Empty Echoes

Almost

Chapter Twenty:

Almost

The cold pierced him like a million needles. Stabbed and prickled along his skin, stealing away his breath like a frozen kiss, his body shaking and shivering in a desperate attempt to keep him warm.

Forever seemed to pass. His eyes were beginning to slide shut, and he was vaguely annoyed when someone began shaking him. It was quite weak, but it was still shaking.

He squinted up at the person above him, the exhaustion heavy in his bones. He blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision, and realised that it was a semi-familiar nindroid. For a moment, he thought it was the White-Titanium Ninja (or whatever it was he went by), but then he became aware of the terror on his face and realised it was Echo.

"A-Are you o-o-okay?" the nindroid stuttered, shivering almost as violently as he himself. Wincing, he pushed himself up on weak limbs, coming dangerously close to falling over.

"I'm fine," he gasped, "I-I'm fine."

He looked up- and his mouth fell open. He was looking at the sky. Blue, pale, partly obscured by clouds. They sat on the shore of a mostly frozen lake, the village of Stiix all the way on the other side, snow and frost and ice on almost every exposed area. Goosebumps raced up his arms. He wasn't dressed for this weather.

But despite this thought, a weak grin spread across his lips, a small laugh bubbling in his chest. Then it grew, bigger and bigger until it felt as though there was a balloon in his chest, and he was laughing and laughing even though he was freezing and his clothes were damp from the snow.

"We're out," he breathed, not caring about the wetness in his eyes nor the numbness of his limbs. He gave a breathless laugh. "We're out!"

Echo sent him a smile that looked more like a grimace, although that was mostly because of how his face was a horrific mess of twisted metal. His grin fell slightly, but then returned and he forced himself up onto trembling, numb legs, struggling to help Echo rise as well.

"Now where?" the droid asked, hugging himself and sending the town a little ways away a curious yet hesitant look. He thought for a moment, rubbing his arms to try and keep warm.

"I suppose we head for Ninjago City," he mused, a bit hesitantly, "You know... find your brother."

Echo's lips spread in a wide smile, although he winced at the action. He returned the smile, but it was not as wide, and offered an arm.

Immediately, the droid slung his arm around his shoulders, putting some of his weight on him and relieving his broken leg. He pulled him slightly closer, a hand on Echo's up and his other wrapped around the wrist next to his neck.

Silently, they began to limp away from the water, despite the exhaustion, despite the pain. They were getting somewhere. Slowly. Agonisingly.

Keep going.

Keep going.

They were getting somewhere.

Zane had stood, staring, for a long moment. It was only when Jay called for him to hurry up that he snapped out of it and jogged to join his siblings, mind still whirling and spinning as he attempted to answer PIXAL's question.

"He must have heard you," he thought, so that only PIXAL could hear, "When you were scanning the labyrinth, perhaps."

"I'm not sure, Zane," said PIXAL, her brow furrowed, "He's an ex-slave. Surely he's not that observant?"