AN: have you ever wondered what exactly the ninja do on the sunrise exercises?? - I do! And this my idea of a very fun and thrilling start of the day!!
And all from the point of view of the newbies.
[Ruby]
After dinner, we all lounge on the couch with the TV on the background, but mainly talking about what has happened today. Misako has given everyone a brief about my previous life Origins. They all have lots of questions, especially about the powers I display during the fight with Morrigan and the Twin fight routine.
-"I used 2 different sources of power, one was Ama's, Oni power, and the other is The Wolf and The Dragon's, The Entity power."
-"Can you used both of your powers?" Lloyd asked me
-"Pretty much! And so can you once the dragon is awakening.".
-"How is the dragon supposed to be awakened?" - Skylor asked
-"We are still trying to figure this out!" - Lloyd answers
-"Maybe there is a place somewhere where Lloyd can ring the bell, and everything goes really awesome bright making both of you retrieve your powers." - Jay said gesturing all enthusiastically, I am sure he is making reference to some previous experience, but I haven't got a clue, they all laughed together.
-"Maybe!" - Lloyd said giggling and I can hear some very naughty thoughts in his mind.
-"What exactly did you do to Grey?" - Kai asked me.
-"I removed his power, temporarily, using the entity's power that can absorb, remove or restore an Oni or a Dragon's power."
-"So, does that mean you can remove any of our powers?" - Jay asked
-"I don't know, definitely Wu's, technically Lloyd's as they are both Oni-Dragon."
-"Why technically me?"
-"Well, I only can remove your power if you source me, and before the dragon is awakening."
-"What would happen once the dragon is awakening?"
-"We are immune to each other powers."
-"Cool!"
I answered as much as I could and explained some of my own memories still only fragments with missing pieces still to be discovered.
We all went to bed by 11. And now I am rolling in bed again, trying to fall asleep. But it is so much going on in my mind that I find hard to let it go.
I know I need to sleep, I agreed with the others to attend the sunrise exercises. In fact, we have a beat, none of us was allowed to have an alarm clock, and the couple who arrived at last or don't arrive at all will lose, and will have to clean after meals all by themselves. So I can't let Lloyd down.
The last few days have been so intense I am exhausted, happy, excited, in love... not to mention the Wolf in me is boiling hot since this afternoon when we were interrupted by Kai. Lloyd is so delicious, and it is so cute to see him trying so hard to control himself, he is just adorable... I can't wait until the Dragon within him is finally awakening.
I turned again to the other side, feeling his scent in his pillow, I smile to myself and drift into sleepy, and in my dreams, he is already my Dragon...
I wake up, glance to my watch and it just 5:45. Perfect timing, I think, I quickly got dressed and was about to get out to find Lloyd, when I heard him the other side of the door.
-"Booh!" - I opened the door before he knocks making him jump -"you jump!"
-"No, I did not!" - he grabbed me and kisses me, tickling my underarms at the same time, I started laughing. "Morning Red!" He whispered in my ear.
-"Red? Is that my nickname now?"
He nodded, staring at my breast, and putting his finger over my lips.
-"Shuush. We are the only ones awakening yet, we might even be able to beat Zane and Pixal" he said that pulling me with him, he was wearing shorts and t-shirt, only with a hoodie in the top.
-"where did you sleep?" - I asked knowing he wouldn't be in Kai room as Skylor has stayed overnight, and obviously, Lloyd would be kicked out of the room.
-"I went to Cole's room, I don't think he even notices me there, Cole is the heaviest sleeper from all of us."
-"Is he going to the sunrise exercises?"
-"I don't know, he is not part of the competition though, as he hasn't got a girlfriend." - he said that just like the little boy I treat and told him about when we just meet, months ago now!!
-"You are mean!! - anyway, he can pair with Kimberly"
-"Do you think him and Kimberly are likely to become a couple?"
-"no, I don't, Kimberly has been through far too much, she was raped, several times by Grey, it will take a while until she recovers and be able to think about a relationship. Furthermore, she sees him as a brother, and that is very settled in her mind."
-"how do know all of this?"
-"another one of The Wolf's powers, I can sense her feelings, she is in emotional pain. However, I am not sure about Cole's, he is drowning towards her in a very strong way... "
We stopped talking as we see Zane and Pixal already practising.
-"did you really think you could beat the nindroids?"
-"I know, silly me!!"
The next one to arrive was Kimberly, I noticed she was feeling a bit out of place, so I bring her close to me.
Next was Jay and Nya, and Cole just after them.
-"Kai and Sky lose again, let's go!" Lloyd screams enthusiastically.
-"Ruby, what is going on?" - Kim asked me she was not there when we settle the beat.
I explained to her. Meanwhile, all of them removed their jumpers or hoodies, and all apart of me and Kim stay only in shorts and tank tops.
-"Oh! And are they really going outside on this freezing weather only in shorts and tops?'
-"I was wondering the same thing, I am not taking my jumper and pants off!"
-"Me neither!" -
-"Ok! Rules for the 2 newbies" - Lloyd star talking referring to Kim and me.
-"There are no rules..." - Cole said after him.
-"Well, yes... but we need to explain to them what we are doing." - Zane pointed out
-"Basically we go down at once, and have to climb back" - Jay explained
-"We can climb back however we want..." - Cole added.
-"As long as we do not use our powers or dragons." - Nya stressed the 'powers' word.
-"Or any vehicle. And don't forget, or lose your flag. Or pick the wrong one!" - Pixal reminds everyone.
-"Good point Pix, the flag! - Sensei put a flag for each of our elements, down in the valley, not far from the bottom of the stairs, is everyone clear?" - Lloyd finished.
-"No... " - Kim and I said at the same time.
-"What do you mean by 'go down at once'?" - Kim asked.
-"We jump...." - Cole gives her a wink.
-"I can't do that!" - I panic.
-"Of course you can, I will be with you." - Lloyd assured me.
-"How do we land? I mean, Nya just said no dragons...Yes?" - Kim asked I can tell she was fine with the jumping but not the landing.
-"Yes, no dragons and no powers." - she again stressed the 'powers'
-"Winner is the one, well, today as a special event, would be the couple/pair who place their flags at the pedestal first before the sun is up." - Zane said.
-"Is that why you guys called it sunrise exercise?" - Kim ask
-"That is just the warm-up!" - Cole answer, and they all laugh.
-"OOOOK!!" - I let go... worry.
Lloyd sees through my expression, and gives me a side hug, whispering in my ear:
-"Don't worry Ruby-Red, I will take care of you!"
-"Are the two of you going or not?! " Jay interrupted us, they were all running in the courtyard towards the gate. -"It is freezing... and Zane is not using his power"
They were all jumping on the spot trying to keep warm.
-"Listen, Red, pick-a-back is the best for us, so attached to me and don't let go unless I said otherwise. Understood?"
I nod to him, shaken from the cold and the fear as well. I look beside and see Cole also giving Kim instructions, but they have a cross-hand together, I see Kim is extremely excited about the entire thing, as for me I feel like I am about to have a panic attack, but I have no time for that.
-"Everyone ready? - GO!..." - Zane shouts without even give a countdown of some sort.
Next, I see I was free-falling holding as tight as I could to Lloyd's back.
-"AAAHH!!! - Tell me when I can open my eyes..." - I said, screaming almost crying...
-"Keep your eyes open all the time or you will miss all the fun, this is by far the best part!"
-"I don't believe in you!!"
-"The good thing to have you with me is that your glowing hand works as a torch, it will help me to find the best spots to start breaking the fall."
I opened my eyes, and all I see is we getting far too close to the floor. Lloyd moves his body towards the mountain, and he kicks into something, I couldn't see what it was until he grabs it in his hand, it was a kind of board, like a snowboard. Then he flexed his legs and tell me to be prepared for the first break. He places the board under his feet and we hard-touch the mountain first time, bounce high and touch again a bit more steady, the noise was horrendous, he balances himself on easy, and I try not to move.
My fears start wearing out, as my trust in his skills grows strong, and I even start to enjoy the entire thing. I look around and see all the others doing the same thing, and I spot Kim doing it all by herself, only holding to Cole's hand, I was impressed!
I couldn't see anyone in front of us, so I guess we are leading the race, so far. Until the Master of Water passed us shouting at Lloyd:
-"Glowing hands is using power, you both cheating!"
-"Come on Nya, is not that we can control, is it?"
-"I will give you that, but only because it is her first time, next time: gloves!"
-"You knew about my hands!" -I whisper in his ear.
-"Yep.... so?"
-"Cheater!"
-"Oi! Which side are you?"
-"Actually, I am not on anyone's side, I am on the top!"... I said laughing.
-"Would you like to try a different position?" - he said that with a double meaning, I can tell.
-"You want to be on the top, don't you??" - I carry on the double meaning talk.
-"Well, more like behind you, and only if you want me to. But it has to be quick, this party is about to end." now he is giggling. And I can't stop smiling.
-"Ok! How do we do that?"
-"Hold to my hand, and let go my back."
He literally flipped me in the air, and catch me again, holding to my waist and pulling my back against his chest, all of it without letting go the board or lose his balance, I was breathless until I felt safe again into his arms, my feet were now on the board just in between his, I used the momentum of his body to guide mine, and soon we boarding together until we slowly lose speed as we reach the flat.
-"That was amazing!" - I said as we stop, unable to control my giggles of excitement.
-"Wait until you try the real thing!" - he attacked me with his sweet mouth. -"let's go quickly, we need to find our flags." He tells me pulling me around.
-"what we are looking for, and would I have a flag to."
-"yes, you would! Mine is green with a golden dragon, yours I would expect to be the Wolf's, not sure about color."
-"I find your's" - I shouted to him, feeling like a kid in a treasure hunt.
-"I don't expect yours to be near mine, that would be too easy."
-"Well, sometimes you have to expect the unexpected!" - I point to my black flag with a platinum greenish Wolf on it. -"That is nice, I like it"
-"Good girl! Let's go!"
-"How many steps to the top?" - I asked as he pulls with him towards the steps.
-"Only 12,000!" - he said as if it was a small number. Zane was running with Pixal just beside and correct him.
-"12,674 to be more precise"
-"Are you kidding?"
-"No, I am not. In fact, the Guinness Book of Ninjago Records - recognized the longest staircase can be found here on the Mountain of Impossible Height with a whopping 12,674 steps - that's more than three times as many as in the Borg Tower in Ninjago City. " - Zane explained all the fact to me. Lloyd was laughing at his nindroid brother.
-"And that is Zane for you!" - He whispers to me. -"Hurry up, whoever gets at the top first is the winner."
-"Lloyd!" - I start to get out of breath, and we were only up 100 steps or so. -"I don't think I can do that!"
-"Do as much as you can, I carry you the rest"
-"Who normally win this race."
-"Well, we all have our winning days, it depends, however, there is a record yet to be broken, my father did in 46 minutes, beating my uncle when they were young, though my uncle always accused him of cheating by using his power to win, what it is very much possible, knowing my father."
-"What is your best time?"
-"47! Without using any powers."
-"What about the others?"
-"We are all pretty close in time but I still hold the best time, then Jay, Zane, Nya, Kai and Cole., on that order, though Cole is the slower in the steps climbing, no one can beat him on the free climbing. Are you still there?" - He asked me realising I wasn't able to talk anymore.
-"Just about" - He laughs at me.
I tried, and I gave my best, but still, once we reach 4,000 steps my legs start to give in.
-"Sorry Lloyd, I can't do anymore!" - we were very much the last ones.
-"That is OK, jump on my back" - I did as he told me, expecting that would slow him down even more.
However, once I was in his back he just starts running, and boy, he was fast. We soon pass Pixal and Zane, and we could see Nya and Jay, just a few meters in front of us.
-"Where are Kimberly and Cole?" - I asked him
-"On the wall, they are going on free climbing."
-"Wow, can Kimberly climb?"
-"It appears so, and as good as Cole by the look of it, something tells me he will soon have a worthy competitor."
I finally was able to see them, in the fading narrow light of the still not raised sun. Kim was ahead of Cole, but I could tell it was more for protection, in the event she falls he would catch her, than anything else, Lloyds is right she is definitely a potential competitor for Cole.
We reach the top so close to Nya and Jay, that I would have called it a tie, however, Jay managed to drop his flag, Nya was fuming at him, and Lloyd claim our victory. Master Wu was waiting for us at the top, with Misako by his side.
As soon as the others arrived Master Wu gives to start the sparring training, each of us sparred our pairs.
My first ever sparring with Lloyd, I could tell he was taking easy on me, but still I couldn't get my attacks any close to him, he is far too fast. It was more like a 'Watch and Learn" then a spar itself.
Before the sun illuminated the courtyard we finished the 'Sunrise exercise', with the same movements Nya taught me before.