Onyx and the Way of the Ninja

The Scythe of Quakes

The next morning, the five ninja were all pulling the carriage, standing where horses usually would be. Or, the boys were pulling it. Onyx was clinging onto the bamboo handles, toes just barely brushing the ground. Wu was sitting in the passenger's seat sipping tea out of a blue ceramic cup. "Sign me up!" Jay mimicked. "Way to go, spark plug," he said sourly to Kai. "I sense this is a strange form of team building," Zane panted. "Yeah. He would've made us pull the carriage anyway, so we'd better stop complaining before he thinks up something really creative," Onyx said. "Thanks a lot, Tiny. You're very encouraging," Kai said. Onyx frowned. "I'm a normal height for my age!" She argued. "It's not my fault you're all so tall," she muttered. Kai rolled his eyes.

"So where'd Sensei find you four?" Kai asked after a while. Onyx clearly remembered meeting the other ninja. "Let's just say that if it hadn't been for Sensei Wu, I don't think we'd ever be seen together. I was testing my limits," Cole said.

Onyx sat upon a rock at the top of a mountain, watching the clouds while Wu sipped tea next to her. They'd been there for what felt like forever when finally, a dark-haired teenager leapt up onto the rock outcropping where they were sitting. He gave a surprised shout when he saw the two of them. "Hello there," Wu said. Onyx looked at the boy. His face was brave and strong, but his eyes were tired.

"How did you-what are you-who are you?" He asked. "Maybe that is a question for me to ask. But first, why do you climb the mountain, Cole?" Wu asked. Cole looked away. "I-I just lost someone. My father should be sad or-or angry! But he's just.... He's...." He paused. Onyx tilted her head slightly. The sadness she saw in his eyes was something familiar to her. "Yes?" Wu prompted. Cole's eyes narrowed. "He spends all his time with this group singing and dancing! He's never home, leaving all the chores for me. With her gone, I guess it's up to me to be the responsible one. He acts like nothing's happened. How can he sing and dance at a time like this!?" Cole's voice became desperate as he asked for an answer.

Onyx looked away. She didn't want to be reminded of the pain of losing someone any longer. Wu sighed. "Grief takes many shapes and forms. Some people sing and dance. Others climb mountains," he said. "Why do you climb the mountain?" Cole asked Wu. Wu smiled. "To find you, Cole," he said.

"I was testing an invention," Jay said.

Onyx peered over the edge of the building she and Wu were atop, watching the cars and people far below move. "Onyx, stay away from the edge," Wu said. She sighed and obeyed. "Are we waiting for another ninja, Sensei?" She asked, walking over to him. Before Wu could answer, there was a loud crashing sound. "Onyx, look out!" Wu shouted, reaching to grab her. His warning came too late, and something collided with Onyx, sending her flying backwards, someone landing on top of her. "Owww!" She wailed, trying to wriggle free. "Sorry!" A male voice exclaimed, quickly clambering off and pulling her to her feet. "Are you okay?" He asked. Onyx looked at him. He had wings of cloth and wood strapped to his back, and a pilot's cap and goggles on his head. Onyx poked herself everywhere it hurt. Nothing felt broken. It seemed that the worst that had happened were bruises. "I'll be fine," she answered. The stranger nodded and pulled his wings off, pushing his goggles up to get a better look at them. "They should work!" He muttered to himself, frustrated.

Onyx picked up the corner of one of the wings. "I think your fabric lets too much air through. And maybe the wood should be lighter?" She suggested. The boy stared at her for a moment. Then he nodded and pulled a notepad from his pocket, scribbling something down. Onyx noticed a messy diagram of the wings as he wrote.

"I was testing myself," Zane said.

Onyx sat on the cold cobblestones, staring at the frozen pond. Wu had gone in nearly ten minutes ago, and hadn't resurfaced. Onyx knew that he was capable of things that should be impossible, but she was still worried. A freezing breeze blew through the convent courtyard, making Onyx's teeth chatter painfully. "Please hurry. I can't feel my hands," she murmured. There was no response.