His Other Half | Ninjago

Chapter 4| The Tale Of The Overlord

Wu had been sitting near the tree for twenty minutes or so and the rain had slowed down to a drizzle. He couldn't hear anymore shouts. All was silent.
But it was broken by soft footsteps growing louder.
"Can I join you?"

Wu looked up to see his father smiling at him. For some reason, seeing his father made him want to cry all over again. And so he did. He hugged his father, hiding his face in his lap and cried.

"Shh. It's okay," his father calmed him down, stroking his blonde hair.
"I-I'm sorry, Father. I didn't m-mean for any of this to happen," Wu sobbed.

"I know. But what's done....is done," his father replied sadly.
Wu stopped crying. He looked up and wiped his eyes. "W-what's wrong? What is it? Tell me!" he begged, tugging on the sleeve of his father's kimono.

"Let's get you inside and dried up first or you'll catch a cold. I'll tell you," his father said, grabbing Wu's hand and leading him inside. Wu hesitated.

"Don't worry. He's asleep," his father reassured him.

He gave Wu some dry clothing. He wrapped him up in a comforter and gave him a mug of steaming hot chocolate. He poured himself a cup of tea and sat down with his son at the table, taking a sip.

"Wu, what I will tell you now will be kept a secret from Montgomery until I reveal it to him myself. Understood?"

Wu nodded.

"Good. As you know, your brother is the victim of a snake bite. But not just any snake bite. That snake was the Great Devourer," his father said, his face half hidden in the shadow cast by his hat. Wu felt a chill running down his back as soon as he heard that name. Who could blame him? It sounded horrible.

"The Great Devourer?" he asked, slightly confused.

"Yes. An evil has found its way into your brother. And it won't stop till it consumes him."

"But- but I know Montgomery. No matter what snake it is, he will never be evil. I refuse to believe that," Wu protested.
The First Spinjitzu Master sighed.
"I wish that were true. But, alas, it is not. The Great Devourer's venom can turn the purest of hearts wicked."

Wu processed this new information.
"But why? Why is the Great Devourer so dangerous?"

"Long before you were born" his father began,"I created Ninjago with the four Golden Weapons. It was, and is, beautiful. Filled with colours, magnificent creatures and music. It was full of light." There was a pause. He took a sip of his tea and continued.
"But as you know, every light casts a shadow. And this one casted a rather big shadow known as the Overlord." A feeling of nostalgia and sadness washed over him as he echoed the words of the Dragon.

Wu gulped. The sun was setting lower over the far off mountains and the monastery was growing darker with every passing minute.

"The Overlord wanted to take over the land and I had to fight him. The battle continued for years and years. His Stone Army was just as strong as my Elemental Masters. Many were lost and there was no end in sight. I had to take some action. So I split Ninjago in half and banished the Overlord to the Dark Island."

The monastery was now dark enough that the need for candles couldn't be ignored. The First Spinjitzu Master lit some up and sat down again, his shadow dancing on the wall in the flickering light.

"But what does all this have to do with that snake?" Wu asked, setting down his half empty mug.

"When the war was over or rather had been stopped for a while, the people rejoiced. The Stone Army was sealed away in the depths from where they had come into being. Years later, I was given the greatest blessing I've ever had."