Chapter Text
Destiny is a strange thing. Most people spend their whole lives trying to outrun it, only to find it waiting for them at the finish line. Saoirse had always believed she was one of the lucky ones — one of the few people in Ninjago who could choose her own path. Destiny, however, had proven her a fool.
From the window of her apartment high above Ninjago City, the world below looked almost peaceful. The streets were quieter than they used to be, scars from the Overlord’s most recent attack still visible between rows of half-repaired buildings and shattered neon signs. Yet the city endured, just as it always had. Despite the attacks, the destruction, and every attempt to erase it from history, the city still stood strong and it rebuilt itself stronger each time. People had grown used to starting over, to rebuilding their lives from the rubble left behind by forces beyond their control. Saoirse had always pitied them for it.
Until today.
Being a member of Ninjago’s royal family was far more suffocating than most people would imagine. When Saoirse was born, she had been third in line to the throne, after her uncle — the Emperor — and her father. But when her cousin Harumi was adopted into the family, the burden of the crown vanished from Saoirse’s shoulders almost overnight.
For the first time in her life, she was free.
And she embraced that freedom eagerly.
Her parents encouraged it, especially her father, who understood better than anyone the weight that came with royal blood. Even he sought escape through carefully crafted alter egos and hidden lives.
The Imperial family was extremely secretive and reclusive, so much so that many never even knew of its existence. Her identity as the Emerald Princess was hidden from the public’s eye but ironically, that secrecy never kept her away from the spotlight.
When she was seven years old, her parents took her to see a theatre production depicting the legend of the First Spinjitzu Master and the creation of Ninjago. Saoirse already knew the story by heart, as her mother, a former historian, had previously told her — an endless war between the Oni and the Dragons, destruction and creation, a realm reduced to ruin because neither side would yield.
She watched in awe as golden weapons crossed the stage beneath swirling lights, their glow reflected in wide childish eyes. At the center stood a man in a large straw hat, caught between two worlds that would never fully accept him. A child born from both Oni and Dragon, yet belonging to neither.
And when the weapons finally came together and the curtain rose to reveal Ninjago itself, Saoirse felt something inside her shift.
That was the night she found her purpose.
She wanted to tell stories as compelling and inspiring as this. So she begged her parents to enroll her in acting classes, and to everyone’s surprise, including her own, she was good at it. Exceptionally good.
By the age of ten, she had been cast as Leyla in the film adaptation of the Fritz Donnegan comics. Within months, her face covered billboards across Ninjago City, and the nation fell in love with its newest child star. As the years passed, the roles became more demanding, the fame more overwhelming, yet Saoirse never stopped loving it.
Because it was hers.
Built brick by brick, role by role — not inherited, not forced upon her by blood or destiny.
Alongside acting, she pursued history with equal passion, currently majoring in it, while royal etiquette lessons faded into the background of her life. Unlike Harumi, who had been abruptly thrust into royalty and expected to embrace it completely, Saoirse had been allowed to keep her distance from the throne.
Perhaps that was why part of her understood Harumi after everything happened.
Not forgave. Never forgave. But understood.
Her aunt and uncle had been stern rulers, cold even within the walls of their own home. Harumi had arrived at the palace grieving, traumatized, and alone, desperate for affection she never truly received. Instead of compassion, she was handed expectations. Discipline. Perfection.
It did not excuse what Harumi became. The deaths of the Emperor and Empress still haunted Saoirse deeply, as did the chaos that followed. And when the Sons of Garmadon eventually came after her too, Saoirse understood exactly why.
Harumi hated everything the royal family represented.
Still, there were truths about Saoirse even Harumi had never uncovered.
Today, however, was supposed to be ordinary.
Saoirse adjusted an earring in the mirror while preparing for yet another crowded fan meeting downtown.
Then the doors slid open with unusual force.
Mrs. Jenna hurried inside, her expression tense enough to make Saoirse immediately lower her hand.
“Miss… there are people here asking for you.”
Saoirse frowned. Strange, she thought.
“Let them in then. But tell them to hurry. I don’t like keeping my fans waiting.”
The dark wooden doors slid open moments later, revealing three figures. The first was a middle-aged man Saoirse didn’t recognize, dressed in formal government attire. Beside him stood the Commissioner of Police and, to her surprise, Master Wu himself.
For a brief moment, the tension in her shoulders eased.
Wu’s warm eyes were just as she remembered them from childhood — kind, patient, endlessly understanding. Yet tonight there was something else hidden beneath them. Concern.
Saoirse lowered her head respectfully, and the old master returned the gesture with a small nod. She caught the confused glance exchanged between the Commissioner and the unfamiliar man but chose to ignore it.
The stranger cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Miss Kuno, I apologize for arriving unannounced.” He placed a hand over his chest politely. “My name is Alfred Hopkins. I am currently serving as interim governor of Ninjago.”
Saoirse offered a courteous smile. “A pleasure.”
“There is… a matter of great importance we wish to discuss with Your Highness.”
The title hit her harder than she expected.
Your Highness.
No one had addressed her that way in years. Not since the deaths of the Emperor and Empress. The words felt old, dusty, almost foreign.
“And what exactly would require my royal title, Governor?”
Hopkins exchanged a brief glance with the Commissioner before speaking carefully.
“As you are aware, Ninjago is currently in a fragile political state. Since Mayor Trustable’s resignation, public trust in the government has deteriorated significantly. Between the corruption scandals, the recent destruction caused by the Overlord, and the city’s ongoing reconstruction efforts…” He sighed quietly. “People are afraid.”
And afraid people are dangerous,” the Commissioner added grimly.
Hopkins nodded. “The city needs stability. Something familiar to believe in again.”
Saoirse’s stomach tightened slightly. She already disliked where this conversation was heading.
“Ninjago still technically functions as a constitutional monarchy. Under the current emergency protocols and with enough political support, I could authorize a restoration of certain monarchical powers to help stabilize the country during this crisis.”
Silence filled the room.
Then Saoirse blinked slowly.
“You’re asking me to become Empress of Ninjago?”
Even saying the words aloud felt absurd.
“Well… yes.” Hopkins visibly straightened himself. “I understand the weight of such a request, Your Highness, but you are already one of the most beloved public figures in the country. People trust you. Your charity work, your public image, your influence—”
“I’m going to stop you right there.”
Her voice came out sharper than intended.
“I haven’t seriously studied royal affairs in years. I’m an actress, Governor, not a ruler.” She shook her head in disbelief. “And besides, I’m not even first in line to the throne.”
At that, the Commissioner stepped forward slightly.
“Harumi is currently imprisoned in Kryptarium,” he said carefully. “Given the severity of her crimes, it is highly unlikely she will ever be released.”
Hopkins quickly continued. “There is also an older imperial law still technically in effect stating that any heir who attempts to assassinate the reigning Emperor forfeits their place in succession entirely.”
The implication settled heavily over the room.
Harumi was no longer an option.
Which left only her.
Saoirse suddenly felt as though the walls were closing in around her.
Empress.
The word echoed uncomfortably inside her head.
What about her career? Her life? The future she had spent years building for herself? She could barely manage the pressure of celebrity at times — how was she supposed to carry an entire nation on her shoulders?
And what if she failed?
What if destiny had dragged the wrong person to the throne?
“Saoirse.”
Master Wu’s calm voice cut gently through the chaos in her mind.
She looked up toward him, and immediately some of the tension in her chest loosened.
“I know this is not the life you wanted,” he said softly. “Believe me, few understand the burden of family legacy better than I do.”
Wu stepped closer, his expression filled not with expectation, but understanding.
“But being part of something greater does not mean surrendering who you are. Your father understood that.”
At the mention of him, her throat tightened painfully.
“You wanted to inspire people,” Wu continued. “To help them find their own path. Perhaps this is simply another way of doing so.”
Saoirse lowered her eyes.
A memory surfaced uninvited — white hospital sheets, dim lighting, trembling hands wrapped around hers. Her father’s face looked pale from exhaustion, yet his voice had remained warm even then.
“Don’t be indifferent, Saoirse.”
“Don’t let others decide the future for people who cannot fight for it themselves.”
Her chest ached.
Silence stretched through the room as she tried desperately to steady her breathing.
Actress. Celebrity. Philanthropist.
Empress.
The last title felt suffocating.
And yet… if she walked away now, knowing the state Ninjago was in, could she really live with herself afterward?
Slowly, Saoirse let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
“You always did know how to be convincing, Master,” she murmured weakly, the faintest smile touching the corners of her lips.
Then she looked toward Hopkins.
“Alright.”
The word felt terrifyingly final.
“I’ll do it.”
Relief immediately washed over the governor’s face, though Saoirse hardly noticed.
“But,” she added quickly, “let me enjoy my last night of freedom first.”
Later that evening, after the fan meeting had finally ended and the city outside had grown quieter, Saoirse stood alone by her bedroom window.
The skyline of Ninjago City shimmered beneath the stars, alive despite everything it had survived.
She still couldn’t fully process what she had agreed to.
Tomorrow, her entire life would change.
Tomorrow, Saoirse Kuno — actress, celebrity, philanthropist — would become Empress of Ninjago.
The thought should have felt empowering. Instead, it felt strangely like mourning.
She wished her father were still alive. He had always known what to say when the world felt too heavy.
Beyond the glowing skyline, the city waited unknowingly for its new ruler.
And somewhere ahead of her, destiny waited too.