Finding Jay ⚡️

Chapter 39- Stars

       "So what are you saying?" Kai asked, as the team watched Jay expectantly. "We shouldn't go to Hiroshi's labyrinth?" Jay ran his fingers through his hair, looking stressed and exhausted. Nya shot him a concerned look across the meeting room's table, sensing his anxiety.
        "Look, I don't know what we should do. All I'm saying is we are headed into a very obvious trap," Jay explained in exasperation. "I know Lord Ras. This is just the type of thing he would pull to lure us into one of his plans."
       "Are we going to let him get the last medallion then?" Kai argued back. "We can't just let him summon the Forbidden Five."
      "No," Jay replied firmly. "All I'm saying is that we need to go down there prepared for an ambush. I don't know why Lord Ras wants us at the temple, but he must have some reason. We don't want to walk blindly into his plan."
      "Jay's right," Lloyd told the team. "Lord Ras has proven that he's a smart strategist. We need to make sure some of the team stays up here in case we have to make a plan B. Arin, Wyldfire, Sora, and Skylor, I need you to stay on the ship. If we don't give you the signal it's safe to come down, fly back to the monastery and regroup."
       "But-" Wyldfire started, but Lloyd cut her off.
       "If something goes wrong, the last thing we want is for everyone to get trapped. You guys can't just jump into whatever's going on blindly." Lloyd asserted firmly. Wlydfire rolled her eyes, sinking further into her seat. A beep sounded from the front of the ship.
      "Okay, we're nearing the jungle now. Everyone else, get ready to go in fifteen minutes." The team filed out of the meeting room, scrambling to conduct last minute preparations. Jay, who had nothing to prepare, went to the medbay to collect his thoughts. He didn't know what he would feel when he came face to face with his friends again. He didn't know if he had it in him to fight them.
       "You're fine," he scolded himself. One deep breath. Then another. He closed his eyes, attempting to control his racing heart. All he could see was Jordana's frightened face. She had looked so scared when she had been in his head. His mind began to spiral, thinking of all the possible punishments Lord Ras could've implemented for his friends after he joined the ninja. He knew he shouldn't care. They had betrayed him, lied to him, abused his trust. But he couldn't stop himself from-
     "Hey Zaptrap!" Cole yelled, poking his head into the room.
      "AHHHH," Jay yelped in surprise, falling off the bed as his eyes flew open. Cole burst out laughing, doubling over until he was practically wheezing.
      "I hate you," Jay grumbled, shooting Cole a glare.
      "You looked so stupid," Cole gasped, shaking his head.        
      "C'mon Zappy, it's time to go." Jay stomped out of the room after Cole, secretly thankful for the interruption of his thoughts. They joined Nya, Zane, Lloyd, and Kai on the main deck. Kai was saying a very dramatic goodbye to Skylor, who was rolling her eyes to hide her worry.
       "Are you ready?" Nya asked Jay quietly, nudging his shoulder. Jay felt his cheeks warm and he decided to ignore the reason why his face always seemed to do that around her.
      "No," he whispered back, giving her a quick grin. "I think we're all probably headed to our doom to be honest." She laughed, the sound of it making unwelcome butterflies stutter to life in his stomach.
      "That's such a you thing to say," she rolled her eyes. The warmth dissipated, as the reminder of exactly who he was not slammed into him again. She noticed the change in his expression and smiled at him sadly.
      "Okay team, let's go!" Lloyd declared, breaking the sudden awkwardness between them. Jay followed Lloyd's lead and repelled to the ground, soon finding himself amidst a dense jungle of foliage. Nya landed beside him a moment later, quickly followed by the others.
      "Lead the way towards the temple Zane," Lloyd said. They began the trek through the arduous landscape, fighting the mosquitos and heat. The hike soon went from tense to monotonous.
      "Ughhh this is so boring," Kai groaned. "I kind of wish we had walked into a trap. At least I would be fighting some creepy mask dudes." Nya shot him a glare, shaking her head.
      "You are literally a toddler," she scoffed.
      "Zaneeee," he complained, ignoring her. "How much longer?"
       "Approximately ten more hours," Zane chirped cheerfully. Kai groaned. Cole and Jay made eye contact, and all of a sudden Jay couldn't stop laughing. He had to take a break to catch his breath, before he made eye contact with Cole again and the two of them dissolved into laughter once more. It was weird to be laughing in such a stressful situation, but Jay couldn't help it. It felt good to just forget about his problems for a little while.
       "FSM I should've stayed on the ship," Nya smiled, shaking her head. Despite her words, her face was alight as she watched Jay laugh for the first time since he lost his memory. They trekked until the stars came out, painting the vast expanse beyond the trees into a mesmerizing map of constellations. They walked into a small clearing, the ground clearing slightly of its suffocating vegetation.
      "I think we should stop here for the night," Zane advised.     
"We're still three hours away from the temple." The others nodded in agreement, exhaustion collectively setting in.
      "I'm guessing no fire?" Kai asked, lighting a small flame on the tips of his fingers. Lloyd nodded.
"Too much attention," he confirmed. Jay spotted a comfortable, mossy looking spot beneath an enormous tree. He dropped down, facing the stars and allowing himself to just study them. He wished he knew the names of all of the different constellations. Maybe he had at some point, and the stupid amnesia was blocking the names from his mind. He listened as the team settled down around him, shifting as they tried to find comfortable positions. Slowly, their breathing evened out and he could tell they were asleep. Despite his heavy eyelids, his mind refused to let him rest. His thoughts were moving at a pace too fast to keep up with. His heart thudded in his chest in anticipation for the impending confrontation. Panic curled in the edges of his mind, forcing his eyes open. The breeze tousled his hair, a slight chill sending goosebumps down his spine. He turned his attention from the sky to the girl sleeping ten feet away from him. The moonlight illuminated her peaceful features, casting an almost angelic haze around her messily pulled-back hair. Jay's breath hitched in his chest. He wished he could reach out and pull her into his arms, to let her warmth pull him back from the darkness.
"I can feel you staring at me," Nya mumbled, startling Jay into a furious blush. Her eyes fluttered opened and she smiled at him sleepily.
"I wasn't-" Jay protested, his heart thudding wildly.
"Just shush," she commanded, her voice soft and groggy. She took in his tense shoulders, his panicked face, and her gaze softened. She sat up and crawled over to him, settling down next to his side. Jay froze, uncomfortable and unsure.
"What's wrong?" she asked softly, scooting in closer. He could feel her side pressed against his, could feel the rise and fall of her chest. When he didn't respond Nya pointed up at the stars.
"You taught me the names of a bunch of those constellations," she told him quietly. Jay stared up at them in wonder, wishing once again he could remember.
"You probably don't remember, huh?" she asked gently. He shook his head, and she turned to him smiling.
"Now I get to teach them to you!" She grabbed his hand, sending a current of electricity running down his arm. Before he could pull away, she had his fingers pointed towards a cluster of stars.
"That one's called Andromeda," she whispered in his ear, sending goosebumps down his spine. "And that one over there is called Perseus. In Greek mythology, Andromeda's parents chained her to a rock in order to appease a sea monster. Perseus spotted her while he was flying over the rock on Pegasus, and fell in love with her. He killed the sea monster to rescue her. They got married and when he died, the legend says he was taken up to the heavens to become a constellation. After she died, she was also taken up to the sky, next to his constellation. Now they will shine next to each other for eternity." Jay smiled as she told the story, allowing himself to relax. He took a deep breath, feeling at peace for the first time in a long time. Her calming voice was making his heart slow its frantic pace. His eyes fluttered closed, and he cautiously wrapped an arm around her as his breathing evened out. When she was done, she snuggled into his side and looked up at his now peaceful face.
"Maybe that'll be us someday," he heard her say softly. He smiled sleepily.
"Maybe," he mumbled. In the darkness, it was pointless to lie to himself. This girl was somehow making him fall in love all over again, despite his best efforts. He listened to her point out more constellations as he drifted to sleep, content to dream about the impossibility of shining next to her forever.