The Truth: A Ninjago story

Harumi

Part 9: into the abyss

If you are thinking that I can't be killed you are wrong because I did succeed. But now that I was dead, I am filled with regret. Everyone was wrong that the light at the end of the tunnel wasn't death, it was hope. Hope for what might come to pass in the abyss of an afterlife.

(Harumi)

I have heard that entering the afterlife is like walking through a door or popping up in a field full of flowers or wheat but it wasn't anything like that. No, it was the city of Ninjago. At first, I didn't recognize the halls that I once raced my father down but when I saw the room number I had to knock. All I could do was breathe and silently say to myself "please be here, please be here" opening my eyes to the sound of the door I lept with joy as my father stood there with his arm wide open "what took you so long?" he asked letting me go so mum could hug me "minner complacations" "well, you are home now" mum tucked my hair behind my ear "and we couldn't be more happy" I almost couldn't see them for tears were trickling down my face "come, sit" was sat down them on both sides of me "we couldn't be proder of you Neveah" "all you had to go through" "you are so strong" "I hope Harumi is just as strong as you" "Harumi?" "mom" she was standing in the hallway looking as if she had been sleeping "rumi" dropping to my knees, she came running into my arms hugging me and her teddy "she came to us after...that night" her tiny hands covered my cheeks as I cried "I am so sorry Rumi" pulling my face out of her body she said three words that ment the world to me "I forgive you"

I spent what felt like years at that apartment growing, healing, and loving my little girl, But each one of us knew that something was missing. "What his name hon" I knew who she was talking about and so did Harumi "you're blushing mom" "I know, but I don't think he loves now" "what makes you say that?" "I left him" "why" "I had more important things to think about" Harumi's face changed as she looked to the ground and said, "mom, we're dead and you can't change that...you were so blinded by pain that you didn't think about how it would have affected the people who loved you" "what but I was trying to get back to you" "but we didn't need you, he did" "No" "But I do" the soul inside of me was confused as I turned and saw Lloyd "you are the only one who can stop me" "from what" "from destroying the world" "but you can'r do that you have the team and your mother, sensi wu" "but I don't have you" "you are the only one who can stop me from my oni side" why did this always happen to me? Why did I have to make the choice yet again? I just got her back. I was happy. Why would I trade this for a life where pain did exist? "I don't think I can" "please, you are the only one" "then go find someone else" there was a twitch in my nose as I defiantly sat down not looking at him "there isn't anyone else" I could feel the weight rising "you are saying that in the whole world there isn't anyone else that you can love?" "well no, but there isn't anyone else who loves me like you do...when you got infected the universe could have chosen someone else but they didn't" "how am I suppose to love you? When I have to leave her?" Harumi's hair was smooth as I brushed my hand through it "you can do both" my mum chimed in "honey, Harumi is loved and cared for here" why did it have to be me? "Harumi, take a walk with me?" how does a heart choose which path when it is being pulled in each direction "It's okay, mom" taking Lloyd's hand "I love you rumi" "I know"

"You don't have to go if you don't want to" Lloyd stood with me at the edge of the sea of clouds "my head is so confused...one part of me is wanting to live again another is telling me to die but...I can't deside" my body dropped to the sand hopeless with the chance of finally deciding "can't you decide for me?" slow Lloyd lowered himself to the sand "I can not" "you've done it in the past" "and that was a mistake" laying my head down to watch the night sky above the clouds "I wish I was in the monastery" boom wish one done "opps I forgot" "Harumi what every you decide...I will never leave" "that's nice" laying in that bed I had many things to consider but Lloyd kept his word, he never left. He fell asleep rotating a warm feeling of a blanket in the winter. Why was it that I felt more alive dead than I did alive?