ATTENTION THE RATING HAD GONE DOWN!!!!!

finally watched the lego ninjago movie

doodled some ninjas, combined the movie and show designs plus some headcanons

Jay: Pakistani (like his movie va), has a bad eye n a notched eyebrow

Cole: Ainu Japanese, has a sort of greenish pallor due to the ghost stuff

Lloyd: Chinese on Garmadon’s side, Japanese on Mikado’s side, bits of oni traits

Zane: He’s A Robot™

Nya and Kai: Japanese/Mexican (like kai’s movie va), fraternal twins w/ Nya being the younger twin

I’ve seen headcannons everywhere that Leo and (to a lesser extent) Donnie get cold really easily, and thus can get really sick or enter “brumination” or something. Soooo how do you feel about that headcannon and do you have any angsty situations that could result? >:D

Well, since they’re shown shivering/sweating in canon, they must have at least some internal temperature regulation (so they aren’t entirely cold-blooded and hypothermia is more likely than brumation). That said, I can see Leo and Donnie running a little colder than the others, or just having a distaste for the cold.

“I produce NO body heat!” Leo dramatically exclaims while Donnie pulls on a beanie because he gets a headache whenever his ears get cold.

And then, if you think about when Leo had a hard time with his portals...

The Flame and the Dragon Ch9

Chapter 9: The Boy in the Castle

Kai's amber eyes remained fixed on the huge castle before him. The structure stood dark, curved, and magnificent with an unearthly quality that invited doom, but drew unwary travelers to it like ships to a beacon in a raging storm. The two towers boarding the main castle and the multiple spikes, towers, and spires created a jagged line against the sky. Every gargoyle, every window, every arch, and balcony is a perfect mirror of the castle in Kai's mind.

"This is.." He trailed off, the words dying in his throat; his hands gripped the iron bars of the gate so hard the rust of the iron dug into his hands. The only difference between the two castles was this one was dark and foreboding, while the one he was used to was white and rich with life. "This place was only supposed to be a dream! It can't exist." He tried to tell himself and yet there it was. A perfect dark, mirror-image of the castle he saw every time he closed his eyes.

This was where Lloyd and Nya were trapped?

Shaking his head free of the trance once his gaze fell back on Nya's coat, Kai released his grip on the gate then took a few steps back. With a mighty kick, the gates swung open with a loud screech.

"Come on Flame." He called, but the second his foot stepped through the gates a chill ran through his body, either from coldness or fear. The stallion followed, though was much more cautious in his steps and a look of trepidation in his eyes. Kai scowled to himself. Even the horse thinks coming here is a bad idea. But he ignored his own apprehensions and bolted to the entrance.

"Stay here." He told Flame, before cautious climbing up marble steps. He approached the massive doors of the enormous castle, cautiously. The decoration was more lavish than any Kai had seen. He couldn't even begin to imagine what it must've been like centuries prior without age and weather to wither its contents. Swallowing a lump of hesitation, he pulled on the door knockers. The doors open just as the gate did, and once again, the second he stepped through the doors it was like he'd entered another world.

Despite the castle's outwardly withered appearance, the inside was nothing short of magnificent.

With slight hesitation in his step, the teen took a step down the stunning red carpet. Walls of glass were at both sides of him, hazy from years of neglect and caked with dust. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. He could only imagine how lovely the crystals and glass looked in the sunlight. He came to another set of enormous doors, much nicer and more elaborate than the ones outside. Vines and roses were elegantly carved into the fine oak wood, climbing up the sides of the door and surrounding the stunning carving of what looked like an enormous dragon.

Kai shook his head again, forcing himself to stay focused.

The doors flung open with a mighty shove and again he found himself within the depths of the castle. His eyes widened in shock. He had never imagined the inside, nor had he ever dreamed it, but even he had to agree it was far more magnificent than he could have possibly imagined. The front hall alone was huge and alight with enormous iron and crystal chandeliers filled with burning wax candles. Brass candle holders lined the inner hallway.

The small candle flames bathed the entire front entrance in a pale glow.

A majestic marble staircase spiraled in one direction leading above the first staircase to what looked like a balcony-hallway. The hallways were like crystal-lined marble chambers that could lead anywhere. The ceiling seemed to go up and on forever like a giant cathedral. The chains holding the chandeliers vanished in the darkness. Gargoyles and statues embedded in the huge walls above him were in scattered locations. The darkness and years of dust draped the entire castle in an eerie atmosphere, but the history of the castle itself spoke more than a hundred ancient tomes.

"Hello!" Kai called, hearing his voice echo against the empty hallways. "Does anybody live here? Hello!" He called again. His own voice boomed around him, the only drop of sound among the room of silence. "I'm looking for my brother and sister! Hello!" He tried for the third time but still got no answer. Confident that the castle was indeed abandoned he turned to the left towards the first corridor. He started calling Nya and Lloyd's names, unable to shake the feeling that someone was watching him in the main hallway...

****************

"What on earth were you and Tox thinking, Jay?" The white and black-haired man in disappointment. He also had a goatee and black eyebrows that looked similar to Kai's. He wore a gray and tan robe-like attire with a leather collar and belt. Jay was currently lying on his back, atop the dining room table, since it hadn't been used in well over a century. Ronin was pacing around in front of them. Zane was in the other room talking to the castle's seamstresses to pay them any attention.

"I know! I know! I'm sorry!" Jay apologized but it was muffled by his hands covering his face. He sat up and braced himself on his arms. "Look me in the eye, Neuro, and tell me you could've left them freezing to death in the middle of a storm?" He asked as his dark blue orbs met Neuro's brilliant onyx ones. Neuro sighed, running a hand through his hair. The white and black wings he adorned in his Tengu form flexed and flapped in thought. Even long before he'd come to the castle, it was rare a single dark thought filled his mind or he wished malice on anyone.

The very thought of him leaving two innocents alone to fend for themselves and being able to cope with such a choice was nothing short of laughable.

"No, I couldn't even if I wished to." He sighed, turning his teacup in his hands. Jay slid off the table, and gulped down his cold tea in one gulp, hoping the mixture would ease the stress barraging his mind. Sadly, it did nothing.

"He shouldn't have been so harsh though; if he had only given me two seconds to explain..." The ginger-haired teen muttered as he gripped the table so hard his nails dug into the wood. Rising to his feet, Neuro placed and comforting hand on Jay's shoulder. He knew Jay blamed himself for what happened the previous night and felt guilty.

"I won't deny his decision was and is a dreadful mistake, but you know he has his reasons; he suffers more a day than any of us could ever understand." He said as Jay collapsed in a chair, and crossed his arms.

"Doesn't mean he has to be so harsh!"

"I warned you." Ronin snapped. "Didn't I warn you? I told you he'd react that way!" He exclaimed as he ran his hands through his brown hair and gripped the locks tightly. "What were you thinking, Jay! Bringing them inside is one thing, but what were you thinking! Changing their clothes, letting them sleep on the master's favorite couch, playing with the boy!" He ranted, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Well, excuse me for trying to be hospitable!" Jay retorted. Neuro sighed in annoyance, doing his best to tune out the two boy's argument, if only for his own sake and sanity...

****************

In the other room, Zane had just finished speaking with the castle's seamstresses by the time Nelson burst into the room, wild with excitement. Nelson was a young boy around Lloyd's age with light brown hair combed to the side. He was wearing a purple sweatshirt with white printed on the back and light blue pants. The seamstress was in her true form, a stunning woman with elegant waves of bleached white hair tied in a bun. Her stunning sharp emerald eyes radiated fierce independence but softened when she saw Nelson.

She always had a soft spot for the younger members of the staff.

"Where are you off to in such a rush?" She asked, sweetly.

"Harumi, Zane, you're not gonna believe this!" Nelson practically bounced with excitement. "There's a boy in the castle!"

"We're aware of that, Nelson; he's in the tower with his sister," Zane responded, without taking his eyes off the clipboard.

"Not them, Zane!" Nelson corrected. "There's another boy in the castle! He's here looking for them!"

"Are you sure?" Harumi asked, eyes wide with surprise.

"I'm positive!"

"That's enough, Nelson!" Zane scolded. "We all have work to do including you; no time for stories."

"But Zane—"

"Enough Nelson!" The yeti snapped, but before Zane could say another word, another servant burst into the room with a wide giddy grin. It was a woman with long black hair that was tied back in a tall ponytail with pale, almost grey skin and violet eyes. She wore a dark purple biker outfit. Harumi jumped in surprise at her sudden entrance.

"Ultra Violet! You'll give me a heart attack!" She scolded her wife. Though Harumi and Ultra Violet were the same age, Violet always acted so much younger.

"What is it, Ultra Violet?" Zane asked, sternly, clearly not in the mood for any more surprises since the previous night.

"THERE'S A BOY IN THE CASTLE! AN ACTUAL BOY!" She shrieked, almost bursting with happiness. Harumi's jaw hit the floor. Zane's eyes bulged out of his skull.

"I told you so!" Nelson screamed with a glare and a wide smirk...

****************

Neuro's hand clenched the teacup and plate so hard it almost shattered. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes in frustration, unable to decide if he should yell at the two arguing boys in front of him or drag them upstairs by their ears.

"I don't care if the Master is being unfair, that's already been established! Fact is you put them in danger!" Ronin accused.

"Well excuse me for trying to be nice!" Jay retorted meeting the man's angry gaze.

"Figures, the first two people to enter this fucking place in a hundred years, and we get them both imprisoned in a tower for the rest of their lives!" The troll snarled as he turned away and started pulling at his hair in frustration. Jay growled in anger. Neuro slammed the cup down on the table.

"Silence the both of you!" He scolded them both, causing both of them to turn their heads. They knew full well of the temper that was hidden behind Neuro's polite and stoic appearance, but it was still a shock when it surfaced. "If you two do not refrain from arguing this very second, so help me God I will—"

"Nya?" An unfamiliar voice suddenly echoed nearby. All three servants froze and bolted towards the source of the voice, their anger was forgotten. A flash of red passed the dining room entrance. Jay and Ronin met eyes before throwing themselves up and gripping the side of the wall. Their eyes widened and their mouths gaped in shock.

"It's a boy!" Jay announced.

"No, ya think?" Ronin retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"What is he doing here?" Neuro asked as he blinked in shock, bewilderment, and worry. A giddy smile crossed Jay's face, and he started bouncing up and down in happiness.

"I knew it! I knew it! Don't you see?" He explained dancing around a bewildered Ronin. "He's the one! The one we've been waiting for! The one who's going to break the spell!"

"Jay, we've been through this, you're optimizing again!" Ronin said extremely patiently and panicked as if he were talking to an insane asylum patient.

"And it's paid off!" Jay beamed before he suddenly bounced before dashing to catch up to their guest.

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute!" Neuro called, then cried out in shock when a purple dash crashed into him and another dove over him.

"Sorry, Neuro!" Nelson apologized over his shoulder. Tox bolted after her smaller friend in her naga form, before transforming back into her own human form without halting in her step. Before Neuro could voice a protest, several gusts of wind bolted past him, sending him to the floor again. The first one came from a small glowing pixie with purple wings and a familiar, giddy grin. She was followed by a stunning woman with long white hair, pointed ears, talons for hands and feet, and jade green feathered wings growing from her arms.

Another fairy and a purple naga followed closely behind her.

"Sorry, Neuro, we're in a rush!" The purple pixie, Ultra Violet, called over her thin, amethyst wings.

"What the hell is going on?" Neuro demanded.

"They're a boy in the castle!" The fairy paused in mid-flight to respond, before following the others. Neuro remained sitting on the floor, his jaw slacked in shock, and his eyes bulged with confusion.

"Has everyone lost their minds?"...

A follow up to my crystoons post;; here’s some fusions I designed!! :oo Based on the original SU fusions ofc//

When I was away there were some really neat fusion designs already drawn by some heckin awesome people here so I thought I’d draw my own and it’s LOTS OF FUN

Choosing the colours for the first three was the hard part, though…I just went for blending the main colours of the two, using the resulting colour as the ‘base’ colour for the fusion and just worked with that _(:3 」∠)_

no idea what their names would be though…I’m open for suggestions. I wouldn’t suggest mashing their names together, though. Jtimmy, Tanny and Dimmy aren’t the best names lmao [except Spandy. Spandy’s good. ( -v-)b]

i want to smoke crack with her

for spy kai au: maybe kai getting the tattoo or recovering from it? actually did he even have time to fully recover from the tattoo before the tournament

Ignore the Anacondrai cultist's arm, its a little wonky hgkdfh

Anywho, I drew Kai getting his tattoo and the aftermath of it 😌

As for your question, I've been imagining that he was recruited 1-3 weeks before the tournament started (might stick with 3 weeks for his back's sake), so the scabs that would've formed after he got his tattoo are long gone.

Although, 3 weeks probably isn't enough time for the residual pain to go away with a tattoo that big, so he's probably still really sore.

Anyways Kai probably suffers a lot more than he did in canon during the roller derby with the amount of times he falls onto his back.

Life of a High School Vampire One-Shots 6 One Night Stand

WARNING! This chapter will include alcohol use and implied sexual content. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

**************** Summary: After a high school drinking session, Kai is trying to slip out on his one-night stand when his date wakes up needy, but he quickly gets clarification on what real neediness looks like... ****************

Kai groaned in pain as the morning sun peaked through the curtains and into his closed eyes. He wanted to go back to sleep when his ears and brain were filled with the loud, annoying sounds of dozens of birds chirping loudly. His head was still banging from last night, it felt like someone was using his head like a drum and using ice picks from the drumsticks. He could hardly remember anything about last night. The last thing he could remember was Lloyd dragging him and a reluctant Jay out for the night.

All the schools in the city were gathering together for tournaments and some of the older ones were going out drinking, something Lloyd all but bullied his teammates into.

After that everything was a blank. Groaning, Kai sat up in his bed and he rubbed his sore head and tired eyes. He was never drinking alcohol again. As he opened his eyes, however, he made a disturbing discovery. This wasn't his dorm room. Looking around, he nearly screamed when he saw a strange man fast asleep in the same bed. The man had dark skin with shaggy, raven hair, bushy eyebrows and was snoring loudly. He was so muscular, that Kai thought he was in one of the sports teams that showed up last night.

That is until he saw a sweater from the uniform for the boarding school known as Marty Oppenheimer School of Performing Arts.

Kai didn't care about that, however, as he quickly backed off the bed, falling to the floor with a heavy thud and taking the covers with him. It was then he saw that they were both completely naked, with their clothes scattered around the room. Kai also took note that everything below his waist was aching, but he hoped that that was just from him falling off the bed. Unfortunately, he wasn't stupid. He wasn't a virgin and had been with both men and women, so he knew what that pain was.

As he got to his feet, Kai looked around the room and found a student lanyard with a badge.

On the badge was a picture of the man, showing his soft green eyes and his name; Cole Brookstone. That was when everything came rushing back to Kai. He remembered going to the bar with Lloyd, Jay, and dozens of other students from other schools. He remembered meeting Cole when he left on his own and they started talking. He remembered Cole confessing all his problems at home, school, and with his widowed father to the young vampire as they both got drunker and drunker.

Thankfully, Kai wasn't drunk enough to tell Cole he was a vampire.

The brunette looked the human over again and blushed when he fully took in Cole's body and sized. When his eyes reached Cole's feet, he burst out laughing when he saw it. However, the sound caused Cole to groan and Kai panicked. His instincts suddenly kicked in, telling him to either bite the sleeping man before he woke up and alerted other humans, or hide and escape before he got discovered. Kai quickly dove under the bed, trying not to gag at the hills of dirty laundry and take-out boxes, and waited.

Luckily Cole didn't wake up and soon started snoring again.

Not that the human would probably believe him anyway. Once he was sure his one-night stand was still asleep, Kai carefully crawled out from under the messy bed and started getting dressed. As he collected his clothes from around the room, he found large dumbells, many types of vinyl of soft rock, and dozens of CDs scattered around a large boom box. He also found a few framed pictures of Cole with what Kai assumed to be his friends and father.

He wouldn't be shocked if Cole turned out to be sarcastic and possessed a strong passion for music and exercise.

What shocked the vampire was a picture that showed Cole outside a concert hall with Jay, his and Lloyd's roommate. Kai wondered if should ask Jay about this strange conscious, but he decided not to. It wasn't like he was ever going to see this Cole person after he left. Just as he grabbed his bag, Cole groaned again and started waking up. Kai considered making a break for it but thought against it. He was curious to see how much this Cole remembered and what he thought about Kai.

After a few minutes of waiting, Cole's eyes slowly blinked open, only to cry out and jump when he saw Kai standing in the doorway in all his Gothic glory.

It took a few seconds for the human to fully wake up and calm down, and Kai could hear his racing heart return to a normal pace.

"Oh, sorry, I thought you were a ghost or something." Cole gulped as he stifled a yawn and sat up. It was clear to Kai now that Cole did indeed remember what happened between them last night, and that just made this more awkward to the vampire.

"You're sweet." He replied before adjusting his bag and turned to leave.

"Wait! You're taking off already?!" Cole shouted after him in confusion and hurt, causing Kai to stop and turn back to him.

"I didn't want to rouse you, you were resting in peace." He shrugged, figuring that if Cole wanted him to stay then he would creep the human out so much he would run for the hills, just like all the others.

"Yeah, sorry if those birds woke you up, they're like the worst." Cole chuckled lightly and glanced out the opened window as the birds continued to chirp. How anyone could sleep through that was beyond Kai. An awkward silence filled the bedroom until Cole cleared his throat. "Well, before you go, do you think I could get your, uh, get your number?" he asked with a nervous blush, catching Kai off guard.

"Why do you want my phone number?" He asked. Humans always either avoided him or mocked him, not ask for his phone number. The only ones who spoke to him on a near-daily basis were Jay and Lloyd, but that only because they shared a dorm room together.

"I don't know, so I could call you or something?" Cole replied in confusion.

"I don't really use a cell phone." Kai shrugged, not lying. When they found out he didn't have a phone, Lloyd got him one and had already put his and Jay's numbers in it, without the ginger teen's permission, saying that a phone was a necessity in a teenager's life. But Kai didn't believe that so he often left his phone at the dorm, just like he did last night.

"Cool, yeah, I don't want to be a prisoner to technology either... so that's awesome, I guess." Cole chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, but it just made things more awkward. "So I take it that you're not online either?"

"No," Kai replied harshly. The thing he hated more than humans were their dependence on social media. There were too many disadvantages of social networking. It caused a lack of emotional connection, gave humans a license to be hurtful, decreased face-to-face communication skills, conveyed inauthentic expression of feelings, diminished understanding and thoughtfulness, and caused face-to-face interactions to feel disconnected. This response just made Cole even more uncomfortable, which is what Kai wanted.

"Oookay, um, so how can I get in contact with you?" The noirette asked.

"I have an email address; inmemoryofKaiSmith ." He replied, trying to hide a smirk as Cole process that.

"That makes it sound like you're dead." He laughed.

"I like to plan ahead." Kai shrugged, but to his annoyance, this only seemed to make Cole more eager.

"Alright, so I'll email you then." He smiled at the brunette.

"Do you really wanna see me again?" Kai asked, feeling an uncomfortable mixture of anger, frustration, and confusion as Cole's insistence.

"Yeah, Kai, of course! I mean, I like you." He admitted with a blush, and Kai was horrified when he felt his own cheeks heat up with his own blush. "You're not like other guys I've seen in Ninjago."

"That's accurate." He smiled weakly, but he still didn't like the fact this human wouldn't take a hint.

"D-Do you like me?" Cole suddenly asked, soundly slightly worried but hopeful, but Kai saw this as another chance to get rid of the teen.

"You're alive, aren't you?"

"Yes?"

"You're welcome," Kai smirked as Cole paled slightly. He could tell this human was different from all the others he had met and it might be fun to see him again. "I'll find you when I'm ready to see you." He added as he grabbed his bag again and made to leave once more.

"B-But you don't have any of my contact information!" Cole exclaimed.

"Don't worry, you won't be hard to track down."

"Let me at least walk you out." Cole offered as sat up some more to get up.

"I appreciate the gesture, but your chains don't reach that far." Kai grinned mischievously and started walking again. Cole frowned in confusion and he made to get up, only to freeze when he felt something on both his ankles. He ripped the covers away and gasped when he saw a pair of thick, metal shackles on them and chains connected to them to the bed. Cole looked up again to ask Kai what was going on, but the brunette was long gone.

Before Cole could think of what to do next, a bone-chilling banshee-like shriek filled the air outside the bedroom window, followed by the birds going crazy and a sickening crunch.

All was silent after that. There were no birds, no people, or cars driving past for a few seconds before they returned. All except the birds annoying chirping. He just shrugged it off as a cat or two attacking and scaring the birds away. Cole sat in his bed for a few minutes as shock, fear, and excitement filled him. He couldn't explain it, but something about Kai thrilled him and he couldn't wait to see the brunette again. If he ever got out of these chains, however.

With a heavy sigh, Cole grabbed his phone off the bedside table and called a locks smith.

This was going to be hard to explain...

The Flame and the Dragon Ch10

Chapter 10: The Bargain

"Nya! Lloyd! If you two are here, please answer me!" Kai screeched desperately, growing more and more worried. "Dammit, where are you two!" He shouted as loud as he could. A loud squeak screamed behind him, and Kai turned around in a flash. A wooden door with iron bolts, he hadn't noticed before, creaked open. Against his better judgment, Kai approached it, caution in each guarded step.

"Who's there!" He demanded. He received no answer but found himself in another chamber that contrasted with the rest of the castle. The room closely resembled a tower entrance, but the stone was not made of marble like the rest of the castle. The light of an oil lamp on the wall faintly lit the room in a pale orange glow, barely illuminating the silhouette of the staircase spiraling to the top of the castle. Shadows danced in the corner as if beckoning him to follow.

Every single thought told him to turn on his heels and go the other way, but the thought of his siblings possibly trapped in such a gruesome place quickly altered Kai's decision.

He grabbed the lamp from its hook and raised it above his head. A complete sphere of orange light surrounded him as he cautiously making his way up the stairs. The tower walls felt dank and wet beneath his hands. The air was heavy with the disgusting stench of mildew. Grime covered the walls in some places while flecks of moss speckled enormous stone blocks in others. Huge blocks formed the steps, built on top of the other in a spiral, so large it was like walking two steps at a time.

Barely any space existed between the two walls except for the width of the staircase.

This caused the uneasy feeling of claustrophobia to creep up Kai's spine, but he forced it away. Shadows danced in front of him, like small creatures struggling up the steps. The second their shadows left his sight, they stopped, as if waiting for him to follow. Kai blinked at the strange shapes but shook his head to relieve his worry.

"Nya! Lloyd!" He howled again, his voice bouncing loudly against the stone of the tower, reflecting a harsh echo. Kai increased his speed as fast as he could up the enormous steps. Once he reached the top he stopped and held his ground at the sound of panting. Once he made sure he had the advantage if anyone attacked him, he turned around and held up the bright lamp, but saw nothing. They made it to the top of the staircase faster than expected.

Both Jay and Ronin faltered until they both collapsed to the ground.

Their legs were very sore from running up such a long flight of stairs and their lungs panted desperately for air. Tox slithered up the last of the steps, shaking and panting with the last of her strength before finally collapsing in a heap on the floor. They had quickly hidden when the loud footsteps of Kai's heavy boots charged up the stairs. The three hissed at the brightness of Kai's lamp. The boy barely noticed, however, clearly too worried about his brother and sister.

Once Kai shrugged the sound off as rats, the lamplight and moonlight peeking through the windows told him he was in the highest room of the tower.

The stone blocks melded into a slate cone that seemed to go on forever. Glassless windows form gaping holes all over the roof allowing moonlight to spill into the room. The moonlight highlighted the iron bolts, locks, and bars upon the heavy wooden door on the other side of the room, clearly marking the tower as the dungeon. The smell of mold and grime hung in the air, creating a revolting stench. The floor was littered with straw and small broken pieces of the wall.

The dim light of Kai's lamp danced across the room.

He moved his hands to cover his mouth in a weak attempt to block out the horrid stench. The sound of crying quickly froze him in place, followed by the soothing shushing sounds he knew by heart. Keys was the first thing that popped into Kai's mind. He searched frantically for any signs of a key. Kai searched around until his eyes spied the keys on the hook. Practically leaping across the room, Kai clumsily snatched the keys from the hook and fiddled with each one until with a joyful click the lock came undone and Kai swung the door open.

Anger, relief, and sheer joy bombarded him all at once.

Nya and Lloyd were sat on the floor of the dark, dank, rancid prison chamber, leaning beneath the only glass-less window in the room. Heavy manacles connected to about five feet of thick chains shackled their ankles to the wall. Both were shivering from the freezing temperature, both the stone and the open window caused. The fact that neither had their coats didn't help to ease the chill. Nya and Lloyd looked up in shock and slight fear when the door opened.

Nya wrapped her arms securely around Lloyd as the small boy cried in her chest and lap.

Their eyes widened even more at the sight of, no their capturer, but their third sibling standing in the doorway.

"Kai!" Lloyd cried out. Wasting no time Kai dashed over to them. The second his knees hit the floor, Lloyd threw himself into his brother's arms and wrapped them rightly around Kai's waist, crying loudly. Unable to do anything else but kneels there, Kai returned the gesture and stoked the little's one's bangs until he calmed down.

"It is okay, I got you." He promised when Lloyd calmed down enough to look at him. The only one not smiling or emotional at the trio's reunion, which they both soon noticed, was Nya. Instead, the only female Smith sibling looked furious, her blue eyes burning with anger, fear, and remorse, and her entire body was shaking like she didn't know whether to strangle her twin or hug him until he burst.

"You should not have come here." She managed to choke out after many failed attempts to speak. It was directed at Kai, but the tone made Lloyd clench his older brother tighter.

"What the hell does that mean? You think I would just leave you two to rot?" Kai demanded. Nya didn't argue with him, instead, she just grabbed the keys Kai dropped when Lloyd hugged him and threw them at him.

"Listen to me; take Lloyd, get out of here, go back to the town, and don't. Ever. Come back." She ordered, her tone held no room for argument, but Kai was never one to follow orders.

"I am not leaving either of you here." He declared sternly.

"Dammit Kai, for once in your life, do what I tell you! You and Lloyd have to get out of here before he gets back; if he finds you here he'll-"

"HE ALREADY HAS!" A booming voice thundered throughout the prison tower. Kai froze as the chilling voice stiffened his spine. Lloyd screamed and buried his face in the safety of Kai's chest and Nya, for the first time in her life, was scared speechless. Even the three people who Kai hadn't noticed were outside started shaking. All three backed themselves against the wall, hiding. Kai didn't turn around. Instead, he slowly got to his feet, holding Lloyd securely in his arms, wrapped in his coat, and held him tightly.

He stood and turned around to face Nya and Lloyd's capture.

The man had hidden in the shadows, only his eyes were visible. Two striking orbs of jade glowing unnaturally in the darkness. He watched as those eyes turned to the three people Kai hadn't noticed before, shivering in the corner.

"Tox, go help, Nelson." The voice commanded. The green-haired woman burst from the room and vanished down the stairs in less than a second. When his gaze met the remaining two, both boys swallowed loud lumps in their throats. "I'll deal with you two later." He stated before turning his frozen gaze to the siblings. Kai felt a shiver run up his spine when those green eyes fell on him, but he held his ground.

"Who are you?" He demanded in a calm, unreadable voice.

"You're in no place to be making demands." The voice mocked, arrogantly. "But if you must know, I am the master of this castle and all within its walls."

"Are you the ones who kidnapped my brother and sister?" Kai demanded. His face was a neutral mask and his amber eyes were hard and unyielding.

"I've done nothing of the sort." The shadow removed itself from the wall and moved towards them without leaving the darkness, extremely cautious of the moonlight bathing Kai and his two siblings. "You're siblings trespassed on my property and entered this castle without my permission; therefore, as the master, I have every right to keep them both here until I decide to let them leave, or until they die, whichever comes first." He spoke in a harsh, arrogant tone.

"Trespassing doesn't warrant such a punishment!" Kai shouted, clenching his free hand at his side. The shadow raised an eyebrow at the fierceness burning in those amber gems, clearly intrigued by the brunette.

"It matters not, ignorance is not an excuse for breaking the laws; if you wish to grant your sister's request, however, I'll allow you take your brother home, but either way, one of you is staying and not even your persistence will convince me otherwise." The shadow stated firmly. Kai was about to retort until Lloyd started coughing in his arms. He'd obviously been trying to hide it, but the loud choking coughs and heavy pants alerted everyone in the room to his condition.

In a second, Kai's expression went from fury to fear as he fell to his knees and rearranged the smaller boy in his arms.

As he did this, the blond boy released the worst coughing fit even the Master of the castle had ever heard. Kai felt like punching the floor.

"He can't stay here, Kai, he'll only get sicker," Nya explained, lying Lloyd down in her lap, as the boy tried desperately to refill his lungs.

"What's wrong with him?" The Master asked taking a step forward, but Kai was on his feet in front of his family before the shadow could get any closer.

"He was born with asthma." He explained. "The doctor said it should work itself out as he gets older, but whenever he has an attack it has to be controlled or he could get worse!"

"Then give him some medicine."

"I don't have it." Kai retorted before turning to his sister. "Where is it? I know you packed some when you two left, I checked three times." He reminded her, but Nya bit her lip.

"We did have it, but... it was in the carriage." She replied and Kai mentally swore. The medicine was still in the carriage. The carriage he untied from Flame's reigns before they rode into the woods. Swallowing his pride, Kai turned back to the master.

"Lloyd can't stay here; he'll die if he does."

"Then take him back to your town." The master ordered. "I won't stop you, I already said only one of you has to stay."

"I'm not leaving Nya here either." He said firmly. The master raised another eyebrow, stepping closer, making his silhouette and eyes visible but nothing more.

"Then what would you propose, I do?" He asked, turning to the smaller boy who was shaking in his older brother's arms. He doubted Lloyd truly was as sick as his brothers feared, but something had to be done about that vicious cough. But first, he wanted to see how the youth in front of him would react. His eyes fell back on Kai. This one intrigued him, challenged him with no fear, met him blow for blow with a spirit that refused to break, and fierce independence.

Even now, despite his obvious fear for his younger brother's life, his sister's freedom, and his anger at himself, the boy refused to show any sign of weakness.

The Master was interested to see just how far that spirit would go, as the master watched the amber-eyed teen calculate a plan in his head.

"How about a deal?" Kai said, at last, lifting his head to meet the Master's eyes. Blazing amber was burning with all the fire the master loved, bore into his orbs of cold green. The master raised an eyebrow, curious.

"I'm listening."

"You said one of us has to stay here, right? But you never specified who." He explained. The Master's brightened curiously as a smile slowly crept across his face.

"I don't believe I did." He admitted and Kai wanted to snarl at the arrogance in his voice. Nya must've figured out where Kai was going because she stiffened and protested immediately, but Kai ignored her.

"Then how about this: you let Lloyd and Nya return to the village and never bother either of them again, no imprisonment, no nothing." He bargained, not a glimmer of doubt or hesitation in his eyes.

"You're terms are steep, little candle." The Master said as he circled him, keeping in the shadows. Kai stood his ground. The master was testing him, looking for any sign of weakness, like a predator searching for its prey's weak spot before making the killing blow. "I assume you're willing to offer me something just as valuable in return?"

"No." He said bluntly. "Nowhere near as valuable but it's all I have got to bargain with."

"Very well, but I can't agree unless I know what it is you are offering me, candle?" He replied and Kai shivered when he felt a claw-like hand brush one of his spikey brown bangs behind his ear. He already knew what Kai was going to say, he just wanted to hear him say it.

"You promise to let them go, no tricks, not double-cross, no loopholes, not nothing, and... you can have me, instead."

"KAI NO!"

"That is an awfully steep sacrifice, candle." He said and Kai could hear the smirk in the Master's voice. "You know you'd be giving up everything right? You'd be trapped here until I decide to let you leave and you'd never see your family or your home again."

"It'd be worth it." He said immediately.

"But that's not all." The master continued. A clawed hand tugged on Kai's wrist pulling him into the shadows despite his struggle, while the opposite held his chin forcing him to meet the Master's eyes. "I saw it the moment I first laid eyes on you; you're a spirit as wild as an untamed falcon, a wildfire that burns vigorously with freedom! If you agree to this, you'd be throwing all that away; you'd never be free again and you'd be confined to this castle and the grounds, or, if I ordered it, this very room." He whispered darkly in Kai's ear.

It was a miracle Kai managed to not shiver when he felt those cold, scaly, clawed hands firmly grasp his shoulders.

He was testing him and Kai knew it. Testing his weakness and exploiting everything he loved, knowing he was requiring the teen to sacrifice everything while he lost nothing. Waiting for him to weaken and refuse. Waiting for him to break. Clenching his fists at his side, Kai closed his eyes forgetting his own desires and focusing solely on his siblings. Lloyd needed medicine and he needed Nya to take care of him. That was how it had always been since Ray died.

Kai and Nya would take care of all three of them financially, but only Nya would take care of him and Lloyd emotionally.

They'd both be safe, free from this nightmarish lord, his dark prison, and all it would cost him was everything he ever loved and cared for.

"Come into the light and let me see you," Kai whispered, without turning around.

"What!?" The Master roared as he released his shoulders.

"No disrespect, I just wish to see who it is I'm signing my life away to before I tell you my decision." He explained. It wouldn't matter either way, but if this guy thought he could keep Kai in the dark forever, he was mistaken.

"Swear to me you won't scream." He said after a moment of silence. Kai nodded and braced himself for the worst as the Master stepped into the moonlight. Immediately, Kai looked up. For all his arrogance and selfishness and harsh deeds, the Master was a breathtaking creature. He was human, yet at the same time, he wasn't. The Dragon Lord was indeed the right name. He wasn't human or a dragon, but both. He stood seven feet tall, easily towering over Kai.

A shaggy mop of black hair on the top of his head revealed two pointed fin-like ears.

His dragon fangs glittered pristine white in the moonlight, protruding from his upper lip, visible when he smirked though his face betrayed no emotion. His human body stood firmly with large muscles. Instead of human skin, a clutter of black and dark orange scales formed a spike at both his elbows to his wrists. Smooth dragon scales looked like armor at first glance. The dragonskin glistened down his arms. Sharp black claws that could easily rip him to shreds were at the end of his long fingers.

Kai shivered, remembering them on his shoulders and holding his chin a few moments ago.

Just below his back from both his shoulders, they appeared. Two enormous dragon wings were as big as he was, membraned and muscled, like a bat's, and were topped with a small black spike. They were strong and more powerful and looked like they could consume the brunette in their leathery grasp. They were glowing the same black and dark orange as his scales. Unable to control his body anymore, Kai scanned the rest of the Dragon Lord's body.

His top half was covered by a sleeveless black jacket trimmed with silver and closed in the front.

Behind him, Kai could see a large, muscled tail, glistening with black scales, moving on its own accord, and the end curled like a whip. Moving his eyes from the lethal abdomen, Kai scanned down the Dragon Lord's legs and feet. Black pants tightly hugged the strong legs leaving little to the imagination. More scaled armor covered his legs from the knees down, forming a pair of boot-like dragon legs resembling his claws, but with stronger paws and shorter nails.

"Well?" The Master asked, forcing Kai's gaze to return to those green eyes. Immediately he was trapped by the paralyzing gaze of those sharp orbs with only black slits for pupils. Dragon claws, dragon scales, dragon wings, dragon eyes. Immediately Kai knew where they were, who the Master was, and what was happening and the realization made him dizzy and unable to move. It took all his willpower not to faint as he tried to remember the hybrid's name.

"Y-You're Prince Cole B-Brookstone, the Dragon L-Lord." He stuttered out eventually. Surprise suddenly filled the dragon's eyes, as if shocked someone knew who he was without having to explain his past. But as quickly as it appeared, a smirk replaced it. Beauty, fire, and brains. He truly was a rare jewel.

"That is correct, my candle," Cole smirked, but his eyes bore into Kai's with no emotion, noticing Kai's fierce resistance as he tried desperately not to show fear or desire. "So what do you say now?" He commanded, seductively. His claws danced under Kai's chin making him whimper slightly. "Do we have an agreement?" He asked, trying to intimidate him, but still, Kai refused to show any weakness.

"Kai no!" Lloyd pleaded, through another violent cough.

"You have my word." Kai choked in a whisper.

"Done!" Cole roared releasing the teen and ordering the servants at the door to release Nya and Lloyd. Unable to hold himself up any longer, Kai's knees give way and he collapsed to the floor, closing his eyes and buried his face in his hands to keep tears from falling. The second Jay and Ronin undid their chains, Lloyd threw his arms around his older brother crying, pleading with him to come back. All Kai could do was hold him. He felt Nya hug his shoulders, not saying a word, knowing nothing she said would change his mind.

"Dammit, Kai." She snarled quietly. She didn't have time for anything else. Cole grabbed the back of her cloak, and called for two other servants, and threw her to the two guardsmen.

"Skylor, Chamille, take them back to the village." He commanded before turning back to Lloyd and Kai on the floor. "Time to go, little one." He said in a more civil voice.

"NO! Kai has to come too!" Lloyd screamed, clenching Kai tighter.

"It's alright, green bean, I'll be fine, just go with Nya, alright?" Kai said with forced a smile but Lloyd saw right through it and just continued to cry. With a sigh, Cole snatched the smaller away from Kai and, with a little more care, handed him to Chamille despite Lloyd's struggling and coughing.

"Get them there as fast as you can, and make sure he gets his medicine," Cole ordered the two monsters, before pointing to Lloyd. The two nodded and left, dragging Nya and Lloyd with them, looks of remorse on their face as they tried to block out the pleads and cries coming from all three siblings. Kai made a dash for the door but Cole already locked it. He wrestling with the door and screamed at the top of his lungs before he gave up. He sprinted to the window and clenched the stone windowsill, looking for the guards.

He finally found them, but could barely see them from the tower prison.

He could see his siblings fighting with them, as the guards held a now blindfolded Nya and Lloyd in their arms and took them to the forest. They would make sure they couldn't find their way back to the castle but could get back to the village. His heart shattered when he saw Lloyd, crying and screaming and shouting his full name. He was so scared, but he had no fear for himself or Nya. His fear was a direct result of his beloved brother's unknown fate as the lord's prisoner.

Kai collapsed to the floor in a shaking heap, curled his arms around the window sill, and buried his face in his arms.

He did nothing to stop the river of tears from falling. They were tears of anger, grief, remorse, and loss. He had always hated crying, considered it a weakness, but it seemed impossible not to cry at that moment. The window served as a permanent reminder of the outside world that was forever barred to him since chances were, he'd never set foot outside his current cell. He had signed his life away. His family, his dreams, his freedom, everything he ever held dear, to a devilish creature who knew nothing of sacrifice.

Now was the perfect time to cry...

Alternate Timeline

“Don’t worry guys!

I’ll always be with you”

Guilty Pleasures Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Noah’s Ark

It would be over three thousand years before Zane met the strange demon known as Kai again. In those years the human race had grown at a rapid rate and had taken over pretty much the entire planet. Zane couldn't help but wonder if the human's sudden growth was always part of the plan or if the weapons he and Kai had gifted Adam and Eve had had a hand with it and aided in their expansion. Zane shuddered as he thought about the weapons from Heaven and Hell.

After he had sealed the Garden of Eden, the Almighty had only asked him once where the shurikens were and thankfully he managed to convince them that they were in the garden somewhere.

He had tried to find the two weapons in later years but it seemed that they had been lost to time. The angel was standing among a large crowd, watching as Noah finished building his ark. Noah's family had begun to lead the pairs of animals on board. While most of the crowd laughed and jeered at the man, Zane was just barely managing to keep the bile down, knowing what was coming. He wanted so desperately to warn the people, to tell them Noah was telling the truth and that they needed to find boats.

But at the same time, he knew that they wouldn't listen and that it was too late anyway.

Before they finished even a small boat the flood would come and wash them all away. As the angel wrestled with his thoughts, he suddenly felt someone tap him on the shoulder. He turned to see Kai standing beside him with a big grin on his face. The demon hadn't changed at all since Zane had last seen him. The only different thing was the brunette's missing wings that had been hidden, much like Zane's own wings.

"Hello, Zane." Kai greeted warmly and Zane wondered what had drawn the demon here.

"Kai," Zane replied awkwardly. He still didn't know how to properly interact with a demon, even if this one didn't come off as a threat right away.

"So, giving the mortals a flaming sword and icy shurikens, how do you think that worked out for us?" Kai asked with what Zane could swear was a mischievous purr.

"The Almighty has never actually mentioned it again." He replied, trying to keep his attention on the boat.

"Probably a good thing." He shrugged as he looked around at the crowd and back at the boat. "So what's all this about? Build a big boat and fill it with a traveling zoo?" He asked and Zane had took swallow the lump in his throat as he thought of a response.

"From what I hear, God's a bit tetchy and is wiping out the human race... with a big storm." He stammered, catching the demon off-guard.

"All of them?"

"Just the locals." Zane tried to smile, but it was so strained even Kai could see through it. "I don't believe the Almighty's upset with the Chinese, or the Native Americans, or the Australians."

"Yet."

"And God's not going to wipe out all the locals; I mean, Noah, up there, his family, and his sons, their wives, they're all going to be fine." He tried to reassure, but it had little to no effect on the brunette.

"But they're drowning everybody else?" He scoffed as he looked around at the crowd who were ignorant to their impending doom. His eyes widened when he saw a small group of kids running and playing in the crowd. "You can't kill children." He gasped in horror when Zane reluctantly nodded, snake eyes wide open. Not even a demon would kill a child. Why kill something when they wouldn't go to hell, anyway? Something that couldn't defend itself.

It wasn't logical.

It wasn't fair either, he thought. But only very quietly to himself. Zane had looked so helpless, but he hadn't agreed with the demon. At least he hadn't said it out loud. Although something had been in the angels' beautiful eyes. Kai liked to imagine that it was doubt. Still, he knew that having exactly that could be extremely dangerous. One doesn't simply doubt the great plan. Kai wanted to save the children. He did. The reason why he wanted to do that was far apart from any comprehension.

It couldn't be that wrong or right or whatever.

Only that way the children could grow old and be bad and ultimately go to hell, and that should be hells' only concern, anyway. He observed the Ark from every side. It was huge. Much bigger than a house, and much bigger than a dune, and much bigger than any animal climbing aboard. There should be more than enough space for everything and more. Also, the other unicorn was still missing. Kai wasn't too concerned, they still had the other one.

An idea started to form, as he observed the Ark.

There were a lot of animals and no one was paying as much attention to them as they should. A unicorn had already gotten away, anyway. Maybe, just maybe, this could also work the other way around. There should be enough space...

****************

Zane felt bad. He felt as bad as he never did before. He felt even too bad to listen to his conscience, which tried to tell him something. It couldn't be that important, though. The fresh air didn't make it better. The angel was the first one to discover seasickness. On the third evening, Zane sat outside between a flamingo and a gazelle and tried to keep the contents of his dinner where they belonged.

"Snowflake, are you ok?" Kai asked, suddenly standing between him and the flamingo. The flamingo watched him suspiciously with his head tilted.

"Oh, I'm fine," Zane answered bravely.

"Are you sure? The light makes you look a bit greenish." He said and the angel tried not to stare at the demon's long and probably soft hair in the wind and falling into his eyes.

"Maybe a bit tired." He said, clinging onto the railing.

"Tired?"

"Tired." He repeated. Kai had never seen an angel getting sick before. Maybe it was Gods' anger that made it that way. Maybe it was something entirely different. Either way, the demon was worried. It was a huge ark. There were near to no waves at all. Which meant, the floor was practically not shaking any bit. Zane glanced at him, help to seek. The angel sighed dramatically once more.

"I'll make you some ginger tea." The demon finally said.

"I'll feel miserable till the end of-"

"You'll be fine in two or three days, trust me." The demon assured him. Zane took a step forward, then let himself fall against the railing again and got even greener if possible. "What did you eat?" Kai asked as he took the angel carefully by the arm.

"Some tuna I think," Zane admitted reluctantly.

"Bad idea." He sighed as he shook his head. Zane flinched at the word bad. "Let's go inside, ok?" The demon suggested as he half carried him inside. His hands felt hot, but also his touch was strangely calming, and maybe just a little bit nice. "What do you usually do to calm yourself down, angel?" He asked reluctantly. This made the angel jump a bit. Then he looked to the ceiling with a pinch of guilt, as they slowly walked down the stairs and deeper into the Ark.

"I read or write something."

"You should stop that."

"I will do no such thing!" Zane cried as he ripped his arm away and a moment later he grabbed for Kai again because he almost fell over a big rat.

"I mean you should stop that as long as you feel bad." Kai chuckled lightly as he brought the angel back to his cabin which he shared with different breeds of pigeon and two friendly brown chickens.

"Will you read something for me? Please?" Zane asked as he snuggled into a blanket. Kai hesitated for a moment, but then he grabbed a scroll that was lying next to Zane's bed. How could he say no? The angel looked at him expectantly. The scroll was made of dried leaves and the tiny symbols looked like they were written with blood. Since the demon couldn't read, he had to improvise. He sat down next to the angel, not too close but not too far, opened the scroll from the wrong side, and began to tell a story.

Zane closed his eyes and smiled so sweetly that it made Kai almost forget how words work.

But he took a deep breath and continued his story bravely. Kai kept talking quietly over the singing of some budgies, the yawning tiger, the cheeping degu until Zane calmed down enough to not sleep but dream. After he had made sure that Zane was feeling better, the demon left him alone, although he desperately wanted to stay. But he had other things to do...

****************

Zane had rested for hours and was now refreshed. The angel felt much stronger, although still shaky. But now he was bored and he had been thinking about Kai for a while now. For some reason he couldn't explain, he just wanted to see him again. Preferably sooner than later.

"Kai? Where are you? Could you... Could you read me another story, please?" He shouted as loud as he dared, which wasn't very loud, as he approached the section where there were zebras, some apes, and a few butterflies. It was quite dark. Only a few candles lit this section. There he found Kai, but the demon didn't look pleased to see him.

"Wait a moment, Snowflake; don't come here." He said, sounding nervous.

"Is something wrong, my dear?" Zane asked and went there, anyway. Just then, a young girl that had been hiding in the shadows and he had almost walked into ran and hid behind Kai. He stared at a terrifying demon surrounded by small children, mouth agape. Two were holding his hands and one was sitting on his shoulders, badly braiding his long hair with tiny and probably not very clean fingers. In the background, they heard a hog making some unhappy sounds.

"What did you do?!" Zane almost hissed.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Kai said, trying to act innocent.

"I'm talking about the children! Where do they come from?"

"Oh.. hey... I haven't even noticed them."

"Kai." Zane scowled as he crossed his arms. He uncrossed them again, however, because he needed them for stability. He felt himself getting sick again. Was the floor getting shakier?

"You can't kill children." The demon finally said softly.

"WE CAN'T- can't keep them here." He insisted, trying to keep his tone down as the small girl sitting on Kai's shoulders started crying.

"What do you intend to do? Throw them overboard? Does the ineffable plan tell you to do that?" Kai snarled and for a moment their eyes were locked. Zane then sighed and fixed his gaze on the floorboards as the demon glared at him.

"What now, angel?"

"No, I don't –Do you even know how to take care of children?"

"Do you?" Kai asked sarcastically.

"No, I don't…"

"Me neither." The demon sighed. Zane watched the kids held Kai's hands and hid behind him. He quickly realized that they were afraid of the angel. After a moment of careful consideration, ha decided that he didn't want them to fear an angel. He was supposed to be the good one. "Do you think about snitching?" Kai asked, his voice sounded somehow hurt.

"No, I- I thought, that we both don't know how to take care of children, but maybe we could learn it together." He offered awkwardly. At first, the demon felt like he was petrified, but then he sighed.

"If you want to, yeah, whatever; you look for something to feed them and maybe a bit of clean water and Ava over there wants to see the unicorn so I'll go with her and show her if you keep an eye on the others for a while because I can't take all of them there because Amon over there is scared of horses and I don't know how he will react to a unicorn." He shrugged and Zane nodded. They had never taken care of living beings, before. Okay, not really.

But they learned quickly and all the children survived.

Kai in his snake form would curl around the children to keep them warm. Zane would cook something nutritious for them to eat. He would eat most of it, but they're also would be more than enough for the children. After that, they would talk. Tell stories on a stormy night to calm everyone down. Mostly the angel, because the shaking of the ark didn't make him feel good. Still, his stomach would get upset from time to time.

"I'm glad, you were there," Zane said one night quietly, as they watched over the children sleeping. Kai didn't answer. He picked up a beautiful feather of a parakeet and gently put it in Zane's hair.

"I gave the Mammoths' ration to the children; I mean... it's a huge animal, so it should be fine without one dinner." He said casually after a while. Then the angel wondered, when the last time was, that he fed the mammoths. It couldn't be this long ago. The Ark would have a little fewer passengers when it arrived than when it started sailing. But the children would all survive and grow to be adults. Raised by an angel and a demon, all of them got to be fundamentally human.

Lurking between the goats, there was a second demon which none of the other beings noticed.

Even then he had smelled bad, but to be completely honest, everywhere on the Ark it smelled pretty bad. Between lurking sessions, he enjoyed scaring the birds. There were a few penguins that he didn't like. One had bitten his hand when he tried to pet it. Therefore Morro made the penguin stop flying. All the other birds hated him for that. Sometimes he also scared some children. But weren't there more than there were supposed to be? One time he saw the demon Kai holding the hand of a small girl as she cried.

After a while, she stopped crying as he talked to her calmingly and fell asleep in Kai's arms.

This confused Morro. Why would he do that? This was the first time when Morro suspected something. He didn't like it. Something was going on, something fishy, and it wasn't the fish. He couldn't prove it though, not just yet. He didn't know how to yet. But he was lurking in the shadows, ready to strike. Still, he was new to the job, but he gave his best and already could do an impressive amount of lurking in a day or preferably at night...