The Dojo was quiet and still, save for the dust motes that slowly travelled through the shaft of light that cut through the gloom of the basement room.
A Gentle 'tink-clink', sound came from the hallway outside the room. Cole pushed the door open and entered the room. His large hands held a small plate and a fork. All his attention was focused on the cake as he gently pushed the fork through the delicate sponge stopping on the plate below. 'tink'. He manoeuvred the morsel of cake onto the fork and raised it to his mouth. He savoured the texture as he pressed his lips down on the fork as the frosting tried to hold the cake put. Cole lived for sensory moments like this. He particularly adored cake, but pretty much all food on a table was fine by him.
As he walked through the Dojo, Cole waved the fork through the suspended particles to watch them dance and settled down onto a bench. He sat underneath the haphazardly suspended bamboo hangers and practice robes, their arms spread wide, waiting to welcome the novice and master alike. Cole was anything but a novice, but not yet a master. As the Black Ninja he channelled the power of the earth, which was turning out to be a surprising and increasingly complex element to understand let alone control. That's why he needed the cake. It really did relax him. He put another forkful of cake in his mouth, tilted his head back against the wall, closed his eyes and released an appreciative sigh.
'Are you eating cake again'?
Cole was snapped out of his reverie. 'Nya…'. Where had she come from? Lost for words he could only quantify Nya's consternated statement with; 'But it's cake…'. Like this should be enough of a reason in itself. Looking at Nya's puzzled irreverence, he deduced this answer was obviously not satisfactory. 'It's chocolate fudge, with coconut frosting…' Silence '…and little marshmallows…'.
Nya rolled her eyes, unfolded her arms and set to readying for the training session. She pulled her training robe down from a hanger, slipped out of her light summer shirt-dress and into the boxy garment. Cole gave her a cursory glance. In his eyes, she was as his brothers. There was no room for niceties in the intense dynamic of the Ninja team. Though it did unnerve him when she blithely changed in front of him, or any one else for that matter. Jay could barely hide his feelings and quite often had to be some-where else rather quickly. Which he found hilarious.
Nya couldn't care less. She was as tough as they come and had earned her place in the team fair and square. Only after casting off the trappings of the Samurai X and its Tech based power, did she realize her elemental power. Master Wu saw it in her, even if she did not. It was not until she could prove it to herself that he opened her eyes to her full potential.
Cole considered Nya, following her with his eyes. She had saved him on various occasions as the Samurai X. Now as the Water Ninja, she was one with the team, but apart. Perhaps her open show of nonchalance was a way of confirming her position, who knew? Cole wasn't too concerned; he had an awesome slice of cake in front of him and now Nya, who was now moving in slow graceful form through the shaft of light. He watched her lithe hands cut through the light, the dust rolling in lazy circles around her. Slow through the start of each movement, building to an accelerated stop and tipping into the next. Cole had to admit, he could sit here happily for hours, calm and centred.
Of course this was not to be. Taken aback by his contentment he opened his big old mouth and ruined it all.
'Jeez COLE!' Nya shot around and blasted at Cole, who had let rip the loudest burp imaginable.
'Why did I do that?' thought Cole. To Nya the look on Cole's face showed pure belligerence, but was actually shocked confusion at himself.
Taken aback, Cole decided to roll with it. 'Chill mermaid, I'm just warming up!' He inflated his chest about to magic up a second. Nya found a punching mitt and threw it at his head.
'What the hell Cole, I was in the zone and don't call me mermaid!' She was at the door and heading out as she fired back 'Dung Beetle!' followed by an infuriated guttural scream.
Cole sat with a surprised look on his face. He finished the last morsel of cake, recovering a mini-marshmallow that had fallen off before it had made it to his mouth. 'She may be a water Ninja, but she's got a whiff of Kai's fire, that's for sure', he said to the empty Dojo.
Silence. 'Ah shoot'. He jumped up and jogged over to the window. He hung out of it just as Nya came out of the main buildings' door. He called to her.
'For you' He held out his hand in a pious gesture and summoned a whole rose bush from a neighbouring buildings' flowerbed. Nya slowed at the bottom step as the rose bush hovered in front of her, shedding loosened earth at her feet.
'You've got to be kidding me?' Nya mumbled. Then picked a small bloom, the petals just opening, off of one of the branches. 'Put it back you moron' she shouted.
'I'm Sorry!' Cole shouted back his apology.
In a slow jog Nya moved toward the basement window. As she passed, she gave a theatrical bow down to Cole and flourished the Rose under her nose. 'You are forgiven' she said haughtily and jogged on.
Cole artlessly plopped the rose bush back in the neighbours' flowerbed. 'Yep' he thought sarcastically, 'that's exactly how brothers act'. He shook his head at his own idiocy and went back inside.
As Nya carried on down the road she saw her brother Kai with Zane heading towards the Dojo. A little further along Jay was rounding the corner. 'Jay'. She felt lighter on her feet just for seeing him. She picked up her pace.
'Where you off to sis?' Kai asked. 'We have practice'. She waved to them as she passed, and then slowed up for Jay. She tucked the rose into the hair band that was holding her sharp bob back in a controlled ponytail and stopped. Their hands automatically found each other and she gave a nervous shuffle as she settled in front of him.
'No training today?" asked Jay all brightness and anticipation.
'Ah, well no, I mean, yes there is. I'm going for a warm up jog. That crazy cup-cake Cole, was ruining my Zen.'
'You want me to come with?' said Jay.
'No, no. I'm happy. It's fine.' She swept the issue aside and leant into him, lingering, before a light kiss. 'You, Jay Walker, are very distracting also. I think I should carry on alone'. He pulled back until just their fingertips touched. They broke apart and she turned and carried on her way.
As Jay watched her lightly jog away, he drew in a breath and pushed his fingers through his hair. He stood there for a moment, hands locked on top of his head, hair scraped off his face. He exhaled and slapped himself on the cheek. ' Cold shower dude' he chuckled and turned to walk to the Dojo.