Black Blood didn't enjoy being in her human form, but in it she stayed. It made her feel tall. In silence she stood in the tunnel, listening to the roar and screams of battle coming from the darkness beyond. I wonder how they got in...
Some distant part told her that she ought to feel alarmed about the invasion and that she ought to assist her tribe in fighting off the ninja and the traitors. Yet she knew that Broken Fang, Raven Frost and No Claw were there. They would be able to hold them off for now. At the moment there were much more important things for her to attend to...
She turned away and strode down the tunnel, past the dark dens and floating lamps. Her path wound away from the gathering cavern until all noise was drowned out. She came to a part of the tunnels the tribe did not enter very often. It was here an isolated cave for prisoners lay, away from the others.
Raven Frost was stepping out of it. Black Blood stiffened at the sight of him. "Are you not supposed to be taking part in the battle?"
He paused and grinned toothily. "Aren't you?"
She curled her lip. "What were you doing in there?"
For the first time she noticed the thin clearstone knife dangling from his hand. Blood was dripping from it, and he held it up like a prize. "Just settling a score with the Daughter of No One."
Contempt made her want to hit him. Black Blood grabbed his shoulder and yanked him away, shoving him to the tunnel entrance. "If you touch her again I shall rip your ears off. Now get out there and kill the ninja, before I come out there to do it myself."
"What are you doing, then?" he drawled, though easing to the entrance.
"Get out."
Something dangerous in her voice silenced any more snide remarks he had. As the sound of his footsteps hurried away, she unlocked the door with a low incantation and entered the little cell.
Liana hung by her wrists against the wall in iron manacles. Bloody cuts ran up and down her arms and her torso, as well as a gash bleeding over one eye. Her hair had fallen loose from its ponytail and now hung over her face. Despite this, Black Blood could see the girl's cloudy eyes widen and she stiffened in her prison.
"Who's there?" The question came out as a halting whisper.
"Me." Shutting the door behind her, Black Blood walked up and stopped before Liana. "You have something of mine."
"What else do you want?" The human was exhausted, yet anger could be detected beneath her shaking voice. "You've already taken everything from me."
Black Blood grabbed her gi and ripped the collar open. Liana gasped and shied away, but the werecat's hand grabbed something dangling beneath her shirt.
"Leave that alone!" Liana cried, straining against her bonds. "That was my mother's!"
"Then your mother was a thief." The chain snapped. Black Blood took the necklace and inspected it. Though the stone had been carved into the shape of some sort of seashell, it looked much like all the others. "This is a moonstone—the last of the seven moonstones. Did you know?"
"The— the moonstone!" Liana's mouth fell open. "I— I had it with me this whole time...?"
Black Blood inspected her face, regarding her. "You're not lying. You really did not know you've had this with you the entire time." She chuckled mirthlessly. "How frustrating that must be! You and your ninja friends have been trying for so long to catch even just one moonstone and keep it from me, and you just brought the last one right into my hands. I really must thank you—"
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.
She turned into a new tunnel. This one turned away from the main ones, slanting down. No lamps hovered nearby. No cat, not even the sorcerers, made a habit of going down there.
No light would be needed for one with senses as attune as hers. Guiding herself with one hand on the wall, she walked down into the gaping mouth of shadows. The further she went, the colder it got.
A pebble clattered.
She whirled around. Was someone behind her? Sniffing the air, she peered up at the tunnel entrance. Nothing moved.
Scared of the dark now? a voice taunted in her head. Attempting to shrug off her paranoia, she kept going, though this time at a quicker pace.
Abruptly the walls fell away. Her footsteps could be heard echoing now. She'd come out of the tunnel and into a large cavern. Murmuring the summonings for a spell, she held her hand out as a plume of smoky blue light appeared. With a flourish she tossed it up, and the light exploded quietly as it spread across the ceiling like a hazy glowing cloud.
In the middle of this massive, empty cavern sat a dark shape taller than a human. As the glowing blue cloud gradually became brighter, its light reflected off of the object. Lights like tiny stars began twinkling from the glittering surface of blue, silver and violet colors.
"At long last." She approached the Great Moonstone. Large cracks like spindly fingers could be seen etched across its surface. Long ago the sorcerers had succeeded in putting together most of it, but the largest pieces that made up the main body only leaned haphazardly against one another, essentially disconnected.
Black Blood reached into the folds of her robes and took out more moonstones. One by one, she placed them in crevices of near-matching shapes. Each stone acted as a small bridge from one piece of the Great Moonstone to the next, essentially connecting all the pieces together like an unbalanced puzzle.
"Seven stones separated," she murmured, "seven stones reunited." She placed the first one in the first crevice. "The first, stolen by a Sister of Darkness."
She placed a second one into the next crevice, and continued. "The second, stolen by a Daughter of Lightning. The third, stolen by a Son of No One."
Were the pieces glowing brighter? She went on. "The fourth, stolen by a snake-man. The fifth, stolen from another Son of No One. The sixth, stolen by a Daughter of Earth."
The pendant of Liana's necklace was placed into the last crevice. "The seventh, stolen by a second Sister of Darkness."
She hadn't expected the Moonstone to glow so brightly all of a sudden. Startled, she stepped back and shielded her eyes with one arm. A strange hushed sound—almost like a chorus of voices whispering together—rose as the stone glowed.
The blinding light seemed to ease. When she uncovered her eyes, she could see that the light of the Moonstone lit up the cavern in strange dazzling colors, mostly of blue and violet but even with gold shimmers. The sound of whispers increased. Through the noise of her pounding heart, she could not tell if they were beckoning her to the stone or warning her to stay away from it.
"Mama..." Black Blood stared at the Moonstone. "Are you there?"
After standing there in awe for a minute, she transformed into her nekomata body and approached the Moonstone. Hesitating, she reached out a paw to touch it. "Show me how to find you..."
Her paw touched the surface.
* * *
Sniffing the air, Little Leaf peered at the ground. Human footprints stood out in the sand. "She came this way. Down that tunnel."
Lloyd listened, but no sound came from the dark corridor gaping before them. Flicking his hand, he summoned a ball of green light to act as a lantern. "She can't be up to any good."
Leaf grabbed his hand. Shakily she whispered, "Let's turn back, Lloyd. Please. I've never been down that tunnel before, but it scares me. We can't fight her alone."
"I'm not going to fight her. I'm just going to find out what she's up to." He squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Go back and get some help—Jay and Nya, maybe—and bring them here. I'll stay and see what Black Blood's up to. Go, Leaf," he added when she hesitated.
He grunted in surprise when she abruptly hugged him. "Be careful, Lloyd."
"I— I will." He watched her ease back, looking embarrassed, then disappear into the shadows. Lloyd was left alone in the corridor. Taking a deep breath, he descended into the tunnel. Somewhere down there Black Blood was waiting.
The light cast eery green shadows across the jagged walls. He had to bend down to keep from hitting his head. Back in the large caves there had been so much noise, screaming and shouting and the clashing of swords and stones and yowls of cats. Compared to that, the silence here felt unnerving. The faint crackle from his energy ball only made it feel louder.
For several minutes he walked, the tunnel going on and on. His pulse made the time feel longer. Then a faint sparkle of light caught his eye.
What's that?
He turned off the green lantern. As his eyes adjusted he realized there was a pale blue light source ahead, around the bend. He quickened his pace.
The opening of the tunnel yawned before him suddenly. Pale light poured from it. Tentatively, Lloyd tiptoed to the entrance and peered past the side. He caught his breath.
A massive glimmering stone sat in the middle of a cavern. Tiny lights like stars drifted from it, rising up to the ceiling. At the base of the stone a dark, feline shape lay, one paw resting on the surface.
"The moonstone...?" Something about the huge rock reminded Lloyd of the small moonstones they'd been trying to collect. His stomach lurched. "No...! No, she's got them all! She's activating its power and getting nine lives!"
There was no time to wait for backup now. Deftly he strapped the tekko-cagi claws onto his hands and ran out into the cavern. As he approached he kept his eyes on Black Blood, but she did not stir.
Then he was standing over her. His nerves were on edge, pulse pounding hard. Cautiously he stepped closer and leaned over her to peer at her face. The huge black cat's eyes were closed.
Dead...? He risked touching her shoulder ever-so-lightly. Her fur felt warm and it moved. She was breathing. Asleep.
His eyes fell upon that single paw laid upon the Moonstone. The surface beneath it was glowing strangely.
No. He stiffened. Not today. Lloyd grabbed the nekomata by the shoulders and yanked her away from the Moonstone.
The response was almost immediate. She stirred, making an almost-cute brrr? sleepy-cat sound. Then she felt Lloyd's arms around her and snarled so loudly that its echo rang brashly in his ears. "No! Let me go!"
Black Blood tore herself away and whirled on him, scrabbling to her paws. Lloyd circled around until he stood between her and the Moonstone. "How did you find the last moonstone?" he demanded.
"Doesn't matter, I've won. I've won!" she spat. "Now get out of the way, fox-breath. You interrupted the ceremony."
"And let you destroy Ninjago? No way. You'll have to kill me first."
Her eyes gleamed. "My pleasure."
Lloyd was ready for the curse. He deflected the burst of green fire with an energy ball, then spun into a Spinjitzu vortex. He tore himself at her, but she leapt out of the way.
Claws dug into his shoulders. Black Blood yanked him out of the vortex as the green energy evaporated. He felt himself slammed to the ground on his back.
Kicking his legs, he wriggled out of the way and blew up an energy ball in her face. The blow sent her tumbling back and falling onto her side. Before she could get up, he leapt to his feet and raked his claws down her torso.
Gasping in pain, she whirled around with lightning-fast reflexes. Black, silver-tinged paws came swinging at him, as large as a tiger's, while she stood up on her hind legs. Lloyd put his hands up in a defensive stance and swung back, dancing backwards every so often. She advanced, ears back and claws flashing by his face. He deflected her blow-for-blow, hearing her claws ring off his metal. He kept his gaze on her face, watching her eyes. They flickered down, at his legs.
He jumped just in time. She dove down with claws out, intending to knock into his legs and sweep him over. Lloyd leapt in the air, doing a sommersault, before landing on his feet. Confused, Black Blood started turning around when he leapt onto her back and dug his claws between her shoulders.
An enraged screech shuddered beneath him. The world spun—he flew through the air, thrown off her back, before hitting the ground. He scrambled to his feet in time to meet her attack and then they were off again; on their feet, punching, slashing, each one trying to touch the other with their deadly claws.
Then her teeth clamped around his wrist. He hadn't expected that. Black Blood yanked hard, pulling him down. Her paw hit the back of his head and smashed his face into the ground. Sand and stones got into his mouth and face.
Claws dug into his head and his back. Panic flooded through Lloyd. No!
She released his wrist to go in for the killing bite. He threw his arm back awkwardly and hit her face with his elbow. It was enough to bruise her muzzle, and she granted enough space for him to scramble onto his rump and rake his claws over her head.
Tired and desperate, Black Blood batted his hands away. Within the blink of an eye, her head shot forward as she bit down on his collar. She hadn't accounted for the mask and armor shielding his neck.
For a second she leaned over him exposed, the side of her face pressed against his as she attempted to bite down on a weak spot.
He barely even thought about it. Seeing it wide and open right by his face, Lloyd sank the tekko-cagi claws into each side of her neck.
There was a terrible sputtering sound in his ears.
A sick feeling rose in his throat. Hoping against hope he didn't just do what he certainly just did, Lloyd wrenched the claws from the big cat's flesh and matted fur, scrambling backwards. He barely noticed the blood-stained metal strapped to his hands.
Black Blood stared at him, looking puzzled. Her eyes roved slowly from him to the ground. Red spots were dripping from her chest fur, collecting into puddles.
She opened her mouth and rasped quietly, "No... no, I was supposed to live... this wasn't supposed to happen..."
"I'm sorry," Lloyd responded, horrified. His mind was reeling.
She looked at him angrily as if to say something else, but then her eyes glazed over. With a little wet cough, Black Blood sank to the floor. She stopped breathing.
Shock and horror kept Lloyd rooted to the floor. He hadn't meant for this to happen. He'd fought and defeated plenty of villains before, but he'd never actually killed them—and not in such a violent way. He wished the blood splatters on his gi would just magically disappear.
Almost incredulous, he stumbled to his feet and checked the big cat's pulse. Nothing. Not a breath, not a beat. She was gone.
"I— I'm sorry, Cole..." How would he react to his half-sister's death? Lloyd's stomach clenched just at the thought of having to tell him.
Or would Cole be glad? Not likely. Lloyd would not have been pleased if one of his teammates had done away with Lord Garmadon back when they were fighting him—but then, maybe it was different for Cole. After all, Lord Garmadon had never actually killed any of Lloyd's loved ones. Would he be glad his half-brother's murderer was gone?
I can't think about that now. I have to go and get the others. Wearily he turned and headed back to the entrance. The sound of his footsteps echoed hollowly against the dark walls. He started unstrapping the metal claws from his hands.
A small, startled gasp broke the silence.
His eyes darted to the entrance. "Little Leaf?"
Silence.
"Nya...? Cole?" Unease grew. What had been that sound? "Who's there?"
Black Blood's voice laughed mockingly behind him.
Lloyd whirled around and stared. Black Blood's eyes were glowing with an unearthly blue color, lighting up the cave. Like a raggedy puppet, the cat began to come back to life—limbs twitching, fur bristling, ears pricking forward and her jaw widening as she released a crazed cackle. The eery blue glow seemed to emanate from her mouth, too.
"What—? No. No!" Lloyd recoiled. "You were dead! You were dead!"
The glowing cat pushed herself up, glowing eyes sneering at him. Little lights seemed to appear from her paws, making as look as if she were standing amid a starry cloud. As she stood, a new shape appeared on her forehead: the same glowing light coming from her eyes and mouth now carved a crescent moon shape, glowing brighter than all the rest.
"Black Blood..." he stammered. "Did you—?"
"I am not Black Blood! I am Blood Star, queen of the Tribe of the Moon and conqueror of wolves and humans alike!" The glow in her eyes and mouth started dying away as well as the crescent moon shape on her forehead, leaving a white mark of the same shape. Yet the lack of the glow did not take away the dangerous gleam in her eyes, nor her crazed laughter. "They shall call me the Slayer of Elements, for I shall wipe out the Sons and Daughters once and for all!"
Lloyd couldn't believe it. He felt as if he were stuck in a nightmare. "You were dead," he repeated.
"I was. But I came back." A great wind began swirling around them, picking up dust and pebbles. She stood upon her hind legs, forepaws glowing blue with magic. "For now I—am—immortal!"
He shot an energy ball. Blood Star deflected it, summoning a force field. His energy deflected off of it, spitting in the air. The force of it shoved her back a few steps. Then she hissed an incantation and shot a curse at him.
Lloyd warded it off with an energy ball. He found himself forced to shoot more as she continued slinging bright curses at him, like malignant shooting stars glowing in the dark. Bright streaks of violet, blue, and pink shot from her outstretched paws; whizzing green orbs of energy flew from his swinging hands.
Foolish of you, to come face me alone. An uncomfortable weight seemed to force itself into his head. Stomach lurching, Lloyd realized she was mind-bending into his head. What had Matilda said to do to keep her out—?
You look so tired, Son of the First, Blood Star drawled in his brain. Across the cavern he could see her toothy grin flash at him. Wouldn't you care to sit down and go through your memories with me?
He gritted his teeth. I'm not afraid of my past. More energy balls blasted across the cavern. They met the flying curses and exploded, washing a wave of heat over the opponents.
She seemed to pause, regarding him. He could almost feel her own brain squashed against his, working meticulously. Matilda said I should concentrate on something, right? Can I concentrate on my hands—? No, I've got to focus on the fight, she'll take advantage—
Blood Star purred in his head, I believe you. But do you fear the future?
The sensation of flying suddenly seemed to jolt Lloyd off his feet. The sight of the cavern and Blood Star vanished. All was dark, and he was falling—falling—falling.
No! He struggled to regain consciousness, to take back his brain. I can't let her—!
A strange wave of heat seemed to wash over him, along with sounds and smells that made him think of swamps. Master Wu appeared abruptly before him. There was something frail about his appearance—his beard looked longer and he leaned more heavily on his staff than he usually did.
"Master Wu?" Ground suddenly beneath his boots, Lloyd ventured toward his uncle cautiously. "Are you OK? Did Blood Star—?"
A glowing portal of some kind burst out beneath Master Wu. With a startled cry, his uncle went flying into the glowing abyss and vanished.
"Master Wu! No!" Lloyd tried to reach out to grab his uncle, but some invisible force flung him backwards, and he was falling through darkness again.
Images began flashing through his head. A figure in strange, stone-like gray garments and glowing purple pieces staggered toward him, breathing heavily. Lloyd recoiled—the figure appeared to be some kind of mythical demon, its face contorted in a yellow-toothed grin and its eyes twisted in swirling black and yellow patterns beyond recognition. A guttural voice screamed behind the face, "I want you to feel the emptiness that I feel!"
Buildings from the night flashed by his vision. The city lights were disorienting as Lloyd attempted to look around. Were they moving on something...? The metal ground seemed to sway, the sounds of a train rumbling in his ears. Beyond some of the skyscrapers he could see the Destiny's Bounty—being crushed, shattering in mid-air over the city.
Lloyd barely saw the great stone hands crushing the ship. Horror kept his gaze on the deck, where familiar-looking figures could be seen, standing helpless as the massive structure shattered and caved in around them—Kai, Cole, Jay, Zane...
"No!" The desperate cry left him before he could stop it. Part of him felt aware that it was just a dream, that it was all a trick. But it all feels so real...!
Daylight suddenly streaming across the world made his eyes water. His vision seemed to pan out, giving him a bird's eye view of Ninjago City. It was burning. Sirens were wailing, thick plumes of smoke were rising above the crumbling skyscrapers.
There will always be loved ones to lose, Blood Star drawled, unseen. There will always be new enemies who want to destroy everything you love. Defeating me won't stop them.
His vision shifted to the streets. Dark smoke, strangely cold, had flooded through the city. From this smoke eery horned figures emerged, eyes glowing in the dark.
You cannot save your friends.
The smoky streets and alien figures faded away. They were replaced by a picture of Zane, smiling gently at Lloyd. Then a blast of fire lit up the scene, pouring onto Zane. With a strangled cry, he seemed to fall back and vanished amid the flames.
"Zane!"
Snow replaced fire. It whirled around him in an angry blizzard, freezing his fingers and toes. The ground disappeared and he fell once more, yelling. The face of a white wolf with red stripes around its eyes stared at him a moment before vanishing into the blizzard.
"Stop it!" he cried through the howling wind. Snow was already gathering on his eyelashes and hair. Though he still fell and his voice shook, he yelled, "I don't care what the future holds! The ninja will always be there to stop whoever and whatever threatens Ninjago!"
Pixels like that from video games began replacing the snow. They collected on his hands, his feet, his face, like warm tiny scales.
As they continued collecting, Blood Star spoke again. You are the Son of the First. The blood of your father and forefather will enable you to live for seasons upon seasons. You will indeed live long. A cruel smile played into her voice. But it also means you must watch your mortal friends pass away. You will be alone.
Lloyd's heart lurched. He could see them through the pixels—pixels? No, now a lake of lava. It seemed to appear while Blood Star talked, burning through the darkness in a hateful, blinding haze. He found himself standing on a rock in the middle of this lake of lava, heat wafting around him to the point he felt his clothes would burst into flames at any second.
He saw his friends, trapped on the other side of the massive flaming pool. Through the smoke and hissing steam they seemed to change, becoming gray—Kai, Zane, Jay, Cole, Nya, growing old and passing away...
"So what!" He made himself sound confidant. He wouldn't let the werecat break him down, despite the mingled fear and dread pounding against his head. "I'll train the next generation of ninja! There will always be ninja to stop villains like you!"
"You're right," she purred into his ear.
He whirled around, but she remained invisible. The sky was growing dark, snowdrifts and pixels alike fading into faint shadows against the walls. "A new generation of ninja made to suffer for sticking their noses in places they shouldn't. How delightful."
The world went dark. Then new figures appeared out of nowhere before him. They appeared to be teenagers in colorful ninja gi, though Lloyd did not recognize them. Yet as he peered closer at their faces, the feeling of dread grew.
The teenagers were sinking in black mud, gasping, crying out and trying to help one another. A boy's head already sank beyond view while the other three struggled to stay afloat. He realized that a tall girl with pale hair in a braid was staring at him pleadingly. Something about the shape of her face and her electric electric blue eyes made him think of Zane and Pixal combined.
"Sensei Lloyd!" the girl cried. "Help us!"
A second girl joined in, spitting mud out of her mouth as she thrashed. "Master Lloyd, please!" She sank further until nothing but her blue-streaked hair could be seen.
Fire burst from the third teenager. Lloyd felt his jaw go slack—the boy floundering between the girls looked like a near-exact copy of Kai, but the eyes and hair were Skylor's. As the boy stared helplessly at Lloyd, he could see a long scar running down the side of his face. "Please help us, Sensei!"
Panic flooded Lloyd's mind. What if these kids were real? He couldn't just let them drown!
"Hang on!" He started toward them, but his legs stiffened. That same black mud sucking in the teenagers was pulling him down now. He dragged his feet through the goop and tried to reach out for the teenagers. The red-headed boy with Kai's face leaned forward and stretched out one hand.
Their fingers brushed together—Lloyd strained, trying to grab him. Then, with a faint gurgle, the young fire ninja sank beyond sight. His hand lingered above the surface for a moment, twitching, before disappearing as well. The girls sank along with him. The mud seemed to swallow them up greedily.
A groan like mingled frustration, shock and grief blurted out of Lloyd. The mud continued dragging him down, until he too was submerged—submerged in darkness, choking, ice-cold darkness...
"Lloyd! No!"
A girl's shrill voice shattered the nightmare. The mud oozed away from him almost immediately. He gulped on air gratefully and fell on stone-hard ground.
Opening his eyes, Lloyd found himself back in the Moonstone cave. A feminine figure was on Blood Star's back, brandishing a stone knife and heaving with tears. "Leave him alone! Leave Lloyd alone!"
"Little Leaf..." His voice came out weak and raspy. Had his throat really been filled with mud? His limbs felt like jelly, but he moved to stand. His vision spun. "Little Leaf, run!"
"Traitor! Get off me!" Blood Star snarled. She jumped and spun around, chucking Little Leaf in the air. The girl flew into the wall and sank with a pained grunt. Tears were running down her face.
Lloyd tried to stand. His ankle turned and he fell on his face.
"Let's see your two-legged sweetheart save you now!" Blood Star cackled, whisking her tails as she stalked toward her sister.
Staggering up, cat ears and paws replaced Leaf's human ears and hands. Baring her teeth, she threw herself at Blood Star.
Almost effortlessly, Blood Star slammed a paw against her face, sending her tumbling. In the blink of an eye, she ran her claws over Little Leaf's throat and dug in deep.
"Little Leaf!" Lloyd hadn't expected his voice to come out in a sob. Frozen, he stared at her.
Blood Star stepped away slowly, tails still flicking back and forth. Little Leaf was on her hands and knees, looking shocked. She tried to speak but blood came out instead. It dribbled down her chin and her throat.
"Little Leaf..." Lloyd stumbled to her, ignoring Blood Star. He fell on his knees and pulled her close, cradling her to his chest. Speechless, he could only stare into her eyes.
She stared back, tears still flowing. Lips quivering, she offered a vague smile and moved her hand as if to touch his face.
Her hand stiffened mid-air and her eyes glazed over. Shoulders slumping, she then stared off into the distance and stilled.
His vision swam with tears. His chest heaved. A sob fought to free itself from his clenching throat, but anger waved over grief.
"What is wrong with you?!" Lloyd turned on her sister. "How can you be so—?"
He felt himself thrown on his back. Blood Star was on top of him. His heart pounded in his ears.
He started to shoot an energy ball—and felt some things sink into his throat.
He gasped and choked. Immediately he could taste blood. He saw Blood Star leaning on his chest, emerald eyes blazing into his soul.
"That's the last time either one of you will get in my way," she murmured mockingly. "Give the First Spinjitzu Master my greetings."
She yanked her claws out of him. Sensations of pain finally began to throb from the wound, but shock numbed it. His vision swam.
Blearily he looked down at himself to see blood—on his hands, on his gi, oozing down from his throat.
The world was going dark. He felt light-headed.
This can't be the end, can it...? He could feel himself falling... he made sure to fall by Little Leaf...
I need to protect her... She's all alone, I need to protect her...
He felt himself fade from the living world.
* * *
"Hurry!" Nya urged, brandishing a torch Skylor had lit for them.
"I'm hurrying!" Jay protested, tekko-cagi claws flashing from his wrists. "I just wish Little Leaf hadn't run ahead so fast!"
They finally reached the tunnel—Nya knew it was the one because Leaf had gasped something about Black Blood "down in the unlit tunnel". Stupid of Lloyd to go alone. She would give him a talking-to as soon as they saw him.
"Lloyd? Little Leaf?" she called into the darkness. "Are you there?"
The only reply was the sound of her own voice echoing off the cold walls. She could not see where the circular corridor went.
"Come on. We need to find them." She paused when she saw Jay was staring off at the adjoining tunnel, past the lamp. "Jay?"
His gaze flickered back to her, but he stared at the second tunnel again. "I thought I saw something—someone leaving. Hey, anyone there?" he demanded in a louder voice. "Here, kitty-kitty-kitty!"
Nothing stirred from the shadows.
She realized her mouth was dry and swallowed. "We'll find out who that was later. Right now our priority is Lloyd and Little Leaf."
They entered the tunnel, Jay leading the way with the torch. Nya tried to see through the darkness, though there was nothing to see—not until they entered the cavern.
They gaped at the Moonstone, still glowing brightly in its unearthly way. The silence in this room felt strangely hushed compared to the tunnels, like how snow makes a winter day sound muffled.
"So that must be the Moonstone they've been going on about..." Jay muttered. "Let's hope Black Blood doesn't have the seventh—"
Nya's eyes fell upon two figures lying sprawled out by the Moonstone. Her blood froze. "Jay. Look."
He looked. His face went dead-white. "Lloyd!"
"Little Leaf!" They ran to the figures. As they approached, Nya could see them better by the light of the Moonstone—she almost wished she couldn't. Little Leaf lay on her side, eyes staring at nothing and the ground beneath her stained dark red. Lloyd lay sprawled on his back with one arm lying awkwardly over her torso, as if his last moments had been spent trying to protect her. The front of his gi, from the collar to the knees and on his hands, was splattered all over with blood. Something had ripped into both their throats like a wild animal.
Nya stood rooted to the spot, heart pounding in her ears. "Are they...? They can't be...?"
Shakily Jay kneeled over each of them and checked their pulses. He didn't look at her as he said bleakly, "They're gone. Both of them."
She couldn't move. She couldn't think.
Gone? No, no, ridiculous. They were only tired, they will wake up in a moment... Poor Little Leaf, lying on the cold hard ground...
Slowly, feeling as if she were in a dark dream, Nya knelt down and gently pulled Little Leaf into her lap. She still felt warm. That means she would wake up soon, yes...
As Jay knelt over Lloyd and bent his head, Nya cradled Little Leaf to her chest and cried through gritted teeth.
* * *
Cole felt torn between staying with Matilda, weak as she was, and continuing his search for Liana. Thankfully Matilda had made the decision a little easier for him, saying gruffly that she had a score to settle with Broken Fang and Raven Frost and that alone would give her enough strength to fight. Secretly he doubted she could stand very long, but at least she would be nearby the other ninja and they would cover her. Thus Matilda followed Earth Flame's direction to the gathering cavern and Cole went the other way with his werecat guide.
The prison cells were all silent and empty. As Cole's fear of the worst increased, Earth Flame attempted to assure him, "Maybe they're keeping her in a different cave—like, one of the sorcerers' private chambers. If they'd killed her, they would be gloating about it in front of everyone."
The idea of that made Cole feel sick to his stomach. As they continued up and down the winding tunnels, he began straining his brain to mind-bend. Liana, can you hear me? Liana? He had no idea if it was actually working, yet he continued.
They were in one of the larger tunnels now, lighted with more lamps. They passed by gaps in the wall both narrow and wide, short and tall—it seemed as if the Moon Tribe's home was riddled with hundreds of caves. Earth Flame muttered as they strode on. "Warriors' sleeping den, elders' sleeping den... nursery's down the right, the birthing den on the left right there... we already passed the training room, so... down that tunnel. To be honest, I've never been down here, it's where the sorcerers hang out. We as kits always dared each other to go as far as we could down there without getting scared or caught, but one time one of my sisters, Hazel Duck—"
Cole? Is that you?
Stiffening, Cole hissed, "Wait!"
"Huh? What is it?"
"Shh." Heart leaping, he pressed his brain again. Liana? Tell me that's you.
Her voice sounded muffled and faint, yet he could hear her. It— it's me... What— how did you...?
He started down the dark tunnel, the one exclusive to the sorcerers. Where are you? We're coming to get you!
He wished he could sense her emotions through the tingly connection, but all he could hear were chopped-up words, sounding like they came from a broken BorgPad. Don't know... in a tiny cave— just follow my— my voice, just come...
"Hey, mud-tom," Earth Flame pressed. "What's up?"
"It's Liana. She's contacting me through mind-bending. I think she's down there."
"Mind-what—?"
"Just follow me." Impatiently he took off at a run, gliding his hands against the walls to guide himself when there weren't any lamps. Keep talking, please. I'm coming.
I'll try... She sounded so distant, so weary. Just, don't freak if I randomly pass out.
Don't pass out. Stay awake.
They turned around a bend in the tunnel, then another one—how long was this tunnel? Cole abruptly began to feel fatigued, as if his muscles were covered with more scratches and bruises than they should be. Surprised, he staggered.
"Hey now! You all right?" Earth Flame stared at him, mingled confusion and concern evident in his humanoid face.
"Y— yeah... I think we're getting close," he gasped. "I can feel her exhaustion... They must have hurt her..." At the thought of that new strength returned to his body. He kept walking through the shadows, talking to her in his head. You still there?
How did you get in here? Is everyone else...?
We followed the Moon Tribe here. Everyone's fighting in one of the big caves. It's do or die time, basically. He allowed the note of wryness. It somehow made things feel better, laughing at the bad things happening.
Cole— Cole, I've got to tell you. Her voice was becoming clearer, and in it he finally detected a new tone of urgency and fear. Black Blood—she got the seventh moonstone.
What?! He stumbled, making Earth Flame come close to running into his back. How?
It was my necklace. I don't know how, but it was my necklace, and she knew. She sounded despairing. I— I don't know— maybe my father was the one who got it, he used to be a merchant, maybe he picked it up from a thief in one of his travels...!
Cole's head was spinning, but he tried to comfort her. Hey—it wasn't your fault.
They entered a new tunnel, this one wider. He stopped. Several iron doors, like the one in the prison, lined this cavern and was lit by a single lamp.
But now she has them all and she left to go to the big Moonstone to get her nine lives! I should— I should never had let myself get captured, it's all my fault—
Earth Flame interrupted the soundless exchange. "I smell human, and Raven Frost and Black Blood. The scents are fresh." He gestured to the iron door on the far right. "That's where the human smell is coming from."
Cole ran to the iron door and banged his fist against it. "Liana! Is that you?"
"Cole!" Her voice sounded muffled and trembling, yet he'd never heard a more beautiful sound. "Y— yes, I'm here—"
"Back away from the door! I'm comin' in!" Curling his hands into fists, he attempted to summon the strange powers he'd discovered on Day of the Departed. However, his brain was swirling with too many overwhelming emotions and he had not gotten the hang of his super-strength yet. He grunted, then glared at his arms, frustrated.
"Guess I'm gonna have to do it the old-fashioned way!" Thrusting his hands out, he summoned a huge chunk of rock from the wall and carved it into a ball. Hovering in mid-air, he turned it to the door and prepared to smash it in.
"Uhh..." Clearing his throat, Earth Flame reached for his belt and jingled the ring of keys. "Or, we could just use these. But, I mean, smashing the door to bits is fine, too, so go for it, buddy—"
Dropping the rock chunk, Cole yanked the keys from Earth Flame's hands and unlocked the door hastily. At the rewarding click he slammed it open. "Liana!"
In the narrow, dingy cell, she lay wearily on her side, propping herself up with her hands. Ponytail gone, her pale blond hair fell messily around her face, streaked with dirt. The purple gi was decorated with numerous tears, dirt stains and blood stains. Scratches stood out anywhere armor hadn't covered her body, and one shoulder pad had been ripped away. The collar of her uniform fell loosely from her neck, as if someone had come and jerked it out of shape.
His heart dropped. He barely felt himself run to her, drop onto his knees and jerkily cradle her to himself. "Liana—what did they do to you...!"
Familiar milky eyes rose up and stared past him, smiling weakly. "Took you long enough."
He clung to her, shaking with anger. "What did Black Blood do—?"
"Not Black Blood. Raven Frost." Her voice quivered and she dropped her head against his chest. "Used the Dark Sleep against me. Tortured me in the real world. Just because he wanted to. I tried to fight him, and her... I tried so hard..."
Hovering at the doorway, Earth Flame cleared his throat. "Remember Broken Fang? Might want to check." When Cole turned to stare at him inquiringly, he elaborated. "Could be another sorcerer in disguise."
Liana stiffened.
"How're we supposed to check?" Feeling her tensing up, he moved so that she could place her head at the crook of his neck.
The werecat hesitated, pondering, before looking at the torch in his hand and holding it up. The firelight danced dimly against the stone walls. "Her shadow will show. If it looks like a cat, it's a trick."
Cole didn't want to check. He wanted to believe Liana, to pick her up and not let go and to just get her away, far away from all the evil and horror running rampant in these dark tunnels.
"OK." Still shaking, Liana pulled herself away from Cole and sat up. "Is this good?"
"Yes, just hold still there." Earth Flame stepped into the cell and frowned at the wall.
Cole sat up as well and stared at the rugged gray wall. He could see his and her shadows sitting together, his being much larger and bulkier than hers. Mouth dry, he searched the black smudge for any sign of feline features; cat ears, whiskers, a muzzle, tails, anything.
Nothing. Her shadow was perfectly humanoid.
"Looks fine to me," Earth Flame muttered.
Feeling weak with relief, Cole hugged Liana tightly, digging one hand into her hair. She buried herself into him, warm and trembling body pressed against his.
He wished he could say something more heartfelt, something closer to what he really felt, but all he could murmur was, "Glad to have you back."
He felt her cold little hands wind feebly around his torso. "Cole," she said, mouth by his shoulder. "There's something else I think you should know... Black Blood— when she came in here, I—"
"We can't stay," Earth Flame interjected. He was dancing impatiently on his feet. "Someone might catch our scent and corner us here. I'll feel better once we're back in the big caverns where we can breathe and see everyone else."
"Right. Liana, can you stand?"
"Maybe. I just..." She pushed herself off of him and attempted to stand, but her knees buckled and she fell back with a quiet grunt. "Just— just tired... gimme a few minutes, and I'll—"
"There's no time. We've gotta go." Scooping her up in her arms, he stepped back into the dim corridor and followed Earth Flame back the way they came. Now that they'd rescued Liana, he felt more leery than ever of running into a sorcerer in the tunnels. Fighting a sorcerer with just Earth Flame would have been one thing, but it would be another thing entirely to fight while trying to protect Liana.
Yet nothing crept out of the shadows. He held his breath every time they turned around a bend in the tunnel, but there was no hiss, no scrape of claws against stone, no feline growl. Nevertheless he couldn't allow himself to relax. Ahead of him Earth Flame's head swiveled left and right as he constantly sniffed the air, tense and alert.
The silence went on, broken only by their footsteps' tip-tap and the faint huff of Cole's breath, weighed down by Liana.
Evidently she began to feel guilty. "I can get down now."
"Heh, you're light as a feather. Don't worry about it."
"No really, I'm feeling better already."
"Liar."
She smiled ruefully and gave up, letting her head fall against his shoulder. That faint touch made his heart skip a beat, even through all the numbness from everything else happening. He stared ahead and told himself to concentrate.
Then, almost dreamily she murmured, "Before Raven Frost captured me, I heard screaming. Is everyone all right?"
Cole's heart lurched. Earth Flame halted for a breath of a second.
He wondered if she could feel his pulse picking up. "Cole?"
Swallowing, he finally responded. "Loud Bird and Violet Swift died in the first battle... but we just found Matilda and freed her."
"Matilda?" The name came out as a gasp. "She's alive?"
"Alive and kicking tail already. She insisted we let her fight the sorcerers while we go looking for you." He forced a half-laugh at that. "So nearly everyone else is OK."
"Did anyone else die?"
His voice caught in his throat, his mouth suddenly dry. Yet through it he finally rasped, "Eagle Talon's gone. Black Blood killed him."
He could feel her stiffen. He didn't dare look at her in the awful silence that followed, not until she whispered, "Oh, Cole...! I'm so sorry..."
A picture of Talon lying in the grass, black arrow sticking out of his chest, flashed in Cole's head. He couldn't say anything.
"Will— will Black Blood..." She hesitated. "Do you think she'll come after you next?"
"I know she will."
Liana was quiet. When he glanced at her, a spark of familiar fire had returned to her scarred eyes. "Not on my watch."
* * *
Lightning Streak voiced a grief-stricken caterwaul. She threw herself over Spark Pelt's motionless body and wrestled with a massive tom. Her paws were unsteady from the shock and her opponent overpowered her easily. She felt a heavy paw slam into her throat, choking her, as she was pinned down.
Then Zane came, delivering a sound kick that sent the tom reeling. He fell upon the nekomata swiftly, punching the sensitive parts around his face and kicking the jaw. The big cat snarled and swiped its claws at him. Zane hopped back a pace and snatched the paw just as it swung for his face—there he stood for a second, gripping the paw tightly while the nekomata gaped at him.
Zane yanked on the foreleg, pulling his opponent off-balance and tripping him with one outstretched foot. As the cat tumbled on its face, he leapt atop him and latched a chokehold around its furry neck. He squeezed tight.
The nekomata continued to struggle for a minute longer, growling in choked gurgles. Finally he fell limp, passing out. Zane released him and stood up panting. "Are you hurt?"
"Just— just angry..." Lightning Streak limped to his side, holding up one paw. She cast a weary look at Spark Pelt's body.
He laid a comforting hand on her shoulder while glancing around at the scene. The Moon Tribe was still warring viciously against one another. Back by the entrance, on the west side, Wu and Misako used both Spinjitzu and their staffs freely, sending cats either flying across the cavern or fleeing with bruised heads and faces. Even Mr. Brookstone did his part, swinging his staff unsteadily yet managing to whack several prowling nekomata across their noses.
In the thick of the battle, Zane could just barely see Ronin flinging throwing stars and nimble knives at his opponents. Wolf Paw stayed by his side. Nearby was Skylor, gritting her teeth as she summoned the elements of Speed and Shadow to daze and confuse her opponents, running around them in circles before popping up behind them in a shadow and knocking them out.
A frantically-squeaking white rabbit scrambled between Zane's legs. He looked behind him to see Matilda at the south side of the cavern. Though covered with marks of abuse and hatless, she shot spells at the cats who attempted to get close to her, turning many of them into rabbits and frogs. Her hand was covered in burns and blisters.
A flash of movement caught Zane's eye. Stumbling out of one of the tunnels was Earth Flame.
Alone...? For one terrifying second his stomach dropped—then Cole came out of the black mouth, Liana in his arms.
Relief flooded through Zane. "Cole!"
Cole met his gaze across the ocean of chaos and grinned wearily.
A couple of females saw them and came running, ears flat on their heads. Instinctively Earth Flame's hands transformed into feline paws and he bared narrow teeth at them. Voicing a warning growl, he met the females in a flurry of claws and teeth. Seeing him outnumbered, Zane joined Earth Flame in the brawl, dragging one cat off of his back.
Meanwhile Cole found a large boulder and set Liana down behind it, shielding her from the worst of the battle. He kept glancing around furtively.
Liana's eyes were wide, looking anxious. "It's so loud..."
He clapped his hands on both sides of her face and looked at her, imagining she could feel his gaze. "Save your strength for now. Here's a weapon just in case." He handed her one of his katanas. "Don't worry about all the noise. I'll tell you when you need to fight. Just work on breathing and saving your energy."
In another day, she might've acted as if he'd personally offended her and insisted she can take care of herself. Now she only grinned wearily, face white, and murmured, "I hate being the damsel in distress."
"Think of it as me paying you back for healing my eyes."
Her eyes darkened. "Cole—"
Thunder seemed to blast in his ears and his head. The entire cavern shuddered as a blinding flash of light lit up the scene. In that second Cole's eyes burned, and with a shocked yelp he ducked his head down behind the boulder. Heart hammering, he pulled Liana to him and shielded her from whatever was going on. She hugged him tight.
The initial crash rumbled away, as did the blinding light. Stunned, he blinked through watering eyes. Thunder underground...?
"What the heck was that?!" Liana demanded, almost angry.
He scanned the cavern. Everyone, even the enemy warrior cats, seemed shocked and confused by the strange thunder and light. The battle lingered on pause, allies and enemies alike sharing bewildered looks. Nearby Zane was helping Earth Flame to his feet, frowning in concern.
"Look around you!" an all-too familiar voice broke the uneasy pause. Stomach lurching, Cole whipped his gaze to the east side of the massive cavern.
Standing atop a lopsided pile of boulders, a black-pelted bakeneko cackled at the crowd. "Humans, traitors—does this look like a winning battle to you?"
"Black Blood," Liana rasped, suddenly white.
Cole stared at his sister. Was it Black Blood? Her fur seemed to shine, glittering and unearthly. Tiny lights like stars gathered at her paws while a bright blue glow came from her eyes, blinding. A shape like a crescent moon on her forehead glowed with the same light. The cat looked like some kind of ghost, come back from the Departed Realm in a strange haze of starlight.
The next words to come out of her mouth made his blood run cold. "Moon Tribe, look upon your queen! The seven moonstones have been recovered and the Great Moonstone is healed! I went and met with our ancestors of old!" The glow in her eyes faded away, but the crazed look did not. "I have been given the gift of nine lives!
"Black Blood is gone! Blood Star is your savior!"
She threw back her head and cackled. The Moon Tribe gawked at her before a haunting roar of cheers rose slowly. Teeth flashing, the werecats grinned at the horror-stricken ninja and began to chant. "Blood Star, Blood Star, Blood Star..."
Still cackling, Blood Star picked up something with a claw and waved it at her audience. "Fear not, my tribe! The Son of the First is gone! This is the time to take vengeance once and for all! Who is with me?"
Cole's stomach dropped. His vision swam.
Lloyd's mask dangled from her paw. Blood stood out against the green material.
The chanting increased. As one the ocean of cats turned upon the humans, many eyes glinting dangerously. They stalked toward their prey and the ominous chanting increased. "Blood Star, Blood Star, Blood Star..."
Cole could feel Liana's fingers wrap around his tightly, trembling. He could only stand there, heart pounding in his ears. His vision swam with everything and nothing—the Moon Tribe stalking toward the humans, forcing them to back away. The blood-stained ninja mask. Liana's face, agape and horror-stricken.
And Blood Star, his half-sister, cackling in glee as her paws surged with newfound power.
They'd failed.
Blood Star had nine lives—she was virtually immortal. The ninja were not.
Lloyd's bloody mask testified to just how vulnerable the ninja were to death.
"Blood Star, Blood Star, Blood Star...!"