Chapter Two: Need a Drink?
After wandering for a good half hour, I definitely needed some sort of drink. And it needed to be strong. I strolled upon Ley's- a dark friendly area for people like me- with great alcohol. I walked up the steps and opened the door. To my realization, I was the only one there. It was midnight, where the hell were all the drunks?
"Slow night?" I asked Ley, the bartender, as I sat down on the stool. Ley turned to me with a rag in his hand and sighed.
"Yeah, it's those damn snakes. They've been out tonight causing terror so I have no business. But you are here. Why?" Ley's dark eyes met mine and I rolled my eyes and replied,
"I needed a drink. I could give a less shit about snakes right now. Give me the best you've got." I asked waving my hand as a gesture for "gimme".
"If you say so." Ley started mixing up some sort of concoction for me. It looked like bourbon mixed with moonshine- GROSS. But then again, it is Ley so he'll make it nice.
"Here," he slid the glass right into my hand.
"What...is it?" I asked hesitantly looking down at the mysterious drink.
"It'll be better if you drink it and not know." Ley said quite seriously. Did he just like, drug me? No i'm insane I just saw him make it. Fuck it. Down it goes.
I took a good swig and realized how amazing it felt going down my throat. Eventually I was finished. "More of whatever the hell you just gave me."
"Are you sure? It's very very strong-"
"I am positive." I interrupted Ley holding up my empty glass.
"As you wish." Ley grabbed the glass from me and started to repeat his recipe.
All of a sudden I heard screams from outside. I stood up and walked over to the windows and peeled open the blinds. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Slithraa chasing people down the dark streets. "Shit," I thought to myself. They're close. They must know I'm here.
"Maya you dropped this," Ley walked over to me holding a picture.
"Oh my God, Ley thank you." I grabbed the picture from him. It wasn't just any picture, it was the only picture of my mother I've ever had. She looks so beautiful in this picture. Her long blonde hair in a braid with her red sun dress on. I've never wanted to look like someone more. I haven't seen my mother in twenty years. I am now just twenty-two. I don't know why, but she and my father abandoned me when I was very young. I was left in the care of an old tea maker here in Ninjago. She died about five years ago, so I've been on my own since.
Im getting all mushy just thinking about this. My dark mind started to turn over and I just wished that my parents were dead. They abandoned me as a two year old. They deserve to die for that. I have no room for empathy in my life. Never have, never will.
"How do you know Misako?" Ley asked me looking concerned.
"What? You know- you knew my mother?" I looked at him with curiosity. My heart started pounding. Why does my bartender know my mother?
"Misako never told me she had a daughter. Only a son." Ley took a couple steps back.
"What are you talking about?! Ley it's me. Tell me what the hell is going on?" I let go of the blinds and faced my body completely towards Ley. I am in fact the daughter of Misako. How could she ever tell anyone she had a son?! I started going into a mental rage. I've never had so much hatred for my mother than this moment. First she abandons me then LIES to people about my identity? How could she!
"M-Misako was a good friend of mine ten or so years back. We met through her husband, Garmadon who used to be my sensei before he realized I had no elemental potential." Ley let his head hang low as he sighed walking back towards his bar. I walked with him and sat back in the barstool.
He knew my father as well? How is it they were still together only ten years ago? They could've rescued me. They could have loved their only child! "You knew my father? How is that possible? You said my mother told you she had a son. I can assure you I am her daughter; not her son." I started to get frantic. My hands were shaking and beams of light escaped through my knuckles. I hid my hands quickly under my purple sweatshirt.
"Too many questions!" Ley slammed a glass on the counter. "I know for a fact Misako had a son. I met him when he was only a small boy, about three, at most. I don't remember his name."
"Thats impossible," I stood up and looked at my feet as my hands were placed on the counter. "I have...a...brother?"
"It seems so. I have not seen your parents in years though. I am afraid I cannot tell you any more about them." Ley said as he continued to make my drink.
"How...how could they? How could they do this to me? And never have the audacity to see me," I started yelling and I felt myself loose control of my powers. My hands became ravishing colors of purple and gold.
Ley looked at me with shock. "Maya, what-who are you? What are you doing?"
"You're LYING!" I screamed and a blast of energy-like light beams shot through my body and lit up the bar. Ley, shielding his eyes from the light, backed up and grabbed a long bamboo stick sitting by the sink to defend himself.
"Please, calm down."
"They will pay. They will pay for what they did to me. They will pay for replacing me. I will be the end of their legacy. They will not be the end of MINE." All of a sudden my eyes started glowing bright orange and I felt energy surging through me. Energy of the sun, the moon, and the stars. It overwhelmed me causing my entire body to become a source for the biggest light blast I have ever created. I felt the heat of the light surge through me as it punched it's way out of my body. It hurt like a pain I could not fathom . Barstools were lit on fire and eventually the building itself lit on fire.
Realizing what I had done, I snapped out of my trance and saw Ley lying on the floor, motionless. "Ley! Oh shit, Ley say something!" I tried shaking him awake but it wasn't working. The smoke became overwhelming and I started to cough. I used my sleeve from my sweatshirt to filter my air. I managed to throw Ley over my shoulder, considering he was a smaller man, and ran out of the back of the building. As soon I was out of any danger, I slowly placed Ley on the ground, revealing the horror I had done to him. As I knelt next to him, I saw that his skin on his face had completely melted off from my ultra violet rays. His skin on his chest that was exposed was also gone, revealing his chest cavity. His heart was not beating. I grabbed my mouth with my hand and sobbed.
He was dead. I killed a man. Not just any man. A good man, who knew my family and was friends with them. I took off my sweatshirt and placed it over his face. I grew colder because I only wore a tank top underneath my sweatshirt. But I didn't care. I was completely numb inside. What did I do to deserve warmth? Ley didn't deserve this. He was a good man who served dumb-asses like me when they are too stubborn to do anything themselves.
I...deserve to die.
As the winter night grew colder, I heard sirens coming from the north side of town. I looked up towards the burning building and wiped my tears. Before I stood up to leave, I touched Ley's numb hand, "I'm so sorry. You did not deserve this." I reached into my pocket to provide warmth to my hand but I felt something. I pulled that something out of my pocket and it was the picture of my mother. I knew what I had to do. I needed to find her and face her. I need answers. Why was I abandoned? Why do I have the elemental power of light? Why has my life been a complete and utter fuck-up? Only one way to find out.
I stood up revealing my sunken knee prints in the snow next to Ley's body. I ran for the outskirts holding only a picture in my hand. I don't know how, but I am going to find my parents.
One way, or another, I will find them.