Transgender Jay : A Ninjago Story

17 - Movement

Considering the massive following that the Dei Noctis faith had gathered, it was no surprise that their leader's newest speech was all over the news. Every single channel was streaming it. You could only escape by turning off the screen.

It had an enormous audience, and was held in the desert to provide enough space for the vast group. Helicopters circled the event, capturing the whole scene live.

Jay watched it all on the television usually used for games. Kai complained a little bit, saying that games would be way more interesting than the boring news, but Jay quite easily managed to get Lloyd, Nya, Cole and Zane on his side, so they outvoted the moaning gamer by 5 to 1.

It was a revolting program. Pure-bigotry, of the such that Jay had never seen before. Slurs being thrown around as if they were nothing. It just went on and on. Promises that could hardly be true, promises of a place where all these 'dirty, filthy scum' would never be allowed.

'Scum'. He was watching his identity being described as scum, on live TV, with nothing stopping the perpetrator. If anybody did, they'd probably be trampled to death by the revolting crowd of supporters.

And the worst thing? The crowd only grew. More and more people were going to see the speech. They were gaining followers.

Jay was worried. Terrified in fact.

What did this mean for all these minorities? With such a huge group of awful people, what would happen to them?

What would happen to him?

"... this is... ugh, I don't even know what to say." Jay groaned, turning to look at his friends, "what do you think?"

Kai rolled his eyes, looking forward to when the broadcast ended.

"It's just a crazy cult, it'll die down. As I've said before, they always do." he said, yawning.

"... can you see how many people there are? Look! There are thousands! Do you think they'll just... all stop believing overnight?" Jay returned, the anger clear in his voice.

"Is this why you've been training so much? You think they'll do something?" Cole asked.

Jay sighed, frustrated.

"Yeah, actually. I think they will."

Kai snorted, rolling his eyes yet again.

"Typical Jay, overthinking things as usual."

He took a deep breath, determined to stay calm in the situation, despite that probability being very, very low.

"Don't you understand? They're... they're demonising people! Why don't you see the problem with that?"

Jay glared at him, and Kai gave him an inquisitive look back.

"... Since when have you cared about trans people?"

The Blue ninja was slightly taken aback. The fact that Kai assumed that he didn't... it was absolutely infuriating. The mere notion that humanity's default was so cruel and heartless, drove him off the edge.

"... why would I need to start? It's obvious? Why wouldn't I care?" he spat, feeling his face heating up.

"Uh... because it's wrong?"

Kai's careless attitude continued, and if he hadn't been a good friend and his girlfriend's brother, Jay would have slapped him round the face.

But instead, he gritted his teeth, and forced himself to stay calm.

"... why. Give me one good reason why it's wrong."

Kai sighed and turned away, picking a patch of fluff off his tatty jeans.

"For gods sake. I don't care. Let's just drop it." he monotoned. But Jay didn't want to drop it. This was serious.

"No! Why? Why is it wrong? Give me one good reason! Only one!"

He turned back, scowling.

The rest of the room watched in horror as their two friends grew angrier and angrier at each other. A fight was brewing. It was obvious.

"It just makes no sense!" Kai raised his voice, clenching his fists.

Jay stood up, perhaps as an attempt to look more threatening, but Kai also stood, wearing a revolting expression.

"Gender is something made up by society you know! Before all these dumb binary ideas came along, people didn't give a crap!"

"But can you give me proof of that? No!"

"My proof is logic, Kai! And if you can't see that, then maybe the problem is you, not anything else, YOU!"

"Are you calling me stupid?!"

"Maybe I am!"

Kai hesitated for a second, before throwing a fury-fueled punch.

Jay ducked easily, and swung around for a counter attack which would have surely met it's target, had Zane not grabbed him under his shoulders and pulled him back. Cole did the same to Kai, leaving the two fuming boys with nothing but speech to argue with.

"... I COULD BE TRANS FOR ALL YOU KNOW! I COULD BE TRANS! WHAT WOULD YOU SAY THEN, HUH? KAI?!" Jay yelled, struggling against Zane, but his strong robotic grip was far too steady to escape from.

Kai stared at him, not even thinking of a comeback. Genuinely considering something.

"You know what!?" He started, "maybe you are!"

Jay froze. He realised that he had made a huge mistake. A huge huge mistake.

"... maybe that's why you seem to love them so much!"

He bit his lip, ready to defend himself against the sad truth. Ready to lie for the life of him. Ready to take what he wish he could say, and throw it straight into the garbage. Ready to lock the closet door from the inside, and barricade it on the outside. Ready to defend his non-existent cisgendered self.

Other people looked from the red to the blue, trying their hardest not to take sides, and to stay neutral in their heads. Not a single other person wished for this to carry on. Nya especially, would have liked nothing more than for it to stop.

Kai was spurred on by Jay's sudden silence, now suspicious. Almost... convinced.

So he readied the question, and executed it in his mouth, without a single imperfection of words.

"Are you trans, Jay?"