"All hands on deck, right now! Something freaky's going on!"

Jay's shrill voice rang out in the monastery, accompanied by the rapid thumps of footsteps. The sliding door was flung open with a crash, revealing the blue menace in the flesh. The utter panic which broke out in the room could only be compared to that of mildly inconvenienced librarians. Kai casually glanced over the edge of his comic book, while Nya grumbled over having to fix the door again. Zane just turned off his hearing and resumed his meditation.

"What's it now?" Kai hummed, turning the page. "Mad because I beat your high score again?"

"You did what?!"

"Fist-to-Face Four. Ninety-two thousand points, buddy," the Red Ninja gloated, hiding his smirk.

"Why you- No, that's not important right now. Something's up with Cole."

"What?" Nya's head perked up. "Is he sick?"

"No. Or… maybe? You won't believe this unless you see it yourself."

"Come on, just tell us."

"Library. Now."

"Ugh, fine" Kai grunted, lobbing his comic towards Zane. The nindroid, without hearing or seeing, caught it, put a bookmark in it and closed the book neatly. The next moment, all senses were back online.

"Seems like ol' boulder brain is up to something. Wanna tag along?"

"Cole? Is there something troubling him?" Zane answered, unbothered by the printed projectile. Jay's feet were twitching sideways, raring to go as the group joined up beside him.

"I'll go too," Nya seethed, a cold glare boring holes in the Blue Ninja's head. "...if you promise to fix this door."

Cole stretched his neck and scratched himself behind the ear. He still couldn't wrap his head around it at all. His head hit the table with a thud, surrounded by piles of books.

Strategy was one thing, but aimless reading wasn't his forte. Zane and Nya were the brains of the group, so why not rely on them?

"No, no!" the Black Ninja groaned, tousling his hair. That mindset wouldn't get him anywhere. If anything, he should ask them to teach him instead of just giving up. "Iron sharpens iron! Brother sharpens brother! Trees grow taller together!" he yelled, slamming the book shut, picking another one from the pile, praying to find something easier within.

At the door to the library, four heads poked out with squinting eyes.

"So what do you think?" said Jay, throwing a pinch of salt over his shoulder. "The Master of Form playing a trick? Possessed by a ghost? Just plain ol' crazy?"

"All of the above," said Kai, disbelief frozen on his face. "No matter how I look at it, that is not normal."

"I'm leaning towards 'crazy'," said Nya. "What was that about trees?"

"This is highly irregular behaviour" said Zane, his circuits emitting a low hum. "He seems to be reading a large quantity of books voluntarily. Or did Master Wu set him up for this?"

"Can't be. Ol' beardy's been gone for a week," the Blue Ninja proclaimed, still glaring in distrust of the black figure at the table. "This is something else. He's been distant ever since he came back yesterday."

"What's that?" Kai whispered, sword halfway out its scabbard already. "Cole snuck out?"

"You didn't notice? Took his bike in the middle of the night and left without a word. Didn't see him 'til sunrise."

"What was he doing then?"

"There's an easy way to find out," Nya shrugged. She hopped into the room with an innocent smile, snuck up to the hunched figure at the table and peeked over his shoulder. The peeping toms leaned forward eagerly, holding their breaths as she tapped his shoulder.

"The heck's gotten into you?"

"That's way too blunt!" three voices rang out in unison as the peepers collapsed into the room.

Cole, startled by the outburst, swiveled around in shock, to see three ninja sprawling on the ground.

"Guys? What are you doing here?"

Jay grunted in discomfort.

"Making snow angels, can't you tell? You know, just (oof, get your foot out of my face Kai) having a good time (ouch). How about you? What're you up to?".

Cole just sat there for a moment, waiting for the cheesecake-looking heap of blue, white and red to disassemble itself. Shortly, the three musketeers were on their feet, acting like nothing happened.

"Were you… spying on me?" he asked with equal parts annoyance and confusion.

"What? Pfft, Of course not." Jay released a nervous laugh. "We just wondered where you were and came here… all four of us… and just happened to trip… yeah."

Cole wasn't buying it.

"Well then, 'angels'. Right now, I'm reading up a bit on different topics, learning things that may become helpful in the future. You know, preparing for trouble." Seeing the other ninja's raised eyebrows, he continued:

"I'm just saying that we never really know what we may be up against, so I'm looking ahead. Every little bit helps, right?" The listeners looked at each other, just as befuddled, if not more, as they had been previously.

"Uhm, buddy. I don't want to burst your bubble, but you do realise you're trying to compete with a literal supercomputer?" Kai noted, gesturing with both hands toward Zane. Cole let out an awkward laugh, scratching his head.

"Well, of course I know that, but-" He bit his tongue. Careful now, he thought. Can't say too much. "Zane won't always be around. I've got to learn how to hold my own, too."

"And how is reading about" -Jay snatched up a book- "'Congenital Disorders' going to do that? Just stick to training like a normal person."

"Believe me, I want to; but some things just can't be done with muscles."

"Who are you and what have you done to Cole!?" Kai stammered, gripping his sword with shaking hands. Nya rolled her eyes and flicked her brother's nose hard with her finger.

"We already know you're stupid, bro, no need to remind us. Still, I think we all want to know what's really going on here, Cole. Where were you yesterday night?"

The Black Ninja flinched. As he leaned forward in his chair, his scar revealed itself like a rift on his forehead, glowing a faint green. He wove his fingers together and stared into the floor.

"The Temple of Airjitzu."

More puzzled looks. Cole bit his lip. He'd kept his trips to the old temple secret for years, but this time was different. He let his guard down.

"Wu likes to keep secrets, we all know it. The Serpentine… Morro… Aspheera. I just wanted some answers for once."

"Answers?" Jay asked. "What are you expecting to find in that old dustbin?"

Not what, Cole thought, but who.

"I wanna be ready for anything, alright!? If something happened to you that I could have stopped, I'd never forgive myself! What's so wrong with that!?"

"Oh my gosh, Cole," Nya groaned, slapping her face. "This is about the traveler's tea, isn't it? We've been over this, it wasn't your fault!"

Cole's mouth flapped open, only to close again as he averted his gaze.

"Maybe…"

It was only half the truth. Nearly a month had passed but the lost leaves still haunted him, gnawing away at his insides, keeping him awake at night. If we'd known about Aspheera, none of this would have happened, he brooded. But I can't get stuck in the past. I'm done breaking promises. I have to look ahead - to the future!

A shrill signal pierced through the monastery. The alarm! Zane raised a hand to his ear with a troubled look.

"Now that's a sound I haven't heard in a while," Kai grunted, slamming his fists together. "What've you got for us?"

The White Ninja's eyes flickered as data poured into his system, flooding his eyes with alerts.

"We have an emergency," the White Ninja answered. "There is a fire in… City of Stiix North Docks orphanage."

"City of Stiix?" Jay sputtered. "That place is like, two hundred percent wood! An all-you-can-burn buffet!"

"But there's plenty of water," Nya assured, trying to stay composed. "With good wind, the new thrusters will get us there in no time, just-"

"Everyone…" Zane said, his usual stoic voice replaced with one of terror, snuffing their voices like a candle.

"The report... the people say… It's an Oni."

The ninja's eyes widened. Colour drained from their faces. Luckily for Cole, he was already sitting down, otherwise he might have fallen over. For a few seconds, no one knew what to do.

"Is it… him?" Kai finally got out, his fingers starting to glow a fierce red.

"Inconclusive; too many contradictory accounts."

"Can we get in touch with Lloyd?"

"They've been off the grid for the past two days. There's no telling where he and Wu are now."

"Ah, great" Jay said, gnawing on his nails. "If they haven't even found one of the golden weapons, how are we supposed to fight? For all we know, the whole army could be back."

"Everyone!" Cole spoke loudly, a slight quiver in his voice. " The only way to be sure is to see it for ourselves. We don't have a moment to lose!" He stood up, took a deep breath and gestured for the others to follow. "Come on; we're taking the Bounty."

As he marched out of the room, the other four ninja, trying to comprehend what just happened, stayed motionless for a moment. Then, they all blinked twice.

"Wait, he…" Kai started.

"Shouldn't he be the most afraid out of everyone?" Jay finished.

"Yeah…" Nya said in awe. "Cole gets scared by a lot of things, he just doesn't want to admit it. But he never lets that fear keep him down." She cracked a nervous smile. "We can't let him beat us, can we? Let's go."

The deck of the Destiny's Bounty growled as the ship pierced the sky, sailing on the golden beams of twilight. At times, rifts in the clouds revealed the incredible height at which they soared. Lush, towering mountains looked like ant hills far below. Lakes and rivers like puddles and stripes.

Cole had no time to admire this scene, however. He finished inspecting the cannons and threw a glance over to Kai. The Red Ninja gave a thumbs-up in return and together they nimbly hopped up the stairs to the bridge to escape the howling wind. Closing the door behind them, they drew sighs of relief, gladly welcoming the warmth of the inside.

The atmosphere, however, they could have done without. Nya rushed between the control panels, gaze flickering from one monitor to the next.

"Cole, what's the status," she yelled without batting an eye.

"Deck is clear. All turrets locked, loaded and standing by."

"Zane! Any word from Pixal!?"

The nindroid was hunched over the radio, lost among a sea of distress calls. Only when Nya called once more did he unplug himself and swivel around.

"Negative. She is not responding."

The Master of Water bit her tongue and slammed down commands on the keyboard.

"Keep the line active for as long as you can. Jay, is the course set!?"

The Blue Ninja was leaning on the rudder, calmly pouring himself a steaming hot cup of delicious hot cocoa, savouring the aroma with visible bliss.

"As set as can be, Nya. By the way, have I mentioned how dazzling you look this evening?"

"Not the time. Hey, Kai! I need an update on the thrusters!"

The Red Ninja shook his head.

"Could be better. I mean, we haven't even done a trial run yet. You sure this'll work?"

"No time like the present." Nya flipped the cap off the bright, red button. "Everyone! Buckle up!"

Ignition. All four engines roared like a dragon, bathing the stern in red flames as the ship clove through the sky. The acceleration was staggering, in the truest sense of the word. Cole had to grab hold of the doorframe to keep himself upright, barely managing to catch Kai as he stumbled past. The Black Ninja's scar flared up as he gripped the wood hard enough to crack it, hanging on for dear life through the tremors for what seemed like an eternity. Then, a deafening boom shot through the room, and everything went still.

The acceleration died down and as the deck gradually straightened out, all Cole could hear was the sound of his own racing heart. He carefully let go of the doorframe, leaving behind a firm, hand-shaped imprint. Nya growled and muttered something like "always with the doors".

Silence claimed the room, spare the incessant slurping of Jay's hot cocoa.

"C'mon everybody?" he said with a mellow smile. "Why so glum? Perfect test run, if I do say so myself."

"Hooray…" Kai muttered, rubbing his hands to warm them. "We're rushing to our demise at record speed."

"Whoa, there," Cole said, nudging his shoulder. "You make it sound like we've already lost."

"I can't help it! It's supposed to be Jay who's freaking out, but he's acting like some kind of zen guru over there! I can't handle him whenever he's like that!"

Jay took another long, scrumptious sip.

"I have come to terms with my fate," the Blue Ninja hummed. "Worrying accomplishes nothing."

Kai's eye twitched as he let out a shrill, squealing noise through his nostrils. Nya shook her head in amazement.

"My theory is that he gets so stressed, all nerves short circuit and go straight back to zero. Like the calm before the storm."

"Oh yeah. If it's the Oni we're talking about, there's one heck of a storm coming," Kai snorted.

He stomped over to the nearest seat and drew his sword, weighed the weapon in his hand and took a few practice swings. Apparently not good enough, since he brought out a whetstone and began sharpening the blade with wide, aggressive strokes, sending sparks flying with each metallic rasp.

"Let's see," he said. "The golden weapons are missing. Lloyd is unreachable. Pixal won't pick up. We have no dragons, no plan and no idea who -or what- we're up against. Seriously, at this point -and I can't believe I'm saying this- I actually miss having Garmadon around."

Zane unplugged himself from the monitor and swiveled around.

"What if he is?"

The others looked at him in surprise. Zane leaned closer and spoke with a whisper.

"If he is there, in Stiix… If he has returned… What will the outcome be?"

No answer. They remained silent for a long while.

It was all too clear already. The King of Shadows was a one man army. A force of nature; destruction incarnate. Stopping him would be well nigh impossible.

"It's not impossible," Jay said at last, as if answering the thought. He stirred his cocoa. "He can be brought down. Lloyd proved it."

Nya nodded slowly. A ball of water started forming above her palm, growing larger and larger.

"We may not be green, but we're still ninja; and ninja never quit." She flicked her hand, sending the drops splashing over Kai's whetstone. "We still have our powers."

"Like they worked so well last time…" the Red Ninja mumbled, rasping away once more. Zane's eyes flickered at the mention.

"Last time…" Zane pondered, circuits humming slightly. "When was… last time again?"

"Wait, seriously?" Cole said, arms crossed. "Even I remember that! Stop joking, Zane. You never forget anythi-"

"COLE!"

A cup hit the floor and exploded in a thousand shards. The next moment, Jay's slap hit him hard in the back of the head. Cole was about to protest, but seeing Zane's contorted face, he realised his mistake.

"Oh my gosh Zane, I- I'm so sorry. It's just… with the time difference between the Never-Realm and here…"

"It is fine," Zane answered, downcast. "I should… get back online."

He slowly rotated back to the monitor and hunched over, putting his hand to his ear. He didn't seem to notice he never plugged back in.

Nya edged up to Jay and leaned close to his ear.

"Wasn't that a bit harsh?" Nya said. "He didn't mean it."

"Harsh? You call that harsh?" Jay said, affronted. "Try being stuck in the never-realm for half a century. That's harsh."

The ship shook for a moment, tearing through the clouds. Kai sheathed his sword and stood up.

"Oh no…" was all he could muster as he stared out the windshield.

A large pillar of sooty black smoke towered before them, blotting out the last light of day. Beneath, the sleepy fishing village lay, engulfed in a sea of orange, pulsating light. Jay swallowed hard and cast himself back onto the rudder.

"Hard-a-starboard!" he hollered, grabbing the wheel firmly with both hands. "We're going in!"

The engines roared as the Bounty's bow lowered, charging straight towards the heart of the fire. Aiming for the canal between two wooden walkways, Jay skillfully guided them through the opening and rammed the water surface with dangerous force. The ship burst through the channel, sending cascades of water in all directions, rattling the very bones of the passengers before finally easing to a halt. All ninja aboard (with a blue exception) shakily released their cramped grips, trying to keep their balance on the still-rocking floor before exchanging glances to steel themselves. After all was said and done, they would fight, no matter who they were up against.

"Ladies and gentlemen this is your captain speaking, we have arrived at our destination," Jay announced through the speakers. "Please leave the craft in a hectic, rotating manner. Ninja~"

"GO!" they all screamed in unison, spinning out in colour. The five shining tornadoes flew out the room, jumping straight down to the pier, landing nimbly with little to no sound. As they raced on the soggy planks, weapons drawn, Zane's scanner emitted several beeps, as his eyes flicked back and forth.

"We can still contain the fire. The immediate vicinity has been mitigated due to the Bounty's wave. Good thinking, Jay."

"Thanks. Let's just hope the fire's the worst part."

"I'll handle this," Nya urged, orbs of water already forming around her, "You guys find out what's going on."

"Oh gee. We get the Oni, then? I'm so happy," Cole said unhappily.

Nya split from the group while the others ventured into the heart of the inferno. Everywhere they went, people scurried like rats, trying to save their loved ones and belongings, jumping into the water to escape the scorching heat. Children's dolls and old picture frames drifted through the canals, all bathed in red.

A man stood at the edge of the canal, combating the fierce blaze with a leaky old bucket, throwing splash after splash of water as the flames reached for his face. Zane stretched out his palms, shooting a stream of ice at the conflagration, snuffing it out in an instant. The man stumbled backwards and looked down on his bucket with amazement, before noticing the ninja. His face lit up with desperate hope, hurrying towards them with pleading eyes.

"Finally," the man cried out. "Help has arrived! Please… you must hurry. The monster… It will eat us all!"

"Whoa, whoa whoa, slow down," Cole said. Is it the Oni? Where?"

The man pointed meekly, as if fearful that something may bite it off.

"I saw it with my own eyes… The darkness… The darkness came from there… It's still inside... No one dares to go near. Hurry… Hurry..."

"Darkness..." Cole shriveled up at the words. He'd hoped it wasn't true.

The orphanage lay at the edge of the City, right by the northern docks. Before the fire, it had been a dull, murky place; a nest for flightless birds. Now, the flames painted it orange and black, shrouded by a strange silence. A chill trickled down the ninja's spines, despite the terrible heat.

"Smells like a trap," Cole said, examining the structure.

"It looks like… it could collapse… at any moment," Jay got out between breaths, head swinging in all directions. "We don't even know if that… thing… is in there."

"Well, someone is," Zane alerted. "I've got something on scanners. It's small, but humanoid."

"What?!" There's a kid still inside?!" Kai yelled. "Trap or not, we've gotta go!"

"Wait!" the nindroid called out, but his plea fell on deaf ears. The Red Ninja rushed headfirst towards the roaring sea of heat. "Why you-" Zane clenched his teeth. "Kai! It's on the bottom floor, fifth door to the right! Jay, Cole, go after him. I'll keep a lookout."

A splash of water struck the doorway, erupting into a cloud of steam. Cole threw away two empty rain barrels and took off in pursuit of their comrade, with Jay hot on his heels.

The house felt like stepping into a smelter. Thankfully, their hoods granted protection from heat and smoke; unlike Kai, they were still vulnerable to fire. Parts of the ceiling had collapsed allowing the thick black smoke to escape to the upper floors. The many cracks in the structure acted like windpipes, making the air somewhat breathable, but likewise fueled the hungry flames.

"There he is!" Cole shouted, pointing down the hallway.

The Red Ninja was standing outside the door, unmoving. Something was wrong. He was just staring into the room, mouth wide open. Cole arrived at the door. His jaw dropped. Jay arrived at the door. His jaw dropped.

Inside the room sat a girl, thirteen at most, huddled on the wooden floor. She was downcast, scrawny and with long golden locks running across her shoulders and down her back. The walls were ablaze, yet not a single flame approached her, as if fearful of her presence. What was truly terrifying, however, was the mist. The darkness. Tendrils of black, wispy smog enveloped her, writhing, creeping, slithering along the floor. Light, flames, smoke; everything shied away from her. Her eyes were locked dead ahead, glistening with the raging colour of the swirling cinders.

"What in the world…?" Jay whispered under his breath.

Friend or foe? Fight or flee? The ceiling creaked ominously. The fire sizzled. The child sat quietly. Staring.

Cole slipped past his companions, gesturing for them to stay back. Before they had time to react, he was already outside their reach. He was unsure why. Urgency? Stubborn rejection of fear? Perhaps he pitied the small figure curled up on the sooty floorboards? If there was one thing he was sure of, it was that he would never stand idle. Only advance.

"Hey there. Are you-"

The girl's head snapped towards him. The next moment, she had shoved her nails, or perhaps claws, down into the wood and thrown herself toward the ninja like a feral beast. Cole, senses sharpened to their utmost, barely managed to whip sideways before the dark blur flew past him and into the wall beside the door. Kai and Jay hastily reached for their weapons.

"Don't!" Cole shouted. "Something's strange. Don't agitate her."

"Agitate her?! If that's your definition of calm, then I don't want to know what 'agitated' means!"

The child quickly recovered from the impact and spun around, rushing straight for Cole again, face distorted with fury. The Master of Earth calmly assumed his stance. With a slight shift, he slipped past one swipe, then another. This time, the girl did not let up, but kept flailing her hands, each swing screaming past the ninja by a hair's breadth. Suddenly, his back was up against the wall. His opponent saw her chance, reaching back to launch a devastating blow. Cole bounded over the strike at the last second, only for the wall to shatter from the impact, sending huge chunks of wood crashing into the next room. The entire building reverberated from the shock and part of the ceiling collapsed, which enveloped the fighters in soot and dust.

"Cole! It's coming down! Get out of there!"

Cole refused to budge. His scar pulsated orange, blending with the light of the flames. As the girl grunted in frustration, turning back to face him, he raised his arms calmly.

"You're one of the kids from the orphanage, right?" He spoke loud and clear. "You're pretty strong, but you're not a warrior. No technique, just attacking randomly." The girl eyed him with suspicion.

But she's listening, Cole thought, catching a glimpse of hope within the slithering mass.

"I'm not going to hurt you. You must be scared and confused. If you just let-"

"Shut up!"

The voice echoed across the building, over scorched tables and broken beds.

"Just what do you think you know about me, huh?!" the girl screamed, whipping with violent wisps of void. Cole couldn't help but to take a step back.

"I can't know anything for sure unless you tell me," he pleaded. "But I know that this fight is pointless! I'm begging you…"

The girl's eyes shifted a bit. She avoided Cole's line of sight. Her muscles relaxed as she stood up straight. The next moment, she leapt forward with incredible speed. Cole's eyes widened as he realised his mistake. His guard was down. No time to dodge. Cursing his naiveté, he gritted his teeth and bolstered his strength.

Impact. The building trembled again. For a moment, the two combatants were hidden by ash and dust.

Kai was about to step in, but Jay grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back.

The cloud slowly settled, revealing a stalemate. Bracing firmly against the floor, Cole had managed to catch the child's blows. With firm grips around the other's hands, they struggled to make the other yield. The child's cloak of darkness began to slither around his hands, strangling them in an ice-cold grip. A sudden, deep-rooted panic started to crawl from under his ribs.

Taking advantage of his weight, he took a firm step to the side and swung around. The girl tried to resist, scraping her feet against the ground, but inevitably had to let go, being flung back several metres. Both recovered their footing, exchanging glares.

"What's your name, champ?" Cole puffed.

"Cut it, chowderhead."

"Fair enough. Then how about a word of warning instead?" Cole's voice suddenly became grim. "If you keep on going, I'll have to teach you a lesson. A bad one."

The girl flinched, a grain of unease breaking through her anger. She glanced over her shoulder. The ninja's companions remained in the doorway with crossed arms.

"Oh you don't have to worry about those two," Cole said mockingly. "I'll be more than enough."

Her face twitched.

You don't talk much, but your face speaks volumes, kid. He smirked beneath his mask. The girl clenched her fists. Just one more push.

"What's the matter? Did you get cold feet all of a sudden? Guess you're not so tough after all-"

That did it. With a coarse howl, the dark mass leapt at the Black Ninja, intent to rip apart everything in her path. Cole jumped back, dodging each of the fast, yet predictable strikes. He wagged left and right, easing backwards. Then, a light thud marked the beginning of the end. Cole had been backed into the corner. This time, it was the girl's turn to smile, albeit a cruel one. Winding back her arm, she prepared her most devastating strike yet. Cole sighed.

"I told you."

His scar ignited, rippled through bone and flooded his hands with power. The girl winced at the light as the ninja shifted his stance with blinding speed, pulled back his arm, and swung with incredible force. Before she could react, Cole's Earth Punch obliterated the floor beneath her. Her strike lost all force and she fell helplessly into the water below with a loud splash.

"Take a moment to cool off down there," Cole called down to her with a gruff voice. "When you feel like you've learnt your lesson, I'll gladly hoist you up."

"I can't swim!" the girl yelled, flopping about in the water.

"Yeah right. An orphanage built on the ocean doesn't teach kids how to swim? Or are you saying you're not actually from here?"

"Of course I am, you dimwit," she said while trying -and failing miserably- to splash her tormentor with water.

"Oh, you are? What's your name?"

"Get me out of here, there's strangleweed!"

Kai and Jay appeared beside their friend.

"Need I remind you…" Jay squealed. "…that we are in the middle of a burning building!? So let's be less here and more anywhere else."

"Right. Going under."

Using airjitzu, the trio of twisters escaped below the planks, snatched up the girl in the water and emerged onto the pier. The salty ocean breeze was like a gale from heaven as they broke out above the walkway.

"It's raining," Jay huffed, tearing off his hood. The cool water was a bliss upon singed skin.

"Thanks to sis, no doubt. With this, the fire should be over in a flash. How's the kid?"

"Unconscious," Cole said, readjusting his hold on the figure in his arms. "A bit surprising after all that. Maybe she overexerted herself. We still don't know exactly what she is."

"I don't care about that," Jay groaned. "I'm just glad everyone's okay."

They stood in silence, drinking in the atmosphere.

"I doubt she'll be able to keep living here," Kai said solemnly.

"No kidding," Jay muttered. "Her house burned down."

"That's not the point, bolt brain! She's like a bomb. A living, breathing hand grenade that could go off at any second." He slumped down onto the planks, downcast. "Who would want to live with someone like that?"

Zane came running towards the group, freezing the last sputtering cinders as he went. His eyes went from the ninja, to the girl, to the ninja, to the orphanage and then back to the girl.

"Is everyone unharmed? What transpired inside?"

"We're okay for the most part," Kai said, dusting off some soot. He pointed towards the child. "Here's our little 'Oni'."

"This is…?" Zane started, intrigued. "How peculiar. She does not resemble those we have encountered previously. Is it due to her shapeshifting capabilities?

"I doubt it," Cole said, absentminded. His eyes were locked on the ground, but his thoughts lay elsewhere. "She said this was her home, -could have been for some time. We shouldn't jump to conclusions."

"Cole, are you all right?" Zane inquired. "You seem distant."

"What? No, I was just thinking that…" he trailed off hesitantly. What was he thinking? "What are we even supposed to do now?"

The group stared at the figure huddled in Cole's arms. She was soaked to the bone, first from a bath and now from the rain falling heavier by the second. She was shivering, teeth clattering in the cold.

"We've got no choice. Take her back to base for now," Cole yelled over the pouring sky.

"Wrap her in this!" Kai took off his outer coat. Cole complied. The ninja's uniforms were made to withstand elemental power. A bit of rain was nothing.

The sound of breaking wood crinkled through the air as the final supports of the orphanage caved in, a final, spectacular flare before sinking into the waves, leaving only smoldering rubble behind.

Cole did not look back.