(Enjoy the chapter. Gonna be a little sad, I'll admit.)
It's been days since we have encountered the Hypnobrai and since then we have been training diligently. As promised, I helped the boys with their training but they do well on their own too. I have also been doing some meditation with Wu to get a better understanding of my powers. He had told me that my powers are very formidable, but to control them I need to start small. I can now summon shields at will and even send waves of them with my fans. Wu has yet to tell me about what my powers are exactly, but it's a start.
As for right now, the guys were yelling some quips or stuff they think sound cool, but, in my opinion, are actually pretty lame. I practice with my fans then jump high and avoid the axes easily. I jump again, put away my fans, then land with a hand stand. I see Jay blocking arrows with his nunchucks, Cole taking down some wooden dummies with his scythe, and Kai doing some jabbing motions with his sword before he does Spinjitzu. "Ninja-Go!"
I look at Zane to find him meditating, but then he jumps into action. Literally. He jumps in front of Jay, which distracts him and an arrow gets lodged in the electricity connecting his weapon together. Zane then takes Cole's scythe and slices a dummy with it. "Ninja-Go!" He shouts as he performs Spinjitzu. But he ends up covering the place with ice and I take that as my cue to not be hand-standing anymore. I launch myself onto the porch of the Monastery as I watch Zane freeze the area.
Well. That was something. Maybe I should call him 'Ice King'. "This roof isn't big enough for the five of us." Huh? "Correction. This roof isn't big enough for him." "It's like he's in his own world. I bet he can't even hear us!" I look to find the guys complaining. I walk over to them and find that Zane continues to train despite what the guys said. "He's not hurting anyone. Besides, he just has own way of doing things." I tell them. "(Y/N), I know you're being more open and still new to friendship and everything, but there is still a lot for you to learn." Jay tells me, putting a hand on my shoulder.
I give him a raised brow, but I was still wearing my hood so he didn't see it. "Sensei, Zane's.... Weird." Kai says. I look to my left to see Wu has joined us. "What is weird? Someone who is different or someone who is different than you?" Wu responds back. I mean, I know Zane is weird but I don't think there is anything wrong with him. I'm weird and I think the other guys are weird too. So, what's the problem? "No, Sensei. He's weird weird." I snap out of my thoughts as I hear Cole state. "So? I don't see the problem." I say. The boys only stare at me then Jay pats my shoulder.
After that, we melted the ice and watch Zane as he bows at a wooden dummy but got whacked on the head. The guys and I took off our hoods as well. "We like the guy, he's really smart. He's just...a little off sometimes." Kai says, trying not to sound mean. "Zane is a brother and brothers are often different. I should know." Wu wisely says. Right. Garmadon. Even if he is evil, Wu had told me he could never hate his brother no matter what he does. And speaking of brothers, I guess the guys are still getting use to each other just as I am to them. I look back at Zane as he continues to 'spar' with the dummy.
A loud gong was heard and I pull my fans out in alert. "Mail!" The three exclaim happily. Oh, yeah, that was the doorbell. I put my fans away, feeling a little awkward. Maybe I should do some more meditation. I watch as the guys got mail; Jay got one from his parents, Kai got a fan letter, and Cole got a letter from his father and a package that is a treat for Rocky. He runs off to give it to his large, scaly companion.
I look over at Zane to find him with a sad expression on his face. I walk over to him and lay my hand on his shoulder. "Hey, what's wrong?" I ask him. Zane looks at me and was about to answer, "Hey, Zane, how come you never hear from your parents?" Jay asks. "I don't remember my parents. I've been an orphan all of my life." He responds. What? He never knew his parents? I never knew my parents. The thought made me sad that Zane was alone before he came to live at the Monastery. Like me. "You mean you never had a home?" I hear Kai ask, Zane only shakes his head. I remove my hand from his shoulder and look to ground, sorrowfully, "I.... I never really knew my parents either. I was at an left an orphanage and I left it when I was nine-years-old." I admit softly to him.
I can feel his gaze on me and could tell it was sympathetic. "Wait? You were on your own since you were nine?" I look to Jay and see him and Kai looking at me in disbelief. "Is that why you have a hard time with people?" Kai asks me. I look at the ground again and nod my head slowly. "Part of it." I admit. "The Monastery is your home now." I look up at Wu as he gives us a soft look. Zane doesn't respond, walks away, and enters his room. He closes the door behind him. I reach a hand out to him but pull it back. He needs time alone right now.
I jump a little as I feel a hand on my shoulder and look to see Wu. "Zane needs time. But know this, you are both a part of this family now. You do not need to worry about finding a home anymore." He says gently then walks off. I look down in thought about what he said but then I felt two presences to see Kai and Jay walk up to me. They stop just two feet from me. "Hey, how about we go and play some video games? We can teach you a few things." Jay offers and Kai smiles encouragingly at me. I give them a soft smile, "Thanks, but I need some time to myself too. So, maybe later." I politely decline and walk off.
I enter my room and close the door, standing for a moment. I look at my desk to see some art supplies. Wu lend me some a while back. I walk to it and pull out my chair to sit down in it. I grab a piece of paper and lay it out before me, I open an inkwell and grab a brush, dipping it into the ink. I take a deep breathe and start brushing on the paper.
I don't know how long I've been drawing but once I'm done, I put down the brush and look at my work. It was the guys, Wu, Nya, and myself. Smiling together like one happy family. I smile a little but then I notice something behind me. I look closer and find that I drew Lloyd hiding shyly behind me. Lloyd. I'm worried about him. Sure, he's a brat but he's only doing this to feel closer to his father. Must be tough knowing that your parent is out there and yet can't be with them. I gaze at my artwork until I hear a knock and quickly folded the paper and pocket it. I look to see Nya at the doorway. "Hey, it's dinner time. Might want to hurry before the boys eat everything." She informs. I get up from my desk and walk with her.
We walk down the halls in silence until we make it to the dining room. Wu and the boys were already there and since it's Zane night to cook, he was in the kitchen. Nya sits in between Jay and Wu, I sit next to Kai and across from Wu. There were already some appetizers on the table and I help myself to some. "Mmm. Oh, I love it when it's Zane's night to cook." Jay says gleefully. "I agree. His meals are always delicious." I respond. "Hey, I didn't hear any complains about my duck chowder last night." Cole rebuttals. "That's because it glued our mouths shut. You really thought Jay was speechless throughout dinner?" Kai tells Cole. "Yeah, please don't make that again." Jay sternly states, crossing his arms and giving a scowl to Cole. Yeah. Never let Cole cook.
"Dinner is served." I look to see Zane place a mouthwatering cooked poultry on the table. Right. Next. To me. Oh moly. I can feel my mouth watering just looking at it. Perk of living with people that cook: delicious food. But then everyone starts laughing hysterically. I look at them with confusion and look back at Zane to find him wearing a pink apron. "What's so funny?" Yeah, what is so funny, Zane? "Zane. You're wearing a- Even I won't wear that." Nya says, a large grin on her face. I tilt my head. "You laugh because I take steps to ensure I am clean after cooking?" Zane questions. I mean what's wrong with wanting to be clean? It's pink, so what? "No. We laugh because you came out wearing that ridiculous outfit!" Kai laughs. "I guess we don't share the same sense of humor." Zane says.
"Well, how about this?" Cole says, grabbing a plate of shrimp and shoving it into Kai's face. Okay, that's funny. I laugh a little and while the others were busy, I grab a piece from the cooked poultry and eat it. Oh. So good. I see Wu grab a bowl, "How could you not find that funny?" Cole asks. But then Wu dumps the bowl on his head. "Ahh!" He shouts. "Now you are brothers." Wu says. A major food fight broke out and I wasn't letting the main course go to waste. I put a shield around it then join the fight. Everyone was laughing and having fun, I can't believe I missed out on this. It's nice.
After dinner, we all separate for the night. I quickly rinsed off from the food that got on me then go to bed. I close my eyes and take a deep breath to relax, but then I see the others with their auras. I've been getting a better handle on that power too, but I still have a little trouble controlling it. It allows me to see the life energies or auras of others, even from far away. I see Kai brushing his teeth, Jay already asleep, Cole having a snack before bed, Nya working on something, and Wu was meditating.
However, Zane was not in the Monastery. I focus on his energy and found him running towards the woods. Why would he be going into the woods? But then I sense more energies. I was about to find out what but I feel sleep consuming me. Not now. Just....a little....longer.
"(Y/N)! Wake up!" I wake up and toss my fan at the voice. "Whoa! Watch it!" I rub my eyes and look to see Kai, "What are you doing in my room?" I ask groggily. "Zane said he found something in the woods. Hurry and get ready, it's important." He tells me before leaving. Zane saw..... The woods! I jump out of bed and get ready, grabbing my fan I threw in the wall. Good thing Kai moved away in time.
Me, Kai, Cole, and Jay follow Zane as we trek deeper into the woods. "How do you think Zane knows where he's going?" Kai questions out loud but I ignore him and continue onward. Zane stops and I stand next to him as the guys stop too. They sound like they're out of breath. "Uh, tell us again how you stumbled upon Lloyd's secret headquarters?" Kai asks Zane. "I followed a bird." Zane answers. "Why did you follow a bird?" Jay asks, his tone sounding confused. "Because it danced." Zane answers. A dancing bird? Huh. "Oh. Okay. Was it a cuckoo bird?" Jay jokes, and the others laugh. I give them a glare. "Of course not. Everyone knows cuckoo birds are not indigenous to these forests." Zane states, informatively. He runs off once more and I give the guys a narrow look, "How about less joking around and more trusting our brother. You all should know by now that he takes things in a literal sense." I tell them then follow Zane.
We continue on until we stop and see something big. "Punch it!" I hear Lloyd. What I see is a house in the trees. It's kind of impressive, I won't lie. "Holy cannoli, Frosty was right!" Cole says, surprised. "We can't let that brat and his snakes get a foothold in Ninjago. We've gotta destroy that thing before it becomes operational." Kai states. I nod my head, agreeing with him. "Whoa-ho-ho. Are you sure? It looks like a pretty cool treehouse. There's a rope course, oh, and a tree swing-" "Hey! Remember who's team you're on." Cole reminds Jay. "Alright, guys, what do we do?" He says.
While they were talking I examine the structure of the place. I found the support that kept the place up and I had a plan formed in my head. "Okay. Here's the plan: The place is being supported by those three trees." I point to said trees, each having a rope tied around them to keep the treehouse up. "We need to be stealthy to get to the lines but once the first is cut, all bets are off. So, once there is only one last line to cut, the others will need to get to safety." I tell them. They all look at me with wide eyes. "What?" I question them. "Ah, nothing. That was just-" "A great plan!" Cole interrupts Jay. I raise a brow in confusion but shake it off. "Let's move." I state.
"You heard her, travel in shadows." Cole says and jump flips ahead. We split up into our teams and Kai and I hid as a couple of snakes pass by. Once they passed, Kai moves from the tree and to a rope. "(Y/N)." He whispers and I nod my head. I make my way to him and hold on to him tightly as he cuts the rope and it takes us up. We enter the treehouse and move quickly and quietly. We meet up with the others and look through the unfinished ceiling. I see Lloyd and let out a sigh of relief. He's okay.
He commands a nearby snake to hold up a sign that says 'No Girls or Ninja' then pulls a switch, revealing a trapdoor and the snake falls through it. "Booby trap!" The snake had a pretty bad fall but it was a little funny. We head to the top of the place and Kai and I stay on top the treehouse as the others go to cut the lines. Jay does Spinjitzu and he cuts the first line. As expected, the place starts to become unstable as it falls apart. I regain my balance quickly and look to see Zane also use Spinjitzu to cut the second line.
The place really starts to come down and I look through the hole to find Lloyd. He looks up and our eyes meet. I don't know if I was imagining it but he looked.... happy when he saw me. He shakes his head as his expression becomes angry. "I Said No Ninja. Attack!" He yells. "Everyone. Retreat!" I hear another voice, but I ignore it. "Cole! Wait until we're to safety then cut the line!" I shout to him and turn as I am about to get Lloyd. But someone grab my arm. "(Y/N)! We have to go!" Kai states. I turn my head to look at him, "But-" "Now!" He interrupts me and pulls me away. I was about to protest but Zane and Jay appear next to us.
"Where's Cole?" Jay asks. "This whole place is coming down!" Kai shouts, the structure becoming more unstable. But then Cole lands in front of us, but something is different. "No one goes anywhere! Until you deal with me." He states threateningly. His eyes. Oh no. The guys and I back away from him as he approaches us with his scythe in hand. "What's gotten into him?" Kai asks, I could hear the slight quiver in his voice due to us still being on the failing treehouse. "He's under their control." Zane says.
"What gave it away? The eyes or the threatening?" I ask rhetorically. "Well he better snap out of it quick because this place is about to come down!" Jay quickly says. Cole kept coming towards, "Okay, now, come on. Friends don't hit friends." Jay tries to get through to Cole but gets a kick to the face instead. "Augh! Ooooh-oh-oh, okay. I-I'm just going to ignore that." Jay groans. Cole then starts throwing punches, kicks, and swings of his scythe at us. We dodge easily and he takes a moment to breathe before swinging his scythe down and almost hitting Kai.
We continue to dodge his attacks. "What are suppose to do? If I use my sword this place will go up in flames faster than a tinder box." Kai says. "Isn't the anti-venom in the staff?" Zane asks. "Yeah, but the staff is back at the Monastery." Jay points out. "Look out!" I push Kai out of the way and receive the kick meant for him from Cole. Okay, that hurt. And I don't know if I should be thankful for having my fall be stop by a piece of wood or upset for the fact that my back is sore now. But then I hear it crack. Of course. I yelp as I fall back but then I was caught. I look to see Zane holding my feet. "Thanks." I say, my heart beating fast. "Jay, use your lightning. Try to shock him out of his trance." Zane says, swinging me onto the roof. "Oh, sorry, Cole. This is going to hurt you a lot more than it's going to hurt me." Jay says before taking out his nunchucks and swings them around to charge up then delivers a ball of lightning at Cole and it knocks him onto his back.
He gets up but he was still under their control. He rushes at Jay and pushes him off. "JAY!" We call out to him but he grabs a vine and swings himself onto a ledge of the treehouse I let out a sigh of relief then turn my attention to Cole. He makes his way up the last line..... Oh Crap! He's going to cut it with us still on the treehouse. I quickly follow after him and right when he's about to cut it, I feel a rush of power as I jump off the line and tackle him to the ground. I put my full weight on him as I pin his arms to the wooden ledge. I hold him down as he struggles to get free. "Cole! Listen to me and stop!" I yell at him.
He just growls as he tries to overpower me. But I feel stronger and I look at my hands to find them surrounded by a purple glow. That's new. But before I could ponder any longer Cole throws me off him and I almost fall if I had not grabbed onto the ledge. I dangle as I look to the ground. Okay, nothing to worry about. I look back up to find Cole looking down at me and with his scythe above his head. Of course. "Cole, Don't!" "Don't do it!" No Cole! No!" I hear the guys as I feel my heart pound with fear. Is this how it ends?
But then I hear a soothing melody. It sounds like a flute. I hear grunting and look to see Cole and his eyes back to normal. "Where.... Where am I? What am I doing?" He's back. "Saving me." I say. He looks down at me and quickly helps me up. "Are you okay?" He asks. I nod, "Yeah. Good to have you back." I pat his shoulder, smiling under my hood.
"We're getting out of here because this whole place is coming down!" I look to see Nya riding on Flame with Wu, who had a flute in his hands. So that's what made that noise. "Lady ninja first." Cole offers, lending his hand out. "You're such a gentlemen." I say and hop on behind Nya and Cole hops on behind me. Flame flies near the treehouse and the rest of the boys jump and make it on. I look back as the structure collapses and I remember Lloyd. I hope he's okay. "That flute." "It cancels their powers." Kai and Jay say. I look in front to see Wu with the flute. "It's as old as the Serpentine themselves." Wu says, that must have been how they got them to go underground. "But we must hurry! The Monastery's unguarded! Quickly!" He adds hurriedly. Oh no. "Leave fire in your wake, Flame!" I yell to the dragon. He roars and flies faster.
By the time we see the Monastery in view, it is too late. The place was burning, only the beams that support it are all that remains. "We're too late. Those snakes!" I hear Kai growl. But then I hear roaring. The dragons. "Rocky!" I didn't wait and once the ground was close enough I jump off Flame and hurried to the stables. I pull the lever and release Rocky, Whisp, and Shard. They're safe now. I quickly hurry back up the steps and see the first place I consider home, gone.
I remove my hood as everything just becomes quiet. This was the place I could feel safe, that I could become something more, that I felt like.... I belonged. I feel a cool breeze as I watch the flames be put out and ice covers the area. I learned a long time ago that you can always find a place to rest, but the monastery was special. It was where I found my-"Enough!" I regain my bearings as I look to see Kai, Jay, and Cole surrounding Zane. We give our attention to Master. "We are all at fault. Zane is your brother. Apologize at once." Master orders. The boys look remorseful and turn around to apologize but, "I'm sorry, Zane. I-" Zane is gone. I feel his energy getting further away.
I look to the others, "What did you do?" I ask. They look at me, looking hesitant. "You mean you didn't hear any of that?" Jay asks me. I only shake my head no. "You never had a home before the Monastery." Kai says. I look to the ground sadly. "You were mourning." I hear Cole, but I didn't respond. It was quiet for a bit until I take a deep breath, "It's fine. I spaced out because yes, the Monastery was the first place I called home. But that doesn't matter right now. We need to find a place to rest. You can fill me in during the flight." I tell them. I make my way to Flame, who gently nuzzles me.
We all got on the dragons and flew away with minimal supplies we recovered from the destruction. During the flight, the guys told me they blamed Zane for the loss of the Monastery. I was disappointed at them for saying such things but seeing how guilty they are made me calmed down. They were upset that their home was gone too. We made our way to the Sea of Sand and made camp on a large boulder.
A fire was going as we roasted some Mud Newt to eat. "Wha-What are we eating again?" Kai asks. "Mud Newt. Not bad for something that lives underground." Cole answers. Jay groans in disgust as he throws his stick down and tosses a rock into a can. "Yeah-ha-ha. A new high sc-sc-score." He says 'cheerfully'. He really misses those video games. Rocky gives an annoyed huff before lying his head back down. "Remember, we must be thankful for what we still have." Wu tells us. "What do we have?! Our home is gone." Cole says, his tone sad. I lay my hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "You know, I don't miss our home. What I really miss... is Zane." Kai admits. "Yeah, I miss Zane." Jay says, he too sounding sad.
I quietly gasp as I feel a familiar presence. Cold but protective. I smile. "(Y/N), you okay?" I look to see Nya with a worried look along with the boys. I drop my stick as I turn around just in time to see, "Zane!" We all walk to meet with Zane and I see that he didn't have any malice. Looks like he wasn't affected by the guys' hurtful words after all. "Zane, we're so sorry for everything we said. We're a team and that means we're all responsible." Jay apologizes. "You don't need to apologize to me." Yep. Wasn't bothered. "But what about those awful things we said? Isn't that why you left?" Kai questions, confused. "Of course not. I saw the falcon again and I follow him." Zane explains. "That's our Zane." Cole says and everyone formed a group hug. I freeze up a little but slowly relax.
"We're happy to have you back." Nya says to Zane. "Why? Is it my turn to make dinner?" Zane asks innocently. We all laugh, it's good to have him back. "Yes, Zane. We would love for you to make dinner." Wu says. "It be better than Mud Newt. For if I'm being honest, not the worst thing I've had." I admit. Everyone lets out a laugh again. "I've already made dinner. Come. I want to show you what I found. I think you will all be pleased." Zane says before walking off. I didn't question it and immediately follow him.
We follow Zane for a while until he stops and turns back to face us. "I can't explain it, but I feel a strange connection with the falcon. I think he's trying to show us the path we need to take." He starts walking again and we follow. We pass a large boulder and see something incredible. "Our new home." Zane says. I hear the others gasp in awe. It was an old ship with a mainly red coloring and a dragon head for the helm. It's beautiful. "Do I smell pie?" Jay asks. I know where this is going. "Cobbler berry. Oh. And I made mertyle berry, and apple." Zane lists all the pies he made. Jay, Nya, Kai, and Cole, all run towards the ship.
I stayed behind with Wu and Zane as I smile. Zane is back and we have a new place to call our own. "I am proud of you, Zane. One day I promise, we will find your family." Wu tells Zane. "But, I have already found them." Zane responds. I felt something in my heart and look at Zane. "I feel there is more to you than meets the eye. There's something special about you, Zane." Wu says. "I second that." I say. "Sensei, will I become the Green Ninja?" I slap my forehead. This again? "It's too early to tell. But if it's in your path, you'll know." Wu says and I lower my hand from my face.
"I think we better move or else the others will eat all the food you prepared." I state. They nod and we make our way to the ship. We enjoy dinner, laughing and enjoying each other's company but then a plate of shrimp was thrown at Cole's face. This started another food fight and I laugh harder. This is nice. I end up hugging myself from so much laughter until I felt something in my Gi.
I calm down from my laughing and search my Gi until I brought out a folded piece of paper. I put a shield around me as I unfolded and it was the drawing a drew before we destroyed the treehouse. Lloyd! I forgot about him, I hope he's okay. But then I got a headache and I saw a lone energy. Not too far from here.
Lloyd's P.O.V.
I watch the Ninja laugh and enjoy themselves. Then I saw the Purple Ninja. I don't know why she was so nice to me but I know it can never happen. I'm Lloyd Garmadon, son of Lord Garmadon. But it looks like fun.
I sigh. Whatever. I turn away and start walking away from the ship. I have the Map of Dens and with it I can find and release another Serpentine tomb. Those Hypnobrai will be sorry and I will rule Ninjago. And I can finally be like Dad. Be a part.... Of a.... Family.
(Poor Lloyd. But don't worry, there will be more moments between him and (Y/N). See ya next chapter.)