Void - Ninjago x Female Reader

Chapter 56: Laid out to see

(Second person POV)

"Oh my goodness..." Catherine murmured, tears welling up in her eyes as she glanced around, unsure of whether she should be looking at you or her hands. So she did both, staring somewhere between the two, her brow furrowed with sadness as her hand scrunched the blankets underneath her hold.

You didn't respond to her, unsure of what to say or how to comfort her, so you simply kept silent giving her some time to calm down. You had only told her a tiny snippet of what was going on in your life, just about your teacher's disappearance and Lloyd being captured but the woman was already on verge of tears but seemed to be trying to hold it together for whatever reason.

"...If you want to cry then cry," you muttered, looking off into the distance, "I don't care."

"Ah, but I thought you hated crying," the other murmured, forcing a smile on her face as she gripped the sheets tighter.

"...It's not that I don't like it, I just don't know what to do when someone's teary-eyed and it makes me feel really awkward," you replied, feeling as if you've heard those words somewhere before as if they were simply remnants of a misty dream.

With a bright beam that seemed not to be dampened by her mood, she chuckled, "Ah, I see... If that's the case..." Allowing for the dam on her eyes to burst, she let herself sob, subconsciously pulling you to her chest and crying on your shoulder.

Stiffening, you froze up like a board, eyes darting around wildly as you tried to think of something to say or do to make her feel better so she could let you go. "I-it's not that bad," you remarked awkwardly, "My teacher's not gone so I'll just find him and-"

Hearing your words, the lady wept even harder, gently patting the top of your head whilst crying, making you sigh and give up resistance. Wrapping your arms around her in an almost unnatural way, you uttered, "T-there there, it's all alright," whilst stroking the top of her head too, just like how your sensei used to do whenever you got upset.

After a long while of silence with Catherine embracing you to her chest and you giving her an awkward half-hug, she finally let you go with a dry laugh. Smiling wryly, she murmured, "I'm so much older than you yet I cried about this when you didn't... I'm so sorry you had to see that... I hope I didn't burden you by having you cheer me up..."

"No," you reply, shuffling back to your spot at the foot of her bed again, "It's fine. Besides, I'm unloading my troubles onto you, so..."

With a chuckle, the other smiled, "It's fine. I was the one to offer you to speak with me and you took it up. I'm very glad you did, actually,"

"...Is that so..." you muttered, staring at your gloved hand with mixed emotions, seeing the dripping darkness start to stain through the silky, snow-white cloth.

"Yes... Honestly, I wish that I could take your pain and shield you from it, but that same pain is what helps us grow and mature..." Looking at you with a sadness you couldn't understand in her small smile and her raven-black eyes, the lady gently took your hands in her own, clasping them tightly but gentle enough to not cause you pain. "As they say, 'There is no coming to one's senses if there is no pain', so let it hurt. Just remember, success is defined not just by one's achievements, but rather by how one overcomes loss and pain."

Thinking over her words, you let out a soft sigh and stood up, running a hand through your hair, "...We should start opening up shop soon. I'll wait for you to get ready outside." Heading out of the room, you were just about to shut the door when you paused, muttering "You know, I heard a story of a girl who vowed that she would save everyone in the world... but in the end, she forgot to save herself..."