Specials, Specials, and more specials

Special #12

Jay wordlessly opened the car door, motioning to the other ninja to get in. Zane took the passenger seat at the side, Lloyd resuming his normal seat. Jay started the car engines, the motor coming to life once more.

Jay forcefully changed the gears in the car, causing the car to lurch forwards. Zane gripped the handle in response, while Lloyd reached for the leather on the seat. The car swung 180 degrees onto the highway, and took off.

"Jay! What was that?" Lloyd demanded. Jay adjusted the mirror and gave Lloyd a pained smile.

"Sorry about that. I'm just ready to get out of there." Jay said. Zane exchanged looks with Lloyd, the two wondering if Jay even knew where he was going.

"Uhhh, Jay?" Lloyd asked. Jay wiped his face with his sleeve.

"Yes?"

"Do you even know where to go?" Lloyd asked. Jay slammed his foot on the brakes, and the two ninja felt their seatbelts click in response to the velocity.

"Jay!" Zane cried out. Jay stood stone solid at his yell, and looked to his right.

"Zane?" Jay whispered. Jay reached out to touch the crusted blood on his clothes, and Zane did nothing in response.

Jay started welling up in tears, and it soon became a full on downpour. Lloyd looked towards Zane for help, but Zane seemed as clueless as he was.

"At first I was so worried." Jay said, his speech becoming slurred between words. "You were suffering, and none of us had noticed." Jay placed his back on the door of the car, slowly tilting his head up to Zane. "Yet then I saw you. It was fine when you were him, because you only threatened a couple of people. I thought you were just kidding around, even though you would never do something like that. But then I saw your face." Jay placed his hand on his eyes, shaking his head.

"Your face. It looked like darkness. It was pure darkness, like you were ready to do something that no one should ever do. To be honest." Jay started crying even worse, and Lloyd looked in concern. "You looked no different then how you did in the Never Realm."

Zane broke the door handle he had held on to, and Lloyd looked towards Zane. Lloyd gasped as he realized the look of pain which had stretched on Zane' face at Jay's words.

"I saw you fight." Jay started hiccuping. "I saw you threaten innocent civilians. Now I'm not going to hold you accountable for it. I know you can't stop it. I overheard Lloyd last night." Jay said, shrugging off the conversation. "Oh gosh, I was so unprepared. I thought it was nothing, just a harmless little secret. This isn't harmless!" Jay shouted, punching the window.

"Jay!" Lloyd yelled, reaching for his hand. Jay let his hand slowly fall down, and he wept.

"This isn't harmless. What have we done!" Jay cried. "None of this would've happened if we hadn't gone in that tomb. We all would've been here relaxing in a pool for all I know." Jay said, sobbing on the wheel.

"Jay." Lloyd said softly. Jay's face looked like a bucket of water had been poured onto him. Jay let out a sad cry, hugging himself.

"Jay." Zane said. Jay turned his head towards Zane, who smiled. "I told you, you don't need to feel regret."

"But why?!" Jay screamed. "Aren't you angry that we hurt you?! I know you love us Zane, but why aren't you mad?!" Jay yelled. Zane looked away in shame.

"I can't feel mad." Zane whispered.

"What? Why?" Lloyd questioned. Zane looked up at Lloyd emotionlessly, then smiled sadly.

"Because I'm not able to feel mad about this situation." Zane replied. "How could I feel mad--" Zane paused, reaching on to his chair. "I'm not letting those words play out."

Jay clutched his mouth, crying. Lloyd stood clueless between the two.

"Don't you get it Lloyd?" Jay whispered. "He can't feel mad, nor sad about this situation."

"Why?" Lloyd asked. Lloyd stood confused, then it hit him.

"You can't feel sad about this because the scroll disabled that sort of empathy?" Lloyd said, horrified. Zane nodded, and Jay hit him in his chest.

"And it's all our fault!" Jay screamed. "We did this to you, we left you alone!"

"Jay, I'm sorry I can't empathize with you." Zane said. Jay smiled.

"Stop apologizing. You can't even feel sad about the time you spent in the Never Realm, can you?" Jay asked, turning his head away. Lloyd watched as Zane physically flinched from his response.

"Those people you've murdered, those children I guess you've killed. No empathy. And it's all our fault!" Jay yelled. The room turned dead quiet with his words, and Jay looked around, clearly confused at the silence. Jay looked towards Lloyd in response, and Lloyd held his hand cautiously towards Zane.

Jay then turned his head towards the ice ninja, and placed his hand on his mouth. Zane had frozen the entire seat, shaking back and forth. Zane let out a heavy sigh, then retracted the ice.

"Sorry. It's somewhat painful if insult me like that." Zane admitted, trying to lighten up the mood. Zane gazed at Jay.

"I know you still regret the fact that you couldn't save me. But Jay, I don't take this as a burden." Zane stated.

"Because of the scroll, huh?" Jay said. "Is that the reason you are even in Yulta now?"

"No Jay." Zane laughed, wiping his tears. "The scroll's long disappeared. It disappeared back when I joined Yulta."

"Then why are you like this?" Jay shouted. Zane smiled.

"Simple. It's my own choice." Zane said. "Please stop taking it as a problem given to me by the scroll, and stop blaming yourselves. It's me, and me alone."

"So tell me Zane." Jay hovered over his friend in the car. "Tell me, without the disguise. Do you absolutely, without a doubt, have a sinister desire to watch people suffer?"

Zane nodded, and dropped his disguise. Lloyd shuddered to see his friend caked in blood, but Zane paid no heed. Zane took the same terrifying grin he had on before, and smiled, his eyes widening with malicious intent.

"Yes." Zane moved his hand up to his mouth, and laughed wildly. "Of course I do. In fact, it's the only thing that keeps me sane with you imbeciles. Having to only capture enemies and say it's for the good of Ninjago is so tiring." Zane answered.

"Was expecting it, still was not ready." Lloyd heaved. Lloyd looked over to Jay in concern, but Jay nodded.

"That's what I needed to hear." Jay said, wiping his tears.

"You're okay now?" Lloyd asked. Zane rested his head against the window, but Jay nodded.

"I still blame myself for not helping him." Jay said. "Yet if this is Zane, and if it's what he wants, then I'm okay with it." Jay looked at his position in the car and laughed.

"Why'd I take the driver's seat if I don't even know where we're going?" Jay hollered.

"It's fine. The driver can drive itself anyway." Zane said, clicking the autopilot button. The engine began to revv once more, and they continued to drive back home.