The Weight of Jade

'I am Jade Turtle'

"Run, run!!" Wayzz was shouting, desperation in his voice as he called out to his charge. He was trying to prevent the horrible fate he saw laid out before them but Nino stood strong, and in that moment though he faced almost certain death the young boy waited with power in his eyes.

"Heroes NEVER die!" Nino shouted out, his hands gripping the controller as he leaned forward over where Wayzz sat on the bed, the tiny turtle reaching up to cover his eyes with one flipper and his frog's with the other. Across the short distance of his room the wire of his controller draped over discarded blankets, soup bowls and soda cans before it connected below his T.V, it's face displaying arguably the most epic battle the earth had ever seen. Nino's character stood bravely facing the threat of the ultimate lifeform, surging forward with the galactic army at their heels to defend Terra Prime from those corrupt alien bastards, but in the end... his base speed stat just wasn't enough.

Nino groaned dramatically in defeat as his character was blown to smithereens, the screen glowing with a ruthless, blood red 'You Died' just to rub salt in the wound. On the bed in front of him Wayzz fell backwards onto his shell, letting Will hop away as he curled into the blankets.

"I told you you'd never make it!" Wayzz protested, looking up into Nino's face as his boy leaned over him. "You neglected your stats early on! You're paying for it now."

"Oh and how would you have spent the points wise guy?" Nino said with playful snark, unable to keep from grinning fondly at the kwami in its nest in the sheets. He only glanced away to reach out and lightly pick up Will before he hopped his way into some corner of his room.

"Well I would have put more into speed, for one," Wayzz said matter-of-factly, crossing his fins when Nino raised an eyebrow.

"Says the turtle."

"To another turtle," Wayzz shot back, smiling now as Nino rolled his eyes. "This game is so taxing, let's play the chicken one! That one is so much more pleasant, and much less complicated."

Nino laughed at that, tossing aside his controller and maneuvering his way around Wayzz before standing up and waltzing over to his consoles to shut off the game. He could see Wayzz floating off to return Will to the more contained safety of the turtle tank in his peripheral, the kwami himself taking the opportunity to go for a quick swim.

Nino hovered near the games, looking towards the game Wayzz had mentioned but hesitating to put it on. Blowing another few hours just eating crap and playing games with his best little buddy sounded really awesome, but then again so did some other things too. He watched as Wayzz swam happily in his tank, feeling such potent peace and happiness that it sort of stunned him.

Wayzz didn't look out of place in the slightest, finally freed from all of his doubt and worry. He crouched on the floating log in his tank before slipping off, twirling through the water and laughing out in little bubbles as he did. Nino wasn't sure what the expression on his face must have looked like, but when Wayzz suddenly met his gaze he was sure it was the same sort of elated fondness the kwami himself exuded.

There was always so much going on, so much that was confusing and scary. But they had each other, and they had their friends. Nothing could hold them down if they didn't let it.

Nino had just been forgetting that.

"Hey little man," Nino spoke up, turning from the T.V and striding across the mess they had made over to the tank, leaning over it to stare through the water at Wayzz laying on the bottom. "How do you feel about going for a run?"

Wayzz blinked for a moment, his image distorted with the gentle current they kept running through the tank but Nino could still see him smile. "Really?" he asked distantly, his voice almost inaudible through the water but Nino heard him still.