plays it, but borrowed a guitar from a friend as a teen)

- knows about Lloyd's second time in jail and helps him to hide it from everyone else

- constantly exchanging insults with Lloyd, but in a rather playful way

- alcoholic, but trying to quit

- best student in his class, surprisingly

- likes pachinko games and other gambling games, but not addicted to it. Sometimes brings Lloyd with him to play a bit, and sometimes Lloyd brings his friends, making Morro look like a babysitter sometimes

- likes hanging out with Lloyd, but usually they hang out in the middle of the night

Harumi

- second year of highschool

- part time Hot Topic cashier

- 100% stole a bracelet or two WHILE WORKING THERE

- knows Lloyd hides from her in public

- hangs out with the other girls just fine, but constantly complains about whatever they're doing (secretly loves to be with them and refuses to admit it out loud)

- she has a bunch of journals under her bed and they all read very entertaining reads

- the reason why Lloyd was arrested the first time (was stealing from hot topic, asked him to help her, but unlike him, she managed to escape from security)

- had a super crush on Morro when she was 15

- actually likes Friends TV show

- thinks Chandler is a mood, but her favorite character would be Phoebe in the later seasons

- goth clubs are her second home

- can't stand cigarette's smell

Skylor

- third year of highschool

- works as a part time waitress at Chen's Noodle House

- constantly gives her friends discounts

- lab partners with Kai

- almost exploded the lab with him once

- they still laugh about it

- knows about Kai's love for Brittney Spears, but pretends she doesn't

- loves karaoke hangouts

- still has an anacondrai tattoo (slightly angsty fact)

- heiress to Chen's mafia

- considers Nya a little sister, so they're basically BFF's and hang out together the most among the girls

- likes thrifting, usually looks for anything 70s related

- usually goes to roller discos to skate or goes to the skatepark with headphones

- sometimes meets there with Nya so they can chat while skating

- that's also where she likes to celebrate her birthdays

- knows about Lloyd being arrested because Kai told her

- treats Lloyd like some sort of little brother so actually got worried when she heard about him getting arrested

- "if you ever need it, i know a lawyer who helps my dad's gang member to get out of jail" Skylor to Lloyd once she meets him after hearing about his arrest

- only invites Harumi to the girls hangouts because she knows she will be upset if she's not at least invited

Pixal

- second year of high school

- part time job as her father's (aka Cyrus Borg) assistant

- goes to the same school as my OC's (see below) so she wears a school uniform

- Skylor's childhood friend, since they went to the same elementary school

- there's a conspiracy theory going around that Pixal is actually a robot and she knows very well about these rumors

- likes to scare people making a very impressive impersonation of a robot just for the funsies

- was in love with Zane at first sight (they met at Skylor's birthday party)

- her idea of a "perfect date" with him is both watching noir movies and studying together

- once threw a noir themed Halloween (or day of the departed?) party because of him

- loves to go thrifting with Skylor, and knows where to find the best pieces

- robotics club leader

OCs!

Valerie

- works at a CD and music store

- second year of highschool

- attends a different school than the main cast

- never wears school uniforms appropriately (always customizes it)

- constantly in the principal's office for arguing with teachers

- was part of school choral until highschool where she just didn't want to do it anymore

- wants to become a music teacher

- has a band named The Pin-Punks and does concerts in a music venue called Supernova Apex every weekend

-Valerie cut bangs after Vanessa was accidentally sent to detention in her place

- Kai and Nya's childhood friend and neighbor

- eventually would meet Lloyd when buying a comic

- doesn't dislike him, but thinks he's a dork

Vanessa

- second year of highschool

- also customizes her uniform, adding lots of chains to it

- trying to become a model

- has a massive crush on Harumi

- not only is a goth, but has a thing for goth girls

- art club member

- goes to Hot Topic quite often just to chat with Harumi

- won a few art competitions she was in

- knows Cole from a few of those competitions and is actually friends with him

- always goes to goth clubs on the weekend

-also always yelling at the DJ asking "what band is this?"

- once was sent to detention in Valerie's place because they were wearing the same hairstyle

- works as a nanny

- was the "responsible" kid in her childhood friend group (Kai, her, Valerie and Nya)

- not exactly openly lesbian, but doesn't exactly hide it

[serenthest4r]

Head-canons for Dragons Rising!Jay

- The merge dropped him into an ocean near the realm of madness which he stayed by for a month hoping that Nya would be able to find him via her connection to the sea. When he realized it wasn't working he started walking through the realm of madness to find her.

- He slowly lost his memories while wandering the realm of madness, he was keeping a diary for the first year but one day he went to get food and left it (and the rest of his stuff) in the shelter he was staying in and never came back because he forgot about that as well.

- By the time the administration found him he had no memories or tokens of his past except the Ying medal and his name (which he only knew because it was written on his gi by Edna)

- All of his stuff is buried in a pile in the land of lost things.

- For a time there was a teen in the administration who he had a father daughter relationship with but one day she went to retrieve an artifact with her partner and neither returned. Jay didn't get attached to anyone after that

- He was originally in charge of the destruction of powerful objects but asked to move to realm reassignment when he realized that there was a possibility his Yang could come through and recognize him.

- In his dreams he often finds himself floating in the middle of the ocean accompanied by someone humming but his dreams always end with the peace breaking and him drowning.

- He's mistakenly called one of the people who work in damage control 'Cole' multiple times and he doesn't know why.

- When he first discovered he could control lightning he still has no knowledge of other elemental master and saw himself as an anomaly which is why he has hidden it from the rest of the administration.

- Because he hasn't used his element in years (except in short, accidental zaps) he can't properly control and has basically been reverted back to before he reached his true potential in terms of control and knowledge, if he wanted to he would be able to kill someone.

- He hates having to hurt people in order to arrest them to the point that it sometimes makes him sick.

- He hates mirrors.

- More recently, after his encounter with the spirit orb, he has been having dreams of people wearing different colored gi's, specifically a woman who he thinks is the most beautiful person he's ever seen.

- He has a goldfish named Fritz

[writing-hat]

Hey I have a theory, and you don't need to respond if I'm right or wrong.

But Day of the Departed, does Delara comeback and fight jay instead of Samukai? And when Cole deghostafies does he remember some parts of the erased timeline?

Also random question, will Ava ever meet the other ninja? (cause all of them need therapy)

Hiiiii!!! Thanks for the ask :D

Okay so, for the Day of the Departed, this is not how it's gonna go, because I actually thought about it before realizing that this wouldn't make too much sense since Delara resents both Jay and Nya. That, and there is no statue whatsoever of Delara in the museum, so it doesn't work. Plus, Yang isn't aware of her existence, though he's definitely remembering the djinn. I can't tell you how it's gonna go, though :3 I'm sorry :'3

Cole I can't say anything. You will seeeee ehe (halp)

Ava will meet some of the ninjas! But not through therapy and uh none of them are going to know she's his therapist rip. At least that's what i'm going for rn. it can change! especially since I kinda write on the flow of things

thanks again for the ask!! see you around <3

[dragonform]

Favorite ninjago duo among the OG four?

Wow, our first ask! Thanks so much Anon! 😁

My personal favorite is, no surprise, Jay and Cole. They not only claim to be best friends, they walk the talk, too (at least in the earlier seasons... it seems to have fallen off a bit lately, sadly).

Anyway, now that you've given me a soapbox to talk about it:

I love that they're such polar opposites on the surface (the responsible, grounded one vs the lightning quick, loud one - and their elements are literally foils for each other), but still found commonalities to build their friendship on.

Once you look past the surface differences, they do have a lot in common, from their love for gaming to their anxiety (highkey for Jay, lowkey for Cole)

Love their insults for each other ("dirt clod", "zap trap")

And I especially love the episode in Skybound when Jay was trying to handwave the entire Cliff Gordon mansion as something he saved up for, and Cole saw right through it. And Jay trusted him enough to tell him the truth.

Bonus: asked Ry for his opinion too, and he came up with a pretty good one: Kai and Jay. He says he likes the scene where they practiced asking Nya to be Jay's yang. And you know, they do have a very nice dynamic, where Kai considers Jay his brother ninja, but also his future brother-in-law. I feel that Jay could be a little more considerate of Kai sometimes though - he does kind of act like he's the only one who cares for Nya sometimes.

Anyway, great ask, so thanks again! Had fun answering! :D

[qiangweirosa]

a talk

" As Nya and Jay finally start planning their wedding, Nya is haunted by memories of darker times. Ironically enough, Jay is the only person who could possibly understand what she's going through.

or, ninjago writers dont bring up their skybound trauma enough so im taking matters into my own hands. "

relationships: jay/nya, nya & kai, cole & jay tws: hurt/comfort, flashbacks, skybound trauma wc: 1821 extra: set sometime between the end of crystallized and the merge!

read on ao3!

Kai sat down on the bed.

“Come on, spit it out.”

Nya glanced at him, barely turning her head. She laid on her bed in the monastery, and had been staring at the ceiling for quite some time before Kai came in. He looked at her expectantly, an eyebrow raised and his head tilted towards her. She sighed.

“What are you talking about?”

She asked only half heartedly; she knew more than enough that Kai wouldn’t take her avoidance as an answer. Nya sat up, and stared at her own hands, fidgeting in her lap.

“You know what I’m talking about.”

Of course she knew. With another sigh, she looked back at Kai and took his expression in: behind the surface-level annoyance, she could see worry. Of course he’d be worried about her, she thought, especially since she’d been acting unusually in the past few days, if not weeks.

Nya glanced back down before speaking up.

“I don’t think you’d be able to help. Don’t worry about me too m-”

“Does it have to do with your and Jay’s secret?”

Nya froze. Her eyes widened, and her mouth fell open for a few moments. She looked at Kai, her eyebrows furrowing in silent confusion. Perhaps her expression was what prompted him to speak up again, elaborating on his statement.

“You know, the thing you two keep trying to be secretive about?? When you exchange glances, giggle together, and whatever.”

She blinked.

“You noticed??”

“Uh, I think we all noticed, Nya.”

“Oh.”

This was unexpected. Nya sighed again and shook her head, leaning her head back against the board of her bed.

“Yeah, it is.”

Kai nodded. He seemed to take it better than Nya had imagined; though maybe that was because he’d already known she was hiding something from him. Well, it wasn’t like it had been the first time she kept secrets from Kai, or the rest of the team. But he certainly had reacted better than he did when he found out she was Samurai X. She was somewhat thankful.

She felt a hand rest on top of hers, and looked back at Kai to see him looking directly at her. His face had become much more caring; but Nya knew him. She could tell he wasn’t entirely enjoying the fact that she wouldn’t talk to him. Nonetheless, he still tried to put those feelings aside and give her advice.

“Then maybe you should talk to him, if it’s bothering you this much. Sulking over it on your own isn’t gonna solve anything.” He shrugged.

Nya smiled. She knew he was right, it wasn’t like she hadn’t thought about doing it. It just wasn’t an easy topic to bring up, for either of them. In all the years that had passed since then, they had only really talked about it twice; and only because they had been having worries about it.

Which, technically, was the case here too.

She nodded at Kai, thanking him and intertwining her hands with his. He smiled back, pulling her in for a hug, or the closest thing to a hug they could manage in their current position, leaving them both laughing about it. Soon enough, he left her room, leaving Nya alone once again to her thoughts. 

She looked down at her necklace. Although she didn’t like to wear it when fighting or practicing - jewelry during a fight is practically a direct ticket to choking, she wore it almost every other time. Which wasn’t a lot, now that she thought about it, but it was still enough to be significant to her. The necklace had her yang pendant on it, the one Jay had given her when he proposed to her a few years back. She gazed at it fondly, playing with it with her hands.

A few moments later, she had made up her mind. She would talk to Jay about this entire situation, and hopefully they would get past it. Finally. She knew deep down that, obviously, a talk wasn’t going to make their shared trauma disappear, but hopefully it would make her feel better, for now at the very least.

Today was an off day for the ninja; meaning Jay was most likely to be found either on the couch playing video games, or in the kitchen snacking on something. As soon as Nya walked into the living room, a smile crept onto her face and she chuckled to herself. It seems living with the same people for so many years really makes you aware of their daily habits, she thought.

She approached the couch, leaning her hip against as she crossed her arms to look over the scene in front of her. Cole and Jay were going at it, intensely focused on whatever game they were playing - looks like Prime Empire , she thought - to the point they hadn’t even noticed she was here. A bit further away, sitting at the table, was Lloyd, absentmindedly fiddling with his phone. He however, seemed to notice Nya, acknowledging her presence with a short glance. 

Nya glanced back at the screen as she heard shouts, seeing the “LEVEL PASSED” screen she had expected. She watched Jay and Cole high five each other, before Jay raised his head and seemed to finally notice her presence. His face beamed, and he grinned at her. His excitement must have been visible to Cole too; since the older man decided to turn around, and smiled as well upon seeing her.

They invited her to play; she shook her head no, before looking back to Jay and calling him to get his attention.

“Do you mind if we have a talk?”

Nya could feel time stop as she spoke, watching Jay gulp and anxiety flash in his eyes. She quickly added:

“I’m not mad at you, I just wanna discuss something. It can wait though, if you’re busy.”

Nya gestured at Cole and the TV vaguely. Jay nodded and put his controller down, standing up and walking towards her.

“It’s fine! I can play later.”

Before Nya could drag him away though, he turned back to Cole and shouted, an accusatory tone lacing his voice.

“You better not play any more levels before I’m back!!”

Nya laughed at their antics. She could vaguely hear Cole respond something as she made her way down the hall, back to her room. She stood in the doorway until Jay appeared in front of her, and dragged him inside. She pushed the door closed behind them, sighing.

“Is something the matter?”

Jay was the first to speak up. He tilted his head to the side, moving to grab Nya’s hands in his.

“You’ve been acting weird for a few days… Did something happen?”

Nya stared at him for a few moments. She stared deep into his beautiful ocean eyes, her lips pursed. Jay’s eyebrows had furrowed, concern etched all over his face. Finally, she took a deep breath and spoke up.

“It’s about Nadakhan.”

She could see Jay’s breath catch in his throat, and his eyes widen. He took a deep breath as well, and squeezed her hands in his. His face looked a lot more serious than a few seconds ago as he urged her to continue.

“Okay.”

“Kai told me to talk with you about it. Well, about my worries, more precisely, but they’re about what happened with him.”

Jay nodded, a sign for Nya to keep talking.

“I’ve been getting… flashbacks. Of when I was with him. Especially since we’ve been talking about actually organizing our wedding, and all, I just… I keep seeing myself in Delara’s dress again, and getting nightmares about it over and over and it’s just-” She stopped herself to sigh. “That’s… about it.”

Sometime through her rant, Nya started looking at the floor with a frown on her face. Her hands held Jay’s tightly, and he could tell that she would be clenching her fists, had he not been holding them. 

He released one of her hands to cup her face, a shaky smile forming on his face to try and comfort her.

“I mean, it’s pretty understandable, you know? I’d be scared too if I had been forcibly married to a thousand year old djinn at 13 and then possessed by his dead girlfriend.”

Nya laughed. Jay’s smile widened.

“And like, if you want, you don’t have to wear a dress. We don’t even have to get married yet!! I mean we’ve been waiting for both of us to be ready for it, so if you’re not ready yet then I’ll wait more!”

Nya looked back at him with a smile. She felt tears well up in her eyes. Jay was right; there was no reason for them to rush things, after all. 

“You’re right. Thanks. And I do wanna get married, don’t get me wrong… I guess I’d forgotten I can just not wear a dress.”

Her hands moved up to wipe her eyes, and she felt Jay grab her face with his own. He looked at her, his eyes shining, and his thumbs gently caressing her cheeks. 

“Can I kiss you?”

She nodded, and he leaned in to crash his lips on hers. Nya felt Jay grin into their kiss, and she could see his face growing pink. After they pulled away from each other, Jay rested his hands on her shoulders and looked away, coughing to try and regain his composure. After he failed, as he usually did - for some reason, even after being together for half a decade, he was still a nervous wreck everytime they kissed -, he spoke up once more.

“You’re not alone in this. I’m here for you and, uh, I’ll do my best to support you through all this.” He gestured vaguely with his hand. “Be it related to him or related to our wedding, or, you know, anything else.”

Nya smiled at him, tilting her head up to press a kiss to Jay’s forehead.

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

“Hey, don’t thank me for this, come on! It’s not even the bare minimum!”

Nya laughed as he protested, Jay’s arms stretching at his sides as he kept repeating himself.

Eventually, the two of them ended up going back to the living room and joining Cole on the couch, picking up two controllers and playing with him. After a few levels, Jay seemed to have a realization and turned to Nya in shock.

“Wait, did you say Kai told you to talk to me?? Does he know?!” 

Nya stared at him in confusion for a moment.

“Oh, that! Apparently, they all know?? Well, not about what happened, but that we’re hiding something.”

Cole chimed in.

“Yeah, dude, you’re not exactly discreet about it…”

Nya chose to not listen to the rest of the conversation, already knowing the two best friends would start bickering. She simply giggled and mindlessly stared at Jay. She loved him so much.

[mairitess]

ebbs and flows pt. 1 // jaya

a/n: i wrote this bc i got back into ninjago and i needed to write something for them bc i'm not caught up enough to be able to read the current fics + also on ao3 in capital letters

words: 1.5k

tags: angst, fluff, post-skybound, post s10 ninjago: masters of spinjitzu, jaya, no beta we die like kings, they r so traumatized after nadakhan, minor violence mentions from skybound, kiss kiss rated t just in case

preview:

she might’ve missed it, if she weren’t so keyed up already. “you’re my yang, nya.”

memory was clever in a cruel way. sometimes nya practically forgot what she and jay had endured, had survived. other times, though it had been years since, nadakhan’s grip was still around her wrist. memory was kind when it ebbed, cruel when it flowed. and the master of water, unfortunately, was far too familiar with ebbs and flows.

it started when she and jay were on a date downtown, a rare luxury given their line of work. they’d compulsively started window shopping, ducking into quirky stores, stealing kisses in the alleyways between. ninjago city hadn’t been quiet in so long.

“has this shop always been here?” jay asked, pointing at the large antiques sign hanging from the side of the building. “i feel like we’re always around here. why haven’t i seen it?”

nya smirked and nodded towards the restaurant next door. “maybe because you’ve been too focused on downing chen’s hand-pulled noodles to pay attention to anything else around here.”

“hey!” jay reached for her in fun, and nya twisted away, bolting to the antiques store. her laughter echoed down the street, and jay’s breath caught in his throat. no one laughed as brightly, as freely as her. his soft smile grew. no one made her laugh as brightly, as freely as him.

he was grinning wildly when he walked into the shop, nya waiting for him inside. “what?”

jay enveloped her into a hug, his arms snug around her. “i love you.”

“i love you too, jay. now look around with me! i wanna see if there’s anything interesting.” jay caught a quick kiss before pulling away, and nya’s cheeks were warm as they wandered through the store, hand in hand.

—

she saw the lamp first — not the same one, but far too close for comfort. it was rusted and dented like it had been thrown around in the wash, but the lamp’s handle curved at the bottom, whereas nadakhan’s stayed flush to the rest of the body. still, nya froze.

“nya? did you find anything?”

jay’s voice felt so distant and hazy, as if she was hearing him underwater. “honey?”

she felt his hands on either side of her face, and nya realized he was standing right in front of her. “you’re crying, nya.” he leaned in closer to look at her more directly as he wiped the tears from her cheeks. “what’s wrong?”

he followed her gaze to the shelf behind him, to the lamp sitting all on its lonesome. jay sighed then turned back to nya, resting his forehead against hers.

“look at me, nya.”

she felt like she was ripping her vigilance away as she did.

“that’s not his, i promise. and neither of us are going to touch it. we’re safe, okay? he’s gone.” 

nya didn’t remember leaving the antiques shop, or going home, or anything else that happened between seeing the lamp and ending up in jay’s bed. she was spooned against him, so jay couldn’t see she was keeping her eyes open for as long as she could — every time she blinked, she saw nadakhan and that lamp. she could feel herself dying in jay’s arms again, on the floor of nadakhan’s stolen makeshift palace. she could feel her last words trying to snake their way out, but her energy draining before jay could hear them.

jay’s arms tightened around her waist, and she jerked away from them, tearing out from his grasp. she turned, and he was staring at her, worry lines stretching across his forehead.

“do you want to talk about it?” he asked. nya was quiet, though she cuddled closer to fit her head under his chin. jay slowed his breathing, taking deeper breaths in and out — he hoped she’d match him, even if subconsciously.

he was starting to fall asleep when he heard her mumble into his chest. “you couldn’t say his name.”

—

everyone else knew about nadakhan from the murals on the wall in the courtyard, but they would never remember him, especially not the way jay and nya did. but honestly, that made it somewhat easier for nya. she could pretend everything was okay with them.

but jay was there. and it felt so careless and insensitive for him to pretend, too, when he was with her. a small part of her knew it wasn’t fair to be upset at him for that — while she was dying, he watched, and maybe that was worse. but still.

nya hadn’t spoken to jay when they were alone in days. she still came to his bed each night, but they would lie in silence, and every evening she would get further and further away from him in sleep. at this point, they were on opposite sides of the bed, and her back was to him. if he just reached out, he could hold her, but he was scared she’d jerk away again if he did, and that would hurt more than anything before. when they woke up each morning, he’d ask her if she wanted to talk about it. she’d stay silent, though sometimes she’d shake her head. then jay would say he’d talk about it whenever she was ready. it was their new routine.

she started to have nightmares the day after they’d first seen the lamp. he tried to hold her close, whisper “i love you” to her over and over again as she shook and sobbed, but she’d end up pushing him away as soon as she got up. one night, he tried not touching her at all, and her nightmare subsided easily. so he opted to just lie awake until it went away, waiting for her to still. then she’d wake up in the morning, and they’d do their routine all over again.

weeks passed, and nya had caught a cold. jay would’ve stayed home with her, but their recent villain needed all hands on deck. misako and wu promised to take care of her while jay was away, though they figured some sort of fight had transpired between the two lovers. 

usually when they had to split the team, jay and nya would kiss each other good luck. but jay stood in the doorway, quietly watching her sleep. he toyed with the yin symbol hanging around his neck. his partner, his love, was starting to feel more distant than a stranger, and every day more like a ghost. but he needed her to go to him. he was nervous about touching her and making any nightmares worse, so he opted to leave a note instead.

nya, my yang, i’ll be back soon. i love you.

—

nya could not tell him — she would not tell him. guilt slashed at her chest every morning she woke up, her throat dry and caked tears streaking from the corners of her eyes. but she had to tell misako and wu when she woke them up screaming in the middle of the night, the first time anyone else had heard her nightmares.

“nya?” misako rushed in first to see nya shot up in bed, gasping for air. misako put the back of her hand on nya’s forehead. “you’re burning.”

there was a small tub of water and a washcloth on the side table next to her bed, and misako wet and wrung the towel before leaning nya back gently and placing the rag on her forehead. nya’s eyes were still wide open, and she didn’t have to look to ask —

“where’s jay?”

wu walked in, staff in hand. “jay is with the other ninjas. they needed more help. i thought you knew…” he trailed off, seeing the note next to her. nya grabbed it, and as she read it, started crying harder.

“i’ve been so horrible to jay,” she said, stuttering. “and i can’t even tell him what’s wrong.”

misako held nya’s hand, squeezing it lightly. “then maybe it’ll help if you tell us first.”

—

every time nya fell asleep, she’d find herself in her almost-wedding to nadakhan. then she would get shot, and she’d lie on the floor. when she was first getting these nightmares, she could feel jay holding her again, just as he did the first time. but that made the dreams a little too real — she needed some sense they were just dreams. she would kick him away, and he’d disappear, and she could breathe again. eventually, she stopped imagining jay holding her, and as she lay on the floor, she knew it wasn’t real because it was playing out differently from what was real, and she was able to move on.

but how could she tell jay, that now, whenever he hugged her, she felt like she was dying?

xx

part 2 here

[iamabigweirdo]

Am I the only one or is jay and nya so cute together! They are a perfect match for each other. Plus when he asked her to be his Yang..I mean come on if that wasn’t adorable enough then I don’t know what is. Such a great couple. The art is by gmlth1249 on twitter.

[lightning-and-dragons]

Strength and Survival Chapter 9

Previous Chapter (Chapter 8)// Next Chapter (Chapter 10)

I'm so glad that this chapter is finally posted! I hope that everyone enjoys it! Read on Tumblr below! Rated Teen and Up.

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 <em>is</em> 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, <em>Jay</em>, 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?

<em>Nya forgot Jay.</em> Cole reminded himself, <em> She forgot him but then she remembered.</em>

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. 

<em><strong>Intruder alert. Intruder alert. All agents proceed to Lab A. Intruder alert.</em></strong>

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. 

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