moral of the story | a ninjago highschool fanfiction

[29] jamanaKAI...get it?

zane

It was truly a beautiful sight. Jamanakai Village was a petite area set in the side of a mountain near the range named Mountains of Impossible Height, with crisp clean air high up in the mountains, snow capping slopes and painting the village.

Wu said it was the nearest village to where they would be residing for two weeks, so Zane assumed they were camping somewhere. Off in the distance he could spy the tallest mountain in the range, strangely set aside from the others. Something told him it was named the Mountain of Million Steps, and for good reason. Wu parked the minivan in the small parking area and everyone hopped out, eager to stretch their legs and have a look around Jamanaki.

Someone remembered to open the boot for Kai, who immediately ran for a field of grass nearby, hunched over with his Dragons jacket on. Zane stuck his hands in the pockets of his Sphinxes jacket and walked down the main road of Jamanakai. The buildings were well insulated against the cold with strong, thick walls and tiled roofs with snow heaped on top. The road wound around in no particular direction, most likely to save space from what little they had in this position.

Unique red trees stuck up from the ground, huge roots lumping the earth. Zane sat down on a bench shaded by an overhanging branch, scooping up a handful of snow. Imagining it hardening and turning into an ice cube, he furrowed his brow for a good five minutes until he realised his attempts were fruitless. Ice and snow were not the same thing.

"Zane, we're having brunch at the inn!" yelled Lloyd from the other side of the secluded area. "Hurry up before Cole eats everything we ordered!"

"I'm coming Lloyd." he responded, waiting for the young Garmadon to leave for a minute more of privacy. Instead, Lloyd walked closer.

"Um, Zane, if you're an android, how do you eat? How do you po—"

"I advise you do not finish your question Lloyd, not only because it is not the appropriate topic right before we eat, but because I don't have the answers right now. This trip is supposed to help me find them."

"Right...who else knows?"

Zane considered not telling Lloyd. But hiding it, hiding everything would just push him away from discovering everything. "Pixal, Cole, and you, I believe."

Lloyd nodded, looking awfully young as his hair slid over his eyes. Zane had always admired how quickly he'd matured, deflecting the jeers from his heritage, yet still managed to be a kid. It was good he was spending more time with Kai and Nya, practically family. Lately, Zane had noticed his own change on his general outlook on life, like he possessed a sixth sense. He let the snow fall to the ground and followed Lloyd to a cosy, two story inn.

The ground floor was the dining area with a bar and even a small performing stage. Above were lodgings that they wouldn't need as they only had an hour and a half left of their ride. The biggest table had been reserved for them, shoved against the length of the inn with booths on one side and chairs on the other. Principal Wu took the head of the table, everyone filling in after that in a shamble.

It seems they had already ordered and the waiters were coming around with bowls of rice and stew, when Skylor suddenly said;

"Where's Kai?"

"Who?" Cole said through a mouth of food. Nya hit him over the head with a chopstick. "Oh, right sor-ry."

"I don't know." everyone mumbled, too busy shovelling in food.

The redhead sighed. "I'll go look for the idiot."

She left without another word and Zane returned to his stew with renewed fervour, scraping the sides with a slice of crusty bread. His friends were all talking and joking raucously much to the annoyance of other dining patrons. Wu shushed them with the air of a grandfather and everyone quietened down considerably. Steaming cups of tea were brought around and Zane touched his fingers to it, hiding a quiet gasp as a thin film of ice wrapped itself around the cup to cool it down.