Ninjago - Heart of Stone

Chapter Eleven: Even a Monster

"Do you remember our old house?" He asked, his eyes clouding over at the memory. "It was so full of old knickknacks and things I made but never found a use for... such a cluttered mess, but it was home."

"I remember," Zane said, "especially the old bike you kept trying to make for me... you would always add some extra to it, and it would always fail."

Julian chuckled. "I was so eager," he said, "every time it broke, I would say to myself, 'this is the one, Julian, this'll be it'..." he laughed. "It never was."

Zane sighed, glancing out the window. Julian followed his eye line, frowning in concern. "What is it?" He asked anxiously. "Do you see--"

"No," Zane said quickly, "the Leviathan isn't awake, father. Do not worry." He sighed again, slumping a little in his seat. "It's just... it's just that I've been thinking."

"About what?" Julian asked. Zane couldn't bring himself to look into his father's eyes. He knew what they would look like-- as wide and as blue as the ocean itself, shimmering as he tried to see so far into Zane that he knew what was wrong. Always trying to be a good father, to raise a good son... and he'd succeeded. Zane wanted, so badly, to show him that'd he'd succeeded.

"I have always wondered something," Zane said slowly, "about the way you made me." He took a deep breath, raising his eyes to look directly into his father's. "Why did you give me freedom to think for myself?"

Julian smiled gently, placing a hand on Zane's elbow. "I thought you would already know the reason," he said kindly, "you've always been so clever, so quick to understand." He smiled, but it was a sad sort of smile. It was the smile of a man who knew his time was short.

"Zane, I made you with a conscience because I wanted to make life. Life is defined, I think, by the ability to choose. You have always been faced with the choice between good and evil, right and wrong... and you chose rightly, every time." The old man shook his head sadly. "You are so unlike me, Zane. I never made the right choices. I chose to steal, I chose to lie, I chose to run and hide from my problems rather than facing them... and then, I made my ultimate mistake-- I abandoned you. I gave up the very best thing that has ever happened to me, and I willingly pushed you aside to cope with the troubles of my past, the troubles I began."

Zane shook his head fervently, gripping his father's hands in his. "You didn't abandon me," he said, leaning forwards to show he meant it, "you didn't fail me. I-- I was lucky to have a father like you. Some people never get what I received."

Julian laughed softly, sadly. "Oh, Zane," he said, cupping his son's cheek with his hand, "I don't deserve you. I deserve to be here-- chained up, like a monster."

Zane blinked, sitting bolt upright. "Say that again," he said, staring at his father intensely, "repeat what you just said."

"I-- I deserve to be chained up... like a monster?" Julian frowned, watching in confusion as Zane leaped up from the couch and bolted for the stairs. "Zane, what is it? Is something wrong?"

"No," Zane called up the stairs. He was taking them two at a time on his way down. "I've just had an idea!" He leaped off the third step and landed with both feet on the ground, rushing towards the nearest person, who happened to be Jay. "Wake up, wake up," Zane cried, shaking Jay by the shoulders, "I know how we're going to fight the Leviathan!"

Jay blinked blearily, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Wha's happenin'?" He asked groggily, sitting up and squinting around in confusion as Zane went to wake the others. Julian had by now reached the bottom of the stairs, and was staring after his son in bewilderment.

"Alright," Kai said, when everyone had been awakened and were now standing around in the dark, waiting for Zane to explain himself, "what's this about?"