The Flame And The Dragon Ch11

UPDATED Ninjago Ship List

B!=Bizarro

IE!=Ice Emperor

Bruise or Geode- Cole x Jay

Plasma- Jay x Kai

Techno- Jay x Zane

Lava- Kai x Cole

Opposite- Zane x Kai

Glacier- Cole x Zane

Polyninja- Zane x Cole x Jay x Kai

Greenflame- Kai x Lloyd

Jaya- Jay x Nya

Pixane- Pixal x Zane

Samurai- Pixal x Nya

Ice Samurai- Nya x Pixal x Zane

Future- Cyrus x Acronix

AmberPhoenix- Skylor x Nya

Llorumi- Lloyd x Harumi

Kailor- Kai x Skylor

Coliel- Cole x Seliel

Heavy Metal- Cole x Zane x Pixal

Moss- Cole x Lloyd

Unique or Popsicle- Lloyd x Zane

Mountain- Kai x Zane x Cole

Scruff- Dareth x Ronin

Garsako- Garmadon x Misako

Wusako- Wu x Misako

Outdated- Cryptor x Zane

Blizzard- Zane x Morro

Destiny- Kai x Morro

Hailstorm- Jay x Cole x Zane

Crystal- Morro x Cole x Zane

Spirit- Morro x Cole

Conya- Cole x Nya

Greenwind- Lloyd x Morro

ElectricStorm- Jay x Morro

Thinkfast- Neuro x Griffin

Ronya- Ronin x Nya

Citrus- Morro x Echo Zane

Greenwisp- Lloyd x Jay

Forgiven- Brad x Lloyd

Morrumi or JadeStorm- Morro x Harumi

Survival- Vinny x Garmadon

AmberPrincess- Skylor x Harumi

GarmaClouse- Garmadon x Clouse

Cryxal- Cryptor x Pixal

Sunshine- Cole x Ultra Violet

Golden Matter- Overlord x Lloyd

User-Friendly- Zane x Overlord

Cake- Cole x cake

ForeverAlone- Wu x tea

Tea- Wu x Mistaké

GarmaKai- Garmadon x Kai

SnakeGlacier- “Snake Jaguar” x Cole

SnakeBlizzard- “Snake Jaguar” x Morro

Dark History- Garmadon x Krux

Inventor- Cyrus x Dr. Julien

Self-Centered- Dareth x Garmadon

Loulien- Lou x Dr. Julien

YingYang- Overlord x First Spinjitzu Master

Ash- Garmadon x Ray

Spell- Master Chen x Clouse

SmokeShade- Ash x Shade

Nightshade- Tox x Chamille

ResonatedGravity- Jacob x Gravis

Dumbass- Jay x Kai x Cole

PolyPonytail- Nya x Pixal x Skylor

Geostorm- Jay x Nya x Cole

Braincell- Nya x Zane

Gunpowder- Kai x Ash

JetFaith- Jet Jack x Faith

Riptide- Nya x Ultra Violet

Ore- Karlof x Cole

Eyepatch- Clutch x Ronin

Supernatural- Snek!Jay x Ghost!Cole x Zane x Anacondrai!Kai

Iceberg- Zane x Nya x Cole

Violent- Harumi x Ultra Violet

Snakecell- Nya x “Snake Jaguar”

DarkThinking- Shade x Neuro

Steampunk- Jay x Echo Zane

TheyDeservedBetter- Show!Garmadon x Koko

GreenCheer- Movie!Lloyd x Movie!Chen I really don’t like this ship tho

Blue- Nya x Jay x Zane

VioletSnake- Ultra Violet x “Snake Jaguar”

GarmaChen- Garmadon x Master Chen

Hurricane- Nya x Morro

JadedSnake- “Snake Jaguar” x Harumi

StolenData- Skylor x Pixal

PlayDate- Nya x Dogshank

Sleet- Kai x Zane AND Zane x Nya (Nya and Kai are both dating Zane; they’re not dating each other)

Slush- Kai x Nya x Zane (this is an incest ship that @dynamicdragonite said they intended the name to be for, as they ship it and got rather upset when they found out I was using it for a healthy platonic ship.)

S’mores- Dareth x Zane

Chaos- B!Kai x B!Cole x B!Jay x B!Zane

DarkPlasma- B!Kai x B!Jay

DarkGlacier- B!Cole x B!Zane

DarkLava- B!Kai x B!Cole

DarkGeode- B!Jay x B!Cole

DarkTechno- B!Zane x B!Jay

DarkOpposite- B!Kai x B!Zane

StoneCold- B!Zane x Cole

BlackIce- Zane x B!Zane

Virus- Zane x B!Jay

GreasedLightning- B!Jay x Jay

Fireworks- B!Jay x Kai

Trojan- B!Zane x Jay

Avalanche- Zane x B!Cole

Magma- B!Kai x Cole

Obsidian- Cole x B!Cole

Inferno- Kai x B!Kai

Eruption- B!Cole x Kai

Pyrotechnic- B!Kai x Zane

Frostbite- B!Zane x Kai

BlackLightning- B!Cole x Jay

Aftershock- B!Jay x Cole

FireStarter- B!Kai x Jay

Blizzaro- B!Zane x Morro

IceStorm- Zane x Nya x Morro

LightningFast- Jay x Griffin

DryIce- IE!Zane x Kai

HowlingWind- Morro x Bansha

Arson- B!Jay x B!Cole x B!Zane x Kai

BrainFreeze- Neuro x Zane

Skeleton- Morro x Ghoultar

Eclipse- Kai x Shade

ThunderSnow- Morro x Jay x Zane

Hellstorm- Kai x Zane + Zane x Morro (they’re both in love with Zane)

TropicalStorm- Jay x Nya x Morro

Turquoise- Harumi x Nya

Holly- Lloyd x Akita

Fog- Nya x Shade

Corrupted- Staff!Kai x IE!Zane

Never- Zane x Vex

The Flame and the Dragon Ch8

Chapter 8: The Proposal

Kai suddenly jumped out of his skin and stumbled into a heap on the floor. After untangling himself, Kai shook his head and found himself on the kitchen floor. His book lied open on the table and the chair he'd fallen asleep in tipped over when he stumbled. A loud knocking against the front door sent obnoxious vibrations through the entire house. He punched the floor in frustration. It took all his willpower not to destroy everything within two feet of him.

It wasn't the first time he'd fallen asleep reading a book, but it was the closest he'd ever come to seeing his dream lover or kissing him.

The obnoxious pounding on his front door only increased his already burning fury. The furious brunette stormed to his feet and stomped to the front door before unlocking it and throwing it open. He intended to take his rage on the idiot foolish enough to wake him from such a wonderful dream.

"WHAT!" He bellowed. Then his jaw hit the floor, out of shock more than anything else.

"Why hello darling," Morro flashed a seductive smirk, swaggering into the house. The duke's swagger wasn't in any way surprising; in fact, Morro visited the Smith's home frequently in his attempts to either seduce Kai or bribe Nya into a marriage contract. The fact that he'd invited himself in wasn't a surprise either. Being the Duke, he would claim it was his own right to be allowed in. Dismissing of him would be a direct insult and utter rudeness.

What shocked Kai to the core was that this time, however, and only this time, Morro had arrive draped in nothing but a wedding suit and was holding up a gorgeous, white-laced wedding dress to the brunette!

It was clearly tailored for Kai. Heck, it even had his full name stitched on the tag. The dress left the top of the shoulders uncovered, but didn't cover the sides and flows down into an elegant plunging neckline. It's a relaxed fit which makes the dress look comfortable, yet elegant and stylish. The arms had been left uncovered. A choice that added to the elegance and grace of the dress. The dress's waist was wide, but it was a comfortable fit. A small, elegant belt helped accentuate the waist without being too much.

Below the waist, the dress widened and has a bell style.

The dress reached well above the ankles and was slightly longer at the sides and back of the dress. The final touch was the white veil embroidered with flowers. At first, Kai was too shocked to say anything, but once his head cleared enough to think straight, he turned to the duke, glaring.

"Morro... what a pleasant surprise." He kept his voice civil solely out of respect for his relatives. The words rolled like poison off his tongue. Misinterpreting this as a sign of approval, Morro smiled a smile that curled at the corners.

"I'm sure." He brushed up against the brunette, leaning in close, causing Kai to take a step back. His green eyes flashed like a siren about to seduce its prey. It was a miracle of Kai's will that he hadn't already thrown the duke out of the house. He exhaled a breath when Morro pulled back and looked around his home. He sighed with disapproval. "Why do you live in this God-forsaken house, Kai? It's so... small and plain, and it's in the middle of the woods?" He complained.

Kai clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, his face was red with rage.

"I like my house; it's more than enough room for me, Nya, and Lloyd and we actually quite enjoy the walk to town and the woods; Nya finds it inspirational." He answered, doing his best to keep his voice civil.

"I wasn't asking if you tolerated it." Morro snapped, strolling towards him again. "I was saying..." He began until he caught his reflection in the hallway mirror. He stopped and smirked at the handsome god in the mirror, and ran his hand through the jet black locks, and straightened his bow tie. Kai scowled in disgust. Morro was as shallow as a puddle. Once the Duke was finished entertaining himself, he strolled back to Kai in that seductive swagger the brunette was beginning to hate more and more.

"I wasn't asking if you could tolerate it, darling, I simply meant that you deserve more." He smirked as he brushed against him causing him to take a long step backward. "Surely, you've always dreamed of something better than this?" He purred and Kai raised an eyebrow at this. He dreamed of getting out of this rat hole and of what he could learn, where he could go, and what he could see. Not what house he lived in. It took all of Kai's willpower not to roll his eyes.

Only Morro would care for something so frivolous.

"And what exactly do I deserve?" He demanded, expressionlessly, crossing the room to return to the kitchen. Morro's smile curled, taking a step towards Kai.

"You, my darling, deserve the best and only the best."

"And what is that." He asked, his neutral mask refused to fade.

"A grand, beautiful home filled to brim with treasures and endless elegant rooms." He swooned, brushing up against him again. Kai stepped back but Morro stepped forward. "A high title and position worthy of your status, the respect, and admiration of all the people around you, a house full of servants to wait on you hand and foot and, of course..." His fingers danced up Kai's chest, making him shiver in horror. Kai gripped the table, resisting the urge to grab the man in front of him by the neck and throw him out the window.

Respect for his family forced his temper under control.

"You need a spouse; someone who is gorgeous, educated, well-respected, highly thought of, someone who has known you your entire life; to ravish you each and every night and spoil you with whatever your heart desires." He grinned and Kai swore his skin turned green when the noirette said ravish. He couldn't even concentrate on the rest. By some miracle, he managed to hold his stomach and worm his way out of his grasp, unable to listen to Morro's ridiculous delusion of his wishes anymore.

Again his gift of words failed him, unable to find a world revolting enough to describe the spoiled and selfish dream world Morro was creating.

"And you know who that woman would be?" He asked as he cut him off when he escaped into the hallway.

"I can't even imagine." He retorted, not even trying to hide the sarcasm in his voice.

"Me, darling." The duke said gleefully, in a voice so giddy, it would make even the strongest of men, sick to their stomachs. "And all it takes is one little question…" He growled seductively as he pushed himself up against the brunette, as he skillfully backed up until he felt his back hit the front door.

"Morro, are you asking me what I think you're asking me?" Kai gulped as his amber eyes almost bulged out of his skull in a mixture of anger, shock, and disbelief. Morro's eyes turned dangerous with impatience. The noirette braced his arms on either side of Kai trapping him between him and the front door, and never in his life had Kai cursed his short height more than he did then.

"You aren't very bright are you darling? Let's be clear then; I am going to marry you!" He exclaimed and his eyes lowered seductively, as he moved his face closer, not noticing Kai's free hand wrap around the doorknob.

"I do have something I want to tell you," Kai smirked, feeling morally obligated to all humankind for the good deed he was about to do. Smirking in victory, Morro closed his eyes and leaned forward waiting for Kai's lips to meet his. "OVER MY DEAD, ROTTING BODY!" He suddenly shouted in burning rage. A sharp turn of the doorknob and dodge to the left by Kai and Morro was so overcome by surprise. He screamed when he stumbled through the door and straight into the mud that had been acuminating after last night's storm.

The once stunning white wedding dress he had been holding was now completely ruined by the sticky brown mud.

A band suddenly roared to life, until a series of collective gasps filled the air. Kai felt his jaw drop. The entire town stood in front of his house dressed in tuxes and ball gowns. A gazebo, decorated in white roses with a priest holding a bible standing beneath it, stood at the edge of the property. A red carpet covered in white petals led from the gazebo to a few feet from the mud where the duke had landed. All the eyes of the town folks were glued to either Morro or Kai.

A few people glared at the brunette with jealously, while some were in tears.

Even a large, delicious-looking wedding cake had been placed in the center of a silk cloth-covered table and surrounded by goblets filled with red wine.

"You arranged an entire wedding behind my back?" Kai growled shaking with fury. All control vanished in a single instant. Furious amber eyes bore into Morro like pools of fire. "Get. This. Through. Your skull. Morro." He spat his name as if it were poison. "I. Will. NEVER. EVER. MARRY. YOU! Now get off my property and FSM help you if you come back because I will not be responsible for my actions!" He roared. He then slammed the door shut, sending the entire town into shock.

Morro's screams of fury were the last things he heard before he bolted through the house and out the back.

He crashed into the side of the deck, panting uncontrollably. Shock, anger, disgust, and a dozen other emotions burned through his veins all at once, consuming him and making it impossible to think straight. He couldn't even speak coherently or even say the word. The very realization was too horrific for his mind to comprehend. He knew full well what Morro wanted, but the man lived and breathed formalities, and that dictated one had to ask permission of the parents first then ask the person to marry them.

Morro was not bold enough to defy the traditions that dictated his place in society, only because they gave him all the power he wanted.

He had dropped hints, made advances, and whatever else to persuade Kai to marry him. But he had never shown up at his house demanding he accepted his proposal. The fact he'd arrived with a wedding dress and had the entire town outside his front door as if expecting Kai to marry him that second was even worse! Kai couldn't stand being the idea of being the husband of that pompous asshole. He jumped over the railing of the deck and bolted across the yard, so fast, the fields vanished under him and the trees were a blur.

He didn't stop.

It wasn't until he found himself skidding in the dirt, barely stopping in front of the pond and falling back into a bed of daisies and dandelions in their cotton form, that he finally calmed himself down enough to think. Kai panted like he ran a marathon. The blood still accumulated in his face, but his color was still pale. Tears streaked his cheeks, purely from shock more than anything else. He didn't know what was wrong with people. He grabbed his head and screamed as loud as he could in frustration, but only because he knew this far from town no one could hear him.

He didn't feel better once he stopped.

He felt embarrassed. Still, he fell back against the field and calmed himself down, wishing more than ever he'd given in to Lloyd's demands. Once he's calmed down, he sat up, bunched his knees against his chest, and buried his face in his hands. He wanted out of this God-forsaken dirt farm not to be trapped in it and being married to the duke until death did they part. He knew no one in this stupid town would accept or see him as anything other than what they wanted him to be.

They only saw him as another part of their perfect unspoken plan.

No one cared about his wishes or what he wanted. They only cared about how he fitted into their provincial grand design. He knew that would be the case since the day he arrived, but it still. How could it not when everyone around you drills and hammers it into your skull that who you are and everything about you is wrong? Kai wiped the tears from his cheeks, refusing to cry or shed a single tear for the town he'd been forced to call home. He couldn't even begin to imagine how much Vincent was writhing in his grave for what Morro did to the place.

Or who much his parents were kicking themselves for leaving the twins and Lloyd to fend for themselves.

Kai promised himself that he was getting out of there. He didn't care how did it or when. He was getting out of that place and was never coming back. His hand soon discovered a stem and he turned to it. A dandelion stood there. Its cottony seeds were in full bloom, ready to be swept away by the wind. A childish game of making wishes and blowing on dandelions flashed in Kai's mind. He carefully picked the stem and twirled the cottony blossom in his hand.

It was a silly thing to do, really, but at that moment it seemed right.

"I wish for someone to understand me; someone who will love me for who I am and nothing less." He wished before taking a large intake of breath and releasing it over the seeds. The cottony seeds dispersed in an instant sending strands fluttering into the distances, carrying with them his deepest wish. A sudden high-pitched cry broke his serenity. Kai's eyes widened in recognition. Sitting up, his fears were confirmed when a brown blob charged straight for him.

It was their horse, Flame, still attached to the caravan.

Kai was on his feet in a second. He bolted to the stallion. Flame skid to a stop, clearly not wanting to hurt his master, the cavern rolled and jolted forward then back in response. Kai grabbed the reigns and stroked the stallion, speaking soothing words until the horse was calmed. Flame's intelligent eyes gazed into Kai's sadly. The brunette's heart plummeted when he noticed the horse was missing its rider and no one was inside or on the caravan.

Panic swept through him as he turned to the stallion, with terrified eyes.

"Flame, where are Nya and Lloyd? Did you lose them? Are they hurt?" He asked the horse desperately. Understanding the boy's fear, Flame neighed loudly before gesturing his head back towards the forest. Taking in the boy's bewildered look, the horse tried to move as far as the caravan would allow towards the path he'd come from as if telling him to follow. Understanding what the horse was saying, Kai's eyes widened. His hands grabbed the reigns tying Flame to the caravan and he viciously untied the knots and set it on the floor.

He bolted across the field, charged into the house, and grabbed his black winter coat off the hook, and threw it on over a long-sleeved red shirt and black pants.

He pulled on his riding boots and grabbed the scarlet scarf Maya made him before running back outside. The stallion was still waiting for him and gestured for Kai to climb on. Once the rider was settled, with a flick of the reigns the strong horse took off. Determination fired Kai's blood at the thought of the only family he had left lost in the woods, alone and without help. The townspeople made no effort to hide their fears when it came to the large, frightening forest.

They had all heard nothing but horror stories about that place.

Dr. Saunders had once told to the siblings that many of the townsfolk believed the stories of a cursed family who used to rule these very lands over a century ago before a wizard cursed them. Dr. Saunders told those stories in an effort to convince people that stories were meant to entertain and not believe. The superstitious residents believed them nonetheless. Even Ray warned the siblings never to venture too deep into the woods.

"Go Flame!" Kai commanded, waving his hands in the reigns. Detecting the urgency in his voice gave Flame the sudden burst of speed he needed until the horse found himself in a familiar forest clearing. Sunlight had dipped beneath the trees lighting the darkness of the forest with an orange and violet glow.

"Is this the place?" Kai asked the horse. Flame neighed in response. Heaving himself over Flame's side, Kai slid down from the saddle and look around. The horse sniffed the ground for any traces of Nya and Lloyd but the storm had washed away most of the trail. Anything to indicate the direction Kai's siblings went was covered by rivers of mud and a carpet of leaves from the storm. Kai swore, bending down to examine the ground. The rain had washed a mountain of mud over the area, burying any traces of footprints that might have been left behind.

His eyes meticulously scanned the forest floor, for any clues as to what happened, until he finally left the road and searched the bushes.

His hand suddenly found something smooth and tough almost like leather. With a flutter of hope, Kai gripped the cloth and ripped it free from the branches and mud on top of it, and shook it open. He recognized the material instantly. He growled as he clutched Lloyd's coat so hard his knuckles turned white.

"They were here, Flame, and if I know Nya, if they're lost in a storm the first thing going through her mind is finding shelter, especially if Lloyd's hurt." He told the stallion. The horse nodded in agreement, before sniffing the ground again. Slowly, he started to walk, following whatever was left of the scent. Kai followed, searching for any sign as to which direction his siblings must've gone. A loud neigh knocked Kai out of his thoughts. Flame grabbed his scarf with his teeth and pulled the brunette teen toward another path in the woods, before gesturing his head to the path.

It was different from the others.

Unlike the dirt paths caked with mud and overgrown with plants, this one was smoothed and made of fine cobblestones. Small plants and weeds were dotted it but the ground remained in place and that was when Kai saw them. Footprints made from boots, sinking thickly in the mud, symbolizing the owner was carrying some extra weight when the prints were made.

"Flame, you are brilliant!" He laughed as he hugged the brown horse's neck, before climbing back on. With a snap of the reigns, the horse took off, following the path and the prints deeper and deeper into the woods, until at last the woods came to an abrupt end. The path led to an enormous gate of rusted black iron standing so profoundly. A grey cloak lied past the gates on the side of the road where its owner must've collapsed. Kai dismounted gracefully, pulling on Flame's reigns until his fingers intertwined with the bars of the gate.

His family was there.

They had to be. His eyes followed the path all the way to the end. His amber eyes bulged in stunned awe.

"It can't be..." He whispered as shock and disbelief reeled through his entire being. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in surprise. "That's... not possible."...

Polyninja Headcanons: Anaconkai

-After becoming a snake he was afraid of what his boyfriends might think of him; His boyfriends said they would love him no matter what

-Kai has a lot of pent up rage so the others try and soothe his nerves and feelings of anger; most of the time it works

-Kai likes being pet on the head and neck, so his boyfs are always betting him there

-Jay bind with Kai by telling him how he felt when he was a snake

-When Kai is feeling upset (about snake related things) he’ll go to Jay. Jay knows exactly what he’s going through. He knows how it felt to feel like a monster so Jay helps Kai

-Zane likes hugging Kai, he thinks the scaley hugs feel so cool

-Cole thinks Kai looks hot as a snake and he’ll say that out loud too. Kai thinks Coles lying but, he really isn’t. He love snek Kai

(Me too Cole. Me too)

[remembers 20 years later to post this]

Oh yeah, here was my piece for the first Mad Dogz zine! It’s been a year, but I’m still proud of it :}

Past Lives Chapter 1

Kai growled in frustration as he faced the Mechanic as best as he could alone. The Mechanic had recently escaped from prison and had rounded up some other escapees to go on a robbing spree of dozens of tech stores all around Ninjago. It didn't take Nya and Zane too long to figure out that the Mechanic was attempting to construct a type of bomb that was sold very highly on the black market. After almost six weeks of none stop chasing, the Ninja managed to track the Mechanic to an abandoned warehouse at the docks.

Unfortunately, the Mechanic wasn't alone.

All the fugitives he had recruited were there as well to ensure their boss wasn't disturbed while finishing the bomb. While his team fought against the criminals, Kai had somehow managed to sneak past them all. He considered staying to help the others but a look from Lloyd told him what to do and he ran through the docks and into the warehouse. He found the Mechanic alone with a half-constructed bomb, surrounded by hundreds of boxes containing many different things.

As soon as he saw the red ninja, he smirked and armed his blaster's arm.

"Well well well, we meet again Fire Ninja." He cackled as they faced off. The Mechanic blasted a big fire blast while Kai blasted his own fire blasts. They were at a stalemate. Kai was still weak from the ordeal but he had to think of something fast. His eyes caught sight of boxes full of old fireworks. He suddenly had an idea but it was very, very risky, but he was ready for anything. He stood up and put his hands in front of him. He let all his fire gather and blasted it all to the dozens of boxes full of fireworks.

The Mechanic's eyes widened when he saw what Kai just did.

He tried to shoot the red ninja, but it was too late. The Mechanic immediately ran and jumped out the nearest window, but Kai was too far away from any nearby exits to escape the incoming flames.

"I'm sorry guys." The brunette said out loud as his fire hit the boxes. It was enough to get to destroy the device and the warehouse.

"No! I was so close!" The Mechanic shouted as a massive explosion occurred while he stood at a safe distance. It was enough to cloud the entire docks. The rest of the Ninja saw the big explosion and they hoped everyone was alright. Eventually, the smoke cleared and they saw everything clearly.

"You did it, Kai," Lloyd said, proud of his unofficial big brother. All the Ninjas started looking around for their hotheaded brother but they couldn't find him. Lloyd was starting to grow worried. He looked around more and he started growing more worried. He eventually found Kai laying on the ground. "Kai!" He shouted as he ran up to the brunette. His amber eyes were closed. Lloyd tried to shake him awake but when he touched his shoulder, he drew back sharply.

He gasped as he felt that Kai's skin was very cold.

Because Kai was the Master of Fire, he was almost always like a human furnace so the fact that he was so cold sent alarm bells ringing loudly in Lloyd's mind.

"Kai?" He started calling Kai as if in a trance. "No Kai, don't do this." He pleaded as he picked up Kai's head but he still received no movement. Lloyd's eyes started to water and he held back the urge to cry. Maybe Kai was overly exhausted or something. Lloyd's eyes started overflowing with tears. "No Kai, please don't leave!" He shouted. Still nothing. Lloyd started crying, then he realized something else. Kai didn't have a pulse. Lloyd stared in shock, then his tears grew more forcefully as Kai's tanned skin began to grow grey and his lips turned blue.

"KAI, NO! NO!" He screamed as if Kai could hear his voice. He held on to Kai as if that would re-start his heart. Lloyd's body became racked with sobs. He started sobbing uncontrollably and hysterically as he was shouting to the sky. "KAI, PLEASE COME BACK! PLEASE!" He shouted to the heavens hoping someone would hear his cry, but nothing happened. He continued to sob both uncontrollably and hysterically on the ground as the others found him.

As soon as they realized what had happened, they all broke down.

Nya was the worst. She fell to the ground, with only Jay holding her up, as she howled and sobbed louder than anyone believed she could be. But no amount of crying and begging would undo this. Kai Ash Smith was dead...

Hey y’all, this is what I do when I relax, how about you? Sure they’re not perfect 5x5 sheets, but In my defense I was lazy and it was fun! Take a wack at it if you want, I’d highly recommend it!

Bingo sheets for @eternalglitch‘s fic Like Father Like Son and @rottmntfantasyau‘s The Morning Messanger, The Blood Moon Hunter, the Prince of Day and Light, and The Twilight Thief. Vague spoiler warning for these fics!

Story Help Please!

Hiya everyone!

I'm planning another Lavashipping and possible Oppositeshipping AU story called 'Lustful Singers', but I need a little help. You see, I can't decide what career I should give Zane. Should he be a chef? Or a doctor?

I've already picked jobs for Kai and Cole, the others I'll sort out later, but I'm stuck on Zane; what do you suggest?

Thank you for taking the time to read this announcement and I hope you all have a good day/afternoon/night!

this is for those who despair over seeing ships or tropes that make them uncomfortable while they do their little scrolly-scroll on ao3, acting like they aren’t responsible for their own internet experience

(alternatively, the back button also works)

Past Lives Chapter 6

I was so excited as Master Wu carried my cat carrier up the many steps towards the monastery. After packing up all the cat stuff Mystake bought and the tea he had ordered, Wu covered the carrier with a blanket, but there was a small tear in the front, allowing me to see a little bit of the outside world as we walked. I couldn't wait to get back to the rebuilt monastery and see the others again. I've missed them all so much over these last few weeks, especially Nya.

Master Wu didn't say anything as the large gates opened.

As we entered the property, the gates swung close again trapping us inside whether I liked it or not. As Wu stepped into the monastery, I was starting to panic a little inside at the thought of seeing them again. How were they all doing after my death? Were they ever still a team anymore? Would they even want to take care of a kitten? Was Nya alright?! All of a sudden I heard many voices, the voices of my family, all around me as I felt Master Wu gently place the carrier on a table.

I think we're in either the dining room or the kitchen or maybe the living room.

Probably the kitchen because I could smell the sweet scent of Zane's cooking. Oh shit, will I still be able to eat human food?!

"Good evening, Sensei." I heard Zane say as the others gave their own greetings and for a second, I forgot how to breathe. So, they were all still here together. That's something I'm so grateful for.

"Good evening everyone, how are you all doing today?"

"Fine." I heard Lloyd mutter in an almost emotionless voice. Did his voice sound lower? Sounds like our little green ninja's growing up!

"What's under the blanket?" Cole asked and, even though I can't see them, I shrank a little as I felt their eyes all turned to the covered carrier I was in.

"As you all know, I traveled into Ninjago City to collect my order of black tea from Mystake earlier, and she offered us a gift to help us deal with... certain recent events." Master Wu explained and the air was suddenly filled a thick tension. I could almost feel the glare harden on Lloyd's face.

"What is it?" He demanded to know. Knowing it was best not to keep them waiting, Wu quickly pulled off the blanket, opened the carrier, and lifted me out for all the team to see me, but it also let me see them for the first time in over two months. They all looked so different from the last time I'd seen them. Cole's black hair was longer and shaggier, his eyebrows weren't as bushy he had a more relaxed look to his eyes. Jay's hair was more curly and he had light freckles now.

Zane's titanium form now had silver hair in a tall flat-top, crew cut hairstyle with no sideburns.

He had glowing blue eyes, reflective of his robotic nature. Instead of a bob cut, Nya had long black hair kept in a ponytail. She was wearing pale pink lipstick and had small dimples on her cheeks. She also had a beauty mark on her right cheek. Lloyd looked more mature and his blond hair was a little bit longer and his eyes were greener than I remember. But that wasn't what shocked me the most. It was the heavy bags under his eyes like he hadn't slept in weeks.

He and I made eye contact, but it didn't last long.

"Why do you bring that in here?" He spat and I flinched at his tone. What's he got against cats? When I was a little kid he used to bring all kinds of animals back to the Bounty, begging us to let him keep it as a pet. Hell, he's even brought home a spider once! Jay was quick to shut that shit down!

"Mystake has been kind enough to purchase this feline for us in hopes it will help us come to terms with Kai's passing and provide a way to ease our pain." Master Wu explained and everyone slumped slightly in sadness and it pained me to see. I wish I could tell them I was their lost brother Kai.

"I've always wanted a cat!" Jay suddenly squealed loudly before anybody could say anything else. I scowled at the comment and flattered my ears while Nya quietly chuckled next to him. Lloyd growled lowly before storming off. No one made a move to stop him. All of a sudden, Zane took me from Master Wu and I almost flinched when I felt the cold metal of his hands. I am so grateful for having a thick fur coat. Zane's eyes started to glow over me and I realized he was scanning me!

"Hey! What happened to ask permission?!" I hissed, but this only caused Cole to chuckle.

"I don't think he likes that." The noirette smiled as Zane put me on the table.

"He is a nine weeks old Maine Coon kitten, no records of vaccinations or neutering." The nindroid said once he finished scanning me. Again, very rude!

"A main cone?" Jay frowned in confusion.

"The Maine Coon is a large domesticated cat breed; it has a distinctive physical appearance and valuable hunting skills," Zane explained as he pulled up a holography image of an adult Maine Coon cat.

"Awe, you've got a lot of growing to do, don't you?" Jay cooed in an exaggerated baby voice as he picked me up and held me to eye level.

"If you keep that voice, I will scratch you," I growled, but Jay didn't seem to notice.

"He's really ours? Can he stay in my room? Wait, what's his name?!" He screeched, almost horrified that he didn't know my name.

"Please call me Kai! PLEASE!" I begged, but all they heard was a series of meows.

"Noisy little furball, isn't he?" Nya smiled as she started scratching me behind the ear. It was really nice and I started purring, causing everyone to awe and coo at me even more.

"There will be plenty of time to discuss names, for now though, I suggest we find a place for this sleepy kitten to sleep and where to place his items." Master Wu said, holding up the bag full of my kitten stuff Mystake had bought. That was all Jay needed to hear because he was suddenly carrying me out of the dining room and gave me a grand tour of the new monastery. I kept an eye out for Lloyd, but I didn't see or hear him. Jay continued to quickly carry me throughout the entire monastery, showing me all the many rooms and electronic gizmos they had added to the new building.

Twenty minutes later, I had seen the entire mansion but still had no clue where anything was as the place was so big and the tour was so quick.

We returned to the living room, where Master Wu, Nya, and Zane were waiting. I wanted to spend more time with my family, but for some reason, I was struggling to keep my eyes open. I suddenly let out a loud yawn, showing off my little, sharp teeth.

"Where is the kitten to sleep, Sensei?" Zane asked, noticing how tired I looked.

"Mystake provided a cat cushion for him and a litter box." He replied and I flinched when he mentioned that goddamn litter box. Using it was so humiliating! I wish I could use the toilet, but even if I could climb up, I was so small that there was a good chance of falling into the toilet bowl. Using a litter box might be embarrassing, but death by drowning in a toilet was even worse! After a short debate, it was decided that I'd be sleeping in Nya's room, which I was grateful for.

I wouldn't be able to sleep with Jay staring at me all night.

We went into Nya's room and my cushion was placed at the foot of her bed and my litter box was tucked into the far corner for me to use in the night. Jay reluctantly placed me on the cushion after Nya ordered him to let me sleep. As soon as I made contact with it, I curled up into a little ball and snuggled deep into my little cloud of heaven. I could hear the others talking, but I didn't pay attention as I drifted off into a peaceful sleep. I was finally home...

****************

AN: Right people, start sending me names for a male, moody, dark brown, Maine Coon kitten! The one I like the most will be the one I use!

Wolves Of Secrets Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Lone Wolf

Dark was the night as the full moon shined over the great city of Ninjago. The cold, misty wind whistled through the city as the citizens went about their own business, either going home to be with their families for the rest of the evening or to their evening jobs. The city of Ninjago was built on the sunny side of a gentle mountain and was truly a beautiful place. Its grace was only matched by the backdrop of lush, green forests which have helped shape the ancient city to what it was today.

The city had a very clear Japan, Tokyo feeling too it.

The city's skyline was growing with stylish skyscrapers and they each represented the many different aspects of the sizeable city. Businesses were booming in Ninjago and it had attracted a lot of attention. A few new cultures had left their mark not just on education, but also upon the city's identity. What historically was a city of predictability has grown into a new culture of variety and it's this that united the nearly 6 million people to this day.

It's this multicultural identity that had truly left its mark.

Hundreds of gastropubs, bakeries, and clubs offer a plethora of culinary choices. Those who felt hungry for something else could enjoy art galleries, musical activities, photography, or one of the many other recreational activities. Just outside the main city area, right on the edge of the dark forest, stood a large, lone house. In this house was a very special family. From the outside, this house looked cosy. It had been built many, many years ago with white bricks and had spruce wooden decorations.

Small, half-rounded windows added to the overall style of the house and had been added to the house in a fairly asymmetrical pattern.

The house was equipped with a large kitchen, two bathrooms, and three bedrooms. It also had a large living room, four bedrooms, a roomy dining room, a garage, and a large basement. The roof was high and slanted to one side and was covered with black ceramic tiles with a small chimney. Many smaller windows let in plenty of light to the rooms below the roof. The house itself was surrounded by quite a modest garden, with mostly grass, a few colourful flower patches, and a small shed at the other end of the garden.

Inside the house, a young teenage boy sat on the couch, eating popcorn and watching a movie.

This was Lloyd Garmadon. He had long, blonde tousled hair, and brown arched eyebrows with bright emerald green eyes that many people would state could sometimes glow in the dark. He wore a dark green jacket with a white t-shirt and black pants and black and dark green sneakers. As the clock was about to strike midnight, Lloyd was about to turn the boring movie off when suddenly with was a rustling sound outside. Fearing the worst, he quickly switched off the TV, grabbed his coat, and ran outside.

As soon as he stepped out into the cold night, however, instead of the rustling he had heard mere seconds before, all he could hear was an owl hooting nearby and the wind howling through the trees.

He was about to go back inside when all of a sudden he heard a loud crash from the other side of the house. He quickly ran towards the sound and was shocked by what he saw. He saw a full-grown, grey timber wolf sniffing around some turned over trash cans, snacking at the rancid chicken meat. He looked to the steel doors to the basement and was horrified to see another wolf attempting to jump out. As soon as the grey wolf sensed him, it slowing turned around to face the teen with a low growl, baring its sharp teeth.

Lloyd, however, was completely unfazed by this and he simply stood up straight.

"Get back inside!" He roared, startling the wolf for a second before it crouched down and started snarling louder. Instead of running away, however, Lloyd simply lowered onto his knees and bared his blunt teeth at the wolf. His emerald green eyes suddenly turned to a stunning gold that shined in the dark. The teen and the wolf snarled at each other as Lloyd slowly crawled forward, making the wolf back up. The grey wolf suddenly yelped as it fell back into the dark cellar.

Lloyd's eyes returned to their normal color as he stood up and looked into the dark pit.

Suddenly one of the wolves jumped up and bit into his thick coat's sleeve, ripping it off as the wolf fell back down. Not missing a beat, Lloyd quickly closed and locked the cellar doors, looking at the full moon as the wolves muffled howls sounding into the night...

****************

The next morning, as the rain came pouring down, Lloyd quickly got dressed and ran down to the cellar. He loudly slid the iron door open and stepped inside where he saw his mother Misako and his uncle Wu slowly getting to their feet as the finished getting dressed. His mother had ash grey hair braid into a ponytail with a snowy white streak and pale green eyes. She wore a pale khaki utility jacket with dark brown pants and a short, dark green scarf.

Wu was an elderly man with a long white beard.

He was wearing white robes and a conical straw hat. They both yawned and stretched as Lloyd glared daggers at them.

"I think that chicken was off." Misako gagged as she clutched her stomach.

"I can't believe you two." Lloyd glared Breaking out and raiding the bins."

"Oh, Lloyd!" She cried as she rushed forward and examined his arm. "I am so sorry! I didn't break the skin, did I?! Does it need stitches?!" She panicked, but he pulled his arm away from him.

"You always say how I have to stay hidden from humans and never give in to our wolves." He growled as they walked back upstairs to the kitchen. "Yet the moment you get a chance, you're out of the cellar and away!"

"You don't understand how powerful the pull of the full moon is," Wu explained. "When you're old enough to take wolf form-"

"I won't be a hypocrite, who says stay hidden and then breaks out at the first whiff of food!" He replied and turned to his mother with a slightly disgusted look. "And that chicken..."

"Actually, your mother's not the only one who's been eating things she shouldn't, is she?" Wu frowned as he opened the trash can to reveal the leftover popcorn.

"Yes, and you were still dressed when you came outside, young man." Smiled Misako when her son froze. "Didn't we agree in bed at 10 on school nights?"

"I'm going to miss the bus." He quickly said and ran for the front door. When he made to grab his coat, however, he let out a long sighed when he saw the missing sleeve...

****************

Lloyd blushed furiously as he kept his eyes on the school floor as the other students stared and laughed at his soaked clothes. He let out a small growl as he shivered; his mother owed him a new coat.

"Hey, Lloyd!" A voice called out and he looked up to see his friends Zane Jullien, Jay Walker, Kai Smith, Nya Smith, and Cole Brookstone stood by their lockers, waiting for him.

Jay reddish-brown curly hair with brown eyebrows and light freckles with dark blue eyes. He wore a blue jacket with a white stripe over a white t-shirt and blue pants with an orange wooly scarf.

Zane had platinum blonde, almost white, hair that stood up straight in something like a crew cut and bright icy blue eyes. He wore white pants and shoes with a long-sleeved, cyan blue shirt under a navy blue knitted vest.

Kai had tall, thick spiky brown hair, shaped like fire and bright amber eyes that shined like burning embers. He had a focused expression on his face, with a scar visible on his right eyebrow and bandage above his left. He wore a red half-zipped-up jacket over a white shirt with some kind of Japanese symbol on the back of the jacket and brown pants.

Nya was Kai's younger sister who had long black hair kept in a ponytail, pale pink lipstick, small dimples on her cheeks with dark brown eyes, and she had a beauty mark on her right cheek. She was wearing a leather jacket over a white shirt with blue stripes and dark blue torn jeans.

Cole had a very muscular body, being the strongest kid in the whole school, with long, shaggy black hair and bushy eyebrows with very dark green eyes that reminded Lloyd of cold emerald stones. He wore a black leather jacket and pants with a dark brown tank top and black heavy-duty boots.

Lloyd smiled as he walked over to them. They were the only people who could possibly understand the struggles he faced every day as a teenage werewolf; because so were they. Well... sort of anyway. Only he and Nya had yet to transform on a full moon, but they knew it could happen any month now and they were both nervous and excited.

"What happened to you?" Jay asked when they saw he was dripping water into the hallways.

"My coat got eaten by werewolves." He deadpanned.

"Don't you start too." Kai groaned.

"We've already had this from... Oh, Pixel!" Nya suddenly smiled as the said girl walked over to them. Pixel had pale, almost white, skin with wide lips and bright green eyes. Her hair was styled like Nya's and was a very light platinum blonde. She had a purple dress with red details and an opening in her left arm that showed a part of her chest, and red heels. Lloyd simply smiled and rolled his eyes. Pixel Borg was the only one in their friend group that wasn't a werewolf.

She was a very good friend to them, mostly to Zane, since childhood and it hurt them they couldn't share their secret with her.

"Did you hear last night in the forest?" She asked with a big smile on her face, but they all shrugged. "Howling." She replied and they froze as she pulled out her cell phone. "Here, look what I found on Carper's Lane this morning." She explained as she showed them a picture of a paw print in the mud. "I'm going to compare it to paw-print photos of different dogs."

"What, every type of dog?" Cole scoffed.

"This is proof." She insisted. "Proof that there's something weird over there in the forest."

"Pix, if your father found out that you snuck off into the forest in the middle of the night again he wouldn't be too pleased," Zane warned.

"If I can prove there is some kind of undiscovered creature in the forest then that alone would guarantee my scholarship into Horizon Academy."

"You know your father could pull some strings and get you in there no problem." Jay pointed out.

"I know, but I want to earn my spot and my father understands and respects that." She explained.

"Hey, Pixel!" One of the cheerleaders, Maggie, suddenly called out. "I saw something weird in the forest, you!"

"Haven't you got hair-curlers to play with or something?" Nya snapped before she and her friends quickly walked away.

"I really need to start my research, I'll catch up with you all later." Pixel smiled before she made a beeline for the library; as soon as she was out of sight, Nya suddenly grabbed the boys and shoved them into a nearby janitor's closet.

"Alright, who was it?" She glared.

"Wasn't me!" Jay exclaimed fearfully and the rest quickly denied it as well. Lloyd eyed each of them carefully. It could only have been Cole, Kai, or Zane; they were the only ones who spent the full moon on Zane's father's property deep in the forest. Since she couldn't transform yet Nya stayed in their apartment in the city and Jay spent it on her parents' junkyard on the other side of the city. The only problem was that Dr. Jullien's home was far from where Pixel said she found the paw prints.

He also knew the guys wouldn't go near the city, full moon or not.

"Maybe it wasn't one of us," Lloyd suggested. "My mom managed to get out the cellar last night and when I got them back in they started howling, and that paw print could have come from a normal dog."

"I suppose." She sighed when the bell suddenly rang; the group sighed as they made their way to their first classes. Lloyd quickly ran to his locker to get some of his textbooks when he suddenly caught the scent of something odd. It was a new scent, meaning whoever it belonged to was here very recently. He was about to follow the scent when he walked right into one of his teachers, Miss Koko. She had bright orange hair with amber eyes.

She wore orange lipstick and a pale brown suit.

"Lloyd, what are you doing? It's time for class." She ordered and Lloyd quickly scurried to his first class, making a mental note to investigate the scent later...

****************

As soon as Lloyd ran into the classroom he immediately took his seat next to Jay. This was one of the few classes he and all his friends had together. As soon as he took his seat a teacher he hadn't seen before walked in with a big smile on his face.

She had greying brown hair tied in a bun and a dark blue dress.

"Welcome aboard students! My name is Ms. Laudita and I'm your new Social Studies teacher," She smiled as a student stepped into the room. "Everyone! This is Morro Ren, he's new here so I hope you'll all make sure he feels welcome." She explained and Lloyd was suddenly hit with the same smell from before. He looked up and saw the new kid eyeing them all cautiously. Lloyd quickly looked to the others and saw they had realized the same thing as him.

Morro Ren possessed long jet black hair with a dark green streak dyed in it and dark brown eyes.

He was wearing a pale green shirt with torn brown pants and black boots. As he moved to take a seat at the back of the class, he and Lloyd glared each other down without a word. The class continued as normal until the bell rang and Morro all but ran out, Lloyd and the others following close behind. As soon as Morro stepped into an empty stairwell Kai and Cole blocked his path.

"What are you doing here?" Nya growled.

"What?" The new kid asked, confusion clear on his face. "I'm looking for-

"No, here! On our territory!" Jay exclaimed.

"Do you not know the rules?" Zane asked.

"You can't stay here." Kai huffed.

"If my mom and uncle get a sniff of you-"

"I don't even know you!" Morro snapped as he took deep breaths.

"Exactly!" Lloyd exclaimed in frustration.

"I don't care whose territory this is; I'm not sticking around anyway, and why would I in this dump?" He sarcastically asked. "No smelly brats tell me whether to stay or go." He stated before shoving passed Kai and Cole and running down the stairs...

****************

Later that day everyone was sat at their usual table in the cafeteria, enjoying their lunches. When Pixel and Dareth had joined them, Zane had explained what had happened with Morro when Pixel asked why they were all in a sour mood; leaving out some key details of course.

"We're not smelly!" Cole hissed angrily as he devoured a large slice of cake.

"Well, except for Jay." Kai shrugged absently, getting a hurt cry from the said boy and a kick from Nya.

"You did kind of start it." Pointed out Pixel.

"No, we didn't." Nya defended.

"Someone must know something about him or his family." Suggested Zane. "Seen moving vans, something." He added as a member of Kai's soccer team, Chad, walked over to their table.

"Hey, Kai, are you going to ask the new kid to try out?" He asked though it sounded more like an order.

"I don't think he's the right sort for the team." He replied, keeping his eyes on his food.

"Fine, I'll ask." Chad huffed and walked over to Morro's empty table.

"Wait." Cole gasped but it was too late.

"Relax guys, he won't bite." Pixel frowned at their behavior and the group shared nervous looks. They turned back to Chad and Morro when the new kid suddenly got up and right into a startled Chad's face.

"I don't like soccer and I don't want to hang around with you and your weirdo friend! You got that?!" He roared, sending a pointed look at Kai and everyone sat at the table.

"Obviously, they don't teach manners where he's from." Nya glared as Chad speed walked over to them on shaking legs.

"Next time, you need to approach the weird kid." He hissed to Kai as the cheerleaders suddenly pushed passed them and over to Morro's table, completely looking over the way he had just spoken to Chad. Before the new kid could escape, a blonde cheerleader named Harumi Jade took a seat next to him and practically curled around his arm, much to his disgust. Harumi had long white hair with long bangs fashioned in a bun with chopsticks.

She wore a green jacket with matching pants, a white shirt with red lotus flowers, and full lips painted red.

"Hey cutie, since you've only just got here the principle thought it would be a good idea for someone to show you around, and we know everything about this school; all the best clubs and people to hang out with." She explained as she flashed him a big smile.

"Those weird kids, who're they?" He asked as he pointed over to Lloyd's table, where they were still watching him.

"Oh, that's just Lloyd Garmaddon, Pixel Borg, Zane Jullien, Jay Walker, Kai Smith, Nya Smith, and Cole Brookstone." One of the cheerleaders happily said, only to cower away at Harumi's glare.

"Their families have lived here for centuries." She quickly dismissed. "Never leave the area, don't like strangers or questions."

"They're all cuckoo!" Another cheerleader added.

"What are we talking about them for? Let's talk about you." Harumi smiled as she leaned closer, only to gasp when Morro suddenly stood up, grabbed his bag, and stormed off, leaving a furious Harumi and a dumbfounded Lloyd behind...

****************

After an awkward lunch, with Harumi and Chad and their groups giving them the stink eye, Lloyd and the others finally had had enough and went to their lockers to get their stuff for their next class.

"Are you guys joining us on Miss Jinro's forest stakeout?" Zane asked hopefully.

"It's open to anyone but is part of the ninth grade syllabus so all freshmen have to go," Pixel added with a smile. The others just rolled their eyes and chuckled, only to stop when Cole suddenly froze right in front of them. They looked over the taller teen's shoulder and were irritated to see Morro looking through his own locker from something.

That wouldn't have been a problem if it wasn't for the fact that his locker was right next to theirs.

Before they could do anything, however, Chad and his gang pushed them and 'accidentally' knocked into Morro, causing him to drop his bag and pieces of vegetables to come flying out. To say he was still sore about what Morro did in the cafeteria was an understatement.

"I thought I smelled something funny," Chad smirked as his gang laughed. "Is that your snack, freak?"

"Piss off," Morro growled. Unfortunately, this only made Chad angrier as he marched over to the new kid and violently shoved him into the lockers.

"Got a problem?!" He challenged, failing to see the veins on Morro's hands darkening as he bared his teeth. Before anyone could even blink, Morro suddenly jumped up, almost as high as the lockers, and pounced on the bully, sending them both to the ground. Feeling their stomachs dropping, Lloyd and his friends didn't miss a beat as they ran to stop the fight before any serious damage was done.

Kai and Cole managed to rip a snarling Morro off Chad while Pixel and Jay checked on the jock to make sure he was uninjured.

Quickly, Nya and Lloyd pushed the new kid into an empty art classroom just as Miss. Koko burst through the crowd of onlookers.

"What on Earth is going on here?" She glared as Zane, Cole, and Kai leaned against the door to the classroom, and Jay and Pixel helped Chad to his feet. Meanwhile, in the classroom, Nya and Lloyd mirrored their friends leaning against the door as Morro curled up on the ground, gasping for breath.

"What are you doing?" He cried out between breaths. "Get out!"

"Just breathe." Lloyd tried to reassure but Morro started growling as he backed further away.

"You have to get out!" He screamed as the veins in his face and neck started turning dark and his brown eyes turning a stunning yellow. Realizing it was too late now, Morro slowly looked up at them with a defeated look in his eyes. "I'm so sorry." He whimpered before he erupted into growls. Nya and Lloyd could only watch as his body shrunk and rearranged itself.

His clothes fell off his body as his skin was replaced with thick dark brown fur.

His face stretched out into a muzzle as his blunt human teeth sharpened. Once it was over, Morro slowly stood back up, but instead of a human, a full-grown timber wolf looked back at them. He snarled at the two teenagers before he suddenly started running around the room and on the tables, knocking several art supplies onto the floor.

"Morro!" Nya shouted and the wolf jumped down and snarled at them again.

Slowly, both teens knelt down to the floor with their heads down; when they did raise their heads they revealed their own bright yellow eyes, causing the wolf to freeze. He stared at them for a few moments before relaxing and lying down on the floor. Unfortunately, things weren't going so well outside the classroom for the others.

"He's crazy!" Chad cried as he finished telling his side of the story to Koko.

"You started it!" Pixel exclaimed.

"And where is Morro?" She asked but everyone just shrugged and looked around, still leaning against the door. "I'll catch up with him later; you two, follow me." She sighed as she led Pixel, Chad, and his group away. The friends waited until the crowd of students finally disappeared before they quickly ran into the classroom; only to find a human Morro putting his shirt on as Nya and Lloyd picked up all the items he had knocked over.

"I knew there was something about you guys." Morro smiled like a child on Christmas Day. "It's true, isn't it? You're all like me!"

"We're not like you!" Cole quickly said, a look of rage on his face, causing Morro's smile to drop.

"Yeah, we don't show off and pick fights and invades other packs' territory." Kai hissed.

"You're a danger to us all and the sooner you leave, the better," Nya added when all of a sudden the door to the classroom opened and one of the teachers walked in, only to freeze when he saw the state of the classroom.

"What happened here?" The teacher asked in shock. Morro simply huffed in annoyance as he pushed passed the stunned teacher and stormed down the hall and out of sight. They just let him go. Lloyd wanted to chase after him but he knew the others were right; Morro didn't belong here...

****************

After school, the gang went to their favorite hangout, the Yin & Yang Bistro, to gather their thoughts. They would have gone to Wu's tea shop, Steep Wisdom, but they didn't want Lloyd's uncle to listen in on their conversation. Alas, instead of a quiet place for them to discuss what they had witnessed as they had hoped, the gang had to watch as Miss Jinro's forest stakeout class met at the cafe to prepare.

"Apologies, students." She sighed as the class started to get impatient. "We're waiting for the last few stragglers to show and then we go."

"Ya've got five more minutes unless yer buying somethin'" The cafe owner, Mr. Burke, grumbled from the counter.

"I still think we should tell someone, you know," Jay whispered.

"Yeah, let's tell Mom and Uncle Wu that a strange werewolf just showed up at our school and trashed a classroom after trying to attack a student." Lloyd laughed bitterly.

"To be fair who hasn't wanted to kick Chad's ass." Kai snicked, only to yelp when his sister kicked him under the table.

"This isn't a joke Kai." She hissed as Pixel and Zane walked over to them.

"Are you coming to the forest walk too?" Zane kindly asked.

"Pass," Cole said as the rest scrambled for excuses. Just when they thought their day couldn't get any worse, however, Harumi and her army of cheerleaders suddenly walked in and scanned the room.

"Hey, Burke, has Morro been here?" She asked sweetly.

"Who?"

"He's this tall and dreamy and he beat the crap out of Chad."

"Ah, the Dobsons' new foster kid." Burke laughed and the gang paled.

"M-Morro's in foster care?" Zane asked.

"Yeah, must have been a bad boy ta get moved all tha way up here for a fresh start."

"He's an orphan?" Cole gasped as a look of shame on his face, hard with the others.

"Most foster children have parents somewhere." Pixel stated. "He was probably moved up by Social Services so he to get away from them." She added and Lloyd's stomach dropped in horror. Morro was probably all alone in the world, stuck in a strange place, with no-one to turn to; trying to make it in the world all alone and he and when he does meet another one of his own kind they reject him. Before anyone could say another word, Lloyd, Cole, Jay, and Kai ran out of the bistro, leaving everyone in a stunned and confused silence...

****************

The four teenage boys spent the better part of half an hour tracking the new kid all over the entire city until they followed his scent to the forest at the edge of the city. The giant forest was tremendous, gloomy, and lush. Its canopy was ruled by willow, oak, walnut, and cottonwood, who let through enough dancing beams of sunshine for a hodgepodge of sprouts to rule the insect riddled soils below. Many people were too scared to enter.

Only nature lovers, hikers, and the occasional dog walker ever went in the forest.

Coiling branches clung to many a tree, and a potpourri of flowers, which desperately tried to avoid the shadows, spruced up the otherwise homogeneous scenery. A mixture of beastly sounds, most belonged to foraging animals, added life to the forest, and were out of sync with the sound of the wind blowing gently through the forest. Many normal humans had gotten lost in the dense green world, but Lloyd and the others knew this place like the back of their hands.

They decided to split up, hoping to cover more ground.

Jay and Lloyd went to search closer to the road while Cole and Kai went deeper into the forest. As they walked along the empty road, Lloyd suddenly grabbed his friend's arm and pointed further up the road where they saw Morro Ren walking along the edge of the road, his head down. They knew must have smelled or heard them, so he was simply ignoring them.

"Morro!" Lloyd shouted as they ran to catch up to him.

"Don't worry, I'm out of here." He growled, still looking at his feet as he picked up the pace.

"Please don't! We're sorry, don't go, we can help you." Jay pleaded.

"Help?" He scoffed. "I've had help; counseling and other stupid shit."

"You need to learn to control your wolf self before someone gets hurt... probably you," Lloyd explained, only for them both to jump when Morro suddenly turned around and glared daggers at them

"You're just like the rest of them!" He snarled.

"We know about the Dobsons," Jay replied in a trembling voice. "We know you're alone."

"So?"

"We're like you, you saw that." Lloyd tried to reassure, only for the new kid to shove them away.

"You might like me, you think the same as them!" He snapped. "You're just trying to make me better; but, you know what? What I am, what I turn into, that is way better!" He roared with a big grin on his face. "It's better than anything I've ever known and I'm not letting anyone take that away from me!"

"We're not gonna let you do this," Lloyd warned.

"Go ahead, stop me!" He jeered with a cruel laugh. "Use your wolfy powers and see how long it takes for someone to find out what you are; because no one at school knows your little secret, do they?" He asked and they looked away, their thoughts drifting to Pixel for a brief second. "I thought not; I've got nothing to lose here, unlike you." He smirked before taking off into the forest at full speed.

"Hey!" Jay cried as they chased after him.

"Stop!" Lloyd called as he disappeared into the trees. If they hadn't been werewolves Lloyd and Jay might have lost him, if not for their incredible sense of smell, or Morro's cheap cologne. They quickly tracked him down and before the smug kid could even blink he was tackled by them both. They all cried out and grunted as they rolled down the hill and crashed into the dirt trail. After they managed to untangle themselves, Lloyd was shocked to see Pixel and Zane standing in the middle of the trail with Miss Jinro's forest stakeout class.

Seconds later Kai and Cole came running over the hill and into the awkward tension.

"Sorry, we're late, everyone." Kai weakly chuckled. "Seen any squirrels yet?"

"No, you lot have scared off every animal for miles." Miss Jinro glared before turning to the group of students. "I'm sorry, everyone, we'll have to come back another day." She sighed as they walked away, leaving the gang, Pixel, and Morro alone. As soon as the teacher and class were gone, Pixel glared and advanced towards the group of boys.

"Well done, guys! This was something important to me and Zane." She snapped.

"There's something important we have to do." Cole tried to explain.

"Like what?"

"Morro is more important than any club." Lloyd glared. "The thing is... Morro and I... are related?" He quickly lied, shocking everyone. "Distant cousins; he's the black sheep of the family, and I didn't want him here, so I treated him badly, which is why he lashed out and trashed the classroom."

"We don't have to be best friends, but Morro's here now," Zane added.

"OK." Jay smiled.

"Sure." Pixel sighed.

"Welcome to Ninjago." Cole smiled as he gave the new kid a firm handshake.

"You really don't like soccer?" Kai suddenly asked. Everyone stared at him for a few seconds before they all burst out laughing, Morro included...

****************

Later that evening, as the sun was starting to set, casting it's beautiful orange and shadows among the forest, instead of going home with Zane and Pixel, Lloyd and the others stayed in the forest to have a talk with Morro. There were things they needed to sort out.

"So... where you from?" Kai asked.

"My parents used to live in Stiix; they... they died when I was two," Morro mumbled, his eyes fixed at the rustling branches of the trees.

"And nobody knows what you are?" Cole asked in shock and awe when he shook his head.

"So, what did you do for the full moon last night?" Jay asked.

"I couldn't stay in my bedroom, could I?" He scoffed. "I climbed out of my window and made for the forests."

"So it was your paw-print that Pixel found!" Lloyd gasped; none of them would have been nieve enough walk so close to the city in wolf form.

"Was it your first full moon change?" Asked Cole sympathetically, knowing how scared he was for his first full moon transformation.

"Second." He replied. "The first got me kicked out of my last foster home."

"What happened?" Jay asked.

"Don't know." He shrugged. "I went to bed and woke up in a ditch naked; turns out I trashed my bedroom, so they kicked me out." He mumbled before clearing his throat and straightening up. "Anyway, what about you? I mean, full moons must be epic out here."

"Yeah, they're pretty cool." Cole shrugged.

"Well, I and Nya haven't started transforming yet." Lloyd sighed.

"So, I know more about this stuff than you do?" He laughed.

"Yeah, you're the expert." Kai laughed. "That's why you lost it with Chad in front of half the school."

"I didn't know that could happen." Morro glared. "I only thought werewolves went hairy at the full moon."

"We feel the urge to change when we feel threatened or angry too," Jay explained. "Learn to control it, and you can transform whenever you want."

"How do you know all this stuff?"

"Our parents tell us." Kai shrugged and Morro's eyes grew to the size of saucers.

"You have parents like us?" He cried.

"Well, sort of." Lloyd winced and turned the others, who all gave their nods of approval. "I live with my Mom and uncle who are like us, Kai lives his sister and his parents are werewolves too but they're usually out of town on business, Cole lives with his dad but Lou's human, Zane lives with his dad who's one of us and Jay lives with his parents, but they're both humans."

"I'm adopted but they know what I am and they don't care." Jay quickly added when he saw Morro's confused look.

"We were all born this way, you're normal." Lloyd smiled. "Everything you thought made you a freak: sight, hearing, speed, sense of smell, they're all completely normal for a werewolf; if you stay you'd have a pack, at last, people to teach you."

"So, say I did stick around, only for a bit, no promises." He quickly said when he saw the hopeful looks on their faces. "No rules, no lectures, you can keep your group hugs and your big, furry family, I'll do things my way."

"A lone wolf, huh?" Kai smirked. "I think you and I are gonna get on great."

"Next time you lose control over your wolf self, what happens then?" Cole asked.

"Well, that'll be an interesting day, won't it?" Morro smirked as he got up and walked away. Lloyd and the others shared a nervous look, worrying about what the new day would bring...