Ninjago Retold: Chapter Three
The Open Gates
Nya staggered up the steps. Click, clack. Click, clack. Step after step after step. Pain surged through her legs, thighs, and back… just everywhere. She gritted her teeth, trying to manage it. Her back ached and tensed as she hauled her bag behind her with what felt like the last of her willpower. All she wanted was to sleep, to let the void take her. Her body felt like the mountain itself, heavy and unyielding. Her stomach churned, and nausea lingered on her cheeks. She forced her gaze downward, focusing only on the steps.
Click, clack. Click, clack. Step after step. Deep breath. Click, clack.
She took her hand to her brow, her hand shook somewhat as she wiped the sweat and grim from it. The stone beneath her feet was now bathed in a warm, golden light. She glanced up and swung her head out towards the horizon. Daybreak was creeping over the far mountain tops, the sun's rays piercing the darkness of night. Nya let out a disgruntled groan. How long had they been on the road? It felt like a small eternity had passed since the Skulkin attacked her village and took Kai.
Wu cleared his throat, intending to catch her attention. "We are here" he said.
Nya's snapped her gaze towards him and eagerly looked up, her eyes widening. Before her stood a monastery, towering in white, red, and black. A black torii gate with a golden disk crowned the entrance, its large red doors looming tall above her. She exhaled slowly trying to keep herself steady. She marveled at the sight before her.
With a tap of Wu's staff against a particular stone step, the massive doors groaned and churned, slowly swinging open with a long, drawn-out squeaky groan.
She had made it. She was here at last. Safe… or as safe as she could be.
The light grew brighter as the sun continued to rise, filling the sky with rays of light. Even in the state she was in she had to admit it was beautiful. A wave of relief washed over her, but it was quickly chased away by the aching pain that radiated and shot through her body, pulling her mood back down.
With a deep, focused breath, she forced herself to move again, every step a new wave of agony. She regretted pausing earlier. It made starting again agonising and regaining her pace so much harder. But with sheer force she pushed herself forward again. Step after step.
After what felt like an eternity, she finally reached the last step. No more stairs, finally, just a short distance to the monastery gates. She licked her lips to regain focus and forced her way through the threshold. A little bit of weight was taken off her shoulders as relief washed over her body. She quickly eyed the area for somewhere, anywhere, to sit and take the weight off her feet. She spotted a spot where the wooden steps met the masoned floor of the monastery, beside a structural red beam of the temple.
She allowed herself to slid down beside it, her body slamming gently onto the wooden floor beneath her. She exhaled sharply, exhaustion fully catching her. She was done. Completely drained. She had never been pushed this hard before, not even during the most intense training. Her head spun, and before she could stop herself, she vomited into the plants beside the stairs.
Wu watched her with a mild flicker of concern. He walked over and, after a pause, slid open one of the paper doors with his staff. "You may take this room to rest," he said, turning to face her. "Take as long as you need tomorrow, and when you arise, come see me in my quarters."
He bent down and offered his hand, allowing her to lean on his staff for support.
"Thank you," she gasped.
Slowly, she made her way to the door and slipped inside, managing to close it behind her with great effort. She glanced around. The room was small and rectangular, furnished simply with a bed, a dresser, a wardrobe, and a chest. It had a sinking calmness to it. Letting out another sigh, she tossed her bag to the floor and stumbled toward the bed. She collapsed onto it without bothering to remove her armour. All she wanted was peace.
Her ears rang slightly in the silence, and she squeezed her eyes shut as pain surged through her body. A tear rolled down her cheek. It was hard… so damn hard. She took a controlled breath and began counting in threes, trying to coax herself into sleep.
Three... Six... Nine... Twelve... Breathe... Fifteen... Eighteen... Breathe.
Slowly, she began to drift. Breath, count. Breath, count. Repetition and discipline had been key to her success, something she had learned in her first lessons as a child, joining the warriors of her village. She had been no older than eight at the time, yet determined. Her father hadn't objected.
The memory softened her, and she let out a shaky breath. It all felt so long ago… so many years ago.
She could feel the peace of sleep creeping into her mind, like a gentle tide. The peaceful void, the soft abyss, welcomed her. She let herself sink deeper into memories.
Her and Kai. She was 11. By then, their father was long gone. It had just been the two of them, trying their hardest to survive. The village helped where they could. Providing food, new clothing, firewood when the cold came. Neighbours helped repair the house if it ever started falling apart. They were invited to festivals, to share in the joy. But there was always a distance, a subtle discomfort whenever people approached her and Kai. An uneasiness that lingered.
Even her Senseis, though they trained her, had that same look. As if they could never fully trust her. It gnawed at her, but she always pushed through. *Just get through another day* she would tell herself. *Keep pushing. Just a little further.*
Sleep hovered on the edges, pulling her deeper. She let herself drift further into it.
let yourself go into the memories…
keep pushing…
let yourself free…
She let her inner voice guide her
It was this memory… the one that always made her throat clog… it was her mother… she was 5… she was cooking… or baking… the house had a warm golden glow to it… it was so cosy and warm… she was so happy… she saw her mother's hair… it was as jet black as her own… she was humming something… she was always humming some sweet song… she had something in her hand… Nya didn't remember what it was clearly enough but… then someone or something outside knocked …
Nya's mind recoiled from the memory but she still tried to remain in the haze of sleep. It pulled her back down into it again, and she let herself fall. She didn't want to dwell on it anymore. She just wanted to give in. She focused on the softness of sleep, letting herself steep in it. One breath at a time. Warmth. The sweet warmth of sleep.
The one thing that would never leave her.
Finally, she was gone. No thoughts. No feelings. Just the comforting darkness, the cherishing void. Whatever tomorrow would bring, she didn't care. She let herself be taken by the dark waves of the abyss, finding peace at last...
Noise filtered in, that was the first thing she was aware of this morning. Noise… She groaned softly, still half-asleep, as the sound pulled her back toward consciousness. Random noise. Furrowing her brow, Nya tried to focus, she couldn't make since of it at first but allowed herself to piece it together. Yelling… it was yelling. Outside.
Her heart began to race but she couldn't make sense of it still, her mind still groggy. Her eyes fluttered open slightly, and she paused, concentrating. The noise was loud and rambunctious, but not threatening. It didn't sound like an attack. She let out a sigh of relief. It reminded her of the way Kai would sound, joking around with the boys in the village. But these voices weren't familiar to her.
She focused harder, trying to identify who was speaking.
"Hey, watch it, string-bean! You almost turned me into a shish kebab!" a voice called out, sounding slightly aggravated.
"Well, maybe if we didn't have to get up so early all the time, I'd actually be awake enough to aim properly for once," another voice shot back.
"Awake enough?" the first voice snorted. "Please, Jay, you're barely awake by noon." There was a grunt as he dodged something. "You'd think all that time tinkering with tech would at least give you a jump-start in the mornings."
"Very funny," Jay grumbled. "Not all of us are built to be human alarm clocks like Zane." A sudden yell followed. "Hey, no fair! I didn't even see that coming!"
"Early morning training sharpens both the mind and body. It builds discipline, morale, and team unity," another voice chimed matter-of-factly, as though it was the simplest truth in the world.
"Yeah, well, some of us would rather build muscles with a few extra hours of sleep," Jay shot back.
Nya listened to the exchange for a few more moments before deciding to take a look. Sliding the door back just enough to peek out, she watched the three figures in the courtyard.
The yard was set up with a few training dummies, some scattered equipment, and an obstacle or two. The three of them wore basic, worn-out greyish-black gis, sun-bleached and frayed from use, especially at the elbows.
One of the guys, a tall, well-built man with messy, shoulder-length black hair, stood in the middle of the training equipment. His dark olive skin glistened in the light as he held a long chain with a spiked weight at the end. His expression was stern, though slightly irritated.
Nya's gaze shifted to another figure, sitting on the ground and holding his foot. He had sun-bleached ginger hair, a pale complexion, and an agitated look. He was clearly worn out already, despite the early hour.
The third figure stood a little taller than the others but was more slender. He was the most composed, with a soft, almost serene smile on his face. His posture was a bit stiff, but he looked comfortable in his stance.
They continued their playful banter as Nya zoned out, debating what to do next. She still felt uneasy here, in this strange new place, and the nausea from the previous night still lingered, but staying trapped in this room wasn't doing her any good either and she was beginning to feel closterphobic.
With a sigh, she let her body sag against the door. "Might as well get this over with", she thought, before pushing the door open and stepping out into the courtyard. They didn't notice her at first, so she walked down the steps, crossed her arms and leaned against the pole she got sick at the precious night. She got queasy for a moment as the memory captured her but she regained her composure.
"Ow, ow, ow! Who even ties a heavy spike tipped ball of metal to a stick, anyway?" the ginger-haired one, Jay, complained. "This is why we have safety codes back home."
"I didn't even drop it on your foot, Jay. You *walked* into it. *Walked into it!*" The dark-haired man, Cole, continued and sighed, throwing his hands in the air. "We haven't even started training yet! We just got the equipment out, and you're already hurt!" He turned to face away from Jay. His embarrassment quite obvious.
"It is possible to gain a foot injury in this manner, Cole," the pale-skinned figure, Zane, interjected, sounding surprisingly upbeat. "Simple sprains and complications can occur from simply mis-stepping incorrectly."
"That's beside the point, Zane!" Cole replied, exasperated. His face in his hands while shaking his head.
Nya cleared her throat, finally drawing their attention. "You know, starting the day with idle chatter doesn't sharpen the mind or the blade. It just gets you tangled up in distractions before you even see the sun up ahead." She couldn't help the cocky smile that crept across her face, a warmth filling her despite the lingering nervousness.
All three of them turned to face her, even Jay, who seemed to momentarily forget about his foot. They stared, dumbfounded. Who was this stranger who had slipped into their midst without them noticing?
Unfolding herself from beside the pole, Nya continued, "So, you're the sorry lot Wu "warned" me about?" She let out a long, bitter laugh
WHOA That was a tough one to write from a technical, especially the dialogue, despite to being my favourite chapter so far in terms of content! I was meant to have it out by yesterday but you know, *life complications*, but it's here and finally, finally done. Hopefully I'll get back to one chapter a day from today onwards!