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spinchip · 2 years ago

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NEVER THE DARK

CHAPTER 5

Read on Ao3

Prologue - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4

Warnings: ...none this chapter? A bit of canon typical violence but thats all

ONE STAYS IN THE PAST AND DIES// ONE PAST SHAPE-SHIFTS WALKS WITH YOU

The sky in the Realm of Madness holds a strange, constantly overcast quality to it. There are always thick gray clouds and mist swallowing up all light, red and purple bleeding through thin transparent wisps of smog. Nya had determined that noon- or whatever the Realm's equivalent of- had already passed, and that while they were lured to Maurice's trap, the sun was at its peak. This thought was… incredibly disheartening, honestly. Even with the sun at its highest point, the land was still drenched in an oppressive dimness, and the pale fog swamping around their bodies and rendering the distance into hazy shapes only added to the gloom. Now that the sun was beginning to go down, the sky was steadily growing darker- not a star was visible in the sky. Once nightfall came, Nya was certain it'd be pitch black out.

Even worse, the constant mist and reduced visibility was messing with Nyas internal compass. Birdy seemed to have no trouble finding his way in the disorienting atmosphere, but Nya quickly realized that, if asked to retrace her steps, she wouldn't be able to do it. Instantly the importance of their guide triples- if the entire realm was similar to the wastelands and the desert with this oppressive smog, then simply asking for directions wouldn't be enough. They'd need an actual escort through this place unless they could find their bearings soon.

On and on they walked in the rapidly darkening light. Jay and Cole had begun to drag their feet, and it was only the stranger amongst them that stopped them from loudly voicing their exhaustion. Nya sympathized- she was exhausted too. They’d been up all night guarding the museum, then fighting, then falling through a portal and following Maurice, and now trekking across the cool sand with a man who was about as trustworthy as copper wire connected to aluminum wire- but they had no choice.

The danger of allowing Birdy to lead them was the only thing keeping Nya on her feet. She had to be ready, just in case he did betray them.

As they trek through the desert, it grows hot and even humid- as if they’d stepped into the everglades and the realm forgot to make a swamp to go with it. More and more of those strange holes littered the ground, deep and dark. In the wet heat, the flowers around them change- their deep red stems split into four, five, sometimes even six thick cords right in the middle that seem to twist and draw the plant closer to the ground. As Nya observes the strange phenomenon, she see’s an animal begin to weasel out of the bars on the inner flower. It’s a long, tubular animal with curly fur that cover any other discernible features, and when it squeezes out of that narrow gap the hair flattens around it to the point Nya is convinced there is no animal under all that fur. A massive, living hairball. It’s covered in purple pollen from the plant's core, and before she can point it out to the others it scampers off into one of the holes.

There’s a pop that makes Nya jump, and she whips around to see one of the flowers that had begun to separate was rapidly dropping to the ground. The five strands its stem split into was forming a perfect basket twist, and large black seeds were visible along the inner wall of the plant, doused in purple pollen.

Birdy swears under his breath, voice rough with disuse, “We need to get to cover, now.” He does a 360 before booking it towards the nearest rock wall, and Nya starts running before she can think about it.

“Why are we running!?” She asks, the others falling in pace behind her.

Birdy skids to a stop just before the wall and looks back, ushering the others in front of him as he keeps an eye on the flower. The rubbery stalk has started to squeak and goran, and the more it twists the more it sounds like a clown making a balloon animal. Once the others are in cover, Birdy scrambles next to them and presses himself back against the wall, “These flowers have a unique way of distributing their seeds.”

He doesn’t get the chance to say more- with a deafening SNAP! The edge of the rock wall above Nyas head explodes into dust with several loud thumps sounding out past their cover, dirt and sand exploding as if struck with artillery. Nya ducks down and covers her head, waiting for the dust to settle before cautiously uncurling.

There’s quite a few new holes in the ground. Birdy, after assuring himself none of his duckling were injured, slings off his bag as he approaches one of the craters, crouching in front of it as she peeks around the corner of their rock savior.

“What the heck was THAT?” Jay demands, clutching his pearls.

The flower that had caused the ruckus is standing straight now, the stems pieces reconstituting themselves into one solid trunk again. Snapping back to its original shape caused the seeds along the inside to be forcefully ejected- spreading the new saplings over a wide chunk of the sand, buried and ready to grow.

Birdy is casually sticking his hand into one of the holes, wiggling through sand until he tugs his arm back out clutching one of the seeds. It’s smooth and dark, black giving way to deep burgundy in the dim light, “As I said before, the flower was dispersing it’s seeds.”

“Kinda dramatic.” Kai comments, frowning at the nearest tree as if it’ll hit him with a seed if he looks away.

“Very dramatic.” Birdy agrees, wrapping the seed in a thin sheet of wax paper and tucking it into his bag. Once he finished his task, he stands back up, “We should keep moving.”

The awkward silent spell hanging over them seems to have been dispelled with the whole run-for-your-life thing, and as they return to their original path the Ninja begin to loosen up.

Jay cranes his neck, trying to get a peek into Birdy bag, “What’d you keep the seed for?”

“It’s not like, a grenade, right?” Lloyd doesn’t look up from his feet, navigating a particularly thick patch of holes.

“No,” His voice is clearly amused by the question, “There is no nefarious reason I have taken this, it is a favor I'm doing for another realm inhabitant.”

Cole says something quiet to himself, so soft Nya doesn’t catch it but Birdy turns his head and answers immediately, “I did not owe a favor, no. Are you asking that because of Maurice’s promise of a favor in return for the potatoes?” At Cole's confirmation, He turns back to face forward, thinking, “In this place personal favors are incredibly valuable, near sacred things- they are not given or used lightly. Maurice promised one to me because I completed an important task he is unable to do himself. I do not have a promised favor to anyone in the realm.”

“Seriously?” Kai arches a brow, “No one’s done anything big enough for you to want to repay?”

Birdy leads them around a large slab of stone, “The people of this realm are not famous for their generosity.” He hums, looking around as if searching for something. He seems to spot it, changing trajectory towards the splayed stump of one of the tree flowers. “We don’t have to go much farther,” He tells them as he takes a decisive left at the split strands.

After another short minute of walking, they turn onto a sharp downward slope that Birdy carefully picks his way down, dark shapes taking the form of smooth striated walls rising around them. He glances back a few times as they walk, and Nya catches his hand twitch in an aborted move to offer it to her when she stumbles on a loose patch of sand, “I have set my camp up at a large enough distance from Maurice that we don’t have to worry about him finding it.”

“You think he’ll come after us?” Cole asks, sure footed and at ease.

“He hasn’t before, but it does not hurt to be cautious.” The sand thins to rock, and Birdy transitions from cautiously walking to truly physically down into the gouge in the earth. The stone twists and turns to form natural steps and ledges that make trapezing down easier, but Nya still has to stifle a weary groan. Jay looks about ready to scream.

And Nya won’t lie, this is freaking her out. After blindly following Maurice and being snapped back to reality by the man's spider-food scheme, Nya isn’t keen on following the masked stranger into a dark pit- but considering what little they knew about this place, there was really no choice. She catches Lloyd's eye and he makes a face that says I don’t like it either, but there’s no other option. With the confidence Birdy displays navigating this place, Nya does feel assured that he knows his way around- He must know where the Mountain of Madness is, right?

Finally, their feet hit flat rock.

Cole whistles, “A slot canyon.” He comments, looking up and catching glimpses of the near-black sky, “This doesn’t go that deep, but the way the walls are formed is so unique.” He runs a hand over the nearest rock, admiring the multicolored surface. His fingers slide over bumpy edges, as if the wind had scalloped the rock instead of buffing it smooth.

Birdy hesitates and then speaks, “From what I understand, there used to be a river here. I’ve mapped this canyon several times over, it starts miles this way,” He points in front of them, “An ancient lake that drained down this pathway. About half a mile from here, and you’ll find the mouth of the cave it drained into. It’s been dry for years.”

“Dry?” Nya can’t help but question, looking up at the rolling black clouds, “That could change soon, it looks like it could start pouring any minute.”

“The clouds are unreliable predictions of rain,” He replies, leading them further into the canyon, “In the years I have been here, it has never rained in the desert- But you are right, that could change soon. There are no guarantees here, you must always prepare for the worst.”

Finally they come upon the lip of a dark opening, a cave eroded into rock years and years ago. Birdy steps up into the darkness without hesitation. Turning around, he holds his hand out to Lloyd, fully intending to help him climb inside.

The ninja stopped a few feet from the entrance, staring at him suspiciously. Birdys outstretched hand closes awkwardly and he nods, “Of course, yes. You don’t need to come inside.” He steps down back into the sand at the bottom of the canyon, sitting down on the lip of the cave and motioning to the rocks around them, “Please, have a seat. I’m sure you have more questions.”

“Finally!” Jay squawks, finding the nearest rock and dropping down onto it. Cole crashes down next to him, both of them slumping against the rock wall behind them. Nya sits as well, wistfully thinking of her fancy lumbar-supporting extra padded desk chair, tucked in her corner of the garage at home. Lloyd finds a similar lip of rock as Birdy to sit in, and Kai takes his place next to him, on the edge of his seat and eyes constantly focused on Birdy as if waiting for him to make any suspicious movement.

“I do have questions,” Lloyd says, right down to business, “This place is… It’s nothing like what we thought. We were only ever taught about the poison bog- er, the wastelands- but there’s the desert too, and you and Maurice…” He runs a hand through his hair, “I mean, I thought this place was uninhabited? Like, only home to mindless monsters.”

Birdy's silent, attentive gaze makes Lloyd feel a bit nervous. Was he revealing too much telling the stranger that they were essentially clueless sitting ducks? But Birdy has no judgement in his tone when he replies, “This is a fully realized realm just like the others, it is home to several unique biomes and creatures- most of it horrifying or poisonous, I will admit. The wastelands and the desert are a small fraction of the realm.” He carefully props his staff up against the wall next to him, letting go and massaging his hands. Nya notes immediately he’s missing the ring and pinky finger on his left hand and tucks that information away, “You are correct on your last point. There are no native societies in this realm, and the people you meet are all displaced and forced here. Where you come from, they call this place the Realm of Madness or the dark Realm. It has another name, lesser known- there’s no direct ninjargon translation, but it loosely means ‘Tomb of the ill hearted.’”

“Tomb of the ill hearted?” Lloyd frowns, “Master Wu never mentioned that.”

Birdy doesn’t respond to that comment, “This place is a last resort and an ultimate punishment in many realms. Reserved for the unstoppable evils and irredeemable villains, the people who are sent here are the unsavory type, often having committed dangerous and large scale crimes in the Realms they came from.” His voice gets strained and his shoulder stoop, the weight of a heavy past settling visibly over his body. He bows his head, “Pain and suffering is all most people find here.”

“What did you do to get sent here?” Nya asks instantly.

The darkness of the night turns his mask into a flat sheet of black, “I answered one of your questions, now you must answer one of mine.” He says instead of replying.

“I knew it.” Kai huffs, balling up his fists, “There's a catch to all this, right?”

Birdy turns his head away, swallowing thickly against Kais venom, “Why are you here?”

“What?”

“You- All of you- do not belong in this place.” He says firmly.

Nya looks to Lloyd, watching him carefully think over his options on where this conversion will go. She deliberates herself- despite her apprehension and worry, Birdy has been… well, helpful. He did lead them to a safe place to rest, and he’s been open and seemingly honest this whole time. That doesn’t mean she trusts him, but his words stick out to her. He doesn't think they belong in the realm of madness. Does that mean they have a chance at convincing him to help them escape? Will being truthful with him help their case? She’s not sure, but he has no obligation to help them, and clamming up now could cost them the only solid and semi-safe lead they have in this place. She wishes Lloyd would look her way so she could see what he’s thinking too.

Lloyd turns to Birdy once more, “We were in a fight and-” He stops with a frown, “Let me back up a bit, um, we’re from Ninjago. We’re actually the ninja, a team of heroes who fight against villainy?” Birdy looks at him blankly so Lloyd railroads on, “We’re the elemental masters-”

Birdy visibly jerks at that, sitting ram-rod straight. He shakes his head and raises a finger to the part of his mask a mouth would be, “No! No- Never say that out loud again.” He says urgently, nearly launching himself from his seat to press the importance of that on him, “This place- that kind of power- Your abilities will paint a target on your back. Do not say that again, please.”

Lloyd had leaned back, startled, but he relaxes a bit as Birdy does, “Okay,” He says, “Okay, I won’t. I’m sorry.”

Birdy nods stiffly, and after a moment Lloyd continues, “We were in a fight with a woman, she’d stolen a magic artifact from a Museum. She opened a portal with it and we ended up here.” He hesitates, but presses on, “... You’re right. We don’t belong here, and every moment we’re trapped our home is in danger. You helped Maurice and you’ve led us to this camp safely... Can you help us get out of this place?”

Nyas earlier prediction of the sky blacking out was wrong. As the night hits its darkest point, a strange dim green-white glow spreads across the sky, and Birdys mask catches the light beautifully, the black shadow receding.

Before Nya can hold her breath in anticipation for Birdy's choice, he’s nodding, “Yes. Whatever you need, I will help you with. I will ensure you get home safely.”

Oh. Nya blinks. That was… easier than expected.

“You’ll help us?” Kai repeats in disbelief, “Just like that? For nothing in exchange? Why?”

Birdy bows his head and takes a moment to gather his thoughts, “You do not belong here, but I do.” He says carefully. This place is for the worst of the worst, Nya remembers him saying. “I am… trying to make up for my actions.” He leaves it at that.

“Thank you.” Lloyd tells him.

“What can I help you with?” The man asks without acknowledging Lloyd's words, uncomfortable with the appreciation.

Nya speaks up, “We need a guide through this place, to a certain spot-”

“Stop.” Kai interrupts, standing up and putting his hands on his hips, “We don’t know this guy, and we have very sensitive information.”

“Kai,” Cole frowns at him, “He’s offering to help us.”

“Maurice was helping us when he led us into a trap.” He points out sensibly, “I’m not saying we refuse his offer yet, just that we sleep on this, and discuss it in private.”

Lloyd looks torn, glancing worriedly at Birdy and thinking the same thing they all were- would this stranger put his life on hold to wait on them to make their mind?

Birdy stands, rising to face Kai, “I understand your reservations, but I assure you I wish you no harm. That being said, there is no rush to make a decision. Please take your time and decide amongst yourselves, I will retire for the night so you may talk.”

Without hesitation, he takes his staff and steps up into the cave he’d led them to. The darkness swallows him up.

“Goodnight!” Jay calls snarkily at Birdy's retreating figure, jumping when the man comes right back out.

Birdy drops the bundle of logs he’d been carrying onto the rocks between them all, “Goodnight, Jay.” He says, amused, “I’ve brought you firewood- the flame will burn green, but it is nontoxic. I suggest one of you stay up and keep watch. I would offer, but I don’t believe it would be welcome.”

Nya grabs a few smaller stones around her and sets to work on the fire pit behind her, taking them firmly out of the caves line of sight, “Maybe another night.” She jokes tensely.

Birdy steps back into the cave, “Sleep well. I will wake you at first light.” And then he’s gone.

There’s a long pause before Lloyd and Cole scoot forward to help Nya build the fire pit.

“So what is there to discuss?” Nya asks, focusing on the stones in her hand instead of the exhaustion weighing her down, or her brother's presence glaring into the darkness of the cave. “The way I see it, we have no other option than to accept his help.”

“We can’t find our way through this place on our own, even if we had a map.” Cole agrees, “There’s something… wrong with the earth here. When we were walking here it just felt off. I don’t think we could retrace out footsteps if we tried.”

“It’s just too easy.” Voice tight, Kai kneels next to them and picks up a piece of firewood, examining it closely, “Next thing we know this guy has a grudge against Wu for sending him here and he slits our throats in our sleep.”

“We don't even know if he’s from Ninjago,” Jay points out, “What are the chances of him randomly being an old enemy of Wu’s?”

Everyone pins Jay with a blank stare because, well… with Wu’s track record, the chances are pretty high.

“Yeah, don’t answer that.” Jay grumbles, running a hand through his hair. “You’re all right. We can’t trust this guy, but we need him.”

Lloyd picks up one of the sticks and draws a chart in the thin layer of sand on the stone floor, “Pros and cons,” he starts. “Pros: He seems to be an expert navigating this place and if we don’t accept his help, we could be stranded here for who knows how long, leaving Ninjago to whatever villain stole that gauntlet.”

“Cons: He could serial kill us.” Kai supplied, “Or trap us in a pit, or poison us, or sell us for our powers, or-”

“I think we get it.” Cole interrupts him, “It’s just… I don’t get that vibe from him.”

“We can’t risk our safety off of vibes.”

Nya gets Kai’s worries, she really does, “But we can’t just twiddle our thumbs and walk in circles while Ninjago is under attack! The people back there depend on us to keep them safe, and we have no idea what those girls- or whoever they’re working for- has planned.”

“I thought your whole deal was honoring our duties, Kai?” Jay questions in what Nya feels is a jab from a conversation she wasn't privy to, “Our job as ninja is to risk our lives to protect the people of Ninjago.”

“That’s our responsibility.” Lloyd agrees solemnly, “We have to get back to Ninjago while there’s still a Ninjago to protect.”

Kai frowns, placing the final stick into the fire pit and lighting it in the same movement. The flame flickers a radioactive green, “Okay.” He says finally, “Yeah, I’m with you guys now. We have to get home.”

“We’ll be cautious.” Lloyd assures him, “We won’t let our guard down.”

“But we just can’t look this gift horse in the mouth.” patting his back, Nya unties her gi top and folds it into a pillow on the sandy floor, dressed in just her tank top undershirt.

“I’ll take first watch.” Kai volunteers. Cole looks like he’s about to argue- it should be him or Lloyd, since they’d gotten more sleep, but he lets it go with a small sigh.

Lloyd also seems to understand that Kai needed this, “Wake me up in a few hours to swap out.” He says firmly.

The others dress down only slightly, Lloyd using his gi top as a blanket and Cole pulling off his waist wrapping to drape across his eyes like a sleep mask. Nya turns her back to the fire as everyone settles in, staring blankly at the shadows of the canyon around her. She couldn’t help but worry that this was the wrong choice.

"I'm hungry," Cole laments, and it's so surprising that Nya and the other bark out a laugh, chuckling as the night winds down. She's hit with a deep affection for her friends and a swelling in her chest that tells her everything is going to be okay. They were together again. Everything was right.

They're The Ninja! They've gotten out of worse binds than this!

(Not unscathed. Not without tragedy.)

Eventually, she falls asleep.

#lego ninjago #ninjago #ninjago au #zane julien #nya ninjago #kai ninjago #lloyd garmadon #cole ninjago #jay walker #ninjago never the dark #a tree explodes #spinchip fic

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