-IMPORTANT WARNING-
This chapter is very different to the rest of them. It is a prequel/teaser to my recently completed fic The Forgotten Child.
It features an OC.
It contains spoilers to that fic. If you read this first, you will know things the ninja don't figure out until Ch4-7.
If you don't like OCs, skip this chapter, the rest of the chapters can be enjoyed without it.
If you like OCs, mystery and Oni lore, go and read the first few chapters of The Forgotten Child before coming back to read this.
Proceed at your own risk.
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The sun is setting over downtown Ninjago covering it in a warm glow. A short old woman closes the door to a tea shop, turning the sign to say "closed". She is not much taller than a child, but has wrinkles on her face and straight white hair that hangs to her shoulders. She goes into the back area of the shop, and then upstairs into the house section where she lights a candle and places it beside a photo of Mystake, the Oni who used to run this shop. Leaving the candle for a moment she heads to the kitchenette and makes a pot of tea pouring out two cups. She places one next to the candle and keeps the other for herself. She lets out a big sigh as her wrinkles fade, and hair gains colour, turning blonde instead of white. "Happy Mother's day." She says to the picture in a clearly pre-pubescent voice before taking a sip of her tea. A tear falls down her face and she rubs it away with her sleeve.
"I wish you were here." She sniffles. "I don't know what to do. I tried doing as you taught me, using shapeshifting to hide my Oni side, and let me live as a human. I've been doing my best to run the shop, I pretend to be your sister, Elaine, but the tea stores you left are running out, and I don't know how to buy more, and even if I did, there probably wouldn't be enough money. I barely sell enough to cover my food, and the power bill. I need help, but who would help an Oni?"
The candle light flickers as the portrait offers no answers.
"It's not just the shop, my powers, they have been changing, growing stronger as I age, there is this anger just bubbling away under the surface.." her eyes glow purple, and her hands start to glow. She takes a deep breath and a sip of the tea which manages to calm her down. "I don't know how much longer I can suppress it," She clenches her fist, "or even if I want to…"
A wind blows through the city, rattling the windows.
"I did something bad last week, I know you wouldn't like it, would call it a mistake. I impersonated Lloyd so I could visit Harumi in prison. She was there that day, the day you were killed. I had to know, I just had to know for sure, and now I do. It was Garmadon, it had to be him. Maybe when I avenge you, this pain, this anger, will finally let me be."
"You told me to stay away from the ninja, you were worried they would use me as a weapon of war. I hope you were right, because I need someone who can train me, who can make me stronger, who can teach me more about being an Oni."