Chapter Text
A loud blow from a steamboat's whistle startled its passengers awake in the middle of the night. Three certain voyagers were awakened as well, and rather unhappily. Opening her sleepy blue eyes, Medine Hypno groggily sat up in her cot and peered through the window across from her. The other two travelers in their own cots on each side of her refrain to do anything that required strength.
"We can't be here yet..." the young woman grumbled as she rubbed her eyes. She saw city lights in the distance clashing against the darkness of the night, but she refused to believe it. As much as she and her brothers dreamed to live in such a big city as New Ninjago City... she didn't expect their arrival to be so inopportune.
Harper Pevsner, his caramel hair softly glinting against the moonlight, turns on his side so his back faced his sister. "I'm getting my sleep before I leave," he grumbles.
With a short glare, Medine rolls her eyes and plops back into her bed. "Well, duh. I'm not leaving, either." The three of them (although the third sibling may have never awoken in the first place) try to fall back to sleep.
Medine's now restless eyes studied the ceiling. There wasn't much to look at; it was a boring old ceiling. Nothing else happened on the boat after that, but the vessel did stop moving. She mentally thanked the captain for his clemency in not waking his passengers further. The rest of the silent, unrestful time (albeit still relaxing) Medine spent with her thoughts. She admired the water, ever since she was little. She and her brothers were born and raised on an island, later named Chen's Island just a few years after their birth. Upon meeting the island's namesake himself and his trusty number two, the family very soon grew accustomed to them and became close. Now, the triplets have been sent off after coming of age just a month prior to live lives of their own in New Ninjago City, the city of opportunity.
"I'm so proud of you guys," Mrs. Pevsner uttered with a weak smile. The only downside of having to leave was leaving the triplets' mother behind. After many times of trying to convince her to tag along with them, Mrs. Pevsner would always refuse and say that it wasn't her place. When their mother eloped with their father, the couple discovered the island and lived there ever since. Medine came to the assumption that maybe her mother didn't want to leave the memory of her father behind after... his disappearance that could only be concluded as a death.
Master Chen and Clouse saw the children off, as well. However, there was something in their eyes that made Medine draw a double-take, like there was something her teacher wanted to tell her before his pupils left, but decided against it. They were so good to her and her family. Cheerful smiles were plastered on both of their faces.
"Sweet Melody," Clouse's voice stops the woman with a soft hand on her shoulder, "Don't forget what I taught you and your brothers. It could really help you when you least expect it, you know." Medine nodded and glanced at the unlikely weapon kept in her pocket. "I will."
After a tearful goodbye and a long embrace from each child to their mother, they boarded the boat and waved farewell until the island could no longer be seen by the naked eye.
The water rocked the boat gently, and before she knew it, Medine didn't notice herself finally falling asleep to the lull of the waves. What will the next day bring? It would surely be life-changing.
The steamboat's horn again reached the three travelers, waking the three with a start. Again, Medine sat up but was now immediately met with the early morning sunlight peeking through her window. Shielding her eyes, the woman groggily stepped out of her bed and started preparing for the day. Just thinking about where they finally were after dreaming for so long made her heart do a flip. The excitement was surreal. She dressed and brushed her hair and teeth. The sooner she was ready, the sooner she could go out and explore the world!
As the young woman left the small bathroom, however, her brothers were found to still be out cold. Huffing impatiently, Medine grabbed a pillow and smacked each head as hard as she could, not caring what reaction she got.
"Meddie!" awoke the first victim, Barrett Hypno. His eyes were still closed and his speech was seriously cracking from having just woken up.
Grimacing at him, his older sister said, "Come on, Bear! We're here!"
"We are...?"
"Yes. Now get up."
"Not yet... it's so early..."
"Not as early as you think you could have been awake at. It's a quarter 'til eight."
Barrett rolls over in his cot away from her. "That's pretty early to me... whatever that means."
Giving up, Medine continues to the next brother, Harper, the middle child. She reeled back and swung with all her might. She squeaked after watching Harper's hand shoot up and grip the pillow firmly before it reached his face. "I'm up," he sighed.
"Please get ready, you guys," Medine pleaded. She went to their suitcases and threw a casual outfit from each one on top of their beds. "The faster we get ready the faster we can explore. Master Chen got us an apartment, remember? We'll have to check-in before the day's over."
No response.
An idea popped into Medine's head. She made a mischievous grin and hovered her hand over a pocket in her skirt.
"I will make you get up," she warned.
She took out a microphone. Her microphone. They each had one. Clouse gifted each of them one as a way to graduate them from basic elemental techniques to more complex ones. He even mixed some dark magic in, as well, so the triplets grew to become experts at using them. To Medine, her microphone was one of her most prized possessions. Holding the mic head to its body was a tube-like was a cylindrical band in her signature shade of blue.
Noticing the mic and knowing his sister, Harper made haste to get out of his bed and grab his clothes. "Bossy," he muttered under his breath as he left the room to change.
Silence fell. Medine raised her eyebrow playfully as she beat her mic against her other hand. Barrett didn't take advantage of the ten-second window to save himself before Medine pressed a few buttons on her mic and spoke into it.
If this was any old microphone, Medine's voice would only be projected at just a tad louder of a decibel. This microphone, however, was made to be used by a master of the element of Music and dark magic, which Medine was. Barrett sprung upwards and covered his ears, while his sister put away her mic triumphantly. "Ow ow ow ow ow!! Okay, Meddie, calm down!!" he took a moment to calm down, "I was hoping that since Sensei wasn't around anymore that we could get some good sleep for once!"
Medine simply shrugged. "Sorry. I thought that you'd at least be excited to finally be in Ninjago." Barrett rubbed his eyes and slid himself around to where his feet touched the floor. "I am, but only when I've had time to enjoy sleeping in."
Finally, after eating breakfast, getting dressed, and packing up their things (which didn't take long, since the journey there was only several hours long as opposed to days), the triplets finally stepped out into the warm sun and walked down the ramp onto a whole new world.
Despite Medine's hastiness to get going, upon sight of everything around her, her walking pace slowed. Her brothers just behind her grew more eager to explore upon each step down the ramp and spring in front of their sister in excitement, almost losing their suitcases to having them skip and twist off the edge if it weren't for Harper's quick reflexes.
Medine was engulfed in awe and fascination with such a beautiful city. On the other end, the sudden jump from being around close friends and family to being around hundreds of strangers overwhelmed her.
Through all the overlapping conversations, Medine's ears picked up small sections of words, each consecutive word coming from their own different conversation. Two people discussed work; the faint words of people welcoming or welcoming back the people arriving from the steamboat and a child's voice calling the attention of his mother.
"Medine, hurry up, you hypocrite!" Harper calls for his sister through the crowd, waving his hand as far as he could stretch it to get her attention. Of course, Medine knew that it wasn't just her that could manipulate sound. It served well for a time like this when they needed to stick together. In fact, the element of Music was shared between the three of them. She squeezed her way through the crowd of people. "I'm coming!"
Over the next few hours, the siblings took a taxi to their apartment and began to move in. It wasn't much; everything was within arms' reach, and they were told the place had some recent renovations which made the small space more bearable and efficient... supposedly.
Plopping down on a musty couch that erupted in dust, Barrett coughed and waved the dust away frantically. He sighed. "If you make me do one more thing," he takes a moment to clear his throat before pointing a finger at his siblings, "I'm going to smite you."
"No one's gonna," Harper said, heading over to sit next to him. "Wait--" Barrett lifted his hand but the deed had been done. The couch blew up into more dust and the two brothers coughed. An old TV set on a chipped and scratched wooden stand sat across from them. Barrett grabbed a remote from a table beside where he sat and turned the ancient relic on.
Noticing his sister leaning against a wall instead of sitting with them, Harper called over, "Meddy, don't you wanna sit down? ...Well, anywhere other than this one? Aren't you exhausted?"
There was no response. Medine continued to peer out of the window almost sorrowfully. The sun was beginning to set over the city buildings, giving shadows over the commuting cars that drove in and past her view.
"What, are you homesick already? You were the one who had to wake us up so early; what's the deal?" The brunette slightly frowned at his sister.
Huffing and composing herself, Medine simply replied, "I know we're all tired, but... I still want to explore the city and walk around."
"We're living here now, Meddie. It's not like a vacation. You have, like, all the time in the world." Harper waved a hand, turning half of his attention to the TV.
The woman didn't respond for a minute. "I want to familiarize myself with our surroundings, that's all. I thought you guys would want to join me."
Barrett still couldn't find a channel he could tolerate. Harper turned back to his sister. "Maybe another day," he said, shooing her away with a dismissive hand, "But don't let us keep you."
"Fine, I'll-" the TV cuts off Medine's retort, having been turned up and distracting the sister's attention from her current thoughts. Not yet aware of what was going on, both siblings bark, "Bear! Turn it down!"
"I can't hear over you guys," Barrett says simply. Giving a confused glare, Harper says, "You haven't even found anything to watch yet."
"And I can't hear it with you two bickering. If I find a sitcom, I would like to hear it."
Sighing, Harper slumped back on the couch and Medine took the opportunity to leave, announcing her departure as she did so before closing and locking the door behind her. Just to make sure, Medine went back and jiggled the door handle to verify that it's locked. Upon the light pressure, however, the door flew back open. Medine's mouth hangs open in unamused disbelief.
Staring at her like a deer in headlights, her brothers look at her in confusion, the light from the TV illuminating their features.
Medine sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "The door won't lock, apparently."
Barrett gives a thumbs-up. "Niiiiiice."
Medine pressed her lips together. "I'll just close the door," she muttered hastily, doing so and never touching it again. The people at the front desk of the apartment complex didn't give off such a cheery vibe, and Medine feared that if she sent a complaint that they wouldn't honestly care.
Pushing that thought aside, Medine focused on the new city around her. It sure smelled like a city.
Where to first... Medine wondered to herself. She walked down crosswalks and sidewalks as she ventured around, with no real destination in mind. There was so much to explore. Harper was right, after all. She was glad she had all the time in the world to explore her new home. She found a lot of stores and learned very quickly to not look down an alleyway. That hobo's wild glare would haunt her for weeks.
Eventually, the Music elemental found herself in front of the Borg Tower, New Ninjago City's most famous attraction. It really was as beautiful as the stories promised it'd be.
Like her mother, Medine herself liked to dabble in history. She found it fascinating. She knew that where the Borg Tower now stood used to be the scene of the Overlord's-- the ancient evil of the world and once the enemy of the First Spinjitzu Master-- defeat, the event later called after the reconstruction: "The Final Battle": simple, yet self-explanatory. Memories of Medine's mother surface in the front of the young adult's mind. Mrs. Pevsner would always be talking about something from history, and usually, Medine would be very interested; however, she would get bored when her mother continued into the nitty-gritty details no one cared for. Giggling softly to herself, Medine kind of wished she urged her mother to join her a little bit more... She would really like to be here.
Walking around a little bit more, she came across Chen's Noodlehouse. Opposite to every shop around her, Chen's Noodlehouse seemed to be the only one lit in cheesy colored lights. Despite knowing the founder personally, she never really had the chance to eat there, probably because there wasn't actually a restaurant where she lived. A sign was taped on the front door reading "Closing early at 5p. Will return in 2 weeks."
Medine doubted that it was already 5 PM. It had only been around five or six hours since she arrived, and it was around 9 am when she and her brothers moved into their apartment. Smiling to herself, she entertained the idea if she should get takeout just for the sake of proving the point that being early to rise matters in the long run... even if that didn't really count. Nevertheless, Medine wandered inside.
"Welcome to Chen's Noodlehouse-" a woman's voice announced but stopped short upon recognizing her customer. "...Meddie? Is that you?"
Startled by the mention of her name, Medine's sight went straight to the speaker. Something was familiar about her, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly what yet. "I'm sorry; do I know you from somewhere?" she asked sheepishly. She looked very familiar, and Medine was embarrassed that she couldn't remember which probably resulted in hurting the feelings of this woman, too.
The red-haired woman gave her a sympathetic look as she put the weight of her crossed arms on the counter in front of her. "I know it's been a while, but it's great seeing you again, (nickname of flower she was picking for her father, the day they met)."
Medine's eyes lit up at the nickname. "Skylor?"
Skylor smiled fondly and laughed. "I knew you wouldn't forget about me."
"I'm so sorry that I didn't recognize you," Medine apologized, to Skylor shaking her head. "No, it's fine, it's not your fault. As I said, it's been a while, and... to be honest, I was being selfish leaving the island without a goodbye. I was so worked up about my father that I didn't even think about you three."
The master of music and the master of amber hit it off as if time hadn't changed at all. They talked through funny memories and the like before Medine's stomach grumbled.
"Would you like anything to eat?" Skylor asked.
Medine shook her head but stopped. She didn't want to ruin her dinner, but at the same time... she was going to order dinner here anyway. "...A bowl of noodles would be fine, actually," she admitted.
"Just some noodles? Are you sure that's enough?" Skylor raised an eyebrow.
Medine fiddled with her hands. "I'm trying to make sure I can get all the three of us something," she admitted meekly.
Getting the hint, Skylor took a quick glance to either side of her before leaning in a smidge. "A bowl of noodles isn't gonna be enough for a meal's worth..." she spoke in a whisper and winked, "Order what you want. It's on the house."
"That's not what I meant--" Medine gasped, but Skylor shushed her. "No, I insist. I understand how money's low when you first move here. Curse the stupid inflation," she muttered under her breath. She gestured her friend to an empty booth.
"Thank you..."
"Mind if I sit with you?"
"Not at all."
"You moved here?" Skylor's eyes sparkled. "That's amazing! How do you like New Ninjago City?"
"I like it a lot," Medine replied, finishing off her noodles with a big sip. "Although... it's going to be difficult trying to find a job here," she admits meekly.
"You're looking for a job, you say?" Skylor raises a brow almost as if she had an idea. "Since I won't be here for the next couple of weeks... er...," she trails off for a split second to gather her thoughts, "I could really use someone who can help keep up the restaurant while I'm gone. Would it be okay if you worked here? This wouldn't have to be your official job forever or anything, but—"
Medine's eyes light up. She's already being offered a job on the first day in Ninjago? And it's of a company she trusts?
Lifting her chopsticks, Medine nods, "Of course! That would be amazing!"
Skylor stands up from the booth, "Then let me show you the ropes."
"...Right now?"
"Well, I'll need time to pack my suitcase for the trip I'm going on," Skylor explained. "It's not hard, the conveyor belts do most of the work, to be honest with you."
Before Skylor could teach her friend anything, she would first need to know how to roller skate.
Medine's expression brightened at the pair Skylor offered her. "Oh, yes! Sensei Clouse taught me and my brothers how to skate since we could remember.
By the end, it had been a little under an hour, near to closing time. A question popped into Medine's mind. "If you don't mind me asking, where are you going?"
"Oh, I'm just leaving to participate in a tournament. And..." the redhead looks off for a second. "It's very important that I go. Practically mandatory."
"Huh," Medine shrugged. "I've never heard of a tournament being held around here."
"Well, that's because it's not held here, but... somewhere... somewhere else." Skylor remarked with a hint of uneasiness. With a short frown, Medine let it slide, "Where's it being held, then? What is it all about?"
Skylor takes a deep breath and lets out an exhale, suddenly averting her eyes to the ground. "Um, It's getting late. We both need to go home." Awkwardly, Medine puts her hands behind her back. "Right." She noticed the change in topic, but she didn't think to press it further.
Returning behind the counter, Skylor leans under it (where Medine knew now that that is where the TV remote was kept, along with the emergency police button for Karens) and used the remote to turn the overhanging TV. "Thank you so much for taking up on my offer. I really appreciate it."
Medine smiled fondly. "No problem!" The idea returned to her mind of getting take-out for her brothers. With a playful grin, she lifted a hand and began to ask for one small favor.
It wasn't anything too fancy, and Medine liked the noodles she ate, so with the enthusiastic help of Skylor, she was able to get something guaranteed to please them.
"Thank you!" Medine waves as she exits through the front doors. "Hope you have a great time at the tournament," she adds with a giggle. Winking back at her, Skylor chuckles, "Thank you. Take care!"
Taking advantage of their apartment situation (and the fact that her hands were full), Medine kicked open the door violently, not surprised to find her brothers exactly how she left them.
"MEDINE!" Barrett cried, startled from such an abrupt entrance. Medine walked in front of the TV— to her brothers' frustration— and plopped two to-go bags from her hands onto the little coffee table in front of them.
"Meddie, what are you doing?" Harper threw a hand at her. Crossing her arms, Medine raises a brow at the lousy two and crossed her arms, "I got you food." After a few seconds of silence, she feigned a light airy voice to mimic her brothers' "correct" responses. "'Thank you, big sis, you're awfully kind'."
Sighing in defeat, the brothers go to open their bags and pull out the styrofoam boxes. "Smells good..." Harper mumbled.
Barrett took a loud obnoxious whiff of the aroma and instantly flipped open the tab. He broke open a pair of chopsticks that were stored inside and began eating. "Thanks. Where's it from?"
"You're lucky it was free. I met Skylor who was the manager there, so she said it was her treat." Medine explains while plopping next to Barrett on the couch— while the three of them began coughing again at the dust that rose back to life.
"THIS MUST BE CHEN'S--" something in Barrett's mind clicked as he began speaking about too eagerly, but after catching himself, he cleared his throat and continued, "This is Chen's Noodlehouse, isn't it?" Medine nodded.
"Wait, this is Chen's Noodlehouse? It really is good," Harper speaks through mouthfuls. "Why did Sensei rob us from this?!"
For the remainder of the day, the triplets watched whatever they could find on TV and ate in moderate silence. Sometimes they laughed or harshly judged the TV show, or even changed the channel when things got randomly really romantic or just really stupid.
When Medine rested her head against her kinda comfortable pillow on her very uncomfortable bed, she came to the awareness that she would now be ahead of the game. As generous as Master Chen was, he only said he would pay for the triplets' rent for 2 months, so they had to make sure they could secure good jobs by the end of that term. She decided to send her family a letter once everyone settled in. Maybe she could find a good postcard somewhere... but Medine felt slightly out-of-touch; New Ninjago City seemed very advanced. Would they even really have postcards anymore or would they just have something... holographic?
Frowning lightly and mentally sighing to herself, Medine resolved that she better get some rest and clear everything up in the morning. Things were just now beginning to go well for the three of them, and Medine couldn't ask for anything more.
PUBLISHED: February 21st, 2020
UPDATED: May 16, 2022