Chapter Text
"Perico, open your eyes."
A small boy sitting on his grandfather's lap opened one eye to look at what his elder had laid out to show him. The boy's eyes widened with amazement. He did not need the radiant, teal light to show the glow on his round face. For what was laid in front of them was something the child thought he would never see up close. It was the yin half of his grandfather's medallion.
"Wow," the child breathed. Behind him, his grandfather let out a small chuckle. "Is that...?" he didn't have the words to say.
His grandfather smiled as he gazed at his greatest treasure. He ruffled the boy's dirty blonde hair.
"Yes, Percy," said the child's grandfather, now turning his special gaze to the excited child, "it is indeed."
"Is that really where our magic comes from?"
"Yes, I mean, that very same medallion has been the source of our power for decades. It gave us our miracle, after all."
"Why were we given a miracle, Abuelo?" the child asked, looking up to his elder.
His grandfather's eyes sagged a bit, but kept his smile. The man pulled the curious boy close to give him a tight hug. He returned his gaze to the glowing yin.
"To tell that tale, I must begin at the end. I believe it was just after your father was born. Your grandmother and I were part of an amazing ninja force that protected Ninjago from many evils. For years we fought great battles and traveled to many places that most people believed were myth. But those adventures were nothing compared to the obstacles to come. For one day, an evil Merlopian named Kalmar stole two powerful amulets in order to awaken an evil serpent called Wojira, who rose the sea until it nearly covered the city that we called home. We tried to defeat it, but she was just too powerful.
"Then, when all hope seemed lost, your grandmother rose up to deliver the blows we needed to defeat the two monsters. At first, we celebrated, but it wasn't long before we discovered that our victory came at a horrible price. For in order to defeat Wojira, your grandmother had to give herself to her element. She was bound to the sea, and she had to return to it. We tried to convince her to stay, promising her that we would find a cure, but it was no use. She promised to remember us, and then, she was gone… I never said goodbye."
The boy patted his elder's knee to show his sympathy. The old man sniffed, but patted the boy's head.
"Thank you. We all grieved during that time, I, especially, was heartbroken from your grandmother's loss. I wanted to leave, get as far away from my pain as I could, but I couldn't leave my children, they needed me.
"Thankfully, I got an offer to move to a secluded village, far away from my old life. The people there were very kind to us. Even though we were natives to them, they still treated us like family. For many weeks, we were happy, and I almost believed that it could last.
"Our peace was soon shattered when a group of savages from the forest came night after night to pillage and wreak havoc on our town. We couldn't even defend ourselves. The village folk weren't fighters, and I was still recovering from my previous battle. Eventually, we came to the realization that we had to flee.
"So, I led fifty people, including my children, down south to find a safe haven for them all. It wasn't long before we realized that the lunatics we were running from were not far behind. We tried to lose them, we even made sure to cover our tracks, but they seemed to know our every move. Our venture seemed futile. Eventually, we found ourselves pushed into a corner with no escape.
"Then, in that dark hour, your grandmother sprang up from the sea to bless our family one last time with a miracle. She vanquished our assailants and somehow closed us off to protect us from dangers of the outside world. Now, finally free from danger, we were able to make a new home here, where my children, and their children, would grow up knowing no fear, no grief… just peaceful bliss. Over time, we had transformed this secluded plain into a utopia for our people, and for all souls seeking refuge.
"Your grandmother saved us that day. She even turned our yin/yang medallion into a magical promise. That promise gave us our protection, our house, and a magical blessing. For when my children came of age, they received their gifts, followed by their children. Our family uses these gifts to help others, and to keep our miracle burning. Tonight, it's your turn. You will receive your gift, and then finally take your place with us. You will use your powers to keep the magic alive. You'll make your family very proud of you."
"'Make my family proud'," the child repeated.
He had always known about their family blessing, but he never knew exactly how they had gotten it. He never felt more grateful to have the life he had than that moment. He sat up straight, feeling tall and mature. Tonight was going to be the most important night of his life. Tonight was going to the night that he shows himself to his little world. Tonight, he was going to make his family proud.
Before his grandfather could say another word, the pictures on the walls began to glow an iridescent light blue. The pictures squirmed and moved toward the man and child. An image of a whale glided through the wall until he came close to Percy's grandfather. The man cocked his ear to hear the whale's message. After the image finished, the man turned his gaze to his grandson with the same smile of joy and pride that he always got on a night like this.
"Don't worry," he said, ruffling the child's hair a second time, "we're on our way."
After placing the boy back onto his bed, the man stood up and held out his hand for the child to take.
"Are you ready, Percy Walker?" the man asked.
Percy immediately nodded his head. He then remembered that he was supposed to be calm and scolded himself for not being so. He cleared his throat, and then did his best to copy his elder's posture.
"Yes," he said, "I am."
His grandfather let out a chuckle as he shook his head.
After putting his shoes on, Percy hopped off his bed, and grabbed the older man's hand.
'This is it', Percy thought as his grandfather escorted him out of the small room. He wanted to scream and jump all over the place, but he knew he needed to keep a straight face. He needed to take this seriously. Everyone was going to be looking at the child on his special night.
Percy walked down the path made by the spectators that led him to the stairs to his soon-to-be room. His excitement only grew as he climbed the stairs to the second floor.
He was soon standing in front of his parents as his grandfather knelt down to his level so Percy could hold the yin medallion. The small child gingerly held the small object that was clearly too big for his small hands. His grandfather could only smile at the energy of the young child. His smile reminded him of his youth. Then he told Percy the sacred oaths and allowed him to receive his gift…
Or so they expected.