Onyx and the Way of the Ninja

The Golden Weapons

The five ninja stood on the deck of a small boat surrounded by icy water and falling snow. "I spy something... white!" Jay said, trying to engage the others in a game. Onyx wasn't interested, as the only thing as far as the eye could see was snow and ice.

Cole groaned. "Could you try to be quiet for once? This ain't easy." He said, trying to maneuver the boat around floating chunks of ice. Onyx thought about correcting his grammar, but decided that it wasn't worth the effort of getting him to listen.

The boat suddenly jerked, causing the five to stumble. Onyx smacked her chin on the railing. Jay groaned. "I spy something broken." He said. Kai frowned and looked around at the frigid wasteland they were now stranded in. "If Sensei knows where the next weapon is, then why isn't he steering? We've been drifting aimlessly for hours." He said. "Does he ever do anything that makes sense?" Onyx sighed. Zane shrugged. "Sensei's wisdom surpasses my own," he said.

To speak of the devil, Wu came up behind them, talking about something completely unrelated. "The most powerful move in Spinjitzu can only be achieved when all five elements are combined. Earth, fire, ice, lightning, darkness!" He said.

The five blinked, thrown by the subject change. "Um... what happens when they're combined?" Jay asked.

"The Tornado of Creation. The power to create something out of nothing," Wu answered, looking closely at the ninja. Onyx hadn't heard him mention this before.

Kai spun around, testing out a few moves, trying to activate the tornado. Nothing happened except that he stumbled and would've gone overboard if Cole hadn't grabbed his collar and pulled him back.

Wu gave Kai a withering look. "No, Kai! If done incorrectly, it will lead to disastrous consequences," he said, jabbing him with his stick. Kai snorted. "Disastrous consequences. Yeah, right," he muttered. "I'd listen to Sensei if I were you. We can't save your sister if you've blown us all up," Onyx said.

She was saved from Kai's retort by the boat slamming into something with a thump. "Wasn't me!" Cole said quickly when they turned to look at him.

Kai paused. "Did I do that?" He asked. Onyx gave him a confused look, unsure as to what he could have possibly done. Wu shook his head and stepped to the bow. "We are here."

Over the next few days, the ninja located two of the four remaining weapons. The Shurikens of Ice were pulled from their frozen temple, and the Nunchuks of Lightning from their sacred tower. Finally, it was time for the Daggers of Darkness. The ninja had tracked them through the threads of history to the ruins of an ancient kingdom in the midst of a desert, and now they stood at the dilapidated gates, looking in at the sand-coated city. "What do you think used to be here?" Cole whispered. Onyx shook her head. "I don't know, but I do know what's here now," she answered, just as quietly.

Onyx walked into the kingdom, the others following. She glanced back at them. "I can do this myself," she said. "But-" she cut Jay off. "You all took your weapons alone. I can do this myself. I'm just as skilled as all of you," she said firmly. Cole sighed. "You've got a point. Fine, but be careful. We'll be waiting right here," he said finally. The corner of Onyx's mouth twitched up a bit. "Thanks," she said, turning and continuing on.

Onyx's footsteps were light and soft, but in the complete silence of the forgotten city, they seemed so loud, and she hated it. Onyx felt like she was disturbing the peace of lost souls and forgotten memories. As she drew closer to the fallen palace in the center of the kingdom, she felt something pulling at her. There was something in that palace that was meant for her, and only her. 'The Daggers of Darkness....'

Onyx stood in front of the palace doors, staring up at them. "This could be a problem," she whispered. The doors were definitely too heavy for her to move, though it wasn't for lack of trying. She shoved against them with her full strength, but they were solid metal that had rusted together, and she couldn't even get them to squeak. Onyx stepped back and looked around for another way in. The rusty drawbridge over the dry moat creaked ominously as she backtracked and skirted the moat. Around the side of the castle she saw an opening in the wall. It looked like a pipe or something that water would've flown through in the kingdom's prime. It also looked like she would be able to fit through it.