Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja X Reader: Legend (under construction)

Chapter 22: The Red Lotus

Randy's POV:

We stayed there in the willow grove, all eight of us. I sat there on the willow root that Y/N had her head on. "She just... up and left?" Myst asked, sitting in the trees. I nodded and stared at the arrow in the rising moonlight. Why did you leave?
"Ninjas!" Y/N's scream echoed. I sat up straight, hearing bushes rattle.
"Masks on," I whispered quietly. The others nodded and slipped them over their faces, black and different colored bands flashing over their clothes. Y/N suddenly burst through the leaves, her eyes damp from what seemed like she was crying, and her breathes coming in short gasps. She sank to her knees instantly, tired from the running. "Y/N!" I said, running forward and catching her in my arms. She looked up at me. "I need... I need your-"
"Shhh! Don't speak. You're too tired," Blue said, coming to stand behind me. I nodded in agreement. We set Y/N down by the tree roots, trying to calm her in the white moonlight. Blue had gotten her some water. After a few moments of rest, Y/N was ready to talk. "My friend... he's been hurt! I need help. Please?" she begged, staring at me and the others. I nodded to the others.
"Who is your friend?" Reaper asked.
"Kai, Kai Embers?"
Flare: "Where did you leave him? How badly was he hurt?"
Y/N: "In a cabin, not too far from here. And he was cut... at the throat..." I exchanged at scared glance with the others before turning back.
"We'll see what we can do. For now, you and the rest of us need rest. Have you eaten anything?" I asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. She shook her head and I turned to Myst. "Did you bring the food?" She nodded and pulled out of the trees a pack of 12 rations of food.
There was bread, water, apples, cheese, everything. We all sat in a circle and ate our fills. In the silver and white lights, a few fire flies came out to play in the darkness. It was beautiful. Their yellow glowing bodies were almost like small lanterns in the night with hope making them shine. Within an hour or so, Y/N, Blue, Sakira, and Carissa were asleep either in a tree or beside one. Reaper, Esmerelda, Flare, Myst, and myself were awake and quietly shared stories of our lives. We laughed and talked for hours until we grew too tired to even think of talking.
I crept over to Y/N and laid beside. She was still the most gorgeous thing I had ever seen. She was smart too. I loved her in every way and I felt a sudden urge to protect her in anyway I could. Then I fell asleep with her in my arms, listening to her soothing heartbeat.

Y/N's POV:

I woke up to the bright sunlight creeping up on the other side of the mountains. The shadows crossed my face, making it seem lighter in the sky. I saw that Ninja was beside me, asleep. His red scarf was curled around him where he slept. I smiled at this and slipped on my own mask, just so I could fit in with them. Then, just as slowly as the sun rose in the morning, I remembered that Kai was still in danger. We all were.
"Ninja. Ninja, wake up!" I whispered in his ear. He sat up and looked at me with sleepy eyes.
"What time is it?" he yawned back. I rolled my eyes at him.
"Time to go on the rescue mission? For Kai?" I said, shaking him. He blinked at me and suddenly realized I was right. "Hey, guys! Time to wake up!" Ninja called to the others. I nodded and found the arrow that I had carved the words into: It's not just us anymore.
"It's true," I whispered to myself. "It isn't just us anymore."

We ran all the way back, everything feeling better now that we were together. I was so ready to kill that S.O.B that killed Kai. But as we were running, I could hear Sakira's breathe coming in short, almost painful gasps. "Sakira? You ok?" I asked, filing in beside her. She nodded to me.
"Just a little tired, that's all," she said with a smile. I nodded and smiled back, but doubted that she really was ok.

We walked through the halls of Kai's cabin. There were so many memories that crashed down in my mind. Why did he have to die? Who was Aspen? The thoughts circled me like a pack of wolves. I walked over to where "Aspen" had flicked the beads of blood on the wall. But instead of dried up blood, there were small, red lotus petals. I stared at the color. The tips and rims of the petals were laced with clearish white drops of dew. "How could...? I don't understand...," I said in awe at the tiny lotus petals.
"Look over here," Sakira's voice said from around the corner.
I turned and walked over to her, stopping short at the sudden streak of color on the shadowed floor. With the morning sun climbing over the mountains and trees, it left the room in shadows and in the pinkish, orange light. In the streak of pure sunlight, dark red lotus blossoms and petals sprung up. Then I remembered that this was where Kai had been when he had died.
    I felt that burning feeling at the back of my throat when you know you want to cry, but are wanting to stay strong. "Is this...?" Sakira asked slowly. I nodded. "This was Kai. My... good, good friend," I said, taking in a deep breathe. She nodded in understanding, a great deal of pain flickering in her eyes too. I shut mine, trying to stay calm and not let the tears fall to the ground.
    But I opened my eyes at the sight of something new. Sakira was resting her shoulder against the wall, her breathing coming in thin gasps, like she couldn't breathe right. "Sakira? What's wrong?" I asked. Sakira shook her head and started sliding down the wall, holding her throat. I rushed over, trying to help in anyway I could. "Blue! Ninja!" I screamed, dropping to my knees with Sakira in my arms.
    The rushing of feet echoed in the distance as I removed Sakira's mask and stared her in the face. Her dark pink eyes were wide with terror, and her mouth was gaping for air. Her hand was on her throat. "Sakira! What's wrong!?" I said, trying to be forceful and straight to the point with all of this.
    "Snowbird! What's going on?" Blue said, peeking around the corner and seeing Sakira down. She stared with uneasiness at the sight at first, before running over and sat beside me. "Sakira. Can you hear me? Nod your head if you can hear me," Blue said, taking Sakira's other hand. She nodded and tried to say something.
    "Poi... pois... p-p-p...," she wheezed out, gasping one last time. "Poison..." She swallowed as me and Blue shared a terrified glance.
"Just heal yourself!" Blue yelled, frustrated. Sakira shook her head. "Too... s-s-strong..."     "Sakira! You can't give out on us like this! Sakira! Don't you shut your eyes... Don't you dare!" Blue yelled, tears trailing down her face. She narrowed her eyes and shook Sakira. "Sakira... Please... We can't do this without you..." But she was gone. The Child of Healing was dying. I swallowed, blinking as Sakira stared at me with hopeful eyes. "Be... s-s-strong... Remember who you a-a-a-are..," she whispered. I nodded, feeling more sadness pressure itself on me. Then her eyes glazed over with a dead stare. "Sakira...," Blue said quietly, hanging her head and holding Sakira's hand. There was one last twitch of her fingers before the life left her eyes. Nos, there was just silence. Blue laid Sakira down, her sobs silent.

The sun was high above the mountains now. Sakira was going to be greatly missed, but we had to press on with what we had to accomplish. Blue sat in the sun, her head lowered. She had been sitting there for at least an hour or more. I decided that I needed to comfort her. I walked up slowly, trying to be gentle.
"Blue?" I said in almost a whisper. She glanced up at me quickly and then back down to the ground. "Yeah?" She asked. I sat down beside her, thinking of the perfect words to say.
"You... You ok?" I asked. She shook her head.
"Listen, Snowy," she said through sniffles. "I... I'm sorry that I had judged you in the beginning. I just thought that I could have taken your place because of how you acted, the way you were. But I was wrong. I was so wrong. Without a power of your own, there's wasn't much hope for you in the final battle. But now that I see the way you make everyone feel, the way your hope is stronger and brighter than any of ours. Well, Let me just say that I am proud to call you a leader. I'm happy you are my friend. And I want nothing more than to fight beside you until the moment I lose consciousness," she said, wiping away tears from her eyes.
I stared at her for a moment and hugged her. What were we supposed to do now? I wondered. Were we all going to die tonight? Tomorrow?

The OC that has died in this chapter was FoxNinja360. Thank you for contributing to this fanfiction.