It took a moment, but then I started to glance around the unfamiliar room. My mind was quickly filled with panic, staring down to my simple white kimono, to the elderly man unmoving in the bed….

I was unsure what was going to happen, but I kept quiet in some sort of fear and that I was in this strange place without even putting myself here. Slowly going up the stairs, I peeked back at the bed, wondering whether the man was going to stop me and ask who I was, and what I was doing in his home. Realizing that he wasn't, I finally left the small house that was cleverly disguised as a tree and kept walking. I noticed it was snowing, yet as the small flakes twirled down onto me, it wasn't cold or anything of the sort. Brushing it off, I continued on my path to get somewhere else, perhaps with sun or inhabited with familiars.

My journey was long and I had no urge to go very quickly, so the way seemed even more tiring. When I crossed a large fallen tree trunk, I had to be a bit wary in case it was an older sort. With some strike of luck it was fairly strong and it only creaked a bit. I moved a bit more to find myself at an impasse with a mountain and almost barreling downward, seemingly never-ending. Backing up, I spied a path that went around, and gladly followed it, hoping to find answers with a civilization.

Going down it in an unneeded rush from the gravitational pull, I spotted a small village ahead. Eager to associate, I ended up running with the pull, nearly causing me to trip. As I had my rocky stop at the edge of slanting dirt road, I also managed to gain some attention. A boy adorning a ratty pink kimono with sickly looking skin walked up, no more than seven. He shook his dark hair subconsciously, then the bangs fell farther in his line of sight, and spoke up, "Are you a ninja?"

As I about answered, a woman with the same sort of kimono and her hair pulled back in a messy bun, came up and smacked him on the shoulder, "That's no way to great someone."

Noticing his eyes swimming with tears, I bit my lower lip to keep from blurting anything crude to her, "It's fine," I decided on, nearly surprised at my toneless voice.

It seemed as she rolled her eyes and dragged the boy away, that was the last I was going to see of him for now. Shrugging my shoulders in a louder sigh, I continued on my path through the village, not getting any more attention from anyone else. It was obvious they didn't know me or didn't honestly care, since there were no shocked and happy faces when I was looked at. Maybe my home was elsewhere, but the night was starting and I needed to stop and sleep. I ignored my restlessness and searched for a comfortable place to sleep in the comfortable looking grass on the nearby hillside.

'Are you a ninja?' rang through my head, but I couldn't answer that if I wanted to. I must have had amnesia and wound up kidnapped, then woken up standing up, somehow… It was an odd theory, but I guess I should rest and figure it out tomorrow. Finally finding a spot that was a good choice on the very top on the oddly smooth grass, I made to sit down, and then let myself relax and lie back on my back. Realizing how odd I must look, I tensed again, hating being under a watchful eye. Deciding I was good enough where I was, I seemed to easily adapt to this area eventually.

My eyes started to flutter shut, but then I had a random thought; I had no idea what my name was. I should have thought on that from the start, not waited so long. It was the basis of my identity… maybe if I knew I would be able to rid myself of this memory loss symptom and return myself to home. I smiled lazily as I let myself finally catch a break, allowing the call for sleep to be answered, and the sound of some high-pitched predatory bird called somewhere in the distance.

~~

I was by the water, sitting upon a bigger rock, sighing deeply and somehow drawn to it. Perhaps a clue was to be in it? Grinning slightly, I inched forward, before plunging in the lake headfirst in a dive. When I floated gingerly to the bottom, I sat down and took up a meditation position. Wondering if this was some sort of special talent, I held my breath easily and noticed the fish moving around me awkwardly.

After awhile I grew a bit bored of this routine and found it to not be useful for finding answers. As I swam up to land nearby the giant rock, my kimono clung soaked to my numb-like skin and I tried to move through the sopping cloth awkwardly. Waddling a bit, I then noticed an older man sipping what smelt like tea. Figuring out I was indeed staring at him; the white haired male got up and moved so he was in front of me. He was taller than most elderly I had seen in the village, but I still beat him in height.

"Are you Zane?" He questioned, like he had done this before. Perhaps I had answers after all. I awkwardly stumbled through words, unsure how to answer it exactly, but he seemed to figure, "I am Sensei Wu, I train ninjas to unlock their full potential and power; though I cannot train who is not. I'm sure you aren't positive on your name, but I can sense who has it in them. You most definitely show such ideal."

We began to walk as he told me all about a monastery and how he has only found one of the four elemental ninjas, with me being the second as of now. I had nowhere to go, and even if I did continue my way to find someone who knew about me truly; it would be never ending at best. I doubted anyone would miss me, not knowing how long I was gone, probably a long while. My face grew into a smile as he led me down the sands to where his ancient dragon was lying and glaring into the sun. We paused, and I followed him up the wing onto the back and he requested for me to hand onto the saddle if I grew uncomfortable with the turbulence.

It took some time to travel over the woods and random villages, then scaling quickly up the side of the carved mountain to get to the top. The great dragon dropped by the stables, and Sensei Wu told me to go find Jay. Unfamiliar with this place, I wandered aimlessly throughout the grand size of the monastery, hoping to find someone. I had no idea what this other ninja looked like, so there was a vast possibility. I nearly gave up, but then I spotted a flash of blue flash by.

I then felt something oddly cool pass my fingertips, as I grew curious, causing me to freeze the figure. It turned out to be a blue adorned teenage boy, with side swept brunet hair, a cut in his eyebrow and hazel eyes with random flecks of blue swirled in. His hood wasn't on hung loosely down his shoulder blades and he wasn't particularly happy either, "So much for that," he sighed.

I tilted my head and questioned his motives silently, earning a glared and I stared down at his feet. They were enclosed in ice partly, but enough to stop the ideal of movement. I apologized quickly and he rolled his eyes, but looked relieved as the weakly pursued element melted.

"At least we know your element," Jay's mood changed quickly to a cheerful one, and took me by surprise. He grinned and grasped my arm, hauling me towards another room.

I allowed him, but I felt myself enjoying his company. Perhaps too much to be on a friendly level, yet I could not place my feelings towards this seemingly average male. I had yet to feel this for anyone, so I wondered if this was special. "Where are we going?" I finally allowed myself to shove the contemplation to the back of my mind.

We made it and he slid open the bamboo door to show off a room, with electronic devices littering the floor. He led me and pushed me gently to get me to sit, while bending over to pick up the controllers. I felt my face heat up, but as I glanced in the nearby mirror, I was relieved to find I had nothing different with my face, that I was still a bit new with.

He turned back around and held out a gray controller with foreign buttons jutting out the top, and he seated next to me on the comfy couch eagerly. It took willpower not to grasp the arm that was very close to me, but I seemed to have good enough willpower. He clicked the controller in his hands, and then stared over at me and I hit the same button as a copy. Content for the time being, the brunet skipped through the beginning to get to the actual game, hitting pause, "Have you played this game?" At my voiceless shake of the head, he laughed, "Have you ever played any videogame?"

"No," I vocalized and he nearly fell out of the seat in surprise.

"You're weird, Zane," he commented and I froze in a flinch, but then he added, "But I like you, you're okay." I found myself heating up again and wishing he meant it the way I would have…