the butterfly effect | l. garmadon

one

  But who could blame me? It was the first day of the summer holidays as well as my first day of being an official Ninjago City resident since I was seven. We'd moved out to Jamanakai when my mother was promoted, and I'd missed the erratic city ever since.

  More than the city, I'd missed my childhood friends; Aaliyah and Naomi. We met at kindergarten when we were only four and although our little group had grown from three to twelve over the years, nothing had come between us - we were still thick as thieves and joined at the hip whenever I visited the big city during the school holidays.

  After a few minutes I opened my eyes again, having grown impatient by having to wait. I had escaped the house early that morning, still filled with boxes labeled in messy sharpie, so I could meet up with my friends for the first time in months.

  And they were running late - we'd organised to meet at ten.

  I didn't hold it against them, of course. We had all just came out of exams, so they probably spent the night scouring social media and watching YouTube compilations and then regretting it in the morning when they had to drag themselves out of bed. I was the same, but I had the added encouragement of my mum possibly yanking me back to help unpack which was something I could totally do that night instead of going to bed early (again).

  I glanced at the time on my phone and grimaced at the fact that I still had another twenty-six minutes before they arrived. I may as well do something to pass the time if my mind was starting to decide that it was bored.

  Sighing, I stood and stretched my arms above my head, staring at my fingertips touching the azure sky. Scrunching my nose up at the dirt that had somehow found its way under my nails, I was about to bring my hands back down to pick it out when a dragon darted across the sky and completely stole my attention.

  I gasped, recoiling my arms to my chest in surprise and awe, wide eyes glued to the beast as it flew above the city. Green mist trailed behind it. A figure sat upon the creature. My heart was practically leaping out of my chest - I'd never seen one in real life before!

  I blinked owlishly, watching the mystical beast and rider until they both disappeared from view. Standing still for a few more low, shocked breaths, I only released the spot from my locked vision when I shook my head and adjusted my headphones, which had slipped down to my neck in my own little kerfuffle.

  The world around me continued in its playful, blissful, summer haze and the citizens continued to mill, unaware of the dragon that soared miles over their head like a carnivorous, fire-breathing airplane with very sharp teeth. Or maybe it was such a regular occurrence that they just didn't pay it any mind and I was the only one making a big deal out of it.

  I turned to the park entrance, eyes scanning the sky.

  But- but that was a dragon. That was a dragon. How was I not meant to make a big deal out of it?

  The rider must've been one of the ninja.

  Bursting out of nowhere and pushed into the paparazzi and social media's limelight like a newly debuted boyband, the group of heroes had appeared out of thin air. They certainly weren't around when I lived in the city before, but I'd heard about them during my early high school years when living in Jamanakai. I never got to see a sign of them whenever I visited the city, though, aside from magazine covers and news reports.

  I couldn't even escape it on Twitter - the ninja stans were loud and they were everywhere, combatted only by the people who hated them. Even government didn't like the team of heroes. That, I knew about more than most.