Phoenix Fading

The Ghost of Guilt

"Hey."

Zaga's eyes slid open at this. He gave a hum; someone was standing in front of him. He looked familiar, yet, not quite fitting who his mind was trying to recall. The brunette tilted his head, but the person raised his hand. "Don't ask. It's weird as hell, I know. You'll get used to it."

....Right. He was seeing this person.

Well.

This was new.

"Who are you?"

"I honestly cannot be bothered to answer that question," the other man mumbled, dragging a hand across his face. "It will incite a huge game of what the modern generation calls 'twenty questions.' More like an interrogation."

"...So you're not going to tell me your name?"

"No, because this little corner of your mind is fragile, and if you flip out on me that's it, it's over, done, goodbye, see you never."

"I'm guessing you want my help, then."

"Finally, a smart reply! Yes, I do. You see, at the moment, you're lying unconscious in a hospital room - again, it seems - with your father raging, Azayaka panicking, Acronix trying to solve everything and just general chaos. So the sooner we get this over with, the sooner you can wake up and reassure them that you're okay."

"Why am I in-... ...oh. Right..."

"...Sorry. I tried to block that memory to give you some peace. Fate doesn't want to be kind, it seems...." The man sighed, brushing his hair from his face. "Look.... If you help me, I can help you. As you might be able to tell, I'm not exactly... normal, per se. Kinda like you and your brother and the other.... what do you call them... Masters. People with elements. That funky crap. But I don't have an element."

"Then how are you different?"

"How the fuck do you think someone appears in another person's mind with the ability to block memories and tell exactly what's happening outside their body?"

"...Ghost?"

"Bingo. You're learning, kid." Another soft sigh; the guy seemed quite anxious. "Sadly, I can't move on yet, because I have unfinished business. Namely, a... A friend that I had to leave behind, and a killer that was never punished. I.... Zaga, I need your help to change both of those things."

A frown creased the brunette's face. "How can I help you? I'm blind and probably won't be able to walk."

"You won't. Did Tamine ever teach you about what possession can do?"

-

Acronix had given up trying to calm Garmadon down about twenty minutes ago. There was no stopping the man. His son had been hurt the way he had by the exact same man, the man they all thought was dead. To Garmadon, there was no debating who it had been. One of the scratches on Zaga's hips had been an 'M,' a sure enough sign that in some way, shape or form, Matsuka was the one behind this incident.

The feeling you got being the first one to see the person after such a thing... It was safe to say Acronix had emptied his stomach twice over, and he was likely to do it again before the day was over. The memory kept running over and over in his head, and not uncommonly, he wished to any higher being - if there was such a thing; this family was tortured far too much - that he still had his powers. He wished desperately that he'd reverse time, just once more, and prevent Matsuka from ever making himself known to the brunette.

Hell, if he still had his powers, he'd prevent so much.

But to have his powers, he'd still be in the loop with Krux. The elder in question had split his focus, now, analyzing anything possible about Korosu's stunt and now anything he could find about Matsuka. The most annoying thing, at the moment, was that there was no way for any of them to form a mental link with Zaga. Two reasons: One, none of the people in the room had an element or had given it up, and two, the brunette was...

Not....

Unconscious...

Acronix shot up into a straight sitting position. "Zaga...?!"

The brunette's eyes had slid open, darting around. They settled on Acronix briefly before glancing down at himself. Oddly, the muddy-red eyes seemed more vibrant than before. More... clear. Not the milky shade of bli-...

Oh...

Oh.

Oh.

Clever boy.

Garmadon's head had shot around at the mention of his son's name. He rushed over now. "Zaga...! How are you? Are you in pain? What happened? It was Matsuka, wasn't it-?"

A hand stopped further questions. To Acronix's amazement, Zaga sat up without a wince. "Garmadon, please let me explain."

The man in question jumped back, eyes widening and face paling. "Wha-"

"Long story short, I need to move on. You need to get rid of Matsuka and the Overlord - which, helpfully, are the same person - so it makes sense that we should work together. Your son agrees with this, and I'll let him speak briefly if that will convince you. But I have limited time, and so does your son."

"What do you mean, Za-"

"No, not Zaga. Lloyd. Lloyd has limited time."

If possible, Garmadon's eyes widened further. "Lloyd...? He's... He's alright?"

"For now. But not much longer. Nor are his companions. And yes, that means Clouse. So if you want this to be a happy ending, I seriously suggest you snap out of your shock and find me some goddamn proper clothes. These hospital gowns are unflattering."

Garmadon's jaw had dropped. It quickly snapped closed and he nodded, rushing out. Aza and Acronix shared a glance. Being people that had the ability to witness but not influence events, they had a fair idea of who this was. But one could never be sure without confirmation, and without the man's name, it could be any Anacondrai ghost seeking revenge. The fact Garmadon knew them narrowed it down, but not by much. Many potential Elementalists ended up being forced into servitude as Anacondrai.

Red eyes flickered to Acronix. "I can provide answers you need. Both about what Korosu and Khan did and about your elements."

Confusion and shock spread in Acronix's eyes. "You can...?"

"Mmh. I know how you can gain Time as an element again. So, anyone up for kicking murderer-rapist ass?"