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"Who are Maya and Ray?"

Krux sat up in alarm and smacked his head into the bunk above him, which fully woke him up. "Ow!"

Aura winced. "Sorry," she said, stepping into the tent. "I was just… curious."

"It's fine," Krux said, rubbing his forehead.

His sister was waiting for his answer. "Maya and Ray," he said. "We were staying with Wu, before Garmadon had me leave. We were friends."

"That's all?"

She almost sounded disappointed. Krux sighed. "Did Chen tell you anything about why I left the human empire?" he asked.

"Not much," she said. "I know you were looking for me."

He nodded. "I spent most of my life not knowing I was a twin," he said. "One day, I was summoned to the palace court for an execution. Maya and Ray's twin children."

"Ah," said Aura. "So that's why you were living together."

"The emperor ordered me to kill them." Krux's voice shook at the memory. "He knew I was a twin, and yet–perhaps he considered it justice, as if killing enough twins would negate the sins of being born."

"But you didn't," Aura said. "Right?"

His stomach twisted. "I would have," he said, "had Ray not announced to everyone there that I, too, was a twin. I fled the empire with them and their children, in the hopes I could find you."

She nodded. "How did Ray know?"

"My–our father…" He paused. "He had to choose one of us to kill. Unable to do it himself, he took you to Ray's father. He would not kill you, and so eventually, he brought you to the Serpentine."

Aura toyed with her hair, not meeting his eyes. "My father only told me an elemental master brought me to the anacondrai," she said. "That was Ray's father?"

"It must have been, yes."

"Why wasn't I killed?"

Krux inhaled sharply. "Does it matter?"

She hesitated. "I'd like to know," she said. "At least, if there was any reason. No human would have seen me as anything but a bringer of evil. Ray's father had no relation to me, even. Why would I be spared?"

"We…" He gripped the blankets. "They only knew that your mother–she loved us. Before she died, before she was forced to sacrifice herself, she named us both. That was why our father would not kill you himself, and why Ray's father refused to kill you at all. You had a name."

Aura nodded, slowly. "I wonder," she said, "if she would love me now."

"What?" Krux exclaimed. "Why wouldn't she?"

"Good grief, Krux, look at me!" She gestured down her body. "I'm not a serpentine, but I'm not human enough to ever live my life among them. Even if I was, I'm not–" Her voice caught. "I know how people like me are treated. I saw how they looked at me in the capital. Would she even call me her daughter?"

Krux couldn't answer.

Aura turned away. "I didn't keep her name, either," she said. "Acronix. It's foreign to me. She wouldn't…"

"Aura," said Krux, "our mother didn't know you. She had no way of knowing how either of us would grow up. But…" He took a breath. "…she loved you then. She loved us both. The only thing she wanted for us was to live, and we've done that."

She rubbed her eyes and said nothing.

"And I'm here now," Krux said. "And I love you as my sister."

"I know," Aura said quietly. "It is difficult to understand. When I was young, my father told me it was useless to search for my sibling. That they would reject me."

"He did what he thought was best," said Krux. "There are people who would react… poorly, to discovering they had a twin."

"Why didn't you?"

"Haven't I told you?"

Aura didn't answer. Krux looked down at his hands.

"I grew up without a mother," he said, "and without a decent man for a father. It was easy to leave the capital when I had no one to keep me there. The status of elemental master meant nothing to me. I wanted a family."

"So you left everything behind?"

"Nothing I had mattered. With Maya and Ray…"

He trailed off.

He hardly noticed Aura moving until she sat on the bunk with him. "Do you miss them?"

"Sometimes," he said. "They didn't trust me at first, but after so many years… well, I'm sure Kai and Nya miss me."

"Are those their children?"

He nodded. "Kai is the Master of Fire, and Nya the Master of Water, though their powers haven't developed. Both girls. Kai picked her own name, actually–her parents weren't happy, but I promised to call her by it. I can hardly refuse to. I have friends who only know me as Sander."

Aura smiled. "You made it sound like there was no one else in your life before you came here," she said. "Now I hear about all these people."

"They weren't–"

He stopped himself. "Weren't what?" Aura asked.

"I…" He swallowed. "If I had stayed, I would have never met you. That's what matters to me. I miss them, yes, but I couldn't have stayed, knowing what I do now."

"Do you want to go back?"

"No," Krux said immediately. "Not if it means leaving you."

"And what if it didn't?"

He blinked. "What?"

Aura laughed softly. "I may not be able to go with you," she said, "but it's not like you couldn't come back, right?"

"Garmadon made it sound like–"

She snorted. "Garmadon doesn't control you. Wouldn't your friends defend you against him?"

No one had been happy about Garmadon forcing him to leave the monastery. Krux took a deep breath. "It still frightens me," he said. "Even if I'd be coming back. I'm happy here, but… I just wish I could have said a proper goodbye."

"You don't have to," Aura said. "I won't force you. But if these people were important to you, then I think they deserve at least to know what's become of you."

He sighed. "You're right," he said. "They deserve that much."

She smiled at him. "And you will come back," she said. "I don't intend to send you away for good. Maybe I can meet your friends one day."

"I would like that," said Krux.

Aura stood back up. "I should go back," she said. "Primus is waiting for me."

"You're spending the night with him?"

"Yes. It doesn't have the same connotations for serpentine as for humans."

"Oh, I'm not implying anything," Krux said quickly. "It's not like I haven't shared a bed with another man."

"Huh," said Aura, and she didn't respond further. The silence turned awkward at once. Krux broke it with a cough, his cheeks flushed.

Aura smiled. "Goodnight, brother," she said, and ducked out of the tent.

With the other humans gone, Krux was alone in the tent. He hadn't minded it at first–it wasn't as if he enjoyed their company–but the silence was oppressive. He lay his head down and waited for sleep.

---

The next morning, Krux met with Aura and Primus for breakfast. "I've decided to visit Maya and Ray for a short time," he said to them. "I'll be gone for a few days."

"Clouse will want to know where you're going," Primus said. "If you bother telling him, anyway. You don't have to. He's an ass."

Aura rolled her eyes. "With how Clouse is, he'd think you've betrayed us and send someone to hunt you down. I'd tell him, but it's not like he can forbid you from going."

"Right," Krux said. "I'll let him know."

Clouse didn't give him trouble about leaving. "I'll inform Master Chen you intend to return," he said. "You're going to see Wu? Don't tell him anything."

"I'm not stupid," said Krux. "Why would I want to tell Wu I'm working for the man who tried to kill him?"

"Good enough," said Clouse. "Let us know the status of the Fire and Water elements."

Krux couldn't remember if he told Chen about Maya and Ray. He declined to respond, and no further words were exchanged.

So he left. "Be safe," Aura said when she and Primus saw him off. "You may have lost the protections you had under the empire's rule."

"I'll be careful," Krux said with a smile. "It's not far from here. I'll be on the main road before nightfall, and from there, there won't be any danger."

"Still," Primus said, "with the death of the emperor, you might run into bandits taking advantage of the lack of leadership. Serpentine bandits in particular, and they have no reason to believe you're anything but a human."

"I am a human."

Primus snorted. "If you were just a human, we would not be speaking like this."

"Fair enough." Krux hoisted his bag over his shoulder and straightened his back. "I can't promise when I'll be back, but it shouldn't be more than a week."

Aura smiled back. "I'll see you then, brother."

She hugged him. In the moment they embraced, Krux wondered how he could feel at home anywhere else. Home was with his sister, wherever she was.

They separated, and Krux began the journey.

---

He avoided the village and went straight to the monastery. The stairs seemed to be longer than he remembered, and he was panting by the time he reached the top.

The gates were still closed. Krux hesitated before he could summon the courage to knock. Who would answer him? Wu had been in no shape to get out of bed the last he saw. Maya and Ray may have heard of the emperor's death, but that didn't mean they felt safe to show their faces. What felt like an eternity passed.

He was about to knock again when the gates opened.

"Krux!" Wu exclaimed. "You're back!"

Wu appeared to be at his full health, and seeing how he beamed, Krux couldn't help but smile back. "Not for long," he said. "A few days, at most. I'm glad to see you're alright."

"And I you, Master of Time." Wu stepped aside. "Come in! Maya and Ray will be delighted to see you."

Before they got to the monastery proper, the door burst open. "Krux!" Nya shouted, and she promptly barreled outside to crash into him, hugging him tight.

Krux smiled and patted her head. "It's good to see you," he said. "You're getting big."

"I'm eight," Nya whined. "I'm already big!"

Wu laughed. "Ling will be happy you're back, too," he said. "She kept asking about you."

"I take it the name change hasn't stuck?"

Wu's smile vanished. "It's, ah, complicated."

"How so?"

They stepped inside. "Mom!" Nya shouted running ahead of them. "Dad! Sis! Guess who's back!"

Krux put his bag down and took a seat in the kitchen. "It hasn't been that long, has it?" he said. "I've only been gone for… uh…"

"It has felt like longer," said Wu. "And you did not leave in the most pleasant of circumstances. We were worried about you. Where were you staying?"

"I'll tell you once we're all together," Krux said. "I'd rather not repeat myself."

Maya entered the room, Nya trailing behind. "Krux!" Maya said with a smile. "I'm glad to see you're well."

Ray followed her. "Are you here to stay?" he asked. "Garmadon's left, it should be safe again."

"Only for a few days, I'm sorry to say," Krux said. "I'll tell you everything." He glanced at Nya. "Where's your other daughter?"

"Hiding," Ray said. "She's been… unhappy, lately. Barely showing her face."

"Ah. I'm sorry to hear it."

"She'll be out for mealtime," Maya said, sitting at the table. "Now tell us everything. We were so worried–where were you staying?"

Krux smiled. "With my twin."

Wu's eyes widened. "You found him?"

Though the misgendering pricked at him, Krux still nodded, unable to keep a smile off his face. Maya laughed. "I'm so happy for you!" she said. "What's he like? Where did you go?"

"Hold on, let me start from the beginning."

The others stared at him expectantly, Nya's eyes wide. Krux mentally went over his cover story. "I wanted to keep looking for my twin," he said, "but the most I knew was that she was taken to the Serpentine, and–"

Ray interrupted him. "She? Is your twin not a man?"

"No, she's a woman. There was a misunderstanding about her gender."

"Huh," Ray said, and fell silent again.

Krux continued. "Going to Serpentine territory would have been exceedingly dangerous, given that we were on the brink of war. But, well, I had no other options."

Wu gasped. "Krux, you didn't!"

He shrugged. "I was lucky, or else I would have been dead. My twin had never been turned, so she was still human. They saw the resemblance in our faces and brought me to her and her adoptive father."

"My God," said Ray. "You were lucky."

Nya piped up. "Is her name still Acronix?"

Krux shook his head. "Her father didn't keep it. Her name is Aura."

"That's pretty!" Nya grinned. "I wish my name was that pretty!"

Maya kissed the top of her head. "Your name is pretty, dear," she said. "You were named after the first Master of Water, remember?"

"And they treated you well?" Wu asked. "I can't imagine they were welcoming to a human."

"Not at first," Krux said. "Aura's father may have allowed me into their home, but he had warned Aura before not to seek out her twin–and I don't blame him. I daresay most people would have reacted poorly to find out that they were a twin. I had to prove I would not harm her."

Ray frowned. "Prove how?"

"Nothing dramatic. I stayed with the Anacondrai, I ate their food, I respected their people, and they came to accept me."

"That quickly?"

Well, he had helped to kill the human emperor. "They knew I had already abandoned the human empire," Krux said, "and they knew why. After I gave up my role and status as elemental master for you and your twins, they believed that I would not harm my sister."

"Oh," Ray said, and Krux noticed his shoulders relax. "Yes. That… does make sense."

"Is your sister an elemental master, too?" Nya asked.

Krux laughed at her enthusiasm. "She has powers, yes."

"Cool! Are they the same as yours?"

"Not exactly. They're both the element of time, but the powers were split between us."

"Can I meet her?"

Krux winced. "Unfortunately, it wouldn't be safe. Humans and serpentine rarely coexist. I was very, very lucky to be granted a place with the Anacondrai."

Maya tilted her head. "So you're a serpentine, now?"

"What?" Krux said. "No. I don't intend to give up every aspect of human life, I just…"

He trailed off. He had people he cared about on both the human and serpentine sides. Was he supposed to choose just one?

"I understand," said Wu. "Shortly after my father died, Aspheera offered me a place with the Hypnobrai. I often wonder what my life would be like had I not turned her down."

They fell into an awkward silence. Krux struggled to find a way to continue the conversation. "I intend to return to my sister," he said, "but it doesn't mean I won't ever see you again."

"I'm glad for that," Maya said with a smile. "I'm sure Nya and Ling are glad, too."

Krux thought he saw a flash of movement by the door, but when he looked, there was nothing there.

"Let's get something to eat," Ray said. "I'll cook. You must be hungry, Krux, after traveling from Serpentine territory."

"Thank you," Krux said, realizing he was, in fact, very hungry. Walking all the way gave him quite an appetite.

While Ray was preparing the food, Wu gestured for Krux to follow him outside. "What is it?" Krux asked when they were out.

"Krux," Wu said, "I hate to accuse you or your sister of anything… but I was attacked by Anacondrai who were working for Master Chen, and a human woman bearing more than a slight resemblance to you was among them."

Krux struggled to keep his face straight, and eventually gave up. "Wu," he said, "I can't lie to you."

Wu's expression darkened. "So it was her?"

"Her father does not like it," Krux said, "but yes, Aura is working with Chen."

"Where is Aspheera?"

Krux took a deep breath. "Alive and safe," he said. "I don't know where she is for certain, but I believe she is returning to the Hypnobrai. Understandably, she wanted nothing to do with my sister after the attack."

Wu sighed and looked away. "And you trust her," he said. "Even knowing she works for Chen?"

"When Aspheera was first captured, she was imprisoned, and Aura risked her life to free her. She regrets what she did to harm you, Wu. I'm sure she would offer you an apology if she had the chance."

"I'm glad to hear that, at least." Wu ran a hand over his face. "And you saw Aspheera? Was she hurt?"

"Her eyes were injured, but healing."

"Right," Wu said. "But she's alive and safe. That's… I hoped for that, at least."

He still didn't look happy. Krux hesitated. "I am not my twin," he said, "but I am sorry, too. I helped her rescue Aspheera, to try and right that wrong. I would like to do the same for the wrong she did to you."

"I won't lie, either," Wu said. "I trust your judgement, and I am glad to hear Aspheera is safe. But if my oldest friend does not trust your twin, neither will I."

Krux nodded. "I can't argue with that. Perhaps she will prove herself to you later, or perhaps she won't, or perhaps you'll never meet."

Wu exhaled. "I'm glad you understand, Krux. You are a dear friend to me, too."

"The same goes for you," Krux said, and to his surprise, he found he meant it.