Taking Control. (a Ninjago fanfic)

Chapter 58- A child, a fool and a God

Ooh, a long chapter, YIPEE... 4.3K words guys! Enjoy...

C O L E

Cold.

That was the first thing I felt—cold seeping into my bones, biting through my clothes, clawing at my skin like icy talons. My head throbbed, and every breath tasted like smoke and ash, scraping down my throat.

I forced my eyes open, but my vision swam, shapes blurring and doubling before finally settling into focus. I was lying on my back, half-buried in rubble—sharp edges digging into my shoulder blades. Groaning, I pushed myself upright, blinking away the dizziness.

Everything was... wrecked. The ground around me was cracked and broken, scorched black in jagged, twisted patterns like lightning scars.

Chunks of stone and debris littered the area, some still smoking from recent blasts..

I flexed my hands, trying to ignore the numbness creeping through my fingers. Static still buzzed in my head from that shock earlier— The Mechanic's stupid electricity gadget. I gritted my teeth, forcing my thoughts to straighten out.

It was dark. I knew it was night, but this wasn't the usual-nighttime-kind-of-dark. This was... wrong. The sky was blotted out by thick, swirling clouds, tinged purple and streaked with jagged bolts of lightning that crackled like bones snapping. The wind whipped around me, bitter and relentless, howling like it was alive, biting and barking at my face.

A shiver crawled down my spine, and I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to shake the lingering chill. The cold wasn't just from the wind—it felt deeper, like it was seeping straight into my core.

I squinted through the haze, trying to spot something— anything familiar. There were scorch marks everywhere—deep craters punctured into the earth, trees blackened and skeletal, barely standing anymore. I could see where flames had licked at the ground, leaving blackened trails and flickering embers.

My stomach twisted, unease crawling up my throat. Where was everyone? I couldn't see Kai, or Lloyd, or... anyone. My pulse sped up, and I staggered to my feet, ignoring the way my knees threatened to buckle. I wasn't gonna sit here and do nothing.

I wiped a shaky hand across my mouth, forcing myself to breathe evenly. Think. Focus. Find the others. They couldn't have gone far.

I took a step forward, boots crunching against broken stone, ignoring the sharp pain it caused me. I scanned the area again, trying to keep the rising panic at bay. I wasn't alone. I couldn't be.

But where was everyone?

Where was Rue?

Zane? Lloyd and Kai?

A flash of light caught my eye, and I turned just around a corner in time to see a bolt of purple lightning crash into the ground a few yards away, sending chunks of stone flying. I flinched, raising my arm to shield my face from the debris, and when I looked up—

There they were.

Lloyd and Kai.

They were still fighting, but—no. Fighting wasn't the right word for it. They were surviving.

Barely.

Kai was throwing punches, fire trailing from his hands, but his movements were sluggish, like his legs were weighed down with lead. His flames flickered weakly, dimming to a sickly orange as they struggled against the icy wind. Every time he tried to get close, another blast of lightning forced him back.