An Oni's Mask (Jay Walker x reader)

Chapter 13

'Where are we even going?' I thought as we walked through a dark tunnel.

Lloyd was tied up and being escorted by two goons while Harumi lead the way, singing softly to herself.

As we made our way over here, she had changed out of that green outfit and back into the one that she usually wore.

"So this is your true face, without the mask." Lloyd said to her with a scowl. "No wonder you covered it."
"Bite your tongue green ninja. The fight is all but over." Harumi said, stopping to face Lloyd.

"Where are you taking me?" Lloyd asked, looking around.
"Trapped in the Palace of Secrets all my life, it gave me time to make a few.....alterations you could say." Harumi said cryptically. "Yes I destroyed the palace, but I was careful not to damage the Temple of Resurrection."

We started walking up some stone stairs and into the bright light of the day. A temple was where the palace of secrets once stood surrounded by water.

"The ninja have survived Quiet One, they are in the city." UV informed Harumi.

She didn't reply, only to look up to see a circular cage being lowered to the ground, I was kind of confused.

"What was that you said about the fight being over?" Lloyd asked smugly.
"Let them come! If anyone tries to stop me, I always have my....insurance policy, see?" Harumi said as she stalked over to Lloyd and pointed to an elderly woman being forced into the cage.

'Who is that?' I thought, keeping quiet.
"Mom!" Lloyd cried.
'So they're relatives, noice.'

"Lloyd!" The lady cried back as the cage was being lifted up. "She's crazy! She wants to bring back your father!"
'I think we've already established that.'

"I've so been looking forwards to this, family reunion." Harumi grinned.
I stepped away and stood next to UV to watch the drama unfold.

"Let her go! This is between us!" Lloyd yelled angrily, unable to move.
Harumi smirked and tilted his head up to look at her. "No Lloyd, there was never anything between us."

Lloyd went quiet, his face a mixture of sadness, anger and heartbreak.
"It hurts, doesn't it? There's nothing more powerful than a blow to the heart. We found her after she had tracked down Wu, helpful of her." Harumi said, looking up at Lloyd's mother. "Prepare the ceremony, we begin at nightfall." Harumi instructed, turning on her heel and walking away. "Shifter! We need to talk."
"I won't let you get away with this!" Lloyd called after Harumi, who didn't reply, as I quickly walked after her.
"Or what?" I heard UV laugh. "You'll cry?" She said before mock-whimpering.

I followed her into a room where she shut the door and looked at me.
"I'm going to need you to guard one of the entrances during the ceremony while the others are patrolling. We mustn't let the ninja disrupt it." She explained and I nodded.

"Also, I need some of your hair, from your Oni form for a better chance to bring back Lord Garmadon's evil side." She added, pulling out a vial. "I already have Misako's and Wu's."

I nodded. "You might want to step back."

She did and I closed my eyes before a black void spread around me and engulfed me in it.

A magenta hue clouded my eyes as I grew taller, claws forming in both my hands and feet, face changing, horns growing and fangs longer while my hair became more wilder and knotty.

The void disappeared from around me and I noticed Harumi's eyes widen for a second before grinning.
I looked at myself, I felt so powerful, like I could destroy this entire building with a flick of my wrist...but now is not the time for that.

"Perfect. Now the hair." Harumi instructed and I bent down, allowing her to get the hair.
I felt a small tug as Harumi pulled a couple of strands out and delicately placing them into the vial.

"Thank you, you can transform back now." She instructed.
I paused, part of me didn't want to transform, I felt so powerful....this is who I am...
"Today." She said, snapping me back into reality.
I nodded and focused, growing shorter, claws and fangs retracting, the horns shrinking until I was back as Shifter.

"Thank you, now go prepare for the ninja."
"Yes, Quiet One." I said, leaving the room.

———

"Ugh, this is so boring." I groaned, hanging upside down on a rafter in the ceiling. "I guess I should start formulating a plan if the ninja happen to come through this door."

I easily flipped onto the ground from the rafter and paced around, one hand holding the katana I had formed.

My mind wondered back to Jay, again feeling a weird twist in my gut.
"Rrggh." I growled. "What the heck is this feeling??"
I tried to forget it, my mind wandering to when the ninja became those brightly coloured tornadoes.

'That could give me some aid if I were to encounter them...' I thought to myself, replaying the moves they all did before becoming the tornadoes.

I looked around and activated a small portion of my powers before running and doing a front flip before spinning around, however nothing happened.
'Come on.' I said to myself, knowing it would only be a little while until I would be able to master it.

———

"Last time, this has to work." I muttered to myself, the last time I had tried I think I managed to form one but it didn't hold up long.
I activated my powers and flipped before spinning around as I landed before a bright purple tornado formed around me.

It was so weird, time outside was moving slowly while inside was moving at normal speed.

Eventually the tornado diminished as I stood there in amazement.
'That was so cool!' I thought with a grin. 'But can I do it again?'

Word count: 1000 words