Chapter 39; Afraid
NONE POV
Stepping away, Emma could not escape Zane's perplexed gaze. Emma forced herself to close her eyes. Opening them again, Emma turned towards the bounty and started walking.
Not wasting any time, everyone in the group hurried to the bounty. While running, Anne could not stop thinking about Emma and Zane's conversation.
'Emma does not want anyone to die. That must be why she is so upset. Or at least that is what I am picking up. I must help her somehow...' Anne stared into the blue waters and they seemed to come towards her.
Cole noticed her far-off gaze, "Anne, you ok?"
Cole interrupted Anne's thoughts and she turned to look at him, "I think I know why Emma is upset."
Immediately, Emma heard what she said. Emma did not say anything; she just turned around and stared at her perplexed. Anne did not understand what Emma was communicating to her. Emma's face was not stoic but illegible. Anne caught a hint of sorrow and hope but that was it. Turning back around, Emma made it to the front of the group.
Anne looked at Cole, "We should get going… I will tell you later."
'Later…' Emma did not cry but felt like it.
Finally, they made it to bounty. Emma avoided looking at anybody and traversed the deck. She walked through the door below the bridge. Tacitly, everyone followed her. Stopping, Emma was bumped into by Zane. Suddenly, Emma looked abruptly fatigued and out of breath. Concerned, Zane quickly tried to help her. Emma shooed his hand away.
"I need to rest, that is all." Emma said but Zane understood what she was not saying.
Without warning, Zane lifted Emma up. With one arm below her knees and the other on her back, He leaned her against his chest. Zane soon started to rub her back with his palm and it calmed her down. Giving into her mental exhaustion, Emma closed her eyes.
Everyone behind them looked at Zane strangely.
"Wow Zane…" Cole said.
"That was quick." Anne finished.
Zane sure knew Emma well, they all thought. Shrugging it off, Cole opened the door to the infirmary.
Inside they saw Cece pensively looking at Laura's wound. Passed out on the bed across the room from Laura, they saw Lloyd who somehow ended up in the room.
Breathing deeply, Cece formed a small glowing green orb in her hands. Slowly, she lowered it down in the wound. Cece felt her energy drain the longer she kept her hands on Laura's wound. Everyone marveled at Laura being healed. It was slow and painful for Cece however. It was so much harder than just a simple bite.
Feeling excruciating pain in her lower abdomen, Cece was about to cry in pain. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She did not look away from Laura even when she could have. Turning her face with his hand, Kai forced to look Cece to look at him.
"That's enough." He said observing how much pain Cece was feeling.
Melting away, Cece's pain was soon gone but the orb in her hands had faded away. Laura's stab wound was not fully healed but it was enough for Misako to stitch up. She will have a scar but it will heal. She probably needed to rest for a while too. Immediately, Cece put her hand on her stomach but found nothing there. No blood, no gaping hole, and no stab wound.
'What was that?' She asked herself.
"It was too much for you Cece." Cece turned to Emma who was standing across the room by Lloyd's bed. Emma held her aching head. Her countenance looked serious and was nothing like her normal semi-rueful smile. "I think if you continued… it would have backfired."
"B-Backfired…?" Cece said aghast.
"If you continued it would have been as if you were stabbed."
The hand on Cece's shoulder clutched firmly. Cece looked up into sweltering eyes. His nostrils were flaring and everything.
Intensely concerned, Kai glared at Cece.
"Don't look at me like that Kai; you play with fire." Cece says trying to be sarcastic but Kai took it seriously and frowned. Cece was taken off guard at his response. Ashamed, Cece looked away from Kai. Looking down at Laura, She pretended to be concerned and watched Misako stitch up the stab wound.
"So, what do we do now?" Anne asked and woke up Lloyd. Too drowsy to get up, He stirred and turned on his other side. No one said anything but simply looked at Cole.
"We need to get our strength back," Cole said. "For some reason the Serpentine are not attacking us and I have a feeling that they are planning something. But we seriously need to regroup if we stand any chance at winning."
Giving up on sleep, Lloyd sat up in his bed, "What about Laura? I doubt she will be able to recover enough to fight."
Before Cole could say anything, Emma spoke up first, "I regret to say this, but Laura will be fighting when she wakes up."
Everyone looked at her as if she was an escaped loony from a mental hospital.
"Are you crazy?" Cece said.
"In order for events to take place, Laura will fight. Or at least, that is what I think… It's all a blurry mess…" Emma said honestly and leaned on Zane for support.
"I do not think you are in any condition to fight too Emma." Zane said protectively. "This stress is getting to you."
Droopy eyed, Emma responded, "I am in no condition. But no one will stop me from fighting Skales and getting that anti-venom."
Zane did not look pleased on Emma determination to end this with Skales.
Zane sighed, "You need a nap at least." Emma gave no sign of agreement but stepped towards the door. Perplexed, Zane did not understand the strong emotion tangled in Emma's heart.
Stumbling, Emma almost fell on her face but was saved by Zane. Emma's legs were like jelly and she could barely move them. Staring into grayish-bluish eyes and longing for the ethereal and vivacious sky blue, Zane forcefully aided Emma out of the room.
Lloyd got up from the bed and limped over to Laura's bed when Misako finished sewing up Laura's stitches. Concerned, he sat down in the chair and simply gazed at Laura. Making sure she was ok and secretly admiring her unorthodox beauty, his face was easily readable. Laura's waist was wrapped up under the bloodstained uniform. Heartbroken, Lloyd sighed.
The room was somber. Those mildly injured treated their wounds. The Cosmic legion seemed the most injured, the Ninja were better at that stuff after all.
The solemn mood drove Lloyd crazy, but Lloyd could do nothing about it. Feeling defeated, Lloyd he hated it. However he was the angriest at himself. 'This is my entire fault. I should have got there sooner.' Laura stirred.
Waking up with a headache, Laura opened her eyes. In a flash, she remembered what happened. She sat up but was met by a throbbing explosion. Lying back down, she immediately put her hand over the dull pain on her stomach. Surprised, she only saw a stain.
Realizing she was being watched, she turned her face to meet Lloyd's grassy green eyes filled with worry and concern. Shocked, Laura's hazel eyes widened and she scooted back towards the wall against the bed. Laura looked around the room.
Coming to her senses Laura said, "Lloyd? What happened?"
"I-I carried you to the bounty." Laura remembered the fresh breeze blowing through her hair. Laura remembered the sun smiling down on her. Laura remembered Lloyd catching her.
She noticed he was only wearing his undershirt. Looking around the room, she found a blood-stained green cloth thrown on the ground completely forgotten in the haste.
"Lloyd…" Lloyd noticed the realization and astonishment in her small almost inaudible voice, "t-thank you…" Because of the gentle silence, Laura was perplexed. Staring inside Lloyd's eyes, she found a light shinning on a grassy field reminding her of her early childhood. She did not keep track of the inching movements towards her and Lloyd. She only realized when Lloyd closed his eyes, thinking in his mind; 'Yes! Yes! Yes!'
Horrid memories flashed inside her mind.
Widening her eyes in fear, Laura pushed Lloyd away. Despite the pain, she squeezed her self in a small ball. Trembling, Laura could not breathe.
Lloyd was shocked not because of being pushed away which he must have half-expected, but because of Laura. He never could have imagined how appalled someone could become. At that moment he knew that something horrendous happened to Laura.
Lloyd reached out to comfort her but the moment his un-gloved hand touched the yellow fabric, Laura froze.
Retracting his hand, Lloyd had no idea what to do. He looked around the room that had become a blur a while ago and saw no one in the room.
"Laura…" Lloyd at the moment only knew her name for curtain. Mysteriously, Laura found comfort in Lloyd's presence. Laura focused on her breathing and almost forgot why she was so aghast. She had to forget or she would never calm down. Looking up from her knees, Laura remembered Lloyd.
"Lloyd…" Laura thought about how irrational she was. He was the savior of Ninjago and he could have anybody. But I guess if she was the Kunoichi of Light it would make sense, right? "How… How are you not afraid?"
"Afraid of what, exactly?" he asked. Lloyd did not know a lot about Laura because she was very secretive, especially about her past. He knew she attended that boarding school and it reminded him of when he was at Darkly's.
"Your story has traveled throughout Ninjago. How were you not afraid of facing your father?" Laura wanted to know how to 'not' be afraid. She hated her fear ('of what exactly?' Lloyd asks himself)
"I was afraid. Who wouldn't?"
"If you were scared… then how…?" Lloyd took her hand. He did not believe she let him.
"I had courage." Laura squeezed his hand and he did too. Laura looked away from him.
"I am sorry, Lloyd. I do not have any courage." Laura said dryly.
"How are you still here then?"
"I survived. I still feared. I still felt all the pain. I myself do not know… Maybe I used all my courage all up. Have I felt a lifetime worth of fear already?" Laura asks herself. Perplexed, Laura ponders why she is still alive. It felt like a lifetime worth of fear but the memories are blurry now. Yet she still felt the pain and fear every time she felt the cold air of every frosty autumn.
"Well Laura, you are not alone anymore. I will help you find more courage." Lloyd shined an apologetic smile. Laura turned her face so Lloyd could see her earthy eyes. Unsure, Laura had no more words. She felt like she still did not have the strength to face her fears and speak up. Yet somehow Lloyd's name just rolled off the tongue.
Hearing her beautiful and peaceful voice like the far-away song of a bird in spring whisper his name, Lloyd never expected for Laura to throw herself at him.
Because of the sweet embrace, Lloyd savored how close she was and her warm skin.
However Lloyd and Laura were very solemn.
Feeling emotionally raw, Laura only wanted a shoulder to cry on and give her strength.
Laura still could see the horrid memories flashing before her eyes. Feeling the pain of rueful autumn mornings, the sun waiting to rise was discovered in Laura's heart.
Oh man, this is heart-wrenching! I teased you Dogcake! MWHAHAHAHAHA! But… looking back… Is everyone enjoying their taffy? That is what this is! I hope you all enjoyed this balance shipping…. That is LauraXLloyd…. I hope this keeps you all at the edge of your seat! LOL, lately I have been making up theme songs for my characters.
So far;
Emma; Demons from imagine dragons. (THIS IS PERFECT FOR HER!)
Laura; Beautiful by Christina Aguilera, The Only Exception by Paramore, and Blown Away by Carrie Underwood.
I also have one for Skales; Blue lips by Regina Spektor.
One or two of these songs are popular I think so I wanted to share it… but be free to totally ignore the songs…
THANK YOU, Toon Friend, mykindleisawesome, Lya200, DJMidge, major-fangirl-in-here17 for all the wonderful reviews!
I hope everyone is enjoying Laura. I am having a really fun time developing her as a character… if not, there shouldn't be too much left for her… Emma's turn!
Ok, one last thing! Dogcake and I will be hosting a dare show called Captivating Truths and Contrasting Dares! I plan on posting it after I post Captivating Contrasts! XD
"Alright, who took my pudding cup? My name was clearly written all over it!" ~Jay
"Didn't see motar-mouth written on it" ~Cole
SergeantSarcasm7 at your service!