Children of Destiny
Hi guys! I left you all with an action-packed chapter but this one will be a lighthearted break from all that.
Here, we'll see some sibling bonding time & explore some of their little quirks, so enjoy!
Chapter 25: You Got Pranked
Forrest laid on his bed, thinking about all the crazy events that happened just a while back.
His mind was still consumed by thoughts of the evil nindroids and their relation with his father and his own lineage. They were technically clones of the former nindroid, being based from his old blueprints but they weren't the same. It sickened him to think he could be one of them and he wasn't… was he…?
"Forrest, can I come in?" The teal ninja recognized that voice in an instant.
"What do you want, Liana?" He asked as she let herself in and sat by his side.
"I just want to check on you. Melody told me everything about what happened."
The plant wielder was silent while Liana stroked his light brown hair to comfort him.
"We're not one of them, are we?" He suddenly asked.
"Of course not," Liana answered, "They are evil machines bent on destroying humanity and we are the ninjas who'll protect Ninjago and we're also human."
"And they're not Dad either, are they?"
"No," The white kunoichi shook her head, "Dad is nothing like those evil things. Our grandfather built him to not only help those in need but so he can also be his own person. The nindroids are nothing like him."
"Even if Dad was still a nindroid, what would make him different from Cryptor and the others?"
"Dad was always a great man, helping anyone in need and had his own thoughts, emotions, and memories. The only thing those nindroids want is to destroy."
"I know you always want to speak your mind but there are times we just have to keep things to ourselves, especially if it isn't something nice. If you keep rushing into these situations, you may end up losing yourself to your emotions like you just did a while back."
Forrest still felt anger towards Cryptor but now, he knew better.
"At first, I took your efforts to help me find acceptance for granted but ever since I opened up, I'm now grateful for what you've done for me and I want to do the same. Your emotions can be a powerful driving force but there are times you need to settle down."
The teal ninja always knew Liana was the type of girl who always tried to think of a strategy to confront any problems that befall her and much like how he tried to get her to socialize more, she tried to convince him not to rush into certain situations.
"You always have this sort of effect on me, sisko…" Forrest let out a slight chuckle, "You always try to do things as quietly as possible... It makes me feel… calm…"
"I guess that's why we're brother and sister…" For once, Liana smiled being with her brother.
"Yeah…"
"Are you okay now?"
The nature ninja cautiously sat up but he wasn't hit with a wave of nausea or dizziness. His gait was still a bit shaky but Liana was there to help him.
"I think I'm fine…" Forrest said aloud to reassure both Liana and himself.
"I'm glad to see you feeling better."
"Kiitos…"
The reconciled Julien siblings knew their family bonds were meant to be. They were similar and different at the same time and that was what made them unique.
Leon and Willow went down to the bottom level of the ship to get out some new weapons for the obstacle course. The old ones were getting rusty and one of the swinging chains flung right off and nearly hit Amy but she was lucky she got out of the way just in time.
"Willow!" The green ninja called his sister, "What's taking you so long!"
"C-coming!" The kunoichi of time ran down the stairs to catch up but ended up tripping on her own feet and tumbled down the stairs.
"Willow!"
The young ninja's brotherly instincts kicked in upon seeing his sister clumsily trying to get up.
"Geez, can't you ever walk down the stairs without tripping?" Leon rolled his emerald eyes.
The youngest kunoichi can get really clumsy, especially whenever she ran down the halls of the monastery, going up and down the stairs, and was even a messy eater like their father.
"I-I can walk down stairs!" The pink kunoichi finally got up and dusted herself off.
"No you can't," Leon scoffed, "Remember what happened on your birthday?"
Willow's family and friends were gathered at the monastery to celebrate her eleventh birthday. Everyone gathered at the bottom of the stairs while the young kunoichi got dressed.
Willow stepped out, wearing a cute white dress with puffed shoulders, pink frills, and a big pink bow at the back with flowers in her hair. Her hand was held by her father's as he led her down the hall and in front of the stairs.
"Watch your step." Lloyd whispered to his daughter before letting go.
The eleven-year-old girl was confident she would make a grand entrance. She took one tiny step forward and…
The birthday girl quickly lost her balance and fell down the full flight of stairs. Everyone gasped in shock while her relatives merely shook their heads. Her parents and grandmother were quick to rush to her side while the fifteen-year-old Leon laughed until Garmadon pinched his ear.
"Willow! Are you okay!?" Iris worried for her daughter and checked for any wounds.
However, the violet-eyed girl was resilient and got up. Her dress and hair were now messy and a couple of the flowers in her brownish gold locks fell off but luckily, she wasn't bleeding and she had her hands on her hips, trying to look triumphant.
"I'm okay!" Willow grinned awkwardly before falling backwards from dizziness, earning sighs of exasperation from her father.
Willow may be the kunoichi of time and space but she definitely wasn't the graceful warrior she was destined to be…
"It was just one time!" The youngest kunoichi pouted.
"And what about all those other times?" Leon asked snidely.
The Garmadon siblings had a little flashback on the countless times Willow stumbled, fell, or hit a wall. Frankly, it was a long flashback.
"Okay!" Willow threw up her arms in defeat, "So I'm not the most graceful kunoichi! Who is!?"
"Hey, nobody's perfect," Leon reminded her, "We all have our weak points. You already know I can never stay awake during Misako's lectures."
"Neither can Akira."
"But he's not as bad as I am. You should know that."
Willow chuckled at the many memories of Misako smacking her brother with a rolled up scroll whenever she caught him sleeping during her history lessons.
"Just help me get these targets up the stairs."
The pink kunoichi was only willing to help out but while carrying the items down the hall… she bumped against the wall and dropped them, surprise surprise.
Leon sighed again, having to put up with a clumsy sister but at the same time, he couldn't have her any other way. There can only be one Willow and that was how he liked it.
The Pyrrhus and Walker children stared at the horizon before them, bored out of their minds. They wondered how they'll find their true potential but at the same time, wanted a break from all the skirmishes with the Overlord's forces.
"I'm bored…" Alex was the first to state the obvious.
"Any ideas?" Chris asked.
"Video games." Akira suggested.
Everyone but the red ninja said 'nah'. They wanted to do something new.
"Talk with our parents." Kyle added.
"That's too much like a chore." His older brother complained.
"Poke the dragons and see how they react."
This earned the only girl in the group incredulous stares.
"…Are you sure you know what we're talking about…?" Kyle hoped his cousin was just joking.
"…What?" The kunoichi of wind merely tilted her head as if she already forgot what they were talking about.
"Were you even listening?" Chris asked in exasperation.
"Sorry, I was thinking about the dragons."
Akira rolled his eyes over his sister's airheaded bouts but he was used to it. She had more than enough moments where she got distracted by little things or didn't understand conversations. Who could forget that time they were in science class and she thought the teacher was actually planning to burn down the school when he was just describing a Bunsen burner?
"Great," The brother of wind sighed, "You're so bored your brain turned to mush."
The Walker brothers just looked on with bemusement. The Pyrrhus twins had their own quirks and that was why they always loved spending time with them. It was nice being with relatives but they also remembered a certain someone…
"I wonder how Sayuri is doing…" Chris sighed, "She's probably lonely back home…"
Even the Pyrrhus twins knew of their youngest cousin's jealousy towards her brothers. Alex in particular felt sorry for the little girl because she was already the only girl in this generation of the family tree to have elemental powers.
"I feel bad for her," She started, "She's kind of like a black sheep because she doesn't have any elemental powers. Not even some combination of lightning and metal... It'll actually be pretty neat… having two elemental powers or something in between…"
"Alex, you're rambling again." The red ninja had to drag her head down from the clouds again.
"But Sayuri always complains to our parents that they love us more than her." Kyle said.
"Do they?" Akira asked.
"Of course not!" Chris stared at his cousin like he was a psycho, "They do love Sayuri but I have to admit they sometimes give me and Kyle more attention but it's to keep our powers in check. But it does justify our sister's jealousy towards us…"
"She doesn't need powers to stand out," The metal ninja started, "She's smarter than most girls her age and she's as tech-savvy as we are. She's still unique in her own way."
"But it's not easy not having any powers when the rest of your family does." Alex reminded him of the reason of his baby sister's jealousy.
"Who knows?" The hazel-eyed ninja shrugged, "Maybe her powers will come one day. Both of our parents are ninjas so she could have something unique in the future…"
"ACHOO!"
Sayuri suddenly sneezed while on her way home from school with her friends.
"Sayuri, what's wrong?" One of her friends asked in concern for her sudden ailment.
"It's nothing," The nine-year-old dismissed her, "I just feel like someone's talking about me…"
The cousins continued staring at the clouds above them, trying to curb their boredom…
"When do you think we'll find our true potential?" Akira asked.
"I don't know," Chris sighed, "We can't predict the future and we can't just go 'I want my true potential' and then have it given to us on a silver plate. That'll make us look like brats."
"I remember Sensei Lloyd telling us that if we keep trying to get hold of something, the further it will get. Maybe this is one of those things…" The yellow ninja mused.
"Guess that's why it's better to wait, even if it won't be easy…" Alex sighed.
The cousins can do nothing but wonder when their time will come.
Hopefully, it won't be too long…
The Charbonneau sisters were also trying to find a way to kill time in the living room.
"I wonder how Mom and Dad are doing…" Melody mused.
"I'm sure they're fine," Amy reassured her, "They did go all around Ninjago and went through a lot before settling down."
"When do you think you'll find your true potential?"
"I don't know," The black kunoichi sighed, "We can't predict these sort of things. It all depends on how we'll deal with our own issues and if we want to get over them or not."
"So far, Liana thought she'll never fit in but learned to open up and not assume things, Forrest let go of his grudges, and I learned to maintain a balance between heart and mind. How do you think yours will go?"
"I don't know," The green-eyed girl shrugged, "It's not like you can predict when you'll find your true potential. Maybe there's something deep within me that I still haven't discovered."
"What do you think it is?"
"I don't know and that's the thing. Sometimes, we don't even know what's holding us back. I'm just not sure what my issue is…"
"Issues? Amy, you're the best sister anyone could ask for!"
"N-no I'm not…!" Amy stuttered and blushed, "I'm just doing what a kunoichi should do!"
"But you were always there for me but not just that, but you're always trying to help all of us in any way you can. That's what being a ninja and a sibling is all about and you're always helping me, even back home."
"You really think so…?"
"Of course! I'm very grateful to have you for a sister and the ninjas should be grateful too!"
"But anyone else can be like that…"
"But no one does it better than you," Melody looked at her sister straight in the eye, "You were always such a wonderful sister and even if you aren't the perfect person, you're still the sister I know I can depend on and we can all depend on you!"
"Thanks, sis." The kunoichi of kunoichi can't help but blush at her compliments but she too was glad to have a sister like Melody. She was a little shy at times but she saw her for her optimism and courage to look at the bright side even in the darkest of times.
"I want to hear Mom's songs. I miss her." The kunoichi of water suddenly said.
Amy went through the playlist on her phone, also feeling nostalgic to hear her mother's voice. Finally, she settled on 'Wunderbar', one of her most popular songs that were still a huge hit to this day. Amy and Melody remembered that their mother made it for her wedding. It was one of their favorite stories from their parents. It was like the perfect 'happily ever after' ending to a wonderful fairy tale. The memories flowed in their heads the moment the song started playing. They were definitely their mother's daughters with their natural inclination to music. The black kunoichi started humming to the tune and the kunoichi of water tapped her feet a bit.
The Charbonneau sisters may be teens now but they still liked to sing and dance like little girls once in a while. They got up and started singing and dancing like they were the only people in the entire world.
"You having fun there?" A masculine voice asked.
The sisters were startled to see the nature ninja standing at the doorway.
"Forrest…! H-how long have you been there!?" Melody stuttered.
"Long enough to know you're a bunch of loonies." The teal ninja only laughed as he ran through the halls to avoid getting attacked by them.
"What do you want!?" Amy asked in exasperation once she and her sister had him cornered at the corner of the hall.
"The ninjas have a great idea and we need your help." The tall ninja said.
"What help…?" Melody raised an eyebrow.
Forrest whispered the ninjas' plans to the sisters and they were only too eager to be in on it.
They knew it was fun to tease one another every now and then…
Akira can tell Liana was relieved that Forrest finally recovered from his ordeal. Now that it was just the two of them, perhaps now's the opportunity to finally spend some time together after that incident…
"Akira?" Liana noticed him before he can approach her, "What are you doing here?"
"I was wondering how you're doing. You know, dealing with Forrest and stuff…"
"He's doing fine," The kunoichi of ice responded, "I know he can take care of himself."
"I know how you feel," The fire ninja added, "I still try looking after Alex but I know she can take care of herself and even if she didn't, she'd still refuse my help. She can be really stubborn…"
"Kinda like you," Liana chuckled, "You two really are brother and sister, pretty much like myself and Forrest. We're always trying to look out for each other and that's also why we're ninjas."
"Yeah…"
It was nice for them to finally have a chance to really spend time together since that unsavory incident when Liana learned of Akira's true colors. But whether or not they'll end up together, just hanging out was fine by them.
"It's kinda nice just hanging out together," The olive-skinned ninja tried to start a conversation, "It does get a bit boring doing nothing but fight bad guys."
"This is also the first time we've hung out since…" The ice wielder trailed off, still remembering the time she briefly ran away out of fear of getting hurt more than she had already been.
But Akira was different.
He seemed like a man who was true to his word and he was always trying to encourage her and everyone and wanted to protect his family. She can't help but admire that and felt that maybe she can finally find acceptance with him…
Akira can see Alex eavesdropping at a distance, mouthing 'milk it'. To make it worse, even Chris, Kyle, and Forrest were there too, staring at them like teenage spies on a clichéd pre-teen show.
"Liana, I don't wanna ruin the moment but I think we're being watched." The fire ninja glared at the eavesdroppers.
"What?"
Before Liana could back away, Forrest used his plant-based powers on the planks right behind his sister's feet. He pointed his Forest Staff at the wood as it gave a vague teal glow and the flat pieces of wood curled up, making the kunoichi of ice slide forward towards Akira. The red ninja would've also backed away if it weren't for his sister. The kunoichi of wind ran to the other side of the Bounty and sent a light gust from the Fans of Gales that also pushed him forward.
Just as the wielders of ice and fire were pushed forward by the forces of nature, something big and black swooped in between them and grazed their lips before flying off as quickly as it came.
"We got it!" The Charbonneau sisters' voice exclaimed from a distance.
Akira spat out whatever got on his lips and Liana looked up to see Haukka hovering over them.
"Haukka! What was THAT for!?" The kunoichi of ice cried indignantly.
The robotic falcon didn't even make a sound in response as it swooped down and landed on her brother's shoulder.
"Good job!" Forrest whispered to his mechanical companion.
Meanwhile, the others gathered around the Charbonneau sisters to see the results of their little heist on their phones. Alex, Forrest, and the Walker sons guffawed at the picture before finally showing it to the white kunoichi and red ninja.
The photo looked like Akira and Liana were kissing Haukka, who was smack dab in the center of the picture, on both cheeks!
"It's not funny! Don't laugh!" Akira shouted but the other ninjas only laughed more raucously at the blush on his olive-skinned face that matched his gi.
Liana was also blushing like crazy at the picture but wasn't as 'outspoken' as Akira. She looked at the picture and even she started to find it quite amusing.
"I have to admit, it's a pretty funny picture." The white kunoichi let out a light laugh even if she was one of the members of the pranked.
"Why the hell are you laughing!?" The fire ninja complained, "What if everyone else sees it!?"
"Oh please!" Amy playfully dismissed him, "It's not like we'll spread this all over your schools!"
"But still!"
"Come on, bro!" Alex playfully slapped her brother on the back, "It's just a little prank!"
The red ninja still wasn't exactly thrilled that Liana found it funny but he didn't want to ruin the moment for her and he started to see more of her true self underneath the cold surface. Deep down, Liana was an intelligent yet sweet young woman. Anyone would be lucky to have her for a friend but too bad they shunned her. To Akira, it was their loss for missing out on appreciating the timid girl for who she really was deep down.
Could she help him unlock his true potential much like the ninjas have done for her?
But what if there was something deep down that he must solve by himself?
"Akira, what's wrong?" Melody waved her hand over his face to get his attention.
"N-nothing…" He dismissed the purple kunoichi.
Lloyd often told his students to never put off tomorrow what they could today but today, all the ninjas wanted to do was relax before resuming their quest.
Tonight, the ninja and kunoichi gathered for a dinner of fried chicken.
What?
It's not like the ninjas can eat fancy every day.
For some reason, Misako didn't seem to trust the food. All she did was stare at the poultry like it could come to life and scurry off on its own…
"Sensei, is something wrong?" Alex noticed her teacher's uneasy expression.
"I have this feeling…" Misako continued to stare, "Things are not always what they seem…"
"Why would that apply here?" Kyle asked, "It's just fried chicken."
"All I can say is… don't assume anything…" The bespectacled woman gave a final warning.
"Who cares? Let's eat." Akira sat himself down to chow down, followed by his teammates.
The moment the ninja and kunoichi took a bite, they realized Misako's suspicions were justified.
It started off as a very mild kick but it quickly evolved into a hellish inferno in their palates!
The ninjas screamed in agony and scrambled for their drinks. Even after downing all the water in their cups, it didn't offer much relief. With each passing second, the burn only got worse and they ended up panting like dogs in a hot car and their eyes were like waterfalls of tears but the saline liquid did nothing for the intense heat on their reddened faces.
That is all but one of the ninjas…
A certain ninja laughed hysterically at his teammates' reaction to his biggest prank yet.
Unbeknownst to everyone else, he secretly peeled back some of the crispy skins and brushed a good deal of sauce made of bhut jolokia onto the meat before everyone gathered at the table. His teammates soon noticed he was also the only one who didn't take a bite of chicken…
"LEON!" Nine voices screamed at him but he didn't care.
The green ninja laughed even more raucously at his brethren who struggled to rid themselves of the burning sensations on their tongues. The heat was just plain unbearable.
"Oh god the water only made it worse!" Forrest cried and ran for the fridge to find some other beverage to cool his burning tongue.
Misako shook her head.
She knew something wasn't right with the chicken the moment she got a whiff of the hot sauce wafting from the meat. Her eyes even watered at the pungent fragrance alone. But it was funny just watching the ninjas' antics. It reminded her of their parents when they were young.
"I am going to kick your ass." Chris glowered at him but he didn't look so intimidating with the tears in his sapphire eyes and cheeks red not from anger but from an overdose of bhut jolokia.
Akira stared at his plate of chicken and much to everyone else's shock… he took another bite.
Leon stared at the red ninja with an incredulous expression and the others just gawked at him.
Was he some sort of masochist!?
"Why are you eating that again!?" Willow exclaimed, "It's like solid lava!"
"You know, after getting through the spiciness, it's not that bad."
Only Melody was brave enough to see what was so good about it and gingerly took a little bite. Amy stared at her little sister in disbelief until she finally spoke.
"Actually… it's pretty good." The kunoichi of water agreed with Akira and took another bite.
Soon, Leon's prank backfired since everyone else soon got past the intense spiciness and even enjoyed the new spicy addition to the fried chicken.
'This wasn't supposed to happen!'
Wondering what was so good about an unexpected kick of bhut jolokia, the green ninja took his share of chicken and bit into it and…
Leon shrieked in agony and ran for the fridge for any sort of beverage to cool his flaming palate, much to the amusement of his teammates and Misako.
The tables have definitely turned on him!
LOL! It's nice to write something on the humorous side again! But after that, we'll get right back in action & this chapter actually has slight hints of what's to come in the future.
I can't believe the new season is premiering tomorrow! Time sure flies by! Although I've been losing faith in the Hageman bros, I'm still gonna check it out.
Review!