Second Wind
Oh, look, I'm not dead!
I'm really sorry about my two month gap in updates. I need to write more often, and hopefully I will. This story is my first priority at the moment. Thank you so much to everyone who has stuck with me and keeps reading my stories even when I fail to update for months. You guys are awesome and you make writing even better! :)
I've been uncertain as to how much Greenflame I want in this story. The focus is on Morro's return, not the relationships. However, I'm not sure exactly what's going to happen - I pretty much come up with my chapters on the spot - and I like to focus on smaller details such as relationships, both romantic and plutonic. Anyways, I think that I am, in fact, by popular demand, going to continue writing Greenflame. It's just easy to write, a lot of you like it, and it just works. Again, I don't know where it's headed, but I guess we'll see soon enough.
Thank you for reading, and enjoy chapter ten!
(I'm up to over 11K words, which is awesome!)
Chapter Ten
The ninjas' eyes widened.
"Bansha?" Cole exclaimed in disbelief, earning him a warning glance from Nya, who was also shocked by the announcement but had the common sense to keep it to herself.
She nodded. "Yeah. I know it's...different. But I like it."
"It's pretty," Pixal agreed. "Besides, we can't all have a name as basic as Cole."
"Hey!" The earth ninja protested. "It's not that basic!"
Jay laughed. "Yeah, it is."
Cole glared at him. "Well, so is your name!"
The blue ninja shrugged. "Maybe, but it's still cooler than yours."
The others laughed at the best friends' classic bickering.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Seliel asked. "Let's go to the park!"
Nya jumped up. "I'm forcing Kai to come." She turned to Lloyd. "If it's a date, great. If not, it doesn't matter. You're our teammates, and you're coming with us."
Lloyd nodded and followed the others out. They gathered at the ten-seater car that Nya had built weeks before, and waited while the water ninja went to wake up her brother.
Nya strolled into Kai's room. The brunette was asleep under his red comforter, and his sister noticed that there was no other bedding anywhere in the room.
I wonder where Lloyd sleeps, she thought to herself. She walked over to the closet and peered inside. It was extremely messy - no way anyone could have slept in there. Heh, typical Kai! She smiled. Well, I guess it would be pretty ironic if one of them was staying in the closet… She shook her head and closed the door before running over and jumping on Kai's bed.
"Hey!" He exclaimed, jolted from his sleep. "What the heck?"
Nya leaned down next to her brother. "Get up!" She ordered. "We're going to Mega Monster Amusement Park!" She stood up and did a backflip off the bed.
"Nya! Be careful!" Kai shouted, sitting upright.
She folded her arms. "I'm a ninja, Kai," she reminded him. "You don't always have to look out for me."
"I know," he said. "I never have. If anything, you've been looking out for me. Well, most of the time. Still, I don't want anything to happen to you. You may be all grown up, but you'll always be my little sister."
She nodded. "I get it. I worry about you, too." She smirked mischievously. "I worry you're going to be forever alone!" She grabbed his hands and pulled him out of his bed.
"What do you mean?" He asked, walking over to the mirror and applying his hair gel.
"Come on, Kai," Nya said. "I've seen the way you look at Lloyd. You like him! You wanna be with him. So why don't you?"
"Because," he answered, "he doesn't want to date. Not me, not anyone. Believe me, I've tried."
"I thought a ninja never quits."
He sighed. "This is different. Lloyd's one of my best friends. I don't want to make things awkward between us."
"And that's good to keep in mind," she continued. "But I've always been really observant, and I can tell that, no matter what he says, he likes you too. Just go for it!"
"It's funny, really," Kai pointed out. "Out of all the threats I've faced over the past few years - the Devourer, the Overlord, even the Preeminent - none of them have been more terrifying than falling in love."
"Believe me, I know what you mean," she said. "But it'll all be worth it. Just you wait."
"We'll see." Kai stepped into his closet and quickly changed his clothes before rejoining his sister. "Let's go."
Nya laughed audibly.
"What's so funny?" Kai asked, annoyed.
"I've been waiting years for you to come out of the closet!" She teased.
He rolled his eyes. "Screw you!"
"There you are!" Cole said as Kai and Nya approached the car. "We've been waiting for, like, twenty minutes."
"Sorry," Nya apologized. "Kai had to do his hair."
"No, it's fine," Jay told her. "You're worth the wait."
Nya blushed slightly and smiled at him. Kai gave him the "I'm watching you" gesture and climbed into the car beside Lloyd.
"Whatever you're spending twenty minutes doing to your hair, it's working," the green ninja said. "You look great, Kai, You always do."
Kai grinned. "Aww, thank you," he responded. He reached his hand out to ruffle Lloyd's blond hair.
The boy pulled away. "No! You're not messing up my hair, not today!"
Kai smiled softly to himself. I know this might not be going anywhere, he thought, but I just can't make this feeling go away.
"Everyone ready?" Zane asked.
Morro looked around. "Yep, we're all here."
"Then we're off!" The nindroid announced.
"To Mega Monster Amusement Park!" Cole exclaimed.
After about an hour of driving, the group reached their destination. Zane parked the large car, and all ten of them hopped out and rushed to the park's entrance.
"Ahh, this place brings back some memories," Jay sighed. "It was here I unlocked my true potential, all those years ago."
"And you never let us forget it," Cole added.
"It's cool how we all unlocked our true potential when we saved someone we care a lot about," Jay continued. "I saved Nya, Cole saved his dad, Zane rescued the rest of his team, Nya and Lloyd protected - well, everyone… and Kai saved Lloyd."
The red and green ninjas blushed immediately.
Kai shot Jay a look. "Yeah, I do care about Lloyd," he said. "He's my best friend."
"Yeah, I'm sure that's all," Cole said sarcastically.
Lloyd glanced around for any excuse to change the subject, when a figure caught his eye. "Hey, look!" He yelled, pointing at something in the distance. "Is that who I think it is?"
The others turned to see a white-and-purple snake about fifty feet away.
"It's Pythor!" Jay said. "Let's go say hi!"
"Who?" Morro asked.
"Pythor," Cole told him. "A Serpentine - the last Anacondrai. He was our enemy, and now he's our ally."
The snake turned as he sensed the ninja approaching him. "Ninja!" He exclaimed. "I didn't expect to see you here." He hugged the green ninja, who was the first to reach him. "It's been awhile. How have you been? I mean, besides fighting ghosts and all."
"We're doing great!" Lloyd replied. "We have an actual place now, instead of just staying on the Bounty. What about you? What's it like being not evil?"
"Well, it's definitely nice to be out of Kryptarium," the serpent said. "Hopefully you'll never have to know what it's like being trapped in that damned prison."
Cole nodded. "Yeah, that must have sucked. Especially since you don't even get cake there!"
"You and your cake," Morro laughed.
Pythor scanned the group. "I see your crew has expanded," he remarked.
"Yeah," Jay said. "We're having a 'dating party.'"
"Ahh, young love," Pythor remarked. "So adorkable." He turned back to Lloyd. "I remember when you were just a kid. Seems like yesterday. They grow up so fast."
"I did grow up fast," Lloyd reminded him.
"Yes, but still," the Serpentine said, "for some weird reason, it's somewhat strange to think of you dating."
Lloyd shook his head. "Oh, I'm not dating," he corrected. "It's...not for me."
"I see. Well, that's okay. Love is a battlefield." He gave a sly smile. "I know you ninja prefer sneaking around as opposed to charging into the fight."
Lloyd's green eye's widened. "What are you implying?"
Pythor laughed. "Oh, nevermind." He changed the subject. "Well, you should go enjoy your day at the park. I have a date myself, so I must be off. It was great running into you, now that we're no longer enemies."
"You too!" Lloyd responded. "Sensei always said that the best way to defeat your enemy is to turn them into your friend, Pythor, and you're definitely a force to be reckoned with. I'm glad we're no longer on your bad side."
"Same goes for you. These enemies need to learn to stop messing with the ninja!"
"True that!" Jay agreed. "Well, it's nice to see you again. Enjoy your date!"
"Oh, I'm sure I will," he said. "See you later!"
The ninja and their friends waved goodbye, then headed in the direction of the roller coaster. As Lloyd turned to follow them, he felt something grab his arm, and glanced back to see that Pythor had stopped him.
"You enjoy your date, too," he said quietly to the ninja.
"What?" Lloyd asked, confused.
"I don't see that redhead anywhere," he pointed out, referring to Skylor, whom he had briefly met after helping to defeat her father's army. "And I'm not stupid, Greenie. I've seen the way you look at Kai."
Lloyd's face went red. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said defensively.
"Whatever," Pythor teased. "You just keep telling yourself that."
I finally figured out how to divide sections with that line thing :)
I hope you liked that! Please review!
I love Pythor and I hope to see him - as well as the rest of the Serpentine - return in the near future.
I've also been watching Skybound, which is awesome! I watch, on average, one episode every week, to make the season last longer, so by the time this chapter was published (Friday February Five - lol) I have watched the first six. My favorite this season is probably Jay, though Lloyd is still my top overall.
QOTC: What is your favorite season?
I don't really have one. It's hard to choose! Do you?
Anyways, have an awesome weekend! :)
