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Chapter Text

It's been at least a solid decade since anyone Wu could have called a "student" could be found within the sacred grounds of the Monastery of Spinjitzu. Ever since the scattering of the previous generation of warriors, and the banishment of Garmadon, the once revered monastery for training new masters had become…almost unbearably quiet. But, being left alone in the company of himself was a small price for Wu to pay, in comparison to the weight of all his mistakes.

That is, until he found himself with Cole on his hands.

Plucked straight from the top of a mountain with only the bag on his back and the barest of clothes, Cole proved himself to be a kind boy, yet somewhat troubled. He buried those troubles as deep down as he could, however—somewhere the light would never reach them. Wu could tell Cole was one who preferred to move forward, which, while admirable…would become a fruitless endeavor when dragging so much unseen baggage along with him.

"I…I just lost someone, and…my father should be sad, or even angry, but…he's…he just spends all his time with his group singing and dancing. He's never home, leaving all the chores for me…! With her gone, I guess it's up to me to be the responsible one."

These words stick in Wu's mind while he quietly observes Cole train from afar. The boy makes little attempt to even speak to him beyond greetings, gratitude, and critiques of his form during training. Cole is obedient almost to a fault, never doing anything that could be seen as stepping out of line. He never seemed to know what else to do with himself, and thus, dedicated all waking moments to his training.

How Cole consistently found the strength to do so was a mystery to Wu. But what he did know was that, should it continue, Cole would find himself with broken spirits somewhere along the road.

But for the time being, Cole was promising to be a very…engaged student.

Cole constantly throws himself into his training, starting from when the mountain roosters crow at dawn and planning to last until the sun sinks behind the horizon at dusk. He punches until his fists are raw, sweats until his hair is soaked, and goes and goes and goes until the ache in his muscles scream in protest. He practices his form with rigid discipline and focus, unwavering in its execution…and while Wu appreciates the extra dedication, he gets the sense that it is not because of a personal drive to do so.

It's being done out of a degree of fear.

Cole doesn't even realize Wu's watching until Wu clears his throat. In an instant, Cole's focus is broken, and he goes stumbling about the training course like a newborn fawn. It's not the first time Cole's fumbled through the equipment, nor will it be the last…but the moment Cole hits the ground, an angry fist strikes the concrete as well.

Cole's face contorts into something ghastly, frustration and disappointment visible in equal measure. But all of it is aimed inwards, and Wu frowns as Cole begins mumbling to himself.

"Way to go, Cole…stupid, stupid…" Cole lowers his head so his forehead touches the ground, hiding his face from Wu's view. "Why can't I ever do anything right?!"

"Cole," Wu says softly, and yet, Cole's head snaps up like he'd just heard a scream. Wu sighs through his nose. "…Come join me for a brief respite, won't you?"

"I…shouldn't," Cole hesitates, shaking his head and taking a step back. "I mean, you just saw how badly I wiped out; my focus obviously still needs some work—"

"And work on it you will, once you have a clearer head, calmer mind, rested body, and rejuvenated spirit."

Wu raises a spare cup of tea in Cole's direction, along with motioning towards a plate of fruits to his right. Cole grimaces, still trying to resist, but his stomach betrays him with a loud grumble. Wu can't resist a small smile as Cole pouts on his way over, dropping into a quick bow of gratitude. He then plops down next to Wu, plucks a plump plum from the platter, and starts eating to save himself from having to say anything.

"You had a good session today." Wu opts to fill the silence in Cole's stead, having no problems commenting on his student's work. Cole freezes mid-bite, nearly dropping his snack back into his lap. "You've lasted much longer than the last few times you attempted the course, and you seem to be getting the hang of thinking on your feet. It's very impressive."

"…not really; not when I completely biff it right at the end," Cole grumbles into his plum.

"Well, if you measure your growth only by the places where you fall short, rather than the places where you have made even the smallest of strides, of course it would seem like you're going nowhere at all."

Cole squints at Wu like he's speaking a foreign language. "…what?"

Wu huffs. He supposes he'll give Cole a freebie this time.

"It means you cannot let your shortcomings dictate your strengths. That type of thinking will serve to further handicap you, locking you into a mindset where you'll believe you're never progressing, when the opposite is true. Failure only serves as a sign that we need to step back and reevaluate our approach for accomplishment, not that we are suddenly incapable of accomplishing anything at all."

"…whoa," Cole says, gasping like the secrets of the world have been exposed to him. "That's deep."

Wu chuckles, shaking his head. "It's just simple wisdom I have accumulated over my many years of being a sensei. It would do me no good to keep it to myself."

Sadness suddenly sparks across Wu's eyes, his shoulders sagging as well.

"…although, it has been…quite some time since I have had someone to impart it unto."

Cole watches Wu in silence, polishing off his snack and moving onto his tea now that it's had time to cool a bit. He takes a sip—with no idea what this flavor's supposed to be, he's not a big tea guy—but it tastes good. Heck, it even inspires a fresh bit of confidence in him.

"Can I ask…why are you always encouraging me? Even when I wind up doing something wrong?" Cole asks into his tea, gaze locked onto the soft ripples wafting through the caramel-colored liquid. Wu raises an eyebrow in surprise.

"Is there…something else I should be doing?"

"Well…yeah." Cole absently waves his hand out and about. "Aren't I supposed to become some amazing ninja warrior, or a Master of…Spinjitzu? Aren't you…relying on me to become something great?"

"To a degree," Wu confirms, taking a careful sip. Cole makes a noise in his throat, muscles tensing.

"So, then…why aren't you scolding me more?"

Wu balks again, as Cole's absolutely genuine in his question. The boy's eyes go still, searching, seeking, scrapping desperately for an answer…because, for some reason or other, he cannot fathom why his actions are not deserving of constant critique.

"If I'm training to be something like that, then…I'm having a pretty terrible start." Cole hunches over, making himself smaller. "My…my dad, if he'd seen the performances of my practices already…I wouldn't have heard the end of it. Missteps, wrong footing, incorrect positions…he wouldn't have tolerated any of it."

Cole chuckles, but it's dry and hollow. Humorless.

A lump takes shape in Wu's throat.

"While it is true you are far from mastery, let alone perfection, I acknowledge that you are just starting out. And for a beginner, you are already way past what I would have anticipated or expected for you. Therefore, I  believe you should be positively reinforced for it. I will critique your actions to help you improve, certainly, but there is no reason to spotlight every minuscule mistake. Those little imperfections will be buffed out eventually, but only with time."

Cole trembles, like he wants to believe Wu, but he still stubbornly shakes his head.

"But…what if I make another dumb mistake at the worst time, or I fumble so hard I can't recover, or I—"

"Why do mistakes haunt you so?" Wu asks the question innocently, but something about it makes Cole go completely pale.

"How can they not?!" Cole exclaims in an abrupt crescendo, the loudest he's been since arriving at the monastery. Wu sits quietly, patiently, allowing Cole to let it all out. "Someone's always counting on me, and I'm always letting people down! I'm sure my mom would be disappointed in me running away, and I already could never seem to please my dad no matter what I did, a-and I failed my quartet back in the day…I just…I have to be better! I can't afford to mess up!" 

He fully faces Wu, eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

"And you…you picked me to train, to be on your team, to help you! You believe in me, for whatever reason, and I…I don't want to let you down, either!"

Wu feels his heart snap to pieces. "Cole—"

"A-And if I'm not good enough now, and I never get better, you're gonna send me away like he did…!" Cole grabs at his hair, hands shaking violently. "A-And I don't wanna leave! I like it here! I actually like the peace and the quiet and the tea and the training and you, s-so…please! Don't, don't, DON'T—"

Wu calmly grabs Cole's hands, lowering them away from his head. Before Cole even has a chance to speak, Wu's dragging him into an embrace, grounding him with a strong, steady presence. Cole doesn't know how to react; he only starts to cry, letting loose all those unshed tears from before.

"The same pressure that creates a diamond has equal opportunity to burst a pipe," Wu says, running his hand through Cole's hair. "In our conquest to create something priceless, sometimes we lose something essential in the process."

"N-Not more cryptic wisdom…!" Cole sobs into Wu's shoulder despairingly. A quick chuckle escapes from Wu, and he holds Cole tighter.

Cole clutches Wu like a lifeline, fighting with himself to stop the torrent of tears, but it all comes out so forcefully that the only choice is to wait it out. Wu's heart sinks with every passing second; how long has Cole been bottling all of this in? How long had he dammed up his emotions, to the point that they would spill over like this? How long has he quietly suffered in his own head?

…although Wu too knows the pain of disappointing a father more times than he can count. The constant fear of never living up to the legacy, the sinking feeling in his chest when gazing upon eyes full of disapproval…knowing that there was so much unspoken responsibility sitting on his shoulders, and that letting go of the responsibility would never be an option.

He doesn't want to imagine that Cole, still so young, is feeling the same way now that Wu has after centuries of suffering.

When Cole's wracking sobs condense into mere sniffles, Wu tries again to comfort him.

"I'm sorry if I made you feel like you have to consistently strive to be something great. I have full faith in your potential as a ninja, and as a future Master of Spinjitzu…but I do not expect that greatness right away. Achieving that strength is going to be all the better if you achieve it at your own pace, with all the successes and failures that come with it."

"It…I…I don't think it was you, really," Cole manages to choke out. He leans back, struggling to hastily pull himself back together. "I'm just…I'm just not used to…well, all my efforts amounting to anything much…"

Cole gives a miserable sort of shrug, eyes puffy and red. He swipes at them with his arm to chase away any remains of his cries, but the damage is already done.

"I just want to do good, for someone, for once."

A smile fights its way onto Cole's face, weak in constitution, but pushing on regardless. It makes Wu want to pull Cole into a hug all over again.

"You will, Cole." Wu settles for an arm around the shoulder, keeping Cole close without smothering him. Cole appears to appreciate it, leaning into the gesture. "And just so you know…you've already made me incredibly proud. What you do beyond what you already have is simply going to astound me in the future."

For the first time, Cole's face brightens, blooming like the sun rising over the horizon. His grin morphs into a much more genuine version of itself, and he can't resist giving Wu a quick side hug before jumping back to his feet. He pounds his fists together, grin twisting into a smirk, and declares that he's going to clear the training course this time.

"And if I fail…well, that's just an excuse to try again, right?"

Wu nods, pleased at seeing Cole's renewed vigor. He has no doubt that Cole will take better to the course, now that his head is cleared of any reserved doubts. He'll grow into a fine man yet.

It certainly won't be right away, but Wu's grateful that he'll be able to witness it first-hand.

Cole eases up from that moment on, especially after the other members of the team come into their lives and make a home of the monastery, and later the Bounty, as well. Wu has to give Cole a light reminder every now and then to prevent him from becoming too lax, but given how Cole tends to pick up the slack where his brothers goof off, it's not very often. And even when Cole does wind up roped in their antics too, Wu allows a few of these times to slip under the radar. It's good to see Cole enjoying just being a teenager, fleeting as the moments are in-between destiny relentlessly chasing them all down.

Cole even comes to grips with his relationship with his father, allowing him to achieve his True Potential—and admittedly, Wu is a little sad that he missed it. The confrontation, the performance at the talent show, and the realization…the only evidence left that the moment even happened is a single photo. His students all hold themselves with pride and accomplishment as they pose around the trophy, and Wu knows that Cole's never been happier about himself.

But now Cole’s strength isn’t just on the inside—it’s on the outside too. He can carry the metaphorical weight of the world as easily as he can several hundred tons of rocks, metal, and whatever else as well. Of course, there's a few times where the burden is too much for one man to bear, but that's where the other ninja swoop in to pick up the slack, as Cole has always done for them.

Wu, too, tries to help where he can…but the older Cole gets, the more independent he becomes, and the less Wu can find room to give Cole any kind of guidance. He already had a good head on his shoulders; he just needed a little nudge in the right direction. And like a rock steadily rolling down a hill towards fate, Cole's never looked back.

He's truly come into himself as a leader, and as the Master of Earth; a foundation for others to seek support from, while also a defender of the purest things the world has to offer. He is sturdy and indomitable in one breath; nurturing and gentle in another…and altogether, perfectly impressive. There's not a single thing to be disappointed with.

He dances to the beat in his own head, he sneaks bites of cake where he can, he sleeps a little too long on the couch sometimes, and every now and then he'll have a lapse in proper judgement…

But Cole is always reliable. And Cole has never let him down, not even once.

"Cole is no longer a student. He is an accomplished ninja and a fully-realized Elemental Master…he…he has not needed me…in a long time."

That thought sits heavy on his heart as he sits upon the steps of the rebuilt Monastery's courtyard, watching Cole run the training course just as he had back when he was young. He's taller now—broader, bolder, and constructed like a wall. He's made it through the loss (and return) of a few friends. He's conquered becoming a ghost. He raised Wu himself from an infant right back into the man he is now…and he's achieved the Spinjitzu Burst, just as his mother had before him.

Cole is the strongest man he knows, from the inside out.

And there is, honestly, nothing left for Wu to offer to him.

His forlorn thoughts are disrupted when he hears Cole wail somewhere in the mist of the training course. He had been running through the course again, just for old time's sake, just to stay sharp—but he lands his foot in the perfect wrong way to upset his balance. He tumbles straight off a beam, colliding to the ground with a resounding thud.

Wu blinks, and for a moment recalls a teenager who once fell in a similar same way years ago. A lost child who lamented his mistakes, cursed his short-comings, believed he should be punished for them, and cried over being praised instead. 

He blinks again, and finds Cole stuck in a fit of laughter, rolling around on the ground clutching his stomach. Wu's heart warms at the sight, and something compels him to stand up and go assist his kid in crisis. He looms over Cole, who blearily stares back at him through amused tears, and holds out a hand to take. Cole cackles out one last laugh, then grips his Master's hand like a lifeline.

"Haha, whoops." Cole dusts himself off with a cheery grin. "You didn't happen to see all of that, did you…?"

"I did." Wu smirks and folds his arms into his sleeves. "Although, for a Master of Earth, your attachment to being on the ground is quite—"

"Okay, okay, haha," Cole scoffs, softly nudging Wu away. "But y'know, the training course feels so much less…intimidating now. I guess it can still get the best of me though, eh?"

"The smallest hill can seem insurmountable, looking up at it from below…until we reach the top, and find the mountains off in the distance."

"Aaaaand I have no idea what that one's supposed to mean," Cole declares with a hearty chuckle. "Sometimes I think you're just spouting prose to mess with me."

"I could be. Or maybe, I merely speak words, and their meaning is then determined as you see fit."

"Uuuuuuugh." Cole's eyes roll so hard they go back into his head. Wu laughs with delight, softening up before draping a hand upon Cole's shoulder.

"…but something I could never be cryptic about, Cole, is how proud of how far you have come." Wu beams up at his former student. "You have accomplished so, so much…and I am honored to have been along for the journey."

Cole grins, wide and bright, to the point it forces his eyes shut. "Haha. Thanks, Dad."

Wu pauses in the same moment Cole does.

Wu fails at hiding the surprise that blossoms across his face, while Cole has never been redder and suddenly looks like he wants to jump off the side of the mountain. Wu's about to brush it off as a slip of the tongue, to just let it go if it'll help Cole save some face (…as much as Wu himself realizes he doesn’t actually mind being referred to as such), but then Cole proceeds to dig himself a very deep and very verbal grave.

"W-Wait, oh, shoot, I…I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I-I didn't mean–I hope I didn't—"

"Cole, wait—"

"Please forgive me, I know that’s probably disrespectful or something but I wasn't thinking, I got caught up in the moment and it just happened—!"

"Cole! It's okay!" Wu exclaims, resting both his hands upon Cole's shoulders. Cole halts, quivering with embarrassment. “…I take no form of offense. If anything, I’m…a bit flattered, actually.”

Cole scowls, cheeks reddening, struggling of what to possibly say to follow that up with. Saying the word alone exposes the meaning in and of itself.

"…if it helps," Wu begins, gently squeezing Cole's shoulders. "I must confess, I have…always seen you as something of a son to me. I've tried not to get too attached, for obvious reasons, but…"

Wu beams with immeasurable pride.

"…well, it's hard not to admire someone as incredible as you."

Cole's expression is overcome with pleasant relief, until it dissolves into guilt instead.

"I-It's just, I…I still love my dad, obviously, and he hasn't been all bad, and I'm glad I'm better terms with him than when I was a kid…I'm glad we've been able to reconnect, and I'm glad we both we able to move past the whole thing with my mom…yet I can't quite forgive for some of the things he said and did back then, y'know?"

Wu knows, more than Cole will ever understand.

Cole fidgets in place, the words pouring out of him with a surprised lit around the edges. As if he's realizing all this as he speaks it.

"…but you, you're the one that always encouraged me to be better, that prevented me from pushing myself so hard, that never let me give up, that let me express myself as I pleased, that reminded me it's okay…if I'm not perfect…like a real dad would."

The more he speaks, the more confident he becomes. Cole regains eye contact with Wu, a bold and honest expression filling his face.

"You did what a dad should do," Cole points out, thudding a fist against his chest. "You made me stronger as an individual, you gave me the strength to want to push forward with my life, and you helped guide me to be the best person I could be. So…thanks for that."

"Cole…"  Wu says his name wetly, thick with emotion he wasn’t sure he still had in him. "You…you don’t have to thank me for—"

It's now Cole's turn to pull Wu into an embrace, broad arms fully wrapping around him. Cole doesn't say anything; he just lets the moment lie as it is.

"…what's this for, then?" Wu asks, hugging back regardless. This is different from when they'd hugged that fateful day so long ago. That had been a hug of comfort, from master to disconsolate student…but this feels so much more familiar. Like a son finally coming home from war and greeting his father with everything he's got left within him.

"Nothing," Cole assures, hugging Wu tighter. "Just…a quick reminder that I love you, I guess."

But as Cole pulls away, whisking himself back to the training course with a wink and a laugh, Wu knows that's not the full truth. A confession that shouldn't be taken lightly…an embrace of that magnitude…

Even after all these years, Cole is still far too talented at hiding when he's feeling bad about himself. And for someone who feels he always has to stay strong for the sake of his team, someone who thinks he has to stay ready on the defensive at all times…someone who still can't bear the thought of letting another person down on his watch…

It must give him great solace, to know that there will always be someone's arms he can fall back on.

Perhaps, there is indeed something Wu is still good for in Cole's life after all.

Chapter Text

“Is it…strange, to mourn the life of a man who has already died once before?”

It’s a striking, potent question, but it hardly surprises Wu when it comes from Zane.

They stand among the trees of the Birchwood Forest, where the snows falls in a way that's non-imposing: softly, delicately, harmlessly. It tumbles down from on high and lands upon the statue of Zane's late father, constructed with cold stone in doctor's honor. It stands not far from the workshop where Dr. Julien did most of his most prominent work…including creating Zane himself.

Wu's only met the man personally a few scant times. Once, long ago, when he'd first been seeking out the next Master of Ice, and the search led him to a mysterious little workshop built into the side of a tree. There he'd met a man who had once been content to raise his robotic son out beyond civilization, until fate quite literally happened upon his doorstep. A man who had later died, leaving his amnesiac son of a Nindroid to drift aimlessly around the frigid parts of Ninjago…until Wu reunited with Zane again at the bottom of a lake.

Wu resented the man somewhat, leaving Zane with next to no direction of how to approach his life. But finding Julien holed up in a lighthouse of all places, and traveling with him for a time on the Dark Island… Wu gradually began to see a different side of the man Zane spoke so highly of. His intelligence was always on display, yet he never took things too seriously either, always finding time for respite and merriment where he could. He believed that he could improve life, without ever once taking what they already had for granted.

Wu began to see why Zane adored him so much.

He was a man who—despite some of his methods—always had the best of intentions.

All those bright, innovative ideas he could have shared…taken with him to the grave.

It is truly a loss for the world as a whole to see him gone.

Wu heaves a weary sigh; outliving old friends never gets any easier. But then he turns to Zane beside him, soft snowflakes speckled in his light hair, as he struggles with a bouquet of assorted white flowers. Zane knows all he has to do is kneel down and rest them at the foot of the statue, but…doing so will just make everything feel so much more real. More permanent.

"It was…less difficult, last time," Zane speaks into the silence, hanging his head. "He had been departed for a long time when I finally remembered that it had even happened. And I suppose…that helped make it easier to accept."

Zane smiles to himself.

"But then, we had the chance to reunite, reconnect, catch up on things we had missed…and I was so happy at the time, that I had not even considered—"

Zane glances back at the statue, face twisting into something indescribable.

"…that it would still be something temporary."

No one's coming with a magical elixir this time. Fate's not going to put them on the same path ever again.

"I just find it…redundant, to spend so much time being sad when I know it will pass. And, especially, when I have already done so for the exact same reason before. Logically, there is little use expending excess energy on something pointless…what is the point, when it will not last? Loss…is inevitable."

Uncertainty is written all over Zane's face. For the first time in their conversation, Zane meets Wu's eyes.

"But…does saying so, in regards to my father…does that make me a bad son?"

The question hangs in the air. It's not rare that Zane seeks Wu's council for deeper understanding on things he doesn’t have full comprehension for, but sometimes his questions can cut to the bone, like the chill of winter.

Wu strokes his beard, mulling over his response, when a snowflake lands upon the tip of his nose. He blinks in surprise, the small incident pulling him out of his bleak thoughts and back into the moment. He catches Zane move out of the corner of his eye. Despite the weight of atmosphere, Zane notices the snowflake too, and can't resist the tiniest of smiles from fighting onto his face. Wu smiles too, albeit far less obvious about it.

More often than not, the most difficult of questions have the most simplest of answers.

Wu tilts his head back, casting his gaze up at the gray sky.

"…do you ever just watch the snow fall, as we are now, with the faintest hope that it will stick?"

The fleeting mirth in Zane's eyes vanishes, replaced with an indulgent curiosity.

"…that faint hope is the same one we have whenever we contemplate life. We want each unique snowflake to have its moment in the sun, we want the snowflakes to become something bigger, better, grander of themselves, and we want the snow to never melt…but ice, like life, is part of a cycle. When it meets its end, it makes room for a fresh beginning, as all things do."

Zane's lip quivers as Wu holds out his hand, allowing two snowflakes to fall into his palm. He beckons Zane to come closer. Zane does, leaning over to observe, and Wu never takes his eyes off Zane.

"You of all people should know very well that no two snowflakes are ever exactly the same. No two lives lived will ever perfectly mimic another's…even if those two lives belong to the same person."

Zane tilts his head up, locking his gaze with that of his master's. Wu's expression remains serious, grave, yet no less compassionate.

"Perhaps you are correct, and that there is little point in caring about something that will not last…but it is precisely the time, energy, care, and love that you put into the things that you believe are worth it—that is what makes things matter in the end. Whether something as inconsequential as a snowflake, or as infinite and all-encompassing as life itself."

Wu gently blows on his hand, sending the near-twin snowflakes back into the morning's breeze. Zane watches, mesmerized, as they dance along the wind. Wu folds his arms behind his back. He too, observes the flakes head off for whiter pastures.

"Beautiful, don’t you agree?" Wu asks. Zane struggles to speak, settling for a nod instead. "How lucky are we, that we were able to behold such a small moment in the time that it lasted? And, should a similar moment occur later down the line…I think that makes it no less remarkable to witness."

Zane, eyes now watery, nods once again. He turns back to the statue, snow crunching beneath his feet as he closes the distance. He kneels down, placing the flowers in their intended place.

"There is nothing strange in mourning your father twice," Wu assures, stepping over to drape a hand upon Zane's shoulder. He squeezes gently, wondering just how much the gesture actually means to a man made of metal. "It was a miracle he got to walk this realm, and it was a miracle that he got to walk it twice. At the very least, that alone should be worth paying respect to."

Zane's head lowers, hands falling to his sides.

"…I am sorry I doubted. I…really am a bad son."

"I do not think you ever doubted, actually." Wu folds his arms into his sleeves, eyes falling closed. "I think you were just searching for a reason to skip over experiencing the pain again."

Zane goes still.

"…and, I think the reason you're feeling sad over your father all over again, is due to the very simple fact that you care so much, Zane. There can never be weakness in something that comes from a place of love."

Zane stands up again; Wu opens his eyes, tilting his head with a smile.

"For that reason, you've always been a fantastic son, at least from my own perspective."

It's only years later when Wu fully understands why Zane had asked that question in the first place.

Of course it would seem strange to mourn someone twice—normally it's a thing you only have to do once, regrettable as it may be. Sometimes only for a week or two, sometimes for the rest of your life. But never more than once.

…or course, Wu has witnessed many events that serve to support the contrary, but…

Well, it never really, really clicked for Wu until he had to experience it himself.

He stills remembers how hard everyone took it when Zane sacrificed himself the very first time. Right in the middle of the city where all could see and none could forget. Wu couldn't speaks for days after it happened, trapped in a torrent of despair. He couldn't even bring himself to look upon snow anymore. It snowed on the day Zane sacrificed himself—on the days that followed after–on the day of Zane's memorial. The appearance of snow only serves to ring in a fresh wave of sadness.

It reminds him too much of Zane, too much of the quiet moments they had for just themselves, of how Zane had just been in a position of mourning himself…and now, Zane was the one being mourned.

If Wu looks upon snow now, there's an ache in his chest that desperately wonders how something so beautiful could be so cruel in the same breath? How something can be so wonderful to behold when presented in the light, yet be equally tumultuous in the midst of a storm?

Either way, every winter must give way to a spring. Wu begins to move on, planning to remember Zane as fondly as he always had.

…and then, all those days, weeks, and months of mourning had been rendered pointless when Zane returned in titanium.

On one hand, the sheer joy and relief from having him back overshadowed everything else…but on the other hand, all that time spent feeling sad…what had it all amounted to? Wu thinks he would have eventually just come to terms with it all. What happened, happened. He'll carry on, somehow, someway.

…but, well…

It just keeps happening.

Each and every time danger comes calling, Zane always finds some way to wedge himself into mortal danger without a moment's hesitation.  Time and time again, he's witnessed Zane throw himself into situation after situation at the expense of himself, letting harm come to him before he'd ever let it befall another first.

Is it because he is a Nindroid, and sees himself as something more expendable? Is it because it is how he's programmed, unable to go against that deep-seeded compulsion to protect? Or does it stem from something more personal; something that defies a much more logical self-preservation?

Whatever the reason, Wu's continually haunted by the thought that any day could go by, and Zane's not going to be there to witness it. It feels like he's constantly losing a son over and over and over again, and how long must it repeat until it's enough?!

How many more times is he going to wake up on a random day and have to once again contend with the fact the world no longer has its Master of Ice?  Or what happens if one day, they lose Zane once again…and finally, he feels nothing at all about it, because it's happened so many times before?

Only now does Wu understand why Zane thought it was strange to mourn someone who had already died.

But, something harder than mourning a dead man twice…is mourning the life of someone who's still alive.

The horror of the thought snaps Wu out of his meditation. He's breathing heavy, unexpectedly, and it bothers him that he hadn't even realized it. So much for being at peace of mind…

He grips at the cobblestone beneath him, grounding himself firmly back in reality. He glances around, confirming that he is still indeed in the monastery's courtyard…but also finding that Zane has been mediating alongside him, for who knows however long.

Wu shakes, a little startled to see Zane so at peace with himself, despite everything the Nindroid's gone through. A couple of deaths, a hundred battles, a thousand injuries, a million times where losing him was so real, so palpable, and almost permanent… Wu's seen quite a lot of things in his time walking among the realm, but to think that Zane just might be able to match him in his share of personal horror stories, within a shorter span of time…

Wu tears up, gazing upon Zane. Zane's eyes are closed, and his imitation of breathing is in tune with the sound of life itself. It syncs up with the chirping of the birds, the rustle of the wind through the trees, the calmness of the moment…it's all very out of rhythm with the churning turmoil within Wu.

He's torn between the sheer realization of relief, and the overwhelming dread that it's not going to last.

Zane's not in a thousand pieces, he's not falling apart with every step, he's not busted and spread out over a operating table, he's not broken at the seams with wires and oil spilling in all directions, he's not out for the count with the glow drained from his brilliant blue eyes, he's not hooked up to some random machine and tortured for his power, he's not thrown into a parallel realm coerced to commit atrocities, an experience that could have otherwise been meant for Wu himself…

Zane's just right here.

For now.

Wu has never felt more compelled to hug him.

"…gwah?" Zane blips out of his what must have been a deep meditative state, blinking himself back into focus. He glances down to find Wu's warms wrapped tightly around him. While it's not an unwelcome gesture, Zane is still curious as to what brought it on seemingly out of nowhere.

"…Master?" Zane speaks softly, hoping to coax an answer out of Wu. "Is something the matter?"

"…no." Not right this second, at least. "I'm…just glad you're here, Zane."

"Here…meditating with you?" Zane echoes back. Wu startles with a laugh, shaking his head.

"No, no Zane…well, yes, I suppose. But I also meant in general."

"Oh. I see…" Zane ponders this for a moment before brightening up considerably. "I am glad to be here as well!"

Wu beams at Zane. He takes in the serenity of the moment; the crispness of the air, the light of the sun, the sound of the breeze through the wind chimes…all reminders that the world keeps spinning no matter what may befall the people in the meantime. The sun will keep shining even on the darkest of days.

Wu pulls back, keeping one hand rested against Zane's shoulder as he tries to string together his words.

"…may I ask you a question, Zane?"

"Is that not already a question?" Zane returns, chuckling a bit. It warms Wu's heart to hear it. "…but yes, you may freely speak your mind. I will always have an auditory receptor available to listen."

"Ahaha." Wu rubs a hand down his face, down his beard, wondering where he's even supposed to begin. How do you tell someone that you can't stand losing them anymore, when being so painfully selfless is at the core of their entire being?

"You…are one of the kindest, most selfless people that I know." Wu forces each word out with great determination, refusing to let himself backpedal. Zane's eyes widen a bit at such an earnest confession, but doesn't move to interrupt. "And you…are always putting others before yourself, and I suppose I have to know…how do you do it? What drives you to…keep doing it, knowing the worst of what could happen?"

Zane blinks in surprise, tilting his head.

"Drives me to do…what, Master?"

Wu clenches his fists, jaw tightening. "…To sacrifice yourself, again and again."

"Hmm. You say that as if I would choose to act in any other way."

Wu balks, at a loss for words. Zane turns away from Wu, taking in a quick inhale of air, exhaling it out just as he'd been taught oh so long ago. Rejuvenated, he smiles, gazing upon the blue sky.

"A long time ago, I did think it was because I was…more expendable than the others. I could be repaired with some ease, after all. And we are fortunate to have people so skilled with machinery on our side. It is easier to wield on a new arm of metal rather than trying to reconstruct one of flesh, for example."

Wu pushes air out of his nose. "…so it is just because you're made of metal."

"…no." Zane hangs his head, smiling wistfully. "That is what I believed at first, but as the years went on, and I realized the impact of losing me time and time again has had on the others…I remembered what you told me about snowflakes. That each one will never replicate another, not in quite the exact same way…but even having to watch the most similar of snowflakes melt away is still a tragic thing to behold."

Zane fiddles with his fingers, in lieu of anything else better to do with them.

"Just because I have the highest chance of coming out of a situation with the least amount of irreparable damage, risking my being is still not something I should do lightly, or at every whim. I must be considerate of all the consequences of my actions. I just…get so caught up in my need to protect, I simply tend to forget everything else, as it were."

Zane grins sheepishly, cheeks glowing a faint shade of blue.

"You know how I am when I get too focused on a task, ahahaha. I could simply chalk it up to being how my father intended to program me, or just on my current understanding of 'what is the right thing to do'…"

Zane curls up a fist, placing it against his heart.

"But the choice to do so is mine every time."

A flash of pride crosses Wu's face, but in the same note, so do a few shades of shame and guilt.

"…you shouldn't be put into situations where you're forced to make those choices to begin with," Wu declares quietly. Zane's smile turns soft, in an attempt to dispel some of despair from his master's face.

"I do not think it is something quite so grave. …it is simply because I love you all, and care for your well-being. I do what I can, when I can, not only because I should, but because I am able."

And that's as noble of an answer as Wu could ever hope to receive. He swallows around the dry lump in his throat, nodding in acknowledgement. Zane's face turn contemplative, leaning forward a bit.

"Do you not have self-sacrificial tendencies as well, Master?"

The question isn't spoken with accusation, and yet it still makes Wu feel exposed.  He jolts where he sits, eyes blinking rapidly in stunned silence, mouth gaping. Zane beholds Wu with a natural expression.

"I-I…what…what are you saying…?"

"You are no stranger to putting yourself in harm's way for loved ones either." Zane sits straighter, his smile bordering between sympathetic and something of a smirk. "Saving Kai and Nya in the Fire Temple, taking down Pythor in the face of the Great Devourer, the incident after the Time Twins, the fact that you had originally tried to come to the Never-Realm after me, and perhaps countless other smaller sacrifices I'll never be personally privy to…"

Zane continues to lay bare everything in his databanks that Wu has given up for the sake of another, each little reminder chipping away at Wu's crumbling defenses. Countless nights of sleeplessness to stand watch, traversing dark and dangerous lands to secure a student's safety, risking his life right on the frontlines in the hopes of something as simple as buying his kids just a little more time to escape…

Wu hadn't thought much of all those actions before. They occurred to him as naturally as breathing, and he would have never made a different choice if given the option. How could he have done any differently, when so, so many people he cared about were at risk? But with it all bared out at once, and he's forced to confront it…

"You shouldn't be put into situations where you're forced to make those choices to begin with," Zane parrots, almost smug about it. Wu gives him a despairing look.

"It's different when you're a pare—" Wu cuts himself off, biting down on his tongue. How foolish. "…it's different when you have those you are responsible for looking out for. And there's…a certain amount of guilt for the pain I put others through in the wake of the consequences of my actions."

"…that may be so. But you would not have inquired upon my thoughts had you not sought out my perspective. Perhaps you, too, were searching for a work around for a pain you've experienced more times than you wish to count."

Wu wilts; Zane presses on.

"But I would also like to remind you, for all the times that I have…sacrificed myself, and made a grand return regardless…so have you, and you do not even have the excuse of being a Nindroid. No matter how many times you leave, or give yourself up, you always come back too. For that, you are the most dependable person I know. And I do not believe you should harbor any guilt for that."

"Do you–" Wu's words catch. He clears his throat, trying again. "Do you…not feel guilt for the times you've have had to leave family behind?"

"Fleetingly, sometimes." Something sad dances across Zane's eyes, but it's gone as fast as it appeared. "But, to give your everything at a moment's notice, to put all that you are into preserving the lives of those most important to you…is that not the ultimate way to prove how much you truly care?"

Wu, once again, is stunned into silence. Zane's lips twitch in amusement, allowing his eyes to fall closed in contentment.

"You and I truly are not so different in that respect…it is as they say, I suppose; like father, like son."

Zane hums, please with his analogy. Wu, meanwhile, struggles to breathe.

His eyes well up against his will, and there's a sudden twisting tightness in his chest but it's a good pain against the odds–

"Master?!" Zane's at his side, doing his best to provide physical support. "Your heart rate has gone up and your exhibiting some cautionary symptoms…are you all right? Is something wrong?!"

"N-No, nothing's wrong, I…I just…" Wu curses himself for such an extreme reaction. Zane probably hadn't meant anything significant by his words anyway. Just a common expression. Just a simple idiom. Just a casual turn of phrase…

But there's still a flickering wisp of hope within him burning persistently, and so he presses:

"It's just, you…referred to me as…father…?"

Now it's Zane turn to be taken aback, running through his past dialogue in his head. With a ding, he makes a realization, nodding contemplatively to himself.

"…ah. I see. No wonder that caught you off guard." The only thing tipping off any sort of surprise is the twitch of Zane's eyebrows. "How unexpected of me. I can understand why you are confused…and yet, according to my definition of the word 'Father'…referring to you as such is not incorrect."

Wu chokes on air. "Wh-What?"

Zane folds his hands in his lap, smiling with amusement. His eyes have a faint glow to them, making the metal of his face shimmer with blue.

"A father is someone who supports their children, cares for them unconditionally, gives them a home, a place to grow, thrive, and better themselves, teaches them about a world they would not otherwise understand, and would risk everything for at a given chance…all the things my father did for me, you have done for me as well, if not more so."

"Z-Zane," Wu stammers, clutching his heart. "Do you…truly see me that way…?"

"Of course!" Zane speaks without hesitation. "I would not have said so if it was not true."

And then, for the first time in the whole conversation, Zane starts to close in on himself.

"But, um…if you do not wish for me to consider you as such, I can always delete the notion from—"

"NO!" Wu wails, a little too quickly, a little too loudly. Zane balks; Wu calms himself, shaking hands moving to rest on Zane's shoulders. "N-No, I…have no problems with that at all. I just…happen to think of you as…a son myself."

Zane brightens. Wu coughs, dragging himself to carry on.

"And, it's that very thought that's made me realize…how hard it is to have to lose you, time and time again. I just feel so helpless when I cannot protect you from the worst this world has to offer."

"…then for that, I am sorry," Zane begins, eyes downcast. "For making you worry to that degree…I really am a bad son…"

"Just the opposite." Wu tightens his grip, keeping it firm and stable. "You are among the best. Never compromising your ideals, yet always serving in the best interest of others…there is nothing more outstanding that I could have asked from someone under my care."

Wu finds the wind knocked out of him when Zane plows into his chest for a hug. Sighing, Wu returns the gesture, and Zane snuggles against Wu's shoulder. It feels like home.

"And…I apologize, if I have dredged up bad memories for you. Just because you did those things willingly…does not means that it was easy. That's something I should have considered too." Wu buries his face in Zane's hair, simply taking in the fact that he's here, able to be held, able to keep living. For now. "And I suppose, in trying to understand your strengths better…I had hoped to understand the weakness within myself."

"There can never be weakness in something that comes from a place of love," Zane says, echoing words Wu had said what feels like twelve lifetimes ago. "In fact, I must thank you, for always being there to welcome me home, no matter how far I go or how much I change…you have always accepted me as I am, and guided me along the best path you could…and I cannot express my gratitude for that enough."

"I need no thanks for that," Wu assures, failing at keeping the watery notes out of his tone. He swipes at his eyes in a brief moment when he thinks Zane isn't paying attention.

"…But it is precisely, for that reason, that you have always been a fantastic father."

Zane grins, almost cheeky, and Wu allows himself a delighted laugh.

"…At least, from my own perspective."

Chapter Text

Jay Walker has always been a problem solver.

From the moment Wu's met him, he's always been one to seek solutions, answers, and explanations to anything and everything. Figuring out why the world works in the way it does, nailing down an equation needed for his latest invention, or constantly asking questions about every situation…even at his most pessimistic, he's still clinging to the idea that there's a reason for everything. He'll claw for that answer all by himself, all on his own, if he must. 

And, because of this innate and quirky aspect of his personality, he seldom ever beseeches Wu for any sort of advice.

Cole will wander by every once in a while, inquiring about better ways to keep the team in check, while Zane will never hesitate to ask about something he can't understand. Even Nya and Kai, stubbornly independent as they are, will still circle around back to Wu when something's really gnawing at their minds. Wu can clearly and fondly recall small moments of reflection with each of them, and looks back upon the wisdom he's manage to impart upon them. 

He can't recall such a moment with Jay. Whenever Jay has a question, he has a way to find the answer…and never once has it been directly through Wu.

Whenever he sees the boy off from the others, Jay's always throwing himself into something or other; whether it be writing poetry, testing his latest hypothesis, trying a new recipe, fixing up the group mechs and vehicles, or attempting to teach himself something new. He's a seeker by nature with a restless, relentless spirit within, even if it's not always obvious. There's a reason Wu knew Jay was one to never ever give up, even with the odds stacked against him. 

Jay's always been a ridiculously smart kid, and Wu even thinks the others tend to forget that far too often. He's quick-thinking, informed about the most niche things, and ready to apply that information at a moment's notice. He's knowledgeable about the advancements of the world in a way Wu could never keep up with, so…it's no wonder Jay never really had need for whatever perspective Wu could potentially offer.

It pains Wu a little bit, because it means they haven't had a lot of time to bond…and he knows he's missing out on something great. 

So that's why, when on a quiet evening when everyone else is out and about enjoying a night in the city, Wu opts to meditate in his room…and Jay decides to slink his way in to visit.

Wu doesn't even hear him enter until he registers the click of the door going shut; eyes opening, he finds Jay shuffling by the doorway, looking in every direction other than the one Wu resides in. His hair's a bit frazzled, he rubs at reddened eyes, and…there's a degree of fear surrounding him like a bad aura.

Wu's not sure what to make of it at all.

"Can I…talk to you?" 

The words fall from Jay with great hesitance, although Wu isn't sure why he struggles to speak them. Wu sits up a little straighter and gestures to the empty spot before him. 

"Of course, Jay. I've always got the time."

The corners of Jay's lips twitch up at that, but like lightning it's gone in a flash, replaced once more by glumness and uncertainty. He kneels on the other side of the sage incense Wu has going. Jay stares into the wisps of smoke, as if they'll give him some sort of guidance first. His hands curl into fists upon his lap. 

But eventually, Jay's gaze snaps up to meet that of his master, and he finally takes a deep breath and—

"There's…something I haven't told you." 

Wu blinks in astonishment, taken aback. It's not often when he's the one being kept in the dark about things. Jay chuckles to himself, obviously nervous.

"I just…don't know how or where to start. I, um, I maybe should have brought Nya with me, because she knows about this too, but um…"

Jay impatiently drums his fingers against his thigh, struggling to string together the words. Which is already an unheard of occurrence for him. 

"I just…wanted a second opinion, or a third opinion I guess, on something kinda…complicated."

Wu leans forward and smiles gently, doing whatever he can to alleviate Jay's nerves. 

"Take your time. Find your words, there's no need to rush…and I'll do whatever I can to help. As always, I am listening."

The soft assurance makes Jay smile again, and this time it stays on his face. Filled with renewed confidence, he takes another breath, digs his fingers into his palms, and presses on. 

"Yeah, ahahaha, okay, so, well…here goes, I guess…"

And Wu is treated to a horrid and twisted fairy tale of a vengeful djinn and cursed wishes, where he and his students vanish one by one, where Jay himself is pushed through agony after agony, both physically and emotionally. Jay smiles through speaking the whole thing in the most gut-wrenching way, even while recounting the parts of forcibly witnessing friends and family disappear, of having his heart broken again and again, learning painful truths about himself, being tortured to the point that his spirit persists even with a battered, blinded, bruised, and broken body…and all of it forgotten by nearly everyone involved. 

It makes Wu shed a few tears, and Jay's the one trying to comfort him, when it should have been the other way around. 

"I know it's a little hard to believe—or maybe not, given all the other stuff we've ever gotten ourselves into, but…we got through it, and that's what matters, right? It's all just a horrible nightmare that never really actually happened…and everyone's alive and fine."

Jay folds his hands together, trying to play off the whole thing like a unfortunate story. Which, it is, but–

"…whether it happened or not, you lived it, Jay," Wu speaks softly, but Jay flinches as if he'd shouted. "…are you…all right?"

"…probably not," Jay says truthfully, running his fingers through his hair. "It's been a lot to process, and it was just a lot of bad all at once…but I've had Nya to talk to, and what happened to me isn't as bad as some of the things that have happened to the others, things that they have had to live with…all my stuff got undone, so…I've just been trying not to dwell on it." 

Jay glances away, gnawing on his lip. 

"…but all that isn't really what I wanted to talk to you about anyway; all of that is done and over with, and it just…happens to be related to…something else."

"…okay." Wu won't press anymore, if it means Jay will keep talking. This is the most Jay's ever opened up to him, save for their first meeting atop a skyscraper…and Wu doesn't want to make the wrong move here.

Jay once more smiles with knowing appreciation, but then cuts his gaze out towards the window. The smile vanishes, replaced with something somber, and his eyes become half-lidded.

"…so, anyway, during that whole fiasco, I…made a really, really stupid wish. One thing led to another, and…my parents revealed to me that…I, um…I learned that my father, actually…ah—"

Jay pauses, eyes shifting back over to Wu.

"…did you know I was adopted? Given how Elemental Inheritance works, you…you would have had to know, right?" 

The question rings out in Wu's head, immediately sending him back into a time when the previous Elemental Alliance still walked the world. The chiming laughter of a golden-haired girl echoes through the air, a bright smile spread across her speckled cheeks. He sees her flitting through the obstacle course that once sat aground the monastery, her movements as precise and sharp as lightning. She watches the world with dazzling cobalt eyes; a sunny disposition that hides the potential for a storm within. 

He remembers the day Jay once dreaded the visitation of his parents, hearing him speak of their chatterbox tendencies and embarrassing traits that didn't differ much from Jay's own. He remembers smiling to himself, knowing that's how she always was…

And when who arrived wasn't a woman with blonde hair down to her shoulders, but instead two complete strangers to Wu—

Something in Wu’s gut twists.

"…I had some…suspicions, at first. I thought it strange that your mother would have hesitated to contact me when I took you in as a ninja." Wu folds his arms into his sleeves. "And then, when I first met your parents…I wasn't really sure what to do. You seemed to be in the dark about your full heritage, and I didn't want to cause any undue turmoil between you and your family by just coming out with it, nor would it be my place to do so…so, I suppose I waited for you to come to me first, to see how you would like to go about it. And you never…did."

Jay squirms awkwardly, and Wu struggles to continue the conversation. 

"I take this to mean…you learned the truth through your own means?"

"Yeah." Jay shakes his head. His eyes start shaking. "…something like that. But I guess…I wanted to talk to you about it, because you must have known the previous Master of Lightning, and…I've been trying to piece together what must have happened, given everything I know now."

Jay shuffles in place, pulling his knees up to his chin and staring straight into the smoke between them. 

"With what you just said, though…I must have inherited my powers from my mom, then?"

Wu nods somberly, unsure of how Jay's going to take the revelation. To Wu's surprise, there's a twitch of relief upon his face, closing his eyes as he nods. He visibly puzzles something out in in his head, putting together pieces that Wu isn't privy to. 

"That's…good. That's good, then."

Jay tilts his head up again, grin sitting crooked upon his face.

"Can you imagine if Cliff Gordon had been the previous Master of Lightning? Ha."

Jay's sarcastic grin morphs into a scowl as he clutches at his legs. 

"…what a joke."

"Is that…your birth father?" Wu asks tentatively. 

"Yeah. Really big actor type…irony of ironies, he played the character of my childhood hero, Fitz Donnegan." Jay cackles, disjointed. "Just think, I've known that guy's face my whole life and yet, I've never met him…!"

Jay stands now, pacing and chuckling against his will. Wu watches with concern, unsure of what to say, and unsure of what Jay's even feeling right now. Jay doesn't even look sure himself. 

"I just can't figure it out! He seemed to care about me a lot—the guy had a whole bunch of merchandise of me, posters, newspaper clippings, all that stuff, so…he must have had some interest in me, right? If he hadn't cared, there wouldn't be a trace of that at all, right?! Maybe he did try to reach out but couldn't find me, or maybe he found out about me later in life and decided by then it was too late…but, still wanted to show his support somehow…?"

Jay paces faster, fisting his hair in his hands. 

"But if that was the case, then…why wasn't she around still? He…married her, didn't he?"

Wu nods—he knows that one for sure. He had to spend days hearing about the impending honeymoon, even during an entire attack.

"But, despite marrying my…mom, and having all that merch of me, there was still a lot of photos of…other women. And she…just wasn't there." 

Jay's pacing has been reduced to shaking in place. He clutches his arms, struggling to keep himself together. 

"Maybe I'm wrong—maybe they're just co-stars he happened to be close with, or maybe it's other family I don’t about, or they're just from before he met my mom, but…"

Jay keeps speaking in fragments; less and less context accompanies his words, but they're all pulled from a place that's been festering for longer than Wu can comprehend. How long had Jay kept himself alone with these revelations from another timeline, churning them around in his head, shuffling them around like a box of puzzle pieces until they finally made a clear picture, but never did? 

"…if it's something…less than pleasant like I believe, then…it all makes sense. Why she wasn't there—she probably left. Couldn't raise a kid alone. Or just…didn't want anything to do with that guy. Including a child from him. And then, from that perspective…I can maybe kind of see why I would have been abandoned."

Jay finally stills, but squeezes his eyes shut tight. 

"…it's a betrayal either way, as far as I'm concerned." 

"Jay," Wu finally speaks, now that the tirade of thoughts had trudged to a end. Jay jolts, having forgotten that he's actually in the company of someone else. His eyes go wide as he beholds Wu's forlorn expression, swallowing down formerly unseen anxieties as he forces out another laugh. 

"Ahahaha, wow, what? Where did that come from?! I, um…I'm…I'm sorry for dumping all that on you. I…I don't even know why it's bothering me so badly now, but I just hate the idea that I was just abandoned, and…I meant to ask what you knew…about my birth parents, if anything at all, but…I guess I just wanted to complain instead, ahahaha…!"

Jay's grin is twisted and wobbly now, fighting to stay on his face. His foot taps anxiously, and his gaze darts around the room at terrifyingly fast pace. Wu rises at last, stepping around his tray of incense to approach Jay. Jay watches him move like an animal caught in fight or flight but picked freeze…but Wu simply puts a steadying hand on Jay's shoulder. Jay finally stops shaking. 

"I don't think I can give you the answers you seek," Wu begins slowly, voice heavy and thick with indescribable emotion. "Those answers can only be given by those who are no longer able to, and that's part of why it's eating at you so badly."

"I-I mean, I don't…know, if my birth dad's actually, y'know, gone this time around. I never received the letter, which makes me wonder if it really was the wish that…um, did the deed, or if it's just not time yet, or if in this timeline he actually wanted nothing to do with me, and then that just brings more unknowns about my birth mom…"

Jay throws his arms into the air, laughing under his breath. 

"…but that's even more stuff I don't know, and I'll never be able to! I could just go see for myself but…I don't wanna prove myself right."

Jay chuckles again, dry and vapid. He glares, aiming it at the window rather than the sensei who has done nothing to deserve his scorn. 

"Sometimes I get tired of being right. Especially about things I don't want to be right about."

All of Jay's bravado melts at last, reduced into a quivering mess that he hides in Wu's shoulder and embrace. 

"It's so dumb! I know I have parents that love me, and the best friends in the world, and a girlfriend I love more than anything…and yet, I still catch myself wondering how my birth parents could've let me go like that?"

Wu feels Jay tense in his hold, shrinking into a small, insecure ball. 

"…am I selfish for thinking that? For wanting more, when everything I have is already more than enough?"

And it's then, Wu realizes, that that's the real question Jay was struggling with.

"I don't think that's the case at all," Wu insists, putting his hand on the back of Jay's head and pulling him in close. "You have always been someone who strives to understand anything and everything. Something like this…of course you'd be so engrossed with trying to comprehend the truth. Your tenacity towards everything…that's what I have always admired about you, you know."

"…really?" Jay asks, and Wu finds himself gobsmacked at mere idea that Jay would even think he had to. 

"Jay Walker," Wu begins, tilting Jay's head back so he can properly look him in the eye. "You are brilliant, and innovative, and remarkable without a single doubt. And anyone who wouldn't want you in their life would be sorely missing out on something amazing."

Wu's heart breaks a bit at just how astonished Jay is at hearing those words, like he's never heard something like it before—even as much as Wu's knows that's not true. Still, the glittering sign of tears shimmer in Jay's eyes as he steps back, attempting to collect himself. 

"…Oh, wow, um…" Jay steps back, fumbling with his fingers as he locks his gaze with the ground. "I, uh…the others are…always, y'know, being a little more impressive than I can ever manage, or that you've personally seen, so…"

Jay brushes his hands through his bangs again, laughing in sheer disbelief. 

"…I just wouldn't have assumed you'd think that highly of me, ahaha."

Wu's gut twists again, this time much more potently. How he could have failed to such an extent, to have one of his own students believe he was something less than he actually was? When in truth he was so much grander than he could see, perhaps blinded by his own brilliance.

Still, Wu moves to rectify this immediately. 

"You all have had your strengths and weaknesses, but nonetheless, I am proud to call you one of my own, Jay."

Jay perks up, far less surprised this time. Wu is pleased to see it. 

"Anyone who would turn you down, who would betray you…they're the ones who blink when the lightning strikes. They're the ones that miss out on miracles…and that's what you are, Jay Walker. You are a miracle. And let no one make you believe otherwise."

Jay gives off a sort of determined huff at the words; Wu nods, confident that Jay will someday take them to heart. 

Years later, upon the grounds of the rebuilt Monastery of Spinjitzu, Wu walks through the courtyard, simply taking in the renewed scenery. It's a little bit regretful that they hadn't the time or the resources to rebuild long before then, but…to be able to behold the place where his father began their grand legacy will never cease to fill him with a sense of relief. 

He paces past the finished collection of mural paintings in the inner monastery wall, reveling in all the old adventures and trials his students have found themselves in. They've all been through so much…so much more than anyone should ever have to, honestly. 

And Wu would know. 

"Eyyyy, what'cha doing, Master?"

Jay appears out of thin air, warping in with sparks and light dancing about him. Thankfully Wu's used to Jay's random appearances by now, but his sudden commanding presence is something that still requires a bit of adjustment. Jay hovers just to Wu's right, observing the mural he's beholding. "…oh. Is that…?"

He takes in the specific painting depicting a djinn, a lamp, and him and Nya, holding hands and united against a threat only they'll ever have the knowledge of. Jay's expression becomes neutral upon beholding it; Wu studies his reactions carefully. 

"…you and Nya may be the only ones that remember, but I still felt it necessary to commemorate your ability to overcome all those hardships. I personally regret not having been able to witness your handling of the situation."

"Awww, you didn't have to do that," Jay says. "But…I suppose it is nice to be recognized for it all.  Especially when I seem to consistently be the last man standing…if I had a nickel for every time it happened, I'd have two nickels, which isn't much but it's weird that it happened twice." 

Wu wilts, knowing that once upon the time he'd told Jay that the most likely person to survive was the one who could always keep smiling. He hadn't realized that was something to be taken literally. 

He recedes into himself, guilt flooding his entire being.

"I just wish I could have been there to better support you." 

"Gnaauuuugh seriously?!" Jay throws his head back in exasperation; not actually annoyed, but still put off by the notion. "Please, no need to wish for something like that. Don't wish for anything that you can make happen yourself." 

Wu stares at Jay in a rare moment of utter befuddlement, before suddenly finding himself consumed by laughter. Jay puffs out his cheeks, proceeding to fold his arms and hover indignantly. 

"Ahem, and just what's so funny?" 

Wu lets out another shoulder-quaking chuckle, absently rubbing at his eyes.

"Nothing, you…you just sound a lot like her, that's all."

Wu doesn't need to elaborate—Jay knows exactly who he's talking about. He becomes quiet and contemplative, just as Wu does, although Wu's silence is filled with far more sadness and regret. 

"…I miss her, as much as I do everyone else. And I can't help but be curious as to whatever happened to her." 

Wu glances at Jay out of the corner of his eyes, asking a question that he probably shouldn't. 

"…do you still wonder about the truth of your parents?"

"I'd be lying if I said no." 

Jay returns to the ground, frowning up at the wall. Wu fully looks over at him now; Jay's still among the shortest of the bunch, but just the same, he's grown so much and it almost throws Wu for a loop, being able to look him in the eyes with little effort. Time has always been cruel in its relentless passage…but sometimes, it can be kind as well.

"If one day, I do manage to get the opportunity for some kind of closure, I'm certainly not going to throw it out the window, but…I don't think it's as consuming of a need as it was before. I am who I am, I was raised how I was, and I can't take that back. Nor do I want to. They missed that, for whatever reasons those were…and I can only hope that it was a good reason. That's all I can do now."

Jay smiles, but it's wistful.

"…that being said…I don't want to think of my birth mom as some kind of a bad person. My birth dad's still up in the air, given that I've actually seen some kind of evidence, but…maybe it's the Elemental connection, maybe it's just a gut feeling, or my own personal desires, but…I can't shake the idea of it. Maybe she was like me, and fell in love a little too quickly, and got carried away a little too fast…but unlike me, it didn't pan out in her favor."

Jay turns towards Wu, sparks of hope dancing in his eyes. 

"And you knew her, right? Did she…ever seem like the type of person that would leave their child behind, if she had the choice?"

All Wu knows for certain is of a woman who had been so madly in love that it permeated even the throes of a desolate war, who could look straight into the eye of a storm and find the bright spot within, who spoke of her husband and the future with nothing short of pride and great expectations…

"Even now, I still don't know what led up to her giving you up, but…I would like to believe, that if she had the unmitigated opportunity to raise you, and see you grow up as I have…"

He could extrapolate, that if she were to have a son; one that was so much like her no less…

"…she would have loved you dearly and to death, just as I do." 

And that's what Wu would like to believe, especially for Jay's sake. 

"…ah. Okay." Jay swipes an arm across his eyes, chuckling through his tears. "Okay. I think that's all I need to know, then." 

Wu hums under his breath, folding his arms behind his back. "As for your birth father…I haven't the foggiest idea of where to even begin—"

"Baaaaaaah," Jay interrupts, dismissing the thought with a wave of his hand. "Good or bad, I don't wanna dwell on him anymore. Because, y'know, I've already got plenty of Dad Love! There's my pa, who's taught me everything I know about building and inventing and being a good person, and all my brothers have kinda been like dads with the way they're always reigning me in–mostly Cole and Zane, though, usually I can convince Kai to join my antics, ehehe."

Wu snorts in spite of himself. Jay chuckles too, pressing on. 

"And obviously there's you, wanting the best from me, keeping me in check all the time, always making me go to bed instead of staying up playing video games which is pretty annoying especially that time I was literally on the final boss—"

"W-Wait—?!" Wu interrupts, entirely caught off guard. Jay pauses, blinking innocently. "You…consider me as a father? Despite everything?"

Now Jay catches on, and suddenly he's red up to his ears.

"…oh. Oh. Ahahaha. Um. Well, ah, that's a little embarrassing…"

Jay grins sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. Wu swallows, a small fear budding in his heart that Jay's going to backpedal from the claim…

"…buuuuuuuut, yeah. I do. Honesty is a virtue, and all that."

…but Jay doesn't. Wu scoffs briefly at the stab at the six very important virtues, yet can't deny the sudden warmth in his chest. Sensing Wu's turmoil, Jay kicks off into the air again, invigorated excitement flying off him in sparks.  

"How could I not? You've always looking out for all of us, and in fact, you're the one that first inspired me to always follow after my dreams, after all."

Wu's heart seizes in his chest. "I inspired you?"

Jay twirls in midair, nodding eagerly. "Uh, yeah?! If you hadn’t been there that day on the skyscraper to spur me on when I was about to give up the thing I loved most forever…I dunno who I'd be! Definitely not still an inventor, and definitely not a ninja, or an fully-realized Elemental Master, or achieving my dream to fly, or being able to be part of something this fantastic…! And I don’t think I could ever be anything or anyone else!"

Jay lowers himself to be eye level with Wu, smiling earnestly. 

"So…thank you, for that. And I'm sorry I haven't told you that before."

He floats straight into Wu's arms without warning, snuggling himself into a hug. Wu's a little bewildered by it all, but wastes no time in returning the gesture. 

"You don't owe me anything," Wu assures, hugging him tighter. "I'm the one that should be thanking you. Having the privilege to watch you better yourself every day…I couldn't have asked for a better reason to see what the next day will bring." 

Wu pulls away, making sure he's looking Jay straight in the eye as he says the next part.

"You make me proud every time you look down at the raging clouds of an angry storm on an unknown horizon, and you always manage to find the strength within you to smile." 

Jay beams for a bright, brilliant second before breaking down into snickers. Wu's relieved to hear that it's fully genuine.  

"…you just had to get a storm analogy in there, didn't you?"

"I figured you would be one to appreciate it."

"Heh, you know me too well, Daddy-O!"

"…do not call me that again," Wu demands with weary amusement. Jay cackles to himself before making a grand show of vanishing within the strike of a lightning bolt, thunderous laughter dancing in the remnants of the wind left behind. Wu shakes his head; even now, he's still getting used to Jay's eccentricities…

…but if that's just what having Jay as son is like, he wouldn't change it for anything. 

Chapter Text

It's not as though Wu goes out of his way to treat his students like his children. But, sometimes, it just feels… instinctive.

Back in the olden times, when all families within the Elemental Alliance would live and train in the monastery, everyone would always look out for one another automatically. No one had ever been without the bare essentials nor bereft of parental figures. It takes a village, and whatnot.

Wu would naturally be overcome with some sense of responsibility for the younger generations, but never as an actual parent.

But there's some cases—such as with Morro—where Wu can't help but slip into a more fatherly role, as the situation seemed to call for it. Morro had no family, no home, no support but himself to speak of. So Wu felt compelled to go the extra mile to give the child some attention and care beyond that of just a teacher, mentor, or master.

…Of course, thinking back, it just might've been that extra bit of attention that toppled Morro over the edge—as it hadn't been bad enough that, from Morro's perspective, his teacher didn't believe in his worth as the Green Ninja, but also the man who had taken on the mantle of a father failed to as well. For a young, impressionable teen, that would have been far too much to bear. And Wu, years later with far more experience and wisdom, is no longer surprised as to why Morro would have stormed off so dramatically.

And so, with…subsequent students, Wu makes it a point to try and keep his distance. Try to keep things strictly professional. Try to keep pleasantly present but at arm's length regardless.

Key word being: try.

Because what worries him more than becoming too attached…is not acting where he knows he can make a positive difference.

With Cole, Zane, and Jay, each of them had only required gentle nudges in the right direction. For Cole, a little positive reinforcement. For Zane, a constant guiding presence. For Jay, a small reminder of what he already had.

They, unlike Morro, did have some reference for parentage that Wu had been able to work off of. He could see the specific points where the previous relationships were weak, and provide direction and advice as necessary. He hadn't needed to completely absorb himself into the role of a parent, even if he himself didn't mind the thought of it.

…And then, there was Kai.

As the son of his best friend, of course Wu was already more protective of Kai than most right out of the gate. Wu only double-downs on this upon discovering that Kai (and his sister) had been left parentless for upwards of a decade . Imagining Ray or Maya leaving their children behind, forcing both of them to grow up faster than time demanded…it haunts Wu every night, thinking about all he could've done had he just only known.  

As anyone would be when they got saddled with raising themselves and their younger sibling, Kai was aggressively non-dependent. Any attempt at gentle guidance was taken as an insult to his own capabilities which, while wholly untrue, Wu could understand why Kai had been warped into thinking that way. It's a defense mechanism, moreso than from any actual vitriol. Wu keeps this in mind, even during Kai’s more frustrating moments.   

It's a slow process, getting the Master of Fire to defrost into admitting even he needed some help—but, it's progress, as much as it is subtle. It goes from Kai pouting at his failures to turning towards Wu for his approval with each success. It goes from Kai stubbornly suffering on his lonesome to approaching Wu with an offhanded question every now and then. It goes from Kai wandering around the monastery like a lost zombie to seeking Wu out at the start of each day to greet him good morning.

They're little things a less attentive eye wouldn't notice, but Wu can't help but pay attention.

Still, Wu sees the pain and longing in Kai's eyes whenever the boy thinks of what he doesn't have (or more accurately, misses ), even after he'd gotten his Potential. It's extra apparent during their downtimes, when the others speak pleasantly about their own parents. Jay will bring up taking a weekend break to see his folks, Cole will recommend a show his father's performing in that they could go see, and Zane will mention an accomplishment of his father's unprompted. The comments never seem to bother Nya—who inversely only becomes even more interested in further details—but Kai immediately gets quiet and starts to recede into himself.

Wu always feels the instinct kicking around in his heart during these times, and there's one time when it's more than he can bear. As soon as he sees tears pricking at the corners of Kai's eyes, Wu glides his way over, moving to gently intercept the conversation. The boys instantly snap their mouths shut upon registering Wu's presence, but Wu's focus is on the one who was already silent.

  "…Kai, could you come with me for a moment?"

Jay and Cole waste no time in making 'oooooh'ing noises, while Zane looks on curiously. Kai rolls his eyes at the antics of his brothers, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he follows Wu back inside. He halts to glance over his shoulder, where the others have slipped right back into their conversation. Kai sighs; something hollow echoes in his chest.

"…am I in trouble?" Kai asks once they're alone in Wu's quarters. Wu levels him with a concerned glance.

"Is…there something you've done recently that would warrant such?"

"Nooo…?" Kai doesn't sound very sure of that himself. Wu doesn't know either, and so long as he doesn't, he's willing to let it go.

"You're not in trouble…this time.” Wu settles in his usual spot on the floor, beckoning Kai to sit across from him. Kai plops down begrudgingly, not any less relieved. “But it has come to my attention that you seem somewhat…distant as of late."

Kai fumes, apparently hating how obvious he’s been, but Wu just patiently folds his hands into his lap. He’s willing to give Kai all the time he needs—a boy with that many emotions churning through him needs a moment or two to comb through it all…whether he realizes it or not.

“It’s nothing; I’m fine,” Kai scrambles to insist, though the frail mess of his words alone exposes the lie. Wu raises an eyebrow; Kai puffs out his cheeks. “… really, it’s not a big deal. I’ll get over it."  

“Were it truly not such a big deal, it would not be affecting you so,” Wu points out. Kai’s slouch grows deeper. “Kai, you can talk to me. I know I can be stern on you sometimes, but that’s—"  

“I know, I know, you’re just trying to get the best from me and don’t want to see me making costly mistakes that could affect others or whatever.” Kai waves it off, yet a flicker of sadness dances across his eyes. Wu’s shoulders sag at the sight of it. 

“I had merely meant that it shouldn’t deter you from approaching me should you need something. Not that your assessment was incorrect, mind you.”

“...Heh.”

A small chuckle breaks from Kai—startling enough to temporarily pull him from whatever funk had been holding him up. He stares at Wu for the longest time, as if expecting some kind of insistence. But Wu only gives him kind eyes and a gentle smile. And that's enough to help Kai finally find his words.

"…I…it's just…" Kai coils in on himself, gnawing on the inside of his cheek. "…you overheard the others talking about their parents, right? And…how it’s been happening more often?"

Wu nods. He won't say it's not a welcome development, having observed Zane go from knowing nothing to understanding everything, or Jay coming to learn to not resent the good he does have, or Cole no longer being so shackled by the past…and it becomes glaringly obvious where Kai's issues lie.

“I—the other guys, they—they’ve all reconnected with their families after all this time, in one way or another…and I haven’t," Kai confesses, his voice small and lacking its usual boisterousness. A hand runs through his bangs as the other curls around the legs pulled to his chest, scarlet eyes evasive. "I know not having parents has never really bothered Nya, but I…for me, it’s, well, it's different, because…”

“ You were old enough to remember what having them felt like,” Wu finishes with a note of melancholy. “And…you know exactly what you’re missing.”

Kai slumps further forward.

"I—I just…don't wanna bring the mood down for anyone else. I’m trying not to be bitter about the fact that they’ve all experienced a loss in some way, and yet still have some kind of connection to their parents…and I don’t. All I got was two swords and a lifetime of responsibilities! It’s not fair!”

“Kai…” The name pours out of Wu with more pity than intended, making Kai seize up.  

“I know it’s selfish of me to feel that way, and I’m trying not to let it show, but I’m obviously not doing a good enough job if you picked up on it—“

“Kai, it’s natural to feel the way you do." Wu leans over to place a hand on Kai's shoulder. “It’s understandable that you’re angry about your unjust circumstances, and it shows how much you care about the others to avoid hurting them…but if the talk is bothering you that much, there’s no harm in letting them know. I know they do not intend to make you uncomfortable; I’m sure they’d understand if you’d explain."

Kai violently shakes his head, even more opposed to that idea.

“But that’s the other thing…I don’t want them to feel like they can’t be happy just because I’m not! And if Nya can be fine with it and carry on like it's nothing, then why can't I? Is it…is it a problem with me?”  

A sob wrenches out of Kai—it escapes him unexpectedly, startling him. He swallows it back down before burying his face in his hands.  

”I’m happy for the others, really, I just—I dunno what I’m supposed to say! Interject with a fascinating anecdote about how crappy I've had it growing up?! Gleefully bring up that I still don't know the truth about what really happened to my parents?! I mean, how am I supposed to casually mention that the only real father I've had for a long time is you —?!”

Kai cuts off his tirade too late. His expression goes blue with horror as the sentiment settles in the crux of the silence. Wordlessly—and painstakingly slow—he turns towards Wu, mortified to see his master's reaction.  

Wu, meanwhile, is experiencing a moment of fight or flight himself. If he says the wrong thing here, this could ruin everything he and Kai have carefully built up to so far, especially with Kai in such a vulnerable place. He didn’t expect to get to the root of the issue so quickly, but now that they’re here with this unprecedented twist, he’s frozen up.

And yet, despite the freeze, a sudden bloom of warmth spreads in his chest. 

"…I suppose that's…weird to hear, coming from some student…" Kai mutters, face turning downcast. “Sorry, if I, um—”

"…it's not the first time someone has thought of me as such," Wu confides, the admission feeling heavy and long overdue. Still, it’s nice to say it out loud again. "And…I do not mind if that is the case. I'm flattered by it, really…and…as much as I've tried not to…"  

Wu inhales, tipping his head back to stare just past the sun setting beyond the window.

"…I do think of you as one of my own too, Kai. I think I always have."

Kai reels back, not expecting that response. Wu's gut twists.

"And I can understand why you'd be… hesitant to embrace that…idea, as I certainly…I haven't exactly—" Wu curses himself for the fumbling of his words. He's supposed to be more put together than this. "I, well…I suppose I should've been more attentive on that front. I'd been actively trying to keep my distance in that particular respect, and for you to see me in such a light despite that—it must be difficult, only having me for a reference on that front when I've done a lackluster job of—"  

"… what?" Kai's stunned voice cuts through Wu's assorted ramblings. "I'm not…I'm not ashamed about it."

Wu's eyes go wide as his gaze snaps back towards Kai; Kai's expression nearly mirrors his, flooded with astonishment. They stare at each other in confused silence before, against the odds, a grin breaks through Kai's self-imposed melancholy.

"…yeah, no, there's no need to be ashamed of thinking that.” Conviction blossoms through Kai, blazing right out of his scarlet eyes. "Because, ha, it's true isn't it? You've done a better job of looking out for me than my actual parents have, haven't you?!"  

And then, it all comes pouring out of Kai like a waterfall.  

"Haha, you never left me behind to fend for myself. You never left me with more responsibility than I could handle, or asked for. You're the one that's been keeping me out of too much trouble, reigning me in when I go too far, and praising me for jobs well done, and giving me guidance, and making sure I'm just…taken care of…! Just, y’know, the bare minimum!"

"Kai," Wu says softly. He knows that Ray and Maya would have never done any of this willingly, but so long as there isn't an alternate explanation…  

"I never wanted to admit it until now—admit that…someone's finally taken their place, after all this time." Kai inhales, forcing down the thick lump forming in his throat. "Because once I did, it'd be like shutting out that last little bit of hope I have for them coming back, y'know? And even after everything …I don't want to give up on my parents."

Kai's lip trembles; he curses once before breaking down, hiding away his face as his shoulders tremble. Wu crosses his self-imposed boundary and throws his arms around Kai, dragging the poor kid into an embrace. He holds him close, as if he can hug away the hurt. He’s at a loss for what else to do otherwise.   

"Finding comfort in someone new does not replace those who have come before. With how large your heart is, Kai, I have no doubt you have enough room for both your feelings on the matter," Wu tells him, holding him tighter. An eternity passes in the span of a second. "And if I can be a source of comfort for you, then I am honored to do so."

"…heh." Kai calms down enough to squeeze out a chuckle, resting his head on Wu's shoulder. " I'm the one that should be honored. I'm well aware that I can be a pain so…can't believe you'd see someone like me as…like…well, you know . A son, I guess. …No one else ever did, obviously."

Kai laughs again, a bit more hollow this time, and Wu only reinforces his hug. He's truly done a great disservice, if Kai's been feeling like that all this time.

"Of course I would." Wu speaks every word slow and true, ensuring that the truth is palpable between each pause. "I told you that you were special, did I not?"  

"…you sure did." Kai pulls back, making sure Wu can see his smile. "And…thanks. For being cool about this, and stuff. Hopefully now…all of this parents business won't bug me as much anymore. How could it, when I've got you as a dad now? So, no more feeling sorry for myself!"  

Kai stands up and excuses himself with a determined pump of his fist, aiming to finish pulling himself back together before returning off with his brothers. Wu lets him go with parting words and a warm smile, always eager and pleased to help where he can.  

But it's ironic, how he feels like the one that's been assured, rather than the other way around.

And so, Wu begins to make more of a conscious effort to be present when it comes to Kai.

He's no longer restrained by the guilty urge to hold himself back as much, no longer shackled by the happenings of the past and free to hurdle straight towards the future. He's able to go forth with all the love and encouragement he's got, and Kai receives it in kind. They're both better for it as well.

Wu proudly relishes in Kai's achievements, puts down a stern hand when the boy gets out of hand, and does as much as he can to make sure Kai stays on the right track. He doesn't have to step in quite as often as he'd expected, as Kai always did have a good head on his shoulders when the situation called for it. Nevertheless, Wu always tries to be in the right place at the right time for Kai. And he can see in the boy's grateful eyes—that this time, it’s the right choice to make.

…but then…  

It all becomes a blur for Wu once the Time Twins get involved. Between his sickness and then turning into a baby after being tossed through time, and then getting caught up in another realm and then the whole crisis with the Oni…there's a lot of gaps of events and information that Wu's left being none the wiser about. There's a great many things he's still playing catch up on…

…such as Kai having reconnected with his parents, just as he'd always wanted. 

Unseen by Wu, but a permanent change nonetheless.

It takes Wu a while to catch on, but he begins to see shades of the changes in the way Kai carries himself as the time marches on. He's lighter, like the weight of the world no longer threatens to crush him. He smiles more, laughs more, like a delighted child has been invited outside to play after a long period of rain. His vigilant-almost-to-a-fault nature has melted away into something much more mellow—still dependable, but not nearly as snappish about it.

And, whenever the topic turns to the parents of the group, Kai no longer shrinks in on himself. He gets fired up about it instead, eager to share his own thoughts—which is a much more natural reaction for him.  

Either way, they're all good changes to see on Kai.

…there's just…still a bit of a twist in Wu's gut, when he considers that he may not have had as much of a hand in it as he once thought. Perhaps the return of his real parents truly was what Kai needed…and not the poor imitation of a replacement.

Wu keeps these conflicting feelings masked during Ray and Maya's stay at the rebuilt monastery, with Kai eagerly following his father around like a spirited baby duckling. Wu hangs on every pearl of Kai's delighted laughter that echoes through the halls, even as he simply sits in the common room playing a few games with his father. Cole drifts in once or twice to add some fresh competition, but even he can see that he's third wheeling on something long overdue and bows out. Wu, however, keeps lingering near the doorways, just out of sight.

Wu observes as they spar out in the courtyard, with Ray offering up some old tricks of his and Kai showing off a few he'd come by himself. Wu drifts behind them as they head off to dinner, swapping stories over special (and stupidly spicy) meals they haven't shared in years. Wu does leave them be when they set about playing video games again—something Wu still struggles to comprehend as entertainment—only for Kai to wind up falling asleep against Ray's shoulder.

Wu doesn't think he's ever seen Kai so at peace with himself.  

It's everything that Kai's wanted for years . Wu couldn't be more glad for it, but…he still can't help but feel like he's been neatly pushed out of the picture when he wasn’t looking. Kai regained his father, yet to Wu it’s like he's suddenly lost a son. Now that the spotlight is absorbed by the one it originally belonged to, he supposes Kai will never see him in that sort of light again…though it would be selfish to hope for such, after everything…

There always comes a time when a master must let go of his students to let them fly on their own accord, and he's been through that cycle dozens of times…but the title of father is something much harder to lose. And it hurts so much more.

Wu sighs, knowing he's going to have to let this go. Kai's happier this way, and that's what matters. If he truly wants to be a good father figure…then he'll allow Kai his happiness without his presence making things complicated. Even if it means he must gracefully bow out of the way. Perhaps it’s for the best—he knows, deep down, that he was never fully perfect for the role anyway. 

The following morning finds Wu attempting to enjoy an early brew of tea, in peace, alone , away from the chaos of everyone else while he sorts himself out…only to hear Kai's calls ringing out from the corridor. Wu stills just as he brings a sip to his lips, pausing to assess the situation. Kai's…searching for his father.

"Dad?! Daaaaaad, you up already? Are you in there?"  

Wu must've caused some kind of disturbance, or Kai's vigilance is far sharper than Wu realized, for Kai pushes open the door to the dining hall unprompted. His bright grin lights up the room in a way that the sun wishes it could.

"Dad–! Oh, oops… ahaha, sorry Master Wu."  

"…good morning, Kai." Wu schools his expression into something calmer, hoping to keep it neutral. Part of him is dying to say that there's no need for Kai to correct himself, but Wu holds his tongue.  

"Mornin'!" Kai chirps, practically bouncing on his heels. Despite Wu not being the person he'd been looking for, Kai remains in pleasant spirits. "I know you're in the middle of tea time, but you are joining us for breakfast today, right? Dad says you and him still have a lot of reminiscing to do, and I've gotta hear your side of these stories!"

Wu can't resist a small smile to himself—he and Ray certainly had gotten up to some wild times  in their youth, and he can only imagine the way Ray embellished some of the tales to Kai. He's also violently reminded of just how much he respects Ray, and thus those feelings tumble into ones of guilt, having tried to step into his place for the sake of his son…

"Yeah, I should've invited my folks over a long time ago!" Kai continues to prattle, beaming from ear to ear. "Eating my mom's cooking and just having them around again…I feel like I get to catch up on a lot I've missed! It's…been really nice, actually."

"I'm glad you're enjoying the time together," Wu says honestly, knowing that Kai's more than deserved it. "As for your invite to breakfast, I…I've got some scrolls I need to finish sorting through in the library. It won't do for me to put it off any longer, so—"  

"Oh, come on!" Kai protests with a pout. "Those scrolls aren't going anywhere, and breakfast is! Plus, I feel like I've barely seen you since my parents arrived…is it cuz it's weird to be around them? Are they, like, too different than you remember or something?"

"...nothing of the sort," Wu says. "Your father—nay, both your parents—are two people I respect and admire more than anyone else in the world. And it is because of that reason…that I do not wish to cause any undue unrest between them and their son."  

Kai blinks in confusion, fully stepping into the room now. He slides the door shut behind him before plopping himself directly across from Wu. In a rare show of vulnerability, Wu casts his gaze away, unable to meet Kai's scarlet gaze. The irony is not lost on him.

"…what do you mean?" Kai asks. Wu clutches his cup of tea, staring into the liquid in search of a  simple answer. But, there is none.

"I've no doubt they feel immense guilt for the years they've missed with you. And I, meanwhile, have…had plenty of time to fill their position in the meantime," Wu explains slowly. "As you said, you all need time to properly catch up and reconnect, if that is what you desire…I do not wish to hinder the process and unnecessarily intrude on your time with them, that is all."

Kai grows quiet, fumbling with his fingers in his lap. "Is…that why you've suddenly been so distant?"

"That was…not necessarily my intention. But, I suppose, yes."  

Kai frowns. It’s a stark contrast to the smile he sported when arriving.  

"Just because my parents are back now, doesn't mean you've suddenly gotta push yourself away to make room. Whatever happened to all that talk about 'my heart being wide enough to be a home for everyone's love' or, uh, however that went…"  

Wu holds in a groan at the poor paraphrasing, drowned away by a wave of unexpected agony instead.

"The thing is, you're so much happier now, Kai. And it's only now, with your parents here, that I've fully come to see it." Wu's voice is barely above a whisper, like his heart's a mere breath away from fully breaking. "I've done what I could to keep your spirits up over the years, but even with all my efforts, I’ve felt that there was always something more I could’ve done…and then, I didn’t. Or, couldn’t, for whatever reasons.”

Wu closes his eyes, resting his case.  

"…you deserve only the best, Kai. And I simply couldn't be it for you."

Yet Kai, as ever, doesn't know when to quit.

"You…are very hard on yourself," Kai remarks. Wu's eyes shoot right back open, and Kai's so bold as to grace him with a smirk. "And I'm qualified to say so because I’m the same way."

"Kai—"

"You do realize…" Kai locks his fingers together, leaning forward to perch his chin upon them. "…that I wouldn't have even reached this point in my life without you, right? Without you…I'd probably still be miserable, working in the husk of my parents' shop, and I'd never come to realize my full potential. And without you, I wouldn't have been put on the path that let me meet so many of the people that are important to me now, family or otherwise. And I certainly wouldn’t be this amazing!” 

Kai simpers as he snaps his fingers, making a flame appear on the tip of his finger. Wu rolls his eyes; Kai flicks the flame away.

"And just because my parents are back in my life now, that doesn't mean that everything you've done, seemingly insignificant or otherwise, suddenly doesn't matter." Kai's grin sharpens, almost a little too coy for his own good. "Finding comfort in something else does not replace the feelings you've had before…or, well, something like that. You know what I mean though. I swear, I do remember the things you told me—"

Wu snorts in amusement. "Using my words against me again, I see."

"What else is your wisdom good for?" Kai teases back. But then he grows serious, nervously scratching the back of his neck. "But, um. Now that we're talking about it, I…I really don’t want you to think I just forgot about everything you did for me."  

 Kai bites his lip and turns away.  

“…especially when I never properly thanked you for not giving up on me."  

"Oh, y-you don't have to thank me for that, I—“ Wu begins, but Kai stubbornly shakes his head.

"No, really , thank you. I couldn't have been easy to, uh, deal with when I was younger, and there were times where we didn't even see eye to eye…but still, the fact that you were always there for me when I needed it, as I needed…that means more to me than you could know. And I love you very much for it."

Kai grins shamelessly. Wu smiles too, tilting his head forward and hoping his hat hides the tears that have sprung to his eyes.

“Sooooo yeah, even with this potential new chapter in my life, there’ll always be a place for you in it. I'm not exactly eager to be away from another dad of mine.” Kai becomes audacious enough to wink. “You can’t get rid of me that easily, old man.”  

Raising his head again to swipe at his eyes, Wu allows himself a relieved chuckle. All his dramatic self-wallowing, and for what? When it comes to Kai, for all the times the boy’s given Wu a heart attack over the years…when he makes a promise that everything would be okay, well, he’d never once broken it.

So, Wu’s okay, believing that this will be okay too. 

"All right, come ooooon, bring it in now…!" Kai spreads his arms wide, beckoning with his hands. "I can feel the hug coming a mile away! You know you want toooo…!"

"Insufferable," Wu groans, happy to take Kai up on his offer regardless.  "...but, you must know, I'm truly glad I got to meet you, Kai."

"Heh, don't hear that one often," Kai snickers, but with none of the malice nor self-scathing bite Wu had once come to expect long ago. Instead, Kai only settles deeper into the hug. "I’m glad I got to meet you, too."

Wu has to smother down a fresh set of tears—he doesn’t get to hear that sentiment often, either. 

Chapter Text

Wu, quite frankly, has never known what to make of Nya. It shames him to confess this…but, it is the truth regardless.

She never could quite fit into any one shape or mold—always overflowing and spilling right over the edge of the cup with her abundance of enthusiasm, or coming up short before hitting the brim and giving up on going any higher. Her presence could either sit stagnant as a pond or completely overwhelm the room, and it could all change in the blink of an eye. She could freeze up and turn slippery when the attention was on her, or she'd just go with the flow, or evaporate away when things became too much… 

It hardly ever mattered. No matter what state she was in, Nya, much like water, was always a hard one to hold. Wu fears she’ll slip right through his fingers one day.

And Wu watches her over time, struggling to find a definition of herself that matched just how fluid and adaptable she could be in the same breath. There'd been many times when he'd wanted to step in with a pinch of advice, an offered hand, a suggestion of what step to take next…but Nya moved with the speed of a river and the force of a tsunami and thus Wu could rarely find a space to wedge himself in otherwise.  It takes a rare sunny day without even a whisper of a breeze to get the sea to stay still—and so, the same could be said of Nya.

He's always felt helpless about what to do. He's never had a daughter student as unique as her before.

There's a great many days that will see the training course of the temple abandoned by the boys for one reason or another. The opportunity turns ripe for Nya to train in their absence, hoping to coax some semblance of Spinjitzu out of her. She dodges the swords, evades the planks, destroys the dummies, and barrels through all her obstacles with destructive abandon…but no tornado appears for Nya. Or at least, not as easily as the others. 

Wu watches from afar, seeing the struggle in her eyes. Each failure makes her want to just keep pushing, keep striving to do better, keep using each misstep as a step to keep going forward …all in a refusal to be left behind. But just the same, he can see her question why she even bothers every time she lands hard on her knees, gasping with exhaustion.

It's a question not even Wu can conjure up an answer for.

Still, he senses that a break is more than due at this point, so he sits upon the steps of the temple, armed with a freshly steeped pot of sweet hibiscus tea. When Nya hits a stopping point in the abrasive onslaught that is her "training", she finally registers Wu’s presence with a raised eyebrow. Wu greets her with the teapot raised and a knowing look in his eye.

"Care to join me?"

…an exhausted and thirsty Nya is inclined to agree. She drags her weary body to Wu's side and plunks down at his left, accepting the cup he pours for her. Though, she's not too sure how much a hot beverage after a sweaty workout is going to hit the spot.

Turns out it hits the perfect spot. The heat soothes her aching bones, the aroma relaxes her tense muscles, and the flavor is nothing short of delicious. Nya sighs as she indulges, shoulders relaxing as if all her previous frustrations have melted away.

Wu allows himself a pleased smile, hidden behind a delicate sip of his own share of the brew. He knows Nya prefers her tea iced, but he'd be hard-pressed to compromise in his ancient tea making ways, even for her. A cold tea is just criminal.

"You've got that look in your eye again," Nya remarks as she lowers her cup. She tilts her head, giving him a sideways smirk. Wu squints his eyes instead.

" What look?"

"The look of you're about to ask a very pointed question that I'm not really going to want to answer . That look."

Wu narrows his gaze with some skepticism. "You say that like it’s a common occurrence."

"Well, maybe not with me," Nya groans. "But the guys are always going on about you creeping up on them with, like, deeply philosophical questions they're never prepared for."

"…I'm beginning to get the feeling that my so-called cryptic wisdom isn't truly appreciated, hmph."

Nya snickers, and Wu can't stew in his mock anger for very long. The moment fades, leaving them both to simply take in the mundane delights of the day and the otherwise quiet company of each other. It's a rare moment that Wu gets to indulge in—a moment where it doesn't feel like the world could end—and even rarer that he gets to share it with Nya. In fact, he's a bit surprised she hasn't chugged down her drink despite its temperature and whisked herself right back onto the training course.

Instead, Nya turns back to him once again, one eyebrow arched curiously beneath her bangs.

"So. What's the question, then?"

Wu's grip turns taut against his teacup. Well, now he's hesitant to ask. Wu had meant it as a simple conversation starter; as a way to break the ice over the murky waves of mystery that was Nya.

"…What did you want to be when you grow up, Nya?"

A beat of silence follows. Nya's lips pull into a frown as she brings her cup up to them, now taking care to evade her gaze.

"…why do you ask now?"

“I ask because I’ve seen you attempt to become many things—a fighter, a mechanic, a warrior, a samurai, a ninja, a strategist, a sister, a friend, and more , and now you’re on your way to being a Spinjitzu Master…”

Wu gnaws the inside of his cheek.

“…but you never seem truly happy.”

The wind whistles, ruffling Nya’s hair and disturbing the precarious angle Wu’s hat sits upon his head. Nya slumps over in thought; Wu heaves a sigh and fixes his hat. 

"…a lot of those things weren't my choice, remember." Nya says quietly. "And a lot of those things were things I wanted , but received at the wrong times." 

A fresh knot of guilt swells in Wu's chest. He is…aware he's had a hand in the direction Nya's taken over time. He's had to stop her from jumping into being a ninja when she just wasn't ready, yet had to encourage her into becoming the Master of Water when the situation called for it. Iit was understandable why Nya had been so upset in both instances…Wu had prevented her from being what she wanted, when she wanted.

No matter from what angle, he feels like nothing more than a dam locking Nya out from her natural flow, whatever that flow may be.

And maybe, that is why he's curious to know what she would be, had time not had such a firm and unwavering guiding hand on her shoulder. Or if he had been more forthwith with a past that she hadn't been privy to. More mistakes upon more mistakes.

All his fault, like anything else. 

Trembling, Wu says unprompted, "I am sorry."

"S'not all your fault." Nya still doesn't look at him, but something in her expression softens. "Your timing sucked, but…I know you had your reasons. And it's not like you made me Master of Water. That's just…a thing that happened. All you did was tell me about it when the time came."

"I know." Wu sets his tea down and tugs restlessly at his beard. "But, still…before you were an Elemental Master, or a ninja, or a samurai, or a girl tangled up in destined prophecies, isn't there…anything else you've ever wanted to do with your life?" 

Nya stills and closes her eyes, quietly ruminating over the question. 

“Well, if we're being brutally honest, I…I don’t know. I never really…ever had a clear picture in mind." 

Nya opens her eyes once again and gazes into her teacup. The reflection that stares back looks about as clueless as she feels.

"I've never really latched onto anything for a very long time, y'know? I never had a place to even start, and there was a point in time when I was happy enough just to make it to the next day…"

Wu nods in understanding. Growing up, not having much in the way of parents, security, or even just support…it could be hard to find the time or comfort to explore one's passions, or settle for just one thing to commit to. Especially if "tomorrow" was something less than a guarantee. 

He tells Nya as much, and she hums in agreement.

"Yeah, and it's also like—well, how to put this…? You know how parents, well-intentioned or not, kind of direct their kids into doing something or other? Like how Cole was trained as a dancer, or Zane was built to protect others, or Jay becoming an inventor like his dad, or Kai’s penchant for blacksmithing…”

Or how Wu not-so-subtly nudged Nya into the life of a fighter?

With lips pressed into a thin line, Wu replies. “Yes. I know what you mean.”

"Well…" Nya waves her arms, gesturing at all of her. “ I never had that sort of foundation. So, all my time has been spent doing, well, everything until something sticks. And I can’t quite…make anything stick. Everything I've tried I either got bored with, or was inspired by someone else, or someone else just came along and did it better…and even now, being a ninja…that's not something that's just my thing. It's an identity I have to share with others, which isn't bad, but it's not something that I can call just mine."

Nya goes to take another swig of tea, only to find that she'd emptied it during her small tirade. Biting down a scowl, Nya slams her cup down to the point that it slightly cracks upon impact.

"And it's frustrating , because time after  time I've just been 'the girl' or 'the samurai' or 'the water ninja' or 'Kai's sister' or whatever else, and they all may be true, but that's not how I want to define myself!" Nya clutches her arms, trying to keep herself together. "And the other half of the problem is…I don't know what else to be. I don’t know what else I am. I'm not just those things, but those things aren't all I am either…I feel like I'm going crazy trying to explain all this, haha…"

Her laughter wrenches out of her. She's smiling, but it's pained.

"See, this is what I meant by you always asking questions that are far too hard to answer."

"But it is okay to not have a definite answer, Nya," Wu says, reaching over to grip her shaking shoulder. She stills, not even realizing she'd been shuddering. "I merely wanted to hear your thoughts, that's all. I could always tell…that your sense of identity has been something that plagues you. I wanted to see if I could help ease that burden, somehow…"

Wu glances away, awash with regret. 

"…but it seems I merely added onto them."

"Well, if we want to be positive about this," Nya suggests, her smile shifting into something more genuine. "Then we could say at least you gave me some kind of direction to work towards. I mean, becoming a ninja wasn't a smooth process by any means…but it's been the first thing that's felt easy to stick with, even if I haven't been one for very long. But, if ninja never quit, then that means I'll never give up on it, right?" 

Nya pumps her fists into the air. The sight of her finding a bit more cheer brings a small smile to Wu's face, but still, traces of sadness and uncertainty linger in her tone.

"There's just…sometimes I wonder what my parents would’ve expected from me, or what they saw me doing in the future. Would I have been in the blacksmith trade too? Would I have still found my penchant for inventing? Would I have had different opportunities to do different things? Or would I have wound up a ninja anyway, but sooner…or better?”

Nya casts her hands out to the sky, growing at the clouds marching by above.

"Especially because, when I think about it; when I really consider who I want to be… I just don’t know. Maybe that's why I've never had a real niche before all of this. I had to try everything I could, eliminating what I didn't like or wasn't good at as I went along…and I know it’s silly to think I can do everything, but if I don’t , how can I confidently say I’ve found the right answer?”

"Did your brother ever give you any insight on that?" Wu asks. Nya blows a raspberry in response.

"Tch, anytime I've tried to ask Kai about our parents, or what they might say about me, he just gets…upset." Nya slumps where she sits. "And you know him; he's always going to encourage me to do whatever I want…as long as I stay safe, ha. But, hey, sometimes it gets exhausting having to constantly make all the decisions for myself…and every now and then, it'd be nice for someone with more, I dunno, life experience to guide me to where I need to go. Or at least, a suggestion."

Nya deflates, slumping against Wu’s side with a pout.

"…can't you just tell me what I should be instead? I mean, I'm already a ninja now, thanks to you. Got any other aspiring career paths for me?" 

A laugh rips out of Wu at her blatant sarcasm, making Nya grin defiantly as Wu moves to compose himself. Just the same, a tinge of warmth blooms in his chest, knowing that Nya values his opinion so highly despite everything. 

He stamps it down, though—he put her on a path of constant danger, he made her become something she did not want at the time…and even if it did all work out (for the most part), that doesn't mean he should rob her of another choice.

That's not something to be proud of. 

"…Nya, I could offer you an infinity of options," Wu says, his hat lowering to cover his eyes. "But you would not be entirely satisfied with any of them, because none of them would be truly yours …as is your situation now, is it not?"

Nya frowns, as that obviously hadn't been what she wanted to hear, but she lets the sentiment sink in.

"…so you're saying I just need to figure it out for myself. Despite the fact that I've tried and tried and still got nothing."

"That's not true." Wu gently takes her head in his hands so she's looking at him, and can't divert away at the last second like she tends to do when things are too hard to confront directly.

Her sense of identity had been something she'd been sensitive about as well, always trying to find something that she could call her own yet hating to be limited by the definition of a label. Nothing ever fit in just the right way that she wanted; nothing ever felt uniquely hers.

But, she’d still try to fit herself into whatever crevasse, canvas, or container she could get her hands on. She'd cobble together little bits of everything if she could, if only to yield the most unique picture she could of herself in the end…for nothing scared her more than just being Nya.

Perhaps, because she never knew precisely what that meant .

Nor did she know that that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. 

"You've accomplished so much in such a short time, even if that meant letting go of things you no longer needed, even if that meant doing things you didn't want to do for the sake of others….even if it's all accumulated into a shape you can't put a name to, that just means you've still got some room to refine yourself, as we all do."

Wu takes a deep breath, steadying himself.

"…or, it means you simply have to name the shape you've taken for yourself; a name not dictated by anyone or anything else." Wu pulls her close, tugging her in for a hug. Nya, sniffling lightly, sinks right into it. "It might not all make sense right now, but please take heart in knowing that I'll always be here to support you, no matter what you ultimately decide."

Lip trembling, Nya tilts back just enough to lock her watery gaze onto Wu's.

"B-But what if I still don't know…even when I'm older?"

"Then I will support you as I always have, until you do know," Wu assures, tightening his hold on her. Once again, he fears her slipping right through his fingers. "However long it may take. That, I promise."

"…Sorry. It's difficult…maintaining this shape."  

"What do you mean, 'shape'? That's—that's what you are!"

"What I was , yes. I have to go now. I will remember you."

"Remember? What are you talking about? You're not going anywhere."

"Nya! Stop—Wait— Listen! Something is wrong with you. You have to concentrate. You have to focus, you have to turn back–No! Don't leave me…"  

"Nya, I implore you. Whatever you're hearing, whatever you're experiencing…Fight it, Nya. Remember who you are. Remember!"

"I am Nya. I am the sea. …We are one."

Wu holds his breath as he travels through the dark, quiet, lifeless halls of the rebuilt monastery. They’re miserable, devoid of the light and laughter the ninja as a collective had once brought to the sacred grounds. Although Pixal and Skylor loiter about doing what they can to preserve things, Wu knows it could be a long time before things feel the same, if ever again.

Swallowing his trepidation, Wu journeys down the hall containing all the bedrooms, following the dimly lit sconces. Light peeks through the crack of only one ajar door—belonging to the farthest room on the end, housing the last remaining ninja. 

Or, in her eyes, a former ninja.

It's been a long few days since the dramatic arrest of the ninja. An all-encompassing uncertainty plagues them all now, with Nya taking the brunt of the worst of it. Her powers gone, her family gone, and her once vast connection with the ocean gone…it's no wonder she's feeling as directionless as she is. Even more than ever before.

Wu's heart sinks as he finds a disconsolate Nya at the edge of her bed, staring aimlessly out of the single window. It looks out into nothing but a bleak and bleary sky, with not a star nor the moon to provide even a speck of hope. Wu sighs—a shuddering, fluttering thing—and that’s what catches Nya’s attention.

Her head tilts just a bit in his direction, as if guided by an invisible string, but she says nothing.

“…Nya,” Wu greets, though not even he can come up with any words to follow. It's not as easy nor effortless as it was before, to initiate a heavy conversation between them—especially one that they know they need to have. They're both well aware of what's wrong with their current picture. And they both know they have no solutions on how to fix it. So where’s the point in saying anything?

Regardless, Wu sits beside Nya. He hopes to provide physical comfort, if nothing else. 

Nya feels Wu's weight shift the bed and take her heavy heart down with it, pulling a wretched sob from buried deep within her throat. She wants to throw everything across the room, rip her sheets off the bed, tear into anything she can, make the world as disjointed and jumbled and messy as she feels…drown everyone and everything deep in the sorrows she herself has…

But it's not going to fix anything.

"…what am I…going to do now…?"

Her voice sounds so defeated, and so unlike Nya that it throws Wu for a moment. He turns towards her fully, finding her eyes glittering with unshed tears. She bites her lip to keep it from trembling and fails fantastically. 

"…what even…what even am I now…?"

"Nya, remember, you've been through so much–" Wu's voice cracks on the last words, forcing him to swallow around the sudden dryness in his throat. He feels like a record on repeat, attempting an argument that's only worked once and lost its staying power ever since. He tries anyway. "You've watched your world turn upside down more times than you can count, you've followed after your brother and your friends as best you could…You've been a samurai, a ninja, and the ocean itself—"

"But none of that was ever anything I wanted. None of it ever came about by a choice I made for myself! I tried so hard to do as you said, to make a name for myself, to decide on what I wanted to be…but I just…never had the chance! And now we're here, worse off than ever before…!"

" Nya –"

Nya interrupts Wu with a frustrated roar, unaccompanied by the torrent she desires to unleash across the room but can't. A part of her heart feels dead and defeated, her soul severed from the connection of water she'd come to so heavily rely on.

In lieu of conjuring up a storm Nya rises to her feet instead. She starts pacing up and down the room, working into a panic, fisting at her hair and tugging at her clothes that feel way too normal and basic for her liking. Wu can only helplessly watch.

"I was left behind by my parents. I was raised by my brother. I was forced to move to the monastery, and then made to be left behind time and time again! I was driven to become a samurai just so I had some worth, and now that's a title that belongs to someone else! I've been called so many things without my input, I was made to be a ninja after I had abandoned that dream, I inherited being the Master of Water, and…was becoming the ocean in the first place really my choice, if I had no other choice at all?!"

Each statement hits Wu like a ton of bricks, but her next words pierce him straight through the heart.

"And now, after being forced to be so many things….now I can't even be anything at all!"

She kicks over a chair, knocking it over with little satisfaction and screams again, three seconds away from throwing it straight at the window. Wu can see how it's killing her, no longer having an immediate outlet for all these intense feelings that run as deep as an ocean. Wu tries to reach out to her; tries to take a gentle hold of her hand to ground her—

She rips away like she'd been burned, slipping right through his fingers.

“We…don’t know that for certain," Wu says instead, struggling to hide his hurt. "The Ninja may find a way out of this mess as they always do. Your powers still may return, or something may change in the future—" 

“But that’s not the reality of now! ” Nya throws up her arms, each word rippling with anger. "For a time, I was actually… okay, with everything. Okay with being with Jay, okay with being a ninja, okay with being the Master of Water…I was finally able to embrace those things about me! I thought I had everything I ever wanted. But now, I’m all alone without my brother, or my betrothed, or my best friends…I've got no powers, no mech, no idea who I'm supposed to be now or where to go from here…there's nothing left! There's nothing left! There's just… me."

Nya sinks to her knees, unable to hold the weight of her own despair any longer. Wu moves a second too late to catch her–her face plunges into her hands, her last attempt at staving off the desire to cry.

"….I’m just right back to where I started. Did I…did I even really change at all? And more importantly…was it even worth me coming back?" 

Wu's blood turns to ice. "Nya–"

"Maybe I was better off as the ocean! At least then I didn't have to worry about what I was or my purpose or my place in the world…everyone went to all that trouble to bring me back…and for what?!"

Nya faces Wu again, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Can you even imagine what it's like…to go from being infinite …to being nothing?"

Her question renders him speechless. Now, he is the one without an answer.

It rocks him to the core, especially with how desperately Nya seeks an answer—seeks to not be alone in her agony. But there's no knowledge he can bring to mind that would be enough to satiate her. He's never been the ocean, after all, and he—as a man able to create things at will—has never known what it means to have access to nothing. He…genuinely doesn't know what to tell her.

And, he feels like he's right back at the beginning of everything too, just as she does. Had they truly made no progress at all—whether with one another, or even just themselves?

The only thought that rings out in Wu's head now is that he's failing her; he's failing her still , and again —

"…it's…kinda sad, isn't it?"

Her voice is soft, weak, broken. It’s a foreign lilt that doesn’t normally come from Nya, and it makes the lump in Wu’s throat tighten all over again. She raises her head back where she kneels, aiming the tiniest of smiles over at him (that he certainly doesn't deserve).

"I spent a year as the literal ocean, and the first moment I opened my eyes as myself again, feeling some semblance like myself again…there'd been no one there to greet me. Not my brother, not my fiancé, not my friends…and not even my parents…"

"It…wasn’t their fault—“ Wu tries to defend, but Nya shakes her head.

"But, you were there. "

Her eyelids lower, running the thought through her head again.

"…how strange, that my mother went to all that trouble to 'rekindle' our bond or whatever…only to not be around when her daughter 'comes back to life', huh?"

“You know it's not like that. Things are…complex right now, and we're not exactly in the best of lights at the moment either. I doubt that your parents could even get through the line of police breathing down our necks,” Wu begins slowly. Nya’s smile is replaced by an annoyed scowl. “But they do truly care about you, and you returning was such a spur of the moment thing that there hasn't been—“

"I don't want my parents anyway!"

Nya howls, rising back to her feet in a surge of emotion. Wu recoils with his hands raised as Nya shakes her fists, trembling with a rage not even she had believed she'd been capable of.

"…I want the people that were actually there for me— supporting me after all this time! My parents are not the ones that raised me! They're not the ones that watched me become all these oh-so-incredible things you say I am! They're not the ones that made me what I am, whatever that may be! They're not the ones who were there for me when I came back from being the entire ocean! Kai was, Jay was, Lloyd was, Cole and Zane were, and Pixal and Skylor…and you were! And that's how the cookie crumbles!"

Nya inhales, still quaking as she grabs at her forehead.

"I don't care that they're not here! That's not what's hurting me! What's hurting me is that everyone that has been there for me, putting up with me when I was at my worst are gone now, giving up everything or risking everything just to bring me back…me, when I'm like this!"

Nya gestures to her entire self with a pitying chuckle, violently shaking her head. Her gaze snaps back to a vaguely horrified Wu, and a fresh sobs cracks out of her.

"And moreover, I don't need my parents…because, you're here. You're here for me, like you always have been…and…I'm grateful for that."

“Wha…?”

Wu, for a third time now, is completely blindsided. He can't believe Nya says this, especially given how against the plan to bring her back he'd been. Tears spring to his eyes thinking back on that—as he told her, part of him had been glad for the plan regardless—but…he'd still had a hand in trying to put a stop to it. There's no way she could be grateful for that . 

“Why would…why would my presence matter so much to you?" 

Nya speaks like the answer is the most obvious thing in the world. And it's the first time she speaks without a shred of sadness.

"Because you're my dad and—"

…but then the words get choked up in her throat, face frozen in a picture of terror. Her hands twitch, her body shakes, and she folds —and this time, Wu’s arms are there to catch her properly. The shock of the statement—of the realization—seems to sober her up somewhat, even as she sinks to the ground. But even on the way down, Wu pulls her tight into the embrace. She's not slipping away from him this time.

“…S-Sorry,” Nya mumbles against his shoulder, seizing up. “That’s…probably selfish of me, saying that, w-when my parents—"

“You have nothing to be sorry for, my dear. You are justified in what you feel.” Wu runs a soothing hand through her hair. "But I, on the other hand, am just sorry I couldn't stop you from feeling like this…I truly don't…have anything I can say to ease the pain…"

"...didn't you once tell me it was okay if you didn't have an answer for something?" Nya teases lightly, giving him a small nudge. "And if I don't have to be sorry, then neither do you. You didn't plan any of this craziness, you know?"

"Still." Wu tightens his hold on Nya. "I constantly think of everything I could've done better, things I could've done instead, things I didn't do when I should have…it was my responsibility to keep you safe, a-and I couldn't —"

"You've done more for me than you know," Nya interrupts. "And…more than I've ever realized. Even when you were just trying to keep me out of trouble, like when I first wanted to be a ninja…you were still encouraging of the things I wanted to try, like being a samurai or a mechanic. And then, even when I was hesitant in becoming a water master…you did your best to show me the extent of my own potential."

"That is a… kind way to put it, especially considering Ronin's the one that made that click for you," Wu notes dryly. Nya gives a one-sided shrug.

"The point is, even when the situations weren't ideal, you still did your best to support me where you could, in a very…admittedly dad-ish way. And I know…I haven't always been easy to deal with, ha."

"Hmhm." Wu can't help but chuckle in amusement. "Your brother once said the same thing."

"Grah, of course he did," Nya groans, albeit wetly.

She shakes her head, beaming at Wu. She finally looks a little more like herself…although, a ghost of disappointment still skirts around the edge of her gaze. 

"But…still…where do I go from here? I'm not the Master of Water anymore, Pixal's got the claim on being a Samurai, and I can't be a ninja– not without the others…I refuse." Nya frowns, turning her pleading gaze unto Wu. "So what if I’m not anything ever again? What if…I’m stuck just being plain old Nya?" 

Wu takes a deep breath. This time, he knows he can't afford to leave her hanging.

“…There is no definite shape of water, Nya. And I wonder, if that is why you’ve struggled so much to find yourself, as you are able to accommodate and change in ways most people would never be able to. You’re able to handle every hardship thrown at you, even if it means taking on different forms to be able to do so. And…I imagine it can be easy to lose sight of yourself when you're constantly adapting to all the horrible situations the world insists on forcing upon you."

Nya sniffles, hastily reaching her hand up to wipe away a fresh tear. Wu places a hand on her cheek and does it for her.

“But, my dear, every single form you’ve ever been, every single form you’ll ever be, and the shape you take right now…that’s always been unapologetically you, Nya. You may currently be without Elemental Power. But you, as an individual, have never been powerless. For no matter if you were just a girl or a ninja or a samurai or the ocean itself…you were and always have been Nya. And that’s always going to be the most important, most consistent, and most lovable thing about you.”

Nya leans into the comforting hand, eyes shining as she smiles with full-on gratitude all over again. It's been so long since she's felt this light, and Wu can tell.

Finally, that’s an answer she can come to accept. 

"…Thank you, so much, " she says in a whisper, almost as if it's a secret. Wu hums, wordlessly accepting the sentiment.

"…now then, would you like some sweet hibiscus tea to rejuvenate?" Wu asks. "I imagine you're thirsty after that…ahem, outburst.”

Nya puffs her cheeks out in a pout. "Heeeeeey."

"Fret not." Wu folds his arms behind him with a small, relenting smirk. "…I'll even let you have it iced, and I won't complain."

That wrenches a smile, a giggle, and a few lingering yet final tears out of Nya.

"…Tea can't fix all our problems, you know."

"Perhaps not," Wu agrees, running a hand through his beard. "But it may be a tiny step towards making us both feel better. And I count that as progress, personally."

Nya nods, giving Wu one last hug before they officially depart. Wu welcomes it with open arms.

"Yeah…I do too."

Chapter Text

Wu's meditating, as he often does, contemplating life, as he also often does.

He's in his quarters upon the Bounty, taking a moment alone to gather his thoughts as the ninja continue training Lloyd for the day he's set to finally fulfill a prophecy put into motion so long ago. The boy's been coming along in his fighting and his knowledge, in leaps and bounds as Wu's always known he was capable of.

But, the sting of having to go up against his own father had been…something much harder to grasp. Not that Wu faults him for it. How could he?

Wu never had the spine to stand up to his own father, despite how much he wanted to make the man proud, even long after he was gone. And yet, when told of what he'd been born to do, Lloyd swallowed back his tears, grit his teeth, and begrudgingly accepted. Some days are easier to chug through than others…but Wu knows that, between the cracks, behind shuddering eyes…Lloyd Garmadon despises this turn of events with every fiber in his being.  

A prophecy unavoidable…a fate unchangeable…a destiny unasked for.

All placed upon the shoulders of his poor nephew.

Wu thinks back on the scant few times he’d seen Lloyd when he was still just a baby—and still so innocent to the troubles of the world. Wu remembers how small and soft the baby had been, so tiny and in need of love and protection. (…A baby who would then grow up to love and protect the world in turn).

He remembers the prideful laughter that bubbled out of Garmadon every time he beheld his son, and the earnest way Misako would brush her finger through the baby’s wisps of blonde hair. For so long, they were picture perfect parents, coddling their son with all the dedication and attention he deserved, and there had been a split moment in time when Wu believed that everything would be okay and stay okay. For once.

They would all stay together, protecting this little miracle that was gifted to their family, and watch him grow up to do whatever he pleased in his life.

…How foolish, to be that optimistic.

Misako hums a lullaby as she rocks her baby in her arms, with Garmadon on her right and Wu smiling warmly to her left. She rubs a thumb across the baby's cheek, curiously glancing from Lloyd to Wu, and makes a rather audacious observation.

“ He…looks a bit like Wu, doesn’t he?”

“…Nah, I don’t see it. That blonde hair will probably turn brown in time, just like his old man!”

“Haha. It could just be his grandfather’s genes.”

“Ugh, Wu, do not say that. You’ll jinx him into getting more than just a hairstyle from Father. That’s the last thing we need.”

“…”

Wu swallows thickly, fingers digging into his palms and pulling him back into the present. He…can't blame himself or something his father put into motion beyond his knowledge. He can't blame himself for that . He can't.

(He still does, because here he is , pushing for that fate regardless.)  

But of course, Misako had the inkling of what would be in store for Lloyd's life, seeking to prevent the worst at all costs…and Garmadon wanted a head start on the Golden Weapons before anything could come to pass…

In almost a single swoop, Wu's family was completely gone, and he feared he'd never see Lloyd Garmadon again.

…and that's why it’s hard to believe it’s now been a few weeks—bordering on months—since Lloyd Garmadon’s plunked himself back into Wu's life. With him, Lloyd's brought an infectious if not mischievous enthusiasm to everything, a calming penchant for observation that his older students could certainly use from time to time…and a burning rage that, for most of the time, remains subdued.

Painfully, it all reminds Wu of his own brother.

For all the times that Lloyd has strived to be like his father, Wu doesn't know if Lloyd even realizes just how much his own traits already run parallel with the man he'll one day soon be forced to face in battle.  

"Uncle Wu, why are you just chilling on some dusty old rug?"

…And now, that green-eyed child stands in the midst of Wu’s doorway, mocking his taste in room décor.

Wu cracks an eye open, finding Lloyd's short stature leaned up against the doorframe. It's not often that Lloyd appears before him unannounced, but whatever he'd come for is clearly overshadowed by the disgust he has for Wu's poor innocent tapestry.

"Firstly, this is my meditation carpet," Wu scoffs, sitting straighter as if to enforce that point.

"It's kinda ugly." Lloyd pokes at a fringed corner with the tip of his foot. Wu grimaces, not impressed.

"…and second , I thought you were training with the other ninja."

"Mweh." Lloyd tugs at his training clothes, which already have a tendency to bunch up at his wrists and ankles, emphasizing how he has to grow into them, just like the too-big title he now possesses. Wu laments the irony. "Cole took a break to make everyone lunch and the others made a mad dash to stop him and are now bickering over chicken nuggets in the kitchen. So, I snuck off!"

 …yeah, that sounds about right.  

Wu contemplates to himself, not exactly appreciating Lloyd skipping out on some necessary training time. Or that those training him get sidetracked so easily. But, just the same…

“If you did not come here just to insult my meditation carpet, then what did you need, Lloyd?”

“…it’s dumb anyway,” Lloyd sighs, collapsing on the opposite side of the meditation carpet in a position that mirrors Wu’s. His arms sag into his lap; his head droops down low. “I already know what you're gonna say: I should probably just get back to training on my own, right? Gotta be ready to take down my dad and meet destiny and all that, yadda yadda yadda, bla bla bla.”

At Lloyd’s rather acidic dismissal, Wu frowns. He reaches over his burning incense to place a gentle hand on Lloyd’s arm, encouraging the boy to look up.

“… something must be bothering you. Otherwise you wouldn’t have brought yourself to me like this.”

“ Maybe I just wanted to visit you,” Lloyd huffs with puffed out cheeks. Wu staggers, endlessly endeared by the sentiment, but—

“You’ve already said it was ‘something dumb’, Lloyd. And I don't think a brief visit to your old uncle is what you'd count as such.”

Lloyd’s eyes widen for a split second before a series of shushed curses pour from his lips, and Wu has enough grace to let the language slide this one time. Still, Lloyd refuses to say anything else—and Wu’s come to realize that getting Lloyd to speak about the things troubling him is the pinnacle of impossible unless nudged. Gently.

“…Lloyd, you must know, you can come to me with anything. You can tell me anything, you can ask me anything, and I will not fault you for it." Wu pulls back his hands, folding his arms into his sleeves. A smile settles on his face; Lloyd stares back with skepticism. "You may be the Green Ninja now, but that does not mean I expect you to never have questions…or concerns.”

“…mmph.” Lloyd locks his eyes with Wu’s. “… promise you won’t get mad?”

Wu grows increasingly nervous, but he nods.  

“I promise I won’t get mad.”

“…fine.”

 Lloyd takes a heavy breath, and with newfound conviction, he asks:

  "Was my dad…ever a good dad?"

The mention of Lloyd’s father really shouldn’t surprise Wu. Regardless, the breaching of that topic…is always going to be a turbulent one.  

“How do you mean?” Wu buys himself some time to come up with a better response.  

"I mean …" Lloyd squirms, feeling out of place in his own skin. “Before the banishment, and the tormenting of my friends, and…interfering with my own potential, and…committing himself to evil, and…attacking things…and well, I guess the everything he's doing now… did he…was he, like…a good parent…? Or…was he always…distant…?"

With every passing word, Lloyd winces more and more, well aware of how absurd his question must sound. Why is the Chosen One choosing to seek some form of sympathy for the one fated to put the world in jeopardy? It's nothing more than a childish flight of fancy, isn't it?

"…I told ya it was dumb." If Lloyd could sink any lower, he'd be part of the floor. "I mean, my mom already—I shouldn't even be asking —shouldn't care when I have to— you know —"

"…it is…normal for a boy to wonder about their father in his absence," Wu says, hoping the words are reassuring. Lloyd still catches his hesitation, and levels Wu with a deadpan stare.

"Not when that boy is meant to defeat that father cuz of a stupid prophecy, and shouldn't be…digging up reasons to make things even harder than they already are."

Lloyd fists his hands in his lap to keep them from trembling.

"But…I think…there must've been something good in him that I admired, even without meeting him. And I just wanted to know if…there really was anything in there worth saving…"

His eyes flicker up to meet Wu's, shimmering with uncertainty.

"…if I could."

Lloyd shrugs after that, dismissing the thought regardless of whether or not he receives a concrete answer for it. But, with most things relating to Garmadon, a concrete answer…is complicated, as much as Wu desperately wishes it weren’t so.

"…I will tell you something I tell very few people.” Wu pulls his arms out of his sleeves to rest his palms on his folded knees. Lloyd perks up with great interest. "…I've idolized Garmadon for a very long time."

Wu, from his own experiences, could see why Lloyd would once aspire to be like his father. Because, once upon a time, Wu had wished to be like Garmadon himself.

"Really? Even now , when he's…?" Lloyd's face scrunches in relative disgust as makes a vague gesturing motion with his hand. Wu chuckles, but he understands.  

He reaches for the tea he'd set to the side, taking a long and thoughtful sip from his cup.

"…yes. For he still is my older brother…and I know his current actions may color a darker perception of him for others, but I…I still look kindly on all the good things he's done for me. And…for the person he used to be. I can't help it."  

He tells Lloyd as much—that one of Garmadon's strongest traits is his sense of ambition, almost to a fault. There would be no goal he could set that couldn’t be attained, and always kept his eye on the bigger pictures of the world. His determination knows no bounds, his resolve is unparalleled…and Wu wishes he had a spirit half as strong as that.

He also speaks of how Garmadon's never afraid to point out the harsher truths of reality, and how brave he was for doing so. He was never one to sugarcoat bitter realities, whereas Wu had a tendency to shy away from such things if he could. Another of his many weaknesses, Wu confesses.  

And, for as much as Garmadon himself detested it, he possessed a wisdom that rivaled their father's. Wu had to study for hours and hours just to comprehend the thoughts Garmadon picked up on naturally, and it always stung how Garmadon could never appreciate his gifts. For as must as he loved to boast about being in the right otherwise.

"…that just sounds like you're spinning all his awfulness into a good light," Lloyd mumbles, although not entirely put off by the notion. In fact, he almost seems to take a bit of comfort in it.

"Well." Wu takes another, longer sip of his tea. "Those traits had to have taken root from somewhere. I prefer to believe that the source was a pleasant one."    

"…it's just really ironic."  

Lloyd shakes his head, running his fingers through his short bowl cut bangs.  

"I wanted to be like him so much, but now…we're like complete opposites. And, part of me doesn't want to be, because, even though it might be counterproductive…I like having some kind of good connection with my dad…but I…"

Lloyd frowns at his hands, gnawing his lip with reckless abandon.

"Saying I want to be like my dad…I don’t want people to think I mean that I…still want to be a bad person.”

Lloyd curls into a ball with a self-deprecating smile, pulling his knees to his chin as he stares aimlessly into the smoke burning off Wu's incense. He looks so vulnerable, and it's taking everything in Wu to not throw himself across the room and scoop Lloyd protectively in his arms.

“…a lot of people might adore the legendary Green Ninja, but there’s still plenty of people that…dislike Lloyd Garmadon , the Darkley's menace and son of the Dark Lord that stupidly let out all the vengeful Serpentine for nothing more than a sick joke.”  

Lloyd tugs his hood all the way over his head, as if trying to vanish in place.

“ Why did I think that would’ve made things better between us…?! I really thought…doing something that dumb was gonna make him change his mind…and now, all this …"

Quieter, Lloyd whispers,

"…what am I supposed to do…?"

Wu’s heart sinks hearing Lloyd talk like that—and he wonders if he’s ever mentioned these feelings to the other Ninja, though he has his doubts.

He is too young to be worrying about these things; things that should have never been problems to begin with…and yet, Wu is helpless to do anything to get him off this predestined path. All Wu can do…is make that path forward as easy as possible.

Lloyd would have had no way to know better. And, Wu is no stranger to trusting a snake and wanting to appease his father either…

He understands.

“…if you are like your father at all, then it is only via his very best qualities, Lloyd.” Wu assures. And for as much as he sees the shades of Garmadon in the child before him, none of it is anything Wu would ever be worried about. "And even if you've made mistakes in the past, you are only human, dear nephew. You are not, and never have been, a bad person."

He knows Lloyd had never been privy to the kinder sides of Garmadon.  All he knew of his father was what little light the darker side of him allowed him to show.

“And you know, when you were born, Lloyd…I’ve never seen your father be more proud.”

Wu smiles, thinking of how fond Garmadon was over his baby. How he'd boast about the glorious future they'd all have together, how he'd swing and sway with him through every room, showing him the simple wonders of life…and of how he impatiently couldn't wait to bear witness to the fine young man Lloyd would become.

And of how…all of that never came to be.

"…It…wasn't a long time, before your mother left and he was…banished." Wu tightens his hold on his teacup. Lloyd's gaze lowers, yet keeps his focus. "But in what little time he had with you, I can promise you were loved. You had saved his world even before we ever knew you were the Green Ninja."

Lloyd heaves a shuddering breath, composing himself before nodding in acceptance. He doesn't smile…but, he seems at peace with the answer regardless.

And in this singular moment, Wu wishes he had the power to go back in time, to shower Lloyd with all the proof of just how strong Garmadon had been over the years. How he pushed through all that darkness and the urge for evil, how he denied and fought against those instincts for the better part of his life, and tried his damned best to be the person he wanted to be…right up to starting a family…to leave behind something of a positive legacy…

But, everyone has a limit of what they're capable of.

Silence marches through the room, ringing in Wu's ears. He sets his cup down, lest his quivering hands accidentally drop it. A lump rests heavy at the apex of his chest; he sits on pins and needles, wondering what Lloyd might ask next…especially with such a contemplative look on Lloyd’s face. It's scrunched, as it normally is when he's annoyed, but there's shades of resignation in there too.  

"Sooo, um…how come they didn't just leave me with you? If they…really didn't want me to be evil, or to trigger the prophecy too early, or whatever…then wouldn't it have been better if you raised me?" Lloyd gestures with his hand again, this time more aloofly, despite the weight of his question. "It just…feels like we could have avoided a lot of…bad choices in between."

And that…is a question Wu's asked himself for years.  

He wonders if it was because of how…sour things had gone with Morro, for not even Wu would have trusted himself after that debacle. The whole thing still keeps him up at night, and to think of something similar happening with Lloyd–

Or, maybe Misako utterly dreaded the thought of Lloyd being dragged into his destiny far, far too early, made to train to be a ninja at such a young age…but, obviously there had been no avoiding that. Lloyd landed right in his lap anyway , and now—

Or, maybe there was some sort of unseen resentment festering in Garmadon; some sort of pride that wouldn't allow his inferior brother to see to the care of his precious son. Wu…wouldn't have blamed him…but…

Lloyd is—the one—the only—the last good thing that remains of the Garmadon of old…and there is nothing Garmadon cherished more than his son. There’s nothing that made his cursed existence worth all the suffering than having the honor of being Lloyd’s father. 

Wu can't —he could never take that away from his brother. No matter what.

Lloyd frowns as sheer agony and conflict mangle Wu's face into several unrecognizable shapes. He doesn't know what to make of such a wrenched expression…but he gets the feeling that, like everything else that is the chaos of his life, it's complicated.

So, he tries to ask an easier question.

"If…things had gone differently… would you…have taken me in if you could?"

"Of course I would have." The answer spills from Wu without hesitation, startling himself with how committed he sounds. Lloyd sits a little straighter, a spark of hope dancing in his irises. "…but whether or not that would have made any of this better or worse, easier or harder…remains to be seen…"

"Well, I don't care about any of that," Lloyd decides. "At least…at least then I would've been able to grow up with some family to my name. I wouldn't have felt like the world didn't want me…or that I was only ever meant for bad things…that the only way my existence could have meant something was if I turned out like my dad…"

Lloyd tilts his head back, letting his green eyes fall closed.

"At least then…I would have been with you. I think that would have been enough."

Wu beholds Lloyd Garmadon, looking so at peace with himself when Wu knows that deep down he is anything but …and he's suddenly overcome with an overwhelming tsunami of emotion. All of his most potent regrets swim up to the surface in a rush; his hands fly to his face to smother down the sob that threatens to burst from his chest, if only to preserve some form of decorum in front of his impressionable nephew…

But of course, Lloyd is just as perceptive as his parents are…and the next thing Wu knows, two tiny arms attempt to wrap around the older man.

"Wh—" Wu shifts to ask Lloyd what he's doing. Lloyd seizes the opening to slip himself properly into Wu's arms and around his torso, embracing his uncle firmly.

"I…won't ask anymore questions. I know the answers aren’t going to change anything." Lloyd tries to play it cool even as he snuggles deeper, hiding his face in shame. "And I'm sorry…I made you sad."

"…oh, Lloyd."

Lloyd’s the one really suffering here, and yet he’s the one apologizing?!

Wu’s fresh out of words to explain how backwards this all is, and just how desperately he wants to make everything right…so he hugs Lloyd back, firm and tight with little intention of ever letting go.

And he hopes that that’s enough to say everything he can’t.

Wu's mediating, as he often does, contemplating his life choices, as he also often does.

The atmosphere on the Bounty runs turbulent as the brewing storm outside matches the ruckus occurring inside. Garmadon and Lloyd go back and forth arguing about their current plan to stop the Crystal King, despite it being held together with duct tape, hope, and a prayer. Nya watches with growing worry as each declaration from Garmadon needles Lloyd further into fury, and they’re going so quick with the insulting remarks that Wu’s interventions fall on deaf ears.

Like father like son, Wu notes to himself bitterly.

Lloyd then swings his arm out, slamming a fist against the wall that leaves a thudding boom and a series of glowing purple cracks in its wake. Destructive power sparks at the corner of his eyes as he glares at Garmadon, gnashing his teeth and making his fangs remarkably prominent.

  "If you're sooo convinced we're doomed, then why did. You. Even. COME?!"

Lloyd stomps past Garmadon, decking him out of the way with a hard shoulder shove. He doesn’t even glance back as he makes his way out to the deck, caring little for the light rainfall that sprinkles down around him.

Garmadon stares emptily after him, resolving himself to coddling his seemingly dying canned fern. Nya sympathetically sighs, at a loss for how to even go about tackling this situation.

And Wu, devoid as he is of any wisdom to fix this, has already moved on auto-pilot rushing after him.

"Lloyd, WAIT!"

He knows they don't really have the time for this—the Bounty's hurling full speed ahead at the Crystal Fortress, and they're about to have the fight of their lives on their hands any minute now. But still, seeing Lloyd slumped over the railing of the ship with his head in his hands, eyes shimmering with unshed emotion, the same way they always have ever since he was young—

Wu can't leave Lloyd like this.

"…Lloyd," Wu begins quietly—and he thinks of Garmadon's words from before, accusing him of being too soft on the boy. Of guiding him with a kind hand over a clenched fist. Of saying he let Lloyd have it too easy . 

Lloyd Garmadon, having things too easy?! That, unfortunately, is a concept that does not exist. 

Wu grimaces—he'll allow his brother to take shots at his ability to teach, but to insinuate that he should have been rougher on Lloyd?! The world has been hard enough on him already. Something has to be soft in this life. Better so that it be his uncle, if nothing else.   

"…I'm so tired, Uncle Wu."  

It's mumbled through Lloyd's hands—to the point that Wu's not entirely sure if Lloyd even meant to say it out loud—but he hears regardless. Lloyd sounds tired, like it takes every inch of energy he’s got to make the concession. And Lloyd looks tired, with shadows of darkness painted beneath his eyes and lines of exhaustion etched in all the wrong places.

Wu looks at Lloyd—and really looks at him—and sees so many reflections of himself. The sag of shoulders that have carried too heavy of a burden, a frown near-permanently engraved into his expression, and a thousand regrets that follow him in an invisible yet ever present miasma.

And, worse, for as much as Lloyd Garmadon has grown over these last several trying years…he's still so young.

Too young, and too full of energy, to be this spent on life.

"…I hate Garmadon." It comes out bitter and biting, and it makes Lloyd laugh at just how much he means it. "He ruins everything—destroys everything, like he always does…! Special powers or not, how did we think he was going to help?!"

"Tensions are just naturally high right now, Nephew," Wu attempts to soothe the situation. "I'm sure once the dust settles, and we have time to breathe again, this will be—"

Lloyd whirls again, eyes flickering from green to purple to back again as he struggles to stamp down the rage boiling in the back of his throat. He locks it behind gritted teeth as his chest heaves unevenly, pointing an accusatory finger at Wu.

"No, don't you defend him! He's a jerk! He didn't even try to understand my perspective! He brushed everything we had to say off and then acted all high and mighty about it! And he had the nerve to call you a poor teacher! How could you just let him do that, especially when you know he's in the wrong?!"  

"Because…what if I was a poor teacher?" Wu wilts, tucking his gaze beneath the brim of his hat. Sprinkles of rain trail down the length of it, accumulating in tear-shaped drops at the ends. "What if I am? Who's to say that his words did not have merit? For as scathing as they are…they usually carry significant weight regardless."

"Well it's not true!" Lloyd sneers just at the idea of Wu believing that. "You…you weren't perfect, sure, but you don't have to be perfect to be good ; you taught me that! And 'good' is a hell of a lot better than whatever Garmadon's trying to pull…!"

Lloyd leans forward, grabbing the disconsolate Wu by the shoulders. He squeezes, as if that'll help hammer in his point.  

"I've learned way more from you than I ever have from him! You taught me how to use my kindness as a strength , to not let my emotions overwhelm me, to find my inner peace and achieve true balance to become the greatest Master of Spinjitzu…and now he wants me to act like all of that is wrong?! Ha! What would he know anyway?! Calling you a bad teacher—it's not like he was around to see for himself to make that call…!"

The agony is so palpably apparent on Lloyd’s face, to the point that it makes Wu’s eyes water up just watching. And if any tears happen to escape, well, he can just blame it on a stray bit of rain.  

"…if I were truly a good teacher, I could have spared you from all of this. I should have…I should have done more, to save you from this fate.”

Lloyd stares at Wu like he's gone mad, although his lip also trembles violently.  

"What…what more could you have possibly done?! I was going to be stuck with this destiny regardless of whether or not you intervened, and all you ever tried to do was make that process as easy as possible, painful as it was…! I don’t blame you for anything! This…is not your fault."

Wu’s shoulders sink. "It's not your fault, either."

That strikes Lloyd to the core, rendering him aghast and speechless all at the same time. He steps back from Wu, dragging his fingers through his bangs. He lets out a sound that's a mix of a roar and sob before aggressively shaking his head.  

“I-I just…that reanimated zombie walking around now…that monster that tried to kill me more than once…that thing that brings out the worst parts of myself that I try so hard to keep locked away…that’s not my dad. My dad…would have never pushed to make me worse than I am…and I feel like no one else could ever understand how awful this is for me…!”

Wu stares miserably as Lloyd paces back and forth, eyes shaking as he buries his hands into his hair with tight fists.

"He has no idea what it's been like for me; no idea of what I've gone through; what we've all gone through…and that's just outside of all the suffering he's been directly responsible for! There's everything he caused indirectly, there's everything he's done to people who aren't me, and everything he'll never know about because he just keeps covering up his problems, like they never happened…!"

Lloyd casts his arms out with a maddened, disbelieving cackle, both limbs igniting in a vicious purple glow. It runs from his palms and up his arms and across his shoulders, enshrouding him like an unsettling blanket. He grins with all his teeth, eyes pinched angrily, and it fills Wu with dread how much he resembles Garmadon in the moment.

And he knows it would just make things worse if he said so.

“I can’t believe I ever wanted to be like him…and now I’m supposed to, what, give into every horrible, terrible, rage-inducing thought I've had about my life and myself and use that to hurt things and people like he did?! Becoming like my father…that’s the worst thing you could ask of me!”

Lloyd laughs again, raucous and furious in a single breath, and he feels the uncomfortable yet strangely familiar power surge through him, flowing through every vein. His rib cage pounds painfully at both sides, like something’s fighting to break free from the inside out. He places a hand on his forehead, now-clawed fingers brushing against the sprouting bud of a horn. And though Lloyd cannot see it, his face is no longer his own—but he feels it, having been twisted into something much more…monstrous.  

“…Look at me! Being all angry and bitter over something this stupid…something I should’ve dealt with already…letting it get in the way of being the hero people need me to be…letting it consume me this much…!”

Lloyd’s world glimmers with a purple haze at the edges, the view wavering into a full blur from the tears that now flood his vision. Still, he brings up his hand into his line of sight, and chokes down a sob at the persistent violet that burns off of him.

He’s so reckless, destructive, and always so, so, so angry…at everyone, the world, and simply circumstance itself…

“…I really am becoming just like him, aren’t I?! I…I don’t want to be like him…that's my biggest nightmare…it’s everything I never wanted…”

Lloyd finally turns back to a helplessly horrified Wu, his wavering purple eyes contrasting Wu’s steady xanthic ones.

“…why, instead, couldn’t I have been like you?"  

Eight words, and they paralyze Wu to the soul. He stands struck speechless, all while Lloyd forges on in his tirade.   

”You’ve been through so much, made so many mistakes, seen so much turmoil, and have so many regrets...and yet, you never let it ruin you. You still see light in even the darkest places…and I wish I could have a heart as open as that. You can look at Garmadon…and still see something worth having compassion for.”

Wu beholds his nephew— his brother's son —in a golden armor that parallels his own. An armor too heavy for anyone else in the world, along with a mantle, a title, and a destiny he never asked for but carries regardless.  

But to Wu—who has only ever seen himself as something frail, something broken, something that crumbles with every step he takes further into time, with regrets piling up behind him like a body count— Lloyd is the one that’s been strong. He is quite possibly the strongest person Wu’s ever met. Not just physically or through his powers (which, perhaps, is also certainly true) but in heart and spirit as well…all in the ways Wu could only ever dream to be.  

"And it hurts!” Lloyd wails into a roar —his body grows awash in destructive powers, the energy reaching high enough to lick at the bottom of Bounty's sails. And yet, still not enough to fully corrupt him either. “Because I know he's capable of overcoming his evil! I know he's got good in him! I know he is capable of being a better person! And I know… that I, like you, want to believe that he can…!"

Wu recoils in instinctive fear, but can't take his eyes off his suffering nephew, nor does he dare move from his spot. He witnesses Lloyd’s anger dissipate away…but, anguish manifests in its place. Lloyd starts to come back into himself, piece by piece, even as hot tears stain his cheeks.

"...but that thing disowned me! He said I wasn't his son! And maybe that's right! He doesn't get to just come back from that and boss us around and say terrible things and make me into something I don’t want to be because, what, now he feels a little bad…?! Now that the damage is already done?! No! It's not okay; it's not okay…!"

And now, Lloyd looks less like Garmadon…and more like the child that’s been hurt one too many times.

The burning destructive power fizzles out, Lloyd hyperventilating as it all evaporates away. Only a highly distraught Lloyd is left behind, eyes quaking and four shakes away from falling right to pieces.

"…you can't just say that to someone…you can't just do that…and expect things to be okay …" Lloyd's arms swing back down, limp and useless. He stares forward with a vapid expression, chest heaving. "…you can't …you can't… you can't …!"

“Lloyd—” Wu tries to reach out again, but instead of a response he gets a sob, and the next thing he knows, his arms are full of nothing but nephew. Lloyd’s head buries itself in the crook of Wu’s shoulder, attempting to hide the sound of his cries and the full appearance of his tears. He throws his arms around Wu’s torso and clutches at the fabric there, desperate for any purchase to anchor himself down. And, in silent response, Wu returns the hug, one hand placed supportively on Lloyd’s back while the other cradles his head.

The simple act of being held calms Lloyd down, though misery still chokes every word he speaks.

“…why couldn’t you have been my dad instead?”

Wu stops breathing— but Lloyd doubles down on his claim. He speaks so easily and earnestly, as if his words haven't just thrown Wu's universe inside out.

“…I mean it. You've been more of a father to me than he has! And everything…would have been so much easier if you were. None of these good vs evil complications, none of the fear of being like him, and not being this confused about how I should feel about Garmadon…and then, maybe, I wouldn't care as much as I do. And then, it wouldn't hurt this much."

Lloyd laughs—a broken, fragmented sound—and shakes his head for the umpteenth time. He’s at a loss for what else to do. 

“…but…but if I started calling you my dad…I feel like I’d be invalidating all the good things my dad has done for me. I don't want forget the few good things he was actually able to do in his life, but—he hurt me so bad —for so much longer —”

"Lloyd."

With tremors in his hands, Wu cradles Lloyd's head, handling him like he’s precious. He brushes his thumbs across his cheeks to knock away the tears that fall, even though he feels a few drizzling down his own face.

He…he had never meant to replace Lloyd's father—only tried to make up the difference, only tried to look out for Lloyd when and where he could, only tried to step in when Garmadon couldn’t…

…which…was basically almost all the time…

And, even now.  

"I…I can't tell you how to feel. And…I can't promise that an easy solution will ever come. I only know what I know…and that's that no matter what he says, no matter what he does, no matter who he is even now… you are the best thing he's brought to the world. Nothing will ever change that, Lloyd."

Wu forces every word around the swelling lump in his throat, so taut that it threatens to choke him. Looking into Lloyd's wide, pleading, shimmering eyes does him no favors either.  

“But, even if I may be able to find it in my heart to house some forgiveness for my brother…that doesn’t mean you have to. Maybe one day you'll change your mind. Maybe you won't. But you don't owe him anything. You don’t . Let no one tell you otherwise. The decision is yours alone.”

Lloyd shudders, confronted by the very simple and very direct truth…

“And your heart is stronger than you think. You'll know what to do when the right time comes. You always have."

Sniveling, Lloyd pulls back from Wu to be able to look him properly in the eye, jaw set despite the way his lip still quivers.  

"It's just…at almost every turn, good or bad, I've had to lose him. I'm tired of losing my dad. I…won't pretend I don’t want a second, or third, or fourth chance to do things right with him…just the way I do with everything else. If I…don’t have to lose him…then I don't want to."

Wu chuckles wetly. It's good to see that Lloyd's optimism still has yet to truly wane. "If all you ever wanted was to do things right…then you are more like me, and more human, than you realize."

Lloyd smiles at that, though it vanishes quickly.

"…If there's even a small chance things can work out for the best…I'm always going to take it." He thinks of his mother, his friends, his enemies, people he's talked to only briefly—or only once —people he's never even met, even Harumi —and winces. "…but how am I supposed to put a name to a dad that's never truly there, one way or another, good or bad?"

Lloyd shrugs, slumping his head pitifully back against Wu's shoulder.

"I just…want someone that stays. Or at least, if that's too much to ask…someone who always would have wanted to."

Wu inhales a breath to steady himself, once more reaching an arm over to pull Lloyd in close. Lloyd rolls back into Wu's hold limply, molding himself into the comfort. Wu peers past Lloyd and over to the horizon, where the coming storm still rages and the Crystal Fortress looms closer. As ever…Destiny approaches quickly. And without remorse. 

"…do you remember what I told you, once?" Wu pats a hand to Lloyd's head, relishing in the moment of respite, for he knows not when another like this will come. "Even if you find yourself without power, or the world tears us apart…you are never without me. And whether as your teacher, your mentor, your master, your uncle, or…whatever else…take heart knowing that I do love you very much, Lloyd Garmadon."

Lloyd sniffles uselessly, struggling to dry his tears on an arm covered in armor. He's too choked up to speak, as much as there's three words he desperately wants to say in turn…but Wu just smiles in that knowing way of his. He takes care to dry Lloyd's eyes with his own sleeve; Lloyd's time is better spent pulling himself together for the grueling trials to come.

Lloyd's heart has been broken enough for a lifetime. And, hopefully, maybe …Lloyd will have enough time to fully heal from all his lingering regrets, in the way Wu never was.

For Wu would never want Lloyd Garmadon to be like him.

He wants Lloyd Garmadon to be better.

"And I hope...you do a better job than I have…when you become master of the Monastery. Remember…that family is key."

It's years later when Lloyd finds himself on the grounds of the flourishing Monastery, walking in the footsteps of the great Spinjitzu Masters before him. He knew a day like this would come eventually…but now that is definitely and firmly here , with a new gigantic threat on the horizon, all of his old friends scattered to parts unknown, and two wide-eyed students (mostly) eager for his teachings…Lloyd knows he has to do this right. And, in the way that he wants to.

"One more thing…you must complete the course before I finish my tea…"  

…and promptly spits out aforementioned tea, feeling every tea-making ancestor he's ever had cursing his name to the heavens from the depths of their graves for bungling up such a simple, ancient, well-respected recipe. The offensive taste lingers on his poor tongue, all bitter and crumbly and charred beyond fathomability—he didn't even know you could do that!

"Why…were you gonna time us with a hot beverage, anyway?"

Lloyd blinks himself out of his self-induced disgust, having thought the answer would be obvious. But, with these two new faces, it then dawns on him…that of course they wouldn't know. He feels a bit silly, having so easily slipped into a surprisingly comforting nook of nostalgia…

Whereas once upon a time such a simple question would have filled him with existential dread, now he smiles warmly, pleased to have an excuse to reminisce on older times. It's almost a bit strange to feel this light when thinking back on times gone by. But, maybe that's just something that comes with growing up, and having the time and space to make good memories to look back upon.  

And for once…he is at peace when it comes to providing an answer.

"…I had the best teacher—my uncle, Master Wu. That's…how he did it."

With a wistful smile, Lloyd leads his new students to the portrait of Wu he has set up in the courtyard. A bowl filled with a rainbow of Wu's favorite flowers and some lightly wafting incense are offered before the picture, freshly placed there by Lloyd at the start of the day. Lloyd hefts himself up the step to kneel beside the memorial, feeling his heart twist at the realization of how much he misses his uncle.  

The first person to see the good in him, the first person to prove his life had meaning and worth just as himself… Lloyd doesn't really know if he's actually gone, or if this time, he really won't ever see him again…

But should the latter be the case, then Lloyd wants to make sure Wu's memory lives on. And, with honor, respect…and immense gratitude.

"As your teacher, I wanna do everything like he did," Lloyd explains, glancing up to meet the gaze of the painting. Wu's stern yet soft expression greets him back. "That's why I come here and kneel on his favorite meditation carpet and ponder on how to be just like him."

He folds his hands in his lap, smiling with admiration.   

"I…wouldn’t be the person I am today without him. Heck, I'm not even sure I'd be here today, especially as I am, without him…"

Arin and Sora look on in surprise, awed and moved by their newfound master's words. Lloyd's eyes tremble a bit before he sinks his head into a bow, clutching his hands into fists.

"…I just hope he knows how grateful I am for all he's done for me."

With the tender moment passed, Lloyd goes on to make a point of showing off the beard-in-progress he's got going on (that definitely exists) before ushering his students back into their training. As he watches them make several attempts at completing their laps (and his own failed attempts at tracking their times via drinking horrendously burnt tea), he can't help the pang of longing that washes over him.  

It's stunning, how much things have changed over all these years…and yet, that sense of familiarity hasn't gone away either.

And he thinks, with Arin's family missing in the wake of The Merge…and Sora's own origins being something of a sore spot…maybe Lloyd will wind up being something of a father figure for them, just as Wu had been for Lloyd.  

But, perhaps that's a consideration for another day. They're just getting started at becoming a tight knit group, after all. The family thing can come later, just as it had with everyone else that came before.  

…although, he does wonder if Wu ever expected to find a family out of his students like this.

Knowing him, probably not…but Lloyd is sure he's proud nonetheless.

When the training duo aren't looking, Lloyd shuffles back over to the memorial, once again beholding his lost master. There's so many things he still wishes they could've done, so many places to see…and there's nothing more he wants than to be in Wu's presence just one more time , just to be able to say all things he should've when he had the chance. Suddenly, he can understand the weight of Wu's many accumulated regrets over the years.  

Somehow, though…Lloyd thinks his uncle already knows how Lloyd truly feels. He's always been intuitive like that. And that's enough to give Lloyd some piece of mind going forward.

…just for good measure, Lloyd drops into a quick bow before the painting once again and speaks his gratitude into the ether, hoping his voice will carry far enough to reach, despite the softness of his words.  

And with luck, three words are all he needs to get his message across.

"…Thanks, Uncle Wu."