Roots of Earth ~ A Ninjago Fanfiction

Chapter 3: Little Secrets

Another silence followed. Cole was beginning to hate this bridge. Stupid bridge. Why does depressing stuff have to happen here?

"They buried the people killed by the Anacondrai cultists in this park." Liana sounded shy and hesitant now. "I wanted to visit Philip's grave, which is why I came here. I—" She toyed with her necklace in embarrassment. "I was hoping I could run into someone to show me the way. I haven't been in Ninjago City long, and I don't know the park very well."

"Why couldn't your uncle or one of your cousins help you?"

She scowled. "I'd rather not." Something in her tone prevented him from asking her why.

"I could help," he offered. "I mean, I don't know where it is, but I could help you look for it." He added softly, "Plus, I'd like to see Philip's grave, too."

She smiled uncertainly. "OK... I'd like the company."

The two of them left the bridge, and Cole led the way down the trail. He felt as if he needed to help the blind teen down the path somehow, but his past experience with her prevented him from it. She was sure and steady in her steps. She hardly even used the support cane; feeling the ground with her feet seemed to be enough.

Slowly walked down the winding trail between the trees. Idly Cole looked at the book she held pressed to her chest. "Why do you have a book with you?"

Her response was dry. "To read, of course."

"But— but you're..." His voice trailed off awkwardly.

Stopping, she opened the book, showing him a few pages. Cole was startled to see that instead of letters, hundreds of little round, black bumps covered the pages.

"It's called the Braille System," Liana explained. "Reading for the blind. We trace our fingers over the the bumps, and all the bumps spell different words. It's kinda like having our own secret language."

"Cool." He fingered one of the pages, then let her slam the book shut. "Reading a good story?"

"I wish." She continued down the path, tapping the cane. "I've been studying a lot. I really want to go to college, but my uncle doesn't have enough money to afford it." There was a bitter tone to her voice.

"What do you want to do for a living?" Cole walked alongside her, happy to talk about something else instead of Philip.

She sighed. "To be honest... I have no idea." Idly she swung the cane around. "I considered being a teacher, then a lawyer, even a doctor, but none of those things sound very appealing.

"I— I want to do something special. I want to do something that will make a difference in the world... something active, something challenging..." Impatiently she interjected herself. "Pfft. Who knows? I know it's dumb." She frowned. "My uncle wants me to help him in the grocery store we own back in Stiix."

Cole's gaze roved thoughtfully over the colorful garden they were walking by. "What's your life like in Stiix? Do you like living there?"

"Let's not talk about that." She shifted her book in her hand. "How about you? What's your life as a ninja like?"

"Well... it was pretty quiet up until Day of the Departed. But we usually spend our time training at our base. Though last night there was that TV interview thing... hopefully the last one we have to do yet. Uhh..." He tried to find more ways to explain what his life was like.

"That's all?" Liana teased. "Don't you ever relax and have fun?"

"Oh yeah, that's what we do best. Master Wu says we goof off too much. We like to play video games, eat, fight, arm-wrestle—"