#writebiebie!

You do not recognize the bodies in the water.

YOU DO NOT RECOGNIZE THE BODIES IN THE WATER

All of those monsters are impossibly bigger than him, and he needs to use something to hoist himself up in order to actually reach the head and neck. Him using his fire to heat his soles so it sticks to the skin in a mess of boiling flesh. Using daggers to anchor himself repeatedly to go upwards, then finishing it quickly with a slash to the back of the neck and hoping it falls forward instead of backward.

Then when other monsters gather around the new corpse, littered in a linear pattern of scars and burns, all in a line, same as the other few, a rumor spreads among the half sentient monsters.

A giant centipede of fire and steel, some say.

It finds a victim and coils around it, using its hundreds of legs to constrict it before finishing off in one strike, one says in awe.

It never eats it prey, leaving it to rot on the ground instead to show dominance, another says to its mate.

Even with its size, it's never been seen. It burrows underneath the ground, waiting for a chance to burst out and strike, a mother says to its young. Warning.

And the rumor grows, twisting into something more fantastical. Until one day, a lizard made of rotting wood and bone stumbles upon Kai, right on top of another monster, covered in black blood, catching his breath. The lizard scurries to its nest, and the rumor twists into something closer to the truth.

There is no centipede, it screeches. More gather around it.

It's small, and that's its way of trickery. It hides in plain sight, waiting for something to grow confident. To grow complacent and take its size for weakness.

It moves like no other. In flashes of red and orange and waves of blood and muscle. The fire and shadow are fond of this one, always hovering around it. Keeping it unseen.

Its eyes are as hollow as the abysmal ocean, devoid of mercy. Any it sees are guaranteed death, and those it spares are left mangled. Dying of their injuries. It never eats, never takes, only kills in slashes of flame and iron. It was never seen until now, no name it holds either.

After the rumor spreads further, more seeing the nameless monster in person, Kai develops a title. A warning for the ones who know it. There are many, some still calling it the fire centipede, another calling it the killer of giants, but there is one name that has gained popularity. That has made its way into the stories of every mother whispering to their young.

And now, when Kai pulls out his sword in a blaze of yellow and red, he finds that some scurry away. Screeching something he swore he could make out.

Fire Demon, they scream in fear, running off. Fire Demon, they cry out, warning others. Fire Demon, they think in horror, as none have survived it.

🐜: srksrkkksrksrrk.

Kai, crouching: What?!?! She said that?!??! No, you're joking.

🐜: srrkskrsrkkrksssrk, sksrkskkskrkkk!!!!!

Kai: Wait, she might've been a bitch but you can't say that. You're a bug. And I don't think the f word is something bugs can say–

Nya steps on the ant: Kai, why are you crouching?

Kai, horrified: NOOOOO DIANAA!!!!!

Nya: Uh, Kai???

Kai, dialing back: Y-you stepped on the ant! What did she ever do to you?!?! She even made sure to stay out of your food whenever you dont finish it!!!

Nya, half asleep: ...I'm gonna go now and check on Jay. You, uh, continue whatever it is you're doing.

Kai: She was the queen bee!! Or, queen ant? But no, there's already a queen ant... anyway, you've incurred the wrath of her clique. I can't save you this time, sis. Just know I warned you.

Nya: Kai, eat some breakfast. Now.

(For the next few days, Nya would get 3x as many ant bites as normal)

🪱: ghlhgllhllgghlglhlghh...

Kai, holding 🪱 in fear of the diane situation happening again: Yeah, I know. Hopefully, she's learned her lesson by now. Ants never let things go.

🪱: ghslhshshghlhgghlglhlg.

Imagining Rusty despairing at the fact that he lost another fire-wielder. Despairing over the fact that he died without ever seeing his family again, without ever seeing the people he tried to survive for.

Imagining the two of them mourning their small, stubborn, headstrong, brazen, desperate companion. Their hope that there was good outside of the hell they lived in. Their little blaze who died something he was never supposed to die in.

Making it their mission to meet the ninja. To give them the news. To make sure they know he was so close. To make sure they know he tried. That he tried to get to them. That he fought to get to them.

And, terribly, failed in the end.

And seeing their reactions. And seeing Nya know that she is truly alone this time. Seeing how Lloyd will blame himself for this. Seeing how Zane will ultimately be the one source of reason because he has to be. Seeing how Cole will go with them this time instead of following Wu.

And they will rage, and they will cry, and they will ultimately forget to grieve amongst the chaos of the merged lands.

Then Nya will be Wyldfyres mentor. And then she'll be far more heartbroken over Jays loss of memory. And then she'll be a bit more frantic for him to remember anything, ultimately driving him further away.

Maybe Lloyd will be stricter.

Maybe Wyldyre will actually be the new master of fire.

Oooo been thinking about this for a hot minute. Was in my drafts for longer.

Then the air changed.

Maybe it grew thicker or carried something more foreboding. Deadly. Maybe the ground felt slightly rougher, jagged rock digging into his soles more evidently, harder to ignore. Maybe his skin felt itchy, like something was crawling under it.

Maybe everything suddenly became familiar.

Then he looked back at the mirror.

And it was him.

No, not him. Him. Not the Kai, who was reliable and strong, the Kai who was everything a ninja and hero should be. It was the ugly, dirty part of him. The one who gave up their morals in order to survive. The one who he'd long thrown away and pretended never existed.

The real him.

Back in his leather robes and monster fur coat, the smell of dirt thick on his form, the katana he forged with his blood sweat and tears attached to his side. Like it always was. His face was covered, his hat planted firmly on him. It was like he never left. Or it never left him. Something wet coated his arms as his reflection stared back at him, unblinking.

And maybe Kai thought, painfully, that it was over.

Then, as suddenly as it started, everything was back again.

The whiplash was strong, but years of resilience made him good at hiding those things. He quietly looked around, maybe pinched his arm, making sure he was back. For real this time.

He could hear Nya behind him, telling Lloyd that she broke out because she knew it wasn't real. And she's right. She knew Jay could never forget her, and because of that she knew her vision wasn't real, just a fake scenario made to test her.

But Kai's vision was.

It was real.

His fear wasn't becoming a monster,

My brother used to glare at everything. I remember it- this eye of mine- I could see beyond my heart, that hatred he kept close; closer than he kept me.

Envy I did- that hatred. Hated it, as such, I became close to his heart, as well.

-anonymous

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