Roots of Earth ~ A Ninjago Fanfiction

Chapter 75: Escape Across the Tundra

It was the second day since Skylor and Kissimi had fled the Polarian military base and General Tulimaq's soldiers. The morning after their daring escape, the two girls crept from their makeshift igloo. Although the icy tundra appeared serene and silent, Skylor did not looking out for any signs of the blue-and-gray-clad soldiers.

First order of business was breakfast. "If there's a lake around here," Kissimi suggested hopefully. "Then we could catch some fish."

"Fish." Skylor looked around at the frozen wasteland. "OK... so how do you fish around here?"

Kissimi looked confused. "You mean you don't know how to fish?"

"No, I don't know how to fish here." Skylor rested her hands on her hips. "This... Polaria is a very different place from where I live."

"Oh, that's right," Kissimi gasped. "You're from the spirit world. You must do things differently than us."

Skylor sighed and ran a hand through her ponytail. She tried to feel patient. "All right. Look, Kissimi. I'm not an ice sprit. Or a spirit of any kind. I'm just... different. Where I come from, people like me are called Elemental Masters." She met the girl's gaze, willing her to understand. "I'm the Master of Amber. That means I can absorb other Masters' powers and wield them myself. I'm still a normal person, like you, but I just have special abilities. Does that make sense?"

The young girl looked puzzled, but eventually nodded. "I suppose so... Though I do not completely understand, it is still amazing."

Skylor allowed herself to smile. "Yeah. I guess it is pretty amazing."

Kissimi's eyes lit up eagerly. "Where did you get your powers? Were you born with them, or did you earn them, and a spirit gave them to you as a reward?"

"I was born with my power. I inherited them from my mother."

"Was your mother a goddess? Are you a demigod? Is that why your hair's red? Where's your mother? Is she—?"

"She's gone." Skylor interrupted before her companion could list another half a dozen rapid questions. "She... passed away."

"Oh." Kissimi's excited smile faded. She looked up at Skylor and said quietly, "My mother passed away, too."

Skylor felt an unexpected twinge of sympathy. "I'm sorry."

There was a moment of silence before she cleared her throat self-consciously. "So—how about that fish?"

* * *

Kissimi and Skylor used the "borrowed" ice-jet to glide across the tundra in search of a lake. The sun glowed dimly behind a thin veil of clouds.

After a little while Kissimi asked, "Can I fly the ice-jet?"

One hand on the steering panel, Skylor cast her companion a skeptical look. "How old are you?"
"Twelve winter moons since I was born."

Twelve years old, probably. "Mm..." Skylor looked at the steering panel, then out at the bleak, flat landscape. Aside from hills lining the distant horizon to their right, there was no sign of any landmarks nor irregular spot of nature for the craft to crash into; Polaria, at the moment, was just a big, white, flat field of snow and ice.

She acceded. "I guess so."

Kissimi took over the controls eagerly and looked fascinated by all the buttons and steering mechanisms. Skylor warned her sternly not to touch them. Thankfully Kissimi was an obedient child and followed the rest of her instructor's brisk orders as the small flying craft skimmed over the snow.