Chapter 1: Finding the Earth Ninja
Cathleen Cobblestone liked to believe she was a reasonable person. However, one thing she could not tolerate was tardiness.
One week ago, Cathleen had called her friend Cole to challenge him to a race up the mountain. Cole had promised to get there by 4:00. But now it was after 4, and there was still no sign of the boy.
Cathleen stared up at the mountain looming above her. The giant mass disappeared out of view into the clouds. A normal climber would have turned away without even trying. But not Cathleen. For years she had been testing her limits, always seeking new challenges that piqued her interest. If a task was deemed impossible she was determined to prove it false. For her, climbing the tallest mountain in Ninjago was just another challenge for her to overcome.
Cathleen sat on a rock and tapped her foot impatiently. Suddenly her eyes were covered by a pair of hands.
"Guess who?"
The girl whipped around to find herself face to face with her best friend, Cole.
It was way too close for comfort.
Cathleen pushed the boy away from her. Cole looked at her in surprise.
"What? I've done that thousands of times. You've never complained before."
Cathleen ignored him.
"You do realize you should have been here 15 minutes ago, right?"
"Calm down. It's not the end of the world."
Cole sighed, taking a seat next to her. Cathleen glanced at her friend. Lately Cole had become more and more distant. He had started responding with half-hearted answers or sometimes zoned out completely.
"Cole, are you alright?"
"What do you think?"
Cathleen instantly regretted asking. He had just lost his mother, of course he wasn't alright. Although she had been sick for a long time, Cathleen couldn't even imagine how hard it was on him. Cole and his family had been really close. Their picture perfect bond made her family look like a shattered photograph.
"How's your dad taking it?"
Cole rolled his eyes.
"All he does is sing and dance. He's never home, leaving me to deal with everything. I swear, if I have to talk to one more neighbor knocking on our door to offer their condolences, I might actually lose it. I'm sick and tired of feeling like I'm the only responsible one."
"If you told him…"
"No, Cathleen, I can't. My dad is the last person in the world I can talk about my feelings with. I tried to confront him once. You know what he did? He sent me to the Marty Oppenheimer School of Performing Arts. He thought following in his footsteps would help me cope with the loss."
Cathleen bit her lip. She didn't like the direction this story was going in.
"Cole, you didn't run away, did you?"
Cole avoided Cathleen's gaze.
"You idiot! If you run, it'll be harder to go back. Trust me, you don't want to lose the connection you have."
"What do you expect me to do? I hate lying to him, but I don't want to disappoint him!" Cole took a deep breath and stared at the sky. "I promised my mom I would always stand up to those who are cruel and unjust. How am I supposed to do that at a dancing school? This way everyone wins. My dad gets to believe I'm training to be a dancer and I get my freedom. Then maybe I'll get a chance to figure out what I should be doing to make me happy."
"Cole…"
"Don't get me wrong, I enjoy seeking new challenges. But sometimes I get this feeling there's more I could do."
Cathleen stared at the ground. The feeling that she could do something more, that she understood all too well. But everything else was so far beyond her emotional understanding. She couldn't relate to the loss of a parent, nor could she understand the want to please them. All she could do was listen. She simply hoped that was enough.
"I know I might not understand what you're going through, but if you ever need someone to talk to… well, promise me you won't completely leave me in the dark."
As she looked over at Cole, the sentiment within his smile nearly broke her heart.
"Thanks Cathleen, you're a true friend. If you ever need to talk…"
Cathleen quickly bolted up. The last thing she wanted to do was talk about her family life.
"Okay then, ready to climb the mountain? Or are you too afraid to face me?"
Cole rolled his eyes. He got up and brushed past her.
"In your dreams."
"On your mark. Get set. Go!"
The two started ascending the mountain. It was a treacherous climb with rocks sometimes chipping away from the surface. Cole jumped ahead. As Cathleen pushed forward, determined to catch up, Cole yelled down to her.
"Eat my dust!"
"Never Cole!"
Cathleen pulled herself back up to his level and stuck out her tongue before jumping ahead of him. Cole quickly caught up with her. Side by side, the two ascended the mountain. They were evenly matched. As the incline got steeper, Cathleen broke away, taking another path.
…
Continuing up the mountain, Cole jumped from ledge to ledge. Just before he reached the top, he smiled in triumph. He pulled himself over the ledge, landing on the solid surface. As he looked up he paused, startled by the sight in front of him.
Sitting before him was an old man drinking tea. The old man smiled in greeting.
"Hello there."
Cole blinked and stared at the old man in confusion.
...
As Cathleen pulled herself up onto a ledge far below the top. She sat down staring at the sky. Before starting the race, she had fully intended to let Cole have this victory. She knew it wasn't much, but it was all she could offer. Besides, climbing the mountain wasn't only for Cole's benefit. Up here the air was clear, and the silence was emanating. It gave her a chance to think. Had she made the right choice? Could she have done something differently? Was there any way to repair the bond she had torn apart?
"You must be Cathleen."
The voice jolted her out of her thoughts, startling her. Cathleen slowly turned around. Sitting behind her was an old woman with gray hair in a single braid. She had an old book nested in her lap. As a breeze blew past them, the pages fluttered in response.
Cathleen stared in disbelief.
"How…? That's not… Who are you?"
The old woman smiled.
"My name is Sensei Yin. I'm here to offer you a deal."
Note from the Author
I hope you liked the new version of The Real Story of Ninjago! If you read the original, I applaud you for reading this far and being so dedicated that you decided to return. The other day I decided I wanted to continue to write the adventures of Cathleen, Jayleen, Zora, and Katie but found it too hard as my writing style has changed since the last time I updated. So here I am now, rewriting the story. I apologize for disappearing without any warning. I also apologize if you liked the way I originally wrote and really really want me to continue how I used to. I will admit myself that I liked how I did the point of views of each of the characters. I feel like you got to know the characters better that way. So who knows? I may find a way to mix my old style with my new. No promises though.
Anyways, I think that's all I have for you today. Again, sorry for disappearing and/or disappointing you.
Bye for now,
Animals Music and Ninjago (AM&N)
P.S. Please Review. I'd love to know what you think (whether good or bad) :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Ninjago. I only own Sensei Yin and Cathleen.