Ninjago: Next Generation

Zane and Crystal

I got up and dusted off the snow. God, I'm cold! But, at least now I'm cooled down... Literally.

Crystal looked surprised. "Z-Z-Zane?"

"Zane is just one syllable," he explained.

"I, uh, hi!" She twitched. Huh, talk about nervous! At least she didn't faint like I did with Kai.

I kicked the last bit of snow out of my semi-wet sweatpants. Brrrr...

Zane put a hand behind Crystals back, gently touching her waist-long white hair. He had her follow him out of the training course to...

Where'd they go? I looked around wildly. There! A lake just behind the meditation center. How did I miss that, and how did they get all the way over there so quickly?

I ditched the training. The sun just rose above the horizon, giving me enough light to see. I ran, clearly out of shape, across the grass fields. I stopped, struggling to climb on the roof quietly to watch and listen. Wow, did that make me sound like a stalker? Sorry...

Anyways, I caught them sitting on the ground, their feet almost touching the icy water of the lake.

"... And how was your life before we built this school and took you in?" Crystal paused.

"I do not remember having a mother or father. I do not remember anything, for that matter, for much more than a year ago. I woke up, standing, in the middle of open fields and plains. I was surrounded by nature. But it was cold. Snow was falling, and there was a white rabbit. I tried to walk towards it, but I realized I didn't know how. It looked frightened by the sight of me, and fled into its burrow. My clothes were plain and white, my hair was this long, and white. My eyes were, and still are, such a light, icy blue, that I was afraid of myself. Who was I? Where was I? What lurked here? Do I have parents?" Crystal sighed.

"I had so many questions, but I knew some answers. I seemed to... Locate and perfectly memorize the area and inhabitants. It was so natural! I decided to name myself after the first truly interesting thing I saw." She held up her wrist.

"My bracelet."

I almost fell off the roof. Seriously, her BRACELET! I had to focus though. I narrowed my eyes. I spotted something new. Two small golden beads with tiny spikes, three on each bead that all tilted slightly, were on either side of the dangling snowflake. I caught sight of the gold dragon breathing snow, and the gold leaf on the spokes, I guess they're called, of the snowflake. What, I'm not a snow expert! Crystal began speaking again and set down her arm.

"I was all alone. But one day..."

"Go on, Crystal."

"But one day, a small bird flew on a branch. I tossed a small nut for it, not understanding at the time that throwing things at small creatures would alarm them. It did not help when the bird just fluttered up over the nut and back on its pine branch. I stretched out an arm. It reached to me with its wing. We brushed up against each other for a moment. It quickly pulled back and began to fly. It screeched, and I instantly knew it was a raven. It never really stays with me for very long, but it showed me a suitable place to call home, and much more. It sometimes comes when I call it, sometimes it does not." Crystal stopped talking.

Why? Because Zane held up her wrist one last time to analyze the charm. What was so interesting about it? And my hairbrush?

I had a feeling, as Zane flipped away and I tried to run to the cafeteria unnoticed, that I'd find out soon.