A/N) Hi! I felt bad for letting you guys hang last week, so here. Another chapter. And for those that are wondering if this'll be Cole/OC, I actually wasn't planning it completely but... for some reason my figures made it so by themselves. I hope this doesn't turn anyone off. Cole never really had a match in the show anyway, so making one up is part of the fun!
Also I have a short note on the bottom of this chapter regarding my girl.
The shadow girl's breathing was labored, as if she'd over exerted herself. She looked at Cole, lowering her hand slightly, her eyes still glowing, hair ruffled from the effort it obviously took to use her powers.
She nodded wordlessly.
"H-how come you never used them before?"
His answer came when the wall blew up behind him, nearly braining him and Zane who had just walked up.
She grasped her side, letting out a hiss of pain as she began to fall forward off her feet. One swift movement, and Cole caught her before she hit the ground.
Her breathing was still hard as she looked up at him, "Too... dangerous to control."
Kai looked at her as sensei Garmadon tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"I don't understand, I thought there were no more elemental powers."
"Not making us feel better." Lloyd groaned at his dad's uncertainty.
"Perhaps... we missed something. Or perhaps her powers are of, something else." Wu limped up towards them, now peering into the shadow girls face.
She seemed to tense up in distrust.
"Hey, back off guys. Give her some space." Cole spoke gently as he lifted the weakened girl up and placed her on the surprisingly untouched cot.
Nya walked over and grabbed on ice pack, slapping it over Jay's head and went to work checking Misako and Wu for injuries.
"One thing's for sure. She's pretty powerful."
Kai wasn't sure but he thought he detected a jealousy in his sisters tone. He shrugged it off, nah, Nya wasn't the jealous type. Besides he had bigger questions that needed answering.
"Yes, powerful indeed. Perhaps we could use such great power in our impending battle." Zane smiled gently as the girl eyed him suspiciously.
Cole noticed this and stepped up, "Um... yah, but I think that decision should be made by her."
This caught the girl by surprise.
Misako smiled knowingly, interested by both this girl abilities and Cole's strange gentleness towards her. Powers such as those had to come from a different source. She wondered exactly what that source was.
She reached a assuring hand towards the still tense girl, "What do you say young lady? Do you choose a better life where we all stand by and protect each other and others, or do you wish to leave. As Cole has said, the choice is yours. We will do nothing to stop it."
The shadow girls face turned paler then normal. Her eyes dilated, confusion clouded them as they flitted from one honest face to another.
It finally rested on Misako's hand.
That hand, those faces. These people... they were giving her a choice.
Life... a life, to have a life and live for real. Or wallow in her darkness that had shadowed her heart, body soul and mind for what seemed an eternity.
Could she break free from the shackles of a soulless hold... or maybe, just maybe... this was a way to something else.
Something wonderful, yet terrifying at the same time.
And somehow, looking at their faces from this light... it didn't seem to bother her anymore.
She reached out, hesitatingly, it seemed as if everyone was watching, waiting, holding their breath.
Her hand slipped in Misako's who held it gently, yet firmly, as if she was giving her a life line to another world, with choice, light and most importantly her own life.
"I-I will."
Jay let out an excited whoop, Making everyone jumped and glare as he forgot his bump and began dancing around, "Awesome! A new member of our team, and so power packed too!"
Nya pinched him, "Hey, I thought you found her suspicious."
Jay rubbed his arm and smiled sheepishly, "Yah but that was before... way before, hey you know what this means. We need a name."
Shadow girl raised her eye brows confused thoroughly now, "A what?"
"A name, hello, we don't know your name, we can't go around calling you 'that girl' forever. So do ya got one or not?" Jay bounced forward and looked at her intently, as if waiting for some big secret.
"I-I don't have one. Ma- the dark king just called me Skia." She bit her lip, unsure now of her decision.
All looked on, surprised. How can Anyone, not have a name?
"Ok... I won't ask out loud about that but um, do you at least want to give us something to call you?" Kai asked, getting over his surprise.
She shrugged, "I don't know any name I would prefer."
"Oh cool! Then we are so helping. Ok we'll call out names and you tell us which one you like." Jay seemed to be having way to much fun with this for Nya's liking.
She nodded.
"Ok... um, how about Emily?"
She shook her head.
"Agatha?" Zane popped out.
She wrinkled her nose.
"No, ok then... Christina?" Kai smiled, sure of his choice.
Negative.
"Kate?"
No
"Sarah?"
To over used.
"How about Mai lee?" Wu put out, now interested.
Another negative.
"Ashlee?"
This seemed to quip her attention, but it wasn't just right yet.
"Ashlyn?" Cole said out of the blue. For some reason that name spoke to him. It just had a lot of sentimental value to him. His moms name had been that. He had found memories of her, and this girl sorta reminded him of her, not the crazy killer girl part, more the short, black haired, sharp eyed part of her. It seemed to matched her, oddly.
She thought for a moment, "I think... I like it."
Jay let out a cheer, "Yes, we have a winner. Everybody, meet our new family member, Ashlyn. Or Ash, for short."
A loud unexpected cheer went up, catching the girl off guard. Suddenly she felt extremely light.
A light began to glow inside her. Having a name seemed so indifferent at first but now... it sealed her choice. It made it permanent. She had picked a life, her own life. In the light instead of dark. She had picked these people to spend it with... and somehow, as she watched them congratulate her and say her new name, she knew that choice was the best thing she'd ever done in her entire miserably dark life.
She felt a strange new emotion inside her. A good one.
Happiness.
His master was NOT happy. Not even a little bit.
Croc had the nerve to go back and tell him what he found, without bringing back at least ONE body for evidence.
To make matters worse he slipped out a fact that the kings former shadow slave was alive AND well. Living with these hero's... that seemed to anger him even more then the previous news.
Wrong.
That DID anger him more for some reason that was unknown to Croc. The king literally blew up. He had beaten Croc up so badly that the hulking man was sure he would die from this fit of rage. Unfortunately he didn't and now he was back out in the street with only three weeks left before the dark moon with two missions now.
Kill those hero's and bring back that traitorous witch so Dyron could kill her himself.
And this time he wouldn't leave an once of breath in her.
Ook now that you know her name I hope it didn't disappoint anyone. I like that name because it has a hint of old time-yness AND you can shorten it to Ash, get it, Cole and Ash. TEE HEE!
Anyway it also has a sentimental reason like Cole's, Except it's not my mothers name.
It was one of my Aunts names on my dads side, she was the oldest sister and my favorite one. She passed two years ago, and my girl kinda reminds me of her. Obviously not the killer part. The shortness and the way I imagine her character to be as we progress more though this story, only younger then my aunt used to be.
Anyway, I hope it didn't disappoint if you were expecting something magical or whatever.
Like someone once said, 'Less is often more.'
See ya next week! And thanks.