Kessie's Short Stories

[Ninjago] Stone Cold

Originally published 2/26/2020

He had reclaimed his throne for several years now, and yet something seemed... off. When he discussed the idea with Vex, his adviser only insisted that things were going as planned. What was going as planned? As far as the Ice Emperor could see, there was not much diplomacy happening. Vex did the leg work, the Ice Emperor himself sat on the throne and listened to his adviser without question.

Or... perhaps that was the plan? To sit, and to listen, day in and day out to Vex without very little question. The more the Ice Emperor dwelled on it, the more something seemed to be very, very wrong. But what?

"Let go of me!"

Whatever thoughts the Ice Emperor had on the matter, it was interrupted by the arrival of Vex and an unfamiliar girl. The Ice Emperor barely moved his head to get a better look at them. Vex was holding the girl with her hands behind her back, in retaliation she was doing her best to struggle out of his grasp. Once the two were close enough to the throne, Vex unceremoniously tossed the girl to the ground.

"My Emperor," he then said to his ruler in a firm voice, "I bring to you a spy from the Formlings. Our guards found her navigating the dungeons; we suspect that she was sent to free our prisoner..."

"I've already told you!" the girl interjected as she tried to get back to her feet; her sass and annoyance not lost on the Emperor. "I'm not a Formling, I don't even know what they are! I think I made that clear when I asked one of your generals for directions."

"Enough!" Vex demanded, knocking the girl back down to her knees. She let out a small yelp of surprise when she hit the ground again. Vex sneered as he loomed over her, procuring a dagger to hold at her neck. In a dark, cold voice, he spat, "You'd do well to hold that tongue in front of the Emperor, child."

"Enough Vex."

Now either annoyed or surprised, Vex looked up at the Emperor. "But sire, she's dangerous... We need to get rid of her as quickly as-"

"Let the child speak for herself."

There was no hiding Vex's annoyance now. He did not help the girl get up, and they all watched as she brushed herself off in some last minute attempt to be presentable. When she finally gave her full attention to the Ice Emperor, her whole body froze and her face became pale.

"Oh wow," she shuddered, "It's really you."

The Ice Emperor raised an eyebrow. What a... curious thing to say. The girl seemed to realize this as well, quickly shaking her head and muttering something under her breath before looking back at him.

"My name is Minerva." she told the Emperor. "I don't have time to make you believe it or not, but I have come from the future. (Or maybe I guess the past, if I understand this world's rules?) Either way, I'm just passing through. I'm lost, and the moment your adviser realizes that I'm just super unlucky, then we can all go our separate ways."

"Ridiculous." Vex grumbled. "From the future? How is that even possible?"

"Well it is, just not with technology from your bass-ackwards world."

"Emperor, please!" Vex now pleaded. "Toss her her the dungeons with our other prisoner. It's clear that she is not only a troublemaker, but a lunatic as well!"

The air chilled around them as the Ice Emperor thought it over. However, a part of this seemed... familiar? It was an odd feeling. He had to know more.

"Child, tell me... Are you truly lost here?"

"Yes." she agreed- a small sense of desperation in her voice now. "Even if I came to this land intentionally, there would be only one thing I'd want to see. Now that I've seen it, I'd like to go onward.