Chapter Five: In Which Ella and Star realizes something a smidgen strange...
I glanced around the room, squirming slightly as I fingered my napkin. I had stopped eating thirty minutes ago...and no one seemed to have noticed. My eyes darted back to Chen, who was eagerly calling a servant that was carrying a tray full to the brim with cookies over. Mmm, cookies.
Agreed...if only we weren't already full! You would think that with the both of us that we will eat a lot more than the others. Star whined in my head, before pressing me to look at a funny dressed servant that was bugging Jay. At first I didn't get what was going on there to get her attention...then I realized that the servant was Nya, ally of the ninjas, in disguise. Smart. Picking my glass up, I took a small sip, shaking my head slightly as the servant with the tray began to offer me one. I really didn't need to be too full.
"Attention everyone!" Chen stood up, as he beamed at us. Oh boy... he was planning something. He was soo smug right now that it was just about toxic. "I know there are rumors going around that I am stealing the powers from those that are disqualified..."
"Don't listen to him... he's planning something." I hissed to no one in particular. "Also Jay? That is your ex that your trying to shoo away. Though I am sure that you two can work it out." I kicked Jay in the shin, making him squeak, before shooting Nya a glare.
Lloyd, who was sitting on my other side, leaned forward, a frown on his face. "How do you know that he is planning something?"
Garmadon muttered something under his breath, but I didn't catch it. I tilted my head to the side, puzzled about his question. "What do you mean by that? Can't you see how thick his smugness is? That usually is a sign that he is planning something."
"Wait...you can see his smugness!?" Lloyd gasped as he stared at me as if I had grown a second head.
I suddenly felt self-conscience as I tucked a loose strand of hair back. "Um...yes?"
Garmadon shook his head as he leaned over to mutter softly to us. "She is the master of the most dangerous element..."
"Isn't destruction your thing?" Kai hissed as nudged Nya with his foot by way of saying hi to her without drawing attention to her.
"No...I mean yes! Destruction is physically the most dangerous. However there is one element that is dangerous to the mind, heart, and emotional health of those that wield it and those that they target." He paused, glancing sideways at me. "The element of emotions. The last one was Estrello Emotican. After the First Serpentine War, he vanished into thin air...not before he promised to never pass the element down to the next generation. And yet...here you sit in the flesh." He smiled warmly, though worry clouded his warmth.
"Emotican…?" I frowned, a funny feeling slipping in. I had heard that name somewhere before...but where?
~Flashback, Ten Years Earlier~
"Give up Emotican! We have you surrounded!" A deep angry voice sliced through the air suddenly, frightening me as I wiggled further under the thick royal purple comforter that I was trying to hide under.
"Elisa! Get her out of here! It is too dangerous for a child!" I gasped as two long shadows were thrown across the wall in front of me. One was female while the other was male. The male held a long sword in his hand.
The female nodded once, and spoke, her voice firm. "I know that! Just be careful out there!" A moment later, a slender beautiful young woman with long blonde hair came rushing into the room. "Star? Ella? Where are you!?"
~End of Flashback~
I shook visibly as I wondered what that was about. Garmadon gave me a worried look, even more worry flooding off of him in waves. "Are you alright Ella?"
"I'm fine." I stared down at my clasped hands, which were in my lap. Who were those people?
Cole moved suddenly, a frown crossing his features. "Nya's got a point though. Obviously one of us is a spy. We need to weed the spy out."
I frowned, my eyes flickering briefly towards Skylor, guilt was oozing all over the place on her, and she definitely felt bad for tricky the ninjas...well. She felt bad about tricking Kai.
"Ella? We're gonna hold a meeting down in my room after dinner. Can you be there?" Lloyd nudged me gently, glancing at me with pure worry.
"Yeah...sure thing. We should invite Skylor too." That way she can spend even more time with Kai and swap loyalties!
Um...? Ella? You do hear yourself...right?
Go back to bed Star.
Fine...be grumpy! And I agree with you that they will make for a super cute couple.
Star! We are only thirteen years of age!
Silence filled my head as she quickly retreated, leaving me alone and standing in my ridiculous room's doorway. Groaning, I walked over and collapsed onto the couch. I only had to stay here till the meeting happened. At least I can try to figure out a way to wrap around what my powers apparently were. And to think that I just thought everyone could read emotions! So much for what I know.
…
I leaned against a pillar, listening to the arguments that had popped up. Garmadon's reasoning about the tattoo at first seemed to be working...but now. Only two people were left to check, minus myself. Shade and Skylor… and I already have a good reason to believe it is Skylor, and she is starting to feel a certain way to a certain ninja. I was brought back to the present when a protest escaped Griffin.
"You haven't checked the kid yet!" He gestured towards me, a scowl on his face.
Jay frowned as he crossed his arms. "Ella has been helping us since the beginning. I highly doubt that she is a spy!"
I nodded my thanks to him. Before glancing back at him. "Besides that. I don't know why we're looking for the spy... they are reconsidering their life choices as we speak." I pointedly didn't look at Skylor, though she nearly overwhelmed me with her surprise that I knew that.
"Wait what?" The ninja gave me a weird look, while Garmadon slapped his forehead.
"Of course. You are clearly well-versed with how your powers work, and will be able to use them to figure out who the spy is." He gave me a look that bordered on I am an idiot, not sure how to explain to him that he isn't an idiot.
"Seriously!?" All of my remaining competitors and ninjas cried out, panic flaring inside of Skylor.
"Yeah...but I'm not telling who it is." I shrugged, a small smile crossing my features as I finally looked her in the eye. "Besides that. We can trust everyone here. I have no idea where Neuro got the idea that the spy was in here."
Murmurs of surprise filled the air, before someone noticed that Shade was slipping away. "Hey! Shade get back here!"
And the arguments were back... I rolled my eyes skyward as I waited for everyone to calm down. Only for Jay to yell something about getting Kai off of him. Startled, I looked back at the others to see that everyone had left and a giant sized portrait of Kai had fallen on top of Jay. I straightened up, a frown on my face. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah...fine. Whose the spy Ella?" Jay winced, frustration clouding his aura.
"I'm not telling you. You'll just act differently around her and her emotions hint that she is wavering." I glared at him, tapping into Star just enough to feel confident.
Jay gulped, before glancing over at Garmadon. Garmadon sighed as he shook his head. "I don't recommend we get on her bad side. One of her powers is to effect the emotions of others. Reason why Clouse appeared to be afraid of her when we first met. She injected fear into him."
"I didn't know I did that..." I blinked, surprise flashing through me.
"You need to go get your sleep, Ella. I'll walk you back to your room. I expect that you all will help place Jay's leg in a cast?" Garmadon shot a firm look in the direction of the others.
"Yes Sen...wait! You're not Sensei! Yes Garmadon." The ninjas fumbled over their words as they tried to call their mentor's brother what it was that they referred to their mentor as.
"Night guys." I waved at them before following Garmadon out of the room.