Happy Friday everyone! I'm up super early. Well six o'clock is early for me because I haven't actually been up this early in a while, but I'm going to Disney for the day with my mom and we're trying to head out as soon as possible! :D
Enjoy~
Chapter Four: "Friends"
The smell of food filled the entirety of the apartment. Rhea sat on the wooden floor in the corner of the main room, between a green bed and a wall that had a window. She had contemplated trying to break through the glass, but there was an odd sensation that was eating her up inside. Never had the young girl felt this way before. She attempted to place a name to the feeling, racking her brain for a proper term. The word 'guilt' seemed to fit.
After Sensei Wu had initially talked with Rhea he told her that she would be staying with them until they could locate her family. With a heavy heart, she informed him that she had no family. Unfortunately that only seemed to solidify a reason to stay. He was so kind to her even after everything she had done. Trying to escape now would only make her feel terrible. Foolish emotions, they were clouding her thinking and judgment. There would be an opportunity to leave; Rhea just had to wait for the right moment.
She gazed over at the individuals sitting at the dining room table, laughing and talking. Sniffing slightly, Rhea laid her head against the wall on her left and sighed. Being in an environment like this was physically painful. How was it fair, that they could have each other and she could not even have her own parents? Rhea crossed her arms over her chest, attempting to make herself as small as possible. These ninja would not be so jovial and happy once she killed Laurie. Apparently that was the red head's name.
"Do you want something to eat?" a kind voice asked. Rhea turned her head to see Nya, the girl who had dragged her out of the alley. The samurai gave a small smile, waiting for a response. Despite the audible sound of her growling stomach, Rhea shook her head. The last thing she wanted was food from the enemy. It could be poisoned. "Suit yourself" Nya sighed, turning to walk back towards the dining room table.
Everyone fell silent as Nya once more took a seat among them. Strained and wary glances were shared by all except Sensei Wu. "What did she say?" Laurie inquired nervously. The orange ninja did not like the fact that Rhea was staying with them. She could have every opportunity to attack Laurie when she least expected it. No, there was no chance of that happening. All of the drawers that contained sharp utensils were now locked and Sensei Wu was in possession of Rhea's personal weapons. He had called them 'karambits', a term that eluded everyone. "Does she want anything to eat?"
Nya shook her head. "She says she doesn't want anything, but I know she's hungry. If Rhea doesn't eat something before it's time to head to bed her stomach may wake up everyone in Ninjago City." She lightly stabbed a piece of garlic chicken with the prongs of her fork. "I mean, 'vicious killer' or not Rhea's still a little girl. She needs to eat." A sudden motherly instinct was overwhelming the samurai and she sighed, placing the fork across her plate.
"How old is she?" Lloyd asked suddenly, his emerald eyes locked on to Nya. He watched as the others stayed silent, looking to see who would be the one to answer the question. The green ninja felt his face fall. They were keeping a stranger in their home and all they knew was her name. Lloyd stood up suddenly, the legs of his chair scraping against the wooden floor. He saw Laurie open her mouth to protest, but he ignored his sister. "I'm just going to talk to her" the blonde sighed, heading towards the small stove in the kitchenette. He made up a quick plate of chicken, mashed potatoes, and seasoned green beans.
Laurie could feel her heart racing as Lloyd slowly strode past the table. "Just be careful" the orange ninja whispered, anxiety obvious in her voice. She watched as Lloyd rolled his eyes in response.
There was the unmistakable sound of approaching footsteps along the wooden floor boards. Rhea glanced towards her right and saw a small figure approaching. It was Lloyd, a round object gripped firmly in his hands. The smell of the meal infiltrated her nostrils and she frowned. Had she not just told Nya that she did not want to eat? Rhea turned her entire body around, now facing the wall entirely. She did not need sympathy or pity. Lloyd just needed to go away. "Mind if I sit with you?" she heard him say. With pursed lips, the young girl crossed her arms over her chest roughly, hoping to extend the message that Lloyd was unwelcomed.
The green ninja gave a small sigh and placed the plate of food precariously on the foot of his bed. It wobbled slightly as he hopped on his comforter, quickly procuring the plate before it tumbled to the floor. From this higher vantage point, the green ninja could see Rhea better. She had her forehead pressed firmly against the wall in front of her. It was almost comical, seeing how she tried so hard to be by herself. "I brought food" Lloyd tried once more, smiling. He held the plate out in front of him, as if Rhea could see it.
Rhea began to realize that Lloyd was not about to leave like Nya did. She turned back towards his voice, tilting her head back slightly to look up. His blonde hair was painstakingly obvious against the dreary grey walls. Rhea narrowed her brown eyes, feeling a complete sense of irritation overwhelm her. Was it not enough, just having to stay with the ninja? Now Rhea had this annoying pest bothering her. She grabbed the small pad of paper from her jacket pocket. Sensei Wu had allowed her to keep it. With purpose, the young girl scrawled letter after letter across the lines and then threw it at the green ninja.
Lloyd felt the spiral top of Rhea's notepad hit him square on the shoulder. Placing the plate down on his comforter, he grabbed for it. Go away, he read with a small frown. I want to be alone. He tossed the pad back over his pillow and watched as Rhea grabbed it out of the air with a single hand. Wow, she had fast reflexes. "I brought you food though" he prompted once more. Rhea rolled her eyes in response. A sudden heat broke out over Lloyd's face and he felt his feet hit the floor with a loud thud. Grabbing Rhea's dinner off of the bed, he knelt down in front of the blue-haired girl and placed the plate on the wooden panels. "You should eat" he said sternly.
What was this boy's problem? She gazed down at the food and felt her stomach burning. When was the last time she had actually eaten? It must have been at least two days ago. With a slightly shaking left hand, Rhea grabbed the fork that lay idly across the rim of the plate before pulling the rest towards her. The gnawing thought of poison prevented her from consuming any of it. Lloyd was staring at her intently. It seemed that he would not leave unless she ate at least one item. Was it worth death though? Heart pounding, Rhea gripped the pen tightly in her right hand, writing a message before sliding the paper across the floor to Lloyd.
He picked up the notepad and stared at the sloppily written note. It's not poisonous, is it? I wouldn't want to die from trust. This was becoming tiresome. Lloyd angrily threw the pad back at Rhea who once more caught it with ease. "No, it's not poisonous" he spat, beginning to lose his temper. "Even if it was and you didn't eat it, you would die from starvation!" His words seemed to have an effect on Rhea and he watched as her eyes grew wide with realization. Well at least she knew he was telling the truth.
Rhea turned back towards the plate and dug her fork haphazardly into the pile of mashed potatoes. Within seconds it was gone and she felt as if she had a lump sitting idle in her throat. Lloyd looked as if he were both disgusted and amazed. "If you eat it that fast you're going to be sick!" she heard him say. It did not seem to matter how fast she ate it. The food was going to end up in her stomach either way. Minutes passed before the plate was devoid of all food items. Rhea tucked herself back in her corner, expecting Lloyd to leave now.
"How old are you?" the green ninja asked suddenly. He watched as Rhea coughed, holding her right arm over her mouth. She seemed taken aback by the question, or just startled that he had spoken. "I just turned twelve over the summer" Lloyd continued cheerfully, moving to actually sit on the floor. His legs now tingled and ached from the lack of circulation they had received while kneeling. Rhea continued to just stare at Lloyd. "So…how old are you?"
First Lloyd refused to leave and now he was prying? Rhea could recall her mother once telling her that you never asked a woman her age. It seemed to be strictly taboo. Now here was this ninja child plainly asking how old she was. He was twelve though. Reluctantly, Rhea scribbled on her notepad and handed it to Lloyd this time. He seemed relieved that she had ceased being violent for the moment.
The hasty writing struck a chord with him. I'm twelve. She acted so much older than she was. Despite her childish facial features and height, the green ninja had thought Rhea was around fifteen. "You're the same age that I am" Lloyd smirked, giving thumbs up before returning the notepad. Rhea snatched it out of his grip quickly, wrote something, and then gave it back. He could practically feel the emotion in each written word.
Why are you being so nice to me? I tried to kill your sister and you're just sitting here, talking to me. Why?
"I don't know" Lloyd replied, his gaze still focused on the message. Rhea looked over at him and was able to visibly see the confusion in his emerald eyes. "I feel like there's more to you than meets the eye" he continued. "I just don't know what it is yet." He gave the blue-haired girl a smile and handed the notepad back. Rhea took it and shoved it back into the pocket of her lavender windbreaker. Its bulky shape made her feel comforted. "Would you want to be friends?" Lloyd inquired, bringing Rhea back to reality. "I've never really had friends before and it sure looks like you could use one."
Friends? The term had never crossed Rhea's mind. She used to have friends, years ago when she still lived in her village. Those memories were beginning to fade though, replaced by years of turmoil and utter hatred. Suddenly, she thought of her "father". Would he know that she was in the hands of the ninja? Would he know that Laurie was still alive? Rhea looked at Lloyd, brushing her sky blue bangs out of her face. Here was this kid, ignoring everything she had done and just asking for her friendship. It could be beneficial to keep up such a charade. If she could get closer to Lloyd, then perhaps she could get closer to Laurie. Rhea nodded in response and then heard the blaring sound of an alarm.
Everyone jumped up at the same time, the ninja quickly spinning into their Spinjitzu tornadoes. Laurie ran to the small chest of drawers near her bed and grabbed a light orange gi before heading towards the bathroom. She really needed to master Spinjitzu. She quickly changed and bolted from the small room. Nya was explaining the situation to everyone else. Laurie took a glance over at Lloyd. He was still on the floor with Rhea, but she could see his eyes light up at the thought of a fight. "So what's going on?" the orange ninja asked.
"There have been a few sightings of Serpentine throughout the city." Laurie was picturing the flood of Serpentine underlings that had sprung forth from the Black Bounty back in the desert. Everyone had been surrounded and she watched on helplessly as Belinda pushed her from the crow's nest. A strong shudder ran down Laurie's spine followed by a bought of sadness. Here again was a memory that she wished she could forget, still lingering in the recesses of her mind. Yet there was nothing of her and Kai. "Laurie, are you listening?" Nya sighed. The orange ninja blinked her ice blue eyes and nodded. "I was saying that it's just the Generals, excluding Pythor. Just investigate and be careful, alright?"
Cole nodded, heading towards the small stand where they kept their weapons. He quickly tossed Jay his nunchucks and Zane his shurikens. Kai procured his sword by himself as Laurie jumped up on her bed to grab her bō staff from the small ledge attached to the wall. "Alright, let's go beat up some snakes!" she heard her brother call out enthusiastically. He was dressed in his green gi, pulling his mask down over his face. Even Lloyd had learned Spinjitzu sometime before Laurie had arrived. She seriously needed to start focusing more.
"Oh no, you're not going anywhere" the orange ninja chastised, hitting Lloyd lightly on the shoulder with her weapon. "You're staying right here where it's safe." She seemed to regret her words instantly, wondering if here really was the safest place. It did seem that Rhea only had eyes for Laurie's demise, so Lloyd should be alright. Besides, the Serpentine had their eyes set on him specifically. If Laurie could keep her brother out of harm's way then she would. "Just stay here, Lloyd" she finished, her voice sounding tired. "We'll be back soon."
Lloyd crossed his arms angrily over his chest as his sister ruffled his blonde hair. She turned towards the door and followed the rest of the ninja out. "I never get to go" the boy complained, throwing his mask under his bed and flopping down onto the comforter. Rhea just stared at him, her brown eyes unblinking. He was throwing a tantrum because he wanted to put himself in harm's way? Lloyd sure was odd. She stood near her new "friend" and watched as he lifted his head up slowly. "What do you want?" the green ninja asked warily, finally noticing Rhea's presence.
So the tables were now turned. When she wished to be left alone no one would listen, but as soon as Lloyd wanted to curl up into a metaphorical ball of solitude he was not to be bothered. Rhea narrowed her eyes and threw her hands up in defeat. There was obviously no winning in a situation like this. She turned towards the window, wishing she could see something other than the alley. "Can I ask you something, Rhea?" she heard Lloyd ask unexpectedly, his voice barely above a whisper. The young girl turned around slowly, waiting for the boy to elaborate. "Could you try and cover for me? I want to sneak out and go help the others. Will you help me?"
Cautiously, Rhea scanned the room. Nya was busy doing the dishes. The sound of running water was quite loud now that she noticed it. It could possibly mask the sound of the door opening and closing. Sensei Wu was still sitting at the dining room table, his back turned away from the two children. Rhea looked back at Lloyd, examining the small flame that seemed to flicker behind his emerald eyes. He really wanted to go out there and throw himself into danger. Whatever, it was not her problem.
She nodded and saw Lloyd's face light up. "Thanks" he grinned, hopping down off of the comforter and fishing his mask out from under the bed. "I'll make it up to you, I promise." Within no time at all, Lloyd tip-toed across the wooden floor and made his way towards the door. His right hand wavered on the cold, metal doorknob as he took one last look around the room. No one other than Rhea was watching him. Quickly, the green ninja threw open the door and slammed it shut behind him.
Nya looked up from the sink, her eyes wide. "Did the door just slam?" she inquired, placing the soapy dish back into the opaque liquid that sat idly. A damp dish towel lay on the counter next to her and she wiped her hands promptly. Nya's gaze landed upon Rhea who quickly turned around, facing in the opposite direction. A nagging thought tugged at the back of the samurai's mind. "Where's Lloyd?" Nya sighed, noticing the absence of the green ninja. Rhea still gazed intently at the window in front of her.
"It appears that my nephew has snuck away" Sensei Wu stated, standing up from his chair. His eyes too rested upon the small girl who was avoiding everyone. "I think Rhea should go make sure he doesn't get into any trouble." The elderly man smiled when Rhea turned around, her eyes wide. He was going to let her just walk out of the home? This opportunity was too great to pass up. She could just walk down the street and disappear. Yes, she would have to wait for another chance to properly execute her mission, but that was the least of her worries right now. Now was the time to get away.
Nodding, Rhea reached into the right pocket of her windbreaker, pulling out the pad of paper and pen. She approached Sensei Wu while writing something down. With anticipation rising, the young girl felt her arm shudder slightly as she turned the pad towards the aging man. He squinted as he read it. There are Serpentine out there and Lloyd left without any weapon. Sensei Wu chuckled as he read the final part of the message. I think I'm going to need my karambits back.
Nya peeked over Sensei's shoulder and scoffed. "There's no need for this" the samurai sighed. "I'll go get Lloyd myself." She was rushing towards the door, her left hand lying lazily on the bracelet that adorned her right wrist.
"There's no need for that, Nya" Sensei Wu replied, watching as Kai's sister stopped in her tracks. She turned around, seemingly flabbergasted. "Rhea is more than capable of bringing Lloyd back on her own." He reached into a small pouch around his waist and produced the two small, curved blades, devoid of any traces of blood. Rhea eagerly took them out of his hands, quickly pulling up the lengthy section of her hair and securing the makeshift ponytail with the karambits. Already she was beginning to feel better. She stuffed the paper and pen back into her pocket before walking towards the door. "I'm positive that you'll return with Lloyd safely."
The young girl exited the apartment quickly, ignoring Sensei Wu. A small breeze ran down the street and Rhea breathed in deeply. She was free, no longer a prisoner to the enemy. Rhea ran down the street, her sneakered feet pounding against the pavement. It was foolish of the old man to just willingly let her leave. She had expected to stay with the ninja for much longer.
With renewed energy and a cocky attitude, the young girl tore down the streets of Ninjago City, leaving her "friend" to fend for himself.
Well, I'm out. Thanks for reading and I will see you guys on Tuesday for another update. :3