Wisps: Recollection (Ninjago X Reader)

5. A Stygian Sea

One week had passed since the ninja left for the Dark Island. All that accumulated from their journey was a snafu of dark clouds that blackened the once blue sky. You peaked out your apartment's window and shuddered. The cadence of stone against concrete pulsated down the street, their steps strong enough to crush a person's skull. Engines thrummed and rumbled in vehicles with strange contraptions. Roars tore through the city, groups of smog escaping the Stygian dragon's maw, lashing down on rooftops. Everyone knew, without a doubt, that going out there is suicidal. The Stone Warriors and their announced Dragon Overlord have established their rule over the Ninjago City.

You wouldn't be getting out anytime soon. Cowering in your room and sharpening a knife is the best call. Standing around and doing nothing is all you can do.

Fingers grazed the end of your knife as you put wisps into it. It seemed useless to you, putting anything into a small blade, holding onto any desperation that it will work. The time to find out would come sooner than you'd like.

A shriek echoed below. It's desperate; they were on their last leg. You wrench your window open, honing in on the alleyway, a stone warrior stalking a girl. You hopped out your window, landing noisily on the fire escape staircase, but compared to the sobs the woman was letting out, she covered the noise. She grew silent, and your eyes met as you unlatched the ladder. It rattled and banged until it hit the floor. Just as the warrior was about to pounce her, she made a break for it. She almost made it - if she didn't trip over garbage.

"Fuck." You slid down the ladder and heaved the petite woman to her feet before the stone warrior touched her.

He grunted with a leer; he wasn't going to let you escape. The stone warrior snorted and charged at you. There was a screeching behind you, and you saw that the woman pulled the ladder all the way. All you could do was glare at the woman, who didn't spare you a glance as she climbed higher.

'This is the thanks I get?'

"Are you being for real?!" -you barely dodged his fist, creating cracks in the brick- "Bitch!"

'Yeah, screw this.' You ran away but he lunged at you. The only thing in your hand is your flimsy knife that shattered into silver as soon as it impacted his thick skin. He grabbed your offending arm and twisted it behind your back. His grip was harder than stone, and he wasted no time in dragging you to your feet. You struggled, yet it only strengthened his grip, causing bruises around your skin. 

You wouldn't die, you couldn't, not when you knew nothing about your past life.

You trashed around and yelled, but that was all for nothing. People too scared to do anything hid behind their curtains, prolonging the inevitable - that they will be next. Patience had worn thin and he threw you to the ground, where he delivered kicks to your torso. You curled up on the concrete, not able to do anything but cover your stomach with your shins. Fingers clutched around your neck, and he slammed your back to a wall.

"Eat sh-"

Fingers tighten around your throat, the sound of your heartbeat growing louder, tramping your suffocated breathing. All you could see is his samurai hat blur into a crimson blob. He dropped you to the ground as you tried to breathe in like you just drowned. Coarse rope tied around your wrist. He hauled you over his shoulder, not allowing you any more time to calm your rasping.

'Come on... Larina...'

You cleared your mind, and vaguely, you could hear a chime that was quickly lost, like it never existed.

That was it, any small chance to escape thrown away. Even the odds of Griffin saving you were smaller than seeing the next day. There was nothing in your pockets, your arms restrained. Everything was a blur, nothing making sense; you just waited, taking whatever was coming next.

Shadows crept along the ground, taking everything in its plumes of black. People flooded out of the alleyway, colors dimmed in shadows. Their souls are muted, colorless. They all followed the army of marching stone warriors.

He lobbed you into the shadows, icy needles pricking your skin. Black crowded your vision, yet you faintly saw a great, ivory dragon with four heads.

A Stygian sea with its waves drowned everything.

But you didn't drown. Black shadows shivered away from your skin.

'I can't believe it.'

Your breathing slowed, and you lifted a hand, watching as the dark smoke floated away. Every nerve in your body fired off, and you were out of the fog, on the other side. However, that proved to be foolish, as all the stone warriors surrounded you on all sides, except where you came from.

"Ha! Bitches!" Back into the shadows, the stone warriors following after. Green eyes pinpointed their location and you flee and ducked behind a dumpster. Suddenly, as if a switch was turned off, they stopped following you. In fact, they turned away from you toward the tower in the center of Ninjago City.

A river of red traveled up the tower, eliciting a shriek from the black dragon. A lavender streak shot at the sea of scarlet, causing the ivory dragon to swoop in, receiving a strike from the laser. Ivory zoomed away, not able to take another blow.

"That's the same dragon..."

Smoke darted on the side of the tower and snagged on the side of it. More smoke flew through the air, landing on the stairs. White flashes lit up the dark as violet beams collided with the crimson of flames. You spotted a ladder and started climbing up the steps.

"You're in no shape to fight."

"Great, our hero is also injured..." you muttered under your breath.

"It's over - Evil wins." 

"Cocky son of a bitch."

A laugh bellowed and echoed through the city.

"You don't even have a sword."

You climb up the last bit, green light shining through the bleak darkness.

"Then all I have to say-" he paused "-is goodbye."

The Overlord inhaled a deep breath of air, he exhaled violet flames that swiftly overtake any particle of light, or so it seemed.

There was a glimmer of green light that shone brighter and an aura like no other intensified. Your vision darted back to the shrieking Overlord Dragon, his wings outstretched as the viridescent light became golden and disappeared...

A speck of gold drifted in the dark sky.

Wings swatted at the golden dust in the air, each flap of his wing evaded. A strike is delivered to the Overlord and he is off the tower. Saffron wisps link together like silk strings, weaving a dragon of light.

"You can't defeat me - where there is light, there will always be shadows." His mocking went out the other ear as the golden dragon pinned the dark dragon with its claws. They twisted around each other while they headed straight for the ground before golden wings flew upwards.

The Stygian dragon shrouded the golden hero in black smug that spread to encompass the sky. Malignant laughing and the sound of jaws chomping stiffened the tense atmosphere.

But you still felt that spark of gold.

"No! No! No! No!" A light flashed through. Light flooded in the center of the city and the darkness retreated, as did the Overlord's voice.

A gale swept through and you brought your hand up to feel the wind. The white clouds parted for the sun. You gazed back at where the looming tower stood, only seeing sun rays. The ivory dragon drifted down to the center, and not long after, did the golden dragon landed with them. 

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There is a reason the MC is unaffected. You'll learn more as time goes on.  If you already didn't piece something together.