This is a prequel one shot!! Enjoy!
Wu sat on the steps of the Monastery. He awaited at the open gates for his pupil. However, it was early morning, and he did not eat yet, Wu walked into the main courtyart. He stopped. It was like he heard his name. And someone calling for it. It was an urge too tempting to not chase.
Wu ran down a few steps, jumping off the side of the mountain and summoning his dragon, flying off. Where he was going, still unknown to him. Just aimlessly following a call. But that call seemed desperate.
Wu closed his eyes and flipped the reins of his dragon, speeding off to where ever this faint echo may lead him.
Soon, Wu arrived at the Caves of Despair. Over top of the entrance, his dragon landed on the orange stone platform next to an entrance to a cave below with smoke coming out. The hole was quite big, big enough for Wu to jump in.
By temptation and a feeling, Wu entered to inspect it. Landing down in the mess of smoke, Wu used his gi to cover his mouth and scanned the area. His face went pale.
"MORRO!" Wu shouted, seeing the poor boy on the ground, coughing. Two large pieces of rock, from the cavern ceiling have fallen onto Morro's hands, trapping him. Wu immidiatly got to work, lifting the heavy earth off of his student.
Wu used the sides of the cavern to wall jump out of the cave and back into the open. Morro was all there, except for his belt which fell as Wu carried the boy out.
Morro coughed in Wu's arms. Wu sighed to Morro being found. Wu mounted his dragon, taking off.
"I'm getting you away from this place." Wu said, determined. Morro shifted in Wu's arms.
"I'm sorry." Morro said, clinging to Wu's chest.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!" He repeated.
"No need to say sorry." Wu said, one hand on Morro as he flew through the air.
"I am glad I was able to save you." Wu set his destination for the Monastery. Morro felt cold, suddenly dropping limp and very slowed breaths. Wu's eyes widened and he pulled the reins of his dragon, changing direction for Jamonacai village.
He landed, carrying Morro in his arms, running into a tea shop.
"Mystaké!" Wu shouted.
"Please help!" He cried. The tea lady stepped out to see the injured boy.
"Please, I do not want him to die!" Wu stepped forwards.
"Calm yourself, Wu. Follow me." Mystaké lead Wu to the back.
Morro was placed down on a healing table, Wu started to bandage his wrists, and around his chest and torso.
"What got him like this?" Mystaké asked.
"Trapped in the Caves of Despair." Wu said, not turning away from Morro. The boy's eyes shut tight, barely moving except for his chest that moved up and down for him to faintly breathe. Mystaké mixed her medicine in the dim lit room. She poured it into a container, added hot water and walked to Morro.
She gave the medicine to Wu, he didn't hesitate to treat Morro. As Wu poured the liquid into Morro's mouth, he got more worried. But soon, as all the medicine was gone, you could start to hear Morro's breaths clearly. Wu sighed with relief that his student was alive. He kneeled to the ground, placing his head on the table top just by Morro's hand.
"Thank you Mystaké. I don't know how to repay you." Wu said, looking up.
"Keep him alive. How about that?" The tea maker suggested, bringing Wu to his feet.
"Now, we best let him rest to make a full recovery." She lead the Sensei out of the room.
"I will make more medicine for him, you need to let him recover, alright?" Mystaké said, entering the back room, leaving Wu alone. The blonde wiped his face, resting his hand over his mouth.
"What am I thinking?" Wu asked himself.
"Taking in a student? Raising him like he's my son? But, this happens?" He turned to the entrance of the back room.
He allowed Morro to leave. Maybe if Wu had forbidden him to leave, Morro would not have been hurt. Wu dropped his hands and turned towards the ceiling.
"Father... What do I do? You would know how to guide a young boy. Let alone me..." Wu said, talking to the heavens.
Soon, the night has come. Wu had stepped in the back to watch over Morro, as he had not awaken yet. Wu sat on a chair, resting his head next to Morro where to recover. Wu had not slept the whole night. Mystaké walked into the room.
"Wu." She placed a hand in his shoulder.
"You should go home and sleep." She advised.
"Not until Morro wakes up." Wu replied.
"I feel terrible he ended up this way." He used his hand to gently push the hair away from Morro's face.
"I do not want you to lose your energy." Mystaké said, concerned.
"I have plenty enough." Wu replied.
Mystaké put down a cup of tea next to Wu as he rested on the table.
"You said you wanted to raise this child as your son, correct?" She asked. Wu slightly nodded.
"Showing this much concern; this is for you, a loving father." Mystaké slid the tea closer to Wu, then walked off.
Wu stared at the tea.
"A loving father... Right." Wu sighed with regret and sorrow.
"... Sen...sei?"
Wu's head perked up.
"Morro?" He asked, standing up. The black haired boy was awake, just barely.
"You're awake! Thank the First Spinjitzu Master." Wu said with relief.
"What happened?" Morro asked, his voice soft, but sounding broken.
"You were trapped in the Caves of Despair." Wu replied. Morro's eyes seemed to be just about to be shut, yet he kept them open.
"Trapped... In Caves... Despair?" Morro asked.
"Is... Is that why I can't feel my hands?"
Wu flinched. That's right! When he found Morro, both his hands were trapped under larged pieces of rock that Wu had to lift up. And after that, Morro's hands never had a grip when holding onto Wu. They sorta fell down.
"Your hands..." Wu grabbed the hot cup of tea and carefuly wrapped Morro's right hand around it.
"Can you fell it?" Wu asked.
Morro paused. Then he slowly shook his head side to side the best he could. Wu seemed to shrink in his place. He let pulled the cup of tea away from Morro's hand.
"Well, you are getting treatment." Wu said.
"If... If I was stronger, I could save myself, right?" Morro asked.
"Pardon?" Wu asked, placing his hands on the table.
"If I had more power... I could've made it out on my own." Morro whispered.
"I'm sorry."
"What? No, Morro!" Wu leaned forwards, but Morro had fallen alseep. Is that was Morro thinks? That he should've been stronger to combat this predicament? That's not it. Well. It seems both of these boys feel at fault.
Wu looked at the tea. He took the cup and drank it all, in one sitting. He tended to do this on stressful days, or when something was not right with him.
Wu placed the cup on a counter to the side and returned to sit beside Morro again. Wu rested his arms on the table, then his head. Then, exhausted from not taking a rest, Wu fell asleep next to Morro. The room was silent, except for a few chimes to the door at the store front from the winds of Ninjago.
Wu woke up the next morning, Morro wasn't on the healing table. Wu scanned the room. Morro wasn't there. He got up and panicked a bit. Rushing outside, Wu stopped right outside of the tea house. The slight breeze blew his in his hair and the rays of the run slightly blinded him. Yet, the morning was so still, with a young boy sitting in the ground, letting his hair fly in the breeze. Morro was in the golden light, staring at the clouds.
"Morro." Wu said. The boy turned back.
"You heal fast." The sensei sat next to Morro.
"I want to go back." Morro said, now looking at the ground.
"Can we go back?" Morro asked, still looking away from Wu. He gazed towards the edge of the city, where it met the forest.
".... Can you walk?" Wu asked.
"I got out here. W-- without falling." Morro said.
"I can take medicine back with us for you to keep on healing." Wu said.
"But, you won't be training until you have fully recovered." He set rules.
Morro nodded.
"I want to go home." He said.
Wu gathered the medicine that Mystaké had created. He walked back out and Morro slowly stood up.
"For the remainder of the day, you will rest. Then tomorrow, I will take you to a doctor to have you checked out, alright?" Wu said, holding his hand out, summoning his dragon.
"Okay." Morro nodded. Wu lifted Morro onto the dragon, then he himself mounted. And to home they went.
As they reached the Monastery, Wu held Morro's hand as they walked in and to Morro's quarters. He sat Morro down on his bed and walked to the door.
"You stay here and get all the rest you need okay?" Wu said.
"Training will not commence again until you have fully healed."
"Understood." Morro said, crossing his legs and trying to find a way to place his hands. Wu smiled and gently closed the door. Morro sighed, waiting for the noise of footsteps to die down. The boy wasn't ready to walk on his own, in truth. He was doing the best he could to make it look like he wasn't going to fall.
However, Morro just wanted to go home. And now that he is, Wu thinks he's in bed resting. Being in Jamonakai village reminded Morro. Maybe he was worried. Morro doesn't know how long he's been gone.
The boy leaned against the wall to stand up. Luckily this time, Morro could actually walk alright. He turned to the window in his room and used his chair to climb out. Sneaking away when he just got back. Hah. Wonderful. But, Morro wanted to see him in the forest.
. . .
Not long later, Morro climbed back into his room with the help of a boost. Reaching his chair inside the room Morro leaned on the windowsill, peering down.
"Thanks." Morro said.
"Don't come back until you're fully healed. Now get some rest."
Morro nodded and watched his friend walk away. The little boy closed the window and stepped down, putting his chair back in it's place. Morro laid down on his bed, staring at the wooden ceiling.
"I called for Sensei's name, huh..." Morro repated the words told to him in the past few moments.
"Ugh, he really had to catch my fall." Morro placed his hand over his eyes.
"I really need to get stronger."