1
The air outside was brisk, but Amber hadn't thought to dress any warmer than the faded Reggie Blue hoodie that Dani had given her the year before. The Oni leaned up against the outside wall of the performance hall, trying to look casual as the performance-goers filed out into the February air. Amber's bright eyes scanned the crowds, subconsciously sifting through the emotions that drifted by.
"That's Amber!"
The Oni blinked as she heard her name, and she turned to see a group of youth gaping at her. The Ninjagoan girls looked to be about thirteen or fourteen, and the Oni tried not to flush as she realized that one of them was snapping a photo on her phone. When the group caught sight of her watching, they squealed and hurried to disappear back into the throngs of people pushing their way into the night.
Amber watched them go with a frown, unease eating at her. After more than five years of living in Ninjago, she would have thought she'd be used to the stares and gasps and pictures...but the encounter still left her feeling a bit self-conscious. She reached up to finger one horn, rubbing her thumb along the newly carved grooves. Maybe she had just hoped that after all this time, Ninjago would be a little more used to her.
The crowds were growing sparser, and Amber turned her attention back to the doors as she waited impatiently. She dug her hands back into her jeans, trying not to tug at the thread at the bottom of her pockets. Finally, she heard a familiar voice, though it wasn't exactly the one she had been hoping to hear.
"You would have looked professional, without that haircut you insisted on. Honestly, do you want to blend in with every other delinquent nineteen-year-old?"
"My hair is fine...it's the style these days, which you would know if you ever paid attention."
Amber chewed her lip, peeking around the corner of the building. After a moment, the two men came into view. Marty Openheimer IV sighed heavily, eyeing his son in annoyance.
"Just because something is popular..."
"I did the performance, all right? I thought you'd be happy."
"The dancing was fine, but presentation is just as crucial as skill. Show up looking like a bum, and the judges are going to assume you haven't had a day of training in your life. It affects your scores, don't think it doesn't!"
"No one is going to assume I have no training," M Openheimer said flatly, running his hand through his hair. It was long on the top and cut close on the sides, and he rolled his eyes under the hair flopping in his face. "I'm your son, and they're very aware."
"M, I'm just trying to say..."
"I know what you're trying to say," M. interrupted. Amber had begun to wonder how she was going to cut into the conversation when the younger Openheimer caught sight of her loitering. His pinched expression smoothed as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. "I've gotta go. See you at home."
Marty IV bristled. "Go?"
"It's Friday night; I've got plans." M sauntered away, not really giving his father another look.
"What kind of—" Marty started, but the Headmaster trailed off as he, too, caught sight of where Amber was waiting. The Oni tried to decide whether she should say anything, but the older Openheimer didn't give her a chance. With his expression clouding with something unreadable, Marty IV called after his son. "Don't miss curfew, M. I expect you home by ten."
M. rolled his eyes, though his back was turned to his father. "Yes, Sir," M. called back, though neither Marty or Amber missed the sarcasm in it. With one last glance at Amber, Marty IV turned and left, no doubt heading to where his fancy car was parked in the performance hall's lot. Amber watched him go, wishing that the headmaster wasn't so good at hiding his feelings. The past few years it was hard to know if he hated her or was just apathetic toward her existence. He had stopped banning M. from seeing her, but Amber had a feeling that didn't mean that Marty IV approved of their friendship now any more than he used to.
"Hey, Oni-girl," M. offered, having reached her at last. All traces of his annoyance were gone, replaced by his trademark smirk. "How was the show?"
"It was fine," Amber replied, waiting to see if he'd notice.
"Just fine?" he teased, but his eyes were drifting up to her horns. "So, looks like you've finally gone and done it."
"What do you mean finally?"
"You and the Piano have been talking about carving your horns for months. Honestly, I was wondering when you were going to have the guts." M. reached out to give her horn a tug. "Looks good—seems the Piano didn't mess something up."
"Dani doesn't mess things up," Amber countered. "Though, in all honestly, Colby is the one who did the carving. Dani may be an artistic giant, but Colby has more experience with this sort of thing." Amber pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, wondering why she felt so self-conscious. "You really think it looks good?"
"Yeah," M. looked down to wink at her. "Though the best handiwork is still this little character here." Amber felt him rub a familiar spot on the base of her horn, and she rolled her eyes. Years ago, her friend had carved his own initial into the base of her horn. Back then it had been hidden by her hairline, but now that her horns were fully grown, the character was far more visible than it used to be.
"Keep rubbing, and you'll sand it off completely," she pointed out as she batted his hand away. "Are you ready to go?"
"Obviously. I'm taking it this isn't a formal occasion—you seem a little underdressed."
"Maybe you're just overdressed," Amber pointed out as she started walking. "Come on, Openheimer."
M. rolled his eyes, but he undid the navy bow-tie at his throat and let the two sides dangle down from his shoulders. He followed after her, slipping his arm through hers. "Please tell me your robot uncle's the one who's cooking tonight. I'm starving."
"My uncles and aunts won't be there—Will and Ashley are hosting," Amber offered. She didn't remove her arm, allowing M. to guide her down the street as the first streetlamps began to flicker on. "It could be worse, though. You could be eating my Dad's cooking."
"Anything would taste good at this point," M. countered. "Did you see the routine my father made me do? I've burned through every last once of energy."
"You only say that because you've never had my dad's cooking," Amber warned. "I thought the routine looked good. It's nice to see that you can still bring the competition when you can be bothered to. Honestly...you did well up there. Are you sure you don't want to keep dancing after we graduate?"
M. fell quiet, and Amber looked up at him. The smirk was gone, and she could feel the same conflicting emotions wafting off of him. He finally settled on apathetic, and he shrugged. "No need to bring up graduation yet, Oni-girl. We've still got the rest of winter semester and spring semester before that point."
"We've only got like four months left, M."
"That means I don't have to think about it for four more months," he pointed out with a grin. She knew he was trying to be carefree about the topic, but she also knew how stressed he was underneath the surface. Amber wondered for the millionth time why M. bothered to lie to her about his feelings, but she didn't press it further.
"Hurry it up, Openheimer. You already took forever coming out—I don't want to miss the bus."
"Couldn't you just poof us there?" he teased, and Amber rolled her eyes.
"Only if I want another lecture from the council."
"I still can't believe they knew about the one time you transported to class to make it on time."
"They've got trackers everywhere these days. Your mom's policies might have gotten overturned, but a lot of the council actually agreed with her arguments regarding how lax Ninjago has been about security in the past. They've got Borg Tower tracing every kind of power surge. They want to be prepared for anything."
"Are you supposed to be talking about that?" M teased. "I thought your ambassador stuff was confidential."
"Please...like they tell me the confidential stuff."
M. studied her a moment, and then he grinned. Amber looked up to see him flexing one arm. "Don't worry, Oni-girl. If some crazy villain tries to break into Ninjago, I'll protect you."
Amber rolled her eyes again, but she was smiling as she tugged the tall boy along. "Come on, M. There's the bus."
"Well, this is definitely the first time I've ever had chicken and waffles," Colby pointed out, studying his plate with a little frown.
"It's brilliant!" Dani cut in from her place next to him. "I can't believe I haven't thought about the combination before now!"
"I'm glad you like it," Ashley said as she brought out the last tray of food to put on the table. "It was kind of a cult classic in law school, and it kinda stuck."
"She used to make it three times a week," Will pointed out as he tuned his guitar in an armchair across the room. "Daughter of a restaurant owner or not, it wasn't ever that good."
"Shut up, Will," Ashley laughed. "You gonna come over and join us?"
"Ate earlier. I told you—I can't eat it anymore."
Ashley rolled her eyes, passing the last plate to Amber. The Oni accepted it, not too bothered by the dish. Living in Ninjago had already introduced her to plenty of foods she would have never eaten in her Oni realm.
"I love your place, Ash," Mia pointed out, looking around the apartment.
"The color scheme really brings out the space," May agreed. "Makes it seem a little less..."
"Tiny," Colby offered as he stuffed chicken in his mouth. His sisters shot identical withering glances his direction.
"I wouldn't expect anything less from you. If your lawyer gig doesn't work out, you could be an interior designer," May offered.
"Makes me wonder what your wedding would have been like, if you had bothered having one." Mia raised her eyebrow at her oldest cousin. Ashley laughed, not at all bothered by the accusatory tone.
"I told you guys; weddings are too frilly. It just seemed like a lot of work."
"We could have helped," Mia huffed.
"I dunno, eloping seems romantic," her twin argued, using a knife to cut through her chicken.
"Weddings are romantic," Mia huffed, and Amber could feel her annoyance peaking. She and M. were seated quietly on the other end of the table, and she could tell he was just as unsure about what to say as she was.
"Okay, since no one's mentioned it, I'm gonna be that person," Dani cut in, either oblivious to the tension in the room or not caring. The pianist beamed as she pointed her fork Amber's direction. "Didn't Amber's horns turn out awesome?"
Amber blinked, and suddenly the whole room was staring at her. Even Will arched his neck from his armchair to get a better look.
"Wow, did you do them yourself?" May asked, and Dani answered before Amber could.
"Amber designed them, and Colby did the carving."
"Wow, trusting Colby with something like that? You have a lot of trust," Mia griped, still in a bad mood. Her brother glared, but Dani just laughed.
"Colby was brilliant. You'd think he had carved horns before!"
"I did practice first," he mumbled, stabbing at his chicken. "I wasn't gonna do my first attempt on her actual horns."
"What did you practice on?" M. finally joined the conversation, apparently deciding this topic of conversation was safe.
"Bought some cow horns online," the boy admitted.
"Wow, way to compare Amber to a cow, Colbes," Mia snorted. He reddened.
"I wasn't..."
"They turned out just like I wanted them," Amber cut in, desperate to get the conversation back to a safe place. Colby and the twins had always argued growing up, but in the last year, the arguments seemed to be more constant. The group turned their attention back to the Oni.
"I love the dangling jewelry on the tips," May offered. "It really adds to your whole aesthetic."
"Um, thanks," Amber offered, hoping that the comment was a compliment. "Dani made them for me."
"Since Amber won't pierce her ears," Dani teased. "I'm making her one for every color in the rainbow. Once I figure out what on earth to call them, maybe I'll trademark them and sell them in the Oni realm."
"Other Oni don't have horns though, remember?" M. pointed out. Dani stuck out her tongue.
"There's that one lady with the curvy horns that was at the wedding..."
"Not sure Iona would want to wear them," Amber cut in gently. "But I'd buy them, Dani."
"I'm not making you buy them...for you, I make them for free," Dani argued in mock offence. Then the pianist grinned. "Maybe I'll just make them to sell to your growing fan club."
Amber's fork froze, and she felt her face growing heated again. Before she could turn the topic of conversation away, the twins jumped on it like sniffers on carrion.
"That reminds me...Amber, we have to talk about your social media presence," May began. Amber choked on a dry bit of waffle.
"What?"
"May and I totally stumbled into this page the other day filled with people who want to follow you!" Mia attested. "They're totally bummed that you don't have any kind of presence!"
"You could totally be an influencer."
"You already are one, technically!"
"I'm thinking blog..."
"Vlog, May...no one writes blogs anymore."
"Lots of people still write blogs!"
"Vlogs are where it's at. And you'll need to make a page on Vistachat and Picta, at least."
"If she's doing Vlogs, she'll need a Vidlife account too."
"Should we separate her ambassador side from her dancer side, or just lump it all together?"
"I'm not doing anything!" Amber cut in, her head swimming with their ideas and their excitement. The twins looked over at her in shock, and the Oni exhaled slowly. "I already told you guys...I don't have any desire to influence people. I'm just trying to graduate."
"You already are influencing people," Mia snapped. "If you don't know how to run the social media, we can help."
"We have tons of experience. Remember how we did with Theo and Matilda?"
Amber felt M. stiffen next to her, and she shook her head. "Really, guys. I'm not interested. People wouldn't want to listen to me anyway. Just today, people were staring at me and taking pictures. I'm still just the weird Oni girl..."
"People aren't staring because you're weird, Amber. They're staring because you're famous." Dani was the one who cut in this time, and everyone turned to where the pianist was finishing up her meal. She met Amber's eye and smiled. "You're like the perfect spokesperson for girls across Ninjago—embracing your differences, fighting for your dreams, defeating villains...not to mention you're gorgeous and talented. If you wanted to, you could make a big difference."
Amber squirmed in her chair. This wasn't the first time this conversation had been brought up, but Amber was ready for the topic to finally get dropped for good. "I just need to focus on my schooling," she argued apologetically. Mia and May looked like they were going to argue further, but Ashley cut in.
"I would have thought Julien would be here by now," she pointed out. "Isn't he supposed to be bringing that new girlfriend of his?"
The twins took the bait. They immediately began chattering about what they had heard about the girl Julien had mentioned, and Amber flashed Ashley a grateful look. The red-head winked in return.
"I'm telling you, she isn't real," Mia sniffed.
"Do you really think Julien would lie?" May asked. "That kind of goes against his whole M.O..."
"I'm not saying he lied about having a girlfriend...I'm saying he built one."
"Not this theory again," Colby muttered as he dug into the last of his potatoes.
"Shut up, Colbes."
"Julien is not dating a robot! He met a nice girl on his internship in Metallonia and he's bringing her to dinner. Why is that so hard to accept?"
"Her name's Agatha," Mia offered, turning to the rest of the table. "I've scoured the internet, and there's no mention of her. No social media presence at all."
"That doesn't mean she's a robot," Colby muttered.
"She's probably too ashamed to put herself online," May pointed out. "I mean, with a name like Agatha, and an interest in a nerd like Julien..."
"Bottle-cap glasses."
"At least."
"What's wrong with glasses?" Dani snapped, finally causing the twins to pull out of their gossiping. They flushed as they glanced at the girl seated next to their brother, and May recovered first.
"Nothing! It's just some girls don't really have the confidence to put themselves out there."
"I'm sure Julien and his friend are just running late," Ashley pointed out, pulling out her cellphone. "Ah, there he is. Apparently, they broke down at the border of the city and Agatha had to change the tire."
"He made the girl change the tire?" May asked, choking on her chicken.
"I'm telling you. Ro-bot."
"They should be here soon," Ashley finished, tucking her cellphone back into her pocket. She was wearing leggings with pockets and a loose t-shirt, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. At the moment, Ashley looked more like a workout instructor than a fierce attorney. However, from what Amber had heard, the twenty-four-year-old was holding her own against lawyers twice her age.
Ashley was correct. Within ten minutes, there was a knock at the apartment door, and Ashley left the table to emit the newcomers. Amber wasn't sure she believed that Julien had built himself a girlfriend, but she wouldn't be surprised if he had—his parents were technically androids, after all, and he was talented in the field of robotics. The entire room seemed to hold their breath as Julien Cyrus entered. He was alone, and Mia immediately voiced the thought on everyone's mind.
"Where's Agatha?"
Julien glanced over at the twin and shrugged. "Bathroom."
"Nice sole patch," Colby offered, and Amber could tell the compliment was sincere. She studied Julien's goatee, not saying anything one way or another. It wasn't that it looked bad, but she wasn't used to seeing her studious cousin anything but cleanshaven. Julien rubbed at the blonde hair on his chin thoughtfully.
"Most everyone in Metallonia has facial hair," he explained.
"Even the women?" Mia asked innocently, and Amber saw her twin elbow her. Julien didn't respond, merely rolling his eyes as he turned to Ashley.
"Sorry we are late. As I wrote, we hit some piece of rubbish or another coming into the city and we had to change the tire."
"Don't worry about it," Ashley offered, but her husband spoke up from the corner where he was playing around on his guitar.
"Dude, did you really make your girlfriend change the tire?" Will teased. Julien scowled, pushing his glasses up his nose.
"I do not make Agatha do anything, but as it is her zero-emissions nitrogen-run roadster that she built herself, she tends to insist on doing all maintenance herself."
"She's an engineer?" May asked. "She'll get along great with our parents, if she likes building roadsters."
Before Julien Cyrus could answer, another figure ducked into the room. Agatha had to literally duck, too—Amber wasn't sure what she was expecting Julien's girlfriend to look like, but as she heard a soft gasp from the twins, she knew she wasn't the only one who was surprised.
Agatha was tall, slim, and beautiful. Her hair fell in golden waves past her waist, her eyes a brilliant blue as she fixed those in the room with a confident smile.
"Hallo," she offered. "My name is Agatha."
"Oh my gosh," Mia stammered. "You're gorgeous."
"Oh, vell, sank you," Agatha replied with a brilliant smile. She had a Metallonian accent, though Amber hadn't met many people from Metallonia before. The beautiful woman reached out and took her boyfriend's hand, and Amber realized that Agatha was a good four or five inches taller than Julien Cyrus. "So, Julien, zees are your little friends?"
"The children of my parent's old teammates," he explained. "This is Ashley and her husband Will, Colby and his friend Dani, the twins, Amber, and—"
"The Oni!" Agatha exclaimed brightly, interrupting the introductions as she fixed Amber with one of her blinding smiles. "I have heard so much about you!"
"Oh." Amber had no idea how to respond, glancing at Julien. Sensing her question, the Metallonian laughed.
"Not from Julien—he doesn't talk much about his family. In Metallonia, you are...how you say..." Agatha waved one hand distractedly. "A legend." Amber turned pink, and Agatha fixed her blue eyes on M. "Zis is your boyfriend?"
Amber's mind went blank, and M. began choking on his chicken. For a few horrible seconds, the only sound was M. coughing and hacking, and then the Oni finally found her voice. "This is M. We're just friends," Amber offered, her face burning. She tried to ignore the look the twins were giving each other, or the pity wafting off of Dani. From what she could sense, M. was just as humiliated as she was, but then one of the twins jumped in.
"So, Agatha...I was trying to look you up on Vista, but I couldn't find you anywhere."
"Oh, I don't have any social media anymore," Agatha laughed. "I had to delete zem all years ago, after a stint I did in modeling. Zere ver too many stalkers. I tend to be too busy for ze internet, zees days."
"Modeling?" May repeated. "I mean, I'm not surprised, but I thought Julien met you at his robotics internship."
"I did," Julien said flatly as he moved to pull a chair away from the table. Agatha sat elegantly, and the bespectacled twenty-one-year-old took a seat next to his girlfriend. "Agatha works at the Metal Inquisition and Robotics Institution in Metallonia. She's a scientist in the Neuron Circuits Division. They assigned her to help me with my graduate projects, and the rest is history."
"J.C. is an amazing engineer," Agatha gushed, putting a hand on Julien's on the table. "I vas shocked zat he was only a university student."
"J.C?" Mia asked, incredulous.
"I thought you hated nicknames, Jules," May added. Julien scowled.
"J.C. isn't a nickname," he sniffed. "It's an acronym."
"It is so good to meet you all!" Agatha gushed. "I've been grilling Julien on his family for months, but he's very close to ze vest about his roots."
"You've been dating for months?" Mia gasped. "How come we've only known for a few weeks?"
"You at least told your parents, right Jules?" May teased. "You'll love them, Agatha...especially if you're into robotics. After all, Pix and Zane are—"
"Busy." Julien cut in loudly, shooting the twins with a dark look. "My parents are very busy." Awkward silence fell as those seated around the table glanced at each other. The realization hit hard, and Amber shifted in the mingling emotions of confusion.
"I am hoping to get to visit them," Agatha said, giving Julien a pointed look. "J.C. barely talks about his parents."
No one really knew what to say to that, and it was Ashley who broke the silence as she brought Julien and Agatha reheated plates.
"So, Amber, I was meaning to ask how Theo's doing."
Amber blinked as everyone turned to her again. Julien seemed to be willing her to carry the conversation away from his parentage, and she shrugged. "Good, I guess. I haven't gotten to talk to him much—he's been really busy with ruler stuff. Working with the other leaders and such."
"He and that quiet girl have been dating a while. Theo's going to invite us to his wedding, right? Don't tell me he's planning on eloping, too," Mia complained, shooting Ashley a pointed look. Amber's heart fell, and she looked down at her empty plate.
"Actually, Theo and Haiven broke up a few months ago," she admitted.
"What?" May gasped.
"Why? They were like so cute together!" Mia added. Ashley didn't say anything but she fixed Amber with a concerned look as she began collecting the empty plates from the table.
"Things just didn't work out," Amber explained carefully.
"Didn't work out on which end?" Mia demanded. "Did she call it quits, or did he? Geez, I hope he didn't ruin this just cuz he's scared of commitment or something dumb like that."
"If you want the details, you'll have to ask him," Amber snapped, suddenly angry. She saw M. shift uncomfortably next to her, and she sighed internally. It had been so long since she and all her cousins had gotten together, and she thought it would be fun to invite M. along since he used to come to the occasional dinner party back when they were more frequent. However, the night was turning out to be one awkward conversation after another, and she wished she hadn't forced the Openheimer to come sit through all the drama.
"Fine," Mia said, obviously miffed by Amber's defensive tone. "I was just asking, since we like never see Theo anymore."
"I can't even remember the last time he came to Ninjago," her twin added.
Amber sighed. "He'll be here in a few weeks for a performance of mine. You'll have to talk to him then."
"Trust me, we will." Mia sniffed, turning back to her phone. Amber made a mental note to warn/apologize to her brother about the interrogation he was going to no doubt receive.
Ashley disappeared into the kitchen, and Amber wasn't sure if she was going to get dessert started or just trying to escape the tension in the room. In the silence, Dani looked around and finally turned to the beautiful blonde seated next to her.
"So, Agatha, ever heard of the Cray-Z's?"
2
Pippa panted as she ran; her legs were long enough that she could keep up with the sniffer. Though, it helped that he was old. With a last burst of speed, she managed to clear the two stone pillars before Baffa did.
"Beat you!" she managed, but then she slowed to a stop and collapsed onto the dirt. Baffa ran past her and then circled back, his tongue lolling out as he whimpered to her. "It's not my fault that you're getting slower," she chided. "If you're thirsty, go visit the hoofer trough. There's usually water in there."
He whined and went to lay his large head on her chest, but she shoved him off and sat up. "Go get a drink, you old sniffer. I don't want to deal with you being all dehydrated later. I can't carry you home.
He finally turned and padded over to the hoofer trough, and Pippa hoped that no one would yell at him. He needed water as much as hoofers did.
"Look what the sniffer brought in."
She looked over and squinted in the sunlight to see a skinny figure. Pippa stuck her tongue out. "Go away, Teag."
"You go away; you're the one who doesn't live here."
Pippa pushed herself to her feet to face the boy. Considering that she was nearly twelve, she was getting tall. But the stupid kid had sprouted up and he had to be at least a head taller than her.
"What's the broom for?" she asked, pulling a sword from her belt easily. "You doing chores again, or that's just the best you can muster for a sparring session?"
The boy scowled, tossing his hair out of his face. Teag's hair hung in long cords, wrapped with colorful thread from Haiven's stores.
"I don't spar with babies," he pointed out, and she rolled her eyes.
"Because it hurts that much more when I beat you? I'm no baby!"
"Whatever, Pip-squeak."
"Mop-head!"
"Fuzz-brain!"
"Dung-eater!"
"Gross. What's wrong with you?" he demanded. Pippa just folded her arms, confident she had won the battle of insults.
"Where's Dune at?" she asked, and Teag rolled his eyes.
"Do I look like his babysitter?" he demanded.
Pippa scowled. "Fine. I'll just go find him myself, jerk-noodle."
"That one doesn't even make sense," he pointed out dryly. He stepped in her way before she could dart past, and she brandished her sword threateningly. He rolled his eyes again. "Easy, you wild animal. I was just gonna ask if your uncle was coming today."
"He's coming," Pip sniffed. "He's just going so slow since Raiyn is with him today. Now get outta my way before I run you through!"
He stared at her, unamused, and made a show of stepping out of the way. She ran off with a whoop to track down her friend.
Hershel smiled as they headed into town. In front of him, Raiyn bounced with excitement.
"Yona!" he yelled. "Yoooonaaaa!"
"Iona's probably in her house, son," Hershel chastised with a smile. "We'll go find her in a minute; no need to scream."
But the sound of Raiyn's call brought Oni from the hidden village out to see them. A few people smiled from doorways, but children managed to snake their ways out of crevices and holes as they ran over.
"It's Master Hershel! And he brought Raiynee!" a girl called, and several other kids darted closer. Of the six powered children who had been brought to the hidden village over the past two years, Hershel could spot four.
A lanky girl reached the hoofer and held her arms up. "Can I take Raiynee?" she begged, and Hershel had to grab his son before Raiyn leapt off the hoofer and into Inna's outstretched arms.
"Yes," Hershel said, managing to control his son's fall and help him reach the girl. "But you have to watch him closely, Inna. He's quicker than you'd think."
"We'll watch him!" another girl chimed in, having joined her sister. Well…they weren't really siblings, Hershel knew. But with no other family to claim, the band of six had adopted each other as a family of their own.
"See that you do, Luz," he warned, but then they were running off, each girl holding Raiyn by one hand. Hershel smiled as he dismounted, but then a blast went off near his head. He turned and spotted the young girl trying to hide behind a market post. The healer scowled.
"Summer, you could have taken my head off!"
"But I didn't!" she pointed out, giving him a mischievous, gap-toothed smile. "I've got control!"
"There are better ways of proving you have control," he pointed out dryly. The girl just snickered and ran off, and Hershel shook his head.
"She does it for the attention, you know."
Hershel turned to see a familiar face framed with colorful dreadlocks. He smiled.
"I know. I think she's spent a little too much time around Pip."
The boy snorted, but then he became serious. "You remember what today is, right Master Hershel?"
Hershel lead his hoofer over to the poles where he could tie its reigns. "I remember; that's why I'm here. But I told you lot not to call me Master Hershel."
Teag smiled a little. "That's why we do it."
"Mmm…" Hershel finished the knot and turned back to Teag, studying the boy. "So…you've made your decision?"
The boy shifted from foot to foot. "You said if I stayed and trained for two years, you wouldn't make me stay here anymore."
"I know." Hershel reached out to put a hand on the boy's shoulder, scanning him. "You've grown a lot these last few years, Teag. Do you not want to stay? Everyone's going to miss you, including Iona. She may not seem like the sentimental type, but she will."
Teag swallowed, glancing around. He finally sighed. "Iona acts like she's my mom, but she's not. And the other kids are fine, but I'm tired of being stuck here. It's not like there's anything bad with this place, except that I'm not allowed to leave. I want to have the option to go where I want."
Hershel gave his shoulder a squeeze. "I know how you feel. Where were you thinking you wanted to go? Back to the East?"
"Um…I don't know," the boy admitted, pushing colorful locks from his face. "But I want to do blacksmithing. I've helped out a little here and there, and that's what I want to do."
"Blacksmithing, huh?" Hershel said. He released Teag at last, looking thoughtful. "There are a lot of blacksmiths in the West, you know. I'm sure at least one of them needs an apprentice."
"The West?" Teag fixed him with a suspicious look. "Are you saying that just so you can make sure I'm close enough that you can keep your nose in my business?"
Hershel laughed. "Well, I'll admit that it would be nice to keep my eye on you." His smiled faded a little. "I won't remain in your life if you don't want me to, though."
Teag glanced away, shuffling his feet. He finally managed a shrug. "I mean…if you wanna visit, or whatever. I guess that's ok."
"You're a good kid, Teag. You're going to do well, wherever you end up."
Teag glanced up again, and Hershel could see the glints of tears before Teag hastily wiped his face. "Thanks."
"I have to go track down where your sisters carted Raiyn off to, and then meet with Iona," Hershel explained. "But when I leave today, you'll come with me and we'll go find you a spot in this world, alright?"
Teag gave a quirky half-smile. "All right."
Hershel turned to go, but then looked back. "Where are Jaim and Jasper?"
"Out on patrol. Blist basically has named them honorary dragon guard members at this point."
Hershel scoffed. "I hope they know what they're getting into," he pointed out with a smile, and Teag just shrugged. "Go get your things packed, Teag. I'll come find you after I talk to Iona."
The boy looked nervous and excited all at once, but he just nodded quickly and darted off.
"YOONNAAAA!" Raiyn called as he and Hershel entered the room. Hershel winced and turned to tell Raiyn not to yell, but then a voice cut in.
"I thought I heard you out there."
Raiyn grinned and pulled out of Hershel's hand as he walked over to the Ancient Xinta in the corner of the house.
"Hi Yona!" he said as he reached her, not even hesitating as he climbed into her lap. The Xinta shook her head at him, but she seemed more pleased than irritated. "Quite the affectionate child," she pointed out. "Generally children get shy at this age."
"He's shy around strangers," Hershel admitted, coming into the room more. "How have things been?"
Iona scoffed as she shifted Raiyn to one knee. "Could be better, could be worse. Summer's going to be the death of me; I thought it was bad enough having your niece running around, but now there's two of them."
"Has she destroyed anything?"
"Not lately. But she's a terrible prankster and Blist has almost had several altercations with her."
Hershel took a seat on a cushion across from Iona. "And the others?"
"Luz still has nightmare reactions. We put Inna in there with her now so she can wake her up before they get too bad. Jaym and Jasper are helpful; they're good boys, and they do their part. Teag's belligerent as always. All he's talked about the last month is how you were going to let him leave on his two year mark."
"That's why I'm here today," Hershel admitted. Iona sniffed.
"You sure he's ready to go back out there on his own?"
Hershel hesitated and then sighed. "He's a good kid, and he's worked hard for control these last few years. I can't see him having any more accidents. I just wish he wasn't so young; it makes him feel more vulnerable. But a deal's a deal. We'll see if we can find him an apprenticeship in the west."
Iona just nodded and finally sighed. "Maybe it will be good for him to feel like he has control of his life again."
"That's what I'm hoping."
Before Iona could say anything else, Raiyn cupped his hands around his mouth to whisper in her ear.
"Yona, can I hava treat?"
She blinked and then turned to look at the nearly-four-year-old's pleading look. She finally sighed and gestured to a shelf. "You know where they are," she pointed out, and Raiyn beamed as he climbed off of her and made his way to the treat jar. Hershel smiled, but his tone was stern.
"Just one, Raiyn."
The boy turned and pouted. "Two? Please two, Daddy?"
"Just one."
Raiyn sagged in disappointment, but he obediently fished only one treat from the jar before making his way back to Iona's lap. She pulled him on almost subconsciously as he began to eat. "How are things at the fortress?"
"Going well. I don't teach many classes there anymore; Syn does most of the healing classes with a few traveling healers we found in the South."
"Mmm…so I should expect to see you here more?" Iona pressed, and Hershel shrugged.
"I'll still come whenever I can," Hershel promised. "Is there anything you need from me today? Otherwise, I'll go collect Teag and be on my way."
Iona pursed her lips as if thinking about it. "Why don't you get a kettle of tea going?" she finally offered. "If Teag leaves before the patrol gets back, I'll never hear the end of it from Jaim and Jasper."
Hershel smiled and pushed himself to his feet. "Alright." He headed toward the other side of the room to get the water into the kettle. With his back turned, Iona slowly fished another treat from a pocket in her trousers. She held it out to Raiyn, who looked up with an elated expression. She put a finger to her lips, and the toddler mimicked the gesture before happily digging into his clandestine treat. Iona couldn't help but smile, and Hershel frowned as he returned.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing," she assured, taking the kettle from him so she could heat it. "I suppose I'm just enjoying the company."
3
Colby grimaced as he guided the spacecraft through the meteorite field, ducking low just in time to miss the oncoming alien laser attacks. The music from the T.V. became triumphant, and he sagged as he managed to spin into the safe haven at the end of the level. Points ticked up quickly, blazing across the screen with the words New High Score.
The front door opened as Colby began selecting his gear for the next level, and he didn't even look up as his father poked his head into the living room.
"Alien Crusader?" Jay asked in surprise. "What made you dig this old dinosaur out of the pile? I used to play this growing up."
"I know," Colby said as he tried to decide between the ion shield or the bonus hearts. "I beat all your high scores."
Jay came further into the room. "It took me years to get those scores," the curly-haired man argued. "There's no way you—" He trailed off as Colby maneuvered to the high score screen, flicking quickly through the level rankings to prove his point. Jay blinked and then shook his head. "Do the words you're grounded mean anything to you, son?"
"Very funny, Dad," Colby muttered as he exited the scores screen to make it back to his current campaign. "You know, it must be sad, knowing Uncle Zane has better dad jokes than you."
"He downloads them from the internet!" Jay defended. "That doesn't count!" He marched closer, and Colby balked as his father gave him a noogy.
"Hey! I'm too old for this!" Colby argued, batting his father away. "You're too old for this!"
"Just got home, and I'm already under attack," Jay chided. "What's this family coming to?"
"You're the one attacking me!"
Before Jay could make a comeback, the lights in the home flickered and then went out completely. Both Walker men glanced up, and then Jay sighed.
"May!" he called, and the twin's frazzled voice came down the stairs.
"Sorry! I didn't even do anything this time, honest!"
"So help me, if you've blown another fuse," Jay grumbled, and his daughter came down the stairs with her hair poofy with static.
"It's not my fault," May huffed defensively. "I'm not trying to have the surges."
The door out to the motorbike garage slammed on the other side of the house, signaling Nya's arrival. "May! Did you overcharge the system again?"
"I didn't mean to!"
There was a banging as Nya went back out into the garage, and after a minute or two, the lights came back on. Music trilled from the video game as the T.V. and gaming consul were flooded with power again, and Colby was happy to see that his latest triumph had been saved to the system before his sister had knocked the power out. However, the relief faded as Nya came back into the room and May came down the stairs.
Colby sank further into the couch with a scowl, aimlessly flicking between crusade options as his family gathered into the front room. He was irritated that his alone time had been interrupted, but he didn't want to leave and give up possession of the T.V. The second he did, the twins would be in here watching The Single File or worse.
Nya shook her head as she came in, laughing as she caught sight of May's hair. "What happened?"
"I was just plugging something in," May grouched. "That's all. I wasn't even thinking electric thoughts."
"Thinking electric thoughts?" Jay muttered. "Is that how you think it works?"
Nya climbed the stairs to reach her daughter, smoothing down the 21-year old's hair. "I talked to Garmadon, and he said that it's usual for elemental powers to be a little finicky during natural transitions."
"Finicky is right," Jay said, lifting his hand so he could frown at it. "I can't even summon so much as a static spark these days."
"We knew this would happen eventually," Nya pointed out, putting an arm on her husband's arm. "It was just a matter of time."
"Well, you better be prepared for when I start manifesting elemental power." Mia appeared in the room as well, apparently drawn out of her in-home recording studio to add her two cents. "No doubt we'll have problems with the plumbing and the electric when I do. I hope you have good insurance."
Jay groaned. "You sure we can't kick them out?" he asked his wife. "This seems like a great time for the twins to go strike out on their own."
"Very funny," Mia snapped, bristling at the threat. Nya rolled her eyes.
"We're not kicking anybody out...so long as they're helping with the motor garage. Though...it has been a while since either of you came to help me with the bikes."
"I've been consumed with a very important project," Mia complained, tossing her hair out of her eyes. Unlike May, who wore her brown hair long, Mia's was cropped just beneath her ears. She had been letting the natural wave come through a little more often, though she still attacked the blue-tipped hair with a straightener whenever she deemed something important enough to look "her best."
"What project?" Jay asked as he moved to leave the living room at last, pulling off his Borg Industries nametag and sliding it into his briefcase.
"Amber's about to graduate, and her social media presence is woeful. As in, non-existent. There's plenty online about her, but everything people could ever know about her is gonna be secondhand unless she takes control of—"
"She said she didn't want a social media presence, remember?" Colby snapped, turning to glower at his sister. Everyone turned to him in surprise, as if just realizing he was sitting there.
Mia's surprise quickly soured. "Mind your own business, Colbes," she sniffed.
"That's rich, coming from you."
"That's enough, you two," Nya snapped. "Colby, have you finished your homework?"
"Duh." He turned back to his video game, half wishing his family would forget he was there again.
"Do you want me to go over it with you?" May called from the top of the stairs where she was brushing her hair. "Your grades haven't been that great lately. How are you ever gonna get into N.C.U. without a good grade point average?"
Colby's grip tightened around his game controller. "I'm fine." He snapped again, and Nya sighed.
"Be nice to your sister," she chided. "She's just trying to help."
"She'd probably light the homework on fire, at this point," Colby pointed out, shooting May an irritated look. "Huh, Sparky?"
May flushed angrily. "It's lightning, dweeb...not fire. You want someone to burn your homework, call Ashley."
"Go touch a doorknob," Colby muttered, and May rolled her eyes and stormed back to the bathroom upstairs. Mia and Nya remained, and his mother came over.
"You seem tense," Nya realized as she took a seat on the couch. "Everything all right?"
"It's fine," he muttered, wishing everyone would just go away.
"How's your girlfriend?" Nya prompted. "We haven't seen Dani around in a while."
Colby squirmed. "She's not my girlfriend," he countered as he flushed. "Well...at least, not yet."
"Don't tell me you still haven't had 'the talk," Mia said, her arms folded. "Colbes, you were supposed to make things serious months ago!"
"It's never come up," he countered, selecting ion shields at last. He tried to get lost in the video game as his campaign started at last, but the women in the room wouldn't drop it.
"You're not boyfriend/girlfriend?" Nya asked, surprised. "You've been dating for forever, haven't you?"
"We've just been going on dates," Colby stammered. "It's not the same thing." He blasted down an alien ship, dodging quickly to avoid the enemy's rebuttal.
"You need to get on that," his sister sniffed. "A few years ago, it didn't really matter, but Dani's really come into herself now. She's like a high-six now...dare I say seven. If you don't hurry and make it official, some guy is going to come sweep her away from a four like you."
The T.V. screen flashed red as one of the alien lasers hit home, and Colby's expression darkened as he watched his heart-count deplete. "Shut up! You don't know anything about it!"
"Actually, I'm basically an expert—" Mia started, but Nya cut in before she could get too far.
"Leave your brother alone," she chided. "If you're free to give him relationship advice, you're free enough to come help me in the shop."
Colby swooped past another meteor, and he could picture Mia's pinched expression behind him. "I was just trying to help." She muttered defensively before stalking from the room.
Nya shook her head as she turned back to her eighteen-year-old son. "Colbes, if you want to talk about it..."
"I don't. Why can't you all just leave me alone?" he snapped. Nya fell quiet, and neither said anything as Colby attacked the boss at the end of the level, spamming the buttons on the controller with thinly-bridled rage. The multi-armed alien finally keened in defeat, and Colby didn't even wait for the game to tell him whether he had reached a high score or not. He crossed the room quickly, turning off the device before fleeing to his room, where he could at least lock the door.
Theo checked through the satchel one last time before nodding to himself. "That should be good," he muttered, his eyes skimming over the letter he had gotten one last time. It was anonymous, which was in and of itself was suspicious, but he couldn't pass up this chance. He stuffed the letter back in the satchel before throwing it over one shoulder.
"Heading somewhere?"
Theo jumped at his father's voice, and he whirled to see Cole standing in the doorway of the heir's office. "Dad! You startled me."
"What's all that for?" the elemental master asked, gesturing to the satchel. Theo shifted it on his shoulder in what he hoped was a casual movement.
"Just packing a lunch and stuff," he answered easily. "I'm heading down to the South for the day."
"Tolan's going with you?"
Theo's smile faded a little, but his tone was bright as he answered. "Yeah, of course."
Cole nodded to himself, scanning his son. Theo tried not to squirm, and his father finally sighed. "I feel like we never see you these days, Theo. How's everything going?"
"It's going well," Theo promised, moving to the doorway to move around his father. "It's just busy—you know how it gets. You've been busy my whole life, it feels like."
"You've felt a whole lot busier these last few months," Cole pointed out carefully. "I just want to make sure you're not overburdening yourself."
"I'm fine. Did you need something? I'm meeting Tol on the way, and I gotta head out."
"Hershel just stopped by," Cole answered, though he was still studying Theo. "He was wondering if you had time for a quick visit."
"Um, tell him I'll catch him some other time," Theo offered, turning to head down the hall. The twenty-two-year-old didn't make it far before a hand clamped on his shoulder.
"Theo."
The heir sighed. "All right...I guess I can talk to him now," he conceded, and he turned to follow his father down to the area where they received guests. Theo tried not to glance at the sun in the windows—he could still make it by sundown. He was fine.
The sounds of Raiyn laughing caused the Oni Heir to relax a little as they entered the room. The child looked up, his face splitting with a smile as he came running over. "Thee-thee!"
Theo smiled at the nickname, hoisting the young boy into the air. "Look at you, Raiyn," he said. "You're getting so big!"
"Raiyn is so big!" the child repeated, holding his hands out happily.
"He's growing fast," another voice agreed, and Theo looked up to see Hershel pushing himself out of a chair. Over the years, Hershel's strange appearance had become less shocking, though Theo couldn't help but study the healer as he approached. His white-and-black hair was pulled back out of his face, and the freckles on one side of his face quirked as he smiled softly. "How have you been, Theodynn?"
"I've been fine," Theo said. Raiyn had started to squirm in his hands, and Theo released the nearly-four-year-old at last. The child happily waddled over to Cole, tugging at the sash the Oni co-ruler wore.
"I'm glad to hear it," Hershel offered, though he, like Cole, was studying Theo closely. The heir tried not to snap—he hated that look. It was the one everyone had been giving him ever since things had gone downhill in his relationship a few months previous. He even caught Tolan looking at him like that, which made him both humiliated and furious. "I haven't seen you much at the hidden village lately," the healer continued.
Theo stiffened, though he tried to keep his tone light. "Oh, it's just been kinda busy," he tried, rubbing the back of his neck. "I haven't been able to make it out there. How is everyone?"
"Haiven's been doing better, from what Iona's told me."
Theo flinched and then cursed himself for flinching. His voice lost its cordial tone as he looked away from the Healer's searching gaze. "I didn't mean Haiven. Err...I didn't just mean Haiven."
"The others are doing fine," Hershel said, seemingly understanding what he meant. "I was there a few weeks ago, and the powered children are coming along in their training. Teag even convinced me to let him leave—I got him an apprenticeship in the West." Hershel's expression flickered. "And then another apprenticeship, when the first one didn't work out."
Theo looked back in surprise. "You let Teag leave the village?"
"I promised him I would, if he dedicated himself to his training. He's got good control of his powers now...just not good control of his temper." Hershel sighed pushing his hair from his face. "I wish I could keep him in the village, where I know he'd be safe, but I don't want him to feel imprisoned there. It can be hard, feeling like you don't have any control over your life or future."
"Yeah, I guess," Theo said. He glanced at the nearby window again. "So, did you just come to fill me in on the village? I don't want to be rude, but there's somewhere—"
"I know you're probably busy," Hershel apologized. "But last time I was here, your mother mentioned that you starting having nightmares again, so I thought I'd bring you something to help."
Theo turned to look at his father accusingly, and Cole didn't meet his eye as he continued to play with Raiyn. The Heir sighed. "I appreciate the concern, Master Hershel, but we all have nightmares at this point. There's not really any reason to be worried about me."
"I was there when your mother started having her aura nightmares," Hershel countered softly. "I know that they're not something to treat lightly." Theo wasn't sure what to say, but the Healer was already pulling something out of his own satchel. "Here. You don't have to use them...but this is what Phos gave your mother to help her cope. It's a fresh supply—I harvested them not too long ago."
Theo frowned as he accepted the small bag, pulling it open to glance at its contents. "Thanks," he offered as he caught sight of the crimson petals. "I'll have to try them."
Hershel seemed to relax, and Theo wondered if the healer thought he'd refuse the medicine. The heir wasn't necessarily planning on using the petals, but he wasn't going to admit as much to the healer's face. "I hope they help."
"Thanks again," Theo said, sliding the bag into the satchel with the rest of his supplies. He was surprised when a small hand darted into the bag and fished out the letter Theo had shoved in with the rest. Theo reached out to reclaim the parchment, but Raiyn darted away with a giggle. "Hey, give that back!" Theo reprimanded.
Rather than return the stolen property, the child sniffed at the parchment. Raiyn's giggling subsided as he scowled. "Bad man," he chided, shaking the paper. "Bad man!"
Theo reclaimed the letter at last, his heart pounding in his ears. Hershel had come over to rein in his son, and Cole frowned at the parchment Theo was holding. "What is that?" the elemental master asked.
Theo shrugged, putting it back into his satchel as casually as he could manage. "List of stuff to go over with Ottan. Honestly, I'm not looking forward to it." He glanced at the window again. "That's why I've got to head out. He's gonna be hard enough to deal with without me being late and keeping him waiting."
"Well, travel safe," Hershel offered, lifting Raiyn. The toddler went limp, giggling as he hung upside-down over his father's arm. "I better get this one home before he gets into more mischief."
Theo nodded his thanks, shooting his father a look of farewell before turning to finally make his way to the stables.
"So have you asked her, or not?" Dani pressed as she was painting her nails. M. scowled, shooting the pianist an irritated look.
"There's plenty of time," he argued. The brown-haired girl rolled her eyes as she put on another bright purple coat.
"A month is not a lot of time when it comes to school dances, Opeheimer. Get on it."
"I don't really have to ask," he said, leaning back on the chair in the practice room. Generally, it was crawling with people, but with everyone off enjoying their Saturday and Amber at a city council meeting, it was just M. and the piano here today.
"Of course you have to ask, stupid. That's the whole point." She waved her hand in the air to get the paint to dry. "I get that this is your first school dance, since it took this long to convince your father to host one at the great Marty Openheimer's School of Performing Arts. But I'm telling you, if you don't do this thing right, you won't end up with a date."'
"Amber should know we're going together," M. argued.
"Know? What? She's a mind-reader now?"
"She's always been a mind-reader!" M snapped. Dani huffed.
"She reads feelings, not thoughts, Opehenheimer. Screw your courage to the sticking place and ask her out already!"
"This whole dance idea is stupid," M. growled. "I can't believe my father folded."
"You gotta admit, it's hard to say no to something the whole debate team is arguing for," Dani pointed out with a smile. "I'm glad that your old man is finally letting us have a spring formal. This school is great and all, but it's a little too stuffy and traditional. I think having school dances is a great step in the right direction."
"It's just a dumb excuse for girls to get too dressed up and make guys spend a ton of money."
"Darn...too bad you don't have a ton of money. Oh, wait..."
"I shouldn't have to ask her," M said decidedly. "It should be obvious that we're going together."
"What makes it so obvious?"
"We've been performing together for the last year. We've won several competitions together..."
"So?"
"We spend nearly all of our free time together."
"And?"
"And...that makes it obvious, doesn't it? We're together," M. finished lamely.
Dani looked over, raising an eyebrow above her new silver glasses. "Look, nobody is debating whether or not you and Amber are friends, M. But you're not technically together. And even if you were, you're still supposed to ask her if you expect her to go with you."
"We're more of an item than you and your artist," M. snapped.
"At least Colby and I go on dates. All you and Amber do is hang out."
"Hanging out and going on dates are the same thing!"
"The fact you think so shows how completely out of your league you are." Dani said. She screwed on the lid of her nail-polish with one last quip. "If you guys are so obviously together, then why did she introduce you as "just friends" to her cousins?"
M winced, leaning forward to glower at her. "I knew I shouldn't have talked with you," he growled.
Dani tossed her long brown hair over one shoulder. "Then why did you?"
"Boredom. Sheer boredom led me here, and now all I have is regret."
"You're going to have a lot more regret if you don't hurry and ask her already," Dani pointed out. She stood and headed for the door. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a date."