Thorns

Chapter Eight: Runaway Thorn

Thorn had been flying for a while and in no real direction. She was telling herself that she was doing this to shake off the possible hunters but it was really because she needed time alone to process the actions she's made. Also to cry alone uninterrupted.

A lot of crying alone.

So many thoughts swarmed through her head. How could they think she was becoming evil? How could they turn on her so quickly? What will Lloyd think of her? What would she do now?

But out of all these thoughts, she had yet to regret her choice.

Thorn decided to fly a bit lower and slower now, she had no more tears left and tried to figure out where she was. She looked down at the city and founded herself on the west side of Ninjago city. Thorn began to trace the streets and thought of maybe one place that she could go to.

She descended towards the building and counted the windows carefully for her friend's apartment. Luckily they had a sigil on the window making it much easier. Thorn slowly dropped herself onto the metal fire escape, letting herself slide off the broom gently but she still had a sharp pain in her side.

Thorn had to lean back into the rail out of exhaustion and tap on the window with her broom. Thorn heard a startled footstep in the apartment and footsteps coming closer then the window opened to a surprised friend about Thorn's age with wild orange hair that couldn't all fit through the window.

"Thorn?" Questioned the friend.

"Uh, Hey Alex...sorry I didn't text you ahead of time but...I was flying and... I didn't want to text and fly...," Thorn said awkwardly.

"Is everything okay?" Alex asked in a worried tone.

"...I really need a place to rest," Thorn pleaded.

Alex immediately helped her in and walked her to the couch where the two sat down but Thorn gave a soft grunt of pain and clutched her side.

"Are you hurt?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, a little but I'll be fine, it's already taken care of," Thorn waved off their concern.

"You sure, I don't want you dying on my couch," Alex said, half joking as they went to get her some water to drink.

"Nah, I'm not dying on a couch, that would be lame," Thorn smiled, she laid across the couch, carefully not to put her shoes on but she felt her whole body give out as soon as her head hit the pillow.

"You sure you're okay," Alex asked again, not looking towards Thorn as they grabbed the mugs.

"...Peachy," Thorn said as she felt her eyes closed, "...I'm just really tired..."

Alex finally came back over to Thorn but found her dead asleep on their couch.

"Thorn. Thorn?" Alexed checked if she was breathing, "Okay, not dead... Good god girl, what did you do?"

~

Lloyd tried to wrap his head around what everyone was telling him, he didn't want to believe it. He wanted to believe his sister was normal. Normal and boring and not in anyways what they said she was; normal meant that she would be safe. But she wasn't, and Lloyd knew it.

But a witch?

He couldn't really be buying into it.

But could she really be?

Sure, Thorn had a taste for the gothic things in life and sure sometimes she would joke about turning people into frogs but it was a joke. Right?

She couldn't be some restless spirit on an endless flight?