Chapter One: In Which We meet Ninja...

I pull my hood over the top of my head, scanning the crowded dock. There were a great many people there, some discussing things, clearly having already met...others were showing off their elemental powers. So...we are going. You don't even know what our power is Ella! I rolled my eyes skyward, carefully walking down the boardwalk. I spotted movement out of the corner of my eyes, causing me to tense and turn around to find myself...facing the ninjas themselves. My heart leapt into my throat at the sight of them, Sensei Garmadon discussing something with them. What is Garmadon doing here? He isn't an elemental master last I checked!

Star...chill. He must of figured out about this and went to discuss it with his son. He's probably not happy about this... I mean no telling anyone what's going on? Smidgen strange if you get what I'm saying...

Ella. Calm down...your rambling.

Sorry. I turned my attention to the lone boat that was pulling up to a stop at the end of the dock we were meeting at. Bet that's our ride. Star stayed relatively silent, most likely deciding against bitterly reminding me that we had nothing to bet with. Slipping into the crowd unseen, I watched as a man stood up to greet us.

"My name is Clouse...second in command to Master Chen, your gracious host." Clouse spread his arms wide open, as if that would make him look less intimidating.

Ella. You are literally the youngest one here. I don't like that at all. We need to leave now! I was about to agree with her, when the crowd suddenly surged forward. If there was one thing you could count on me to do, it was how to blend into a crowd. And when the crowd was all headed the same direction, you can't slip away the opposite direction without getting noticed. Pulling my hood down even further, I silently follow them on board.

Clouse swung an arm out suddenly, stopping me in my tracks. Panic rose up, as I wondered what I was supposed to do. I had all of my belongings with me...since that was quite literally the clothes on my back and nothing else... maybe he was concerned that I didn't have a bag with me like the others did? "Are you lost child?"

Somehow Clouse being nice didn't seem right, not that I was going to tell him that. "No. I was invited as well. Wouldn't be here if I wasn't now, would I?" I allowed Star to slip in, taking control of what we said to him, my voice changing pitch so as to more closely to match hers.

Clouse started, fear flashing in his eyes. "Right. Sorry miss. Didn't mean to offend you." He dropped his hand to allow me passage.

I hurried past him, stepping up to Jay. I knew that he was the smallest ninja, and my hope was that if I stood next to him I wouldn't feel so small. No such luck, I barely made it to his elbow. Seriously? I only got Star's giggling for a response. Traitor. Just then Garmadon walked up to me... a frown on his face as he literally looked down at me.

"What are you doing here child?" Genuine concern edged his voice, clearly once a father always a father.

"I'm one of the contestants..." I suddenly wondered if he would know what my power apparently was.

Garmadon scowled at that, shooting a glare at Clouse's back. "Of course you are." He muttered darkly under his breath. Turning his attention back to me, he raised his voice back to normal. "You mustn't trust anything that Chen and his minions tell you."

"Already figured that much out." I muttered under my breath, eyeing Clouse as well. "I don't want to sound like an idiot..."

"There is no such thing as a dumb question young one." Yep. I like this guy. Totally gets me and is actually concerned about my well-being. Perfect in my opinion, Lloyd is so lucky to have him.

"Right... um..." I glanced over at the ninjas, who were just standing there in mixture of two emotions, shock that they had to compete against a kid, and horror that this Chen person would invite me in the first place.

Garmadon cleared his throat, giving the ninja a very clear get out of here look. "How about you go and meet up with the other competitors while I speak with...sorry I didn't get your name?"

"Ella." I provided helpfully, shifting just slightly.

Garmadon nodded, and then glanced at the ninja. The four famous young adults murmured a see ya later to him, before disbanding. Turning back to me, he placed a hand gently on my shoulder. Not feeling any ill-intent coming from him, I allowed him to rest it there. "Now then...what is that you wanted to ask me?"

I glanced around to make double sure that no one was listening, before turning to face him. "What are my elemental powers? Last I checked I don't have any but according to the invite...apparently I do have something."

Garmadon froze, pain, horror, amazement, and shock flooding him all at once. "Impossible...Wu and I have managed to keep tabs all of the elemental masters...but a couple. I am sure that you are not a descendant of Ashlynn... the only elements that aren't here are ice and water by the looks of things. I know where water is at... I dread the day Kai finds out about that one." Dropping his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, he added a bit more to that. "Its Nya, his little sister. She hasn't discovered it yet though."

"I see...so who am I? You clearly know what my power is. Your emotions are a big indicator of that." I bluntly told him, rolling my eyes ever so nonchalantly, somehow sounding more like Star than myself.

Garmadon glanced at me, before shaking his head, unease slipping in. "Its not possible. He vowed that no one would... he never married and he made it clear that he had no intentions of choosing a new vessel, like the last master of ice did with Zane. I am sorry. Its not possible."

"Why would he say all that?"

"Because in a way...its the most dangerous one of all." He then walked off to rejoin the ninja, his increased worry for me tainting the air around me,leaving me alone once more with only Star and my thoughts.

Well...that was informational. What could be so dangerous about us? Must be the fact that we have Split Personality Disorder? Or am I the only one that has noticed that for any of this to exist we need to have it?

Shut up Star. We have a problem...according to Garmadon, we really shouldn't exist. And I don't think he meant dangerous as when we're very powerful...I think he meant it a different way. But what exactly?