ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: Starset - Die For You (Acoustic)

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Because I know you're lost when you run away

Into the same black holes and black mistakes

Taking all my will just to run alone

When are you coming home?

---

The rays of golden sunlight filtered through the open blinds, and (Y/n) lay there in her bed, asleep.

Her eyelids twitched, opening to look at her surroundings.

It seemed different as if someone had rearranged all the items in the bedroom. Her drawings were neatly in a pile, with dusty cardboard boxes in the corner. The bookshelf had a thin layer of dust covering it.

Dust motes floated about, visible in the afternoon sunlight. (Y/n) sat up, looking over at the desk the Dream tea was on.

It was gone.

The girl quickly got out of her bed, tossing aside the sheets to get a closer look at the spot where it used to be. She then checked under her desk, quickly discovering it also wasn't there.

Silence hung in the air, and (Y/n) turned to look at the rest of her room. As if no one had been here for ages, the bookshelf's books' pages began to turn yellow, the leather spine of the novels beginning to wear away.

''How long have I been asleep?'' She asked herself, turning to walk out of the room. (Y/n) gave her room one last look before closing the door behind her, and went down the hall.

Passing a room, she heard soft voices and stopped. She ran back to her room to grab something, finding a hockey stick that was gathering dust.

She then went back to the source of the noise, and slowly opened the door, holding up the hockey stick as a defence weapon and found herself in a bedroom.

What would've formerly had Batman posters and Harry Potter stuff, now had Ninjago posters and lego figures.

(Y/n) lowered the stick, seeing no threat. There was the sound of something moving, and she turned her gaze to a box filled to the brim with lego bricks.

A ginger hairpiece with the round yellow head popped up. The lego figure then looked up, seeing a giant holding what looked to be a shiny tree trunk above them.

Opening their mouth, they let out a girly scream, while (Y/n) stood there, not knowing what to do.

A transparent plastic arm appeared, the hand covering the tiny screaming lego figure's mouth, shutting them up.

''Jay will you please shut up?'' The lego figure asked, appearing beside him, waist-deep in the lego.

Jay raised his yellow plastic claw, pointing at the towering giant. Cole then looked up at them, his eyes widening as he took in the large figure.

Soon, a spiky-haired brunet appeared, glaring at the blue-clad ninja. ''Really Jay? Now my headache's a lot worse thanks to you.''

''Guys, look,'' Cole spoke, making the porcupine lookup.

''I feel, stiff...'' Then, two blonds appeared one with tousled hair and the other platinum blond.

Then, all the lego figures that were waist-deep in the lego box looked at the girl. Cole took his hand off Jaybird's mouth, and the ginger-haired lego screamed girlishly yet again. Jay then ceased his screaming.

''Uh, hi?'' (Y/n) said after a moment of awkward silence. The boy's jaws ''dropped'', recognising who she was.

''(Y/n)!?'' They asked in unison. The girl nodded, carefully putting down the hockey stick.

''Wait a moment, I need to go do something.'' (Y/n) told them, and walked into the bathroom. In Amia's bedroom, the boys heard her screaming.

She then walked back and found them struggling to walk around, their new plastic legs making it difficult to get around.

Kai stood on top of a red toy bin, looking at this new unfamiliar land, watching as Cole chased Jay with the latter trying to outrun the angry bear-like earth ninja.

A lego figure lay in a small puddle of water on the desk, eyes closed. The short black hair with its green streak showed Morro, who seemed to be passed out.

He then opened his eyes, coming face to face with (Y/n) who raised an eyebrow. ''Are you going to scream because I'm a giant to you?'' She asked. Morro shook his head, unfazed.

''No?'' The transparent lego figure replied. As soon as he spoke, the others could be heard, trying to get to the Master of Wind.

''It's not the end of the world, guys.'' (Y/n) told the small lego figures. She then bent down and let Zane walk onto her hand, lifting it to the desk where he could see Morro.

The shiny titanium nindroid hopped off the girl's palm and slowly walked over to the Master of Wind, one step at a time. He then stopped, looking at (Y/n) for further information. The girl nodded, and Zane turned back to Morro and held out his hand.

Morro eyed Zane's yellow plastic claw, raising an eyebrow. ''You want me to take your hand?''

''Yes.'' The Ice Ninja answered.

''Alright, I'll take this.'' He then literally took Zane's hand, popping it out of its place. The nindroid's eyes widened, seeing the yellow plastic claw taken.

''This does not compute-'' The Ice Ninja said, twitching slightly.

Morro snickered, handing back uh, Zane's hand. ''Sorry, I just needed a laugh, here's your hand back by the way.''

Frosty the Ice Ninja then popped it back into its place and held it out again. The Master of Wind then took it and shook his hand, this time not leaving him with one hand.

''Are you done with your formalities yet?!'' Kai shouted, impatient.

''Always the hot-tempered one, hothead is the perfect name for you, Kai,'' Morro told him, smirking.

''Enough, we should get going, before my mother comes home with Amias and finds us in here.'' (Y/n) told them.

''What about Nya?'' Jay asked.

''Nya!'' (Y/n) called out, and soon there was a shuffling of lego bricks and the Water Ninja appeared, plastic bob-cut hair surfacing along with the round yellow head.

The Lightning Ninja stared at her, and Kai noticed, narrowing his eyes at the ginger who stopped staring.

Nya caught sight of Morro, and summoned two hovering spheres of water, before losing control, letting them splash onto the ground.

''You're lucky that wasn't you,'' Nya told him, shoulders tensed ready for action.

Morro sighed, before using his wind to fly over to her. The boys watched, waiting for the moment the Master of Wind would show his true colours. ''I'm so used to threats by now, I'm not even joking.''

While they did so, (Y/n) walked back into her bedroom, grabbing a hoodie and shoes. When she got back, she found the others being chased by the formerly toy snake, also known as Remo.

''It's the Great Devourer!'' Lloyd yelled, running away with the others, his hands in the air as his little plastic legs were a blur.

(Y/n) watched the scene before her, knowing the little snake wouldn't hurt them, leaning on the frame of the doorway.

She thought of getting popcorn but looked at the clock. Riské's Tea shop would be closing in a few hours. There goes that plan.

It had begun to get dark outside, the sunset, a variety of fiery hues mixed like oil paints on a canvas.

''I think it's time to get going now.'' (Y/n) spoke, making them stop and look at her. Remo let Cole on his head, balancing the Master of Earth while paying attention.

''How are we going to get there? A mere glimpse of moving and talking lego figures are enough to drive one crazy.'' Zane questioned.

''I think I'm sane enough to handle this.'' (Y/n) replied.

---

Morro sat on the left side of (Y/n)'s shoulder, with Nya on the right, hidden in the girl's hair. The others were in the hoodie pocket, occasionally poking their heads out to look at their surroundings before poking their head back inside to ensure no one else saw them.

Zane was the one to do it the most, his curiosity and his eagerness to learn about this strange new world fuelled his desire to become more knowledgable.

Sometimes, Jay and Frosty the Ice Ninja would appear at the same time, making a passerby catch sight of them. The two quickly disappeared, poking their heads out less in case it happened again.

Remo loosely wrapped around (Y/n)'s neck, and anyone who looked his way he simply made himself vanish.

They finally arrived at the tea shop, with Riské about to close the door. Seeing (Y/n), she stopped, smiling, and the ninja felt themselves unnerved about the way the old woman smiled.

''Come inside, and I'll get your tea,'' Riské said, in her old woman voice, and she walked inside, before (Y/n) could follow, Jay gave her a little shock. He then poked his head out from the pocket and looked up at her.

''Haven't you ever heard, don't take stuff from strangers?'' The Lightning Ninja asked, looking worried.

''Jay, if you want to get back to Ninjago, this is the only way.'' (Y/n) told him.

''Isn't there traveller's tea?'' Lloyd asked.

''Don't serve it here,'' Riské answered. ''Now, please do come inside, it's getting colder.''

All the ninja were looking at the girl, who bit her lip, glancing back at the way she came. She then took a deep breath and followed the old lady in.

The warmly lit room offered comfort, with bamboo stools on the sides and wooden tables. There was a red and black carpet, with the image of a horned being of darkness with violet eyes woven into the fabric.

Riské had the jar of Dream Tea on the counter, leaning on it and looking curiously at the seemingly living lego figures who looked unsettled by the old woman's mere presence.

(Y/n) took it, and Riské beckoned for the girl to hand over the money, which she did. She then stood up straight, looking at the girl. ''Have a great time with your dreams.'' The old woman told her with a cracked tooth smile.

The girl started to become unnerved, and turned and walked out of the door.

''Next time you wake, it'll be worse...'' Riské spoke ominously.

---

(Y/n) arrived at home, and Morro poked her neck with his transparent plastic ghostly claw. Gaining her attention, he then pointed to her hand, which seemingly flickered in and out of existence.

Holding it up, she looked at it, and while she did so she felt something or someone go through her. She then turned to see her mother, who seemed to not have noticed her presence.

Her hand stopped being weird, and her mother turned around, seeing her daughter. Her eyes widened, and she ran to hug her daughter.

''Where were you?'' Her mother questioned, looking at her in the eyes. ''You were missing!''

''Missing?'' (Y/n) asked, confused. ''But I was in bed this whole time.''

''Like what happened to...'' Mother trailed off, looking at the ground. (Y/n) grasped her mother's shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

''To who? Who, mother?'' Her daughter questioned. ''Who's missing?''

''Your brother, Amias, is missing.'' Her Mother softly replied. (Y/n)'s eyes widened in shock, her breathing becoming shallow and fast.

''No...'' The girl said, going around her mother and running up the stairs to her brother's room. She opened the door, the wind generated by the force making the Ninjago posters fall off the wall and onto the ground.

All she could hear was the thudding of her heartbeat against her chest, being the only sound she could hear in the room of silence.

She couldn't believe it. There, the bed was neatly done, as if no one had ever slept there at all. But the walls held memories of an innocent loving brother, the pictures were reminders of a happy past.

A phone lay on the bedside table, the screen black devoid of electrical messages shown with light.

(Y/n) picked it up, shakily holding it as she turned it on. The photo of an older Amias smiled back at her, he now looked her age.

She then noticed the jar of Dream Tea from her bedroom, empty with not even a single tea leaf left. A lot now was gone.

The girl sighed, looking through the camera roll. Photos of the used to be younger brother but now older brother smiled, alongside a cloudy blue-eyed boy who had shades on top of his mop of copper hair.

Finding a video, she let it play.

Amias was on the guitar, strumming it before the instrumental began to play, while the cloudy blue-eyed boy waited on the drums.

Die for You by Starset began to play.

Because I know you're lost when you run away

Into the same black holes and black mistakes

Taking all my will just to run alone

When are you coming home?

It was as if her brother thought he could wake her up. He seemed lost, lonely and distant, his eyes welling with tears as he put all his emotion into the guitar he so effortlessly played.

Her brother looked at the camera, wiping away his tears. ''Sis, if you're seeing this, and that's unlikely, but I wanted you to know, I love you as a sister, always have, and I always will.''

The copper-haired boy got up from his seat and hugged her brother, then the video ended, leaving them in stunned silence.

Cole was the first to speak up. ''That's some weird stuff, he grew up like Lloyd?'' He asked.

''I don't know how long I've been asleep, but it must've been enough to become my age?'' (Y/n)'s question hung in the air, and all was silent.

''All I know is that I want to go home,'' Jay spoke, homesick. The others nodded in agreement.

---

(Y/n) prepared a way for the ninja to get home, as they needed to use a different way of using the tea to get back to Ninjago.

The ninja stood on the rimmed edges of the bathtub, which was filled with water and the Dream Tea leaves added to summon a swirling portal, which was like a whirlpool that seemed to lead into an empty void.

''Are you sure about this?'' Kai asked, peering down at it.

''Postive.'' (Y/n) replied, and Morro created a gust of wind, knocking them down into the waters where they disappeared into the portal.

(Y/n) looked at Morro, who smirked, dusting his hands off. ''They had it coming.'' The girl then pointed at him, and he gulped in fear. ''Then again I shouldn't have done that.''

''Why don't you join them?'' Remo asked.

The little snake smiled as the Master of Wind slowly backed away. (Y/n) then picked the small snake up and set him on her shoulders, where he felt he belonged.

She then grabbed Morro, who watched as the tea leaf portal dissipated, leaving little swirls in the bathtub and they walked out of the bathroom.

(Y/n) put a little bit of the Dream Tea leaves in her boiling cup of water, which steamed as it brewed, slowly becoming a darker shade as the tea leaves soaked in the water.

When it was done, she handed Remo a sandwich, which he took happily, and Morro a tiny cup of tea.

They consumed their form of the Dreamer's Tea and fell asleep, many days and nights before they woke again.

---

The town of Stiix was silent, the leftover destruction left by the Preeminent remained, with a few stragglers digging out whatever belongings were left in the rubble.

Then, a bright light appeared, with the Orange Ninja now standing in front of them, and then the light vanished.

''We're home.'' (Y/n) said with a smile.

There was a chorus of cheers and yells, and in the sky was a mixture of colours, the others had come.

De-summoning their dragons, they ran forward to hug her, and everything was right again, unknowing that home was where she was.

But it wasn't the end. No, no, no. There was still more to come. An orange four-armed Garmadon fake, a spooky ghost master hostage keeper, two meddling twin hands of time and the white-haired girl, then, the dark beasts with those purple eyes and curved horns.

For now, it was only the ninja and (Y/n). That's all that mattered to them.

Oh, and she was still a ghost.

Another filler chapter next chapter because we need a little more happiness in this book :P

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See ya Bookworms.

WriterAgreste, over & out!