[Heyyy, a few quick things to note! #1 Lloyd and Garmadon are not exactly humans in this AU, they're oni-goat-like creatures. #2 This story will get a bit darker such as mentions of war and genocide. #3 I'm not diverting away from the ship being the focus, just thought I do some ~World Building~!]
Nya had been awake for a while. After having woken up, playing "I Spy", and hearing Jay sing along to whatever song their radio could pick up, they arrived in a huge forest. Tall, lush green trees stretching toward the sky. The dirt road they were on finally ended. Jay parked near a tree and one by one, the other ninja parked their vessels as well. Nya hopped out of the car and landed with a thud, almost falling over without her arm to balance her.
"Nya!" Kai yelled out, already opening his shield before properly parking his jet. He quickly turned off the jet and ran out with his arms out. He hugged her tightly, almost knocking her over and she used her good arm to hug him back. "You're okay! How's your arm?" he said, turning her around to see that the bandages were soaked in blood. "Oh man, we need to change these once we get inside. How're you feeling?" Nya turned around to face him
"I'm fine, a bit tired though. Even though I fell asleep like, two times," she chuckled. Jay and Cole seemed like they wanted to walk over to her but Kai's glare kept them in their place. Nya noticed. "Cole and Jay were nothing but sweethearts the entire ride. No need to worry." Nya said, almost in a playful tone. Kai didn't seem to listen to her comment but he just nodded and walked away.
"Geez, what an ass." Cole said, walking over to her with Jay behind him. "Anyways, I think they might have some beds here, so if we hear that they do." He pointed to her and raised an eyebrow, "We're getting your ass to bed. We don't want you passing out again and scaring Jay half to death." Nya giggled and he smiled at her.
"I don't know, kinda like the attention I got from you." Cole lightly tugged her bangs and she laughed. "Hey!"
"Pass out again, I'm gonna throw you in the river." Nya furrowed her brows, still laughing. Jay grabbed Cole's arm.
"I won't let him!" He said with a confident smile. Cole raised his arm over his head, trapping Jay's head in a chokehold.
"You and what army? You can't lift half of your own weight."
"Put me down, you pile of pebbles!" Jay choked, turning red. Cole dropped his arm down and Jay fell on his back. Holding his arms up as if to protect himself, he still had a burning red face and an angry expression.
"Hey mom!" Lloyd yelled excitedly as he ran past the three of them. There was Misako, approaching them. She held her arms up for a hug and Lloyd hugged her, almost picking her up. "It's been so long! How are you and dad?" Kai seemed to flinch.
"Lord Garamdon is here?" He asked. Misako laughed.
"He prefers the term, 'Sensei'. He'll be very excited to see you. All of you."
"Dad's a teacher now?" Lloyd asked, a bit astonished. Taking his ninja gi's hood, Misako stepped back a bit.
"Oh, you have horns now!"
"He grew them out a while back when Garmadon first came back into, y'know...society." Kai said, walking towards them, "They're finally showing through his hair."
"Aww, they look just like your father's horns when I first met him!" she ruffled his hair a bit, "Your voice is deeper now too!" She pinched his cheeks, "Aw, my little boy is now a little man! Is your bottom fang growing too?"
"Mom, I think that's enough." Lloyd stood up straight so Misako wouldn't be able to reach him. "This is starting to turn embarrassing." he managed to murmur, flicking his sleek ears. Misako chuckled and noticed a blade in Kai's hand.
"Oops, no weapons allowed at the monastery! Garmadon has a strict no weapon policy."
"Oh we can't leave these unattended. Mr. Borg gave us the techno blades to help defeat The Overlord." Jay explained, "It's kind of a big deal that we don't leave them alone."
"I'll stay behind and watch them." Zane offered. The guys began putting the techno blades into Zane's hands, thanking him. Misako gestured to them to follow her. Nya couldn't help but notice Zane seemed a bit bummed out he couldn't come with them, she patted his shoulder.
"Thank you, I'll catch you up on everything when we get back." He smiled a bit and nodded his head.
"I'd appreciate it."
[...]
They all walked into the entrance of the monastery, there was a path lined with smooth small stones and there were two huge ponds on each side. There were a group of kids that ran up to the ninja, most of them of course went to greet Lloyd first.
"Woah it's the green ninja!"
"Can you sign my hat?"
"You're huge!"
"You have horns now?!" Lloyd seemed to grow embarrassed with that last comment and he covered his horns and his black sleek-furred ears curled a bit
"Can I pet your ears?!" One kid jumped up, trying to reach him. Lloyd chuckled nervously and pushed him away.
"How about you guys greet my friends too, huh?"
"Woah you sound cooler!" A kid pointed out his much deeper voice. Lloyd turned even more red. Jay went up to the small group huddled around Lloyd.
"Alright alright, let's leave the green ninja alone," he chuckled. The other kids seemed to finally notice the other ninja and bombard them with their silly questions and comments. Nya didn't bother stepping closer to the kids. No doubt none of the kids would recognize her and she didn't want a kid to injure her arm. Cole tried to scoot away from all the kids. He'd mentioned before that he absolutely despises being around young kids. Even with his class of 11 year olds, he was sort of inpatient with them. Jay noticed and tugged his arm, moving him into the middle of a group of excited kids, jumping up and down. Jay picked up one of the kids and forced Cole to lean over, placing Cole's face onto his chest and the both of them turned completely red. Jay then sat the kid down on his shoulders. Cole finally stood up and the kid waved his arms up in the air, esatic to be up on Cole's shoulder and the other kids began to ask if they were next to sit on his shoulders. Jay picked up another kid and placed him on his own shoulders. Cole still seemed uncomfortable but Jay's laughter and talking seemed to keep him at ease. Nya smiled and stared at her two goofballs in adoration.
"I know that stare." A voice from behind Nya spoke, She flinched and turned around to see Misako smiling.
"What?"
"Two boys, one stare." Nya felt claws grab at her stomach and she grew a bit annoyed. "I've been through it, and I can tell you're going through it as well."
"It's really not like that, trust me." Nya said, exasperated
"Then what is it?" Misako raised her eyebrow. Nya shook her head, no matter how much she wanted to explain and knowing how understanding Misako is, Cole wouldn't approve of it. She just tilted her head and looked away.
"I don't know. Something. It's not love, I'll tell you that."
"If you say so!" Misako grabbed her shoulders and gently shook her, "But I'm always here if you wanna talk," she said no louder than a mutter and then she walked away.
[...]
The ninja had all been shown into their rooms and settled in. Nya had her room further down the hallway. She had been lying down on her bed and staring at the ceiling fan spin, the more it spinned the more it reminded her of the saws and cranes back at Borg's tower. She closed her eyes and sighed. A knock on the door startled her a bit and she sat up.
"Come in!" she said, clearing her throat. Her frame door slid open and there was Misako, with a roll of bandages in her hand, a pair of small scissors and a cloth. "Oh, thank you Misako." She nodded as she walked over to her and sat down on her bed. She carefully made a few cuts into the bandages and she began peeling away the layers.
"Oh my god, this looks awful." She said, "how does this not hurt you?"
"Oh no, I'm in a horrendous amount of pain."
"How did this happen?" Just as Nya was going to respond, Misako pressed the cloth against the freshly torn skin. She hissed as she arched her back.
"Ah fuck!"
"Oops, sorry. I put alcohol on it, you gotta disinfect it first!" Nya tried regaining her composure.
"Ah! Yeah yeah, no. It's ok." Misako took the other side of the cloth and lightly dabbed the skin and she reached for the roll of bandages.
"How did this happen?" Misako asked again. Nya sighed, all she could think about was Michael. She tried not thinking about him the entire car ride but all she could think about was his flailing arms, his family not knowing yet, his body still being up on the crane's mouth. "Nya what's wrong?"
"My students, Michael, they're dead. I watched them die and it's just—I can't stop thinking about it. I feel awful." Misako only hummed in understandment as she wrapped the new bandages around Nya's shoulder. "I just froze and one of my students was ripped apart! All my kids had to watch it happen. Others just fell off and were killed by saws—their parents! How will I tell their parents?!" Misako sighed heavily.
"That's awful. I know it's hard to not think about it but, listen," Nya sat up straight, "It's not your fault. And the sad truth is that some lives have to be lost in order to save lives." Nya raised her eyebrow, "I know it sounds confusing but when it comes to being a ninja, samurai or just a hero, killing or leaving behind one person or two is better than leaving 30 people dead."
"But they were children."
"Children die all the time, Nya. It's just a fact. I've seen worse at, at an age way younger than you! I still think about it." Nya slightly scoffed.
"Like what?" Misako stopped to think for a while. She just finished wrapping the new bandages on Nya's shoulder.
"I remember, back during the serpentine wars," she started and she looked down, "I remember that I was told that if I ever saw a serpentine, it was kill on sight sorta situation. That was when I was with the ninja of my generation—It was awful, I knew these were bad creatures, harassing and killing innocent humans." She locked her hands together and sighed, "But these were still creatures. Living beings with lives and families as well. The feeling I felt when I mourned my friends and family members was no different than the feeling these sperpetines creatures felt when they lost loved ones. And the serpentine lost a lot of their kind. Nya, we wiped out an entire race of serpentines because we wanted to live on the same land they had!" She said that last part, like if Nya hadn't been listening to her. "I only did what I had to do in order to live and keep the few people I loved alive. The friends I lost, I know it sounds harsh but they were just casualties. Those are just always a thing when it comes to fighting for the greater good."
"Misako I didn't even know you fought in a war." Misako simply just laughed.
"How do you think I met Garmadon? Your parents? Wu?"
"Does that mean my parents killed people?" The thought sent a chill down her spine.
"Nya, your parents were ninjas!"
"We're ninja! We haven't killed people!"
"Intentionally, not yet. Casualties? Definitely. The Great Devourer? The Overlord dying? What's happening right now?! Nya, your parents were also blacksmiths! They made swords, armor, and all sorts of weapons. They definitely used them."
"I never even stopped to think about that... But- I've never killed anyone! I know I couldn't have done anything to save that kid, but it still hurts. I wish I could have done something."
"I know." She said, almost blankly, "The reasons I'm telling you these awful tales of my life are not because I'm implying you killed that child or you're responsible for those other deaths. I'm telling you because you're young and I know you know death is a thing, but you don't understand its true nature; And how fragile life can be." Nya turned to look at Misako, who still had her typical small smile.
"Misako, are you sure you're okay?" She laughed, loudly. She placed her hand on her good shoulder.
"I'm a little messed up but we're tough gals, no?"
"I suppose."
"Yes! Yes, we are!" She shook her slightly. "Now go to sleep, we'll be having a small fight session tonight with Sensei Garmadon."