A/N: I'm gonna have the ethnicities being brought to light earlier on than before, as you've probably noticed from reading the last chapter. Plus, it gives me a chance to work on the Italian I've been learning while overseas.


Chapter 2

When it comes to Kai, I know even hell itself wouldn't be able to stop him once he obstinately put his mind to something. It's what makes him dangerous…on and off the battlefield. I exit the bedroom and sprint down the hall just to see his red form turn right and disappear inside the kitchen. The air fizzled, both with elemental residue and mouth-watering breakfast. A few good whiffs inform me that Jay was making his "world-renowned" blueberry pancakes.

I follow Kai and round the corner into the kitchen, with Zane at my heels. And the sight that greets me…is a little…cute, I guess: Jay has his arms wrapped around Nya from behind, guiding her hands as she poured the batter onto the griddle. They're both dressed in their respected ninja suits. It's an innocent display of affection, nothing scandalous like the crimson Tasmanian Devil was thinking. And speaking of which, I spy the spiky-haired lunatic shaking with barely suppressed fury, fists balled and teeth gritted. I frown in distaste and fold my arms once more. Mio Dio, Kai… me na frega…?

"You…" came Kai's low growl. Jay and Nya's heads snap up simultaneously, eyes wide.

Nya looks at her angry brother strangely. "Kai, what's wrong?"

Jay removes his arms from around Nya as if burned, and noticeably swallows. I keep my sights on Kai and uncurl my arms, ready to intercept him if he rashly decided to attack my best friend. Then something in Jay's eyes flicker, and the anxious expression is then readily replaced with cool confidence.

"What is it, Kai?" He asks, stepping forward to face the irate fire ninja head-on.

I inwardly smirk at this. While it may be old-fashioned, Kai was the designated head of his household. He was both the big brother and the "father" of the Hayabusa family to an extent. Thus most suitors, regardless if they were close friends or not, would have to receive the head's blessing. And a confident guy was more than likely to achieve this than a sweating coward. Jay knows this. And I have faith in him to overcome any opposition Kai tries to throw at him.

I'll just let things play out, but I'll be ready just in case things turn ugly…

"What did you do?" Kai growls.

"Kai, what is this all about?" Looks like Nya wasn't having any of it either.

Jay shoots her a reassuring smile over his shoulder. "It's okay, Nya. I got this." He then levels Kai with a stern stare. "Sorry, man. I know Nya's your little sister in all, but whatever we decide to do in our relationship stays with us unless we want to talk about it."

A purely animalistic sound emits from Kai's throat (I swear the guy has to be part beast or something) and he points a finger into Jay's chest. "Jay, I swear if you fuck around and—"

"Didn't I prove to you that my love for Nya was genuine?" Jay counters immediately.

Kai's aggressive posture withers a bit at that statement. But I feel a little out of the loop. Did they talk about this sometime earlier? The only time I can recall Kai and Jay having a little one-on-one time recently was yesterday when they disappeared for over an hour. So…then?

"Kai…" Ducking under Jay's arm, Nya goes to her brother. "…You know I will always love and respect you, but—"

"I know, I know…" Kai sighs, looking both worn and tired despite the day's beginning. "It's just…I promised mom and dad, y'know? You're my little sis also. And I just wanna look after you."

Nya smiles and embraces him. "I know, oniichan… I know. I always appreciate having you around. But still, have a bit more faith in me, okay? I'm a grown woman, and I'm more than capable of making my own decisions."

Kai returns her hug and nods without comment. After a time, the two siblings separate, and that one-of-a-kind smirk upturns the corner of Kai's mouth. But just from the way he's looking at her, I can tell he cares deeply for his last remaining blood relative. It's only natural. My gut twists a bit as a long-buried memory resurfaces: Teal eyes, same olive skin tone as mine, black and auburn hair, but with mom's thicker Italian accent.

Dante… I run my hand through my hair to distract myself as well as abolish the thought of my own younger sibling. My little brother…that no one—not even Jay—knows about.

"Sorry, Jay. I overreacted a bit." I turn my attention back towards the scene. Jay shrugs.

"No prob. You think I don't know you're a roman candle?" The quip flies off my bud's lips easily as he smiles. Whether it's to defuse or deflect, his humor knows no bounds. He turns back to the stove and twirls a spatula expertly. "Now, who wants some world famous blueberry pancakes, baby?"

"Oh yes. I would like some," Zane says, walking passed me.

Kai chuckles and goes to grab a handful of plates from the nearby cabinet. "I don't know about "world famous", but sure, I'll have some."

"Cole?" Jay glances over at me expectantly as he flips a steaming hotcake.

I grace him with a smile. "Yeah, make me three and put 'em off to the side, fratello." I adjust my ruffled pajama top and turn away. "I'm going to go freshen up and change."

"Gotcha."

I leave the kitchen and make my way back to the bedroom. Good. Now that Mt. Hayabusa's not threatening to erupt, I can mosey about my morning routine unimpeded. Despite the debacle from earlier, my mouth splits into a loud yawn as I reenter the bedroom. Guess I'm not as awake as I originally thought. Time for that shower… I strip myself of my p.j.'s haphazardly and dump them in the dirty clothes bin when I enter the bathroom. Turning the shower on hot, I use those few minutes for the water to warm to brush my teeth.

Such a mundane task sets my mind to wander. Just what the hell was that last night? I'm accepting as any that there are more masters out there and the appearance of the Platinum Weapons. But the Serpentine were more aggressive and organized than they ever have been in the past. That trap was dangerous, and it only makes me more worried about our fights with them in the future. Steam fills the room steadily as the humidity rises, and I take that as my cue to finish. After rinsing my mouth, I pull back the curtains and step under the spray of hot water.

I'm gonna have to step up my game… I can't afford to let the others down again… I had nothing to offer during that crisis. Nothing. And if it wasn't for Nya, we all would've been a bunch of mangled corpses down in that ravine. Soaked from head to toe, I reach for my luffa sponge and squirt some of my body wash on it. Languidly, I begin to wash myself. But there's something else that's been bothering me: the Fang Blades. Why do I keep feeling like I've seen them before? Ever since I first laid eyes on the thing, I've felt a distant memory tug on my brain.

Wait… Didn't Pop win something like...?

My eyes widen upon realization. "The Blade Cup!" Of course! How stupid of me not to realize sooner! I'm about to step out of the shower, but stop myself. "Okay, Cole, no need to go streakin' through the ship." I pull my soapy leg back in to rinse off. "I'll finish up first."

I go about rinsing off my body and shampooing my hair to rid myself of the leftover grit and grime from yesterday. Finally finished, I turn off the shower and jump out, grabbing my black towel in the process. I dry off quickly and wrap it around my waist before going out into the now uncomfortably cold room. Ignoring the droplets still dripping from my hair, I summon my Spinjitzu vortex and appear fully dressed in my ZX ninja gear. I'm still not sure how it works, but goddamn if it isn't a convenient and fast way to get dressed!

I pull back my hood, grab my photo album, and make a mad dash out the door to the dining room. I burst through under the archway and hold my keepsake over my head with triumph. "I got it!"

"What? Porn?" Leave it to Jay to try to throw some kind of embarrassing twist to anything I do. Best friend material ladies and gentlemen… "I never knew you were so dirty man. Did you at least clean out the shower when you were done? We all have to share that yanno."

Nya hits Jay's arm lightly with a tongue-in-cheek grin, while Kai and Zane take a more direct approach and crack up laughing. I roll my eyes. "No, Sonic the Warthog, I just figured out where I recognize the Fang Blade from." I place the book down on top of the table and begin flipping through it quickly as the others try to get better looks by leaning forward. "I have a picture of it." A flash of teal. But that's all it was…a flash. I stop at a well-worn page and push the book forward for my clan to see more easily.

"Well what do you know? That's it!" Jay emotes excitedly.

My arms weave a practiced routine over my chest. "Back in my hometown, there's this pretty big talent competition held once a year where the winner receives this," I nod towards the book, "the Blade Cup. My dad's won it multiple times." My eyes stray to the picture again: my father stands center-stage with the golden glow of the spotlight brightening his dapper figure. Radiant smile in place, he couldn't be happier to receive the prestigious award.

I hear Zane hum quietly. "How curious… And what talent did your father display to win this award?"

"Oh you know…" I unfurl my arms and rub the back of my head sheepishly, "…just your typical singing and dancing, that's all." I try my damndest not to get defensive, but I can't help the furrow that appears on my brow. I'm not embarrassed or anything, it's just…

I catch Nya's friendly smile. "So this is your dad, huh."

But Kai looks more perplexed than anything else. "But, how did the Fang Blade become a trophy?" He asks.

Not really up for sitting, I grab my stack of pancakes and take a bite. The warm, fluffy hotcakes titillate my taste buds with its hearty companionship of butter and syrup. I remember to thank my best friend later. "Well supposedly, a keeper of priceless artifacts created it. I think his name was Clutch Powers or something… Anyway, it gets passed on to each year's winner."

"Who has it now?" Zane asks.

I take a rough bite of sausage and lick my lips. "No clue. My dad would be the only one to answer that question, but…" A roadblock shoots up in my mind. The past is a bitter reminder of the rift formed between me and my family. I sit down my plate. How fast hunger and enjoyment leaves me.

"Huh? What's wrong, Cole?" Jay's looking at me, all mischief and tomfoolery replaced by genuine concern.

I shake my head. "Nothing it's…" Don't lie. I shake my head again. "I…I've been lying to my dad for many years now." The words burn a hole in my chest, aiming vindictively at my heart. I turn away from the others, distancing myself as my mind fills with remnants of a solemn past. "He thinks I'm training at the Marty Oppenheimer School of Performing Arts in Ninjago City."

I'm caught between a wall and my friends. My feet had unconsciously tried to walk away…again. I turn back to them and lean against it, refolding my arms. I'm getting defensive again. But this time, for a much more personal reason. I frown. "He wanted me to follow in his footsteps. But when I couldn't sing or dance I just…ran away…"

Angry teal orbs flash before my mind's eye, looking so hateful and loathsome that it's actually difficult to believe that they belonged to my little brother. And my father…ever ignorant of my farce… A trail of ice runs up my spine. "I can't face him now."

Zane's gaze finds mine—searching. "He doesn't know you're a ninja?" Did he really have to sound so bewildered? Like what I did—or rather what I've been doing for the most of my teen life was so mystifying and arbitrary? The wall continues to build upwards. "No, he doesn't. And he isn't going to." I lock eyes with every single one of them just to instill my point across. This isn't a bridge I want or even willing to cross… Not yet.

"There are many obstacles in life, Cole. But the ones we build ourselves are the most trying to eliminate."

I immediately stop leaning against the wall and snap my attention towards the entranceway. "Sensei…" The rest of my clan rise from the table, and we all proceed to bow respectably to our mentor and Head. He acknowledges us with a single nod and moves to stand before me.

His dark eyes are as warm as always. But I just know he was ready to espouse some more of his wisdom onto me. I brace myself. "Blood is thicker than water, Cole. And we are all given just one father." He taps the edge of his bamboo stick purposefully against my shoulder. "You must reconcile with your father to cleanse your heart of its inhibitions. Only then, will you have the ability to reach your True Potential."

I sigh internally. Of course… I lower my head in both sadness and acquiescence. "Y-Yes, Sensei." Easy to say that I'm a little wary of this upcoming trial I'm about to be put through.

"That settles it then," Kai says, standing up. "We're off to…" he looks at me expectantly.

I reign in another internal groan and take a deep breath. "Temblor." Atlas, help me. "We're going to Temblor." Migraine. I feel a migraine coming on.

"Woohoo! Field trip, field trip, we're goin' on a field trip!" Cue Jay, equals more pounding temples.

Just as everyone else was getting riled for the thrill of a new mission, Sensei's voice dominated the room again. "Yes. Everyone…except Nya." He ends this with a point of his stick at the newest Shinobi.

Nya blinks, paused mid-celebration. "What? Why?"

Sensei only smiles, a slow, confident smile. "Because, young kunoichi…you have a master to find."


A/N: Don't really care much for Cole anymore either, but it is what it is. I'm dedicated to this series, so I will keep my promise! Putting early emphasis on Cole's familial troubles, since Dante will be featured in Trials and Tribulations at some point. Plus, in Praise Amaterasu I'll be delving more into the Belmonte troubles amidst the celebration. But only for one chapter. *flexes nonexistent muscles dramatically*Anyhoo, Sasha's intro is up next and it's gonna be completely different! I hope you all like it!

Translations:

Mio Dio (my god)

Me na frega (who cares?)