Chapter Text
Nya never suspected there might be something even remotely strange or unusual going on with her, physically or otherwise.
Until the day she, Sora, and three of their dragon friends ventured to the Pinnacle of Crystals.
That morning, their odd little group had set out from the monastery, soaring over a beautiful vast desert full of rainbow-ribboned rocks and intricate, winding chasms.
They were looking for one of the three Dragon Cores, supposedly located at the top of one of the dunes. Once the ninja had all the cores together, they’d be able to finally stabilize the Merged Lands and hopefully stop the universe from self-destructing.
Unfortunately, Nya and Sora’s desert search hadn’t led them to the core, but instead to two spectral beings who attacked them and chased them across the desert.
The heroes had fled together and stopped at a nearby cave in hopes of hiding from the mysterious spirits.
And that’s when they learned that, apparently, they weren’t the only sentient creatures out in this desert.
…
As soon as Nya heard the booming voice in the cave refer to itself as ‘Arrakore The Djinn’ she immediately got ready to protect Sora, trying not to show the anxious shuddering her body had suddenly started doing as she recalled the first and only Djinn she had ever encountered before.
But, luckily for them, it turned out…this one was a pretty chill guy.
No curses, no twisted wishes, no forced marriages.
Just a sad, pathetic, mildly depressed four-armed man.
Huh. Alright.
Nya still couldn’t completely let go of her anxiety about Arrakore, however. Perhaps it was those nerves that made her stomach start squirming.
Though it could have also been the rank smell of Arrakore’s old laundry pile, or the way Jiro jostled her when he flew, or a million other factors.
But, for whatever reason it was, while they talked with the last djinn, Nya suddenly found she did not feel well at all. As she listened to Arrakore tiredly explain why he hadn’t hung up any pictures in his cave or completed a puppy puzzle, her stomach started doing flips. A weird, acidic feeling crept up in her throat and down into her gut.
And the feeling only exacerbated as Arrakore worriedly explained all about the Howlers and how Nya had just cursed them all eternally from her misuse of Seeker Stones.
Upon hearing this, Sora groaned. “Didn't I tell you I was a black cloud, Nya?”
The two both felt a sudden warmth on their right hand. Sora held up the mysterious pentagram-like symbol on her glove, which was now glowing quite brightly. “This can't be good, right?” She guessed.
“Hmm,” Nya hummed under her breath as she dug the largest Seeker Stone out of its little pouch and a glowing eye suddenly appeared on it. Her stomach did its biggest flip yet.
“What is the weird eye for? Do you know what that means?” Sora inquired, glancing back up at Arrakore.
“It means they've found us.” Arrakore informed them in his low, growling voice.
There was a sudden screeching sound from down the hallway.
Nya drew her weapon and prepared to fight, trying her hardest to ignore the way the news just made her feel worse. Honestly, she should have guessed that ancient Djinnjagan artifacts would come with some sort of horrific fine-print curse if misused. Now, Nya knew she had brought this curse upon them all because of her foolishness. Upon a child and a baby dragon.
As soon as she thought this, the Howlers appeared, heading straight for her, Riyu and Sora. Arrakore (the coward) immediately ducked behind a large boulder near one of the cave walls. “If they ask, I'm not here!”
Sora sighed in frustration, but still launched forward into action. Nya usually would have joined her, but her stomach was doing so many flips and twists it was taking her totally off guard. She stood there, as if frozen, barely registering Arrakore suggesting they all just quit or a Howler picking up Sora and hurling her backwards into Arrakore’s couch.
“Nya, come on, you gotta help me fight these guys!” Sora called out as she landed, then stopped as she saw the surprisingly blank look on the other ninja’s face. “Nya…?”
Nya was about to answer her and assure her she’d be right there, but covered her mouth in shock right as she opened it to speak. That horrible acidic feeling had just reached an all-time high, and-
… I think I’m gonna be sick,” she managed to gasp, before turning and running down the hall.
“Bathroom’s just back there,” Arrakore lazily pointed, peeking out from his cowardly hiding place behind the rock, “-but be warned; I haven’t cleaned that in like five years, either-”
The horrible sound of retching and vomiting came from down the hall before the djinn even finished his sentence. Both Sora and Arrakore cringed. The sound went on for several continuous seconds.
“Geez, does she get dragon-airsick or something??” Arrakore asked as the disgusting sound reverberated through his cave, mingling with the Howlers’ unholy screeches and the sounds of the fighting.
“No. Well, maybe?” Sora deliberated out loud while trying to fight off both Howlers at the same time, “I mean, I haven’t known her that long. Woah!”
One of the Howlers successfully tripped her and she landed on her back on the stone, wincing.
Yeah, she was definitely going to be feeling that in the morning.
If they even made it til morning.
Zanth roared at Arrakore and he glanced over at her. “How?” He replied, “Haven’t I made it more than clear that I am powerless??”
“No one is ever powerless!” Sora gasped, dodging a swift attack from each Howler in quick succession. “Come on, Arrakore! With Nya out of commission, I’m all alone out here! You’ve got to at least try!”
“…”
…
Far away, in the Land of Madness, in a grey stately building, a young man named Jay Walker sat working at his cubicle, which was identical to everyone else’s. He looked at the work on his desk, pausing and frowning. “Why do I feel like I’m forgetting something really important right now…”
He mulled it over in his head. There was definitely something. But what was it…
“Oh!” He realized, smacking himself in the head. “I only copied these forms out twice. How could I forget something as important as triplicate?”
He shook his head as if to clear out dust as he began to type out the forms for a third time. “Heh. Yeah. Man, it’s definitely a Monday. Get it together, Agent Walker…”