Chapter Eighteen
No Peace Part II
Lloyd looked like he was about to vomit. A sickly pale color overshadowed his skin to the point where even the color of his hair looked like it drained entirely. His green eyes lost all sense of life and brightness, but Amari remained solid in her gaze. Not once did her eyes break contact with her target.
"Your kind has been causing a lot of trouble up above," Amari stated. "A lot more than usual".
"It's what we do," Dimitri snickered. "You all should know that by now".
"Well, we're not here to lecture you," Amari retorted. "You did what you did, and that's why you're here".
"There are plenty in this realm of existence whom have done much worse than I," said Dimitri.
"Cut the crap, Dimitri!" Rachel bellowed.
Cole flinched at the sudden outburst. He had remained stiff throughout the exchange that when Rachel's shout ripped into his ear, his body gave a sharp jolt, making a few joints pop with the movement. Megan stepped in front of Rachel, holding her arm in front of her to keep her from proceeding forward.
Dimitri's sickening laugh escapes his throat. His mocking tone teased the team, "You're running out of time!".
Time. That seems to be something we never have enough of, Amari thought. Then, she got an idea, "It's not like we're dealing with you again, not that you posed as much of a threat last time we faced each other. What exactly are we running out of time for?".
His crooked smile parted and exposed his yellowed teeth. The laughs and chuckles escaped in a merry guffaw, "That's your problem to face! Your stupid ninja won't be able to fight with you this time!".
Amari furrowed her eyebrows together and jumped to her feet with an irritated expression on her face. Turning to the team, she pulls the vile out from behind her, takes the cap off, and tilts her head back.
"We're done here," she says flatly.
Rachel instantly grabs Amari's wrist before she has the chance to sprinkle the powder on her forehead.
"Wait," she says. She moves over to Dimitri, Megan close behind her, waiting to stop her from doing anything dangerous.
It was agreed that they would not spend too much time in this grim place, much less lecturing a demonic spirit on what he did wrong, but there was something Rachel had to get off of her chest. Years had gone by with her demeanor being tough and outspoken; she was the type of individual who didn't simply let things slide, yet when it came to Blaire's brother, there was something she just had to say.
"You used to be one of us," she spat.
"Rachel," Megan began, "Let's go. We've taken care of what needed to be done".
Amari eyes Rachel, who looks at her sister, then at her wrist. She was still holding on to her grip, then loosened it slowly to let her go. The yellow mist floats across the air as Amari sprinkles it on her forehead, then hands the bottle to her to do the same. Dimitri's cackles are rising from behind them as the team passes the bottle around until it finally makes its way to Megan. Out of all of them, it's Kai who looks the saddest. He, like the rest of the group besides the girls, had barely mumbled a word throughout the entire ordeal. Not only had he been feet away from the person who almost took his life and put his brothers, sister, and the rest of Ninjago in harm's way, he had seen what had become of him. Such an intimidating and lowly being, one who seemed to have the world dominated in his hands and everyone whom he came across groveling at his feet, had sunk to an even lower level that could not even be described by the most wicked of minds. The screams of those in the near distance stabbed at his heart. He couldn't save them, he couldn't help them, and at the same time, he battled with the urge to run out there and help.
Why? He thought to himself. Why does it have to be this way?
Megan's hand brushes into Kai's palm, snapping him out of his trance. He looks up to see that everyone has joined back in a circle of holding onto each other's grip. Finally, they would get to leave. With one last look at Blaire's brother, Kai takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. In an instant, he can feel the electricity tingle through his limbs, and when he opens his eyes again, he sees that they are back at the monastery. The room was exactly as they left it, but there was a change in the air.
Everyone remained stiff and quiet; it was only Megan who spoke after a few moments of no one daring to speak.
"I'm sorry you all had to see that," Megan said, "but it had to be done".
Rachel glanced over at the team, their eyes glued to the ground and their lips pressed tightly together, "I'll-go speak to Misako. We've had enough for one day-maybe we can stay the night".
Lloyd rushed towards the door, "I-I'll go with you".
Rachel looked back at him then nodded her head, and the pair walked out the doorway together to find Lloyd's mother. Megan followed shortly after, leaving Amari behind with the team. She hesitated to look at them, trying to find the right words but knew nothing would make the situation any better. There was no further hesitation as she turned and walked out of the doorway, then slid the paper door shut behind her and sulked away. Her footsteps echoed down the hall until they slowly disappeared into the next room, then there was once again the dreaded silence. Jay could no longer hide his anguish. A single teardrop falls from his eye, and his body begins to shake.
"That was terrible," he finally uttered.
Everyone was taken aback by the sudden break in the silence but soon admitted that it was the same as what they had all been too afraid to say. The angels were right: nothing could have even prepared them for what they all had just witnessed.
