[Lloyd]
-"You are far too quiet, Ruby Red! What's bothering you?" - I asked Ruby once we are alone in the car.
Since she walked away from the Professor's Office she is a bit distant and lost in her own thoughts, I wish I could read her mind. She rests her hand on the back of my neck and gently wraps her fingers in my hair, that small connection between us is enough to make her eyes glow.
-"I am overwhelmed with the question I was asked when I stay behind with Chancellor Chan and Professor Ito."
-"Do you want to tell me?"
-"They asked me to take on Grey's place and become a Professor for the Neuroscience College."
-"Wow! That is big, no?"
-"Yes, it is, that is why I am a bit out of words right now."
-"Still, not as big as been told you are 1⁄2 of a god and need to find your other half in order to save the entire universe... And haven't you been doing that pretty well so far?"
-"Truth!" - she giggles a bit and smiles for me. -"You have a very clever way to put things into perspective Lloyd Garmadon."
-"Am I hearing that from the youngest doctor Ninjago ever had?"
-"Yes, you are, mister smarty panties..."
-"Hey!!!"
We carried on making jokes and laughing at ourselves, as we do, while I drove through the streets of Ninjago, but then.
-"Lloyd, Stop the car!" - I braked hard to Ruby warning.
-"What happened Red?" - I couldn't understand why she asked me to stop so sudden.
-"Didn't you see it?"
-"See what?"
-"Something or someone just crossed in front of the car. And went towards there..." she points her finger to our right, she could definitely see something I couldn't, I turned the car and drive slowly towards where she had pointed, instinctively we hold hands.
-"Can you still see it?"
-"Yes, it is going to Mistake's Tea shop."
-"But it has been closed for months now" - I look at Ruby and she was glowing, and her eyes are full of light.
-"I know, let's go and check it."
We left the car and walked towards the door, Ruby grabbed a key from her purse, and open the door, she has to force the door open over a pile of papers and lifts blocking it.
-"That tells me she hasn't come back." - she holds to my hand again.
-"Ruby, we don't exactly know what we will find here, please stay behind me!"
-"My dear Dragon, we both know we stronger side by side, however, we have no reason to fear, it is a friend, not a foe" - I heard Ruby speaking but I know it is the Lupa.
I heard a noise, and stay alert despise what the Lupa said, she smiles at me and carried on walking towards where the noise was coming, I stay by her side holding to her hand.
-"Misty! It is me, Come here!" - Mistake's pet rat runs out of nowhere in our direction, and Ruby opens a rift just between the rat and us, and as it goes through it, it shapeshifts into an Oni. For a second I thought I would have to protect Ruby from an imminent attack, but I soon realised it was Mistake.
-"Why did it take you so long Lupa?" - Mistake shouts at Ruby .
-"It is nice to see you too, old Lady!" - Ruby replies, she let go of my hand and throw herself into Mistake's arms, but as soon as we disconnect, Ruby goes pale and unsteady.
I run to catch her up, and Mistake places a chair for her.
-"I am going to make her some tea. How long now since the two of you know about each other." Mistake asked.
-"Ruby knows about me since you disappear." - I answer Mistake's question giving Ruby a chance to recover, her hand is burned again, and I place her hand on mine to heal.
-"What about you young Garmadon, how long since you know you are the Dragon?"
-"Over 2 weeks. How long did you know I was the Dragon?" - I asked her while Ruby drinks the Tea.
-"Since you become the Green Ninja!"
-"What?" - both Ruby and I shouted at her.
-"WHAT! - I was not supposed to interfere in your business, I was only here to guide the 2 of you, once you have touched each other for the first time. But I had to wait for the right time the two of you to meet and fulfil your destiny. I did, however, try to avoid you getting tangled by the evil princess, but you wouldn't listen, too stubborn just like your father."
-"Thanks!" - I said a bit cross.
-"But, you called me a few days before you disappeared... I thought would be something to do with the Dragon" - Ruby tells Mistake
-"And what did I told you?"
-"You asked to come here."
-"And did you come when I asked you?"
-"No"...
-"Exactly, if you have had, you would have found him about to die here in this table" - She taps the table I was once laid when my father almost killed me - "you would have touched him, and open your powers because he was unconscious, you would have healed him, and he would know who you were straight away... But NO!!!.. None of you ever listen to me... Oh well! I suppose destine took care of itself. I guess you couldn't find Sorla either, could you?"
-"Who's Sorla?" - I asked
-"The other Guardian." - Ruby answered. -"no we didn't, I looked everywhere in Moridunum, she wasn't there, do you know where she is."
-"when Garmadon hit me, he somehow affected the twin power, and Sorla probably has been trapped as well. Who is helping you?"
-"Misako and Master Wu."
-"These two would take ages to figure this out."
-"I couldn't do much by myself either, Misako is helping a lot." - Ruby said to Mistake looking at me for support, I can see she is getting cross at Mistake.
-"Mistake! We might have taken the long way, but the important thing is that we are together now." - I said embracing Ruby, backing her up.
Mistake was staring at me, and then to Ruby .
-"Young Garmadon, would you please give my Tea shop clean up and place all chairs where they belong, I need some time alone with the Lupa."
I raised my brown to Ruby, asking her in my thought if she was OK with that, she nods. Again Mistake looks from Ruby to me and to Ruby again and walks away, Ruby follows her.
[Kim]
Though my chicken pie ended up very good, it was only Nya, Jay, Sensei and Misako that joined us for dinner. Kai took off as soon as he found out Cole was in the kitchen, Pixal and Zane went out on a date, and Lloyd and Ruby haven't come back yet from the meeting they went to in Ninjago Medical School, though Pixal was with them and she was back long ago. I only guess they took a detour to spend some time alone, just the two of them.
-"how come Cole give you a haircut?" Nya asked during dinner.
-"oh... it was a beat. I lost!" - I explained
-"I wasn't really going to cut your hair, you know that, don't you?" Cole said apologetically.
-"I know! I told you I am cool with that, no need to feel guilty." I told him once more. Noticing the way the others were looking at us.
-"in fact, I think it really suits you, Kim! Have you ever had short hair before?" - Misako asked.
-"yes, I had very short hair before, when I was in my teens."
-"What is all the fuss about hair? Anyway, hair grows..." - Master Wu said very insightfully, as he places his plate in the sink and grabs his fresh tea potty.
-"Not yours, Wu... " Misako said making everyone crack a laugh.
-"hu" - Wu just made a noise leaving the room, and we all laughed aloud after he was gone.
After dinner, Nya and Jay clean up the kitchen and went to their room, Misako also disappeared, and it was only me, watching tv, I started wondering where was Cole. I switch off the tv and climb up to the rooftop, he was there, all by himself. He had his headphones on, so he didn't even notice me approaching. I sat by his side, he was wrapped in a blanket, and he shared with me.
-"what are you listening to?" - I asked.
-"nothing special, he put his headphones on me."
-"Drops of Jupiter?"
-"I told you, nothing special!"
-"I like it! What is your favourite music?"
-"not sure, I don't think I can pick one, I like lots of things... - what about you?"
-"very much the same, from time to time I changed my favourites, thanks to the universe for Spotify."
-"best invention ever, though I like being in charge of my selection sometimes. Fancy a glass of wine?"
-"how do you managed to sneak this wine here?"
-"I am a ninja!" - he served me a glass.
-"Hum nice!" - I said having a sip " Different than the last one, did you finish the other bottle all by yourself?"
-"No, you help me."
-"I did not!" - we went very quiet watching the skies for a while, sipping the wine and listening to his soundtrack.
-"do you think is life out there?" I asked referring to space
-"I am sure there is!"
-"How Come?"
-"Would be arrogance to think that we are the only living creatures in this huge universe. Well, you meet creatures for other realms, that's is very much life out there."
-"Make sense, what about life after death?"
-"Also true, I meet ghosts, fought them, and even became one for quite a while."
-"What? Did you die?"
-"Not really, only lost my physical body, for almost a year."
-"What the heck?? How?"
-"Long story, it was actually fun, I could sneak on the others, I could eat and drink as much as I want, without worrying about getting too big."
-"Gosh I guess was not enough cake in the world for you... " I said laughing, knowing his cake addiction -"and... what happened, how did you get your body back?"
-"During a yang lunar eclipse, I managed to enter an open rift and it turned myself back to human, that is where this scar comes from" - he pointed to the scar on his forehead.
-"I had always wondered where was that coming from."
-"well, now you know! Also my earth punch, the same day. Day of the departures, 2 years ago."
-"about ghosts, do you think people we love lookup for us from where they are?"
-"do you mean like Mom, Pete... ?" - I nodded to him-"I would like to say so or believe they do, it is comforting to think that."
-"me too" - he squeezes me into his warm embrace.
-"the bad thing about being a ghost I was able to do this" - he said as he squeezed me again
-"it must be awful not being able to hug anyone, hugs are so good."
-"it was, though I didn't really have anyone to hug anyway..."
-"I guess that 's why your pillow left you for a duvet!" (Chapter 29 - The Challenge)
-"Maybe" - we both laughed
-"Look at us: 'sipping wine, killing time, trying to solve life's mysteries'..."
-"What?"
-"just like the song."
-"Which one?"
-"haven't you heard? Bon Jovi: 'wanna make a memory'?"
-"no... - I thought you don't like love-dove ballads "
-"It is not a love-dove ballad, it is actually a song about friendship, reconnection... Well, that is how I see anyway. Different people can listen to the same song and have a very different perception of it."
-"Ok! Maybe I need to hear to understand what you mean!
-"oh well! you look for that later, I am going to bed now! Nite-night.. see you tomorrow."
-"good night Kim!"
-"love you Bro!"
-"love you Kim!"
I jump down, using my wind to soften my fall, and run towards my bedroom.
[Cole]
I watched Kim, as she runs to her bedroom, I stayed at the rooftop a bit longer, trying to understand why is that I feel so strange lately around her.
I search the song she mentioned and listened to it, and somehow it touches very deep into my heart.