Chapter Text
It was a rare peaceful night in Ninjago City, and the ninja intended to enjoy it. They gathered around the kitchen table each in their respective spots, chattering, laughing, and inhaling Zane’s famous pulled pork roast. Everything was perfect for once for Ninjago’s heroes. But as we all know, nothing ever stays that way. Most of the problems were usually caused by outside sources, evil villains and the like. But some of them were as a result of one’s own actions, much like the unexpected turn of events this particular night would hold. Jay was in the middle of telling a particularly animated story when he was cut short by a knock on the door. The lightning ninja frowned, wondering who dared interrupt him while he was the center of attention.
“Who could that be?” Nya mused, knowing visitors were not often at the Bounty. Being closest to the door, she stood up and made her way towards it, peering through the peephole. Better to be safe than sorry. Her gasp of surprise made everyone jump and focus their gaze on the door with increased curiosity.
“What is it?” Cole asked, beginning to stand.
Jay jumped up, chiming in, “Is it Garmadon?”
“Pythor?” Zane added.
“Sc-” Lloyd started, before Nya cut him off, fed up with the ridiculous suggestions as another knock sounded.
“No, it’s Skylor,” Nya whisper-yelled.
All eyes turned to stare at a particular red ninja. Kai’s face immediately paled at the name, and he was about to tell his sister to say he wasn’t home but she was already opening the door and oh great this was about to be a disaster wasn’t, but it’s too late and ah-kill me now. Anyone looking at Kai’s face could see the absolute nervous dread riddling him.
“Hey, Skylor!” Nya greeted warmly, bringing the redhead into a hug. “Long time no see.”
The rest of the room was dead silent as Skylor pulled away, a clearly forced smile on her face. “Hey, Nya. Hey, everyone.”
This knocked the guys out of their shocked stupor, as they chorused a few greetings. “Hey, Skylor!” “Hi, Skylor!” “Hello, Skylor.”
Skylor just looked increasingly uncomfortable and got straight to the point. “Sorry to interrupt dinner. But could I have a word with Kai please?”
She shot the mentioned ninja a piercing look then, who seemed like he was seriously contemplating running away. But he stayed, knowing if he did that now, he would never hear the end of it from his brothers. Plus, he was becoming increasingly curious at what exactly she could possibly want to say to him after a year apart.
Kai gave the girl a searching look before regretfully following her outside, refusing to glance back at the 6 pairs of eyes boring into his head.
Closing the door behind him to ensure his siblings wouldn’t overhear, Kai ran a hand through his hair and exhaled shakily.
Not one for awkward silences, he quickly spoke, eyeing the girl in front of him with concern. “H-hey, Skylor,” he started. “You look…good.”
She didn’t appear amused at the comment, which didn’t do any favors in calming the red ninja’s nerves. Instead, her green eyes continued to pierce through the night and right into Kai’s soul. While externally, she appeared to be angry, he couldn’t help but notice the dark circles around her eyes and a hidden…pain in her eyes. Of course, she wouldn’t let him see that side of her, but the haunted look told him that something was definitely off here. Plus, for Skylor to come here after how they had left things was a true sign that she was in some deep trouble. Though Kai wanted to be angry, he couldn’t help but feel bad for how they had left things.
Having studied each other for a moment, Skylor nodded. “You look like crap,” she said in a deadpan tone.
Kai forced a laugh, knowing she was making an attempt at dry humor. “Alright, enough small talk. Why are you here?” Kai asked, trying to keep the edge out of his tone even through the swirling emotions he was feeling.
Skylor nodded again several times, seeming to remember exactly why she had come. “I have something to give you,” she said, reaching down to pick up something from the suspicious box Kai just now spotted on the deck. “Something that is equally your responsibility as it was mine.”
Kai’s heart dropped to the pit of his stomach, as he caught a glimpse of the contents of the box as Skylor brought it towards him. A soft, red blanket. A tiny whimper that struck the very core of his being. Skylor’s slender hand moved the blanket just enough to reveal a mop of silky brown hair and a tiny little face with a nose that was undoubtedly Kai’s.
“No,” Kai whispered, backing away from the pair. “Skylor, no, there’s no way…” Skylor laughed sardonically. “Oh, yes there is.”
“But, it was only one time, Skylor, I thought-”
“When you left, you tried to tell yourself there was someone else. But no, Kai.” Skylor’s green eyes still burned him (burned him like the guilt). “She’s yours.”
Kai shut his eyes, disowning the matching whimper that may or may not have slipped out of his mouth. “Skylor, I can’t-I can’t be a dad. I’m a ninja. You know there’s no life for her here. It’s not safe-”
“Well, it sure is safer than living on the streets with a jobless mother!” The raising of Skylor’s voice for the first time that night shocked them both. Kai’s eyes widened, and Skylor mentally chided herself for letting out such a slip.
“Skylor, I didn’t know-” Kai tried.
“Of course you didn’t! Because you left,” she was seething now, stepping closer. Her arms shook and she set the box on the ground, the baby surprisingly unruffled. “You left us, Kai. You left me. Left me when I needed you most. You may be an Elemental Master, but you sure as hell are not a hero.”
She finished with a huff, bent down and picked up the box where the baby began to whimper and gurgle. Before Kai could blink, she shoved the box in his hands as if it were just that - a box (minus the precious cargo) - and stormed towards the Bounty rail.
Kai’s heart thudded wildly with panic. He couldn’t care for a baby. His life was too dangerous, Sensei would kill him, and not to mention he knew next to nothing about how to raise one (raising Nya was different, she at least had been able to tell him what she needed).
“Skylor, wait, please,” Kai pleaded, refusing to look down at the bundle in his arms.
The red pony tail flicked to the side as Skylor paused, turning her head slightly to the side as she listened to his pathetic pleads. Not that he deserved it.
“If I had known things were this bad for you, I would never have left you alone. I would’ve helped you somehow," Kai continued, his amber eyes flickering to a subdued brown. The color that was only present under intense distress.
Skylor gripped the rail tightly between her fingers, face contorting in rage. “Are you saying that leaving a 19-year-old pregnant girl alone wasn’t bad enough? You had the nerve to leave then, and I can’t deal with this alone. At least you have your family. Unlike me," She said bitterly.
Despite his panic, Kai still felt a wash of sympathy for her. And maybe even something deeper. Something that his idiotic 19-year-old self hadn’t felt a year ago when he left these two girls all alone. A need to protect them.
Swallowing the pride that threatened to drown him, he said what he should’ve said then, “Stay here, Skylor. We can do this together.”
Skylor laughed bitterly one last time. “Oh, Kai. If you had said that to me a year ago, I would’ve believed you were genuinely wanting to help us. This time, I won’t be so naïve.”
With that, Skylor leapt over the edge and disappeared, leaving the newly 20-year-old ninja all alone holding his 3 month old daughter in his arms.
Kai stood frozen for a good minute or so after Skylor disappeared. He wished he could forget this whole thing ever happened. But the weight in his arms made that dang near impossible. His eyes were definitely not stinging as he glanced up at the sky above. The stars were twinkling cheerfully, and Kai caught a glimpse of a comet streaking by. For a moment, he wished he was that comet, only having to worry about one thing for the rest of its life. Her little cry snapped him out of his thoughts and with a churning stomach, he forced himself to look at her.
Everything changed as he truly looked at his daughter for the first time. The soft cries did something to his heart that he couldn’t describe. It was both a fuzzy, warmth and an aching sadness, desperately wishing to make the crying cease. Her soft cheeks were rosy and warm as he lifted a finger to stroke one. Panicking slightly that the crying was still going and getting louder and oh FSM please don’t let my siblings hear. Kai laughed at that thought, knowing they would find out anyway as soon as he walked in the door.
He began to bounce the small bundle lightly up and down, not knowing what else to do. The crying quieted for a moment before increasing tenfold. Kai resisted the urge to curse under his breath. He wanted to scream at Skylor, see, why on Ninjago did you think I could do this? But then a thought struck him. A memory really. His mother. A gentle touch, brushing the hair from his eyes with the softness of a feather.
Would you like me to sing a song, firebug?
Yes, mama.
His mother’s laugh was like an angel’s. Ok, love, settle in. She pulled the covers up to his chin and began to sing:
(Come stop your crying, it’ll be alright,
just take my hand, hold it tight,
I will protect you from all around you,
I will be here don’t you cry)
Before he realized what he was doing, Kai was finishing the song out loud. “For one so small, you seem so strong. My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm. This bond between us can’t be broken. I will be here, don’t you cry.”
This time, tears unashamedly fell down the fire master’s cheeks. The baby had fallen silent at the sound of his voice, clinging to one of his fingers with a tiny hand.
“That’s right, Maya,” Kai said, surprising himself. “Daddy’s here…”
Did he really just call himself that? Did he really just name her? How in Ninjago did he accept all of this so fast?
His stomach began to twist into an uncomfortable knot between the denial and panic and this strange warm feeling he got when looking at his daughter. Kai shook his head. No, this couldn’t be his kid…could it? Did the First Master seriously trust him with this tiny bundle? He’d have to get Zane to do a DNA test tomorrow. Yeah, that’s right. Maybe this was all just one big misunderstanding.
But deep down in the pit of his stomach, he knew he didn’t want it to be.
With a sigh, Kai realized the night was getting cold and surely that couldn’t be good for Ma-the baby. The swirling emotions were only added to when he realized he would have to face his family. What would they think? What would Sensei think? He had a feeling that his brothers and sister would be a mix between extremely curious and overjoyed to see the tiny creature join their crew. But what about Sensei? Would he be angry at Kai for going against his values? Would he let the baby stay? There was only one way to find out. Kai would have to face them sooner or later, and the more he waited, the more he would lose his nerve.
“Alright, baby. Time to meet the family.”
Inside the Bounty, ears were pressed up against the door to the deck and all jaws were slack.
“No. Freaking. Way,” Jay cried, earning him a harsh shush and glares from everyone else.
Jay shot a glare of his own back at everyone. “How can I be calm when Kai has a kid?! How can any of you be calm?” The blue ninja flailed his arms dramatically around him.
“It would be unwise to let him know we were eavesdropping,” Zane commented. “He needs to know that he has our full support.
Cole added a thought of his own. “I’m still shocked Kai has such a good singing voice. But don’t tell him I said-”
Everyone stumbled back with gasps as the door swung open. They scattered backwards quickly, gazing on the pair that had just walked in with awkward laughs and sheepish grins. In the doorway, Kai froze like a deer in the headlights. Of course, he should’ve expected this. His siblings rarely give any privacy in this place. The 6 ninja stood in awkward silence, looking around at each other as each party waited for someone else to make the first move.
Naturally, Nya was the first to react. “Oh, Kai!” She exclaimed, rushing forward. “Do you actually have a baby?”
She wrapped her arms around his neck excitedly, engulfing the pair, before quickly pulling back. Nya gently pulled back the red blanket to reveal a familiar looking nose. She laughed lightly, tears of joy stinging her eyes. “Well, she’s definitely yours!”
This caused a chorus of joyful laughter to erupt through the Bounty, and before he knew it, Kai’s siblings had converged on him, folding him and his baby in a chaotic group hug. Cole slapped his brother on the back a little too hard, Lloyd stuck his head in the circle trying to get a peak at his honorary niece, and Jay whooped loudly, “I can’t say this is how I thought I’d become an uncle, but hey, I’ll take it!”
The chaos was cut through with a resounding, “Enough!” from the Sensei who none of them realized had returned to the room during the commotion.
Everyone froze, quickly backing away to give Sensei full view of Kai and the baby, but at the sound of their Sensei’s stern tone, all 5 of Kai’s siblings eyes became a protective steely gaze. Kai looked around at each one with a warmth spreading through his chest. He realized that even though they had just met the child, if Sensei made a fuss about her, his siblings would have something to say about it.
Cole had already stepped forward, ready to defend his brother. “Sensei, let us-”
Sensei turned his gaze to the earth ninja, holding up a hand, “I said enough.” His tone was peaceful though and each ninja breathed a sigh of relief as they realized Sensei was most likely going to be merciful here.
The old teacher approached his fiery student, stroking his beard in thought as he observed both Kai and the child in his arms. Sensei Wu had years of experience built up in hiding his emotions (never let your opponent know your next move, or your students), but as he gazed down at the doe brown eyes of the child, he couldn’t help the crinkle of his eyes as he smiled warmly.
Sensei then looked up at his student, who seemed to be holding his breath and growing increasingly anxious. He reached a worn hand to rest on the red-clad shoulder reassuringly, giving a gentle squeeze. “I am not angry, Kai,” he said. Another collective sigh of relief echoed in the room. Kai himself seemed to relax slightly, but not quite. “Is this really your child?” He inquired.
Kai shifted uneasily. “I-I believe so, Sensei. I didn’t want to believe it…I-I mean it was just one time-”
“She does have his nose,” Lloyd pointed out, causing a few small giggles from the group.
“Indeed, she does,” Sensei mused, looking down at the child again before meeting Kai’s amber eyes. He noted the swirling emotions and mentally made note to keep a special eye on his student throughout this. “While I do not condone the actions that have led to this result, I am proud of you for accepting responsibility for what you have done in the past.”
Kai’s cheeks grew warm at each implication of Sensei’s comment. Jay snickered in the background but switched to clearing his throat when the rest of his siblings shot him withering glares.
Sensei continued. “There is much to discuss about this new development, but it appears it has also come as a shock to you as well, Kai. Am I correct?”
Kai nodded slowly. “Yes, Sensei.”
“Then, perhaps it would be best to wait until morning for further discussion,” the teacher wisely said. “The child may stay here for the night, and tomorrow we can discuss the different options we have regarding her.”
This caused a few confused whispers, then an outburst.
“Options?” Lloyd snapped incredulously. “What do you mean options?”
Sensei held up both palms placatingly, speaking calmly, “I mean, that it will be Kai’s decision as to whether he keeps the child or desires to find a loving home for her where she may grow up peacefully. However, if he does decide to keep her, we will need to have a discussion about what this means for his ninja-ly duties.”
More mouths began to open in protest, but it was Kai who jumped in then to ease their concern.
“It’s alright, guys,” he said, subconsciously cradling Maya closer to his chest. “We just need to rest up tonight so we can think clearly about everything tomorrow.”
Their faces still showed their concern and unease, but they relented, the excitement of having a tiny baby on the Bounty tonight quickly replacing any ill-feelings.
Zane stepped forward to rest a hand on Kai’s shoulder. With a kind smile, he asked, “Would you like assistance finding a place for the baby to sleep?"
Kai sagged in relief. “That would be amazing. Thanks, Zane.”