Taking Control. (a Ninjago fanfic)

Chapter 42- Breath of relief

P I X A L

The quiet hum of the hospital lights buzzed faintly above us, and I found myself counting the seconds between each flicker. The stillness was heavy, the kind that settles over a group of people who've run out of things to say but haven't run out of things to feel.

I mean, it wasn't like we could talk about anything normal- we hadn't done anything normal in a while now. All our focus had been on the situation. And if we did it would've felt wrong- like we were just returning to normal instead of spending every moment trying to rescue Jay.

Rue was perched on the edge of her chair, her leg bouncing nervously. Kai stood by the window, arms crossed, staring at the empty parking lot like it held the answers to every unspoken question in the room. Zane sat nearby, unnaturally still, as if he were in standby mode. Nya leaned back in her chair, eyes shut but not truly resting.

Lloyd was slumped in his seat, head tilted awkwardly against his shoulder, still fast asleep. He hadn't even stirred when Kai, Rue and Zane got into a whispered debate over whether or not Cole would yell at us for waiting so long at the hospital.

And me? I sat between them all, quiet, watching, my sensors on high alert. I couldn't shake the unease in my circuits, the calculation that something still wasn't right.

The doors slammed open, the sudden noise shattering the fragile calm.

Everyone jumped to their feet—or at least most of them. Lloyd grumbled in his sleep and shifted slightly, but didn't wake.

Master Wu strode in, his expression one of annoyance and his movements slow and tired. In his cupped hands was a faint blue glow.

"Master Wu," I said, rising instinctively. "What are you doing here? Why—"

Before I could finish, the blue glow in his hands wriggled free from his hands and shot into the room, a streak of colour that left us all blinking in surprise.

"Lunar!" Rue gasped, sitting up straighter.

What in the world-

"Get it!" Kai barked, lunging toward the luminous blur, but it darted past him with ease, barking softly as if teasing him.

"I'm sorry. The lumine was extremely persistent."

"The what?" Kai hissed.

Zane, Rue and Nya didn't seem confused in the slightest.

"Lunar!" Rue called softly, her voice tinged with both concern and relief.

"Don't-"

But it was too late. The creature crashed into Lloyd's stomach, eliciting a sputtering groan as it winded the green Ninja.

"What the-" he muttered, rubbing his eyes blearily and staring down at the glowing bundle barking on his lap.

Lloyd smiled gently, and the creatures glow turned a bright gold.

What in the name of Ninjago was this creature-

"What the hell is that?" Kai asked again, staring at it uncertainly.

"It's a lumine." Nya explained. "A creature that is found in Hiroshis labyrinth. We were travelling back to the land bounty with the mirror, and the little guy took quite a liking to Lloyd. So he begged to keep it and.. here we are." She sighed.

"...right," Kai answered slowly, sitting back down.

The door ahead of us creaked open, and an exhausted-looking nurse stepped through. Her clothes were creased, and there were dark circles under her eyes, but she managed a small, reassuring smile.