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“It’s been three weeks,” Jay moped, knees tucked up to his chest. He sat in the corner of the couch, Kai sat leaning on the opposite arm.
“I mean, it hasn’t been that long.” Kai droned, although he was mostly preoccupied with his phone. Zane had been away for a few weeks now, looking for some sort of flower that was supposedly the best addition around for the perfect meditation tea. It was supposed to calm the mind, or something like that. Zane had given Cole a disapproving look when he had suggested just smoking some weed instead.
“He hasn’t even sent me any texts. The last one he sent me was a few days in,” Jay opened his messages and scrolled down despite there being no more to read, hoping that maybe if he tried hard enough, messages would appear.
“Come on, it’s Zane. He would’ve sent a beacon if he was in trouble. He’s probably just doing that thing where he meditates for way too long and hasn’t snapped out of it to text you.”
Jay didn’t answer, trying to send another text but only getting the same Failed to Deliver notification in response. He couldn’t even tell himself that Zane’s phone had died, since he was his phone. With a hefty sigh, he unfurled his legs and hoisted himself up.
“Where’re you going?” Kai watched as Jay fixed his wrinkled clothes, adjusting the waistband of his pants so it wasn’t so cockeyed.
“I’m going to go look for him. Even if he’s just up on that stupid mountain, at least I’ll know he’s okay and can tell him to stop ignoring me.”
“You can’t just go on your own!” Kai sputtered, and Jay shrugged.
“Fine. You come with me then,” Jay nodded, reaching forward and grabbing Kai’s forearm. “We’ll go, find him, and be back in like a few days tops.”
“Dude, seriously?”
“Yes, seriously. I am incredibly serious right now,” Jay continued to tug on Kai’s arm, brows furrowed. Kai stared at him for a long moment, taking in his worried eyes for the first time. Shit, he really was anxious, wasn’t he?
“Ugh. Fine. I’ll go with you to get your stupid boyfriend. Sensei’s not gonna be too happy though.”
“Sensei can stuff a sock in it, this is more important.”
“If you say so,” Kai sighed, but didn’t argue further. It was no use arguing with an anxious Jay. He gathered some supplies, like extra clothes, food, some basic hygiene items. He was no stranger to camping on missions, especially in the more remote areas, but he had no idea what he was getting into. This part of Northern Ninjago wasn’t somewhere they had ever gone, mostly because of the sheer lack of everything. People didn’t settle down in the Far North. It was cold, mountainous, and nothing grew there due to the soil being pure rocks. Zane, in his robotic glory, had simply decided to forgo eating for the time being, and had traveled up to the Far North with little apart from the clothes on his back. Kai would be lying if he told you he wasn’t jealous as he shoveled deodorant and all of his underwear into a bag. It was going to be freezing where they were going, so Kai grumbled as he donned a heavy coat, thick socks, and sturdy boots. He was particularly sensitive to the cold, being the Master of Fire, and going to a desolate landscape so cold it was uninhabitable was not on his bucket list.
Soon enough, him and Jay stood on the deck, each with a backpack stuffed with necessities and bundled in warm clothing. After a few quick farewells, they took off on Kai’s motorcycle, having deemed the plane a little too excessive for searching for one lone android. Plus, it gave Jay more opportunities to swivel his head back and forth, watching for one figure dressed in white sitting among the snow. Not quite an easy task, as it was perhaps the only location in Ninjago where Zane was actually camouflaged, but he would have to manage. It took a few hours to reach the part of the Far North where Zane said he would be, riding over rocks and hills and ground so dry the dust kicked up around the wheels of the motorcycle. Slowly, the temperature dropped, and the stray dirt was replaced with powdery snow, frozen ground slipping under Kai’s tires.
The pair rode around in the snow for a long time, Kai’s nose and ears stinging from the cold wind that wiggled its way beneath his mask and hood. Stray powder stuck to his gloves, damp and cold as it clung to the fabric. Kai hated the cold. Jay’s grip around his waist never faltered, the Lightning Ninja intent on searching until he found his boyfriend. Soon enough, the sun began to fall beneath the horizon, obscured by the thick swaths of grey clouds. The ninja didn’t know night was upon them until they were shrouded in darkness, Kai swearing under his breath as he lost sight of where his tracks had already been laid. He drove in what he thought was the direction of a few dry trees he had seen a bit ago, hoping to get some kindling for a fire before they were completely out of options.
Jay seemed to hold on tighter, as if it would imbue Kai’s navigation with luck. Or maybe he was just cold. Probably the second one, really. Just as Kai began to lose hope of finding any sort of material for a fire besides their own clothes, he thought he saw a faint light through the snow. It flickered in and out of view, but it was certainly the color of fire. He sped towards it, Jay trying to look around him to see what the hell he was heading for. Kai couldn’t tell what he was truly headed for until it was upon him, making his tires skid and slide as he hit his brakes hard.
Two lanterns swung in the wind, framing a bridge over violent, cold waters. Due to the storm, the other side was hazy, but Kai thought he saw more lights awaiting him. His gut was in knots, something about the place deeply upsetting his instincts, but he had no choice. It was the matter of freezing to death outside versus potentially dying somewhere warm.
Jay seemed to think the same, nodding in the direction of the bridge. The two began to cross, their frozen joints creaking and shuddering as their boots hit the wood. It was shockingly well maintained, suggesting habitation. Of course someone lives here , Kai thought to himself. Who else would have lit the fires?
At the end of the bridge, there was a gate. A large one, as big as the Bounty. There seemed to be no handles, ornate carvings decorating the wood with pictures of wild beasts that must reside in the frigid climate. Looking at their hulking forms, Kai sincerely hoped that whoever lived inside would be willing to let two idiots stay the night.
Seeing no other option, he knocked. So quickly it made him and Jay jump back, the doors flew inwards, silent on their hinges despite the speed. Tensing at the potential of someone greeting them, both ninjas’ hands flew to their weapons in their holsters. There was indeed someone in front of them, and their eyes zeroed in on the figure.
The being in front of them was short. Very short. About half the height of a regular human, Kai would wager. It was wearing all black clothes, torso and legs wrapped in fabric so dark it seemed to suck up all of the light around it, hiding it in its folds. Its fingers were cloaked in silk gloves of a similar hue, and thick metal bands wrapped around crimson lights covering one of its eyes. The other eye glowed the same shade of red against its similarly-dark skin, far darker than any natural shade Kai or Jay had seen. All three beings stared at each other, the hearts of the humans beating wildly at the sight of this strange creature before them. Oh FSM , Kai thought. This is how I die.
“Welcome,” The creature spoke, its voice human yet not human at all. “To Elisium.”
Neither ninja spoke, for the first time looking beyond the humanoid standing before them. They were standing in the great hall of what looked like a castle, complete with stained glass windows, torches in between them, ornate rugs, and doors presumably leading to other parts of the building. At the far end, there was a throne. A few vaguely-person shaped figures stood around it, but from this distance it was impossible to tell who.
“Um, thank you,” Jay stammered, lost in the grandeur. “What exactly is this place?”
“Elisium is our home, give to us by our Lady.” The being explained, and Kai and Jay shared a glance.
“Can we meet with your Lady? We got caught in the storm and would really appreciate being able to stay,” Kai explained, already edging down the hall. Surely one of those figures was this ‘Lady’ person. Maybe she looked more normal than this strange being.
“Of course. Our Lady would be delighted to meet visitors,” The thing in front of them turned on its heels and spun a perfect 180°, beginning to march towards the end of the hall. Kai and Jay followed, shivering as their bodies warmed up from the cold. The fires lining the walls were helping, but both ninja were looking forward to potentially staying in a nice, plush castle bed…
As they approached, they became less confident in the normalcy of the rest of the occupants. A few of the figures that they could see were cloaked in the same pitch black attire with the same ultra-dark skin, all of their eyes glowing a bright red which cast an eerie glow over their cheeks.
One in the middle, however, looked different. She was silver, her eyes a brilliant emerald green. She looked at the humans with curiosity, purple lines contouring her face pinching with concentration as she scanned over them from where she was standing next to the throne. Her dress hung still in the air, a few inches off the ground. It was the same shade of purple as the lines that danced down her arms.
“More visitors?” She wondered out loud, her voice soft and mellow like spring rain. She paced down the few steps down to the trio at the foot of the staircase, and Kai felt like he couldn’t breathe under her gaze. “Why are you here?”
It took him a few seconds to remember how to speak.
“We got lost in the storm, and were wondering if you would spare us a room, ma’am,” Kai asked, having to force the words out of his throat. Jay seemed to still be struck speechless. What was going on?
She didn’t right away, looking back and forth between the two. Her gaze lingered on Jay for ever so slightly longer each time, her eyes boring into him and nestling into his brain. With a bounce in her step, she turned to look at the one figure remaining on the top step, its face hidden beneath the shadow of a large white cloak.
“The one in blue is rather cute, don’t you agree, Beloved?”
“I always agree with you, my Lady,” The figure said, and Jay’s breath caught in his throat when Zane’s eyes glittered in the light as he tilted his head to stare adoringly at his Lady.
“Zane?” Jay exhaled, and Zane narrowed his eyes as he shifted his gaze away from the woman.
“You are mistaken,” He replied plainly, stepping down to stand next to her. He removed the hood, reassuring Jay that he was certainly not mistaken. “My name is Beloved.”
“Beloved?” Kai wrinkled his nose, and the Lady frowned.
“I do not like this one as much,” She hooked an arm around Zane’s, his expression returning to absolutely beaming at the physical contact. “The one in blue is much more tempered and nice to look at.”
“Za- Um, Beloved, what are you doing here?” Jay pointedly ignored the comments made by the Lady. “And why are you making lovey eyes at her!”
“You come into my Lady’s castle and begin to question her? Your audacity surprises and disappoints me,” Zane bristled, and Kai and Jay noticed the tell-tale signs of ice shards forming underneath his fingers. Being on the receiving end of an Ice Elemental’s attacks would not be a nice way to end a peaceful evening, and Kai shuffled back nervously. Jay didn’t move, perhaps still believing that Zane would recognize him and cease his threat.
“Oh Beloved,” She giggled, leaning her head on his shoulder for a brief moment. “You’re so adorable when you’re protecting me.”
“Zane, come on! It’s me, Jay!” The Lightning Ninja stepped forward, putting himself only a few feet from the pair in front of him. “You’re not some random girl’s Beloved! Don’t you remember me at all?”
The Lady stepped to Jay, holding his chin in her hand like he was a whining child. Her skin was freezing cold, like Zane’s after he used his powers for a while. Jay watched as Zane’s eyes darkened at the affectionate display and at the emotional outburst. His eyes flit from her hand to Jay’s face so quickly that Jay would’ve missed it had he not been staring.
“Cease this inane chatter. You are not making any sense.”
“I’m making plenty of sense, you’re the one who’s acting like a prick!” Jay shoved aside her hand, making Zane’s nose scrunch in disgust.
“Well that wasn’t very nice,” She giggled, returning to stand next to Zane.
“My Lady, they have disrespected you. Should they not be justly punished for their actions?” He reached into one side of his cloak, and Jay felt a shiver run through him as the blade of a sword glinted from underneath. She seemed to contemplate this option.
“My apologies, miss,” Kai stammered, pulling Jay away from her. “We’re cold and very tired, we’re not thinking straight. He must’ve confused your Beloved for someone else.”
She seemed to buy this. Zane did not. Jay didn’t seem to agree with him either, but attempted to switch his tone to one of feebleness and frailty, which failed to completely mask the anger underneath.
“Please, my Lady, let us stay the night. We won’t cause any trouble, we just want a place to sleep.”
She looked over at Zane, who met her gaze with a shake of his head. She turned to Kai and nodded with a smile.
“You may stay the night. Especially if it means I get to see this cutie for a while longer,” She cooed at Jay before giggling to herself, and Kai could have sworn he saw her hair grow even longer as it bounced. If looks could kill, he was sure Jay would’ve been shot, stabbed, hanged, and frozen solid by Zane in the few beats after her words.
“Mindroid?” She turned to face the small being that had brought them over. “Please escort our friends to one of the guest rooms.”
“Of course, my Lady,” The small maybe-android bowed, and began walking down one of the adjacent halls. Kai and Jay hurried after, only glancing back to see Zane staring disdainfully at them as they walked away, the Lady waving cheerfully before turning back to her Beloved.
Both walked in silence behind the droid, not wanting to say anything in earshot of someone who would certainly report back to Zane. Kai glanced over at his friend, who was deep in thought. His eyes traced the lines in the ground as they trailed behind Mindroid, his brain racing with what Kai was sure were many questions.
The floor itself got more ornate as they walked, the wood twisting into patterns and swirls, creeping up the walls into tapestries woven with golden thread. Candles on the wall turned to chandeliers hanging overhead. How on Earth did their Lady have this sort of money or resources out here in the Far North?
Abruptly, Mindroid stopped walking, parking itself in front of a dark wooden door.
“This is your room, sirs,” It stepped aside as it opened the door, allowing Kai and Jay to enter. Jay stormed in without a second thought, leaving Kai to thank the android before following him in. The bedroom was beautiful, like a 5 star hotel on steroids. Dual queen beds with lavish sheets, stained glass art hanging from the ceiling, a soft shag rug under their feet, and best of all to Kai was the bathroom door that gave way to the most tempting shower. Hot water!
The door shut behind them as the droid bid them goodnight, and there were a few blissful beats of silence before Jay turned to Kai.
“What the fuck?” Was all the Lightning Ninja could say. He let this question ring in Kai’s ears for a few moments as he threw his things down on one of the beds. “What- I don’t even know what to ask!”
“I dunno either, man,” Kai sighed, doing the same to the other bed. “This is weird. Really weird.”
“Was his memory switch screwed with or something? Shouldn’t he be a bit more lost and confused if it was?” Jay rambled, more talking to himself than to Kai. “I should’ve gotten rid of it back when we learned about it, now look where we are! He’s calling himself Beloved and acting all mushy towards this random chick who’s totally creepy and weirdly into me.”
Kai ran a hand through his hair, head shaking in disbelief.
“Yeah. I don’t know. I think we should go to bed, though. Not much use obsessing over it now. We can try and figure more out in the morning.”
Jay didn’t reply, but started shedding his outer layers of clothing. Kai went to rinse off, the unease of the situation forming a pit in his stomach. He was sure Jay felt even worse. He tried to shake the feelings as he stepped into the admittedly wonderful shower, warm water cascading over his skin.
We’ll figure out what’s going on with Zane tomorrow , he told himself, letting his hair fall flat against his face, waterlogged. And then we can get the hell out of here.
Both ninjas’ sleep was restless. The beds were far softer than anything they were used to, it was too quiet in the desolate North, and the confusion and worry for Zane made it incredibly hard to fall and stay asleep.
When the pair decided it was late enough to rise, they made their way to where they came in, hoping that someone there could direct them to wherever there was food. Luckily, the same guard (or was it the same one?) was there to point them in the direction of the dining room. As Kai walked next to Jay, who had barely spoken a word all morning, he watched the hall around them. He could’ve sworn he didn’t remember there being this much space in the castle when they approached.
Eventually the pair reached the dining area, and were greeted by a long table, where the Lady and Zane sat on one end, her at the head and him right at her side. She looked over and smiled warmly at the pair as they entered, gesturing to the seats on the opposite side of the table.
“Good morning,” Kai greeted, and Jay sat across from Zane before he could even move. Zane narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, placing a hand over that of his Lady.
“Good morning you two,” She grinned, pushing a plate of pastries towards them. “Go ahead and eat up! We wouldn’t want you going hungry.”
Kai wanted to wait to appear like he wasn’t so desperate, but the clawing hunger in his stomach compelled him to reach out and grab one, biting into it before he could even rest it on his plate. To his relief, it was just a blueberry danish.
“How did you sleep, Dear?” She asked Jay, gaze focused on him. He sputtered at the pet name.
“Um, fine,” He lied. “But I’m not your dear. I have a boyfriend.”
Kai stiffened, his mouth frozen around his pastry. She raised an eyebrow, Zane seemed to actually smirk , an expression not usually held by the gentle Ice Ninja. The expression was deeply unsettling when worn by him.
“A boyfriend? Oh my,” She leaned back in her chair. “Is it the one sitting next to you? Because that can be easily fixed.”
“No no, no,” Kai stammered, spitting out his breakfast in his haste. “We are not together. No way.”
Both the Lady and Zane stared at them. Jay could practically see the numbers flying in front of Zane’s eyes as he tried to determine where the truth lies, if it was worth not going through his Lady and instead simply freezing them to death where they sit.
“I’m sure it’s not that serious,” Kai suggested, trying to prevent himself from becoming a human popsicle in the next five minutes. “Jay, you're polyamorous, right?”
“Oh yeah,” Jay lied once more. “You know me. Harem master.”
“Then this ‘boyfriend’ is of no issue,” She rested her head in her hands, her hair falling to one side. It would’ve been sweet had there not been murderous intent dripping from her words like poison.
“My Lady, are you seriously considering this boy?” Zane spoke up for the first time, gesturing with one hand towards Jay. “He appears to be young, both in physical form and in mentality. Certainly not someone matched for your grace.”
“That’s what makes him so charming,” She batted her eyelashes at Jay, which were impressively long. How had he not noticed them before? It was almost enough to make up for the fact that his boyfriend just implied that he looks like he’s 12. “He’s a breath of fresh air, he’s a wonderful prize.”
Oddly enough, at the mention of the word prize, Zane seemed to relax almost entirely. His shoulders fell loose, and his gaze towards Jay turned almost soft. His stomach erupted with butterflies as he locked eyes with his boyfriend.
“Prize?” Kai asked, wary of the change.
“Oh, it’s just another term of endearment I give my most favorite ones,” She giggled, and Zane swapped his gaze to her, warm and loving. Kai didn’t feel right, but didn’t question her any further. Suddenly, she stood, her dress filling out around her. “Now, I must excuse myself. I have other things to attend to. Come along, Beloved!”
And thus Zane trailed her as she left like a well trained dog, leaving Kai and Jay to ponder the interaction over their food.
“I’m even more confused now,” Jay admitted, taking a pastry for himself. “What even was all of that?”
“Dunno,” Kai picked his up once more. “But honestly, I’m too hungry. Eat now, talk later.”
And so both resumed eating, not noticing that somehow the plate they were taking their breakfast from never seemed to run empty, and the pitchers holding the freshest water they had ever tasted never seemed to run dry.
Kai and Jay strolled the castle when they were done eating. Both walked in silence, not entirely sure what they were searching for. That is, until some muffled voices from a room they were passing made them both stop in their tracks.
“My Lady, it pains me that you think to give him as much of your heart as you do to me. Am I not your Beloved if I am so replaceable?”
“You are not replaceable, Beloved. You know how greedy I am.”
“Then prove it to me, my Lady. I believe your love to be true but your hunger for this boy fills my soul with dread.”
“If it would placate your soul, I would mold the world to your liking. Of course I will prove it to you.”
“Thank you, my Lady.”
It was difficult to hear afterwards, but Kai and Jay barely had time to consider these words before a new voice broke them out of their thoughts.
“Do not believe her. Proving devotion to those that love her is a task she has never undergone.”
They whipped around, and the voice belonged to a guard very similar to the ones they had already seen. The only difference being that this one was tall, about the same size as Kai. He still had those eerie, glowing red eyes.
“Come with me. I will explain as much as I know to you.”
Kai and Jay nodded, not daring to say a word while so close to the Lady and her threats. He led them down a few more hallways, until they were surrounded by quiet. The floor seemed to shift and warp under their feet, wood patterns swirling in infinitely changing patterns.
“My name is Cryptor. I am a former Beloved of the Lady, and now serve as a mere footsoldier in her domain.”
“Former lover?” Kai asked, although he already feared he knew the answer.
“Former, yes. I am newly transformed, she discarded me when her new Beloved arrived. He was spotted on the outskirts of her lands during a bad storm, and brought inside. She fell in love with him upon sight, and he has replaced me as her Beloved. She has enchanted him, although in a different way to me. I fear you are next, if she is already discussing proving her devotion to him.”
“If we don’t get out of here, I’m going to be like you?” Jay gulped, his cheeks paling at the thought. Cryptor nodded.
“Escaping will not be easy. The palace bends to her will. You will only leave if she wills you to.”
“What do you mean, it ‘bends to her will’?” Kai furrowed his eyebrows, and Cryptor gestured to the floor.
“This land is not real. This is not wood, and the walls are not bricks. She has created these cavernous rooms with her own mind, and they contain the lovers of years past within their confines.”
“How do we escape then?” Jay looked at the windows, noticing for the first time that there appeared to be no scenery or even a sky beyond them, simply emptiness.
“There is one way,” Cryptor nodded, reaching to his hand and pulling off three bands of metal. Each one had a small stone embedded. “These are rings laden with vengestone. Wear them, and they will allow you to see through the cracks in her illusions. You can find the path to escape through its gaze.”
“So if we can force Za- her Beloved through an exit with us, will he go back to normal?”
“Only those who choose can sift through her lies. Give him a ring, and he alone will decide if he wishes to see.”
“Awesome,” Kai grumbled. “So we have to convince him to put it on? We can’t just force him to wear it?”
“I am afraid not.”
“Then how are we going to get him away from her?” Jay asked, slipping one of the rings onto his finger. He looked back at the window, and he could see clouds floating in the bright blue sky that was visible through the bars.
“He is enchanted himself, and part of this enchantment is undying devotion. He will not leave her of his own will. She must leave him first.”
“So we give her a new toy,” Kai nodded, turning to Jay. “Ready to be straight again, loverboy?”
“I only dated Nya for a few months!” Jay elbowed him, Kai’s words sinking in after he processed the jab. “And you think that’ll work? Me kissing up to her?”
“Well, it’s all we got right now,” Kai shrugged. “Unless you have any better ideas.”
“No, I don’t,” Jay huffed. “Thanks for your help, Cryptor. But one more thing is confusing me. If you have the rings, why don’t you just leave?”
“I have nowhere to go. I was enchanted by the Lady for years. Even if I did flee the palace walls, I would have no one to flee to.”
“I’m sure you could find somewhere,” Kai offered, putting a ring on his own finger. As he did, the colors of the rugs under their feet seemed to dim.
“Maybe one day,” Cryptor nodded. “Now go, save your friend and leave this wretched place.”
Jay and Kai didn’t see Zane and his Lady for another few hours. He was once again trailing behind her like a dog on a leash, taking care never to fall more than a few paces out of step. She skipped happily along, striding over to Jay to take his hands in hers upon seeing him.
“Hello there, Dear,” She cooed, swinging their joint fingers side to side. Jay was incredibly grateful he had the foresight to take the ring off before exiting Cryptor’s sight, fearing being turned into an emotionless soldier otherwise. “How has your walk around the castle been?”
“It’s been very nice,” Jay stammered, his heart pounding in his chest. “And, um, I’m sorry about earlier. You are very lovely, and maybe we can give this a chance.”
Her reaction of joy and excited chatter should have reassured Jay. After all, she was the one threatening to get rid of him earlier. However, her elation did not match Zane’s shock, his eyes widening as he reached out to put a hand on her shoulder.
“My Lady, this is a sudden change of events,” He tried to gently pull her away, but she did not budge. “Surely you wish to go a little more slowly, to savor the experience?”
Kai suppressed the urge to snicker to Jay, as Zane was a horrible liar. She seemed not to notice, or at least not to care.
“No need,” She giggled, tugging Jay in the same direction she was already headed. “Come along, you can sit with me in the courtyard!”
“My Lady-” Zane tried to hold onto her dress, but the silken fabric slipped through his fingers. “We were just about to…”
He stopped once it was painfully obvious that she was no longer listening. Kai bridged the gap between them with a few steps, admittedly feeling sorry for him, even if he was entirely brainwashed.
“Hey, buddy,” Kai said softly, reaching out to pat him on the back. “I’m sorry. She shouldn’t have ditched you like that.”
Zane looked at him with all the hurt in the world in his eyes, but quickly shook his head, breaking away.
“I- I am sure she did not intend to damage me. My Lady is too good for that. I will tend to other affairs,” He turned and began to walk away, not acknowledging anything else. Kai hummed a goodbye, and, despite the brevity, reveled in a successful first step.
Zane had cracked. He stuck with his Lady whenever he could, but seeing her newly-returned affection for Jay was digging into the fault-lines of her illusions. She fed Jay strawberries over lunch, the cold air somehow perfectly still and absent of the biting wind that had driven them inside the previous night. She held his hand and walked side-by-side, Zane continuing to trail behind, close on her heels. When they ate dinner, she fixed all of her attention on him. It seemed as though her promise to devote herself to her Beloved was falling through rather quickly, Kai observed as he sipped tea out of a porcelain mug. All that she was proving was that her affection was fleeting and flippant, able to be won over by a shiny new fixation.
And a fixation Jay was. Kai had to admit himself that Jay was doing a surprisingly good job of performing, even as his actual boyfriend shot daggers with his eyes from across the way. However, without the permission of his Lady, Kai felt relatively at ease that Zane was not about to shoot any sort of ice spike through Jay’s chest.
“My Lady,” Zane began, strained. “Should we retire for the evening? It is getting late. We would not want to keep our guests awake longer than they desire.”
“Oh, I can stay awake longer,” Jay retorted immediately, “One night of less sleep won’t hurt me.”
Kai could’ve sworn he saw Zane’s jaw stiffen. “Welp, I’m going to hit the hay,” He stretched. “You can always come with, Beloved. Hang out with me instead.”
Zane’s eyes flickered back and forth between Kai and his Lady, who wasn’t even looking at him. She was still focused on Jay, complimenting his resilience and already chattering about who-knows-what. With as much of a huff as Zane is capable of giving, he turned back to Kai.
“Very well. If you desire company, it is well within my duties to provide such a service to our guests,” He stood, extending a hand. He was rather regal, Kai thought as he accepted the help up, Zane’s gloved hand not as cold as his normal bare skin. The magic seemed to have erased whatever speech filter he used to not sound so purely robotic around the ninja, and it only added to the eerie feeling of talking to a complete stranger rather than one of his best friends.
As the two walked down the hall towards the guest rooms, one thing still held true: An upset Zane was a broody Zane.
He walked stiffly beside Kai, barely even looking up to see if he was about to hit a wall. Maybe the enchantment made him in-tune with his surroundings enough where he didn’t need to look. Regardless, they reached the guest room soon enough, but Zane merely continued to pace around as Kai gathered what could be counted as pajamas from his bag.
“So, about your Lady-”
“My Lady has done nothing wrong,” He interrupted quickly, almost automatically. “She is well within her right to pursue your friend.”
“Sure, she’s allowed to, but are you fine with it?”
Zane didn’t comment, but paused in his walking. Kai sat down on the bed.
“It does not matter what I think, she is my Lady. My purpose is to be hers,” Zane recited, but his voice wavered. If the scenario was at all normal, Kai would’ve reached out and wrapped him in a hug, but he merely stayed still and watched the emotional display in front of him. “I- That’s what I was made for. That is my purpose.”
“Your purpose is to be hers?” Kai echoed. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“But why?”
Zane didn’t answer for a little bit, words tumbling around in his head like debris caught in a hurricane. By the time the storm quieted, the pause had been too long to pass off as purposeful.
“I am hers because she is mine,” He said simply, and Kai bit his lip to avoid screaming in response. “I am devoted to her as she is to me.”
“She’s not devoted to you,” Kai retaliated, the words coming out a little harsher than he intended. “She’s using you, she’s already moving on. You’re being lied to.”
“Lied to?” Zane scrunched his nose, tone incredulous. “She has not lied to me. My Lady does not lie.”
“Beloved,” Kai sighed, gesturing with his hands to the walls. “This whole palace is a lie. There are objects which allow you to see through her magic.”
Kai held up his hand, showing the ring which glittered on his finger. The black stones embedded seemed to hum as they took in and destroyed the illusions dancing in front of his eyes. Zane eyed this skeptically.
“If the castle is a lie, then what are we standing on? Is it the frozen ground below? Is the heat from the lit torches a farce? Is the food that we eat nothing but air?” He seemed to grow enraged, reaching out and scraping splinters of wood from the wall with his nails.
“I don’t know,” Kai admitted. “But I do know that you have a life beyond this. You just have to want to see it for yourself.”
His words rung in the air, filling the cracks in the silence left by the two men. Zane shut his eyes, presumably trying to think through the information with as much outside stimulus as possible. A strategy Kai had only seen Zane employ when he was truly overwhelmed.
When his eyes finally opened, he was resigned. He held out his hand for the ring, and Kai pulled the second one out of his pocket. Zane took the metal and slid it on his finger, freezing up near instantaneously. His pupils dilated, fingers twitching ever so slightly as he was overloaded by the ring’s influence. When he locked eyes with Kai again, his expression was horrified.
“Kai. You- Where- Where’s Jay?”
“Welcome back, Zane,” Kai said dryly, but Zane didn’t seem to appreciate the sentiment. “And no idea. You know as much as I do.”
“Shit,” Zane swore in a rare moment for him, running his hands down his face. “We have to determine where her powers are coming from. We can save him and everyone else trapped here.”
“You don’t think it’s all her?” Kai asked, standing up and stretching, ready for some good ol’ ninja patrolling.
“Even a Master of Illusion isn’t this powerful on her own,” Zane said bitterly. “Seducing dozens of innocents while also manipulating physical material as large as a castle is beyond the abilities of even the most in-tune with their abilities without an amplifier.”
“What would an amplifier look like?”
“Not sure, but with her confidence, it is most likely conspicuous. She seems to not be intimidated by outside threats.”
“Well, that’s good, at least,” Kai shrugged, desperately wanting to ask why he looked so panicked. However, that could wait until after they were out of the clutches of a bizarre elemental master. “So let’s get looking then, eh?”
“Yes,” Zane nodded, moving to the door. “Don’t worry about the servants. They won’t question anything if not directed to by her.”
Both ninja began to traverse the halls, poking into the rooms surrounding them. Unsurprisingly, most doors opened to nothing, stone walls blocking the way to what should be empty rooms. They hid behind doors when they heard her voice, despite how much Zane desperately wanted to burst out and rescue his boyfriend from her. Kai was just glad to see the murderous expression directed at someone that wasn’t him.
“I’m trying to think,” Zane mumbled out of nowhere, eyes scrunched shut. “I know I’ve seen most of the castle. But everything with her is so obscured. It’s fuzzy and hidden, almost as if it’s covered in static.”
Kai didn’t say anything, just walking by his side. Suddenly, Zane stopped, frozen to the spot.
“There,” Zane whipped his head to the side, staring through an unremarkable door. As Kai looked closer, he saw that the doorknob was slightly more ornate, the shimmering effect over-top of the decorations telling Kai that without the rings, it would’ve looked much different. “Something is behind there.”
Kai raised an eyebrow at the statement, but knew better than to cast any of Zane’s judgments aside without probing.
“Was that a memory, or…?”
“Vision,” Zane mumbled, turning the doorknob. Kai braced himself, and inside there lay one simple vase on top of a pedestal. It was dark brown in color, made of some sort of terracotta. Zane walked over and picked it up, turning it over in his hands. “Take off your ring for a moment, Kai. Tell me what this looks like. I fear for what would happen if I were to remove mine instead.”
Kai did as he was asked, and the vase suddenly exploded to life with beautiful patterns of all types, etchings and carvings swirling around the now marble-glazed pot.
“Yeah,” He exhaled, staring at the pottery. “That’s definitely something important. Real fancy and shit.”
Zane hummed to himself, tucking the vase under his arm.
“Alright then, I will bring this with us. Go and fetch yours and Jay’s belongings from your room, I fear that you will not be able to return there afterwards.”
Once Kai had gone and dragged both of their heavy bags down the hallway and met Zane, they tucked the pot into Kai’s bag before making their way towards where the Lady and Jay were most likely to be.
They reached the courtyard quickly, the pair sitting on a bench towards the center. The Lady beamed at the sight of Zane, turning to face him. While she did so, Kai subtly gestured for Jay to get off the bench, which Jay did very quickly after seeing that his boyfriend was no longer completely enamored by this woman. For all of Zane’s virtues, the ability to hide his emotions from his expressions was not one of them.
“My Lady,” Zane said curtly, tilting his head back. “I am giving you this chance to let your servants go of your own free will before we take matters down a more forceful route.”
Her face fell, the smile perpetually plastered on her face fading away to a scowl.
“So you have broken free?” She said quietly, not at all a question despite the phrasing. Zane didn’t answer, still staring her down. “Fine then. You three shall join my staff if you cannot be the subjects of my love.”
With a loud crack , some sort of purple magic erupted from her fingertips, but Zane merely blocked it with the fist that had the ring, the light flowing harmlessly around him. Fumbling, Kai opened his bag to pull out the vase, Jay watching in confusion as he lifted it up to show Zane. The Ice Ninja looked back, nodded, and the Lady shrieked as Kai slammed it to the ground, the terracotta shattering into dozens of pieces. Kai had braced himself for magic to shoot out in all directions, but to his surprise, nothing of that caliber happened. Instead, the castle began to shake, the fancy wallpaper and candles peeling and melting off the walls. The floor sunk into stone, and the ornate doors faded into blank panels of wood.
In the blink of an eye, the once royal palace was reduced to a mass of stone and plain wood, cold and unforgiving in the Northern climate. Even Zane felt a shiver up his spine. The Lady remained, huddled in a modest cotton dress in the middle of the dried up courtyard. Zane paced over to her, and Kai held his breath, preparing to shield his eyes from a gruesome scene.
Instead, he held out his hand.
“My lady,” He said plainly to her. She looked up to him, trembling. “I do not wish you harm. Please.”
“Beloved?” She asked, voice shaking. He shook his head.
“No. Zane.”
Kai looked around, and found that the once-servants were peering through the holes in the walls where ornate stained glass once stood.
“Despite your actions, I believe you can build a true life for yourself here, not one built on deception. Look around you,” He gestured to the onlookers. “Those that have once loved you surround you. Perhaps if you showed the you I spent the last few weeks with, you can be loved without the enchantment.”
She made no comment, merely sniffled from her place crumpled on the floor. He rescinded his hand, and turned back to Kai and Jay with an apathetic shrug.
“Shall we take our leave?”
As soon as they were away from the castle, Jay wrapped his boyfriend in a massive hug.
“Ohmygod I missed you so much,” He whined, his head buried in Zane’s chest. “I was so worried when you didn’t text me back but Kai tried to stop me from going to find you and-”
“I missed you too, Jay,” Zane hugged back, amused by the rambling. “Well, I missed you as long as I was not enchanted, anyway.”
“How long was that?” Kai asked, trying to tug his teammates along. He was cold and tired and hungry and the Bounty with his own bed sounded so good right now.
“About two weeks,” Zane managed to peel Jay off of him, resuming his walking. “I didn’t even manage to find my flowers…”
“Well, Cole’s got another kind of flower for you if you want it,” Kai smirked, earning a conjured snowball thrown right at his head. “Hey, just sayin’!”
“Did you actually mean what you said to her, Zane?” Jay asked, still hanging onto his arm. “I mean, she had just kept you hostage for a while. I was surprised you were so nice.”
“She was a decent conversationalist when it was just the two of us. At least I think she was,” He pondered. “It is admittedly hard to tell what my own judgment is at this point.”
“We can unpack your brainwash trauma when we get home,” Kai grumbled, this time earning a non-conjured snowball thrown at him from Jay.
“Alright, alright,” Zane laughed, pressing a kiss to his boyfriend’s forehead. “That’s enough. Let us head home, genuinely this time. I presume riding in Jay’s jet will result in a much sooner arrival time than us walking.”
“Got that right,” Jay nodded, taking his nunchucks out from his bag, the weapon still wrapped in the storage cloth.
“And Zane?” Kai looked over and met the Ice Ninja’s inquisitive gaze. “You owe me big time for this rescue operation.”
Zane sighed silently, but nodded.
“Yes, yes, I will compensate you adequately. If we have the means to do so, I will make you chicken curry for dinner, how is that?”
“Fuck yeah,” Kai fist pumped.
“Okay, okay, let’s do this,” Jay gripped his nunchucks in both hands, the electricity crackling between them. The other two ceased the bickering, and climbed in the jet once it was summoned, eager to return home and leave the illusionist and her castle far, far behind.