Children of Destiny
Hey guys! Summer's just around the corner & that means more updates! In this chapter, Chris makes it clear to Melody he doesn't share the same feelings for her but will she get over it? Also, there's a HUGE surprise at the end of this chapter so… read on!
Chapter 21: Heart & Soul
The new generation were back at the Bounty, sulking over their failure and naïveté.
"We're the dumbest ninjas ever!" Akira lamented, "I can't believe I fell for that!"
"You're not the only one." Forrest scoffed.
"Do you remember what Sensei told us?" Chris tried to rally his teammates, "We mustn't give up but there's nothing we can do about the past."
"But what about- "
"Bitching and moaning won't make things any better," The blue ninja sternly interrupted Kyle, "The least we can do is learn from our mistakes and search for the Overlord. Stop acting like a bunch of whiny brats and actually do what we were meant to do."
The ninjas silently followed their eldest brother back to their base.
The Bounty flew over every inch of land and sea of Ninjago. Liana and Kyle most of their time at the bridge, inspecting everything the vessel has scanned for closer inspection. With the Bounty searching for clues of the Overlord's whereabouts, a certain kunoichi had other plans…
Melody tried to think of a good way to approach Chris but she wasn't sure how and her shyness hindered her from having a real conversation with him.
"What are you doing?" A familiar voice asked from behind her.
The kunoichi of water let out a small yelp and turned around to see none other than Chris.
(*) "N-n-nichts!" She stuttered and scurried away from him.
'What's her problem?' The lightning ninja had no idea what was going on but he was sure there was someone else who does…
"Hey Amy!" Chris called the kunoichi of earth over at the living room.
"What is it?" The auburn-haired girl asked in her ever sisterly manner.
"What's up with Melody?" The lightning ninja asked, "She gets all awkward when I'm around. I don't get it."
Amy groaned in frustration, knowing she can't hide it anymore.
"That's because… Melody has a crush on you."
"WHAT!?" Chris was taken aback by the big reveal.
He saw Melody just as a friend and teammate but he had NO intentions of dating her.
"But she's FOURTEEN!" He exclaimed.
"Melody's a very kind and gentle girl but she gets infatuated very easily. I don't blame her, I've been through a few crushes myself but she's… more 'prone'…" Amy started, "We all know you don't share the same feelings but like I said, let her down gently. She can be… sensitive."
"I'll talk with her."
"Just be honest, okay?"
"I will."
The blue ninja quickly found Melody in the halls and remembered being told by her sister to 'let her down gently' but he wasn't one to dilute the truth, no matter what, and intended to make it clear that he had no romantic interest in her whatsoever.
"Melody, we need to talk." He beckoned her.
The purple kunoichi was surprised to see her current crush but didn't complain.
"Melody, just because you think someone's 'hot' or having known that person for years doesn't mean they're the right one for you, not that I'm saying I am good-looking, but you get what I'm trying to say here. I'm not gonna sugarcoat anything so let me just say… it's not going to work."
"W-why not…?" The lightning ninja can hear the sadness in Melody's voice but he continued
"Stop being so shallow."
Melody was startled by Chris' slightly raised voice.
This was the first time anyone has ever called her shallow.
"Things wouldn't work out between us. You always think with your heart and I look at things in the most logical way possible. I'm not into romance and you're trying too hard to find the 'right one' for you. I'm not saying you're a bad person but you seriously need to think with your head more often. Amy told me you get infatuated easily and this attraction towards me is just that: a fickle schoolgirl crush."
The sensitive kunoichi can feel her heart break into many pieces but Chris continued.
"I have nothing against people thinking with their hearts. Even my Mom and Kyle have intuitive habits but if you think only with your heart, you won't get anywhere as a kunoichi or even as a person as a whole. You need to start thinking with your head or you'll be stuck on square one. I don't share your feelings but it's your choice to wallow or get over it."
The purple kunoichi was shell-shocked by Chris' rejection
"I… need some time to think…" Melody said in an eerily quiet voice and sauntered off.
Chris remained silent, knowing Melody will be depressed but he never says such things to hurt his teammates and siblings. He did so to see if they'll be able to get over his words and emerge stronger. Liana was showing signs of it and he wanted to see if Melody can do the same.
If Melody gets over the things he said to her and her infatuation, she could awaken the hidden strength within her…
(*) "Melody? Schwester? Won't you let me in?" Amy gently knocked on her sister's door.
Ever since Chris rejected her, Melody locked herself up in her room to mope all day.
"C-come in…" The earth wielder can tell by her shaky voice that she's been crying but she knew that it's best to let it all out once in a while.
The kunoichi of earth seated herself next to her sister as she continued weeping into her pillow.
"Let me guess, Chris doesn't feel the same way." Amy said.
The raven-haired girl only responded with a small nod.
Amy sighed, knowing this was to be expected of her more sensitive sister.
"Chris can be… harsh… but you should know better than to jump straight into something like a long-term relationship. What exactly did he tell you?"
"He said I was shallow and thought with my heart too much… But Mom always told us to listen to our hearts… I don't know what to believe in anymore…"
"You must find a balance between thinking with both head AND heart. That's what Mom meant when she said to listen to our hearts. Back then, she thought with only her heart, wanting to be a kunoichi to protect her family and protect Dad but she didn't realize that love alone won't be able to do all that. She thought as long as she can use her powers just to heal them, she won't have to deal with direct confrontation but it backfired on her and it caused her to lose control of her water powers. During her trial, Mom learned that thinking with her heart alone won't be enough to protect her loved ones and you have to realize that too."
"I know… but it still hurts…" The raven-haired girl sniffled.
"Come here," The black kunoichi opened her arms so Melody can have some support, "I'm sure you'll find the right one but you mustn't try so hard. The more you reach out, the further out of reach that person will be. You can't always listen to your heart alone and
"I'll try."
"How are you feeling now?"
"A little better…" Melody sighed, "But I still wanna be alone…"
"I understand," Amy got up to leave, "But if you need anything, we'll be right here."
In the bridge, Amy's 'older sister' instincts kicked when she saw Liana and Kyle as busy as ever and decided to check on them.
"How's Melody doing?" Liana asked, understanding what the water wielder was going through.
"I had a talk with her," Amy answered, "She's still depressed but she's feeling a little better."
The kunoichi of ice knew what it's like to get chewed out by Chris. She knew Melody needed to start thinking with her head but even after going through the 'tough love' treatment, it's still a little hard to overcome such obstacles. Even now, she still gets shy once in a while but she was working on it.
Kyle too felt bad for Melody but also knew that sometimes, a bit of 'tough love' was necessary to grow up. He only remained silent as he examined the images for anything out of the ordinary and it looks like he may have found it.
"Guys! I think I found something!" Kyle pointed at the screen, "Bring the others over!"
The whole group soon assembled in the bridge, surrounding the yellow ninja. Melody was there too but she avoided Chris to the point she couldn't even bring herself to make eye contact with him but Kyle continued.
"That's the Monolith of Atlas," The metal ninja pointed at the bunch of large stone ruins, "I was looking through the pictures and I found something I think you should see."
The yellow ninja zoomed in on the tiny outcropping in the southwestern region of Ninjago.
Although it was blurry, the ninja and kunoichi can tell this was not some ordinary vandalism by some ne'er-do-wells. It was a symbol that looked eerily familiar…
"Kyle, can't you change the image or something?" Willow asked.
The metal wielder increased the resolution of the close-up until the image was crystal clear. On one of the large rocks was a symbol carved onto it.
"That symbol looks like the one on the Overlord in that old tapestry back home." Leon observed the archaic mark on the rock.
The new generation also remember the ancient artifacts Lloyd and Iris showed them whenever they trained at the monastery. Some of them dated way back to the time of the First Spinjitzu Master and one of them was the aforementioned tapestry. Embroidered on it was a depiction of the battle between the nigh-mythical man and a personification of the Overlord, who looked like the dark lord's humanoid form Lloyd fought during the final battle. He was clad in a helmet that resembled the one Garmadon wore when he was evil, a long dark cape flowed out behind him, and his armor was as black as his flesh. On the belt was the same symbol that was etched onto the Monolith of Atlas.
"Do you think the Overlord's nearby?"
"I have seen the Monolith of Atlas myself but the Overlord's emblem was never there," Misako answered, "But this might be a trap to keep us distracted."
"So it's not a clue?" The new green ninja asked.
"We still don't know for certain but save the image just in case."
Several more hours passed when the alarm finally rang…
"Ronin, Jacob, and Clouse have been detected in the east. Karl and Ash are in the south." The AI showed two pop-ups of the split gang's locations once everyone arrived, including Melody.
"So what are we gonna do?" Akira asked.
"Amy, Forrest, Kyle, and Alex will head for the group in the south," Misako ordered, "The rest of you will go to the east."
"Wait a minute!" Liana exclaimed, "That means Chris and Melody will be in the same group and Melody's probably still hurt by Chris' rejection."
"Some further interactions will give them a deeper perspective of their relationship and Melody can learn from them to truly move on."
"And what about the Monolith?" Alex asked, "What if something happens there?"
"Leon and Willow, go to the Monolith of Atlas and see if you can find anything." Misako said.
"Got it!" The children of the green ninja nodded.
The elemental ninjas and kunoichi all leapt off the Bounty and let out a whistle, summoning the dragons while Leon and Willow hitched a ride on Leaf and Rocky respectively.
After quickly dropping off Leon and Willow, the dragons heading south continued their journey amidst the clouds but a similar figure of speech was going on with one of the kunoichi.
Amy couldn't help but wonder if Melody will be able to do her mission with Chris around. She was still hurt by his rejection but understood Misako's reason to give Melody an opportunity to look deeper into their differences and maybe move on.
"Amy, what's wrong?" Forrest asked from Leaf, "You're looking a bit out of it."
"I'm just worried about Melody," The earth wielder sighed, "She's still heartbroken and I want to be there for her."
"But you'll have to let her go at some point," Kyle responded, "She can't depend on you or any of us forever. It's not good to smother her."
"I know but it's just this 'big sister' instinct of mine to look after her and everyone."
"I understand how you feel but if you keep worrying about her, she won't be able to move on." Alex added.
The green-eyed kunoichi was aware that spoiling her sister will only stunt her growth both as a kunoichi and a woman.
'I hope you'll do fine, sis…'
During the flight, Melody avoided looking at Chris at all costs. She was still hurt by his rejection and wasn't sure if she wanted to be close to him. She also remembered Chris and Amy's advice to think with her head more often. She wanted to but her heart always overpowered her head.
'What am I going to do…?' She asked herself in vain.
Finally, the dragons heading west spotted the three disciples of the Overlord from the heavens with their keen eyesight and swooped down.
"NINJA-GO!"
The four ninjas wasted no time using their Spinjitzu to throw them off but they quickly dodged.
"Look what we have here?" Jacob gave a twisted smile towards the ninjas.
"Enough talk!" Akira cut them off before they can even speak, "What do you want and where is the Overlord!?"
"That's for us to know and for you to never find out." Clouse glared at the brats.
Melody tried to take charge and swung the Whip of Oceans towards the stick-thin man but he sidestepped from the weapon's aim and the swift current of the waters summoned from it.
"Is that all you can do?" He taunted the purple kunoichi.
The aqua-eyed girl was riled up and swung the whip again but he leapt out of the way again.
"I know in my heart that you have a terrible heart if you even have one!" The kunoichi of water glared at the evil man.
The Overlord's henchman stood silent until he chuckled and that small laughter soon dissolved into a mad cackle.
"What's so funny!?" Liana didn't trust this guy one bit.
"This is delicious!" Clouse cackled, "That poor girl does nothing but 'listen to her heart'!"
The corrupted man said the last words in a mocking tone to mess with the kunoichi of water.
"No!" Melody cried and swung the whip again albeit in vain.
"Quite the romanticist, aren't you?" Ronin was next to taunt Melody, "You think you can defeat the Overlord just because you're on the 'good' side. What a naïve child."
"No I'm not!" The ebony-haired girl argued back, having no idea that this is what Ronin wanted in the first place.
The ninjas' powers were balanced by their emotions and if they get provoked, their elemental powers could go out of control, getting them out of the way and it was evident with the water summoned by the whip to pool around its wielder and the waves grew more turbulent.
"Don't let him get to you!" Chris exclaimed, "But your heart alone can't tell you everything! You need to be more logical!"
"But I- !"
"Stop thinking with your heart and get your head in the game!" Akira shouted.
"I don't know!" Melody clutched her aching skull, "How can I listen to both!?"
"You can't listen to just one part of yourself! Listen to yourself as a whole!" Liana can only say as she and the ninjas continued fighting off the enemies.
The kunoichi of water kept shaking her head, trying to find the answers within herself while her teammates used their elements to keep the enemies at bay. The aqua-eyed girl felt even more of a burden being unable to do anything except battling between her mind and heart.
'I want to help but what if I'm not good enough?' Melody battled with her psyche, 'What if my heart's been wrong…? Mom… Dad… please help me…'
Her parents have told her different kinds of advice but she always followed her mother's belief to think with her heart but her father also told her to think with her head. She tried to listen to both of them but her heart easily overpowered her mind as if it won't let her. She tried thinking back to all the things her parents and even Amy told her.
Then a memory flashed like a movie within her mind…
It was three years ago when it happened.
Cole paced around the living room in front of Melody, who didn't dare say anything.
Melody can tell her father was upset with her and it wasn't surprising given what happened. She tried to help a stranger she saw at the convenience store, saying he needed help but as it turned out, he was only looking for a scapegoat to steal for him and thanks to the kunoichi of water, he got away with the stolen goods. The manager called her father over and it was obvious he was NOT happy with what she had done.
"I'm sorry Daddy…" Melody whimpered.
"Melody, you may have had good intentions but what you did was uncalled for," The earth ninja started, "You should've known better than to trust strangers, much less assume he meant well."
"I-I-I only wanted to do w-what I thought was right…" The eleven-year-old girl said shyly.
"There's a difference between what you think is right and what is truly right," The former ninja reminded his younger daughter, "Your heart was in the right place but your actions only led to bad consequences. Being a ninja may be about helping those in need but you also have to think about what is truly right for not just one person but everyone and everything as a whole."
"But how?" Melody asked, "Mom always said to think with my heart."
"But she also wants you to remember what is truly right and to not get lost from reality."
"How will I know what is really right for everyone?"
"Your heart is just one part of you and to find the true answers, you must look within yourself as a whole. You also need to think with your head or you might end up getting yourself in trouble."
"Remember," Cole held his daughter in a comforting hug, "Your heart can only tell you so much. The world can be a cruel place and that's all part of reality. Your heart may be the one guiding you but it's your head that'll keep you grounded within reality so it's important to find a balance between them. Your heart will tell you what is right but by thinking with your head too, you'll be able to fully control your actions and decide what is best for everyone. That is very important for you as a kunoichi. Your mind and heart must work together to know what is truly right."
Melody didn't fully understand what her father meant but now, she did.
Thinking with her heart wasn't necessarily a bad thing but if she listened only to one part of her, she'll only lead herself into trouble and she found out the hard way with Chris. Being optimistic was a sign of her inner strength but she must keep a strong sense of reality.
'Dad… thank you…' She silently thanked her father and finally took his advice to heart.
"Melody! A little help here!?" Akira's hands were holding back Jacob's which also had a hold of his in a pseudo wrestling match but the henchman was surprisingly strong and was gaining the upper hand.
The purple kunoichi snapped back to reality, including the one her heart often blocked out.
She was still hurt by Chris' rejection but she was ready to move on and break free of her mental obstacles to discover her true strength.
"What's the matter?" Clouse sneered at her, "All worked up by your precious little heart?"
"I will NEVER give up!" Melody shouted, "I may think with my heart but I'm not ignorant!"
The purple kunoichi's body emitted a faint light that slowly consumed her. Her teammates felt healed from the light like cool water being sprinkled over their wounds. She swung the Whip of Oceans around her to summon a large tidal wave and cracked the whip before the henchmen, who were quickly swept up in the tsunami. Some of the water splashed onto her allies but they didn't feel any pain. Instead, their bruises were healed by the same waters that tormented the corrupted men.
"T-this isn't over!" Jacob sputtered, trying to keep his head above the water, "The Overlord will be the end of you!"
The kunoichi of water only sent another wave to banish the Overlord's minions from this place but even after all traces of them were gone, her body still glowed and floated.
"I-is she…?" Akira stuttered in astonishment.
"Melody unlocked her true potential." Liana answered.
Melody's teammates gawked at her glowing form until the healing purple light died down and she gently floated down to the ground.
"What… what happened…?" The kunoichi of water shook the dizzy feeling away from her head.
"You found your true potential." The white kunoichi answered.
"I have?" Melody looked down on the palms of her hands, as if the lines on them can give some answers, "I don't feel any different…"
"You finally found a balance between listening to your heart and your head." Chris said, feeling happy for his teammate overcoming her mental block.
"So now we're getting close?" Akira asked.
"Technically, it's only one fifth of us who found our true potential." Liana stated like it was the most matter-of-fact thing ever like her father had done on occasion.
"But at least we're making progress, right?" Melody pointed out, as optimistic as ever.
"Yeah," The ice wielder nodded, "Looking on the bright side can make a big difference."
"I bet Amy will be proud once she finds out." Akira looked to the south with his hot amber eyes.
'Sis!' Melody suddenly realized her sister and her group also had a bunch of corrupted disciples to deal with.
"What are you doing?" Chris asked, noticing the aqua-eyed girl whistling for her dragon.
"We have to check on the others!" The purple kunoichi immediately hopped onto Rain, "If we don't get to them in time, they could get hurt!"
The others nodded and called for their dragons too and headed towards the south…
The other ninja 'quartet' were exhausted but they continued to fight.
"NINJA-GO!"
Four elemental tornadoes spun and knocked out the last of the gangsters that followed Ash and Karl but the two corrupted men were giving them a run for their money.
"EARTH!"
Amy struck the ground with the Scythe of Quakes. Large mounds of solid earth burst forth from the cracks, throwing off the evil duo.
"Face it! You're outnumbered!" Kyle glared at the enemies once the dust has settled.
"Four against three isn't that much of a difference!" Karl snapped at the group.
"Three!?" Forrest raised an eyebrow in confusion, "But there's only two of you! Are you hiding something from us!?"
Ash slowly clapped but the ninjas knew this can't be good…
"So you are more intelligent than you look," His smile looked just as venomous as his voice, "It's no surprise knowing what your father used to be…"
"I'm saying this one more time! Give back the blueprints!" Thorns grew from the vines around the Forest Staff as Forrest's blood boiled.
Footsteps echoed behind the ninjas but it didn't sound human at all. Through their trained ears, they can hear faint buzzing and creaking noises like a machine…
"Behold," Ash pointed towards the source of the sound, "The masterpiece my grandfather had designed! Now I've finally made his ambition come to life! Behold! His creation!"
The ninjas were horrified by the war machine that now stood before them. They thought it was impossible but now that the Overlord had the blueprints, their biggest fear came true.
Standing before them was a nindroid.
(*) Nichts = Nothing (German)
(*) Schwester = Sister (German)
OH… MY… F$#KING… GOD…
The first nindroid to exist in years have finally shown up! But at least Melody unlocked her true potential but we'll see where things go from here!
I also want to congratulate NinjaWriterMaster for finding the easter eggs from the previous chapter but 2plus2equals7 gets an honorable mention for finding out after giving them a hint. The prize was an OC cameo & we'll see NinjaWriterMaster's OC sometime in this story!
As always, thank you so much & don't forget to review! :D