***I think you guys will like this chapter. I enjoyed writing it much more than last chapter, and I think Skylor's POV is pretty interesting here. And the song selection makes me happy. So...yeah!

Also, one chapter and an epilogue left! And then I'll start the next book (chronologically) in this AU. I bet you guys can guess what ship that one will focus on... :) ***

***(Kai's POV)***

"Welcome to eternal punishment, Kai Smith."

Clouse's voice echoes in my head, and I run at him.

"Eternal punishment's going to feel good in the morning for you!" I deliver a blow between his eyes.

He catches my fist with a cloud of magic, and I feel the power tighten around me. It wraps around my arms, my chest, my neck...

I struggle against him, creating a flame with my hand. It's quickly snuffed out by the dark power.

I choke out, "Why...do you think it's a good...idea to side with a noodle making...overlord?"

"Because Chen is on the winning side," Clouse smiles smugly. "And you are not."

The power tightens around me, and I groan. "Why...does he want...to bring...Skylor's mom back?"

"It's always been the plan."

Chills ripple up my skin. "What do you...mean, 'always'?"

"I mean 'always'. Now, off to Chen we go." He snaps his fingers, and the cloud moves me in time with his steps. Thankfully, it loosens up a little, and I don't have to fight for breath anymore.

I frown. "You do realize we're in the Cursed Realm, right?"

"Of course, I do, you simpleton."

I sigh. "Okay, but why aren't we heading back to Ninjago? I thought you said we were going to see Chen." And Ninjago...that's where I need to be if I want to save my sister. And Skylor, even though she's the reason I'm in this mess.

"Chen isn't in Ninjago, Boy. He's here."

It dawns on me. "All the business trips away...he was coming here. This must be how he kept all his criminal activity a secret!"

"There wasn't any criminal activity, except for setting your house on fire."

"Then what was he doing down here? Skylor told me he's been going on these trips since she was a little girl."

"He has. Since they left the island, in fact."

"And he left the island...when Skylor's mom died. Do you mean that...he's been plotting to bring back Skylor's mom ever since she passed away?"

"It's taken years to gather all the proper elements for the spell, but yes."

"And Skye must be the final piece. But...why is Chen willing to kill his own daughter?"

"Enough questions for now," Clouse grunts.

I can't stop. "You intended for us to follow you, right? Or...no. You wanted just Skylor to follow you, so you'd have her in your grasp with no one to stop you!" I huff. "What's wrong with you people that you think it's okay to kill everyone I love?"

"You'll work just fine as bait."

"Skylor's smarter than that," I argue. "She'll bring help when she comes, and then my team is going to kick your noodle-pooping butts."

"Ah, you would think Skylor would go about this logically, wouldn't you? But it's amazing what love does to a person, isn't it?"

I stop. Skylor did tell me that, didn't she?
That she loves me.

Once more, I wrestle with the power holding me down. "I won't let you get away with this," I vow.

"Where have you been? We've been getting away with it for a long time." He stops abruptly. "We're here."

I look up to see a lonely building. It's similar in structure to the monastery, but much, much bigger.

"What is this place?"

"It doesn't matter."

Two stone-faced men approach.

"Take this boy to your master," Clouse instructs. "I have to go run an errand."

I almost laugh. How stupid is he that he thinks these guys can subdue me?

Then one straps a pair of vengestone cuffs around my wrists, and I realize maybe Clouse isn't so dumb.

They drag me down a dark corridor. I hear strange noises from each room – in some, there's crying; in some, there's laughter; in some, there's only the sound of pacing footsteps.

"So..." I address my captors. "What kind of business do you guys do here?" It seems too big of a place to be Chen's storage center. And why would he keep so many staff around to guard the components needed to bring his wife back?

Neither man answers me.

"Does Chen pay you guys well?" I try.

"Who's Chen?" one asks.

"Um...Chen, your boss." I can already tell these guys aren't the brightest.

"Chen's not our boss," says the other. "Our boss's name is Yang."

"You mean that creepy psychologist guy?" From what Skylor told me, he sounds like a first-class pervert.

"He's not a psychologist," one says, confused.

"Then what is he?"

They drop my arms right in front of two large doors. On the left is one that says "Master." The right door is inscribed with "Queen".

One of Yang's cronies knocks on the "Master" door. "Boss, we brought the boy for you."

A bearded face appears from inside. "What boy? I didn't request a – " His eyes land on me. "Chen, is this someone you know?" he calls.

"Coming," a high-pitched voice says.

I already know it's that villain of a noodle salesman.

Chen's face appears at the door. "Now, what's this all – " A sly grin creeps up his face. "Smith. Why aren't you back home, saving your baby sister?"

"She's already safe," I grit. I don't know that, but I have to trust my team.

And really, really, really hope for a miracle.

"Oh, whatever," Chen sighs. "Let him inside already. I want to see what he knows about my plan." He claps his hands in glee. "It's brilliant, you know."

Yang rolls his eyes and pulls the door open. "Are you sure it's the best idea to give away that information?"

"Oh, don't be such a sourpuss. Let's get this started!" Chen pulls out a desk chair, seating himself. "So, Smith, tell me how much of an evil genius I am."

I growl at his flippant attitude. "Actions speak louder than words, and if I had these cuffs off, you'd have lost the ability to – "

He laughs. "Oh, this is so good. Yang, fetch me some popcorn!"

The man raises a brow. "It's Sensei Yang. And is our deal settled?"

Chen sighs. "Yes, whatever. Deal. Now, popcorn time!"

As Yang leaves, I clear my throat. "So, what caused you to want to kill your daughter?"

"It's not that I want to kill Skylor, but I have no other choice." He places his head in his hands. "It's the only way to get her mother back."

"And...Skylor is worth giving up for that?"

Anguish flashes in his eyes. "Anything is worth giving up for her. But it had to be this way."

I frown. "What had to be this way?"

"Skylor's mother had to die, and now Skylor does."

I shake my head. "That doesn't make sense. Why did Skylor's mother have to die? She – she got sick."

Chen nods solemnly. "Yes, she did."

"Then stop speaking in riddles!" I exclaim. "Just tell me what happened, from the beginning."

"That's no fun," Chen complains. "I'd much rather you learn the truth, piece by mind-boggling piece."

Oh, my, I'm going to lose my mind. "Fine! Tell me about Skylor's mom."

"She was beautiful. Strong. Brave. And my daughter's so much like her. But the two...they had the most infuriating little quirk."

"If your wife is anything like Skye, she had more than one 'infuriating little quirk'." I've known Skylor for a week, and I can already tell she's plenty irritating.

"Yes, but those are little things," Chen says, waving me off. "The one thing I couldn't take about Skylor's mom is that she was so...selfless."

I frown. "What?"

"You wouldn't understand, blacksmith boy. You have powers. You're significant. But I...I have never been important. And all my life, I've tried to make my way to the top, to prove myself to the world. Skylor's mother never took that well."
I don't like the sound of this. "Chen, what was your wife sick from?"

"It was never diagnosed by the doctors. She wasted away a little each day, not able to hold down much food. And she had the most horrible nights of rest – she was always in pain."

I take a deep breath. "But you knew what was wrong with her, didn't you? And the doctors, too, even if they didn't give a formal diagnosis. There's a reason they didn't, isn't there?"

Chen is silent.

"What was wrong with your wife?" I swallow.

He scoots his chair back. "None of your business."

Oh, no. "It was you. You killed her. You poisoned the love of your life." I close my eyes, trying not to contemplate this man's cruelty.

"You think I had a choice?" he yells, throwing his hands in the air. "But now, she'll be back, and we can live happily together."

"There's a hole in your plan, Chen. Your wife is still going to oppose your plan to dominate the world. She'll hate you when she figures out you killed her daughter." Boy, this guy is nuts.

"No, she won't!" Chen shrieks. "You think I didn't plan for that? Clouse has a spell to wipe her memory. I'll reteach her, and this time, she'll see that I'm right!" He throws a nearby noodle box across the room.

"You, Chen," I seethe, "will never be anything but a worthless villain. No amount of brainwashing can change that."

"Guards!" he screeches. "Get this boy out of my sight!"

***(Skylor's POV)***

I can breathe.

I can finally breathe.

Memories flash through my mind: Coughing up soot, Nya begging me to be okay, endless tests at the hospital.

Kai.

I force my eyes open and realize I have no idea where I'm at. And...what's this on my face? I try to lift my hand to move it, but I'm stopped with a voice.

"Please do not try to remove your oxygen mask," Zane says.

Oh, no. I'm...I'm still at the hospital. But...Kai!

I pull the thing off anyway. "Zane, where's Kai?" My brain begins to function more regularly. "And – is Nya okay?" I feel panic rise up in me.

"Calm yourself," Zane instructs. "You inhaled a lot of smoke."
I try to relax my breathing. "Please, Zane, just...how long have I been out?" I realize my voice is hoarse and subdued.

"It has been approximately four hours since your last test."

I breathe a sigh of relief. Then – Kai! There's still time!

I close my eyes. "Listen to me. Kai is stuck in another realm, trying to chase down my father's second-in-command, Clouse. Clouse is the one who set the house fire, and he's working with my father to try to steal my power for some evil plot involving my dead mom."

"I do not quite understand," Zane says, "but I will try. It seems that Kai is in danger."

"Yes. He has no idea the rules of other realms, and he doesn't know what Clouse is capable of. We have to go after them."

"How did Kai originally cross realms?"

"Clouse used the realm crystal, and Kai jumped in after him." I did, too, but explaining that will just waste precious time.

"And...I suppose Clouse still has it, which greatly limits our ability to save Kai." He sighs. "I need to speak with Sensei Wu."

"Wait!" The word is hardly audible. I'm losing my voice. "Where is everyone? Is Nya okay?"

He nods. "She's fine. You're more injured than she is. I will obtain an update for you after I speak with Master Wu." He closes the door behind him.

And I...am alone, as always. No Kai, no friends, no Dad...

Not that I'd want to see him, anyway.

Maybe the news caught his arrest on footage. When I called for emergency help last night, I informed them of my father's part in setting Kai's house on fire. He's most likely in custody by now, unless one of his staff called up his lawyer.

That's all too likely.

I hit a button on my television remote, then flip channels until I get to an early-morning news briefing.

It's pretty uneventful. They give a traffic report, a weather update...

Then my dad's face flashes across the screen.

"Urgent: Police are still searching for alleged arsonist and attempted murderer, Zhang Chen. This is the same Chen who owns the Mr. Chen's Noodle House chain..."

My father...he ran away from the police! But – why? That makes him appear so guilty! Why not wait for his lawyer?

I frantically look around my bed. It seems the only thing keeping me from leaving is an IV.

"Nurse," I rasp, my voice a little stronger than when I last spoke to Zane. I hit the help button by my bedside.

Someone walks in a moment later. "Miss Chen, I see you're awake."

"You...have to let me go," I force out. The words are barely audible.

"Miss Chen, we still have several tests to run to make sure you're – "

Frustrated with her incompetence, I rip the tape of my arm and begin pulling out my IV.

"Ma'am," the alarmed nurse says, "you need to calm down. You inhaled a lot of smoke, and there could be serious consequences if you don't wait for your doctor to decide on treatment!"

I finish tugging the IV out. Blood dots my skin from the action.

The nurse runs over and hits the help button again.

Oh, come on! She just had to make this difficult, didn't she?

I teleport out of the room and into the hall. I have no idea where Nya is...but I know how I can find out.

Using the power of form, I change my appearance to that of Zane. Then, I walk to the front desk.

"Excuse me," I say weakly, "what is the room number for Nya Smith?"

The man at the desk smiles. "Ah, good to see you again. Yes, she's in room 447."

"Thank you," I choke out.

"Hey, it sounds like you have something in your throat. Let me grab you a water." He stands from his office chair, heading off toward a small side room.

I tap my foot impatiently. I can't just run, as that would totally get me the wrong kind of attention from the employees. Instead, I smile at the medical personnel who pass by. A few people rush to my old room, probably to answer the nurse's call for aid.

They're not going to find me in there.

The man I'd been speaking with returns once more with a bottled water. I rasp out a "thank you", then head off down the hall.

444, 445, 446...

447.

I don't bother knocking and walk right in.

Nya is curled up in bed, wearing an oxygen mask just like I was. Lloyd apparently climbed in beside her and fell asleep. Jay's in a chair next to the bed, and Cole's lounged across two chairs in the corner.

I try not to envy her. She has the support group I only wish I had.

Someone clears his throat. "Zane, why are there two of you?" It's an elderly voice, so I assume it comes from Master Wu, or whatever they call the old man they train under.

I turn to see he and Zane are watching me in confusion.

Oh, yeah. I forgot I used Zane's form as a disguise.

I quickly change back into myself, then blush as I realize I'm wearing a hospital gown. Those things are just indecent.

I change back to Zane. I am not going to accidentally moon someone and make this the worst week ever. Plus, I probably look a mess.

"I need to know how to cross realms," I explain. My voice is barely a breath, though.

Zane translates for Wu. "Yes, so as I was saying, Kai is trapped in another realm, and he's in danger. We must go save him." He turns to me. "But – Skylor, how did you get out of your room?"

"What realm is Kai in?" Wu asks.

"The last place I saw him was" – I cough – "the Cursed Realm. I started out traveling with him, but used the power of gravity to reverse my transportation while still in the realm-traveling portal."

They both nod, so I guess they must be smart enough to understand what that means.

Wu strokes his beard. "As far as I know, the only way to change realms is through the realm crystal, traveler's tea, and dragons. However, since Zane told me Clouse has the realm crystal, and since dragons aren't readily – "

Someone raps on the door twice, then enters.

"Hi," says a doctor, greeting Wu. "Since Miss Smith's breathing has stabilized, we – "

He looks between me and Zane.

"Huh, are you two identical twins?" he smiles. "That's so much fun. You know, my younger sisters are twins. They – "

***Music Cue***

"Oh, come on!" I fume. Only my lips move.

Stupid voice.

I let go of the power of form, instead running for the window and teleporting through it. I should be four stories up, given the number of Nya's room.

I use gravity to lower myself to the ground, then speed to –

I break into a fit of coughs. Okay, speed was definitely a bad idea. Too much air at once.

I gasp desperately, then teleport to different spots along the sidewalk. Wu said that there was a tea I could use to cross realms, right? And there's a tea shop really close to this hospital.

Eventually, I make it there, but I'm entirely out of breath. I curl in on myself and collapse on the ground, panting.

But...Kai. I have to save Kai.

I push myself off the sidewalk and teleport inside the shop. I don't care if I'm technically stealing the traveler's tea. I would totally leave some money for it if I had pockets. Instead, I'm in a hospital gown.

Which I am getting very tired of wearing.

I search through the shelves, throwing boxes of tea as I go. Reali-tea, Beau-tea, Majes-tea...

Oh, come on! Traveler's tea is bound to be around here somewhere!

Suddenly, the light flips on and a throat clears. I freeze.

"I know this looks really bad," I begin, turning around, "but – "

"Skylor Chen?" asks the confused woman.

I squint, making sure my eyes aren't playing tricks on me. "Principal Mistakè?"

"Skylor, you have a lot of explaining to do. Beginning with...what in Ninjago do you think you're wearing?"

I look down. "That's the least of my worries. I know this isn't going to make much sense to you, but I need traveler's tea. Now. Do you have any in stock?"

She raises a brow. "What do you want with it?"

I collapse at her feet. It's partially because I need her to know how important this is, and it's partially because I really don't feel like standing up anymore.

"Mistakè, you have to believe me. I have a friend who's in really big trouble, and I have to find him as soon as possible. This could be life or death!" Unfortunately, raising my voice only causes me to erupt into spasms of coughing.

She grabs a box off the shelf. "Let me get you something for that cough."

"No!" I beg her between fits. "Please. Just...need...to go."

She ponders this. "Let me make a call. In the meantime, go sit down." She pulls out her cell phone and walks to the back.

I am not just going to sit around while Kai's in trouble!

Thinking quickly, I teleport into the back. Mistakè has a container of tea down from the shelf, and she's reading the label while speaking on the phone.

"Wu, I'm so glad you picked up," she starts. "Do you know anything about – "

I appear right next to her, snatch the tea, and poof away.

Okay, so maybe that wasn't the best plan. I need a place to brew the tea. I rack my brain for somewhere, anywhere, with some water I can use for this.

Water...

Doesn't Nya technically have the power of water? I mean, it hasn't fully developed yet, but theoretically, I can still use her powers.

I haven't tried before, but...

I place the box on the sidewalk, then try to channel my energy.

"This better work," I growl.

A small spurt of water flows from my hands, engulfing the box. An enormous portal suddenly appears underneath.

"Yes!" I shout, then start coughing again.

Stupid smoke!

I force my shaking body to fall through the portal, hoping the tea is better at this realm-travel thing than I am. I think of how I left Kai all alone, and how he's horribly unprepared for whatever danger's he's facing.

What if Clouse hurt him? What if he's...gone?

I fall, fall, fall...

Then suddenly, I'm surrounded by the gloom of the Cursed Realm.

But...wait! The tea can't drop me yet! I'm still –

Pain explodes in my head as I finally stop falling.

The world fades in and out.

No! I can't pass out now! But –

It's also incredibly hard to breathe. The air here...it's too thin. Different realms, different rules.

I try to keep myself from panicking, as it'll only make breathing harder, but it's hard. I literally feel like I might die.

"Who's that?" someone asks.

"Dunno. Should we take her to the boss?"

"She's pretty banged up. You think he'll even be interested?"

"Well, he did say to be on the lookout for a girl with red hair."

No! I have to find Kai!

Yet I'm powerless to resist as they haul me away.

I feel tears sting my eyes. No. By the time I get to Kai, he'll be gone.

But...

I'm not the girl to go out with the fart noise a balloon makes when it lets out air. I am Skylor Chen, and the one thing my lousy father taught me is how to make a dramatic exit.

I teleport out of my captor's grasp. I don't make it very far, since I'm running out of air, but I still get away.

And then I use the power of ice to freeze them.

I start to black out once more, but it's okay. I escaped.

And if I ever wake up from this overwhelming drowsiness, I will find the boy I love.