Onyx and the Way of the Ninja

The Dark Wyrm

Onyx approached the dragon lying in the destroyed throne room of the ancient palace. Now that it was still, she had the chance to get a closer look at it. It had scales that were such a dark shade of green they were almost black, and dull ebony horns adorning its once-brilliant head. Onyx mustered all of her courage and stepped forward. "Wake up," she said softly.

Without missing a beat, the dragon silently reared up. Its eye-sockets narrowed slightly at Onyx, the yellow lights within them glowing a bit brighter. Memories that weren't hers flashed through Onyx's head. A grandiose palace crumbling to pieces, a crowned man falling from the throne, blood dripping from a slash in his throat. A dark-haired woman's tear-streaked face as she screamed at the dragon. 'Fade!' Chains of violet light snaking around the dragon. And then the chains breaking away as the dragon sensed the daggers being pulled from the pedestal, breaking the seal.

Onyx gasped as she surfaced from the flood of memories. "Fade," she whispered to the dragon. The woman's cry was still ringing in her ears, like she was crying out through time. Onyx didn't know who she was, but the woman's face had been similar to hers. "Was she your master before me?" Onyx asked. The dragon dipped her head to Onyx, who reached out and hugged its snout. "I don't know what happened to you then, but I'm here now. And if you want to help us protect Ninjago, I need you," she said.

Fade opened her mouth, revealing teeth as worn and cracked as the remains of the kingdom. She clamped down on Onyx's collar and lifted the girl onto her back. Onyx slid into a small dip between Fade's tattered wings. The dragon spread them out, sucking air into its mouth and giving a deafening roar before taking off into the sky.

Fade shot through the sky, whirling and spinning elatedly, Onyx clinging to her smooth, supple scales as hard as she could, praying that she wouldn't fall off the dragon's back.

A moment passed, then the other ninja joined her atop their dragons. "Fun, isn't it?" Kai shouted over the wind howling in their ears.

"Yeah!" Onyx replied. The feeling of the wind against her face, and the light airiness she felt was invigorating. She'd always wanted to fly. But most of all, she felt safe. She trusted Fade to keep her aloft.

Cole was the only ninja who didn't seem to be enjoying the ride. "W-woah, not so fast!" He told his dragon, who either didn't understand what Cole wanted, or didn't care enough to listen.

"So how do dragons cross over to the Underworld?" Kai asked. As soon as the name of the place passed his lips, the dragons all folded their wings and dove towards the ground like hawks.

"I think we're about to find out..!" Onyx yelled, clinging onto Fade. Someone shrieked as the dragons spun and crashed into the ground.

But they didn't crash. Instead, they were all thrown into a void of whirling colors with a deafening bang.

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Yeah, I know this chapter is really short. You'd think you'd be able to write MORE when you're sick, but turns out it just makes it harder to focus. Anyway, I'll try to get a new chapter out soon.