~ Part 1~ | We Are All Together
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** Better Than Ever (MLP Equestrian Girls Rainbow Rocks)**
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"There was a time we were apart
But that's behind us now
See how we've made a brand new start
And the future's lookin' up, ah-oh, ah-oh
And when you walk these halls
You feel it everywhere"
~ MLP Equestrian Girls Rainbow Rocks
This chapter is dedicated to --Look_Who_Stalkin-- Thank you for all your support! It has made my day just seeing all your encouraging responses to my announcements!
(comment or PM if you'd like a shoutout!)
******
"Here are the pictures from the site." A tan-coloured folder slid across the desk. A hand reached out and stopped it before it could go sliding off.
The woman took it, flipping through the images before setting it back on the surface of the table beside her laptop. "Thank you, Javier." She said quietly as she turned back to her work.
The man paused for a moment and leaned on the doorway, the old wood fell apart from his weight and he stumbled away when it crumbled off of the wall. The woman gave an amused smile but she kept her eyes on the screen. They occasionally flicked to her book as she ran a finger along each line, scanning it quickly.
Javier cough awkwardly and stepped away from the doorway to prevent any other hazards. He looked curiously at his coworker. She was always working late, in fact, he rarely ever saw her not working. The woman just seemed to throw herself into her books and never come out. But she looked more frazzled than usual, her eyes frantic and her hands fumbling with everything.
"Are you alright?" He asked in concern and tilted her head at her. "You seem a little...distracted today."
She chuckled. "I'm fine, J, really. Just some personal family issues. Nothing I can't handle." The woman paused her work and leaned back, light green eyes narrowing at him teasingly. "Don't you have something better to do than worry over an old woman? Why don't you take your sweet girlfriend out? What was her name? Rosie?"
Javier shook his head but grinned. "Okay, I get it." He backed out, pointing a finger at her. "But if you need anything just let me know!"
"I'll keep that in mind!" She called.
The sound of the door swinging closed was heard and her smile faded away. Her shoulders dropped and she leaned forward, pressing her hands to her temples with a sigh. After giving herself a shake she went back to her computer only for her work to thwarted once more by the ding of a message.
The woman let out a huff, the quick exhale making the grey hairs in front of her face flutter upwards. Reluctantly she clicked on her email in case it was anything important. But just like she suspected it was her coworker and friend, Janette. The curly-haired red-head loved a good dish of news and would spend a lot of her break times scrolling through social media and reading the newspaper. Often when she found something interesting she'd send it to the people she worked with.
The woman opened the message, it wasn't much just a short scrawl of words reading:
Hey Koko! I found this amazing video! You have to watch it! <3
Janette
The woman smiled a little at those words. She looked further and attached was a link to a video from a Ninjago City news network, NGTV. Since she wasn't really doing much else except working for the rest of the night she decided to press play to see what it was about.
It was a grainy video, obviously taken by a bystander on their phone, they were waiting in a crowd with the camera pointed at the front doors of the news station. Just as the woman thought nothing was going to happen the doors swung open. A teenage boy marched out, head held high as his green gaze looked over the audience waiting for him. A few others followed but the woman was too focused on the boy. Her heart hammered in her chest, shock overtaking her as she couldn't rip her gaze away from the young man talking to the crowd.
No.
No. It couldn't be.
The woman fumbled to exit out of the full screen, her hands trembling as she scrolled up to the headline she had neglected to look at.
LLOYD GARMADON (AKA THE GREEN NINJA) MAKES AMAZING SPEECH IN DEFENCE OF DIVERSITY.
The woman felt like she had just been on a rollercoaster, her mind was scrambling, her emotions going haywire. She wanted to leave. She wanted to see him for herself. She wanted to hold him in her arms and cry for lost times. She wanted to go to him.
One side of her told her to stay put. You're better off keeping your distance. A little voice said. He wouldn't want to see you. But someone whispered in her ear. He's changed so much. He's no longer the little boy he was before. Do you really want to miss more of his life?
Every inch of her itches to run outside and scream to the heavens. Crying and begging to tell her what to do because her mind was being torn apart from the stress. Her heart seemed to know what to do before her head and suddenly she was up.
She grabbed her things, shoving the device and all her books into her bag. She was still putting on her coat as she walked out of the research facilities door, fingers flying on her phone screen as she pressed the little green button and ran towards the bus stop.
A little notification dinged and she only briefly glanced at it before she clambered inside the automobile, her brain set on her destination.
The computer-written message seemed all too cheerful for the anxious feeling that filled her as she sat down. Shaky fingers lifted her bronze locket off her neck and she carefully opened it to reveal the cheerful face of a green-eyed little boy.
Hey Misako! Your flight to Ninjago City has been booked!
******
"Why did I help you guys advertise this stupid place?" Kai groaned. "I can barely walk out of my dorm without newbies staring up at me and asking me stuff."
Lloyd shrugged at his friend's complaint and swung his bag over his shoulder. He moved his hip quickly so that the little body running past wouldn't smash into him. "Sure, it's a little bit busier but it's nice to see some fresh faces! Besides, I know you love the attention!" He teased, nudging the boy.
Kai scoffed and preened a little as he ran a hand through his hair. "There's a difference between the attention of awe-struck ladies and kids asking where the bathroom is."
Lloyd laughed and shook his head. Though the school only had about thirty-five students most of them were in the younger grades and tended to be a little too nosey for Kai's taste. But Lloyd didn't get it, he loved seeing what an impact he made, the smiles on the kids' faces, the way they tugged on his sleeve, and asked for advice if they needed it. He loved seeing the once empty classroom full of curious minds, the lounge room roaring with laughter, and the dining room was so chaotic that often the whole group had to help make meals.
Lloyd expressed this affinity for helping the younger students out to his friend but Kai just shook his head and scowled at a kid who stuck their tongue out at him. "That's because you're an only child," Kai muttered. "You don't understand the utter pain of having an annoying, know-it-all, bossy, sister-"
"Oh hey, Nya!" Lloyd said sheepishly as his roommate appeared, her brown eyes narrowed at Kai, who visibly paled.
"Crap," Kai swore under his breath as the petite girl glared at him.
"Well, you're not exactly all rainbows and cupcakes yourself, Kai!" Nya retorted, fury lighting her eyes like fire.
That was the moment Jay exited the room by them and spotted the group. "Hi guys, how's it go- oh dear." His voice dropped from cheerful to meek when he saw the two.
"Kai, here, thinks I'm a, I quote, an 'annoying, bossy, know-it-all.'" Nya made air quotations with her fingers as she deepened her voice to mock her brother. "Do you agree with him?"
Jay started to sidestep away. "Um... I really don't think I want to get in the middle of this."
Nya's jaw dropped. "I-I mean no of course not!" Jay back-peddled frantically.
"Come on, Nya. Don't be like that. I'm just teasing you- y'know? Like brothers do?" Kai laughed nervously.
Nya sniffed. "I wouldn't know. I don't have a brother."
Lloyd cackled as the speaker screeched painfully, signalling someone was making an announcement.
Zane's calm voice rang through the halls methodically through the intercom while the students curiously listened. "Can the rest of the senior students please come to the lounge? I apologize if you are currently doing something import-"
There was a rustle and the sound of grunting as someone shoved Zane out of the way. The loud voice of Cole screeched into the microphone. "Guys, get the HECK up here! You're FIFTEEN minutes late to prepare for Wu's stupid surprise scavenger hunt!"
An uncomfortable silence followed as the students began to realize what he just said. Lloyd tilted his head in confusion. "Do you think Cole noticed that he gave away the surprise?"
"If he didn't then Wu would've made sure he knew by hitting him in the head." Kai shrugged. Lloyd jerked when he was suddenly shoved backwards. "Race you there!" The older boy yelled back.
"You're such a cheater, Kai!" Lloyd shouted back, scrambling to catch up to him. Jay scurried after, calling at them to wait up.
Nya sighed and started her nice, slow stroll through the school. "I need some girl friends."
******
"I do not understand the point of scavenger hunts," Zane said perplexed as he scanned the map for the next spot. "Put Cole's shoe there."
Cole jerked his head up as Jay trotted to position the sneaker in the grass. "What?!! Why are you using my shoe?"
"Because the clue says 'what's as stinky as the person who wears it?'" Kai pretended to read off of the notebook with a smirk.
"Very funny." Cole gave him a scowl before hesitating and snatching the list. "It doesn't actually say that, does it?"
"What don't you understand, Zane?" Jay asked curiously.
Zane shrugged. "I suppose I don't see the benefits of children running around and looking for things you purposely hid."
"It's fun?" Kai yanked the notebook out of Cole's hands. "The kids will be doing it in teams so that they can learn teamwork and all that crap."
Jay glanced at his phone and groaned. "Lloyd and Nya finished in the building." He grumbled.
Cole looked amused. "I'd thought you'd want to see your girlfriend."
"It's not that!" Jay protested. "It just means that Kai and I need to get started on lunch."
Kai jerked his head up and made a grab for Jay's cellphone. "Tell her to take longer!" Jay yelled and got on his tiptoes in an attempt to avoid Kai's stealing hands.
"KAI!" Jay screeched, the taller boy easily leaned over him and grasped the edge of his device. Jay tried to tug it out of the brunette's fingers but just ended up being yanked with it.
"Should I leave while you boys figure this all out?" Nya spoke up sarcastically as she watched her brother and her boyfriend wrestle.
Zane shook his head with a small smile as he dragged the two apart. "I think they'll be fine. We should all get going and help gather the students before lunch."
"Ha! Good luck! Kids are jerks!" Kai cackled.
Nya rolled her eyes. "You know that you used to be one of those 'jerk kids' before, right?"
"What are you talking about? I was an absolute angel!" Kai fluttered his eyelashes in exaggerated innocence.
Nya snorted so loudly that it made Jay jump. "Ha! That's a bunch of garbage!" She gave her brother a nice flick in the forehead before shoving him away. "Now go, both of you!"
Jay and Kai scowled and reluctantly left while Nya turned back to the rest of the group, shaking her head.
"Little boys never listen to me." She tsked.
authors note***
Thanks for the patience! I know I sort of left you all on a bit of a cliff hanger by posting the chapter page before the parts. XD.
Hope you all are doing well! Thank you so much for 6K!!!
LuckyBugBooks 🐞