Chapter Fifteen

Fire burned in Kai's chest, fanning his emotions; It scorched his mind, destroying his thoughts like a wildfire. The room felt like it was filled with smoke, and the only person visible was Jay.

Kai never wanted to hurt someone so badly in his life.

It all happened in-quite literally-a flash of lightning. Without thinking, Kai had launched himself at Jay, flames blazing up his arms, when he suddenly felt a violent electric buzz shoot through his body, the thundering crack deafening him. The lightning burned his skin and eyes and Kai's heart stopped for half a second, then returned to pumping harder and faster than before. Before him, Jay's pale, terrified face was fuzzy and Kai could feel himself slipping in and out of consciousness. A strong gale forced Kai to stumble backwards but he still threw his fire-enveloped arms around, trying to hit Jay, or anyone, or anything. The only thing that signaled a success was a sharp cry of pain.

Tears poured out of his eyes as an arm grabbed Kai and he found himself being restrained, his arms twisted behind him. A chill went up Kai's spine when ice formed around his feet, trapping him to his spot as his mind raced, overflowing with pounding thoughts. Where was the ice coming from? Who was holding him back? And where was Jay? He still needed to kill him!

Suddenly, the side of Kai's head went numb and everything became dark.

When Kai woke up he found himself on the floor of a room that he at first thought he'd never seen before. He rubbed his eye sockets and discovered that his cheeks and eyes were damp. He hadn't been crying, had he?

Kai still felt jittery and sore all over when he realized a burnt hole had appeared right in the chest peice of his gi, another one matching in the back. Kai's ears rang slightly and he coughed, a few flames and a bit of black smoke spilling out of his mouth. His head throbbed and he could barely think, let alone remember anything that had happened right before he was knocked out.

It took a minute or two for Kai to realize that he was inside his personal quarters at Borg Tower, yet something about the familiar room felt unwelcoming. He moved off his bed, waited a moment for his head rush to settle, then slowly staggered over and tried the door. He pressed his arms against it, but the door didn't open. When he put his hand on the scanner next to it, the screen informed him his permission was overridden. Realizing the severity of the situation, butterflies flapped violently in Kai's gut as he wondered why and who had locked him inside his own room.

"Hey- hey! Hey, let me out!" Kai shouted, pounding his fist on the door. He couldn't hear any voices other than his own and felt as if he was the only person left in the skyscraper. Kai tried again and again, calling out even louder each time, but finally ceased his attempts to get someone's attention. His heart beat anxiously as he felt the silence drown the room.

Panic made his chest tight, and Kai nervously patted his hair down. He blinked when it shocked him and stook up still, static electricity jumping from strand to strand. "Listen, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be all crazy!" Kai listened for a nonexistent voice to speak up. "Nya? Lloyd? Anyone?"

Where have they all gone? Did they abandon him? Did they all decide Kai was too unhinged to keep around?

Paranoia suffocated Kai, and his heart pumped so hard he thought it might just jump out of his chest. This was exactly like how he felt when he saw Jay with Morro's powers. Kai wouldn't dare call it another true potential, because Jay couldn't have a new element. It was impossible! Morro was possessing him, he knew it! And he had to save his friends from that returning threat!

Kai stepped back in long strides, then ran at the door as fast as he could. He turned his body to the side and spun quickly on his toes, magical fire surrounding him. BAM! The fire disappeared, and the side of Kai's body felt as if it was just hit with a mallet. Unfortunately, the only thing the door did when Kai collided with it was remain sealed shut.

He was still locked in and now his shoulder throbbed with the drum of his heart. Tears stung the corners of Kai's eyes, threatening to fall, but he refused to cry. Not like this, not here.

He told himself he shouldn't be freaking out this much, but that made him panic even more. Kai's legs felt like wet ramen and his head spun while his entire being trembled. Unwanted memories flashed in front of his eyes, and eventually the repeating image of Jay using his wind powers to beat away the Purple Ninja's shield with Zane's detached arm overtook his mind. Each time the limb hit the dome, Kai could feel as if he was the one being attacked. Constant pangs, just over and over and over again, the terror in the Purple Ninja's eyes were hauntingly childlike. Kai's stomach churned and a tightness formed in the back of his throat, as if he was about to puke.

Then his fire began flickering on and off out of control. His fingertips would be enveloped in flame, then go out again. His hair would be a blaze but then dissipate just as quickly, and Kai couldn't stabilize it. He collapsed to his knees, trying to get in touch with himself again. Still, his nervous breakdown continued and Kai buried his face in his hands.

He started muttered incoherently to himself, demanding that he stop falling apart like this. He didn't even know why he was acting so vulnerable and so unheroic. He was the fire ninja for goodness's sake!

But still, Kai screamed and sobbed until his voice hurt and he couldn't breathe and he had no more tears to shed. When that happened, Kai laid on the floor gazing at the ceiling hopelessly, wishing it would fall and kill him right there. He was wrong for calling Jay unstable, because he's the psychotic one. Jay was just possessed, yet everyone praised him for it. But why? Yes, the aeroblades proved against Kai's claim, but Morro could've just become stronger! Was Jay the special one because he was adopted, or had gone through more pain than Kai? Was Kai not worthy enough to be celebrated by Ninjago because he simply had not suffered enough to deserve their sympathy?

Kai groaned at these thoughts, rubbed his feet against the floor, then coughed. Again, silence buried him under its tremendous weight, and Kai longed that his mother would walk in, take him up in her arms, and sing him a song as he slowly drifted off to sleep like she used to do.

Ugh, now he was acting like a child – a child that wanted his mommy, no less. Kai sat up and took a deep breath. In all honesty, crying his heart out felt refreshing, but left him mentally drained. Kai stood up with shaky legs and stumbled onto his bed. His head and feet hung off the sides but the fire ninja was too tired to right himself. Still, he despised his own very existence for having an emotional breakdown as extreme as that. Yet, he wondered if anyone had heard it or thought to check on him.

When no one did, Kai closed his eyes and forced himself to take a long, deep breath to calm his nerves. It was difficult. His heart still raced as thoughts jumped around in his mind, never staying for more than a few seconds before being replaced with something else.

The door was still shut, and Kai was still alone. How long was he going to be trapped in here?

Jay rubbed the side of his face. It was tender, red, and blistering. Kai had managed to smack the lightning ninja with his hands of hellfire right before Cole threw a punch at Kai, and then, although badly injured, carried him all the way to his bed room where Kai was dropped on the floor and locked in until things were figured out. Nya had also been a victim of Kai's rampage; He had struck her upper arm with more fire then he had hit Jay with. Now, with bandages wrapped around it, her bicep was a raw, pink, gooey mess that was forming all sorts of nasty water blisters that were very painful.

"I can't believe him! I can't believe any of this!" Nya exclaimed angrily. "I can't believe that… that he would just attack Jay without any reason-"

"There was a reason." Zane said. He wore a grim expression and his gi still had a singed hole that made it hang off of one shoulder, but that barely phased him. "And I believe that the fault, at least part of it, belongs to the blue ninja in question."

The other ninja instantly looked at Jay with big, horrified eyes.

"I-I… it's not my fault Kai had a meltdown!" Jay snapped. "How could you even think that?"

Sensei Wu sighed, stroking his long, white beard. "When I first met Kai, I sensed he had strong emotions but little control over them. He was disciplined and trained to not let them get in the way of saving Ninjago and its citizens, and that created a metaphorical volcano inside him. He successfully managed to not 'erupt' when Lloyd became the green ninja, but then Jay was the spark that ignited the powder keg. I should've let you all know what Jay's private training was for, and because I didn't, we have a broken ninja. We know what we must do now."
Everyone fell into reverent silence, either staring at the ground or at Wu.

"It isn't your fault." Misako said gently.

"It's no one's fault." Cole cut in. He removed the blanket around him and set it on the couch. Jay almost let out a whine when he saw all the countless yellow blisters and red marks covering the earth ninja's arms, neck and face. "It's no one's but the Purple Ninja's. Nya and I nearly died because of him, and we already know that he can do much worse! We only got lucky because of Jay's true potential, but to defeat this villain once and for all we're gonna need all of our strength, wit, and teamwork!"

Lloyd nodded and smiled. "Nicely said. And I will say without hesitation that no matter what that wannabe ninja does to me, the only way he'll get my powers is over my dead body!"

Wu's face fell, but no one noticed.

"We won't let it come to that. Because if we do, then Ninjago's done for." Nya added. She suddenly put a hand on her head and groaned.

"What's wrong?" Jay asked quickly.

"My head has been hurting ever since I came back." Nya blinked and put her hand down. "I can't really remember what the Purple Ninja did or said to me when I was captured, just that there was a lot of darkness and a weird, constant clunking sound."

"Can you try to remember? We need to know as much about the Purple Ninja as we can." Misako said.

Nya hesitated, then shook her head. "I can't think with a headache like this, but I'll try to remember once it goes away."

Lloyd set his hand on Nya's shoulder. "It's alright if-"

Nya pushed his hand off. "You don't have to tell me. Now, what's with this rumor I keep hearing about Zane kissing me?"

"What was so important that I just had to be here right as I was resting?" The Purple Ninja questioned sharply. "In the middle of a hurricane, no less?"

It was quite hypocritical for him to say that, because while he was able to stand with ease and look good doing it, his fellow Forbidden Masters were barely able to balance with their knees bent and bodies close to the ground, wrapped in cloaks, blankets, and whatever warmth they could find on such short notice. The team of rogues met in the middle of the raging Hurricane Gavin at its peak so that there would be no one to witness their secret meeting, but that also meant that they could quite possibly die from hypothermia caused by the raging, icy wind and sleet tearing at their faces. The only other person that could stand relaxed was a man with long, metallic silver hair with a familiar faded green streak near his temples. He had a bright smile and seemed to be enjoying every second he spent in the hurricane, and laughed inaudibly whenever lightning struck.

"Master, we know who the Storm heir is!" Wild said, not even audible over the storm. However, the Master of Reality could hear him just fine.

"And so do I! It's the blue ninja, Jay!"

"You know his name?" Manipulation asked before stumbling onto her side.

"Of course I do! Jay Walker, Nya Smith, Zane Julien, I know them all!" The Purple Ninja turned to Storm. "Stop prancing around and tell me something I don't know already!" He demanded furiously.

Storm stopped dancing, but continued grinning. He pointed up at the churning sky.

"We know, it's a hurricane." Wild snapped. Storm shook his head and pointed to himself.

Manipulation smiled sympathetically. "Yes, we are very amazed at what you can do." She said. Then she sighed and closed her eyes. "We can only pray that we too regain our powers."

The Purple Ninja stroked his chin, then pointed to Storm. "Speak."

The line of Storm's thin mouth glowed purple and exploded into violet dust. "Hurricane!" He rasped, his voice shaking with excitement. "I did it!" He held up his shaking hands to show his teammates. "I have it back!"

"Yes, but how? How did you get your element back?" Wild growled. "She can't create illusions and I can't shapeshift!"

"Shut up, Wild. Let the mute say what he will." The Purple Ninja said. Wild immediately shut his mouth, not because he wanted to, but because he had suddenly lost the ability to speak.

When the Purple Ninja turned to look at Storm, he realized that he was now playing in the ocean, hopping around in the icy water.

"Storm!" The ninja barked. A larger than life disembodied hand made of violet essence appeared in the air and dragged Storm back to land by his waist. It threw him into the ground and then evaporated into the air. Manipulation called out and moved to help Storm but the wind blew her off her feet.

Storm raised his head, spitting out wet sand. His mouth moved, but his eyes widened when he realized that yet again, he was mute.

"You are not a child anymore, Storm! I don't know how or why you were able to retain your youth but we are in a new era!" The Purple Ninja stepped back to look at all three of his remaining followers. "Don't you see? Ninjago has forgotten us! Wu has replaced us with teenagers and left us to die at the nation's borders! But if you three actually do something and gather information, I can find both Lloyd and the Transfer Blessing and then we will all be unstoppable!"

"But nothing good happens without a cost!" Manipulation cut in desperately. "Those children are brave and determined, they'll never let you conquer Ninjago as long as they live in it too!"

The Purple Ninja snapped his fingers, and Wild inhaled deeply, finally having a voice again. "Then we'll just have to kill them! And of course you would think that, S-"

"Shut up, Wild. Anybody can be listening, and if our names get out into the world, we'd be found and shot dead!" The Master of Reality said. He waved his hand and Wild grabbed his head, moaning in pain. "Stupid of me to think that after all these years, you would've learned the rules." The ninja chuckled cynically. "But you're just like the beasts you used to enslave: rabid and unable to be tamed."

Manipulation tried not to look away. If she had any sympathy for this man, the Purple Ninja would target her next for having a soft heart, and she was already under heavy suspicion.

"There, I hope you've learned something." The Purple Ninja spat. Wild still groaned and held his head. "I'll use you as an example," The Purple Ninja said, turning to the others. "If you fail to follow the rules, you will be disciplined. It's a quite simple and efficient system."

Storm and Manipulation nodded, not wanting to be punished too. The Purple Ninja inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. He appeared tired – and dare I say human – from using his powers this much. "We will meet again at the children's hospital at this time in three days. Do not abandon the mission." And with that he snapped his fingers and vanished in a flash of violet light.

Manipulation looked at Wild (who at this point had blood trickling out of his ears and was moaning consistently) and restrained herself from helping him. She then looked at the poor, silent Storm: the youngest of the Forbidden Masters who had somehow stayed young forever. Eventually, Manipulation sighed, turned away, and began her long journey back home without another word.

It wasn't until later that evening that Kai heard a click and the door opened. He raised his head and tried to see who was there, but his red-rimmed eyes stung to much to see the figure's face. Still, Kai could make out that the blob of green standing in the doorway was Lloyd.

"Hey," said Lloyd quietly. "Are you alright?"

Kai didn't answer. He instead laid his head back down and closed his eyes again, breathing deeply. Lloyd swallowed and stepped deeper into the room, hesitant to close the door behind him. "We're all worried about you, Kai." The green ninja said. "It isn't like you to freak out over this. What happened back there?"

Kai opened his eyes again to look at Lloyd. He didn't want to say anything, because he knew that if he did, he would start crying again, or worse. And he couldn't cry in front of Lloyd.

"I-It's okay if you don't want to talk," Lloyd added, wringing his hands. "It's probably for the better anyway. It's just, um, how do I put this…?"

Kai shivered at Lloyd's dismal tone, suddenly feeling a chill go up his spine.

Lloyd spoke slowly and without certainty. "We, uh, we have some people here that are going to…" Lloyd cleared his throat, unable to find words. "To… ask you some questions… and help you."

Kai shot up at once the moment he realized who Lloyd was referring to. "Y-You told them, didn't you?"

Lloyd sighed. "At this point in time we can't afford for… things like this to happen. Maybe if the circumstances were different things might have gone a bit better. Up until this point we've done everything we could to protect you and the others from Lady Justice, but now you've left us with no choice. You've hurt people."

Kai was speechless, the chills in his back suddenly turning into ice that sat heavily in his stomach.

Lloyd regretfully straightened his back, becoming the noble and steely Green Ninja again. He didn't want to, and certainly never thought he would have to do this, but Kai had crossed the line. "I'm sorry..." He said quietly before raising his voice. "Kai Smith, you are a member of the Ninjagan National Protection Agency and therefore not exempt from any legal accusations made against you. I am forced by the New Ninjago City Police Department and Ninjago government to hand any of my ninja over to custody if they have been charged with any serious or unjustified felony. You are seen to no longer be fit to play the role of protector of Ninjago due to serious issues regarding mental and emotional status and must be… temporarily suspended." Lloyd drew in a deep breath. "Give me your mask."