Unanimity | Ninjago AU

Chapter 9

*5 days later*

Skylor's POV

I drive a small car through the middle of nowhere for the third day in a row. That day that I got the message from Kai, I left the palace non-discreetly, with Mother and Auntie's consent, and got a car from the royal garage. I chose one of the less elaborate ones as to not draw attention.

The first two days of my journey, there were constantly villages and people, but now, it's there's no one else in sight. You can see miles in every direction, so when I finally see a little figure in the distance, my heart starts to race. I find myself pressing down on the pedal a bit harder to get there faster.

I pull over on the side of the road when I get close enough. Kai sits on his BorgPhone, on the ground in the middle of a patch of nothingness. He's wearing a fitted red t shirt and black jeans, a contrast from the gi I usually see him wearing. I try to conceal the excitement of seeing him.

When I open the the door to go retrieve him, his head darts up. "You really chose the most secluded location, didn't you?" I walk near him, a vengestone cuff in my hand to put around his wrist.

"I had to make sure no one would see me driving by," he admits casually before looking at the vengestone with distaste. "Are you really going to put that on me?"

"I can't have you pulling anything," I try to keep a straight face. When I'm finally in front of him, he's on his feet. Slung over one of his shoulders, he has a duffel bag. "Let me check your bag."

"It's just clothes, hygiene things, and snacks," he hands the bag over easily. I unzip it and ruffle through it, and it's simply just clothes, snacks, hair product, deodorant, toothpaste, and a toothbrush. "Jay was an absolute mess every time he came back; the guy was stuck in a wetsuit for several days. I wasn't going to have that happen."

"Stick out your wrists," I instruct him. He tilts his head, sighs, and looks into my eyes. I'm absolutely mesmerized by him, but I'm able to hide it.

"Skylor, please don't. Why would I try anything when I literally turned myself in? There's no one else around, you can see miles in every direction," he reasons, slowly reaching his hand out and touching my fingers. His element rushes through me, heat and warmth reaching every inch of my body. However, a second feeling accompanies it, a tingle that resonates in my fingers and chest.

"Alright, you don't have to wear it when we're in the middle of nowhere, just don't touch me," I pull my hand out of his grasp, frustrated at how easily he makes me lose focus.

"I was just giving you my element, so you could counter me at any time," he sticks his hands in the air in defense. By the smirk on his face, I can tell he's bluffing, but I don't call him out.

"Now, let's go. It already took five days to get here from the city, and it'll take five days to get back," I say, turning away and walking to the car. He looks at the car skeptically.

"Can I drive?" he asks. I raise an eyebrow.

"You're the one who turned yourself in; there's no way you're going to drive."

"Do you even..."

"I learned how to drive back in the prison realm. Nya made us vehicles, and Auntie had us practice with your rules for when we got here," I answer the question I knew he was about to ask. "Just get in, Kai."

---

Several hours later, we're still in the middle of nowhere. Kai has been trying to make conversation the entire car ride, but I haven't responded to a single thing he's said. When I talk to him, my guard falls too much. If I try to ignore him, it's easier to keep focus.