Ninjago: The Tribes AU

"My enemy - My friend"

The sun shone brightly over the lush jungle, its rays beaming down between the towering trees. The earth below was alive with vibrant colours; the bright greens of the jungle grass, the deep brown of the earth, the sparkling blue of the nearby river that could just be seen in the distance. The air was heavy with warmth and the buzz of the diverse wildlife that called this place home. Three young boys ran around the jungle, their legs taking them further and further away from the edge of the trees. They were carefree and full of joy, laughing and shouting as they explored their land. They giggled as they chased each other into the golden grasslands. One boy, with messy brown hair, led the chase. He was the fastest, so he had taken the role of 'it' in their game of tag. His two friends, a blonde and a taller boy with black hair, had set off after him moments earlier and were quick on his heels. The three of them darted around the field, weaving in and out of the waving wheat in a blur. Finally, the boy with black hair gained a speed boost and tackled the leader into the dust. The blonde giggled as he watched the other two wrestle around.
"Clouse! Quit it!" The brown haired boy chuckled.

"I'll never surrender, Garmadon!"

"Wu- help me!"

The blonde smirked. "Nah, consider this payback for you always knocking me around."

Garmadon playfully cursed his brother out as he continued to wrestle his best friend around. Just as Garmadon was winning, a large screech erupted from the sky. The three boys all watched in awe as a white and blue dragon swooped over them and flew off towards a rocky cliff where it most likely had a nest. Exited by the sight, Wu ran off after it; with his brother and friend following closely behind. He was part dragon, so seeing one of the majestic creatures in flight triggered something inside of him. Some sense of freedom and not wanting to stay in one place. As they ran along, they approached the cliff face. It looked like a normal mountain, but there were several jagged rocks, making it look like teeth of a dragon were sticking out of the ground and reaching to the sky. The dragon disappeared over a ledge and into a cave. As Wu and Garmadon both continued looking up at the possible nest entrance, Clouse began to do his own exploration. He climbed over a few rocks, and eventually found himself climbing the mountain itself. He felt more and more like he was on top of the world the higher he got. But finally, he stopped; realizing that the sun was setting, painting the sky a beautiful orange hue. Clouse slowly moved along the cliff, his hands and feet searching for the best places to step down. Suddenly, he heard a voice calling. However, this wasn't the call of a person, but more like a faint whisper that echoed throughout the rocks. Clouse eagerly turned around to find out who - or what - this voice belonged to. The wispy voice beckoned him forward and the boy soon realized it was coming from inside of a nearby cave. He cautiously stepped inside, his heart pounding as the darkness surrounded him. He silently whispered something under his breath; wondering what he had gotten himself into this time. This place was like no other he had ever seen, with walls of chiseled stone and a strange glow that crept through the shadows. The cave seemed alive with the gentle hum of an unknown presence.  Then, he saw something that made his breath catch; a glowing purple crystal in the middle of the cave. Clouse approached the crystal, unable to resist its beckoning. He reached out and the crystal pulsed in response. He felt a strange energy course through his body, and he knew that this crystal had some sort of power. He couldn't explain it, but the power felt... good. It was the feeling of being on top of the world all over again, but he didn't need to climb a mountain to feel it- just being in the crystal's presence was enough. Its glowing light soothed the boy as he approached it, a pull tugging at his heart the closer he got. He reached out and touched the crystal, feeling its warmth travel through his fingertips.
Suddenly, something inside him stirred. An energy unlike anything Clouse had ever felt before started winding around him, snaking its way through his veins. He felt power so great he thought he'd be crushed beneath it, yet it was strangely inviting at the same time. He could feel a strange power entering his body and mind- trying to take control. Then, just as suddenly as it had come, the purple light slowly began to subside, leaving deeply embedded purple marks running from Clouse’s hand up his left arm and crackling around his chest. It felt like a poison was injected into his soul, and his mind began to spiral. He felt like he was about to throw up as the world around him began to swirl and blur. Before he knew it, he was waking up with Wu and Garmadon looming over him. They both looked reasonably concerned; begging for him to get up and be all right. But it was weird, he no longer felt poisoned, he felt... better than usual. Without the next few years, his behavior started to shift. He was still very much him, but he acted more rude and violent in certain situations. By the time they were all around 14- 15, he had been appointed royal advisor by the master of fire. The first leader of the Fire Tribe... the soul the First Spinjitzu Master himself gave life to for the sole purpose to use their fire to help the world........ Chen.

Chen clearly always had something off about him, and his temper was something to be worked on- but other than that, he wasn't that bad of a leader. The main thing that was concerning however, was his love of creatures from a different realm. Beings known as Anacondrai. He. Was. OBSESSED with them. He admired the tales of their strength, and honestly would do anything to one day meet the race. And do something he did-

Well, do something Clouse did......

A few months prior, whatever that crystal had done to him as a child took full effect. He became consumed in some type of magic. And clearly it was of dark origin. The magic seemed to take him over- his once beautiful green eyes were now a sickly purple, and his behavior turned beyond dark. With the First Spinjitzu Master dead by only days at this point, the two unleashed a surge of power that allowed the Anacondrai to enter Ninjago. All the elemental masters joined Wu and Garmadon in trying to eradicate the threat, but it wasn't enough. The masters of time, Acronix and Krux, fought valiantly in the war. But in a blink of an eye, Krux was cut down by an Anacondrai soldier. Acronix dashed to his dying brothers side and cried for him to wake up, but his mourning was cut short when he too took a sword to the back. Wu caught a glimpse of this and watched in horror as their two most valuable allies succumbed to darkness in a pool of their own blood. One by one their army fell. Leaving only the masters of water, ice, wind, lightning, earth, and the two brothers- creation and destruction. The oni and the dragon....

By the time it had only come down to those seven, they started turning against each other. Rumors spread, and soon, none of the masters wanted anything to do with each other. Finally, Wu had enough. Against his brother's wishes, he ran into battle by himself. The elder brother sensed this, and ran to stop him. As the rain poured down, Wu made his way to the Anacondrai army. Garmadon soon arrived and tried to assist his brother, but the snakes were too strong. And to make matters worse, Clouse and Chen showed up as well. It was no use....

"Clouse, please!" Garmadon begged. "You don't have to do this! We're friends, remember?! You have to snap out of this!"

"The only thing I'll be snapping is your neck." The sorcerer roared as he unleashed a surge of power that sent his old friend flying back several feet. Before he could recover, shadowy tendrills shot up and wrapped around Garmadon; tying him to the ground. The man smiled and he tightened the grip and watched Garmadon cry out in pain. Just as it was becoming too much, a golden light erupted from behind them and the bonds dissolved. They looked behind them to see Wu being wrapped in a cocoon of light then bursting out like the sun lighting up the darkest night in an instant. His body was covered in golden armor and wings of a dragon protruded from his back. The boy glanced back at his brother with a tear in his eye, then turned around and unleashed a blinding megabeam of light from his chest. It wrapped around the Anacondrai and pulled them in as if it was a lasso. The all powerful snakes were suddenly powerless as the light from Wu began to vortex around them Even though it looked like a victory being made, Garmadon could tell his brother was growing weaker with every second. He called out for him begging him to just stop before it was too late... Little did he know it was.
With a blinding white and gold expression, everything fell silent. When Garmadon opened his eyes, Clouse, Chen, and the Anacondrai were gone. And Wu.... His still body lay near the smoldering crater the spell caused; covered in ash. The boy felt his heart stop and he raced to his brother. He shouted pleas as desperately shook the limp body- trying to wake it. Tears streamed down his face as he held him close and stroked Wu's ice cold cheek. His skin was pale and dry, like his lifeforce had been drained away completely. He was dead. Wu- the only family Garmadon had left- was dead. The boy wailed into his brother; holding him close for what felt like an eternity. He didn't want to be alone... And yet he was. He was scared.. no. terrified of what the future held.

He never imagined he'd have to carry on without his brother. But no matter how much it hurt, Garmadon knew he had to.