tournament | ninjago {featuring your ocs!}

13 | turning tides

- Art of Kira by Fishy on Amino -

Kira's eyes flicker open.

Her vision blurs in and out of focus like a broken camera, and a dull ache plagues her head. She groans, swearing she can feel a lump forming near the back of it.

Where am I?

As her vision adjusts, she observes she's in a cave of shimmering blue crystal—an eerily beautiful display of her element. She pushes forward, only to be yanked right back. It's then that she notices chains encircling her wrists, binding her to a crystal stalagmite. She huffs and tries to use her powers, only to have them snuffled out instantly. Whatever these chains are made of, they're blocking her power completely.

"Don't waste your strength." Clouse emerges from the shadows, leering at her with dark eyes. "Those restraints are forged from vengestone. Elemental powers are useless against them."

"Wh-what do you want from me?"

Clouse reaches into the pockets of his robes, pulling out a pile of shards—the shattered remains of a blue crystal. He lays the pieces at her feet. "Thanks to you and your meddling allies, the crystal in the Staff of Elements has been destroyed," he hisses. "However...you are able to remedy that."

"Explain."

"These caves are full of Blue Crystal, which has the ability to absorb elemental powers. It was how the Staff of Elements contained the power of the other Masters."

Kira blinks, remembering the strange energy she'd sensed in the staff's crystal before. So that explains it.

"You," Clouse's eyes bore into hers, "are the master of crystal. Therefore, you're going to restore the staff's crystal, and all the power it once held."

"And if I don't?"

She flinches away as the sorcerer leans in close, his breath unpleasantly hot on her skin. "If you ever want to see your beloved Green Ninja or anyone you care for again, you will do as you're told, girl."

Kira says nothing as she tears her gaze away.

"If you will not help," Clouse says, lip curling, "perhaps you should go back to sleep. I'm sure you're very tired..."

Like a sinister lullaby, his words lull Kira into exhaustion. It occurs to her that he's probably using a spell on her, but all thoughts leave her brain as she passes back out. The sorcerer huffs and stalks away down a nearby tunnel.

"She refused," he reports as he emerges into he and Chen's hideout. A few cultists who'd escaped capture wait with him.

"Ugh, this is so frustrating!" Chen whines, sounding very much like a child. "Teenage girls are so difficult. I'm glad I don't have a daughter."

Clouse rolls his eyes. "Indeed."

"Hmph. I thought that girl was the weakest of the Ninja, but she's stubborn as a mule! If we want this to work, we'll need to break her somehow."

"Don't fret, Master. Right now she is weak, both physically and mentally. Such a state makes one...easy to manipulate."

"Stop sounding so cryptic and cut to the chase. Have you something in mind?"

Clouse's face twists into a wicked grin. "I have just the solution."

——————————

The Elemental Masters all cheer as they watch Chen's blimp crash to the ground.

"Good work, everyone! Sink the ferry next," orders Jay. "No one's getting off this island."