They aren't dead, though...the reason I'm delaying right now is because I have to figure out where they're gonna go. Sorry. I'll post another chapter in time.
Darkness. Silence. A gentle prickling sensation. I was half-conscious, but I could barely open my eyes. From what I could tell, I was shirtless and my body was pressed against the floor. Something that felt an awful lot like a box hit me in the back, right where some of my scars from my time with Nadakhan were, and the discomfort was enough to wake me up. ***
Nice description of the new uniforms, by the way! Did you do some research on them?
Darkness and silence. Not something I wanted to experience, but at least I wasn't in pain. I began to hear a soft howling, as if by wind, and I managed to open my eyes, the slits my heavy eyelids allowed bring in some light. But after all that darkness, the light was too bright. I had to close them.
Numbness seeped away, and I began to feel the grass and soil pressed against my face and my bare torso. Wait...bare?
I opened my eyes again, more successfully now, and pulled myself up. Looking down, I saw that I did in fact have no shirt on, my only covering being a tattered, baggy pair of shorts, and marks from the friction covered part of my body, as well as some of my face, particularly my right cheek. I felt weak and tired from the pain earlier. Glancing around and seeing no one, I called out. "Am I alone?"
No answer. I rose and looked around. It seemed like a barren grassland. And then something hit me in the head. A big rock? No. A package.
"Dress," a childish voice, eerily familiar, told me as some of the breeze collected into her form. "You won't want to be in such little clothing in front of your friends."
"Huh? You took them too?" I asked as I pulled out a jade green robe from the bag.
"Don't dress here," the spirit told me, pushing me towards a rather large boulder. "Please. You're not alone here. You won't want people to see you...well...you know."
I nodded and took the package behind the rock, pulling on the provided outfit. I examined it, looking down at the threads in awe. The deep green was beautiful, and complimented the lighter green of the undergarments. It seemed to shine in the sun...or whatever the light source of this realm was. It complemented every movement, and I noticed golden dragon patterns along the collar. The pants weren't baggy, but they were loose enough to provide free movement. There was even a ninja mask, adorned with my Ninjagian symbol, concealing my face well but light enough to be breathable. "Wow! These are...nice!"
She giggled. "Of course. Mikaze Kingdom is rather well-known for its expert tailoring."
"Mikaze Kingdom? Wait, what realm are we in?"
"Oh? This is the Zephyr Realm. I took you here because I need your help."
Darkness. Silence. A gentle prickling sensation. I was half-conscious, but I could barely open my eyes. From what I could tell, I was shirtless and my body was pressed against the floor. Something that felt an awful lot like a box hit me in the back, right where some of my scars from my time with Nadakhan were, and the discomfort was enough to wake me up.
"Augh!" I shot up, blinking and squinting in the bright light. "Where the heck..." I took a couple steps and the grass felt good between my toes. I couldn't help but breath in the air of this place, the fresh scent lifting my spirits. And then I remembered the box.
Sitting down, I crawled over to it. My vision was a little blurry from being unconscious, but I managed to open it. Though my eyes hurt a little from the light after such darkness, I could tell it was something blue and made of soft cloth.
"Hello." The wind woman from earlier greeted me casually, waving in a friendly manner. "Please get dressed, those scars are starting to get a little depressing."
I stood and nodded, pulling out the robe as I blinked to get my vision back. I looked around, and there was a stand-alone brick wall not too far from where I was standing. I got behind it and quickly dressed. I couldn't help but stand in awe as I examined my new outfit. The fabric, soft and supple, was a beautiful royal blue, striking lightning patterns, as well as the word "spark," emblazoned along the tomoeri (outer collar), while the hanaeri (inner collar) was a pleasing baby blue. Even the obi had some nice minor details, and the pants were incredibly comfortable. "Wow! Heheh...give your seamstresses my congratulations, these are pretty awesome! Now...where, exactly, are we?"
"This is the Zephyr Realm. Your confusion is expected, as not many Ninjagians know of this place." The woman smiled. "You are here simply because we need to be defended from an opposing force, but don't worry; we won't send you off right away. Your friends are this way." She turned. "Come on. Don't leave me hanging, as some say."
I nodded and followed her. "So...is there some sort of headquarters we're all meeting at, or..."
She shrugged. "You could say that."
I'm open-minded to the possibility that she's helpful, but I still fully distrust her.
Darkness. Silence. A gentle prickling sensation. I was half-conscious, but I could barely open my eyes. From what I could tell, I was shirtless and my body was pressed against the floor. Something that felt an awful lot like a box hit me in the back, right where some of my scars from my time with Nadakhan were, and the discomfort was enough to wake me up. ***
Nice description of the new uniforms, by the way! Did you do some research on them?
Well, I did look up some parts of a kimono and stuff.
I followed the Zephyr to a small monastery where I could hear chat and activity. She led me through the door, and I saw, to my relief, the rest of the ninja, dressed similarly to myself in beautiful robes decorated with elemental adornments.
"Hey guys." I waved quietly. It was a relief to see everyone, but one guest set me off: Behind Zane was Hanna. I was kind of hoping Rumi wouldn't be here, since not only did I harbor feelings, but she'd been acting a little suspicious. Maybe I should hang out more with Hanna just in case...
Despite my feelings of anxiety making it hard to move, I sat next to Hanna. "Hey."
"Hey," she replied. She looked me up and down. "Are you alright? You seem a little stressed."
"I just want to tell you I love you more than anyone else," I said quickly. "Don't tell the princess."
"What...?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Cantexplain. Justgottatellya." I could feel the vibrations in my body as I clenched and unclenched my fists.
Spider's in the house, sleep, sleep~
I could almost feel the spider underneath my feet.
Spider bit the mouse, sleep deep~
It was almost as if Harumi was hearing our conversation. "We have to talk in private. No time to explain. All of us." I stood, stepping carefully as if to not step on a spider.
"Lloyd? Are you okay?" Jay ran up to me. "Tell me what's wrong!"
"I said, no time to explain! We have to- augh..."
Don't wake up or else you'll find a spider in your mouth...
The sharp pain became excruciating, but I had to persist. "To the room...over there!" I pointed as accurately as my failing hand could manage.
Jay grabbed me and we all ran before the spider could bite anyone else. His hands felt like needles in my skin. I tried to breathe.
Jay closed the door behind us and sighed, laying me on a bench. "That spider came out of nowhere."
"No, it didn't." Nya looked up and showed us a picture. "I managed to get a good look at it. It wasn't just a regular spider." She zoomed in so we could see. "It's a robotic spider filled with venom from a rare plant that could cloud the mind of even the most stubborn. They aren't native here. Someone must have planted them."
As soon as she said that, my vision blurred, and my only thought was Rumi.
"Lloyd could be losing his sanity right now," I told them. "But who could have planted it in the first place?"
Jay clung to my arm. "This is terrifying already!"
"Rumi..." Lloyd's slurred voice choked out, giving me a sudden pang of realization. "I love...Rumi."
"This must have been what he meant when he said 'don't tell the princess,'" Hanna informed us. "He could have had feelings for her and not wanted to break her heart!"
"But it looks as if her heart has already been damaged beyond repair," Zane replied.
"Harumi?" The Zephyr, who was now in childish form, joined us. "Orphaned princess of Ninjago?"
Jay laughed nervously, burying himself in my shoulder. "This doesn't look good!"
"No kidding," Cole added, tearing at the sleeves of his new robe. "Gosh, why'd you have to give me the torture of a robe with sleeves?" He tore them off. "That's better."
Jay glanced at him, chuckling a bit. "You've never been fond of sleeves, have you?"
"Last I checked, Princess Harumi was back in Ninjago!" the wind spirit replied. "I don't recall her being here. We usually know about these things."
"Says the race who can sneak up on people and shape shift to lure them into their trap," Kai replied, playing with his own sleeves.
"Hey!" she replied. "How else was I gonna get you to listen?"
"Uh...act normal?" Cole scoffed.
"Not try to steal our souls?" Jay added.
"I wasn't stealing your souls. I was taking you to our realm so you could protect it, just for a while," she replied. "I only acted that way so I wouldn't get caught by..."
"By who?"
"I shouldn't tell you. You should enjoy the peace you have," she replied. "By the way, my name is Kazeki. Just so you don't keep calling me 'wind girl.'"
"Who do you work for? We need to know! Our friend is in danger! He could be completely brainwashed if we don't find out!" Cole shouted.
"We were once free, until someone came along...she calls herself the Silent. If we're caught helping you, who knows what she could do to us?"
It sounded awfully familiar. Almost like...the Quiet One.
"I can't tell you anything more!" she finished before running off.
"...princess..." Lloyd groaned before rolling off the couch. "...want...silent...love...death...'
I pulled up my hood, watching them from in the window. I hoped they didn't know it was me, but my plan was working perfectly. In time, Lloyd would abandon his current love and turn to me.
Don't wake up or else...
Eight thin legs poked at my hand, and I picked up the spider, turned it off and put it in my pocket. "He'll never see my true intentions if I make him love me enough. He'll be blind...blind to my plans...and attached to me..."
I followed the Zephyr to a small monastery where I could hear chat and activity. She led me through the door, and I saw, to my relief, the rest of the ninja, dressed similarly to myself in beautiful robes decorated with elemental adornments.
"Hey guys." I waved quietly. It was a relief to see everyone, but one guest set me off: Behind Zane was Hanna. I was kind of hoping Rumi wouldn't be here, since not only did I harbor feelings, but she'd been acting a little suspicious. Maybe I should hang out more with Hanna just in case...
Despite my feelings of anxiety making it hard to move, I sat next to Hanna. "Hey."
"Hey," she replied. She looked me up and down. "Are you alright? You seem a little stressed."
"I just want to tell you I love you more than anyone else," I said quickly. "Don't tell the princess."
"What...?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Cantexplain. Justgottatellya." I could feel the vibrations in my body as I clenched and unclenched my fists.
Spider's in the house, sleep, sleep~
I could almost feel the spider underneath my feet.
Spider bit the mouse, sleep deep~
It was almost as if Harumi was hearing our conversation. "We have to talk in private. No time to explain. All of us." I stood, stepping carefully as if to not step on a spider.
"Lloyd? Are you okay?" Jay ran up to me. "Tell me what's wrong!"
"I said, no time to explain! We have to- augh..."
Don't wake up or else you'll find a spider in your mouth...
The sharp pain became excruciating, but I had to persist. "To the room...over there!" I pointed as accurately as my failing hand could manage.
Jay grabbed me and we all ran before the spider could bite anyone else. His hands felt like needles in my skin. I tried to breathe.
Jay closed the door behind us and sighed, laying me on a bench. "That spider came out of nowhere."
"No, it didn't." Nya looked up and showed us a picture. "I managed to get a good look at it. It wasn't just a regular spider." She zoomed in so we could see. "It's a robotic spider filled with venom from a rare plant that could cloud the mind of even the most stubborn. They aren't native here. Someone must have planted them."
As soon as she said that, my vision blurred, and my only thought was Rumi.
"Lloyd could be losing his sanity right now," I told them. "But who could have planted it in the first place?"
Jay clung to my arm. "This is terrifying already!"
"Rumi..." Lloyd's slurred voice choked out, giving me a sudden pang of realization. "I love...Rumi."
"This must have been what he meant when he said 'don't tell the princess,'" Hanna informed us. "He could have had feelings for her and not wanted to break her heart!"
"But it looks as if her heart has already been damaged beyond repair," Zane replied.
"Harumi?" The Zephyr, who was now in childish form, joined us. "Orphaned princess of Ninjago?"
Jay laughed nervously, burying himself in my shoulder. "This doesn't look good!"
"No kidding," Cole added, tearing at the sleeves of his new robe. "Gosh, why'd you have to give me the torture of a robe with sleeves?" He tore them off. "That's better."
Jay glanced at him, chuckling a bit. "You've never been fond of sleeves, have you?"
"Last I checked, Princess Harumi was back in Ninjago!" the wind spirit replied. "I don't recall her being here. We usually know about these things."
"Says the race who can sneak up on people and shape shift to lure them into their trap," Kai replied, playing with his own sleeves.
"Hey!" she replied. "How else was I gonna get you to listen?"
"Uh...act normal?" Cole scoffed.
"Not try to steal our souls?" Jay added.
"I wasn't stealing your souls. I was taking you to our realm so you could protect it, just for a while," she replied. "I only acted that way so I wouldn't get caught by..."
"By who?"
"I shouldn't tell you. You should enjoy the peace you have," she replied. "By the way, my name is Kazeki. Just so you don't keep calling me 'wind girl.'"
"Who do you work for? We need to know! Our friend is in danger! He could be completely brainwashed if we don't find out!" Cole shouted.
"We were once free, until someone came along...she calls herself the Silent. If we're caught helping you, who knows what she could do to us?"
It sounded awfully familiar. Almost like...the Quiet One.
"I can't tell you anything more!" she finished before running off.
"...princess..." Lloyd groaned before rolling off the couch. "...want...silent...love...death...'
I pulled up my hood, watching them from in the window. I hoped they didn't know it was me, but my plan was working perfectly. In time, Lloyd would abandon his current love and turn to me.
Don't wake up or else...
Eight thin legs poked at my hand, and I picked up the spider, turned it off and put it in my pocket. "He'll never see my true intentions if I make him love me enough. He'll be blind...blind to my plans...and attached to me..."
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