Ninjago: Crystalized

Episode 1-Aftermath (Chapter 1)

The sunset painted the sky amber gold. A small, mundane village in the middle of fields of Ignacia is soaked in its warmth.

The villagers have just finished harvesting and planting their crops, as they leave the water with wet boots. Lines of crops were arranged row by row in the water, with their roots sunken deep beneath the soil. The water was murky and full of mud, due to all the digging and planting.

In these rural lands, this was precisely the time for wives to offer dinner for their husband, who had just finished work, and children. They had little technology, and their lives were simple. But they live satisfied in their cozy wooden homes.

The villagers would go to bed soon, since the temperature drops drastically as the sun falls beneath the horizon

All but one.

A faint clanking of metal repeated like the second hand of a clock, as if it were synchronized with the star setting.

It grew louder and louder closer to the origin.

It came from a structure at the top of the hill.

A blacksmith shop.

A young man with a brown apron chose not to sleep early tonight. Determined to finish his latest project, he kept hitting the metal with his trusty hammer.

Every hit on the metal was experienced, and full of strength and consistency. A pair of scarred hands held the hammer with a strong grip, beating the blade to the color of the sun.

It's been more than a year since Nya left. Once a hot headed ninja who always defied adversity, was now just an exhausted adult, worn down by the effects of countless battles. The amber sky fleeted towards the edges of the horizon, and darkness covered Four Weapons.

Nya won't be here to help this time.

Kai beat the blade. He had promised to reforge the two Blades of Deliverance for Cole. Using a special type of iron known as dark iron from the crest of Griefbringer's skull, Kai had to do well with the limited resources. Furthermore, he had already used a bunch for the first blade, which was already on its way via the mail. There was no room for error now.

His concentrated glare hid the hole within. It was a feeling he had never shown to anyone, nor did he plan to share it.

It was Nya who made him join the team. With her gone, all feels...lacking. He was aware that he had become useless to the team. All the more reason for him to leave the team.

Only the heat and the glow of the blade fought the silent coldness and the gloomy darkness around him. But Kai had lost that fire long ago.

He plunged it in the large bucket of water, causing a sizzling sound from the steam emitted. He held that position for several seconds, allowing the water to cool it, giving the sword a jet black colour once he pulled it out.

"Perfect" He said to himself. The silence returned instantly.

He placed the blade on a bench for cooling as he texted Cole, saying that he had finished the second blade. He then wrapped the it with a cloth, carefully placing them into a case with Shintaro as the address.

—

A traditional blacksmith won't get you anywhere in terms of income in a modern world like this. Kai had to find other jobs in the City that could actually give him enough money to live, and keep himself from breaking apart. It was his way of coping, filling his life with things to do, so that it feels like he's doing well.

The familiar bells rang once Kai opened the door where he worked. "You're late, and they have been waiting for you. Boss won't be happy." Greg, Kai's colleague asked. "Won't happen again." Kai aloofly said as he grabbed his dojo robes for changing. Greg noticed a large box he carried, but decided not to ask, because he rarely answered anything unrelated to work.

He had just finished tying his black waistband right before he slid open the door, revealing a bunch of teenagers in dojo robes.

"You're late, sensei." One said, clearly annoyed.

"I don't suppose stretching would need a sensei's help."

"Well stretching doesn't take an hour long." Another complained.

Kai decided not to argue and he put down his large case on the side, attracting some attention.

"Alright eyes on me. Remember what we did last time? Do it again." Kai said.

...

An hour had passed. Kai had just finished teaching them how to throw a kick. With the countless shouting of "one, two, three", and repeating the same thing he taught hundreds of times, it was no joke when he said all his energy was drained and lost.

"You did good, kid." The other older and 'more experienced' colleagues said, "care to join for dinner?"

Kai duped a smile, but his body language already exposed his intentions, with one hand holding the case, and another holding the door knob.

"Sorry, gotta sit this one out this time. I have some important things to deal with." He walked out into the midnight streets before he finished his sentence.

He eventually found himself sitting on the top of a building, with his legs hanging above the city, his eyes gazing at the busy traffic lights below, and a pack of fresh sushi in hands. An unspeakable emptiness made the city seem like a blue painting of lights and sky.

The calmness of the City reminded him that the people have no need for the ninja.

And ninja don't last forever.

A sudden ringtone took him out of the zone as he reached for his pocket.

It was Cole.

"Hey man, it's been a while. Btw I just received the white blade from the mailman. And thanks for finishing the last one! You doing alright?" The text read.

"I'm fine" Kai replied simply.

"Look, I know losing someone is really hard. I know how it feels. Nya was the one who saved me from depression when I became a ghost. She is a sister to me. What I'm trying to say is, If you need help, I'm always here. I got your back."

"Thanks."

Kai turned off his phone, putting it in his pocket. He finished the 6 salmon sushi for dinner, staring blankly into the depths.

A sudden scream out of the blue fired his senses in high alert, almost causing him to slip and fall to his death. Kai sweated and panted with adrenaline shooting to his heart. He stared down at the origin of the noise, walking towards a gap between the two rooftops.

He stared down into the alleyway where not even the moonlight reached. He could see two people snatching a wallet from another person. Without much thought, Kai knew what he had to do. An eerie whistle caught the two robbers' attention, looking up.

His black silhouette appeared even blacker with the moon behind his back. Before the blink of an eye he was seen leaping down the building, with his figure dashing towards the robbers' eyes like a silent wraith.

The thugs chickened out as they fled instantly to the corner. But they were no match for the speed of a ninja. A kick quickly landed on one, slamming his head on the wall, letting go of the wallet in his hand.

Kai picked up the wallet and attempted to chase the other thug, only to see a truck speed off around the corner.

"T-t-thank you." the man stuttered as Kai dropped the wallet on his two palms.

"Be careful. Now leave me alone, please."

Kai said as he stared at the direction in which the truck drove off.

He looked down to see a nugget of vengestone.