Chapter 1: Like Clockwork
Summary:
Basically Jay's return to the monastery.
An AU until confirmed by Ninjago?
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Jay shook the sand from his head. He was outside the Administration for the first time since the Merge. He had landed in a sandy desert with no land in sight.
Where am I? This is an odd place to end up. I thought I put in the coordinates of... What was it called?
Outside the Administration, his memories came easier without its influence driving them back.
Ninjago. This was a part of Ninjago City. I forgot the Merge happened, and it messed with the map. I should've put the coordinates for the Monastery.
Jay kicked a rock in the sand. He was frustrated, and all his belongings were packed up. He saw an odd structure a little ways away. He heaved his way through the clinging sand and managed to get closer.
He looked at the structure, curious as to which realm it came from. He shook his head and gently made his way around the odd thing.
What...
Jay saw a number of buildings behind the desert structure. The looked miniscule, so he must be a great distance from them.
Well, might as well try to get over there. I don't want to die in a hot desert.
He shrugged and painstakingly trudged over to the buildings.
------
Jay paused for breath a while after walking. He looked up at the looming towers. It was a city, just not Ninjago City.
Is this a new city? I don't remember this being in Ninjago...
He turned around to see the sands he managed to cross. "Wow... I'm not going back there. Might as well see what this city has to offer."
Jay shuffled to the market district, confused as to when there was time to make a new city. He spotted a Geckle, like in the mountains of Shintaro, selling Moss Milk ice cream. Jay grinned to himself at another collected memory. Cole had been the hero in those days.
He saw a Geckle packing up shop and went to speak with him.
"Sorry but we're closing now..." The Geckle didn't turn to look at him, but continued packing things.
"Sorry, I'm new around here... What's the name of this place?" Jay asked as he looked around at the many structures and various Inhabitants.
The Geckle paused and gasped as he looked at Jay. "You've never been to the Crossroads?"
"No? Is that the name?" Jay asked as he met the Geckle's eyes.
"Well, yes. But, allow me to give you a tour! It'll cost you though..." The Geckle tried.
Jay laughed weakly. "Hahah... No thanks. I think I'll manage..."
The Geckle shrugged. "Suit yourself. It's your funeral."
Jay narrowed his eyes. I highly doubt that. Considering all manner of creatures and enemies have tried and failed, but I might be off my game considering how many years I've been gone.
"Well, farewell! Maybe I'll meet you again!" Jay waved goodbye as he wandered off.
This place seems to be in the relative area Ninjago City once was... Hmm... I wonder if the monastery would be there...
Jay looked down at his business suit. Maybe I should change out of this to look more inconspicuous.
He went off the haggle for some clothes, seeing as he had no money and no pockets.
I wonder if I'll find Nya.
Jay looked up at the nearest clock. The time read midday, so he decided to be quick to return to the monastery.
He was checking the items he had, when he bumped into someone's back.
"Uff! Sorry, sorry." He muttered as he brushed off his clothes and went to help the other person up.
"It's fine. That's the second time now..." A strangely familiar voice rumbled. "Wait... Jay?" Jay blinked up at the taller man.
"Yes?"
"What- What are you doing here?" A familiar face asked as Jay struggled to match his appearance to his memories.
"Erm... This isn't the first time we've bumped into each other... We did, several times on... Different missions?" Jay spoke slowly to align his memories.
"Yes... Jay, why are you talking like that?" He asked in his overly-familiar voice.
"Well, I don't know... First, I was in a land where my memories were slowly lost for I don't know how many years, then three ninjas come into my office and bring up a memory after they leave, then I leave my workplace to find the rest of my memories, so I really don't know. Now. What's your name?" Jay asked innocently.
The buff guy coughed and said, "You know what? I'll just bring you to the monastery. How about that? You might get some memories that way."
"Sure. Your a ninja too? I think I was one. Before the Administration. I wore blue? My favorite color. Do you know Nya? I think we were together? Do you know Lloyd? Or Kai? They introduced themselves... What's your name, again?" Jay rambled.
He chuckled and grinned. "You're still the same as always. Even after memory loss, you still talk a lot. I'll tell you my name when we get there. You might remember by then."
"'Kay! So Mr. Earth-Ninja... Have you seen Vania recently? I remember her coronation, and how she admired you." Jay rambled. "Hey, Cole? I think I remember how you became a ghost because you wanted to retrieve the map. Zane had visions for most of our ninja adventures and Nya became the ocean... Uhh... I don't want to remember that. It still hurts even though Mr. Ice-Ninja managed to freeze her so we could save her and- Oh. I'm rambling." Jay had spoken several memories aloud, to make it harder to forget.
"You know you said my name, right?" The Black Ninja said.
"I did? Well, it's your name, Cole." Jay blinked. "Oh, you're Cole. My best friend." Jay smiled widely. "Cole! I remember you- I think!"
"So you do..." Cole grinned back. "Well, we're here now." He gestured to the stairs and Jay looked up. Up and up and up.
"I didn't remember the stairs being so long before... Maybe that's just my memory, or maybe because I cheated for most of the climb." Jay mumbled to himself. His memories were putting themselves back together as he climbed every step.
Cole was moving quickly, but as Jay was out of shape, he had to slow his pace. "You alright there, Jay?"
"Yeah... Just a bit out of shape since I only recently remembered being a ninja. You know? Wait, how did Kai and Nya and Lloyd even know where to find me?" Jay questioned through his rambling thoughts.
"Who knows? Maybe you could just ask them." Cole suggested, revealing the final few stairs.
"Finally!" Jay gasped. Out of breath, and out of shape, he wheezed for oxygen.
Cole held him upright so he could breathe easier.
"Ya know, this is similar to the time I breathed in water and slowly started drowning. Remember?"
"Yes, Jay. I remember how you almost died and scared Nya." Cole muttered.
"Oh! That was when Nya became the sea... A noble sacrifice, even though I kinda went insane at the lighthouse and practically formed a one-man cult believing Nya was in every drop of water." Jay sighed.
"Wait- WHAT?!?!" Cole exclaimed and Jay blinked at him.
"Hmm?"
The monastery gates opened and a boy, with dark hair, a scar between his ear and his cheek, and amber eyes, blinked owlishly at them.
"Master Lloyd?! Cole's here with some guy in a dusty suit! He looks like the guy in that image Kai showed us!" The boy called inside.
"Master? Am I missing something or is Lloyd actually..." He looked at Cole for an answer. Cole just shrugged.
"I didn't know either. But that was Arin. One of Lloyd's students." Cole introduced.
"One of?" Jay began curiously.
The monastery entrance was flung open and Lloyd stood there, with Kai and Nya behind him. Two girls stood beside a painting of... Master Wu. The boy from earlier, Arin, stood just behind Lloyd with a curious expression.
"Jay?" Lloyd tested nervously. Kai and Nya hung back uncertainly.
"I got some memories back. And some are still missing fragments." Jay complained with a teasing tone.
"Jay!" Nya shouted with joy in her eyes. She ran to him and paused in front of him. "Do... Do you remember me?"
"How could I have ever forgotten my Yang? You merged with the sea, remember? That's kind of remarkable." Jay teased with a broad grin. He ran forward to give her a hug. One they both needed after years of separation.
"Okay, okay, okay. Jay, you had your hug. Now, PAWS OF MY SISTER!" The Master of Fire roared as he lit fireballs in his fists.
Jay yelped in surprise. "I forgot about your fire!"
Kai gasped. "The audacity! My FIYAAHH is AMAZING!"
Jay chuckled and said, "How about we all catch up? I don't know what happened during the year I was gone, so, fill me in. Let's talk over... Lunch?" He checked the location of the sun and nodded.
"That's fine." Lloyd spoke for the first time since they arrived. He started Introductions as they moved inside. "The boy is Arin. The pink-haired one is Sora. Apparently she used to be called Ana, but she changed her name. So, Sora it is. The red-head is Wyldfyre. Her elemental power looks like Kai's but it's different in several aspects. Like a variation. Sora has the elemental power of Technology. She recently got her full potential, from the Mergequake-Storm. Arin taught himself Spinjitsu!"
"I might not have most of my memories, but isn't Spinjitsu extremely difficult to learn and master?" Jay asked.
Lloyd nodded excitedly.
"So you're also a father to three kids, huh?" Jay smirked.
Lloyd looked flustered and stammered nonsensically.
"If your students feel like siblings to each other, and you're age is right, then you technically act like their father."
"I-I don't..."
Jay tapped his arm. "From what I've seen from Arin's actions so far, and your own, you do."
Lloyd floundered for a few moments as Jay giggled. His groan of exasperation only added to Jay's exhilaration.
It's good to be with my friends again. Even if I don't remember everything yet... I have gotten many memories back. And I've made some new ones.
Jay smiled as his friends entered the room. He'd spotted Zane in the kitchen, with a humanoid-frog helper.
Yeah... Even if some memories never return, I'm glad for the chance to be with them again.
Notes:
I'm sorry about no Oni or Dragon Lloyd in this first chapter, but it will come up later on. M'Kay?
I headcanon Sora with blue eyes, to counter her pink hair. Wyldfyre, I feel like she has blue eyes too (Because of her fire) but not a light blue like Sara's, a darker blue. Like the blue you see when you light a candle. Arin has amber eyes because of his golden Spinjitsu. I see Sora as a bit paler, mainly because she's indoors or inside when she's engineering. Wyldfyre has a dark tan from a life spent outside, plus fire. Arin is both inside and outside, so I feel like a light tan would suit him.
Chapter 2: Critical Chaos
Summary:
Kai notices that Jay's memories are taking longer to relive. He's beginning to wonder why.
Kai decides to get his answer by cornering Jay in a... Rather... Odd way.
Nya tries getting answers to Kai's behavior. Lloyd's with her.
Notes:
Basically, Kai is being sneaky and causing planned chaos. He's actually using his brain.
Chapter Text
Kai frowned as Jay zoned in and out of practice. He was out of practice, but his focus kept shifting from training to his own thoughts. Probably trying to piece together the familiar parts. He probably lost his muscle memory... But we can test that.
Kai hid his smirk and shifted slowly as to not draw attention to himself. He cautiously pulled out a dagger and aimed it. He checked his target and threw the dagger.
Jay yelped and Kai watched as muscle memory took over. He ducked and pulled the dagger from the air. He gaped at his own abilities and blanked as he seemed to remember another fragment.
"Kai! Why would you throw that at Jay in the middle of practice?!" Lloyd yelled.
Kai hid a snicker as Lloyd acted like the child he never got to be. His messy hair was the only evidence of his childish behavior once he calmed down.
"So, Kai. Care to explain?" Lloyd briskly asked.
"Muscle memory." Kai said smugly.
Kai watched as understanding dawned in his expression. "Oh! Because... Okay." Lloyd broke off.
Jay shook his head as the memory dissipated. He blinked at Lloyd's messy hair. "Did I miss something?" He said as he looked to Kai.
"That was a long memory, if you were out for five minutes." Kai brushed off.
"Five... Five minutes?!" Jay squeaked. Kai was laughing loudly as Jay ran inside to keep a promise he made to Cole about cake... Or something. Kai didn't quite remember Jay's quick explanation.
That was an oddly timed memory. He was out for a while. Long enough for Lloyd to finish his childish tantrum. Kai chuckled to himself at the memory, then paused. Usually memories are a few seconds to a single minute. This was different. What did he see? Kai frowned at Jay's back.
------
"Kai! Isn't it your turn to make dinner?" Jay called from the living room.
Kai poked his head through the door. "We're the only ones here, remember? Aside from Nya."
"I know. But wasn't it your turn?" Jay faced him with a puzzled look.
Was the memory from earlier about...? Guess I have to find out by using a method that might get me killed. Kai groaned internally.
"It's your turn Mr. Jay." Kai said in teasing tone.
Jay blinked. "How about you cook for now, and I'll teach Nya like I promised?" He spoke hesitantly. His eyes unfocused as he remembered something else.
Did I trigger the right memory? I'm pretty sure he got the phrase right... Kai poked Jay's shoulder and heaved a sigh. "Guess I have to cook."
Kai frowned at Jay, then hurried off to the kitchen to use a recipe that might bring up another moment from his visit. Nya might guess what I'm thinking, but not what I'm doing. She was too young to remember clearly.
Kai set out a familiar, but long forgotten, recipe. I don't think I've made this since Jay first left...
------
"Hey Kai, so I found Nya and brought her. Where's our food?" Jay started as he made his way to a seat. Even without most of his memories, it was his special spot. It was one of the many familiar things.
Nya sat beside him. She was obviously concerned about Jay's memory loss, but also overjoyed that he remembered some parts of them.
Kai brought out three bowls from the kitchen. "Since Cole is accompanying Lloyd to watch Arin and Wyldfyre, and Zane is working with Sora to upgrade the Bounty, we have dinner to ourselves."
Kai set the plates in front of them, then sat down in his own spot. They lifted their utensils, and began to eat.
I wonder what food this is. It looks familiar... Jay put the spoonful in his mouth and paused as another memory hit him.
------
"Mr. Jay! Mr. Jay!" Called out two harmonious voices.
"Hahah! Alright, alright! Dinner's served." Jay set their bowls in front of them. "You know, Nya, that Kai made dinner this time?"
The little girl gasped dramatically. "Really brother?! You did, you did?!" She asked excitedly.
"Uh huh! Mr. Jay taught me and I did it all by mah self!" Kai boasted, proud of his accomplishment.
Jay chuckled at the children's banter. "Alright! Calm down and eat, before you miss your next lessons!" Nya and Kai shouted in drawn out tones. "Noooo!!!"
Jay giggled. It had been a while since he sat with his friends at their table. Cheerfully talking while they ate.
He put a spoonful into his mouth and savored the taste. Kai did good with this. He successfully mixed the flavors right.
"Congratulations Kai! You've moved on to Cooking: Level Two." Jay admitted honestly. Using videogame terms made understanding easier.
"Yay!!!" Kai pumped his fists into the air excitedly. Nya pouted. "No fair. When do I get to level up?"
Jay smiled. "Soon, Nya. Soon."
------
Jay swallowed the bite of the meal as tears welled up in his eyes.
Kai and Nya were in the middle of eating their own meals, glancing repeatedly back at each other then at Jay.
"Uhh... Jay? Why are you crying?" Nya quietly asked.
"It's just a meal, Jay. What's wrong?" Kai murmured.
"I missed this... Your first good meal, Kai. When you advanced to the second level." Jay gave Kai a watery smile.
Nya blinked at them. Looking back at forth. "Am I missing something?"
"To put it short, Jay got another memory." Kai explained swiftly.
"But how does he know what your first attempt was?..." Nya scrutinized Kai and leapt from her seat. "Unless- You were serious?! You weren't kidding?! He taught us?! He-"
Kai quickly muffled Nya. "Careful, Sis. You never know who's listening from the shadows."
"Like me!" Jay chuckled.
Kai and Nya peered at Jay in confusion and curiosity. "Explain." They said unanimously.
"Should I...?" He drew out with a knowing look towards the siblings.
"Yes. You should." Kai frowned.
"No. I shouldn't." Jay shot back with a lazy grin.
"Well why not?!" Nya waved her hands in the air to emphasize her statement, but failed to give any special meaning to it.
"Because, then you'll look through your memories to check when I was." Jay leaned back on his seat, only for him to fall backwards onto the ground. "I forgot this seat had no back." Jay mumbled.
His fall broke the tension and Kai let out a weak laugh.
"Now, Kai. Care to explain what that was?" Nya clenched her fists.
------
"Care to explain what what was?" Asked a voice from the entrance.
Kai blinked at Lloyd's sudden entrance. "Lloyd? Since when were you there?"
"I just arrived. Cole is dueling Arin and Wyldfyre to see how advanced they are in practice." He gestured behind him, before joining Nya in cornering Kai.
"So... What'cha talking about?" Lloyd looked at the siblings innocently.
"Cut the act Lloyd. We know you heard." Kai muttered loudly.
"Fine." Lloyd frowned at Kai. "What is up with you anyway? Why are you targeting Jay? Why all the sudden questions?"
"I just want to know what exactly he's remembering." Kai spoke up.
"Oh. If that's all, you could've asked. Everything happened already anyway, so I think I can explain now." Jay said as he got up from his fallen position.
"Explain what?" Lloyd asked. Confusion laced the trio's thoughts.
Jay giggled as he looked at them. "You know, I just realized that the three of you have had no parents for your entire childhood. Talk about childhood trauma. Me, Cole, and Zane at least have good memories of parental figures for most of our childhoods."
"Hey!" Nya piped up. "I had one adult caretaker! I think."
"Yeah. I know. And without me, you two would've starved long ago." Jay said coldly. All his previous laughter was gone.
"Wh-What?" Nya stammered nonsensically.
Lloyd stood there, considering what he said. "You're saying you went through-" He was cut off by a hand. Jay had managed to swiftly get to Lloyd to shut him up.
"No. You don't know who's listening. It's not just----in the shadows... It's those who watch unseen." Jay whispered.
"How..." Nya muttered.
Jay looked over the three calmly. He stepped around Lloyd and stood in front of them. He spoke in a soft, but firm tone of voice.
"So... You really want to know?"
Chapter 3: Storytime
Summary:
Jay tells them what actually happened when he touched the Time Blade.
Notes:
You know? Just another day in Ninjago (Post-Merge)!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"Uhh. Yeah. We do want to know, Jay!" Kai yelled loudly. Drawing the attention from the ones outside.
"Know what?" Arin asked.
"Yeah! We want to know!" Wyldfyre roared.
Zane came upstairs and looked at everyone in the dining room. "I believe if everyone wants answers, we should head to a larger area. Preferably one that won't be blown up by stray elemental energy."
Cole crossed his arms. He stayed silent as Jay walked after Zane. He followed suit with everyone else walking close behind.
Jay spotted Sora as she noticed them approaching.
"Hey... Is something up?" Sora asked warily.
Zane decided to respond. "Jay is going to tell us what happened."
"Yup. It might not make a lot of sense at first..." Jay began. "It all started, when I saw the Time Blade, out of the corner of my eye..."
------
(I saw it glowing a bright gold. No one else seemed to notice. Samurai X only saw me edging toward it...)
Ray had been healed of whatever Krux and Acronix had done, leaving the Time Blade out of their thoughts for the time being. Jay noticed a slight buzz in the air, and the pulsating, golden light coming from the Time Blade.
[Kai: You're telling me that Pixel saw you... But not the glowing weapon? Huh...]
[Nya: Kai. Don't make it any weirder than it sounds.]
[Jay: Do you want me to continue? Or...?]
[Lloyd: Continue. Please.]
Samurai X watched Jay step towards the Time Blade. She asked several questions, and Jay asked his own. It was the time before they knew Pixel was the elusive samurai, but she was still intelligent. Jay pointed his finger and slowly brought it closer.
Jay poked the Time Blade.
[Arin: Wait. So you just poked a possibly-really-super-dangerous weapon that had the potential to literally obliterate you? {He asked in a casual tone.}]
[Jay: Well... Yeah, pretty much.]
[Wyldfyre: Ooh! Can I go next?!]
[Sora: I'm pretty sure that thing's lost to time. Get it?]
[Lloyd: Sorry, Sora. But I think only Arin got the humor. {Everyone chuckled at Lloyd's witty quip.}]
(I'm still not quite sure what happened, and my memory is still pretty fuzzy... But I remember how it felt...)
The pulsating glow removed itself from the fringes of the blade and gathered beneath Jay's fingertip. It crackled like his elemental power and leapt to him. It had imprinted on his elemental energy and his elemental signature, pushing its energy into the form of Jay's famous lightning.
[Wyldfyre: Ooh! If I do it too, will I get lightning?]
[Jay: No.]
[Cole: How would that even work? How did you even time-travel?]
[Jay: I'm getting to that! Geez! {Jay frowned sadly at the obvious naysaying.}]
(I remember it felt like static, stuck to my fingertip. It was pulsing like an aggravated wound, but it wasn't marked by the Time Blade Lightning. In fact...)
Jay hissed in pain as the throbbing worsened. He pressed his thumb to his sore finger, rubbing them together in circles to lessen the pain. Samurai X shifted her stance and startled Jay, making him quickly snap his fingers accidentally. Before he could blink, he was sometime else.
[Kai: Sure... As if simply snapping your fingers makes you go to another time.]
[Jay: Ah ah ah, Kai. That's where you're wrong. It wasn't just another time, it was another place.{He wagged his finger in front of Kai's face to disagree.}]
[Zane: I believe we all could stand to learn to not touch mysterious glowing objects. {A pointed look at Kai and Lloyd followed.}]
(I was stuck in different times, as the Time Blade in my present was still there. I was left to wander through time. I hid in the shadows for many timeless days...)
"Where do we get the third Oni mask, again?" Ultraviolet asked for the seventh time since Harumi explained. Jay grit his teeth at the traitor. He was mad, and it wasn't even his time yet!
"Patience. Lloyd will give it right to me..." Harumi smugly answered. "I have him all wrapped up around my finger. He doesn't suspect a thing."
"Ooh! He's going to be real depressed!" Ultraviolet laughed maniacally. "It'll be so much fun to torment him!"
Harumi hissed. "Not yet! We need to mess with his friends first. To distance them so they can't be at each others' side when they call for backup."
Mr. E made several noises that Jay, no matter how hard he tried, couldn't translate.
No matter what. I have to let the future play out the way it's supposed to be. If it doesn't, disastrous things could take effect. Jay thought sourly. No matter how much he hated the princess, he had to allow Lloyd the chance to grow.
[Jay: I'm sorry Lloyd. I had several opportunities to change things... But if I had, we might not be where we are today.]
[Lloyd: I get it. I wouldn't change a thing if I was in your shoes.]
[Jay: You would try. Oh, you would try. Believe me, it's harder than you think to stop yourself from babbling on and on about what would've happened if you fell in love with Harumi... You know what, I'ma stop there with Harumi.]
{Kai was glaring at Jay to shut up about Harumi. He had his murder-face on. The one he had when his siblings were getting emotionally drained.}
(I had heard the whispers of Queen Vania of Shintaro. I met Akita, actually. It was apparently after our visit and she was really hoping that Lloyd was there with me. {Lloyd turned a bright red.} I overheard Kai and Skylor during the events of the Crystal King. I also found out Pixal's identity as Samurai X. Remember any time I was surprised?...)
------
The ninja who knew Jay tried to remember.
"You were surprised we were saving Nya from skeletons... No... That was too early." Kai brought up. Jay chuckled.
"No... But I was there. In the shadows." Jay admitted. That statement brought up more questions.
"When you went down to recharge the battery?" Lloyd suggested. "No... Sorry. You were determined, but not shocked. Emotionally."
"He WHAT?!?!" Nya shrieked.
Lloyd cringed visibly. "Ooh... Yeah. I forgot you didn't know..."
Notes:
No one ever told Nya what happened to the Hydro Bounty when they were shot. Anyone else remember an occasion where they told her? The only time Nya remembered Jay almost-dying, is when he was drowning.
Chapter 4: Submerged Memories
Summary:
Basically, Jay remembers Seabound. Mostly in like, off-screen so I don't get anything wrong.
Notes:
Nya is furious. For sure.
Chapter Text
Arin, Wyldfyre, and Sora looked at the now-bickering ninja. Riyu blinked up at everyone.
"Were you never going to tell me?!" Nya shouted.
"I-umm- Well, we were going to... Eventually?" Lloyd hesitated with fidgeting hands.
"EvEnTuAlLy?!" Nya mimicked. Lloyd hid a sniffle at the hurt and Kai ran in front of him.
"Calm down Nya! I didn't know either!" Kai defended.
"I knew. But it did not seem wise to tell you, as the events from Wojira's release required our attention at the moment, as well as you merging with the sea and disappearing for a year. When you returned, the event had long passed by, resulting in us forgetting to inform you of Jay's mishap." Zane bluntly explained.
Nya turned to the unafraid nindroid. "So you're saying it's my fault?"
Zane spoke. "Yes."
Arin and Sora winced as Nya tackled Zane. Starting a fight in the middle of HQ. Wyldfyre was watching the battle aptly. "I wanna go next!"
"No. Wyldfyre. No." Lloyd denied Wyldfyre the opportunity to attack.
"AWW MAN!!!" Wyldfyre whined.
Kai groaned at Wyldfyre's obvious desire for fighting. Was I really like that? No... At least, I don't think so...
------
Jay's mind brought up several occasions from the battle they had mentioned. Wojira... If she wasn't dead, I might try my hand at defeating her myself. She took Nya. Nya sacrificed herself to defeat Wojira... And I would never let that sacrifice go in vain. If anyone tries to revive her... I would-
Jay remembered another time. Before the journey into the depths.
------
"Jay~" Nya walked along the halls. They were playing a game, according to Lloyd, but in reality they were in a fierce competition to challenge and test who was the best at hiding and sneaking.
Nya walked closer to Jay's spot, but Jay was well-versed in sneaking through shadows due to his travels and the need for extreme stealth. She walked in front of his spot, her shadow making it easier to escape.
Jay jumped from his spot and landed silently in the rafters above. Nya looked through his last spot. She was obviously confused, but as he was in a competition, he wanted to survive and win.
Jay felt a small pulsing in his head and waved away the headache. Nya pressed her fingers to her temple, in silent pain. Jay longed to comfort her, but they were still within the bounds of the contest. She didn't know how close she had been to finding him.
Jay drowned his urge to yelp when a stream of water went haywire. Nya clearly didn't know where he was, so it wasn't her conscious doing. Something was offsetting her powers.
Nya called the round off, and several excited noises were made. The other ninja probably thought they had won, but that was not the case. Nya had a headache and her haywire powers were going to get out of hand. Jay muffled a groan as he remembered what would come soon. Wojira... But that was a trial in his present future.
He hopped down from the rafters and hid the evidence that he was ever there.
"YEAH!!!" He forced out. He didn't feel the excitement, but his friends relied on his humor and his insistent enthusiasm. "Did I win?" Jay asked.
Nya smiled weakly. "No... I'm afraid no one did. Except Cole. I found him in the kitchen so he lost."
Lloyd looked at Nya's exhausted face. "Are you okay? You're not one to pause a competitive thing..."
Nya forced her smile. "I'm fine. I'll just get some sleep. You can start another round with Cole as the seeker."
Nya walked away, and Jay followed.
"Jay, I'm fine." Nya pushed on.
"No. I saw that headache. It did something, so I'll take you to rest." Jay insisted.
Nya frowned at Jay, before it melted into a warm smile and she relented. "Alright. Just this once."
Jay smiled back. "That's what you said the last time I helped you to your room."
A puzzled frown crossed her face. "When...?"
Jay froze, but kept his smile in place. "Oh. I guess you don't remember."
Nya sighed. "I guess I don't. I must be really tired."
Nya smiled as Jay left her to her devices within her room.
That was the first of many water mishaps.
------
Jay shook himself out of his stupor. The memory was delightful to remember. Lloyd watched him.
Jay smiled to Lloyd. "How about we try something I just remembered. You called it a game, when we called it a tournament to test our skill."
Lloyd grinned at the reference. "We could teach my students, and I can check how they're progressing in training."
"Sounds like a plan." Jay agreed.
"What are you two scheming?" Nya butted in.
Jay decided to inform the experienced ninja of the plan. "We're going to compete in that game."
Kai's eyes widened. "You remember that?"
"I do now. When do we tell the students?" Jay smiled widely. It felt better to talk after changing out of the sandy suit and into his ninja gi.
Lloyd thought about. "How about we surprise them? We lead them on a scavenger hunt, and when they finish, they play?"
Jay shook his head. "That's too complicated. We didn't do scavenger hunts. We dived right in..." Until it became literal.
The rest of the ninja agreed to Jay's plan. So they set up a small little area. One of the students would be the first seeker. From that point forward, the first person out had to wait for the others to be found before becoming the next finder.
Lloyd picked Arin to start, so Wyldfyre and Sora could decide if they wanted to hide or watch how the game worked. Arin was exuberant enough to agree immediately.
Now they only needed to wait for the right time to start.
Chapter 5: Hide and Seek
Summary:
The ninja play Hide'n'seek, as Lloyd calls it. Or as the other ninja call it, the sneaking contest. Arin, while searching for the last two left, stumbles on a secret Lloyd didn't even know he had.
Notes:
Spoiler: Jay was never found again.
I'm just kidding!Probably
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Kai smirked as he got to lead Arin to the starting point.
"Remember. Count to five out loud and slowly. Once you're done, seek the ninjas. First one found is it next." Kai explained.
"This is just like Hide'n'seek! Except the count is shorter." Arin said excitedly.
Kai decided to explain the little twist. "It's really not. First, the ninja can travel from spot to spot and are allowed to sneak around. You have to be able to fully grab them around the middle. We're trained ninja and everyone has to use the best of their sneaking abilities. Jay says he would often win if he didn't give up from boredom. We aren't letting him just drop from the roof this time. He has to give it his all. He also claims that he is a master at shadow-sneaking. I don't buy it for one, he hasn't been a ninja in years, and two, he was always the worst at it. You got it?"
Arin gulped. "You guys are allowed to use everything you know?"
Kai grinned. "Yep. Except weapons and elemental power. I explained to Sora and Wyldfyre that they can either watch this round or participate."
Arin let out a shaky breath. "Alright. I can do this."
Kai stopped Arin at the spot and said, "As soon as you hear me say, 'Course correction' you start counting. Got it?"
Arin nodded.
Kai stepped back and scrambled a decent distance. "COURSE CORRECTION!" It was the signal he gave the other ninja to say that Arin was ready.
He heard the numbers counting down as he hurried to hide.
5...
Kai checked the bedrooms.
4...
He searched the closets.
3...
He checked cupboards and drawers.
2...
Kai had found something.
1...
He was hidden.
------
Jay wandered the halls loosely. He didn't quite know yet where to hide, but he could feel when the spot was before him.
Jay heard soft footsteps and ducked into a shadow at the smallest corner. The light was there, but dim enough to cast a shadow. Jay positioned himself so the small shadow covered his entire body.
He watched as Arin shuffled past. He wasn't going fast, but he was in a hurry. He had a time limit after all.
Jay clung to the wall and blindly searched it for handholds with an expert's precision. He climbed up, keeping himself cloaked within the shadows.
Jay grinned when he found an alcove. He might have a limited amount of time in every hiding spot, but he never knew the alcove was there, even after all his shadow-jumping. If he never knew, there was a high chance the others didn't either.
Jay abandoned the alcove for when he was desperate. He found another spot in the rafters. Concealed with both light and shadows, it was perfect to hide him from anyone below him, and from anyone above him. As long as he adjusted his position the right way, he would be invisible for the next few minutes.
------
Arin frowned at the ninja monastery. Where could I find a ninja? Nya wouldn't hide near water, since that would give her away... Or would she? Or does her elemental power not influence her liking of water?
Arin searched the kitchen and checked the cupboards and cabinets. He was surprised to find someone in the fridge... With several jackets on.
"Hey...! Arin... Did I... Win...?" Cole asked.
Arin shook his head. "No. You lost. I got you first."
Cole frowned, then smiled. "Not... Yet... You don't...!"
Cole tried to jump over Arin's head, but miscalculated how much he could move and landed face-first on the floor of the fridge.
Arin crouched as Cole slowly lifted his head up. Arin said, "Yes. Yes I do."
Cole laughed as Arin struggled to hold him up long enough to tag him out. He groaned as Arin squeezed his mid-section in a tight hug. "I get it. I lost. Get out of here and find Jay already."
Arin had a puzzled look. "Why does everyone want me to find Jay?"
"Because Jay keeps saying that if he didn't get bored, he would win every round!" Cole said as he warmed up.
Arin nodded slowly in thought. "I get it. I'll try my best."
Arin didn't know that Kai could hear his conversation with Cole.
The three ninjas certainly didn't know that Jay heard the conversation too.
------
"Let's see. I found Cole in the refrigerator. I found Nya on the roof. I found Zane in a bucket. And I found Kai on top of the kitchen cabinets. I didn't think to look up there before. I also found that Sora was playing and she hid in a mech suit." Arin thought. I'm missing only Master Lloyd... And Jay...
Wyldfyre said she wanted to watch and see who won first... But she fell asleep a few hours earlier. Kai only recently told Arin that the time limit was set to eight hours since finding a trained ninja is incredibly hard. He was right. It took four hours to find four ninjas and a trainee. And the most skilled, I hadn't even found yet.
Arin huffed and went to the dragon stables. Another place he hadn't checked thoroughly.
Why would Master Lloyd even be here? Arin thought curiously.
He turned the corner and spotted a being. He lay in a pile of straw and his skin glowed gold with patches of green. His outfit was golden and green, with just a streak of purple.
Arin tripped on one of the many tools for dragon care and caught the being's notice. His eyes were a molten gold, with flecks of green. He even had dragon wings and a tail! He had two horns, the same color gold as his skin, that spun in a fashion that made the being appear to be a king. The same flecks of green were in his horns. His hair was a platinum blonde color similar to Lloyd's, but with a few strands of green dotted through. A strand of purple infiltrated the magical wonder.
Arin took another step back and the being jumped forward and raced towards Arin. Arin shied away in fright at the sudden movement, only for his foot to never meet solid ground. He fell off the dragon stables and hurtled toward the ground at a startling speed.
He screamed as he prepared to meet his death... Only for him to realize he was inches away from the ground. He glanced up to realize that the dragon-like, celestial, person-being thing... Had caught him. The dragon-person flew up with his wings beating on the air in mighty thrusts. Arin gripped the dragon-man when he was repositioned so he wouldn't be able to fall easily.
The dragon-man landed on the floor of the dragon stables. "You okay?" He asked when Arin gasped for breath.
Arin recognized the voice. "L- LLOYD?!?!" Arin jumped and looked him over. Sure enough, now that he thought about it, he did look like Lloyd.
"Yep." He said with a pop. He looked at himself. "Oh. Right. I should probably figure out how to go back... It was hard enough to get to this."
Lloyd closed his eyes and Arin watched as the horns, wings, and tail receded into Lloyd. The gold and green on his skin melted to his warmer, familiar color. His eyes adjusted so the green flecks swirled and condensed. They hid the gold and returned to their original state. The green and purple in Lloyd's hair faded quickly to his usual light golden hair. Even his clothes returned to before.
Lloyd looked down at himself. He turned in a slow circle. "How do I look? Is it like before?"
Arin nodded slowly. Yeah... Except for the small little bumps on you head. It's mostly disguised by your hair, and I had to look for it to find it. It's just... Barely there."
Lloyd nodded. "Makes sense. The boys didn't have horns like me... Come to think of it, they only got wings, not even a tail. I'll check that later."
Lloyd patted Arin's shoulder. "It's fine Arin. You found me, after all. Who's left?"
Arin looked even sadder. "That's just it. It's Jay."
Notes:
Lloyd has both Oni and Dragon blood because of his father. He has human blood because of his mother.
I thought that seeing Dragon Lloyd would be cool! The appearances are headcanon.
Chapter 6: Truth and Memories
Summary:
Jay is the last one left in the Hide'n'seek tournament, even in the first round. Now, the ninja don't know where he could be and are all assisting in Arin's search.
How was the loudest ninja so skilled at hiding?
He was telling the truth?
Notes:
I have to add a memory somewhere, as this is mainly about Jay getting his memories back from before the Merge.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Jay rubbed his eyes. He was so exhausted. The ninja had joined Arin to look for him, but they would never find him unless he revealed himself. He might not be able to manipulate shadows, as that required the ability to maneuver light, but he could twist himself to fit in the shadow.
It was a simple thing to cloak yourself in shadows, but not to hide for a long period of time. Moving from place-to-place was certainly easier within shade.
Jay kept quiet. He used the same strategy he always did to keep shut about time. I can't stay here. Cole got too close.
Jay crept through the shadows, giving himself plenty of cover.
"Jay!"
"JAY!"
"Jay!"
He blew out slowly. He had won... And his friends were calling for him, but they didn't believe he was the winner. Lloyd had been found before Jay, making them think Jay was cheating.
How? I have lightning, what am I supposed to do?! Jay grumbled mentally so as not to make sounds.
"Jay?" Nya called from nearby.
Jay shifted in his shadows and ventured closer. She could sense he was nearby, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly where. Jay wanted to hear what she said.
"Where are you hiding? You already won." Her face revealed she was trying to hide her bitterness at the fact she lost.
"Hmm. You are the same as always. You love to win." Jay murmured in her ear. She gasped and spun around quickly, but Jay jumped into a shadow.
"What...? Jay, where did you go? Jay? JAY!" She shouted for him as he disappeared to spy on the others.
------
"...And then he just vanished! He was right there, and then... Poof! He was gone!" Nya tried to explain.
Lloyd tapped his chin. "He was telling the truth. He hasn't been training for years but he still has the ability to sneak around in the shadows. I might be the most powerful, elemental-wise, but Jay is the stealthiest." Lloyd crossed his arms and dared the ninja to challenge the statement.
"You just called Jay the stealthiest. Jay! If anything, you weren't hiding properly. You were testing your powers instead!" Kai sulked.
Nya scowled at her brother and Kai laughed sheepishly at her expression of promised doom.
None of the ninja knew that Jay heard them all. I think I once knew what surprise was... Before journeying through time. I was once relatively normal. Did I remember to tell them...? I called the Time Blade's energy, Time Lightning, as it imprinted on my elemental signature.
"You try to hard." Jay said as he walked out of the shadows. The ninja gasped at his sudden entrance. "Hey, what's up? You still think I'm cheating, Kai?"
Zane spoke literally as the nindroid he was. "I do not believe it is possible to cheat at Hide'n'seek unless you hide where you are not supposed to."
Jay spread his arms. "Well, you heard him. I'm not cheating. I'm just skilled! Now, try." He grinned as Cole, Kai, and Arin pounced and tried to capture him.
Jay snickered and fled into his shadows. "Too slow!" He jibbed.
Nya, Zane and Lloyd joined the chase... But they didn't really know where to look. Jay snuck to his hidden alcove. Time to hide here. Get it? Time? He chuckled quietly at his own joke. He crawled into the small alcove and realized with a click that Zane had heat-vision to detect hidden people. Jay spotted Riyu in the hallway, probably running to search for Jay with the others.
Jay had tested his internal temperature plenty of times. He remembered when he needed to.
------
It was freezing in the Never Realm. It was ice and snow everywhere. He was with the ninja and discovering what Future Akita was talking about. Zane- the Ice Emperor froze everything. Nya and the other ninjas with him were shivering, but making their way to the palace.
If you think about it, Zane, then you basically became Harumi. She was the Jade Emperor's daughter, was all nice to us, then became the most ruthless leader ever. Like Zane turning into the Ice Emperor, Harumi was the Quiet One. We all have the potential to be evil, it was just Harumi's choice to embrace that darkness. Zane was manipulated in his state of memory loss.
Jay managed not to huff a laugh, which would bring the other ninjas' attention to him. It really was funny, but it was a shame he couldn't tell them until they find out. He just had to pretend until then.
Jay remembered a place he hid behind to avoid detection, and that he looked into the other Jay's eyes. He searched the snow banks for his past traveler and spotted a rough-looking Jay.
They both made eye contact, and present-ish Jay nodded to his past version. Understanding lit the past Jay's eyes, as he knew he would survive this far.
I think I'll miss my encounters with my past self. There's another near Vania, in the future-past... Time travel makes tenses annoying. Jay frowned at the sudden biting cold. What did he do last time? Right. Jay breathed in the frozen air and mentally manipulated his core to warm the air inside his lungs. He had tested it on several occasions, to make his blood warmer. He sighed out a breath of warm air. If the other ninjas catch wind of this, or that I'm warm while they're freezing, they are going to cuddle so close they're gonna suffocate me. Or they might start asking how I know how to do this... Jay shook the thoughts. He just couldn't touch the ninja until he stopped. Problem solved.
Jay planned correctly... For a while.
------
Present Jay shook out of his memories. I must've been out for a while. I remembered how to make my blood warm me, so can I reverse it on this mild evening?
He breathed in a decent amount of the warm, night air. He mentally made his core cool it, which took a while as he was out of practice. Jay made his blood colder and shivered as the warm surrounding air brushed his freezing skin. If Zane uses his heat-vision, I might pass under his notice. Jay breathed out a puff of cold air, which quickly warmed in the atmosphere surrounding Jay's alcove.
Jay noticed as the ninja passed. They were running around, checking the obvious shadows. Jay blinked as his mind cooled. I'm really tired. I'm going to stay cold for a while... I guess a nap couldn't hurt? Jay muffled his yawn as he made himself comfortable in the area he had.
Good night...
Notes:
I might end this book when Jay remembers everything. Probably for the best, as I have many ideas for how many memories he gets.
Chapter 7: Recall
Summary:
Jay remembers...everything.
I don't really know what else to add, so this is the final chapter.
Thank you for reading this far!
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Lloyd called out for his missing friend. Hide'n'seek ended a long time ago, and they hadn't yet found Jay. "Jay! Come out, please!"
He ran into his friend, Zane.
"Zane! Please tell me your heat scanners can find him." Lloyd demanded desperately.
Zane shook his head. "I'm sorry Lloyd. Jay messed with his body temperature and matches the heat of the room."
Lloyd's breath was shaky. "He can be seriously hurt if he doesn't fix it. It's cold enough in the monastery to catch a chill!"
Zane looked Lloyd in the eyes, and Lloyd could tell how much it hurt the nindroid.
Lloyd shook himself roughly. "I'll search high. I'll check every corner and alcove if I have to. You check the grounds." He took command over the situation to mend the mounting concern for his recently united friend.
Zane nodded and ran quickly. Lloyd took the cue to start searching in the rafters. Could this be where Jay was hiding in all those rounds? It would explain why he was never caught first.
Lloyd shivered at a sudden breeze. He paused swiftly. There can't be a breeze. We're indoors. It's either Morro has returned (unlikely) or...it's someone's breath. Lloyd spun around to see a silhouette in the shadows of a moderately-sized alcove.
Jay! Lloyd rushed to his friend's side. He noted that his breathing was slower than usual and his heartbeat had a soft thump every few seconds. The beats are taking longer and longer. I need Kai.
"Kai! Kai! I found Jay!" Lloyd shouted into the corridors.
Kai sped next to Lloyd after a few moments. "Why? What happened?"
Lloyd blazed through a swift explanation. "He's getting colder and needs the heat from your fire. Get Wyldfyre to help." Kai nodded and shouted to Zane to signal Wyldfyre over.
"Lay him flat, over here." Kai motioned to a low table.
Lloyd slowly released Jay's body on top of the table. "Will it work?"
Kai hesitated. "Probably... But I don't want to give you any false hope." With that short preamble, Kai proceeded to ignite his fists on fire and pressed them close enough to Jay so he could feel the heat, but not to get burned.
Lloyd waited for Wyldfyre with thinning patience.
Jay shifted ever so slightly.
------
Nya ran over at the news that they found Jay. He was also said to be awake.
She rushed quickly to check on her boyfriend.
"Nya?" Spoke his soft voice.
Nya knelt beside his bed, as he had been moved moments earlier to his room. "I'm here, Jay...I'm here."
Jay smiled and slowly sat up. Nya caught his waist to keep him from falling over or knocking on anything. Jay clasped a hand over hers, and used his other to gently caress Nya's cheek. Nya gasped and a tear fell at the familiar touch.
"Jay... I missed you so much." Nya murmured.
"Nya..." He said her name in a quiet whisper. "...I remember everything now. Absolutely everything. Even the memories Nadakhan thought I would lose."
Nya's brow puckered as the name gave her an unpleasant taste. "Nadakhan?"
Jay's expression darkened even if there was no physical change. "The djinn."
Nya remembered him too. "Ah. I remember. Him." She growled.
Jay whispered a few words. "Shhhh...it'll be alright. He's long gone thanks to the Merge. I remember everything, Nya. I can tell you as much as you like, but that might spoil a few surprises from my time."
Nya coughed on a startled laugh. "Really, Jay? I get your 'timed' puns now." She smiled at Jay's familiar teasing expression.
"Aww...c'mon Nya. Isn't it time you had fun?" Jay snickered.
Nya rolled her eyes and failed to hide her returning grin. "I get it, Jay."
Jay sobered slightly. "I think it's best to tell the others...maybe? I would enjoy going through my memories with you again. Before we talk to the other ninja."
Nya gave an answering smile as soft as his touch. "Yeah...I'd like that."
Notes:
I'm going to post another thing, and it will be a poll. I'm gonna leave it up for a while... The details will be in the chapter when I post it.
Ninjagoisthebomb on Chapter 6 Sun 16 Jun 2024 03:45PM UTC
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