Hello, I am sorry I have not posted in ages, my computer committed suicide. Anyways, on with the story.
It was late around 3:00am and Zane couldn't sleep, he was tossing and turning but he was thinking too much, so he crept out of his bunk (everyone seemed to be asleep) and out of the room. The bounty inside was humid and stuffy so he went out on deck for fresh air. When he got outside it was a perfect spring night, the midnight breeze was slow and cool, and the sky was completely clear. The stars were scattered around the gloomy looming sky, the moon cast light upon the forest. The fireflies hovered peacefully around the greenery illuminating the trees like the stars.
He walked to the side of the deck when he saw a figure in the darkness, it jumps scared him at first glance but then he realized it was Ling sitting onto of the roof starring at the moon. The melancholy atmosphere seemed appropriate. He climbed onto the roof and sat next to Ling, she didn't seem to notice him, so Zane lightly tapped her shoulder and she suddenly flinched away so much, so she almost fell of the roof, but Zane grabbed her hand and pulled her back up. Sorry Zane signed feeling bad, Ling just smiled awkwardly then went back to the moon.
She continued to stare at the moon thinking of the past when she realized, Zane was staring at her, he looked worried she cocked her head when she felt the tears on her face. She wiped them away and he signed Are you ok? she didn't know whether to tell him, she sat there debating intensely when she decided it was too soon and nodded solemnly and they went back to staring at the moon. Zane thought too about his past when he realized Ling was staring at him looking worried when he realized he too had been crying. He did not want too tell her about his past yet but soon he would when he was ready. They both had troubling pasts Ling maybe had a more extreme but they both had seen things a living thing shouldn't have felt.
Zane soon started to feel drowsy and his eyelids became heavy. Ling felt a sudden warmth on her leg when she realized Zane had fallen asleep, she felt tense at first then slight comfort, and she decided to huddle up next to Zane and fall asleep too. Zane was half awake when this happened, and he felt a small smile slip from his face when he fell into a dreamless sleep.
The next morning around 7:00 am, Nya woke rubbing her eyes then stretched and yawned. She looked down at where she thought Ling had slept, to find the space empty. "Ling?" No answer, she got out of bed and got dressed. She ran out into the halls towards the boy's room. She knocked on the door and heard some groaning. "Hey guys you seen Ling?" Nya asked through the door. "Huh?" She heard Kai moan. "You seen Ling?" Nya shouted. Jay popped his head round the door and they both blushed. "One second Nya." Jay said quickly smiling broadly. He then disappeared back into the room, and Nya could hear them struggling and moaning: "Hey can I just-" "Move!" "COLE, ZANE, WAKE UP!" "Ugh" "Wha-" "Hmph" "Can you pass me the-" "Never mind." "Dibbs on shower first." "What?". A few minutes passed when Kai, Cole and Jay came out dressed and clean. "What was the question again?" Kai said drowsily. "Have you seen Ling and where's Zane?" Nya said peering into the room.
Jay went back in to see if Zane was around, but he was led to find the bed empty. "Guys he's not here." Jay said worried, the others just looked at each over. Soon the search began through the bounty, Nya went to the kitchen, Cole went to Lloyd and Sensei's room, Kai went to the games room and Jay went on deck.
Zane was woken by the chill fresh breeze and he was greeted by Ling, her nose a center meter away from his. He smiled at her and they both got up and as they did, Jay walked onto the deck and soon his eyes met the two kids staring down at him from the roof. "There you guys are, we were looking for you, ya know?" He smiled as Zane climbed down. Ling put up her hood and hid her tail then jumped down a lot like a cat. They followed Jay into the kitchen where everyone had helped themselves to cereal (besides Sensei who was in his room meditating).
They all sat up." There you guys are you know we were looking for you." Cole said his mouth full. "Where were you guys anyway." We were on the roof and then we fell asleep Zane signed "What were you doing up there?" Nya giggled Zane looked at Ling who wasn't paying attention and was looking round the room. Stargazing. He signed not sure how to explain last night. "Ok? I have made the timetable though and it will start today." Nya announced slamming it down on the table. She went round the table explaining the timetable and after that they got started with Ling.
In the next week they had begun to follow the timetable. The first day Jay and Nya did the lessons, hygiene lessons went like this:
Nya pulled Ling to the bathroom and picked up Ling's new toothbrush, "Ok so what you're going to do is," Nya started when Ling tapped her on the shoulder and signed: I know how to brush my teeth. Nya looked down at her and said "Oh, good, I guess you know how to take care of yourself, how long have you been on your own?" She asked sympathetically. Ling looked at the ground trying not to think of the time before. 6 winters. Nya was surprised, she's been alone since she was six, she must know how to take care of herself. As the lesson went on it seemed Ling had remembered, from when she had a home, what needed to be known. Therefore, the lesson was not needed and so they moved on to engendering and/or mechanics.
They went to the dining room where they found Jay sitting back to them tinkering with what looked like an old music box's inside. He heard them come in and turned around to greet them, revealing he was wearing goggles with mini magnifying glasses on the sides. "Heya! Wait I thought you guys were doing another lesson?" Jay said sweetly avoiding eye contact with Nya. "Sh-she knew everything in the lesson already so I thought we should move on." Nya stuttered blushing. Ling noticed something weird between them, like they knew something she didn't. "I'll go to g-get some...thing, back soon." Nya said leaving the room.
The lesson started with Jay showing Ling how a music box works, as the lesson went on Ling grew fonder of the lightning ninja, she enjoyed his spark, but every time Nya was around, he seemed to act different. Jay why do you act strange around Nya? She signed before the lesson ended, Jay put down his magnifying goggles. "W-what do y-you mean-n?" He stuttered rubbing his neck. You act different when you are with Nya, why? Jay looked at the direction Nya walked off too and sighed whimsically. But if it was obvious to a twelve-year-old was it obvious to Nya? "Ok I like her." Jay admitted. You mean you are soul mates. "Umm, well I don't know about soul mates, but we're friends, but I want to be more than that but I don't know if she does, but maybe she does and she's to nervous to say like me." Jay rambled.
As the lesson went on, Ling let Jay vent, which did make him feel better but still was quite nervous. "Thanks Ling I really needed that, anyway, look at the time you will be with Zane next if I'm correct?" Ling nodded at the freckled boy and they walked to the kitchen together.
When they got there Zane was ready sitting at the table with a recipe book. Jay left the two alone, right first we'll make lunch and I'll show you the basics. Ling nodded in response. They looked through the book together and, in the end, chose egg fried rice and green beans fried in soy sauce with plum sauce. Then they got all the ingredients and Zane showed Ling how to use the scales, and what the different measurements were. Then he showed her where they keep the saucepans, one fell out and made a loud crash which startled them both Zane especially. He was breathing heavily and quivering violently. Ling didn't know what to do or how to calm him down. She gently held his hands and began breathed in and out loudly to show him to steady his breathing.
Eventually Zane calmed down and continued to cook showing his 'student' the essentials. When they had nearly finished, Zane sent Ling to gather everyone at the table. So, she did so, but she did not know where the others were. She wondered the bounty until her ears picked up there sounds and their scents were detected as well. First was the gaming room where Kai, Lloyd and Jay were "Oh hey Ling." Lloyd said not taking his eyes off his avatar. "What do you want?" Jay said bouncily putting down his controller. Lunch. "You want lunch?" Jay asked. Ling shook her head. "Yesssss." Lloyd said being the winner of the game. "Oh hey Ling." Kai mumbled trying to keep off the topic of him losing to a twelve-year-old. Lunch, she signed. "You want lunch?" Kai said. Ling shook her and giggled internally. Lunch is ready. "Ohhh." Jay said in recognition. Kai thought then said, "Wait what does that mean again?"
Next Ling went to Nya's room then master Wu's, although he didn't want lunch, then came to Cole's room, she knocked quietly then heard a voice, "Come in." So, Ling did so. When she came in, she found Cole sat on his bed reading, she didn't really know this human, but she knew he had a temper and that scared her but everyone else here seemed nice so why wouldn't he be trustworthy? "Oh hey Ling." He mumbled looking up from his book. Lunch is ready. She signed staying glued to the space by the door. Cole nodded then said, "Did you help? It's your cooking lesson with Zane, right?" He asked quietly. Ling nodded hesitantly in response and the earth ninja smiled "That means you're with me next, I'm looking forward to that." Cole said comfortingly and Ling smiled.
After lunch Cole's lesson began, first she learnt how to tie a shoelace then how to use chopsticks. To tie shoelaces, she borrowed some of Lloyd's shoes after asking permission and they did it one step at a time then repeated. But for chop sticks, it was more difficult. Ling struggled slightly because her claws got in the way of holding them well. Cole gathered various objects ie. Peas, screws, potato chips, anything he could get his hands on. "No, try holding it further from the tip, like this. Yeah, you're getting it!" Cole would say intent on the hybrid getting it right. Although Cole's father was less than intent on hybrids, Cole was always interested in them since he went to the performing arts school, there were bird hybrids with beautiful voices, and he loved listening to them until the law on hybrids was declared and they were forced to leave.
When the lesson had finished everyone, besides sensei was gathered in the living room doing their own thing. Ling was now more comfortable around the ninja and very much so appreciated them taking her in, but the half moon was coming, and she didn't know if she should tell the humans. After some thought, Ling had decided to wait, trusting is...hard.
The next day started with Kai's lesson in survival. The ninja all says in the long grass near the forest, Cole was reading while lying amongst the flowers and warm grass that swayed in the gentle breeze, Jay and Lloyd were running about climbing trees and acting and laughing like children...fun, Zane was meditating under the cool shade of the tree, where the grass was still wet from the sparkling dew and Nya was sitting by the pond watching tadpoles swim around. They were all, in their own way, relaxing. Meanwhile, in the forest next to the grass, Kai was trying to find Ling, they were practicing camouflage.
Kai crept along the damp grass keeping out a sharp eye for Ling, who was hiding in the shadows, "Remember, if you can't see me that doesn't mean I can't see you." He murmured still looking for his student who seemed almost invisible. Kai stopped after he thought he heard the smallest sound in a bush behind him, he walked towards it almost silently. He came to a holt. Slowly he put his hands inside the bush. Then in sudden movement tore aside the bushes leaves, "Aha!" He shouted, but to his disappointment Ling was not there, instead a rat he stared at the startled rat and the rat stared at the startled ninja. In a flash the rat jumped up at his biting his arm as the master of fire ran around flailing his arms and screaming, "Get it off!".
Ling jumped out of the tree she was hiding in and stared as Kai ran around with a rat that seemed to have lost its mind. After the kafuffle the lesson continued. "So, moving on now let's try making, fire. As I am the fire ninja myself, I am brilliant at making fires, not just as my power but with flint or sticks of something. So, use these two twigs to make a fire by rubbing them together or something." Kai said giving Ling a couple of twigs. After some attempts at rubbing the twigs together to achieve nothing Kai tried to show Ling how it was done but eventually got annoyed and lit it with his elemental powers. It worked you made a fire Ling signed "Well yeah but I just used my elemental power." Ling looked at Kai blankly. "You didn't know we all have elemental powers?!" Kai asked flabbergasted, what's that?
Cole was asleep in the grass when he was woken by Kai calling, "Guys! Ling didn't know we have elemental powers!" Kai said running with Ling out of the forest," We need to show her our powers!" Cole yawned then got up with Jay and came together with Kai and they began to demonstrate their powers: Jay zapped Cole to wake him up which caused him to throw a rock at Jay and Kai ended up setting some grass on fire. Ling was intrigued by their abilities; Does Zane have an elemental power? "Yeah, he has the power of ice, the coolest one." Jay said laughing uncontrollably at his terrible pun which caused Cole to throw a bigger rock at him.
Zane was still meditating under the shade of the tree when Cole came up and asked," Hey Zane can you show Ling your elemental power, Zane?" Zane did not answer so Cole lightly tapped him on the shoulder which freaked Zane out, he flinched away from Cole instantly and began shaking and breathing heavily, " Uh oh, shhh calm down, don't worrie." Cole whispered to calm the quivering blonde. Zane eventually calmed down and everyone one went back to the bounty when the light spring rain began to fall.
Thanks for reading, bye...pl