Flames of the Past #5: Lost Souls (Ninjago Fanfiction)

Chapter 11

The wind whipped at Kai's face as he jumped off the Bounty. Skylor was just below him and he dove toward her, reaching out his hand. She reached back and managed to grab his hand. Immediately, Kai yanked her toward him and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against his chest.

They hit into a treetop and she yelped in pain. Gritting his teeth, Kai twisted around so she was on top of him. He felt the next tree first and he jerked. He pressed Skylor's face into his chest, trying his best to shield her from the worst of the blows. He grunted as he hit another tree, feeling the branches tear through his suit. They tumbled into tree after tree until Kai eventually crashed onto the forest floor.

Skylor landed on top of him, gasping. Shocked, she stayed still for a moment as she caught her breath. Although still trembling, she pushed off the red ninja's chest and sat up. Her back felt bruised and her dress was torn at the sleeve. Wondering why Kai hadn't given a cocky remark yet, she looked down at him and felt alarmed. The red ninja's eyes were shut and his body was unmoving.

"K-Kai?" she rasped, gently shaking him.

He didn't respond and she shook him more violently. Again, he didn't move, and Skylor hurriedly checked his pulse. He was still alive, thankfully, but he must have gotten injured on the way down. Unfortunately, Skylor couldn't tell exactly what was wrong.

Swallowing nervously, the princess moved closer to the unconscious ninja as she glanced around. The forest seemed foreign and unwelcoming; she had never been beyond kingdom walls before. She didn't have the faintest idea of what could've been out there.

She struggled not to let tears drip down her cheeks as she looked back at Kai. She had to do something. She had to help him.

Shakily, she rose to her feet. She rubbed her bruised back as she scanned her surroundings. Not too far away, she spotted a hollow space dug out of a tangled mound. Shelter, she thought. Turning back to Kai, she grabbed his arm and began to drag him toward it.

Moving the ninja wasn't easy. She stopped every few feet, panting. Then with a grunt she would tug again, grinding her teeth together. The entire time she hoped she wasn't hurting him.

After what seemed an eternity, she dropped him in the shelter. She leaned against its walls, gasping to catch her breath. She stared down at Kai in hopes he'd awaken, but he still seemed as lifeless as ever.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Skylor sat on the ground beside the ninja. She gazed down at him, noticing the dirt on his face. She hesitated a moment before reaching out and wiping the specks away. Then she drew back and only stared at him again.

She felt lost. She didn't know where she was and she didn't know what she should do—if she should do anything at all. Should she venture out into the forest, or stay with Kai? Could she do something to wake him up? Did he need water? Maybe she should find a stream or river nearby.

Anxiously, she threaded her fingers through her tangled hair. She wasn't good at making her own decisions. For the past few years, Sleete had always told her what to do and when to do it. She felt sick realizing how she had gotten used to his demands.

But now that she knew who her husband really was, everything changed. Were all of his decisions really the best choices? Should she have relied on him so much? Had he been making her do the wrong thing the whole time?

Had everything been a lie?

Living with Sleete, Skylor had learned not to trust her gut, but now she wondered if that was the only thing she should have been trusting. If she couldn't trust what her own husband had always said to her, who could she trust?