*~Quotes~*

"Lloyd!" she shouted. But words did nothing. She ran toward him, her mind running through the same three words over and over again:

It's too late.

~I~

"Lyra!" he shrieked. But his words did nothing, and his movements were slow. His brain moved in circles, repeating the same three words over and over again:

I'm too late.

~I~

"I don't know how much more of this life I can take," he admitted. "Can it even be considered life anymore? I'm not living!"

~I~

She woke up to a pounding headache and Marissa staring down at her, a good-bye note from her sister in hand.

"I don't know where she went."

~I~

"Sakura! SAKURA? WHERE ARE YOU?" her voice grew panicky as she scoured the house for her girlfriend. "We need to get to Lyra and warn her before it's too late!"

~I~

"We're not who you think you are," she admitted, raising a glowing hand. It was a faint shade of pink, while her friend's was pale blue. "We're like you."

~I~

"No," he whispered, dropping his mug. It shattered on the floor, a million tiny shards of ceramic. "It can't be! He's supposed to be gone! How'd he return?"

~I~

"Bring me to the Master of Art," he demanded. "Or you'll wish you were never born."

~I~

"You thought you could get away with it?" She cackled, aiming the blade at the girl's heart. "Never again."

~I~

"Help him," the oldest child begged. Her voice was a breathy whisper, barely heard above the fighting nearby "Please. We'll do anything."

~I~

"Our people are in danger! I don't care what you think! I don't care what they think, either. It's our duty to help them. That was the first lesson you ever taught me."

~I~

"Don't make this more difficult than it needs to be." His voice was like nails on a chalkboard, cutting into the very soul of the one he controlled. "Just stop fighting, and she won't be harmed."

~I~

"Son!" He embraced the weak boy, checking for a pulse. "I'm here. I've got you. Just hold on."

~I~

"I killed her, of course." His maniacal laugh rang through the area. "Who else would have?"

~I~ 

*~Other Perspectives~*

Alette fell to the ground as a green wave of mayhem swept through the city, hitting her as well as her siblings. Iniko stumbled along with her, while Isle full-on face planted into the grass. She got up a moment later, though, so she was obviously okay.

"We need to leave," she realized, signing as she spoke so her brother would understand.

It wasn't like she was unused to these currents, but this one was different. It was the only one that happened during the night, immediately making her more wary of it. Her instincts told her there was more to the story than that, though. In fact, they were screaming at her to grab the 7-and-8-year-olds and get out of Ninjago City.

"This one wasn't an illusion," Isle agreed, also signing what she said. "It was the real thing. Did you feel the wind? It moved with the wave."

Almost like they were the same thing. Alette wasn't sure what that meant for their fate, but she wasn't about to stick around and find out.

"We shouldn't have come," Iniko signed. The poor boy looked exhausted, like he was going to drop to the ground again at any minute. "We could've gotten caught."

Alette led them to the subway's entrance. "Isle?"

Isle raised her hands and twisted her usually-brown wrists, which were glowing a pale gray colour. A blurry sphere grew to cover their small group. If anyone had been watching, it would've looked like the kids just disappeared into thin air.

Alette read the signs. Being nine, she was the oldest and also the fastest reader. "Next train is in seventeen minutes. It's going to...to Stiix," she whispered the last word.

"I don't want to go back," Iniko signed.

"Neither do I," Alette murmured. "But..."

"We need to leave," Isle finished her sentence. "And my power is about to run out."

"It can't be too bad, right?" Alette asked. "No one's gonna remember us."

They ran toward the train, dodging security with the help of Isle's power. Her power also helped them sneak in behind a large family and, though it ran out just as they sat down, causing the trio to reappear. No one even noticed. It was a perk of being a young child: if you're quiet enough, nobody realizes you're even there.

"We'll be fine," Alette reassured, only using sign language so no one could overhear. "Promise." 

They shuddered as another chaos-wave passed through them. It was a pale grayish green colour. Alette often wondered why no one else seemed to feel the chaos. It probably had something to do with their Elemental powers.

"I hope you're right." Isle looked out the window as the train started up. She was so short, her legs didn't reach the floor. "If not, we're done for."

"They aren't gonna find us," Alette told her, glancing at their younger brother to make sure he wasn't paying attention before continuing. "I'll even use my Element to keep us safe if I have to."

She just hoped it didn't come to that.

~I~

TW: Murder, gore

Keres smirked. The wind had found her again. "Took you long enough," she drawled, standing up. Her heavy vengestone chains rattled as she made her way to the note the breeze carried to her. She read its contents. Each line made her wicked grin spread wider. It was time. She used her teeth to rip a small amount of skin off her index finger, making it bleed. Not even flinching, she wrote her response out in her blood before allowing the draft to steal the piece of paper and take it back to its Master. "Of course I want revenge."

"Who are you talking to?" a guard stationed outside her cell barked. 

"Just myself," the Master of Air reassured. Those guards were so annoying. She was glad she could finally silence them. "I am crazy, correct? Did you expect me to be quiet all the time?"

"I don't like your tone," he warned.

Keres couldn't stop her laugh from escaping. She tossed her black hair, letting the silver streaks shimmer in the moonlight. "Ha! Who are you, my mother? Oh, wait, I killed her." She walked up to the man, who was standing way too close to her cell. "Say hi to her in hell, will ya?"

With that, Keres reached through the bars, grabbed his uniform and slammed him into the metal. He collapsed, writhing in pain on the ground. Before he could raise an alarm, she stuck her foot through the bars and kicked his throat, effectively quieting him. 

He wheezed, a pathetic mess, as she fished his keys out of his pocket. The man could do nothing but watch while Keres freed herself from her shackles. When Keres rose, she was a different woman. Her eyes were glowing gray, holding an entire storm within. Then she unleashed it.

The guard was dead in an instant. His own sword had been his undoing. Keres wiped his own blood on his uniform before continuing on. Whoever was watching the security cameras had been taken out, just like her cousin promised. The two other guards who saw her escape crumpled to the ground as all the oxygen left their lungs.

All of her stored power was back. Keres was the strongest she'd ever been. She yearned to take down all of Kryptarium, to untether herself from humanity and slaughter every last being in the prison. But she had to wait. She had to go along with Wind's plan. Once they were done, she'd be able to do anything she ever wanted.

All she had to do was get one pesky girl out of the way first. Then the full terror of her Element would be let loose, and all of Ninjago would fall.

~I~

Princess Delila shivered. Even under her heavy coat, which not only served protection from the cold chill of fall but also disguised her, she was freezing. The only part of her that was warm was her head, which was suffering from the same unending headache that'd been occurring for as long as she could remember. It got so bad that she couldn't speak properly because, whenever she went to do so, her head felt like it was on fire.

She reached a hand up to the magenta gem embedded on her forehead. It caused momentary relief in her brain before the pain started up again.

Another green wave passed by. It was more vivid than the last few were. Delila hadn't failed to notice how frequent they were getting. She'd asked Rumi about them, though, and she never felt them. The only logical conclusion was that it had something to do with Delila's mother.

It seemed crazy, because her mom had been dead for years, but it was the only thing that made sense. She'd always babbled about how he would return one day. Delila had no idea who 'he' was, but he obviously wasn't a good person if her mother liked him.

Is this the day I'll get the Elemental power she always said I'd inherit? she wondered, gazing up at the night sky. Is that what these recurring airwaves are? The ones that no one else can sense? Or was that another story she made up when she went insane?

A few years ago, Delila would've scoffed at the thought of the Elemental Masters being real. They were something her mom had taught her, and her mom had barely been conscious during her daughter's whole life. When she was, her eyes would get all weird and she'd talk nonsense the whole time. Something about a High Lord and the Element of Art? She never really paid attention to her mother, so she couldn't be too sure. 

With the rise of the ninja, however, it was evident that Elemental powers truly did exist. Delila wondered if any of the other tales her mother told were true.

Too late now, she thought. Can't even remember the stories. 

"Delilaaa," her sister's voice called from across the forest they were playing in. "They want us in our rooms in five minutes! For the new curfew."

Delila internally cursed (not any actual swear words, though). She'd forgotten about their new bedtime. The Emperor and Empress's rules were more strict than the foster care's rules, and that was saying a lot. "Shoot, we gotta run if we wanna make it," she signed.

About a year earlier, when Delila first realized she couldn't speak without being in immense pain, she panicked. Who wouldn't? Thankfully, Harumi had been there to help her. The younger girl was one of the sweetest, kindest souls she'd ever met. She knew some sign language--not much, but her grandpa had been deaf so she learned basic signs--and taught what little of it she knew to Delila that she could get by without having to write everything out. 

That being said, the Emperor and Empress immediately got her a private tutor upon adopting them, so it didn't actually matter much anymore. However, the gesture was sweet nonetheless.

Delila grabbed Harumi's hand and booked it, sprinting toward the palace. A few seconds later, another gust of wind that was clearly the colour green threw her to the side, causing her to trip on a nearby branch.

"You okay?" Rumi asked, stretching a hand out to help Delila up.

"Yeah..." Delila stopped signing, staring in the direction the wind had blown. 

She could've sworn she heard laughter.

~I~

*~Song Lyrics~*

Ghost - Justin Bieber
"And if I can't be close to you, I'll settle for the ghost of you~"

~I~

Brother - Kodaline
"I've got you, brother~"

~I~

In the Stars - Benson Boone
"You took the best of my heart and left the rest in pieces~"

~I~

Trainwreck - James Arthur
"I don't wanna lose it but I'm not getting through this~"

~I~

Another Love - Tom Odell
"But all my tears have been used up~"

~I~

Runaway - Aurora
"No, take me home where I belong. I can't take it anymore~"

~I~

Freaks - Surf Curse
"Just help me run away from everyone. I need a place to stay~"

~I~

*~Aesthetics~*

Keres

~I~

Delila

~I~

Alette

~I~

Isle

~I~

Iniko

~I~

Word count: 2k

Y'all I can't wait for this next season it's gonna be so fun but also prepare for A N G S T

Anyways what'd you think of this chapter? Any theories on which quote was said by whom? Any thoughts on the new (ish) characters? 

QOTD: What are y'all doing for summer break?

A: Sleeping and writing, though I'll be a bit busy for the first few weeks

Please do comment or at least vote because, once again, it helps with motivation and motivation help me write more frequently

Remember to drink water, eat food, and get an appropriate amount of sleep for your age please<3

~Aspen