"Two days. Its been two days and we have half the list and that's it" Lloyd said in frustration. "Ill say it again. Is it that necessary to get this dam tea".
The ninja and Sensei Wu were in the bridge of the bounty. Zane and Pixal had just returned from finding another key ingredient and did not come back unscathed. Pixel was currently re welding Zane's face plate before tacking the loose bits of his arm. Zane hissed in pain as a few sparks caught near some wires still unsoldered and loose.
"Pix and I do not concur with your assessment. The tea would be very useful. It is becoming tiresome being attacked every time we leave the temple". Zane replied.
"Are we completely sure that this witch isn't just pulling our leg with some of these items?". Kai said grumpily. Kai and Skyler had tried to go out for a few of the simpler ingredients on the list. They did in fact make it to a tea shop and the old market before getting hunted down. Thankfully the kappa didn't seem to particularly like fire. Especially when getting blasted by both the master of fire and the master of amber. They slowed them down enough to get back in the air jet and come back unharmed.
Wu huffed before he rolled up yet another scroll. "The problem is some of these things Bree does not know the ninjagin word for. She can only explain so much. And frankly she is refusing to speak to anyone at the moment".
The ninja looked back and forth at each other. Bree was currently refusing to speak to sensi Wu. Gossip travels fast. Faster on a relatively small island. Floating or not. Everyone had heard Wu insisting he was family to Bree and Alanna. Actually her father. And Bree had some particularly choice words for Wu. Perhaps thankfully for Wu not all were in languages he could understand. Bree was currently sitting on the roof avoiding everyone and rocking the sleeping baby.
"I had Misako out looking for a few things. But asked her to turn around and come here. Perhaps she can understand some of this chicken scratch writing" Wu said the end trailing off as he walked out of the ship.
Lloyd he launched himself off the bounty in persuit of Wu. Most of the other ninja following in pursuit. Zane and Pixal remained while Pixal finished conducting repairs to Zanes arm.
"I for one will be glad to have the tea made, you safer and Harumi and that witch gone" Pixal said with uncharacteristic anger in her voice.
Zane stopped the movement of Pixals hands over his injured arm. Catching her eyes with his before she looked away in embarrassment.
"You do not like Bree" Zane stated.
Pixal stilled for a moment before answering him. "She is not particularly nice" Pixal answered.
"And her not being very friendly towards you might have something to do with you trying to pick her daughter up and carry her down to the kitchen without asking if that was ok with Bree first?" Zane questioned gently.
"I was only trying to be kind and helpful" Pixal answered smoothly.
With his now mostly repaired arms Zane took Pixal and swung her into his lap. They were now alone in the bridge of the bounty. Taking her face in his hand he brought her eyes up to meet his, eyebrow raised questionably.
"What?" Pixal asked innocently.
Zane said nothing. But the question remained.
"Fine" Pixal said in frustration. Laying her head down on Zanes shoulder. "I wanted a chance to hold and feed the baby myself. I don't understand what came over me. I didn't think her mother would respond so quickly or be so angry".
"It could have ended worse. Bree could have hurt you instead of just blowing a hole in the wall and yelling" Zane said holding Pixal closely. "I don't think Bree has had a very safe life, nor has ever had help with the little one. I think most parent's are protective, Bree maybe more so".
"It's not something we are ever going to experience for ourselves" Pixal said sadly.
Zane held Pixal all the more closely. Neither wanting to say more. Zane had never been more happy than with his relationship with Pixal, she was his other half. But both watching their friends and ninja family growing older put to the forefront exactly what their friends could possible have that the two nindroids could not. They stayed in the bridge of the bounty like that for a while before joining the others.
Misako came in then on board Rex. Ronin had been doing little errands back and forth for Misako for the past few days. For a price was usually Ronins answer. However the coins Bree had dropped on the seat turned out to be quite lucrative for him. Walking into the main room of the temple Wu showed Misako the hand made list. All but Lloyd ninja wise were out in the court yard training.
"Most of this is not even that bad. However a few things... I don't doubt her sincerity but what is a morrigane feather? Or a scale from a water screamer?" Misako asked. "And whose spell book is she asking for?".
"Her mother's" Wu said facing away from Misako.
"I know that tone, what don't you want to talk to me about?" Misako said.
"The young women who can make the tea is Rowena's daughter" Wu answered her.
Shocked Misako rolled the papers back up. "And that makes Bree your...? And the little one of hers too?" She asked expectantly.
Wu didn't answer her at first. "She is not speaking to me. She quite literally denies that I have anything to do with her existence".
"And what does Rowena have to say about that?" Misako asked treading lightly.
"Not much as she's dead. Bree's husband too. However that and the fact that Lloyd wants to get her little cousin tossed in jail is what's got Bree willing to help at all. And by help I mean give me a list that I can barely read" Wu said.
"Then we are just going to have to ask her for more help" Misako replied. Taking the roll of paper and heading towards the stairs.
She headed up the steps to the hall window. On the way in on board Rex she had seen the young women sitting on the roof with the baby. She saw the window still open and sat then twisted before walking out. Bree was still there holding Alanna. Watching Morro and Harumi spar on the opposite side of the temple from the ninja. Temporary truce aside there was still enough tension that nobody was making friends. Bree was aware of Misako but didn't demand she leave or hurl insults. It was probably better Wu and Lloyd didn't come to ask for help as well. But Misako didn't think they were far off.
Sitting down beside her Misako said "I have watched the ninja train for years. It never gets easier. Knowing what they train for".
Morrow dodged a particularly nasty blow from Harumi causing Misako to grimace. He used his powers to knock the blow off his head and hit his shoulder instead. Turning and catching Harumi with the stick instead. That seemed to really piss her off. And she fought back harder. Morro laughing again. This whole not being dead thing certainly improved his sour attitude.
"Morro is holding back" Bree said to Misako. Then asked "why do you think that?".
Taken aback slightly Misako shrugged. She was not fond of either. " I don't know enough to judge".
"He likes her. A lot" Bree said matter of factly. "But like aside it won't help her train any better. Or use her Djin powers better".
"Can you use your own? Enough to teach her?" Misako asked. Surprised Bree was being down right ambivalent to her.
"Somewhat. I won't fix the glamor on her hair and she's still mad about it" Bree said. "If I have any chance of raising her or this one to adult hood they have to be able to use their brains and every power they have. They have to be able to do it on their own".
Once again Morro knocked a blow away with a tiny gust of wind. Harumi was not popping in and out like a djin can. That would at least give her the ability to get behind and block some blows. Huffing in annoyance Bree shifted Alanna to her shoulder and hoped down off the roof. Using a glow of purple magic to slow her drop so at the last foot or so she nearly stepped down. Walking into the yard she handed a disgruntled Harumi the baby. Turning she faced Morro.
"You have to be able to a get behind him. Away from where he can use his powers. Popped out and popping back in a few feet away makes you faster and more agile". Bree explained to Harumi.
"Don't exactly have the elemental powers now do I" Harumi grumbled.
"No, but you can fight very well. And if you can use your Djin magic better. Pop in and out. Glamour. You can hold your own easily. Give your self the edge" Bree instructed her.
"And you you little wind bag. Your just playing around. How can she train better to kill a kappa if you are more interested in her? Making it easy is not helping. It's hindering" Bree bluntly told Morro. "That is unless that's all you can do" looking Morro up and down". Instigating him on purpose.
Walking further out into the yard Bree took the blunt stick Harumi had been using. And puffing out with a pop she popped right back in behind him and slapped hard with the stick. Bree was only half playing with him. Launching into some heavy sparing drew onlookers from around the temple. Morro blasting wind in Bree's direction only for her to pop in and out. After a few slaps to the side of his face with the stick Morro was looking a little of his previous frivolity.
Whipping into a tornado of spinjitu he moved faster than Bree could pop in and out closely behind him. So Bree called up a strong shield around herself. Morro couldn't move or break the shield with spinjitzu. So instead he pulled up an actual tornado. Which that did knock the whole shield back a few feet. At this point even the ninja had stopped their own training and come to watch. That sounds of gails of wind and magic screamed in the air. Lloyd and Wu had come out to the roof with Misako. And then all three had spinjitzu'ed down to watch them spar.
Bree saw a possible opening then. Without dropping the first shield Bree brought up a second behind Morro. Using her hand she quickly snapped it forward. Enveloping Morro. Dropping the shield around herself she pulled her hands wide. Imobilizing him like he was frozen. Morro yielded. Bree very gently set him down. He was half unsteady and Bree took his arm laughing.
Wu thought if life had been very different these two would have been as close as siblings. Which under the strictest of technicalities they were. Only Wu and Morro knew that he had adopted Morro in order to keep him all those years ago. And Wu was going to keep it between himself and Morro until Morro wanted to mention it.
Only then did both Bree and Morro turn back to Harumi and realize they had a very large audience.
"If you can do all that then why aren't you out getting the stuff for the tea yourself and helping us" Lloyd glowered at her.
"And what part of the deal is I do everything for you? Bree snapped at him.
"Well you happen to be the only one that can walk around ninjago and not draw the kappa in like a bloody steak" Lloyd snapped back.
"Well there has to be another elemental master that isn't cursed right?" Harumi interjected. She didn't exactly want Bree running around ninjago alone. The kappa and whoever mutated them and set them on the elemental masters was still out there. And Harumi wanted no part in hunting down herbs and bits for the behest of the ninja either. "Alannas dad was the one you and your mom uncursed right? We have every elemental master left in existence right here. Why not find that line and send them out". Harumi finished.
"Shut up Harumi" Bree hissed. Taking Alanna from her and dragging her along by the arm. Brees's fun from sparing with Morro extinguished. Bree started walking back into the temple when Lloyd stepped in front of her.
"Wait that makes even better sense. You and one of the other lines of elemental masters are uncursed. You could go with them. Even take Ronin and Dareth with you, it would go way faster".
Bree popped out and then back in several feet away from Lloyd. Totally avoiding Lloyds line of questions and logic. Walking towards the kitchen door Bree called over her shoulder to Misako "if you want to get the tea started you better come help".
"You know exactly who she avoids talking about things like right?" Misako said directly to Wu. He turned his head and growled under his breath. Misako and some of the ninja following Bree inside and others high tailing it out of the awkward conversation.
Once inside Bree headed over to the stove where Pixal was prepping the woodfire. Both the young women and the young nindroid frowning at each other. The others that followed in moved around the kitchen. Cole helping himself to the leftover cake on the table. Banging into Bree in the process.
Bree turned to him to yell at him for getting crumbs everywhere. When her eyes suddenly shifted from their normal color to flat white and back again several times. She nearly lost her balance and Cole caught both her and Alana before they hit the ground. Bree eyes kept shifting back from seeing the kitchen in the temple to seeing something else. They eventually stopped and Bree was out of breath.
Taking Alanna from Bree so Cole could hold her up Harumi asked "what the hell did you see this time? That premonition took forever".
Cole raised his eyes to Harumi, so that's what that was.
Still catching her breath Bree said "A lot. An awful lot. And most of it not good".
