"Family Means No One's Left Behind"~ A Greenflame and Children Story

Chapter Twenty Six: Survivors

Kabaz's Point of View~
We had everything we needed and said our farewells to Ember before being transported. There was a cloud of yellow and green smoke and the next thing I knew was that I had landed on something soft and...springy? I opened one of my eyes and saw nothing but darkness. My hand sparked and flames appeared. I was able to see the others who were also on soft things. "Ugh, where are we?" Akidah groaned. Sker's hand also lit up in flames, followed by Akidah and May. I stumbled a bit as I got off and landed on the hard floor. "I...I think we're in...a mattress factory?" Sonia said with a hint of confusion in her voice. "That would explain why we landed on something soft," I said. "Hey, this is the same factory that sends finished mattresses the shop dads go to whenever they were looking for new ones for us. This place is really far out from home and the more dense part of Ninjago City." May pointed out. "I think you're right. Just take a look at the logo." Lari said as he looked at one of the corners of a mattress. The factory seemed decimated and there was no power, meaning no light or heat. "You think the Stone Army trashed the place?" Mia asked. "Nah, this place just had no one to operate it. So everything just spiraled out of control and trashed itself." Sker said. "And I guess it totally messed up with the wiring of the power in here 'cause it's freezing and dark. Man, all this crazy stuff just had to start at the coldest part of winter." Kano complained. And I do have to admit, it is kinda cold in here or maybe it's because of how easily cold I can get at random times. "Yeah, it is cold in here. Maybe there's some stuff around here to use as fuel for a fire." I suggested. We split up into groups and searched around the factory. When we all came back together, the only things we were able to scrounge up were destroyed pieces of wooden bed frames for toddlers and infant mattresses. "This should be enough to get a decent fire going," May said. I lit up the furniture and it engulfed in flames with crackling pops and sparks flew. After a while of warming up by the fire, we all ate a small portion of the food that Ember had given us. "What are we gonna do? I mean, like, stopping them?" Sonia asked. "Well, the Overlord was defeated by the Golden Power which can only be possessed by the Golden Ninja. And then, by ice." Akidah said. "'The Golden Ninja'? I don't think I've ever heard of that." Mia said. "It's when the Green Ninja does something pure and courageous, then unlocks the Golden Power to stop him," Lari said. "But wouldn't that make May the only one who'd be able to do that since she inherited Lloyd's green energy powers?" Mia asked. "Yeah, it would. But I don't even know how I would unlock them." May said. "Let's stop thinking about all this and try to get some rest. We have to be ready for anything tomorrow." I said. "You think we should take shifts at watching over just in case of an ambush?" Akidah suggested. "I don't think it's really necessary. We are pretty far away and it would take about a day for anyone to get here on foot." Sker said. And with that, the boys slept on the right side and the girls slept on the left, two people per bed.

The sun rose in the morning and I blinked my eyes a bit before fully waking up. The only ones who were awake right now we're me, Sonia, May, and Kano. "Wow, I thought I would be there first one up." I said. There was no response. The three of them had desolate expressions on their faces. I knew what they were thinking about, and I felt the same. "Hey, I know things are in deep crap right now, but we can still save everyone and stop the Overlord and Haru. I promise that we will win this battle, just like our parents did." I said as I knelt down beside them. May looked at me in the eye and said, "But you're not the one who actually has to face them head-on. You don't have the same powers as me or Lloyd." She looked away from me and curled up into a ball. I was concerned about May. I knew she was afraid to do this. "What if I can't do it? What if I'm not able to unlock the Golden Power and become the Golden Ninja? Our home and family might not survive because of me. I don't wanna lose you or anyone else." She whimpered. "Hey, hey, everything's going to alright. Quit saying those things. You're not going to let anyone down. You're my sister and I have faith in you. And you're Lloyd's daughter. You're strong and brave. I know you can do this. If you weren't, you wouldn't have unlocked your true potential or elemental dragon. Everyone here believes in you. We know you're capable of doing it. You just need to believe in yourself." I told her. May looked up at me with tears in her eyes. "You...you really think so?" She asked as she sniffled. "I don't think, I know so. Plus, dads, Skylor, and everyone else would want you to keep fighting. It's just like we always say, 'Ninja never quit'." I said as I smiled. May smiled and gave me a tight hug. "You're right. Thank you so much Kabaz." She said. I could feel her tears on the side of my neck, but I didn't mind. This was actually the first time in a long time since May broke down after her emotions run loose. So, I was pretty shocked when she hugged me. But I still wrapped my arms around her and tightened my grip. "No problem sis. And another thing to remember, we're family. And family means no one's left behind. We're not gonna give up on anyone. Got it?" I said. May pulled back and wiped a tear away. "Got it." She responded with a warm smile. I looked at the other two and saw them with slight smiles on their faces. Then, I heard something moving on one of the mattresses. I turned my head and saw Sker waking up. He groaned a bit before yawning and stretching. Akidah, Mia, and Lari were still asleep. "Oh, I didn't expect to see you guys up so early." Sker said. "Well, let's just say sleeping on a mattress shared with someone isn't all that comfortable." Kano said. "You think we should wake 'em up soon?" Sker asked as he looked at the other ones who were still asleep. "Maybe later. For now, let's see what's around here." I said. "I guess we should take a look around. If this is where we're staying for a while, we'd better get to know the area just to make sure we don't end up lost." May said. We all agreed to look around and even walk outside. I went on the rooftop of the factory and I could see a lot of the city. It was dark and cloudy, but it was nearly pitch black in the Northern area. Borg Tower. The tallest and most powerful building in all of Ninjago City. That's just gotta be the place where the Overlord and Haru are and where our parents are being held captive. I thought as I looked into the distance, the wind blowing my hair. I sighed and sat down. I pulled my knees to my chest and crossed my arms. I continued to look at the rest of the city when I heard creaking coming from behind me. I jerked my head to see who or what was behind me only to see Lari standing. I sighed with relief and said, "Oh, Lari, it's just you." Lari walked over to me and sat down. "What? You thought I was a Stone warrior?" He joked. I chuckled. Then, Lari handed me a green apple. "Here, I didn't know if you'd already eaten anything today. I thought you'd be hungry." He said. "Thanks. And you're right. I am hungry." I said. I took a bite from the apple and looked over at Lari who was also looking back at me. "Kabaz, can I ask you something?" He asked me. "Sure, what is it?" I asked. "Well, I wondering, how are you so calm and positive about most everything?" Lari asked. "What do you mean?" I questioned. "Like, you never seemed to get stressed out about anything, especially during these hard times. How do you keep your cool?" Lari responded. "Oh, that. Well, A. I did take anger management classes since I was eight and B. Dad told me once never to give up hope when things are looking like there's none and that it's better to keep calm than let my emotions run wild." I answered. "Heh, which one? We have two dads remember." Lari said. "Lloyd did." I replied. "I've always wondered how he's been able to keep smiling and looking on the bright side of things after years of trauma in his life. Like, Lloyd never got to grow up with parents. Instead, he lived in a horrible boarding school before being kicked out and wandering Ninjago on his own. He was lied to countless times by snakes, captured by them too. Being pressured as the Green Ninja, sacrificing the rest of his childhood, and only getting to spend only a couple of months with grandpa Garmadon when he was back to normal before losing him, twice. Then, he got possessed by Morro while I was still unborn. And then he almost died while I was being born. But even after everything he's been through, Lloyd was still able to smile and look on the positive side of things." Lari explained. "Well, dad did have Kai and the others with him. They were there for him when he was living with them. And when they fell in love, Lloyd was even more happy. And us too, dad's very glad that he had us along with being a guardian over Akidah and Sker. He wanted to give us the things none of our parents had, a good childhood and any future we want. Dad's always been there for us as everyone else was there for him. So, dad finds a lot of things to smile about and be grateful for. And he wants us to believe that too. So that's why I always say everything will be just fine and that we'll win this fight and we will save Ninjago." I told him. Lari gazed at me, eyes filled with astonishment. "Wow, when you put it like that, it does sound like he has many things to smile about." Lari said. I smiled and wrapped my arm around him and pulled him to my chest. "So whatever happens, we have to keep fighting. We can't lose faith in ourselves or we won't win, regardless of combat or powers. Right now, wherever our parents might be, I know they must be scared to death because they don't know our whereabouts, but I also believe that they haven't given up on us. They'd believe that we can save everyone and the city." I said. Lari was quite. The only thing I heard was small sniffles and I looked at Lari and saw him wiping away tears. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset and cry." I said as I had my hands placed on his shoulders. "No, you didn't make upset. These tears are ones of happiness. I'm crying because your words really touched me and I believe them too. I believe everything you said Kabaz." Lari said as he wiped the tears that continued to trace down his cheeks. I sighed in relief and hugged Lari as he still cried. A while later, he had stopped and we talked more about things that happened when we were younger. It made me glad that we're able to reflect on the precious memories and smile instead of feeling sorrow and fear constantly. It really set my heart on fire.