"Kai! Nya! Come back!" Jay shouts over and over. "Why'd they risk their lives to go after Krux and Acronix?"
"It was the only way to save Wu," says a man who looks strangely familiar.
"Oh, okay. I'm good with it." Jay sighs. Then his eyebrows furrow. "Hey, wait a sec. Who are you? And how do you know that?"
Then it hits me.
"I'm Maya," says the woman in a kind voice. "And this is Ray. We are--"
"Kai and Nya's parents," I say, voice quivering.
Lloyd grabs my arm, sensing I'm about to fall over and saving me from embarrassment.
"We saw your portrait at the museum," he says.
"Krux and Acronix traveled back in time with the Reversal Time Blade, so our children had to follow," says Ray. His voice is just as weak as mine, if not weaker, and he's also struggling to stay standing
"Why?" Jay asks.
"Only that Blade can undo the effect of the Time Punch on Master Wu," says Maya. "They are his last hope."
"Master Wu is with them?" says Lloyd.
"We have to go help," says Cole. "We just need a time machine. You can build another one, right?"
"I can't," Cyrus says solemnly.
"Oh, I get it," says Jay. "'I can't' is business speak for 'It'll cost you big.' Okay businessman, I hear you. Hm, I've got a tenner."
"No Time Blades, no time travel," says Maya. "I'm afraid there is nothing to do but wait and hope Kai and Nya return."
"Okay, then," says Jay. "Samirai 2.0, while we're stuck waiting, why don't you tell us who's really under there?"
"No," they say.
"Would a tenner change your mind?"
"No."
"What about two pieces of candy?"
"No."
"What you said is true," says Maya, changing the subject. "Kai and Nya truly are Master Wu's last hope."
"Not just his," says Ray. "All of Ninjago--" He starts coughing uncontrollably, nearly falling to the ground.
Panic flushes his wife's face. "Ray! What is it?"
"On the ship," he groans, "when Acronix hit me, he was holding a Time Blade and something happened."
My heartrate quickens--he can't have been struck. He can't die now, not that Kai and Nya just found him again.
Zane scans him. "Accelerated physical deterioration, rapid loss of life function. You've been hit with a Time Punch, too."
"And there's no cure," I mumble.
"Wait," says Cole. "You said the Reversal Blade can undo it on Master Wu. Would that work for you too?"
"Only if our children retrieve it and return in time."
~
Hours. It's been hours since they left. The team decided to travel to the surface: we figured it would be better to get out of the staunchy air of the swamp-cavern. Better air for Ray to breathe. Better light for the rest of us to see. A better place to die.
Despite my own weakness, a insisted on helping Ray out of the cavern. Jay supported one shoulder while I held up the other. Maya followed behind incase he fell backward. Lloyd stayed close by my side incase my body gave up again, but we made it to the surface without issue.
Zane, Cole, and Samurai X found some leaves and moss to help make a comfortable spot for Ray to sit in. Maya sat right beside him, stroking his forehead, dotted with beads of sweat. I distanced myself when we got outside in order to give them their space, but I never took my eyes off them.
Its strange to see them alive. Kai had always been under the impression that they were dead, so I had too. I feel silly now for praying to their painting. They never would've heard it. Although, I guess it's less embarrassing that we made out in front of it now, knowing their spirits weren't watching us.
Maya and I make eye contact. I instantly look away, feeling strangely guilty for looking at them in the first place, like they were animals in a zoo. They don't even know who I am. It's creepy of me.
"You're close to my children?" she says, making me look back at her. Everyone looks over at her.
I nod and my face heats up. "Yes. I am."
"But you're closer than most?"
"You could say that."
"You love them?"
"We all love them, Mrs Smith."
"Please, honey. Just Maya. And quit beating around the bush--" She smiles for the first time since her children disappeared into that portal. "I can tell when someone is in love."
I sit there, flabbergasted, face burning and probably beet red.
"You and Jay are in love with our children," Maya continues. "The two of you have been staring at Ray and I like we're aliens. More so than everyone else has."
Jay is the first to speak up. "Nya and I have been sort of dating on and off for the past couple years."
"But you're currently together, right?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good," gasps Ray. "She'll need you."
"I'll always be there for her," Jay says, "but I hope it doesn't come to that."
"We all do," agrees Maya. Then her eyes settle on me again. "How long have you and Kai been together."
"A little over a year. But there was a break somewhere in between."
"And you love him?"
"With all my heart."
"Good." She looks at everyone, individually now. "Thank you for being family to our children. Thank you for loving them."
~
We've been sitting in silence again. The sun is rising now. But it doesn't rise on the same Ninjago it always has.
"Guys, something's really wrong," says Jay. "The city is, um, different."
"Yeah," says Cole. "It looks old. Like, Ninjago forty years ago."
"Huh?" says Cyrus. "My BorgWatch has disappeared.
"What is going on?"
"My worst fear has come true," says Ray. "The past has been changed. Your watch doesn't exist because your technology no longer happened. No computers, no telephones, no--"
"Zane!" Lloyd cries.
And sure enough, Zane is a bucket of rust, lying in the sand.
"No, what do we do?" cries Cole.
"There's nothing we can do," I say, ignoring the burning sensation in my chest, "except wait."
~
Another hour passes. Ray has grown even weaker. His hair has turned gray, and he's got more wrinkles than Uncle Wu ever had. Lloyd, Cole, Jay, and I have taken turns going out to find water for him. Maya is doing her best to hold back tears, but I honestly don't know how much longer she can hold out.
I'm on my way back with a fresh pile of moss for Ray when--
"Guys, you won't believe it!" shouts Jay.
"Ninjago is back to normal," says Cole.
"My technology has returned!"
"I believe something just overloaded my sensors," says Zane, sitting up from the sand, perfectly new again. "Did anyone else feel a temporal disturbance?"
Jay laughs, running to hug our Nindroid. "Kai and Nya did it!" He turns and hugs Samurai X, who has also been brought back to life. "Wanna celebrate by telling me who you really are?"
"No."
"Everything is fixed!" Cole shouts, flinging an arm over my shoulder.
"Fate of Ninjago," groans Ray, smiling weakly.
Maya finally allows a tear to slip. "Not everything."
"They'll be back soon," says Lloyd, resting a hand on her shoulder. "You'll see."
I'm not so sure he's right, so I close my eyes and rest my head on Cole's chest.
~
I don't know how much time has passed anymore. The sun is fully up, so at least a couple hours. Ray's breaths are ragged, but my chest doesn't hurt as bad. I can only hope that is a good sign.
BOOM!
We all look up as the portal reopens. Kai and Nya fall from the sky, landing in the small pond we've been getting water from.
They're alive!
They've returned.
"Mom?" Nya calls the second she breaks the surface.
"Dad!" Kai echoes, and they paddle towards shore.
"Can't hold on," Ray gasps as his children sprint over to say goodbye.
"I'm afraid he is close to his end," says Maya, tears cascading down her cheeks. "There's nothing to be done."
"Yes there is," Kai says, pulling the Reversal Blade from behind his back. There is a unanimous gasp as he presses it to his dads chest. A faint yellow glow surrounds Ray, and then nothing.
"My children," he says, opening his eyes.
"Dad!" they shout, engulfing him in a hug.
"Oh, you guys, let me get in on this!" exclaims Jay, and he pulls me into the hug too.
I end up in Kai's arms in the center of the group. I didn't realize I was crying until there was a wet spot on his shoulder. He gives me a kiss on the temple, squeezing me tighter. A few more moments of sniffling and loving before the whole group bursts into laughs of pure joy. Even those on the outside joined in.
But there's still a pit in my stomach.
"Wait, what happened to Master Wu?" asks Cole as soon as the moments over.
I knew I was forgetting something. Memories from my vision flash to the forefront of my brain. I make eye contact with Lloyd, hoping for reassurance, but instead find my own terror staring back at me.
"Oh no," says Kai. "He's still on the Iron Doom. He stayed aboard to deal with Krux and Acronix."
"And now he's gone," adds Nya.
Cole's eyes widen. "So we don't have a master anymore?"
"Yes We do," says Jay. "You, Lloyd. You and Tasha. It has to be you two."
"But--"
"Master Lloyd and Master Tasha," says Kai, offering us the Time Blade.
My brother looks at me for confirmation, and I set my terror aside so that he knows he has my full confidence.
"You're ready."
"Master Lloyd," he agrees. "Everyone, Listen up. First we get rid of this. It's too powerful."
"Then," I continue, looking sternly around the group, "it'll take all our energy, and we will not rest until we know--"
We finish in unison: "Where is Wu?"
~
We spent the rest of the day hiding the Time Blade. Then, despite all better judgement, we took some time to relax. For the first time ever, Kai and Nya had their parents with them, and that was cause for celebration.
The whole crew went back to the Temple and Zane cooked dinner. I introduced Ray and Maya to my mother and Lily. They all got along great. Throughout dinner, we told stories about all our adventures these past few years. Then we turned on a movie and had some of the ice-cream that Lily made. (Apparently she learned to make it in prison.) The night ended with a long group hug before Ray and Maya had to leave. They desperately wanted to go back to their blacksmith shop-- home they haven't seen in thirteen years.
"We promise we'll be back to visit soon," said Maya, kissing both her children many times. She even gave Jay and I a few kisses.
After they left, Kai and I went back to our room. It was then that I realized I was exhausted and I collapsed into bed.
"Tash," Kai says, staring at my unmoving form. He took the time to put on pajamas, unlike me. "Are you okay?"
"I'm just tired."
He climbs into bed next to me, brushing my hair out of my face so he can look into my eyes. "You know I can tell when you're lying."
"But I'm not. Or at least not fully."
"What's wrong?"
I shake my head, rolling over to face him. "You don't need to worry about it."
"But I want to worry about it," he says. "If it worries you then it worries me."
I stare at him a moment, and then I kiss him. "You really want to know?"
He nods, pecking both my eyebrows before staring at me intently.
"I had a vision."
The joy fades from his face and I instantly regret telling him. "What happened."
"I saw Wu disappear into that portal, and then my father came back."
"But he wasn't your father, was he?"
I shake my head.
"And what about the voices? What are they saying?"
"Well, they were telling me that I had to join him or else everyone I loved would die. When I told them no, they shut up and I haven't heard them sense."
"Well that's a good thing, isn't it?"
"I honestly don't know."
There's a long pause. In that silence, we cuddle closer together, relying on each other's comfort to stay calm.
"We're not gonna find Wu, are we?"
"We have to try, Kai."
He stares off into space, and guilt builds in my stomach. I shouldn't have told him. He didn't have to know-- I just ruined the happiest day of his life with my burdens.
"I know what you're thinking," he suddenly says, causing me to startle. "I wanted to know, Tash. I asked you to tell me. I wanted to know because I love you and I want to share all your burdens."
He rolls onto his side and presses a soft kiss to my lips.
"I plan to marry you someday, Tasha, so you're gonna have to get used to telling me these things."
He then reaches behind him and flicks off the light.
~
I did it!! I finished this season!! And I've been working on drafting the next. Next Friday the teaser will come out, and then the week after the story continues so stay tuned! Until then, have a great day or night and remember that you are loved.
Word Count: 2286