In the Samurai X cave Nya had assembled some of the larger pieces of the old armour on the scaffold and a new Mech was beginning take shape. The bodywork had lost its original sheen after years of neglect and the fine abrasive wind that had blown through the part open hanger door had worked its way into the closures making assembly difficult. The result was a worn and tired looking machine, that rather than strike fear into the hearts of its enemies, might just give them a good laugh before they pushed it over with one finger. Nya was hanging off of the main crane arm, about to kill herself for this rust bucket by trying to manually attach the hydraulics for the beasts left elbow and it wasn't behaving 'Nnnnngh! You piece of sh*...' She hit the circular attachment head, the thread having degraded to make it near impossible to turn. The ball bearings in the counter rotational element however, were near perfect, the thick lubricating grease having saved them from the slow rotting rust that spread across everything else. That was something at least, but pointless if you couldn't attach the bloody things together. She hit it again, gritted her teeth and held back a frustrated shout, so gave it the finger instead before dropping into a reverse roll gracefully to the floor.

Having woken from a nap, Ronin looked up from under his hat at Nya walking grumpily away from the Mech 'Whose winning?' he asked dryly.

Nya glared at him, hands on hips her face red and sweaty from exertion 'I never thought I would ever have to fight my own Mech!' she said, irritated.

'Well, you should have up-kept it. It's all very well this perfect buddy, buddy, team bubble you've been living in, but when it comes down to it you always have to look after number one'

'Oh come on Ronin, this is hardly a normal occurrence that's happening here'

'So when has your life ever been normal? It was kind of inevitable really... I'm just saying, with a little foresight, you could've saved yourself a heap of trouble'

'Well, it's a little late, but thanks for imparting your wisdom now!'

Ronin shrugged 'Sorry Nya, I just thought you were a bit smarter than this' he said, nodding towards the Mech, which groaned and creaked in seeming protest to being woken. He tipped his hat back over his eyes and settled back into his doze.

Nya closed her eyes and took a deep breath, Ronin was not helping her mood. Counting to ten was not going to calm her so she briskly walked out of the hanger and into the bright sunlight to release a frustrated shout.

Crick poked his head over the top of a rock to see what the noise was all about 'Nya? Are you feeling aright?'

'No, Crick. I'm really not' She looked back into the cave 'Building Mechs used to give me so much joy, but this is unbearable. All the components are degraded and completely unusable'

'I have something for you'

'Uh, you do?'

'Yes, I have a few things. Please come here, they are here' he indicated to his place behind the rock.

On a tarpaulin spread out on the ground, Crick had laid a cross section of mech components. He held two parts up to her 'here, try this'

Nya took the parts and put them together, twisting to lock them. The action was smooth enough and the satisfying 'thunk' sound it made as the parts closed securely sent a wave of excitement into her arms 'Crick! What kind of miracle have you performed?'

'No miracle' said Crick looking confused 'simple know how... When you know how'

'What?' Nya asked a look of bemused happiness on her face.

Crick ran his hands through the sand 'sand is destructive, but it is also delicate and versatile. You just need to know how to use it'.

'Well you are going to have to show me this miracle of serpentine DIY... How much have you managed to save?'

'It is all save-able. The degradation is very minor; the rust has grown not eaten and just needs smoothing gently with the right grade of sand and the right tools...' and he held up a ball of fine string and shrugged slightly. Knowing he had done a good job he looked exceedingly pleased with himself 'it's nothing'

'It's nothing? Oh Crick you are... amazing! I love you!' She hugged him.

'...ummm' Crick looked confused and embarrassed.

'Oh, sorry Crick. Not love you, more like, I am in awe of you'

His expression changed back to a look of pride as he accepted the compliment 'I have completed much of the right arm components. When I have finished them we will disassemble the left and I will start that, then the components for both legs and then the hips and then the torso and then...'

'Crick, Crick, stop. This is amazing. Thank you so much. Please take your time, you seem to be working at twice the speed I can so we should get this sucker up and running in no time'

'Ok'

Crick settled back down to continue his work. As Nya headed into to the cave again, she turned back 'Crick?' he poked his head up from the rock 'I'm glad you're here'

'Because I have skills?'

'Well there's no denying that Crick. But I like you too. I'm glad you're here' Crick smiled and disappeared back behind his rock.

As the light fell over the desert Nya continued to work in the cave. The day had started badly, but her enthusiasm had been restored by Cricks efforts to restore her mech. He entered the cave and called up to her 'Nya. Please come down. It is very late. You must rest and Ronin is making some... chow?'

'I'll be down soon'

'No, ninja. You'll come down now' he stood with his arms folded and waited for her.

'Wow, ok mum! You really do take your responsibilities seriously Crick' she turned the pieces she held together and heard that satisfying 'thunk' and sighed her appreciation 'It's a beautiful thing' she said and climbed down the scaffold to Crick 'Do you have a family Crick?' Nya asked as they walked out of the cave.

'No'

'Do you think you ever will?'

'I had a family'

'Oh! I'm sorry Crick, I didn't mean to pry'

Nya stayed silent, worried that she had offended him, but Crick began to explain 'Knock was a gladiator. She was fearsome' and Nya could not help but notice the fire in his eyes when he described her 'but she died in a battle' he sighed and the fire ebbed away. 'This was before we had the safety rules of New Ouroboros of course'.

'Do you have any children?'

'Yes, one, but he has a new family' Nya looked confused 'It is the Serpentine way. He was adopted into his mothers family, to be raised by her sister and her partner'

'Oh, Crick. I'm sorry'

'I am a warrior. I cannot raise a child. It is for the best'

They settled next to the campfire. Ronins canteen hung above it, heating some meat and hunks of bread that sat warming through on a stone. Ronin appeared out of Rex and joined them. He threw Nya some bread and put some meat on a metal plate for her 'thanks Ronin' suddenly she felt exhausted and the simple food was very welcome.

'What're you havin' Crick?' Ronin asked.

'Ah, well, I have eaten already. I thought I would save you the sight. It may have put you off your meal'

'Ha!' Ronin snorted 'Constrictai... That's very thoughtful Crick' he looked at Nya raising an eyebrow, she smiled back.

As the night wore on the three sat around the fire for company. With no distractions, Nya found her thoughts firmly back with Jay, Lloyd and the team but with Ronin, she couldn't help reminiscing over old adventures and the happy memories just served to make the most recent seem worse. Ronin found it especially amusing to remind her what she was like when they first met, when she was just 14 years old 'I knew I liked you straight away' he said 'you had fire back then, more than you're brother'

'Hey, what about now? You saying that's gone?'

'Heh, no sweetheart, you've just got that sucker under control. If fire can be cool... that's what you got now' Crick laughed and Nya grinned at the compliment.

'I've gotta sleep' she said and picked up another dry branch, which snapped into pieces easily and threw it on the fire.

'That stuff's not gonna last an hour, I've got some combustible bricks in Rex, they'll last better' Ronin said and stood to get them. Crick nodded goodnight to Nya and moved away to his rock den

'Goodnight Crick' Nya said.

Looking into the flames, Nya watched them flick and drag into the dark as a wind whipped up and she pulled Ronins sleeping bag around her Perhaps we shouldn't sleep outside tonight? She thought and waited for the wind to die down but it grew and pushed against her and she felt the sleeping bag pulled as if tugged by a hand. She jumped to her feet, the wind was now strong enough to unbalance her 'Ronin, Crick! A storm!' she shouted and started to try and grab the gear around the campfire as it rolled away. The sleeping bag was finally pulled free from her and as she tried to grab it, Ronin and Crick saw Nya freeze in mid air. They shot forward towards her, but found that they too were stopped, held back by an invisible force. They tried to move free and battled against the force but could not get free and within the violent wind, golden particles swirled around them. Buffeted by the wind the golden specks danced and swam, then seemed to take on a life of their own and swarmed towards Nya. 

The swarm of glinting dust moved towards her and Nya struggled against her invisible constraints. Slowly the particles moved around and pushed against her. She felt them glide over her body and up her arms, balling into her hands to forcibly spread her fingers wide. She felt a tingle in her hands that grew into a stabbing sensation in her palms that vibrated up her arms. She had felt this before, on her dragon when Lloyd had grabbed her. His power had somehow transferred into her, but could this really be him? 'Lloyd!' she shouted 'Stop!' She could feel the transference of power begin, a mix of pain and pleasure. It seemed to find the part of her that needed more, an easy high without the effort of thought or love. She could feel her body surrender and her mind succumb to the enticement as the glittering particles held her in a lovers embrace. She was loosing herself and again she appealed to swarm in a whisper 'Lloyd... please don't'  and just as she thought she was lost, something hit her at speed, scattering the golden dust and she felt the stabbing ants that crawled in her arms dragged from her. The swarm billowed and pulled uncomfortably around her, it tried to hold on but was ripped free. Nya fell to the ground and looked up to see the golden swarm disrupted by a boiling swirl of green particles. The two forces collided and span, fighting for dominance, slamming together to disperse and reform again. The green particles rushed the gold from the camp to disappear into the night. Slowly the ghostly green mist crept back into the camp, drawing it's dancing motes into a tight cloud and settled before Nya. Nya stared at it, pulsing from the exertion of the tussle 'Lloyd?'.

The three watched the cloud in silence, unsure of what had just happened. Nya now knew the Golden entity that had attacked her had not been Lloyd. She looked at the the Green entity and carefully approached 'Lloyd?' she asked again. The glowing mist swirled and dispersed in response, it reformed and swirled again. Staring into the mesmerising particles, Nya glimpsed moments of clarity in the form, familiar shapes that tried to hold themselves only to disintegrate from the effort. She felt no fear, it was not their enemy. If this is Lloyd, what was the other entity? She asked herself and reached her hand forward into the languid form. Delicate tendrils gently wrapped around her arm to hold onto her 'Oh Lloyd' Nya said and as the form seemed to relax from its exertion, a soft likeness of Lloyds face formed from the particles.

Ronin pulled Crick away 'this moment ain't for us'

Nya tried to touch the face that had appeared but her fingers agitated the particles and the cloud dispersed. She pulled her hand back 'No, no, come back' Nya pleaded and the unstable cloud settled again. She knelt and stared at it, watching the subtle shifts of movement. The face appeared again and smiled at her. Nya smiled back, a sad confused smile and she asked 'that entity, that attacked me. Was it your power?'

Lloyd shook his head slowly and the particles separated and swung side to side, blurring his form before settling back.

'I thought, perhaps, your power had separated from you...' Nya said 

Lloyd shrugged, an unfathomable sadness in his face.

'If it wasn't your power, what was it?' her mind raced to understand and before her, Lloyd shifted to form coils that unwound into a sinuous snake 'The Great Devourer?' Nya asked 'How?' the snake dispersed and Lloyds face reappeared.

Nya brought her hand to her mouth. The Great Devourer, the embodiment of evil that had defined his life before he was even born 'could it be?' she asked.

'It must be!' she pondered, thinking around how it could be a part of Lloyds traumatic story now 'It... it was inside you. Passed to you through your father' Lloyds face showed recognition of what she said 'and now it's left you, you've separated from it.' Nya felt a surge of hope 'It's gone. We can find a way to make you whole. There must be a way Lloyd. There must be' Lloyds' smoky figure gave a subtle shrug and a shake of the head, his face full of sorrow and confusion.

Nya closed her eyes, a tear escaped to roll down her cheek. She screwed up her eyes and swayed with tiredness. She felt like collapsing and had to jerk herself awake but Lloyds energy particles had surrounded her and supported her gently. Nya felt her feet glide free from the ground and he held in a tender embrace. Lloyd's face reformed next to hers and she gazed at the particles, subtly shifting to hold his likeness as she felt soft tendrils wrap around her waist and it was almost as if she could feel his fingers form to hold her hands. Her mind swirled like the mist around her and relaxing completely into him she whispered 'I love you'. He closed his eyes with regret, as Nya released her mind to sleep.

When Nya awoke, she had to adjust her eyes to the bright morning sun. Lloyd was gone and Nya felt as if she had awoken from a vivid dream. She pulled herself to sit and ran her fingers through her messy hair. Crick appeared from below his rock and moved over to sit alongside her 'did I dream everything that happened last night Crick?'

Crick shook his head 'this... apparition, was the subject of your confused kiss, yes?' 

Nya nodded and covered her eyes with her hands.

'He seemed... uh... very nice' Crick said awkwardly

She lowered her hands and gave Crick a blank look 'Um, he doesn't normally look like that Crick'

'Oh. Good... But he loves you, that I could see. Do you love him?'

'More than I care to admit' Nya said regretfully.

'Perhaps you should just admit it'

'Actually, I think I did...' Nya remembered the moments as she passed out and she was pretty certain she had told Lloyd she loved him.

Crick perked up 'Well, this is a good thing, to know your mind'

'Its not really that simple Crick' to which Crick looked confused 'I think snakes and humans have different outlooks on a lot of things in life. I think love for you is a simple thing but for Humans...' Nya shook her head and sighed 'love is bound up with too many other emotions and we are too stupid to be able to unravel them!'

Crick nodded in agreement 'Ah, you know your own mind yet don't. You are a wise human indeed to be able to see your own failings' He smiled 'This is why I like you'

'...thanks Crick! Straight talking as always... and this is why I like you'

Crick smiled and nodded in agreement. Nya rolled her eyes and flopped her head into her lap as Crick unfurled into a stretch to bask in the warm morning sun.

Ronin came walking from around the back of Rex 'Morning sweetheart' Nya acknowledged him and immediately saw the wry smile on his face 'interesting date you had last night!'

'Oh, crawl back into your hole Ronin' she picked up a small stone and threw it at him, which he dodged with a chuckle.

'Crick. Have you told her what you told me last night?'

'What?' Nya asked, looking at Crick.

Crick almost jumped 'No, I have not. I am sorry, I forgot!'

...'Well? What is it?' Nya asked.

'The other entity, the one that attacked us? It is of Serpentine origin'

'I KNEW IT!'