It had only taken a moment for everything to go horribly wrong. Zane could recall every second that had passed since he had been sent to the Never-realm. Every second. Now that he was free from the staff's influence, at least, free from Vex. But here he was. Laying awake in his bed, sometime so early in the morning that he was sure the sun would rise in a few hours. Staring at the ceiling. He felt his eyes drifting shut. Once he realized this, the ice elemental forced them right back open. What if he saw things? Truly, horrible things? The reminder of everything he had done flooded his head. Someone was bound to connect those dots sooner or later. Someone would realize what he had done, and he'd be cast out of his group, he'd be thrown out, he'd be scrapped, he'd-- Tears slid down his face, freezing against his rapidly chilling cheeks. His elemental magic responded with his emotions, but that in turn decreased his body temperature to an unbearable degree of cold. Even he felt the ch

chill.*))

He jumped. He couldn't help it. Anyone would, stuck so deeply in their thoughts. "Lloyd?" He asked, softly, attempting to wipe away the half-frozen tears. They refused to budge from his face and he sighed, trying to shake off the memory. Tears could be attributed to something else. But his current temperature likely couldn't. "I'm... I am fine, Lloyd." He said from where he was, taking a shaky breath in. Despite having no lungs, habits and vocal patterns tended to stick to him. "What are you doing awake at this hour? I thought you required sleep. Especially after..." After you nearly died, after I nearly killed you, I nearly killed everyone, I tried to kill everyone...

"Yes, you... you may come in." The android sighed, trying and failing once more to wipe the ice away from his face. It would only go away once his temperature problem fixed itself, he supposed, and for yet another time since his recent release of mind, he wished so desperately to be rid of his own power. He wished so desperately. But there was nobody around to act upon his wish.

A slow breath in, a slow exhale. "You go first, Lloyd." A shaky, forced attempt at a smile. After all, his problems were bad. Then again, he'd never been a genocidal emperor. Though, he had been possessed before. Zane recalled that clearly, too; the way he had been forced to do things to his friends, threatening to kill them... But that wasn't Lloyd, that was Morro. And that wasn't Lloyd believing in his decisions.

Ah. So Lloyd did extra training. That made sense. This wasn't something bad on his end. The android felt his throat close up around the words before he could speak. Why couldn't he-- no, if he told him, it'd all be over, it'd be over, he'd be cast out, he-- Stop. Breathe. Zane wiped away the tears before they could freeze to his face. They frosted over his hand. "I... When I was in the Never-realm, I tried... I tried to kill you. That was just yesterday." His voice was a whisper. It broke. "I-- I tried to kill everyone. And-- and I thought that I had to. That that was the-- the correct course of action."

"Lloyd, I-- I tried to kill everyone." Somehow, the word 'everyone' held more meaning than just the ninja. He choked back the tears but it wasn't like he could hold them back for long. They froze as quickly as they came. "I... I have no excuse. I can't just claim the scroll did it, because-- because the scroll isn't a person. The scroll is not sentient. My hands dealt the damage and those hands spent *decades* dealing damage, Lloyd, I-" He abruptly stopped. So many fears flooded the ninja's mind. So many fears. He was drowning in fear, drowning in decades of discontent. He couldn't bring himself to continue.

He wished he could control how his temperature had dropped but there wasn't a way to be rid of the winter chill. All he could do was try and pull away, despite how desperately he did need that hug. He wouldn't hurt Lloyd again. Not with this power of his. Not with this power he had been cursed with. "I knew exactly what I was doing for all that time. I have every right to be at fault, Lloyd. Every action was made as a conscious thought, every village snuffed off the map was an action that I thought through, that I did. I made those decisions." He was breaking apart at the seams. Zane wished he could pour everything out but he was terrified of it, terrified of everything that would come of it. And yet, he couldn't stop himself. "Vex may have wiped my memory, but I still made those decisions in a clear mind."

Maybe he didn't deserve to be in the family. No, he definitely didn't. But he wouldn't say that to Lloyd. Lloyd would never believe him, anyways. "I don't know what's best for me right now." He whispered. "I don't know. I've spent so long somewhere else, so long without anything of this home, I..." He didn't know. He could feel himself shaking, but he gently lifted Lloyd's hand from off of his shoulder, resting it away. "What's best for you is to not be touching me right now." He said softly. "You'll get hurt. I can't let that happen again."

"It'll hurt you, Lloyd. I can't-- I can't be the reason you get hurt again. I never-- I don't--" He couldn't figure out how to speak what he wanted so desperately to convey; if Lloyd got hurt and it was his fault again, he couldn't handle it. Just breathe, he told himself, shaking. A slow intake of air. Just breathe. "I don't want to hurt you ever again."

Zane fell silent, folding his gloved hands together. "Yes. Back to... normal." But normal would never be the same. He was different. He had been through decades of corruption, manipulation... being someone against everything he was programmed to be. And it hadn't been an act. He tried to smile. It didn't meet his eyes.

"...Lloyd, if I sleep, am I going to dream again?" The ice elemental's voice was soft, shaky. "I don't want to dream again." Because every time he had dreamed, it was an unavoidable event in the future. Whether it was Lloyd's discovery as the Green Ninja, whether it was the dragon that wanted to kill him, whether it was Aspheera and the army of snakes. He could only look to Lloyd with hollow eyes, desperate that he wouldn't foresee something unavoidable.

"I... I suppose they have, but... I don't want to dream again." He moved to lay back as well, though he was shivering, and not from the cold. "I don't want to dream of the future. I have seen more than I wish to see. And-- and I knew, I knew it was going to happen, I..." He shook his head. Get your mind off of it. It wasn't like you could have stopped it. But he could have. If Jay had listened, if he had told Master Wu, maybe...

"Maybe not everything, but if someone had listened, if I'd done more than just tell Jay, we could have avoided it-- I could have spoken to Wu, he would have known, he did know--" Breathe. Breathe. Zane took a deep, shuddering breath, exhaling a cloud of frosty mist. "I'm... I apologize. I should not have spoken further."

"But, Lloyd, the world is not flat. Why would I be giving you false information?" He tilted his head a little, enough for those piercing, frosty blue eyes to meet Lloyd's, confusion glittering within them. But, within, there was thankfulness-- He wasn't ready to speak now, but he didn't have to. Maybe he wouldn't dream tonight.

He paused, for a moment, but took his hand in his own. Still bitingly cold, but it was only for a moment; he stood from the bed and let go. "I am unsure of if I will partake within it-- perhaps I may only watch." He offered. "But it is better than simply laying here." How long had Lloyd been doing this? He wondered if he should have been doing this as well, before it all started. Then again, he was the only ninja to still wake up at sunrise, provided he slept.

Zane slipped out behind him. Silent, for the most part, as he stepped; sliding along as though he merely did not touch the ground. He made no sound, relaxing once outside of the rooms; the ice ninja could take a deep breath of the warm, spring air. After so many decades in eternal winter, he wished for nothing more than to feel this warmth every day. His body temperature was rising, now that he was calmer; the bits of ice were melting away on his face. Thank goodness.

"What is it you plan on practicing now?" Zane asked Lloyd, tilting his head. "I'm afraid I do not understand this contraption you have made." Chain. He remembered chain. Stop. Breathe the air. You're not in the temple.

"I suppose I will." He said after a moment, but he shut his mouth and observed. Perhaps this would be beneficial for the both of them.

Silence, that was what this was about, wasn't it? Stealth. Zane watched, genuinely impressed with what he was seeing, though he couldn't help but think. Maybe he could stop thinking. Just distract yourself from it. Your little brother is doing phenomenally. Just be here to support him. A breath of warm air, an exhale of frost. A soft, silent, but approving nod, and a smile.

It had been decades since he had last truly smiled. Zane thought of this, as his face felt... so strange, when he did. But then Lloyd got tangled in the chain and he rushed forth from his observing position, gently untangling Lloyd, hands shaking. Breathe the air. The air is warm. You can't be locking him in the dungeons if the air is warm. "Are you alright, Lloyd?" He whispered, frantically looking over him for injuries. Trying to keep his own temperature in check, though it dropped once more.

"You were only hurt because of a distraction." He murmured. "I apologize for disturbing your focus." Helping him remain upright, once he was certain he had no injuries, Zane let go, taking deep breaths of the warm, spring air. "I do see. Are you sleeping well enough, though? A healthier sleep schedule will do wonders for you."

"I don't suppose you think you can hide the bags under your eyes?" The ice elemental sighed. "If you rest well, then you will function better when you awaken. It is... unfortunately not something I must deal with, though it is fortunate in its own way." His night terrors lasted days, weeks, months on end. It depended on how quickly it happened. Discovering the elemental dragon was a few weeks... finding Lloyd as their green ninja lasted a few days, but it cropped up again a few days before Lloyd had been revealed to be the Green Ninja. And Aspheera...

"Do you fear of dreaming as well?" His voice soft, Zane moved to sit down, guiding Lloyd to sit beside him. "You would have many reasons to fear dreaming." He wondered if he knew the true extent of how these night terrors worked. He did not dream of the past, rather, he dreamed of the future; and none of the other ninja had ever spoken of their dreams. The ice elemental, however, knew that Pixal had dreamt of the past; she had dreamt of the moment that he had been sent back. She had told him as such, and he couldn't help but worry further.

"If there is some way to help you with your night terrors-- Yours are like Pixal's, are they not? Memories of the past. Surely there is some way to help you not think of those whilst you rest." He frowned, softly, then glanced back to their monastery. "Perhaps Master Wu can help you with that, yes?"

There was something in his voice that made the ice elemental flinch, cower away. But there was some despair he caught, some despair he caught from hearing of Lloyd speak of dreams of the future. He took a breath in and sat upright properly. "What is it?" He asked, softly. If he didn't hear this, he could only think of so many horrible things that might happen... so many, so many, so many...

"Lloyd, our connection between their realm and ours has not been used for some time." Zane informed him, softly, then, faltered. "I have... I have seen false realities before." He admitted after a moment. "I believe that this would be the same case for you. Whether or not some event will happen... I believe that these futures you see may be false." Blue eyes turned away. "You... You recall when... when I fought the Overlord, yes?"

"I had dreams of it." He admitted, softly. "I saw, I saw what would happen. But... there was always something wrong." A shake of his head. "The plan would go wrong. Everything slid into place, until it didn't. I could see... I could see it failing, before my eyes. I would be gone, but he wouldn't. He could kill me before I managed to kill him, he could massacre all of you... I saw him kill everyone, over and over again, for weeks." His voice shook, as he took a trembling breath. "You were all dead. But it was the last chance we had at some semblance of hope. There was no other way that anyone would make it out alive, and I knew-- I knew, there had to be a way for everyone to make it out alive." Silence. "Everyone except for me."

Zane jolted, startled as he had been rather suddenly hugged, but he wrapped gentle, shivering arms around his brother. "We have many of the same problems." He murmured. Oh, but Lloyd wasn't responsible for several genocides. But it sounded like he was afraid he might become responsible for those. "If they try to make you do anything, I--" He was about to volunteer to freeze him in place when he stopped. No, he couldn't do that. He couldn't risk it. He couldn't risk hurting him again.

There may be no stopping destiny, but destiny could be changed. It was flexible, as his visions were. It was all he could do to hold Lloyd in gentle arms, softly sighing. He resolved to himself that he would not use his powers again until he absolutely had to. He could not, he refused to hurt anyone with this curse again.

"How do you believe you have been cursed? I can see myself, but I do not understand you."

"I will not." He said, gently, softly. Those eyes locked onto his, gentle and worried. "You have my word. Not a soul will hear of it."

Zane was silent, for a moment. "I do not see how this makes you cursed," he said. "though that may simply be a lack of knowledge upon my part. May I ask you to explain this in greater detail? That is-- only if you are willing to speak of it."

Afraid of becoming less human. Well, now he could absolutely understand that. "Lloyd, you will never lose what makes you human, no matter how your body changes." He responded, softly. "You are still human." And yet he shared the same fear as Lloyd did.

"You are lucky that you are human at all, Lloyd." Silence. "Are you feeling alright? Do you need anything?"

"You're sure?" Zane asked, softly. "Certain?" Certain that it was going to be alright? He wasn't sure. But he hoped he would be.

"It'll be alright. You may sleep, Lloyd." He said softly.

Nothing. Should have expected that. Lloyd was so exhausted over everything. Zane could feel his own eyelids drooping. He allowed them to close for now. He would be fine...

Zane was brought inside. He began to stir faintly as he was carried, though, opening his eyes. The faint blue glow they cast off lit the area he was looking at. "Cole?" He asked softly. "Why are you carrying me?"

"Something happened to Lloyd?" Worry immediately creased over his face, and he struggled somewhat to get out of his grasp, landing on shaky legs. Trying not to drop his temperature, though that was futile. Strange, with how much control he had over his powers, how little he could control the thing that had been there the most.

Zane paused, feeling those hands hold onto him, and he tried to calm himself down, shivering. "He... He was restless, I suppose. Having trouble sleeping. I was not faring very well there, either. We moved outside to speak, it was... better to see the courtyard than it was to be inside."

Silence. Zane thought for a moment. "I don't recall sleeping at all whilst I was in the never-realm." He admitted. "But, I cannot be sure of how long he has not."

The ice elemental nodded. It was immediate; he wouldn't let his friend stay asleep for too long, that would also hurt him. But then he thought. And shook his head to himself. He could wake him up. So he walked now, to where Lloyd was, recalling where the others had taken him. Approaching the bedside, he wasn't sure what to do. "What have you tried?" He asked the others, now, quiet.

Zane frowned, watching Lloyd quietly. "How long has he gone without rest?" He asked, softly. "His body could be catching up on what it has lost." Humans were rather susceptible to such things, after all...

"He told me he had not been resting well." He murmured, watching his friend. "We should let him rest. If he does not wake up by evening, we shall see what can be done."

A simple nod. Zane moved to walk back to the courtyard, stepping out into the open. Breathing in the warm air. Training time.

"Someone 'mental?'" Zane turned to Cole, raising an eyebrow. "What is it that you mean?"

Zane fell silent. Someone who... No. No, don't think about it. It's fine. You're fine. "I wonder who could have done that." He hummed absentmindedly, instead.

A nod from the metal man, as he worked to set up a training dummy. Clearing up a small amount of what was around, he worked now to practice.

Zane decided to work on his physical training. While he was an android, he still had to work with patterns. Attack and defensive. Even if defensive was not possible alone; attack would work for now. No power. (i'm gonna shoot a headcannon in the out of rp chat)

:> if it needs explaining lemme know)) "Cole, would you help me practice with my defensive moves?" Zane approached him, silently. "I believe it would be good that they could use some tuning up."

"Any position. I simply need to work on defensive moves." I don't want to fight to hurt.

"Ready." He shifted to a defensive position, offering a short-lived smile.

Blocking and dodging. Dipping and weaving to counter, though he would primarily focus on the defensive. Making sure not to get thrown back, at least.

He caught himself tripped up in the first; though, he was quick to push himself back, to get back up.

"Thank you. I believe your strength has improved since we last sparred." Zane offered with a smile, dipping below another punch and blocking the next.

He raised his arm to block but was a fraction too slow, the punch landing and sending him skidding back on the floor. Like before, he was quick to pick himself up, despite feeling dented from the fall; This would be fine. He would keep going.

"I am alright. I will be fine." He responded, approaching once more, sliding into that defensive position. "There is nothing harmed." Maybe a dent. But that could be fixed relatively easily.

Block, block, dodge, counter, block... Zane focused his energy on this, on the physical push and flow of their bodies. Each movement could be fluid, their strange way of training a dance between the two of them. He could feel his circuits beginning to tire, but he told himself he could keep this up. After all, pushing himself was necessary. If he could take more of a beating in a fight, he could be useful to distract as well.

Faster movements. Faster. Just speed up. Push yourself and then go beyond your own wildest dreams. But he didn't want to dream. Momentarily stuck in his own head he was once again too slow to dodge, a glance blow that sent him stumbling back a few steps. *You're not usually so distracted, Zane.* He told himself, scolded himself. *Get a hold on your mind.*

Oooh, that's ok!!!)) "Maybe." Seemingly annoyed with himself, he sighed, and moved to sit down on the steps, watching Kai and Jay practice.

The ice elemental couldn't help but laugh at the interaction. "Cole, were you honestly expecting something else?" He asked, smiling. "That was to be expected."

Snickering, the android simply watched, though his mind was drawn back to what had only recently taken event. He didn't know how long he had been gone. But he was certain Wu did not know the events that transpired. However, Lloyd knew he had been the Ice Emperor. Cole knew the extent of the damage. The two of them could put two and two together. He only hoped that he wouldn't be scrapped for it.

"Cole is helping you two train." Zane said, lifting an eyebrow. "Assuming this is kept up, you could do just about anything, no matter what the terrain below is."

"Will your opponent warn you?" Zane asked. "I do not think so. How would you get a warning from the earth itself?"

Zane could only smile and chuckle, despite the worry nagging the back of his mind. "It is good to be prepared for anything."

Zane paused, and stood. "I will go check in on Lloyd." He said, and turned, stepping inside the monastery. Walking to find his friend in the room once more.

He moved to sit on the side of the bed. Worried, but, he forced it to the back of his mind. A gentle hand moved to rub his brother's head. It helped him feel a bit better, he supposed, so he hoped he could offer some semblance of comfort. "Lloyd?" He asked, softly.

"Lloyd." He said, gently, a little bit louder. Though, he immediately had pulled back his hand at the flinch. "It's time to wake up."

"I'm here." His voice was soft, and he offered a gentle smile. "Are you alright, Lloyd?"

"I understand." Zane glanced away, but he shook his head. "It'll be alright. It will be." It had to be. (So! Cole knows that the Ice Emperor committed genocides. And i do mean several, he wiped out a LOT of villages as well as Crag's race. Cole could bring it up to Lloyd in passing. I think you can gather what I'm getting at here, since Lloyd knows who the Ice Emperor was. Everyone does actually but they're more likely to forget about that conclusion.)

Mmm angst for the plot)) "Did you hurt yourself?" He turned his eyes back to Lloyd, worry entering the softly glowing blue.

Zane has been used as a living battery pack twice. Once in season 3 episode 8, another in season 12. Just your average fun fact :]))

"A little?" He frowned, and thought for a moment. "Is there any way I can help?"

"Well, then you must get all the rest that you can." He spoke softly now, sitting beside him on the bed. "You mustn't push yourself."

"And in order to be the best that you can be, you would need to be at your full strength." The ice elemental said. "You need to be well rested and you must not strain yourself, should you want to be the best that you can."

"Perhaps Master Wu has a tea that could help you with it? He seems to have teas for everything." He suggested. "There may be some way to help you with your ache, as well..."

"Have I spoken to you of when I met him? I suppose I recall meeting him twice, but it was the second time I find to be the most profound. Not, perhaps, the most life changing, but the most profound." Zane smiled at the memory. "He drank his tea underwater."

Zane jolted, but there wasn't anything he thought he could do to fix Lloyd's situation. "He drank his tea under the water, where I was meditating." He explained once more. "Are you sure you're alright? Should I fetch him?"

The android nodded, and was quick to slide off the bed. "Please be careful so as not to hurt yourself again." He said, and stepped out of the room. Into the halls of the monastery he went, searching for Master Wu along the hallways.

Oooh, sure! :])) "Master Wu?" Zane poked his head into the room, before he slipped inside; offering a bow in respect, but then standing straight. "Lloyd is not feeling well. I believe he's strained his body beyond the limit it was meant to withhold. Do you perhaps have something that could help him?"

A nod, from the android. He faltered for a moment, before he spoke of something else. "He has mentioned wishing to be rid of night terrors. If there is something that you have that could help him, I believe that would be optimal." Quietly, now, he left that room, returning to where Lloyd should not have moved from. He hoped the others were not eavesdropping upon he and Lloyd. He did think he had something to talk to him about, but the thought of that terrified him to his core.

Zane lifted Lloyd up, gently resting him back on the bed. "Why did you leave the bed?" He asked. "Was it not more comfortable than the floor?"

"Master Wu should be here shortly." He told him, and frowned a little. "Do you have any idea as to what could be causing your ailments?" He could bite his tongue about what he had done. Lloyd's health was far more important about what had been done in the past.

"I do not believe dragons go through puberty, Lloyd. From what I am aware, they undergo a metamorphosis as they are coming of age." He hummed softly to himself, sitting beside him. "Perhaps that could be the cause?"

"They are very different. Though they hold similarities--" Zane cut himself off and shook his head, folding his hands. "It matters not. I apologize. You should be resting, not speaking with me over trivial matters such as this."

"Rest does not necessarily mean sleep." Zane told him, and looked to the door. Oh, he hoped Wu would get here soon. Everything was pressing on his mind...

oh shoot i spaced, sorry)) "Perhaps." He responded, but he couldn't think of a time that he had seen where it had taken Wu any longer than two minutes to prepare his tea. Perhaps there was something else? He didn't know.

Zane simply watched, having stood once Wu entered the room. He dipped his head in greeting, and watched. Observing was something he felt he could do. At least he couldn't hurt anyone this way.

He stepped forward, but faltered. Worried, but afraid. "Perhaps it would be best for him to rest?" He asked, softly. But what did he know? He knew nothing, he was only trying to help it all fit together in his mind.

"Of course. I do hope that you rest well." Zane offered a small bow, before he stepped out of the room. So many things plagued his mind. But... maybe Wu would be good to talk to about these. After all, even if he did not speak with him beforehand, maybe the aftermath could be discussed. He could only hope that Wu would not cast him out for what he had done.

Zane was quiet for a moment, but he nodded without thinking. "I cannot stand by and watch him be hurt again." He allowed silence to fill the hall for a moment. "Master, may I... May we speak of something? I... feel it too important to remain unspoken, but." But you're afraid of being dismantled over your crimes.

"I... I feel this would be best to be discussed privately." He admitted, his voice soft.

A simple nod. Zane walked slowly to the scroll room, trying to control his temperature once more. But it had dropped thoroughly, and he couldn't figure out how to calm himself and bring it back up. Stepping into the room, he moved to take a seat near the middle of the floor. He could only think, while he waited...

"Master, I... I feel the need to speak with you of what has happened. What happened within the never-realm." He folded his hands, shivering faintly. "Though, this is not something that will... be of short time."

"When... When Aspheera banished me, I held the staff." He said, softly. "It was through using it that I was able to keep myself and the remainders of the mech safe, but..." But something went wrong. Everything went wrong. "I've... I've committed so many atrocities." He whispered. "I have done things I wish to have never thought of."

And he did his best to explain what he had done, for the past decades he had been stuck in the never-realm. Almost a week in Ninjago... several decades in the never-realm. The situation with his memory loss, with Vex. Overthrowing the ruler of the land. And the genocides.

The elemental of ice was practically falling apart at the seams. The guilt, the fear and the anguish was overwhelming him as he spoke. He couldn't stop those tears from sliding down his face, freezing in their tracks.

"The fact that I've done it is enough." He whispered, shaking. Even if Wu was correct, even so... He had still committed those acts.

"The executioner." His voice soft, he turned his blue gaze to shaking hands. "I... Yes. I know." He just wished he could take it all back.

"I believe I am alright. I have no need to drink." Just another thing that made him less human. The android closed his eyes, letting out a soft sigh. "I felt it... deserving of you to know what had happened. You were the only one not there."

Silence on the other end. Then, a soft nod. It was the only thing he could do left. He would never repay truly for his mistakes, that much was obvious. But... he could work to step in a better direction.

"I understand, master, but I find it... difficult, to refuse to dwell. I feel that... that if I do not, it would merely be forgetting that I have done so at all." His voice was soft, breaking somewhat, despite how it should not have been possible.

issok!!)) It was all he could do to nod. He stood. "Thank you for allowing me to speak." He said softly.

Their turn to help. Did they feel obligated to help him? He didn't want that. But... well, in the end, it was their decision. Zane walked out of the room, slowly, quiet.

Zane stepped into the room, standing over the couch quietly, just watching now. He couldn't stop the chuckle escaping his lips, though.

"Lloyd is resting now." Zane said, and recalled the frozen tears on his face; he took a moment to try and wipe them off. His temperature had not yet lowered enough for that, though. "He will be alright, I do hope."

"What is it that you two are playing?" Zane asked, giving up on trying to wipe the ice crystals off of his face. "I do not believe I recognize that game."

"Ah-- yes, that would be greatly appreciated, Kai." He offered a smile, and glanced to the TV. "What is the game about?"

War. Zane simply nodded, but he wondered if the others had known what war felt like. Then, he promptly drove the thought away from his head. He could stay here. Talk with his brothers (and sister, though he did not see the difference, or understand it). "Is there a way to know where to gather the best items?" He inquired.

A nod, as he observed Cole playing. "Who do you fight against?" He asked. "Is it someone random?"

Zane listened, watching the little character on the screen bash an enemy. He felt torn. He wanted to enjoy this with his brothers, like he had once been able to, but all he could see were the things he had done. *Don't let it take over your life.* Just breathe. You... you'll be fine.

"I'm sure you'll win soon enough." Zane offered a smile. "Though, if I may, perhaps I could try after Jay?"

"I'm sure that he'll get the hang of it eventually. He always seems to do that." Zane shrugged and chuckled, but moved now to sit down on the couch, observing how he played the game.

"Is it dictated by RNG?" Zane asked. "And, what makes a gun superior to the others? Is a grenade launcher generally better?"

"If speed is your greatest strength..." He paused, and bit his tongue as he realized this would not be an argument he could win. He did not have enough information. So, the ice elemental listened and watched Jay play, trying to figure out the technique he used.

Zane, too, was caught up in the laughter, but he gently plucked the controller from Jay's hands. "I believe it is my turn to attempt at this new game," he said. "Perhaps I shall fare better than you?"

"We shall see, Kai." He put a grin on his face as he started up this round, beginning the game. For once, it felt like his worries could melt away, like he could just be back in the day. Back in the simpler days, when they had more times like this... Soon after Garmadon had escaped into the portal, when they had been none the wiser about theirselves, about anything. Before he knew what he was, before things got complicated. When it was just them, playing that old game.

Zane told himself he could do it, but did he even need reassurance? He didn't, considering how well he was already doing; he bashed around the enemies, grabbed the chest (with of which it gave him a gun, but not the rocket launcher). Eventually, he got to the arena portion, in which he remained out of sight for the most part, save the killing of the other people's characters. All he had to do was win. That's all.

Shot. Shot. Seven, eight down, nine down... Ten, eleven. And just like that, without really realizing it, he had beaten the round. "Was that it?" He asked, examining the controller. "Did I win?"

Zane chuckled softly and nodded, smiling at Kai. "Well, I suppose being a machine allows one to remove flaws, for the most part, from your gameplay."

"I suppose we will simply have to go, then." Zane chuckled, and stood upright, walking towards the door. "Need I have a list? Best not to leave this off until later."

He took the list and nodded. "Would anyone else care to join me on this venture out?"

Zane nodded, though he tried not to pale at the mention of her name. Lucky for him, that was easy; the hiding of his wince, however, wasn't. "Yes. It would be good to be outside." He agreed softly, and moved to step out the doorway.

Zane was quiet for a moment. He let out a soft, frosty breath of air. "I suppose I have merely been troubled by the events of which that have transpired over the past... It was only a few days for you, was it not? Though, time passes much differently in the Never-Realm... I was there for many decades before you all arrived."

"A few weeks in the never-realm..." He frowned, looking deeply unsettled. "Perhaps that is a question for Master Wu, and not for me. My sense of time feels out of sorts, although it is functioning as it would normally."

Zane smiled now, though it was shaky. He followed him down the stairs. "It is good to be back," he said. "Though I find myself worrying about what we will face next. It could be anything. I suppose that... that it scares me, more than it should."

"Life would be much more peaceful without a scare." He murmured. "There have been so many villains..." He walked quietly, a frown on his face now. A part of him wondered why he had wanted to go to and explore that dangerous pyramid, and why he had let Jay go ham at the puzzle with Nya. Jay had blamed him for not warning him in time. He supposed that much was true...

Maybe Cole was right. Of course he was. Cole was more human than he. He knew this sort of thing. He knew better than Zane would about this. "I suppose." He said, as they continued to walk. "You are right. I would not treasure it so much had we not faced such trials. But, I am tired of facing so many enemies."

"Mhm." He could only hum in response, as they approached the streets of Ninjago City.

So sorry for the wait! Had some issues that cropped up.)) Zane walked with Cole and offered a smile instead, hoping to come off as pleasant to the city's eyes. He was relieved, and yet not, to be back. Examining the list, he chuckled faintly. They definitely needed to stock up.

"Would you rather we buy a cake, or we make one at home?" Zane offered, and smiled, waving to the citizens who waved to him. "I am sure that Master Wu would not mind us making one, seeing as we are doing the work."

"I believe that the others voted to never allow you in the kitchen again after the last time." Zane laughed light heartedly, and a bit of the weight left his shoulders. "But I would not mind baking a cake. I believe that it would be a welcome surprise for the others. We have not had a break in quite some time."

"And how many zeroes did it have, Cole?" Zane couldn't help but laugh, smiling and gently resting a hand on his shoulder. "Please, do tell. You have piqued my interest."

"That is a lot of zeroes." He chuckled. "Perhaps you need a monitor."

"It is likely that he does." Zane stopped at the crosswalk for a moment, feeling a bit lighter than he had before. "We are almost at the store, I believe."

"I must say, I missed the city." Zane nodded, and stepped over to the store now, adjusting the scarf he had put on earlier. It wasn't really because he felt cold-- he was never bothered by the cold-- but it made him feel more comfortable, in a way. He waited for Cole, then opened the doors, strolling into the place. Gosh, it had been so many decades since he had last seen one of these...

The android chuckled. "Yes, I believe that was the point." Then, he took half of the list, tearing a mostly precise line into the paper; ripping it in half. "Here you are," he said, handing over the half of the paper. "We will split up and meet back here once we are done, yes? Try not to get distracted."

Zane could not help but laugh, knowing Cole had a pretty big sweet tooth, and went off to his own adventure down the aisles. Cole was allowed to get sidetracked, as long as the things they needed were acquired.

Zane was quick to gather his things as well, simply returning to the spot where he had agreed for Cole to meet back up with him. He didn't mind waiting. (We should have the intro for season 12 soon if you want to start it up lol)

Yep. Almost forgot that Zane wasn't actually allowed to go into the game. I'm tempted to have him waltz in before Cyrus is like "haha no uh you cannot" only to have that do some very serious damage. Also, he could probably talk to/be potentially reprogrammed by Unagami)) "Of course. I am certain that he will appreciate the treat." Zane nodded and smiled. "It will be good to see him improve in his health soon."

"I do not know what is going on with him." Zane said, as they walked to the cashier. "I can only hope everything will be alright. I trust Master Wu to be able to figure this out; he always has the answer, even if I do not." He turned now to put the items on the thing to scan them in, quiet.

Zane tensed a little at the hand, took a deep breath, and exhaled softly, a faintly frosty mist. "I am... not sure how I could explain it." He murmured. "But perhaps it would be better to speak of it at home, rather than a public store." He watched the items scan in, thinking of everything that had happened.

Once they had paid for their items, Zane took the bags and walked with Cole out of the store. Where would he even begin? Wu had had an okay reaction to it all, he could only hope this would be okay... After Lloyd, Cole really was their leader. He wasn't sure if anyone else saw things that way. But right now, he supposed Cole was in charge. And they all had a right to know what he had done.

Too many people thought of them in ways that they weren't. Cole was a mama bear. A big softie. A heart of gold that carried them through so many things. What was Zane? He didn't know anymore. A bucket of bolts who tried to help and made things worse, he guessed. Not like the public eye saw that. As they approached the monastery steps, he wondered briefly if they would talk as they walked up, then decided that no. The whole team had to hear this. He could confide in Wu, certainly, but the whole ninja group needed to not hide things from each other. No more secrets.

"Ah-- thank you, Cole." He said, and allowed a smile to come across his face, despite dreading the possibility of what might happen next. "A race? If you so wish." Snickering, he then began to traverse upwards, with no warning as to when he started.

"Unfair, hm? You are the one who challenged me, Cole!" Zane laughed, as he launched up towards the monastery gates.

Zane was quick to get to the gates, stopping just inside, before turning back, waiting for Cole. "I believe I win?"

"Apologies." He chuckled, and gently took some of the load off of Cole's hands. "I should have taken some of this. It would have evened out our competition."

"I will let you believe that." Zane smiled, but it fell at the thought of what he needed to discuss. "We aught to head inside. I must... speak with you all about something. But, it can wait until we have put all this away."

Zane nodded, and walked in as well. Now, he put away the items that they had, silence descending over the two. Everyone would need to be here. They had to hear it from him, it was his fault.

"Yes, we have everything that is needed." Zane said, as he put the final thing away. He smiled softly to her. Zane remembered, all those years ago, when he had first met this woman. Even now, she was just as enrapturing as she had been on the day he had first seen her. He missed the innocence of the past. "I need to discuss something. With all of you." He said softly to her. "Could you make sure Kai is in the room? I do not know if it would be wise to disturb Lloyd, but... this is important."

"Perhaps we should all wait with him, then." He said. "Should Lloyd wake up, it is important he hears of this, too." So now he followed her, quiet, the gaping chasm in his chest threatening to overwhelm him.

Lloyd's room. "Hello, Kai." Zane said softly as he stepped inside, nodding faintly to his friend. He moved to stand more out of the way, waiting for the others to get here... he could feel his gears threatening to lock up.

MINE DOES THAT TOO, or Jay, and I'm like "you lil friggin hecker it's a NAME" ) "I am aware that his hair is soft, Kai. He takes good care of it." He sighed, that feeling heavy like lead in his chest. They deserved to know. "There is something that you all need to know." He murmured.

He wanted to just give up. To stop, to just... Breathe in. "When I was in the never-realm," He started, quietly. "I... There is so much I have done." He wanted to just say it. But at the same time, that fear was throttling his throat, choking back his words.

A deep, shaky breath. And so he started to explain the events once more. He felt sick. Sick with himself. Sick with the guilt, the knowledge of what he had done. But they deserved to know. And so he told them. Words could not convey the guilt. The anger towards himself. How had he let it all happen? How had he orchestrated it all? But he told them. They were his brothers. They deserved to know.

Zane did not let himself stop speaking until he had explained. It didn't stop him from shaking. Trying so hard not to break down. But he couldn't stop the tears, he couldn't stop the guilt that choked his words. The ice elemental did not move. He knew it was very likely he had frozen himself to the floor by this point. The tears that stuck to his face were clear from that. He fell silent, now. How was he supposed to think? He was worse than any of their enemies had ever been. He had done so much worse.

"I am sorry." He said, after that long pause. "I... felt it important that you aught to know." Zane didn't know what they were thinking, but every second felt more crushing than the last. "I... I will take my leave, if you so wish."

The first thought that went through his mind was instinctual; I'm trapped, and they're going to hurt me for what I've done. The second promptly threw that one out. "I know." He mumbled thickly, and swallowed, shaking. Anxiously, he rubbed at the frozen tears stuck to his face. They did not budge.

He could feel his throat close at Kai's words. Scared. Right. Yeah. He should have expected that. He should have known. And yet it still hurt, a fresh knife to the heart. All he could do was nod and try not to cry again. He meant none of it. None of it should have happened. And yet it did.

YEP)) We brought back you. Not some genocidal emperor. But the blame still falls on me. Zane could only nod in response. You can't fix what happened in the past, but you can change the future. Make up for your mistakes. "I just don't want it to happen again." He whispered. He felt fear. Of course, fear was a normal thing, but this was different. This was crushing.

"Thank you." He whispered. It was all he could say. What else was he supposed to do? His brothers were here to help him and the thought of it warmed his heart. He just needed to breathe. In, out. It was all going to be fine. They'd help him. And it would never happen again.

Zane couldn't restrain the wince, but he nodded. "I have to." He said quietly. "He deserves to know."

"Should we fetch Lloyd the treat that you bought for him?" Zane asked Cole. "Perhaps make sure that Jay does not eat it?"

Zane laughed weakly and stepped out of the room, speed-walking after them. This would be fun to watch, at least. (brb in like 20 mins, walking doggo)

Ayyy felt, Cinnamon likes to hunt rabbits but she's precious to us)) Zane, whilst he snickered at the sight, pulled Cole out of the group. "You did not need to tackle him down, Cole." He said with a chuckle.

"I did let him get away. He did not take what was meant for Lloyd." Zane had a gentle smile on his face, as he went to grab the little cake they had bought for their brother. "I do hope he recovers soon."

heCKVXGF *screams* sorry lmao my braiN)) "Of course. Thank you for your assistance, Pixal." Zane smiled softly at her. He couldn't help but smile-- how could he not, after all? She had been there for him, and he her, and he couldn't express just how wonderful she was, how much she meant. He nodded softly, and walked back to Lloyd's room with the candy, wondering when Lloyd would awaken.

Sadly, the highest score. Zane stood now beside the bed, feeling his own temperature calm down somewhat, and he relaxed. It was nice, no longer feeling the biting chill of nervousness.

*Hm,* he thought. *Perhaps Kai needs more rest as well?* He paused, then set the candy down in a safe place, before gently lifting up Kai and walking to carry him to his room. It couldn't be comfortable to sleep like that.

Now, Zane set Kai down on his bed, then returned to Lloyd's side. He wondered when he would wake up? He had to wake up at some point...

Maybe he should stay here. No, that would just waste time. Confused, conflicted with himself, Zane stood and wandered outside. He sat in the middle of the monastery courtyard, trying to think.

"No, I do not believe you are interrupting anything." Zane had jumped, initially, but he offered a short lived smile to his sensei. "Why do you ask?"

"I am simply worried for Lloyd." He said quietly. "Though I admit I find myself overwhelmed in recent events that have transpired, I do not know how I would... properly deal with what has occurred."

"Thank you for the advice." He murmured, and looked out, watching the sun stain the sky pretty colors as it began to dip down. "I will do my best." (We should have them head out to start season 12 soon)

Ah, sure!)) He couldn't help but smile. With Wu's faith instilled in him, he stood, and followed him inside. Better to have dinner and think than to just sit, hm? Ah, well.

"How about I make something?" Zane stepped up, chuckling. "You two needn't fight over something as simple as dinner. Why exactly were you arguing, anyhow?"

"Jay, you can wait some time for food." Zane scolded him lightly, chuckling. "It will not take too long." He stepped into the kitchen, thinking for a moment as to what he could prepare.

"Hello, Kai." Zane responded with a soft smile, as he began to gather the items to make a simple dish. "Cole and Jay were fighting over dinner, so I decided to do something about it instead of waiting."

"Yes, please do awaken him. It will be good for him to have dinner with us." he said, as he started up his cooking.

"The most attached? I am worried." Zane turned to look at Jay, a soft frown on his face. "I do not wish to see him hurting. We are brothers-- I believe I would feel the same for any of you." He sighed, and turned his attention back to the food. "I cannot speak for Kai. If you wish to pose an inquiry, go to him."

He couldn't help but laugh at Jay's eager attitude to bother his brother, but he worked to finish up the preparations and cook. Something he was good at. He couldn't mess this up. It was... a nice distraction.

"I wonder how Jay will be faring." He murmured to himself, chuckling. Jay was certainly good when it came to bugging his siblings.

"Oh dear. Cole, would you mind checking on him?" Zane asked, turning to glance at him, to look at where the noise came from. "See if everything is alright. Dinner will be done momentarily, so please see if Lloyd has awoken as well."

"Either that, or the two were wrestling of some sort and Lloyd fell off of the bed." Zane said absentmindedly. "I do not know of what else could have caused the noise."

"Jay? What happened?" Zane had twisted to look at his voice, only to be met with a scratch. He approached his brother, a confused frown on his face.

Zane frowned. "Jay, please stay here and wait for the timer to go off. Then remove it." He began to walk to the room, quiet. "I will check on them."

Zane approached, standing now beside Cole. "Lloyd, is everything alright?" He asked. "I heard what happened. Was there something bothering you?"

"Should I go find Master Wu?" Zane asked, worry worming into his circuits. Oh, this couldn't be good. "Perhaps he will have the answers."

Zane was quick to try and approach, fear steeling around his heart. Lloyd wasn't thinking straight. Too many thoughts were flooding his own mind. He wasn't acting like Lloyd. "Lloyd." He said gently, firmly. "Let go of Kai." Trying to mask his own fear.

A deep breath, and he stepped back. He left the room, but he stayed near the door, watching with worry. This... No. Breathe. Breathe. Deep breaths. Focus on that.

"Kai," Zane said softly. "Can you come here?" If he'll let you. But the bite looked nasty, and that would definitely need treating. God, Zane can only hope Lloyd is willing to let him go. He can only hope that Lloyd returns to his right mind soon.

Zane gently lead Kai out of the room, giving a saddened look back to Lloyd-- but he told himself, he would help him. He had to. So with that resolve in mind, he lead Kai away, to the bathroom, where they had the medical supplies, and did his best to clean and patch up the wounds his brother had. "I will make sure he is alright after you are." He spoke softly to Kai. "I am guessing that I might have better luck than you did."

"I do not believe Lloyd understood what he was doing at the moment of when it happened." He said, as he worked to clean his wounds, before examining them. Deep, but they wouldn't require stitches. "I will speak with him momentarily." Zane said, as he wrapped Kai's wounds now. "Is this too tight?"

"I know the feeling." He murmured, as he finished wrapping up the wounds. He took a shaky breath, then left to the door. "You go rest. Maybe have one of the others bring Master Wu to our location." And he left the room, reaching Lloyd's room, stepping up to the door.

Zane stepped inside the room. "Lloyd?" He asked, softly. "Are you alright?" Perhaps he had been correct. Undergoing a metamorphosis of sorts, if Zane had any guess, which reminded him of the boy's father, in a way. If Lloyd truly turned into a dragon, that would be... Well, Zane wasn't sure how to react. But this did not seem alike that, even if it was similar...

"Even if I cannot help, I wish to understand what is going on. Perhaps I can, and you may not know." Zane did not get any closer, but he remained at the door. "Do you know what is going on?"

Zane frowned, faintly. "Cole is getting Master Wu, I believe." He said. "Perhaps he will have an answer for you." After a moment, he spoke again. "Would you like for me to stay here and keep you company? I can only assume it would be better than being alone."

"Would you like for me to come any closer?" He asked, and then added on, "While I understand the concern, I doubt that you would be able to bite or claw through metal. Even if you did, I would consider it a sort of... payback, I suppose." A weak chuckle.

Zane approached Lloyd with caution, moving to sit on the bedside. "Perhaps this is the time for your own metamorphosis." He proposed. "That is what it appears to me."

"Lloyd was capable of speech a few moments ago," He told Wu. "I am unsure of if he is now. Though I do not truly know what is going on, I believe I may have an idea. Do correct me if I am wrong."

"I believe this may be some form of metamorphosis." He explained. "I do not have much to base this theory on, though I suppose his changes in demeanor and appearance add up to as much."

Zane fell silent for a moment, then frowned. "While I believe Nya would prefer to disagree with you, I can see your words." He sighed, a cloud of frosty mist. "But, Lloyd has already injured two of our brothers. While I understand it was not necessarily his intentions, it has occurred, and it should not happen again." He left some other words unspoken; he was not going to let what happened to him happen again.

A nod. "How long does this... last?" He asked after a moment, searching for a word to fit it, but he didn't have one. He didn't want to have his friend out of commission, especially not for so long...

Zane fell silent, but he offered a chuckle at the memories that his master shared. "I do hope we do not have to tie Lloyd to a chair." He offered with a weak laugh.

Zane glanced to his somewhat dragon friend and frowned. "I will help keep him busy, if it is of any ease to your mind." He said softly. "I see myself fit for this role, seeing as I would be much harder to injure than the others." Oh, there were so many reasons. But, he still had to tell Lloyd about what he had done. Lloyd was the only one who did not know.

"Of course, Master Wu." Zane dipped his head, and moved to stand, now walking out of the room. He had just put Jay in charge of removing the food when the timer dinged. Was that so hard of an instruction that the kitchen would fall into chaos?

"Jay, have you run your hands under cold water? When did this happen?" He internally groaned. Really, it was a wonder that Jay didn't know to wear oven mitts... but, he knew that he himself never had to, so maybe Jay had simply forgotten.

Gently, Zane guided Jay over to the kitchen sink, letting the faucet run with cold water. "You shouldn't have waited for so long." He scolded Jay lightly, but he was also scolding himself.

sorry for the wait!! Went shopping)

yeee!! Also sorry again dog lol)) "Jay, if you keep getting injured every day, your body will no longer be in commission to fight." He told him, gently but firmly. "You need to allow yourself to rest and heal, especially from a wound like this, when your hands are one of the main extensions that you use to protect yourself and the lands we live in."

Zane recognized that look and it sort of struck him in the heart. He never really liked that look. He felt... uncomfortable? It made him nervous. Before he had discovered being artificial, it really made him feel alien. "Jay, continuing to injure yourself like this will mean that I will be revoking your video game privileges." He said.

Zane offered a chuckle. "Even if it were merely a threat, your hands are by far too damaged to be fiddling with a console, seeing as you did not immediately seek treatment." He sighed, though. "I do not want to see you injured like this again."

"...Why do you not immediately seek treatment to your injuries, Jay?" His voice was soft, confused. Saddened? Zane did not know. He did not understand.

"Perhaps, after a few moments have passed to let your joke settle in, you should think about getting treatment." Zane said, and gently smiled to him. "I am sure that your high scores would improve if you did."

"Yes, yes they would. Now, you should eat dinner and get some rest." He said, and sat down at the table. Even if he did not eat-- he had no need to-- he enjoyed sitting with his family.

Zane had not moved, but upon Kai's disturbance, his eyes shot to assess the situation. Did he need to stand? Was something wrong with Kai? Worry and fear that wormed in were so intrusive...

"Are you certain you are alright?" He couldn't help but frown, and sigh. Of course Kai would say he was sure. So instead, he stood, and worked on plating a meal for Lloyd. He'd need dinner too, after all.

Unsure of what had happened, Zane simply grabbed the plate of food and approached Lloyd's room, stepping inside. "I brought some dinner," He said. "I hope it will be to your liking."

Gently, Zane handed the plate to him, sitting down beside him with a smile. "Are you feeling any better?"

Zane allowed silence to fill the room, wishing that for once he might be able to delete his memories and start over, like he had once done before. That thought then horrified him. Here he was, thinking so selfishly. He may be able to do that, but then he wouldn't know his brothers, he wouldn't know anything. He'd have vivid nightmares of what had happened in the past and yet they would never stay with him for long. And if they did, what was he to do? Zane didn't know what to do.

The tail shocked him out of his thoughts, at least for a moment. "Lloyd, you did not have to do that," he murmured. "But I thank you." He let out a deep exhale. "Perhaps soon we may be able to continue on with things as they once were." Maybe the calm and peace in the monastery would return. (Contemplating Prime Empire starting now, but Lloyd was at the head of that operation and so he would need to be functional)

Emotional outbursts + pain because pain's sake, our body does like pain? Yeah uh that time is really blurry for me LOL so uh yes emotional outbursts got it)) Rapidly, the nindroid blinked, watching his brother crawl over to him with a goofy look. "Lloyd, what are you doing?" He inquired.

He allowed himself to be pushed back over, now flat against the bed. He remained confused, unsure of what was going on, and Lloyd had not answered his question. Zane knew that his thoughts were coming slow. He had been overwhelmed recently, and his circuitry felt less effective, so perhaps it wasn't for the best. But he'd entertain Lloyd, he supposed, letting him do what he pleased.

"I wish I could understand what you are trying to do right now," Zane murmured, turning his head to look his brother in the eye with a soft smile. "It is nice to see you in good spirits, though."

Zane chuckled along. Even if he did not understand, he could guess that Lloyd seemed to be having fun with himself.

"I haven't a clue as to what is going on." Zane said, sighing softly, offering a smile and a wave to Kai. "I will clean up later." Lloyd was calm right now, after all.

Zane moved to rise from the bed as well, sitting upright, smiling softly at Lloyd. And then the alarm went off. He jumped; he had not heard the alarm in some time, so hearing it now was unsettling. The android was quick to move off of the bed, wondering, what could that be? What was it now?

"Are you alright, Lloyd?" He asked softly, though he was torn between helping Kai drag him with them, or just keeping him here. He waited for a response; once he had acquired one, he left the room, rushing to the hall to figure out what the heck was going on.

Zane simply ran now to the elevator, stumbling inside. "Do you have any idea what's going on?" He asked him, shaking a little. He wasn't expecting this-- what, two days after they got back, another call?

OH GOOD LORD GO GET HELP?? *hug*))

Zane stepped outside of the elevator, approaching Pixal with a shaky, somewhat forced smile. Though he was glad to see her, the impending issues at hand were overwhelming him once again. "What is happening?" He asked her, quietly.

I'm giving you hugs!! You should definitely get it checked out at some point!! Hopefully it's only just a pulled muscle or something, sucks though :[)) Zane could only nod, wondering why someone would break into an old storage room, but he turned to Lloyd and frowned faintly. "Are you absolutely certain you are fit for a mission?" He asked softly.

"No." Zane shook his head now, turning to get to the Land Bounty. It had been repaired once again. "We must go to the location and investigate at once. It is of the utmost importance."

Buckling in, Zane started the drive down to the location, allowing the act of driving to calm his nerves a small bit.

Once they were there, he stood at the doors of the warehouse with the others. "Are we ready to proceed?" Zane inquired, just one final time, to make sure. He had not spoken much for the duration of the drive, but he was still nervous.