Roots of Earth ~ A Ninjago Fanfiction

Chapter 112: Roots of Earth

Blood Star fell to her knees, visibly trembling. The glow of the Moonstone glimmered off the fat tears dripping from her face.

"I— I'm sorry... I'm so sorry." Her chest heaved in uneven gasps. "I didn't... didn't save anyone... I thought I could save them, in the— in the end." A shrill sob racked her body. "But... but...!"

Her eyes flickered to Cole. He flinched from the crazed look in them. Her face was contorted almost demonically, what with the way the Moonstone's light glimmered off every tear and wrinkle from her expression.

In one moment, he saw something; a creature sitting broken and pathetic before him, having faced every horrible deed done against her and every horrible deed she'd committed. Like a child she shivered and sniffled, huddled up in her ragged robes. No attention was given to the tears continually dripping from her chin. She stared into nothing, as if only she could see the dark shadows that haunted her.

Everything about the evil queen Cole had grown to know had been scattered to pieces by the hideous invisible torment.

In the next moment her eyes glazed over—not with death. Something worse: despair. She lurched toward Cole.

He jumped to his feet and rolled his hands into fists, ready to defend himself.

In the finale of those moments she collapsed into his arms and wept wretchedly.

He froze. One hand reached for one of the small kunai knives dangling from his belt.

I could do it. Right now. The realization was chilling. Like how you killed Kai, and Lloyd. And Eagle Talon and Liana. I could have my revenge right here and now.

Yet... he stilled his hand.

She was too vulnerable. There was something so absolutely wretched about this girl—his sister, crying her heart out in this soulless cavern, that in that moment...

He just couldn't do it. Something about the way she huddled her shoulders and hid her face as if she were ashamed of her weakness reminded Cole of himself when he was a child.

I could kill you.

Instead, hesitatingly, Cole knelt down. He could feel his heart hammering wildly against his ribcage, as if it were rebelling against his actions. With shaking arms, he leaned forward and did the unthinkable.

He hugged his sister.

Blood Star lay pathetically in his embrace as she wept for everyone: Silver Mist, the father she never got to have, Bracken Stripe, Little Leaf's brothers, Broken Stone, Dove Stream, Eito, Eagle Talon, Little Leaf... Whether she'd murdered them herself or destiny stole them away, at last she grieved for all of them.

"They— they're gone," she sobbed. "All gone... They've gone and left me in this stupid, stupid world...!"

Cole gazed down at his sister's dripping face and felt his head whirl conflictingly. Was this it? Was this the chance he had to kill the murderer of so many people he loved?

The glow of the Great Moonstone seemed to stir and quiver. That hazy cloud remained hovering about their heads while tiny stars drifted down like snow. With this glimmering snow came a sound like many quiet whispers.

Among the little voices he thought he could detect the voice of a certain kitsune chanting quietly in his ear.

"'Blind, blind'..." He murmured out loud, though he barely heard himself. "'One of a kind is the death of the blind'. Kohuru's prophecy wasn't talking about Liana... She was talking about you. You blinded yourself with self-pity and hatred for so long. You were meant to kill that part of yourself you'd blinded."