Power of the Heart

Chapter 5: Healing a Broken Heart

Mental age: 14 years old
Emotional age: 10 years old

TW: Lots and lots of distrust and secret-keeping.

But also FLUFF BECAUSE WE DESERVE IT IN THESE TRYING TIMES

Zane never once left Sylvia's side.

None of the others asked him to. Once Nya had removed the stitches the little girl had in her arm and Zane helped her clean and re-treat it, as well as replacing her bandages, Zane was all alone in the storage room with her. He never ate or cooked or cleaned. When it was his turn, Ed and Edna, who had boarded the Destiny's Bounty with them just in case an attack like this happened again (and also because Sylvia sort of destroyed their RV and junkyard, meaning they had a lot of cleanup to do before they could live there again), were the ones who took care of maintenance and cooking respectively. Edna would deliver food for Zane and an extra portion for Sylvia in case she ever woke up.

Sensei Wu, who had been subject to most of Sylvia's criticism when she quite literally exploded, was holed up in his scroll room, meditating to himself. He rarely came in or out. Edna delivered food to him, too.

The Bounty was somber. Sylvia hadn't woken up for several days. Wu hardly taught them, simply telling the Ninja vaguely to "resume training on your own," and the tension was so thick even a hot knife probably wouldn't be able to cut through it.

And because Zane was constantly at Sylvia's side, Jay, Cole, and Kai were without a Ninja every night in their shared room. Nya, of course, slept in a room of her own, though now she shared it with Jay's parents. Wu slept in the scroll room.

On one such night, several days since their encounter with Lloyd in the junkyard, Zane dreamt.

He dreamt of a bird, who whispered in his ear about knowing who he really is. He dreamt of Lord Garmadon returning from the Underworld, ready to steal the Golden Weapons and recreate Ninjago in his own image. When he tried to fight back, all it took was a few simple grapples and kicks to immobilize him, twisting his limbs until they made a loud, sickening crack! and kicking him harshly away. But just when he was about to be crushed by a box from above, where Garmadon had sliced the rope holding it up, the Green Ninja arrived to rescue him.

The Green Ninja fought against Garmadon, silent and strong and skilled in Spinjitzu. The two were evenly matched, and though they held the Golden Nunchucks of Lightning, their eyes burned with fury, hand ablaze in flame, and their arm extended to allow the black falcon from before to perch on it.

Four hints: Super strength, which is derived from Earth; Lightning from the Nunchucks; fire from the hand turned upwards, fingers curled inward like a claw; and the trust of the falcon Zane had grown attached to in his time at the monastery. It was, after all, the one that led him to Lloyd and Sylvia's treehouse.

A bird wise beyond its species.

A bird that flew this way and that, surrounding Zane in every possible direction. A flock of duplicated birds that opened their beaks and screamed into the growing darkness.

You're fake! Fake heroes, all of you! If you can't even save a child in need, how can you call yourselves real Ninja?!

It was Sylvia's voice, screaming and raw and echoing all in his head, haunting him from within the mouths of every single black bird perched on the deck. A painful pink light emitted from the Green Ninja's body. Soon, the light exploded, a barrier rose and it pushed Zane back far-- off his feet, off the ship, and he was falling, falling, falling, falling--

When he woke with a start, someone's forehead knocked full force into his and he barely registered the crying until five whole seconds later. Sitting upright in the futon was Sylvia, holding her aching forehead and crying, albeit as softly as she could, sniffling all the while. Zane's eyes widened.