Pink hair and a broken heart

Chapter 1. Humble beginnings

"Good." My mom presses the button, a rack of weapons comes up, "Choose a weapon. That's what I'll teach you first, the weapon you chose will help me determine what kind of warrior you will be."

"Did your Sensei tell you that?" My hand glides over swords, nunchucks and throwing stars.

Mom's face darkens. I know she had a teacher, how else could she teach me, but she won't say anything about him or her, "In a way."

My eyes grow bigger at two twin sticks with knives on the end. I pick them up and play with them a little. I get a few scratches on my arms but I look at my mom who snickers a little, "I like these. What are they called?"

"They have two names," Mom picks up another pair and leads me to an empty spot on the yard, "One is kama, the other is sickle."

"Like what farmers cut wheat with?" I watch them glimmer in the sun.

"Yes. The person who uses them must live by two names as well. For now, you're still Seliel Amara Quartzstone. But soon, you will have to have another name."

I hold them, thinking of how the Black Ninja uses one, much bigger version of one of these. "Can I pick it?"

"Of course," Mom tells me to hold still and adjusts my body to how a fighter would stand. "Now. Here are the basics."

We spend the rest of the day like this. Me practicing something one hundred times, then trying something new. I can't wait to be a ninja. My body is thoroughly sour from the work once we hit five O'clock. I finished my last strike as something delicious floats in the air.

Mom takes my weapons from me, "Today's training is over, time to eat."

I just fall over. I'm not sick but exhausted. I've never worked so hard in my life. But I've never felt more alive. "That was.."

"Exhilarating?"

"Yeah." I try to move but find my body stiff, "Mom?"

"Relax." Mom walks over to the table and brings her acupuncture kit and places a few needles in me. The stiffness leaves right away and I calm down, "There."

"What happened?" I stand on my own as I follow the smell of food.

"You're body is dehydrated. In the coming days, I want you to drink a lot more water." Mom goes into more biology details as something tickles the back of my mind. What if that same thing could work in reverse? Like I could make someone stiff instead of making them lose? That could be cool. "Hungry?"

"I could eat a horse." I sit down to a lot of brown rice, pork, and milk. "When do you think I'll be like the Ninja?"

"Never." Mom sits down next to me as my heart sinks. What does she mean, that part of the reason I want to be a ninja. "Seliel, there are these people called elementals. They have control over the elements."

"I thought the weapons the Ninja have given them their powers."

"It can. It acts more as a strengthener." Mom looks at the table, "But the powers themselves are hereditary. You can't ever get on their level."

Oh. I frown but keep eating. This won't dissuade me. I want this. I want to do this.

"My only hope is to train you to be better than them. They rely on their powers too much. You're normal. You'll never have their abilities. I can teach you how the body works, where pressure points are, how to maximize your potential and how to properly care for you self. But I can't teach you how the ground moves or the way fire flickers."

"I don't want powers." I stuff more food in my mouth, "I just want to help people."

Mom rubs my magenta hair then curls the blue streak that stays no matter what product I put in, "And that makes you a wonderful person. Keep that in mind as we proceed."

I nod and keep eating. I half listened as Mom explains what I'll learn next. Her face says, I know I'll explain this again but I also know you have numb brain. I finish my food, run the dishwasher and take a shower. I take all the hot water as my flimsy muscles cry for more. After I dry and put my hair up and flop down in my bed. My walls are covered in ninja posters...mainly the black one. I can't see any more of his face other than bushy eyebrows. I'm embarrassed to say, that I even have one that has his face in a giant heart.

Knock, knock. Mom comes in and sits at the foot of my bed, "Tired?"

I nod. I'm ready to fall asleep.

"Seliel." Mom pauses. What happened between her and her Sensei? Mom tugs at her shirt a little, "The way I was trained was bad. I'm not going to do all of it to you but I want you to know, I'm keeping the worse stuff away."

I nod again. Too tired to ask anymore.

Mom gets up and kisses my head, "I love you. Good night."

I fall asleep. My dreams are stranger than normal tonight. I think around 4, I'm dreaming of the Ninja traveling to New Ninjago City. Hush whispers about some girl. My eyes open in the morning. Wisps of my dream linger as I beat my alarm to the punch. I stumble downstairs to see a note on the counter. Mom left for the clinic and Dad's at work. I click on the radio as I toss microwave waffles in the toaster. Then see a diet guide from my mom and take out eggs as well.

"This just in," The radio speaks as I pull out a pan, "The Black Rose is now in the custody of the Ninja. Not too many details are shown but we know that we are safe once again." He goes into describing her appearance.

I bite my lips, "I've met her." I recall yesterday and how that exact woman was in the truck, "I aided a felon. I hope she doesn't talk much."

"And now for the nine O'clock update."

Nine O'clock. "CRAP! I'm almost late!" I shovel raw egg in my mouth and race around the house. I put together an outfit, a light blue shirt with jeans and running shoes. I grab my school bag as the waffles finish. I eat them on the go as I run out of my home. I run to the college two hills over and burst into the doors. A janitor is there with a look. "It's not Monday is it?"

He shakes his head and points to a calendar.

It's Saturday.

"I'm sorry." I back out as he keeps working.

"Don't worry," A familiar voice is behind me. I can't tell if I feel joy or fear my feeling run so fast at hearing Victor, "Plenty of people make that mistake."

"Victor." I try and smile. Maybe he isn't hurt over the breakup, "What are you doing back in Crystal Pass?"

He holds up some book. The morning sun glimmers his blonde hair and black shirt with black jeans. He still has that wicked good looking smile, "I'm taking a few classes."

"Oh." I sigh as I find a water fountain and take a long drink from it.

"I started late. Maybe I can get a tutor?" He reaches up my shirt and grabs my bra. "I think I'm studying anatomy."

I step back, and hook kick him in the bad spot. "Leave me alone." I whimper as he lets go and I speed walk away. I'm not ready for him again. I head home....for more food. I toss my things on the couch and find my mp3 player. I left the track on Owl City, A.K.A, Adam Young. One of my favorite.

"I chase the phantoms down the halls." I know this song but that one word sticks out in my mind. I run to my workshop and pull out a page of paper and markers. "I felt the floor bordes rise and fall. I've lost and never loved at all." I get the song on repeat.

"Because," A girl comes on at I carefully outline something, "I'm in the day and you're in my dreams. The orchestra plays the prettiest things as you carry me away." Who knows how long later, I hold up my work.

The first plans for the Phantom Ninja.

The Phantom Ninja.

My other name.