The Master of Dragons

Chapter 12

"So how much do you know?" Ozir asked, grabbing a fork to start her lunch.

"I know that the first Purple Ninja found the Moon stone and fought the demons that were running rampant. He saved the realm, and the Great Library gave him the role of Purple Ninja. And that there was a long line of Purple Ninja after that and that my grandmother was one of the wielders of the Staff of Light." Daniella answered as she folded her napkin and placed it in her lap.

"Oh, you know more than I thought! Is there anything you want to know? I have heard all the stories, but you know how some stories are, larger than life in some details!" Ozir asked.

"Can anyone be the Purple Ninja?" Daniella asked, raising her fork to her mouth. She froze when she noticed Ozir staring at her. "Not that I want to quit! I was just curious if it was just elemental masters, or if anyone could or has been the Purple Ninja." She added quickly. Ozir let out a sigh.

"It is said that every Purple Ninja goes through a strict grading process from the moment they pick up the stone. If the stone changes into a weapon, then the warrior in question has proven themselves worthy of the title Purple Ninja. These elemental powers you speak of sound like magic. And there have been many Purple Ninja before you that have not possessed such great abilities," Ozir answered. Daniella nodded while she chewed, absorbing this new information.

"Of course, it is not just humans either who have wielded the Staff of Light. There have been stories of other creatures upholding the mantle, from winged people from the highest mountains to Serpentine from across the desert. The stone does not look at the abilities that a person possesses or what they are, but who they are deep down. If they have what it takes to put the fate of the worlds above their own needs when it comes down to it.

"Many people who do not understand the ways of the Library think that the stone is passed down the generations of a single family; an overarching monarchy that takes fate into their own hands whenever they feel like it. But in reality, it is rare that the Moon Stone is passed down 4 generations at a time. I have only ever heard of 3 generations of the same family happening once, but that was many centuries ago."

"So the Moon Stone, and in turn, The Great Library chose me, not for who my grandparents were, but for who I am?" Daniella asked, her fork slowly returning to her plate. Ozir nodded her head as she took a bite.

      Daniella looked down at her own plate and thought about what Ozir had just shared with her. All her life, she had been led to believe that she was something because of who her family was. Her grandfather created Ninjago, and while her father did try to destroy it, her uncle and her brother had managed to keep it safe. Even saving her father from the Overlord's grasp. She couldn't help that she was just dragged along because her brother was always the one who got the recognition. Sure, Daniella didn't like the cameras in her face after they saved Ninjago and their father, nor did she want parades in her honor, being told by strangers that she didn't matter and that she was in the way hurt a lot.

     But what hurt worse was when her own brother brought it up in conversation. He didn't mean too, and she didn't want to take away such a tremendous job well done. But deep down, Daniella wanted to scream for everyone to hear. From the citizens of Ninjago to her own family. That she was there, and that she helped a lot more than they thought. Of course, she didn't.

      Drawing that much attention to herself was something that she never wanted. She was a ninja, and ninja weren't supposed to be seen or heard.

"I think that the Library chose an excellent candidate for the next Purple Ninja. You even have two victories under your belt, with little to no demon training. That must make you feel proud!" Ozir said, seeming to know that Daniella was doubting herself. The blonde smiled as she finished up the last of her lunch.

"Ozir, is there any more you can tell me about the Purple Ninjas, or the Library, or anything else that I might need to know?" Daniella asked as she laid her fork and her napkin neatly on her plate.

"Well, let's see. I told you about the village, who is who and who does what. I told you a brief history of the Purple Ninjas and how the Library chooses it's next Purple Ninja. Um, I told you about the Dragon Guard and how they are chosen," Ozir started, ticking off topics on her fingers. Daniella stopped her.

"About the Dragon Guard. Is there a time frame that I have to have them selected or does the Library choose them for me?" Daniella asked quickly before Ozir could list off another topic.

"The Great Library leaves the choice up to the Purple Ninja. The Dragon Guard is there to help the Purple Ninja when the task is too great for one person alone. No matter how powerful they are," Ozir answered.

"But do I have to choose right away?"

"I don't think so. But there have only been a few instances where the Purple Ninja did not have a Dragon Guard, and things did not turn out well for them," Ozir replied, her tone growing grave.

"Daniella, I do not pretend to know what is going on in your heart. But I do not advise you to go without a Dragon Guard for long. I can not promise how bad things will get while you fill this position. I have heard throughout the village that you are strong, that you possess a great power within you, but you cannot go through this alone."

"But what if the ones I trust the most are the ones that I cannot lose?"

"Daniella, we all fear of losing the ones that we love, but if you cannot trust the ones you love, then who can you trust?"

"And what if they see this as a joke, or they hate me for what I do? What if I become the bad guy?"

"While it would hurt for your family to turn you away, if that were to happen, should you have trusted them in the first place? A family will love you no matter what you say, what you do, or who you are. You do not need them to valid who you are."

      Daniella nodded as she looked from Ozir to the table. There was so much that was running through her mind. She knew that she needed a Dragon Guard, an urgency that was freshly discovered. But how was she supposed to tell her family something that sounded impossible. She knew that Lloyd was told the same fairy tale as her. He would call her out as a dreamer. She would be told to get back to work. And even if they did believe her, how would they accept her? She was now in charge of the protection of more than just Ninjago and she could not interfere with as much as she had before. They would see her as someone who didn't care about her home. They would shun her away. She would lose the one family that she had known her whole life. Who would she be without her family?

      Ozir cleared her throat as she grabbed her plate along with Daniella's. Daniella looked up at the Serpentine in front of her, drawing herself from her thoughts.

"Maybe an information overload was not something that was needed today. A lot has happened, and I am sure that your mind is reeling right now. Come, I will take you back to the Library so that you may rest," Ozir said, turning and slithering down the path between the tables to the large table that held the dirty dishes.

      Daniella stood from her seat and stretched a little before looking down at the ground. Lotus had curled up at her feet while she had been eating and fell asleep. The blonde grinned softly as she bent down and picked up her lavender companion. Lotus sighed in her sleep as Daniella followed Ozir though the crowd of people and down the path back to the Great Library. The walk was short and quiet as she bowed slightly to Ozir once they arrived at the door. With a promise to be back in the morning, Ozir said her goodbyes and slithered back to the village. Daniella walked up to the door that opened at her near presence and walked to her room.

      Once she walked through her door, she laid Lotus at the foot of her bed. The dragon yawned and stretched but never opened her eyes. Daniella sighed as she pulled the bag over her shoulders and let it slump to the ground at her feet. Even though she could feel her body begging for sleep, her mind was racing too much for her to even think of sleep. Daniella looked down at her feet as she kicked off her shoes, her gaze falling on the leather bound journal that she had been given before. She picked up the journal and the pen that she had found on the writing desk earlier. She walked over to her bed and crawled under the covers and rested the journal in her lap, open to the first page. She sighed again as she put her pen to the paper.