Ninjago Oneshots

Familyarity

"Hah! Couldn't handle the heat, huh? Ironic."
Jay threatened the dull blade of a sword towards my face. The Sword of Lukewarm, as we called it, had been chipped and painted so many times that its latest gold relayering smudged off on his hands. He held a secure foot on my good arm and could've beheaded me by the time I got my other out from beneath me, even with the slick mats we laid on. He tapped the sword against my forehead.
"How's that for a round, Sensei? I'd say that's a good note to end on," he gloated, finally stepping off of me.
I sat up and shook myself off. He shot me a look that definitely called for a rematch, but I instead focused on straightening my gi. The extra chores I'd get for setting him straight would sting me more.
"A ninja never passes up an opportunity to remain silent. It's better for your enemy to think you are weak than to open your mouth and prove them right."
In my head, I followed up the phrase with ‘lucky numbers 3, 7, 19, and 46.’ I guess proverbs fit Sensei’s style of teaching more, but, as much as he wouldn’t agree, I know some much faster ways to deal with annoying folks.
"Wha–? Weak? I won, though, did you not see that?"
Just as I was ready to roll my eyes, he added:
"I bet I could do it again if you missed it."
Entirely involuntarily, my hand whipped up to smack the back of Jay's head. Wu's staff hit the floor.
"You both have trouble concealing the sound of your ego. Jay, as soon as you had disarmed your opponent, you made a point of using his weapon against him instead of your own. You made yourself clumsy with dual two-handed weapons, which dragged on the battle far longer than necessary. Any opponent with more experience would have used that to their advantage."
The only words I caught from his rant were 'any opponent with more experience,' which I sighed at. Just in case I wanted to preserve my pride, though, that's clearly all Jay heard, too. The only place to look is forward when he's standing next to me.
"How much do you know about Kai?" Wu asked suddenly.
Our silent competition ended and Jay and I looked at each other with only confusion. I shrugged.
"What, like, battle-wise, or–?"
"Personally."
Sensei's question obviously got the attention of the others, since soon everyone stared at me like they could see into my past if they bore into my soul enough.
"Well, Red Ninja, bad haircut, snores really loud, has a cool sister, and, uh, that's about it."
He rattled off traits like he was ringing up an order.
"Is that all you need to know about him?"
Sensei Wu’s been peddling this 'brother' idea since the four of us were introduced. Maybe the other guys would get something out of that, but I really doubt Garmadon's gonna fight any differently based on whether or not we like each other. I already have to look out for Nya, anyway, and she's a handful enough without three dudes being added to that list.
"I'm guessing you want me to say 'no?'" he eventually shrugged.
I'll give it to Sensei Wu, he's one hell of a mentor. I don't think I could master his 'not mad but disappointed' head shake if given a hundred years.
"I don't want you to say anything. I want you to see how your ego has gotten in the way of you seeing the most basic of basics," he said, "rule one: know your enemy."
He let that comment hang out for a bit, then continued. Unfortunately, Jay was never one for passing an opportunity to not shut up.
"Kai's not my enemy, though. I'm just fighting him because none of us are trained enough to fight you," he argued.
"Rule two," he went on, "know your ally."
"Oh."
Sensei Wu gave a short nod to the two of us, then to the others.
"When you know your allies as brothers, you know how they think and how they move. When you trust one another, you fight stronger, longer, more accurately, and you heal faster when the dust has settled," he explained, "this is an activity you all can partake in. By the evening, I expect you all to know each other a bit beyond the colors of your gi."
Promptly, he turned around and marched back into the inner monastery, sliding the door shut behind him. If we're about to go around the circle and tell everyone a fun fact about ourselves, I'm more than happy to take Nya and head back to Four Weapons. To absolutely no one's surprise, Jay speaks first.
"Well, I guess I'll go if you guys are just gonna stare at each other."
Everything about Jay screamed coddled. The way he reacted to his parents’ letters deciphered that enough, but it was in everything else about him, too. He rambled like no one ever told him to shut up, and tattled like he’s never been punched. At least when the other guys spar and things get out of hand, they just take it, but he’ll start screaming about fairness and rules like Garmadon wouldn’t tie him to a powerline. That’s how he gets to be when all he has going on in his life is two loving parents that don’t tell him off. It’s pathetic.
"I'm Jay, but you already knew that," he said, "before I became a ninja, I spent most of my time inventing. That's actually how I met Wu. Beyond that, though, I do art, writing, piano for a bit, the works. You could probably tell from the amount of letters I get, but my parents are way overbearing, so if they ever randomly show up to the monastery, don’t talk to them unless you have a day to burn.”
'Overbearing.' Of course that's how he'd see it.
"I grew up way south of here, right in between the wildwoods and the west desert. In case you were wondering what goes over there, it's pretty much just sand."
I forced a huff that could be taken as a laugh, but it honestly wasn't funny. Jay gestured for one of us to take over. The silence was awkward, but I wouldn't've made it any better. To my relief, Sensei Wu stepped back out into the training course holding a teapot and some cups. He paused.
"Where's the noise? Usually I struggle to keep you all quiet," he commented.
I waited for someone else to say what we were thinking, but I guess I'd have to take this one for the team.
"Look, Sensei, with all due respect, there's no point to any of this. I'm not gonna fight better after hearing Jay talk about himself."
"Well, you weren't gonna do it!" Jay immediately argued.
I waved for him to shut up.
"I'm surprised to hear that from you, Kai," Wu said.
From me? He thinks I'm the only one that doesn't want to give a speech about my life to everyone.
"What's that mean?"
He laughed.
"Why did you become the fire ninja?"
"I didn't, not really. My sister got kidnapped by some skeletons and I had to take her back. Being the fire ninja just kinda happened in the process. You already know all this."
While I talked, he set down the teapot and unstacked four teacups, nodding along.
"So you more than anyone should know the fight that comes from love."
I don't think he could've come up with a more confusing string of words if he rolled dice with a dictionary. I didn't even have to say anything to tell him that what he said made no sense.
"Your love for your sister drove you to become one of the greatest things a person can be," he elaborated, "to be brothers is to love. And to be loved, you must first, unfortunately, be known."
So Wu is a hippie. That explains a lot, actually, but it's not going to convince me to spill my guts to some dudes I met a couple months ago.
"...I'm good, thanks."
Wu did that huff-laugh thing I did to Jay just a minute ago and poured some tea into the cups.
"If you ever hope to discover your true potential, or remain a ninja at all, for that matter," he chuckled, "then you must know there will be times where you will lose, and there will be times where you lose again and again. Even internal fires need fueling. I understand that expressing your struggles may bring fear, but I can assure all of you that you speak to your family. Any judgements made against you will be outgrown and forgotten during your training together."
Does the old man think I'm afraid of these guys? Me, the guy that single-handedly defeated a dragon and is currently training to face the dark lord himself? I wonder what he’d do if I called him senile.
"Sensei, I'm not scared, it's just none of their business," I argued.
Finally, he set the teacups out in front of him.
"You cannot lift each other up if you do not know what brings each other down. Here, I always find things easier to discuss over a cup of tea."
This man and his tea never let up. I can't say it's not a nice gesture, though, I guess. Still, it's not going to convince me to talk to these guys. Jay took a teacup and passed it to Zane, who passed it to Cole. Then, he took two and offered one over. I didn't grab mine.
"Oookay," Jay said eventually, "well, I dunno about what ‘brings me down’ or what, but you guys go on about whatever you want. Any takers?”
He looked at each of us, but Zane was the only one that held eye contact with him.
"What about you, Zane? Where are you from?"
Oh yeah, this guy. I don't know if I'd say he's qualified to be the White Ninja, but he's definitely not qualified to hold a conversation. He’s not really annoying, at least not in the sense that Jay is, but he’s just so weird about everything that the only thing I can think of him is that a group of aliens dropped him off here some time last year and he’s just been wandering around since.
"I'm from Birchwood Forest," he said simply.
We looked at him to continue, but he returned all of our stares completely blank.
"Go on," Jay said eventually.
"Uh, no place in particular, I just traveled around the woods."
That seemed to be enough elaboration for him. Cole tried to guide him along.
"So, were your parents, like, merchants or something?"
Out of nowhere, his face dropped. I didn't even know he could do that.
"Uh, no. Or, uh, I don't think so," he said awkwardly, "I don't know anything about my parents."
Oh, he's a stray. Well, don't I feel like I just kicked a puppy.
"Not anything?" Jay asked, surprised.
Zane shook his head.
"I've had memory problems ever since, eh… for a while."
"Well, who looks after you?"
"Nobody, I just go between the villages."
Like a broken clock, Zane actually correctly noticed that he brought the mood down quite a bit. His attempts to brighten it back up did not help at all.
"But, I don't have to have anyone there if I have people here. I'm very happy that we can be brothers, and I'll really do my best to never forget you guys."
Okay, I hold absolutely no obligations to any of these guys, but that is really sad. I almost opened my mouth to change the topic– to what, I don't know– but Jay kept pressing with questions.
"You should remember at least one detail of someone you could go to," he said, like a jerk, "you didn't sleep the nights with anyone?"
"The townspeople are usually nice, but they didn't talk long. I didn't stay in their houses, but the treehorns stayed away from the villages as a whole," he said.
Treehorns? I'd hate to meet the guy that told him to be scared of that fairytale.
"Come on. You definitely cared enough about your parents to remember something about them, or at least someone close to them," he insisted.
Zane shrunk back the smallest amount, like he was caught off guard.
"I really do try to remember them. I can only think back to a few years ago, even when I know something really important happened before then. It's like after I have memories for a certain time, they go somewhere else."
"There's no way. You have to be—"
"Dude, lay off," I interrupted him.
I didn't even feel that I had that comment in me until it was out. I meant it, though. Jay needs to learn when to quit someone else's business. I could tell in my peripherals that he was giving me a ticked off look, but he can glare all he wants.
"Where ya from, Cole?" I asked.
Zane loosened up a bit, I'm assuming since he wasn't the focus anymore.
"Uh, south of the mountains. The town is called Maugatai, but I doubt any of you would know it."
Cole had all the general quietness to be considered mature on the outside, but on the inside he was just another kid. It didn't take long for Jay to talk enough to reveal him as the soft nerd he is, but he still insists on taking the role as leader of the team for some reason. Worse yet, Jay and Zane buy it. It's the blind leading the blind.
"I lived with my dad before I came here. He's toured around Ninjago a few times as a member of the Royal Blacksmiths. It's a barbershop group, not, uh, actual blacksmiths," he explained.
I noticed at this point that Cole was the only one that had actually drunk any of his tea. Mine's probably cold at this point.
"It's a pretty intense culture down there," he sighed, "I basically grew up thinking I was gonna be a dancer like my dad, but, y'know how life is. Wasn't for me."
I got the feeling he was summarizing anywhere from six months to six years worth of vaguely repressed memories. I've been there.
"Glad to call this place home, though. I know we're all really different people, but that makes it more fun to get to know each other."
'Fun' is definitely one way to put it. Could Sensei really not rig up the training course or something?
"Alright, you've delayed the inevitable for long enough, Kai. What'd you do before all this?" Jay suddenly said.
The direct address startled me for some reason. I assumed he was mad at me for calling him out, but he actually put on a somewhat convincing façade of curiosity.
"I ran a blacksmithing shop on the other side of the desert," I said.
Suddenly, I felt for Zane. I really didn't want to elaborate more, but not doing so was making me come off as socially inept. I had just begun forming another sentence when Jay started asking those questions again.
"You ran the shop? Did your parents make the products?" he asked.
"My parents have been missing since I was seven."
I knew exactly what drove me to respond so bluntly, but I instantly regretted it. Seeing Jay be at a genuine loss for words was not worth spilling that secret to everyone. He just looked wide-eyed at me, like he somehow didn't know how annoying he was being. Cole broke the terrible silence first.
"I'm really sorry to hear that, man, I hope you’ll be able to reunite one day," he said.
It was rare for anyone to learn that about me, but that was about the usual response I got. Jeez, talk about bringing the mood down.
"It's okay. I ran the shop with Nya. We kept each other in check," I added awkwardly.
She mostly just kept me in check once she was old enough, honestly, but they didn't need to know that. And, speak of the devil, she walked in right as I finished talking.
"Hey, guys," she greeted, "having a tea party?"
I laughed.
"Sensei is forcing us to talk about our lives," I said.
"Ooh, a gossip tea party."
She came over and sat down between Jay and I, which he was ecstatic about. Usually, I'd try to keep her out of stuff like this, but I'd welcome anything to lighten the mood after that blunder.
"Spill," she prompted.
Zane dumped his tea onto the mat in front of him. At this point, I just ignore him.
"Eh, I think we've done enough of that, honestly," I said, standing up, "you guys are nerds, I knew that already."
"Aww, c'mon!"
I pretended to consider it for a second.
"Mm, yeah, I'd rather do chores."
"I'm gonna tell everyone all your embarrassing secrets while you're gone!" she threatened.
But I was already on my way out.
"Stones and glass houses!" I called back to her.

***

Wu never tested our new knowledge of each other. I don't know how he would've, so I probably should've known that conversation was pointless, but I have to move on. Anyway, I was doing some nightly chores– I have no idea how an old man ever did all these by himself– when Cole approached me from nowhere.
"Hey, dude."
I don't think I visibly startled, but my tone gave me away.
"Wow, you walk quiet."
"Ah, sorry," he chuckled.
I don't know how long he just stood behind me, either in thought or watching me do my chores, but he almost startled me again when he spoke.
"So, I don't mean to bring up a sore subject, but, uh, I get how it is having to raise yourself. I don't think it's to the same extent, but I've been there."
I turned to face him. I think Cole just has a resting pity face, but he looked like he was pitying me.
"...Yeah?" was all I could think to say.
"Yeah. Um, I'd never say it to his face, but my dad was more of a set of expectations I had to live up to than anything else. I learned pretty early on that he wasn't one to be relied on," he began.
A deeply immature part of me was offended at him for thinking I would care, but, unlike quite a few times before, I managed to shush it.
"So it was me and my mom for a while. She was great, but she, uh, got really sick when I was around seven. She never stopped doing her best, but things change, and she–... um, she passed earlier this year."
Cole confiding in me that night would eventually lead me to a realization that wouldn't fully hit me until months later, but would start here. When I saw Jay, I saw that he openly expressed himself to anyone who would listen. I thought it was obnoxious how little he actually seemed to be able to keep to himself and thought it must be terrible to have nothing you consider personal. Then I saw Zane, who didn't openly express himself because he chose to do so, but was so detached from any helping hand or guiding person that he only knew how to interact with himself. Everything was literal, and serious, and personal to him. Jay grew up in an environment so safe that he thought nothing bad could come from having no barrier between himself and the world, and Zane grew up in one so apathetic that he never learned how to build such barriers in the first place.
But then there was Cole, who, like me, had a life full of love, and loss, and joy, and grief, but he didn't do what I did. I had the tools and the knowledge to create the most solid barriers known to man, so I did, and by any measure I figured he should have those same tools. But he never built such barriers. I knew him for less than six months when he told me this, and I couldn't believe it, but nothing terrible happened to him and I quickly outgrew any feelings that told me to judge him for expressing himself.
I didn't know any of this yet, though.
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," was all I said.
"Ah, y'know how it is," he said, "uh, I was really worried when the others were talking, honestly. I definitely didn't have the best childhood ever, but I also wasn't, like, raised by amnesiac wolves or whatever Zane has going on…"
We both laughed at his comment. He went on.
"So, I was really glad when I heard someone else was sorta on the same page as me. This whole thing Wu's talking about with brotherhood is kind of a lot at once, but, y'know, you're cool."
I could tell that his 'you're cool' comment was extremely forced, but I still wanted to believe it was some extension of his real thoughts. I had no idea how to reciprocate the sentiment without the awkwardness, but I went ahead anyway.
"Thanks. You're definitely the coolest person I've met here so far."
"Hey, first place," he smiled.
I huffed a laugh again and went back to my chores. The rest of both my and Cole's chores were pretty much in the same area, so I kept having these weird moments where I thought he was looking at me, so I looked back at him, but he wasn’t, but he saw me looking at him and thought I was the one that started the whole looking thing. That’d continue into the night and, really, for the next ten years, but we’d grow close enough in the meantime that I wouldn’t care if he thought I was weird. At the time, though, I just wanted to know how he didn’t find Jay annoying.

A/N: I've never done a fic in the first person before, so lemme know what you think!