Pythor was after her, and Jay was hurt. Bad. That was all Krystal knew. She didn't have any weapons. They were all at the Monastery, where the snakes were. She had no idea where Cole, Zane, Kai, Sera, Nya, or Sensei Wu were. All she cared about were her and Jays' lives.
Back at the edge of the Wildwood Forest, it had taken a large amount of her already dwindling energy supply to create a harness out of vines so she could strap Jay onto her back. Then even more to create a makeshift tourniquet to stop the blood flowing out of the deep wound on his leg.
Now, she was panting heavily as she shot through the forest, Jay on her back. She could hear the crinkling of leaves as Pythor slithered after her. Her body ached, her every breath stung.
A glimmer of hope filled her as she spotted a clearing to her left. Maybe Pythor will keep on going North, she told herself. So, she veered to the left, picking up her pace as much as her agonized body could take.
Without stopping to rest, in the middle of the clearing she ripped the thick cords of vine tethering Jay to her and set him down gently. She followed, collapsing to the ground, her body screaming in pain as the adrenaline wore off.
All seemed to be silent and peaceful. That tranquility lasted for about fifteen minutes until a purple, human-shaped snake with a long, curling tail and neck slid calmly out of the brush in front of her. "Pythor," She muttered.
He grinned, his deadly teeth glimmering in the light. Krystal knew that he would not draw a weapon. His powerful tail and sharp mind would suffice. Pythor stopped, confused. "Wait, who are you?" "Krystal. The Nature Ninja." She replied flatly. "And who… Are you?" She was stalling, glancing around at the area around her.
By that time, Jay had regained consciousness, his head and leg throbbing violently. As he opened his eyes, she saw Krystal in what appeared to be a friendly chat with Pythor. He felt a pang of betrayal but then noticed her eyes roaming nervously, her legs slightly trembling. She met his gaze, her eyes glimmering in a warning. Stay there. Trust me. They seemed to say.
As she tried her hardest to draw out the conversation, Jay noticed her subtly inching towards a stick a few feet away from her. A few moments later she stopped beside it, clearly formulating a plan.
"Can I… Uh… Feel your scales?" She asked shyly. Pythor chuckled, happy to be in the spotlight, and nodded. What are you doing? Jay's mind screamed at her as she started to approach him.
After one step, she tripped, jutting a hand out to break her fall. That hand strategically landed on the stick. With a loud crack it broke, and he saw her grip a small part of it, tucking it in her palm as she pushed herself up."Oh my gosh," She stammered, her eyelashes fluttering as if she were blinking back tears.
Pythor's expression hardened. "Enough banter. I need all ninja out of commission," He dismissed, flicking a hand. He positioned himself carefully, preparing to strike.
Krystal shot into action, throwing the piece of stick she had in her hand into the air. What? Jay wondered. In a flash of light, the twig transformed into a long, elegant golden sword. She caught it in one hand.
The wind rusted her long hair as thick, thorned vines crawled up the blade and attached themselves to it. She swung it through the air, moving it quickly from her side, and pointed it at Pythor. Beautiful red roses bloomed on the hilt. If he could, Jay would've gasped in amazement.
But that wasn't all. Krystal calmly shut her eyes, eyebrows slightly creased, and a pair of large white dove wings unfurled from her back.
Jay knew it was just for show. She barely had any energy left, so she resulted to simple mind games to leave her opponent intimidated. He froze. He heard rustling in the woods. Growing closer. Closer…
"Jay! What the…?" It was Cole. And Zane, Kai, and Sera. He had noticed Krystal. "Oh my god!" Sera squealed, "That's Krystal for ya. Always loves the dramatics!" "I heard that," Krystal murmured in mock annoyance, but it was obvious that she was thankful for the backup.
Cole stepped forward, beside Krystal, and glared at Pythor. "Krystal," he commanded, "Get behind us. You've done enough. Thank you." He smiled at her.
She nodded solemnly and stepped behind Cole as the rest of the ninja filed in beside him. She folded her winds onto her back, and they disappeared in a flash, along with her sword.
In the end, Pythor and his troops had been driven away, and the Monastery had been reclaimed. Jay's injury was healing quickly. After a quick nap, Krystal felt as good as new.
After waking up, Krystal noticed that no one else was awake. So, she decided to head to the living room to finish her book.
Expecting for no one to be there, she gasped when she saw Cole there, watching a game show. "Cole?" He was wearing a tight white T-shirt and black sweatpants. He sat up when he saw her. "You doing ok?" He asked, worried. "I'm fine."
He collapsed beside him and leaned on his shoulder, turning her gaze to the TV. Without looking away, Cole whispered, "I was really worried about you."