Do you remember? (A Ninjago Jaya fan fiction)

Chapter 21 - Don't give up (part 2)

Speeding back into chaos, the young men kept their eyes peeled on the road ahead. Without uttering a word, both had the sense that this was more than they could handle, this supernatural force could probably subdue them in a flash. It was folly. But they couldn't lose Jay, or at least they couldn't not try to save him even if it ended in a major catastrophe. That is how they'd always worked. Bursting head first into danger, thinking about it later. This method worked out alright. Most of the time.

A heavy metal guitar riff interrupted the similar thoughts shared by both occupants of the car and Lloyd's name appeared on the screen of Cole's phone before he picked it up.
"Lloyd, sup."
"Are you guys down there in the city?"
"We are."
"Great, Jay's with you right?"
"Yeah, sort of."
"What do you mean?"
"We were with him a couple of minutes ago. We're getting him back."
"Where is he? At the beach? Oh bloody hell! Wu's gonna kill me! No he's gonna kill YOU!Why did you leave him down there?"
"I can't talk now. See you."
"No no no, don't hang up on me. We could see the electric activity from the monastery, it's huge!"
"Take a selfie."
"What are you on about?
"Sorry Lloyd, we don't have time for this sh*t... So if you're going to keep on pestering me like my dad, cheerio !"
"Don't hang up, Pixar and I are coming as back up, don't do anything stupid in the meantime."
"You know us."
"I do, that's why I'm scared."
"Alright, we'll be careful, see you there, I can already see the beach down the road. "

"Alright but what you do, don't and..........."

Cole pressed the red button without waiting for the end of Lloyd's sentence. He knew he'd only advice him to wait. He couldn't wait, he wouldn't wait. His friend was down there and he was going to lose him again. Maybe this time for ever. Maybe their fellowship of boys turned ninjas turned men turned brothers in arms will be broken beyond repair. They'll never be the same again.

"Yeah whatever."

"You're not going to wait for him?"

"I'm not."

"You got a plan?"

"Not the slightest."

"Ooook. So what now?"

"I don't know, we'll improvise. We're ninjas right. We'll find something. Look ! There is something above the water, it's gigantic !"

"Stop the car, stop ! It's Nya again ! It's the electric snake from before, she's back !"

"She's got Jay. She's got Jay in her jaw !"

Panic took the best of them and Cole, eyes locked on the scene unrolling in front of him, brought the car to a brutal stop, almost crashing it in the parapet of the parking lot. Kai had already bursted out, sprinting to the beach with the most desperate energy. He didn't know what to do but he couldn't stay and devise for a plan while the situation was that critical. What his intention was more than fuzzy, he just thought he had to be there, he had to do something.

They were back to square one but this time, Jay's power was not part of the equation.

The young man was trying to get out of the reptile's grip and from the shore, Kai could hear his indistinct grunting and wailing while the creature was wriggling and shaking him senseless. The master of lightning was trying to fight his way out with rage, with force.

Kai cupped his hands around his mouth: "Nyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyya !!!!!!! Let go of him !!!!!" Although the snake of storm was crackling and hissing, causing Cole, who had followed up in Kai's steps, to cover his ears and wince in pain, Kai howled as loud as he could, ignoring the piercing pain in his eardrums.

But he was only as big as small as a gold fish lost in the vast and wild ocean compared to the leviathan. He needed to catch its attention therefore he picked up a rock and threw it in its direction. The stone went through the slim and curling body without causing any stir or damage but his desperate shouting reached Jay's ears. For a split second, the victim stopped wrestling the monster who tightened its bite on him, causing him to let out a terrible cry, to his friends' horror.

"No, no, no, no !!! Nya, Nya ! I know you're still here ! I will... I will fight for you, Nya !" Kai's broken voice betrayed his hopelessness.

The creature didn't seem to care or listen. Kai jumped in the water and, lifting his hands above his head, summoned an incredibly powerful blaze which englobed his whole body. With as much strength as his mental state could muster, the Master of Fire produced from his deepest innards an incredible firestorm that blinded the whole world orange and white. It swirled out of his eyes and, stemmed from his wrath, from his brotherly love, engulfed the dragon wholly. It horribly twitched, shaking Jay back and forth with it.

On the sand, Cole was calling out to him and although he could hear him distincly, his brain refused to process any rational advice of any kind. His power would not defeat it but it would allow him to save Jay from the deadly jaws at least.

The human torch rose from the water and levitated in front of the sea beast whose attention seemed to transfer to the tiny orange and red flame down below. The incandescent energy grew bigger and larger and filled the sky with vibrant colours and glowing embers. The monster recoiled and let out a frightening whizzing sound of pain but it didn't let go of its pray.

The determination in Kai's mind though immense, started to falter. Still, he held on and cast the most gigantic blaze on the dark Ninjago City backdrop, creating magical swirls of yellow and purple in the sky. The heat wave instantly affected all life forms around. The scorching was suddenty so intense that Cole had to immerse himself in water. Small scrubs lining the road up the beach began to wither, palm trees suddenly grew brown and beaten. The air itself was incandescent and tinted in a barren ochre hue. Treacherous winds started to blow and carried the dry draft to farther parts of the city.

The fire collided with the water body of the beast and provoked violent jerking and monstrous pain to it. However Kai's energy started to recede dangerously while his mind went blank and all he could do was focus on the happy memories of his dear sister, in a desperate hope of an unprobable reunion.
He started panting for air that wasn't there anymore around him. The fire he had summoned was slowly searing his face and entering his lungs which tore up with each inhalation.

Kai opened his eyes and saw the sea serpent was affected too by his mighty blaze, wriggling and yanking Jay left and right. Why didn't it let him go ? Could he fight a few minutes more, a few seconds? He tried to gather in his core all the energy of love and despair he had left. It rose from his pit to his head, more flames sprung from his hair.

At that point, Kai was ready for the ultimate sacrifice. There was nothing else to do. Maybe it was all meant to be. He had devised times and times again that he, himself, his own body, his own vital energy could be the most lethal weapon. Now was the moment. There was no doubt in him anymore. What for? It wouldn't change the outcome one bit. He would die but it had to be attempted.

Fire and water were complementary elements after all. Destroying one with the other seemed rather rational enough to him. Maybe they would negate one another too. It was a chance or a risk to take.

And as his whole being, body and soul, built up inside, ready to fill the entire universe with blaze and destruction, a massive surge of green and purple energy passed above Kai's head with a deafening whizzing sound. The fantastic mass of air it moved unbalanced Kai who had no choice but to bend over instinctively in a move of self preservation.

The monster was struck in the head and its seething howl made every witness shudder and cover their ears in distress. It slithered and twitched and chucked Jay's body away, which bounced heavily on the sand to Kai and Cole's helpless surprise.

Kai whose power had flicked out, dropped in the water below and lifted his eyes only to take in the sensational scene taking place in the sky, amid the tempest, dark clouds and furious lightening, whirling shadows gliding through the air in a beautiful choreography, letting off powerful blows to the water snake which crashed into the sea with a mighty cry of agony.

N/a
Gosh it took me forever to finish this chapter which had been left hanging for ages.
I hope you enjoyed the read.