'Roxy's always trying to change me,' Lecky adds.

'I am not,' I say.

'Oh yeah, I see the way you and Mum always look at me like I'm from another planet. Well, I am. I'm samurai. We've never been real sisters,' she says.

'We are sisters! Lecky, give me the sword,' I command, but her words dig deep into the pillows of my heart.

Lecky licks her fiery lips and walks a slow halo around our heads. She lifts her knees high and pushes down on the air in a graceful march, dragging the sword behind her. Cinnamon, Jackson and I watch the blood pumping from the tip of the sword into the handle, along Elecktra's fingertips and up into her wrist, where we can see it feeding.

'What to do, what to do,' she sings. 'You are trespa.s.sing, so I should kill you.' She clicks her tongue, then says in a baby voice, 'But that might upset your clan and we don't want them storming in here all ninja and angry.' She shakes her head, then bends down to Jackson and curls a finger under his chin. 'And you're too cute to kill.'

'n.o.body's killing anybody,' Jackson announces. 'Roxy, ignore everything she says. It's the sword speaking.'

'The sword is part of me!' Elecktra roars and blows Jackson's hood off his head with her breath. She levitates higher, then strokes the air like a music conductor to calm herself. 'Now,' she says in a cushioned voice, tracing a crystal with the tip of her sword, 'I know how to settle this fair and triangle.'

'How?' Jackson and I ask in unison.

'I'll let Jackson and Cinnamon go. On one condition.' She pauses and flies down to look me in the eyes. 'The White Warrior fights the Red Samurai. Winner claims the sword.' She lifts the sword to her face and kisses it. The weapon flares at her touch and she smiles.

Hero paces in the corner, his eyes black felt. He knows this is Elecktra's fight, but I don't know how long he can restrain himself and let Lecky pull the punches.

'Lecky, this isn't like play fighting on the living-room rug. Someone will get hurt,' I say.

Elecktra kicks me in the stomach to prove my point. My gut slams up into my lungs as I fly back and crash against the wall of the cave. Elecktra laughs and shakes her head, her hair sparking at the tips. I stand groggily.

'Aren't you supposed to be a ninja?' she provokes.

I clear my mind and focus. I look over to Jackson. He nods. This is what I must do. I will fight my sister, if it means I can save her. I can't let the Serpent Sword rule Lecky.

I summon fire to burn the rope tying my hands. My blood fumes in my veins and burns in my ears. I'm ready.

FOURTEEN.

My sister stalks me. She is red with rage, but still beautiful in the wildest way. Elecktra holds out her hand in a V-formation, her thumb at right angles to her fingers. The webbing between them heats red, then suddenly I feel a burning around my throat, a strangulation. She crosses her eyes and focuses on my neck. The burning intensifies. The air beats out of me. She's hurting me without even touching me! The sensation stops and Elecktra screams, then runs at me with her sword. I take a deep breath, scoop up a nearby chair and use it to block her a.s.sault. Her sword slices through the chair and nearly cuts off one of my arms. Elecktra spins and slashes her sword. I evade, then counterstrike with a side kick to her knee. She buckles. I take the breathing s.p.a.ce and move away. The samurai have gathered around the mats to watch us fight. Hero studies Jackson beneath the hoods of his eyelids. Jackson glares back at him.

'Who's in control now?' Elecktra asks, rising into the air. I summon wind and it swirls beneath me, lifting and supporting my legs. She slams the sword at me and I leap out of the way, landing on the ground. I knock out the samurai guard holding my weapons and jump back into the air, my nunchucks, ninja claws and stars once again in my possession. I tuck the weapons into my belt and slide my ninja claws onto my fingers. I swing my legs up onto the ceiling and scurry away from Lecky across the shards of crystal. There is a wicked glint in her eyes. I think she's enjoying this.

'This is crazy. We're sisters,' I say.

'Oh, blah blah blah, always a goody two-shoes ninja just like Mum. Mummy's little girl. I'm over it!' Elecktra swings her sword at me. The blade slashes across my shoulder, ripping my uniform and drawing a fine line of blood. The sharp pain tears me from the ceiling and I summon wind to float me gently to the ground. There is no time to nurse my shoulder. Before I can blink, Elecktra is directly above me, thrusting down her sword. I roll out of her way onto my back as her hot blade slices through the mats. With all her power, she hacks the sword towards my face. I block the blade with the chain of my nunchucks. I scream as the sword slices through the chain and nearly chops off my nose.

'Roxy!' Cinnamon yells.

I throw my nunchucks away. Elecktra smiles and a chair flies through the air to her hand. She stabs her sword through the middle of the seat and holds the chair above her head like an umbrella. Then she winks and a barrage of crystals from the ceiling rains down, stabbing the top of her chair and pinning my uniform to the mats, only just missing my face. Elecktra throws the chair away and lifts her sword. I kick out her knees and she stumbles as I leap up, snapping free from the crystals. I don't want to use my powers to hurt Lecky. But my weapons are no match for the Serpent Sword.

We circle each other, panting. Our shadows distort on the walls of the cave like a violent puppet show. Our audience has become deathly quiet, completely absorbed in the battle. They have never seen powers like ours before.

'Elecktra, stop!' I beg.

She continues to thrust her sword at me relentlessly. I feel the anger rising again, boiling in my gut.

'Please don't make me hurt you!' I take my star and slice Jackson's bonds, then he frees Cinnamon. We are lightning fast - can't beat ninja zip. 'Climb!' I yell at them. Jackson retrieves his ninja claws, slides them on and climbs. Cinnamon follows him, hoisting herself up onto the rocks, finding footrests and handholds with Jackson's help. Hero and his clan run after them, sensing what is about to happen. But the samurai are too late - I have already summoned the waterfall. It erupts through the doors and floods the dojo, scooping up the samurai. Elecktra bounces into the air and I follow her up with the wind. I block her sword, then fire kicks at her shoulder. She almost drops the sword into the water below, but recaptures it.

'We were never sisters,' she sneers. I block her sword again. The water crashes beneath us. The samurai try to swim against the thundering waves, but the current is too strong. It carries all the samurai out except for Hero, who escapes up the wall.

'Family isn't completely determined by blood. It's who you love and who loves you back!' I yell over the roaring water. 'I love you, Lecky. You're my sister. I don't care if you're a samurai!'

Hero, Jackson and Cinnamon cling to the walls of the cave. Climbing is not a samurai speciality and Hero is struggling. Cinnamon has found some strong footholds and is doing a better job. Jackson is upside down in a ceiling push-up position, clutching the crystals.

Elecktra roars and slams the sword at me again. This time I lunge into it, block her wrist, elbow her in the face, reach over and twist her arm into a lock. She squeals, then bites my shoulder savagely. I scream and let go.

'You've always hated biting.' She laughs, her red eyes bulging with bad blood. I feel my fingers creep towards my ninja star. She thrusts her sword at me and it slices my shoulder again. I yell. My fingers grip my star. I duck and weave her slashing strikes, then throw the ninja star at her leg. Lecky howls and falls out of the air into the water below. I dive after her.

The water is freezing. In the turbulence, I can't tell which way is up or down. I spin around and see Lecky tunnelling through the water with her sword pointed at my heart. She slices through the lethal currents as easily as air. Blocking her sword underwater is impossible and a stream of bubbles blasts near my ear where her sword has come too close. I reach down and yank my ninja star out of her leg. Bubbles explode from her mouth as she screams. And still she won't let go of the sword.

Oxygen rinses out of my body and I become heavy. Elecktra stops thrashing and stills. We drift in the current as we sink to the bottom. Greenness detonates all around us as the silence plunges us deeper into the emerald buzz; it sits on my chest like a universe. The images of Lecky hugging me in her doona and laughing in the pet shop play in my mind. My sister still exists. I clench my fists. I won't let bad blood steal her.

I open my eyes and see Elecktra in the darkness of the deep. I summon the wind. It blasts Lecky and me out of the water and we hover high above the lethal current. Then in one deafening blast, the wind sucks the waterfall out of the cave. Elecktra and I float back down onto the jade floor. Most of the mats were washed away by the water and the remaining ones have been slashed to pieces by Lecky's sword.

Hero, Jackson and Cinnamon climb off the wall and start running towards us. Elecktra coughs up water. I kneel beside her and place my hand on her wrist. She turns to me violently, flinging me onto my back and pinning the tip of her blade at my throat.

'Hands off my sword,' Lecky says. I feel the burning blade pulsating against my delicate throat. One move and I'm dead.

'We were born to kill each other,' she says.

'No!' I search her eyes for my sister, but I can't see any trace of her. 'We were born to love each other. Despite everything.'

Elecktra shakes her head and applies more pressure to the sword. I feel it bite into the first layer of skin. I'm trapped. I watch the bad blood pumping down the sword towards me. I look up into Elecktra's face and she's crying b.l.o.o.d.y tears.

Loosening her grip, she sobs, 'I just wanted to be like you and Mum.'

'You are like me and Mum. We're family,' I say.

'No, we're not. I have a real family now,' she sneers, then looks at me with fire in her eyes and raises the sword high above her head.

In a brutal flash of ninja instinct, I see only a samurai about to attack. Adrenalin pollutes my veins, my heart bursts with blood, my senses startle and I can no longer control my impulse to kill samurai. My fingers seize my final ninja star and I summon a stream of fire to spear the star towards Elecktra. I watch the star fireball through the air, splitting air pockets, moisture and breath. The samurai lanterns light the lethal silver blades just before they strike Elecktra in the chest. Her wet hair explodes off her face with the impact. My heart flays open as I realise what I've done. Elecktra stumbles with the sword outstretched. Still crying tears of blood, she lowers her arms slowly and her eyes darken. She staggers. The sword slips out of her hands and spears into the ground.

Elecktra collapses into my arms. Immediately her hair transforms from red to blonde, the veins in her head snake away, restoring her pearly complexion, her eyes gloss back to brown.

'Lecky!' I cry. 'I didn't mean to. Lecky, don't die!'

Jackson seizes the Serpent Sword, pulling down his sleeve so it won't burn him. Hero tackles him to the ground. The sword flies out of Jackson's hand and sizzles against the mossy jade stone. Their fighting fades into the background as I rock my sister in my arms.

'Lecky,' I sob. 'Oh, Lecky.'

'Cat,' she whispers, her face again that of the sister I've always loved. 'How's my hair?' Then her breath whispers out of her lips and the darkness of the cave coc.o.o.ns my heart ...

GLOSSARY.

Axe kick - when a straightened leg descends onto an opponent like the blade of an axe.

Back kick - a kick backwards, like a donkey.

Dojang - traditional place of Taekwondo practice.

Dojo - sacred place of ninja and samurai training.

Flying kick - any kick that involves air, usually accompanied with a running start, then a huge jump.

Front kick - a kick forwards to the groin, stomach or face with the ball of your foot. Keep the toes out of it - they break easily.

Hook kick - a kick that strikes from the side using the heel of the foot. Executed similarly to a side kick, but aimed slightly off target and propelling backwards.

Katana - a type of samurai sword.

Ninja - known for wearing the best uniform in the business, ninjas were members of a feudal j.a.panese society of mercenary agents, highly trained in martial arts and stealth, for covert purposes ranging from espionage to sabotage and a.s.sa.s.sination. Also refers to anyone super cool.

Ninja claws - spikes worn between toes, fingers or teeth; used to climb, wound horses or slash enemies.

Nunchucks - hand weapons used for frontal a.s.sault, consisting of two sticks joined by a chain.

Red Samurai - a super-powerful samurai who is possessed by the Serpent Sword. They are completely red, from hair to toenail.

Roundhouse kick - the hero of all martial arts kicks. The leg swings sideways in a circular motion to kick the enemy in the stomach with the instep of the foot or, if you are more of a street fighter, the shin. You can amp up your martial arts street cred by adding a 360-degree turn or even a 720-degree turn, and if you're really hardcore, a 1080-degree turn.

Samurai - the ninja's enemy. They are warriors who fight with swords. Super deadly. Not as cool. Love to wear red.

Serpent Sword - a sword filled with ancient warrior blood that has the power to possess the samurai who captures it and turn them evil.

Shin.o.bi shozoku - the traditional all-black ninja uniform.

Shuriken - a throwing blade or ninja stars.

Side kick - a sideways kick using the blade of your foot. You can show off by performing a double or triple side kick.

Taekwondo - a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means 'to strike with foot'; kwon 'to strike with fist'; and do 'method', or 'path'. Taekwondo is 'the way of the hand and the foot'. It combines combat techniques, self-defence, sport, exercise, board breaking, step-sparring, yelling, patterns, meditation and philosophy.

White Warrior - a ninja who can control the elements, flash invisible and fly.

NINJA MERINGUES.

(serves 4).

Meringues.

2 egg whites.

teaspoon cream of tartar.

1 tablespoons agave nectar teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon cornflour.

Filling and topping 1 cup reduced-fat, unsweetened yoghurt.

1 mango, thinly sliced 1 kiwifruit, thinly sliced.

cup slivered almonds, raw.

1 tablespoon honey.

1. Preheat oven to 110 degrees Celsius.

2. Combine the egg whites, cream of tartar, agave nectar and vanilla extract in a large bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (don't let the bowl touch the water, ninjas). Let it sit for six minutes or until the mixture is warm to the touch.

3. Remove from the heat and beat with an electric whisk for three to seven minutes, until stiff peaks form. Gently fold through the cornflour.

4. Spoon the meringue mixture onto a lined baking tray and shape into eight circles, about six centimetres in diameter. Bake for thirty minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to cool with the oven door open for a further fifteen minutes.

5. To a.s.semble, dress four of the meringues with a couple of dollops of yoghurt and slices of mango and kiwifruit. Place the remaining meringues on top and garnish with slivered almonds and a drizzle of honey. Serve immediately. Your kitchen Kung Fu is complete. Enjoy your Ninja Meringues!.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.

A ma.s.sive thank you to all the Roxy Ran readers for embracing Roxy and her mates!

I would like to give a deep bow of thanks to my book ninjas: the vivacious team at HarperCollins, who approach everything with oomph; my publisher, Lisa Berryman, for being my partner-in-joy at every milestone of the series; Kate Burnitt for your insightful edits and taking us to the next lev; and my awesome literary agent, Clare Forster, for your honesty and encouragement. As always, Halls, your chaos is inspiring and your love binding. And Ed, with love I give you the last word.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR.