Hey guys! As requested, here is the sequel to Embers! I really hope you like it! Enjoy!

Jay~

Everything hurts. Not the 'Oh shit, I stubbed my toe on the table' hurt. The 'OH SHIT I JUST GOT WHACKED BY A MALLOT, THROWN IN A PIT OF SNAKES, GOT MOLTEN LAVA POURED ON MY HEAD, AND WAS FORCED TO EAT COLE'S COOKING.' Kind of hurt. The constant drone of machines is the only semi-relaxing thing down here. The guards think it's their personal problem if we (meaning the other powerless contestants and I) aren't in constant pain.

The room is packed with workers, be it guards, paid factory workers, or prisoners. My hands are killing me inside these annoying plastic gloves, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I am actually sick of noodles.

"Hey! Why are you slacking?" A voice booms, and I involuntarily flinch, but continue in my work, since there's a possibility that he wasn't talking to me. I hear heavy thumping footsteps behind me, and I break out in a nervous sweat. I can feel the guard's hot breath on my bruised neck. "I asked you a question, Zappy." Zappy. Wow.

"I-I'm sorry, s-sir..." I stutter, my hands fumbling with the noodles on the conveyor belt.

Whack! I cry out as an earth shattering pain hits my back. The guard's whip bites in, surely giving me yet another scar. Maybe it'll blend in with the one from my powers. Heh. The power of optimism, am I right?

"Now double time. Chen's having a feast tonight for the remaining contestants." He says, before smacking the back of my head and walking off.

"Ow." I whisper to myself. The sting is still there, and I'm sure that if I didn't have a shirt on, it would've been much worse. I hear more footsteps behind me, and I tense up, ready for another scolding.

"Calm down, it's only Karloff." The man with a thick Russian accent says. I do relax, as he's someone down here that I actually consider a friend.

"Hey, man. They're really coming down on us today." I say, and add in a humorless laugh.

"No kidding. Got some blood coming through your shirt again." He says.

"Yeah, but... it could always be worse..." I say. He shakes his head, with a small smile on his thin lips.

"You an your optimism." He says. I let out a breathy laugh. It's good that the guards let us talk if we're still working side by side. "Okay, I don't understand how you do it." He says, suddenly.

"Do what?"

"Handle it! I mean, the guards pick on you the most! You're the smallest guy down here, you're always optimistic, and..." He trails off. "A-and you're... you know..."

"Gay?" I finish for him. He nods his head, and plays with the cardboard noodle holders.

I smile at the mention. It reminds me of Cole. I haven't once regretted what I did, be it the sacrifice, or the kiss. He's the reason I'm so optimistic. I know that he would never leave me or Kai behind. Although Kai did escape... seeing him through the window of those cursed doors actually gave me a huge boost.

It's possible to escape.

If he did it, I can too.

I just hate those doors, though. I look over at them now, as a group of guards walk out of them, laughing and playing around. THEY aren't stripped of power. THEY don't have shackles at their feet. THEY don't get a whipping for taking a moment's rest. Yet, they're the ones who get to leave through those metal doors. It just doesn't seem fair.

"Hey" Karloff says, knocking me out of my daymare. "Make noodles, not trouble." He says, returning to his work, and I follow his lead. That's been his aesthetic since I came down here.

"Karloff, you truly are a saint." I say, sarcastically.

"Quite a ray of sunshine, you are. I can see why the earth bender likes you." He says, smirking. I feel my face heat up.

"W-What?" I stutter, taking a quick look around to see if any guards are looking. When I'm satisfied that none are, I take a second to stretch out my arms and crack my knuckles.

"Some of the other workers-" I love how he says 'workers' and not 'prisoners'. "were talking about how you and him kissed during your fight, and you sacrificed yourself. Jacob said he could almost see what was happening... heh. Poor dude." Karloff explains, folding a carton.

"Y-Yeah... I couldn't let Cole get taken..." I say.

"Ahh, so his name's Cole. Very fitting for a man with such dark hair." He chuckles.

"It's perfect, just like him." I say, dreamily.

"What got you two so close.. if you don't mind Karloff asking." He asks, trying to be nonchalant, but I can tell he's eager to learn. I flex my fingers in the sweaty gloves before complying.

"When we first were found by our Sensei, it was just us for a while. Earth and Lightning. Of course, we didn't know we were elemental until the night Kai came along..." I start, smiling at the memory. Kai was actually a decent fighter for someone with no training.

"Karloff doesn't remember anyone named Kai in the tournament. Did he not compete?" Karloff wonders aloud.

"Well..." I clear my throat. "Kai is the entire reason we came. He sacrificed himself to save Ninjago from the Overlord, and we got a note saying that he was alive, and we could only get him back by attending this tournament. So, here we are." I scratch the back of my neck, my nails dulled by the plastic.

"What was... is his element?" He asks.

"Fire. He was quite the hothead." I laugh slightly at yet another of my corny jokes.

"Okay, anyway, continue on about you and Cole." He says, ushering me on.

"Okay, okay. Give me a sec to get my ginger brain working again... yeah. Okay, so, we were alone for about a month, and then Zane came along. A month was all we needed, though, to become best friends. And we stayed that way, until..." My mood darkens.

"Until..." He repeats my final word. I exhale loudly.

"I used to be into girls, and Kai's sister, Nya, was my girlfriend. I was crazy about her until I found my true potential, but then, I realized that I didn't love her anymore. That didn't stop me from keeping her, though. Then, some stupid love machine told her that Cole was her perfect match, and she went all gaga over him, which he just went with. Then I got mad, and he got mad... and we had a rivalry. That rivalry was the worst thing to happen to me. I lost my best friend for those months, and it was still going during the tournament. When we had to fight... I tried in the beginning... but then he said he didn't want to fight, and I..." I don't realize that I'm crying until Karloff puts his hand on my shoulder. I wipe my eyes, and continue. "I-I tried to push him away. But he wouldn't let me. And that was the moment I realized that I was in love with him. When the floor was dropping out, and it was either him or me, I knew what I had to do. I told him that I loved him, kissed him, and jumped. And I don't regret it. Not for a second." I smile and sniffle.

"What are you two doing! If I catch you slacking again..." A guard threatens, and we both quickly get back to work. I hadn't realized that we stopped.

"You'll see him again, Jay." Karloff says softly. I look to the door, which is just shutting after some guards walking in.

"Yeah... I will."

Hope you enjoyed! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter.I feel like I kept Jay in character! PEACE AND PIZZA MY LITTLE ALLIGATORS!