Skybound

Skybound

skybound definition: confined to the sky.

In which Jay becomes Lightning to save his friends. And Nya says “I love you.”

☁️💙⚡️💙☁️⚡️💙☁️⚡️💙☁️

Finally, the battle against Wojira was over. 

After all the wild waves and the howling wind and the crackling lightning, the Sea Serpent that had lurked in the depths of the ocean for thousands of years was destroyed. 

The Storm Amulet had been broken, and Wojira had screamed and writhed as lightning encased it before she exploded, the power from the ancient beast sending shockwaves throughout the city. 

Then, there is silence. The raging storms stills at the death of their master, and the waves of the sea resided, the flooding slowly draining away until the ocean is back where it’s meant to be. There is a calm, a tranquility that is found right after a hurricane where the peace slowly drips by until the damage is to be realized. 

The Ninja stand still with bated breath, waiting for the last member of the team to appear. 

There is a clap of thunder, a crack of lightning, then— 

The Master of Lightning descends from the clouds and joins them on the rooftop.

“JAY!”

He turns around to be greeted by the cheers of his friends as they rush towards him. 

“Way to go!”

“Yeah!” 

“I knew you could do it!” 

“Jay!” Nya is the first to reach him, her eyes shining as she beams at him. “You did it!”

She throws her arms around him, expecting him to hug her back. 

She doesn’t expect electricity. 

Her hairs stand on end, the thrumming of static pulsing through her body. It suddenly feels as if she is walking in the Sea of Sands, under miles and miles of power lines and consciously aware of the high voltage of electricity passing above her head at the speed of light. Jay’s body feels wild and chaotic, like lightning stored in a glass bottle. 

She pulls away with a gasp of shock, static clinging to hair and clothes. Sparks of lightning travel up Jay’s arm, and he looks at it curiously. Nya backs away, unnerved by the uninhibited show of power Jay displays.  

“Heh, that’s going to take some getting used to. But we’ll figure out a way to change you back, don’t worry.” Cole chuckles. “Just don’t short-circuit the TV when we play video games, okay?”

Jay seems to ignore the comment, tipping his head questioningly. “Back?”

“To normal. You know, the old you,” Cole explains. 

Jay looks even more confused. “Normal?” 

“What’s wrong?” Nya asks hesitantly. “Are you okay?” 

The clouds suddenly part from where they hang in the gloomy sky, golden light pouring over the rooftops. The lightning designs on Jay’s body glow brighter in response. 

Jay stares, transfixed with the sky. 

“Do you hear it?” He asks in wonder. 

“Hear what?” Nya asks. 

“The clouds  … they’re so loud  … so powerful  …” he smiles. 

“It calls to him,” Benthomaar whispers. 

Lightning suddenly begins to spark off Jay, and everyone but Nya flinches back to avoid getting shocked. Nya watches with horrified awe as Jay almost seems to dissolve right in front of her, only to be stitched back together with strands of electricity. 

“Sorry. It’s difficult for me to maintain this shape.” Jay says. 

Nya suddenly feels like she’s been kicked in the stomach as dread starts to flood her heart, pool into every limb and sink into her bones. “What do you mean shape? That’s— That’s what you are,” she says. 

“What I was. Yes.” Jay smiles fondly, and suddenly Nya can’t breathe. 

Was.

Was, like Jay wasn’t there, wasn’t real, that he was gone— like he wasn’t just there in front of her when he kissed her on the cheek when she was fading in and out of unconsciousness after Kalmaar’s attack. 

Jay couldn’t— 

Jay couldn’t be—

“I have to go now,” And— And Jay is pulling away now, he never pulled away— turning his back to her as he walks towards the edge of the building. “I will remember you.” 

“Remember?” Cole repeats. “What are you talking about? You’re not going anywhere.”

Jay doesn’t stop walking towards the edge of the roof, and Nya forces herself to move. Her legs feel like lead has been poured into them, it's so hard to move without stumbling, but she forces herself to chase after Jay. 

“Jay! Stop, wait, listen!” Nya’s whole body is trembling, and a blinding panic is building up in her chest. “Something is wrong with you. You have to concentrate, you have to focus, you have to— turn back!” 

Jay hasn’t turned around or faltered in his steps while Nya is talking, and with a sudden burst of energy, Nya surges forward and grabs his wrist. 

Lightning surges from his hand, and Nya jerks back. The shock left her hand stinging, and the message is all too clear. 

Jay was Lightning. He was electricity, twisted and woven in the shape of her Yang. Jay had become his element, had become Lightning itself, to save her. And now he was  … 

“No,” Nya’s voice breaks. “Don’t leave me.” Everyone is caught off guard at the vulnerable, desperate, trembling tone Nya takes. 

She’s never sounded like that before. Nya has always been the strong one; she’s always been the one to power through the traumatic events that happened to them, been the one to tell them to never give up and that there was always a solution. 

But now— now Jay is leaving her, and he’s never coming back, and she’s realizing that there is no way to fix this. She can’t do anything, she can only just sit and watch as the love of her life disappears, and know that there isn’t a perfect way to solve this. 

Jay stops, shocked at the sound of her voice. He turns around to see his Yin. Her shoulders are curled in on herself, and she’s staring at him, eyes swimming with tears. 

His eyes soften and he walks towards her, gently brushing a hand over her cheek and wiping away a tear. Nya can’t help but lean into the touch, sensing the undercurrent of lightning running through his arm. 

This doesn’t feel like a concession. 

This feels like a goodbye. 

Nya’s lips tremble as she feels Jay’s hands drop to her’s, holding them. He doesn’t shock her, but she can feel his power fluctuate, thrumming against her skin, always moving. 

He pulls away, and her heart breaks. Her hand still tingles from the electricity of Jay’s hand, and Nya isn’t ready. 

He walks towards the edge of the roof and stands on it, the lightning marks etched in his body brightening in the sun. Jay lingers on the precipice between the sky and them, looking over his friends with a soft smile. 

Nya steps forward, a single tear falling down her cheek. “Jay  … I love you.” She says. 

She’s never said those words aloud before. Ever. She wasn’t good with the words, not after so long where it’s been her and Kai against the world. Jay knows that, and he understands. He says the words “I love you” freely, and knows she responds with every bright smile and held hand. 

This time  … 

Jay doesn’t respond to her. 

He smiles, glowing eyes filled with love as he turns away from his friends. 

No  … 

He’s leaving. 

No, no no  … 

“Jay!” 

Nya stumbles forward, desperate to catch him, to stop him, to tell him to come back  … but she’s too late. 

There is a blinding flash, a crack of thunder, and when Nya opens her eyes again Jay has vanished. She looks to the sky and sees a shining light, the clouds swirling around like they’re welcoming an old friend. 

Nya watches as the light beams through the gloomy clouds, and in the next moment, there is an earth-shattering boom as Jay disappears across the sky, taking the storm with him.

Electricity still lingers in the air, the atmosphere holding its breath like the eerie moment of anticipation between lightning and thunder. The buzzing sound doesn’t leave Nya’s ears as she stares at the sky, searching for any traces of Jay with a gaping hole in her chest. 

She’s vaguely aware of the others joining her, Kai placing a hand on her shoulder and Wu comforting Cole. 

It doesn’t matter. Not anymore. 

Jay is gone.

☁️💙⚡️💙☁️⚡️💙☁️⚡️💙☁️

“What now?” Kai asks, watching his little brother, Lloyd, continue scrubbing windows dully. 

“Give him time.” Cole says, staring at Lloyd sadly. “Maybe we’ll have better luck with Nya.”

Kai winces. It’s been a year since he’s been in contact with his sister, Nya, practically disappearing off the radar ever since Jay’s memorial. She had been inconsolable, and Kai didn’t know what her state would be like a year later. 

Would she even be interested in stopping the Vengestone buyer? Nya used to love missions like that, but without Jay there  … 

Kai stops that thought as a pang of grief went through him at the lack of smart comments and jokes that would occur on the mission. Jay had been there since the beginning of Kai’s journey to be a ninja. He had been the one to lighten the team with jokes shared on dreary nights, and had a spark to him that made any situation seem possible with his inventive ideas. 

Without Jay  … 

Kai shakes himself out of it as Zane starts talking. “Does anyone know the whereabouts of Nya?” He asks monotonously. 

“Yeah, what’s she doing?” Cole asks. 

Kai turns to stare out the window, the gloomy sky a bleak grey. There is no thunder, only the promise of rain. Kai wonders what that meant for the floating lanterns that would be sent into the sky in Jay’s honor. 

“What else?” He says. “She’s out chasing storms.” 

The Lightning Ruins, then.

☁️💙⚡️💙☁️⚡️💙☁️⚡️💙☁️

☆ Powerpunk Girls Aesthetic & Headcannons ☆

♡ Headcannons ♡

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- So forget everything you know about how the ppnk are the most terrible sisters ever, how they're so toxic and evil towards each other

- The Opressor constantly puts the girls down and says how they were accidents, threatens them, and if they fail him he doses them with Antidote X at harmful rates

- These sisters love each other, and they grew up in an abusive enviorment and learned from it

- They get into fights, just like all siblings do, and they speak in a way that others would assume are degrading, but that is their way of talking to each other

- Berserk is often the center of Plutonium's abuse, and will try to take the blame for Brute and Brat. After he’s seen what her good counterpart can do, he often berates her, saying that she is a pathetic leader compared to Blossom, how she is half the the leader she is, etc.

- He mentally and verbally abuses her, and that causes her anxiety and makes her temper run short, which burns her out quickly and makes her make the wrong calls for her team, which causes the Opressor to yell at her again. It’s is a vicious cycle Berserk doesn’t know how to escape from until her sisters help her out.

- It took her a few years for her to let them in, solely because of the fact that she was their big sister and she didn’t want them to worry and seem weak, but they became major supporting figures for her and helped her out of her panick attacks. She has an extreme fear of failure due to her father

- She is extremely intellegent, and has a brilliant mind. She is calculating and a control freak with her plans. She is sarcastic and a bit sadistic, taking amusement in knocking down the heroes that try to stop her. She manipulates to get what she wants and is very street smart

- She has the nastiest temper out of all of her sisters, but honestly has a pretty good handle on it. There is a reason she is called Berserk. If you get her mad, truely livid, she will fly into a rage that will take hours to calm down from. It's terrifying. Viletown suffers the most damage when it happens

- Berserk is the most tall and slender of her sisters (around 5'9 ) and has hot pink eyes and long, curly red hair down to her hips. Most of her outfits have to have plaid on it. Loves roses (hence the middle name) and can control fire. Has a lobe and cartilage piercing. If she were to start a career then she would certainly be the most fearsome buisnesswoman the world has ever seen. She could lead the mafia if she wanted to

- While Blossom's hair is straight and manicured, Berserk's hair is wild and untameable. Has the WORST bedhead. She still keeps the ragged ribbon in her hair, even though Brat insists she looks better without it. She shuts up pretty quick when Berserk points out that she still has her evil Octi

- Her element is Everything Nasty, and that applies to her food prefrences. Likes bitter foods and has to have the most bitter coffee to be considered human. Is utterly repulsed by Blossom's sweet tooth

- She is 100% the big sister and the leader of the group. She will murder anyone who says anything about her sisters. They may be a pain in the ass but they’re her pain in the ass

- Brat is ... a brat. She is sassy, flirtatious, pessimistic, and whiny when things don't go her way. She is a master at reinventing herself, using her charisma to switch personalities for different people to get what she wants. She uses her looks and charm to suit the needs of others it’s almost scary.

- Loves to party and have fun, easily gets jealous and sad, though hides both by acting like a bitch. Absolutely loves drama and will cause some when bored. Piss her off and she is out to ruin your life through the most passive-aggressive means - is the literal definition of cute but psycho. (picture Mean Girls)

- Brat loves attention. It’s more than loves it, really, she needs it. Brat is a very insecure person thanks to the Opressor, and she needs to feel validated, to have the pleasure of knowing that she is the one that people want. Has severe body issues and bulimia. Berserk and Brute have helped her through it, but sometimes she relapses

- Wants to be a fashion designer, a model, and to own a makeup empire (Kylie Jenner 2.0-). The only one she confides her dreams to are her sisters, and they support her fully. For her birthday, they robbed a fashion store and gave Brat all the essentials to learn how to design. Brute smirked when she saw her get emotional and Brat told her to shut the fuck up

- Is an absolute brat to her sisters, but that’s just how she shows love. Will whine and annoy the hell out of her older sisters when Berserk is planning or when Brute is doing her own thing until they acknowledge her. When they do she usually acts all innocent, pretending she didn’t do anything as she breaks out “The Bubbles’ Eyes” - essentially puppy dog eyes, but named after Bubbles.

- As the fashionista of the group, Brat leaves new clothes she made in her sisters’ closets’. When confronted she claims that “she refuses to be associated with people who dress like *explict insults*”. Berserk and Brute don’t really care for her excuses because hey! Free clothes! Brat is pleased when they wear clothes she made

- Brat wasn’t born to be good. She knows that, and doesn’t want to be. But at some point in her life she grews sick of the senseless destruction and wants to do her own thing, pursue her own dreams. But there’s this - block. This thing, this instinct to do bad things. She was literally made to be evil, and Brat is scared she won’t be able to do what she wants for what the Opressor made her to do

-Brat has wavy golden hair a couple inches past her shoulders, which she sometimes puts in braids. Hoop earrings and bangles are a must, and she has a belly piercing which she shows off in her cropped shirts. Steals her sisters’ fishnets and thigh-highs. Leather miniskirts are her go-to and she wears heels to make her 5’7 frame taller.

- Brute is the most straightforward, no-bullshit Punk in the family. Most observant of the Punks, being the first to notice Berserk’s anxiety and Brat’s bulima. She is their rock, their pillar of strength when they have none. Lives by the definition “actions speak louder then words” and uses fighting as a way to relieve stress.

- She gives off the more aloof vibe but inside she cares very deeply for the people in her life. It takes a lot of time and effort to let others in, but once you gain her trust she will be there for you, always. Lose that trust and you will never get it back. Brute does not give second chances and she hates betrayal

- Has the most anger issues out of all the Punks - Brat is passive-aggressive and Berserk has a leash on her dangerous temper. Normally she’s quiet and indifferent, but press her buttons - and she has a lot of buttons - and you will see her fist flying at you.

- Brute used to blame herself for her sisters’ issues. Most of them stemmed from the Opressor, and he usually left her alone because she was the strongest and wouldn’t put up with his toxic BS. So he went after her sisters’. Brute blamed herself for this and threw herself in every fight she could, to the point where it became self-destructive so she couldn’t feel anything. It only took her sisters to snap her out of it, and instead of hurting herself Brute began to heal herself to help her sisters.

- Brute doesn’t really care about what Brat does with her multitude of flings, as long as she doesn’t have to see or hear about it. What she doesn’t know is that Brat sometimes brings them home to have “fun time”. Brute once walked in on her and one of her boyfriends’ and was scarred for life. We don’t talk about that day. Brute was left with lifelong trauma. Brat stopped bringing her boys to the house. Thank God.

- Brute loves her baby sister, she does, but she takes way to much joy in being able to get away with anything and Brat is an inch away from being blasted into next week

- Is the most artistic of the Punks. She likes charcoal drawing and black-and-white photography, going around the gritty parts of Viletown and finding beauty in it. She chooses black-and-white because she likes the simplicity of it. If she were to start a career then she would be a tattoo artist. She already has a tattoo representing her and her sisters (guess where and what it is -)

- Brute is the shortest and curviest out of the Punks, standing at 5’5. She wears steel-toed heeled combat boots that put her at the same height as Brat and make her kicks more devastating. She either wears ripped jeans or cargo pants, and pairs that with heavyweight and leather jackets and crop tops. She still keeps her mohawk, although it is a bit longer than when she was a kid. She has tongue and cartilage piercings and exaggerates her green eyes with bold mascara and eyeliner.

Sound the Alarm

Emma just wants to get some sleep, keep her little sister in check, and earn her law degree. Relationships are the last thing on her mind.

Her four mental goals are suddenly cut down to one once she meets her crazy next door neighbors.

And it starts by setting off the fire alarm.

(AKA: The Nemma Neighbor AU that no one asked for

This ship doesn’t get enough appreciation ToT)

Based off fic 2 am by shmulia

It was two am, and Emma is going to murder the person who set off the fire alarm. 

She rips the sheets off her body and opens the door viciously. If this was Kitty trying to cook anything but ramen, then Emma is going to kick her out of the apartment and throw away her key.

Emma slit her eyes, looking at the spotless kitchen that was free of her sister, and turns to see Kitty stumble out of her room, more tired than pissed off. 

It had been a long day for Emma; being a law student was a full-time job, with that on top of her other job— keeping her little sister in check. She had an essay that she spent hours writing on, and when it was finally over she had to finish the chores Kitty had clearly neglected before she had wanted to pass out. 

And now some idiot had set off the fire alarm. 

Emma is going to kill them.

Involuntary actions are free of ill will, Emma reminds herself as she stomps towards the door. Kitty crashes on the couch, trusting her sister to give the guilty resident a piece of her mind. 

Emma grabs the doorknob and yanks it open, the door flying open and slamming against the wall with a nasty bang. Emma is too furious to care — the damage would be morning-Emma’s problem. 

Then she stops. Stares. And stares some more, because she is tired and is pretty sure this was a hallucination. 

He is gorgeous. A couple inches taller than her, lean with brown skin and chocolate eyes that seemed extremely wide the moment she opened the door. His fist is raised, like he was going to knock on the door before she whipped it open.

Maybe she hadn't been that bad in a past life, Emma thinks as she takes in the guy in front of her, because God was clearly apologising for the fire alarm. Really, how often did good-looking guys turn up on her doorstep?

Not since her ex-boyfriend Jake, and Emma refuses to give him an ounce of thought this early in the morning and in the face of a guy easily more attractive than him. 

The two stare at each other and Emma waits for the guy to speak.

"Oh. Um. Hey— hi! I’m Noah. I live next door.” He awkwardly scratches the back of his head. “I don't know if you heard the fire alarm go off just now— " he starts, before Emma cuts him off.

"Oh, I heard alright," she narrows her eyes. If Noah reveals that he was the one who set the alarm off, hotness be damned Emma would make sure his death was swift and painful.

Noah gulps nervously.

"Ah, okay. My roommate is kind of responsible for that, and he sent me over to apologise. So. Yeah. Sorry about that."

Emma folds her arms across her chest. "And he didn't come over to apologise because … ?"

Noah raises his hands defensively. "He's just clearing the air in our apartment. He said he'll come out in a minute, but wanted someone to apologise right away — and then he shoved me out of the door before I was even awake!”

Emma’s eyebrows shot up. “No way. You slept through that alarm?” 

Noah shrugs, a small smirk working its way up on his lips. “I could sleep through the apocalypse if I wanted to.”

Emma laughs, and finds herself surprised how genuine it was. She leans against the doorway and notices Noah’s eyes flicking down her body before looking away, his cheeks reddening. 

She realizes she is in her pajamas, consisting of her extremely short shorts and her orange oversized sweatshirt that says The Best Lawyer Sister that Kitty gave her. Emma is unable to stop the small grin growing on her face, and he coughs.

Noah cleared his throat in a desperate attempt to distract them both. "Anyway ... Sorry about the fire alarm," he says.

Emma nods and represses a yawn. "It's fine," she says. She rubs her eyes as a wave of exhaustion passes over her, washing away her anger and replacing it with the desire to sleep. "Just try not to do it again, okay?"

Noah nods. "Sure, no prob— " his reply is cut short by the opening of an apartment door. A big blonde boy emerges from the slightly smoky doorway and his eyes light up when he spots Noah. He bounded across the hallway, coming to a stop next to Noah. He must be the roommate, Emma assumes. 

She is a bit surprised, to be honest — the two were quite the contrasting pair to look at, and it wasn’t just physically-wise. The blonde was literally bouncing on his feet and looking incredibly awake while Noah stood still, looking bored and tired. 

Emma stifles another laugh — it is exactly the same expression she wears when Kitty was being too exuberant. 

"Hi! You must be Emma! We're your neighbours!" the blonde says happily, gesturing between Noah and himself. “I’m Owen, and this is my little buddy, Noah!” 

Another contrast. If Noah was like outer space: deep, dark, and endless; then Owen was like the sun — bright, light (metaphorically speaking), and a big ball of energy. Emma wasn't really sure how to deal with someone this energetic at two in the morning. 

"Er, hi," she says. She frowns slightly as a thought occurs to her. "Wait, how do you know my name?"

"We know Kitty," Owen says. “She’s your little sister, right?”

Emma blinks in surprise. “Yeah, but— how do you know her?" Emma racks her brain to remember if Kitty had ever mentioned the two guys standing opposite her.

"We're in the same photography class," Owen smiles, and a glimmer of remembrance filters through Emma’s memory of Kitty mentioning a boy in her class who was ridiculously nice. Emma could see where she was coming from.

She turns to Noah and he answers her unspoken question. “She’s just a friend of a friend to me. I can only deal with one extrovert at a time.” He rolls his eyes and Emma can’t help but giggle. Oh, she can definitely relate. 

Noah’s eyes glint with satisfaction when he hears her laugh and his gaze flicks to something behind her. "Speak of the devil," he says dryly, and Emma turns around to see her little sister walking towards them, rubbing her eyes.

"Did I hear that right? You guys set off the fire alarm?"

Owen beams, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I was just cooking a late night snack because I missed dinner, and as I was cooking, I realised I hadn't called my Izzy all day! So I thought, hey, the food will take a while, so I'll just call her now! And Izzy’s phone calls usually last hours, and I guess I forgot that I was cooking until the whole kitchen was on fire!”

Noah nudges Owen, somehow still looking deadpan while Kitty and Emma are enraptured by the story. “Go ahead and tell them the worst part, Big Guy.”

Owen's face twists, his mouth turning downward as his eyes turn watery. "And … I … burned the food! It’s gone! Ruined! Never to be eaten again …” Owen sinks to the floor and covers his face, sobbing quietly. 

The sisters stare at the cheerful blonde on his knees, not sure how to comfort him. Emma stares at Noah. This guy has just sent the most enthusiastic person Emma has ever met to tears in a few words, and he still looks unfazed as Kitty begins patting Owen’s shoulder sympathetically.

Clearly, he has a vicious streak when his sleep is interrupted. 

The lack of sleep must be messing with her mind, because Emma finds that extremely attractive.          

"Anyway, we’re sorry the alarm took so long to turn off," Noah tears his eyes away from the scene. "There was a lot of smoke, and we had to fan the air out of the window to try and clear it."

Emma shrugs, holding Noah’s dark gaze. "Like I said — don’t do it again, and we’re all good.”

For some reason, Noah seems to cringe. “Yeah … Well, I think I should warn you ahead of time, but Owen’s girlfriend, Izzy, is kind of …” he taps his finger against his lip thoughtfully, and Emma can’t even tell if the action is sarcastic or if he’s genuinely looking for the right word. “ … eccentric. Like, psycho-hose beast eccentric. We got kicked out of our last apartment we shared with her because of noise complaints, arson, and fire alarms at ungodly hours of the night.”

Emma stares at him, hoping that she conveys the sheer amount of disbelief in her gaze. “Tell me you’re being sarcastic.” She says — no, more like demands. 

Noah looks back, deadpan, but Emma can tell that he is genuinely sorry. She groans, banging her head on the doorway. God, if every other night was going to be like this, Emma might actually murder someone. 

Noah watches her with something not quite bemusement, but something else entirely. “Don’t worry, I keep her in line.”

Emma looks up from her head-banging, and he continues, flushing a little. “I make sure to watch out for Izzy and keep her from going too crazy. Need to make sure the best lawyer gets her beauty sleep.”

Emma ignores the way her heart jumps; that last part was definitely sarcasm, even though it didn’t feel like it. For some reason, Kitty and Owen have stopped whatever they were doing and are staring at Noah like they can’t believe their eyes. 

Kitty’s gaze in particular flick towards Emma, and she scrupulously avoids her eyes. Her sister knew her like the back of her hand, and Emma didn’t want Kitty to think … certain things. 

Emma is about to respond to Noah, but tiredness suddenly overwhelms her. She attempts to suppress a yawn, but couldn't quite prevent a sigh coming out. She presses her head against the doorframe, blinking rapidly to try and stay awake. 

She doesn’t realise that Noah is still watching her until his voice pulls her away from the slight daze she finds herself in.

"C’mon, Big Guy, it's time for bed. " The smaller boy nudges him with his elbow and nods towards Emma,whose dependency on the doorframe is becoming more obvious by the second.

"Oh, right. Sorry for keeping you two up!" Owen said earnestly. "Is there any way we can make it up to you?"

Emma is about to request "let me go to bed" as her response, but Kitty gets there first.

"Why don’t we hang out?"

Emma straightens up immediately, glancing at Kitty in surprise and warning. She knew she was busy, but Kitty’s eyes flick pointedly to Noah, then back at Emma. She winks slyly. 

The little brat was setting her up!

A blush formed on Noah and Emma’s cheeks, and Owen’s face split into a grin. "That would be awesome! We can go out to eat and hang out — all four of us!" 

Kitty crosses her arms, smiling. "You owe us dinner for waking us up at two in the morning for your dinner. I love a free meal, and Emma needs to get out more."

"Hey!"

"Am I wrong, Miss I’m-married-to-my-law-degree-book?"

" … No."

"Exactly. So, you guys game?" Kitty asks.

Noah’s eyes met Emma’s, and his cheeks reddened further. "Dinner... would be nice," he says, breaking eye contact with her. Owen nodded enthusiastically, grin unwavering.

"Awesome. We'll figure out the details tomorrow. I think Emma’s gonna pass out if she doesn't get in bed asap." Kitty says, pulling her sister out of the doorway and into the room. "See you guys round!"

She shuts the door as the boys say goodbye, and immediately turns around to give Emma the widest smile she’s ever seen.

"So ... you and Noah, huh?" she asks, smirking at the usually unflustered girl.

"Goodnight, Kitty," Emma says, waving as she turns her back on her sister and walks towards her room. 

"You're welcome!” Kitty calls to her retreating back. “And you owe me one!”

"For what?" Emma asks, confused.

Kitty winks. "Trust me when I say that you and Noah are going to get on reeeeally well," the younger girl says, before shutting her door. 

Emma shakes her head and goes into her room to curl up in her bed. As she tucks the duvet around herself, Emma realizes that the smile she wore around Noah hadn’t faded in the slightest as she fell into blissful unconsciousness.

Energybound

binding energy definition: in physics and chemistry, binding energy is the smallest amount of energy required to remove a particle from a system of particles or to disassemble a system of particles into individual parts.

In which Lloyd becomes Energy to save the world. As the Green Savior, he was always prophesied to die for it. The scrolls never mentioned anything about his friends.

💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨

The sun is just peaking over the horizon of the ocean when Lloyd makes his choice.

A restless night had passed, with the city drowning and Kalmaar sweeping through flooding to find the Ninja. With Jay’s condition worsening and Nya not leaving his side. With Benthomaar wracked with guilt over what his adopted brother had done and Kai, Cole, Zane, and P.I.X.A.L anxious to do something. 

Lloyd had eavesdropped on Nya and Bentho talking about the Nyad, how she had merged with the sea and defeated Wojira. He knows what she is about to do. 

He’s just doing it first. 

Lloyd cracks open his eye from where he is pretending to be asleep, and slowly stands up. All of his friends are passed out from the emotional toll of the day— even Nya, who was fitfully sleeping besides Jay. 

He moves quietly to not alert any of his friends and wake them up. Silently, he makes his way to the door, before looking back at his friends one last time. Jay was laying on the couch, gasping and wheezing in raspy intervals. Nya is next to him, shifting uncomfortably. 

Bentho leans up against a filing cabinet next to the couch, arms crossed and head hanging. He was separated from the rest of his friends, and Lloyd wishes to see the day where Bentho is comfortable enough to lay next to them instead of dealing with everything himself. 

Kai, Cole, Zane, P.I.X.A.L, and Master Wu are all passed out on the other side of the room, unconscious to the world and the thoughts swirling around Lloyd’s head. 

Lloyd wishes they had more time. A few spare months of recuperating and relaxation isn’t enough between the life-threatening missions his team frequently goes on. He wants to stay with his friends.

He bites his tongue, the pain distracting him from his thoughts as he opens the door and then closes it, making his way to the roof.

💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨

Lloyd dangled his feet off the edge of the dock, eyes trained on the gleaming horizon. An unsettled feeling was shifting in his gut, and a single question rolled around in his mind. 

Footsteps sounded towards him, and Lloyd turned to see his mother and uncle walking towards him.

“Lloyd, are you okay?” Misako asked. 

Lloyd stood up, not taking his gaze away from the sinking sun. “I was just thinking… I know Ronin’s monster was a fake, but I guess I was wondering if Wojira is really still out there… somewhere.” 

“If she is, may she sleep for another thousand years.” Wu prayed.

And at the bottom of the sea, the storm slept.

💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨

Lloyd walks towards the edge of the building, peering down at the dark water. It is black and bottomless, and Lloyd feels a surge of doubt before he shoves it away.

Lloyd may not be the Master of Water, but he is the Master of Energy. And as far as he knew, energy was everywhere. Nyad may have become one with the Sea, but she lost herself to the ocean and disappeared for thousands of years. 

Lloyd couldn’t let that happen to Nya. 

Lloyd was the Green Ninja, the savior of Ninjago. He was always destined to sacrifice himself for it, but nobody mentioned anything about his friends. Everything he had gone through— the Overlord and his father, Morro’s possession and Harumi— it all led up to this moment. 

This is for his friends. Everything he had done was for his friends— every harsh blow from battle and hair ruffle in the morning. They had taken him in when he was a kid and gave him a home and a family. They had raised him, trained him, loved him even when he was being nothing but a bratty child who gave them problems.  

Lloyd turns and stares back at the door where his family was sleeping, unaware. 

Kai’s fiery courage, Nya’s fierce determination, Cole’s easy kindness, Jay’s bright intelligence, Zane’s gentle empathy, P.I.X.A.L’s snarking camaraderie, Benthomaar’s hesitant friendship, Wu’s aging wisdom, Misako’s sense of adventure. 

His family. 

Lloyd turns away, blinking back the sudden tears as green power lights his hands and he starts spinning.

💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨

“Bentho, how did Nyad defeat Wojira? In the story you told me?”

“… she became one with the sea.”

“But how exactly?”

“She opened herself up to the full power of the ocean. She merged with it.”

“…”

“Do not think of such things! Nyad may have defeated Wojira but she lost herself. What she did cannot be undone. She vanished.”

“…”

💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨

Lloyd opens his eyes, feeling light shining from the inside out as his green power spreads. Energy floods his body, feeling light and fleeting as Lloyd reaches down to the core of his power— and lets it loose. 

Lloyd thinks of Cole and his Spinjitzu Burst, deep in the depths of Shintaro’s mountains. Unparalleled power had exploded from the earth and wrapped his brother in his element. 

Lloyd can feel it happening too— but it's different. Green power is rushing around him, light blinding his vision, the particles on his skin transforming into pure energy. 

Then— 

BOOM!

A sonic sound wave explodes throughout the sky. The light tapers off.  Lloyd opens his new eyes and looks down at his body. Green energy swirls around in the shape of his old body.

He feels light, powerful, new— Lloyd is filled with boundless energy, free to travel wherever he likes and too fleeting to ever catch. 

Lloyd realizes he’s flying and spins around, laughing. The door to the rooftop suddenly slams open, and his family pours out— Kai and Wu in the lead as they stop and stare at their brother and nephew. 

“Lloyd!” Kai calls. Jay and Nya join them, the former leaning on his girlfriend heavily as he stares at his little brother disbelievingly. 

Lloyd frowns at how weak Jay looks. That can’t do— Jay will need to be at full strength when they beat Wojira. He flys down, ignoring the flinch of surprise from the others and presses a hand to Jay’s chest. 

Green energy lights up, and suddenly Jay is able to breathe easier— like his lungs weren’t even damaged at all. Nya stares at Lloyd, looking pained for some reason.

Lloyd pulls away as Wojira roars her challenge, his power picking up in anticipation. 

“Lloyd, wait!” Wu calls— but it's too late. With another BOOM! Lloyd takes off, flying at the speed of sound to confront Wojira once and for all. 

It is time to finish what his grandfather couldn’t.

💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨

Nobody notices the crystal spider on the wall, violet eyes recording everything. 

Clink… clink… clink… 

The spider scurries back to its master. 

💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨ “Spider’s in the house,

Sleep, sleep

Spider bit the mouse, 

Sleep deep

Don’t wake up or else 

You’ll find a spider in your m—”

The song breaks off, and the dark figure turns from the computer to see a crystal spider making its way towards her. 

She kneels down, dark cape fluttering and kabuki mask flipped up as the mechanical spider crawls into her hand. She strokes it gently. “Did you find everything I need?” She asks. 

The spider’s eye flashes, and then a holographic video is playing in the crystalized room. The bright screen contrasts the dark room, the purple and pink hues drowned out by the light images playing. 

The Herald purses her lips, fingers tightening on the spider she is gripping unconsciously as the video finishes. 

“I see,” Harumi says. She turns and stares at the giant crystal protruding in the middle of the Oni Temple. “This changes things.” 

“Time to make some alterations to the previous plan.”

Ninjago Allies Aesthetics

Ninjago Pokémon 

I have no idea where this came from but let’s just go with it, okay?