So character growth and maturity. Hurray. With the holidays coming updates might be sporadic. But I am really enjoying this fiction and where it's heading.
"Bree cocked her head to the side. Then picked up the baby. Turning and grabbing a length of cloth from her pack she wrapped Alanna in it and swaddled her to her chest. Checking to make sure Alanna couldn't fall but Bree could use both hands freely.
""You need to come along and watch. You still need to work on your skills". Bree said to Harumi.
"What's the point?" Harumi asked in disgust. "I still can't manage to undo a very simple djin glamor. I mean you hardly can use your djin side at all and it's a thousand times more than I can do now".
Harumi tossed her still brown hair over her shoulder. Bree raising an eyebrow at her.
"I know I lean 90 percent to the elemental master side of my family. But even I can manage the simple djin stuff. Brown's still not the worst color I could have changed it too. And you need to learn to glamor and shift on your own. I can only help you so much" Bree said.
"I know. I just haven't had a lifetime of teaching like you have. And you know I'm not saying your hairs aweful. I just miss mine" Harumi responded.
Bree had in the spur of the moment changed Harumi's hair to her own dark brown when they had been down in ninjago city.
"Trust me. If it was worth it I'd keep this whole mess glamoured all day every day" Bree said gesturing to herself. "It just wears on me to do it all the time, plus we can't all look like perfect little djin princesses like you". Bree said with a smirk.
Bree and Harumi started down the steps, moving more quickly when they heard noise and moans of pain in one of the downstairs training rooms that had been converted into a hospital room. Nearly knocking into an elemental master and a few other people Bree gave up and popped out and popped back into the right room with a puff of djin magic. Harumi took a few more seconds to get there and did in fact smash into someone. Morro had been sent to go find Bree.
"I was sent for Bree, but found you doll face" Morro joked.
Harumi gave him a half hearted shove and slide in the room quietly and stood behind Bree. Harumi's eyes widened in shock when she saw how badly this Bo was actually hurt. The kappa must have gotten a good hold of him. Judging by his little family's lack of injuries he must have been protecting them with all he had. Misako came in carrying fresh bandages and some other things on a tray that Harumi didn't recognize. Bree then gestured Harumi forward.
"Look how he's cut here and here, if I start the repairing spell it has to be done from the inside out, see" Bree explaining what she was doing to Harumi. "If the external injuries are treated first it won't do any good, he will just continue to bleed". Then taking Harumi's hand she held it over a superficial cut on his leg. "Work on trying to close that while I do these others".
Harumi struggled repeatedly to close the small cut. Only after several tries did she manage. At that point Bree had finished with a huff. Misako went to start bandaging but Bree stopped her.
"Use this leaves and these here" Bree said mixing things off the tray and a few out of her bag. "It will speed the healing and hopefully leave less scars. Mush them into a paste with the comfrey leaves and roots and then lightly wrap them".
"Where did you learn any of this?"Misako asked.
"Some from my mother, some from other elemental masters, a whole lot from people who lived in Caladonia and Djinjago" Bree responded evenly. Looking over the women and child that came in she asked them "Have you been injured at all? Tired? Hungry?".
"No no, we're ok" the women answered, Bree knew her name was Melissa, "But do you know when Bo will wake up?"
"He will need to rest for a while. He can probably hear us right now. So if you guys want to stay near him I'm sure he won't mind" Bree said. Giving the little girl a hug and a toy out of her bag. Harumi was use to Bree and her literal bag of tricks. But it was new to Misako and Bo's wife was daughter. "What's your name sweet pea?" Bree asked the little girl.
"My name is Flora and mommy's name is mommy" the little girl answered. Earning her a smile from Bree.
Bree and Harumi left the room with everyone settled. Misako was about to thank Bree for helping when Bree once again stopped her with a raised hand.
"Don't thank either of us yet, because we need to talk to the rest of the ninja and Mr Wu" Bree told her.
"Alright" Misako said with a sigh. "You know he dislikes you calling him that".
"I can't imagine calling him anything else would be any less uncomfortable for either of us" Bree answered her.
Once in the main dojo room Bree and Harumi waited for the others. Bree standing next to the warm fireplace and Harumi looking at the painting of the master of air jitzu above it. The room was cleaned and well lit. But had a very old feel to it. Even the texture of the carpets was unfamiliar to Harumi.
"This place is so weird and full of ghosts" Harumi said to Bree quietly.
"Only one that I've seen. And he tends to stay in the attic. I don't think the place being so over packed is very much what he's use to" Bree said.
"Are you frigging kidding me? Harumi said in annoyance. "This place has ghosts too?".
Bree closed her eyes then opened them. The color changed to a flat white and she scanned the room. And then it looked like she was trying to scan farther thru walls. She closed her eyes and snorted in annoyance.
"That I could see yes, just the one for in the foreseen future. And Odel and Flora are going to become friends. And the kitchen window is going to get broken. So more totally benign and frankly useless visions". Bree finished. Bree sat down on the carpet next to the fire to enjoy the warm more closely.
"At least you can see some things. Is it getting any easier to look on purpose?" Harumi asked.
"Unless I touch the person or thing that's going to be in the future not really. Just more bland every day stuff". Bree answered sullenly.
A crack and then the tinkling of glass could be heard a few rooms away. Some commotion or another had both the young women looking up. Shouts and some swears could be made out. Then the annoyed voice of Sensi Wu. The various Ninja started entering the room. Skyler along with Kai. Cole alone. Zane was carrying Pixal who laughed at something Bree couldn't hear. Wu and Nya followed by a disgruntled Jay and not amused Lloyd. Jay was clutching his fist tight with a dishcloth around it.
"You lost a fight with a washcloth?" Harumi asked dryly.
"He took offensive to something Shade said about Nya and clocked the guy" Lloyd answered. "Then after he knocked him into the window the idiot cut himself picking up glass."
Jay looked like he had choice words to say about the incident when Wu stepped forward.
"You wanted us here?" Wu asked Bree.
Getting up Bree gently patted the babies back before reaching out to poke a finger at Jay's hand. The blue purple magic healing the small cut instantly. Jay jumped back into Nya in surprise.
"Warn a guy before your gonna do that next time" he squeaked.
"You would have just been prissy and said no" Bree answered rolling her eyes at him. Jay was still very leery and uncomfortable around Bree and her small family.
"We asked you here to talk about Bree and I helping you get the last two ingredients for the tea" Harumi said. "Bree and I have talked and we think we can each get one of them. However we might need Morro and some other help."
"Speak of the devil and he appears" Lloyd grumbled as Morro entered the room.
Morro shrugged his shoulders and kept chewing the Apple he had grabbed from the kitchen.
"Why the sudden change in heart" Lloyd asked turning directly to Harumi. His green eyes staring her down intently.
"Because without that tea you idiots are all sitting ducks and Bree and I can't stomach the thought of any more innocent people getting hurt. Bo and his family are just lucky that Ronin and Dareth found them today before the kappa could finish them off. "Harumi said angrily returning Lloyd's stare as if she dared him to start something.
"Harumi will have to go get the book, I have very little chance of stealing it and getting out unnoticed. The more dangerous task of getting the scale I will handle myself." Bree stated.
"Wait, we got to steal the book? Nobody said anything about stealing" Cole said distrustfully.
"Its already been stolen from my mother and I. The fates took it before my mother died. They threw me out when I asked nicely for it back the first time. After my mother and Slate died and I went to could kingdom again to discuss it with the fates they once again refused to give it back".Bree said trying to keep her voice even.
"Discuss?!" Harumi laughed. "You told me you tried to off that fenwick dude after how he tried to change your destiny and it wound up getting your family killed".
This was apparently news to the rest of the group. Wu and Misako looked like the wanted to ask questions about that when Bree changed the subject.
"And I will go get the scale. However that is probably going to be the hardest one to get. Because angry mermaids are always going to be near water" Bree said.
"And anyone who is still currently cursed is going to draw the kappa in like a bloody carcass". Cole finished for her.
"Yes. So I will need someone to take me to where we can find a mermaid that isn't a elemental master or related to one" Bree said annoyed at Cole for speaking for her.
"And why can't I go if I'm not cursed? The only other person who might be able to fly you to some beach is Ronin. And he's not going to fair better than me if we accidentally run into a kappa". Cole snapped at her.
"Did I asked you to go?" Bree snapped back at him.
"I can show Harumi the back way into cloud kingdom" Morro interrupted. "It won't be hard at all to go unnoticed if we aren't already on their radar".
"Excellent" Harumi said with a dark smile on her face. Bree knew she liked getting into things a little too much for her liking. And of course everyone wants a break from the crowded floating temple.
"Its decided then?" Wu asked without actually waiting for Bree to respond. "Very well. Morro, Harumi I have some scrolls and papers on the cloud kingdom you might want to take a look at" gesturing for them to follow him as he walked off towards his study.
The rest of the ninja started off then as well. Leaving Bree Lloyd Cole in the main room of the dojo. Lloyd watched Morro leave with Harumi following Sensi Wu and his hand tightened into fists. Both Cole and Bree took notice. With Cole stepping closer to his friend and Bree eyeing him suspiciously.
"I thought you couldn't wait for the girls to leave?" Cole asked. Running his hand threw his dark black hair.
"I'm the same age you are goof, so hardly a little girl" Bree snipped at Cole. With a sigh Bree turned to Lloyd. "You know your destiny was never her right?".
Lloyd looked angry enough to explode but didn't turn to direct his anger at Bree. "How would you know?" He asked hotly.
"Because of the bits and pieces I've seen, the ones the fates haven't altered, you two are happy...but not with each other. Like at all at all." Bree answered him. "And trust me I'm not thrilled with the whole Morro thing either the way they act. From the things I've heard he wasn't always a great guy in the past".
"Your kidding right? How much don't you know about Morro and your precious Harumi" Lloyd snapped at her.
"Just about as much as I know of you so far hothead" Bree answered. But softly. "I am for example perfectly happy to die old and alone. Saves a lot of heart ache that way. You're still so young to be mad at what once wasn't right or what hasn't been yet".
Lloyd looked at her with scrutiny. Considering her life as he knew it she may have a point. Lloyd walked out following this way the others went. But with a little less tightness in his shoulders she could tell.
Bouncing Alanna in her wrap Bree turned like she was joining to leave. Cole stopped her with an arm gently held out.
"Why wouldn't you ask me out right to help you? Especially when you know I'm not cursed" Cole asked Bree. "I am stronger than anyone else here and I fly the jet or the bounty better than anyone but Zane. And I know you find Zane and Pixal to be..." Cole didn't finish his sentence.
"Super weird? Like the strangest thing I have ever seen in my life?" Bree suggested.
"I don't know how you can do literal magic and find a nindroid weird." Cole said.
"The computer components aren't weird. It's the human DNA written into their code and the fact that they each share one half of the same very human soul as a power source. I don't even know how that works, but I can see it" Bree answered perplexed.
Cole raised his eyebrow to that in question.
"You didn't know? They don't know?" Bree questioned.
"News to me beautiful" Cole answered.
Bree's face went cold at that and she didn't even start the response she had. Going to walk around Cole he stopped her once again.
"What?" Cole said. "Your going to have to talk to me sometime if we are going to get that scale."
Fixing him with her cold stare Bree huffed and went to walk past him. "Not today" she replied.
"Seriously, you try and be nice, I try and be nice in return and it annoys you?" Cole said with a touch of frustration.
"You can be nice without that" was Bree's still cold reply.
"Without what?!" Cole asked again.
"I have had enough of ninja for one day. Especially you" Bree said gently poking Coles chest. Only to once again be surprised when Coles arms lit up a bright glowing orange. With another huff she side stepped Cole and started walking.
"Well have fun with that, cause your sleeping in my room in my bed" Cole said with just a little bit of laughter. "Or do you really think Lloyd and I bunk up for giggles. Dude talks in his sleep, drives me up a wall".
Bree kept walking...quicker, but Cole could see her cheeks go pink before she darted out of view. Well that might be worth getting on her nerves he laughed. But sobering at the thought of Lloyds angry sleep talking and how much he was going to bitch about Harumi and Morro tonight. Maybe I will throw a sleeping bag down here Cole mused and pulled a armchair closer to the warm fire.
