#lloyd: ‘however master wu is not here’

[blazeymc]

A lot of people have been talking abt Arin in DR S2P2 and I guess I'll give my defence of this adorable lil bean

Spoilers ahead, though you probably already know that

Many people have been calling Arin selfish in DR. This whole thing is going on where the world is basically being sliced and diced and stitched back together, and it seems that all Arin cares about is his parents. And guess what? That's perfectly valid.

I don't know about you, but I have a loving relationship with my parents. If the Merge were to happen in real life, of course I'd be worried about them. Arin loves his parents, so is it such a big surprise that he'd be worried?

And yes, he may be being unfair to Lloyd and the other Ninja. But for several months now, his parents have been missing. Lloyd keeps promising that they'll find them, but nothing happens. Arin is getting nowhere when it comes to his parents because the world keeps getting in trouble. And yeah, to be fair, the world comes before one kid's parents. But they were everything to Arin! The two most important things in Arin's life pre-Merge were his obsession with the Ninja and his parents.

Speaking of his obsession with the Ninja, yeah. They were his heroes. He looked up to them so much when he was younger, and still does. It probably isn't helping that one of them is evil now. And then there's the news that the mentor of his heroes caused the Merge. Let me talk about Ras for a second.

Arin has that scene where Ras tells him stuff. First, Ras says that Sora lied and that Arin's object spinjitzu in the P1 finale wasn't him, but Sora using her powers. He tells Arin that Wu caused the Merge. And he says that he knows where Arin's parents are. Yes, this all seems like a bunch of lies, but then he questions Sora.

Sora says yes, she lied. But only because they couldn't afford to lose Nya to Netherspace like they lost Kai. And this hurt. The person that Arin's been friends with for years lied to him because she didn't think that he could do something on his own and that he needed help. She didn't trust him. She didn't believe in him. And that hurt.

It feels like no one cares about Arin. They care about saving the world, not about his parents. They care about guaranteeing success, not about letting him prove himself. And yeah, it's fair to care about that stuff, but to be on the receiving end of this? That has to freaking hurt.

Then Ras comes in. First, he promises that he knows where Arin's parents are. That information is invaluable to Arin. He'd do anything to find out what exactly Ras knows. And then there's the issue with spinjitzu.

Arin has his wonky, homemade spinjitzu that doesn't work like the others. Lloyd is trying to help him get better, but just like with his parents, he's getting nowhere. Then Frak comes along. Arin's best friend from before the Merge, who helped him when he was in trouble. Frak is on Ras' team and shows Arin what Ras has been showing him. With Frak's help, Arin manages to do actual spinjitzu, although this first time he does it, there's a bit of those red shatterspin effects, which is kinda interesting.

Something else that I think is super interesting here is that before training with Frak, Arin was on the fence about whether Ras was actually telling the truth. However, once Ras' teachings actually help him do proper spinjitzu, he seems utterly convinced.

Anyways, Arin's gotten nowhere with Lloyd in terms of progression in his spinjitzu, but one tip from Ras via Frak is enough to bring him a lot farther along than before. This obviously gives Arin more confidence in Ras than in Lloyd and the Ninja.

Ultimately, this results in Arin actually caring a lot to make sure that Ras is not brought to harm in the final battle against Nokt, and he follows his only lead on his parents through a collapsing passage. He no longer cares about the Ninja and only for his parents and a master who it seems actually cares about his wants and needs and is willing to help him. And yeah, Ras is manipulating him, but Arin is in a state where he probably doesn't care. He no longer has the time to care about the world, because, with Ras, he is closer to finding his parents than he ever was before. And if that means leaving behind a friend who lied to him and a group directly related to the catalyst for his parents being lost in the first place, then so be it.

He's gone through so much, and is now looking out for his own needs when no one else is. And that's what makes him such an amazing character. That's what makes his arc such an amazing arc. He hasn't done much when it comes to saving the world anyways, it's always been Sora or the Ninja. They don't even need his help, so he may as well break off and do his own thing.

I love Arin and I will defend him with my life if necessary.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

[royonninjago]

The Ninja's Roles Within the Team

Something I think the various Ninjago shows do really well is the characterizations of each Ninja. If it was bad, then kids wouldn't wanna watch the show or buy the Lego sets to reenact their favorite moment and create new scenarios for the Ninja to go through.

However, for the past few years a problem I've had with the TV show is that some characters feel more... useful than others. Then there are moments when one character is missing, but the team seems to operate just fine without them, and I think that does a real disservice to the characters.

In contrast, take the ATLA episode "Sokka's Master". It's one of my favorites because it separates Sokka, the only non-bender in Team Avatar, from the rest of the team. The episode demonstrates to both us and the rest of Team Avatar why Sokka is essential to their team. Without him, they're bored, can't figure out where they are or where they're headed on a map, and are overall completely directionless. Its like the precursor to those dime a dozen fantasy mangas where the weak member of a dungeon divers gets fired and the rest of the party ends up deeply regretting it.

I want the Ninjago TV show to demonstrate to us why each member is essential to the Ninja Team, and why without one of them the Ninja Team is worse off or have to work twice as hard to compensate.

Dragons Rising had such a good opportunity to explore this, but unfortunately it seems like the biggest problem the Team faces from being separated across the merged realms is lack of manpower and not much else. In lieu of this, here are some of my ideas as to how each character could prove to be essential to the Ninja.

Lloyd - The Leader. This one is definitely the most obvious. He's had a very clear leadership role since he became the Green Ninja, and ever since Wu left this distinction has only gotten more pronounced. However, I do find myself wishing to see a bit more of a dark streak with him. He was originally introduced as an antagonist, and I don't know about y'all but I still find myself enjoying Three Days Grace ever since I played the Halo 3 campaign at a friend's house while listening to AMVs of their songs.

Kai - The Weapon Master. Although there was never anything to support this, I always thought that Kai made the weapons that the Ninja used in the pilots. He is a blacksmith, after all. I think it would be cool if this aspect was more leaned into and not only make him the guy that creates all the swords and throwing stars and whatever other simple weapons the Ninja use, but to also be the best one at using those weapons. A sword is obviously his go to, but put any kind of simple weapon in his hands and I think he'd be able to use it very well. Imagine how much cooler it would have been in season 11 if Kai managed to defeat Aspheera's sheer power with his incredible swordsmanship skills. It'd certainly tie into his arc that season much better than what we actually got.

Jay - The Scout. Remember that scene in the pilots where the Skulkin cars were trying to reach 88 mph or whatever and Jay was gaining on them just by running? The writers sure don't! Though in all seriousness, whenever the Ninja need to learn a new technique to do something, Jay always picks up on it really quickly. First to perform Spinjitzu and summon his Golden Weapon Vehicle, second to unlock his true potential, third to summon his Elemental Dragon, he managed to surprise Ronin when practicing Airjitzu, not to mention his laundry list of hobbies. If they really leaned into his speed, combining that with his skills as a Ninja would make him perfect for running ahead and reporting back on the enemy forces. In my own little world, I like to imagine him as a PG version of the Scout from TF2 (Jay even had a slight Boston accent in the pilots!).

Cole - The Muscle. This one is also fairly obvious due to Cole's signature Earth Punch, but I feel as though it should be noticed more when he's not around, especially in Master of the Mountain. If I'm remembering correctly, they don't fully acknowledge his absence until they're locked up in the Vengestone cage about to be executed. If I regularly hung out with a dude that could lift a car over his head, I'd be lamenting about his absence whenever I needed to lift a heavy box.

Zane - The Information Officer. Another obvious one, but in this case I feel as though they lean a bit too heavily into it. Yes, he's a robot and yes, it's his job to know things, but I want to see his more dorky and silly side from time to time. Give us more Zane following a bird because it danced and him just chilling (literally) in the fridge at midnight for no reason type of stuff. After all, his greatest fear is losing his humanity.

Nya - The Strategist. I feel as though on a 'don't judge a fish by it's ability to climb a tree' level, Nya is just as smart as Zane. Due to his physiology, Zane can hold much more raw information many times over Nya, but I feel as though Nya is much better at putting that information to use. Going back to Master of the Mountain (I realize I'm referencing it a lot, its still fresh in my mind), when Kai and Zane were lost, they relied entirely on the raw data from Zane's internal compass, and because of that they got lost and had to rely on Geckles capturing them to reach their settlement. On the other hand, when Lloyd, Jay, and Nya were lost, Nya was able to determine the location of the Munce settlement by searching for signs of life and finding footprints. Also, I think this characterization fits the Master of Water really well considering water adapts to whatever environment it resides in.

The new Ninja from Dragons Rising are still very inexperienced and still haven't really found their grooves within the team, but I'm still gonna try and analyze them here.

Arin - ???. Right now, Arin's main skills are his unique Spinjitzu skills and his talent with a grappling hook. Its still so early in his Ninja training that he hasn't really carved out a distinct role for himself, though I hope this changes as time goes on. Not too long ago I proposed a cool idea for his future if any of y'all wanna take a look at that here.

Sora - The Technical Specialist. While I don't enjoy the idea of PIXAL being replaced as the Ninja's primary vehicle builder, with Sora being the Elemental Master of Tech it seems very possible that this is where things are headed. Instead of that, I think it better for her to either focus on using her skills in the field or to specialize in Mechs. Both of these ideas come from the Elemental Mech mini-series. I thought the idea of switching up parts on a mech in the middle of a battle to be a fun concept and one giving credence to her being a Field Tech, and whenever she uses her Elemental Powers its for the purpose of creating or altering or fixing a mech about half of the time.

Wyldfyre - The Dragon Expert. Even before the Merge, the Ninja encountered Dragons a lot. Now that there are dragons seemingly everywhere, Wyldfyre seems like the perfect liaison for communicating with these dragons, assuming she can learn to cool off when its needed. She also seems to know a good amount about dragons, considering that she was easily able to identify the Wasting Sickness and make a soup to help ease the pain it caused. There's still a lot she needs to learn before anyone can consider her an expert, but with her love of dragons and the belief that she is one, I think she'd be more than willing to learn.

And there you have it. If you have any ideas or head cannons or questions surrounding this topic, I'd love to hear them!

[ilivingonmyway]

Something, something, some headcanons about the Ninja team that I have this is in alphabetical order. Part II here!

Cole

• Being the Earth Elemental, he knows several types of rocks, earth and minerals, as each one has a different structure that can interfere and/or contribute to a task/fight.

• Even though he hated dancing for a long time, he still practiced some steps from different dance styles, because some of them were very similar to moves that could be used in battle he did it in secret thought.

• For a long time he always acted a little distant from the other team members, but he was still there to support them if they needed it.

• He's a mama's boy, and he loved seeing Lilly and Lou dancing together.

• It was his grandfather who chose his name. He was bedridden, but he held on until Lilly gave birth to the baby, and when Grandfather saw the little one he cried, because he knew he wouldn't survive to see the child growing up, So, Lilly asked him to name him, as if it were an "I'll always be here" gesture from grandfather to grandson.

• His favorite game is the one where there's a bunch of food falling from the sky and you have to catch it, he's already broken a record 3 times in this game.

Jay

• He's the fastest and most elastic/flexible on the team. This guy's ability to put his thigh behind his head is insane, you DON'T want to be his partner in stretching exercises.

• He knows the Kyusho-Jitsu. This is a technique/type of fight used to stun/paralyze the opponent by striking pressure points (Curiosity, this is the technique that inspired Ty Lee's Chi Blocking technique from ATLA). He uses this on normal criminals, like thieves, assassins, and smuggling gangs, that way they don't get hurt. However, he also use it on Krypytarium criminals, but with the addition of a mild shock to ensure the criminal is rendered unconscious.

• Edna taught him how to cook, so he has the ability to make really good food. Although he prefers to make roasts and stews.

• Jay is a sleepwalker. Not daily, but during really bad lightning storms. Master Wu often found him sleeping on the highest point of the Monastery after the storm. Once, the Ninjas tried to keep him inside the room during the storm. They locked the door and windows and kept watch. But somehow, Jay still managed to get out of the room and get into the storm. No one ever found out how he did this.

• This one I got from Lloyd’s Guide To Surviving The Merge, a lovely fanfiction of @omgjayaaa, I really loved that one He's a medic. He knows how to treat illnesses, injuries, concussions, etc. It started out more as a hobby. Check out medical books from the local library and spend hours reading and applying the teachings on the Monastery's training dummies (sometimes Zane was the victim) just as a "strange diversion" (Kai's words). However, one day, there was a training accident and Cole dislocated his arm, while everyone was worried trying to call the hospital, in an incredible act not to mention strange of calm, Jay grabbed Cole's arm and relocated it back into place, then he borrowed some materials that were in his room and made a sling for the Earth Elemental's arm. No one ever forgot that day, because while Jay was "Just another normal day" the others were staring at him like "What the fuck was that?"

• I also got this from a Ninjago chat fanfic, also from @omgjayaaa He is a natural with children. You can't say otherwise, that this super sensitive and humorous man doesn't have a natural ability to calm/entertain/do anything involving children. And he really enjoys that, being able to make a baby stop crying and go to sleep or helping a child that got lost from the parents. Your honor, this man has everything it takes to be a good father and you're not going to change my mind.

Kai

• He hates super spicy food, being the Fire Elemental doesn't mean his taste buds are pepper/wasabi approved. He just likes a small amount in his food. Ironically, spicy food can kind of serve as fuel for the fire, so the hotter the pepper is, the more heat the fire emanates from it. Although he hates this ability.

• He's not very good at reading/writing, he left school very early to take care of Nya and the Blacksmith, so he lost most of his literacy skills. However, he took some lessons from Wu, so he didn't feel so out of place.

• In fact, his natural hair is like his mother's, but it's as untamable as his father's, which is why he uses so much hair gel. Like, you can't say that wavy and stubborn hair is not hard to care.

• He's that kind of person who sings in the shower, he often forgets that there are people in the Monastery and starts singing so loud that you can hear it from the training yard.

• He and Jay, often in secret, hang out together. Where? Karaoke. Kai sings and Jay plays the guitar, sometimes they change roles Kai prefers to play the bass. It's a lot of fun for both of them, but they don't want to let others find out, because they know none of them, especially Nya, would let it go.

• As much as many people think otherwise, of the RGB siblings, Kai is the most "stable". Not because he wants to, but because he is Nya and Lloyd's support. He feels very embarrassed when the papers change.

• He is super attentive to people close to him, especially Lloyd, who is the youngest on the team. However, now with the addition of Wyldfyre, Sora and Arin in DR, he is as protective as he was with Lloyd.

[coffee-master]

Did Kai ever scare the Ninja more than Nya ? This would be the moment where they realize that "Yes, they are related"

Normally Kai is chill going and doesn't scare any of the enemies or ninjas. However there are moments when he can give you chills. Exactly three.

1. When one of his siblings is in danger.

When Nya or Lloyd are in danger, would be capured or something. Kai can turn into true devil. There's no mercy left and he'll do anything to protect them. Literally when his siblings are in danger his big brother sense turns on and Kai can become a terrifying monster. Let's say that tose who he considers as a danger or enemies should start writting thier testament

Basically:

[Kai gets kidnapped]

Kai: *is totally chilling*

Kai thinking: *Ok, where are my cards to poker..?*

[Nya/Lloyd gets kidnapped]

Kai: *big older borther mood activated*

Kai: *is ready break someone's bones or even drown them in the lake*

Kai shaking the villain: Ẅ̶̨̛̩̺͚̮̙̺́͂͋̆͗͂Ḣ̵̨͓̽͒̒̽̅̆̿Ę̶̛̯̖̺͍̼̻̜̺̯͇̺̏̉̐̆̾̀̓̑͋̿̏͠ͅR̵̜̪̥̥̈́̐͐́̈ͅͅĘ̸̛̛̲̤̲͎̰͖͕̱͕͇͚̇̐̓̀̋̆͊͋͒̀̑̓͝ͅ ̸̧̖̫̘͉͓̜͙͍͛̈́ͅͅA̷̼̟̙̺̭̮̝̥̱̪͎͛R̶̛͇͒̈̓̄͠Ẻ̵͖͔̞͕̥̥̗́͌̒̈́̔ ̷̨̨̙̞̭͕̳͇̣̟̪̑T̴̫̼̮̥̙̦̦̗̝̆̑̈́̈́̃͗̌̆̎́̈̇̍͝Ḧ̸̟͇̤̟́̌̃̿̿́̊̇͠͠Ę̴̥̭̙͙̱̪͍̤̣̰͋̇͂̏̆̐̀̇̔̈́͑̎ͅY̵̪̝͇̞̱͎̑̀͝?!

2. When you don't eat your meal or eat properly in general.

During his childhood Kai didn't eat properly for most of the time. He couldn't afford enough food for him and his sister. So Kai often eat irregularly or not at all. Moreover the variety of meals was limited, so both Smiths often ended up eating mostly rice daily.

Due to this today Kai is not picky eater, but to this day rice disgusts him and he doesn't eat it. Literally rice makes him vomit.

It had a big inpact on his phisical and mental health and that's why Kai makes sure that people that he cares about eat healthy.

Kai will make sure that everyone fihinsh their meal and eat in time.

Normally there's no problem with that. Everyone eats normally (especially Cole who takes second meal)

But there are some expections:

Jay & Nya: *have been working really hard on some kind of project for 4 hours*

Kai comes to the workshop: Hey, guys come here the dinner is ready! Everyone eats now!

Jay: Just a minute-

Nya: We'll eat later. Now we need to stay forcused.

Kai: You said that a hour ago.

Nya: We don't have time for that!

Jay: We're this close to finish this-!

Kai: ....

Kai goes to them and unexpecetedly grabs them by the collar of their shirts: I said eat your dinner.

Kai: NOW.

Nya & Jay: *terrified*

Nya who knows what will come next if she doesn't come: Ok-ok I'll eat- *immediately gets up*

Jay who is still lightly terrified: *stays to finish project, because he thinks that was only adderessed to Nya*

Kai: *rapidly drags Jay out for the chair*

Jay: What the-!?

Kai: I said everyone.

Jay: *immediately goes to dinner*

3. Wet Monday.

After Kai became the master of water and got used to his power, let's say that Wet Monday became his favourite day in the year.

But why are people afraid of him?

Let's just say that on the Wet Monday Kai gets a little too excited.

On this day kai will splash water on everyone. No matter the gender, age.. And it's not a normal amout of water like a cup, or even a bucket of water. No no no- In the best outcome the amount of water will be as from the bathtub.

This day is a war. This is not for the weak.

There is no mercy. No for his siblings, no for his boyfriend or Zane who's even a nindriod.

Master Wu is the only one who is able to function normally at home, since Kai always has trouble attacking him. (Because well.. that's their Sensei)

Kai treats everyone like enemies or more likely like targets. He won't miss any opportunity and will attact anyone whose near him. And if he notices that someone didn't get shot by his wave, then he'll hunt them like a prey.

Seriously, if it weren't for Master Wu's prohibition, then Kai would make a fricking tsunami-

Cole: *looks at the callendar and sees what Wet Monday is comming soon*

Cole: ....

Cole takes out his phone and calls his dad: Hey, dad, you wouldn't mind if I drop by for a week right??

First | More about AU | Previous | Next

[awanderingartist-346]

Ninjago Dragons Rising (Season 2 Part 2)

WARNING! THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS!

I Have a LOT of things to say.

This part 2 has EXCEEDED my expectations by bringing back the nostalgia of season 4 in its glory, and getting the Pale Man reveal.

In this scene, where Nya had gone against Jay, broke me 😭. Especially when she says:

Nya: I will always love you.

And Jay hit her with the: And I will ALWAYS. Hate you.

Hate is a powerful word man. 😭😭😭

Now here. We can really see the difference between Arin in the beginning, and Arin now. At the beginning, he was just this fan boy who loved the ninja, but now...He's going down the wrong path, and not he himself knows it. It could be argued that Ras WILL help him find his parents as he has already been betrayed now and they have a common enemy. BUT, Ras could be playing him. 🤷‍♀️ Itslike....History is repeating itself. First it was Master Wu with Morro, and now, Lloyd with Arin. Anyhow, I think I know what his path may lead to....and it's not gonna be good.

😭😭😭

THE COMEBACK- Lloyd: How'd you learn spinjitzu?!

Arin: Not from YOU.

And to add on to Ras and Arin's relationship, (which is sure to be growing), when Arin's friend was helping him train, he learned FULL spinjitzu, which he really doubted himself on. This is then to be revealed that it was Ras's training. And, Ras was telling the truth about EVERYTHING, so Arin has believed him, whether it be a trap or not. And there was evidence on his truth as revealed later. Master Wu caused the Merge, for an unknown reason, so we can't really blame Arin for his trust to decrease with the ninja, and increase with Ras.

ESPECIALLY since things always keep getting in the way. Arin REALLY wants to find his parents, and Lloyd promised him that. But now, evrrytime he wants to go to find his parents, something pops up. In this case, the tournament of the sources. Lloyd then promised they would search for his parents afterwards, but now, they need to find Jay.

And Arin has noticed the pattern. 👀

The ending was really a cliffhanger as Arin went to save Ras from the clutches of the Forbidden Five. However, it seems he has saved him, and is now in a foreign land, around the campfire with an injured Ras. Arin then says: "I will help you get better. Then I'm gonna get you to find my parents."

So now, Ras will be indebted to him, so he will have to find his parents. However, in my opinion, Ras did say that Agent Waller, a.k.a, Jay, does know where Arin's parents are also, and whatever Jay knows, Ras knows. So I'm thinking, 🤔 that when the ninja find Jay, they might be able to find where Arin's parents are and meet in the same place. BUT, (I know...there's always a but) Jay did Shatterspin, which is known to shatter the goodness within you. SO, Jay has lost his memories and his goodness is gone. So, a huge obstacle will lie ahead.

Just like Ras said. "Knowledge is power. But Knowledge is poison."

I can't wait for Season 3, coming next year. And here is where you can find to watch it.

EDIT: IM SO SORRY- BUT THE UPLOADER HAS REMOVED THE VIDEO!!

I hope you guys don't cheat and skip to this!! Be fair and watch the full series, including the Pilot, The day of the departed and the movie 😠😠.

And also! Feel free to discuss your own theories and tell me what you think! :)

[crystallizabethine]

In Which PIXAL Updates Her Relationship Status: A Pixane Valentine's Day Oneshot

Takes place sometime between March of the Oni and Secrets of Forbidden Spinjitsu

AO3 link HERE

(5158 words)

The sun had barely risen when Pixal got out of bed to start her day. Normally she allowed herself more time to recharge, but for some reason, she had awoken prematurely and hadn’t been able to go back to sleep. She didn’t really mind though. There were plenty of things to be done, like getting a head start on the new project she and Nya were working on together. They had blueprints drawn up for advanced security updates for the monastery, as well as plans for making a bigger tech lab underneath their home. Pixal looked forward to having all of that open space down there to work on projects in. However, if they were to have their dream workspace, they’d have to build it first.

Pixal knew that Nya always slept in as much as she could help it before inevitably being woken up by whatever shenanigans the guys got up to, so she decided to leave her to her rest for now. She instead went to the living room and flipped on the overhead light (which she knew would have to be exchanged for the smaller lamps once Nya joined her) and started examining the papers scattered across the coffee table from last night’s brainstorm session. For once, Jay, Cole, Lloyd, and Kai hadn’t been hogging the couch. They had gone out with Zane for what Kai called a “bro night” and had refused to say where they were going. Nya and Pixal were able to actually get some work done with those hooligans (Nya’s words, not hers) out of the house. Pixal was grateful for what they had accomplished, but she had sort of missed Zane.

Speaking of Zane, Pixal heard clattering noises come from the kitchen a few rooms away. Zane must have gotten up early too to make breakfast for everyone. Either that or Master Wu was searching for one of his tea boxes. As Pixal made her way to the kitchen to check, she heard her beloved’s voice, frustrated as he rambled to himself.

“Is it that hard to stack the pots so that they don’t fall over when I open the cabinet? No, it isn’t! And why is the strainer in here?” Pixal stood in the doorway and watched for a minute as her partner kneeled before several open cabinets, roughly pulling things out, rearranging them, and then putting them back. “I have told them over and over that the strainer goes next to the mixing bowls! I swear I’m the only one who actually cares about organization in this damn kitchen.”

“Zane, do you want help with those?”

Zane whipped around, and the look of a crazed man was in his eyes, until they registered Pixal standing there, and softened.

“Pixal,” he began, “How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough to understand that you are agitated about the state of the kitchen and may require assistance.” Pixal replied, and gently took a pot from him, setting it in the cabinet where she knew he preferred it to go.

“Thank you, Pixal.” Zane gave her a small smile. “I am sorry you had to see me like this. I do not like to lose my composure like that around others.”

“Do not worry about it,” Pixal dismissed, “You have seen me in some of my worst moments. This is nothing. Also, I agree that the cabinets are usually organized in a lackluster manner whenever it isn’t one of us performing the task.”

Zane sighed, “I am glad that at least you understand my frustrations. When I tried to confront Kai about it, he acted like I was crazy.”

“Kai is a hooligan.” Pixal stated, matter-of-factly, and rummaged through the cabinets to find ingredients for pancakes.

“True.”

A comfortable silence settled between them as they mixed batter and started flipping pancakes.

“Pixal?”

“Yes?”

“. . .are you familiar with the concept of Valentine’s Day?”

“No, I do not think so.” Pixal was painfully aware that she had missed out on a lot of Ninjagian holidays over the years, due to little circumstances like the world being hellbent on trying to end every six months or so. There hadn’t been much time for anything more than a few Day of the Departed observances, and exactly one Winter Feast celebration. Pixal smiled in amusement at the memory of Kai and Cole accidentally getting tangled up in the monastery’s festive lights. Their faces had gotten so red.

“It is a holiday dedicated to lovers,” Zane explained, “a day set aside for couples to express their love for each other through the giving of gifts and spending time together.”

“Ah, I see.” It sounded lovely, Pixal thought. “When is the next one?”

“It’s. . . today, actually.” Zane launched a pancake into the air and caught it with the skillet. After putting it with the growing stack of golden cakes, he diverted his full attention to Pixal. “I was hoping that you would agree to go out on a date with me this evening.” He took her hand and held it to his chest. Pixal found herself mesmerized by Zane’s bright blue eyes, staring back at her with such passion. Such beauty. Pixal figured she could get lost in those eyes.

“I would love to, Zane.”

“Good,” Zane said, relieved.

Pixal realized something suddenly, “I am curious why you waited until the very last minute to ask me this though. That is not like you at all.” Usually when they planned a date, it was at least a week in advance.

“You are right and I apologize for not giving you more time to prepare.” Zane said, looking rather embarrassed. “I must admit that I have been preoccupied with a personal Project, and time flew past me. I also may have assumed that I’d already asked you. Thankfully, Cole and the others reminded me that I in fact hadn’t, last night. . . They also thought it was funny.”

Pixal sighed fondly, “Oh, my Zane, for a nindroid, you can be so scatterbrained sometimes.”

Zane smirked at her, “Yes, but you love me anyways.”

“That is true.”

* * *

Pixal had no idea what she was going to do for Zane’s gift. Luckily, she knew just who to go to for advice.

“You’ve never done Valentine’s day before?” Nya asked, confused. She tightened a bolt on one of the generators she was repairing. “Haven’t you and Zane been together for like forever? I need a bigger wrench, could you grab the one next closest to you?”

“Well yes,” Pixal mused, handing her friend the tool. “It is unfortunate that Zane and I have never gotten the opportunity to do this before. He perished to the Overlord before we were able to spend any domestic time together, then I was scrapped by Clouse’s men and shortly after, got stuck in Zane’s head for months. Then I left his head to become Samurai X. I have not even been reunited with him in my physical form for a full year.”

“Yeah, and it doesn’t help you two that the almost-year has been full of jerks trying to end the world,” Nya added in sympathy. “But you know what? That changes tonight!” She put her tools down and wiped her dirty hands on her apron. “So, what did you have in mind?”

“That is the tricky bit. I have no idea,” Pixal admitted. “What are some traditional Valentine’s Day customs? Zane told me about the rituals of giving gifts and spending time together, but what does that usually entail?

Nya thought for a minute, “Well, it honestly depends on what you and your partner—or—partners’ are interested in, but chocolate and flower bouquets are a popular choice for gifts.”

“Zane does not have a sense of smell, nor taste buds.” Pixal stated.

Nya smirked sheepishly, “Right, yeah, I forgot. So that rules out a dinner date then.”

“I’m afraid so.”

“That’s okay, “Nya reassured, “There’s still plenty of options! What are some things you guys like to do out, just the two of you?”

“We often go on patrols together.”

“That’s. . . something I guess, doesn’t seem very romantic though.”

“Why not?” Pixal asked, puzzled. “We enjoy each other’s company immensely and have had many meaningful conversations. Between that and our battles together,  I always feel myself grow more fond of and more attracted to him during each mission we spend together.”

“Noted, but that’s something you do all the time! What could you do tonight that’s extra special?”

Pixal had never really thought about doing anything else with Zane. They had their routine, and to her knowledge, they both enjoyed it equally. But maybe Nya had a point. It couldn’t hurt to try something new could it? It was supposed to be a special night, after all.

“How about this,” Nya proposed, “you think on it, and I’ll take you out around Ninjago City to find Zane a gift!”

“That sounds satisfactory, and also enjoyable.” Pixal agreed. She had never been shopping with another person before, and she was excited by the prospect of trying something new with Nya.

* * *

The first place they went on their adventure out was a little place called Ninja Subs. A bell tinkled as they entered, and Pixal immediately noticed the abundance of food pop art crowding the walls as well as the counter at the end of the room filled with an arrangement of sandwich toppings.

“Why are we here exactly?” Pixal asked, not seeing how a sandwich place would yield much in the way of a Valentine’s gift.

Nya approached the counter, eyes shining as she looked at all the food options, “This stop’s for me actually. If we’re gonna be shopping all day then I need some energy. And I’ve also really been craving their buffalo chicken sub.”

After Nya’s lunch break, they went to a variety of small shops in the downtown area. Unfortunately most of their wares fell into the “needs a sense of smell” and/or “needs taste buds to appreciate these things” category.

“How about this?” Nya held up a set of pale blue ceramic bowls across the room from Pixal, who had been trying to make sense of some abstract paintings that were also being sold there.

“Those would be a practical gift,” Pixal considered, then remembered, “but I think he is planning on purging our current kitchen wares, so I probably shouldn’t buy him any new ones until he is finished. He has a very particular system, you know.”

“Oh, I know,” Nya grinned, “He chewed Kai out the other day for just—throwing all the silverware in the drawer without sorting them. I didn’t even know Zane could get that mad! It was kinda amazing to witness, not gonna lie.”

“One would think that the same person who refuses to use a big spoon would also care about organization.” Pixal commented while checking the price on some oven mitts.

Nya giggled. “We love Kai.”

“Yes, despite his odd behavior at times.”

“Oh by the way, don’t tell anyone, but apparently Cole is going to ask him out tonight!”

“Oh , First Master, finally!”

They left that shop soon after. Pixal hadn’t been satisfied with anything in the end, so they continued on, emptyhanded. None of their other stops proved fruitful either, and Pixal was beginning to grow irritated.

“None of these places seem to have anything important enough for a Valentine’s gift worthy of Zane!” Pixal groaned in frustration, “I do not understand: he has given me so much over the years, and I cannot even decide on what to give him for the first proper celebration of our love? I feel so pathetic! I do not want to disappoint him!”

Nya put an arm around Pixal, “C’mon, Pix, you got to give yourself more credit and appreciation than that! You’re amazing! It doesn’t take being head over heels in love to see that you’re a wonderful person. And Zane would be happy with whatever you give him, no matter how unimportant you think it seems. And honestly, knowing Zane, you could probably show up with nothing and he’d just be overjoyed to spend time with you!”

Pixal’s heart warmed at her friend’s kind words. “Thank you, Nya, but still, if this holiday is as special as you and Zane have made it out to be, then I truly want my gift to make him feel the happiest he has ever felt.” Pixal thought for a moment, then an idea struck her. “Nya, what is your happiest memory of being with Jay?”

Nya didn’t answer right away. She pursed her lips in thought, taking a minute to ponder the question suddenly thrust upon her. Then her face brightened. “Honestly, even though I was pretty sure we were about to die, it was when he asked me to be his Yang.” Nya gazed at her necklace and played with it with a soft look on her face.

Pixal fixed her eyes on the pendant. It glistened in the light, and the light sparked a realization:

That was it.

“Then I will ask the same of Zane.”

Nya’s attention snapped back to Pixal, eyes widened in surprise. “Wow, Pixal, really? Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Pixal answered with determination.

“It’s a really big commitment,” Nya reminded, “Are you positive you’re ready?”

“Absolutely. Zane and I already share an unbreakable bond, but I think it would be nice to make an official promise to each other.”

Nya beamed, and quickly pulled Pixal into a crushing hug, “I’m so excited for you then!” Pixal hugged her back, anticipation rising in her chest at the prospect of what she had just planned to do.

When Nya finally released Pixal from the hug, she said, “Come on, before you pick out the pendants, I want to take you somewhere.”

* * *

“I do not understand why we are here.” Pixal looked around the store they’d just entered. There were shelves and shelves of folded up clothes, and rows of dresses hanging along the walls. Some of the dresses and several outfits were displayed on mannequins with varying body types.

Nya started pulling dresses from racks and holding them up to Pixal. “I just thought we could find you something nice to wear, since tonight’s going to be extra special!” Nya grimaced and quickly pulled her hand away from the dress she had just grabbed, wiping it on her pants. “Well, that was a horrible texture! Don’t touch that one.”

            “Is there a problem with what I normally wear?” Pixal asked, perplexed.

            “No, of course not!” Nya assured quickly. “But I find that when I’m about to do something big, looking extra nice gives me an extra boost of confidence. So, I want to help you feel that too!”

            “I suppose that makes sense,” Pixal mused. “Although I feel like I always look my best, no matter what I wear.”

            “Yeah you do, girl!” Nya agreed, smiling.

            “I think you always look your best too.”

            Nya’s cheeks tinted, “I mean—if you think so, thanks! I wish I had your confidence about that.”

            “How do you mean?” Pixal asked, incredulously, “You are one of the most confident people I know!” Pixal couldn’t imagine how someone as unapologetically herself as Nya could possibly have low self esteem about something as trivial as personal appearance.

            Nya shrugged, “It’s cause Kai and I grew up poor. We barely had enough money to feed ourselves, let alone buy pretty things. Because of that, a lot of the girls in my village treated me like worthless garbage, just because I couldn’t take care of my body as well as they could. It really sucked and I hated myself for a really long time because of it, even though Kai told me they were being stupid.”

            Pixal took her friend’s hand and gave it a squeeze, “I am so sorry, Nya, that was extremely shallow of them and you should not have had to suffer like that for something out of your control.”

            Nya squeezed back with a small smile. “Thanks, Pix. I’m just glad that I eventually learned to put more value in what I can do to help people rather than in how I look.” She reached for another dress, “though looking good while helping people doesn’t hurt anything. Ooh, what do you think of this one?”

            Pixal ended up picking out a sleeveless, knee length, sparkly purple dress. Despite her initial protests, Nya had insisted on buying it for her. Pixal had relented only when Nya had told her to call it a valentine’s gift from a friend.

Next stop was to pick out the Yin Yang pendants.

Incense was burning as they entered the dimly lit jewelry store and were greeted by the person behind the counter, though Pixal noticed the crystals first. There were baskets of them, stuffed into every nook and cranny that could spare an inch of space. Next she noticed the sound of chimes softly tinkling from the ceiling. They must have caught the breeze from the shop door, Pixal figured. Crystal shaded lamps cast marbly, colorful shadows over everything.

“This feels like the kind of place Mystake would have enjoyed visiting,” Nya whispered. Her eyes were wide as she took in the serene beauty of the shop.

“I wish I could have met her,” Pixal remarked. After a short scan of the store, she found what she was looking for: a glass case full of necklaces stood by the payment counter, its contents sparkling under the lamplights.

The store owner came over, “Anything in particular you’re looking for?”

Before Pixal could answer, she felt an arm drape across her shoulders.

“Yeah, actually,” Nya replied, flashing an extra friendly smile at the shopkeeper. “This lucky girl is going to ask her partner to be her yang tonight! Got anything extra special?”

The store clerk’s face lit up, “Well, congratulations, then! Yeah, I actually got a new batch of them about a week ago! One of my partners, Jade, actually makes them herself! There they are in the corner!” the storekeeper excitedly pointed to an androgynously dressed person with tattoos on their arms, who was busy organizing one of the many baskets of crystals. They gave a small wave of acknowledgement and kept sorting.

“Love you, Jade!” the shopkeep called fondly, then turned back to their customers.

“Anyways those necklaces have been selling like crazy.” They continued, “I had to put them in a box behind the counter because some dumbass kids kept trying to steal them! Can you believe it?” They went back behind the counter and bent down to retrieve the box. With a proud flourish, they set it on the counter and opened it.

Pixal gasped softly at the sight; the lamp light shone gently on the intricately carved pendants. Some were made of wood, some of metal, some of glazed clay, but all were astoundingly well crafted. Each set had its own unique details too: there was one pair that had tiny stars etched into the edges of every groove, and another with vines and leaves meticulously painted on.  However, Pixal’s eyes were drawn to a particular ceramic set. They were painted the respective Yin Yang colors of black and white, but there was also gold imbedded in both. Thin, spidery veins of gold, following what looked like cracks in the charms, but was all held together by the gold, as well as a transparent glaze that coated both pendant pieces.

“May I get that one?” Pixal pointed to the set.

The shopkeeper’s face lit up, and with enthusiasm, then said, “Absolutely!” As they handed it to Pixal, they called over their shoulder, “Hey Jade, I told you this one would sell!”

“The ugly one? Really? I mean to each their own, but. . .”

Pixal wasn’t sure what to make of that. “I think it’s beautiful,” she said.

The shopkeeper rolled their eyes. “Don’t listen to them, she’s just salty because it wasn’t supposed to shatter like it did. But you made it work, didn’t you?” they called back to their partner, “I’m telling you, the gold infused really adds a special touch! And the cracks make it more symbolic in a way! It could symbolize broken people coming together and becoming whole or something!”

“If you say so.”

“I do say so!” The shopkeeper retorted as they processed Pixal’s payment. “All of your art is beautiful and I’m proud of you every time you make something new! You are SO talented!”

“Augh, no, too many compliments!” Jade covered their face, “You’re gonna make me cry!”

Pixal felt Nya’s hand grab her arm, and they both left quickly, unsure what to make of the odd couple. Especially when they peeked through the shop window and saw that the two were now passionately making out.

“You know what. . .” Nya said, “Good for them, I hope they stay happy together.”

Pixal nodded in agreement, and then turned her attention to the small bag that contained her precious purchase. Excitement bubbled up inside her and let itself out in a giggly squeal.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this, Nya!”

“Me too!” Nya squealed back, and hugged her tightly once again before they started walking again, their mission fulfilled.

* * *

That evening, Pixal made her way down to the foot of the monastery and felt her face light up at the sight of Zane standing next to his ice bike. He wore light blue and white sweater vest with a bow tie and khaki pants. He looked just as excited to see Pixal as she was to see him. The amount of adoration radiating from his face warmed her inside.

“You look beautiful, Pixal.” Zane whispered, almost like he could barely get the words out. Pixal looked away shyly, smiling from the praise.

“Thank you, Zane, so do you.”

Pixal could have sworn that in that moment, if Zane had blood, he would have blushed bright red. Instead he just looked surprised and embarrassed and muttered a thank you while smiling. He opened the car door and gestured for Pixal to enter the vehicle.

“So where are we going?” Pixal asked, suddenly remembering that she had forgotten to brainstorm possible activities. Honestly, she was just as bad as Zane sometimes!

“Somewhere special,” Zane replied, “but it’s also a surprise.”

Relief flooded Pixal and she smiled sweetly at him, “I will look forward to arriving, then.”

They drove out to where the sea of sand started. The sky was beginning to turn pink as the car went over a hill and Pixal saw something tall and glittering in the distance. As they got closer, Pixal realized it was a temple, and her scanners indicated it was made of. . .ice?”

“Zane, did you build this all by yourself? Pixal asked in wonder as they parked near it and got out of the car.

“I did!” Zane beamed with pride. “It took me all afternoon to complete.”

“It’s magnificent!” Pixal exclaimed in awe, and it was! The structure towered upward at six stories tall, and the attention to detail was astoundingly immaculate. From the individual roof tiles to the glowing, ice crystal lanterns hanging from every corner.

“This only took an afternoon??”

Zane chuckled, “Wait until you see the inside!”

He took her hand and led her to the double doors, which opened at a wave of his hand. The room they had entered was full of gently glowing, heart shaped ice sculptures. The glow was a peaceful looking pink, and the color’s warm hue contrasted nicely with the surrounding, chilly blues of the walls.  An ice chandelier hung from the ceiling, and starting along one wall, a flight of stairs wound upwards and out of sight.

Zane tugged on Pixal’s wrist with the excitement of a kid showing off their bedroom. “Come on!”

He led her up the flight of stairs. On the second story, there was a door. Zane opened it. and it showed a life-sized ice rendition of what Pixal recognized to be part of the lobby at Borg Tower. Two sculpted figures stood there, facing each other. It was Zane, how she had first seen him, and herself. Ice Pixal's face was neutral as she stared at Zane, frozen mid-scan. Zane’s face could only be described as lovesick. Pixal smiled fondly.

“I hope you understand that this was the most important day of my life.” Zane said, also smiling at the memory’s depiction.

“Even though I tried to kill you later that night?” Pixal teased.

“Yes,” Zane chuckled, “even then.”

The next story's room showed them doing spinjitsu together in Ed and Edna’s junkyard.

“That was right after you had given me half your heart!” Pixal remembered aloud.

“Yes, and even though I had just given a part of myself away, it was the first time in my existence that I had truly felt whole.”

“I had felt whole for the first time as well! Like I had finally found my greater purpose: a purpose to help others!” Pixal felt a surge of nostalgia for that moment.

The next room was one that Pixal didn’t recognize right away. A sculpture of her hugged a sculpture of Zane, who appeared to be cowering in fear beneath the gaze of a fearsome dragon.

“It was in that cave on Chen’s island, after we had all been freed, and you were—”

“In your head,” Pixal finished. “But. . . I was not present physically in that event. Why do I appear to be here?”

“You may not have been there in person,” Zane started, “but you were closer to me than you had ever been, and it truly felt like you were present beside me as you guided me through my hallucination. You helped me face my fear and become stronger despite it, and I will be forever grateful.”

The next room showed the aftermath of the Destiny’s Bounty’s crash into the Primeval’s Eye. Ice Pixal stood facing Zane, her Samurai helmet freshly removed, and Zane’s ice counterpart stared back at her with an expression of pure joy.

The same expression Pixal hoped he would wear on his face when she asked him to be her Yang forever.

Lastly, there was a room where there was no sculpture. It was the top floor, Pixal realized, and there was a balcony that looked out over the sunset on the white sands of the winter desert. Pixal could almost forego logic and imagine it was snow she was looking at instead of sand. It was truly so beautiful. Everything Zane had shown her was beautiful. The palace, those tender moments from the past, the kind words and gratitude he had given her throughout the evening,  it all made her feel so special! Despite the known importance of her planned proposal, a little part of Pixal wondered if she’d done enough.

“You’re so quiet,” Zane remarked, “do you. . . like it?” He looked at her with excited expectancy.

“I—yes, Zane, of course I like it, how could I not?” Pixal gestured wildly to everything around her, “It is obvious that you put so much care and thought into every miniscule detail of this place. It is truly incredible, and I. . . I love it! And I love you.”

Zane smiled in relief. “Good. I have one more gift for you.”

“Before you do that,” Pixal interrupted, “I would like to give you the gift I have prepared.” She continued on before Zane could protest. “Zane, you have given me so much. Not just today, but ever since we met. You gave me free will, a new chance at life, your ever-growing trust and support, and your continued companionship. However, in the past, I—despite knowing it to be irrational—found myself feeling that I could never come close to paying you back for everything you have done for me, even though you have done nothing but express your gratitude for my involvement in your life since we arrived here. You have made it clear that simply being myself is enough to make you happy. So, as of now, I am done second guessing my worth in our relationship, and now stand before you with a wish to further strengthen our already unbreakable bond.”

Pixal kneeled, head raised, looking her beloved Zane straight in the eye. “I do not know what the future holds, but I know that no matter what happens, I want you to be there with me always. So. . .” She revealed the necklace to him, “. . .will you be my Yang?”

Zane didn’t answer, but simply stared at her with wide eyes and lips slightly parted.

Pixal felt a twinge of worry, had she said something wrong? “I am sorry I didn’t plan anything more for tonight. I “psyched myself out” as Nya put it, and couldn’t figure out any other gift that I thought you might want.

Zane continued to look at her. Pixal was unsure of his expression.

“Please say something, Zane, it doesn’t even have to be yes. I understand if you wish to keep our relationship how it is, and I will respect whatever your decision is. I will love you no matter your answer.”

Zane finally snapped out of it and grabbed Pixal’s hands. “Of course, Pixal, yes, an infinite amount of times, yes!” Zane’s blue eyes shone even brighter than normal as he picked her up, spun her around, and then pulled her into a kiss after he’d set her down. When they separated a few seconds later, Zane began to giggle.

“What is it?” Pixal asked.

“I was so nervous about tonight,” Zane explained, reaching into his pants pocket, “But you ended up beating me to it!” He pulled out something and put it in Pixal’s hand. Upon examination, Pixal gasped at the sight of a handcrafted necklace set. The pendants were made out of intricately woven silver wires and bright blue crystal, and she realized the halves combined looked like—

“It represents your—our—energy core!”

“Yes! I know it does not have the appearance of the traditional charms, but I felt it would be right for us.”

Realization hit Pixal suddenly. “Oh no, I ruined your moment, didn’t I? I’m so sorry, Zane!”

“Pixal, it’s alright.” Zane assured her, caressing her face. “I definitely was not expecting it, but it was a nice surprise. I’m just glad you feel the same way.”

“Of course I do!” Pixal assured, “You are so wonderful, Zane, and I want to spend the rest of my days with you.”

           

“And I with you, my beloved Pixal.”

The last thing the sun saw before dipping behind the horizon was two titanium lovers holding each other tightly, promising never to break their bond as long as they both shall live.

@ninjago-valentine-exchange

[carlostck]

Howdy folks, just curious...

Have we considered that the reason Lloyd's elemental power is so strange and undefined is because it isn't an elemental power? Just spit-balling a fun theory here, nothing too serious

a little long, so take a cut!

But Lloyd's abilities have always been strange. Not to mention, his power isn't technically tied to him being the green ninja... Seeing as Wu thought Morro (master of wind) and Nya, who had no abilities at the time, were plausible green ninjas. However, Wu did know she was likely to be the elemental master of Water in season five, which implies even when he was seeing if she was the green ninja, he knew she might be? (weird how they both ended up having powers that belonged to Wojira and were once thought to be the green ninja, but I digress) Still, it's tied to the idea of "green power/whatever the fuck Lloyd has going on" ≠ Green ninja

Speaking of "whatever the fuck Lloyd has going on," his power is also just strange? He can use it as a type of shield (Shown in True Potential and I think somewhere in season three while they were in space?), he can mimic the other's abilities (Cole states it, and he is shown doing just that, even after no longer bearing the golden power), and an element being "energy" is just kinda weird?? Why can he launch balls of it?? Radiation is a form of energy, can he control that, and if so is he just launching balls of radiation at people???? Can he use fire because involves unstable atoms, just as radiation? Et cetera and et cetera on those thoughts... Overall, it's finicky and it being "energy" isn't even definite, seeing as it was called just straight-up "power" and "life" before

None knows what his power is exactly, it has not been shown that there was any other wielder of said power, and it's not tied to being the green ninja... so, what if it isn't an elemental power? What if it's just as Garmadon's power; it is a power, but simply not elemental. Just as Wu, who could summon a dragon without an elemental power, and could likely do the same as Garmadon (or maybe he can't? Maybe one needs to be part Oni in order to have those abilities. While Wu could summon the dragon because that is his blood, he may not be able to wield the power his brother can) What if his ability is simply something he received due to his blood relations to the First Master? It would explain why he could tap into it before reaching his true potential, just as those who bear powers from Wojira Also, just kinda helps explain how Wu and Garmadon have powers, yet bear no element! And why we've never heard of someone with Lloyd's abilities before

Would also get into Dragon's Rising and how that ties into this but too lazy for that lol just a little something I got curious about Seen a lot of theories, some just for fun, and a few serious ones, but just thought this would be neat to share!!!

[skrunklydoo]

me and @lonleyzodiac have been working on a MASSIVE revamp of the dungeons & elements AU to flesh out the characters (or players as they are in this AU) so here are some misc fun facts and headcanons about the players!!

- jay is irish, but ed n edna are welsh. he’s lived in canada with them all his life and was brought up as welsh, however halfway through the master of the mountain campaign (when he (as a player) was around 15) ed n edna told him that 1. he’s adopted and 2. he’s irish

- he told the others about it a bit before a session started and everyone was shocked to say the least

- jay almost exclusively speaks welsh at home, except when his parents talk to customers or when he has people over. his accent is a mix of canadian and welsh, however whenever he gets mad or stressed his (northern) welsh accent (i’d like to imagine that ed n edna in this AU are from anglesey? that’s just for reference) gets noticeably thicker/stronger

- after he’s told that he’s irish, jay starts learning irish gaelic!!

- skylor, nya and pixal (i might call pix’s player something like penelope tbh) are a polycule but all thought it would be funny to just not give their characters that

- nya in particular thought it would be really funny to have her character date jay

- jay and zane are a couple and were in on nya, skylor and pix’s idea for the campaign because they also found it ridiculously funny

- when jay introduced his character at the very start of the campaign, wu (the teacher DM, it started off as a school D&D club) pointed out “jay isn’t this just your life” and he responded with “yes” and did not say anything afterwards

- dragons rising is DM’d by lloyd in a random library

- geo is that one player who does not show up for half the sessions, it’s a 50/50 chance on if he’ll show up or if he’ll be banished to The Void™ (he just goes to guitar lessons)

- eventually he starts showing up for every session and for the first few sessions in a row that he showed up to everyone was like “JESUS CHRIST YOU’RE ACTUALLY ALIVE????”

- cole mentioned to him “oh yeah i’m part of a D&D group!!” once and geo immediately asked him “can i join??”. strangely enough they were the only couple to have their characters also be a couple until wyldfyre dragged her bf into the club to play

- vania is a massive theatre kid, she specifically is a massive starkid fan

- starfarer is an underground and obscure comic series that lloyd and jay are both obsessed with. needless to say they are both shocked when it turns out that jay’s dad is cliff gordon

- riyu is based off of lloyd’s pet cat of the same name!!

- inbetween the crystalised campaign and the new overarching campaign (dragons rising), jay and zane cohabitate together (move in together without being married (just yet)) and adopt a cat called jiro n lloyd ends up basing one of the dragons off of him

- the entire skybound campaign was an omen to the future. jay just thought it would be a funny haha twist if it turned out that his character was adopted. until MOTM

- edna often calls jay ‘blodyn’, which is welsh for ‘flower’ and a term of endearment

- geo is a kandi kid and has made him and cole matching singles (and has made cole a few cuffs)

- geo often calls cole things like dragi (romanian for 'dear') and dragul mea (romanian for 'my love/my dear') as in this AU he is romanian-canadian (and bilingual, he speaks both romanian and english fluently, same goes for zane (for french) jay (for welsh (and some irish)) and vania (for italian))

(obviously also they all speak SOME french but zane’s player is french canadian)

- jay is a wiccan

- jay and zane halfway through the s2 (p1) campaign for dragons rising got married (they specifically decided to get handfasted because see prev. fact about jay)

- jay has a massive collection of incense. whenever people walk into him n zane’s house they’re immediately hit with the smell of dragon’s blood or something and they both constantly forget how just jarring it is for others (also fun fact: when writing this specific fun fact i was actually burning dragon’s blood incense)

[hyperfixated-fan]

Happy 13th Anniversary Ninjago!

I wasn’t well prepared to celebrate so here’s this little one shot I wrote a while ago and didn’t know what to do with. And this so happens to be my 100th post. Yay!

 Summary: Jay, Kai, and Nya are raking leaves. It's a rather mundane chore, but things get interesting when a prank goes awry.

    Morro is alive and happily living with the Ninja because I say so. And as far as timeline goes, this is set loosely after season 13.

   "Ugh, I hate raking leaves," whined Jay, halfheartedly poking at his meager pile of leaves. He just didn't understand how this many dead leaves could possibly pile up at the top of the mountain!

    "I could burn them all real quick," offered Kai, igniting his palm. His sister immediately doused him, much to his annoyance and soggy hair and gi.

    "No! Are you crazy?!" berated Nya.

    "A little," snickered Jay, but was quickly silenced by a sharp glare from his girlfriend.

    She continued, "We don't need this place burning down again."

    Kai sighed, "Fine. But let's at least use some Spinjitzu to speed this process up."

    Jay perked up, "All right!"

    Just as the boys were about to kick back into their colorful tornados, Nya stopped them again, "No! Spinjitzu is an ancient art. We shouldn't use it for such menial tasks. Besides, Master Wu warned us 'Haste makes mistakes'."

    "Why do you have be such a stick in the mud?" groaned Kai.

    Nya gave a mischievous grin, pointing out, "Actually, if we take long enough doing this, we won't have to help Lloyd do the laundry."

    The boys smirked, catching on. With that, they got to raking at a decent pace (not too fast though). However, just as they were finishing up, Lloyd and Morro walked out into the monastery courtyard, laden with clean laundry to put away. 

    The Green Ninja's eyes lit up with youthful glee as he caught sight of the magnificent pile of leaves in the middle of the courtyard. He carefully set down his laundry basket, and the three rakers caught on a split second too late as he darted toward the pile. 

    Time seemed move in slow motion as Lloyd leaped into the air as Jay, Nya, and Kai frantically screeched, "Noooo!"

    Time went back to normal as the blonde boy landed in the giant pile with a muffled whump. It was rather anticlimactic for the people watching as they expected their hard work to scatter everywhere. Fortunately for them, the large leaf mountain was big enough that it simply swallowed his impact and engulfed the boy whole.

    A few moments later, Lloyd popped his head out, laughing as he carefully extracted himself. "That was awesome!"

    The others snorted at their younger brother's joy. They supposed a few scattered leaves were worth it if they brought him some happiness.

    Morro plodded over, looking thoughtfully at the giant pile. "You think we could all fit in there."

    "Yeah. Maybe," shrugged Nya. "Why?"

    "Wanna scare someone?" smirked the Master of Wind.

    A playful glint alighted in all their eyes. After a morning of dull chores, they were all eager to do something fun.

    Right before he dived into the pile after the others, Lloyd called at the top of his lungs, "Uncle Wu!"

    The hidden Ninja went as still as possible and tried their best to withhold their giggles. They waited carefully until they could hear footsteps right in front of the leaf pile. They sprung their ambush, jumping out and shouting.

    "Yyaaa– ugh!"

    Morro's yelling turned into a sharp gasp of pain as someone's fist collided very hard with his midsection. Apparently, it wasn't Master Wu who they had managed to surprise but Pixal instead.

    The silver-haired girl had a mixed expression of concern and annoyance as she and the others stared down at the downed Master of Wind. "I thought you were supposed to be finishing your chores."

    "We did." Lloyd looked at the scattered leaves and laundry that had yet to be put up. He amended, "Er, are going to."

    "I haven't seen you do anything useful today," wheezed Morro accusingly as he slowly stood, trying to act nonchalant and shake off the pain.

    Pixal crossed her arms, and the others could tell she was about to go off on Morro. "Actually, while you were off gallivanting in Shintaro and then decided to stay out for an adventure for another entire month as you all traveled 'wherever the wind took you', I was left in charge of the upkeep of whole monastery as well as covering for all eight of you in defending Ninjago City."

    "During the time of your absence, I managed to clean and organize every single one of your sleeping quarters—which need I remind you, were downright filthy—, update the defense systems in the monastery, do the dishes, and answer 162 distress calls. With that data, I say you have very little left to do and nothing to complain about."

    Morro's resentment had definitely melted away into respect. He simply gave a nervous "okay" along with the others after her mini rant.

    As the Samurai walked away to finish enjoying her day off, Lloyd murmured, "I think Pixal's a little salty at us."

    "Ya think," snorted Kai. "Zane definitely rubbed off on her. Remember when he would passive aggressively do the chores while slamming things around to remind us how we weren't helping him."

    After they all finished sharing a good chuckle, Nya clapped her hands. "Okay, boys. Let's finish this."

    "One more jump," said Lloyd quickly as he leaped into the leaves again. 

    Just to humor him Morro and the others followed suit. However, somewhere in the mix, a leaf tickled the Master of Wind's nose, and he couldn't stop a sneeze from coming out. For some reason, the sneeze triggered a slight Elemental reaction which sent leaves flying in every direction.

    "Morro! C'mon!" cried Jay in dismay.

    Kai sullenly surveyed the damage before exclaiming, "All right. Spinjitzu it is!" In less than five seconds flat, he had cleared the courtyard of leaves, throwing them over the side of the wall.

    He dusted his hands off proudly until Lloyd suddenly brought up, "Hey. Where'd all the laundry go?"

    The Ninja stared at the spot where the two baskets used to be then let their gazes travel up to the top of the wall where a pair of blue underpants were snagged and flapping lazily in the breeze. It was clear where the rest of their clothes had gone.

    "Don't suppose anyone will really miss those? I mean, a wardrobe replacement is always good, right?" chuckled Kai nervously.

    The others groaned and glared at the Red Ninja. Now it was going to be an even longer day.

[senderlazuli]

NINJAGO FANS ON TUMBLR 🙏 READ THIS IF YOU MAKE OCS OR LIKE TO ROLEPLAY

Me and @beaconhillsdruid are teaming up and hosting a Ninjago Next Generation role-play (seasons 1-14 are canon throughout this storyline, 15-16 and dragons rising are not), and anyone is free to join! This is a LGBTQ safe space and we’d love to have you. 💙

This roleplay is a semi-literate (paragraph at minimum) to literate writing packed role-play. We will host arc role-plays and write arcs. We will have mini-arcs and major arcs.

You will also be allowed to make your own fanon elements as long as you get it checked out with us.

Arc’s are canon to the storyline roleplays and arc writing allows us to write your character into our story. Submitting a character you acknowledge that we will use and write your character in the arcs, in chapters. (We will try to keep the arc stories mostly secret and up to theorizing, and we will do our best to listen to everyone and pay attention to their characters and get your permission.)

Currently Kai, Skylor, Zane, Ronin, Neuro, and PIXAL are all taken characters with Next generation OC’s made for them.

Please read our rules channel, our lore channel, and grab some roles.

(I do not want to see any pro-shippers in this server. Greenflame shippers and Llorumi are not welcome here. Proshipping goes for: pedophilia, incest, abuser x victim. I may not be able to list every single problematic ship onto here but you get the memo.)

———————

LORE (written by @beaconhillsdruid )

After the dramatic events of Season Thirteen of Ninjago, which saw the Ninja bravely defending the city against new threats, life settled into a more peaceful rhythm. With each passing day, the citizens of Ninjago City enjoyed a sense of security, knowing that their protectors were always vigilant. The ninja continued to protect the city, until one by one they each started to choose different paths. After the passing of Master Wu.

Kai and Skylor were the first to start their new path, settling down, and taking over Kai’s dad’s blacksmith business with Skylor. Soon after the two got married and had kids. The second pair to follow was Jay and Nya, the ever inseparable couple found joy in marriage and parenthood as well, along with opening up their own mechanic shop. The third pair to follow in getting married, was Zane and P.I.X.A.L, their love holding no bounds as they also went through the journey of parenthood, and the two also stayed and started to help improve technology around the monastery.

Then there was Cole, he had decided to start traveling and helping those in need after the events of Shintaro. And after seeing how happy his friends were over the years after getting married and having kids, Cole decided he would go back to Ninjago City and settle down and start a family of his own. And now finally there was Lloyd, he remained steadfast in his dedication to protecting ninjago. He however chose a very much different path then his friends. While his friends found fulfillment and joy in starting families, Lloyd kept his purpose of protecting Ninjago from threats. He was content with the solitude and freedom of not having kids. And settled for being the cool uncle, and a future teacher to his friends' kids to help them channel their elemental powers.

————

CURRENT EVENTS

Lloyd Garmadon, master of energy, has been guiding the next generation of ninja to pass down the children’s predecessors legacy. A few years in the past, the ninja had sought out to dig through the history of ancient ninjago. To the end of King Vangelis’ reign, Ninjago has become peaceful, and the ninja have retired their elements in those years.

Peaceful as in too peaceful.

Amidst the peace, you find yourself in the ranks of the next generation ninja group. It doesn’t matter where you came from or how you got there, this is the family they have founded and the family you have been welcomed into with loving arms.

From time immemorial, Ninjago is doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past.

—————

[the-ninja-legacy-whip]

Was there anyone that you considered for different choices of tarot cards before ultimately choosing one?

The Fool was always Lloyd; it could be no one else *-*)/

The Magician would have been Jay if Jesse didn’t exist snksnk

I was trying desperately to make The High Priestess a girl, but none of the ‘main’ girls fit the themes—but then I realized how much Zane fit, and screw gender. I couldn’t really come up with a comp that suited him, but—oh hey! I gave him a mom I can use! :’3

Empress, Emperor, and Hierophant were always locked in, though I think I played around with Wu as The Hermit for a time

Of course I initially wanted to do a pairing for The Lovers, but again, none of the ~main~ ships really fits, so I shifted to a more character-focused approach. There was a point in time where it would’ve been Skylor and Pixal on the card, but I felt they both deserved their own spotlight, so Skylor got shuffled to The Star, and I had to get a little creative with Pixal (and it turned out so well, it’s one of my favorites!)

Took forever to decide between Chariot/Strength for Cole/Kai, since they’re both veeeery close to one another in meaning. But upon realizing Chariot is more about outer strength and Strength is more about inner strength, I knew what had to be done. Plus, The Strength card (usually) has a lion on it, that was just begging for Kai :V

Making Dareth The Hermit was a teeny bit of a stretch, but given how his role will be in Legacyverse, I do feel it suits him (also his card went super under appreciated, I put a lot of detail into those shelves!!!! But I digress.)

Wheel of Fortune kind of happened as a process of elimination. I did try to put Jesse there, but he is more about probability than luck itself, and I couldn’t NOT make him The Magician snksnk. However once I started playing around with Jay there everything start to click soooo beautifully

Justice was always Miranda, and the Hanged Man was always Ronin (though I could make a case for Wu or even Zane for the latter, though)

Originally, Olivia was gonna be The Death and Harleigh was gonna be The Moon—switched them at, quite literally, the last second, and ooooh what a good choice that was

Nya and Harumi were some of the first cards I did, and in Harumi’s case especially I couldn’t see them anywhere else xD

The Tower was the last card I nailed down, because I just absolutely blanked on a character for it and almost didn’t put in a character at all—and then I was like OH WAIT MYSTAKE (and then it became another of my favorites!)

Star, Moon, and Sun were the hardest to nail down despite having the most ideas for them. Though I dunno who The Star was gonna be before Skylor (I may have considered Pixal here too) and I already mentioned my dilemma of the Moon and Sun

The Judgement was originally gonna be The Overlord. But I didn’t wanna draw him lol…but, The Golden Master certainly made for a suitable replacement :3 (and I tried to invoke the vibes of The Overlord with the background still!!)

And, of course, The World was always going to be The FSM to bring everything full circle, like an Ouroboros~

[royonninjago]

A Funny Idea I had for Hands of Time

I believe that many people in the Ninjago fandom share the opinion that season 8, The Hands of Time, is one of the worst seasons of Ninjago. Weird writing choices, bad animation (even by Ninjago standards), and the confusing time travel mechanics plague the season making re-watches difficult.

I don't plan on making my own rewrite of Ninjago or anything, but I had an idea that's been rattling around in my head for a while that I will now share with y'all.

We all know that Jay is the comic relief and resident nerd of the Ninja, but most of these jokes are more current grievances addressed in an over the top and exaggerated way, which can sometimes get old.

We also know that apart from the Day of the Departed special, we are right off the heels of Skybound, the season that (arguably and within the context of the show) changed Jay the most, but since technically none of it ever happened the only one aware of it is Nya.

Another thing to keep in mind is that this is the arc that involves time travel shenanigans that many sci-fi and fantasy feel compelled to write, making it almost obligatory for the genre.

Keeping all this in consideration, I think a really fun way to demonstrate how much he has grown since Skybound while still staying true to his character would to have him take lead of the Ninja in very specific counter-time shenanigan strategies that he developed based off of all the time travel stories he's read and watched.

The idea originally came from a realization while rewatching the season while still somewhat fresh off the heels of watching the anime "JoJo's Bizzare Adventure".

I highly recommend this anime and that you go into it as blind as possible, but if you don't care about spoilers then here you go.

The abilities of the Hands of Time and the abilities of JoJo's main villains from parts 3 to 6 line up shockingly well. There requires some tweaking to the abilities to make them fit, but it still works really well.

The Pause Blade and Dio Brando's Stand "The World" have the same ability to stop time.

The Rewind Blade and Yoshikage Kira's Stand "Killer Queen: Bites the Dust" have the ability to rewind time, although Bites the Dust can't use it on Kira.

The Forward Blade and Diavolo's Stand "King Crimson" can both skip ahead in time to avoid undesirable outcomes.

The Slow-Mo Blade and Enrico Pucci's Stand "Made in Heaven" both have the ability to control the speed at which time moves, however Made in Heaven uses it to speed up time for everyone else instead of slowing everyone down, but its used for the same effect.

I like to imagine that while the Ninja are heading out to meet Master Wu at the burned monastery, Jay is just thinking to himself "Wait, this can't be King Crimson, can it?" and when they finally get there and Jay realizes that it is King Crimson he uses the same strategy they use in JoJo. Because the skip is instantaneous and imperceptible to everyone, the only way to possibly defend against it is to physically measure the time. The easiest way to do this without relying on watches or clocks that can be easily broken is to cut yourself and count the drops of blood that fall on your hand. If the number suddenly increases, that means a skip has happened and that the enemy is probably in your blind spot. Obviously this is a kids show and they can't show blood, but the point of the strategy is to count falling droplets of a liquid.

Not only would this demonstrate Jay's newfound leadership skills to the rest of the Ninja while showing off more of his nerdy side, but it could also be easily used as comedy since now he has a good reason to be watching TV shows and reading comic books when he could be doing something more productive.

"No, Lloyd, I am doing something productive! I'm watching Back to the Future because we need to understand the potential ramifications of time travel!"

If you have any similar thoughts or opinions about something like this, please feel free to share because I love reading them!

(P.S. Can you tell that Jay is my favorite Ninja?)

[starrbee]

it’s like 11 at night and I’ve thought of a slight Ninjago dr au/fanseason

I’m not sure where it would go, but basically it’s a au where Arin gets a bit of time away from the group to sort out his feelings of insecurity and failure. I would probably place it after s2 p2 but that depends on what happens when it comes out?

basically Arin runs away, (This season mirrors morro so yea.) I’m not sure what his goal would be? Maybe improving without anyone’s help? But Riyu would come with. His plot would center around figuring himself out and meeting new people and learning from them (monster of the week style?) . Soon he would meet one of my OCs (yes I’m inserting an OC into this, I have too many thoughts about them, so I have to put them somewhere).

silver is a Dragonkin trainee (explained here ) who is battling similar thoughts to Arin. See at this point in their magic training their horns and tail should start appearing, however it hasn’t happened, and they think it’s because of them. So they meet and travel together!

During all this Lloyd and Sora are worried about Arin (I kinda want there to be direct references to Morro and Wu here?). This side plot would have a lot of stuff lore drops through story telling- imagine Lloyd and the other ninja telling stories about Wu and Garmadon to the the new trainees (maybe Percival as well? I’d like to think him and euphrasia would get a bit of screentime here) , perhaps ones from the comics?- and a lot of themes of healing and stuff?

The end of this fanseason would involve Arin coming back feeling at least slightly better, and Silver either going back to their master, or joining the ninja team?

this was brought on by wanting Arin to have the chance to work his feelings out slightly healthily, and also taking a break and stepping back and seeing how far he’s come.

also Arin and Arlo/Silver mirror Garmadon and Wu :)

I’ll probably post this the morning after and it’s gonna look SO cringe but oh well

[circus4apsycho8]

unconditionally. | garmadon x reader | chapter ii

𝚊/𝚗: 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢’𝚜 𝚖𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝, 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎.

unconditionally. | garmadon x reader | chapter ii

“So, my mom fought against the Serpentine?” Lloyd wonders as he glances up at Sensei Wu, clutching his blanket with small fists.  

Wu chuckles lightly, staring down at his young nephew with a soft gaze. Gentle, golden light flows from Wu’s lantern, casting the boy’s face in a warm glow, his eyes reminding Wu of her.

Remaining silent for a moment, Wu nods as a soft smile appears on his face. “She did, and she fought valiantly. She was able to wield her magic in a way I have never seen. Paired with your father, the two were immensely powerful.”

“Whoa…” Lloyd mumbles, looking down at his hands in awe.  

“I sense you carry that same trait, young nephew.”   

“What trait?”  

“The power your mother held – I sense its presence within you, waiting to be released,” Wu explains as he sips his tea, savoring the warmth it grants.  

“Huh? What power?”  

“Only time will tell. As I was saying...the darkness tainting your father’s veins did its best to separate your mother from him. But she was well aware of its intention. While your father was experiencing one of his episodes, he hurt her.”  

“What? What did he do?!” Lloyd questions. 

Wu sighs, setting a hand on Lloyd’s head and patting it slightly. “I will tell you the full story when you are old enough. For now, though, all you need to know is that the darkness attempted to part your parents however it could. That corruption sensed the light your mother brought to Garmadon’s occluded heart, and it despised her. So, it wormed its way into their personal lives, figuring out what her worst fear was...”  

...  

How long has it been?     

Your eyes settle onto the snowy ground beneath your feet, the cold lapping at your skin and gradually draining the warmth away. Judging by the shared silence looming throughout the line of exhausted Elemental Masters, you’re not alone.     

Last week was tough on everyone. After barely managing to drive the Serpentine out of Jamanakai, it had been a process trying to figure out what to do next. Now, having received word of an incoming tribe, your group is lined up within the depths of the Birchwood Forest with your unit of the Ninjago Guard stationed towards the back. There is no need to give a command, for they understand what is to come. Not a single word shatters the overbearing silence as everyone stares ahead, gazes glassed over.  

The quiet atmosphere is almost eerie – this group of rambunctious elementals, all stoic and tense. The chilly breeze flutters past the lot of you, eliciting more goosebumps to arise on your skin. How long would this take?    

Despite the current situation, you know this war will not be fought for much longer. From your years of experience, you can tell that it is finally drawing to a close. No matter how bleak its outcome may be.  

The Anacondrai are coming, and they will not back down.  You begin to doubt your own ability to fight them as uncertainty creeps throughout your chest. Last time, your weapons had little to no effect on them. What were you to do now?  

Your thoughts are silenced when a newfound warmth blossoms within your hand, causing you to glance down. You spot Garmadon’s fingers intertwining within yours, the fabric of his kimono allowing him for better heat retainment. You smile softly, giving his hand a soft squeeze. The gesture reminds you that even if you fail here today, you’ll have him at your side when the worst rears its ugly head.  

The two of you stay like that until the distant sounds of hisses echo within the forest. Garmadon reluctantly slides his hand out of yours, going to grip his bamboo staff while your hands idle at your sides.     

As the echoes become louder, you unconsciously slip into your fight stance, magic beginning to simmer within your veins as your heart starts racing. Everyone else tenses as figures become visible through the snow.  

“Get ready, but do not attack until I say so,” Wu advises calmly as you all brace yourselves. This isn’t going to be easy.  

Soon enough, the tribe of Anacondrai finally stops a few feet from you all. The warriors hiss as their haunting red eyes stare your group down. Despite their advantage, you don’t deter from your stance. The Elemental Masters stand their ground.  

“Remove yourselves from our path immediately, or we will have to resort to a fight,” their general hisses. 

“We are here to warn you,” Wu states, tone strong. Stronger than you feel. You admire him for holding himself together for the sake of the team, but you know he’s exhausted too. “Chen is using you and your men to his advantage. We wish to keep the peace and recognize who the true enemy is – him.” 

“We have seen the proof,” General Arcturus hisses. “You are all threats to us. We must whittle your force down.” 

“Please, listen to us,” Wu pleads, a smidge of desperation lacing his tone. It’s likely undetectable to people who don’t know him as well. “Chen has forged documents and evidence on both of our sides. He was the one spreading rumors about the attacks-” 

“No. I am convinced of your part in this war.” 

Wu sighs, and that’s when you realize that your chance for peace is lost. 

“Then a fight’s what you’re going to get. I was hoping we could simply talk this out, but it appears you leave us no choice,” Wu responds. 

“Chen is playing you all,” Garmadon adds, stepping next to his brother. “You’re on the wrong side.”  

“We do not concern ourselves with Chen,” General Arcturus spits as he points the tip of his weapon towards your group. “We concern ourselves with our kin. You are obstructing us – ergo, we will destroy you! Attack!”  

With that, your magic bursts through the dam, overflowing across your body like a waterfall. Its light envelopes your figure, taking over as you leap into battle.  

You kick off of a birch tree to gain more momentum, hoisting yourself into a front flip. A thin film of magic energy courses over your body, covering your figure in a bright light as several of your swords appear around you, all immediately taking off among the crowd of Anacondrai warriors.  

You land on a tree branch, spying your friends following your lead. Shouts ensue as the swords collide against the Anacondrai’s, the sound of metal on metal echoing throughout the forest. You take advantage of their momentary distraction to requip once more:  

“Requip - Armor of Gaia!”  

A suit of armor as black as the midnight sky appears on your figure as you sail down, warhammer in grasp as you slam it down into the middle of the forest, its impact initiating an earthquake that manages to catch the Serpentine off balance. The other Elementals immediately go at it.  

Wu and Garmadon waste no time in using their Spinjitzu to knock down as many Anacondrai as they can. Maya summons a puddle underneath several of the warriors, allowing Robin to electrocute several of them at once.  

To your dismay, the Anacondrai begin rising once more. One hisses as it slashes its sword towards you. You flip backwards, narrowly avoiding the attack as your requip takes effect once more.  

Hardened red armor appears over your figure as you raise your sword in an attempt to block a different Anacondrai’s strike. A cry escapes you as something hits you on the small of your back – hard. The force sends you stumbling to the ground as your breath escapes you, sword sent skittering away. One of the Anacondrai flicks it farther away with its tail as they circle you, all hissing and pointing swords at you.  

You glance around, trying to figure out the best course of action. The idea comes when an Anacondrai comes up behind you, grabbing you roughly by the arm and holding a sword to your neck.  

Okay then, here goes nothing.  

In an instant, you manage to gain a hold on the Anacondrai’s sword-bearing arm, backing your hips against its as you jerk it down over your shoulder, effectively flipping it onto the ground.  

“Requip - Armor of Auriel!”  

Before the requip is even complete, you enact the spell, knowing that you have to do this as fast as you can. The chant leaves your lips faster than you thought possible, encompassing the battlefield in an unnaturally bright light that leaves the Anacondrai temporarily blinded.  

To your delight, you spot a few of the Elemental Masters taking the opportunity to use their Spinjitzu across the field, knocking down several of the Anacondrai. It’s something, at the very least. 

As the spell dies down, though, you feel something scaly coiling around your neck. Just as you realize what’s happening, the tail tightens around your neck, lifting you off of the ground. Your hands go to attempt to pry the tail off, but something else catches your arms.  

Pressure begins building in your head as your vision starts going fuzzy, lungs desperately trying to inhale but failing as the pressure grows stronger with each passing second.  

You’re about to accept your fate when a flash of purple invades your vision, followed by a crashing noise. Finally, the pressure lifts as you collapse, vision gradually clearing up as you suck in a much-needed breath. Dizziness overcomes as you regain your bearings.  

“Can you hear me?”  

“Huh?” you mumble, turning your head towards the source of the voice. It’s Maya, gazing at you with a grim expression.  

“We are routed,” you hear someone else say. “Fall back!” 

It’s then you notice the biting pain emanating from your nondominant arm. You realize that you can’t move it.  

Another earthquake rocks the earth as large pillars of stone form around your group, eventually forming a wall and closing you off from the Serpentine. You hear them yelling as they hit the barrier with their swords. 

The barrier blocks off the sunlight, shrouding you all in darkness. Ray lights his fist on fire, granting enough illumination for you to see Garmadon walking towards you with a concerned expression. It looks like he’s in about the same shape as you are – he's leaning on his bamboo staff, clutching his ribs with his other hand.  

“Garmadon,” you mutter as he approaches you. You hug him with your good arm, fighting back tears as you try to be careful with his injuries.  

You feel Garmadon pressing a gentle kiss to the top of your head as he looks up. “Brother, where are we to go? They’re going to break through the barrier eventually.”  

“We will use the traveler’s tea that Mystake gave us,” Wu announces. “Come, everyone. Envision Jamanakai Village as you step through the portal.”  

…     

“Fuck!” you curse, entering a vacant building and leaning on your sword as you clutch your other arm. Garmadon enters from behind you, gently shutting the door for some much-needed privacy.     

“I can’t believe this,” Garmadon mutters from beside you. You sigh, setting your back against the side of a building as you slide into a seated position. “We couldn’t do anything. We couldn’t even slow them down.”     

“I know,” you mumble, using your healthy arm to rest the other on your lap. “How can we possibly hope to defeat a force like that? It hadn’t even been ten minutes before the majority of us were too injured to effectively fight!”  

“We have to show them that Chen has been deceiving them,” Garmadon mumbles, setting his staff aside as he props an arm against the wall. You watch as he leans his forehead against his forearm. “I can’t think of anything else. We don’t stand much of a chance against warriors of their nature.”   

You sigh, rubbing your forehead with your good arm. He’s right – how else could you hope to compete with the Anacondrai? They’re a force like you’ve never seen. Even after all of your years of fighting...you couldn’t defeat even one.  

After being driven out of the Birchwood Forest, Wu called for everyone to retreat and convene in Jamanakai Village in order to come up with a new plan. Fighting wouldn’t cut it – the Anacondrai were simply too strong a species. Now, here you are – taking cover in an empty building so you can gather your thoughts and what’s left of your energy – which is hardly any. The plan now is attempting to recover and build a new strategy in the short amount of time available. It’s only a matter of hours before they find the village.  

Garmadon steps in front of you, frowning as he kneels in front of you. “Let me have a look at your arm.”     

“Garmadon, I’m fine,” you assure, smiling softly as his eyes scan your arm.      

“No, you aren’t. Your arm is most certainly broken!” Garmadon replies, frowning as he glances up at you.     

“I’ve had worse,” you say. “Please. I’m alright.”     

He frowns, dark eyes laced with concern as he fiddles with the belt of his kimono. “Hold on.”     

“Huh?” you mumble as he opens his kimono, revealing the shirt underneath. He shrugs his kimono off before wiggling out of the shirt. You admire his torso in silence, studying him as he approaches you with the shirt. He has a deep gash in one part of his abdomen, garnished with other cuts and bruises about his skin. He pays no attention to them as he kneels next to you.    

“Here. Let me at least do this.”     

You nod as Garmadon ties the shirt into a makeshift sling, gently setting your injured arm in it. Even though it still hurts, the pain seems to have lifted a little bit for the time being.     

"How’s that?” he questions. “Too tight?”     

“It’s better,” you say, smiling gratefully. “Thank you.”     

“Of course,” Garmadon replies, slipping his hands underneath your chin. You sigh in relief, grateful for the quiet moment as you gaze at him with hazy eyes. His fingers gently run along your skin for a few moments before he presses a gentle kiss against your forehead. That alone is enough to make you smile uncontrollably as a soft warmth spreads across your cheeks. “Now, let me help you up. Go slow now – we don’t need you falling and further injuring yourself.”     

“I wish we could just stay here forever,” you mumble, looking down with a sigh. “I know we can’t avoid it, though…”     

“I know. I feel the same way, but this is something that must be done.”     

He scoots over to your opposite side, gently sliding his arm around you. Though unneeded, you can’t help but smile at his antics.     

“You know…just because I have a broken arm doesn’t mean I can’t walk,” you tease, grinning as he turns to glance at you.     

“Maybe I just want to hold you,” he replies, voice low as he gazes at you with a sweet smile that melts your heart.     

“In that case, you won’t hear me complaining,” you murmur, laying your head on his shoulder as the two of you exit the building. After weaving your way through the crowd of worried villagers, you finally make it to the rest of the group.     

One aspect of combat you had yet to conquer was the eminent adrenaline crash after the fact. After every battle, without fail, you were far too vulnerable to that immediate collision of absolute exhaustion. It seems as if Garmadon is faring just as you are – both quiet with droopy eyes, dampened spirits, and weak limbs. You find yourself resting your head on his shoulder, feeling his head lowering on top of yours.   

Soon enough, the two of you approach the rest of the group. Everyone else seems to be in a similar state – quiet, worn out, and likely injured in some form or another.     

Wu stands in front, donning a deathly serious expression as he addresses everyone. “I know we were overpowered, but we cannot accept defeat this time.”   

“Then what do we do?” Maya questions from a few feet away. “Look at us, Wu...most of us are injured and running low on magic power.”    

“Not to mention that our powers are basically worthless!” Ray adds, arms folded. “Hate to say it, but all the outcomes I’m thinkin’ of are pretty bleak.”   

“Please! We cannot give up hope yet!” Wu responds. “Our first priority is evacuating the village. From there, we’ll…”     

“Brother,” Garmadon interrupts, slipping his way through the crowd. “I have an idea that may be worth hearing.”     

“Please share, then,” Wu replies as the crowd turns to eye him.     

“We have to prove to the Anacondrai that Chen is using them. It’s our only hope right now. We have to gather all of the evidence that Chen forged, and prove that he did it-”     

“What if they don’t listen to us?” the Master of Earth – Onyx – questions, others piping up in agreement from across the room.     

“Then…we will do what we can with what we have,” Garmadon answers, dropping his gaze to the ground. “Let us hope there is still a part of them willing to listen to reason.”     

“I certainly hope they do. Everyone – rest and tend to your wounds as best you can. We may still very well have a fight in our midst.”     

…     

Half an hour passes. You find yourself aimlessly wandering the village, becoming too jittery to sit still. You’re exhausted, and your arm is aching, but you can’t stop picturing potential scenarios. What if they win? What would happen then?     

Despite your injury, you know you can’t accept defeat. This war isn’t over just yet.     

A few minutes later, you find yourself stumbling as you absentmindedly walk into someone.     

“Huh?” you mumble, taking a moment to regain your bearings. “Oh, sorry. Wasn’t paying attention.”     

Wu smiles, but you can’t help but notice how gloomy he seems. You know he’s doing his best to hold himself together – just as his brother is – to keep the Alliance in one piece.     

“That’s quite alright. I can’t say I blame you, after all.”     

You nod, releasing a shaky exhale. “Yeah.”     

“Although…I must admit… Even when taking in our current situation, I can’t help but fear for the wellbeing of my brother. Tell me – have you noticed any changes in his behavior?”     

“He’s more distant as of late,” you recall, remembering the various times you had noticed that faraway haze laced within Garmadon’s stare. Something about how glossed over his gaze seemed...it was almost eerie, in a way. “Other than that…nothing too out of character lately.”     

“Indeed. He hasn’t been able to meditate lately, which means his inner balance is beginning to shift once more.”  Wu goes quiet for a moment, eyeing you. “But...I also need to warn you.”  

“Warn me?”  

“I have noticed that...the darkness tries to isolate Garmadon from the positive influences in his life by hurting others. Even after all of this time, we have remained by his side...but you’re different. When the evil takes over him, he’s going to be after you. The darkness is going to want to hurt you, and you’ll have to fight him.”  

“I had a feeling,” you mumble, averting your gaze. “I hope it doesn’t come to that. But...you think he’s going to have another episode soon?”     

“I know he will. It is only a matter of time.”     

That sends chills coursing throughout your body as you briefly consider the thought, shoving the image away eagerly. “So…what should I do if that happens?”     

Wu sighs, running a hand through his hair as he glances away. “Truth be told, we have found no remedy other than letting it pass. Though, they grow longer and more violent every time. I don’t know how much longer he can retain control.”     

Your teeth gnaw on your lip for a bit as you furrow your eyebrows. “Dammit…”     

Wu raises a hand and sets it on your shoulder. “Please know I will be at your side when it happens.”     

That makes you crack a small grin as you raise your stare back up at him. “Thank you.”     

…     

Weeks of fighting. Weeks of injury. Weeks of destruction...only to find out that the Anacondrai have a single weakness that had been right under your nose the entire time.     

“All of this just to find out that their weakness is a fucking flute?” you mutter.     

“It is a bit ridiculous,” Garmadon notes from your side as you lean against him, the two of you observing Wu as he plays a soothing melody from a flute. In a haze, the Anacondrai all file into a tomb in which they would become sealed for what you hope to be eternity.  The Generals have been imprisoned so that they may face trial, and their tribes are being banished in separate tombs so that they will never unite again.  

“I’m sure as hell not complaining!” Ray yells as he promptly headlocks your man, causing you to stumble as Garmadon claws at Ray’s arm. “That means it’s over now!”     

“Ray, be careful!” Maya admonishes as she darts next to you. “Stars, I’m so sorry. Are you okay? Did he hit your arm?”     

You chuckle, grateful for the gradual return of the team’s usual energy. “No, I’m good. He seems almost back to normal. So fast, too…”     

She giggles sheepishly, raising a hand to the back of her head. “Yeah. That’s…probably because of me.”     

“What happened?”     

A warm, rosy tint envelopes her cheeks as a genuine smile crosses her face. “Well…I just learned that I’m two weeks pregnant.”     

Your eyes widen as you step back. “What?!”     

She nods, tears building within her eyes as she places a hand on her tummy. “Yeah. When the medics came to check on all of us, they told us and did a check-up on the baby right away. He’s just fine.”     

“Oh, Maya...I’m relieved to hear that. Your kid’s gonna be resilient as hell. Also…’he’”?     

“I just…know that I’m going to have a little boy,” she replies, her smile not fading. “I just know it.”     

“Maya…” you mumble, words failing you as you go to pull her into a half-hug. “I’m so happy for you. Congratulations!”     

“Thank you,” she murmurs, remaining mindful of your arm as she pulls away. “I’m just…so ecstatic. After everything that happened…I wasn’t so sure we would be able to have a family. But now…”     

You nod, grinning as the two of you watch Ray attempting to instigate Garmadon into a fight. “Now it’s a reality for you two.”     

“I know,” she mumbles, going to your good side and hugging your arm. “I can’t wait.”     

“Are you scared at all?” you question.     

“Very. I know it’s going to be challenging, but...I can’t help but feel it’s going to be well worth the effort.”     

“I know it will,” you reply, a newfound easiness settling within your chest as Wu guides the last of the Serpentine into the tomb. Ray finally releases Garmadon, the two going to help Wu seal the entrance of the tomb.     

“Maya, I could use your help to seal the edges,” Ray yells, beckoning the Master of Water over. “But don’t strain yourself, okay?”     

“I’ll be okay, dear,” she assures as they begin working. You approach Garmadon and Wu, a soft smile lining your lips when you feel Garmadon wiggling his hand into your good one.     

“Did you hear the news?” Wu questions, voice slightly hushed.     

“Yeah, about Maya?” you wonder, turning towards Wu, who nods in response.     

Garmadon’s grip on your hand tightens a bit. “They’re having a baby.”     

“I know! I’m so happy for them!” you comment, leaning your head on his shoulder a little bit. The three of you remain quiet as Maya and Ray continue sealing the tomb together, their distant chatter the only noise.     

It takes you a moment to realize that you’re smiling. The news of her pregnancy was (aside from your victory over the Serpentine) the happiest news you’d received in a while. The more you think about it…     

Would you ever have a baby? 

Hm. That’s a question you’d have to think on later.     

About two more minutes pass by the time the couple finishes. They join you, Garmadon, and Wu, with Maya eyeing you and your man with a small smirk.  

…  

A gentle sunlight descends from the windows, casting the courtroom in a warm glow. You stand alongside the jury, arms folded as you stare at General Arcturus. The Anacondrai General holds his head high, knowing the fate that must await him.  

Garmadon, Wu, Mystake, and the General are all seated at the front of the courtroom, with the General reading through the charges. Once he finishes, he glances down at the five Anacondrai warriors.  

“Arcturus. Have you anything to say for yourself?”  

“We ask for mercy,” the Anacondrai states.  

“Mercy? Never heard of it!” Mystake snaps.  

“In that case, it is time for us to give the ruling,” the General replies, standing alongside the other three. “You and your Generals are to be banished to the Cursed Realm so that you will never step foot in Ninjago again. Your tribes have already been disbanded and sealed away. Chen and Clouse have been exiled. You five are the only loose ends that remain.”  

Garmadon opens a book, flipping through the pages until he finds the correct one. He begins chanting.  

Partway through the chant, a blue portal appears on the ceiling, and the Generals are sent floating up into it. With that, the portal snaps shut, like nothing had even happened.  

Relief floods through your chest as you smile smally, grateful that this chapter of your life is done with. Just like that, the greatest stressor you’ve ever experienced has been dealt with. The people of Ninjago would no longer live in fear of war.  

“I believe there is no more to be said,” the General states. “We have won, and our land is safe once more.”  

...  

Even more months pass in a blur.    

You find yourself back in your usual spot with Garmadon. It’s a cool, summer night, not a cloud in the sky as the two of you discuss the different shapes you see the stars forming.     

“What about that one?” you ask, laying on his chest as you point up in the direction of a particular group of stars.     

“Hm...that one’s tricky. I think I see a bird.”     

You study it for a few moments before nodding. “I could see that.”     

The conversation trails off for a few moments as you snuggle against Garmadon further, enjoying the feeling of his hands coming to rest on yours.      

A soft silence overcomes the two of you as your eyes flick from star to star, eventually turning so that you’re facing Garmadon.     

“What is it?” he questions, studying you.     

“I just love you,” you mumble, the extent of your words not hitting you just yet.    

Garmadon’s eyes widen slightly as it finally catches up to you, a soft blush lining your cheeks as you avert your gaze. “Oh, uh, I-I...” your voice dies in your throat.    

“You…love me?”   

You nod, returning your eyes to him as you try to gauge his reaction and electing to remain quiet. Your hopes rise as you spot a grin forming on his face.    

“I love you too,” he mumbles, turning over further on his side so he can press his forehead against yours.    

You can’t help but laugh giddily, pressing one of your hands against his cheek. He trickles his hand to your waist, pulling you closer. Your lips tingle with the warmth of his breath, nose brushing against his as you slip your grip to his neck, pulling him forward so you can kiss him chastely.    

Your momentum causes you to fall onto your back, with Garmadon now on top of you as he deepens the kiss. Your hands are around his neck, trying to pull him even closer.    

A deep sigh escapes you when he pulls away, his hands coming up to grab yours. You’re breathless for a moment when…   

…a chill courses through your body as unease piles in your stomach, alarms bells sounding in your brain as you open your eyes.   

Something’s wrong.  

Nothing around you seems off at first, so you remain silent for a moment, realizing that something is just...off. It’s then you notice that Garmadon’s grip has moved to your wrists, pinning them against the grass.    

“Garmadon?” you question, voice faltering when he hums lowly, almost seeming like...a growl? A shudder runs across your spine as your heartbeat picks up.   

Your eyes widen as the pressure on your wrists increases, noticing how he has shifted his gaze towards you. Your heart nearly stops as you notice the red that has overcome his pupils, realizing what’s happening.   

“Look at you...” he mumbles, voice dangerously low as he dips down, pressing a kiss to your jaw. You freeze for a moment, mind stuck on what to do.    

You had never experienced one of his episodes before. Wu said this would pass with time, but how long...?    

“So frail and vulnerable beneath me...oh, the things I want to do to you...”    

That snaps you out of your fear as you grit your teeth, slamming your knee into his ass. A grunt escapes him as he lurches forward, allowing you to take the opportunity to use his momentum against him as you buck your hips and hit his side, effectively flipping him over.    

Once you’re on top, you scramble to your feet, immediately making a dash towards the path to the monastery. You hear Garmadon cursing behind you as heavy footsteps begin crashing against the ground, urging you to run faster.   

You’re trying your best to watch for obstacles, but with the leaves blocking patches of moonlight, a root catches you off guard as you trip, falling onto your stomach. Your head hits the ground hard, and the breath is knocked out of your lungs as you roll over, trying to both catch your breath and figure out where Garmadon is all while attempting to get to your feet.   

It almost works, but you’re too unsteady. You lean against a tree for support, finally spotting the clearing that leads to the monastery steps. Vision going blurry, you make your way out, heart sinking when you hear Garmadon chuckling darkly from somewhere around you.   

Your heart pounds as you blink away tears, a sharp pain shooting through your ankle. Willing yourself to calm down, you push on to the staircase despite realizing that you’re not going to make it to the monastery. Not injured and with Garmadon on your tail. Your second option is your magic, but…something’s wrong.   

“Trying to use your magic? Don’t bother.” His voice seems to be all around you, almost…tauntingly close, in a way. “I snuck a sigil of muting onto you during our little kiss, you see. Your magic is void until I remove it.”   

A gasp escapes your lips as a hand coils around your bicep, the grip tight enough to leave bruises. “See? This sigil here?” You spot the purple magic circle burned onto your arm with horrified eyes. He chuckles, pushing you to the ground and looming over you.   

“Don’t think you’ll get away with disrespecting me so easily,” he coos, kneeling down and forcing you onto your back. Tears prick your eyes as you weakly try to swivel your legs towards him, but he grabs your knee before you can establish a guard of any kind.   

You’re about to attempt an elbow, but Garmadon notices this and catches your arm before you can hit him.  

“G…Garmadon…” you mumble, a tear slipping from your vision. “Snap out of it! I don’t want to hurt you! I know this isn’t you!”  

“You’ll quickly learn, you see,” he mumbles, ignoring you as he straddles you, his fists alight with purple magic. “There is no disobeying my command. Your powers are nothing when you belong to me.”   

Your mind races as he chants quietly. You have no idea what spell he’s about to cast, but you’re not about to wait around and find out.  

“Let him go,” you hiss lowly.  

“Or what?” Garmadon questions breaking the chant as he raises an eyebrow. “What are you going to do? You’re helpless.”  

You remain quiet for a moment as he shifts into a different position – this time, you can tell he’s about to summon something. However, he’s made a grave mistake and your muscle memory picks that up instantaneously.  

With a shout, you snap your right leg over his shoulder and next to his neck while your left leg drapes over his shoulder and onto your other foot. Simultaneously, you snatch his right arm as you pull it across his neck. Thankfully, despite his jerking, you’re able to maintain your hold on him as you squeeze your knees and thighs, praying to the First Spinjitzu Master that this works. 

Moments later, you feel him going limp. You don’t immediately release the choke, just in case. After a few more seconds, you stop squeezing tentatively. You roll out from underneath him, watching as his body falls to the ground.  

You turn back towards the steps to the monastery, going up them as fast as you can. Your hope is to get at least within shouting distance of the building, but with how badly your ankle is hurting, though, it’s not looking promising. Even so, the determination to make the most of his unconscious period drives you to press on.  

Minutes later, you spot movement out of your peripheral vision. To your horror, Garmadon is awake once more. A few tears slip down your cheeks as you realize that your only chance of escape might have been wasted.  

You glance around, finding that there’s not much around except for a few chunks of rock lying on the steps. You swipe the biggest one, deciding that’s better than nothing.  

A glance behind you reveals that he has spotted you. Garmadon is silent as he slowly treks up the stairs, burning red stare not shifting from your figure.  

You speed up, trying to make as much progress as you can. You know that he’s just toying with you, waiting to see what you’ll do and how far you’ll go.  

“You’re going to regret that,” he notes calmly, now only a few steps down. You don’t answer, instead attempting to gain as much distance from him as you can.  

Something collides into your back, causing you to fall as you cry out. You hit the stairs harshly, the jagged edges of the concrete slicing your skin in places.  

You grit your teeth as your grip on the rock tightens. You stay in your downed position as you listen, waiting for an opportune moment.  

Once his footsteps close in, you whirl towards him before attempting to slam the rock into him. To your dismay, he catches your wrist just before you can make impact.  

You wince from the grip he has on you, trying to yank your wrist out from his grasp but failing. Your body desperately tries to detect some sort of opening, but it seems that Garmadon has learned his lesson. The rock in your hand tumbles to the ground as he raises his other hand, connecting it with your cheek hard.  

Your breath is knocked out as he kicks you in the ribs, the sounds of rancorous laughter echoing in your ears as you feel your eyes getting watery. Moments later, a warmth around your throat spirals into mounds of pressure as your vision gets blurry. The only shape you can make out is Garmadon’s silhouette, those indelible scarlet eyes scorching their way into your memory. 

Is this it...?  

The thought resounds within you as the pressure eases, ears ringing as you try to decipher what happened. Someone’s calling for you, but...  

You blink a few times, vision gradually beginning to clear as your surroundings come back into focus. It’s then you realize that Garmadon is the one calling your name…but something’s different.  

You snap out of your haze, finding that Garmadon is now a few feet away from you, on his knees as he clutches his head.   

He says your name again. “...you need…n-need to go…can’t hold it…”   

Your eyes widen as you stumble to your feet, the pain in your ankle drowned out by the adrenaline when you realize that the sigil on your arm has been removed for the time being. You hold your arm out, channeling your magic power:   

“Murasame.”   

A katana appears in your grip, its long, red handle inscribed with deadly symbols. You lower it, allowing its tip to nick Garmadon’s shoulder once.   

Once was all it needed.  

The advantage of this particular katana was unique: it was infused with a poison that would be fatal to most people. You know for Garmadon it won’t be fatal - it’ll only weaken him significantly. If he could fend off the venom of the Great Devourer for so long, then this wouldn’t kill him.   

He immediately recoils, eyes back to red as he clutches his wound. “What have you done?!”   

Your name is called again, this time from someone else. You see Wu and Ray descending the monastery steps, both eyeing Garmadon with shocked expressions. Relief floods through you as the katana fades back to its pocket dimension, your knees buckling. The two are quick to catch your arms, softening your descent somewhat.   

They’re quiet for a moment, eyeing Garmadon and then your tear-stricken face. Paired with your injuries, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what happened.   

Wu kneels beside you quietly as Ray silently studies you with a worried gaze. You collapse into Wu’s arms as the adrenaline fades, leaving you exhausted.   

Ray remains quiet as he turns towards Garmadon. “I’ll take care of him. Take her back up.”   

“Thank you,” you mumble, gratefully. He nods in response before approaching Garmadon, who seems to be stunned from the poison. You’re not sure how long that will last, though.  

“Can you stand?” Wu questions softly.   

You shake your head. “My…my ankle…”   

“I understand,” he says. “Ray, help me get her on my back.”   

The fire elemental obliges, gently lifting your arm around his neck as he pulls you up so that you can stand on your good foot. Wu turns, allowing Ray to lift you onto Wu’s back. You secure your arms around Wu’s neck while he takes your legs in his arms.   

With that, you press your head against Wu’s shoulder as he carries you up, quietly allowing you to cry as you wonder what’s to come.   

…   

Your surroundings pass by in a blur as Wu ascends the stairs. Soon enough, the two of you finally make it to the monastery gate.   

“Open up!” Wu shouts, the two of you glancing back down when you hear what sounds to be an explosion of some sort. Oh stars…   

Seconds later, someone from inside pulls the gate open. Wu wastes no time in entering, spotting Maya standing there with the other elementals, all with worried faces.   

Maya is the first to realize your face is stricken with tears, immediately coming to you.    

“Set your good foot down,” Wu instructs. You do so, Maya supporting you as you slip off of his back.   

“Thank you,” you mumble. 

“Of course. Now, we need to figure out what’s going on down there,” he replies. “Robin, see if you can figure out where Garmadon and Ray are.”   

“On it,” replies the Master of Lightning. She scales the wall with help from her lightning boosts.   

“Wu, what in the hell is going on?” questions Onyx, the Master of Earth.   

“Garmadon turned again,” Wu answers. “He’s after her. We need a plan. If he’s still evil, he’s going to be up here soon.”   

“I was able to poison him,” you say. “I don’t know how much effect it’ll have, though.”   

“Wait…if Garmadon’s already weakened, we could use the sedative again,” Maya suggests.   

“Again?” you question.   

“We figured out last time this happened, a normal dose of sedative medicine wasn’t enough to affect him,” Maya explains. “But…if he’s already poisoned, that’ll work in our favor.”   

“If no one else has any ideas, then I’m afraid we’ll have to stick to this theory,” Wu says, glancing around. No one else speaks up. “Very well.”   

Robin leaps back into the courtyard. “Wu! Garmadon’s coming up, and he has Ray! He doesn’t look conscious!”   

“Ray…” Maya mumbles.   

“You two, get the syringe and head to the safe room. Onyx, help them get there then come back. We’re going to hold him off as long as we can,” Wu instructs.   

Suddenly, you’re swept up in the arms of Onyx. Maya follows the two of you into the monastery.  

“The sedative is in the infirmary,” Maya says, the three of you rushing towards the intended destination.    

She pushes the door open, immediately going to search a filing cabinet, fishing around inside until she grabs something. You realize it’s a syringe.   

“Here, you should take this,” she replies, handing you the syringe. “Since you’re important to him, he’s going to be after you when these episodes happen. You can stab it anywhere, so it doesn’t have to be in a vein or anything like that.”   

You nod, taking it and tucking it under your sleeve. “Okay. Thank you.”   

You’re about to ask something when you hear a crash outside. Your eyes widen as you realize what’s happening.   

“Oh stars...they’re fighting?” you mumble.   

“This is usually how it ends,” Maya affirms with a downcast expression. “Garmadon is very strong, and his episodes make him feral when he’s in combat.”   

“Come. The safe room isn’t far,” Onyx adds. “We can’t waste time.”   

The safe room turns out to be located beneath the bathroom. Due to your angle, you can’t see whatever switch or button Maya hits, but it causes the floor of the shower to slide back into the wall, revealing a hidden passage.   

The three of you descend the stairs quickly. The path turns into an open room with concrete walls. Racks of weapons are lying on the walls, with a single table in the center surrounded by a few chairs.   

Onyx gently lowers you into one of the chairs. “This is as far as I go. I need to go help them,” he says. “Remember: this isn’t Garmadon. Do whatever you must to get away from him. And take this.”   

Onyx hands you what seems to be a handmade knife - its blade looks to be carved of obsidian, with a clearstone handle. Under different circumstances you would have complemented its beauty, but for now, you just smile weakly.   

“What is…?” you mumble, trailing off as you take it into your grasp. 

“Your last resort,” Onyx answers simply, his blank expression telling you everything you need to know. “Obsidian is a guardian stone that shields against negativity. May it serve you well.”   

You exhale shakily, nodding. “Right. Thank you.”   

“You’re welcome. Now, we’ll be back. Don’t open this for anyone.” With that, he exits the room, closing the entrance.   

You flip the blade closed, tucking it away for the time being. With the syringe hidden in your other hand, you take a second to wipe away the sweat that’s beading on your forehead.   

“Is this what it’s like every time he’s turned?”   

Maya chuckles humorlessly. “You know…in comparison to this, it wasn’t that bad in the beginning. He was just irritable. Would call us names, got mad at Wu a lot, you know. Nothing like…this,” she says, frowning. “But it progressively got worse. The last few episodes have involved him getting violent.”   

“This is horrible…” you mumble.   

“I know it is,” she replies. “He’s such a good man…and to be infected as he is? It’s been tearing the team apart, I think. Some of us want Garmadon gone. Some of us want him to stay.”   

A tear escapes your eye as you sniffle slightly. “He told me he loved me before he turned. But...after what he did while he was evil…”   

“You don’t have to talk about it, love,” she mumbles.   

“I just…I don’t know if I can look at him the same way again. Knowing he could turn at any second? Remembering how easily he overpowered me despite my training?” You shake your head, sighing. “This is more horrifying to witness than I ever could have imagined.”   

Maya nods, about to respond when the sound of a door slamming shuts the both of you up. You remain silent, eyes wide as you glance towards your friend. She simply shakes her head.   

You swallow nervously, hand clutching the syringe tighter as heavy footsteps creep across the floor above you. Suddenly, you regret coming down here - there aren’t any exit points, it seems. There are plenty of weapons on the walls, but you’re not familiar with many of them. You take a quick glance over at what’s available in case Garmadon disables your magic again.   

Well, the good news is that you have somewhat of a plan laid out - Garmadon made it perfectly clear that he wants to kill you. Even though the idea of going through that again makes you want to cry…you could also use that to your advantage should the elementals fail to stop him.  

And if that fails? Then, like Onyx said…you have a last resort. A very, very last resort option.   

Neither you nor Maya dare to utter a word as the footsteps hover right over the two of you. You hear someone - a male - shouting. A sudden mini-earthquake makes you realize Onyx must be fighting Garmadon.   

You snap your gaze from the ceiling when you feel Maya’s hand wiggling into yours. You glance over to her, offering her a weak smile. She returns it as the two of you turn your stares back up to the ceiling.   

The sounds have stopped for the moment. Now, it seems like they’re talking. Your heart pounds as you strain to listen, not able to pick up anything coherent. Seconds later, the conversation stops as an eerie silence ensues.   

That is, until a deafening blast throws both you and Maya backwards, the ceiling collapsing from above. You’re thrown against the wall, debris crashing down around you. You cover your head in hopes that you won’t be crushed.   

Your ears are ringing, vision going blurry again as darkness shrouds your vision. Your hands numbly fumble for the ground, attempting to find some sense of steadiness through your aching head.   

“M…” your voice echoes weakly throughout your ringing ears as you push yourself into an upright sitting position, head spinning. Your thoughts are tumbling over each other, failing to become comprehensive.   

A figure is approaching you - merely a few feet away, it seems. Stepping over the debris, kneeling down to you. You recognize the silhouette, mind falling further and further behind as a distant touch pressing against your cheek guides your thoughts back to the present - at least, as much as it can.   

Breaths uneven, you try to study the gaze of the person in front of you. The hand is familiar. Calloused. Uncannily cold. You vaguely feel the tips of his fingers dragging across your skin, stopping when they reach the back of your neck. He pulls you forward, a chilling shade of red the only thing you see before your lips connect.   

The red shade dances around your memory, the image eliciting an uneasy feeling within your stomach when -   

- it clicks.   

You keep your eyes closed, realizing that this is your chance. Keeping your lips pressed against his, you slowly raise your syringe-bearing hand, ensuring that his eyes remain closed while you jam the syringe into his neck, pushing its contents inside.   

“What...” he mumbles, eyes widening before the contents take effect and he closes his eyes, collapsing onto the floor.   

You drop the syringe with shaky hands, using the wall so that you can stand, immediately trekking your way through the debris as you search for Maya.   

You finally spot her, lying on her side across the room. Ignoring the splitting headache that consumes your head.   

“Maya,” you say, voice hoarse as you kneel beside her. She groans lightly, turning over to you. Your heartbeat quickens as you check her over, finding no immediate injuries save for a few scratches on her head and legs.   

“I’m okay,” she mumbles, cupping her tummy. You help her sit up. “We have a protective rune for the baby.”   

“Okay, well, let’s get you checked out anyway,” you insist, helping her stand despite the pain flooding throughout your body.   

“Come on,” she mumbles, the two of you stepping over Garmadon’s unconscious body.   

You curse yourself for crying as you do your best to help her up the stairs, your body begging you to rest – but you can’t. Not yet. Not until you know you and Maya are safe. Once you reach the top, you find yourself absolutely dreading the thought of having to figure out a way to open that heavy trap door.   

Thankfully, you don’t have to. Voices emanate from the other side.   

“Wu?” you call weakly, voice beginning to break when you hear the door beginning to slide open.   

Thankfully, standing on the other side are Wu and Onyx. The latter immediately comes to pick Maya up while Wu approaches you. Your knees buckle as the events of the evening begin falling into place. Wu catches you before you can hit the ground too hard.   

“Come on,” he whispers. “Let’s get you patched up.”   

...   

Hours pass as you and the rest of the team get treated for any injuries. Thankfully, everyone is okay – including Maya’s baby, much to everyone’s relief. Even so, the memory of seeing many of the Elementals knocked unconscious has burned a haunting image into your memory. Every time you think about it, shivers dart through your spine.  

The early morning hours have approached when you find yourself back in Garmadon’s spot, sitting by the pool of water with your feet dipped in as you reflect on the events of the day.   

After sedating Garmadon, you’d found the rest of the Elementals were in a similar state – either injured or unconscious. It wasn’t until you were staring at the mass of Elemental Masters that it truly hit you:    

Garmadon is dangerous.   

He only ever showed a certain part of his personality. The fact that he was gradually turning evil was known to you, yet it just didn’t...feel real, in a sense. Until today, you would have even thought it could have been a joke. But, now...?    

Tears drip from your eyes as you glance down at the small pond, watching as your tears join your reflection. Why Garmadon? He was such a loving man, and to be eaten away as he is? Wielding an element that’s already difficult enough to bear? It’s not fair, and it’s even more horrifying to watch than you initially thought.  

A deep sigh escapes you as you try to sort your jumbled thoughts, without much success. You begin to wonder how this is going to affect your relationship with him.    

“Care if I join you?”   

You turn, seeing Wu standing at the perimeter of the forest. You smile sadly, shaking your head. He returns a grateful nod, coming over to sit a few feet away from you.   

“I know tonight has been difficult,” he begins calmly, gazing at the water. “But...even so, I am seeing a shred of hope.”    

“What do you mean?”    

“Ever since my brother met you, there has been a significant decrease in the amount of episodes. This is the first one he’s had in months,” Wu replies before his expression darkens once more. “But...it has been the worst yet.”    

You wipe a stray tear, averting your gaze. “Wu, how can we stop this? I can’t bear to watch this happen to him.”   

“I fear I do not know. Please trust me when I say that we’ve been searching for some type of cure for years, but with no luck.”    

You sigh. “I had a feeling.”    

“That being said...my prediction is that we will not see another one for quite some time...”    

“But when we do, it’s going to be bad,” you finish, heart sinking.    

“Yes. I will try to utilize the spirit smoke more often. I hope that it will warn us of that time.”    

“Me too,” you mumble. “Um...but how is he doing now?”    

“He has returned back to normal for the time being,” Wu replies. “Though, we are keeping him restrained for a few more hours.”    

You nod. “Okay.”    

“How are you feeling?”    

“Truth be told? A lot,” you mumble. “Before it happened, he told me that he loved me. And then he turned, and I just...” you trail off, unsure of how to phrase the way you’re feeling. “And seeing him actually turn just kind of...really made it click, you know? That there’s always a chance he could turn, even if we do think it won’t happen again for a while. But...I love him, and I want to stick by him, of course, but...I can’t deny the fact that he really scared me...and actually, I would say that ‘traumatize’ is a better word. I mean...he almost killed me, and he would have if you hadn’t intervened. I don’t know if I can face him just yet. I don’t know if I’ll be able to face him for a while.”   

“I’m so sorry,” Wu mumbles, scooting over a bit closer so he can wrap an arm around your shoulder. “I wish there was more that I could do. I wish there was more that I could say to help you, but...”   

“You don’t have to say anything,” you say quietly, leaning your head on his shoulder. “It’s not your fault. It’s not any of our faults. I’ll be okay, but I just...I need some time away from him, I think. I need to sort my thoughts. I feel like my mind is too jumbled for me to make sense of anything.”   

“Take as much time as you need. My brother is...well, he’s not taking any of it well. I fear he’s going to leave us when we release his restraints.”   

“Leave? Like...permanently?”   

“I’m not sure, but I think it’s very likely judging from the way he’s reacted in the past. I also know that most of our team wants him out now.”   

You nod, biting your lip as you realize you’re unable to respond. You hate to say it, but...you don’t blame them. Not one bit. After all of that...? You’re not sure about having him around yourself.   

That thought alone elicits a round of tears from your eyes, making you sniffle as Wu encircles you into a tight hug. You turn, snaking your arms around his neck as you cry into his chest.   

“I hate this, Wu,” you admit through a sob. “I love Garmadon so much, but he’s...I can’t...I...”   

Your words are too tangled for you to form a coherent sentence as you completely break down, tears soaking Wu’s shirt as he silently holds you.   

You’re not sure how long you stay like that, but the tears seem to go on for a while. Wu doesn’t say anything – he just lets you cry for as long as you need, accompanying you back up to the monastery when you’re ready.   

…   

You try to lay down after that, but you can’t.   

Part of you is apprehensive about being alone. Part of you wants to check if Garmadon has returned back to normal. Part of you wants to avoid him at all costs. Part of you is about to pass out in exhaustion.   

You find yourself wandering out into the living area, where Ray, Maya, and Wu are talking quietly amongst themselves.   

They all glance up at you, greeting you with hushed tones. You return the greeting, wordlessly sitting down next to Wu after that.   

“Can’t sleep?” Wu mumbles.   

You shake your head. “Nope.”   

“Neither can we,” Maya replies.   

“How are you all doing?” you question, mainly eyeing Maya.   

“We’re fine,” Ray answers, one of his hands settling on top of Maya’s. She nods in agreement. “All three of us.”   

“Me too,” Wu adds. “Just worried. We have no idea what to do.”   

“Has Garmadon returned back to normal?” you wonder.   

“He has, but we’re waiting to let the restraints loose for a few hours,” Ray says.   

You nod in acknowledgement, not knowing what to say to that. It seems as if the exhaustion has tainted all parties, because no one says anything after that. You feel your eyes fluttering shut, leaning your head on Wu’s shoulder again – even though you wished it could be Garmadon’s.   

Even so, you feel your thoughts finally drawing to a pause as you gradually fall into a light slumber.  

...   

Daylight approaches sooner than you like.   

You squint through your exhausted eyes, wishing the sunlight would just fuck off for once and let you sleep. Groaning softly, you open your eyelids.   

Unfortunately, the events of yesterday are the first to come to mind as you sit up, realizing that you have a massive headache. Your fingers come up to massage your temples as you glance around, realizing that the other three are gone. Wu’s shoulder had been replaced by a couch pillow.  

You sit up slowly, rubbing the sleepy out of your eyes and wincing at a pain within your ribs. Ow. 

What time is it, even? You’d all gone to sleep fairly late last night. You’d probably got two or three hours max, if that.  

You decide to go freshen up, knowing that there’s no use in moping around. After making it to your room, you go through your morning routine. Once that’s done, you flop onto your bed again face first.   

“Ugh…” you groan, stuffing your face into your pillow. What to do?   

The answer comes to you when your nose detects the smell of something yummy drifting throughout the air as you find the rest of the group already up, all murmuring among themselves.   

“Hey, guys,” you say, voice hoarse and quieter than normal. You smile weakly as you take your normal seat. A chorus of greetings sound, all less enthusiastic than normal.   

“How are you doing?” Maya questions from beside you. You shrug, not really sure yourself.   

“I’m here. Just thinking,” you answer.   

“Welcome to the club,” Ray replies.   

You chuckle humorlessly, realizing that a heavy silence has settled among the table. Garmadon’s usual seat next to yours is vacant, leaving you in somewhat of a saddened mood as you stare at your plate, tuning the chatter out.   

Soon enough, breakfast is served. You don’t have much of an appetite, though.   

“I believe it’s time we address the elephant in the room,” Wu states suddenly from the head of the table. Everyone glances up at him. “Garmadon is still asleep, but the sedative will wear off shortly.”   

“Wu…what are we going to do?” Maya asks quietly, her hands perched atop her swollen belly. “Garmadon always learns the tricks we use against him. We won’t get away with sedating him again.”   

“I know,” Wu replies, a bitterness lacing his voice. “We need to develop another plan.”   

“I feel like we’ve exhausted all of our plans,” Ray admits, rubbing his forehead. “You saw him yesterday, Wu. It’s a miracle he didn’t kill any of us.”   

“There has to be something,” Wu mumbles.   

“That reminds me,” you speak up, grabbing everyone’s attention. “How were you guys awake when we came back yesterday? It was pretty late, was it not?”   

“Because, Maya woke us up,” the Master of Lightning replies.   

The woman in question nods from her seat beside you, causing you to turn to her. “How did you…?”   

“I get this…feeling,” Maya replies, eyes narrowed as she recalls the memory. “Every time Garmadon has turned, I feel this…impending sense of doom. Like my subconscious just knows something’s wrong. But…it was even stronger this time. Almost like his energy was threatening my baby…” She shudders, causing Ray to sling an arm around her shoulders. “It made me physically sick hours before he turned. I made everyone stay up to remain on guard.”   

“That makes sense,” Wu notes. “Destruction, when in corrupt form, will threaten the elements. That sense of yours is likely heightened because it’s paired with your maternal instinct now.”   

“That’s weird,” you reply. “I…kind of got the same feeling when he turned. Like there were alarm bells ringing in my gut. I just knew something was wrong.”   

“Wait, so you’re saying we have a way of predicting when he turns, at least?” Ray intervenes.  “Even if it’s only for a short period of time?”  

“I believe so,” Wu agrees. “Maya has told me of this feeling several times before. As for you…” He shifts his gaze to you. “I believe, like Maya, this feeling will become keener over time.”   

“Interesting,” you mumble.   

“So we are not at a complete loss,” Wu notes, a shred of hope entering his gaze.   

“Wu...we can’t have this happen again, though...” Ray interjects.   

“But we can’t just give up on him!” someone else yells.   

“What if he’s even worse next time, though?! We have to consider our safety too!”   

Your headache begins to throb even worse as the elementals suddenly erupt into a heated argument. The memory is too fresh in your mind, so you simply get up and walk out of the monastery.   

…   

Days pass in a blur. You find yourself packing your bags one morning, deciding that a small trip is in order for yourself. Even now you still don’t have the courage to face him.   

Still, you’ve had enough time to decipher one matter that bothered you most: the fact that you were weak against his evil form. That much was true. You weren’t prepared to face his full wrath – stars forbid his Oni form...   

That thought sends chills down to your spine as you kneel by your bags in the middle of the courtyard, making sure you have everything you need.   

“Getting ready to leave?”   

You turn, footsteps catching your attention as you spot the remaining elemental masters exiting the monastery. They consist of Wu, Ray, Maya, and Onyx. Everyone else had left following the argument about Garmadon. Even now, Ray and Maya are planning on returning to their blacksmith shop to prepare for their baby’s arrival while Onyx is about to return home to attend his daughter’s wedding. 

In other words, once they leave...it’s going to be you, Garmadon, and Wu. That is, assuming Garmadon doesn’t leave, which Wu thinks is highly possible. You’re happy that your friends are settling down, but at the same time...it makes you sad. You wish you could have that with Garmadon. With the way the two of you have been avoiding each other lately, though…it’s not looking promising.  

“Yeah...” you answer, smiling sadly at the four of them.   

“I feel like this is going to be goodbye for a while,” Maya confesses.   

You nod. “I think so too. I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone, and you three are all about to move, right?”   

“Yep,” Ray affirms.   

“Well...I wish all of you luck. It was an honor working with you guys. I hope I’ll be able to visit soon, once things settle down again. For all of us.”   

“Please do visit,” Maya states, taking your hand in hers. “You’re welcome any time. You don’t need a reason, you don’t need to contact us beforehand...just come down.” It’s then you realize that she had slipped a piece of paper into your hand. Penned in her neat handwriting is an unfamiliar address.   

You nod in response, tucking the paper away in a safe spot. “Count on it.”   

“We are,” Ray replies. 

“Where will you be headed?” Onyx wonders.   

“I’m honestly not sure yet. I was thinking of heading back to the General’s camp to see if there are any jobs available,” you explain. “Still, I’m not entirely sure yet.”   

“Well, take as long as you need. We’ll be here waiting for your safe return,” Wu states.   

 You nod, Maya coming to hug you. You smile bitterly, returning the embrace before doing the same for Ray and Onyx.  

“Take care of yourself, okay?” Onyx states. 

“I will if you will,” you say.  

With that, you bid the three farewell as they exit the monastery, all going to pursue their new lives.  

A deep sigh escapes you as you stare at your bag for a moment. You’re prepared to leave, but…something feels like it’s missing.  

“What’s on your mind?” Wu questions.  

“I’m nervous, but…I want to talk to him before I go.”  

“I see,” he mumbles, averting his gaze in thought. “If you like, I can bring him out. You two can speak out here and I’ll stay on the other side of the courtyard.”  

You nod, smiling weakly. “Please?”  

“Of course. I’ll be right back.”  

You watch as Wu disappears into the monastery, leaving you alone with your thoughts. It scares you, but you miss Garmadon. It doesn’t feel right to leave without saying anything to him.  

The two emerge a moment after, your eyes immediately flicking towards the dark-haired man. Your gaze softens as you turn towards them, Wu nodding at Garmadon before going to sit on the stairs. Garmadon quietly approaches you, expression inscrutable as you walk up to meet him.  

“Hey,” you begin softly, standing a few feet away from him.  

“Hey,” he repeats, tone somewhat…cautious. Maybe that’s not the right word, but you can’t think of another one at the moment. A foreign emotion is locked behind his eyes - these the color you know and love. They’re such a sharp contrast to that haunting red stare…  

You shudder, pushing the thought aside. You’re about to say something when Garmadon turns away, shaking his head.  

“I don’t understand why you’re here,” he says simply.  

A frown crosses your lips as you settle your hands on your hips. “Garmadon…that wasn’t you.”  

“No, it was, and I hurt you,” he mumbles, still refusing to meet your gaze. “I nearly killed you, and I won’t ever be able to forgive myself for what I’ve done.”  

“Garmadon…”  

“I’m surprised you’re even speaking with me. Why are you even here? I should be locked away somewhere where I can’t hurt anyone.”  

“Garmadon.”  

“In all honesty, I don’t even know why I came out here. I shouldn’t have-”  

You roll your eyes, stepping up to him so that you can wrap your arms around his waist, pressing your face against his shoulder blades. He freezes at your embrace.  

“Garmadon…” you say softly. “Please. Look at me and hear me out.”  

Garmadon remains frozen for a few more seconds before the two of you pull away, with him turning to look you in the eye for the first time in a while. You wrap your arms around his neck, grateful to be in his embrace once more.  

“Listen to me,” you mumble, taking a moment to inhale his scent. “If you expect me to just give up on you, you’ve got another thing coming.”  

“What? But I-”  

“Nope. You heard it yourself. I love you. And I meant it when I said that. I know you’re worth fighting for and I’m not giving up on you. I know you’re a good man, and that there’s a future destiny has chosen for us. It may not be easy, but I’m not going to let you slip away from me just because of some damned snake bite. It’s not going to separate us,” you say, eyes becoming glassy as you stare at him. “I love you. I’m not going to let you go.”  

Garmadon’s eyes are pricked with tears now too as he stares down at you. “But…you’re leaving…”  

You nod. “Not forever, but like I said…it’s not going to be easy. I’ve had enough time to realize that I need some space. But we’re going to make it work. Just give me some time, okay? I’ll be back soon, and then we can talk.”  

“Okay,” he says, a tear escaping his eye. “I’m so sorry…”  

You shake your head. “No. That was not you, Garmadon. I know in my heart that you would never do something like that. That darkness is just trying to drive a wedge between us to further isolate you. It’s not going to work.”  

He nods. You smile sadly, wiping the tears away from his cheeks and pressing a soft kiss to his lips. He returns it somewhat hesitantly, but even so you feel like you’ve gotten through to him for now.  

“I love you,” he mumbles, leaning his forehead against yours. “Thank you for not giving up on me.”  

“I love you too,” you repeat. “Hang in there, love. I’ll be back soon.”  

With that, you shoulder your bag, heart a little lighter as you wave the brothers a temporary goodbye.  

…  

“Welcome back, Commander!”  

A wave of nostalgia floods throughout you as you smile at the guards standing about the Ninjago Guard headquarters. It’s been so long since you’ve been back…  

“Thank you,” you reply, nodding in greeting to all you see. Wow…things really have changed with the Anacondrai no longer being a threat. Suddenly, it strikes you that the last time you were here…you hadn’t even met the Elemental Masters yet. Wow…  

You make it towards the General’s office, gently pushing the door open before stepping inside the office.  

Not much has changed in physical terms - same decorations, same layout. You’re having a hard time processing how much lighter the atmosphere is, though. Not that you’re complaining! It’s just weird to see how different things are now.  

It’s then you hear your name from the left of the room, directing your attention there.  

“General?” you question.  

You can’t help but grin as you spot the man himself slowly standing from the corner of the room. He returns your smile, saying your name.  

“I was beginning to think you’d left us for good,” he says, tone suggesting that he’s joking.  

You chuckle, shaking your head. “No, I just kind of got…caught up, I guess? I feel like the time just slipped away. I had meant to come back sooner, but…”  

“I hear that. Things have been busy here, too.”  

You nod, watching as he goes to sit at his desk before sitting across from him. “Have things calmed down any since the war?”  

He shrugs, leaning back in his chair. “In a way, yes. Now we’ve just been pouring our focus into helping rebuild.”  

“Yeah, that’s what we were doing too,” you note, recalling the various occasions where you had joined the elementals in rebuilding efforts. Too bad everyone has gone their separate ways for the time being.  

“How were the elementals?” he questions.  

You smile, suddenly nervous for some reason. “They were amazing. It was crazy how quickly they took me in. They’re kind of like family now, you know?”  

“I’m glad to hear it. You’ve been an immense help here, but I’m glad you were able to apply your skillset elsewhere too. If you don’t mind my asking…are you coming back?”  

You bite your lip at the question you’ve been dreading. “I…I honestly don’t know. I think that’s why I came back. Something horrible happened recently, and I just felt like I needed to get out. To take a breather so I can just reset and figure out a few things.”  

The General nods in response, gaze somewhat glazed over as he stares off into the distance. “I get it. Maybe a break would help?”  

“Actually...I came to see if you have any jobs open,” you respond. “I feel like I need something challenging. Something I can learn from.”  

“A job?” he questions, trailing off to think for a moment. “Actually, I have a few open. Let me see...”  

He stands, walking over to his desk and grabbing a stack of papers. He hands them to you. “Here, see if any of these catch your eye. They’re all S-Class missions.”  

You frown, shuffling through them. “I can do all of these. But do you have anything that’s ranked higher?”  

“Higher? I think there was a SS-Class lying around somewhere...” he trails off, going back to his desk. “Ah, here we go. Let me know what you think.”  

You nod, taking the paper. “Seems like all of these are within a few days’ travel time. I’ll give them a try.”  

The General chuckles, patting you on the shoulder a few times. “It’s good seeing your fiery side again.”  

You smile, tucking the papers away in your bag. “Thank you.”  

…  

A month passes.  

You had kept yourself busy, whether the job was slaying troublesome monsters, arresting thieves, or other minor tasks. The jobs weren’t hard, which was a bit disappointing to you. You need something more challenging.  

You shrug the thought off, deciding you would figure it out at some point. Now, you realize that you’re close to the outskirts of Jamanakai Village one morning. Well, why not have a look around and see how the citizens are doing?  

At first, you’re slightly shocked at just how many people are here – the village is absolutely teeming with life. It's such a contrast to how monochrome the buildings had seemed before. Seeing everyone out elicits a fond warmth within your chest as you walk through, greeting some of the villagers.  

One shop in particular catches your eye as you spot someone standing out in front. You realize it’s none other than Mystake herself.  

“Are you at your wits' end?” she yells, holding a stack of papers. “No energy? Your master has vanished? Come to Mystake's Tea Shop!”  

“Mystake!” you yell, waving at her with a smile as you walk up to her. “Hey!”  

She says your name with a warm grin. “It’s a pleasure to see you again. Why don’t you come inside for a bit?”  

“Inside? Oh, you have your own shop?” you wonder, taking a look at the store.  

“Indeed. I’ve found that my passion lies within tea,” she answers as the two of you enter the shop. You glance around, eyeing the stocked shelves with interest and nodding towards the other associates in greeting. Mystake sets the stack of papers on the counter before gesturing for you to follow her.  

“I think it’s great that you’re pursuing your passion,” you reply, somewhat solemnly. “I don’t think I could ever run a shop.”  

Mystake chuckles as the two of you enter a small, cozy room complete with chairs, bookshelves, and more shelves stocked with tea jars. “Have a seat. I’ll be right back with some tea.”  

“Thank you,” you say, sitting down. After all the walking you did today, it’s nice to have a bit of a break.  

Mystake returns a few moments later, bearing a tray with a steaming kettle, two mugs, and a small box. She sets it down on the table, pouring some of the tea into a mug and handing it to you.  

You thank her, cupping the mug with gentle hands as you take a sip. Something about its flavor grounds you, eliciting a soft smile from you.  

“Of course. Nothing like some Focus Tea to clear your mind, hm?” she replies, pouring herself a cup too. “So, tell me. What brings you all the way out here?”  

You shrug, taking another sip. “Just doing a few jobs that took me out this way. I thought that I’d stop here before I return.”  

“I am glad you’ve visited,” Mystake admits. “I’ve been hoping to speak with you.”  

“Oh? About what?”  

Mystake sighs, setting her teacup down. You frown, doing the same.  

“I heard about what happened,” she replies, taking your hands in hers. “With Garmadon.”  

Your heart sinks as you avert your gaze. “Oh...”  

“I know how that must be hurting you, no matter how you may not want to admit it,” she says quietly. “And I want to tell you that I am truly sorry.”  

“Mystake...”  

“And I want to give you these,” she adds, picking up the small box. She opens it, pulling out what appears to be a necklace comprised of a black chain and a golden chunk of metal. Something about it, though...  

“Do you know what’s special about this metal?” she questions, holding it out to you so you can see it. You study it, noting that there are a few inscriptions in it that you don’t recognize.  

“Is it the same type of metal that the Golden Weapons are made of?” you wonder. “It has that same glow to it.”  

“It is. But there’s something else,” she adds, taking the metal between her fingers.  

“Oh, I see. You’re not getting vanquished,” you joke.  

“Precisely. You see, it has been blessed with balance – strong enough to ward away darkness, but weak enough so that it won’t disintegrate its wearer. The blessing comes with other perks too, but those are the main ones.”  

“So...Garmadon could use this?” you question. “But isn’t he rather resilient to this kind of metal because of who his father is?”  

“That’s why it’s blessed with a spell that inhibits dark influence. Paired with the metal’s nature, the two work together to combat darkness in a way that works with Garmadon’s bloodline. You both can wear one,” Mystake replies, pulling a second one from the box. “My hope is that his will weaken the darkness within him, while yours will protect you in the case that it happens again. It’s not a permanent fix, but I hope that it will grant the two of you a bit more time together.”  

“Mystake... I don’t know what to say,” you admit, trailing off. “Thank you!”  

You go to pull her in for a quick hug, taking one of the necklaces into your hands. The metal hums with energy against your skin. You thank her once more before putting them in a safe place.  

From there, the two of you continue talking for about an hour or so before you decide that it’s time for you to be on your way.  

…    

A few days later, you find yourself standing in front of the gates of the monastery. A sigh of relief escapes you; it’s been good taking a trip by yourself, but you’re ready to move on.  

You take a deep breath before you knock on the gates, hearing footsteps a few moments later.  

The gate swivels open to reveal none other than Wu standing there, face lighting up when he recognizes you.  

“Wu!” you greet, immediately pulling him in for a hug.  

He says your name as he returns your embrace. “You’re back!”  

You nod as you pull away from him. “Yeah. How’ve you been? I’ve missed you guys!”  

“We’ve been doing fine,” he replies, gesturing for you to enter. You slip into the courtyard as he closes the gate. “Garmadon’s doing a bit better. We’ve both missed having you here, though. How was your trip?”  

“It went well,” you reply, smiling. “Feeling a little better now.”  

“I’m glad to hear it,” he replies.  

You hear the doors to the monastery opening, causing you to turn towards the source. You spot Garmadon there, eyes widening when he sees you. 

You can’t help but smile, immediately jogging over him so that you can hug him. He stumbles backwards a little bit, but returns the gesture. 

“I missed you!” you say, taking a moment to kiss him gently. He holds you tighter, kissing you back. 

“I missed you too,” he replies. 

Wu smiles softly at the two of you, quietly entering the monastery. You have a seat on the steps to the door, and Garmadon sits a few feet away from you. His gaze is averted as you settle into your spot. Man, how long has it been since you’ve been able to chat with him like this? 

“So...” you mumble, pulling your knees up to your chest as you study him. “How have you been?” 

“Alright,” he answers quietly, still not looking at you. “I hope your travels treated you well.”  

“They did, thank you,” you reply, frowning. This is so...foreign for you – being so distant from him. It’s not right.  

After a few moments, you settle your hand atop his, gently tracing his knuckles. The gesture prompts him to finally glance at you. His dark, chocolate eyes simply stare at you, his expression hinting at the overwhelming emotion he’s hiding.  

With that thought in mind, you shift so that you’re facing him fully, a newfound determination coursing through you as you keep a hold on his hand. “Garmadon, I want...I need you to understand that what happened...” you trail off, trying to find the best way to phrase how you’re feeling.  

You suck in a deep breath, deciding just to go for it. “It was scary. I did get hurt, and so did the others. But I know you weren’t the one hurting me. I know in my heart that you would never do something like that because I have had the honor of fighting alongside you for...” you pause, huffing a humorless laugh as you think. “How long has it been? Almost a year now? And we’ve been together just under that. I know you. I know that you’ve been fighting this for nearly your entire life, and to see that you’ve gone through this and still haven’t fallen to it? That is incredible, Garmadon.” 

He’s still silent, but you think you’re gradually beginning to get through to him. “My point is...we will work through this. Together. One of the things I realized on my trip is that I don’t just want to be with you. I want to grow with you. I want us to sharpen each other, to become stronger as a team, and I want to...”  

You stop, not realizing how emotional you were while speaking. You blink a few times, feeling a few teardrops sliding out. A shaky breath escapes you as you feel Garmadon’s hands coming to wipe your tears away, fingers slipping underneath your chin as he tilts your head up.  

“I want all of that too,” he mumbles, voice soft as he gazes at you. It’s then you realize that he’s crying too.  

You’ve never seen him cry before.  

“But I’m scared,” he adds. “I’m terrified that I’m going to lose control again and hurt you. Or my brother. You two are the most beloved people in my life, and I don’t want either of you to live in fear of me. And I don’t want you to be held back or weighed down because of me, either. Because I saw the way the others were acting after...” he trails off, shaking his head as he removes his hands from your face.  

“I don’t feel that way,” you note. “In fact, while I was away...it made me realize that I want us to become stronger together. So...let’s sharpen each other. Let’s become more resilient. Let’s live our life the way we want. We’ll figure it out as we go.”  

It’s then you’re reminded of the gift Mystake gave you, so take a moment to pull it out of your cast-aside bag. Garmadon stares at you questioningly at you open the box, pulling out the necklaces.  

“Mystake gave these to me,” you explain, taking the cords of the article between your fingers before gently looping it around his neck. “Doesn’t that metal feel familiar to you?”  

“It’s the golden metal,” he notes softly, taking it between his fingers as it stares at it for a few seconds. “Where did you...?”  

“Mystake gave them to me,” you say again, smiling as you slip yours over your head as well. “They’re for protection. She said that they’re enchanted with a special spell to help protect us.”  

“I can feel its power,” he notes, studying the metal. “It...it’s comforting...”  

“She said that it might help,” you note, situating your necklace so that it rests over your sternum. The metal hums against your skin, warming it slightly. “I hope it does.”  

The two of you are silent for a few seconds before you take his hand in yours, prompting him to return his gaze to you as you squeeze his hand.  

“I know things are going to be different,” you state softly. “But we’ll work through it. Together. Against the darkness. We won’t let it separate us. I promise you, Garmadon, we will find a way to make things work. I am not going to leave you to fight this alone.”  

Garmadon remains silent for a moment, the two of you simply studying each other. You get the feeling that you’re through to him, but he’s still worried.  

“Tell me exactly what it is that scares you,” you state.  

And he does. He spills every single concern that he has – about potentially hurting you or Wu, about how his relationships have suffered, about how he suspects he might lose control of his magic. And more. You have no idea how long the two of you stay there, simply trying to work through both of your concerns. Ideas are proposed. Worries are discussed. Compromises are reached. Through it all, you find yourself feeling more and more hopeful that things will work out. 

By the time the two of you finish talking, nighttime falls over the monastery. You find yourself tired but feeling optimistic and relieved now that you’ve finally had a chance to talk things through with him. The two of you head inside for the night, eventually stopping outside of your room.  

“Garmadon,” you question sleepily, stopping outside of your room.  

“Yes?” he answers, turning to face you.  

You remain silent for a moment before you lay your head on his chest, sneaking your arms around his neck. His eyes soften as the two of you study each other.  

His dark eyes relax as you smile smally at him before coming up to catch him in a sweet, needed kiss. You feel him relaxing against you as his hands circle your waist, pulling you closer. 

“I missed you,” you mumble, resting your head on his shoulder.  

“I missed you too,” he replies.  

…  

It wasn’t all easy, but things got better after that.  

You and Garmadon began talking again, gradually getting back into the flow of life together. Wu was involved too, the three of you deciding to proceed with your training together, as a team. 

The days were long – filled with seemingly endless sparring, countless submissions, and learned lessons. You even learned how to do Spinjitzu over the course of the months! Even with the intensity of your training kicking up, you began to feel stronger than ever. It’s almost like you became more in tune with your magic. Perhaps something had been blocking that communication prior? 

Either way, you find yourself lounging around in the training yard a few months later, listening to Garmadon argue with Ray about something. 

Speaking of the fire elemental, he had come up to visit for a few days. Maya was back at their blacksmith shop, tending to their baby boy with the help of the villagers while Ray went to gather some uncommon metal they needed for a special order. 

You sigh, tired of hearing them banter. “Hey, Ray. Tell Maya that I’m sorry I haven’t visited yet. I promise I’ll get there!” 

“Not a problem,” Ray comments. “She’ll understand.” 

“How’s little Kai doing?” you wonder, sneaking your hand into Garmadon’s. At this point, you had only seen pictures, but you desperately want to visit Maya and meet the newest addition to their family. 

“He’s doing just fine. Already got a little bit of attitude, honestly,” Ray admits with a chuckle. “I love the kid to death, though. It’s also kind of scary, though. I never realized I could love something as much as I love him.” 

“I bet it’s scary,” you reply as Garmadon squeezes your hand. You’re not sure why, but he’s been a little...distant today. Hopefully everything’s okay? Wu hadn’t seen anything concerning in his smoke visions, though. 

“Oh, why don’t we spar before I go?” Ray proposes, perking up at his own idea. “I’ve been so pent up in the shop, I feel like I could use the refresher.” 

“That sounds like fun,” Wu notes. “Here, Ray, you’re with me. And since we just studied a new form of knife defense, we will use wooden training knives too.” 

Wu tosses one over to you, and you catch it with ease. You grin wickedly, taking a moment to stretch as you and Garmadon step to the other side of courtyard. Once you’re done, you wait for Garmadon to ready himself, studying his expression. It remains blank, making you wonder what’s up with him.  

It’s then he turns toward you. A smirk lines your lips as you stare Garmadon down, the two of you circling each other in the training yard. Garmadon has his eyes locked on your figure, both studying each other, seeing who will dare to make the first move.     

“What’s the matter? Scared?” you taunt, walking slowly in that ever-turning circle, each step raising the tension.    

“Yes,” he admits with no hesitation. “I feel like you would find a way to gut me even with it being blunt.”    

You giggle, hand clutching the blunt, wooden training knife that was the subject of today’s training. You twirl it between your fingers, watching him. “I could.”    

“Too bad for you. I’ve got a new move up my sleeve.”    

“Oh, do you now?”  you challenge, intrigued. 

“You’ll never see it coming.”    

“I doubt that.”    

He smirks – almost like he knows he’s right on this one despite the two of you having sparred countless times before. Every time he’d said that previously, you’d felt where his “new move” came in because you knew and understood his fighting style by heart considering how long the two of you had been sparring.    

Patience finally snapping, you approach him. Not in a sprint, but with a determined pace. He immediately grabs your knife-bearing hand. Knowing that this would happen, you quickly switch the knife so that it’s in your free hand. You drop all of your weight, falling in an attempt to get him unbalanced. To your surprise, it works, causing him to roll forward. His back is exposed momentarily. Now’s your chance!    

You jump on his back, immediately planting your heels into his hips and slipping your arms around his neck, making mock stabbing motions into his collarbones. You make stupid sound effects too, eyes widening when he catches your wrist, though – that grip is all too familiar. You squeal as he holds onto your wrist as he stands, tossing you over his shoulders and stealing your knife.  

You land on the ground hard, breaking your fall as best you can. Still, you’re a little stunned, and lay there for a moment before snapping out of the haze and getting up. Then...something dawns on you.    

Something feels off, though. Garmadon definitely would have tried taking advantage of that fall to gain the upper hand. It’s weird that he didn’t. You glance around, realizing that he’s created more distance.    

This must be his new move, you think, readying yourself as you back away. He grins, leaping into a forward roll, but stopping once he’s upright. You relax slightly, a bit confused at what he’s doing.  

Now on a knee, you notice that he’s hiding the knife behind his back. Why bother hiding it? It must be some kind of trick. He could have it under his gi sleeve, or inside, or -    

You frown, observing his movements as he gradually brings his arm out from behind his back, revealing...    

...a...box...?    

“What?” you mumble, still slightly weary. That’s when the realization occurs to you, causing your eyes to widen as you raise your hands to cover your mouth.    

Garmadon says your name, opening the box to reveal half of a yin-yang medallion resting inside. You’re frozen for a moment before your brain can even begin to process what’s happening.    

“My love...through my darkest days you have remained by my side, never failing to support me even at your own risk. While I do not intend to let go so soon, I also recognize the fact that things will not always be this way and that there is always the chance I will succumb. That made me realize...when that day comes, will I be happy with the life I chose to lead?” He pauses, his eyes slightly watery (like yours). “And...that made me realize there was but one thing I wanted to change.”    

Garmadon says your name slowly. “Will you be my yang?”    

You’re unable to contain yourself any longer as you launch yourself towards him, forgetting that he’s on a knee. He barely has time to react, catching you but not able to brace himself as you crash against him, taking the both of you to the ground.    

You don’t care, though. You waste no more time as you press a hard kiss to his lips. You feel him chuckling against you as he encircles his arms around your waist.    

“I think that’s a yes,” you hear Ray yelling sarcastically. You break away with a giggle.    

“Really?” Garmadon answers, gazing at you with a soft smile.    

You nod, the two of you sitting up. Garmadon holds the box out, allowing you to take the medallion in your hands.    

“Oh my stars...” you mumble, clutching it to your chest. “I can’t believe it!”    

Garmadon chuckles softly as he buries his face in your neck, arms tightening around your waist. “I can’t either.” 

You press your cheek against his head, closing your eyes as you inhale your scent, trying not to cry as you laugh. You can’t believe it. You’re really going to have a shot at starting a life with Garmadon. Nothing is out of reach now. Things might not be perfect, but a chance is all you could ever ask for.

𝚊/𝚗: 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚊𝚕𝚕, 𝚒 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚖𝚎 𝚊𝚜𝚔𝚜/𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚒𝚌. 𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢, 𝚒 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗'𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚍𝚘 𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚒 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚙𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚜. 𝚜𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢. 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚜 𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚞𝚎! 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘𝚘. 𝚒 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚖𝚢 𝚞𝚙𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛.

𝚊𝚕𝚜𝚘, 𝚒 𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚏 𝚒 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚊 𝚝𝚊𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚒𝚌. 𝚋𝚞𝚝, 𝚒𝚏 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚝𝚊𝚐𝚐𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚏𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚞𝚙𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚜, 𝚕𝚎𝚝 𝚖𝚎 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠!

𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐: 𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚓𝚊𝚐𝚘 𝚡 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚗 𝚟𝚒𝚊 𝚖𝚢 𝚊𝚜𝚔𝚋𝚘𝚡; 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚖𝚢 𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚗��𝚘!

[fischerbees]

Bite Me!

[word count: 2300]

II. Scars Healed and Unhealed

“As of right now I can’t find anything critical, however, I will need to do some additional check-ups once we’re back at the monastery.” With that, Zane’s eyes ceased their familiar flashing as he stepped away so they all could see each other.

“Great. The last thing I need is to catch rabies. Fantastic idea, Jay!”

“What?”

“It was your idea to go ‘inspect the forest’!” Since their journey back, Cole has not stopped grumbling about it. And while Kai shared the same sentiment, it was getting repetitive.

“Cole…” Holding his uninjured shoulder, Kai tried to help Cole ease down before he would pounce on Jay. He could not get frustrated even with himself for getting so easily shaken to the core by the attack. It was just a pack of wild wolves, he survived worse, why was he so shaken by it all?

“Hey, I was trying to help you!”

“Yeah, into the grave, maybe!”

“ Cole .” Kai tightened his grip and leaned his face closer. “Come on, you need to relax.” Cole scoffed at Jay's mute, wild gesturing and eyes wide like plates but leaned against the wall and let his muscles relax anyway. Kai rubbed his shoulder before picking up another pad with disinfection to rub it on his scratches, clenching his teeth not to hiss.

“If you were to get rabies, and my scans showed nothing concerning, you’ve been vaccinated and the disease won’t be lethal. That, with your immune system being boosted by your elemental power and our medical supplies, any potential diseases would be dealt with fairly quickly.” Once Kai pushed the first aid kit towards him, Zane began packing it up. “Besides a few new scars, you two should be fine.”

“Great, are we going to waste more time here? I think that's more than enough scrolls,” he finally acknowledged the rest of the team.

Lloyd was quick to jump on the train, having registered the weird silence coming from the master of fire. “Kai's right, we should head back, we got what we wanted.”

“What Wu wanted.”

Nya shot Kai one of her sharp looks which he made sure to ignore. “Yeah, they need to get cleaned up properly and Kai's already getting pissy.”

“Am not.”

“Let's get these on board and head back, guys.”

__________________________________________

While he was more than glad to be away from the ruin of a library in the middle of nowhere, being tied to various beeping machines by Zane and Pixal wasn’t a thrilling experience as well. Cole eventually settled down, only his death stares remained and targeted the lightning ninja who seemed jumpier than ever. Kai could not enjoy the performance as much as he wanted to, the whole incident still heavy on his mind.

There were too many questions swirling in his mind and he did not know which required his attention first. And then there was the fact that despite how much he tried helping Zane in reassuring Cole everything was going to be all right, he doubted it himself. The scars burnt relentlessly and his powers seemed to go haywire. Of course, it could be from his nerves. His heart was still busy racing a mile, as much as he hated to admit it.

Pixal said it was normal to feel shock after going through such an experience, Kai silently disagreed. He went through worse things. Way worse things and a bunch of wolves gets him trembling like a scared child? No, he was not having that.

So, he put on his usual, charming grin, went to the dinner as relaxed as he could and spoke fast to make sure his thoughts did not get an opportunity to seep more doubt into his frail foundation. He was just shaken up because Cole got the short end of the stick and Cole has always been his secret weakness and there was nothing more behind it.

Despite all of the effort, his plate was left almost untouched.

__________________________________________

Cole was not one to vent his frustration with others so openly, it was the Smith siblings’ speciality, mainly Kai’s. Nya mastered the art of passive aggression. But once he started, he could see why Kai did it all the time.

They pretty much could have gotten attacked even in the library, Jay just unintentionally pushed them into the front lines. Like a bad move in chess. However, being mad at him rather than at himself for failing to fight off a few wild dogs he could crush with very low effort was definitely easier. It also helped fill the silence – which was Kai’s job and it was unnerving that he did not do it.

Knowing him though, Kai was in the same position – beating himself up over an incredible fail from the mighty ninja. Even his facade was terrible and that was art Kai mastered perfectly to the point it gave even Cole trouble to decipher whether he was being honest or not, so, bad news. Kai was not going to be fun to be around the next day. There was nothing worse in the world than Kai being furious with himself.

Before going to bed, which was at that point the highlight of his day, said ninja stopped by one last time, being unusually timid. There was a strange sense of comfort and discomfort in it.

“How are you feeling?” He was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. Had it not been for his foot absent-mindedly sliding against the floor, he would have seemed relaxed, which Cole guessed was his attempt.

“Stupid because I let myself get beaten up by a bunch of wolves like that,” he admitted. It was always easier with Kai. Somehow they often found themselves in similar predicaments. “Awful because of the shoulder.”

“Does it still hurt?” Despite all the work Kai seemed to put into his composure, Cole still noticed the soft quiver of his voice. When it came to Kai, Cole found himself catching the smallest details he would normally brush over any other day. Now he was left in an awkward position – should he say something or not? How safe was it?

“You know those toothaches that keep you awake and go through all your bones? That’s what it feels like.”

Kai’s eyebrows furrowed together as he bit the inside of his cheek. “I could bring you some painkillers? Maybe one of Wu’s teas?”

Cole shook his head, attempting a small smile. “You know I’m not into that.”

“No, I do, but that doesn’t sound fun.”

“I won’t feel it when I’m asleep.”

“Right.” Kai stared somewhere behind him, probably out of the window. While Cole could not wait to get into bed, he found himself unable to ask Kai to leave. Nothing out of the ordinary. It seemed he had something on his mind, he could only guess whether he would hear some of it. He simply watched him chew on his lip.

“Hey, what do you think Jay meant by the I was trying to help you?” Kai’s question was a sudden ambush, catching him off-guard. His eyes were now staring into Cole’s, somehow reminding him of the wolves’, except more intense and directed.

Dodge and weave. “I guess he just wanted us to avoid having to go through all the scrolls and whatnot.”

“Right, sure…” Kai straightened his pose, knocked thoughtlessly on the wall. “Well… Good night, then.”

“Good night.”

“… Don't let the wolves bite.”

“You're an idiot.”

Kai avoided Cole's shove but grinned at him. “Too soon?”

Cole scoffed. Unbelievable, this guy. “Go to bed, dumbass.”

Kai walked backwards to gift him one last wink before he gets into his room. “Sweet dreams, Rocks.”

“You too…”

__________________________________________

He thought he was dreaming the whole time until the dream tasted too much like vomit and the shivers running down his spine began tingling. Only the gentle, warm touch still carried the comfort of an ethereal reality.

Coming back to his senses was absolutely awful and Cole hated every second of it.

“I've got you, I've got you, baby, don't worry.”

More retching, more splashing of the water in the toilet. Thousands of thick icicles were penetrating his flesh, stabbing his spine but all that got out of him was grunting and panting, as if he screamed out his voice long ago. His muscles ached as if he spent months climbing up mountains. Sudden spasms kept him weak, shaking and clinging onto the bowl. He was either crying or just sweating. First Master, he hoped he was not crying but a good sob would be welcomed. As if something wanted to tear him apart from the inside. He would much rather embarrassingly bawl his eyes out than spew out his guts.

At least the accidental brushes of Kai's fingers against the nape of his neck as he kept the hair out of his face helped him stop concentrating on everything else. Just the taste in his mouth made him want to puke again.

But he let go of the toilet and leaned back into Kai's arms instead. Who needs medication when he has a fire elemental to pat his face with towels and whisper to him?

“You are so much hotter than me.”

“I'm flattered but now's really not the time.” It was surprising he managed to say something, although his voice was too weak to his liking.

“Nice to know where your mind is but no, that’s not what I meant. You're burning up, we'll have to find something to treat the fever.” He tried his best to focus solely on the low voice, sweet like honey, only it just wasn’t enough, his thoughts were too loud and suffocating.

“Please tell me I didn't get rabies,” Cole whined, too beaten down to experience the pure embarrassment. He can enjoy it in the morning once somebody makes the pain go away. Maybe he was actually getting stabbed? It was hard to breathe.

“Relax, it might just be shock from the attack. Are you going to puke more?”

“I don't think so.”

“All right, let's get you outta here.” Kai flushed the toilet and helped Cole walk out, just like back in the forest. Had it been anyone else taking care of him, he would hate being so helpless more. It was somewhat easier to ignore this way.

“How did I even get here?” Everything was pitch black while he could swear his eyes were open.

“Not sure, I found you seconds from ruining the floor in the kitchen. You must've been half awake.”

“And you?”

“Couldn't sleep.” Kai sat Cole down on the couch in the living room. “I'll go get Zane but if anything happens, just yell, okay?” Cole's head spun until everything was a dreamy blur again.

__________________________________________

Sunlight glaring into his face woke Kai up. His world spun and his head ached, pounded along with the rhythm of his own heartbeat. As he blinked his eyes open, it fortunately washed away. No headaches for him today, that was the last thing he needed.

Kai got up and stretched into the air and let out a deep breath as he let his hands fall back to his sides. About to find some clothes to change into, he caught sight of the pile of the remains of his gi from yesterday. He walked over and picked it up only to find it without a scratch. The only thing missing was the sleeve he tore off to help Cole. Otherwise, the gi looked as good as new. As if nothing had happened yesterday. There was no way this was a different pile of clothes, he could still recall where he threw it last night.

Dropping it, Kai quickly took off his shirt and looked over his body to find it clear of any scratches. No pain, nothing, not a single scar or anything suggesting that he got attacked recently. They did have good medication supplies, they did have elemental powers messing with their metabolisms but there was no way they would heal this fast, right?

Without thinking, Kai swore he rushed out of his room in search of the others. Most voices were coming from the dining room. How come they let him sleep in? He was not used to being one of the last ones to get out of bed, not a fan.

“Woah, buddy Cole's not here if that's who you're trying to impress.”

Kai paid zero attention to the comment, turning to everybody else at the table instead. “Where were we yesterday?”

“Don't you remember?” Nya asked back. Based on her concerned frown, she was seconds from leaving everything to see if there was something wrong with him.

“I do but my body doesn't. Didn't we get attacked by a pack of wolves?” In his peripheral vision, Kai noticed Zane’s eyes flashing once again. Catching onto serious stuff faster than the others as usual.

“Yeah?” Jay seemed half-asleep as he squinted at him. Part of Kai wondered if this all could possibly be a dream. Perhaps a fever dream, perhaps he ended up like Cole, passed out and burning with fever.

“So where are my wounds, huh? I'm not injured at all! Explain that.” Now was not the time to panic, yet he could not help himself. Freaky stuff without any explanation was not his cup of tea.

Nya was standing up, mouth opening to say something, except Zane was faster, with a plate of breakfast already being shoved into Kai’s hands, and his mind probably going through all the necessary equipment in the medbay. He instructed him to go fetch Cole, try and eat some of the food, and come for more screenings.

Being too tired for it at the moment, Kai promised himself to get mad about getting tangled into yet another mess later.

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[jinxed-ninjago]

Alright, so I have now watched the first 10 episodes of Dragons Rising. I have some thoughts lmao. Spoilers ahead obviously.

First and foremost, why the fuck was Zane shut down? It's implied he'd been shut down for "years" because Zane mentions the last thing he remembered after being reactivated was entering the Merge, after which Nya says "The Merge? Zane, that was years ago." When I hear someone say something happened "years ago" I usually think between a decade to a century. So why was Zane shut down for so long? Who shut him down in the first place? Was it Wu? It's kind of implied that it was Wu because it's Wu's ... ghost? Spirit? that leads Kai and Nya to the capsule Zane was being kept in, but we don't really know for sure.

Second, where are Cole and Jay? The season isn't over yet and we know they're going to show up in the first season at some point because Michael Adamthwaite and Andrew Francis are in the voice cast, but where are they? Personally I'm imagining Cole got stuck somewhere with the Upply and I'm hoping to god Jay's not alone again purely because last time that happened he lost his grip on reality. On a related note, where's Pixal?

Thinking about how long after the original series Dragons Rising happens, this also provides some insight to the lifespans of elemental masters. The original ninja all look the same as they did in the original series; no signs of aging, no signs of age related health issues, nothing. They look exactly the same as they did in the original series. So what point am I trying to make here? It is very possible that having elemental abilities increases your lifespan and slows your aging drastically, something already sort of hinted at with past elemental masters.

Onto the meta stuff:

I really like the comedy and characterizations in Dragons Rising. Lloyd feels like a younger, sassier version of Wu, which I absolutely adore, Kai is still cocky as fuck, and so on.

Merlopians, Munce, and Geckles show up at the Crossroads Carnival. This does make me hope we'll get to see Bentho, the Sky Folk, Murtessa, Murt, Gulch, Gleck, and the Upply again but alas we do not know. Regardless it's fun to see Merlopians, Geckles, and Munce getting some attention.

THE FUCKING SNAIL DUDE.

THIS IS SO CURSED.

Anthropomorphic lego frogs however are adorable.

Overall so far Dragons Rising is a 10/10 continuation of the original series, and I cannot wait for when the rest of season 1 comes out.