Roots of Earth ~ A Ninjago Fanfiction

Chapter 30: Matilda's Memory

"If I ever see another cat again," the Master of Lightning muttered. "It'll be too soon."

A young man with startling bright, neon-green hair voiced a bitter laugh. "I'll spit on the next cat I see!"

"Uh, that may not be a good idea." The blond woman grinned. "You may accidentally spew toxic waste on one of us instead, acid-mouth."

A small group of people were drifting wearily through a pine forest warm and sunny with summer. There was no obvious path to see for the casual onlooker, yet these strangely-adorned people seemed to know where they were going. They wore bright-colored, uniquely-designed clothing that didn't seem to be part of a theme, yet somehow they matched one another. The young man with the bright green hair wore yellow and green robes matching his hair, complete with a leather belt strapped stylishly around his waist with a couple of odd-looking glass orbs dangling from it, carrying some kind of dark, evil-looking liquid. His face and body were strangely splattered by some neon-green marks, as if he had spilled paint on himself, and his eyes glittered eerily with the same color.

His few companions were not quite so odd-looking, but they still had their traits which would make them stand out from a crowd; the blond woman had jagged, bright blue designs zig-zagging on her elegant robes like lightning while a dark-haired woman around her age wore a dirt-brown, gi-like uniform on her slim figure.

There were others in the party, but they were drawing ahead and into the trees, their figures slipping between the leaning trunks. It was obvious that these people were utterly exhausted. Their clothes were torn, bandages were wrapped messily over legs, shoulders, arms, and faces, and most of them were limping. They might have been a pitiful army utterly defeated, but a faint air of defiance and triumph the group shared suggested that the defeat was not theirs.

A woman with an unkempt appearance brushed a curly strand of hair out of her dirt-stained face. Unlike her companions, she walked barefoot and wore simple, peasant-like clothing that was wrinkled, ragged, and smelled a bit funny. Carrying a sturdy old oak staff, she glanced back at the group grimly. "I think we'll all be glad to never see another cat again. After all that, I think I will forever remain a dog person."

"And a horse girl. And tree-hugger. Basically an all-around hippie," the blond woman quipped cheerfully.

"Well, I am the Master of Nature, aren't I?" The older woman rolled her eyes. "Come on. Wu and Garmadon will be waiting for us, and the sooner we get back to tell them what happened, the better."

The group fell quiet. The blond-haired girl's easy smile faded. As the others pushed their way through the undergrowth ahead, she looked back at the straggling girl behind her.

Out of all of the Elementals, the Master of Earth looked to be the weariest of them all. Perhaps it was because while her companies walked with a tired yet determined stride, her pace was weak and downcast. Perhaps it was because her long dark hair had fallen free of its hairband and braid in disarray, or maybe it was because of the stained bandages wrapped across the palms of her hands and her torn clothing. Or, it could have been the bleak look in her eyes. Whatever the case, she stood as the picture of defeat.

The Master of Lightning hesitated, then sided over to the silent girl. Resting a hand on her shoulder, she asked tentatively, "Everything OK, Arianna?"

For a moment it looked as if Arianna Lilly hadn't heard her. Then she let loose a small sigh. "I'm all right, Julia."

"No, you're not," Julia retorted. "I know Raven Frost did something to you back there. He nearly gave you the Dark Sleep. Or at least something like it." She hesitated, then said gently, "Tell me what happened."