Taking Control. (a Ninjago fanfic)

Chapter 84- Stories by firelight

J A Y

The Land Bounty could take us a lot of places. Dense jungle? Sadly not one of them.

By the time we'd parked it and started walking, I was already sweating through my gi. Humidity clung to everything, and every bug in Ninjago seemed to have been given the instruction to "bite Jay Walker's ankles."

Rue, of course, was fine. She moved through the trees like she'd never left, all sure-footed and calm, pointing out landmarks none of us could even see.

Finally, though, the forest thinned. Voices drifted through the trees — laughter, chatter, the crackle of a bonfire. The air smelled like smoke and spice. My shoulders tightened on instinct. Crowds and me... yeah, we weren't on great terms lately.

The clearing opened up in front of us. A ring of huts surrounded a massive fire pit, flames already leaping high against the dark. People milled about, cooking, weaving, chasing after kids who darted between their legs like rockets.

We didn't even make it five steps in before a cluster of children froze mid-game and spotted us.

I braced myself. Waiting for the whispers. The pointing. The fear.

But it didn't come.

They just... stared. Big wide eyes, more curious than anything.

One little boy, maybe five or six years old, crept forward until he was only a few feet away from Kai. He tilted his head like a puppy, then asked, perfectly polite:

"...Why's your hair on fire?"

Kai blinked. "It's... not."

The boy frowned, then reached out like he was about to poke him just to check. Kai took a nervous step back, which of course made the kid grin.

And just like that, the dam broke.

Another kid tugged at Zane's sleeve, asking why his eyes glowed. Two more circled Cole, whispering and daring each other to touch his massive arms. A little girl with neat braids peered up at Lloyd and said, "You're too small to be the leader," which made Lloyd splutter like he'd swallowed a bug.

Then the questions started flying.

"Can you really turn invisible?"
"Are you like super super strong?"
"Do you eat, or are you made of metal?"
"Can you shoot lightning out of your eyes?"

That last one was aimed at me.

I froze. For a second I thought I'd forgotten how to breathe. The kid — a small boy with a gap-tooth smile — was staring at me like I was the most fascinating thing in the world.

"I—uh," I stammered, rubbing the back of my neck. "Not out of my eyes. Wrong... outlet?"

The boy laughed like that was the funniest thing he'd ever heard. Before I knew it, three more kids were tugging at my arms, peppering me with questions: Did lightning hurt? Could I act like a lighting rod? Did I glow in the dark?

It wasn't cautious anymore. It wasn't polite. It was... excited.

And FSM help me, it was overwhelming — but not in the way I'd braced for.

By the time Rue stepped further into the clearing, we were buried. Literally. Kai had three kids climbing up his back like he was a ladder. (Just as Rue had predicted) Cole had two hanging off each arm, both giggling as he tried to walk. Even Zane had a toddler on his shoulders, tiny hands tangled in his hair.

And then—

"Rue!"

The voice cracked across the clearing. We all turned to see a boy about her age if not a year or two older— skidding to a stop. Sandy-colored hair, tanned skin, dark smudges under his eyes like sleep hadn't been invented for him.