Meeting Master Wu

epilogue

  Unedited

Cole stood in front of a gravestone. A bouquet of lilies in his hands.

  "Uh, hey mom." He mumbled awkwardly.

  He took a deep breath. "Um...Jay said it would help me have closure if I visited your grave. He's my best friend. He would've come but he told me I needed to do this alone at first." The ravenette chuckled.

  "Jay's great. He talks a lot but he has a big heart....like you do."

  Cole stared down at the bouquet. "I'm sorry I didn't try harder to get along with dad. I mean, I probably should've sat down and talked about how I don't like dancing maybe...I don't know. I-uh...I've always blamed myself for your death you know? You were coming after me. Kai says it's not my fault but...the guilts still there."

  Cole picked at the leaves of the flowers he held. "Anyway, I can't believe you never told me you were an elemental master, that was sort of sucky. But I guess it wouldn't have been good if I started making earthquakes or some thing around the house. I do that some times at the monetary, the guys hate that."

  "Uh...I met this dude named Wu, he's an old friend of yours. Um...I'm glad I met him. He really gave me a purpose and showed me who I could be. He introduced me to some new friends.....it's nice." Cole smiled fondly. "Anyway...I should probably visit more. Next time I'll bring Jay, just warning you he talks a lot so you'll be wishing you weren't stuck in a coffin."

  Cole choked when he realized what he just said.

  "Oh my gosh I just made a death joke!" He exclaimed. Instead of panicking his jumped in the air. "Yes! I'm moving on! I love you mom, I gotta go tell Jay!"

  He pranced away but as he moved the earth began shaking. He quickly stopped and tried to quietly move out of the graveyard without disturbing the ground.

  He pulled out his phone, trying to control his excitement.

  "Jay? Yeah hi! It went awesome! You were right! I made a death joke and I'm totally okay with it!" He said rapidly as he made his way down the path.

  "Yes that's a good thing! I was talking about how you talk to much and-" he stopped when loud yelling blasted from the speaker phone. "Pfft, no I didn't say that, who would say that? You know what? I forget the joke, I'm coming back home  now-zzz- poor connection, gotta go!"

********

  Jay was getting parts for Nya in Ninjago City when a familiar voice sounded.

  "Is that Jay Walker?" A craggy voice exclaimed.

  "It is! Ed and Edna's annoying screw up son!" The other added.
 
  Jay sighed, giving the cashier a tight lipped smile as he stuffed some money into his hand. He tried to leave but ended up smashing into the old ladies walker.

  "Jay! I haven't seen you in a long time, I thought you finally died from  jumping off the building with your silly flying machine!" The old man said.

  "Nope." Jay replied with forced patience. "I'm alive....though I kind of wish I wasn't right now."

  "How are your parents? Have you been taking care of them with some minimum wages?" Snarky Old Women asked.

  "Actually they're doing pretty good. I got a job but it doesn't really pay in money..." Jay told them as he glanced at the time.

  "What a surprise." Sassy Old Man snorted. "Useless Jay Walker is broke from getting a job that doesn't even pay him."

  Snarky Old Women sneered. "What is it? Dumpster diving? Sounds pretty fitting."

  "Actually it's more of a volunteer thing." Jay retorted as a voice echoed through his communicator. He pressed a finger to it. "That's my cue!"

  Suddenly he whipped around in a blue vortex his clothes changed into a blue gi, a mask over his face, showing only his determined eyes.

  The couple staggered back in surprise.

  "Duty calls! Let me know how retirements going for you guys, it must be pretty boring but I can always drop some extra cash by if you're running out." Jay called as he leaped away and up the side of a building.

******

  Zane was helping Master Wu clear out some old boxes when he caught sight of a vaguely familiar face. He ran some scans and he gasped when a memory surfaced in his data base. "The Master of Ice!" He exclaimed.

  "Zane?" Wu stepped in. He paused when he saw the boy staring at the detailed photograph of the elemental master.

  "Would you like to take it down for a better look?" Wu murmured.

He shook his head numbly. "No...I'm able to see it just fine if I activate my zoom..."

Wu grabbed the frame and yanked it off the wall.

  Wu showed Zane a seat and they sat down together. "The Master of Ice didn't have any family and never had children so he decided in order to carry on the element he'd need to pass it on to someone."

  "So he came to me." Zane murmured. "He said....that I had the strive to protect, and that's what he was looking for."

"The elements always had a way for sometimes bringing out the best in people. They're a responsibility of course. They carry a heavy burden but they always seem to find their way into people- and Nindroids who can take their weight." Wu said wisely.

  Zane smiled. "Keep this picture." Wu told him. Standing and picking up his box.

  "Oh...I don't need it I have an image from the footage I-"

  "Just take it Zane."

*****

  Garmadon was gone. Wu had dissapeared. Misako had left in search of him. .

  Then the day when he saw the dreaded parachute came. Lloyd stood in front of the door. Being alone was something he had felt often. Something that see,s to reoccur and eat away at him.

  He remembered feeling like his family was torn apart as a kid.

  Loud laughter echoed from the other side of the door. Lloyd pulled out the picture of him and his dad he always kept in his pocket. Yes, his family was gone. Garmadon had died. Wu was still no where to be found. And his mother was still somewhere out there in the world. But on the other side of that door, that was also his family.

And that family wasn't gone.