Ninjago's Shadow

14: Threads

I nod and tell them about what had happened in the void. It feels good to talk, the words spilling from my mouth like water. I feel safe and the wind will blow through the open window carrying with it the voices of the water, plants, earth, stars, and its own voice to comfort me. The stars cannot be seen but I know they are there listening to me.

When I finally finish Sensei Wu’s face is grave. “Well at least we know what we are up against.” He says slowly.

I nod and Nya speaks up, “We have had a little shadow woman experience of our own yesterday.”

“Tell me.” I wave my free hand for her to continue. She tells about how a shadow woman had been posing as me, that the wind had choked “me” forcing the shadow woman to betray her true form. When they asked me why the shadow woman was not able to breathe disguised as me but was able to breathe when in its true form. So I explained to them that shadow men and women did not have to eat or breathe to live. Then Nya continued by telling me about how the shadow woman had used dark magic to stop Lloyd from trying to save Lucy when the shadow woman was strangling Lucy.

As soon as the words left her mouth I instantly began to fuss over Lucy. Once I am reassured that she is fine Nya continues, “Then Lucy used magic without saying any words and blasted the shadow woman into the sky, then killed it with her dagger, or is it a sword? Well any ways, because of her magic explosion the main deck is crushed and splintered. My guess is that this is the end for the bounty.”

“Oops.” Lucy mumbles.

I am thrilled to hear about Lucy’s magic but also very angry. I take a deep breath, “Well one, Lucy’s weapon is both a dagger and a sword, but it can also become a bow, staff, spear, and any other weapon you wish. It has no real name and when not being used will assume the form of a dagger or knife because they are small and easier to carry. And two,” I turn to Lucy. “I well need to teach you magic. I will not be able to use magic but I can teach you the words. And as you found out, magic comes with a cost, when used a spell well take away your energy.” I frown and she looks down. “Three, Lucy you could have killed yourself and everyone on board. You have to be extremely careful. You never know what can kill, what will kill, and what does kill.”

Lucy mumbles, “I didn’t know I could use magic.”

Softly I tell her, “I well train you, so never try using magic on your own.”

I kiss the top of her head and she brightens up. “Does that mean I could possibly break the spell that is over you?”

“Maybe…” I say quietly.

Soon the doctor comes in and shoos Lucy, Nya, and Lloyd, and Sensei Wu (I guess I’m going to have to call him Sensei now) out of the room. He checks my heart beat, breathing, and the few wounds that I had stitches on. Smiling he tells me, “You have recovered quickly and have no infections so you can go home tomorrow. I will need to contact your parents or guardians.”

I frown, “My parents are dead, and I have no official guardians.”

The doctor rubs his chin with his hand then crosses his arms, “I’m afraid I can’t just let you go. Do you have any family?”

“Yes, my brother.” I comb my fingers through my tangled hair.

He turns and fiddles with one of the monitors I’m hooked up to. Then he asks, “And who is that?”

“Zane, the white ninja.” I wince as I pull on a bad knot in my hair.

The doctor laughs, then when he sees that I am not laughing as well he clears his throat and asks, “But isn’t he the nindroid?”

I sigh, “Yes, but I was adopted.”

He nods, “Then I well call him later. But first I well need to take the stitches out of your back and side.”

I nod, then he leaves and returns a few minutes later with a shot full of clear liquid. He pushes the needle into my shoulder and squeezes the liquid into my bloodstream. Soon I feel dizzy and blackness washes over me.

When I wake up the sun is just starting to rise. I must have slept for the rest of the day and night. I think. My back and side are sore, and I am starving. A nurse comes in with a tray of food. She sets it on my lap and then leaves.

There is a cup of orange juice, a bowl of oatmeal, a small salad and little chicken. I take a bite of the chicken and my stomach rolls. I manage to keep it down but just stick to the oatmeal. It isn’t very good, but I don’t feel like I am going to be sick if I eat it. When I was in the void I never felt hungry or tired, so I never ate or slept. And now I am regretting it.

I sigh and let my thoughts wander to what the next few days might be like. I well start my training with Sensei, and I well have to teach Lucy magic. Plus I don’t know about how this spell well affect Lloyd and I. “Love well hang by a thread” Mother Spirit’s prophecy drifts through my head. “Our love hangs by a thread.” I say to myself desperately wishing it is not true.

A soft knock comes from the door then Sensei and Zane step in. “The doctor said you can come home today.” Zane says with a smile.

Sensei hands me a black roll. “This is your temporary training suit.” He says. I thank him and they leave to let me dress.

Within a minute I am in the black ninja suit. I walk over to the window and open it. Every night the nurses close it, the first day I was in the hospital I had argued with a nurse about opening the window. She said no and I got mad, I’ve lost my ability to shape shift and use magic, and can no longer hear the voices of the water, plants, earth, and stars.

I sit on the small window sill and look at the few trees waving their branches in the wind. I feel like they are waving to me. Laughing at myself I wave back. Sensei and Zane come back in the room.  I stand and Zane presses a brush into my hand. I run it through my hair and sigh as my hair becomes smoother. I twirl my hair into a bun and Zane takes the brush.

We leave and take the elevator down to the reception desk. My weapons are returned to me and frown at the condition they are in. My moon sword has a now pure diamond blade, no longer metal from star and moon light. My bow is brittle, and the arrows have cracked heads and twisted feathers. I hand my sword to back to them saying, “This can pay off whatever debts need to be paid.” With that we leave.

Outside Ultra-dragon is in the parking lot. As soon as I step out his four noses are pressed into my face. I laugh and kiss each of his noses in turn. He snorts and I click my tongue rapidly then get one his back. Within minutes we are flying through the sky. I close my eyes and imagine myself as a snowy owl again. I press my hands together and touch my middle fingers to my lip. For just a second I feel my skin prickle like it does when I grow feathers. But as soon as it comes it disappears.

Ultra-dragon lands and we get off. The man deck on the bounty is completely smashed and splintered. To my right is a desert and to my left is a sandstone cliff. “Please tell me you’re not an earth ninja as well.” Cole says crossing over the sand.

I shake my head, “No, my power is unknown… so far.”

“So are we the ones who are going to train you?” Kai asks.

“I well teach her some days, but otherwise you well teach her in the way of the ninja. And eventually she well find her power, then true potential.” Sensei says leaning on his staff.

Lucy leans over the railing of the bounty that is still standing, and calls to us, “Where do we start?”