Hello again! I got you all a long chapter this time, whew…I wrote it while listening to all these really soft gentle songs, their themes did not match the story at all! Nice Ke$ha reference graffitininja6243 and I suppose it is accurate at times. Thanks everyone for all the reviews!
"Alright, if I'm going to train you two and two other girls then I have to find a decent place for you to train."
It was about eight in the morning. Fog was rising from the sewers and underground gutters as Zanya, Ginger and Rayla walked down the street, staying close to the alleyways in case they needed a quick escape. Zanya stayed between the other two to prevent more fights, but it seemed that, for the moment, the two had resolved to not speak to each other and silence simmered between them like water on a hot skillet. Looking up at the cloudy sky, Zanya said,
"Do you have any ideas where to train?"
Rayla shrugged, "Don't the ninja have a monastery that they trained in? My uncle told me about it, he delivered mail there lots of times. Perhaps that would work."
Sadly Zanya shook her head, "The place burned down a little over a year ago. Nothing could be left."
"If we could find that ship they used we could use that. Unless they took it with them when they went evil," suggested Ginger."
"Wrecked on the Dark Island. I was there assisting Dr. Julian in, uh, research when it happened."
"Then I don't know what to do!" Sighed Rayla. "Despite the size of Ninjago City and the importance of spinjitzu to its culture there aren't many dojos around."
Zanya stopped walking and put a her right index finger to her temple. "Dojo…"
Ginger also stopped and turned to face Zanya, her eyes unfocused, hand in a loose fist, her knuckles lightly pressed against her mouth as she thought. Then, simultaneously, they cried, "Mojo Dojo!"
"What?" Asked Rayla looking confused.
Fight seemingly forgotten, Ginger said, "It's a dojo in the city that's run by this guy call Dareth." She laughed, "I used to sneak in and sit in the rafters to watch him teach his pupils his "animal fighting styles," it cracked me up every time!"
Zanya nodded, "He also allowed u-the ninja, to use his dojo to train the Green Ninja."
"I heard something about that…" Ginger agreed.
Rayla shrugged, "To Dareth's house, dojo, whatever, we go then."
She started off down the street.
"Uh Rayla?" Called Zanya, "The dojo's back this way."
"Right, of course…"
It was about fifteen minutes before they reached Dareth's establishment. Rayla rolled her eyes at the sign that hung by the door.
"Mojo Dojo? You mean he seriously called this place that?"
"You'll understand when you meet him," promised Zanya as she opened the door and they all stepped inside.
Everything looked the same as when Zanya had last seen it. Same tan woven mats, punching bag hanging in the far left corner by the moving posts and small weapon dodging machine. The grand stack of shelves stood against the wall, covered in gleaming trophies. A faint smile crossed Zanya's face as she noticed one with a large dent in it, remembering how it had been damaged when Garmadon had tried to destroy the dojo and a wrecking ball had gone straight through the window while Lloyd was training.
Suddenly the bead curtain was swept aside and Dareth himself entered, his hair gelled up, wearing the same brown robes, and attempting what he must have thought was the coolest of the cool expression as he swag walked over saying,
"Welcome to Grand Sensei Dareth's Mojo Dojo. I am Grand Sensei Dareth, and I dareth you to join my dojo."
Ginger and Rayla covered their mouths to suppress howls of laughter as Zanya said calmly,
"Pleased to meet you. I was wondering if you would allow me to train four pupils here in the art of spinjitzu. I assure you that I can pay."
Dareth seemed taken aback by Zanya's request, but shrugged and said,
"I suppose so, so long as you tell anyone who asks that they were trained in the world famous Mojo Dojo."
"Uh, sure thing."
Ginger stretched and yawned loudly, "Hey, not that I don't enjoy training or anything, but do you think we could get some sleep before we start? The last thing I want is to get my head cut off because I was too sleep deprived to notice the ax swinging towards me."
Zanya nodded, "Good idea, we can find a hotel-"
"Well, I actually have two extra rooms upstairs," interjected Dareth. "You can use them if you want."
Rayla grinned, "That sounds great right now. Let's go, I could sleep through a Tornado of Creation right about now."
"It's less jump, step, thrust, and more of a jump, skip, slash," Zanya advised Rayla as she sparred with the Kunoich of Void. Rayla imitated her and Zanya notice she moved much better this time around. Ginger was in the corner with one of the old sparring bots that Jay had left for Dareth. Her lips moved as she practiced a basic fighting form. She leaped the low swung blade, performed a back flip while kicking the machine in the chest, whirled to the right to avoid another attack, and then spun around in a full circle, striking her opponent in the side of the neck. A killing stroke. Zanya smiled as she recognized what Ginger was saying to herself:
"Jump up, kick back, whip around, and spin…"
"Nice work Ginger, you're really getting the hang of that sword. Wait till you get one that is actually balanced and you will find it even easier." Complemented Zanya.
"Yeah, not bad Frankenstein!" Laughed Rayla. Ginger flushed a bright red and put a self-conscious hand to the long row of stitches on her face.
"Hey Rayla, go take a break," said Zanya. After Rayla left, she went over to Ginger and said, "Don't worry about those stitches. They look pretty cool and tough!"
Ginger shrugged and said, "Still, I'll be glad when I can take them out."
Rayla entered again carrying two glasses of water. "I thought you guys might want some."
As they drank, she asked Zanya, "So, can you do spinjitzu?"
"Of course!" Zanya replied, surprised. "How could I teach you if I didn't?"
Rayla shrugged, "I was just curious."
"Can you show us spinjitzu?" Asked Ginger eagerly. Zanya was about to refuse but something about the eager way the red head was looking at her made her stand and say,
"Sure, I can try. It's been a while though."
Standing, Zanya walked to the center of the room, took a deep breath, and got into position. She then started the unique footwork that led up to her spinjitzu. Seconds later she cried, "Ninjago!"
Swirls of snow rose up around her in a weak tornado. She focused and allowed energy to flow out of her. For a brief moment, the snow and ice thickened and became as powerful as it usually was, then, in a blink, it vanished and Zanya fell to her hands and knees, gasping for breath and feeling incredibly weak.
"Are you alright?" Asked Rayla in concern as she and Ginger rushed over. Zanya nodded and struggled to her feet.
"I don't understand. I've never had trouble doing spinjitzu before this…what's happened?"
Ginger looked pensive before saying, "It could be a result of you being changed. You could be weaker or you could simply need to learn a new style of footwork that will unlock spinjitzu in the way you described to me and Rayla."
Zanya looked at her for a moment before shaking her head, impressed.
"How do you know all this? Your intelligence is higher than any other human that I've met before."
"Geez, thanks," growled Rayla.
"Sorry."
"Ginger shrugged, "I don't know, does genius need an explanation?"
She winked and Rayla said, "Yes, when you geniuses say things that us normal people can't understand."
Ginger looked at her with an expression close to respect at the comeback. "Touché."
Zanya grimaced and sat down on a mat to the side saying, "Why don't you two spar and I can watch and comment on your form. Hajimaru!"
At the end of a long day of training, the three girls were very tired, but Zanya was impressed at the speed with which they had picked up the techniques they'd been shown. They had learned far faster than she and the others had. They crashed on the beds up stairs, exhausted. Zanya had a faint urge telling her to stay awake, but she pushed it away and fell into a solid sleep.
"CRASH!"
Zanya sat bolt upright at the sound. As she leaped to the floor, Rayla and Ginger poked their heads into the room, eyes full of confusion and alarm.
"Downstairs?" Mouthed Rayla. Zanya nodded and they slipped silently past Dareth's room, hearing his earsplitting snores practically shaking the windows in their frames. A dark figure stood in the center of the dojo, the two whips in her hands, moving like a living entity. Suddenly it stiffened and turned around, eyes fixing on them with an evil red glow.
"Nya!?" Gasped Zanya.
"Yes you pathetic human. How you know my name I do not know, but it is gratifying that I am remembered along with the ninja. Know that you have my gratitude and let it be comfort to you as you and your little friends die."
"Not on my watch," snarled Ginger as she leaped to Zanya's side. Rayla stepped forward as well and crossed her arms.
Nya smiled cruelly, "You insist on making things difficult for yourself. You really are quite stupid. You don't know what I'm ninja of do you?"
She lashed out with her whip and caught Rayla on the upper arm. She winced and touched the welt, her fingers came away bloody.
"Oh my gosh! Those whips are made of…blood!"
"That's right. But I don't just control the blood in these whips, I control any of it I'm near!" Nya pointed her hand at Rayla again and the girl collapsed to the ground, her face twisted in pain, as she writhed on her side, arms wrapped tightly around herself.
"What are you doing!" Yelled Ginger in horror.
"Simply raising her blood temperature to a deadly level."
Ginger lunged at the Kunoich of Blood only to be knocked back by a crimson tornado. Nya sneered,
"You will be easier to stop, I have an exit point ready made." She traced her finger along Ginger's stitched up wound. She leaped off her and turned to Zanya as Ginger clapped her hands to her face, attempting to staunch the crimson flow that gushed from between the stitches.
"Now for you," laughed Nya, as she licked the blood from her index finger. Zanya immediately was on the move. She snatched a short blade from the wall, running, leaping, and slashing at Nya, not allowing her to concentrate.
"What in the world is going on-" Dareth muttered sleepily, then he gasped at the sight before him.
"DARETH!" Yelled Zanya sharply, "Get Ginger and Rayla out of here! I'll cover you!"
A year ago Dareth would have stuck around to play hero, now he hurried over and picked up Rayla, assisting Ginger to her feet and guiding her to the door. Once she was certain the others were out, Zanya began to run for the door, but had her feet swept out from under her. Nya was on top of her in an instant, pinning her to the floor.
"I told you that you couldn't win."
As she put a hand over Zanya's heart, Zanya cried desperately,
"Nya, think of Jay! Is this what he would want you to do, what would he think?"
Nya's eyes widened and her grip relaxed slightly. For a brief moment her eyes became their old shade of warm brown.
"J-Jay," She gasped, half sitting up. But then her eyes hardened and Zanya knew she had to make her move. With reflexive speed worthy of Jay, she threw Nya off and slammed the hilt of her sword against her temple knocking her to the floor.
As she turned to leave, Nya rasped,
"You haven't won. I'll destroy this training center and a treasure of yours in one go."
Turning, Zanya saw a metal disk in Nya's hand, numbers began counting down from two minutes. The dark girl pressed the disk to the floor where it clung tightly.
"It hasn't been a pleasure," sniggered Nya. As she vanished into thin air, her parting words rang out, "What will you choose, your life, or your memories?"
Realization hit Zanya and she sprinted up the stairs, and grabbed her backpack from her room along with Ginger's. As she started down the stairs, she quickly back peddled as she saw flames licking up the walls towards her.
"Oh crud…"
The fire was spreading rapidly as Zanya backed quickly into a room and struggled to open the window, but found it was painted shut.
"Really Dareth?!" She growled, grabbing the knife at her belt and starting to slit open the paint.
"There's no time for that!" Snapped a voice from behind Zanya. Before she could do more than snatch up the backpacks, a person tackled her and they flew through the window, shattering the glass. At the same moment, the bomb downstairs hit zero and the resulting explosion sent the two of them flying way farther than they normally would have.
Smoke billowed and rolled around them as Zanya sat up and looked at the person next to her. It took a moment, but she suddenly realized that it was Ginger, more than half her face covered in a stiff mask of rusty blood, her blue eyes watering from the dust and smoke.
She looked over and choked out, "You over think your escapes, sometimes you just have to wing it. What the heck were you thinking going upstairs?"
"I-I just couldn't leave-couldn't leave my past, my memories, to burn." Her hand felt out the familiar edge of the leather bound photo album that she had tucked in the backpack, and relief that it was safe welled up in her.
Ginger was silent for a bit, then said in a low voice, "How did you know that girl?"
"I was her friend not too long ago."
"So what happened?"
Zanya grimaced, raising herself up onto her elbows and gazing through stinging eyes towards where Dareth's establishment had once stood as she said dully,
"Let's just say that for the moment, like Dareth's dojo, those days have all gone up in smoke."
I got the idea for Nya being a Kunoich of Blood from the color of her tornado in that episode where she first turns evil, I forget it's name… Anyways, I have some other fanfic ideas and I'd love some input from my readers on what ones they would read. Check them out on my profile if you're interested and stay tuned for another chapter sometime in the near future. Sayonara minna! (So long everyone)
