{Location: Wu's monastery}(Morro's POV)[When Morro turned 9]

Checklist, sparing gloves and padding. Check. A staff that I'm still trying to get a grip on, check. A Sensei to spar with me. Nothing. I'm sitting in the courtyard, an hour after we're supposed to start. I checked his room not too long ago, he's asleep but we're normally awake by now.

And it's a Sunday, we spar together. I mean sometimes the village kids will come up and assist my training. But never on weekends.

The thin bamboo door opens, Sensei rubs his eyes while covering a yawn. He holds a hot cup of tea.

"SENSEI!" Time for training! I smile a little too much at his reaction.

He jumps half a foot. Spilling his tea and covering his heart.

"Sorry," I now realize that my sparing mask probably spooked him but at least he didn't see me smirking at his tumble. I pull the helmet/mask off, standing over him, "You ok, Sensei?"

He takes a few breaths before accepting my hand up, "I'm fine. I can't believe I forgot to tell you, we're not training today."

"No training? SO I woke up at 6 A.M. for no reason."

"Morro," He gets on one knee, helping me pull off my hastily put on patting, "Don't be like that. We're going to a party. It's a new year."

"That explains all the fireworks last night." I hold my arms out in a t pose as he carefully tucks away the padding where it belongs. "Where are we going?"

"A village called Ignacia. It's not too far but I promise it's worth it."

Over the past few months, I haven't really been outside the monastery other than tea trips to the market. And I just wanna hang out, "Mabey I should stay here. Keep our home safe."

"Nonsense," Wu pats my head, smiling at the idea of a party, "Besides, I really want you to meet some of my friends."

"Fine." I huff.

"Go wash up, I'll get something layed out for you."

I huff a little. I was hoping to beat the spinjitzu course today. I take a speedy bath, being sure to super clean my hair. I dry off, seeing a grey tunic with gold highlights laying on my bed. I get changed, following Sensei out and down the mountain. Grumbling a little.

Sensei can't stop smiling. He talks on and on about some these friends and how they have kids my age. I spot a wonderful sized house. Creamy white and small teal accents, huge yead with a small playground, and a small guest room that looks like a mini version of the house. Sensei knocks on a teal color door. "Be your self. And be nice."

"Witch one is it?" I'd rather be training instead of going to a stupid party where I know no one. "It's one or the other."

He frowns.

"I'll be nice."

The door opens, "WU'S HERE!" A woman in a light blue and red apron. She has a warm smile, dark amber eyes but a very motherly feel about her. She hugs Wu before she pats my head. "And who are you?"

"I'm Morro. Sensei Wu's student."

"I'm sure Wu's doing a great job so far. I'm Lyann. It's nice to meet you."

Wu pushes me in a little, "Are we late?"

"No, no," Lyann pulls me in as I quickly feel crowded. How can so many adults fit in such a small space? Lyann heads off to the kitchen, "And don't worry about food. We have plenty of it. Oh yeah, Steve, look who showed up."

Sensei gets swept away into the party and I wander around on my own. I find an empty library. Being as bored as I am, I pick up a book.

Letter letter word...I think, I still can't quite read.

"You know you're reading that upside down." A girl a little younger than me but with bouncy brown hair, cool amber eyes and pale pink lips walk in. She has a pretty blue and teal kimono.

"Oh." I turn it upside down.

"You don't know how to read do you?"

"Pfft, I can read."

"Who'd you come with?"

"Sensei Wu."

"Dose Wu know you can't read?"

"Who are you?"

"Maya."

"Well, Maya, I can read."
"If you can how do you spell your name?"

"Um...." Thanks for embarrassing me, kid. "You caught me."

Maya sits down next to me, "Dose Wu know?"

"I don't think so."

"Here," She pulls an out a super thick red book, she flips to one of the first pages. "This is the first letter in the alphabet, A."
"Why are you helping me?"

"I'm bored. And I'm trying to avoid someone." She turns the page, "B."

We keep this up for another few hours, I repeat after her until we move up to sentences. Outside thunder cracks as raindrops marks on the windows.

Maya giggles, grabbing my hand and pulling me out as rain starts to pour, "I've got to show you something."

"Maya!" I don't want to get wet. I spent a lot of time on my hair, "You're going to get me wet!"

"Just trust me." She smirks, "Come on, friends trust friends."

"We're friends?"

"Duh, I wouldn't have spent the last 3 hours with you if I hated you." She jumps into the rain. Spinning around and smiling wise, "Come on. I'm going to show you something cool."

I can't help but smile as I step into a puddle. The rain's quick and light but starts getting heavy.

Maya dashes off to behind the play structure.

"Maya," I follow after her. She finds a clearing, waiting for me.

"Ready?"

"Ready for what?"

Maya holds her hands out. Squeezing her eyes shut. The falling rain starts to slow to a stop. It's not all the rain but there's a decent circle around us.

I reach up, bearly feeling a think raip drop fall above me, "Are you doing this?"

"Yeah!" Maya giggles. Dropping all the water. I'm soaked. My hair's plastered to my face and there's a little chill in the air, "Sorry. I can get you a towel. Just hang out under the porch."

I throw my hair out of my eyes as I head under the porch. Shivering as I sit in a black rocking chair.

"Chilly?" Almost out of nowhere, a black spike-haired boy with fiery amber eyes and a liking to red leans up against a wall. Playing with an automatic lighter. The fire lights up his red and maroon tunic.
"Where'd you get that?"

He shrugs, "Found it." He stands up, dragging over a small outdoor fireplace, "You seem cold."

"Just a little." A warm blanket or some fire out be nice.

He bends over it, "I'm Ray."

"Morro."

"Could I call you Mor?"

I frown.

He holds his hands out, small sparks catch onto the fire, "Never mind."

"You have fire powers?"

"Oh let me guess, Maya just showed off her sissy little rain trick."

"It's not sissy!" Maya appears in the door with an armful of grey towels. "It's cool."

"Lame." Ray pulls up another chair.

Maya rolls her eyes, "Rember that guy I was telling you about? That one I was avoiding? That's him. My nosey neighbor."

I nod as she tucks a toweal around me. "I see. Thanks for the towel."

Maya heads over to Ray, pulling the chair out from under him, "No problem. How about you head inside and play with Liuxe?"

"He left. Caught a cold." Ray falls over on his face. He gets up, "That's my chair."

"You don't live here."

They start bickering. Huzza! I feel my self-shiver as the wind blows the storm past us. Once I start to feel warm enough, I head inside, leaving behind my still soaked shoes. I wander around, weaving my way thought grown-ups until I spot some marshmallows, gram crackers, and chocolate seemingly untouched with medal sticks nearby. I scoop up the sugary stuff before I head back down. Ray and Maya's voices start getting louder. I set the stuff down in my chair, "Hey." They shut up and look at me, "If you two can get along," I show off my collection, "I'll share."

Both smile and reach for s'mores, "DEAL!"

From that point, it's more calm, sure they argue but it's far more joky sounding.

"Having fun?" Wu leans against the door.
I swallow my marshmallow before smiling with chocolate teeth, "A little."

"I'm glad. But we have to get going. There's another storm coming and I wouldn't want to overstay."

But I don't wanna go. I glace at them.

Maya lays down her messy marshmallow stick, "I have some free time next week. I can come visit you and Wu at the monastery. If that's all right?"

Wu smiles at the thought of me having friends, "That would be wonderful. Having the both of you around."

Ray nearly chocks on his chocolate as I pull on my wet shoes, "Both of us?"
"Yes." Wu has some kind of twinkle in his eye, "I think your parents would want you to have a travel buddy, so you don't get lost or be alone." He nods me over, "I can talk about it a little more with your parents at our tea visits."

They wave goodbye. Sensei spends a little more time with his goodbye as I carefully look outside for rain. Nothing but dark ominous clouds.

Wu smiles as we walk over squishy dirt, "Did you have more fun then you thought you would?"

"Yeah." I smile, the reading wasn't too bad but it was fun watching their powers at work. If this whole ninja thing doesn't work out, mabey I can take my new friend to teach a lesson to Madame E. "You were right."

"I like the sound of that."

I roll my eyes a little as I spot another family. Giving a little boy birthday presents. Well, he's got to be having a good day, two parties.

"Would you like more fun?"

"I'm partied out. I just never really seen a birthday party."

He frowns, "But you must have had a birthday? How old are you?"

"I know I'm 8. Just not what day I turned 8." I bite my lower lip. I mean it's not like Madame E came up to me one day and say 'happy birthday have a cake.'

He smiles, scooping me up as we pass through a 24-hour market, "Then why not today?"

I can have a birthday? I like this guy. "I like it."

Sensei set me on his shoulder, "Well then happy birthday, Morro."

"Thanks. Just curious, how old are you?"

"Close to 250."

My jaw drops as he pulls out a few coins while heading to a small girl running a shop, "250!?"

"My father lived a long time too. I'm not too sure why. Miss," he waves to the girl, "Can we buy that kite?"

She nods, taking the money and giving us the kite.

250? He's 250 year's old? I'd have guessed 20 or 30. But a quarter of a century?!

Wu take a small red and tan kite with a dragon face, "I promise that next year, I'll get you a better present." He hands it up to me as he steps up the mountain steps.

"Thanks." I grab the part where the sticks cross. I manage to unroll the string a little as Wu sets me down. I play with it outside the monastery gate.

Sensei smiles as the wind yanks the kite around, "I'll make us some tea. How's that sound?"

I smile, nodding, "Sure." I fight the wind a little. Until it dies. I look at it like, 'hey, I was having fun.'

Sensei peeks around the corner, "Mabey the wind will be nicer tomorrow." Inside the teapot starts screaming. "Oh no." He rushes in.

Mabey once more, I toss the kite out, the wind ripping it clean off the string, "No," there goes my first birthday present. I drop the spool. I won't lose it. I reach for it. And it floats.

Hey, this is fun. I carefully move my hands, playing with it like a puppet. I smile as I consider trying to get it to flip.

How am I doing this?

I'm like Ray and Maya. But with the wind. Cool!

"Where's the string?" Sensei looks shocked as he lets tea spill out of his baby blue cup.

"It broke." I stop whatever I'm doing, the kite drop back, as I show off the back side, "See?"

He's speechless.

Did I do something wrong? Is he going to kick me out?

I don't want to be alone on my birthday.