Hey again! I'm back with just over 4,000 words this chapter. A lot is about to happen! In case the title didn't totally give it away, Alex is going to go after her weapon this chapter! Nya had to face some challenges when she got her fans, so what's in store for Alex and the rest of the gang as they find her katana?
Thanks to pokemonking0924 for favoriting this story! I really appreciate all the love you guys are giving me, so don't be shy!
Disclaimer: Alas, Ninjago is not mine.
Alex dragged herself out of bed, leaving her blankets a jumbled mess. Yawning as she stretched, she stumbled toward her walk-in closet. The edge of her foot caught something, and she almost fell.
Squinting, she saw a bed with a girl in it. Nya! She'd almost forgotten the events of yesterday.
She went into her closet and closed the door behind her. Alex sent a quick prayer to whoever was listening before grabbing her suitcase and beginning to put outfits in it.
Before long, she had filled up the suitcase and exchanged her pajamas for a new outfit. Today, she was in black track shorts and a T-shirt.
Alex left her suitcase in the closet, since her parents hadn't confirmed yet that she could go with the ninja. She couldn't quite put her finger on why she was so willing to go. So she blamed it on the books she'd read about adventures and far-off places. She'd never even been to Ninjago City! Alex wanted to go see the world, and this was her opportunity to do so.
When she stepped out of the closet, Nya was sitting up in her bed. "Good morning," she mumbled.
"Morning" Alex replied, still needing her morning coffee. "It'll be good when I hear a positive response from my parents. So, I'm going downstairs. Feel free to wear anything from my closet."
Without waiting for a response from Nya, Alex went downstairs and found herself to be the first one up. With a sigh, she grabbed a carton of eggs from the fridge, deciding to make breakfast.
Alex turned on the stovetop, checking her phone quickly for the time. Just after seven… her parents would be up soon.
She cracked the eggs and poured them in a pan, stirring them as they cooked. She wasn't a talented chef or anything, but if there was a recipe for her to follow, Alex could make it.
Nya came downstairs as the eggs finished cooking. Alex shoveled some on plates for the two of them, turning off the stovetop and leaving some for her parents.
Alex put some pepper on her eggs before sitting down beside Nya. "Nice outfit," she commented, recognizing it as one she'd hardly worn.
Nya was dressed in a pair of white shorts with floral detailing that were a bit small for Alex's taste, but they fit well on Nya, since the Japanese girl didn't have terribly long legs. A simple pink tank top finished framed her upper body.
"Thank you," Nya smiled. "Are your parents up yet?"
Alex frowned. "I haven't seen- Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad!" She got up to hug each of her parents. "I left some eggs on the stove for you."
"And you only put pepper on your eggs, right?" Mr. Adair teased, grabbing plates for him and his wife.
Alex's face was blank as she said, "I will not kill you with pepper today."
"I guess today is all you can promise to us," her mother said quietly. Mrs. Adair grabbed her plate from her husband and sat down across from Nya.
Alex could hardly breathe. "Does that mean…?"
"What's going on?" A sleepy voice could be heard in the entryway to the kitchen. Ryder stood there, still in his pajamas and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
Mr. Adair had just set his plate down across from Alex. "Alex made eggs. You can sit here."
Ryder slumped into the seat beside him mom and began to pick at the eggs in front of him. "Mom, is Alex going to leave us?"
After a moment of hesitation, Mrs Adair responded to her son. "Yes, honey," she said with a sad smile. "She's been offered the chance to go follow her destiny and save Ninjago, and your father and I can't deny her that opportunity."
Mr. Adair came and sat down at the end of the table, having gotten another plate for the last of the eggs. "Alexandra, we trust that you will still keep in contact with us so we know how you're doing. But if they need you today, you can go as soon as you're packed."
With a sheepish grin, Alex said, "I already packed most of my stuff."
Nya had been eating quietly for a while. She set down her fork. "You'll be sharing an apartment with me. The boys have their own space, and I have mine. It's not very big, but there's not five of us yet."
Yet?, Alex wondered. How many more girls will I have to be friends with before this is all over? I can stand Nya, but what if someone is a total witch?
But instead of voicing her thoughts, she said, "So what you're saying is, I don't have to deal with any stupid boys yet?"
Nya shook her head in exasperation. "Well, they'll be with us to get your weapon and to help train you, but no, you won't be living with them."
"Is living with them a possibility?" Mr. Adair piped up. Ever the protective father, he wanted to make sure his daughter didn't get too… close with any of the ninja.
"Even if we end up living in the same residence, we have separate boy and girl rooms," Nya assured him. "And besides, Sensei is pretty strict on that sort of thing."
Alex grinned, "Know that from personal experience?" She could clearly see the attraction between Nya and the talkative blue ninja.
Nya's face reddened. "Ah, we haven't really gone out much yet," she defended herself. Maybe they could set up a date when they got back to Ninjago City…
Mr. Adair cleared his throat. When everyone looked at him, he said, "Will the ninja and Sensei Wu come to pick you up?"
Alex was about to say she wasn't sure when Nya piped up, "I've texted them. Whoever wakes up first will likely come with Sensei to get us."
"Can I go say goodbye to Jessica and Laney?" Alex asked quietly. "I know I won't see them for a long time."
She could've sworn she saw Mrs. Adair wipe a tear away. "As long as you come back before you leave, that should be fine."
Nya didn't want to interrupt what would likely be a sad goodbye between three best friends. "If it's alright with you, I'll go take a shower." She aimed the statement toward Mr. and Mrs. Adair, making sure they didn't have an issue with it.
The next hour passed quickly as Alex let her friends know what was going on. They were reluctant to see her leave, but happy that she had such a wonderful opportunity.
"Promise you'll text us every day," Laney said. Laney was her best friend from birth, and Alex would miss her most of all.
Jessica chimed in, "And send us pictures of everything you see!"
"And everyone you see," Laney said with a coy wink. "You know those ninjas are cute just as much as I do."
Alex fought back a blush, but it came anyway. Laney was a fan of Cole, and Jessica liked Zane. They'd never met the ninja, of course, but they'd shown up often enough on TV to get some fans of their own.
"I promise I'll keep in touch and send pictures."
One last tear-filled hug and she was gone. Back to her own house, where she found Kai, Zane, and Sensei Wu waiting outside.
"Good morning, Alexandra," Zane greeted her. "I trust you slept well?"
"Please, call me Alex," she insisted. She was still mad that her dad kept using her real name around guests. "And I slept well, Zane, thank you for asking. How was your night?"
Kai frowned, "Jay snores and Lloyd kept kicking him, which make him wake up and yell. It sucked and I woke up early so I could get out of there before I killed them." He was clearly irritated, and Alex got the impression that he was not a morning person.
Alex walked past them and opened her door so they could all go inside. "Well, I'm pretty sure murder is still frowned upon here, so it's a good thing you did."
Sensei and the two ninja filed in after her. Nya was waiting, having put back on the same outfit she'd been wearing that morning. She had gotten Alex's suitcase, too.
Nya's eyes immediately looked for Jay, and noticed he was not there. "Where's Jay - the others, I mean," she corrected herself. Cole and Lloyd weren't there either.
Kai rolled his eyes. "Cole is back babysitting them, Jay snores so Lloyd kept kicking him. Neither of them got much sleep." 'Babies…' he thought to himself.
Mr. Adair appeared from the kitchen area. "Good morning, Mr. Wu. Do you intend to leave soon?"
Sensei Wu nodded his head in response. "Yes, we need to head to The Devil's Pit as soon as we can. That's where the Katana of Darkness lies."
Alex and her father both gasped, having heard unpleasant legends about the place. "It's pitch black down there!" Alex cried, remembering everything she had heard. "People have gone crazy from being there. They hallucinate and see their worst nightmares." Suddenly, Alex wasn't so keen on being a kunoichi.
"It is built so only the kunoichi of darkness can reach the treasure - your silver weapon," Sensei assured her.
"Mine was at the top of a mountain," Nya said. "I was the only one that could get into the cave at the top because the wind kept everyone else away. The katana will recognize you as the kunoichi of darkness and let you pass unharmed."
That made Alex feel slightly better. Still, she turned and said farewell to her parents and her brother before grabbing her suitcase and heading out the door, taking her first step into her new life as a kunoichi.
They met up with the other three ninja later. Cole looked very put out, Lloyd wouldn't look up from the ground, and Jay had a giant grin on his face when he saw Nya. The couple embraced, and he whispered something in Nya's ear that made her giggle. Alex looked away from the private moment, her heart longing for a relationship like that of her own. Her eyes flicked over to Kai, who stood to her left. Maybe… no, Alex! she chided herself. You have to focus on being a kunoichi! There's no room for romance here.
Besides, Alex knew what a broken heart felt like. And she didn't ever want to feel that pain again…
"Alex," Kai said beside her.
She looked up, startled. "What?"
Everyone was looking at her, and she realized she had spaced out. "Sorry. What is it?"
Sensei smiled at her. "It is time for you to get your suit. NINJA-GO!"
He did Spinjitzu and she spun with him. For a moment, she was very dizzy from the mini tornado. When her head cleared, she looked down at herself.
Her suit was mostly dark grey. It also happened to be a dress. It was long sleeved, the end of each sleeve wrapping around her middle finger, almost like a glove. There was a triangle-shaped keyhole on her chest to help with the breathability.
She had a blood red sheath on her back for her future weapon. A red belt gave the suit shape. It all stopped halfway down her thighs, with slits up the sides to give her legs more space when she fought. She had red boots like Nya's that came up just below where her dress stopped. A red-trimmed grey cloth covered her nose and mouth. Her hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail, completely getting her hair out of her face.
The rest of the ninja and Nya spun into their outfits as well. Alex slipped the cloth off her face so she could speak, even though the material was light enough.
The ninja all stared at the newest member of their team. Nya couldn't help but notice that Alex's uniform was different from hers.
"Sensei, why are mine and Nya's different?" Alex asked, also having noticed this fact.
"Unlike the ninja's suits, yours are more suited for you and your elements. Darkness is known for covering things up, so Alex has a long sleeved dress. Air is more free, so your shorts help you move. Certain elements will stay the same, like the boots and mask," Sensei said to answer the girls' questions.
Kai was speechless. He couldn't believe how… how great Alex looked. Refusing to let his attraction show, he said, "But she's wearing red. That's my color."
Alex was in his face instantly. "It's called an accent color, Kai. Unless you're blind, you'd see my actual suit color is grey, which is not 'your color'," she used air quotes to mock him.
Kai's anger flared, and Sensei stepped between the two before blood could be shed.
"Kai, one of the kunoichi is dark green. She is not stealing Lloyd's color, that's just what her color is," Sensei said to soothe the situation.
"Apologize, Kai," Nya chided him.
He sighed, regretting his words. "Sorry, Alex."
She gave him a small smile in return before turning back to Sensei Wu. "Where are we?" she asked.
"We're just outside the entrance to the cave," Sensei explained. "Anyone who wants to go is welcome, but I would not be upset by anyone who wants to stay out. This kind of darkness can prey on your worst secrets and memories, bending and twisting them against you.
"Alex, even you might be affected by it," Sensei said apologetically. "You'll be able to find your way to the katana, but the darkness might still try to trick you. Ultimately, you must be strong. The darkness must bow to you. You must not let it control you. This is your first test as a kunoichi."
Alex gulped. She was worried now. What if she couldn't do it?
Nya stepped forward. "I'll go with her," she said, and grabbed Alex's hand. "We girls need to stick together," she grinned.
Alex couldn't help but grin back. It seemed Nya was on her side.
Kai came up on her other side. "I'll go, too. Maybe my flames can help light the place up."
His fire wasn't as powerful as it had been, without his golden weapon. Still, he had been able to learn how to make the flames come from him. To show off a little, he lit a flame in the palm of each hand.
Cole stepped forward next. "Earth is my element. Maybe I can help out once we get inside to find our way around."
What he didn't say was that he was the leader of the ninja and couldn't show fear of some silly legends a bunch of villagers had come up with. So what if it was dark? Cole had braved plenty of things before.
Eventually, everyone volunteered except for Lloyd. Sensei gave the young boy a look, who finally relented. "Fine, I'll come too. But I'm staying in the back." He pouted.
Alex took a deep breath and headed into the cave, knowing she had everyone behind her. On her side.
…
They had been walking for a while, Kai up front with Alex to help light the way when he could, but the darkness kept smothering the flame before it could illuminate much.
"Remember, students," Sensei Wu said from the back, by his nephew, "do not get separated."
Kai's flame flickered out again, and he growled in frustration. In the darkness, he felt a hand on his arm, and he relaxed. Alex was trying to comfort him, which made him cool down.
"Ow!" Lloyd complained as he ran into a wall. Alex stifled a giggle, but then she heard something else.
"Mom?"
They all heard someone whimper that word. "Cole, don't follow-" Sensei began, but the ninja in question could be heard running after whoever he saw.
"Mom, don't leave me!" he cried, and Zane chose to follow his brother.
"Cole, stop!" Zane called after him, trying to follow the ninja by listening to his voice.
Their number already dwindling down, Alex took a fearful breath. She felt a hand slip into hers, and she squeezed it. It was warm and comforting - Kai's. She took another deep breath to keep the panic at bay before following the tug she felt pulling her further down.
They walked for a little while longer before the next hallucination appeared before someone.
"Mom? Dad?"
"Nya, no…" Jay pleaded, trying to regain her attention.
Kai summoned fire again, turning to look at his sister. In the dim light, he could see her longing for the parents they had hardly known. "Nya, you can't," he whispered.
But she had gone, running down a pathway after a vision only she could see. Kai knew that Jay would follow. And Jay did just that.
"Nya!" Jay was gone in an instant, swallowed by the darkness.
Alex felt the fear creep in again. Why was this her element? This didn't seem very helpful. Her group was only four people now. Kai was still with her, Lloyd and Sensei Wu behind them.
"Quickly, Alex," Sensei said. "As long as you get that katana, they'll all be okay."
Kai's light was extinguished again, and she had to rely on her own instincts. Down they went,with the temperature dropping constantly. Alex was glad that Kai was by her side. His fire was gone, but his warmth remained, and that still made her feel safe.
It took a while, but another vision appeared. This time, it aimed for Lloyd.
"Dad. . ?" he whispered, voice cracking. Alex felt her heart break for the young boy. He just wanted his dad, not an evil overlord.
"Go on ahead," Sensei said. "I'll take care of Lloyd."
Kai and Alex left the final two members of their team behind, plunging forward into the darkness.
"You doing okay?" Kai asked quietly. Their hands were still entwined, and he could feel her shaking.
She shook her head before realizing he couldn't see her. She took a deep breath to calm herself before answering. "I'm… fine," she lied.
Kai didn't call her obvious lie, instead trying to light a flame in his hand again. Like before, it spluttered out quickly without the power of the golden weapon to fuel it and the suffocating darkness.
"This is unnatural," he muttered under his breath. "I don't like this."
Alex was about to respond when she saw something. "Did you see that?" she asked.
Kai squinted, trying to see beyond the darkness. "I don't see anything," he said, beginning to worry. What was he going to do if she saw something, too?
Alex tugged him forward toward the light. "I think this is it. It feels right."
She couldn't explain what she felt, but she kept going forward until she felt Kai stop. Heart in her throat, she turned toward him. The light was close enough that she could see the far off look on his face.
"Mom… Dad…" he said, and Alex took her hand out of his grip. Her heart broke slightly as she realized he was seeing things, too.
"I'm sorry, Kai," she apologized, and left him behind. Nothing could get in the way of what she had to do. She couldn't let anyone hold her back.
The light she had seen came from a room lit by floating candles. It was an eerie setting. There was a huge hole across the room from her, and scratched tapestries covered the walls. In the center of the room, there was a pedestal with a sword. Not sword, katana, she corrected herself.
Slowly, she approached the pedestal, waiting for something to jump out at her. When nothing did, she reached out and grabbed the katana.
A gem on the hilt flashed and turned red, then dimmed to a dark grey. The weapon fit well in her hand, and she gave it a few experimental swings. Alex hadn't ever held a real katana before, but she'd fought her brother with toy swords.
A roar shook the cave, and Alex was so shocked that she fell to the ground. On her knees, she looked up as a pitch black dragon crawled out from the hole in the wall. Her breath caught as she stared into its luminous red eyes.
In a panic, she thrust the katana into the air. "Stay back!" she called, trying to keep fear out of her voice. "I am - I am the kunoichi of darkness! I'm trying to protect my friends! Please let me go help them," she begged. Her thoughts swirled, thinking about how they'd all run off after their own nightmares.
She was terrified, but she refused to back down to this dragon, her last obstacle. Standing on shaky feet, she pointed her katana at the dragon. "You're going to help me save them," she demanded.
The dragon stared at her with red eyes that unnerved her. It crawled forward until its nose was almost touching her katana. She lowered the weapon and stretched out her hand instead as a sign of peace.
The beast touched its nose to her palm, making her jump at the contact. The world disappeared and she was in a bright room filled with the light from a dozen lamps.
The dragon was still with her, and it looked at her. It tilted its head as if to say, What are you going to do?
Taking a deep breath, Alex concentrated on the light from just one of the lamps. She gripped the katana tightly, using its power to help guide her. She closed her eyes to imagine the darkness, and then pictured the lamp winking out.
A low rumble let her know she had done something, and she opened her eyes to see that the lamp in front of her had gone dark.
Alex grinned triumphantly, but it appeared the dragon was not impressed. It almost looked as if it was trying to raise an eyebrow at her. Is that all? Is the question it seemed to be asking her.
Frowning, Alex held the katana tightly and imagined a cloud of darkness sweeping over the room and taking out each light, one by one. She furrowed her brow as the cloud she imagined appeared, and it went around smothering everything, leaving her and the dragon in pure darkness.
It didn't last long, for Alex was suddenly outside the cave on top of her dragon. The ninja, Nya, and Sensei Wu were spread out on the ground around her, groaning.
Nya sat up and held her head. "What happened?" Nya moaned.
Jay looked up to see Alex on her dragon. "Alex, you got your weapon! And a dragon! What are you going to name her?"
"I have to name her?" Alex asked, not having known the dragon would be hers.
Cole sat up next. "Yeah, we all used to have dragons. Mine was Rocky, Kai's was Flame, Jay's was Wisp, and Zane's was Shard. They all merged into the Ultra Dragon a little while ago, and that belongs to Lloyd now." The usually stoic black ninja looked saddened by the loss of his dragon.
"Mine is named Dusk," Nya added.
Alex got the theme of naming them after their elements, so she thought about names having to do with darkness.
"Nyx," she finally said, settling on the name of a Greek goddess.
"You may call the other dragons back now," Sensei said.
Lloyd and Nya didn't waste any time, and soon a humongous four-headed dragon and a sunset-colored dragon touched down. Jay and Nya immediately headed over to the sunset-colored one.
"Kai!" Alex yelled before she could stop herself. A faint blush lit up her cheeks. What am I doing? she berated herself.
The ninja in question turned around and gave her a quizzical look. "Yeah?"
Instead of responding, she simply patted a spot on her dragon behind her. A smirk turned up the corners of Kai's lips, making his amber eyes sparkle. He jogged over to her and hopped on.
His arms wrapped around her waist. "I'll teach you how to fly her," he promised.
"Thank you," Alex said quietly. She hesitated a moment before speaking again. "I'm sorry for leaving you behind."
She felt him stiffen behind her. "It's alright," he said. "You had to get your weapon, and you did. You saved us. You really do belong with us."
"Did you ever doubt it?" she teased, gently elbowing his ribs.
"No," he said easily, and the answer surprised him. He was reluctant to have a bunch of girls join their team, but Nya and Alex were doing well. He couldn't deny that they were a good addition to the team any longer.
Sensei Wu called from the Ultra Dragon, "Let's go, Ninja and Kunoichi! Back to Ninjago City!"
The three dragons lifted off. Back on the ground, three snakes peered out from a bush.
"Lord Garmadon will not be pleassssed that we didn't grab the girl," One of them said, stating the obvious.
One of his companions smacked him upside the head. "You idiot! There are two more girlsss, sssurely Lord Garmadon will find another one of them usssseful."
The third one chimed in to say, "Bessssidessss, we'll have a better chance next time. The ninja don't know that our goal is to capture the Kunoichi and bring them to Lord Garmadon."
The three snakes chattered away as they went to report on their progress. The ninja wouldn't see them coming next time…
Ooh, an ominous ending! It may seem anticlimactic now, but Garmadon and Alex will eventually run into each other, and I've got some interesting things planned for interactions between Garmadon and the kunoichi. I guess you'll have to keep reading, then!
Things seem to be heating up a bit between Kai and Alex, so I wonder what will come of that? Well of course I know, but you all will have to find out! Next chapter I'll begin the first canon episode I'm putting in here, Pirates vs. Ninja! I think it turned well with me incorporating the kunoichi into it. I'm staying relatively close to canon while we gather the kunoichi, but as soon as they're all here, I'll begin making up my own stuff.
Please leave a review, and I'll be back next week!