NINJAGO: Starmarked

4 - Confrontation

Jupiter hadn't been in this apartment building for a long time. When she left to go live in the Monastery instead, she hadn't visited her parents until now. The concrete steps of the apartment felt familiar - as familiar as the sounds of the busy district outside. Her home was close to the top of the building, and had one of the greatest views of central Ninjago City. 

As she got closer to the floor her parents lived at, an uneasiness swayed inside her. Has she been lied to this entire time? What was the truth? She needed to know; all of Ninjago was possibly at stake. 

Eventually, she found herself at the door of her old life's home. A simple teenager used to live here - she always had elemental powers but she was always told to keep them a secret. Now she had to confront the one person who knew the truth. Jupiter shakily pressed the doorbell and waited. Why was she so nervous? 

Footsteps approached the door and a chain was unlocked. The door opened and her father's face poked out. Jupiter smiled to see one of her favourite faces. 

"No way! Jupiter! You visited!" Her dad exclaimed with joy in his voice. He enclosed his daughter in a well overdue hug. "You were so busy with your ninja-business, I thought you forgot about us, my little solar-system!" Jupiter felt at home - not many ninja can say that they have both their parents, safe and well. Lee released himself from his daughter and allowed her into the apartment. "I was just heading to a briefing at work - I hope you can stay long enough until I get back." 

"Actually, Dad, I'm only here for a short while. Ninja-business, y'know?" Jupiter said in a hesitant voice.

"Of course - I'm so proud of you! Well, I need to get going before I'm extra late." Lee kissed his daughter on the head and waved goodbye. Jupiter walked into the apartment - nothing has changed since she left. The same old kitchen next to the same old living room with the same old décor. However the windows looked a bit smaller than she remembered though. 

Soon, brisk footsteps echoed from the hallway and Jupiter's mother appeared. She stopped in her tracks at the sight of her long-gone daughter. 

"Jupiter! You're alright!" She relieved as she went to hug the lilac ninja. "I-I saw the news for the past few days saying you went missing a-and I just didn't--" 

Jupiter quickly detached herself from her mother. A look of confusion was painted across Aurora's face. 

"I came because I need to ask you something - something really important." Jupiter said in a low voice. Her mother looked at her curiously. 

"Where did my powers really come from? And why did you make me hide them all this time?"

Aurora sighed deeply - she knew a day like this would come. She'd been anticipating it since she gave birth to the lilac hero. She had turned her back; behind her, she could feel her daughter's impatience rising. It was a trait she knew all too well. 

"Where did they come from?" Jupiter implored again.

"Listen to me carefully, Jupiter. I didn't want to keep this a secret from you much longer but if you want answers then you have every right to know. Let me show you something." 

"Show me?" She asked, as she followed her mother to her bedroom. "Show me what?"

Aurora knelt down, opened a small cabinet by her bed and pulled out a stone. It was a relatively small stone, big enough to safely hold in the palm of your hand. The stone was dark gray with rough edges, hinted with tiny crystal-like specks that glimmered in the light. 

"Your powers came from me, but before that, they came from this." Aurora said softly, showing her the stone. 

"A rock?" The lilac ninja was not impressed. She felt like her mother was lying. "I thought elemental traits were passed down by ancestors." 

"Well not yours - this stone is what determined it. When I was a bit younger than you are right now, I came across this stone. It wasn't like any I've ever seen - some might say it was..." she looked at her daughter. "...out of this world. I was curious - I went to pick it up and there was this..this..." 

"What?" Jupiter inquired, immersed in her mother's explanation. 

"There was this surge of energy. The rock started sparking and I thought I heard a voice. My vision went really weird so I put the stone down and never told anyone about it. The next day, I went to go take it again - I felt drawn to it."

Almost instantly, Jupiter began recalling her encounter with the Sky Jewel, and how she was drawn to it too. Perhaps there was a link...

"Little did I know that my body was altered by it - an elemental power was suddenly part of me but I never could release it. Until I had you, I realised that it was fully passed on to you instead." 

Jupiter was silent. She was trying to fit this in with the bigger puzzle; somehow, it wasn't making sense. She asked to hold the stone; her mother handed the artefact and it glowed in a familiar way. A very familiar way.

"I need this. I have to take it." She announced. 

"What? What for?" 

"Ninja business." She took a breath and elaborated. "My friends and I think Ninjago is in risk of another attack - there's this alien-serpentine-woman called Sigma who is probab---" 

"Did you say Sigma?" Aurora's eyes widened - distress rose inside her. There was something else she was hiding. Never did she think she'd hear that name again. 

"So it is true. Sigma is the source of my power, isn't she?" Jupiter asked, disappointed. "I have to go." She got up quickly from crouching on the ground and made her way to the door, taking the stone with her.

Her mother quickly got up to follow her. "Jupiter, wait! I haven't fini---"

The front door slammed as the lilac ninja stormed out, leaving her mother standing in the apartment, anxious and alone.