Children of Destiny
Hi guys! We're now on the last part of this feels-y mini-arc!
Here, Liana finally makes peace with the Akira & Alex but that's not all! We'll see some hints about the stalker from the Birchwood Forest as well as the finale that'll make this chapter like Tick Tock 2.0! Enjoy!
Chapter 19: Making Amends
The team was finally united upon Liana's return but things still weren't right. Liana still thought a lot upon her place within the team and of the problems she imposed on herself. The Pyrrhus twins still had a rift in their relationship and it won't be easy fixing it...
To celebrate Liana's return, the ninjas had a feast full of her favorite foods which they learned from Forrest, who couldn't be happier to have his sister back.
"We all missed you," Forrest said after downing his glass of peppermint hot chocolate, "Believe it or not, you're too important to replace, sis. We all care about you."
"It's nice being with you all again." Liana blushed but also smiled.
"Of course!" Willow exclaimed, "There can never be another you!"
"You… think so…?"
"Sure!" Leon quipped, "Our differences are what keeps us together, not drive us apart! You're one of us!"
'One of them…'
Those words still felt unfamiliar to the white kunoichi but at the same time, she felt something in her heart that was almost… comforting.
Her father's advice echoed in her head and she started to understand what he meant.
'Maybe this is what you were talking about, Dad…'
Liana was too deep in thought to notice the tears running down her face until her little brother had to point it out.
(*) "Sisko, why are you crying?" Forrest pointed at the saline fluid's trails on her pale cheeks.
"I was…?" The ice wielder touched her face and found that it was damp.
"Why would I be crying?" She asked no one in particular, "I'm not sad or anything…"
"Those are tears of joy," Misako answered, "We don't cry just because of sadness. People can also cry when they're happy or even angry. Your tears are not stemmed from sadness but from the warmth you're feeling amongst your friends now."
(*) 'Ystävät…' Liana repeated the slightly foreign word in her head.
Were the kunoichi really her friends?
She had a mostly positive relationship with the other girls and she also didn't mind being with the guys but were they really her friends?
Despite training together for years, she never truly opened up to them, fearing they'll make fun of her like the other girls back home but she finally realized that the kunoichi were NOT the girls back home. They were all unique and so was she. The white kunoichi was still coming to terms with who she truly was and she was only on the first step to accepting the others and herself.
"I understand you have a lot to think about," The bespectacled scholar gave Liana a reassuring expression, "We're just relieved that you've returned to us but we'll also give you the time you need to think over these events and what you think they're telling you."
"T-thank you…"
While everyone else slept, the ice wielder found herself thinking over these past events like she had back home.
'Do I really belong with the team…?' She asked herself, even if finding an answer was futile.
She knew she was far from being the only person in Ninjago with elemental powers. The ninja, kunoichi, and their parents all possessed these unique abilities but it wasn't the only thing that defined them. They all had their own unique personalities, from Kyle's pragmatic outlook in life to Melody's habit of thinking with her heart. Unlike her, they embraced their differences while she just treated it as an excuse to assume the world's out to get her as Chris had put it.
She was told she might get hurt again and not everyone will accept her but the ninjas seem to appreciate her for who she was and it gave the ice wielder some comfort.
But there were bigger things for her to worry about.
What if the Overlord, wherever he was, took advantage of her absence and created something truly terrible to destroy Ninjago like a war machine or doomsday device?
'And it's all because of me…' Liana shook her head from such ideas before they consume her.
Her parents told her to always stay strong but there were times she felt like it'll take more than sheer willpower to conquer her fears and vanquish the Overlord yet she can't do it by herself. She was just one member of a whole team of ninjas who'll stand together in Ninjago's time of need and they can't do it if they're divided.
She may not believe it at first but Liana was an important part of the team and each and every member were unique and it wasn't all about her. They were also like one big family and it even felt that way sometimes since they've grown up together since they were little, training at the monastery every summer.
'Is this truly where I belong…?'
The ice wielder wanted to believe so but she still needed time to sort out her feelings. But what Liana didn't know was that another person was up thinking about these events too.
Akira tossed and turned in his bed, plagued by all these thoughts that prevented the red ninja from his trip to dreamland tonight. An emotional tempest went on in his head over these past events, from these still strange feelings towards Liana, the way he acted around the girls back home, and what made the white kunoichi so different.
He can't stop thinking about the way he acted around other girls and what made Liana a special case, not that he saw her for just her powers. He knew there was more to Liana than the snow and ice she creates and her unique beauty passed down from her father. He did encourage her to befriend his cousins over their mutual love for technology and cooked together so he knew a bit about her but that didn't explain what made Liana different to him, even though she didn't really like being called 'different'.
'Nobody's too different.' The fire ninja remembered telling her.
He can tell Liana was an intelligent girl and she enjoyed being around animals and technology. For some reason, he felt drawn towards these quirks but he was sure there was more to Liana than the things she liked. He was sure her true personality was somewhere deep down and he wanted to bring her true self out of her shell.
But first, they'll have to find a way to start over…
This morning's training session was going to start with Liana's demonstration of her ice powers and so she can catch up with her teammates.
"Did anything happen while I was gone?" The white kunoichi asked before training started.
"Nothing of significance occurred during your absence," Misako shook her head, "But it may be the calm before the storm so we must be ready. Liana, I understand you've been through a lot but you must keep your ice powers in check."
"I understand."
"Can you show us if you remember everything we taught you."
Misako and the ninjas stood back to let the ice wielder do her magic.
The pale girl took out her shurikens, remembering everything she learned up to this point. Her eyes glowed with a pale blue light once she felt the cool surge of her powers.
"Ice!"
The Shurikens of Ice floated in front of Liana under her command and flew around the Bounty, covering the deck in a thin sheet of ice and creating a snowstorm around the ship.
"Looks like she still got it…" Leon said through clattering teeth.
Misako was also pleased that her student regained full control over her powers but that doesn't mean she's on the same level as the ninjas. The white kunoichi still had some catching up to do.
"Because of your absence, you'll be training an hour longer than the other ninjas for today."
The kunoichi of ice wasn't exactly thrilled over having to train an extra hour but understood the need to make up for lost time.
No one said that life as a ninja was going to be easy…
Now that it was finally break time, Liana wanted to just kick back and read some books she took with her to the Bounty but Alex had other plans.
"Pssst! Liana!" The orange kunoichi summoned her to the kitchen.
The white kunoichi didn't know what was going on but she trusted her figurative sister despite everything that happened and followed her.
"Do you need help?" Liana instinctively asked once the olive-skinned girl made sure it was just the both of them in the kitchen.
"You know that 'talk' we had before?" The wind wielder brought up the unpleasant event that started it all.
"What about it?"
"I want to make it up to you," Alex explained, "I felt like I got off a little too easy with your dad. Basically, I just want to say I'm sorry for all the troubles I caused for you and Akira."
"It wasn't entirely your fault," Liana shook her head, "I did overreact back there…"
"Look, I just want to make things right, knowing last time only made everything go to shit."
"Everybody makes mistakes Alex," The kunoichi of ice consoled her guilt-ridden sister, "But we make mistakes so we can learn from them, at least that's what my parents told me. None of us are perfect or do anything right in the first try."
"You're very lucky to have them," The olive-skinned girl smiled, "It's obvious they love you with all their hearts."
"I guess I am…"
A shy blush still crept up to the Finnish girl's pale face. She still wasn't sure what to make of the sensation of actually belonging with anyone but these feelings were far from unwelcome.
"Liana." Alex place a gentle yet firm grip on each of the ice wielder's shoulders.
"W-what?" The white kunoichi instinctively flinched from the sudden contact.
"If there's anything you need, just tell me. I'll help you. All of us will help too. We're a team."
Again, the ice wielder was touched by her figurative sister's willingness to let her in. This was all she ever wanted and it still felt so amazing and filled her heart with gratitude.
"Kiitos."
Liana's smile pretty much said it all as the two kunoichi finally made peace with one another.
Unfortunately, things may not look so good for the ninjas…
While the Overlord and Pythor plotted on reviving more of the Serpentine, the cloaked men let out their reasons for joining the forces of evil.
"I never forgot the day those bastards kicked me out," Ronin growled over the mere thought of the brothers who deemed him unworthy of the art of Spinjitzu, "It should've been ME who got to live at the monastery and know all of the First Spinjitzu Master's secrets but NO. They said I wasn't 'pure of heart'."
"I hear you," Jacob added, "Not only did Richard took away my glory but that overgrown brat of a son and his foolish wench have the nerve of keeping it away from me."
"Once Cole's out of the way, Luna will be mine." The kunoichi diva's ex-producer kept bragging to himself, much to the others' annoyance.
"Creep…" The ash blonde man muttered but the former producer heard him.
"Look who's talking." Karl retorted at the man who appeared much younger than he should be, "At least I almost succeeded in getting rid of Cole. But I need a better strategy…"
"But how do you plan on doing that?" Ronin asked, "That guy's nearly unstoppable."
"You said nearly," The Meerheim native pointed out, "What you're implying is that foolish brute does have a weak point. We'll just have to find it ourselves."
Ronin and Jacob hated to admit it but Karl had a good point.
Not even the green ninja himself is wholly invincible. The ninjas had their own Achilles' heel and they'll just have to find it but it may not be easy…
The remaining two figures talked amongst themselves but the trio can hear them.
One of the cloaked men kept talking about the Birchwood Forest but what would anyone want with that barren place?
There's nothing in that area but trees, snow, and the occasional treehorn.
"Looks like you found what you were looking for." The hooded figure commented towards the same man who stalked the ninjas at the Birchwood Forest.
"We'll have to tread carefully," The 'stalker' started, "I don't want to show myself…"
"What's the point?" Ronin rolled his dark blue eyes, "You'll only be found out sooner or later."
"I'll show my face when the time is right."
Jacob and Karl only scoffed in bemusement but still kept to themselves.
"Come with me." The mysterious man beckoned the last remaining hooded figure.
"Where are we going?" The last man asked in exasperation.
"I finally know where he had been all those years but what I need is elsewhere. We'll be making a quick stop to Ninjago City."
"But didn't you find what you were looking for at the Birchwood Forest?"
"It was only a hint!" The vengeful man hissed underneath his robes, "If the local gossip is true, then what I'm REALLY looking for is in the city."
"Whatever…" The last man sighed with chagrin as he was dragged off towards Ninjago City…
With his teammates and Misako asleep, Akira thought he can sneak out and get some chocolate cookies but before he even reached the deck, he heard someone talking.
"…no matter what happens, we'll always be there for you because you'll always be our one and only daughter and we love you for that."
Akira can hear a velvety voice echo on the deck but it can't be Liana's voice. The voice he heard was undoubtedly masculine and had a 'buzzing' quality to it like it was coming from a TV rather than an actual person on the ship. He came out and saw Liana listening to a recording from her father on Haukka, whose beak hung open as the message played, appearing as if the cybernetic bird was the one talking. The fire ninja didn't want to eavesdrop but remained quiet, listening to the former ninja's kind words he sent to his daughter. Once the message was finished, Akira took the chance to approach Liana.
"You're very lucky to have such a loving father." He said all of a sudden, startling her.
The white kunoichi yelped in surprise but calmed down upon finding out who it was.
"Oh… it's you…" Despite the cold air to her voice, Liana didn't intend to sound mean but the red ninja knew she meant well.
"I can tell your father loves you very much." Akira continued his normal conversation.
"What about your father?" Liana tilted her head, "Doesn't he love you at all?"
"Of course he does! My dad loves me and Alex just as much but he shows it in a different way and that's something you should know. Everyone's unique so there's no such thing as being too different when we're all unique in our own way. All that 'special snowflake' business is nothing but a load of bullshit."
Liana bit her lip, not being used to such harsh language but she was opening up to the reality of her situation and she was also growing curious of what made each of the ninja and kunoichi so different from one another.
"So what makes you different from Alex besides gender and looks?" She asked.
"For one, Alex can be… airheaded. Guess it's only fitting for the kunoichi of wind."
Akira briefly chuckled but stopped upon realizing how crappy his pun was but Liana still let out a light giggle, which made the fire ninja blush almost as red as his pajamas.
"What else makes you two different?" Liana asked.
"Well for starters, I'm told that I'm practically a clone of my dad. We both have short tempers and tend to do things before we think about it."
"And what are you differences from him?"
"I guess I also have some quirks from my mom my dad doesn't have. I also like to do things that involve creativity and still try to think things through when need be. Alex also has some quirks from our aunt Nya, such as her independence and intuition."
"That's interesting. I also like being creative every now and then. Also, I've also been compared to my father and it's true that we have so many things in common."
"So we do have at least one thing in common."
"I guess we do…"
The wielders of ice and fire stood in silence, not sure what to say until the former finally broke the anxious silence.
"Liana, about the things Alex said," The fire ninja sighed before continuing, "What she said was true. I was something of a player back home and I even broke up with some of the girls I flirted with. I understand if you're still upset with me over this…"
"I still am."
Akira can feel his heart sink upon hearing those words.
'So she doesn't trust me…'
"But my parents also told me that finding the right one for you is never easy," Liana said, "We'll go through many difficult times to figure out our true feelings. They know that better than any of us. They even broke up a few times before they knew they were truly meant for each other the whole time."
"I couldn't agree more." The red ninja replied, "But what do you think about us starting over?"
"I'm willing to start over but we'll have to wait and see what destiny has planned for us. I don't know if I should be looking forward to it or feel… afraid…"
"We may be destined to be ninjas but we can still decide our future," Akira encouraged the ice wielder, "My parents never liked the idea of having every aspect of our lives decided for us even before we know how to make our own choices and they passed it down to me and Alex."
"I like to believe they're right…" Liana confessed.
"Because they are," The son of fire and air responded, "Only we can decide what to do with our lives. Sure, we're now following in our parents' footsteps but that doesn't mean we're carbon copies of them. We're all our own person."
"Really? I've always been told I'm a female version of my dad…"
"That doesn't mean you two are the EXACT same, uh… no offense to your dad. I'm sure you two have some differences that makes you your own persons."
"You really think so?"
"Just stop trying to be like other people and be true to yourself."
"Akira… thank you…"
This was the first time Liana truly smiled at Akira felt his face heat up again.
These strange but not unpleasant feelings also welled up in Liana's heart but it'll be a long time before the ninja of fire and kunoichi of ice can figure out their feelings for one another. Besides, they got bigger things on their plate such as the constant threat of the Overlord…
The sun was setting at the Dusk Dunes, cloaking the desert in twilight and giving the dry plot of land its namesake beauty but there was nothing beautiful about the skirmish that commenced upon the dunes.
"NINJA-GO!"
Liana engulfed herself in an icy tornado to vanquish the gangsters that made their way here.
She told herself she was just one of the integral members of the team that were fighting off the enemies that threatened the harmony of Ninjago. She threw the Shurikens of Ice towards them to create a barrier of ice, imprisoning them.
"Wind!"
Alex swung the Fans of Gales, creating even more ferocious winds that empowered the blizzard swirling around both parties, making the hot desert feel like the Glacial Barrens. A thin layer of ice crept up the feet of the punks until only their heads were free from the cold prison.
"What is the Overlord up to!?" Leon interrogated the ensnared enemies once the ninjas knew they can't escape.
"Don't look at us!" One of them snarled, "It's those hooded creeps you guys want, right!?"
"But you're still working with the enemies!" Kyle retorted, "There's at least something you guys know about the Overlord's plans!"
"Why are doing this!?" Liana asked the punks, "Why did you join the Overlord? What's in it for you guys?"
"Cut us some slack!" One of them begged, "We don't even give a shit about what the Overlord does! Why don't you ask him yourself!?"
The new generation finally had enough of this group's audacity and raised their weapons, which sent them to a world of hurt until they finally passed out. The ninja and kunoichi knew enough was enough and decided to let this group answer to the authorities.
"Way to go Liana!" Melody commended her teammate, "You do belong with us!"
It may sound weird to some but Liana truly felt like she was one of the ninjas fighting alongside them. It didn't matter what power they had or what they were like outside of their 'jobs' as the protectors of Ninjago, they were all different yet worked together to be a unique team and she was one of them. She belonged with the ninjas.
"Yes, this is where I belong," Liana finally felt like she found acceptance and this time, she was not running away, "I am one of you. I know who I am…"
As if out of nowhere, Liana's body gave off a pale glow. Her aura gave off a cold air that soothed the other ninja and kunoichi like an autumn breeze right after a summertime heat wave while her body floated a couple of feet off the ground. The white kunoichi's already pale eyes shone in light blue before she closed them and felt her body and mind finally working in harmony with her element.
"Maybe this is what Sensei Misako was talking about." Kyle pointed out.
"What do you mean?"
"She said that our true elemental powers will be unlocked only by finding emotional peace and Liana just unlocked hers," The metal ninja explained the lecture Misako gave them before, "By finally coming to terms with who she is and finding her place among us, Liana's finally free from her fears that held her back and come to terms with herself. She found her true potential."
The ninja and kunoichi now understood what their teacher meant and continued to stare at the glowing kunoichi in awe until the light died down and she floated down towards the sand. Her eyes opened to reveal their normal greyish-blue irises.
"What?" Liana asked her teammates who stared at her in silence, "What happened?"
"Liana…! You… you unlocked your true potential!" Melody exclaimed.
"I did…!?" The Finnish girl didn't know what else to say.
She never thought she'd be the first to find her true potential, given what happened earlier.
"It's just like what happened with Dad, don't you remember?" Her younger brother brought up the former nindroid, "He came to terms with who he was and that made him the first to unlock his true potential, just like you!"
This still felt too good to be true for the white kunoichi.
She still felt timid around the ninjas but she was learning to open up and embrace what made her who she truly was and that alone was good enough for her but to think these changes had made her the first kunoichi to reach her true potential…
"I still don't think this is all I have to do…" Liana started, not trying to sound doubtful.
"But I also remembering Sensei saying something about finding our true elemental powers right before the final battle. I think this may be something of a 'halfway' point." Willow pointed out.
"That seems likely." Amy responded.
"So it's not over…" Forrest knew this was going to happen but still felt anxious.
"No… not yet." Kyle responded.
"One down, nine to go…" Alex mused out loud.
"It'll take some time before all of us unlock our true potential," Chris started, "But we still need to stay one step ahead of the Overlord and his lackeys. Who knows what they plan to do next."
"No matter what happens, I'll stay with you," Liana vowed, "I know my place amongst you and I don't plan on running away ever again."
The team was finally complete and with Liana embracing her destiny and place amongst them, they were ready to face the challenges that await them.
(*) Sisko = Sister (Finnish)
(*) Ystävät = Friends (Finnish)
OMG! Liana found her true potential much like her father did! But it's not over! Each ninja & kunoichi will find their true potential but that's just scratching the surface! They'll reach their FULL potential towards the end of this story!
But I have some not-so-good news. I'm honestly having some trouble writing the Lloyd/Iris date story cuz I'm starting to really dislike Lloyd. If you've seen my vent, you'll know why. I'm not sure if I'll even pull through with it so we'll have to wait & see…
In the meantime, review!