4. Dark Sides: Rise of the Anacondrai

Chapter 22 - The Greatest Fear of All

A/N: Heheheh 

. . . 

Seliel slammed her fist into the side of the empty truck, making it rattle with a low BONG!

"He tricked us! I can't believe it!"

Cole was frowning as he continued to stare into the empty truck, as if Chen's warriors were going to materialize out of nowhere. The driver was already long gone, and now there was nothing and no one left in the field of trees but them. Just as Chen had intended.

Seliel kicked at one of the rear tires, her frustration boiling over. Sensei Garmadon had been right. Chen's plan all along was to split them up. To literally tear them away from each other so Ninjago would be his for the taking. And they had played right into his hands. Now they couldn't even get a hold of the others, and they were too far away to get back in time and stop whatever scheme Chen had cooked up for the citizens of Ninjago.

Overhead, the perky image of Chen's Noodlehouse loomed teasingly.

She couldn't let him win, not like this.

Turning to Cole, Seliel said, "We have to go back.

For some reason he looked surprised. "We don't even know –"

"I don't care, we have to go. Use your scythe to bring your vehicle back, we're wasting time here."

"Just wait – "

"Fine, I'll go myself." She marched to the front of the truck, but Cole ran over and cut her off.

"Seliel, you can't go rushing in like that."

"There's no time!" she argued. "This is exactly what Chen wanted. He took us apart so we couldn't stand up to him, and if we give up now we'll lose. I'll fight him by myself if I have to!"

"We'll figure something out, but you can't run back there with no backup and no plan."

Part of her knew he was right, but she couldn't bear the thought of sitting around for even another second while Chen's army threatened innocent lives. "We have to do something," she pleaded. "There's no one else who can. We can't just . . ." Seliel covered her eyes as the fear she had been avoiding finally overwhelmed her.

Her village probably wasn't in Chen's reach just yet, but she still couldn't help but think as every one of those defenseless towns as being like her own. When Seliel had first joined Garmadon, her only goal was to protect her own people. But that goal had evolved with time, and seeing Chen and his warriors attack other small villages like the one she had grown up in, she couldn't help but think about what would happen if one of them really was her hometown.

Seliel was ready to fight to protect each and every one of them. She had never imagined that resolve would put them in even more danger. And if they couldn't stop Chen now, it was only a matter of time before he finally reached her village.

Seliel lowered her hands, blinking back tears.

"It's gonna be okay," Cole said gently. "It's not over yet."

"But what can we do?"

Cole hesitated, and Seliel was worried that he really might not have an answer. Then he reached out and took each of her hands in his. "We will keep fighting. Whatever it takes, even if we don't make it in time, even if Chen succeeds, we'll keep going. But we'll do it together. We'll find our friends, and we'll figure something out. It's not over until it's over, right?"

Seliel didn't know what to say. She looked down at their hands clasped together. His were warm, and he gave her a comforting squeeze that sent a tingle up her arm. She was surprised at herself for even letting him get so close, but instead of pulling away she squeezed his hands in return. Looking up, she met his eyes, dark eyes that were the color of soil after it rained. Eyes that shone with sincerity and hope.