I'm walking in the black fog again. I can hear voices all around me, but stumbling through the cloud, I can never find anyone.
I hear my brother, the ninjas, Uncle Wu, and Nya. But their voices are coming from all around me. So in trying to follow one, another calls out from somewhere else, leading me in the opposite directions.
They sound terrified, but for reasons I don't know. Whatever it is, I can't see it. But the fog is filled with their screams.
"It's my fault. If I'm in the fog that means the Devourer side is in control. I need to get out of here!"
I need a sound to pull me out. I need to follow a specific voice in order to find my way out.
I hear my brother's louder than the others.
"He's the closest."
Now running wildly through the black towards Lloyd, I can still hear his screams, but there's also the sound of swords rattling.
"Who is he fighting?"
I still hear the rhythmic clash of the swords... too rhythmic actually.
Swords don't have a beat to them...
I know I'm closer to the sound, it becoming clearer now. It sounds more like a drum beat.
"Who's playing the drums at a time like this?!"
Gong
Gong
Gong
"Well that's not a drum."
GONG
GONG
GONG
finally the fog clears and I find my way out.
~
I wake with a start, gasping and frantically looking around me for the source of the noise. Unsurprised to see my uncle standing in the doorway holding a gong. Beating it loud, without any distinct beat in mind.
"Morning, morning, morning! It's a new day and time for sunrise exercise!" Wu exclaims and leaves my room hitting the gong a few more times.
"That's quite the wake up call!"
Sunrise exercise. That's something I hate enough to let the darkness take over!
But I'm not gonna let that happen. I'm going to do my best to make it a full day without shifting.
I can hear the boys room next door, they're bickering about something.
"Haha! Paper beats rock!" I hear Jay exclaim
"What a weird way to start the day..."
I finally get out of bed and get dressed.
"Ugh! I hate sunrise exercise!"
But that's because I'm not a morning person. Or an afternoon person. Or an evening person... But I'm definitely a night time person.
I go out on deck and see the ninjas on the roof with the dragon. Lloyd's holding bag.
"Now I know why they were bickering."
I jump down to join them when I hear Lloyd saying, "I don't remember our mother. She abandoned us when we were really young."
"Why are they talking about mom?"
"She just left? Who took care of you?" Kai asks
"We spent our whole lives at Darkly's Boarding School."
I was about to say something about how much I hated her for it, but the Nya was climbing down as well.
"Hey! I have a mission for you guys. It's the museum of history. Something really strange has happened."
"What is it?" Jay asks
"You're gonna have to see it to believe it."
"Here Nya, take this." Lloyd says giving her the bag
The ninjas all run off towards Master Wu.
"Wait a minute. What am I supposed to do with this?" She asks but got her answer when the dragon made a noise behind her. "Oh..."
I go over with the ninjas.
"We'll go see what the museum needs. Lindsey, I would like you to stay here with Nya." Wu says
"Yes Sensei."
The ninjas leave. Nya was throwing the bag away, looking very disgusted.
"Well, at least we got out of sunrise exercise." I say
Nya laughs, "seriously! It's my least favorite thing. And now I can focus on upgrading my Samurai X suit today. Wanna help?"
We climb back onto the bounty. Nya gets right to work while I "help". It's mainly me handing her different tools. She always explains what she's doing, but to be honest most of this stuff goes right over my head. But it's fun to hang out with her.
"So what did the museum director call about?" I ask
Nya stops working a turns to me, "oh my gosh, it's so crazy! I thought he was messing with me."
"What?"
"You know when we defeated the Great Devourer? How all the venom went, well... everywhere?! He said that it seeped into the museum and was somehow bringing the merchandise to life."
"That's the last thing I was expecting."
My mouth kinda drops open in surprise, but I furrow my eyebrows, waiting for the joke.
"I know right?"
"No joke?" I ask
"No joke." She says and continues working.
"Well that's super weird. I wonder why they'd call us? It's not like we deal with living bobble heads on a regular day basis. How would they even go about solving something like that? Oh well, I'll hear about it later."
"Hand me the socket wrench." Nya says
~
It's evening now. The ninjas still aren't back yet so Nya and I decide to get take out for everyone for dinner from Chen's Noodle House. (Cole's favorite besides cake, so he'll be pleased)
It was so good! And definitely needed after a full day of building and repairing... again mostly Nya. But after the Samurai X suit, we did some basic repairs around the Bounty. And then she did an upgrade to the boosters on the ship as well.
It was a really fun day and best of all, I didn't shift all day! I really think I can control this, I'm just gonna take it one day at a time until I gain full control.
~
Nya and I were talking in the dinning room when we heard the others come home.
"Hey guys, we got dinner!" Nya called out
"Awesome! We'll be right there." Jay responds
Then we heard them all talking quickly, but they were whispering so we couldn't make it out.
Nya and I gave a questioning look to each other. "What are you guys doing?" Nya asks
They kept talking quietly for a few more seconds before they all come in, except Wu.
"What were you guys talking about?" I ask
But the only response I got was Cole saying, "Chen's Noodles!" And diving into the to go boxes.
Lloyd sat down next to me, giving the others nervous glances, but still didn't respond.
Nya and I continue to look around at everyone, waiting for answer.
"What happened at the museum?" I ask
This time they respond.
"It was so weird! The artifacts and merchandise all came to life from the Devourer's venom!" Jay exclaims
"So that they'll answer?!"
"Yeah, at first it was just bobble heads. But the museum had a new exhibit of an Ancient Stone Samurai Warrior, and it brought that to life too." Kai says
"Ancient Stone Samurai Warrior? What's that? I've never heard of it." Nya questions
The boys exchanged glances before Zane says, "well, we actually had someone's help with explaining that to us."
"Aaand what did they say?" Nya exasperates
"Well, she can explain it better than we can, so she's here actually." Cole says
They continue with their nervous looks.
"Now they're just being annoying! And why isn't Lloyd saying anything?"
"Well, then let's hear what she has to say!" I throw my arms up in frustration.
Lloyd glances at me from the side and sighs, "she's in the brig. You guys ahead, I wanna talk to Lindsey about something."
The ninjas and Nya got up and left. I heard Nya in the hall saying, "will someone please explain what's going on?"
I turn on the bench and sit in it sideways, facing Lloyd.
"What's the deal?" I ask
He still looks nervous. He starts to talk, but then stops and clears his throat. "So uhh... how have you been today?..." he asks
I stare at him dumbfounded, "fine? What does this have to do with anything?"
"I mean how were you today with... you know, shifting?"
"I haven't shifted today actually."
Lloyd gives a weak smile, "oh that's good."
"Wow, please try to hide your excitement next time." I deadpan
He laughs a little, "no, I mean, it's great that nothing happened today. I'm happy to hear that, I really am... it's just I know that you'll be upset when we talk to Misako."
I give him a questioning look, "Lloyd, I can manage talking to someone about stone warrior things. I think I'll be fine." I said standing up. "I wanna hear what she knows if it'll help us."
I started walking to the bridge, Lloyd right by my side, but he still didn't look relieved.
Everyone was gathered around the table in the brig, there were a few scrolls rolled out across it.
The lady, Misako, I guess, is sitting next to Wu. She has Greyish hair braided back and round glasses. And is already in a conversation with the ninjas.
They hear us walk in and this time Nya joins the nervous looks with the boys.
"Oh, there you two are." Says Wu, "Lindsey, this is Misako. She's here to help us."
I smile at her, but this doesn't lessen the weird tension around the room.
Misako walks over and stands in front of Lloyd and I. "Wow, it's even more wonderful to see you together. You're both so big."
I laugh nervously, "yeah, really great..." but then I lean over to Lloyd and mumble in his ear, "Lloyd, who is this?"
He sighs again, "Linds... this is our mom."
I stand up straight again and look at her. I think my mouth dropped open a little.
That's when I felt everything turn for the worst. I could feel my blood pumping through me, fiercely.
"Our mom? Our MOM?! What is she doing here?"
The rage over seeing her, finally seeing her, was flooding over me. I knew that this was the exact kind of vulnerability that needed to happen in order for the venom to spread once again.
I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth, "our mom." I mutter
But then Lloyd's voice is whispering in my ear, "Linds, just calm down. You were just saying how you didn't shift today. Don't let it happen now!" He said urgently
I think I nodded at him, but my eyes were still clenched shut.
I was focusing as best as I could on my breathing, on calming it down, but I just couldn't. She was standing right in front of me after all these years. After she left us!
I took a few more deep breathes.
"Linds?" My brother asks
"Come on, Lindsey, just stay calm. Please stay calm! Just in and out. In and out. Just focus on that!"
But it didn't work.
"Almost one whole day." I say my mouth still tightly clamped.
And when I opened my eyes, I knew they were purple.