Where Every Scroll is a New Adventure
Lost and found, arc 1: buried treasure
Part 4: one mans trash
(Previous---Next) (Masterpost)
Jay was pretty good at keeping himself awake. If it wasn’t his thoughts, he could always give himself tiny shocks to keep the gears turning.
He couldn’t do it often without the others getting suspicious, but sometimes he needed to. And tonight was one of those nights.
He waited till Cole and Zane had fallen fast asleep, curled up with one another. Jay had chosen to be the big spoon tonight specifically for this purpose.
He slowly, quietly, crept out of bed. Giving a small exhale of relief that he’d managed to pry himself away without waking either of his boyfriends. He squinted as he looked around for his shoes. He traded the pajamas for cargo pants and a hoodie, this would be a quick mission so he didn’t need his gi. In and out before any stone warriors even realized he was top side.
After grabbing his shoes, backpack, making sure the clasp of his necklace was still strong, and of course the ever important gas mask he’d custom built, with lightning bolt embellishments for a bit of flare, he stood in the door way. Smiling at the masters of earth and ice as they held each other close.
“I’ll be back soon. Promise.” Jay turned. Leaving the carved out room he’d been calling home for the past few years.
It was hard to leave the underground without Cole’s permission, seeing as he opened and closed most of the entrances. But there were still a few good old fashioned holes that opened into ninjago city’s sewer system. It was, gross to saw the least, the smell was probably enough to kill a dragon.
Jay sighed, preparing for the worst as he headed for the dreaded exit when a wall of ice appeared out of thin air, blocking his path.
“Jay.. what are you doing?” Zane asked from behind the blue ninja.
Jay lifted his head and sighed “I’m. Going to the junk yard.”
Zane frowned
“Don’t give me that look!! I- look. I know I can help Cole.. and the warriors are less active at night and-“
“I am coming with you.” Zane said firmly
Jay blinked in response “What now?”
“It is to dangerous to go alone. I do not think I could stop you. So I am coming with you.”
Jay smiled “soo it’s a date then?”
Zane gave a small laugh “only if you hold my hand”
Jays smile widened into a grin, grabbing Zane’s hand and interlacing their fingers “as if you have to ask”
Zane smiled faintly as jay led them through the sewers. It was a long walk from the main underground to the man hole closest to the walkers junkyard, Zane was hoping they’d make it out without Cole getting up for a midnight snack and realizing they had both left. Directly against his wishes.
“For the record. I do still think this is a bad idea.” Zane stated
“ duly noted.” Jay responded. He. Knew it was a bad idea too.. but he had to go back. Just. One more time.. he had to see it one last time.
Ok. So maybe making a doohickey to help the constricti and thus help Cole relax a little wasn’t his only motivation for sneaking out but.. could you really blame him! That junk yard was his home! Before Wu, before the monastery, he had the junk yard. And his parents.. the overlord had taken all of that..
Jay fiddled with the rings he’d strung up on a chain that he kept around his neck. Two gold bands, and one made from two different metals scraped together with a small sapphire set were they met. Jay took a deep breath. “Look, I know this is risky. But I need to do this. Not just for Cole. For myself.”
Zane’s gaze softened as he looked at the master of lightning, giving his hand a light squeeze before bring it up to his own lips and pressing a light kiss to jays knuckles “and I will be by your side every step of the way”
Jay smiled softly “why do you have to be such a damn gentlemen all the time” he snickered
Zane merely shrugged, smiling as jay relaxed a bit “I suppose it is in my nature”
Jay leaned against the nindroid, “I guess so”
They stayed like that for the rest of the walk. Just. Enjoying each others presence.
Eventually they found the ladder marked with a lightning bolt, the one that led to the walker family junk yard.
Jay let go of Zane’s hand to secure his gas mask. Taking a deep breath of the closest thing he’d had to fresh air in years before shoving it over his nose and ears.
“All good?” Zane asked as he started on the first rung of the ladder
Jay looked up, giving him a thumbs up “all good Elsa”
Zane rolled his eyes at the nickname and made his way up, using his robotic strength to push the manhole cover up and off the hole.
Jay followed right behind, taking an offered hand as he reached the top.
“There's the easy part over with” jay said, his voice muffled by the mask.
“Hopefully we won’t have to deal with the hard part” Zane sighed.
Jay grabbed his hand once more. Marching off to well.. home.
The junk yard.. had seen better days. It had been trashed. Piles knocked over, his fathers inventions torn apart.. most people wouldn’t know the difference from how it was before. But jay knew..
The place had been ransacked shortly after the initial take over, before the ninja were even in the city.. before jay had a chance to get his parents out of there..
Then of course there were the looters. People who were taking what they could to get by, jay.. didn’t blame them. They were just trying to survive. Even if the thought of the place being scrapped till there was nothing left to take make him sick,
“Jay, may I ask what we’re looking for?”
“Uh a bunch of doohickeys. Just erm, grab what you can? Anything I can’t use for the sensor I can use for other things.”
Zane nodded, making his way to a pile and just. Grabbed what he could and putting it into his messenger bag. They needed to do this quickly, the longer they were out and about the more likely it was the stone warriors would come by. That, and jay needed to get to sleep sooner rather then later.
Zane was fortunate enough to not actually NEED sleep. But it was a habit he had kept up after discovering his own blueprints. It felt. Good. Human..
jay on the other hand had been forcing himself to stay awake all night. Which, zane figured would not last much longer.
“Are you sure I can’t help you find what your looking for?” The ice ninja asked, concern for jays well being starting to lace his voice
“I got it! Promise popsicle” jay called out as he rummaged through what was left of the junk piles, occasionally pulling something out and examining it before stuffing it into his bag or a pocket.
Zane sighed, putting whatever looked usable into his own bag.
He reached out for another piece, when he picked up a faint clatter from another pile. He may not have a pulse, but he was sure if he did the sound would’ve caused it to quicken. “Jay?” He called out, hoping to the first master he’d been the cause of the racket
“Yeah?” Jay responded in the direction opposite the clatter
Zane gulped “I suspect we are not alone..” he tightened his grip on the strap of his bag, walking backwards towards jay, his eyes flickering around for any sign of movement
Jay clicked his tongue “shit- I’ve. I’ve almost got everything I swear just- give me like 5 minutes!” Jay rushed around, trying to find the last part
Zane looked over his shoulder, watching jays searching get more frantic.
Surely if it was something conscious enough to wish them harm, it would’ve been alerted by their conversation and attacked already. Right..?
“Ah HA! Got it-!” Jay shouted from atop the pile of junk, holding the small piece up in victory before loosing his footing “w-woAh” he cried out
“Jay!” Zane rushed to the pile, hoping to at least cushion jays landing and prevent him from sliding directly into some sharp scrap metal
Jay landed against Zane with a thud and a clunk. “Nice save” the master of lightning smirked up at Zane
The ice ninja frowned in response “you need to be more careful.” He shook his head “you could’ve been seriously hurt.”
Jay scoffed, “Zane I’ve been climbing these piles since I could walk. I know how to land on my feet” jay rested his head in the crook of Zane’s neck “.. one last thing. Promise.”
Zane sighed “fine. May I at least help you look for it?”
Jay backed away from his partner, shaking his head “I already know where it is.”
Zane furrowed his brow. Watching as jay slipped into the trailer. Returning moments later with…a broken frame.. a family picture from when he was little. About 8 zane guessed.
His shoulders slumped “ah.. I see”
“I’m. I’m ready to go now. The stone warriors are probably going to head out to pillage more soon anyways.”
Zane nodded, holding his hand out to his boyfriend who gladly accepted.
The journey back was. Quiet. Grief hung in the air.
Both of them missing someone just out of reach.
Zane. Had nothing from his father.
Some days he wished he’d left the memory switch off. Some days he was glad his father didn’t have to be apart of this apocalypse. Most days? He just missed him.
He understood jays pain. Even if he didn’t know what to say to help.
Fortunately. Their much more emotionally aware partner was waiting for them at the entrance to the sewers.
Unfortunately. He looked rather upset. Arms crossed, foot tapping, brow furrowed.
“And just where have you two been all night?”
Zane cleared his throat, deciding to handle the talking so jay didn’t have to waste the energy “We went to-“
“The JUNK YARD! The place I specifically told you not to go YEASTERDAY” Cole threw his hands in the air in frustration
Jay pulled his gas mask off “relax, boulder brain, nothing happened. And we got the supplies I needed”
Cole sighed, messaging the bridge of his nose “you're going to be the death of me sparky.”
Jay snickered, going over to the master of earth and planting a kiss on his cheek, “and would you have it any other way?”
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Author note: Hey so, I ment to post this a week ago but got really fucking distracted by toxic bug yaoi,,, so.
If it’s not obvious by now this is a poly ninja fic.
ALSO: this is the last part of this arc/ chapter 🥳 i will be posting it to ao3 shortly and updating the masterpost with the link. it WILL be account locked due to the scrapings.
Growing pains (bug kai one shot)
Tw: blood, body horror, body horror
Uhhh idk where in dragons rising this takes place so just plop it in whatever spot makes sense to you
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Kais middle name may as well be repression with how well he was keeping up apparenences. No one knew about his time in the land of monsters, no one even knew he’d been there.
But there were some.. side effects to his time there that couldn’t be shoved down.
Which is why when he began to feel that sharp pressure in his back he nearly leaped out of bed and snuck to the nearest bathroom, tearing his shirt off in hopes it wouldn’t get ruined. Pepping the first aid kit and as many bandages as he could find before crawling into the tub for easy clean up.
It did t take long for the pressure to become unbearable. He grabbed a clean was cloth and shoved it into his mouth. The fabric tasted awful but it was his best bet at keeping this all a secret
Kai gritted his teeth as it began, grasping and clawing at the edge of the tub. warm crimson dripped down his back filling the air with a metallic stench as a pair of forcipules tore their way though layers of fat, muscle, and skin. It took everything in him to bite down on cloth he’d grabbed and not scream his lungs out.
He didn’t want to wake anyone. Hell. He didn’t want anyone to know about this. Not yet. He wasn’t.. he wasn’t ready for that.
He’d rather suffer in silence then risk any of them finding out what had happened.. what he’d become
Kai gagged and gasped and the squelchy ripping sound coming from his waist, his mandibles extending and releasing the cloth. He reached for it, only to fall back into the tub as the twin to his new limb followed suit, causing the master of fire to writhe and squirm in pain, his vision going white as a scream tore its way through his throat despite his best efforts to keep this whole ordeal under wraps
His mind dizzied and body nearly imoblized by the pain he did the only thing he could think to do with his pityful rag just out of reach and not down on his hand to muffle what he could, praying to the first master that no one had heard him, or at least brushed it off when it seemingly stopped.
Kai whimpered against his wrist. Squeezing his eyes tight. Hoping this time he’d just wake up. It wouldn’t be real, he’d wake up and his body would be normal again.
He HATED this new.. form.
His torso being slightly elongated and segmented every few inches, with each section slowly gaining its own pair of forcibles. His mouth being able to just.. open like that. Having to be constantly awear of how he was holding his jaw so as not the let it just open like a tarp and let the cat out of the bag.
He already felt like a monster. He didn’t need everyone else seeing just how much of one he was becoming.
His eyes began to well up before soft knock on bathroom door shook him from his thoughts
“Is. Everything alright..?” Zane asked gently
Fuck.
Someone HAD heard
Kai took a deep breath. Unsure if he trusted his voice to stay stable with the throbbing in his back. “ I’m. Fine” he managed. “Leg cramp.” That. That was a reasonable excuse for screaming at what.. nearly 3 in the morning?
“Kai. I heard that scream. I can smell the blood from here. I know you are injured. Please let me help.. I am worried..”
Kai whimpered, his mind was starting to get hazy from the blood loss. He was in no condition to stop the bleeding himself let alone clean and bandage the wounds . at this rate if he didn’t accept help.. it wouldn’t end well
“Don’t. Freak out. Ok?” He gulped, trying to force himself to sit up only to wince and give up
“I promise not to freak out.” Zane assured him
Kai wasn’t sure if that was possible given how the tub and what remained of his pajamas were soaked in fresh blood and he was slowly turning into a fucking centipede person.
He let out a shakey breath “ok.”
The door knob turned slowly, the door creaked. Zane poked his head in, his eyes widening as he saw Kai “first master..”
Kai frowned, instinctively curling up in an attempt to hide himself “promised..” he said weakly
Zane’s expression softened, grabbing the first aid kit kai had prepared before kneeling in front of the tub “it’s going to be ok Kai.”
Kai nodded. Trying not to waste his energy on a response.
Zane quickly got to work, helping Kai shift positions so his back faced the former and allowed him to apply pressure to the wounds in an attempt to stop the bleeding.
Kai tried his best to stay still, but there was no pain like this. He flinched and squirmed from Zane’s hands dispite being so very gently. “Ive got you kai, yoh are going to be ok.”
Kai almost believed him.
Almost.
Sure he wasn’t going to die from blood loss now, but once one person knew it was only a matter of time before everyone in the monastery knew he’d become a fucked up creature .
Zane hummed softly, trying to calm the fire starter who’d started to cauterize his wounds as his powers manifested his anxiety into something more physical “almost done..” he said softly
Kai nodded. Not having the strength to give a verbal reply
Zane wrapped the bandages around kais torso. Trying to push the questions from his mind. Kai was in no state to answer them.. and the master of ice had a hunch he wouldn’t want to either way. “There.. now. Let’s get you to the infirmary. You likely need a transfusion with as much blood as you’ve lost..”
“Can’t.. move” Kai forced out
“You do not need to. Just, try to stay awake for me, ok?”
Kai nodded, and with that zane gently wrapped his arms around the shorter boy, taking great care to avoid touching his back, and carefully pick him up.
Dispite the pain he was in kai couldn’t help but lean into Zane. He was so tired of hidding it all.. maybe now.. that could come to an end..? It sort of had to. Didnt it
Zane carried the injured fire master to the infirmary, carefully setting him down in a way that was likely to cause the least amount of pain before quickly looking through their supplies to grab what he could.
Kai was pale, but not deathly so. He was going to be ok.. Zane had gotten there in time.. and thank the first master he did.
Zane melted into the chair next to Kai’s hospital bed with a sigh. His color was starting to return to normal and he seemed to be getting some of his strength back. “..I. Must admit I’m rather confused about what happened.”
Kai looked away from him, picking at the edge of his nails “it’s. Along story. I don’t think I have the energy to get into it..l
“Thats.. understandable..
“…are you going to tell the others…?”
“I.. I can’t lie to them about you being injured. But, if you want me to… avoid what your ..condition is..”
“No its. It’s fine.. but let me tell em.. please? Just. Cole, Lloyd, Nya, and pix. You’re the only ones that need to know right now.”
Zane nodded “of course. It is your choice kai.”
Kai gave a weak smile, “thanks tin can.”
So I was thinkin about the land of the lost and how geos been their his whole life from what I under stand and wondered like. Hey what are the rules for becoming “lost”?
Don’t have an answer but I have an au. lost!lloyd is gonna be my new obsession i think. Here’s the first spiel of it ^^ please let me know what you think! I will be attempting to draw lost!lloyd soon
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Lloyd wasn’t sure how long ago he’d left darklys (totally because they weren’t good enough for HIM) a year? Two maybe?
He’d been alone for long enough it hurt.
He missed Brad.
He missed mom.
He missed.. dad.
Neither of them ever picked him up. Neither of them ever showed.
Lloyd did what he could to make it through each day but. Wondering around on your own left you hungry.. and. Lost..
The young garmadon had no CLUE where he was. Or where to go.
So he wondered the land of ninjago in search of food and shelter.
“This is so stupid” he huffed, “that stupid school wouldn’t know evil if it hit them in the face!” His face scrunched into a scowl, he drew his leg back, attempting to kick up a patch of sand, landing square on his back instead with a resounding ‘oomf’
“AGH!” He shouted in frustration “can’t even kick SAND right. Gene was right.. maybe I am better off lost..” his red eyes welled up with tears, he shoved his sandy palms to his face, trying to stop himself from crying
And then
He began to sink
His heart stopped as he realized it wasn’t his imagination
His tears turned from despair to fear as he desperately tried to scramble away as the earth tried to swallow him whole “HELP!! SOMEBODY”
He screamed at the top of his little lungs, trying to grab onto something, ANYTHING to avoid getting sucked in but it didn’t matter.
His hand slipped from the sand as he screamed. Sure he would die. The earth around him became so.. warm. Comforting almost. Then hot. Scolding. Unbearable before-
PHWOOSH
The lord terror in training shot right out of the earth in a firey geyser. His screaming followed by the thud of his tiny body smacking into sandstone
Lloyd groaned, sitting himself up as shook the sand out of his hair and he blinked the sun out of his eyes
“Where the hell AM i..?” He frowned, taking in his surroundings. Piles of junk cascaded nearly every inch of the place. He was lucky he didn’t skewered.. “is. Is anyone here..?” He asked meekly to the garbage heeps
Something clattered nearby
“Hello?” The frail boy asked, trying to push himself to his feet only to be met with pain in his ankle. He seethed from the white hot fury of putting any weight on it “h-hey-! I need help!! If some one’s there you should. Uh. You should come out already!!”
This time Lloyd’s cries were met. A purple faced teen with teeth the size of Lloyd’s wrist poked their head out. “Are you.. hurt?” They tilted their head to the side. Trying to get a look at the boy from a safe spot.
“Obviously!!” Lloyd rolled his eyes “I just fell like a bazillion feet!!”
The teen chuckled, making their way over to young new comer “the geysers don’t get quite that high,”
Lloyd tensed. “Well it sure felt that high… where even is this place?”
“This. Is the land of the lost.” The purple one explained, kneeling by Lloyd and checking on his ankle before grabbing pieces of scrap metal to act as a splint “and I’m geo.”