Onyx and Skybound

Marooned

Onyx's eyes fluttered open slightly with a groan. When she saw blue sky and birds above, she sat up quickly. Too quickly, as her head spun. Someone-Lloyd, she realized, caught her and set her right. She looked up to give him a nod of thanks, but he was looking around the beach, a concerned expression on his face. Onyx followed his gaze and realized almost immediately who was missing.

"Where's Zane?" He asked the others, who were in various stages of collecting themselves, urgently. Nya's head jerked up and she cast a gaze around before turning to the deep blue ocean, looking so smooth and innocent you'd never guess it had just destroyed their vessel. "Maybe he's lost at sea," she suggested, eyebrows knitting together. Lloyd ran a worried hand through his hair. "Nindroids don't get lost," he said.

Onyx's lips pursed. "The ocean can take just about anything from you," she murmured. She knew the odds of someone returning from being lost at sea, and she wished that she didn't.

Cole spoke up, his arms crossed. "It was Nadakhan. But don't ask me how I know; ask Jay," he said accusingly. Onyx turned to Jay. "Pardon?" She asked. Nya whipped to him. "What is he talking about, Jay?" She asked. Lloyd raised a demanding eyebrow as the blue ninja seemed to shrink under their gazes. He stammered over his words for a moment before his eyes lit up and he spun to the ocean. "Look, there's Zane!" He cried.

Lloyd and Nya whirled to look out at the water. Onyx squinted at the sea, but saw no telltale metal glinting in the sunlight. "Where?" Lloyd asked. "There! There!" Jay insisted, pointing. When Onyx still couldn't find Zane, she started to get irritated. She glared at Jay. "The only thing I can see is your stupid hand, Jay," Nya said. Onyx crossed her arms. "If you see him, why don't you swim out and get him?" She asked. "No, no, look! He's there!" Jay cried again.

Cole scoffed and stepped in. "Enough is enough! Jay has already been alone with Nadakhan. The mansion, the boat, he wished for them," he said. Onyx's glare turned to a forced smile. "Ahaha, I'm sorry?" She said, raising an eyebrow at Jay. "You swore you wouldn't say anything!" Jay cried. Cole rolled his eyes. "The reason he's here and the others aren't is because Jay never made his third wish. And if Zane knew that, maybe he'd still be here," he said sharply.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Nya asked. "I'm sorry. I just couldn't," Jay said, biting his lip, his eyes flicking to the side. Onyx didn't buy it. "It's because when he saw his future, you were with him," Cole interjected. That, Onyx believed. "You told me we were never gonna happen. I thought maybe these wishes were the very thing that would bring us together. I had to try," Jay said. Nya chuckled dangerously. Onyx ducked over to stand by Lloyd, who was breathing slowly through his nose, eyes closed. She gave his shoulders a squeeze, just as much for herself as him.

"Well, I know who just nominated themselves to extract the Tiger Widow's venom," Nya said, jabbing her finger into his chest before stalking towards the jungle. Onyx turned and followed along with Lloyd and Cole. "In my defense, I did just find out my parents are not my birth parents!" Jay yelled after them. Onyx's lips pursed. He still had two loving parents, regardless of blood.

(=^･ｪ･^=)(=^･ｪ･^=)(=^･ｪ･^=)(=^･ｪ･^=)

"The Tiger Widow's den should be just up ahead. Watch your step."

The ninja had been trekking through the jungle for hours, and now they were carefully crossing a perilous rope bridge. "You don't have to tell me twice," Cole said, looking over the edge and gulping. "Just how am I supposed to extract this dangerous venom? Can I ask it nicely?" Jay said nervously. Nya sent him a glare. "Well, maybe if Zane hadn't been captured, we would have a Nindroid around to tell you," she said sharply.

Jay winced. "Ooh, that's a low blow. I mean, do we know anything about this Tiger Widow? Other than it was named to strike terror in the hearts of men," he asked. Cole answered without looking at him. "Zane told me it's the last of its species. So it sounds like you've only got one chance at this. But I'm sure you'll be just fine—What are you doing now?" He stopped when Jay dashed over and leapt into a cocoon of white fibers strung between two trees. Onyx frowned as she recognized the material.