#i will never escape ninjago

[ghostcrackerrs]

sometimes i get really surprised when i find out there’s a fandom for some media that i DID NOT EXPECT to have one but then. i remember im literally in the lego ninjago fandom n i CANNOT be talking

[starlingstalk]

Zane versionnn !! Struggled with the colors a lot. I rlly rlly wanted the initial color composition to work but I couldn‘t figure it out </3

[weekend-whip]

Who could solve a rubric cube, disarm a bomb, or get out of a high-difficulty escape room, because they’re all very different skills in my opinion.

Solve the Cube: Zane, Antonia, Nya, Cole

Disarm a Bomb: Jay, Miranda, Pixal, Olivia, Harumi

High-Difficulty Escape Room: Kai, Lloyd, Jesse, Skylor

[nyaskitten]

Ideas about my Formling Snake OC:

What if he, despite being part-Venomari, could not naturally turn into a snake on his own? What if the Choosing Ceremony caused a snake spirit, let's say, a spirit who's really really really hungry, to find him and choose him as a host?

God how old would this kid realistically be like he can't be any older than like five because the Merge was like 5-ish years old... a five year-old bearing the soul of the Devourer as his animal form would be so fucked up... oh it'd be horrendous of me oh oh OH !!!

[fallentale4]

In the distance you can see me being dragged back to the tmnt fandom.

[so-sures-blog]

Icebound

icebound definition: surrounded, obstructed, or covered by ice.

In which Zane uses his element against the Overlord to save the city and his friends. Because it wasn’t about numbers, it was about family.

❄️🩵❄️🩵❄️🩵❄️

It is the end, and Zane knows it.

The Overlord is conquering Ninjago City, webs of gold stringing across buildings like Christmas lights and tying up his friends like flies. They struggle, but it is useless under the might of the Overlord.

Zane flips out of the way of a golden band reaching to ensnare him and lands on a roof. All of his friends are tied up, and only Zane is free. He knows what he has to do. He is the only one who can.

“Support me, friends. For one last time.”

He takes a running leap off the ledge, and Jay flips midair so his feet plant squarely on top of his. Then Cole, Lloyd, Kai, Sensei Garmadon, and Wu.

He soars, flying straight at the Overlord, and grabs onto his golden fangs.

Immediately, he feels its power, and its agony. Pain rips into every crevice of his body; his jolts rattle and shake and his wires spark under his skin.

“Let my friends go!” Zane shouts.

“Go where, Doomed Ninja?” The Overlord sneers. Its eyes, red and hateful, glare into him.

Zane writhes under the immense pain and power. His body cannot handle it, he knows, and he feels himself falling apart under it.

“The Golden Weapons are too powerful for you to behold. Your survival chance is low.”

But Zane isn’t trying to hold them. He’s trying to destroy them.

He thinks of his brothers. He thinks of PIXAL. He thinks of his father. He thinks of an old man with long white hair as pure as snow and ice blue eyes that visited him a long time ago, who had come and left as quickly as winter did and had breathed that power into him because he saw him worthy of it.

“This … isn’t about numbers … It's about family!”

The golden webs holding the Ninja fall and they escape. He can hear them screaming, telling him to let go, and he thanks them for that. Wu and Garmadon grab onto them and yank them back, away from the oncoming destruction.

His core — his heart — started reaching critical mass. Frost began creeping upon the Overlord’s fangs. Something blue and blinding in his heart freezes under his power, and Zane embraces it. It's his power. His choice.

“I am a Nindroid. And Ninja never quit. Go Ninja … go!”

He is the Master of Ice. He was built to protect those who cannot protect themselves. He stands for peace, freedom, and courage in the face of all who threaten Ninjago.

Frostbite burns his skin away; jolt and wires freeze under the cold; until he is left completely bare.

The last glimpse they get of Zane is him surrounded by a blizzard of his own making, bright and beautiful like a supernova. Burning blue and white with the terrible brilliance of his own determined choice.

Zane died; not as a machine, not as a human, not as a tool of anyone or anything — but as himself. Zane died to save the ones he loves.

And woke up as something completely different.

❄️🩵❄️🩵❄️🩵❄️

PIXAL climbs her way up the steep cliff side, careful to place her foot in secure crevices in case she slipped and fell from the icy mountain. Heavy snow blinded her vision as the blizzard whipped around her, but she kept her pace steady and sure.

It had been months since she had left Ninjago City and began her search. Months since Zane’s death and memorial. PIXAL knew, logically, that she should be back there, properly mourning him. But she could not.

He had never given up on her, not when she was under the Overlord’s control or when she was struggling with the newness of emotions.

And that meant she could never give up on him.

When she had first met Zane, she became more than a machine meant to function. He was vital to her, and she was a part of him.

She carried half his heart, and against all logical explanations, she knew he was still alive.

She did not tell the Ninja of her suspicions: the immediate aftermath of Zane’s loss had been devastating. She’d watched as the team fractured, splitting at the seams as they all fled their separate ways, too heartsore and dizzy with grief to do much otherwise. She did not tell Cyrus Borg where she was going either, for she knew if he begged her to stay, she would.

If she had told them she had seen a snowy wraith emerge from the destruction of the frozen, apocalyptic atmosphere on the rooftop, she would have been told she had imagined it due to her grief.

And while she was grieving, she was not imagining it. She is a Nindroid, and she did not have an imagination. PIXAL was built to observe, to analyze, to collect data and gather information. She built theories and hypothesized, not assumed.

So she followed the signs. She kept track of all weather anomalies that happened across Ninjago — sudden snowstorms, cold drops in temperatures that swept through small villages and towns. It led her all across the country until it ended here, with her climbing up the frozen, snow-peaked mountain.

Finally, PIXAL arrived at her destination.

The Ice Temple.

Slowly, she makes her way towards it. Her sensors indicate the temperature dropping the closer she gets. For a normal human, they would have already gotten frostbite without the proper equipment and numb with it, but PIXAL was made of metal. The cold did not bother her.

She peers into the glacial architecture, but does not enter. Or more like, she is unable to. It feels as if there is some sort of force of winter that is keeping her at bay.

“Zane?” Hope finds its way into the desperation of her voice. Freezing winds whip her hair out of its ponytail and against the purple circuits on her cheeks, but she barely notices. “Is that you?”

There’s nothing except for the howling wind, then her eyes catch movement. Slowly, almost like a ghost, a figure starts to come closer, making a shape against the blizzard.

If PIXAL had lungs, all the air would have rushed out of them.

A being made of pure winter floated in front of her. Formed of ice and frost and molded by the wind, it stood there and looked at her. Opaque ice carved the face that has been imprinted in her memory drives, the one she had traveled across the entire world to see again.

It was frozen, and beautiful, and Zane.

Inside her neural drive, alarms were blaring into her system, flashing behind her eyes. Warning: Severe weather alert. Temperature reaching sub-zero levels. Retreat into a warmer climate —

PIXAL shut off the notifications.

“Hello,” she says. Zane does not move. She dares a step closer. “Do you recognize me?”

He says nothing, so PIXAL continues on. It feels like their roles were reversed when they first met: she, the one struck speechless by the other’s beauty. Him, stoic to it all.

“I’m PIXAL, the Primary Interactive X-ternal Assistant Lifeform. I’m a … friend. I came searching for you to bring you home. There are things about you that you don’t understand. That you have yet to discover. I am here to help you remember.”

Zane is quiet, but she senses that he is listening. Something glowing in her chest aches.

“It is alright if you don’t remember me,” PIXAL says. She cannot cry, but is she would she could. She is still new to emotions, and many are overwhelming her: joy and grief and something fierce and pure deep in her heart. “I remember you. And we are still compatible.”

Zane tilts his head and drifts closer. The snow slows its fall, the wind stopping altogether. Snowflakes gently coat her hair. Now that he is closer, she can see the differences that make him unlike the old Zane: he doesn’t have the one dimple on the right side of his cheek, or the small beauty mark on his collarbone, or the tiny scar on his index finger from his shuriken.

But he is still Zane, even as an icy spirit.

She held out a hand. “Your brothers miss you very much. Will you come back with me, Zane?”

He is silent, staring at her. Unlike before, it is impossible to know what he is thinking. She gazes up at him, imploring. His eyes have no irises or pupils, so she is simply staring up at pinpricks of pure blue light.

Slowly, his hand reaches out of her.

BANG!

A loud sound echoes across the ice, and out of nowhere chains of Vengestone come flying out and capture him.

Fear slams into her. “Zane!” PIXAL cries.

Ice races out from his body and across the chains as Zane struggles, but no matter what, he can’t break them.

PIXAL whips around to face the assailant.

A man in his thirties, wrapped in a thick parka to prevent the cold and wearing a red mask. He has shoulder-length brown hair and is wearing a dyed red straw hat, and under it she can see he is hiding an eyepatch.

“What are you doing?” PIXAL shouts. Anger — an emotion she rarely feels — burns through her.

The man lowers his gun and pulls out another one before she can even blink.

“Sorry, sweetheart. Just following orders.”

Before she can question what that means, he fires. A net tangles her limbs together and brings her down against the cold snow. Before she can fight against it, electricity courses through her.

And then everything went black.

[oldwritingm]

I love your ninjago stuff. Could we get the ninja team reaction to y/n dying, then poof turned out it was just a nightmare as y/n is next to them when they wake up.

I'm glad you like my writing! :D Here ya go, friend!

Ninjago - Ninjas Having a Nightmare Where You Die

Zane

In the dream, you guys had been on a mission together

He calculated the exact amount of time it would take to escape the enemy base, which was set to lock down and then self destruct, and even left you with a timer so you'd know when to get going

He went ahead to clear the way and prepare the Bounty for pickup, trusting you to make it out in time

His calculation was wrong. The bounty was sent soaring with the shock of the massive explosion, and he watched in horror knowing you were still inside

He woke up with a start, frantically looking around the room

He realized that it was a nightmare, but he was still worried

Seeing you sleeping by his side, he let out a sigh

He just watched you for a while, thinking about the dream

He didn't want to wake you; you just looked so peaceful

Besides, your serenity was infectious; he began to relax as he watched your chest rise and fall

He quietly resolved to never, never, make such a mistake; he'd have to start double-checking his work

A little smile found his lips when he decided this, and he gradually lowered himself back onto the bed

He'd keep you safe, no matter what

Safe, like you were beside him now, with his arm draped over you protectively

Cole

The dream was actually a good dream at first

You were eating ice cream together in your favorite parlor in Ninjago

Cole was eating the best ice cream he ever tasted, and he was saying as much to you

He was completely distracted, so he didn't notice the suspicious group entering the parlor

Before he knew it they had attacked, leaving you on the floor while they ran away

He dropped to the ground, dumbfounded, horrified, watching the light fade from your eyes

His eyes flew open, and he found himself whispering your name

You woke up, turning over with a little groan to see what was wrong

He let out a loud sigh when he saw your face, and he hugged you close to his chest, planting a kiss atop your head

"Nothing. Nothing... just a nightmare."

"Mmm... okay... love you."

"I love you too."

He feels a lot better when you're in his arms, and he's able to dismiss the whole ordeal as a silly dream that he'd never let happen in reality

Kai

In his dream, you were both being attacked by a group of really strong adversaries

Kai was held back by just one of them, forced to his knees and unable to move

He was forced to watch as they executed you, completely powerless

He screamed and writhed, but it was all futile

He awoke in a cold sweat, shouting your name while he flew out of bed

You jumped out of bed too, assuming something was happening

When he saw you, he ran to envelop you in his arms

He squeezed you tight, tears falling down his face while he whispered into your shoulder

"I'm sorry... I—I wasn't strong enough..."

"Kai, what are you talking about? Are you okay?"

He doesn't say anything, but you can guess it was a nightmare

You hug him back, reassuring him that everything was fine

You tell him that he's strong, and at first he shakes his head, but he nods a little when you insist

Once he's fully reassured, he swears to always protect you, and holds you close while you fall back asleep

Jay

You were both fending off villains on a perilous cliffside

Failing miserably, you were forced to the very edge, and one final blow sent you over, plummeting to the hard rocks below

Jay dove over the edge, grabbing your wrist with one hand and holding the cliff with the other

But his hands were sweaty with nerves, and you began to slip

You pleaded for your life, begging Jay to hold on tighter

He awoke just before you hit the ground

He sat up with a start, looking around frantically

He shook your shoulder violently when he saw you

"Y/n! Y/n!!'

"Wha? Jay??"

"Oh thank goodness you're alive!!"

He describes the dream in detail, quivering at the memory

You bring his head to rest on your chest while you listen, nodding sleepily while he talked

He wonders anxiously aloud if something like that would ever actually happen

You have to reassure him that it was only a dream, and it'd never happen in real life

When he's finally calmed, he thanks you quietly

You feel tears beginning to stain your pajamas, and you run your fingers through his hair gently to calm him

The softness of the moment puts you both back to sleep :]

Lloyd

He dreamed that you had been captured by an Oni, one who particularly hated Lloyd

He was trying to rescue you, stealthily sneaking into the Oni's camp

But the Oni saw him, and a disgusting smirk grew on its face

He made eerie eye contact while grabbing you by your collar and forcing you to look at Lloyd

He executed you on the spot, laughing when Lloyd began to scream

He awoke with his heart racing and his breathing ragged

He whipped his head to the side, sighing loudly when he saw your peaceful face

The commotion he made roused you, and you smiled tiredly when you met his eyes

Then, noticing that he was distressed, you asked what was wrong

He described the dream in short detail, but you could tell it bothered him

So you nuzzled into his chest, assuring him that it was only a dream

He agrees with you, but he doesn't believe it until he's sure that you're really there

He runs his hands through your hair, around your back, down to your hands, and finally to cup your cheek before he's convinced

Then, planting a kiss on your lips, he's finally able to go back to sleep

Nya

In the dream, you were caught in a trap

The trap was a metal room, its walls set to grow closer together until whatever was inside was crushed

Nya was outside the room, panicking as she tried to navigate the trap's inner workings

She cut wires, smashed buttons, flipped switches—but none of it worked

She knew she failed when you let out one final shout and then went quiet

When she awoke, tears were already streaming down her face

But when she noticed you at her side, she threw her arms around your chest

You awoke, smiling at first and wrapping your arms around her waist in turn

But you frowned when you felt her quivering, as well as the dampness of her eyes

"Woah, hey, what's wrong?"

"I... just a horrible dream... stupid, really."

Nya sniffed, wiping her eyes and trying to smile for you

You knew that you couldn't coax anything out of her that she didn't want to share, so you just held her, telling her how much you loved her

Eventually she admitted what the dream was about, and you told her that it was totally unrealistic

She giggled a little at that, agreeing that she'd never fumble like that in real life

So, with satisfied smiles on both of your faces, you drifted back off to sleep

Thank you so much for this request,, it was so cute!! And thanks for reading, take care sweeties <33

(divider by saradika)

[scribblue]

Like Father, Like Son [A Bitten!Lloyd Fic]

"He was trapped inside himself, forced to bear witness to the loss of his own identity."

Lloyd Garmadon's life, and the fate of Ninjago itself, is altered forever when he is bitten by the Great Devourer.

2,416 Words ☆ Angst, Canon Divergent AU, Lloyd Garmadon needs a hug ☆ Rated T, no major warnings

This is the first of several oneshots I have planned for this AU, detailing important milestones in Lloyd's post-bite life!! Read it below, or on AO3!

𓆩✧𓆪

In a single agonizing instant, Lloyd understood his father.

As the Great Devourer’s fangs pierced through his sleeve and infused its villainous venom into his veins, as he was shaken like a ragdoll and left to bleed on the desert floor, as the first wave of inner turmoil overtook him, he understood it all. Somewhere in his half-awake stupor and blackening heart he found it, a glimmer of empathy at the end of the tunnel. So, this was the reason for his father’s fall from grace. For his poor choices. For his lengthy absence. It was something Lloyd had long been aware of, at least as much as a young child could be, yet nothing could have prepared him for the reality of his experience. 

Pure, unfiltered hatred and vile thoughts clouded an already swirling mind. He felt his morals being corroded away as though he'd been injected with acid rather than venom, stripping him of all sense of self. It was a metamorphosis of the soul he was powerless to stop, and his body was the cocoon he couldn’t escape, forcing him to lay still in the sand no matter how hard he willed himself to move. He was trapped inside himself, forced to bear witness to the loss of his own identity. 

No. No, he had to fight. He had to. Lloyd couldn’t let the venom win. He was the green ninja. He had the choice to be good. He couldn’t let everyone down. He couldn’t let his father down. He had to do better.

Somewhere in the distance he could hear the cries of his friends, the crack of wood as the Great Devourer went back for seconds. The bounty would surely not survive another attack by the giant snake. Lloyd hoped…he hoped…

It was like grasping for a fleeting memory. He wasn’t sure what he hoped for, if anything; it felt so far away. His body was burning hot and wracked with chills at the same time. His vision blurred and darkened at the edges. Was the wetness on his face sweat or tears? 

Someone called out to him. He couldn’t tell who it was over rushing blood in his ears and the violent storm that raged inside him. When he tried to respond, all that came out was a mangled groan. A hand took him by the shoulder and gave him a shake, which he barely registered; in his loss of blood, consciousness, and identity, this body no longer felt like his own. And it put up no fight as his consciousness was finally claimed.

𓆩✧𓆪

You’re a monster now. 

“How is he doing?” 

Despite a soft tone, the broken silence was enough to startle Wu from his trance. He whipped his head up to face Nya, who had entered the room as quietly as she’d spoken and now met his gaze with a worried expression. Wu wordlessly beckoned her closer and she complied, joining him by Lloyd’s bedside. The young boy was swathed under heavy blankets to sweat out a fever, though an elevated temperature was the least of his problems. He tossed and turned fitfully with eyes squeezed tightly shut, muttering gibberish.

“He is as stable as possible,” Wu said. “I wish we could offer more comfort but…I’m afraid we’ve done all we can do.”

Your friends will never trust you again. Your father will be so disappointed. 

“No, no…” Lloyd whined under his breath.

“You can’t wake him up?” Nya said, worrying the hem of her top with anxious fingers. “It’s been a whole day now.”

Wu let out a resigned sigh. “Lloyd is fighting against the venom as my brother did many, many years ago… this is just the beginning of a lifelong battle. If we do not allow him to emerge victorious from today’s struggle, he may never have the strength to fight it at all.” The words were true, despite Wu’s desperate wishes for the contrary. Seeing Lloyd in such a condition brought a wave of traumatic memories to the surface, and threw salt in wounds that never had a chance to properly heal. Wu couldn’t help but blame himself for Lloyd’s condition, as he had for Garmadon’s. If only he had been there.

You cannot fight the darkness in your soul. You must surrender to it. This is who you were always meant to be. 

Nya pulled up a stool next to Wu and settled into it, keeping her gaze trained on Lloyd. “There has to be something we can do.”

“I wish it as much as you do. But I— we were too late.” Wu cleared his throat to banish a slight tremble. “The venom cannot be removed now. He must learn to coexist with it.”

The world will pay for letting you down, and you will be the means for their demise. Pave the path for your future with their early graves. 

Lloyd yelped and began to toss more violently, tangling the blankets with his thrashing limbs. Wu rose to his feet and stepped forward to gently tug the coverings free of his flailing body, then fetched a washcloth from a dish of cold water at his bedside. He wrung out the excess and placed the cool material across Lloyd’s forehead. The relief was immediately apparent. The boy ceased his thrashing and settled into a state of relative calm, and Wu let out a sigh of his own moderate relief, settling back in his seat.

“What does it mean for the prophecy? Is he still the Green Ninja?” Nya asked with marked hesitancy.

That same question had weighed heavily on Wu’s mind in the past hours, and unfortunately, no amount of meditating brought him closer to an answer. “That will be revealed in time. I’m afraid the fate of Ninjago is uncertain, even to me… that said, one thing is clear: we must focus our efforts on Lloyd’s training tenfold. He will need extra guidance to not only hone his elemental powers, but to hone the darkness inside. We must help him find the light.”

Fighting back merely delays the inevitable. Give in. Give up. Accept your fate.

“No!” Lloyd yelled. He lurched upright with swinging arms, an outburst that elicited a jolt from the pair sitting beside him. He maintained the offensive stance for a moment, panting and surveying his surroundings with wide, fearful eyes. 

"Easy, Lloyd," Wu said gently. "You're safe now."

"Yeah, it's alright Lloyd– it's just us," Nya chimed in with a small, somewhat unconvincing smile.

Lloyd looked over at them, expression softening and fists lowering as recognition kicked in. “What…what happened? Where am I?”

Wu rose from his seat and approached Lloyd with a tentative gait. He studied him closely, as though a thorough enough examination would reveal the depths of the venom's effect. “You are in Ninjago City. Tell me, how do you feel? What do you remember?”

“I feel… awful.” He peeled the towel off of his forehead and Nya reached forward to take it from him, dipping it back in the water dish. “I had a horrible nightmare where I was bit by…the…” His eyes widened in a state of sickening realization, which he aimed at his bitten arm; bandaged tightly below the elbow and surely still sore. Faded patches of blood and venom stained the inner layers of cloth. “…I was bit by the Great Devourer.”

So, he was aware. At least that was one less bandaid for Wu to rip off, for lack of a less ironic metaphor. “Yes, I’m afraid your nightmare is reality,” he said. “I’m sorry, Lloyd. The Great Devourer’s venom now courses through your veins as well.”

Nya offered Lloyd the compress, which he stared at blankly before rejecting with a slight shake of his head. She set it aside. “I’m sorry too. We all are. I can’t even imagine how hard it is for you right now. Don't worry though, okay? We’re gonna get through this together. All of us.”

Lloyd averted his gaze to some far off corner of the second-rate apartment building they were holed up in, though his vacant stare was clearly not one of judgment for their living situation. There was anguish behind those eyes, anguish that Wu was most familiar with. That he dreaded the sight of. “Where’s my father?”

Wu and Nya shared a knowing glance, and Nya took it as her queue to exit. “I, uh…think I’ll leave you guys to it,” she said, sparing Lloyd another sympathetic smile and slipping out of the room. 

With Nya gone, Lloyd’s full attention snapped to Wu. “Where is my father?” he repeated with increased insistence.

Wu stroked his beard as he gathered the words to explain. His conflicting feelings about his brother's conflicting actions made it a particularly difficult task, especially with Lloyd’s intense scrutiny. Not that delaying the news made it any more bearable. “...When your father heard of the bite, and your compromised condition, he took the golden weapons and used them to defeat the Great Devourer in your name. His act of bravery saved us all. However... once the dust had settled, he was nowhere to be found. Along with the golden weapons.”

Lloyd’s face fell. In the silent room, one could hear his heart shatter from within. "He...left?” 

Wu didn’t respond. The answer was already evident and hung heavily in the air between them. Garmadon’s decision was not one Wu agreed with, but he wagered that speaking ill of him would not offer any solace; instead, he reached up under his hat and procured a scrap of paper curled into a roll. “I found this at the scene of the Great Devourer's demise. I think you need to read it.” 

Lloyd accepted the paper gingerly and unfurled it with equal caution. His eyes flitted across the messily scrawled ink. 

To my brother,

Take care of Lloyd for me. He will need someone to guide him through this, and, despite our quarrels, I can think of no one better suited than you. My own venom has run too deep, and I fear my presence would influence him in the wrong direction. I cannot allow that to happen. Please continue his teachings in my absence.

To my son,

I love you. I hope you will understand my decision one day, and possibly even forgive me, though it is certainly not owed. I am so sorry, Lloyd. I never wanted this for you. I know how terrifying and isolating it all is. No matter what happens, never lose sight of who you are at your core: a strong, adventurous young man with a heart of gold. Do not let the venom take that away from you. 

You must maintain balance within yourself, rely on your companion's wisdom when yours fails, and keep moving forward even when the road gets difficult. One way or another, I will be there by the end of it. And I will be so proud of you.

It's not your fault, Lloyd. 

Your father always,

Garmadon

Wu had reread the message enough times to nearly memorize it himself, so when Lloyd’s eyes began to well up with tears, it came as no surprise. He was taken aback, however, by the sudden shout of frustration as Lloyd balled the paper in his fist and threw it across the room. “I hate him, I hate him, I hate him!!” he cried, green eyes blazing red like a forest overtaken by flame. “How could he do this to me? How could he leave me again when he knows how much I need him? Doesn't he know how much I need him?!” 

Wu stumbled backwards and instinctively reached for his staff, realizing the mistake too late as Lloyd’s furious expression landed on him and twisted in betrayal. The fire behind his eyes extinguished, leaving a wounded child in its embers. “...You think I’m a monster like him.” His once furious tone was now trembling and dejected.

The staff fell to the floor with a hollow clatter. “Lloyd, no, it’s not like that. I was simply startled. Neither of you are monsters, this venom, it— it isn’t you. I would never– er, I know you would never...” Wu heaved a sigh. His tangled tongue was doing him no service. "I'm sorry, nephew."

Lloyd held his gaze for a beat before dropping his attention to his wounded arm, curling and uncurling his fingers wordlessly. He didn’t appear convinced, and Wu didn't blame him. Further placations surely couldn't ease such a troubled mind, so the pair remained in uneasy silence, accompanied only by a ticking clock on the wall and blooming dread inside Wu’s chest. He willed himself to fight it, just as Lloyd was fighting his own darkness. Strength was a skill he must model.

Wu turned to survey the room, eyes landing on the crumpled page. He plucked it from the floor and began carefully smoothing it out to the best of his ability. The words were still legible, if a bit creased and stained with teardrops. For this, Wu was grateful. They were important words, ones Wu hoped would one day soothe Lloyd's heart rather than break it. He rolled it back into a makeshift scroll and set it on Lloyd’s nightstand. 

“I’ll still have to fight him…won’t I?”

It was nearly whispered, as though the reality behind the statement was too heavy to bear fully. Wu considered Lloyd thoughtfully, taking note of his puffy, tear-stained face with a frown. “Hm…perhaps,” he admitted. “Although, that is a battle for another day, and one we have ample time to prepare you for. Tonight, allow yourself to rest, Lloyd. Your body and mind are still healing and need time to recover."

Lloyd sniffed and wiped his face into his sleeve. "Okay," he said, and Wu had never heard him sound so defeated. He eased back into bed and closed his eyes, letting out a shaky sigh.

Wu lingered in the doorway for just a moment longer before turning off the light and slipping out to update the others on Lloyd’s condition. He wished he bore more hopeful news. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, to himself or the ninja, their situation had become far more dire. At this time, he could only pray external guidance would be enough to tip the scales of balance back to a steady equilibrium, lest all of Ninjago pay for Wu’s neglect.

Lest the vicious cycle continue.

[enavstars]

Time for Aus :D

(Poster/ desings are not final)

Details:

Eclipse:

Takes place after crystallized, the ninja have recovered their powers and got back to the status quo.

Rumors start spreading on the Internet that Kai is actually useless because he's never defeated a supervillain on his own. Kai gets insecure about his worth to the rest of the team, acting more and more rashly out of the need to prove himself. However, everyone else thinks he's overreacting for attention, so in a mission with Lloyd and Nya, after trying too hard and messing up, they snap at him, thinking he just wants to regain his popularity disregarding people's safety.

Much later, Kai is injured on a solo mission and is saved by a mysterious woman (the villain) who secretly aims to manipulate him to turn against the ninja and Ninjago as a whole, taking advantage on his past hardships as a child and his current mixed feelings towards them. She uses dark magic (sort of like Clause) to take and amplify what little is left of the corruption from Chen's elements staff into a mask, to slowly make his own thoughts turn against them all, eroding him from inside out.

At first she convinces him to become a kind of vigilante, killing criminals who might have used him in the past under said mask as Akatora ("Red Tiger"), steadily growing more corrupted.

Once the ninja discover Akatora's true identity, they believe he's being forced to betray them and try to "save" him, which only angers Kai further for not realizing how badly they've treated him.

But when they realize that they're at fault, the team splits in two: Cole, Jay and Pixal can't see a way of saving Kai on time before he self-destructs and takes the entire city down with him; while Lloyd, Nya and Zane try to get him back at all costs.

At first, the villain didn't care which elemental master to use to get the ninja to destroy the city. But upon finding out more about Kai's past, she decides the Ninja are no good for him and wants to "save" him, to get him out of that toxic environment. She even confronts them more than once after taking him under her wing. However, later on she changes her mind...

I have many more details but this is all I'll say for now. I want to make it a realistic and morally grey season where neither the ninja nor Kai are the villain, because the ninja do love Kai, they just have to show it. Also Kai's corruption is going to be slow where you don't really know how of it is Kai's true intentions.

On the road:

This AU is set years after Kai and Nya's parent's disappearence. Despite still living at the blacksmith off Kai's odd jobs, the siblings are fairly neglected by the townspeople of Ignacia. After getting seriously beat up in a fight with some kids who had been passive-agressively bullying Kai for years, they go a little too far by almost killing him and threatening to do the same to Nya. Kai is forced to abandon the hope of their parents ever returning and leaves for Ninjago City with Nya, hoping for a better life.

After travelling for a while they stumble across Ronin. They somehow convince him to take them in for a while in his rudimentary shed and to teach Kai how to hunt and be more self-sufficient for the journey. In the meantime, Nya shows off her handiwork, making toys off scraps for Ronin to sell as thanks. When they decide to part ways, Ronin gives them a map, setting them on the right direction (he's no babysitter, but hey, he actually cared).

Days later, Nya finds a hungry and weary Lloyd along the way, lost after escaping Darkleys and looking for his uncle Wu. After some convincing from Nya, they agree to take him in and start travelling together, eventually bonding and becoming a found family.

The Au is mostly about their (fun) little adventures and Kai being an overstressed mom trying to keep their younger siblings alive and relatively out of trouble (but don't worry, he's actually enjoying it).

In the end, after having taken their shot in Ninjago, they find Wu and are taken in at the monastery. Yes, Wu is actually a good uncle here. They deserve it. Especially Kai.

Kai is 13, Nya 11 and Lloyd 9 (older than canon, no tomorrow's tea)

Feel free to ask any questions about the aus.

[ramspatula]

The elemental garden

Ninjago x reader ultimate master list

⚠️ Warning ⚠️ : all my fics include very mature and some triggering themes i.e alcohol , smoking, violence, gore, sexual themes and themes of a similar nature

Carnations | Cole Brookstone x fem!reader

• Ghosts aren’t real. I can’t see them. I can’t hear them. I can’t talk to them. I can’t touch them. I can’t feel them. And I can’t love one.

Zinnias | Lloyd Garmadon x fem!reader

• You’re waiting for something, I know what every world looks like for us, I know what you’re waiting for, you’ve waited in vain because there’s nothing for you. - sent 18:04

• Rather melodramatic aren’t you, Peaches? - read 18:06

Begonias | Kai smiths x fem!reader

• You never learn if you can’t admit you’re wrong. All these bold words come from a weak mouth. All the games and the lies. Am I supposed to forget about them until it happens again? Until I’m too broke to mend?

Arrowheads | Nya smith x fem!reader

• Darling, are you lying to yourself again? It’s amazing how charming she can be when she wants her way.

Galanthus nivalis | Zane Julien x fem!reader

• I love you, Mr Julien and that’s the problem. Because you’ll never love me. It’s not in your programming.

Lobelias | Jay Walker x fem!reader (coming soon)

• You’re like that one advert you can never escape. Like that one song that you swear you hate but don’t actually care that it’s stuck in your head. You’re stuck in my head and I love it. You’re like the sugar rush I was never allowed to have because it was too good to last. Except you’ll stay right? Like the song stuck in my head whose lyrics I could sing on repeat?

[lightning-and-dragons]

NINJAGO DRAGONS RISING SEASON 2 PART 1 SPOILERS!

So, after seeing Jay in part one of season 2, I began to wonder how Jay could become a villain, as many people have theorized (I love these theories so much, I would love to see him have a villain arc!).

Here's how I think it could happen with what we know about Jay now (sort of told in a story form....I'm a fanfic writer, so that's my default lol):

Jay was used to emptiness. Ever since he lost his memories, there was a void inside of him, a void created by not knowing. Not knowing who he was before the Merge. Not knowing his favorite color. Not knowing what he was like. Not knowing if anyone out there loved him. Not knowing if he even liked himself.

It was a numbing feeling, like staying still while the world moved around him, like being left behind as everyone moved ahead. He couldn't feel anything with that emptiness, that numbness in his heart. Perhaps feelings were something one gained from knowing who you were. Knowing where you came from. Knowing who loved you.

He pretended he could feel, that his world wasn't numb inside, and it worked to the people around him, but he could never trick himself.

Nothing in the Administration could fill that void. Nothing could make him feel much of anything. He tried to fill the void with paperwork, and then videogames, yet nothing could make him feel like there was something in him. That there was something about his life worth celebrating. Nothing made him feel like he was a person, someone with a history, someone people could like. Nothing made him feel real. Everyone at the Administration just treated him like another worker, which he guessed he was, and the emptiness grew.

The emptiness got bigger when he discovered that he could control lightning. He found that he had all that power, so much strength, yet no one to celebrate it with. Which made the power useless, didn't it? He couldn't use it in the Administration or else he could get terminated, he couldn't tell anyone, he couldn't do anything with it. It became just as useless as everything else about him, the him now and most likely the him from before.

The excitement he had felt soon disappeared, along with the worry. There was nothing he could do about it, and the numbness returned.

When he met that skeleton-person when the Administration was sent to find the machine known as Zane, Jay felt something change in him. The person had looked at him with confusion when he spoke up, and showed some care to how he felt about the job he was in. Sure, she was probably just trying to escape, but her words filled the emptiness, made him feel like a person, that there was something more to him that just a member of the Administration. And when he saw himself, dressed in something close to a ninja gi, in the yellow orbs reflection, he felt confusion and awe, the void filling once again.

It was in that moment that he wanted the void filled completely. He didn't want to live as an empty shell anymore. He wanted to be a person, someone more than an agent. And he hungered for it.

He was tired of being empty. He wanted to feel again. He wanted to be someone.

So, he escaped the Administration, leaving it as quickly as he could, searching, fighting to fill that void again, to feel more than numb, to find out who he could be. Could he be more than what he was? Was he meant to be someone incredible?

That was when Lord Ras found him. Ras promised Jay a life that he could be proud of, that would make Jay worth something, that his name would be known. That he could feel more than he had felt in years. That the void that Jay felt could be filled.

The emptiness in him screamed to be filled again, and he could already feel Ras' praises, his promises, filling it.

Jay didn't hesitate to put on the wolf mask that was handed to him.

And, with the resounding note of a gong, the emptiness was gone.

[dumbass-duo-showdown]

DUMBASS DUO SHOWDOWN ROUND 1 BATTLE 6

Isaac & Miria (Baccano) vs Jay Walker & Cole Brookstone aka Bruise (lego ninjago)

propaganda under the cut!

Isaac & Miria

They somehow became immortal and didn’t realize for almost a century…when they do not physically age. As for the duo part, they share a page on Wikipedia. Just the two of them.

They accidentally whoosh their way through surviving a clash of gangs and immortals on a massive train disaster just by being friendly, thieving, and clueless to everyone they meet. Wanted in probably every state by now. They are so in love and I don't think they ever had common sense to begin with. Wherever they are I hope they are still stealing and drinking and relaxing after another grand escape

Wacky immortal thief duo who are largely unaware of their own immortality. They wear wacky costumes and perform wacky heists. Saying they share one brain cell is generous, it’s probably closer to half a brain cell.

They became immortal and didn't realise for decades, they didn't notice they weren't aging and that all their injuries healed instantly. They are a pair of thieves who once decided to steal a whole museum but it was obviously too big so instead they stole the door so no one would be able to get in. They wanted to steal from the earth itself so they went (literally) gold digging (in a cave gold had never been found).

Bruise

They both come up with the dumbest ideas on the team and make jokes all the time

They got into a love triangle/fight because they were just dumb and missed each other. Also they’re canonical besties who are so fucking stupid but also love each other so much

They’re both just so silly… anxiety dumbass and emotional support dumbass…

They ended up in jail once because they broke a dangerous criminal out with good intentions, had a fight over a girl but in the end said that they were more upset about losing each other

[thecatundertheladder]

FSM during march of the oni, how they feelin'?

Eeeeeee I'm so glad you asked because the thoughts I have had about this.

First of all some (potentially unnecessary) background info.

1. So Mystake is one of The Oni Warlords. This is canon. What isn’t canon is which one. While I haven’t fully decided on which one she’s going to be I’m leaning towards Venge because of a whole backstory and character arc that I haven’t written yet. But it’s not overly important right now.

2. Mystake and the Fsm have a parent-child relationship in this au. Mystake is also one of the people he learnt to fight properly from.

3. In this au the Oni Warlords are gods. But unlike Fsm, who simply can't die, they can be killed. However their deaths aren't permanent, and they always find a way to return, whether its by healing their own bodies, or by simply constructing new ones. Though depending on who kills them it might take longer to come back.

4. Because Mystake is a Warlord herself, it the other two they took around a thousand [the time may change] or so years for them to come back after she killed them. As a result, there was enough time between the Warlords leaving to chase the Fsm across The Sixteen Realms, and all three returning to the First Realm, that The Omega had time to rise to power. However, they were no where near as as powerful or beloved as the three Warlords were, so it didn't take long for them to be overthrown again, and The Warlords restored to power. The Warlords, along with the Fsm, ended the war between the Dragon and the Oni.

But The Omega had already gained a following of Oni who either did not want the war to end, or were outraged at The Omega being overthrown. So they bided their time, waiting for the perfect moment to get revenge on The warlords beloved half-breed. This revenge, of course, involved invading Ninjago. The reason there is such a large gap in-between the ending of the war [while I haven't got an exact timeline yet, I'm thinking it ended a few thousand years before Garmadon was born] is because they were waiting for a) the Fsm to be out of Ninjago and/or distracted (the Overlord's return fits this category nicely) and b) for a natural pathway to open between the First Realm and Ninjago (like the one in the Wailing Alps.)

5. Garmadon never died, and Mystake never died either (not that is would have been permanent if she had).

6. Wu and Garmadon lost their powers when Garmadon got banished to the underworld (this is also what caused the rapid aging). Since the Overlord's second defeat, they've slowly been coming back. But during March of the Oni they are on the same power level as a regular elemental master, otherwise the probably could've have taken out The Omega's army themselves.

So as of March of the Oni, the ninja are all fully aware of both Fsm being alive, and Mystake being an Oni Warlord. However, when the Oni attack, both of them are taking a vacation in another realm, so Ninjago City is still covered in darkness.

At this point Wu and Garmadon have switched to their true forms but with their powers being weakened, it only helps a bit. They are also trying desperately to contact either their father or Mystake through either prayer or magic. However, they don't succeed until they've already been barricaded in the monastery.

When the Fsm hears his children screaming in his head for help, he is understandably worried, it's not often that their kids are in true peril after all. When they finally manage to get the story out of their kids, they are furious in a way they haven't been in thousands of years. They quickly explain the situation to Mystake, who is (almost) as livid as Fsm, before teleporting them them to the monastery.

(They cause a lot of commotion once they get to the monastery. The civilians who had sheltered had not expected two massive beings to randomly appear in there midst. Especially since one looks similar to the beings they just escaped, and the other resembles the children of God. So it's up to the ninja to calm them down. Unfortunately telling them that the First Spinjitzu Master himself has arrived has the opposite effect, but at least they're less scared now.)

Upon arrival Fsm is momentarily thrown off by the civilians in the monastery, but they have spent their entire life being noticed and stared at, so the awe and fear that the civilians express doesn't bother him.

Fsm quickly transforms their clothes into proper armour (think crystalized style) and launches themself over the monastery walls and into the battle (Mystake doesn't follow him, she knows better than to get in the way of her child when he is on a warpath). Fsm proceeds to absolutely thrash The Omega and their army; burning them, freezing them, and throwing them off of the mountain. He makes the Oni regret ever conceiving this idea. The Fsm pays special attention to The Omega, and rips out their heart with their bare claws, because how dare The Omega think that they can just take his home, his family from him. They will pay for this in the life and blood, and no being in the sixteen realms can help them now. He will wipe them from the face of Ninjago.

And for the first time, The omega truly realises that just because the First Spinjitzu Master put an end to the war, it does not mean that they are a pacifist. It does not mean that they cannot rage with all the fury and savageness of a full-blooded Oni. They are balance incarnate, this does not make them good, and it's The Omegas fault for assuming that they were.

And so the Oni are banished and destroyed by the god of the land they sought to conquer. When the fighting stops, Garmadon creaks open the monastery gates to look outside. Fsm is covered in the Oni's blood, looking (and feeling) like one wrong move from someone is going to send them into a fit of madness. But they relax a bit at the sight of their eldest child safe. After making sure Garmadon is all right, the Fsm stalks back to monastery to find the rest of his family. And also to change out of their armour and clean up because there is blood in the seams and on his face and it's gross.

Once he enters the monastery he herds Garmadon, Wu, Lloyd, and even Mystake into the monastery, and they are wise enough not to argue with him. The First Spinjitzu Master is understandably agitated, and Mystake, Garmadon, and Wu know him, and their general Oni instincts well enough, to understand that they will barely be let out of his sight for the next few days (Lloyd, at this point, hasn't really experienced the full might of an Oni's possessiveness, but he will just have to get use to it).

Eventually the rest of the ninja sort out the civilians, and set them up in a nearby village while Ninjago City is still covered in darkness (the monastery has enough room for all of them, but the ninja aren't willing to find out what the First Spinjitzu Master will do to any "intruders"). At some point, Mystake sends for the other two warlords, who clear Ninjago City of the dark fog.

So yeah, Fsm is absolutely enraged that The Omega is attacking their home, and ends up reverting to the base instincts of 'defend your territory', 'defend your pack', and 'destroy anyone who harms them'. After he calms down he ends up a bit embarrassed about how he handled it, but before he can dwell on it too much he collapses from exhaustion.

But what a way to re-introduce themself to the wider population of Ninjago.

And in case you’re wondering where Morro is in all this, he's busy vibing with Nyad, who has all her memories because this au is incredibly self-indulgent.

[guplia]

Hello anon! First of all, thanks for the ask! (asks? idk I received three anon asks at almost the same time, it would be weird if they didn't all come from the same person lol)

fic recommendations? read mine /hj Sure! Just note that while I've enjoyed a lot of wips, I'm only gonna recommend completed fics rn.

Okay! Here's all I can remember rn:

"Clouds" by youngmoInactive (fanfiction.net):

Original summary:

"Even though he's a hero, he's still a human. CONTAINS CHARACTER DEATH. A nice look into Kai's perspective as he watches a close friend slowly lose a fight for his life."

Okay all I've gotta say on this one is that IT MADE ME CRY. OVER AND OVER AGAIN. Obviously I can't speak for everyone who read this fic but I think this will hurt Lloyd lovers. I have re-read it so many times to the point where I have half the fic memorised word-by-word. This is a must-read.

(if you're on the phone it's better to add "m." To the start of the URL)

"a day in the life of a fatherless child" by holographicknife (Archive of Our Own):

Original summary:

"lloyd has a panic attack *confetti* title suggested by my friend lol loosely based on a crack rp between friend and i   Warning for: mentions of suicidal thoughts and medication, explicit descriptions of a panic attack, including tight chest, difficulty breathing, nausea, and headaches. Proceed with caution."

This is a Kai And Lloyd fic, and I love Kai And Lloyd fics! Specifically ones where they address Lloyd's trauma from Morro and where Kai comforts him. So if anyone's into this sort of stuff I'd recommend it!

"A Courageous Escape" by Lilac_Lily234 (Archive of Our Own):

Original summary:

"In the midst of possession Morro hatred flows freely as he seeks to make Lloyd suffer for taking what he believes as his rightful title, but his cruelty know no bounds; Lloyd however refuses to give up but knows that time is running out, and in his desperation will find either salvation, or death.  - I don't own Ninjago, this is an au"

Ahem... once again, Lloyd goes through pain. A season 5 canon-divergent AU, from which my favourite part was... you guessed it! Lloyd having a panic attack and being comforted! But it's still a cool story besides too, season 5 being one of the best seasons imo.

While this fic is finished, the AU is not but I think this one has a good ending on its own.

"Out for revenge" by lloyd_slander (Archive of Our Own):

Original summary:

"Harumi’s plan to resurrect Lord Garmadon failed, during her time in Kryptarium prison she heard about Morro, the master of wind, and guy who had managed to make Lloyd’s life a living hell. Wanting revenge, she doesn’t stop from anything, not even from getting Morro back from the dead. Or The duo we always wanted, but never got. Lloyd is in for a hard time. Head the tags, guys!"

Okay. This one is rated Mature for drug usage and blood (there was nothing sexual though)

So it's a Morro traumatising Lloyd fic again, but this time he's with Harumi! So it's double trouble for Lloyd! (things go VERY BAD for him >:3)

Honestly I can't say much except read the fic, the summary's right there lol.

"Revealed" by Nation_Ustria (Archive of Our Own):

Original summary:

"Lloyd Garmadon is used to being hated. That's just how his life works—if someone knows that he's the son of the warlord who attacks Ninjago City on a weekly basis, they hate his guts. That's why he's made sure that his team—the only people he's ever been happy with—don't know who he is behind the mask, with the small price attached that he doesn't know their identities, either. It's not like they know each other's, anyways, so it's not a big deal. But then they find out. The fact that Lloyd's elemental power makes him an empath doesn't help, either. Basically the premise of the movie pre-reveal with show elements and personalities, and Lloyd's Green Power is him being able to sense and be influenced by the emotions of those around him."

Okay so here's a fic without Morro! (that's cause it's in the movie-verse) Another type of fanfic I like reading is where Lloyd in tlnm keeps his identity secret from the other ninja and it ends up getting revealed (like this one.).

I've seen this fic being recommended more than once and it's one of the fics with the most kudos in the entire fandom on AO3! So 2000 others agree with me on how awesome this fic is!!!

"What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger" by @crystaleclipse10 (CrystalEclipse on Archive of Our Own)

Original summary:

"Lloyd batted Red's hand away. “’m fine.” His head pounded, but at least it was quiet and dark. His hair tickled his nose. “What happened?” “We…didn’t get out in time,” Red whispered. “The missile exploded. We got everyone else out, though.” Lloyd relaxed and slumped forward as pure relief washed over him. They’d done it. They’d beaten Garmadon’s game. They’d freed the civilians and survived. Didn’t feel great, though. ~OR~ Lloyd and Kai get trapped under a building when it collapses, both injured. Angst and bonding ensue."

So it's another tlnm au fic! And this one has Kai And Lloyd bonding specific so I like it!!!

As I was reading this when it was still being updated I was very excited every time a new chapter would come out and my heart hurt for Lloyd each time! It IS worth the read! Just note that while tis fic is completed, the au is not.

"Officer Smith, Do You Copy?" by @hijabiwriter (same username on Archive of Our Own):

Original summary:

"Everyone has their reasons for becoming a police officer. Maybe they were forced. Maybe the profession stood out to them. Maybe they had some experience that prompted the idea of becoming a police officer. But that's only a few reasons. There are others, too. Like for instance, one of these officers is out for revenge."

This fic is entered around Nya, who's a police officer alongside Jay, Cole and Lloyd (for some reason Zane is not in this au/fic). Anyways her dark secrets are explored in every other chapter alongside the progressing story, and of course, an explanation is given to everything in the end.

On a personal note this is the fic where I left my first comment on my Ao3 account lol (the historic moment is on chapter 13!!!)

"Too Late to Say Goodbye" by @greenamethyst16 (same username on Archive of Our Own)

Original summary:

"Kai gets stabbed and Lloyd helps him... :D"

I think length-wise this is the shortest fic on the list but that doesn't make it bad!!! Basically Lloyd downplays his injuries and there are consequences... :D

"All the ways I say "I love you"" by @ninja-knox-ur-sox-off (Leonardo_Charles_BlueWood_21 on Archive of Our Own)

Original summary:

"Cole loves his team. They're his family and he does everything in his power to keep them safe and steady. He does his best to let them know he cares about them in every way but one.  Or  Seven times Cole couldn't quite say "I love you," and the one time he could."

Note: This story can only be read if you're logged in on AO3.

I like this fic because it encouraged me to remind my own irl friends how much they mean to me. In this story Cole believes that he's "the rock" of the team, and hence he doesn't show his emotions much. He's never told even one of them that he loves them and thinks that they deserve better than him. So stuff happens after that :D

Okay, I've read a lot more than this but this is all I'm gonna write about now cause I'm tired and I think this post has became too long. But if you wanna read more just check out the profiles of the writers! I haven't read everything myself but most of them have other good Ninjago fics to read!

If I've tagged you or mentioned your fic and you want it removed just let me know! I have no problem with removing it! :D

[agenericplaceholdername]

Sensei Wu and Hanlon's Razor [Ninjago Theory]

"I see you've found the Allied Armor, Morro, yet you haven't summoned your friends." -- Sensei Wu, Winds of Change (Possession E1)

This quote makes absolutely no sense. Let's break it down:

First, Wu makes it clear that he recognizes the Allied Armor of Azure. This makes sense -- he's been around a long time, for all we know, he was involved with putting it in the Ninjago Museum of History. But wait a second, if Wu knew about the allied armor, why not use it in Season 4? The Greatest Fear of All ends with the Elemental Masters all split up. The ninja spend time recruiting random civilians in The Corridor of Elders. Couldn't Wu have just gotten the Allied Armor and summoned the Elemental Masters along with other allies? And of course, Garmadon didn't need to sacrifice himself since the Allied Armor can summon ghosts from the Cursed Realm!

But fine, maybe he didn't think about it given the limited time, or he didn't know where the Allied Armor was. Maybe it got put in the Ninjago Museum of History post S4. But he could have used it to free Garmadon afterwards! Enough time passes between seasons for Wu to open a whole tea shop. He seriously didn't realize the key to bringing back his brother was just in Ninjago City sitting there? Did he even look? The only reasonable explanation is that he did know, but wanted Misako for himself and then let his nephew's father remain trapped in Ninjago hell!

Now let's look at the second part. What friends are Wu referring to? He could have said other ghosts, but "friends" implies a specific group of people. The only people Morro summons later are other ghosts. Was Morro friends with Wrayth, Soul Archer, Bansha and Ghoultar while he was alive? If so, how did they escape the Cursed Realm? Or were they alive as well, and cursed later? But if Wu knew that, how come he didn't know that Morro had been cursed? He says, "I am saddened he was banished to the Cursed Realm" in Ghost Story, not "I was saddened," implying that he only found out upon seeing Morro possessing Lloyd. At no point in the flashbacks in Ghost Story do we see Morro interacting with the living or ghostly forms of his ghost crew. But they can't have first met while in the Cursed Realm, since then Wu wouldn't be asking Morro about them!

The cleanest explanation was that Morro was friends with them when they were all alive, Wu knew them, and then figured that upon returning to Ninjago, Morro would summon his friends (now apparently mortals in their ~60s) using the Allied Armor. A mystical artifact with the unique power to summon ghosts probably wouldn't have been necessary to get the gang together, but I don't see how Wu could have known that Morro's friends are ghosts if he didn't know Morro was one until he encountered Morro at Steep Wisdom!

Lastly, one final question. This is unrelated to the opening quote, but still along the same line of thinking. Why does Wu not tell the Ninja that water can stop a ghost? Yes, I understand why it has to be done for plot reasons. But even if Wu doesn't realize that Morro's friends are ghosts, he knows that a) Morro is a ghost and b) Morro can summon ghosts. He tells Nya later, but not the Ninja? Yeah, yeah, "There's something I never told you" is a common Wu line, but this isn't Wu hoping to avoid unpleasant conversations about his past failures (Morro, Aspheera) or details about villains Wu thinks are either gone (the Overlord) or that he thinks he can fight alone (Acronix). He knows a key weakness of an enemy who has stolen his nephew's body. It's very possible hitting Morro with water would force him out of Lloyd's body. Any ghosts Morro summons can be defeated by water. And Wu says NOTHING????

Hanlon's Razor states, "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." So which is Wu?

TL;DR: Wu knowingly left Garmadon to suffer in the Cursed Realm, has seemingly impossible-to-know knowledge about Morro's friendships, and forgets(?) to tell the Ninja their enemy's only weakness.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is mostly a joke, but I'd love to hear some alternate, in-universe, explanations for Wu's actions here!

[luvyurself]

Protective

a/n : he was my first love I was so mad when they gave him a love interest 😩 (also I totally didn’t forget one day nuh uh)

flufftober masterlist

artist for the pics ngh

c/n : she/her pronouns, shy reader, inspired by scarlet witch, your nervous about going to a party, kai loves her, he’s very in love with you, he wuvs you and it’s sick, he’ll protect u from partygoers

______

the mayor of ninjago wanted to personally thank the ninja for their service in protecting city whenever it seemed to attract the most world dominating villains.

so what better way to thank the cities only heroes than a huge fancy party?

each of the ninja were eager to go, the day of the party being filled of excitement and preparing for the night.

all except for one.

it’s not that she was ungrateful, she was very appreciative of the cities gratitude for them. it was just, well, she’s not very fond of massive parties like these.

she tried to get her mind off of it while her and the girls got ready. it helped ease her a bit as nya helped with her hair, skylor and her trying to find the perfect outfit, and even pixel helped pick out some jewelry for her.

though as she stood in the shared bathroom staring at herself in the mirror, she could still feel her hands shaking in nerves as she did her makeup.

she grumbled in frustration as she messed up her eyeliner for what seemed like the millionth time, grabbing the makeup wipe to carefully clean it off.

she flinched as she saw someone standing behind her in the reflection of the mirror, the person giving a small laugh, “calm down, babe, just me.”

she sighed softly, looking at him through the reflection, “kai…you look really nice.” her usually quiet tone filled his ears, making him smile as he pulled on the fabric on his neck.

“didn’t mean to scare you, just needed the mirror to tie this stupid tie.” he mumbled, “I never knew how to do this thing.”

a ghost of a smile graced her lips, placing down her eyeliner pen as she turned to face him, “here.” she spoke, her hands shaking as she grabbed the tie to begin.

she felt kai’s eyes stare at her as he quietly observed her, studying how she bit the inside of her cheek, huffed a bit when she would mess up a little thing.

he let a dreamy sigh escape his lips, “you look gorgeous, you know?” he said, his voice dripping with sweetness.

her ears grew warm at his comment, humming in reply as she pulled the tie up and smooth out his blazer.

an eyebrow quirked at her, “you okay, sweetheart?” he started, looking at her with a concern expression, “you’re, like, more quiet then normally.”

she paused what she was doing, her hands gripping his blazer as she dragged them down and back to her side.

“I guess….I’m a bit….nervous.” she mumbled, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “I don’t know…”

kai’s eyes softened, since the day he met her she was always quiet and shy, her personality always a sharp contrast to what her element was.

he placed his hand on her shoulder, rubbing it with a steady pace, “hey, it’s okay to be nervous.” he spoke, “I know it’s not really your scenery, but we are all gonna be with you there.”

she sighed, her hand moving to grab his hand off of her shoulder to hold it, “I don’t want you guys to worry about me…you guys should just be there to have fun.”

kai tutted, a teasing smile on his face, “well, it’s a fancy dinner date, so I don’t know how much fun I’ll have there.”

he then spun her around to face the mirror, looking at her through it, “but, what I do know, is that I’ll never leave your side. I will be with you the whole night, and you could just say the word and me and you can leave.”

she gave a little pout at that, “I can’t ask you to do that. I can try and manage myself.”

“you’re not asking,” he insisted, resting his chin on her shoulder, “I’m offering.” he planted a kiss to her neck, her body shivering a bit as his breath fanned against her skin.

“and I know you can manage yourself, you’ve proven that to me multiple times.” he whispered, his arms wrapping around her waist as he took a glance at her, “but, in a very non-toxic-boyfriend-way, I’ll always want to protect you in anyway. even if it’s at fancy pantsy parties.”

she lets out a quiet laugh, her hands resting on top of his as she leaned against his head, “thank you, kai.” she turned to kiss his head, looking back at him.

“besides,” kai started again, grabbing her hand and messing with her fingers, “I can always ask you to spice up the party and make everyone think they are naked.”

“you-“ she pulled her hand away, pressing her hand against his face and carefully pushed it away, “are horrible.”

he let out a groan, “come onnn…master of chaos magic and you can’t have a bit of fun.”

she picked up her eyeliner pen, her hand no longer shaking as she glanced back at him. “your meaning of fun is me mind manipulating the party?” she questioned, beginning her wing.

“oh come on,” she could hear the smile in his voice, “you think it’s hilarious.”

“a little bit.”