Nya grew up living with guys. Her uncle, Kai, and to some extent, Walter. So when she found out she'd be moving to a bigger place, with even more guys, Nya figured she wouldn't have many grievances about male overkill.
She's seen this before, y'know. Just on a smaller scale.
As is customary in Nya's branch of luck, she's proven quite wrong.
Living with her brother is one thing. Living with four teenage boys plus their ever-present instructor is a completely different ballpark.
Nya's Why I Hate Everything list is lengthening by the day.
The guys are nice enough. But they're also guys, and by the looks of it, none of them are too familiar with girls.
Now, Nya doesn't know much about any of their backgrounds. She hadn't been expecting special treatment or extra leniency or anything. But geez, she'd appreciate some privacy every now and then.
One bathroom. They all share it. The daily teeth-brushing may as well be an assembly line, and forget taking a hot shower.
Ninja don't bother with cologne or—y'know, deodorant, apparently. It's hard to find a room that doesn't smell like sweat, and if she does happen to get so lucky, there's always someone else there.
Zane and Cole frequent the kitchen, popping in and out as they please, sometimes cooking, sometimes eating—or in Cole's case, sometimes being dragged away from the spice cabinet. Nya learned the hard way that he can't tell the difference between pepper and paprika.
If Zane's not standing over the stove, he's meditating in a corner somewhere, or practicing Spinjitzu in the courtyard.
Nya has been paying attention, trying to learn the personalities of her new housemates.
Zane is—not exactly cold, but not quite as conversationally involved. A bit monotonous and unsure, chiming in with poorly timed jokes or observations that don't make sense. But he's gentle, too. Sensitive and tranquil. There's something oddly innocent about him, like you'd never really want to hurt his feelings.
Nya assumes he's just awkward, like her. Lots of words inside but no means to express them adequately. The others tolerate Zane's perpetual obliviousness with surprising patience—except for maybe Kai, who never had patience in his vocabulary.
Cole has warmed up a bit since the first team dinner. He now refers to Nya by name and will occasionally smile if they cross paths in the hall. It's not a budding companionship by any means, but he's civil.
Nya's only complaint is that he doesn't know his own strength. Yesterday he clapped her on the back and nearly sent her through a wall.
Then there's Jay. Wherever Nya is, Jay is usually soon to follow, trailing after her like what Kai calls an "eager puppy." Jay leans heavily on the dorky, youthful side, and is never at a loss for words. His backstory remains a mystery for now, but Nya's learned that Jay still writes to his parents frequently. His relationship with them is tinted with teen angst, but firm.
From what she's gathered, Cole is 16—the oldest. He seems to be the default leader of the four, and he approaches this role with a grave maturity too potent for his age.
Kai is anxiously awaiting 16, though he has more than half a year to go. And Jay's older than Nya, but only by a few months.
Zane has not yet revealed his age, and Nya hasn't asked. He's closed-off about his past—either that, or he doesn't remember much. Not once has he mentioned his childhood or where he came from.
The boys are of varying heights, but they're all fit and toned. Strong features. Funny. Nya might be inclined to do that thing girls sometimes do, which is to develop a crush of some sort. Kai's friends are all good-looking, there's no denying that.
But Nya's also thirteen and knows that feelings are quick to come and even quicker to go. She misses Aiden a little, and she's still wrestling with the kiss she never agreed to. It's a weird paradox, plus she's homesick.
She knows Jay seems to have developed a fixation on her, and it's cute. He's cute. But as far as she can tell, she doesn't reciprocate.
He'll get over it, Nya thinks. After all, Jay's a ninja. He could find someone way cooler and more mature than her, she'd only hold him back.
Anyway. She's been living in the monastery for five days. The facts are getting hard to ignore. No matter how different this is from what Nya's used to, this is her life now. No running from the inevitable.
Resignation is one thing. Adjusting, though . . . that's the hard part.
No, she still doesn't have a bed. But when Kai found out she spent a night outside, he made it explicitly known that something had to be done.
He and Nya had a conversation regarding her (so-called by Kai) tantrum, and Kai explained that he never intended to banish her to the floor. He was trying to say that he would sleep on the floor and she could have his bed. But of course, she'd misinterpreted it due to brewing anxieties and pent-up aggression.
She apologized for jumping to conclusions—and for snapping at him the way she did. Nya really wants to be happy here . . . it's just going to take a while.
The guys ended up putting their four collective brain cells together and built Nya a blanket fort in the bunkroom. It's something of an eyesore, but the gesture is sweet.
The hodgepodge of quilts is held up by two chairs, spaced apart so she can sleep in the middle. They'd thrown a few blankets and pillows in there and presented it proudly with a chorus of "ta-da!"
It's not ideal, but it does provide a shred of privacy.
The guys seem to forget, too often, that Nya is not a guy as well. With all the roughhousing that goes on, one would think a team of pro-wrestlers lived here. She's narrowly avoided two games of tackle football in the courtyard, not to mention that one time with the dragon polo—
"Good morning, Nya."
She starts, splashing some of the milk in her cereal. Nya's been sitting in the dining room, alone. The guys are somewhere. Probably training.
Sensei Wu is in the doorway.
"Morning," she says.
Nya's acutely aware of the bags under her eyes and the frazzled state of her hair. Sensei is a fan of "sunrise exercise," which is exactly what it sounds like. Nya herself doesn't participate, but she sure does hear the alarm clock go off every morning.
No chance of falling back asleep after the ruckus everyone makes getting ready.
"I realize I've failed to check in with you lately. How are you adjusting?"
Adjusting . . .
"Okay, I guess." She stirs the cereal in the bowl.
"Are you feeling alright? You look tired."
I am tired. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just not used to the—schedule."
"I see." He strokes his beard thoughtfully. "Perhaps some tea would do you good."
Nya looks up, frowning. "Tea?"
Sensei gives her a knowing smile. "Come with me."
He walks her to his quarters, an area she hasn't been allowed to explore. Nya had expected a minimalistic layout, maybe some incense, a fancy rug. But Sensei's room is decorated in such a beautifully chaotic fashion that she's pleasantly surprised.
(There is incense, though, which is gratifying.)
With gilded pillows and gold accents, the space is inviting and cozy—not at all intimidating. Nya hasn't spoken much with Sensei yet, so her nerves are buzzing, but she sits as instructed, crossing her legs.
"Tell me, Nya," Sensei says, pulling a teapot from—nowhere, somehow. "What can I do for you?"
Nya blinks, affronted. "I uh—I'm okay. I don't need anything."
"You're adapting well?"
"I'm . . . getting there." She tries to laugh.
"I understand this transition must be difficult for you, adjusting to your brother's new lifestyle." Sensei gestures. "Sugar?"
"Um. Sure."
He slides the teacup toward her and she cradles it, watching steam wisp from the top. It smells spicy and citrusy, like ginger and lemon. Nya sips at it cautiously.
Not bad.
Sensei pours himself a cup, stirring in a spoonful of honey. "How is Kai?"
Nya blinks again. The question was asked in a strange way, as though Sensei hasn't actually seen Kai in a while.
"Kai is . . . I mean, he's fine. He's great. This is, like, a dream come true for him, he loves it."
Sensei smiles at her again, fond and carefully sympathetic. "You value your brother's happiness."
"Yeah. Of course I do."
"Admirable. I understand you two have stuck together through hard times. Not all siblings are so lucky."
Nya wonders exactly how much Kai has told him. Does Sensei know about Liam? About the shop? About living alone, missing out on school, on a normal childhood—
"Yeah, we've—been there for each other. It's always been us two, so. I'm glad he has a family now."
Sensei looks up sharply, nailing her with a long look. Nya is startled by the intensity of it, the piercing gray eyes staring right through her. Everything is suddenly exposed. Vulnerable. Her organs are on display.
Nya hastily looks down.
"Kai has found friends," Sensei says. "But you have always been his family."
All at once, Nya is rocked by a wave of emotion. She takes another drink of her tea, gripping the cup close to her chest as though it were a shield.
"Thanks."
"I should hope this change has not affected your relationship."
"W—with Kai?"
Sensei nods once, asking again, "What can I do for you, Nya?"
She fidgets, thinking. This is her chance to voice an opinion, make a change. But what can Sensei do? The boys are his students, it's not like he can kick them out.
Nya sighs. "I wish I knew. I just—it's all these guys, and they have these really cool powers and stuff . . . and then I'm just—" Nya frowns. "I dunno. Normal."
Pondering, Sensei continues to make slow progress on his tea. "You feel estranged, perhaps? The odd one out?"
"I guess so. I just don't wanna be . . . like, an inconvenience, or something."
Something painful slides into place, locking in. Nya has always felt like an inconvenience, she just has expressed it aloud until now. Hell, it's been a backseat fear of hers ever since she could talk.
Liam is surely the root of the insecurity, though Nya's often wondered if maybe she's harboring some deep, secret anxiety that her parents deserted them because they were too much.
And it's not like Kai was ever mean. He never told her she was annoying or loud or a problem. But just the same, Nya worried constantly that maybe Kai didn't want her around.
There were times he'd get frustrated, or days he looked particularly stressed, and Nya spun through scenarios in her head, fearing it was because of her.
It's why she always wanted to help. Why she hated when Kai stood up for her. Why being sick was embarrassing to her. She was scared Kai was getting sick of her.
Those worries had mostly subsided after he joined a group of teen ninja to save her from the Underworld, but still.
Being the only girl in a house full of guys is—exhausting, to say the least. What if they all secretly hate her? Kai's probably wishing he'd left her in Ignacia—
"Nya?"
She inhales sharply, looking back up to meet Sensei's eyes. "Yeah?"
"I assure you, you are not an inconvenience."
Most of Nya's formalities have faded into panic and jitters, and the obnoxious rambling tumbles right out.
"See, you say that, and I want to believe you, and—y'know Kai would probably tell me that too, but I think the guys—I think they'd be better off if, I dunno—if I went back home, or if they didn't have to—"
Sensei sets his teacup down with such force that Nya jumps a little, shoulders tensing. She holds her breath.
"You are just as crucial to this team as anyone else." Nya starts to interject, but Sensei interrupts her. "No, Nya. I understand your concerns, and I am sorry you feel this way. But I cannot sit idly by while a student of mine feels overlooked."
Wait. Huh?
"S—student?" Nya frowns, thinking she must've missed something. Kai and the guys are Sensei's students. Not her. Not—not a short-for-her-age girl with no elemental powers, who can't make sparkly tornados or—
"Student," affirms Sensei.
"But I don't—I don't have powers or anything. I can't even do Spinjitzu, or—"
Sensei laughs, shaking his head in that all-knowing way. "Spinjitzu does not make you a ninja. Nor do elemental powers. Your abilities may come from a different place, but that does not make you any less of an asset."
"What abilities," Nya mumbles, downcast. She swirls her tea absently, thinking suddenly of closed bedroom doors and angry shouting and hands pressed over her ears . . .
"Kai tells me your smithing abilities rival your father's."
Nya jolts upright, feeling the air rush from her lungs. "Wha—he did?"
"Indeed. Your brother seems to think you are also quite skilled with machines, gymnastics, and sparring."
How is she supposed to respond to that? Kai was saying nice things about her? To his sensei?
With disbelief, she raises an eyebrow. "You're sure Kai said all that stuff?"
Sensei chuckles. "He's quite fond of you."
Nya feels her cheeks heating up with—pride, or maybe guilt. She's feeling something. It's melting her insides.
If Sensei notices, he doesn't comment. Rather, he continues with, "I'd like to spend some one-on-one time with you, every few days. Perhaps we could begin to hone your skills on the training course."
Crackling fireworks rattle in Nya's subconscious, spilling their sparks everywhere. She feels the edges of her mouth twitching up, the beginnings of a tentative smile.
"You—you're serious? You wanna train me?"
"If it's alright with you, of course."
Nya knows better than to hesitate. "Yes! Yes, I'd love that, thank you!"
She launches across the mat, spring-loaded, throwing her arms around Sensei before immediately yanking herself away because whoa there, she just crossed a line. Stammered apologies are already pouring out, but Sensei just gives a soft laugh. He smooths his robes, a little awkwardly.
"Please don't apologize." His eyes twinkle. "I look forward to putting your talents to good use."
Nya nods her thanks, still a bit guarded from her abrupt display of gratitude.
This is probably her cue to go. The teacups have disappeared, somehow (how does he do that?), so Nya stands, a little wobbly with glee, and makes it out the door with most of her composure still intact.
As soon as she's in the hall, though, Nya brings her fists to her chest and squeals, bouncing on her heels. She's gonna train. With the son of the First Spinjitzu Master, holy—
"Someone's happy."
Nya yelps, spinning to find Kai in the hall, looking wary. He glances to Sensei's closed door, then raises his eyebrows at her.
"Were you talking to Sensei?"
"Um. Yeah, actually. He's super cool, by the way."
Kai gives her an odd look, but doesn't pry, which is Nya's first warning flag. "Okay, well. Do you have a sec? There's actually somethin' I wanna show you."
Of course, Nya's first instinct is to be suspicious. No prying and a mysterious request? She frowns, backing up like something might pop out from around the corner.
"Show me what?"
"Just —c'mon, okay?"
Nya still feels kinda bad for the whole "sleeping on the floor" disagreement, so she figures she could humor him. Kai leads her all the way back to the bunkroom. The door's wide open.
When Nya peeks in, she sees the other three boys scrambling around, tripping over each other. Upon noticing her, they halt, eyes wide.
"OH—h-hey, Nya," Jay stammers, untangling his arm from Cole's leg. The latter has a pile of blankets in his arms.
Cole rubs the back of his head, looking to Kai. "Did you tell her?"
"Tell me what—"
Kai gestures to the mess. "I thought it was ready."
"It is, we were just grabbing some stuff last minute."
Jay grabs the blankets from Cole. "Finishing touches!"
Even Zane looks mildly excited as he says, "We are ready."
"Ready for what?" Nya barks, feeling ignored. They all turn to her.
"For your surprise!"
Nya's confusion erupts in annoyance when all four guys start herding her even farther down the hall, laughing and overlapping with chatter. There's a hint of nervousness rising in Nya's chest. They're probably about to pull the world's worst prank on her and she's gonna be humiliated and it's—
The group stops suddenly, at the end of the hall. There's a door. Nya remembers it's the storage room; Kai showed her on the first day.
Okay, it's definitely a prank. What're they gonna do, lock her in? Is there something spooky inside? Maybe Sensei's in on it, too. Is he gonna jump out and—
"Open the door," Kai urges, giving her shoulder a little shove.
Nya glances at each ninja in turn, reading their expressions. Cole's chewing his tongue. Jay's swaying back and forth, grinning impatiently. Kai just looks anxious. Zane, as always, is unreadable.
Surely it's not something terrible, right? Kai knows she's not doing so hot, he wouldn't let them totally embarrass her.
. . . Right?
Well, Nya doesn't have much to lose.
She steels herself and turns the knob, pushing the door open and closing her eyes, one foot still in the hall. After a few moments of tense silence, Nya peeks and—
"What!" she shrieks gleefully.
The guys break into uproarious commotion, jostling each other in the most boyish display of victory that Nya's ever seen. But she doesn't mind them, because she's focused on the storage room.
It's been converted into an organized little bedroom.
Nya steps fully in, spinning slowly to see it all. Somehow they've crammed a bed and dresser in here, which is the only furniture that will reasonably fit. But the best part?
"The lights . . ."
Some time ago, Nya had configured her own strings of lights and hung them in her room back home. Even Kai had been impressed with her handmade power source. And it seems he's not as airheaded as Nya often claims he is, because those same lights are now strung from corner to corner.
She turns to her brother. "You brought these?"
Kai grins righteously. "Yep. I thought you'd notice they were missing, but you didn't. Worked out for me, I guess."
He shrugs casually, looking pleased with himself. Nya reaches over to smack him. He's clearly holding back just how happy he is; can't look mushy in front of the bros.
Jay bounds over, cheerfully depositing the blankets onto the bed.
"Now it's done!" he proclaims, spreading his arms out. "We wanted ya to have your own space."
Zane pipes up. "It was originally Kai's idea, but we offered to assist him with the furniture."
Nya blinks, realizing. "Wait, yeah. Where'd you get the bed?"
The boys exchange alarmed glances, then collectively chime, "Nowhere!"
Nya figures it's probably best that she doesn't know.
Everyone is quite ecstatic about the reveal they managed to pull off.
"Do you love it, or do you love it?"
"Pretty sick, huh?"
"Our pleasure."
"It's all yours."
This might be the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for her. Maybe she didn't give these guys enough credit. They care. That's more than enough right now.
Nya thanks them all earnestly, gaze lingering a little extra on Kai, whom she knows deserves most of the credit.
Now that the excitement has died down, the guys split off to their respective tasks and duties for the day (video games and dragon racing). Still smiling, Nya gives her new room another look.
It's small, but she'd shared a smaller one with Kai back at Liam's. This is hers. She might actually get some sleep now. Or maybe not. Boys can be deafening without even trying, Nya knows that now.
But they can actually be decent, too. Who would've thought?
So things come together after all. Some of Nya's earlier fears have started to simmer down, just surfacing in tiny bubbles or not at all. It's more manageable, anyway. At the very least, she can always count on Kai.
Speaking of Kai . . .
That idiot never stuck around so she could properly thank him, but that's fine. Nya's well-versed in the art of tracking him down.
He's not gaming, which is unusual, so Nya checks the courtyard. Empty. But she hears low tones coming from somewhere outside, and she'd recognize that voice anywhere.
Nya bounces out to the path, carefully navigating the cliff's edge until she can hear Kai more clearly. She pokes her head around the corner. Kai's standing right outside Flame's stall, the dragon's huge snout visible as Kai pets it.
"I think they'd be proud of me," Kai is saying. "At least I hope so."
He's talking to the dragon. Nya fights against a fond smile. She remembers how mistrustful Kai had been at first, how he'd approached Flame with so much caution and impatience. And now here he is, confiding in his new companion.
She doesn't want to intrude, but she would also very much like to tease him about this.
"Caught ya," she says, rounding the corner.
Kai whips around, eyes wide. "How uhh—how long have you been standing there?"
"Not long." Nya reconsiders. "Well, long enough."
He tries to hide his reddening cheeks. "Well. What can I say? The big guy is growin' on me."
Nya grins, knowing. As soon as she's close enough for Flame to notice her, his head lifts, huge jaw parting to roar in greeting.
She scratches his snout, a little smug. "I'm still his favorite, though."
Kai scoffs. "Debatable."
Soon they find themselves plopped on the edge of the path, legs dangling over the cliffside as the morning sun climbs higher above them. Winter is coming. Nya doesn't have access to a calendar, but she thinks it must be December now.
She has to admit, the view really is spectacular. All rolling clouds and blue smears of sky. Faint traces of civilization down below.
The air is cool, as it always is at this altitude, but Kai's body heat is as present as ever. Nya shivers, observing him.
He looks almost normal today. No cartoonish ninja jumpsuit, no glistening sword. No throwing stars or red hoods or lame superhero banter. Just jeans and a hoodie. Just Kai.
The only difference between this Kai and the old one is the body language. He's not loose anymore. His posture is rigid and straight. His eyes are attentive. He looks stronger, but not just on the outside.
But there's also this—glow about him. A lost boy newly christened with purpose.
"I like you best this way," says Nya, immediately wondering if maybe she should've kept her mouth shut. Kai's been a little defensive lately.
He just raises a brow. "What way?"
"Y'know. Just regular old clothes, regular old shoes . . . regular old brother."
"Regular?" Kai feigns offense. "I'll have you know I'm the coolest person in your life now."
"You've always been the coolest person in my life."
"Took you long enough to realize it."
"You were cool without the ninja stuff."
Something in Kai's expression softens, understanding. "Yeah, I know. I'm still getting used to everything. Crazy stuff."
"Yeah."
They laugh.
Nya angles her head down, squinting against the wind. "I wanted to say thanks, though."
"For what?"
"You know what."
Kai doesn't admit it, of course. He's too mature and manly to take credit for something sweet. Always brushing stuff off, too proud to admit he's a teddy bear. Which Nya is fine with, since she sees right through him anyway.
"Are you accusing me of doing something nice for my sister?" asks Kai, faux-astonished.
"That's exactly what I'm doing."
"Well, you've got the wrong guy. I would never stoop so low." Kai tilts his head. "But if I had . . . I'd say you're welcome. So." He turns to her. "You're welcome. Hypothetically."
"Hypothetically."
Another beat of silence. Then Kai slings an arm over her shoulders.
"Soooo."
Nya feels as though she's just stepped into a bear trap. "So?"
"You and Jay, huh—?"
"Ohhhh no—" Nya tries to squirm away.
"I'm actually very curious—"
"I am not having this conversation—"
"I just wanna know if I should give him the talk sooner or later—"
"Nope, no—" She finally breaks free.
"Hey, get back here!"
So, to say the least, the ninja lifestyle is nothing Nya had expected it to be. It's noisy and dramatic and complex. Boys are still weird and heights are still scary. Kai is still totally Stupid.
But there are also fun obstacle courses and real, live dragons and a sensei who sees her potential. There's still her samurai mech (currently on hold) and a future to look forward to. A roof that doesn't leak. Food in the cupboard.
Still no powers, but maybe she'll ask Sensei for one of the dorky outfits. Just, y'know . . . 'cause it'd be funny. Not because she secretly thinks they're cool or anything.
In the meantime, though, Nya's content where she is, squealing with laughter as she darts away from Kai. His smile is bright as he chases her back to the monastery.