Ninjago: The Tribes AU

"Dreams of Jade"

The calming moonlight shown down through the jungle canopy and into Lloyd's hut. He was definitely exhausted, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't sleep. He quietly got up and left the tree house; trying not to wake his father. The green ninja walked out to the balcony that overlooked the village; quietly watching. Something about being home made him feel a sense of comforting. He silently jumped down and made his way through the village; stopping by each house to check on the residents. In one hut, Cole was fast asleep on a bed of leaves. He looked so contented. In another one, was Nelson, who was cuddled up against the woman that was sitting by him earlier. He had asked her a few days ago if she was his mother, and she said no. Apparently, both of his parents had faded away when he was young. She had just simply taken over the role of caring for him. Though, clearly, she loved him beyond that. He seemed to know it too, because he clung to her like she was his mother. It was actually pretty adorable. After he was done checking on everyone, the ninja snuck off to the waterfall. It cascaded over the rocks, creating a curtain of sparkling water that merged into the river. The river glistened in the moonlight, and the sound of it churning against the rocky shoreline was like a lullaby to the jungle. Small ferns clustered along the edges of the river, and trees adorned with hanging vines lined the riverbanks, blending into a tapestry of lush foliage. Lloyd sat on a rock and peered down into the crystal clear water. Suddenly, everything went black. Lloyd blinked a few times and looked around, but nothing happened. Everything was the same. He shook off the feeling and stared at his reflection again. But then, a small orb of light appeared behind him. The green ninja spun around in surprise to find it really hovering there. It didn't make a sound as it began to float around the boy as if to inspect him. The orb then transformed into the spirit that had been 'haunting' Lloyd. The boy looked up at it in wonder.
"What's going on? I'm not sleeping, right?"

The apparition quietly giggled. "You must have been quite tired, to not remember dozing off."

Oh. So he was sleeping then? He glanced around once more. Still, nothing had appeared to be changed. He wasn't in the past, so why was it here?

"Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon, you have done well in your quest, but it is far from over. Now comes the true challenge you must conquer. The volcanic evil grows stronger by the day, it's up to the elemental masters to make a way."

"I know that I've got a long way to go still, but that's what tomorrow will be for. We're gonna train! And we're going to win that battle!"

A moment of silence hung over the jungle for a moment as the two just looked at each other. Finally, Lloyd spoke up. "Who are you?"

The spirit looked away like it was afraid of answering the question. But Lloyd poked again this time. "Really, I mean it. You've been haunting me for over a week now. You seem to know everything about me, but I don't know a single thing about you... Not to mention that you clearly know what's going on, but you refuse to clearly tell me. I think it's time for you to give me some answers. And not in rhymes this time around."

The ghostly figure sighed as it floated down to his eye level. The ghost appeared to be the same height as Lloyd. "I apologize for being so cryptic with you, I suppose I've always been a little like this. It used to make Garm kind of upset sometimes."

Lloyd paused. "Garm? You mean Garmadon?! You knew my father!??"

The spirit nodded. "Of course I know him. After all....... I'm his brother."

The green ninja froze as he felt a shiver run down his spine. There was no way... Zane mentioned the possibility of it being a family member, but........ Lloyd looked into its eyes, as if searching for the truth.
"U- uncle Wu?..."

The ghost nodded as it transformed into its true form. A boy not much older than Lloyd, with blonde hair, golden eyes, and a warm smile. He almost looked embarrassed by the action, and the look on Lloyd's face probably wasn't helping.