A/N: well i realize that it's been a while. hello. hi. i've seen some new followers to this story, so hey y'all! thanks for hopping on the bandwagon. hopefully this chapter meets any expectations you may have. how's everyone doing?

here's a chapter for you! we get to see the awkward headcanon beginnings of Jaya! if you're not a fan of that particular pairing . . . better luck next time, i guess. on with it!

According to Kai, "Evil never sleeps." Apparently that also means no one else should sleep, because he keeps Nya up for a full 24 hours as they pack up everything they've ever owned to prepare for the move. She hasn't quite accepted the fact that they're leaving, but Kai has no problem reminding her.

Constantly.

He makes a few trips to the monastery, loading their scarce belongings onto Flame's back and returning to check Nya's progress—though Nya assumes he's just hanging out with his friends and not really moving them in. They have to leave the furniture behind, and anything else that's too big to carry on the back of a dragon. There's no way Kai has to make that many trips back and forth. Besides clothing, they can probably bring a lamp and some framed photographs.

Rather than packing, Nya busies herself with making small messes here and there, or causing minor problems when Kai's back is turned. She unpacks her suitcase, like, four times. Her reasoning is that—well, maybe she can delay the process of moving for a few days. As long as it takes to change Kai's mind.

Unfortunately, Kai's mind is probably the only thing that isn't changing. Where does that leave Nya? In a drastically pessimistic mindset, that's where.

While Kai is gone on another "drop-off", Nya is struck with a jolting realization. She can't bring her samurai equipment with her.

"Oh no," she laments quietly, yanking her closet door open. Her suit is so close to being finished, but it still needs some major work and improvement, and how is she supposed to work on it if she leaves it here?

Before she can overthink it too much, Nya decides she'll have to make a trip back to Four Weapons at some point. Without Kai, of course, since he can't know, but maybe one of the other guys will—

"Ready?"

Nya yelps, spinning to find her brother in the doorway of her room. (Why is he always popping up in doorways when it's least convenient?) Quickly, she slams the closet door shut. Kai doesn't comment on that.

"Y-yeah, I guess. I mean, physically, yes. Mentally, I'm still on the fence about it. I—I mean, not like the actual fence, I wasn't referencing the fence, I just—"

"I get it," Kai chuckles. "You got everything outta your closet?"

Shoot, she always rambles when she's nervous, Kai knows her too well, he knows she's hiding something, she's done for, she—needs to say something before it looks suspicious.

Nya swallows, gesturing vaguely. "Yep! Yeah, it's all—packed and ready to go. It's totally empty." Stop talking. "Completely . . . hollow."

Kai's eyebrows draw together slowly as he nods, clearly a little confused but not enough to question her further.

"O-kay then. Great. Wanna head outside and I'll meet you in a sec?"

Not really, no. "Sure."

Nya ushers Kai out of her room, but can't stop herself from taking one last look. There's just a bed frame and a tiny table left, no more lights or picture frames or—anything like that. She'll have to come back at some point for the mech and her secret weapons stash . . . hopefully one of Kai's friends will give her a ride and not ask too many questions.

Out in the yard, Flame is pawing the dirt and observing a bird that's hopping around in a tree. The dragon looks down at Nya as she walks over to him.

"Hey, bud," she greets, reaching up to pet his snout. It's warm, sending tingles up the length of Nya's arm. Just like Kai, Flame is his own heat source, which Nya is only slightly envious of. "Ready to be with your friends again?"

Flame snorts excitedly, as if he understands her. Nya wonders if he can understand her. The only dragon stories she recalls are along the lines of mythology and fiction, but is there anything she could read that isn't heavily embellished? There must be studies, right? Man, if Walter were here, he'd probably be rattling off facts left and right. He always knew everything about—everything.

"Ya got a saddle now, huh?" Nya admires the new addition, running a hand over it. Where had Kai found a dragon saddle, anyhow? Miracles never cease.

Nya scrambles up onto Flame's back just as Kai emerges from the house, looking bittersweet. He climbs up in front of her, but they don't take off. The siblings spend another solemn moment blinking at the house, forge empty and door closed. It looks . . . like it had when they came here three years ago. Abandoned and sad. Kai looks over his shoulder at her.

"We'll be back," he says. "It's still our house, we're just—staying somewhere else for now."

Nya doubts they'll be returning anytime soon, but Kai is doing his best here. Clearly he's picking up on Nya's mood. So she just gives him her bravest smile and replies, "Okay."

With a nudge of Kai's heel, Flame lifts off into the air, briefly turning Nya's stomach as she gets used to the feeling of flying again. She squeezes her eyes shut until they're in stable motion, then opens them to see the autumn countryside passing below in streaks of orange and brown. Four Weapons is already a speck on the hilltop, growing smaller by the second.

Even though she's clinging to Kai and trying to look down as little as possible, Nya decides she likes flying. The whip of air against her face and the steady weight of Flame's wings on either side—it's something out of a dream. Better, actually, because Nya's dreams have been less than pleasant, as of late. Still . . . she could get used to this.

Though it's so not fair that the boys all have their own dragons, Nya thinks. Who made that rule? Probably this "Sensei" character that she'd only seen shortly in the Fire Temple. Kai seems to think his new mentor is the best thing since electronic billboards, but Nya will be having words with Sensei if he's the one calling the shots. Stupid ninja and their stupid exclusive powers.

The ride to the monastery is longer than Nya had expected, but she's content to admire the scenery and find shapes in the clouds. She tries sitting side-saddle, but Kai nearly has a heart attack when he feels her moving around, so she stays put. Not that she's scared of falling off, but—well, it's a pretty long drop. As much as Nya likes pancakes, she doesn't want to be one.

Before she can get bored, Nya spots a little dot poking out of the clouds below them.

"Is that—?"

"Yep," Kai says, and Nya can hear the smile in his voice.

Flame, clearly eager to be reunited with his dragon buddies, picks up speed. He changes course, tilted drastically downward as he races to the monastery. The nosedive jerks Nya so suddenly that she nearly tumbles off Flame's back, but Kai reaches back at the last second and catches her arm. They both whoop excitedly as the rollercoaster sensation takes over and the monastery becomes fully visible.

At the last possible second, when it looks like they might actually crash, Flame spreads his wings out and lands near a winding path of stairs, where a custom dragon stable has been built into the mountain. While Kai messes with the reins, Nya hops down and feels her knees wobble. Falling from Flame's back would've been a long drop, but falling from here? This mountain must be, like—a gazillion feet tall!

Carefully, Nya steps around the dragon's massive tail and presses her back against the stone wall. She'd never had a particularly noteworthy fear of heights, but now Nya is considering it. They're living up here? In the clouds? Not that the view isn't spectacular, because it is, but—geez. One wrong move and anyone could lose their footing, tumbling down the side of the mountain and shattering into pieces at the bottom.

As Kai finishes situating Flame in the stable, he sidles up next to Nya and nudges her.

"Cool, huh?" He looks out at the sky. "We get to see this every day."

"Yeah. Cool." Nya hope she at least sounds excited, because her face just looks somewhere between anxious and pained—and she's aware of that.
But Kai only grabs her hand and starts leading her up the stairs, rattling off more information.

"This is where the First Spinjitzu Master raised Wu and Garmadon, which is, like—insane. It's built on the tallest peak of this mountain range: the Mountains of Impossible Height."

"That's . . . fitting."

"Sensei Wu and the guys are really looking forward to meeting you—just, try not to look Jay in the eyes, ya know? He's obsessed enough as it is—"

"Kai. Gosh."

"Just saying."

They reach the enormous gate, then, and Kai shoves it open. Apparently their ninja headquarters is still figuring out security measures . . . or something. There are no booby traps or trip wires, security cameras or anything like that. Nya is simultaneously relieved and concerned.

Nya doesn't know what she's expecting—maybe the sensei, or a ninja welcome party of some kind. But the courtyard is empty, except for an interesting dragon statue in the middle. The architecture is stunning, Nya has to admit. Red and gold, built to showcase the type of oriental style that she doesn't get to see very often. Its shingled roof and intricate detail keep Nya's eyes occupied while Kai wanders up to another set of doors.

"You coming?" he calls. Pulling her gaze away from the statue, Nya runs over just in time to see Kai yank the doors open. An avalanche of abstract karate noises tumble out, and what sounds like video game effects. Nya frowns, casting Kai a wry look.

"Jay better not touch my high score," Kai mumbles as they walk in.

He leads her down a hallway, lined with more doors on either side. Behind one of them, the noises are noticeably louder. Nya is not a fan of experiences that involve meeting new people, or interrupting a group of teenagers—but Kai barges in without any hesitation whatsoever. Nya halts where she is, unable to force herself to follow.

"Kai!"

"Hey, you're back!"

"Finally. Took you long enough to get moved in."

Nya hears his teammates' enthusiasm from the hallway, but she can't bring herself to actually join them. It's just—too weird. They don't know her, she doesn't know them . . . and if anything, they probably hate her for getting captured by skeletons, because they had to run all over Ninjago to find her. How much older are they? What if she's just some little thirteen-year-old girl that just gets in the way all the time?

What if they think she's annoying? Nya swallows, wide eyes glued to the floor as she imagines this group of boys making fun of her behind her back.

Kai laughs with them and exchanges sarcastic remarks, then—

"Hey, where's Nya?"

A pause, like Kai notices that she's not there. "She's—c'mon, Nya. They don't bite."

That comment is annoying enough for Nya to poke her head through the doorway, quickly scanning the room. Kai's friends are sprawled across the floor, clutching game controllers and, in one guy's case, a slice of pizza. Nya's in the middle of wondering how they'd ordered pizza from way up here, when she realizes something else. The boys are all missing their conveniently color-coded outfits. Instead, they're wearing casual hoodies and jeans, making it impossible to remember who is who.

Thankfully, Kai makes the introductions before anything too awkward can happen.

"Nya, this is Zane, Cole, and Jay."

He points to them respectively as they stand, pausing the game. Zane offers a friendly smile, Cole waves, and Jay does both.

"Greetings, Nya," Zane says, giving her hand one firm shake. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

Okay, a little formal, but not too weird.

"Yeah, good to meet ya," Cole says. "Kai's told us a lot about you."

Good things, hopefully.

Jay reaches out like he's going to shake her hand, then changes his mind, shoving both hands in his pockets. "Hey, nice to see me again! I mean—you see nice! I mean—ugh. Hi."

Nya can't stop the little laugh that bubbles up. She can feel Kai's sharp gaze on the back of her head, but whatever. Nya decides Jay wins the Best Welcome Award by a landslide, and she smiles at him, hoping to convey that she's approachable. Scratching the back of his neck, Jay grins sheepishly.

"Smooth," Cole comments.

"Can it, dirtclod—"

"Make me, zaptrap—"

Zane watches, aghast, as the other two dissolve into quiet bickering, until Kai bites out, "Guys." Jay and Cole fall silent, but they still give each other one final elbow to the rib cage.

"Nice to meet you guys officially," Nya manages, after a beat of silence. "Thanks for—helping Kai find me, and stuff. I appreciate it."

There's a round of "no problem" and "you're welcome", then Kai, eager to keep things moving, claps Nya on the shoulder.

"Alright, sis, lemme give you the tour."

The other three return to their video game, but Nya catches Jay saying, "Get ready to eat pixels, Cole. Zane, take notes, I'm about to win so hard."

As they head down the hall, Kai chuckles awkwardly. "I know the guys are a lot, but they mean well."

Nya just says, "Okay."

Kai shows her the kitchen and where the bathroom is. On their way back, he points out the center room, which apparently belongs exclusively to the sensei. There's an ancient-looking wardrobe and a cushion in the middle, the scent of incense drifting out from under the door.

"I think it would be best if you called him Sensei," Kai instructs as they head down another hallway.

Nya frowns. "Why? He's not my teacher."

"Well—yeah, but it's just a form of respect, I think. Like how you wouldn't call your parents by their first names."

Nya gives Kai a sideways glance that says we don't even have parents, so he amends with, "Just because you're not a ninja doesn't mean Sensei has nothing to teach you."

That logic isn't exactly faulty, so Nya doesn't argue. Besides, she can't afford to accidentally slip up and reveal that she isn't happy to be here at all. Sure, Kai's friends seem nice enough—if not a little dim-witted—and the monastery is beautiful, but . . .

It's not home.

There's no weather-beaten "Four Weapons" sign, or rolling pastures, or iron anvils waiting to greet Nya in the morning. No more forge, no more knocking on the wall to get Kai's attention—

"Wait," Nya says suddenly. "Where am I gonna sleep?"

Like it just occurred to Kai as well, he pauses, frowning at nothing in particular. When he doesn't respond after a full six seconds, Nya's starting to worry. What, they don't have a place for her to spend the night? Nothing? Surely she's not supposed to sleep in the same room as—

"I . . . don't know," Kai finally admits. Before Nya can pummel him, he adds, "Let's just—calm down, okay? We'll figure something out."

That isn't comforting.

Neither is the double lap around the monastery, in which Kai inspects every room, closet and corner, evaluating what could be turned into a makeshift bedroom. Nya grows angrier with each option he presents, but she will not explode, not here. This is Kai's team. He has special powers and gets to save the world, so Nya is gonna be supportive if it kills her.

But frustration is boiling just beneath the surface, coming dangerously close to an eruption of disastrous proportions. Eventually, the siblings end up in front of what Kai calls the "bunk room". It's really just a rectangular space crammed with beds and a dresser in one corner.

Nya knows what Kai's about to say, even before he opens his mouth. And, as usual, she's right.

"I mean . . . you could always sleep in here. Just until we find something else."

Nya observes the room, noting the two bunk beds and hardwood floors. "Where? There's only enough beds for you guys."

"Well—someone can sleep on the floor, I guess."

Kai doesn't specify who, but Nya assumes it'll cause problems later tonight.

But first, she has to survive a treacherous milestone—something Nya has been dreading since she got here. Something so horribly awkward that she tries to get out of it, but Kai holds firm.

Team dinner.

"Kai, I don't want to," Nya whines as her brother practically drags her to the kitchen. "I can just—wait in the—"

"You're going. It's gonna be—"

"If you say fun, I'm gonna kill you."

Kai glares. "Noted. You're gonna have to get used to it, though. You gotta . . . ya know. Shove that fear away."

Nya wants to tell him exactly where he can "shove" that comment, but they're already heading through the dining room doorway. There's a long table right in the middle, surrounded on all sides by cabinets. A stove and fridge are fit Tetris-style into a corner, but just like the other rooms, there's no sign of personalization. Just bland wooden walls and floors.

All of Kai's teammates are seated at the table, except for Zane, who appears to be tonight's chef. Whatever he's cooking smells great, but Nya's too busy searching for the nearest exit to care very much. She's gone stiff where she stands, anxiety rocking off the charts. Kai leads her to a seat and pushes her shoulders down. Robotically, Nya sits.

Everyone is talking, exchanging stories and jokes, completely absorbed in socializing. They're not looking at Nya. No one is paying any attention to her. Kai jumps right in, joining a conversation like it's easy, and Nya blinks at the wall, hoping the floor would be kind enough to swallow her.

She tries to laugh a few times, as if she understands any of the inside jokes, but that just makes her feel worse.

"So I was like, you and what army?" Cole says, and the others laugh in chorus. Nya forces a tight smile but doesn't feel any real emotion behind it.

This is what she'd been dreading all along. Moving? Fine, she can deal with that. Definitely not ideal, but doable. After all they'd been through together, Nya is willing to do just about anything to make Kai happy. If being a ninja is his destiny or whatever, she's willing to support that, even if she's out of her element. Kai's happiness means everything to her, especially since she'd grown up seeing him perpetually unhappy.

Lately, the smile on his face has been real. Nya will gladly sacrifice her comfort zone to keep it that way.

She just wishes she'd be shown a little appreciation for it. When it was just the two of them, Nya always expressed her gratitude for Kai and all the things he did on his own, despite her consistent offers to help. But this one time, when Nya has a chance to take one for the team (quite literally), it goes unrecognized. Which is . . . fine, she supposes. Mostly. Kinda. Whatever.

At some point, Zane has dished out tonight's dinner, passing plates around with food that is sure to surpass Nya's expectations. But she doesn't eat. She can't. Not with all these people sitting around, watching her—

Well. No one's really watching her, but the effect is the same. Nya doesn't know why her heart is beating so fast or why her tongue feels like it's glued to the roof of her mouth—but suddenly the lights are too bright and her stomach is turning somersaults and—

"Did you try the lemonade?"

Nya blinks, focusing on Jay. "What?"

He holds up his glass, swirling the liquid inside. "I made the lemonade tonight but I'm scared to try it."

For some reason, Nya feels the barest wisp of a smile on her lips. She tunes out whatever the other boys are talking about and grabs her own cup, examining it. She should say something back. He's reaching out, trying to make her feel included, which is more than anyone else has done tonight.

"It—it looks normal," she tries.

Jay frowns. "Doesn't taste normal, though?"

"No! No, I haven't even tried it, that's not what I—"

Laughing, Jay waves her apology away. "Relax, I'm just messin' with ya. Cheers."

He reaches across the table, clinking his glass against hers, and they drink together. And as much as Nya would like to say it was the best lemonade she'd ever had . . . her face ends up pinched as she bites the inside of her cheek. It's sour. Not terrible by any means, but—

Suddenly afraid that she'd given Jay the wrong reaction, Nya looks up. But he's wincing, too, looking like he's two seconds away from choking. Their eyes meet simultaneously.

There's a beat of silence, then quiet chuckles as they both set the cups down and exchange hesitant smiles.

Sarcastically, Jay asks, "That good, huh?"

Nya grins. "It's great."

They set the lemonade aside, silently agreeing to let the others figure the taste out for themselves. Looking down, Jay absently twirls a spaghetti noodle around his fork.

"Maybe next time you—we can make it together. Ya know? Like—for fun. 'Cause I'm bad at it."

Jay frowns at himself, probably trying to decipher his own phrasing, but Nya finds his awkwardness comforting. Is this her first friend here? Does Jay want to be friends, or is he just trying to be nice? Nya looks around at the table, as the other boys jostle each other around and laugh.

Then she looks at Jay, who happens to be looking at her. Their eyes meet, and for the first time, Nya realizes his eyes are a shocking blue. He holds out his hand.

"I'm Jay."

"You told me that already."

"Oh, right—sorry, I—"

Nya grabs his hand and shakes it, smiling. "I'm Nya."

"Sounds familiar," Jay teases.

"Does it? Must be a coincidence."

The two of them laugh, and Nya doesn't even notice the questioning glance Kai gives her. Miraculously, she survives the rest of dinner, and Jay keeps up lighthearted conversation until Zane starts collecting dishes.

Kai tosses his fork at Cole. "You're on dish duty tonight, man. Good luck."

Cole throws his head back, groaning as he comes back through the doorway he'd just walked out of.

"Why can't your sister do it? She's new. Gotta pull your own weight around here."

But no way is Nya sticking around to do dishes, so she skitters out of the kitchen before Kai can say anything. Eventually, she knows she'll have to take on some of the responsibilities, but right now? Her first day? Not happening. FSM forbid she gets some time to adjust.

After dinner, Nya discovers another issue: privacy. Back at home, she could just hide in her room if she was feeling bummed. But here, that's not the case. Nya doesn't have a room. And though there are plenty of places to hang out in the monastery, they're all occupied by someone in one way or another.

Cole is washing dishes in the kitchen, whistling to himself as he works. Zane and Jay are plopped in front of the TV, fingers moving across the game controllers so aggressively that it makes Nya dizzy. And Kai has been shuffling around in the bunk room for a while now. Who knows what he's doing, but Nya doesn't care enough to go check. Instead, she wanders outside to the courtyard.

It's an impressive area, and she'd heard someone mention "training equipment", but Nya doesn't see any. There's just that odd statue in the center, dragon adorning the top. It's too randomly placed. Too shiny. It's suspicious enough for Nya to step over and circle it curiously, trailing her fingers across the surface. Her eyes catch sight of a button, inconspicuous as it is, and Nya briefly considers pressing it. Maybe it'll spice up this day that's turning out to be far less exciting than she'd imagined it.

But she doesn't get the chance to find out what the button does.

"Nya!" Kai calls from the other side of the courtyard. "What're you doing?"

She whips around, wondering if maybe she's in trouble or—heaven forbid—on dish duty after all.

"Nothing! Nothing, I was just—lookin' around."

Kai raises an eyebrow at her. "Okay, sure. Can you c'mere?"

From the tone of his voice, Kai can't mean anything good. He looks—not panicked, but mildly stressed. Slightly flushed. Nya pretends not to notice, though, as she abandons the statue and meets Kai on the steps. He pulls her inside, dragging a hand down the side of his face.

"Don't be mad, okay?"

Well that doesn't sound good.

"Mad about what? Why would I be mad?"

Kai is practically yanking her down the hall, steps so quick that Nya is struggling to keep up. "Just—don't be mad, 'cause I feel like you're gonna be mad and then it's gonna be awkward and—"

"Kai, what?"

They stop in front of the bunkroom and Nya frowns. She has a feeling that she knows what's coming, but that doesn't stop her from tossing her brother an expectant look. He seems to deflate, gesturing weakly to the thick, wooden door.

"There's not a bed for you in here," he says. Nya blinks at him.

"I know. I thought we were gonna figure this out later."

"Yeah, but—well, this is . . . ya know."

Nya's frown deepens. "This is what?"

"You know! A boys' room! For guys!"

"And?"

"You wanna sleep in here? With everyone? Isn't that kinda—"

"What?" Nya is growing angry. "Kinda weird? No. It's not. We used to sleep in the same bed all the time—"

Kai shushes her frantically, eyes darting around as if to make sure no one had heard her. Nya backs up, scowling. Kai has that look on his face, the one that he never used to wear, but Nya's been seeing it all the time lately. Earlier, Kai hadn't seemed concerned at all about Nya sleeping here. If anything, he had been offering it as an option. Why the sudden change of heart?

"Why are you being so annoying?" Nya asks, upset. "It's like you're—"

And the realization hits her. A spark of betrayal ignites what Nya says next.

"Like you're embarrassed by me."

Kai's eyes go wide with panic and he waves a hand, dismissing her statement. "No, no, are you kidding? Embarrassed—I'm not—I mean. Don't be stupid."

But Nya's actually not stupid, which is why she can tell exactly what Kai is hiding. She figured it would probably happen at some point, but so soon? They just got here and he's already—

Already leaving her.

"Thanks," Nya deadpans. There are tears burning behind her eyes. "Thanks a lot."

She turns away, heading back down the hall, not entirely sure where to go from here. This monastery is built on the top of a mountain, she doesn't exactly have a way out. Kai calls her name once, sounding sorry, but if there's one thing Nya's good at, it's giving someone the cold shoulder. Especially her brother. She takes a left turn and finds herself outside once again.

The ninja life isn't all it's cracked up to be. Heck, she's not even a ninja. She's just a useless, embarrassing girl. Not even Kai wants her around anymore. Whatever. That's fine. It's fine. She'll just have to work ten times harder. Prove she can be useful. Prove she's not just Kai's sister.

Nya plops down on the courtyard steps, arms crossed over her knees. Is she pouting? It feels a lot like pouting. But no, pouting is for—that's for kids and Nya's not—

She's not a little kid anymore. If life doesn't go her way (not that it ever has, but still), she needs to suck it up and make the best of it. It's all she's ever done, the only thing that kept her and Kai afloat over the years. Sometimes life just sucks. That's how it is. She sure isn't about to cry over it anymore.

Nya's gaze lands on that statue again. Something prickles at the back of her neck, a feeling that tells her to check it out. What's the worst that could happen?

(Well, plenty of bad things could happen, but she's not going to think about that.)

Slowly, Nya pushes to her feet and wanders across the empty courtyard. The dragon statue glints in the sunlight, inviting her. She circles it again, searching until she find the button. This time, with a quick glance over one shoulder, Nya presses it.

Several things happen at once and Nya's eyes falter as they try to focus on all the moving objects. Giant wooden pillars pop out of the stony ground, nearly impaling her as Nya leaps away just in time. Everything rises right out from under the floor—this must be the training equipment that Kai had mentioned earlier. There are spinning things and weapons and swinging axes and—

It's a whole obstacle course, Nya realizes with a grin.

This must be where the boys train and learn all those fancy ninja moves. Nya eyes it hungrily, wanting to test out her own skills, but—that's probably not allowed. It's probably some dumb "boys only" training course. If Kai finds out she used it, will he be embarrassed by that, too? Or maybe the sensei will be angry that she didn't ask first. Maybe . . .

Maybe Nya is sick of boys telling her what to do.

Not ten minutes later, Nya is already on her third lap of the training course. Her first two attempts had been less than impressive, but she's not familiar with the equipment. Give her a few hours and she'll be as good as the rest of those nerds. It's just that stupid axe. One of the dangling axeheads on the carousel keeps knocking her off balance. She'll get it, though.

She doesn't get it. Nya makes four more laps, and each time she's defeated by the axehead. Even though she's ready for it, it manages to catch her and send her careening backwards. She can feel bruises forming on her tailbone already. Stupid obstacle course, stupid ninja moves, stupid friggin' axe—

Nya lands on the ground once more, but this time, she stays there.

"UGGHHH." The groan is so loud that it could be classified as a growl, but Nya doesn't care. Screw this, maybe she's not cut out for ninja training.

As Nya lies on her back, glaring at the crystal blue sky, she hears the most subtle of footsteps approaching. They're so soft that she almost doesn't notice them, but Nya turns her head away, expecting Kai. She frowns.

"I know, I know. I'm stupid, I shouldn't have touched the button, I'm irresponsible. I get it."

"I disagree. Impatient, perhaps, but not stupid."

That is . . . definitely not Kai.

Nya sits up, eyes going wide when she sees the ancient-looking man standing a few feet away. His beard is pure white and hangs past his waist. He's clothed in garments that resemble the uniform of a martial arts instructor, but more detailed. More . . . formal, somehow. The embroidery is intricate, all oriental patterns and unfamiliar symbols. If it weren't for the straw hat, the man's commanding presence would be enough to make Nya believe he were some kind of royalty.

Apologies burst from Nya's mouth in a flurry, and she trips over her own feet as she stands hastily. Her pants are coated in dust and she's probably dripping sweat, but Nya has enough composure left to at least manage a small bow. Kai said something about bowing, it's supposed to be an act of respect. Right?

The sensei waves away her blustering as he chuckles quietly. "No need for formalities. It's a pleasure to officially meet you, Nya." He extends a hand warmly.

Blinking, Nya shakes it. "Y-yeah, you too. Kai's always talking about you."

Immediately, she cringes. That probably wasn't the right thing to say, she's supposed to make Kai look good. Then again, he has been a bit of a jerk lately, so Nya doesn't have many regrets.

"I'm sorry about using your training course, I know it's for—you know, your students. I just—"

"Don't apologize. My pupils practice their skills with a controller more than their skills as a fighter." He shakes his head, but smiles fondly. "You're welcome to use the course."

Nya brightens. "Seriously? Thank you, Sensei . . . ?" She trails off, unsure of what title to use.

"Wu," he finishes. "Sensei Wu."

"Got it." Nya rubs a hand behind her neck. "Think you could give me some pointers? I'm having some . . . trouble."

Wu takes a seat on the stone steps, nodding at her. "Why don't you give it one more try, and we'll see what we can do about your balance."

As Nya's heart swells with excitement, she darts to the beginning of the course, ready for another round.

oOo

Later, when the sun has disappeared from the sky, Nya stumbles back inside, breathless and smiling. With the help of Sensei Wu, she was able to make through the training course without any further bruises to her pride—or tailbone. He wasn't upset with her at all. In fact, he seemed almost . . . happy. Nya likes Wu. At the very least, he's approachable and friendly. Not that the other guys aren't, but—

Well. Nya's never been the best at making friends her own age. Kai says she's awkward, which is a pretty bold claim coming from him. He's fifteen and hasn't had his first kiss. Or first crush. Nya thinks that girls are scared of Kai. It could have something to do with the hazardous hair, or the temper, or the lack of patience . . .

Yeah. Maybe they're both a little awkward. The only difference is that Kai found friends and Nya had to leave hers in Ignacia.

Nya's still mad at her brother. Clearly she won't be spending the night in the bunk room, but she tromps that direction anyway. She finds Cole and Jay already there, crawling into bed and engaging in casual conversation. They stop as she walks in, avoiding their eyes. Nya knows which bed is Kai's. She yanks the top blanket off his bunk and takes his pillow, too—just for good measure. Then she's gone, stomping out the door and back down the hall.

She didn't wanna sleep in that musty testosterone-filled room anyways. Take that.

Nya feels the boys' eyes on her back, but she's out of sight before they can say anything. If she'd turned around, she would've seen Jay and Cole exchange concerned glances. But Nya can't be bothered. She drags Kai's stuff all the way outside, where the training course has been put away, reverted back to an unassuming courtyard. She drops the pillow and blanket on the ground.

She knows Kai would be appalled to find out she's sleeping outside, but Nya figures there's no real harm in it. Is it a bit dramatic? Sure. She knows that. But it's better than sitting curled up in a corner of the monastery. Maybe she wants Kai to be annoyed. This'll teach him to be nice to her. Stupid brothers and their stupid masculinity complexes.

Nya lays the blanket out flat and sits down, content to exist quietly in the cool night air. It is a bit chilly, considering they're up on a mountain peak, but Nya doesn't mind. It got colder than this back in Ignacia, when they couldn't afford to run the heat and Kai had to leave the forge burning all day so Nya could sit in front of it and keep warm.

The stars are beautiful from here, too. There are so many, twinkling up above her in the inky black of space. Four Weapons had the best view of the sky. This one is . . . almost better. The view is stellar, but it doesn't feel like home.

"Nya?"

She whips around, heart pounding, to find Jay standing on the steps, silhouetted by the dim light coming from inside. He's got a pile of blankets under one arm.

"Jay! What—what're you doing out here?"

He glances around, shrugs. "I dunno. Thought I heard someone come outside, just—I wanted to—ya know. You okay?"

Seeing as Jay poses no immediate threat, Nya relaxes, resting back on her elbows. She offers a smile. "Yeah, I'm good."

"Stargazing?"

"Something like that."

"Want a partner?" Immediately Jay backtracks. "I mean—not a partner as in a date—or, not like a partner as in being together—well, just being together out here, like—ya know, spatially within a close—"

Nya's grinning as she interrupts him. "I'd love a partner."

Jay cuts off, smiling awkwardly. Nya can see the pink creeping across his face, even through the darkness of the courtyard, but it's—well, it's cute. She's still grinning as Jay tosses his mess of bedding on the ground, casually throwing one blanket at Nya.

"It's cold out here," he explains. Normally Nya's pride would interfere here, but the gesture is nothing short of adorable. How can she refuse?

"Thanks," she says.

The two of them lie back, sprawled on the floor like they're making snow angels. There's silence between them, but not in an uncomfortable way. Jay's not cracking sarcastic jokes and Nya's not replying with her usual wit. They're just . . . existing. Peacefully.

"How're you liking it here?" Jay asks quietly. The question catches Nya off-guard. She thinks about it, wondering—how does she like it here?

"Mm . . . it's nice. It's . . . different. Obviously. Not exactly home, but—I'll get used to it."

And that's the night that Nya realizes she can't hide anything from Jay Walker. He sees right through the strength she was trying to project. She was trying. But Jay seems like he's been down this road before.

"It's okay to be homesick," he says. It's so soft that it's almost a whisper. "I mean, when Sensei Wu found me, I missed home too. Home, Ma, Pa, the routine. But it got easier. I hope you'll call this place home someday."

It's not a demand. Not even a request. Just a lighthearted, good-intentioned wish. He wants her to be happy here. That's . . . more than Nya could've hoped for.

"Thanks, Jay." She rolls over to look at him. He's already looking at her. They blink.

"Hi," he says.

"Hi."

Nya thinks this is the start of a very beautiful friendship.

A/N: have a safe and happy holiday season, everyone! cheers!