Chapter Text
Kai’s life was perfect.
He was loved from the moment he was born. His mother had held him in her arms, cooing and whispering soft words over his head. Growing up, his father always seemed so big. Back when he would lift Kai onto his shoulders, so high up off the ground. So fast when he would chase him around the house, so strong when he would tackle him, hold him.
Things could not be more perfect.
Then, Nya was born. And suddenly, the world had color. And Kai wanted to show her everything.
He doesn’t remember much from those years, to be honest. That time of his life stands as more of a feeling than anything. Warmth and safety. That was home.
Yet, despite living in the same house filled with the same things, it has never felt so empty. His parents left one day. No explanation, no final words. They were just gone, leaving behind a short letter and what Kai had thought was a lot of money.
It didn’t last long.
He always knew his parents were heroes. Before they left, they would sometimes take trips on their own to ‘save the world.’ But they were always back within a few days at most. Kai, as young as he was, didn’t know what else to do when the shopkeeper wouldn’t accept his coins. He ran, surely becoming one of the people his parents would have gone up against.
But they weren’t there when he got caught. They weren’t there when he escaped. When he ran home to his little sister, scrubbing away tears as he tried desperately to calm her down. They were never there.
But Kai was, and he hopes it was enough for her.
Kai remembers thinking fondly of his father’s work. He was a blacksmith; he made cool stuff like swords and armor. He thinks that if his father hadn’t left, he would have taught Kai everything he knew. Maybe then, Kai would be a half-decent blacksmith himself. Maybe Kai would even have a passion for it.
But, as it stands, Kai’s creations are flat and uninspired. They sell, thank all that is divine, but he is less than proud of them. It is work and nothing more. He won’t complain. He has not needed to steal for nearly five years now. That’s not something he could ever regret.
There is a man in the shop. His tall staff clicks against the stone floor while he browses. He hasn’t said anything since his entry. Kai doesn’t particularly mind; he has never seen this man before, and visitors tend to keep to themselves.
The man picks a sword from the shelf, weighing it in his hand. He seems to consider something before setting it back down and turning to Kai. Their eyes lock, and Kai braces himself. He has never been very good with the whole customer service aspect of his job. Metals, he can work with, but people are not his strong suit. Especially, the older ones. They tend to have a lot to say regarding his attitude.
“The metal you use is heavy. I’m afraid it would prove useless for my needs.” Kai raises a brow. Should he be insulted? That kind of feels like an insult. “Good for a Samurai, certainly. For anyone else, however, it would only slow them down.”
Kai leans off the anvil, standing up straight. “This kind of steel is our default. If you have a specific ore you want to use, I can make something out of it. Otherwise, this is all we have.”
His eyes fall, disappointed, telling Kai that this is definitely not what he wanted to hear.
Be helpful.
“What exactly are you looking for?” Kai asks. His eyes trail up ridges of the man’s bamboo staff. Something light, no doubt. Easy to carry around. Something with a long enough reach to keep a distance.
“Many years ago, I visited this place,” he says distantly, stroking his long beard. “I feel it is different. The fire you tend to does not keep. Your metal is heavy.” Kai frowns. He hums out a breath. “Nothing for a ninja?”
“I don’t know what you’re going on about, old man. You won’t find a ninja in these parts, I can tell you that much.” Kai steps forward, uncrossing his arms. The brim of the man’s straw hat keeps a fair distance between them as he continues, annoyed. “And the shop is called ’Four Weapons,’ not ’For Browsing.’ Either buy something or go peddle your insults somewhere else.”
After a moment, the man shakes his head. “Too bad. I thought I’d find something special here.” Then, he turns around. His staff clicks from stone to soil as he walks away, passing his sister on the path. She looks at him with a slight concern.
“One of those?” she asks, setting down a bag of groceries beside the bed.
“He wasn’t pleasant,” Kai confirms, then shrugs. “Could’ve been worse.” He looks back out to the path. The man has disappeared. Did he run? There’s no way he could have made it that far; he looked way too old for that kind of exertion. Strange.
“Oh, the lady at the counter gave us extra,” Nya says, pulling his attention back to her. She is sorting through her old school bag, pulling out several fruits, jars, and wrapped meat. “Again.”
Kai sighs, “I’ll send you out with extra next time. Make sure she gets it.”
“Kai,” she starts, uncertain.
“We don’t need handouts.”
“But,” she tries again, brushing her feet against the ground, “I mean, you have to admit, it is helpful.” Kai huffs. “I don’t like it either, you know that. I just…” Then, she sighs, “You work really hard, Kai. I just feel like a little help would go a long way.”
“We aren’t talking about this again,” Kai immediately shuts down. He knows exactly where she’s going with this, and-
“What, you don’t think I could be a blacksmith?”
“I don’t think that’s what you want.” Kai turns around the room, busying himself with the stock. “Actually, I know that’s not what you want, Nya, so stop trying to shove your way through. I can do this on my own.”
Nya scoffs, “You don’t know anything! I can…I…” Her voice trails off. Kai glances back to see her staring out the window. The sunlight fades, steady but quick, and shadows breach through the shop. In the distance, just over the hill, sit five groaning machines. Their grating engines rumble deep throughout the valley. “What are those things?” Nya’s voice sounds small.
Kai can’t tell whether she’s talking about the machines or the ones operating them. Either way, he has no clue. Quickly, he grabs one of his swords from the shelf, pulling two more down with it. They fall to the floor with a loud crash!
“Stay here,” he tells her. Then, he steps out onto the stone patio. Screams ring out through the valley as the vehicles run carelessly through the farmland. Kai grits his teeth.
Skeletons, he realizes as they grow closer and closer, and then-
His sword is shoved back as one of them clashes with it. Kai swings it back, his blade crunching into bone and armor. He kicks the skeleton away, bracing for the next.
Two, three, four-
He shoves the skeleton back, pressing on the blade of his sword. Kai scans the fields.
-six, seven, eight.
Eight skeletons. Then three on the largest vehicle, watching him. Waiting. Looking for something. Kai glares up at them.
Suddenly, several skeletons rush past him toward the shop. Before he can grab them, his arms are pulled back. He stumbles, turning his head as his sword is twisted out of his grip. Two skeletons huddle behind him and pin his arms back.
He watches as his shop is raided. They tear down the shelves, kicking around every axe and breastplate as they look for something. Kai’s eyes search for Nya through the windows of the second floor. She must be hiding. That’s good. That’s good, but they’ll find her. They’ll find her and-
Kai writhes in their hold, his back knocking against their armor. Their voices crackle with laughter. Their jaws click behind his ears, and he cringes.
He wants to call out to his sister. But maybe they didn’t see her. Maybe they don’t know that she’s here, and they won’t find her. But the shop is so small. There are only so many places she could hide.
Suddenly, he is pushed forward again, and his arms are released. He whips around, raising his fists. He stops short when he sees a red cheongsam. Kai blinks. “Nya?”
His sister taps the end of a staff on the chest of one of the now downed skeletons and gives him a shaky smile. “Yeah, hi.”
“I-” Kai scans the patio for his sword. “I thought I told you to stay back!” She gives him a flat stare, gesturing over to their overtaken shop.
“Oh, sure, great idea.” She steps over the rattling bodies. Are they still not done? “You’re welcome, by the way.”
Kai finally retrieves his sword, flipping it in his grip. “That was dangerous, Nya. You need to get out of here.”
“Pft, and what? Let you have all the fun?” The staff trembles in her hands. He can see it. She’s scared. But she tightens her fists around it and takes a stance.
“I’m serious, Nya, get out of here!” Kai narrows his eyes when he sees movement from the largest vehicle. The three skeletons jump from its height, landing on the stone with a sickening crack! One of them grumbles, readjusting their leg. It rattles and snaps back into place.
Kai can't take his eyes off the one in the center. He's big—much bigger than any of his lackeys. The other two are scary enough in their own right, but this guy? He towers over them, his four bony arms all wielding daggers with jagged edges like teeth. His eyes bore into him, a deep red unflinching as they stare him down.
Backing up, Kai holds out his unarmed hand, ushering Nya behind him. He does not break eye contact, though he can feel his sister’s displeased glare.
The other two linger for only a moment longer before joining the lackeys inside the shop. Kai readies his sword, eyes darting between each arm, each blade. This is bad. Kai can barely make weapons. He’s never had to use them. It was difficult enough with just one skeleton, and these things don’t seem to care where they are hit. They don’t get hurt. He can’t incapacitate them. So, even if it comes down to it, they won’t die.
“Where is it?” the four-armed skeleton asks. His voice grates in Kai’s ears, an unpleasant rasp beneath his words.
Kai swallows. “Where is what?”
“The map, boy,” he drawls.
“What map?”
“Don’t play the fool. He’s hidden it here somewhere.” He fixes Kai with a scrutinizing glare. “Surely his eldest would know of its whereabouts.” Realization dawns on Kai. His father. He grits his teeth. It wasn’t enough to just leave them. Now, whatever problems their parents caused in their ‘hero days’ have come back to bite them, their children.
This is ridiculous.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kai insists, because he doesn’t. Whatever map they are looking for isn’t in the shop. He should know. He had spent weeks searching the house for anything their parents could have left behind for them. All he had found was a letter. A short, useless letter that hadn’t explained anything.
“Our parents never said anything about a map,” Nya explains, holding the staff close to her chest. “We haven’t seen them since we were little. We don’t know anything!”
The four-armed skeleton narrows his eyes, searching them. He hums, the scraping of nails locked in his throat.
“General,” calls a voice from the shop. One of the two skeletons from before—likely his lieutenants—exits the shop, kicking away a stray helmet. The four-armed skeleton glances back. The lieutenant shakes his head.
“How unfortunate,” the general sighs. He steps forward. Kai is more than eager to back away, but they’ve reached the end of the patio, rocks and trees keeping them pinned. The general’s tall frame looms over them, lamplight seeping through the gaps between his bones. “It would seem the day is left to waste. Nuckal, return to our lord and inform him of our failure.”
The first lieutenant shuffles nervously. “Ah, of course, General.”
There is a brief moment of silence as the lieutenant boards one of the cycles. The general turns his attention back to Kai and Nya, who have not yet taken their eyes off him.
“I am not one for mercies. In fact, I despise your kind,” the general says. “However, I respect your valor. It makes for good soldiers.” Kai breathes in shortly. The general nods. “You will live, boy,” he decides.
Kai can’t help the way his shoulders sag, too relieved. Finally, he glances back at his sister. Nya’s eyes dart between him and the general, mouth agape wordlessly.
“And you won’t hurt her?” he asks tentatively.
“Should you comply, I will have no reason to.”
Kai frowns. “What do you mean?”
A sudden crash echoes through the valley. Nya gasps as the shop’s wooden beams splinter and fall, taking the sign down with them. They can only watch as their home breaks down, collapsing in on itself. The sword slips from Kai’s hand, and he feels…
Nothing.
He waits for it. The grief, the anger. He waits, and he waits, but it never comes.
Does he really hate them that much?
He can hear Nya muttering something under her breath.
“General!” calls the second lieutenant. “We found it!”
Kai’s eyes widen. That isn’t possible. There is—was—nothing in that house. Kai is so sure of it. And yet, there it is. Held proudly in the air is a crumpled old scrap of parchment, detailing a narrow path between Ignacia and the borders of the Endless Sea.
His eyes flick back to the general, whose snear has gone stone cold.
“Liar,” is all he says before raising a dagger high. “Burn it!”
“What? No!” Nya’s voice is panicked. She surges forward and away from Kai. The general catches her with ease, pulling her back. The skeletons take to the forge and strike a flame, shoving in chunks of wood from the shop. They toss the burning rubble into the piles left behind, setting their home aflame.
Kai tears his eyes away at the sound of his sister’s struggles. She fights the general’s grip, kicking and stomping at his feet. The general is unfazed.
“Let her go!” Kai demands, pushing forward, now regrettably unarmed. The general swats him away with his lower daggers. The blades cut into his arms, slicing red through his sleeves. His sister calls out for him, but he can barely hear her over the sound of his own scream.
It hurts.
“We have what we came for. Move out,” the general commands. He grabs hold of Kai’s arm and drags him and Nya back to the monstrous vehicles. Kai breathes deep through the pain, trying to keep focused on his sister’s voice.
“No! Let go of me!” she shouts, “Kai!” He tries to reach for her, but the general tightens his fist around Kai’s arm, his wound pulsing with needles. “Where are you taking us? What do you want?”
The general does not respond.
Kai’s eyes drift down to the dagger below him, held in the general’s lower hand. If he could just get his hands on it, he could…well, he seriously doubts the outcome would be any different from before. At the very least, he could buy Nya some time to get away.
But the general’s grip is too tight. He is too on guard. Kai needs some kind of distraction. Quickly, too, because he doesn’t want to be on that machine when he stabs the driver.
He shares a look with Nya. A soft ring surrounds his vision, dark and blurry. He tries to blink it away. His sister stares at him with worry and confusion. Whatever look he is giving her is not sending the right message. He sucks in a breath, glancing down at the general’s lower arm, adding a subtle gesture with his chin. Her frown disappears as she follows his gaze.
Nya’s sudden cessation of struggle seems to have caught the general’s attention. He looks down at her, slowing his pace just slightly. She slumps, relaxing every muscle in her body. The sudden weight doesn’t seem to affect the general as much as Kai had hoped, and this isn’t exactly what he had in mind.
“Are you dead?” the general asks, perplexed. He lifts her off the ground, his hand clenched around the collar of her cheongsam. She stays limp, her dark bob a curtain over her face. His rigid shoulders slacken as he inspects her. “Oh, good. I must admit this is a preferable state. It’s a long way back to the Underworld. I don’t need you screaming the whole way.”
The Underworld?
Panic soars through Kai like a flood. No. No, he won’t let them take her there.
He forces himself still, trying not to draw attention to the dread pooling inside him. With sluggish movements, Kai inches his fingers down, down, and out, searching for the hilt of the dagger. He pays careful mind not to touch the general’s hand.
Just a little more. Stay still, stay still…
It only takes a moment more before he finds it and quickly slips his hand between the guard and the general’s fingers. Alarmed, the general whips around. Kai pulls, yanking it out of his hand before he can grab it. He has less than a second to jab it into the side of the general’s neck—the only vital point Kai can think of. But the general isn’t human. And Kai did not hit his neck.
He overshot. With a pained shout, the general shoves him away, clutching at his eye socket where the dagger sits snuggly. Nya suddenly springs up, kicking at the general’s chest. In a fit of rage, the general throws her down, slamming her into the stone.
He pulls the dagger out from his eye. It saws through the edge of his socket. The blade is coated in a bright red substance. It glows, matching his other eye and leaving the socket empty.
Kai wheezes from the ground, watching the still form of his sister.
No, no, get up, you have to run-
He cries out when the general stomps on his forearm.
It hurts!
“If I didn’t need you alive,” he says lowly, crouching down, “I’d drag you through hell itself, boy.” Kai yelps as the general leans his weight onto his arm.
“Nya,” he calls weakly.
“But, not to worry. I can still make you bleed.” He spins the stained blade in his hand almost playfully, then brings it down in a line towards his eye. Kai struggles, catching a glimpse of something gold before squeezing his eyes shut.
The weight of the general is pulled off him with a sharp sound, and Kai can breathe. He gasps, turning his head to the side, his mind replaying the image of a dagger twisting in his skull. He needs to get away from here. Away from him.
“Wu,” the general speaks somewhere beneath the burning rubble, “it’s been a long time. Your spinjitsu looks rusty.”
“Nothing like bone to sharpen its edge, Samukai.”
That voice. Kai knows that voice.
Groaning, he pushes himself up, leaning back on his hands. He blinks away the tears formed in his eyes. It does little to lessen the fuzz in his vision. Too dark. Too blotchy.
Each turn of his head sends sharp pains through his skull as he tries to relocate his sister. She was right there, wasn’t she? Or maybe…
She was somewhere on the patio, he knows that much. But Kai can’t find her anywhere. Did she move? Did she run?
Hope blooms in his chest. Yes, good. That’s good. She escaped, she left, she’s safe-
But his eyes land on red. The only red to be seen among the violet and grey machines. He squints his eyes. The figure is too blurry to fully make out. It is still and quiet. That can’t be Nya. Nya is too expressive, too lively, and loud, and that just can’t be her.
He flinches when a piercing crack splits through the air. He hears the general’s gravely cackle and turns his head to follow the sound, only to stop halfway. The water tower. It had caught fire along with the rest of the shop. The pillars holding it up are burnt thin. In one of them is buried four pale daggers. The water tower leans. Kai looks up. His vision spins, and the tank gets closer and closer.
Then suddenly, he is spinning. He clamps his eyes shut, willing the world to cease his torture. The earth rumbles as the tower falls, crashing into stone. Whatever had remained in the tank spills out onto the patio, flooding the flames of his home. Kai is tossed back onto the ground. A weight falls back onto him, though it is lighter than the general.
“Lord Garmadon sends his regards,” the general calls out. The skeletons’ machines roar violently as they speed away into the distance. Kai blinks his eyes open when they finally fade. And though he is met with quiet air, fire still crackles in his ears, and the nausea has set itself deep in his gut.
As he had thought, the old man from earlier is settled over him, his staff acting as a barrier between them. He is looking off to the hills, his eyes crinkled and distant. He looks conflicted. Kai could not care less.
“Nya,” he mumbles, blinking. He pushes at the man’s shoulder, urging him to get off. “I need to…find her.”
“I’m afraid that may prove difficult,” the man says, pulling his eyes away from the dark clouds. “Where they go, no mortal can follow.”
Kai frowns. “What? No, no, she got away. Nya’s smart, she ran…”
“I am sorry. Your sister was taken.”
Kai’s teeth clench. His head aches. “Why didn’t you save her? She was right there, why-” He is cut off by a particularly strong pinch in the back of his skull. He feels his arms being lifted and turned. Then, fingers tilt his chin to either side. Everything is so foggy. Why is it getting worse? He doesn’t have time for this!
“It would seem Samukai has done quite the number on you,” the man notes, “but with plenty of rest, you will heal.”
“Who?” Kai groans, swatting his hand away.
“The one that attacked you was Samukai, king of the Underworld,” the man elaborates, “and that is where they are taking your sister.”
“You sure know a lot about this, old man,” Kai mumbles, his words slurring slightly. He stares at the long beard in front of him, trying to keep track of the world. Oh, yeah. His house is still on fire. And his yard is flooded. And his sister is gone.
“I need to find her,” he says again.
“You will,” the man assures him.
“I dunno what’s happening.” Kai buries his face in his hands. “Who even are you?”
“I am Wu,” he answers simply, “and I am here to help you and your sister. You shall return to the monastery with me, and I will teach you the way of the ninja…”
Whatever he’s rambling about fades into white noise. Kai lets out a shaky breath. Exhaustion creeps through his sore arms and throbbing head. He tries to fight it, he really does, but it's so strong.
Nya, he thinks, willing himself to stay awake. To get up and find her.
But the world finally goes completely dark, and he’s alone.
…
“What the hell.” Kai stares at the shadowy figure tucked in the corner of the room, which is definitely not his room. It jumps slightly at his voice. It is human-shaped, he thinks. Kai squints and can make out the faint glint in their eyes. Skeletons don’t have eyes like that.
“Um, hi,” the figure greets, his tone light and a bit shaky, “I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s my turn to watch after you, so…”
“Watch me? While I sleep.” Kai raises a brow.
“Well, when you put it like that, it sounds really bad, but yes?”
“Where am I?” Kai dismisses, sliding his bandaged legs over the side of the bed. The figure leans away from the wall and takes a step forward. Kai quickly gets to his feet and holds out a hand, summoning the best glare he can muster through his headache. “Nuh-uh, stay there. Who are you?”
“Oh, right!” The masked figure clears his throat. “My name is…” He holds out the ‘s’ for a solid three seconds before continuing, “Actually, I probably shouldn’t tell you that. Ninja and all, y’know?”
“Ninja?” Kai chuckles humorlessly. “Oh, I get it. You're with that old man, yeah? Point me in his direction. I have several things I’d like to say to him.”
“He’s, uh…sleeping,” the masked figure finishes lamely. “I really mean that! It’s, like, four in the morning?”
Kai glances out the window. “Yeah, I gathered.”
“You’re supposed to stay here until the next shift switch at least,” he tells him. “Sorry, but I can’t let you leave. Direct orders.”
“From who, your sensei?” Kai mocks.
“Yes, actually,” the ‘ninja’ confirms defensively. “My very competent, very wise sensei, I’ll have you know.”
Kai shakes his head. “Whatever, man. Let me talk to him then.”
“Oh, um.” The ‘ninja’ pauses. “He is also sleeping.”
Kai fixes him with an unimpressed look before reaching for the door handle. His wrist is caught almost immediately. He whips his head back up to see the figure much, much closer than before.
“I’d like to keep things civil, if you don’t mind,” he says. Kai yanks his hand away. To his surprise, the ninja lets go without a fight.
“Great, so now I’m a prisoner.” He lies back down on the bed with a huff. He covers his face with his hands. “This sucks.” The ninja shuffles uncomfortably. Kai raises his head off the bed. “When exactly does your shift end?”
“In, like, three hours.”
Kai groans. “Ugh! I don’t have time for this!”
“Hey, you're in no hurry! Just get some rest. You’ll heal up real soon, I’m sure of it.” His positivity is grating.
“Actually, I am,” Kai refutes. “Those skeletons took my sister. That old man knew them, or at least the guy in charge. Who knows what they're doing to her while I'm stuck here doing nothing?” The mattress shifts beside him. “This sucks,” he reiterates.
“Skeletons, huh? Well, I've never seen one myself, but Sensei says they come from the Underworld.” Kai peeks up at the ninja through his fingers. He’s pinching the cuff of his hoodie. Kai drags his hands down his face, letting out a long breath.
“Yeah, I got that part.” Kai counts his fingers. “Also, they don't bleed, reattach severed limbs, and are immune to dying.”
The ninja rolls his shoulders. “They are undead,” he says, “they probably don’t feel pain either.”
Kai thinks back to that wretched scream. The leaking socket, void of the one glowing orb that hovered within. The anger that shrank his solid features. He thinks of the pain in his arms, in his head. And the dagger that almost returned the general’s agony.
He’s not so sure that anger is all it was.
If they can feel pain, they can be hurt. And if they can be hurt…
“Undead or not, it doesn’t matter,” Kai decides, “I’ll fight a thousand of ‘em if it means getting her back.”
“Wow,” the ninja forces a laugh, “that’s a…lot of skeletons.” Kai takes note of his apparent nervousness.
They’re probably hurting her, his mind graciously contributes.
“This is stupid!” Kai launches himself upright. “None of this would have happened if it weren’t for that stupid map!”
“Map? What map?” the ninja asks, startled.
“Did that old guy tell you anything?” Kai scowls at him.
The ninja shrugs sheepishly. “He said you were a new member. Not much else.” New member? Oh no. No, absolutely not. “And you…didn’t know that, did you?” The ninja’s blue eyes search his with concern.
Kai grits his teeth. “Look, I don’t know what he said to you and your teacher, but I have no intentions of joining your little dojo,” Kai states, standing back up. “You can’t keep me here. I’m going to find my sister.”
“I’m sure Sensei will explain everything. There’s a reason for everything he does. If he chose you, that means something.” Kai shakes his head, making a beeline for the door. “Come on, man!” Again, Kai is pulled back. The ninja presses his other arm to the door, leaning against it. “Do you even know where the Underworld is? Think about it. What exactly are you going to do?”
“Whatever I have to!”
“That isn’t a plan!” the ninja exclaims. His eyes are wide as they stare at Kai, willing him to understand. But Kai couldn’t care less about what this guy wants. So what if Blue-Eyes gets in trouble with his sensei? His sister’s life means more than that—more than anything!
And Kai would go through anything to get to her.
After a moment, the ninja closes his eyes, letting out a sigh. “I…I’m not good at this. I get that you’re worried about her, but you rushing into something like this could get you really hurt.” He looks back up at Kai, letting go of his arm. “Just wait, please. I know this must be hard. I’m sorry.”
Kai nods, examining his now free arm. “Me too.” Kai doesn’t let the words register before throwing his fist into the side of his mask. He may not be a fighter, but years of lifting steel bars and swinging around a forging hammer have made him strong. Much stronger than the last time he’d thrown a punch, he quickly realizes. He hadn’t meant to hit the guy that hard.
The ninja staggers back, head thudding against the wall as he sinks to the ground. He groans, murmuring something in his daze.
Still conscious.
For as relieving as that is, it unfortunately means less time to get away. No problem. He’ll just need to be quick about it. Kai turns the handle. It’s locked. Of course it’s locked. Why wouldn’t it be locked from…the inside?
He twists the lock above the handle. The door swings open with ease, and with one last bewildered glance at the recovering ninja, he steps out. He sprints down the hall. Why are there so many doors? Which one leads out? The biggest, he would assume, but they are all the same size.
“Hey!” the ninja calls from behind him. Kai turns around to see him leaning against the doorframe, an eye shut tight and his palm pressed to his dome. “Wait!”
Kai hears shuffling from behind one of the doors. Okay, so not that one.
Try one. Any of them, just get out!
He swings open the parallel door. It leads to an open room.
Well, it’s better than nothing.
He shuts the door behind him, finding the latch and twisting it. He searches the room for something to use—some way to escape. Immediately, he spots a window. Then, he mentally kicks himself because the room he was in before had a window. This could have gone a lot smoother.
Without wasting any more time, Kai crosses the room, parts the curtains, and slides it open. No locks, no traps. Just cool night air. He hops up onto the pane, freezing when his eyes land on the ground below. A narrow edge of rock lies beneath, nothing but a pitch-black void waiting beyond. He can only hear the soft whistles of the wind, so it doesn’t sound like the ocean. If that’s open air, Kai is done for at the slightest misstep.
What is wrong with these people?
Tentatively, Kai lowers himself onto the platform.
For Nya, he tells himself. Come on, you’ve done this before. It’s just like roof hopping.
The rattling from the doorknob spurs him forward. He thinks he can hear a second voice behind the door. He doesn’t recognize it. His teacher, maybe? Their words are too muffled.
Kai slides against the high wall behind him. He inches farther and farther away from the window, briefly losing his balance when he hears something break. He pins himself back, breathing heavily as he recovers.
“Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me!” the ninja’s voice shouts, suddenly very clear in the open air. Kai whips his head back toward the window to see him with his head poking out of the frame, staring straight at him. Kai quickens his pace. “Go next door! Catch him-”
Next door?
Kai turns his head. From what he can see, there are at least two more windows down his path. Great, now what?
The wall is smooth; there aren’t any ridges to climb. The frames are too thin to use. Even if he could somehow balance on them, they would surely break under his weight. He can see movement behind the curtain. Right, they’d catch him before he could make it up anyway.
He can see the ninja exit the window from the corner of his eye. Biting his lip, he reluctantly looks down.
“Oh, no.” The ninja sounds panicked. “Trust me, man, you don’t wanna do that. Just come back inside. Please?” Kai ignores him, crouching down with a shaky breath. There really is no bottom. It is climbable, though. But Kai has never climbed a mountain before, much less something this tall. His inexperience, paired with his limited stamina, would surely lead to disaster. “If you really want out, we can take you to the training grounds. Oh, this is so dangerous-”
He doesn’t need to climb the entire way down. Just enough to shake this guy and whoever is with him.
For Nya, he reminds himself.
Kai dangles his leg over the edge, then turns himself around, searching for the nearest protrusion with his toes. When he finds it, he lowers himself down, much to the ninja’s horror. Dread pools in Kai’s gut. Oh, this is dangerous.
Too late to turn back.
She needs him.
“Is he-?”
“Yes! Do something!” the ninja shouts at his companion. Kai descends lower. It looks like the wall ends somewhere far to his left. If he can duck low enough out of view, he can start following it. Hopefully, it leads to flat, solid ground.
Kai lurches when his left foot slips, trying to stay balanced on his right. His hands clench around the cool stone of the mountain. His chest feels heavy, dropping low with every breath. His arms are shaky as he reaches for the next edge. It’s small. Kai doesn’t think it will support his weight.
He searches around for a better one. To his right, he finds a large depression scooped into the mountain. Kai would need to climb higher to reach it, but there aren’t many other options. He just needs to work his way around.
The two above him are arguing about something, their voices steadily rising with their frustration. Kai would roll his eyes if he weren’t afraid of losing his balance. Unfortunately, it seems that doesn’t matter, because when his hand meets what he thought was smooth stone, something sharp pricks into his fingers. Out of reflex, Kai snatches his hand back. His body twists with the motion, and his heel slides off the ledge.
Kai screams as he falls. His hands search desperately for something to cling to. They stop short at the small protrusion from before. His body swings with the abrupt stop. He digs his fingers into it, his eyes darting around for something else to grab onto.
“Hey!” the other guy calls out, crouching down with a hand cupped to his mouth, “Hold still. I’ll come get you, just don’t move.”
Is this guy serious? He’s not staying like this!
Kai stretches his leg forward, his toes just barely landing on a bulging rock at hip-level. His body curls. The position is uncomfortable, but at least his fingers aren’t the only things holding him up. He winces at the pain in those fingers. Whatever was in the depression had sunk deep. He can feel it pulsing under the pressure of his weight.
With a glance up, he can see that one of them has started to descend the mountain edge. He moves swiftly. His limbs reach in all the right places, pushing and pulling himself with precision and control. Kai sags. It’s like this guy has done this a million times.
He considers starting down again. But with the way things are looking, he would be caught very quickly. And if this guy is nearly as fearless as he looks right now, Kai isn’t willing to bet he could scare him off by descending lower.
It is with a deep resignation that, when the guy finally reaches his level, Kai takes his extended hand. From the looks of him, this guy is part of the other guy’s ninja group, wearing the same face mask and black hoodie. He pulls Kai onto the ledge beside him. Kai balances on the balls of his feet, leaning heavily against the wall. The ninja keeps a hand on his back.
“That was dumb,” he says.
“Shut up,” Kai hisses.
“I’m gonna carry you back up. I don’t want you falling again.”
Kai glares at him. “You are not touching me.”
Not even a minute later, Kai is clinging to the ninja’s shoulders like a koala. The way up is smooth. His stomach swoops, and he suddenly feels dizzy. And tired.
“This is humiliating,” he grumbles.
“We won’t speak of it,” the ninja promises, not sounding very pleased about this either. Kai sees the blue-eyed ninja peering over the edge above, getting closer as they ascend. Upon reaching the top, they are ushered close to the wall.
“Is he okay?” he asks immediately.
“Oh, yeah, I’m fine.” The other ninja rolls his eyes, crouching so Kai can climb down.
“I was talking about him,” the blue-eyed ninja clarifies. Kai’s feet meet solid ground, and he leans against the wall to support his shaky legs. He yelps when something hard hits his arm. He turns to see the blue-eyed ninja clutching his head, eyes narrowed. “Thanks for that, by the way.”
The other ninja snorts, “Wait, did he hit you?”
“Yeah!” the blue-eyed ninja exclaimed with disbelief. “Hard. Really, really hard.”
“Deserved,” Kai murmurs.
“I heard that!”
“Okay, can we all cool it?” the other ninja placates, “And have this conversation inside? It’s cold.” He doesn’t mention the steep edge, though he does give Kai a particular look.
“Yeah, I don’t feel like dying right now,” the blue-eyed ninja agrees, turning to the open window. He hops through, looking back at them expectantly. The other ninja stares at him expectantly. Kai sighs, then climbs back inside. The other ninja follows, shutting the window behind him.
They are in a wide room. The walls are pale and bare, much like the last rooms. The only things filling the space are an old couch and a television screen that is hooked up to some kind of console.
He takes note of the shoji to their left. Kai doesn’t think he could make it through unnoticed. However, there is another door, smaller and on hinges, that leads back out into the hallway. They must have left it open in their rush to get to him.
“What did you tell him?” he asks the blue-eyed ninja accusatorily.
“Nothing!”
“Yeah, right,” the other ninja huffs, “because people just go jumping off cliffs for no reason.”
“He didn’t jump, C-you! And I really didn’t say anything,” the blue-eyed ninja defends. “And how would you know? Maybe he’s just crazy.”
Kai takes a few steps back, then to the side. Neither seems to notice.
“You really think Sensei would bring in someone like that?” the other ninja challenges.
“Well, he brought in…you know,” the blue-eyed ninja counters.
“You?”
“What? No!”
A few steps more, and Kai is within eyeshot of the other ninja. Yeah, he’s going to have to make a break for it.
“I mean, if the shoe fits.” The other ninja’s eyes catch Kai’s. “Hey, where are you-” Kai crosses the threshold and slams the door shut. He sprints into the room across the hall, closing the door quietly behind him. He backs away slowly.
Something Kai had learned about his past pursuers was that they liked to assume things about him. Almost every time, they would think he’d run as far as he could to escape them. And Kai used to, once. But he learned how to hide better. They never expected him to stay so close.
It would seem these ninja are no different. He listens to their footsteps fade down the hall, opening the doors and searching the farthest rooms. Kai has time now. Time to make do with what he has.
There is no window, unlike the previous two rooms. Instead, the walls are decorated with paintings and many tall shelves. Books line them in a wide range of colors and heights. A small table sits in the center of the room with four cushions surrounding it. There isn’t much to work with here.
Kai picks a brush from the table. The handle’s end is rounded, but with enough force in the right place, he could definitely do some damage with it. At the very least, it would hurt, and pain buys time.
Just maybe not in the eye this time, he thinks.
Slowly, he peeks his head outside the door, watching for any sign of the two ninja. The dark hall reveals nothing. If it weren’t for the thudding sounds behind the walls of the other rooms, he would consider the possibility of them hiding in the shadows. Thankfully, he does not need to concern himself with that risk. For ninja, they sure are loud.
He tiptoes back across the hall. Once again, the ninja have left the door open. Kai walks past the old couch and to the shoji, clutching the brush in his left hand. With the other, he pries his fingers into the thin gap between the doors and slowly pulls one open.
He winces at the pain that follows. Too late, he remembers the open wound in his palm and pulls it away. It leaves behind a dark stain on the white paper. Well, there’s no erasing that. He’ll just need to escape before they catch onto his trail.
Luckily for Kai, the next door he opens up to a large stone courtyard. The tall white walls from earlier surround him in a wide circle, leading to the gate ahead of him. The courtyard is bare, save for the gold statue in the center. It’s hard to see in the dark of the night, but Kai thinks it is meant to be a dragon.
Kai glances around suspiciously. It has grown far too quiet for his liking. He would prefer to know where the ninja are. Their silence isn’t promising in regard to their ignorance. He can’t see or hear anyone nearby. Hopefully, that means he is in the clear.
He’ll stay alert. With freedom so close, it is hard to focus on anything else. Just a little farther. One step closer to Nya.
When one of the ninja pins him to the ground, it isn’t for a lack of awareness. In fact, Kai manages to land a hit on him. But the ninja does not stagger as the blue-eyed one had. It only takes a second of recovery before Kai’s arms are twisted back, and his knees are kicked in. The brush clatters on the stone as he crumples to the floor with an angry yelp and squirms in the ninja’s hold.
The commotion draws out the other two.
Two? he recounts.
There are more of these guys?
“You got him!”
“Aw, no fair,” the blue-eyed ninja whines. Kai glares at the approaching pair.
“What do we do with him?” the other ninja wonders.
The new ninja speaks, his voice even. “I think it would be best to return him to his room and await Sensei’s orders. Perhaps adding a few locks would be wise.”
“Agreed,” the other ninja huffs, “he climbed out a window and down the side of the mountain. Almost fell to his death.” The new ninja makes a sound of alarm.
“Oh, don’t remind me.” The blue-eyed ninja shudders. “I tried to reason with him, but he wouldn’t listen! I don’t know what Sensei was thinking, bringing him here.”
“Yeah, neither do I,” Kai pipes up. They all jump. If he weren’t so angry, he might have laughed at the irony. There is no way these guys are real. Ninja are supposed to be intimidating and fearless, not whatever example these three are trying to push. He thrusts his shoulder back in an attempt to shake off the new ninja. “Get off me!”
“I’m afraid I cannot,” he says simply. “You have proven to be quite the absconder. Should I release you, I have no doubt you would attempt another escape.”
Kai scowls. “What is wrong with you people? What do you want from me?”
“Your questions will all be answered in time. First, however…” Kai stills at the new voice. The ninja’s heads all turn to the old man standing atop the center porch. “Zane, remove yourself from our guest.”
“Yes, Sensei.” The pressure on his back immediately lifts, and Kai pushes himself off the ground. The three ninja bow their heads respectfully toward the old man. The old man from the shop. The old man who had saved Kai from the skeleton general. The old man who had let them get away with Nya.
“I must apologize on behalf of my students. I had instructed that you be treated with care. You are still healing.” Kai balls his hands into fists. How can he sound so calm? How dare he pretend that any of this is normal?
“We tried, Sensei,” the other ninja defends, “but he bolts every chance he gets. We weren’t going to hurt him- ack!”
“Of course he does,” Wu knocks the top of his head with his staff. “Had you three thought to retrieve me, all of this could have been avoided.”
“But you said never to disturb your slumber- ow!” the blue-eyed ninja cries, clutching the top of his head. A brief satisfaction rolls through Kai.
“And you.” Wu points to the new ninja—Zane, apparently—with the end of his staff. “Are you determined to reopen every sealed wound on his body? What were you thinking? All of you?”
The ninja bow their heads again, this time distraught. Kai rolls his eyes. Suddenly, a dull thud shocks all thought from his brain, and he takes a few seconds to register what just happened. Wu settles his staff back down to the floor, slightly leaning on it.
“You are not exempt from this,” the old man tells Kai and levels him with a stern look. “You are meant to be resting.”
Kai does a double-take, and he actually laughs this time. “Y-you’re not serious!” The ninja share a look amongst each other. Wu’s expression does not change. “You…my sister is gone,” Kai reminds him. “Those skeletons took her and destroyed our home because of some map—” He gestures wide around him. “—and the next thing I know, I’m on a mountain, thousands of feet above solid ground, and am being hunted by three masked men telling me to join their cult. A cult, apparently, led by you.”
Wu looks between the three ninja.
“That’s not how it went,” the blue-eyed one denies, his head still hung low. “Well, not exactly.”
Kai takes a step forward, jabbing his finger against Wu’s chest. “If you aren’t going to be useful, I want nothing to do with you. Stay out of my way.” He glares at the three still ninja behind him. “All of you.”
He starts walking back to the gate. Surprisingly, none of the ninja chases after him.
“The four of you have been chosen,” Wu starts, “each in tune with elemental properties.” Kai slows to a stop. He doesn’t look away from the gate, but that does catch his attention. “I have brought all of you here to harness that power.”
Kai remembers a flame. Small and in the hand of a man much bigger than him. It was dark, and they were alone. But Kai had never felt safer, wonder swirling in his sight.
‘It isn’t something to be feared,’ he had said. ‘Fire is what you make of it. Too much and it takes, too little and it will not give much of anything at all. It all depends on how you tend to it.’
He had always seen a match. A small spark would ignite, and there would be fire. But he can’t remember the sound. He can’t remember ever having matches in his home. It was one of the first things he had bought when he and Nya were left on their own because he never knew where his father had kept them. And in all that time searching his own home, he never found them.
“You must know of what I speak,” Wu tries, and Kai can’t help but feel the assumption is directed towards him specifically. None of the ninja seems very surprised by his words. “It burns bright inside of you.”
“Yeah, sorry to break it to you, but you’ve got the wrong guy.” Kai looks back at Wu. “He’s been gone a while. But who knows? If you start looking now, you might catch up.”
“No, Kai. You are the master of fire,” Wu contests. “You have been for quite some time, I’m sure.” He steps down from the porch. Walking down the line of ninja, he gestures to the blue-eyed one. “Jay is the master of lightning,” he announces. The ninja mentioned, startles. He stares at Wu incredulously.
“Hey! I was working really hard to keep that a secret,” he complains, sagging.
“You wouldn’t have lasted the night, mouth of lightning.” The other ninja elbows him. Wu points to him next, and he stills.
“Master of earth, Cole. Solid as rock.” Then, making it to the final ninja, he introduces, “And Zane, master of ice, gifted with sixth sense.” He eyes the three expectantly. They all turn to Kai and nod in respect. Kai
“Right. And I sense you all taking this a little too seriously,” Kai jeers. The…Jay bristles, and Cole levels him with unimpressed eyes.
“You too have the gift?” Zane perks up. His companions turn their gaze to him, exasperated.
“No, no,” Jay sighs, correcting, “it was a joke, Zane. He’s making fun of us.”
Zane nods, uncertain. “Ah, yes. Of course.” He attempts a laugh, and Kai has to stop himself from cringing.
Wu clears his throat. “The elements have chosen you four to protect their conduit and guard the four weapons of Spinjitzu. Lord Garmadon seeks to obtain them and wreak havoc upon Ninjago. Such events cannot be allowed to unfold.”
“That’s great and all,” Kai dismisses, “but what does this have to do with my sister?”
“When we find the weapons, we will find your sister,” Wu explains, “and we must find them before Samukai.” Kai winces at the reminder of the skeleton general. He doesn’t want that monster anywhere near Nya.
“What even are these weapons? Why are they so important to him? And why would they take my sister?”
“Actually, I’d like to know that too,” Cole chimes in. “I could understand if they tried taking him back, but from what I understand, Smokey here is the one with the powers, right? I mean, unless it was split between them. How would that work between siblings?”
“Focus,” Wu instructs. He turns back to Kai. “Only one can possess an element at a time. It is you who has inherited your father’s fire. I don’t believe they took her for any reason regarding her potential as a master, but simply to lure you in.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Kai refutes, “that general—Samukai—he was going to kill me!”
“Perhaps, but I have doubts about that being his original intent.” Wu rests a knuckle beneath his lip. “You took something important from him. It is easy for things like anger to cloud our judgment.”
“You took something?” Jay repeats, eyes wide. “What was it?”
Kai ignores him. “Yeah, well, he took something too. It seemed pretty important to him.”
“Yes, your father’s map.” It was given to your father by the first Spinjitsu master’s youngest son. It marks the location of each of the golden weapons.”
“Why would he even make something like that? If these weapons are so dangerous, don’t you think they should stay lost?” Kai scoffs.
“The world is only so large. They would be found eventually. If someone were to actively seek them out, your father would have the means of protecting them.”
Kai searches his eyes. “And you came to the shop looking for the map,” he realizes. ”Just like Samukai.”
Wu shakes his head. “No, Kai. I came for something greater.” Kai frowns at him. “You.”
Right. Of course.
“Lord Garmadon was banished to the Underworld many years ago after a previous attempt on the weapons. Because he cannot enter this realm, it is obvious he has struck a deal with Samukai. If he were to collect all four weapons, even I would not be able to stop him. But you? You have the fire inside.” He scans the group, meeting each of their eyes. “All of you have the potential to rise and put an end to this. I will teach you to control it. Use it to become Spinjitzu masters.”
Kai stares at the dried blood crusting in his palm. “They’re expecting me, aren’t they?” he asks, feeling somewhat resigned.
“Not necessarily.” Wu approaches him steadily. “The skulkin are prepared for a boy with little to no experience in the fields of combat. Whatever they have set up for your arrival is sure to pale in comparison to what you will learn here.” He places a hand on Kai’s shoulder. Kai stiffens, wanting to pull away. “You have so much potential in you, Kai. If you want to save your sister, you will need to tend to it.”
He glances over Wu’s shoulder. The ninja stare at them with varying expressions that Kai can’t quite make out under their masks. Uncertainty lies in their eyes. Distrust and censure. “And what about them?” he asks. “What’s the catch?”
He finds it hard to believe they would do all of this for their own shiny new tool. Then again, judging from their apparent loyalty to their teacher, they might just.
“The entirety of Ninjago is at stake,” Zane explains after a moment of silence. “We cannot afford to lie idle at a time like this.” The other two nod beside him.
“I’d prefer it stay as it is,” Cole agrees.
“And…” Jay fiddles with his fingers. “...she’s probably scared, right? Your sister? So, we kind of have to.” His voice wanes with every word until he’s mumbling the last part. Cole wacks the back of his head with a grin visible in his eyes.
“Yeah, that too.”
Wu looks on at his students, an emotion Kai can’t recognize softening his features. Kai doesn’t know how to respond. Thankfully, he doesn’t need to.
“Should you permit it, we will begin your training tomorrow morning,” Wu states, a question in his tone.
Kai flexes his hand, feeling the blood crumble between the lines. He won’t save her. He knows that. Not like this. He could barely handle three guys in a mask, let alone Samukai’s undead soldiers. He feels trapped in his own skin.
“Okay,” he relents, his voice weaker than he would have liked.
Wu looks at him approvingly. “Now rest. All of you, back to bed.” He shoos the ninja and Kai away. “I don’t want to hear you until the sun is up.”
“Yes, Sensei,” the three ninja abide in unison.
“Whatever,” Kai grumbles, trudging back inside.
…
Training proves to be nothing short of a nightmare.
Kai feels as though he is being publicly humiliated. He is a fish out of water, with Cole, Zane, and Jay moving seamlessly through Wu’s drills. They are swift and composed, as if they were born for this. And Kai? He lags behind. Far behind, wobbling to keep his balance as the monastery’s contraption attacks him from every angle.
It’s a strange thing. Kai had expected more of a dojo-esque type of deal, not whatever this is. Where he expected mats and wood, stood a series of unthinkable mechanisms that twisted and swung at him with swords, maces, and morning stars.
He’s trying to kill me. Kai heaves. He’s actually trying to kill me.
The other three hop onto the rising wooden poles, jumping across them as they take turns dropping back into the ground.
Suffice to say, Kai’s first day as a “ninja-in-training” did not end well.
“Just keep your knees a little bent. That’s how I do it,” Jay offers on their way back into the monastery. Apparently, he was the latest addition to their little group before Kai’s arrival. He’s only been here for two months.
Kai scoffs, “This is stupid! Like standing on one leg’s gonna do anything.” He rubs his sore arms. Indignation boils in his gut. This entire day has felt like nothing but a joke—a collection of ridiculous poses and an impossible course, irrelevant to Nya’s rescue.
And they don’t even care.
“It’s less about the act itself and more about finding your center,” Zane explains. “If you cannot be knocked down, you will always be on your feet. Those on higher ground have the advantage in most instances.”
Kai squints at him. This morning, Kai was surprised to find the ninja lounging about the house—the monastery, so they’ve named it—in normal attire. No masks. No uniform black hoodies and sweatpants. Beneath their mock-intimidation turned out to be a small handful of typical high school teenagers.
The preppy one: Zane, with his white button-down tucked beneath his waistband. He is very conscious of his image—not a blond strand out of place, not a curse to leave his lips. The type that sucks up to adults under the pretense that they just ‘know better.’ Out of the three of them, he is by far the worst case of Wu’s indoctrination.
The awkward, nerdy one: Jay, with his sweater vest and bright orange scarf that he wears indoors. Despite his apparent lack of social confidence, he has a talent for rambling on and on about literally anything. Kai had hoped that it could be used as a distraction from his unending concern for Nya, but he just finds it annoying.
The athletic one: Cole, with his plain black shirt and letterman jacket. He performs very well during their training sessions and gives out unsolicited advice to Kai and the others. And while the other two may appreciate it, Kai does everything in his power to ignore him.
Cole seems the most wary of Kai. Kai can’t exactly fault him for it, but the blatant monitoring is a constant pressure on his back. Only three days in, and Kai wants nothing more than to leave again. Every second spent here feels like a waste of his time. Nya’s time.
His feet are suddenly swept out from beneath him. He yelps and lands hard on the ground. Jay hisses through his teeth. Zane only blinks down at him.
Then Kai sees that long beard and stupid hat. He pushes himself upright and spreads his arms, annoyed. “What the hell? I thought we were done!”
Wu tuts. “Sloppy. Even outside of conflict, we must ground ourselves. Either plant your feet or center yourself elsewhere.” Kai scowls up at him. What does that mean? “Now rest. We will continue your training in the morning.”
“That’s what you said two minutes ago!” Kai calls after him as he disappears down the hall. Great. So he’s not getting any sleep tonight. He desperately ignores the pitying look Jay sends him.
Kai tosses in bed. The blanket crumples at his shins, slowly dipping onto the floor. His forearm is pressed over his eyes, heavy and willing him to lose consciousness. But it’s been three hours, and his mind runs wild. Too many thoughts. Memories of steel and bone. Possibilities of what those monsters could be doing to Nya that his mind generously supplies. So many things that make it impossible for Kai to think.
And he definitely can’t sleep.
So he doesn’t. Instead, Kai navigates the monastery with light steps, careful not to disrupt the ninja. He doesn’t need a reenactment of three nights ago. The front door slides open with a soft shff, and Kai steps out onto the veranda. He plops down beside one of the wooden beams supporting the roof.
The air is cool, sharp, and much thinner than he is used to. The ninja called this the mountain of impossible height. Clearly, that isn’t to be taken literally, but Kai wonders how high up they really are. Admittedly, Kai doesn’t know much about mountains or the logistics of the sky, but isn’t there a point where the air stops being breathable?
He wonders if skeletons need to breathe. Normally, he would kick himself for sounding so stupid, but Samukai was talking and screaming, so Kai can’t rule out the possibility. They haven’t come for him yet. Maybe they’re scared of this place. Wu, the air, heights. If he climbs high enough, maybe they’ll never reach him.
But that’s just more distance between him and Nya. He refuses to entertain the idea.
“That didn’t take long.”
Kai startles, turning to see Cole standing in the doorway. “Huh?”
“You’re leaving?”
“What? No.” Kai huffs at the surprise written on Cole's face. “You thought I would?”
“Well, yeah, sorta.” Cole takes a seat beside him. Kai shifts a little closer to the beam. Cole’s hands fold, and he breathes out slowly. “He’s not normally like this, you know. Sensei. None of us started out with…that.” He gestures vaguely to the courtyard.
Kai rests an arm over his knee. “Aw, so I’m special?”
“You’re in a hurry.” Cole shrugs. “He’s trying to help you.”
Kai shakes his head. “He couldn’t care less about my problems. He’s got his own mess to deal with, and needs me if he wants to fix it.”
Cole frowns. “You think he’s using you?”
“And you. And the rest of you, yeah.” Kai tilts his head back, watching the thin clouds cross above. “But I’m using him too, so it’s only fair. I don’t mind so long as it gets me to Nya.”
Cole considers this. “She means a lot to you, huh?”
“Uh, yeah?” Kai glances over, unimpressed.
“Right, obviously.” Cole shakes his head. “I don’t have any siblings. Guess I was curious.” After a brief moment, he shrugs. “What’s she like?”
Kai sends him a flat look. “Why?”
“Is it so bad to want to know who we’ll be fighting for?” he asks. His lips purse at Kai’s sharpening leer. “I know you don’t trust me-”
“At all.”
“-and have your reservations about the whole ninja thing, but for the next…however long, we’ll be a team. So, I’d like for things to be steady. No bad blood.”
Well, that’s dumb.
It shouldn’t matter if they get along or not. Kai doesn’t need these weirdos to like him. He doesn’t want them to. Buncha freaks. “Yeah, whatever, man.”
Cole’s form slumps, discouraged. His bangs flop over his eyes, the thick black strands hiding them from the moon’s light. Kai shifts awkwardly. There is nothing to cover their silence. No crickets or owls. Just a light pitying breeze.
Kai rolls his eyes. “She’s really smart. Like, a total nerd. Math and science shit I’ll never understand.” He adjusts his legs, and his other arm crosses over as he leans forward. The faint puff of his breath travels up toward the moon. “But she’s a fighter. She’d probably enjoy this stuff more than me.”
Cole lifts his head, and Kai can feel his eyes on him. “But you’re so enthused,” he jests. Instead of acknowledging it, he fixes Cole with another stern look.
“Don’t get any ideas,” he warns. “She’s the most stubborn person I know. You can’t sway her into joining your little group, either.”
Cole’s exhausted sigh does little to hide the faint amusement curled into his cheeks. He lifts his hands in surrender. Kai hums to himself, only mildly satisfied. He’s not sure where Cole finds the humor, but he has acceded, so Kai supposes it’s not important.
“She sounds pretty cool,” Cole says after a moment. “Jay’s kinda like that. Well, a lot like that, actually. I bet they’d get along.”
Kai grimaces at the thought of getting Nya involved with any of them. She doesn’t need faux ninja in her life. She doesn’t need any of this.
“It’s cold.” Kai exhales as he pushes himself up. He tosses a thumb over his shoulder. “I’m gonna…”
Cole nods. His eyes drift back out to the courtyard, and he speaks softly, “G’night, then.”
Flopping back into bed proves to be a fruitless effort; Kai phases in and out of consciousness throughout the remainder of the night. By the time the sun dawns, Kai’s head pounds with a dull thud. The soreness in his body persists, and he dreads each second that passes, knowing one of Wu’s students will come to retrieve him at any moment.
Today, it’s Zane, who praises Kai for his ‘discipline’ in the early hours. He then hands Kai a soft red bundle of clothing and instructs him to meet them on the training grounds in five minutes. Kai pinches the fabric and lets it dangle from his fingers, the sash dropping to the ground in a puddle of scarlet.
Ninja clothing. It’s ninja clothing. Bright red, light, and armorless. Useless in both combat and stealth—two crucial aspects of being a ninja, to Kai’s knowledge. With a sigh, half-resigned, Kai doesn’t bother with the mask, but he dresses himself otherwise and drags his feet down the hallway.
The air carries a deep chill when he steps out into the courtyard. The bandages still wrapped around his arms rub unpleasantly against his sleeves. It’s a soft scraping just barely noticeable enough to be distracting, drawing his attention to his still-aching forearm.
“Hey, nice!” Jay calls from the spinning merry-go-round of death. He kicks off the center pole and flips over the oncoming dummy. “Red’s a good color on you.”
It seems the others also didn’t see the point in covering their faces; they already know what one another looks like. Kai really doesn’t see the need, regardless of who he encounters. Samukai and his army clearly already know his identity. And it’s not like there’s any use in keeping it a secret for Nya’s sake.
Jay is quick. He moves effortlessly through the training course in a flash of blue with impressive speed and control. Zane’s strengths lie in precision and focus. Every step he takes seems thought out, like he’s gone through every possible scenario before even stepping onto the grounds. And, well, Cole is strong. That doesn’t surprise Kai. Anyone could tell by just looking at his brawny form.
Kai has no idea where he’s supposed to fit. For as daunting as the training course is, there really isn’t a lot of room for four people to use evenly. These past few days, Kai’s been tossed around by Wu, but the old man doesn’t seem to be present right now. Not that Kai is complaining.
“What’re you doing?” Jay asks directly into Kai’s ear, startling him a few steps back. “Your legs don’t still hurt, do they? I broke my leg once. My ma had me keep it propped up for most of my recovery time. Something to do with swelling. They aren’t swelling, are they? ‘Cause that wouldn't be good.”
“What?” Kai shakes away the confusion. “No, I’m fine.”
“Oh, good.” Jay tugs at Kai’s sleeve. “C’mon, then.”
Kai grits his teeth, biting back a protest.
“I don’t get why we have to wear these,” Kai grumbles, picking at his sleeves.
Jay chuckles lightly, “I thought they were coveralls at first. Left the sash in favor of my utility belt.” His cheeks flush a faint pink. “Super embarrassing.”
Kai frowns. “Might have had the right idea. It’d be more useful than this thing, anyway.” He tugs a finger under the side of his own sash. It’s smooth and silky.
“It’s loud,” Jay explains, “jangles and stuff. And I wouldn’t wanna risk losing my favorite pliers.”
“Guess not.”
Jay clasps his hands and stretches out, a few pops sounding. “Okay, uh, do a backflip.”
Kai blinks. “Huh?”
“We’re warming up. What better way to start than with a flip?”
Kai shuts his eyes, wanting to argue that it’s six in the morning. But he complies, knowing arguing won’t do him any good. It’s better than following Wu’s vague guidance on how to keep balanced on a bouncing wooden pole.
He was pretty active when he was younger. In that wild way. He would climb trees, fences—anything, really—and jump from the highest point he could reach. Kai remembers the view of Ignacia from that tall tree outside their house: vibrant skies and tenada that blended deep into the sun, the hillhouses and trees only soft silhouettes in the distance.
A time before he knew a drop from that far up would kill him. He remembers not her voice, but the tone of it, demanding he climb back down. But Kai, the stubborn kid that he was, started teasing her, leaning back and forth on the branch until he fell.
He still isn’t sure how he ended up in the river, or how the water hadn’t left him seriously injured. He doesn’t remember the impact. Just that, seconds later, he was pulled back onto land, squished tight, and then promptly scolded.
Kai isn’t sure exactly when he stopped climbing things. He should count himself lucky that Nya wasn’t like that when they were little. While she still liked running wild around the house, she was careful. Always more aware than he was at her age.
He supposes it’s like riding a bike. And though Kai has never owned a bike—much less ridden one—he thinks he understands the phrase. Muscle memory. Like forging a sword he’s made a hundred times, he doesn’t really need to think about it.
But when his feet touch the ground, he needs to wave his arms out. It feels different from how he remembers. Heavier. But maybe that’s just him.
“I still don’t think it’s fair,” Jay sighs, “I had to learn that from scratch, and you can just do it.”
“I, too, had no prior knowledge of this particular skill,” Zane conciliates. “This is clearly not the case for our new member. We all carry our own talents.”
“For the last time, I’m not a member,” Kai groans. “We are…temporary coworkers.”
Jay considers this with a steadily forming grin, then nods. “A tiger team.”
Kai shoots him a glare. “No.”
“So serious,” Cole huffs, ducking beneath an oncoming sword.
This is serious, Kai wants to say, but knows it would only fall on deaf ears.
Wu shows up half an hour later to observe, providing very few instructions. Kai finds himself shadowing Jay for most of the morning hours. He is so spastic in everything he does. It’s like the air itself sparks around him, and he just has to keep moving, or it will electrocute him.
After a short lunch break, he is then not-so-subtly passed off to Cole. Kai gets whiplash at how different the two are. Cole is the complete opposite of Jay, preferring to stay in one place. He doesn’t move for anything. Not the dummies, not the maces. He plants himself firmly in place and lets danger come to him.
And when the evening falls, Zane takes over. He takes things from a distance. The training course doesn’t seem to mind, flinging projectiles at them. The ease with which Zane dodges is impressive. Although the other two don’t seem very pleased with his style of training, what with said projectiles interrupting theirs.
While they are all clearly eager to show off, they are unexpectedly mindful of Kai, dragging him away from every lethal hit, though that isn’t to say Kai doesn’t get hit. He does. A lot.
He stands in front of the bedroom mirror, the red gi discarded by the corner of the room. Contusions run down his body. His arms and legs are splattered with purple spots the size of coins, and his knees are scraped. There is a particularly large bruise marked on his left side, reaching for his sternum.
He sighs through his nose, settling down on his bed.
How long is this going to take?
It continues like this for the next few days, turning into a routine of sorts. While Wu and the ninja switch things up from time to time, Kai goes through roughly the same exercises. He finds that the ninja reach for him less and less, which is fine because Kai doesn’t need their help, but, like, what the hell? Dragging him into the death course is one thing, but not bothering to make sure he doesn’t die?
Whatever.
On the fourth evening, Wu goes into more detail about this story of his. The battle between brothers, or whatever he calls it.
“His brother was consumed by darkness,” Wu retells, “and desired the four weapons for himself. With them, he would hold the power of creation in his hands. The power to reshape the world as he saw fit.”
Kai grunts as he rolls under an obstacle. He is so focused on not getting hit that he doesn’t even know what he dodged. “And how exactly did this guy beat him all those centuries ago?”
Wu hums. “It was not so long ago.” He lifts the teapot beside him, drawing the spout to his cup. The warm steam puffs in the crisp air. “The younger brother banished him, using the very weapons he so sought to possess.”
“Okay, but why the Underworld?” Kai asks, swerving around Cole. “Why not just, I dunno, kill him?”
“Yeesh,” Jay exclaims. Cole shrugs over in his direction.
“I’m just asking,” Kai defends.
“I imagine it is difficult to bring harm to those you hold dear,” Zane interjects. “Could you do such a thing to your sibling?”
Jay’s jaw snaps shut, and the two ninja stare at them with wide eyes.
“My sister isn’t an evil overlord,” Kai scoffs, ignoring the cautious looks sent his way.
“I understand your perspective,” Wu accepts, “I’m sure that would have spared us a lot of trouble had he made that decision. However, a brother remains a brother, regardless of his iniquity.”
Hopping onto the retracting poles only adds to Kai’s annoyance. The unsteadiness has his stomach doing flips of its own. “And how do you expect us to deal with him? I mean, if he’s causing problems from the Underworld.”
Wu takes a sip from his cup, his fingers folding pleasantly around the porcelain. “You four will retrieve the Golden Weapons of Spinjitzu. You need not worry about the rest.”
Well, that’s not suspicious.
“And after that?” Kai presses, jumping to the next pole. “If they’re really as powerful as you say, then why should you have them?”
“I intend to put them back into hiding,” Wu responds evenly. “They are not meant to be handled by one person alone. And it would be foolish to keep them all in one place without their proper guardians.” He gives Kai a strange look. Then again, everything looks strange with the world doing jumpingjacks.
“Oh, right,” Cole pipes up, “you did say something about guardians the other day. There’s going to be something protecting them, right?”
“Yes.” Wu brings his cup back up to his lips.
“What should we expect? We’ll need to start planning soon if we’re going after the weapons.”
“Your training will guide you through these trials,” is Wu’s only response.
“Wh-” Kai’s body sways, and he jerks himself to the right, holding his arms out. “Are you serious? You don’t think we should know what we’re up against?”
“Perhaps Sensei is unaware of our future circumstances,” Zane suggests, flipping back to avoid a pair of kunai. “They were put into place a long time ago, likely before he was born. I doubt there is anyone alive who knows the entirety of this history.”
“Garmadon?” Jay helpfully supplies.
“Ah, I suppose that is true.”
Oh, Kai realizes, he’s cryptic because he doesn’t want to admit he is just as clueless as they are! This guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
“Uh, Zane? You might wanna-” Jay cuts himself off as a blade comes his way. He dives low to avoid it, looking up at Zane’s graceful form, perturbed. A sense of panic builds up in Kai upon noticing that Zane is heading his way.
Okay, gotta get down now, wow, he’s fast and is that a-
Kai jumps back, getting as low as possible to avoid the rushing kunai. Unfortunately, it isn’t low enough, and he feels it knock against his foot. Midair, he does all he can to push it away, kicking his leg up and out until he can’t feel the weight anymore. He gratefully lands on his feet unharmed. To his knowledge. He will definitely need to check on that later.
“Watch it!” Kai glares at Zane. And just when he thought he was getting better on that thing, making it nearly halfway across. Now he has to start all over.
He’s surprised to find the ninja’s eyes drawn toward the monastery. Or rather, the veranda, where Wu sits, his cup no longer in hand. Instead, it sits as a shattered mess behind him, surrounding the kunai stuck into the ground.
Oh. Oops.
Wu, to his credit, doesn’t seem all that torn up about it. Or frightened for that matter, but that doesn’t surprise Kai as much, seeing as he went toe to toe with Samukai the other day. “Perhaps we shall end today’s lessons. Take the rest of the evening for yourselves and rest up.”
The seconds after he leaves are heavy, and slowly all eyes turn to him. Kai bristles. “Don’t look at me! It’s his fault.” He shifts his gaze solely to Zane, who stands in the center of the course, the machine having conveniently ceased its attack on him.
He nods. “Indeed. I will endeavor to be more mindful while training.”
Jay blows out a fat puff of air. “It’s okay, buddy. We’re all a bit on edge.” He and Cole pat him on either side of his back, pushing him slightly forward. Kai gapes at Jay.
He almost killed you, too!
With the courtyard empty, Kai takes it upon himself to shut down the training course. But not before dedicating a few more attempts with the retracting poles. Despite the interruption, Kai is fairly impressed with himself, all things considered. He made it halfway through this stupid contraption, deflected a projectile blade, and managed to stay on his feet.
That’s…kind of awesome. He probably looked awesome, anyway.
When all light drains from the sky, he pushes the course lever. The stone sinks into the ground in a circle around the gold dragon, carrying with it the entirety of the course. Within seconds, every sword, dummy, and morningstar is covered in a separate layer of stone.
It’s still weird to think all of that is beneath their feet.
The monastery is quiet when he re-enters. He can hear a soft conversation muffled behind one of the doors as he walks down the hallway. Kai can’t tell what they are saying, but one of them is definitely Jay.
Kai is little more than halfway to his assigned room when a pale figure exits theirs, his eyes immediately finding Kai’s.
A long moment passes where they only stare at each other, both unsure of what to say or do. Well, Kai knows what he wants to do—lock himself in the room at the end of the hall until morning. But Zane is currently blocking his path, so that isn’t an option unless Kai shoves past him.
Not a terrible idea, he thinks.
He stares at Zane expectantly. “Did you need something, or…?” he asks slowly, crossing his arms. Zane blinks.
In all the five nights that they have been acquainted, Kai has never seen him at a loss for words. He likes to prepare for things, Kai can tell that much. It’s a bit later than Kai usually spends outside the guest room, so maybe meeting him like this isn’t something Zane had accounted for.
“I…” Zane clears his throat, then nods assuredly. “I would like to apologize.”
Kai’s eyes shift between his, tension settling in his shoulders. “Oh.”
Kai doesn’t like apologies. Doesn’t like giving them, doesn’t like taking them. They make everything awkward, and he would much prefer they didn’t talk about stuff like that.
But Zane seems motivated, unaware of his discomfort, and continues, “I did not mean to cause you any added stress or fear. You are quite capable, so I knew you would find no difficulty in dealing with the interference.”
Kai freezes.
“Wait.” He lets his arms drop back to his sides. “You did that…on purpose?”
“I did,” Zane confirms. “You are improving remarkably fast for someone so inexperienced. I observed your progress over the past few days and concluded that a slight push would prove rather constructive.”
“Constructive how?” Kai demands.
Zane tilts his head. Like a pigeon, Kai decides. “Your belief in the inadequacies of your training hinders your ability to perform with proficiency or avidity. It is disadvantageous, to put it simply. I only intended to shed light on the results of your training.”
“So, you threw a knife at me.”
“It was not a knife.” Zane shakes his head. “And I did not throw it at you.”
Kai sputters. “But you-” He stops. His eyes squeeze shut, and he wills the anger to burn out in his shaking fists. He’s too…tired for this right now. He can think about how much he hates this place and its stupid teacher and stupid students and Zane tomorrow. So, drawing in a sharp breath, he steps forward, now at eye level with Zane. “Don’t do that again.”
Zane nods easily. “Very well.”
He finally steps to the side, and Kai brushes past him. He notes with a deep frown and heat boiling beneath his skin that the monastery is silent.
Kai locks the door and groans into his hands. He just wants to leave this place.
Two more days pass, and he finally gets his wish.
Kai clears the training course. It was sloppy, and he knows he could have done better; he wasn't really trying at first after so many failed attempts. But after a few successful dodges against the mace dummy, Kai decides to test his luck from yesterday.
He is quick to realize that the swords are fairly easy to disarm, but the maces…not so much. Even still, he makes it through the carousel, the spinning discs, the morningstar pendulums, and finally the stupid, stupid retractable poles.
Satisfaction ripples through Kai.
The next day, they find Wu waiting for them in the courtyard. “Our time is running short. We must venture to the first weapon.”
Kai’s eyes go wide.
“Whoa, hold on a minute,” Cole cuts in, “We haven’t learned Spinjitzu yet. You said yourself we can’t take on Garmadon without it.”
“Spinjitzu is inside each and every one of you. But it will only be unlocked when the key is ready to be found,” Wu tells them. The three ninja grumble. “We will depart tomorrow at dawn. The trip to the caves will challenge your endurance. Pack light.” And with that, Wu disappears into the monastery, leaving the ninja and Kai to stew in his decision.
Finally, Kai celebrates, relieved that they are actually moving somewhere.
“Great,” Cole sighs, “first a mountain, then a course, and now a key?”
Jay runs his hands through his ginger curls, resting them at the back of his head. “What else did you expect? It's Sensei. He’ll never give us anything upfront.”
“Sounds like he’s stringing you along.” Kai shrugs.
“You’re in on this, too, genius,” Cole points out.
“That’s what you think.” Kai pushes past him. This is their last day of training, so he had better make it count. “Once this is all over, I’m out.”