Archive of Our Own ^beta

“YOU’RE THE DECEIVER!?” Jay screeched, voicing everyone’s thoughts. Kai shook his head in disbelief. “Wait. You broke your own father’s Law, snuck into the land of the Serpentine, and nearly started a war!?” Wu flinched, but didn’t get a chance to explain before Cole cut in. 

“Then you befriended a snake, taught her Spinjitzu, stole your father’s scroll, and thought giving it to her was a good idea!?” The earth ninja said incredulously. This time, Pixal gave her two cents, “And then you stole two more dangerous scrolls from your father, the First Spinjitzu Master, and broke the law again to defeat her?”

“And then you betrayed her by letting her take the fall, even though it was your fault, resulting in a child being locked away for a thousand years!?” Morro yelled, nearly pulling his hair out. The collective accusations, that aren’t really accusations, hung in the air as they crossed their arms and waited for some kind of explanation. 

Wu felt like a child again, and he blurted his words out, “Yes! Okay? Yes, I admit it all. I was young, and foolish and-and… vindictive.” He sighed, and he sagged with the weight of the world on his shoulders. “I never thought I’d hear the name Aspheera again. I thought all of this was in the past…” he said, ashamed. 

Suddenly, the very foundation of the Monastery shook as dust fell from the rafters. “What was that?” Pixel asked. Kai gave Wu one last look, “The past, catching up to us.” In record time, the ninja left the building and made their way to the courtyard. On the way, Pixel grabbed Mr. E by the hand and dragged him with her. 

Everyone jumped on top of the wall to see Aspheera’s army marching up the stairs, eerily similar to how the oni did months before. The biggest serpent leading the charge sent a massive ball of fire hurtling towards them. Instinctively, Morro, Nya, and Zane used their powers simultaneously to dissipate it. 

Kai, seeing his own element threaten to destroy their home, turned on Wu. “This is because of you, Master Wu! You’re our teacher, the one always lecturing us about responsibility, and- and true potential!” He looked lost, confused, and angry, and he tried to make sense of everything. 

Wu dipped his head down, having the decency to look ashamed. “I always lecture you because I never wanted you to make the same mistakes I did. You know I made many, many mistakes in all my years of living, and I have many more regrets. I never wanted any of this to happen. I never thought this would come back to haunt me.” He said. 

Another fireball was shot towards them, and Nya doused it easily. “How did they even find us!?” Lloyd asked. “Perhaps they heard us mentioning Master Wu,” Zane answered him. “Well, we have the scroll, which means Aspheera can’t use it. We could stay here and fight,” Cole shrugged, using the earth to suffocate another fireball. 

“Why waste your energy?” Pixal said smugly, and she ran to the side of the gates. Wu nodded, “When we renovated the temple, Pixal thought it would be wise to install several new defensive measures. Mr. E approved.” The nindroid nodded, even as some of the ninja jumped, having just noticed his presence. 

Outside, the ground opened up to reveal an intimidating barrel, glowing teal with six different canons. An identical one rose up on the other side. They each whirred as they charged up, and finally, they let out a torrent of water on the pyrovipers, dousing four of them immediately. Two more different machines appeared, pelting Aspheera’s right hand with gray blurs.

They cheered, and Jay exclaimed, “Rubber shurikens, nice!” Another wave of water flowed from the canons, “That’ll keep them busy,” Morro said. Suddenly, Aspheera let out a scream of rage and combined a destructive spell with the fire she gained. The resulting blast made the doors crack down the middle. 

The ninja all got into a ready position, and two more blasts later, the doors broke away, letting the ninja immediately charge their invaders. The giant pyrovipers were sent in as a buffer zone, but Zane, Nya, and Morro, the three states of matter, made quick work of them.

Jay and Cole’s powers were an unlikely match, and they shouldn’t have worked so well together, but they did. They moved in a way that suggested mind-reading, always at each other’s backs, covering for weaknesses, communicating silently with just a twitch of the finger. It is a testament to their bond and how many years they’ve known each other.

Lloyd somehow held his hood around the scroll while he fought, but it was harder and harder to hold on as he felt it buzzing through the fabric. He punched a snake in the face, careful not to use his powers and accidentally burn the hood. Despite the advantage it gave them, he saw how it affected his mate and brother, and he wasn’t eager to test it for himself. 

He should have put it down somewhere or left it in the Monastery. Doing this risked it getting into the snake’s hands, but something was preventing him. Was it the scroll itself? Or was it the fact that he couldn’t abandon his family?

The rest of the ninja were focused on the flaming soldiers, while Wu challenged the leader of the pyrovipers. “Aspheera!” He bellowed. “It’s me that you want, leave them all out of this!” Aspheera’s lip curled into a venomous smile, and she pointed her polearm at him, charging up purple energy in the blade. 

When it was released, Wu jumped out of the way, and the spell collided with a support beam behind him. The purple enveloped it, and it shrank down to a point before vanishing entirely. Wu tightened his grip on his father’s staff and, twirling it, charged her. Their weapons met, the ridges of the bamboo catching on the metal guard. 

“Ah, Wu… The Treacherous Deceiver, I’ve been dreaming of this moment!” Aspheera yelled, shoving him off of the giant snake, Flame-Fang, following him. Immediately as she hit the floor, she did Spinjitzu, the tornado bigger and brighter than it had been a thousand years ago. 

Wu met her head on, their tornadoes colliding, weapons sparking as they chased each other across the courtyard. For her age and for a thousand-year imprisonment, she was moving surprisingly fast. She swung with reckless abandon, each strike aiming for his head or his heart, always going for the kill. 

However, despite their battle, despite the lines that have been drawn by the monks of the Cloud Kingdom, Wu just couldn’t fight back. He blocked, he parried, he dodged, avoiding the deadly blade by a hair’s width, but he never tried too hard to retaliate. He hoped that she wouldn’t notice, but Aspheera didn’t learn Spinjitzu by being a fool. 

“Come on! FACE ME, WU!” She yelled, grabbing a fallen rock with her tail and flinging it at him. “You’ve imprisoned me unjustly- the least you could do is TRY! Defend your nonexistent honor!” Aspheera screamed in anger, such anger that it sent a shiver down Wu’s spine. In the face of his first-ever regret, he hated himself. 

Spells flew in all directions, each more volcanic than the last, destroying whatever they touched. She sometimes kept it interesting by levitating a boulder and throwing it at him, not caring for the other ninja in her way, or her own army. Aspheera sometimes made other things disappear in an attempt to get to him, a sword, a staff, a piece of debris, but he always avoided her wrath. 

“Aspheera!” Wu called mournfully, the sound making her hesitate long enough for Lloyd to kick her in the face. She recovered enough for her to strike with the blunt side of her polearm, and he was flung away. Lloyd grunted, and despite his death grip on the scroll, the impact forced him to let it go. It went rolling away and stopped at Mr. E’s feet. 

Aspheera slithered towards him surprisingly fast, but before she could reach him, he kicked it to Zane and swung his swords in her direction. As a distraction, he put himself between her and the rest of the battle. “Stay out of my way!” She hissed, her tail rattling in frustration, and she tried to get past him, but Mr. E held strong.

She attempted to knock the swords out of his hands, but Mr. E, because of the nature of his weapons, didn't have any openings. He struck low, but she blocked; she struck high, but he blocked. He struck once more, with his right hand, and when she parried it, he nearly decapitated her with his left. 

He jumped away from the retaliating blade, only to turn around and nearly cut off her tail. It was the audacity that made her angrier than anything, and so she used Wu’s teachings once more. Even Mr. E’s ruthless fighting style was no match for Spinjitzu, and he was flung into the wall as the tornado slammed into him, sparking at the impact.

“E!” Zane and Pixal exclaimed, the latter having just finished the new Samurai X mech. The Nindroids worked together, and Zane finally managed to get past all of the Pyrovipers. He picked the scroll up, feeling the addicting rush of power, and Mr. E’s sword that flew in their direction. Now he understood why Aspheera went mad. 

As this was happening, Aspheera aimed her polearm at the now disoriented nindroid. It charged up with a now familiar but terrifying burst of energy, Mr. E recovered just enough to throw himself out of the way, and the blast hit the wall just behind him. The spell enveloped the wall, and it shrank, disappearing into a white point. 

Zane tightened his grip on the sword that he had just put the scroll on, roaring in rage. He sprinted over to her, glowing with blue fire coming off his body. “Leave my friends alone!” He demanded, launching himself into the air, over Aspheera, and landing flawlessly on his feet. 

Channeling his power through the sword, he instantly froze every soldier near him and slammed the blade into the ground. The air got colder, and freezing crystals traveled from the impact point all the way to Aspheera, completely encasing her in ice. He turned his glare to the other soldiers, which caused them to run away, but not before the ice trapped them too. 

Soon, the entire courtyard was covered in ice, but Zane had enough control for it to avoid his loved ones. “Holy shit,” Cole breathed. “H-h-how did you do that!?” Jay sputtered. Wu just looked somber as he replied, “It is the power of the Scroll of Forbidden Spinjitzu.” Zane was standing completely still as he stared into Aspheera’s red eyes. 

Wu turned to his student, “Zane,” he said softly, “Give it to me.” Zane turned to him, seemingly torn between keeping it and obeying his master. “Zane!” Wu barked, and that made him jump, urging him to walk determinedly. His master extended a hand, with kind eyes, and just as Zane was about to hand it over, there was a telltale crack of ice.

Aspheera freed her arm. “LOOK OUT!” Lloyd called, as everyone turned to see a torrent of purple and orange energy hurtling across the courtyard. Everyone was too far, or they hesitated too long, for them to push Wu out of the way. The only one who wasn’t was Zane, and that’s what he did. 

Zane took the impact that was meant for his master, and, like everything else, he was reduced to a white point before vanishing entirely. For one horrifying moment, the silence filled the space, and it was absolutely deafening. It was only when Aspheera dropped her staff and finally lost consciousness that the spell was broken. 

“Oh no! Zane!” Nya screamed, immediately removing her hood. “Zane!” Cole yelled, running over to where he last was. “NO!” Pixel cried, doing the same, closely followed by Mr. E. She sank to her knees, eyes already watering up as she frantically ran her hands over the bricks. Mr. E shook as he stared at the ash covering the ground; it was perhaps the closest thing he had ever come to tears. 

“Zane…” Pixel whispered, for both of them. Everyone silently agreed on a moment of silence, holding each other as they cried quietly. “Zane…”

The door to the vault unlocked, and it opened up, revealing a bubble with a prisoner inside suspended from the ceiling, over a chasm the depth that a building was tall. Wu stepped through the gate, and it locked once more, with a grid of lasers blocking the way back. A steel boardwalk was extended out from the edge of the platform.

With each step, it got longer and longer, until it finally connected to the bubble. The snake inside was completely unrecognizable. Instead of the color of honey that she was sporting when she still had access to the fire, they were a deep blue. Some of them were cracked or worn with age, and they had lost the vibrancy of youth.

When Wu was only two feet away from the clearstone, Aspheera slithered to face him, her head bending even more to meet his eyes. “Ah… Wu,” She said in annoyance. “How fitting. Here we are again. You are free, and I am unjustly imprisoned.” Her voice rumbled from her throat. Wu leaned back, as if he couldn’t believe his ears, “Unjustly?”

“Zane was innocent,” he said, voice shaking as he tried to maintain composure. “He was one of the kindest… Bravest souls I have ever known.” Wu breathed in sharply, “And you destroyed him.” Aspheera merely raised her eye ridge, “Destroyed? You think I wanted to destroy you?” She laughed lightly. 

“I didn’t want to destroy you; I wanted you to suffer,” Aspheera hissed, eyes wide with a manic intensity. “As I did… only worse,” she said, smiling. Wu stared at her, “W-what do you mean?” Aspheera turned her back on him, the same way Wu did all those years ago. “I hate you, Wu.” Her matter-of-fact tone made his heart hurt, and his breath became even more ragged.

“I don’t know if it’ll ever stop,” She said. “Honestly, this outcome is preferable to my original plan.” “What plan?” Wu asked instantly, but, in the face of her monologue, he was ignored.

“Seeing your distraught face as you imagine what I could have done to that metal human of yours is an expression that I have dreamed about for a thousand years,” she dragged out the last s. “Tell me!” Wu yelled, slamming his head on the clearstone. Aspheera smirked, “I didn’t destroy your friend. I banished him to the one place where you cannot help him. To the Never Realm.”

Wu gasped in horror and immediately ran to the door. Aspheera laughed, and it turned into a cackle as if it was the most amusing thing she’s ever witnessed. “What will you do now, Wu?” She asked rhetorically, “What will you do now!?” She yelled, her fractured mind bleeding into her all-consuming cackle. Madness. So much of it.

“ZANE’S ALIVE!” Wu exclaimed as he ran into Pixal’s room, where everyone had congregated. “What!?” “Where!?” “How!?” Were the general reactions. “Quiet, all of you! Listen,” he ordered. “I spoke to Aspheera at Kryptarium Prison. She didn’t destroy Zane; she banished him to a distant realm.”

“Well, what are we waiting for!?” Kai exclaimed eagerly, “We gotta go after him!” Lloyd nodded, “Yeah, what realm?” He asked. Wu looked grave, “The Never Realm.” The ninja were confused, “Huh?” Lloyd said, “What?” Morro said. “The Never Realm?” Nya looked skeptical. “I’ve never heard of it,” Cole admitted. 

“There are few who have,” Wu stated, turning around and walking briskly. “Wait!” Lloyd called him, and everyone else followed him. “What’s the Never Realm?” “According to legend, it is the most distant and remote of all realms. My father only spoke of it to me once…” 

Wu stopped without warning, and everyone behind him crashed into him. Somehow, despite his seemingly frail exterior, the force of the impact didn't affect him at all. “In warning. He told me that of all the realms of Creation, it was the one I should never visit. He told me it was a cold and dangerous place. He forbade it.”

The ninja had growing looks of worry as they listened to Wu speak. “Forbade as in ‘absolutely never ever?’” Jay uttered incredulously. “Guess that's why it's called the Never Realm,” Morro said sarcastically. Cole got his master's attention, “Why? What's wrong with it?” Wu just shook his head. “I don't know. He only went there once, and he said that he nearly couldn't find his way home.” 

“He said that it was unlike the other realms. He warned me that others would not be as fortunate,” He said gravely. Wu resumed walking, and everyone followed him into his meditation room. “I will use Aspheera’s staff to find Zane. It banished him there; it will work for me, too.” He pulled out an inconspicuous box. 

“Once I have found him, I will use the Travelers Tea to bring us both home.” Lloyd shook his head firmly, “You mean all nine of us,” he said pointedly, including Pixal and Mr. E. “Absolutely not!” Wu ordered. “I can't allow it. What happened to him is my fault, and mine alone. It is my responsibility…” he lowered his head somberly.

“Hey, no way!” Kai said, pushing his way to the front. “Zane’s our brother!” Jay agreed. “Enough!” Wu punctuated the order by slamming the box closed. “I won't risk any more lives!” He walked to the window, head down. “My foolishness has already caused us enough damage. My decision is final.” 

The ninja exchanged helpless looks behind his back, and Lloyd desperately searched his mind for a solution before his eyes brightened with realization. “We… understand, Master,” Lloyd said, trying to inject resignation into his voice. “But- this feels a little rushed. Maybe you should just- you know, sleep on it.” 

The acting left a bit to be desired, but it effectively conveyed the point. “For a night, and come up with a game plan,” he said as the ninja eventually understood what their leader was saying. “...A game plan…” Wu finally looked at his student consideringly. “Yeah, you know, prepare. Think it all out.” 

“Yes, Dad,” Morro said, intentionally using their relationship to make Wu more receptive. “This is a decision that you can’t make lightly. Just make sure that, well, you’re sure about this.” It was silent for a moment before Wu sighed. That’s how they knew they got him. As long as Morro suggested something that sounded reasonable, nine times out of ten, their master will acquiesce.

“Very well, I will meditate on it.” When he wasn’t looking, the ninja gave each other triumphant winks. The moment they walked out, they sped off into the living room, careful not to make too much sound. “Okay, what’s the plan, Lloyd?” Morro asked just as they reached the soundproof room. 

“So we know that Wu has a stash of what he calls ‘Perfect Traveller’s Tea’? I plan to steal it while he meditates,” Lloyd said. Everyone stared at him. “What?” “First off, why would we need the tea if we already have the staff?” Nya asked. “We need the tea to get back home. The way we’re gonna get there is through Aspheera’s staff, but we can’t bring it with us. So, we need the tea.” Lloyd said.

For a plan baked in only a few precious seconds, it was pretty solid. “There is only one problem,” Pixal said, nearly shrinking when all eyes were on her. “None of us knows how to use it. We don’t know any of her spells.” That caused everyone to groan, smacking their heads. Kai’s eyes lit up, “I have an idea. Why don’t we just use the scroll?”

This time, everyone stared at Kai. “Hear me out. So, we know that the scroll is with Zane. But we also know that, from Sensei’s story, there were at least three scrolls! We just need to find at least one other, and then it’s smooth sailing from there!” He said proudly. “Wow, finally, Kai doesn’t have a bad idea!” Cole said, clapping him on the back. 

“But then where would the other scroll be?” Morro asked, and it cut through the celebration of the group. They settled into a contemplative silence before everyone reached the obvious conclusion at the same time. “Clutch Powers!” “Wait, we don’t even need Clutch,” Nya exclaimed. “I bet my sword that if it was ever discovered, it would be in the Explorers Club!”

“That’s brilliant!” Cole said, suddenly grateful for the soundproofing. No one wants to hear a fully grown ninja cheering or raging at video games at all hours of the night. “But the real question is, how’re we gonna get it?” Lloyd asked, a hand on his chin. Jay shrugged, “Why don’t we just steal it?”

Once again, the ninja stared at one of their own members. “Jay! We’re ninja, not thieves!” Cole said. “Come on, this is for Zane! And we’re already gonna be stealing from Wu, what’s one more?” The fact that Jay made it make sense was a bit concerning, but all of his reasoning was correct. “Besides, we can’t waste any more time.”

Morro nodded, “Jay’s right. Every moment we spend standing here is a moment that Zane is stuck in the Never Realm. We need to figure out who’s going and who’s staying.” Lloyd stepped up immediately. “I’m going. Nya and Jay should go with me to steal the scroll. Nya’s the most nimble, Jay’s the fastest, and this whole thing was his idea.” The couple nodded. 

“Morro, you’re in charge of getting the Traveller’s tea from Master Wu. Even if, somehow, for some reason, you get caught, you’ll get off the easiest,” Lloyd said. It was the perks of being the favorite. He was also complimenting his mate’s ninja skills. Morro nodded in acknowledgement, then turned to everyone else. 

“Are we all in agreement?” He asked. There was no hesitation when they nodded. Kai, however, sighed. Despite agreeing with the plan, it was still eerily familiar. “Let’s just hope this goes better than the last time we tried to steal an ancient scroll.” Only the truly original ninja understood what he meant. 

They prepared as fast as they could, knowing that over ten minutes had passed. Ten minutes less to get to the Explorers Club and back. Morro and Lloyd leaned against the wall as they just held each other, the latter breathing his mate in. “Stay safe…” he said, muffled. “You too,” Morro said, resting his forehead on Lloyd’s shoulder. 

“Give ‘em hell.”