Children of Destiny
Phew! The ninjas finally got their true potential so now's the perfect time for them to just relax! Plus, there's gonna be some Akira/Liana moments & hints of another couple so enjoy!
Chapter 34: Getting to Know You
Now that the ninja and kunoichi all found their true potential, they finally got to have a day off. At last, the young heroes were able to just relax and be themselves before they continue on.
While everyone else danced, the Charbonneau sisters snuck away to chat.
"Did anything happen while you were away?" Amy asked Melody.
"Nothing much," The raven-haired girl shrugged, "What about you? Where did you go?"
"A couple of places. First, I went back to Meerheim to see Mom and Dad."
"How are they doing?" Melody asked.
"They're doing fine."
"And Lorelei?"
"She's doing fine too. Mom and Dad really miss both of us."
"I can understand why. I haven't seen them since we first left."
"I know we'll see them again…"
"And where else did you go?"
"After seeing Mom and Dad, I went to the Cave of Despair. I felt like going to the place where it all started for the ninjas might provide a hint of what I needed. That's where I heard him."
"The First Spinjitzu Master?"
"Yes. It's thanks to him that I found what I truly needed and it's also because of him that I finally unlocked my true potential."
"I'm really happy for you sis!" The purple kunoichi hugged her older sister.
"I am too," The green-eyed girl hugged her back, "What I needed was right here the whole time and I'm glad I found that out before it was too late."
"I'm just glad you found what you needed."
Before the kunoichi of earth can respond, a deep growl from both of their stomachs reminded the slightly embarrassed girls of their hunger.
"Uh… let's try a zappy burger before the others eat it all." Amy suggested.
"Yeah." Melody followed her sister to the table where the re-invented burgers awaited them.
Chris' boasts that his father's zappy burgers were like no other were justified.
The beef patty was already cooked to perfection but the juicy slice of bacon, mild cheese, and thick slice of tomato made it even more indulgent. Several slices of sweet pickles and a slice of pineapple gave it a unique twist and the ketchup slathered on top had a slight kick to it similar to barbecue sauce but the recipe was one of Mr. Walker's most closely guarded secrets. It was no wonder Chris and Kyle love it so much but Akira still sulked that no one liked his pizza.
"Hey Akira! You should really try this!" Alex practically shoved a zappy burger up his face.
"I don't feel like it!" The brother of wind still pouted like a pestilent child.
"Don't be such a whiny brat! Try it!"
"No!"
Exasperated by her brother's stubbornness, the brunette girl had an idea…
"Liana!" She called over the white kunoichi, who approached her as if something was wrong.
"Akira's being a stubborn baby. Why don't we get him to open up a bit?" Alex smirked.
Liana didn't know what she was talking about at after the sister of fire whispered her plan, she let out a small chuckle, something Akira would've thought to be impossible…
The girls sat right in front of the fire ninja and showed off the burgers in their hands.
"Isn't this the best burger you've ever had, Liana?" Alex asked in a cloying voice.
"Mmm…" Liana nodded, "And the sauce… it has a wonderful kick to it. It's sweet with what may be a hint of fruity flavor. Maybe there's some apple in there…"
"And the beef patty! It's so juicy and melts in your mouth and so is the thick-cut bacon!"
"The pineapple too! The sweet tanginess contrasts with the savory patty but it goes well at the same time! It's just heavenly!"
Akira tried to ignore the girls' gushing over the hamburgers but their teasing was really getting to the hungry ninja and he was practically drooling just hearing their overdramatic exchanges.
"Just give me one!" He finally caved and grabbed a zappy burger for himself.
The very second he took a bite, all the unique flavors melded together into a delicious harmony on his taste buds and he could feel something run down his cheeks.
"Are you crying?" It took everything in Alex to not laugh at her brother's reaction.
"S-shut up!" The red ninja pouted like a brat but didn't stop eating the burger.
The kunoichi of wind and ice chuckled to themselves, knowing their little scheme has worked.
The party went on for the rest of the night and the ninja and kunoichi stayed up celebrating the greatest accomplishment they've ever made up to this point.
It was past noon by the time the ninjas got up but Misako was nice enough to let them take the day off to gather their strength for the challenges to come.
Akira was last to get up and after a quick breakfast, he can hear clinking noises coming from the bridge and peeked into the room out of curiosity.
'I should've known.' He let out a bemused smirk seeing the source of the sound.
Liana was tinkering away with Haukka yet again. The kunoichi of ice was once again oblivious to the fire ninja's presence until he sneaked up on her and…
"Boo!"
The pale girl yelped while Haukka squawked and flew a couple of feet away.
"Akira! Don't do that!" Liana hissed at him.
"Hey, I didn't really mean it! It was just a joke!" Akira tried justifying himself.
"You think scaring people is funny?" She narrowed her eyes at him.
"N-no…! I wasn't trying to REALLY scare you! It's just like how friends tease each other!"
"You… think of me as a friend…?"
Just seeing the blush that was obvious on Liana's alabaster face made the fire wielder blush as well. He was still figuring out how he really felt towards the controller of his opposite element and he can tell she was going through the same thing.
"Liana…"
"Huh…?"
"Liana, do you feel like you really belong with us now?"
"I still feel unsure of myself but it's not as bad as before and so far, you're all kind to me. I like to think that I am…"
"That's because you do. We're all unique in our own way and that's what unites us, even you."
"Is there something unique about me you like…?"
"Of course! For starters, you're not like those snobby shallow bitches from my school. You're a very sweet yet intelligent girl who just wants to do her own thing and that takes a lot of guts to do in high school. You're actually strong in your own way."
"You really think so?"
"Yes. You may also have your shortcomings but don't we all?"
"Yeah…"
"You may have a fiery temper but you're really nice to us and you always go out of your way to encourage me, even when we don't have anything in common."
"It doesn't matter if we like the same thing or not, you are your own person. We're a team but that doesn't mean we're the exact same. We all stand out and that can actually unify us."
Haukka ran a quick scan on Akira before perching himself back on Liana's shoulder. Because of its new masculine-sounding voice, the ninjas have since addressed the avian robot as 'he'.
"Your body temperature has risen by two degrees in Fahrenheit." The falcon droned.
Now Akira was really starting to dislike the new Haukka…
"Now further increased by one degree." The robot bird continued, adding insult to injury.
"Get out of here!" The red ninja finally shooed the mechanical being out of the room.
"Strange… You were the one to suggest going through with the upgrade." Liana reminded Akira of his involvement in her decision to let Haukka speak.
"Does your father know of Haukka's upgrade yet?" The red ninja asked trying to divert the ice wielder's teasing away from him.
"Not yet but I hope it won't be long before he finds out…"
"Of course it won't be long. Haukka and Mr. Julien have been with each other all their lives."
"I can only imagine the conversations they'll have…"
"What else can Haukka say?"
"I'm still working on his vocal mechanisms so for now, he can only state what's going on around him or our basic statuses."
Ever since she forgave him after learning of his past, Liana has become noticeably more 'open' to everyone on the team and Akira was intrigued by the new Liana. Having grown up together, it was a big contrast to the quiet withdrawn girl who always had to be convinced by her brother to talk with the kunoichi, even if it was just a tiny bit. He was completely enthralled with Liana's changes but knew that at the same time, she was still the same timid yet intelligent wallflower deep down. She just had a little more courage to be who she is.
"It's a pity that the girls in your school never gave you a chance. I finally know the real you and it's amazing to see this side of you." Akira started.
"You always know what to say to make me feel better." Liana muttered.
"I really mean it. Underneath that cold exterior is a brilliant girl with a sweet sense of humor. I really enjoy spending time with the real you and I don't want this to end…"
The fire ninja subconsciously walked towards the kunoichi of ice and wrapped one arm around her slender form. As if being controlled by something within, Liana leaned on Akira's shoulder. The fiery ninja was confused at first but the sensation was not unwelcome in his mind and the same went on in Liana's mind.
(*) '…Lämmin…' The ice wielder sighed, losing herself in the fire ninja's warm aura.
The wielders of ice and fire wished to be trapped in this moment forever but alas, time can only move forward and so must they…
Leon was dragged into yet another one of his sister's quirky antics.
Willow tried a hand at cooking but because she was still young, Leon insisted that she can only cook if he was there to watch her. That and he knew she was a bit of a klutz. Leon watched with bemusement while his little sister rummaged through the pantry, trying to figure out what she can make with the ingredients they have until she settled on the packages of instant ramen.
"Really?" The green ninja raised an eyebrow at the packages of noodles in her arms.
"What? It's quick and easy!" The pink kunoichi retorted.
"You just jinxed yourself."
"Shush! I can make it in a snap! Just watch!"
Willow opened the cupboard where the pots were in but the crammed kitchenware fell victim to gravity and fell on her while she struggled to keep the ramen packages from falling from her grip and some of the noodles got crushed from the impact or escaped from their packages that burst from the weight of the pots. Leon couldn't help but guffaw at his sister's lack of grace.
"Geez, you're so clumsy you can't even make instant ramen!" The green ninja laughed.
"Urusai!" Willow threw one of the ruined packs of dried noodles at him but Leon, being the big brother he always was, helped her anyway.
Even though he teased her a lot, Leon truly cared for his baby sister. She was still just a child but she already had to face the difficulties of being a ninja. No one was young forever but the green ninja felt a little bad for his sister, knowing was in a way, forced to grow up early.
"Let me help you up." Leon rolled his eyes but offered his hand.
Willow pouted like the child she was but accepted his help anyway.
"You're such a klutz but you're my klutzy sister." The green ninja said.
"Awww… the noodles are ruined…" Willow pouted, feeling the crushed dried noodles through their plastic packaging.
"You can actually make something out of them, even when their broken into tiny pieces." The green ninja suggested.
"What can I make? No one likes dry noodles!"
"You don't have to make a noodle dish. You can use the noodle bits to top a salad."
"But I never made a salad before."
"It's easy. I'll help you." Leon offered again.
Unlike their grandfather and 'gruncle' since the first incident with the Great Devourer, the new Garmadon siblings had a strong bond and they knew that no matter destiny throws at them, it may never break…
Forrest and Chris duked it out in a round of the latest installment of the 'Ninja Battle' series. As always, Forrest picked Bolobo while Chris chose Levin, the lightning wielder of the game. They were completely engrossed in the game while the two characters duked it out on the screen.
"Ha! In your face!" Chris boasted.
Forrest glared at the blue ninja but Liana noticed his shaking fists…
"Forrest, control your temper." The ice wielder whispered to her brother.
"Sorry…" The tall ninja grumbled.
The teal ninja still had a bit of a temper but ever since he found his true potential, he didn't lose his temper so often. He still got riled up every now then but he knew it was pointless and even infantile to get mad over something trivial like losing a game. At least his sister had this sort of effect on him like the ice she already controlled. Like an ice pack on a wound, or an icy drink on a hot summer day, she had her own way of healing him whenever he got agitated and in turn, he did whatever he could to get her to open up like a shy flower yet to bloom amongst its kin.
But he wasn't the only one getting her to open up to the rest of the team.
Forrest knew what went on between his sister and Akira. They were opposites in not just their elements but also their personalities. It was a classic case of opposites attract and he can even see the similarities between Akira and Liana's interactions and their parents stories of how they fell in love with each other…
"How are things going between you and Akira?" Forrest decided to tease his sister.
"We're getting along just fine…" She calmly answered.
The brother of ice let out a bemused chortle at the blush on his sister's face. He can tell she was happy being with Akira and he knew she was much more than a quiet shy girl and the fire ninja had also seen that. He definitely had feelings for her but does the same go for her?
"Is being with Akira what you really want?" The teal ninja suddenly asked.
"I still don't know…" The ice wielder sighed, "He can be hotheaded and even a little arrogant at times but deep down, he's really sweet and is smarter than he seems. He even bothered to try and encourage me whenever I was feeling lonely and I'm grateful for that…"
"Is that all?"
Liana blushed yet again but Forrest didn't nag her.
These feelings always take some time to get sorted out and even for the one experiencing them to figure out how they really felt. The teal ninja had a good idea what was going on but this was something his sister had to figure out herself along with Akira.
But Forrest was actually all for it. If Liana was truly happy with the fire ninja and decides to be with him for good and bad, then who was he to say no?
They were often told by their parents that if the feelings they had for someone was true, even if they weren't attractive by society's standards or had their flaws, then that was what love is all about and their mother knew that better than anyone since she loved their father with all her heart, even when he was a robot. To Liana and Forrest, that was true love and the latter began to see something similar between the former and the red ninja.
Akira was, without a doubt, a hothead and a bit cocky but Liana saw him for who he was deep down like their mother had with their father and he knew what was going on between them.
"Forrest, is there something you need to say?" Liana noticed her brother's spacy expression.
"Nothing much…"
"Liana…"
"Yes?"
"I know you'll be happy with him. Only your heart can decide if that's what you really want…"
Liana had no idea what Forrest meant but she had a hunch that it will be important, especially in the near future…
Melody was bored, having nothing to do on the Bounty and everyone else, not even Amy, had time to hang out with her. Akira and Liana were busy being lovebirds, Alex and Chris hogged the TV with their video games, and even her sister was still resting from her personal journey. Leon and Willow were also busy taking a history lesson from Misako while Forrest was absorbed into his A Tale of Fire and Water books.
The purple kunoichi let out a long sigh, not knowing what to do.
Like the waters she controlled, she must keep flowing or she'll become stagnant like rainwater trapped in a bucket. In her boredom, the raven-haired girl wandered into the bridge and found the only other person left for her to hang out with.
"Kyle, what are you doing here?" She asked the yellow ninja who was surprised by her arrival.
"I'm just tinkering. That's all." The hazel-eyed ninja answered while skimming some blueprints.
"Is there something you're looking over in particular?"
"I'm trying to figure out how to improve the computers here. They're already good enough but I'm thinking about sprucing them up a bit."
"What are you trying to improve?"
"The Bounty has a self-defense mode the computer can operate but sometimes, I think it could use some improvement, such as having a facial recognition system."
"Maybe you should stop fretting over such little things and lighten up a little."
"Are you saying I'm too serious?"
"Honestly, yeah… a little…"
The metal ninja looked down with slight embarrassment but Melody was willing to look past his flaws and see him for who he really was underneath his meticulous attitude.
"That doesn't mean you're a bad person," She consoled him, "We all have our flaws, even me. I still have a habit of thinking with just my heart and a bit shy every once in a while but I still try to be me."
"Then who is the real you?"
"I may not seem like it but I'm more than the kunoichi of water. I have my own personality and my own desires and needs. I like to think that outside of being a kunoichi, I'm pretty much just like any other teenage girl, wanting to be with my friends and family and lead a successful life. I also have my own unique traits such as knowing when to think with heart and mind."
"And what about me? I probably don't have anything special…"
"Of course you do! We all have something that makes us all unique."
"Then what do I have that none of you share?"
"You're definitely not harsh like your brother but you're also really smart and practical and not only that but you're also quite intuitive too."
"Y-you're only saying that to make me feel better…" The yellow ninja turned away but Melody could've sworn she saw a very subtle blush on his cheeks.
"I really mean it. We all have our unique personalities, even amongst our own true siblings. We each have our ups and downs but that only mean we're human."
Kyle didn't really consider himself an optimist nor a pessimist. He thought of himself more of a realist than anything but Melody's cheerful nature was getting a bit infectious on the pragmatic ninja. He was often told by his father that it's important to have fun once in a while and he does like to indulge every now and then but it wasn't something he can do so easily with his fear of being judged and his habit of becoming anxious easily.
"Kyle, what's wrong?" Melody asked in concern with his blank expression.
"I was just thinking about some stuff…" Kyle sighed.
"Don't worry Kyle. We won't judge you."
"Are you sure…?"
"Of course."
"You're really quite the optimist, are you?"
"And you need to lighten up a bit!"
The ninja of metal and kunoichi of water shared a friendly laugh, learning to get along with each other despite their contrasts. Melody always looked on the bright side of life while Kyle always looked at everything at a pragmatic perspective. Similar to Akira and Liana, this could be a case of 'opposites attract'.
If possible, Melody may have found the one…
Sensei Wu's day at the monastery went on as usual. He would meet with Lloyd and Iris over the possibilities destiny may have for the new generation, catch up with his former students and his brother, and just meditate with a steaming cup of fresh green tea.
While the old sage meditated, the spirit smoke conjured mysterious images he can still see with his eyes closed.
He saw a passageway leading into a mountain and at the end of the subterranean stairway was a towering pair of double doors but he already knew this place despite never really setting foot in the secret lair. This was the chamber underneath the Temple of Light the new generation and Misako discovered when the latter last communicated with him. As if from otherworldly force, the imposing doors opened, revealing the large room inside. Ancient texts and pictures carved onto the walls gave the room an enigmatic feel. Eight pedestals stood in each corner of the lair and all of them glowed in each of the ninja and kunoichi's signature colors.
Wu remembered when Misako first told him of this secret room, only two of them glowed.
This was not a vision of the past or the future. This was happening here and now.
All of the ninja and kunoichi have found their true potential and the next step of their arduous quest has begun.
The visions faded away but ingrained themselves into the old man's memories.
Wu was on his way to summon his nephew and his wife but he was found first…
"There you are." A feminine voice spoke behind him.
Wu didn't have to turn around to know who it was.
"Indeed I am." He calmly turned to face Iris.
"Sensei Wu, is there something you need to tell me?" Iris asked. Even after all these years, she still held the sagely man in high regard to the point she still called him Sensei.
"You probably know the answer by now." The old man coolly answered.
"Is this about my children?"
"Of course."
"I have faith in them yet I can't stop worrying…"
"There's nothing wrong with that. You're just being a mother."
"There you are!" Another masculine voice said from behind the sole woman in the monastery before the owner of the voice teasingly wrapped his arms around her.
"L-Lloyd!" Iris' gasp turned into a giggle as her husband held her close and tickled her neck with light kisses. She turned around so her lips can meet his.
Wu turned away to let the couple have their moment. If his past self that trained the ninjas saw the scene unfolding before him, he wouldn't have recognized Lloyd. He was very different from the greedy, temperamental, candy-mongering, girl-hating boy he and the ninjas picked up from the streets.
It's almost jarring knowing how much time can really change a person…
"Lloyd! Sensei Wu's looking!" The former kunoichi giggled between passionate kisses.
"I have seen a lot in my long life. You don't have to hide anything." Wu said flatly.
After a couple more kisses, the former hero of Ninjago now got serious.
"So what do want to tell us?" Lloyd finally got straight to the point.
"The time for your children has come." Wu began.
"They're already ninjas. What else could there be for them?"
"Reaching their true potential is only the beginning for them and if I'm correct, then all of them have already found it."
"What can we do?" Iris asked.
"Your time has already passed but I have a feeling destiny is not through with you…"
"No matter. If my children need me, I'll be there for them." Lloyd vowed. Even now, he took his duties as the original green ninja seriously.
"Me too. A ninja never quits." Iris also stood tall and firm next to her husband.
"Nothing is more powerful than a parent's love for their child…" Wu mused aloud.
Lloyd and Iris have changed quite a bit but he knew that deep down, they were the same young heroes they still were and the time for them to answer Ninjago's cries for help has risen again.
"Come," He beckoned them, "We have a lot to discuss…"
(*) Lämmin = Warm (Finnish)
Yup! It's still far from over for the ninja & kunoichi!
There's gonna be lots of action & twists to come & the original ninjas may start showing up more! As always, please review!