Calli was squirming and tossing in her hammock, and not because her wound hurt, well that too but it wasn't the main reason, no. The main reason was sleeping soundly almost next to her. Her interactions with the Black Ninja seemed to be changing. Whether it was him doing his best to comfort or help her or she suddenly hugging him. Which to be honest surprised even herself, seeing as she wasn't known to be a touchy-feely person. In fact, she usually hated it.
She sighed, and turned onto her good side, pulling up her knees into a fetal position, her mind going into overload. Trying to focus on everything else, which was difficult to do in a silent room so within 5 minutes she found her mind wandering again, but this time it was to just random stuff, until she heard a voice.
"Be on your guard young one."
Calli gasped and shot up, which wasn't exactly the brightest idea when your either sleeping in a hammock or sleeping with someone above you, which in her case were both, she felt an eerie sensation in her mind and both arms and the back of her neck burned.
As she scrambled to get out, the girl managed to head-butt Lloyd in the back and the movement from the hammock then threw her on the floor. Lloyd just grumbled and turned around and Calli felt lucky no-one else had been woken up. Carefully, she stood up and made her way to the deck, hoping to get some fresh air and clear her head,
The night sky was clear and there was a small fresh breeze. The girl took in a deep breath before unceremoniously plopping down on the ground, looking at the stars. This was a regular thing she did when she couldn't sleep, she would climb on top of the highest place she could find and would start to count the stars until she would feel somewhat tired and fall asleep. Stiix, while being mostly surrounded by water, had a beautiful view of the stars above the ocean, which was one thing she missed in Ninjago City, the almost 24/7 light the city gave off obscured the view somewhat. Here on the bounty on the other hand she felt closer to the stars than she'd ever felt. She liked it.
Internally, she was still freaking out over hearing a voice in her head. Externally, it wasn't showing. Calli took a couple breaths and managed to calm down again, thankfully the searing sensation in her arms had stopped only a short time after it came.
"I'm surprised to find you still awake." Calli shrugged and sat up once again as Sensei Wu walked out. "What is on your mind."
"Everything." Unlike with the rest, sans Cole, the girl didn't even bother to lie to Wu, he most likely already knew most of the things going on. But, also unlike with Cole, she didn't feel the desperate need to come clean.
Her answer was enough for him to understand. Her struggle to open up, her hidden identity that was eating her up, maybe she should come clean with that one. A voice that kept popping up in her head and suddenly and her changing dynamic she'd been thinking about just five minutes ago.
"Maybe you should clear your mind, Meditation perhaps?"
"Maybe." Said Calli. "But 'm just here to tire myself out 'nough so I can fall asleep."
Sensei nodded. "Very well then. Good night."
"Good night."
It only took about five minutes before the sounds of the breeze and the dark skies lulled the girl to sleep, and that would be the way that she was found next morning, sleeping soundly, curled up on the deck.
Calli was listening to Lloyd in Silence as he excitedly told the others how he would be the one to defeat Pythor. The young blond was rambling on and on about every detail and, while she still was on the fence about the little squirt, he was beginning to grow on her.
Cole snickered at the boy's excitement. "Too late, now he's hypnotized you and you're under his control as well."
"Or he's already put you in a squeeze." Furthered Zane.
Kai nodded. "Or spit on you with his illusinatory venom, trust me." He snickered with a shake of his head. "Bad stuff."
The kid pouted, letting out a small whine before he noticed Master Wu walk in. "Uncle? What is the best way to stun a serpentine, if you don't know what kind they are?"
Wu shook his head as he sat down at the head of the table. "Sadly, it was the sacred flute you four so carelessly lost."
"Have ye every tried pepper-spray? that is some bad stuff. Especially if it's illegal version." The redhead spoke up with a shudder. She'd been hit with the stuff once during her stay in Stiix. "Had trouble seeing for a week."
"Yeah, I don't think we'll be getting illegal pepper-spray anytime soon." Jay said while rolling his eyes. "How do you even know that?"
"Ye don't wanna know. Trust me." The red-head deadpanned.
"Whatever the case. We now have no way to combat their powers." Wu paused for a second. "We may have prevented them from uniting in the past, but they will try again. And one day they will be stronger.
The silence that followed was heavy enough to cut though with a knife. At least until The Black Ninja opened his mouth to restart the whole Green Ninja debate.
Everyone that wasn't a Ninja had various reactions that went from sighing to eye-rolls and almost all of them were glad for Lloyd changing the subject.
"What's in the box uncle?" He asked, pointing at the object the elder man had walked in the room with.
His answer was enough to snap the boys out of their discussion. "Your new uniforms."
The boys shot up excitedly all grabbing their matching colors out of the box and started gushing over their new outfits.
"Why are there five? This one looks more basic too" Nya asked suddenly.
Sensei nodded. "I've gotten the request from someone to train Calli as well, for reasons known only to them and her."
All eyes went to the said girl, who looked puzzled, until she pieced it together and turned her look into a just-wait-until-we're-alone-because-I-will-strange-you look and glared to the only Ninja that didn't look confused.
The red-head took a calming breath though her nose. "I promised, and I don't like breaking promises I make, but it will only be for training, no fieldwork."
This only only added more confusion to the pile but before more could be said, the bounty's alarm blared loudly, putting the conversation off until later.
Everyone shot up, wasting no time to get to the bridge.
"It seems our slithering friends are stirring up trouble in Mega Monster Amusement Park." The moment the words had left Cole's mouth. Lloyd jumped up, begging the boys to take him along.
Master Wu shook his head. "I'm sorry Nephew, you will stay here, we're it's save." The blonde boy visibly deflated muttering something about Ninja getting all the fun.
"What do you say we test out the new merchandise?" Jay grinned, obviously exited to test out their new gi's. The others nodded. Just as eager to get back in action.
"You just missed the action." Nya told the boys as they arrived, telling them how Samurai X had dealt with the snake problem. "He just flew in, took care of business and flew off." Calli, who had been dragged along by the girl, tried her best not to laugh at their deflated expressions.
Kai growled. "Ugh, who is this guy!"
"Whoever he is, he's stealing our thunder." Cole huffed before giving the redhead a look. He knew that she knew more.
" – Say it! I hate Samurai!" Jay finished his rant.
They all turned as Sensei spoke up, grabbing their attention. "Do I hear a hint of jealousy? Perhaps this could be a lesson for you." The man gave them all a pointed look, one backed up by a stick of cotton candy pointed at their faces.
"Not another less- Hey how did you get here so quick!"
Sensei grinned as he ignored Jay's question completely. "Iron sharpens Iron. Do not be jealous of this samurai, instead let it inspire you." After those wise words, he ran off to the Ferris-wheel. Leaving four confused boys and an amused Calli, whom only now noticed the absence of the youngest girl.
Sadly, the boys misinterpreted what Sensei had meant and decided that who-ever found out the identity of Samurai X, would be the one the be the Green Ninja.
Calli smirked underneath her mask. After beating Kai to catching the snakes he had been sent after, she found herself undergrounds, taking care of the snakes there. Her side was sore still, but she didn't heed any mind to it as she was a fast healer. She was about to leave, grabbing her Glaive from the ground as she suddenly heard a voice echo through the open space.
"I thought you were still injured?" Her head snapped up as she made her way to the exit. Looking down at her was a very, Veryagitated Cole. She silently cursed herself for not expecting the Earth Ninja to be sent to the underground caves. But then again, she had no doubt Kai would blab about her being there, whether he knew her identity or not. But she'd rather have this conversation later then sooner.
The girl managed a shrug as she strapped her weapon on her back and held up one hand to signal him to hold on to the rant he would most likely throw her way. He raised a confused eyebrow but didn't question it as the girl removed her black and white mask blowing a raspberry afterwards, glad to be free from the now damp object.
"Alright, before ya start the tantrum I know ye want to give; My side is almost healed by now. Ya said I could still help like this if I trained with ye guys which ye already made a bit too official for my taste." She told him, pointing her finger accusingly.
"I still prefer you helping where I- we can see you and help if anything goes wrong." Calli raised her eyebrows at the slip-up and scoffed at the rest.
"I applicate the concern but I can look out for myself. What happened then was a stupid accident caused by that stupid snake."
"Those "Stupid" accidents will continue to happen and-"Do Ye think I don't know that? I've spent years on my own, I've had more accidents in a day that you guys 'ave in a week!" Calli closed her eyes and took a calming breath, he was just worried about her. "I appreciate the concern, I really do. But it isn't needed."
By now, after living in the same home as her for almost a year now, Cole knew she was too stubborn in her ways to accept help, He also knew the only ones to maybe change her mind were Sensei and maybe, just maybe Nya if she had a lucky day. So, in the end it was him who relented first.
"Calliope-" She scoffed at the use of her full name but didn't interrupt. "Every-one of us cares about you, you are part of this team, just try to do less on your own."
Calli huffed thinking it over for a while before yielding. "Fine…" she sighed, "But full name calling? That was a low one." Whilst her voice sounded still somewhat annoyed, the smirk on the girl's face told him that they were good again.
The Earth Ninja mimicked her grin. "Had to get you to agree somehow."
"I still don't know how ya figured it out." She muttered darkly, the boy just laughed, putting his arm around her shoulder before looking around to the few unconscious snakes sprawled on the floor.
"But seriously, you couldn't have left at least one for me?"
Calli just smirked as her ears picked up small vibrations in the air that she was sure Cole had felt trough the stone walls and floor.
The said boy gave her a sudden playful grin. "Waddaya say 'bout a little competition, the one who gets the most snakes wins."
The redhead gave him a look between confusion and surprise before morphing into a Cheshire grin, giving the boy a wink before pulling her mask over her face again. "Try to keep up with the Warrior, Ninja."
To her surprise, Nya wasn't very angry that Cole now knew her identity. In fact, when Calli told her everything that had happened between the two from him getting in the know to their conversation in the caves, she started laughing.
"Why are you laughing!?"
Nya took a shaky breath to stop her laughing. "because I can't believe you flirted with him." When the black-haired girl saw her friends confused look, she elaborated. "Try to keep up with the Warrior, Ninja?"Nya let out another laugh.
Calli groaned and slammed her head down, trying to hide her red cheeks. "I don't know why I said that. I was just so in the moment it just happened."
Her friend plopped down next to her. "I'd say you have a crush on the Earth Ninja. Okay, maybe crush isn't the right word, you like him."
"Of course I do! He's my fri-"The Redhead cut herself off. "Oh." Calli fell silent in thought. Did she like him like that? She was close to him, at least for her standards. But a crush? She wasn't sure if that was what she felt.
"Yeah, Oh." Giggled Nya and sat down to next to her friend as the girl composed herself.
Calli sighed. "Even if what I feel is anything like that, it wouldn't matter anyway." She stated and looked to the black-haired girl. Somehow, she felt like she had to say that.
Nya decided it was a great idea to change the subject. "You wanna know how Jay tried to get Samurai X to come out?" She asked and her friend raised her eyebrow. "He dressed up as a woman and laid down on a pair of train tracks."
That did it, Calli burst out in laughter at the image alone. "Like a woman? With dress and everything?"
"Dress and blonde wig." Nya giggled. "I had to admit I spent the first minute or so laughing before actually doing anything."
And now you know Calli's "Full" Name xD Yeah she doesn't have a last name.
I loved to write the ending of this xD Both the Scenes in the caves and the talk with Nya. xDI love writing shipping snippets xD and we get a see a bit to see into the warriors mind and it would seem she is only fooling herself ;). *Sigh* I really loved to write that cave part xD
Anyhow enough about my ramblings, Onto the reviews:
MightyShipper: That was the most enthusiastic review i ever had xD So glad you like it :)
Aurro sister of Morro: It is but at the same time it isn't :)
Melodie in My Heart: Thanks for correcting, as i said, I'm dutch so english can still be a bit tricky xD i'm so glad i got some shipping in ;P
I hope you enjoyed, And I'll see you in the next Chapter.