Children of Destiny
Looks like the ninjas are finally gonna reunite in this chapter! There's also gonna be some more romance hinted here to build up on another big chapter so read on!
Chapter 52: Unbreakable
Even Lloyd had to admit he changed a lot since his life was intertwined with the ninjas'. Back in the day, he was just a naïve brat wanting to perpetuate the dark deeds of his father but here he was now as a wise veteran teaching his daughter to follow in his footsteps. He went through so much, more than a child should have and he wanted Willow to be prepared for the many trials that await her and to not suffer like he did.
The kunoichi of time and space displayed the control she had over her powers so far. Now, she was able to make time move forward or backward and even manipulate the gravitational pull. It was only a matter of time until she finds her true potential and do her part to save Ninjago.
'Time sure flies by fast. It's little wonder Willow is the kunoichi of time…'
The green ninja thought of all the things that changed over the years, oblivious to his changed wife joining him and their daughter staring at him for a while.
"Daddy!" Willow's voice brought Lloyd out of his little reverie.
"What is it?" He patted her head as if to comfort her and show that he was paying attention.
Lloyd was still awkward with showing affection but he really wanted his wife and kids to know that he wholeheartedly loved them and would do anything for them.
"Dad, I'm thinking about going back to the ninjas." Willow finally said.
"What? Why?"
"I'm starting to feel like they need me more than I am here. The ninjas are still fighting while I have done nothing but wait for Pythor. He could be on his way and I want to put a stop to him even before he reaches this place."
"I undersssstand how you feel," Iris reassured her child, "Nothing can sssssever the bondssss of family or even friendsssss. If that isssss what you want, I sssssee no reassssson to ssssay no."
"But who will keep you safe in case something bad happens?"
"Don't worry for me. I have your father to protect me and Wu."
"The war is far from over but compared to when it began, you've come a long way." Lloyd said, "I know I'm not exactly the definition of 'affectionate' but… I'm already proud of you."
"Really?"
"Your father ssssspeakssss the truth and frankly, ssssso am I." Iris wanted to bring out her hand to caress her daughter's face but the sight of her own claws held her back.
"Mom, it's okay. You're still you." Willow held her mother's hands.
"Willow…"
"I'm going to do my best as the kunoichi of time and space. It's the least I can do for you."
"Then I'll pray for your successsssss." Iris hugged her daughter and then Lloyd embraced her.
Even if it's not forever, saying goodbye can be hard.
Willow wasn't the only one who at least considered going back to the group.
Even the Pyrrhus twins and Julien siblings couldn't deny the bonds they shared and also sought to bring an end to the Serpentine now rather than wait for the inevitable confrontation.
"You seem awfully quiet." Kai stared at his children who just poked their dinner with their forks.
"Issss there sssssomething you want to tell usssss?" Aria goaded them to speak up.
"Actually…" Akira really wanted to tell his parents but his words caught in his throat.
"You can tell usssss anything."
"We've been thinking and… we're considering going back to the team." Alex shrunk down her seat, expecting her hotheaded father to get mad at her.
But much to the twins' surprise, Kai only gave a look of understanding.
"I know how you feel," The usually hotheaded man started, "Even before I met Sensei Wu and the ninjas, I could never bring myself to ignore anyone in need. I would die before I even think about leaving a man behind and I guess the same goes for you, huh?"
"You could say that…" The kunoichi of wind stammered.
"But we're not one hundred percent sure we'll go through with it," Akira spoke up, "If we leave, Mom will be defenseless and what if someone sees her?"
"Just leave that to me. Your group have bigger things on their plate." Kai reassured him.
"But no matter where you are, you'll alwaysssss be our children and we'll alwayssss love you." Aria added.
"So you won't mind us leaving?"
"Why wouldn't we? You're just doing what a protector of Ninjago should do and who are we to stop you?"
"Dad… thank you…"
"Are you sure this is what you want?" Zane asked his children once they finished packing up for their return to the Destiny's Bounty.
"Yes," Liana nodded, "Being a hero means protecting you from any dangers, even before they can reach you. I know you can take care of Mom by yourself and the Serpentine as well as the Overlord's remaining forces are still somewhere out there and we can't rest until we find them all and stop them before they find you."
"I sssstill feel sssso bad… It'ssss all my fault…" Heather let out a deep sigh of sorrow.
"No, Mom. Even if you weren't turned into a snake, we'd still go anyway. It's our job as ninjas to keep you safe from any dangers, whether you're human or snake." Forrest comforted her.
"Liana, Forrest, before you leave, I want you to know that wherever you go, your mother and I will always support you. As long as you're content with the choices you've made, then we'll be content as well. You will always be our children and our love for you is unconditional." The ice ninja said to his children.
"We know."
"But we want to make sure you never forget." Heather said.
"We'll never forget all the things you've taught us, we promise."
The ninjas on the Bounty never thought this day would happen so soon, not that they minded.
Four familiar dragons flew towards the Bounty and the whole group were soon reunited.
"Now that's a face I would've been better off without seeing." Chris jested towards Akira.
"Look who's talking!" The fire ninja noogied his cousin while the two laughed.
"It's good to be back with you guys." Liana embraced the kunoichi.
"Did you find anything while we were gone?" Forrest asked.
"Not really… Sorry…" Leon apologized.
"Hey, we did our best and that's what matters most." Alex shrugged.
"But I still feel really bad…" Amy sighed.
"What about our moms?" Leon still had concerns for the changed women.
"Our mothers still have our fathers to count on and we couldn't leave you for good. We should be working together because that's what a true team is." Liana said.
"Yeah…" The red ninja trailed off once he was reunited with the timid girl.
Alex can see that silly blush on her brother's face but it was a little tiring watching him chicken out at every perfect opportunity to express how he felt towards the kunoichi of ice.
But now that the whole group was back together, she'll be able to put an end to that…
Life at the Destiny's Bounty was just as the Pyrrhus twins, Julien siblings, and Leon remembered it. The guys always goofed off when they weren't training and the girls would chat amongst one another but both genders were very friendly with one another. But there were some noticeable changes such as Liana opening up more easily and a certain couple made themselves known.
"So you and Kyle do like each other!" Amy was surprised at how much her sister and Kyle have bonded since the start of their adventures.
"Yeah…" The raven-haired girl blushed, "We have so many differences yet… for some reason… those differences are what brought us together…"
"That's because you two balance each other out. With you, Kyle gets to loosen up and as long as you're together, he also helps you stay grounded to reality."
"So it's like that saying, 'opposites attract'…"
"Sometime, even the most clichéd quotes hold true. That's why we can never take Sensei Wu's advice for granted."
"I guess…"
"But as long as you're both happy, that's all that matters and if you're happy, then I'm happy."
"You really don't mind how I feel for him?"
"You two really got to know each other and I can tell both of you share something very special between each other. I see no reason to object and I have faith that you'll be perfect together."
"Thanks, Amy…"
"Anytime."
"Hey!" A robust voice whispered from the corner and the sisters saw who it belonged to.
"Alex!?"
"Pssst, I gotta tell you something!" The orange kunoichi beckoned the Charbonneau sisters.
Once the girls were all gathered, a bunch of smirks graced their faces, which can't be good…
"I don't know about you girls but I think Liana and Akira should just confess their love and get it over with." Alex got straight to the point of why she gathered then in the corner.
"I hear ya," Amy nodded, "It's so obvious it's a wonder why they haven't said anything!"
"And it's only a matter of time before they know how they feel and with the way they act when the other's around, it won't be long… if it weren't for them being WAY in denial." The kunoichi of water added.
"So it's high time we'll put an end to it! Are you with me?" Alex held out her hand.
"Of course!" The Charbonneau sisters laid their hands atop hers.
Leon was glad that Willow brought plenty of candy with her when she returned to the Bounty. If there was one thing that hadn't changed about their father since his youth, it was his love for candy which was shared with his wife and passed down to their children. Lloyd finally allowed his daughter to take some candy with her back to the Bounty and naturally, the green ninja was beyond elated to have his sweet tooth satisfied and all the energy from the sugar rush was put to good use with a video game marathon with his reunited brothers.
"How are Uncle Kai and Aunt Aria doing?" Kyle finally asked his cousin.
"They're fine. Mom's developed some snake instincts but her mind is intact. Dad still loves her for who she still is and Alex and I do too."
"Yeah, there can only be one of us, no matter what we look like, our hearts can't be changed." Chris said.
"That's pretty insightful..." The fire ninja commented.
"It's one of those things our mom taught us." His younger cousin answered.
"That's also what our parents raised me and Liana to believe," Forrest started, "That's also how they managed to stay together even when my dad was a nindroid."
"Did anything happen with your family?" Leon turned to the teal ninja.
"It's just like Akira's. Mom developed some habits but otherwise, she and Dad are doing fine."
"And what about your sister?" The red ninja eyed his cousins.
"Mom and Dad are busy with her but they said she's making progress. It's still quite a shocker." The lightning ninja answered.
"But we've seen a lot of weird stuff happen so that doesn't hold a candle to the things we saw over the course of our journey." His younger brother added.
"And you should've seen Alex's face when she found out about it. She kept going on about 'girl power' and shit like that."
"I can imagine. Those two are always so close."
"But still, these last few weeks have been crazy." Forrest pointed out.
"True that." Akira nodded.
"Come on guys, enough chit-chat and let's just kick back, okay?" Leon asked.
"Fine."
The ninjas just got back and all they wanted to do now was make the most out of their reunion and pretty much goofed off like the guys they were all day…
Liana gazed up at the full moon while she readjusted to life back on the Destiny's Bounty. It was nice being back with the ninjas and she never knew how important they were to her until they parted ways. She remembered her father once telling her and Forrest that no one knows how much people mean to one another until they're separated. Her young mind didn't understand it at first but after being away for some time, she finally knew what he meant.
'You have taught me well Dad…'
But another thing Liana had to get used to was the schedule Misako had implemented since the beginning of their journey. She still felt wide awake when it was close to bedtime but she might as well get herself re-accustomed to life back on the Bounty. But just before the kunoichi of ice reached the room she shared with the kunoichi, she saw them whispering amongst themselves down the hall.
"Why are you hiding in the corner?" The pale girl raised an eyebrow at her sisters' antics.
"Did you miss Akira?" Amy asked playfully.
"M-m-mitä…!? W-why would I miss only him when you were all away!?"
"What's wrong? Don't you like him?" Melody quickly joined in on the teasing.
"What- I-I- It's not like that! I like all of you so what makes him so special!?"
"I-I-I j-just… I d-don't know… It's n-n-not like t-that…"
Poor Liana was a stuttering mess and the room became very cold, a telltale sign that the white kunoichi was getting WAY too stressed.
"Maybe we shouldn't have bothered her…" Amy whispered with a slightly scolding tone.
"Says the one who's playing along!" Melody hissed back.
"Liana, don't fret over it. We were just teasing you. It's what friends do." Alex reassured her.
(*) "Ystäviä…?" Liana still felt awkward being called a friend by the kunoichi.
"Of course," The black kunoichi gave her a reassuring smile, "We know you're a very intelligent and very sweet girl deep down and you're important to us besides your ice powers."
"What else can I do?"
"You're good with technology and you're easily one of the smartest members of the team. We couldn't have gotten this far if it weren't for your plans." The kunoichi of water added.
"Also, we didn't mean to bother you. We were only trying to encourage you." Alex brought the conversation back to the reason why they were talking to Liana in the first place.
"Encourage me for what?" The ice wielder tilted her head.
"To get in touch with your true feelings." Melody answered.
"My true feelings…? About what?" Liana kept asking, remaining oblivious to her allies' motives.
"About how you feel deep down, especially for a certain someone on this ship…" Alex gave her some not-so-subtle hints.
"Well, it's nice to be back with everyone again…" The white kunoichi rambled, eliciting groans from the other kunoichi.
Yet another thing Liana got from her father was naïveté.
"No. I was talking about Akira." The orange kunoichi threw all subtleties out the window.
"A-A-Akira…!?" The ice wielder's face was now was red as the aforementioned ninja's gi!
The other kunoichi couldn't contain their chuckles but now they knew better than to agitate the sensitive girl.
"Just like Alex said before, you do have feelings for him but you're way too deep in denial." The kunoichi of earth also got straight to the point.
"I'm not in denial!" Liana retorted like a child in the middle of an argument.
"You just proved our point." Melody flatly remarked.
"What point!?"
"Liana, be honest. How do you feel whenever you're with Akira?" Alex looked at her straight in the eye to show that she was now being serious.
The white kunoichi gulped nervously. She thought back on all the times she talked with the fire ninja or even just sat next to him. Every time she was with him she felt… warm. But the warmth she felt with Akira was not from him. The source of that comforting heat was really deep within her, which was strange given her element but a lot of strange things have happened since their adventures began so she can't really define that warmth as 'strange'.
But other than warmth, Liana felt a special degree of acceptance she experienced only with the hotheaded ninja. She knew she was accepted by the whole team and she couldn't be any more grateful than she already was but it was on a different level with Akira. Whenever he was near, a part of her never wanted to part from him and there were so many things she wanted to say to him but she just can't bring herself to say it. She fought countless battles with the Overlord's servants and even maimed several nindroids but why can't she talk with Akira?
"Liana!" Amy gently shook the white kunoichi when she seemed to have zoned out.
"W-what…?" Liana shivered.
"As we were asking before, how do you feel with Akira?" Melody asked again.
"I… I don't know…"
"Stop making excuses. You can't run away from yourself forever." Alex said sternly.
"But it's the truth. I can't deny I feel something very special with Akira but the thing is… I really don't know what it is. All I know is that it's there."
"You know what? You should talk with Akira and then you'll figure out what it is you're feeling. Maybe he'll help you figure it out."
"Do you think he will?"
"You'll have to figure that one out for yourself. We gave you a little push but from here on out, you'll have to do it on your own." The kunoichi of wind said sternly.
"I… I need a moment to myself…" Liana stoically took leave.
"We understand."
The kunoichi of ice sauntered off for a walk on the deck to think things through…
Liana continued pondering over her feelings for Akira. It was true she had a very special place in her heart for him and she knew why but she just can't put her finger on the word to describe it.
'What's that word I'm looking for…?'
The white kunoichi was completely lost over her feelings and what they really were.
But little did she know that the answer was there, deep within her heart…
(*) Ystäviä = Friends (Finnish)
I'm SO sorry this chapter was very short but I really hope I can make up for it in the next chapter & I guarantee that there WILL be fluff coming soon! In the meantime, reviews are appreciated so tell me what you think!