Birthright | Ninjago

𝐗𝐈𝐕. WELCOME HOME

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

NYA IS THE ONE WHO found him, sitting behind a tree with his head in his hands and blood running down his arms, appearing from the places he'd dug his nails into his skin to ground himself back to reality. She was quiet as she helped him back to the monastery, she was silent as she cleaned his wounds in a room separate from the others, she barely looked at him as she handed him a cup of tea and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Hiro sat on a cot in what could be considered the nurse's office of the monastery, silently eating, ignoring how irritated his eyes were from crying.

Nya had walked out minutes ago, but she came back soon, holding another sandwich. Hiro wrinkled his nose. "It's just peanut butter this time," she said, and even though her voice was soft, it felt like she was shouting through the silence.

She set the plate on a counter within Hiro's reach. "I haven't told the others about that," she added, nodding to his arms, which were wrapped in white bandages. Hiro frowned, putting down his plate to pull down his sleeves. "When this is all over, you and I are going to find you a good therapist, and you're going to talk to someone. I know it isn't easy, Shiro, but please, you can't keep destroying yourself like this."

He'd never heard Nya sound so scared.

He shrugged. "Yeah. We'll see," he muttered, and that was the end of that.

When he was done eating, he and Nya returned to the main room. Hiro stubbornly avoided eye contact with everyone who shot him worried looks, sitting down beside the table the computer was perched on. "So what's next?" he asked, crossing his arms. "How are we getting them back down?"

Wu and Nya shared a look. "We . . . don't know," Wu confessed.

"You don't know?" Hiro demanded. Pixal handed him his headphones back and Hiro put them on, hearing what sounded like fighting on the Ninja's side. ". . . Hello?" he asked.

"Hiro!" Lloyd said in relief. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"Don't worry about it," Hiro dismissed, ignoring the displeased sound Lloyd made in protest. "What's going on? Have you guys figured out a way to get back?"

"If we figured out a way back, do you really think we'd still be on this comet?" Kai snapped. Hiro rolled his eyes. "These bugs just keep coming! And we are going nowhere!" he exclaimed, groaning. Hiro could hear the distinct sound of fire in the background and assumed Kai was using his powers to fight off the parasite.

Jay groaned. "Nya, there's no way we're getting off this planet. Any last words, my darling?" he asked.

"How about, 'It was always you, Cole. I won't be able to carry on without you,'" Cole suggested. Hiro facepalmed.

"Can you stop with your pissing contest?" he snapped, making the two go quiet. "She's not an object and neither of you is as appealing as you think you are, get over yourselves and focus on the fact that you might die instead of the fact that neither of you is worth her time!" Hiro knew he was just taking out his frustration on the two of them—but it was somewhat rightfully deserved, considering Jay and Cole seemed more focused on competing with each other for Nya's heart than, oh, you know, the fact that they were stuck on a comet.

". . . Someone had to say it," Kai muttered.

Nya shook her head, exasperated. "Now is not the time for that! Can't I care for both of you? Now just don't give up," she ordered. Hiro wondered how long it would be until she dropped both boys, who truly weren't deserving of her time if Hiro was being honest.