moonlight | ninjago

03 ✧ revelations

"the truth is rarely pure and never simple."
✧✧✧

- beautiful art of kira by small._.sketch on instagram! -

"You!"

Kira gasps and points at the old man. Every muscle in her body goes completely rigid, her heart plummeting to her stomach as she stares with bulging eyes. "How...what...?"

"You know this man?" Aimi demands, rounding on her daughter.

Kira flinches at the harshness in her tone. "H-he came to the stand while you'd gone back to the house," she stammers. "He said...he was looking for something special, and that I was just like Dad. Then, before I could ask what he meant, he just...left."

Aimi glares at the elderly visitor, and Kira finds herself stunned at the venom in her eyes. In all sixteen years of her life, she's never seen her mother so angry. Frustrated? Sure. Upset? Definitely. But never angry. The tension in the room is painfully heavy, like the whole world is holding its breath.

"I know you aren't thrilled to see me," says the old man. "I truly am sorry for intruding, but my promise can no longer be kept. I believe this cannot wait any longer."

"I believe you should leave."

"Mom—"

"Kira, go back to your room." Aimi's focus doesn't leave the stranger. "I'll see our guest out."

"Don't be hasty, Aimi," the man's tone gains a slight edge. "She deserves to know."

"Know what?" Kira cries. She immediately shrinks as both pairs of eyes fall on her, and her voice softens back to a whisper as she faces the stranger. "Please, whoever you are, I have to know...what do you know about my father? What's going on?"

There's a long pause. The man looks to Aimi expectantly. Kira stares at her mother with wide, pleading eyes. The woman's jaw grows impossibly tighter, the scowl on her face deepening—but the fire in her eyes begins to die, replaced by a look of exhaustion. As strong as her will may be, she's outnumbered.

"You're not going to leave, are you?" she mutters at last, turning to their visitor.

"I'm already here. You might as well allow me to stay."

Aimi heaves an exhausted sigh. "Come sit down then, both of you. It seems there's some explaining to be done."

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

Aside from the dim light of a table lamp, the living room is eerily dark as the three of them settle down. Kira sits on her knees, shifting from her perch on top of a mat. Aimi and their guest are seated across from her, her mother's gaze fixed on her feet.

"Allow me to introduce myself." Despite the strained atmosphere, the old man's eyes are kind. Staring into them, Kira can see they hold a sort of steady attentiveness, seeming to burn with infinite wisdom and knowledge. "My name is Wu. Your father was an old friend of mine."

Kira feels her chest constrict, as if some invisible hand is squeezing the air from her. She draws a shaky breath before speaking. "He was?"

"Indeed. He wasn't...an ordinary man, you could say."

"Meaning?"

Aimi lifts her head and opens her mouth to respond, but all that comes out is pained sigh. She falls quiet and averts her gaze once more. Wu spares a sympathetic glance toward her before turning his attention back to Kira. "Kenta was the quite opposite," he continues. "He possessed an ability unique to his family...an Elemental ability, to be precise."