13 | CONFUSED FACES

AFTER THE HORRIFYING NIGHTMARES THAT THE BROOKSTONE SIBLINGS SUFFERED THROUGH THAT NIGHT, THERE WAS A NEW TENSION IN THE AIR THAT MADE THE DYNAMIC OF THE SHOP CHANGE AS A WHOLE. Emma had avoided her brother practically the entire day, only making eye contact with him when they sat down for lunch in between training. 

The girl was confused and didn't understand how her mother could be alive. She had seen so vividly in her mind the day that her mother was torn away from her by a demonic being. She witnessed it all, and she didn't understand why the demons would keep May Brookstone alive. If they took her, they might as well have killed her.

While the young girl thought this, Misako stood in the kitchen while looking at the ninja and students before her. Sensei Wu and Sensei Garmadon were sitting, watching the woman as she cleared her throat and lifted a large scroll.

"The skies will thunder and rain will fall, you have only one chance to defeat them all. Music plays with an echoing voice, the dancer risks at her own choice. Decisions are many, fears are plenty. There is no room for slight error, but it is promised to become quite a terror. Little silver and little black, skills are one you must not lack. Fight with grace and count them down, you don't have much more than a single noun. You have been scared and lied to all your life, perhaps the wound is eternally deeper than a knife. No one seems to understand your pain, they only look as if it is a game. With the virtuoso talent you are a grace, no air is to span with thin lace. Fight as the first and not as the last, you will be victorious yet not at all fast. To the black and silver, Destiny is forever and always by your side," she said loudly, lifting her eyes to look at Emma.

"The writers of Destiny sent this to us several days ago, and we've been working to decipher it," Wu picked up, bringing his tea to his lips as he sipped it slowly. "It's describing how you are as a ninja, and the final battle," Garmadon continued.

"Final battle? We haven't even had one!" Jay cried out, dropping his hands on the table in disbelief. "Yeah, nevermind that," Emma cut off, waving her hand in dismissal to Jay's statement, "Why is this happening now?"

"We don't have an answer to that, but you must be ready," Wu replied. Nya rolled her eyes, "We're always ready, that's all we ever do. Why do we have to wait for them to come to us? Why can't we reverse it this time?"

"Yeah, I agree with Nya," Cole jumped in. "Take them by surprise."

"We aren't ready," Zane interjected while looking around the table. "None of us are ready."

Kai groaned and dropped his head into his arms with the clear feeling that he was annoyed with the little progress. "If we wait, we'll only be inviting chaos in!" Lloyd argued.

"It's not up for discussion," Garmadon's voice boomed, silencing the room and making everyone stare at him. "We are not ready," he said before walking out of the kitchen with the two elders following behind. 

Emma sighed and rubbed her forehead before standing to her feet and walking out of the room with a water bottle in hand. Nya exited after her, perhaps hoping to talk to the girl and make sure she was alright, and the boys were left to chat amongst themselves about the new problem arising in the depths of Ninjago.

But they were right about one thing, they weren't ready, and chaos would come.

•••

Emma compiled her belongings into one duffel bag and shoved her pride down with it. She was tired of this, tired of her family and friends thinking she was made to be a ninja. She needed to get out before it became too much. Living with the ninja for a month was interesting, sure. But it wasn't for her. So instead, she was going back home before anyone could try and stop her. 

The ninja were already sleeping, their eyes closed and their snores filling the room. It was the perfect chance for her to leave with no one even suspecting she was. So she slung her bag onto her shoulder and took one last glance at the handwritten apology from Kai that hung above her bed with a certain feeling of joy surrounding it.

The girl slightly smiled and stepped out of the room while being extra careful to silently close the door behind her. And with no one noticing, she slipped out of the tea shop and made her way through the courtyard where once she passed the line of the woods, no one would be able to come get her until morning.

She had to go. She needed to.

And no one was going to stop her.