It was shortly after Ronin's brief appointment with Dr. Shadow that Dr. Wesley gave all the Dark Sleep victims a quick checkover and proclaimed them well enough to leave the hospital. Ronin, after sitting through an explanation as to why giant "panthers" had busted into his shop, why they had kidnapped him, and why he had been stuck in a long series of nightmares before waking up with amnesia in the hospital two weeks later, immediately exclaimed to Cole, Nya, and Lloyd that he was going back to his shop and he was not "going to get involved with this evil-cat-people business of yours anymore".
"Are you sure?" Nya pressed. "You don't want to get back the Moon Tribe for— you know..." She hesitated. "Giving you those nightmares?"
Ronin still looked pale and shaky, but he was adamant. "Those are just bad memories and dreams. They can't hurt me anymore." He paused. In a brief motion, he reached up and touched his eyepatch. Then he snapped back to attention. His tone wasn't quite as harsh this time. "Good luck with that Moon Tribe stuff. Hope you get Kai and Skylor back." He turned and walked away.
Misako and Jay were just as relieved as Ronin was to leave the hospital and to return to their friends and family. "No more pistachios for me!" Jay crowed as they walked out of the building. He was now fully dressed in his new uniform, and Misako in her usual safari shirt and green neck bandana. The sleek, stern material matching Jay's signature color, along with a dark bandana for his face and a belt allowing easy attachment for his nunchucks, looked good on him.
"I thought you liked the pistachios those guys were giving out," Nya protested lightly, walking alongside him.
"Yeah, but after eating nothing but pistachios for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for days, it gets kinda old."
"There was more hospital food, you know."
"Yeah, but it's all super-gross."
"Except for the pistachios," Cole commented.
"Exactly!" Jay grinned.
The five of them stopped at the parking lot, in a patch of pavement clear of vehicles. "Do you feel well enough to fly, Mom?" Lloyd cast Misako a concerned look.
She smiled gently. "Of course. I feel much better now."
"Great." Lloyd summoned his power, and in a flash of light, the great green elemental dragon appeared, shimmering in the sun. The beast lowered itself to allow Lloyd to help Misako on board, then took off at Lloyd's command.
For a moment, Cole wondered if Jay was strong enough to summon his own elemental dragon. The cruelty of the Dark Sleep still had its mark on Jay, as was obvious from the Dark Mark wound in bandages and the bags under his eyes. However, the electric-blue dragon burst into appearance with ease, and soon they all were all soaring out of Ninjago City.
The four dragons swept across the field where the Destiny's Bounty was parked, and they disintegrated upon landing in the knee-high grass. Master Wu, Liana, and Matilda met Cole, Nya, Jay, Lloyd, and Misako as they neared the ship. Cole caught sight of Wu's eyes glimmering at the sight of Misako.
"You're back," he murmured, embracing her. "You— You are well now?"
"Well enough." Her voice was soft, as if she were afraid of it breaking should she raise it. "It's good to be back and out of bed." As she pulled away from Wu's arms, her gaze fell upon Matilda and Liana standing together close by. Her eyes sparked with curiosity. "I believe some introductions are in order."
Jay, having already met Matilda the other day, fidgeted during Wu and Cole's shared explanation of who Matilda was and why she was here. Misako seemed to regard the witch warily, glancing at her pointed hat frequently, but she shook hands with her politely. "I didn't know some of the Masters had help from you. That sounds like an interesting story."
"Perhaps, but one of little importance now and for another time," was Matilda's mild reply.
"And who is this young lady, then?" Misako glanced warmly at Liana, studying her cloudy eyes and white scars.
"An old lady and a ninja girl. Were you guys trying to replace me and Misako while we were out of the game?" Jay deadpanned.
"Ha, as if," Cole protested. "Matilda's kinda been involved with this thing about the Moon Tribe for a long time. Liana... just kind of... accidentally fell into it."
"Actually, you brought me into it," Liana retorted with a dry smile. "I didn't ask for you and your buddies to break into my room in the middle of the night."
"Aw, jeez, Liana, we had nekomata after us!"
"How the heck do you two know each other?" Jay said, looking curiously between Cole and Liana. "Last time I asked, everyone treated me like I was chopped liver."
"Sorry." Cole gave a brief, yet honest explanation of how he had met Liana, her brother Philip, and Matilda years ago, when he had run away from dance school, just before meeting Master Wu.
Jay's face sparked with recognition at Philip's name, causing Cole to remember that Jay had caught him at Philip's grave one night, and that he had told him part of this story.
"Was he—?" he started.
Cole silenced him with a sharp look. Jay frowned at him, perplexed, but miraculously decided to keep his mouth shut. Cole didn't want him to bring up that night at the cemetery; it would cause too much confusion among the other listeners, more than it was worth. Better to talk about it alone. Cole motioned to Jay, and the pair of them walked up the gangplank and onto the empty deck.
"Where's Zane?" Jay glanced around, frowning. "I didn't see him down there."
"Probably at the computers or something. He'll most likely show up soon." At that moment, Cole didn't really care where Zane was or what he was doing.
Jay cast Cole a keen look. "What was that about?"
"It'd be too confusing to explain how you caught me at Philip's grave that night, and to answer your own questions," Cole replied, glancing over the side down to where the group was still conversing. Nya glanced up at the boys on deck, but made no move to join them.
"So... Liana is Philip's sister, and she's the one who told Kai that night to tell you to meet her at the bridge." Jay smirked, crossing his arms. "You didn't tell me you were so close to your old pal's sister."
"It wasn't important at the time."
"You sure you aren't keeping any other secrets from us, Cole?"
Those afternoons and nights spent with Liana in the gym flashed in his head. "Pretty sure."
Jay's gaze drifted away from his friend's face, much to Cole's relief. He looked out beyond the Bounty and to the landscape, where the others stood. He leaned against the railing. "So... two weeks."
"Yup." Cole joined him. "Lots have happened since you were kidnapped."
"I can tell." Jay chanted, "Shape-shifting cat-people, witches, magic rocks, evil spells, tragic backstories, new suits, new weapons, new ninja... You guys sure have been busy. You even got new teammates."
"Liana's not a ninja yet—we're still trying to figure out what her power is."
"Yeah, right, OK." Jay paused, then cast him a sly smirk. "So... is there, like, a thing between you two?"
Cole's mind went blank. He blinked, trying to process what Jay just said. "What?"
Jay arched his eyebrows up. "She's pretty cute. Do you have a thing for her?"
Cole tried to act casual and forced a laugh. "Wha—? Ha-ha, sure."
"How long have you been dating?"
Swallowing, he rolled his eyes and growled, "Whatever. We're just friends." He could feel his cheeks burning. "And just barely. You should've seen us last week. We were at each other's throats."
"C'mooonnnn! When's the wedding?" Jay crowed and bust out laughing.
"OK, knock it off," Cole finally snapped. "It's not—"
"I ship it!"
Before the confrontation could turn into a heated argument, the gangplank thudded with the sound of footsteps, and the others clambered aboard the Bounty. Nobody seemed to take heed of Jay and Cole stepping quickly away from one another. Cole hoped his face wasn't red anymore. Wu and Misako came aboard side by side, followed by Matilda, Lloyd, Nya, and Liana.
At the sight of the Liana, Cole couldn't help but glance at Jay. His friend caught the glance and smirked once more. Cole turned away, flushing helplessly. He looked and saw her beside Nya, face lifted in the sunlight. The slim-fitting, dark purple uniform she wore made her long, ponytail look white, with the bangs framing her face gently.
Cole stood there a moment, looking at her. There was something different about the way Liana looked—perhaps it was the way she stood. Her stance was wide and her posture confident. Instead of keeping her head slightly lowered and her shoulders bowed, her face was tilted up proudly and her shoulders back. Beneath the shoulder pads upon her bare arms, one could see that her muscles had hardened. Yet her face was the same; heart-shaped, pale blond bangs framing her cheeks...
His stomach gave an uncomfortable squirm when she turned her head inquiringly and called, "Cole?" He felt his cheeks heat uncomfortably—and he wasn't sure that he could figure out why.
Dummy. It's just Liana. What's wrong with you? Stop being an idiot. He tried to push away the odd feeling. Perhaps he had eaten something bad for lunch. Yes, that meat he'd used for his sandwich did seem a little old—that was it, digestive problems. Give it time, and the squirmy feeling in his stomach would pass on.
Firmly deciding upon the notion of a bad sandwich being the cause, he replied casually, "Over here."
Jay looked at him again and wiggled his eyebrows. Cole shot him a heated look of scorn before Liana joined him. "What were you two talking about?"
"Uh— nothing. Nothing important." Cole leaned against the railing, hoping to change the subject. "Just... glad to have Jay back, y'know." He expressed his pleasure of having his best friend returned safe and sound by casting that said friend a nasty look of pure disdain. The dear friend responded with another grin and smooching sounds with his lips.
"What's that?" Liana frowned at the unfamiliar noise.
"Just Jay. He's being a dork," Cole muttered as the subject in question heartily joined Nya's side and asked Misako something about what she thought about the hospital food they'd had to eat.
A small grin crossed her face. "You must be glad to have him back."
At that moment, Cole couldn't really summon feelings of gladness toward Jay, whom he rather felt like giving a nice cuff on the head. Still, in the long run, she was right. He was glad that his friend was alive and well, back to his goofy old self.
"Yeah. I guess I am." On an afterthought, he added, "And my eyes. Thanks for that." It sounded more casual than he'd intended, but he hoped the point would get across.
Liana's smile faded. "Oh. Yeah. You're welcome." After a moment, she turned and walked away stiffly. Cole was left staring after her in puzzlement.
Did I say something wrong?
Whilst this, Jay shared a brief exchange with Misako concerning the distasteful food served at the hospital, then allowed her to turn to Lloyd and ask him something. Jay stood there idly amongst his friends for a moment. Jamming his hands into the pockets of his new uniform, he looked at Nya, Lloyd, Cole, Misako, and Master Wu. It felt pretty good to be back home.
On a random thought, Jay gently touched Nya's arm to grab her attention. When she turned to him inquiringly, he asked, "Hey. What happened to the uniform I was wearing when that werecat attacked me?"
Nya frowned. "You mean the one Eagle Talon wore when he was pretending to be you?"
"He wore it?"
"Yeah. Umm..." She screwed her lips and thought about it. "It could be down with the laundry. It's pretty torn up. There's no way you'll be wearing it again."
"Thanks." Briskly, Jay headed for the door leading below deck.
"What do you want it for?" Nya called after him—but there was no reply.
Jay made his way down several flights of stairways within the interior of the Destiny's Bounty, venturing to a floor beneath the one that held the bedrooms and lounges. In this lowermost deck, cargo, supplies, and crates were often stuffed into a large, attic-like room, which was always musty and dusty. It was a room usually used for holding storage and dirty laundry.
A basket of recently discarded clothing sat by a large crate, almost hidden in the dim light. Jay had to peer through the dusty shadows, sneezing once or twice, before he caught sight of the basket. He reached it, crouched down, and began rummaging through its contents. Several articles of clothing were flung across the floor before Jay discovered the object of his search: his old Honor uniform, the one he had worn the night Broken Fang and Raven Frost set fire to the teashop and Eagle Talon had kidnapped him and taken his form.
The blue gi was ripped and torn at the arms, where Talon's feline paws and claws had shredded the ends to mere bits. A few strands of dark brown cat hair were caught in the sleeves. Otherwise, the uniform was intact, though true to Nya's warning, there was little chance Jay would be able to wear this again.
After glancing over the torn sleeve ends, he grabbed the matching pants and rummaged through the pockets at each side. That night the Moon Tribe sorcerers had attacked the teashop, there were two things in Jay's pockets: the moonstone, which Broken Fang stole. In the other...
The paper was slightly crumpled and torn at one edge, but otherwise intact. Jay slowly, gently pulled it from the pocket and smoothed it out with his fingers. Even in the dim light of the deck, he could see the faint watercolors stained upon the page, and the face of the young woman starred in it.
Jay was glad to find that the small painting he had discovered in his father's office had survived unscathed. Though he knew not of the story behind it, he felt that it shared something close to him.
* * *
Liana had hoped that she would be able to have a few minutes to herself in the lounge room. She had begun to feel overwhelmed and out of place among the happy reunion, and she sought sanctuary from all the hubbub. She figured Cole and the others would prefer welcoming their friends back home without her in the way. She needed a moment of peace, in any case.
Her hopes of solitude, however brief she had planned it to be, were destroyed when she caught the sound of someone walking down the hall toward the door. She recognized Cole's heavy, steady pace before hearing his voice call out, "Liana?"
She sighed. So much for a moment alone. "Here." At that moment, she would rather have had the person interrupting her be Nya or Matilda at least—but there was no logical reason for her to refuse Cole.
He ventured into the lounge room and seated himself in what sounded like a bean bag that sat across from her. She was on one of the couches of the room, legs curled up beneath her and one elbow on the arm of the structure. There was a moment of silence before Cole cleared his throat. "You OK?"
"Um... yeah." Liana shifted in her seat, beginning to feel a little awkward. Why should Cole be inquiring after her? Did she look sick or something?
"You sure?" He didn't sound convinced. "You were acting kinda... I dunno— a little weird."
"Weird?" Now she was perplexed. "What are you talking about?"
"I don't know..." He sounded confused. She heard him scratch his head. "You just—seemed a little out of sorts when I— when I mentioned my eyes."
Liana's face flushed. "Oh."
She hadn't realized her feelings were so apparent. She had tried to deny them, but they surged up every once in a while, usually when Cole was near. The fact was there in her mind, but she refused to acknowledge it. Perhaps if she ignored it long enough, it would go away, and everything would go back to normal. Yet obviously they had been strong enough for Cole to take note.
There was a long pause. Cole did not move in his seat. Liana shifted uneasily under his scrutiny, feeling her body heat up with discomfort.
"Liana..." He finally murmured. "Are you... jealous that I can see again?"
Her face flushed hotter still. "No."
"You don't need to lie to me," he said quietly.
For a minute, she wouldn't respond. She took several slow, deep breaths, trying to steady herself. "Why would I be?"
"Because you've never met anyone who could understand what it's like to be you," he replied. "I think... that in a way, you liked that I was blind."
"What! How could you—?!" she began indignantly.
"I'm not saying you enjoyed seeing me in pain and being miserable!" he interjected hastily. "Like you got some kind of sick delight in seeing me stuck like that! No, I mean— What I'm saying is, I think you secretly appreciated it when I realized—when I really realized—what it's like to be blind.
"Not just what it's like not being able to see. To have to use your hands and feet to walk around a room. To rely on other people's help. To know that people pity you. To feel like, whatever you do and however hard you try, you can't prove that you're capable of everything they're capable of. To know what it's like... being you."
Liana's shoulders slumped. Words could not describe the little surprised feeling in her chest that bloomed with realization.
He understands.
"I know now," he said simply. "And... I think I understand you a little more. I know what your world is like now, Liana." Hesitantly, he took her hand. "Nothing's changed since my sight returned— no, since you gave me my sight. I won't ever forget it. Whatever happens, I'll always be your friend."
Liana's heart felt as if it had caught in her throat. Her chin quivered, but with a stern mental scolding she forced it still and saved face. She managed only to rasp, "Thank you."
Cole squeezed her hand in his own. She felt him lean forward, inhaling to say something else.
Then Lloyd's voice called down the hall outside the room. "Liana! Cole! Matilda wants us to come upstairs for a mind-bending session!"
Cole released Liana's hand and stood up. "Come on. Might as well get it over with."
"I'll be right there."
He left her, his footsteps thudding down the wooden planks of the hall and up the stairs. As the sounds faded off, Liana sat there quietly, taking a moment of silence for herself.
She could still feel his gentle grasp. She brought the hand that he had held up to her chest, pressing her fist over her heart. A small, tentative smile curved her lips upwards, like a small rose blooming in the morning.
Now her cheeks were blushing because of a different reason.
* * *
The ninja gathered with Matilda in the bridge as usual, with Wu and Misako sitting in a couple of chairs at one side of the room, spectating. After Wu explained what the team was being trained in doing, Misako seemed interested and wanted to watch the session. Zane still had not made an appearance, but nobody seemed to take note of it. It wasn't odd that he shouldn't appear for the mind-bending class, but one would think he would at least come up to greet Jay and Misako.
Jay was wondering briefly about Zane's whereabouts when Cole finally appeared in the room, followed a minute later by Liana. Jay felt a sly smirk crawl up his face when Liana went to stand by Cole, and he chuckled to himself.
"What're you laughing about?" Nya asked, joining Jay's side.
"Nothing."
Nya cast a glance at Matilda, who was striding briskly into the room. She said in a low voice, "This can get pretty weird. I don't know if you'll be able to—"
"Oi, Lightning Bug." Matilda interrupted them, swinging her sharp gaze to the two of them. Jay suddenly felt the impression of being scrutinized like a kid in school under the gaze of a professor. "You ought to get into mind-bending, too. Or did you plan on grabbing some popcorn and watching your friends do all the work?"
Jay was undeterred by the witch's attitude. He responded brightly, "Nope. I want to learn how to mind-control evil cats, too."
Matilda grunted, "It's not easy, stuff, kid, and you'll be behind your friends."
"Bring it."
She studied him for a moment. "I'll go through the basics with you every once in a while after going through the others. Watch and listen to what I say."
Jay shrugged and she turned to the group.
"All right, you lot. We just got through the easy stuff."
"That was easy—?!" Cole began to sputter.
"We practiced sharing and feeling one another's memories," Matilda continued, casting Cole a cross look. "So now you know what that's like. It's not very comfortable when you realize someone is looking at one of your memories, even if it's a casual one, is it?" She chuckled grimly. "Well, now it's time to see how well you do when a bad memory is summoned.
"I don't mean 'bad' as in that time you spilled lemonade all over your pants." She swung her gaze around at the group, gazing at each student. "No, I mean those things that left wounds in your heart. The things that nobody talks about to you. The things that you bury deep down inside yourself and hope to never experience again. That 'bad'."
Liana frowned uneasily while Cole, Nya, and Lloyd exchanged apprehensive glances. Jay raised his eyebrows and looked at his teammates. 'Feeling memories'? What the heck does that mean?
"Here, let's give Sparky a little taste of mind-bending. Cole, give him a memory of yours." Matilda gestured to Jay carelessly.
Cole blinked and glanced incredulously between Matilda and Jay. "But— I don't know how to do it by myself."
"You did well enough when I was there to hold your hand yesterday. Go ahead."
"Fine," he sighed with a note of exasperation. "I'll try it."
"Are you deaf?" Matilda demanded sharply. "Did Raven Frost take your ears as well as your eyes? I said 'do it', not 'try it'! Get it right and do it."
Cole looked uneasily at Jay and took a deep breath. He stood still and closed his eyes, seeming to concentrate. Jay watched him, resisting the urge to interrupt the concentration of his friend.
He voiced a startled gasp when a picture suddenly burst into his head. It was a fleeting image of Ronin in a patient's uniform running down the hallway, then slamming headlong into the medicine cart and toppling it and himself over in the corridor.
He laughed out loud. It was the perfect memory Cole could have given him. Jay had been practically irate when Nya told him that he had missed the hilarious episode, and he had exclaimed more than once that he would have given anything to witness that spectacle. Now, in a way he had, thanks to Cole.
Jay grinned broadly at him, and Cole returned the grin before Matilda snapped, "Well, obviously you succeeded in giving him some sort of image. Did you do it?"
Cole's grin widened. "I— I did! It worked!"
"What did I tell you? Do it, don't try it." She turned back to the group. "So now all of you know what it's like for someone to force their own memory in your brain, and most of you know how to exchange memories willingly with one another. Normal, recent memories." Her lips quirked grimly. "Now for the darker stuff."
She thought for a moment. "Some of you, who have come face-to-face with a few of the Seven Sorcerers, know that when given the chance, they will cast a brief spell upon you called a 'Nap Attack'."
"A 'Nap Attack'? I used to have those all the time in school!" Jay quipped.
Matilda silenced him with a dark glare. "You are put in an intense sleep for several minutes. In that sleep, you often experience a memory. Sometimes it's frightening, sometimes it's sad, sometimes it's severely nostalgic, but it's always your own memories. By your own actions in the dream-state, though, you can sometimes alter the events of what happens." She paused. "More often than not, the memory is painful—and I don't just mean emotionally. It can actually hurt physically, too.
"No real damage is being done to your body or to your loved ones, but it can feel like it. Let's say, once upon a time in your childhood, you fell off your skateboard, and you broke your arm. If you were cursed with a Nap Attack and this memory came again, it would be as vivid and realistic as if you had time-traveled to the past to do it all over again. And yes, when you break your arm, it would hurt just as much as it did the first time—unless, while in the middle of the dream-state, you realized what was going on and you somehow managed to avoid breaking your arm. After a little while, you'd awaken by yourself, or someone with abilities like mine could free you from the sleep.
"Everyone has their bad memories. Some may not admit it, but we all do. They're the ones that you bury down deep inside you, the ones that are most painful or disturbing to look back upon. I like to call these 'scar-pictures'." Matilda gazed at the ninja. "They say if you continue licking old wounds, you will never allow them to heal. The Sorcerers don't want your memories to heal. They want to emotionally traumatize you as much as possible, until you're nothing but a shell of the person you once were.
"That's one of their greatest weapons: destroying their enemies without so much as touching them. Sticks and stones may break one's bones, but if you're not careful, scars of the past are like invisible claws ripping at your heart.
"Being hurt by the past is not a sign of weakness." She jammed her hands on her hips. "But continuing to run away from it can be. What I'm about to do will be a serious invasion of personal privacy in your minds. I will need your permission for this. I will not violate someone's memories without their consent." She looked grimly at each one of them. "I'm not going to lie: this will hurt. This will hurt like crazy. But, if you want to fight back against the Seven Sorcerers, if you want to be strong enough to defeat the Moon Tribe, you have to learn how to stop them from getting to your mind."
Lloyd, Nya, Jay, and Cole looked at one another. The ones who could see exchanged deliberate nods. The choice was unanimous.
"We're in," said Lloyd.
Matilda didn't look surprised. "Well, then—I'll start with you," she said to Jay.
Jay felt a little quiver of anxiety squirm inside. He took a deep breath. "Sure. I'm ready."
Matilda held his gaze for a moment, then nodded. Like him, she too took a long, deep breath, and closed her eyes. Jay held his breath and waited.
A tingling feeling crawling from the bottom of his scalp was the first sign of the presence of the witch in his mind. He inhaled sharply and stiffened. When Cole had tossed the memory into his head, the sensation had been brief and fleeting. This time, however, it was slower and more deliberate. The low, quivering pressure drifted and meandered, ducking and squirming here and there. Jay could imagine his head like a room full of boxes and chests of drawers, and Matilda was in there, opening and closing things and peering into every nook and cranny, in search of something private and concealed in the room.
Then, he felt a sharp pinch in his brain.
Hot, blinding light made his eyes tear up. He blinked and staggered backwards a couple of steps, dazed. Shaking his head blearily, he realized with an uncomfortable start that Matilda, his friends, and the whole of the Destiny's Bounty were all gone.
Where the heck am I...?
Sandy ground stretched out on all sides. A few broken, dusty stone pillars stood off to the side. Puffy white clouds drifted overhead, matching the bright blue sky. Hazy silhouettes in the distance surrounded the area of land Jay stood upon. The air was warm. Jay glanced down at himself and realized he was wearing his dark Airjitzu uniform.
Nearby stood, in a sort of motley line, Lloyd (whose hair was white for some reason), Zane, Kai, and Cole (whose figure appeared faint and strangely green). Closer to Jay, just in front of him, was—
"Nadakhan!" Jay gasped, jumping back. He stared at the towering, orange-skinned figure, clad in a sharp green breastplate and a wide leather belt. The enormous djinn stood before him as clear and as vivid as day.
Yet—what was this?—Nadakhan was leaning forward, clutching his chest. His dark eyes were wide with shock. His breath was coming in uneven heaves, in broken wheezes. A bright yellow-green splotch of some liquid stood out on the breastplate. The great sky pirate groaned softly, falling to the ground before Jay—and revealing a small, white-clad figure standing behind him.
Nya's face was pale with shock and pain. She blinked rapidly, appearing confused. Her breath, like the sky pirate's, began coming out in ragged wheezes. A large splotch of the same yellow-green color stood out on the bejeweled wedding gown she wore. She teetered on her feet.
Suddenly, Jay realized what was happening—what memory this was.
"Nya!" He couldn't help himself. He felt close to choking on a sob. He darted forward for her, crying out, "The poison hit you, too!"
He grabbed her just as she fell upon the ground. He held her up with one arm wound up her back. He could feel his heart pounding painfully in his chest, threatening to shatter his ribcage. He gripped her tightly, staring into her wane, white face. Her eyes flickered weakly up to his, blinking in the harsh light. When he took her hand, she squeezed back.
Jay barely took note of Zane's exclamation or Nadakhan's desperate groans. His attention was focused on Nya—Nya, who lay in his arms, struggling to breathe through the poison corrupting her lungs through her chest. Her body quivered in his arms.
Nya urged him to make his last wish. He shook his head, rasping. "No—not if that means losing you!"
"I never wanted to be in your boy's club, anyway." She reached out to touch his cheek.
"No, Nya— don't say that..."
She murmured one sentence more, her voice trailing off weakly. Then, with a low sigh, her head fell back in his arms, and her eyes closed.
Jay gripped her in his arms, gritting his teeth together. He pressed his cheek to hers, a single tear—
"All right, that's enough."
Jay staggered when the bridge of the Bounty returned. His vision dimmed, and he realized that he was blinking away tears. He looked up to see Cole, Lloyd, and Nya staring at him—Cole's mouth was agape. Matilda stood in front of Jay, beads of sweat lining her brow. She looked white-faced, and seemed to be concentrating on taking deep breaths.
Jay felt his knees buckle. He staggered backwards and used one hand to lean against the wall, trembling. His breath came out in ragged gasps, quivering as much as his limbs did from the shock. He glanced up at Nya, looking at her intensely as if he was assuring himself that she was still there.
"Well—there's one." Matilda broke the uneven pattern of two people gasping for breath. She wiped the sweat from her forehead, and met Jay's gaze.
Then, abruptly, she turned back to the group. "So—who's next?"
Nya volunteered. Jay watched anxiously as both she and Matilda closed their eyes and the witch initiated pulling out the "scar-picture". He didn't know what he had looked like when he had relived the memory of Nya being hit by the Tiger Widow Venom, but he had a vague idea by watching her. Standing upright with her eyes closed, her face suddenly paled, and she inhaled sharply. The others watched silently as she experienced whatever scar-picture Matilda had pulled up. She was silent through it all, eyebrows furrowed in a pained grimace. Her chin quivered once or twice, but otherwise was still. When the spell broke, she gasped and looked around wildly, seeming relieved to be back in reality.
Cole was stoic through his bout, only clenching his fists tightly and breathing quickly in ever-so-soft gasps. When Matilda finished with him, he seemed drained of strength, and he found a chair to seat himself in. Liana visibly gritted her teeth and held her breath, clenching her eyes shut tightly together despite her blindness. At one point a small groan, almost like a pained cry, escaped her lips, but she quickly pressed her lips together and swallowed back her voice.
"You all right?" Matilda laid a hand on the girl's shoulder, gazing intently at her. Liana swallowed and nodded faintly. Her hands were shaking and her face was pale, but she had enough strength to respond.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just... haven't thought about that in a while."
"I wouldn't want you to." Matilda wiped a strand of hair out of her face—she was beginning to look just as tired and strained as the ninja. Jay wondered briefly if it was hard to go into someone's head and watch their scar-picture with them. The witch took a breath and turned to Lloyd. "One left."
If Lloyd was apprehensive about Matilda summoning one of his scar-pictures, he did a good job of hiding it. He nodded and closed his eyes, and Matilda entered his mind.
It began rather similarly to the others' experiences: he stiffened with tension and inhaled sharply, eyes shut closed and lips pressed together tightly. The other ninja exchanged glances of pity, now knowing what it was like to go through the old pains again—and considering Lloyd's past experiences, he probably had some of the hardest burdens to bear.
Jay was looking at Lloyd when the younger boy's face suddenly became a stark white color. His lips flew apart in a wheezing gasp—and then he stumbled to the floor, rasping something unintelligible.
For a second, nobody did anything. Jay stared stupidly down at Lloyd. Uhhh... is this normal?
Lloyd rolled at the feet of Matilda, eyes still closed. The witch started and opened her eyes. She stared in bewilderment at the figure lying on the floor at her feet—and suddenly exclaimed, "Corpus bones! Someone grab the boy!"
Cole was the first to lunge for Lloyd. He snatched him by the shoulders, pinning him down to the floor. Lloyd continued to quiver and shake uncontrollably, gurgling weakly. Matilda knelt down by his side and grabbed his face with both hands. She began to murmur something incoherent in a chant.
"What's wrong with Lloyd?" Jay demanded. His stomach clenched when he saw spit rising at the corners of Lloyd's mouth.
"He's trapped in the scar-picture!" Matilda responded tersely, interrupting her whispered spell. "It's so vivid he got stuck in it. It won't take long to get him out of it, but I don't want him to hurt himself."
"What do you mean, 'he's stuck'?!" a furious voice demanded. Jay looked to see Misako darting to the middle of the room where the scene was taking place, followed closely by Wu. The two of them had been so quiet, Jay had forgotten they were there.
"The vision is so intense that it's gotten a hold of his consciousness and won't let go. His fear is overtaking him and enhancing the experience." Matilda waved a hand dismissively in Misako's direction. "It won't take long to snap him out of it."
Jay was startled by the uncontrolled fury written on Misako's face. "What vision? What did you do to my son?!"
Matilda glared up irritably at her. "Ehh, that thing with the ghost. What's-His-Face. The whiny one."
"Morro?" Misako's face paled. "Get him out of it!"
"And just how am I supposed to do that with you jabbering in my face, woman?!" Matilda snarled. "Now let me concentrate!"
Lloyd suddenly jolted upward, green eyes wide with undisguised terror. Chest heaving as he fought for breath, he scanned the small crowd standing around him warily.
"C— Cole?" he rasped, eyes falling upon the face closest to his. He was trembling from head to foot, and Jay caught sight of sweat glistening on his head and neck.
Cole breathed a sigh of relief. "You OK there, Lloyd?"
"I—"
Before Lloyd could respond to Cole's question, Misako finally turned the full force of her fury upon Matilda. "You did this to him! You forced that awful experience back into his head! You have no idea what that did to him!"
"Of course I knew how much that damaged him," Matilda responded simply, standing up and brushing her robes off. "That's why I chose that one."
To the utter astonishment of the spectators, Misako lunged for Matilda and snatched her by the front of her robes. "You had absolutely no right," she hissed, face white with anger. "You had no right to invade his head and make him relive that horrible Morro possessing him. We almost lost him then—we came so close to losing him. It's only been months since the Preeminent was destroyed. He's just recovered from that whole thing, and you go and—!"
"He gave me permission to do it, remember?" Matilda retorted sharply. "I did not 'invade'. What I did was within his full will."
"And see what you did to him!" Misako gestured to her son. "Who knows what you've just done! I could have lost him!"
Matilda's eyes narrowed, and she seemed to regard Misako for a moment. "Did the Dark Sleep pick on you about your son?" Before Misako could respond, the witch muttered to herself, "I guess that would make anyone hyper-sensitive. I don't suppose I can blame you."
"The Dark—?!" Misako sputtered. "This isn't about me! This is about what you just did to Lloyd!"
"Meow! Cat fight," Jay couldn't help but crow quietly.
Nya shot him a withering look. "You're not funny."
"Actually, I thought it was—" Cole began.
"Goodness, the boy is fine!" Matilda protested. "See, look at him, he's breathing, he's moving, his skin doesn't look like pea soup—"
"Do you have any idea what you almost just did?!"
"Mom, it's OK—" Lloyd tried to interject.
"Ohh, and who's the magic expert here? I don't see you on the list of mind-benders," Matilda sneered.
"I know enough to know that you could have seriously hurt Lloyd!"
"This is the only way for them to learn how to defend themselves from the Seven—!"
"What, by bringing back the time Morro possessed my son's body and brutally traumatized him? Yes, that will be very helpful in fighting werecats!" Misako retorted scathingly.
"Bah! As if you have any knowledge of what needs to be done! Tell me, do you know how to fight back against—?"
Both Wu and Cole grabbed Misako and Matilda just as both women looked on the verge of lunging for one another and initiating a full-on brawl. Wu grabbed Misako by the shoulders and furtively urged her to calm down whilst Cole snatched Matilda's robes and tugged back. "Would you two just let it go already?!"
"I'm not the one going all Mama Bear on someone who's trying to help you lot on how to protect yourselves from the Seven Sorcerers!" Matilda snapped.
"Matilda, if you touch Lloyd—physically or mentally—" Misako hissed furiously, "I swear I'll—"
"You're still suffering from the effects of the Dark Sleep, Misako," Matilda interjected, glaring. "Calm down. Lloyd's safe and sound now. He's not a little boy anymore."
"Lion Claw wants him!"
As soon as she shrieked the words, Misako fell still. She looked as if she had been stunned by her own words.
Wu looked at her sharply. "What? What do you mean?"
"For revenge..." Her gaze fell away from Matilda's, drifting off as if they could see beyond the sight of everyone else. "He wants to get back at me. He wants to hurt Lloyd."
Now everyone exchanged bewildered looks. Jay, feeling ridiculously confused, blurted, "'Revenge'? You say that like you knew this lion dude before. Who is this guy?"
"He's one of the Seven Sorcerers, Jay," Nya explained, looking anxiously at Misako. "He's a big golden cat with a huge scar running down the back of his neck. Matilda, do you know Lion Claw?"
The witch, eyes still on Misako, shook her head. "No. He's one of the younger cats they trained after the Red Battle, merely an apprentice sorcerer at the time. He's old enough to be your father, but to me he still holds an air of youth about him."
"Mom." Lloyd looked anxiously into his mother's face. "How do you know Lion Claw? Did you meet him before this all started?"
Misako heaved a low sigh. Wu released her shoulders, and she took a few steps backwards to sink into a chair. She bent forward and covered her face with her hands. "Yes. I know him... He was the one who murdered my sister Yui."
Lloyd's mouth fell open. Everyone else in the room shared astonished looks. Jay felt dazed. "Wha—? How—? But you—!" He sputtered, "You mean you have a sister?"
"Had," Misako remarked with an uncharacteristic edge of bitterness. "I had a sister. If it weren't for Lion Claw, she might have lived to see me grow up and raise a family." She raised her head, looking bleakly at Lloyd. "Lion Claw came to our village one day, pretending to be an weary traveler who needed a place to stay. He gave himself a false name and identity, and while saying he would leave soon, he sort of moved in with the villagers." She gave a grim smile. "He charmed his way into the hearts of the town. Children especially were his target. He would do all sorts of tricks to entertain them, buy them treats, and tell them wild stories. Yui and I were some of those trapped under his charming spell.
"We weren't children. I was fifteen and she was seventeen. We often looked after our neighbors' twins, and they were simply enamored with Lion Claw. He had a way with both children and women, to say the least." She barked a laugh. "We thought he was our friend. I met him, and I liked him. We both did. Then..." She hesitated.
Wu laid one hand on her shoulder, rubbing it comfortingly. She acknowledged the gesture by touching his hand with hers and continued, "Then, one night, bandits came out of nowhere and attacked our village. They had known how to get past the sentries on duty during the night, and they somehow knew where the houses with the greatest valuables and most money lay. They set fire to some of the houses. The men ran out to fight them, and many didn't live to see dawn.
"I grabbed a weapon and ran outside to fight alongside the men. Yui tried to call me back, to tell me that I shouldn't try being something I wasn't. Back then, there weren't many women warriors. My family disapproved of what they called my 'unladylike habits'. But I was determined. I wanted to defend my home. So I ran out and fought back some of the bandits.
"I realized later that Yui followed me into the fray, trying to get to me... so that she could keep her little sister safe." Misako sighed. "I saw Lion Claw in the crowd. I was astonished to see him giving orders to the bandits and killing my neighbors. When I yelled at him and asked what in the world he thought he was doing, he laughed and transformed into his nekomata body.
"That was the first time I ever saw a werecat. He stood up on his hind legs and told me he was Lion Claw of the Moon Tribe. He had helped the bandits learn about our town's guarding system and let them in, helping them kill the sentries and telling them where the most treasure was. I felt as if my world had been shattered. I'd trusted him."
For a few moments, Misako fell silent. Wu, one hand still on her shoulder, murmured gently, "I have never known about this."
"It was before I met either you or Garmadon. I spent years trying to forget about that awful night." She continued, "I tried to challenge him to a duel, but he only laughed in my face and ran away. I went after him. The next time I saw him—" At this her voice quivered slightly. "He... was facing Yui.
"She didn't have a weapon. She wasn't even properly dressed, just in her nightgown. She was just a child." She closed her eyes, as if blocking out the sight. "He didn't even give her a second glance. Just unsheathed his claws and struck her down. I screamed her name but it was too late. While they all ran away, I tried to help her get up—to get her back home. But she was gone. My sister was dead."
Now she raised her head, seeming to steel herself. "After that night, I went after Lion Claw. I wanted revenge. I didn't want my sister's passing to go unpunished. It took days and days. It was the first time I had ever really left my little village, and I was alone.
"Then I finally tracked him down. He was with another werecat, and I heard them arguing. Lion Claw had been banished from the tribe for murder. After banishment, he turned to the world of humans to find comfort in thievery and violence. He worked with mountain bandits and city gangsters, using his shapeshifting and magic skills to aid him in helping them and getting his money.
"This, to the Moon Tribe, was one of the worst possible crimes a cat of their kind could ever commit. I met the female werecat before confronting Lion Claw, and I told her all that he did. Later I heard the female ranting at him, then pleading with him to stop betraying his kind and work to earn back the trust of the clan." She continued steadily, "I finally attacked him. I had changed since the assault on my village; I had grown stronger and wiser. I fought him, and, in the end, defeated him. I pushed him over the edge of a gorge. I thought him gone then."
She smiled dryly. "Imagine my surprise when, after I was kidnapped from the tea shop decades later, I should wake and come face-to-face with him, a much older version of the man I thought I had killed when I was fifteen years old. That scar on his neck?" Her smile widened, but only a little. "That was me. I suspect he got it when he took that tumble down the gorge. Anyway..." She sighed.
"I had only enough time to realize he knew about my family, and he— he threatened to get Lloyd. That was when he cast the Dark Sleep, and the dreams that followed..." Her voice trailed off.
The group gazed at Misako, wordless. Jay felt dazed. All these crazy cat-creatures that could make themselves look like you, the magic ones, the witch teaching the ninja mind-tricks and Cole's friend Liana becoming part of the team, all these stories popping up... this was getting crazy. A little too crazy for Jay. It seemed as if as soon as he had woken up in the hospital, he had been constantly bombarded with insane information and a lot of stories to keep track of—actually, it made him think about the first day of school, and his head was hurting just as much as it did in social studies.
"I'm sorry," Liana murmured, breaking the silence gently. "That must have been awful for you."
Misako sighed, standing up. She seemed stronger, now that she had given up the burden of her story. "Now you see. Lion Claw isn't just after my son and I because we're humans and Lloyd is what they call the Son of the First: he's after Lloyd to get back at me. Taking Yui away from me wasn't enough. Now he wants him."
"Mom," Lloyd laid a hand on her shoulder and met her gaze earnestly. "It's going to be OK. I'm going to be OK. What Matilda's teaching us is going to help us against the Moon Tribe, and this way Lion Claw won't be able to lay a single claw on me."
"I know, I just..." She glanced at Matilda. "I watched Lion Claw take a loved one away from me once. I will not let that happen again."
Lloyd forced a small smile and hugged her. "It won't happen. I promise."
Matilda turned and ambled away, head down. Jay was close enough to hear her murmur beneath her breath, "Humph. Easier said than done."
"A little ray of sunshine, aren't you?" Jay muttered quietly at Matilda's retreating back.