It was the dawn of the first day of class.
"Mmph.." Harumi awoke in her bed. It hadn't been that long ago that she was sleeping in a dusty old bunk bed in the orphanage. Listening sleeplessly at the other children snoring. Even when she was able to sleep, her mind would be filled with the sounds of sights of the day she had lost everything. Even in her new bed, the nightmare still haunted her. But she didn't want to alert her parents over it. She feared if she did, they would be burdened by it.
Nevertheless, she looked at the clock. 6:AM, great. She thought as she stumbled off. The bed was large enough for two people, but Garmadon wanted to make sure Harumi was able to admire the space she had, then to be reminded of her cramped room before. She got a pair of slippers Misako gave her, pulling the tags off of each, and putting them on, as she looked outside.
It was a beautiful day in Ninjago. The wildlife around Garmadon's Monastery peacefully survived and thrived, unaware of the events that had led up to the strange erection of the temple. It had been 7 months now since Lloyds sacrifice. With no threats, everyone settled into their new lives. Garmadon would have started his classes much earlier, however, he was so focused on Harumi, that the paperwork and applications he received piled on his desk. Once he found out, he spent several weeks signing off his name, and writing various letters. It was the first day of class. For his students, and for his daughter.
Harumi walked into her bathroom, and prepared to get ready. She hadn't spent much time in the training rooms, however, she knew Garmadon, even in his more passive side, would be a strict and direct teacher. After taking a quick shower and putting on one of her favorite shirts, she walked downstairs into the kitchen. Garmadon was already at the table with some food, while Misako made her and Harumi breakfast.
"Good Morning Harumi! How did you sleep?" Misako asked, a smile filling her face as she turned to Harumi.
"You ask me that every morning! It's good, usually."
"Sorry. Force of habit I suppose. Say, could you maybe try and cheer your father up? Something is bothering him and he hasn't said much about it."
"It's nothing, my Misako! I swear." Garmadon said. He had been looking at a newspaper for a while now, staring at a particular article.
"What's wrong dad?" Harumi said, wandering over to the table and sitting across from him.
"Nothing you need to worry about, my child."
"If you want me to be honest with you when I'm upset, you should do the same so it's fair!"
"You've become wise, Harumi. Alright, for that, I guess I'll say. I'm not sure im fond of the direction Ninjago City is going."
"What do you mean?" Harumi turned her head to the side.
"After The Overlord destroyed a lot of the city, a big tech company took over a lot of the city. It's all become over reliant on technology and automation!"
"What's wrong with it?"
"A lot of things! First off, if The Overlord and all like him were able to hide under the radar for so long, who's to say something just as evil wouldn't be able to control all of the technology in that city?"
"That'd be pretty bad. But we don't live in the city!"
"Maybe so. I'm just worried about the people. Wu doesn't seem that bothered by it, but considering most of his students aren't native to the city anyways, I supposed that makes sense."
"Maybe you can talk about this a bit later? You've barely even eaten!" Misako said, sliding her and Harumi's plates onto the table and sitting down next to Garmadon. Garmadon put his newspaper down and ate his breakfast.
"Of course dear. Anyways Harumi, are you ready for the first day of class?"
"Yep!" Harumi said excitedly. Truthfully, she wasn't even that scared of the physical demands the training would give her. Moreover, she was afraid of letting Garmadon down. On top of possibly embarrassing herself in front of everyone else. That didn't divert her excitement.
"Good. Before we do though, there's something I'd like to do first. Meet me in the training room." Garmadon said, as he got up and made his way to the room. Harumi finished her breakfast and wandered over to the training room. Garmadon stood near one of the walls, as Harumi approached him with a look of curiosity.
"What did you want to do first?"
"While I myself have sworn off violence, there is something about you that can't be ignored. And to hone the skill within you, you'll need a weapon." Garmadon pressed a hidden button on the wall, revealing a hidden room behind it. Walls upon walls, filled with a variety of weapons. Ranged and melee, light and heavy, old and new, all at her disposal. "It is often the weapon that chooses the wielder. Listen for its call, and you'll know which one is right for you. Of course, there will always be time to choose and practice with other weapons."
"Alright. I'll see if I can find mine." Harumi said, walking into the hidden room. She stared in awe at the majestic hilts and sharp edges of the weapons. All provided by his brother Wu, as well as several generous donations by The Royal Family. Most of the blades were fairly new, while older ones were kept at the back. Some of them dated back to the age of The Serpentine Wars, The Stone Era, and even the war between The Oni and Dragon.
Harumi stopped at one of the furthest shelves, containing various daggers and knives. However, one caught her eye as she turned to look at it. It hung on the wall with a beautiful array of jewels surrounding it. The hilt was a dark brown, while the blade itself was a strange combination of blue and gray, with a dark green edge. Garmadon stepped up to Harumi to observe alongside her.
"What's that one? It doesn't look like the rest of them!"
"Ah. That was one of the donations from The Emperor And Empress Of Ninjago. A sturdy and fairly new blade, with a coating of Deepstone around the sharp edges of the blade. Would you like to hold it?"
"Sure!" Harumi said, as Garmadon reached up and brought the knife down, along with its small sheath, carefully inserting it back inside.
"It is small, and would work well if you decide to master your own agility. Be careful though, Deepstone is a very sharp metal, and the knife is no different."
"I will be careful. I promise." Harumi replied, as Garmadon gently placed the sheathed knife into Harumi's hands, as she looked down at her weapon. While she could have chosen something large or flashy, the knife would suit her agile frame, and natural capability to remain hidden. After she had become acquainted with the blade, it was time for Garmadon to welcome his pupils into the monastery. He and Harumi stood before the gate, ready to greet the new faces.
"Alright Harumi. Are you ready?"
"Mhm!" As soon as she said so, Garmadon opened the door, welcoming each student inside, as they all lined up the training hall, with Harumi sitting down at the end of the line, with Garmadon walking into the center of the room.
"Now that we have introductions out of the way, we may begin our first lesson. Now, can any of you answer a very simple question?" Garmadon said, eyeing the line of students, as a couple raised their hands, anticipating an easy answer. "Eager, hm. Alright, the question is, what is the easiest way to defeat an enemy?"
Garmadon called on the first person to raise their hand, one of the older boys in the group. While there weren't as many females, most of them were slightly older than the rest, around Harumi's age. "Hmm. Large vehicles?"
"Incorrect. Vehicles have many uses, but rarely will they ever make or break a battle." Said Garmadon, who picked up his staff, preparing to demonstrate his point once the question was answered. Harumi herself raised her hand, as Garmadon called on her.
"Are Golden Weapons the easiest way to defeat the enemy?"
"Also incorrect. I'll give a hint; it has nothing to do with the strength of the assets at your disposal." Said Garmadon. However, everyone else who had an answer in their heads had dropped their hands, so Garmadon simply continued with his lesson. "Allowing yourself to step into their shoes and be able to empathize with their situation, perhaps talking them down, is the best strategy against any opponent. Or as my brother would say, the best way to defeat an enemy is to make them your friend."
Some of the students began talking. They were expecting some grand display of dark power and strange abilities, but were instead presented with the passive lesson of an old fool. In their eyes, a complete copout. Harumi listened in on their conversation, while Garmadon instructed the rest of the class.
"You said this guy wasn't lame! All he's doing is walking back and forth with his big bamboo stick!" Said one boy to a girl diagonal to them, as both were near a corner.
"My mom made me come here. I didn't know it'd be boring!" Said the girl.
"Hey!" Harumi said to them, hushed. "He isn't boring!"
"Yea? Why's that?" Said the boy, his attention now focused on Harumi.
"Think of all the cool things he did before. He killed The Devourer with his strength, and took The Golden Weapons! That's gotta count for something!"
"You say that like that isnt the reason we all signed up for this class. What do you know about him?"
"Oh uh- nothing much." Harumi lied. Garmadon hadnt told anyone Harumi was his daughter, so she wasn't sure how she would be treated if she revealed the information to anyone.
"Who wants to listen to Garmadon anyways? The Ninja are where it's at! Hey weird kid, who's your favorite one? Mines Jay. He's like, so funny." Said the girl. Harumi wasn't sure how she felt about being called weird, nor how to respond to the question.
"Anyone but Kai. I don't think he likes me." Said Harumi, remembering him cursing her name behind her back.
"Wait- you've met him? And he doesn't like you? Wow! I would not wanna be you. That must suck." Said the boy, laughing to himself. Garmadon had finally caught up with all the chatter, and had stopped his teachings.
"What's all this talk about?" He said, with a stern expression on his face. Immediately, all three of them stopped talking and turned away from each other.
"N-nothing, Sensei Garmadon sir."
"Ah. Then I assume you would be able to demonstrate to the class your ability to perform the precise sword movements necessary to disarm an opponent from five feet away?"
"I- I- uhm-"
"I joke, but for now, I'd like each of you to study the diagram carefully and practice in groups of three or four. If anyone needs a group, i'll help students get paired up."
The class started getting into groups. Harumi didn't know anyone else, so she stuck with the boy and girl she had been talking to earlier. It was apparent they were either siblings, or close friends from outside the school.
"Dang it! I didn't know we would be doing group work! It's always so awkward." Said the boy, who went and grabbed three training blades for each of them. But when he handed Harumi one, she politely declines.
"I already have a weapon." She said, unsheathing her knife.
"Woah! Where did you get that? Looks cool." He replied, looking down at the ornate pattern on the blade, and crisp edges of the knife, coated in the dark green Deepstone. Impressing the pair as Harumi proudly displayed it.
"I got it from.. Uh- it was a gift."
"From who?"
"My father! He's really nice."
"As long as he's better than Garmadon. Moment I get the chance, I'm sneaking out of this creepy house-school-thing." He said, studying the large diagram on the wall, preparing to practice his form with the sword.
"He isn't that bad. You just don't know him like I do."
"You know Garmadon too? You- Ohhh! I get it! You're his child! My parents said that Sensei Garmadon adopted someone. They saw it in the papers." Said the impulsive boy, not knowing how accurate his guess really was.
"Yes- wait, why is that in the papers?"
"It's interesting stuff to read about! I bet you know where all of the hidden rooms and passages are. You can help us sneak out!"
"Hmm. I'm not too keen on sneaking out. I think I might have misjudged him." Said the girl, attempting to get a feel for the light, wooden training blade. However, the boy kept on pestering Harumi.
"I'm not helping you sneak out. I don't care who you are, or where you came from. But maybe it'd help if you were a little nicer to people." Harumi said, crossing her arms.
"Easy for you to say! You got adopted by Lord Garmadon himself! Even if he's just a lame teacher now, you're lucky! You don't need to be nice to anybody!"
"Lucky!? Do you even know why I was in an orphanage to begin with!?"
"I know! Your parents didn't think you were special enough to keep in the house!"
"Bitch!" Harumi said, before covering her mouth. She wasn't a heavy swearer by any means. But when it came to her parents, her original parents at that, she wouldn't tolerate any form of slander. By this point, most of the class had stopped their training to watch the fight.
"What are you two doing? Cut it out!" Said the girl, not wanting to get in trouble. Luckily, or unluckily, Garmadon had left the room just before Harumi had yelled out, so he could get the rest of his lesson plan.
"Privileged teachers-pet!" Said the boy, making a stance toward her with the sword, pointing the blade at her.
"Dickheaded idiot! I bet your parents don't love you either!" Harumi retorted, fully intending on winning the fight. Whether it remained verbal, or whether it became hostile.
"At least I have real parents! You got adopted by the stupid old man who built a house in the middle of the woods. Good for you, I wouldn't wanna live in the city with that ugly face of yours!"
"Fine then. If you think you're so much better, why don't we fight and see which one wins?"
"Great idea!" Said the boy, as he picked up the training sword he had dropped a second ago. Harumi unsheathed her knife, holding it in front of her with a rage within her eyes. The boy hesitated for a second. He wasn't sure if he was comfortable fighting with real weapons involved. "H-hey- why aren't you using a training blade?"
"I said we fight and see who wins. Not who gives up, who wins." She responded, going for a jab at the boy. He barely ducked, as some of his hair was cut by the blade, missing his actual head by a small margin. As soon as the fight broke out, Garmadon re-entered the room. He saw Harumi standing over the boy, ready to make another slash at his face, as he yelled out into the room. "HARUMI! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?"
Harumi immediately stopped. Her rage had gotten the better of her, and she immediately sheathed the blade, as the boy reached up at his hair. "My hair!"
Garmadon, with an angry and disappointed look on his face, prepared to do something he was hoping he wouldn't have to do for a while; scolding his daughter. "Harumi, I am very disappointed in you. Go to my office immediately, I'll expect you to explain yourself when I get there. The rest of you, class is dismissed for today."
As soon as everyone left, Harumi made her way to his office. She was ashamed of what she had done. And while she knew the boy hadn't been nice to her whatsoever, her misuse of the knife could have killed him. Something she couldn't stand the thought of. As she sat on the chair in front of Garmadons office, he walked in. Sitting down, and looking down at Harumi. It felt as if this was her final judgment after a long life of sinful crime, when in reality, it was only the beginning of a longer life of regret. "Alright. I've heard his side of the story, and i'm curious to hear what you have to say for yourself Harumi."
"I'm so sorry dad. But- I couldn't help it. He told me my parents didn't love me. And that I was a teachers-pet!"
"While those are cruel things to say, and he will be talked to and punished accordingly, that did not need to break out into a real fight. You went against my lesson, and against what we stand for."
"Why?" Harumi asked. Looking up from the floor.
"Why what?"
"Why do we stand for that? Why do we let people get away with this? Why do people get to live knowing they can say horrible things to people and just- keep living!"
"Harumi! What's gotten into you?" Garmadon asked, as Harumi once again looked down. Not at the floor this time, but the knife. She hadn't sheathed it yet. It still had a couple small lines of hair left on it. A single tear fell from her face, followed by another, then a steady stream of them. Garmadon noticed this, standing up from his chair and walking around his desk, hugging Harumi.
"I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to.. I don't know what's wrong with me."
"Shhh.. It's alright Harumi. Nothing is wrong with you. You made a mistake. I'm sorry I yelled, but I had to be firm."
Harumi sniffed between every couple of words. "Do you still love me?.."
"Harumi, there isn't a single thing in all of Ninjago that could make me stop loving you. I want you to be happy. But please, tell me if something is wrong. I'll do my best. I love you so much.." Garmadon said, holding Harumi close. It was the late evening now, Harumi's bedtime.
"Me too. Goodnight dad." She said, getting up from her seat, and walking alone to her room. As she lie awake in her bed, she couldnt help but feel an unresolved anger befall her soul. A feeling of sadness for not only what she had done, but where her line of thinking could take her. The years to come would be hard, but she would never make the same mistake again. At least, when Garmadon was around.