Onyx and the Rise of the Snakes

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Onyx slashed her training katanas through the air, practicing in the monastery courtyard. She ignored Kai, Cole, and Jay's antics. They were no doubt still trying to discover who the Green Ninja was. Onyx's slashes became slightly more erratic. Regardless of what she'd told Nya, the matter had been eating at her, and it had started affecting her sleep. What if she wasn't the Green Ninja? If that was the case, then why wasn't she in the prophecy? Onyx delivered a final slash, but in her distraction, she accidentally slammed the training swords into the ground. Onyx yelped as the vibrations ran up through the handle, making her hands sting and her shoulder ache.

After a minute, the pain had faded, and she picked up the sword. Onyx glanced over at the boys. Jay was deflecting rubber tipped arrows with his Nunchuks, Cole was punching the dummies, Kai was practicing Spinjitzu, and Zane was meditating in a corner. Suddenly Zane leapt up, ran in front of Jay, grabbed Cole's practice Scythe to slash the dummy, whirled into Spinjitzu, causing the stones in the courtyard to freeze. Onyx scrambled to regain her balance, but slipped, and when her legs flew up in the air, Zane vaulted over her and flipped back into his corner, where he continued meditating like nothing had happened.

Onyx laid on her back, staring at the sky and trying to figure out what had just happened. After a moment, she flipped over onto her stomach and slid herself over to Cole, Kai, and Jay. She accepted Cole's helping hand with a nod of thanks. The four stared over at Zane. "This roof isn't big enough for the five of us," Kai complained. "Correction, this roof isn't big enough for him," Cole said. "It's like he's in his own little world. I BET HE CAN'T EVEN HEAR US!" Jay shouted. Onyx winced. He'd yelled right in her ear. Zane didn't even open his eyes, proving Jay right. "Huh. I space out sometimes, but I'm never that oblivious," Onyx remarked.

Wu approached the four ninja. The second he was in earshot, Kai said, "Sensei, Zane's... weird." Wu blinked at Kai. "Well what is weird? Someone who is different, or someone who is different from you?" He asked. Onyx tilted her head. "But then we'd all be weird, so none of us would be," she said, confused. Wu sighed. "You're missing the point," he said. Cole interrupted what was sure to be a long lecture on leaving logic out of a conversation sometimes.

"No, Sensei. Zane's 'weird' weird," he said. The four thought back to a few examples. Onyx remembered one instance where she had found him making origami forks in a cabinet under the sink. Though she hadn't exactly been normal then either, as she had asked him to show her how to make them. "We like the guy, he's really smart. But he... he's a little off sometimes," Kai said. "Zane is a brother, and brothers are often different. I should know," Wu said commandingly, ending the conversation.

There was a rapping on the Monastery gate. Cole, Jay, and Kai all shouted "mail!" At the same time and flung open the entrance, revealing a panting postman. Onyx hung back and watched them longingly. There was no one to send her letters anymore. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Zane. She gave him a tiny smile. The Postman dug through his bag. "Let's see... a letter from Jay's parents, Kai got a fan letter, oh, and something from Cole's father," he said, handing out the said mail. "What, no package? I'm expecting something from Creature's, Beasts, and Beyond," Cole said. The mailman checked again. "Ah, here we are," he said, giving Cole a box with a fanciful bear design on it. "Hah, Rocky's gonna love this!" He said, stepping past the postman and heading to the dragon pens.

Jay and Kai walked back over to Zane and Onyx, reading their postage. "Hey, how come you guys never get anything?" Jay asked. "I don't remember my parents. I have been an orphan all my life," Zane answered. Onyx looked up at him. She'd figured his parents were gone, but she didn't think he wouldn't remember them. "You mean you've never had a home?" Kai asked. Zane shook his head, slightly timid, and turned to walk away. "The monastery is your home now. All of yours'," he said as the two of them left.

"What about you?" Jay asked Onyx. She looked down. "They-they died when I was little. Master Wu found me alone and took me in," she answered. "Really? How did-" Kai elbowed Jay in the ribs, but Onyx had heard enough to guess what he was going to say. "I don't want to talk about it. Leave me alone," she said, turning and hurrying away.

Onyx wedged herself into the space between the wood and shingles in the monastery gate. It was the hidden little nook where she went to think. Truthfully, she could barely remember her father's face. She has been so young when he died. Her mother, she remembered better. She remembered her older brother the best though. He had been the one to take charge when her mother's health had begun to fail. Onyx wondered if he was still alive... no, he couldn't be. Otherwise he would've come for her. That she knew for certain. Onyx sighed deeply and dropped her head against the wooden frame. The memories hurt, but forgetting hurt more.

That night, the ninja, Wu, and Nya were sitting around the table, waiting for dinner to be ready. Onyx could hardly wait. It was Zane's night for cooking, and he never failed to concoct a culinary masterpiece. Jay sniffed as the scent of cooking poultry reached them. "Mmm. Oh, I love when it's Zane's night to cook," he said. "Hey, I didn't hear any complaints about my duck chowder last night," Cole said. "That's because it glued our mouths shut. You really thought Jay was speechless all throughout dinner?" Kai snickered. "Yeah... don't make that again," Jay agreed. "They've got a point," Onyx said.

Cole didn't get the chance to retort, as Zane chose that moment to walk into the room holding a platter. He set it down and took the lid off, revealing a turkey. He also revealed the fact that he was wearing a pink floral patterned apron that looked like something a grandmother would wear while making cookies. Everyone burst into laughter. Onyx snickered quietly. The funniest part was that it actually looked good on him. Zane cocked his head. "What's so funny?" He asked innocently.

"Zane, you're wearing a... well, even I wouldn't wear that!" Nya said, choking on her laughter. Zane looked down at the apron, even more puzzled. "You laugh because I take steps to ensure I'm clean after cooking?" He said. "Haha! No, we laugh because you came out wearing that ridiculous outfit!" Kai said, trying and failing to look serious. Onyx's sides hurt with the effort to hold the laughter back.

"I guess we don't share the same sense of humor." Zane said. "Well how about this?" Cole said, flinging a plate of shrimp into Kai's face. Everyone laughed except Zane and Onyx, who immediately ducked under the table. She didn't want to get food on her. It was for eating, not throwing. "How could you not find that funny? Agh!" Cole shouted as Wu poured a bowl of pea soup over his head.

The next second, the dining room had deteriorated into complete chaos, food and plates flying everywhere. The second there was an opening, Onyx made a break for it. She dashed across the floor and out of the Monastery.

Onyx made a beeline back to her little nook. She leaned her head against the wood and watched the Sakura blossoms wave gently in the wind. It was peaceful there, the sweet scent of the flowers and soft rustling of leaves filling the night air. A little while later, she was jerked from her hypnotic trance when Zane walked through the archway and threw a bag of trash with a pink piece of fabric poking out of it into a garbage bin. Onyx backed deeper into her hiding place.

Zane suddenly froze and looked out at something in one of the trees. Onyx followed his gaze and saw a falcon. As Zane tilted his head, so did the falcon. Zane flapped his arms and shifted his weight from foot to foot. The falcon did the same. Then it took off. Zane looked back at the Monastery, then turned to follow the bird. Onyx decided to reveal herself. "You shouldn't follow it alone," she said, dropping down behind him.

Zane jumped, then nodded. "I suppose you're right. Perhaps you could come?" He asked. Onyx nodded. "I don't have anything else to do. And I don't want to get hit in the face by a bowl of soup," she said. Zane nodded. "I agree," he said.

Then the two turned and chased after the falcon.