The Child of Silver

78

"Anirei, what do you mean by that?" Jay asked, but Anirei walked back to the map to catch up with the rest of the group as they planned.

"So the Tiger Widow is on that island?" Nya asked, pointing to an island on the map.

"An island that doesn't exist according to my database." Zane said.

Cole and Jay walked over to another corner of the room to talk more privately, but Jay was still stuck on what Anirei had muttered. He must've heard it wrong, right?

"How could you be so stupid to make a wish? Anirei warned us not to make a wish with Nadakhan. You know everyone else who has faced him is now gone." Cole said as they sat on the couch.

"It's because back in the First Spinjitzu Master's tomb, when everyone saw their future, I told everyone that I had an eyepatch."

"I remember." Cole replied.

"Well, I saw something else. I saw the reflection of me and Nya together."

"What?"

"I don't know how, but in the future we end up with each other. Although she's made it painfully clear I never stood a chance. So when Nadakhan found me, I couldn't resist. But who am I kidding? Nothing I'd do would impress her. After two wasted wishes, I was barely able to escape without making my third."

"You have to tell them." Cole said.

"I can't. Then Nya will know. And besides, what's stopping Anirei from saying anything?"

"You know our little sister, she won't tell secrets like that. Look how long she kept the secret of her parents and heritage from us."

"I just can't." Jay said, "Please, I'm asking you as my best friend."

"But if anyone else gets hurt--"

"Of course. If I'm lying, may I be struck down right now by the First Spinjitzu--"

Before Jay could finish, the entire house started to shake, even the tv came on with the news.

"Oh, it was just another quake. Heh." Jay chuckled nervously, scooting away from Cole, "Boy, there's been a lot of those lately. Ha-ha-ha."

Just then, Anirei held her head, a soft thudding banging against her skull.

"Rei, are you all right?" Lloyd asked, gently taking her arm.

"I'm all right, just a phantom headache." Anirei smiled to reassure him.

"Another piece of the puzzle, gone." The news anchor said on the tv as a video of Ninjago appeared in the corner of the screen. A large piece of the ground was gone, almost like someone had ripped it from Ninjago City.

"Ninjago is stumped yet again as another chunk goes missing, this time from none other than Ninjago City."

"Sensei said he was worried Ninjago would fall apart without him." Lloyd said, "We need to get to that island now."

Zane nodded and directed his attention to his falcon on the table, "Go, see if you can find out what Nadakhan is up to."

The falcon squawked and flew off to complete his given mission. Meanwhile, the ninja continued their own mission to get to the island and find the Tiger Widow for its venom in order to end Nadakhan's chaos.

They went to the nearest port and started searching for a ship, but the entire time, Anirei stayed close to Lloyd and away from Jay. From her slip up with her words, she didn't want to risk it again, so she stayed away from her Elder Brother in blue.

"I still don't understand, why don't we take our dragons?" Jay asked.

"Judging from the map, we don't have enough energy to sustain the distance." Zane informed. Then, they heard a man laughing from one of the boats at them.