Roots of Earth ~ A Ninjago Fanfiction

Chapter 106: Nine Lives

Weight like a bowling ball shoved itself into her head. Crying out, Black Blood fought it. Pictures of her childhood started flashing into her head. Catching her first mouse... being made into the sorcerers' apprentice and training with them... Eagle Talon earning his full name...

"Enough!" she roared. The pictures and the weight disappeared. Head throbbing, she glared at Liana. "You little—"

Liana threw herself at Black Blood and they fell scuffling. However, the human was weak and wounded, and Black Blood overpowered her easily.

As she locked Liana in an arm lock around her neck and choked her, she glanced at the chains that were supposed to hold her. The manacles were dangling by themselves, broken. A small plume of smoke was rising from the shattered metal.

"How in the stars did you do that...?" she murmured.

Wriggling faintly, Liana managed to barely rasp, "Guess my element's related to fire."

Something clicked in Black Blood's head. Her heart skipped a beat, yet she kept her voice cool and deadly. "Fire doesn't do that." Grabbing Liana by the hair, she smashed her face into the floor and pressed her weight on her. The younger girl gasped in pain.

"Nor water. Nor earth. Nor air. Nor any other power of the elemental masters. But I know someone whose powers are similar to yours." Black Blood shook her for emphasis. "Your power in the mind are unlike anything else I've seen, save for that Sister of Darkness, Matilda. And her power comes from the energy in the earth and in the air—from the magic that is in every world."

Liana attempted to roll onto her side. Black Blood yanked on her hair again, eliciting another cry. "Do you understand what I am saying? Or have you always known? Is that why you joined the ninja? So that Matilda could teach you how to be as powerful a Sister of Darkness as she is?"

Liana stiffened beneath her. "A Sister of...?"

"A witch. That's what you are." She shook her again. "You're not an elemental master, you're a witch! A sorceress! That's your secret! That is why you have been so hard to kill. Your body is practically oozing with magic. You are like me when I was a kit—making things explode and getting into others' heads. Your being burns with untapped potential."

"No." Liana's voice quivered. "No... I'm not like you. I'll never be like you!" Rearing up again, she screamed, "I'm not a witch, I'm a ninja! I'll never be like you or Raven Frost or anyone else!"

"We cannot choose the powers destiny grants us. We can only choose what to do with them." She shoved Liana to the floor and turned to the door. "And for now, I choose to leave you here while I put this moonstone to good use. I've waited too long to dilly-dally now." She left the cell and slammed the door closed, locking it. "I'm not worried about you busting open another lock, as it is quite obvious you've used the last of your strength."

Liana trembled all over. She crawled on her bloodied hands and knees to the door and slumped against it like a rag doll. "Cole will come. He'll stop you."

"Oh, I do hope he will come," Black Blood hissed. "I will make him suffer the same way I've suffered."

"You deserve to suffer," Liana rasped, angry. "He doesn't."

"We shall let destiny decide that, shall we?" Black Blood strode away, leaving Liana broken and quivering in her cell.

Back into the dark, narrow tunnels she went, gripping the moonstone tightly as if it would slip out of her hand at any moment. Away from Liana and away from the battle, silence reigned in these empty halls. Her bare feet padded quietly, taking her through the darkness.