Screaming.

That was just about all that Harumi remembered of that day. Someone was screaming, and she didn't know who. There was an uneasy feeling in the back of her head that it was her.

The world around was dark, gloomy. No one would choose to be there, but... death was never anyone's first choice. She knew it immediately, as soon as her eyes opened, and the cold of the ground started to seep through her. She was dead, and she hadn't been able to stop it.

She startled awake, sitting up quickly. Where was she? What was going on?

Slowly, she became aware of two very important facts.

- She was cold, colder than she had been in her entire life.

- She was alone, with no one and nothing nearby but a lonesome crow, sitting on a snow-dusted tombstone.

This wasn't how it was supposed to happen.

She looked around, trying to get her bearings. What had happened?

She was in a graveyard, that much was for certain. Snow fell softly around her, dusting her black hair with purest wh-

Wait a second.

She looked down at her hair, an unpleasant shock going through her. No, no, no, it couldn't be black! Her hair was white! Wasn't it? She fingered a strand of it, panic racing through her. What was going on? Why was her hair black? She had to find a way out of here now.

Slowly getting up, she almost tripped and fell, another unpleasant shock going through her. She was wearing a long black dress and stiletto heels, longer and more cumbersome than anything she'd worn in years. Why in the heck was she all in black? Granted, this black dress was beautiful, with lace and beads that sparkled in the dim light...

But still.

She shook her head, picking up her skirt a bit so she could walk around. What was going on? This was getting stranger by the second.

The crow cawed at her, making her jump.

"Oh hush up." She snapped, panic starting to give way to anger. "It's not my fault I haven't worn a dress in a while."

The crow tilted his head at her, about as judging as a crow can get. Harumi rolled her eyes, taking another careful step. Stupid heels.

Before she could take another step though, the crow spread his wings and flew off, catching her attention.

"Yeah, you'd better run." She grumbled, trying and failing to not be grumpy. Her voice echoing in the empty clearing was unpleasant, unwelcome. She hated it.

However, the tombstone that the crow had been perched on caught her attention, a glow from it making her curious. What was that?

This time, she was actually able to move properly, slowly getting used to being in heels again. Maybe she'd only worn stilettos once or twice, but this wasn't anything new. She was Harumi Jade Ytarin Garmadon, she could do this.

The tombstone was glowing, just as she had suspected. There seemed to be some bright, reflective surface on top of it, almost like a clear pond. It shimmered in the dim light, hurting her eyes. A morbid curiosity brought her closer to it until she was standing right in front of it. The image broke up for a second, like filled with static. When it cleared again, she could see her reflection, but... not exactly her. At least, not how she was dressed right now. The figure in front of her had green eyes sparkling with laughter, and the silvery white hair that she recognized. Reflection Harumi was wearing a sky blue dress, and plain blue flats. Her pale skin shone, reflecting off the water, and the bracelet on her arm matched the ring on her ring finger. The ring that Harumi was... currently not wearing, now that she looked at it.

Harumi stared at her reflection in awe, amazing by how beautiful she was. That didn't seem real, much less attainable. Reflection Harumi was stunning, more than what Harumi had ever been when she was alive. When Harumi moved her right arm, the reflection did too, wonder and excitement and barely contained laughter in her eyes. First Master, what was going on here?

"... Who are you?" She murmured, reaching to touch the reflection.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you." A soft voice behind her interrupted, making her jump.

Harumi whirled around, meeting the eyes of a boy, much younger than her. He looked about thirteen, and his black hair fell over his forehead in a sharp manner. He was also dressed all in black, but the way he held himself and the look in his eyes hinted to the fact that not all was as it seemed.

"Wh- why not?"

"It has a habit of sucking people's souls, unfortunately." He shrugged, like it wasn't of consequence. "It may take another thousand years for it to learn to only show what it sees, not to suck people in to it."

She swallowed, taken aback by his manner. "I see. I'll be sure not to touch it."

"Good." His dark eyes met hers, filled with a maturity that she recognized. He looked... tired. "Perhaps you are wondering what you're doing here, Harumi?"

"Good guess. I am, actually." She fully turned away from the mirror, keeping a bit further away from it, just in case.

"Well, I can help with that. You see, Harumi, you're dead."

"Oh?"

"Yes." He paused, tilting his head to the side. "You don't seem all that surprised about it."

"Ah, well... it was bound to happen eventually." She shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant instead of panicked. "It was only a matter of when."

"Uh huh." The boy clasped his hands behind his back, watching her curiously. "Well, it's true."

"Alright. So... what am I doing here then?"

"Now that is a bit more complicated." He took a step closer. "You see, you're a bit of a... special case."

"Everyone loves to hear those words." Harumi crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "How do you mean, a 'special case?'"

"The light and the dark, balanced inside of you almost perfectly." He gestured towards the tombstone behind her. "That is a representation of who you are, and you could have been."

She turned to look back at the reflection, intrigued by it. "So... which one is which, then?"

"That is up to you. Who are you really?"

She paused, thinking. "You can't actually be saying that that's the whole reason why I'm here."

"It's not, but it's still something to think about." He came to stand next to her, but whatever his reflection was, she couldn't see it. "You are an enigma, Harumi, and that's why I'm offering you another chance."

"Another chance? You mean... I could be alive again?" She tried to ignore how weird it sounded to say that. This wasn't how it was supposed to go...

"Yes. There is a bit of a catch, though."

"There always is." She glanced at him, still trying to get over the fact at how young he looked. "What's the catch?"

"You could go back, but you won't remember this. In fact, you won't remember... much of anything."

"What?!" She took a step back, slowly shaking her head. "No, you can't do that!"

"Why not? What happened to you has its consequences." The boy's gaze flickered to her, calm and unbothered by her reaction. "Unfortunately, not everything works out perfectly."

Harumi blinked, not sure if she wanted to cry or get angry. The graveyard seemed almost to reflect her indecision, the snow swirling around in restless eddies, tossing her black hair into her face. "I- how much would I forget?"

"Just about everything. That would include this encounter as well. In fact, you probably wouldn't even believe that you had died. Normally, people do not just die and come back, it doesn't work like that."

"Then why are you doing this?" She insisted, brushing her hair out of her face. "What possible purpose could it serve?"

"It doesn't, really." He spread his hands in a gesture of peace. "I bear no ill will towards you, Harumi. If anything, I admire you. A lot of people do."

"... Why? I haven't done anything of much importance."

He chuckled. "You underestimate your own abilities. Not many people would be able to come back from your past, from what you did. This is why I'm giving you another chance."

"You're-" She frowned. "Why do you say it like that?"

"Oh yes, I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself." He nodded to her politely. "Edmund Dayner, Master of Death."

She took another step back, away from him. "You're kidding me."

"I am not. Would I have a reason to lie?"

"Well, no, but... that's an element that shouldn't even exist. It's not even an element!"

"Maybe, but I am proof to the contrary."

"You're a kid!"

"You're not much older than I am. Besides, age is only a number." He shrugged. "Either way, my age isn't really important. What is important is the offer I'm giving you."

Harumi sighed, adjusting the skirt of her dress. Around her, the snow slowly calmed down, the flakes drifting silently to the cold ground. "Another chance, you were saying?"

"Yes." Edmund gently ran a hand over the tombstone, brushing snow off the top of it. The crow she had seen earlier landed back on the tombstone, watching them with ebony eyes. "Your service to Ninjago has allowed me to do this, but only if you want it. In the end, it's a decision between a few things."

She didn't respond for a little while, staring at the falling snow. "I wouldn't remember anything, not even...?"

"No. Not even Lloyd."

Harumi closed her mouth with a click, struggling to hold back tears. "You- you can't do that. I can't do that to him."

Edmund shook his head, looking a bit sad. "In the end, it is your decision. I cannot make it for you."

She turned away, already knowing what her decision was. That wasn't fair to him. Better to allow him to get over her than to put him through even more. And yet... maybe she could fall for him again, even if she didn't remember him.

She wished she knew what the right answer was.

"How much time do I have?"

"You have about ten minutes before I must release you, to either one or the other. I will not release you to life if you do not choose it, however."

Harumi swallowed, staring at the reflection. The woman in blue stared back at her calmly. To give him a chance to hope... only to rip it away. Could she do that to him? Would that be terribly selfish? For once, she had no one to tell her what to do, and by goodness she wished she did. This was one decision she wouldn't want to make alone.

One thing was for certain, Lloyd would tell her to do it. He'd say that some hope was better than none, and that he didn't want to have to live without her. So what if how she had died had been horrible? She could live again... she could be with Lloyd.

She gently touched her ring finger, watching as her reflection touched the beautiful ring. In the end... it was her choice. Living again, or not?

"... I'll do it." She finally said, glancing at Edmund. "I want to live again, even if it's not the same."

"Are you sure? Once this decision is made, you must follow through with it, even with the consequences that will come with it."

She took a deep breath, staring at the ring on her double's finger. "Yes. I'm completely sure."

On the gravestone, the crow cawed at her, flapping its wings. Edmund nodded once. "Alright, milady. Come, I have to show you something before you fade."

She took one more long look at her reflection and followed after him, lifting up the dress so she could walk easier in the snow. "So... Edmund, how long have you been doing this? Being... an elemental, I mean."

"Not very long, only a few years, I think." He paused for a second. "Time passes oddly from my perception. It's almost like I'm not completely in time, if that makes sense."

"It does." She stepped over a branch, getting re-accustomed to the heels. "So... what is it that you want to show me?"

"How you died. That may give you a hint into why I cannot restore your memory when you awake again." He stopped in front of another tombstone with a reflective surface. "Watch."

Harumi moved in front of the tombstone, watching it flicker and ripple for an instant before it came into crystal clear focus, like she was watching a movie.

She could see the palace, fire crawling up the beautiful tapestries, engulfing it in a relentless flame that destroyed all in its path.

She could see a shadowy figure without much form, surrounded by her family, her friends.

She could see Lloyd shout something to all of them, and the expression on his face was desperate.

She could see a hint of his smile as he turned to look at her, passing his sword to his other hand to squeeze hers, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

That was when it all went wrong.

The shadowy figure, obscured in fog, turned to them, and it screamed. She could almost see how loud it was, and based on their reactions to the sound, it hurt to hear.

The creature rushed towards them. Lloyd raised his head, excruciating pain on his face. He reached over to her, lips forming her name to tell her something.

Almost as if a switch was flipped, everything suddenly came on full on, the sound of the fire, the screaming of the creature, Lloyd shouting her name.

Then... screaming.

It took her a second to realize it was her.

She clapped a hand over her mouth, trying not to cry. "What- what was that thing?"

Edmund gestured once, and the image disappeared. "A creature of ancient times, released to wreak havoc on Ninjago, weaken its defenders. A storm is coming."

"And it..."

"Knocked into you, drained your life force, and spat you out against the wall." He shook his head sadly. "They were able to subdue the creature, but you were already gone."

She swallowed, horrified by what she had seen. "And that's... oh my gosh..."

"I know." He put a hand on her shoulder, his hand unnaturally cold. "I'm sorry, perhaps I shouldn't have shown you that."

"It's- it's fine." She took a deep, shuddering breath. "I needed to know. Even if I'm going to forget it..."

"With that in mind, though, are you certain you wish to go back? You didn't have all the information before now."

Harumi turned to look at him, determined not to allow what she had seen to bother her. "I'm sure. I think... having some small chance would be better than not having any at all. Maybe that's a bit selfish, but..."

"Maybe so. I can't blame you, though." Edmund nodded. "Would you like to see him?"

"Who?"

"Lloyd Garmadon."

"I- yes. I would."

With another gesture, the surface rippled again, and this time, it came into focus in a hospital room. She could see herself, but she looked... asleep. No, too pale to be asleep. Dead. Beside her, Lloyd was sobbing, holding her limp hand tightly.

Nya came behind him and wrapped him in a hug, and soon, he was buried in hugs from everyone else as well. They all looked tired, but Lloyd's condition hurt worse at all. She always hated to see him crying.

Harumi reached up and touched her cheek, finding it wet with tears. "Is this-"

"It's about to happen. Time runs differently here." The image faded with Edmund's quick gesture, leaving her with nothing more than the memory of him crying and the wetness on her cheeks. She had to go back...

"It's what I want." She finally said, scrubbing away the tears. "I want to be with him."

"Alright. Come with me."

Edmund showed her back to where she had woken up in silence, his footfalls almost completely quiet. It was a bit disconcerting, but she didn't really mind. He stopped to the side of the first reflective tombstone, turning to face her. "I will warn you, even though you won't remember. There is a storm coming, and that is part of why I am glad that you're choosing to go back. Even though you'll need to relearn everything, the Ninja will need your help. This is a storm that cannot be stopped. Be on the lookout, and work to regain your skills. You're going to need them."

Harumi nodded. "Okay... I'll do my best."

He gestured for her to sit down on a bench, sitting down next to her and folding his hands together. "Two minutes."

"I didn't realize how long it's been..."

"As I said, time runs differently here. It didn't seem like ten minutes, but it almost has been."

She blinked, beginning to feel lightheaded and dizzy. "Anything else I should know?"

"Nothing that you don't already." He glanced at her sorrowfully. "Be brave, Harumi."

She buried her head in her hands, closing her eyes to stave off the dizziness. "As if that's anything new... I don't have much of a choice in the matter there."

"You made the decision, and it won't be easy, but life never is." She could practically hear his small smile. "You've cheated death many times. It's a talent."

Harumi snorted, shaking her head. "Blind luck, and sometimes, I don't even know if it is lucky."

"Maybe not." Edmund was quiet, and she became aware of the sounds of the graveyard. The last sounds of her full memory... the thought made her want to cry. She didn't want to forget...

But she had to. This was the price she had to pay to be with him again. She would pay it.

Even with her eyes closed, the coldness around her started to fade, replaced with warmth. It was almost unnatural...

"Not to worry, Harumi. He'll be there when you wake up." Edmund's voice was soft, and it sounded far, far away, almost as if she was hearing it through a tunnel.

All the noise around her ceased, and everything went dark. Then, the sound of a heart monitor changing from what would have been a flatline to a steady beat.

Once again, Harumi Ytarin had beaten death.

Hey all! I have returned again with more wares of possible angst ;) This was an idea I had based off a picture prompt that I got on my writing community, and I finally found the time to completely write it! As always, let me know what you thought, and... who knows, this may have the ability to turn into a full fic.

Love you guys, y'all are the best! Let me know what you thought about it!