#like look at him go just using his spinjitzu!! It by itself is already his powers

[rainofthetwilight]

what people dont understand is that the way arin is special is bc he's. just a guy. just a kid who's a ninja fan, that somehow managed to learn spinjitzu entirely by himself. no official training, no nothing bro, just watching his idols do their things and he just. copies them. and he somehow succeeded. he doesn't need any powers, he doesn't need to be a reincarnation of the fsm, he's special just like that

[ninjakitten1699]

I saw ur time triplets post and now I’m interested, care to share more?

Ah yes, my boys. I call them my boys even though I don't post them as much anymore but still.

Let me just put this in the simplest way possible without spoiling anything from my AU not just for your sake, but for mine too cause the AU only has season one rebuilt as of now.

There's Krux, Acronix, and Phoenix. Krux and Acronix are both named after programs like their mother, Cittrix (a name I kinda snatched from @s0l0b0d0r because I thought it was neat, I love it and it makes so much sense to me) while Phoenix was named something Greek-related like their father Kronos. (A character who was supposed to be the Hands of Time villain but he got scrapped and turned into twins. The fandom agrees that he did exist at some point. Mostly he's been headcanoned as the father of the Time Siblings which gives him the ultimate dad pun of being called "Father Time")

These three happened mostly because of there being three hands on a clock, the hour (Krux), the minute (Acronix), and the seconds (Phoenix). No one really counts the seconds hand often so no one really thought of there being three instead of two. However there is an in-universe reason why they thought it two. I'll get to that in a bit.

Anyways, let's get this started down below.

The simplest way to explain them is this:

Krux is the eldest of the three as per usual with his role. He gained the ability to halt and reverse time.

Acronix is debatably the youngest. (I honestly want to keep him as the youngest because it’s absolutely funny that he’d be last born despite his powers and the reaction he’d get from that info.) From his father he received Accelerate and Decelerate Time.

Phoenix definitely gives middle child energy with him basically being in the background at most times. Now, he actually wasn’t going to biologically inherit a power at all. It was going to skip over him because well.. he wasn’t supposed to be there. (He was not supposed to survive a few days after birth so yeah…) So his father gave him an ability himself. It was Time Theft.

We know how Krux’s and Acronix’s powers work but we don’t know Phoenix’s powers that well. Time Theft is basically a life-stealing ability. It can affect objects and beings while the user could extend their life much longer. Like the other time abilities, it's been given a color and that would be purple. Purple has a different meaning in Japan so there's a reason why Phoenix rarely ever uses this power, let alone use it on purpose.

Anyways, aside from their powers, I'm sure you noticed by the art that they decided to all do different looks to avoid further confusion than they already had in their childhood. Other than that, they were an inseparable trio of siblings which proceeds to make the next thing I'm about to type hurt.

It's no secret in my AU that they were triplets and they would be manipulated by Chen with a touch of Clouse's magic. They would turn on the Elemental Alliance and their allies. During one of the battles, Phoenix got separated from the other two by Luther, the previous master of darkness, and Clarissa, a Dragon Samurai woman. The battle between Phoenix and those two led to someone using magic to banish him outside of all time itself. (I believe Clouse had a hand in that since he saw how much of a threat Phoenix was compared to the other two with his Time Theft ability.) Phoenix would now be stuck in an unending loop of finding his timeline, trying to help any version of his brothers, failing and heading back to the timeless void itself. Being cut to the outside of existence would cause memories of that person to be eradicated. (ie Frisk in Glitchtale)

Meanwhile during their battle with the Spinjitzu Brothers, Krux and Acronix had felt a rage like no other. They had no idea why they felt that way and that clouded their judgement and caused them to lose. And for the rest of their lives, they presumed themselves as if they were always twins, not knowing they were triplets who lost a sibling. Despite thinking they're twins, they still feel like they're missing someone important.

I can't reveal more about Phoenix because my AU had only just managed to begun being rewritten and there's still some spaces to fill in and things to expand upon. I will say this.

Fanon Phoenix's theme (the Phoenix @alena-1987 knows the most) is definitely Clocks by Coldplay.

Original Phoenix's theme, when I had no idea of his personality or what to do with him, is Victorious by Skillet.

Now new/canon Phoenix's intro theme is stuck between Diabolic Clockwork by Two Steps from Hell and Haunted Clock by Gothic Storm. You can tell by the themes how his tone supposed to be. (Haunted Clock sounds like he's building something and you can only guess what that is.) It keeps the clockwork theme like his brothers but he's also supposed to have an eerie-type of feeling around him.

While Rise of the Vermillion is in Krux and Acronix's point of view (as purplefern pointed out in the comments) and I do like the other two themes he's got going for him, Phoenix's final battle theme would no doubt be "Time Claims All" by Damien Casteel. Something that would be further indicating how different he became from his former self and his brothers with Krux and Acronix keeping a high-energetic Heavy Metal theme while Phoenix picks up Orchestra with a hint of melancholy and dread. (Purple is one of the colors of death in Japan after all.)

[dragons-hoard-of-fandoms]

Late to the party but making an entrance, Murder Drones Episode 5 is finally out so at long last I can stop with the memes (for now) and share my thoughts on Dragons Rising so far.

Okay, first things first, I'm gonna be 100% honest with y'all: I low-key do not care about any of the new characters. I know, I know, BURN THE HERETIC, I can't really explain it myself. Maybe I'm just too attached to the OGs or haven't gotten to know the newbies well enough yet, but so far all I'm seeing is Average Shonen-Esque Protagonist, Nya 2.0 Catgirl Edition, Cute and Easily Marketable Dog-That-Is-Not-A-Dog, The Only One With A Mildly Interesting Backstory, and a bunch of generic cookie-cutter villains. It's not gonna make me stop watching or anything, it's just that they could all randomly vanish by the next episode and never be brought up ever again and I'd be totally fine with it. Certainly wouldn't be the first time this franchise has completely dropped something out of nowhere and hoped no one would notice.

A'ight, got that out of the way, now to start nitpicking: I don't understand why they're pronouncing Riyu as "Rai-yu." I thought it would've been "Ree-yu," like the dude from Street Fighter, and I'm not gonna say it any other way. And why do they keep trying to convince us that Lloyd had to be trained for years when in reality he mastered Spinjitzu within, like, a month at most? I'm going to assume that either A) He's just blatantly lying to make Arin feel better, because there is literally zero chance that Season Two took place over the course of multiple years, or B) Lloyd himself has absolutely no concept of time and can't even remember that he's, like, an eighteen-year-old in the body of a twenty-three-year-old by this point.

BTW Lloyd please do not try to be like Wu, you of all people should know what being like Wu entails. You're already in the "training child soldiers" phase, you can not go further or else you are going to hit the "keeping way too many things to yourself" stage and you know what always happened when Wu didn't tell anybody jack squat until it was too late. Heck, there is still a very real possibility that the Merge wouldn't have happened in the first place if he'd just been like "hey so all the Realms might start trying to fuse together soon and as per usual you're the only ones with a chance at stopping it" instead of sticking to his "The Apocalypse™ is coming for like the seventh time and all I'm gonna do about it is be needlessly vague and cryptic for no real reason" schtick.

They should not have given Ras and Rapton such similar names, I'm going to inevitably mix them up. Also Rapton you will never be Iron Baron. I never thought I'd say anything positive about Iron Baron but I could actually tolerate him, whereas I just wanna see Rapton get run over by a bus. And not even in a cathartic "I want she-whose-name-we-do-not-speak-in-this-household to be brutally murdered onscreen in such a horrific and violent manner that it'd never be allowed anywhere if they weren't Legos" way, just in the most apathetic "please remove this character from existence" way you can imagine.

I'll give them this, tho, the show itself is gorgeous to look at, and the concept is pretty nifty. And while I may not be completely in love with Sora and Arin, I'm still glad they didn't go the braindead babymode easy route of making the "next gen" series revolve around the OG Ninja's kids (even if it is mostly because it completely avoids the possibility of being forced to endure the timeline where Lloyd actually thought getting with she-whose-name-we-do-not-speak-in-this-household was a good idea). I'm definitely gonna stay tuned for Part Two, even if I'm admittedly not the biggest fan of what we've got so far. Hopefully it's all uphill from here.

(More spoiler-y stuff under the cut)

Wow I can't believe they somehow managed to make a Cloud Kingdom character more punchable than Fenwick. The scrollworms are pretty cute, tho. Also, uh, Euthanasia or whatever your name was, Morro would like to know your location.

DING DONG, THE WU IS DEAD! BAGELS FOR EVERYONE!

So on the one hand it seems like we might be getting slightly more focus on Lloyd's dragon side this time around, but on the other hand we've already had multiple instances where it could've been brought up but just wasn't, which could mean that it's all just more of the same token Chosen One™ nonsense we're used to and this post got hit by Quanish's dodgeball of prophecy. (Seriously, surely at least one of the super-mega-ultra-powerful Source Dragons should've been like "Kid what is wrong with your blood," right?)

But, on the chance that the former is the case...

What if the Imperium finds out about it and decides the weird little Oni-dragon-human grandson of literal God is a far more valuable prize?

Also this is how we can still get Garmadon's dragon half to show up please I am begging on my hands and knees

[sins-and-wins-with-vix]

Everything Right/Wrong with Ninjago “Legacy of the Green Ninja” E13: Rise of the Spinjitzu Master

Disclaimers: Show owned by LEGO. This is not a professional review/critique - it’s mainly intended for comedy!

Be sure to reblog, comment, and/or like, and tell me your thoughts!

- Final appearance of the OG intro! ✅

- Technically the title should be “Rise of the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master,” considering that all the ninja are referred to as Spinjitzu masters. Granted, the title of this post is already much longer than it needed to be, so leaving it out kinda does me a favor… except I don’t care soooooo ❌

- Dareth survives this. That’s not a sin because it’s unrealistic, but because I didn’t want him to ❌

- “But I don’t remember my father any other way.” Sure, Garmadon was always an evil warlord bent on destruction, but he still cared deeply about Lloyd, which is a stark contrast from the Overlord that you’d think Lloyd would pick up on. ❌

- “For once, I am afraid there is nothing to learn.” Wu thinks that just because he can’t pull some contrived lesson out of his a*s it means that there is no lesson to be found at all. Wow, it’s been awhile since I’ve properly sh*t on Wu for no real reason other than I want him to burn… feels nice to be back in practice ❌

- “And when [the FSM’s] back was up against the wall did he quit? No, he found a way to keep the fight going.” Yeah, by forcing it onto a bunch of kids in the future so he wouldn’t actually have to deal with it. I get that if he couldn’t win, it was the right choice to extend the fight, but you can acknowledge something as being the only viable option while also not treating it as this massive sacrifice because ultimately, he’s the only one that didn’t get hurt ❌

- “He passed his elemental powers onto us - of all people! A bunch of kids! There’s must’ve been a reason he chose us…” I get that the writers didn’t know there’d be more seasons but watching this knowing what we know now about elemental masters… it falls a bit flat ❌

- “And ninja never quit!” He said it guys! He said the line!! ✅

- Also, Kai was the first to float something resembling the “ninja never quit” line back in S1, and I find it adorable that Lloyd listened well enough to actually remember ✅

- But also, Lloyd plagiarizes his brother. Where’s your in text citation, Lloyd? WHERE? ❌

- How did the Falcon know about the mech? ❌

- Not a single one of the ninja puts their sword into their respective slot ❌

- ^(I swear that wasn’t meant to be a s*x joke)

- I get that Garmatron was big, but how the f*ck did it turn into that tall a building??? ❌

- “I can’t wait to see the look on the Overlord’s face when he sees us!” “Is that the look you were hoping for?” “Zane… no.” Well, look who found a sense of humor! ✅

- “I know we’ve always drawn a crowd, but this is ridiculous!” I know early Jay was an a*shole but I still miss him ✅

- “Where’d ya get [elemental blades]? I want one!” Same, Dareth ✅

- You know that meme where it’s like “the final boss when you fight vs. unlocking them as a playable character?” The Stone Army is the embodiment of that meme ❌

- I will never not be emotional over Jay literally pushing Lloyd away and taking the hit for him. ✅

- “No, there’s only one green ninja!” Kai’s character development ✅

- “I have come here to fight you!” Really? D*mn, this whole time I just thought it was game night ❌

- “You don’t even have a sword!” “I don’t need a sword.” AU where Lloyd pulls out a gun

- “Then all I have to say is… goodbye.” ✅✅

- “I am the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master!” Amazing, the triple zoom-ins, the cinematography, the suit change, the line delivery - flawless, spectacular, perf- ✅

- “Where there is light, there will always be shadow!” “Unless my light is bright enough!” Green bean I love you but… that’s not how light works… D*mmit, Wu, this is what happens when you pull kids out of grade school! ❌

- Was the fight itself a bit underwhelming? Yes, it was, but you know what? The drama of it, the music, the cinematography - all of it well makes up for the relative lack of action ✅

- Alas, I have to do me and mention the lack of Lloyd’s character development. S1 (while not perfect) did a good job of giving each ninja a respective arc and episode that made their true potential feel earned, deserved, and personal to each of them, but that feeling just isn’t there for Lloyd. As much as I love over-analyzing, the importance of this scene and what it meant for Lloyd and his character shouldn’t be implied. ❌

- “Should the Overlord decide to show his face around here… we’ll be ready!” “And next time we’ll be a little more humble.” “And a little more wise.” “And with better catchphrases!” Why the f*ck am I crying ✅

- Also, I can guarantee they won’t ❌

- “You think we should dog-pile em?” Yes! “Let’s give them their moment.” D*mmit! ❌

- “Speak for yourself! I’m looking forward to doing a little more inventing, dabble in model-building, little bit of poetry-“ Pilots reference! ✅

- Sure is sad that Ninjago only got two seasons, I mean, doing this for every episode was fun! But I supposed everyone has to move on eventua- wait, what do you mean there’s more seasons? How many? 15 AND A HALF?? WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!? YALL IM COLLEGE SEARCHING RIGHT NOW. AM I GONNA BE DOING THESE POSTS WHILE STUDYING FOR MY MAJOR?!? AM I EVER NOT GONNA BE OBSESSED WITH THIS F*CKING SHO-

- Anyways, I’ll see y’all in season 3!

Sentence: Not Final Final Battle

[greenygreenland]

Home: Lloyd Garmadon x Reader

-I LOVE ASKS. plz keep them coming, they make my day -i’m sorry i write slowly, I’m a perfectionist. -it’s also better to have quality over quantity, am I right? -takes place after Tournament of Elements but before Possessed 

[REQUESTED BY ANON] Summary/ask: Maybe a reader with a "dark" power (like, not evil, but considered dark), and they were outcasted by it, everyone thinks they are bad and shit but they are just shy and insecure?

WARNING: MENTIONS OF VERBAL ABUSE (VERY BRIEF), BLOOD (BRIEF), INJURIES (ALSO BREIF), ETC.

Isolation. That was all you had ever known for the better half of your life. Most details were things you preferred to keep hidden away, locked up for good in that deep mind of yours. 

You never had a whole family, but that was fine by you. Why should that matter when you had a father who loved and cared for you? Growing up, he always told you this: ‘Ninjago is so much more than our tiny home, my dear. Why should we worry about what we don’t have when there’s so much to discover?’

Even now, you held onto his words with your life. Even now when you forgot what his face looked like. Even now when you couldn’t remember his voice, or how warm his hugs were. Everything eventually faded, but not the emotions he made you feel. 

Love, warmth, generosity. 

Those were the only pieces of baggage you carried. Although heavy, they kept you from the evil strings of bitterness. You kept your chin up, high in the air so you could look to the sky. It was the limit after all, the portion of which you had to reach and reach until you couldn’t anymore. The only problem was getting there. 

The alley was rather quiet today, a far cry from the usual bustling citizens looking for a shortcut or a food stand. You loved days like this, where no one would care to stare at you and whisper your name like it were a ball in a game. With your hood up, no one could see your face, and no one could cast you aside like the loner you were.

“What are you doing here?” 

You wish you hadn’t heard his voice. As subtle as he tried to be, his snarky tone caused passing stragglers to glance at you. A sigh escapes your lips. What was he doing here? Didn’t he have anything better to do than follow you around and nag? You were cast aside as it was by your mother, forgotten by your so-called friends, and left behind by your ascended father. 

He told you to stay away from that speedy idiot, the one your mother took away from you. The one who took after her with the same eyes, nose, and mouth. They had the same grin, too, the one where it looked like they thought they were better than you.

“If it isn’t Griffin Turner,” you grumble out. “What a pleasure.” 

His stare isn’t friendly. You know under those red sunglasses that he’s glaring at you. He’s probably thinking about how much of a monster you are too, just like every other Elemental Master you ever faced in your life. 

Griffin runs a hand over his oh-so-perfectly cut hairdo. “Oh don’t be a prick.” he spits out. “Have some respect for your older brother.” That grin doesn’t slide off his face no matter how dark your expression gets. He’s always been oblivious. First to your powers, then to your father’s death, and finally, to how terribly he’s been treating you. 

It doesn’t matter that he’s your older brother. Bullying does not discriminate, and neither do you, blood ties or not. “Just leave me alone, I’m not in the mood Griffin.” He raises a brow. “Not in the mood? Since when did someone like you have feelings? You’re cold-hearted, just like your dad.” 

You frown. “’Your dad’?” you echo. “What, so we’re only related when you choose?” Griffin shrugs absentmindedly. You know he’s trying to provoke you, get a reaction, but you just can’t help it. He was patronising you and your father. 

“I’m just glad I lived with mum instead of dad.” he adds. “At least I don’t have to run after the garbage truck with a shopping list.” He snickers to himself and you go rigid. “Take that back.” 

“What? Your last braincell?” 

“Well--you--you’re a...” You pause. “At least I had someone who loved me and actually payed attention to me! Sure, I inherited dad’s elemental powers, but he taught me something you’ll never get: kindness. You think I don’t know? Look again you pathetic waste of space!” That wasn’t supposed to hit hard and you both knew it. Griffin could have said a million other insults that burned like the sun itself, yet somehow, with your puny words, you hit a nerve. A nerve that wasn’t supposed to be punched in the first place. 

Griffin’s grin finally slides off his face. He stuffs a hand in his pocket and uses the other to adjust his bright sunglasses. He doesn’t say anything, but you can practically feel the air thicken between the empty distance. Griffin didn’t have lo self-esteem, but sometimes, his mum called him a waste of space. When you walked by the luxurious apartment, on days the kitchen window was left wide open, you heard what she’d say to Griffin--what she did to him.

Suddenly, you’re taken back to the age of six, when your parents were together and Griffin was more than your only brother. You were best friends. You did everything together. But then your father passed down his elemental powers to you, and it was then that everything changed.

Your father taught you that your powers were a gift passed down all the way from the days the First Spinjitzu Master lived among the people of Ninjago. It was a gift used to protect him when he was in need, a gift that possessed great power and majesty. Your elemental abilities had a double edge to it. Although beautiful, it possessed a great danger. 

One slip-up was all it took. One mistake you never meant.

That day, you were practicing control and discipline over your powers. You never meant for it to happen, and if you could go back, you would a million times over. That day, all the control, all the mastery you had over your abilities disappeared in an instant. You swore it was only for a second, but it could have lasted a millennia. 

Your element was more than a power. It was a living part of you with its own consciousness you couldn’t quite understand. When you slept, you saw him, the intangible person you never cared to learn the name of. He always sat in a plain of pure darkness, where you couldn’t touch or see him clearly. 

You knew he never meant to frighten you, but that day, you only saw a monster. Perhaps it was you, perhaps it was him. You never knew because the moment you lost control, your world went black. From then on, your parents split. Your mother took Griffin away from you, and as time grew, so did the distance between you. 

You wish you could change things starting from that day till now. Those forsaken words shouldn’t have left either of your mouths, but the damage had already been done. It cut too deep that not even magic could mend the wounds. 

“Griffin I--”

“So that’s how it is.” A bitter laugh escapes his lips and you flinch like you’ve been struck. Griffin walks toward you at a painfully slow pace. The alleyway isn’t part of the city anymore. It’s a battlefield of honour, of pride, of two siblings who have been torn apart. He doesn’t meet your eyes as he pulls something out of his pocket. “Here.”

The wad of cash presented to you between his fingers looks more like an insult than a gift. Was he trying to rub in your face how rich his mum was compared to your dead dad? Surely this wasn’t an olive branch to apologise for being a jerk for the past eleven years. 

He stares at your incredulous expression and yanks your wrist forward, slapping the bills into your hand and forcing it into your sweater pocket. “Look, I’m not patronising you, okay? Just...go to your friend or whatever and don’t spend that on drugs. Your financial situation sucks, I get it.” 

His tone is rather aggressive, but you know that speech pattern. The one where it’s soft and bashful because he’s embarrassed to be talking out loud like that--like an older brother. You run your fingers over the cash in your pocket and stare at Griffin. He looks the other way and begins marching past you, making sure to bump shoulders. 

“Griffin, wait.” You make a grab for his arm but he’s already gone at the speed of light. “Thanks,” you whisper to yourself. “I guess.” You aren’t sure how long you stay in the dead alleyway, frozen in your own thoughts. But as soon as you’re ready to make your way to the park, the alleyway fades, the honking of the cars disappear, and you’re completely alone in a surge of darkness. 

“That has got to be a least three hundred.” 

You heave out a long sigh as the darkness parts. Robes drag across the floor like liquid gold, sparkling and shimmering like the sun. “Such a coward, your brother. He shouldn’t have run away like that.” The man is a living contradiction, much like you. Although he lived in a world of darkness, that never stopped light from blooming in his cold heart. He cared for you as much as he cared for your father and those before him. 

The man adjusted the collar of his red robes, yanking the thick fabric into all the right shapes and places. His pale face was like a sheet of paper, but the calm smile made up for that and tinted his cheeks rose. “Here,” he said, waving his arm. The wad of cash drifted out of your pocket, mixing with the mist until it was all but a speck of light. It drifted into one of the man’s pockets, which he patted. 

“Honestly,” he says, “could you be more inconspicuous? Someone down the street looked like he wanted to mug you.” You frown and the man huffs. “When you need the money, come back. I’ll keep it here.” 

“Thank you.”

“Raijin.” he says. “Call me Raijin.” 

The mist began swirling like a whirlpool, twisting and turning until your hood whacked you in the face. The alleyway materialised as soon as your feet hit the pavement. The honking of cars sliced through the air, bombarding your ears in the cityscape sounds. “First Spinjitzu Master...” you grumble, rubbing your ears. 

“LOOK OUT!”

You whip around in bewilderment and flatten yourself against the brick wall. A group of four or five fruit-coloured boys fly from the fire escape above. If you hadn’t reacted quickly enough, then you’d be as much of a pancake as the blue one (he was under all of them). 

“I’m--gonna--die! Get off me Cole!”

“I...I can’t when Zane’s heavier than a rock!”

“Kai, move your stupid leg!”

“Everyone stop arguing! Lloyd is unconscious!”

The last bit sent the group in a rush of shouting, scrambling, and shoving. You wanted to do something to help, but these boys were the ninja, students of Sensei Wu and partly, Garmadon. In the world of elemental masters, they were known as the OG, the ones who defeated the Great Devourer, Garmadon, and so many more. 

The last time you saw them (together, that was) had to be half a year ago on Chen’s forsaken island. You almost died, but Lloyd saved you. He and his friends risked their lives to help everyone off that island. If thy hadn’t been there...

You glance at Lloyd. He lay on the pavement, faintly breathing and coughing as Zane wrapped gauze around his wrist. The blood smeared on his face sent your heart tumbling. Just what had they done this time? 

“Hey!” you exclaim. The boys remove their hoods and turn to you. Kai knits his brows together. “Aren’t you--?”

“Do you want help or no?” you gruffly retort. Zane’s bright eyes don’t leave your cold expression as you look between all the ninja. Cole and Jay look uneasy about the offer, but to even the blind, it was clear they had no choice.

“Yes.” Zane says. “We would be grateful for your assistance, (Y/n).” You nod and motion for them to follow you out of the alleyway. Kai carefully lifts Lloyd off the ground and onto his back. “Thank you for your generous offer.” 

“Don’t thank me until he’s well.” you quietly reply. As scary as it was inviting people to your tiny apartment, this was the ninja. You owed them this much for being Ninjago’s protectors for so long. “We’re taking the back route because I don’t want to attract unwanted attention. It’s clear you had a run-in, let’s not repeat that.” 

Halfway down one of the quieter streets, you heard Jay whisper this, “I heard she’s evil. Are you sure we should trust her?” 

You want to be offended, but getting upset would only make everything worse. You re-called your conversation with Griffin, and that look on his face when you called him a waste of space. 

He deserved the insult, you told yourself. Why should you feel guilty? 

You spot a beat-up door worn with age. The blue paint peeled off the wood, scattering along the doorstep in little piles. As much as you wanted to renovate, you couldn’t afford it. You had to save up for college and rent. 

You dig your hand inside your trousers’ pocket and produce a key. The scratches rub against your calloused hands as you stick it in the keyhole and yank open the door. “Bring him in.” No one says a word as you watch the ninja file into your home one by one. Like good guests, they remove their shoes and leave them in a little corner of the hall. 

You close the door behind you and lock it, tossing the key in its respective place. “Set him down on the couch. I’ll get a med kit.” When you come back with the med kit and freshly washed hands, you weave past Cole and sit on the floor by Kai’s side. “He’ll be alright.” you calmly state. 

Kai sharply meets your gaze. “His wrist is broken.” 

“Yes, but bones can be mended. He will be alright.” You ignore the stares, they were background noise, and place your hands around the wound. “Raijin,” you whisper, “I need assistance.” 

The last time you had to fix a broken wrist had to be about three months ago. It was a rather draining action, but for Lloyd, you would do anything. He needed you. 

Suddenly, your body goes completely rigid. Your hands are cold and you shut your eyes, allowing the icy sensations to wash over your being. A breeze passes over your face and settles around your hands. You imagine Lloyd’s bones mending back into place, connecting painlessly like a puzzle piece would. 

“What’s she doing?” you hear Jay whisper.

“I think she’s concentrating.” Cole answers. “Kind of...creepy if I do say so myself.”

You feel the bones clicking together, and once you are sure Lloyd is alright, you open your eyes and heave out a long sigh. “He...he will be...” You can’t finish that sentence. The world spins with dots and mingles in a flurry of colours and blurs. Someone was saying something, but you can’t make out what’s wrong with you.

The world fades to black. 

“Here again?” 

You frown uncomfortably as Raijin struts out from behind a curtain of shadow. It’s hard to disregard him, so you avert your gaze to the side. “I don’t choose when I come here, you know that.” He chuckles and it’s a low rumble. “You like him.” 

“Who?”

“Lloyd. It’s not everyday you let people into your home. When you saw Griffin walk by with a broken leg, you didn’t heal him.” You sigh loudly. “Well, that’s different Raijin.”

“Is it?” There’s a suggestive tone to his voice you don’t like, as if he’s looking inside your head and hearing all your thoughts bouncing around. Raijin probably did hear some of it. He was, after all, a part of you, both soul and body. Silence falls over your shoulders and it sits there like an old pillow: uncomfortable, flat, and irritating. 

The silence stretched and you felt small in the presence of Raijin. He had a way with his height and energy that somehow made him appear all the more regal. You can’t meet his eyes as you blurt out the dumbest question you could muster. “Will Lloyd be okay?” 

The answer is obvious, but Raijin doesn’t comment on it. He folds his hands together and softly nods, as if he’s afraid of making you shrink further into yourself. “Thanks to your efforts his wrist is healed. Why don’t you see for yourself?” You perk up. “What--?”

The darkness curls under your shoes, stretching like gum and absorbing you in nothing. It’s cold, it’s dark, and it’s filling you with adrenaline. 

You jolt upright. 

“I see you and Raijin had quite the conversation.” a crinkly voice states. You rub your pounding head, accepting the steaming cup of tea from Sensei Wu’s hands. It’s been a while since you’ve seen the monastery, much less your old room. Wait, Wu? Your old room from when you were eleven? “Sensei?” He smiles kindly, giving your shoulder a good pat. “If you were wondering, Lloyd has been healed. Actually, he wishes to see you.” 

“Me?” you inquire. “Really?” Wu chuckles to himself good-naturedly. He turns his back to you and slides open the door, revealing a red-faced Lloyd. He goes stiff like a board. “Uh--I--sorry--just passing--” 

Wu gently guides Lloyd into the room, paying no mind to the stuttering mess his nephew had become. It’s an odd sight to see Lloyd, the Green Ninja, tripping over his own feet, adjusting his sleeves, and picking at loose threads instead of meeting your eyes like he did that day. 

Lloyd had been like a gust of wind. He came to your rescue strong and fast, scooping your bloodied body in his arms with a gentle hold. When the time came and you all had to leave the island, you were still too weak to use your elemental powers, so Lloyd let you ride with him. Those crazy few weeks on Chen’s island had been traumatising. 

The fact that you weren’t trusted by anyone due to your powers made it worse, until you met Lloyd and his father. 

Wu quietly exists the room, gently closing the door behind. You silently thank him for his consideration. “It’s been a while.” you quietly say. Lloyd shuffles toward you with a bright smile, cheeks still tinted red. “I used to see you around Ninjago City a lot, but after a while, it was...I don’t know, like you disappeared.” 

It’s your turn to avert your gaze. The truth was, you weren’t sure Lloyd still wanted to be your friend after the Tournament. You saw him less and less with each passing day, only ever giving a small wave here and there whenever he went to Borg Tower. After half a month, Griffin caught you talking with Lloyd. He bullied you about it and told you Lloyd was only acting like your friend. 

Stupidly enough, you believed him. Your insecurities about being judged wore down your courage like a bath bomb in water. You couldn’t speak with Lloyd any longer, or give a simple wave that made him smile like the sun. One day, you decided to avoid him completely by taking a different route home. You never saw him again. Not until today.

“I-I’m sorry Lloyd.” you murmur. He blinks, knitting his brows together in confusion. “What do you mean you’re sorry? You didn’t do anything--”

“Yes I d-did.” You curse your wobbly voice. “I started a-avoiding you because I was scared we weren’t...you know...anymore. And a lot happened...and then...” Your eyes are burning with tears you know are filled with ages of stress and worry and anger. 

You wanted to blame Griffin for making fun of you that day. You wanted to blame yourself for being so stupid. You wanted to blame Raijin for not talking to you when you needed him most. But you couldn’t. How would any of them know this would happen? That you’d eventually cut Lloyd off altogether until you were in isolation in that tiny apartment by yourself? How could you have known?

The side of your bed dips and gentle arms bring you in tight. It’s warm and reminds you of meadows with flowers, butterflies, and better days. When was the last time you actually hugged someone? Much less allowed them this close in your proximity? You didn’t have friends at school, so you always settled for books as your comfort. Books could not hug like people.

“I should be thanking you.” Lloyd said. “You healed me even though it made you pass out.” You sniffle, hesitantly wrapping your arms around Lloyd’s middle. As soon as you allow your shoulders to relax, warmth spreads through your chest. You recognised the sensation as a mix of comfort and relief. 

To know someone else was here with you who cared and would sit with you as you cried your eyes out was new--but it felt good. When your dad died, you promised to never shed another tear. You couldn’t say you were good a keeping promises. 

“If you want to tell me more, it’s okay.” Lloyd softly said. You rested your head on his shoulder, savouring the way he smelled like life itself. If you were to describe it, you’d call it grassy, flowery, and fruity all rolled into one. 

“Well... You remember my brother Griffin?” you slowly begin. “He isn’t who you think he is. He always tells me things like I’m a monster because of my elemental powers, or that...” 

You aren’t sure how long you talk for, but Lloyd’s there, listening to every word and drinking it in like gold. Sometimes he pitched in, other times he sat still in a silent horror you couldn’t fully comprehend. It never occurred to you just how broken your family relationships had been when it was your norm. 

When your tears finally dried and you could breathe again, Lloyd took your hands and motioned for you to follow him out of the room. “Would you like to stay for dinner?” You smiled at him, enjoying the company his hand provided. 

Wu rounded around the corner and said, “Would you like to stay forever?”

There was no question in that. You still had your old room and memories of when you used to call the monastery home. Why wouldn’t you want to make new ones? “Yes.” you reply. “I’d love that--if it’s fine with you.” Lloyd glanced at Wu, who simply nodded in confirmation. 

Lloyd turns to you with a bright grin that you can only shyly match in response. 

TIP JAR

Please don’t forget to reblog!

[cherrybombfangirl]

Sacrifice

Ninjago Angst Week - Day 4!

@ninjago-angst-week

(my fanseason) Amy knows what she has to do to save her family from the monster she could become. But there’s just one tiny issue with what that entails.........

Warnings: Hatch gets his own warning, death death and more death, major character death, violence, description of lethal injuries, depictions of blood and wounds, guns and gunshot wounds, thoughts of and attempt at suicide, and ANGST so much ANGST I'm not even kidding I really loaded this up with all the ANGST-

This one’s a bit longer than my other ones. Enjoy!

~~~

They finally met up with Nya, Jay, and Cole, who were also very relieved to see Amy alive and in one piece.

Amy gave Jay a suspicious look, "What did you do?"

Jay laughed nervously, "I think we did OK!"

Behind them, a huge explosion went off, triggering alarms.

A tired smile crossed Amy's face and she shook her head. "Missed you too sparkle Fingers. Let's go guys."

They finally made it to the upper levels, where a bunch of Andys were waiting to stop them. Not willing to back down, the ninja jumped fists up (despite everyone being pretty banged up).

They didn't have much in way of weapons, so they all just fought hand to hand or used their powers.

Amy was in barely any shape to fight, but she did what she could.

Jay's lightning and Kai's fire set off more explosions, and gunfire forced them all to find cover behind concrete columns.

Amy launched a small forcefield around the column she and Lloyd were hiding behind, and pain flashed behind her eyes. She hissed, forcing herself to not collapse right there, and leaned against the column.

An Andy dropped dead next to her feet, and she snatched up his gun. It wasn't loaded all the way, but better than no weapon.

"Someone get that crazy doctor guy!" Jay shouted.

"I blasted him with my fire like three times!" Kai said, "How is that psycho still alive?"

Zane quickly peeked around his column and scanned Hatch. "He's been injected with some kind of super-healing immortal serum. It will take much more than some flames to kill him."

"Great," Kai groaned, "As if killing this guy couldn't get any harder with the dozens of person bodyguards swarming him!"

Amy squeezed her eyes shut.

~

They were losing.

~

They were losing and she was going to be turned back into a monster and forced to hurt her family if she didn't do something.

But what?

~

She felt the small syringe stuffed in down the front of her jumpsuit, cold against her tender, torn skin.

Amy reached down her shirt and pulled it out.

The syringe had a horrifying gleam in the firelight behind her.

The image of herself she'd seen back in the First Spinjitzu Master's tomb came to her. She looked exactly the same in that reflection as she did now.

In the back of her mind, she saw the image of a purple panther sacrificing itself to save the other animals- a maroon phoenix, a red lion, a blue octopus, a black gorilla, a white wolf.......... And a golden dragon.

A purple panther.

Her animal symbol.

And all the other animals.......

The animal symbols of the others.

Amy had never seen the image before, yet the image was familiar and she somehow knew it was true and real.

Her fist closed around the syringe and she took a deep breath.

She knew what she had to do.

~

Amy looked around at her friends- her family- fighting to get out of here. To get her out of here.

But if Hatch won, Amy would go straight back to getting brainwashed and hurting her family.

She couldn't do this to them.

But she also couldn't let them get hurt by her.

Amy looked from her family to the fight behind them, torn. Finally, she made her decision. She took a deep breath, grabbed Lloyd, and pulled him into a kiss, making it as long and deep as possible. Letting the kiss give her the strength and courage she needed for what she was about to do.

Lloyd was very caught off guard and surprised, but kissed her back anyway.

She pulled away from a little, whispering, "I'm sorry, I love you, I'm so sorry." Then she broke away- racing into the fray. Lloyd shouted after her, but she was already too far.

"HATCH STOP!" She shouted, the gun aimed at his heart (if he in fact had one, still up for debate).

Hatch turned at her warning, looked at the gun, and scoffed. "Oh, dear Seven, I can't die. I sure you've seen what my new super healing serum can do."

Amy forced herself to put on a brave face and breathe normally. "Maybe you can't die," she said, loud enough for Hatch to hear. Then in one movement, dropped her weapon, pulled out the syringe, and held it to her neck. "But I can."

Hatch's eyes widened with realization, he regained his composure and ordered the Andys to stop. The fighting screeched to a halt, and he chuckled, raising his gun and aiming it at Amy. The Ninja team erupted with fury and started to charge, but Amy held up a hand to stop them.

"Oh, Seven, this is a bit rash, don't you think?" Hatch asked, "Maybe you want to rethink what is at stake here. Consider what you are facing if you use that."

"Oh, I've considered it," Amy said, "I know you need me in order for your plan to work, and that I'm the one thing that will bring you down if I'm gone. So the only way to stop you is to stop me."

Her free hand, the one with a broken arm, shook violently, and not just from the pain. She took a deep, shuttering breath to calm herself.

Hatch desperately tried to defuse the situation. "Now Seven-"

"NO! I AM NOT A PIECE IN YOUR GAME AND I NEVER WILL BE!" Amy shouted.

Hatch snarled then finally snapped, raising his gun and aiming in less than a second. One, two, three bangs, and three red stains began to grow on the already bloodstained white jumpsuit. One on her stomach, one on her shoulder, and one on her leg. Hatch smiled evilly as he lowered his gun.

Then the syringe fell from Amy's hand and shattered to the floor. Empty.

Amy looked up, directly into Hatch's eyes, glaring. "You.......lost......." She ground out before crying out with pain as the poison coursed through her veins like molten lava.

Hatch roared with fury but was cut off by Kai who yelled with anger. There was a huge column of flames (combined with the other's powers), and the evil scientist was gone forever. Andys started dropping immediately with their leader or fighting to kill them all off.

Luckily, the others were able to keep them back with their powers.

Amy let out a gasp of pain, clenching her teeth as she felt her legs give out under her and she stumbled backward into Lloyd. She clutched one hand to the gunshot wound in her stomach and the other to her neck where she had injected the poison in an attempt to stop the pain. Lloyd gently lowered her to the ground, desperately trying to stop the bleeding from the wound on her shoulder.

Amy couldn't hold it any longer as the poison reached her brain, and let out a small cry of pain, squeezing her eyes shut. "I'm- I'm not gonna make-"

"No," Lloyd whispered holding her in his arms, "No, no.........no, don't say that," he whispered as his eyes burned with tears. "You're gonna be fine, you- it's fine, you're gonna be fine, we just gotta-" His hand, trying to stop the bleeding in her shoulder, was now slick with blood.

Black blood.

The poison was turning her blood black.

Amy opened her mouth to say something but grimaced with pain. When she tried again, it came out in a whisper between gasps of pain. "Lloyd, I-........." She winced, unable to finish.

"No," Lloyd said, "You can't do this to me, Amy you can't- you can't do this, please, you have to stay, you have to stay with me-"

Bolt, who had been sitting next to them, whined and nudged his owner's hand.

Amy smiled weakly and softly rubbed his head. "Bolt........... You did a great job buddy. I-" She paused, interrupted by coughing fit, hacking up more blood, now turning black. "I....... want you to take care of Lloyd for me until I see you again.............. Alright boy? Will you do that for me?" Bolt whined again and slipped his head under her arm so he could rest his head on her stomach.

Amy looked back to Lloyd, who had tears threatening to spill. Lloyd swallowed hard, trying to keep his tears at bay. She brushed a lock of hair out of his face, and let him take her hand in his.

"No," Lloyd begged, "Please you can't leave me, Amy, please."

"Lloyd............" Amy murmured, "It's OK-"

"No!" Lloyd said again, "No, no, You can't- I can't do this........ Please..........." His voice was shaking, "Amy, please, I can't- I can't lose you too! Please, no......"

"I'm sorry," Amy whispered, "I'm sorry, Lloyd. I'm so, so sorry- I..........." She trailed off, not having enough strength to finish. She pulled him down to her and kissed him with the last of her strength.

The kiss was over as fast as it started, even though for a second, it felt like an eternity to both of them. Amy let her head fall back as she closed her eyes. Her arm slipped from Lloyd's grasp, falling to the ground, lifeless, and she didn't move again.

~~~

[fanfalc-616]

(Master of Emotion) Can you write the ninja, Garmadon and other EMs meet Chen on his island {Garm is mad that his son has been kidnapped} (You don't need to go detail in season 4 , you can add or change as you like} and Kai's first match with his powers

Ok so I worked on this and failed and eventually gave up on it but I think I can write at least the last part now- even though this ask is from November-

Also oh my god I wrote something with writer’s block something that wasn’t even RoaN I should not be this impressed with myself but I am anyway-

Jay and Cole are still fighting. The annoying emotions coming off of them is damn near giving Kai a headache, but he ignores them in favor of starting to eat.

Thankfully, Chen speaks up over the speakers, giving him a break from the bickering.

“The tournament of Elements continues. Fun time!” He begins, and Kai almost scoffs at it. Fun? Yeah, okay. They’re here to rescue Lloyd, not play in fighting rings.

“Would the following Masters please make their way to their assigned arena? Speed, Gravity, Smoke, Nature, Mind, oh, and last and hopefully not least…”

He pauses a moment, and Jay takes the chance to speak up.

“Huh, maybe we all got the day off!”

“Emotion!” Chen finishes cheerfully, before the intercom abruptly shuts off.

Kai flashes Jay a glare. “Way to jinx it.” He grumbles.

The other winces, and as Cole seems to be about to insult him about it, Kai can hear opponent- Ash, his name was?- scoff as he looks over him.

“The Master of Emotion? Really? That’s a thing?” He shakes his head. “That much easier for me, I guess.”

A mix of anger and frustration builds up inside of him. This again? Sure, he knows that it’s not a classic element, but he had assumed that at least other elemental masters would understand it!

His clothes shift to a dark, orangey-red as he speaks. “That much more embarrassing when I kick your ass without even touching my fire!” He shoots back, crossing his arms.

Zane tenses up beside him, and so do the others. He knows that he’ll probably get a lecture over this later, but at the moment, he couldn’t care less.

The other elementals have started to watch around, seeming interested in the argument.

“Fire?” Ash frowns. “Now you’re claiming to have two elements? Everyone knows that’s not a…”

Kai takes in some smug satisfaction at the way his eyes widen when he stares at the flame that he lit in his hand.

The emotion bleeds over into his clothes, the red fading as the orange turns slightly yellow. “You were saying?” He mocks, staring the other down.

Ash seems startled, and there’s murmurs breaking out among the other masters- probably because they’re not sure what to do with him now.

The Master of Smoke opens his mouth to speak, but Zane steps between them, a tired expression on his face.

“Perhaps the two of you should save this for your battle.” He recommends, giving Kai a disapproving look.

Alright, alright, he’ll stop. Not because Zane wants him to, though. It’s because he wants to. Yeah. That’s totally it.

He shakes his head. “Whatever you say, Frosty.” He adds a casual shrug to his words, noticing the orange fade completely into a mirage of red and yellow- a difference in color that only people who actually know him can really see.

Turning around, Kai goes back to his food, ignoring the harsh whispers echoing around them.

“You need to be careful, Kai.” Sensei Garmadon warns. “Your elements are powerful, and the combination of them even more. But letting your anger get the better of you will-“

Kai takes a deep breath, tuning out the rest of what he’s saying. Lloyd is captured, Jay and Cole won’t stop bickering over his sister, Zane’s already exhausted, and he’s gonna be all cryptic? Yeah, sorry, Kai’s got enough on his plate.

As they finish eating, he takes a deep breath. Impulsive words or not, he’s gonna stick to them.

No fire. Just feelings.

How hard can it be?

——————————-

Kai stands on his end of the wooden bridge, glaring at Ash on the opposite side. The Jade Blade is in the middle of it, and oh, yeah, they’re on top of a volcano, so there’s kinda lava everywhere.

Even with his resistance to heat, Kai would really rather not test if he could survive molten rock.

“Kai, Master of Emotion…” Chen begins, and Kai takes that as his chance to pull his mask up over his nose. It’s about to get serious.

“Versus Ash, Master of Smoke!” As he speaks, Kai once again braces his feet, preparing to move the moment he’s given his cue.

“FIGHT!”

With the word, Kai takes off running, hand reaching out for the green weapon.

But before he even gets close, Ash throws himself at the rope on one side and flips the entire bridge upside down, dropping the blade onto a rock below and making Kai desperately grasp for purchase as the bridge rights itself while he’s still beneath it.

He manages to grab onto the bottom, but a quiet curse escapes him as he realizes that the fight is definitely not in his favor here. Ash has the high ground, and-

Except Kai’s beneath the bridge! He could use the wood panels as a horizontal ladder and get in close!

And that’s exactly what he does, and once he’s close enough, he bursts through the bottom of the bridge, throwing a kick midair.

But much to his dismay, Ash turns into smoke, making Kai stumble as he lands.

He quickly regains his footing and makes another attack, and another, and another, and another, but annoyingly enough, Ash just keeps turning into smoke whenever he tries to land a hit!

Another brief stumble gives the Master of Smoke the chance to fully solidify and kick Kai in the stomach, hard enough to send him flying backwards and even breaking part of the bridge.

A quiet curse escapes him as he finds himself once again hanging above the lava, this time suspended only by one hand holding onto a broken piece of wood.

A spark of fear hits him, only for a moment, but it’s enough for him to create a force field below him, and use that as a springboard to push himself back up onto the bridge.

The fear fades, replaced by anger. Clothes a bright orange, he dives into spinjitzu- but even then, he can’t land a single hit!

As he steadies himself again, Kai taps into his rage, letting the emotion support him.

Super strength isn’t really the best power to have here, but hey, he’ll take what he can get.

Fists clenched tight, Kai runs back to where he started on the bridge, a smirk crossing his face. “Let’s see you phase through this!”

He uproots the bridge from where it’s held, yanking it upwards. The unsteadiness makes Ash stumble, and as he stares in what looks like shock, Kai pulls up the other side.

The bridge starts to fall to the side where it’s still held down, and Kai uses the momentum it gives him to swing forwards and land on a rock near the Jade Blade.

Much to his annoyance, Ash manages to land on one too.

Well. That’s actually a good thing. If he landed in the lava he probably would’ve died, and as annoying as the guy is, Kai doesn’t want to murder him- or anyone, actually.

He shakes his head, trying to redirect his focus. No, annoyance isn’t helpful, he said he wouldn’t use his fire powers, so having them enhanced isn’t gonna help.

They both jump for the blade at the same time, causing them to collide midair. They grapple at each other, landing on another rock. Kai throws a punch, and seeing as the little space they have and midair combat, he actually manages to land a few hits!

But Ash manages to wrestle free from his grasp, and Kai feels his eyes widen as he jumps for the blade.

Kai jumps after him, but he knows then and there that the second it took for him to process it will be the second it takes for him to lose.

Fear takes a hold in his gut as everything seems to move in slow motion. Midair, he watches as Ash starts to grab the Jade Blade-

But then a purple bubble forms around it, throwing him off.

His hand smacks on the force field, and the sudden loss of grip makes his jump go wonky.

Kai lands on the rock and snags the blade, a triumphant grin starting to form, his clothes a bright yellow. He did it! He won! He-

Then he looks down, and he sees that Ash’s jump being thrown off sent him falling not onto another rock-

But towards the lava below.

Fear grips him once again, but this time, the force field isn’t formed subconsciously.

Still with the Jade Blade in his grasp, he uses his power to create a plate large enough for Ash to land on, the field almost touching the lava below.

Thankfully, Ash takes his chance to jump off it and onto another rock. He stares at Kai for a moment as the field vanishes, his fear fading and replaced with confidence.

The Master of Smoke opens his mouth to speak, seeming stunned by Kai’s actions- but before he gets the chance, Chen’s voice rings out from above.

“Winner!” He proclaims, and Kai can feel his grin widen and clothes turn a bright yellow as he sees his teammates and even the others in the crowd cheering.

“Loser!” Chen continues, seeming pretty happy with himself. “Master of Emotion moves on.”

Holding the Jade Blade up, Kai almost doesn’t feel bad about the way his opponent is dropped into a trapdoor below.

Kai just needs to stay in this tournament long enough to find and rescue Lloyd- not to mention stop whatever plans Chen has with their powers.

But for now, he’s going to feel good about himself. He worked hard for this victory, damn it, so he’s going to have good emotions for a little bit.

Maybe.

Hopefully.

Probably not.

… ugh. Why did he get stuck with the magical mood swings?

[shinobis-of-ninjago-au]

Shinobis of Ninjago

Pilot 1: Way of the Ninja

Prologue (Pilot 1, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), Pilot 2, Episode 1

Ignacia was known for the beautiful rice fields and small villages that dotted the region. Perhaps one of the most popular stores to visit was nothing more than a tiny weapons-smith shop run by two teenagers. It was about a mile outside of the nearest town, but the journey was worth it for the beautiful handcrafted weapons. The store was very traditional, only hammers, chisels, and other simple tools were used to make the products.

The shop was run by siblings, both under the age of fifteen. The eldest, a red-headed girl who was known for her temper, was the age of fourteen and was responsible for supplying for their small family.

Her brother, a thirteen year old boy, was a magnificent mechanic. If it was broken, he could fix it. From cars to toasters to computers, he knew his way around machines.

Today was a quiet day for the blacksmith shop. It was days like this that the siblings loved. They would work for hours on orders and fill up the stock. The girl was bent over an anvil, hammering a piece of steel. She had been at it for a while now, perhaps an hour.

She lifted up the sword she was creating and plunged it into the barrel of water behind her. The steam barreled up as she held it there before dissipating. She pulled the sword up in the air triumphantly before sighing, her confident stance dropping. The metal had cracked, meaning she had to start over again.

The boy looked up from where he was working on a outboard motor for a boat, wiping sweat from his brow. "Lo hiciste demasiado rápido, Skylor. Ten paciencia, si papá todavía estuviera aquí, diría--" ('You made it too quickly, Skylor. Be patient, if father was still here he'd say–')

"Lo sé, lo sé. 'No importa cuántos materiales tengas, la experiencia no es algo que aprendas de la noche a la mañana'. Eso puede funcionar para ti, Jay, pero voy a ser un mejor herrero que papá." ('I know, I know. 'No matter how many materials you have, experience isn't something you learn over night'. That may work for you, Jay, but I'm gonna be a better swordsmith than dad ever was.')

Skylor had been so caught up in her failed sword, she hadn't noticed a woman enter the shop. She caught the attention of the siblings when she spoke.

"Your metal is loud and heavy, useful to slow one down, useless in the art if stealth." They looked to the figure standing next to a display of helmets they kept next to the door. Her white robes were spotless and she had a wide-brimmed straw hat pulled down over her face. She tilted her head curiously. "All tools for a samurai. But nothing for a ninja?"

"Ninja?" Skylor scoffed, putting down the sword and quickly switching to Ninjargon. "You're a long way from finding a ninja in these parts, old woman. And the shop is called 'Four Weapons' not 'for browsing', either buy something or go peddle your insults somewhere else."

The woman looked up at the redhead, revealing shining grey eyes and a wrinkled face. "Too bad, thought I'd find something special here." She said as she exited the shop.

Jay made a motion with his hands for Skylor to do something. They needed good reviews if they wanted to keep putting dinner on the table.

Skylor ran to the back of the store and returned a few seconds later with a sword in her arms. "If it's something special you're looking for, let me show you-" She trailed off, looking for the woman who had been roaming the store.

"Qué es?" ('What is it?')

"Ella era sólo--olvídalo." ('She was just–forget it.') Skylor said, returning the engraved katana to the back of the store.

—————————————————————

The sun was just beginning to set as the rice farmers finished filling their last buckets of the day. On the horizon purple and black clouds formed, racing towards the town. The farmers looked up with curiosity, as there wasn't supposed to be a storm until later this week. Large vehicles soon came into view, the designs far from anything the people of Ignacia were used to. They stopped a kilometer away from the blacksmith shop.

They seemed to be humans at first glance, but underneath all the armour they wore, you could see rib bones, in fact, you could only see bones. They were skeletons, with piercing red pupils in their eye sockets.

"Oh, let me go first! Please, oh, please! I'm dying to go down there!" One of the skeletons in the largest vehicle pleaded.

"You nit-wit you're already dead! Try to control yourself in front of Mistress Samukai!" Another snapped. She cleared her throat and turned to the largest skeleton. "Uhh, with all do respect, Mistress... last time you did say I could go first." She added sheepishly.

Samukai was by-far the biggest skeleton of the army, piercings and scars visible on her bony face. Thick armour was draped over purple and black robes. She frowned at her Top Generals' antics but soon smirked. "Sorry girls, this one's mine. Just remember what we're after, and find that map!" She put one of her arms forward, signaling the drivers to advance on the small shop in the distance.

The villagers shouted as they climbed out of the wet rice fields, some holding sickles or scythes. The small crowd ran at the fast approaching army of skeletons, trying to scare them off. This was one of the best crop years they've had in a while, they didn't want anything to ruin it. Samukai shouted at the group. The simple action made all the villagers retreat to the river or fields.

The small army raced on toward the blacksmith shop, stopping in the front yard and ripping up the gardens the siblings kept such good care of.

"¿Qué son ellos?" ('What are they?') Jay whispered, handing his sister the sword she had asked for.

"No lo sé," ('I don't know,') Skylor said, slipping on a helmet. She led Jay to the cellar under the store, making sure he was hidden behind rice barrels. The siblings embraced each other, promising the other that they would be safe. Skylor brushed his hair out of his face, and pressed their foreheads together; an Ignacian gesture. "Quédate aquí." ('Stay here.') She climbed the stairs and hid behind Jay's workbench.

The creatures didn't seem to be interested in weapons or money, they seemed to be searching for something. Skylor watched as two moved towards the display of katanas they kept outside, close to where she was hiding. They knocked over the stand, disappointed when they didn't find what they were looking for. The creatures started to move closer to Jay's workbench, unaware of the young girl hiding behind it. They each had a baton made of bone in hand, but their grips were loose. Skylor realized this and used the opportunity to sweep the legs out from underneath the two. The skeletons laid on the ground, stunned, barely even noticing when the girl drove her sword into their skulls.

The sound of bones clattering to the ground must have alerted the rest of the army, because Skylor soon found herself surrounded by more skeletons. They formed a circle around her, weapons at the ready. Using what little knowledge of weapon techniques she knew, she defended herself, even managing to take down a few opponents. She soon learned that if you hit them in the back, legs, or rib cage hard enough, they fall to the ground useless.

A loud thud caught her attention. She kicked one in the legs and turned around, blanching when she saw what was behind her. Jay stood there, a gardening hoe in hand and a skeleton laying at his feet.

Skylor's surprised expression soon turned to worry and anger. "¡Pensé que te había dicho que te quedaras atrás! ¡No te involucrarás en esto!" ('I thought I told you to stay back! You are not getting involved in this!') She shouted.

"De ninguna manera voy a dejar que solo tú te diviertas." ('No way am I letting only you have fun.') Jay smirked, leaving no room for argument as he took down another skeleton.

During the fight, the siblings must have gotten separated, but Skylor always made sure she had Jay in her line of sight. She took note of him fighting on the path that led to their shop, holding his own against a few skeletons.

Feeling a presence behind her, Skylor turned. There stood a skeleton, maybe six or seven feet tall, with four arms, each holding a curved dagger. Skylor started slowly walking backwards, the skeleton matching her pace and moving forward.

Before she could comprehend what was happening, the skeleton was running forward, swinging her four daggers at the girl. Unable to counter, Skylor was pushed backwards. With one final hit, Skylor was sent flying backwards, slamming into one of the cherry trees.

Groaning in pain, Skylor looked up from her spot in the dirt. Though her vision was blurry, she could make out a tall figure walking towards her. What Skylor saw next, she was unsure of, for there was no possible way that a miniature golden tornado took down a skeleton.

The tall figure from before, the skeleton, spoke. "Sensei Mystake, your spinjitzu looks rusty!"

The golden tornado slowly spun to a stop, revealing a figure dressed in white and a wide-brimmed straw hat. The woman–Mystake– placed her bamboo staff on the ground, "Nothing like bone to sharpen it's edge, Samukai."

Samukai glared at the woman, furious that she stopped the battle between her and the redhead. Samukai glanced at her previous opponent struggling to stand at the base of the tree, then Mystake, debating which she should take care of first before she spotted something behind the white-clad woman. Chuckling darkly, she threw her four daggers. Mystake turned, watching as the blades hit the supports of the water tower positioned outside of the shop.

In a flash, the bright gold cyclone appeared and was moving rapidly towards Skylor. The tornado picked up the girl, moving her and itself out of the way. As soon as is appeared it was gone, Mystake standing in its place, hovering over Skylor. The water tower came down with a large crash, sending a wave of water washing over the yard.

Samukai used this distraction to retreat back to her large vehicle, calling the rest of her army back as well. She was handed a rolled up piece of parchment by her top generals as she settled into her seat. "Lady Misako says take the boy!" Samukai shouted. A skeleton in the back of the vehicle readied a claw-like hand made of bone. It was fired and it soared through the air before closing around Jay. The look of terror on his face as he was pulled back to the army was the most pain Skylor had felt in her short fourteen years of life. He screamed out her name, as she did his.

The army wasted no time leaving the weapons-smith shop, taking Jay along with it. Skylor tried to follow, running after the vehicles. The pain in her head soon became too much to bear and she fell to the ground, crying in pain, anger, and grief.

At the sound of footfalls behind her, she whipped around, wishing that she hadn't as another jolt of pain shot through her head. In front of her stood the woman who had come into the shop earlier, the one who had turned into a golden tornado.

Skylor glared at her, trying to stand up. Once she was on her feet, she pointed an accusing finger at Mystake. "You could have done something! You could've used your spiny-whatever!" The woman opened her mouth to speak. "But you did nothing. Because of you my brother is gone!" Skylor looked around the soaked, teared up yard, walking over towards the cherry trees. She picked up her sword, pushing past Mystake. "I'm going to get my brother back."

"Where they go, a mortal cannot." Skylor stopped in her tracks and turned back to the old woman who was shaking her head. "That was Samukai, Queen of the Underworld. And if it's true that she is carrying out orders for Lady Misako, Then I fear things are far worse than I had ever thought."

"Lady Misako? Underworld? What's going on?" Skylor demanded, trying to convince her pounding headache to go away. "What do we have that's so important to them? And why would they take my brother!?"

"What's so important? How about everything in Ninjago itself!" Mystake snapped. She gestured for Skylor to take a seat on the bench outside of the shop. It was there for the rice farmers when they would have lunch. The farmers and the siblings were very close, close enough that Skylor and Jay would occasionally make lunch for the farmers that stopped by. Skylor settled into place on the wooden bench, looking uneasy.

"Long before time had a name, Ninjago was created by the First Spinjitzu Master, by using the eight Weapons of Spinjitzu. The Scythe of Quakes, the Nunchucks of Lightning, the Shurikens of Ice, the Sword of Fire, the Staff of Illusions, the Trident of Water, the Whip of Technology, and the Sai of Absorption. Weapons so powerful, no one can handle even four at once."

"Yeah, yeah, I know the story backwards and forwards. Four of the weapons were destroyed in the final battle to differentiate good from evil and save Ninjago. What's the point?"

"But that is only half the story. Maybe if you listen for once, you would hear what others have to say. It might prove useful in the future." Mystake cleared her throat, continuing the story. "When she passed away, her two daughters swore to protect the four remaining weapons. But the oldest was consumed by darkness and wanted to possess them. A battle between sisters broke out, and the oldest was struck down and banished to the Underworld. Peace returned and the younger sister hid the weapons. But knowing her older sister's relentless ambition for power, she placed a guardian to watch over each weapon. And for fear of her own demise, a map for a honest man to hide.

"That honest man was your father. The older sister is Lady Misako. And I need to find those weapons before she does." Mystake finished, turning back towards Skylor.

"You're the younger sister," Skylor realized. "So you came looking for the map in order to stop your sister." Her expression changed to anger. "The one who took my brother."

"No," Mystake shook her head. "I came here for something greater." She placed her staff of Skylor's shoulder. "You."

Mystake turned away from her, pacing in thought. "As my sister cannot enter this realm, she must have struck a deal with Samukai. If she were to collect the four remaining weapons, I would not be able to stop her again. But you! The absorption grows throughout you; the ability to borrow another's power for a limited time. I will train you to harness it, use it, and become a spinjitzu master!" She tapped her staff on Skylor's shoulder with every word.

Skylor pushed the stick away. "I'm flattered. But nothing is stopping me from saving Jay. I am not getting involved in your sibling rivalry." She stood, grabbing her sword and pushing past Mystake.

"How do you expect to rescue your brother from the clutches of one of Ninjago's strongest armies? I do not think that concussion will fare you well."

Skylor's shoulders slumped as she turned back towards the old woman. "If you have any ideas I would love to hear them. Especially since you let him get captured."

"If you want to get your brother back, you must control the power inside. Only when you become a Spinjutsu Master, will you be able to face Lady Misako."

"I don't care about Misako. If it means I get my brother back, when do we start?"

[ninja-go-to-therapy]

Day 3: Bleeding

@ninjago-angst-week

Kai gets stabbed. Nya is absolutely, positively done.

Trigger Warnings: stabbing, blood, hospital, police

1389 words

“Hey Zane,” Kai yelled, easily dodging the baseball bat that was being swung violently at him. “How we doing on time?”

“It has been about twenty minutes since our arrival,” Zane called back, frost shooting from his fingertips at the lackey he was fighting.

“Can we hurry it up?” Cole asked, “I want to beat our record.”

“I think we still have like, fifteen minutes,” Nya offered, flipping overhead and lunging at a man who was approaching Lloyd from behind.

Oh, they could totally wrap this up in fifteen minutes. These guys were pathetic, taking them down was easy as cake! A cake that even Cole could make. Yeah, that easy.

“Stop talking!” one of the bad guys screeched. “Take us seriously, won’t you?”

Everyone paused for a moment as the ninja contemplated this. “Eh, maybe when you actually act like a threat,” Lloyd shrugged, tripping the woman running past him without even looking at her.

The battle resumed. Kai had to admit, even if these guys were the easiest villains like, ever, it was still a nice workout. A very light, relaxed workout, but still a workout. He was hardly even sweating.

“Hey, who’s night is it to cook?” Jay yelled from atop a platform, engaged in hand-to-hand combat with one of the bad guys.

“Yours!” Nya yelled back, using her sai to block her opponent’s sword. Ooh, that was a nice sword. It would be a shame if the dude using it happened to drop it… and leave it behind after the ninja threw them in jail…

Nah, Kai had enough swords already. Besides, he was a blacksmith! Well… sort of. He had been a blacksmith! Albeit, a bad one. Maybe he should just steal the sword.

“Ah crap, I have no idea what I’m gonna make,” Jay whined, even as his breaths were becoming labored.

“Ooh! Make pasta!” Lloyd suggested.

Kai was forced to tune his family out as his opponent upped his game. Seriously, while  this was probably considered an impressive skill level among normal people, he was a ninja. Beating people like these was in the job description. This dude may have just given up now and saved them both the trouble.

“You getting tired yet?” Kai asked his opponent lightly. “I mean, you don’t even have any powers to boost you, how are you not getting tired yet?”

His opponent glared at him. Kai laughed at the reaction — and then immediately regretted it. He felt a blade slicing into his skin — that wasn’t supposed to be there, that really wasn’t supposed to be there — and then being ripped back out.

Kai stared down at his bleeding stomach, feeling much like he was going to vomit. Or maybe faint. Fainting would be preferable.

His knees buckled under him, and he collapsed, falling to the floor like a rag-doll.

Weakly, Kai blasted fire at his attacker, praying it would be enough to get him a moment to breathe. Breathe. Breathing was good. He just needed to keep doing that.

“Kai!” Nya yelled. He could see her fighting through the bad guys to get to him. That was nice of her. He giggled a little. Nya was about to need to take care of him, wasn’t she? Oh, the irony.

“Nya,” Kai said, frowning at the black spots that danced across his vision. Oh well, those probably weren’t important. “Hey, hey Nya, now I know what a period feels like!” he exclaimed, giggling hysterically.

And then suddenly the black spots weren’t just spots, but his whole world. He didn’t even feel his head smacking against the floor.

---

Nya just stared at her brother as he lost consciousness. Had he seriously? While he was practically mortally wounded? Seriously?

She shook herself out of her disbelief, rushing to her now unconscious brother’s side.

“You better still have a pulse, you idiot,” she muttered, relieved to find that it was still relatively strong. Based on the blood loss, it would be bad. But he would probably make it. If he didn’t, she was going to go to the Departed Realm, drag him back, and then kill him again herself.

She pressed against Kai’s wound, feeling tears spring to her eyes at the paleness of his face. This… this idiot! It had all been going fine just a few minutes ago, and then he’d gotten himself freaking stabbed!

The others took care of the remaining bad guys while Nya stayed firmly at Kai’s side. He was going to be fine. He was still breathing, he still had a pulse, and she was getting the blood loss under control. She hoped. Her hands were going to be stained red for days.

The police showed up — and with the police, an ambulance. They handed off the bad guys as the medics loaded Kai into the ambulance.

“Will he be alright?” Nya asked, frantic.

“We’re not sure,” one of them said. “We need to get him to the hospital, stat.”

Nya hardly heard the second sentence. The first three words left her ears ringing violently. They weren’t sure? Oh first master, if this was how Kai went out, she would never forgive herself.

The ninja who weren’t incapacitated rode their elemental dragons to the hospital, landing carefully in the parking lot before rushing inside.

They were told to wait.

And wait they did. They waited for hours, in one of those stupid little hospital waiting rooms. It smelled so strongly of bleach that Nya wasn’t even sure if she could drink water without only tasting bleach, too. It was enough to have her pacing back and forth in the small area she was able to.

“—that idiot, what’s wrong with him, he needs to be more careful!” Nya seethed, shoving her hands in her pockets as she paced. “I swear. I. Swear. I will kill that boy if he dies. I will!”

Zane, who was standing, too, put an arm on her shoulder comfortingly.

“Kai will be fine,” Cole said, not looking up from where his head was rested on his hands, staring at the tile floor intensely. “He’s survived worse.”

Nya sighed, slumping into her chair. “I know. You’re right. I just… there was so much blood.”

“I saw,” Cole replied, his voice quiet.

Fuck. Of course Cole would be stressed out too. That wasn’t only Nya’s brother in there. That was Cole’s boyfriend, that was Zane’s best friend. They were all family, biological or not. They were all worried.

Still, Kai would be fine. He had to be.

---

Kai woke up to blindingly white walls. He groaned, attempting to sit up, but found that he was in way too much pain for that. Why did everything hurt like that?

Oh, yeah, the whole stabbing thing.

He snorted at the memory of the joke he’d made before passing out. He had been right, he was pretty sure. That probably was what a period felt like. Girls always described it as the equivalent to being stabbed in the gut, anyways. And, unless they were exaggerating (Kai found it hard to believe that every woman alive was exaggerating it), he could actually relate.

A nurse walked in. “Oh!” he exclaimed, “You’re awake!”

Kai, not wanting to cause himself the needless pain of moving, just stared at the guy.

“How are you feeling?”

Kai gave the honest answer of “Shitty.”

The nurse laughed a little, at least. Whoop de doo, Kai was great at entertainment.

The nurse had to ask him a million and one questions, and it dragged on for what was probably forever. They were all really stupid questions, too, ones that they probably could have asked Nya. You know, the one who wasn’t feeling like death itself.

But then, finally, mercifully, his family burst in.

“Kai Smith!” Nya yelled, marching over to his bedside. “You absolute idiot!”

Kai changed his mind. He wanted the stupid questions back.

“You could have died! You’ve got to be more careful!”

“Hey, hey!” Kai cried, struggling to sit up so he could better articulate his argument. “But have you considered: I didn’t.”

Nya stared at him, her eyes looking directly into his soul. His sister was absolutely about to strike the fear of the first spinjitzu master into him.

“Kai,” Nya said, looking very, very calm. Too calm. “Shut the fuck up.”

[only-lonely-stars]

The Future is Bright, Chapter 3

[Chapter 1 (Beginning)] // [Chapter 2] // [Chapter 3 - you are here!] // [Chapter 4] // [Chapter 10 (End)] (FFN)

Shintaro is much like normal, but Princess Vania is... pretty nice. One wonders just how affected they really were by what happened.

Summary: What would happen if Cole had indeed had a reflection in the tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master? How would that have changed his life later? What would it have been? This story follows what might have happened if he had seen something, and what it was; who he would have become. What if his future was already decided?... (Rated T for safety. Alternate title: the Cosmic Spoilers AU.)

Chapter 3: Under the Mountain

The following days, or perhaps weeks, after the Ninja's arrival in Shintaro were a blur. It was just as much of an adventure as Cole has expected– rarely were their travels anything but adventure– and it ended up being rather exciting… in that stomach-turning way that made him anxious for his family's well-being and proud of how well they fought.

Their Shintaran adventure was better than most, when Cole thought about it afterward, already getting ready to go back to the Monastery of Spinjitzu. For once, no one was dead, or half-dead. No one was possessed, or scarred. No one was sent to another realm, or dimension, or anything! Everyone was… okay. They could leave in peace. There was no lasting damage, there were no painful memories... it was all just something good, for once, with new friends and new lands and new hopes.

Of course, the Ninja weren't the only people involved, and Cole wasn't selfish enough to ignore those who were arguably much more affected than they were. The Upply, the Geckles, the Munce, the Shintarans themselves… all of them were affected in that deeply intrinsic way one is changed by one's first adventure. The Upply were brave, the Geckles and Munce got along– the Shintarans were even considering ending their isolation! Their whole world had turned on its axis in a short week or so, and the Ninja were the cause.

Though the Ninja had changed Shintaro, the Shintarans had changed the Ninja's world, too. Ninjago itself was different. Each of their citizens was different and interesting, although they had barely met any of them, and it was fascinating getting to know them. With that said, if there was one Shintaran out of the rest who was most affected in Cole's mind, it had to be Princess Vania. She wasn't even Princess anymore; she was Queen Vania, sole ruler of the entire kingdom. Her deposed father had his title stripped immediately, and she had taken it up with comfortable ease, just as she was always meant to have it.

When Cole thought about Vania, he had to smile. She was the sort of girl that he thought more people should be like– strong, brave, and independent. She'd been more girlish at the start of their journey under the mountain, but by the time it had ended, she'd grown; she wielded her glaive and royal authority with adept swiftness that he couldn't help but admire. She was a fellow leader.

In fact, she was a really good fit for royalty… Lloyd could probably have taken lessons from her on how to assume power, back in the day.

Power… that was another thing to think about, wasn't it? Cole had received a lot of power during this trip. Now, he looked down at his hands and saw a faint, pulsing of orange right under the skin, just next to where his veins were. It brightened and dimmed with his heart's pulse, and he could feel its buzzing strength if he touched his wrist, or his neck at the jugular artery. It was the pulse of his power, passed down from his mother just like his life and breath were, and stronger than ever.

Now divorced from the events of the trip below the mountain, Cole could smile again at what he'd found. He hadn't imagined he'd find a temple, much less to his mother and ancestors! A sacred place for the Masters of Earth, where incredible power was housed for those who would seek it. A home for the history that was long since forgotten. It was almost too good to be true. He would say he didn't believe it, but he did; he believed it only because he had harnessed the Spinjitzu Burst and defeated the ancient evil his mother had defeated before him. With Vangelis locked up and the power of Earth more securely within his grasp, Cole could smile in peace– he was more connected to his mother than ever before. Earth was his link to the past…

What of a link to the future, though? His vision? What he'd seen in the First Master's tomb? He still remembered it, but the details had faded from his mind. He couldn't remember the details of it, let alone what he'd worn; just that it was some tunic, in white and blue.

Colors he never wore.

Garments he'd never seen before.

It was too similar to Shintaro to ignore, and he simply had to hope that maybe, just maybe… it would be okay. Maybe it wasn't here.

Despite all that, he didn't see it happening. Maybe it wasn't coming yet. Maybe he could still avoid it a little longer… and in the meantime, he couldn't stay in Shintaro forever.

When it was finally time to leave Shintaro, it was the evening after Vania's coronation. The sun was setting when they made to leave in the Bounty, embracing the wind and sun on their faces. They still wore the armor given to them by the Geckles and Munce; they hadn't wanted them back, and they gave a semblance of purpose at the coronation, with all its pomp and circumstance. Cole's was particularly comfortable; he wondered if he should keep it as a usual part of his gi. It didn't hurt that it was gold, like his mother's favorite things... his mind was often on her now.

When they at last made ready to leave, the group exited the palace. They were joined by the many from the audience, led by Queen Vania in the very front. She smiled benevolently, like a proper queen, but just as sweetly as he'd come to expect. As the group split to say their goodbyes, she stuck close to Lloyd, talking quietly… Cole couldn't help but notice as he went to the Upply for his goodbyes.

"So long, fellas." He grinned at them. "This is goodbye."

"Good luck to you, Sir Ninja," Fungus said, bowing.

"And there will be hot bowl of soup waiting for you in Metalonia!" Korgran added, sniffling. "...Korgran will miss Cole."

"I'll miss you too, Korgran." He looked to Plundar, who had finally removed his hood to reveal his black hair. "Stay out of trouble, Plundar! You too, Adam."

Adam chirred, and Plundar smirked. "Where's the fun in that? We've got to do something now that we don't get a real eyeful of you and Vania dancing around."

"I– dancing around? What do you mean?"

"What Plundar means is that you and Vania have quite the connection," Fungus commented. "It's intriguing; we will miss seeing you both."

He shrugged. "Well, I'll miss her too, and all of you, so… yeah. That makes sense."

"Oh!" A familiar, feminine voice called out. "Cole!"

Cole turned back to the proper end of the pier. Lit in the sunset, Vania stood there, wearing her new crown. She was watching him with a little smile and a faint pink blush that seemed to be somewhat permanent, but wasn't an unpleasant sight. Far from it, it countered her pale complexion in rather pretty way. Cole couldn't help but smile at her and come up to the pier, so they were facing each other.

"I wish you could stay," Vania admitted to him, hands fidgeting. "I could use your help."

"You don't need me!" Cole grinned, grabbing one of her hands and clasping it tightly in his hand and raising the two between them. "You're one of the strongest and bravest people I've ever met."

She seemed to light up at his compliment, smiling even more than she had been. "Well, in that case… if you ever need my help, all you have to do is ask and I will bring the entire army of Shintaro to your aid."

"Thanks, Vania." He squeezed her hand gently. "Still feel like you want me to stay?"

"Well, I'd still like to have you here longer." She giggled a little. "Are you sure you can't? I'm really going to miss you."

"Yeah... I'm sure." He squeezed her hand. "I'll come back to visit, okay? Sooner rather than later."

"Okay. I'll look forward to it." She let go of his hand with that same sweet smile. "Have a safe trip home, Cole!"

"Thanks!"

That was all they said to each other before they parted. After a few more warm goodbyes, they boarded the Destiny's Bounty, and took off. As their journey back to Ninjago and the Monastery began, he couldn't help smiling; whatever came next, he hoped it would be as nice as Shintaro, with all its whites and blues.

Cole sighed as he looked out over the mountains. Shintaro was definitely where his vision was set, but… would it really be so bad if his future came to visit him there? Especially with such a good friend in Shintaro?

[valiantly-onward]

The Serpentine War

Here we go!

This is my Serpentine War fic. A few notes: because we don’t know many of the names of the old Elemental Masters, I’ve given them some names, but I’ll be changing them if those names get released. There will also be two or three scenes in the later chapters that are taken directly from the show but I don’t claim them at all and have just written them out for storyline continuity. Those scenes belong to LEGO Ninjago.

I’ll try to post a few chapters a week, so here’s chapter one!

Chapter 1: A Snake

At the moon’s peak, a stranger approached the gates of the great city of Ouroboros.

The watchmen stood sentry, moonlight glinting on their violet scales. Both craned their long necks at the lone figure emerging from the dunes. As he tread closer, he threw down his hood. A human face, cruel and pale, steadily watched the Serpentine watchmen raise their spears.

“Human,” the first hissed. “Return to your lands, or suffer at the law.”

The man raised his hands. “Please, I mean you no harm. I seek an audience with your chief.”

The snakes glanced at each other. More and more humans ventured across the border these days, emboldened by ignorance. But one at the very gates of Ouroboros...what were they to do?

The man enjoyed watching the Serpentine guards squirm. Finally, the first told the second, “Tell the gatekeeper we have a prisoner to escort to the throne. Send more sentries.”

So the second slithered off. In minutes, the sentries had been replaced, and the man strode down the sandy streets between two guards. Their long tales rasped against stone, while wind blew the road clean before them. The man remembered ancient maps of the city - roads, like spires on a wheel, leading to the masterpiece throne of the Anacondrai chief.

Once, the Serpentine were ruled under one king of the sands. Now, so long divided and dispersed across the vast Serpentine lands, five different tribes governed themselves. But all roads led back here, to the mightiest of the chiefs, the Anacondrai General Arcturus.

Past the low stone dwellings and alleys with deepening shadows, the guards finally led the man under a great archway into an round courtyard. Empty stands rose from the sand on all sides. Far across the yard, a huge stone snakehead broke the line of stands. Beneath it, an Anacondrai was slithering onto a low dias and seating himself on an intricate golden throne.

Though the ancient Pyrovipers were gone, their old gods and superstitions were not. The man watched amiably as Arcturus’ guards appeared with a set of golden pauldrons and strapped them across the great snake’s shoulders. All gold, to represent the power of Ninjago itself; all snakes, for pride, for glory.

“Speak, human,” said General Arcturus.

The man stepped past his Serpentine escort and bowed low. “Great General Arcturus, I am Lord Chen. I have travelled far, risking even our ancient laws, to plead with you.”

“To plead?” The general’s voice rumbled somewhere between a hiss and a roar. Greater men than Chen regarded that voice like sand chafing in a shirt collar - it was impossible to be comfortable.

Still, Chen pressed on. “I have spent years studying your people. Your history is fascinating. And your legends…” He made a show of wringing his hands. “There is one in particular that frightens me.”

“You woke me from my slumber,” Arcturus frowned. “To speak of myth?”

“Not myth, great one.” Chen dared to look up to meet the general’s gaze. “Prophecy.”

The Anacondrai guards began to shift. Restless whispers snuck over forked tongues. Arcturus’ slitted eyes did not waver.

Chen clasped his hands behind his back. “It is true, is it not, that there is a Serpentine legend about the curse of the Golden Master? That one day, he will rise with golden power to bring destruction and doom?”

More whispers. The guards behind Chen slid back, as if he were the devil the legend spoke of.

Arcturus leaned his snaky head forward. “This is indeed one of our legends. It is our belief that such a day draws near. It has already been too long since the death of the First Spinjitzu Master. Soon, someone will claim his place.”

“That is why I implore you, General,” Chen said. He cast a hand back the way he had come, from the sands. “The people of Ninjago need to be warned of this danger. And those who follow the ways of the First Spinjitzu Master must be stopped - before they bring doom upon us all.”

“We cannot warn the people of Ninjago,” Arcturus replied. “We would have to enter their lands. And it would be in vain - they would not believe us.”

Chen mustered all the sentiment, all the raw emotion he possessed, and pretended it was love. “Please. For the sake of Ninjago, before it is too late - you must warn them. And if they do not listen, you must make them listen.”

All was silent in the courtyard for many moments. The desert wind continued to pull sand across the stone, to and fro, as it had since time had a name.

General Arcturus rose from his throne, pauldrons and fangs gleaming. “You are prepared to do what needs to be done, human?”

“For the greater good.” Chen bowed low again, so low that no one could see him smile. “Only one can remain.”

@greenygreenland

[purplerose244]

Thoughts journal Ninjago season 13!!! 🤩🤩 (3/4)

I am enjoying the season A LOT. The reveal has been thrown already, everything seems to be leading towards something special about Rock Mom and I couldn't hope for something better!! I know Lou will be back so I guess a flashback?... I'M SO EXCITED 💕💕

Alright, let's start!!

DUNGEON PARTY!

Side note, we're past the season and no Nexo Knights reference. Me sad, but me not quitting like ninja!! 💪💪

Korgran of METALONIA?!?! WHERE KARLOF COMES FROM!!! Oh you just love to feed me with good throwbacks, now do you Ninjago crew 😍

Plundar the thief, yeah, the attire gives it away although it is nice. And Fungus... huh... well that explains the mushrooms on the hat I guess 😅

Yep, there we go, a party of adventurers, the DnD situation promised 👈👈 He said loot, I saw a 20 faced dice, nice nice

In these recent seasons adventurers just won't like to do adventures for one reason or another, first uncle Powers, now these guys? I mean Ninjago is in danger every freaking time and you risk your life at every step and there's a new formidable villain every like five seconds but... huh... what was my point again?

THE ANIME STYLE IS BACK 😂😂 Oh boy I can tell we're in for a train to crazy town

I'm thinking this dude looks a lot like He-Man... of course he does, the HECK, am I noticing this just now? 😑

I do agree with mister Korgran's father reluctance about talking like that (I saw too many anime characters like that 😂), but Karlof uses the third person too. Either it's common in Metalonia, or there's a general lack of education there 😅 (I LOVE METAL BOY I MISS HIM 🖤🖤)

Talking axe that doesn't talk, nice 😂

Okay... okay, I need a moment

This is too cute. I know her head is a bit too big but LOOK AT THEM 💛🤍💛🤍 Has Chompy never grown?... wait he did got big that one time... okay... okay, never mind

Well that's a pretty nice party, you got your barbarian, your magic user and your rogue. Kinda misses a healer but still... tomorrow I'm doing a DnD session with my friends and I wanna sound like I know stuff 😂

I just noticed that I haven't seen hidden trap doors like that since Chen, the ABC of villains right there my friends 👆

So the King didn't become evil just because of the skull, he actually wished to obtain it and use the dark power. I get that he wants to defend the city but he is basically remorceless about everything else, so he is guilty. Also DRAGON ABUSER 😡

Poor Vania, but she overcame her Skylor situation very quickly. Proud 💛

There we go with the encouragement, you go Rocky!! We have a crazy Skull dude to turn into dust!! 👿👿

Wait, a promise he made a long time ago? Rock mom?

DUNGEON CRAWL!

ROCK MOM!!! YAAAASSS!!! FINALLY SHE'S HERE!!! 🖤🖤🖤

Oh holy FSM, my heart 💔

MY HEART HURTS SO MUCH. Cole as a kid, Lou is back, Rock Mom IS SICK AND WILL DIE, all the drawings, the picture of them together 😭😭

I cannot, freaking, this kid doesn't want his mom to be sick and he's gotten into troubles at school and she wants him to fight and be strong and right and SHE HAS HIS SAME EYEBROWS 😢😢😢😢😢😢

This scene was really heartbreaking, such a genuine situation with a kid that wants her mom to be fine and proud of him 🖤

Just looked at her VA and it's Erin Matthews 🤩 So first I'm counting it as a Nexo Knights reference just because MACY AND ROBIN ❤🖤❤🖤 Second, wasn't "the mom" going to be voiced by Jillian? Is it... is it Maya? Is she coming back? MAYBE NEXT SEASON??? NYA SEASON?!?!? 🤯🤯

Oh, we're moving on? So... so there's still the stuff about Rock Mom's past to uncover, still unsure if she was the one of the blades for the two tribes

PLUNDAR WE DO NOT DISRESPECT COLE INTO THIS HOUSE VANIA MY GIRL YOU ARE SPEAKING FOR ME TOO 💪💪

The connection between Cole and his mom is the earth itself, I'm loving this concept so much. It's true that he never found himself this deep into his element before, the Caves of Despair were mines but never this deep. This really is rock bottom... HECK YEAH

Well Cole...

Welcome to the colored eyes because of elemental power ninja team!! 💚❤🧡 (without counting the forbidden scroll moments) I LOVE WHEN IT HAPPENS!!! I'M GETTING SO PROUD AND EMOTIONAL!!! I'M PROUDOTIONAL!!! 🤯

Aww, Cole saving his son sensei, very nice. They did save each other a lot 🤷‍♀️

This place reminds me a lot of the Fire Temple where Kai got himself into trouble in season 1 but then saved Lloyd, one of my favorite and most memorable episode of the show... I'M TOO NOSTALGIC RIGHT NOW LET'S MOVE ON

NEVER MIND COLE IS TAKING CHARGE LIKE OLD TIMES HE IS FINALLY THE LEADER AGAIN I'M GONNA CRY ROCKY I'M SO HAPPY YOU DESERVE THIS 🖤

Wu's spinjitzu!! Always nice to see it 😊 And yes Adam is a good boy, and for my arachnophobia is a little freaky saying it 😅

Ah, good Plundar, Cole needs all the appreciation of the world because HE IS SUCH A GOOD PERSON AND AMAZING WARRIOR AND I LOVE HIM AAAAAA

This is probably my favorite episode for now, got Rock Mom, got elemental powers, got a lot of Cole in all of his glory: the leader with a clear smart mind able to lead even strangers, with big heart for what's important 👏👏

I feel like this season is giving him glory, I'm curious about how it will end!!

GRIEF-BRINGER

Okay I know it's the name of the dragon... and it gets me a little antsy 😅

Back to the munce! Still doing as good as ever I see! 😅 And lol, you can't blame Nya for not being nice Jay! Although she is kinda best friends with Ronin who double crossed her multiple times... okay, I see your reasoning Bluebell

There we go, Nya making them listen. I honestly could have seen her just grabbing one of them and make them fly through the the room, still cool though 😎

Back to the geckles! Also doing as good as ever! 😅 These little purple guys are so dang cute, seeing my flame babe trying to lead is so PRECIOUS, and even more PRECIOUS is Zane giving him support... and a rock in the face 🤍🤍

Gotta say

I'm more and more fascinated by their culture 😂😂

Aww little Gleck, everything had started with him after all... wait... HER NAME IS LILLY?!?! ROCK MOM HAS A NAME!!! AND SHE IS GILLIE/MILLIE!!! I KNEW IT!!! 🤩🤩

I think I saw the name somewhere, didn't think it was actually her. I always headcanoned her as Gaia, but Lilly is a very sweet name too 💕

It is pretty nice that even though we as viewers didn't know what happened to Lilly, the ninja knew. It's obvious, they've known each other for so long, but still. It feels nice to see this 😊

Oh-oh, Skull dude is up to something... and he said the title 👈👈

Zane keeps being the sweetest thing ever created, le cute dude 🤍🤍 Never thought I'd see Tin Can and Hothead discussing about lies while two slugs race each other...

I don't know if it's the new animation but the armored suits look CRAZY GOOD, the metal and the details are awesome!! I approve the suits of this season 👍

Pff, they are talking down his sister, if he knew they would be literally toasted 🔥

HUG HUG BEAUTIFUL LEGO HUG!!! And she lifts him up, omg the Smith siblings are back and they are so CUTE 😍

Yep, only he can talk down his sister... and possibly be annihilated right after 😅

Oh, the dragon that almost destroyed the two tribes... OH THE DRAGON THAT ALMOST DESTROYED THE TWO TRIBES!!! 😱😱

NO GUYS DON'T LEAVE LLOYD AND ZANE BEHIND, THEY ARE THE MOST PRONE TO SACRIFICE THEMSELVES 😭😱😭😱😭😱

The cringe Kai, the cringe never leaves you alone you beautiful idiot ❤

I cannot believe the animators managed to make Lloyd's LEGO hair swoosh, I must applaude them 👏👏👏 Also POOR BABY ON THE GROUND GIVE HIM A VACATION FOR CRYING OUT LOUD

Well aren't things getting even more complicated 😅 Where is Cole? We need season superstar pronto!

MASTERS NEVER QUIT

Awww, major throwback to the show's most famous motto right in the title! NINJA NEVER QUIT!!! LET'S GO THEN!!! 🤩

The upply team! With the lava beast back... I could easily make comment about how it could be a representation of Cole's feelings since it's LAVA with EARTH and FIRE, and he is running from them... I'M JUST RAMBLING MOVING ON 🖤❤🖤❤

Cole misses the Caves of Despair maybe, he wants to have a round with the carts like in Possession 😂 Was that why he knew it was going to work eventually? That would be histerical, especially since back then they all almost fell into the lava 😅😅

The Heart of the Mountain? Secret temple of the masters of Earth? Possibly hidden in Shintaro? Spinjitzu Burst? Wu, let me ask you this... just in case... is there... perhaps...

IS THERE SOMETHING YOU SHOULD'VE TOLD US??? 😡😡

He is definitely and officially old, only reason why he keeps forgetting to warn people about stuff 😑 I mean, it's not major like with Morro or Aspheera, I guess it's an improvement?... kinda?

So you learn spinjitzu burst if you're surrounded by your element, that sounds pretty awesome! I wonder how it could be with all the others, this can open up kinda like a quest for the true potential but with different places and lots of OP powers and I'M INTO IT 🤩🤩🤩

Okay season, I get it

YOU WANNA MAKE ME CRY 😭😭 I love this aztec vibe, so cool and appropriate she looks STUN 🖤

I didn't expect this much introspection about Cole, I thought it was going to be kinda last minute like with Jay in Prime Empire. I'm so thankful it's not like that, freaking yes. YES. GO COLE BURST OUT!!

... okay, take your time sweetie, no rush. The other ninja are just going to be fried but eh, happens all the time 🤷‍♀️

VANIA MAH GIRL 💕 I understand Wu, I mean the guys kinda learned all they needed already back when they started to train Lloyd. Ever since then, they had been not master and students, but just family. And you always need family, no matter how far you go 🖤

Awwww, Wu! You got your own development too! 👍 So nice to hear "ninja never quit" again, can't be too sure but it's been a while 😍

Let's hope the guys are doing fine resisting while Team Cole arrives 😎😎

[gwenbrightly]

I promised the lovely @dragonpearlninja that I'd write her something involving Cole and Daphne for her birthday, which... Was actually a little under two weeks ago. So. I'm kinda behind, but I'm super excited to announce that I've finally finished your gift fic, sweetie! You're a phenomenal twin/brain/beta/Co conspirator and I can't imagine life without you! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this incredibly dorky fic featuring Cole's many questions about barbie. It was super fun to write!

"All I’m saying is that there are a few things that are never fully explained,” Cole commented as he reached over to steal some of Daphne’s popcorn. She pretended not to notice.

“Oh?” she said, raising an eyebrow. They had just finished watching Barbie in the Nutcracker for their weekly movie night and she was curious about which part of this cinematic masterpiece had inspired this comment.

“Well, for one, was the Nutcracker storyline itself just a story Barbie told her sister?” Cole asked through a mouthful of popcorn, “or did it actually happen?”

Daphne considered this for a moment before answering.

“I always kinda figured it was both? Like, maybe Clara was Barbie’s great grandmother or something and the story got passed down to her and then she told it to Kelly?”

Cole hummed thoughtfully and took another handful of popcorn. He was lucky she had already eaten her fill or she would have stopped him by now.

“I guess that makes sense. There’s nothing that says that’s not what happened, at least.” He allowed, though he didn’t seem fully convinced by her theory. Oh, well. Mattel was never going to give them concrete answers, which meant she was free to use creative licensing as she saw fit.

“Another thing, how could Clara have been the Sugar Plum Fairy when she wasn’t from Parthenia?” Cole wanted to know next. Daphne gave him a sideways look.

“Magic seems like the most obvious answer to that one. Somehow the magic of Parthenia chose her to be the Sugar Plum Fairy.” She stated simply. He shrugged.

“Yeah. I guess magic can explain away pretty much anything, huh?”

“Like you have any room to talk, Mr. Spinjitzu Master Who Has a Pet Dragon.” Daphne said, rolling her eyes.

“Hey. I’ll have you know that Rocky Jr. isn’t a pet. He’s more of a… friend. A friend who acts like a giant puppy sometimes, sure, but that’s irrelevant.” Cole insisted, looking insulted. She laughed and threw a piece of popcorn at him.

“Okay, that’s fair. Any other burning questions about Barbie you want answered?” the pink haired girl asked.

“As a matter of fact, yes,” he answered almost immediately, “What is Aunt Drosselmeyer’s connection to Parthenia. She obviously has one if she was the one to give Clara the Nutcracker doll and reunite her with Eric at the end of the movie.”

“That’s… something I think about a lot, actually. I’ve, um… never really come up with a solid explanation for that one?” admitted Daphne, feeling a little silly as she realized how much time she’d spent theorizing about this very thing.

“Well, then. I guess we’ll have to figure it out together.” Cole told her with a smile. Entertained by his dedication, she returned it with one of her own.

“Sounds like a plan to me,” she agreed, giggling. They sat in silence for a few minutes, each trying to come up with a reasonable explanation for Aunt Drosselmeyer’s role in the plot. Finally, Cole spoke.

“What if I was wrong earlier when I assumed that Clara wasn’t Parthenian?”

“Huh?” Daphne murmured, not fully processing what he’d just said.

“What if… Clara’s mother and Aunt Drosselmeyer are both from Parthenia originally but came to England because Clara’s mother fell in love with a human? And that’s why Clara was able to become the Sugar Plum Fairy, and how Aunt Drosselmeyer knew about Eric…” Cole continued, giving a more detailed explanation.

“That… works surprisingly well,” Daphne exclaimed, nearly knocking the now empty bowl of popcorn to the floor in excitement, “it would explain an awful lot… do you think that’s why Aunt Drosselmeyer travels so much? Because she’s magical?”

He nodded in agreement.

“The lady’s got connections, that’s for sure.”

“I think it’s safe to say you’re not wrong,” declared Daphne.

They both laughed as she snuggled against him.

“This is really nice...” Cole murmured after a moment.

“It is,” Daphne agreed, “maybe next time we should watch our version of the Nutcracker and see if we have any more unanswered questions to over invest in.”

“After Jay found a recording at my dad’s house and played it for all of us… I’m not so sure I can handle watching it again.” Cole protested, much to her disappointment.

“It couldn’t have been that bad…” she tried.

“Do you not remember how badly my voice cracked the entire time? They thought it was the most hilarious thing ever.” He explained with a groan.

“I thought it was cute,” Daphne told him matter of factly.

“it sucks that the others bugged you about it so much, though.” She continued, but Cole didn’t seem to hear her.

“You… you thought my voice cracks were cute?” he repeated, sounding surprised.

“Well, yeah. There was just something about the way your voice sounded that made me-” noticing the look on Cole’s face, Daphne shook her head and flushed, “I’m gonna stop talking now.”

“But what if I don’t want you to?” the master of earth teased with a wink. She turned an even brighter red as she uttered a quiet “um…”

“Okay, okay, I’ll let it go. I guess we can watch the recording if it really means that much to you. I’m beginning to wonder if one of the Oppenheimers took a bit too much inspiration from barbie, anyway.” Cole relented, mercifully. Daphne’s jaw dropped.

“You what?!”

“Think about it, Daph. There’s no way Sergeant Sugar and Private Patty were just a coincidence.” He insisted, looking completely serious. It was in this moment that Daphne realized that watching Barbie in the Nutcracker had simultaneously been the best and worst idea she’d had in a long time. She dissolved into a fit of laughter as she tried to process this latest revelation, happy to let herself get carried away with theorizing once again, as long as Cole was there to join her in the insanity.

[parachutingkitten]

Dear Ninjago: Stop It With The Twists Already

An essay by Parachutingkitten

JK! This isn’t that formal. But I do have some lengthy points for you under the cut :)

Ninjago started out with a twist. The whole first season is built around the green ninja twist and the second season kinda subverted the expectation we had built up of Lloyd fighting his dad. This is the last time we had a twist framed as a sort of “big reveal” to both the audience and characters that really served the story in a productive and meaningful way. Let’s look the highlights over the seasons, shall we?

Season 4: Skylor is a villain. This one gets revealed to the audience before the ninja so it’s not really a big reveal twist, more of a suspense thing.

Season 5: Nya is the water ninja, revealed at the beginning of the season and serves more as a development than a twist.

Season 7: Ray and Maya are alive (and aren’t evil... I guess?)! This is our first real stupid twist. And pointless twist. They stick around for the season and then disappear from the show again. This was the first time Ninjago had a twist for twist’s sake. This is the beginning of the problem. 

Season 8: Pixal is Samurai X! Wu is a baby! Harumi is the Quiet One! (I know this one isn’t cannon, but they were troublingly close to including it) Mr. E is Echo! Now, most of these are okay. Just not handled well. This is where the problem becomes evident.

Season 11: Zane is the Ice Emperor. The stupidest twist of them all, and by far handled the poorest.

Now. Why do some of these more recent twists not work? Well, let’s break it down. 

Sometimes the problem is the twist itself. The twist is convoluted, and retcons information we’ve known from before, or has underlying implications that make everything more complicated. Ray and Maya are a perfect example of this. It’s been established since the pilot episode that these two are dead. Kai and Nya grew up on their own. Wu had so much trust in Ray that he gave him the map to the golden weapons. Trying to make us think he was evil was just stupid. Ray and Maya also don’t do that much in the season, besides the whole drama and reveal aspect of the story. You easily could have had them be dead and still get everything done that you needed to plot wise. Maybe have even more time for Nya and Kai to bond as siblings. It just brings up so many questions. Or rather, the one main one of where have they been? Were they really enslaved for ALL THAT TIME?! That’s darker than them just being dead! And to add insult to injury, they don’t show up in the show ever again after this. This twist left no impact on the franchise. It was a complete waste.

Season 8 has a lot of twists, and this introduces the problem of execution. Baby Wu is the one reveal that works. It has proper build up, it makes sense in the narrative, they find out mid season, they piece it together in a pretty mundane scene, and while it is a large reveal moment, the writers assumed you’ve picked up the clues before the ninja have. Compare this to the Pixal reveal. Very similar set up. It ties up a mystery from last season at a similar point in the current season. But the difference is in how they treat it. Pixal has to confess to being Samurai X. No one figures it out. Everyone is shocked and surprised and it culminates in a big dramatic “how could you?! *gasp emoji*” fight scene. I’m sure most everyone knew Pixal was Samurai X even back in season 7. She disappears right as Samurai X enters the picture, it’s really not that hard to piece together. This should have been handled differently. The audience should have been told Pixal was Samurai X ahead of time. We should have gotten a few shots from her perspective. It should have been handled like, oh, idk, Nya’s reveal in season 1. The problem is that they kept it a secret to go for shock value even though it was an easy guess. It would have been much more character enriching if they just handled it like they did baby Wu. Harumi is a little more complicated. Technically, you could argue that her arc goes through season 9, and hence we did get the reveal mid story, even if not mid season. My problem is that before the reveal she’s just such a blah-bland character that you don’t really care about that much, so when the reveal happens, that’s the point where she gets interesting. Why waste the majority of a season carrying around this dead weight that you feel obligated to give screen time to while waiting for her to get interesting? So yeah, it could have been handled a lot better, but it’s nothing compared to the mind bending twist that almost happened.

Mr. E is Echo makes no sense. It just doesn’t. It’s a character from 2 seasons prior who was physically distant to the main cast, had no connection to the villains, was established as a character as being extremely sweet, pure, and kinda ineffective, and probably worst of all, doesn’t have memories of the main cast, and most of them don’t have memories of him. There is just SO MUCH they would have had to explain away. SO MUCH that doesn’t add up. SO MUCH the main cast would have to relearn that it really doesn’t make ANY sense. And what scared me when the season first came out was that it almost made it in to the season. It doesn’t make sense on ANY logical level, so the only reason you would have done this twist is because you thought it was clever and unexpected, and you wanted the shock value. Shock value is the wrong reason to do a twist. 

But they did it again in season 11. They combined all of the problems with all of the previous twists, and mushed them together into the Zane is the Ice Emperor twist. Now, I would like to address @coleisunderrated‘s post about season 11 kinda killing Zane. It’s a good post, and another good lengthy rant to check out after this one if you’re in the mood. But a lot of the claims they made I think kinda missed the point about why this move didn’t work. They said Zane commit genocide (which I guess technically he kinda did, and even the people who were frozen were frozen for years. That's definitely not nothing) and that Zane still had some level of free will, so Vex can’t be an 100% scapegoat.  So because Zane did this horrible thing, there is no chance for him to be redeemed. (Which I kinda see your point, but also, crazy staff that pretty much makes you evil, plus merciless manipulation. Cut him some slack. If Garmadon can be redeemed, so can Zane. Devourer venom and forbidden spinjitzu staff seem to have similar corrupting powers) And though I’d agree that as it stands in the show it feels like they’re ignoring all the awful things Zane’s done and that makes him a kind of a uncomfortable character at the moment- all the set up and what he did is not the problem. The problem is what he didn’t do, and what we didn’t see.

This twist starts at the beginning of the chapter, and finally resolves itself at the very end. The writers obviously thought that Zane being the villain, while having this weird unexplainable time skip made a solid, clever twist. Again, you can tell they were going for shock value and that *gasp emoji* “It’s YOU?!” moment. Problem with that relatively simple set up to keep your twist a secret, is that you now have 20 years of time to account for. Years of people suffering and time skips that are addressed, but are straight up never explained and don’t make any sense when you sit down to think about them for more than a second. These weird ripple effects ringing a bell? They’re the same sorts of retcon problems as the Ray and Maya twist. But that’s not all. It’s also frustratingly predictable. Even if you weren’t sure of your theory the first few episodes, it becomes increasingly clear as the season progresses. The audience doesn’t find out until the characters do, even thought it’s pretty predictable, missing out on a bunch of opportunities for better storytelling- just like the Samurai X reveal. The ice emperor is also kind of a boring character until the reveal, just like Harumi. And, maybe worst of all, it just seems like a clever shock value twist that raises a bunch of questions, doesn’t make sense in character, and needs a ton of explaining, just like the Mr. E scenario. This twist has every single problem I’ve ever had with any twist in this series. 

But it even adds one more.

Even with all the random nonsensical twists in the series, at least all of them had time to resolve. To be explained. For characters to grapple with them. As random and poorly thought out as this ice emperor twist is, it would have been okay if it hadn’t been so very VERY rushed after the reveal. We needed to see his reaction after breaking free. That’s all we needed. 

Imagine this, Zane breaks out of his evil daze, you can keep the kinda cop out reason, it’s a kid’s show, whatever. He looks down at himself and is horrified. He drops to his knees, mutters some line like “what have I done?” or something along those lines. Then, in anger, he looks back up at Vex, and then insert fight scene where he saves the day. Afterwards Zane tosses the staff away, and is in this weird daze as his friends welcome him back. The episode ends with the camera zooming in on Zane’s blank expression. But wait, there’s another episode afterwards where Zane can right his wrongs in the realm, talk with the people, and tie up all the other loose ends while finding himself again. The next season (and they might still be doing this in season 12, but without that initial reaction and remorse, this part rings kinda hollow) Zane is visibly a bit shaken by intense violence and has a talk with someone about the lasting effects of his 20 year rule. The end of the season sees him getting past this fear of hurting people in order to protect those he needs to. This all sounds very deep written out like this, but you could make the dilemma pretty surface level, and it would still be effective.

You see, the real problem with these half length episodes is that ALL of your plot lines have to reach their head, your big final battle has to take place, and your resolution has to happen, all in the last 10 minutes of the season. And you can really tell that season 11 skimped the resolution part. Because Zane only becomes Zane half way through the last episode, there’s no time to explore his feelings about the matter. Even just making the last episode 20 minutes, I feel, would have done wonders for this twist because everything would have had time to breath. This wouldn’t have been too much of a problem if this had carried over directly into season 12 (kind of like the season 8-9 thing) but that clearly isn’t the case, at least from the episodes we have so far. This emperor thing should affect Zane as much as becoming a ghost affected Cole. Things like this just need time to process. It wasn’t that making Zane the ice emperor made him unlikable, it was that ignoring that Zane was the ice emperor made him unlikable.

And all of these things, I can almost guarantee, happened because the writers just thought it would be a clever twist. It’s not like the writers can’t do twists! Skylor being evil was perfectly fine! Mistake being an Oni was even okay. But they had ideas for what to do with those bits of information after the reveal. They’ve got to stop with these reveals that are just there to be the *gasp emoji* moment. They’re not all bad ideas necessarily! But if you come up with the idea, just because it would be a cool reveal, and that’s it, then it’s likely not a good idea. For example, as nonsensical as the Echo thing is, if he had become a main stay of the series, and a reoccurring villain with backstory and motive that got explained, it might not have been the absolute worst. But if they did what they did in the show and just killed him off a few episodes later, it would have been pointless, because the twist would have made no impact, changed nothing, and had no point. The green ninja reveal was good, not because it was a reveal, but because it allowed Lloyd to be the green ninja in the episodes afterwards. It served as a progression for the story and characters while also happening to subvert this notion set up from episode 1 that one of the four would be the green ninja. Zane being the ice emperor is a bad twist because it affects absolutely nothing in the plot that follows. Zane is back to his happy quirky robot self in season 12, the status quo is restored, and nothing has changed. 

The whole point of a twist is to switch your perspective of something, an action that instinctively insists change. A change in the world. A change in the situation. A change in character. Something. If a twist doesn’t insight change in your story, you’re doing your twist wrong.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to agree/disagree with me in the comments. I get that not everyone is going to agree that Zane could be redeemed no matter how they played it. Again, I think the almost mind control staff, matched with the manipulation, mind wipe, and fact that it’s a kid’s show, and they obviously didn’t mean for it to read that way, is enough for me to kinda ignore it cuz I love Zane, and Ninjago, and I’m not going to let one misstep kill my enjoyment of the show. But, I get it if you can’t get past it.

ttfn!

[aweebwrites]

Allies Ch18

“So they’re coming here?” Lloyd asked as he adjusted his father’s cape for him in his room.

“Yes.” Garmadon nodded. “The people of Fulgor are still at unease knowing that I have the most powerful weapon in all of Ninjago. We decided it was best for me to stay here and they come to us with Shade instead.” He told his son as Lloyd reached for his crown he chose to wear instead of his helmet, not wanting to appear hostile and rile them up.

“The Knights will be coming as well.” Garmadon added to let his son know, bowing so he could place the sparkling and pointy obsidian crown holding amethyst and onyx gems as decor along its base.

“Is that so…” Lloyd hummed as he looked up at his father once he stood straight again, nodding once his crown was positioned properly. “Nice to know they’ve recovered…” He says as he turned to the mirror, looking himself over, his own crown in position.

“All but one.” Garmadon corrected with a knowing look on his face. “I’ve heard you’ve been conversing with the Nindroids more often…” He began.

“Why wouldn’t I? They are apart of the population of our people after all.” Lloyd huffed and Garmadon chuckled.

“Whatever you say, son.” Garmadon says lightly and Lloyd's eyes sparked with mirth.

Garmadon reached for Lloyd's eye patch but Lloyd stopped him.

"I'll go without it for today." He says, smiling at his father.

Garmadon gave him a fond smile then a hug. It was a slow process but the pains of war were healing, leaving them both with a lot more to smile about. Lloyd glanced out the window from over his shoulder, at the naturally dark colours of the plants and wild grass that covered lands that were barren just a few short months ago, at the new life that was already appearing in their rejuvenated lands. He might have made the wish with his father's training, but it was the desire of all who resided here.

________

It was too dangerous to take a ship across the Endless Sea. Not with Starteeth and Leviathans and all manner of creatures lurking in the waters. Instead, they had to be carried by the Emperor and Prince himself as they had not yet reached the age where flying crafts were readily available. Besides, that was one of the key components of their truce they have been discussing back and forth via letters carried by birds as Ninjago was somewhat behind on technology. They were all going. All 4 knights. Kai, Cole, Jay and… Nya. Kai tightened his fist, thinking back to Zane at the sacrifice he made for almost naught. Wu was the wrong one somehow and while he wasn't evil, the source of this very war fell back on his family problems.

Kai sighed as he looked over at the Endless Sea far below. He was just frustrated and angry and grieving still. His Zane… The best he could do was to bring him back to his father's home far in the Birch Forests. He was still intact, the minor malfunctions he would have had been fixed by Nya herself as Jay supervised. His left hand was repaired but he had deep scars and damage that couldn't be repaired. His hand could grasp Cole's still but not all the way. His movement with it was strained and making a fist was a colossal struggle. He's adjusting to be more dominant with his right instead. Cole's ribs and lungs had finally reached somewhere in the healing process, as almost all of his ribs were broken pretty badly and punctured his lungs like pincushions. He had a whale of a concussion for the longest while, repetitive memory loss and a few forehead scars his bangs easily hid. While his memory is a little spotty still on little things, it's unknown if he would show signs of permanent brain damage as they had no means of checking the damage inside his skull. He was to be kept an eye on, just in case.

And Kai himself? He had a pretty nasty looking scar on his stomach and less major ones all over his body. He'll have to watch what he eats for a while to allow his digestive tract to recover from being stabbed open but that was about it. One thing's certain though. He hated snakes and Nindroids that weren't his boyfriend. They could develop the technology to replace his core one day but that could take anywhere between months to whole years, and even then they were sure it wouldn't be anywhere close to the core he had which could spell critical malfunctions. He was still keeping his breath held as he would willingly wait as long as it took to make a solid one, as long as he could have his Snowflake back. Their injuries aside, it was quiet the shock to wake up and hear that Garmadon not only won, but he was successful with ending the war and bring forward peace, that the First Spinjitzu Master whose name was spoken in the uttermost reverence, had weighed the war on the Green Knight, wanted him to destroy his own father, Garmadon as punishment for Garmadon just existing. It was a difficult pill to swallow, that Garmadon wasn't the evil monster Emperor Wu himself had called him… And Emperor Wu, he was in the wrong to think that destroying, erasing an entire country filled with diverse citizens would solve their problems… It was… Instead, it was easier for the people to believe that Wu had been the one to convince Garmadon to do the right thing. It doesn't matter how much Emperor Wu himself corrected them, willing to admit he was the one in the wrong but they couldn't process that at all.

The Emperor accepted it will take time and reminders for them to eventually grow to accept the truth. Kai didn't care too much about it though. His mind was in much, much darker places. He once said that if the war ended, he would stay at the castle as to protect and defend was in his blood. It still was… But if he could get Zane back… He'd take a well deserved year or two off, just to put his love for him before anything else, to make it his true priority. While he still did owe his life to Emperor Wu… Zane… He comes first. He would love to have stayed back, to keep himself holed up in the Birch Forest and to watch over him as he slept, he liked to think. He could have, Emperor made it clear to them all that they didn’t have to come with he and Morro.

But he had to. He… He had to talk to Prince Lloyd. For his and Zane’s peace of mind… It didn’t matter that the Cloud Kingdom had made them stand back. He had thought it over, had relived it in his mind countless of times to see if he would have done the same thing now that there wasn’t some higher influence nudging them… And for the longest time, his answer had been yes he would have stayed back and let them do that to the kid, only interfering when Zane would no doubt rush in to stop it. He knew he was wrong, new he had to change his way of thinking, would have to unharden his heart from the war else he couldn’t face the kid with some half assed apology.

The kid was no older than 8 and they, the supposed heroes stood back and watched as he was stoned, tied to a pole and almost burnt to death and for the longest time, his kind was finding ways to justify that. It didn't matter that he was the enemy's kid. He was still a kid for sun's sake. The day he responded to that day with raw revulsion and a strong never was the day he was sure he was finally on the right path, that he could stand before the kid and mean every word he would say. He glanced ahead as the dark looking island landscape of Penumbra came into view from the metallic basket shaped structure Emperor Wu carried in his paws, Morro flying nearby with their horses and their prisoner of war, Shade who was perfectly fine riding with the horses than with the rest of them.

And if he won't believe him… He wouldn't blame him. He glanced at Nya once she squeezed his shoulder and offered her a small, mostly empty smile before glancing down at the sea. He knew she was worried for him but… Things… Won't ever be ok without Zane...

Jay watched them both from over his shoulder before glancing up at Cole next to him, the wind blowing his bangs away and revealing the scars he had on his forehead. He was the luckier one, to have Cole still. He was touch and go a couple of times, as his respiratory situation was critical but he's recovered enough where he could come along with them as long as he didn't over exert himself. Jay was making absolute sure that he wouldn't work himself up. Internal wounds are harder to heal and can easily be reopened. The moment he so much as sees Cole's breathing change, he'll demand that he rests. It was scary waking up in the medical wing of the castle just in time to watch him go into respiratory distress, to have so many doctors on him at once. They had to borrow his lightning to jolt him back a few times. He… Jay swallowed as he closed his eyes. That was scarier than the war itself.

He blinked once Cole's hand slid along his bandaged left, taking it in his carefully, revealing it to be shaking. It does that now. Some of his nerves ended up pretty messed up so it'll always shake whenever he tries to do anything with it. He just wasn't aware he was trying to do something with it. Cole lifted it to his mouth and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it that had Jay's heart melting. He smiled softly and leaned into his side though carefully as he was still bandaged up under his half armor. Maybe it was a good time to take a break for a year or two. As elemental masters, they would always be needed but… A little time away wouldn't hurt…

_____

"Cryptor." Lloyd says as he walked into the Nindroid General's quarters, watching as he sharpened the blade in his new black titanium arm.

"It's ready." Cryptor spoke without prompting, sparks flying as he continued to sharpen his black and red titanium blade, pulling it away to look it over. "Even for us, that was a difficult thing to make. Your powers aren't exactly easy to contain and especially not in something so small." He hummed as he moved on to buff and polish it.

"What? Was it too hard for you guys? I thought Nindroids are always at the peak for technological advancements." Lloyd says lightly, walking towards the gun metal gray box placed on a table next to Cryptor's wall of swords, opening it to look inside 

"There's a difference between hard and complicated." Cryptor gruffed as he glanced over at him, watching as he took the device that was the size of his palm out. "... Why would you have us create this? After all that has happened?" He asked him after a moment as Lloyd inspected it.

"Because there's nothing to gain from misery, even if it's your enemy's misery." Lloyd told him as he gathered his green energy. "... And he was the only one to feel remorse." He added with a whisper before the room lit up green.

_______

"Dial it back a bit. This is supposed to be a meeting of peace." Jay murmured once Cole unconsciously tensed next to him as they rode into the courtyard of the castle, two of Garmadon's 4 generals waiting on them.

"Right." Cole murmured with a slow sigh. "It's just reflex. I'll be fine." He reassured as he forced himself to relax in the presence of Pythor and Ultra Violet, the she- general bearing new electrical scars across her right cheek and along her exposed arms she boasted proudly.

"Welcome to the Dark Castle and welcome home, Shade. We're glad you and your party could make it, Emperor Wu." Pythor says almost condescendingly. "They will take your horses to the stables to rest and refresh themselves." headed once they came to a stop before them, the Serpentine and Umbrian behind them walking forward to take their horses as they climbed off their mounts.

"The Emperor awaits." Ultra Violet hummed as she turned away. "Follow us." She added as Pythor turned around to slither next to her.

The group of Fulgoric people shared a look before following after them, Nya and Kai walking before Wu and Morro while Cole and Jay took rear guard duty, Shade walking silently before them and behind the Emperor and his son. Shade was just glad to be home after a little over three months. While he was brought out of his prison cell after a few days of being there, he was just upgraded to a fancier one. His room was lavish, yes but he wasn't allowed to leave it by himself, not that he wanted to. He'd rather wither away inside than deal with the Fulgoric guards that thought it was funny to joke about slipping something into his food to get rid of him, or the ones who liked to remind him that while the war had ended, he was still prisoner and if he so much as looked at anyone any sort of way, he would be dealt with. He would have gladly escaped on his own if he could but he still had to wear vengestone cuffs he wasn't allowed to  even think of removing or else he would immediately be dealt with. If he hadn't had family to come home to, he would have told them to just do it already and spare him looking at their ugly mugs.

At least he really was home now and home was even farther away from Fulgor…

_____

Skylor had to say… Her stay wasn't the worst but it wasn't exactly pleasant. She was brought out from her cell after a day or so when the war allegedly ended and she was given a room to stay in until Emperor Wu came to collect her. She was suspicious still but she couldn't do much as she had a wristband on that was impossible to damage or take off. It had Vengestone inside, she was sure as she couldn't use her powers with it on. It also had the ability to read her body's hunger and water levels it seems as whenever she felt peckish or thirsty, a Stone Warrior would bring her food or water. She was allowed to leave to get fresh air and stretch her legs but always with a guard. The looks she received were harsh and distrusting from the castle attendants but they hadn't said a bad word towards her. They were more favorable of shunning it seems. She was given puzzle books as a means of entertainment but she was still bored out of her mind for months. She was just glad to finally be going home now. She was standing in the dark themed throne room, being guarded by a Nindroid and an Umbrian soldier while Emperor Garmadon and his son sat on their thrones next to each other, the room holding guards of all four species, the other two Generals standing closest to the Dark Emperor and Prince. There was a woman and man with graying hair and a young girl to the far right as well, looking too anxious to be castle attendants as well. She figured he would sit all boastful and proud with the Mega Weapon he no doubt had. But it was nowhere in sight. He must be too paranoid to have it out in the open… As he should be.

All eyes turned to the large obsidian doors as they opened, Ultra Violet and Pythor stepping aside so Emperor Wu and his party could make their way in. Jay, Cole and Kai's eyes immediately zoned in on Lloyd, seeing that he wasn't wearing an eyepatch and seeing that his eye was clearly blinded. A fresh wave of guilt washed over them as they came to a stop before the two.

"Wu. I’m glad you’ve made it safely.” Garmadon spoke up and Wu only nods.

“The weather faired well for travel this day.” Wu responded in kind.

“Excellent. Then let us begin, starting with the exchange of prisoners.” Garmadon spoke up and their eyes locked onto Skylor, seeing that she was well and unharmed.

“Very well.” Wu says then glanced over at Cole who walked forward to Shade with a key, the Nindroid next to Skylor opening his palm and the wristband immediately unlocked, floating over into his hand.

Skylor rubbed her wrist as Shade did. He didn’t wait a moment longer, walking away from the group quickly towards the Umbrian woman holding her arms out to him.

“Shade!” She said tearfully as she hugged him tight, everyone else joining her.

“Welcome home son.” The older man whispered and Shade gave a happy huff.

“Good to be home dad.” He grinned at him before sweeping up the young girl in his arms, letting her bury her face into his shoulder as they were escorted safely out, Skylor frowning as she walked over to the Knights, taking his place.

“Welcome back, Sky.” Nya told her quietly and she gave her a small smile.

“Now.” Garmadon says as he stood, Lloyd standing too, ignoring the intense look Morro was giving him. “Shall we finalize and officialize the pact of peace in a more private setting?” He queries as he walked down from his throne.

“Indeed.”

____

Wu had tried his best to have at least half the Mega Weapon’s power in Fulgor by reforging it but Garmadon stood firm that all of the Weapon would stay with him. Wu had no choice but to leave it be else he risk starting another war when he was at a critical disadvantage. Garmadon didn't need much of Fulgor. Just so as they don’t cross into their territory, which included sea space and airspace which was a full half of the realm without permission nor pick a fight and they would do the same. They didn’t need trade, as Penumbra was an island continent rich with all the resources that they could ever need. It was agreed however, that if there should be a need, they could discuss so further at an agreed point in time. It was all rather quick as they had been discussing months before. He agreed to allow Wu to draft the document to feel as if he had some control over the situation but he was thorough in his reading and examination in both copies of the document to make sure that it was all in order. They both signed both, their sons acting as first witnesses and Kozu and Kai acting as second witnesses.

“May I have a moment with you…” Wu spoke up once they had their own copies in hand. “In private?” He asked, meeting Garmadon’s red eyes.

“Certainly.” Garmadon spoke, handing the Declaration of Peace over to Kozu, allowing him to escort everyone else out, closing the door behind him.

“Brother-”

“So now I earn the right to be called such.” Garmadon cut Wu off, his tone clipped and flat.

Wu sighed, expecting this.

“And you have right to be angry.” Wu says and Garmadon huffed.

“I’m not angry at all, Wu. My time of anger and betrayal has already ran its course. If anything, I’m glad to no longer be apart of what the First Spinjitzu Master called family.” He says, crossing his arms.

“You can’t possibly think that-”

“But I do.” Garmadon interrupted.

“Father was misguided in some ways, yes but you are still-”

“I have never been apart of that family, not since the moment father decided I’d become nothing but a monster.” Garmadon countered, remaining cool as signs of frustration began blooming in Wu’s expression. “He said it himself. I am no longer his son and you yourself casted me aside just as easily as I am but a monster to you both.” He continued on.

“But you are not a monster, I understand that now. I-”

“No. I’m not. But I was.” Garmadon says with a frown then straightened. “Listen Wu, I know you strive to fix what has happened between us but you must also understand. Not everything that is broken can be fixed.” He told him, his tone taking on a softer edge.

Garmadon rose up from his seat and walked over to one of the nearby windows in the large office space, looking out at the kingdom he called his, a nearby city already being constructed as they finally have the chance to grow as a kingdom.

“I have changed since that day, Wu. For the worse before the better. I have learnt many things over these thousands of years passed. The bond we had as brothers has long been dissolved and I take blame for that.” He says as he watched Lloyd go to greet his Ultra Dragon in the courtyard, his den being constructed as an add on to the castle.

“But bonds can be reforged, brother.” Wu says as he stood. “I was so quick to believe what father had told me, that I hadn’t considered that you could be different than those monsters of tales and the regret will weigh on me each passing day. But let us forge a new bond, a stronger one. I… I do not wish to lose you because of my misgivings.” He pleads and Garmadon turned to look at him.

“You are right, Wu. Bonds can be reforged and we already have forged another. But reforged bonds will never be the same as the original… And this bond we have forged is between Emperors who want the best for our Kingdoms.” Garmadon says, meeting Wu’s golden eyes. “You have a son as I do, a kingdom as I do to look out for. You are not trusted in mine as I am not in yours. It would be best if you dally here no longer. The sun will leave this end of the sky soon.” He spoke quietly, turning back to the window.

Wu… Deflated… He expected this but he had hoped to change his mind. Today, he lost twice.

_____

Moments earlier...

“Prince Lloyd.” Kai says after they left the room, the latter turning to leave. “Could I… Talk to you for a second?” He says once he glanced over to look at him.

“Could we?” Cole spoke up and Kai looked back at he and Jay.

They must have the same intentions as they did.

“... Very well. But I have to visit Ultra so I hope you’re fine with walking as you speak.” He says as he turned away, walking ahead on his own, Cyptor and Kozu remaining behind.

“Nya, Prince Morro…” Jay says, turning to them.

“It’s fine. Go.” Nya dismissed with a wave of her hand.

With that, the three Knights followed after then the Dark Prince.

“We were wrong to just leave you there.” Cole blurts first.

“It didn’t matter if you were the son of our enemy. You were a kid and we shouldn’t have even hesitated to help you.” Kai was quick to follow.

“There’s nothing that can justify what we did- and it shouldn't be. We were supposed to be heroes, but we were nothing more than heartless villains.” Jay added, rubbing his left arm guiltily.

“Zane might not be here with us but I know he feels the same. It doesn’t matter that we didn’t directly hurt you. We did nothing and that is just as bad, if not worse. Because of us, you lost your sight and we can never return that… We regret not doing something when we clearly should have...” Kai whispered, hanging his head in guilt, the others following suit.

There was nothing but the sound of their footsteps going down the stairs before Lloyd stopped at the base of them, turning around to look at them. To really look at them.

“... I forgive you.” Lloyd spoke and their heads snapped up in surprise. “I do. All of you.” He continued.

“My father says holding grudges will only tire my hands. I never really understood what he meant before but I do now.” He says, offering them a small smile that lifted a heavy load off of their backs. “Here.” Lloyd says as he tossed something at Kai he caught on reflex.

The Fire night stared down at what was tossed to him with wide eyes, his breath caught. This… This looked just like… Zane’s core...

“It’ll adapt to his energy when you install it. Tell Zane to value his life a little more. I might not be willing to do it again if something happens to that one.” Lloyd hummed as he walked out into the courtyard, waving off his shout of thanks, smiling as he looked up at the Ultra Dragon.

The dragons left a little while after the war to undergo metamorphosis and returned just three days ago like this, officially his. He chuckled as they nuzzled him in greeting, stroking their large snouts as they did. He did feel lighter now that he finally let go of the grudge he held against them. He wondered if his father will feel the same. He did say if you can’t cure an infected limb, to cut it off after all…

____

Lloyd watched with his father atop the castle’s lower walls as Wu and his party left Penumbra for the last time. They both felt lighter from the visit in a good way. His father still had a lot of things to work through but he’d be here to help him through it.

“Hey dad, Penumbra looks amazing from above as the sun sets…” Lloyd says lightly and Garmadon glanced at him, watching as he hopped off the edge of the wall, shifting mid air and turning to his father as he hovered.

He gave a low roar, nudging his head to the side, urging him to join him. Garmadon watched him for a moment. This third form he was given had only dark, destructive memories to them… Perhaps… Perhaps it was time he made new memories with it. With that, Garmadon too hopped off, a dark plume enveloping him, disappearing soon after to reveal the great, black and purple dragon few have seen. Lloyd nuzzled him for a moment, as encouragement before taking the lead, flying further inland, a roar of happiness leaving him as he did. Garmadon echoed it with his own, catching up to his son with ease. An ending like this was well worth the wait.

Wu watched as both dragons disappeared in the distance, the feeling of loss strong in his heart. He turned ahead, towards his home. He would respect his decisions. He glanced to Morro once he nudged him with a wing and smiled at his son’s attempt to cheer him up. He too stretched a wing out, wrapping it around his son’s shoulders as they rode towards the sea. He still had family. In his son and in his Kingdom.

____

“Thanks Morro!” Cole called as Kai rushed ahead, stumbling through the snow for a moment before he ran ahead, towards the thickest tree in the Birch Forest, not caring that his stomach had started to hurt,

He panted as he came to a stop before the tree house, unlocking the door with the core glowing lowly in his hand and hurrying down the stairs, seeing Zane laying there still.

“Slow down Kai! You don’t even know how to install it!” Nya called after him as she hurried down the stairs behind him. “Give it here. Let me.” She says, already pulling a dusty stool and toolbox close.

Kai does, watching anxiously as she opened him up, Jay and Cole joining them a moment after, Cole needing to walk, not run. They watched as she work, Jay supervising as well. They got the old, burnt out core at last but Kai held on to it, not willing to let anything that belonged to Zane be thrown out. They connected it carefully and secured it in place, closing him up again.

"Well?" Cole asked anxiously after a moment of them sitting there, Zane's eyes still closed.

"I don't know. It should have worked the second we connected it. Maybe the core isn't compatible with Zane?" Nya says, looking to her brother solemnly as he stated at his face still, holding his original core close to his own heart. "Kai…" She whispered, heart aching for him.

"Lloyd said it'll adapt to his energy. Maybe it's taking a while." Kai said instead and Nya and Jay shared a look.

"Open his chest plate again." Jay says and she does so, her eyes widened and he saw what was below.

The green energy core. It was turning blue, the energy pushing through him and starting up his systems.

"He's booting up!" She gasped, moving from his chest to his face, watching him closely, the others crowding around him.

Zane's eyes opened then, flashing green before turning to their usual blue as his core did the same. He blinked, looking at his friends confused as they cheered.

"What happened? Where am I?" He asked them, confused as he sat up, pausing once he came face to face with…

Flashes crossed his eyes, of the war, of his friends unmoving, of Kai unmoving. His breath caught, his eyes filling with tears.

"Kai…" He whispered, reaching a shaking hand out to him, cupping his cheek to reassure himself that he really was here.

Kai gave a sound between a sob and a laugh as he nuzzled into his touch, pressing a kiss against his wrist as he did.

"You're here…" Zane whispered and Kai did laugh then.

"You're here!" He says before pushing forward, pressing his lips against Zane's straddling his lap as he did.

The others stood back, letting them have their moment. This war may not have turned out how they expected but they were all together again, with a new friend in a land not too far away. 

That was a happy enough ending for them. ___________________________________________ (And there we go! That's that! I might mess around and add little ficlets randomly about their time after the war (I really would very much like an oppo wedding, the ninja eventually becoming actual friends with Lloyd and uncle Kozu and Cryptor content) but that's up in the air still.If you got this far, thanks for reading until the end and if you haven't then that's still ok! Thank you for just glancing at this! I'll keep trying to improve my writing style but I'm pleased with how this turned out so :D!! Thanks again for reading!) ___________________________________________

Ch1 | Ch2 | Ch3 | Ch4 | Ch5 | Ch6 | Ch7 | Ch8 | Ch9 | Ch10 | Ch11 | Ch12 | Ch13 | Ch14 | Ch15 | Ch16 | Ch17

[amonoff]

Lloyd’s Element of Life (Reference)

A reference I made for possible powers TLNM Lloyd since I wanted it to be different from his show counterpart. I’m trying to figure out if these are okay or how these can expand the TLNM world or be used together. If you guys have some suggestions, let me know! 

The element of life was actually passed down from his grandmother, hence how Wu was knowledgeable about it. A form of this power actually passed down to both Garmadon and Wu* (See Plentiful Life Force). Lloyd actually unlocked his ability when he was young. His fish was old and dying, and not wanting that to happen, unknowingly discovers his true potential and renews it with life, essentially extending its lifespan.

Empathy (Inspired by calypsolemon)

The ability to feel what other’s feel on an emotional and physical level (). This ability came forward after he discovered his true potential in the form of Lloyd feeling the fear, anger, and resentment of the people around him, as well as his mother and uncle’s love. He began avoiding public areas as it overwhelmed him. He eventually learned to block it out on his own but not completely.

He also has the ability to channel his feeling over to others, allowing them to feel what he feels (). This takes some effort to apply. Unfortunately, if he applies it too much, it will overwrite the other person’s emotion () (). Luckily Lloyd has never been (accidentally) pushed this far by anyone. Lloyd actually continued to develop this power, initially mistaking it as typical…’sharing his feelings’ to others and them just understanding. This typically happens unknowingly when he opens up to his friends about something and his emotions pour out with a little less control.

As time progressed, he developed ecological empathy, gaining the ability ‘feel’ the overall conditions of plants, animals (to a degree), and his entire environment (). As a result, Lloyd can actually feel any ecological disturbances or changes, such as the mass plant death during winter and animal movement before migration. If he focuses hard, he can even feel disturbances in nature, such as changes in the soil or air that might indicate pollution or a coming natural disaster. Severe pollution or damage to the environment may weaken him.

Life Force Generation

Lloyd can generate life force that can boost his physical capabilities. He can create solid objects from his life force like swords or spears and control it even from afar, allowing him to wield them almost telepathically. Again, this cuts his lifespan and requires concentration. The more he creates, the more he needs to concentrates and the more it strains on him, giving him less time to wield them.

Ex:

-Single Sword - Easy. Maybe can last for half an hour or more

-10 Swords - Hard and taxing. Can keep up for a few minutes before tiring

Life Force Manipulation

Lloyd has the ability control his own life force and can freely share it with others, allowing him to heal or offer status buffs or skills to allies. He can’t control anyone else’s life forces, however. Just his own.

To put into an analogy, Lloyd’s life force is basically the O- of life forces. He can give and share it to anyone freely but cannot accept any because it’s all incompatible with his. Doing so would mess his psyche. Lloyd can feel other people’s life forces, which allows the Empathy skill mentioned before, but that’s it.

There is one loophole around this. Because the essences of all elemental powers originated from the First Spinjitzu Master, and Lloyd is his descendant,, those essences are compatible with him. This means he can absorb any elemental power for himself, somewhat like Amber except it’s outright stealing the power. He can keep it and (4+ become the Golden Ninja), return it to the owner, or give it to someone else. If he keeps it for himself, he will pay a price (see Golden Ninja).

Plentiful Life Force

Lloyd has an unusually large amount of life force compared to a normal LEGO, and is the reason why both Garmadon and Wu lived for as long as they have. Their mother-Lloyd’s grandmother-actually lived for several hundred years herself before meeting their father. While it does typically wane like everyone else, the rate vary per person. Looking at Garmadon, it’s clear he either has more life force or a slower waning rate compared to Wu.* (This may also indicate that Garmadon likely has centuries to go before he gets to Wu’s old state. He’ll definitely outlive Wu, Misako, and most of the Ninjas sans Zane Possibly even Lloyd, depending on how he comes along.)

In any case, it’s certain that since Lloyd inherited this, he will outlive all his loved ones except Zane.

Healing

Lloyd has the ability to share his life force with others to heal them, extend their life spans, or resurrect them. However, this comes at the cost of cutting his own lifespan. As long as Lloyd has time to recover, it’s not a problem. If not, his life force will be exhausted to the point of fatality.

The smaller the living thing, the easier it is for him to share his life force with. The bigger it is, the more life force and effort is required.

For resurrection, the same also applies but all specific requirements must be met:

-At least the head and torso piece have to be attached. If the death was by decapitation, the head piece can be put back on.

-The ‘body’ has to be recent. Lloyd cannot resurrect anyone who becomes a ghost.

-There can’t be something ‘inside’ the ‘body.’ Like if the ‘body’ has been impaled, it must be removed.

Since resurrection takes far more life force compared to healing, Lloyd can only do this a few times before it kills him. Another form of ‘healing’ Lloyd can do is share his life force with others share with them his regenerative capability, allowing them to heal bit by bit over time even if they’re separated from him. (Like Spring of Life P3)

Inducement

Lloyd can grant 2 types of inducements, sometimes at once:

Life Inducement

Lloyd’s ability to give something life is reliant on the object’s body density. This is because for something to be alive, it has to be able circulate and generate life force for itself. life force wouldn’t be able to circulate within very large or solid objects easily. Carving runes on the object to assist with circulation makes it easier, but even then, it’s not guaranteed to work all the time. Rounder objects and anything as long as it’s not flat, works better for circulation

With the limits, Lloyd can only induce life to:

-Things that’re light or at least maybe a little more heavy than a human LEGO (Ex. Trees, animals)

-Small, solid objects (Ex. Small statues or dolls)

-Few bigger, rounder objects carved with runes. (Ex. Boulders)

A key note everyone learns later is that inducing life doesn’t take as much life force as healing.

Life force is an intangible force. Using it to repair something tangible like plastic (or in the LEGO world, flesh and tissue) will require a lot more life force. However, just to induce life to something, Lloyd just has to give enough life force to circulate within any object for a few of days, during which, it will start generating its own life force. Even the bigger objects only shave off a week at most.

Sentience Inducement

Lloyd can grant sentience to already living thing as long as it’s not already sentient. The sentience he grants, though, is only close to an animalistic or (at maximun) child-intelligence level. While the sentient being he makes can feel and think (to an extent), they’re often only smart enough to keep themselves alive. Most can’t coordinate themselves, form strategies, or even process orders that require multiple steps even it may be easy.

For example, ordering them to go over a spot and attack every person they see is easy since all they have to move there and fight. Ask them to make tea, they’ll have trouble because they don’t know what tea is, how to fill a pot and heat water, and pour it into a cup on their own. They can do task if ordered each step separately, however.

Also, anything induced with sentience by a Master of Life is ingrained with an instinct to prioritize, be loyal to, and protect the master no matter what. So even if they’re abusive to them or the orders are morally wrong, they will follow the master anyway like mindless drones.

Note°

There is a chance if Lloyd is killed, everyone he either gave life/sentience to, and possibly resurrected, will also die as it’s his force keeping them alive. Neither Wu or Garmadon know as their mother never used it while they were around. Every living thing she had made prior to that were already dead due to varying circumstances.

Mutation

For some reason, the most things induced with sentience or life sometimes mutates to become stronger to help serve the elemental master better. A mutation of many is growing a green eye, which becomes a symbol for them. Apart from that, the mutations all vary to being able to move, fly, extend limbs, shoot bodily innards, etc.,.

Double-Edged Sword

On top of the power’s main drawback of shortening life spans, the element of Life is highly sought after by many for the obvious: being able to extend lives, creating armies from literal junk, and resurrection. This is amplified with legends that killing someone with such a power in a ritual, and then absorbing their essence, would grant immortality.

As a result, many elemental masters of Life end up being hunted down, typically by evil entities. That’s not to say countries and individuals don’t go after them too. Since most elemental masters respond by either creating their own armies to drive pursuers away or going into hiding, someone close who can get past the defenses and meet them usually ends up being the one to kill or capture them. I.e., betrayal is a norm. This also why there’re more old Elemental Master of Life compared to any other. Because they keep getting murdered (or committed suicide).

Wu’s mother had actually been chased out of Ninjago when a powerful lord went after her for immortality. She hid with their father who made it so that no one could get near the place (hence why the temple and everything surrounding it is so deadly).

Golden Ninja

As the reincarnated First Spinjitzu Master, all the essences of power of each elemental master are technically his life force. As a result, Lloyd can absorb these essences back to himself and if he takes more than 4, he can become the Golden Ninja. Unfortunately, taking on such power destroys the physical body. It’s too much to handle and as result, while the power is devastating, can only be used for few minutes or until whenever the Ninja expires. If there were any Golden Ninjas of past, the longest record holder was 15 minutes before dying.

So does this means Lloyd can absorb up to 3 and be fine? Yes and no. It won’t destroy his body but it will feel like… Like how your legs feels after you stand for 8 hours on concrete in flat shoes or played soccer without stretching except on your entire body. Times 4 maybe.