Ninjago: Change Of Heart AU (Alternate S9 Storyline) (Currently on hold)

Chapter 20: I quit..

As she opened her eyes, she felt herself  in a very familiar environment. She stood up, only to be brought back down by pain. She clenched her fists and rubbed her side. Though as she observed her hands. There were scratches and blood everywhere. It freaked the girl out a lot. She wouldn't expect less from the fact she crashed right through two floors of a building. She at least wanted to make progress. Get out of here that is. She knew the colossi was close. Hence, it was near her father-presumingly deceased father's lair.
She pushed through the pain and got into a sitting position. That was one of the steps of getting up done. She began to look around for any one that could be trapped in the building. The pain was still rather intense but she couldn't wait. She needed to help the people get out of here. Why did she have a sudden desire to help her future victims? Because there was no point in continuing this idiotic SOG plan in the first place. She's lost everything, her gang's respect towards her, her father and now her life if she refused to move and let pain take over her. She placed her palm on the ground and pushed up, using the rest of her strength. Her eyes shot open when she realized she succeeded. She was standing up. However, her legs trembled as they wanted to be back on the ground. She shook her head and began limping to the nearest wall. Where was she? All she remembered was crashing into a building. What kind of building? She had no idea.

That was until her head peered into a small room. It looked like...her home. There, the white haired girl put herself back in the narrative and her eyes widened as she found herself sitting by the couch and heard the chimes of three individuals in front of her.
"Harumi? What did you draw?" A man's voice was heard, mixed with a chuckle. The small child present was a short blonde, on the ground, doodling on a piece of paper. "We are interested to see your drawing, sweetheart. " a woman told her. The white haired girl placed her palms on her mouth. Her lips quivered, her shoulders lowered and tears fell from her black eyes. The small child grabbed the drawing and sat down on the couch, near Harumi. Yet, she was just sitting there, in the audience. She wasn't real, or more this memory wasn't here for it already occurred. The two proud parents followed their beautiful daughter. "Ok! I'm gonna tell you what I drew. I drew the ninja! " She chimed, turning her drawing around and showing off her coloured master-piece. The parents' eyes lit up.
"My goodness! That's amazing!" they took another glance at the drawing before looking at the small child, who was giggling. The two adults wrapped their arms around the child, but since Harumi was near her young self, she was technically in the hug. She didn't feel it but she sure appreciated it. She wrapped her hands around the two figures before she smiled in sadness.

The child was about to say something else and she knew it. Though, the building shook hard. She jumped at the sound of that and she noticed the family of three disappear before her very eyes. The memory has been told. She experienced it. Now, she needed to move again. She got off the couch and ran blindly through the corridors despite her aching figure. She needed to fight for her survival. That's what her parents would have wanted from her. They raised a strong girl, gifted with determination. Not a baby born in the whereabouts of cowardice. There stood, a door in front of her. She raised her head up to only feel her eyes glimmer with even more tears. This time, tears of hope. The sign above said: 'Exit'. Was this it? Was life gonna give her a second chance? She turned the handle but it refused to open. It was blocked. She clenched her teeth out in panic as her fingertips shook the handle even more. "Come on come on.." She urged before she had the idea to kick the door open. It would cost her to go through another sharp pain but it was worth it. She felt her heart hurt as the building shook even more. When the door opened, she saw the light. The blue skies and endless screaming from the townspeople. What has she done?
~~~
She charged out of the building and through the doorframe. But as she was gonna use the stairs to get down, she heard a familiar phrase being shouted from inside the building followed by soft sobbing. "Mom! Dad! Don't leave me!" it was one of a little boy. Harumi turned around, concern written all over her face. She knew exactly where this led to. She took a glance at the city then at the building. What was she gonna choose? Her life...or another? Making up her mind, she nodded in the direction of the doorframe and ran back inside. She passed the halls and found herself peering through a corner. Her eyes lowered in sadness as she pictured the scene from one of her flashbacks. The infamous elevator and a family of three standing there, the parents leaving the former tenants of the apartment to take their child away. To Bring the child somewhere safe. They would risk their life just for their child. FSM, how the message was so clear now. "I wanna stay! Mama! " her pleads of sadness rung in her head as she remembered her mother pushing her in the elevator along with a bunch of strangers. "W-We'll see you when we get down. We promise." were  her mother's last words to her as the metallic doors shut in front of her very eyes. She gasped, running over to the boy.

"I'll get you out." She grabbed the young boy's hand. "Together." She finished before the elevator door shut right on cue. "I promise." She told the whole family as she led them to the opened exit. Knowing her reputation and crimes, the family still followed her, wanting to get out of here immediately. But to their surprise, the former quiet one didn't intend to leave them for the dead. The father and son ran right through the doorframe and went down the stairs. However, the mother stayed and held her hand in a grateful handshake.
"Thank you! Princess!" She smiled in relief before following her family out. Harumi smiled, happy to have helped someone ever since her change of heart. She was about to follow them as well until the building shook once again and this time, bricks and wood fell from the floor above them. It fell directly in front of the entrance. Resulting in the fact that she couldn't take the stairs anymore. "Go! I-I'll find another way!" She told the mother before rushing upstairs. In a time like this, the smartest place to go, is not the elevator but the rooftop. She's ready when the building will take her down.

As she arrived on the rooftop, her eyes widened and she opened her mouth, regaining her breath. She saw: her father, still alive which relieved her very much and Skylor fighting for the control over the colossi. "Let it go Skylor! Let it go!" She heard the water ninja urge her from another rooftop. The orange considered ninja tried to lower her hand but failed. Her body shook for an entire minute until her tangerine pupils turned to a light magenta pink. Harumi memorized those eyes. There were eyes of an Oni. Skylor fell backwards and the green ninja was there to catch her. He held her tightly as she seemed to be in a trance. "She can't. This power's poisoning her." He explained to her in a panic. Since Skylor let go, the tension between them became too strong. The purple flames vanished out of his hands, a force driving him backwards. The colossi stumbled back, with no one to support it and it crashed it against the building Harumi was in. She backed away in fear. "N-No..! No! Ah!" She yelled in an attempt for help.

Garmadon and Lloyd heard that, their pupils went wide at the scene. The poor helpless girl, standing on the rooftop. With no where to go. The sight broke their hearts. "Rumi.." they both muttered deeply. In pain and utter shock. For Garmadon, he was gonna lose his most loyal follower and must he mention, adopted daughter. For Lloyd, he was gonna lose the first ever he laid eyes on. He told himself to move on from her but he just couldn't. Both, in complete vulnerability, watched as they couldn't do anything about the situation.
Harumi looked around. No buildings she could jump to and her injuries still hurt like heck. This was her end. There was no next chapter in her legend. The young girl's fate was sealed this instant. She moved to the edge of the top and looked at Lloyd with a panicked look. The blonde observed her, tears forming as he couldn't do anything. FSM, how he felt useless this exact second. He was the green ninja. A hero, and heroes are supposed to help people not hurt them. With the quietest of voices he whispered:
"I'm sorry.." apologetic, he watched as the jade princess was brought down.

Her eyes filled with tears herself as she acknowledged the fact that all her life, she felt nothing but sadness. She definitely didn't live up to her name after all: "The jade princess". The mineral itself was a strong one. Hard to bust open. Her? That's the exact opposite of what happened. She wasn't strong like her mother wanted her to be. In fact, she was a scared little defenceless sheep who had to hide her true colours behind an ugly mask, soon corrupting the heart out of her. The building began to collapse even more and this time, she didn't bother screaming for help. She practically accepted her death. She needed to pay for her actions. "I'm sorry..mom...dad..emperor and empress of Ninjago...Lord Garmadon.." she began to list the people who were a father/mother figure to her. She turned her eyes to meet with the green ninja. "Lloyd...I'll...I'm sorry for everything." She mouthed to him. Her eyes lit up as he just gave a sincere smile.
She shut her eyes and the shaking went even faster as she reached the mere ground. She remembered when  she got to share the memory with her parents and younger self one last time. Before the shaking interrupted, her words were: "Mommy, if I ever met the ninja, I'll be satisfied.". Yes she was satisfied, that was for sure. She was glad that she got involved with her idols someway somehow.
She was so close to death yet her last words are:

"I quit.."
~~~
A/N and that wraps it up for Arc 1 of Ninjago: Change Of Heart AU! Tell me if you enjoyed all 20 chapters down below or if you have a specific favourite chapter! Leave a vote if you love COH! and cya guys later! Thanks for reading!