Ninjago's Shadow

27: Xavier?

           We walk back to Thicket and say goodbye to the spirits and The Counsel, then Thicket takes Lloyd and I to the Calling Cliff. Kai, Cole, Jay, and Zane have successfully called their dragons to them. Wisp, Rocky, Shard, Flame, and Thicket take use back to the bounty. We tell Sensei and Nya what happened during dinner then retire to our rooms.

The red sirens go off and I jerk awake. Jumping out of bed I use my spinjitzu. It is silver with little leaves swirling around in it. Changing into my ninja suit, I grab my golden bow and quiver of gold arrows off the dresser. Clipping my quiver to the belt of my ninja suit and throwing my bow across my back I quickly whip my hair into a sloppy braid as I race out the bedroom door.

The ninjas, Sensei, and Nya are pelting down the hallway. "What's going on?" I ask them.

"There is an intruder on board." Nya says. I nod and flip on my hood-mask as do Kai, Cole, Jay, Zane, and Lloyd.

We burst through the door and onto the main deck. Sensei and Nya race up to the bridge room. Kai, Cole, Jay, Zane, Lloyd, and I slowly walk around the perimeter of the deck. We draw our weapons and slide into a fighting stance. I nock an arrow in my bow and hold it at the ready.

A soft breeze blows, whispering its words to me. 'The child of shadows...'

The shadow cast by the mast ripples and a boy with a leather jacket and crow wings steps out. "Xavier." I gasp and my grip on the bow's draw string loosens.

Zane throws on of his shurikens and I react instantly. Raising my bow, I draw back the arrow and let it fly. The arrow hits the shurikens and both clatter to the deck. Xavier gasps his pale gray-blue eyes flash with fright. He curls in a ball hands over his head and wraps his wings around himself. Zane gives me the what-was-that-for look, at the same time Cole gives me the which-side-are-you-fighting-for look. Jay twirls his nunchucks and sends a lightning bolt hurtling at Xavier. I reflect it with the head of an arrow.

Lloyd lunges forward swinging his double ended scythe at Xavier. I jump and kick his weapon aside before the emerald blade hits Xavier. Cole grabs me by the shoulder and throws me aside like a twig as he shouts at me, "What are you doing?!"

I hit the railing of the ship hard, knocking the wind out of me. With my left hand I take off my hood-mask coughing and gasping for breath. Then the bounties lights go on and the deck is bright as day. I see the flash of a sword being drawn and I stagger to my feet. Stumbling over I call out, "Kai, no! Stop!"

For a second he falters, sword over his head about to come down on Xavier. That small second is all I need. Soon I am standing over Xavier raising my bow up to meet Kai's sword. The blade comes down scratching my cheek.

I'm gripping both ends of my bow and Kai is gripping his sword hilt with both of his hands. We both push waiting for the other to give out. "Why are you doing this?" Kai growls.

Before I can say a word Jay barks, "You are a traitor."

Then Cole hisses, "We were wrong about you. The Counsel was right. You haven't changed."

His words stung like salt and lemon juice on a fresh cut. Zane simply asks, "Why?"

"She'll never talk. Don't even bother." Kai spits.

"Not if you don't give her a chance to speak." Lloyd snaps.

I take a deep breath. "If it wasn't for this boy I wouldn't be here, I wouldn't even be alive. Yes he is a shadow boy, but he saved my life. Now I save his."

"Kai, STOP!" Sensei shouts.

I look up. Sensei is standing outside the bridge room door. I hadn’t noticed him come out. Kai steps back dropping his sword to his side. I step back and drop my bow. It falls with a clatter to the deck. My palms sting and I look down. Blood drips from a perfectly straight cut about 2 centimeters thick and deep runs across my palms. The drawstring from by bow must have dug into my hands.

I kneel down by Xavier and stroke the black feathers of his wings with the back of my hand. "Xavier..." I say in a sing song voice.

The black feathers of his wings ripple and open so that only his blue-gray eyes show. He unwraps his wings from around himself and sits up. From his jacket he pulls out a dagger with a gold hilt studded with rubies and emeralds in a leather sheath.

He hands it to me. I pull the blade from its sheath. It is golden with small strands of silver, bronze, and platinum finely braided down the middle. I look up at Xavier. "Your daughter is alive. She gave me the magic to come here to you, along with her weapon." Tears of joy fall from my eyes. Then Xavier's expression turns tragic. "The shadows are coming. A war is waging."