The Girl From the Never Realm (l.garmadon)

Fourteen

I could still hear inside the ice.

I wasn't sure if that was a blessing or a curse.

I could hear Lloyd's panicked yell of my name as I hit the floor.

I could see, too. Not as well as I was used to, but I could see the Emperor turn to face Lloyd, frozen in his own block of ice.

Breathing was... strange in here. I couldn't physically pull breaths in, and there wasn't any air to be pulled in. But it was like the very beginning of holding your breath. It felt like I'd just taken a big gulp of air, and I could hold it for a while. I wasn't actively breathing at the moment, but I had the oxygen I needed. I didn't know how that was possible, but it wasn't like I was complaining about having oxygen while I was frozen alive. It was like the ice had frozen my bodily systems, putting on hold my need for the bare necessities of life. If I stayed in here long enough, I wondered whether I would get hungry or thirsty.

But I really didn't want to be frozen long enough to find out.

"Zane... please..." Lloyd's voice brought me back to the moment.

"There is no Zane!" The Emperor repeated. I wondered if he was getting tired of saying that by now.

Vex, along with a few other samurai, strolled through the open doors. The General gave a sick grin, and worry spiked inside me for Kataru and Grimfax. What had happened to them?

"Do, it, Master," Vex spurred. "Finish it!"

"Zane," Lloyd pleaded.

The Emperor paused. Was this it? Did he finally remember?

Vex huffed impatiently, grabbing one of the Blizzard Samurai's spears. "I'll do it."

He advanced towards Lloyd, and I even from inside the ice, I could practically feel the waves of smug victory coming off of him. "Hmm... Some savior you turned out to be. You couldn't defeat the Emperor. You couldn't protect your friends!"

Maybe it was my imagination, or the ice was beginning to penetrate my brain, but I could've sworn I heard the Emperor quietly repeat the word, "Protect...?"

"You couldn't even protect yourself!" Vex said, raising the spear. I saw Lloyd tense.

"Protect those... who cannot protect themselves!" The Emperor said.

If I was able to move, my eyes would've widened about ten times.

"Vex!" The Emperor yelled. He ripped off his helmet, throwing it to the ground, getting rid of the weird raspy effect on his voice and revealing a metallic but unfrozen face with the same bright blue eyes. "Don't!"

He charged at his advisor, knocking him backwards and away from Lloyd. Relief washed over me like an avalanche.

The Emperor, or should I say, Zane, leapt up and smashed his scepter down into the ground, reducing it to shattered pieces.

A wave of warmth came over me. The ice melted from around my body, and I involuntarily shifted back to human as I remained laying on the floor, breathing heavily. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Akita doing the same. At least she was free now.

Zane freed himself from the rest of the Ice Emperor's armor. "Lloyd!"

Lloyd's grin threatened to split his face in half. "I knew you'd remember! I knew it!"

"Thank you, Lloyd," Zane said, helping him up. "Where are the others?"

Before Lloyd could answer, Vex struggled to his feet. He snatched up a spear and yelled a war cry, charging towards his former master.

Zane didn't even blink. He stretched out a hand and blasted Vex with ice, freezing him up to his neck.

But that was one type of ice I was glad to see.

Lloyd came over to me and helped me up. Akita was able to push herself up just as the doors flew open, and seven more figures rushed inside. Among them were Kataru and Grimfax, along with a huge white-haired creature, and four people dressed similarly to Lloyd, except each in a different color.

"Kataru!" Akita yelled, and her older brother swept her up in a hug.

"Zane!" The grey-clad ninja exclaimed. She was the only girl in the group, with black hair up in a ponytail and brown eyes.

"Lloyd!" The red one shouted. He had spiky brown hair and eyes that resembled the girl's.

Lloyd let go of my hand, which he had been holding this entire time, as his teammates crushed him and Zane in hugs.

A much better reunion than mine and Akita's.