Chapter Text
“Oh… my… god…” Jay climbed up the last few stone steps, knees shaking, gasping for air in between each breath. He laid down, pressing his sweaty forehead to the rough rock, not caring that he was getting dirt all over his eyebrows and nose. There was a little plant, growing out of a crack in the ground, sitting underneath his cheek, its leaves pleasantly cool to the touch. He opened his eyes and turned his head so he could look up as he heard Master Wu’s voice.
“Nothing like a brisk walk to get your mind focused and your body moving, mm?” Master Wu’s hat shaded him from the sunlight, outlining him in darkness while the sky behind him was almost painfully bright in contrast.
“A… brisk walk…? Dude… there was like…” Jay paused to take a deep breath, “There was- like- a million stairs?? And you’re…you’re fine?”
Master Wu tilted his head, causing the sun to beam straight into Jay’s eyes. He scrunched them shut, lifting a hand to shield them better. “Well, now that you mention it, I could use a cup of tea. Good for the stomach.”
Jay groaned, turning his head back to face the rock again. “Oh my god… owww…”
The monastery was yet another flight of stone stairs upwards… the cons of it being on top of one of the tallest mountains in Ninjago’s skyline, Jay thought miserably. When they rounded the last bend and Jay caught sight of the monastery for the first time, his breath was snatched away from him in a completely new way.
Huge, thick walls soared up, reaching toward the sky, at least nine or ten feet tall. The doorway stood even taller, the edges upturned just like the shrine gates in the old part of Ninjago City. A huge gong was nestled in the space above the huge wooden doors. The doors themselves were red and gold, and had an emblem that looked slightly like the horns on top of a samurai helmet was emblazoned on the front. The whole thing was capped on top by a gently sloping shingled roof, black in color, and the sides were slightly overgrown with scraggly mountain plants.
Wu nudged open the doors with his staff, humming slightly under his breath. It was a familiar tune to Jay, but he couldn't quite place it. He wasn’t in a good state to be raking his brain for old songs anyway, still exhausted and in awe of the monastery as he was.
The inside of the Monastery seemed bigger than it should have. The courtyard was paved with wide, flat, slightly colorful stones. The lines between them were in a strange, complex pattern, one that Jay knew he could get lost following, like it was a huge maze made for ants. It was surprisingly cool and breezy, despite the trek up being unbearably hot and dry. It was the kind of place that Jay imagined people could meditate- with the quiet rustling of plants all around you, the sun just warm enough to drive away the chill of the high altitude. He loved it.
Suddenly feeling a rush of energy, he ran into the middle of the courtyard, gazing up at the tower in the back half of the courtyard, eyes and mouth open wide. He skipped over to the walls, touching the smooth surface, impressed by how solid it was- it was certainly no trailer. He dashed the length of the monastery building, letting his fingers catch each of the red pillars, enjoying the physical feedback of his fingers thumping into them and his feet pounding the ground.
He stopped just in time to hear Wu laugh heartily. “You find the monastery suitable to your tastes, then, young Master of Lightning?” Jay blushed, clamping his hands together in mild embarrassment.
“It’s wonderful. It’s…It’s so big, and… and pretty, and- ohmygosh what does that lever do?” Jay’s eyes were pinned to the giant, red, shiny lever sitting on the wall as soon as he saw it. He had enough sense not to just immediately pull it, but it took a lot of self control.
“Ah yes, the lever of immediate and painful death. Quite conspicuous.”
Jay stared blankly at Wu, frozen in place with his hands hovering close to the hardware. A moment of stunned silence passed before Wu cracked a smile and laughed, his shoulders shaking with the effort of trying not to. He patted Jay lightly on the shoulder. “Ah, don’t appear so shocked, my ward. Or are your powers getting out of hand once again?”
“Wh- Then why would you- Will it actually kill me if I flip it?!” Jay sputtered, unsure of how to recover. He couldn’t help but smile a bit at the old man though- unlike the jokes and ribs of his highschool peers, he didn’t feel the need to defend the way he was. The way he wanted to be. Master Wu, as strange as he was… accepted him, however he came.
Master Wu adjusted his hat slyly. “Well, only one way to find out, hmm?”
Taking a deep breath, Jay rubbed his palms together to hype himself up for the mystery lever. After a glance to Wu for confirmation, he gripped the lever, and forced it down. It made a satisfying chunk sound, and a barrage of mechanical wiring and metal sliding against metal assaulted his ears. The smooth flat tiles of the courtyard slid around, revealing empty space underneath, and from within that darkness, wooden machine after wooden machine emerged, creaking upward until they eventually came to a shuddering stop. There were poles with sliding pieces and slats of wood jutting out like arms, what looked like a intense version of hopscotch, a climbing wall, several wooden dummies, a display case full of weapons- it was like a set from a movie. A cool movie, full of super spies and fighting for the greater good and sneaking through air vents- the kind of movie he and his dad would sit and watch over and over, and repeat lines to each other as they worked on the engine of their constantly broken down car.
“Woah…” Jay said, feeling a swell of emotion as he thought of his dad. His mom. How they’d react to all this. It became too much all at once- his aching legs, his nervous stomach, an overwhelming wave of guilt as he fully realized that he had just ditched school and was at the very least suspended, and most likely worse, the absolute absurdity of the last few hours compared to the entire rest of his life- and he sat on the ground, pressing his back to the strong wall of the monastery, and started crying.
Wu’s voice broke through to his ears, gentler than usual. “Well, it’s not often that this is the reaction to the training set. Is there something you wish to speak about, or perhaps you just need the reassurance that someone else is nearby?”
Jay buried his face into the threadbare sleeves of his hoodie, trying and failing to stop the onslaught of tears. “I-I- I just… What are m-my parent’s gonna think? Am I expelled? The school has definitely called them by now and they’re probably worried sick about me, and it’s all because I’m stupid a-and I couldn’t control my powers and I hurt Neil and my mom doesn’t know that part, I just told her about what he said about me, like I’m some kind of victim in this whole thing when I‘m the one who made it spiral out of proportion, I should’ve just stayed quiet, I shouldn’t have gotten mad, I know that’s when my powers act up, and- and I can handle the bullying, why did I do that- and-” He could barely breathe, between trying to get all the words inside his head out and how stuffed his nose had gotten from crying.
He jumped when Wu’s hand grabbed his arm and gently, wordlessly helped him up. Jay looked at the ground, hating how red his face must be, hating that he’d put on makeup that morning because it was most definitely ruined by now, hating that he cried in front of a stranger, hating how small he felt, in his too-big hoodie on top of this too-tall mountain inside this too-large monastery. Hating that Wu didn’t seem to be bothered by any of that, just concerned.
“Things worked much differently, back in my prime. Children were not so… caged, by society. I’m sorry to have caused you this much distress, Master of Lightning- Please know you don't have to fear facing those things alone. I can explain the situation to your parents and teachers. I’m sure they will understand. And if not, they wouldn't dare go against my wishes… you in the younger generation may not recognize my name, but I was quite the historical figure to your parents and grandparents. Now, firstly, here’s this-” Master Wu handed Jay a handkerchief. “And secondly, we will go speak to your caretakers.”
Jay blew his nose, his tears slowing. “‘Kay. Do we… do we gotta go back down the stairs?” He asked weakly.
Wu chuckled, giving him a sympathetic look. “Yes. The air will do you good and allow you time to center yourself. Although, perhaps I could carry your backpack this time?”
Jay had forgotten he was even wearing it. He shrugged it off, instantly feeling a sense of relief- it had been weighing him down a lot. Wu held out a hand and Jay handed over his bag. Wu slung it over his shoulders-he was limber for an old man- and Jay nearly laughed because of how out of place it looked, a beat-up backpack held together partly with duct tape and partly with some messy stitching he’d done by hand, on this old relic of a man who dressed like it was a hundred years ago.
“Well then. Let’s go, Master of-”
“Call me Jay. That’s… that’s my name. Jay.”
Master Wu paused, and then nodded. “Jay, then. Let’s go.”