Ninjago: Amplified - [A Ninjago Fanfiction]

[11] - A Chat Over Tea

Aurora stirred uncomfortably under her blankets, the sound of distant chatter rousing her awake. Her head pounded in her skull, only egged on by the increased noise.

Then, she dry heaved. She coughed uncontrollably, shooting up from her bed.

That's when she realized that she had no idea where she was.

The vigilante scanned the plain room in a frenzy. It was almost like her hospital room, with a bed, two chairs, and a tableside. However, it was far less clean-- a desk a few paces away was littered with scrolls and ink, shelves at her side crammed with... tea leaves?

Oh. That's right. She'd visited the tea shop.

Double oh. She had powers.

Triple oh, she'd... passed out?

Aurora groaned as her head began to pound again, this time more unforgiving. She pulled the soft blankets around her head, hugging her knees and pressing her forehead against them.

The sound of a door closing broke the silence that she had yet to notice. Aurora looked up, spotting an elderly man approaching her with a teacup in hand.

"Here." Was the first thing he'd said, holding the cup out for her to take. "It will help ease your pain."

Confused yet eager to rid herself of suffering, Aurora took a giant sip of the concoction. She nearly spit it out the moment it hit her tongue, its strong bitter flavor feeling like a punch to the face.

No matter how disgusting it tasted, however, she had to admit that it worked. Within moments her headache had subsided, numbing into nothingness.

The elder took a seat at a chair before her bed, studying her expression.

"Who are you?" Aurora asked, setting her half-finished tea on the tableside.

"I am Sensei Wu." He introduced himself. "What is your name?"

Aurora hesitated. Whether she was injured or not, she still couldn't bring herself to share her identity.

"Amelia." She lied. "My name's Amelia."

"You don't need to fib." The elder replied, catching her off-guard. "Mistaké told me who you are."

"Then I assume you're here to help me?" Aurora sighed. Then, her eyes widened. "Wait. You said your name was Wu? As in, ninja-training, son of FSM, Master Wu?"

The elder chuckled, lightly tapping his staff against the floorboards.

"Yes, that would be me." He smiled.

"Well then." Aurora exhaled, exasperated. "Can't say I expected to meet you, but I appreciate your time."

The elder only nodded, unfazed by her reaction.

"Tell me, Aurora," the Sensei changed subject. "Do you remember anything about your parents?"

"Which ones?" Aurora countered. "The original, or the awful ones?"

Wu stared at her blankly, apparently having not heard of her past.

"Adopted." She clarified. She wanted to add "and later thrown to the streets," but she kept her mouth shut.

"The original." Sensei Wu went on. "Do you recall them having any sort of elemental power?"

"No, not one bit." Aurora shook her head. "Not that I'd be able to, anyways."

Aurora had been only a few weeks old when she'd been given up for adoption. What little memories she had of her biological family had been lost to the far corners of her mind ages ago; it would take a miracle for her to recall any information about them at that point.