Personally, I found it kind of suspicious how much time Lloyd, Kai, Zane, and Harumi spent with Carmen explaining how important it was that the entire prophecy wasn't spilled. When I mentioned something to Shade, he brushed it off with a half-hearted comment about not letting the full prophecy get to the Overlord. I guess that made sense, since the Overlord could potentially collect the three things first. Deep down I was a bit upset that she got to know and we didn't. However, I had to put those feelings behind me, because if Carmen truly did possess the key to the prophecy, then we were on the right track. There should be no reason for concern.

     The Bounty seemed big when I first entered it, but I soon felt cramped. All the boys had been told to take one room while Aureole claimed one for herself. The room that housed Shade, Morro, Peak, and me had a musty set of bunk beds on a nicely polished floor. The room's red and beige aesthetic looked nice, yet the walls seemed like they were caving in when Shade and Morro performed their stretches in the morning.

     I entered the small room that evening, my bitter thoughts towards the prophecy vanishing as I heard the twins arguing over bathroom space. They had this argument nearly every night, because Shade was a bit of a bathroom hog. I guess we all have our faults. I had quickly learned to ignore the brothers, so I moved onto preparing for a long night of conversation. I loved it when 'curfew' would start and we'd all stay up discussing random things and laughing in the dark. It gave me good memories of nights my whole family would spend camping at my father's old junkyard home.

     Even Peak would join in as Shade and I discussed video games long into the night. I'm pretty sure Morro was the only one who actually fell asleep, but that was only because he would moan at some point past midnight and drag his pillows outside into the hall.

     I shoved on my ice-blue onesie while the twins were good-naturedly fighting over who got to use the one sink first. This room was the definition of summer heat, but I would rather die than sleep without my favorite set of pajamas. I snuggled up with a bag of stolen candy and a couple of my granddad's famous comics, ready to spend the night talking about something weird. I was considering pitching some theories for the what the prophecy actually said.

     "Do you think we should trust Carmen?" Peak was the first one to talk once Zane turned off our lights. He shifted above me, leaning his head over the bedframe. "I personally think it is a bad idea to put so much faith into someone who's livelihood involves stealing."

     "I think she's interesting," Shade's voice murmured from across the room. "Not many people can manipulate their way into the most world-altering mission of all time."

     "The key word there is manipulate," Morro countered, his voice thick with exhaustion. "What if she's working for the Overlord?"

     "How does that explain the mysterious key she was holding? All of them were generic car, house, and locker keys except that one. We even looked it up on the internet and it had never been seen before," Shade said.

     "I think she has potential," I stated, though no one was really listening to me anymore. Peak and Morro were locked into a discussing on what we'd need a tiny, rusted key for.

     Somehow, this random girl had the gall to break in and steal something from us, then turn around and use that to get herself in the team. It was strangely intriguing how she had the confidence to try something like that, even after I bested her on her own turf.

    I wondered what this young girl meant to our group. Destiny had brought her to us for a reason, so all we had to do was watch to see what happened next.

>(<>)<

"I still have a hard time believing you guys can do fancy stuff with your hands," Carmen admitted to me later that morning. Shade and Lloyd were dueling on the deck while the rest of us cooled off. We had been training all morning while the Bounty sailed south.

     It literally didn't matter that most of us were sleep-deprived and filled with nerves. Kai had come banging a tiny gong through the cabins at six in the morning, claiming it was time to start early morning exercises.

     Carmen didn't seem too confused at this news, though judging by how tired Aureole looked, she had been filling Carmen in on our routine that night. Since no one really wanted to leave the thief unsupervised, she was sentenced to sharing a room with the new fire ninja. I'm not sure if Aureole liked it or not; she didn't exactly say much to me all morning since she was busy training.

     I flinched at Carmen's comment, tearing my gaze away from the purple sparks starting to appear around Shade. Lloyd didn't mind if they dueled with elemental powers; he had more confidence in Shade's commitment to not drain energy from humans.

     "So, Shade can... take away energy?" Carmen's cheeks flushed as she watched him fight. "The white-haired kid can make energy, Aureole can spark fire, and the dark-haired kid—I think his name is Parker—can manipulate earth."

     "It's Peak," I said, not sure why she had chosen to talk to me. Since she spent the night with Aureole, I would assume that she would feel more confident approaching her about this subject.

     "What's your power?" Carmen studied me. "Thermal energy detection? Reading thoughts? Location sensors?"

     "I... um..."

     "How in Ninjago were you able to find me that night?" she tugged at her short black hair, mostly talking to herself now. "I know Kunci better than anyone. You shouldn't have been able to track me down."

     She was looking at me so intensely now that somehow every word I knew escaped me. All I could make were strangled noises until my mind latched onto my dad's soothing voice as he helped me through bad moments in my life.

     Joke your way through it.

     "A Ninja never reveals his secrets," I awkwardly laughed. "That would spoil all my fun."

     She frowned, putting a hand on her chin. "You're powerless?"

     "No! I mean... I have powers it's just a s-secret—"

     "Then why haven't you used them yet?" she gestured to the deck where I had practiced hand-to-hand combat against Peak only minutes earlier.

     "I..." I really did not want to have this conversation. I desperately looked around for Aureole or someone to come in and save me, but she was currently helping Peak untie his kendo armor. I was out of options. Carmen obviously wasn't going to drop the subject. "I found you because I've been trained as a ninja my whole life. It wasn't my powers."

     "Why are you trying to deflect the conversation?"

     I groaned. "I can control the weather on a good day. Happy?"

     "Is that what you were trying to do when you were chasing me?" Carmen guessed, lightbulbs going off behind her different colored eyes. If it weren't for those eyes, I would have fallen for her act yesterday morning.

     Yes, I admit I was trying to use rain to stop her while she was running off with the box. In the spur of the moment, I had thought my powers might actually come in handy. But they didn't respond to me, no matter how hard I tried to summon them. They never listened to me, so I didn't even know why I still hoped they would.

     She was staring at me again.

     "Yes," I said.

     "Do it now."

     "What?"

     "Do it now; make it rain," Carmen ordered.

     "I can't just do that," I spluttered, wishing with every bone in my body that she had chosen Aureole for this conversation. "My uh... powers don't just magically summon weather."

     "Why are you so defensive about this?"

     "I'm not being defensive!" my voice got a full octave higher. "It's just that elemental powers aren't exactly black and white—"

     "Ooh, I think I've figured it out. Your powers don't work. That's why you can't summon rain for me now." She raised a triumphant fist, as if she had just unlocked the door into the greatest revelation ever.

     Don't push yourself too hard. It will come to you in time.

     They never had worked, not unless Morro was subconsciously amplifying me. And Morro hadn't figured out how to amplify on command yet. This rendered me essentially useless to the team, and Carmen wasn't helping the situation by reminding me of it. Everything about the ninja lifestyle shoved the truth down my throat: I was supposed to be one of the most powerful ninja on the team. I was supposed to have two elemental powers. I was supposed to be something more than the weakest of the group.

      I never stopped worrying about it.

      In the final battle, would my lack of powers result in something terrible happening? Who would die because I couldn't shoot lighting at an enemy? Who would get hurt because I couldn't water-blast them away to safety? Who would I lose because I wasn't good enough?

     Carmen was oblivious to the anxiety she'd caused. Somehow her attention had been grabbed away again by Shade's almost victory over his father. Lloyd was the only one who stood a chance against his son.

     Joke your way through it.

     Laugh it off.

     She doesn't need to know about this.

     When she finally turned her overly observant gaze back on me, I had plastered a fake smile to my face. The thief's grin turned mischievous as she suddenly pulled me out into the middle of the deck.

     "Fight me, Bluebell," she taunted. "I want my revenge for the little stunt where you stole my keys. Use your powers if you want."

     She was like a ball of endless energy. It was as annoying a trait as it was a blessing. I'm pretty sure no one on the team had as much charisma as her. Even Shade wasn't this peppy all the time, and he was always good-natured.

     "I'm not going to fight an unarmed woma—"

     Carmen lunged towards me, ready to attack. It took me less than a second to grab onto one of her outstretched arms and flip her onto her back. I cringed at the thud that sounded out when she hit the floor.

     Several pairs of eyes found us as silence fell over the deck.

     Right as I was about to try and explain what just happened, Carmen popped up from the floor and got to her feet. She only caressed the back of her head once, facing me with raised fists again.

     "Beginner's luck," she taunted, seemingly ignorant of how many people were now watching. "Try again."

     "I don't think it's a good idea for you to try and fight me—" I easily swept her feet out from underneath her as she tried to tackle me again. "—you have no experience and will be bested every single time."

     Carmen didn't seem to care. She just bounced back to her feet, her ever-searching eyes trying to find my weak point. Unless she was going to try and emotionally stunt me, there was no way she could ever gain an advantage over my skill.

     Time and time again, she attempted to actually duel me.

     Time and time again, I beat her, barely exerting myself.

     Time and time again, she wiped the sweat off her forehead and tried again.

     I don't remember how many of these pathetic attempts had passed before Lloyd interceded. "Carmen, why don't you try going through some basic defense training with Shade? He can help you out if you're looking to improve your fighting skills."

     Somehow, she hadn't lost any of her fire. "Sounds awesome!" Carmen cheered, immediately flushing when she realized how enthusiastic she sounded. "Um, I meant that sounds like a solid plan, Mr. Lloyd."

     I snorted, which caused her to lightly punch my shoulder. "It won't be so funny when I finally get my revenge, Bluebell."

     Shade and Aureole snickered in unison from the background. I shot them a glare, and both of them looked away, still grinning. Shade called Carmen over; she quickly fell into line as Shade led her through basic forms.

     "She's got spirit," Lloyd said from beside me, sounding almost melancholy. "I just wish we didn't have to bring her into this."

     I glanced at the Green Ninja, who had crossed his arms. This man had seen way too many adventures to be afraid of them, yet he was hesitant when it came to this one. I wondered why. I wondered if his unrest came from the hidden words of the prophecy.

     "She'll be back in Kunci before the summer's over," I said. Lloyd was probably worried about Carmen's relatives missing her, or her lack of skill putting her in harm's way. However, I was ninety percent certain that Kunci wouldn't miss their Midnight Menace.

     "It'll all work out like it is supposed to," the blonde said, talking more to himself now. Across the deck, Carmen laughed at something Shade said. They seemed to be getting along quite well. It wasn't surprising, however, since Shade got along well with everyone.

     Perhaps Lloyd was right to be worried about the girl who stood no chance against the forces of evil. Yet, somewhere inside of me, I doubted someone with her confidence could fail on this adventure. Carmen sure was an interesting girl, one that I might just not mind getting to know better.

 I used my teeth to rip the threadbare fabric apart. Keeping a steady grip, I fastened the torn-up pieces of blanket to wherever it was necessary. The fresh wounds in my arms had barely clotted over the past few hours, so I was forced to wrap them up to make sure they didn't get infected. Ire told me that there would be more medical supplies I could use when we reached Acronix, but that might be another day's journey.

     The speed of the boats didn't make me feel anything now other than in desperate need of a bath. I knew my body was caked in salt and sweat, but somehow, I also felt more distant. My entire core ached from forcing the wind to hold me aloft in the sky. The display of power, the victory I had gained over the Overlord's trial, had given me strength. I had set myself apart from the mindless soldiers I was surrounded by. I was stronger than them.

     Nothing about the prickly fabric made it a comfortable bandage, but I sure couldn't fight for the good of the world if I had bled out before I even faced my family. Guilt gnawed at me again as memories of Shade and Morro resurfaced.

     When I was little, Shade used to love biking with me. He helped me learn how to balance my little bicycle without training wheels, and we would have races down the street in our old neighborhood. That was long before Mother and Father were forced to move away to a secluded place, long before the paparazzi bothered us whenever they recognized our faces.

     Morro would sit inside with me on rainy days and we would spend hours playing board games. We both loved strategy games, so we spent a lot of time playing chess and checkers. Even though Morro won most of the time, sometimes our matches would last for days.

     Mother liked to sit down with my little four-year-old self and help me fill in coloring books. Father would stay up late helping me get my homework done when I procrastinated. They had always been loving, even though I felt like they scolded more than tried to understand.

     I wrapped the remainder of the waterlogged blanket around my shoulders as the waves of Ninjago's coast flew by with each second. My stinging wounds didn't match the subtle ache in my heart. The love my family portrayed was a lie. They were only raising me because they had to. It was my brothers they cared about. My brothers and their stupid legacy. The prophecy and its stupid outcome. They spent our whole lives preparing for us to end the world.

     My father was supposed to be the savior of Ninjago. It seems that history was written by the victors, and that my father was the worst villain of them all.

     I didn't want to fight them, but there was no way I would ever be able to change their minds.

     I blinked back tears as my lack of sleep finally caught up to me. Finally, within the mess that was my mind and heart, the lulling noise of speedboat motors sent me off to a fitful slumber.

>(<>)<

The rumbling of the speedboats' slowing motors roused me from my half-asleep state. The wind was stale on the desolate beach, but I commanded it to lift me anyway. The tug in my gut was barely worth noticing anymore. While the soldiers slaved away in the bitter saltwater to pull the speedboats to shore, I landed softly on the grainy sand with barely a sound.

    Krux whined the whole time he waded to get to shore, while Ire silently passed him up to approach me.

     "Boisterousss' camp isss not far from thiss beach; about half a day'sss drive into the land," he hissed, his eyes flickering quickly with the hive mind. Behind us, the soldiers started unloading the trucks from the extra boats.

     Practice your flying on the way there. Once you reach the camp, I will present you with your next challenge.

     I looked up at the massive mountains in front of us. They had paled with the distance but looked taller than anything I had ever seen. Snow coated most the tree-covered tops, giving them the appearance of something quite hard to scale. They looked ominous, as if they were hiding something.

     Rumbling sounded behind me as the soldiers started up their vehicles.

     "You ten will ssstay behind to watch the boatsss." Ire said, pointing to a few soldiers still pulling the boats onto the land. "We will need them when we return."

     The commanded group saluted and continued to haul their load onto the shore.

     Two trucks drove past me, picking up speed as they ventured onto the grassy terrain. I lifted myself into the air as more rushed past. The wind barely bothered to disobey me anymore. I had come far from the powerless girl who yelled at spirits.

     I laughed as the sky's gales pushed me forward.

     The spirit didn't dare bother me now.

>(<>)<

Acronix was younger than I expected. Given that he was cranky old Krux's twin, I had thought Acronix would be just as old and just as cranky. However, he looked only a few years older than my dad, which was quite unsettling.

     He didn't make any snarky comments with my arrival; he simply watched me with those soulless eyes of his.

     General Boisterous didn't say anything to me either, he just brought Ire into his tent to outline their course of action. Their camp was much larger than ours, but even then, it wasn't big enough to comfortably fit all the snakes. There were so many giant warriors walking about; I felt crowded just trying to get to my tent. After a while they filtered out to train or work on weapons. Krux whined to Acronix about everything that was going on, and I decided to try and find a private place to wash my clothes.

     I had been stupid enough to only bring one set, which meant I had to wear the same thing every day. I didn't remember how long it had been since I showered; I probably smelled bad enough to make my stinky brothers pass out. I may have been a hardened elemental master, but that didn't mean I didn't have enough dignity to be clean like a decent human being.

     So, I gathered my knapsack of essentials and brought along my torn blanket to use as a towel. Once I found a private spot, I was going swimming.

     I was two steps out of my tent when Acronix stopped me.

     "What are you doing?" he asked calmly, his arms filled with various bottles and packages.

     "What does it look like?" I snapped, not really caring about first impressions. "If you couldn't tell, I haven't washed these clothes since I joined your silly group, and if I don't wash my wounds, I will get infected and die. And since I can't help your cause if I'm dead, I suggest you let me go."

     "I heard about your wounds," he responded, trying to motion to the large number of creams he was holding. "I was trying to help you out."

     "I don't need your help," I barked, snatching one of the bottles and walking off.

     He didn't try to follow me.

     It didn't take me long to find a small pool to bathe in, so I relished the privacy ecstatically. It felt amazing to finally scrub the thick layer of salt, sweat, and grime that had been building up on my skin. Twilight was setting over the area; the dark trees surrounding the pool filtered the sunset's harsh light into small beams.

     After I spent a good amount of time trying to wash the blood and dirt stains off of my clothes, I crawled out of the water. The air was starting to dry, even though we were only half a day from the ocean. It must have been that way because of the nearby mountains.

     I squirted some of the cream I had stolen from Acronix onto my arms. It actually felt incredibly nice against the sting of the wounds, not that I'd ever admit it to him.

     "Acronix isn't like his brother. You should keep that in mind."

     Oh great.

     "I liked you better when you sulked around," I muttered, massaging more cream on my shoulders.

     His green outline was impossible to miss. The spirit paced around the different side of the pool, not looking in my direction.

     "I've been silent about your reckless decisions too many times," he said, "They tried to kill you yesterday and you're still following them?"

     "That was training," I rolled my eyes. My socks were still wet from their washing, and I wasn't sure whether I should put them on yet or not. I was wearing the rest of my soaked clothes; that was a far from pleasant experience.

     "Just because they're giving you power doesn't mean you have to submit yourself to their abuse. You made a bad decision, I get it, but that doesn't mean you can't go back—"

     "I'm not going back," I hissed, feeling the wind stir. "Don't you even dare mention that again."

     The spirit faltered. He stopped his pacing to face me. "Ver..."

     "Don't you Ver me! I'm done being the Garmadon girl. I'm done being your stupid little torture session where you make me question my sanity. Get out of my sight before I find a way to break the wall of the undead and strangle you."

     "You're a good person, Ver. This isn't you."

     "This is me now," I said, shoving my wet socks into my even wetter pockets. "So, you better get used to it or leave."

     If he responded, I didn't catch it. Another voice had entered my head.

     He won't question you after you complete your next challenge.

     I stopped, resisting the urge to look back where the hazy green form stood. I had forgotten that the Overlord knew about the spirit.

     No one will question you after you complete the next step in your training.

     "What do you need from me?"

     The mission is simple, yet it will require hours of intense preparation. You must be willing to give this everything you have.

     "Just get on with it," I growled, hearing the spirit's sighs behind me. It was like he knew who I was talking too; it was like he understood the burden I bore. The wind tickled my ears, gently adding its voice to the mix. There were too many voices that lived in my head. Far too many for any normal human to remain sane. Yet here I was.

     Break a boulder using only the wind. Complete this task and no one will ever discredit your power again.