Roots of Earth ~ A Ninjago Fanfiction

Chapter 59: Back in the Moon Tribe

Eagle Talon and Little Leaf didn't say anything as they climbed the steep, rocky mountainside, following pathways only they as cats could recognize. Leaf felt mingled reluctance and anxiety turmoiling in her belly as she padded along, but she refused to say anything to her brother. She wasn't sure she could if she wanted to. Talon was as silent as she was.

As they traveled, the wide, open sky overhead began to darken as evening fell. There were no clouds, so Leaf could see the brilliant orange and pink sunset casting its sheen from the jagged horizon.

Leaf's mind wandered, so she didn't notice Talon had stopped until she ran right into his rump. She voiced a startled mroaw! and hopped backwards, shaking her head.

Talon didn't seem to notice his sister running into him. His back was to her as he murmured, "We're home."

Little Leaf peered beyond Talon's tabby-striped shoulders. There, nearly hidden in the shadows of tall, cluttered boulders thrown together in a heap, a dark crack in the rock wall stared back at them. The entrance was like a single black eye—or a giant's mouth, yawning open to swallow them up. This was one of the tunnel entrances that led to the underground lairs of the Moon Tribe. They were not cats who were bothered by the dark or small spaces. To them it was home.

"Home," Leaf repeated halfheartedly.

One of Talon's tails brushed against her fur, and he glanced back at her. "Come on" With that he padded toward the entrance.

Leaf hesitated, lashing her tails together. Then, before she could stop herself, she blurted, "Aren't you going to miss them?"

Talon stopped and looked at her. "Miss who?"

"The ninja, of course!" Leaf exclaimed with exasperation.

For a second, he didn't respond. Then he shrugged. "Eh." He turned away.

She felt her jaw fall open. "'Eh'? Just eh? Are you serious?"

He ignored her.

Growling, she quickly caught up with her brother. She turned and stopped in front, facing him with a fiery blue stare. "You can't fool me, you know."

"Oh?" Talon's whiskers twitched as he eyed the younger cat.

"I think you will miss them, if you don't already. They're your friends as much as they are mine," she challenged.

"Don't let any of the tribe hear you say that, or they'll be trouble," he warned.

"I'm not beetle-brained! I'm not about to go blabbing to the whole tribe!"

"Good." He swerved around her and ducked into the little hole.

She watched the dark brown tails disappear into the shadows. "I still think you like the ninja as much as I do!" she called.

He didn't bother to respond.

Leaf heaved a sigh, lashing her tails. She cast a longing glance behind her at the hazy shapes of the mountains, as if she could see the forest where they'd left the Destiny's Bounty. After a moment, she ducked her head and followed her brother into the tunnel.

It took several minutes for the two cats to pad through the darkness. No creature could see in such blackness; Leaf and Talon relied on their ears and the feel of their whiskers brushing against the stone to guide their way. The walls surrounded them, caving in, enveloping them in its cold, lifeless embrace. It would have been stifling for a creature like a human, but for a cat like Little Leaf, who had been born and raised in these very tunnels, it was a comforting feeling. Nothing could penetrate these ancient walls.