100
"Oh no! A funeral?"
Dani was lying on her bed, her arms hugging her pillow. She had one earbud still in her ear, listening to music from her phone.
"I'm so sorry, Amber. First your brother gets sick and now this! Was it someone you knew well?"
Amber was sitting on her bed, a textbook open on her lap.
"Not super well; it was just another leader in the realm. My brother knew him better; Theo was the one who went to the meetings and would go on visits with my Dad. And it's not even really a funeral…it's more like a memorial."
Dani tilted her head.
"But still. It's sad."
Amber shrugged.
"Yeah. My mom's probably sad about it. She's known him her whole life."
She didn't mention that they certainly didn't have a good relationship for the first decade or so; she appreciated her roommates concern, but she also didn't necessarily trust her to be able to process the full truth of Amber's family's background.
"I'm glad the Headmaster said you could go," Dani offered, her foot bouncing subconsciously with the beat she was listening to.
"Yeah, me too. I'm leaving after classes on Friday, and I'll be back before classes start again Monday."
"Sounds like a good plan."
Amber nodded. She wasn't sure how M. had convinced his father to let her go; considering that she had gotten kicked out the last time she had left, she was unsure if this was really a wise move. But it seemed that it all checked out and she did want to be there for her family. She wasn't that close to Heavy Metal…but she knew that he had done many things over the years to help her parents. It felt right to attend his memorial, or whatever it should be called.
"What are you listening to?" Amber asked, and Dani blinked. She unplugged her earbuds and rock music began pumping into the room. Amber wasn't really a fan of rock music; she preferred more classics and ballroom dancing tunes-no doubt because of her grandfather's influence. But there were clear themes in the music and a steady beat, even if it was a little edgier than her usual preferences.
"It's called Wishing on an Empty Well," Dani explained excitedly. "It's by the Cray-Z's. Reggie's got this insane drum solo in the middle of it and sue me but I just melt!"
Amber laughed in spite of herself, and she smiled as she turned back to the textbook on her lap. Pretty soon her pencil was tapping the pages to the beat as she read the rest of the chapter.
"You want me to do it?"
The Master Healer frowned, and Keyda nodded.
"In the history scroll Cole and Theo read, it explained the ritual as something that Healers would do. It was one of their roles, besides teaching those with powers."
Hershel shook his head.
"I'm not sure, Keyda. I think you would be the better choice."
She studied him.
"You're the Master Healer, Hershel. Heavy Metal would have wanted it to be traditional…"
"I'm not comfortable doing something like that in front of the entire realm." His tone was stern, but it softened as he glanced up. "I'm sorry."
Keyda fell silent as she watched him work. After a few moments she sighed.
"I guess I can do it…I just figured I'd ask."
Hershel didn't say anything as he scrubbed a dark stain off the table from a previous inkroot harvest. Keyda turned and left the tent, leaving the Master Healer to his thoughts. He sighed, but didn't regret his decision. It was another half hour or so before anyone else came to see him. He was debating making up a batch of tea to talk with Phos when the door-flap moved again. He looked up to see Myrah.
They studied each other in silence until Hershel finally broke it.
"Can I help you with something?"
"I came to read," she answered crisply, as if she expected him to tell her she couldn't. Hershel gestured to the scroll cubbies and turned back to the jar of dried poppy petals. He hesitated before screwing the lid back on firmly and setting it back up on the shelf.
"How are you doing?" he asked, and Myrah didn't look over from where she was scanning the available histories.
"I'm fine."
She finally selected one and headed over to Phos's chair. She glanced at him before sitting and noticed he was just standing there, watching her.
"Don't mind me…no doubt there's plenty for a Master Healer to be doing," she pointed out, and he shrugged.
"I was going to go collect some ingredients, but I can stay."
"I'll be fine on my own; I'm not going to steal your scrolls," she argued, and he smiled a little.
"There are other things I can do here."
She studied him as he headed over to the cubbies and scanned them quickly before selecting his own scroll. Then he walked over and joined her next to the cold fireplace, sinking into the other armchair. He pulled the ribbon off the scroll and began scanning the text, and Myrah scowled slightly.
"You really have nothing better to do than read histories?" she asked, and Hershel glanced up. He smiled again; that small smile he had been doing more of lately.
"I could ask you the same question," he pointed out, and she huffed as she let the scroll close on her lap.
"I just assumed you must be incredibly busy, considering that you didn't show up for the Healer's lesson yesterday," she said. Hershel had gone back to studying the scroll.
"I sent you word that I wouldn't be able to; besides, I assumed it would be best to stay out of the way, with the whole Western Fortress wrapped up in Heavy Metal's memorial."
"Yes, well, you should have been there for the planning," she argued. "You're going to be part of the memorial, after all."
"No."
His answer was not unkind, but it was firm. He frowned at a section of the scroll and Myrah blinked.
"What do you mean, no? Keyda and Theodynn were there for the planning and they said that you would be…"
"Keyda was just here to ask me, and I said no. I may come, but I will not be taking part."
The Western Leader scoffed at his soft answer, but then the realization set in.
"Because you'd have to use your powers in front of everyone?" she asked, her tone cold. Something in his expression flickered.
"It would be more appropriate for Keyda to do it; she's the one who knew him best."
"She may have known him, but surely something like this is beneath the Ruler of the Realm!" Myrah argued. "How dare you turn her down?"
"So it's beneath her…but not beneath me? You do like reminding me of hierarchal standings, Myrah…but I would remind you that technically I would be seen as on par with Keyda, not beneath her. Healers do not fall into the same hierarchy, after all."
She fell silent and looked back down at her scroll. But she found she wasn't in the mood to read it any longer. She was burning with annoyance now, though she wasn't sure why.
"I will come to the memorial…if you don't mind me being there."
She glanced back up to see that Hershel was finally looking at her. Her heart was pounding for some reason; the question felt weighted and she didn't know why.
"Come if you'd like. You've made it perfectly clear that I can't tell you what to do," she finally said, pushing herself to her feet. Hershel watched her go back over to the scrolls and push hers back into the crowded space.
"Done already?" he asked, clearly surprised, and she turned to fix him with a piercing look.
"I didn't have as much time as I thought," she finally said. Hershel leaned forward, his own scroll rolling to a close.
"Then I guess I'll see you tomorrow at the memorial," he said softly. She still couldn't read his expression, and she nodded.
"I guess you will, Hershel."
Myrah pushed herself through the door flap and into the dry afternoon heat. She refused to look back at him, so she missed the smile that stretched across his features as he watched her go.
There it was…more whispering. More fear.
Amber frowned as she pushed her way through the hallways. Actually, she didn't even really have to push her way through, because everyone had been giving her a wide berth all day.
She hadn't really noticed it at first; people were more or less used to her being around, but she knew that they didn't necessarily trust her. But around lunch she realized that people were being odd, more than their usual glares. There was a lot more fear in the air, a lot more distrust. She made it to the girl's dormitories and sighed. What had she done recently to deserve this new fearful reaction? She felt a sudden stab; maybe people had heard she had used her powers with the Musicians. But they hadn't seemed scared by it…they had seemed intrigued. She pushed her door open with a huff.
Dani was sitting on her bed, her usual calm or happy expression replaced by a frown and a wrinkled brow. She was staring at something on her phone, her earbuds in, and Amber was surprised to feel the concern wafting off her roommate. She had another stab of fear.
"You too?" Amber asked.
Dani looked up and dropped her phone, and Amber felt her friend's sudden shame. The Oni's heart pounded harder. What did Dani have to be ashamed about?
"Amber! You scared me!" Dani said, but something felt off about her tone. Her roommate was scanning her, as if trying to read her emotions, and Amber's frown deepened.
"Sorry. Is everything ok? You seem upset."
"What? Oh, I'm fine. I was just…listening to something upsetting online," Dani said, glancing back down at her phone. "Are you ok?"
Amber shrugged.
"I'm fine. The test in my last class wasn't nearly as bad as everyone made it sound…"
"What? Oh! Right! You had your test today!"
Amber looked back over.
"Dani, are you sure you're ok?"
Dani smiled, perking up.
"Sure. Sorry, it's really a lame excuse; I just read that…that Reggie Blue might be quitting the Cray-Z's. Which would just be insane, right?"
"Oh…I'm sorry…"
Dani waved a hand.
"Don't be sorry, Amber! Like I said, it's a stupid reason to be upset. I'm ashamed that you caught me moping about something dumb. I mean, it's not even a for sure thing…"
Amber felt a rush of relief. A part of her was still niggling with doubt, but it would explain Dani's feelings….and it was such a Dani thing to be upset about.
"No, I mean…I can see why you're upset." Amber paused. "I wonder if that's what's gotten into everyone else too."
Dani's eyes widened.
"What do you mean?"
Amber shrugged.
"I dunno…people whispering…acting weird. I mean, they usually act weird around me but it feels kind of different this time."
Dani glanced down at her phone.
"Why? Why are they acting like that?"
Amber huffed, shrugging.
"I dunno. Maybe it's all in my head anyways." She had moved over to her bed, throwing a few last minute things into the bag she had packed earlier. "You know, M. told me the other day that I think everyone hates me, but that it's just in my head. Maybe he's right; maybe I just feel emotions and assume they're always about me, but they aren't."
She didn't notice her friend's expression darkening at the mention of the youngest Openheimer.
"Look, Amber…you shouldn't care what M. thinks. He's just an over-privileged, idiotic…"
Amber turned and smiled as she felt Dani's rush of loyalty. Her roommate really was one of a kind, she decided.
"I know M's been a jerk lately," Amber agreed. "But he was my first friend coming here. I dunno…he's stupid sometimes but he's still my best friend. And, you know, I'm realizing lately that I am a little different than I've always thought." She paused, staring at her picture of her family sitting on her side table. "I'm not perfect…no one is. So maybe he's right. Maybe I just don't really give people a chance."
She turned and finished packing her bag and then flashed her roommate a little smile.
"Well, I got to go," she said. "See you Monday."
Dani smiled back, but it wasn't anywhere near as bright as usual.
"Yeah! See you then. Hopefully all of this clears up by then…"
Amber blinked.
"All of what?"
Dani froze.
"Reggie. I hope he makes up his mind by Monday. Gosh, I can't believe he would leave his fans on the edge like this!"
Amber just laughed. She hoped that it would work out; her roommate was acting really strange, her emotions all over the place. The Oni had a suspicion that it wasn't just about her favorite drummer either. She wanted to press Dani more, but she couldn't help but remember what had happened with Jennifer. It would probably be a better idea to let her roommate come to her about what she was feeling; after all, it wasn't like Amber told Dani the full truth about her own emotions. She could tell enough of Dani's emotions to know that her roommate wasn't mad at her, or afraid of her. For now, that's all she needed to know.
Amber's smile faded as she realized that she was going to transport now…something that Dani had never seen.
"Hey…Dani?"
"Yeah?" Dani replied, almost too quickly.
"I…I have to transport now. It's how I get back and forth from my home realm to Ninjago. I just wanted to tell you; I mean, it's completely harmless but in the past it freaked some kids out…"
Dani's smile was back and she waved one hand.
"Don't even worry, Amber! I can handle it. Not going to lie…I've actually been wanted to see what it looks like!"
Amber's smile returned and she nodded. The Oni closed her eyes and her roommate watched as the aura began whipping around. There was a flash, and Dani gasped when she realized her roommate was gone. She sat in stunned silence a few minutes, but then she glanced back down at her phone and the interview she had been watching. Her expression darkened and she pushed herself to her feet; time for some justice.
101
M. tied his other sneaker on, and then opened his shoe bag to stick his tap shoes in. His watch beeped and he sighed as he looked at it; he had to get upstairs to have dinner soon. His father had moved it up an hour today because he had some kind of meeting afterwards.
He pushed through the doors of the tap room and headed down the hallway. Maybe he could go to the rec room for a bit before dragging himself upstairs. He'd been seeing more of Gabe lately; his chubby friend always seemed to be down for some foosball…
"M. Openheimer!"
He blinked as he heard someone yell his name and turned in confusion. Who would be yelling?
Someone was raging down the hallways, which were more or less empty now that people were headed to different places for free hour. He scowled as he recognized her; it was Amber's weirdo roommate.
She marched up to him and he tried to fix her with his best uninterested look as she glared at him.
"What do you…" he started, but she cut him off as she poked him harshly in the chest.
"How dare you!" she yelled, and he blinked. His mind immediately tried to piece together a reason for why the girl was on such a warpath. She didn't give him much of a chance.
"You know, I never liked you!" Dani continued with another firm poke. M. scowled and rubbed the spot.
"Geez, get a grip!"
"And I mean I like everyone, or I try to! And I tried extra hard because I knew you were Amber's friend and Oh my gosh…she calls you her best friend! And you did something like this! You heartless, backstabbing little…"
"What the heck are you talking about?" M. finally demanded. Was this crazy chick mad because Amber called him her best friend? He scoffed; she better get used to it…
"You're a bully!" Dani yelled, her whole form seeming to shake with anger. "And there's no one I hate more than bullies! You make me sick! It's people like you that made me have to change schools in the first place! You just…you see someone different than you and you pick at them and torment them and betray them, until they're totally crushed. That's why I've been trying so hard to get to know Amber…cuz I know how it feels to be bullied!"
"Amber is my best friend!" M. cut in angrily. "I would never bully her. You and your stupid music friends, on the other hand…"
"Ha! Are you serious right now!? You think you can just act one way around Amber and then go behind her back and you're suddenly magically different than all the losers that pick on her every day in the hallways!? You're sick!"
"You're insane!" he challenged back, and Dani's face started turning a crazy shade of red. In seconds she had whipped her phone out.
"If you're really such a great friend, then what the heck is up with this?!"
She shoved the screen into his face, and M. had to take a step back to even see what was on the screen. He blinked as he recognized his mother.
"What…"
"This stupid interview; it's gotten so many hits it isn't even funny! How dare you do that to Amber?! It's obvious she trusts you more than anybody, but you just repay that by going off and spreading lies about her!"
M. grabbed Dani's phone, scanning the screen. It was a video posted on the Internet under the Ninjagoan News website. His mother was poised on a couch next to one of the news anchors. He scanned the title of the video, at a loss.
Matilda O'Keefe on NCST's Newest Safety Law
"What the heck is this?" he finally muttered. "My mom?"
He turned to glare at Dani again.
"What does any of this have to do with my mom?" he demanded, and she scowled. However, she seemed to be studying him.
"You haven't seen this yet?" she finally asked, and he shook his head. Dani's expression remained hard. "Well…everyone else in the school has."
"Is this about my Mom and Amber?" he demanded. "I told Amber I wasn't going to talk about my Mom around her anymore…"
"Just watch the video, Openheimer…and don't you dare to blame Amber for any of this!"
Dani's arms were folded now, and she fixed him with a deadly glare. He blinked and was suddenly filled with a sense of unease. What was this video, anyways?
"I have to go meet my Dad for dinner," he finally said, trying to hand her back her phone. "I'll watch it later…"
"NO, you'll watch it now!" she responded, pointing to the stairs. "Sit down and face the music, or I'll make sure Amber never hangs around you again!"
His scowl deepened at the threat, and he was about ready to throw the phone back at the nerd. But he finally dropped down on the step, huffing.
"Fine! You crazy person…I'm watching."
He pushed the little triangular "play" button before he could think better of it, and a circle popped up to signify the video was loading. He propped one elbow on his knee to hold his head while he watched; this was just an interview with his Mom about some political law on safety. What was Dani's deal, anyways? It didn't have anything to do with him or Amber!
The first of the video was standard news stuff, with the anchor introducing M's mother and welcoming her to the show. She smiled brightly, looking as composed as ever.
"Matilda…I must say, you've only been back in Ninjago City a few months and you've taken it by storm! President of the NCST, candidate for the upcoming City Council elections…how do you manage to do it all?"
"Oh, Tim…I'll admit that I'm busy, but it's the love of this City that keeps me going. I would do anything to protect it! That's the entire reason I formed the Ninjago City Safety Team in the first place!"
"And you certainly didn't stop just at forming it, did you?" Tim, the news-caster interviewer guy was saying. "The NCST has already pushed a handful of legislative actions into play, forcing the City Council to really take a look at your organization's position. The latest of these laws was just voted in this morning; tell me, can you further explain the reasoning behind the formation of the 'Safe Visitation for Ninjago' legislation?"
"Of course!"
M. glanced up at Dani in confusion; none of this sounded any different than he had expected. Her expression was hard.
"Just watch," she ordered, and he rolled his eyes.
"I grew up in Ninjago City, you know," Matilda was saying, smiling at Tim and the camera. "I was no stranger to the horrible history that this city has had. So much destruction, so many villains reigning misery down on the innocent. With my extensive history in preserving the Ninjagoan Culture, I realized that I was in a position to really make a difference for Ninjago City's future. The NCST is just the beginning…I have so many more plans for keeping threats out of Ninjago."
"Threats? I wasn't aware that Ninjago City was being threatened again!" Tim chuckled. "What threats do you envision coming?"
Matilda fixed the anchor with a strange look.
"Oh…I just think it's always good to be prepared, Tim. The reason so many villains in the past were able to wreak havoc is because we let them. Think about it; had we treated outsiders with the suspicion they deserved, we could have avoided so much pain and destruction. I've talked to so many people who claim that we would never fall into the same submissive, unaware patterns as those in the city's past, but here we are! Following the exact pattern!"
"What do you mean?"
Matilda leaned forward, giving Tim a piercing look.
"Were you aware that there is an Oni in our realm as we speak? A demon from some other realm walking among us….and no one seems to care!"
M's blood ran cold. His mind suddenly felt stuck, but the video continued without waiting for him to process.
"I suppose we've all heard about Amber, the little girl attending Marty Openheimer's School for performing arts."
"Little girl? Tim, please; don't you realize that it's attitudes like this that is enabling them!"
"Them? You mean the Oni?"
"How much do we really know about these Oni? These creatures that seem to be able to just pop into the realm whenever they want? They're called "Beings of destruction" for a reason, Tim!"
"Are you saying that Oni are dangerous, Ms. O'Keefe? Do you have any proof to back up your claim that they're planning something?"
"I don't know if they're planning anything…but that's the point, isn't it? We never know, and while we're trying to decide, that's when villains strike."
Matilda moved her hair out of her face.
"I was wary when I first heard about Oni in Ninjago…but when my son Marty reached out to me, that's when I knew something needed to be done."
"What?" M. breathed. His heart was pounding, his palms felt sweaty. His mother hadn't told him about any of this…why was she talking about him on T.V?
"Your son is Marty Openheimer V, right? Son of the current Headmaster of the School of Performing arts…"
"That's right. You see, the poor boy's been victimized in so many ways over the past school-year as a target of the Oni's aggression…"
The blood drained from M's face as the video continued playing.
"I haven't had contact with him in years and suddenly he's reaching out to me, asking for my help. I can't blame him for being afraid, especially after hearing about the experiences he's been through. He's been manipulated, threatened…did you know the Oni has been using her powers at the school? Terrifying people as she jumps in and out, practicing spells on rooms full of mere children…she even violently uses her powers on Marty himself when angered. This is a dangerous entity that has been granted free reign in a place frequented by children. I was forced to realize that without firmer laws in place, my hands were tied. Without legislation like the law passed this morning, there is nothing I as a mother can do to help my own son!"
M. was shaking now, and he felt numb with disbelief and nausea. His hand dropped down, and though Matilda and Tim began discussing the new Safety Law he could no longer hear it. He pressed a hand to his forehead.
"This…this doesn't make any sense," he finally muttered.
"What doesn't make sense?" Dani asked angrily. "Did you or did you not tell your Mom all those things about Amber?"
"Of course not!" M. yelled, but then he felt a rush of nausea as he closed his eyes. "I just…I…"
"She made Amber sound like a monster!" Dani said. "So all that stuff she said you said…that was all a lie? Your mother lied?!"
"She didn't…it's not…I…"
M. groaned loudly. Dani's annoyance faded a little and she scoffed as she lowered herself onto the steps next to him.
"What's going on, Openheimer?" Dani demanded softly, and he dry-washed his face.
"I don't know. I mean…I told my mom some stuff about Amber, but…I never…"
Dani scrunched up her face, as if she was still trying to be angry.
"You…you're looking kinda pale there," she finally admitted before gently taking back her phone. M. let out a shaky breath and then pushed himself to his feet. His heart was pounding but his expression became resolved.
"It's fine…I'm going to go talk to my Mom and figure out what's going on," he snapped, his fists clenching. He started heading for the exit, but he froze, a sudden realization hitting him like a bus.
"Wait."
He turned to Dani in a panic.
"Does Amber…"
"She doesn't know about the video," Dani answered coldly. "But she definitely knew something was wrong; she said people have been acting weird around her all day."
M. sagged in visible relief, and Dani stood, her hands on her hips.
"She's going to find out; it's a viral video. And when she does…"
"I'm going to fix it!" he cut in, glaring at her. Dani's eyes narrowed.
"You better. You got till she gets back Monday."
He turned to leave again. A warning in the back of his brain reminded him that he still had dinner with his father…and how angry his father would be if he missed. But M. shoved the thought away angrily. There was no way he could see his father now; he wondered if Marty IV had seen the video and shuddered hard. Nothing was making any sense, and the only thing M. could think of was to go straight to the source.
"Ams! You made it!"
Theo came over to grab her horn, and Amber gave him a tired smile.
"M. made it so I have the whole weekend off," she explained.
"The whole weekend? Mmmm…pays to have friends in high places, I guess."
She rolled her eyes and slugged his arm.
"Whatever."
His smile faded a little as he studied her.
"You ok, Ams?"
"Yeah…" she started, but then she sighed.
"Are you still having nightmares?" he guessed. Amber shuddered and Theo blinked in surprise as Amber went for a hug.
"Are you sure you're ok, Theo?" she asked softly, and he embraced her back.
"I've been fine, really. No more side-effects…not even having that bad of nightmares myself," he admitted. He studied Amber and tilted his head. "How bad are the ones you're having? Do you want to talk about it?"
She actually did…but she found herself hesitating. She only started having these nightmares when she talked to M. about everything that had happened. What if talking to Theo made hers worse…or made Theo start having nightmares again himself?
"I…"
"Theodynn."
They turned in surprise to see Myrah coming down the hall, flanked by advisors. Theo pulled away from Amber a little as he waved.
"Myrah…you're early," Theo said in surprise. Amber's expression darkened as the Western Leader approached.
"It's important for leaders to be early," Myrah replied. Her eyes flicked over to where Amber was watching her warily. "It seems your sister made it back for the memorial."
Theo moved to put an arm around Amber's shoulders.
"Yeah, she's back for the weekend."
The Xinta and the leader regarded each other warily for a few moments longer, but Theo seemed unaware. He regarded Myrah with a sad smile.
"How have you been feeling about everything? Are you ready for the memorial?"
Myrah nodded and the advisor next to her sniffed.
"An unnecessary gesture, really," Bula muttered. "But…your mother did insist, and she is the Ruler."
"I'm glad we're doing it," Theo admitted. "I never knew Heavy Metal super well, but I remember visiting him throughout the years. He was always willing to give me a lesson in sword fighting."
"He was a good teacher," Myrah agreed softly. "I'm glad I found you; there are a few things left to prepare for."
Amber scowled.
"Then find my Mom…or my Dad. Why were you looking for Theo?"
Myrah turned to look at her, and Amber narrowed her eyes at the woman's piercing gaze.
"Theodynn is the heir of the realm; he should be trusted as such."
Amber scowled, but she was surprised to feel how happy Theo was about the compliment. He glanced away, shrugging.
"I appreciate that, Myrah…but the truth is that it probably would be better to find my Mom. She's the one who knows what's going on."
"She's very busy. I was hoping you could accompany me to go over last minute details."
Theo seemed surprised and glanced over at Amber. She tried to send a silent signal, but he finally put a hand on her shoulder.
"I'll see you when the memorial starts, ok Ams? You better go find Dad; he was asking about you earlier."
Amber watched in disbelief as her brother walked off next to the Western Leader, Myrah's advisors hovering nearby like irritating insects. Her fists clenched tighter. She still couldn't get a good read on Myrah's emotions; unlike Jennifer or the others at her school, the Western Leader was apparently very skilled at hiding what she was feeling.
"Something's up with her," she finally muttered to the empty hallway.
102
M didn't bother stopping at the receptionist's desk; instead, he stormed right down the hallway with the many Ninjagoan skyscapes and walked right into the elevator. He pushed the '5' button a little too forcefully, and soon he was headed up to his mother's office.
He didn't even know if she was here, he realized. He felt sick to his stomach, too many emotions racing around. He wondered for a brief moment what this chaos would feel like to Amber if she was around to sense it, but thinking of his friend just made him feel even worse. He still couldn't figure out how this had happened; had his mother just misinterpreted what he had told her? Or…had it all been intentional?
The second thought was like a punch to the gut and he grimaced as the elevator dinged open. His heart pounded harder at the sight of his mother's bodyguards; he had no idea how he was going to weasel past them.
Act confident.
He marched up to them, standing as straight and tall as he could.
"I need to see my mother."
One guard scoffed, but the other pushed his earpiece.
"Miss…" he started, but then M. could hear his mother's voice coming through the earpiece. The bodyguard frowned and then looked at his companion.
"He's clear."
M. felt another wave of relief wash through him, but he didn't let it show as the scowling behemoth opened the frosted glass door. M. headed in.
He wasn't sure what he had expected, but it wasn't for everything to just be normal. His mother sat typing on her white laptop, glancing up to give him a genuine smile.
"Marty! What a surprise…"
"The interview this morning," M. cut in, coming over to the desk. He pushed away the thoughts crowding his mind…thoughts that insisted he could have gotten the situation wrong, or maybe he should really think before he spoke. He pressed on. "All those things you said…"
She brightened.
"You saw my interview? How sweet of you; I honestly didn't think you were serious when you promised to watch them."
"How could you have said all those things about Amber?" he blurted. Matilda blinked, her typing fingers pausing.
"What do you mean?"
She sounded genuinely confused, and for a moment M. panicked. Could Dani have somehow forged that video? It seemed impossible…but…
"You…" he cleared his throat. "You kept talking about Oni like they were a bad thing, Mom. And you said that I told you all those awful things when I didn't! You know Amber's my best friend…how could you do this?"
Her expression became concerned and she gestured for him to sit as she closed her laptop.
"Marty, I only shared what you told me yourself. You're the one who told me about the transporting and the spell casting and the violence…"
"But it wasn't like that…none of it happened the way you made it sound! And besides, you said you wouldn't tell other people!" he said. She shook her head in bewilderment.
"I said I wouldn't tell your father; I thought that's what you were afraid of. But M…Ninjago has a right to know what's been going on at the school."
"I'm not a victim!" he cut in, remembering the wording his mother had used. "I'm not a victim and Amber's certainly not manipulating me. She's my friend!"
Here Matilda just looked sad.
"Most victims don't realize that's what they are," she pointed out softly. "She's used her powers to hurt you once…what's to say that she won't again?"
"Mom, that whole interview was wrong!" he continued. He had refused to sit down like she had asked.
"There wasn't anything in it that I didn't have backed up by facts…evidence. Things you told me yourself," Matilda reminded, and M. shook his head.
"No, but the way you said it. You made Amber sound like some kind of monster!"
Matilda's expression became unreadable as she leaned back in her chair.
"Well, Marty…if the horns fit."
The blood rushed out his face and his mother sighed.
"I can see that this all really upset you. I certainly didn't mean to. I know that you consider the Oni girl your close friend, and I commend you for that. But Marty…you need to ask yourself: what do you really know about her? About her people?"
"I…"
He trailed off, his mind going blank. Matilda smiled sadly.
"You told me that she can sense people's feelings. What better way to manipulate people than to know exactly how they feel? Exactly what they crave? I know that there's no hard proof yet that she's out to get Ninjago, but the picture you've painted for me is of a very unstable little girl with powers that she either can't or won't control. She's made you think that you're friends, but how can you be sure that she isn't using you to get whatever she needs? After all, you are the son of the Headmaster."
M. just stared at his mother in disbelief; he couldn't believe what he was hearing. She didn't seem to notice his expression as she continued.
"I have a feeling that you had something to do with getting her back into school, Marty. You don't realize it, but she probably manipulated you to do that. And now she's going and making new friends because she can tell that it makes you jealous. And what better way of getting you to do what she wants than by making use of your jealousy?"
It felt like the world was spinning, but M. finally shook his head.
"You're wrong," he contended. "Amber's not like that."
"But how can you be sure, Marty?" his mother pressed, and he stared at the ground.
"If Amber was really like that, then she wouldn't let people bully her. She's powerful, Mom…crazy powerful. If she was willing to do horrible things to get what she wanted, she wouldn't do it by playing with my emotions."
"You don't know if you can really trust her," Matilda pointed out. "You don't even know her…"
"I know her better than anyone," he argued back. Tears were threatening much to his horror, and he forced them down. "And…and she knows me better than anyone. She's at the school because she wants to dance. She didn't even want to be my partner at first…or my friend. She's not using me…"
"Please, Marty; listen to yourself. 'Demon girl comes to Ninjago with dreams to dance.' Can't you see how ridiculous that is? If she really is as powerful as you say, why on earth would she want to dance?"
"Because that's what she wants to be! And she's not a demon, she's an Oni, and a dancer. And she's not faking it; no one who's seen her dance and seen how passionate she is could ever think she's faking it."
M. suddenly felt tired; the emotions threatening to drown him were finally taking their toll. He collapsed into his chair and cradled his head while his mother watched him with a hard to read expression. It almost looked…cold.
"Look…I just need you to take back what you said, Mom…because it isn't the truth. Amber has never hurt anybody, and she wouldn't. She's not like that, but this interview is going to make things so much harder for her."
Matilda looked down and brushed a stray hair off her suit.
"Like I said, Marty…I can tell this has all really upset you, and I'm truly sorry for that," she said quietly. "But I'm afraid that what you're asking is impossible."
He looked up at her in disbelief.
"But…"
"I understand that I didn't quote you as accurately as you would have liked; I'm sorry for that as well. I really thought I had a good grasp on the situation, from everything you had told me about it."
"You didn't," he argued, and she sighed.
"Apparently not. Though I would still ask you to truly look into this little friendship of yours and make sure it's everything you think it is."
M. bit his lip, and his mother continued.
"But as far as renouncing the interview, it can't be done. I'm running for Councilwoman, remember. Politicians are absolute wolves; if I go on and retract anything you can be sure that my opponents will run with it. It would be shooting myself in the foot, especially given what my campaign is."
M. was silent and Matilda leaned forward to put a comforting hand on his arm.
"It's a messy world, politics. One of the reasons I stayed away so long; I hate getting you wrapped up in all this."
He looked away, feeling stuck.
"You should have asked me, Mom. Before you said anything like that on T.V…"
"I promise I won't quote you on anything else, Marty. I'll be sure to check with you before repeating anything else you say on air."
M. sighed and dry-washed his face. It wasn't the solution he had hoped for, and he still felt sick. His mother was suspicious of Amber…he was realizing that everything that Amber had said she had felt could have been true. But a tiny part of him was relieved to know that his mother didn't seem to realize how much this would hurt him.
"I want to keep you safe, Marty."
He glanced up to see Matilda smiling at him.
"It's true that I don't necessarily trust the Oni; we need to look at the facts and look at the past. But the NCST is fighting to make a safer city; whether it be from Oni or anyone else. And if your friend and her people really aren't a threat, then the legislation will have no effect on them. It's really only geared to those with suspicious behavior; the only types of people who would break these laws are those who intend harm to our community…and thus presumably our entire realm."
M. bit his lip.
"What kind of laws?"
She smiled.
"We just had one passed this morning; people who come in and out of Ninjago city now have to pass through safety booths. That way, if anyone was trying to come into the city with mal intentions, they would be discovered on the border rather than once they're in the middle of the city running rampant. This could have done wonders for the city back in the days of those crazy Garamdon bikers."
"Safety booths?" M asked. Matilda shrugged.
"It's just a check-point at all the roads leading into the city; a way to protect the realm. Just like when you go through metal detectors to get on an airplane; people are required to go through them first before entering the city itself."
M. felt a little relieved. He hadn't really listened to the entire video earlier, and after all that stuff about Oni and Amber he had been afraid that the legislation had something to do with them. But it just sounded like normal, boring politics.
"Why even bring Amber up in your interview?" he finally asked. "You could have talked about that law without talking about her."
Matilda's gaze became distant and she turned to stare out across the city.
"The anchor asked me to explain my concerns, and I felt that I should be honest in doing so. I don't trust the Oni, Marty…but in the same way that I don't trust anything new in Ninjago City. If we were all a bit more wary of the new, we could protect our city so much better."
M. sighed.
"I guess."
He pushed himself to his feet and gave his mother one last stern look.
"If other people ask about Amber, Mom…or ask you to reiterate about what you've already shared…"
"I understand, Marty. I won't discuss anything that you've told me about with anyone else. Does that help put you at ease?"
He bit his lip and finally nodded. She gave him a smile.
"Good."
He sighed again and rubbed his neck.
"I better get back to the school."
"Marty, wait."
He turned to see Matilda staring at him, seemingly deep in thought.
"I feel bad that your friendship might suffer after all of this," she admitted. "Has Amber been awful to you about it?"
M. was cautious in answering.
"No, of course not. I mean…she doesn't even know about it yet."
"So she could still react?" his mother said, her eyes widening. "I know you consider her to be your friend, but you're sure that she won't hurt you again? She has before…"
"She didn't hurt me before, and she's not going to now," M. said decisively. "But…she's probably going to be really mad."
Matilda nodded to herself.
"I understand. If you need me to apologize to her, I will. Or any of the rest of her family." She frowned pensively. "Do they live here in the city?"
M. blinked. He was still angry at his mother for the interview, but he was surprised at her willingness to apologize. He couldn't remember the last time his father had apologized for anything.
"Um…no, Amber's the only one who lives here."
"Oh, alright. I just thought I met some of her family at the audition," she said, turning back to her laptop casually. M. just shrugged.
"They just pop in and out for important things like that. Family is very important to them." He made sure to emphasize his point and she glanced back up at him. "In fact, they're a super close family; it's another reason I know they aren't monsters."
She smiled.
"I understand, Marty. Let me know if there's anything else I can do to help you."
He nodded, and finally turned to leave. The bodyguard held the door open and he headed towards the elevator feeling dejected. He had come and managed to do what he meant to do…and he was glad to know that it was more a misinterpretation of what he had said than straight targeting of Amber. But he still felt awful; this entire situation was his fault. He dry-washed his face on the ride down; he should have never said all those things about Amber. It was obvious that his mother cared, but she had cared too much and blown everything out of proportion. From now on, he'd have to implement the same rule that he had with Amber; no talking about Oni with his mother, and no talking about his mother in front of his friend.
He sighed as he headed back to the school, imagining the conversation he was about to have with his father. Something twisted up inside bitterly; everything had finally been going so well. But of course he had to go and screw it all up.
Matilda watched the door shut and rolled her eyes a little. Such an Openheimer, that one. She was still unsure what the best course of action was for that wayward little teen, but she had smoothed things over for today.
The President of the NCST leaned back in her chair and pulled her glossy phone off its holder, typing in a number in a quick succession of buttons.
"Hello? Is this Borg Industries?"
She waited, checking her nails.
"Yes, Matilda O'Keefe here. I was just wondering if you've finished my order yet; the city scanner for the NCST building?"
More murmuring on the other side and she smiled.
"Next week is perfect. Now, I just wanted to double-check that it seeks out all kinds of anomalies; fires, rogue machinery…power surges of different kinds? Yes? Well, it's true what they say; you are the best. Yes, that works well for me…Yancy, you said your name was? Give my love to the CEO."
She laughed as the person on the other line said something else.
"Well, I guess you probably wouldn't know him personally; it's a large company. But if it does ever come up let him know I'm pleased with your work. Goodbye."
She hung up the phone with a contented smile and leaned back to gaze back out at the city as the sunset filled it with colored light. Interviews were one thing, but her campaign had already started. It was time to really show Ninjago City how dedicated she was to keeping its citizens safe.
21