Ninja Within Shadows ► Ninjago [REWRITING]

* 31 - Words of Comfort

Written by: dxganronpa

"Mia? Mia!" Lloyd called, walking around the dull city. The others were behind him, some insisting they split up instead, but in the end, they all decided to find the Purple Ninja before doing anything drastic.

"Remember, only Mia can defeat the shadows... according to the prophecy," Red had reminded them.

"He is correct." Zane nodded in agreement. "Although originally stating that the Purple and Scarlet Ninjas were to defeat the evil lurking... the one to fall was never Mia, but Scarlett all along."

"I can't believe fate played us like that," Jay said with a frown. "It's... it's so unfair."

"You're telling me..." Kai mumbled, his gaze never lifting from the ground.

Not once did he ever think he'd have to hurt his friends, let alone kill them—and Scarlett, of all of them? It really fucking hurt if he was being honest.

"Kai..." His sister, who was now healed, placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I get it. None of us want to hurt her, let alone... you know."

"But you don't get it." He shook his head at her, frowning. "We all care about her. But the kind of love you all have for her, the kind Red has for her... it's different from the type I have for her."

"That may be true, but that girl you love isn't there anymore." Nya hated having to break it to him, as she didn't want to admit it herself. "What's replaced her is probably one of Ninjago's greatest enemies."

"Weren't you the one who said she might still be in there? That there could be the slightest chance of saving her?"

Now her gaze fell to the ground too. "That was before Jay told me what I missed... Red spoke to his mom—his real mom."

"You mean... after he defeated her?" Kai looked up and at his sister, now curious.

"I was unconscious from her attacks, but they told me... they told me she had red hair, almost like Mia. But her face? A splitting image of Scarlett. And she was beautiful, young... I wish I could've seen her." She smiled to herself as she spoke to her brother. "But like she said, all good things must come with sacrifice."

Kai took those words to heart, sighing. "They do, don't they?"

"Think of how Red must be feeling... being separated from his sister for so long, and to finally reunite with her... only for her to be taken away from him." Nya frowned, now holding onto her brother's arm.

The fire ninja looked behind him, seeing the taller man walking with the group, a determined look on his hardened face. It took a look of his unattended wounds for Kai to realize what he had to endure—getting rid of his mother and now being forced to watch the demise of the only family he had left.

Just thinking about that happening to him made a sickly feeling brew within him—he suddenly had a greater respect for Red along with not pity, but sympathy.

And as he felt his younger sister tightly gripping his arm, he realized she was thinking the same thing.

"Nothing will ever separate us," he assured her, placing a hand on her arm. "I promise you that, Nya."

She looked up at him, nodding softly. "I know. We're one of the lucky ones... some have nobody."

Even if Scarlett were gone, he still had his teammates. His sister. She was right, not everyone was as fortunate.

"So promise me," Nya spoke again, lightly tugging on his arm. "You'll let Mia do what she needs to do. Knowing you, you'd try and interfere... stay strong for her, okay?"