Ninjago: Reversed Destinies

Chapter 2: Don't Give Up

The next day, Nya can be seen struggling to climb a enormous mountain. Somehow, Wu keeps following her trought during the exercise.

"S-so... Why I'm doing this again?" She asks, exhausted.

"We must reach the Monastery of Spinjitzu, that rests at the top of the Mountains of Impossible Heights." He keeps going, easily climbing trought the rocks.

Nya stops for a moment in a more safe place. "So, how long is this training going to be? They got the map, so we are behind them already, right?"

The wise man pauses for a second. "Patience." That's was his response. "You will be ready when you are ready. Not a minute sooner."

After a long time (much to Nya's despair), they finally reached the top of the mountain, now standing in front of a huge door. Nya looks behind them. "Stairs? Why we climbed all the other way then?" She asks irritaded.

"We could say that was your first test, so to speak." He says with patience. They enter the monastery. The place looked a bit old, but maybe Nya shouldn't think so harshly for now.

She sighs. "Sorry for asking, but how do you expect me to learn to fight in a place of peace?" She waves her hand.

"Not fight. Train." He corrects her once more. "In order to become a true ninja, first you must be able to see what others do not." He walks and stands in front of a small dragon statue.

"Uh... Like what?" She asks confused. Instead of answering, Wu pushes the dragon statue, revealing a secret button. He pushes it, and suddendly a lot of training equipment rises from the center.

The girl is surprised by that. "Whoa! Okay, that's really cool!" She jumps at the top of a training pole. "Is those things going to teach me how to do that cool move like you did?" She looks back at him. Then, the pole slowly downed to the floor.

"Oh, dear." Wu says, a little worried. The pole soon launched Nya into the dragon symbol at the door, making her hit her back on the ground. He slowly goes to her. "Are you all right?"

"Ow... I'll be fine..." She slowly backs up. The elder starts walking toward the other side of the training site.

"Complete the training course before I finish my tea." He sits at the stairs as he says that. "Then we will see if you are ready." He sits and drinks a cup of tea. "Today, you failed. Tomorrow you will try again." He finishes and goes towards the door.

"What?! What do you mean I failed?" Nya asks confused. "I didn't had the chance to-" Wu didn't listen and closed the door. She groaned as his only response was another 'patience'.

***

For the next couple of days, Nya trains, trains and trains some more. But keeps failing at some parts. Wu kept drinking his tea every time and saying the same thing over and over again.

"Fail."

"Fail."

"Oh, fail!"

"Oh, so fail!"

"And... fail."

That last time, however...

"Aaargh! Can't you just... Be quiet or whatever?!" She shouts to the old man. "I know that I failed, I know that for some time already!" She kicks the wooden sword she has been using.

Wu shakes his head. "Even so, you can't-"
He starts.

"Oh, I know what you are going to say!" She snaps before he finishes. "'You can't give up', 'you have a mission', 'you need to become a ninja'!" She laughs a little, annoyed. "Well, guess what? I don't need any of that! I always find my way of doing things, since I was little! I'm really good in everything I do, so I'm saving my brother on my own way!" She starts to walk towards the doors, with fury in her eyes.

Wu's eyes became wider, noticing that Nya was being serious. He quickly makes his way to the girl. "Now, we both know that this is a hasty decision..." He calmly speaks.

"Oh, c'mon!" She groans. "Don't act like you know me for a long time! I know when something is impossible, and that stupid training is one of those things. I don't need that!"

The master of the monastery sighed deeply. Then, he finally says. "What is impossible: Something you can't do, or something you don't want do overcome?"

"What?" Nya become confused with that.

"Pray, tell me: what's the difference between climbing this mountain or doing this training?"

"What kind of question is that?!"

"Both of these tests require a lot of dedication, so why you can do one of them and can't do the other?" He circulates her.

"I, I don't know!" She lowers her head. "Me and Kai always had to do everything by ourselves, so if we needed something on a high place, or catch things, or if we did some camping, we had to climb places..."

"Precisely." The man smiles. "During these days, I noticed that you have problems dealing with something you don't have full knowledge about. You don't like the idea of failing at new things, so you just abandonm your failings."

Nya looks away from his face. "That's... not true."

"Well, let's put things like this, then..." Wu thinks a little. "Tomorrow is going to be your last chance. If you fail again, I won't try to stop you from going home." He walks back to the other side of the place and opens the door. "Then, you can go save your brother on your own way." He closes the door, leaving her alone once more.

"My own way..." Nya mumbles to herself, looking at her own hands.

***

The day after, the last day, a determined Nya starts following the course again. Wu keeps watching, sitting on the same place. She's doing way better this time around. She dodges the obstacles, jump trought the poles, really focused. She looks to the master at the stairs and notices that Wu is about to drink his tea.

"Not this time!" She launches the sword she has with her at the old man, and successfully knocks his cup away, stalling him. "Yes! Woah!" She almost lost her landing on the last part, but manages to keep her balance.

Not expecting this, Wu quickly pours more tea into another cup and looks up, right in time to see her almost finishing. He gets up unconciously, dropping the tea at the floor. Nya quickly runs trough the last obstacle and jump towards the same place the elder is.

"S-so, how... was the... tea...?" She pants heavily, but proud of herself.

Wu look at her, impressed with her progress. "Well, maybe a little too hot for my own taste..." He grab his things and enters the monastery.

"Wait, that's it? When am I gonna learn this Spinjitzu thing you've told me about?" She goes after him, confused.

The old man look back at her. "You already have. Your final test comes tomorrow." Finally, he closes the door. "My advice is to get some sleep." He says from inside. Nya sighs and soon goes to her room.

***

Later that night, three masked figures are looking trough the roof of the monastery. They quickly pass towards the room where Wu is asleep and get to the the room where Nya is preparing for bed.

The girl finishes brushing her teeth. She looks at the mirror. "You can do this, Nya!" She closed her eyes and starts to wash her face. The first ninja lands silently near the front door, wielding a pair of nunchucks. She grabs a towel and dries her face. The second ninja lands in the corner of the room possessing a pair of shurikens. She put the towel back where she got. "Everything's going to be fine!" The girl turns around and comes face to face with the third ninja, who is holding a scythe.

The three ninja prepare to attack her. "I guess not..." She says, troubled.