FOR THOSE WHO GOT A NOTIFICATION THAT I UPDATED:
I did update... I uploaded chapter 11 twice on accident and didn't notice until FlyingDutchGirl pointed that out for me.
Here's the REAL chapter.
Enjoy!
O_o
They were hiding something.
Jessica knew it. It wasn't a feeling. She just knew.
Randy, Nomi and Howard were all keeping something from her. Jessica was determined to find out.
That day, at school, she smiled sweetly at them, something she had never done before. It made her face hurt.
"Hi guys..." She said. Randy eyed her.
"Who are you and what have you done with Jessica?" He asked. Nomi nudged him hard, making him wince, while Howard eyed her.
"Hi JC." He said simply. She managed to keep her smile.
"What do you mean?" She asked, confused. Not fake confused, but actually confused. Confusing, right?
"Your hair..." She cocked an eyebrow, her smiled wavering.
"What do you mean?" She asked, reaching up to feel her braid...
That wasn't there.
"Shoot!" She exclaimed, breaking character.
Note to self, take acting classes sometime in life.
Randy and Howard laughed. She shot them a glare and started to braid her midnight black hair. Once she finished, she set it over her shoulder. She sighed and turned on her heels.
"I guess I'll figure something out later." She muttered to herself.
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Later on, at lunch, Jessica sat at a table, messing with her braid. She looked up when she saw Randy.
"So... What were you trying to say earlier?" He asked. She sighed.
"You, Nomi and Howard are hiding something from me. Do you know what it feels like when your friends are hiding something?" She told him. He pondered this for a second before shrugging.
"I don't tell Howard lots of things, so ask him." Jessica brightened a little.
"I will later. But, what are you guys not telling me?" Randy rubbed the back of his neck.
"Randy..." He gave her a nervous look.
"I uh.. GottagoI'lltextyoulaterokaybye!" He shouted before taking off. Jessica groaned and stood up to go find Howard.
O_o
"I don't know. Go trough his email. You might find something." Howard said before taking off with her bag of Mcsquiddles. Jessica groaned and stomped off.
O_o
Jessica paced her room after she came home. Randy wasn't talking to her, Nomi seemed to be losing his mind and muttering in Japanese, and Howard refused to say anything unless she got him the newest Grave Punchers that wasn't supposed to come out for a while. She felt hopeless.
Jessica looked up at a picture of her, Randy, Nomi and Howard. They all had big grins. Jessica knew that there was something else behind those smiles.
"I'm gonna find out."
O_o
Randy looked at Nomi, who was sitting oon a branch a few feet in front of him.
He and Nomi were both dressed out, so no one caught them. Nomi was in a meditating position, his eyes closed
"What did you want to talk to me about?" He asked. Nomi opened his eyes and gave him a cold look.
"About what is to come." He said. Randy shifted. He didn't like the sound of that. The weird dream he had a couple of days back was bad enough.
"Close your eyes. do what I am doing." He said. Randy nodded and got into the meditating position. He shut his eyes. Soon, the soft wind was all he heard.
"Now, listen and focus on my voice. Only my voice." Randy nodded, unsure of Nomi could see him.
"Nomicon ga sa reru yō ni natta ka no hanashi wa nagaku, hitsūna monogataridearu. Anata wa sore o kiite rakkīdesu. Monogatari wa tsugi no yō ni kaishi shimasu..."
(The story of how the Nomicon came to be is a long, heartbreaking story. You are lucky to hear it. The story starts like this...)
"Now, open." Randy obeyed and opened his eyes. He wasn't in the forest. He was in a semi- desert place. There must have been buildings, but they were all gone. The only thing that was left was large pieces of wood. Randy glanced around, before looking down. He was completely transparent and in his normal clothes. He looked to his right and saw Nomi, looking at him intensely. He was also dressed in his usual clothes.
Nomi indicated for Randy to follow him. He nodded and the to began to head over to a certain area that Nomi seemed to know.
Finally, Randy managed to ask, "Where are we?" Nomi's eyes were sad when he looked at him.
"My home. Welcome to Norrisville." He said softly. Randy was taken aback.
"But, Howard and I were here! Wh-" Nomi looked at him.
"This happened a year or so before the time you and Howard came." Nomi's voice was very, very small.
"Oh." the duo kept walking until they reached a small cave. Nomi entered silently, Randy at his side.
Inside, 12 people were there. 9 of them had on Ninja suits of their own.
"The Norisu Nine." Nomi informed him.
"Can they hear us?" Randy asked. Nomi shook his head. Randy looked up and saw the First Ninja.
"Please, brother. Stay here and protect them." The girl ninja said.
"I cannot leave you to go and defeat the Sorcerer. I must help." The First Ninja said firmly. The girl, who was wearing a light blue, shook her head.
"Please. You have more training than all of us." The First Ninja gave the girl a sad look. finally, he bowed.
"Hai. Good luck, Naomi." She nodded and left with the other seven. Now that they were gone, Randy got a better look at who was in the cave. He saw two young, yet old people, sitting down and meditating. behind the First Ninja, a boy about 14 emerged. Randy's eyes widened when he saw who it was.
"Nomi?" He whispered. The red- head next to him just simply nodded.
"Why didn't you go? I could have protected Mother and Father!" Young Nomi said. The First Ninja crouched down to his level.
"They are right. I have more training. You do not have enough to face the Sorcerer or his minions."
"But-" Young Nomi began to protest. The First Ninja held up his hand before reaching into his pocket. He pulled something out and took Nomi's hands. He pressed the object on his hands and closed them.
"Use it only in times of need." He instructed. Young Nomi nodded.
"Hai, Naoki." Randy looked at Nomi and saw tears threatening to spill.
A loud sound coming from the outside of the cave reached Randy's ears. Naoki stood up.
"I must go help the others." He said before facing Young Nomi.
"Be safe, Noriko. I trust you'll do well." Noriko nodded, watching Naoki run off.
Behind him, both of his parents stood and set a hand on his shoulder.
"Go. Stay far away. Don't let Naoki or the others see you." His father said.
"I trust that you will do well." His mother added. Noriko fiddled with the object Naoki gave him.
"What about you?" He asked. His father smiled slightly.
"We have learned that we cannot be harmed when meditating hard enough." His father said. His mother stepped in front of Noriko.
"We have decided to go into eternal meditation. We will wake once there is peace." She said. Tears brimmed in Noriko's eyes.
"Mother, Father. Why?"
It is the only way. Now, focus on your training and go."
"We will never forget you, Noriko."
"Nor will I."
"Remember what your grandmother said." His father reminded him. Noriko nodded as the couple sat back down, holding hands.
"I will not forget." He promised. His father nodded slowly.
"Good."
"Goodbye, Mitsue. Goodbye, Mao." Noriko said, first to his father, then to his mother. They both smiled.
"Remember. Once there is peace, we will wake." And then, the two shut their eyes together, drifting off into eternal meditation.
The screams reached Noriko's ears, making him look at the gift that Naoki give him.
"For my parents." He then put on the green necklace and ran off to help.
Randy stared at Nomi, who was messing with his necklace- the exact thing that was given to him.
"Nomi, what's going on?" Randy asked nervously.
"My past. There is more to see." The scene shifted. Now, they were standing behind a small pile of wood with Noriko crouching. He had a determined look in his eyes. His eyes also seemed to reflect what was going on in front of him.
Randy looked and saw a huge fight going on. Eight of the nine had combined their powers, blasting at the Sorcerer, who in turn was blasting his own green mist.
The Sorcerer managed to hit them, causing their combined powers to fade. That's when Randy noticed they were all in Rage form.
"Goodbye, Norisu Nine." The Sorcerer grinned. He blasted at them once more, screams escaping their mouths.
Randy gasped in horror when he saw that they were all dead. He glanced at Nomi, then at Noriko. They were both fighting tears.
"Nomi? Are you okay?" Randy asked, setting a hand on his shoulder. Nomi nodded, glaring at the Sorcerer.
When the First Ninja appeared, Randy wanted to shout, Hey man, where were you? Shopping for kimonos while your siblings sacrificed themselves? Good job!
Randy watched the First Ninja collapse and grip the hand of the fallen Naomi. All of a sudden, he felt bad for the guy. The Sorcerer frowned when he saw him, then brightened in an evil way.
"At long last! The Norisu Nine will be gone!" He shouted, mist circling his hands. The First Ninja looked up, as if he were ready to die. He saw him glance over where he was for a quick second. Randy looked at Noriko, feeling really bad. As soon as the Sorcerer blasted his mist, the First Ninja's eyes widened. That's when Noriko acted.
"Noo!" He jumped in front of the attack, getting hit by the Sorcerer's mist instead of the First Ninja.
Randy thought he heard Noriko gasp out a quick, I love you, to the First Ninja before the mist took him over entirely.
"No!" The First Ninja exclaimed. The Sorcerer's eyes narrowed.
"You ruined it!" He shouted, as though Norkio could hear him. He lowed his hands, and fell to the ground. the mist retreated to the Sorcerer.
"I'll be back." He hissed, his power consuming him. When it vanished, the weakened Sorcerer was gone. Randy forced himself to look over at the First Ninja, who was reaching out to touch the...
Book...
"Oh." Randy said simply. Nomi nodded.
"I- I didn't know that this happened to you, Nomi. I'm sorry." Randy said. Nomi nodded. That's when a question occurred to Randy.
"If the First- I'm sorry, Naoki saw you as the Nomicon, how come he didn't recognize you when Howard and I were there?" He asked.
"Naoki made me erase his memory of me becoming a book. I made him think I died rather than taking on a curse for him. It was too much pain for him to see me alive as a book. He knew I would be immortal, and it hurt him the same way it hurt me. I just became a book of Ninja wisdom. He called me the Ninja Nomicon. He didn't recognize me because I was hidden from him." Nomi explained.
"We should go home. It must be getting dark." He said, letting out a small breath. Randy nodded. Nomi got down on the ground in a meditating position. Randy did the same.
"Ninja Nomicon no monogatari ga ima, anata ni akiraka ni sa rete iru. Kono chishiki o iji shi, chūi shite toriatsukau." (The story of the Ninja Nomicon is now revealed to you. Keep this knowledge and handle it with care.)
"Open." Randy obeyed and opened his eyes. All around him was the green forest.
"Are you beginning to understand this better, Randy?" Nomi questioned.
"Yeah. Come on, Nomi. Lets go home." The two ninjas stood up and leaped away.
But little did our heroes know, a familiar figure peeked their head out from behind the tree that the Ninja was sitting on.
O_o
MUWAHAHAHAHAHA!
Don't you love my cliffies?
ILYGSM
Smokebomb!
