Birthright | Ninjago

𝐗𝐗. ALL THESE MEMORIES

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHEN'S TRAINING SCHEDULE WAS RIGOROUS, and Hiro was beginning to wonder if he had made the right choice in accepting Clouse's offer to compete in the tournament.

It had been a few weeks—Hiro had settled into his life on the island. The meals were fresh and always served on time. He had been given perhaps the darkest room on the island, the only light came from the windows of the door that led to the balcony; there wasn't a single other light in the room, shadows cast in every corner, which would be convenient if there wasn't a part of Hiro that was still scared of the dark. His bed, at least, gave him some warmth that contrasted with the coldness of his room—the mattress bigger than any he'd had before, blankets and sheets soft to the touch.

It was the only real comfort in the room. The walls were painted black, the closet a simple, small space. There wasn't even a TV—not that Hiro would use it, but the thought would have been nice. Overall, Hiro wasn't a fan of his room, but if it kept him out of the jungle's heat, he would grit his teeth and bare it. And it's not as though he spent too much time in the room itself anyway, given that Chen had him training his powers most hours of the day, every single day besides Fridays, when even Chen himself needed a break.

It was that Friday that Hiro heard the ferry dock in the harbor.

Clouse had left four days prior, sharing a knowing look with Chen during breakfast before he disappeared. Hiro didn't have to be as intelligent as the Master of Ice to know that it meant Zane was finally being brought to the island, which meant it was finally Hiro's chance to get them both back to Ninjago. He had been here for almost a month and it was time to get Zane back home—to Zane's home. Hiro wasn't sure if he was going to be allowed back, but he would at least get Zane back to the people that could keep him safe.

The ferry's bell rang as it came to a stop.

Hiro was in the shadows within a moment, focusing on the training Chen had put him through. If he could envision a place, he could use the shadows to travel between locations—an exhausting ability. Hiro hadn't yet been able to do it twice in a row, but if that's what he needed to do to rescue Zane, then he would do it. It didn't matter what happened to him so long as Zane was brought back home safely.

Hiro appeared in the shadows of the trees, crouching behind shrubbery as he looked at the dock. Chen was standing in front of the boat with Clouse looking down at him. And behind Clouse, bound by ropes that he should have easily been able to escape from, was Zane—and Pixal. Which meant Hiro had to muster enough energy to get the three of them to Ninjago despite the weariness already pulling at his bones. Zane would never forgive Hiro if he left Pixal behind, and Hiro didn't have anything against her, so there was no reason not to save her too.

Some of Chen's minions led Zane and Pixal onto the dock, Clouse following behind. Chen was gripping the staff that Hiro had never seen him without—a dark blue handle with a golden disc at the top, in front of a snake skull with a crystal orb in its jaws, held there by a pair of fangs. Hiro had questioned Chen about it on his first night on the island and was told it was simply to help Chen move around.

Hiro knew he was being lied to, but when Chen pointed the staff toward Zane, he realized just how much of the puzzle he was missing.

"This won't hurt a bit!" Chen said cheerily as he held the staff in front of Zane. A mist of blue and white began to leave Zane, the Master of Ice crying out in pain as Chen— . . . did whatever he was doing.