Ninjago: Ripped World 2

Seeing Red

Kai strode on. A pounding in his head, eyes sharp and un-blinking, his mind focused only on his frustrations. The fire in his blood pulsed through him, pushing him forward. Every footstep was one more away from his home and into the heart of his anger. The dry leaves hanging precariously onto their branches withered and blackened, letting go as he passed. Jay leaving was the last straw, he had a limit and the strings that held his finely tuned existence taut had finally snapped.

His lips rolled back into a sneer. Snippets of facts and events, images and faces drifted in and out of his mind, incoherently linked save for their ability to make him mad. Jay, Nya, his absent parents, the vortex, Cole... Cole. He almost stopped breathing. His pounding stride beat for him, unaware that his fingers began to trail fire along the autumnal ground.

The fallen leaves welcomed the flames and the smallest spark journeyed forth to find a place to settle and combust. Before long Kai's march of the dammed had triangulated out and had created a fire of immense proportions. Churning black smoke billowed backwards with the wind.

From the mooring escarpment, Nya saw the black plume, shouting it's uncontrollable rage for the world to see.

'Shit'.

She ran to the Copter and fired it up. 'I hope Zane re-fuelled, but, hey if it runs out that'll be one less combustible thing for Kai to destroy'.

Lloyd ran from the main gate towards the copter, Nya leant over and opened the door for him, 'GET IN' she yelled over the noise of the blades powerful rotation. As she pulled the copter up and it arced round to fly towards the flames, she could see Cole and Zane running out of the Gates. They could follow, she couldn't wait. 'Glad you could join me buddy' Nya winked at Lloyd.

'Yeah well, thought you might need a hand. Is that Kai's doing?' Lloyd asked looking at the devastation.

'Pretty sure it is' she replied. 'Lloyd, take the controls will you?'

Lloyd leant across and held the copter steady as Nya moved out of the seat to swap places with him. She slipped into a harness and hooked the carabiner onto the safety equipment on the ceiling and pulled the side door open.

The intense heat hit her like a fist. 'Thanks Kai' she muttered. She breathed in Kai's fury and focussed, working high into the atmosphere pulling super cooled ice particles down into the mother of all storm clouds. As the heat hit, it released its deluge across the whole area, stamping out the fire like a child's tantrum.

Nya was royally pissed.

She indicated for Lloyd to put her down at the apex of the devastation.

Kai was standing at the edge of the forest, his red jacket vivid against a backdrop of blackened charcoal. The copter landed in the clearing with Nya still standing in the open side of the copter. She stepped down and walked over to her brother. Kai stood stock-still, his eye's burning towards his approaching sister.

Zane and Cole had followed and were hovering in a small jet. On the ground, Lloyd was pressed up against the window of the copter. All three were holding their breath, waiting to see the outcome of this familial stand off. 'He is in some serious shit' said Cole.

'Well I didn't see this coming' Nya directed her confusion at Kai, who looked back, his face a twisted mix of emotion with everything and nothing to say.

'Spit it out Kai. Get it off your chest before you literally take out all of Ninjago'.

Looking at him, she knew it would be impossible for him to form a coherent explanation. The flames had twisted his fears and grievances, accelerating it into a molten rage. It was now impossible for him to differentiate between them. She took a deep breath and walked right up to him, yet he could not hold her stare. She took his face in her hands and made him look at her.

'What the hell is she saying to him' Cole strained his neck to see.

Lloyd's voice came over the radio. 'Do you think its safe guys? I mean, I've never seen Kai like this. He wouldn't hurt her would he?'

'No, no I'm sure he wouldn't' came Coles shaky reply 'If it was me it would be different, but Nya, she's the Yang to his Yin, he can't exist without her... Oooh, right' the realisation of where Kai's trauma lay was suddenly all too obvious.

'This is about you and Nya?' Lloyd asked over the airwaves.

'I'd bet it's the driving issue' came Cole's response. 'Lloyd, are you ok to keep check on this? I shouldn't be here, I could make things worse'.

'Yeah buddy, of course'. He sounded calm, but Lloyd grimaced. He was most certainly not sure about handling this kind of thing. He was really only used to having his own temper tantrums, but they mostly stemmed from being 12. He didn't know anything about adult emotions and everyone seemed quick to forget that he only looked 18. He found he was still grimacing when the rear-side door of the copter opened and Zane got in. 'Jeez Zane, you gave me a heart attack'.

Zane slapped a heavy hand on his shoulder 'Sorry my friend, but I could not leave you here alone'.

'I take it back' Lloyd thought, feeling relief at Zane's presence. He smiled at the Nindroid. 'Thank you for thinking of me'.

'We all need support, I am here for you Lloyd'.

Their moment of mutual respect was broken when both jumped at the sight of Kai dropping to the ground. Nya knelt next to him and had wrapped her arms over his back. They got out of the copter. Nya waved them over.

'Kai, Kai. Please get up, don't do this to me. You've always been so strong, there's no reason for you to feel so retched. I'm here, I'm still here.'

'Help me' she asked Zane. Together, they lifted Kai and practically dragged him to the copter. They got him strapped into a passenger seat and Lloyd started the motors to fly them home. Kai stared out of the window with a blank expression. Nya fussed over his hands, holding and rubbing them, as if he might actually be cold before settling on trying to hold him in an embrace all the way back.