~ Ninja Stories From the Heart ~ Ninjago Oneshots and Fun!

It Never Snows, but it Blizzards 🥷😭

{Ah yes, my (very old) first attempt at Zane angst. I... I'm sorry for this.

Also, this is the prequel to a 4-part story I will start posting tomorrow night. 2 parts at a time, so it'll take 2 nights to put together. Remember, this is one of my older works. It's not quite up to my standards but I'm publishing it anyway! Enjoy!}

~~~

"Support me friends... for one last time."

The fateful words that had ended the train of events leading to my greater sacrifice. My memories were swarming me as I reflected on what I had just done...

Where was I? Actually, let me just take you back to before it happened...

~~~

"Zane! No! What is he doing?!

He's protecting us!"

"This is all your fault!"

"All this time, and I never knew."

"Come here, ya tin can!"

"Zane's a NINDROID! NIN-DROID!"

"Hello, my mysterious falcon friend. Where did you come from?"

"One day Zane, we will find your family.

But... I have already found them."

All the words of my brothers and me.

My family. Where were they now? Perhaps they are pondering over the shocks of the past few months, as I was. When we had peace, there was no need for a ninja, but now that the Overlord has returned, we must return! Better, stronger, closer than before! We must unite as one, and maybe even sacrifice something greater than what we could ever imagine...

~~~

"Permission to scan?

Uh... permission... granted?"

"I do not feel so different around you."

"We are... compatible?"

"You are vital to the mission, and... you are vital to me."

The words of my love and I. Of us. The phrases that made me willing to give up my life, and yet so reluctant to do so at the same time. But I must, especially if it meant my life's heart P.I.X.A.L and the rest of my ninja brothers were safe.

~~~

We were on the rooftops, watching as the Senseis "threaded the needle" as they called it. The pill went sailing, up, up, up... and into the mouth of--

PYTHOR?! He immediately shrunk to the size of my fist and slithered away screaming when my falcon flew at him, mistaking him for food. Golden tentacles came flying at us, and I dodged as they came for me, writhing and twisting as they frantically tried to trap my brothers and me.

"Not today, Overlord." I thought. None of my friends has been as fortunate though, and the golden tentacles grabbed hold of them and held them upside down in such a way so they could not escape his grasp. He cackled maniacally before he realized that I was still standing, free and strong. We stared each other down for what seemed like an eternity, and I had a moment of clarity. I knew what I had to do. This was my destiny, to die here and sacrifice myself, freeing my friends and all of Ninjago from the Overlord, once and for all. We would both go, or both stay. I knew what my choice was. One life for the lives of many. It was a clear choice.

"Support me, friends, for one last time," I said with only a slight tremble in my voice as I somersaulted over the edge of the roof, landing on Jay's feet and hopping over to Kai's, Cole's, Lloyd's, Sensei Garmadon's, and finally, Sensei Wu's. As I tumbled from one to another, I glanced at each of their faces, just for an instant. They all had desperate looks on their faces, begging me not to do this, as they had realized what was happening. They cried out to me, but I didn't listen. I couldn't. If I did, I may not make it to the end and reach my goal. Sensei Wu's expression was the most disturbing though. He looked almost acceptant of my fate... and yet sad. As I flew by him, he whispered one word. "Love."

Love. That is what has made me so willing and ready to lay down my life for others. I was built to protect those who could not protect themselves, and now I was ready. Ready to serve my purpose and make Father, and everyone else, proud. I wanted them to know that I had not lived in vain, in false hope. I was ready to join Father and see him once again. To feel him again and tell him of my adventures. To thank him for all he had done.

I saw my falcon resting near Nya and P.I.X.A.L on one of the roofs a little ways away, where they could plainly see me. I feel a pang as I realized I would never get to say goodbye, to tell them how much they meant to me, and hold them one last time. All of my teammates had helped me grow in some way, and I was very happy that I had even met them to begin with. I was trading them for Father and real inner peace, I realized. Both a sad and happy realization at once.

As I did my final flip, I grabbed hold of the Golden Armor. As soon as my hands touched the Armor, my electric heart started to overload on power. I was being electrocuted, shut down. Oh, the pain! I was in agony! But as my thoughts turned to my family, I remembered why I had done this. To protect them. When I had grabbed hold, the Overlord had let go of my friends, my brothers, my family and turned his attention to me. Part of my face cover fell off, and my metal eye was exposed. Rather symbolic, I suppose.

"The Doomed Ninja!" He laughed. "Where are your friends now? Come to save them? You won't last for long, just like the rest of them. You'll fade away and have nothing left, and I can take over Ninjago, like I was always meant to!" He launched into another laugh, louder than before. "You will NOT hurt my friends! I know who I am! I-- am a nindroid-- and ninja-- never-- quit! Go, ninja-- GO!" As I yelled the last word, I released the whole extent of my element on him. A storm started forming, and hail was falling in huge chunks. He roared and groaned, turning around every which way violently and quickly to try to avoid being hit.

All of a sudden, I heard "Why isn't he letting go?!" "Let go, Zane!" "If he doesn't let go, he'll explode!" "We can't stay here! We must leave!" From behind me, and I knew that though I couldn't explain, maybe there was a way that I could let them know that this was my destiny, to set them free from this evil spirit that roamed Ninjago, and that I would finally be at peace when this was over. I would find a way, somehow. Either in the last few moments of this life or in the next.

Although I was a nindroid, I somehow knew that when I was shut down for good, I would move on. Sensei said that in my heart, I am a living thing, and all living things move on at some point or another.

I was not worried. I was thinking of Father and my family. I was jerked back from my thoughts as my energy levels spiked, and I looked around and saw Kai's face peeking out from under a sewer lid. I smiled to myself. And let go.

~~~

"Son?" I opened my eyes and Father was there. In front of me. Real. I rushed forward without thinking and into the arms of my father. I opened my mouth to speak, and he said, "Zane? Why are you here? How are you here?"

"I...I do not know, Father." As I spoke, my voice sounded...different. Human almost. "Father, am I-- am I--?"

"Yes, I believe you are a human now. Somehow, from the crossing from one world to another, your physical android body was left behind and your soul was formed into a spiritual human body now. Come," I stepped away and he beckoned to me, "and I will show you the wonders of this world."

~~~

3rd person POV

"Zane?! Zane?!" Cole called frantically, looking through piles of rubble for his brother's body. He spotted a glint of metal under a rock. "Guys, look! I found something!" He easily lifted the boulder and tossed it to the side. It wasn't Zane's body, just a piece of his face. But it was something. A memento, a memory, a token. It was a start.