Hey howdy hey! Just thought I'd add on to my collection of Ninjago stories with a nice sort of remaster of my Silent series on the old MBs.
The wind bit at the lofty trees as the brittle pine needles beneath their feet slipped off like thieves in the night. Hanna Julien, secondary Master of Ice, stared up to the summit as it came closer in view. Her eyes were a bit clouded by the sun, so much closer now that she was up high. But it was there. Exactly what she needed to set things right. The Time Crystal was so close she could almost taste it…whatever temporal gems tasted like, that is.
Finally, she was at the top, feeling strangely not as out of breath as she had expected; in fact, she felt more energized. She grabbed the crystal and tucked it under her arm, sighing in satisfaction, and hopped down the mountain almost as if she were hopping down the stairs.
Until that little bit of rock, just a bit of stone jutting out, ruined everything.
With a yelp that would be her last, she tumbled and crashed painfully on the floor, her awareness flickering like a light. In her last moments of consciousness, she made out several pairs of feet coming her way, and she was grateful.
Once her vision returned, Hanna could recognize her older brother, Zane, and five others, teenagers, clearly human. She scooted back, but she didn't feel a thing. She was used to her sensors giving her the sensation of friction on her backside. That's when she knew she hadn't escaped without a cost. The crystal was beside her, shattered and useless.
“What's going on?” Zane asked as he pulled her up. “Are you alright?”
“I think so,” Hanna mouthed, nothing but air escaping her throat. “Nothing-” She stopped trying. Her voice wasn't coming back.
“This is the sister you were talking about, right?” a slim, sharp-featured male, his hair wild and spiked, asked Zane. “She doesn’t look half bad.”
“I did say I have a sister,” Zane replied, nodding. “This is Hanna. She was built some twenty years after me.” He chuckled. “A large age difference for siblings.”
The shortest of the six, a male with lean build, wavy auburn hair and a cute little scar above his right eye, chuckled when he saw me. “I was surprised already when we ended up with a fourth. Looks like we already have a seventh, heh.”
“She's not our seventh, Jay. Or at least, we don't know.” A taller young man, with a strong, sturdy build and even sturdier eyebrows, wore a slight scowl as he glanced at Hanna. “The name’s Hence. Cole Hence. And if there's anyone who's gonna protect you with everything they’ve got, it's me. A pleasure, Hanna.”
The petite redhead spoke up. “I- I’m Jay. Jay Walker, heh. If you need some light in your life, I guess you can turn to me.” He smiled cutely.
Hanna grinned a bit at his name.
“Heh…it's kinda funny, isn't it? I mean, my full name is Jayson Isaac Walker, but…hah, I guess I’m a joke without trying, eh.” Jay spoke quickly, and his accent was something between Canadian and US East Coast.
Hanna gave him a sympathetic smile and turned to the only female of the group, whose tangled dark hair was in a ponytail. “I’m Nya Smith. It would be great if you joined us. I could use another girl on the team.” She gestured to the messy-haired teen beside her. “And this is Kai, my obnoxious older brother.”
“Sup,” Kai said coolly. He jolted up. “Wait- I’m not obnoxious!”
Nya giggled.
Hanna nodded, grinning.
“Lloyd Garmadon.” The last of the teens, who looked to be the youngest, pulled her up. “You’ll be safe with us. We’ll protect you with everything we’ve got.”
The others nodded, and Hanna lowered her gaze.
“I know how you feel, Hanna,” Nya told her. “I was like that too. But they're right. You don't have any experience fighting with us. We don't know what you're capable of.”
“Or what you're vulnerable to,” Jay added, “or accustomed to, or what you like or dislike, what you're allergic to, what-”
“We get it, bolt-brain,” Cole grumbled. “But I’m still unsure I want her on the team so suddenly. We don't even-”
Zane spoke up. “I know her. I’ve known her all my life. Let me take care of her.”
Hanna nodded.
“She can stay with us on the Bounty unless she has a home,” Lloyd replied. He turned to Hanna. “Do you?”
Hanna shook her head no.
“I’ll teach her Ninjagian sign language,” Jay offered, his voice a bit softer than normal. “I went through a long period of severe laryngitis as a kid, so I eventually learned it to keep myself from having to try to make myself clear. I ended up learning a lot because I didn't know if I’d get better, so I guess now it's sort of sitting there in my head.”
Hanna smiled and nodded.
“Let’s get back to the harbor,” Lloyd said. “We don't want to lose any more time.”
Hey howdy hey! Just thought I'd add on to my collection of Ninjago stories with a nice sort of remaster of my Silent series on the old MBs.
The wind bit at the lofty trees as the brittle pine needles beneath their feet slipped off like thieves in the night. Hanna Julien, secondary Master of Ice, stared up to the summit as it came closer in view. Her eyes were a bit clouded by the sun, so much closer now that she was up high. But it was there. Exactly what she needed to set things right. The Time Crystal was so close she could almost taste it…whatever temporal gems tasted like, that is.
Finally, she was at the top, feeling strangely not as out of breath as she had expected; in fact, she felt more energized. She grabbed the crystal and tucked it under her arm, sighing in satisfaction, and hopped down the mountain almost as if she were hopping down the stairs.
Until that little bit of rock, just a bit of stone jutting out, ruined everything.
With a yelp that would be her last, she tumbled and crashed painfully on the floor, her awareness flickering like a light. In her last moments of consciousness, she made out several pairs of feet coming her way, and she was grateful.
Once her vision returned, Hanna could recognize her older brother, Zane, and five others, teenagers, clearly human. She scooted back, but she didn't feel a thing. She was used to her sensors giving her the sensation of friction on her backside. That's when she knew she hadn't escaped without a cost. The crystal was beside her, shattered and useless.
“What's going on?” Zane asked as he pulled her up. “Are you alright?”
“I think so,” Hanna mouthed, nothing but air escaping her throat. “Nothing-” She stopped trying. Her voice wasn't coming back.
“This is the sister you were talking about, right?” a slim, sharp-featured male, his hair wild and spiked, asked Zane. “She doesn’t look half bad.”
“I did say I have a sister,” Zane replied, nodding. “This is Hanna. She was built some twenty years after me.” He chuckled. “A large age difference for siblings.”
The shortest of the six, a male with lean build, wavy auburn hair and a cute little scar above his right eye, chuckled when he saw me. “I was surprised already when we ended up with a fourth. Looks like we already have a seventh, heh.”
“She's not our seventh, Jay. Or at least, we don't know.” A taller young man, with a strong, sturdy build and even sturdier eyebrows, wore a slight scowl as he glanced at Hanna. “The name’s Hence. Cole Hence. And if there's anyone who's gonna protect you with everything they’ve got, it's me. A pleasure, Hanna.”
The petite redhead spoke up. “I- I’m Jay. Jay Walker, heh. If you need some light in your life, I guess you can turn to me.” He smiled cutely.
Hanna grinned a bit at his name.
“Heh…it's kinda funny, isn't it? I mean, my full name is Jayson Isaac Walker, but…hah, I guess I’m a joke without trying, eh.” Jay spoke quickly, and his accent was something between Canadian and US East Coast.
Hanna gave him a sympathetic smile and turned to the only female of the group, whose tangled dark hair was in a ponytail. “I’m Nya Smith. It would be great if you joined us. I could use another girl on the team.” She gestured to the messy-haired teen beside her. “And this is Kai, my obnoxious older brother.”
“Sup,” Kai said coolly. He jolted up. “Wait- I’m not obnoxious!”
Nya giggled.
Hanna nodded, grinning.
“Lloyd Garmadon.” The last of the teens, who looked to be the youngest, pulled her up. “You’ll be safe with us. We’ll protect you with everything we’ve got.”
The others nodded, and Hanna lowered her gaze.
“I know how you feel, Hanna,” Nya told her. “I was like that too. But they're right. You don't have any experience fighting with us. We don't know what you're capable of.”
“Or what you're vulnerable to,” Jay added, “or accustomed to, or what you like or dislike, what you're allergic to, what-”
“We get it, bolt-brain,” Cole grumbled. “But I’m still unsure I want her on the team so suddenly. We don't even-”
Zane spoke up. “I know her. I’ve known her all my life. Let me take care of her.”
Hanna nodded.
“She can stay with us on the Bounty unless she has a home,” Lloyd replied. He turned to Hanna. “Do you?”
Hanna shook her head no.
“I’ll teach her Ninjagian sign language,” Jay offered, his voice a bit softer than normal. “I went through a long period of severe laryngitis as a kid, so I eventually learned it to keep myself from having to try to make myself clear. I ended up learning a lot because I didn't know if I’d get better, so I guess now it's sort of sitting there in my head.”
Hanna smiled and nodded.
“Let’s get back to the harbor,” Lloyd said. “We don't want to lose any more time.”
“You're really getting it,” Jay said as he held up another word for Hanna to replicate. “I’m impressed. I don't think I’ve met anyone who learned this fast.”
Hanna smiled subtly. You don't need to teach me anything more, she signed. I already scanned the book.
Jay’s eyes widened. “Ah- well- I mean- wow, you're really impressive! You're definitely related to Zane, I can tell. I don't think there's really an explanation for technology this advanced made 20 years ago.”
Hanna shrugged, not sure what to say to that.
“Anyways, we should teach the others,” Jay told her.
Zane knows, Hanna signed back. Perhaps he can help us.
Jay nodded. “Yeah.”
Jay called Zane, who called over the others and Zane taught them each sign, making sure they memorized it. By the end of their lessons, they understood her well enough that they could make conversation.
“We’ll start your training soon enough, Hanna,” Lloyd told Hanna with a smile. “We’ll make sure you’ll be ready when darkness comes.”
I would love to be ready. Hanna smiled.
“Before we get into that, I want to tell you the reason I was so wary of her,” Cole cut in. “When I found her, there was a shattered crystal next to her.” Hanna jumped, knowing what he was talking about. “The Time Crystal. Its power could have broken loose and caused temporal entropy across Ninjago.”
Jay turned to her, confused. “Time Crystal? Why did you have it?”
Hanna lowered her gaze. I had to protect myself. There was a lot going on in my home and I felt temporal instability.
“What do you mean you ‘felt temporal instability?’” Jay raised an eyebrow.
Something was wrong with time, she signed, her motions nervous and frantic. Someone was messing with time and things were going wrong.
“Wait- where have you lived?”
I’ve traveled the mountains of northern Ninjago for years, she replied. There are few towns and not many people, so they are like family to me.
“It must have been a storm,” Zane added to Hanna's thought. “A temporal disturbance is rare but possible, especially at such a high altitude. But it could have also been caused manually by one if they had power enough, either by the element of time or the element of chaos.”
“Hold on,” Jay cut in. “So there's an element of chaos?”
“It's incredibly powerful. Like energy, it combines many different elements in one; time, shadow, creation and destruction, to name a few,” Zane explained. “There is no known master as of now, except for one unknown yet infamous.”
“Who?” Jay asked. “Who is it?”
“I haven't heard his name,” Zane replied, “but he is known as the Mayhembringer."
"Ooh, sounds spooky already," Jay replied with a shudder.
"Are you getting this, Kai?" Nya asked, her tone somewhat annoyed.
"Bits and pieces," Kai replied with a shrug
"You didn't pay attention during Zane's lessons, did you?" Nya asked.
"Eh, sort of," Kai replied.
"Sorry, he has a short attention span," Nya told Hanna with a sympathetic look, shooting a dirty look at Kai before continuing. "Whoever this Mayhembringer is, he sounds really strong .We'll have to take some time to train Hanna so she can fight with us."
"Or we can just fight without her," Kai replied with a shrug.
"As punctual as I'd like to be, that's not the best option," Jay replied ."If we leave her on the Bounty something could go very wrong! For heaven's sake, we could lose her! And...I don't wanna lose anyone else in my life." His tone softened and he averted his gaze. Nya gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"We're all going to train her," Lloyd said. "Each of us has something in them that Hanna can learn from. You taught me, so it's only fair you all teach her as well."
"Yes, Master Lloyd," the others replied, bowing in their obedience.
Wait. Lloyd is your master? Hanna's brows knit in confusion. But he is so young.
"Our old master- well..." Jay stopped, looking down in sorrow.
"We don't like to talk about it," Lloyd added ."But I'm their leader now and there's nothing I can do about it."
“It must have been a storm,” Zane added to Hanna's thought. “A temporal disturbance is rare but possible, especially at such a high altitude. But it could have also been caused manually by one if they had power enough, either by the element of time or the element of chaos.”
“Hold on,” Jay cut in. “So there's an element of chaos?”
“It's incredibly powerful. Like energy, it combines many different elements in one; time, shadow, creation and destruction, to name a few,” Zane explained. “There is no known master as of now, except for one unknown yet infamous.”
“Who?” Jay asked. “Who is it?”
“I haven't heard his name,” Zane replied, “but he is known as the Mayhembringer."
"Ooh, sounds spooky already," Jay replied with a shudder.
"Are you getting this, Kai?" Nya asked, her tone somewhat annoyed.
"Bits and pieces," Kai replied with a shrug
"You didn't pay attention during Zane's lessons, did you?" Nya asked.
"Eh, sort of," Kai replied.
"Sorry, he has a short attention span," Nya told Hanna with a sympathetic look, shooting a dirty look at Kai before continuing. "Whoever this Mayhembringer is, he sounds really strong .We'll have to take some time to train Hanna so she can fight with us."
"Or we can just fight without her," Kai replied with a shrug.
"As punctual as I'd like to be, that's not the best option," Jay replied ."If we leave her on the Bounty something could go very wrong! For heaven's sake, we could lose her! And...I don't wanna lose anyone else in my life." His tone softened and he averted his gaze. Nya gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"We're all going to train her," Lloyd said. "Each of us has something in them that Hanna can learn from. You taught me, so it's only fair you all teach her as well."
"Yes, Master Lloyd," the others replied, bowing in their obedience.
Wait. Lloyd is your master? Hanna's brows knit in confusion. But he is so young.
"Our old master- well..." Jay stopped, looking down in sorrow.
"We don't like to talk about it," Lloyd added ."But I'm their leader now and there's nothing I can do about it."
"We don't even know how much power he has," Jay replied, "let alone what he can do. I'd say it'd take about, what, an entire season to figure out?"
"Season?" Kai raised an eyebrow.
"Three months, Kai," Jay explained. "Four a year. Winter. Autumn. A season."
"Oh."
"Yup."
"If the Mayhembringer has the element of chaos, then Lloyd's energy should balance it out," Nya said.
"I'm not the Golden Ninja anymore." Lloyd looked down bitterly. "My light isn't bright enough."
"Yes it is," Jay replied, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Besides, you'll have us to make it even brighter," Cole added.
"Oh?" Lloyd looked at him. "And how will you do that? The power of friendship?"
"Lloyd, you're really not being yourself," Jay told his friend as he ran a hand through his blonde hair.
"Don't touch me," Lloyd replied, slapping the older teen away. "I'm fine."
"Lloyd!" Nya exclaimed, freeing her hand from Jay's unconscious grasp.
"I said I'm FINE!" His emerald eyes began to flicker violet.
"Lloyd?" Jay asked softly.
What is going on? Hanna turned to her brother. What is going wrong with him?
"Dark matter," Zane replied. "Something must have gotten in."
"Or someone," Kai added, looking towards the door as a shadow loomed over the Bounty.
"Eheheh...I- I don't think I wanna know who that is," Jay said as he backed away from Lloyd, who was breathing heavily through his teeth. "I-I mean, what's happening to Lloyd is too much already."
Cole wrapped his arms around his best friend, causing the smaller teen to look up. "Heh...wha...what are you doing?"
"Protecting you," Cole replied.
"Okay?"
Nya stood up and stood in front of the two boys...mostly Jay though.
"It hurts," Lloyd muttered. "It HURTS! IT HURTS TO BE HERE! IT HURTS TO-"
Kai grabbed Lloyd and covered his mouth, but Lloyd tore away and began yelling.
"AND THAT HURTS EVEN MORE! EVERYTHING HURTS! EVERYONE HURTS! I HATE EVERYTHING AND IT HURTS!" Lloyd stormed away and ran from the harbor.
Jay bit back tears and quietly reached out a hand. "Lloyd."
Lloyd stormed through the streets, and gradually, he began to slow down, his face becoming blank. He felt like he knew his place now.
He glanced around and found a mop of white hair coming out of a pile of rubble. He looked at it, touched it with his foot. It- she- didn't move. "Useless," he muttered before continuing on.
Lloyd looked around at the sight of the people, humans, snakes, skeletons and androids walking among each other. He scorned their faces, hating them just by looking at them. They didn't know how empty he felt inside, just continuing on in peace like nothing was wrong.
He didn't want peace. He wanted- needed- chaos. Lloyd didn't know how all these years he'd been fighting for such a pathetic side.
In an alleyway, he spotted a young man in a cloak- his destination.
"Mayhembringer, my lord of discord, I have arrived." Lloyd bowed in respect.
The man pulled off his Hood, revealing dark hair, olive skin and a handsome face. "No need for such formality. I prefer Damian with friends."
Lloyd smiled. "You need not worry. I will destroy the Ninja at your command, sir."
"Destroy?' Damian chuckled. "Not yet. We will have to wait until they are ready."
"That will not be for a while," Lloyd answered. "They have a new recruit. A handicap. Worthless little brat, the girl. They have to train her." He snickered coldly. "If it were up to me, I would fight before they are ready.”
“No, no, not yet, relax!” The Mayhembringer chuckled. “I wanna try to bring more...fun...into their lives first.”
"We don't even know how much power he has," Jay replied, "let alone what he can do. I'd say it'd take about, what, an entire season to figure out?"
"Season?" Kai raised an eyebrow.
"Three months, Kai," Jay explained. "Four a year. Winter. Autumn. A season."
"Oh."
"Yup."
"If the Mayhembringer has the element of chaos, then Lloyd's energy should balance it out," Nya said.
"I'm not the Golden Ninja anymore." Lloyd looked down bitterly. "My light isn't bright enough."
"Yes it is," Jay replied, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Besides, you'll have us to make it even brighter," Cole added.
"Oh?" Lloyd looked at him. "And how will you do that? The power of friendship?"
"Lloyd, you're really not being yourself," Jay told his friend as he ran a hand through his blonde hair.
"Don't touch me," Lloyd replied, slapping the older teen away. "I'm fine."
"Lloyd!" Nya exclaimed, freeing her hand from Jay's unconscious grasp.
"I said I'm FINE!" His emerald eyes began to flicker violet.
"Lloyd?" Jay asked softly.
What is going on? Hanna turned to her brother. What is going wrong with him?
"Dark matter," Zane replied. "Something must have gotten in."
"Or someone," Kai added, looking towards the door as a shadow loomed over the Bounty.
"Eheheh...I- I don't think I wanna know who that is," Jay said as he backed away from Lloyd, who was breathing heavily through his teeth. "I-I mean, what's happening to Lloyd is too much already."
Cole wrapped his arms around his best friend, causing the smaller teen to look up. "Heh...wha...what are you doing?"
"Protecting you," Cole replied.
"Okay?"
Nya stood up and stood in front of the two boys...mostly Jay though.
"It hurts," Lloyd muttered. "It HURTS! IT HURTS TO BE HERE! IT HURTS TO-"
Kai grabbed Lloyd and covered his mouth, but Lloyd tore away and began yelling.
"AND THAT HURTS EVEN MORE! EVERYTHING HURTS! EVERYONE HURTS! I HATE EVERYTHING AND IT HURTS!" Lloyd stormed away and ran from the harbor.
Jay bit back tears and quietly reached out a hand. "Lloyd."
Season! xD Intentional or not, I love the 4th wall break.
Lloyd stormed through the streets, and gradually, he began to slow down, his face becoming blank. He felt like he knew his place now.
He glanced around and found a mop of white hair coming out of a pile of rubble. He looked at it, touched it with his foot. It- she- didn't move. "Useless," he muttered before continuing on.
**
Lloyd smiled. "You need not worry. I will destroy the Ninja at your command, sir."
"Destroy?' Damian chuckled. "Not yet. We will have to wait until they are ready."
"That will not be for a while," Lloyd answered. "They have a new recruit. A handicap. Worthless little brat, the girl. They have to train her." He snickered coldly. "If it were up to me, I would fight before they are ready.”
“No, no, not yet, relax!” The Mayhembringer chuckled. “I wanna try to bring more...fun...into their lives first.”
"We don't even know how much power he has," Jay replied, "let alone what he can do. I'd say it'd take about, what, an entire season to figure out?"
"Season?" Kai raised an eyebrow.
"Three months, Kai," Jay explained. "Four a year. Winter. Autumn. A season."
"Oh."
"Yup."
"If the Mayhembringer has the element of chaos, then Lloyd's energy should balance it out," Nya said.
"I'm not the Golden Ninja anymore." Lloyd looked down bitterly. "My light isn't bright enough."
"Yes it is," Jay replied, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Besides, you'll have us to make it even brighter," Cole added.
"Oh?" Lloyd looked at him. "And how will you do that? The power of friendship?"
"Lloyd, you're really not being yourself," Jay told his friend as he ran a hand through his blonde hair.
"Don't touch me," Lloyd replied, slapping the older teen away. "I'm fine."
"Lloyd!" Nya exclaimed, freeing her hand from Jay's unconscious grasp.
"I said I'm FINE!" His emerald eyes began to flicker violet.
"Lloyd?" Jay asked softly.
What is going on? Hanna turned to her brother. What is going wrong with him?
"Dark matter," Zane replied. "Something must have gotten in."
"Or someone," Kai added, looking towards the door as a shadow loomed over the Bounty.
"Eheheh...I- I don't think I wanna know who that is," Jay said as he backed away from Lloyd, who was breathing heavily through his teeth. "I-I mean, what's happening to Lloyd is too much already."
Cole wrapped his arms around his best friend, causing the smaller teen to look up. "Heh...wha...what are you doing?"
"Protecting you," Cole replied.
"Okay?"
Nya stood up and stood in front of the two boys...mostly Jay though.
"It hurts," Lloyd muttered. "It HURTS! IT HURTS TO BE HERE! IT HURTS TO-"
Kai grabbed Lloyd and covered his mouth, but Lloyd tore away and began yelling.
"AND THAT HURTS EVEN MORE! EVERYTHING HURTS! EVERYONE HURTS! I HATE EVERYTHING AND IT HURTS!" Lloyd stormed away and ran from the harbor.
Jay bit back tears and quietly reached out a hand. "Lloyd."
Okay, the seasons pun thing at the top made me laugh out loud.
"We don't even know how much power he has," Jay replied, "let alone what he can do. I'd say it'd take about, what, an entire season to figure out?"
"Season?" Kai raised an eyebrow.
"Three months, Kai," Jay explained. "Four a year. Winter. Autumn. A season."
"Oh."
"Yup."
"If the Mayhembringer has the element of chaos, then Lloyd's energy should balance it out," Nya said.
"I'm not the Golden Ninja anymore." Lloyd looked down bitterly. "My light isn't bright enough."
"Yes it is," Jay replied, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Besides, you'll have us to make it even brighter," Cole added.
"Oh?" Lloyd looked at him. "And how will you do that? The power of friendship?"
"Lloyd, you're really not being yourself," Jay told his friend as he ran a hand through his blonde hair.
"Don't touch me," Lloyd replied, slapping the older teen away. "I'm fine."
"Lloyd!" Nya exclaimed, freeing her hand from Jay's unconscious grasp.
"I said I'm FINE!" His emerald eyes began to flicker violet.
"Lloyd?" Jay asked softly.
What is going on? Hanna turned to her brother. What is going wrong with him?
"Dark matter," Zane replied. "Something must have gotten in."
"Or someone," Kai added, looking towards the door as a shadow loomed over the Bounty.
"Eheheh...I- I don't think I wanna know who that is," Jay said as he backed away from Lloyd, who was breathing heavily through his teeth. "I-I mean, what's happening to Lloyd is too much already."
Cole wrapped his arms around his best friend, causing the smaller teen to look up. "Heh...wha...what are you doing?"
"Protecting you," Cole replied.
"Okay?"
Nya stood up and stood in front of the two boys...mostly Jay though.
"It hurts," Lloyd muttered. "It HURTS! IT HURTS TO BE HERE! IT HURTS TO-"
Kai grabbed Lloyd and covered his mouth, but Lloyd tore away and began yelling.
"AND THAT HURTS EVEN MORE! EVERYTHING HURTS! EVERYONE HURTS! I HATE EVERYTHING AND IT HURTS!" Lloyd stormed away and ran from the harbor.
Jay bit back tears and quietly reached out a hand. "Lloyd."
Season! xD Intentional or not, I love the 4th wall break.
Lloyd nooo o_o
Season 8 ruined me.
Me too.
Noooo! Except maybe not because...wait, I can't tell you.
Jay paced the floor with a nervousness that could only belong to the curly-haired teen. "This makes no sense. No sense! Lloyd's always been kind, patient and perfectly sane. And dark matter doesn't just appear out of nowhere, unless during all my trips to the Dark Island I've been missing something, which is highly unlikely because I've only seen it concentrated or shot. And even if he was affected, we would have seen the darkness coursing through his veins, and that DIDN'T HAPPEN!"
"It's likely he was corrupted with a unique power; perhaps the Master of Chaos is closer than we think," Zane added.
Hanna followed along in the Ninja's conversation, taking in every word as she was unable to contribute easily herself. She soon found herself losing awareness, staring out the window only to see a shadowy figure behind it. Her vision clouded, and she lost control of her body, before going completely numb, and then she was gone before anyone could panic.
The figure laughed with a lack of sanity, glancing down at his hands. "Yes. This is fun. This is so very fun."
Before they could fight back, the Ninja were surrounded by various types of Serpentine vipers, and their minds gave out before they could respond.
The figure chuckled as he looked at the unconscious Ninja. "Oh, did I interrupt at the wrong time?" With a snap of his finger, the snakes intertwined, forming larger, Vermillion-esque humanoids and picked up the Ninja. "Terribly sorry for being so rude. But now that I have you..."
The figure smirked. "Might as well get to know you."
Hey howdy hey! Just thought I'd add on to my collection of Ninjago stories with a nice sort of remaster of my Silent series on the old MBs.
The wind bit at the lofty trees as the brittle pine needles beneath their feet slipped off like thieves in the night. Hanna Julien, secondary Master of Ice, stared up to the summit as it came closer in view. Her eyes were a bit clouded by the sun, so much closer now that she was up high. But it was there. Exactly what she needed to set things right. The Time Crystal was so close she could almost taste it…whatever temporal gems tasted like, that is.
Finally, she was at the top, feeling strangely not as out of breath as she had expected; in fact, she felt more energized. She grabbed the crystal and tucked it under her arm, sighing in satisfaction, and hopped down the mountain almost as if she were hopping down the stairs.
Until that little bit of rock, just a bit of stone jutting out, ruined everything.
With a yelp that would be her last, she tumbled and crashed painfully on the floor, her awareness flickering like a light. In her last moments of consciousness, she made out several pairs of feet coming her way, and she was grateful.
Once her vision returned, Hanna could recognize her older brother, Zane, and five others, teenagers, clearly human. She scooted back, but she didn't feel a thing. She was used to her sensors giving her the sensation of friction on her backside. That's when she knew she hadn't escaped without a cost. The crystal was beside her, shattered and useless.
“What's going on?” Zane asked as he pulled her up. “Are you alright?”
“I think so,” Hanna mouthed, nothing but air escaping her throat. “Nothing-” She stopped trying. Her voice wasn't coming back.
“This is the sister you were talking about, right?” a slim, sharp-featured male, his hair wild and spiked, asked Zane. “She doesn’t look half bad.”
“I did say I have a sister,” Zane replied, nodding. “This is Hanna. She was built some twenty years after me.” He chuckled. “A large age difference for siblings.”
The shortest of the six, a male with lean build, wavy auburn hair and a cute little scar above his right eye, chuckled when he saw me. “I was surprised already when we ended up with a fourth. Looks like we already have a seventh, heh.”
“She's not our seventh, Jay. Or at least, we don't know.” A taller young man, with a strong, sturdy build and even sturdier eyebrows, wore a slight scowl as he glanced at Hanna. “The name’s Hence. Cole Hence. And if there's anyone who's gonna protect you with everything they’ve got, it's me. A pleasure, Hanna.”
The petite redhead spoke up. “I- I’m Jay. Jay Walker, heh. If you need some light in your life, I guess you can turn to me.” He smiled cutely.
Hanna grinned a bit at his name.
“Heh…it's kinda funny, isn't it? I mean, my full name is Jayson Isaac Walker, but…hah, I guess I’m a joke without trying, eh.” Jay spoke quickly, and his accent was something between Canadian and US East Coast.
Hanna gave him a sympathetic smile and turned to the only female of the group, whose tangled dark hair was in a ponytail. “I’m Nya Smith. It would be great if you joined us. I could use another girl on the team.” She gestured to the messy-haired teen beside her. “And this is Kai, my obnoxious older brother.”
“Sup,” Kai said coolly. He jolted up. “Wait- I’m not obnoxious!”
Nya giggled.
Hanna nodded, grinning.
“Lloyd Garmadon.” The last of the teens, who looked to be the youngest, pulled her up. “You’ll be safe with us. We’ll protect you with everything we’ve got.”
The others nodded, and Hanna lowered her gaze.
“I know how you feel, Hanna,” Nya told her. “I was like that too. But they're right. You don't have any experience fighting with us. We don't know what you're capable of.”
“Or what you're vulnerable to,” Jay added, “or accustomed to, or what you like or dislike, what you're allergic to, what-”
“We get it, bolt-brain,” Cole grumbled. “But I’m still unsure I want her on the team so suddenly. We don't even-”
Zane spoke up. “I know her. I’ve known her all my life. Let me take care of her.”
Hanna nodded.
“She can stay with us on the Bounty unless she has a home,” Lloyd replied. He turned to Hanna. “Do you?”
Hanna shook her head no.
“I’ll teach her Ninjagian sign language,” Jay offered, his voice a bit softer than normal. “I went through a long period of severe laryngitis as a kid, so I eventually learned it to keep myself from having to try to make myself clear. I ended up learning a lot because I didn't know if I’d get better, so I guess now it's sort of sitting there in my head.”
Hanna smiled and nodded.
“Let’s get back to the harbor,” Lloyd said. “We don't want to lose any more time.”
Jay paced the floor with a nervousness that could only belong to the curly-haired teen. "This makes no sense. No sense! Lloyd's always been kind, patient and perfectly sane. And dark matter doesn't just appear out of nowhere, unless during all my trips to the Dark Island I've been missing something, which is highly unlikely because I've only seen it concentrated or shot. And even if he was affected, we would have seen the darkness coursing through his veins, and that DIDN'T HAPPEN!"
"It's likely he was corrupted with a unique power; perhaps the Master of Chaos is closer than we think," Zane added.
Hanna followed along in the Ninja's conversation, taking in every word as she was unable to contribute easily herself. She soon found herself losing awareness, staring out the window only to see a shadowy figure behind it. Her vision clouded, and she lost control of her body, before going completely numb, and then she was gone before anyone could panic.
The figure laughed with a lack of sanity, glancing down at his hands. "Yes. This is fun. This is so very fun."
Before they could fight back, the Ninja were surrounded by various types of Serpentine vipers, and their minds gave out before they could respond.
The figure chuckled as he looked at the unconscious Ninja. "Oh, did I interrupt at the wrong time?" With a snap of his finger, the snakes intertwined, forming larger, Vermillion-esque humanoids and picked up the Ninja. "Terribly sorry for being so rude. But now that I have you..."
The figure smirked. "Might as well get to know you."
Nothing. I felt nothing. Nothing but an empty feeling in my system. I couldn't move anything but my head; I was bound neck to toe by rope. I attempted to freeze it off, but it was made of vengestone fiber, and I had no voice to cry for help.
Footsteps. That was next. I looked up from my strugglingvoice noticed my captor, a tall, handsome young man with a head of messy black hair, clad in black, red and violet. He chuckled. "So you're the new recruit. Your friend said you were useless, but I wouln't think of such a thing. I could certainly use a strong, silent warrior like you."
I looked up at him, waiting for him to do something to me. He approached me, cutting my bonds.
"You're free as long as you're beside me, Silver Master," he told me.
I tilted my head. Silver Master?
"You're moving your hands in a confusing way. What is that, sign language?" He looked taken aback. "Are you insulting me?"
I shook my head and attempted to indicate that I was confused.
"Oh, something about your head?" He sighed as he watched me shake my head. "You mute people really are confusing. But don't worry. I'll get you a new voice during the reprogramming, and all will be well."
I raised my eyebrows.
"Yup. I'm doing you a favor. Just submit yourself to me and we'll be cool, okay?"
I nodded.
"And since you're here, people do call me the Mayhembringer, but my real name is Damian, so please, refer to me as such while you're in my company," the young man added.
I nodded a bit more vaguely.
"I'll be taking you to my main computer," Damian told me calmly. "You may look around while we walk."
I nodded and followed him, unsure what to expect but feeling brave. Deep down I really hoped the Ninja were alright. I looked down at the floor.
"And we're here. You can look up now," Damian said.
I glanced up at a large holographic screen, staring at it for a while.
Damian chuckled. "I know, right? Advanced technology! I don't even have to plug you in!"
I looked up at him, expecting something.
"No, I'm not going to brainwash you!" He laughed. "That's so cliche! Just sit tight aaaand...presto."
