Fubuki's POV
It was as if the air had been sucked out of the biosphere of the Monastery. After PIXAL dropped her bomb of a reveal, everyone went quiet. Even the ones who had been sparring stood still to gawk at our little group. One could count every fly in the courtyard just from hearing their buzzing.

"T-the woman from my dream w-wants to meet me?" I stuttered.

"Wait, how is that possible?" Daigo spoke up. It was the first time he said anything since he joined our little group.

"Yeah, who is that woman?" Orochi asked.

"And please don't tell me she's a nymph," Honcho grumbled. "If there's one thing I've learned from mythology, it's that nothing good ever happens with nymphs!"

"How would you know that if you've never actually met one?" Quon asked him.

"I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO MEET ONE TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE BAD NEWS!" Honcho yelled in response.

PIXAL glanced at those around us for a split second before leaning down towards me. "This is more of a 'your family' type of situation," She told me in a conspiratorial whisper. "How about we talk inside? I have a few things I need to show you." She offered me her hand, blindingly white in the light from the afternoon sun.

My gut was starting to spit out more uneasy feelings. Why was she being so secretive about this? Why was it only a "my family" type of situation? But my curiosity was killing me, so I decided to just go with it. I nodded stiffly and took her hand, allowing her to haul me to my wooden feet.

"Wait, where are you guys going?" Kit called from where he had been trying and failing to knock Xander over. He had experimented his way up to the Laughing Giant's shoulders, but judging from Xander's relaxed stance, he didn't even notice Kit up there. "Is it important? Can I come with you?"

"Never mind, Kit," PIXAL called over her shoulder as she ushered me towards the front door. "I need to talk to Mr. Sumie inside, but I expect you all to still be sparring when we return." A few of the guys started to protest, but PIXAL slid the door shut in their faces.

As soon as we were alone, I decided to ask her my burning question, "So, what's with all the secrecy, Pix? Usually you tell us everything as a group."

PIXAL sighed and gestured for me to follow her down the hall. "Well, your situation is a little different, Fubuki," She told me by way of explaining. "There are unique circumstances pertaining to each unique Element. The others don't have dreams like the one you had - at least, not in the same context."

"That's not making me feel better," I admitted; my steps started to slow as I started to feel more and more like a freak.

PIXAL's gentle laugh and hard footsteps echoed through the quiet halls. "Don't worry, it's nothing bad," She said wistfully. She stopped before two large doors and I realized that she had brought us to the library. "Call it more of an... invitation to a family reunion."

The doors swung open on oiled hinges and we were greeted with the vast expanse of the Monastery library. I had only been in here once or twice since I had first started training here, but I was always intimidated by the sheer size of the place. I mean, there had to be at least a million scrolls in there - how does one even begin to look for something?

If PIXAL had such a method, she didn't bother to share it as she went straight to a wall. I had no choice other than stand awkwardly in the corner as she rifled through dozens of scrolls. After about a minute of searching, she emerged from the wall with a large scroll. Protruding from the rolls of parchment was a lapis lazuli peg with carvings that reminded me of ocean waves.

She carried the scroll to the circular desk in the center of the room, and I followed her. As she set the scroll down lengthways, she asked me, "What have your parents told you about your ancestors?"

I thought back to the conversations I've had with my parents since I started training at the Monastery. "Erm, not a lot," I admitted with a wince. "They've told me a little about my grandparents, but not much else."

"Then allow me to be the first to tell you this story," PIXAL said gleefully. She unrolled the scroll carefully, slowly revealing intricate paintings in various shades of blue. As I stared in awe at their intricacy, PIXAL started to speak in a low voice.

"Long before time had a name, the First Spinjitzu Master, a mere child at the time, left the First Realm to create a world of peace, but instead found a world of chaos. He'd stumbled upon a battle between the inhabitants and the Storm Spirit, Wojira." She pointed to a painting of what looked like a large sea snake with glowing blue eyes and coral stalks on top of its head. Lighting lit up the background and giant waves surged around its body. Multiple dark figures were positioned in battle formations in the sea around it. Amongst them was the form of a young child carrying a staff and wearing a cone hat.

"The First Spinjitzu Master joined the inhabitants in trying to fight against Wojira, but not even his power was enough to quell the angry beast." Next came a series of paintings depicting the child and a group of the two species, one a squid-like creature with tentacles instead of legs and the other a humanoid with lined purple skin, attacking the sea snake. As many paintings there were of them attacking, though, there were just as many paintings of them being violently pushed back. "The battle had gone on for only nine days, yet it appeared as if it would continue for a thousand years. That was, until... she showed up."

PIXAL unrolled the scroll further, revealing the painting of a woman riding on the back of a majestic whale towards Wojira. She wore a suit of armor, complete with a helmet, breastplate, and a spear. Her skin was depicted as being light violet in color, and her indigo hair was arranged in a ponytail that spilled from the top of her helmet. Her face was arranged in an expression of bold fearlessness. Even in my eyes, she was beautiful.

"Her name was Nyad," PIXAL informed me, trailing her fingers across the painting with reverence. "And she was the first Master of Water."

"The first?" I asked in surprise, whipping my head up to stare at her.

"The very first!" PIXAL confirmed with a smile and a nod. "A Merlopian warrior, she had the ability to communicate with the ocean's creatures, and she used that ability during the battle. On that ninth day, Nyad got closer than anyone else and was even able to figure out Wojira's weakest points. Though even that wasn't enough to turn the tides." The next few paintings were consecutive images of Nyad jumping onto Wojira's head, gazing upon two weird-looking stones on its head, and then being thrown back into the sea.

"Nyad knew she had to do something in order to end the battle for good. So she decided to pay the ultimate price." The next roll of the scroll unveiled a painting of Nyad in the center of a whirlpool. Her mouth and eyes were wide open, and they seemed to be glowing abnormally.

I realized what had happened before PIXAL spoke it and unrolled the scroll further, "She became one with the sea."

The next painting was the show stopper: in it, Nyad had become gigantic, her entire form now consisting entirely of sea water. Two titans facing each other over a playing field of churning water. Nyad faced down Wojira with such a mighty rage, I was grateful I was only looking at a painting and not the real deal.

"With the power of the sea itself on her side, Nyad was able to defeat Wojira and send her into a deep slumber." A painting of the stones being knocked from Wojira's head, sending all three into the sea. "But the damage had already been done. The transformation Nyad had undergone was one that could not be undone. With no way to return to her physical form, Nyad accepted her fate and returned to the sea, never to be seen by her people again." A painting of Nyad falling into the sea with a serene smile on her watery face.

"Everyone thought that Wojira was gone forever, if she'd even existed in the first place. But they were wrong," PIXAL continued, her voice taking on a more serious tone. "Nearly a thousand years later, things took a turn for the worse. A Merlopian prince by the name of Kalmaar became resentful of those who lived on land, believing that the Merlopians had a right to Ninjago because they had been here since before the First Spinjitzu." A painting of one of the squid-like species, looking contemplative while a monstrous shadow lurked behind him. "He resolved to destroy the land dwellers entirely, so he turned to the one being powerful enough to do so."

"Wojira," I realized in an instant.

PIXAL nodded sagely. "He awoke her and set her loose on the city." A painting of the squid-person riding on the head of Wojira, rampaging through the Ninjago skyline while water flowed through the streets and lightning split the sky. "The Elemental Masters of the day rose to the challenge, but even their combined efforts weren't enough to overpower her." Several paintings of people in multicolored suits attacking Wojira and being pushed back regardless. "It truly looked like Ninjago was on the verge of the Age of Wojira."

She unrolled the scroll once more, revealing the painting of a dark haired woman wearing a turquoise suit, who looked like she was floating on water as she sprinted towards Wojira and Kalmaar. "But one of them refused to give up. Her name was Nya, and she was the current Master of Water. A descendant of Nyad in more ways than one."

The next painting depicted Nya kneeling next to a man lying on his back on a sofa. He looked like he was in pain while Nya looked heartbroken. "When the man she loved was critically injured during the battle, she realized that she had no choice. In order to defeat Wojira once and for all, she had to do what Nyad had done before her." The next few paintings depicted Nyad undergoing a similar transformation as Nyad - glowing in a giant whirlpool before becoming a dragon made out of sea water that faced down Wojira. "She also became one with the sea. The transformation, once again, could not be undone, so Nya accepted her new life and returned to the sea." A painting of a human-form water Nya diving into the sea, all while the man she'd been comforting, who seemed to have been healed, screamed and reached desperately for her hand.

"Now this next sequence of events is based off of Nya's own account, so it's a little broken up," PIXAL admitted as she continued to unroll the scroll, and I was honestly surprised that we were still here. The other end of the scroll had rolled off the end of the desk and dropped to the floor a long time ago, and there was still plenty of parchment that was still rolled up. I didn't say anything, though, and glanced out the library window at the afternoon sun uneasily. I just hope that we'll get through this story before sundown...

"Nya stayed in the sea for nearly a year, gradually losing herself. She forgot all about her life on land and the people she left behind." A painting of Nya happily swimming through crystal clear water, surrounded by sea creatures. The next was of her looking surprised while coming face to face with Nyad herself, who also appeared carefree with her living arrangement. "She eventually met the inspiration of her choice, who gave her advice that inadvertently helped her regain her memories." A painting of Nya looking haggard while surrounded by troubled waters. "Nya desperately wanted to return to her home, but not even Nyad knew how to reverse the transformation. On her own terms, she discovered a way, though it did have its consequences. Regardless, she was successfully able to leave the sea, and a piece of herself, behind." A painting of Nya back in her fleshy human form, gratefully embracing the man she loved.

"However, she was never able to forget Nyad. The woman was going through the same thing she had, and had been doing so for far longer than her. She wanted to help." A painting of Nya wearing scuba gear underwater, sitting cross legged on the sea floor while seemingly conversing with Nyad. "She would visit the sea on occasion and tell Nyad the legend of how she'd single-handedly defeated Wojira all those years ago. The repetition did help some of Nyad's buried memories to resurface, but she believed that it was far too late for her. Nya had only been one with the sea for a year; Nyad had been one with the sea for several centuries. Everyone she had ever known and loved was gone - she had no one waiting for her." A painting of Nyad looking somber, yet still surrounded by colorful sea life.

"So unlike her descendant, Nyad decided to remain in the sea. Though with her memories mostly restored, she refused to return to her previous life of idleness. She resolved to helping the future generations of Water Masters, teaching them about where their power came from." A painting of Nyad kneeling on a nighttime beach in front of a young girl, a full moon framing the two of them. Nya stood not too far away, a few gray streaks in her dark hair and a warm smile pulling at the wrinkles around her mouth.

We'd finally reached the end of the scroll, and PIXAL started to promptly roll it back up with much more speed than what she'd unrolled it with. "Nyad has kept this tradition of teaching ever since," She told me over the sound of rolling parchment. "She reaches out to every generation of Water Masters, her descendants, inviting them to join her in the sea. And it starts..." She glanced at me with a dramatic pause in her sentence. "With a dream."

I stood there dumbly, my eyes and mouth working like that of a goldfish: open and shut, no words coming out. After a few seconds of looking stupid, I finally managed to stammer, "S-she wants to t-teach me? B-but why now?"

PIXAL barely looked up from her task of rolling the ridiculously long scroll up, but she was able to answer my question with a question, "Tell me, did you see anything else besides Nyad and the sea in your dream?"

I was about to tell her no, but I stopped myself because I realized that I had seen something else. "Yeah... I saw a full moon."

PIXAL nodded definitively as she finished rolling the scroll up. "That explains it. Nyad only ever makes a point to have her lessons on a full moon night. I'm not exactly sure why, but I think it's because the sea currents are stronger during that time." She looked towards the library window and I followed her gaze. The moon was a round marble in the sky, pale from the daylight. "There is one tonight."

She crossed the room to put the scroll back on the shelf that she'd found it on, leaving me floundering to catch up with her. "The fact that she's reaching out to you so early in your training must mean that she really wants to meet you!" She set the scroll down and turned to me with a chrome smile. "She must have something extra special to show you down there!"

"D-down there?" I stuttered. I was starting to feel a little lightheaded. "T-this is all happening too fast! Don't get me wrong, I love to swim, but I don't even know what's down there! I don't know what to expect!"

"Well, if you're asking about what wildlife to expect, I can give you a semi complete list of Ninjago's sea species," PIXAL told me, crossing her arms.

"Semi complete?" I asked her.

"New species are being discovered almost everyday!" PIXAL claimed, sounding very defensive of her list. "And anyways, I can only tell you what might be down there. Remember, Nyad is the sea itself." She chuckled slightly. "She's even older than me, if you can believe it! She has seen so much more than you and I ever have. What is seen down there, what is learned... only the Masters of Water will ever know."

It all sounded so cool yet so ominous. I loved the sea, swam there with my family on occasion, but I had never actually been deeper than a couple dozen feet. PIXAL was implying that, with Nyad, I would go much, much deeper.

All by myself.

"D-do I have to go alone?" I asked, knitting my fingers together. It was a nervous habit of mine.

"Such is the tradition," PIXAL confirmed, shrugging. "As long as I've been head of the Monastery, Nyad only calls for the Masters of Water. I'm afraid the others are gonna have to sit this one out. Don't worry," She said upon seeing the uneasy expression I was surely wearing. "She hasn't drowned anyone yet. And all those who swim with her always seem to come back a little wiser." She leaned down until her shiny bangs were level with the top of my head. "Who knows? Maybe once everything is said and done, you'll give Naoki a run for his money!"

It was a small condolence, though I couldn't help but smile. "Maybe I'll even give you a run for your money!" I jested.

"Don't push it, kid," PIXAL deadpanned, though even she was smiling.

"What? It's possible!" I continued, laughing.

"Uh huh," PIXAL agreed sarcastically. Her green eyes rolled in their metal sockets as she held out her hand to me. "Come on, the others are probably wondering what happened to us. Let's get back to the courtyard." She started to push me towards the library door before pausing. "Though later, you should call home to inform them about the situation. They should know that you're not coming home until early tomorrow morning."

The implication that I wouldn't be going home until much later made my stomach start to churn again, though it was a lot gentler this time. PIXAL was good at that, I had to admit.

We left the library and made our way back through the hallway to the door to the courtyard. Before we made it there, though, PIXAL stopped a few feet before the door and squinted. She chuckled and muttered something that sounded like, "They really think I don't know?" She glanced at me and held her finger to her lips in the universal sign for quiet. I didn't know what was going on, but I complied and watched as she snuck towards the door; it was almost as if she wasn't there, she was that quiet. Her hands slowly crept from her sides and reached towards the wooden paneling...

And she threw the door open and stood back as the avalanche that was the rest of our team tumbled through the doorway.

Honcho was the first to leap to his feet, crying, "WE WEREN'T EAVESDROPPING!!"

"Yeah, he was eavesdropping!!" Cuza added in agreement, wildly pointing towards Orochi, who was at the forefront of the avalanche. "We were just on the receiving end!!"

"They made me!" Orochi protested on his knees. His hands came up to rub at his ears. "These perfect ears have cursed me once again!"

"While we're on the subject, HOW DARE YOU INSINUATE THAT HE'D BE SMARTER THAN ME?!" Naoki yelled at the back. I could see a peek of him through a gap in the others, and his face was red from outrage.

"We just wanted to make sure that Fubuki was okay!" Shu claimed; he was close to the front with Orochi. It made me kind of flattered that my Beyblade hero was that worried about me.

"He's fine, thank you," PIXAL told him coolly. "Though seeing as you all are in front of this door instead of in the courtyard, am I right to assume that none of you followed my instructions?"

Everyone went still. "O-of course we did!" Valt decided to confirm. He looked like he was about to say more, but his face contorted as he tried to come up with a response. "Wait, what were the instructions again?" Everyone around him groaned and slapped their palms against their foreheads.

"That's what I thought," PIXAL grumbled. She sighed and spread her feet shoulder length apart, her hands finding their way to her hips. "Just for that, you all now have to do fifty rounds of the Balance Exercise!"

"FIFTY??!!" Everyone yelled in her direction, and I didn't blame them. It was the first strength training technique that PIXAL had shown us, but it was still the hardest to master. Nobody could do triple digits yet, as far as I knew.

"I don't want to hear any complaining, just get to it!" PIXAL rebutted them all, unwavering in her decision. "Don't make me get out the bricks!" Everyone winced and immediately went silent, scrambling to find an open spot in the courtyard.

I watched them for a second before a thought occurred to me. "Hey Pix," I said, grabbing her attention. "Since I was with you that entire time, I don't have to do the exercise, right?"

PIXAL's eyes narrowed at me. "What, do you think I'm playing favorites?" She said heatedly. Her hand left her hip to push my back. "Go on, join the others!"

I groaned, but I knew better than to go against her - everyone did. I left my place on the deck to find a place amongst the others.

When he saw that I had joined them, Kit hurried to take up an open space close to me. "So what was that all about?" He asked me as we collectively replaced our feet with our hands. "Orochi couldn't tell us everything. What was so important that PIXAL had to talk to you alone?"

Being the two youngest in the group, Kit and I had formed a kind of makeshift alliance. Someone had to look out for the other in a sea of bigger kids. I couldn't not be honest with him. "I could give you an excessively long explanation that will probably take me until sunset to finish," I started as we gradually shifted from hand to hand and pushed ourselves up and down. "But I'm just gonna make a long story short and say... I've got a long swim ahead of me."

"Long swim?" Kit asked, staring at me from the corner of his eye as he tried not to face plant. "What does that mean?"

"You'll see tomorrow," I promised. "Now can we focus, please?"

Later, after the Balance Exercise session and a quick phone call to my parents, I found my evening all planned out for me.

—————

Ninjago Beach - a few hours later
No One's POV
The time had finally come. As the setting Sun stretched dark fingers over the sand, the newest Master of Water stood at the edge and waited. Every once in a while, he would look over his shoulder at his mentor and fellow Masters behind him, sprawled in various positions amongst the sand. The latter hadn't needed to come, but after all they'd heard, none of them wanted to miss this event. Their presence may have not been necessary, but it meant the world to the young Master.

There he continued waiting, his bare toes barely touching the lapping waves. His mentor had told him to be patient, and that his new teacher would come to him once the Sun went down. As the Sun lowered more and more, his nervousness went higher and higher, but he couldn't help feeling a smidge of excitement. He was about to experience the sea in a way most people only dream of.

Maybe hours passed, maybe only a few minutes. Eventually the Sun lowered until it was only a sliver of gold on the horizon. Then it was there no more. A light breeze started up, whipping up the waves along the shoreline. The full moon came out in its full brilliance, lighting the surface of the sea with its luminance. The young Master started to twitch.

All of a sudden, the water started to glow with a light that didn't seem to come from the moon. The light traveled along the choppy surface until it was only a yard or so away from the beach. It paused, then seemed to bulge. The water billowed and rippled until it took the shape of a human body. A few more bulges, and it was evidently the shape of a woman with flowing hair reminiscent of a waterfall. Bioluminescent algae lined her figure, making her appear as if she was speckled with stars. If the full moon had two sisters, they would be her eyes.

Fully emerged, she slowly began to walk towards the boy waiting for her on the shore. It was mostly just for show; as part of the sea, the water didn't oppose her at all. The closer she got, the further jaws dropped. Her very presence felt old, ancient even. One could feel the archaic power radiating from her, the vast strength of the sea, and everyone present was at its mercy.

The woman only had eyes for the boy at the shoreline; she didn't pay the others any mind. As soon as she reached him, the part of her face where her mouth had to be stretched into something resembling a smile. My boy... it's lovely to finally meet you, She said, her voice a ripple through leagues of water. Her glowing eyes seemed to probe every inch of his soul. Her dripping fingers came up and caressed his face, leaving wet lines along his cheeks. He didn't seem to mind. As much as she only had eyes for him, he only had eyes for her. You're so beautiful...

After she was finished examining him, her hands went to his, bringing them up and clasping them. There's so much I want to show you, She told him in an excited tone. Are you ready?

The boy only had enough sense left in him to nod dumbly. With that small confirmation, the woman started to pull him towards her, towards the sea. She took it slow, one step at a time, but the boy never broke free from her. He did turn around once to glance at the team behind him, as if for reassurance. The team itself had nothing to offer him except shaky smiles and weak thumbs that pointed up. His mentor only nodded him forward, saying without words simply "It's okay. You'll be fine."

With nothing left to stop him, he continued letting the woman pull him into the sea. Her body was simply swallowed up by the waves while his gradually gave in to the currents. As she started to pull him downwards, beneath the surface, he took a quick deep breath before following her. For a second, all you could see from the shore was the image of his blonde hair floating just beneath the water, ripples spreading in every direction.

Then the ripples stopped, as if neither one of them had never been there at all.

—————

4685 words.

Now THAT'S more like it! Fubuki is literally in the deep end now!