Salt: A Ninjago story

55: The Black Hole

Again they convened at the lab. Nat and Hitch bundled up for a long winter and they now had friends keeping them company. Kai and Nya joined them, waiting for a sign that the frozen bodies were returning to life; only then would they initiate the thaw.

Kai gave Hitch a supportive smile from across the room and Nat indicated they should start. They gave a wave to the remaining team on the other side of the glass and they saw Misako arrive with Master Wu who gave them a thumbs-up.

Now they were aware of what they had to achieve Nat and Hitch had focus. They did not need to listen for the voices of Zane and Pixal or try and determine how they functioned; all they needed was to be drawn to the black hole and as they had experienced with Misako, they hoped a natural urge would trigger the closure.

They settled to start, closing their eyes to the real world and descended to darkness. Focussing on the dead space was all hitch could do, but Nat could still hear the alien whisper she experienced before, which she now realised was Zane's Power being drawn through Pixal and away into the black hole. She followed the stream and her thoughts echoed back to her sister wandering in the dark. Hitch grasped the call and focussed on it to float in sync with its ebb and flow.

The infinite darkness of inner space pressed uneasily onto her. She considered Zane and Pixal shut down, their brains inactive; would they remember any of this? Did it mean they were clinically dead? She did not like the thought; their bodies fooled the eye to believe they were human but like the infinite bounds of space, where did they begin and end? Hitch imagined she could close her eyes to the claustrophobic darkness and it made her feel more comfortable and she too started to hear the soft flow like sand in the wind mingled with Nat's voice.

'We're near'

Hitch opened her eyes. Pinpricks of light in the distance grew as Hitch moved at speed towards them 'do you see this?' she asked

'Yes' came her sister's reply and were drawn closer. Hitch felt as if she were being stirred into a whirlpool lit by stars 'this is it' Nat's voice whispered around her.

Hitch felt the stars pass through her and prickle at the back of her mind. The sensation quickly became overwhelming, explosive, at odds with the delicate spectacle she was witnessing until it felt like a hammer hitting her behind the eyes 'it hurts... I... I  think I'm gonna throw up' she moaned.

Even the darkness seemed to distort with the rush of light and Nat's voice juddered through 'You... s stay... wh here you a are'.

Hitch held on, though nausea tried to pull her away. The stars filled her up as if she were a glutton that wanted more and she drew them to her until there was none left. With the stars consumed, the space had once again descended to darkness and she felt fit to explode '...cant hold on...' she whispered.

'Let it all go...' Nat's far away voice instructed.

The stars exploded from her, ripping through the fabric of the two worlds.

From the window of the lab, once again the watchers experienced the reversal. Kai and Nya hit the floor avoiding the sooty black dots that filled the space, sucking at the air to explode into blinding light before being extinguished.

Kai watched Hitch, her body jerking from the power of the reversal and as the last of the black holes dispersed he scrabbled across the floor in time to catch her as she fell.

'Kai!' Nya shouted 'Zane and Pixal, they're coming back. Their lights are glowing brighter'

Kai laid Hitch on the ground and went quickly to Nat. Though she stood un-affected, she came around and dizziness hit. He gently held her by the arms and sat her down 'You did good, Zane and Pixal are back' he told her.

Cole and Lloyd came into the room and helped the sisters; Lloyd picked up Hitch, out for the count and Cole offered his arm to a woozy Nat and they left the room.

Kai and Nya began the thaw.