Discovering Destiny

Phew! I managed to get another chapter just in time! This one's short after that super long V-Day oneshot yesterday. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 25: My Little Shadow

The ninja and kunoichi got dressed in their new individual uniforms. It felt strange to wear something new for the very first time but they still felt a sense of excitement.

"Um… how do I look?" Jay asked once he was fully dressed in his blue gi.

"Stop worrying, Jay," Nya responded, "You don't look that much different."

The blue ninja blushed but quickly hid his face in his scarf. He thought Nya looked even more gorgeous in her new gi, not that he'll ever say it out loud.

Cole gave an experimental flex showing off his large powerful bicep. Luna felt her face heat up at the sight of his muscles. She was sure her complexion was a more intense red than Kai's gi.

Aria gave a little twirl, showing off her orange uniform. She felt all giddy wearing a unique outfit only she would've come up with. Iris was also pleasantly surprised that her new gi was comfortable. It was a far cry from the frilly Sweet Lolita clothes she always wore but it will do.

Lloyd still didn't find the uniform change that much of a big deal. Beauty is only skin deep and his new gi won't change the fact that he's the widely despised son of Lord Garmadon.

At least until the ninja will get the inevitable attention once they start fighting the Shark Army...

All the uniforms were different from each other and from the clothes they've always worn.

"This is not a time to celebrate." Of course Master Wu was the one to burst the ninja's bubble.

The ninja remembered that their new gi was also a sign that confrontation with Garmadon is creeping ever closer. They were now starting to realize that being a ninja was far from what they expected.

"Start training in your uniforms to grow accustomed to them. The time to take action draws near."

Wu can tell his students were disappointed but he can't sugarcoat the truth. Not after wasting a lot of time getting to know one another. They'll be going on a lot of adventures soon...

Iris and Karloff spent another day in Ninjago City, browsing and shopping for clothes and other things they'll need. But today, they had a third person joining them.

"Look! There's a sale going on at Eternal 18!" Aria pointed at the store.

Iris heard from Nya that Aria was a shopaholic and since she also like shopping, she thought they'll be able to bond over their mutual interest and invited her to spend a day in the city with her and Karloff.

The burly man considered himself a very patient individual but found himself quickly exhausted by Iris' friend wanting to stop by every single outlet they come across. Then again, he let his niece drag him to places only she liked so he followed along with little complaint.

"Let's stop by the Uniclo after this! I wanna see if they got some good tops to try on!" Aria insisted.

"Aria… please..." Iris also liked shopping but still found Aria's flightiness a bit exhausting.

"I can tell you like shopping… a lot… but there are much more important things to buy than clothing." Karloff said, being more patient than his niece.

"I couldn't resist!" Aria exclaimed, "It's like they're calling to me!"

"Let's keep going Iris," Karloff consoled his niece, "I know what will cheer you up!"

Iris' violet eyes finally shone with a sparkle of excitement when she caught sight of one of her absolute favorite places in the entire city.

"We're finally here!" The girly girl practically squealed with glee, "I love their clothes! Come on! I can show you around Darling, the Stars Shine Bright! You're gonna love it!"

Iris dragged both Karloff and Aria into the shop. The kunoichi of wind couldn't say that Lolita Fashion was for her but she did like the cute looks and can see why someone like Iris would like it so much.

"Come one! You gotta try on at least one of the dresses!" Iris shoved some of the frilly clothing on the kunoichi of wind's face.

"I don't think -"

"How about this one?" The violet-eyed girl showed her friend a white dress that had a bunch of bows on the tiered skirt.

"It's cute but I already got some white clothes," The kunoichi of wind In fact, I have a lot like blouses, skirts, socks, and..."

"Okay! I get it!" Iris stopped her before she could ramble.

"I gotta get home before it's too late or else my parents won't let me hear the end of it." Aria said.

"But you two are getting along in this… group project… right?" Karloff asked.

"Yeah..." Iris answered with a slight hint of nervousness...

"We're not working on a group project. We're part of- mmph!" Aria almost blabbed about the Secret Ninja Force had Iris not clamped her hand over her mouth.

"Aria! You're such an airhead!" The kunoichi of metal scolded her ally.

Karloff had no idea where Iris' odd behavior was coming from. He went through a lot and didn't want his niece to go through the same or at least not do something she might end up regretting.

"Are you sure you're not doing anything… off…?"

"Of course not!" Both girls said, Aria finally realizing she almost blabbed about her secret life as part of the Secret Ninja Force.

Karloff kept giving the girls a scrutinizing gaze for a few moments before his steely eyes softened.

'That was close!' Both kunoichi sighed in relief once he turned around.

If they were to keep their secret, they might have their work cut out for them...

Jay only heard of The Petite Corner after Zane told him he now had a part-time job there. Having had the robot's cooking before, he was sure the place will be a hit. Much to his surprise, the cafe still didn't have a lot of people when he got there in the afternoon.

"Excuse me." A girl's voice asked behind him.

"S-sorry!" Jay realized he was standing right in front of the entrance but recognized the girl.

"Heather…!" The lightning ninja briefly panicked. This was the first time he interacted with one of the kunoichi besides Nya outside of training.

"What's up?" Heather greeted casually.

The freckled boy started stuttering and shaking like a leaf. Heather saw glimpses of his cautious nature during training but understood what it's like. She did feel anxious while thinking about the possibilities her new life as a kunoichi has opened up to her but she thought it best to be courteous and give him the benefit of the doubt.

"There's no need to get all jittery. I was going to grab a bite to eat but we could go in and eat together if that's fine by you." The kunoichi of nature offered.

"N-not at all." The timid boy complied.

"Welcome." Zane greeted his teammates as he did with everyone who stopped by the cafe.

"No offense, I thought you would be cooking." Jay admitted.

"I will. I have to perform small duties before I can work in the kitchen. But for now, what will you like to order? The special for today is the mild chicken curry."

"I'll have the omurice." Jay answered.

"And I'll be having the cream sauce spaghetti." Heather added.

"Please wait for your orders." The android left to fetch their meals.

"I wonder what Zane's cooking will taste like." Heather said.

"Wait until you taste Zane's cooking. It's out of this world. One time, he made sandwiches for Cole and me and it was the best I've ever had." Jay told her.

"I've never really seen you much in school until we joined… you know..." Heather said, aware that they were in a public place.

"I guess you could say I'm a wallflower." Jay replied.

"There's quite a few shy people in school and I see them every once in a while but we never really saw each other until now."

"I'm actually part of the auto club with Lloyd. Maybe that's why we never met..."

"That's understandable. I also work at the flower shop after school so I don't spend much time out in the city during weekdays either."

"You work at a flower shop?"

"Yeah. I work at the one called Blossoming Memories not far from here. You can come over whenever you have the chance."

"I never really thought much about Mother Nature, even though I spent almost all of my childhood in the Garden City of Parsa. I grew up around technology and I'm more easily drawn to it."

"I'm not too surprised, knowing you're in the auto club..."

"If you ask me, I think the world will be a much better place if technology took over everything." The usually timid teen said rather bluntly.

"Are you saying Mother Nature was never necessary?" Heather glowered.

"I just don't see what's so important about a bunch of plants. And technology has taken humans to so many places and plants have never done that."

"How dare you take nature for granted? I thought you would know better growing up in Parsa."

"Parsa has a lot more than gardens you know." Jay felt more aggravated than annoyed for once, which surprised even himself.

"Forgive me for interrupting but please do not disturb the patrons otherwise I must ask you to leave." Zane interrupted his teammate's debate.

The robot's stern face was a stark contrast to his usually naive expressions. Heather and Jay were both intimidated by how different Zane was from his quirky self.

"Before you forget, your food is ready," The android pointed at the dishes already set on their table, "I would recommend putting your argument aside and eat before your meals get cold."

"Sorry." His teammates apologized and ate their food in awkward silence.

Looks like things aren't going to be all perfect and dandy within the Secret Ninja Force…

Just as expected, training went on as usual at the hideout, even with the ninja's new gi.

During the ninja's break from training, Kai had a lot he wanted to say, especially to Cole. It's been quite a while since he gave away the Secret Ninja Force to the Shark Army but he still had yet to rid himself of the guilt. He spent most of their breaks moping lately and Cole noticed it.

"Hey." Cole greeted the red ninja and joined him at the corner of the warehouse.

Kai gave a small 'hmph' in return and Cole can tell he was still guilt-ridden by the unfortunate events that happened ever since his counterproductive attempt to save Master Wu from the Shark Army.

"I don't think it's healthy to keep moping about what's already happened." The earth ninja said.

"You really think it's that simple?" His teammate retorted, "You think you can just act like that beating from the Shark Army never happened? You were lucky you came out of it alive."

"And be thankful I did," Cole replied firmly, "Kai, it's time to put the past behind us."

"It's still my fault you got hurt."

"I know how tempting it is but you can never undo the past. But you still have plenty of opportunities to make things right again. When we fight the Shark Army, you'll be able to kick their asses."

"If you think that's gonna make me better, then you failed."

"I seriously wonder how Nya's still alive having a brother like you." Cole wasn't lying. Kai's reluctance to ever compromise was getting frustrating even for such an easygoing guy like him.

"What are you implying?" The hothead kept glaring at his teammate.

"I'm just saying," The earth ninja shrugged, "It won't do you any good to keep moping. I'm serious, Kai. If you're gonna do nothing but beat yourself up, more people will get hurt. I don't want that either."

The fire ninja never felt so conflicted in his whole life. He didn't want more people ending up like Cole but he still can't let go of his past mistakes.

But which choice should he make?

Keep everyone safe but do nothing or risk everything to save them?

The fire ninja's grip on the hilt of one of his katana tightened.

He can only choose one path...

Lloyd and Iris' lunches together was mostly the former mulling over his terrible social life and absence of his father for most of his life while the latter was always willing to lend an ear.

"It's strange that he's never around but he still manages to ruin my life." Lloyd complained over his evil parent's reputation and the effects it had on his formative years.

"I don't think he really intended for that to happen..." Iris tried reasoning with him.

"Are you kidding me? He probably knows my mom and I are living in the city! If he didn't want us to be separated, why didn't he try doing anything about it!? He could've tried searching for us or even find our number but he didn't!"

"But do you really think living with an evil father will make life easier? How do you think you'll turn out if you were raised by your dad?"

"I never really thought about it that much to be honest," Lloyd sighed, "I really don't want to turn out to be a mini version of my dad but I think it's because he was never around. If he lived with us or if my mom stayed, I can't imagine how I would've ended up..."

"At least you still have your mom..." Iris reminded him, "She may not have it easy either. If you end up marrying the worst guy ever, you're guaranteed to get all sorts of attention."

"I do appreciate the things she's done for me since she left Garmadon yet I can't shake off this feeling. It's kinda like… resentment..."

"So you hate your mom too?"

"No! I do love her… but I can't forget that she was the one who chose to leave Garmadon… I still can't imagine what my life would've been like if she stayed… I didn't ask for Garmadon to be my father… but I can't imagine how I would end up if she married some ordinary guy and stayed with him..."

"You should consider yourself lucky to have a good mother…" Iris said all of a sudden.

Now it was Iris' turn to be the brooding one. Lloyd never thought it would be the other way around.

"Why would you say that?"

"I'm living with my uncle. Isn't it obvious?"

Even if all the hate Lloyd got was unwarranted, he still wasn't perfect. Until now, the reality that there were other people struggling with family issues never crossed his mind. What he said about himself to Cole was true. He was a selfish brat.

"Is there something going on between you and your parents?" Lloyd asked.

The hint of iron in Iris' eyes have completely faded. Her amethyst orbs looked… empty. And the glare she sent at him seemed devoid of any of the kindness she always displayed. Lloyd was taken aback by his teammate's sudden change in attitude.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to..." He tried to console her.

Iris' cold gaze softened but she headed back into the building without saying a word, which still failed to ease the tension. The green-eyed youth can already tell things weren't looking up between Iris and her parents but she (and everyone else) knew of his daddy issues.

'What gives these people the right to get away with bullying you, huh?' Lloyd's darker thoughts began to interfere with his life. He always felt envious of other kids who had things going smoothly for them and expected their whole lives to be just like that. He tried not to think too much into it but such dark emotions have been popping up ever since he joined the Secret Ninja Force.

'Can't think of these things now… There's bigger things to worry about...'

Lloyd had to go back inside to resume his miserable school life but ignored the strange sensation that went off deep in his chest...

It wasn't just Luna who would feed the dog that now resided by the ninja hideout. Zane arrived early and fed the shaggy critter some cooked chicken. The dog wagged its tail like a helicopter rotor while it happily munched on the succulent meat. Luna herself was surprised when she came early only to find the android already feeding their canine friend.

"Zane? I didn't expect you to be here." Luna greeted the ice ninja.

"I assumed you would. We are ninja after all." Zane responded.

Luna still brought a dog biscuit for the critter who was just as happy to eat it after it was finished with the chicken.

"It's kinda dumb of me to feed the dog for a while and still not come up with a name for it," Luna said, "I'm quite embarrassed to say it but I don't even know if it's a boy or girl."

The robot suddenly lifted the dog's leg to scan its body, much to his teammate's astonishment.

"Zane…!" The kunoichi of sound gasped.

"It is female." Zane said once the dog's gender was confirmed by his scans.

"Then what shall we name her?"

"We cannot take her in to our homes yet she stays by our side. She is almost like a shadow..."

Luna wondered if 'Shadow' will be a suitable name for the dog. It wasn't exactly original but...

"Varjo." The robot spoke almost from out of nowhere.

"...What…?" Luna tilted her head in confusion.

"Varjo. It means 'shadow' in Finnish. It may be a fitting name because she is like a shadow to us ninja."

"Wait… You… know Finnish…?"

"When I was being built, I was programmed to speak and read both the Common Tongue and Finnish. My father's ancestors were of Finnish descent. I assume he wanted to stay in touch with his roots."

"That's interesting… Do you also consider yourself Finnish?"

"I am… not sure… I was made so I do not think I would have an ethnicity..."

"But you often say you're just like us at school."

"I want to believe that I am the same… But because I was built, I do not believe I have an ethnicity..."

"So that makes you different. Didn't you say you want to be the same as humans?"

"As much as I want to be treated on the same level as humans, I will always be different. However, in a sense, we are all different. I simply do not want my inorganic body to be what people see as my main difference. It is the difference in every individual person that

"I think I understand..."

The little dog barked, alerting the pair of the other ninja's arrival.

"But Varjo… you don't mind being called that, do you?" Luna asked the newly christened dog, who let out another bark as if to tell her she accepted her new name.

Then Varjo it is...

Nya and Jay finally found a moment to hang out together between classes. They headed for the roof of the school so they can talk about their lives as ninja a bit more openly.

"Since we got our new uniforms, what do you think will happen next?" Jay asked.

"I don't know," Nya shrugged, "But whatever comes next, I'll be ready."

The lightning ninja remained silent, admiring his teammate's confidence with pretty much everything. She was way out of his league...

"Now that I'm the kunoichi of water, I've been thinking up of designs for my mech."

"All I've come up with so far is something that could swim underwater but I want it to also be versatile so I'm planning on a design that could let it function on all kinds of terrain. What about you?"

"I'm still thinking about what I want..."

"I don't think it's really fair making Lloyd do all the work. You know, since we know a lot about working with machines, maybe we could also build some of the mechs..."

"You want the both of us to work together?" Nya raised an eyebrow, catching on his choice of words.

"I-I-I mean… I-if you w-want to… Oh gosh..." Jay wrapped his scarf over his head to hide his face.

"I don't mind working with you. Come on, Jay. Stop being so nervous all the damn time. You're a ninja now and you can't give up now. Not after all the things that's happened already."

Nya was right. Jay made his decision to join the team to be more courageous, not to keep spazzing out at the slightest sign of trouble.

"I understand that it can be tough… but only a true coward would back out at the first opportunity and you didn't when the opportunity was in front of you more than once. I like to think we can all become more than what we believe we are."

"Do you still think someone like me could become something more…?"

"Sure," Nya said, "If you really like to know, I don't mind working with you."

"Really?" Jay literally squeaked.

Nya chuckled at the shy boy's reactions. It can be a bit annoying at times but also kinda cute. The blue ninja always had a certain charm that set him apart from every other guy. Heck, not one single person was ever the same.

Before they could talk some more, they heard the bell ring and their faces were beet red in an instant.

There's no way the other teens at school will let them hear the end of this…

Yeah. It's not much but I have a bunch of plans.

Check out my special V-Day story, Blue Is My Favorite Color. I dare you to try & read it in one go. As always, please review & I'll see you again soon!