Disclaimer: Not affiliated with Marvel.

Day of the Ninja is the 5th of December, but due to time differences, some of you may be reading this on the 4th. This is a companion story to Talk Like a Pirate Day. Enjoy!

Day of the Ninja

With a pleased smile, Kitty pulled on the black mask that was the final piece of her ninja costume. She admired herself in the mirror; completely covered in black except for her eyes and her hands. She clapped her hands in delight with her appearance and then turned to her bag of goodies.

"This is totally gonna rock," she said to herself.

She grabbed her bag and phased through the walls until she got to the room above the dining hall. She peered down through the ceiling and watched her fellow housemates go about preparing their breakfast. After taking note of what everyone was having and where they were sitting, Kitty phased down through the wall behind the cupboards and removed a bowl, a spoon, and a tall glass.

The next phase in her mission was to sneak over to the kitchen table through the floor where no one could see her. Once there, she exchanged Kurt's bowl of cereal for a bowl of candy, and Rogue's orange juice for a glass of candy. With the cries of "Hey where'd my Lucky Charms go?" and "Okay, who took my orange juice?" behind her, Kitty sneaked back to her bedroom to enjoy her pilfered breakfast.

Kitty's celebration of the Day of the Ninja did not end with breakfast. While everyone else was going about their business, Kitty sneaked into their bedrooms and left surprises for them. Occasionally she even phased right up to someone and left a surprise in their pocket.

The only two people Kitty couldn't sneak up on were Jean and Professor Xavier, but the two telepaths were nice enough not to spoil her fun. She supposed that would probably change if she was leaving nasty surprises instead of little presents mostly consisting of sugary treats.

The obstacle of the day was the outdoor training session Logan had planned. It was Kitty's intention to remain 'invisible' for the entire day, but there was no way she could get out of it. Still, being outside meant that she could just hide up a tree, which she did. Hopefully whatever Logan had planned, it was something she could complete while still being stealthy.

It was not to be. Logan noticed she wasn't with the others and had no problems sniffing out her position.

"What are you doing up there, Half-pint?" Logan bellowed from below.

Kitty phased into the tree trunk and onto the branch on the other side. She was invisible. Like a ninja.

"Ahem," Jean said, clearing her throat. "I believe that Kitty is celebrating 'Day of the Ninja' today."

It took considerable effort on Jean's part not to start giggling at the very idea.

"Seriously?" asked Scott.

"Where do you think all that candy has been coming from?" Jean replied.

"Candy is good," Kurt declared. "But pirates are better!"

"Please don't tell me we have to deal with another one of these so-called 'holidays'," Rogue said with a groan. "Last time I ended up absorbing Pyro and talking like a pirate for five hours."

"It was so much fun!" Kurt said enthusiastically.

Meanwhile Logan had walked around the tree for a better look.

"You are aware that ninjas don't actually wear garb like that all the time," Logan called up to her. "Real ninjas wear whatever they need to in order to blend in, so that usually means they wear everyday clothing. Besides, all black is a horrible colour to try and sneak around in, because you can't sneak around in it. All black stands out, even in the dead of night. This is why camouflage suits were invented."

"Heh, typical Hollywood," Kurt said with a smirk.

"What are you criticising for?" asked Rogue. "You think you do any better with your romanticised versions of pirates? They were nasty vicious people who raped, pillaged, stole, murdered, and any number of other despicable traits."

"Uhhh..."

"Pryde, stop ignoring me and get down here before I have you spend the next month cleaning the Blackbird," Logan shouted.

Kitty sighed and reluctantly came down the tree. There goes her plan to be stealthy all day.

"Spoilsport," she muttered under her breath.

"I heard that," Logan replied.

Kitty didn't say anymore as she joined her teammates.

After training, Rogue, Kurt, and Kitty decided to head into town do to the last of their Christmas shopping. Kitty seriously thought about going in her ninja costume, but then decided she'd probably just attract attention. It was no fun at all that Logan was right about ordinary clothing being more stealthy.

Not far from the Brotherhood house they were forced to pull over with a punctured tyre. Rogue inspected it with some irritation, then went to get the spare tyre and the jack out from the back.

"What the... Hey, where's my jack?" Rogue demanded.

"Actually I believe that was Scott's jack," Kurt said cheerfully. "And he took it back when you didn't return it."

"Darn it, I told him I was—"

"Hey, we're right near the Brotherhood," Kitty said brightly. "I know Lance has a jack, I'll go see if I can, umm, borrow it."

Rogue looked at Kurt as Kitty ran off.

"She's going to ninja it, isn't she?" Rogue said.

"Oh yeah," Kurt replied with a nod.

It was easier than Kitty thought to walk over to the Brotherhood house and right up to where Lance parked his car. She phased through, grabbed his jack, phased out...

...and promptly got hit in the face with something very gooey and slimey and smelly.

"Oh ewww," Kitty exclaimed.

She dropped the jack to get the slime out of her face. There was a thump, and then she felt something go by her. She opened her eyes as she flicked the slime onto the ground just in time to see someone dressed in a black ninja costume jump off with the jack.

"Hey!" Kitty objected, easily recognising the gait. "I ninjaed that first, Toad!"

Toad didn't reply as he leapt to the house, jack awkwardly in hand, and climbed through a nearby open window into the kitchen. Irritably Kitty raced after him, phasing through the wall instead of going through the window. She spotted Toad disappearing through the doorway. Not wanting to attract attention to herself more than necessary, Kitty phased into the wall, but kept near the ceiling where she would be above the eye level of most of the residents.

It was a good thing Kitty chose that position, for as Toad ran into the foyer he banged into Lance. The jack fell to the floor and Kitty made extra sure she had cover.

"Hey, what are you doing with my jack?" Lance demanded. "I've about had enough this stupid Ninja Day, Toad! All your stupid pranks!"

Lance clenched his fist and the ground began to shake. Kitty quickly zipped down to below the floor as Toad insisted that Kitty was there. While Lance refused to believe or even listen to Toad, Kitty grabbed hold of the jack—still on the floor—and phased her way out.

After Rogue changed the tyre on her car, Kitty returned the jack. First she phased the jack back in its place in Lance's car, and then she sneaked into the Brotherhood's house once more. She checked the bathroom was empty and washed off the slime.

Kitty, Rogue, and Kurt conducted the last of their Christmas shopping without further incident. It wasn't quite dinner time upon their return, so Kitty amused herself during the wait by leaving a few last surprises for her friends around the mansion. She was really very pleased with herself come time to eat. It had been a pretty good Day of the Ninja.

Rogue was the last of the household to join the table for dinner, and when she arrived it was with a single red rose in her hand. She stalked up to Kitty.

"This is going a little far, don't you think?" she said.

Kitty looked up at her in confusion. "What?"

"What?" Rogue replied sarcastically. "You know what. I don't need faux romantic gestures from pretend secret admirers."

Kitty blinked and frowned at the rose. It didn't take long for her to put two and two together.

"Look in your pocket," Kitty said. "Left side."

Rogue frowned, but she put her hand in the pocket of her brown leather jacket and pulled out a couple of chocolates.

"That's the only kind of thing I've been leaving for anyone today," Kitty said to the confused look on Rogue's face. "I didn't leave you the rose."

She wondered if she should tell Rogue that Toad had been celebrating Day of the Ninja too and decided against it. Besides, everyone knew Toad had the hots for Wanda, and in any case there was no way Toad could just sneak into the mansion like that.

Rogue's frown deepened.

"Well, someone left it on my pillow," she said lifted her head to scan the room, everyone else at the table having become very interested in hers and Kitty's exchange. "And I don't appreciate people just letting themselves into my room."

No one responded. Then Logan held out his hand for the rose. Rogue handed it to him. Logan finished chewing his mouthful of food, then took a sniff. Instantly a growl emerged.

"Gambit."

Without another word Logan departed from the table intending to find out exactly where Gambit had been. Rogue stared after him.

"Oooh," Kitty teased. "Not so faux-romantic gestures from a not-too-secret-anymore admirer."

"Ugh," Rogue said and she snatched up the rose from where Logan had dropped it on the floor. "This is all I need."

"Was he even a secret in the first place?" Kurt grumbled. "This isn't the first time he's flirted with Rogue."

"I guess it's probably not all that surprising a thief might like Day of the Ninja," Kitty mused.

"Hmph," Kurt said contemptuously. "Pirates are better."