Song Quote: Polar Opposites
"Polar opposites don't push away
It's the same on the weekends as the rest of the days And I know I should go but I'll probably stay And that's all you can do about some things I'm trying to drink away the part of the day That I cannot sleep away"
~~~
Your Pov:
Bright neon lights shined through the van's windows. The city was alive and bustling as always.
The nightlife always draws you back to Ninjago City no matter how far you go. At this hour people are usually home relaxing or asleep, but you and Echo are wide awake.
This is because he's a nindroid and your sleeping schedule hasn't exactly been the greatest...
Echo had his hands pressed up against the glass as you drove through the city. His eyes looking around in bewilderment from all of the colorful lights. He's never seen this many people all in one place.
Pulling up to the entrance of Borg tower you stuck your head out the window to get a better look.
Maybe you are a workaholic, but no one tops Cyrus. From where you were on the ground, you could see blue sparks light up the large windows on the top floor.
Shaking your head, you drove to the secret garage to park. You got out of the van as the garage doors closed and headed in. Echo scampered after you, trying to keep up but his new legs still gave him trouble.
You didn't stop until you heard the copper nindroid trip behind you. He landed face first on the hard floor, letting out a soft ow after the initial impact.
Turning around you held out a hand to help him up. "Come along Echo" you smiled as he stared at your hand confused.
It took him a moment to process the gesture before grabbing your hand. His copper eyes softened as he stared at your intertwined hands. "Thank you..." Echo muttered quietly as you led the way to the elevator.
He was quiet the entire elevator ride up. Echo's hand held onto yours as he silently beamed with joy.
Moments later the doors opened up when you reached your destination.
"Who could be visiting at this hour?" Cyrus yawned as he turned away from the main computer. He looked in your direction, perking up at your sudden appearance.
"Welcome back to Borg towers (Y/n)" Pixal greeted with a small polite bow.
Cyrus let out an audible gasp, his attention focused on the nindroid at your side. "Zane!? Is that really you?" The genius asked as his voice grew raspy from emotion.
Echo shrugged back, confused by Cyrus's reaction, so you took the lead. "His name is Echo and he's actually Zane's brother" you introduced and turned to the nindroid. "And Echo, these two are my friends Cyrus and Pixal."
His copper eyes brightened up a bit as he stepped forward. Echo held one of his hands out to shake theirs. "Anyone that's Miss (Y/n)'s friend, is a friend of mine!" He smiled brightly as Cyrus shook his copper hand.
"Likewise Echo" Cyrus returned the gesture and looked at both of you. "May I ask why the sudden visit? Not that you're any trouble (Y/n), but is there anything you need?"
"I wanted to check up on you" You smirked at his flustered face and continued. "I also came back to the city to restock my van before we head to Sensei Garmadon's Monastery."
"Where were you? Garmadon's been calling asking where were you after you didn't show up there last weekend" Cyrus inquired.
With such a simple question your heart dropped. "Oh no..." You froze in place and pulled your phone out of your bag. Sure enough there were missed calls from your sensei.
"He's gonna kill me..." You sighed, facepalming yourself for being so forgetful.
There was a tug on the sleeve of your jacket. Echo stared at you with determined copper eyes with his mouth forming a straight serious line. "I won't let that happen. I'll protect you Miss (Y/n)" the nindroid promised
You chuckled "It's alright Echo, he's not gonna do it literally." The copper nindroid visibly relaxed as you petted the top of his head.
"Anyways, It's getting awfully late. Would you like to stay in the living quarters for the night?" Cyrus offered politely.
"If you don't mind, I would love to" You said gratefully as a yawn threatened to escape your lips.
"Not at all, have a good night (Y/n)" He said as his features softened. The genius softly waved as you and Echo headed back to the elevator.
"You too Cyrus" You said softly and looked over at the android at his side "Pixal make sure he doesn't stay up too late."
"Of course (Y/n). Sweet dreams" Pixal chuckled in amusement as you reentered the elevator.
It didn't take long for you to find the small living quarters area. You wasted no time settling into your old bed. Echo was standing up against the large windows with his hands pressed against the glass.
"We're really high up..." He awed aloud as he gazed down at the bright city lights below. "It's all so brand new to me..."
You hummed a response as you rested your head on the soft plush pillow. The blanket was pulled up over half of your face. You only shut your eyes for a moment when you heard footsteps stop beside your bed.
"Are you falling asleep?" Echo inquired as he nudged you with worry. You nodded as your body grew weary.
The copper nindroid stood at your bedside "May I join you?" He asks almost inaudibly. You didn't say anything, instead shifting over on the bed and folded the covers over for him to get in.
He wasted no time, laying in your bed beside you as the a comforting silence filled the air.
"My old power source required me to shut down often to recharge" Echo broke the silence as you listened. "With this new one, I think I can do a lot more..." He sighed sadly but you can tell from his tone he was smiling sweetly.
"Thank you for repairing me Miss (Y/n). Goodnight and sweet dreams..."
~~~
You woke up to Echo shaking your shoulders. Looking at the nindroid you a pounding ache in your head as you slowly sat up in a daze.
"Were you having a nightmare?" The copper nindroid asked softly with worry in his tone.
You tilted your head confused with a listlessness in your words "I don't think so, why?"
"You're crying."
Snapping out of your dreamless daze, you touched your face that was damp with warm tears. Echo continued to talk as you wiped away whatever of traces of vulnerability you had.
"I'm sorry I woke you up. Father used to have nightmares about his life before he was taken to the lighthouse and..." He paused, looking in your eyes for reassurance.
"I didn't want to see you suffering."
The so called nightmare was still fresh in your mind. You couldn't exactly call it a dream because of how it played out. There were parts that felt like you were actually touching them. From the warm pure sun on your skin, to the tickling sensation of flower stems on your legs.
You stood in a sea of purple flowers, a field of lavender. In this part of the dream you were with someone. Your mind couldn't piece together a face, only that it was someone that felt familiar.
In the second half of the dream, there was no warmth. You were holding a book. It was a hard leather scaled aqua cover with the edges and corners lined in gold. It fit perfectly into your hands with each texture sparking more to the image of the dream.
This is the point where everything began to go blurry. You don't even know what you did in this scene. You dropped the book and there was no telling if someone was there or not.
You were overcome with tears and a splitting headache.
When Echo woke you up, the dream didn't register immediately until you thought on it. The tears and headache did transfer over immediately, only worrying your copper companion.
Now fully awake, you patted the top of Echo's head to reassure him. He stiffened at the touch as you smiled softly. "Thank you for waking me Echo" you told him gratefully. "It was just a dream, nothing to concern you about."
You were the first one to roll out of bed, Echo followed after as you got ready for the day. The copper nindroid watching with fascination as you quickly brushed your hair before leaving the bedroom.
Entering Cyrus's office, you found the genius at the table in middle of the room. He was looking over documents in one hand, while the other held a cup of coffee.
"Good morning" You and Echo greeted at the same time as you took a seat opposite of your friend.
Cyrus perked up with a sheepish smile gracing his features "Good morning to you too."
Pixal came over and set a hot mug in front of you. It was (Favorite hot drink). She always takes the time to remember the smallest of details from the amount, to the exact temperature you like your drinks to be.
You smiled at Pixal gratefully as you took a sip. Cyrus set down his documents on the table, subtly telling you that there was something to discuss. He grabbed an envelope and slid it across the table for you to take.
"Your lab results are in (Y/n). While the vial you submitted appears to be poison, it's actually harmless. It consists of water, finely blended herbs with the main ingredient being lavender." Cyrus informed you.
"Lavender? Isn't that used in perfumes?" You questioned as you opened the envelope to inspect the vial.
Pixal nodded saying "The oil is often used in aroma therapy because the scent is very calming and can help relax the body."
"Overall, it's entirely harmless" The android finished as you became unsettled by these results.
"That's odd..." You hummed in thought. "Why did it burn my lungs when I inhaled it then? If it was harmless, then why would Pythor make it at all?"
Echo sat at your side, listening with silent worry as you uncorked the vial. You turned your head away so you don't get a whiff as you handed it to Cyrus.
"What does it smell like?" You asked the genius as he took a whiff.
"It smells like a bouquet of lavender" He hummed aloud and you were surprised he didn't have a negative reaction like you did. "Maybe your just sensitive to the smell..." Cyrus said as you took the vial back.
"I don't have these problems normally. If something has a strong smell I get headaches, but that's about it" You replied as you sniffed the substance to check if it was just in your head.
Your nostrils flared as your nose and lungs burned. You turned away coughing harshly as the poisonous vapors ran their course through your body.
Amidst your coughing fit, Echo snatched the vial from your hand and resealed it before patting your back. You finally cleared your throat and the first words you said were sorry.
You reassured everyone that you were fine and made Cyrus continue onto the other subject he wanted to touch upon before you part ways.
"I was surprised when you introduced us to your friend Echo yesterday. You managed to repair him with the materials you had and you kept his original system intact" Cyrus smiled as he glanced over at the copper nindroid. "I'm impressed with your craftsmanship."
You looked over at the copper nindroid saying "It's nothing. I'm just happy he's up and walking now." Echo smiled brightly at your words.
"If you'd like, we can upgrade his system and optimize it with a faster processing and data storage" Cyrus offered aloud with a helpful smile.
You thought on it for a moment until you felt a tug on your jacket sleeve. "Aren't I good as is?" The copper nindroid inquired innocently, as if he was asking for your input and reassurance.
"We would only replace your inner hardware and software to a more high tech model with all of the benefits" Cyrus spoke and listed out said benefits which only scrambled Echo's brain.
The copper nindroid stared down at his hands. You could see his apprehension. "If it'll make you happy then I'm okay with it..." he hummed just loud enough for you to hear.
You let out a deep sigh and smiled to yourself. Plopping a hand on the top of his head you reassured him. "You don't have to if you don't want to" you say, putting the final decision on him since it's his body.
He slowly nodded his head "Okay..."
~~~
You didn't dare call Sensei Garmadon. What's the point in suffering a lecture on the phone when you know he's gonna do that when you arrive at the monastery.
"How much farther is it to your sensei's monastery?" Echo asked as he stared out the window with Arie sitting in his lap.
"About another hour or so" You replied as you focused on the road in front of you. The sun was getting close to setting, around time for dinner.
Light glared through the windshield with a blinding shine. You unconsciously flipped down Echo's sun visor before grabbing your sunglasses from it's special compartment.
The nindroid didn't even notice as he was too absorbed with the passing sceneries. "There's so much of Ninjago I have yet to see" He said aloud as his voice lost some of it's spirit. "I want to know more about this world that I've been missing out on..."
Echo grew quiet, slowly petting Arie's head as he sorted through his thoughts and memories.
Glancing at his doleful expression then back at the road, you spoke up. "There's nothing stopping you either..."
He looked up confused, tilting his head far enough that the sun reflected off his copper eyes.
A smile graced your lips but your tone was bittersweet for some reason "You're free to do whatever you want Echo. You can go wherever and do whatever you want..."
"You'll join me right? It's no fun if it's just Tai-D and I..." Echo's copper eyes looked at you in anticipation. The gears in his head turning as he brainstormed ideas on where he'd like to go.
"Of course" you chuckled as he cutely toiled with his hands nervously.
"If you have anywhere you'd like to visit, I quite like long road trips" You said and paused at your own words. A flash of light bounced behind your eyes. For a moment you saw this exact scene in a vehicle but you were in the passenger seat and the dashboard was completely different.
Refocusing on the road before you, your grip tightened on the steering wheel as Echo remained unaware of this occurrence.
"You've already done so much for me just by reviving Tai-D and I..." He beamed so sweetly at you that, for a moment your heart melted.
"If there's anything you need, I wanna be of help to you."
Without saying anything with a smile on your lips, you drove with one steady hand and the other patted Echo on the head.
~~~
Arriving outside the monastery, you pulled up to the front and parked your van off to the side. You let out a sigh of relief that no one was there to greet you.
You got out of the car, followed by Echo with your keys in hand. Taking one last glance inside the van, you noticed Tai-D was moving around in circles. The poor machine was nudging and pointing in the direction of your bed.
You decided to shrug it off as the robot trying to get on your bed to clean. It's been tidying up the back of your van whenever you leave it alone. Best not to disturb Tai-D when they are cleaning.
Heading into the monastery, you made your way to the dojo where you receive your lessons from Sensei Garmadon. Echo held onto the fabric of your jacket sleeve as he followed close at your side.
Stepping into the dojo undetected you spotted your Sensei. He had facing you as he stared down at the lit incense on the table. He must be lost in his own thoughts as many people usually are...
"Sensei-"
"You skip out on your lessons, without a call or notice, and no one hears from you for almost three weeks..." Garmadon listed off with a sharp stern voice. Echo flinched at your side as you remained unfazed.
He turned around to face you with his arms crossed "You better have a good explanation my pupil." You slightly winced at the disappointment on his face. He called you his pupil instead of your name, meaning you're in deep water.
Biting your lip, you grabbed Echo and pushed him in front of you for protection. "I was helping out a friend..." You told him as Echo looked at him wide eyed.
Part of you hoped Echo could explain and smooth things over with Garmadon.
Garmadon's eyes widened as he stared down the copper android. "Zane? Is that you...?" His voice softened as he spoke to Echo.
"I'm sorry but my name is Echo. I am not Zane." Echo introduced himself before adding "Please don't be hard on (Y/n), she was spending all of her time fixing me up after I washed up on the beach."
"I'm apologize for making (Y/n) miss her important lessons..." He bowed apologetically at the sensei.
Garmadon's eyes softened as he walked over and placed a hand on the nindroid's shoulder. "Raise your head."
Confused copper eyes met his as the sensei held out a hand for him to shake. "It's very good to meet you and I'm sorry for mistaking you for someone else Echo" Garmadon said as he shook hands with the nindroid.
"This doesn't mean you're off the hook" Garmadon directed at you.
Thus began Sensei Garmadon's signature lecture session. They usually last a maximum of twenty minutes because you know that Garmadon doesn't like giving them.
You don't get lectured often and they're usually about how you need to stop pushing your limits and be more mindful of said limits.
You always listen without interruption. Knowing full well that this was one of his ways of caring and that most of the time you were in the wrong.
Echo stood at your side with worry as the sensei went off about how you could have at least called and explain what happened.
"(Y/n)!" Lloyd shouted as he ran into the room. Before you could let out a word, you were already engulfed in a tight hug by the green ninja.
"Lloyd I'm not done scolding her..." Garmadon chastised his son. He shook his head, letting out a deep sigh letting it go "I'm just glad you're safe..."
You could feel Lloyd trembling as he hugged you. Staying silent, you bit back remorse as he quickly pulled away. "Where were you? I was afraid something happened and, and- who's this?" The green ninja stopped midsentence with his eyes on Echo.
You and Echo proceeded to tell the two the whole story, but it was really you explaining and Echo apologizing for the inconvenience.
"You have so much tenacity, but you can be so reckless sometimes..." Garmadon chuckled as Lloyd stayed quiet.
"As punishment for missing your lessons, you have to polish Lloyd's armory after our next session" Your sensei finished before lightly bouncing his fist on the back of your head.
"Jokes on you, I like polishing those weapons" you replied with a wink and cheeky grin.
You stiffened at the distant sound of an engine coming from outside.
"What's that sound?" Lloyd asked confused as you quickly ran to the closest window.
Looking down you could see your van's engine was running, but it didn't move an inch from where you parked it. Turning on your heels, you ran out the door to go check on your vehicle.
Once outside, you approached the car with the others right behind you.
You recognized a figure in the driver's seat. They were shuffling around hastily trying to get the car to move.
Keeping a stern face, you took out your keys and unlocked the doors. This only made the figure panic more as you swung the door open and grabbed them.
You dragged Mindroid out of your car by the collar, holding the nindroid up so he doesn't escape.
"A nindroid?!" Lloyd gasped when he saw who you caught.
Mindroid squirmed around in your grasp, kicking and shoving as you held the smaller nindroid. You were met with a series of beeping which was his only manner of speaking. It's unclear what he's spouting but you can only guess that they're probably insults.
You cocked a smile in amusement at the nindroid's predicament.
"This fool tried stealing my van, but his feet can't even reach the pedals" you say as chuckles escaped your lips before turning into outright laughter.
You haven't had a good laugh like that in a while.
~~~
So I uh, rewrote this entire chapter lol I hope the pacing is better now :P
Also sorry for the delay in chapters, I've been losing a lot of motivation to write anything much less edit any chapters oof.
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Author's Edit: March 10th 2021
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