Wrath of the Elementals

Kai's Dying

TW: There is a small mention of suicide

*Nya's Perspective*

Kai stumbles backwards, his eyes not leaving mine.

I want to scream.

To cry.

To fall.

To take that trident and drive it through my chest.

Everything is frozen. My friends are still. My thoughts are still. It feels like even the ship has stopped moving.

It's only when Kai falls backwards, the hilt pointed toward the sky from his abdomen, that things begin to move.

My body is tackled to the ground. One arm is trapped under me, the other is being used to claw at Jay's face. He's using his legs to keep mine down.

I can feel the emotions of the person controlling me. Fear. I don't blame them.

I've seen Jay mad. But right now, he was livid. And rightfully.

In his hands is a chain made of vengestone. He takes hold of my free hand, pressing it to my chest. Then rips my other arm out from under me. He uses the chain to hold them together then sits back on my legs.

"Oh, Jay, sweetheart," the cold voice inside me says. "You think this will end your problems. Sure I'll be gone soon. But you'll have the guilt. The constant reminder that you weren't fast enough. You weren't good enough to stop me in time. And you'll never be." Jay holds his hands to his ears, squeezing his eyes closed. I can hear the others yelling behind me but I can't make out what they're saying.

Wu appears in my vision, The Sword of Fire and Shurikens of Ice in his hands.

"Ah, Wu. Finally showing up after all the hard work is done? Classic. You were always-" Wu touches the weapons to my third eye. The voice stops. I feel the unpleasant presence fade from my body. Relief floods through my muscles and mind. They were gone.

My eyes flutter open, and both Jay and Wu sigh with relief. Jay begins to release my hands from the vengestone while Wu disappears.

"Jay," I whisper.

"It wasn't you," he says, quickly.

"Kai-"

"They already took him to the med bay. If anyone can save him it's Zane."

"I need to see him."

He throws the chain of vengestone to the side and I sit up. "I don't think that's a good idea. He's in the med bay, we'll just get in the way."

I take a shaky breath. The sound of the trident entering Kai echoes in my mind. If he survived, would he ever forgive me? Would any of them?

Jay starts to stand up but I pull him back down. He lifts his eyes to mine. "I-I'm sorry," I say. I can't stop the tears. I can't stop the sob from escaping my mouth. I can't stop my body from shaking.

He wraps his arms around me, his hand resting on the back of my head. He pulls me to his chest and lets me cry into his gi. "I'm not mad," he whispers. "I know. I know what it's like." He starts to rub soothing circles on my back. "You can't control it. No one can. This wasn't your fault."

"It was!" I cry. "I should've tried harder! Kai could die! My own brother." It didn't matter if Jay was right. It wouldn't stop the nightmares, the guilt, the urge to make my fate the same as Kai's.

He lets go of me and holds my face in both of his hands. "Nya Smith, there was nothing you could've done."

"You don't know that." He wipes a tear away with his thumb. "You shouldn't even be sitting here with me. You should be with Kai."