Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Morro walked down the hallway of the Monastery after having finished a practice run around of the course… again. Honestly, he needed to find something more challenging to do at this point.

He sighed and opened the door to the rec room, where the others were playing their video game. Again.

"… How long have you five even been up?"

"I just woke up!" Lloyd pointed out.

"Uhuh… and how about you four-?"

"We got through a few pizzas, what do you think?" Kai asked as he continued to beat up Jay's avatar in the game.

Jay yelped as Kai got the upper hand, "No- No! You are not winning this!"

"Too late!" Kai grinned as Jay's sprite exploded into pixels.

"NO!" Jay groaned. His controller fell into his lap and his face into his hands.

"Want me to beat Kai's ass for that one, Jay?" Cole asked.

"Please! Take his ego down a notch or two!" Jay said.

Cole grinned as he moved his sprite over to attack Kai, "Say no more!"

"Can you guys please stop wasting your lives and focus on the objective?" Lloyd whined. "Seriously! We've been on this room for twenty minutes!"

"Actually, it has been fifteen minutes." Zane corrected.

"Whatever!"

Jay snorted a bit at Lloyd's impatience, "Aw, c'mon kid! We're just having some fun!"

"I'm not giving any of my extra lives to you!" He hissed. "They're mine and I found em fair and square!"

Morro chuckled. "Territorial."

"Shuddup!"

Jay leaned over and ruffled Lloyd's hair playfully.

Lloyd nipped at Jay's hand, not actually biting him, but a threat nonetheless.

Jay immediately pulled his hand away, "Damn, you're bitey today.."

Morro seemed… tense. He stood in the doorway, watching the room as he noticed their golden weapons scattered about… and a pizza slice on the Sword of Fire.

They were sitting idly. The only thing that was happening was the Sword of Fire cooking that pizza slice even more.

"… Kai. Pizza slice on your sword." Morro deadpanned.

Kai blinked, "Huh?" He glanced at Morro then looked back at the sword, "Eh, it's fine. Just means it'll be warmed up after I beat Cole!"

"If it winds up on fire I'm not helping you." Morro moved over to sit down in the corner as he opened the book he'd brought with him.

Kai didn't give a response to that, already focused on the fight with Cole again.

Cole grinned as he managed to lower Kai's health even more and… he exploded into pixels.

"Tada! Taste defeat, my friend." Cole gently bumped his shoulder.

Kai huffed, "Dammit!"

"In your face!" Jay grinned.

Nya paused as she passed the room. "Heading to Jamanakai Village for some ingredients! We ran out of the powdered sugar again!"

"Noo…" Lloyd pouted. "Not the powdered sugar…"

Nya walked inside and gently ruffled Jay's hair a bit. "I'll be back as soon as I can, alright?"

Jay leaned into the touch a bit, smiling slightly, "See you when you get back!"

She smiled and waved a little as she left the room.

"… You are so obvious." Lloyd stuck his tongue out.

Jay flushed, "Wha- What?! We- No!"

"Admit it! You have a crush on Nya and Nya has a crush on you! It's painful to watch!" Lloyd whined.

"I for one find it quite enjoyable." Zane said.

"That's because you're weird, Zane." Lloyd huffed as he continued to collect items in the game, though he did lean against Zane.

Cole snorted a bit, "They are obvious though. Really obvious."

Jay buried his face in his hands once again.

"Hey, don't worry about it." Kai said. "But also, don't do anything stupid that'll make her upset."

"Can I ask the question?" Lloyd asked.

"What question?" Zane asked.

"Have Jay and Nya kissed yet, duh!" Lloyd said loudly. Morro sighed as he brought his book closer to his face.

Jay let out a squeak, going very red, "No!"

Lloyd cackled. "Coward!"

"To force something to happen is to beg for your own destruction, Lloyd." Morro piped up. "Others must go at their own pace… as should you."

"Hah! Get Wu'd, kid." Kai snickered.

"Not again!" Lloyd groaned. "Why do you have so many of those?!"

"He raised me, remember?"

Lloyd put up two middle fingers at Morro, which caused Morro to respond by pulling out his bookmark.

Kai snorted and turned his attention back to the game.

"… The door is unlocked." Zane said.

"Finally!" Lloyd cheered and got his character over to the doorway. "How do I interact with doors again?"

Cole snickered, "E, kid."

"… There's no E button on this controller, Cole! Tell me which one it is before I go over there and button-mash you to death!" Lloyd hissed.

Kai snickered, "It's X, Lloyd."

"Thank you." Lloyd sighed as he finally got to progress.

Cole didn't look apologetic at all as he followed Lloyd.

As they loaded into the next area, Lloyd quickly hit Cole before he dashed away to loot the level for more items.

"Hey! Get back here, kid!" Cole chased after Lloyd.

"You'll never catch me! I have more stamina than you!" Lloyd cackled.

"I'll get you eventually!" Cole huffed.

Kai snorted and went on his own way.

Zane continued to progress further, seeming rather focused.

Kai focused on progressing now too.

"… So, I went to talk to Uncle earlier and I found this old scroll." Lloyd said offhandedly. "It had five ninja in the illustration, but one was green. Kinda weird if you ask me."

Morro's attention snapped to Lloyd, his eyes wide.

The other four ninja looked intrigued.

"Really? Did it say anything?" Cole asked.

"Yeah, but I can't read the old writing!" Lloyd pouted. "It's too hard."

"Damn." Kai said.

"Perhaps I could translate it?" Zane suggested, "I am quite good at reading old writings."

Lloyd grinned. "Pause the game then! I'll go get it!"

Jay obliged and paused the game, "Go!"

Lloyd scrambled out of the room and down the hall. It didn't take long for him to get back, grinning as he held the scroll. "Got it!"

Zane held his hand out for it.

Lloyd passed it over as he sat down back in his spot. "What does it say?"

Zane opened it up and looked over it, "One ninja will rise above the others and become the Green Ninja, the ninja destined to defeat the Dark Lord." He translated.

"The green ninja? Why does the color of their gi matter? It's not that big a deal!" Lloyd huffed.

"Maybe it has to do with their powers?" Cole suggested.

"Mleehhh.." Lloyd stuck his tongue out.

"So… is anyone else thinking what I'm thinking?" Kai asked.

Jay scoffed a bit. "Like how good I'm gonna look in green?"

"Isn't it obvious I'm gonna be the Green Ninja?" Kai raised a brow as Morro stood up and walked over silently.

"The color obviously suits me." Jay argued.

"Technically, I am the best." Zane cut in.

"Enough." Morro said as he sharply pulled the scroll away from Zane. "Neither of you four are going to be the Green Ninja, is that understood?"

"Wha- But it's clearly us on the scroll!" Jay said.

"And Destiny's a bitch. What do I gotta keep telling you guys?" Morro sighed as he set the scroll down on the table. "Seriously. This prophecy stuff is never good news, and none of you should be wanting to be the Green Ninja, trust me."

All four of them groaned, despite Cole not getting in on the initial debate.

"Whatever.." Kai huffed.

"How are you so certain?" Zane asked.

"Yeah, how do you know?" Cole questioned as well, "There's no proof it isn't one of us."

Morro crossed his arms. "Intuition."

"I call bullshit! I bet you don't really know!" Kai huffed.

Morro turned to face them. His expression was dark, like he was deeply irritated. "If you're so certain on this, maybe I should tell Wu you all know about the prophecy."

Lloyd rolled his eyes. "You won't tell him I took it."

"I will."

"You rotten cousin!" He shrieked.

Jay huffed "Alright.. Alright.."

He sighed. "Good. And don't do anything stupid. I've got to put this back before Wu notices it's missing."

"Since when do you care if Wu finds out?" Kai asked.

"Since you five decided to poke your noses where they don't belong yet." Morro grumbled as he grabbed the scroll again. He walked out of the rec room, irritated.

"What is his problem..?" Kai grumbled.

"Perhaps he knows more about this prophecy than just what the scroll says?" Zane suggested.

"Why wouldn't he just tell us then..?" Jay asked.

"… He used to get like this sometimes when I was little." Lloyd said quietly. "Overprotective, I mean… never knew why. Heck, he never let me sneak into the room where the Golden Weapons used to be kept."

Jay frowned a bit, "He does seem kinda anxious whenever you're around us with the weapons.."

"It's probably just that he doesn't want Lloyd getting hurt." Cole shrugged.

Zane nodded, "Yes.. The Golden Weapons are quite dangerous.."

"But why specifically the Golden Weapons?" Kai asked. "He doesn't seem to have a problem with Lloyd being around normal weapons!"

"Maybe because regular weapons can't catch pizza on fire…?" Lloyd said, now staring at the flaming pizza slice on the Sword of Fire.

Cole scrambled a bit away from the sword upon that being pointed out. "Yep. Nope. I see why."

Kai's eyes widened and he scrambled over to try and put the fire out. He stomped the fire out, which absolutely ruined his sock, and kicked the ruined slice off the sword.

"… Dude, did you seriously just do that with only socks on?" Jay asked.

Kai blinked and looked down, "… Yeah..?"

"You just burned your foot, Kai!" Cole shouted.

"Note to everyone! Don't trust Kai when he doesn't have a fire extinguisher!" Lloyd declared.

Kai turned a glare on the kid, "I'm fine! It doesn't even hurt."

Lloyd stuck his tongue out at him. "Says every dummy who puts out a fire without proper shoes on!"

"What the hell happened in here?!" Morro demanded as he stepped into the room.

"Nothing! They're overreacting. I just put out the pizza cause it was on fire." Kai huffed, crossing his arms.

"With your foot?! WITH NO SHOES?!" Cole gestured at him.

"I'm going to ask Wu to ground you if you don't let me check for a burn on your foot." Morro said dryly.

Kai groaned, "… Fine.."

Morro walked over and sat down, pulling out the first aid kit. "I swear… I leave for three minutes…"

Kai sighed and sat down so Morro could check his foot.

Morro was silent, and narrowed his eyes at him. "You need a lesson on fire safety, Kai."

"No, I don't! I'm a blacksmith, I know plenty about fire safety." Kai argued.

"Okay, how do you put out an oil fire?" Morro asked.

Kai was quiet, "… Water..?"

"No, that spreads it. You failed and burned down the kitchen, try again." Morro said as he applied some anti-burn cream to his foot.

"I don't know! I've never been able to cook with oil!" Kai crossed his arms, looking away.

Morro sighed. "You slide a lid over the pot or pan. You have to suffocate the flame, not spread the oil in an attempt to douse it."

"Oh.." Kai said quietly, "Okay.."

Morro nodded. "Now, never do anything like this again, okay? That was a stupid decision and you could've ended up with worse of an injury than a burn and a cut."

"… Okay." Kai sighed.

"Good." Morro finished wrapping up his foot with a bandage. "Don't put too much pressure on it either way… it's gonna hurt like a bitch for a while."

"I'll be fine, nothing I haven't dealt with before. It barely hurts.." Kai shrugged.

Morro frowned. "We need to get you evaluated for something."

"Like dummy disease!" Lloyd called out.

Kai flipped off the kid, "I'm fine!"

"Are you sure?" Cole asked. "I mean, my Dad used to be intense and that's why I push myself so much but… dude, even though you're the Elemental Master of Fire, this isn't a joke."

"I got burns all the time at the shop while blacksmithing, it's fine!" Kai huffed.

Morro flicked Kai's forehead. "It isn't. Plus you were doing it while learning through trial and error."

Kai's face scrunched, "So? I got used to it! Like I said, it barely hurts!"

"… Okay, then put pressure on it." Morro deadpanned. "If you're so sure it barely hurts, then go ahead."

Kai huffed and stood up. He set his foot on the ground and didn't really react at all.

Morro stared, and the wind suddenly became very loud outside. "What… the fuck."

"Like I said. I got used to it.." Kai shrugged.

"You need to see a doctor about that one of these days. I'm not even joking anymore." Morro said quietly.

"Why?" Kai asked.

"Because that's not normal! Or healthy!" Cole interrupted.

"Oh." Kai said, with a small frown.

"Yeah…" Morro looked down. "I can only guess that it's because you've been burned so many times… but…"

Kai looked away, "I mean.. Yeah. What else would it be..?"

Cole grimaced. "There is a condition which makes it almost impossible to feel pain signals…"

"There is..?" Kai questioned.

"Yeah."

"… He still screams when I bite him so it's not that." Lloyd pointed out.

Kai glared at the kid, "I'm gonna make you scream."

"Oh yeah? How will you do that?" Lloyd looked smug.

"You are so lucky I can't beat you up."

"I mean all you can do is mention his crush on-"

"SHUT UP!" Lloyd shrieked, his face red.

Kai snorted while Jay burst into laughter. Zane glanced at the two and Morro. "I do not see how his reaction is funny."

"It's how high pitched he gets, frosty." Cole shrugged.

"He becomes a little squeaker toy." Kai snickered.

"I hate you!" Lloyd squeaked, his face still red from embarrassment and anger.

"I know, kid." Kai's snickering did not stop.

He grabbed a nearby pillow and whipped it at him, hitting him in the face.

Kai yelped and stumbled back, "Brat!"

Lloyd cackled. "Eat my fury!"

Kai grabbed the pillow and flung it back at the kid.

Lloyd shrieked and failed to dodge.

Kai whooped, "Take that!"

Lloyd growled and got up, picking up the pillow in his hands. "GET OVER HERE AND FIGHT ME!"

Morro put his head in his hands as Lloyd ran at Kai.

Kai immediately ran away and grabbed another pillow.

Lloyd managed to catch up and started hitting him with the pillow, growling angrily the whole time.

Kai yelped and tried to defend himself with his own pillow.

"DO NOT CALL ME A SQUEAKY TOY!" He screamed as he repeatedly hit Kai with the pillow, clearly upset by how his tail was flicking.

"Then stop being one!" Kai yelled back.

"YOU'RE A JERK!" Lloyd cried- oh shit wait he's actually crying. Tears were running down his face.

Kai's eyes widened, "Woah- Woah, Lloyd are you crying?" He immediately stopped fighting back, worry taking over.

"No!" He screamed, though he was clearly crying… "I hate you!"

Kai set his pillow aside with a small frown, "Lloyd.. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to actually upset you."

Lloyd was still crying. "You guys never listen when I tell you to stop!"

Morro frowned.

Kai grabbed the pillow and gently held it still to stop Lloyd, "We'll start listening then.. We didn't realize it upset you that much.. We'll pay more attention."

Lloyd was still crying a bit as he leaned into Kai. His voice was really quiet now, like he'd hurt his voice while screaming. "You better… or else I'm gonna hide everyone's plushies…"

Kai immediately wrapped his arms around Lloyd, "I promise, Lloyd.. We will.."

"Is everything alright?" Wu asked suddenly, startling most of the teens.

Kai's focus stayed on Lloyd, he didn't even jump at Wu's sudden appearance, "… I accidentally upset Lloyd.." He said quietly. He sounded resigned.

"Ah…" Wu said softly. He walked over and carefully hugged the both of them. "… I apologize if I have been busy lately. There have been… troubling visions in the spirit smoke."

Kai stiffened in the hug, like he hadn't been expecting it. It took a moment before he relaxed.

"Something's up with the spirit smoke?" Morro asked. "How bad is it?"

"It's simply troubling, Morro… I do not believe that it is too bad." He said softly. "Also, I noticed that one of my scrolls was placed oddly…"

"I was just… reading through it again, Father." Morro said quickly. "Apologies."

Wu hummed a bit and let go of Kai and Lloyd, carefully ruffling their hair before he turned to face him. "Is it because of anything in particular?"

"No. I just wanted to reread it." Morro said softly. "I can try to put it back properly now-"

"That will not be necessary." Wu replied. "I am going to go back to meditate, okay? And do not skip training today, you four."

"We can train tomorrow!"

"Never put off until tomorrow what can be done today." Wu scolded gently. "Morro, I trust you'll get them to train?"

"Yes, Father." He sighed.

Wu smiled a bit as he started to leave. "Do not get too distracted."

"Yes, Sensei.." Cole and Zane said. Jay had gotten distracted by an extra pizza slice. Kai was focused on Lloyd still.

Lloyd had calmed down, finally… though he wasn't gonna leave Kai's arms any time soon. "… 'm sorry I said I hated you…"

"It's okay. I deserved it, I was being a jerk." Kai said quietly.

"But I don't hate you…" Lloyd sniffled. "I don't!"

"Alright.." Kai said softly.

"Get over here, both of you." Morro said as he got up and scooped them up. He brought them over to where the others were sitting and set them down as he sat beside them. "Kai, you're doing it again."

Kai looked up at Morro, "… Huh..?"

"The whole… y'know. Trying to be the adult in the room thing." Morro said quietly.

Kai blinked and looked away, "Oh.."

Morro carefully set a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay… just… you were worrying me."

"I'm sorry.." Kai mumbled.

He sighed. "Don't apologize… I know it's a coping mechanism. It's just… also a bit of a concerning one."

Kai nodded a bit, holding Lloyd a bit closer.

"So uh… can we finish this level before you kick us out to train?" Jay asked.

"You get one try on the boss fight and then you three gotta train."

Jay, Cole, and Zane immediately grabbed their controllers again and unpaused the game.

Morro watched in silence, smiling sadly.

They got to work immediately, not dawdling this time.

"I have the first boss room key." Zane said.

"I'm ready." Cole said, "Jay?"

"Ready!" Jay grinned.

"Let's do this." Zane said as his sprite got up to the door and opened it.

The three walked in together and got ready to fight. Zane stayed at a distance with a ranged weapon while Jay and Cole got up close.

The fight was pretty tricky, all of them had been knocked down past seventy-five percent of their health before they'd defeated the boss.

"Yes!" Cole threw his hands up.

"Woo!" Jay cheered, while Zane smiled brightly.

"Alright… you got that boss fight done. Now ya gotta go train, okay?" Morro said to them. "I'm gonna stay in with Kai and Lloyd for right now, but if I come out there and find you not training, we'll go through a full run through of the forest course."

All three boys groaned but didn't argue. They turned off the game and headed outside.

"… Good. I think Nya should be getting back soon…" Morro sighed.

"Why do you worry when I'm around the weapons?" Lloyd asked quietly.

"Huh?"

Kai blinked and looked between the two.

"You always get nervous… stiffen up whenever I'm near them… why?"

Morro frowned, and looked down. "It's… hard to explain right now, Lloyd, okay?"

"That's not a good answer." Lloyd huffed.

"It's- look, you know when Wu sometimes keeps things from us for our own safety?" Morro asked softly.

"Mhmmm.." Kai looked unimpressed with that still.

"… It's- look, it's something I've been keeping from everyone. I- I don't want you to get hurt…" Morro said softly. "I promised I'd protect you, no matter what…"

"But what does that even mean?" Lloyd asked. "I'm not gonna touch the weapons!"

"That's not what I'm worried about." Morro said weakly. "Just- please… please promise me that you'll be careful around them?"

"But why? He already said he won't touch them, there isn't much more careful than that." Kai said.

"It's because of something that I know, Kai. I- I can't say it. Not right now. I can't say it because if I do, then- then everything I've worked so hard for will be for nothing." He whispered.

Kai frowned heavily, "… Oh.."

"But what does that even mean?"

"You'll find out when you're older, Lloyd… I know that much." Morro admitted. "I can't keep this a secret forever… but I'm going to keep it for as long as I possibly can."

Kai's face was full of confusion but he kept quiet now.

Lloyd pouted, but didn't press further. "… So uh… I went onto a forum page-"

"What."

"I was just reading, gosh." Lloyd sighed. "A-anyways, I found some of my classmates' handles and uh… apparently Brad and Gene disappeared from campus?"

Morro raised a brow. "Your crush-?"

"Shut! This is serious!" Lloyd hissed. "Apparently they were planning something big!"

"… Wait, was this the Darkley's forum site that's supposed to be for students to plot evil shit?"

"Yeah…" Lloyd frowned.

"That isn't that surprising.." Kai said.

"… So, what, do you think they're gonna try to build like… a tank or something?" Morro asked.

"No no no! I think they're doing something worse."

"… Worse than a pair of nine year olds operating a tank?"

"It is a school for evil.." Kai pointed out, "Could be anything.."

Morro groaned. "I'll tell the group to look out for them. Honestly… if something stupid happens…"

"It definitely will.. " Kai grumbled.

"I know." Morro leaned back onto the floor. "It's even more annoying that Katy's brother is at Darkley's."

"Damn.." Kai said.

"He is?" Lloyd piped up.

"Yeah… Ted. The kid's apparently real quiet according to Kate." He shrugged. "Doesn't stop him from being a menace."

"Wow. You know him, Lloyd?" Kai asked.

"Not really… didn't have friends, just knew the kids who were the loudest or who picked on me the most." Lloyd mumbled.

Kai frowned and hugged Lloyd closer, "Oh.."

"… Darkley's isn't good for people like us." Morro said softly.

"Obviously. It's a school for evil." Kai huffed.

"It's a school that encourages bad behavior." Morro frowned.

"Well, yeah. That. But still." Kai said.

"… The door handles are always sticky there." Lloyd grimaced.

"Gross." Morro hissed.

Kai made a face, "No one cleans them..?"

"I- I did… with a damp cloth when I had the chance… didn't like touching them." Lloyd shuddered. "Made me feel gross."

"That's fair.. I wouldn't want to touch them either." Kai said.

"Me either. It just sounds like instant sensory death for my hands." Morro frowned.

"How is the school even still up? Aren't there like… Hygiene standards or something..?" Kai asked.

Morro looked at Kai with a slight grin. "Why do you think I've been filling out health violation reports for years?"

Kai smiled a bit, "Hopefully it gets shut down.."

"Yeah! And then I can rub it in their faces!" Lloyd grinned. "They used to tease me for trying to clean everything as much as I could…"

"Well you wanna know something?" Morro asked as Lloyd nodded a little. "People who don't take proper care of their environment or themselves often wind up having horrible luck with a lot of things."

"… Like how if a shop is really dirty all the time it gets shut down for health code violations?"

"Yep." Morro gently ruffled his hair.

Kai smiled some more, "It'll be like karma for them being so mean to you."

"Yeah!" Lloyd cheered, his tail flicking.

Kai smiled and ruffled the kid's hair like Morro had.

Lloyd smiled. "By the way, can we go to an arcade at some point soon? I wanna see if I can kick your guys' butts in air hockey!"

Kai paused, "… What's air hockey..?"

"It's hockey on a table that blows a certain air pressure through tiny holes which simulates ice." Morro said quickly, before he cleared his throat. "I've uh… I've played it a lot."

"Okay.. What's hockey..?"

"It's like soccer but you do it on ice and you have sticks because you can't kick anything with ice skates on!" Lloyd smiled.

"Oh. Okay." Kai nodded a bit, "Got it."

Morro nodded. "Hockey's cool 'n all, but if anything I prefer just normal ice skating."

"Why..?" Kai asked.

"Cuz I eat shit when running on ice most of the time. Can't get myself to stop properly." Morro shrugged.

"Ha!"

"Oh, like you can do better." Morro said dryly.

Kai snickered a bit.

"I will smite you yet." Lloyd hissed as Morro rolled his eyes and ruffled his hair once more.

Kai snorted and grinned.

There was a loud thud from outside, and Morro snickered. "Sounds like those three are trying to spar."

Kai snickered, "Bet that's going well.."

"I bet they're gonna wind up bruised." Lloyd piped up.

"Oh definitely." Kai nodded.

Morro sighed. "Considering how they don't seem to know their own strength sometimes? Yeah…"

Kai snickered a bit, "Mhm.."

"You know you're included in that, right?" Morro grinned.

Kai paused and glared at him.

"Just saying!" Morro gently nudged him. "It's normal for elemental masters to be a little unaware of how strong they are at first. Believe me, scared the crap out of myself and Wu when I first started training."

"… Really?" Kai asked.

"Yeah." Morro grimaced. "Don't tell him I told you this but he was dealing with a nasty bruise on his shin for like… a week."

Kai snickered, "Damn."

"Well, you do tend to be a little rough." Lloyd said.

"Not all the time!" Morro cried.

"Obviously not all the time but like- I dunno… it feels like you've been into more fights than you've told me about…" Lloyd mumbled.

Kai looked away a bit, "The kid is right.."

"… Look. I don't go looking for trouble." Morro said softly. "But if someone is being hurt, I have to intervene. It's just… how things go."

"Really..?" Kai said.

"We're supposed to protect people." Morro looked at them. "I'm not going to just stand by when I can make a difference…"

"… That makes sense.." Kai mumbled.

"… So how bad have you beat up assholes?"

"Bad enough they need an ambulance sometimes." Morro said sheepishly. "Depends on what they're doing though.."

"Oh damn.." Kai said.

"… Like if someone was trying to… y'know… what happened to your Mom..?" Lloyd asked quietly.

"… Yeah. Though there's no guarantee I can keep myself in check long enough to keep from potentially killing them in that scenario." Morro admitted quietly. "… I'm not the safest to be around, and I know that."

Kai was silent, looking between the two of them. He kept his questions to himself.

"… I- sorry, Kai." Morro mumbled. "It's… difficult to explain…"

"It's okay.." Kai said, "I understand."

"… I promise I'll tell you… just… not with Lloyd still here." Morro said softly.

Kai nodded a bit, "Okay.."

There was a loud creaking, followed by shouting from the courtyard.

Kai tensed immediately at the shouting, he moved to stand up.

Morro stood up. "I'll support your injured side, got it?"

Lloyd quickly scrambled to head to the courtyard, grinning.

Kai nodded a bit and leaned against Morro, accepting the help.

As they got out to the courtyard, Nya was already getting tackled to the ground by Lloyd.

"Did you get cookies?"

"Got cookie ingredients, calm down." Nya rolled her eyes and gently ruffled his hair.

Kai relaxed some, "How was the trip..?"

"It was… odd. A couple of kids from Darkley's were making a scene. Managed to deal with them, and got everything then I left." She shrugged.

Jay frowned some, "Darkley's? Lloyd's old school? What were they doing?"

"Eh, mostly yapping on about something to do with the Serpentine." Nya sighed. "Honestly, the two brats were so annoying. Took me forever to nab both of them to get them sent back to their school…"

"Least you got them taken care of.." Cole said.

"Yeah." Nya set her hands in her pockets. "Still, it was annoying."

"Understandable." Kai nodded a bit.

"… Did one of them have orange hair and glasses?" Lloyd asked.

"Huh..? Uh, yeah, why?"

Lloyd frowned. "Fucking Gene."

"I'm gonna assume you know him?" Cole asked.

"Ugh! Yes!" Lloyd whined. "He's a know-it-all jerk! Calls himself an evil genius like a cocky little- UGH!" He turned and quickly punched the punching bag, causing it to move quite a bit before Cole stopped it, holding it firmly.

"Damn. So you hate him then?" Kai clarified.

"Pretty much." Lloyd growled. "Besides… he was a pompous a-"

"Annoyance." Morro finished for Lloyd, causing the nine-year-old to glare at him.

"An asshole, got it." Kai nodded a bit.

"Yes!" Lloyd threw his hands up before he punched the bag again. "He sucks!"

"… The other kid had black hair." Nya added.

"A lot of boys at Darkley's have dark hair!" Lloyd whined. "That's not helping-"

"Ah, wait, I think Gene had called him by his last name…? Tudabone..?" Nya said slowly.

Lloyd stared for a moment before he started to run his hands through his hair furiously. "You have got to be kidding me! Seriously?! Him?!"

"Who is it?" Zane asked curiously.

"Brad!" Lloyd cried, looking defeated. "What the hell?! Why…"

"Oh, your crush..? That sucks, dude.." Cole said.

"He's not my-!" Lloyd started before he turned and headbutted the punching bag. Morro grimaced a bit at that. "He's not my crush! He was just- the only friend I had!"

"Sorry, sorry.." Cole said.

Nya frowned softly.

"… Either way, if they're up to something… we need to investigate." Morro said.

Cole nodded, "Definitely."

"Perhaps we should ask the people in Jamanakai Village if they'd heard anything else from the two?"

"Or we can go to Darkley's to try and figure it out, I mean, doesn't the school technically count as their secret hideout?" Jay suggested.

"We could but would we even find anything out there? No one would tell us anything." Kai said.

"… Not unless we're willing to lie." Morro frowned. "Look, I've got… experience dealing with undercover missions."

"Why did you say it like that?"

"… Like what?" Morro looked over at Zane.

"You said it weirdly." Jay said.

"I did not!" Morro said.

"You kinda did." Kai said.

Morro sighed. "Look, I can't exactly make it obvious that I've been there before… otherwise we're not going to get any information at all."

"Yeah.." Nya said, "So we've gotta have disguises?"

"Pretty much." He shrugged. "Darkley's has a high-school and college branch… so I should be able to fake IDs from there…"

"FAke IDs?!" Jay yelped, his voice cracking a bit, "WHat?!"

"Uh, yeah?" Morro deadpanned. "Why are you reacting like that?"

"That's illegal!!" Jay said shrilly.

"Darkley's should be illegal but you don't see them being shut down, now do you?" Morro crossed his arms.

Jay sputtered over his words before giving up and simply sighing in defeat.

"… Besides, Uncle G said it was a good idea to make false IDs in case of situations where we're being framed for something so… y'know." Morro looked away a bit.

"Oh.. Yeah, that checks out." Kai said.

"… But how will that work? Aren't students from the other branches not allowed to visit Darkley's?"

Morro chuckled. "Teacher's assistants for extra credit. It's usually done around this time of year, so… we could easily mess with this."

"How would that work though?" Nya asked, "I don't know about the others but Kai didn't go to school and my knowledge is limited to what was taught in Ignacia."

"Eh… this is where acting comes in." Morro began to pace a bit. "Darkley's is comprised of several different branches, and all of them have their own… strengths and weaknesses. The secondary school campus for example, prides itself in preparing students for being vicious in whichever fields they plan to go into."

"Okay.." Cole said.

"… Speaking of which…" Morro thought for a moment. "Hm. I need to check what their uniforms look like, if they even still have any. It's been so long since I've even looked into that branch…"

"Eugh.. Uniforms.." Cole grumbled.

"Hey, I don't like it any more tha you do, Cole." He sighed. "Here's hoping…"

"What is wrong with uniforms?" Zane asked innocently.

"They're restrictive, often forcing students to wear clothing that they aren't comfortable with or that can be dysphoria triggering…" Morro frowned.

Zane frowned slightly, "Oh.. That is not good. Why do schools still have them then?"

"Because they think it's a good idea for everyone to dress the same like a bunch of stupid CEOs!" Lloyd shouted.

"Volume, Lloyd…" Morro sighed.

Cole huffed, "He isn't wrong.."

"Besides! Uniforms are stuffy and gross!" Lloyd stuck his tongue out.

"… That didn't stop you from stealing one of the gym uniforms."

"It's my gym uniform! Plus, I like the design on it!" Lloyd huffed. "If they want it back they'll have to fight me for it!"

"Oh dear, and nobody wants angry nine year old rabies." Morro joked, causing Lloyd to slap his arm.

Kai snorted and grinned.

"Yeah, well you have ghost rabies!" Lloyd stuck his tongue out.

"Okay I can't tell if that's dissing me or dissing the dead." Morro squinted.

"Both?" Nya offered.

"… It's both." Lloyd confirmed.

"Okay now that just also implies that Grandfather has ghost rabies." Morro said quietly, clearly attempting not to laugh.

Kai snickered, "Fantastic.."

"I- I didn't say that!" Lloyd said loudly.

"You implied it-"

"DON'T MAKE ME BITE YOU!" Lloyd hissed.

Morro rolled his eyes and scooped Lloyd up. "Okay, it's past your lunchtime. Get inside everyone, food's getting prepped soon!"

Jay whooped, "Woo! Food!"

"… By the way, did anything weird happen while I was gone?" Nya asked as they walked to the kitchen.

Cole gave Kai a pointed look, "Yeah. Kai was dumb with fire again."

Nya stared at him for a moment, then looked at Kai. "… The sock? Again?"

"The pizza was on fire! What else was I supposed to do?" Kai huffed.

"Get some tongs and a bucket of water?!" Nya cried.

"My way was quicker!" Kai argued.

"It was more dangerous!" She pointed out. "You're limping!"

"I'm fine!" Kai huffed.

"You burnt your foot so bad that you are limping!" Nya hissed. "That's not good!"

"It doesn't even really hurt! So it's fine!" Kai bit back.

"That's not how injuries work, you dummy!" She snapped.

"… Should we intervene?" Zane asked quietly.

"… I don't think so.. I don't want to get yelled at.." Jay mumbled, watching the siblings continue to argue.

"If you two keep arguing, I'm randomizing your sandwiches and having Lloyd choose the ingredients." Morro threatened.

There was an immediate silence from both Smiths.

"Good! Glad we could hash that out properly!" Morro grinned.

"… He scares me sometimes." Cole said quietly.

Jay nodded a bit, "Yeah…"

"Why does he often threaten with food?" Zane asked.

"It's the one thing he has full control over." Jay said, "He cooks every meal."

"… Hm." Zane thought for a moment. "That seems draining."

Jay shrugged, "He seems to like doing it."

"Yeah…" Cole sighed. "Seriously, I don't get why he's so touchy about the kitchen. I make duck chowder once and-"

"You used the wrong amount of water." Morro loudly pointed out.

Jay snorted a bit.

"H-How was I supposed to know?!"

"By getting a bit onto a spoon, taste-testing it, and then adding more water!" Morro sighed. "Seriously…"

"Yeah, even I knew that, Cole." Jay said.

"It- it was my first time making soup from scratch!" He stuttered. "You can't expect me to know everything about cooking!"

"You should at least know to check it before you serve it to anyone!" Jay said huffily.

"Yeah, it did kinda glue Jay's mouth shut." Kai pointed out.

"I thought he was speechless!" Cole whined and covered his face. "Stupid soups…"

"It is very rare for Jay to be speechless, Cole. He tends to talk even more when he likes something." Zane said.

Cole sighed. "Sorry…"

Morro passed some sandwiches to Nya and Kai, before he got to working on one for Lloyd, who was headbutting him a bit.

Kai and Nya moved off to the side to eat their sandwiches. Lloyd quickly joined them after he was passed his ham sandwich.

"… So…" Morro glanced at them. "You all do realize that being the Green Ninja is a huge responsibility."

"Yeah! It'll be so cool." Jay grinned.

"No- it's-!" Morro growled a bit and took a shaky breath. "It's dangerous. It's- you don't realize just how much danger you'll be in if any of you take that mantle."

Jay's grin faltered, "Huh?"

"Do you know something about the prophecy, Morro..?" Zane asked.

"… The Dark Lord mentioned in the prophecy… it can mean one of two beings…" Morro said quietly. "You know one of them… but I pray you don't ever encounter the first one."

"The first one..?" Kai frowned.

"Here's a hint… darkness." Morro said quietly before he passed the others their sandwiches. "One that's existed from the very beginning."

Lloyd's eyes widened as he glanced between Morro and Kai. He quickly swallowed his bite. "The one from that bedtime story?!"

"… If only it was just a bedtime story." He mumbled.

"Wait so that whole story about the sea serpent and there being a whole half of Ninjago out in the endless sea was real?" Kai asked.

Morro nodded. "It is… And don't tell Wu that I'm convinced the Sea Serpent is real, he thinks Wojira's a myth but I know better."

"… Damn.." Kai muttered.

"W-Wait, so the prophecy could be referring to either Garmadon or this supposed darkness?" Nya asked. "Also- what the hell is a Green Ninja?!"

"The Green Ninja is the ninja destined to rise above the others and defeat the dark lord." Zane explained.

"… Whatever…" She took a sip of her water.

Morro raised a brow. "You're not even the slightest bit curious on if it's you?"

"Who cares?" Nya asked. "Just sounds like a whole load of Destiny nonsense…"

"You can say that again…" Morro grumbled.

"I guess you're kinda right.. After hearing that about there being two potential dark lords.." Jay mumbled.

"… I just hope it's not gonna be Dad involved in the prophecy…" Lloyd said quietly.

Kai reached over and gently ruffled the kid's hair, "I'm.. I'm sure it won't be. He seems pretty set on not hurting us."

"Okay…" Lloyd leaned into Kai's hand a bit, his tail flicking a little.

Kai smiled softly and gently undid some tangles from Lloyd's hair.

"… Sometimes Destiny forces its hand…" Morro mumbled. "I don't want to say that it's going to happen… but it could."

Nya frowned, "We can only hope that won't be the case…"

"Agreed." Zane nodded, his voice growing quieter, "Though, I do find the wording interesting… the specific character used in the prophecy regarding how the Green Ninja rises…"

"Really?" Cole asked, "What's interesting about it?"

"It means to rise, but it can also mean to be lifted up." Zane looked at Cole. "It is possible that I mistranslated it partly."

"Oh.." Kai hummed, "So… It could be someone else..?"

"All four of us were already on the page.. The Green Ninja was almost portrayed as like.. A fifth person.." Jay pointed out.

"Don't look at me." Nya said immediately. "While I like ninja training and all, I'm mostly doing it for self-defense and so I can control my powers more than anything."

"… And it's already been made obvious that it isn't me." Morro looked away.

"… It has? How..?" Jay asked.

The eldest looked… guilty as he leaned against the counter. His brows knit tight as he avoided looking at the rest of them. "The Golden Weapons will reveal the Green Ninja's identity."

There was some silence as all of the others processed that. And then Kai spoke up.

"… That's why you're so worried about Lloyd being close to the weapons, isn't it?" He asked.

Morro nodded slowly. "Yes."

"And for you to be worried about that… You must have some suspicions that Lloyd is the Green Ninja.." Jay realized.

Morro grimaced. "I don't just have suspicions…"

"… You know." Cole said, "You know he is.."

"Knew it the moment I met him." Morro whispered. "I- I can't let Wu find out… We can't let Wu find out…"

The teens exchanged a look. They all came to a silent agreement.

"Alright. We won't tell Wu." Cole said, "… But how did you know..?"

"… As a kid… I- don't know how I knew." Morro whispered. "I just… realized. T-That this family is constantly being broken apart… and that Destiny would try to make it inevitable… no matter what we do…"

"Oh.. Wow.." Nya said quietly.

"… And there was an incident with the weapons, wasn't there?" Zane asked.

Morro stuffed his hands into his pockets, his voice sounded strained when he said "Yes."

Lloyd was absolutely silent.

"That's… Not what I expected.." Kai said.

"He- He was two and wandering around the Monastery looking for Uncle Garmadon- I just barely got him out of their holding room before Wu came to check on us!" He ran his hands through his hair, clearly frantic.

"… You don't want Wu to know because you want Lloyd to be able to still have his childhood.." Nya said.

"… And why you said that earlier." Lloyd said quietly. "About it all being for nothing if I wasn't careful…"

"It makes a lot of sense now.." Cole mumbled.

"… I'm sorry for not telling you guys…" Morro whispered. "I didn't- I didn't want to risk anything."

"It is okay Morro." Zane said softly, "You were worried about Lloyd. That is understandable."

"… What do we do when Wu finds out?"

"… Pray he doesn't." Morro whispered. "That's- that's what I've been doing…"

"Pray I don't find out about what?" Wu asked suddenly from the doorway, causing the teens to jolt.

"N-nothing!" Jay said immediately, in panic. It was obviously a lie.

Nya elbowed him, "Hush! We'll never get away with sneaking out if you lie like that!" She hissed lowly, yet not quiet enough for the others to not hear.

"You were planning on sneaking out?" Wu raised a brow, causing Morro to facepalm.

"This is why I have to spring this on you guys last second so we can't get caught like this!" Morro whined.

"Morro!" Wu turned to look at him. "You were planning this?"

"Come on, we've been cooped up in the Monastery for a little while, besides, Lloyd and I gotta show Kai and Nya air hockey at the arcade, so…" Morro looked away and whistled as Wu's expression got more and and more exasperated.

All the other teens quickly played along with various expressions of guilt or embarrassment at getting caught.

"It was the perfect plan!" Lloyd cried. "Please, Uncle! We've been so bored!"

"I was really excited to go to the arcade.." Nya sighed, with a played up sad look.

"… No arcade." Wu said firmly. "And no sneaking out. I don't want to deal with the same stress from when you and Jay snuck out, Nya."

Nya huffed and looked away. Though she didn't look that surprised. She had been expecting him to say no.

"… We're going to do it anyways." Morro stared Wu down. "You and I both know that."

"… If you all can make it out of the Monastery walls without alerting me, you can go without getting an extra day of training to make up for it." Wu sighed.

Morro grinned. "Proposal accepted."

Nya and Kai both brightened some, looking excited. Zane also looked a bit excited.

"And no punishing us if we can't do that!" Lloyd piped up. "Dad used to say that straining yourself with too much training is dangerous and hurts more than it helps!"

Wu looked to Lloyd, and sighed. "Right.. apologies. I will go to adjust the schedule then…"

Jay grinned some but stayed quiet. He knew better than to risk messing this up.

He paused as he began to exit the kitchen. "… I'm sorry for pushing you all so hard. I'll make sure this gets fixed. I promise."

"And if it doesn't we're ordering twelve pizzas in one week!" Lloyd called out, causing Wu to chuckle sadly as he walked out of the kitchen.

There was a light silence after Wu left.

"… He hadn't even realized he'd been pushing us that hard…" Morro mumbled. "Sheesh, we need to find Ray and Maya so they can scold him if the schedule ever gets that busy again… or we could call Lou."

Cole's eyes widened a bit, "No- No, we can just.. Not bother my dad.."

"… He's still iffy about the whole elemental powers thing?" Morro deadpanned. "I thought he got over that."

"Uh- Yeah. YEah, he's still.. Really iffy." Cole nodded quickly, like he was nervous.

"… M'kay, making a note of that…" Morro muttered.

Cole looked away, going quiet.

"Either way- wait. We could ask Ed'n Edna." Morro snapped his fingers. "Duh! How did I forget?!"

"I'm not sure how helpful they'd be." Jay said, "I mean Ma might be.."

Morro snickered. "Oh, you have not encountered her scolding Wu. It is amazing."

"Really? I mean, I've seen her scold Pa a lot." Jay said.

"Eheh… you don't wanna know what he did to tick her off, and I wish I'd had a camera at the time to record it." He whispered.

Jay looked a bit nervous, "Oh.."

"… You have not eaten your sandwich yet, Morro." Zane pointed out.

"I-" He turned around to face his sandwich on the counter. "… Wow my memory issues are either getting bad, or my anxiety is through the roof."

"I think we should all go back to the tv and relax for now." Kai huffed, "Today had been way too stressful so far."

"You say, being the one who burnt his foot." Morro said as he took a bite of his tuna sandwich.

"Ooo!" Lloyd grinned.

Kai huffed and crossed his arms, "Shut up.."

Cole smiled a bit and shook his head. "How about someone helps you back to the room? That way you don't stress your injury."

Nya swiftly put her hand over Lloyd's mouth before he could start with the stupid song.

Kai sighed, "Fine.." He accepted reluctantly.

"So… arm over shoulders or do you not wanna risk accidentally putting pressure on the burn?" Cole asked gently.

"Arm over shoulders is fine." Kai huffed.

"Okay." Cole said as he carefully put Kai's arm over his shoulders and helped him out of the room. As soon as the two were out of earshot, Nya removed her hand.

"KAI AND COLE SITTING IN A TREE-"

And promptly slapped it back over Lloyd's mouth. "Shut."

Lloyd snickered and then licked her hand.

Nya made a face of disgust before she removed her hand then planted it on his forehead. "Deal with it."

She quickly got up and went to the sink to wash her hands.

Lloyd just kept giggling, like the little gremlin he was.

"… Was that an example of childish antics?" Zane asked quietly as he leaned over to Jay.

Jay nodded, "Yep. Very much so."

"Ah, I see." Zane hummed. "Though I would say that was rather unsanitary-"

Morro grabbed a washcloth and soaked it before he walked over to Lloyd.

Lloyd immediately scrambled away from Morro, "NO!"

"GET THE INMATE!" Morro shouted as he ran after him.

Lloyd shrieked and ducked under the table.

"I SWEAR UPON YOUR FATHER THIS WAS NEVER THIS DIFFICULT WHEN HE WAS DOING IT-"

Lloyd hissed at Morro.

"Oi." Morro growled. "Get over here, you have your mouth germs on your face."

"I'll put my mouth germs on your face!" Lloyd threatened.

"GROSS, YOU HAVEN'T BRUSHED YOUR TEETH!" Morro backed up a bit.

"FEAR MY GERMS!" Lloyd cackled.

Wu walked into the room again. "What's going on?"

"LLOYD'S BEING GROSS!" Morro cried.

"MORRO FEARS MY MOUTH GERMS!" Lloyd grinned proudly. He had not come out from under the table yet.

Wu walked over, and swiftly grabbed Lloyd out from under the table. "The face again?"

Morro nodded solemnly as he wiped down Lloyd's face before he tossed the washcloth at the tiny hamper in the room.

Lloyd whined and pouted, "Noooooo!"

"Did you brush your teeth?" Wu asked, still keeping Lloyd stuck in his hold.

"Yes." Lloyd said immediately.

"No." Jay and Morro interrupted.

"HEy!" Lloyd squeaked out, "Traitors!"

"Go brush your teeth, please." Wu said softly. "If you do and promise you will later tonight, I'll let you have two extra cookies, okay?"

Lloyd immediately brightened, "Okay!" He agreed instantly.

Wu kissed the top of his head and let him go. "I need to continue rearranging the schedule now."

"Okay, bye Uncle!" Lloyd ran off.

"And remember to brush for two minutes!" Wu called, before he sighed with a small smile and got up. "He has hardly changed."

There was a small yell of acknowledgement from the child as he disappeared down the hall.

"… So!" Morro grinned weakly. "Any chance that at some point I can drag everyone to Mega Monster Amusement Park?"

"You know the prices there, Morro."

"No games! Promise. Just the rides."

"Good." Wu nodded. "Then yes, you can. As long as you all make sure to wear sunscreen and can somehow get Lloyd to wear it as well, then you can go."

"Yes sir!" Morro gave a quick mock-salute and received a short hug before Wu left the room once more.

"An amusement park..?" Zane asked curiously.

"Eh, Lloyd's big enough to go on some of the rides. Plus… I think you guys might have some fun there. They also got an arcade, which isn't so bad." Morro smiled a bit. "And the tickets I get allow unlimited plays at the arcade, so…"

"That sounds so fun!" Jay grinned.

"Mm, yeah." Nya nodded.

"When will we go?" Zane asked.

"Eh… gotta plan a day. Plus, we've got to plan when we're going to go to the arcade." Morro grinned.

"Well let's plan now!" Jay said excitedly.

"Sure." Morro smiled a bit. "Maybe… next week we can do the arcade, then the week after we can go to Mega Monster Amusement Park?"

Jay nodded immediately, "Yes!"

"Great!"

"Are you losers coming or what?" Lloyd called from the doorway.

"We're coming, gremlin. Be patient!" Nya responded

Morro chuckled sadly. "Let's go before the pipsqueak destroys Kai and Cole's ears."

"Let him. It'd be funny." Jay snickered.

"No, no, it wouldn't." Morro said softly, and walked out of the kitchen.

Jay paused, going quiet. "Oh, um- Sorry..?"

"Morro has said his own ears are sensitive." Zane pointed out.

"Oh.. I forgot about that.." Jay frowned some.

"Let's go." Nya yawned. "I wanna see your guys' butts get kicked by the final boss."

Jay huffed in offence, "Hey! We're totally gonna win against the boss!"

"Sure." She leaned close to Jay with a small smile, before she quickly took his hand and led him out of the room. Zane followed silently.

Jay flushed and let himself be led.

They got into the room, and Lloyd was yapping about something that'd happened in a recent comic for Starfarer, which Morro was humming in slight interest on.

Kai and Cole had gotten the game started up again.

Jay and Nya quickly sat down, and Zane returned to his spot and grabbed his controller.

Jay grabbed for his controller, grinning, "Let's do this!"

Lloyd snatched his controller off of the floor, a devious look on his face.

Cole started the game up and they began.

Lloyd immediately began gunning for all the items, cackling whenever the others shouted that they were going to hit the chest he'd just looted.

Kai groaned, "What the hell, kid!"

"Fear my speed!" Lloyd laughed evilly.

Jay pouted a bit as he tried to get some loot.

Morro smiled gently at the antics. It reminded him a bit of when the Elemental Masters used to play board games together.

Zane moved quietly, finally getting some loot.

"… I get why you say Destiny is cruel now." Lloyd said quietly. "… At- at least I still have time to be a kid." He smiled weakly, though he was holding back tears.

The others went quiet with their scattered chatter and frowns covered their faces.

Morro's smile faded, he moved over and carefully hugged Lloyd. "You don't have to be strong about this… We're all here for you."

"Yeah, kid. You aren't alone." Kai said.

Lloyd sniffled and clung to Morro, though he reached out for Kai, his tears making his vision painfully blurry.

Kai immediately set his controller aside and moved over to hug the kid as well.

With one hand clinging to both of them, he began to sob quietly, his tail coiled up as he cried. Cole set his controller aside and joined in, careful.

Jay and Zane were quick to follow, as was Nya. They became a small ninja pile.

After a little while, Wu opened the door to check on them, and frowned sadly. "He's missing his father?"

Morro nodded as Wu walked over and sat down beside them. He carefully set a hand on Lloyd's head, seeing as the other teens were crowding the kid.

It was completely quiet, the others wanted to give Lloyd the time to calm down. So they simply sandwiched the kid in their pile.

"… Lloyd, would you like to talk about it?"

"No!" Lloyd cried, burying his face into Morro and Kai's arms. "I don't wanna! I don't!"

"Okay, okay… shh… I miss him too. Just… talk to me when you need to, alright?" Wu said softly.

Kai adjusted slightly and began running his hand through Lloyd's hair, humming very quietly.

Wu pulled his hand away. "I'm going to prepare dinner." He said softly. "Alright?"

"Okay.." Nya murmured.

"You don't have to come for dinner immediately, but please… at least eat tonight." He whispered, before he stood up once more and left the room.

No one said anything else after that. The only sound in the room was Kai's quiet humming.

Lloyd's grip loosened as he slumped a bit, breathing softly. His tail relaxed a little.

Kai readjusted his grip to accommodate the kid and continued humming.

"He fell asleep…" Morro said softly.

Kai nodded some, "… Yeah.. I know.."

"… I believe we're all stuck until further notice." Zane said.

"Definitely.." Cole murmured.

"At least he's getting some rest…" Nya said quietly.

"Yeah…" Kai mumbled.

"… Have his nightmares been getting worse?" Morro asked. "He's stopped coming to me about them…"

Kai glanced at him, "… Yeah.."

Morro frowned, and carefully bumped his head against Lloyd's, making sure to be gentle enough he wouldn't wake him.

"… I think we might need to figure out a different strategy… if the nightmares are getting this bad, then…"

"What are we supposed to do..? There isn't really a way to stop them…" Nya said.

"He does seem calm at the moment." Zane pointed out. "Perhaps he isn't feeling safe sleeping alone anymore?"

"That may be it.." Cole said, "I know when I was younger, sleeping with my parents felt more safe whenever I was scared.."

Morro nodded. "Then maybe we should look into doing some sleepovers… see if that helps."

"That sounds fun..!" Jay said, "We can make forts!"

"Yeah." Cole grinned a bit. "And maybe a pillow fight?"

"Yesss!" Jay looked quite excited at that.

"… A pillow fight?" Zane asked.

"It's what it sounds like." Cole said, "A fight with pillows."

"… But pillows aren't efficient as weapons?" Zane tilted his head. "It seems highly impractical."

"It's supposed to be fun, not practical." Jay said.

"Ah. I see." Zane hummed. "Apologies."

"You don't need to apologize, Zane." Nya said, "It's okay."

Lloyd shifted a little, burying his face into Kai's arm as he mumbled sleepily.

Kai held Lloyd a little closer, smiling a bit.

"Hm…" Morro thought for a moment. "… Maybe we can ask Wu if we can make s'mores?"

Nya looked at him, a frown of confusion on her face, "What's a s'more?"

"It's like- a graham cracker sandwich, with chocolate and a toasted marshmallow in the middle." Morro explained. "Really messy, but really good."

"Oh.. Okay." Nya said.

"Yeah."

"D'somebody say marshm'llos..?" Lloyd asked sleepily.

Kai snorted, "Just planning a sleepover buddy.."

"Oh…" He yawned and snuggled back into the hug, closing his eyes once more.

Kai gently ran his hand through Lloyd's hair, again.

"Can we bring our plushies…?" Lloyd asked quietly.

"Of course, kid." Kai said.

"Yay…" Lloyd yawned.

Kai smiled softly and began humming for Lloyd again.

"… Perhaps we should rest for now." Morro said gently.

"Sounds good to me.." Jay said.

"Gene, are you sure this is a good idea?! It's fucking freezing out here!" Brad cried. The extra layers they were wearing was hardly enough to keep them from shivering.

"Of course, I am!" Gene huffed, "What better way to prove my evil genius than releasing the Serpentine!"

"Oh, I dunno, figuring out a way to write an inescapable contract or something? Definitely not going through the Glacier Barrens with hardly any supplies than what's in our backpacks!" Brad glared at him. "Honestly, some days I wonder what the heck Lloyd's up to."

"Don't. He abandoned us." Gene snapped, "Whatever he's doing doesn't matter!"

"You were on that stupid field trip to Chen's Island! You didn't see the guy who came to take Lloyd!" Brad said quickly. "He was scary!"

"What are you, a wimp? We're supposed to be evil masterminds! Some random guy shouldn't scare you!" Gene scolded.

"… Ted said he pulled a knife on the guy at the front desk." Brad said quietly.

Gene huffed, "Anyone could do that!"

"He said he was Lloyd's cousin! Lloyd has a cousin!" Brad hissed. "One who's probably killed someone before! That isn't something to just sneeze at, Gene!"

"That just means he's probably evil! That's good. Maybe Lloyd will stop being a wimp."

"Maybe… Or maybe he'll try to get revenge on us for all those pranks…" Brad said quietly.

"Bah.. I doubt he'd do that." Gene scoffed.

"Have you met him?" Brad raised a brow. "He can be intense."

"He wouldn't dare! My father would sue his family if they even tried!" Gene huffed.

"Uh… you do know that Lord Garmadon won a legal dispute with the Explorer's Club several years ago, right…? Like a really intense one?"

Gene scoffed, "There's no way Lloyd's father is actually Lord Garmadon. He was clearly lying for attention!"

"It's listed in his file, Gene!" Brad slapped his arm. "For an evil genius, you're really bad at snooping into people's lives."

"He probably hacked into that and changed it!" Gene argued.

"He doesn't even know how to code in html format! When will you admit you're wrong?!" Brad shouted.

"I'm never wrong!" Gene yelled back.

"You were wrong about how Lord Garmadon took power over the Skulkin army!" Brad jammed his finger into his jacket. "Mr. Kruncha and Knuckal did a whole lecture on it!"

"That was one thing!! And those two are numbskulls!! How could you actually believe them!" Gene smacked Brad's hand away.

"They were there!" Brad snapped. "And what are we? A couple of mortals who currently only have two recollections as to what happened! I mean… heck if we could ask Lord Garmadon what happened, I think he might tell us."

"Oh yeah! Have fun finding him! He's not even in this world!" Gene argued.

"It'd be better than looking for the Serpentine tombs-!" Brad yelped as he tripped, falling into the snow.

Gene huffed, "Get up!"

Brad grabbed a handful of snow and balled it up. He glared at Gene and threw the snowball at his face.

Gene yelped and glared at him in return, "Fine! If you want to be that way, stay there!" He stormed off.

Brad slowly got up and glanced at the metal poking out of the snow. It was shaped like a snake's head. "Uh… Gene! I think I found it!"

Gene paused and spun around, "Seriously?!"

Brad nodded and pointed at the lever. "Right here."

Gene ran back over and pulled the lever.

"Are you nuts?!" Brad shrieked as he scrambled back, the mechanism for the tomb causing the ground to rumble.

"I'm doing what we came here to do!" Gene huffed.

"It's the Hypnobrai tomb! Do you even have a brain in there?!" He cried. "You're gonna get us killed!"

"If you're gonna chicken out then go! But I'm following through with my plan!" Gene said.

"… Have you considered how you're going to negotiate with them?! What are you gonna do? Pull out a blackboard and chalk to explain your evil plan?!" Brad walked over to him.

"I did my research! As long as I avoid looking them in the eyes and talk quickly, I'll be fine!" Gene snapped, "I'm not dumb!"

"… Psh.." Brad crossed his arms. "I'm not gonna let you get killed. Promised I'd make sure this went off without a hitch, didn't I?"

Gene grinned, "Good! Now come on!"

Brad walked down the ice-coated steps carefully after Gene. He kept his eyes down, focused on the ground beneath his feet.

Gene led the way, smirking the entire time.

"… Don't slip." Brad said quietly.

"I will be fine, don't doubt me!" Gene huffed.

"I'm just trying to make sure you don't eat shit, asshole!" Brad snapped.

Gene ignored him and continued down the steps.

Brad sped up a bit and flicked the back of his head. "Jerk."

Gene winced and glared at him.

"… Where are the Hypnobrai..?" Brad asked softly as he looked around, keeping his head low, just in case.

Gene frowned and looked around, "… They have to be here somewhere.."

"… M-Maybe they're asleep?" Brad suggested nervously.

"You're both out of your minds, venturing so far away from home, little ones…" A voice spoke from behind them, causing Brad to freeze up and keep his eyes to the floor.

Gene tensed slightly and also kept his eyes down.

"Say something!" Brad hissed. "This was your plan!"

"Uh- Um.." Gene struggled to come up with something. He clearly wasn't expecting to encounter an actual Serpentine. Dumbass.

Brad sharply slapped the back of Gene's head and turned around, keeping his gaze to the floor. "My colleague here thought it was a good idea to release you guys… y'know, whole project about the Serpentine Wars 'n all."

Gene glared at the floor but turned around as well and nodded, "Mhm."

"I see… And what were your real intentions for opening our tomb?"

"Research." Brad said firmly. "We have an essay coming up about how the Serpentine Wars occurred with a full chronological timeline being necessary."

Gene nodded again, "And I thought a first hand account would be the best bet for it." He managed.

"Hm… well, seeing as you both are not interested in being hostile towards using us for ulterior motives, I suppose we could tell you." The Hypnobrai said. "However, you must swear never to speak of our release to anyone, is that understood?"

"Yes sir." Brad said.

"… Yes sir.." Gene mumbled.

"Good. You may speak with the others. Do not bother our young, though. They are… excitable."

Brad nodded as the other Serpentine came into the main chamber out of hiding. "So uhm… could you start from the beginning? Or at least, when you can remember things starting to get worse?"

Gene glanced up a bit, staying quiet.

"Hm… tensions had been rising between the Serpentine tribes and the humans… especially after the sons of the First Spinjitzu Master had crossed into our territory as children. Though, that occurred before I had hatched. The war had lasted for a few years, and like with many things, we often lost track of most of what happened during that time." The General explained. "However, the Anacondrai had planned to sign a proper peace agreement with the Elemental Alliance. But… we'd received a tip from an old ally that they were planning to betray us."

"Who was the tip from?"

"Hm… The name escapes me. Honestly, I'd been a foot soldier at the time." He said. "I hardly kept track of what was going on, just attempting to keep my squad alive and fed."

"Clouse. We'd received the tip from Master Chen and Clouse." One of the other Hypnobrai piped up. "Honestly, Slithraa, you need to pay more attention sometimes. Weren't you the one who helped deliver the message to General Arcturus?"

"I was young and it was war." Slithraa rolled his eyes. "But.. yes, it was a tip from them."

"Oooh.. Chen.." Gene mumbled with a small nod.

"Hm." Brad thought for a moment. "I read in a textbook that the Elemental Alliance had gotten a tip that the Anacondrai were planning to betray them."

"Lies!" Another Hypnobrai shouted. "I was there to assist the Anacondrai with their weapons! They attacked first!"

"You idiot! Both sides were gearing up for a fight! Have you forgotten I was there too?!"

Gene's eyes widened slightly and he elbowed Brad, "Nice going, idiot!"

"I- What did I do?!" Brad cried.

"You made them start arguing!" Gene huffed.

"I didn't do it on purpose!" He backed up a bit. "S-Sir I am so sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Enough!" He commanded, drowning the cavern into silence once more. "They are our guests. They do not know our story, nor do we know theirs. There may be holes in each, but to align them, we must consider both sides of the equation. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir…"

"Good. I apologize for their outbursts…" Slithraa turned to face the boys. "It has been a long time since most of us have eaten."

Gene crossed his arms, "… It's whatever.."

Brad glanced up a bit, before he brought his attention back to the floor. "Uhm… should we get going…? We only got cleared to leave the school for like… a week, so-"

"… Yeah probably," Gene sighed, "Let's go."

"Remember our deal, little ones…" Slithraa said.

"Y-Yes sir. We won't say a word." Brad nodded quickly and moved towards the exit of the tomb.

Gene nodded, "Mhm.." And he followed Brad.

As they got further away from the tomb, Brad took a shaky breath. "Do you know how fucked you'd have been if I hadn't been here?!"

"I would have figured something out eventually!" Gene huffed.

"You don't have forever with Hypnobrai, Gene! It's good to know what you want to say otherwise they could totally mess you up!" He argued.

"I'm a genius, Brad! I can handle myself! I could've done it on my own!"

"You've got book smarts, not people smarts. This is why you have me." Brad huffed.

Gene huffed, "I have all the smarts! I only bring you cause I have to!"

"Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night." Brad started walking ahead, grinning slightly.

Gene quickly moved to catch up, "It will help me sleep cause it's true!"

"Uhuh, keep telling yourself that!"

Gene scoffed and crossed his arms.

Chapter Text

"Oh, come on! You can't do that, we got rid of the seven switch rule!" Jay cried as he was given Kai's hand.

"Ap-ap-ap, only when it's all of us playing." Kai grinned as he looked down at the three cards in his hand, then his expression dimmed. "The fuck, dude?"

Morro set the phone down, and glanced back at the others. "Suspicious activity near Jamanakai Village. We got asked to check it out."

Zane hummed a bit, "Perhaps it is due to Lloyd's old classmates again." He said as he began to stand up.

"Maybe." Cole set his hand down. "Let's go check it out. Nya, you with us?"

Nya perked up, "Yeah, sure!"

"Can I come with?" Lloyd asked.

"Ap-ap-ap." Morro crossed his arms. "What did I say?"

"… That if I join you guys on missions I gotta wear armor…" Lloyd huffed.

"Yep." Morro tilted his head. "And do you wanna have to wear armor today?"

"Noo.." Lloyd pouted and crossed his arms, "Rotten cousin.."

"Just keeping you safe, ya little menace." Morro ruffled his hair gently. "Let Dad know we're heading out to investigate, okay?"

Lloyd nodded a bit, "Okay.."

Morro left the room, with the others tagging close behind with their Golden Weapons. "Remember to maintain stealth. We don't know what we're walking into."

"Got it!" Jay nodded.

"And that means no using your elemental powers willy-nilly." Morro looked back at them.

There were multiple grumbles at that.

"You use you powers willy-nilly!" Jay pointed out.

"I am literally the wind, what do you expect? No air?" Morro raised a brow.

"Please, no." Kai shuddered.

"Yeah, how about we don't invoke Kai's angst?" Cole suggested.

"Sorry, sorry." Jay said, "Forgot about that.."

Morro shrugged as he pulled the lever down to open up the dragon keep. "Hey! Guess who's going on a flight today!"

The dragons all trilled and shuffled excitedly, gently bumping their snouts against the team as they got over to their respective dragons.

Cole chuckled and gently pet Rocky's snout, "Yeah, yeah buddy. Hi.." He moved around to climb onto his back.

Morro climbed up onto Shard and sat behind Zane. "Nya, who're you gonna ride with?"

"Is that even a question?" Kai huffed as he climbed onto Flame.

Nya giggled as Jay helped her up onto Wisp.

"Yeah, should've seen that coming." Morro gently bonked his own head as they took off.

Kai whooped as they flew through the air.

"Race ya there?" Jay suggested with a smug tone.

"Oh, you are on!" Cole grinned.

Morro rolled his eyes and held on tight as they sped up a bit, doing several tricks midair. He glanced over at Nya, who was laughing happily. He shook his head with a smile and turned his attention to the clouds below them.

Wisp zipped around, clearly enjoying the laughter coming from his two passengers.

Morro was quiet, despite the shenanigans occurring with the others. Being up so high made it easy to think… but…

Kai cheered as Flame did a loop in the air and shot past Rocky.

"Hey!" Cole shouted, though it was obvious he was smiling.

"Try and keep up slowpoke!" Kai called back.

"Oh, I'll show you how I can keep up!" Cole called as Rocky did a barrel-roll

Kai cackled as Flame sped up.

Morro said nothing as he watched them. He glanced down at his compass. "Hm…"

Zane glanced at Morro, "Is everything alright, Morro?"

"Hm? Yeah. Just.. thinking." Morro put the compass away. "Here's hoping we don't wind up with a fight…"

Zane nodded a bit, "That would be quite unfortunate."

"Yeah." Morro glanced down through the clouds. "We're getting close to the drop point!"

"Got it!" Jay yelled, Wisp looped around Shard and shot forward again. Nya was grinning, holding on tight.

Shard was quick to fly after Wisp, speeding up quite a bit.

Morro adjusted his grip, steeling himself for the landing. "Remember stealth!" He shouted at the others, though he knew they were going too fast to hear him.

The dragons sped for the ground, clearly encouraged by the laughter and cheers of the others.

Morro sighed, and let himself ease up as they landed. He raised a brow at them as the teens began to argue over who got there first.

"My feet were on the ground before yours!"

"Bullshit! I was clearly first!"

Morro cleared his throat loudly to get their attention. "Stealth mission, remember?"

The teens went silent and stared at him with sheepish grins.

"C'mon." He pulled his hood up and quickly made his way to one of the large hills. Morro climbed up and got to the ground, looking over it silently.

The others were quick to pull their hoods, and Nya, her mask, and they followed Morro.

Morro squinted a bit. "Hypnobrai? Who the heck found their tomb?"

"Hypnobrai?" Cole hissed, "As in the Serpentine species?"

Morro nodded. "Yeah. Been a while since I've seen any of them…"

"Intruders!" One of the Hypnobrai shouted, and Morro groaned.

"Dammit…"

The other five tensed, ready to pull out their weapons. They waited for Morro's command.

Instead, he stood up and held his hands up to his head. "We're not trying to cause any trouble, just seeing what the situation is."

"Take off your mask, ninja." One of the soldiers sneered.

"Fine, fine." Morro pulled his hood back down, and narrowed his eyes. "Happy?"

"Wait… Morro?!" One of them shouted.

The others watched with wide eyes.

"You know some of them?!" Kai hissed lowly.

"Yep." He popped, and walked over to them. "Apologies for the intrusion, we got a call from the nearby village and they asked us to check on things. And please, don't mind my friends, they're still in the early lessons."

"Ah, at least you haven't lost your manners, young Master of Wind."

"I intend not to, sir." Morro smiled a bit. "I assume someone freed your tribe?"

"Yes… we will not disclose who did so, as per an agreement."

"Alright. So long as you guys aren't causing any trouble, we'll take our leave. Again, very sorry about the intrusion." Morro bowed slightly.

"It is alright. I am aware of your ambitions, young one. Now please, we are in the middle of foraging." The Hypnobrai general said softly. "I take it you should be getting home soon as well."

"Ah, yeah." Morro laughed weakly and walked back to the others, waving a bit at the Hypnobrai as he got back to the hill. "Farewell!"

The other five were staring at him with incredulous looks.

"What?" He asked.

"You can be polite?!" Jay cried.

"Uh… yeah." Morro shrugged, though a few of the Hypnobrai did laugh at Jay's exclamation. "It's common to be preferred with foreign relations… especially with the Serpentine."

"Well, duh!" Nya said, "But you're like never polite!"

The eldest chuckled. "Well, you're family, you don't get me at polite."

Jay apparently took offense to that as he tossed the Nunchucks of Lightning down to tackle Morro.

Morro shrieked with indignation and tried to pry Jay off of him. "FUCK- FUCK-"

"And there's the potty-mouth!" One of the soldiers shouted.

Kai and Nya began laughing as Morro struggled.

"Why is it every time you come over, you always wind up with a situation?" A soldier walked over to them.

Zane hummed a bit, "Morro seems to be good at getting into situations."

"Well of course he is, have you met him?" The soldier asked, before he looked at the two still wrestling. "Am I going to wait for a hello or what?"

"Hi, Skales!" Morro said quickly before finally prying Jay off of himself. "How've ya been?"

"Cold."

Jay struggled in Morro's grip, "Lemme go!"

"Nah." Morro grinned and looked to Skales. "Lemme guess, tomb was in the Glacier Barrens?"

"Unfortunately." Skales rolled his eyes. "How are you not old yet?"

"Died."

"Ah. And your Master brought you back, didn't he?"

"Grief is a bitch and Father was in denial." Morro shrugged. "Dunno what else to say."

"Dark magic like that should not be tampered with…"

"Yeah, yeah, I didn't exactly have a say in the matter, man." Morro sighed. "Honestly, just glad I can have food again."

Skales snickered. "Well, I should get back to helping, or else General Slithraa will have my head."

"Nah, he's not that mean." Morro smiled weakly. "Catch ya later?"

"If you can even keep up, runt." Skales walked away, waving slightly before he got back to catching up with the others. Morro finally released Jay and sighed.

Jay immediately tried to launch himself at Morro again.

Morro groaned, and caught Jay. "Stop. We gotta get back home and let Father know about what's going on."

Jay squinted at him but relented. He went limp in Morro's hold. Like a gremlin.

"… Keep this up and I'll hand you over to Nya." He whispered.

Jay immediately straightened himself, "Alright, alright!"

"Good!" Morro smiled. "Kai, I'm going with you on the way back. Wanna see how much you've improved. No nonsense, okay?"

"Alright." Kai shrugged.

They moved back over to their dragons, and Morro climbed up onto Flame's back. "Hey, promise I won't move around too much. M'kay? M'kay."

Flame growled softly in response.

Jay and Nya climbed up onto Wisp, while Cole and Zane got onto Rocky and Shard respectively.

Kai patted Flame's snout before climbing up.

"No racing, please…" Morro mumbled.

Kai snickered a bit, "Uh huh.."

As they got into the air, it was obvious they'd started racing again. Morro whined and clung on tight, closing his eyes.

Kai frowned slightly, "… You okay..?"

"… F-Fun fact… motion sickness likes to flare up at the worst possible moments for me." Morro said weakly.

Kai grimaced and leaned forward a bit. He gently patted Flame, "Slow down, bud."

Flame complied, falling behind the other dragons, who continued flipping and racing.

"Thanks…" Morro sighed, and tried to calm himself. "Sorry…"

"It's okay.." Kai said, " I can handle losin' one time."

Morro nodded and closed his eyes. "… So… are you doing okay?"

Kai shrugged, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Alright." Morro said quietly. "… I'm just glad we have more free days…"

"Yeah.. It's nice, gettin' to relax.."

"Mhm." Morro glanced to one of the darker clouds and stiffened as he noticed… something amongst the storm clouds. A figure… someone. Or… maybe they had been someone once.

He turned his attention back down to Flame, though his breathing grew shaky.

Flame kept a steady pace behind the others, as they raced and flipped and cheered.

"… We'll find Ray and Maya. I promise." Morro mumbled.

Kai tensed a bit but nodded, "Okay…"

"I'm close to figuring it out… just need more time." Morro held on tighter.

"Okay.. Just.. Let me know if you need help..? Or if you find anything…?" Kai said quietly.

Morro nodded. "… My main - and albeit my only lead points at the Ninjago Museum of History."

"Really..?" Kai asked, "What is the lead…?"

"… Your parents had a friend who worked there, before their disappearance." Morro said. "I don't know who, and I don't know why but I feel like I'm close to figuring it out."

Kai hummed a bit, "I… I do kinda remember one guy who came around sometimes.. I don't know if he worked at the museum.. His name was Dr. Saunders."

Morro's eyes widened. "He works at the Museum. Been working there for several decades at this point. He's the curator, for fuck's sake- ugh… if he's involved…"

"You can investigate more next time we go into the city." Kai said.

Morro nodded. "Yeah. Yeah."

"… I hope you can find out more.." Kai mumbled.

"I hope so too." Morro said quietly.

Kai, Nya, and Zane were looking around in amazement. They were absolutely stunned by the size of the place and all the lights and color.

"You're kidding! This place is massive!" Jay shrieked. "This is why you wanted me to bring my skates?!"

"I brought mine." Morro shrugged.

"It's so colorful.." Nya murmured.

"And loud." Cole grimaced. "I'm gonna see if they've got any weird arcade machines in here."

"Weird machines?" Kai questioned.

"Oh! Let us know if you see a Prime Empire cabinet!"

"Ha-ha, if I can, Zap-trap!" He called.

"Prime Empire?" Zane asked.

"Real elusive game. It was supposed to have been published about fifteen or so years ago, but an incident during development caused the whole project to be pulled." Morro shrugged. "Was supposed to have some of the most advanced tech for an arcade cabinet, but it's pretty much a myth now."

"I really wanna find it!" Jay huffed.

"Everyone does!" Lloyd pouted. "I wanna be the first one to play it!"

"No way!" Jay said, "I'm gonna be the first, I call dibs."

Morro snickered. "Ooo…"

Kai, Nya, and Zane watched this with very confused faces.

"… Perhaps we should find some games to play?" Zane looked to Kai and Nya.

Kai nodded a bit, "Yeahh.. Probably."

"I call first dibs on ski-ball!" Lloyd declared as he grabbed the bag of coins out of Jay's hands and zipped off.

Jay yelped, "Hey! Get back here!" He raced after the kid.

Nya snickered before she ran after them. "Wait up!"

Kai sighed but smiled a bit as they ran off.

Morro turned to face Zane and Kai with a grin. "They have a 3-player air hockey table."

Zane and Kai both looked interested and the latter grinned.

"Let's go then!" Kai said.

Morro nodded and moved over to where the hockey table was. He popped some coins into the slot and got over to his end of the table, grabbing his bumper.

Kai and Zane followed his example, moving to their own ends and grabbing their bumpers.

"Alright… ready?" Morro asked as he placed the puck in the middle.

"Yeah!" Kai said as Zane nodded.

"Alright… go!" Morro said as he quickly rushed to knock the puck into Kai's goal.

Kai scrambled to block it and knock it away.

Zane swiped the puck towards Morro's goal, and grinned when Morro failed to stop it from going in.

"O-kay, note to self, you're good at getting them to go zippy."

Kai snickered, "Nice going, Zane."

Zane gave a bit of a thumbs up as Morro set the puck down and sent it towards Zane's goal, who knocked it over to Kai's.

Kai whacked it away, towards Morro's goal.

Morro knocked it back towards Kai's, grinning.

Kai fumbled and it went into his goal. He groaned.

"Haha!" Morro grinned. "Wanna see who makes it to seven points the fastest?"

Jay and Nya stood on either side of Lloyd, watching him play ski-ball. Jay was cheering the kid on while Nya watched with a smile.

"This was a good idea." Nya smiled. "Helping us all to unwind a little."

Jay nodded, "Yeah! This is awesome!" He grinned.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Jay Walker."

Jay tensed immediately, "Shit-"

Nya looked back at Beck and glared at him. "Back off, jackass."

Lloyd paused his gaming and turned around, looking quite confused.

Jay glanced back at Beck, immediately shrinking in on himself and becoming really quiet.

"What, can't I greet an old pal?" Beck grinned as he walked over. "Though, I'm not all that happy about you getting me kicked out of my group."

"I said back off." Nya growled as she pulled Jay away from Beck.

Beck snickered. "Do you seriously need a girl to protect you?"

Jay frowned heavily, "… You shouldn't have said that." He said, looking completely serious.

"And why's that?" Beck sneered, as Nya let go of Jay's hand and walked up to Beck.

It was quick. Horrifyingly quick. One second Beck was standing, the next he was crumpled on the floor.

"Bitch." Nya hissed before she walked back over to Jay.

Jay couldn't help the small snort that escaped him.

Lloyd cheered, "Yeah! That was awesome, Nya!"

"The heck happened over here?" Cole asked as he walked over, pointedly avoiding Beck.

"That guy was being a bitch to Jay!" Lloyd said, "And then Nya kicked him in the dick!" He giggled menacingly.

"… Ah." Cole looked back at him. "… Yeah, that checks out. Anyways, found the Laser Tag in here."

"This place has Laser Tag?!" Lloyd squeaked.

"Laser Tag..?" Nya asked curiously.

"Basically you get a vest that has a laser detector and a laser pointer. Whole goal is to tag as many people on the enemy team as possible, or other people if it's a free for all." Cole shrugged.

"Ooooh.." Nya said, "That sounds fun.."

"It is. C'mon, before the jerk-wad has enough strength to run after us." Cole grinned as he scooped up Lloyd.

Lloyd cheered, "Laser Tag!!!!"

Cole led the group over to another part of the arcade, where there was a bit of a catwalk leading to the laser tag area.

Nya looked around curiously as she followed Cole.

There were several other groups getting ready for a laser tag match, though one was already currently in session. "Seriously, Sky, I don't see why you can't hang out with us all the time."

Nya hummed a bit as she glanced over.

"I keep telling you, it's my Dad. He doesn't exactly like it when I'm away from home." A redhead replied in frustration as she put a vest on. "Fucking annoying."

"Oi, you didn't take something you shouldn't have, did you?" One of the others in their group asked. He was wearing a hood.

"Course I did! Only frickin way to get me to loosen up, asshole." Sky hissed.

Another girl shook her head. "The hell are we gonna do with you?"

Nya looked interested. Her eyes were stuck on the girl with the green hair.

"Play the game, duh! Our round is about to start any second!" One of them nudged her.

"Shut the fuck up, Ash." The girl with the green hair elbowed him in the gut. "Seriously…"

"Nya, here-" Jay passed her a vest. "Kinda a good idea to have it for Laser Tag…"

Nya jolted a bit and looked at him, "Ah- thanks!" She took the vest and slipped it on.

"Who's letting the half-pint in? You know this game has a height limit right?"

Again? Seriously?

Nya turned to glare at him as Lloyd growled and wrestled his way out of Cole's grip.

"Don't call me that!" The kid launched himself at Beck with a feral growl. Claws out.

Beck yelped and backed away from Lloyd quickly. "The hell?!"

"Don't call him that unless you wanna die, dude." Cole deadpanned.

"I'm gonna kill you!!!!" This kid was actually feral.

Beck scrambled back to the exit of the Laser Tag zone.

"… Your brother's wild." The girl with green hair said to them.

Nya grabbed Lloyd around the waist and held him close, "Yeah, we know." She kept a tight grip on Lloyd as he flailed in her arms and bit her when she wouldn't let him go. She wince a bit but simply stared down at him, "Really?"

The other group looked shocked, staring at them as Cole groaned and pulled out a first aid kit. "Every time… every time! I swear, if Dad ever meets you, we're making sure you're not gonna bite one of us in front of him."

"He's actually feral.. Wow." The guy in the hood commented.

Cole glared at Lloyd. "If you don't let go, we won't get to play Laser Tag and I'll tattle on you to Wu."

Lloyd immediately let go and let Nya drop him, "No! You can't tell Uncle!"

"Oh, but I could." He smirked, and began to clean up the wound. "And you wouldn't be allowed to join us in cookie thefts."

"No! You monster!" Lloyd cried, as the green haired girl snorted.

"Chill, ya little menace. I'm not gonna tell him since you let go. But if you bite anyone else again today, I'm telling. Got it?" Cole said as he finished wrapping up Nya's arm.

Lloyd nodded immediately, "I'll be good!"

"Good." Cole nodded. "Now get your frickin' vest on, dude! The match is gonna start any minute now!"

Lloyd scrambled to get his vest on, growling at the thing when he struggled. Jay moved over and helped, untangling it and getting it on him proper. "There ya go."

"Thank you, Jay!" Lloyd grinned.

"… So that happens regularly enough that you guys gotta carry first aid kits around everywhere?" One of the guys asked with a raised brow.

Nya nodded, "Lloyd is a biter. We've all gotten bitten at least once."

"Though Kai's getting close to Morro's score." Cole grumbled.

"Kai deserves it every time!" Lloyd declared.

"You do it whenever he ruffles your hair or steals your cookies. That's skewed and biased." Jay pointed out.

"It's deserved!" Lloyd huffed, "He should know better by now!"

Sky glanced between her group and walked over to them. She held out her fist to Lloyd. "May the best team win."

Lloyd grinned and aggressively bumped his fist against hers, "Yeah!"

The buzzer that indicated the current match rang, signaling its end. The previous teams all piled into the other half of the room to view their results as the guy running the game signaled for them to go inside.

Lloyd immediately ran in, giggling menacingly. Nya quickly followed him with a sigh. Jay and Cole both walked inside, quickly making their way to some high ground.

Nya, unfortunately, lost Lloyd very quickly.

"Uh- dammit! They randomly assigned teams again!" Someone complained distantly. "Ash, don't you dare- FUCKER!"

Nya couldn't help but snort as she heard that and continued wandering.

"YOU WILL PERISH!!"

"NO! LLOYD, NO!" Jay shrieked.

Sky rounded a corner, shaking her head. "Honestly… Shade, you better not be cheating again!" She called.

Nya immediately tensed a bit, not knowing if she was on her team or not.

Sky paused and waved a bit at Nya. "Uh… new to playing the game?"

Nya hesitated and then nodded, "Yeah.. Never even been to an arcade before.."

"Oh, man." Sky sighed and walked over. "Okay, well, at least you're on my team and not Ash's. He's a major pain in the ass."

"Really..? Then why do you hang out with him?" Nya asked curiously.

"Family history." She sighed. "Can't exactly get around it. Same with Tox and Shade, wherever the hell he's gone this time."

"Which one was he? Maybe I can help look out for him?" Nya offered.

"Not really much you can do, I'm afraid-"

As Shade walked out from behind a corner. "Just got done terrorizing Ash."

"Of course you did."

Nya looked curious, "Terrorizing him?"

"He cheats." Sky said plainly.

"Like you don't?" Shade raised a brow. "I still remember what happened last match."

"Oi, he had it fuckin' coming."

Nya tilted her head, "What happened?"

"Wombo-combo'd him out of the game." Sky shrugged.

"You also kicked his shin."

"He was asking for it!"

Jay scrambled around a corner, panting. "Lloyd is terrifying in this game."

Nya gave him a sympathetic look, "He's climbing the walls isn't he?"

"Yes!" He shrieked, as quiet giggles could be heard nearby. "Fucking- fuck, we gotta move!" He shoved them all behind a hiding spot, readying his laser gun.

Nya readied hers as well, glancing around above them.

"Should I-?"

"No, it's too risky!" Sky hissed, and readied hers. "The hell…?"

Jay poked his head around the corner, his gun as well. "You better not be pulling some Morro shit or I swear…"

Jay was suddenly taken down by a tiny black and blonde blur. He shrieked once again and his and Lloyd's equipment flickered and went out. Small bolts of lightning flickered around Jay's hands.

"You're… elemental masters too?" Sky asked quietly, as Jay continued to try and wrestle Lloyd off of him.

Nya stared at Lloyd and Jay for a moment with an exasperated look before she processed Sky's words and her gaze shot to the redhead, "No- It's uh- Wait… Too?"

Shade nodded. "I am the Elemental Master of Shadow."

"LLOYD, GET OFF!" Jay shrieked. "I GOTTA POWER THESE BACK UP, YOU-"

Lloyd cackled menacingly.

Nya sighed, "I uh.. I'm the Elemental Master of Water. Jay's Lightning."

"I see." Sky said quietly.

"Finally!" Jay got their gear back up and running and proceeded to tag Lloyd before he scrambled off. "TAKE THAT, IMPERIAL SLUDGE!"

Lloyd immediately ran after him, "GET BACK HERE, FRITZ DONNEGAN!!"

"… You guys done dealing with the feral one now?" The green haired girl asked. She was sitting on top of one of the higher spots.

"For now." Nya sighed, "He'll be back. Whether to tag us or to be carried is to be determined by how long he decides to chase Jay."

"Damn. Anyways, you're gonna get tagged now." She grinned and tagged Shade and Sky's vests, causing both of them to squint at her.

Nya tensed a bit, watching Tox with a wary look.

"Newbies get a head start." She smiled.

Nya got a daring look, "I don't need a head start. Just try and tag me."

Tox shrugged and fired at her vest.

Nya jumped out of the way and got herself up on to the wall, perching there. She quickly took aim and fired at Tox as she crouched on the wall.

Tox blinked as her vest flashed red. "Well, I wasn't expecting a ninja!" She laughed a bit. "Oh well."

Nya grinned brightly, looking quite proud of herself, "People underestimate me a lot, it's fun to surprise them with skills."

"I'll bet." Sky snickered. "How do you think your friend is faring?"

"Cole? Probably okay, he knows what he's doing." Nya shrugged, looking around and taking advantage of her new height.

There was a large plume of smoke approaching them, that rematerialised into the guy from earlier. "That kid is way too good at aiming!"

Nya snorted, "Don't underestimate him next time! He's vicious."

"You're telling me! Nearly tripped me up. Pretty sure the kid's the Master of Earth, what do you think, Tox?"

"Oi, we ain't supposed to be using our powers in public, you moron!" Sky hissed.

Nya hummed a bit at Ash's guess of Cole's power.

"Wait, was I right?"

"Do not make me throw my shoe at you, you idiot." Sky said as she reached for her shoe, though Shade firmly grabbed her arm.

Nya grinned slightly and shrugged, "Maybe you are, maybe you aren't." She summoned a small ball of water and toss it where she felt the most static gathering.

"Fuck!" Came Jay's distinct shriek from the right.

Nya hummed with a grin, "Alright, I'm gonna go! Bye!" She stood on the wall, balancing easily, and jump backwards off of it.

"Bye!" Tox called, though as she got further away, the more distinct shouting became apparent.

Nya easily ran over and found her friends, "Is Jay dying?"

"Not anymore." Cole deadpanned as Jay finally wrangled Lloyd off of himself. The kid seeming worn out.

Nya hummed a bit, "Finally wore himself out, huh?"

"Yeah!" Jay sighed. "Finally!"

Cole walked over and scooped Lloyd up as the buzzer sounded.

Nya moved over and held out her hand to help Jay up.

Jay took her hand. "T-Thanks.. sorry Lloyd's been targeting me today…"

"It's okay, not your fault." She pulled him up and kept holding his hand.

Jay's cheeks were flushed and nodded weakly.

Nya smiled and pulled him along to the exit.

The others were stretching a bit, though Sky sharply whacked Ash's side as he stretched, causing him to recoil. "What the hell, Skylor?!

"Easy target."

Nya snickered. She began getting her vest off and set her gun to the side.

Cole had already gotten his and Lloyd's off, and sighed. "Wonder how the others are doing."

"We should go find them." Nya said as she took Jay's vest from him and set them aside.

"Uh- Nya!" Skylor sped over to her and handed her a piece of paper with a number scrawled on it. "… Since people like us gotta stick together, y'know?"

Nya blinked and then smiled, "Yeah!" She gingerly took the paper, looking quite happy.

Skylor waved slightly before she ran back over to the others.

"So did anyone else notice when that one kid was playing, that the AC was kicking up or was it just me?" Ash asked.

"Probably just you, Ash." Tox rolled her eyes.

Nya put the paper in her pocket and then grabbed Jay's hand again. She pulled him along as they left the Laser Tag area, "Come on! I wanna tell, Morro about the trick I did!"

"Ohhh?" Jay tilted his head. "Do tell?"

"I jumped up onto one of the walls to avoid getting shot! And then, I managed to shoot Tox, the green haired one!"

"Nice!" Jay smiled, though he winced as a familiar yell of terror cut through the arcade. It was coming from the roller-skating rink.

Nya paused, "… Well I think we know where to find them now."

Cole nodded slightly as he adjusted his hold on Lloyd, "Yep.. Let's go."

As they made their way to the rink, they spotted Wu sitting at one of the tables, watching the rink.

"Uh… what's going on?" Jay asked quietly.

Kai was absolutely clinging to Morro, his legs did not seem to be working with him as Morro basically moved for him.

"Morro attempted to bring Kai onto the rink." Wu sighed. "To… very tiresome results."

Zane easily skated past Morro and Kai and up to the wall to speak to the others, "He has screamed every time Morro let go of him and has fallen three times." He said simply.

"Oh, sheesh." Cole grimaced. "How's Morro putting up with that?"

"He barely is." Wu said quietly. "You can tell by how quiet he's gotten."

Nya frowned a bit, "Maybe we should get Kai off the rink then," She winced as her brother fumbled and almost dragged himself and Morro down, "… He is not having a good time.."

"Agreed.." Cole sighed and passed Lloyd over to Wu. "I'll go save him."

"Alright.." Nya said, eyes still on her brother.

Cole walked onto the rink and pulled Kai away from Morro. He held his arms while he pushed him out of the rink. "We have gotta get you some proper lessons for this, bud."

Kai was rigid as Cole got him out of the rink, "I am never doing that again."

"Uhuh… sure, buddy." Cole gently bumped his head against Kai's before he helped him sit down. "Lloyd's tuckered out, thank goodness."

Kai pulled the skates off his feet and tossed them aside, "What happened?" He asked curiously.

"Attacked Jay." Cole shrugged.

"Again?" Wu deadpanned, "Honestly…"

"He made himself an easy target in Laser Tag." Nya shrugged, to which Jay pouted.

"… And you used your powers?" Wu raised a brow.

"I was alone when I did it. Needed an easy way to find Jay." She said.

"It's true. Lloyd had been being a menace so much that Jay was too focused on trying to get him to buzz off than to call for help." Cole said. "Watched it happen."

"He was using the walls.." Jay shuddered.

Wu shook his head. "He needs to not do that…"

Morro finished a lap and skidded to a stop, stumbling a bit. "Okay- Okay. I'm done."

Zane glanced at him with a small hum, "Are we getting off now?"

"Yep." Morro said as he walked over to the table and worked to get his skates off. "I got… a bad feeling right now."

Zane followed him, "… I do as well.." He admitted.

Morro got his normal boots on quickly, and sighed. "By the way, I noticed something… odd… when we were playing Laser Tag earlier."

Nya looked over, "You guys played Laser Tag too?"

"Yeah, did it just after we finished our air hockey match… which these two ganged up on me in." Morro hissed as he looked at Kai and Zane.

Kai grinned, "It was fun."

"Yeah, yeah, anyways-" Morro paused, and shot a glance at Lloyd. "… He bit one of you, didn't he?"

"No, he didn't," Nya said, "I just fell." She held up her bandaged arm.

Morro squinted. "I can smell blood, Nya."

"Yeah, when I fell it drew blood. That happens sometimes, Morro." Nya said.

"… Okay. Then riddle me this, why the hell is it wrapped how we usually do it when Lloyd bites people?"

"Things can be wrapped the same way. It was a big scrape." Nya huffed.

Morro pointed at Lloyd, who yawned a bit. "Blood."

Nya, Jay, and Cole all looked at Lloyd.

"Fuck. We forgot to rinse his mouth."

Cole wheezed. "I thought one of you guys would remember before he fell asleep!"

"Jay was with him the whole time in Laser Tag!" Nya argued.

"Hey! Cole carried him the whole time afterwards! Don't pin the blame on me!" Jay squeaked.

"I'm just saying it wasn't my fault!" Nya huffed.

Morro stood up suddenly, "I'm gonna get the van started. Zane, c'mon."

Zane frowned, "Alright.."

Morro walked through the arcade out to the entrance. He got to the van and climbed in, he started the engine, ignoring the falcon perched atop the vehicle.

Zane paused as he saw the falcon and tilted his head.

The falcon, in turn, tilted its head as well.

Zane hummed a bit and raised his right arm.

The falcon raised its wing.

Zane raised his other arm.

Both wings are now up.

Zane walked closer, "You are a curious thing.."

The falcon tilted its head, it'd been motioning towards the South… towards the Monastery. Why?

"Do you want me to follow you?" Zane asked curiously.

The falcon nodded.

"Zane, go get the others!" Morro called. "Something's seriously wrong!"

Zane frowned some, "Let me get my friends, then we will follow." Then he turned and rushed back inside.

Wu was walking ahead of the rest of the group, carrying Lloyd in his arms. His brows were furrowed.

Zane paused abruptly in front of them, "We must move quicker. Morro is insisting it! And a bird."

"A bird-?" Wu tilted his head slightly. "What do you mean, Zane?"

"There was a falcon on top of the van. He mimicked me and kept looking in the direction of the Monastery. When I asked him if he wanted us to follow him, he nodded." Zane explained.

"I see…" Wu said softly, though Cole ran ahead of the rest of the group suddenly.

Zane's gaze followed Cole then he looked back to the others, "Hurry, to the van. I sense something dire has happened."

Nya's eyes widened, and she sped off to the van, pulling Jay and Kai along with her.

Zane quickly followed after them.

As they got into the van, Kai raised a brow at the falcon, but said nothing. Morro was tapping on the steering wheel as the wind picked up, his anxiety reaching its usual tipping point..

Zane rushed everyone into the van and then climbed in himself.

Morro quickly started to drive, the falcon leapt off of the van and was flying ahead of them.

"Uh, Zane? The heck's up with the bird?" Kai asked.

"I am unsure." Zane said, "But it seems to know something we do not as it is "leading" us to the Monastery and seems to know the way perfectly."

"Morro!" Wu hissed.

"I'm not breaking it yet!" Morro snapped back, it was obvious he was stressed, avoiding staying behind cars that were going too slow.

Lloyd woke a bit with Morro's slightly reckless driving, "Wha's goin' oon..?" He mumbled, clearly not fully awake yet.

"Something's wrong!" Morro said quickly.

"Dude, you need to chill out-"

"Chill out?! I'm perfectly fucking calm!"

"Lies." Kai said bluntly as Lloyd rubbed his eyes and straightened in his seat.

"Uh… guys…?" Nya said quietly.

"What's up Nya?" Jay asked.

"I'm uh- I'm getting some signals from some of the stuff I've been working on and-" Nya took a shaky breath. "It's overheating. None of them are online right now."

"But- But- That could only mean…" Cole trailed off.

"Fire." Kai finished quietly.

As soon as they were outside of the city limits, the van sped up. Morro wasn't playing around at this point, even off-roading to a shorter path.

"Morro!"

"I got it! Calm down!"

"Do you?!" Jay shrieked, his anxiety spiking a bit as some sparks flew off of him.

"I've taken this route a dozen times! I don't mess up!" Morro snapped as they got back onto a dirt road.

"Morro, I swear-"

"Look!" Lloyd shouted, pointing at the plume of smoke high in the sky.

"Oh my gosh!" Nya gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.

"The Monastery!" Jay cried.

Morro only increased the speed on the van, and quickly shut the van off as soon as they got close enough to the mountain. He climbed out and started running, the wind whipping past.

The others quickly followed him, climbing the stairs and trying not to trip over themselves.

"The Dragons! Shard needs to be let out!" Zane cried.

Morro had already launched himself up to the Dragon's keep, and was forcing the mechanisms open. "Go! Go!" He shouted.

The dragons quickly flew out and Shard flew up and blasted ice down onto the flames. The fire began to dissipate but as they got farther up it became clear the Monastery was beyond repair. Most of the walls were gone. The kitchen, dining room, the infirmary were completely ash with only the support beams half there. The rec room was destroyed, all the the electronics melted and ruined. Their bedrooms weren't fairing any better. Almost everything was burnt beyond recognition. It was horrible.

Morro was silent as he walked to where the kitchen had been. He was shaky, the wind wavered as he finally came to a halt.

"No!" Nya ran to the remains of her room and crumbled to the floor near what had been her closet. She gingerly lifted the remains of an outfit, "Mom's cheongsam…" Her voice trembled. The cheongsam was ruined, almost completely burned.

Morro looked back at the others, who'd begun going through the wreckage of their rooms. His heart felt hollow. He stepped back, and moved to try and leave, before Wu set a hand on his shoulder.

"It wasn't your fault, Morro.." Wu said softly, as if he knew exactly what his son was thinking.

"How do you know?" He asked weakly. "Everything I get too attached to falls apart eventually…"

"That is not true.. You have brought them together.. And kept them from fighting, making better decisions than I was planning to. Whatever happened here.. It was not caused by you.." Wu responded.

Morro felt numb as he leaned into Wu's arms. He wanted to run and hide. He wanted to find whoever did this and-

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to imagine anything graphic… anything caused by his own hands… anything-

Wu held him closely, rubbing his back, "It will be okay.. We will persevere, as we always do."

"Morro! How the fuck did your hoard survive?!" Cole called.

"Wait it survived?!" Jay yelled, and he scurried over to the remains of his bed and dug through the ashes, charred wood, and surprisingly intact plushies from Morro. "HOLY SHIT!" He held up Mr. Cuddlywomp, who was covered in ashes but fine.

"HOW THE FUCK?!" Kai shrieked as he ran over. "HOW IS HE NOT DEAD?!"

"HE WAS UNDER THE ONES MORRO MADE ME!!"

"They are fire-proof!" Wu called.

"HOW?!" Jay cried, hugging Mr. Cuddlywomp closely.

"After one of Kai's incidents with his developing elemental powers, we had to get a lot of fire-proof fabric and materials." Wu said plainly.

Kai blinked, "One of my incidents?"

"You sneezed." Morro mumbled. "Fucked up one of the plushies Uncle made you… cried for almost a week."

Kai was silent.

Nya was holding the remains of the cheongsam close to her chest, "Everything's gone…"

Morro took a shaky breath. "I shouldn't have suggested to go to the arcade… If we'd been here then maybe we could've- maybe we could've-"

"No, no…" Wu shushed him gently, "You children needed the break.. It is no one's fault but the person who did it."

"I swore to protect this place!" Morro cried. "I swore to protect it all!"

"Morro." Wu said sternly, "It is not all gone. The library is still fine, as are some of everyone's clothes, and the plushies are okay.. It will be okay. We will rebuild it one day, and perhaps make it better than it was before.."

Morro stopped, and stared up at him for a moment. He was silent, before he slumped in Wu's arms, burying his face in his Father's shoulder.

Wu tightened his hold on Morro, holding him closely, comfortingly.

Lloyd had begun rummaging through the rubble with a large laundry bag. He started shaking out the plushies before he shoved them into the bag.

Kai had gone to Nya's room and was sitting with her now, holding her closely.

Lloyd got over to Kai and Nya's rooms and paused. He set the bag down and quickly hugged them.

"… Sometimes things change… too fast for us…" He said quietly.

"… Way too fast.." Kai muttered bitterly, staring down at his mom's old outfit.

Lloyd nodded slightly. "… We can… try to use some of the fabric for something special!" He suggested lightly.

"Like what..?" Nya murmured, her voice trembling.

"… Maybe like… adding it to a quilt!" Lloyd piped up. "It won't be the same, sure but it'll still be with you!"

Kai managed a small smile, "… That's a great idea, kid.."

Lloyd nodded and moved to continue gathering up the ash-covered plushies. He seemed to be trying not to cry, though.

Zane was standing numbly in his room, the remains of his belongings surrounding him. It was clear he didn't know how to react. He didn't know what to feel.

Lloyd moved over to Zane's room and set the bag down again. He walked over and hugged him.

"… It's okay to cry if you gotta…" He said quietly.

"I… I am not sure if I can.." Zane said quietly, yet as he said this tears formed in his eyes.

"It's like that." Lloyd pointed up at him. "Your eyes start to hurt and they get all watery… but it's okay b'cause tears help you process your emotions better. Morro doesn't like crying because he sometimes wears makeup and it fucks it up…"

Zane blinked a bit and as the tears fell down his cheeks, he reached up to touch them, "… Oh.."

"Mhm." Lloyd held on still. "It's part of our emotional regu- regulatory systems." He managed with a slight stutter.

"I see…" Zane mumbled. Tears continued to flow and he took a shuddery breath.

"It sometimes helps if you sit down." Lloyd looked up at him.

Zane managed a small nod and slowly sank to the ground. He was shaking.

Lloyd adjusted his hug, and tried to rub circles into Zane's back. "I got ya… I know I'm the littlest… but I can be a support right now… okay, Zane?"

"I- I-" A sob escaped him and he curled in on himself a bit. He looked so small now, curled up and clinging to Lloyd, his head against the kid's shoulder as he sobbed.

Lloyd's other hand moved up to run a bit through Zane's hair. "Grief hurts the most when it hits right in the heart… it breaks us down and doesn't let us go until we've gotten it figured out. It still hurts later on, but it gets easier… at least Morro says so…"

"G- grief…?" Zane could barely get the word out. It sounded like it was unfamiliar to him… Which was odd. Who hasn't heard of grief?

"… It's… it's when you love so much that when you lose what you love, it breaks your heart." Lloyd said quietly. "But it's because you loved fully… and now there's nothing where all that love was poured… so it hurts…"

"… Oh…" Zane took a shuddery breath, "… Grief is… New to me.." He sounded like he was trying to pull himself together.

"Don't stop crying!" Lloyd said quickly. "It's how you get through it easier! It hurts a lot the first time… but it's just… how things are supposed to play out. Kinda like how forests grow back after forest fires…"

"… I see.." Zane murmured, despite his previous efforts more tears fell anyway.

"… This is your first time crying?" Lloyd asked quietly.

Zane hesitated, then he nodded quietly.

"… Most babies start crying when they're first born because they're overwhelmed by all the bright lights and the cold air…" Lloyd mumbled. "Guess it's why we're so used to crying."

"This… This feels unfamiliar to me…" Zane murmured.

"… I'm betting someone cursed you or something! Then when you lost your memories, the curse keeping you from crying got broken!" Lloyd huffed. "Everybody needs to cry at some point… b'cause our brains get too loud sometimes… 'n we need to deal with it quietly…"

"Why would someone have cursed me…?" Zane questioned quietly, trying to wipe away some still falling tears.

"Because some people suck!" Lloyd said. "It could've been someone who had it out for your parents or just an asshole!"

"I guess that makes sense.. But why would losing my memories break a curse…?"

"Curses have bullshit rules." Lloyd explained simply.

"Oh… I did not know that.." Zane hummed a bit.

"Yeah. Lots of people don't." Lloyd replied. "Because not many people go to Darkley's which has a fucking entire semester about curses…"

"Oh really..?" Zane tilted his head a bit.

"Yeah! They also kept bringing up the whole oh if you wanna bring someone back from the Cursed Realm you gotta send the person who cursed them into the Cursed Realm blah blah annoying stupid nonsense that I wish I could get out of my brain!" Lloyd whined.

Zane gently patted his head, "It will be okay, we will teach you better things than that in the coming years.." He managed a gentle smile.

Lloyd smiled. "Yeah… but I'm glad I could be a pillar for you today. You really needed it.."

Zane nodded, "… I did.. Thank you.."

Lloyd gave him one last tight hug before he grabbed the bag again, continuing to gather the plushies that needed to be washed.

Zane watched Lloyd walk away and stood up again. He paused as the falcon flew down onto one of the support beams. He tilted his head and walked over. It gestured at Shard with it's head. Zane quickly made his way over to Shard and climbed up. They were off in moments.

"Guys, where the heck is Zane going?!" Cole asked.

Kai and Nya looked up with wide eyes.

"Why is he leaving?!" Jay nearly dropped Mr. Cuddlywomp.

Lloyd stopped, and watched as Zane left. His eyes filled with tears, but he continued to gather what plushies remained. Maybe he just needed space! Yeah, that was it!

Wu frowned softly, "I am sure he will return.. " He still held Morro closely, "Zane does not do things without reason."

"… Right. Right." Cole took a deep breath. "Lloyd, do you need a hand with.. y'know, whatever it is you're doing?"

"Plushie gathering.." Lloyd said quietly. "They all gotta get cleaned…"

Kai stood up and helped Nya up as well, "We should find some of the other salvageable things too.. Find anything we can save.."

Morro suddenly got to moving. He pushed past a lot of the charred wood and kicked ash aside before he reached down to the floor. He seemed… frustrated.

"Uhh.. Morro..?" Jay walked over, "What are you doing..?"

"Getting to the library, what does it look like I'm doing?" Morro said as he sharply lifted the panel up. "Stupid fucking panel…"

Cole, Kai, and Nya soon joined Jay in watching Morro with confusion on their faces.

"… What library..?" Nya asked.

Morro pulled out a flashlight and stared at them for a minute before he groaned. "Dad, you forgot to tell them?!"

Wu hummed a bit as he walked over, "I did not forget, I simply did not want them roaming down there unsupervised."

Morro rolled his eyes and started to go down the stairs. He flicked the flashlight on as he got deeper down.

The others exchanged looks and began to follow him down the stairs, Wu being the only one who stayed at the top, watching his nephew.

The library was dusty, filled to the brim with scrolls and old books. Morro made his way to a specific part of it though, silent. His heart ached though.

The others looked around, curiosity in their eyes as they carefully followed Morro.

Morro stepped into the nook where the storage containers were. "Good thing I'd packed them up…" He mumbled.

"Wait.. This is where the storage is kept..?" Jay asked, "I thought is was in another room upstairs.."

"Nah. Easier to use the library." Morro said quietly. "'specially since we don't go down here as often as we used to."

"Oh.. That makes sense.." Jay said.

Morro set the flashlight down and grabbed one of the boxes. He passed it over to Kai, before he grabbed another and passed it to Nya. "There's some travel cases stored in the aisle to the right, under one of the tables."

The siblings exchanged a look before taking the boxes over to the next aisle to get the travel cases.

Morro grabbed a box for Jay and passed it over, then one for Cole. He opted to carry his own, Lloyd's, and Zane's himself, frowning a bit as he moved over to join the others.

"Why the fuck are these so big?!" Kai suddenly called.

"Road trips!" Morro replied, as he got over to them. He set down the boxes and sighed, rolling his shoulder a bit. "… Besides… I wasn't hoping on using them any time soon…"

"Who has enough things to need a suitcase this big though?" Nya asked, "We could probably fit Lloyd in one of these!"

"Bold of you to assume he hasn't climbed into these things before." Morro deadpanned as he grabbed one and began to move clothing from a box to inside the suitcase.

"I-" Nya paused, "… That doesn't surprise me much actually."

"So… why do you have so many of these…?" Cole asked.

"… Like I said, I wasn't hoping on using them anytime soon." He said quietly. "It was supposed to be for a trip… one that wasn't s'possed to happen for another few years…"

"You had a trip planned that would need suitcases this big?" Jay asked.

Morro looked up at them. "… You remember the prophecy, right?"

All four of them nodded quietly.

"… It was supposed a trip to the Dark Island." Morro mumbled. "To try and slow it down.. to let Lloyd have more time…"

"Oh.." Nya mumbled, "Yeah.. That makes sense.."

He nodded slowly, and took a deep breath. "Let's- let's get packed. It's supposed to be colder tonight."

The others nodded and quickly got to work.

"… It's about time we told Wu that you know about the prophecy… we can't tell him about Lloyd… but…" Morro mumbled. "We can at least try and keep the pressure off for now."

"Are you sure..?" Nya asked softly.

"I'm sure." Morro looked up at them. "It's… all of this- I just… have a feeling that it's getting closer."

The others exchanged a look.

"Alright.. But not till Zane gets back? And we have to warn Lloyd. Don't wanna scare the kid." Kai said.

Morro nodded. "Agreed. We can't risk Lloyd or Zane accidentally slipping up with telling Wu…"

He took a deep breath. "I hate prophecies.."

"After reading that one? I think we all do." Cole huffed.

"Yeah.." Nya frowned.

"Definitely.." Kai said as Jay nodded.

Morro closed the case for Lloyd, and began to work on getting Zane's clothes transferred over as well. "… I just hope he's not doing something dangerous…"

"Zane isn't reckless like that.." Nya said, "He… He must've needed to do something.. Or.." She trailed off.

"Or…?"

"I… I don't know.." She sighed quietly, hugging herself.

Kai set the last piece of clothing he was holding down and hugged her. "It'll be okay. I don't think he left because of a bad reason."

Nya nodded a bit and leaned into his hold, "Mhm.."

"… The falcon…" Morro mumbled. "Must've seen it again or something…"

"That would make sense.." Cole said, "He was pretty adamant on it knowing something when we were leaving the arcade."

"Yeah…" Jay frowned a bit. "Think the falcon is some sort of prophet or something?"

"I'm calling it an omen." Morro deadpanned.

"Guess we'll find out when he shows up again.." Kai said.

"Yeah, yeah… still calling the falcon a prophet, though." Jay grinned.

"I will toss you." Morro threatened lightly.

Jay stuck his tongue out at Morro.

They soon finished getting the clothing moved into the cases. Morro glanced up at a high shelf with several boxes… but he shook his head and grabbed Lloyd and Zane's after he pulled the straps of his over his arms.

Kai let go of Nya and picked up his. Nya followed suit with hers.

Jay and Cole followed, talking quietly with each other.

Nya hummed quietly, trying to keep her mind off her worry for Zane.

In the time it'd taken them to gather their things, Wu and Lloyd had gathered all the plushies. Though Lloyd was crying a bit now.

Kai frowned heavily as he noticed the kid's tears, "You okay, Lloyd..?"

Lloyd looked up at Kai, before he moved over and hugged him, clinging tight. "Zane doesn't know what grief is!" He sobbed.

Kai's eyes widened a bit at the sudden sobbing. He set his suit case down and wrapped his arms around Lloyd, "What do you mean..?"

"He- He didn't know how to cry- and- and-" Lloyd hiccuped. "He didn't know that it's supposed to help! He didn't know it at all!"

Kai frowned heavily as he looked back at the others.

"How.. How did he not know how to cry..? It's a natural thing.." Nya asked quietly, worry filling her voice.

"I don't know!" Lloyd whined. "I had- I had to teach him what it was and- I'm scared… I'm scared for him, Kai…"

"We'll find him bud.. We'll find him.." Kai assured him softly, gently prying Lloyd's arms off of him so he could scoop the kid up into his arms.

Lloyd clung to him, and buried his face into Kai's shoulder. "I think somebody cursed him… 'n when he lost his memories he was able to cry again…"

Kai blinked a bit at the odd theory but just rubbed Lloyd's back, "Whatever it was…We'll figure it out and we'll help him.."

"Okay…"

"I think we should get down from the mountain." Cole said. "It's starting to get colder…"

"Yeah.." Nya agreed with a small nod.

Morro took a deep breath. "Father, are we ready?"

Wu nodded slightly, "Lloyd and I finished gathering all the plushies, so as long as you all have finished down in the library, we are ready."

Morro nodded and closed the hatch. "… Let's go."

It'd been a few hours. Their dragons were exhausted and so were they. Morro stared up at the sky in silence as the others talked.

"Ugh.. What are we eating again..?" Kai asked.

"Mud Newt.." Cole answered with a grimace, "Not bad for something that lives underground.."

Jay let out a noise of disgust and threw his down, then he tossed a rock into a can some feet away. It landed inside, "Yeah! A new high score!" He tried to sound cheerful through his shivering.

"Remember, we must be thankful for what we still have." Wu said softly as he carefully undid tangles in Lloyd's hair.

"What do we have? Our home is gone..!" Cole huffed.

"You know.. I know miss our home.." Kai said, "What I really miss is Zane.."

"Yeah.. I miss Zane…" Jay agreed.

"Zane??" Nya asked quietly.

"Yeah, Zane. You know, the white ninja? The smart, strange one?" He did some odd hand motions as he said that.

"No-" Nya pointed a little past the dragons. "Zane!"

Morro sat up abruptly to look, and sighed in relief upon seeing Zane approaching them.

"Zane!" The teens all got up to meet him as he walked over to them with a smile.

Zane hugged them. "I apologize for my sudden departure."

"It's okay, buddy." Cole said, "Just tell us where you've been!"

"Well, I saw the falcon again, and I decided to follow it." He explained. "It led me somewhere I think you all would like to see."

The others exchanged curious looks.

"Well, lead the way then." Kai said.

Morro got up and scooped Lloyd up into his arms before Wu could move to stand. "Yep, let's see what you found."

The dragons all got up, though they seemed a bit grumpy about having to move again.

Kai gently patted Flame's snout as he walked over, "You guys can rest more soon.." He said softly.

Flame rumbled a bit and gently nudged him, before moving to follow the other dragons, who were being led by Shard.

Kai joined the others again, clearly curious as to what Zane could have found.

As they made their way through the Sea of Sand, Zane looked back at them. "I do not know how to explain it, but I feel a strange connection with the falcon. I believe he's trying to show us the path we need to take."

The others quietly listened, with Jay and Kai exchanging small shrugs. They began following him again as he led them on.

Zane stopped and stepped aside, gesturing to the structure in the distance… it was an old ship. "Our new home."

The others let out gasps as they looked upon the ship. Even Wu looked impressed.

"Do I smell pie?" Jay asked, excitement filling his voice.

"Cobbler berry. Oh, and I made myrtle berry, and apple, and-"

Jay took a deep breath in, enjoying the smell. Then he, Cole, Kai, and Nya all bounded for the ship, laughing and cheering.

"That's… that's the Destiny's Bounty." Morro whispered. "Oh my fucking gosh that's the Destiny's Bounty…"

Lloyd looked confused, "What's the Destiny's Bounty?"

"Okay okay- so it was this pirate ship that belonged to Captain Soto, but it wound up sinking when they were looking for the Dark Island!" Morro took a deep breath. "AND IT SUNK. IN THE SEA OF SAND."

Lloyd stared at Morro for a good ten seconds in silence before…

"Nerd."

"If that pirate crew comes back to haunt us you're gonna wish you paid attention." Morro grinned as he started walking.

"Yeah right!" Lloyd scoffed, "Like we're interesting enough for dead pirates to come back.."

"Oi, have you forgotten that I'm an undead ninja?" Morro raised a brow.

"Yeah, but that's different. Pirates are cool." Lloyd grinned.

Morro gasped in offense. "You little shit!"

As the two got out of earshot, Zane sighed. "I am glad that they are happier now."

Wu smiled softly, "Yes.. It is quite nice.."

"… Do you think we will find out what happened to my birth family?" Zane asked.

Wu paused and a small frown took over, "I… I am not sure Zane.. But I certainly hope so."

"… Well, even if we never do… I am proud to call you all my family." Zane smiled weakly.

Wu set a hand on his shoulder, "We are proud to call you family as well, Zane.."

"… We should go before Morro is unable to keep them back from eating all the pie." Zane pointed out.

Wu chuckled, "Yes.. We should.."

Chapter Text

It'd been a long night. Hell, long enough that Nya had wound up falling asleep in the same room as the guys since they'd been up talking.

There was a loud crashing noise as Wu walked into the room. "Evil doesn't sleep, and neither should you!"

"Father, sleep is necessary for the human body, how many times do I gotta say it…?" Morro mumbled as he followed Wu.

Nya was the only to actually sit up. All the boys groaned. Kai pulled a pillow over his face, and Zane did the same with his blanket. Jay turned to face the wall and Cole covered his ears.

"In order to reach your full potential, you must greet each day as an opportunity." Wu said, accompanied by a quiet, "Yeah don't be like me, guys."

"Okay, okay we're up.." Kai sat up and hopped off the top bunk, "But if you want us to reach our full potential, shouldn't we at least get a full night of rest?" He walked over to the window and pulled on the cord to raise the blinds as he yawned. The blinds fell to the the floor.

"You call that rest? Cole got up and stretched his back. "I think my back has more lumps than the mattress!"

"We were up so late, talking about how cool it is to have a new headquarters," Jay stretched and walked over to the sink, "I guess we lost track of time.." He put some toothpaste on his toothbrush and held it under the faucet, "Since the Monastery was burned down, I'm just glad we have a roof over our heads-" He turned the faucet off and brought his toothbrush to his mouth only to immediately pull it away and spit, "Ack-"

"What is our lesson today? Mastering the Strike of the Scorpion? Or perhaps the grace of-" Zane yelped as the floorboards collapsed underneath him, causing Morro to sigh.

"I think today's lesson will be… chores." Wu said simply while Morro gently pat Jay on the back for the agony that was the sandy toothbrush.

"Chores?!" All the boys exclaimed.

"Ninja fight, Sensei." Cole frowned, "They do not clean."

Morro snorted. "Really?"

"In order to respect ourselves, we must respect our new home and where we are from. And this place is a long way from becoming a ninja headquarters." Wu said. "I expect things to be spotless when I return - and put your backs into it." He crashed the gong again as he left the room.

Cole sighed and moved to help Zane out of the hole.

"This place is gonna take forever to clean!" Kai groaned.

"Well. What if we put more than our backs into it?" Jay suggested. "After all, we all have our own skills!"

"I can see about getting any structural damage patched." Morro pointed out. "Plus there's some tools that I brought along that might help."

The other four boys stared at him. "That is not quite what he meant.." Zane said.

Morro paled and looked down. "Ah."

Kai crossed his arms, "It's chill, dude. Just come on! Let's get this done, quickly!"

"I'm patching this hole properly though." Morro argued. "I am not having a structural or trip hazard in here, got it?"

"Fine, fine!" Jay said, "But we're going!"

"Okay!" Morro said as he set down the box of tools he'd been carrying.

The other four left the room, all talking excitedly.

Morro took a deep breath and began moving to work. He frowned as he pulled the wood out and carefully began to coat the broken ends with wood glue. Thankfully, they'd split evenly, but…

He'd still reinforce them. Just as a precaution.

There was a bunch of running throughout the halls as the boys got to work, cleaning in their own way.

Morro rolled his eyes and kept a steady wind on the drying pieces of wood. He needed to make sure they set fully before he did anything else.

At some point something happened and all the lights came on.

Morro squinted and rolled his eyes. He got to setting metal sheets on the sides and bottom of the planks, using strong, but small screws to keep the sheets in place. After that was finished, he began to settle the wood back into place.

Jay peeked his head in a few minutes later, "Hey, how ya doin'?"

"Just finished getting these set into place." Morro sighed. "It ain't pretty, but it's structurally sound."

Jay snickered a bit, "Slowpoke." Then he ran off, followed by the other three.

"Slowpoke?!" He slammed the toolbox closed and ran after them, dropping it in his room as he passed it. "GET BACK HERE!"

There was a bunch of laughter from the four teens as they ran out onto the deck.

Morro used the wind to an advantage as he launched himself at them.

The boys all yelped.

"SCATTER!!"

They all fled in different directions across the deck.

Morro immediately went after Jay and managed to tackle him. "GOTCHA, YOU LITTLE SHIT!"

Jay shrieked, "NO! AVENGE MEEEEE!!" He cried.

Morro began aggressively ruffling Jay's hair. "DO NOT. CALL ME A SLOWPOKE."

Jay flailed and struggled, "BUT IT'S TRUE!!"

"NO IT FUCKING ISN'T! THAT WAS FAST FOR REPAIRING THE DAMAGE THAT WAS DONE!" Morro argued.

"YOU'RE STILL SLOW!!" Jay cried.

Morro flicked Jay's forehead. "Was that slow?!"

Jay yelped, "No!"

"Precisely my point!" Morro said as he stood up and held out a hand for Jay.

Jay pouted as he took Morro's hand, "Mean.."

"Nah, not mean. Just letting ya know you're getting cocky." Morro said as he pulled him upright. "So… I saw you got the power working. How's it going on your guys' end?"

"We're close to done!" Jay said, he gestured to the others who were pulling on the rope for the sail.

"… Already?!" Morro stared at them.

"Yeah!" Jay nodded, "Spinjitzu helps a lot!" He grinned.

Morro stared at him for a moment, before he groaned. "Of course that's what you guys did…"

Jay snickered, "Why wouldn't we! It sped things up!"

"It's not-" Morro sighed. "Forget it. I'm the one who taught you guys the thinking of it as a form of dance. That's on me."

Jay's grin widened and he looked up as the other three finally got the sails to open up. Years of sand and dust was disturbed.

Morro quickly sent a gust of wind to make sure the dust and sand didn't blow back towards the Bounty. He sighed.

The other three came over.

"Thanks Morro!" Cole grinned.

"Just making sure you guys don't get blinded by a dust cloud." Morro shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"We should probably get all the sand swept off the deck too.." Zane commented.

"Agreed…" Morro sighed. "I'll go get the brooms…"

"Why would we use the brooms?" Kai asked, grinning like a menace.

"Oh, I dunno, because the monotonous task of sweeping is actually rather enjoyable?" Morro tilted his head.

The only one who seemed to agree even a bit was Zane, who did nod some. The other three, however, made varying faces of disagreement.

"… You're kidding me." Morro whispered. "You're fucking kidding me-"

"It's not fun!" Jay huffed.

"We. Are sweeping. With brooms. End of discussion." Morro said sharply. "I actually like sweeping because it allows me to ensure everything is spotless."

Jay and Cole groaned as Kai shrugged and Zane nodded slightly.

Morro grinned as he turned to go to where the broom closet was.

Kai and Zane followed him so he wouldn't have to carry all the brooms.

Morro grabbed two of the brooms and glanced at the others. "Thanks… I just- want to make sure it's done right."

Zane nodded, "That is understandable." Kai made a noise of agreement.

"I mean, sure it's a chore, but it's one of the more enjoyable ones… certainly better than folding laundry." Morro shuddered.

Kai shrugged, "I think laundry is fine.."

"I like doing the laundry. Like sorting it. Hate folding it." Morro sighed. "It's just hard because I can't always fold them right."

"Really? Is there a wrong way?" Zane asked.

"Graphic tees get folded so the graphic is visible, I can't even tell you how the fuck to properly fold long-sleeved shirts-"

"You've gotta fold both sides and then fold the sleeves again." Kai said, "Then fold up the bottom of the shirt."

"… I need to toss myself into the nearest lake-"

"I do not believe that would be wise. There nearest lake would not be for miles." Zane said.

"… I mean it in the sense that I am deeply disappointed in myself." Morro clarified.

"Oh.." Zane said, "Why? It is okay to not be good at things.."

"It's-" Morro took a deep breath. "I hold myself to ridiculous standards."

Zane tilted his head, "Why? You are just as human as any of us."

The eldest hung his head. "My brain is a fucking enigma and I need to put it in a cage and shake it around, then pop it back in my head."

Zane blinked, "… But… You cannot take your brain out… That would kill you.."

"I- I mean it metaphorically!" Morro cried. "I don't actually wanna take my brain out, I just need it. To function like a normal brain!"

"No one's brain is completely normal.." Zane said, "Most would say Jay having anxiety makes his brain abnormal and weird."

"It's not!" Morro argued. "It's just- I don't-"

"Hey." Kai interrupted, "It's okay, Morro. You don't have to explain yourself to us.." He set a hand on Morro's shoulder.

He took a shaky breath and nodded. "Right… right. Let's get up there before they try to do somethin' stupid."

Zane hummed, "They have probably already done it."

Morro grumbled as he made his way up to the deck. "Let's go and make sure-"

Jay and Cole were Spinjitzu-ing the sand away.

"Ahem?!" Morro shouted.

Both boys yelped and stumbled out of their tornadoes, looking at Morro like Lloyd whenever Wu caught him in the cookie jar.

Morro stormed over to them and shoved the brooms into their hands. "You two get double-time for that."

"Noo!" Jay whined, as Cole groaned in defeat.

Morro walked back over to Zane and took the second broom with a quiet "thanks." It was obvious who was in his favor today.

Zane nodded slightly, "You're welcome.."

Morro got to sweeping the deck, humming quietly as he did so. It was clear he was actually enjoying it.

Kai and Zane followed suit. Cole and Jay hesitated but eventually began.

It was… very uneventful. Though, in a way, maybe that was why Morro preferred it.

It was quiet as they swept, peaceful as the breeze blew by them.

Morro seemed content - calmer than he had been over the past day.

Kai hummed a bit as he swept, not quite liking the complete silence.

"… So… why do we need to do this?"

"Patience." Morro said. "It's to practice patience."

Zane nodded a bit, "That makes sense."

"But patience is boring-"

"That's because you haven't grown comfortable with being uncomfortable." Morro replied.

"Boring is normal." Kai huffed, "Part of not being a kid."

"Nah. It's part of being a kid too." Morro said. "I used to be bored all the time."

Kai shrugged, "Still.."

"It's just-" Morro sighed. "You need to find ways to occupy yourselves. Ones that aren't going to just… blip if the power goes out randomly… or if we lose our home again…"

All the others grimaced at that.

"… Sorry- I-" Morro looked away from them. His hands gripping the broom tight. "I… I should shut up now."

"It's okay Morro.. You don't have to stop talking.." Jay said.

Morro was silent briefly, before he moved to go back below deck, almost like he was afraid of saying anything else.

Kai sighed and just went back to sweeping.

"… Does anybody else think he's hiding stuff again?" Cole asked.

"I do…" Jay nodded.

"Perhaps we should talk to him about it?" Zane suggested.

"We should give him some space first.." Cole said, "Maybe after dinner?"

"Yeah… maybe." Kai sighed. "Do you guys think it looks clean enough? I wanna go back to sleep…"

Zane looked around, "… I believe Cole and Jay can finish the rest. I will supervise them to ensure they sweep it correctly. You may go back to sleep Kai."

Kai yawned. "Hell yeah…" He made his way back down below deck.

Zane looked at Cole and Jay then went to sit down on the steps.

"Okay, but seriously, do you think it's even remotely possible that the prophecy can even be prevented?" Jay asked. "I mean- seriously."

"I'm pretty sure if there was a way, Morro would have found it by now." Cole sighed.

"Right…" Jay huffed. "Right."

Cole nodded a bit, "It's… It sucks… I really hope Lloyd gets some more time to be a kid before it comes true."

"Agreed." Zane said. "He is much too young for such a prophecy to even come to fruition."

Jay released a breath, "Yeah. There's no way it'll come into fru- fru-" He huffed, "There's no way it'll come true till he's at least a teenager."

Cole sighed. "Yeah. Yeah. We've got time. We have to have time."

"Yes.. For Lloyd's sake.." Zane said.

Jay leaned a bit on his broom. "So… why do you think the falcon led us here aside from the whole.. y'know, being a prophet bird thing."

Zane hummed slightly, "I am not sure. He showed up at the arcade and seems to like me. Also I do not believe he is a prophet, just quite smart."

"Still. Prophet bird."

"Can you lay off of the prophet bird theory?" Cole groaned. "Seriously, Jay."

"Nah!" Jay grinned.

Cole frowned, but he got back to sweeping. "Whatever…"

Jay snickered and continued sweeping as well.

"… So… what's that surprise you've been planning to show us, Jay?" Cole asked. "You were up later than we were."

Jay looked over, "It isn't done yet! You don't get to know!"

"Bet you told Nya." Cole grumbled.

Jay flushed, "That's besides the point!" He shrieked.

"So you did tell her!" Cole pointed at him.

"Cause she can help me with it!" Jay retorted, "None of the rest of you are techy!"

"AHAH! So it is something tech-related!" Cole grinned.

Jay blinked and then groaned, "Dammit!"

"Yes!" Cole punched the air, grinning.

Jay ran his hand down his face, pouting.

There was a distant scrambling noise. Oh no.

Cole and Jay immediately tensed looking towards the ramp that led onto the deck.

Lloyd got up onto it and tackled Cole, knocking the teen over.

Cole yelped, dropping the broom as he fell. Jay snickered.

"Hello, Lloyd. I assume Master Wu and Nya are not far behind?"

"Yeah… but they were being slow so I decided to run ahead!" The little menace grinned.

"Fair enough!" Jay said.

"Hey, guys!" Nya called.

Jay's attention was immediately on her, "Hi, Nya! Welcome back!"

"Thanks!" She walked over and set down some bags before she walked over and hugged Jay, then Cole, then Zane. "It wasn't too bad of a run, though- wait." She looked up at the sails, and around at the deck. She quickly ran to check below deck before she came back out. "YOU GUYS ACTUALLY DID IT?!"

Jay blinked, "Did you expect us to not..?"

"No, I'm just surprised you did it all so fast!" She cried.

Lloyd squinted a bit. "You guys did chores all morning?"

"Yep." Cole nodded slightly.

"Bo-ring!" Lloyd huffed and made his way to the stairs below deck. "I'm gonna go bother Kai."

"He is napping!" Zane called after the kid.

"Then I'll flop over him!" Lloyd shouted back.

Zane sighed heavily.

Wu stepped onto the deck of the ship and hummed. "You did a lot while we were gone. I'm impressed."

Jay grinned, "Thanks Sensei!"

"… Also, did that hole from earlier get patched?" Wu tilted his head. "I do not want you all to have such a dangerous tripping hazard…"

"Yes, Morro fixed it while we cleaned everything else." Zane answered.

"I see.." Wu hummed. "Though, we may or may not be having company coming over soon."

"Really? Who?" Cole asked as he finally sat up.

There was a bit of a small silence before the familiar sound of an engine approached the Bounty. "I trust you won't all badger Jay about any embarrassing stories they might tell."

Jay sighed heavily, succumbing to his fate as he walked to the ramp to greet his parents.

"Jay! It's been a while- how- how've you been?" Ed asked as he walked over to him. "You- I mean I know it's been hard with… y'know, everything… but…"

"We've been okay, Pa. Everything is working out with the ship!" Jay said, trying to reassure his father.

"I know, but just- let us know if you ever need any help, okay? I know losing the Monastery was hard on everyone…" Ed set a hand on his shoulder.

Jay nodded a bit, "… Thanks, Pa.." He smiled slightly.

"Where's Kai and Morro?" Edna asked gently.

"Below deck." Cole answered as he walked over, "Kai wanted to get some more sleep and Morro wanted some space."

"Ah… I see.." Edna sighed. "Well, that makes sense… considering everything. So uh… are you going to show us around?"

Jay blinked, "AH right! Come on!" He gestured for them to follow him and walked back on deck.

They both followed, and some quiet arguing could be heard below deck.

Cole sighed in exasperation, "Of course.."

Jay ignored it and began to lead his parents around.

"So… how exactly did you all find this place?" Ed asked.

"Zane's prophet bird!" Jay answered.

Cole groaned, "It isn't a prophet bird!"

"You don't know that!"

"Prophet bird…?" Edna asked with a small smile.

Jay nodded, "Yeah! This falcon keeps coming up to Zane and leading him places! Like when we left the arcade cause Morro and Zane both had bad feelings, it was waiting on the van and flew ahead of us like it was leading us to the Monastery! And then it led Zane here!" He explained.

"Oh my…" Edna hummed. "Well, if that falcon isn't a prophet, they sure are one smart cookie."

Zane nodded as he joined them, "Yes.. He is quite smart." He agreed.

"I'm still not exactly over the fact that you didn't know what grief was, buddy." Cole nudged Zane. "Seriously, how?"

Zane looked down a bit, "I do not know.." He sighed.

Ed and Edna frowned.

"What do ya mean he didn't know what grief was..?" Ed asked.

"When the Monastery burned down… he didn't know how to handle it… didn't understand what grief was." Cole said softly. "Hell, Lloyd had to tell him because we were all trying to deal with it ourselves…"

"Hold on.. Lloyd?" Edna questioned.

"… Shoot, I spoiled the surprise." Cole sighed. "Yeah… we uh… we got Lloyd out of Darkley's. Morro's idea."

"Oh that is just amazing!" Ed said, "We haven't seen the lil' guy since he was just a lil' tater tot."

"Odds are he is currently attempting to take a nap-" Zane was suddenly interrupted by loud scrambling coming from below deck.

"Nope, he pissed off Kai." Jay corrected.

"… I can see that."

There was a loud shriek of fear before the scrambling got up the stairs and onto the deck. Lloyd wasted no time in clambering up onto Zane's back. "KAI HIT ME IN THE FACE WITH A PILLOW!"

Zane sighed, "I told you he was taking a nap."

"Yeah but I wanted to nap too!" Lloyd huffed.

"Did you quietly ask him or did you jump on him?" Zane asked.

"… Tried the first one then did the second when he didn't respond." Lloyd grumbled.

"Then you simply faced the consequences of your actions." Zane said calmly, "Perhaps if you go and apologize, nicely, he will let you nap with him."

"… I'm already up here. I'm not going back down." Lloyd buried his face into Zane's shoulder, before he noticed Ed and Edna. His eyes widened and the little bit of fluff on his tail stood on end.

"Hello little one.." Edna greeted with a smile.

"… Why didn't anyone tell me people were coming?" Lloyd said quietly.

"We did not know they were arriving until just after you, Sensei Wu, and Nya got back. And you were already below deck when Sensei told us." Zane responded.

"… I am going to bite Uncle-"

"Nope. You're on a biting ban, remember?"

"SINCE WHEN?!"

"Since you bit Nya at the arcade." Cole deadpanned.

Jay snickered, "Consequences!~" He sing-songed.

Lloyd growled at him, his tail flicking. "When I'm off of this ban, I'm biting you."

"Uh huh. Keep that up and I don't think you'll be free of the ban!" Jay said.

"Oh dear, he still hasn't gotten out of the biting habit?" Edna asked softly.

"Still?" Cole questioned.

"Oh yes, he was a very feisty toddler. Loved to try and bite his father," Edna nodded.

"I still remember how many bandages Garmadon's arms had." Ed shook his head a little. "Didn't deter him from scooping Lloyd up whenever it was time to settle him down for a nap… however long that usually took…"

"At least an hour." Edna supplied, "Sometimes longer, I think.."

"Woah, seriously?" Jay looked over at Lloyd, who was pouting a bit.

"Isn't my fault I didn't like naps…"

"Oh no, ya loved naps!" Ed corrected, "Ya just couldn't settle down!"

Lloyd raised a brow. "So, what? Did I like… have too much energy?"

"Oh ya! Edna nodded, "Every time Garmadon and Misako brought ya over, you and Jay would be hyper as could be!"

"… Oh." Lloyd looked down, clearly a little surprised and a little embarrassed. How hadn't he known about this?

"Come to think of it…" Cole said quietly, then shook his head. "Nevermind…"

"What, Cole?" Zane tilted his head.

"Well uh.. just remember a few times some people would come over to visit when my mother was sick is all…" Cole explained. "Their kid was always a little rowdy at first but usually settled down at some point…"

Edna hummed and smiled a bit, "Oh yes.. We used to go with Garmadon and Misako to go visit your mom all the time before Lou stopped letting us.."

"Wait- seriously?" Cole paused and stared at Jay. "THAT'S WHY I KNOW ALL THAT OLD LORE ABOUT STARFARER?! BECAUSE OF YOU?!"

"I GUESS SO?!" Jay said.

Lloyd rested his head on Zane's shoulder. "… You guys were almost always either yapping or fighting with toy swords."

"You remember that? But we barely remember each other? And you'd have only been like three!" Cole said.

"… I'm just better." Lloyd grinned.

Jay huffed and Cole sighed.

"… It could be that being the Grandson of the First Spinjitzu Master, you have a bit of an accelerated rate for your developmental milestones." Zane said.

"That does make sense.." Jay said.

"Yet again! I win!" Lloyd threw his hands in the air, careful to avoid hitting Zane's head.

Zane chuckled softly and reached back, gently ruffling Lloyd's hair.

Lloyd laughed evilly for a bit before he leaned his head into Zane's hand. "Luck of the cards…"

"Mhm.." Zane said and simply continued to pet the boy's head.

"… I wanna see all the other changes!" Lloyd piped up.

Cole sighed but chuckled and poked Lloyd's cheek, "We'll get to it, buddy. Calm down."

Lloyd nipped at Cole's hand, but clearly didn't actually mean to bite him. Just a lil warning.

Cole pulled his hand back, grinning.

Nya got over to them and sighed. "Kai has stolen your guys' pillows and made a fort for his bed."

"Wha-" Jay huffed, "Pillow hogger.."

"Said it was to prevent a particularly bony nine year old from launching at him." Nya squinted at Lloyd who immediately moved to hide his head behind Zane's.

Cole snorted, "Considering Lloyd woke him up? I'm not surprised."

"Honestly, I'm just glad he didn't bother Morro. The guy seems ticked." Nya said quietly.

The three teen boys present immediately frowned.

"Ticked..?" Jay repeated.

"I mean- like… you know how he gets after he gets in an argument with Wu?" Nya asked.

Cole nodded, "Yeah.."

"Yeah… like that." Nya frowned and leaned against the railing. "Last I checked he was glaring at the wall."

"… We should probably leave him alone then.. Let him calm down…" Cole said.

"Good idea." Nya looked away.

Zane sighed softly, "Yes.. For now.. Let's continue showing Ed and Edna around.."

"Oh! Oh! Can we see what the quote unquote command center looks like?" Lloyd piped up.

Jay sighed, "… I guess.."

"Yes!" Lloyd grinned.

"Well… now I'm curious." Nya smiled a little.

"Come on!" Jay gestured for them all to follow him.

Nya was quick to follow, grinning as she caught up with him. Ed and Edna walked behind them, asking quiet questions… while Cole, Zane, and subsequently Lloyd followed.

Jay led them all to the "command center". It had been severely upgraded since they had moved in.

"Woah." Lloyd said quietly. "… I can't tell what any of this stuff does."

The kid then promptly buried his face into Zane's hood to avoid any explanations aimed at him. Nya on the other hand was stunned.

"You- you did all this?!" Nya looked at Jay, eyes wide.

Jay rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "Yeah.. I did.."

"Wow-!" Ed began as Nya walked over and cupped Jay's face, squinting at him. "Uh…"

"… Did you or did you not go to sleep at a proper time last night?"

Jay squeaked, "I- um- Yes..?" It was clearly a no.

"Wrong! Bed! Now!" She quickly turned him around and began pushing him out of the command center. Cole began snickering and covered his mouth.

Ed and Edna were smiling.

"Come visit us soon, dear!" Edna called after them.

"We'll try!" Nya called back as she continued to make sure Jay got below deck.

Jay whined as Nya pushed him along, "I'm not even tired!"

"Yeah, right." She smirked. "And you were complaining about Wu waking you guys up… almost like someone who only got an hour of sleep~"

"The others were complaining too!"

"Yeah but you've got bags under your eyes." Nya deadpanned as they got to the door to the bedroom. "I can tell."

Jay pouted, "But-"

"Ap-Ap-Ap!" She set a finger on his lips. "Consider this as me ensuring you don't have to deal with the embarrassment that is your folks telling the others stories from when you were little."

Jay sighed. He knew she was right.

"Besides… you need your sleep." Nya said softly. "I can go get a pillow from my room if Kai stole yours…"

"… Okay.." Jay said.

Nya smiled a little and quickly darted over to her room. It didn't take long for her to return with the pillow, though she aggressively fluffed it up before handing it to him.

"… Thanks." Jay smiled a bit and headed for his bed. He climbed up the ladder, holding the pillow under his arm.

Nya smiled, and glanced over at Kai, who was down for the count. He had a bit of a bruise on his cheek.

She shook her head a bit and paused as she moved to leave the room. After a moment, she moved over to Jay's bunk and climbed up, sitting beside him.

Jay paused, "… You're staying..?"

"To make sure you get some sleep, you dork." Nya gently ruffled his hair.

Jay leaned into the touch but pouted, "I was gonna sleep."

"Mmm, doubt it." She whispered. After a split-second, she adjusted and carefully hugged him.

Jay couldn't protest after that, relaxing from the hug.

Nya smiled a little, and settled a hand in his hair. "Promise… nothing stupid's gonna happen… you get your rest…"

Jay nodded a bit, sighing contently.

Nya closed her eyes. "B'sides. If Lloyd tries to bother us, I can hit him in the face with a ball of water."

Jay laughed a bit, "Yeah…"

"G'night…"

"Night.."

"I cannot believe I am being subjected to this!" Lloyd cried after Wu snickered a bit after a particular recounting of an incident involving him and tearing apart several pillows and plushies, and then proceeding to cry because of all the destroyed toys.

Cole was laughing, not even trying to hide it.

"Oh, don't worry, your father was able to patch it all up!" Edna smiled.

"It's the principle of the matter!" Lloyd whined. "I am being bullied for actions that were caused by the fact that I was tiny and thus had no concept of consequences!"

Zane smiled, looking a bit amused, "We are not bullying you. We are simply appropriately acknowledging a funny story."

Lloyd huffed and buried his face into Zane's arm. "Stupid…"

Zane reached over and gently ruffled Lloyd's hair.

"Hmm… oh! How about the time you all started playing hide and seek in the Monastery without telling anyone?" Ed asked.

"Oh, Father, don't remind me…" Wu whispered.

"Oh?" Cole said curiously.

"Well, Morro was having a bit of a tired day, so you all sort of made a bit of an agreement that you'd play hide and seek since it was the least intense game and it didn't exactly need Morro to be awake." Edna smiled softly. "However… you all failed to tell everyone else about the game… so when Kai came wobbling over to Ray crying that he couldn't find everyone… well…"

"… Everyone freaked out… myself included." Wu said quietly.

"Oh wow.." Cole said, "Damn."

"Where were they hiding?" Zane asked curiously.

"Well, Cole and Morro had chosen one of the more reasonable spots… in Morro's closet." Ed hummed. "Then Nya had managed to get herself into a cabinet. She had the smuggest look on her face when we'd found her."

"And then Jay…" Wu whispered.

Lloyd's head perked with interest at how Wu spoke.

"… Where was Jay..?" Cole asked, a bit worried.

"In the fucking rafters…" Wu whispered, causing Ed to chuckle softly.

"You know as much as I do that he likes to wander."

"HE SCARED THE SHIT OUT OF US FOR HOURS!"

"Hours?" Zane said, "None of you thought to look up?"

"I'm convinced Garmadon had and didn't bother to mention it because he thought it was amusing. He'd stopped helping us look for him after about thirty minutes." Edna sighed.

Cole snorted, "I guess he was sitting in the room Jay was in the whole time too?"

"He was!" Wu threw his hands up.

Cole snorted and began laughing again.

"And you call me a menace!" Lloyd huffed.

"No, no, you're worse, just in your own way." Wu said softly as he ruffled Lloyd's hair.

"It sounds like you got your mischievousness from him." Zane piped up.

"He got it from both Garmadon and Misako." Wu looked over at Zane. "Believe me, I should know."

"Misako… Lloyd's mom?" Cole clarified.

"Yep." Ed sighed. "She's… been distant ever since Garmadon's banishment. Even then, shortly after Lloyd was born, she'd begun burying herself in her work…"

"Oh my.." Zane said softly.

"… Do you know why?" Lloyd asked quietly. "Why she left me…?"

Edna sighed softly, "No one does, deary… She disappeared shortly after Garmadon was banished. The only reason we know she's okay is because she sends letters every month."

"What?" Lloyd's eyes widened, and he looked up at Wu. "Did- did you…?"

Wu frowned a bit, and exhaled. "… It's- it's complicated, Lloyd…"

"You were hiding this from me?!" Lloyd cried. "You were hiding the fact that Mom sent letters?!"

Edna frowned heavily, "You've been hiding her letters..?"

"She doesn't have a return address on any of them! It's- it's not like I can even tell her what's going on!" Wu cried. "I- I don't know what she's researching and the fact that she left you at Darkley's-"

"And you knew?!"

"No! She only told me that you were in good hands!" Wu put his face in his hands. "I should have known better-"

Ed set his hand on Wu's shoulder, "Calm down, son.. You're working yourself up.."

Wu took a shaky breath. "I just- I promised both of them that no matter what happened I'd make sure nothing bad happened…"

"We know.. But you also didn't expect any of this.." Edna said softly.

"I didn't use the spirit smoke regularly until after my brother was banished!" Wu turned to face them, tears in his eyes. "I could have stopped it!"

"Oh son.." Ed said as Edna glanced at the present kids and subtly gestured for them to go for now.

Zane got up and scooped Lloyd up into his arms, though the kid's eyes were full of tears too… he'd heard that broken tone in his Uncle's voice…

Ed pulled Wu into a hug as Cole got up and left the room with Zane and Lloyd. He glanced back worriedly as he shut the door.

"… It's not fair…" Lloyd sniffled. "Why do we keep getting left behind?"

Zane held Lloyd close and rubbed his back, "I am not sure, Lloyd.."

"Just… I just want it all to be okay…" He mumbled as he buried his face into Zane's shirt. "I want Dad back… I wanna know why Mom left… I want to help you find your family… I just… I just want it all to be okay and I can't fix it…"

"Oh.. Lloyd that is not your responsibility… My family is my problem.. And the issues with your father and mother are for Sensei and perhaps Morro to figure out… Not you.. You are far too young to have to deal with a responsibility like that.. We want you to be free of those burdens.."

"But you're family too!" Lloyd cried, his voice wobbly. "I wanna find who cursed you and bite them!"

"Lloyd… We don't even know if that's truly what happened.. Please do not put yourself in harms way for me…" Zane pleaded softly.

"I don't care if that's not what happened! Someone hurt you and I want them to hurt because of that!" He screamed, tears streaming down his face. Cole glanced at Zane worriedly.

Zane looked a bit panicked. He was stiff, still holding Lloyd close, and silent.

"What th'fuck is going on over here?" Kai grumbled.

Zane didn't seem to notice Kai at all, still staring at Lloyd.

"Uh… Lloyd's having a bit of a breakdown?" Cole said nervously as Jay and Nya peeked from behind the corner. Kai walked over to them and frowned.

After a moment of contemplation, Kai took Lloyd out of Zane's arms, causing the white ninja's arms to fall limply to his sides, and held him close. "Hey, bud…"

Lloyd was still crying, and buried his face into Kai's shoulder, wailing incoherently.

"I know…" Kai murmured, and carefully ran his hand through Lloyd's hair. "I know you want to fix it all… I know… And we will… just not right now, okay?"

"It's not fair!" Lloyd screamed again, clinging to Kai.

"It never is… that's why we tell Destiny to suck it, right?" Kai joked softly, causing the kid's sobs to turn to weak giggles.

Cole sighed in relief and smiled a bit.

"… I still wanna bite whoever hurt Zane."

"Oi, I ain't gonna stop you." Kai smiled weakly. "I'd take a photo."

Cole nodded gently, "None of us will stop you.." He agreed.

Zane had not reacted to any of this.

Jay walked over and gently nudged Zane. "Uh… Zane? Dude? Still with us?"

Zane jolted and blinked a few times, "H-huh..?"

"You spaced out there… like… disassociated or something. You okay?" Cole asked.

"I.. I believe so..? I am not sure why I did that.. My apologies.." Zane said, looking away with clear embarrassment.

"It's okay dude, not everyone knows what to do when Lloyd's upset like that." Jay said.

Kai huffed as he held the kid close, making sure that he wasn't going to cry again.

"I could have done more though. I should not have let that happen." Zane said, "… I did not mean to get you all woken up…"

"It's not your fault Lloyd's pretty much unreadable when he gets that upset." Kai pointed out. "And no, Lloyd, it's not your fault either. Emotions are a bitch, especially when you're nine."

"But if I-" Zane tried, still clearly feeling guilty.

"Zane, you're not perfect." Nya walked over and gently hugged him. "Deal with it."

Zane stiffened a bit and then melted into the hug, "… Alright.."

"Good. Now I better not hear any what ifs from either of you two blondies or I'm dyeing your clothes." Nya threatened with a small grin as she gestured between Zane and Lloyd.

Zane frowned and tilted his head, "… How would you kill our clothing..?"

Nya stared up at him for a moment before she snorted. "Dyeing as in… changing the color dude, not like killing."

"… Oh.." Zane said quietly, "… My apologies.."

"Hey, it isn't your fault!" She poked his forehead. "Sheesh, you need to loosen up one of these days… always stressing me out because of how stiff you are."

"… I will try to do that… I am sorry for stressing you out.." He responded.

Cole facepalmed. "Buddy…"

"That's what I mean!" Nya groaned as she poked him again. "You're always apologizing! Seriously-! Do not be afraid to take up space and make mistakes! Gosh!"

Zane blinked, "Oh.. My-" He stopped himself, "… Okay.."

"Thank you!" Nya stepped back before she threw her hands up and promptly ruffled Lloyd's hair. "No. More. What. Ifs. Got it?"

Lloyd stuck his tongue out, but made no move to try and bite her, content with his head resting on Kai's shoulder.

Cole smiled and crossed his arms, "Why don't we all get some cookies?"

"Yes!" Lloyd piped up. "Cookies! Cookies! Cookies! Cookies!"

"Oooh.. We should bring Morro a couple too!" Jay suggested, "He's been having a hard morning.."

"Yeah, probably a good idea." Cole stretched a bit, before he gently shoved Jay and ran down the hall. "Last one to the kitchen is a rotten egg!"

Jay yelped and immediately took off after Cole, "Cheater!!"

Kai snorted and began to walk after them. "Run past us, I'll take the fall this time!"

Zane walked after Kai as Nya took off after Cole and Jay.

Lloyd was content, though he had a small grin at the idea of getting cookies… especially since Wu didn't seem like he was going to stop them this time.

Jay suddenly did some fuck-ass parkour to get ahead of Cole and skidded into the kitchen first.

Kai wheezed at the sight and the bickering that followed, only for it to shut down as soon as Nya entered, and then more bickering began.

Zane sighed in amusement as Kai entered the kitchen and he followed after.

Lloyd was set down before he got picked up by Cole to grab the cookie jar off of the shelf. "Muehehehe-"

Nya snorted at the kid's laughter, grinning widely.

"Let's go to Morro's room! Let's go let's go let's go!" Lloyd bounced a little in place, before he began to make his way to his cousin's room.

The teens all followed him, looking just as excited as Lloyd.

Though Lloyd stopped when he got to Morro's room, the door was slightly ajar, but…

"… What…?"

The others paused. "What's wrong Lloyd?" Nya asked.

"He's… he's not here." Lloyd said quietly as he looked back at them.

"What?" Kai came forward to look into the room.

Morro was nowhere to be seen, though his closet was a bit in disarray, and several books were cluttering the room already…

"… We need to find him." Kai said, looking back at the others with a worried look, "And get Wu."

"Got it." Cole quickly moved to head back to the room Wu and Ed and Edna were in.

Kai looked at the remaining ones, "Let's spread out and look."

"On it!" Jay quickly ran to go above deck.

Nya darted to the training room, swiftly slamming the door open.

Zane frowned. "Did he perhaps pass by our room when you were resting?"

"If he did it was after I had already fallen asleep again.." Kai said.

His frown only deepened. "Perhaps…"

"Wu said he probably took his bike out for a ride if he isn't on the Bounty!" Cole called before he got back over to them. "Something about him needing to clear his thoughts when he gets too upset."

Kai sighed in relief, "… Okay.."

Jay scrambled down the stairs over to them. "There's bike tracks leading away from the Bounty!"

Kai relaxed, "So he just decided to go on a ride.."

"Seems like it… though it's weird he didn't leave a note…" Jay frowned.

"He did." Lloyd pointed over at the stray bookmark on his bed.

Kai frowned and walked over, picking up the bookmark.

It read Will Finish This Book Soon.

"… How is this a note?" He questioned.

"It's one of his older bookmarks. Used to put it on the fridge with a magnet whenever he needed to go down the mountain to get some fresh air." Lloyd said. "He doesn't have the patience to write proper notes."

"Ah.. Got it." Kai nodded slightly and set the bookmark back down.

"Yeah." Lloyd fidgeted a bit with the clasp for the jar lid. "… Can we wait to take the cookies out? I don't want to miss Morro getting his…"

Kai smiled slightly, "Yeah, Lloyd. The cookies can wait.."

Lloyd rubbed at his eyes. "Can we go 'n make up stupid theories 'bout how the final battle's gonna play out…?"

Kai nodded gently, " 'course kid.."

Lloyd yawned, his tail flicking a bit. "Okay…"

"C'mere.." Kai opened his arms for Lloyd.

Lloyd moved over and pressed himself into Kai's arms.

Kai scooped Lloyd up and cradled him close.

"… Wu knew… about Mom sending letters…" He sniffled. "Mom's- she's been sending letters all this time…"

"Oh.. Wow.." Kai mumbled, "I'm sorry, bud…"

"I just- I wanna know why she left me-" Lloyd's voice grew quiet… like how it was whenever he'd have nightmares…

"I know.. I know…" Kai said softly, "… I wish I knew why my parents left too.. But… all we can do right now is hope it was a good reason.. And hope that they'll come back."

"… But what if she never comes back?" Lloyd asked quietly. "What if she hates me?"

"No one could hate you, bud." Kai said softly, "You're an amazing kid."

"… Promise?" Lloyd looked up at him. He sounded so small…

"I promise." Kai gently bumped his head against Lloyd's.

Lloyd finally rested his head on Kai's shoulder. "Okay…"

Kai smiled gently, "… You wanna go lay down for a bit? While we wait for Morro to get back?"

"Mhm…"

It was late when Morro finally returned… a little while after Ed 'n Edna had left to go back to the junkyard. He got below deck, carrying his helmet under his arm.

Kai and Lloyd were both fast asleep, curled up against the wall by Morro's door.

Morro grimaced a bit and tried to step past them. He pushed open the door, but unfortunately the hinges hadn't been oiled. He let out a quiet "Shit-" As he opened his door to find…

Wow okay they all just decided to camp out in his room until he got back home. Rude.

Kai shifted a bit, mumbling but not really waking up

Zane was sat against the wall, Cole was on the floor, and Jay and Nya had taken his bed. They were all asleep too.

Morro groaned and moved over to his closet. He rummaged through it for a moment before he pulled out an air-horn, turning it away from his head as he pressed down on it.

Everyone scrambled awake, with Jay falling off the bed.

"Wha- huh-?" Cole stumbled a bit and rubbed his eyes, "… Morro?"

"Why the fuck are you guys camping my room?" Morro asked. He sounded… exhausted. And he looked bruised.

"You disappeared without any warning." Kai grumbled, "We were worried, even after we realized you had just gone out with your bike."

"… I just- needed some space." Morro said as he set his helmet down on the desk and began to take off his jacket. "Needed to get my brain to shut up for once."

"No one's brains will shut up today.." Nya grumbled.

"Did you know about the letters?" Lloyd asked quietly.

Morro paused. "Letters…?"

"… Lloyd's mom has been sending letters every month.." Zane explained softly, "Sensei Wu has been hiding them…"

He turned to face them, his eyes wide. "… What?"

"We found out when Edna mentioned them.." Cole said.

Morro took a deep breath. "I… Did not know about this…"

Kai huffed, "Of course.."

The eldest crossed his arms. "I know that's not the only reason you all camped in here. What's the other catch?"

The others were quiet, all looking away in some way.

"… We stole the cookies." Lloyd piped up.

Nya nodded, "We have them still.. We wanted to wait for you to get back."

Morro grimaced. "You're sure…? I was being an ass earlier…"

"Duh." Kai said, "You were just having a bad morning. No reason to bar you from the cookies.."

"But first, could we address why you look so beat up?" Zane asked.

"Uh.. Yeah.. I was wondering that too.." Jay piped up.

"… Just got into a fight is all." Morro said simply as he moved to sit on top of his desk beside his helmet.

Kai watched him do that, then his eyes fell to the helmet. His eyes widened slightly and he frowned.

"A fight? Did you kick their asses?!" Lloyd asked as he got over to him, grinning.

"Uh.. kinda? It was a bit of a draw. Bastards fought me before, so…" Morro winced as he moved slightly. "May or may not have gotten more than I bargained for."

Zane frowned, "You should be more careful.." He walked over, inspecting the bruises.

"I know…" He sighed. "Nothing's broken. Tina made sure I got checked for that…"

"Alright.." Zane sighed, "Good."

"… Though I did get stabbed-"

"WHAT?!" Jay shrieked.

"Calm down. I got stitches… just means I gotta take it easy for a little while…" Morro grimaced.

Zane frowned heavily, "You should lay down then." He said, worry in his tone.

"… I mean I would, but-" He gestured over to Jay and Nya before they quickly moved away from his bed. "… Seriously? I could have just moved you both."

"Just lay down." Nya huffed.

Morro rolled his eyes and moved over to his bed. He unceremoniously flopped onto it and grabbed his pillow. He pulled it closer to himself and sighed. "Happy?"

"Yes. Though you should not have flopped. It could have messed with your stitches." Zane said.

"It's fine. I flopped on the side the stitches aren't on." He grumbled. "I swear…"

"Uh huh.." Kai said with a huff.

Lloyd walked over and climbed up onto Morro's bed. He undid the lid of the cookie jar and passed him a cookie. "Chocolate chip again."

"Fuck yeah…"

"Ooh gimme!" Jay said excitedly

Lloyd handed Jay his cookie, then Nya one, then Cole, then Zane, and finally Kai. After he was done, he grabbed the last cookie in the jar and closed it, happily munching on his own cookie.

Jay eagerly began eating his cookie, grinning.

Morro silently ate his. It seemed he was still frustrated…

Kai quietly nibbled his cookie, his gaze still on the helmet.

"So… apparently Jay and I met Lloyd when we were kids?" Cole said.

Jay choked a bit on his cookie, "What?"

"Yeah. Apparently you, Ed 'n Edna showed up a few times when Mom was sick… and so did Lloyd, Garmadon, and Misako."

"… Wow.." Jay said, frowning slightly.

"Yeah." Cole sighed. "Might wanna ask your folks about it when you go to visit next…"

Jay nodded, "Yeah.." He agreed.

"… Kai? You've been quiet." Nya pointed out.

Kai blinked looking at her, "Huh? Oh.. Uh.. Just got nothing to say.."

"… You were staring at Morro's helmet. Why?" Nya tilted her head.

"… Looks familiar.." Kai said quietly.

"Familiar? How?" Jay looked over. "We've never seen his helmet before."

"… There was this person who used to buy Nya and I stuff from the bakery and leave it for us… They always had their helmet on.. It… It looked like that one…."

Morro tensed up. "… Mhm?"

Cole looked over with the most done expression he could have in the moment. "It was you, wasn't it?"

"Maybe."

Kai looked at him and squinted, "… Of course it was.." He sighed.

"Wait, if you knew they were alone-?" Jay looked over at him. "Why didn't you try to take them to the Monastery-?"

"One, I didn't know that the people in Ignacia were assholes, two, kinda suspicious of a random guy to take the two kids of former elemental masters from their blacksmithing shop." Morro furrowed his brows.

"Isn't that what we did like… months ago though?"

"… Yeah it basically is.." Nya said.

Morro stared at them for a moment before he moved to roll over and hissed in pain. "Fuck!"

Zane frowned heavily, "Be careful." He said.

"Trying!"

"I'm gonna go tell on you if you keep trying to roll over onto your other side." Lloyd said.

"Don't you fucking dare-"

Lloyd immediately moved to sprint out of the room, cookie jar still in his arms.

Kai snorted, watching the kid go and finally taking a full bite out of his cookie.

It didn't take long for Lloyd to return with his uncle in tow, grinning as Wu narrowed his eyes at his son.

"A fight?"

"I can explain-"

"You got stabbed."

"I CAN EXPLAIN THAT TOO-"

Wu shook his head, walked over, and sat down on the bed, settling Morro back into the same position he'd flopped into. "Stop pulling on your stitches or I will call your friends and tell them that you've been neglecting to take proper care of yourself."

The others watched quietly, not really knowing how to react. Wow.

"You wouldn't."

"I would."

"If you tell Tina and I get banned from going with them on patrol I am going to put so much pepper into your food you won't know how to deal with it-"

"Garmadon has already done that to me once, you would not be the first." Wu grinned.

Jay snorted a bit, covering his mouth.

"Evil. Horrible father." Morro grumbled into his pillow as Wu shook his head with a smile and carefully ran his hands through his hair. "Mean to me."

"Just making sure you don't get yourself hurt again, my son…"

Lloyd huffed, "He's gonna get hurt cause he does dumb stuff! Like driving off without telling us!"

"Ah, yes… we do need to rectify that habit, now don't we?"

"Bite me. I don't have the time to write proper letters…" Morro grumbled. "Or paper… or pens…"

"Just write on the walls!" Lloyd said.

"That's toddler behavior!" Morro called.

"… Don't you literally do graffiti sometimes-" Jay started, before Morro cut him off.

"That is art. Completely different."

"Coward!" Lloyd teased, "Just do it!"

"Do not make me get a chalk board and put it up!" Morro hissed. "I'll ruffle your hair and it'll get covered in chalk dust!"

"Both of you, calm down." Wu said softly. "Morro, we'll get supplies for you to write notes. Okay? And Lloyd, writing on the walls isn't acceptable behavior under a majority of circumstances… the only reason Morro does it with graffiti is because he's a menace and hates advertisements."

"And I'm fucking right that they're tacky as shit and need to be covered for the sake of everyone's eyes."

"I wrote on the walls all the time! It was fine!" Lloyd huffed.

"… At the Monastery?" Jay raised a brow suspiciously.

"Duh!" Lloyd crossed his arms.

The teens collectively looked at one another, before they looked to Wu.

"… I hadn't noticed them either." Wu admitted.

Lloyd grinned, "Good."

Morro sighed and buried his face into his pillow.

Lloyd laughed, "You will never find my writings!"

Wu hummed. "I suppose now we should be on the look out for some wall violations."

Morro made another exasperated noise as he slammed his arm down onto his bed once more.

Lloyd snickered, "You'll never find them all."

"You're going down, squirt." Cole grinned.

"Nahhh!" Lloyd grinned, "You are!"

Cole smirked. "I bet one is on the outside of the hull."

"No! You're wrong!" Lloyd cried.

Cole's smirk only got smugger before he darted out of the room, laughing.

"Hey!" Lloyd scrambled off the bed to follow him.

Wu chuckled. "Perhaps his antics will keep you all busy for the meantime."

Morro mumbled something, and Wu hummed.

"Hm… I suppose it would be like training to look for clues and information…" He thought for a moment before he smiled and gently ruffled Morro's hair. "Alright, we'll see about it."

The ones still present looked at each other, confusion on their faces.

"How are you able to even understand him when he's talking into his pillow?" Jay asked.

"… I have sensitive hearing." Wu responded.

"That.." Kai huffed, "That's so vague!"

"It's the truth?!" Wu stared at them as Morro nodded into his pillow.

"It's still vague!" Kai said.

"Very." Zane nodded.

Nya and Jay nodded along with the other two saying, "Yep." in unison.

"I- is it?" He looked back at Morro, who nodded once more. Wu narrowed his eyes. "Son, I know you're also answering it like that to be a shit."

"You're always vague." Morro said loudly into his pillow. "But you are correct about your hearing being sensitive as fuck considering we can't even go anywhere when there's fireworks."

"You can't see FIreworks?!" Jay exclaimed.

Wu shook his head. "The most we can do is sparklers… besides, fireworks are bad for the environment anyways…"

"And they're loud, disruptive, painfully annoying whenever someone's trying to take a nap… Trust me. Stopped going to Ninjago City after one night spent there for New Years." Morro adjusted so his face wasn't in his pillow.

"They're pretty from a distance." Nya said.

"Yeah, but Ninjago City is nuts! Seriously, I'd take a simple celebration like back in the graveyard than that again!"

"That's fair.. Ninjago City does a lot." Jay said.

"… Graveyard?" Nya tilted her head.

"Yeah, what's up with that?" Kai questioned.

"I uh-" Morro fidgeted. "My Mother was the groundskeeper for a graveyard… we lived in a house that was connected to it… she'd help with burials since that's what her father did…"

"Oh wow.." Nya said.

"… Was it spooky?" Jay asked.

"Jay…" Kai made a face at that.

"What?!" Jay whined, "It's a genuine question!"

"It uh…" Morro fidgeted. "It wasn't that spooky. Not after Grandfather passed…"

"Ah, okay.." Jay said, "I usually think all graveyards are spooky.."

"… Death isn't that scary." Morro adjusted a bit and moved to sit up. "It's just… the next chapter. A longer one… but… a new one."

Wu frowned a bit when Morro sat up, but helped him so he wouldn't pull his stitches.

Zane hummed a bit, "That is an interesting perspective."

"Yeah, well… Grandfather used to be a soldier for the Royal Family or whatever… kinda the whole reason the graveyard wound up being taken care of by us…" Morro frowned. "… I wonder who the new groundskeeper is…"

"We could look it up." Jay suggested.

"I- I'd rather not…" Morro looked down. "It's.. it's not something I want to think about…"

"That is alright. We can change the topic if you want." Zane offered.

"It's- it's fine." Morro said quietly. "I just… it was my home… before everything. I just- I just hope the house isn't gone…"

"I can find that out if you want.." Jay said.

"I'd… I'd rather see for myself. It's… it's still under my name after all.." He mumbled.

"Wait, it is?" Kai raised a brow.

"Weren't you dead though..?" Nya asked.

"It was… a punishment for my Grandfather's misconduct in the field… after losing so many men, the crown sent him to work in the graveyard of the village his second in command came from…" Morro said quietly.

"Oh wow.." Nya mumbled.

"It- it was okay though!" Morro smiled weakly. "Grandfather didn't exactly mind it… after everything that'd happened with his men dying, he… kinda avoided socializing much… hell, one of the old farmers used to say that it was a miracle he'd even met my Grandmother at all…"

"Well.. At least he wasn't upset.." Nya said.

Morro nodded. "… Grandmother died before I was born… but she was nice from what Mom told me…"

"That's nice.." Zane said.

"Yeah." Morro leaned a bit against Wu as a loud triumphant laughter could be heard from outside. "… I see Cole found it."

Kai snorted as angry, shrill, yelling came after the laughing began. Morro on the other hand wheezed a bit. Wu shook his head with a smile. "This is never going to get old."

"Oh yeah." Kai agreed as Jay laughed.

There were fast footsteps above before they descended the stairs and Cole caught himself on the doorframe, grinning and covered in sand. "Found it!"

"You are filthy." Zane said, "We just cleaned in here! Go wash off!"

"I- sorry?!" Cole quickly moved to head to their room, and Morro snickered.

"He was probably diving to avoid Lloyd's wrath."

"The circumstances do not matter. He was filthy." Zane huffed.

"Snippy snippy, the heck got you so worked up?" Kai grinned.

"We just cleaned!" Zane said.

"It's okay. I get that way about the kitchen." Morro said quietly.

Zane nodded a bit, "Mhm."

Jay leaned back a bit. "… So… how bad were the fights?"

"… Hm?"

"I mean like- what started it?" Jay asked as he looked over. "You don't jump in unless it's necessary… even then it's hard for people to land any blows on you."

"… Just some jackasses I've dealt with before picking on some folks… got ticked off real fast." Morro mumbled.

"Ah, yeah.. That makes sense.." Kai said.

"… And the knife?" Wu frowned.

"Bastard snuck up on me." Morro shrugged.

Wu carefully held him closer. "Morro."

The other teens all frowned some.

"… The other guy had it coming, okay?"

Wu frowned. "You said you wouldn't talk about stuff like this in front of the others."

Morro stiffened, and buried his face into Wu's shirt, silent.

The others frowned even more.

"Wait what..?" Jay questioned, "Why not in front of us?"

"It is… something troubling regarding his past." Wu said softly. "Before even I came into the picture."

"Ah.. So we should not pry then?" Zane asked softly.

"He will tell you when he is ready… it took a year for him to open up to me about it." Wu gingerly ran his hands through Morro's hair in an attempt to calm him. "Though considering his slip ups, I feel as though he may be more ready to tell you than he realizes yet…"

The others nodded a bit and didn't push anymore, staying quiet.

"… I don't want you guys to be scared of me…" Morro said, his voice muffled as he spoke into Wu's side.

Nya frowned, "… Why would we be scared of you..?"

Wu ran his hand through Morro's hair. "You don't have to tell them, son…"

"But I killed someone!" Morro cried.

There was a silence. The four of them stared at him with wide eyes. They clearly hadn't expected that.

Wu held him close. "Shh… breathe…"

"I killed someone and I can't go back and fix it!" He sobbed. "I killed him!"

"… Why did you kill him..?" Nya asked quietly.

"Because he killed my Mother!" Morro wailed.

Wu frowned, and pulled Morro up to properly hold him. "Shh… please, no more dwelling on that painful part of your life…"

"… If he killed your mom.. He deserved it." Kai decided.

"Yeah." Nya nodded.

Jay nodded, "You've told us all about how great your mom is.. So for someone to kill her. They'd have to be a huge asshat and don't deserve to be in the world to potentially get more victims."

Morro nodded slowly. "… I just… I saw her dead and I- I felt sad and- and so… so angry…"

"Morro, please-"

"I just couldn't stop…"

"It is not your fault." Zane said, "Emotions are hard to control. Anger is a reasonable reaction."

"… That doesn't mean that I don't hate it any less.." Morro whispered, resting his head against Wu.

"That's okay.." Wu gently rubbed his back.

"… Just… please don't tell Lloyd… I don't- I don't want to scare him…"

"Hasn't his father literally killed people before?" Jay glanced at Nya.

"That's different!" Morro cried.

"Is it..? You were avenging your mom. If anything, he'll know you'll protect him, even more than he does now." Kai said.

Morro took a deep breath. "… Okay. I just- I'd rather tell him on my own terms-"

"Tell me what?" Lloyd asked as he poked his head in the room.

Jay jumped a bit with a small shriek.

Morro frowned a bit and adjusted. "I uh… you know what happened to my Mother… about how she was killed?"

"You mean the fact that you tracked down and killed the guy who killed your Mom?" Lloyd tilted his head. "You already told me about that."

"… I did?"

"Yes! When I was like, really little! You forgot?"

"You were awake?!" Morro cried.

"Yeah." Lloyd crossed his arms. "Dummy."

Kai snorted, "Told you he wouldn't be scared."

"It's like when Dad offs other bad guys." Lloyd nodded.

Kai nodded some, "Mhm."

Morro fidgeted a bit, and sighed. He held out his arms and Lloyd scrambled over onto the bed. He kicked his shoes off and flopped across Morro's and Wu's laps.

"… You thought I was gonna be scared, huh?"

"… A little."

"Dummy."

Jay snickered a bit, "He was worried we'd be scared too." He added.

"Dummy squared." Lloyd reached up and flicked his cousin's nose. "Lord dumbass."

The other fell into snickers and snorts. Wu even laughed a little.

Morro groaned and grabbed his pillow. He shoved it into his face as he leaned back on the bed. "You're a little shit, you know that?"

"Yep!" Lloyd grinned.

"Of course he does. He wouldn't have written all of the walls if he hadn't." Nya snickered.

"True…" Morro sounded resigned. "I'm gonna nap here now. Night night."

Kai snorted, "Night?"

"… We can still remain in here. It's often easier for him to get rest when others are around… not to mention that this is our new home…"

"Alright.." Zane said softly.

Cole came back inside, his hair a little damp still as he trudged in. "Better?"

Zane looked over, "Yes. Thank you."

Cole nodded and walked over to sit down beside Zane. He sighed. "So… what secrets got revealed while I was out of the room."

"Morro killed his mom's killer and Lloyd called him a dummy for thinking we'd be scared." Jay said.

"… I-" Cole paused. "… Actually that tracks."

Nya nodded a bit, "Mhm."

Cole glanced over at Kai momentarily before he cleared his throat. "So… when are you two planning on visiting the Junkyard, Jay?"

"Ah.. Tomorrow, I guess." Jay shrugged.

"Gotcha." Cole smiled a little.

Jay squinted a bit, "What are you planning?"

Cole looked away pointedly, silent, which got Wu to raise a brow.

Jay squinted more, "You're definitely planning something."

"No I'm not!" Cole protested.

"You totally are!" Jay said.

"Hey, I'm not the one who snuck out of the Monastery to hang out." Cole crossed his arms.

"Ooo…" Lloyd grinned.

Jay huffed and grumbled under his breath.

"… Were you planning on spending time with Kai?" Zane asked, causing Cole to quickly cover his face and look away.

"No, pshh… just… got some ideas for stuff I wanna work on." He lied.

Nya snorted, "Uh huh.." She grinned.

Lloyd was glancing between Cole and Kai, wanting to see Kai's reaction to the obvious teasing. Wu, on the other hand, had busied himself as he carefully made sure Lloyd's hair wasn't tangled.

Kai was pointedly looking away from them all, his cheeks were very red.

Lloyd snickered a bit.

"… I'm going to bed." Cole quickly got up and left the room, keeping his focus on the floor by using his hands to block his peripheral vision.

Jay and Nya descended into laughter.

"That was awesome!" Lloyd cackled.

"Stop tormenting the guys…" Morro mumbled sleepily. "You guys are gonna make this shit take longer than it needs to…"

"But it's fun!" Jay grinned.

"The closet may be glass but that doesn't mean you guys gotta poke it…" Morro grumbled again.

Jay groaned, "You're no fuuuuuuuun!"

Morro gave a gesture before he let his hand fall onto his face. It was clear he was too tired to continue.

"… Kai, are you alright?" Zane asked gently.

Kai stiffened, "I'm fine!" He said quickly.

"That's your lying voice!" Lloyd called out.

Kai glared at the kid, "No it isn't!"

"Yes it is!" Lloyd stuck his tongue out.

"I'm not helping." Nya put her hands up.

Kai groaned and buried his face in his hands. Zane tilted his head a bit.

"… Is it about Cole?" Zane queried.

Jay snorted, "Yep." He popped the p.

"I asked Kai." Zane deadpanned. "Not you."

Jay blinked and huffed, "Fine then." He crossed his arms.

"… Kai?" Zane frowned. "You do not have to talk about it in front of us… but I do want to know.."

Kai refused to answer, shaking his head. He grumbled in his hands.

"Fuck's sake, if you guys are gonna bother him about this kinda shit, do it where I don't have ammunition to kick you all out!" Morro quickly sat up and launched a pillow at them. "Out! Kai, you can stay, but out!"

Wu quickly got up off of the bed and scooped Lloyd up into his arms. He left the room swiftly to avoid the bombardment.

Jay scrambled out of the room with a shriek. Nya quickly followed after him.

Zane got up and left the room, avoiding getting hit simply due to the fact that Morro didn't target him. The eldest sighed and looked over at Kai. "… You can close the door if you're worried about them listening in."

Kai hesitated and then moved over and shut the door.

Morro frowned a little. "Sorry about all of that…"

"It's whatever.." Kai mumbled.

"… I can tell them to stop if it's making you uncomfortable." Morro said. "Even though I know they're just doing it because they care and they're little assholes."

Kai shrugged, "I know.. I just… Feelings are hard.."

"You can say that again." Morro chuckled sadly. "Anything else you wanna talk about or…?"

"I dunno.." Kai sighed, "I just… I'm still trying to process these… Feelings.."

"… Well, it helps if you talk it out with someone." Morro pat the space on the ledge of the bed. "… I mean, I know I'm not exactly the best person to talk it out with seeing as I've never really had a crush, but… I can at least listen."

Kai paused then walked over and sat down on the bed. "… I'm not used to the feelings… All I did before this was work in the shop and take care of Nya… It's all still so new.."

Morro nodded a bit, and hummed. "Well, what do you want to do?" He asked.

"… I don't know.." Kai said, staring at the floor.

"… Maybe we can go and see about finding stuff you're interested in." Morro said gently. "It'd help…"

"… Yeah okay." Kai agreed quietly.

"Though… I don't want to pry too much but… how have you and Cole been?" He asked softly.

Kai shrugged, "Okay, I guess. We hang out like normal and all that.."

"Even though the others have been teasing you relentlessly?" Morro frowned softly. "I can see about trying to get them to bug off, y'know…"

"… That'd be nice. It… Gets a bit overwhelming." Kai admitted.

"Yeah." Morro sighed. "I know the feeling."

"I don't like it.." Kai huffed, "Makes my head all fuzzy.."

"Hm…" Morro thought for a moment. "… Maybe you need an outlet? It'd be easier to get your thoughts all organized if you had something to do."

"An outlet..?"

"A way to let out pent up energy and clear your head." Morro explained. "Y'know… kinda like how mine is riding around on my bike."

"Oh.. I guess that makes sense." Kai said.

He nodded. "Any ideas on what you might wanna do?"

Kai shrugged, "… I usually just train or play video games.. And before here I would cook.. or work in the forge.."

"Well… what's something that you can easily lose track of time with?" Morro asked.

"… I dunno. I lost track of time whenever I worked in the forge..?"

"Easily lose track of time with while having fun, Kai." Morro sighed.

"… I don't know.." Kai looked away.

"… I could lend you one of my books." Morro moved over to grab one out of his dresser. "Maybe something easy to start- aha!"

He pulled out a book, it seemed a little thick. There was a small green ribbon bookmark already in it, and its cover had an illustration of two figures sitting under a tree with a campfire. He passed it over. "This one's about a pair of boys who grow up kinda stunted… a little like us."

Kai took it curiously. He looked at it with a small bit of worry as he noticed how thick it was.

"Don't worry, there's illustrations on some pages… mostly for the important bits." Morro said softly. "If you need me to help you get started, I can…"

Kai hesitated and nodded a bit, "… Please..?"

Morro nodded and carefully opened the book to the first page and settled his finger under the first word. "Chapter one… Thunder. Always, it was thunder that startled the young boy awake. He glared at his window with irritation before he looked at his clock. Three in the morning… of course. Like every other night."

He flipped the page, "It wasn't going to stop anytime soon. He knew that. Silently, he made his way out of his room and to the door. After slipping his raincoat on over himself, he stepped outside…"

Kai listened quietly, his eyes scanning over the words as Morro read them.

"Forward for two blocks, then a left. He knew this route all too well. His shoes soaked by the time he made it to the house." Morro continued, "He knocked on the door…"

The next page was an illustration of the boy in the rain, and another holding the door open just a crack.

Kai looked at the illustration curiously.

""Vash…? What are you doing here so early?" His friend asked, and Vash slipped past him inside. "It's too loud outside, Elijah." He replied, and took his coat off. Elijah sighed, and grabbed his lantern. "Fine, but Father is home… I don't want to disturb him." He said as he took Vash's hand in his own and led him through the house."

Kai read the words quietly with Morro.

"As the two made their way to the old cellar, Elijah glanced back at him. "They've gotten more restless since the storms came back. What do you think it means?" Though Vash did not respond immediately; the growing silence between them made it clear…"

"Something was after their dragons." He said, and glanced at Kai.

Kai frowned a bit, "Dragons.."

"More specifically, in this case, Wyverns. They're similar to Dragons, though with a specific mutation." Morro explained. "It's.. uh… elaborated on further in the story."

"Oh.. Okay." Kai said.

Morro nodded. "I hope this is a good one for you. If you need any more help with reading it… just knock, okay?"

Kai looked at him, "… Thanks.."

"Anytime." Morro nodded. "Now, I really gotta go to sleep… so…"

"Ah right- Yeah- Sorry.." Kai took the book and stood up.

"Hey, I'm not mad, just… tired… see-ya in the morning, Kai." Morro yawned as he laid back down.

Kai nodded a bit, "… See ya.." He left the room quietly.

There was a loud discussion coming from the boys' shared bedroom. Oh dear.

Kai frowned a bit and went to the door to listen in.

"I still think that we should check this out! I mean, someone's been freeing the Serpentine, and who's to say that there aren't some who are still pissed about the whole locking them in tombs thing?" Jay said.

"It's still too early to tell…" Zane replied. "Morro is on good terms with some of the Serpentine…"

"Yeah, with some of them." Cole said, "Not all of them. Even if I was friends with a human I'd still be pissed at being locked underground for years.."

"I think we shouldn't jump to any conclusions…" Nya said. "It's possible that whoever is releasing them is just trying to make things right between the tribes and humans.."

"That does make a bit of sense.." Jay admitted, "But still! We need to find out who's releasing them!"

"It's gotta be Gene!" Lloyd huffed.

"The kid from Darkley's?" Nya questioned.

"Yeah! Like I said, he thinks he's an evil genius when the idiot doesn't even have a lick of common sense!" Lloyd cried. "Ugh, and if he dragged Brad out to do this…"

"Aww. Worried about your crush getting involved?" Jay teased.

"Bite me!" Lloyd hissed at him. "I just don't want him getting involved because Gene is a self-absorbed asshole who thinks he's better than everyone and has a stupid smug smirk that I wanna wipe off his stupid face!"

Jay snickered and grinned, "Uh huhhh.."

"Don't make me bite you." Lloyd growled.

"Try me! I'll escape!"

"I do not recommend this, Jay. You know you have a low likelihood of actually escaping him for a prolonged period of time." Zane pointed out.

"But it is kinda sweet that the kid's getting all worked up about his friend." Cole mumbled sleepily. Wow he really was barely involved in the conversation at the moment, his face half-buried into the pillow.

"I'll be fine!" Jay huffed.

Nya sighed and shook her head.

Lloyd practically launched himself at Jay, immediately managing to bite his arm, though this time he didn't draw blood.

"Dummy."

Jay shrieked and stumbled. "Aw c'mon!"

Lloyd let go and walked over to Zane's bunk. He sat down beside him, crossing his arms. "Either way, if Gene's involved then we've gotta be on our toes. Who knows which tomb he'll open next."

"We'll keep an eye out." Nya said, "Hopefully they'll be peaceful like the Hypnobrai.."

"Yeah…" Lloyd frowned.

"Ah, hello, Kai." Zane waved a bit.

Kai blinked but finally stepped into the room, "Hi.."

"Kai!" Lloyd got up and gave him a hug. "Ignore what Jay said about Brad, he's just being an asshole-"

"I mean he is your crush-"

Lloyd let go of Kai, grabbed Zane's pillow and whipped it at Jay, causing him to shriek and quickly dodge to avoid getting smacked in the face with it.

Kai snorted and ruffled Lloyd's hair, "Calm down, squirt. It's okay."

"It's annoying is what it is! Brad isn't even here to help me defend myself!" He huffed. "I swear sometimes with the teasing it's worse than-"

He froze up, silent as he turned his eyes to the floor. He took a deep breath. "No.. it's- it's not like back then…"

Kai frowned, "Kid…?"

Lloyd took a deep breath and held Kai's hand. "… I'm just… scared… of going back…"

Kai squeezed Lloyd's hand gently, "We won't let that happen… You're stuck with us kid."

"Good." He sniffled. "I don't- I don't wanna go back there…"

Kai gently pulled him into a hug, "You won't… You won't…"

Lloyd clung to him. He buried his face into Kai's shoulder. "Promise?"

"I promise.." Kai said softly.

Zane got up and carefully hugged them. "We will make sure of it."

Jay quickly moved to join as well.

Cole sleepily glanced at them, and got up out of his bunk, walked over, and hugged them with enough force he nearly knocked them over before he pulled them back to a proper standing position.

Nya smiled sadly, and moved to join in on the hug, unwittingly however she got trapped by Cole because he immediately squished her into the hug instead of letting her be on the outside of it.

"Gene, we already opened the other tomb… don't you think that this is a little… much?" Brad asked as they walked through the graveyard. "I mean… the Hypnobrai are nice, but this- you know that the Fangpyre are a lot more dangerous than them too… right?"

"It'll be fine! We talked our way out of that one, we can do that here too if we need to!" Gene said shortly.

"We-? I did all of that! If it wasn't for me we wouldn't be all the way over here in the first place!" Brad snapped as he stormed closer to him. "You're a fuckin' asshole, dude. You can navigate, I can negotiate, that's how this works!"

Gene huffed, "Fine. Whatever makes you stop whining."

Brad flicked a stray piece of hair away from Gene's face and glanced at the dead, mutated tree. "Think that's it?"

Gene looked down at the map then nodded, "Yeah."

He walked over and carefully activated the mechanism. He stepped back quickly and stayed in front of Gene… just in case…

Gene huffed, "I don't need protection, Brad!"

"Then you're an idiot!" Brad hissed as the Fangpyre swiftly emerged from their tomb. There were so few of them left…

"And who…" The first head on the general started.

"… May I say released us…" The second continued.

"… From our captivity?" The first finished.

Brad took a deep breath. "My name is Brad Tudabone, and this is Gene. We released you on account of the fact that the Serpentine Wars have been over for forty years, that and we have a research project we need to work on regarding what happened…"

"A research project…" One said.

"…And you want our side?" Two finished

Brad nodded and pulled out his notebook. "If you don't mind. It would be beneficial for us to get higher marks. We're… kinda trying to kick everybody's asses with the whole full chronological timeline thing needed for a perfect score."

Gene rolled his eyes as the first head spoke, "It'll be…"

"…Our pleasure.." The second finished.

Brad smiled, beginning to get giddy with excitement. "Thank you! Thank you!"

Both heads grinned, "What would you…"

"… Like us to…"

"… Start with?"

"Hm… uhm… perhaps when tensions between humans and the Serpentine tribes were getting a little intense? I know that some humans, like the former Elemental Master of Wind was known to be quite fond of being around the different tribes, but I don't exactly know… how did it get so bad so quickly?" He asked softly.

"We got an…"

"… Outside tip…"

"… About a betrayal…"

"From Master Chen…"

"Chen…" Brad frowned. "That's what's been said… do you think it's possible that he may have played both sides?" He asked softly.

"I am…"

"… Not sure…"

"… It is…"

"… Very possible."

Brad wrote down in his notebook and sighed. "… For what it's worth… I do hope that things get better for you all. I promise I'll figure out what the truth is behind the war… and hopefully bring everyone involved justice."

The head's grins softened, "… Thank you…"

"… Little one."

Brad nodded. "It's the least I can do." He took a deep breath and looked at Gene. "C'mon, we've got more places to go and more information to gather!"

Gene huffed, "Whatever…"

It was early. Not even sunrise as the phone system began ringing loudly through the Bounty.

Jay grimaced and got up. He made his way over to the phone they'd had set up in their shared room. "H'llo?"

"Oh, Jay, thank goodness!" Edna let out a sigh of relief.

"Ma? What's going on?" Jay asked quietly. "It's so early…"

"Some people have broke into the Junkyard! Your Pa heard 'em rustling through the piles near the back!" Edna explained, "He went to take a look and they look like the Serpentine!"

"What- seriously?!" He exclaimed, rousing Cole from his sleep as he sat up and squinted at Jay. "We'll get over there as soon as we can, promise, Ma!"

"Thank you, hun!" Edna said, then yelped a bit, "Ed?" She called away from the phone, "Is that you..?"

"Ma? Ma, is everything okay?!" Jay asked worriedly, his volume getting a bit louder.

Edna let out a frightened yelp, "Hey now! Stay back!" There was a crash and then the line went dead.

"Ma?! Ma?!" Jay asked, his hands sparked a bit before he slammed the receiver down. "FUCK!"

Zane sat up in his bunk and looked over at Jay. "What is the problem-?"

"My parents are in trouble! We have to go to the Junkyard- like right now!" Jay explained hurriedly.

Kai frowned as he hopped out of bed, "Trouble? What happened?"

"Serpentine broke in!" He cried. "Ma was trying to get them to back off before the line went dead!"

The others exchanged looks and immediately rushed to get their gis on.

"I'll go get Morro." Zane said after he got his on. "It would be a good idea to wake the dragons as well-"

"The dragons are molting." Morro said as he leaned against the doorway. "Gotta go on foot."

"Molting?" Zane tilted his head.

"What does that mean?" Kai asked.

"It means they're currently shedding their scales… they do it before they reach adulthood." Morro frowned a bit. "I think they'd want to see you before they have to migrate."

"Wait, they're gonna leave..?" Cole asked.

"They have to… most dragons have to undergo a sort of metamorphosis before they reach adulthood… this is no different and I doubt they want to worry us…"

"We'll stop by them on the way to the junkyard! Now come on!" Jay rushed them, fiddling with the belt of his gi.

Morro quickly made his way above deck, avoiding getting pushed out of the door by Jay.

The others quickly finished getting their gis on and followed after the two.

As they made their way out, Morro quickly tapped each of their dragons' snouts before he kept running. "We'll give you guys a proper sendoff later! We got something to take care of right now!"

The others did the same to their respective dragons and followed him.

It didn't take long to get to the junkyard… well… it did, but considering the adrenaline and the fact that Morro was giving the group a bit of a boost with the wind, it didn't feel like too long.

There was a lot of clattering and machinery noises coming from inside.

Jay was tense, shaking. He kept running for the entrance.

Morro paused as the others ran past him, getting their weapons ready.

"Does anyone see any of them?"

"Not yet." Zane frowned.

Jay looked around frantically, "Ma?! Pa?!" He called.

"Jay! Be careful!" Kai hissed.

Morro sighed and walked inside, not drawing his weapon. He didn't pull up his hood as he got over to them.

"What are you doing?!" Kai looked at him.

Jay rushed around, breathing heavily. He was clearly edging on an anxiety attack.

"Jay!" Morro shouted as he got over to him and grabbed him by the back of his gi. "Slow your roll. I know who did this."

"Who?!" Jay demanded.

"The Fangpyre. This matches how they operate to a t, so cool your jets before you wind up conducting lightning through these piles." He said simply as he walked past him to search.

A few Fangpyre looked back at them from a pile, their eyes wide.

"Could it be?" One of them asked quietly.

"But we'd heard that he died!"

"Who cares! Go tell Fangtom! He needs to know!" The other gently pushed their comrade who quickly ran off.

Morro sighed. "Course he's still kicking… at least I haven't lost everyone…"

Jay took a shaky breath as he continued to search.

After a moment, Morro glanced behind them and set his hand on Jay's shoulder. A Serpentine General was approaching them… A Fangpyre with two heads.

Jay tensed, his grip on his weapon tightening.

"Is it…"

"… really you?" He asked.

"Who else is ballsy enough to go to a distress call without drawing his weapon?" Morro asked with a small smirk. "… It's good to see you again, Fangtom."

Jay's gaze shot to Morro, "YOu know this one too?!"

"I know a lot of people." Morro shrugged. "But uh… bud, we gotta talk about this, y'know. I know it's the whole strength in numbers thing, but you can't just mess with Libber's folks like this."

Jay immediately looked back at the snake, "What did you do with my Ma and Pa?!" He demanded.

"We did…"

"… what we usually do…"

Morro facepalmed. "You do remember that Ed'n Edna are Libber's folks right? You remember how scary that woman is?"

Fangtom was silent for a moment, before nodding.

"So can we please not invoke the wrath of the woman who could probably destroy all of us if she got seriously ticked off?" Morro asked.

Jay glanced at Morro with a slightly confused look.

Fangtom sighed.

"Fine…"

"… but we do…"

"… need protections…"

"… in case…"

"In case of what..?" Jay asked.

"War…"

Morro frowned and walked over to them. "You know I won't let that happen. It's been years… the war's over and we don't- there's no need to fight anymore…"

"You…"

"… are one of few…"

"… who cared to learn…"

"… about our customs." He said.

The other ninja finally joined Morro and Jay.

"… If Morro trusts you.. We will too." Cole said, "Just… Please tell us where Ed and Edna are?"

Fangtom glanced to Morro, before he beckoned for them to follow. "We do not…"

"… have the best…"

"… relations to humans…"

The others followed quietly, all frowning softly.

They soon made it to what seemed to be a large storage locker. Morro rolled his eyes as he opened it up and carefully started undoing the knot of the rope.

"Came as soon as we could."

Jay rushed over, "Ma! Pa!" He moved to help Morro free them.

Morro paused a bit and glanced at Fangtom, then at the staff. "… Please tell me you guys didn't."

"Apologies…"

"… old friend…"

Morro groaned and held out his hand. "Antivenom."

Fangtom nodded and took the antivenom concentrate out of the staff. He passed it to Morro, who glanced at it before sighing. "This won't take too long. Do I got permission to use the kettle?"

Edna nodded, "Go ahead, sssweetie."

Morro nodded and started to head towards the trailer. "Al-right!"

Jay hugged Ed and Edna. "I'm so glad you're okay.."

"Well, it'sss not like we haven't encountered Ssserpentine before…" Ed replied, carefully hugging Jay back.

"I was still worried! The phone went dead! Ma sounded scared!" Jay hid his face against them both.

"We were, dear…" Edna said softly as she carefully ran her hand through his hair. "We may be okay now, but in the moment… well…"

Jay's grip on them tightened, " 'm sorry we weren't quicker.."

"Ssssweetie, you came as soon as you could…"

Morro came back with a kettle and two cups. He passed them to Ed and Edna. "Just as a heads up, it doesn't taste that great. Trust me. Had to deal with it myself, once upon a time."

Jay was quiet, watching Ed and Edna as they drank the tea stuff. Both grimaced but the scales and other features began to fade away until there was only two small fangs and some scales speckled on their cheeks.

Morro passed the antidote back to Fangtom. "I understand that you did it because you're scared… but I promise, I'll make sure that things get better for your people, and for the Hypnobrai…"

"… The Hypnobrai…"

"… are free?"

Morro nodded gently. "I figured you'd want to see Skales again… it's been a long time-"

"Did you…"

"… free them?"

"Wish I had." Morro frowned. "Slithraa is primarily focusing on making sure that they can set up stable shelter for now. If you want, I can ask if they'd be willing to have some extra help."

"Slithraa…"

"… it has been…"

"… a long time…"

"I can assure you, he doesn't seem to be harboring any grudges from before… honestly, the poor guy seems tired…" Morro frowned.

"Perhaps…"

"… we will help…"

"… so long as…"

"… nothing goes wrong…" He said quietly.

He nodded. "Also uh.. Ed? Edna? Are you upset about anything the Fangpyre may or may not have turned…? I don't want anything to get messy."

"Nah!" Ed smiled, "Most of it was junk we hadn't used, if they need it they can have it!"

"Thank you…"

"… for your…"

"… generosity…" Fangtom said, though he did seem a little guilty.

Morro gently nudged the Fangpyre General. "Relax, bud.. you know I'm not gonna let shit happen to ya."

Edna smiled, "You all can come back whenever you need stuff! We've got plenty!"

Fangtom nodded a bit, and one of the smaller Fangpyre ran up and gave a quick hug to Ed and Edna, clearly one of the younglings.

Morro chuckled softly. "Figures…"

Ed and Edna hugged the youngling back with smiles.

"Are any of ya hungry? Edna made some amazin' cobbler and we have plenty leftover!" Ed offered.

"Really?!" The little one asked and looked up at Fangtom with wide eyes, beginning to bounce up and down with excitement. "Can we? Can we?"

"If it…"

"… would not be a bother…" Fangtom looked over at Ed and Edna, a little bit of worry in his eyes.

"Not at all.. The boys can set up some tables while I go warm it up!" Edna smiled.

Morro gave a quick salute. "Aye aye! C'mon, let's go get everything gathered."

The other teens nodded. "I'll show you guys where the tables are. Come on." Jay gestured for them to follow him.

Edna headed for the trailer.

The team followed close behind Jay, and Zane hummed a bit.

"Perhaps we should have brought Lloyd along? It would have been good for him to meet other kids around his age…" He said quietly.

"We could call them.." Kai said, "… I do have my phone."

"Good idea… I forgot to write a note." Cole admitted.

"All of us did. I kinda rush us all." Jay said as Kai fished out his phone to call Nya.

Morro was humming softly, clearly not tuned in to the conversation.

Kai clicked Nya's number and called her.

It took a few rings for her to pick up.

"Kai…? The fuck are you doing calling me-?"

"So um.. Can you get Lloyd and come to Ed and Edna's? We're here and Zane thought Lloyd should come." Kai said

"What-? Already-? Okay… I'll go get the little menace…" She yawned.

"Alright, thanks sis!"

Nya hung up the phone on the other end.

Kai put his phone a way, "They'll be here in a bit." He said.

"That's good." Cole sighed. "Let's just hope Lloyd doesn't get tired since we woke him up so early…"

"I think the chance to make new friends will make up for the early wake up." Zane smiled gently.

"Here's hoping." Cole said as he grabbed a few tables. "Otherwise we might get a very bitey nine year old to have to deal with."

"That's just Lloyd regularly." Kai pointed out.

"Very true." Jay huffed, rubbing the spot he got bitten the day before.

Zane nodded. "I do find it curious that he hasn't attempted to bite me yet."

"That is pretty weird.." Cole said, "He's bitten everyone else."

"Yeah… think it's because of something in particular or…?" Kai raised a brow.

"Maybe we can ask him?" Jay suggested.

"Perhaps." Zane hummed, and began to set up a table. "Though I do not know if he would have any answers…"

"It's worth a shot." Kai said.

"True…" Zane finished setting up the first table and moved to the second.

Jay quickly moved to help him while Kai and Cole worked on a third.

Morro worked on several, setting up the older tables which had some rust in their hinges, though he didn't give much of a shit as he forced them open.

Kai hummed a bit as he worked.

Several of the Fangpyre ran over to help Morro, talking with him about stuff that had happened over the years in the tomb apparently.

The others watched curiously as they set up their tables.

"Well, I'm not surprised they wound up getting into a spat like that, but seriously?" Morro asked.

"Oh yeah, it was a bloody mess for months. Dunno how it didn't get everyone frustrated immediately." The Fangpyre shrugged. "So, how did you survive?"

"I don't know." Morro groaned. "Another family mystery."

"Ah. And I'm guessin' Miss Mystake isn't giving any answers either."

"Yeah, she isn't." He grumbled.

The others exchanged curious looks.

After a moment, they finished setting up the tables. "There we go…" He mumbled.

Soon, Edna came back out with a bunch of cobbler.

Several young Fangpyre ran over to help, talking to each other quickly and insisting on giving a helping hand. The adults, on the other hand, shook their heads with amusement or sighed at their eagerness.

Edna laughed softly, "Alright, alright! One at a time, kiddos!"

"Okay! Ssingle file!" One of the older kids shouted at the others, who whined but got into a single file line, still clearly eager to help.

Morro snickered. "Just as rambunctious as always."

Edna began passing out things for the little ones to carry.

It didn't take long for everything to get set up. The kids however, seemed to be doing a sort of competition of who could set up the best in the shortest amount of time.

Edna watched them with a smile.

"Guys!" Nya's voice called out.

Kai grinned, "Over here, sis!"

Nya walked over, she was dragging a very grumpy looking Lloyd along.

Edna grinned, "Nya, Lloyd! Hi dearies!" She waved.

"Hi, Edna!" Nya waved, and stopped as she got over to the guys. "So… why are there a crap-ton of Fangpyre around-?"

"Someone opened their tomb." Morro shrugged.

"They broke in for supplies." Jay added, "That's why we're here so early. Then Ma and Pa offered them some food, so we're helping out."

"… Ah." Nya glanced at the Fangpyre kids who were arguing over something.

Lloyd rubbed at his eyes. "It's too early…"

Kai snorted and scooped up Lloyd, "Aw, you'll be okay. Zane figured you might wanna make some friends."

"I- okay…" Lloyd fidgeted a bit, though he still seemed pretty tired.

Kai ruffled his hair and smiled.

Lloyd squirmed a bit and got down from Kai's arms. He blew some of his bangs out of his face in frustration before he began to fuss with his hair. "Stupid…"

Kai snorted, "Uh huh. Whatever you say, kid."

"I'm not saying this is stupid! I'm saying my hair is stupid! It's been getting in my face too much!" Lloyd growled.

"You need to start parting it." Morro said plainly. "Only way to keep it out of your face better if you don't wanna go bowl-cut again or shave it all off."

Jay snickered, "Bowl-cut.."

"No!" Lloyd hissed. "I want my hair to grow out!"

"Alright, alright!" Jay laughed softly.

"Then start parting it." Morro walked over and carefully messed with Lloyd's hair. "And stop squirming, you're making it worse!"

The others teens snickered as Morro fussed with Lloyd's hair.

Lloyd finally stopped squirming, and soon it'd been styled a bit, parted so that it wasn't getting in his face. "… It's gonna go back, you know that, right?"

"It won't if you keep working to keep it parted properly, doofus." Morro flicked his forehead gently. "Now go socialize."

Lloyd stuck his tongue out, "Rotten cousin…" He reluctantly walked off to talk to the Fangpyre younglings.

Morro chuckled a bit and leaned against one of the tables.

"… You're sure it's a good idea to let him talk to them when he's grumpy?" Cole asked.

"He'll be fine." Kai snorted.

"You're sure?" Cole sounded concerned as he watched Lloyd in the distance.

"… We forgot to ask him about it." Zane hummed.

"About what?" Nya asked.

Jay huffed, "About why he never bites Zane!"

"… Wait, seriously?" Nya asked. "He's never bitten him?"

"He has not." Zane said.

Nya stared at him. "You have got to be joking."

"I am not." Zane said with a small head shake.

She turned to stare at the others. "What the fuck is this nonsense."

"We don't know!" Kai said, "That's why we were gonna ask the kid."

"Yeah, it feels a little unfair. I call favoritism." Jay crossed his arms.

Morro shrugged. "I don't think that's it. I think Zane is just the least likely to rile Lloyd up to the point of biting him."

"… Morro does have a point." Cole said.

"Yeah… I guess." Nya frowned. "Still…"

"We'll figure it out eventually.." Kai sighed.

After a little bit, Lloyd and some of the other kids started playing, laughing as they ran around, presumably playing tag.

Kai smiled a bit, "Well. He's made friends."

"Good. I was getting worried he'd be all lonely." Morro huffed.

"I knew he'd find someone eventually." Kai said, crossing his arms.

"Well sorry that I haven't exactly seen him in a social situation aside from with us!" Morro cried.

"I haven't either!" Kai said.

"Well I wasn't allowed out of the Monastery when he was a little kid!" Morro defended.

Cole squinted at the two and looked at Jay. "… Do your folks have any soda we can snag while those two are arguing?"

Jay nodded, "Come on." He said.

Cole followed Jay, and Nya did as well, decidedly avoiding to get involved with the argument they were having.

Jay led them to the trailer.

"So… isn't it a little weird how easily Morro and Kai rile each other up?" Cole asked quietly. "I mean, is it connected to the whole elements thing or…?"

Nya hummed, "Well… Wind does fuel fire.." She said.

"Yeah." Jay nodded. "I'm not too surprised that they keep working each other up."

"That does makes sense." Cole agreed.

Jay grabbed some sodas out of the fridge and passed them to Cole and Nya. "But seriously, they get loud."

Nya nodded, "Yep.."

Cole popped his soda open and took a sip. "So… who would say this mission was a success?"

"Me!" Jay grinned.

Nya raised her hand a bit with a small smile. "I'd say it went over well… but did you guys make sure to tell Wu where we went?"

Both boys went quiet and gave each other a wide eyed look. "Fuck."

Nya snickered softly as she opened up her soda. "We're in so much trouble."

Cole sighed, "… Whatever.. It's worth it.."

Jay nodded. "Agreed. Besides! We get to brag about how we got Lloyd to socialize with kids his age for once!"

Cole nodded, "Exactly!"

"Here's to being able to brag about the most difficult of accomplishments!" Nya held out her can.

The boys held out their cans to hers with grins.

She tapped hers against theirs and took a sip. "Let's just hope Wu doesn't have us do twenty extra minutes of training."

"After running all the way here..? Yeah.." Jay huffed.

Cole hummed a bit as he took a sip of his soda. "I think he'd be proud that we got here so fast… though he'd probably scold us for pushing ourselves."

"Oh you guys are definitely getting scolded." Nya said.

Jay groaned a bit and popped his open, taking a long sip. He sighed. "Yeah."

"That'll be fun to see." She snickered.

Cole shook his head a bit. "You do realize you're also in trouble for bringing Lloyd out without a note, right?"

Nya huffed, "Don't ruin my fun.."

"Not ruining it, just being realistic." Cole shrugged.

"Hush," Nya stuck her tongue out at him.

"O-kay, okay, let's just go see what mayhem is happening outside, yeah?" Jay suggested.

Nya nodded, "Alright."

Cole followed behind them and glanced over at where Zane, Kai, and Morro still were. They seemed to have changed subjects. Thank goodness.

Lloyd and several of the Fangpyre kids were still running around, loudly shouting something about some old story that Morro had read to Lloyd before.

Nya chuckled as she watched the kids run around.

"Yeah… I think we did good." Jay smiled.

"Definitely.." Cole nodded.

Chapter Text

The falcon flew onto the telephone line with a caw. It sat there for a moment before it snapped its head to look at him.

"Wake up, Zane. I know where you come from."

Zane woke with a start and shot up. He slammed his head against the top bunk and he groaned. He swung his legs over the side to stand up. Only to frown. This wasn't their room on the Bounty.

He was in a circular room. There was… A work desk? Pipes… A camera… It felt familiar…

There were two sets of footsteps.

"Zane! Set up a… He… Very ill!" A voice called. So he looked up.

Two men, in very different clothing, were coming down stairs along the wall. Their faces… He couldn't recognize them.. Couldn't see them..

They reached the bottom suddenly and the man in… white.. helped the man in blue sit on the bed.

"He is… "

"… him myself!"

"Really? …kind."

"He is… soup?"

The blue clothed man was passed a bowl.

"… gift."

"…course"

"Zane?… here?"

He was beckoned. He couldn't move.

"Zane..?"

"Zane!"

He shot awake and slammed his head against the top bunk. Again.

"Yikes-" Kai looked at him from the top bunk. "You okay? Sounded like you were having one hell of a dream."

Zane frowned, "… It was… odd.. It didn't… It didn't feel like a normal dream.." He said,

"If it helps, you were saying stuff about your Dad!" Lloyd piped up from where he was sitting on Jay's bunk. "Like you were having a conversation or something."

"That… My.. My father..?" Zane looked up at the kid before looking down with a contemplative look.

"Yeah, it was kinda hard to make out though." Lloyd frowned.

"I could not make out everything in the dream either… It was like… things were missing.." Zane said.

Lloyd's eyes widened. "The memory curse…"

"I guess so…" Zane shrugged.

"Uh, might wanna hurry up? Wu's foot just started tapping!" Cole called.

Zane rushed to get up and get his training gi on.

The teens all got outside onto the deck of the ship. They'd since moved locations to just off the shores of Ninjago, seeing as the desert heat in the Sea of Sand was becoming unbearable for everyone.

Zane was still clearly distracted because of his dream. "It was so odd.."

"Well then tell us!" Kai whispered.

"Well.. For the first part. The falcon was there.. He told me to wake up.. And that he knew what I was.." Zane murmured.

"Really?" Cole asked.

"Oh! Anything else?" Jay asked.

"Then I woke but.. But.. It wasn't in the Bounty.. I was still on my bed.. But I was in this… Bunker.." Zane explained.

"Bunker?" Jay asked as he shifted positions quickly. "What, like a sort of storm bunker?"

"No.. It.. I think it was in a tree…" Zane said.

"A bunker in a tree?" Cole raised a brow. "Why?"

"I am not sure." Zane said, "I could only see a work desk, a camera, the pipes, and the stairs a bit later.."

Wu glanced back at them briefly, but continued to guide them through the stretches.

"So, did you see anybody? Like maybe your parents?"

"There were two people.. One man dressed more in white.. The other man in blue… I couldn't see their faces.. No matter how hard I tried… But they felt familiar.. Really familiar.." Zane said.

"Well, who knows, maybe you had two dads?" Jay suggested lightheartedly.

"Hmm.. Perhaps.." Zane said, considering the possibility.

"Well either way, we're still gonna figure out what happened to them and ow ow ow, hey!" Kai cried as Wu pulled on his hair a bit. "What the fuck, Wu?!"

"You four seemed distracted."

Zane winced, "Apologies, Sensei.. It is my fault.." He bowed his head apologetically.

"No, no, we were asking him about his dream! It was something related to his past and-" Cole began as Wu sighed and raised a hand to speak.

"Since you all are not focused, let's turn your attention to a riddle to solve, otherwise I have to insist that you all meditate for the day."

"Meditate?!" Jay cried. "Yeah, no, I choose the riddle!"

"Agreed." Kai said immediately.

"Yeah, sorry, kinda not feeling it for meditating this time." Cole scratched at the back of his neck.

"I do not mind either.." Zane said softly.

Wu hummed. "Very well. What is the best way to defeat an enemy?"

"Pfft! That's easy, Spinjitzu!" Jay grinned.

Wu shook his head. "Incorrect, my student. Remember, put your heads together for this one. It may help to sharpen your minds, so no video games or television. I want you all to figure it out as a team."

"No video games? Aw come on!" Kai groaned. "I was just getting good at Fist to Face 2!"

Wu chuckled softly. "You'll understand why in time, Kai. I'm going to go make sure Lloyd is doing alright."

Cole huffed as Wu walked away, "Ugh. What's the best way to defeat an enemy? It could be anything, ugh!"

"Well, we just have to keep guessing… c'mon, we're smart, we can figure this out-"

"What if we asked Morro and Nya to help?"

"Odds are Wu would have told them not to assist by the time we asked." Zane pointed out.

"This sucks!" Jay whined.

"What sucks?" Morro's voice asked, and Cole looked up at the crow's nest of the ship.

"The fuck is he doing up there?" He asked quietly.

"… I have no idea.." Kai mumbled as he, Zane, and Jay also looked up.

Morro climbed out from the crow's nest and jumped down, landing with the wind cushioning his fall. "You didn't answer my question."

"Wu's making us answer a riddle." Jay complained.

Morro snickered. "Which one?"

"What is the best way to defeat an enemy." Kai sighed.

Morro's eyes widened. "Oh you're gonna be stuck on that one for a while."

The four of them groaned.

"Remind me why I hang out with you again." Brad said as he held his jacket over his head. "We've been walking through the Sea of Sand for miles!"

"You're the one who decided to turn this into a research project." Gene mimicked Brad poorly as he looked at the map.

"Because it's important!" Brad argued. "The Serpentine were treated unfairly and both them and the Elemental Alliance were likely tricked!"

Gene rolled his eyes, "That doesn't matter!"

"Yes it does!" He snapped. "You don't think it matters but it does! I'm talking about the whole scope of everything! Serpentine deserve as much a place in Ninjago as humans do! It's stupid to lock them away just because of a war that some of them took part in!"

"Blah, blah, blah!" Gene huffed, "We should have locked them back away when they didn't show interest in doing evil!"

"How about I show some interest in punching your face, you jackass?!" Brad stormed over to him and grabbed his shoulder roughly. "You've been having us wander this hot as fuck desert for hours and we didn't even bring proper supplies! What the fuck are you trying to prove?!"

Gene jerked away and shoved him, "I am trying to be an evil mastermind! You are being a wuss and ruining it all!"

"I'm being a wuss?!" Brad stood up again. "You're the one who couldn't come up with a cover story in front of the Hypnobrai General! If I hadn't stepped in you'd be dead by now!"

"I would have controlled them! You've ruined all my plans of taking over with the Serpentine!" Gene argued.

"Newsflash, Gene, you're TEN! The youngest Serpentine leader was at most fifteen and even then they got overthrown and imprisoned!" Brad snapped. "You wouldn't have lasted a week!"

Gene growled and shoved him again, "If you don't like my plans, then you can screw off! All you do is ruin it all!"

"All I'm doing is trying to make sure you don't get yourself killed, you idiot!" Brad stepped back a bit. "Why the fuck do you think I went with you?!"

"Because you're clearly a worrying wuss! You don't deserve to go to Darkley's! Lloyd would've been better than you!!"

"Keep his name out of your fucking mouth! You hated Lloyd!" Brad snapped.

"Well he was better at evil than you!" Gene yelled, "He would've actually helped!!"

Brad stared at Gene for a moment, before he shakily walked over to him and grabbed onto his shirt. He was trembling, clearly over-warm.

"… Please don't leave…" He whispered.

Gene paused, having to process that. He had clearly been expecting more yelling, not a whisper, "I- Leave..?"

Brad was crying, clinging to him weakly. "Gene, please… please don't go…"

Gene frowned heavily, "Brad..? Brad, what's wrong?"

"Don't… don't want you t'go…" Brad slurred, was the heat getting to him..?

"I- Brad- I won't go. I won't-"

Brad's hold faltered and his legs gave out from under him.

Fuck.

Gene cursed and caught Brad. "Brad? Brad?! Wake up!"

He didn't wake up… he was breathing raggedly, clearly struggling with the heat.

Gene immediately began pulling Brad's sweater off, "Stupid, stupid. Idiot! Why wouldn't you take this off!" He tossed it in the sand and then yanked off the arm warmers too, "What are yo-" He stopped as he caught sight of Brad's arms.

There were several bandages littered about his arms, but on his forearms there were bigger ones, the kind that was supposed to be wrapped.

He frowned, "What…?" He hesitated a bit before shaking his head, "No. No, Gene." He shoved the arm warmers in his pocket. He looked at Brad again, "… I'm sorry.. For what I said…" He mumbled as he put Brad's arm over his shoulder. He headed in the direction of the tomb. It was the only shade for miles.

Brad had mumbled a few times, though in his delirious state, none of it made any sense.

Gene winced, "… Just rest Brad.. We'll get in the shade soon…"

As they neared the Anacondrai tomb, a growing unease settled. What if things went wrong? What if-?

Gene shook his head. He was an evil genius. He knew he could do this. …Right?

He stared at the door to the tomb and opened it.

There were bones… so many bones… No proper sign of decay, just… bones.

Gene grimaced, "What..? How..?" He walked in, pulling out their flashlight and reveling in the coolness of the shade.

Brad coughed a bit, though his breaths soon steadied. He still wasn't in any shape to go back out there. Not on his own… and definitely not without Gene either.

Gene took a shaky breath as he looked around at all the bones, "What happened..?"

There was a shifting in the sand behind them. Movement.

Gene tensed, holding Brad a bit closer.

Suddenly, a face loomed in his peripheral. A not dead one.

Gene shrieked and jumped away, pulling Brad with him as he tumbled to the ground and dropped the flashlight.

The Anacondrai looked at them curiously and moved over to them. "My sincerest apologies, young man." He straightened himself and What the Fuck- "Due to my unfortunate appearance I tend to have an unsettling effect on people."

Gene stared up at him with wide eyes and his glasses askew. He pulled Brad closer to him. He was speechless to say the least.

The Anacondrai carefully picked up their flashlight. "I believe you dropped this-" He handed it back to Gene. "There you are."

"I- um- Thank you…?" Gene stumbled over his words, "What- What happened to the others..?" He got himself and Brad up off the ground.

"Poor, unfortunate souls. All those years, locked away with nothing to eat. Must have slowly starved away until they were just scales and bones." The Anacondrai answered. "And who might you be my little appetize—Uh, I mean, friend?"

Gene frowned heavily and stared at him warily, "… Gene.. And this is Brad.." He answered quietly.

"Hm… and I see you both go to Darkley's. That uniform isn't all too difficult to recognize even after all these years." He chuckled.

Gene stared at him, "… Aren't you gonna tell me your name..?"

"Humbly, I am Pythor P. Chumsworth." He replied.

"Uh huh…" Gene said, keeping a tight grip on Brad.

Pythor hummed. "And well, since you've freed me, I am eternally in your service." He gave a curt bow.

Gene made a face, "… Alright.."

"So… why is your friend passed out?" Pythor asked.

"… It got too hot outside.. He didn't want to take off his sweater…" Gene explained vaguely.

"I see… and the bandages…?" Pythor leaned closer, narrowing his eyes.

"That is none of your business," Gene snapped, "And back up!"

Pythor backed up. "Hm. Alright. Alright… though I do know a shortcut to the nearest village from here."

Gene hesitated, "… You do..?" He glanced down at Brad then back at Pythor.

"Of course! The Anacondrai used to travel all over Ninjago, I'd be no good if I didn't know how to get from place-to-place if I got separated!" Pythor said. "The closest should be Jamanakai Village, if it's still around."

"… It is.." Gene nodded a bit, "I've been.."

"I see, well then we might as well go there to make sure Brad gets some medical treatment, yes?"

"… Yeah.." Gene nodded a bit.

Pythor smiled a bit. "Well, come on then, we don't have all day! After all, nobody wants to be stuck recovering in a tomb full of bones."

Gene grimaced as he looked around again, "… Yeah.."

"Seriously, what the fuck could this riddle even mean?!" Cole slammed his head onto the table. "I don't get it!"

"What if it's teamwork? Have we tried that?" Jay asked.

"That could be it.." Zane considered.

"And if it isn't?" Kai flicked a pen back over to Jay. "Then what?"

"Back to the drawing board." Cole groaned.

Jay huffed and slouched down in his seat.

Then the phone rang.

"I've got it." Cole got up and moved over to the phone, he picked up the receiver and held it up to his ear. "Destiny's Bounty?"

"You ninja need to get down to Jamanakai Village now. Those two Darkley's kids are back with an Anacondrai! One of 'em is unconscious and the other looks scared." Came from the phone in a rushed, quiet tone.

"We're on our way." Cole promised. "Jay! Get us in the air, we gotta get to Jamanakai as soon as possible!"

Jay rushed over to the steering consol and started the engine.

"Zane, let Wu, Nya, and Lloyd know what's going on via the intercom please!"

Zane nodded and went to the intercom, "Sensei, Nya, Lloyd we need you up here. There's a situation in Jamanakai village."

"Can you tell me anything else?" Cole asked. "Descriptions, anything?"

"The Anacondrai is Pythor. Your Sensei will know him.. He isn't good news at all and he keeps eyeing the kids with a hungry look." The villager answered.

"Shit." Cole hissed. "Okay- keep the kids safe until we get there."

Morro slammed his hands on the table and sat up. "Who did they say they were with?!"

Cole looked back at him, "An Anacondrai named Pythor.."

"THAT BASTARD?!" Morro snapped. "Go full throttle, we'll be there within the hour."

Jay nodded and immediately pushed the engines.

Nya, Wu, and Lloyd rushed into the room.

"I'm going onto the deck, gotta make sure the wind's boosting us." Morro growled. His tone dangerous.

"What's going on?!" Nya asked as she got over to Jay.

"An Anacondrai named Pythor in Jamanakai Village." Cole explained. "… Brad and Gene are there."

"What?!" Lloyd cried.

"Pythor.." Wu repeated, a heavy frown, "This isn't good."

"Why's this guy a big deal-?" Kai asked.

"Even when we got along with the Anacondrai and other Serpentine before the war he was infamous for his unsettling behavior. Even the other Anacondrai said so when asked." Wu explained, "If he is with Gene and Brad, he is not planning anything good."

"W-Wait…" Lloyd looked up at Wu. "Isn't Pythor the cannibal?"

"People certainly thought so.. I have never witnessed anything like it, though I have not had a personal encounter with him." Wu answered.

"Cannibal?" Nya repeated in horror.

Jay gritted his teeth, "Tell them to make sure they don't leave the village! The kids may not have an hour if they don't stay!"

Cole nodded. "Make sure they don't leave the village. Please."

Lloyd glanced at the cabinet that held some of the extra weapons, his fists clenched.

"I won't. The ginger one is insisting they visit the village doctor. He certainly won't let them leave with Pythor." She answered.

"Well.. at least it sounds like Gene actually has common sense today." Cole muttered.

"What?!" Lloyd ran over. "Gene having common sense?!"

"He certainly seems worried about the other kid." The villager said, "Keeping himself in between Pythor and him."

Lloyd's eyes widened. "That's… that's not normal for Gene…"

"They're entering the clinic now." She said, "… The receptionist met them outside, put herself between Pythor and the kids.. The snake doesn't look happy.."

"We're getting close, please stay on the line." Cole said quickly.

"I will, I will." She assured, "I'm watching them."

"ETA five minutes!" Nya called, "Morro's overdoing it a bit!"

"Better to be earlier than expected then too late." Kai said.

Lloyd ran over to the cabinet with the weapons and pulled out two sheathed short swords. He got the gear on and looked at them. "I'm helping."

"Lloyd-" Wu tried.

"No! I'm not going to let that creep anywhere near them! I know how to fight!" Lloyd shouted.

Wu sighed, "… Fine.."

"Stopping us!" Jay pulled back on the engine and stopped the Bounty, "Let them know we're here."

Cole nodded. "We're here."

"Good." The villager said, "Hurry to the clinic."

Jay lowered the ship and got them at a safe distance from the ground.

Lloyd ran out, and climbed down using the ladder as the others quickly followed.

"You're letting Lloyd-?!" Morro started, as Kai raised a brow at him.

"You know you can't fight with him when he's got his mind made up."

"He was determined." Zane nodded as they rushed through the village. The locals quickly pointed them in the direction of the Clinic.

Lloyd was running ahead, he slammed the door open to the clinic as soon as he could.

Brad wasn't in the waiting room, but Gene and Pythor were. Gene turned immediately at the sound of the door and he ran over, "Lloyd!"

"Gene-?" Lloyd quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him into a bit of a hug. His voice getting quiet. "Did he hurt either of you?"

"No- No.. I didn't let him touch Brad or anything.." Gene said in the same tone. His voice shook as he spoke. It was out of character for him. Something had clearly scared him.

Lloyd's grip tightened, and he shot a death glare at Pythor as the rest of the team got inside. "I asked if he hurt both of you. I'm not letting anything bad happen. Not this time, you dummy."

"I- No- I'm okay… But- I think he wants to eat us.." Gene glanced back, scooting closer to Lloyd as Pythor's expression turned angry at the sight of the Ninja and their weapons.

"If he comes close I'll kill him." Lloyd growled. It was obvious he was on edge, watching the rest of the team trying to get Pythor to get the fuck outside.

Gene blinked, "Ki- kill?! You used to hate trampling the flowers in front of the school?!"

"This is different." Lloyd hissed. "I'm doing it to keep you guys safe."

"I-… Thank you…" Gene mumbled.

"Thank me after I let you guys into Morro's candy stash." Lloyd said quietly as Morro stormed inside, sword drawn. "Speaking of which, which room is Brad in?"

"Twenty four..."

"Got it. Stick close and keep your head down." Lloyd said quickly as he pulled Gene past the fight that began to break out. He was running, quick like he'd been in this very Clinic before.

Gene bit back a yelp and let Lloyd pull him through.

They soon got to the room and got inside. Lloyd stayed close to the door, his hands close to his dual-swords. "Here's hoping they can catch him."

Gene nodded a bit.

The doctor looked over when they came in and relaxed some, "Good.. The snake is distracted then..?"

"Yep." Lloyd said quickly, his eyes trained on the door.

Gene looked at Brad, growing quiet for a moment before forcing his gaze back to Lloyd, "… So.. what's with the getup..? You a ninja now..?"

Lloyd glanced at him. "Not yet. Been going behind Uncle's back to train. Morro says I shouldn't force it."

"Why do you have to go behind your Uncle's back..?"

"Can't tell ya cuz you can't keep a secret to save your life." He joked weakly.

Gene huffed, "Yes I can!" He crossed his arms.

Lloyd glanced at the doctor. "If Uncle Wu asks, you heard nothing."

Doctor sighed in amusement, "Alright, kiddo.." He said as he turned his attention to Brad again.

"… What if I told you I'm supposed to fight my Father or an ancient evil one day?" Lloyd asked quietly.

"You.. What?" Gene said.

Lloyd nodded a bit. "Prophecies… they suck."

"But- We were gonna rule the world! You and Brad and I!" Gene argued weakly.

"… It's not meant to be." Lloyd said quietly. "I wish I could fight Destiny on this… to try and change my path but… even my cousin couldn't stop it… so what hope do I have?"

"But- But-…" Gene was clearly trying to keep himself together. His fists were clenched and shaking, he was trembling.

Lloyd backed a bit away from the door and hugged him. He pulled his hood down and pulled his bandana down. "… That doesn't mean I don't want you guys around… even if you can be a pain sometimes, you jerk."

Gene hesitated and then returned the hug. He buried his face in Lloyd's shoulder, "… It was gonna be us against the world.." He mumbled.

"It still can be… just a little different." Lloyd reassured, carefully running a hand through Gene's hair.

The fighting downstairs got loud before there was shouting outside.

Gene tensed as he realized what the yelling meant, "He got out.." His grip tightened.

"I won't let anything happen." Lloyd whispered. "I swear. Cross my heart."

"… Thank you.." He mumbled.

"… Does he know you go to Darkley's?" Lloyd asked quietly.

Gene nodded immediately, "He recognized the uniforms.. He said Anacondrai traveled a lot too… I think he knows where it is.." His voice shook.

"… Okay that's it we're stealing you guys." Lloyd decided. "I can share my room with you guys again just so long as you don't insult the plushies."

"The- the plushies..?" Gene questioned.

"Yeah. Morro makes a ton of them." Lloyd nodded. "I can ask if he can make you some too."

"I- I'm not allowed to have those.. Father said they're-"

"Man, fuck what your Dad says. He ain't a proper Dad if he thinks he can boss you around like you're not a fucking kid!" Lloyd said. "He doesn't treat you like you matter and I can guarantee that despite the fact that my cousin finds you a little annoying he'd probably stab your Dad for you if you asked."

"I- Um.. Wow.." Gene said.

Lloyd nodded. "Plus the food's way better on the Bounty than at Darkley's. Like.. way better, even when Cole winds up having to do an emergency meal."

"… I guess Cole isn't the best cook then..?" Gene asked.

"Yeah. Accidentally glued everyone's mouths shut when he cooked duck chowder." Lloyd nodded solemnly. "Twas a dark time."

Gene blinked, "… Wow."

Lloyd stared at him for a moment and frowned. "… Morro's totally gonna drag you kicking and screaming to the eye doctor to get new glasses, dude."

"What- I- My glasses are fine!" He defended.

"You're squinting. You need new ones!" Lloyd argued playfully. "Besides, didn't Sally say it's fun to pick out new frames?"

Gene huffed, "… Yeah…"

Lloyd smiled a bit, and the door opened as Morro stepped inside, looking a bit frustrated.

"… He got away." He muttered.

"Is Nya still on the lookout with the taser?"

"Yep."

"Good." Lloyd nodded.

"… I'm not even gonna question it anymore.." Gene said as he stared at them.

"You should!" Lloyd grinned.

"Don't, we'll break your noggin."

Gene huffed, "Crazy people."

"Lloyd is the grandson of the First Spinjitzu Master. What do you expect?" The doctor glanced back.

Gene stared at the doctor for a moment and then his gaze snapped to Lloyd, "YOU'RE WHAT?!"

Lloyd laughed a bit. "Yeah? Did you not pay attention to the fact that my Father is his eldest son??"

"Brad is the history nerd!! Why would you think I knew that?!" Gene cried.

"B'cause it's funny." Lloyd grinned.

"… I hate you."

Lloyd snickered and rested his head on Gene's shoulder. "No ya don't."

Gene huffed, but relaxed with Lloyd's touch.

"… Anyways, can I tease you or-?"

"Get out before I throw one of these." Lloyd threatened as he pointed at one of the swords. Morro cackled before he stepped out, presumably going to guard outside the room.

Gene sighed softly, "… So he knows you like Brad, huh?" He snickered some.

"I left my journal open one time!" Lloyd cried. "All of them know!"

Gene laughed, "Sucks to suck."

Lloyd growled a bit, but buried his face into Gene's hair. "… You stink… need to take a shower."

Gene huffed, "… I know.. Been traveling a lot…"

"… How'd Brad pass out?" Lloyd asked quietly.

Gene hesitated. Then sighed, "… I was being an asshole.. We were in the Sea of Sand going to the Anacondrai tomb… Brad was trying to talk me out of it.. But I yelled and shoved him.. And we argued… And… And.. He passed out cause we had been in the heat for so long…" He sounded really, really guilty and regretful.

Lloyd frowned. "You didn't pack enough water, you goof…" He carefully brushed some of Gene's bangs out of his face.

"… I know.. I thought it'd be okay…" Gene mumbled.

"And this is why you two need a third opinion. Brad realizes halfway through, you realize when it's late, I realize when it's early." Lloyd gently bumped his head against Gene's.

Gene huffed out a little laugh, "… Yeah.. Probably wouldn't have gone so wrong if you were there.."

Lloyd nodded. "… I'm just glad you were able to get somewhere we could get to you. I saw your guys' post on the forums…"

"… Why the fuck were you stalking the forums.."

"Because I worry about you guys." Lloyd huffed. "It's us against the world, remember?"

"… Yeah.." Gene managed a small smile.

Lloyd grinned at that, and sighed. "Don't scare me like that again or I'm gonna hunt you guys down and put you both in bubble wrap."

Gene huffed, "I don't need bubble wrap.."

Lloyd hummed. "Yeah, chain-mail might work better considering you." He smirked.

Gene glared and pouted a bit, "Bitch."

Lloyd had that shit-eating grin still. "Yep."

Gene huffed and rolled his eyes, but he looked a lot better than before.

"… I promise no pranks that'll hurt you guys." Lloyd said quietly. "… But I'm not opposed to flooding your guys' beds with plushies."

Gene snickered, "Weirdo.."

"Yeah but that's why you hang out with me!" Lloyd poked his cheek.

Gene sighed, "… Yeah.."

Brad mumbled something a bit and moved his arm. He held up his hand and flipped the two of them off, presumably for being loud.

Gene and Lloyd burst into laughter at the gesture.

"Morning, sleepyhead!" Lloyd grinned.

"Fuck off, man…" Brad grumbled. "What happened…?"

"… You passed out.." Gene answered, the guilt creeping into his tone again.

"… Oh…" Brad said quietly. "… can we raid a candy store after I feel better…?"

"Sure.. Lloyd?" Gene looked at Lloyd for confirmation.

"Yeah. I got some extra allowance from my Uncle and Morro." Lloyd nodded. "We can do it."

"You got a fuckin' allowance…? Lucky bitch…" Brad mumbled.

"Right.." Gene huffed, "How'd ya earn it?"

"Been helping with cleanup after dinner." Lloyd said. "I sometimes get to eat the leftover soup when it sticks to the pot. Most of the time I just scrape it into my own container for later though."

"Extra food? Really?" Gene questioned.

"Yeah! The guys and I also steal the cookies when we get the chance. Wu knows we do it but doesn't really give a shit unless it's a day when they were slacking off on training so he drags them outside after cookie time for two sets of stretches."

"He doesn't punish any of you..? For the extras..?" Gene asked, clearly confused.

"Dude I literally stole a whole rib from the fridge once because I was really hungry and the most my Uncle did was just beg me to let him know so he could warn Morro before he lost his marbles."

"… Wow.." Gene said, "… You guys are weird.."

"Nah, it's called Gramps would come back from the dead and scold us all if anyone got punished for something normal like being hungry." Lloyd reached into his pocket and pulled out a tin of mints. He popped it open and held one out for Gene.

Gene hesitated but took one, "… Thanks.."

"No prob." Lloyd popped one into his mouth. "Also try not to mess with Nya's stuff without asking, she'll dump a bucket of water on you."

"Noted." Gene said as he popped the mint in his mouth.

"I want a mint…" Brad said quietly.

"You get five after we make sure you're not gonna pass out again, ya dork!" Lloyd called.

"Bleegh…"

Gene snickered a bit.

"Jay's got anxiety so no scaring him. We already wound up accidentally losing power like- five times."

"Losing power? How?" Gene questioned.

"Jay's the Elemental Master of Lightning." Lloyd said, and paused. "Kai's Fire, Zane is Ice, Cole is Earth, Nya is Water… and you'll see what Morro's is."

"Oh.. Wow.." Gene said, "That's cool. I guess."

"Yeah, but really tiring when you have to deal with the lights all popping because of Jay and Nya being mushy."

Gene snorted, "Got it."

"Welcome to the Destiny's Bounty, where bullshit is always happening because these assholes throw in Uno." Lloyd squinted at Cole, Kai, Jay, and Nya as he said that last bit.

Brad was looking around a bit, though he leaned a bit against Gene. "Woah.."

Gene snickered a bit as he looked around.

It was big… though of course, it was a ship. Lloyd was bouncing up and down a bit. "Can I give the tour?"

"Go ahead kid." Kai snorted.

Lloyd grinned and took both Gene's and Brad's hands before pulling them below deck. "Okay! So! You've already been on the deck of the ship, and this is the lower part of the ship… over there is Morro's room. There's a lower kitchen down here where we prep the ingredients and we have to bring a pot up to the little fire spot in the middle of the table in the dining room when we want to have soup."

Gene hummed a bit as he took it all in, "Wow.."

"You said this was the Destiny's Bounty- as in the Destiny's Bounty?" Brad asked.

"Yep!"

"Dude… we are soooo cursed."

Gene's gaze snapped to Brad, "What."

"This was Captain Soto's ship! Y'know, the guy who trapped Nadakhan?" Brad looked at him. "We had a whole unit on it."

"I don't like history!" Gene defended himself.

"Whatever, but either way, their ship sank when they were trying to look for the Dark Island!" Brad looked to Lloyd. "… Kinda funny that it ended up in what would be the Sea of Sand."

Lloyd blinked, "Wow. Yeah, okay. I guess it is?"

"Can we not talk about the Sea of Sand?" Gene hissed.

"Sorry, sorry!" Brad huffed.

"Anyways-" Lloyd gently pulled them along. "C'mon! Let's get to m- our room."

Gene hummed in interest and Brad grinned.

"Yes!"

It didn't take long, just being down one of the halls. Lloyd pushed open the door with his head and stepped inside. "Tada!"

His bed was in a corner and covered in plushies. There were two other beds that'd clearly gotten set up in the time it took Brad to recover enough to be let go by the clinic.

"Woah." Brad said quietly as he looked around. "It's definitely better than having to share a dorm with everyone."

Gene nodded a bit, "… That is a lot of plush toys.."

"Morro's pile is worse." Lloyd grinned.

"Damn." Gene said.

Lloyd nodded and let go as he walked over to his bed. He sat down on it and fussed with his swords, undoing the straps that kept the sheaths in place before he set them down between his bed and the nightstand.

Gene followed him, looking at all the plushies with barely concealed interest, "Morro made all of these..?"

"Yeah!" Lloyd smiled. "My Dad taught him how to… helped him when he got lost in his own head too much."

"Your Dad.. The evil one. That currently is banished?" Gene questioned.

Lloyd nodded. "He wasn't always evil… it's because of the Great Devourer biting him when he was a kid."

"Oh, damn.." Gene said.

Lloyd nodded and patted the space beside him on his bed. Brad walked over and climbed up next to him, falling back onto some of the plushies.

Gene hesitated and sat down on the bed. He looked a bit nervous.

"… Y'know how I'd sometimes go disappearing on weekends?" Lloyd asked quietly.

"Yeah?" Brad looked at him.

Gene nodded, "Mhm?"

"Well… that was kinda him blackmailing some of the Skulkin to get me out of Darkley's so he could make sure I was okay." Lloyd fidgeted. "Been to the Underworld a few too many times thanks to that."

Gene blinked, "… What the fuck.."

"Dude… how?"

"Weirdly engineered cars." Lloyd shrugged. "I never really asked."

Gene grimaced, "That is so weird.."

"Yeah." Lloyd adjusted a bit and hugged Gene. "… I'm just glad I get to spend time with you guys again…"

Gene leaned into the touch, "Mhm.."

Morro paused in the doorway. "Oi, stop hiding your tail, dumbass."

"Morro!" Lloyd shrieked as his face got red. "Get the fuck outta my room!"

"Stop hiding your tail and I will."

"They don't know!" He whined.

"Better tell 'em now than have to deal with them questioning you until three in the bloody morning." Morro said as he walked away.

Gene and Brad watched him go with wide eyes before they both stared at Lloyd.

"What tail." Brad asked.

"Yes, do tell." Gene said.

Lloyd's face was beet red as he let go of Gene and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "… It's- it's something I inherited… never showed it at school because I didn't want anybody touching it…"

"Ah.. I see." Gene hummed, "… Show us."

Lloyd stared at him. "Eh-?"

"Show us." He repeated.

Lloyd fidgeted a bit. "… Promise you won't laugh?"

Gene huffed, "Promise.."

"I promise too." Brad gave a thumbs up.

Lloyd took a deep breath and fussed a bit with the elastic of his pants, he got his tail out of his pant leg and sighed. "… Happy?"

Gene hummed, "… Cool."

"I mean. Explains why your teeth are so sharp." Brad shrugged. "It is cool though."

Lloyd whined a bit and grabbed one of the big plushies, burying his face into it. His ears were a bit red and his tail was flicking a lot. How the hell had he kept it hidden for so long?

Gene snickered, "I dunno how you kept this thing a secret. It's wagging."

Lloyd buried his face more into the plush. The flicking was not slowing down at all.

"I think we broke him." Brad said.

Gene snorted, "Of course we did."

Lloyd leaned back onto his bed, defeated. "You guys are gonna be the death of me."

"Yes, we knew that already." Gene grinned.

Lloyd huffed a bit and adjusted to lay on his stomach, burying his face into his plushies. His tail was just flicking away.

Gene hummed a bit, clearly thinking, as he watched Lloyd.

Brad raised a brow at him, questioning.

Gene leaned over and pet Lloyd's head experimentally.

Lloyd practically melted. He mumbled something though it was too muffled for them to decipher.

Gene snickered as he continued.

"… I think this is a very effective way to wind up getting him launched at you." Brad said.

"Worth it."

"You are so going to get it I swear…" Lloyd said quietly as he pushed some of the plushies away from his face.

"Uh huh. Sure." Gene said.

Lloyd's eyes fluttered shut, like he couldn't keep them open much more like this.

Gene grinned, clearly proud of himself.

"… So like, is it sensitive?" Brad asked. "The tail I mean."

"Mhm…" Lloyd mumbled.

"That does make sense.." Gene said.

"Mhm." Brad settled his hand on Lloyd's head too, carefully running it through his hair—

Lloyd somehow melted even more.

Gene snickered, "Wow.."

"I have never seen you this relaxed before…" Brad whispered.

Lloyd made a quiet noise in response.

"Now we know how to make him quiet." Gene murmured.

There was a loud gasp from the doorway.

Gene and Brad's heads both snapped to the doorway.

Jay was standing there, mouth agape before he took a deep breath. "YOU FUCKING HYPOCRITE!"

"Remind me to bite him later…" Lloyd mumbled tiredly.

"… Got it.." Gene said.

Kai also poked his head in the doorway. "No way. No fucking way-"

"Kai go get Morro's camera-!" Jay said quickly as Lloyd hissed in annoyance.

"OH I OWE NYA SO MUCH FROM MY ALLOWANCE." Kai shouted as he ran down the hall.

Gene and Brad were just. Speechless. They didn't know what to do.

It didn't take long for Kai to come back with the camera, it took less than a minute for them to take the photo before they sprinted off down the hall.

"… I'm never gonna hear the end of it…" Lloyd whined.

"… Sorry.." Brad murmured.

"Don't be… it was nice until SOMEONE INTERRUPTED!" Lloyd shouted towards his door, causing distant laughter in the ship. He got off of the bed and shut the door, grumbling as he walked back over and curled up between them.

"This place is so chaotic.." Gene mumbled.

"It's a predictable kind of chaotic…" He closed his eyes again. "Kai and Jay are gossips, Zane doesn't really give a fuck unless it's funny, Cole doesn't care too much because he's trying to avoid all of us teasing him about Kai, and Morro doesn't have a crush so we don't have any ammo on him."

"Damn.." Brad said.

Lloyd nodded a bit. "It's nice though… just loud. Morro says it's like how the Monastery used to be when he was a kid.."

"Really?" Brad tilted his head a bit.

"Yeah… apparently our parents were all really loud and relentless about teasing too. There's a few old tapes we have from back then." Lloyd said quietly.

"Ooh?" Gene hummed.

Brad snickered a bit and carefully ran his hand through Lloyd's hair again. "Well, at least it's familiar."

Lloyd squeaked a bit and melted again. "You jerk…"

Gene snorted, "Like a cat.."

Lloyd stuck out his tongue a bit in protest, though it was not helping his case. "Am not…"

"Are too."

"I'll bite you." Lloyd threatened quietly. "It'd hurt."

"Try me. I've had worse." Gene huffed. Like that was normal for a ten year old to say.

Lloyd sat up suddenly and stared at him. That familiar uncanniness in the air made itself known as he watched him.

"… I wish I could take that pain away… keep it away from you." He mumbled. "I wanna carry it all so you won't hurt anymore…"

Gene blinked, clearly startled by the sudden mood change, "What- I- No, it's fine, Lloyd. It's normal."

Lloyd took Gene's hands in his own and gently squeezed them. "It's not normal… I know normal… and that's not it." He said quietly as he leaned to rest against Gene a bit. "Normal is your family looking out for you, taking care of you… normal is knowing you don't have to be scared because your family won't hurt you…"

"But-" Gene tried.

"No buts." Lloyd murmured. "You're not supposed to be hurt for normal things… for being human…"

Gene was quiet, frowning softly. He was trembling slightly.

Lloyd pulled him to lay down, carefully holding him. He carefully took his glasses off and set them aside. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Gene…"

Gene hid his face against Lloyd.

Brad moved over to get on the other side of Gene, hugging him carefully. "We gotcha, Gene…"

"… Thank you…" He mumbled, though it was very muffled against Lloyd.

Lloyd buried his face against the top of Gene's head, his tail curling around both of his friends.

Gene relaxed some with both of them there.

"And you guys call me a cat…" Lloyd chuckled quietly.

Gene grumbled against him but none of it was intelligible.

Lloyd stayed awake, keeping watch… it wasn't necessary, but something in the back of his mind screamed to stay up… to keep them safe.

To let them rest…

So he sang. A quiet lullaby, one he remembered vaguely from his childhood. He couldn't remember who sang it, but he remembered the lyrics.

"When a storm comes down to the shallow waves, when ice freezes over the lake… if fire and stone cannot keep these walls, then I will keep you safe…" He sang softly. "If the winds no longer fill your sails, and danger lurks below, then I will keep you safe…"

Gene curled up, snuggling a bit closer. He murmured in his sleep. Brad's arms were loosely wrapped around Gene, though his face was buried in his hair.

The door opened a bit and Kai peeked in quietly.

Lloyd's focus was on them, though his eye flicked to the doorway, his hands stopped though he continued singing.

"So call upon the sun… for shadows grow alone… so call upon the sun, for danger waits in the cold…" He sang, voice growing quiet, only for Gene and Brad to hear. "So call upon the sun… for when you need me, I'll be there…"

Kai smiled softly and shut the door, leaving them be for now.

Lloyd smiled a bit in relief, his singing trailing off as he continued to carefully run his hands through Brad and Gene's hair. "… I missed you both… so much…"

Gene murmured again but didn't wake.

Lloyd sighed, and settled his head against Gene's. "I care about you guys… more than I think you'll ever know." He whispered. "If I could take all the pain away from you both in an instant.. I would."

He hummed a little. "… I think… I'd want to watch the fireworks with you… even if it hurts my ears. I just… want to see your smiles… 'n… I think if I start to lose hope when fighting… I'll think of you… 'n keep fighting so I can hear you guys yelling at me afterwards…"

Brad shifted, clinging tighter to Gene.

Lloyd smiled. "… If I lose that battle… I'll find a way to keep you both safe. Even if- even if it makes me lose who I am…"

Gene adjusted, burying his face a bit against Lloyd.

He shuddered a bit and hugged them close. "… I just… it feels like just being back together again, knowing what I know is driving a spear into my heart… I don't want to lose… I can't lose… because if I do, then I'll never see you both again…"

Gene and Brad were both peaceful. Unaware of the horrors Lloyd was expected to face.

Lloyd took a shaky breath and closed his eyes. "… I love you guys…"

Neither answered, both still fast asleep.

There was a knocking on the door. "Oi. It's dinnertime, get your butts up." Nya said.

Gene grumbled, clinging tighter to Lloyd.

"I mean it!" Nya said. "It's dinnertime and I will drag you three out here."

Gene huffed and… did not move.

Brad hummed a bit as he adjusted. "… We should get up…"

"… Don't wanna.." Gene mumbled.

"C'mon, Gene…" Brad coaxed softly. "Aren't you hungry…?"

"… C'mfy.."

"Yeah, but don't you want some food? Some pasta?" Brad gently poked his head.

"Bu' c'mfy.." Gene grumbled.

Brad was quiet for a moment before his hands settled on Gene's stomach. "Don't make me tickle you."

" 'ou wouldn'.." Gene shifted a bit, clinging to Lloyd.

"I would." He smirked. "Do you wanna test that theory?"

Gene still refused to move.

Brad rolled his eyes and began tickling him, snickering quietly.

Gene yelped and fell into shrill laughter as he tried to escape. Lloyd was roused from sleep thanks to the noise and movement, and he rubbed at his eyes.

"We're going to go get dinner! And it's going to be better than Darkley's!" Brad declared as he continued.

Gene escaped… by falling off the bed.

Lloyd squinted, and grabbed Gene's glasses. He held them out for him. "Here…"

Gene haphazardly grabbed at them and put them on while glaring at Brad.

"Welp, you're up." Brad shrugged with a shit-eating grin.

Lloyd slid off his bed and carefully helped Gene up. He still seemed tired, his eyes not wide open like they usually were.

Gene noticed but… chose not to mention it. He huffed and stayed close to Lloyd.

Lloyd took Gene's hand and then Brad's slowly leading them out of the room. Nya raised a brow a bit as she kept pace with them.

"Did you guys have a nice rest?"

"Mhm…" Lloyd yawned.

Nya snickered. "And you said you were mad at Gene-"

"Shut." Lloyd hissed as he sped up a bit, pulling them along.

Gene was still very huffy and clingy when they got to the dining room.

"Okay, okay, but did anybody see how fast that guy was?!" Jay asked.

"I'm faster." Morro growled as he loaded his plate. "Note to you guys, you see him? You don't hold back."

"I definitely won't next time." Kai grumbled.

Lloyd sat down and grabbed a plate and bowl, passing it to Gene, then another to Brad, and a plate and bowl for himself.

"… You fuckers better not have taken pictures." Lloyd said as he shot a look at the other teens at the table.

Jay poorly hid his snickers as he tried to start eating, "Don't know what you're talking about."

Lloyd grabbed his chopsticks and squinted at him. "Liar."

Morro rolled his eyes as he walked over and got the three kids' plates and bowls filled. "Okay, no fighting right now. I'm not in the mood to clean up here again."

"Again?" Brad questioned curiously.

"Food fights." He groaned. "It usually happens towards the end of dinner, thank our Grandfather, but still." He shot a look at Kai, Cole, and Jay.

The three of them simply grinned as they ate.

"Ooh.." Brad nodded a bit.

"Brats…" He shook his head with a small smile. He walked back over to his seat and sat down.

"… Is Uncle meditating?" Lloyd asked, addressing Wu's absence.

"Nah, he left. Said he was going to see Mystake." Kai said.

"Oh." Lloyd hummed and bit into one of the dumplings. "Hot-!"

"Yeah?! It was just cooked, what were you expecting?" Morro laughed weakly.

"Rotten cousin!"

Brad and Gene both snickered some. Neither had touched their food yet, though Brad had picked up his fork.

Lloyd gently nudged Gene. "It's okay to start eating. If Uncle's talking to Mystake, he's gonna be gone a while…"

Gene frowned, "But-"

"Ap-ap-ap." Morro interjected. "Meals here operate under the basis of is everyone who's going to eat here? Yes? Good. We can eat. In the event that everybody is not, we usually go and bring their portions to their rooms."

Gene's brow furrowed. "But…" He trailed off and stared at his food, looking conflicted.

Lloyd gently bumped his head against Gene's. "Fuck the rules."

Gene considered that and managed a little smirk, "Fuck the rules.." He repeated and finally picked up his chopsticks.

Lloyd grinned, and got back to eating.

"… So uh, Gene, we've heard Lloyd bitch about your Dad a lot…" Cole said gently. "Wanna talk about it? No pressure, though."

Gene tensed, "… I mean.. He's evil. Got a big role to live up to." He was clearly downplaying.. A lot.

"Oh, come on! The fucker made sure he ate first when it's supposed to be kids go first, then the adults!" Lloyd argued. He growled, his tail flicking dangerously. "I'm gonna kick him in the balls when I see him."

Gene looked away, "It's not a big deal."

"It is to me!" Lloyd cried.

"Instincts-" Morro coughed, causing Lloyd to shoot a death glare at his cousin.

Gene picked at his food, "It's just how he works.. He's evil, he's not gonna be normal."

"He could have at least treated you like a person." Lloyd growled. "But no~ and now I want him dead."

"Lloyd!" Morro hissed.

"Fuck off! I mean what I said!"

"It's fine, Lloyd.. You'll probably never meet him anyway. He doesn't leave home, like, at all.." Gene said.

"… Kid." Morro looked at him. "Please tell me I haven't ever encountered him."

Gene stared at him for a moment, fear in his eyes, "… No..?" He was always a shit liar.

"… Oh my fucking-" Morro leaned back. "Okay! Another reason to stab that man!"

Lloyd's eyes widened. "Who?"

"Your Father's evil fuckass teacher." Morro growled.

Gene looked away. He was quiet now.

"… He's not mad at you." Lloyd said quietly. "He's mad for you. And he gets on my case about instincts 'n crap."

Gene didn't answer, barely picking at his food.

Lloyd frowned and picked up one of his dumplings with his chopsticks and held it to Gene's mouth. "Eat."

Gene's eyes widened a bit, "That- That's yours though.."

"So? Eat."

"But- You need to eat.."

"I'm not the guy who walked miles in a desert." Lloyd deadpanned. "Eat."

Gene clearly didn't have another argument as he reluctantly ate the dumpling.

Lloyd smiled and gently ruffled Gene's hair afterwards. He popped one of his own dumplings into his mouth with his hand and grabbed another for Gene.

Brad was pointedly ignoring this as he grabbed another helping of dumplings.

Gene sighed and accepted his fate, seeing Lloyd wouldn't give up.

"… Wow." Kai hummed. "And you still yelled about him-"

"Shut up before I kick your ass in training on purpose tomorrow~!" Lloyd sang.

"Yeah, you shouldn't tease him when he's like this." Morro said. "Trust me. Ray learned his lesson the hard way with Garmadon."

"What did Dad do?" Nya asked curiously.

"Teased Garmadon about being insistent that Misako eats while she was researching at the table. Proceeded to get chopsticks thrown at his face. Maya blocked them but it was enough to spook Ray to not do it again." Morro said dryly as he popped some popcorn shrimp into his mouth.

Nya and Kai snickered at that.

"Lloyd did this to him all the time in Darkley's too!" Brad piped up. "Whenever Gene was studying Lloyd would just get all up in his face about it."

Jay raised an eyebrow, "Really?" He grinned.

Lloyd was very clearly ignoring the fact that he was a little flustered at that. He was taking a deep breath to try and calm himself, and then Brad kept going-

"Then there was this one time Gene was staying up in the dorm room to study and didn't come to dinner so Lloyd dragged me with him to make sure he actually ate." Brad commented.

Kai and Jay were snickering as Brad continued to give them teasing material.

Lloyd glanced at his empty bowl and rolled his eyes, grabbing one from Gene's bowl. "You don't gotta tell them everything."

"Aw, come on! You were worried! Admit it!" Brad grinned.

"I'm always worried."

"Yeah but you never admit who you're worried about specifically!" Brad elbowed him. "Do it. Do it. Do it."

All the teens were clearly very amused by this.

"… F-Fine. I worry about you and Gene.. a lot." Lloyd said quietly.

"Because?"

"Because you're both dummies who don't take care of yourselves." Lloyd huffed.

"Not like you were any better sometimes." Gene grumbled.

"Hey I had to pick up the slack since Lloyd was gone!" Brad gasped. "How dare you!"

"Can we just say that we're all dysfunctional and get on with it?" Lloyd asked.

"No!" Both said in unison.

Multiple of the teens snickered and snorted.

"Oh, man I have been wondering how Lloyd acts around people he knows other than us!" Jay feigned wiping away a tear.

"Right?" Kai snickered.

Lloyd rolled his eyes at the commentary. "You both are so stubborn-"

"Like you're not?" Brad asked.

"Hypocrite." Gene said at the same time.

"I am going to gnaw on your arms." Lloyd threatened softly. "I'll go omnomnom."

Jay burst into laughter at that.

Gene rolled his eyes, "I've had worse. Try harder."

Morro's eyes widened and the winds outside the dining room howled.

"Yeah, I know, but it's the I care omnomnoms." Lloyd mumbled. "Just a lil nibble."

Gene huffed, "I know.. Doesn't mean I understand what you mean! You've never followed through with your threats!"

"Oh he does." Cole said solemnly. "Probably didn't feel safe enough to at Darkley's though."

"Oh, he's bitten you guys?" Brad asked.

Kai held up his bandaged arm. "Too many times."

Brad blinked, "… Why'd you need to bandage it."

"Cuz the little shit draws blood every time he bites someone!" Kai threw his hands up.

"He never draws blood when he bites us." Gene said.

Kai turned his attention to Lloyd. "Oh, so you're playing favorites and being a little fuckin shit, I see your game."

"And I see your game whenever you throw in Uno." Lloyd hissed, though he was clearly grinning.

Brad and Gene snickered.

Morro sighed. "Need I remind you that the First Spinjitzu Master was half Dragon, half Oni? It's bastard instincts."

Brad and Gene blinked.

"Wait.. What?"

"Yeah." Morro nodded.

"… What's an Oni?" Gene asked.

"It was part of our classes!" Brad cried. "Seven whole fucking units!"

"I skipped most of our history classes!" Gene replied.

"… If I may?" Lloyd raised his hand slightly. "It was also part of the religion classes."

"I didn't like those either!" Gene pouted.

Lloyd set his chopsticks down and cupped Gene's face. "Yeah but now you gotta learn because I'm not hiding my tail anymore cuz it's uncomfortable as fuck."

Gene only grumbled. "Don' wannaaaaaa!"

"Too bad~!" Lloyd gently bumped his forehead against Gene's. "You gotta cuz otherwise Mystake's probably gonna not like you hanging out with me."

Gene groaned and sighed.

"Not to mention the fact that Lloyd's dragoni instincts have been on a more aggressive streak lately, so that means we all need to do a refresher course on it." Morro rolled his eyes. "Oh, sorry, I mean you guys need to, I always keep myself updated on it."

Kai stared at him, "Keep it up and I'm gonna bite you."

Morro rolled his eyes. "As if you can scare me with that."

Kai squinted at him.

"… So can we talk about the fact that you got so frustrated talking about Gene that you hit the punching bag twice?" Cole asked, looking at Lloyd.

Gene raised an eyebrow, "You what?"

Lloyd let go of him and covered his face with his hands. "I am going. To ruin the next soup you try and make, Cole."

"Hey! I'm just asking!"

Brad snorted and snickered.

"Look it isn't my fault I get cuteness aggression!" Lloyd shouted.

"HELP?!" Jay wheezed, slamming his hand on the table.

Gene's gaze snapped to Lloyd, "I am not cute!"

Brad leaned a bit on the table. "You kinda are when you get snippy like that."

Gene threw his fork at Brad. He, however quickly dodged with a laugh.

"He's right though…" Lloyd said quietly, looking away.

Gene squinted at him. "I am going to set you both on fire."

"Do it, you don't got the balls to not have a fire extinguisher at the ready!" Brad snickered.

Lloyd muttered something and continued to avert his gaze.

"I will! Gimme a lighter!" Gene glared at Brad.

"It's in my backpack and the backpack's in our room so…" Brad shrugged. "Gotta wait."

Lloyd grabbed Gene's wrist to keep him from darting off. "Don't make me put you in my lap to keep you from running off."

Gene tried to free his wrist, "Lemme go!"

Lloyd rolled his eyes and pulled Gene to sit in his lap. He settled his head on his shoulder. "Nah."

Gene crossed his arms and pouted.

Lloyd snickered softly and moved to get some more dumplings, though there was an air of smugness as he lifted one up with the chopsticks.

Gene snatched it before Lloyd could get it and popped it in his mouth.

Lloyd's small smirk was obvious. "That was mine, Gene."

"Not anymore, bitch."

Brad rolled his eyes as he shuffled closer to them and ate silently, a small smile on his face. It was clear he was unbothered and expected this. Lloyd grabbed another dumpling, still smiling a bit.

Gene snagged this one too.

His tail was flicking. "How many times are you gonna steal it?" He asked quietly.

The teens had been silently watching this, with Jay not subtly holding his phone out to record.

"Until you let me go." Gene huffed.

Lloyd made a quiet noise of frustration, though to the others, they could tell it was forced. "Whatever, ya jerk."

He grabbed another dumpling, which Gene snatched once more.

Brad looked very amused as he ate. Clearly this was a normal thing.

"… So, reminder that we do need to tell Wu about the fact we know about the prophecy." Morro said.

"But not about Lloyd." Kai added.

"But not about Lloyd." He nodded.

Gene paused and looked at them, "But Lloyd told me it was about him?"

"It is." Cole sighed. "Problem is, we're trying to make sure he gets to have a proper childhood and to give the middle finger to Destiny. So we can't tell Wu that we know it's about him because he doesn't know."

"Oh.. Huh."

"Mhm." Lloyd sighed. "They're trying to keep the pressure off of me by pretending to fight over who it is."

Brad hummed, "That makes sense."

"Yeah." Gene huffed. "I still think it's a little stupid…"

Lloyd nodded and grabbed another dumpling.

Gene snatched it once again.

"So… any specific rules-?" Brad asked.

"Yeah, stay out of the kitchen when Morro's cooking." Kai commented. "For us he actively kicks us out, for you he'll probably shoo you out, but either way, don't mess with it."

"M'kay.." Gene mumbled as he chewed.

"… But if you need to steal something while I'm cooking. you can." Morro said. "Just don't run and at least give me a heads up before you walk in."

"Okay." Brad said with a nod.

"That goes for you too, Gene." Morro looked at him. "I don't want you going hungry."

Gene blinked and looked at him, "Oh… Um.. Okay.."

"Don't worry, the most you'll get is an aggressive hair ruffle if you forget to warn him." Lloyd whispered. "He may look intimidating but he's totally a pushover-"

"No I fucking ain't and you know it." Morro interrupted.

"Shuddup! You're nice to kids!"

"Yeah because it's called basic decency!"

Brad giggled a bit at the small argument.

"Whatever, ya softie!" Lloyd stuck his tongue out.

Morro did the same, and rolled his eyes. "You're a little menace, you know that?"

"Yep!"

Gene snickered a bit at that.

Lloyd finally released Gene with a small smile. "Freedom for you."

"Finally, Freedom!" Gene cackled and scrambled away. It appeared he still wanted the lighter.

Brad rolled his eyes and got up. "I'll go make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

"Gimme a sec-!" Lloyd popped some dumplings into his mouth and followed after them quickly.

Gene's cackling continued as the three disappeared down the hall.

"… We so have to get those two their own clothes." Morro sighed.

"Yeahh.." Nya agreed.

The teens were all sitting on the stairs leading to the lower part of the ship. It'd been made evident they weren't going to solve the riddle.

Jay had buried his face in his hands, absolutely miserable cause of it.

"This sucks." Kai leaned back.

"Yes.. It does.." Zane agreed.

Wu walked out of the room and glanced at the teens. He walked over and sighed. "I see you have not figured out the answer to the riddle?"

Kai sighed, "No, Sensei. We still don't know what the best way to defeat your enemy is.."

"It is to make them your friend." He said softly, with a small smile.

"Oh."

Chapter Text

Lloyd glanced at Gene as he held the lighter. He made his way over to his bed and sat down, silent.

Gene flicked the lighter on and off. On and off. On and off. "… We should steal your Uncle's lesson book."

Lloyd's eyes widened. "What-?"

"Oh! Yeah! We can mess with them a bit!" Brad grinned.

Gene nodded, "It's so boring around here! Let's spice it up!"

Lloyd fidgeted a bit, and looked down. "… M'kay."

Brad and Gene cheered and high-fived.

Lloyd got up. "I can get away with stealing the lesson book. I know where my Uncle keeps it."

Gene grinned, "Awesome."

Lloyd smiled weakly. "I'll go get it."

And with that, he darted out of the room, silently making his way down the hall.

"… So, are you gonna admit you missed him?" Brad asked.

Gene squinted at him, "… I don't know what you're talking about." He said stubbornly.

"Mhm." Brad grinned as he put his arm over Gene's shoulders. "You totally missed messing with him."

"You don't know shit, dumbass." Gene huffed.

"Uhuh, then why'd you bury your face against Lloyd?" Brad smirked.

Gene reddened a bit, "It was a moment of weakness!"

"Nuh-uh!" Brad gently poked his cheek. "You were genuinely doing better because Lloyd was around! Admit it!"

"No!" Gene swatted at his hand.

"Admit it~!" Brad sang, a shit-eating grin on his face.

"I will not! You are wrong!" Gene huffed.

"C'mon! Just say you missed him!" He began to mess with his hair a bit.

"Nooo! I am an evil genius! I don't miss people!" Gene argued, trying to escape.

Lloyd walked back in the room with the book and set it behind some of his comics on the bookshelf before he walked over to pull the two apart.

"Quit messin' with him, Brad." Lloyd mumbled.

Gene stuck his tongue out at Brad, "Yeah!"

Brad proceeded to snicker as Lloyd hugged Gene, settling his head on his shoulder. "I'm not the only one messing with him."

Gene pouted, but practically melted into the hug.

Lloyd glanced at Brad. "The hell do you mean by that?"

"Nothin, nothin." Brad looked away with a grin.

Gene grumbled and rolled his eyes.

Lloyd shook his head a bit, clearly not buying that. "… What was he teasing you about?"

"Nothing!" Gene said immediately.

"Okay so the problem now is now I'm interested." Lloyd said.

"He missed you." Brad grinned.

Gene whined, "No!!"

"You- you did?" Lloyd asked quietly.

"Brad is a liar!" Gene denied adamantly.

"Yeah, but you're a bigger liar than me." Brad smirked and crossed his arms.

Lloyd squeezed Gene a bit. "… Did… did you actually miss me?"

Gene hesitated, "… Maybe.." He mumbled.

Lloyd clung to him, burying his face into Gene's shoulder. "… Missed you too…" He said quietly, like he was trying not to cry.

Gene was quiet. Then he finally returned the hug. Brad had a small smile, no longer looking smug, but fond.

Lloyd seemed to calm down when Gene hugged him back, though his tail flicked a bit, like he was tense.

Gene tightened his arms, "… Why wouldn't I miss you.. You're one of my only friends.."

"I just-" Lloyd took a shaky breath. "It's… it's stupid… I dunno why I thought-"

"Shut up. Your thoughts are stupid." Gene huffed, "I missed you. That's that!"

Lloyd nodded, and melted in his arms. "Yeah… okay…"

"Good." Gene huffed.

Brad walked over to join in on the hug, but was promptly stopped by Gene shoving his hand in Brad's face.

Gene stuck his tongue out at Brad.

Brad peeked out from behind Gene's hand, and raised a brow.

Gene did not let up. Was he being petty? Yes. Did he care? NO.

He made a bit of a hand gesture to Lloyd, and then at him, and then made a heart with his hands, still raising a brow.

Gene went very red and shoved Brad away with his hand.

Brad cackled. "Seriously?!"

"Shuddup asshat!" Gene yelled.

"You- wow…" Brad whistled. "Wow…"

"I'm gonna bite you!"

"Do it!" Brad grinned. "I can take it!"

Lloyd was definitely ignoring the two yelling as he buried his face into Gene's hair.

Gene growled, "I will! As soon as I'm free!"

Lloyd mumbled something as he let go, backing up a bit.

Gene lunged at Brad and tackled him.

Brad yelped and tried to pry him off of himself. "LLOYD!"

Gene got ahold of Brad's arm and bit down.

"OW?!"

Lloyd sat down beside them and just watched, silent.

Gene growled again. He did not release Brad's arm.

"OKAY, OKAY, YOU'VE MADE YOUR POINT?!" Brad cried.

Gene looked very smug. He did not let go.

Brad was silent for a moment before he looked up at the ceiling. "I guess this is my life now."

Lloyd snickered a bit and reached over to mess with their hair a bit. It was obvious he was amused, his tail flicking back and forth.

Gene grinned slightly.

"Must you be so proud of yourself?" Brad asked. "That hurt."

Gene let out a little snicker.

"Mmhm." Lloyd seemed completely unbothered by the current turn of events, content to continue fussing with Gene and Brad's hair.

"Aren't you gonna help me?" Brad hissed.

"Nope."

Gene finally let go as Lloyd messed with his hair, humming contently.

Brad stared at the bloody bite mark, and squinted at Gene. "Dude, what the fuck?"

Lloyd's eyes widened at the sight of the blood and he went still.

Gene looked over confused and then froze at the blood, "W-what-"

"I-I'll go get one of the med-kits-!" Lloyd said quickly as he ran out of the room.

Gene backed away a bit, trembling, "I- I'm sorry-" He sniffled.

Brad sat up and reached out. He carefully set a hand on his cheek. "It's okay… I know you didn't mean to hurt me… like when you yell…"

"This is different! You're bleeding!" Gene cried.

Lloyd pulled Morro into the room with a med-kit in his hand. "Morro's gotta do it."

Gene was teary eyed at this point.

Morro knelt down and got the med-kit open. "Alright, let's see what-…?" He paused, staring at the bite mark then he glanced to Lloyd. "Explain?"

"Explanations later! Treat it first!" Lloyd hissed as he pulled Gene into a hug, running his hand through his hair to try and soothe him.

Gene buried his face against Lloyd, clinging to him.

"Okay, someone other than Lloyd did this." Morro muttered as he disinfected the wound. "I've seen enough of my cousin's handiwork to know he didn't do this one."

"I- I didn't mean to!" Gene cried against Lloyd.

"Shh…" Lloyd rocked himself and Gene back and forth. "It's okay…"

"I'm not mad!" Brad smiled weakly. "Just got caught off-guard is all!"

"You should be! I drew blood!" Gene was definitely fully crying at this point.

Morro rolled his eyes as he finished bandaging Brad's arm. "Somehow, I feel like I shouldn't be surprised that you wound up friends with Lloyd."

Gene didn't even respond, just continuing to cry against Lloyd.

Lloyd rubbed circles into his back. "Hey… it could just be that your teeth are really sharp like mine. Just means you gotta be really careful, y'know?"

Gene sniffled and managed a bit of a nod.

"… Would it make you feel better if I bit your arm back?" Brad asked.

Gene immediately held an arm out to Brad.

He scooted a little closer and held Gene's arm for a moment before he bit down on it, a little harder than he meant to, but enough. Gene barely winced.

"… Let me know if you guys draw blood again." Morro said as he got up and left the room.

Gene simply kept his face hidden against Lloyd.

Brad let go after a bit and sighed. "Okay, that's as long as I can do that for."

Gene reluctantly pulled his arm away and let it fall by his side.

Lloyd set his head on top of Gene's. "… What if we see how easily you can bruise me?"

"… Only if you bite me back." Gene said.

"Deal." Lloyd replied gently.

Gene reluctantly pulled away from the hug so he could access one of Lloyd's arms.

Lloyd stayed still, though his tail was coiled a bit around the three of them.

Gene grabbed Lloyd's right arm and bit down.

Lloyd didn't even wince, just hummed a little. Like he was unbothered.

Gene released his arm after a few moments.

Lloyd looked at the bite mark. "… Huh."

"… 'least I didn't draw blood this time." Gene commented.

"Mhm." Lloyd carefully took Gene's arm and bit down a little firmly, but not enough to break skin.

Gene, once again, barely winced. He just watched quietly.

Lloyd released him only after a few seconds, looking away. "… Don't wanna give my instincts any wiggle room to do something stupid."

"Like what?" Brad asked, curiosity peaking in his tone.

Lloyd shifted uncomfortably, unable to meet their gaze. His tail flicked a bit.

Gene tilted his head, "Lloyd..?"

"… It- It's complicated." Lloyd said quietly. "I don't wanna think about it…"

Brad frowned a bit, "Alright.. But if you ever want to.. We're here to listen."

"… It's just… stuff that's gotta do with my Oni side…" Lloyd mumbled. "I think…"

"Really..?" Brad hummed.

"Mhm." Lloyd looked away. "It's… kinda why I needed to leave the room so quick…"

Gene's brow furrowed, still looking very confused. Brad, on the other hand, made a small noise of understanding, "Ah… Yeah.."

"… Why is that a problem…?" Gene asked.

Brad stared at him, "You would know if you had come to and paid attention in history!"

"It- it's fine-" Lloyd looked away with a weak, forced smile.

Gene gave him an unimpressed look, "That is obviously fake."

"Okay, okay look- it's- it's cuz apparently an Oni's diet when they're young usually consists of- of well…" Lloyd fidgeted.

"Of..?" Gene encouraged him to continue.

"W-Well, it's- it's-" Lloyd looked down, embarrassed.

"Blood." Brad said simply.

Gene blinked, "… Oh. Just that?"

"It- it can be worse than that but- but yeah…" Lloyd said quietly.

"That's not that bad." Gene said.

"Yes it is!" Lloyd cried. "I'm scared of hurting you guys- I'm scared of myself!"

"We trust you though." Brad said, "We know if you hurt us, you didn't mean it. It's okay."

"But-"

"Shut up!" Gene interrupted with a huff.

Lloyd got quiet, and leaned forward into them. He whined quietly, his tail hitting the floor a bit.

Gene sighed and hugged him, "Stupid.."

Brad hugged them both and Lloyd laughed weakly. "Yeah…?"

"Your thoughts are dumb. They need to shut up." Gene's hand drifted into Lloyd's hair.

Brad nodded, though he didn't move his hand just yet, silent as he listened to them.

Gene slowly began to run his hand through Lloyd's hair.

Lloyd melted a bit, his hold on them loosening as he practically fell into their arms. Brad stifled a quiet laugh and moved his hand up to Lloyd's hair as well.

Gene snickered a bit as he continued.

Lloyd sagged when both of them were running their hands through his hair. His tail flicked only occasionally.

"We should've figured this out back at Darkley's." Brad whispered.

"Yeahh.." Gene agreed.

Lloyd mumbled something incomprehensible, his face smushed between them.

"What was that, Lloyd?" Gene asked with a bit of a teasing tone.

"… love you guys…" He repeated a little louder.

Gene reddened a bit and looked away, "… Whatever.."

Brad's eyes were wide and his cheeks a little red. "… Huh."

Gene shifted and buried his face against Lloyd.

Brad carefully ran his other hand through Gene's hair. He hummed a bit, "You guys are weird… I love that about you."

Gene whined quietly against Lloyd. Clearly he wasn't used to this affection.

"D'aw, did I find a way to mess with ya when I mean it?" Brad said with a grin.

Gene grumbled. Clearly a yes.

Brad smiled gently. "Then I'll mess with you as many times as it takes until it sticks."

Gene flipped him off.

He just laughed, clearly just grateful everything was fine again.

Gene grumbled, keeping his face hidden.

"… Y'know, kinda cool that you guys don't have to try that hard to draw blood." Brad said. "If I tried I'd have to bite down full force."

"I guess.." Gene shrugged a bit, "Easier for violence."

"Yeah." Brad nodded.

Lloyd was quiet, just seeming content with letting them talk.

"Can gnaw on adults arms easier. Then they'll listen better." Gene snickered.

"Ay, might not wanna try it here, considering Lloyd's streak of biting the others." Brad pointed out.

"Yeah.. I'll do it to a random and make 'em buy us candy."

"Yes!" Brad cheered.

"You guys are silly…" Lloyd mumbled.

"We aren't silly! We're evil!" Gene protested.

"Silly~!" Lloyd sang a bit, sending himself into a fit of giggles.

"Noo!" Gene cried, "We're evil!"

"Yeah and I'm supposed to defeat the greatest evil in Ninjago." Lloyd gently tapped his nose. "So this, to me, is silly!"

Gene nipped at his finger with a growl.

Lloyd's giggles only got more frequent with that, his tail flicking with either excitement or restlessness.

Gene huffed a bit.

"… How do you think Sal's doing?" Brad asked.

Gene paused and frowned, "… I dunno.. I don't like the idea of leavin' her there alone.."

"Me either." Brad crossed his arms a bit, as Lloyd nodded. "But we can't go to the school otherwise Pythor might- y'know…"

"Maybe… The other ninja can..?" Gene said, "As long as me and you don't go it should be okay… Right?"

Lloyd grimaced. "I'll- I'll see if I can convince them."

"They better agree…" Gene hesitated, "What if he comes back soon..? She'll be alone…"

Lloyd grimaced. "Doesn't he only bother with kids whose scores are high…?"

"Usually… But if he finds out all three of us are gone… He might bother her anyway… Especially if she tries to leave to find us…"

Brad frowned. "… So we're fucked either way."

"What if we try to get Morro to-?"

"He'd scare her.." Gene said, "She wouldn't go with him unless one of us was there too.."

"And if he's there, he won't let me leave again…" Lloyd growled. "I hate when my hands feel tied!"

"We have to get her!" Gene said, "It's Us Against the World! We can't have that without her!"

Lloyd nodded and stood up. "It's decided then. We're going."

Brad and Gene quickly stood up as well.

"We can always cry if the ninja try and say no!" Brad grinned.

"Yeah!" Lloyd nodded and held his hand out. "Rescue mission!"

The other two quickly moved their hands to join his, "Rescue mission!" Brad mimicked, while Gene grinned.

Lloyd hugged both of them before he moved to run out of the room, pausing as he watched Wu walk down the hall.

"… UNCLE WERE YOU BEING NOSY?!"

Brad and Gene burst into snickers at the accusation.

Wu had tensed and stopped, though he looked back at them with a small smile. "No."

"That's your lying face. That's your lying and failing face."

"… Even if you cannot convince the others, you convinced me." He said softly. "I will not leave one of your friends in danger."

Gene and Brad went quiet, clearly not having expected that.

Wu stepped aside. "I will let you three go and make your pieces to the others, they're in the dining room."

Lloyd walked over and quickly hugged his uncle tight. "Thanks…"

"What can I say, the cherry did not fall far from its blossom." He chuckled sadly.

Gene and Brad watched quietly, waiting for Lloyd.

Lloyd looked over to them and gestured for them to come over.

They exchanged hesitant looks before walking over.

Wu smiled gently. "It is good to properly talk to you both. Lloyd wouldn't stop worrying back at the Monastery…"

"I will bite you." Lloyd hissed, which did not faze his uncle at all.

"Are you both adjusting well?" He asked quietly. "Aside from missing a friend at the moment…"

Gene shrugged while Brad nodded a bit.

Wu smiled sadly. "Alright… let me know if either of you need anything. I don't want to neglect anyone under my care…" He murmured.

"… Okay.." Brad said quietly.

Gene huffed, and looked away.

Lloyd glanced at them with a small frown then looked back at his uncle, "We're gonna go ask the others now!"

"Go along. I need to consult with the spirit smoke quickly." He smiled softly, and gently ruffled Lloyd's hair. "It shouldn't be long…"

Lloyd nodded a bit, "Okay!" He pulled away and grabbed Brad and Gene's hands and dragged them along to the dining room.

The teens were all discussing amongst themselves, about something related to some trouble stirring up amongst the Serpentine.

Lloyd watched them for a moment and then huffed, "GUYS!"

Morro looked over at them.

"What is it, squirt?" Kai looked over, clearly seeming a bit distressed.

"We gotta go to Darkley's." Lloyd said.

"What?! Didn't we say we can't go there because Pythor could be there?!" Jay cried.

Morro furrowed his brow. "Let them talk."

"One, Brad and Gene's things are still there! And two, we can't leave Sally!" Lloyd said, "She's one of us!"

"Wait- isn't Darkley's an all boys school?"

"Sally isn't a boy." Brad crossed his arms.

"Ah she figured herself out early." Morro nodded. "Good for her."

Gene nodded a bit, " We have to go back for her."

"It's dangerous-!" Jay pointed out, but was cut off by Zane raising his hand.

"We do not leave our own behind." He said.

"Yeah, I don't like the idea of one of Lloyd's friends still being stuck in that shitty school." Nya piped up.

Brad nodded a bit, "So let's go!"

Morro got up. "Jay, help me with this. I'm not used to navigating this high up."

"Approaching Darkley's in five minutes." Nya called out.

The three boys were at the railing, staring at the school anxiously.

"… I think I can see the red rope from up here… dammit, Sal, he better not have caught you…" Brad hissed.

"I'm gonna kill him.." Lloyd growled.

"I suggest being careful while you're down there." Wu said from behind them, causing Brad and Gene to jolt. "… Pythor may be near."

"We know.." Gene nodded a bit, "… Thanks.." He mumbled.

Wu smiled softly. "I'm glad if I can help.." He said quietly, before he moved over to the teens to brief them, and make sure that their weapons were properly secured for how they were going down to the school.

"… If he's here… and he hurt her.. I'm biting him hard." Gene grumbled, though he did look a bit scared of seeing him.

"… Hey. We stick together." Brad nudged Gene.

Gene took a breath and nodded, "Yeah.."

There was a loud bang that reverberated through the air from the building, followed by a bit of smoke.

All three boys looked over. "Sally."

"That was your friend?!" Jay shrieked.

"Duh." Gene said, "No one else would be trying to escape right now."

Morro ran over to the side of the Bounty that the ladder dropped from and jumped.

"… IS HE CRAZY?!" Brad cried.

"Yes. Yes he is!" Lloyd grinned as he quickly followed after his cousin.

The other teens followed, shouting at Lloyd for following Morro's lead.

Brad and Gene exchanged a look and then quickly followed after Lloyd.

Wu sighed in exasperation as he watched all of them drop from the ship, with Morro screaming as he had to use his powers to cushion way more idiots than he was expecting.

Lloyd laughed, clearly enjoying the chaos.

There were more loud bangs coming from inside the building.

"… Smoke bombs?" Kai squinted.

"Colored smoke bombs." Brad snickered. "Sally loves them."

Lloyd and Gene nodded in agreement with a "Yep." and "Mhm."

"Great. Cool." Cole sighed. "Stay sharp guys-"

He paused and squinted. "Where the fuck did Morro go?"

The teens all looked around. As they did this, the kids ran for the building, clearly not willing to wait to get Sally.

"Think she's using the chaos to gather her things?" Gene asked.

"Probably. No one would let her pack up otherwise." Brad said.

"Then let's hurry." Lloyd grinned.

The other two returned his grin as they sped up.

They slammed the door open and pushed past several kids rushing out, coughing and covering their eyes. They made a beeline for one of the stairwells that wasn't being used and slammed the door open, scrambling up the stairs.

They finally got up to the floor they needed, only to be stopped… by the last person they wanted to see.

"Well… returning to the scene of the crime? Really, I thought you'd have learned." Blake looked down at them with a smug grin. "Then again… you are still young."

Lloyd growled, "Move."

Brad moved himself a bit in front of Gene.

"What, and spoil all the fun?" He grinned. "Really, you should have expected this…"

"All the fun? You mean you hurting us? Oh yeah that's a lot of fun. I'm sure my cousin would love to hear about that." Lloyd growled.

"What, you mean the dead guy?" He sneered. "Might wanna get your brain checked, little Garmadon, because last I heard, the Elemental Master of Wind was dead."

Lloyd growled viciously, "He isn't DEAD!!" Some energy flew out of him, flying for Blake and the door.

He dived to the ground, just barely avoiding getting hit. He stared at Lloyd for a moment before he smirked. "Well this just got interesting…"

The three exchanged a look. Then they smirked. "Interesting is certainly the word for it." Brad said.

And then they screamed.

Kai got up the stairs first, his sword ablaze.

The three of them looked terrified, they were crying, sobbing even.

Kai paused briefly before he noticed Blake getting away. He threw the Sword of Fire at him, narrowly missing his ankle as he ran up the staircase. "BASTARD!"

As soon as he was gone the three ran to Kai, clinging to him.

"Okay- it's okay-" He whispered, carefully holding them. "It's okay…"

"Holy fuck these stairs are stupid-" Jay hissed as he got up to the floor they were on, using his nunchucks as a light source.

Zane, Cole, and Nya were close behind him. The kids were still crying.

"Is that the fucker who-?"

"Yes!" Kai shouted as Cole moved to go further up the stairs.

"We should locate Sally and-"

There was a short figure carrying a number of belongings that slammed into Kai and the other kids. The kid yelped and fell onto the floor.

The boys immediately turned around and practically piled onto the figure, "Sally!"

She wiggled her arms free from what she was carrying and tried to hug them back. "Squished-"

The boys scrambled off of her, wiping at their teary eyes and sniffling.

She looked at them for a bit before she started sobbing. "You came back!"

"Of course we did!" Brad said, "We'd never leave you alone here!"

Gene sighed and pulled her up to stand. "Quit crying, Whiny, this is a rescue mission."

Lloyd giggled a bit through his tears, "Yeah! We're getting you out!"

Her eyes widened and she smiled a bit. "A jailbreak? Really?!"

"Yeah!" Lloyd nodded.

She wiped at her tears and picked up her things. "I shoved all your guys' stuff in with mine cuz they were considering throwing it all out. I didn't wanna take any chances-"

"That must be heavy." Zane pointed out.

"Yeah it is!"

"Gene has a lotta books." Brad nodded.

Kai sighed. "Let's get you four outta here."

Gene nodded, "Yes, please…"

Sally moved to take a tentative step down the first step and was pulled back by the back of her shirt before she could tumble.

"Let us take some, kid." Kai said softly, "You're gonna fall if you try to take all that by yourself.."

Sally looked up at him a bit and sighed, taking off her backpack and handing her suitcase over as well. "My guitar stays with me." She huffed.

"That's alright." Kai said as he shouldered her backpack and held her suitcase's handle.

"And this is one of the instances where we gotta make sure you don't fuckin' die going down the stairs." Brad said quietly as he stayed with Sally's pace, making sure he held onto the back of her shirt just in case.

Gene and Lloyd were right behind them with the teens right behind them after Nya grabbed the Sword of Fire.

"Thanks, Nya." Kai said quietly.

There was the telltale sound of crashing on the roof, followed by the building shaking a bit.

"W-What was that?!"

Zane looked up with a frown, "It felt like Cole.."

"WHAT." She squeaked.

"Calm down, Elemental Master of Earth doing Elemental Master of Earth stuff." Brad rolled his eyes.

Lloyd nodded, "Yeah, it's okay!"

"Okay- o-okay." She took a deep breath and stopped when they finally got to the bottom of the stairwell, her legs wobbly. "… Last time I face-planted and wound up with a bloody nose…"

Zane hummed, "That is unfortunate.. Jay has done that a lot. It does not seem pleasant.."

"It sucks!" She whined. "I can still smell the blood!"

Lloyd pat her on the head quickly. "Let's hurry, I don't wanna give that fucker any chances."

Gene nodded immediately, "Yeah.. Let's get out of here…"

It didn't take long for them to get to the ladder that led up to the Bounty, and judging by the fight that had concluded on the roof…

The winds were still.

"He got away?!" Sally cried.

Gene hugged himself, frowning heavily.

Zane set a hand on Gene's shoulder. "We will not let him harm you. Any of you." He promised softly.

He glanced up at Zane and stepped a bit closer to him, "… Thank you.." He mumbled.

"How am I supposed to get my guitar up that?!" Sally cried as she looked up at the ladder.

"One of us could carry it up. Just to the top then you can get it back immediately." Nya said.

"… Just don't break it, okay?" She held it out to her, already starting to cry again.

Nya nodded a bit, "I'll be very careful." She promised and started to climb the ladder.

Sally watched silently, her hands shaky. "… 'm scared of heights…"

"Would you like one of us to carry you..?" Zane asked softly.

Sally nodded. "M-my hands are too shaky from messing with everything to make sure the trap was perfect for the escape…"

Zane patted Gene's shoulder and moved to carefully pick Sally up.

Sally clung to him tightly as she squeezed her eyes shut.

Zane began climbing up. Kai passed the suitcase to Jay and followed after him.

Morro and Cole walked over to them, both were glaring at two cuffs that had been snapped onto their wrists. A faint glow of gold pulsated through them.

Jay looked over, "… Damn."

"I don't wanna hear it." Morro growled. Okay, he really wasn't happy after that fight.

Brad was the next to go up, followed by Gene and then Jay. Lloyd waited.

"… Your elemental powers acted up?" Morro asked quietly.

Lloyd looked at him and nodded, "… He made me really angry.." He mumbled.

"Yeah… well… I want that bastard dead so…" Morro muttered. His gaze was a bit distant, like an old memory was clawing at his mind.

Lloyd stared at him for a moment before moving closer and hugging him.

Morro didn't react much, but set a hand on top of Lloyd's head, avoiding letting the cuff touch him.

Lloyd looked at the cuff, "… How're you guys gonna get those off..?"

"Gonna lock-pick them." Morro muttered. "I've got the tools in my room."

"… Okay.." Lloyd gently headbutted Morro and then moved to climb up the ladder.

By the time he got up, Sally was still clinging to Zane, despite everyone trying to reassure her… oh boy.

Lloyd grimaced as he walked over to Brad and Gene, "… That bad..?"

"Yeah…" Brad frowned. "… She looked tense when we first ran into her… she hasn't calmed down since."

"I hope she's okay.." Lloyd said worriedly.

"… You don't think…?" Brad looked at them. The question had finished despite him not continuing with the words.

Gene hugged himself again, "… I really hope not…"

Sally once more protested being pulled away from Zane, sobbing again.

Zane sighed softly, rubbing her back, "It's okay.. " He looked at the others, "I do not mind holding her for now.."

Morro and Cole got onto the deck and pulled the ladder up. Morro swiftly made his way towards his room presumably, the distinct lack of wind being unnerving.

Kai set Sally's backpack down, breathing a bit shallowly.

"Kai?" Cole reached out a bit, but pulled his hand away again upon remembering the vengestone cuffs on his wrists.

" 'm fine.. Just go get the cuffs off.." He huffed, clearly struggling some.

Cole nodded and went below deck after Morro.

Kai barely breathed easier with the vengestone away from him.

Sally was a little tense, watching Jay silently. She couldn't cry anymore but that did not mean she wasn't afraid.

Jay set her suitcase down and shifted closer to Nya, draping his arms over her shoulders and leaning against her.

Sally slowly let go of Zane and moved over to grab her things, silent. Her eyes were wide, clearly terrified.

Zane let her go. The boys immediately moved to help her and take them to their room.

Sally stayed close to Brad, Gene, and Lloyd.

They quickly led her to their room and shut the door behind them once they got there.

Sally collapsed onto the floor, whining a bit. "I don't like them!" She wailed.

The boys immediately surrounded her in a hug.

"It's okay.." Lloyd said softly, "You don't have to stay here… We can just take you to your parents…"

"No!" She cried. "Blake knows where Mom and Dad live! He'll take me and-"

She cut herself off, burying her face into them, sobbing.

Gene was tense… And quiet.

"The others will keep looking for him.." Lloyd said, "… We didn't tell them what he does… But they know he isn't good…"

She whined and clung to them tighter. "I hate him! I hate him! I hate him! I hate him!"

"We know.. We know.. We all do.." Brad murmured.

The door opened with a creak and Sally let out a quiet cry of fear. Morro stood in the doorway silently for a moment, before he quickly shut the door and walked away.

A few minutes later there was a quiet knock, "It's Nya.."

Sally was quiet for a minute. "Y-You can come in…" She said weakly.

Nya opened the door and came in, shutting it behind her. She had a tray with a plate of cookies and four cups of milk.

Sally stayed still, though she seemed calmer than before.

Nya walked over and knelt down by them, "I wasn't sure what you liked so I just brought milk and cookies.." She kept her voice soft, "But I can go get something else too.."

"… 'm not in the mood for sweets…" She mumbled. "Sorry…"

"That's okay… What would you like..?"

"… Chips…"

"Do you have a preferred kind..?"

"Salty…" She said quietly.

"Alright.." Nya stood up, "Do you want a different drink too..?"

She nodded a little. "Water please…"

"Okay… I'll be back in a moment.." Nya left quietly.

"… I'm not scared of her…" Sally said quietly.

"That's good.." Lloyd smiled a bit, "Nya's really nice.."

"Well, she is when nobody decides to tease her." Brad pointed out. "Kai got his butt kicked last night, right?"

Lloyd nodded, "Mhm. He did."

"… T-The two that had the cuffs… 'm scared of them…" Sally mumbled.

"… Cause they're his age..?" Gene murmured.

"Mhm.." She leaned against him.

"They'll understand.." Lloyd said softly, "I'll tell them to leave you be and stay away."

"Thanks…"

The wind started howling suddenly as a loud shout could be heard from the deck.

Lloyd couldn't help but snicker, "He definitely just threw those cuffs overboard…"

"… You said Morro was your cousin…?" Sally asked quietly.

Lloyd nodded a bit, "He is.."

"… I-I know I'm scared of him but- can you tell me about him…?"

Lloyd nodded a bit, "… He died once. He was a ghost for like… four decades."

"… How the fuck isn't he old?"

"Ghosts don't get old. He was seven the whole time! And was only brought back alive again a year before I was born!"

A paper airplane shot into the room and hit Lloyd on the head. It had writing on it.

Lloyd whined and huffed, but grabbed the airplane and unfolded it.

It was a short note.

"One, it was three decades. Two, I was eight. Three, gonna talk to you via airplanes to avoid making Sally unhappy."

Lloyd hummed, "… Apparently it was three decades.. and he was eight. Also he's gonna use paper airplanes to talk so you don't get scared, Sally." He said.

"… Okay." Sally pulled her legs up to her chest. "… Your cousin's weird."

There was a quiet laugh down the hall.

"He knows." Lloyd said.

"… Ah."

Another paper airplane flew in and landed on Lloyd's head. Sally grabbed it and opened it quickly.

"P.S. Gonna go run to the city to get snacks. Shout which ones you want and I'll snag em when I get the chance to escape Father's scolding."

Lloyd giggled, "Morro's getting scolded.."

Gene read over the note, "… Snacks..?"

"Like… just snacks…?" Brad raised a brow.

"… Pizza rolls! The combination kind!" Sally piped up.

Lloyd hummed, "Yeah. Morro goes on snack runs a lot when things are sad. He likes making everyone feel better cause he's sappy."

"I AM NOT SAPPY!" Morro shouted with indignation down the hall.

"YES, YOU ARE!" Lloyd shouted back.

"THEN WE BOTH GOT IT FROM GRANDFATHER THEN."

"HE'S NOT EVEN YOUR GRANDPA!!"

"SAYS WHO?"

"YOUR DNA!!"

Morro walked into the doorway again and tossed a pillow at Lloyd's face with a deadpan expression before he walked off swiftly.

Lloyd shrieked, "I'm gonna bite you!!"

"I literally could not care!" Morro replied, causing Sally to erupt into quiet giggles.

Lloyd's eye twitched and he immediately skittered after his cousin.

There was a loud yelp followed by Morro walking back over with Lloyd still biting his arm as he held it up and stared at him. "… Grandfather would simultaneously approve and disapprove."

Lloyd giggled ferally as he stayed attached.

"… Is- is that safe?"

"Not to the others." Morro deadpanned. "You better not do this while I'm trying to cook or I'll get hand sanitizer and put it in your mouth."

Lloyd let go with a shriek and scrambled back into his room, "NO!"

"Then don't bite me like that, you menace." Morro mumbled. "I'm not in a good mood today."

Lloyd wilted a bit, "… Sorry.."

"… 's not your fault." Morro admitted quietly before he walked off, unbothered by his bleeding arm.

"Is- is that normal?" Sally hissed.

"… Normal for him." Lloyd said.

She stared at him. "… You never bite that hard."

"Not to you guys." Lloyd said, "I always bite all of them that hard."

"… Oh my gosh are we your favorites?" Sally's eyes practically filled with stars.

Lloyd went bright red, "No! You're delusional!" He denied immediately.

Sally gasped dramatically and opened her guitar case sharply, pulling out Waddles. "IN FRONT OF OUR SON?"

Lloyd's eyes widened, "WHAT?!"

Gene doubled over in laughter. "You forgot?!"

Brad snickered quietly.

"Forgot?! What did I forget?!"

Sally held up Waddles, the frog's gloriously stupid expression visible to all of them. "OUR SON?"

"SINCE WHEN WAS HE OUR SON?! I THOUGHT WE JUST SHARED HIM?"

Gene was cackling, having curled up on the floor.

Brad was not far behind him, having fallen into laughter too now.

"I CALLED HIM OUR SON WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO GET GENE TO GET TO SLEEP DURING THE LAST CAMPING TRIP?!" Sally cried.

"THAT WAS FOREVER AGO! A LOT HAS HAPPENED SINCE THEN!" Lloyd whined.

Sally huffed and pulled Waddles close to herself. "Then you lost cuddle privileges."

Lloyd froze up, "… From you or from Waddles..?"

Sally paused and stared at him.

At her non-answer, Lloyd began to tear up and trembled, "… I'm sorry…"

Sally quickly set Waddles down and hugged him. "No- no no no- don't cry- please don't cry-" Her voice wobbled as she tried frantically to soothe him.

Lloyd clung to her and whined quietly, sniffling.

Sally practically enveloped him, holding onto him tight. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry-!"

"… Don' wanna lose cuddles… Missed you…" Lloyd whined quietly.

She took off her glasses and smushed her face against his cheek. "I'm sorryyy…"

Lloyd sniffled, "I can keep cuddles…?"

Sally nodded, still smushing her face against his cheek. "Always have cuddle privileges…" She hiccuped.

"Thank 'ou…" Lloyd mumbled.

Gene was staring at them a bit. "… You two better be done fighting or else I'm gonna put you both in a blanket burrito. The same one."

Lloyd huffed softly and clung tighter to Sally.

"We weren't fightin…" Sally whined, clinging to Lloyd.

Lloyd nodded a bit, "Mhm…"

"You guys seemed like it." Brad commented.

"Noo…" Lloyd whined.

Sally mumbled incoherently as she buried her face into Lloyd's shoulder. She was trembling a bit.

Lloyd held her tighter, wrapping his tail around her as well.

"… Remember when Mr. Riddle punched your computer sciences teacher for misgendering Sally?" Brad asked.

Gene grinned, "That was amazing." He said as Lloyd giggled a bit.

Sally laughed quietly. "He fuckin' deserved it! I think Ms. Steele got it on camera!"

"Oh, I hope she did!" Brad said.

Gene nodded. "I believe she did."

"I wanna see it.." Lloyd smiled a bit.

"Maybe one day we will!" Sally smiled. "Also, Lloyd, I managed to stick Finn in a locker after you left."

Lloyd grinned a bit, "Good!"

Chapter Text

"Lloyd?" Wu knocked on the door. "Can I talk to you?"

Lloyd grumbled a bit, "Yeahhh! Come in!"

Wu walked inside and glanced over.

All four kids were piled on Lloyd's bed in a nest of blankets, pillows, and plushies. Lloyd appeared to be the only one awake at the moment.

"I have a… dilemma." He said softly. "I seem to have misplaced my lesson book."

Lloyd's eyes widened slightly before he quickly masked it, "Okay..?"

"Would you mind assisting in a little bit of… pranking for today? I believe that they need a bit of a refresher on making sure rumors are not true before acting on impulse." Wu asked.

Lloyd perked up immediately and grinned viciously, "Absolutely!"

He smiled softly and walked over, ruffling his hair. "Do not go too overboard."

Lloyd leaned into the touch and giggled like a menace, "Nooo promises.."

"You are so your Father's child." Wu laughed a little. "I'll go leave now. Thank you."

And with that, Wu left the room, closing the door behind him.

Lloyd giggled some more and immediately began to wake the other three, "Guys, guys!"

Sally whined a bit and buried her face into Gene's side, clearly having been enjoying whatever dream she'd had. Brad rubbed at his eyes and looked at Lloyd. "What…?"

"Uncle Wu gave us permission to prank the others! Cause he doesn't have his lesson book!" Lloyd grinned.

Gene groaned a bit with exhaustion. "M'kay…?"

"So let's get up and do it! If we don't soon, it'll be too late!"

Brad got up, and glanced at Sally. "I think she's still down for the count…"

Lloyd looked at her as he got up, "… Fine we'll let her sleep. We can do it with just the three of us! I'll just do two!"

"Got it!" Brad grinned as Gene carefully settled the pillow his head had been on beside Sally.

Lloyd giggled, "I know exactly what we can do. Zane is doing his laundry today, so we can throw one of Kai's gi's in there. I'll go fuck with Kai's game high-scores to blame it on Cole. Brad, you can put some random spices in the soup Cole's been working on then we'll blame it on Jay. And Gene, you can tinker with the training robot Jay's been trying to fix and we'll blame it on Zane!"

"Ohhh…" Gene snickered. "They're gonna be so confused, they won't know what hit em."

Brad grinned, "Let's do it!"

Lloyd pulled them along, grinning as they went to the laundry room.

Gene looked around and grabbed one of Kai's red gis that was still in there.

It didn't take long for them to get it mixed in and the pink detergent added. Brad was quietly snickering.

Lloyd giggled, "Alright. Split up now. Gene, the robot is on the deck. Brad, the soup is in the kitchen."

"On it!" Brad gave a quick salute before he ran out. Gene grinned.

"I think I'm gonna lock it at level nine." He said.

Lloyd snickered, "Great idea."

Gene gently bumped his fist against Lloyd's and ran out to the deck, being quiet to avoid the others hearing him.

Lloyd ran for the rec room, grinning brightly.

Kai walked into the rec room, stretching a bit before he got the TV turned on and the console loaded. "Finally, a little time to work on this…"

Lloyd was whistling as he came into the room, "Hey, Kai! Heh. Saw Cole beat your high score. You should have seen it. It was pretty spectacular!" He grinned.

"Uhuh, yeah. You must be talking about Sitar Legend. This is Fist to Face 2, no one beats me at my game." Kai said as he pressed the confirm button to open the game.

"Huh.. Could be wrong!" Lloyd shrugged, "See ya!" He walked off.

Kai rolled his eyes as he went to the previous saves and froze, staring at the television briefly as he dropped the controller, heat building up in his palms. "COLE?!"

Cole hummed as he stirred his soup, "Mm-mm! Violet Berry Soup, my culinary achievement. If the recipe is not followed exactly…" He trailed off as he brought a spoonful to his mouth. He gagged as he tasted it, frowning heavily.

"Oh- uh, hey Cole." Brad said as he stopped in the doorway. "I saw Jay adding some spices to your soup earlier… I tried to talk him out of it but he said your cooking could seriously use it."

Cole coughed and spit, groaning. He tossed the spoon down, "Jayy!"

Brad grimaced and looked down at the deck, where Jay was getting ready with the sparring bot.

Jay stretched a bit and finished getting his kendo helmet on. "Alright… let's ease our way into this. How about we start with Level 2?" He tapped the button on the remote and got his nunchucks out.

… The sparring bot's screen displayed Level 9

Gene walked over, "… Hello.. I saw Zane attempting to repair this training bot earlier.. I thought that was your expertise so I wanted to let you know." He hummed boredly.

"What-?" Jay looked back at Gene then at the sparring bot that began to approach him, weapons spinning. "No- NO- ZANE!!!"

Gene smirked a bit and walked away.

Zane glanced back at the other side of the deck with a worried expression as Jay called out his name. He frowned. Why had Cole shouted at Jay earlier too? It made no sense.

Lloyd climbed up the stairs, walking over to Zane.

"Ah, hello Lloyd." He nodded gently. "The others seem to be… having difficulties today."

Lloyd glanced back and shrugged a bit, "I guess.. Anyway… Kai wanted me to pick up his gi. He said he threw it in with your whites." He opened up the basket and dug through it a bit, "Here it is!" He pulled the red gi out.

"I see.." Zane hummed. "Well-"

He paused and looked down into the basket, his eyes widening but remaining silent.

Lloyd tilted his head, "Somethin' wrong?"

Zane took a deep breath and picked up the basket. "It appears I need to have a discussion with Kai."

Lloyd raised an eyebrow, "Okay.. Have fun with that." He walked off.

Morro yawned as he walked down the hallway, and paused as he heard yelling from the teenagers' shared room. Frowning, he walked over and peered inside.

"You couldn't just be happy with the top score! You had to rub it in my face!" Kai growled.

"Do you know how long it took me to make that? Three days. Three days!" Cole yelled.

"It's an unsaid law, alright?! You don't touch a man's robot!" Jay hissed.

"How am I supposed to strike fear in this?!" Zane cried and held up his gi. "It's pink!"

Wu moved past Morro and entered the room, watching the four boys argue. He walked over to the sliding door for their bathroom and pushed it aside, revealing a snickering Lloyd and all the items -he used to mess with their things.

Zane grew quiet as he stared at Lloyd, as the other three gasped. "YOU DID THIS?!"

Cole stepped forward. "I get first dibs-"

"No dibs." Wu put his staff between Cole and Lloyd, an irritated expression on his face now. "I put him up to this for today's lesson. I wanted to show you the destructive power of rumors and that jumping to conclusions can only lead to trouble. Did you ever think to find out if the accusations were true?"

Cole raised an eyebrow, "Uh, no offense, Sensei, but let me jump to this conclusion: today's lesson is lame.."

Jay nodded. "Yeah, why can't you just teach us to paralyze your enemy with one finger, or find out if a man is lying by the twitch of his nose?"

Morro leaned against the doorframe as his Father pinched the bridge of his nose. "Because not all lessons are about fighting! And I misplaced my lesson book at some point recently!"

Kai glanced at Lloyd and walked past Cole. He snatched something from Lloyd's back pocket, "You mean this lesson book?"

Morro sighed. "Always cover your tracks, kid."

Lloyd huffed and crossed his arms, "It was the perfect plan! I just didn't wanna actually lose Uncle's lesson book!"

The teens glanced at the intercom speaker as it dinged.

"If you're done fooling around, we could use you guys on the bridge. We still have a particular Serpentine problem to attend to. Over and out!"

The ninja exchanged looks and went up to the bridge.

Nya was tapping her foot as she waited for them and brightened a bit. "Okay, so last we heard of Pythor, he'd stolen the Map of Dens from Gene and Brad and is now on his way to open the last two Serpentine tombs."

Gene grumbled, "Ughh.. Don't remind us…"

"Pythor…?" Sally asked quietly.

"A Serpentine, an Anacondrai to be specific." Nya answered, "Brad and Gene released him the day we picked them up. But he's been a lot more violent than the other two tribes that have been released.."

"Probably because Anacondrai left in conditions where cannibalism is highly likely become increasingly agitated and more violent than normal… not to mention he had cannibalistic tendencies prior to his entombment." Morro grumbled.

"He almost called Brad and I his appetizers…" Gene shuddered.

"… Do I have permission to stab him with a poison tipped arrow?" Sally asked as she raised her hand, like it was the most normal kind of question to be asking.

Nya snorted, "If we can catch him? Sure, why not."

Wu sighed, "Pythor's our most dangerous threat. If he finds those tombs before we do, with his intellect and some members of the tribes being more than willing to join him for revenge, who knows what he'll do.."

"Not to mention we don't even know where the tombs are! It'd be like throwing darts at a map and praying." Cole groaned. "I hate this!"

"Not exactly." Morro said as he handed Nya a pack of darts. "Wanna do the honors?"

Nya grinned and took two darts, throwing them at the map, "These are the two locations of the Hypnobrai and Fangpyre tombs."

"Show off.." Kai grumbled.

"And this-" Nya walked over and tossed another dart at the map, "-is Pythor's tomb. If you'll notice, all three-"

"Are in line with the Ninjago symbol for serpent!" Brad and Sally interrupted, and stopped to look at each other. "Jinx! I said it first! No! I did!"

Nya sighed. "Yes. Thank you."

Jay walked forward, "So that last two tombs must be here and here! Ah, you are so smart!"

Nya smiled a bit. "Was there ever any doubt?"

"There's little time." Wu frowned. "Kai and Jay, you head to the Venomari Tomb. Cole and Zane, you two will take the Constrictai Tomb."

"Might wanna take the flute in case you run into Pythor." Morro added. "I don't like it… but that might be the only way to deal with him and his annoying ass."

"What am I gonna do?" Nya asked, a small frown on her face.

"Nya, I need you and Morro to stay back on the Bounty… if Pythor somehow gets aboard, you both and myself are the last line of defense."

Nya sighed and nodded, "Alright."

"Understood."

"Wait- how are we going to get there?" Kai asked. "We don't exactly have vehicles other than the Bounty-"

"Actually…" Wu grimaced. "The Golden Weapons have a unique property to them. Once one is in tune with a focused heart, then its secrets and powers can be unlocked."

"And back to being cryptic again." Morro whined.

"Well I am sorry that Father never exactly explained it any other way!" He threw his hands up.

The children burst into snickers and giggles at the sassiness.

"So… what you are saying is that the weapons are vehicles themselves?" Zane asked.

"Please don't tell me I have to ride this thing like a broomstick." Kai grimaced as he looked at the Sword of Fire.

Wu sighed, "Just… Go outside. Concentrate on unlocking your Golden Weapons. Let your heart guide you."

"What does that even mean?!" Cole groaned as he left to go outside. The other three followed him with similar grumbles.

Wu sighed as they left.

"… They're so going to struggle." Morro grimaced.

"… I know." Wu muttered.

"Leave it to Gramps to be cryptic as fuck-" Morro paused as there was a loud cheering outside and a blue jet racing past the window. "… Well maybe they're not gonna be super late after all."

Nya smiled slightly as she watched the jet fly off.

"… Wanna go bunker down in our room?" Lloyd asked quietly.

Gene nodded, "… Yeah.."

It'd been a bit of a long drive. Zane grimaced as his shurikens changed back to their original shape and he looked down at his gi. "I feel like I stick out too much."

Cole grimaced, "It'll be okay, Zane." He looked up at the mountain, "Our vehicles won't traverse the steps. We go the rest of the way on foot."

"But this is the Mountain of a Million Steps. Aren't we pressed for time?" Zane tilted his head.

"We'll take a shortcut!" Cole grinned.

"… I feel like I should be concerned about where this is heading." Zane sighed as he walked over to him.

"No way! It'll be fine. You just need to get on my back."

Zane did as he was told, holding on tight. "Alright. I trust you."

Cole smiled and began to climb the mountain.

After a little bit, Zane frowned a bit. "Am I holding on too tight?"

"Light as a feather, Pinky." Cole responded as he continued the climb, "Almost there.."

"Alright-" Zane's eyes widened as they got to the top of the mountain where a rope was tied to one of the stalagmites. "It… appears Pythor's already been here…"

Cole breathed heavily, "Give me a second… Phew. Go on and start without me…"

Zane nodded and carefully got off of his back. He pat Cole's shoulder before entering the tomb.

Cole followed after a few minutes.

Zane was looking at the images on the walls, frowning.

Cole looked around, "… Huh. Didn't momma snake ever tell them not to draw on the walls?"

"These images describe a legend about one tribe uniting them all." Zane looked back at Cole. "I never thought I'd have to use what I've been learning from some of the Hypnobrai scholars to translate something like this…"

Cole hummed a bit, "What else does it say?"

Zane turned back to the wall, crossing his arms before he pointed to a specific section. "Well, it says here, once they unite, they can find the Four Silver Fangblades that will unleash the Great Devourer, the same snake that had bitten Garmadon, allowing it to consume all of the land, turning day into night."

"Well we don't have to worry about Pythor getting the-" Cole stopped and looked around, "… Did you feel that..?"

Zane shook his head. "It may be your elemental powers being more sensitive-"

"No-" Cole cut him off, "No, there's something in the ground.. Don't move."

Zane looked around, tense, as the ground shook. "This is bad… if Pythor gets to the Venomari tomb before Kai and Jay can-"

The Constrictai general shot out of the ground and grabbed Zane, "I've been waiting for you… Pythor sends his regards."

"Wait- wait!" Zane coughed a bit. "Look- we were going to open your tomb but Pythor stole the Map of Dens before we could-"

The general frowned and loosened his grip on Zane, "What..?"

"We-" Zane took a shaky breath. "We know Morro. He was against your imprisonment and the war- he's been helping to teach us."

He released Zane, "That's impossible. Morro is dead. Wu told us himself."

"He had-" Zane backed up a bit, trying to recollect himself. "He had used a ritual to revive Morro… but it had taken thirty years to heal his body…"

"… He revived him?!"

"Yes- it- he could not deal with the grief." Zane said quietly. "… It was too much for him to bear."

The snake sighed, "… Of course.." He crossed his arms, "… So you're saying Pythor was lying then?"

"Indeed." Zane nodded. "But what exactly did he say to you?"

"Told us that you were gonna lock us back up. That you were hunting him, the Hypnobrai, and the Fangpyre."

"We are only after Pythor for nearly cannibalizing two children." Zane said. "Both of whom are friends with Lloyd Garmadon… Son of Lord Garmadon and Wu's nephew. In fact, I've been learning from the Hypnobrai scholars in the settlement that the Fangpyre and Hypnobrai set up near the Mountains of Impossible Heights."

"Two children?" The snake hissed, "… Of course.. I should've known he wouldn't have changed… And you ninja.. You are getting along with the Hypnobrai and Fangpyre..? Enough to learn from them..?"

Zane nodded. "Slithraa and Fangtom were kind enough to let me access their short collection of old literature that had survived the war. It is quite fascinating!"

The snake smiled a bit, "… I will regather my tribe, tell them Pythor is lying. Will you two please let Slithraa and Fangtom know that General Skalidor and the Constrictai will be arriving within the next day or so? I do not wish to start another battle by surprising them."

"We will." Zane nodded. "It was a pleasure meeting you."

"You, as well." Skalidor bowed slightly and dove back into the earth.

Zane looked to Cole with a smile. "I believe it is your turn to call the Bounty to let them know of the news."

Cole nodded, "Let's get outta this tomb and I'll do that."

Zane gave him a thumbs up and moved to climb up the rope, fumbling for a moment before he managed to get his grip.

Cole waited a moment, letting Zane get a good distance before beginning to climb as well.

"Ugh, the air here feels suffocating." Kai grumbled as their weapons changed back to their original shapes. "Kinda wished we'd asked Morro for an assist."

Jay grimaced, "Yeahh.. It's gross…."

"Well, it is the toxic bogs." Kai grabbed a stick. "You fall in and you'll get eaten through worse than what Cole's chili does."

Jay shuddered, "Noo thank you.." He walked over to the tomb and opened it up.

Kai looked over as he slammed the stick back into the dirt. He walked over and squinted, before letting his hand ignite with a bit of fire in his palm. "… Nobody's home… dammit, that means Pythor's already been here!"

"No!" Jay groaned, "Fuck.."

Kai grimaced. "I'll look around for some clues. See if I'm getting close to Morro's level of detective skills…"

Jay laughed, "Yeah, right."

"Let me dream, Jay." Kai sighed as he walked away, trying to look for any signs of footprints or anything.

Jay hummed, letting Kai go. He began to talk with his echo, clearly bored.

A noise caught Kai's attention and he pulled out his sword, it caught fire quickly. He paused as he stared at the frog which hopped over to a small bit of what looked to be vegetation or something in the bog water. "Fuckin- you shouldn't sneak up on people like that, little guy… if I wasn't good at catching myself, you'd have been toast…"

The frog was suddenly lifted up as a Venomari rose out of the bog. And spit directly into Kai's eyes.

Kai screamed and dropped his sword, backing up as he tried to rub at his eyes, whining in pain. "Fuck! FUCK!"

Jay immediately ran over, "Kai?! What happened?!"

Kai had fallen to the ground, trying desperately to get his eyes to stop burning. He let out a broken noise, a little bit of fire kicking up by his feet.

Jay dropped his nunchucks and knelt down, "Kai- Kai, calm down. I'll radio Morro and Sensei and Nya, it's gonna be okay."

"It hurts!" He wailed, curling himself away from Jay.

"I know, I know!" Jay said, frantically scrambling to get his hood on and connect to the Bounty,

"Morro, Sensei, Nya?!" He asked frantically as he heard the connection ding. His eyes widened as Venomari and Constrictai began to come out of hiding.

"Jay? What's going on?" Nya asked. "Cole and Zane are heading to your location."

"It was a trap! The Venomari and Constrictai are both here! And Kai's been hit with the venom!!" Jay cried. He was clearly panicking, edging on an anxiety attack.

"SHIT." Nya shouted. "SENSEI, TAKE OVER COMMS-"

Wu began speaking. "Jay, focus. Try to keep Kai calm. Venomari venom wasn't kind to his father or mother, so it may be incredibly painful for him right now."

"I know it is! He's wailing!" Jay cried. He was shaking horribly. His eyes kept flicking between Kai and the snakes surrounding them.

There was a loud sound of three engines approaching. Cole and Zane's changed back to their weapons with a flash of light and Morro took his helmet off, removed his keys and kicked the kickstand into place on his.

Jay was curled close to Kai, still trying to protect him despite his clear incoming anxiety attack.

"Are you really about to fight two unarmed, terrified teenagers?!" Morro snapped, catching the attention of the Serpentine soldiers, some of whom froze up, glancing between one another as he stormed over, the wind howling.

"Morro?!" One of the Venomari shouted in shock.

"Does a kettle shriek when the water is boiling?!" Morro growled, clearly ticked off.

Many of the Serpentine backed away, giving Jay and Kai some space, finally.

Morro reached into his gi and pulled out a folder. "Pythor is a liar and a bitchass motherfucker. He cannibalized the rest of the Anacondrai tribe and tried to do the same to two kids that are under our protection. I have photographic evidence and audio recorded testimonies if anyone has any further fucking questions."

None of the Serpentine said anything and now that the main threat was out of the way and Jay wasn't having to focus on them, he was struggling even more to calm down.

Morro shoved the folder back into his gi and made his way over to the two, carefully pulling them into his arms, avoiding flinching when their elemental powers burned him. "Shh.. shh… It'll be okay. It'll be okay." He looked over to the Venomari. "Where is Acidicus?!"

"H-he isn't here!" The same snake from earlier said, "Pythor sent him away, to wait with the others!"

Morro grumbled. "Cole, get over here and help them calm down. I'm gonna find Pythor and give him a piece of my mind."

Cole nodded and rushed over to take Kai and Jay. "I've got them.."

Morro got up and grabbed his spear, which some of the Constrictai shot a few glances to each other upon spotting the split blade.

Suddenly Skalidor came out of the ground, looking quite upset and worried.

"Hey, Skalidor." Morro said quickly as he walked past towards the entrance of the tomb and swiftly swung the spear, narrowly missing Pythor, who shrieked as his camouflage faltered.

Skalidor glared at the Anacondrai and moved over to some of his snakes, "Go to the meeting place. Tell the others and Acidicus that Pythor is a fraud and a liar. Now."

"Yes sir!" Several of them dove underground.

"You meddling ninja! Always messing with what you don't understand-"

"I grew up learning from the Serpentine, you BASTARD." Morro snarled as he tried once again to attack Pythor, who dodged. "You know NOTHING about what you're trying to unleash! I've witnessed its effects firsthand and it will kill everything in its path!"

Several of the Serpentine exchanged fearful glances.

"THE ELEMENTAL ALLIANCE BETRAYED US!"

"CHEN FED BOTH OF YOU LIES!" Morro snarled. "BOTH THE ELEMENTAL ALLIANCE AND THE ANACONDRAI HAD BEEN GIVEN LIES BY HIM! IT IS HIS DECEIT THAT TORE OUR PEOPLE APART!"

Cole held Kai a little bit closer as Morro yelled. He had since passed Jay to Zane now that he wasn't sparking as much, and the "pink" ninja was holding Jay closely as well.

"MORE LIES!" Pythor snapped.

"LIKE YOU CAN TELL A TRUTH FROM A LIE, FOR THOSE WHO SPEAK WITH DECEIT, THAT IS ALL THEY KNOW!" He launched his spear, splitting open a wound on Pythor's side, which caused the Anacondrai to scream.

Many of the Serpentine flinched and looked away, as did the ninja.

Pythor hissed as his scales shimmered to match the environment, and he slipped away. Morro screamed in rage and grabbed his spear, the wind was howling…

And it wouldn't slow down.

Cole and Zane curled more around Kai and Jay. They too looked quite scared now, they clearly hadn't seen Morro this angry before.

"Morro, you need to calm yourself." Skalidor said as he moved over and set a hand on his shoulder. "Your mother would not wish for you to be this upset…"

Morro's breath hitched, and he plunged the spear into the ground, trying to take deep breaths that came to him as quick, shallow ones. The wind slowed, but barely…

It was quiet. No one wanted to speak, letting Morro have his time to calm down.

"Remember… the wind as of this moment is the same as the air in your lungs." Skalidor murmured, his hand not leaving Morro's shoulder. "Do not allow it to become a twister."

"I'm trying." He choked out. "I'm trying…"

"… Remember when Selene had her first breakdown…?" One of the Venomari asked quietly.

"Oh, yeah… the poor girl nearly flattened a barn…" A Constrictai responded softly. "That was the day that…"

The two grew quiet, and turned their gaze to the young Elemental Master of Wind.

All three of the coherent ninja were watching Morro with worried eyes.

After a bit Morro hugged Skalidor, sobbing. The wind had slowed…

"Like watchin' history repeat itself." The older Venomari sighed. "Poor kid… it's like that element of his is just bound for pain…"

Cole and Zane's gazes shifted to the two snakes with a bit of confusion.

"I know." The Constrictai frowned. "At least Skalidor has experience with Morro… otherwise I think we'd all have to be running for shelter."

"Bah, you know the kid's too terrified of hurting anyone, he'd run into the tomb and hide in there until he's calmed down."

"Or use that vengestone on himself again…" The Constrictai sighed. "It's like poison to them you know…"

"We've had this conversation before, so yes, I do."

Cole and Zane exchanged a worried look.

Skalidor looked back to the teenagers, holding Morro who had cried until he passed out. "… He wore himself out."

"… I'll let Sensei know.." Zane said quietly, and pulled his hood up to connect to his comm.

"Is everything alright?" Wu asked.

"… Morro.. Morro got really upset.." Zane said softly, "… Skalidor helped him but he passed out.."

"Alright… getting the Bounty over to the Toxic Bogs now." Wu said. "Will the Venomari and Constrictai need a lift to the settlement?"

Zane looked up, "Sensei Wu would like to know if you all would like a lift to the settlement that the Hypnobrai and Fangpyre have made…"

"You're not getting any arguments from me." One of the older Serpentine commented. "I'm exhausted and I've only been up for two hours…"

Zane hummed a bit, "Yes, they would like a lift, Sensei.."

"Alright."

One of the Venomari who had been talking earlier walked over and picked up Morro's spear before they passed it to Skalidor. "He had the metal from his old friends forged into the steel of this blade. Interesting decision…"

Skalidor held Morro carefully, "… It is not too surprising… He has always been very caring… "

"Indeed." They nodded. "A very caring soul with a very cruel fate…"

Skalidor nodded, "…Yes.."

There was the sound of an engine above them, and several of them squinted before their eyes widened. "IS THAT THE DESTINY'S BOUNTY?!"

Zane hummed as he took his hood off, "Yes, it is."

"Your luck is crazy. Actually insane." One of them piped up. "We went with Skalidor once to look for it but never managed to find it!"

"Zane's prophet falcon led us to it.." Jay mumbled tiredly.

"For the last time, Jay, it's not a prophet falcon." Cole groaned.

Jay flipped him off and buried his face against Zane.

It hadn't taken long to get everyone aboard. Morro had been handed off to Wu, who brought him below deck. Several of the Constrictai were excitedly talking amongst themselves as they looked around the ship. Skalidor had taken to resting on the deck, watching over the small group of kids that had stayed with the soldiers and were discussing something related to an old story.

Cole had taken Kai and Jay below deck while Zane stayed up with the Serpentine.

"… Zane, would you like to talk about anything?" Skalidor asked.

Zane looked a bit surprised, "I- I don't have much to talk about, sir.." He said softly.

"Humor me." Skalidor said gently. "You seem as though you've carried a great loss, perhaps more than you know. Kinda similar to Morro."

"… I.. I honestly do not know anything… I remember nothing from before I wandered and Sensei Wu took me in.. Nothing about any family or home… I have had a singular broken dream, which had made the others think I may have had two fathers… But.. it was too broken for me to pick anything out of it…"

Skalidor frowned. "You lost yourself, be it of an accident or by someone else's hand.." He sighed. "That kind of loss is not one I know, but I do know that emptiness that one feels when things are not as they once were."

Zane hesitated and nodded a bit, "… It is hard, sometimes, seeing Cole and Jay receive letters and packages from their parents when I remember nothing…"

"To not know where you come from… it is a difficult feeling." Skalidor nodded gently. "… I met a man once who reminds me of you… he hardly remembered much of his family to an accident. I often asked him if it ever got easier, not remembering…"

He shook his head, almost seeming sad. "He always said the same thing… that he wished he knew if it had gotten easier."

"I see… " Zane hugged himself.

Skalidor looked at him, and sighed. "C'mere kid, I know when somebody needs a hug."

Zane hesitated, looking a bit worried before relenting and hugging him.

Skalidor carefully hugged him. "There you go, kid." He said gently. "If you ever need someone to talk to, you know Wu's always close-by. I may not agree with him all the time, but he raised Morro… and I trust that he worries just as much as any of us would about our young."

Zane nodded a bit, taking a shaky breath.

Skalidor did his best to stifle his frown as he held the kid, settling a hand on top of his head. "And remember, you're not in this alone. If you ever need to talk to someone outside of your circle, our doors are always open."

"… Thank you, sir.." Zane mumbled.

"Just call me Skalidor, kid. It's my name and I'm sick of formalities." Skalidor chuckled. "Got sick with it within my first week of being General."

Zane hesitated, "Alright, si-… Skalidor."

He let go of Zane and smiled. "Go get some rest now, I'm sure if Morro wasn't down for the count right now, he'd be herding you to bed already."

Zane sighed, "… Yes.. He would.." He nodded slightly, "… Thank you, again.." He smiled slightly.

"Eh, just doing my job." Skalidor shrugged a bit.

Zane nodded some, "I will see you later then.." And then he walked off, going below deck.

Kai was leaning against Cole, avoiding talking or eating. His hands were trembling.

Nya was rubbing his back, trying to help him stay calm. She had given up on getting him to eat.

The kids were quietly chattering, minding their volume for Kai's sake.

"So… some of the Serpentine were talking about someone named Selene." Jay said quietly. "Do you know who that is…?"

Zane and Cole looked over, also looking curious.

"… I wish I had." Wu said softly, his voice full of regret. "She was Morro's mother."

The three frowned, but didn't look too surprised, "That makes sense… They mentioned her in relation to his… break down." Zane said softly.

Wu nodded. "I have been told stories of her volatile emotions… especially when she'd been close to having Morro."

Nya frowned softly, "Oh… Is… Is that why she wasn't in the Alliance..?"

Wu nodded. "She had been pregnant at the time. It would have been reckless and dangerous to ask her to put her and her child's life on the line like that… not to mention she nearly hit one of us with a shovel when we'd reached out to ask if she needed any assistance."

"… Well she's certainly Morro's mom.." Jay commented.

Cole stifled a laugh. "Yeah…"

"Was Mom not able to help with it..?" Nya asked softly.

"She hadn't known your mother prior… so no, Maya wasn't able to help…" Wu frowned.

"… Oh.." Nya frowned slightly.

"Doesn't help that Grandfather had worked with the Royal Family so he wasn't exactly allowed to talk to other Elemental Masters after he'd been discharged." Morro said quietly as he popped some food into his mouth.

"… There's a royal family..?" Nya asked. Zane also looked quite confused.

Morro nodded. "They don't like being in the public eye, so most people don't really know they exist."

"… Huh.. Interesting.." Zane murmured.

"Yeah, most people only find out through word of mouth." Jay shrugged. "The palace is in a pretty crowded part of town too, so… eh."

Cole nodded, "I thought it was just an old palace until I heard from some school friends that they still lived there…"

Kai adjusted a little, still leaning against Cole. He seemed tired.

Cole put an arm around him as he and Nya exchanged a worried look.

Kai mumbled a "thank you", and closed his eyes, seeming calmer now.

Nya scooted a bit closer, frowning softly.

The alarm suddenly went off, causing Kai to cling to Cole as his hands burst into flames. Morro ran out of the room and headed to the bridge.

Jay and Zane quickly followed Morro. Nya summoned some water and rushed to help Cole calm down Kai.

"… Is- is that normal when he panics…?" Sally asked quietly.

"Not usually.." Lloyd said, worry in his tone, "… I think it's the venom stuff making him more scared.."

Kai was muttering as he clung to Cole, his breathing erratic.

Cole rubbed his back, "Shhh.. Shhh.. You're home, you're okay… Nya and I have you.."

Nya held his hands, humming softly for him.

A little after the alarm stopped, his breathing eased up, but he still clung to Cole, his eyes wide in fear.

"We've got you… We've got you…" Cole murmured.

Jay ran back in, "Nya we need you for this! It's for the Serpentine Pythor's been gathering!"

Nya hesitantly moved away from Kai.

Kai shuddered a bit, and Cole adjusted to hug him fully, practically engulfing him as he held him carefully.

"Promise we'll be back safe." Morro said. "I won't leave the mission unless everyone is ready to go."

"Alright.. Alright.." Nya mumbled, "Let me go get changed.." She glanced at Kai again before rushing off.

Kai whined a bit, burying his face against Cole.

It wasn't long before Nya rushed back in, with her gi on. She hugged Kai, and Cole subsequently, and kissed his head, "I'll be back soon.." She murmured softly, "It'll be okay.."

Kai mumbled something, but it was muffled because of Cole.

Nya hesitated in pulling away, "What was that, Kai…?"

"Don't go…" He whined.

Nya was clearly torn after that, holding him a bit tighter.

"We'll do a pile when we get back." Morro promised. "But we have to go."

"I- But-" Nya bit her lip. "… okay.." She mumbled and finally pulled away, despite Kai's protests.

"Kick Pythor's ass for us!" Gene cheered.

"We will." Jay promised as he grabbed Nya's hand and they rushed off.

Morro glared at the gathering of Serpentine. His expression growing downright murderous as he spotted Pythor.

"We won't be able to sneak around much.. There are so few of them." Zane mumbled.

"Block the exits." Morro muttered. "I've got an idea."

"Alright.." Jay murmured and he, Zane, and Nya rushed off silently, splitting apart to each take an exit.

He stood up onto the railing, pulling out his spear. "I wonder… how have your lives taken such a turn that you believe revenge is the best option… to destroy the world above… to curse your brethren with the monster that had been imprisoned in the Lost City of Ouroboros. How sad must you be to believe that this path is righteous?"

The few Serpentine Pythor had gathered, jolted and let out yelps as they turned to see Morro.

"You!" Pythor hissed.

"Were you expecting anyone else?" He looked down at him. "I wonder, do you even care for the fact that it was Chen who manipulated both the Alliance and the Anacondrai? Or do you just want to watch the world burn?"

That caused some murmurs to break out in the fifteen Serpentine that were there. Some even gestured to him with low hisses in their own tongue.

"You- don't listen to him!" Pythor snapped.

"Those who speak deceit and live with it seeping through their minds are doomed to fall down the same fate." Morro hummed and tapped the spear a bit against the railing as he walked. "For those who seek the path of destruction, the world will swallow you whole… never to be heard from unless one brings you back with a curse."

He stopped and turned to face them. "Will you follow this fraud?! This man who cannibalized his entire tribe to sustain himself?!"

"You don't know what you're talking about-"

"I have seen your tomb, Pythor. I have seen bodies and corpses, I have seen decomposition you wouldn't begin to fathom. I know a bone picked clean of flesh when I see it." Morro hissed.

That caused some more frightened murmurs.

Morro tapped his comm link. "To those who wish to flee, head to the exits. To Pythor… I have a score to settle."

They all fled, heading in groups to different exits.

Morro dropped down and aimed his spear at Pythor's neck, narrowly missing as the Anacondrai evaded him and slammed him into the train car he was on top of.

"Pretty fast for a fucker who hasn't had a decent meal lately…" Morro growled. "Oh, right… the missing person's reports… that was you, wasn't it?"

"So what if it was? It's not like anyone would know if you went missing too." Pythor sneered.

He reached behind his back. "Oh, really?"

Pythor shrieked as Morro jammed the taser into him at full power, he backed up, hissing as his scales shimmered but didn't allow him to camouflage.

"Cool, right? Was developing it in my spare time. The poison in the prongs itself won't kill you… but it will put you through some hell if you try that disappearing act." Morro stepped towards him. "So… wanna surrender quietly? Or do I have to make this hurt?"

Pythor lunged at him, ripping the spear out of his hands and narrowly missing his head as he stabbed it into the train.

"That's a shame." Morro kicked Pythor off of him, the wind in the room becoming violent. "Then again, I'm better than you, so who should really be disappointed?"

The other three ran in now, their eyes wide as they watched the fight. Nya's hair flew wildly in her face.

"I'LL RIP THAT TONGUE OUT!" Pythor snarled as he yet again lunged at Morro, who dodged, pulling his spear out easily before he knocked him off of the train and dropped down after him, dragging it along the concrete to sharpen the blade slightly.

Jay, Nya, and Zane backed away. This was not their fight to get involved in.

Pythor glanced back at the teens, and scrambled towards them, Morro's eyes widening as he ran after him.

The teens scrambled to get their weapons out, fear and panic in their eyes.

Pythor grabbed Nya by the neck and slammed her into the concrete floor, snarling. He was choking her-

Nya let out a choked cry of pain and clawed at his hand trying to get him away. She had tears in her eyes.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Morro screamed as he ripped Pythor away from her with his bare hands. He seemed almost animalistic with how on-edge he was. Then he froze, and looked back at Nya, his eyes widening before he reached for his med-kit and knelt down beside her, quickly disinfecting the wounds and treating them.

Nya was sobbing. She was clearly in pain and terrified.

"It's going to be okay." Morro promised. "I'm here, I've got you… I've got you…"

Nya clung to him. She was trembling, her sobs wouldn't stop.

He held her close, taking deep breaths…

Pythor got away. He got away and he hurt Nya.

Something in him snapped. Like a thread that had been keeping his mind properly bound and sane.

Jay and Zane were both shaking as they got back over.

"M- Morro..?" Jay murmured.

"… We're going home." Morro said quietly as he stood up, carrying Nya in his arms. "I can't afford to lose anyone else."

"Alright.." Zane said quietly, "We took the Serpentine out the way we entered…" He led the way.

Nya had buried her face against Morro's shoulder. She kept saying she wanted Kai in between broken sobs.

Morro hadn't blinked once in the time it took them to get to the meeting spot or back up onto the Bounty. He'd been silent, keeping Nya close until they got to the teens' shared room and settled her beside Kai.

"Morro?" Wu asked softly.

Nya clung to her brother immediately, still barely relaxing. She was so shaken. So scared.

Morro stepped out of the room and looked to his Father as Jay and Zane got into the room, explaining quietly to Cole what had happened.

Wu followed his son, "Morro, what's wrong..? What happened..?"

"Pythor tried to kill her." Morro muttered. "Tried to strangle her… I wasn't fast enough to stop him from getting to her…"

Wu's eyes widened as he glanced back at the teens' room before moving closer to Morro, "That is not your fault… Anacondrai are naturally stronger and faster than humans.."

"I could have been faster…" Morro muttered. "I know I could have…"

Wu gently pulled his son into his arms, "It is okay… What matters is you got Pythor away from her and she is home…"

"I want to gut him for what he did…" Morro muttered, leaning into his hold, not fully there. "I want to watch him bleed…"

Wu grimaced, "… I know.. I know… But what you need to do right now is be here for Nya… She needs you here right now, not away trying to hunt down Pythor…"

Morro whined a bit and buried his face in his Father's shoulder as he hugged him back. "I should be allowed to kick Destiny in its metaphorical balls… make it scream in pain…"

Wu sighed a bit, "Yes… Yes, you should.." He mused, "But for now… Go join the others… I know Nya will feel safer with you in there too.. I'm going to get the children.." He kissed Morro's head.

"… Okay, Dad…" Morro mumbled, and slowly let go. He staggered back over to the room and settled down around the teens, hiding his face in a nearby pillow.

Nya was quieter now but not calm, she was still clinging tightly to Kai.

Wu sighed softly and walked to Lloyd's room.

The kids were talking amongst themselves, their beds having been pushed together so that they didn't have to squish themselves onto Lloyd's bed.

Wu knocked on the doorframe, "… Children..?"

Sally looked up. "Hi, Wu!"

Wu smiled slightly, "Hello, Sally.." He took a breath, "I came to ask if you four would like to join the others in the teens' room.. There was… a situation on the mission.."

"Elaborate." Gene said, raising a brow as he snapped one of his books shut.

Wu grimaced, "… Pythor attacked Nya. He tried to strangle her. She's very scared right now, I believe she would be more comfortable with everyone in the same room.."

Sally's eyes widened and she scrambled to grab her guitar up off of the bed before she got down and smiled. "My music helps people calm down a lot!"

Wu smiled softly, "I'm sure she would appreciate that a lot right now.."

"… I suppose I can bring along Brad's book about old legends-"

"It's your book. I literally stole it for you." Brad said.

"Shut." Gene hissed.

Wu chuckled at their antics as Lloyd scrambled off the bed, "Stop arguing and come on!" He did not wait as he ran out of their room, his tail swishing anxiously.

They ran after him, with Sally making sure her guitar was tuned properly before she went inside.

By the time the other three and Wu got into the teens' room, Lloyd was already wiggling himself in between Kai and Nya.

Nya was still crying quietly. Her, Jay, and Zane were back in their pajamas again. She had not calmed down much since she was given to Kai. Though she was calmer than she had been when Morro first got her on to the ship.

Sally climbed up onto the other bunk and began quietly playing her guitar. She hummed softly while she played.

Nya finally began to calm down as the tune filled her ears. She slowly stopped crying and drifted off. Wu walked out of the room, shutting the door with a small smile.

Chapter Text

Wu paced back and forth. It wasn't supposed to have happened. His Father had said it wouldn't have happened. It wasn't supposed to be happening…

Not to his son…

He wasn't equipped to handle ten kids, especially when one was injured and terrified and two had instincts going haywire. He needed help. He needed his brother.

Wu glanced at the letters on his desk, and groaned, putting his head in his hands. "Why couldn't you have just made it easy to contact you?!"

He paused, and looked over to the phone. Wu walked over and dialed the number. That stupid fucking number that he wished he could forget but wouldn't.

"You have reached Cecil Putnam of the Explorer's Club. What can I do for you?" Said a voice as the ringing stopped.

"Cecil, I need you to pass along a message to Misako if you can." Wu said, trying to keep his composure, though he could feel an overwhelming energy rising in his palms.

"Ah… Wu." Cecil sighed, "I suppose I can try… Though you know as well as I do, she has been very fickle with her locations.. What do you need to tell her?"

"… I need help." He said quietly. "The Monastery was burned down about two weeks ago and… I fear I cannot keep them all safe alone."

Cecil hummed a bit, there was the sound of pencil scratching on paper, "Alright.. Anything else?"

"… The charm failed. She'll know what it means.." He sighed.

Cecil sighed and seemingly wrote that down as well, "I will get this to her."

"Thank you." Wu smiled weakly.

"Mhm.. Is that all you need?"

"For now, yes." He glanced at the letters. "Wait- one more thing… tell her that the ship is in the Ninjago City harbor. She'll- she'll know it when she sees it."

There was the scratching again, "Mhm."

"Thank you, Cecil." Wu murmured. "I appreciate this more than you know."

"… You are welcome, Wu." Cecil said shortly.

"Bye." He said, before he hung up the phone and sighed. "Why didn't I think to call them sooner?"

It would have been the smart thing to do. He couldn't dwell on that right now. He needed to go see Mystake.

Wu sighed and grabbed his old katana. He walked to the teens' room and stepped inside. "I need to go to Mystake's… I- I may be gone for a short while."

Zane peeked up from the pile, "… Alright, Sensei.." He and the others that were awake to hear him did not look happy he was leaving. He was lucky Nya was still asleep.

Wu walked over and set the katana aside as he sat down on the edge of the bed. "I do not want to leave, but I need to find extra help… I- I am not able to care for all of you alone like my Father would be able to…"

"… You'll be quick though, right..?" Jay asked quietly.

"As quick as I can be." He promised, reaching over and gently ruffling his hair. "… Someone may be coming to help look after you while I am gone… promise me you won't tick her off?"

Jay leaned into the touch, "… We'll try.."

"Alright." Wu sighed. "Please, be careful while I'm gone. And if you have to go out for missions, you need to wear the armor under your gis. If I hear from her that any of you got hurt again because of this- I- I will have to stop you from leaving… I can't risk any of your safety…"

"I will make sure the others know when they wake up…" Zane said softly.

"Thank you, Zane." Wu reached over and carefully ruffled his hair as well before he got up. "I will make this trip as short as I possibly can, I promise."

"Alright.." Jay mumbled.

Wu grabbed the katana and waved slightly as he left the room. He walked out to the deck and took a deep breath. The city was as loud as ever…

He got onto the pier, and began the trek to Mystake's shop.

… Something he'd dreaded having to do since they had returned from that mission the night before.

The shop was empty when he walked in, as usual. The only people in there were Mystake and the little girl Wu had met last time he was here.

Wu sighed and walked up to the counter. "Hello, Mystake, Esmé." He said gently.

Mystake looked at him with a brow raised, "Hello Wu.."

Esmé waved quietly.

"… I need Traveler's Tea." He said quietly. "I have to find my brother."

Mystake frowned, "… What has brought this on? You were here a few days ago and this was not even on your mind."

"… Pythor is loose and the charm that was supposed to prevent any side-effects for Morro broke." Wu whispered. "I can't get him to calm down."

Mystake grimaced, "… Esmé, get the Traveler's Tea down."

The little girl nodded and walked over to the shelf, getting the Traveler's Tea before she handed it to Mystake.

"Thank you." Mystake grabbed a bag and opened the jar. She filled the bag with leaves, "You must be careful, Wu." She sighed softly, "Have you tried contacting Misako, or are you planning on leaving those children alone while you are gone?"

"If I'm lucky, she'll be at the Bounty by sunset." He sighed. "And if not, then by afternoon of tomorrow."

Mystake gave him a look, "… You cannot rely on luck, child."

"I know I can't. I had to contact the Explorer's Club to try and get the message to her, for fuck's sake.." He groaned. "I should be drowning myself in books, not having to try and worry about prophecies and trying to keep a sadistic cannibal Anacondrai away from my kids-"

"You sound like your father.." Mystake sighed, "… Would you like Esmé and I to go watch over the younglings. In case your luck is against you?"

"… Yes, please." He whispered. "I would rather you both be there in the event Morro gets too restless…"

"Alright. Go find your elder brother. We will start packing." Mystake said. Esmé walked into the back of the shop, waving quietly.

He waved slightly before he took the bag with a sigh. "Thank you, Mystake."

"You are welcome, Wu.." Mystake said, her tone gentle, "Good luck."

He nodded, and left the shop. Now he just needed to find a safe location to use the tea… possibly a bit outside of the city would work. Wu adjusted his hat and kept his head down as he walked.

Mystake watched him go through her front window before going into the back with yet another sigh.

Wu glanced back at the city and let out a shaky exhale. He'd walked several miles out, and gotten himself far from the road.

It- it was fine. It wasn't like this was his first time traveling to another realm-

But it was his first time traveling to another realm without any of the dragons and without his Father's guidance.

Wu shook his head. He needed to find Garmadon. He'd done more stupid shit back during the Serpentine War than this! This was nothing!

Wu carefully opened the bag and peered into it briefly. He glanced at the small fire he'd started and set the kettle atop it.

"It's fine… it's fine. Misako will get to the kids soon and e-even if she doesn't, Mystake and Esmé are there…" He leaned back a bit and looked up at the light-polluted sky with a frown. "… I always will prefer the sky back at the Monastery…"

It wasn't long before the water began to boil in the kettle. He sighed and dropped some of the leaves into the water to let it mix. After another few minutes he picked the kettle up and swished it around gently.

He poured it in a circle around the fire. He watched as the fire turned from orange to blue, and within moments a portal had formed. He picked up the katana and put the bag of leaves back in his pocket. Then he picked up the kettle.

He stared at the portal for a moment before taking a deep breath and walking through.

The vortex was violent, tossing him around painfully before he saw ground approaching and braced himself. He landed not-so-gracefully and brushed himself off a bit, grimacing. "Just had to hide the Realm Crystal…" He muttered.

"… Hello Brother.. What took you so long..?" A familiar voice said.

Wu turned to the direction of the voice. His eyes widened and he rushed to his brother, throwing his arms around him in a hug. "You're okay!"

Garmadon yelped as he caught his brother. All of his arms wrapping around him to ensure he didn't accidentally drop his brother. He was taller now.

"Of course I'm okay.. What made you think I wouldn't be?"

"It-" Wu took a shaky breath and held on carefully. "… The kids aren't alright—Nya almost died last night and the charm keeping the side-effects of the ritual at bay broke…"

Garmadon stiffened, "What..? Wu, you didn't leave them alone did you?"

"Mystake and Esmé are at the Bounty- and hopefully Misako will be there soon too.." He whispered. "I- I can't do this alone, brother… Pythor is free and I can't keep them safe-"

"… Alright, alright.." Garmadon took a breath, "I'll come back.. I have no need to be here any longer anyway.."

"Thank you.." Wu said quietly, then paused as he squinted at him. "… You got taller, you asshole-"

Garmadon snorted, "Of course that's the first thing you notice.."

"In my defense, I was enjoying being slightly taller for once!" Wu huffed, then paused. "Wait, the first thing? What's the second?"

Garmadon rolled his eyes in amusement and tapped him with each hand.

Wu's eyes widened. "Excuse me?" He hissed. "How dare you figure out how to get four arms before me."

Garmadon laughed, "Are you really that surprised? I am the older one of us."

Wu frowned, and sighed, bumping his head against Garmadon. "I missed you… also you should hear the bullshit the kids have been getting up to."

Garmadon sighed, "Well, you can tell me while we head to a safer place to travel back to Ninjago.."

Wu nodded and began to follow his brother's lead. "Right after your departure, Jay and Nya thought it was a good idea to sneak out of the Monastery."

Garmadon snorted, "Of course they did. They get it from their fathers."

"Mhm." Wu sighed. "And then there was.. an incident… the Monastery had been burned down while we were away…"

Garmadon froze, turning to look at his little brother, "… What..?"

Wu winced. "It- we'd been in Ninjago City when it happened. It was supposed to be a day for the kids to unwind and…" He took a deep breath, and looked to the ground. "They lost so much… the most we were able to save had been the stuff we'd put in the library for storage and the plushes that had been made over the years…"

"… Cole, Kai, and Nya lost most of Lilly, Ray, and Maya's stuff didn't they…?"

Wu felt a pain in his throat, and he nodded slowly. "… They did…"

"… And… Lloyd.." The elder trailed off.

"… He's safe…" Wu said quietly. "I suspect the others have been going behind my back to teach him the bare basics… at least enough that he knows how to use dual-swords without getting knocked down easily."

Garmadon sighed, "… As long as they are keeping him safe.." He murmured.

Wu nodded. "… Pythor was the one who nearly killed Nya. I- I suspect that is why the charm broke…"

Garmadon clenched his fists, "Why is that asshole out?"

Wu let out a soft exhale. "Brad and Gene… Lloyd's friends. They'd started releasing the Serpentine some time ago and when they were heading to the Anacondrai tomb, Brad had collapsed. Gene had no other choice but to open the tomb to get him to shelter from the heat."

"… Of course.. Lloyd had said Gene was always an overachiever." Garmadon sighed, "… Are they both okay..?"

"Yes, thankfully… though not without some scares." Wu frowned. "… Gene is Chen's son."

"What."

He nodded. "Morro's stated that he now has more of a reason to try and kill him, especially with how he'd treated Gene…"

"Of course.. Chen only cares about power! A child would just be a burden to him… I am glad he is away from Chen right now. No one should ever trust Chen and Clouse with a child." Garmadon growled.

Wu nodded. "Another one of Lloyd's friends needed to be picked up from Darkley's. Sally. She… caused quite the ruckus during the rescue mission."

"Ah… Smoke bombs?" Garmadon asked.

"Colored ones." He snickered. "Darkley's is going to have a time cleaning all that up."

"Good. They suck." Garmadon huffed.

Wu nodded. "… Apparently Gene has a… difficult relationship with food."

Garmadon was quiet for a moment, "… That isn't surprising.. Chen was always strict with meals. He always ate first."

"… I'd pay to watch Father punch Chen in the face." Wu muttered. "Eviscerate him."

Garmadon snorted, "That would be quite amusing.."

"And deserved." Wu sighed. "Evidently, Chen had fed both the Alliance and the Serpentine lies…"

"… What."

"Part of how Brad and Gene were able to speak with the Hypnobrai and Fangpyre involved asking them some questions about the war." Wu said softly. "Evidently Chen had given the Serpentine a tip that the Alliance was going to betray the Anacondrai when we went to sign the peace treaty…"

"… I'm gonna kill him.." Garmadon growled lowly. His eyes flashed dangerously.

"I won't stop you, brother." Wu frowned. "… Not after knowing what Pythor did to the other Anacondrai while trapped in his tomb…"

Garmadon ran a hand down his face, "Of course… He always showed cannibalistic tendencies… He even got caught trying to act on them multiple times."

"… He nearly killed Gene and Brad." Wu said quietly. "And the number of missing person's cases has tripled since he was released…"

"… I'm gonna kill him too."

Wu nodded. "I'm sure Ray would encourage this."

"He absolutely would." Garmadon huffed.

He snickered softly. "When was the last time we've talked like this, seriously? It- it feels like it was forever ago…"

"… Before I was banished.. So it basically was forever ago." Garmadon said quietly.

Wu frowned, and bumped himself against Garmadon. "I'm sorry…" He whispered.

Garmadon wrapped an arm around him, "… It isn't your fault.. I started the fight.. I should have fought the urges harder.."

"… I wish I could take it all away." Wu murmured. "I wish I could help more…"

"… There is no point in pointless wishes… With this new form… It gets harder to resist the urges… You all will need to keep the Golden Weapons away from me."

Wu raised a brow. "Even if you could totally mess with Misako instead?"

"Wu, we don't even know if she will be there when we return… Or if she will like me like… this…" Garmadon mumbled.

"She married you. She literally asked." Wu hissed. "I don't think there's much you could do to keep her away even if you tried."

Garmadon flushed, "… I suppose you're right.."

"Of course I am!" Wu grinned. "Besides, I may or may not have used the Spirit Smoke before I left, so…"

Garmadon gave him a look. Then he knocked his hat off and got him in a head lock, ruffling his hair.

Wu yelped and flailed a bit, laughing as he tried to get himself free. "My hat!"

Garmadon laughed and held him tight, "Nope!"

"Release me!" Wu shouted, still grinning a bit, a warmth in his heart soothing his worries.

"Never!" Garmadon grinned with a cackle.

He squirmed a bit more before he went limp, sticking out his tongue. "Fuck."

Garmadon snickered, "I will always win these, Wu. I do not know why you continue to try."

"For the fun of it." Wu grinned a bit. "Can- can I get my hat now-?"

"… No." Garmadon let him go, snatched his hat up, and ran ahead.

"BITCH?" Wu ran after him and tried frantically to get his hat out of Garmadon's hands to no avail.

Garmadon laughed as he continued running.

"GIVE IT BACK!!!" He whined.

"Nope!" The elder cackled.

"MEAN TO ME!" Wu caved, stumbling a bit as he took deep breaths.

Garmadon skidded to a stop a few feet ahead. He set the hat on his head with a smug grin.

"… You're giving that back when we get home." Wu huffed as he caught up to him.

"Maybe!" Garmadon continued to lead him now.

He crossed his arms with a tired smile. "Lloyd's going to tackle you when we get there…"

"… I look forward to it.." Garmadon's grin softened.

Wu nodded. "The Serpentine have made a settlement near Jamanakai Village… it's been calm."

"… That is good.." Garmadon said softly.

Wu nodded. "… I'm glad to have you back."

"Yes, well.. considering everything, I'm sure that you need all the help you can get." Garmadon replied.

An old, familiar humming pierced the mostly-quiet air, and his brother snatched his hand before he could look to where it had come from.

"Do not listen to the madness calling." Garmadon murmured. "It will make you forget who you are."

Wu grimaced, and stuck close to his brother. "How do you know all this… about this place?"

"I've made small talk with the locals." He said bluntly. "The Craglings do not always take kindly to strangers, so I took my opportunity when it presented itself."

"Of course you did." He sighed, and kept his head down. "We still have enough Traveler's Tea to return to Ninjago."

"We just need a safe location to use it." Garmadon murmured.

"Exactly."

The eldest groaned and looked at him. "Well… let's hope we get there before it really gets dark."

Wu nodded.

Deep down, his heart was filled with a familiar warmth.

It was all going to be okay…

Chapter Text

Misako slammed the car door shut right before she started running. The pier. The pier. What the hell could have happened?! Wu just now figured out how to reach her and-

She yelped as a car stopped with her right in front of it. "STUPID-HEAD!" She shouted before she kept running. Her heart was pounding.

Were the weapons in danger? Was Morro safe-? Was Wu even still at the damn ship?!

She made a sharp turn through an alleyway and ran to the docks.

There was an odd silence at the docks. It was clear, however, which ship Wu wanted her to go to. The only pirate ship at the docks. The Destiny's Bounty.

"… I am going to give him a piece of my mind when I get my hands on him." She grumbled as she walked over and got onto the deck of the ship. The wind was harsh, though… a familiar sign.

There still wasn't much noise. No sign of Morro or Wu at all on the deck.

She frowned, and moved towards the stairs that headed below deck. Her steps remained light as she walked.

Most of then doors were closed. Some had signs. Signs that looked like they had been made by a child. Uncle Wu's ROom. Morro's Room (rotten cousin!).

Misako's eyes widened as she froze in her tracks. Her eyes stung, and she quickly wiped the tears that were building up away. "Stop- stop crying- it's fine-"

That familiar pain in her heart wouldn't stop, not as she walked further into the ship.

Ranbow Dumasses (+ Nya). THE GREAT LLOYD GARMADON'S ROOM! plus gene, brad and sally.

Misako peeked into the room that was clearly improperly spelled on purpose. That painful ache still clawed at the inside of her heart.

There were two sets of bunk-beds in the room. The set on the left had a regular bed pushed up to it. These beds had a pile of teenagers on them. One noticeably being Morro. The bunks on the right had three younger kids. The girl was playing a guitar.

Misako frowned. So this is what he'd meant…

She stepped back a bit, and looked down at the floor. She- she wasn't ready. Her research wasn't finished-

"I can hear you breathing." Morro said suddenly, his voice cutting through the music like a knife.

There was a sudden tense feeling in the room as the young girl stopped playing and multiple of the teens looked over at the door.

"Who's there..?" The teen girl said quietly, fearful. She looked just like Maya. The boy who she was clinging to held her closer. He looked like Ray…

"It's…" She took a deep breath. "It's Misako."

It was like the room got even more tense. The three younger kids glared at the door.

Then a head popped out from in between the girl and the boy, "Mom..?"

Misako slowly opened the door and stepped in. She couldn't stop her tears, not even if she'd tried. "Hello, Lloyd…"

Lloyd's eyes widened. His eyes looked so much like his father's.

She took a shaky breath. "I- I'm sorry it took me so long…"

Morro made a grumbling noise as he adjusted, burying himself against the other teens.

"… You left me.." Lloyd said shakily, "Why are you only back now…?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out, that pain kept clawing and clawing at her insides. Misako looked to the floor.

Wu hadn't told her why. He hadn't explained anything fully. Why would he?! It was Wu for fuck's sake-

… Her son was here and she just wanted to hold him until she couldn't keep herself awake anymore…

Lloyd was still staring at her. Confusion and sadness in his teary eyes. He was so small… he was nine years old and she couldn't help but notice just how little he was still.

It threatened to break her apart.

"… I was trying to find a way to stop the prophecy…" Misako said shakily, her voice felt strangled. "I'm sorry… I should-"

"… You just didn't want me to have to fight..?" Lloyd asked quietly.

Misako's heart sank. "What mother would want her son to be destined to fight?" She asked weakly.

Lloyd sniffled and scrubbed at his eyes. He scrambled out from between the two teens and skittered over to his mom.

She lifted him up into her arms and held him close, burying her face into his mop of hair. "My little boy… I should never have left… 'm so sorry, baby…"

"I missed you, Mama…!!" Lloyd clung to her, "I missed you, I missed you…"

"I missed you too, Lloyd." She kissed the top of his head, still breathing shakily. "I'm so sorry… 'm so sorry…"

He let out small sobs. His tail wrapped around one of her arms.

She quickly sat down on the floor, rocking back and forth. "I'm here now.. 'm here now… I won't leave, not again…" She whispered.

Lloyd's claws dug into her, "You better not.. You better not..! You're not allowed to leave again, Mama! Never!"

"Then I'll never leave…" She murmured, rubbing circles into his back. "I can't put you through that pain again… never again…"

He sniffled and his breathing was shaky, "… Good.."

Misako let out a quiet sigh. "So… have you been staying out of too much trouble?" She asked quietly.

Before Lloyd could answer, one of the teens spoke up. The one that looked a lot like Lilly…

"Staying out of trouble..? He is the trouble.." The boy mumbled sleepily.

Misako laughed softly. "Alright, Cole."

Cole only mumbled incomprehensibly in response and buried his face in the other boy's hair.

"Morro, did Wu say where he was going?" Misako asked.

"Fuckin' pulled a Grandpa…" Morro growled.

"He said he was going to Mystake's…" The boy who looked like Libber said quietly.

"Of course he did-" Misako sighed and stood up, she walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, holding Lloyd carefully but still closely. "Thank you, Jay…"

Jay nodded a little bit, before hiding his face against the girl, clearly anxious.

"… Please tell me you all have been avoiding Pythor…" She said softly.

"I need to kill him-" Morro growled, before Kai grabbed one of the pillows and sharply hit him with it.

Nya whined at the mention of Pythor, her breathing picking up a bit.

Misako's eyes widened as she noticed the bandages. She reached out to set a hand on her shoulder, carefully thumbing it. "Shh… shh.. it's okay. It's going to be okay, Nya…"

Nya sniffled but didn't pull away from the touch. She was trembling now.

Misako's breathing settled, that feeling of frustration settled in her core. If that bastard came anywhere near them, she'd figure out a way to-

"You're plotting again…" Morro grumbled.

"What, so my husband can plot but I can't?" Misako deadpanned as she looked to her nephew, who promptly flipped her the bird.

Lloyd giggled and scrubbed at his eyes, laying his head against his mom.

"I'm just sayin'… you get that spooky air…" Morro mumbled, adjusting again.

She rolled her eyes and looked to the other three kids who were still glaring at her.

"… Your friends are staring…" Misako said quietly to Lloyd.

Lloyd shifted a bit to look at his friends, "Stop glaring at her! It's okay now!" He hissed a bit.

The girl with the guitar stopped and lifted her hands in defense, looking to the other two.

The black haired boy did a similar thing while the ginger boy only crossed his arms and looked away.

Misako smiled sadly as she also glanced to the unknown boy who was resting amongst the rest of the teens, still and seemingly not breathing. "There are some names I don't know, Lloyd…"

Lloyd blinked, "Oh um- Well those three are Gene, Sally, and Brad.. And that's Zane.."

"I see…" She said quietly. "It's nice to meet you four, and to be seeing the chaos troupe reunited."

Jay giggled a bit as Kai raised an eyebrow, "The chaos troupe..?"

"One time during a meetup, you kids nearly ganged up on Ray with sparklers." Misako chuckled. "Jay saved him by circling around Morro and you all started doing that."

Kai snorted, "Wow.. Did we gang up on Dad a lot?"

"All the time." She nodded solemnly. "It was a dark time when Garmadon gave you foam swords."

That got some snickers out of the teens, aside from Cole who was basically asleep now. Zane looked up, "… How was it a dark time..?" He asked quietly.

Misako smiled gently, "One of them managed to hit Ray in a weak spot."

"What..?" Zane tilted his head.

"One of us hit him in the dick, Zane.." Kai explained bluntly.

Misako doubled over, trying her hardest not to laugh and failing. "It was a dark time…"

Kai grinned slightly, "I bet it was."

"I see." Zane nodded a bit, "I have been told that hurts quite a bit."

Misako nodded. "I have unfortunately been witness to many unfortunate incidents."

"Were all of them with Kai and Nya's dad?" Zane asked curiously.

"No. Unfortunately some instances were Garmadon." She sighed, setting her head in her hand. "I love the man so much, but my goodness…"

Lloyd snickered, "Dad never said anything about that when he told me stories."

Misako paused, and sighed as she leaned back a bit. "Of course he wasn't just bothering me during the time he was banished… socially deprived idiot of a man…" She said softly, her heart aching just thinking about him.

Lloyd giggled, "Dad visited me all the time! Morro too!"

Morro nodded, though he seemed done with using words.

"I'm sure he did…" She smiled gently and ran her hand through Lloyd's hair. "But now I want to know what blackmail you have on everyone's parents."

Lloyd leaned into the touch and giggled some more, this time more mischievously. "I have so much.."

"Oh dear…" She rolled her eyes. "We're all doomed."

Lloyd cackled and grinned, "Yes!"

"Well I see where you got your not giving a fuck when people are being chaotic thing from!" Sally piped up.

Kai snorted and Jay snickered.

Misako smiled and closed her eyes. "You'd be correct on that front… honestly things being a little messy is normal… familiar." She gently ruffled Lloyd's hair, her initial panic from earlier having subsided.

Lloyd relaxed against her and began purring.

Her eyes slipped shut, and her exhaustion finally took her under.

Jay shifted a bit and moved one of the blankets over her and Lloyd. Then he settled back down and cuddled back up to Nya.

Misako had woken from the short nap, her arms were curled protectively around her son, and she sighed, planting a kiss on top of his head.

The gaping chasm in her heart still remained… and it likely would remain until she would be able to reunite with him…

She blinked away painful tears, and took her glasses off. "It'll be okay… it'll be okay…" She whispered to herself.

She had to hold out hope. That's all she could do.

Lloyd mumbled and shifted against her. He, and most of the teens it appeared, had fallen asleep in the time of her short nap.

The door opened.

Misako quickly put her glasses back on and squinted at the doorway, her head barely moving as she watched it in silence.

A familiar old woman walked in.

"Mystake…" She said quietly, her voice low to avoid rousing any of the kids. They needed their rest either way.

Mystake paused, "Ah.. You're awake." She hummed a bit, "… How are you feeling?"

"… Oh, y'know, just still trying to handle the fact that Wu didn't tell me that he'd gathered everyone, let alone the fact that my son is here and-" Misako stopped herself and took a shuddery breath, holding Lloyd more securely. "… Missing him…"

Mystake walked over, "… You will not have to miss him for much longer, young one.."

"Mhm…?" Misako raised a brow. "And how would you know that?"

"Wu did visit me before he left.." Mystake gave her a small smile, "I know exactly where he went.."

Her eyes widened. "But- Garmadon said to me before he stopped contact that the realm he was going to was far away…" She whispered. "How-?"

"Traveler's Tea has very few limits, dear.."

Misako grew quiet, her heart ached in longing and she took a deep breath. "He- he's really coming home? I get to see him again…?"

"You get to see him again.." Mystake nodded.

She smiled weakly. "Finally… 'm gonna hug him and not let go…"

Mystake chuckled, "I don't doubt that.."

"He's gonna be soup." Misako mumbled, her heart still aching longingly, but soothed by the fact that she'd finally get to see him. He was finally coming home and she'd be able to hold him in her arms once more…

Mystake nodded, "… I am going to go wait on the deck, I have no doubt they are going to get here as fast as they can.."

She smiled a bit. "Thank you, Mystake…"

"Of course, dear." Mystake smiled. She moved to leave, throwing a quick glance over the children in the room as she headed for the door.

"… So is Lloyd's Dad actually nice?" Sally asked as the door shut.

Misako blinked and looked over, "He is.." She answered softly.

"Hm." Sally looked over at Gene and grinned. "You owe me a cookie."

Gene crossed his arms and grumbled.

"Why do you ask?" Misako adjusted, still holding Lloyd in a way he'd be comfortable while she sat upright.

"Lloyd never talked about him that much. Only really said stuff that anyone at Darkley's could find. So we made a bet. Gene thought he was actually bad like his dad, I thought he was okay but didn't care that much like mine, and Sally thought he would be nice like hers." Brad said.

Misako smiled gently. "I can assure you, he's one of the sweetest people I've ever met. Sure, he's rough around the edges sometimes, but at his core, he's just… kind, and terrified…"

"Why is he terrified?" Gene questioned, "He's powerful as hell."

"He's terrified of himself." She sighed, and looked down at Lloyd. Carefully, she brushed his bangs out of his face. "Terrified that he'll hurt someone he loves…"

"… But why?" Sally frowned. "If he's that scared then wouldn't that make it almost impossible to hurt anyone he cares about?"

Misako shook her head, "… The venom does not wait for fear.. The fear may help him stay himself.. But the venom still pushes.."

Brad hummed a bit. "It's kind of like… no matter what, the venom still keeps trying to push him to do stuff he doesn't want to do."

"… So like Blake." Sally hissed.

Gene stiffened a bit.

Misako frowned. "It's not wise to bring up those who have harmed us-"

"So what?! He hurt Gene and me! I hate him!" Sally snapped, tears in her eyes. "I want him to stay the hell away from us and to trip down a mountain and die!"

Gene hugged himself, looking away from them all.

Misako got up and walked over. She sat down on the edge of the other bed. "… You do not have to talk about it if you don't want to, but I'm here to listen if you ever need." She murmured.

Gene glanced at her, a bit of nervousness in his gaze.

"… This family knows pain well." She sighed. "Too well…"

Lloyd mumbled and stirred a bit, clinging closer to his mom.

Misako gently bumped her head against Lloyd's. "… I just want you to know that I'm here. I won't judge for any sort of pain you've gone through…"

Gene was still for a moment. Then he scooted over and leaned against her.

She adjusted a little, holding Lloyd close with one arm and putting an arm around Gene's shoulders. "Take all the time you need."

Gene relaxed a bit, curling up slightly and taking a shaky breath.

Misako watched him silently. Part of her wanted to scoop him up and tell him everything would be okay… that she'd find who hurt him and deal out justice…

But that's not what he needed right now… She took a deep breath. "You know, I've had my fair share of legal battles over the years. If you ever want me to help you kick his ass in court, just say the word."

Gene looked up at her, his eyes a bit wide. "… Thank you.." He snuggled a bit closer to her.

Misako smiled a bit. "Hey, this family sticks together… not to mention what Garmadon's gonna have to be held back from doing when he finds out you kids got hurt."

"… Oh.." Gene murmured. He was clinging a bit now.

She nodded. "… It is going to be fun having to keep him from going feral again…"

That made Brad and Sally snicker, and Gene smiled a bit.

"He's always feral…" Morro grumbled.

"Oi, you're not much better, young man." She said sharply. "Not to mention what happened yesterday and that I expect a full explanation from you once you calm the fuck down."

"Good fuckin' luck…" Morro growled, burying himself more amongst the ninja pile.

That only made the children snicker more.

Misako rolled her eyes. "I swear…"

Before anyone could say anything else there was suddenly two loud thuds on the deck. Followed by a lot of swearing and laughter.

Misako's eyes widened and she stiffened a bit. Her heart hammered in her chest with renewed energy and excitement.

Shit.

Lloyd stirred, "Huh..?"

She smiled a bit, a devious idea springing up. "Wanna go scare the shit out of your father?"

Lloyd's eyes widened, "He's back..?"

"He's cussing because he and Wu totally fucked up with a Traveler's Tea vortex, so what do you think?" Misako grinned.

Lloyd looked up, listening to the cussing for a moment, "… Oh." He paused and grinned, "Yeah, I wanna scare him!"

"That's my boy!" She laughed and got up. "You go on out first, I'll wait a minute to let him get his bearings."

Lloyd scrambled out of her arms and skittered out of the room, giggling deviously.

Misako quickly moved to follow, though she waited and sat in the shadows in the stairwell to the deck, watching as Lloyd flung himself into Garmadon's arms, nearly toppling him over.

Four arms…

She smiled a bit, though her heart pounded and hungered with an impatience she knew all too well… she could wait… just a bit longer.

"You're not allowed to leave ever again!" Lloyd cried as he clung to his father.

Wu snickered a bit. "I suppose that means we'll have to be on our toes when you two decide to try and gang up on Morro and I with a prank war…"

Lloyd squinted at his uncle, "… I'm gonna douse your bed in glitter.." He hissed.

"PARDON?" Wu gasped dramatically.

Lloyd hissed at him, "You didn't tell me you were getting Dad! You deserve it!"

"I-" Wu grimaced. "… Was intending on it being a surprise and also I didn't want to wake you."

"… I'm making the glitter rainbow."

"Okay, and?" Wu deadpanned. "Garmadon has done worse."

"It's going in your clothes too." Lloyd huffed.

"WHY?!" Wu whined. "IT'S GOING TO BE SO ITCHY."

"You challenged me!" Lloyd grinned menacingly.

"… I blame you for this." Wu looked to Garmadon.

Lloyd snorted and giggled as Garmadon sighed, "Of course you do."

Misako knocked a bit on the wood beside her, a signal to Lloyd. Just loud enough for his sensitive ears to catch.

Lloyd straightened a bit and looked at his dad, he was a bit quiet now. "… Dad..?"

Garmadon paused. "Yes?"

"… Do you know where Mama is…?" Lloyd asked quietly.

Wu frowned, and glared at the wooden deck of the ship… like he was upset.

Garmadon's eyes widened slightly at the question. He glanced at Wu before taking a breath and looking back at his son, "Let me see if I can find her.." He closed his eyes, clearly focusing.

Misako smiled a bit, and watched, though she could tell the shadows around her were changing a bit.

Garmadon suddenly stiffened, the shadows stopped. He looked towards the stairwell, "… Koko..?"

Misako stood up with a smile. "Caught me again, huh?"

Garmadon walked over quickly and pulled her into a hug.

She hugged him back, burying her face against him. "Finally…" She whispered. "If you disappear like that on me again, I'm going to track you down and stick you in a blanket nest… you big idiot…"

Garmadon chuckled softly, "I don't doubt that at all…" He looked a lot more relaxed with both Misako and Lloyd in his arms.

"You better not." She warned with a teasing tone, though they both knew she was dead serious.

… That ache in her heart began to slowly fade, a warmth bubbling to the surface.

Garmadon held her tighter, he let out a shaky breath.

"Feel better?" She asked softly.

He nodded a bit, "… I'm so happy to have you both back in my arms…"

Misako smiled and pulled his face down a bit, kissing him carefully. "I know, baby…"

Lloyd gagged, "EW! I"M STILL HERE!!"

Misako laughed and adjusted so he could scramble away back to the room with everyone else. "He's so going to wake everybody up…"

Garmadon laughed, "I suspect I may be getting a lot more hugs then.."

"Oh, absolutely." She paused. "Though… maybe after Nya has recovered a bit more… she's not doing well…"

Garmadon frowned heavily, "Yes.. Wu told me.." He adjusted and scooped her up, "I need to see them all.."

Misako nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm not going to argue with that."

As they made their way inside, there was a loud complaining followed by quiet laughter inside the room.

Garmadon walked quickly to the room and pushed the door open.

"What did you expect to happen?" Kai snickered.

"NOT THEM TO BE MUSHY!" Lloyd whined.

Nya managed a bit of a laugh, "They're married, Lloyd.." She said weakly, "They're gonna be mushy.."

"YEAH, BUT LIKE. IN FRONT OF ME?" Lloyd threw his hands up.

Misako laughed quietly, amused by the turn of events.

Zane looked up a bit, "Hello Misako.. Hello Uncle.."

The teens all paused as they looked over, and Lloyd groaned seeing his father carrying Misako like it was the most normal thing to do. Which… it was. Honestly, she'd missed being carried by him.

Garmadon frowned heavily, "Are you all okay..?" He asked immediately.

"Nya isn't!" Sally pointed out.

Garmadon nodded a bit. He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, "I heard what happened…" He murmured, "Come here, little one.." He adjusted Misako, setting her on his lap so he had room for his niece.

Nya moved slowly and got over to him, clinging to him and Misako within seconds. She was trembling.

Garmadon wrapped his arms around her, "It's okay.. It's okay… He won't touch you ever again.. I won't let him near you…"

Misako nodded as she carefully ran her hand through Nya's hair. "It may be scary for a little while, but we've got you…"

Nya sniffled and didn't respond, but she managed to relax a little in their hold.

"There we go.." Garmadon murmured, "You're gonna be okay…"

"Thanks…" She said weakly, her voice barely a whisper.

"Shhh… Don't speak, little one… Let your throat rest…" Garmadon said softly, kissing her head.

Nya let herself rest her eyes, and after a little while of silence, Misako shot a look over at Morro.

"Quit digging your fingers into the mattress." She said sternly.

"I'm trying to keep myself calm?" He hissed.

Garmadon looked over and sighed, "Come here, Morro.."

Morro grumbled a bit and moved over, settling beside Garmadon with a huff.

Garmadon moved Nya more against Misako to free one of his arms and wrapped it around his nephew.

Morro stiffened a bit and stared at the floor, digging his fingers into his legs silently.

"It's gonna be okay.. You can worry about her, but you got your father, Misako, and I to help now…" Garmadon said softly, "You did your best. She's alive. Now you need to relax so you can be there for her.."

"But I failed to protect her in the first place… how can I relax when I can't stop seeing it every time I close my eyes?"

Garmadon sighed, "If you had failed, she would be dead. But she isn't. You got him away from her. You saved her."

Morro was quiet for a moment, before he adjusted to try and hug him, trying to hide his tears as he cried silently.

Garmadon held him close, rubbing his back, "There you go… Let it out.."

"Don't leave again…" He sobbed. "Can't do this without you both here…"

"I won't… I won't…" Garmadon said softly, "I'm not leaving any of you again if I can help it…"

"Mhm, and as an incentive, if you go missing for any reason without a note or explanation, you won't get any kisses for a month." Misako said.

"A month?!" Garmadon whined.

"Incentives, dear." She smiled. "Besides, I'm still frustrated about the whole you getting trapped in the Underworld thing, so…"

"That is downright evil…" Morro mumbled. "You know he's a big sap…"

Garmadon huffed, "I am not!"

"Oh, really?" Misako hummed. "Then how about the time-"

"I have literal video evidence that says otherwise, Uncle." Morro muttered.

Garmadon stared at him and then sighed, "Of course you do.."

Morro snickered a bit.

"Well, I was going to bring up how you always without fail wind up simply becoming soup whenever I run my hands in your hair, but y'know…" Misako whistled a bit and looked away, though she did snicker when Garmadon made a noise of embarrassment.

Garmadon grumbled, "You're all against me…"

"No." Misako kissed his jaw. "Just pointing out how adorable you can be."

Garmadon whined and buried his face in her hair.

Misako grinned proudly. "Oh no, I broke him."

Lloyd gagged and shoved himself into Zane's arms, "Save me from the mushiness!!"

Zane looked… very confused.

"He's being dramatic, don't mind him." Misako smiled.

"… Alright.." Zane said, gently patting Lloyd's head.

"… Sooooo… Were you and Wu actually born from eggs or…?" Gene piped up from the other bunk.

Misako wheezed and dissolved into a fit of giggles. "You- you tell him!"

Gene squinted at her in confusion and looked at Garmadon.

"I think this is a bad time to ask that, Gene-" Sally said quietly.

"Why? I want to know!" Gene huffed.

"Yes, it was eggs." Wu said suddenly from the doorway.

Gene hummed, "… Weird."

"Imagine how Father felt when he woke up one day with two eggs…" Garmadon said quietly into Misako's hair. "Mystake said he was panicking the whole time."

"Not to mention the theory it could happen to Father…" Morro muttered.

"MORRO." He hissed.

"It could happen to Uncle?!" Lloyd looked at Wu with wide eyes. Then promptly burst into giggles.

"… You are a little shit, my son." Wu muttered.

"Likewise, Father." Morro flipped him the bird.

Garmadon snorted softly and gently ruffled Morro's hair.

Morro, in response, bumped his head against him a bit, grinning still.

"… Are you done bullying me now?"

"Remember the time you tripped down the stairs?" Misako asked. "After you'd had to deal with the chickens?"

"Stop." Wu whined, covering his face with his hands.

The teens, aside from Nya, had begun snickering now, as had the children.

"I- I am going to go cook." Wu said quickly and left the room.

The kids were all laughing even more now.

"I am so glad I am no longer the only one with ammo against him." Morro whispered.

Garmadon snickered softly, "Mhm.."

"And that Garm has several centuries of blackmail against Wu?" Misako raised a brow, which caused Morro to giggle evilly.

Garmadon ruffled his hair, "You are such a little shit."

"Yeah." Morro yawned a bit. "I know."

Garmadon smiled softly.

After a short while, Morro moved back over to the other teens, finally calm enough to return to his spot. He closed his eyes and completely passed the fuck out within seconds.

Kai snorted, "… He's out."

"Predictable…" Misako smiled. "Every time…"

Jay snickered and grinned, "Finally.."

"We should discuss with Wu about what the next course of action should be…" Misako said softly. "Especially with the current threat is…"

"Yes.. I know.." Garmadon murmured.

Nya still seemed content where she was, just resting. Misako sighed and carefully hugged her. "Nya, we're going to need to leave the room so we can talk with Wu, alright? We won't be far… just in the kitchen."

Nya tensed some, clinging tighter to them, "No…"

Garmadon grimaced.

"Nya, sweetie… please…" She murmured, brushing her hair out of her face. "We need to talk with him about getting the Bounty to a safe location… one that'll be a lot less noticeable."

"… You'll come right back..?" Nya murmured.

"We'll come right back. Promise." She kissed Nya's forehead. "Besides, if I hear anything, I've got a tranq-gun on me almost at all times."

"… Okay.." Nya mumbled. She reluctantly moved back over to Kai and Jay.

Jay hugged Nya carefully, burying his face into her hair. Misako moved to get up, sighing a bit. "Lloyd, do you want to stay in here?"

Lloyd nodded, "Uh huh! I'm gonna help protect Nya!"

She smiled. "You do that, then."

He grinned, "I will!"

Misako pulled Garmadon with her to where the kitchen was. Wu was chopping up some carrots to add to a soup. His brows furrowed.

"Wu.." Garmadon said softly.

He paused and looked up at them. "… Sit down while we talk. I can keep working…" He mumbled quietly.

The couple obliged and moved to sit down at the small table they had in the kitchen.

"… When the kids went to get Sally from Darkley's… something happened." Wu said quietly. "A sort of explosion that shook the whole building. It wasn't one of the devices any of the students had made."

Misako's eyes widened slightly as Garmadon tilted his head, "An explosion..?"

Wu set down the knife and turned to face them. "… I- I don't want to say it, but… I think Lloyd might-"

"No." Misako denied, interrupting Wu, "No, he isn't. He can't be.."

"Then can you explain why they've all been going behind my back to help him train? Why it's very obvious they've been keeping something from me?" Wu asked. "Why Morro's been so paranoid about Lloyd being near the weapons?!"

Misako flinched lightly and looked away, quiet. Her fists were clenched, nails digging into her palms.

"… Misako..?" Garmadon asked quietly, setting a hand on her shoulder.

"… I didn't want you to know.." She said quietly, "I was trying to stop it…"

"You knew-?!"

"Brother, this isn't your decision to make, whether or not he takes up that mantle." Garmadon muttered. "It's his."

"… I knew the moment I first held him in my arms." Misako said, "It was only further confirmed when your father finally passed on… That's why I left him at Darkley's… I didn't want you to know… I wanted him to have a childhood… I wanted him to be safe.."

"… Then how did Morro know?" Wu asked quietly.

"… I'm not sure how he first found out… But.. I do know he saw Lloyd with the weapons once… That time we found the two of them with your father.. When he first met Lloyd.." Misako answered.

"Then that means Father knew…" Garmadon murmured.

Misako nodded, "… He did.."

"… And he didn't-"

"He didn't tell us to protect him." Garmadon whispered, covering his head with his hands. "He just wanted him to be able to live a normal life…"

Misako nodded again, "… We both saw how much you pushed Morro when you thought it was him… How obsessed he got as you kept talking it up… How young he was when he almost ran away to try and prove himself…"

"And how Father had to stop him…" Garmadon muttered, looking over at Wu. "That prophecy is nothing but trouble."

Misako made a small noise of agreement, her gaze on the floor.

"… We won't let them know that we know. Let everything continue as it is…" Wu said softly as he turned to continue cooking. "It's better that way… safer for all of them…"

Misako smiled a bit, "Mhm…"

"… Can we all collectively agree that Destiny needs to be hit in the balls with a steel folding chair at maximum possible velocity?" Garmadon asked quietly.

"Yes." Wu said sharply. "I'm sick of it tearing our family apart."

Misako sighed, "We all are… All we can hope to do now is keep the children as protected from it as long as possible…"

"And hopefully not have to deal with the final battle in the first place." Garmadon muttered. "Just wanna watch those kids be stupid and have fun…"

Misako nodded, shifting a bit and leaning against him, "We need to find Ray and Maya… We need them too… Especially for Kai and Nya…"

"Morro has a lead on that." Wu said as he put the veggies in the pot. "Dr. Sander Saunders… he works at the Ninjago Museum of History… apparently he was a friend of theirs."

Misako made a face, "… I've seen him a few times. When getting artifacts into the museum… He's… odd.."

"How odd?" Garmadon raised a brow as he set his head on his arms, looking up at her.

"He avoids me. He always sends the other workers to me and refuses to speak to me directly." Misako said, "No matter how much I try."

"I see.." Garmadon hummed. "… Think if the fucker knows us somehow he'd recognize me?"

Misako paused, "… Probably not.. You have changed a lot.."

Garmadon snickered. "Good."

Misako raised an eyebrow, "Please don't do something stupid.."

"Since when would I do that, my love?" Garmadon grinned deviously, clearly plotting something.

Misako sighed, "… Just be careful.."

Garmadon pulled her into a hug, smushing his face against her cheek.

Misako chuckled softly and returning the hug.

"… I'm so gonna terrify that bitch if I know him…" Garmadon snickered, moving to bury his face in her hair.

"Mmm… Good.. If he did something to Ray and Maya he deserves it." Misako mumbled.

"Indeed." Garmadon hummed. "… Sander Saunders… doesn't fucking sound like a real name… like a shitty alias…"

Misako nodded a bit, "Mhm.."

He sighed. "I suppose we'll figure it out when we get to it…"

She nodded again with a small hum.

"… It never should have gone like it has…" Wu said quietly as he stirred the pot, almost like he was lost in thought. Though, knowing him and what he'd figured out? It was likely that he was…

Misako glanced over with a small, worried frown.

"I shouldn't have let them go down there alone…" Wu muttered. "I should have seen it-"

Garmadon let go and looked over at him. "Stop doing that."

"Fuck off! I'm right!" Wu hissed. "I should have seen it in the spirit smoke! The one day I don't touch it-"

"Do not make me throw this at you." Garmadon threatened as he grabbed the napkin container in the middle of the table.

"AND GET IT INTO THE SOUP?!" Wu shrieked. "OVER MY COLD, DEAD BODY!"

"Then stop shit-talking yourself!" Garmadon growled. "You're not perfect! Nobody is!"

"We're gonna lay on you." Misako threatened huffily.

"If you can catch me after I'm done cooking this…" He muttered as he got the stove turned off and loaded several containers with the soup, before settling them into the fridge.

She raised an eyebrow, "Really? If?"

Wu stiffened a bit as he continued, dead silent now before he looked back at them and quickly moved to exit the kitchen, with Garmadon giving chase and easily catching him.

"YOU FUCKER-" Wu growled, trying to wriggle free, to no avail.

"You're getting squished. Deal with it." Garmadon deadpanned.

Misako snickered, "To his room."

"Aye aye, captain!" He grinned, and made his way to Wu's room, ignoring his brother's threats and escape attempts.

She followed behind him, a smug look on her face.

Garmadon dropped Wu onto his bed and flopped against him despite the younger dragoni's protests. And no matter how much Wu tried, he could not escape, and glared at Garmadon.

"Sometimes I really hate you."

Misako snickered and joined them, laying against her husband.

"I do not doubt it." Garmadon smirked, and closed his eyes. "So, what else have I missed?"

"The fact that you're a dick." Wu growled, really unable to move now.

"Wow, you wound me." He replied sarcastically.

Misako rolled her eyes in amusement, "Boys.."

"He did start it." Garmadon pointed out, ignoring the middle finger that'd been flipped at him by Wu.

"Uh huh.." Misako hummed.

"… Kai is terrible at rollerskating." Wu muttered. "Nearly dragged Morro down to the floor at least twenty times within the span of ten minutes."

Misako hummed a bit, "Really?"

He nodded. "Couldn't balance on inlines or regular skates. It was painful to watch."

"As bad as the time Ray tried to walk in heeled boots and proceeded to face-plant?" Garmadon raised a brow.

"Somehow worse."

Misako snorted, "Fantastic."

He shook his head softly. "The poor luck of fire wielders never ceases to amaze me."

"Yep.." She nodded a bit.

"It's like an elemental hereditary trait…" Wu mumbled.

"I wouldn't be surprised." Misako said.

"… If new elemental powers suddenly popped into existence, what would they be?" Garmadon asked suddenly.

"I believe one would be based around technology." Misako hummed, "It is quite prevalent in the current world."

"Hm…" Wu thought for a moment. "… Maybe balance?"

"Okay that's just a cheat-code." Garmadon huffed.

Misako snorted, "It really is.."

"Mmm…" Garmadon thought for a moment, before he snapped. "Heat."

"That makes no sense-"

"All living things produce heat. Plus heat is necessary for life to persist." Garmadon said firmly.

Misako nodded, "He has a point."

"… I suppose it does…" Wu murmured.

"Anyways…" He yawned and bumped his head against Misako's, "I'm beat… Realm of Madness sucks…"

Misako hummed, "If you're going to fall asleep we should go back to the kids.. I don't want to get Nya in a tizzy if she realizes we haven't come back for hours because you fell asleep in here."

Garmadon groaned. "You're right… you're right… don't need things getting chaotic…" He got up and pulled Misako up. "Wu, if you keep being an ass to yourself I'm gonna steal that lesson book and burn it."

"I will smite you." Wu hissed.

"Good fucking luck finding something that'll do that!" He laughed bitterly and left to head back to the teens' room. Morro was still fast asleep, the wind just barely whisking past the window enough to indicate he was dreaming.

Misako followed him and smiled gently. Everyone was calm. Kai, Cole, and Zane was talking quietly. Nya was curled up against Jay. Lloyd had moved back to his friends.

Garmadon moved over to the floor and curled up, completely forgoing to even try and get a pillow. Tired ass man.

Misako chuckled and snagged a blanket to lay down with him, clearly planning to use him as her pillow. And seeing how Garmadon didn't react much, only putting an arm around her when she did lay down with him, it seemed like this was common with them.

Lloyd watched his parents curiously as he listened to his friends talk.

"I still don't see why it's a big deal-"

"It's the talent show! Like- the big one! You win that or get at least second place and your career path is basically a go!" Sally said quickly, emphasizing and gesturing with her hands as if that made her point clearer.

"So you wanna join it and win. To start your music career." Brad said.

"Yeah! Once I'm older at least… I think I'd wind up in a shitty deal if I try to do it now…" She laughed weakly. "Besides… I'm not happy with any of the songs I've written yet…"

"I'm sure they're great!" Brad said.

"Well, it's-… the only one I really like so far needs more instruments than just this…" Sally looked down at her guitar.

Lloyd looked at her, "What instruments..?"

"Drums…" She looked down. "'n an electric guitar… and a violin…"

"Ooh.." Brad hummed.

"A violin?" Gene hissed. "And you call me ambitious."

"I never said there's anything wrong with being ambitious!" Sally cried. "I just- it feels right to have those in this one…"

"It sounds like it'll be awesome!" Lloyd grinned.

"It sounds like it'll be difficult to pull off…" Gene murmured.

"Don't you like challenges?" Sally asked.

"Academic challenges! I'm not used to music!" Gene huffed.

Sally rolled her eyes and moved to sit behind Gene, settling the guitar in his hands. She set her hands on his own and slowly guided him through the motions. "It's a little rough on your fingers at first, but it gets easier. Violins are much different because they have a collection of a bunch of different strings and a bow."

Gene was stiff as he tried to follow along with her.

"And when you do this you get sharps on these keys. Then to do flats…" She murmured quietly, clearly in her element as she went through it with him.

Gene did his best, his perfectionism peeking through as he followed her instructions.

"Sally, are you sure it's a good idea to-?"

"I wanna teach him." She murmured. "Then, when you strum, you often use a pick with certain kinds of guitars… I don't because it's a lot easier for me to pluck the strings."

Gene nodded a bit, doing as told.

"Try playing on your own now… you were good at the music theory parts of music psych, I wanna see if you can come up with somethin' on the spot." Sally said softly.

Gene hesitated, "Are you sure..? This is your guitar…"

"I've got spare strings if you mess them up too much." Sally smiled. "It wouldn't be the first time I've had to restring the poor thing."

"But- But it's yours.." Gene said.

"And I trust you." She settled her head on his shoulder. "Just play, Gene…"

Gene frowned a bit and hesitantly began to play.

It was… okay.

Sally smiled. "You're doing great…"

Gene did not look very convinced but continued.

"… I think he's doing good for his first time." Brad piped up.

Lloyd nodded immediately, "Yeah!"

Gene was almost completely focused on the guitar.

Sally adjusted a bit, settling her hands on the guitar and playing alongside him, filling in some notes that would improve it.

Gene tensed a bit but continued. He was a bit shaky.

"… Who else thinks Gene could totally play the violin if given enough time?" Brad asked as he raised his hand.

Sally smiled a bit. "Honestly I think he could play anything if he sets his mind to it."

Gene mumbled a bit of protest.

"Oh, come on. You gotta admit, the fine hand movements and motor control required for playing the violin is totally up your alley, more than this at least." Brad said.

"If he doesn't wanna, then he doesn't wanna…" Sally adjusted and carefully stopped Gene's hands. "I can just learn how to play the violin on my own for the song…"

"Yeah, but you can't play it if you're performing live." Brad pointed out.

"Details." She huffed.

"… I'll play the violin if you need me to.." Gene mumbled.

"Gene." Sally moved and carefully pulled the guitar out of his hands before she held his hands in her own. "I don't want you to feel pressured into this.. especially by Brad."

"I was just suggesting because it'd be cool to see him play!" Brad cried.

"Uh huh, sure." She shot a look at him.

"It'll be fine." Gene huffed, "I'll find one and I'll figure it out.."

Sally paused, and looked at him. "… You don't have to do this…" She whispered.

"No. I'm doing it now. Fuck off."

Brad shrugged. "Well, now you can't stop him."

"I blame you for this." Sally hissed at him. "You get him all riled up and now we've gotta get him not to chuck something sharp when he struggles with the violin."

"Worth it." Brad grinned, and squeaked in fear as she grabbed the pillow and sharply hit him with it.

Lloyd snickered, "The conses of your quences.." He giggled.

"Help me-" Brad pleaded before Sally hit him once more with the pillow.

"No." Lloyd grinned. Gene hummed a bit in amusement.

"You're all horrible. Mean to me." Brad said weakly between Sally's pillow assault.

"Liar." Gene said.

"You literally asked if you could lay across us last night and we all said yes." Sally hissed. "You are a liar, liar, pants on fire." She hit him more to enunciate what she was saying, before she hit him one more time and let go of the pillow, huffing.

Gene snickered a bit and grinned slightly.

"… Can I do it again tonight though?" Brad asked.

Sally reached for the pillow and shoved it in his face. "Stop asking. Yes, you lanky doofus."

Lloyd laughed and grinned brightly.

Chapter Text

Kai stared down at the timer, his eyes widened as it passed over Zane's previous record by three minutes. "Ten minutes?! He just broke his own record. The guy's inhuman!" He cried as he looked overboard.

It was only a moment after Kai said this that Zane finally resurfaced.

"Amazing!" Cole grinned.

Jay dropped to his knees like he was worshipping something, "We're not worthy!"

"I broke the record?" Zane asked.

"You destroyed it!" Kai said as he turned the timer to show him.

"We're getting so good!" Jay got back up, walking over to the railing again, "Maybe we're getting close to unlocking our true potentials!"

"Maybe!" Kai grinned.

"Don't forget that Morro's been training for a lot longer than we have…" Cole sighed as he helped Zane back onto the deck. "It's entirely possible that we'll end up taking just as long-"

"Eh, true potentials are related to mental roadblocks, not physical ones." Morro said suddenly, causing Jay to jump.

Jay pouted, "Aw man.. Couldn't you at least let me get my hopes up?!"

"Hopes and wishful thinking, especially too much of it, only leads to disappointment." Morro said as he walked over to lean against the railing. "I'm just trying to keep you grounded in reality."

Jay only pouted more and grumbled as Kai and Cole helped Zane aboard.

"So, if that's the case, have you figured yours out?" Kai asked.

"Nope." He leaned a bit over the rail to peer into the water. "Just know that it's not something physical to overcome."

Kai huffed, "But how will we know what mental block we need to overcome?!"

"You don't." Morro leaned back. "… Why do you think I'm always running headfirst into danger?"

"… Oh."

"… But in any case, my current methods aren't working… so by process of elimination, I've got to try something else." He frowned.

"That sucks." Cole huffed.

"Eh… just the luck of the draw, I guess." Morro shrugged. "Anyways, I'm gonna be bringing the terror squad out to an arcade… also Dad wants to talk to you. Said something about flyers needing to be put up.

All four boys groaned.

"Look, considering we're the only elemental masters currently who can do anything about Pythor, we have to keep a lookout… not to mention that we need to start looking for the fang-blades before he can get his claws on them." Morro crossed his arms. "And that means we need to be okay with taking phone calls about potential bitch sightings."

Jay and Cole shared a quick look. "The only ones?" Cole questioned.

"The Alliance disbanded after the Elemental Masters of Time betrayed them." Morro growled.

"We met four at the arcade last time though!" Jay said.

"… What." Morro paused and stared at him.

"Yeah! We played Laser Tag with them!" Jay said.

"Which elements were they?" He raised a brow.

"Tox is Poison, Ash is Smoke, and Shade is Shadow." Cole said, "Sky hasn't told us hers. Says her father doesn't like her talking about it."

Morro crossed his arms. "… Do you know if they've reached their true potentials yet?"

"Shade and Ash have! They've a lot of control over her powers." Jay answered.

"… It… might be a good idea to ask them for help with dealing with Pythor." He murmured. "But still, Dad wants you to put up those fliers."

"I'll get Nya to message them while we go out and do that!" Jay ran off. He tripped down the stairs and called "I'm okay!" as his footsteps faded away.

"… Somehow, we need to Jay-proof shit." Morro squinted.

"That's impossible." Kai said, "He'll still find a way to hurt himself."

"I didn't say that it wouldn't involve putting him in a blanket burrito and dropping Nya on him." The eldest rolled his eyes as he walked away.

Cole snorted, "… That would work.."

"Considering his tendency to not move when Nya is clinging to him? I believe that is the most likely solution to keep him from injuring himself." Zane said.

Kai sighed but nodded, "Yeah.." He rolled his eyes with some amusement, "Let's go get those flyers from Sensei."

"This bites." Kai groaned. "How many more flyers do we have?"

"A lot.." Jay huffed.

Cole sighed. "This is going to take forever. I mean… don't we have to go over to Ignacia too after this?"

"We do." Zane nodded.

Kai grimaced. "Here's hoping we don't run into anyone who's gonna recognize me…"

Jay set a hand on Kai's shoulder, "It'll be okay.. We won't let them talk to you."

Zane suddenly stopped and dropped some of his flyers.

"Kid?" The shopkeeper raised a brow. "Are you doing alright?"

Zane didn't respond. He kept staring off. Then he dropped the rest of his flyers and walked off.

The shopkeeper frowned. "Uh, has this been happening to him lately?" He asked Kai.

Kai frowned as he handed his flyers over to Jay, "No.. He's not done this before…" He carefully gathered the discarded flyers.

"Make sure he's okay, then…" He said softly. "You kids have been through a lot… the last thing you need is…"

Jay raised a brow, "Is what…?" He asked quietly.

"… The last thing you need is for someone else to disappear in a storm, kid…" He said quietly as he moved back over to his shop.

Jay frowned heavily, "What…?"

"Guys, it's the falcon!" Cole called.

"What?!" Kai ran over to them.

Jay quickly followed Kai, trying to keep all the flyers together.

"Should we go after it-?" Cole paused as Zane started moving, almost immediately to follow the falcon. "O-kay, so much for majority vote."

"Well let's go then!" Jay dropped the flyers to follow quickly.

Kai ran after him, with Cole following close behind.

Garmadon was meditating on the deck of the ship, silent as he focused on the sound of the wind, though he grimaced as it sped up while Morro got up the steps, running after Gene who was yelling something about not needing a jacket.

"You are ten! Put the fucking jacket on!" Morro snapped.

"No! Fuck off!" Gene ran away from the teen.

Garmadon opened his eyes to watch; he leaned back a bit with mild amusement. "You'll get frostbite!" He called.

"It's not gonna get that cold!" Gene called defiantly.

"Hm…" Garmadon paused. "But you will catch a cold if you just wear a tank top!"

Morro finally grabbed the ten year old and wrangled him into the jacket. "YOU ARE GOING TO WEAR YOUR JACKET, AND YOU ARE GOING TO BE COZY!"

Gene protested and tried to wiggle free of Morro's hold, "NO!!!"

"Betting you ten that he's doing this on purpose to steal someone else's jacket." Garmadon said as Morro got Gene's jacket zipped up.

"No! You bitch!" Gene cried.

"I'm just trying to make sure you don't catch a cold because I'm not exactly sure if I want to find out how bitchy you get when you're sick!"

Gene ran over to the side of the Bounty, unzipped his jacket, and chucked it overboard. Just as three people walked onto the deck.

"I am going to tell on you to Sally." Morro threatened.

"I'll bite you!" Gene yelled. The green haired teen snorted at that.

Morro paused and looked over at them, before he stood up properly. "You do remember that I'm not really affected by anyone biting me?"

"Considering Lloyd's been drawing blood since he was two? Yeah, good luck getting Morro to be fazed by that, Gene." Garmadon commented.

"I'm gonna bite his fingers off!"

"Oh no, the horrors." Morro deadpanned as he walked over to the three new people. "Sorry about the gremlin, he's Lloyd's friend."

"We assumed so." The guy in black said.

"So… Tox, Shade, and Ash, I'm assuming?" Morro asked.

"Yep!" Tox grinned, "That's us!"

"Cool… Nya's below deck right now, but-" Morro paused as Sally, Brad, and Lloyd ran out from the stairwell, cackling. "What did you do?"

"Nothiiing!" Brad lied.

Morro frowned. "What did you go through?"

"… You left a weird book on your bed." Sally said, to which Morro's eyes widened and he ran downstairs, passing Nya on his way down.

Nya narrowly avoided getting knocked down. When she saw the others, she brightened and ran over, "You're here!"

"Obviously." Ash said. "You asked for help and we've all gotta stick together."

Nya grinned slightly as she jumped at him.

Ash scooped her up, catching her easily. "You are just as bad as Sky, you know that?"

Nya snickered and grinned more, "I know!"

"I like your hair!" Sally called, clearly talking to Tox.

Tox grinned, "Thanks, kid. It's natural."

"Really?!" She ran over, her eyes practically filled with stars.

Tox chuckled, "Yep! Came with the Elemental Powers!"

"That's so cool!" She squealed.

"That's one of Lloyd's friends, huh?" Ash asked.

"Ahem, I am one of his best friends, thank you very much!" Sally huffed, crossing her arms as she glared up at Ash.

Tox snorted, "I like you, kid."

Sally paused and stared at her for a moment before she ran off to where the other three were talking to Garmadon.

"… Does she do that often?" Shade asked softly.

"… Not sure.. We only got her a few days ago." Nya said. Her voice was a bit quieter now.

"Pulling an Akio, huh?" Ash hummed. "Eh, makes sense what with your teacher being one of his sons."

Nya nodded a bit, with a small giggle, "Mhm.."

Garmadon stood up and picked all four of the kids up, one under each arm as he walked over. "I see we have guests."

Nya nodded, "Mhm! This is Tox, and Ash, and Shade.." She introduced, "Guys, this is Lloyd's dad, Uncle Garmadon."

Ash paused, and stared at Garmadon, then exchanged a glance with Shade. "… So… see you got UN-banished."

"More like clawed my way out of it." Garmadon nodded. "How have the previous masters of your elements been?"

"My mother's been okay." Shade said, "… She'll be happy to know that you're back.."

Garmadon nodded. "I'm sure she will."

"Eh… my mom's been alright." Ash shrugged. "Been dealing with my cousin a lot."

He hummed. "Early teenage angst."

Ash snorted a bit, "Yep.."

Nya giggled a bit, "Is he like Kai..?"

"Worse." Tox added. "I've met him a total of three times and I can guarantee, he's going to be a fucking menace when he's older if someone doesn't help him clean up his act."

"Damn.." Nya murmured, "That's bad.."

"Yep." Shade nodded.

"Well, it can't be worse than what I did when I was a teenager." Garmadon muttered.

"Weren't you a teenager for like- centuries though-?"

"Unimportant and irrelevant." Garmadon said sharply.

Nya snickered, grinning.

Morro ran up the stairs, talking hurriedly into his phone. "What do you mean they just left?!"

Nya tensed immediately at his tone.

Garmadon frowned, turning to Morro, "What's wrong?"

"Kai, Cole, Jay, and Zane suddenly ran off with no explanation." Morro hissed.

"What?!" Nya cried. Her breathing quickened almost immediately.

"Hey, hey-" Ash hugged her close. "Focus. They're going to be okay. If Cole can trip me up easily without having unlocked his true potential, they'll be okay."

"But- But- They could be anywhere?! What if they get hurt! What if Pythor gets them!" She was spiraling quickly.

"Nya!" Tox grabbed her hand. "Listen to me. Pythor is a bitch and only managed to get close to you because he's a quick bastard. But look, you've seen how fast Jay is. If anyone can get the drop on that fucker, it's him."

Shade nodded.

"Morro, take the kids and get them to a safe location. We have to go find them." Garmadon said as he set the preteens down.

"Got it." Morro nodded. "I'll let you little shits borrow my piggy-bank card so long as you don't buy anything stupid while you're at the arcade, got it?"

"Got it!"

Garmadon looked to Ash, Tox, and Shade, "Take Nya down to the teens room. You'll know which one it is. Stay with her."

"Got it." Ash said firmly as he quickly moved to bring her below deck. "It's gonna be okay, Nya, you hear me?"

Morro handed Lloyd the card. "You all better stay somewhere near an adult, got it? No funny business. I'll be back here to pick you up as soon as we find the idiots."

"We got it Morro!" Lloyd said, "Just go find them!"

He nodded and ran off, hurrying back to the harbor.

"… Is it really a good idea to split up like this?" Sally asked. "What if they need our help…"

"They know what they're doing, Sally. Pythor is only one snake. If we're split it's harder for him to get us." Lloyd said.

"Can't argue with that logic." Gene nudged her. "Let's get inside. I'm freezing…"

"Morro told you to put on a jacket.." Brad pointed out.

"Shut up…" He yawned and moved to head inside, pulling Sally along with him.

Brad sighed and followed after them.

Lloyd moved to follow, only to pause when he heard familiar laughter. He ran to the alley instead, following the noise.

No-one was there…

Lloyd's brow furrowed as he looked around. He stayed quiet, trying to follow his training.

He was suddenly grabbed, a hand over his mouth as sharp claws dug into his jacket, just barely scratching him.

"You…" Pythor hissed.

Lloyd thrashed, trying to get free. He tried to yell, despite the hand muffling his words.

"You are one of the reasons my plan went to shit… and you're going to help me fix it, or else I'll kill you, and your precious little friends." He whispered. "Make a choice quickly, now…"

Lloyd's eyes widened, fear showing clear as he went still in Pythor's arms.

"Good." Pythor hummed. "I'm sure you remember where the other Serpentine Generals keep their staffs then?"

Lloyd nodded as best he could.

"Then we have a stop to make…" He said quietly. "Try to run, and I'll find a way to get vengestone on you."

Lloyd made a small noise of fear at that.

"I see we're at an understanding then, Lloyd."

Morro's phone began to ring.

His eyes widened as he flipped it open. "Yes?"

"WE LOST LLOYD!!" Came Sally's sobbing voice.

"WHAT?!" He looked back at the harbor. They'd already gotten into the air.

No. No. No. NO.

"He- He didn't come into the arcade! We only realized when Gene tried to ask for the card!" She cried.

"No… no, no, no!" Morro screamed as he ran over to the railing briefly, before he ran up to the command center. "We need to go back!"

Misako's brow furrowed, "We need to look for the boys. Morro.. What's wrong..?"

"Lloyd's missing!" He shouted. "He didn't enter the arcade!"

"What?!" Garmadon stood up.

Sally was still sobbing on the phone.

"Do they have any idea why he might've wandered off?" Misako asked, clearly struggling to keep her voice calm.

"Sally- d-do you know if you can ask to look at the security footage?" He asked shakily.

"Gene is trying!" She wailed.

There were hurried footsteps and Gene's panicked voice cut through her sobs, "They said we can look at it!"

"I'm on my way." Morro said.

"Morro-!"

"I'm going too." Garmadon growled. "If someone hurt Lloyd, I'm not letting them get away with it…"

"Wu and I will keep looking for the boys." Misako said and she moved to hug Garmadon, "Please be careful.."

Garmadon hugged her back, carefully fixing her hair behind her shoulders. "I will."

Misako held on for a moment before stepping back with a sigh.

"… Find them." He said quietly, before he quickly moved to follow Morro out.

Misako watched them go, a small frown on her face, "How did it go so wrong so quickly…?"

"… We couldn't have expected this…" Wu muttered. "It's possible that-"

He froze, taking a shaky breath as his hands glowed faintly. Once, twice, then it faded. "… He hadn't left the city." Wu finally said, his voice bordering on that dangerous line.

"But then… Why did the boys run off…?" Misako questioned as she walked over to him.

"I can only guess it was because of something piquing their interest." Wu muttered, his grip on the wheel tightened. "But this couldn't have happened at a worse time…"

Misako nodded slightly, "… We need to tell Nya Lloyd has disappeared.."

"We can't." He whispered, keeping his attention on their flight path. "If we do then it'll hurt her more…"

"Wu. We have to. We cannot keep her in the dark, especially when her and Morro's elements are connected. He is panicking more, she'll already know something else is wrong.." Misako said.

"… They'll be able to tell something's wrong with Lloyd." Wu murmured. "He's afraid and they can feel it…"

Misako nodded a bit, frowning softly. "… Whatever they ran off for… I hope it was important…"

"As do I…" He said quietly.

Garmadon rushed up to the arcade and practically slammed the door open.

"It opens automatically, but okay-" Morro said quickly as he moved over to where the kids were. Sally was still sobbing, clinging to Brad at this point. Gene was right next to them, hugging himself and looking very close to tears.

Garmadon rushed over and knelt down, "Are you three okay..?"

"Lloyd is gone and it's all my fault!" Sally whined. "I should've pulled him inside and- and-!"

Morro frowned as he reached into his wallet and set down some money on the counter. "For the damages." He muttered.

Garmadon scooped the children into his arms, murmuring soothing words and reassurances.

"Morro. Been a while."

He looked over at the other employee behind the counter.

"Tina?!" He shrieked.

"Yeah, yeah, chill out, windbag." She rolled her eyes and opened the small door that led behind the counter. "C'mon, got permission from the boss to look at the camera footage."

Garmadon was stood up again in seconds, still holding all three children.

Morro quickly followed Tina behind the counter, waiting briefly for Garmadon as they got to the back room. She flicked the lamp inside the security room on and moved over to the computers. "Let me know when you're ready."

Garmadon nodded a bit, holding the three kids closely as he waited for her to start the footage.

Tina sighed, and pressed the space-bar before she backed up. It was footage from earlier, when the kids had arrived at the arcade. There was no audio.

Morro's eyes widened as Lloyd entered the alleyway, and he looked to Tina. "Please tell me he-"

"He didn't come back out." She said. "No smell of blood or trace scents of hydrogen peroxide… or any other chemicals…"

Garmadon was quiet, staring at the screen. He was scowling.

Morro took a shaky breath at that, and stood upright. "Have you already-?"

"Already told them, they're supposed to be expecting you within the hour. Get moving." Tina said sharply. "And tell Davis he still owes me a coffee!"

"Yes, Ma'am." Morro said quickly and took Garmadon's free hand, leading him out.

Garmadon was still silent as he was pulled out.

As they made their way through the city to the police station, Morro was quiet; though his tight grip on his uncle's hand indicated he was troubled by the situation.

Garmadon had not once spoke since they watch the footage. By the look on his face, he was deep in his thoughts.

As Morro shoved the door open, the two officers at the reception desk groaned. "Hello, Morro." One of them said.

Gene and Brad looked around a bit. Gene had let some tears free too at this point. Though not as much as Sally who was still sobbing with her face buried against Garmadon.

"Tina told you why we're here." Morro said sharply. "Give me the bloody paperwork to fill out-"

"Oi, you know I've got to do that-"

"I'm not asking." He growled.

Gene wiped at his eyes and watched Morro.

"Fine, fine, name of missing person?" The officer asked.

"Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon. Age nine and a half years old. Height four feet and four inches. Commonly tells people he will bite them and will follow through on that threat." Morro said quickly as the officer wrote it all down.

"What was he last wearing?"

"A black hoodie with a skeleton print and a green five stitched onto it and jeans." Morro answered easily. "He should have dual-swords with him."

"What the fuck-" He squinted. "Why does a nine year old have dual-swords?"

"Why are you questioning the decisions of a tiny gremlin demigod?" Morro raised a brow.

Garmadon huffed a small laugh at that, the sentence seeming to draw him out of his thoughts.

The officer sighed. "Anything else?"

"We have suspicions that who took him is Pythor." Morro hissed.

"The Anacondrai? The one that's been stirring up trouble?"

"Are there any other Anacondrai you know of?" He muttered as the officer wrote it down.

"Anything else?"

"Need to see Detective Davis." He said. "He's used to my bullshit."

"Newsflash, Morro, we're all used to your bullshit." The other officer looked over. "Especially after you accidentally busted one of our cases."

"Accidentally busted a case?" Garmadon raised a brow.

"You say that as if I don't investigate crime on my spare time regularly." Morro said as they walked over to the elevator.

"If you weren't considered legally dead we'd have you on the force." The first officer commented. "Fuckin' scary."

"Oi, you're not supposed to curse around kids-"

"They're from Darkley's, Jack!"

"… Still."

"Bitch." Gene said.

Jack squinted at the kid as he pressed the button in the elevator. Thankfully it didn't take long to get to the floor they needed to be on. It was… busy.

"Yes, I know I said we'd figure out where your son went, yes, I know- I'm sorry, we're really run thin right now and-"

Jack sighed and walked inside. "Davis! Morro's here!"

A detective looked up from his desk and groaned as he stood up. "Of course. Got a priority case for me then."

"You're the only asshole I trust to try and track down my cousin, so yes." Morro said quietly. "Pythor has him."

"You don't know that for sure, kid."

"Do I need to show you evidence of the fact that Pythor has been hunting us?" Morro growled.

"No, you don't." Davis grabbed his pen and logbook. "Give me as many details as you can."

Morro took a deep breath and started to talk.

By the time he finished, he'd almost ran out of breath, quickly drawing in some air as he leaned a bit on one of the desks.

Brad and Gene had laid their heads against Garmadon, both silent.

"… And you're sure he's using Lloyd to get these Silver Fangblades?"

"Positive." Morro growled. "Pythor doesn't like to get his hands dirty, but he will if it comes down to it."

Garmadon nodded slightly, "I guarantee if we go back to that alleyway we will find some of his scales. And-"

"I already found some." Brad cut in, rummaging in his pocket and pulling out some purple and black scales. "There was… a lot…"

Morro grimaced. "Yep… it was him."

Garmadon growled lowly.

"I'll take those to put in for evidence." Davis said as he quickly got a bag and let Brad drop them in. "And Tina has already emailed us a copy of the footage."

"Good." Morro said softly. "… You owe her a coffee."

"I know. I'm planning on getting it to her later!" He hissed. "Fucking- dammit…"

"… Is that Lord Garmadon?" One of the officers asked quietly, and then the room got quiet.

Garmadon shrunk back a bit with all the attention suddenly on him.

Morro growled a bit. "Oi! Don't you fuckers have work to be doing?!" He snapped, and immediately the office got back to its usual noise level. "Serves them right."

Garmadon relaxed a bit with a small sigh of relief.

"We got a call from the Settlement near Jamanakai Village!" One of the officers piped up, and Detective Davis sighed.

"We'll keep a look out for anything… I promise, we'll help you find him, however we can."

Morro nodded. "Thank you."

Garmadon was quiet, clearly ready to leave.

Morro looked to Garmadon. "Let's go bring him home."

Zane kept running. It felt like something was urging him to follow the falcon… he couldn't place it.

Jay fell behind, coming to a stop. He was breathing heavily, "Keep going!" He called, "I'll… I'll catch up later.." He huffed.

Zane glanced back briefly, considering for a moment, before he continued. The route felt familiar somehow…

Kai and Cole continued to follow him.

They soon reached the threshold of the Birchwood Forest, and it didn't seem like Zane was stopping anytime soon.

Cole had dropped out a bit ago and Kai was struggling to keep up now too.

Kai stopped. He put his hands on his knees, breathing heavily, "Good thing...we're in...peak...physical...condition." He looked up at Zane and sighed heavily before continuing to follow him.

They both ran for a while longer before finally coming to a pause.

"Gosh, that bird just keeps going." Kai looked over at a sign. 'Beware of Treehorns'. He pointed to it, "Hey, what do you make of this?"

"I am not familiar with a Treehorn." Zane said quietly. "Perhaps we should wait for the others-?"

The falcon simply kept flying, and he sighed. "Or not…"

"It's probably just some wild squirrels, heh." Kai chuckled, "Well, don't lose him. I'll wait for the other guys to catch up." He waved Zane off.

He nodded, and continued to follow the falcon deeper into the forest.

The falcon flew farther and farther. It seemed to have no intention of stopping.

"Where are we going, my mysterious friend?" Zane asked, still not out of breath despite the others dropping out. It felt… strange. Familiar.

The falcon chirped and cawed as it flew a bit longer before it spun in place and fell down into the snow. Its caws died as it crashed.

Zane rushed over to it and quickly moved to check on it, but yelped as it sparked and convulsed unnaturally.

"You're… a robot…?" He asked quietly as he slowly took his hood off and lifted it up off of his head. "Why have you been following me then…?"

There were some sudden heavy steps a bit ahead of Zane.

"Intruder! Intruder! Prepare to be terminated!"

Zane's eyes widened and he quickly backed up, holding the falcon close. "I- apologies, I did not mean to intrude-"

The big bot paused as it stared at Zane, "Identification successful. Welcome home, Zane."

He frowned a bit. "How… how do you know my name?" He asked quietly.

"Welcome home, Zane." It said again.

Zane glanced back in the direction he'd entered. "Uhm… there might be three others coming through soon, please don't attack them. They're my friends."

"Visitors?" The bot said.

"Yes. They will be wearing similar gear to what I'm using right now, just in red, blue, and black." He explained softly.

"Identification?"

"The one in red is Kai, the one in blue is Jay, and the one in black is Cole." Zane walked over and gently patted the big bot's hand. "They might be a bit freaked out at first, please let them know it's safe."

"Visitors in database." The bot responded.

"Alright…" Zane glanced at the symbol on the falcon, and then looked around, his gaze falling on a tree with the same symbol. He walked over and carefully opened the hatch. As he looked down into the bunker, he felt… safe, but uneasy. "So this was our home, my mysterious friend?"

He got down the stairs, and moved to the workbench, settling the falcon onto it carefully. He began to rummage through the blueprints and grabbed a couple to look at. "Let me see if…"

Zane froze as he looked at the other set of blueprints. The one that was clearly supposed to be…

Himself?

"What… no- no-" His breathing picked up as his hand trailed to his chest, towards where the diagram said the hatch to access his systems. He fumbled around with his gi, undoing it just to check, just to make sure…

But the seam was unmistakable now that he noticed it.

"No- no, please-"

His breathing was sharp and uneven, it didn't make sense. Why? Why? What did it mean?! Why wasn't he-?!

Zane covered his mouth, trying to silence his frantic muttering, it wouldn't stop. Why wasn't he human? What'd happened to cause this? Why? Why? Why?

There was some chatter outside.

"Identification recognized. Welcome visitors, Kai, Cole, Jay."

Zane adjusted a bit, fixing his gi back into place. He leaned over the workbench. He took a shaky breath and glanced at the falcon. "Is- is this what you wanted to show me?"

The falcon did not answer.

"Zane? You down there?" Jay's voice called from above.

"Zane?" Kai frowned as they approached. "Hey, doesn't this seem like the bunker he was describing?"

Zane looked back at them briefly, before he moved to fix up the falcon; he remained careful as he worked. It felt familiar… painfully so.

"I think it is." Cole said, "He is down there. Let's go." He began heading down the steps, quickly followed by Kai and Jay.

"Zane?" Kai walked over to him. "Are you hurt-?"

"… Please don't freak out." He said quietly.

"Freak out about what…?" Jay asked.

Zane turned around after the falcon began to move again. He looked down at himself, then back at the blueprints. A brief moment passed and he walked over to the bed and sat down before he undid his gi once more; his hands trembled as he got his nails between the panel in his chest and pulled it open.

There were three screams as the boys eyes widened.

"You're.. a robot?!" Kai exclaimed.

"All this time… and I never knew…" Zane whispered.

"Uh- Guess this explains why you're always acting so weird… Right…?" Jay let out some nervous chuckles.

Zane frowned a bit, and looked down at all the switches. "The reason I never had a sense of humor was because my funny switch wasn't on."

"… You wanna flip it on..?" Kai suggested softly.

Zane took a shaky breath. "I do not know what will happen if I do…"

Jay looked at the blueprints on the table and read of them them, "It says the song Hello, My Baby will start to play and you'll dance and sing along to the song.."

"… I do not like that." Zane squinted. "Is there… a memory switch of some kind…?"

Jay looked closer, "There is! The first switch on the right."

Zane looked in, and moved his hand to hover over it. "… Here goes nothing…"

He flicked it.

The other three watched quietly, clearly worried and nervous.

His vision went dark as his memories began to play…

The memories passed through his sight in a rewind.

"Hello, Zane." His father smiled softly as he put on his glasses.

Zane saw himself in a mirror as his father helped him walk.

He saw himself kick a ball and fall over as it bounced back and hit him. His father helped him sit up.

He saw his father teaching him to cook.

He saw him getting his first robot friend and hugging it close.

He watched his father build his falcon and let it fly for the first time.

He played with a toy car with the falcon on his shoulder. His father then walked over and they took a picture together.

"You were built to protect those who cannot protect themselves." His father said from the bed as he held a yellow butterfly carefully.

His father was guiding a man, his name had been Shard, down the steps. "Zane! Set up a cot! We have a guest. He is injured and very ill!"

Suddenly, his father was much older and laying in the bed. He looked weak and tired.

"You were always the son I never had." His father said weakly, "It's time you begin your next stage in life." He cupped Zane's cheek for a moment, wiping away some tears that had begun to fall, "And the only reason I'm about to do this is because," He took off his glasses, "I love you…" He weakly opened Zane's front panel and turned off the memory switch. Zane went stiff and his gaze went to the wall.

He heard his father's glasses hit the floor as he stood still. Then it slowly faded to black.

He blinked back into the present as the falcon landed on his shoulder. A tear slid on his cheek.

"Are you okay?" Kai asked.

"Yeah, what happened? What did you see?" Jay piped up.

"Guys, give him some room!" Cole said quickly, clearly worried.

Zane took a breath, "… I have a father.. Just one. He built me… and the falcon… and much of the other stuff in this place… The other person from my dream… I believe he was the previous Master of Ice…" He said, "… He gave me this.." His hand drifted to the circular, glowing, blue object at the top left of the opening.

"What is it?" Jay asked quietly.

"Dude!"

"What! Can I not be curious? No!" Jay hissed. "Zane's a Nindroid and I'm curious!"

Zane opened his mouth to answer before pausing, "… A Nindroid..?"

"Ninja android." Jay added. "Thus, Nindroid!"

"Whatever, can we just not ask Zane clearly invasive questions?" Kai grimaced. "I may be curious too but you don't see me outright asking it."

Zane smiled slightly, "It is quite alright…" He hummed slightly, "It is called… An energy core… It holds my Elemental Powers.. And powers me completely.."

"Woah…" Jay said quietly. "That's so cool!"

"And a little concerning… what happens if it breaks somehow?" Kai asked.

"… I am not sure.. But I get the feeling it will not break easily.." Zane said.

"Well, that's good at least…" Cole said softly. "But how do we even break the news to the others?"

"I mean we could just explain it randomly at dinner." Jay shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time everyone's found out life-changing news over the dinner table."

"That is… very fair.." Kai sighed.

Zane hummed, "I suppose that works.." He closed his chest.

"It's decided then, we go and tell everyone at dinner."

"… Uh… guys? Why the hell do I feel a little freaked out now?" Jay asked.

"… I dunno.. But I do too.." Kai said.

"Okay so it's not just me?" Cole frowned. "But that means that…"

Zane's eyes widened as he looked between all of them. "I feel it too… that's- that's not good."

"If all of us are feeling it.. And we don't know why…" Jay trailed off.

"Lloyd!" Kai cried.

Zane quickly got up. "We have to find him!"

"Agreed!" Cole moved to run up the stairs.

Kai and Jay quickly followed him.

Zane followed close behind as the falcon flew off of his shoulder to move ahead of the group. His heart- his core pulsed uncomfortably, like it was being strained.

Kai ran ahead, seemingly knowing exactly what way to go.

The others followed, and Zane could faintly hear loud thuds in the distance, but it didn't matter right now; not with Lloyd in danger. Not when he could feel his terror.

Kai had begun to melt the snow around him as he ran.

Sparks flicked off of Jay's feet and onto the snow, his own anxiety clearly starting to amp up.

The snow got harder around Zane's feet as rocks from Cole broke the ice just as quick.

There was a piercing scream in the distance…

Lloyd.

"We need to get to him!" Zane shouted.

Kai sped up. Snow melted all around him, only to be quickly replaced by Zane.

"Faster!" Jay shrieked, "He's in trouble!"

The thuds were getting closer as they got nearer.

"LLOYD!" Kai called.

"HELP!" Lloyd's voice cut through the wind, through the loud stomping, through the growing snowstorm, through all of it. The distance was maddening.

They pushed themselves. Running faster, harder.

"GET THEM!" A familiar voice called. "DO NOT LET PYTHOR ESCAPE!"

Jay was sparking harshly, keeping a bit of a distance from the others so he wouldn't shock them.

They soon got close to the group of Serpentine, as well as Pythor, who was tightly gripping Lloyd's shoulder, a dagger to the kid's throat.

"Pythor.." Kai growled. Much of him was smoking and his hands were on fire.

"You!" Pythor turned to face them. "Do not follow us-"

"They stole the anti-venom!" One of the Constrictai shouted. "All of them!"

Lloyd was trembling as he looked to them. He looked terrified, his palms aglow.

"Let Lloyd go, Pythor!" Cole demanded.

"And the anti-venoms!" Zane added.

"And why should I? You meddlesome ninja have caused me nothing but trouble since I've been released! It's only fair that I get to strike back!" Pythor snapped.

"You've already cannibalized almost a hundred people!" Skales shouted. "You killed the other Anacondrai! You can't have expected for us not to find out!"

"I didn't expect you to care!" Pythor hissed. "The surface-dwellers locked us underground with no supplies, no food, it was only a matter of time!"

"We only caused you trouble because you had two of Lloyd's friends!" Jay yelled.

"So?! You shouldn't have even gotten involved in the first place!" The Anacondrai snarled, unaware of Lloyd reaching for his dual-swords.

"What?! Were we just supposed to let you eat Brad and Gene?!" Jay shrieked.

Pythor was about to retort, but he screamed in pain as Lloyd yanked himself free and drove one of his swords into his side. A bit of energy flowed through the blade, burning him.

The teens jolted and then all grinned.

"Yes, Lloyd!" Kai encouraged.

A loud howling screech pierced the storm, causing Lloyd to jolt and yank his sword out. He backed away as he looked around, his tail flicked as his attention turned to their surroundings.

"What was that?!" Skales shouted.

"Cute, tiny birds?" Jay suggested meekly.

"No, wait-" Cole looked around, drawing the Scythe of Quakes as more of that stomping shook the ground. "Did you see that?!"

Kai looked around, his eyes widening, "Treehorns!"

"Everyone! Be on your guard!" Skales shouted.

"Doing our best, Skales! But these things are the size of the trees here!" Spitta shouted as he dodged a Treehorn's foot.

Jay jumped at one, hitting its legs with his nunchucks and knocking it down.

More Treehorns approached, as one knocked Kai into a tree at almost full force. Lloyd screamed as another ran at him and Pythor; he scrambled on all fours back over to the team, avoiding the Treehorns as he did. However, due to where Kai was kicked he ended up in the path of numerous more Treehorns, he was kicked quite a few more times. He couldn't get up.

Cole grabbed one by the leg and swung it around, knocking one over before threw it into another.

"Kai!" Lloyd scrambled over to him and quickly moved to get him out of the way of danger. He settled them against a tree, between its roots.

Zane pulled his hood up over his head and ran into battle. He pulled his shurikens out and quickly knocked several Treehorns off-balance, though afterwards they began to swarm again.

"There's- There's too many of them!" Cole yelped as he was overwhelmed.

Jay cried out as he was also overwhelmed.

"Leave my friends alone!" Zane shouted as he jumped into Spinjitzu and knocked into a bunch of Treehorns. Jay and Cole got free, and Jay helped Cole up.

"What's gotten into Zane?" Cole asked.

"Who cares! Let's help him!" Jay grinned and jumped into Spinjitzu. Cole quickly followed suit.

The Serpentine scouts were shouting at one another in their native tongues, a few words were decipherable, and most of them being insults towards Pythor.

The Treehorns suddenly began regrouping, walking away from them all. The three teens stopped their tornadoes.

"Are they… regrouping..?" Jay looked at the larger Treehorn that was now approaching, "Who's that?"

"Their Queen." Zane muttered, though he stepped forward, the Shurikens of Ice aglow. "You will not hurt my friends!" He shouted, his voice filled with conviction. "There is nothing that will hold me back! I know who I am!"

An icy, light blue glow surrounded him and he rose into the air.

"What's happening to him? Was he programmed to do that?" Cole asked.

"I've never seen a robot do that!" Jay said quickly.

"You mean.. Nindroid…" Cole corrected.

"Yeah- whatever-" Jay backed up a bit, covering his face a bit as the wind kicked up. "What the hell- is Morro nearby or something?!"

"No! No- I think- Zane's unlocked his true potential!" Cole exclaimed.

Zane suddenly threw the Shurikens of Ice and dropped into a brightly glowing Spinjitzu tornado. He did circles around the Queen, forcing her legs closer together. She was too wobbly and disoriented to move.

Zane's tornado dissipated as he rose into air in front of her again. The Shurikens of Ice returned to his hands as he continued to glow. A sudden beam of icy blue light shot from Zane's chest and the Queen was soon completely encased in ice.

The glow faded from around Zane and he dropped from the air.

"Zane!" Jay ran over to him and caught him, barely. He gave a shaky grin. "You okay, buddy?"

"Wha- What happened..?" Zane asked weakly.

"You unlocked your True Potential." Cole walked over, before he paused and looked over at where Lloyd had pressed himself and Kai into the roots of a nearby tree. "… And Kai missed it."

"… I get what Morro meant by mental roadblock now… I was being held back by the fact that I my past was unknown to me… But now.. I remember everything.. I remember where I came from… And I feel stronger for knowing." Zane said.

Jay smiled a bit. "And I'm glad that you know now… honestly, I was getting a little tired of the curse theories-"

"They were valid theories!" Lloyd snarled.

"Oi, we will talk with you about that later, little Mr. Probably Gave Your Parents a Heart Attack!" Jay snipped, pointing at the kid.

"It wasn't my fault!" Lloyd growled.

"Cut the kid some slack, Jay… Lloyd was only able to hit Pythor because we were here." Cole murmured.

The familiar sound of the Bounty's engines approached them as the storm seemed to ease up.

Lloyd huffed. "Cole! Can you at least get your stupid crush up so that I don't have to camp and make sure he doesn't get murked?!"

Kai let out a delirious grumble. He was still very not awake. He had taken a good hit to the head and many kicks to his torso and arms.

Cole's face got red as he stormed over and scooped Kai up carefully. He shot a look at the nine-year-old, who stuck out his tongue and put his swords back in their sheaths.

"Pythor got away!" Spitta ran over to them, panting a bit. "I'm sorry, we tried to stop him, but those creatures-"

"Treehorns." Zane amended.

"Treehorns, whatever- they made it too hard to catch him… we will keep an eye out for him.. but as of right now, we no longer have our anti-venom… or any of the tribes' anti-venoms." Spitta said quietly. "I am so sorry. If something happens… it's out of our control for now… it takes about a year to make new antivenom capsules and… well…"

"We understand, Spitta." Cole gently set a hand on his shoulder. "Go help the others, and get your butts out of the cold, you know some of you get tired."

"Some of us!" He hissed, playfully shoving Cole. "But.. yeah, you're right… if I'd known that the Birchwood Forest would be this cold… I would've sat this one out."

"We will keep an eye out for Pythor.." Zane said, "Hopefully we can get the anti-venoms back… But I am afraid now we must get home.." He glanced up at the approaching Bounty then at Kai, "Kai will certainly need medical attention…"

"Yep. Well, Cole, I think you know what you're gonna be stuck doing, eh?" Jay grinned.

"Shut the hell up, Jay." He muttered, keeping his eyes to the snow. His hold on Kai was careful, but firm.

Lloyd bumped himself against Zane and Jay. "… Didn't get to go to the arcade b'cause of Pythor…" He mumbled, his tail had stopped moving.

Zane frowned softly and gently ran his hand through Lloyd's hair, "We will take you again another day. I think today has had more than enough excitement for everyone.."

"Mhm…" Lloyd moved his head into the touch, his tail flicked a little.

Garmadon looked up as the Bounty got closer. He was still holding all three children closely.

"Do you think they found them?" Morro asked quietly, the wind had slowed slightly.

"I hope so.." Garmadon muttered, "They will be helpful in finding Lloyd.."

The ladder dropped down, and Morro glanced between Garmadon and the kids. "Alright, who's first?"

"The children." Garmadon said, and held Brad out to the ladder.

Brad huffed and grabbed onto the ladder. It didn't take long for him to start climbing up. Gene went second, and then Sally was stuck in Garmadon's arms, her hands trembling.

"… What if I fall…?" She asked quietly.

Garmadon hummed, "You will not. I will carry you up."

"Thank you…" She held onto him tightly, and buried her face against his chest, just to keep herself from crying…

Garmadon lightly patted her back and began to climb.

As soon as Garmadon was further up on the ladder, Morro climbed on, though he remained patient as his Uncle got to the top before he made his way up as quickly as he possibly could.

Garmadon held Sally close until he was away from the edge.

Sally still held onto him tightly for a little bit, before she took some deep breaths, her gaze falling onto the wooden deck of the ship. "… 'm sorry I can't climb the ladder…"

"It is quite alright. The ladder swings easily and is quite high, it is understandable to fear falling.." Garmadon said softly.

"Okay…" She rubbed at her eyes. "Can- can I go back to my bed now…? It's been too much today…"

"Of course.." Garmadon gently set her down.

Sally made her way over to Brad and Gene, who were at the stairwell that led below deck. She bumped herself against them a bit, and they began to walk to their shared room.

"… This isn't fair!" Brad hissed. "Why didn't Lloyd just come inside with us?!"

"We can ask him when we get him back." Gene huffed, "After I smack him for being reckless."

"I just want him home…" Sally mumbled as Brad yanked their door open and got inside.

Gene was close behind him and shut the door once Sally was inside too.

"Seriously, he could have just come inside but no, he had to look around!" Brad stormed over to the bed and climbed onto it. "It's not fair! It's stupid and annoying and now I'm worrying-"

"Well I'm glad to know you guys are okay.." Came Lloyd's voice from under their bed.

Brad stiffened and moved to look under the bed, still laying atop it. "… You're okay?!"

Sally made a quiet noise of relief and bumped her head against Gene.

Lloyd huffed, "… The guys found me.." He said.

Brad was quiet for a moment before he weakly reached his hands down under the bed, trying to reach for Lloyd. "Get up here… y'scared us half to death, you jerk…"

Lloyd crawled out, " 'm sorry.. Didn't mean to.."

"Yeah well next time I'm gonna handcuff all of us together if you pull another stunt like that!" Brad pulled him into his arms. "And you're gonna be in the middle so you can't run off!"

"I didn't do it on purpose! Pythor is an ass!" Lloyd huffed, but snuggled close to Brad anyway.

Brad pulled him the rest of the way onto the bed while Sally and Gene got onto it and hugged Lloyd. "I'll find a way to make the most effective knock-out gas and put him in a room with the shit forever." He muttered.

"I did manage to stab him." Lloyd mentioned.

"Really?" Sally asked quietly, though she'd buried her face into Lloyd's hair, and thus was hardly paying attention… the pros and cons of being hugged by Sally.

"Good. He deserves it. And more." Gene huffed.

Lloyd nodded a bit, "Yeah.."

"… Did he hurt you?" Brad asked softly.

"… Not much.." Lloyd shrugged slightly.

"Good. Still needs to get pummeled for what he's been doing though." Brad sighed, his hold on Lloyd loosening a bit. "… I got to pick up his stupid scales."

"Yeah that was gross…" Sally mumbled.

Lloyd made a face, "You don't still have them, do you..?"

"Nah, gave em to the police as evidence." He adjusted a little, closing his eyes. "Either way, I wouldn't keep his stupid scales unless there was some sort of curse we could cast on him that requires his DNA."

"… Ooh.. Maybe we should see if there is a curse we can do..!" Lloyd grinned a bit.

"Later…" Sally whined. "I'm tired…!"

"Well, you were crying the whole time.." Gene pointed out.

"I was scared, okay…?" She mumbled, burying her face more against Lloyd. "Didn't want to lose any of you again…"

Lloyd wilted a bit, "I'm sorry.."

Brad set a hand on Sally's head. "Crybaby."

"Shut up…!"

"Big crybaby." He snickered a little, causing her to mutter irritably, but she didn't do anything about it.

Lloyd giggled a bit and smiled some while Gene rolled his eyes in amusement.

"You not gonna retaliate this time?" Brad asked, to which Sally glared at him.

"I can't retaliate because Lloyd's in both of our arms and if I move right now I think I am going to do something I will regret. So shut up." She hissed, before promptly burying her face against Lloyd again.

Lloyd reached up and patted her head. And as if on cue, she melted against him, finally seeming to relax.

This made Lloyd relax as well. His tail adjusted and curled around them.

"Let's just rest… it's been a long day…"

Kai still hadn't woken up really at all, but he was more relaxed now that they were home. Cole glanced at the others. He was careful, holding Kai, who was still quite out of it thanks to the Treehorns.

"… So can we talk about it?" Jay asked.

"About what..?" Zane asked.

"About the whole… Nindroid thing?" He raised a brow. "I mean, Nya and the others still have to hear about it-"

"Nindroid thing..? What's a Nindroid..?" Nya asked quietly.

"Zane's a Nindroid!" Jay pointed to him. "We found out today! After we followed the falcon!"

"Okay… So what does that mean?" Tox asked, "None of us know what a Nindroid is."

Zane sighed and began undoing the front of his gi.

"Uh, kid?" Ash crossed his arms. "The hell are you doing?"

"Showing you what Jay means." Zane said simply. He slipped the top of his gi off his shoulders.

"Zane, I do not believe that's going to help clarify anything." Shade said quietly.

"It will." Zane said, "… Trust me.."

"… So are we sure that this isn't super invasive?" Cole asked. "I mean, we don't know much about… all of this- well maybe Zane does but still…"

"It is alright." Zane said, "They are family, Cole." And then he opened his chest panel.

Ash stared for a moment, before he took a deep breath. "Okay, frosty-flakes, you better be messing with us."

"I am not.." Zane said quietly.

Tox glanced between them, before she sighed. "Well that makes… some sense."

"It does?" Zane tilted his head.

"I mean…" Tox frowned a bit. "The whole thing about not knowing what grief is?"

"… Ah.. Right.." Zane looked down, "… My father turned off my memories when he passed… I had no experience with death or loss at all before that. And he wanted me to move on without that pain…"

"He what?!" Ash stood up. "No fucking way! That's- that's-"

"Incredibly irresponsible and stupid?" Shade suggested.

"YES!"

"I do not understand why exactly he did it… But he had said I was always the son he never had.. It was time for me to begin my next stage of life… And that he was only doing it because he loved me.." Zane said.

"Zane, buddy, I don't know how to tell you this, but not allowing someone to experience grief isn't exactly something I take lightly… and definitely not something Morro would take lightly either, 'specially considering his heritage." Ash said.

"Gotta agree with smokescreen here, even if the intentions weren't malicious — it's dangerous to do that to anyone, let alone an Elemental Master." Tox crossed her arms. "Hell… we all know that the Elements themselves carry grief and pain…"

"They do?!" Jay stared at her.

"Obviously!" She rolled her eyes. "Especially your elements! They were directly tied to the First Spinjitzu Master and are the Elements of Creation! They're interconnected!"

"Oh… Yes, I guess that makes sense.. I did not think about that.." Zane mumbled.

"Wait, they're all interconnected? So that means that…" Cole paused, and glanced to the door, before he groaned and leaned back into the pillows. "This isn't fair! Why does it have to be so frickin' stupid?!"

"Destiny hates uuuuuss!" Jay complained.

"No shit." Ash sat back down. "… So what the hell kinda components did your father even use? That core doesn't seem normal…"

"Bet you thirty that it was made by the previous Master of Ice." Tox grinned.

"I'm going to smite you if you're right."

Zane looked at it, "It was made by Shard… He told me about my powers before he left.. and that Sensei Wu would come find me.."

"Called it!" Tox grinned before she was quickly pulled into a noogie by Ash, who messed up her hair in the process. "Ay! AY!"

The awake teens all laughed at her misfortune.

"Well at the very least, you can probably come up with some inside jokes." Ash said as he released Tox, who sharply elbowed him.

Zane shut his chest panel and smiled a bit, "I am just glad to know who I truly am now."

"Yes, that one is definitely more important than coming up with inside jokes." Shade nodded. "… So how long is Cole going to be trapped?"

"Ha-Ha, very funny. If I didn't have Kai clinging to me, I'd throw a pillow at you." Cole huffed.

Zane chuckled, "Probably a while… Kai was knocked around quite a bit.."

"Yeah… at least we got Lloyd back safe." Jay sighed. "Wonder how long it'll take for Garmadon to—"

There were some quick footsteps down the hall and some resounding shouts of indignation and laughter.

Cole snorted, "About.. now." He grinned.

"Good!" Jay sighed. "I do not wanna know how tense he gets when Lloyd's missing."

"None of us do." Cole huffed, "It'd be horrible."

"Agreed." Zane looked down. "Considering how Morro was…? It may be best that we avoid that happening as much as possible."

"So no leaving Lloyd alone when he goes out." Jay said, "Got it."

"Yeah, that's probably for the best." Shade looked down.

Tox nodded, "Yeahh.. We'll stick around to help with that. Pythor's made it clear he isn't just gonna give up."

"Thanks, guys." Cole smiled weakly. "And… thanks, for coming to help on such short notice."

"Of course.." Shade said, "We aren't gonna let you deal with this alone.."

There was a quiet knocking on the doorframe before Morro walked inside. He moved over to his usual spot on the floor. After a moment he settled down and covered his eyes. "What'd I miss?"

"Zane's a Nindroid!" Jay grinned.

"… Mhm… m'kay…" He mumbled.

"Aren't you curious about what a Nindroid is?" Cole asked.

Morro lifted his arm off of his eyes. "You got ten seconds to explain or I'm gonna nap in peace."

Zane opened his chest again.

Morro stared briefly, before he quickly shot upright. "WHAT THE FUCK?!"

Jay snickered and fist-bumped Cole.

Zane smiled sheepishly, "Yes.. It was quite a surprise for me too.."

Morro stared for a moment before his eye flicked to the memory switch. "… Zane. Zane, please tell me that was on when you found out?"

"… It was not.." Zane answered quietly.

Morro got up, and slowly pressed the panel back into place. He carefully pulled Zane into his arms, and held him close. "… I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry, Zane…"

Zane stiffened for a moment before melting in the hug and clinging to Morro.

"I promise… I won't let anything like that happen to you again." Morro rubbed circles into his back. "This doesn't make you any less of a person, don't ever forget that…"

"… Thank you.." Zane said quietly. His voice was a bit shaky.

"I'm always in your corner… no matter what happens." He murmured, carefully settling into a more comfortable but protective position, keeping Zane close.

Zane relaxed in Morro's hold. A few tears fell down his cheeks.

"Cry as much as you need." Morro said softly. "None of us are gonna judge, promise…"

Zane sniffled and more tears began to fall.

"There you go…" He rocked him back and forth. "Just let it out… we've got you…"

Zane cried quietly against Morro, the full weight of the situation finally fully hitting him. His Father was dead… the previous Elemental Master of Ice was likely dead as well… his memories had been turned off just to save him the grief…

It hurt.

Morro hummed softly. "I know… I know… it's so much." He ran his hand through his hair a bit. "It's not going to be easy… but it'll get better, I promise, brother."

"How..? They're dead.. They're both dead…"

"But you remember them, yes?" Morro asked softly. "You still carry a piece of them within your heart?"

"… Yeah.." Zane sniffled, "I- I do.."

"Then they still live on in your memories." Morro whispered. "And I promise you, we will light a lantern for them on the Day of the Departed…"

"… Okay.." Zane mumbled.

"There ya go…" He smiled sadly. "Feeling a bit better then?"

"… Yeah.. A bit.." Zane murmured.

"Good." Morro gently pat his head. "One day at a time, Zane… one day at a time. It'll get easier, and sometimes it'll get harder… and when it gets harder, you know where to find me."

Zane nodded a bit, lifting a hand to rub at his eyes.

"Why would someone create a being who is able to experience such sadness, but not allow them to do that…?" Shade murmured, his expression solemn.

"Who knows.." Ash muttered.

"… Maybe we can go look around in the Bunker again..?" Jay suggested quietly, "I mean.. What we saw was only one main room with one bed, work space, and kitchen set.. So there has to be more-"

"There wasn't…" Zane mumbled.

"One bed…?" Morro asked quietly. "Zane, were you able to get any proper sleep?"

"… I wasn't allowed on the bed unless Father wasn't sleeping.." Zane said quietly.

Morro held him closer. "No… no…" He whispered. "No, Zane… listen to me… that's not acceptable, no matter what. Okay?"

"… So it wasn't acceptable either when he turned off my taste receptors so I wouldn't eat the food..?" Zane murmured.

Morro took a shuddery breath, and held him as close as he possibly could, shielding him with his whole body. "It wasn't… it wasn't…"

"… He wasn't a very good father was he..?" Zane asked quietly.

"No, he wasn't." Morro murmured. "… Do you want to talk to Dad about it…?"

"I… I think so.." Zane mumbled, "… I met him once.. Before he collected me to be a ninja.."

Morro frowned a bit. "Do you wanna go talk to him now, or do you need some more time?"

"… Now, please.." Zane said quietly.

He nodded and got up, carefully lifting Zane up. He left the room quickly and made his way to Wu's room, where the door was slightly ajar. He was sitting down, reading a book, though when he glanced up, he quickly set the book aside and nodded to them.

"What is it?" Wu asked softly.

Morro made his way over and sat down, though he still carried Zane and held him close. "… There's some things that… that need to be discussed, Father."

Zane twiddled his fingers together, clearly feeling a bit nervous.

"… I see…" He adjusted to face them properly, his voice laced with concern. "What's troubling you, Zane?"

"… Can you set me down for a moment, Morro..? So I can show him..?" Zane asked quietly.

Morro nodded and carefully settled Zane into his own spot. He looked a little worried, but set a hand on his shoulder.

Zane took a breath and then opened up his chest once again.

Wu was silent for a moment, and he took a deep breath. "Oh, Zane…" He said softly. "… How- how did you find out…?"

"You suspected he wasn't human…?" Morro asked quietly.

"No, but I knew from my brief encounter with his Father that things were not what they appeared." He murmured.

"… The falcon led us to his bunker.." Zane said quietly, "… I found my blueprints.."

Wu held open his arms for him, a wordless offer of comfort.

Zane immediately closed the panel and accepted the hug.

He held the boy close, rubbing circles into his back carefully. "You're still a part of this family, Zane… and if anyone treats you like you're less than a person, let me know so I can scare them halfway to the Cursed Realm…"

"Father!" Morro cried.

"They'd deserve it." Wu said simply. "No matter what form our souls are housed in, we're all still people. It doesn't matter and it shouldn't matter… for life is a gift for all who can experience it."

"… Why do you all treat me more like a human than he did..?" Zane asked shakily.

Wu drew an unsteady breath, and pressed his forehead against Zane's. "Because not all parents are fit to care for their young… and you were such a case, my child…"

Zane sniffled, "… I see.." He mumbled.

"I promise… we will never treat you like that." Wu pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "You're your own person… and we all love you, Zane… don't forget that."

"… Thank you.." Zane said shakily, "Thank you…"

Morro shuffled over and sandwiched Zane between himself and Wu. "And don't forget Uncle and I will beat the crap out of whoever tries to be an asshole to you."

Zane let out a shaky laugh, "Yes.. I know.. I know…" Some more tears began to fall, "… Thank you.."

"Let us know if you ever need to talk, Zane." Wu smiled softly. "We'll listen whenever you need."

Zane nodded a bit, "Okay…"

"… Do you want me to stop sandwiching you now?" Morro asked quietly. "I just- thought you might need the extra comfort."

"No.. No, don't, please.." Zane murmured.

"Alright…" Morro remained in place, his hand reaching up and carefully brushing away what little tears remained. "… I don't know how you're handling this so well, but it's okay to not be strong all the time, Zane… we're a team, and a family… that means being your safety net too…"

"I- I just… I just don't know how to feel about him…" Zane admitted, "He wasn't the best at all.. But he still made me… And- And it feels wrong to be upset at a departed person…"

"… Father once told me that he often did not get along with his own family prior to leaving for Ninjago…" Wu murmured. "He said that you can still appreciate being brought into being while being critical of the actions those who brought you into this world had made."

"… And as someone whose birth father isn't known and in my opinion was a bitchass motherfucker? I'm only grateful for the people who raised me to be who I am today… not the one who forced me into existing." Morro said softly. "It's never going to not be complicated… and that's fine."

Zane took a shaky breath, "Okay.. okay.." He nodded some.

"… If it helps, I will gladly read a letter explaining why you're upset with him to his face if the need ever arises." Wu said softly. "After all, Destiny does not like to be kind to any of us…"

"No kidding…" Morro muttered. "Second that. You get full permission to use swears in the letter too-"

"Morro."

"What? He's old enough!"

Zane giggled, "… I do not think I will swear at him.."

"Okay, okay…" Morro sighed. "But still. Use colorful language to enunciate your frustrations!"

"Morro, your theatre enjoyment is showing." Wu snickered softly.

"And? Sue me if it is too dramatic for you, ya old fart!" Morro grinned.

"Oh dear…" He rolled his eyes. "You, my son, must calm yourself."

"I am!" He argued with a smile.

Zane giggled some more, his expression brightening.

Wu smiled at the two of them, and gently ruffled their hair a bit. "You both are little troublemakers in your own ways… and I'm proud that you've unlocked your True Potential, Zane."

"Wait, you what- you what?" Morro stared at him. "No way! You stinker!"

Zane smiled a bit, "Yes.. I did after I unlocked my memories and realized who I truly was.. That was what was holding me back.."

"Well, I'm glad that you were able to figure it out." Wu said softly. "And in time, who knows… you may discover more about yourself that not even your father knew."

"… Yes.. I hope so.." Zane smiled some more, "I already have… He never programmed me to cook.. Nor did he teach me it… I found that passion on my own."

Wu held Zane a little more securely. "… I see." He whispered.

"… Hey so like, full stop but genuine question. If I ever meet your father, can I please begin verbally destroying him-" Morro began, his voice teetering on that line of playful and genuine irritation.

Zane paused and frowned, "Was- Was that not right..?"

"Dude, he programmed hunger and needing to eat into you and didn't teach you how to cook even the most bare-bones basic stuff?" Morro asked.

Zane looked down, "… He did not.. I um… I did not get to eat most of the meals he made.." He admitted quietly, "… I mostly had chips and crackers… The smaller things…"

"… Okay… If Uncle ever finds out about this, we have to ban him from going to Mystake's. For like… a thousand years or something." Morro deadpanned.

"Bold of you to assume he'll let it go within a thousand years…" Wu muttered. "Even I'm tempted…"

"Don't." Morro flicked Wu's forehead. "Nuh uh. Nope. Nah! Not happening! I'll get a weighted blanket and drop it on you!"

Zane was quiet, "Was it not right for him to do that..? I understand why it would be bad now.. I need energy to be a ninja. But I did not do much stuff then.."

Wu took a deep breath. "Were you in a lot of pain when you didn't get to eat often?"

"… Yes.." Zane answered quietly.

"It was not right." He murmured. "Not right at all, Zane…"

"… Hey so can I actually-"

"Morro."

"Destiny cannot keep me from meeting him forever, everyone dies at some point and I am going to use my time to be a menace to those who have harmed everyone in this family even if it takes ten thousand years." He hissed.

Zane stayed quiet while they spoke, clearly processing it all.

"I know, Morro…" Wu sighed. "I know."

"Oh wait shit, we should make a note not to tell Lloyd-"

There was a loud skittering from the doorway.

"Fuck." He whined and bumped his head against Zane's. "Welp, if we ever encounter your father by some happenstance we have to restrain Lloyd."

"Hmm.. That will be unfortunate.." Zane murmured.

"Indeed." Wu sighed. "But such is our nature… we do not like it when those we love have been hurt…"

"… I am glad I have done good enough to deserve protection.." Zane said softly.

"Zane." Morro hugged him tight, as did Wu. "You don't have to do good enough to deserve protection. You're family… and that means we will protect you, even if you do something a little stupid at some point… because we love you… not because you've made us feel you were good enough."

"Morro is right…" Wu murmured as he carefully settled a hand on the back of Zane's head. "You're a part of this family, and we care… no strings, no ties… we just do."

"Right.. Right… I do not know why I thought otherwise… It just.. happened…" Zane mumbled.

"Old memories… old feelings…" Morro said softly. "It's okay… we can work it out as we go… I used to feel that way once… not anymore."

"It will take time." Wu explained, but he had a sad smile. "But as do all things, especially when one must grow."

"You're being sappy and cryptic again, Dad!" Morro complained, though he had a small grin.

Zane laughed a bit, "Sensei is always cryptic. I do not think that will ever change…"

Morro groaned with a feigning complaint once more, but sighed. "Either way, we'll get those old thoughts knocked outta you one day. Promise."

"Thank you, Morro…"

Morro smiled a bit. "Feeling good enough to head back to the room or do ya wanna be sandwiched a little while longer?"

"… I think I am okay to go back now.." Zane said softly.

"Let me know if you ever need to talk." Wu told him as he let go. Morro pulled away and got up, stretching a bit. "… You're stretching wrong-"

"Achy muscles! Achy bones!" Morro stuck his tongue out. "I'll have some tea and do proper stretches later, Dad!"

Zane snickered softly as he got up as well.

As they exited the room, a blur zipped down the hall and tackled Zane to the floor. Lloyd was wailing as he clung to him.

"I'M GONNA MAKE SURE NOBODY HURTS YOU, GOT IT?!"

Zane pushed himself up to sit and wrapped his arms around Lloyd, "Thank you, Lloyd.." He murmured.

"I mean it! I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you and if anyone tries I'm gonna bite their arms off!" Lloyd sobbed, burying his face into Zane's chest. "Your dad sucks and I don't like him and I'm gonna shove a door in his face if I ever meet him!"

"Alright.. Alright.." Zane said quietly, taking a shaky breath.

There were three other sets of footsteps, and eventually all four of the kids had sandwiched Zane.

"… 's not fair…" Brad mumbled. "You didn't get to say anythin' about your memories getting turned off, right? That's not fair… and it's a stupid move… coward's way out…"

"… I suppose you are right, Brad…" Zane mumbled.

"… If it ever comes down to it, I can try learning how to make it so there is no memory switch- though we'd probably have to go to someone who's got more experience than me…" Gene looked up at him. "I don't want it to be possible for someone to hurt you like that."

"… We can try and use my blueprints to do it…" Zane murmured.

"Good idea." Gene nodded.

"… Uhm…" Sally spoke up, though she sounded nervous. "… I- I can ask Ms. Steele through a letter if she knows of any memory binding spells… t-to see if we can bind your memories to your soul so things don't get forgotten with the flick of a switch…"

"… That would be ideal if we cannot remove the switch.." Zane said.

"And- and if somehow your memories end up corrupted after the switch is removed! That way you won't end up forgetting everything if something stupid happens!" Gene nodded.

"Like a magic restore point!" Sally piped up, sounding a little more confident.

Zane smiled some, "Yes.. That would be nice.."

"It's decided then! We make a magic restore point and get the memory switch to not be a thing if possible!" Gene grinned.

"… Why did you guys come up with a plan when I'm too overwhelmed with emotions…" Lloyd asked quietly.

"Because you're a big fuzzy doofus who needs to let himself cry more." Brad patted Lloyd's head, and got nipped at.

Zane chuckled softly and smiled gently, "Thank you all…"

"Hey, if we're staying here, then that means we're a part of your guys' group and that means that we're not gonna play around!" Brad huffed. "Us Against the World doesn't always just mean us four."

Zane smiled some more, "That is nice.. I am glad to know you care.."

"Alright, you munchkins, let the guy stand so we can get back into his room." Morro sighed.

"Nuh uh!"

"See if you can carry us and him!"

"Do it! Do it!"

Zane sighed in amusement and attempted to stand with all four children. He stumbled a bit but managed to hold them.

Morro shook his head with a smile. "Thanks for saving me from having to deal with the wee menaces." He snickered a little as Gene flipped him off. "Let's get back into the room… and hopefully get some rest."

Chapter Text

"So… what's this lesson about…?" Kai asked quietly. His head remained on the table.

"Patience, Kai." Misako smiled a bit. "Your sister wanted to explain this lesson, so…"

She looked to Nya and gestured with a smile.

Nya smiled and nodded. She pulled the sheet off the thing on the table, a double headed Serpentine skeleton, "Some villagers unearthed the remains of this Fangpyre a few miles away. It predates the Golden Age, and must be hundreds of years old." She pulled out a laser pointer and pointed it on the fangs of the skeleton, "Although the venom in the fangs of the Fangpyre genetically mutate human cells into reptilian, I've learned there could be a way to stop the effects without having to create an anti-venom!"

Zane and Kai both had notes in front of them, though it was evident only Zane was reading over them. Cole was barely paying attention, drawing a picture of himself fighting. Jay had fixed up his hair. It was clearly gelled into a new style. He watched Nya with an infatuated expression on his face.

"If one is able to wildly raise their heart rate, hypothetically it could reverse the venom's effects." Her cheeks were turning pink and she grimaced, "Resulting in...diminished- uh- guys, is someone wearing perfume? You guys know I'm severely allergic to perfume!"

Jay squeaked and glared at Kai. "You told me it was men's cologne!" He hissed.

Kai glanced at him and shrugged, "Meh. I get them mixed up." He grinned slightly.

Cole shook his head with a small smile as Zane covered his mouth in an effort not to laugh.

Kai high fived Zane as the Nindroid closed his notes. Kai and Cole followed suit and they began to get up.

"You three are going to have to pay proper attention to these lessons at some point instead of pranking Nya." Misako frowned and crossed her arms.

"We were paying attention!" Kai defended, "And it wasn't just Nya. It was Jay too." He huffed.

"Either way, you distracted from the lesson. Out, the three of you. We will have a word with either Garmadon or Wu if you do this again." She ushered them out, gently herding the three teens.

"Alright, alright!" Cole sighed as he, Kai, and Zane left the room.

Jay grimaced and walked over to Nya, guilt written all over his face. "Uh.. 'm sorry, Nya. I- I went to Kai because-… what I'm trying to say is-"

"I know- I know.. It's a cruel joke. I should be fine.. Please, go find the Fangblades." Nya sighed.

"No- no, no, no- I was trying to impress you!" He whined, covering his face with his hands. "I- just… 'm sorry…"

Nya looked surprised, "Impress me..? But I look so-"

"Fantastic." He finished, no longer covering his face as much, though he did still look embarrassed. "I uhm… to make it up to you- if you ever want to maybe we could go to a restaurant?"

"You mean… Like a date..?" Nya smiled some.

Jay nodded shyly. "Yeah…?"

"Sure! I'd love to! But I should go before the perfume starts to mess with me too much." Her expression softened, "And fix your hair too when you wash the perfume off. It doesn't suit you." She reached up and ruffled his hair, messing up the fancy style.

"Right," He laughed a bit at his own misstep. "I'll do that… now you go! Don't want you dealing with the consequences of Kai being an ass!"

Nya laughed as she walked away, "Yeah! See you!" She waved and left the room.

Jay took a deep breath and let out a soft cheer as he bounced a bit in place. He yelped in pain when his hand got pricked by the Fangpyre skeleton's fang. "Shit!" He hissed in pain, holding his hand with his other. He glanced at the skeleton as a bit of venom dripped from the fang and fell onto the floor. "… Okay I am in so much trouble…"

"And… there!" Jay smiled a bit as he looked at the tie in the mirror. "Finally figured it out and it only took like- an hour? Maybe?"

He moved to get the tux properly buttoned but froze as he noticed the scales. "Oh, man this better not ruin things! I mean- I could just tell her but what if she gets mad and-"

He took some shaky breaths as he tried to reel the sparks that'd begun drifting off his palms back in. It was going to be fine. If everything went well then maybe that theory might work…? Or maybe the others could locate Pythor and the anti-venom, who knows?

Cole knocked on the door, "Jay? You in there?"

"Y-yeah! What's up, Cole?" He smiled weakly as he reeled in the rest of the little bursts of energy.

"You need to get ready! The bridge picked up evidence of Pythor heading into Mega Monster Amusement Park." Cole said.

Jay groaned and grabbed a spare set of gloves. He quickly put them on and opened the door. "Seriously-? But my date with Nya's supposed to be soon!"

"Sorry dude! You guys'll have to change it.." Cole said apologetically, "We can't let Pythor get any of the Fangblades."

Jay frowned, before he took a deep breath. "I'll go talk to Nya about it. I- I just want to make sure she's okay."

Cole sighed, "Alright. Just be quick."

Jay nodded and made his way over to the other room. He gently knocked on the door. "Nya? Are you in there…?"

There was a small yelp, "Uh- Yeah? Whatcha need, Jay?" Nya said from the other side of the door.

"Well I uh… I wanna talk to you about our date. I've uh- been hearing really bad reviews for the restaurant and maybe we could cancel going there and go somewhere else-?"

There was a small murmur from Nya before she opened the door, "Somewhere else..?"

"It- uhm… maybe we could go to Mega Monster Amusement Park instead-? There's some stuff going on anyways and it might be safer for everyone if we're all there-" Jay began, but cut himself off with a shaky breath.

Nya smiled slightly, "Really? That'd be perfect! But aren't you overdressed?" She tilted her head and stiffened slightly at the sight of something in the room.

"Well, yeah. Of course I gotta change…"

Nya moved slightly and kicked something, causing it to thud as it landed in the wardrobe.

"What was that..?" He asked quietly.

"Nothing!" Nya said quickly, "You know what! I'll dress up too! Looks fun!" She walked back behind the privacy screen that was set up.

"I uh- okay." Jay fidgeted. "I was thinking maybe we could take my Storm Glider there?"

"Sounds like fun!" Nya walked back out in a beautiful, sleeveless red dress.

Jay let out a quiet squeak of surprise and looked to the floor in an attempt not to stare… he was failing though, clearly.

Nya walked over, "I'm in your hands." She grabbed her purse and made a detour to the closet to grab something quickly before putting it in her purse. She walked back over to Jay with a soft smile.

He hooked his arm around hers and took a steady breath. "Here's hoping things go well! Y-Y'know, since Destiny likes to mess with us and all-"

"I know, Jay." Nya said softly, "Let's go."

Jay nodded with a small smile, though as he began to walk with her, his mind kept bringing up the worst possible scenarios… the worst possible outcomes… it sucked.

Nya hummed softly as they walked, smiling quite a bit. It was clear this had lifted her mood from the anxiety funk she had been in since Pythor attacked her.

"… Hey, do you… do you think that theory about how to neutralize the Fangpyre venom is plausible…? I mean- for Elemental Masters…" Jay asked quietly. He kept his gaze to the floor.

"It should be!" Nya said, "I put a lot of research into it! The only person it might be a bit finicky with is Kai since his body temperature is already higher than normal."

"Right- right." Jay bumped himself against her a bit as they got onto the deck of the ship and he shivered a little. "Man, ever since Zane unlocked his true potential, it's been cold wherever we go."

"Yeah.. I guess it just comes with being the Master of Ice though.. Like Kai's body temp." Nya said.

"Mhm…" He pulled out his nunchucks and squinted a bit at them. It was hard to think… hard to focus.

Dammit, why did he have to be such an idiot?!

Nya waited patiently, smiling.

It took… a lot longer than he'd like to admit to get the Golden Weapon to cooperate. Then again, his mind was a bit foggy… maybe with lower altitude…?

"You doing okay..?" Nya asked softly.

He nodded. "Y-Yeah… just didn't have enough to eat, I think…"

She frowned a bit, "Maybe we should stay back then.. I don't want you to push yourself too much.."

"Nya, the portion sizes at Mega Monster Amusement Park are nuts. I'm sure even if I manage a quarter of something there I will be incapable of finishing the rest. Trust me."

"Alright, alright." Nya relented, "But be careful. Okay?"

"Okay… I will." He took a deep breath as the Nunchucks of Lightning glowed and reformed into the Storm Glider. After a second, he let out an exhale of relief. "You ready?"

She nodded, "I'm ready."

As they finally got inside and out of the cold, Jay let out a sigh. He felt less on-edge, but a little more tired. Why…? Oh, right…

It didn't take long to find a free table, but he knew from experience that they'd have to wait for a bit to get their food.

But the noise was unbearable. The scraping of metal on ceramic and loud voices, kids trying to talk over each other and their parents…

"… It's loud…" He mumbled a bit as he lifted his scarf up.

Nya frowned softly, "We can leave if you want.." She said softly, "Reschedule or something.."

"But-" Jay looked up at her… a part of him felt hurt at the idea of trying to reschedule something like this. It was bad enough that they'd had to change plans initially, but now…? "I… I don't want to reschedule…" He mumbled.

"Alright.." Nya said, "Just let me know if you wanna leave okay..?"

"Mhm.." Jay nodded. "… Do you wanna talk about anything…?"

"I dunno… Anything you've been working on in between missions..?" Nya asked.

"Well uh… kind of. It's a surprise." Jay looked down at the table as he fidgeted a bit with his gloves. "I've been getting some help from Kai and Morro with working on it and I just- I wanna be able to show it to you soon… But it's gotta be finished by then."

Nya tilted her head with a small hum, "Ooh, okay. I can't wait to see it!" She smiled.

Jay smiled. "As soon as it's finished, I promise." He reached over and held her hand carefully. "Until then, no trying to find it! I don't want you spoiling it!"

"Okay, okay. I won't try and find it." Nya assured him, "I'll be patient."

Jay nodded. "Okay… okay. Uhm… anything you've been working on..?"

"Um.. Not much honestly.. Just trying to keep an eye on things.." Nya said.

"Right- right." Jay fidgeted. "… I've been having some weird dreams lately… like- like something happened. And I keep seeing this person made of Lightning… it's always out of the corner of my eye whenever we're going through a storm."

"Oh huh.. That is weird.." Nya hummed slightly, "Do you recognize the person..?"

"… I don't know." He admitted. "They- they feel familiar… but I just can't place it, like a memory that's too far back to clearly see…"

"That sucks.. I'm sorry.." Nya said softly.

"It's okay…" Jay smiled sadly. "… I asked Morro about it a few days ago and he said something about the past always coming back… whatever that means…"

"Huh… And he complains about Wu being cryptic.." Nya huffed.

"Well, he looked kinda upset when he said it… plus I'd kinda asked him at a bad time." Jay admitted quietly. "It was like he'd seen a ghost."

"Oh huh… Maybe we can ask him again later..?" Nya suggested, "Or Wu or Garmadon or Misako?"

"Somehow, I don't think that's gonna give us many answers either…"

Nya sighed, "… Yeah.. You're probably right.."

Jay nodded and jolted a bit when their plates were set on the table. "… Yep… just as daunting as I remember."

Nya blinked, "Oh wow.."

"… We are so not going to be able to finish this." He laughed weakly.

"Yeah, definitely not.." Nya laughed a bit.

Jay grabbed a fork and started to eat, though he pointedly avoided certain parts of the sandwich, just out of irritation for certain ingredients at the moment.

Nya picked at her sandwich, she hummed a bit as she did so.

There was a bit of a commotion from the entrance to the restaurant, with several people shouting to their family members inside. Like something bad happened…

Nya frowned and turned to see, "What's going on?"

"It lookss-" Jay froze, and covered his mouth. Shit. Shit. Shit! "L-like- maybe Pythor iss- fighting with the guys-"

Nya hummed, "I hope they don't get hurt.. "

Jay nodded and took a shaky breath. "I- I think I have to go to the bathroom." He said quietly.

Nya looked back over at him, "Oh..? Okay..?"

Jay waved slightly before he got up and made his way to the restroom. He took a shaky breath once he got inside and approached the mirror. "Okay- m-maybe it'ss not as bad as it sseems..?"

He carefully pulled his glove off and bit down a scream of fear and frustration. Why?! Why?! Why did he have to get so excited over things and end up in the stupidest situations?! Why was he an idiot-

He slammed his fist on the edge of the sink, ignoring the dull pain that shot through his hand. It didn't matter… Nya would find out and the others would laugh at him…

"… Why am I so ssstupid?" He hissed. Even though he wanted to cry, he couldn't…

Someone began to come into the bathroom.

Jay glanced back briefly, and adjusted his scarf. A part of him felt… empty. Apathetic to the whole situation he'd landed himself in. It was his own carelessness that had gotten him stuck with this… he'd barely even registered the fact that his face had begun to resemble how his parents' had when they'd been bitten by the Fangpyre. It just all felt… numb. He put the glove back on but stayed where he was… he couldn't bring himself to care that much about what somebody random thought..

Not when the only thing on his mind was how his friends and how Nya would react…

The person ignored Jay for a moment before they stopped, "You're a snake!"

Jay jolted slightly, and stared for a bit. He quickly looked down and tried to move past them to head back out to the dining area. His hands were trembling.

"Don't you try and escape, snake!" They yelled, which got the attention of the people in the dining area as Jay opened the door.

He pulled his scarf up and tried to make his way back to the table. Shit… Shit…

Nya was frowning at the snake comment. She got up as the person followed Jay out of the bathroom.

Jay made a beeline back over to her, trying to avoid looking back though he knew that he was being followed. He could feel it.

He could feel a million pairs of eyes staring into him.

"Jay? Jay, what's going on? Why are they calling you a snake?" Nya stared harshly back at the people that were staring.

"Y-You know that Fangpyre skeleton you brought aboard the ship…?" He asked weakly.

Nya nodded slightly, "Yeah..?"

"I uh- I accidentally pricked my hand on one of the fangs…" He said quietly.

"You what!" Nya's eyes widened, "Jay, why didn't you say anything!"

"I- I didn't want you to worry!" He cried. "Plus it just- I didn't expect it to get thiss bad-"

"You saw what happened to your parents!" Nya said.

"I know!" Jay covered his face with his hands. "'m sorry…"

"It's okay, Jay.." She glanced at all the other patrons, "Let's get out of here.." She huffed.

He nodded as he kept his face obscured with his scarf as best as he could. "Okay."

Nya held out her hand for him, smiling softly.

He took her hand and pressed himself close to her. It was clear he was uncomfortable with the other people, and with the guy who had followed him out of the restroom.

Nya led him out of the restaurant, glaring at anyone who stared at them.

"… 'm sssorry." He whispered. "I sshould've told you ssooner-"

"It's okay.. I know how your anxiety can get…" Nya said softly.

"… I'm sssorry…"

"I'm not upset at you, Jay.." Nya said gently.

Jay bumped himself against her. His heart ached… though he couldn't place why. "…What if I end up staying like thiss…?"

"Then that's that." Nya said softly, "I don't care what you look like, you're still you. Human or Serpentine. I'll like you no matter what."

He hugged her, and buried his face against her shoulder. His heart was pounding, it was all so much… he could feel electricity buildup in his hands that wouldn't release, and he finally felt himself shed some tears. "Okay… okay…"

Nya wrapped her arms around him, "I like you for you.. Your authentic you… Not one doing up his hair and wearing cologne to impress me… But the real you."

Jay melted into her arms, his palms felt too hot but too cold all at once…

"… I won't do that stuff anymore… 'm just gonna be me… cross my heart." He breathed, unaware of the building static around them.

Nya smiled softly, "Thank you, Jay.." She kissed his head.

He let out a quiet squeak and buried his face against her more…

The cold didn't feel so bad anymore… it was soothing, like it was supposed to be.

His heart was beating so fast he felt like it was going to burst out of his ribcage… Nya could probably feel it…

She giggled softly and then let out a bit of a gasp, "Your tail is gone..!"

"It is…?" He asked quietly, then sighed a bit. "Didn't even realize I had one… probably for the best that I hadn't realized that, though…"

Nya shifted a bit, "Let me see your face, please..?"

Jay lowered his scarf, he felt… tired, but not… it was weird.

Nya cupped his cheek, "… You still have some scales on your cheeks.. but you're otherwise back to normal.."

He leaned into her touch, and hummed brokenly. "M'kay…"

She caressed his cheek gently, "You tired..?"

"Mhm…" Jay couldn't help it… his heart felt right, all of it just felt.. right. He could stay like that for an eternity if Nya wanted him to…

Nya smiled, "Alright.. Let's find-"

"YOU!"

Jay moved almost instantly, getting Nya out of the way as Pythor lunged at them. He caught the Anacondrai's wrists and glared up at him. "Don't even think about trying to hurt her again." He hissed.

Pythor hissed with anger, "I'm going to kill you both!"

Nya stumbled a bit as she backed away, her eyes wide with fear.

"Nya! Get out of here!" Jay cried as electricity began to strike the ground by his heels. "I can't hold him for long, but I sure as hell am not letting him get near you!"

"But what if he hurts you?!" Nya asked, worry mixing with her fear.

"GO!" He shouted as the electric buildup got to be far too strong for him to contain, with it burning Pythor's wrists as he tried to get away, but he was unable to… not with Jay remaining as an anchor.

Nya ran off, darting behind a building some ways away.

"So… you thought you could get to Nya a second time?" Jay laughed weakly, though he felt… confident. "Big mistake, Pythor."

"What are you going to do about it, boy?" Pythor hissed, "You're just as weak as she is!"

Jay's grip tightened. "She is not weak… you only got the drop on her once." He could feel the buildup getting worse, and grinned a bit as he let a large burst of it release, hopefully burning Pythor's wrists. "I'm not afraid of playing dirty, and I'm not afraid of doing whatever it takes to protect my family."

Pythor hissed in pain, trying to yank himself free once again, "Let me go, child! You can't defeat me!"

"Yeah?! WANNA BET?!" Jay only remained in place, the chains of lightning that dug far below ground kept him still. "THINK YOU CAN SURVIVE TEN AMPS, FUCKER?!"

Pythor's eyes widened, "What-!?"

"Or maybe I should turn it up to twenty since you're an Anacondrai? What do you think?"

Pythor hissed, "No- No, you wouldn't! You'd only get yourself killed!"

"Elemental Master of Lightning, remember?" Jay snickered. "Also… good luck."

The sound would've been enough to bust his eardrums had he not shielded his ears in time. He stumbled back, the residual static made him antsy — no, alert. He reached for his nunchucks… just in case.

Pythor was on the ground, his scales steaming.

Jay stopped for a moment and sighed. He put the nunchucks away. "… Well that was anticlimactic. Have fun when The First Master finally gets your ass."

He began to walk to where Nya had run to, the electricity died down to a light simmer… it was… easier. He rounded the corner and—

Nya had some armor on and was actively taking a helmet off when he got around the corner. A part of him ached, seeing that she'd gotten nervous enough that she got armor…

"Nya?" He called out quietly.

She jolted and dropped the helmet, looking at him with wide eyes, "Jay- I-" She stumbled over her words.

He approached her and pulled her into his arms, settling easily as he rested his head on her shoulder. "… It's okay now…"

Nya melted in his hold, clinging to him, "He- You- You took care of him..?"

"As best as I could… don't think I can manage a bigger bang than that right now…" Jay mumbled. "If we're lucky, I fried his nerves… if not, he's just gonna be concussed for a long while… and maybe have some hearing loss."

Nya took a shaky breath, "… Thank you.."

"Mhm… let's go find the dumbass three…" He yawned. "They said they were gonna try and keep Pythor off our backs… knowing their luck he either knocked them out or Zane's aim is still shit…"

She managed a small giggle, "Yeah.." She murmured. However she made no move to pull away.

Neither did he… doing that much had taken a lot out of him… not to mention the amount of a toll he'd dealt with physically over the past few hours. Maybe he could just… stand here for a little while longer? Let his eyes rest for a bit…?

"Oi! Are you two done?" Morro called.

Nya huffed and looked up, glaring at him.

"Way to ruin the moment…" Jay buried his face against her armor, uncaring of the fact that Morro was swiftly approaching them.

"Yeah, yeah, I ruin a lot of moments. Happens when you're a nosy little shit. C'mon. Already got the dumbass trio back up the Bounty and Kai got a cold. Again." He groaned. "I swear, I should have an extra allowance just for having to let him piggyback up to the Bounty."

"So it was Zane's shitty aim then..?" Nya murmured.

"Oh yeah, it was." Morro sighed. "Cole's fine, somehow. Said something about it not being the first time he'd dealt with unfavorable conditions."

"… I don't wanna move." Jay mumbled.

"Tough. You two can cuddle all you want when we get back home, now c'mon… and Nya, that means your secret's out to one. Try to at least keep it a secret from the others for a little while longer?"

"It's not like I wanted to have it out! Pythor came out of nowhere!"

Morro sighed. "Whatever… just- get your stuff all dealt with and let's head back. Managed to swipe the Fangblade at least…"

"… Did you see the lightning strike?" Jay asked as he let go and looked over at Morro.

"Yep."

"Do you know how many amps it was?"

"I'm a little scared to ask, Jay."

"Twenty."

"… Precisely why I was scared to ask. You have a problem."

"Pythor is the problem!" Jay threw his hands in the air. "He hurt Nya!"

Morro took a deep breath. "And you blame yourself for not being fast enough to stop him?"

"YES- Hey- hey you said that was just between us-"

"Considering Nya's your girlfriend? Nah, it's between you two. I'm just the guy who knows." He put his hands behind his head and walked away.

"… I AM GOING TO DROWN YOUR SPAGHETTI IN HOT SAUCE THE NEXT CHANCE I GET, MARK MY WORDS, MORRO!"

"Good luck with that!" Morro called as he continued to walk away.

Nya finished shoving her armor into her purse and grabbed her helmet off the ground.

"… Does he ever take a break from being a major asshole?" Jay asked as his exhaustion crept into his voice.

"I don't think so.." Nya sighed. She pressed a button on her helmet and it folded up. She shoved it into her purse as well.

Jay rubbed the back of his neck, grimacing. "At least I was able to get myself away in time…"

"I'm glad for that.." Nya said softly.

"So… let me get this straight. You accidentally pricked yourself on the Fangpyre skeleton, then proved Nya's theory correct and managed to electrocute Pythor?" Kai asked. "Seriously?!"

"Yep." Jay said with a small smile.

"That's amazing, Jay!" Zane smiled, "Hopefully it will discourage Pythor from coming after us for a while…"

"Yeah…" He rested his head against Nya's shoulder. "Twenty amps should be devastating…"

"Twenty?!" Morro looked over. "Are you nuts?! That's more than enough to kill a human!"

"If it didn't kill him, it sure gave him hearing loss.." Nya mumbled, "It was loud.."

"Sorry 'bout that…" Jay bumped his face against her cheek.

"… So is it just me or have you been a lot more cuddly since the whole incident?" Cole asked. "I mean, not that it changes much, but…"

"His body's gone through a lot.." Nya murmured, "Turning into a snake then back and then summoning the bolt.."

"Mmh…" Jay pressed himself closer to Nya, like he was trying to soak up every little bit of warmth she could provide.

Nya held him tightly, relaxing against him.

"So, when do you guys think I'm gonna unlock my true potential?" Kai asked quietly.

"Pff.. eventually." Cole ruffled his hair, which earned him a little noise of protest.

Zane chuckled lightly and smiled, "I'm sure it will come soon, Kai.."

"Yeah… can't wait to get back at you for getting me stuck with another cold…" He mumbled.

"Yeah, yeah. Calm down and save your strength, Kai… you can get back at us with a pillow fight later." Cole held his hand carefully.

Zane smiled sheepishly, "I do apologize Kai… I will start working on my aim more.."

"Thank you." He said quietly.

"… Wait- Jay, you said you did… twenty amps…? Like you know you did twenty?" Morro asked.

"Yeah?"

He groaned and leaned back. "Of course you managed to get your true potential figured out before me…"

Nya blinked, "Wait- He did?"

"What?!" Kai groaned.

"The static." Morro looked over at them. "That's why there's been more of it…"

"Ooh.." Cole hummed, "That makes sense.."

"So… what you're saying is me fighting Pythor is what unlocked my true potential?" He raised a brow.

"No, it definitely wasn't that, Jay." The eldest said dryly.

"What happened before Pythor got to you two?" Zane asked, "Perhaps it was that."

"Uhm…" Jay looked down a bit. "Nya and I were talking…"

Kai raised a brow, "About…?" He prompted.

"… About my insecurities…" Jay mumbled, his voice hardly audible.

Nya rubbed his back, trying to be soothing.

"And… about how I keep hiding myself…" He mumbled.

Kai, Zane, and Cole all frowned some but stayed quiet.

Jay glanced at them, and let out a quiet breath. "I'm… going to try to stop doing that…"

"… That is good.." Zane said softly.

He nodded. "And- it might take a little while to get out of that habit but… I'm gonna keep working on it!"

"We'll help you.." Cole said gently, "We'll help you get out of that habit.."

"Thanks…" He smiled weakly.

"Of course.." Zane said softly, "You're our friend, we'll always be here to help you.."

"… You guys are awesome…" He mumbled.

"Yeah, yeah.. We know." Kai grinned slightly.

"Don't inflate his ego, Jay." Cole snickered.

Jay adjusted a little and looked over at them. "I'm not… 'm just stating an obvious…"

Nya laughed softly, "Eh.. Debatable on Kai's part.."

"Hey!"

Cole shook his head with a smile and ruffled Kai's hair gently. "Relax, we're not being mean by it."

Kai huffed and crossed his arms.

"Do you uh… want me to stop messing up your hair?" He asked quietly.

"… No.. No… You're fine." Kai sighed.

"Alright…" Cole murmured while carefully undid the knots in his hair. "Just let me know whenever you want me to stop…"

"M'kay…" Kai mumbled.

Morro glanced at his phone and squinted a bit, before he picked it up with a concerned expression. "… Uh… Jay? Why is there a news story about the whole thing with you getting turned into a Serpentine…?"

"What..?" Jay tensed a bit, "… The people in the restaurant.."

"What?!" Cole looked over. "What does it say-?"

"I'd rather not read this aloud… or play the video." Morro said quietly, the winds outside howled.

Nya frowned heavily, "… How bad is it..?"

"For one, there's theories about him potentially working with Pythor." He muttered. "And stuff about Nya…"

Nya stiffened, "What about me."

"Exactly why I'm not saying it." He shoved his phone in his pocket. "I'm going to talk to Aunt Misako, see if we can get this shut down."

"Is it really that bad…?"

"… The public never was all that fond of Elemental Masters, even when I was a kid." He mumbled. "Whether the people knew it or not…"

"Morro. Let me see." Nya held a hand for his phone. It didn't look like she would accept a no.

"Nya, I'm doing this for your own safety." Morro crossed his arms. "It's not something I want you to see and not something I want you to deal with."

"I want to know what people are saying about us." Nya said stubbornly, "If you didn't want us asking you shouldn't have told us."

"I'm not going to expose you to this kind of stuff!" Morro snapped as he moved to leave the room. "I can't do that to you!"

Nya made a noise of frustration and looked away. She was clearly upset now.

"… If you want to know, it's because people made assumptions, like they always do." He looked at her. "Theorizing that you might be one of the missing people."

Nya glared at the bed, "Assholes.."

"They- they think that I'd- that I'd hurt Nya?" Jay asked quietly. He held her closer, trembling.

Nya wrapped both her arms around him again, "They're dumbasses. They don't know you at all."

"Right- right.." He buried his face into the crook of Nya's neck. "Right…"

Nya rubbed his back gently as Zane frowned, "We must dispel the rumors.. Or do something about the article."

"… Hey! What about that thing Lloyd was mentioning the other day? That stuff about doing a video blog?" Cole asked. "It'd be a way to easily explain everything without having to actually talk to the press!"

Morro paused. "… A video blog-? Are you kidding me? That could- that's-" He looked away. "… If we do that, I'm not showing my face… not my full face."

"That's fine." Cole said, "People do that all the time!"

"… And I'll go by an alias… don't want people to connect the dots to my identity."

"You really don't want people knowing about you, huh?"

"Yeah." Morro sat down. "Well, that kinda happens when you've had the kind of life I have."

"Well, you can do that too." Cole shrugged, "Whatever makes you comfy."

"We should probably also make sure not to let Lloyd on the blog, just in case." Zane said. "While I do admire his enthusiasm for the format, I do not believe it is wise to allow his likeness on the internet."

"Too late." Morro groaned. "He has a blog already."

Kai sighed, "Of course he does…"

"You know what? I blame Darkley's." Jay said.

"You blame Darkley's for what?" Lloyd said as he poked his head in the room, before he paused and quickly darted over to Jay and Nya. "You have scales!" He squealed. "That's so cool! How'd that happen?!"

Nya laughed softly, "He pricked his hand on the fangs of the skeleton in the bridge.. Almost turned into a Serpentine. This is what's left of that.."

"Cool!" Lloyd grinned and sat down properly. "So uh… what do you blame Darkley's for?"

"You having a blog." Morro responded dryly.

"Oh, yeah uh… kinda." He looked down. "I mostly made it to write theories about old stories…"

"Old stories?"

"Y'know, urban legends, stuff about supposedly haunted places! We were supposed to do a field trip to Yang's Temple of Airjitzu once but we never went…" He groaned. "I never found out why."

"Airjitzu?" Nya repeated, curiosity in her tone.

"It's another form of Spinjitzu. Yang once studied it and developed a form that allowed its users to travel through the air." Morro sighed. "His teachings were a bit… extreme, as were his methods. Most of his students were never seen outside the temple."

"Seriously?"

Lloyd nodded. "Some say that his temple is cursed now! If you stay in it till daybreak, you become a ghost!"

"Yeah, well, it's a legend, squirt." Morro walked over. "Also, shouldn't you be getting ready for your training with Dad?"

"Ugh! Come on! I just got some free time, let me have this!" Lloyd growled.

"I am. But still, you gotta keep your mind sharp."

"But the scrolls are boring!"

"More boring than getting stuck in a supposedly cursed haunted temple?" Morro raised his brow. "Seriously?"

"Yes!" Lloyd huffed. "And actually, I think the cursed haunted temple would be way more enriching than having to learn to read ancient Ninjargan!"

"Reading ancient Ninjargan is important. Zane and I can't translate for you forever, shorty."

"Rotten cousin." He hissed.

The other teens were all snickering at the two cousins now.

"You two done?" Nya raised a brow.

"… Yeah. Anyways, Yang's temple is super creepy anyways!" Lloyd said quickly. "One time I read that apparently there's sometimes a smell of death around it!"

"Okay, stop riling up Jay's anxiety." Morro sighed.

"It's true!" Lloyd huffed.

"You read it on a probably-debunked blog! Go get ready to use your noggin, ya little shit." He scooped Lloyd up and quickly deposited the kid by the door. "And don't tell Sally about any of that ghost stuff!"

"Oh, COME ON!!" Lloyd whined. "Can't I have a little fun?!"

"I'm not in the mood for another instance of her waking everyone up because she had a nightmare!" Morro yelled as Lloyd left down the hallway.

"Little shit.." Kai huffed.

"Is- is that curse stuff… real?" Cole asked quietly.

"… About the hauntings and the turning into a ghost thing?" Morro looked over at him. "People sure seem to think so… I'm pretty sure it's due to spiritual unrest myself, but… I could be wrong."

The teen shivered and looked to the floor, clearly a little nervous.

"Wait, wait, wait! First you're scared of dragons, and now you're scared of ghosts too?" Jay looked over at him. "Are you seriously afraid of a lot of stuff not from Ninjago…?"

"Who- who wouldn't be scared of ghosts?!" Cole demanded, his cheeks a little red with embarrassment. "Especially angry ones who could curse you?!"

Nya hummed a bit, "I'm sure it'll be fine Cole. We'll just stay away from that temple. No big deal."

"Yeah, besides… it's not like Airjitzu is necessary for us." Morro smiled gently. "And either way… it's safer if your feet are on the ground."

"… Is that because I'm the Elemental Master of Earth or because of something you haven't told us?"

"Just a feeling." He shrugged.

"That doesn't reassure me at all." Cole huffed.

"Eh… either way-"

There were fast footsteps from down the hall, followed by the door being pushed open sharply. "JAY UNLOCKED HIS TRUE POTENTIAL??" Garmadon shouted, clearly unaware of how loud he was.

Nya snorted, "Well… Guess everyone knows now." Jay only grumbled in response.

Garmadon paused a bit, before he smiled softly and walked over to them. He gently ruffled Jay's hair. "You've done something not even Wu and myself have… as have you, Zane." He murmured. "I'm proud of you both."

Jay smiled a bit, "… Thanks.." He mumbled.

"Wait, you haven't unlocked your true potentials?" Cole asked.

"No… and for myself, I believe it would be best if I don't." Garmadon sighed. "Not while the venom still courses through my veins…"

"And you get on my case for trying to put it off-" Morro muttered.

"Morro." Garmadon looked over at him. "You are a force of nature. To not accept yourself is to remain imbalanced."

"I have accepted myself!" He crossed his arms. "I've accepted all of it!"

"Considering your current state? You have not." He sighed. "Whichever roadblock your heart faces, only you can get past it. Remember that."

Morro scowled, but relented. "… Did you see the news…?"

"I did."

"… We're planning on doing a video blog… to clear things up…" Morro mumbled.

"A good idea, plus it'd keep you all from having to deal with the press… never liked them."

"Well, you gotta admit the news has gotten more efficient over the years." Cole piped up.

"I won't deny that… but even so, it's gotten easier to twist the truth." Garmadon growled.

"… We'll make sure to be careful, I promise." Morro said softly.

Their Uncle hummed, and moved to leave the room, though he did pause to mess a bit with Zane's hair, a small smile on his face. "… I have to speak with Misako, now. You all be good, and get your rest…"

"We will." Zane smiled slightly.

Garmadon left the room, and Morro sighed.

"I'll go get my camera and get the SD card cleared out… if we're going to record a video… might as well make sure we have enough space - and a proper spot to record. The rec room, maybe?" He looked to them.

Nya nodded a bit, "Probably the best place. Has the least overly personal items in it.."

"Yeah! How about we record after dinner? That way Jay and Nya can rest up and so can Kai!" Cole suggested.

"Yes, please. I really wanna sleep.." Jay grumbled.

"Okay, okay… get your rest." Morro smiled gently. "Besides… I gotta back up those files or see if I have another SD card to use."

And with that, he left the room.

Chapter Text

"Okay… got this all set up…" Morro looked back at them and pulled up his mask before he tapped the button to record. "And we're rolling."

"I still do not think it's a good idea for Lloyd to be involved in this-" Zane began before the kid shoved a pillow into his face with a grin.

"Too late!"

Kai snorted and ruffled Lloyd's hair, "Nice one.."

Morro walked over and sat down on the floor. After a moment, he sighed. "After the news got a little too excited about talking shit about us, we figured it'd be best to address everything."

"Starting with the stuff said about Jay and I while we were at Mega Monster Amusement Park." Nya huffed, "I am not a missing person and Jay is not working with Pythor. He had accidentally got pricked by a Fangpyre fang and had started turning. It's frankly gross that so many adults will make such quick assumptions about the situations when Jay was clearly scared due to the crowding that happened when people saw he was turning."

"Not to mention that some people are just jerks to Serpentine! The only one that I can say for sure is dangerous and has an actual track record for being evil is Pythor! Who's a bitch! By the way!" Lloyd huffed.

"Yeah!" Kai nodded, "The rest of the Serpentine have been completely peaceful! They just want to live their lives!"

Cole adjusted a bit and crossed his arms. "We've been to their Settlement on multiple occasions and it's always pretty chill! Sure, sometimes some of the Constrictai kids get a little rowdy and play rough but that's because they don't know how much pressure humans can usually take!"

"Aside from that, they've been actively helping around Jamanakai Village. What with that blizzard a few days ago getting everybody's doors stuck…" Morro sighed. "As someone whose family lived in a village with both humans and Serpentine, I've got tons of stories from my Mother about our old neighbors. The war was years ago and they just want to live in peace now…"

"Well, all of them aside from Pythor." Lloyd growled.

"Yes, well, he's an exception." Morro sighed. "What you may be seeing on screen after editing are pictures I captured of the Anacondrai tomb after Pythor's release… it's… pretty obvious what he did over the years, which is why we know he's involved in a number of the missing persons cases."

Zane nodded a bit, "We are doing our best to hunt him down but he is quite strong and we are all still in training."

"Which is why we need everyone to keep an eye out for him! Even if you call the Ninjago City police, it'll be a big help." Jay said quickly. "Look, I know some people watching might recognize me because of my Ma and Pa's junkyard, but that doesn't matter! Not even the nearly turning into a Serpentine thing matters right now! What matters is stopping Pythor before he has a chance to hurt more people!"

"We know it might be a big ask but it's the only way we can track him down without spreading ourselves thin." Cole added.

Morro sighed as he moved to stand. "We will be posting updates when we are given opportunities to do so… but for now, this is going to be it. And to those who wish to know why I'm the only one who hides my identity… it's because some things are best left in the past. This is us signing off. Goodnight, Ninjago."

He walked over and shut the camera off with a frown as he pulled his mask down. "… I'll get it edited and posted."

"Hopefully that'll clear some things up.." Nya sighed.

Morro nodded and picked it up. "… See you all in the morning…" He mumbled.

And with that, the eldest left the room, stepping past Garmadon as he entered.

"… Are you all okay?" He asked softly.

"… Eh." Kai shrugged slightly, "… Could be better.."

He walked over and sat down nearby. Lloyd scrambled over and shoved himself into his arms.

"Think we can go watch the Ninjago City Talent Show?" Lloyd asked. "Sally wants to go!"

"We could…" Garmadon said softly. "So long as you all be good."

Lloyd nodded aggressively, "We can be good!"

"Good." Garmadon carefully scratched his scalp. "I'm proud of you…"

Lloyd leaned into the touch, letting out a happy sounding hiss. Garmadon hummed with a small smile.

"Well, looks like that's on the agenda…" Cole sighed.

"Sounds like it could be fun!" Nya said.

"You don't sound all that excited, Cole…" Kai said gently.

"Yeah, you got some bad history with the talent show?" Jay asked.

"Ugh…" Cole leaned back. "Look, you know the Triple Tiger Sashay?"

"You mean the hardest dance move ever created?" Garmadon looked over at him. "What happened?"

"My Dad's what happened!" He groaned. "I don't wanna talk about it, okay? It was embarrassing enough when it happened…"

"Alright, alright." Jay said, "We won't push."

"For once…" Cole grumbled.

Garmadon sighed. "I promise, we will make sure things go smoothly, Cole. If the talent show brings back bad memories, you don't have to go…" He said softly.

Cole sighed, "… Thanks…"

"How about we go rest…? I'm wiped…" Kai mumbled.

"You're also sick." Nya pointed out, to which her brother grumbled.

Lloyd snickered, "Loser, imagine getting sick."

Garmadon shuddered a bit. "You were a handful when you got sick…" He said quietly.

Lloyd looked at him, "Well.. I don't get sick now!"

"Mm… not yet." He held his son close. "But I have a feeling you might get sick at some point this year…"

"Oh I do not wanna know how loud his sneezes are when he's sick!" Jay whined.

Lloyd huffed, "I won't get sick! I'm strong!"

"Strength doesn't stop you from getting sick, my son." Garmadon murmured. "A strong immune system may, but that can only get you so far… which is why you need to take your medicine and get your vaccinations when they need to be done."

"… Oh." Lloyd paused, "Is that why Uncle and Morro were so insistent on me and Nya and Zane and Kai getting those shot thingies after Kai got sick from falling in the lake?"

"Yes… yes it was." Garmadon said softly. "It's to help strengthen your immune system."

"Oh… They hurt." He huffed.

"If done correctly, they won't." He gently ruffled Lloyd's hair. "The alcohol wipes they use to clean the spot where they give you the shots aren't often used as needed to make sure it doesn't hurt."

"… Wait, they can use the alcohol wipes enough that it doesn't hurt when they give you shots?" Jay asked.

"Yes… though most who administer them don't often realize that using the wipes on the spot for just a little while longer will make things easier for everyone." Garmadon sighed. "It's exhausting…"

"Damn.. Wish I'd known that when Morro and Wu made us get our shots.." Nya huffed.

Garmadon shrugged. "You win some, you lose some… think of it as luck of the draw in that case."

Kai huffed, "The draw sucked."

"It often does, Kai. It often does…" He smiled sadly. "So… who wants to hear about the time Ray got stuck on top of the Monastery walls?"

Chapter Text

The Fangblade they had sat in the middle of the table in the bridge. The room was a mess of overlapping voices trying to figure out how the keep Pythor from finding the other three.

"… I got it!" Cole said suddenly.

Everyone went quiet and looked at him.

"Do tell?" Zane encouraged.

"I know where I recognize the Fangblade from! I have a picture of it!" Cole grinned.

"What? Seriously?" Brad asked.

"Where? And how?" Kai questioned.

"Okay, okay-" The Elemental Master of Earth put his hands up. "Look, do you guys know the Blade Cup?"

"You mean… the trophy given to whoever wins the Ninjago City Talent Show?" Sally asked. "Yeah, why?"

"Because that's the Fangblade! It was found by someone named- Dutch… no, Clutch! Clutch Powers-!"

"Ugh…" Misako groaned. "That man is an annoyance and a painful excuse of an archeologist…"

"Well… Who has the trophy right now then?" Jay asked.

"I don't know." Cole said quietly. "We… we could ask my father…"

"Oh, for goodness' sake…" Garmadon muttered. "Are you sure you want to go ask him?"

"It's to stop Pythor from getting it. I can handle one talk with him." Cole took a breath, "But… I'm not sure how happy he'll be at the fact that I'm not at Marty Oppenheimer's right now.."

"I'll go with." Morro said.

"Morro!" Garmadon hissed.

"What? He'll figure it out eventually and I'd rather be in their corner for this… besides if anyone can help you survive asking Lou for help, it'll be me." Morro grinned smugly as he leaned against the counter.

"Plus it would be bad if you, myself, or Wu went to help…" Misako said softly. "I don't agree with it, but it's our best bet of keeping you all out of trouble."

"Then it's settled." Kai huffed, "Us four and Morro will go talk to Cole's dad while everyone stays here to look out for Pythor and the other Fangblades.

"Then we head for Lou's in the morning." Morro nodded.

"Just please tell me we'll be able to stay warm…" Jay mumbled.

"Oi, if it comes down to it I can lend you my thicker jackets, Jay." Morro looked over at him. "We don't need you falling asleep mid-mission… speaking of which, the modifications to your gi got finished a bit ago… so…"

"So you'll be fine, Sparky." Nya smiled softly.

"Nice…" He said quietly, still wrapped up in the heavy blanket he'd brought with him.

"Was it always like this when things got too cold for you or is this a side-effect?" Cole asked.

"Definitely a side effect. I wasn't used to the cold before cause I grew up in the desert. This is different." Jay huffed.

Morro chuckled a bit. "Well, at least you'll be able to get to sleep a lot quicker than all of us…"

"Yeahhh.." Jay leaned heavily against Nya.

Cole sighed and shook his head a bit. "Let's just… get some rest. We'll be there by morning."

"Rest sounds good.. Let's go.." Kai mumbled and got up.

As they made their way towards the house, Cole turned to the others and opened up the case for the weapons. "Alright, hand 'em over."

"This would be a lot easier if you weren't adamant on hiding it…" Morro muttered as the others put their weapons into their places within the case.

"I told you! If he finds out I'm training with Wu, he'll freak! Besides, it's just until we find out who has the Blade Cup. After we do that, we nab it, and get the heck outta town." Cole said.

"I may be good at fabricating items but this is outside of my expertise, Cole." Morro hissed.

The other three watched them.

"… How do we know he won't just recognize Kai, Jay, and Morro?" Zane said curiously, "Will that not immediately reveal us?"

"One, Kai and Jay were toddlers when Lou last saw them and he doesn't know I'm alive!" Morro grinned. "It'll be fine."

"Alright.. If you are sure.." Zane sighed.

Cole grimaced and walked up to the door. He put a smile on his face and knocked on the door.

"Just a moment!" Lou called.

The door opened shortly and Lou blinked in surprise as his gaze landed on his son.

"Hey, Dad! How long's it been?" Cole asked.

Lou huffed, "What? You too good for the doorbell?" He shut the door in Cole's face, though it wasn't harsh.

"I… uh…" Cole sank a bit in his hoodie.

"Use the bell, son." Lou instructed gently.

Cole sighed and pressed the doorbell.

"Welcome~!" It sang, and the teen groaned a bit in embarrassment.

Lou opened the door with a smile this time, "Come on in, son. It's been forever." He hugged Cole and then peeked past him, "What did you bring? A quintet?" His gaze lingered on Jay and Kai for longer than it did on Morro and Zane. He stepped aside, "Come in, come in. I've got a kettle of lemon honey tea on the stove right now."

Morro let out an exhale of relief and let the others walk inside before he followed, his hands shoved in his pockets.

Lou followed once they all had walked in and shut the door behind him. He followed the teens as Cole led them to the living room and moved over to the Gramophone. He started it up.

"… Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Brookestone." Morro said quietly.

Lou paused and looked at Morro. Then he looked at Jay and Kai. Then finally at Cole.

"… So Wu finally got you, huh son?"

"I- I uh-" Cole looked to Morro. "You said it'd be fine!"

"I didn't factor in my voice being recognizable! I thought it changed more than that!" He hissed, covering his face in embarrassment.

Lou was quiet for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle, "… It only got a bit deeper, Morro.. It hasn't changed that much.."

"… I blame being dead for this." He declared finally, leaning back a bit in the couch.

"I got suspicious when I saw Jay and Kai.. Your voice just confirmed it." Lou hummed a bit, "… I supposed it was only a matter of time.." He sighed.

"… You're not mad…?" Cole asked quietly.

Lou looked at him, "… I'm not.. Not at you, son.." He walked over, "You inherited your mother's powers, I knew it would happen someday… I've had the time to accept that.."

"Okay…" Cole took a deep breath.

"If it helps, his training has been going well." Morro said softly. "Had the least amount of accidents with his elemental powers."

"Hey!" Jay squeaked.

"I'm just saying, I'm still a little salty about the rice cooker." Morro smiled a bit.

Lou laughed softly, "Just like Libber, huh..?"

"Oh, definitely." Morro nodded. "You should hear him ramble about Nya-"

"STOP IT THIS IS EMBARRASSING!" Jay squeaked.

Lou raised a brow, "Ray and Maya's girl?" He hummed and chuckled, "… Wish you had brought her along too.. You all were so small the last time I saw you.. Barely getting to school age.."

There was suddenly the rapid noise of the bell being rung multiple times.

Lou paused and headed for the door, "Coming!" He called.

"… I swear if he snuck off of the ship…" Morro muttered.

There was the sound of the door opening, "Oh-? Hello you two.. Come on in, the others are in the living room.." There was a slight edge to Lou's tone that hadn't been there before.

Nya walked into the living room with Lloyd holding her hand. He had a grin, while Nya looked a bit worried.

"I don't know if this was a good idea, Lloyd…" She whispered.

"It totally was." He huffed.

Lou walked back in, "I'm going to grab the tea, now.." He had a slight frown as he limped to the kitchen.

Morro got up, and moved to follow him. As he entered the kitchen, he paused and fidgeted a bit with the strings of his hoodie. "… Lou? I- I know, I should've explained faster that I'd gotten Lloyd…" He said softly.

"… It's alright, my boy.." Lou said gently as he poured the tea into some cups on a tray, "… I just.." He took a breath, "He looks so much like his father…"

"No kidding…" Morro laughed softly. "The kid still bites, so be warned."

Lou smiled slightly, "That isn't a surprise.. With how much he bit everyone as a baby and how much his father threatened to bite people.."

"Pfft.." The teen leaned against the wall. "… I figured I should let you know that Dad got into contact with Misako and she's staying with us now too… it's been… loud on the Bounty…"

"… Perhaps I should visit soon.. I… I believe I owe your father an apology anyway.." Lou set the kettle aside.

Morro sighed. "We'll have to dock ship then… don't wanna risk you straining yourself trying to climb the ladder."

Lou paused, "The ship…? What do you mean..? What about the Monastery?"

The wind whipped past the windows loudly. "… It- it burned down a few weeks back…" He said quietly. "I- I don't know who did it… or how it happened…"

Lou stiffened, "What..? Are you all okay?"

"We're all okay… but Maya and Ray's things were lost in the fire… and mostly everything was lost aside from the plushies and our gis…" He said quietly.

Lou hummed a bit, "… Can you take the tea to the living room, Morro? I'm going to head upstairs, I need to grab something."

"Uh… yeah, I can do that." Morro walked over and picked up the tray. "Also, don't strain that foot! I can tell you broke it and fucked up when it was healing!"

Lou huffed, "I am fine!" He said as he hobbled off.

Morro rolled his eyes and brought the tray out to the living room. Lloyd and Jay were talking quietly about the next issue of Starfarer as he set the tray on the coffee table. "Bet you guys twenty he's gonna trip somehow on the Bounty later."

"Are you seriously gonna bet on my Dad's injury fucking him over again?" Cole sounded more amused than upset.

"Oh absolutely." Morro grinned. "His fault for not letting it heal right."

"You're an ass, Morro." Kai deadpanned.

"Yeah? What else is new?"

Lloyd took one of the cups and took a slow sip. "… Warm…"

There were some thuds as Lou descended the stairs again. He was dragging two baskets behind him and one of them had a box on it. He did not have his cane.

"… Lou. Where is your cane?" Morro asked as he stood up, crossing his arms.

"Upstairs. I needed both hands." Lou answered shortly. He got one basket down ahead of him and got the other down behind him. Then he pulled them both into the living room.

"Give me a moment whilst I retrieve it to ensure you don't mess yourself up more…" Morro hissed as he quickly darted upstairs.

"… Wow he does not get that snippy normally." Lloyd said quietly.

Lou huffed, "He is overreacting. I'm fine."

Zane raised a brow. "You have a bad limp. It is recommended to use a cane to alleviate pain caused by that…"

"I'll be fine without it for a little bit…" He trailed off, "I'm sorry, I just realized I haven't asked for your name." He said.

"That's Zane!" Lloyd piped up. "He's really cool!"

"Puns? Seriously?" Kai asked quietly.

"Suffer." The kid grinned at him.

"Ah.. Shard's successor then?" Lou hummed.

"Yes…" Zane said softly.

"FOUND IT!" Morro called out and scrambled down the stairs. He quickly handed Lou the cane and lifted Lloyd unceremoniously as the kid had stolen his spot on the couch, and set him in his lap as he sat back down.

Lou leaned on the cane, "Well, it's nice to meet you Zane.. I'll have something for you too actually.." He looked at the baskets, "I'll get it in a moment." He pulled the basket with the box in it forward.

"So.. what are in those?" Jay asked quietly.

"Things for you, Lloyd, and Kai and Nya." Lou answered. He picked up the box, "Lloyd.." He hobbled over and held the box out to the kid.

Lloyd set the tea down and carefully took the box. He was quiet, staring at it a bit.

"Go on and open it.."

Lloyd slowly opened it and took a shaky breath as he reached inside and pulled out the pictures.

Morro settled his chin on top of Lloyd's head. "It's okay…"

"It's all from Cole's mom.. Lilly.. She put the box together.." Lou explained softly.

The pictures in the box were of a younger Garmadon and Misako mostly. Though some had Wu, the past Elements of Creation and Maya, the full Alliance was in one; along with the pictures were a few action figures, some smaller toys, a green dragon plushie and a hoodie.

"… Did she figure it out too…?" Lloyd asked quietly.

"Seems like it." Morro replied softly as the kid picked up the dragon plush and hugged it close.

Lou hobbled back over to the baskets, "… She seemed a bit.. sad when she first met Lloyd. She held him for the first time when he was about five months old and it was like something shifted. She refused to tell me what she was thinking.."

"… Do you want to know?" Lloyd asked quietly.

"It would be nice." Lou nodded a bit, "To have my question finally answered."

"… I'm supposed to be the Green Ninja…" He said, his voice impossibly small.

Lou stiffened, "Oh.. Oh, I'm so sorry.." He said softly.

Lloyd took a shaky breath. "It's- it's okay… 'm gonna be okay."

"You better or else Grandfather may return to the mortal plane and go on a rampage." Morro joked, which got a quiet giggle out of the nine year old.

Lou chuckled, "He certainly would.. For any of you.."

"… Well that has horrifying implications that I'd rather not unpack right now." Kai said quickly.

Lou smiled, "This basket is for you and Nya." He pushed forward the basket Lloyd's box had been on.

Nya glanced at Kai and lifted the lid off of the basket.

There were two boxes on top. One labeled Kai, the other labeled Nya. Underneath the boxes was a mix of red and blue clothing.

Kai took his box and carefully opened it up as Nya did the same.

Just like Lloyd's, there were pictures on top with Ray and Maya mostly then with the other elements of creation, and the full alliance. They each had some unique toys, big and small. Kai's had a red dragon plushie. Nya's had a blue dragon. They both had hoodies too.

"… Wow, hey, who's chopping onions?" Kai asked shakily as he hastily tried to wipe away some tears.

Lou smiled softly, "She was very excited when she met both of you.. She adored you.."

Nya rubbed a bit at her eyes. "Well, that's a comfort…" She mumbled.

Lou nodded slightly, "She would've loved to meet you all now.."

"… Hey, Morro, can you really talk to ghosts?" Lloyd asked. "Because you were dead once?"

"… It doesn't work like that… not if they're departed." Morro said quietly.

Lloyd wilted, "… Oh.." He frowned.

Morro gently ruffled his hair. "It's okay… if I could talk to Lilly, then I would have by now…"

Lloyd leaned into the touch and nodded a bit, "Okay.."

"So… why did she get all this stuff together for us…?" Nya asked quietly. "We were only kids when she last saw us…"

Lou sighed softly, "I think she knew she wouldn't live long enough to see you all grow up… So she wanted you all to know she cared about you.."

"… Oh…" She sank in on herself, holding the box close.

Lou sighed softly, "… The other clothes in the basket belonged to your parents."

Kai and Nya glanced between each other and began to look through the basket, talking quietly.

Lou let them do that and looked at Jay, "This one is for you." He gestured to the last basket.

Jay carefully moved the last basket close to himself, he opened it and peered inside.

There was a box, just like with Kai and Nya, and a mix of clothes underneath it.

Jay slowly opened the box and looked inside. "… Can you tell me more about them…?" He asked quietly.

Lou smiled softly, "Of course.. Libber was a chatterbox. If she got her mind on something it was hard to get her to stop talking about it. Cliff wasn't too different, though, unlike Libber, he was only talkative around close friends and family. They fit well together… Libber's happy-go-lucky attitude countered Cliff's anger issues very well.."

"Well, now we know where you got that temper from, eh?" Kai grinned.

Jay scowled. "You know what, I'll start threatening to bite you the more you talk about it."

Lou chuckled, "The temper is definitely Cliff's.. Almost every time he came home from his trips, he and Libber would have a new story about how Cliff yelled at a director or co-star."

"He worked in theatre?" Lloyd asked, to which Morro covered his mouth to hide his grin.

Lou raised a brow at Morro before rolling his eyes in exasperation, "Not theatre but he was an actor."

"He was an actor?!" Jay squeaked, clearly unaware of his volume.

"Morro! Why didn't you tell us?!" Lloyd demanded, while the eldest of the teens exploded into a fit of laughter.

Lou sighed in amusement, "His main role is what he's known by.. But he's had some other smaller ones too."

"His main role?" Jay tilted his head.

Morro swiftly stood up and set Lloyd down in his spot as he stepped to the other side of the room.

Lou hummed, "Fritz Donnegan. It takes precedent over any other movie offer he gets."

"WHAT?!" Lloyd and Jay cried, both of their hands sparking with energy and electricity respectively.

"And that's why I got up." Morro whispered.

Lou chuckled, "Mhm.. Doesn't matter what he's doing. If he gets a call for a Starfarer movie, he goes. He's played Fritz Donnegan since I met him."

Jay was quiet, and took a shaky breath. He sat back a bit. "… Do- do you know why he stopped talking to everybody..?"

"…After Libber disappeared it was like he lost a part of himself…" Lou said softly, "He had frantically called everyone the morning after, because he couldn't find either of you.. Then when Ed and Edna told him you were there… It was like he shut down. He messaged a few times but… The last time I heard of him contacting anyone was a letter and key he sent to Ed and Edna.." He sighed, "… I don't know what he's done with himself now.. I wish I did.. He was a good friend…"

"… Maybe we can try contacting him-?" Jay began, before Morro stiffened.

"… Losing Libber was a lot on him." Morro said quietly. "I… I don't know if it's all that good of an idea-"

"You're the one always saying we shouldn't leave family behind!" Jay shouted.

Morro hugged himself. "Look. It's your decision. I'm not going to police how you live your life… just…" He looked away, his voice quiet, "Don't try and drag me into it… please…"

"Why?" Jay crossed his arms. "Because you can be a jerk-"

"Because I never got to go there, okay?!" Morro cried. "I never got to see Libber and Cliff's house… I never got to leave the Monastery after I'd died. I don't want to get involved because I know what will end up happening."

There was silence for a beat, before Morro pulled his hood over his head.

"I need some air." Was all he said before he left out the front door.

The room was quiet, watching him go and then sitting in the silence.

"… Is he going to be okay…?" Lloyd asked quietly.

"With time.." Lou murmured, "… He and Libber were very close.. Losing her so suddenly.. without any notes, explanations, or goodbyes.. It definitely would've hurt him."

"… So Wu really didn't tell you that he was alive…" Cole said quietly.

"Not at all.." Lou shook his head, "I knew he wanted to… None of us actually expected him to find a way to revive him.."

"Eh… when you take into account Dragoni instincts versus death? I think it makes sense which one obliterates the other." Kai said quietly, and got promptly elbowed by Lloyd, who had leaned against him.

Lou chuckled softly, "That is fair.."

Jay fidgeted a bit, and settled the box back into the basket, though he still hadn't looked through it. "… Can I help with getting the stuff for Zane?" He asked quietly.

Lou paused and nodded, "Of course. Follow me." He made his way to the stairs.

Jay got up and quickly followed.

"… I don't know much about Shard… well, I only really know stuff from Morro's stories." Jay said quietly. "What was he like?"

"He was quiet.. But he cared about everyone. He was a traveler." Lou explained.

"A traveler…?" Jay asked.

"His main home was the Monastery.. But he liked to go places… To explore.. To travel.. But mostly trying to find a successor." Lou said.

"Why? Didn't he have someone he was close to to pass it on…?" Jay tilted his head.

Lou shook his head, "He lost his biological family long before we met him.. Wu and Garmadon's father took him in later on.. We were his family.."

"… Oh." Jay fidgeted. "That makes a lot of sense."

Lou nodded, "I'm glad he found Zane for it.."

Jay hummed a bit. "Zane unlocked his True Potential a little bit before I did… we found out some stuff about his past that kind of… explained a lot."

Lou raised a brow, "Oh..? I am glad he managed that.. It is a big feat…" He was quiet for a moment, "… Has Cole unlocked his..?"

"Not yet." Jay looked to him. "Neither has Morro, Kai, or Nya… and who knows when Lloyd will unlock his."

Lou hummed, "I hope they will not have to wait too long.."

"Yeah…" Jay glanced at the boxes around. "Uh… which one…?"

"Over here.." Lou hobbled over to a small, navy basket.

Jay walked over and carefully picked it up. "It's… really small."

"Shard didn't have many clothes.. Because he traveled so much it was easier to keep less to have a small risk of losing things..." Lou explained.

"… Oh…" Jay hummed a bit.

"Yeah.." Lou nodded slightly, "Come, let's bring it to Zane.."

Jay gave an awkward thumbs up as he followed Lou back to the living room.

Lou led him back down to the living room, only stumbling a little bit near the bottom of the stairs.

"Easy there! Don't need you getting hurt!" Jay smiled weakly.

Lou huffed a small laugh, "I'll be fine. It'll take a lot more than a stumble to take me out."

Morro had returned in the time it had taken them to get the basket, though he was laying down on the floor near the gramophone with his eyes closed.

"… Why does he look like a corpse?" Jay asked.

"Floor time." Lloyd shrugged.

Lou raised a brow but didn't say anything as he walked by.

Jay walked over and passed the basket to Zane, who looked at it silently. He moved back to his spot beside Nya and waited.

"Go ahead, Zane.." Lou encouraged softly.

Zane slowly opened it up.

There was a box on top of some folded navy and white clothes. There were only three outfits.

Zane carefully picked up the box and reached inside to feel the fabric of the clothing, he hummed a bit before he moved to open up the box.

It was only a bit different from the others. There were less pictures of Shard. The toys weren't as personalized, with more generic things like gender neutral things and a few more small plushies. There was a white dragon plushie and a hoodie at the bottom.

Zane took a deep breath and hugged the box close. "… I will take care of all of these…" He said quietly.

"Lilly would have loved to meet you.." Lou said softly.

"… And I would have liked to meet her." Zane replied, his voice trembled a bit.

Lou hobbled over to him, "They all would have loved you.."

Zane rubbed at his eyes, attempting to wipe away some tears. "A-Apologies…"

"You don't have to apologize.." Lou said gently.

"It's… a habit." Zane mumbled. "I am attempting to break it."

"Alright.." Lou said softly.

"… Dad, we were wondering if you know who has the Blade Cup right now." Cole piped up. "It's- it's really important."

Lou paused and looked over, "No one. It's with the judges since the show is coming up soon."

"Dammit!" He leaned back and groaned.

"Welp, looks like we're resorting to Plan B!" Morro snickered.

"Shut up." Cole hissed at him, causing the eldest of the teenagers to snicker more.

"Why do you all need it?" Lou asked.

"Okay so… remember Pythor?" Morro looked over from where he was laying on the floor.

Lou scowled, "Yes.."

"Yeah, he's trying to unleash the Great Devourer." Morro deadpanned.

Lou sighed, "The only fair way I can see you all getting that blade is by entering in the show.."

"Told ya!" Morro pointed at Cole, who grabbed the nearest pillow and whipped it at him, hitting the eldest in the face.

"Well… it can't be that bad, right? We all know how to do Spinjitzu- eh- Minus Nya and Lloyd." Kai said.

"Most people would dance or sing.. Not do Ninja moves.." Lou chuckled.

"Yeah, maybe we can try learning something new…?" Jay asked quietly.

"Spinjitzu is like dancing." Morro grumbled a bit.

"It is.. But it should be worked into an actual routine if you kids want to use it." Lou said.

The eldest grumbled again, and rolled over to lay on his side, before Lloyd hummed a little.

"Then what if you taught the others how to dance?" Lloyd suggested. "And- and they could incorporate Spinjitzu in somehow!"

"That's a good idea." Lou hummed, "We can use the studio here."

Morro muttered… something. It was pretty much unintelligible.

Lou raised a brow, "Morro?"

" 's nothing." He mumbled.

"Are you sure..?" Lou asked softly.

"Positive." Morro replied.

"Alright.." Lou said softly.

Lloyd slid down and moved over to Morro.

Morro glanced at Lloyd and sighed. "I'm okay, green bean…" He said quietly.

"You seem sad though.." Lloyd mumbled.

He lifted an arm up for Lloyd to lay down beside him. "I am… but it's not too bad…"

Lloyd quickly laid down and snuggled close to his cousin, "… Okay.."

Morro settled himself a bit around Lloyd. "Just some old memories I wish I could relive… nothing too bad…"

"I'm sorry… I wish I could help…" Lloyd mumbled.

He stiffened a bit, and hugged Lloyd close. "… I know, squirt…"

Lloyd clung to Morro.

"So uh- maybe we can rest for a bit before we start practicing…?" Kai asked quietly.

"Sounds good to me." Jay stretched slightly.

"Yeah… I think I'd need some time to mentally prepare myself." Cole muttered.

"I am fine with resting as well." Zane said.

"So… can you tell us any stories about our parents?" Nya looked at Lou.

Lou smiled softly, "Of course."

"… Do you think they're being careful?" Garmadon asked softly.

"Do I hope so? Yes." Misako said, "But do I think so? Absolutely not."

Garmadon sighed and set one of his sets of arms to rest on the railing while he looked over the edge. He was silent.

Misako came to stand next to him, "… Are you alright..?"

"… I miss them." He said quietly. "Everyone…"

"… We all do.. It was unfortunate… That we all ended up so separated."

"… Those kids should've been able to have that stupid pool party…" He groaned and set his face in his hands. "After Morro got resurrected.."

"I know.. I know…" She sighed softly, "Destiny had other plans unfortunately.."

"Well Destiny can kiss my ass." He growled, the wood under his hands creaking a bit.

Misako set her hand on his back, "We all want Destiny to shove it.. But there's nothing we can do about it now…"

"Misako? Are you ever afraid that… that I might hurt you or Lloyd- or the kids?" His voice trembled, like he'd noticed himself getting angry…

"No.. No, I'm not. I know you. I know you won't hurt us." She said.

Garmadon took a shaky breath. "Even if- even if I feel like one day it could happen…?"

"No matter what.. I know you won't hurt us."

"Misako, please listen to me!" He cried. "It- I know it doesn't make sense, usually only Wu gets visions but… I've been seeing something… something far into the future and the venom just- I'm gone then, Koko…"

"… Gone..?" Misako repeated quietly.

"It's not me. I can't- it can't be me…" He whispered. "It's like I don't care- it's like I can't care…"

"It's okay… We- We'll figure it out…" She said, a small shaking to her voice.

Garmadon quickly moved and hugged her close. He buried his face into her hair, his whole body trembling with terror. "If we don't… 'm sorry… 'm so sorry…"

"It's gonna be okay.." Misako returned the hug, "We'll figure it out. We have to.."

"I just want you both to be safe and happy…" He cried softly. "I hate the visions… I hate it…"

"I know.. I know… We'll be safe… It's gonna be okay…." Misako murmured, "We have the kids, their friends, Wu…. We'll figure things out.. It'll be okay…"

"I don't wanna hurt you…" He hugged her a little more protectively. "I think I'd break if I hurt you…"

"I won't get hurt.. I can fight too.. I can protect myself.." She said gently.

That only made his breath hitch as he began to cry. "I don't want that to be an option… I don't want it to come down to that… I don't want to hurt you…"

Her hold on him tightened a bit, "It won't.. It won't come to that… I know you'll always protect me.."

"You're lying again…" He choked out. "There's- there's no guarantee you can be safe around me…"

"There has to be.. I have to believe there is… I love you.. I can't believe that you'll go fully evil.. I have to believe you'll always be there for us.."

Garmadon adjusted a bit, and took a deep breath. His body shuddered a bit as he inhaled, and became more slack as he exhaled.

"… I love you too, Koko…" He mumbled. "I- I'll- I'll see about going to Mystake and getting something to get the visions to tone it down…"

"That's a good idea…" She murmured in response. She laid her head against him.

"… Do you think Lou recognized Morro right away from his voice…?" He asked quietly.

"Oh absolutely." Misako said, "Morro's voice has not changed that much.."

Garmadon let out a bitter laugh. "Indeed-"

"WE LOST LLOYD!" Sally cried as she ran over to them, tears in her eyes. "WE- WE WERE PLAYING HIDE AND SEEK AND IT WAS LLOYD'S TURN TO SEEK AND THEN HE DIDN'T FIND ANY OF US AND WE GOT OUT TO LOOK FOR HIM BUT WE CAN'T FIND HIM ANYWHERE! AND WE CAN'T FIND NYA EITHER!"

"Hey.. Hey.." Misako knelt down, "It'll be okay.. They can't have gone far.."

"And I doubt they have gone far." Garmadon murmured.

Misako looked over at him, "… You think they went to Lou's..?"

"Oh, definitely." He sighed. "Knowing them, they probably nearly gave him a heart attack."

She took a breath, "Alright.. We might have to make a visit to him then… Just to make sure.."

Garmadon winced, but nodded a bit. "Very well. Sally, would you like to come with…?"

She nodded a bit. "Brad and Gene should be okay with Wu… but I wanna make sure Lloyd's okay."

"Alright.." Misako gently wiped away some of the girl's tears, "Let's go then."

Garmadon carefully lifted Sally up into his arms with a nod.

They had begun practicing about thirty minutes ago now. The only ones who appeared to be having fun were Zane and Morro.

"Alright." Lou stopped playing the piano and looked over to them. "Morro, as usual, overachieving."

"Yep." He grinned despite how Lou said it made it sound like he was doing too much.

"Kai, love the energy, hate the hair." He said as he got up and walked over to them. "Jay, you're giving a lot but I need more. Zane, like a machine, don't change anything. Nya, let yourself fall into the rhythm. Don't focus too hard on getting it perfect first try. And Cole, please, try to act like you wanna be here…"

"He's worse than Wu!" Jay whispered to Nya.

"I know.." Nya huffed lightly.

"Alright, moving forward. Let's take a look at the show-stopping climax." Lou looked over at his son. "Cole, we can't have history repeating itself with this much on the line."

"It was the Triple Tiger Sashay! I was seven!" Cole threw his hands up. "Also way to keep me from not being under pressure."

"I mean… I could try my hand at it…" Morro said quietly.

"You may be good at fighting, but I don't think that it's a good idea for you to try that." Lou sighed. "You know your strength."

"… Okay, okay. That's fair… but Cole's about as strong as I am, I don't know if the Triple Tiger Sashay is even a good idea in the first place!" Morro walked over to where Lloyd was sitting and plopped himself on the bench as well.

"Well what else could we do that isn't going to get you guys concussed?" Lloyd asked. "Because Elemental Powers are out of the question."

"Maybe Spinjitzu..?" Jay suggested, "I mean… Morro is saying it's a lot like dancing.."

"Because it is-"

"Morro." Lou said sternly. "Did Wu give you permission to try teaching them-"

"Yes." Morro rolled his eyes. "Obviously."

"… And how do I know you're not lying?"

"Because I wouldn't lie about something like that." He leaned against the wall. "Either way-"

The doorbell rang suddenly.

The teens all jolted, with Jay even having to grab onto Nya to not fall.

Lou sighed. "I'll go get it." He said as he walked out of the studio room. He made his way to the door and opened it…

Misako stood there, with a small girl and a cloaked figure behind her. "Hello, Lou.."

He blinked in surprise and let out a sad laugh. "Misako… it's been a while."

"Is Lloyd here?" The little girl piped up.

He paused, and nodded a bit. "He and Nya arrived shortly after the boys did."

The little girl let out a sigh and bumped herself against the cloaked figure. "Okay… 'm gonna put him in bubble wrap later…"

"You will not." The cloaked figure responded with an eerily familiar voice.

Lou paused and frowned at the cloaked figure, "… It can't be.."

They sighed. "I'm thousands of years old and one of the most stubborn beings to walk this realm. Who else would it be?"

"How?" Lou asked.

"Tricked Samukai and spent a few months in the Realm of Madness." Garmadon shrugged. "… And then Wu got me because of the amount of nonsense that has been occurring since Pythor's release."

"Ah… I see.." Lou was quiet for a moment, "Come in.. The kids are all in the studio right now."

They walked inside, and the little girl seemed really quiet… clinging to Garmadon silently as they made their way to the studio.

"That's it! I know ninja never quit but this is ridiculous!" Jay shouted from inside. "Why can't we just-"

"Because it's a last resort, Jay." Morro interrupted. "We'll only get to that point if Pythor goes after someone if someone else wins."

"It'd be better if we just got it over with during the pre-show…"

"Oh for pity-pardon's- Do you realize that will likely destroy what little reputation you have? The law isn't on our side. If we make one wrong move it's game over." Morro scolded. "We have to play this by the book."

Misako raised a brow and looked inside.

The teens seemed to be practicing… with Morro leading them through the motions.

She hummed slightly, watching them.

"… Cole said you've competed in the Ninjago Talent Show before." The little girl said quietly to Lou. "Was it scary?"

"Sally…" Garmadon sighed. "Why don't you go talk to Lloyd?"

"I'm curious." She huffed. "Plus I- I wanna know what to expect if I compete at some point…"

Lou chuckled softly, "It's alright.." He looked at Sally, "The first I competed in was a bit scary.. But it got easier the more I did it."

Sally was quiet for a bit before she fidgeted. "Did you get hurt?"

"Yeah, I was wondering about that too." Garmadon raised a brow. "What's with the cane, Lou?"

Lou paused, "It.. It's nothing too bad. Just some… lasting pain.."

Garmadon crossed his arms. "… Mhm?"

"He totally broke his foot." Lloyd piped up, startling Garmadon and Sally, who both jumped.

Misako hummed slightly, "Thank you, Lloyd."

Lou looked away.

"And how did that happen?" Garmadon looked over at Lou.

"Percussionist was evil." Lloyd said simply before he pulled Sally along into the room.

Lou stared at Lloyd, "… You went through my things."

The child snickered a bit. "Sorry I scared you, Sally…"

"You should've warned me!" Sally huffed, pouting a bit.

"I know! It won't happen again, promise!" Lloyd pressed his face against her cheek. "And if it does you've got full permission to put me in a cardboard box in a corner."

Lou raised a brow and looked at Garmadon and Misako.

"Yeah, we don't know where that one came from either." Garmadon grimaced. "I'm assuming it's a joke from when they were at Darkley's."

"Ah.. I see…" Lou looked back at the children.

The two had moved over by the piano and Sally squinted at the teens before she groaned and climbed up onto the bench. "You guys are so out of sync it's killing me!"

Lloyd snickered a bit as he sat on the bench, though he didn't face the piano. "Uh oh, you're in for it!"

"Well maybe we would be in sync if Kai wasn't-"

Sally hit the E key on the piano and held it as she stared at them.

"… Did you just-?"

"Shut up and listen!" She whined. "You're all not following the rhythm and it's ticking me off!"

Lou watched her curiously, staying quiet.

"So either you follow along or you're not gonna get that Fang Blade, got it?" She hissed.

"Since when is she scary?" Jay asked quietly.

Kai gave a small shrug.

Sally stretched a bit before she began to play, silent. The song was fast-paced, and Lloyd hummed along to it.

Wait…

"Is that the Weekend Whip?" Cole suddenly asked.

"Duh." Lloyd rolled his eyes. "Also you heard what she said! Follow along!"

"Okay, okay!" Jay rushed to try and follow, as did the others.

The tempo was fast, as it usually was. Morro kept up pretty well, but it seemed like he wasn't exactly enjoying it as much.

Jay kept stumbling over himself, Zane was basically perfect, Kai was too slow as was Nya, and Cole looked uninterested.

Sally frowned a bit and stopped playing. She looked at them and crossed her arms. "Kai, Nya, you're two beats off. Jay, move yourself over to keep Nya on beat. Cole! You go over and help Kai! And Morro! Quit being grumpy!"

"I am not being grumpy." He sighed. "I'm just feeling tired."

"Yeah, yeah I doubt this is actually tiring!" She huffed and turned back to the piano. "Starting positions! From the top!"

"You are so going to end them." Lloyd whispered.

Sally grinned and began playing again.

Jay and Cole moved as told before they started again.

"… She's intense." Lou said quietly.

"Yeah… kid went to Darkley's… so it's to be expected." Garmadon sighed.

Misako nodded slightly, "Mhm.."

Morro suddenly tripped, though he managed to catch himself, he stopped dancing as he stared at the floor. He was silent, moving out of the way of the others.

Misako frowned, watching her nephew.

"For a boy who loves to dance, he sure doesn't seem to be enjoying it right now." Garmadon murmured.

Lou paused and looked over, frowning softly, "Something must be up.. Tell them they can take a break. I'll go make some more tea." With that, he hobbled away.

"Break time!" Garmadon called into the room, causing the teens to jolt.

"You didn't have to yell it!"

"When did you even get here?!"

"Why did you do that?! Why?!"

"Stop yelling!" Lloyd yelled over them all.

Sally was quiet as she looked down at the piano keys. She fidgeted a little. "… Sorry…"

Jay shook his hands out, getting some excess lightning to flick away from his palms. "Okay! Note to all of us, can we please pay more attention to our surroundings?"

"How am I supposed to pay attention right now?" Kai hissed. "I've got two left feet!"

Nya just groaned, letting her head fall into her hands.

"You do not have two left feet… you are simply overthinking." Zane said.

"Zane, buddy, I love you to bits but please… it's an expression…"

"I am aware." He grinned.

Jay snorted a bit, "You, Zane, are a menace sometimes."

He shrugged simply. "I just picked it up."

"Yeah, from hanging out with Lloyd." Cole gently nudged him. "Nothing wrong with it, just observing who ya picked it up from."

"My brother is just as bad." Garmadon pointed out.

"It's all of you." Kai huffed lightly, "Not just those two."

Zane hummed. "Are you implying that you do not also play a factor into this?"

Kai squinted at him, "… Shut up, Frosty."

There was a bit of a crashing from the kitchen, causing the group to jolt.

"Lou?" Garmadon moved to head to the kitchen. "You better not have- oh for fuck's sake!"

Lou was on the kitchen floor, surrounded by some little dragon like creatures. They were all chirping at him.

"… The Wyrms got in, eh?" He asked.

Lou glanced up, "They used their door. They smelled Cole."

"Of course…" Garmadon sighed as he moved to help Lou up. One of the Wyrms clambered up onto his head and just settled there. Like a menace. "… I suppose this is my fate now."

Lou chuckled, "Yes, yes it is.." He gingerly grabbed his cane and used it to steady himself, careful of the little creatures' tails. He laughed softly, "Yes, yes, Cole is back. He is in the studio you little gremlins.."

Within an instant the little Wyrms ran off — though the one on Garmadon's head remained, content to be brought to where Cole was. "… They're going to scare the shit out of them—"

"WHAT THE FUCK-"

A loud thud followed by laughter resounded from the room.

Lou hummed a bit, "They'll be fine. Go help them. I'm going to clean up this mess and start another thing of tea.."

Garmadon nodded a bit and moved to head back to the studio. Cole had been knocked over by the little Wyrms, who were swarming him, chirping excitedly. The one that had climbed onto his head dropped down and landed on one of the other Wyrms before it got over to Cole and bumped its face against his head..

"Alright! Alright, I'm sorry guys! Jeez! Can I breathe a bit?" Cole tried to reason with them a bit. The others had all stepped away.

"… Are these Earth Wyrms?" Zane questioned softly.

"Yeah." Kai sighed. "You can tell by the scales and the dull spikes on their tails… plus their paws."

Cole nodded a bit, "They've been here my whole life… Probably because of mom honestly.. I should've realized sooner."

"They're adorable…" Sally said quietly.

"They're menaces." Cole huffed.

"Wyrms are both." Garmadon commented as he moved to sit down. A few of the little Wyrms looked at him and bumped him curiously before they got back to bothering Cole. "Is it their shedding season?"

Cole sighed, "Yeahhh.." One of his hands had resorted to scritching some of them.

"Hm…" Garmadon reached out and gently scritched the one closest to him, who flopped over, quietly purring as he scritched their scales. "There ya go…" He murmured softly.

"… Is it uh… safe…?" Jay asked quietly.

"Are you seriously scared of Wyrms?" Kai asked.

"They toppled Cole over!" He squeaked.

"They missed me." Cole said, "They'll be nice to you."

Jay was quiet as he carefully sat down and one of the Wyrms wiggled away from Cole to flop into Jay's arms, chirping quietly. He stared down at it before tears started to fall down his face. "So tiny…"

Cole snorted and rolled his eyes.

Nya sighed and also sat down at this point. Then she froze. "Oh my First Master." She sounded… worried. Like. Really worried.

Kai was dead quiet as he stared at the Wyrms. He stayed that way for a moment before he covered his face with his hands. "No… no fucking way we forgot…"

"We did!" Nya cried, "It's been months Kai!"

Garmadon frowned and passed the Wyrm he had over to Lloyd. "What did you two forget?"

"Not what! Who!" Kai whined. "Oh I'm such a bad Wyrm dad…"

"He's probably so cold!" Nya buried her face in her hands, "He trusted us!"

Garmadon stood up. "… He's at Ignacia, right?"

Nya nodded, before quickly standing up, "We have to go get him! And the check on the others!"

Kai nodded. "We have to do this… you guys can get the Fangblade… right?"