Chapter 11:

Freedom

Kamara pushed herself up, anxiously, an suddenly, becoming aware of where she was.

“Easy” Kai warned.

“We’ve got to get out of here” Kamara urged.

Just then, she saw a figure approaching from behind them. Kamara materialized the Windblade in my hand.

“Look out!” she cried.

With an adrenaline rush, Kamara jumped up, and slashed her blade forward, creating a wind current that caused the figure to stumble back. The rest of the ninja snapped back to attention and unsheathed their golden weapons. It was Safrina and Shifter. But not just them! Glacia and Masuka were there too!

“Aww, I thought we killed them!” Masuka whined, “Oh well! Back for round 2!”

Cole struck the ground with his scythe and the four Kurai Kodomo stumbled off balance. Then Zane threw his shurikens, striking Shifter and Glacia in the legs, and freezing their feet in place. Shifter snatched out his own shurikens and threw them. Zane was smacked in the face with one, while Kai narrowly avoided the other one. Glacia unsheathed dual swords and broke the ice holding her hostage and jumped back into the fight. Jay went to shock Masuka again. But this time, there was no effect.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, not doing that again, Mr. Sparkplug!” Masuka announced, and mowed Jay over with water.

.

Meanwhile, Kamara stood across from Safrina. Safrina pulled out Sai blades, and flew towards her with rage. Kamara managed to block her attacks, but Safrina was too aggressive, and Kamara was starting to weaken again.

“You know, I was praying this was going to be easy, imouto” Safrina stated, “But you turned out to be the most annoying one of them all!”

Kamara eyelids got heavy, and she started to stumble.

“If I can’t have you, then they can’t have you either!”

Safrina roundhouse kicked Kamara in the face, sending her colliding with the wall. Safrina stepped towards her. She raised her fist. Smoke raised from it, and then burst into flames. Safrina was the dark child of the fire. Safrina then jettisoned a fireball towards Kamara, and was about to burn her face!

.

“Kamara!”

Kai suddenly jumped in the way and blocked the fireball with the sword of fire. The force was so strong however, that it knocked Kai straight into me. The two ninja collided, causing pain in both of their chests and rib cages. They grunted. Kai pulled himself up, but Kamara couldn’t move.

“Ninja-go!” Kai exclaimed.

He knocked Safrina around until she flew into the table and broke it. Kai whirled around helped Kamara up.

“Are you okay?” He asked, concerned.

Kamara tried to stand up, but her legs kept collapsing under me. Safrina growled as she stood back up from the table debris.

“So, you’re the light warrior of fire?” She asked, then chucked maniacally, “I should’ve known. You’re so brash. You are just like the last one.”

Kai was surprised. She was talking as if she knew him. 

“Who was the last one?” He asked before he could stop himself.

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Suddenly, Cole skid in front of them. He held out his scythe in front of him.

“Kai! Get Kamara out of here! Now!” he exclaimed, “We’ll hold them off until you’re outside!”

Jade threw an object at Shifter’s face and it exploded into smoke. Shifter coughed and hacked as she ran over to her sister. She cocked her gun.

“I’ll help you!” she volunteered, taking her gun out of her holster.

“How? You don’t even use that thing!” Kai snapped.

Jade glared. Then, without even looking, she pointed her gun being her and bang! She fired on of the lamps on the wall and it shattered. The sparks from it suddenly burst into flames.

“Good enough?” she asked.

Kai nodded. “Yeah, we’re good!”

And with that, they took off back into the tunnels.

.

Kai pulled Kamara’s arm over his shoulders and they began to move. They hobbled along. Kamara was phasing in and out of consciousness, and was slow.

“Come on, Kam! Stay awake!” Kai urged.

Jade walked behind them, constantly looking over her shoulder for chasers. They could hear the loud clashing of weapons and light flashed. Kamara could sense the loud commotion of powers clashing, and people becoming injured. Kamara was worried, worried for her sword-brothers safety. 

“Kai…” Kamara mumbled, “They…They’re in trouble! We have to help!”

“Kam, do you really think you can help anyone in the condition you’re in?” Kai asked, in disbelief.

Kamara didn’t respond.

“Right now, we need to get you out of here and back at the Bounty safe and sound!” Kai added.

Kamara blinked, barely able to hold her eyelids up and responded with an irritable sigh.  Kai couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking his head.

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“Incoming!”

Kai looked over his shoulder and saw water crashing towards them. Kai gritted his teeth. He turned around.

“Sorry, Kam!”

With that said, he bent down, and scooped up Kamara’s legs, completely picking her up, and started to run.

“There!” Jade exclaimed as she pointed to a large crack in the wall.

“Get in!”

Kai took no time to argue, and jumped in, just as the water flew past. The tunnel, including the crack in the wall, was flooded up to two inches in water. Kai grunted.

“Wow! You’re heavy!”

Kamara opened her eyes.

“Gee, thanks” she murmured.

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As they stepped out, they spotted Masuka racing towards them.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going with our sister, mister!?” She called, now angrily, rather than playfully.

“Time to go!”

Jade pointed her gun at Masuka and fired a warning shot, right above her head. Masuka squealed in fright as she felt it fly past her. Then, she laughed.

“You really think bullets can stop me?”

Jade reached into her satchel and pulled out another bomb. This time, it was larger than her smoke and gas bombs.

“No,” she called back, “but this might!”

She removed a pin from on top of the bomb, put it one hand, and threw it. It landed two feet away from Masuka. Once she realized what it was, her eyes widened, and she ran the other way. BAM! The bomb exploded.

.

The tunnel around them rumbled in response. Rocks started falling from the ceiling of the caverns at a rapid rate.

“Run!” Jade shouted.

The two turned and started sprinting as fast as they could back towards the entrance. Kamara’s head beated against Kai’s shoulder as he struggled to carry her.

“We’re gonna be okay! We’re gonna be okay!” Kai assured, secretly more for himself than Kamara or Jade.

Dust started to rise up and blur the view of the exit. The two heroes were breathless as they continued to dash as they grew closer, and closer. Until finally, with a flying leap, they burst out of the caverns and into the moonlight.

.

Kai laid Kamara carefully back on the ground then scrambled up. Jade was breathless, and crawled over to Kamara. Once the dust settled, Kai ran back up to the entrance and peered inside. He could still hear loud commotion coming from inside. Then, he made a horrible discovery.

“Your bomb caused a cave-in! The others will never make it out!” He cried.

Jade didn’t answer.

Kai attempted to pull out the stones to loosen the packed load.

“That’s not going to do much help, Kai!” Jade warned, “If anything, that will make it worse!”

Kai ignored her, and continued on.

.

The rest of the ninja had been fighting back the tireless foes with all that they could. Eventually though, they were starting to tire. Once they got the sense that Kai, Kamara, and Jade made it out, they too began to backtrack to the entrance. However, when they got there, they saw that the entryway was blocked! Cole ran up to it.

“Kai!?” He exclaimed.

“Guys?” Kai’s muffled voice could be heard from the other side, “We’ve got a problem!” 

“Yeah, we’ve noticed!” Cole called back, “and the Kurai Kodomo are relentless! They’re coming back!”

“Start digging, Cole! We will defend you!” Zane ordered.

Cole nodded, and started pulling out the bigger boulders.

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Zane and Jay could see Shifter, Glacia, Masuka, and Safrina barreling towards them with eyes of fury.

“Uh heh!” Jay laughed nervously, “That’s a bit unsettling!”

Zane swung his golden shurikens in the air, while Jay tried his best to stun them and slow them down by zapping them. The golden shurikens produced enough to build a thick barrier between them.

“Ice wall!” Zane exclaimed, “Coming up!”

The two defenders let out a short sigh of relief. Then they saw Safrina’s distorted image on the other side flickering flames to life in her fist. With a loud growl, she punched the wall. The ice drastically started to melt.

“Uh oh!” Jay exclaimed.

Cole struggled to remove the rocks. Suddenly the tunnel rumbled again and stones started to fall.

“Dagh! This is taking too long!” Cole cried, “We’re never gonna get out of here!”

.

“Agh!” Kai exclaimed, slamming his fists into the blockade, “This isn’t working!”

Jade was sitting close beside me.

“I would call for backup, but no one would get here in time” Jade observed.

Kai sighed, agitated and feeling helpless.

“There’s gotta be something we’re missing! It can’t end like this!”

Kamara was distressed. She didn’t know what to do. She wasn’t going to let them perish because of her. Then, she opened her eyes. She had an idea.

.

Kamara pulled back her hands, and heaved herself up.

“Kam, what are you doing?” Jade demanded.

Kamara stood up, and wobbled a little.

“I have an idea. Just make sure I don’t fall over, okay sis?” she informed.

“Kamara…” Jade said, uncertainty.

“Just trust me, Jade. I can do this.”

After a few seconds of consideration, Jade nodded. Kamara closed her eyes. She stretched out her hands. The wind started to pick up. Kai turned around.

“Kam, what are you doing!?” Kai exclaimed.

Kamara ignored him, and continued. The wind grew harsh. Then, she opened my eyes, and shot her hands towards the blockade. Kamara twiddled her fingers as she felt the air seeping through the cracks. Then, with all her might, she shoved her arms back. Suddenly, the blockade exploded. Rocks flew past them, Kai and Jade barely dodging them, and tumbling down the mountain. Kamara panted. The smoke cleared, and the remaining ninja stepped out of the cave.

“Ha-hey! Not too shabby!” Jay exclaimed.

Then, Kamara collapsed, but was caught in the nick of time and passed out.

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“Come on, let’s get out of here!” said Kai.

He took his sword of fire and transformed it into his blade-cycle. He jumped on it.

“Help me get her up!” He cried.

Cole and Jade helped lift Kamara onto the blade cycle. Then, the rest of the ninja transformed, and Jay opened the cockpit to his plane.

“Need a lift?” he asked Jade.

Jade wasn’t too thrilled about riding with the motor-mouth, but didn’t argue. She jumped inside, and the ninja took off. Kamara clinged to Kai as they sped down the mountain, and faded into permanent unconsciousness.