Ivory's Homecoming ► Ninjago

18 ≛ Fame to Framed

Natasha figured the ninja were famous especially in the city... but she never would have expected large crowds of teenage girls stalking them everywhere they went.

It was more chaotic than the attack of the Great Devourer years ago.

The amount of times she'd have to swerve her body against a brick building just to evade the rushing stampede. A teenage girl didn't bother her; she was one, after all. But hundreds of them all with a single goal? Now that was dangerous.

Apparently within the same week they returned, a strange man by the name of Dareth spread the word of their good deeds. Somehow, he was in contact with different types of hosts, magazine companies, all the like. He wanted to make them celebrities... and succeeded a little too well.

Teen magazines were constantly in her face. She picked one up off the floor one day, seeing a bright pink cover. What caught her eyes first was a picture of Nya in the middle with Jay and Cole on either one of her sides in hearts.

Who Will She Choose? The Love Triangle of the Century! was written as the cover title.

As soon as she looked back up, she found one of the many TV screens in front of her displaying a talk show. Nya was right next to the host, Cole on her right, and Jay at the end.

The host got a bit too comfortable with her, leaning very close to her face. "Ah, just between you and me, Nya... Jay or Cole?"

She smiled nonchalantly. "Honestly, not a chance. We're a team! Instead, I'd rather talk about—"

"Uh-huh," the host quickly cut her off. "Not a chance? Really?"

The camera then zoomed in on Jay, who looked extremely dejected at her claims. He fiddled with his fingers as the crowd ohhhh'ed. Cole didn't really seem to care.

And she continued. "I'm telling you. Never gonna happen."

Natasha couldn't help but feel bad for him. Seeing both of their reactions to the question, though, her previous suspicions of Cole and Nya going out were thrown out the window.

She had even seen one of them about a week later. It was the Master of Earth who had unintentionally run toward her in one of his many, many attempts to evade the crazies.

He lifted his head and skid to a stop once laying his eyes on her. "N... Natasha! Uh, hey."

She blinked. He was wearing a different uniform than the one she remembered. Not that she could tell the colors very well because he was still a ghost, but she noticed the little tornado-like print on the top left of his gi.

He lowered his mask. It hadn't been long at all since they last saw each other. "How... how are you doing? You still hanging out with Ronin?"

She thought his question was a little weird. That was her family. Of course she'd be hanging out with him. So she only nodded.

Cole seemed to catch on to that, too. "Duh, of course you are." He was definitely a little nervous.

But before he could try and say something else, the sound of squealing made him flinch.

"There he is! I found him!"

"No, I found him first!"

"Woah, woah, who's that girl he's talking to?"

"That should be me!"

Squeals suddenly turned into angry screams. And they only got closer.

Even Natasha froze in place for a second.