In an Alternate World (NINJAGO)

Chapter 17

When the loud whistling of the vortex had stopped, Nya opened her eyes. She was still clinging onto Jay. Letting go of him, she realized she had been crying.

"Are you okay, Water Lily?" Jay whispered, brushing her tears away with his thumb. "I'm sorry if I hurt you, I was only trying to-"

"I know. Thank you, Jay. You saved my life." She hugged him, wrapping his arms around his neck as he slipped his arms around her waist, lifting her up onto his lap.

"Hey, I just realized something; you fought through that entire battle in pajamas." He ran his fingers along the silky robe. "Major props to you."

"Ugh, don't remind me." She buried her face in his chest. "I woke up with it on, so someone must have un-" She suddenly pulled away in shock, scrambling out of Jay's arms. Kai! Garmadon! The others!

Her brother was miles away, crumpled to the floor and unconscious, his back to the others. Garmadon was nowhere to be seen, and Sensei was observing the spot where the vortex had formed. The four golden weapons were scattered around the area, shimmering as always. Zane was helping Cole up, leading him to the others. They both looked at peace, with no means of harming one another.

Nya watched as Cole and Zane retrieved their respective weapons and met Sensei. She smiled softly, having the strong feeling that Cole was going to turn.

Jay put his arm around her gently, watching her brother lay motionless. "Nya... is he..."

Nya shook her head. "He's alive, I can feel it... I'm just... scared to approach him."

He held her hand. "Then we'll go up to him together."

Nya looked up at Jay. They had grown so close in such a short amount of time. Was it really fate for them to be together? Jay had changed so much, from her enemy to her friend... to something else? It was foolish to think they could ever be together, since she had the responsibility of being a ninja, but something tugged at her heartstrings, longing for her to just... let it be.

She squeezed his hand for now and walked towards her fallen brother. At thinking that, Nya had never realized how similar she was to Sensei Wu. Was it really too late for her older brother? Would he succumb to the darkness and become as hideous as Garmadon? A monster?

Nya closed her eyes, trying to shake the idea out of her head. Nonsense. She was strong. Their bond as a team was strong, and only growing stronger. Kai would turn to them. Kai would... Kai...

"Oh- Oh my god..." She breathed.

Kai was fine from most of the right side of his body, his face and garments intact... but the other side of his face was sizzling... thin smoke swirled in the air, masking the damage done to his face and body.

"Kai?" She whispered, her voice breaking. No matter how angry she was at him, she would never wish this kind of pain upon him.

He opened one eye, and, once conscious, began to cry loudly as he acknowledged the immense suffering he was in. He turned around to reveal the left side of his face, slowly lifting his fingers to touch it.

"Oh... f-fuck..." Jay managed out, backing away and pulling the shaken Nya along with him.

Kai's left eye was glowing white, blood streaming down his cheek... if anything was left of his cheek. The entire side of his face was that of an ebony skeleton, exposed by torn clumps of his skin, glowing white instead of its normal tan. The skin that wasn't obliterated was scorched and scarred heavily, reaching out to just above his eyebrow, the base of his neck, and the side of his lips and nose. His hair was a tangled mess, half of it scorched black.