A/N: I hope you all are enjoying the new dialogue and scenes. The original had just upset me so much that I felt like I had to rewrite it! Anyways, here's the next chapter! Oh, and like I mentioned before, the "love-triangle" between Cole, Sasha, and Zane is brief. Very brief. My only real goal is to show how Nya and Sasha became good friends, and how Sasha and Zane became good friends. No bullshit.
Chapter 8
God, what is she wearing…? Wait…what did she say…?
My mouth falls open as I stare at Sasha. What happened? Last night she wasn't exactly on the fence with the idea. In fact, she had seemed more averse and skeptical than accepting. So what gives? I'm about to question her, but Sensei beats me to it.
"And might I ask what has convinced you to join our ranks, Sasha? And so swiftly at that?"
Her hard countenance is amplified by the jutting of her hip and a firm hand against it. Sassy and confident. Hot damn… "Call me crazy if you want, but it's because of the dream I had last night. There's some sort of spirit or something that inhabits the Bo Staff of Waves, and ironically enough that same spirit introduced itself as "Waves" and pronounced it was one of The Four, whatever that meant. Anyway, she said that I would be needed in order to locate the rest of the Counter Elemental Masters, as well as be part of the line of defense to ward off a horrific evil."
"The Four…?" Sensei Wu's brows furrows for a moment before smoothing out. He then dips his head, the wide brim of his hat obscuring his face. He mutters something unintelligible and lifts his head again. "I see. Each of The Four inhabits a Platinum Weapon… Not a fairy tale…"
"But, Sensei, what or who are The Four?" Kai asks, but our mentor raises his hand.
"It is a story to be divulged another time, Kai." He turns back to Sasha. "And where is the Bo Staff of Waves now? You two seemed quite fond of each other last night."
"Tch!" Sasha flicks away her bangs. "A little game of hide and seek it wants to play…and I'm more than willing. Waves said…a lot of things last night. Things that I need answers to. Which means, I have to find the staff no matter what." She suddenly focuses on Zane. "And she also said, to let the one imbued with ice guide me." Her lips quirk up into a gentle smile. "So I guess that means I'm gonna need your help, Zane."
Offering a smile of his own, Zane nods. "Intriguing… I would be delighted to assist you in any way I can, Sasha."
Jay waves his hands frantically. "Wait, wait, wait, wait! Are you trying to tell us your weapon played coy, ditched you, and then asked you to come find it?"
Sasha cocks an eyebrow at him, her grin still in place. "Yeah, pretty much. Weird, ain't it?"
"Down right freaky is more like it," Jay counters, then whips out his nunchucks. "Huh…I wonder why our Golden Weapons never tried to talk to us…"
Kai rolls his eyes. "Maybe because they don't have spirits in 'em, bolt-brain."
"Yeah, like you're an expert!"
"But Kai is right, Jay. The Golden Weapons do not have spirits within them as the Platinum Weapons do, despite them being just as mythical. But more importantly, it seems the spirit of the Bo staff has something in store for you, Sasha. Thus, you must be prepared."
Sasha takes on a thoughtful stance. "Instructor Li taught me Capoeira, but that's about it in the Martial Arts department. And although it's proven useful up until now, I'd do well to broaden my horizons. Especially if I'm gonna be taking up the mantle of a kunoichi and all."
Sensei smiles. "Well spoken. And believe it or not, your prowess in song and dance may prove integral in your quest for self-improvement in the Shinobi arts."
Can't argue with him there, given how I utilized the Triple Tiger Sashay in the most recent fight against the Serpentine. Sensei rises from his seat and moves to stand a few feet away from Sasha. "Now, my Kunoichi of Water, be at ease… Ninja-GO!" Sensei vanishes into his golden tornado and engulfs Sasha in a flash. And when he leaves her…and her spinning slows to a stop…
…God, she's killing me…
She now wears an aquamarine-colored, halter-top dress thing, I think, which splits apart generously from her clavicle to her naval, showcasing a deliciously sinful amount of caramel skin. It's laced together with black crossed strings and is trimmed in silver nuances. And if that isn't enough, her lower half is damn-near peccadillo! Pass the showing of her well-developed abs and curvy hips, her caramel thighs peek out from her knee-high boots. A long flowing loincloth swishes and shines at her front and back, with a silver embroidered design of a flying dragon on the center panel. She also has matching arm gauntlets and black gloves like the rest of us. Her hand reaches up to touch her forehead, and that's when I take note of the silver tiara bedazzled with aquamarine gemstones encircling her crown.
Aquamarine… Of course she would take on the shade of the ocean as her primary color.
My eyes burn to blink, and I do. That's when I feel something wet touch my upper lip.
"Cole? Your nose is bleeding, are you okay?" Zane asks, looking at me with concern. Jay snickers and Kai hands me a napkin wordlessly with a smirk on his face. I grab the offered cloth and hurriedly wipe and cover the lower half of my face.
"Git gud, brah! What? You've never seen a fine-lookin' lady before?"
I can do nothing but send my best friend a withering glare, which he only laughs at. After inspecting herself with wide eyes, Sasha lowers her mask and faces Sensei Wu. "By Leviathan's breath, this is incredible!" Her storm-grey eyes glitter with excitement. "Hey! You're gonna teach me that, right? That tornado-thingamajigger! That's part of the whole kunoichi/ninja package, right?"
Nya laughs. "Wow, Sasha, now I understand why Jasmine called you "Queen". There's a certain air about you, and that tiara is really the icing on the cake."
Red fills caramel cheeks as Sasha turns to Nya in embarrassment. "Jazz calls me a lotta of things—a lotta dumb things. Besides, look at you!" She sassily snaps her fingers at Nya. "Sitting over there next to your man like nothing can touch you! Lucky!"
Both Nya and Jay turn scarlet, Jay especially. "Ah, geez, Sasha…thanks." Nya hugs and nuzzles Jay from behind, which only serves to arm Sasha with even more ammunition.
"No thanks needed, Jay. It's plain to see." She approaches the couple and uses the tips of her fingers to thread through his bangs. "And what's also plain to see is that you…are the prettiest of the pair. Que lindeza!" (What prettiness!)
Jay can't even get a word out, his face is so red. And the pot calls the kettle black… I hear Kai chuckle from beside me. "She's already comfortable with us. A dramatic change from yesterday… That dream must've really struck her."
"Yes, but there's something else," Zane chimes in from my left. "I can sense another motive behind her staying with us. Something…personal and dear. Something she's not willing to share."
With the napkin still up to my face, I watch as Sasha continues to tease and mess with Jay, while Nya croons all the while. I don't think I've ever seen Kai's little sister so happy. I wipe my face clean and ball-up the napkin. Kai and Zane's words resonate with me, however, and I'm left feeling a soaring amount of curiosity…and protectiveness for our newest member of the clan.
Sensei Wu clears his throat, and the trio of misfits disentangles from their play. Sasha turns abruptly around and bows apologetically to our Clan Head. "Oh! Sorry, Sensei Wu, I didn't mean to carry on like that." She grins cheekily. "Guess I'm just fired-up!"
"Your enthusiasm is welcomed, Sasha, and you will need it for your training." Sasha nods seriously and Sensei continues. "Now, you are the Kunoichi of Water, graceful and calm one moment, but can become powerful and destructive with the changing of the tides." He then anoints her station in our clan by tapping his bamboo stick on each of her shoulders. "Welcome, Sasha. And with time, I hope you will come to see the Destiny's Bounty and the Shinobi within it as a second home."
A warm smile spreads across Sasha's creamy lips, and my heart stutters in my chest. "I hope so too."
I wonder if she'll ever look at me that way…
"Two down, two to go," Kai says, holding up two fingers. "At least we're making progress on one front. But we can't let the Serpentine get the drop on us again. All we need is one Fang Blade, guys, and that'll throw a wrench in their plans to summon the Great Devourer."
"Yes, Kai, but we can't ignore a master without her weapon," Sensei says. "Plus, unfortunately, we still do not have any means of locating the Silver Fang Blades ourselves. We can only act when the Serpentine do. Hence, in the meantime, provisions can be gathered and Shinobi can train… Cole!" I instantly perk up when Sensei points his bamboo stick at me. "You are our best defensive fighter, thus I would like for you to evaluate Sasha's fighting style and incorporate ninjutsu into it. I will handle her Spinjitzu training."
"Hai—eey…what? Me?" I ask, a little unsure.
"Yes, you," Sensei clarifies. Why is he smiling like that? "Aren't you the obvious choice? Though Zane may prove more apt in her elemental training, when she reacquires her weapon, your expertise with polearms should prove useful."
"But—"
"And, Zane," Sensei averts his attention to the oldest of us, screwing my feeble objection in the process, "assist Sasha as you see fit. Be vigil."
"Of course, Sensei."
Sensei turns to leave. "Enjoy the rest of your breakfast, my Shinobi. I must go meditate." He takes a step forward and then stops, his back still to us. "And, Sasha…I'm glad Waves healed your injury. Otherwise, I would've insisted you rest for a week or so." My eyes widen at this. And when I glance over at Sasha, I can see that she's just as shocked. "Train well."
"Yes, Sensei," We all say in unison. I glance over at his leftover plate with a frown. He had taken maybe two bites and that's it. It's nothing new, now that we're all aware. But it's still troubling. Sasha takes the vacant seat beside Jay, which incidentally places her right across from me.
I try not to swallow audibly and bow my head to stare down at my own plate of steak and eggs. Okay, man, just be cool… Yeah, she might remember you now, but nothing changes! Just focus on the task you were given and try not to embarrass the hell outta yourself…!
I take a deep breath to calm my nerves and glance up to see Sasha looking right at me. I blink in surprise at being so blatantly scrutinized, and a little alarmed that her expression was so circumspective. It takes me a moment before realization dawns. Oh, I know why… It's because I lied to her last night… I grimace in shame as I grip my glass of orange juice a little tighter. Dammit…! I just—
"Here you are, Sasha…" Distracted, I look to see Zane offer a steaming plate of breakfast to Sasha. His smile is charming and hospitable. "I hope you like steak and eggs. Kai and I worked especially hard on today's menu to express our gentility to you."
"Yeah, enjoy them eggs!" Kai says, pointing his fork at her. "You'll probably like 'em more than the steak." He smirks arrogantly. "Because I made 'em."
Jay leans over to inspect Sasha's plate once she takes it from Zane and sets it down in front of her. "Hmm…yeah, and if it has like a smoky, burnt-kinda texture to it. It's because he made 'em."
"Oi! That's Cajun style!"
"No, that's burnt style!"
With Kai and Jay going back and forth, Sasha could only thank Zane for the meal. She grins at the display nonetheless. "Thanks, Zane… Oh, and thanks for taking care of my flowers for me. That vase is lovely."
Able to block out the jousting from our younger brothers, Zane replies smoothly. "It was only fitting to house such a beautiful arrangement in such…as beauty compliments beauty."
It was direct. It was obvious. It all clicks. His behavior last night… Even this morning he's been more…more charming and amicable than usual. He's attracted to Sasha…the same way I am… Sasha blushes. Cazzo…! (Fuck…!)
Before I know it, the glass in my hand shatters, ceasing the chatter and stunning everyone into silence. All eyes are on me. I stare at my hand in amazement, seeing the loose shards decorate my glove. Determined to remain calm and play it off, I stand up with a purely forced grin on my face.
"Oops, my bad. Sometimes I don't know my own strength—heh… I…I'm just gonna uh… go get something to clean this up." Without another word, I make my way towards the kitchen in the dead of silence. Their stares follow me. Once safely beyond the double doors, I go to the sink and lean against it, placing my hands on both sides to support my weight. I close my eyes and grit my teeth.
Well, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. After all, despite being what he is, Zane is still a man with urges, apparently. And Sasha is…incredibly beautiful… Hard to resist that… I place my clean hand on my head, feeling the pulsing throb of an incoming headache. I don't wanna get into anything stupid! Zane's my brother and I respect him tremendously. To avoid any unnecessary drama, I need to see Sasha like I see Nya! So why can't I…?
My mind wanders back to that encounter outside of the Marty Oppenheimer four years ago. It was so brief, but I recall everything so clearly. I can't forget how my heart pounded, how captivated I was by her spirit and conviction. And now, after all this time…we've been reunited.
Tch… The gods sure do have a very twisted sense of humor… Or maybe…maybe it's fate…
I shake my head roughly. But regardless, I'm the leader. And that means I'm supposed to be more composed than this. But the heart is a funny thing. This is a feeling that just won't leave me now that she's here in my every waking moment. For the first time, I feel at a lost. I don't know what to do about this. The attraction is just too strong.
A soft touch suddenly caresses my back. "Cole, are you alright?"
Sasha… Her hand glides up and settles in the middle, right between my shoulder blades. It's the same as last night. My body immediately goes rigid and I turn to face her, forcing her hand to retreat to her side. Baffled concern swims in her rainy depths as she looks slightly up at me.
"What is it? What's got you so bothered?" I fidget a little under her careful scrutiny. "Is it me? Do I make you feel uncomfortable?"
Well yeah, but in a good way… No! Don't you dare say that, you idiot! "N-No, it's not you, Sasha. It's just that I've never been given the responsibility to train someone before and I want to make sure I do it right. I guess… I guess I was just thinking too hard." A sheepish grin stretches my face at my half-lie. But my hollow victory is short-lived when her expression turns serious.
She steps closer to me, the heels of her boots clicking against the tiles. "Do you mind if I ask you somethin'?" The intermingling scents of jasmine and citrus wafts up to my nose, causing a heady spike of desire to fog my brain. I grip the countertop behind me to calm myself.
I swallow hard. "N-No, not—not at all."
She's right in front of me. She's standing so close that I can feel the round, large curves of her breasts bump against my chest. Why is she standing so close?! That searching and penetrating gaze is back. Orbs of a silver hurricane lock onto me.
"Why did you lie?"
The soft mint of her breath ghost over my face and my heart pounds thunderously in my ears. But I hear her voice loud and clear. It just takes me a second to find mine. "I…I didn't mean to, Sasha." I get out quietly. "It was…so long ago and…" I can't tell you of the long-lasting effects it had on me… "…I didn't want you to feel pressured."
Her brow crinkles. "Pressured? Pressured by what?"
"That I was that same boy. I didn't want you to feel obligated to stay just because of the memory of a kind gesture."
She blinks once before her eyes widen in surprise. And almost instantly, her features lose their hard edge. "Oh, Cole…" she breathes. A blush crawls up my neck and settles along my cheeks at the sight of a warm smile pulling her creamy lips…and being directed at me. "You should've just told me. Though the memory was short, it was also very sweet. I would've been happy that the boy with the earnest and kind green eyes had reentered my life… Like I am now. I wouldn't have felt obligated…just elated."
"Sasha…" I'm practically swimming in her eyes right now. Maybe…maybe I can tell her… I lick my lips and open my mouth. But then she abruptly steps away.
"And as for my training, I'm sure you'll do fine. And the others seem eager to help you."
And just like that, the moment is broken. No…it was too soon anyway… I clear my throat. "Yeah, you're right...and I'm happy you're here, Sasha."
Her smile becomes even lovelier if possible as she reaches behind me to grab the roll of paper towels from the counter. "There are no coincidences, Cole. Only the illusion of coincidence. I'm glad I'll be able to have this time to get to know you."
The feeling is there…and it flourishes. "Yeah, me too."
"C'mon, let's go rejoin the others. I'm still starvin'," she says, turning and sashaying out of the kitchen. My eyes can't help but drift down to those mesmerizing hips, and those round globes grooving against the silk of her loincloth… I hear the countertop begin to splinter in my grip and I quickly let go.
Stop it, Cole! I berate myself again as I follow Sasha out the double doors. She's going to think you're some kind of nut pretty soon if this keeps up…
"Well, Sasha," Jay pipes up at our arrival, "now that you're part of the team, you hafta to get hooked up with a PMS."
A cumulative groan resounds around the room. Sasha stops dead in her tracks and gives Jay a bewildering look. "PMS?"
"Oh yeah, it's great. We all have PMS."
"JAY!" We all shout in unison except for Zane.
Never mind… I shake my head as Jay goes on to explain his new invention to a shell-shocked Sasha. …Jay already has that title in the bag… What a best friend…
A/N: Man, I am awesome! I can't remember if I've mentioned this yet, but I'll be changing Sasha's Trial. All I will say on the matter is that it's going to be more action-based. Leave your thoughts on this chapter if you want! Any and all reviews are appreciated as always!
