***I know you guys have had some rough patches here in the first ten chapters or so, but I PROMISE this is one part you'll like. Promise! You get a Nya POV and (finally) a Zane POV!

Also, my next update will most likely come Wednesday - I'm breaking out the flashcards and colored pens right now so I can study like crazy for chemistry LOL

Also, Auntie Smith is one of the few OC's you'll ever see in my writing. I needed her for the storyline, so I had to create her :P

Also, I came to the point where I realized Nya gets herself into a lot of trouble in my books, a trope I've tried to forgo LOL On the bright side, she's good at finding her way out of trouble and doesn't need no man to save her, so I hope things are still interesting for you guys. Thoughts on this? Does Nya just need to keep her nose where it belongs?***

***(Nya's POV)***

I take a deep breath, sprawled across my belly on my bed. I slip the journal I've been using out from under my pillow and open it to a fresh page.

It's been a week since we finished school, and the past few days have been uneventful for the team. There've been no more crazy power plant incidents or sightings of Nadakhan. We're no closer to finding him or the villain he's working for.

This threat just seems harder to pinpoint than all the others we've faced. Garmadon was simple – he never tried to hide it when he was doing something evil. At least with the Sons of Garmadon, we had Sensei Wu to help us. Now? We've had no success in finding our master since Lloyd started working with his mom on it last week.

Even though things may have been uneventful for the team, my emotional and mental life has been a whirlwind. I've had so much to think over the past few days.

I pull my pencil from the spine of my journal and begin to write.

15th May

I'm so bad at starting these entries, so I'm just going to skip the formalities here and just say that...I think I'm ready.

Remember how I wrote about Seliel talking to me the other day? Okay, it wasn't the other day. It was, like, a week ago. But anyway, she told me it wasn't my fault for any of the things I've done – for any of the people I've killed. I was really mad at her at first. I didn't like the way she was accusing Jay and his mom, and she came off...really harsh. But Sel was really just telling me that I had as much fault as they did in what happened, and they didn't have any, so...I didn't have any fault, either.

Seliel's doing fine, by the way – she was really worried about the whole foster family thing, but Cole is working with the authorities. Nothing's certain right now, but it seems that the foster care system will allow Seliel to stay, if only as a foster child. We're crossing our fingers for the best, and we're looking into other methods of gaining custody of her, if needed. Misako might theoretically be allowed to adopt her, but she's a single mom with a horrible track record, to put things nicely.

Seliel has also finally convinced me to let her give me an 'extreme makeover', as she puts it. She tried last night, and it was laughable. When Skylor bought me makeup and clothes, everything was stylish, yet not...overly showy. Seliel, on the other hand...let's just say I stopped her when she tried to give me fake eyelashes. I'll never understand why anyone likes those.

But besides all that, I think I'm ready to forgive myself for what happened, or at least...work on forgiving myself. I can't argue with Seliel's logic. It's still hard for me to grapple with my parents' death, but Sel's dad and Jay's mom...I can see how that isn't my guilt to bear.

And, well, I think I'm going to stay in Ninjago City. I don't need to run away if I'm not a criminal.

Relief washes over me as I write those words, and I allow acceptance to fill my heart. I don't have to leave Skye, Seliel, or the team.

I don't have to leave Jay. We just need space right now. I've heard from Cole that he's doing better with his depression and obsession with me, and I'm happy about that. I just don't want to ruin his progress, neither do I want to ruin my own. I mean, I'm just now realizing how messed up my head is. I don't need Jay muddling it anymore.

And...I don't have to leave my brother anymore. He deserves to know that as soon as possible.

I hear the front door open and smile to myself. He's back. And even though I don't like emotional speeches and all that, I've got to tell him about my latest revelation: He and I are going to spend our lives together for as long as he wants to.

"I didn't wanna listen to what you were sayin',

I thought that I knew all I need to know.

I didn't realize that somewhere inside me,

I knew you were right but I couldn't say so."

I close my journal, slip it under my pillow, and pad out of my bedroom in my bare feet. It's late. I have no idea what Kai and Skylor were up to, but if it involved them going back to her dad's mansion after dinner, I'm sure I don't want to know.

"Hey, Kai," I say softly.

He smiles at me with tired eyes. "Good. You're still here. I was scared when Cole had to cancel as babysitter, so I sent Lloyd to discreetly come check on you a few times – you know, pull a ninja and spy on you without your knowing. Did he manage to get past you?"

"There wasn't much to get past," I confess. "It's not like I was hiding in here or anything." But no, I didn't notice him. I need to pay more attention to my surroundings, apparently.

I clear my throat. "Um, Kai...there's something we need to talk about."

His expression turns serious. "What's this about?"

I motion to the couch. "Do you...wanna sit down?"

"Nya," he warns me. "I don't like the sound of this."

"It's good news."

"Then why do you sound so gloomy?"

"Because...no reason." I don't like having emotional conversations, that's why. And I don't want to cry – Kai's never been good with my tears, anyway.

"There's always a reason when you're upset." He seats himself on the couch, then pats the spot next to him.

I flop down on the designated cushion, leaving a cautious few inches of space between us. "Kai, we haven't really talked the past few days about...about the running away thing."

"Oh, no." He grabs me by the shoulders. "Nya Smith – "

"Just let me speak, Kai." I let out a long breath fraught with more feelings than I know what to do with. "I...I'm not ready to tell you what started it all. The running away, I mean."

"You don't have to tell me," he says pleadingly, his eyes begging me to listen to him. "Just stay, Nya. Don't leave me. I love you, sis."

"I know. I mean, you gave up your teenaged life to raise me. Except for Friday and Saturday nights," I smile vaguely, reminding him of the times he used to sneak out to attend parties. Even though everyone has always thought he's four years older than his actual age, he's always had charisma no one could resist. He fit in just fine with the high school party crowd.

Of course, that's probably who he would've been hanging out with, anyway, if it weren't for the loss of our parents.

Which I'm trying not to blame myself for anymore. And...it's starting to work.

"I can take care of myself, yeah, you taught me well.

I learned from you that I do not crumble,

I learned that strength is something you choose.

All of the reasons to keep on believin',

There's no question, that's a lesson that I learned from you."

He runs a hand through his hair. "I'd give up my life again, if it meant you would stay. Please, Nya, you...can't go. You're the only family I have left – well, I mean, Skylor's joining, but you know what I mean."

"Aunt Sunny is biological family," I point out.

He eyes me. "What do you know about her?" His tone is suspicious and...protective.

"She's mom's sister," I shrug.

"Yeah, but what else? Has she tried to contact you?"

I frown. "Yes?"

He curses. "Stay away from her, Nya. She doesn't seem like a bad person, but mom and dad never invited her over for a reason."

"Did you meet her?" I ask.

"Once. You were around eight or nine at the time, and mom and dad sent you to stay with some of your friends the weekend she told us she was coming."

"Why?"

"Because she hates elementals, Nya. She's petrified of them. She seems nice and all, but she and mom never got along because Sunny always lived in fear of her. She wanted mom to give up her elemental power, but mom wasn't willing to do it."

"Huh." I shrug. "Well, Sunny sends me birthday and greeting cards through the monastery. I thought you'd given her the address for the monastery, but if you didn't do it...I wonder how she got it."

"She has her ways." He shakes his head. "I don't want you communicating with her, Nya. She's the reason I ran away with you after mom and dad died back in Ignacia. Sunny was away on some trip at the time, but by the time I healed from my injuries, she'd contacted local authorities. They thought I'd be happy to hear our legal guardian was coming for us, but that's the night I made you leave and go back to Ignacia with me. I went back to the blacksmith's shop in Ignacia, collected all the money I knew our parents kept on hand, and even pawned some of mom's jewelry so I could create a home for us here."

I nod, taking this all in. "So...she's not trustworthy. I believe you."

"Good." He shakes his head. "I don't know what she wants. If she ever tries to contact you again, you come straight to me."

"We always don't agree on

What is the best way

To get to the place that we're going from here,

But I can really trust you and give you the distance

To make your decisions without any fear.

I'm grateful for all of the times

You opened my eyes."

"It's okay, Kai," I say, stifling an eye roll. "I can take care of myself."

His bottom lip trembles, and he clenches his eyes shut, turning his face away. "Is that what the running away thing is about? That you think you need to prove yourself to me or something?"

The emotion on his face just breaks me, and I crawl into his lap, wrapping my arms around his chest. I bury my face in his shoulder.

"I'm not running away from you, Kai," I choke out.

"What?" he swallows, holding me against him.

"I'm not leaving you. I love you, and...I'm not going to do that to you. I was wrong to ever even think of running away, Kai. I thought I could keep you from getting hurt that way, but in reality...I would only hurt you more." I allow my tears to mesh with the fabric of his shirt.

"What – how – did Skylor talk to you or something?"

"No," I laugh through my weeping. "She tried, but I wouldn't divulge anything about what I was feeling to her."

His voice breaks. "Oh, my gosh." He squeezes me tight. "I love you so much, sis. And I could be mad at you for taking this long to figure your problems out, but I'm so much more relieved."

"I'm glad," I chuckle through my tears. "I guess you won't need Cole to babysit me anymore during the honeymoon."

"Are you joking? You get into so much trouble when no one's watching you – when Clouse set our house on fire, when those inappropriate pictures of you were posted at school, when you tried to take down Ultraviolet in freezing cold water, when you got kidnapped by the Sons of Garmadon, when you ran away to live with Seliel for a weekend, when – "

I wave him off. "Kai, you're forgetting that I'm also really good at getting myself out of trouble. When I was stuck in that fire, it was me who saved your fiancée and employed multiple methods to ensure I didn't inhale too much smoke. I'm the one who managed to swim back to the dock when Ultraviolet was after me, even though I had moderate hypothermia. I took down the Sons of Garmadon – well, with the help of Jay and his mom, but whatever. I beat up Seliel's dad so you guys only had to see him off to jail. Need I go on?"

Kai rolls his eyes. "Jay helped a lot more than you give him credit for. Like, he's the one who essentially cleared your name after the photo incident, for example. He was such a babbling fool in that video Cole made of him on anesthetics, people actually thought it was sweet. It went viral, and because he said so many weirdly nice, sappy things about you..." My brother sticks out his tongue. "Gross. But at least it worked to our advantage."

"True. But let's focus on how scrappy I am when I get myself into – "

"I don't care, Nya. Cole's still babysitting you...though I admit that I'll allow you to have a little more freedom."

"I learned from you that I do not crumble,

I learned that strength is something you choose.

All of the reasons to keep on believin',

There's no question, that's a lesson

I learned from you."

I sigh with happiness, giving my brother one last hug. "You know what this calls for?"

"Me contacting Skylor to let her know she won't have to body slam you in her wedding gown?" He pulls out his cell phone.

I laugh at that image. "No, although I'll be happy to avoid being body-slammed, thank you very much. No, I think this calls for a scary movie night."

He smirks. "Right on, sis. Just you and me?"

"Just you and me." I punch his arm and stand. "I'm going to go make the popcorn."

I think life is finally turning up.

***(Zane's POV)***

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Cyrus Borg asks.

I nod. "If you are unable to fix PIXAL's power source, then it is much better that she have half of mine."

"This could hinder your cognitive and physical abilities, Zane," he warns me.

"I am willing to take that risk, sir. PIXAL" – I sniff – "I need her."

He gives me a sympathetic look. "I need her, too." He clears his throat. "All right. I'm going to temporarily turn off your power switch, that way I can extract part of your power source."

I swallow. "May I...say a few words to her first? In private? I just...if something goes wrong..."

Mr. Borg nods. "Of course. I will, er, leave you for a moment." He hastily walks out of the room.

I smile my thanks, then turn to PIXAL's still form as her father leaves.

As the door closes, I run my hands through her hair – it may be synthetic, but PIXAL is more real to me than anyone else I've ever known.

"I'm sorry this happened to you," I sniff. "PIXAL, I...I am so, so sorry. I shouldn't have asked you to come with us on the mission, but I...I did. And I will pay the price for that." I clutch her hand to my chest. "You are vital to me, PIXAL. I will make things right for you, I promise."

She gives no response, and I sigh, choking on my breath. I gently press my lips to her forehead. "I love you," I whisper. "I...I know I have been hesitant to say such until now, but I love you. And I hope to see you on the other side."

We spend a few moments in silence. I grasp her hand in mine, seating myself beside her and waiting until Mr. Borg returns.

I miss her so badly. She feels like my other half.

"And now, you will be my other half," I whisper. "I'm giving you part of my power source. We will be fine, PIXAL. I promise you, we will meet again."

Mr. Borg pokes his head in. "Are you...ready yet?"

I give him a solemn nod. "Go ahead, sir."

He points to a chair beside PIXAL. "Have a seat."

I take a deep breath and do as he asks. He stands behind me, fiddling with the back of my head.

"I'll turn you back on in a moment," he promises.

And that's when everything goes black.

When I open my eyes, I feel...exhausted. However, I am only thankful I awoke.

I look over to see Borg beside PIXAL. "Did you...did you get half my power source?" I ask.

"Yes," he replies, intent on his work. "Now, with a few minor adjustments, I'm confident we can make this work." He fixes something on the back of her neck.

I stand up, taking her hand in mine. "It will be all right, PIXAL," I comfort her, even though she can't hear me. "And when you awake, I will buy you as many shoes as you would like. And I will even wear the pair you bought me that I have foregone donning." Said shoes are actually too small for my feet – they were out of stock in larger sizes when PIXAL purchased them. However, I have not had the heart to return them.

"Should be just a moment..." Borg mutters to himself as he works.

I watch PIXAL's face anxiously, eager to see any sign of life. It's been eight days, three hours, forty-two minutes, and eight seconds since she was last awake. To say I miss the light in her green eyes is an understatement.

I suddenly feel movement under my finger that rests on her wrist.

Her pulse simulator is working.

PIXAL is coming back.

I stroke her cheek. "PIXAL?" I ask softly.

Her eyelashes flutter open. She blinks, then smiles when she sees me. "Zane." Her expression suddenly transforms to realization. "Zane, the library – "

Before she can finish, I pull her torso against my chest, hugging her with all my might. "PIXAL, you're awake!" I exclaim. Laughter bubbles from my throat.

"Yes, but – where – how did I get back to my home?" She looks over her shoulder. "Father?"

He beams. "PIXAL! I'm so glad to see you awake. It's been a week since your power source was damaged by an electrical issue that fried the device! It was irreparable, and – "

"Father, I do hate to interrupt, but you know who the evil Djinn Nadakhan is working for, correct?" she asks anxiously.

"It doesn't matter right now," I sigh, kissing her hair. "I've missed you so much!"

"As have I, but did you learn the threat's identity? I have a photo of him in my database!"

"No," I reply, "but there hasn't been any odd electrical activity to report recently. As a result, I am not overly concerned with that issue at present. I am going to cook a three-course meal for you, and then we shall purchase shoes together, and then – "

"Zane, please slow down for just a moment." She pulls back to meet my gaze. "I'm confident the threat at hand is currently plotting against us. I don't know what his plan is, but I have reason to believe the danger has not entirely passed – the book I had at the library had been checked out by a serpentine, given the scale I found between the pages. Unfortunately, I do not know the serpentine's identity, but if you view my recent visual entries in my database, perhaps you will recognize his face."

Borg speaks up. "Give me just a moment to pull up the imagery. I only need to get your latest database entries online." He crosses the room to a computer monitor, typing a few keys on the keyboard.

I sit down next to PIXAL. "Do you know what happened to you when your power source was damaged?"

"Not entirely. It took me by surprise when the snake came up behind me, and I only got a glimpse of his face." She shakes her head. "I believe you have fought serpentine before, correct?"

"Yes, PIXAL. Most were eradicated by early last year." I frown. "I wonder what one could want now?"

An image on the screen pops up, and she points to it. "Do you see him? It's rather blurry."

I take a look at the picture, and it all comes clear. "Pythor."

***LOL So rather anticlimactic for the villain Nadakhan's working for, right? But nobody guessed Pythor, so that's kind of funny. I briefly considered changing him as the villain, but I wrote this really funny scene where he shows up, and I just didn't have the heart to switch him out for someone more sinister.

So...who actually thinks things are turning up? Who thinks the floor's about to fall through? And who thinks things will turn up, and just at the right moment, everything's going to bottom out?***