No P.O.V.
"So, the Serpentine now have a fang blade." Nya said.
"And now there are just three left." Diane noted.
"We only need one, but we've got no map. Any ideas?" Jay asked.
"I got it!" Cole ran out of the room, coming back with a photo album. "Look familiar?"
The picture in question showed a golden cup, and stuck on the front was a silver blade. "That's a fang blade! But what's it doing on a trophy?" Emera asked, confused.
"Back where I grew up, there's this competition. Each year the winner gets the Blade Cup." Cole explained. "My dad's won it tons of times."
"You never said he was an athlete." Zane said. "What sport?"
"Uh, he's a... blacksmith?" Cole said uneasily.
"Nothing wrong about that. My father was one too, but I've never heard of a competition." Kai replied.
"He's not a blacksmith, blacksmith; he's a... royal blacksmith." Cole turned the page, showing his father. The others snickered.
"That's your dad?" Annabella snorted.
"How'd the fang blade become a trophy anyway?" Nya asked.
"The story is there was a guy who collected rare things and he made the Blade Cup. His name's Dutch... no, Clutch Powers. The cup is passed on to each year's winner." Cole answered.
"Who has it now?" Emera asked.
"I dunno. I haven't seen or talked to my father in years." Cole looked down, sighing.
"Then we can call him." Annabella suggested.
"You can't!" Cole insisted. "He thinks I'm at the Marty Oppenheimer School of Performing Arts in Ninjago City. My dad wanted me to be a performer, but when I couldn't sing or dance, I ran away." He admitted. "If he learns I can't dance, he'll know I've been lying in all the letters I sent him."
"He doesn't know you're a ninja?" Zane asked.
"What, are you going to crack some joke about my dad in a tutu?" Cole said, irritated.
"No, but we'll need his help if we're going to get the fang blade." Kai pointed out.
Later...
"You think the guys are actually going to enter?" Emera said to the other girls.
"Nah." Annabella was hanging off her bunk. "My money's on they're going to use a fake fang blade and switch them under everyone's noses."
"What about us? We could try." Diane said. Annabella laughed so hard she fell off her bunk.
"Are you okay?!" Nya said, worried.
"Fine. Diane just reminded me of how bad I am at singing. My parents got me a singing tutor once, but she didn't like me." Annabella remarked.
"How badly did she hate you?" Emera asked. Annabella smiled.
"The nicest thing she ever said to me was 'you have the voice of a YAK.'" Annabella laughed again, and the other girls joined in.
"I guess Annabella's right. Although, I'd like to see the guys try." Nya said, smiling.
"Zane told me they are going to visit Cole's father." Diane provided. "Should we go as well?"
"Why not?" Emera said.
An hour later...
Using their weapons, the ninja soon arrived at Cole's former home. "Quick." Cole said, opening a large case.
"But no mortal shall hold all four." Jay joked, putting his nunchucks in the case, followed by Kai and Zane. The girls had managed to conceal their weapons and preferred to keep them on hand.
"Remind me why we're putting away our weapons." Kai said.
"Like I said, my dad can't know I'm a ninja. And how many good excuses are there for why I'd be carrying a giant scythe otherwise?" Cole answered. "Remember, we find out who has the fang blade, we snatch it, and we run." He turned and knocked on the door.
"Just a moment." A voice said. The door opened to reveal Cole's father.
"Hey dad." Cole said cheerfully.
"What, you're too good to use the bell?" Cole's father said roughly and slammed the door. The ninja looked at each other, confused.
"Well THAT was rude." Annabella muttered. Cole shrugged and rang the doorbell. Music and a sing-song Weeeelcome followed. Cole's father opened the door again, smiling.
"Come on in, son, it's been forever! And did you bring a quartet? Those must be their girlfriends then." He said, chuckling. He didn't seem to notice a spreading blush on the girls' faces.
"Too much assumption." Emera murmured, embarrassed.
Inside, Cole's father served them tea and turned on some music. "Is that a record player?" Nya said, pointing.
"I think so." Diane said, a bit confused.
"So, did Cole tell you how I broke my foot? It was the cha-cha, but the percussionist had it out for me, I swear." His father said. Cole groaned and Emera put her hand on his in comfort. "You all met at the Marty Oppenheimer School of Performing Arts, correct?"
"Yes." Jay said quickly, and the others nodded. "We're hoping you could tell us something. The picture of the trophy on the wall, that's the Blade Cup?"
"Ah, you know it! No, Cole must have told you I wasn't going to be in the competition this year, so you're here to get lessons on it, right?" Cole's father said.
Annabella nearly choked, coughing. "Sorry, sipped too fast." She said aloud, then whispered to Nya, "We're going to videotape this thing, right?"
Nya smiled. "Why not?"
Fifteen minutes later...
Cole's father soon discovered the boys had terrible voices, and began coaching them. The girls were at the side and Emera was secretly videotaping their failures. "This is so going on the internet afterward." She whispered to the other girls, who snickered.
After a run-through, Cole's father began correcting them. "Kai, love the energy, hate the hair." Annabella growled. "Jay, you're giving a lot, but I need more. Zane, you're like a machine; don't change anything." The girls barely held back laughs. "And Cole, try to at least act like you want to be here." He finished.
"He's worse than Sensei Wu." Jay said to Kai, who nodded.
"Now, about the show-stopping finish! Cole, let's not repeat your failure." Cole's father said.
"Dad, I was seven! How was I supposed to pull off the Triple-Tiger-Sashay?" Cole insisted.
"What the Triple-Tiger-Sashay?" Kai asked.
"Only the hardest dance move ever invented." Cole explained.
"It's true. Every dance professional who's tried has failed." Cole's father added.
"Hence my father thought a SEVEN YEAR-OLD could do it!" Cole said angrily. "But no, I fell flat on my face and let down my quartet."
"If you want to win, you have to go big! Now, break time." Cole's father said.
The girls got up off the floor. "I'm so glad we don't have to do this." Annabella said, smiling.
"Which by the way; NOT FAIR." Kai muttered.
"I think my dad thinks you guys can't do anything." Cole said.
"I'll take that over doing this." Nya replied.
"Let's just get this over with." Cole grumbled.
"I dunno, I kind of think we can win this." Jay said, before getting a glare from Cole. "Okay, never mind."
The girls left the room, yawning. "This had better work." Emera said.
"I doubt the Serpentine have not already found out about this." Diane replied.
"True. By the way, should we use the video now, or later?" Annabella asked.
"Girls?" Cole's father walked in. "Listen, I was wondering if you wanted to perform also."
"Err, we're fine. Four's enough for a group." Nya said quickly.
"Ah, trying to not get the spotlight away from them? I get that. Well, I'm going back to coach the boys. Make yourselves comfortable." Cole's father walked away, and the girls sighed in relief.
"I need some butt-kicking and action. Watching the guys fail loses its appeal fast." Annabella complained.
"We can patrol. It should allow us to waste some time." Diane suggested.
Nodding, the girls went outside and used Spinjitzu to change into their ninja suits. "Ah, this feels much better! Race you guys!" Emera called, using her bow. The girls soon lost themselves in their race, laughing.
By the time the girls were back, the guys had changed into stripped suits and bowties matching their ninja suit color. "Where were you?" Zane asked.
"We were bored." Nya said. "Nice suits, by the way." She smirked. The boys sighed.
"Are you guys going to tease us, or be nice and sympathize?" Kai asked.
"Tease you all the way." Annabella said, sitting on the floor between Kai's legs. "Although, what's with hating on you guys?"
"My dad's expectations are high. Too high." Cole sighed. Emera looked at him.
"Well, if it's just tonight, you should be able to brave it out." She said comfortingly.
Cole's father came in. "Time to go!"
One hour later...
The boys were backstage while the girls found seats. After they had, Emera went backstage to where the boys were practicing last minute. She gasped as Cole revealed his identity as a ninja and when Cole's father walked away, saying he was ashamed of Cole. The other boys tried to comfort Cole, but he just shook his head.
"Cole?" Emera went up to him while the others were watching the Serpentine. He looked at her sadly.
"I guess my dad doesn't love me anymore." Cole murmured. "He probably liked me more when I was lying."
"Is now a bad time to say we videotaped your failures?" Emera said jokingly. Cole stared at her.
"You did what?!" He asked. Emera grinned, holding up her phone. "Give that to me!"
Emera laughed. "Not until you cheer up!" Cole smirked, grabbing the phone. He pressed 'delete' on the video. "Better?"
Cole grinned sheepishly. "A little."
"Good." Emera turned and went back to her seat. "Bad news. The video got deleted,"
"Because you were cheering up Cole?" Nya said. "No problem. We were joking."
The Serpentine came on stage, singing, and the girls groaned. "BOO!" Annabella yelled. A few others shouted as well, but in the end the snakes got a 28.
"Damn them." Emera muttered.
"With Pythor as a judge, it will be difficult to beat." Diane added.
The boys came on stage, surprisingly in their ninja suits. "I guess they're abandoning the dance routine. Good idea." Annabella commented. The boys managed a 30 and won, meeting the girls backstage.
"Great job." Emera praised.
"Thanks." Cole still seemed depressed though they had the fang blade. "Winning this without my dad, though..."
"Cole!" The ninja turned to see Cole's father.
"Dad?" Cole asked.
"I saw it all." Cole's father smiled, and hugged his son. The other ninja kept a distance, letting them have their moment.
"You saw me dancing?" Cole said, confused.
"More importantly, I saw you fight. The Serpentine were up to no good, trying to steal the show, and you stopped them." His father looked down. "I was wrong. I shouldn't have tried to force you to follow my footsteps. Everyone has their own special talent, and yours is to be a ninja."
"So, then you're not mad at me?" Cole asked, hopeful.
"How could I be? My son's a hero!" His father replied.
"I hate to break this up, but did you know I was here?" Pythor slithered out of the shadows, and the girls snorted.
"You're kidding, right?" Annabella responded, sword in hand.
"I didn't want you to miss the grand finale!" Pythor hissed. Two Constrictai pushed over a hanging box, which slammed into overhead lights. They came crashing down, right over Cole's father.
"Dad!" Cole ran over and shielded his father just before the lights fell onto them.
"NO!" Emera screamed, running over to the pile. Pythor picked up the Blade Cup which Cole had dropped, leaving.
"I think they are dead," Diane stopped as Emera looked at her with eyes burning with hatred.
"NEVER. SAY. THAT." She yelled. Emera tore the metal of the lights apart, and a moment later someone's coughing was heard. "Cole!"
Slowly, Emera managed to pull Cole out of the rubble. He wasn't badly hurt, since the lights had caved around him. His father was perfectly fine, since Cole had protected him.
"Where's the fang blade?" Cole asked. Nya looked over and sighed.
"Pythor escaped with it. Now the Serpentine have two." She answered.
Later...
Emera was on the deck, fiddling with her arrows when Cole walked outside. "Are you alright?"
"I guess." Emera murmured.
"I'm sorry." Cole sighed.
"Don't be. You didn't tell Pythor to be a fucking ass." Emera replied.
"No, I'm sorry because I almost died. I shouldn't have been so rash." Cole insisted.
"Why are you telling me?" Emera questioned.
"That day at the amusement park. Why'd you tell me about your parents?" Cole asked.
"I trust you." Emera whispered before she could stop herself.
"More than the others?" Cole asked.
"Yes." Emera walked over to him and swiftly pecked his lips. At least, she had meant to peck his lips. Before she knew it. Cole's arms were around her and he was kissing back.
Breathless, they separated. "Thanks." Emera whispered.
Okay, before I leave you:
As only ONE person has reviewed When Nightmares Meet Darkness' Daughter, I will not upload another chapter until someone else reviews or in a month or two. Just warning you.