Hey guys! I'm posting this chapter today because I have horrible memory and don't remember when I posted the last chapter... and since the website didn't update when I posted Chapter 5, I have no idea when I posted... so I guess this is just an extra chapter. Anyway there are no new reviews because I don't think the thing updated (or because no one read it yet, either way) so... enjoy!
That evening the ninja let Lloyd sleep in the game room (after thoroughly cleaning it of course) since there were no spare beds to share. Lloyd didn't mind however. He did stay in there for most of the morning however, not wanting another overwhelming confrontation.
Soon the ninja's voices rang through the air, however.
"My turn! Uh, it's my turn!"
"Oh, you want a little more? Take this!"
"Yeah? How about a little of this?"
"Monkey paw to the head!"
"Ninja, roll!"
Soon Wu opened the sliding doors to the game room, Lloyd looking up at him with the same level of confusion as the sensei did. Soon Wu walked off, Lloyd trailing behind him in curiosity.
Wu opened the doors that led to the training grounds, revealing the ninja practicing on the course. Jay was deflecting arrows with his nunchucks, Cole tackling wooden dummies with his scythe, and Kai practicing his Spinjitzu.
However in the middle of the training chaos was Zane, who was merely meditating. Soon he stood up however, and began jumping in front of Jay, stealing Cole's scythe to slice one of the dummies in half, and using his own Spinjitzu tornado to freeze the training grounds, causing Kai to slip and fall.
Cole, Jay and Kai gathered together, watching Zane as he "trained".
"This roof isn't big enough for the four of us," Kai pointed out, hands on his hips.
"Correction: this roof isn't big enough for him," Cole sighed, nodding his head in the direction of Zane.
"It's like he's in his own world," Jay mentioned, then raising his voice shouted, "I BET HE CAN'T EVEN HEAR US!"
Zane continued to ignore the group however, throwing his shurikens and spinning in the air. Wu made his way towards the group, Lloyd following behind him.
"Sensei, Zane's… weird," Kai stated, side eyeing the ice ninja.
"What is weird? Someone who is different or someone who is different than you?" Wu asked.
"No, Sensei. He's 'weird' weird," Cole explained, his eyes looking off into the distance as if remembering something.
Lloyd watched as the nindroid bowed at one of the wooden dummies, hitting his head on it as he did so.
He sure was a lot different back then, wasn't he?
"We like the guy. He's really smart. He's just…" Kai started, thinking about the right word to use. "A little off sometimes."
"Zane is a brother and brothers are often different. I should know," Wu explained.
Soon a gong sounded, signaling that there was someone at the monastery door.
"Mail!" the ninja shouted simultaneously, sans Zane. The group rushed over to the door, opening it for the mailman. Lloyd watched from a distance as the ninja collected letters, and a package in Cole's case, as Zane slumped around empty handed.
"Hey, Zane. How come you never hear anything from your parents?" Jay called out, the nindroid halting near the blue ninja.
"I don't remember my parents. I've been an orphan all my life," Zane informed the lightning ninja, Jay and Kai exchanging looks.
"You mean you've never had a home?" Kai asked, and Zane shook his head timidly.
"The monastery is your home now," Wu stated, but Zane walked away anyway, leaving the group silent. Lloyd glanced at Sensei Wu, and his uncle met his gaze, shrugging. Lloyd followed the ice ninja inside the monastery, tapping him on the shoulder before he closed himself in his room. Zane turned around, his brows furrowed in confusion.
"Do you need something?" Zane asked.
"I just wanted to tell you that I know how you feel," Lloyd explained, putting one hand on the nindroid's shoulder.
"What do you mean?" Zane queried.
"I mean not having parents. Both of my parents left me when I was young. I… I just wanted to tell you that you aren't alone," Lloyd elaborated, and Zane scratched his chin.
"Thank you Monty. That meant a lot," Zane thanked, grinning at Lloyd before heading to his room.
That night Zane cooked instead of Cole (which Lloyd was thankful for, it turned out that Cole's cooking actually had improved after all these years).
"Mmm! Oh, I love it when it's Zane's night to cook," Jay cheered, eating some of the food that was served.
"Hey, I didn't hear any complaints about my duck chowder last night!" Cole pointed out, an accomplished grin spreading across his face.
"That's because it glued our mouths shut. You really thought Jay was speechless all throughout dinner?" Kai chuckled, Cole's grin quickly replaced with an embarrassed frown.
"Yeah, please don't make that again," Jay shuddered. Suddenly Zane walked in from the kitchen, carrying a dish of food and wearing a pink, frilly apron. Immediately everyone burst out laughing, sans Lloyd. Zane gave the group a confused look as he placed down the turkey.
"What's so funny?" Zane asked, Lloyd empathetic for the nindroid's naiveness.
"Zane, you're wearing a… even I wouldn't wear that!" Nya teased.
"You laugh because I take steps to ensure I'm clean after cooking?" Zane questioned, walking to one end of the table, preparing to sit down with the others.
"No! We laugh because you came out wearing that ridiculous outfit!" Kai cackled, Zane still looking around blankly. After some hesitation Zane responded.
"I guess we don't share the same sense of humor," Zane stated in a flat tone, glancing at Cole and Kai.
"Well, how about this?" Cole suggested, promptly shoving a plate of shrimp in Kai's face. Soon everyone but Zane, Kai and Lloyd began laughing at the embarrassed fire ninja.
"How could you not find that funny?" Cole asked, and Sensei Wu stood up, carrying a bowl of soup as he walked around the perimeter of the table. Soon the master ended up behind the master of earth, dumping the bowl of soup over his head.
"Now you are brothers," Wu grinned, putting a hand on Zane and Cole's shoulders as the earth ninja gave his sensei a betrayed look. Soon Jay chucked food at Zane, and a food fight erupted in the dinning room. Lloyd ducked under the table in an attempt to avoid the spray of food. Lloyd watched as Zane trailed out of the room back into the kitchen.
I should follow him. He could use some comforting.
The ninja are much different than I remember.
Lloyd snuck out of the room, barely managing to escape the fiery food fight, pulling shrimp tails out of his hair upon his entry in the kitchen. He found Zane almost immediately; he was brushing off his stained apron and grabbing trash bags. The nindroid lifted his head slowly to face Lloyd, a disappointed frown stretching across his face.
"Hello," Zane muttered, turning back to face his work as he picked up one of the large black bags.
"Mind if I help?" Lloyd offered, slinging the other black bag over his shoulder. The nindroid didn't respond, but he also didn't protest. Lloyd followed Zane in silence to the training grounds, wanting to comfort the ninja of ice but simultaneously indecisive about what to say. Soon they exited through the monastery's large doors, setting the trash in cans propped up next to a bare tree. Zane pulled off the pink apron and tossed it next to the bins with a sigh.
Soon there was a loud caw noise that echoed through the night air. Lloyd and Zane looked up to discover a dark blueish-purple falcon perched on one of the branches of the dead tree. Zane tilted his head at it, and Lloyd watched with wide eyes as the falcon seemed to imitate the nindroid's action. Zane, either startled or confused, shook his head. And just like before, the mysterious falcon mimicked the master of ice.
"Hmm…" Zane murmured, suddenly waving his arms and stomping. Once again, the bird copied the ice ninja, flapping its wings and hopping from foot to foot. Then without any further antics the falcon took off, flying down the side of the mountain. Zane and Lloyd exchanged looks before rushing down the mountainside after the strange bird.
As the two ninja ran through the forest, Lloyd quickly figured out where they were going. As the trees began to become more and more scarce, the duo soon arrived at a clearing, where a large, quite unstable treehouse loomed. There were Hypnobrai darting around both in the treehouse and below it, building and repairing the colossus. Lloyd could hear a small voice call out in the distance "If I see one girl in here, I'm gonna go ballistic!" as the two ninja observed the towering structure.
I remember this. It feels so long ago… but it really isn't. It's kinda weird to think about.
After some time examining the large treehouse, the falcon let out a brief chirp. Zane and Lloyd looked up at the odd bird. As they did, the falcon nodded back in the direction of the monastery.
"Thank you, my mysterious friend," Zane whispered to the falcon before glancing at Lloyd. The two ninja darted back towards the others, Lloyd mentally preparing himself for the upcoming events.
I promised that the chapters would be longer! And this is just the begining...
Anyway, please leave a review and I hope the website actually works this time lol. I'll come out with a new chapter on Monday!
