3. Dark Sides: Tournament of Elements

Chapter 11 - A Couple Small Discoveries

A/N: Ayyyyy, guess who just got accepted into her college of choice!! I'm so excited, I finally finished community college and now I'm gonna transfer to a big 'ole university! There's still the little matter of funds, I don't have near enough what I need yet, but I'm trusting God to help me work that out  (prayers would be greatly appreciated!) That being said, I expect I'll be pretty busy over the summer, especially since I'll be moving out-of-state, but I will still be updating every week, I just might not be able to answer comments all the time. We'll see though, and I'll keep you updated if anything affects my posting schedule. Now on to the chapter!

. . .

Late on the night after the first round of the tournament, Pixal gently knocked on Skylor's door. The girls had agreed to meet regularly throughout the tournament, so that they could discuss a plan of action as events unfolded.

A few moments passed, and when the door opened, Pixal didn't miss the brief look of distraction in Skylor's eyes, as if her mind was already elsewhere. But she perked up when she saw Pixal and asked, "Did you have any trouble?"

"I did come across a guard, but I told him that you wanted to see me and he left me alone, as you predicted."

Skylor nodded. "Well, I'm glad to know that worked. My dad has probably all but disowned me in front of his staff, but that doesn't erase the years of respect I've built up among them. The whole island practically helped raise me, after all."

Pixal stepped into Skylor's room, locating potential weapons, escape exits and hazards. Skylor's room was simple enough, though not nearly as simple as Pixal's, which contained little more than a lavender bed and a small closet. But Pixal liked it that way. Any extra decorations and furniture were unnecessary in her mind.

The floors here were made of amber-colored wood, and the walls were a warm yellow. There was a sword rack off to one side, and a large red rug with a similar symbol to Master Chen's snake motif. Pixal stopped short, her eyes skimming over a painting of Master Chen that took up a large part of one wall.

"Ugh, I know. Awful, isn't it?" Skylor said. Pixal had to agree, it wasn't exactly a masterpiece. "You know how my dad's been planning this tournament for so long? Well he did my room ages ago. That painting was one of the first things we put in here. I didn't get much say in the matter, but at the time I didn't care. Now I have half a mind to burn the thing."

Pixal looked to her friend and felt a stab of sympathy. At times, Skylor acted like she hated Master Chen, but anyone could see that wasn't true. In spite of everything, he was still her father, and there would probably be a part of Skylor that would never forget that.

Another knock sounded from the door. Skylor opened it again to find Seliel. "I know you said that this place is well-guarded," she said as she walked in, "but I still didn't expect there to be so many. I ran into a couple of your dad's henchmen and they were real jerks until I mentioned your name. That shut them up real quick."

Skylor gave her a wry look. "You better not start name-dropping for perks."

Seliel laughed. "Now that you mention it . . ."

The door opened a third time and the girls were distracted by a loud commotion.

"Okay, okay, just let me go!"

"Not a chance," came Nya's voice. "You're in big trouble, mister."

The water ninja was tugging a small, cloaked boy through the doorway, who was struggling against her iron grip. Pixal, Skylor, and Seliel all gasped.

"Lloyd?!"

. . . 

Cole was outraged at the sight of Kai's room. It was lavishly decorated, with warm red tones, glossy wooden floors, and the most comfortable cushions in all of Ninjago. He even got his own painting! Although, Cole would have to say he had a better selection of food, Kai's room looked way more cozy than his own. He did enjoy the shell peas, though, and took the liberty of munching on a few while he reclined on the chaise lounge.