Return of Doom (Ninjago in the future)

Part 18: Make the Impossible Possible

Color slowly formed around me. I took a shaky breath, then another. Relief flooded over me when I realized I could breathe freely. I grimaced as the memories of my dream flooded over me.

Carefully, I picked myself up. My wrists and ankles throbbed in protest. When I looked down, I saw dark bruises in circles around the joints. Then I felt my neck — slightly swollen and sensitive to the touch. My hand dropped to my side as I took in my surroundings.

I was still in the Monastery courtyard from my previous dream, except it was bright and sunny, any trace of Umber gone. I slowly wandered inside, then froze when I heard noise.

My heart pounded, even as I tried to control my breathing. I guess with Umber's attacks, I was paranoid of another, even in my dream. Fortunately, though, when I rounded the corner, the only person I saw was Lloyd.

He looked up when I knocked on the doorframe. "Luna!" He exclaimed, turning away from his scrolls to examine my injuries. "Are you okay?"

Something about his tone chilled me. Why wouldn't I be okay? "Sure," I rasped, then gasped and clutched my neck. It felt like claws tearing at my dry throat when I spoke.

Lloyd's brow furrowed. "Are you sure? Cause—" he stopped himself suddenly. "Um, never mind. How are your wrists?"

I held them out in front of me for Lloyd to see. He frowned at the purple coloration, his fingers hovering just above the skin. "Can you move your hands?" He asked.

Wincing, I rotated my hands. They were definitely sore, but not broken. Although I didn't know if I could hold a weapon.

I shrugged helplessly, giving Lloyd a pleading look. He sighed and waved for me to enter the library, leading me to his open scrolls.

"This dream Monastery is a replica of my home," Lloyd explained, "except still in good shape. The scrolls here are not as brittle as the real ones, so I can read them." He pointed to an open scroll. "I found one mentioning the 'Sleeper' the dragon told you about."

At my confused look, he smiled slightly. "Your friends told me. Anyway, it says something about standing alone to face the end of the world, using the power of creation, yada yada."

"Alone?" I managed, worried.

Lloyd shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. "You already told me you're not alone." Again, he smiled. "I've found it's best not to worry about prophecies. They will always unfold, no matter what you do to stop it." His face fell as he remembered something.

I placed a hand on his shoulder. He sighed, then turned away from the scroll. "Right now, you should worry about healing. This is the second time within a week that Umber strangled you, and I don't want you to make that damage permanent." He met my gaze with a sad expression. "Just rest. I'm not going to let Umber get at you again."

I smiled self-consciously, warm at the thought of the Green Ninja protecting me. I closed my eyes, trying to find the comforting darkness of sleep between wakefulness and the dream realm. I felt it like a soft blanket, and followed it. My body disappeared from the Monastery.

And instead of falling asleep, I was suddenly standing in the infirmary.

I blinked, startled. I spun around, then noticed I was floating.

I gasped and looked down at my body. It was mostly transparent, softly glowing lilac. All the pain I felt from my skirmish with Umber disappeared, even in my throat. I looked at my hands, confused.

My eyes focused on something underneath my hands. I rubbed my eyes, then blinked hard, trying to understand.

It was me. I was lying on a bed, perfectly still. A blanket was pulled up to my shoulders, but my hands rested on top, revealing the ugly bruises I saw in my dream. My neck bore similar markings, making the gold choker stand out brightly. Beside me with her head resting peacefully on the blankets was Summer.