Homura wandered across the dirt road. Her feet ached, but she pushed herself to keep going. She didn't want to imagine how her mother felt; she couldn't stand anymore strain on her already broken heart, beating rapidly from the scene she left behind. She had escaped; escaped from that trauma, escaped from having to explain why she was covered in blood. Everything that had happened was because of her.

The desert sun beat down on her back. Her clothing was ripped, exposing huge cuts and gashes on her back and bare arms to its harsh light. She tensed, getting the sense she was being followed, but ultimately decided she was just being paranoid. Groaning, she continued to continue onward.

She hated what she had done back there in Ninjago City... He's gone now because of her cowardliness.

Homura placed a tentative hand on her right eye. She fought back a scream as a wave of pain slammed into her. Removing her hand, she saw it wasn't covered in the crimson liquid it once was; that had long dried. She hadn't been able to find any water to clean herself up with, so she just wore all the blood. It served her right. She should've been captured, not him. She didn't know what would happen, all she knew was that he had replaced her capture with his. It made her sick the more she thought about it.

"Worthless! That's all you were, and that's all you ever will be, Homura!" The teenager wailed to nobody but herself. She bit her lip, forcing the tears that had begun to build up to go away, but to no avail. Great, now she was alone in the desert, injured, and on the verge of a breakdown- not the day she wanted. She knew crying was for the weak. If the enemy saw any emotion from their foe, they would know that they won the war.

Homura got up from where she had sat down in the cavern. She needed water, she knew that based on the burning in her throat. Homura had no idea where to find any; it wasn't like she could summon water out of the air like her aunt could... It wasn't her element. Her body ached, and she knew she couldn't push her limits any further. It wasn't like her to not try, but she had never experienced the aches and chills like she was now.

"Maybe, if I light a fire…" Homura said through chattering teeth. She had never handled the cold well, and with the sun going down, the desert was going to be freezing. Looking around, she couldn't find any twigs, nor fuel to begin her fire. Growling, her hand heated up and she flicked it, causing a fireball to hit the sand, causing a fire to begin. "T-that's a tad better…"

Homura tried to fall asleep, but the pain from her injuries kept flaring up, causing sleep to not come easily, or at all. Growling, she rolled onto her back, cringing at another wave of pain exploding. From the small moments where she could drift off, nightmare after nightmare plagued her about the recent events. She remembered every detail vividly, and her nightmares made it seem as if she was reliving it. She sighed, not wanting to sleep, nor stay awake, now being stuck in between. It was too dark. Right now, the girl had no reason to believe that the grass didn't appear any greener on the other side.

Homura shot up, then winced when she felt the pain catching up to her again. There were voices outside the cavern. Who was out there? Why were they there? She kept her mouth shut. Her hand clawed a fireball and she held her breath. Her other hand slowly traced back to the hilt of one of her two katanas. Flames licked around her hand, but never burned her. She got into a crouch, and waited silently for the voices.

"Seth, the master of fire isn't here. Uncle Kai was the last known one," a voice that sounded oddly like her cousin whined. Homura kept quiet, but then she heard a growl and another voice talking.

"Brook, you do not recall when Kai said he and Skylor were having a child?" A new voice responded. Homura hissed, the flames around her hand growing brighter and larger. She heard the first boy again, who she concluded was her cousin, Brook, the master of lightning. She couldn't quite recognize the other voice, however, which frustrated her. She had heard from her father- however painful it was to think about him after the accident- that there were four core elements for creations; fire, earth, lightning, and ice. She had fire, and she knew Brook's had lightning from his father, but who was that other voice?

It sounded like it belonged to a female, was she the next ice or earth elemental? Was she just a teenager training to fight crime? Homura shook her head. She wasn't going to ask; working alone suited her better. There was nobody she had to worry about if her solo missions didn't go how they were supposed to, hence the "solo".

"Perhaps, but Sensei told me she ran away. There's no place in Ninjago City, and Skylor already told us she didn't know where she ran off to. All I remember is that she shares looks with both Kai and Skylor… as helpful as that is," another new voice piped up. He sounded like the leader, with a raspy, gruff voice, there was no question in Homura's mind that this person had some form of authority over the other two people. She assumed they wouldn't get along; that was a saying Homura had told herself for years. She wasn't like anybody else, she hardly clicked with others, and often preferred to be in a dark room with her own thoughts.

"Shh, I think I hear something...!"

"Just give it up already," Brook whined, "She isn't here. We've checked every nook and cranny!" There was a loud noise that sounded like a slap or some sort of hit. "HEY! Knock it off," Brook let out a whine, but continued with a sigh, "I know my cousin, she wouldn't be here."

"I believe you are mistaken. I can tell there is someone else in this cavern. Perhaps if we tried to look around that rock formation," the female's voice said in that same matter-of-factly tone she's been speaking in. Homura cursed under her breath. Maybe her hiding spot wasn't as good as she thought it was.

She quickly moved her hand, letting the flames evaporate from her hand. "There was light on that far wall, and now it is gone," The voice hummed. Homura grimaced. Will this girl get off her back?!

"Let me see, I'm sure the earth could tell me something," the raspy voice said. Homura tensed again, and she felt the ground rumble beneath her feet. The leader, clearly now in her mind, was the next master of earth. Shifting the weight of her feet, she took off, stepping lightly on the ground. "There! She's on the run. Follow me!"

Snarling, Homura picked up her pace. She shot off like a bolt of lightning down the cavern, heading deeper until she was in the heart of the cave. The sound of rushing water hit her ears like a freight train. She stopped dead in her tracks, her left arm beginning to shake.

Water! I can't swim! They're going to find me if I don't do something! Homura thought frantically. She whipped her head this way and that, trying to find a way to escape. The only thing that kept her from collapsing from exhaustion was her adrenaline-filled desire to escape from danger. Injuries can be tended to later. They functioned well enough for what they're needed for at the moment, anyways.

"Hello?" a voice echoed through the roaring water. Homura's eyes widened and she fell deathly silent. "It's a dead end. Come out, we won't hurt you!" It was that raspy voice. Homura took a deep breath. Her eyes fixated on the path she came from, bracing herself for what she was planning to do once she catches a visual of these twerps. She launched herself from the platform of rock and landed in the icy-cold rapids. Her head popped above the surface, and the fatigue finally dawned on her. The freezing cold water surrounded her; encased her. Her eyes closed, and she began floating unconscious down the river.

"Brook! Paige! Get ready to head back to the monastery!" The raspy figure commanded the two. They nodded their heads and headed towards the exit. The figure jumped into the water and swam towards the unconscious girl. He grabbed her arm and flung her over to the land before she went over the fall. The teenager pulled himself out, shook some of the water from his shaggy black hair, and put the girl over his shoulder. He followed the other two to the monastery.

Homura opened her eyes, seeing a series of wooden boards. She tried to sit up, but something constricted her from moving. Moving the blanket off of her, she saw her torso was wrapped, and she had a baggy t-shirt on over her body. She saw some more bandages on her arm. She realized that her sharp pains were… basically nonexistent. She took another look at her surroundings. She wasn't in the cavern anymore… it was much too warm to still be there. As a matter of fact, the last thing she remembered was jumping into that ice-cold river. She winced. Don't tell me that those kids found me… she mentally kicked herself. That's what she gets, too. She just kept making mistakes, didn't she?!

The door creaked open, revealing a man with black, curly hair dressed in a kimono. He held a staff in his left hand. His thick brows raised when his warm emerald eyes landed on her.

"Glad to see you're awake," he said with a soft smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been held a prisoner," She deadpanned, glaring.

Homura pulled the blanket back on top of her and narrowed her eyes at the man. The man simply smiled again and knelt beside the bed. "I've known about you since Kai told us he and Skylor were going to have a child." He placed his hand on Homura's head. "He told me your name means fire or flame. Both your parents knew you would inherit your father's elemental power of fire."

He placed a folded-up set of clothes at the foot of the bed. It appeared to be a gi that was a mix of crimson and charcoal. Homura eyed it, trying to figure out what this stranger wanted from her. Her blood boiled in her veins, and her hands clenched, preparing herself to defend if she needed to. The stranger turned around, and his mouth opened as if he had one last thing to say to her.

"I apologize, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Sensei Cole. We've been looking for you for a long time. Skylor told us you had run away after… er…" his eyes watched Homura's expression that slowly started to harden up again. Cole cleared his throat and covered up quickly, "I'm sure you're aware. I know you want to avenge your father, and becoming a kunoichi will allow you too. I'm inviting you to attend our training lesson in the training room in five minutes," Cole's tone returned to and gently shut the door. Homura let out a feral snarl. She was to become a kunoichi?! Was she going to face the evil that took her father?

What a laughing matter that load of bull crap was.

Homura reluctantly changed, grumbling when she saw the long and jagged scar on her face in a nearby wall mirror. It ran from her eyebrow down to her cheek. Her reddish-brown hair was unkempt, so she ran her fingers through it and pulled it back into a high ponytail. She stepped out into the corridor, eyeing any possible escape routes. She heard chattering, and followed it until she found herself in the training area.

There, she found her cousin almost immediately. She couldn't miss those bright sapphire eyes and black hair. She gave a little wave, and then her eyes turned to see the other female. She stood quite a few inches taller than Homura, and her emerald eyes with icy-blue flecks seemed inhuman. Half of her pale blonde hair was piled on a bun, and the rest hung down around her face and shoulders. The other boy that stood at the corner looked eerily similar to Sensei Cole. He had the same thick black locks and build, but his eyes were the most beautiful shade of crystal blue.

"So, from what my son has told me, you were pulled from the rapids covered in blood. Is that why you ran, Homura?" Cole asked. The tan-skinned boy, along with the girl and Brook turned to look at her. The fire starter hissed, displeased that Cole was deciding to spill everything about why she had been on the run in the first place. "Homura, is that the truth?"

"Yes. Now, would you please leave me alone? I've got places to be," Homura snapped. She turned on her heel, marching towards the door when she heard the snap of fingers. Turning, she put her arms up to defend, but the tan-skinned boy had tackled her to the ground. Homura struggled, trying to get the boy off of her, but his strength held her down. "Get off!"

"Alright, Seth, that's enough," Cole snapped. The boy got up and bowed, then offered his hand to Homura. Homura slapped it away and got on her feet. Seth shrugged his shoulders and casted a glance towards Brook and the other girl. "Now, I suppose introductions are in order."

Cole placed his staff on Homura's shoulder. "Homura, master of fire: powerful in the right hands." He moved on. "Brook, master of lightning: lightning-fast reflexes." He continued moving. "Paige, master of ice: cool and collected." Finally, he stopped, placing his staff on Seth's shoulder. "Seth, master of earth: a strong, firm foundation, perfect for a leader."

Paige looked at Homura and nodded her head. Homura only rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Brook placed a hand on Paige's shoulder, signaling that his cousin would come around. Seth kept his eyes on the young fire elemental, trying to figure out ways to get her more comfortable and welcome. She did just wake up in a strange new place, after all. He gave a sigh. It wasn't going to be easy to get on good terms with her.

"I have brought you all together to defend Ninjago. I will train you in the art of Spinjitzu. I knew this day would come, I had known since Seth, Brook, and Paige played on that day in Ignacia 15 years ago. I also knew that Kai would be…taken to protect you, Homura. Now, training starts in five minutes. I expect you all to be there on time. No excuses for why you are late," Cole explained. He disappeared through the door and went down the corridor.

"I assume we must head down to the training yard," Paige shrugged, turning to head out of the room, "It would be unwise to be late for training. Sensei would not approve." She stopped to check if her other teammates were following behind before continuing outside. They began heading down the corridor, leaving Homura behind in the room.