Another chappie... Another comment on relationships. If it completely swings one way one moment, it might swing back the other way in the next chapter. So hold those angry reviews! :D P.S.: I have decided who Tara is going to be with. You won't find out until the last couple chapters!

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I don't own Lego or Ninjago

Chapter 12

Tara's POV

I clawed desperately at my throat for some sort of relief for my lungs to breathe air. I tried kicking to the surface, but I ended up kicking up to part of the lake covered in ice. I felt something wrap around me. My first thought was it must be an octopus so I kicked blindly for it to release me. It wouldn't let go! Then I felt a cold breeze against my face. I had surfaced! A miracle! I looked over at the thing that latched onto me. It was Cole, with a swelling black eye.

"How many times am I going to have to save you before I don't get beat up?" he asked with raised eyebrows. I grinned at him. He was truly the other best thing that has ever happened to me.

"I don't know... I'm not the type of girl that likes to play damsel in distress," I said as he let me down.

"Good thing I installed climate control devices into our outfits or else we would all be suffering from hypothermia right now," Jay gloated. Mr. B sniffed at me.

"Oh," I translated, "Mr. B says he accidentally led us the wrong way."

"...Mr. B?" Zane asked.

"Wrong way?" Jay and Cole yelled simultaneously.

"I could have guessed that they would be in the City of Ouroboros," Jay declared hotly. Something dropped down from the wall. It was Kai. He had his golden weapon on his back and no fang blade.

"You idiot!" I yelled at him, "That girl played you like a violin!" He smiled sheepishly back at me.

"But, full potential..." he pouted with big doe eyes. I raised my fist and he flinched.

"Two for flinching," I told him as I gave him two harsh punches on the arm.

Jay thought, "You know, if Tara's dog wouldn't have led us on a wild goose chase, we might of been able to stop Kai from acting so densely." So now this is all my fault! Kai just smirked at me.

"Boys..." I muttered under my breath while shrugging my shoulders.

With a quick surveillance of the area, the team decided there were too many serpentine to take back the fang blade and we returned to the Destiny's Bounty. Nya was busy hanging strange colored lights and dried mistletoe underneath doorways.

"Oh man! I forgot about Christmas coming up! It's going to be weird not celebrating it with Sensei Wu," Jay inquired.

"What's Christmas?" I asked innocently. Everyone looked at me like I had turned into a Fangpyre.

"You mean you never have celebrated Christmas?" Nya asked. I shook my head, wondering what this whimsical seeming celebration was all about.

"It is a Christian holiday celebrating Christ's birth. Typically you do an exchanging of presents the day of and decorate a tree that you pick out," Zane recited.

"Wait," I thought, "Is the tree chopped down in order to celebrate?"

"Typically, yes" Zane responded.

"Worst. Holiday. Ever," I declared and went back to doodling with crayons.

"Come on Tara, Christmas is amazing! We'll use a potted plant and even make cookies for Santa," Cole proposed.

"Santa?" I asked. Kai glared at Cole.

"What have you done! We just got Jay out of this phase!" Kai yelled at him. Nya giggled.

"Santa is a man who comes into your house at the middle of the night, eats the cookies you work so hard making for him, and leaves you presents on Christmas if you've been good person all year round," Cole continued, painting a detailed picture in my mind.

"So he breaks and enters and steals all of your cookies. Unless Cole bakes them, then Santa would probably never touch them. Do you really want that type of person coming into your house Tara?" Kai asked, trying to sway my decision.

"Yeah I do!" I replied enthusiastically. The floorboards underneath Kai started to char as he shot laser eyes in Cole's direction.

Nya guided me away from the group and suggested, "How about we do some last minute shopping for Christmas before Kai has a meltdown, shall we?"

Kai's POV

I was going to have to dress up as Santa again! I groaned inwardly as I glowered at Cole.

"Do you know how awkward it was to have Jay cling to me last year? Cole you better not bake any cookies this year. You know what happened to Sensei! He was in the hospital for a month. A month!" I said, losing my composure.

"I won't cook for a whole month after Christmas," Cole offered. Zane and Jay drilled holes into the back of my head, urging for me to take the offer.

I huffed, "Fine." Darn Cole's inedible food! I went to my room and thought back to what happened in the City of Ouroboros.

"Why are you working for them?" I asked her. Her eyes narrowed and studied me.

"Why should I tell you?" she asked off-handedly.

I laughed, unfazed by her glare, "I believe the question is: why shouldn't you tell me?" She opened her mouth to retort, but closed it.

"Pythor saved me," she explained bluntly, "I am now forever in his debt."

"Soo, if I save you you'll stop working for him?" I pressed. She brought my golden weapon to my neck and stared at me. I looked away first.

"Get out of here before you get you get yourself killed, lover boy," she smirked as she dropped the weapon at my feet. I stared after her retreating figure.

"Lover boy, huh?" I mused at the ceiling, "Well I guess she got that right." I got up and stretched and then went to the game room. I saw Tara sitting on the couch, waiting for something patiently. I guess they finished shopping.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Waiting for Santa," she responded with complete seriousness, "See? Jay's waiting too." I noticed Jay sitting on the other couch with teddy bear and nunchucks in hand.

"Jay we went over this-" I started.

"No you didn't," he cut me off. Staring excitedly at the potted tree in the corner. Tara and I used to agree on one thing.

Worst. Holiday. Ever.

I love Christmas btw. Kai is just having his little Grinch moment.