In the End (A Ninjago Fanfiction- ORIGINAL)

Chapter 5

Jay pulled himself over rock after rock, up slope after slope, ignoring the burning pain in his limbs. He would reach the caves- no matter what, he would reach the caves. His whole body shook, but not from cold or pain. Burning fury coursed through his veins, and one thought flared in the front of his mind.

Nya... they took Nya...

Were it not for this thought, he would have given way to exhaustion long ago. Now, sheer strength of will drove him on. He'd lost everything- everyone. Failure was not an option...

At last he dragged himself up the final incline, pausing, panting, at the entrance of one of the higher caves. He clenched his fists, about to enter, and then whirled suddenly as a twig snapped behind him. He braced himself, raising a hand in preparation to attack, but relaxed slightly as Kai appeared over the brink of the ledge.

Kai was a mess. Mud clung to every inch of his body. His gi was torn in several places. And, by the looks of it, he hadn't slept either. But he was not Akrohai- Jay could see that in an instant.

Kai coughed, clenching his fists, and stared up at him with wrath in his eyes. "Get out of my way- you won't stop me..."

Jay shook his head. "I'm not one of them."

"Are you certain of that?" he growled.

"They never touched me."

There was a long pause. Finally Kai spoke again.

"Where's Nya?"

Jay clenched his fists and didn't answer. Kai shot a wrathful glare toward the cave. "Then we're the only ones left..."

"You've seen the others?"

"Most of them. Enough to know we can't count on getting help from anyone else."

Jay took a deep breath. "Do you think the Akrohai are really in there?"

"We both turned up at the caves, didn't we? I'd say that's a pretty good sign." He stared into the darkness for a while. "It's up to us now. We're the only ones left who can stop the Akrohai..."

"Then let's finish this."

The caves were dark and dank- and deserted. Even the small creatures that usually scurried through their depths were gone. The two Ninja traded glances- the lack of life seemed to prove them right. More determined now than ever, they pressed steadily onward.

Abruptly, the cavern widened. The ceiling arched up, and the walls fell away to either side. And there, in the center of the room, lay an enormous white dragon.

Her scales were white as chalk, gleaming faintly in the blackness, and her breath rumbled softly in the cavernous depths of her body. She stirred slightly, seeming to sense their presence, and unconsciously the Ninja stepped back. Slowly, the beast raised her head, staring vacantly at them with misty eyes.

"So," her low voice rumbled, "You have found me. I applaud your efforts. You have fought well- though your fight is, I regret to say, in vain."

The huge beast rose, stretching, and towered over them, long tail lashing. "I like this form. It suits me well- a powerful body for a powerful queen. Do you like it?"

Kai clenched his fists. "We're not here to talk. We're here to get our friends back!'

The queen laughed, a deep, rumbling sound. "Oh? My apologies. I should have known. Forgive me for being so forgetful- why don't I let you see them right now?" She stood, shifting her bulk to one side, and for the first time, the dark shapes gathered at the back of the room became visible. "Although, I must warn you... they are not pleased that you have disturbed them from their rest. They may not be so happy to see you as you are to see them..."

Even as the queen's words echoed through the cavern, the silhouettes stirred. Each stretched a little, seeming to rouse from slumber, and then slowly, almost mechanically, the horde turned, advancing steadily toward the two Ninja.

***

Skylor stared out at an expanse of rolling green hills dotted with the occasional tree, beneath a deep blue sky. Here and there, a lake glittered in a valley, and behind her a huge grey castle broke the soft skyline. The air was filled with a sense of timelessness-- as if here, the sun always shone, as if time itself had lost all meaning. It felt as if she'd been here forever, and always would be.

She should have felt safe, but she didn't-- though she couldn't explain why. Something nagged at the back of her mind, a sense of danger she could not explain. But what danger? This place was a paradise-- with no danger in sight.

With a sigh, she turned, heading back toward the castle. Lately she'd had a lot of feelings she could not explain, strange sensations, flickers of incongruous thought that made little sense. Sometimes, everything just felt so muddled.

A flicker of white caught her attention, and she lifted her gaze to see a tall young woman striding down from the castle gate toward her. The girl wore a gown of gleaming white, sparkling in the light of the sun-- the queen of the castle, and ruler of the land, Skylor realized. She hesitated, suddenly unsure of what formalities were proper-- and again, the flicker gripped her thoughts. She'd been here for as long as she remembered-- how could she not know how to respond?

In the end, she bowed awkwardly, looking up at the queen. "Your Majesty..."

"Greetings, Skylor." The queen smiled, but then frowned. "Your countenance is troubled-- is everything alright?"

"Yes-- no-- I... I think so. I mean, I'm just..." She shook her head. "I've been confused lately. I don't know why, but... something doesn't make sense. It's... strange."

The queen gave a thoughtful nod, growing pensive. "I see. You are troubled by dreams again?"

"I... suppose you could say that..."

-to be continued-

Unfortunately this is all I have of this manuscript.  I hope to rewrite it someday, though-- I hope you enjoyed!