Taking Control. (a Ninjago fanfic)

Chapter 24- Hidden in the green

N Y A

The harsh chill of the morning air bit at my skin. I stretched, relishing at the good feeling, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. The jungle was peaceful, so peaceful. The only sounds were the soft whistling of the wind and the quiet  splashing of the waterfall.

The waterfall only reminded me of what happened last night, the phrase Jay always said still stuck in my brain.

My heart ached a little bit more.

The faint sound of birdsong echoed somewhere in the trees, all different songs mixed into a soft harmony. Dew clung to very leaf, catching rays of the early sun that shone through the gaps in the trees.

I sighed, brushing my messy hair back from my face and tying it into my signature ponytail. I glanced towards Lloyd, who was leaning against a tree and yawning.

"You're not exactly the picture of a fearless leader right now," I teased, watching as he stretched dramatically.

He shot me a lazy grin. "Just trying to conserve energy. Someone's gotta be smart about it."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, well, smart or not, I'm starving. Zane, you see anything edible around here?"

Zane stood nearby scanning the surroundings. "Unfortunately, not that I know of. There seems to be plenty of plants here, but none that are registered in my database. I have no clue what's poisonous and what's not."

Lloyd groaned dramatically, leaning against a tree like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. "Great. More walking and no breakfast. My favorite combo."

"Suck it up, buttercup," I shot back, grinning at him. The corner of his mouth twitched upward, and he chuckled despite himself.

The humor in the air was refreshing, almost enough to make me forget we were deep in the middle of Hiroshi's Labyrinth with no real plan other than to keep moving. The jungle was dense and eerily alive, the kind of place that seemed to watch your every step. But for a moment, it felt like old times—just us bantering like we didn't have a care in the world.

Then Zane froze.

He raised a hand sharply, drawing our conversation to an abrupt close. His face hardened into that blank, focused expression he wore when something wasn't right. "Quiet," he whispered, his voice low but urgent. "Did you hear that?"

I stilled, every sense on high alert.

"What? What is it?" Lloyd whispered, already reaching for his sword.

Zane tilted his head slightly, his robotic sensors no doubt picking up something we couldn't. "A sound," he said quietly. "Something... moving."

The three of us froze, straining to hear. At first, there was nothing, just the usual sounds of the jungle—the chirp of birds, the distant buzz of insects. But then I caught it.

Rustling.

Oh, god.

It was faint, like something brushing through the undergrowth, but it was steady, persistent. It wasn't just the wind.

"Please tell me that's just a really big squirrel," Lloyd muttered, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword.

"Not unless squirrels here weigh about a hundred pounds," I whispered back, gripping my spear tightly in my hands.

My heart pounded against my ribs as I scanned the jungle, searching for movement.

The rustling grew louder, closer, and my breath hitched. I exchanged a quick glance with Lloyd, and I could see the same wariness in his green eyes. Zane stepped forward cautiously, his ice shurikens already in his hands.

"I will investigate," he said, his tone calm but firm.

"Zane, wait," I hissed, reaching out to stop him, but he was already moving, his footsteps silent as he slipped into the trees.

I clenched my weapon tighter, the weight of the silence pressing down on me like a stone.

Seconds passed. Then a minute.

Me and Lloyd exchanged uncertain looks.

And then, suddenly—

A crash.

Seconds later, Zane reappeared.

But he wasn't alone.

He was thrown straight to the ground, a massive... creature pinning him down.

"Zane!" Lloyd yelled, and we bolted towards him.

It was huge, towering over us with bark-like skin and glowing green eyes. It let out a deep, guttural roar, snapping its claws as Zane rolled away just in time.

Before we could react, something else darted out of the trees—a blur of movement too fast to track.

"Who—" I started, but then they were on us.

She moved like lightning. One second, she was flipping over Zane's ice shards, the next she was in front of me, her weapon—just a small dagger— slicing near my face. Too near.

"Get back!" I shouted, throwing a jet of water toward her.

She dodged easily, landing in a crouch so effortlessly that it surprised me.

She was about our age by the looks of it—her ginger braids so long they nearly touched the ground, swinging behind her as she moved. Flowers, pure white and glowing faintly, were woven into her hair, making her seem almost... otherworldly.

"Who are you?" Lloyd demanded, his sword raised in a fighting stance.

She didn't answer, her fierce green eyes locking onto mine for a split second before she moved again.

I didn't have time to think. She came at me, so fast— I tried to spin out of the way, but she managed to snag me in some sort of vines— where did they come from-?

Then it clicked.

Was she- was she an elemental master?

"Lloyd, behind you!" I heard Zane yell. The creature lunged at him, its massive claws swiping at his figure. It wasn't an animal - at least I didn't think so. It seemed to be made out of... the trees.

He barely dodged, tumbling to the ground as its enraged roar echoed through the clearing.

The girl was on me again. She managed to pin me to the ground, and a sharp pain traveled through my chest as she kneeled on my torso.

"Who are you and what do you want?" I managed to utter. She wore a mask that covered her mouth so I couldn't see much of her face but she seemed... confused.

Why was she-

She looked around, seemingly distracted. I tried to reach my spear but she kicked it out of the way. Her green eyes locked onto Lloyd.

"Who are you?" I demanded again.

She didn't answer. Instead, she leapt off of me.

Why did she-

The girl lunged at him, a vine that she somehow summoned out of the ground wrapping around his sword and yanking it from his grasp. Before he could react, more vines shot up from the ground, pinning him to a nearby tree.

"Lloyd!" I yelled, raising my spear again, but something in her expression stopped me.

She was frozen, staring at him like she'd seen a ghost. Her fierce demeanor softened for just a moment, her green eyes wide with...recognition?

She dropped her dagger, and whispered, almost too softly to hear:

"Lloyd?"