88
"Matilda? What on earth does she want?"
Marty III sat flabbergasted. His son sat brooding at his desk.
"I have no idea. My guess is it's something political all tied up in that Oni girl and her family, but there's no way of knowing what. She claims she just wants to get to know M…"
Marty III snorted and Marty IV smiled in grim agreement.
"He wrote her this letter, basically begging her to come get him out of here."
That hit the eldest Openheimer hard and he furrowed his brow.
"He…he did?"
Marty IV nodded and pushed the letter over to his father. The older man scanned it quickly and frowned.
"He didn't tell me about any of this…"
"You've been gone for weeks; were you expecting him to write you first?" Marty IV asked dryly. His father's frown deepened.
"The date on the letter was before I ever left. Why didn't he talk to me?"
The Headmaster sunk lower into his chair, his fingers pressed together thoughtfully.
"I suppose I can take comfort in the fact that I'm no longer the only one he won't confide in," Marty IV mused dryly. His father didn't answer and the Headmaster sighed. "It's a mess, father. A horrible mess. I should have never even told him that Matilda was there; I could have gotten someone to escort her out…"
"She would have just made a fuss, like she always does. That would have backfired on you worse," Marty III mused as his eyes scanned the letter for a third time. "Matilda had you in a corner and she knew it, showing up at a public event like that."
The Headmaster dry-washed his face.
"I want to turn that Oni girl down…just cut off ties completely with that whole family. Now more than ever, if Matilda's going to make them her next target. But things with M. are so fragile as it is and he continues to insist that Amber be allowed back into the school or he's threatening dropping out…"
"He certainly can't go with Matilda. You have custody, after all."
The Eldest Openheimer folded the letter up soundly, looking up to meet his son's eye.
"She won't fight for him, if it comes down to that. You know she won't."
Marty IV was silent for a moment.
"I just don't know what the boy's capable of anymore…not after that letter stunt. The bottom line is now that she's back he's going to get his hopes up. In fact, they're already sky high. I do anything that he sees as chasing her away, he'll hate me more than he already does."
The Headmaster's tone was uncharacteristically soft, and his father leaned forward.
"M doesn't hate you, Marty…"
"Of course he does…he's made that much abundantly clear," the younger man's expression hardened as he sat up straighter. "And if that's how he's going to be, then fine. But I won't let him throw his future away in the meantime…even if it means I have to make certain allowances."
Marty III sighed, his stomach twisting as he finally tossed the folded letter back onto the desk.
"Maybe I should stick around after all; it sounds like trouble's brewing."
The Headmaster scoffed, but then shook his head.
"No. We need the benefactors, and you've already made the arrangements with the Walshords. Time to see if you really are better at pulling up patrons out of the woodwork than I am."
"We aren't that desperate, Marty. We would be fine if I pushed the trip back another season."
Marty IV looked up and actually looked like he was considering it for a moment. But then his expression hardened again and he shook his head.
"No, you go. I'm capable of managing this mess for now. I just wanted to make sure you were in the loop."
His father looked sad, but he knew better than to push…especially with everything else his son was dealing with. One wrong move and he was afraid Marty IV would shatter completely. He leaned forward.
"Alright, I will take my leave then. Probably stop by M's room…he's home?"
"He should be," the Headmaster said softly. He was facing the phone now, deep in thought. Marty III grabbed his cane and used it to push himself to his feet. He headed for the door but turned one last time.
"You're accepting Amber back, then?"
Marty IV hesitated before nodding grimly.
"Have you called her yet?"
Here the Headmaster scoffed and looked up.
"No. M's put forward another demand…he wants her back in now. Pulled in mid-semester…that won't look like favoritism, I'm sure."
His tone was bitter and Marty III leaned heavily on his cane.
"Are you going to do it?"
"Do I have much choice?" came the soft answer. Marty IV's gaze had slid away from the phone to the letter his father had tossed back onto the desk. When he spoke again it sounded almost like he was talking to himself.
"It's a dangerous game she's playing…but she's never minded playing dangerous games if she's not the one at risk of getting hurt."
The oldest Openheimer didn't know what to say, so he finally gave his son one last nod before heading out into the hall. As the door swung shut he could hear Marty IV picking up the phone and typing in a number.
Marty III sighed heavily, processing what his son had told him as he slowly made his way down the hall. He reached M's door and hesitated before knocking. He was relieved with he heard the boy inside.
"Who is it?"
"Your grandfather."
Another moment and Marty III let himself in. M glanced up from the book he was reading on his bed.
"Hey, Gramps. You headed off on your trip again?"
His grandson seemed better, Marty decided. Happier; some of that old spark back. But he couldn't help but worry about the reason why.
"That's right. Had to see my favorite grandson before leaving, though."
M. smiled at that and sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.
"Sure, Gramps. I hope that it goes well, brushing elbows with all those rich people."
Marty chuckled, but his smile didn't reach his eyes as he headed over to the chair by M's desk.
"I heard the auditions went well. Quite a few skilled talents coming in next semester."
"Yeah."
M. didn't say anything else, and Marty frowned. M caught his expression.
"Are you alright, Gramps?"
"Yes, just…tired."
He cleared his throat.
"M…your father tells me your mother came to the audition."
The wall went up visibly.
"Yeah, she did."
M's tone was still polite, but stiff. Marty tried to smile reassuringly.
"I must admit I'm a little surprised that you haven't mentioned it to me yet. You generally tell me about these sorts of things…"
"Oh, I probably would have," M. said. "You've just been gone, and it kind of took me by surprise. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it."
His stiff demeanor faded a little as his excitement leaked through the wall he had tried to put up.
"I'm having lunch with her in a few days at her new offices. She's the president of something or another…some kind of team here."
"Ah."
Marty tried to think of what to say.
"And…you feel good about this?" he finally managed carefully. M. looked over and his expression fell.
"Sure…why shouldn't I? I mean…I get it. She left, and maybe I should be angrier. But…well…"
He gave a shrug.
"I wrote her and she came and I think that maybe she's been waiting for me to reach out. Like maybe she just didn't think I'd want to see her."
"Maybe."
Marty III's voice was soft, and M looked back up at him.
"I'll have to tell you how it goes, when you get back," the teen finally said, and Marty nodded.
"Of course. I'd like that."
M. stood and came over to give his Grandfather a quick embrace.
"Good luck on your trip, Gramps. You'll have to fill me in on all the rich-people news. How long are you going, again?"
"Just a few weeks. A month or two tops."
M. nodded.
"Well, see you when you get back."
Marty managed to get to his feet again. He gave M a long look and his grandson finally tilted his head.
"What?"
"Just…go easy on your father, M."
The teen immediately scowled.
"You know how he is, Gramps," he muttered, and his grandfather sighed.
"Yes…he certainly doesn't do himself any favors. But he's under a lot of pressure right now."
"I guess."
Marty rested one hand on his shoulder.
"He loves you, M."
M glanced up with a mix of confusion and surprise…and even a flash of disbelief. Marty sighed.
"He just never was good at showing it."
M. glanced away and finally shrugged.
"Well, I'm here till graduation at least…so he should be happy."
Marty shook his head.
"That's not…"
"I'll be fine, Gramps. Promise I'll try not to fight with him…especially with Mom involved now. I know things are gonna be strained."
He flashed his Grandfather one last reassuring smile.
"I can handle it."
The only light came from the star-lit floor. Amber's heart pounded as she looked around in confusion. How was she back here? They had escaped…hadn't they?
A wind whipped past, and Amber paused when it sounded like the breeze was trying to talk to her. But the words were silky and unintelligible, and she swallowed before moving to continue on.
Her feet were stuck. She looked down in a panic as she seemed to be sucked downward into the star-studded floor. She tried to blast it, but she couldn't. Why weren't her powers working?!
"Help!"
Her words rang out and echoed as she struggled. Her ankles disappeared and the freezing floor moved up her calves. She couldn't feel her legs once they passed through the floor and she shook in terror.
"Amber?"
"Theo?!"
She could hear him running now.
"Amber, where are you?"
"Here! Theo help me!"
She continued to sink, and her heart pounded as she listened to her brother's pounding footsteps. Where was he? Was it even her brother at all, or just the Island playing another cruel trick?"
The wind whipped around her again and she closed her eyes as it pulled at her hair and clothes. A chilling laugh rang out around her and her eyes flew open in panic.
"No…" she managed, but then the words choked in her throat. She continued to thrash, her eyes seeking the Alchemist in the darkness. Amber tried to feel like she had last time she had faced Evynn: confident and angry. But right now, all she felt was fear.
The floor was to her hips now, and it hungrily sucked her downward. Suddenly Evynn was there, smiling cruelly.
I warned you, little Xinta. I warned you what would happen if you crossed me…
"Amber!"
Theo's voice was closer now, and panic tore through Amber's body. She wanted to yell at Evynn, or scream for Theo to get away. But she couldn't say anything; her words seemed as stuck as her powers, and she sank helplessly as the Alchemist shook her head patronizingly.
Not so powerful now, are you?
"Ams, where are you?"
She could see Theo now, his hands glowing in the distance as he searched for her. She could feel his confusion…his fear. Her own fear filled her completely, and tears began to course down her face at her own inability to save herself. To warn her brother.
Amber sank further and she watched the scene unfold from lower and lower vantage points. She raged and begged inwardly, but her words still wouldn't come out.
Oh, Amber…there's no use fighting. This is the outcome that you chose, Evynn murmured, her golden eyes flashing.
Black tendrils sprang from the floor and Theo cried out as they wrapped around his arms, pulling him down. Amber watched in horror as her brother fought the Alchemist's power, but he wasn't strong enough. He hadn't ever been strong enough…but now Amber couldn't protect him.
Evynn's hand touched Amber's face and she recoiled violently. But now the floor was creeping up her chest, towards her shoulders. One arm had been sucked down as well, and the black substance lapped at the elbow of her remaining arm that she was desperately trying to keep above the ravenous floor.
Don't worry, little Xinta… Evynn cooed.
Theo was bound now, the tendrils wrapping around his body. His yells were cut short as the sticky-looking substance darted across his face, effectively gagging him. Amber could still feel his fear and determination, even with him being silenced. She felt another surge of rage in herself and tried to fight back, but she only sank further. The Alchemist watched her with mirthful victory, and when she stood, she towered over Amber. Her words were both a threat and a promise
I'll take good care of your brother.
Amber was to her neck now, panic searing through her mind. She found she couldn't move at all as the freezing numbness inched up to her chin, then over her mouth. The last thing she could see was the Alchemist striding towards her immobile brother, her hands lighting up with power as Theodynn's terror and horror exploded out into the room.
"THEO!"
Amber's scream split the silence of the night, and she thrashed violently in her sudden ability to move. She was gasping for air, her eyes flying open as she tried to find her brother. All around her, aura was spinning wildly, ripping posters from the walls…throwing trophies to the ground…
The realization hit and she bolted upright, still gasping. The door opened and light flooded the room.
"Amber! Are you alright?!"
The aura faded quickly, though the Oni continued to shake hard as she sat on her father's childhood bed. She looked over to see her Grandfather in the doorway, looking extremely concerned.
"It was…he was…"
She couldn't even spit it out, and Lou's expression softened as he realized.
"You had a nightmare."
She pushed herself out of bed, the panic racing through her again.
"I need to call Theo."
Lou frowned and put a hand on her shoulder as she reached the doorway.
"He's alright, Amber. It was just a dream…"
"I need to call him! Please!"
Amber was still shaking and Lou nodded, putting an arm around her shoulders as he led her back into his bedroom. He pulled open a drawer to get to the strange looking device Jay had given him all those years ago. There was hardly a demand for inter-realm communicators, but Borg had managed to make several before putting his funding towards bigger and better things for Ninjago.
Lou handed Amber the device and she fiddled with it until she could hear the consistent beeping that meant the call was going through. It had taken a few minutes because of her shaking hands, and she panicked more and more the longer the beeping continued. She wanted to just transport home, but she was too scattered. She couldn't focus…
Who is this?
She blinked at Jaqah's brisk tone. The Captain of the Guard must have heard it going off in Keyda's office.
"Jaqah? It's…it's Amber. I need to talk to Theo."
Amber? What's going on?
"I need to talk with him now! Is he there?"
Jaqah must have heard the desperation in her voice because after a quick hold on the line went silent. Amber bounced on the balls of her feet, and Lou sat watching her from his bed with a concerned expression.
Hello?
Relief flooded through Amber's system when she heard Theo's voice. She went to answer, but her throat constricted and made it so nothing came out.
Amber? Are you alright?
"Tay…"
It came out choked, and a sob escaped after the single word. Theo spoke again, his voice instantly concerned.
What's happened? Did they not let you in the program?
Amber forced her emotions down so she could speak.
"No, it's not that. I…I had to make sure you were ok."
The line was silent for a moment.
I'm fine, Ams. Are you ok? Where's Grandpa?
"Grandpa's here…" Amber said, glancing up at Lou. "I just…we were back at the Island…and Evynn was going to do something to you…and…"
She began to cry and the line was quiet again as Theo realized.
Oh, Ams…it was just a nightmare…
"I don't get nightmares!" she argued, her voice sounding choked. "It was so real, Theo. Even my bad dreams…I know I'm dreaming. But this time…"
It wasn't real, I promise. I'm fine…Evynn's gone. You defeated her, remember?
"I could feel it though!" she said, wiping at her face as she whimpered. "I could feel everything…your fear, her mirth…It felt so real. I didn't know I was dreaming, Tay…I always know…"
She was rambling now, and she clutched the device like a lifeline. She had never liked talking over the communication device; unlike face-to-face, she never could sense what people were feeling.
It's ok, Amber. Nightmares are like that sometimes…they feel really real. But it's not, I promise. It's just your mind trying to process everything that happened.
She was still crying softly into the device, and Theo continued.
Where are you? Are you at Grandpa's? I'm going to transport over…
That snapped her out of it. She blinked and inhaled quickly.
"No…no it's ok…"
I can be there in a second, Amber…I don't mind.
She felt immediately ashamed. Here she was, acting like a baby.
"I'm ok, Theo. I just…I needed to hear your voice," she said lamely, wiping her face again. She suddenly did really want to see him; she knew he would scoop her into a hug. But a flare of stubbornness flickered inside. She couldn't just force him to transport over every time she had a nightmare. People had nightmares all the time and dealt with them. She shouldn't force her brother to exhaust himself transporting over when she had a bad dream.
You sure?
"Yeah…I'll have Grandpa make me some tea."
She swallowed, trying to make her voice sound calmer.
"I feel better now. I just…I woke up and I panicked.
Yeah…trust me, I've been there. It's ok, Amber. Do you want to talk to Mom or Dad?
She shook her head, but then she realized that her brother wouldn't be able to hear the gesture.
"No…I need to go back to bed. I'm sorry again, Theo."
Don't be sorry. You're sure you're ok?
"I'm good."
The line was quiet and she swallowed.
"Goodnight, Tay. I mean…it's probably not night over there right now…but…"
I know what you mean. Goodnight, Ams."
She hung up quickly so her brother wouldn't change his mind. Amber chewed her lip for a minute before remembering that her Grandfather was still sitting watching her.
"He was there?" he finally prompted, and Amber nodded.
"Yeah. He was fine, just like you said. I just…I've never…"
Her eyes filled with tears again and Lou nodded to himself as he reached out and pulled Amber into a hug. She embraced him tightly and he tutted as he rubbed her back.
"Your father told me about what happened, Amber," Lou said quietly. "I was actually wondering why it didn't seem to be affecting you more, after everything that you and Theo went through…"
She buried her face into him and didn't answer as she cried. They sat like that for a little while until her sobs changed back into hiccuppy whimpers. Then he pulled back.
"Let's see about getting you that tea, hmmm?" he murmured, and Amber nodded.
"Thanks, Papa Lou. I'm…I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry, Amber. I've had my own share of bad dreams. They can get quite vivid, you know."
Amber followed him towards the kitchen, and Lou tugged at his mustache.
"I don't know if this is the best time to tell you; I got the call after getting home tonight. You had already gone to sleep, and I figured I'd let you know the good news in the morning…"
Her heart starting pounding harder, the nightmare fading as she realized what her grandpa was describing.
"The…school called?"
Lou nodded with a twinkle in his eye.
"I don't know what that Marty IV is doing, making the calls so late in the day. But he called to say that you did it, Amber. You've been accepted back into the program."
It was a strange juxtaposition: the lingering horror still trying to cling to her while elation poured through Amber's whole body.
"I did?!" she asked again, and Lou laughed.
"Are you really so surprised? That performance was remarkable…he said you received some of the highest marks of the audition."
Amber couldn't help but grin as her grandfather put the kettle on the stove to heat.
"Did…did he mention when I could go back?"
Lou tugged his mustache again.
"That was the most interesting part, actually. He said that because you were technically already in the school at the beginning of the semester, your acceptance means that you could go back starting next week—just head right back into your classes if you don't mind doing a lot of extra hours to make up for the time you missed…"
Amber's excitement surged higher, but then something caused her to pause. M's conversation played back in her mind…the one in which he had described this exact scenario. Did this mean her friend had known that she was going to be accepted all along? Had he and his father discussed it? She frowned slightly. Is that why he was acting so strange?
"You don't have to, if you think it will be too much. Especially with everything you've been through…"
She realized her grandfather was misinterpreting her frown, and she shook her head.
"No! I do want to…I don't mind the make-up work. I've been going stir-crazy at the fortress. It's just…I'm trying to figure out if M. knew about this and didn't tell me."
Lou frowned as he began pouring the hot water into two cups.
"Maybe he wanted you to get the good news yourself," he offered. "Or maybe he just assumed you would get in, like we all did."
It made sense, in a way. Amber shook her head, clearing it from the last vestiges of her nightmare and her confusion about M. She accepted the cup her grandfather held out to her and smiled.
She would have to call her family back.
89
"No…what are you doing?!"
The Traveling-healer-in-training paused right before putting the herbs in her mouth and Hershel scowled as he snatched the leaves away.
"You can't eat them…they're toxic!"
"If they're toxic, then why did you bring them?" Another trainee chirped up.
"Yeah…I just needed to know what they did. How can I give other people herbs I haven't tried out myself?" the belligerent, and obviously daft, woman countered. The Master Healer rolled his eyes.
"Not all herbs are for eating. This one," he said, gesturing at the plant he had swiped, "Is to be placed on burns. Once its a poultice, you place it on the burn like so and then use some bandage or fabric scrap to bind it in place. It's a numbing agent…you eat this and you won't feel your mouth for a week."
The three trainees mumbled to each other, and Hershel sighed in annoyance. He went to pull out another bag to explain the herbs when he heard the door open behind him. He turned and raised an eyebrow when he saw Myrah come in.
The three trainees immediately snapped to attention, already giving the Western Leader more respect than any of them had given him in the fifteen minutes he had been there.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, his tone snappish. He probably should have more respect for the woman, but he was in a bad mood. It hadn't helped that he had arrived at the Western Fortress to learn that he was expected to do all the training here. It was a long walk to make multiple times a week; he may have to get a hoofer after all.
The other healers seemed shocked by Hershel's brash question, but Myrah actually looked amused.
"As long as your teaching…" she said, rolling up her sleeves as she came to join the other students at the table. Hershel narrowed his eyes.
"You want to learn about herbs?" he asked dryly, and she raised one eyebrow.
"A good leader seeks out any opportunity to learn," she said evenly. "Now, I'd hate to waste any more of your time, Master Healer. Please continue."
He scoffed at that.
"Well…allow me to give you the summary on everything we've already talked about," he said, his tone sarcastic as he leaned on the table with both arms. "Yes, I am a little young to be the Master Healer; no, I am not here to help anyone unlock their powers; apparently there are more freckles on the right side of my face than on my left….and yes, it is very dangerous to pop random herbs into your mouth without knowing what they are!"
He geared the last comment towards the woman who had nearly numbed her face, and she flushed in embarrassment. He heard someone chuckling and was surprised when he looked over and saw it was Myrah.
"What an inspiring teacher you are," she pointed out dryly, and he rolled his eyes.
"I'm regretting agreeing to this…" he answered in almost a growl as he pulled the yellow reeds out of his bag. She fixed him with a long look.
"Surely a Master Healer has done harder things than this," she argued, and Hershel glanced up at her. He couldn't tell if she was teasing him or not…and he found it strange that she would. She didn't seem like the teasing sort.
"Please…the hard part is the cost on my patience," he answered, and then looked over at where the other trainees were standing looking both unsure and confused. He held the reeds up.
"These plants grow in shady areas, usually around marshland. I generally have to travel a while to find them, but with the ocean nearby you shouldn't have to. They are good for stopping vomiting…"
"So this one, we can eat?"
Hershel looked over to glare at the man who spoke.
"It is ingested, yes. But unless you're secretly on the verge of vomiting, I don't suggest you do so now!"
Someone coughed and he turned to see Myrah staring down at a reed of her own. Her face was as stony as ever…but something in her demeanor made Hershel feel as though the cough had been a cover for her own amusement. He clenched his jaw and just prayed he'd get through the rest of this ridiculous lesson without any other stupid questions.
"Do you walk all the way back to your village?"
Hershel looked up to see that Myrah was still in the room, though the other trainees had already left. He shrugged as he managed to pack the rest of his materials into his satchel.
"You ought to get a hoofer; you'll be coming here fairly often…"
"I don't mind the walk," he cut in. "And I won't be here that often."
She frowned.
"I do believe we had a deal, Master Healer."
"I'm not entirely sure these idiots you found can be trained."
She shook her head as he pushed past her towards the door.
"Perhaps if they had a more patient teacher, they would learn faster," she pointed out, and he scoffed.
"Please…the things they were asking…"
"It's not like the work of a Healer is obvious!" Myrah cut in, walking after him. "You healers always have worked hard to hide your craft; I can find no mention of any actual remedies in the entire Western Library…"
"Is that why you wanted me to train them, then? So you could learn all our little secrets?"
Hershel looked back at her then, and her expression melted back into the stony one she generally wore.
"Of course not. I told you, it's good for leaders to know things. I know you aren't training them in anything extensive."
"Well…if anything, it felt like you only came in to mock me."
He wasn't sure why he was talking so freely, but his comment immediately angered her.
"Of course I didn't…why would you accuse me of such a thing?"
"It felt remarkably like what my Master would do, when I was first trying to teach. He'd sit and snicker all the way through it…much like you did."
She lifted her head proudly.
"I do not snicker," she said coldly, and it was his turn to laugh.
"You do so. You expect me to believe that the noise you made when that one fellow got the poultice up his nose was merely you clearing your throat?"
She turned away, her lips pressed thin.
"You are not a man of decorum, Master Hershel…especially if you think a leader would act in such a way."
"I never claimed to be a man of decorum. I'm a Healer; it's my job to speak my mind and offer my opinion."
She scoffed at that.
"About diagnosis, maybe. But you hardly have any right to say what you think about me!"
He turned to face her then, searching her face.
"I only said you laughed," he finally pointed out. "And I only said it because you did."
She glared a few moments.
"Tell me…were you always like this…or is this Archtivus rubbing off on you?"
He blinked at the unexpected accusation, and she continued.
"He was not well liked, from what I read. Rude, insulting, always telling people exactly what they thought of them…"
"And yet he was rarely wrong," Hershel replied. His voice had dropped low now. Myrah studied him, seemingly aware that she had struck a nerve.
"I suppose it must be both," she finally decided. He scowled.
"What about you? Did Heavy Metal insist that his advisors were never allowed to laugh or smile, or is that just how you picture a perfect leader? You seem to know so much about that subject, after all."
It was her turn to glare.
"How dare you…"
"I am not one of your subjects, Myrah," Hershel cut in, turning to face her now that they had reached the outermost door. "So there really is no need for the speeches about decorum. If you are allowed to pour your judgments on me, I feel fully entitled to do so to you."
Hershel really didn't know what had gotten into him. Maybe it was the fact that he hadn't had the best of days and he didn't enjoy teaching. Maybe he was still being defensive after she brought Phos up again. Or maybe he was just tired of the way she carried herself around him.
Her dark eyes narrowed. Hershel had turned and opened the door when Myrah spoke again, her tone icy.
"Go ahead, Master Hershel. Tell me exactly what you think about me."
He froze, and when he spoke he didn't bother turning. The words came out before he could think better of them, though what possessed him to say it he didn't know.
"I think you have a nice laugh…and you should use it more."
He didn't bother waiting see what she would say. He was grateful that he hadn't been facing her, both because he didn't really want to see how she would react and because his face was burning. He hurried off as the door swung shut…and he questioned and chided himself the entire way home.
Her family had been just as excited as she had been about the news, though they were equally shocked that the school was willing to welcome her back so quickly. The weekend rushed by in a flurry of preparations; all of the things that had been in Amber's old dorm room had been sent to Lou, and now it was all firmly repacked in her two bags. Her family had wanted to come to see her off again, but she assured them it wouldn't be necessary. It wasn't even the first day of school…and she had a sudden desire to be as inconspicuous as possible. As well-meaning as her whole family taking her through the front doors would have been, she knew her reputation was in shambles enough as it was.
Her heart pounded as she navigated through the large doors on her own, a bag in both hands. She had worn her uniform to school; her grandpa had pressed it neatly and it had felt so right to put it back on. But now that she was in the middle of a river of students heading to breakfast, she felt stuck. The uniform might say that she belonged here…but the bags marked her as a newcomer. And, she thought with some bitterness as people threw dirty looks her way, her horns marked her as an outsider.
"Miss Amber."
She looked over in nervous relief as Gerald appeared next to her.
"Hello, Gerald."
He nodded a greeting in reply and gestured down a hallway.
"I was sent to make sure you get to your room."
She flashed him a quick smile.
"Oh…I know where my room is."
"Your lodging arrangements have changed since last you were here. The Headmaster felt that it wasn't quite…appropriate for you to have a private room."
Amber flushed suddenly. She had been picturing the quiet, albeit closet-like space she had been put in before. But it sounded like Marty IV had put her in a shared room. Dread filled her stomach immediately, but she nodded bravely.
"Alright, I'll follow you, then."
He turned and headed towards the girl's dormitories. She followed quickly behind, trying to keep her head up. But all she could think about was who her roommate would be. Her mind flashed with a dozen different options, each with a sneering look. What if it was someone like Tracey? Or that mean Goldilocks girl from the auditions? Had she even made it in? By the time Gerald stopped outside a door, Amber was ready to puke.
"This is it?" she finally managed, and he nodded. She took a deep breath and the bodyguard/butler was kind enough to open the door so she could pull in her bags.
The room was a lot larger than her private one had been, with two beds and two desks, and two wardrobes. It was clear which side of the room was hers; the left side was completely covered in personal belongings, making the right side look all the more stark and bare.
Amber shut the door behind her as she looked around, taking the room in. Posters cluttered the walls on the left side, and the bedspread was loud; a black and white piano-keys pattern that had apparently also been tie-died. In fact, the tie-dye part looked home-made, and not especially well done. But Amber had to admit it was interesting.
Clothes littered the floor, and Amber wouldn't have even noticed the person sitting at the desk if the girl's feelings of interest hadn't clued her in. Amber froze as the girl seemed to melt out of the mess; her hair was brown and stick-straight, and she wore enormous glasses on her face. Her pajamas were almost as loud as her bedspread. Yet despite its craziness, the patterned material had almost shielded its wearer by blending into the rest of the mess on the left half of the room.
Amber and her new roommate stared at each other for a few moments, with the Oni's heart pounding. She waited for disgust or horror to set in, but to her surprise the girl grinned suddenly, exposing a mouth full of braces.
"You must be my new roomie!"
Amber blinked as the girl stood. She didn't look that much older than Amber, but she was a few inches taller. She crossed the room, immediately talking at a million miles a minute.
"They told me I'd finally get one, you know. My Dad paid extra for me to not have a roommate because he said that no one could probably stand to live with me but I intend to prove him wrong. I mean, I'm kinda messy I guess but not gross messy, like we won't get ants or anything and I don't leave food around I just don't always pick up after myself cuz I like the lived in feel better, but I'm pretty good at keeping it on my side of the room. Wow…have I even introduced myself yet?"
The girl had shot her hand out, and Amber accepted the handshake almost warily. The girl pumped her arm enthusiastically.
"I'm Dani. With an I at the end, and just one 'n' cuz two and a y is the boy way to spell it. I don't know why I always have to tell people that but you know when you hear a name and then wham, it's like in your brain and then every time you hear it, it gets spelled in your brain and I guess I just really want people to spell it right when my name pops up in their brain…if it even does. I mean…is my brain the only one that works like that? I never can tell."
Amber just stared at her, and Dani finally stopped talking, and stopped shaking her hand.
"What's your name?" the other girl finally prompted, and Amber blinked.
"It's…I'm Amber."
"Amber? That's a cute name."
Dani had wandered over to her desk again, and seemed to be haphazardly trying to pick up the clothes off her floor.
"I did mean to clean up before you got here, and if it bothers you I promise I can try to be cleaner. Well…try is the strongest word because even when I do try it always seems to get messy again. My sister June is like the exact opposite, you know. You might see her around school; she's a few years older and a total neat-freak. I swear she has color-coordinated everything in her room."
Amber sank down on her bed, still trying to process everything. She realized with a start that in all her ramblings, Dani hadn't mentioned Amber's strange looks once. The Oni reached up to touch one of her horns to make sure it was still there. Her roommate noticed the gesture.
"Those are real, right? Patti from down the hall had a class with you last semester and she said they were real but Cherry said she thought they were fake. You're a dancer, yeah?"
Amber blinked and nodded numbly, though she wasn't really sure which question she was answering. Dani didn't really give her a chance to answer her questions separately.
"Yeah, you're hard to miss. I heard all about ya, but I'm not in the dancing program. I'm going into piano…like, a concert pianist. I'm pretty good at it…I hope you don't think I'm bragging, but when you're good you're good, you know? The instrumentalist program at this school is regrettably small, though. I technically could have gone to Collier's School for Performing Musicians instead, but June was already going here for vocal performance and I thought hey, a school is a school, and I'd rather know somebody, you know?"
"I guess."
Dani seemed a little sheepish as she took in Amber's dazed look. The brunette dropped her clothes in a semi-neat pile on the ground and went to sit on her bed.
"Sorry, I promise I'll stop being so rambly soon. I just get like this when I meet people for the first time. June gets all stiff and stuff, like she's one of those warm-up-to-you types. But I'm more like the bombard-you-until-you-know-everything-about-me types." She paused again, studying Amber quietly. "You seem like one of those warm-up-to-you-types too, huh?"
Amber wasn't too sure how to answer that, so she stayed quiet. She expected Dani to hurry off on some other tangent, but for once the girl finally stopped talking. Amber cleared her throat.
"I'm just used to…a different kind of reaction, I guess."
Dani winced at that.
"Yeah…I guess that would be hard. I was trying really hard not to do that too, you know? Like I figured you get stared at enough and I would try to not…"
The girl trailed off, suddenly turning bright red.
"Shoot. Me saying that probably makes it worse, huh? I'm sorry…I swear I don't mean to be rude, it's just that my mouth gets going faster than my brain. And the only things faster than my mouth are my fingers…which I guess is why I'm doing pretty good at piano."
Amber couldn't help but smile at that.
"You're fine, really. I don't mind. I get that I don't exactly look like everybody else."
Dani shrugged.
"That's not a bad thing though…not really. Performers are always trying to do crazy things to stick out more; it helps you make a name for yourself. Like when they die their hair pink or get like a bazillion tattoos or wear wacky clothes made of lunch meat."
Amber wrinkled her nose and Dani laughed.
"Yeah, the whole lunch meat thing is weird."
"I guess that's fair," Amber said after a moment. "I'll never have to work hard to stand out."
Her eyes trailed off, scanning the posters on Dani's wall. They all seemed to be of the same person; a young man with indigo hair, pounding a drum set in front of him.
"Who's that?" she asked, pointing. Dani turned and sighed.
"That is Reggie Blue. He's like this drummer for this band that's been touring Ninjago…the Cray-Z's. He's really fabulous and I'll admit that I have a crazy, hopeless crush on him. What is a girl firmly planted in the world of classical music doing pining for a Rockstar? I'll tell you, Amber, love is just crazy like that."
Dani was staring dreamily up at the poster and Amber couldn't help but laugh.
"I've definitely heard of stranger matches," she replied. "So, you know him well?"
It was Dani's turn to laugh.
"Heck no; never met him. But I just know he's perfect. You can tell by the way he looks at the camera; he's got such a good soul to him."
Amber had no idea what any of that met, but she thought it was kind of funny just the same. A bell tolled and caused both girls to balk, and Dani shook her head.
"Shoot…Breakfast is almost over and I'm not even dressed. I meant to just wait around for you to, you know, introduce myself and explain the mess but then I got busy composing and I lost track of time…."
"Composing?"
Dani flashed her another smile and headed over to her desk to hold up the notebook.
"I love playing piano, but lately I've been doing a lot of writing. I wanna have a whole repertoire of original stuff by the time I graduate, you know? I mean, it shouldn't be hard…I got like 5 more years."
She dropped the notebook back on her desk with an unceremonious thunk.
"I gotta get dressed…but you look like you already are, huh? You already eat?"
Amber nodded and Dani laughed.
"You got your life figured out…you remind me of my sister June."
Amber couldn't remember the last time she reminded someone of anyone. Dani began fishing a uniform out of her drawers.
"Alright…gimme a second to change and I'll run and grab a bite if you want to unpack…"
"I think I'll just head off to class, actually," Amber said with a soft smile. Dani's emotions were as bouncy and racing as her speech, but mainly she felt like a happy person.
"Fair enough. You know where you're going? I mean, I don't really know anything about the dancing wing, but I have a few friends that way if you need help…"
"I've been here before," Amber pointed out, though not unkindly. Dani blinked.
"Oh, right! Ok…see you at some point!"
Amber smiled and left her roommate to change. It was certainly going to be different than living on her own. Louder, busier…messier. But happy too. And that was the part that mattered to her.
90
M. looked back down at the address in his hand and then up at the building. He swallowed, hoping this was correct. It was an older office building, but the signage was new.
"NCST" he read. "This has got to be it."
He pushed through the revolving doors and looked around. The atrium was simple but fashionable; it had an air of professionalism that reminded him of his mother.
"Can I help you?"
He looked over to see a woman smiling thinly at him from behind the desk. He headed over, though he nearly tripped and collided into a potted plant in the process. He pushed back the fronds and cleared his throat, his face burning.
"Hi…yeah. I mean…"
He cleared his throat again as the receptionist raised an eyebrow.
"I'm M. Er…Marty Openheimer V. I'm here to have lunch with my Mother? Her name is…"
"Oh, yes, of course. She mentioned you would probably be by."
The Receptionist's smile was kinder now, and she pointed down the hallway.
"There's an elevator at the end of this hall; your mother's office is the top floor. You really can't miss it."
M. nodded his thanks, feeling a little better. He managed to make it down the hall without bumping into any other plants. He looked down and smoothed his shirt as he made it to the elevator. He pushed the 'up' button and looked around at the pictures on the walls. They were mainly cityscapes of Ninjago city at different seasons and times of day. M. squinted at one that was at the end of the hall. That one looked like a drawing…maybe a city scape of how Ninjago city used to be?
The elevator dinged and he jumped. Luckily, there was no one in the elevator to witness it, and he went in quickly. He looked down at the buttons. The highest number was 5…so, that must be where his mother's office was, right? He bit his lip and pushed it.
It didn't take long to get to the top of top of the building. The doors slid open and he walked out into it. This floor felt far different than the lobby had; it was even more stylized. There were two large glass doors at the end of the short hallway. The glass was frosted, so M. couldn't see much through them other than light and a few shadows from the furniture behind him. In front of the doors stood two burly security guards. M. exhaled slowly and headed over, his head held high.
"You got an appointment?" One asked in a monotone voice, and M. nodded.
"I'm Matilda's son…I'm here for lunch?"
The guard sneered down at him.
"You got ID?"
M. had a momentary panic.
"I…yeah, I think…"
He began feeling his pockets, wondering if he had brought his school card. But the other guard pushed his headpiece.
"Sorry to bother you Mam, but there's a kid out here saying he's your son…"
M. waited in a panic and the guard finally nodded. He pulled his finger away from his earpiece and turned to his companion.
"She says he's good."
The first mammoth shrugged and finally turned to open the door and emit M. He relaxed visibly and nodded at the guard before heading in.
His mother's office was spacious and stylish. Two of the walls were made of up windows overlooking Ninjago City. The natural light picked up the soft rose and gold hues in the wallpaper. Her desk was a sleek glass oval, with a white laptop open. Matilda was busy typing on it, but she looked up with a smile as M. entered.
"Hello Marty. Nearly done. I'll have Andrew bring something up from the café…"
He nodded and came over to take a seat. After a minute she pushed a button on the desk phone sitting nearby.
"Andrew, love…two lunch trays please. Faster than your usual pace as well…my son's probably starving."
She flashed M. another smile and he returned it awkwardly.
"I'm ok, Mom…really."
She waved him off good-naturedly.
"Thanks love."
M. shifted as the call ended and Matilda went back to typing.
"Who's Andrew?" he finally asked and his mother smiled again but didn't look up from her laptop.
"An intern. Just hired him this week…I'm hoping he lasts longer than my last one. He seems like a bright enough boy."
"Oh."
They fell into a silence, punctuated by the clacking of the laptop. After a minute Matilda finally closed the sleek laptop with an air of finality.
"All finished. Sorry to make you wait, but you would not believe how busy it is, getting a group like this up and running is always a pain at first."
M. smiled.
"You've done this before?"
Matilda shrugged.
"Charities, a few other smaller organizations. This one I'm a little more passionate about, though."
"What does NCST stand for?" M. asked. Matilda smiled.
"Ninjago City Safety Team. We're an organization created to push the government towards passing more laws to enact better safety in Ninjago City."
"Oh. Like…teaching kids stop drop and roll and stuff."
Matilda blinked and then laughed.
"No, Marty. Hopefully that sort of thing doesn't need our help. Surely you know the history of this city. There have been countless incidents…all of which have ended in casualties and mass city destruction. Just think; had we had more laws in place, we could have avoided much of the chaos."
"Yeah, I guess," M. agreed, though he had no idea what kind of laws would have kept a massive snake from rampaging the city, or a billion robots from wreaking havoc.
She nodded.
"That's my main goal, you know. Keeping Ninjago safe from similar threats in the future. We need to prepare today for the troubles of tomorrow."
"Is that your slogan?" M. asked, and she laughed again. He smiled; he liked making her laugh.
"No, our slogan is 'Ninjago for Ninjagoans.' But I suppose that would make a good one as well."
He shrugged and behind him the frosted glass doors opened again to allow a gangly teen in with a cart. Andrew gave M a smile and quickly set the two lunch trays in front of them, and then left just as fast. Matilda barely paid him any attention at all, but M. nodded his thanks.
"So, how's school been?" she asked and M shrugged as he picked up his sandwich.
"Pretty good. I'm in mostly performance-based classes now; Dad thinks it'll put me on a quicker path to my future, or something."
Matilda wrinkled her nose at the mention of Marty IV, but she didn't say anything as she picked up the iced tea from her tray. M. tried to think of something else to talk about.
"I like your building. It's pretty nice…I mean, it even has a café."
She nodded.
"I learned that long ago, Marty dear. 'Cafeterias' are just so middle-school. You want a good organization; you have to employ actual catering. As for the office itself…"
Matilda turned lazily in her swivel chair, looking out the window.
"It's sufficient, for now," she finally admitted. "An older building than I would have liked, but you would not believe the cost of real estate in this city. And the insurance alone."
She shuddered.
"We had to be covered for everything under the sun, because you never know when a pack of serpentine is going to decide to attack, or some water-goddess is going to flood the town or whatever. It's ridiculous. Someday, the NCST will be on top of a much larger building as well, so you can actually see the skyline."
M. chewed thoughtfully and Matilda scrutinized her own meal before picking up the knife and fork to start into her very small steak.
"So, school's going well? All the excitement from those auditions finally calmed down?"
M. nodded as he swallowed.
"Yeah. It's been great actually; Dad let Amber back into the school. I wasn't sure he would…but he did. Not that he really had any choice, after her performance."
Matilda's cutlery had stopped mid cut, but her tone remained light.
"Amber? You have to remind me, Marty…who was that again?"
M. laughed.
"You'll remember; she's the Oni girl—the one from the other realm. Her dance was that one with the red light…"
"Ah yes…I remember."
She continued to cut into the steak and flashed him a smile.
"I saw you go congratulate her. You must know her, then…"
"Yeah, we were partners all last semester. She's a really good dancer!"
"Mmm."
Matilda finally took a bite, chewing slowly and thoughtfully.
"Such an…interesting person, I'm sure." She finally said, and M smiled.
"She really is. Like…she's from this realm that's basically medieval; like she lives in this castle with her family and everyone's like obsessed with sword fighting and stuff…"
"How intriguing!" Matilda admitted. "It sounds like you know a lot about it."
M's smile faded a little, wondering how much he should say. He finally shrugged.
"Well, we talk a lot, you know…"
"And she's mentioned the swords?"
M. blinked.
"What?"
Matilda looked up and gave him an amused smile.
"In your everyday conversation, she happened to mention that everyone in her realm was obsessed with sword fighting? Or is it just fighting in general?"
M. shrugged.
"Oh…her brother organized this tournament thing and there were lots of people competing and stuff. She told me all about it."
She nodded and cut another piece of steak.
"I suppose that makes sense."
M cleared his throat and took a swig from his lemonade.
"Your office is the top floor….what else is in this building?"
Matilda shrugged.
"Oh, mainly offices with people typing away. The third floor is a recording studio for interviews and things."
"Interviews?"
"We have a time slot on Friday morning television where we discuss safety specifics with different Ninjago professionals," she explained.
"I'll have to watch those," M. said. His sandwich was finished, and he started working on his fries. Matilda smiled and waved a hand.
"Oh, they'll no doubt be boring for a hip teen like yourself."
"I'm not that hip. And I want to know more about what you do."
She smiled and leaned back in her chair again, her iced tea in one hand.
"Well, that's certainly consciousness of you, Marty."
He smiled. It seemed to be going well, he decided. He certainly felt like they really were getting to know each other a little better, and he felt a rush of excitement.
"So…this 'Amber'…"
M. looked up as his mother spoke again. She had turned slightly, staring out the window.
"Your father let her back into the school?"
M. smiled.
"Yeah…he didn't even make her wait until next semester. She started at the beginning of this week. It's been really nice, having her in class again. I mean, she missed a lot of school but she really is amazing and she's catching up fast…"
"She's already back in school?"
Matilda looked surprised, but she continued to stare out of the window. M. wasn't sure how to interpret his mother's tone and he finally shrugged.
"Yeah…"
She tutted to herself before finally turning. She gave him a sad smile.
"That poor girl. I can't imagine what it must be like trying to fit in, looking like she does."
M. shifted uncomfortably.
"Yeah…I guess."
"You must be a good support for her, if you're her friend."
M. felt a swell of pride at that.
"Yeah, well. People were pretty awful to her, especially at first. Like she was really snappy back then too…but I can't really blame her. The stuff people said in the halls…"
"How exactly did she react?"
He paused again, and Matilda just shook her head.
"Did she yell? Threaten?"
"Um…no. She would mainly ignore it."
M was starting to get uncomfortable and Matilda nodded.
"How inspiring; not easy to do, when picked on."
Her tone was genuine and M. relaxed.
"Yeah, she really is cool."
A little timer went off on the desk and Matilda looked over in slight surprise. She pushed it firmly and turned it off.
"I'm afraid that's all the time I can spare today, Marty. But we'll have to get together again soon. Maybe I will swing by and see you on Saturday; I have a free afternoon."
"Really?"
She looked up and smiled and M. cleared his throat.
"I mean…yeah, if you want. That would be great."
"Great. Maybe we can go see a movie or something," his mother said cheerfully. M. couldn't help but smile; he couldn't remember the last time his father had offered to 'go see a movie.'
"Alright," he said, pushing himself to his feet. He went to grab his tray but his mother waved him off.
"I'll have someone else take care of that. You better get back to school; lunch hour will be over soon, I'm sure."
"Yeah, ok. It was good to see you, Mom."
"Good to see you as well, Marty," she said, flashing him one last smile before opening her laptop and getting sucked back into its contents. He left with a bounce in his step, and couldn't help but grin at the security guards and the receptionist on his way out.
28