(Book 7) The Hands of Time

I: A New Time

From behind his closed eyes, he'd seen the Monastery through the years. The disbanding of the alliance for everyone's safety after certain events. Garmadons fall. Wu taking the golden weapons, then returning without them. One kid, then three, then five. He watched a place he'd once called home burn to the ground. Wu returned for one night, recently. With someone else... His eyes snapped open as what was left of the energy in his body made him shudder violently. His being was forced from the vortex, giving him mere seconds to react.

He felt different. His internal clock was screwed, but he knew how to tell time. He looked toward the sun. It was at least 5:30.

Just out of his peripheral, he spotted something.

"Right on time."

"What?" He turned quickly, placing his hand on a concealed blade. The only one he had left.

"Long time no see."

"Wu?" He turned toward the old male, his demeanor shifting slightly. "You, look old. As if you best days have passed." He surveyed the area around him. The place he use to call home had been burnt. "Not unlike your Monastery."

He made eye contact with Wu once again.

"I can assure you, I still have many days ahead of me." Wu responded. "Shall we finish what we started? I've been waiting decades."

"Really? Doesn't feel that long to me." He slowly pulled his dagger out of it's sheath.

"This ends now." Wu responded.

-

The ninja were moving around a lot of rubble as they had in the days prior.
"This ends now, Samukai." Jay held the fake skull in his hands. "Nope. Doesn't feel right."

"Define, 'feel right'?" Lloyd asked.

"Ya know. Dareth should really be here helping us. We all heard his story of the stone warriors doing his bidding and saving his life, right?" Jay asked his teammates.

"Yeah. But we are all kind of to blame." Lloyd began.

Jay cleared his throat loudly.

Cole sighed, he still wasn't use to being human again. He still hasn't had a proper meal after his mortal body had returned. He had been so thirsty, he never realized he could be so thirsty. He smacked his lips a couple times before turning back to Jay with a defeated look.

"How many times do I have to apologize about unleashing the ghostly forces of our past foes on the world?"

"Depends on how high you can count." Jay responded snarkily.

Cole dropped the bit of rubble he had in his hands as they turned a bright orange. He could feel the heat rise up his arms.

"Speaking of... Still not use to having your non ghost hands back?" Jay questioned, remembering the days following Cole's human body returning.

"No. But I'm trying." Cole picked back up the blocks he'd had before, walking them to another room.

"If we could go back in time, I'd tell Dr. Saunders we were too busy to help." Nya sighed.