Ninjago: Ripped World

12: The Caretaker and The Gatekeeper

Nya and Cole were exhausted. Between meditating on their elemental powers, manipulating the earth and the water table, they would run. Following the Great Chasm to continue the pattern in a new area. They had been continuing this for days, a week maybe more. With only water to sustain them Nya had been worried. Luckily Cole had a few bars of chocolate and some biscuits in a pocket he'd had made for his scythe scabbard. What had been a snack for Cole had to be shared between them over the long arduous days. This was now gone and there was no sign of any further portals to release them.

'Maybe my theory was a load of crock after all.' Nya said.

'How so?' replied Cole.

'Well, come on, if this world had brought us here to replenish it, we're not going to get very far if we can't even replenish ourselves?'

'That is a good and very valid point Nya' he said.

'What are we going to do?' Nya turned into Cole's chest, holding back her frustration but releasing a sob instead. Cole wrapped his arms around her and they stood there with the thought of their uncertain future holding them together. Cole rested his chin on top of Nya's head and looked out at the wide vista. There had been some subtle changes in the earth and environment, some atmospheric, due to the amount of water Nya had been creating. As she watered the surface layers he created fissures to allow the water to flow to the lower layers. It had been difficult work for her at first as the air was practically devoid of moisture, but now the levels were rising she was able to create wondrous monsoon like storms. Even the great chasm had signs of moisture at the bottom of it.

He continued his contemplation watching the haze move in the distance until his eyes started to blur and jump. 'No'. He shot his head up in shock. Nya span around, in response.

From the glistening atmospheric disturbance two figures walked.

Nya grabbed Cole's hand and both assumed a strong stance. They did not know what they should be ready for.

The pair arrived before them, like a mirror image of each other, they moved as if they were one. Their long white robes covered their heads and flowed to the ground. Their faces obscured by a glass like mask.

'What do you need?' said one of the beings, or was it both? It was difficult to say, the voice seemed to reverberate through them equally.

'We need to go home' said Cole.

'We cannot allow that', they said.

'And why not?' Cole replied. He folded his arms, looking unimpressed with the otherworldly pair.

'We need you'... said one

'What do you need?' said the other.

'Answers... and a nice steak and fries wouldn't go amiss' replied Cole.

'Club sandwich' Nya sneaked in.

The glass faceplate of the right hand figure started to swirl from a milky white to a vivid green. 'We cannot give you the answers you need but you require food. We will provide.'

'Who are you?' Asked Nya.

The being on the left, replied 'I am the Gatekeeper'.

The right added 'I am the Caretaker' and moved forward, its swirling green faceplate a miniature replica of the Portals' vortex. Cole and Nya both took a precautionary step back. A subtle scraping noise came from below their feet. The earth around them jumped with tiny explosions as small shoots burst through. Cole and Nya jumped back as a larger woody plant wound its accelerated growth up between where they stood. They stepped over and around the grass and plants in awe as a lush Oasis established itself on the edge of the Great Chasm.

'Thank you' the Caretaker said. 'Our world was on the verge of death, as were we. You have enabled this creation. Please eat of the fruit that grows here and rest. Stay' both beings gave a low bow. The Gatekeeper's faceplate swirled a dark silver and black and they evaporated.

Nya gave an excited scream. 'This is incredible!' she said falling back into the long grasses; pollen and seed heads bursting from the disturbance.

Cole swung off a strong branch of a mature apple tree and propelled himself up onto it and perched there to eat an apple. 'Uh, so good! Catch', he threw one down to Nya.

'I'm coming up'. She bit into the apple and held it in her mouth. The juice leaching out and running down her chin as she climbed up to Cole. Giggling she wiped her mouth on her sleeve and sat on a branch next to Coles and ate the delicious fruit.

'What an orchard!' Nya exclaimed. Apples, pears... what are those?

'Figs' said Cole... 'and olives'.

'Are those nuts?'

'No, this is nuts' exclaimed Cole, indicating the tree that surrounded them.

'It feels good doesn't it?' asked Nya.

'Hmmm' he replied, nodding.

'We enabled this. My theory was right after all'.

'You called it, alright'. Said Cole. 'Do you think that was an invitation or an order?'

'What?'

'When they said 'stay".

'Right now, I don't care. I'm just relieved we're not going to die!' They lapsed into silence. Stay. A simple word left to hang in the air, the real meaning behind it unclear. Food for thought.