ninjago imagines

soul splitting | kai s.

Set in Season 11

When Aspheera steals Kai's fire, it's nothing like he's ever felt 

• • •

Kai's felt pain. His burned hands are good enough evidence of it, lingering ghosts of pain licking at his fingers every time flames dance there. 

He's immune to fire now, couldn't get hurt by it if he tried, but nothing stops the memory of red-hot burning hurt that shot through his arms every time he scrapes by the soldering iron a little too close, or accidentally misjudged the distance the flames will shoot from the stove. 

He has scars across his fingertips that won't ever fade no matter how much he scrubs at them, flaring up old, old pain and reminding him of the painful past he keeps locked up (that he doesn't ever like to bring up (that he hates, because he was weak back then and not like he is now). 

And then it's the present and he's standing in the cold tomb that's not quite cold because he has his fire but is still somehow letting the frigid wind sneak in between the cracks and freeze his insides because something's not right. 

And he's screaming inside, brave facade faltering as the giant snake slithers menacingly towards him, tongue flickering greedily and hissed threats of stealing his fire. 

But Kai can't lose his fire, because if he loses his elemental, his raging power then no one will need him (not even Nya, because she's not five years old and helpless now), and he can't do that, he just can't. 

So he spits back a cutting reply (which he immediately regrets, because fuck why would he do that) and before he can even make a move, she slashes forward, staff flashing with violet power bursting from the tip and lifts him into the air with a cry. 

Then the flames inside escape and swallow him up in a second too fast (fast, fast, too fast, his head is spinning), as he scrambles for the control back, but it's too late because it takes his breath quicker than anything and the fire just keeps pouring out of him uncontrollably. 

And he burns. 

It's soul splitting, nerve wracking, pure, pure, pain, and Kai is sure he'll die before this is over, that the power stealing his power will steal his life with it and maybe his family will be forced to watched as he's burned to ashes because it's hotter than anything he's ever felt. 

The purple disappears, fades away, but the flames only run faster, stronger, and Kai suddenly regrets not telling Nya he loved her more often, or Lloyd, or all the others. 

He shudders and flails weakly into the bright, bright orange fire that he can finally feel for all the pain it is, but there's nothing left he can do to escape it's grasp. The world below him dissolves into spinning hurricanes of blue, green, white, brown, and he can only watch helplessly as the sick tinge of purple throws bodies to the side (he hates it, hates that he can't help them, he can't even help himself).

And just when he thinks the agony will never stop, it splutters and dies, the snake's jaws closing on the last bits of burning red and orange, and he's falling falling falling to the ground as the world stains his vision blue, purple, black and spirals into nothingness.

(Like he is now. He's nothing without his fire)