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Everytime you leave you leave forever

And when you come back it’s ephemeral

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Stay by family_staralternate_emailbrutus

posted last year, edited last year

From August 2024

ephemeral poem poetry witheredpoems writing

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Princess ApartmentKhrushchevka royalty, apartment-bred The stump in the courtyard houses a fairy There’s a hollowed out brick with a spider scary Shadowed by a hollow box, of princess apartment Concrete Rumanov, will you rot in the forest or in a Cementery? a house elf left a print in the cement, now the path has the hole of a coin sized hoof Leave a leaf under your pillow, four more if you’re behind on payment, Gnomes tend to be forgiving debtors Spriggans shouldn’t be landlords They burst the bubble in ‘08 Blamed it on that NFT monkey

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How Not to Summon a Demon“I’m sorry for summoning you but please just go back to Hell! I’m too damn tired to deal with this.” Verity sobbed, bracing herself against the wall and sliding down to sit on the cold hard tile. The kitchen was splattered with bits of red tomato innards as it dripped down the ceiling and from the walls to the once pristine alabaster floor. Smoke curled up from an abandoned pan as it drifted towards the mysterious stranger sitting atop Verity’s countertop island who simply had their arms crossed, tapping a claw impatiently. “Look here little mortal.” He sighed in a husky otherworldly voice, “I am Amnevar, a vassal to the Vice Invidia and you, by some fatuus method, have summoned me. So tell me what it is you desire.” Verity ran a hand through her coppery hair, which had long since fallen out of the makeshift bun she tied it into, and wheezed out several rushed breaths.“I was just trying to make pasta and study Spanish, not summon a demon.” She mumbled, possibly to herself, wiping away the tears that flooded down her cheeks and onto her messy, pastel blue overalls… Amnevar raised an eyebrow and with an ashy black hand brushed the pages of the two open books resting beside the smoking pot of evaporated pasta water; the smell of burnt starch lingering in the air. He glared at the cookbook Verity used for reference in dissatisfaction, wrinkling his nose at the splatters of tomato that stained the pages and pushed the book aside. Then he turned to the Spanish notes Verity was studying which could hardly be called a book as it was several pages crudely stung together with a mish-mash of yarn and plastic ties. His claws ran through the pages of scribed writing and paused before turning back to Verity, his ashy face twisted in annoyance as he bared his fangs into a twitching smile. “This ‘book’ is on ancient Demonica.” He explained, slowly at first as a claw pierced the page he pointed to, “You didn’t summon me through maledictum coctione modi ! You read a passage in Latin about demon summoning you stulta puella !” “How was I supposed to know?!” Verity snapped back, “I haven’t slept in days because of midterms! I’m here on scholarships and I can’t afford to fail another class! The blood was from when I accidently cut myself, and those notes were from Quinn— Oh… Oh no…” Verity face-palmed herself as realization hit her letting her hands slide down to cover her face burning red in embarrassment, “Those weren’t Spanish notes… That was Quinn’s Theology thesis… on Demonica.'' Amnevar moved closer towards Verity, stretching out a hand to her when suddenly the blushing hue on her weary face shifted to a burning anger.“Quinn, that bloody bastard!” She spat, pushing past the demon and grabbing the punctured and crumpled notes, “They were supposed to give me their Spanish notes not their stupid Theology thesis on demons! I said I would edit it this weekend since the test was tomorrow! Now what am I supposed to do!?” Amnevar watched this odd human girl tear the notes apart from their crude bindings, throw her hands in the air, and slide down the counter until she landed on the floor, covering her eyes and completely forgetting about his presence much to his shock and annoyance. Sighing, the demon strided forward until he stood right in front of Verity, crouched, and then grabbed the mortal girl by the cheeks to examine her. Tears dripped down her hazel eyes, which held dark shadows beneath them, down past her tawny beige cheeks smeared in hints of smoke and tomato bits. All around her was this heavy layer of floral perfume which eventually caused Amenvar to step back in disgust. “What the–?” Verity gasped, struggling at first to escape the demon’s grip but giving up soon after as more tears streamed down. “Do they torture you mortal? You’re nothing but skin and bones, you reek horribly, and you seem close to death by exhaustion.” Amnevar hissed in dissatisfaction. “Shut up.” Verity hiccuped, trying to swat the demon spawn away, “Just go back to Hell and leave me alone to clean up this mess.” Amnevar scowled before asking, “What is it you desire most mortal?” Verity looked up, finally meeting the golden slitted eyes of Amnevar and felt compelled to answer. “I want to sleep. I want to pass my exams. I want to make my parents proud and prove to them that I’m not the leftovers of my twin. I want to do something I love rather than what everyone expects from me.” She whispers, her heart feeling heavy in a veil of untouched pain. Green wisps of smoke snaked around the two with every word spoken, coming forth from every tear and every breath Verity gave before lingering near Amnevar. “What if I could give you all those things and more? I am the vassal of Invidia and you are drenched in envy. It drips from you like honey from a hive.” He smiled sweetly, his voice deep and filled with promises. Verity stumbled upward, bracing herself for just a second onto Amnevar's firm muscular body and feeling the sharp edge of his tail as it swayed side to side like a cat’s. Pushing off from him she fumbled towards the other room in search of something. Amnevar followed after her expectly, smirking mischievously until Verity finally reached a bookshelf staring at the contents. The tendrils of smoke slithered around various items which Verity herself stared at. A picture frame holding the only picture of her family with her in it, several books on writing and poetry and finally several old cast off journals sitting sadly in the corner, each with worn out labels and words Verity could never say out loud. “So what will it be mortal?” Amnevar cooed seductively. “Let me guess… the price of what you offer is my soul, right?” Verity sighed, her eyes barely keeping themselves open as she leaned on the bookshelf. Amnevar smiled, showcasing his sharpened canines. The ash-skinned demon with an arrow tipped tail, pointed black horns, and short ebony curls just smiled at Verity as exhaustion began to win her over. “Why don’t we try a different form of payment, Little Verity?” He offered as sleep took over the mortal. xxxxxXxxxxx Verity woke up the next morning feeling oddly refreshed. The heaviness clouding her head and chest was gone, her shoulders felt lighter and her mind clearer. She also no longer smelled the bitterness of smoke but rather the air was filled with the crisp scent of bacon and toast. Wait– Something was missing or should she say wrong… Leaping out of bed, from which Verity couldn’t remember getting into, she dashed to the kitchen and found the cause of that delicious breakfast smell. The kitchen was clean of tomato sauce and smoke and instead the sound of sizzling meat and potatoes took its place. Flipping pancakes onto a plate was the demon from yesterday, the one Verity thought was from some fever dream, wearing a pink heart apron Verity thought she threw out long ago. “Y–You! You’re real!” She exclaimed, rubbing her eyes and slowly walking closer. “Of course I’m real, we made a deal yesterday.” He nonchalantly replied, cracking an egg onto a separate skillet. “And, you’re making breakfast?” “You really don’t remember anything, do you Verity?” Amnevar asked, surprising Verity with the use of her name. “No, why don’t you remind me?” She cautiously asked, feeling like someone with a hangover but knowing she never touched a single glass of alcohol. Amnevar sighed, twitching his tail in annoyance as he prepared a plate of pancakes, bacon, egg, and potatoes and set it across the kitchen island, “Eat first and I’ll give you an abridged version.” Verity slowly approached the plate of food, its delicious smell tempting her closer and closer as her stomach screamed for food. Sitting on one of the stools she picked up a fork and stuffed a piece of fluffy pancake drizzled with sweet syrup and melted butter into her mouth, almost crying in joy. “Long story short,” Amnevar began, watching Verity eat with an odd level of satisfaction, “You summoned me by some fatuus method and we made a deal. That deal being I help you with all your problems, the ones that make you envious of others. In exchange, I feed off of those feelings of envy you have. I don’t want your soul.” And then under his breath the demon mumbled, “You’re far too… intriguing for me to simply take your soul…” “WaitIhaveaquestion!” Verity interrupted, mumbling through a mouthful of bacon and potatoes before swallowing it down, “How do you feed? I vaguely remember you hovering over me while I slept and I’m getting concerned–” The demon grit his teeth and gave a twitching smile, showing hints of fangs and restrained anger, “I’m nothing like those Concubi of Luxuria so I won’t lay a hand on you. Think if it like, what’s the human word for it? Therapy.” “Therapy?” Verity echoed skeptically, wiping away syrup from her mouth with a napkin. “Yes, you tell me of the things that make you envious and I absorb those feelings.” Amnevar explained, grabbing the now empty breakfast plate and placing it in the sink, before conjuring a crystalline green apple. “It’s my version of energy, food, and it’s what allows me to stay on the Mortal Plane of Existence.” He smiled toothily before taking a bite of the odd apple, “This is what I gathered from our little session last night.” Verity twiddled with her thumbs, deep in thought as she processed this information. In the meantime, Amnevar simply snapped his fingers, conjuring the dirty dishes clean and making the pink apron disappear. Then proceeding to stare at Verity with golden eyes as if waiting for her next move, fiddling with the jade apple that oozed black ichor from his first bite. “Alright…” She breathed in a slow exhale, “ I’m still not sure of this whole bargain but, let’s try it out.” Amnevar smiled, almost happily, at Verity’s response as ethereal magic filled the room. And officially sealed the promise between girl and demon.

[A.Teatime.Tradition.For.Two.][Dark Sun: PoE: A Tea Time Tradition For Two] [[Written by @Cheerful-SixEars ]] Within the serene, bamboo structured hut within the mystical and cozy forest seemingly well hidden so perfectly from any commoner’s knowledge, Papillon and his brother Devin-Jiang were bustling and setting up for a nice evening of warm tea and relaxing meditation. It was their day of birth, so to say. The day that most mortals consider and represent as 'Christmas' a winter holiday for sure, but not for them. It was their day to celebrate themselves and their bond.They spent the weeks prior, whenever manageable, collecting the needed herbs, fruits, and leaves for specific spiced blends that they commonly enjoyed, year round, whenever the ingredients were in season. They were nipped by cold and overcome with the want to sleep the frigid days into the blooming spring’s breeze and summer’s warmest rays. The frost nipped at their toes and the tips of their tails, but they worked hard to meet this yearly end goal as to celebrate it together, in cherished unison.They worked overtime and extra hard to collect the glossy jade green Jasmine tea leaves that they so earnestly loved. As the water worked up to a whistling, steaming boil in their favorite floral tea kettle, Papillon worked to drag their comfiest cushions out onto the small front porch balcony. It was perfect in size for the two of them to perch on. While Papillon worked to situate their seating, Devin lit a few spiced peach scented incense cones in a burner that was shaped very similarly to the infamously adored Monkey King. They were Devin’s favorites, and Papillon grinned with genuine amusement from Devin’s excited chortles and chittering as a result of Pap’s agreement to settle on that scent for the evening.The piercing whistle of the kettle was alarm enough to raise both their ears to sudden alertness and excitement. Devin’s mouth was momentarily agape as he glanced over to Papillon, who’s excitement was more of a gentle gaze of amusement. He nodded in a gesture to Devin to go and fetch the kettle so they could steep their tea to blissfully sweet, aromatic perfection.With the momentary time that Devin fetched the kettle and Papillon arranged the furniture and swept the balcony to perfection, they both pulled well-concealed trinkets from their fur to exchange with each other. Papillon smiled very warmly at a golden ring with a sunburst-chiseled pattern while the ring’s arches were structured like that of Sun Wukong’s historical crown upon his cocky brow. Devin had unraveled a small pendant in the shape of a crescent moon attached on the end of a reddish leather band.When Devin hobbled outside onto the balcony with the teapot in paw, they poured the heated water into their mugs and huddled closely to each other’s snow-kissed fur coats. They exchanged their gifts with the most childish giggles and amused, gentle smiles. Their eyes expressed the most gleaming allure and their hearts swelled with the wondrous feelings of safety and familial admiration for the other. They giggled and with jovial appreciation they hugged each other with the utmost gentility in their hearts.They flavored their steeped and steamy tea and chatted about golden memories and the promised hopeful dreams that they aspired to achieve and reach together. They laughed and smiled so wide at each other’s jokes and jovial comments about some of the silliest moments. Their harmonious connection was something only few ever experienced in life. They always were the happiest amongst each other. They thrived and shone the brightest for reaching such a peaceful and simple time in their once prior, tumultuous lives.They spent hours sipping their tea and eating the few snacks they baked and prepped for the golden evening. They admired the sun’s retreat and mother moon’s rising entrance to high view. They hummed in unison as a gentle breeze caressed their muzzles and snow-powdered cheek furs. Devin trembled and Papillon scoffed as the pulled a blanket up over themselves, cuddling close together, almost falling into a relaxed nap.They soon closed their heavy little eyes and fell into a gentle slumber, blissfully relishing in the gentle, warmest glow within their swelled, ever-grateful hearts. The simplest of enjoyments bring the biggest joys for the humbled little simians. They would cherish the very day, any time it was spent with each other, as long as they endured it and celebrated their lives together.…End…

GriefI rememberChildish doodles of wolves in classTracing dragons and carving stampsA childhood unburdenedBy the world I rememberNotebooks full of daydreamsThings to hide from parentsNotes passed in class and games on the playgroundA mind brightWith inspiration and promise I rememberA child faster than any otherCatching lizardsRunning laps and playing tagA body unbrokenBy time

Heart of the Storm - Chapter 1 - Ninjago Fanfic“NINJAAAAAGOOOOO!” A little kid dressed as Lloyd went running down the Ninjago Convention Center hallway, swinging his plastic sword over his head. “Watch this, mom!” The kid threw down his sword and attempted to do a flip, but tumbled into the oncoming traffic of people walking around him. Before he could be trampled, a hand grabbed him off of the carpet. The kid got into a fighting stance, preparing to take on the stranger that grabbed him, but stopped when he met the eyes of his savior. Standing before him was the real Lloyd, dressed in casual clothing with a backpack slung over his shoulder. Lloyd offered the kid a friendly smile, then turned and continued down the convention hall, hoping he didn’t call too much attention to himself just then. The ninja had promised Lloyd he could have the day off, with it being his birthday and all, and he decided to spend it at the Ninjago Comic Con. He’d purchased some art pieces inspired by some games he played and ate a little too much junk food, but he didn’t care. To him, this was the life. And now here he was, on his way to meet his favorite actor, Cliff Gordon, star of the Starfarer series. He happened to be signing autographs and Lloyd just got the latest issue of the Starfarer comic, so it couldn’t have been more perfect. Navigating the convention center was a bit harder than Lloyd had anticipated. If it hadn’t been for the “Ninja Cosplay Contest”, there wouldn’t have been an issue. But he was utterly surrounded by people dressed up as himself and his teammates. If even one person recognized him, he’d be swarmed immediately. Any other day, he wouldn’t have minded, but not today. So Lloyd wore a basic hoodie, sweatpants, and a hat to try to blend in as much as possible. Shockingly, he’d be blended in just as much if he truly showed up in his armor. Somehow, he was able to make it all the way to Cliff Gordon’s line without being recognized or stopped. He excitedly took his backpack off his shoulder to retrieve his comic book. Once the zipper was opened, he cringed seeing his suit in the bag as well. Kai insisted Lloyd take it “just in case”, but it annoyed him to no end. Just give me one damn day. He rolled his eyes and slid his comic book out, zipping his bag up before anyone saw his gi. He slid the comic out of its plastic sleeve and excitedly shifted, unable to hold still. As Lloyd got closer and closer to the front of the line, he could hear Cliff’s laugh as he interacted with everyone. Lloyd had no idea how he so effortlessly spoke with his fans. Whenever Lloyd got recognized in public, it’d be followed by an awkward exchange or pure panic. But Cliff seemed so genuinely happy to interact with those around him. Once it was Lloyd’s turn, he stepped forward, comic book in hand and smile on his face. He gentle placed it on the table as Cliff greeted him. “Hey there, son! Having a good con day?” Despite hearing him interact with every single person in front of him, Lloyd was still caught off guard by Cliff speaking to him. “O-oh! Uh, yeah I guess so.” “Are you here for the Ninja cosplay contest? That seems to be a highlight for a bunch of people I’ve met so far.” “No. Uh, no sir.” Cliff looked up at Lloyd. “Are you okay?” Lloyd nodded. “Yeah, just not mentally prepared for the chat, I guess. Sorry.” Cliff gave a knowing look. “Don’t worry, I understand. So just an autograph today?” Lloyd nodded. “Okay! Who am I making this out to?” Lloyd thought for a second. “Just a fan.” Cliff gave a weird look. “Just a fan?” “Yeah. You’re my hero, but I don’t feel comfortable having my name on it.” Cliff looked at Lloyd then, as if noticing him for the first time, slowly nodded. “I see. Okay! But no peeking!” He slid Lloyd’s comic book closer to him and covered it with his hand as he wrote. When he finished, he handed it back to Lloyd with a smile. “You have no idea what an honor this is.” Lloyd gave him a puzzled look, then looked at what Cliff wrote: You’re my hero! Keep fighting and remember that fear isn’t a word where we come from! ~Cliff Gordon Lloyd marveled at the comic. “Wow, thank you Mr. Gordon!” Cliff shook his head. “Please, just Gordon is fine.” “Well, thank you, Gordon.” “This world needs more heroes like you.” And with a wink, he welcomed the next person in line up to his table. Lloyd held it close to his chest and smiled. This was one of the few times he didn’t mind being recognized. But before he could fully process the autograph, he ran straight into someone and tripped. He tried to stabilize himself as he went down, but it ended with him pulling the person he tripped over down with him. He spun them to make sure he fell first and that they landed on him, knocking the wind right out of him. Lloyd groaned as the person he tripped over yelled. “Dude, what the hell is wrong with you?!” He looked at the person on top of him and found it was a young woman in full cosplay. She looked like some kind of fox with a bunch of tails and red accents. She panicked for a second. “Where’s my comic?!” In the ruckus, Lloyd hadn’t even noticed he’d dropped his comic. Just to his left were two identical comics. The woman followed his eyes and scoffed, grabbing one of the comics. “Watch where you’re going next time,” she complained. “I’m truly sorry. I just got an autograph and-” “So did I, but you don't see me bumping into people.” She stood up and brushed off her outfit. “Just…watch where you’re going next time.” And with that, she stormed off. Lloyd grabbed the other comic and scrambled back to his feet. He looked at it and smiled, wanting to read it one last time before putting it away, but his heart sank and he read the autograph: For justice! For freedom! FOR THE STARS! ~Cliff Gordon The girl had grabbed the wrong comic book and wandered off into the sea of people in the convention hall. Lloyd began weaving in and out of the crowd to try to find the girl, but was having no luck at all. If only he had Zane here to help him scan the crowd for her. As Lloyd continued his search, he stepped into one of the exhibit halls to scan the crowd sitting at a panel that just started. Lloyd almost kept walking, but stopped when he noticed the odd amount of discolored fog floating around the stage. Lloyd's initial thought was that it was smoke from a fire, but this was different. It was almost purely black and almost looked…wet? And then, the screaming started. Lloyd flinched when the first blood-curdling scream happened, but as the fog cloud began to touch more people, more began to scream. It wasn’t your usual screams, though. These were screams of pure terror - the kind of screams that haunt your nightmares after you hear them. The screams rippled through the crowd, affecting everyone the cloud touched. Lloyd groaned and ran out of the hall and towards the nearest bathroom. Lloyd pushed past the line that had formed and stopped a man from going into the only available stall. He grabbed the man by his shirt collar and yanked him back. “Sorry, official ninja business!” Lloyd yelled as he locked the stall behind him. The man began hollering obscenities, but Lloyd paid him no attention, his mind focused on changing his clothes faster than he ever had before. Lloyd ripped his armored gi out of his backpack, the metal clinking against the ground and stall walls, making a sharp, piercing, metallic sound. He cringed at the noise, but continued on, sliding his arms into the robe and adjusting his shoulder armor to sit perfectly in its place. He tightened his belt and shoved his pant legs into his boots before lacing them up. Lloyd felt that though he was ready in record time, it wasn’t fast enough. He stuffed his street clothes into his bag, slung it back over his shoulder, then kicked the stall door open, nailing the still yelling man in the face. The man opened his mouth to continue yelling, but stopped and stared in awe when he saw the Green Ninja standing before him. In fact, everyone in the bathroom froze and parted themselves, giving Lloyd a clear path out. With a thankful nod, Lloyd made his way out of the bathroom, green specs of energy flickering around his fingertips. When he stepped out of the bathroom, he noticed that the fog was now spilling into the main hall. Most people were running from it, but the few that were touching the fog were frozen in place with blank expressions. Whenever the fog touched a new person, they’d scream, then freeze. Lloyd pressed his fingers to his ear, activating the earpiece Zane made all the ninja wear 24/7. For the first time in a while, he was thankful to have a direct communication line to his team. “Hey, anyone listening?” Lloyd asked, raising his voice to make sure he was heard over the chaos. “Hey, Greenie!” Kai’s voice boomed. “Enjoying the con?” Cole asked. Lloyd took a few steps back, the fog starting to get too close for comfort. “We’ve got a situation here-” “Too many people line up for your autograph?” Jay teased. “YOU’RE GIVING AUTOGRAPHS?!” Kai shouted. “I KNEW I should’ve come too!” “I don’t see how your assistance would modify anything,” Zane chimed in. “Um, people LOVE ME? If I was there, everyone would be lined up!” Kai argued. “GUYS!” Lloyd shouted. “How fast can you guys get here? I need your assistance. There’s a weird fog thing that’s making people scream and then freeze in place.” Kai groaned. “Dude, if you just wanted a ride, you could’ve asked.” “Kai! I’m being serious!” Lloyd groaned. “So am I!” Kai responded. “You don’t need to-” Kai was cut off, followed by a pained yelp. "Why'd you punch me?" “Ignore him, Lloyd,” Nya assured. “We will get there ASAP! Just hang tight!” Lloyd looked around and tried to identify where he could help. He had no clue how to stop the fog, but he knew he could help save anyone who hadn't been inflicted with fear yet. The first thing he noticed was that people were struggling to funnel out of the few exit doors there were. If Lloyd didn’t act fast, it was only a matter of time that someone would get crushed to death against the lock glass doors. Lloyd took a deep breath, surrounding himself in a green aura, lifting him up into the air. He glided towards the exit and yelled for everyone to stand back and brace themselves. He pointed his hands towards the row of closed glass doors and focused his energy, firing off a blast that shattered the glass, giving more people a way out. Everyone in the main hall began flooding out even quicker than before. Lloyd then changed his focus towards the black fog. He landed behind the crowd of people exiting and held his arms up, forming a thin shield, blocking the fog from spreading. Looking at the fog against his shield, Lloyd noticed it was leaving little black streaks as it moved. And could he hear … a heartbeat … coming from it? “BROTHER!” A woman yelled from behind Lloyd. He turned around and found it was the fox woman from earlier, violently crying, pointing beyond Lloyd’s shield. “MY BROTHER IS OUT THERE! PLEASE SAVE HIM!” “I promise you, I will do my best, but I need to make sure everyone else makes it out first!” The woman shook her head. “HE’S STUCK OUT THERE!” “I know, ma’am, but I need to help the others first!” The woman pulled at Lloyd’s right arm. “PLEASE HELP HIM!” “STOP! I need you to-” “DO SOMETHING!” Lloyd could feel his focus begin to wane, his shield flickering, as the woman continued pulling at him. “MA’AM I NEED YOU TO STOP!” And with one final tug, Lloyd was completely thrown off, knocking his shield down. The fog swarmed around his feet. He tried to run away, but it swarmed up his body, blocking him from being able to see. He tried blinking quickly, but there was nothing but darkness. “Lloyd?” A voice whispered in his ear. Lloyd turned his head to the voice, but still, saw nothing. “HELLO?” he yelled out. “ANYONE THERE?!” “You know you can’t save them,” the voice whispered. “Just like you couldn’t save me.” “What? I- Who are you?” He felt a chill run down his spine. “It’s me Lloyd.” “I-I can’t see you! Where are you?” “I’m right here!” The voice called back, full of desperation. Lloyd turned around, walking in the direction the voice was leading him. “I can’t see anything!” Lloyd yelled out, holding his arms out in front of him so he wouldn’t run into anything or anyone. “Just tell me where you are and I can help you!” “I’m right here, Lloyd!” Lloyd felt something tight wrap around his throat as the voice hissed, “RIGHT. HERE.” The sudden pressure sent him into a panic. Lloyd fell to his knees and clawed at his neck, trying to get whatever was around him off, but there was nothing there. Instead, his nails dug into his own neck. Lloyd tried to breathe, but couldn’t, no matter how hard he tried. He fell to the floor, growing weaker and weaker as seconds passed. Lloyd wanted to scream out for help, but only strained, quiet cries came from his mouth. Then, the ground beneath Lloyd began to shake, filling him with a sense of peace. A large pillar of stone grew from under him, raising Lloyd above the fog. Once he was out, he could see the world around him. More importantly, he could finally breathe. He pushed himself up as he coughed hard, trying to refill his lungs with air. Without even having to look up, Lloyd shouted, “Thanks, Cole!” He looked around and saw that every single person who had been caught in the fog had been lifted to safety by their own pillar. And, in the middle of them was the Master of Earth, standing on the tallest pillar of all. Upon healing his name, Cole turned around, spotting Lloyd. He waved and pointed to the end of the expo hall where Nya was using water to flood the hall, Zane following close behind her, freezing it as she went. The water mixed with the fog and the ice held it all in place, stopping the spread. And in the areas where the fog hadn’t been contained yet, Kai and Jay were holding the line, using their respective powers to keep the fog back. By the time Lloyd caught his breath, the team had finished the job, leaving the hall covered in a thick sheet of ice. Cole jumped from pillar to pillar until he made it to Lloyd, offering out a hand to help his friend up. “Hey! Are you okay? Sorry we didn’t get here sooner.” Lloyd offered a friendly smile. “You got here just in time. Thanks for saving me back there.” “Don’t mention it, Short Stack!” Cole started to leave, but he stopped when he noticed Lloyd’s clawed neck. He craned his head down to take a better look. “Shit, the fog do this to you?” “I’m not quite sure what happened, actually,” Lloyd admitted. He reached up and held his neck, feeling small trickles of blood falling from his self-inflicted wounds. Cole wrapped an arm around him as he terraformed the side of Lloyd’s pillar into a staircase. “Don’t worry, we can talk about it more on the Bounty, okay?” Lloyd nodded as he allowed Cole to safely guide him down to the ground.