Fire And Water | Ninjago AU

Chapter 3 | Beginner's Luck

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"I want to juggle fire with you."

The man glanced aside from counting his money and stared at the young boy with a quizzical look in his eyes. "What?" He asked as if he'd misheard the child.

"You're a fire poi spinner, right?" Kai asked, his face partially hidden behind a mask of cloth. "I've seen you on the streets. I want to work with you."

The man sighed and shoved the coins into his pocket. He then raised an eyebrow, smiling at the boy mockingly. "I am a performer, not a joker," he said, folding his arms. "And I've got other things to attend to instead of dealing with pesky children. Now, go back to your mommy."

"Don't have one," came the short reply.

The poi spinner faltered a little. "Your father then."

Kai shrugged. "Don't have him either."

The man frowned. A brief staring match started up between the two in which the man seemed torn between wanting to believe the child and shooing him away. However, there was so much solemnity in the boy's amber eyes that he couldn't help but conclude that he really was an orphan.

"Now you see why I need the money?" Kai spoke, taking the interval of silence as a chance to proceed with his pleadings.

"Well, what can you do? You're just a kid," the man pointed out, seeming annoyed with himself for giving in.

Kai held his hands behind his back, feeling them heat up. "You'd be surprised."

"You've done fire spinning before?"

"No," Kai replied, "but I'm a quick learner. I just need you to teach me how to handle the poi. And I'll make sure your crowd gets bigger."

The man laughed. "Sure, kid," he said, sarcasm lacing his tone. "You think you're some kind of good luck charm." His smile dropped. "This better not be a prank."

Kai showed no signs of being offended. "I've got a little sister at home to feed. I don't have time for pranks."

"Alright, alright." The poi spinner held up his hands in surrender. "If I teach you, you juggle beside me. And you promise to increase my audience?"

Kai nodded eagerly. "You can keep more than half of the money, I don't care. I just need something to survive on." He waited for the man to agree to his terms. His hands kept warming up and he feared that his anxiousness would cause another fire nearby.

Finally, the man sighed loudly and extended a calloused hand towards him. "Fine, I'll help you out. But I'm trusting you, kid. I don't want no backstabbing."

Kai's relief was enough to cool him down. It really was a shame he couldn't mention this to Nya since it included the use of his new powers. He could make up some other excuse for it.

He made no delays and took the man's hand, shaking it.

"Name's Niko," the poi spinner prefaced.

Kai reached up and pulled down the cloth from his face. He aimed a friendly smile at the man. "I'm Kai."

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The poi went spinning into the air, imprinting a glowing circle of fire over the gasping crowd. A few people pulled back but more kept coming. The intricate ways in which Niko displayed the fire-lit poi were enough to attract a dozen people. Most of them were traders and visitors from out of town but Ignacia's own population never tired of watching their local poi spinner work his wonders.