Ghost Story ► Ninjago [REWRITING]

| XXXVI | The People's Hero

*No POV*

The people were both confused and afraid. They also noticed the aerial fight taking place. Despite that, however, the Preeminent continued to throw its one arm over in an attempt to grab souls. This caused everyone to run back more toward the wheel of the ship.

As they ran, a few shoved into Nya without even apologizing. She couldn't blame them—they were defenseless. But she wasn't.

So what made her stand there? Why wasn't she doing anything like the others?

She desperately wanted to help. As a water ninja, she was still somewhat inexperienced and felt more confident as a samurai. Even now, she wished to wear her suit and fight inside her mech.

But Nya knew better than that.

For a moment, she stared down at her gloved hands. In these hands held an element that was common, yet completely unknown to her.

Then she looked back up at the Preeminent, the walking realm that was wreaking havoc. What the others had said earlier began to cloud her mind.

Her brother. "When our parents passed, you were there for me. Now, I'm here for you."

Cole. "He's right. She's our greatest weapon!"

Red. "Perhaps this is what you need to finally reach your true potential."

Even Zane. "And as brother sharpens brother, the same should go for a sister."

Everyone on the team supported her, even if most of them were gone half the time.

Then the voice of Wu hit her. "Until you embrace what holds you back, you'll never discover your true potential."

But what held her back? Surely it wasn't the memory of her accidentally dropping the ice cream of her cone when she was only three. Any child would cry over that.

"Your weakness... is you give up too easily."

And was he exactly wrong? No, maybe not. When she was seven, she took an attempt at spinning a basketball on the tip of her finger. When it fell off after the first second, she kicked it away and walked off, never again picking it up.

"You only like what comes easy."

At one point in her life, she would have to realize this. She didn't want to be put off to the side—she wanted to be like the others. It's why she became Samurai X in the first place.

But now she had the position as a ninja, and earlier on she would've done anything to go back to being just Samurai X. Why was that? The only reason could have been that it was easier than being a ninja. And it truly was.

Now for some reason, she couldn't help but recall Ronin. "That ain't luck, sweetheart. Face it, Nya. You are the Water Ninja." Why Ronin of all people? He was a bit back and forth with them.

But if she was being honest, he had given her the most support out of all of them. The others were gone searching for Lloyd just about the entire time she was training.

"Like I said, don't care so much. Usually, when someone wants something too badly, they'll trip over their own feet." This was something that made her angry when he first betrayed them—but she had come to understand that that was advice coming from him, and he truly did want to see her succeed.

He and Red—Red had been there since the beginning, and though he was told to stay behind, he never once complained. He never made it seem like a chore to sit through her tantrums and offer consolation whenever it was needed.