The Imperial Battle II: The Emperor of Ninjago

Chapter 31. Two Princes

"Do you promise not to toss me aside and forget about me, when you become Emperor?"

"We're twins, Wu. We're basically one person split into two persons. I'll toss you aside and forget about you when Yin can exist without Yang."

A smile spread across Wu's face as he glanced at his brother, whose face was rather rosy from the excessive sunlight it was exposed to out in the garden. The older twin had always been vulnerable to burning in the sun and thus didn't like the summer sunshine, which was all the justification Wu needed to call him an ugly bat.

"Remember when we used to think we'd both be emperors one day and rule together?" Garmadon asked.

"Yeah," Wu said, sighing wistfully. "Then Father finally told us that you wrestled your way into the world three minutes before me and thus get all the power, glory and purpose, while I'm standing in the sidelines."

"Mm," Garmadon hummed. "But to be fair, you have more freedom and even half a chance at having some privacy."

"And less to do…" Wu added in a mutter. "Less attention from our parents... less education..."

"Hey, be glad you don't have to spend hours a week with that fat old warthog at Ninjago City College, learning about consitution and all that boring crap! I'm dying there."

"You be glad that you have your future set for you while I have to float in a dark abyss with no purpose."

Garmadon stopped, facing his brother. "What do you think I'm going to do? Let you slack off for the rest of your life? No, no. When I become Emperor, I'll make you the second most important person in this empire and drown you in all the work I don't want to do."

Wu grinned. "Can I get that in writing?"

"Don't you trust me?"

Wu looked his brother in the eyes, his deep purple eyes, before nodding. "I do."

"...You shouldn't." Before Wu could even properly process the words spoken by his brother, he already had his bamboo hat pulled down by him. Garmadon laughed and took off running.

"You're gonna pay for that!" Wu screamed, using his hat as a throwing star to aim at Garmadon.

"Missed me, Wuser!" Garmadon jeered as the hat flew inches past his head and through a window. The hat most likely didn't survive intact.

"You broke my hat!" Wu accused as he started to catch up to his brother.

"Pfft, who cares about your old man hat? It was ugly as heck anyway!"

"Like you?" Wu retorted.

Garmadon laughed and headed his way towards the small stream. He proceeded to run across the stream without an ounce of consideration for his clothes that had just been washed and ironed, and now got partly drenched in the water. Wu figured that since his brother did it, he might as well do it with him so that they could later be punished together.

"Take that, Wu-Wu!" Garmadon exclaimed, splashing water at his twin.

"Thank you for the refreshment, Garmie," Wu said with a playful bow before kicking some water back at Garmadon. "Here, take some yourself!"

Garmadon laughed and launched a full-on attack on his brother. Wu responded with a strong defence that eventually turned into another offensive, which only ignited Garmadon's urge to avenge. The brothers soaked each other in the water, their laughter and shouts echoing far away, possibly to their hag of a governess, who hated 'fun'.