Modern English
••• I Melt With You •••
dream of better lives, the kind which never hate,
dropped in the state of imaginary grace,
i made a pilgrimage to save this human race,
never comprehending the race had long gone by
•••••
LORE DUMP LORE DUMP LORE DUMP
The Monastery was nestled on the lip of a valley, boarded by forestry and backed by the base of the Wailing Alps, shadowed by night and peppered with rain. The place looked like it was ripped straight out of one of my history books. It almost looked older than the land itself.
It was red from what I could tell in the dying light of dusk. Dark columns stood at attention across its patio, and lined the building's entire front. Its tiered triple roofs curved up in the traditional style that had long gone out of fashion and spoke of its immense age. The building stretched out on either side and then towards the trees behind it, creating three long halls in the shape of a boxy C.
A large pond sat before us, ringed by a gravelled driveway and reflecting the warm lights that flooded from the Monastery's windows. At its centre was a magnificent statue of a dragon made from rock, wings unfurled and stretching to the sky. There was no garage. Instead, a number of cars and vans were parked at the front. Some of them looked in the middle of being repaired.
Seeing a banged-up Honda Civic from the 80s sat in front of a place as magical as this did, admittedly, give me whiplash.
My wide eyes turned to the Green Ninja in shock as he walked us towards the front entrance's steps. "You live here?"
He found my disbelief amusing. "I am a ninja."
"You live here?!" I echoed.
"Yes," he snickered as he ascended the stairs.
I stared at everything I could, trying to commit the place to memory. I'd never seen such a beautiful building with my own eyes before. I was insanely jealous - to live here would be like living in history instead of just reading about it. To live here would be like having all my dreams come true.
"It's gorgeous," I said, brushing my fingertips against the carved columns as we passed them. They were smooth with age. "What are the carvings of?"
"Our history," he answered, briefly pausing to let me look. "Battles that have happened and fights that are yet to come."
My brow furrowed as I stared at an engraving of an oni baring its fangs. "How does that work?"
"That's a sensei secret," he said, before shifting my weight into one arm and closing his hand over my eyes. I stiffened. "Just in case the others are unmasked. Can you see?"
He was holding me with one arm and not even struggling. "N- no." And he was shirtless. The Green Ninja may not have been struggling, but I certainly was.
"Good," he said, before turning his back and pushing open the large doors of the entrance. Warmth careened over me and the sound of the downpour outside was subdued when the doors shut behind us. "I'm taking you straight to the medbay, okay?"
I sniffled again. "Okay."
"How's the leg?"
As if on cue, a sharp ache of pain flared the width of my ankle. I winced with a hiss of my teeth. "Sore."
His hand squeezed around my thighs in sympathy. My heart jumped. "I'll get you some painkillers soon."
I nodded without a word. He walked in silence for a brief pass before I spoke up again.
"Thank you," I said quietly, despite how awkward it felt to be this genuine when his hand was over my eyes. "Thank you for... always being in the right spot when I need you. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't shown up."
"Hey, it's what I'm here for," he said nonchalantly. "Though you in particular are definitely keeping me on my toes."
I smiled softly before feeling the faint pull of sleep tease the edge of my conscious once more. I clenched my eyes tighter in an effort to stave it off. Don't fall asleep, don't fall asleep, don't fall asleep. He'd never let me live it down.
The sting of bleach cleaner pierced through my blocked nose. The Green Ninja faltered.
"Ice?" the Green Ninja said in surprise as he came to a stop. I tensed. There was another ninja with us? "How'd you know to come here?"
"Sensei heard your arrival from the forest," a calculated yet kind voice replied. "I assumed I was needed."
"You assumed correctly, pal," Greenie said. I was lowered onto a soft surface and then his blissful, sauna-like body heat parted and he lifted his hand from my eyes. I blinked against the brightness and sneezed. I began to shiver again without his warmth.
Beside Greenie (who was still shirtless, with his makeshift mask lopsided and giving me a peek of the edge of his pale, clean-shaven jaw) stood a spry, tall man wearing dark sacks, a button up and a white ninja mask. It was an equally strange sight to see him in civvy clothes as it was to see the Green Ninja with a shirt tied around his face.
I stilled as much as I could while shivering beneath his kind stare. I wasn't prepared to meet another ninja - I'd already been emotionally drained that day.
"Greetings, Y/n," the Ice Ninja said politely. "Where are you injured?"
"How did you..?" I was too tired to ask how he knew my name. "My ankle. I slipped on a rock."
While the Ice Ninja bent to assess the damage, Greenie took a step closer.
"You have to take that jacket off," he said. "It's only keeping you cold."
I nodded and lifted a shaking hand to the zip beneath my chin. With only a minor struggle, I yanked it all the way down, though I did need his assistance to pull the jacket off my arms. It was as though my limbs had been frozen and refused to do as told.
I didn't even realise that the Ice Ninja had taken off my shoe until I felt his cold fingers press gently against my ankle. I was momentarily impressed by his sleight of hand trick before immediately curling over with a gasp when he put pressure against my injury.
"Ow," I whimpered.
"Stop," the Green Ninja ordered with a hand to Ice's shoulder. I hissed in pain as his cold fingers shifted a little to the left. Greenie's grip tightened, curling into the cotton of Ice's shirt. His eyes had gone red as he glared down at him. "I told you to stop."
Ice shot Greenie a surprised, and rather annoyed, look. "Remind me which of us has the superior medical practise?"
The Green Ninja's burgundy eyes narrowed and I watched their stare-off awkwardly. I'd never seen him look so ferocious aside from when he was fighting those thugs - and that was the only other time I saw his eyes change colour, too. He looked riled up and ready to fight.
By the look on Ice's face, I gathered that this attitude was new to him, as well.
A shudder that chattered my teeth broke their little stand off, and Green Ninja backed away with a grit of his teeth and a sigh. He turned to one of the cupboards and pulled out a packet of painkillers. My eyes lingered on him, perplexed.
"It is only sprained," Ice said, straight back to pleasantries. I turned my eyes to him. "You will need to ice it every few hours. I will retrieve a compression sock."
"Got it," the Green Ninja murmured, tossing a piece of black cloth towards Ice. He caught it expertly. Greenie approached me with a glass of water and two pills. "Here."
"Thank you," I said quietly, ogling his now green eyes before taking the pills and washing them back with water. I shivered at the feeling of my wet hair dripping down my back.
The Green Ninja patted Ice's shoulder, and it seemed that whatever tension between them had dissipated. "I'm going to get a mask and the Water Ninja."
My eyes widened when he turned to the door. "You're leaving?"'
He looked back at me in surprise. I was taken aback by my own words, too, and recoiled with a fresh flush to my cheeks. I didn't realise how much I'd come to find his presence comforting until he was leaving. The stiff look on his face softened.
"I'll be right back," he reassured. I became distinctly aware of Ice watching us. "Promise."
I gave an uneasy nod. "Okay."
When Greenie left, Ice slid the compression sock onto my foot. I scrunched my face in pain while it was being pulled on but didn't dare complain. I didn't know him well enough to complain.
"All done," Ice said with a gentle smile. "May I ask what you were doing in the forest alone?"
Eughh. I turned my eyes away as I tried to look for an excuse to not answer that question. It was embarrassing enough to tell Greenie about my apparent mind-control not-parasite thing. I'd like to keep it on the down low as much as possible.
"You do not have to answer," Ice said. He placed his hand against my ankle in lieu of a cold pack. "I do, however, have a few more questions."
This was starting to feel like an interrogation. Greenie, come back. Fortunately, someone else entered the medbay, saving me from whatever quiz the Master of Ice was about to administer. The new woman froze in the doorway and stared at me with confusion.
"Next time, perhaps," Ice said with a smile. He turned towards the entrance. "Greetings. I do not believe that you have been acquainted to Y/n L/n, the Green Ninja's friend."
The woman looked between Ice and I before understanding slowly crossed over her face. She entered the medbay, a woman of rugged ingenuity. I could tell from the calculating look in her brown eyes and the smudges of ink on her hands. Even her distressed, grey plait looked scholarly. She was everything I wanted to be when I was her age.
"Hi," I managed to make myself say before realising that Ice had avoided using her name. Even just seeing her face made me feel like I was breaking some kind of rule.
"Hello, Y/n." Her warm voice contrasted against the piercing of her spectacled gaze. She looked me up and down. "Oh, you poor thing. You're soaked."
I sneezed again.
"When I heard that your Sensei sent you to the medbay, I assumed the worse," she said to Ice. "Instead I find a young lady dripping on our floor. You didn't even think to bring her a towel?"
"Give us a second to breathe, please," Greenie said lightly as he returned wearing a shirt and his normal mask. A masked girl stood beside him, and if I thought that the woman's stare was piercing, then the Water Ninja's eyes gutted me whole. "We only just came out of the rain."
There were now five of us in the medbay, and while the room itself could hold far more, I felt like I was beginning to suffocate. Four pairs of eyes were on me. I'd never been good with stage fright.
"She's just going to dry you off," Greenie said with a nod to the Water Ninja. I looked to her.
"How-?" Every bit of moisture from my clothes was drawn out into a ball of water and floated towards the sink. I stared in amazement as it slid down the drain with wide eyes. "Ah." Powers. Right.
The display of elemental power momentarily distracted me from the whole 'lots-of-new-people' thing currently going on. I tugged at my dry clothes in disbelief. I was still cold, but just being cold was a great upgrade from being cold and wet. Even my hair and skin had been dried considerably.
My reaction must've been amusing, because the Water Ninja quietly giggled. I ducked my head.
"Here." Greenie stepped forward with a black jersey and a gentle smile. "Red warmed it up for you."
My eyes jumped to his in questioning. Still, my body was shuddering, so I grabbed the woollen thing from him and obediently slipped it on. A blissful sigh immediately left me. It felt as though it had just been through a tumble dryer, though the faint smell of woodsmoke and the Green Ninja's phrasing told me that it was another product of powers.
It was too warm and lovely for me to care where the heat came from, so I closed my eyes in relief as coziness enveloped me. The painkillers had finally kicked in, too, turning my headache down into a dull throb and taking the edge off my ankle. After everything I went through during my escapade through the forest, this was downright heaven.
"Thank you," I tried to say, but it came in a whisper from my shyness and exhaustion. I could pass out where I sat.
"She's adorable," I heard the woman whisper to the girl. My face blushed deeply.
"You must be hungry, Y/n. I will go make something for you to eat," Ice offered. I gave him a grateful smile before he left. The new girl left with him after one last lingering look, and I felt a little bit of ease return.
Greenie watched them go until they exited the medbay. He deftly leapt onto the gurney beside me without even a rustle of fabric. "You're in for a treat."
I folded my hands into the too-long sleeves of the jersey. "Oh?"
"His cooking is to die for," the woman said with an amused smile. "You won't taste anything better. That's a ninja guarantee."
"Can't distrust a ninja guarantee," I murmured. Both Greenie and the woman chuckled. Ah. Panic humour coming in clutch.
My body gave another delayed shiver and I sunk further into the warm jersey. I looked up at the others and found them engaged in a silent conversation. The woman was smirking just slightly, eyes crinkled with warmth. The Green Ninja was staring back at her with a hard expression.
Before I could wonder what they were implying, the Green Ninja sat up a little straighter and tilted his head for a beat. He turned to the woman.
"Did you tell the Senseis about Y/n?"
"I didn't even know she was here before I arrived," she answered. "You know nothing gets past those two."
Before I could ask who they were talking about, two new old men arrived. They were wearing masks, too, concealing me from seeing their faces. They both wore the kimono of Sensei, but only one had a rice hat and a long, white beard.
"How many people live here?" I asked quietly. Greenie gave an amused huff from his nose.
"A lot," he answered.
The Sensei without the beard did a double take at the woman, his green eyes wide. He stepped close to her.
"Where is your mask?" he whispered.
"How long have we been married and you still can't remember that I don't hear as well as you?" she said in amusement. "I didn't know she was here."
Her husband's shoulders lowered. "Oh."
"It'll be okay," the woman soothed with a rub of his arm. "Look at her, look at that cute face. She won't say anything."
I lowered deeper under the jersey's hem and felt myself preen under her praise. I always was a teacher's pet. I would do anything for you, random old lady.
"It is nice to finally meet you, Y/n," the other old man said. "I fear we have much to discuss."
Nerves prickled up my spine. "... we do?" Was I in trouble?
"Yes." He took off his rice hat and placed it on the bench behind him. A black skullcap hugged his head. "You are quite the rare case, indeed. Even Elemental Masters cannot pass the protective barrier surrounding this place. To enter, one must be invited."
"The charms should have turned you back around to the exit," said the woman's husband. "You walked right through it."
"Oh," I said, deeply confused. I still couldn't tell if I was in trouble or not, and the uncertainty made my palms sweat. "I'm- I'm sorry."
"We're not upset," the woman said kindly, and I realised that I must've been getting so anxious that it was visible on my face. "We're just curious as to how you got through."
I shook my head. "I don't know. I was just walking." My voice had dropped to an unsure whisper.
"She told me that it was a tugging sensation." The Green Ninja looked towards the others. "We've been having some issues with it. And- and I've been feeling it, too. It was how I found her."
"Tugging?" The woman glanced briefly towards the men before looking back at us. "What kind of tugging?"
"The kind that puts her in danger," Greenie said grimly. "It made her walk into one of my fights. It made her get lost in the forest. What does it mean?"
The old man with the beard hummed in deep thought. His eyes drifted to me, wise and cautious and concerned. His gaze held a million words.
"... it is drawing you towards one another."
Huh? I blinked at him dumbly as I recycled his words through my head. No matter how many times I repeated them, it still couldn't make sense. Greenie's confused look my way told me he was just as baffled.
"What?" the Green Ninja spluttered.
"Why?" I asked. "Why me? What do I have to do with any of this?"
"Your fates are interwoven," the woman answered. "Prophesied."
"What does that mean?" I asked. A dull sense of panic began clawing at my chest. Prophecies? I wasn't supposed to be in a prophecy. I could barely handle being a normal teenager, and now this?
"It means that we might be seeing a lot more of you," the husband said warmly. "By chance; have you encountered ever having... powers?"
"'Powers?'" This was all getting so overwhelming. My headache was growing worse still, pounding sharper against my skull. "No- no, I don't have powers."
"Why would Y/n have powers?" the Green Ninja impatiently asked. "What aren't you telling us?"
The three adults looked at one another. They knew exactly what was going on - but they wouldn't say. Couldn't, given the reluctant looks on their faces.
This wasn't how my day was supposed to go. I was supposed to have fun with my friends, to have a normal hang-out session. Talk about boys and gossip and tolerate Claire's presence because she was my best friends' friend. Not - not get my entire world turned inside out and upside down.
How was I supposed to tell my mother this? My father? He hated the ninja, and now I was forced to be affiliated with them? And how was I supposed to tell Lloyd? Naomi? Aaliyah? I wasn't built for prophecies, it wasn't in my genetic makeup. I was only meant to read about exciting adventures.
"This is ridiculous," the Green Ninja stressed when the adults refused to answer. "The tugging isn't something that just so happens to occur. It's frequent. Y/n doesn't have training, either - she could die!"
"Calm yourself," the husband soothed. "We will take another look at the scrolls to see if there is a temporary solution."
"Just tell us," Greenie groaned.
"You know we can't," the woman said sympathetically. "It will change the course of fate if we did. Remember what I said to you before; one step at a time."
The Green Ninja gave a sigh of frustrated defeat. My nose chose that moment to sneeze.
"You are sick," noted the bearded elder. "Would you like some tea? It will help with your cold."
"I- I'm okay-" I sneezed again and faltered beneath his doubtful look. I caved and nodded. "... thank you."
The husband and wife left with the other old man after giving me another once-over and sending the Green Ninja a meaningful look I couldn't quite decipher. He turned to me after they'd gone, unable to hold my gaze.
"You probably don't want to eat in the medbay," he guessed.
I glanced around the small room properly for the first time - it looked like any general medical bay; linoleum floors, white walls, cupboards overflowing with supplies, benches covered with boxes of bandages and - bottles of tea leaves?
"Am I allowed anywhere else?" I asked nervously. "Isn't this place supposed to be top secret?"
"I think you got a free pass when you walked through the barrier," he teased. I gave a sheepish smile. "Besides, the dining room should be safe. Can you walk?"
I pulled a face. "I can probably hobble."
He slipped from the gurney with grace and held out a hand to help me down with. I placed my hand in his and grimaced when a bolt of pain careened across my ankle after sliding down to the floor.
"Okay?" he asked. I quickly pulled back my hand - we'd already had too much contact. I didn't want to start catching feelings for someone clearly unattainable while juggling my crush on Lloyd.
"Ow," was my response.
He walked beside me as I limped pitifully towards the exit. But I was determined, and I had my mother's stubbornness - I was going to walk on my own - but then my leg crumpled from beneath me.
"Whoa, there!" Greenie exclaimed after swooping in to save me from hitting the deck. "Haven't you fallen for me enough tonight?"
I shot him a half-hearted glare.
"I think I'll carry you there," the Green Ninja decided.
"I think I'm going to die of embarrassment," I mumbled. He snickered at my disappointment before sweeping me easily into his arms.
"Are you still cold?"
"A little," I admitted. His body warmed several degrees in response and I closed my eyes in bliss. "How do you do that?"
"Just a fire element trick."
"You're incredible," I mumbled. He bashfully hummed. "What did they mean by... prophesied?"
Greenie sighed, walking me through the lavish hallway of the monastery. I took everything in hungrily - the dark brown walls, the red trim, the delicate shutters. We passed through a wall of windows and wooden pillars, showcasing a breathtaking garden outside. Statues of dragons and other creatures dotted a small sakura-maple forest. Lily pads lay upon the surface of a crystalline pond, disturbed only by the rain and the occasional frog.
"I don't know," he admitted. "They don't usually tell me about the prophecies I'm in. I'd wager it's the same with you."
I watched the garden get left behind. More doorways greeted us.
"... am I in danger?" I asked quietly. His arms tightened around me.
"I'll protect you," he promised, sounding every bit resolute. I looked up at his masked face but he stared dead ahead, determination set in his hard eyes. I didn't reply.
He pulled us into a large room with red walls and more windows. In the corners were potted plants of bamboo and large bonsais. In the centre of the room was a very long table on short legs. Zabuton cushions ran up along its sides.
"That's a big table," I noted.
"We have a lot of people," he responded. "We've got the team, the senseis and m... his wife, and twelve monks under their teachings."
"That is a lot of people," I hummed. He set me down onto one of the cushions. "Does this monastery have reception? Because if I don't die by hypothermia, then my mother is absolutely going to murder me."
He grinned. "We're not completely uncivilised. Call your mum. I'll see how far away your dinner is."
I nodded and began to pull out my phone. He left in search of food.
I winced as a line of missed calls greeted me. I tapped on my mother's contact and braced myself for the ensuing conversation. She picked up on the first ring.
"Baby? Baby, where are you?" she immediately exclaimed, sounding almost to tears. "Are you okay? Why didn't you call me?!"
"Mum- Mum, I'm okay." I leapt to reassure her. Guilt swept through me at my mother's panic. "I'm okay. I'm... with the ninja."
"What? Why are you with them?"
I crossed my legs with a hiss of pain and reluctantly answered. "I... kinda got lost in the forest."
She paused. "... why were you in the forest?"
"I went for a walk?" I said nervously.
"In the forest? Alone?" Mum asked incredulously. "Y/n, don't you know how dangerous that is?"
"Yeah," I said quietly. "I'm sorry."
"When are you coming home?"
"When the storm lets up," I answered. I sniffled. "I... got caught in the rain - but don't worry. They're taking good care of me."
"... okay," Mum said nervously. "Be safe, honey. I'll wait up for you."
"You really don't have to," I reassured. "I'll be fine."
"I won't be able to sleep until you're home, anyway," she said. I sighed with a smile. Classic Mum, protective to a fault.
"Alright," I said. My eyes jumped to the entrance when movement caught my attention. Greenie hovered, a bowl in his hand. "I'll send you a text when I'm leaving. I have to go."
After exchanging a quick goodbye, I ended the call and shoved my phone back into my pocket.
"Everything good?" he asked. He took the seat beside me and placed a bowl of chicken noodles and a steaming, hot mug on the table. My mouth dropped open at the aroma of herbs that wafted from the bowl. My stomach growled viciously.
"Yeah," I said, watching the bowl. "She's freaking out a little bit, but she's okay."
"Go on," he said, and I didn't need to be told twice. I was controlled by my stomach. I lifted the chopsticks and pulled the bowl closer, heat enticing.
"Oh, my god," I said through my first mouthful.
The Green Ninja laughed softly. "Told you."
"I've died and gone to heaven," I moaned. He laughed a little louder, as though my reaction was the most entertaining thing he'd ever seen. I almost choked multiple times by how fast I ate.
"Feeling better now that you've got some food in you?" he asked after I'd finished half the bowl.
"Much better," I answered. I sent him a shy smile. "Thank you. I know I'm being a bother."
"Don't be silly," he reassured, and I retuned to scooping noodles around the broth. "You're not a bother. Besides, all these guys wanted to see the girl who hit me with her car, anyway."
My gaze shot to him in horror. "You told them?"
"I didn't have to." Greenie rolled his eyes. "Red already did."
Curse you, Red. But also thank you for the warm jersey. I wound a noodle around a chopstick and frowned at the mouth-watering food. I wondered what they all thought about me running into their leader? Probably that I was a clueless klutz. They wouldn't be far off from the truth.
"You said you're eighteen," I mused as I chased a noodle around the bowl. "That's pretty young to be a saviour of Ninjago. When did you start training to be the Green Ninja?"
He reclined back until he hit the floor and tucked his arms neatly beneath his head. I stared at him from the side of my vision. I was being introduced to so many new sides of him that night.
"Twelve," he answered. I inhaled through my teeth in shock.
"That's so young," I breathed. "Didn't you get a choice?"
He smiled slightly, cheeks just lifting so. "Doesn't work like that."
"Why you, though?" I tilted my head. "If you were so young, why was it you who had to become the Green Ninja?"
The Green Ninja gave a half-hearted shrug. "I was born into it. Family legacy. It's the same with the others; their parents were Elemental Masters, too."
The nineteen houses. I knew that the ninja were descended from the nineteen houses.
"Oh, boo," I murmured in an attempt to lighten the falling mood. "I wanted to join the club."
He snickered and peeked open an eye at me. "You can be an honorary member. Elemental Master of being a danger magnet."
"At least its a title," I sighed. I slowly scooped some noodles into my mouth. The rain continued to pour, pattering against the tiered roof overhead. "Do you ever think about just... being normal? 'Cause I think about being special all time time."
"You are special," he countered. "Everyone's special in their own way."
I smiled softly down at him. "Not like you, though. I guess... I'm just still trying to look for my purpose."
"You're seventeen." He lifted himself up on one arm to look me in the eyes. "You shouldn't be worrying about your purpose in life until you're... really old. Like, thirty, at least."
I laughed. "Thirty isn't old."
He smiled bittersweetly and returned his gaze to the ceiling. "Normal people have the luxury of picking their purposes. Some of us aren't so lucky."
My mirth faded. "You don't like being the Green Ninja?"
"Ah." He gave a noncommittal tilt of his head. "There's pros. Saving you from yourself, for example-" I scoffed at him, to which he gave a brief smirk. "Sometimes the responsibility of it all gets overwhelming."
"I can imagine," I said. Being a teenager was hard enough, but to have the weight of the world on his shoulders? To have the government breathing down his neck? I didn't envy him. "Do you ever pretend to be normal? Like... an alter ego?"
"Yeah." He paused as if searching for what to say without giving too much away. "I... I go to high school. I have friends. I do homework. But I'll never be normal. I can't." At the questioning tilt of my head, he sat upright and continued. "I'm... different than the rest of my team. I have their powers as well as my own." He demonstrated this by holding up his palms and four spheres manifested to reality - earth, fire, electricity, ice. I stared in greedy curiosity. "But with all this power comes drawbacks."
"Drawbacks?" I asked, eyes flicking up to him.
He inclined his head back as he thought of a way to explain. The spheres of elemental powers dispersed into thin air. "Think... think of a dam. If the water's regulated, then there's no accidents. But if there's no regulating, then the water keeps building up and up, and eventually... the dam bursts."
I stared at him with wide eyes. "Are you saying that you'll explode if you don't regulate using your powers?"
"No," he laughed, before wincing as a thought struck him. "Jeez, I hope not. It's more like an... elemental sickness. If I don't use my powers enough they can get out of hand."
"Does that get scary?" I asked.
"It can be."
I frowned thoughtfully. "You don't have water - you can't use it?"
"No," he said with a small smile. "Just these four, and my own."
"Can you tell me about the Elemental Masters?" I asked, eager to learn as much as I could get from him. "Because everybody thought they didn't exist until you guys showed up, so... how did nineteen families fool history?"
He smiled softly. "That's a really long story for another day. You... have a lot of questions, don't you?"
I reeled back, blushing dark in mortification. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," he reassured. "It's nice talking about all this with someone who doesn't think we're god's gifts or whatever those nutjobs say. I'm just a guy."
"A pretty cool guy," I said as I pulled the mug of tea closer. It smelt of honey and something tastefully bitter that I couldn't quite put my finger on.
He smiled at me, and though I said it lightheartedly, he looked as though he wholly believed my intent. "Thanks."
His sincerity was too much for little old me. I turned my attention away by taking a slow sip of the drink. "Tasty." Though not as tasty as the noodles. I didn't think I would ever taste anything as good as the noodles again, and that broke my heart.
"Special remedy," he noted. "It's for colds. It should help you get better faster."
"Whoa," I said, impressed. "Ninja guarantee upheld and better than expected."
He gave an amused huff. "Come on. Let's move somewhere more comfortable."
"Where are we going?" I asked as he picked me up. "Do I need to cover my eyes again?"
"I think word's gotten around by now," he said. "What do you want to do until the rain lets up?"
"I don't know," I hummed, cradling my mug carefully so it wouldn't spill. "What's there to do around here?"
"I think we can rustle up a way to pass the time," he mused. We entered a room with a couch, a tv and a bunch of shelves heavy with games and books pressed against the wall. "Do you like board games?"
I had to stifle a giggle. How mundane of the great Green Ninja. "Sure."
He set me down on a plush window seat and turned back towards the shelves of board games. He held a hand to his chin as he perused the selections, and I watched him, caught between finding this scene incredibly amusing and heartwarming.
While he picked out a game, I looked out the window, where the rain was flicking the pink blossoms of the sakura trees outside. I'd pay to see the garden on a good day - it was such an ethereal-looking bit of agriculture. I wondered where the cobble-stone path that wound through the small forest led, or if the rain would disturb the carefully raked sand pits beside the pond.
"Alright," the Green Ninja said as he set a box between us. "Prepare to get your butt whooped."
"They have a Starfarer board game?" I said in amusement. He pulled out the board and tiny metal planets to be placed around the map. "Crazy."
"Do you like Starfarer?" he asked.
"I haven't had a chance to watch it," I admitted. "I was a Star Wars girl, if you couldn't tell."
"I could definitely tell." He grinned.
After explaining the game and, indeed, getting my butt whooped, the rain still hadn't let up. It was growing later and I tireder. Even Greenie was yawning on the occasion.
A cat had arrived, too, and was currently sitting on Greenie's lap with his eyes closed contently, getting scratches from behind his ears. I was told his name was 'Meowthra.' The Green Ninja insisted it wasn't his idea. I doubted that.
"I'm glad there's been no calls tonight," he said. We'd both taken to watching the rain, and I'd shiver on the occasion when I wondered where I'd be if he hadn't showed up to get me out of trouble. "I hate fighting in the rain."
"I love the rain," I commented with my head to the wall. My eyes followed a raindrop that dribbled down the glass. "It's so relaxing. And it smells nice."
"You better not go out in the rain while you're sick."
I shook my head with a smile. "No promises. Especially with this stupid tugging thing."
"Yeah," he mumbled. "That's troubling."
"A little."
The Green Ninja turned his head to me and stared for a moment. "I'll be right back," he said, before encouraging the cat off his lap and quickly leaving the room.
"Just you and me," I murmured when Meowthra settled beside my legs. I scratched him beneath his chin and played with my empty mug, watching the rain. It wasn't a terrible place to be stranded during the storm.
The cat started to fall asleep. I wasn't far off.
"Oh." A voice from the entrance said. I jumped at the intrusion, making Meowthra glower at me. At the door stood the Fire Ninja with two others. "You're in here. Hey."
One of the boys leapt out of view. "Gah- wait! My face is naked!"
"I told you to keep your mask on, numbskull!" the one in an entirely black mask said.
"I'm sorry!" The Lightning Ninja popped back around the entrance and looked at me worriedly. "You didn't see me, did you?"
I smiled and shook my head. "You're clear."
"Oh, thank god," he sighed with an uneasy laugh. "Imagine if L-" he got cut off by the Earth Ninja abruptly clapping his hand over his masked mouth.
"Dude," the Earth Ninja said in exasperation. "It's a wonder we're still anonymous with your blabbermouth."
"I talk when I'm nervous!" Lightning whined from beneath his hand, or at least that's what I assumed he said. It was more muffled than anything.
I grinned at the scene. For the saviours of Ninjago, they really were just like every other teen. Greenie was right.
"We don't have to stay if you want to be alone," Red said to me, ignoring the others who'd begun to bicker.
I'd feel worse sending them away. It was their home, after all. I was the one who came out of nowhere and disrupted their evening.
"It's fine." I smiled weakly at them. "Don't mind me."
But minded me they exactly did.
"Are you still cold?" the Fire Ninja asked as he approached. "I can warm that jersey again."
"Oh-" I began, but was quickly cut off.
"I can get you some more tea?" the Lightning Ninja piped up.
"What about food? Are you still hungry?" the Earth Ninja asked.
Overwhelmed, I stared at them, mind blanking. "Um- I-"
"Guys," said another voice from the door. It was the Water Ninja. "I know she's all shiny and new, but give her some space."
The three backed off, retreating to the couch and turning on the play console. The girl picked up a blanket from a container beside the door and approached me, handing over the soft squares with a gentle look in her otherwise stormy-grey eyes.
"Hey," she greeted, taking a seat beside me. "Are you starting to feel better?"
I nodded and pulled the blanket over my legs. Meowthra leapt down from the seat, on the hunt for a quieter spot. "Thank you. And thank you for helping me out before."
She gave a nonchalant shrug. "It was nothing."
She didn't hang around me for long, thankfully, letting me return to my own devices while she joined the others in playing on the console. I listened to them for a bit, smiling at their arguing and cheering, feeling like just an observer on a normal crowd of friends. I fell asleep to their laughter.
I didn't realise how long I'd been asleep for, but when I woke, my neck ached and the storm had passed. The room was empty of cheering ninja. My blocked nose was worse and my eyes dully stung - served me right for going for a walk in the middle of a rainstorm.
"Hey," whispered a voice by my shoulder. I looked over and found the Green Ninja crouching beside me. "It's stopped raining. Let's get you home."
I blinked heavily. "What time is it?"
"About twelve," he answered. "I got your jacket. This, too." He held up a small, leather-bound book.
I stared at it for a second, brain slow to wake up. "What is it?"
"An old book of my uncle's," he answered. "It talks about the origins of Elemental Powers."
My eyes widened. Now I was awake. "What?"
"I thought you'd want to read it."
"No- no, I can't take that," I said with a desperate shake of my head. "I've already invaded your home enough."
"It's not exactly invading when I'm the one who brought you here," he reminded with a mirthful smirk. He pushed it into my hand. The leather was soft beneath my touch, and clearly old. "Please. I want you to pursue your questions. Knowledge strikes sharper than the sword."
I held the book worriedly. "Y'know, Lloyd said that exact same thing."
He paused. I stilled. Lloyd did say that, didn't he? He said that same phrase, word for word. I glanced up at the Green Ninja with narrowed eyes.
"You must attract smart people," he said with an easy grin. He stood. "Ready to go?"
I waved the suspicion off. There was no way they were the same person - Lloyd was so reserved and quiet, in that cute sort of way. The Green Ninja was flirty and boisterous. Not that that was bad, either.
"Yeah." I pulled myself up to my feet and gave a stretch. Sleeping like that was not good for my neck. "Do you need to blindfold me so I won't see where your home is?"
He chuckled. "Trust me, our mode of transportation won't give you the chance."
🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃
"You're kidding," I said, staring at the green dragon that had appeared on the driveway out of nowhere.
"Nope," the Green Ninja said happily as he stood beside it. "Fastest way to get you home or your money back. It won't even take ten minutes, trust me."
"I'm not getting on that thing," I said, staring at the massive beast with the old book held tightly against my chest. It was at least five cars tall and had green mist curling from its wings. "There's not even, like... safety belts."
"You're right. Dragons generally don't have safety belts."
The Elemental Dragon towering above lowered its snout towards me. I scrambled backwards as well as I could with one good foot, stumbling across the gravel.
"Nononono- don't eat me-" I whimpered.
"It's not going to eat you," Greenie said in humoured exasperation. "It doesn't eat."
Its snout was still coming towards me. I closed my eyes tightly. "It's scary!"
"You're fine. Think of it as a cat."
My eyes opened incredulously. "A cat?" And then, as if to emphasise his point, the dragon pushed its cheek against my body and gave a deep, rumbling purr.
"Oh." Greenie took a step towards me, expression bewildered. "It's never done that before."
I stretched away from the beast with a yelp. "What's it doing?!"
"I- I think it likes you," he said in confusion.
"Why?" I cried.
"I have no clue," he admitted. "Give it a pat."
I shot him a baffled look. "No!"
"It's an extension of myself," he reminded patiently, stepping up towards me. "Do you really think I'd let it hurt you?"
I stared at him reluctantly before slowly dropping my gaze to the nuzzling dragon. Pulling in a deep breath, I hesitantly placed on hand on its massive head. It coed in delight and chased my touch, big eyes fluttering. A gasp slipped from my mouth.
I'd never... thought I'd get this close to a dragon. Never in a million years. But I was, and the scales beneath my hand slid as it moved and buzzed with a certain kind of energy. It rumbled deep within its throat when I gathered my courage and ran my hand down the length of its face. Its eyes slid shut contently.
"See?" the Green Ninja said softly, closer than I thought he was. "It's not scary."
"It's still scary," I quietly corrected. "But... it's sweet."
"It likes you," he said again. "I wonder why. It usually doesn't react to anyone."
"Maybe it can sense that I'm the Elemental Master of being a danger magnet," I murmured.
"Maybe," he said amusedly. "Ready to get going?"
I sent him a worried look.
"Trust me," he said. "I won't let anything happen to you. Promise."
I stared at him for a few more beats before sighing. "Fine."
He held out his hand for me to take. I slid my palm in his and rested my weight against him as I hopped towards the dragon's side. It was still rumbling with a purr, kneeling down for mounting.
"Ready?" he asked. I nodded, heart racing. He lifted me into the saddle and I held my breath as I clutched at the pommel, praying I wouldn't misbalance myself and fall over the other side.
When I was stable, the Green Ninja leapt up onto the saddle in front of me with ease. He picked up the reins.
"You... might wanna hold on."
I quickly wrapped my arms around his waist. It's so I don't fall and die, I told myself. Stop blushing.
I didn't have much time to admonish my red cheeks, as the dragon bunched onto its haunches before taking off to the sky with a mighty swipe of its wings.
"OH, FUCK!" slipped from my mouth before I could stop it. I squeezed myself tighter against the Green Ninja, and his shaking body told me he found my reaction wholly amusing. I was too frightened to be scorned by his amusement in my fear.
Humans weren't given wings for a reason. I whimpered and prayed for solid ground soon. The Green Ninja reached back and patted my knee in comfort, but I could barely feel it over the wind in my face and the terror coursing through me.
After what felt like an eternity, the dragon levelled out. We soared over tree tops and rivers, and my heart was beating so loudly that I thought I could taste iron on my tongue.
"The take-off's the toughest part," the Green Ninja called over the wind. "Smooth sailing from here."
I tried to focus on the view of Ninjago at night instead of the idea that my arms around the Green Ninja was the only thing keeping me from plummeting to my death. The ocean stretched out just beyond the city, reflecting the moonlight. The desert took over much of the south, rolling dunes of wild sand and hiding my old hometown just over its horizon. The snow atop the Alps seemed to almost glow beneath the stars.
My heart was still beating erratically, but it wasn't as bad as it was before. I forced myself to relax, taking in deep breaths. It worked somewhat. The chill pinched my cheeks.
"It's beautiful up here," I said quietly when I found my voice. I felt him hum in agreement. The wings flapped through the wind, leaving tails of green mist behind us, and a chill had me shuffling closer to Greenie's inhuman warmth.
I pressed my head against his back. His heart was racing, and I hoped that it was due to exertion of powering the dragon. I really hoped it was only that.
He was right, though. It didn't take long to get to my place. It was a shame, too, because I was just beginning to push aside my fear and enjoy the flight when we began to descend into my neighbourhood. We landed in a small field nearby and, after I said goodbye to the overly-affectionate magic dragon, we walked the short distance to my home.
I glanced at him as I held the book close to my chest. It was shock I didn't drop it in the commotion of take-off.
"I... I feel like I need to repay you," I said. "You helped me so much tonight. You could've just... taken me straight home."
But I was glad he didn't. I'd begun piecing together who this man really was outside of the media spotlight - and everybody said not to meet your heroes, but I couldn't help but think that he was the exception. The more I learnt about him, the more I was astounded by his selflessness.
"Forgive me for lying to you?" he said quietly.
"What?" I couldn't recall what he was even talking about, until it hit me. Ah, Lord Garmadon. "Oh, right." I looked down at the book nervously. Of course he was forgiven, why wouldn't he think he was? "Yeah... you're forgiven."
He smiled slightly. "Then we're even."
Mum was waiting in the living room when we arrived on the patio. The front door swung open before we'd even stepped up the stairs and she pulled me into her arms for a tight hug.
"Oh, sweetheart," she cried into my hair. "Don't you dare scare me like that again!"
"I'm sorry," I said, awkwardly patting her back with the book. "It wasn't intentional."
"I know, I know." Mum pulled herself back from the hug. Her gaze flickered to the Green Ninja.
"Oh." I untangled myself from her arms and stepped to the side for introductions. "Mum, Green Ninja. Green Ninja, my mother."
Mum smiled a little too easily than what I was expecting. I blinked in pleasant surprise.
"Nice to meet you, Green Ninja," she said.
"Likewise," Greenie replied. He pointed over his shoulder. "I should get back."
"Yes, yes, it's late," my mother agreed. Her stare turned impenetrable. "Thank you for looking after my daughter."
The Green Ninja faltered. I looked between them, brows raised. What was this energy? Whatever it was, it was tense.
He nodded. "Of course." His green eyes slid down to me, one foot already down the stairs. "Bye, Y/n."
I surprised the both of us by stepping forward and wrapping my arms around him for a tight hug. He hesitated before returning it, arms strong and warm around me.
"Thank you," I whispered, stepping back with pink cheeks.
"You're welcome," he replied, before pulling the hood of my jacket over my head as he stepped back. "See ya."
"Hey!" I pushed the hood back with a small smile. He was already halfway down the driveway.
"Come on," Mum said. There was an indiscernible glint in her eyes. "Let's get you to bed, problem child."
I nodded and followed her inside, glad to be home. I glanced back at the street, just in case he was still there.
But alas, he was a ninja, and the street was already empty.