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Wu remained unconscious for the next week. Maya and Ray had to take over much of the cooking he normally did, while Krux was sent on frequent errands in town, delivering messages to be taken to the capital. He accepted the task, but anxiety pricked at him every time he went into town. Surely, with all these letters, someone would come from the capital, wouldn't they? Would he be recognized? Would Maya and Ray be discovered?

At least it gave him an excuse to see Mel more frequently.

Krux didn't tell the full story, of course, just that the friend he was staying with was hurt and recovering. "Good Lord," Mel said when Krux described the injury. "You know if he's gonna be alright?"

"He will be," Krux said. "At least, that's what his brother says."

"The brother's not giving you a hard time, is he?"

"Not particularly. He's fine with my family history, if that's what you're asking." Krux stared down at the counter. "He might be able to help me, in fact," he said, "but of course nothing can happen until this crisis is over."

Mel nodded. "Let me get you a drink. On the house; you need one."

Krux had to decline, but he stayed to talk a while longer.

Garmadon never left his brother's side. He slept on the floor next to Wu's bed, had Maya and Ray bring him his meals, and took over brewing the healing tea himself. He barely spoke other than to dismiss anyone who tried to approach him. Krux figured he was worried about his brother, which was, to him, entirely understandable.

Krux, in the meantime, began penning a letter to Master Chen.

---

"I don't like this," Ray said around dinner.

"Dear!" Maya gestured at Ling and Nya. Ray sighed and didn't continue.

Krux glanced at the children. Nya had finished most of her plate–Krux saw that plenty of seaweed was left untouched–but Ling had barely picked at her own food. Every so often, she'd glance at her parents, or her sister, only taking small bites when Maya or Ray looked in her direction. Krux shrugged and looked back at his paper.

"I'm done," Nya announced, standing up with her plate and scurrying away before anyone could comment on the seaweed. Maya shook her head.

Ling stood up, too. Ray furrowed his brow. "Is that all you're going to eat?" he asked.

Ling shook her head. "I have an announcement," she said.

Krux raised his eyes from the latest draft of his letter. Maya raised an eyebrow, but smiled. "Of course. What is it, Ling?"

"I don't–" Ling scrunched up her face. "I want a new name."

"Excuse me?" Ray said. "What's wrong with Ling? I was the one who named you, you know."

"It's not my name!" she said loudly. "It's a name, but it's not mine!"

Maya's smile faded. "What are you talking about?"

"I wanna be named Kai!"

Silence followed her proclamation. Nya peeked in from the kitchen, her eyes wide. Krux rolled up his paper and continued eating in an effort to ignore the tension in the air.

Ray buried his face in his hands. "Not this again. Maya, this is not my fault."

"Listen," Maya said gently. "You can't change your name on a whim, alright? 'Ling' has a lot of history to it, and–"

Her daughter slammed her hands on the table. "It's not mine!"

"'Kai' also has history to it," Ray said dryly, "and it's all awful."

"I want to be Kai!"

Krux finished his food and quickly made his escape.

He shut himself inside his room and took out the letter again. It was the most finished it was going to get, but Krux still hesitated. Should he really sign it as Krux, Master of Time? What if it was intercepted? He had only written that Garmadon said they had something "of interest" to talk about. Would that be enough for Chen to know he meant his twin?

He put the letter with the others and took out a fresh sheet.

As the light outside grew dim, someone knocked on his door. "Yes?" Krux asked. "Who is it?"

Maya opened the door a crack. "Have you seen Ling?" she asked. "She's gone and hidden on us, and if Nya knows where she is, she's not telling."

"Have you checked their hideout?"

"In the courtyard? Yes, she's not there."

Krux shrugged. "Well, I haven't seen her."

Maya sighed. "Let us know if you do."

She closed the door and left. Krux heard her calling Ling's name. He stared at the new letter, crumpled it up, and took the old one off the pile. He'd send it in the morning and wait for a response.

As he got ready for bed, he heard a scratching noise.

He frowned. It sounded like it came from the walls, which most likely meant there were rats again. Krux shook his head and tried to ignore it, but the noise continued. Finally, groaned and marched to the wall and kicked it hard, hoping to scare the animals away.

The yelp that came from the wall was human.

Krux paused. "Ling?" he said.

"No!" the voice said.

"What are you doing in the walls?"

"Go away!"

Krux cracked a smile. "It's my room, I'm not going anywhere."

No response. Krux listened carefully and heard a quiet sob.

He sighed. "Your mother is worried about you," he said. "Do you really want to be called Kai?"

"Yeah." He heard quiet sounds of movement inside the wall. "It's–it's my name. Ling is just some dumb thing Daddy wants me to be."

"That's not really what names are for," Krux said. "If I recall correctly, 'Ling' was your grandmother's name. What meaning does 'Kai' have?"

Silence followed his question. Krux gave her the benefit of the doubt and assumed she was giving serious thought to her answer.

"It's my name," she said. "It's… it's something I want, not something someone else wants. I know that Emperor Kai was a bad person, and he killed a lot of people, and no one liked him… but no one likes me, either."

"That's not true, plenty of people like you."

She raised her voice. "Then why can't I leave?"

"Well," Krux said, and then realized he had no rebuttal. He chose to drop it. "You know, it is true that some people change their names."

"Really?"

"Yes," Krux said. "The way it was explained to me, some people go through so many changes that their old names don't fit anymore, so they choose something else. You could say I chose my own name, even."

"You weren't always Krux?"

"No, but I have a good friend who only knows me as Sander." Krux smiled at the thought of Mel. "It's not my real name, but it's enough a name as any, isn't it?"

"I guess."

Krux put one hand on the wall. "You should get out of there," he said. "It's full of old rat droppings."

"Krux?"

"Yes?"

The child's voice was almost a whisper. "If I call you Sander, will you call me Kai?"

He couldn't help a chuckle. "I'd like it if you still called me Krux," he said, "but, if it makes you happy, I'll call you Kai, yes."

"Thanks, Krux."

"You're welcome." Krux took his hand away. "Go get some sleep, Kai."

---

Maya and Ray kept the twins in their room while the mail was delivered to Garmadon in the courtyard. "Sorry for the wait," the postman said while Garmadon frowned at the three letters. "We didn't realize you were visiting your brother. How is he, by the way?"

"He's fine," Garmadon said flatly. "Make sure any other correspondences are not delayed."

He went back inside. Krux shrugged at the mailman and followed him.

Next to Wu's bed, Garmadon read the letters in silence. "Who are they from?" Krux asked.

"Is it your business?" he snapped.

"In a sense, yes. We at least need to know if anyone from the capital is coming here."

Garmadon relaxed. "Right," he said. "Only one is from the capital, and there's nothing of concern written for you, Ray, or Maya. The others are from Master Chen and my wife."

"Your wife?"

"Yes. Her name is Misako." Garmadon picked up the last letter. A faint smile crossed his face as he read. "She's staying with her parents for now, but I hope that once the serpentine are dealt with, we can…"

He trailed off, his smile fading. Krux frowned with him. "Garmadon?"

Garmadon stood up. "Excuse me," he said, and left the room.

Krux stared after him. When a few minutes passed and he didn't come back, Krux decided to check on Wu.

Wu no longer had a fever, but his forehead was damp with sweat and cool to the touch. His chest slowly rose and fell with each breath. Krux took his hand away. Nothing he could do for him, not more than what Garmadon was already doing.

Garmadon had brought the kettle into the room. Krux took the opportunity to make tea for himself. The fire was already burning, so all he had to do was put another log on and set up the kettle. While the water boiled, he kept an eye on the door, but Garmadon didn't return. Wu didn't stir, either.

Krux turned away while the tea steeped and ran his hands over the bookshelves. If there was one good thing to come from Wu's injury, it was that the twins were too afraid to enter the room to take books in secret anymore. Remembering what Nya had told him, he looked for anything about a wind element, but gave up without much effort.

By the time he went back to the tea, it had cooled to room temperature. Krux downed it in a few large gulps and decided he didn't want to sit and watch over Wu's unconscious body. He had finally settled on a letter for Chen, so he would go down to the village and send it off.

He spotted another cup of tea as he left. Must have been Wu's healing tea. He thought nothing of it.

---

Krux kept his letter for Master Chen tucked inside his jacket, his heart pounding. He was practically lightheaded with anxiety the whole walk down the mountain, to the point where he stumbled more than once. He would send the letter, he told himself. He hadn't made any progress in finding Acronix in years–if Chen could help him, he had to take that chance.

The anxiety didn't clear when he handed the letter over. The clerk gave him an odd look. "You alright, Sander?" he said. "You don't look good."

"I'm fine," Krux said, and walked right out.

His head pounded. Krux put a hand to his forehead and felt sweat. Huh, he thought, maybe this wasn't only anxiety. Walking back to the monastery felt unbearable, so he changed directions and went to Mel's bar. Even if he didn't buy a drink, he clearly needed to rest before going home.

Mel looked up from the counter just as Krux entered. "Oh, Sander!" he said with a smile that quickly faded into concern. "Do you feel alright?"

"Not really," Krux said. "Need to sit for a bit."

He didn't make it to the counter, instead collapsing in a chair by the door. Mel rushed over to him and put a hand on his forehead. "No fever, but…" He frownd. "Did something happen?"

Krux shook his head. "Don't know," he managed to say. "Might be sick, or… or…"

The room spun. Krux realized he was about to pass out. He opened his mouth to warn Mel, but couldn't get the words out before he slumped into his arms.

---

He woke up with his head pounding. Krux blinked his eyes open, staring at the wooden ceiling. He could hardly see, his vision clearing too slowly for his liking.

"You're awake," someone said.

Krux tried to move. Someone gently put an arm around his shoulders and helped him the rest of the way. He squinted at them. "Sable?" he said, his throat hoarse. "Why are you…"

"Owed Mel a favor," she said. "Drink this."

She handed him a cup of something thick and odd-smelling. Krux wrinkled his nose. "Why should I?" he said.

"Because you were poisoned and this is the antidote."

"I was what?"

His head pounded, and his hands shook. Krux had no reason to think Sable would lie to him, but what she said was impossible to believe. How could he have been poisoned? Maya had prepared breakfast that morning, and all of them ate it. Not only could it surely not have been intentional, but one of the others would've been sick, too. He would have to check when he got back to the monastery.

"You want me to get Mel? He's been worried about you."

Krux snapped himself awake. "Yes," he said. "I need to apologize for causing him trouble."

"Oh, you're fine," Sable said. "You've been friends for half a decade, right? I'm sure you'd do the same for him."

"Of course."

Sable left the room. Krux's vision wavered in and out, but he managed to make out more of the room; he lay on a bed in a small room; presumably it was Mel's bedroom. It was slowly getting easier to remain upright. Krux remembered the antidote he held and drank it; it tasted largely inoffensive, though the chalky texture wasn't appealing.

It didn't take long for Mel to appear in the doorway. "You good, Krux?" he asked, worry evident in his voice. "You scared me, just collapsing like that. Any idea what happened?"

Krux shook his head. "Nothing," he said. "Maybe if anyone else got sick…"

Mel sat on the foot of the bed. "Sable said something about poison," he said. "Any reason to think it was deliberate?"

"No, none."

Sable reentered the room. "It could have been an error," she said. "I'm pretty sure I know the plant that did this, and it's got legitimate uses. Did you have any tea today?"

Krux frowned. "Well, yes, but I prepared it myself."

"You think you grabbed the wrong leaves? This stuff looks a lot like tea leaves in the dark."

It hadn't been dark in Wu's room, Krux thought, paired with a spike of indignation; did Sable think he was so stupid as to poison himself?

He paused, though. "You said this plant has legitimate uses," he said. "What are they?"

"Treating wounds. When you put it under bandages it helps prevent infection."

Krux let out a sigh. "That's it, then," he said. "My host was injured recently. This would have been used to treat him. I must have gotten mixed up while making my tea."

Mel nodded. "So just a mistake," he said. "That's good. Thought for a minute someone was out to get you."

Sable shook her head. "Unlikely. As a poison, it's main use is to knock you out, since in small doses it rarely kills. Not that it's any sort of pleasant, given all the side effects."

Krux frowned. "What are the side effects, exactly?"

"Apart from losing consciousness, your body temperature decreases, you sweat, and you'll find it more difficult to exert yourself for the next day." Sable glanced at Mel. "You don't have a long trek home, do you?"

His expression must have betrayed him, because Mel said, "Just stay here for as long as you need."

"I appreciate the offer," Krux said. "I'll be gone before nightfall."

Mel fixed him with a stern look. "As long as you need, Sander. If you don't feel up to walking back tonight, then stay until morning."

Krux's heart jumped. "Are you sure?" he said. "I don't want to cause you trouble."

"I'd rather you be trouble then to find your body next morning."

"Oh, please," Sable said. "He's not going to die if he spends a night outdoors."

"Still!"

Krux ran a hand over his face and realized his skin was damp with sweat. "Thank you, Mel," he said. "Thank you."

Mel smiled at him, and though he hadn't done anything to deserve it, seeing it on Mel's face felt like a grand accomplishment.

---

Soon, Krux left the bed and managed to eat something. Sable left shortly afterwards, though she stayed long enough to show Mel and Krux both how to make the antidote. She refused any repayment from either of them. "Mel and I are even now," she said, though she didn't say what she owed Mel in the first place. Krux decided not to pry.

As predicted, he wasn't well enough to walk back to the monastery at nightfall. "Are you alright sleeping in your clothes?" Mel asked him after closing the bar. "Mine aren't gonna fit you."

"I'll be fine," said Krux. "I take it I'll be on the couch?"

"I mean, you can have the bed if you need it."

Krux laughed. "I've taken your bed for most of the day, you should at least have it for the night."

Mel cracked a smile. "If you say so."

During dinner, there was a knock on the back door.

Mel got up at once. "Wait here," he said to Krux, and rushed out of the room. Krux tensed until he heard Mel's voice from the hall, his tone soft and kind. There was another voice, too, though he didn't recognize it.

When he returned, Mel was accompanied by a brown-haired teenager carrying an armful of clothes. The boy grinned at him, his cheeks flushed.

Krux raised an eyebrow. "I take it this is someone you know?" he said.

"Yeah," said Mel. "This is Dareth. He needs a place to sleep, some nights. Guess this is one of those nights, huh, kid?"

"Yeah," said Dareth. "Nice to meet you, uh, Mr. Saunders."

Krux nodded. "Same to you, Dareth."

Mel coughed into his hand. "He's gonna be taking the couch," he said, "which, uh, means we'll have to figure out your situation."

Dareth's face fell. "Oh boy, is that gonna be a problem?"

"Not at all," Krux said. "I can sleep on the floor."

"Really?" Mel said. "It's not gonna be comfortable."

He shrugged. "I can deal with it for one night," he said. "Really, I don't want to cause you stress. That's part of the reason I'm staying, isn't it?"

"Ha!" Mel laughed. "I suppose it is."

Krux's face grew hot. Dareth laughed, too, though he clearly didn't know what was so funny.

"We should finish eating," Mel said. "Dareth, you want anything?"

---

Krux watched Dareth stuff his mouth like it was his first meal he had all day. Maybe it was, Krux thought, thinking of the kind of person who would kick out their son overnight. His own father had done that once, though his status as an elemental master made that sort of public treatment much less acceptable.

Once their meal was finished, Dareth and Mel had a brief conversation that Krux barely paid attention to. It mostly consisted of Mel asking Dareth if he was taking care of himself–eating enough, staying safe, and so on–Dareth giving evasive answers. Eventually, Mel had to relent, and he gave Dareth a blanket and let him get comfortable on the couch.

"I don't know how comfortable the floor's gonna be," Mel remarked when they were back in his bedroom. "Y'know, you can sleep in the bed, if you're fine with it."

"And have you take the floor?"

Mel shook his head. "It's a big enough bed, we can fit both of us."

"Ah," Krux said, and searched for a response for far longer than was polite. It wasn't as if Mel would take advantage of him; Krux knew Mel well enough to know he would never consider such a thing. But it wasn't that big of a bed, and the thought of sleeping next to another man, their bodies apart by mere inches–

"You'll try the floor, huh?"

"Yes," Krux said. "But… I appreciate the offer."

Mel smiled. "Don't mention it. Here, I'll find more blankets."

They couldn't find any sort of mat or rug for the floor, but Krux folded a blanket that seemed thick enough to cushion him, and once Mel had changed into night clothes, they were both ready to sleep. Mel climbed into bed on the far side from Krux. "Night, Sander," he said.

"Goodnight," Krux responded, and the light clicked off.

Really, Krux told himself, the floor wasn't that bad. He rolled this way and that, trying to find the most comfortable position. Were there rocks underneath the blanket, or was he imagining the hard lumps underneath him? Krux pulled the blanket aside to check. There was nothing.

The light clicked back on. "Sander, you're gonna wake up Dareth with your tossing and turning."

Krux sat up. "My apologies, Mel," he said. "I'll keep quiet."

Mel swung his legs over the side of the bed. "C'mon, just take the bed. I'll sleep on the floor."

"What?" Krux shook his head. "I can't ask you to do that."

"Hey, I'm not gonna get sleep with you making noise, anyway, and you're clearly not comfortable sharing the bed. It's fine, really."

"Not comfortable?" Krux sputtered for a moment. "It's not that, Mel, I just–"

Mel held up a hand. "It's fine," he repeated. "Not many people would be comfortable, y'know? It's enough for me that you're still my friend when you know I'm gay."

"No, no, it's not–"

Krux cut himself short and got to his feet. The sudden movement made his head spin, but he put a hand on Mel's shoulder to stop him from standing.

"You don't have to give up your bed because of my idiotic hangups," he said. "We can share the bed."

Mel covered Krux's hand with his own. "You sure?" he asked. "I don't want…"

Krux rolled his eyes. "We've been friends for years, Mel. I know you won't make advances on me, and you know I won't burn your house down, or whatever it is they think twins do."

Mel sighed. "You're right," he said with a smile. "Thanks, Sander."

"Good grief, why are you thanking me? I'm the one imposing on you." Krux smiled anyway. "Now move over."

The bed was far more comfortable than the floor. Krux and Mel took their sides and pulled the blanket over them both. "Goodnight, Sander," Mel said. "You're a good friend, y'know that?"

"I try," Krux said. "Goodnight, Mel."