Ninjago NG Book 1: Bloodlines

4: New Record

Seth looked around the training room. There were training dummies, punching bags, and other things that dangled from wooden carousel-like training sets. His eyes wandered to the door. Seeing Homura with her fiery self and not the helpless and terrified one he had pulled out of the stream caught him off guard. For some reason, this girl was very interesting to him, and he wanted to get to know her more. He must've zoned out because he felt someone shaking him.

"Seth! Come on! We're gonna be late!" Brook's shrill voice whined. Seth shook his head and looked down, acknowledging his friend. He looked back up and saw Homura and Paige joining them; Paige attempting to speak with her. The door closed and Cole walked into the room.

Cole hit his staff on the floor once, and everyone fell into attention, all except Homura, who quickly copied everyone else to the best of her ability.

"Now, everybody must run through this course," Cole announced to the team, gesturing to the training course behind them. It was weird, though; Seth didn't think all of this was carried here-- sure, his father is the master of earth, but it just appeared to him as if the training course came from the ground. Again, he thought it was crazy. "After that, we'll spar with weapons," Cole finished. The four teenagers nodded in response. "I would like for Seth to go first today."

Seth gulped. Normally, his father would've made the newer recruits go first; he had been training under his father since he was five. Why was it now, when Homura showed up, that he had to go first? He looked over to Brook, who was giving him a cheeky smile, and then to Homura, whose face was just as stoic as it was when she first woke from her slumber.

Seth stepped forward and stared down the training course. He took a deep breath and readied himself. He heard the snap and started. He got through the first half pretty well, but when he hit the second half, he was so pleased that Homura actually was watching that he failed to notice the swinging dummy that pelted him in the face that took him to the floor. His breath left him momentarily, and he tried to blink the stars out of his vision. Paige and Brook were offering him their hands, and he took them. He snuck another glance at Homura, who was staring at the course, lost in thought.

"Homura, I would like you to go," Cole piped up. Homura perked up and nodded. She placed herself into a lunging position. Hearing the snap in her ears, she took off. She excelled through the course, her small stature providing her with speed to make up for the lack of height she had. She heard the stopwatch beep, signaling she was finished.

"I've never seen anyone go through it at a record speed of fifteen seconds..." Cole breathed in disbelief, double checking his stopwatch to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

A smug look appeared on Homura's face. She bowed rapidly, then returned to where she stood among the rest of the team. She watched Brook and Paige go through the course; they finished, but they were slower than she was. Satisfied, she turned and noticed Seth staring at her. She shook her head and scoffed, then turned on her heel and headed to the room she shared with Paige.

"Brook, you and Paige are dismissed. Seth, I would like you to get Homura, and then return," Cole told his other three students. With a chorus of "Yes Sensei," they left. Seth gulped. He stood in front of the door that led to Paige and Homura's room. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he knocked. There was shuffling of feet, and then the door creaked open, revealing Homura. Her mahogany locks were down, framing her face and falling to the end of her shoulder blades. Seth stood there quietly, his heart beating rapidly.

"Can I help you, or are you just going to stand there?" Homura asked. Seth shook his head, heat rising to his face.

"Sorry," Seth apologized, mentally kicking himself. Homura's gaze softened a little, her amber and crimson eyes glowing with what seemed like she was entertaining his presence. Seth looked at her and placed his hand on the back of his neck. "Sensei wanted to see us both... that's all," he spoke.