Prompt: AU
This was an interesting prompt for me, there are so many possibilities! If there's an AU I really want to see though, it's something fantasy related (generally my favorite genre). I decided to combine Ninjago with another franchise I love because I'm hyped about the upcoming expansion! Bonus points if anyone knows what it is (especially if you know without googling the names of some of the places ;) - this is technically an AU of both Ninjago and the other franchise. Elemental powers definitely exist there and Ninjago stories would fit in well, but as much as I'm a lore junkie for every franchise I follow, I don't know the exact history and lingeage of the characters in this particular location so I'll be changing that some too. ~
Jay followed the imperial guards as they pushed their way through the crowded streets of Kaineng City, lagging behind slightly. It was all a bit much for Jay to take in; not just the crowds of people, which made him uncomfortable, but the summons that had brought him here as well. The Emperor of Cantha himself had called for him? He was nobody, just a kid from Shing Jea Island, off the coast of mainland Cantha. The only thing that made him interesting was his abilities. But how could the Emperor even know about him, much less his elemental talents, something he usually tried to hide anyway? Jay's thoughts were interrupted when he almost walked into his escort. The guards parted and gestured to the stairs in front of Jay. He'd always dreamt of seeing Raisu Palace as a child, but now... he only felt anxious, wondering what crime he could have committed that was so heinous as to warrant conviction by the Emperor himself.
"Enter the courtyard. You are to wait peacefully until given further instructions."
Jay nodded agreeably and tentatively passed through the front gates. He shifted nervously, jostling the longbow on his back. Maybe that was what gave him away in the first place. A bow constantly crackling with lightning was a rare weapon. Jay had never seen another like it, but his had been with him as long as he could remember. His parents were always evasive about how they came to own such a weapon when he asked, but were always adamant it was to be his, as if they wouldn't dream of wielding it. Which was true, he supposed. His parents' passion was creativity, not combat. They loved to create strange new things out of items others would only see as junk.
Jay found his thoughts interrupted once again, this time by the realization there were other people in the courtyard. The first person he noticed was another young man with straight, blond hair and a scepter dangling from his belt. The weapon of a true master of magic, designed primarily to amplify one's abilities rather than serving as a weapon itself. At first glance, the man seemed imposing and cold. But something compelled Jay to look again, this time coming away with the impression of friendliness and sincerity. The boy was hard to read, as if something wasn't quite right.
An even younger boy, barely a teenager by the looks of it, stood in the corner. He too had blond hair. Blond was an exceedingly rare color for Canthans, so both of the boys either weren't from Cantha originally or had had some manner of magical tampering done to them, Jay concluded. A forcibly carefree posture, a sour expression on his face, and a single sword slung dramatically across his back. Whoever this kid was, he was practically radiating angst.
The third man waiting in the courtyard also had a relaxed posture, but Jay could tell immediately the difference. He was genuinely at ease, apparently entirely unburdened by the fact the Emperor himself had summoned them for reasons unknown. A staff stood propped against the wall by the man, who was currently munching on something while fighting against the breeze to keep his tousled black hair out of his face.
"Hey," Jay approached the black-haired boy, "I'm Jay. So... you got summoned too?"
"Yep. I'm Cole," he replied nonchalantly.
"Any idea why? They wouldn't tell me anything"
"Nope."
"Aren't you even a little bit worried? The Emperor summoned us!"
"They can't expect anything of me if I have no idea why I'm here. Why be worried when there's no pressure to do anything but stand around and wait?"
"Because worry keeps you primed to deal with the worst. Worry keeps you on edge so you can fight given a moment's notice" the young boy chimed in.
"Who says I'm not ready to fight? Maybe being so relaxed keeps me from stressing out and making a fatal mistake" Cole countered. In an instant, he swiped his staff from against the wall and leveled it at the boy before he could reach for his sword.
"We were told to wait peacefully and quietly," the other blond boy stepped between them, "I do not think the Emperor would appreciate the two of you fighting. I am Zane. What is your name, young one?" he turned to the boy, attempting to change the subject.
"Lloyd," he responded after a moment, "and I'm not that young! Maybe just a little younger than the rest of you..."
"Does anyone know why we're here?" Jay asked.
"I do not. However, I would speculate that it must be something only we can provide, something that none of the Emperor's forces are capable of" Zane guessed.
"Well, I am pretty good with earth magic," Cole started, "but surely not that good, right?"
"I too am possess some skill, though not enough to-"
"Of course it makes sense that he would want us," a voice from outside the courtyard disturbed their discussion, "the good ol' Emps must know that I'm -" the voice interrupted itself to howl in pain.
"You will address the Emperor only as his Imperial Majesty!" a stern voice shouted.
"All right, all right, I get it. Sheesh, you royals really love your titles, huh?" The front gates swung open again and Jay identified the voice as the young man who walked in, rubbing his side and wincing. Clearly, he had styled his own hair, Jay thought. He probably thought it looked cool, but to Jay it seemed like a spiky mess on top of his head. He strutted forward with his chest puffed out proudly and surveyed the courtyard, then proceeded to draw his daggers and show them off to the others, but Jay paid no attention.
Trailing behind the confident boy was the most beautiful woman Jay had ever seen.
"You seeing this girl?" Cole nudged Jay. "I mean, who uses a trident on land? Why not just go for a staff, or a scythe? You listening, dude?" Cole's words came through to Jay muffled and distant. He was vaguely aware somebody was speaking to him, but his brain was currently struggling to process what he was seeing.
In the back of his mind, Jay was aware that it would be creepy if he didn't stop staring directly at her, but he couldn't seem to force his head to turn any other direction. He was admiring her pitch-black hair when she turned and faced in his direction. Her eyes.. I could look into those eyes forever.. Jay thought to himself. He stood there dead silent and staring straight into her eyes without even blinking for a solid twenty seconds before he realized, if he was meeting her eyes directly, that meant she was looking at him. He blinked rapidly several times and looked down. The ground was suddenly very interesting. What intricate pavement, oh and look at Zane's boots! Those were cool. He'd have to ask where those came from. Jay risked another glance at her, just at the moment she looked back at him. Their eyes met again and he quickly averted his gaze and coughed awkwardly, choking on his own spit.
A hand waved in front of his face. "Hello. I Am Kai. What Is Your Name?" Kai enunciated each word slowly, as if he was speaking to a child. He must have already asked several times, Jay realized.
"J-jay. Nice to meet you"
"Nice to meet you too, J-jay," Kai joked, "So, lemme guess, we're all here for our renowned elemental mastery? I mean, I know I am" he bragged.
"Wow. Real smooth there, hothead. Why not just wear a banner that says, 'look at me, I am the greatest fire master who ever lived'?" the girl snapped, evidently sick of his boasting.
"Shush, Nya!" Kai hissed. "Don't mock me when I'm trying to build up my reputation! And you know what, I just might get a banner!"
Nya rolled her eyes as exaggeratedly as she could manage. Before she could deliver a witty comeback, the doors to the inner palace creaked open. An elite imperial guardsman addressed the group, "Bow before the presence of his Imperial Majesty, Emperor Wu!"
Everyone bowed in deference to the Emperor as he approached, Kai intentionally bowing too low with a sweeping gesture. The guard grimaced at his disregard for tradition and lack of respect for their rightful ruler.
The Emperor reached the handful of steps that lead down from the palace into the courtyard and stopped, standing taller than the others gathered below. Although he seemed quite elderly, Jay had the feeling he wasn't as weak as he let on. His grip on his bo staff was tight, and he wasn't using it to support himself.
Not a lot of fanfare for the Emperor of Cantha himself, Jay noted mentally, Is this an unofficial task he's about to give us? Or are we about to be executed without a proper trial? He swallowed nervously, glancing at the others. Kai was looking directly at Wu, obviously unafraid. Cole seemed slightly more rigid than before but still relaxed, Zane was unreadable, and Lloyd had such a determined face it was almost funny. Jay didn't dare a look at Nya, not wanting to make a fool of himself in front of the Emperor. Nobody else was afraid. It was fine. If Emperor Wu wanted them dead, he wouldn't have brought them all the way to the palace.
Wu stood in silence, surveying the group before him before he finally spoke.
"You have all been gathered here today," he began, "to address a matter of the utmost importance. A threat only you six are truly capable of facing, and which threatens all of Cantha itself."
~ Well, this was fun! Writing characters from a fresh starting point where you can characterize them any way, but at the same time having over 10 years of personality to incorporate is.. interesting. I tried not to change their personalities too much, but this is an AU.
I swore to myself I'd only write the introduction to the story I started envisioning because I knew I was getting wayyy too far ahead of myself. But whaddaya know, even the intro to it makes the longest story I've done yet! I don't know where most of this even came from, I just kind of kept going lol. Let me know if you're interested in seeing more of this AU! I have a number of ideas for adaptions of Ninjago storylines and characters into this world.
Fun fact; I learned when looking at the wiki while writing this that there's actually a place called Jaya Bluffs in the first game (I've only played the second game, and this whole region is missing but coming in an expansion this year so I've never seen it that region myself).