Someone was at the door.
Her head jerked up, suddenly awake. Heart hammering, her eyes slid over the kitchen table to the rickety door. It had only one built-in lock to protect the family. It'd been months since the last time someone had attempted to break in, but that didn't mean it couldn't happen again...
The lock was being jiggled by whatever was on the other side. The sound felt loud and threatening in the quiet of the afternoon. Her mind raced, trying to decide what to do.
Then the lock clicked and the door swung open.
"Li!" She bolted up from the chair, relieved, and buried her husband in a hug. "Thank the First Spinjitzu Master—I thought it was a robber!"
The tall man practically picked her up to embrace her, brushing the straw hat out of the way to deliver a kiss. "Sorry to disappoint, Martha. It's just me." Letting a bulky bag slide down from his shoulder, he added, "And I've got presents."
Martha wrung her hands as she inspected him. His skin looked dark, tanned from days in the desert. His clothes were weatherbeaten, the plain colors faded. A permanent sweat stain stood out against his straw hat. These were not unusual appearances, but Li's wife noticed that the more trips he took, the older he looked upon his return home.
"Stop worrying," he teased, noticing the haunted look. "See, I'm all right. And this is one of the last trips I'm taking. I'll be getting a new job soon, one that won't take me away from you." Despite the faint wrinkles at his eyes, his smile matched by his still-dark hair gave him a young, boyish look.
Suddenly feeling old herself, Martha released her curly hair from the bandana and ran a hand through it hurriedly, as if that would turn back the hands of time. "What have you got, then?"
Still grinning, Li rummaged through the bulky bag and took out a small leather pouch. He handed it to her with a theatrical flourish. "For you, my love."
Determined to remain unimpressed, she took it and unraveled the string. As it opened up a small weight fell into her hand. She gasped, "Ohh, Li—! Where did you get this?"
"We passed by some thie— eh, traders from the north. We exchanged some things. I met a man carrying a couple of stones like these." His grin broadened at his wife's shocked expression. "Beauty, right? Thankfully I was able to find someone who made necklaces out of things like these, and—well, it cost me a lunch and dinner, but I got it carved, too. Y'know, to look like the shells from the beach we used to play in."
Martha stared at the pendant glimmering in the candlelight. It was attached to a dainty silver chain, and indeed it resembled one of the many seashells that lined the shores of her childhood home. Her voice caught in her throat. "Li..."
"Daddy's home!" With an excited squeal, a little brown-haired boy came racing downstairs and threw himself at Lee. "Daddy!"
"Hey, Philip, how you doing, kiddo?" Laughingly the father snatched up the boy and hugged him. "Where's your sister?"
As if on cue, another "Daddy!" shrieked through the house. A toddler with hair the same color as her mother's came racing into the kitchen. Li stooped and scooped her up with one arm.
"How's my little princess?"
Liana giggled and pressed her cheek against his, feeling his scratchy whiskers. Beside her Philip sat up and fairly screamed into Li's ear, "I caught a frog today!"
"Shh, not so loud!" their mother reprimanded. "Your father's been traveling all day. Inside voices, please."
"I am using my inside voice!" Philip yelled.
"No you not!" Liana yelled. "I am!"
"I don't know what you two think an inside voice sounds like, but this is definitely not it," Li laughed, suppressing a grimace.
Suddenly serious, Liana stared at her father with big blue eyes. "Don' go."
Li's expression softened. "I won't. I'm here now." He kissed her forehead. "So as a celebration, I think we should go on a picnic tomorrow!"
The children cheered shrilly. It was too sweet a scene for Martha to complain about the surprise. She could only smile and meet Li's eyes.
"You like your present?"
"I love it."
"Then I'll help you put it on." Gently dropping the kids, he took the necklace and had her turn around.
Now the children saw the necklace. "Is that a present for Mommy?"
"Do we, do we get presents?"
"Did you get us presents, Daddy?"
"Of course I did!" Once the necklace was on, Li kissed his wife teasingly on the cheek and neck before turning back to the bag. "Let's see... I've got some throwing stars for Liana, a sword for Philip, got a little blood on it, but that's OK, we can—"
"Li! Absolutely not!" Martha gasped.
"I'm kidding!" Laughing, he bent over the sack. Philip danced excitedly around him, babbling and trying to peer over his shoulder. At last a small wooden horse with a samurai figurine was revealed, and the walls of the house shook with shrieks of joy once again.
"Mama?"
Startled, Martha looked down to see her daughter staring up at her with big blue eyes. Gravely the toddler stammered, "I— you, can I have— can I have the, can I have neck'ace?"
Smiling, the mother stooped down to kiss one of her daughter's tiny hands. "One day, sweetie. When you're older."
"Princess, you want your present or not? If not, I guess I'll just give this nice doll to your brother..."
"No!" Giggling and attention diverted, Liana joined her brother in receiving their new presents. She immediately forgot about her mother's pretty necklace.
* * *
The Pingous way of imprisonment was unlike any Kai had seen. Instead of a dungeon containing a series of cells, the prison was a large, bare courtyard lying by the castle, surrounded by high, thick walls. Deep stone holes drilled in the ground littered this courtyard. The guards dragged him here, struggling and hollering, until they reached one of these holes. A guard pulled back the thick iron grate and Kai was forced down into the hole by way of a ladder. Two guards joined him only to chain both his hands to the icy walls before climbing back up to the surface. Laughing and jeering, they slammed the grate shut over his head and left the Fire Mage locked in his dark, choking underground prison.
There he remained, both hands encased in balls of metal and chained to the wall. He'd tugged on the chains for a while before giving up, exhausted. In the near pitch-black darkness it felt almost hard to breathe, what with his prison being so narrow and small. As time wore on his hands went numb and his legs fell asleep. The rough blows from the soldiers throbbed, along with older wounds.
Kai clung to the act of staring upwards for as long as he could before his neck got too stiff. He could see, through the grate in the ceiling, the night sky. Clouds drifted by; they paid him no heed but occasionally granted stars to peer cast their veil and wink at him. The stars looked bigger in Pawreles than they did in Ninjago...
He thought he would be up all night, wondering about what had happened to Garagan. Out of desperation he summoned as much heat as he could. The flames sputtered and choked in the containers around his hands—the most they did was warm the metal. Defeated, he slumped against the wall.
It was a muffled, low-sounding boom that woke him up. Startled, he jerked up and stared around the circular cell. There was light, a faint hazy blue. It was dawn. He could hear morning birds chirping outside. He couldn't remember falling asleep.
Chains rattling, he stood and stared up, hoping to see something past the grate. Nothing. All he could see was the sky.
Another boom echoed faintly in the distance.
"Oh, no..." Realization made him catch his breath. "The rebels! They're attacking the city! But we haven't opened the gate yet!"
His mind raced. Tinny Bird and the army didn't know he and Garagan had been captured. They would attack Jëmlen and push through until they got to the castle. They were expecting the drawbridge to be down. The drawbridge is not down. They will soon be trapped.
And Kai would not get home.
New determination swept through him. "I've gotta open that drawbridge!" Gritting his teeth, he summoned a fresh wave of heat from his hands.
He felt the fire, but they sputtered. Plumes of smoke rose while the metal warmed up, but nothing burned.
No! He huffed angrily. It's gotta work! He kept summoning waves of heat, uncaring of the faint throb that came with it. He was a fire ninja. I can't be hurt by fire.
More smoke rose out of the hole. He could feel his hands trembling, hurting now. The metal balls were red, glowing. A warning hiss came from them as they slowly, yet surely, became a liquid.
Something dripped onto one of his hands. Kai yelped out loud before biting his lip. It hurt—much, much more than he thought he would. His hands had the ability to play with fire and not get burned, but they weren't invincible, as much as he would have liked to believe it.
Yet he kept going, forcing more heat to melt the encasings. More molten metal dripped onto his hands. He breathed heavily, feeling light-headed.
More hissing, more smoke, more pain. Still he kept going. Sweat trickled down his face. His arms shook as his chest heaved for breath. He couldn't remember ever having to use so much strength for this much fire...!
Something clattered by his foot and cool air kissed his hand. Groaning out loud until it became a yell, he pushed what energy he had left into the remaining hand. His vision seemed to flicker. His head throbbed.
The remaining encasing melted and hissed metallically on the floor.
Kai sank to his knees with a deep groan. He didn't know he was falling until the side of his head hit the ground. It hurt. It hurt so much.
His vision swam, and his eyes were brimming with tears. His throat tightened and he choked. What? No. No, don't cry. Don't you dare cry.
He hadn't realized how badly his arms were shaking until he swung them in front of himself. His stomach lurched.
Both hands were burned badly. Blood appeared where the fat drops of molten iron had fallen. Some of it was still there, sizzling in his flesh, now dark spots against the soot-black and oozing red palms and fingers. Already the shock was wearing away, introducing a fresh wave of hateful pain, as if the fire had never left.
In horror he stared at his hands, the saviors of so many misadventures and battles. Would they heal? Could he still wield his powers? On impulse he tried it, summoning a small flame. To his relief not only did a spot of fire pop up, but it didn't hurt him—at least, as far as he could tell. Maybe the little flame was burning more flesh and his nerves were too shot for him to tell.
A quivering sob broke from him before he could stop it. It just hurt, his hands hurt so much. Would they ever heal...? He tried to move them and gasped in pain.
With a jolt of disgust he realized that he was lying on his side in a dank hole, crying while his friends were fighting a war outside. What would the guys say if they could see you now? a voice in his head demanded harshly. Zane, Jay, Cole, Lloyd—are you this helpless without them to back you up? C'mon, man!
Trembling, he tried to get up. He started to push up from one of his hands before gasping and collapsing. "I can't do it..."
Boom. Far away, yet a threatening sound. The sound reminded him of what he needed to do and who was relying on him to do it.
"Come on, Kai," he hissed, glaring at the ground. He propped himself on his elbows. "You're the Fire Mage. They need you."
In slow, painstaking movements he used his legs to push himself up against the wall. Holding his arms gingerly in a crisscross position across his chest, he cast his eyes up at the grate. He stood approximately ten feet below the gateway to freedom.
He talked to himself—it helped distract him from his hands. "Can't grab the grate... but who says I have to use my hands?"
Taking a moment to brace himself, he forced his arms to remain steady and inhaled slowly. Suddenly spinning in a circle on one foot, a gust of wind picked him up in a miniature cyclone and thrust him up in the blink of an eye. He started to twist his body around.
He hit his head on the grate and plummeted back down immediately.
"Ouch!" Groaning, he picked himself back up and glared at the grate. Again he summoned an Airjitzu vortex and flew upwards.
This time he completed his somersault. He saw dark metal against sky out of the corner of his eye. He thrust his legs out straight.
His legs slipped through. He released the vortex power and curled his legs around the bars. Gravity came back fiercely and threatened to pull him back down in the hole. Yet in midair he remained; dangling upside-down from the bars by his legs, like a monkey from a tree.
"Ha-ha, I did it!" Arms dangling, he pulled himself up a bit and peered past the grate. Barely he could see the floor of the courtyard stretching around his prison. Walls and sky flashed by his vision before he fell back, gasping for breath. Already the bends of his legs were throbbing and all the blood was rushing to his head.
"I gotta hurry." He pulled himself up again and scanned the area outside the bars. Twisting his head, he caught sight of something small and dark sticking up, right by his feet.
The latch.
Good thing. If this was a lock, I'd be in some real trouble. Trying to breathe and focus at the same time, he shifted his left foot to reach toward the lone latch. His body swayed, clinging to the ceiling by one leg, which was now burning under the pressure while his head throbbed.
"Don't fall, don't fall, don't fall..." He had to lean back now, gasping for breath. He couldn't see the latch but felt a burst of triumph when his boot scraped against it.
On impulse he looked down. His stomach turned at the thought of falling again, and he forced himself to stare only at the wall. He reached further, feeling the end of his boot catch at the end of the latch.
Then he pulled. The latch resisted and his boot slipped. His body swayed again, heart pounding in his ears and head screaming in protest. Again he reached out and caught the latch. Breathing heavily, he pulled.
It gave, and something clattered above his head.
"Yes!" Laughing in mingled relief and pride, he released his hold on the grate and fell, using Airjitzu to catch himself. He sat and allowed his legs a short respite before attempting that same trick again.
This time he slammed the grate open, tumbled in mid-air for a second before rolling unceremoniously on the ground. Dirt and pebbles scraped his hands, stinging.
He lay prostrate for a moment. Then he pushed himself up with a low moan. Nothing stirred in the courtyard of dark holes. The sky appeared as a fading palette of crimson and violet, cool in the young dawn.
The sound of clattering boots broke the silence. The guards! Leaping to his feet, Kai ran softly to the south wall and ducked behind a pile of crates. Peeking over these boxes, he caught sight of two men in Pingous uniform running out, spears in hand. One of them spotted the open grate and veered toward it.
"By stars—one of the prisoners escaped!"
"Impossible." They reached the hole and bent over it. The second one growled, "The holes are much too deep for anyone to climb out of. This is merely an empty cell—"
"But don't you smell the smoke? And look! Aren't those the manacles they used for the prisoner they brought in?" The first man's voice rose shrilly. "The Fire Mage has—!"
His voice was cut off when a kick to the back of his head sent his eyes rolling. His companion whirled around to find Kai standing before him.
"Hey—!" His cry ended with a yelp as a plume of fire billowed over his head. He staggered back with his arms up. In the blink of an eye Kai leapt atop the guard, riding on his shoulders.
The guard stumbled. Kai reached out and grabbed the body of the spear with the crook of his elbows, yanking it back and under the guard's chin.
The guard tried to pull the spear away, but his opponent's weight on his shoulders was already too much, and he choked. Kai didn't let go until his ride collapsed, passed out.
He waited for a moment, sitting atop his victim. Nothing else stirred from the castle. He got up and, one by one, dragged both guards out of the courtyard and hid them behind the box of crates. After a minute, he reappeared fully garbed in Pingous uniform. He hated having to leave behind the bright red cloak, as he had become rather fond of it, but wearing it with the uniform would have been too conspicuous.
After scanning the courtyard for any unwanted eyes, he straightened his shoulders and strode to the castle. He hoped the long leather gauntlets would hide his bleeding hands from sight.
His pulse quickened when he found a door and entered a dank hall. Maroon-clad soldiers were racing this way and that in a panicked clamor. Someone was shouting, "To arms! Jëmlen is under attack! To arms, and out the north wall!"
An armory opened up nearby and out came a brief torrent of soldiers. Metal clanged and jingled as they grabbed their swords, spears, halberds and shields. Disoriented, Kai could only stare at them.
Someone grabbed his shoulder and swung him around. "You!" A tall man with a wrinkled face roared in his face, "Get down to the dungeons and make sure the prisoners don't try anything funny! The regular guards are gone and I need someone down there!"
Kai hid his hands behind his back. "Uhhh... where's the dungeon again?" he asked stupidly.
The commander's eyes rolled to the back of his head. Snatching Kai by the collar, he half-dragged him down the hall, away from all the ruckus. They passed by flaming torches, faded tapestries and the occasional maid before stopping at a spiraling staircase. He shoved Kai toward it. "There, you pea-brained idiot! Get down there and stay down there until someone comes to replace you!" He booted Kai in the rear end. "Get going!"
Biting back a scorching retort, Kai scurried down the dark staircase. In his haste he tripped and started slipping and tumbling head over heels.
"Ack—!"
He tucked his hands beneath his armpits and let himself fall, thankful for the iron helmet over his head. Clenching his eyes shut, he felt cold stone hit him as he rolled, the world spinning.
Then he flew and landed on the ground. He opened his eyes to find himself lying in a large underground room, lined with damp, dirty cobblestone and a few faint torches.
"Ow." Wincing, he picked himself up, holding up his hands carefully, and inspected his surroundings. There were no windows. Accompanying the room were a few pieces of bare furniture. At the other end of the room was a large iron door. Thankfully it wasn't locked and Kai only had to bump his hip against it to enter.
Beyond the door was a long corridor, so long that he couldn't see where it ended. It just went on and on into the shadows. Lining the walls of this corridor were many iron doors.
He gulped. So many doors! Which one held Garagan? Only one way to find out... Raising his voice, he called, "Garagan? You there?"
Silence. He lit one hand on fire and started down the hallway. "Hey, Garagan! It's me, Kai!"
Several voices stirred sleepily, none of them familiar. One voice growled, "Oi! Wot's this ruckus about, then?"
"Shh!"
"I'll not 'shh', they're hollerin' in the hall, now how's a fellow supposed to sleep with that racket?"
"Hey!" Kai frowned at the door, though there appeared to be no way for the prisoners to see him. "Anyone know where Garagan is?"
"Why's he asking us?"
"I can't see a darned thing, how should I know?!"
"Blast the lad."
Huffing, Kai kept going down the corridor and ignored the angry grumbles from the other prisoners. "Garagan! Don't mind me, just risking life and limb coming down here to rescue you!"
The light from his fire did not show any promising clues. The floor was slick in places with water and mud—or something else—and he was forced to trod carefully. He wished he could hold his nose, the smell was so bad. Yet on he called, again and again.
"Kai? That you, kid?"
"Garagan!" Relieved and elated, Kai stumbled to one of the doors. "Hey, yeah, it's me!"
"Kid! How the Star Guards did you—?"
"I'm here to rescue you!"
"Aye, I got that." Even with his voice muffled behind the door, the sarcasm was as scathing as ever. "Open up, then."
Kai froze, stomach sinking. "Uhh... heheh, you're not going to believe this, but..."
"What? Just open the blasted door already!"
"I would, but, umm... I don't have a key."
Silence followed his words. He stood there awkwardly in the hall and swallowed, mouth dry.
One of the prisoners down the corridor sniggered quietly.
"Are you mad at me?" Kai asked.
Garagan hollered, "You come all this way and make me think yer gon' get me outta here and then realize ye don't even have the blooming key?!"
"Pretty much."
"How are you still alive?! How in Star Guards does anyone survive like this?" The door shuddered with a loud bang; Garagan must have kicked it. "Blooming ninjas. No wonder I never heard of ninjas, they all died off from stupidity."
Kai would have defended himself if it weren't for the idea that popped into his head. "Stand back."
"What for, ye pea-brained, spike-headed goblin?"
Kai took a step back and studied the cell door. It looked thick, made completely of iron or some other metal. The lock looked sturdy, as did the hinges bolted into the wall. Eyes on the door, he held out his arms and summoned a new surge of energy.
A booming roar shook the dungeon from the ceiling to the floor, and a flaming red dragon materialized. It smashed against the walls on either side of the hall, and one great burning paw crushed the cell door to smithereens. Broken stone pieces fell and clattered around Kai as a plume of dust clouded the air.
As soon as he'd summoned the dragon, he made it disappear with a flick of his hands. The energy returned to him but he still felt lightheaded, and he staggered into the wall.
The dust cleared, and he looked to see Garagan standing in the smashed cell, staring at him with an open jaw.
"Wh— what in the name of...?" he rasped as he stepped over the pile of smashed bricks and dust.
"Just a stupid ninja thing," Kai murmured. His wry grin faded when he looked over Garagan. He had a black eye and a gash stood out on his lip. His scruffy dark blond hair was streaked with dirt, his face was unshaven, and he'd been stripped of his weapons, cloak, belts, and leather jerkin, which left him wearing only a pale tunic, dark pants and boots. "You all right?"
"Just dandy."
Boom.
Garagan and Kai stiffened at the sound. The older man's gaze flickered up the dank corridor. "It's happening, isn't it?"
"I think so. We need to get to the drawbridge, don't we?"
"Aye." He snatched the sleeve of Kai's arm and yanked him down the hall. "Let's go."
Garagan's pull on his arm caused his hand to bump against Kai's thigh. The jolt of pain was unexpected and he cried out.
Garagan stopped, letting go. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"Ugh..." Kai leaned over and breathed hard, as if more oxygen would make the sting go away. "It's just... my hands..." He held them out for Garagan to see.
"Oi, yer bleeding!" Garagan gestured to the ground; sure enough, red droplets were decorating the stone floor and rubble. Kai stared at the little dots dimly, wondering if all of them were really coming from him.
Surprisingly gentle, Garagan took Kai by the wrists and stared at the burned hands. Kai protested, "Don't worry, I can still use my powers. I just have to—"
Eyes flashing, Garagan rumbled in a low voice, "Who did this to you?"
"What?"
Rough hands snatched him by the collar and shook him lightly. The old warrior seethed, "Who did this to you, kid?"
"Cool it! I did it to myself—to melt the cuffs." Kai forced a shadow of his cocky smile. "It'll take more than that to keep the Fire Mage locked up."
Garagan didn't laugh. He seemed to be thinking out loud. "We can hide you in one of the cellars 'till it's over... But, no, then you'd be trapped if something goes wrong. Fine, then, I'll get you out and we can—"
"What? No! I'm staying! I can still fight." Kai gestured around the corridor. "I just made a flipping dragon appear out of thin air! I'm not helpless!"
"You sure?"
"Of course I am!" Kai gestured lightly. "My powers are why Bird put us together for this mission, right?"
"Exactly. But if yer out of commission, lad, we need to get you outta the picture, for both your safety and everyone else's." Anxiety gone, Garagan spoke stiffly. "Now, yer sure you can do this?"
Kai met his gaze firmly. "I'm sure."
His gaze was met with an approving nod. "Fine." Garagan started down the corridor. "Now, where's my blooming sword? I need a drink..."
* * *
Screaming. There was too much screaming.
Liana cowered behind the boulder with her hands clenched over her ears, but they did little to drown out the horrifying sounds echoing off the walls. They seemed to seep into her bones and rattle her body.
Someone grabbed her shoulder. She jumped and held her hands in front of her face.
"Stay here."
It was Cole. She fairly melted with relief before comprehending his words. "You're—? I can't..."
A part of herself felt disgusted by her blatant terror, but she couldn't help it. She felt herself trembling from head to toe, and her body groaned in protest every time she moved. Shakily she brushed a strand of hair out of her face and winced when her fingers brushed a gash on her forehead.
"Yes, you can." His hands cupped her face—warm and comforting, familiar. She wanted him to stay. "I'll stay close by. You've just gotta save your strength." When she didn't reply, he urged. "Do you trust me?"
She swallowed. No matter what Raven Frost did to her, now was not the time for weakness. Steeling herself, she took one of his hands and pressed her lips against it. "Stay alive."
He pulled her into a hug and she pressed her face into his chest. Then he was gone, steel ringing in the air.
She curled up behind the boulder again, focusing on breathing and gathering strength. No amount of her own pain could excuse her from this war.
* * *
Ronin fell to the ground screaming and clutching his face as if it were on fire. Wolf Paw crouched down beside him, yowling, "Get up, red-hat-man! What's wrong with you—?!"
Her cry ended in a sputter. She too stumbled, blinking rapidly. Bristling, she stared around herself as if surrounded by a ring of enemies, though no cat was near her—until a large tom ran up and barreled her over, taking advantage of her bewilderment.
Similar behaviors were coming from the others. Misako had stopped brandishing her staff and appeared to be trying to stifle tears. Mr. Brookstone's face had gone deathly pale and he stumbled into a pile of boulders. Lightning Streak's eyes glazed over and she hesitated just long enough for her opponent to pin her down. The other werecats on their side were acting similarly, seeming distracted and pained by something invisible.
What is happening...? Zane kicked an enemy werecat aside as his gaze roved over the scene and to one of the largest boulders at the far end of the cavern. Across the mass of thrashing feline bodies, Black Blood—no, Blood Star—balanced on her hind paws, cackling with glee. Raven Frost stood upon another boulder to her left. Zane could just barely see his muzzle moving—he was speaking incantations
"Nap Attacks— the curses!" he exclaimed to himself. "They're bringing everyone's worst memories back to weaken them!" For a split second he wondered why he wasn't affected before remembering that as a nindroid, he was virtually immune to mind-bending.
He looked to the east side of the cavern hopefully, only to find that Matilda was locked in a duel with No Claw, who was spewing curses at her left and right. She was too busy to help the others right now.
A jolt of panic threatened to overtake him. Is everyone under the curses? A quick sweep of the scene showed, however, that Wu and Skylor appeared to be holding their own. Perhaps Skylor possessing the power of Mind aided her, and Master Wu was just— well, Master Wu. They appeared to be aware of what was happening and fought all the more desperately to protect their friends. Cats were swarming over them.
Zane snapped to action. He shoved himself past several snarling werecats to get to Ronin and Wolf Paw. A nekomata was already on top of Ronin and dragging him away by the legs. A shocked scream of pain broke from Ronin—the pain was bringing him back to the real world.
"Let him go!" Tekko-cagi claws strapped to his hands, Zane threw himself at the nekomata and delivered a stunning punch to its face. The nekomata released Ronin with a yowl and stepped back. Zane and the huge cat faced each other, glaring and analyzing.
With a twitch of its forked tails, the nekomata suddenly transformed into a bakeneko. Small and fast, it ran up and launched itself at Zane's face. He stumbled back as needle-like claws scratched his eyes. He reached to swipe it off, but it scrambled up onto his hair and continued scratching at his eyes.
Then the cat's weight disappeared. He looked in time to see it being chucked like a baseball in the air, screeching angrily before it disappeared beyond the crowd. Zane turned to see Ronin standing there, breathing heavily. He wore a wry but haggard expression.
"Are you all right?" Zane scanned him quickly. "Your leg—"
"Hurts like crazy, thanks for noticing," Ronin grunted. "Where's Wolf Paw—?"
Zane felt himself thrown off his feet as two people rammed into him. Claws raked down his back. Out the corner of his eye he could see Ronin receiving similar treatment, eliciting another groan of pain.
Gritting his teeth, Zane moved to swing his elbow around, but a large hand slammed down on his arm and twisted it behind his back. Saliva dripped on his ear as a voice hissed, "Looks like we'll have to take this machine apart, friends. Get his arms!"
Alarms started blaring through Zane's head. He felt a great weight pressing him to the ground. More warriors came and grabbed his arms and yanked hard. Thankfully, his titanium limbs resisted, much to their frustration.
A forest of legs was thickening around Zane, yet he could see just enough beyond them. Several cats were atop someone, snarling yowling in triumph. He couldn't see Ronin. Only a red straw hat lying on its side testified to its owner's presence.
The warriors were tugging harder, and the metal plating around Zane's shoulders creaked dangerously. At the side of his visual screen, Pixal was wringing her hands. He couldn't remember the last time she looked so scared. "Some artificial ligaments are being ripped apart in your left and right arms, especially around the sockets. I am trying to lock the connections tighter, but there is too much external pressure, especially—!"
Pixal's voice was drowned out by more yowls. Zane's gaze flickered again, seeking out his friends. His stomach dropped. Misako and Mr. Brookstone were being driven apart from Wu and edging into a dark tunnel, surrounded by werecats. Skylor was wrestling with half a dozen warriors at the foot of the boulders, light and energy bursting desperately from her hands as a nekomata landed on her back and threw her down. Matilda remained locked in battle with No Claw, but he was pushing her out of the cavern and into a different tunnel.
"They're separating us!" Zane realized out loud. His pulse hiccuped—or was that his power source? "They're driving us apart to weaken us—!"
His exclamation switched to a scream, more out of shock than pain. Machinery whirred and screeched shrilly in his ears as something—something large and fizzing with electricity—was ripped out of his shoulder.
Blinking past the flashing red lights in his head, he looked up to see his right arm dangling from one of the werecats' grasp. He stared dumbly at it, thinking it looked odd by itself, unattached to the rest of his metal body.
The werecat, a tall, thin-faced man, grinned wickedly and tossed the lifeless arm away. "Looks like nature wins over technology, Son of Ice."
* * *
Cats big and small were swarming around Lightning Streak. Claws and teeth ripped into her fur and dragged her down as jeering caterwauls roared in her ears. She hardly noticed them. Visions of her brothers and sisters and friends being torn apart by eagles and bears blazed in her head. Trapped in a nightmare, she could only curl into a ball and take it—and pray to her ancestors that what she was seeing wasn't real.
"Streak!"
Some of the weight vanished from her back. The vision of screaming eagles and roaring bears vanished. Gasping, she sat up. Her vision swam, but she could see the Son of Earth barreling through the crowd of warriors, fake claws slashing this way and that as he took them down. Attention diverted, the warrior cats attacked him.
Shaking, Lightning Streak staggered to her paws. Blood was oozing down the side of her face—one ear was gone, she realized dimly. Someone had bitten it off, leaving her head feeling lighter and unbalanced. Funny how she'd hardly noticed while stuck in that nightmare. Ouch, it hurt so much now, though...
"Little help here!"
The Son of Earth's voice snapped her back to reality. Blinking blood out of her eyes, Streak ran and dug her claws into the back of a black-pelted tom—Jackdaw Eye. As he caterwauled and attempted to spin around, she yanked him back and raked her claws over his ears.
Another cat jumped at her from the side and shoved her off of Jackdaw Eye. She thrust her legs up to kick at her new opponent's face, swiping claws at his chest fur. He dodged her strike and bent down to bite her shoulder.
Screeching, she writhed and tried to reach him with her claws and teeth. He kept moving in a circle, half-dragging her by the shoulder fur. She struggled, but intense pain was throbbing from her torn ear, and blood was getting in her face—
"Sayonara, ya little freak!" The Son of Earth appeared with a bakeneko clinging to his shoulder and kicked Streak's opponent in the face. Something crunched, and the cat released her with a screech. He staggered off.
"You OK there?" Cole bent down offering a hand, then appeared to remember that cats don't have hands.
"Y— yes... I think so..." She stumbled up and the room seemed to spin. Lights flickered around her vision, but she forced herself to ignore them. "Well—not really, no, but I don't exactly have a choice, do I?"
He flashed a smile, but it looked strained. "Behind you."
Dismayed, Streak turned in time to see a female bounding toward her. Before she could summon the strength to defend herself, however, a boulder flew out of nowhere and smashed into the warrior cat, chucking her out of view.
Streak turned back to the Cole. "Thanks."
"No problem," he grunted. Several other boulders hovered by his outstretched hands. "C'mon. Let's—"
A flash of lightning lit up the cavern, followed by a thundering crash. Streak stiffened, expecting another sorcerer's curse. Above her head she sensed the Son of Earth tensing as well.
The crowd of Moon Tribe warriors stalled for a moment at the light and noise, startled. Across the cavern Streak could make out Blood Star atop her pile of boulders, glaring around as if irritated by the interruption.
A raw scream echoed from one of the main tunnels. Nya came running into view, tears pouring down her face. With a ball of swishing water hovering above each hand, she staggered out of the dark hole and glared into the crowd. Her gaze roved over the mass of fur before landing on Blood Star. "You monster!" she cried, voice sounding hoarse in the pause. "You killed Lloyd and Little Leaf! Your own sister!"
Streak's heart dropped. Little Leaf...? Not you, too!
"No..." The broken-sounding gasp turned Streak's gaze to Cole—his face looked twisted with both grief and anger.
Movement appeared behind Nya. Jay ran in at full speed, practically flying past her. Streak felt startled by the expression of pure rage on his face. Lightning crackled at his fingertips, growing brighter as he charged the crowd of Moon Tribe warriors.
"Ninjaaaaa-go!" Screaming a battle cry, he spun into a Spinjitzu vortex and threw himself into the army. Werecats started flying left and right, wailing in shock and then pain as they were flung into the walls.
"For the Son of the First!" To Streak's surprise, it was Sky Pelt who said this. In his human form he thrust a thin fist into the air. Magical energy surged around it, fizzing and crackling. He shouted again, "For Little Leaf!"
"For Little Leaf! For our friends!" Another voice took up the cry—a black and white-spotted female, Wolf Paw—limped into view, grinning fiercely at the enemy warriors. "For the ninja!"
Angry jeers rose from the Moon Tribe. "Traitors!" a voice snapped. "Shameless traitors—!"
His voice was cut off when Sky Pelt shot a blue-colored curse at him. That seemed to be the signal to continue the battle, and the cats and humans alike surged into each other once again.
A familiar voice shouted above the roar, "Ninjaaaa-go!" Streak looked up in time to see a bright golden Spinjitzu vortex fly over the crowd like a shooting star.
Cole gasped. "Master Wu!" Mouth agape, he watched his master fly over the heads of the warrior cats and land on the pile of boulders on the far side.
He rasped, "He's going to get himself killed."
* * *
Blood Star glared down at the old human. He stood several yards away on some of the lower boulders, though he was making his way up towards her—faster than she would have expected of such an ancient creature. Sniffing, she turned toward Raven Frost. "Get down there and make sure they're properly separated."
His white-tipped tails twitched with irritation. "But, we've nearly killed all of them—"
"Did I ask for your commentary? Get out of here!" She slashed at his face, but he jumped back and bounded away. She watched him angrily at first as he vanished beyond the crowd, then she giggled to herself.
"Such arrogance. You have always been doomed to be your own self-destruction, little one."
Laughter dying, she whirled around to find the old man standing a yard away, balancing on one of the largest stones. He held a bamboo staff in one hand while stroking his long white beard with the other. The casual movement irritated her.
She sneered, "Who's the arrogant one here? The mighty lion, or the hunter who walks into the lion's den?"
"The lion, for she provoked the hunters to the point that they had no other choice. Now you have brought the hunters into your home, where you are most vulnerable."
She eyed him contemptuously. Until now, she had never paid much attention to the elder who was always with the ninja. She didn't know why they would drag this old man around. He looked so small and frail, easy to snap in two. "You are wrong, ancient one."
"Prove me wrong, then." He shifted into a fighting stance, gripping his staff with both hands.
Baring her teeth, Blood Star transformed into her human body. Why not take it easy on the old tom? She would kill him swiftly in any case.
Balancing on bare feet, she bent to pick up a clearstone sword a warrior had left behind. "I'll prove you wrong nine times over."
His beard twitched—a smirk, perhaps? An unearthly gold shimmer rose from his feet, and he spun around. "Ninjaaa—!"
"Nope!" She darted forward and slashed her sword at his shoulder. With a grunt, the Spinjitzu vortex evaporated and Wu staggered back and clutched his shoulder.
Already a red stain was appearing on his white sleeve. Blood Star smirked at the wound appreciatively. "I shall go easy on you for now. That way you will die slower—"
Something slammed into her chest and knocked the breath out of her. Stunned, she stumbled back and gasped for breath. Before she could raise her sword, Wu darted up and punched her squarely in one cheek. The force of the blow made her feel as if her brain was yanked from its place and slammed into the wall of her skull.
As her senses returned to her, she realized she was lying on her back. Her head throbbed harder with a surge of anger when she saw that Wu was standing over her. She could swear she caught a smile of wry amusement beneath his stupid beard.
Then his gaze hardened. "That was for young Eagle Talon."
Heat burned her face, and not because of the new bruise. Enraged by the mention of her dead brother, Blood Star scrabbled to her feet and picked up the sword. "You'll pay for that, old man."
Without waiting for another haughty response, she launched herself at him and swung the sword horizontally at his head. The glassy blade hit wood. Wu shoved his staff forward and she freed her sword from it. He advanced while twirling the staff over his head, then delivered a couple of bruising blows.
The butt of it struck her ribcage twice and she gasped for air. She danced backwards over the boulders. She saw another blow coming and blocked it, thrusting the broad side of the blade before her face. The force of Wu's blow made her arm tremble.
With a snarl she used her sword to push his staff sideways while she lunged for him. She felt claws spring from her fingers. For a split second her eyes met his.
With more agility than she could ever guessed of him, Wu fell onto his back with his legs up. Unable to stop herself, Blood Star tumbled over him. She felt his hands and feet shove her away before hitting the rocks—sharp stone pierced into her hips and shoulders painfully. Once again she gasped.
Then he was standing over her and whacking her with the staff; bam, whack, bam, over and over again, like it was nothing. Indignation and rage surged through Blood Star. How dare this measly old man best her so easily, as if he were only humoring a kitten?
She saw the staff falling toward her face. Snatching one hand up, she grabbed it and yanked it out of Wu's grasp. She flung it away and heard the faint clatter of wood against stone as it tumbled down the pile.
"My turn." Like a coiled spring she was up on her feet again. Now he was exposed. She thrust the sword toward his heart.
Twisting his body, Wu's leg shot up and kicked; his foot made contact with her forearm, hard. Stunned, she released the sword. Before she could bend down to pick it up, he'd kicked it away.
A frustrated scream broke her throat. She let fur and claws grow from her hands and was dimly aware of her human ears shifting into feline ones. Baring her teeth, she lunged for Wu and scratched at his face in an attempt to blind him.
He danced backwards but did not retreat. Hands curled into fists, he punched at her clawed hands as they shot toward his eyes. He did not flinch. Again and again he warded her blows with his own, knuckles smashing into the palms of her hands. Occasionally her claws would scratch the surface of his fists or wrists, but these were small victories. The longer he resisted her, the angrier she felt.
They continued like this, almost dancing in a circle over the rocks. She tried lunging her head forward to bite him. That ended with a kick to the face. She didn't try it again. He'd spin around to deliver a kick every once in a while, just as she thought she could predict his movements. It made her feel only angrier, how deftly he'd move as if he'd rehearsed this fight beforehand, yet she could never predict what he was about to do.
Her head, shoulders, and hands throbbed hotly. Sweat trickled down the side of her face and her back. Yet he kept coming, pushing her closer and closer to the precipice with his kicks and punches.
She could taste blood. New hatred for the old man enflamed her face. Obviously hand-to-hand combat was not the way to do it. Apparently he was harder to kill than she thought.
He swung a kick for her shoulder, but she jumped back and nearly stumbled over the edge of the precipice. Empty space yawned behind her, where the sounds of struggle and screams came from.
Wu rose his voice above the clamor. "Blood Star, end this war! Too many good people have died already. Your cause is not worth the lives of all your warriors."
She licked her lips slowly, as if savoring the taste of the gash by her mouth. "I am invincible. Everything was worth it."
"Even ghosts die at some time or another. Nine lives does not mean forever."
"Perhaps, but it definitely gives me a certain advantage." Sneering, she began an incantation.
Wu's eyes flashed. He balanced on one foot and spun in a quick circle. Still speaking, she tensed, anticipating a Spinjitzu vortex.
She was not prepared for the massive dragon that appeared in a burst of golden light. The great creature bellowed, its voice shaking the entire cavern. She stared at it, dumbfounded. She'd forgotten that the Sons and Daughters could summon dragons.
Long whiskers twitching, the white dragon turned its golden eyes upon her. She hesitated—to continue the incantation or to—?
The dragon answered that question for her. Its great fangs snapped toward her. With a startled shriek she plummeted off the ledge.
Her hand grabbed onto a stray boulder just in time. She jolted to a stop and dangled in thin air. Her fingers stung from where she'd scraped them to grab the rock. Chest heaving, she dared to angle her head up. The white and gold dragon peered down at her and emitted a warning rumble.
"You want magic, eh?" she spat. "I'll give you magic, Son of the First!"
Her newfound power surged through her veins—she could feel it, hot and cold at the same time, making her blood pump faster and giving new energy to her muscles and bones. She could see the bluish glow emitting from her body; from her eyes, from her forehead, from her mouth. It felt warm, empowering.
The power of my ancestors' spirits runs through me now.
With unearthly strength she pulled herself up and leapt atop the precipice. Without missing a beat she threw herself at the dragon and sank her claws into its heart. Had she been without her powers, the act would have been laughably impossible, but super strength surged through her arms like bullets and helped guide her claws to their target. It felt like punching through plywood.
With a strained roar, the dragon vanished. Wu stood in its place, looking stunned.
Cackling, Blood Star leapt atop him and dug her claws into his torso. A pained grunt came from him as he was slammed to the ground. He reacted fast—the golden sparkles of his Spinjitzu vortex started flying around them both. Warm wind picked up her hair and blew it around.
Removing her claws from his torso, she grabbed Wu by his collar, twisting it, and yanked him to his feet. She slashed a handful of claws across his face. His concentration broken by shock and pain, the vortex vanished.
"Clever," she hissed into his bleeding face. "But not clever enough."
Blood Star heaved and chucked Wu off the side of the precipice.
She stood there for a moment to gaze at his fallen figure, then at the encroaching crowd. With a flick of her tails she turned and vanished into one of the dark holes lining the wall.