Onyx and Skybound

20,000 Leagues Above Sea Level

Ori adjusted her origami shurikens as they drew closer to the clumps of land in the sky, mentally preparing herself. She'd been practicing on her father's dartboard, but that was very different from throwing them at a living, moving target. As they broke through the clouds, Ori stopped, staring at the sheer amount of land that had been stolen. "Oh," she breathed.

Soto pulled out his spyglass and looked around the pagoda that had been stolen, his frown growing with every new angle. "Good news is she be on top. Bad news be everybody else and their mothers be guarding below," he said. Ronin sighed. "So much for the quiet entrance," he said. "They may know you're coming, but they haven't caught us yet. We'll get you close, you do the rest," Skylor said to Jay, who nodded. "Don't be noticed. The minute they see us coming, it's all over," he said, brushing his hair back and pulling his hood up.

The group of ragtag replacements all put their hands together. "Ninja Replacements, go!" They shouted quietly before leaping to the building across from them and setting off. Ori was suddenly very glad that she'd practiced by leaping around the furniture in the apartment she and her father lived in. However, that only served her for so long.

Once they'd gotten as far as they could by rooftop, Jay led them diving quietly into a stream, swimming quietly through it. Ori couldn't help but notice that the water tasted oddly sweet in an otherworldly way. Now that she thought about it, these sky islands almost felt like another world. When they'd gotten into a small lagoon, everyone popped up above water. Ori took a gasp of the warm air. Surprisingly warm for being so high up...

Jay wiped his eyes and glanced around. "Wait for me over there. I'll get Nya," he said, nodding towards a small shed he'd noticed. Everyone clambered out of the water, glanced around, and quickly ducked into the shed, Jay heading off towards the building Soto had pointed out.

Once inside, Ori took a seat on a small barrel, taking a look at the others she was working with. She vaguely recognized Ronin from the newspapers, and moreso from Onyx's mentions in her letters. She leaned forward, elbows on her knees. "Well, didn't think I'd see you again," Skylor said to Ori, who gave a half-laugh. "Yeah, Jay recruited me. Onyx and I have been sending letters pretty regularly," she said, adjusting her collar. Skylor nodded. "Mmm," was all she said.

Ori lapsed into awkward silence, unsure of what else she could say. It was obvious no one here wanted to talk, and she wasn't about to force a conversation with people she might be fighting pirates with. Thankfully, Jay saved them all from the awkward silence by slipping into the shed with no Nya, but a new sword. Ronin turned to him and scowled. "Don't tell me. You didn't get her," he deadpanned.

Jay frowned. "No, but she did help me get this. Now if I can only figure out how to free my friends from it..." he mumbled, flipping the jagged blade over in his hand. Ori tapped her foot slightly. Onyx was in that blade. "There is a way," Soto volunteered. Ori spun to him. "How?" She asked. The captain paused, as if for dramatic effect. "Please go on. It's not like there's a wedding to stop!" Jay squawked.

Soto looked a bit put-off as he answered. "A Djinn can capture you in his Djinn Blade by tricking you to wish it all away. Or there's a simpler way: be struck by it," he said. "You're telling me we have to strike Jay with the sword? Won't that be painful?" Skylor asked. "And you're sure we won't chop his arm off?" Ori seconded. "And how do you know that's true? You still call the ninja "Pajama Men,"" Dareth butted in.

Soto scowled at the lack of faith in him. "I may not know much about Pajama Men, but I know Djinn. The hard part isn't getting captured by the blade, but getting out. There have been few who have ever escaped a Djinn entrapment, so I can't tell you what you'll find inside. But once you're there, you'll only have minutes until you fall under its enchantment and are forever trapped yourself," he said. Jay bounced on his heels for a moment before nodding. "Okay, thanks for the tip. I gotta work fast. So who wants to strike me down?" He asked, only for his face to fall as all of the adults raised their hands.