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INFINITY | AJR

all our troubles gone

like when we were young

take me back to where we all began

- 🐉🌪🐉 -

y'all i present: the origins of zenjago

what a goddamn mind fuck

i began this story as a oneshot for my new best friends well over two years ago. i had finally met people like me and who liked me and i was so excited for whatever we might become.

little harper, i'm sorry to tell you those people you were so excited to be friends with are no longer your friends. but only because i'm even more happy to tell you they are your family. you still talk to them almost everyday and they not only like you, but love you. they love you so much, almost as much as you love them.

two years ago, you wrote this chapter and hoped they wouldn't mind you writing a story about them. now, i rewrote your well meaning (though, terribly grammar'd) words to the sounds of those same people screaming about minecraft in the fourth hour of your face time call with them.

everything has changed but also nothing has. you are never not elated to receive their texts, you are never not slightly in shock you are with people who love and support you. you still hate cliches, but goddamn did you find your 'one (four) in a million'.

i look forward to what the future holds, my family. i'm sure as hell it'll be some more chaos, but i'm looking forward to it so fucking much.

until then, here is a slightly higher quality version of the same fucking stupid story.

- 🐉🌪🐉 -

Superheroes; celebrities; no matter how you put it, the 'Saviours of Zenjago' are renowned and (usually) respected as some of the most competent individuals of the world. They have to be, how else can you trust them to save it the many, many, many (maybe add a couple more 'many's for good measure) times that they have?

Competence, however, is... relative.

Perhaps, yes, they are competent when it comes to stopping the plans of the plentiful aspiring-villains within Zenjago. And they may also be considered competent at 'Mastering the Elements' with the striking grace of ballerinas; scarily strong but nonetheless beautiful.

Yet there are other areas of existence where competence completely alludes these heroes.

Morro Smith, for example, cannot last three fucking seconds without so much as considering something completely and utterly stupid. When he lacks supervision-and thus, restraint-to act upon such dumbass thoughts, we end up in a situation like the one we find ourselves about to watch unfold.

Enjoy. Or don't. I don't really care, I'm just the omniscient narrator.

- 🐉🌪🐉 -

"How necessary is going on this mission, like, really?" Ally squinted at the red alert for the fifteenth time within the minute, hoping if she looked at it long enough the problem would solve itself and she could go back to staring at the ceiling: y'know, the important shit.

"Very," Realm answered shortly as she laced up her boots.

Ally sighed dramatically, throwing herself back onto the couch. "The world is against me."

"Yeah, that's like your whole thing, Garmadon," Skylar said as they entered the room. He reached for a lone boot on the floor. "The hell? Where's the other?"

Morro, currently lying stretched out on the ground with his phone, glanced up from the TikTok he was sending Harper. "I think Eliza took it this morning or something."

"Urgh, I'll go find it."

"What are you still doing on the ground, Morro?" Zap questioned, tapping their foot against his head. "Aren't you supposed to be getting ready?"

The boy clicked off his phone pointedly and sat up, crossing his arms. "What a good question Zap. I should be getting ready, shoulDN'T I!"

"NO YOU FUCKING SHOULDN'T!" Harper's voice could be heard from down the end of the hall.

"FUCK YOU!" Morro responded, glaring at the door at his sister as she came in.

Harper flipped him off as they looked at Zap. "He's grounded."

Zap looked at Morro. "For what?"

"For being trans. Harper is transphobic. Cancel her."

Harper rolled their eyes. "He tried to hang up a poster, attempted to spin a hammer around to do a 'cool trick', dropped the hammer, damaged the floor and almost took off his toes. I'm teaching him some common fucking sense."

Ally perked up from the couch. "I'll be grounded! We can swap!"

"No," Realm shut her down immediately.

"HAS ANYONE SEEN MY OTHER BOOT?!"

- 🐉🌪🐉 -

You see what I mean about the relativity of competence? Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt the story. I mean, yes I did, obviously. I wrote this. It has good comedic value. Okay carry on.

- 🐉🌪🐉 -

"It's fine." Morro crossed his arms. "I didn't even want to go anyway. Herc and I are hanging out and we are having a wonderful time without you, Harper." He reached to pet the cat on the head. She swatted his hand away with a hiss, threatening to scratch him.

"Clearly," Harper said dryly.

"She loves me in her own way." He leaned down toward Herc. "Brat," he hissed.

Herc turned and left the room with her tail in the air in response, passing by Sky as he reentered the room, a scratched up boot in his hands. "Eliza definitely got to it, but I found it," they sighed. "Are we going this century or what?"

"That was the plan," Realm said, pulling a whining Ally from the couch and to her feet.

"I'm ready," Zap shrugged.

"As am I."

"Me too," Morro added, earning a slap upside the head from Harper. He glared at her. "Transphobic."

"Yep, okay, get it trending on Twitter or something, 'Red Ninja Cancelled over Controversy', it'll be great. In the meantime, I'm going to do something actually useful."

"See ya, Onion Boy!" Sky called as the ninja made their way out of the room.

Morro sat in silence, watching them leave bitterly. He wanted to punch someone as well. This wasn't fair, just because he was trying to do cool tricks like 'Guy Perfect' or whatever his name was, he didn't keep up with that shit. Harper just didn't support him like a good sister should.

He sat back against the edge of the lounge dramatically, tapping his foot as he considered his options. He could:

1. Sit there and continue to send Harper those annoying Roblox TikTok things she hated.

2. Do something actually productive like... he wasn't sure but maybe it would occur to him.

3. Do exactly what he was told not to do and go fuck with the others while they were out on their mission.

After a prolonged, thoughtful period of consideration lasting a whole five seconds, Morro made what he believed to be the smartest choice. Harper would be proud. He opened his laptop and went back to that shady-ass looking website he came across during one of his (many) internet deep dives. It could have, perhaps, maybe, had some sort of connection to the dark web or the Overlord or something... who know? It was fine if he used an ad blocker though, right?

- 🐉🌪🐉 -

Again, I remind you, the relativity of competency.

- 🐉🌪🐉 -

"Did we get any info on what the actual threat was about?" Sky asked, balancing along the edge of the building like a tightrope.

Realm shrugged. "We only got the location. All we really know is that it wasn't so serious we absolutely had to have the whole team. Morro was fine to stay home."

"So I could have stayed at home?!" Ally groaned.

"You still have a job to do," Zap pointed out.

"The world is against me," she repeated, throwing a hand up to her head.

Zap patted her on the shoulder. "We know, Garamdork."

"Are we close?" Skylar questioned, bouncing on their toes.

Harper nodded. "Just up here."

The team continued, eventually arriving in a random alleyway. It looked, indeed, like the sort of place someone would need their help. However, as they glanced around there seemed to be, well, nothing.

"Hello?!" Ally shouted, glancing up around them.

- 🐉🌪🐉 -

Heh. It's Ally. In an Ally-way. Okay I'll stop. I'm going to dip for the rest of this chapter. Have fun with the cliffhanger.

- 🐉🌪🐉 -

"There's no one here," said Zap, furrowing their brows in confusion.

"Maybe they're just hiding really, really well," Ally said, immediately hushing her voice. She crept toward some discarded boxes before kicking them over with a loud 'AHA!'. They fell pathetically.

"Nice take down," Sky snorted.

Ally straightened up somewhat dejectedly. "Well," she dusted her hands off, "no nefarious ongoings here, gang. It's abandoned."

Realm cocked her head to the side. "Then who made the ca-"

Interrupting her was a vibrant wave of energy, a neon sort of orange tincture. It burst from an unidentifiable origin, washing through each of the ninja as though it were water urging toward the shore. It wove its way across the ground, licking at their ankles to send a strange pulse of energy up their bodies. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks, glancing around cautiously to get their bearings.

"What... the fuck," Harper muttered, flicking her hood back over her head.

Sky did the same and Zap followed, then Ally and Realm. They all stepped silently toward each other till every 6' was covered. The ninja watched the wave continue from them, dispersing into thin air as quickly as it had been conjured. From where? From what? They were about to find out. The silence was uneasy as each of the ninja stood back to back, watching in anxious anticipation for another, or maybe an attack from whomever caused it.

"Where the hell did that even come from?" Skylar glanced at Harper on his left.

She shook her head slowly. "I have no fucking clue."

"Was this the Red Alert we received?" Zap asked Realm. "For these weird waves?"

"Definitely not this. That would have been mentioned. They couldn't have missed... I don't know what it was, but whatever it was."

"Then what the fuck could it have been?!" Skylar let their hands-held up in defensive fists-fall to his sides as he stopped short.

"Me, bitch."

Harper clutched her temples upon hearing that goddamned voice. "First fucking Spinjitzu Master, I'll kill him. I'll actually kill him," she muttered.

Looking up, the ninja found none other than Morro Smith in all his glory. He was perched above them, seated on the fire escape as he swung his legs merrily.

"Hey, losers," Morro grinned. He looped his arms over the railing, showing off what appeared to be an intricate glove with blades sewn into the knuckles. He glanced at it and frowned suddenly, tugging it off as the others watched him and it. Upon closer inspection, it looked remarkably like a-

"Is that a fucking Time Blade?!" Skylar shouted, pointing at the glove-thing he was currently smacking against his palm.

Zap's eyes went wide. "Where did you get a Time Blade? How did you get a Time Blade? Oh my gods. Oh my gods-"

Ally's mouth gaped open in shock. "Are you secretly Acronix?! Krux?! Shit, I should've known! He was the Time Twins all this time! We thought they disappeared but he was right under our noses! This is the worst mission ever, Realm, I told you I shouldn't have come."

"What are you talking about? This?" He looked up from the blade distractedly and gestured to it. "Oh, no this isn't a Time Blade."

"Then what is it?!"

He grunted as he hit the glove harder. "Hm?"

"I swear Morro-" Sky re-balled up their fists.

"It's a Realm Blade," he answered as though it were simple.

"A realm- what?!" Zap's eyes went somehow larger.

Harper stormed to the bottom of the fire escape, staring up at him with a murderous look. "Remember that 'Red Ninja' controversy? It'll be a goddamn murder case, I swear to the First Spinjitzu Master!" Morro stuck his tongue out at them.

Realm stepped forward and placed a firm hand on Harper's shoulder, ceasing any more threats of murder. "Care to explain what's going on?"

The boy gave the 'Realm Blade' a final smack against the metal railing before turning to Realm. "I have this Realm Blade. At least," he tsked, "I thought I did. It isn't working."

"The hell did you do to us, Morro?!" Harper growled.

He held up his palms defensively. "Nothing!.. I didn't even work, I don't think." He smacked the blade again. This time, a small circle of energy not unlike the first expelled from the tip before fizzling out quickly. "It's broken, ugh," he groaned.

"What were you trying to do," Realm coerced, not even sure she wanted the answer.

"Send you to a different realm or something... I don't know- something!"

Harper dragged a hand down her face. "Christ."

Sky damn near jumped up and smacked Morro himself. "The hell?"

"Where did you even get a- what is it?"

"Realm Blade," Morro offered.

Zap nodded. "Yes, thank you. A Realm Blade. Where did you even get a Realm Blade?! Are you INSANE?!" She screamed, dropping their weapon on the ground to gesture wildly.

"Obviously."

Ally tilted her head to the side. "So you aren't Krux and Acronix?"

"How could I be both twins?!"

"Answer the question!" She demanded.

Morro looked down, patting his legs, then his torso. "I don't think so, but you never know with us though do you?"

She sighed in relief. "Guys, don't worry, he isn't the Time Twins. I got him to talk." Zap nodded confusedly, but nonetheless encouragingly at Ally as she continued. "So, where did you get this 'Realm Blade'?"

"Don't you consider getting one too," Realm looked at her pointedly.

"It was just a question!" She said quickly before glancing back to Morro. "So what's the answer?"

"Just some guy I found online," he rolled his eyes as something occurred to him. "He said it would work! It cost actual money," he said, voice filled misery. "Do you guys think he lied to me?"

"Where the hell did you get money?" Skylar exclaimed.

"Maybe we start confiscating his access to the internet as well," Harper resolved half-heartedly, still pinching the bridge of her nose. "My own brother is going to be the death of me."

"Hey!"

Realm ignored them, glancing around as she remembered something. "So who sent the call?" Her face dropped, serious, as she looked at Morro. "It wasn't you, was it?"

Ally almost collapsed at the suggestion. "You made me get up for this?!"

Morro shook his head, momentarily serious as he looked around. "I didn't send the call, I just wanted to get back at Harper for making me stay home. It was just going to be a prank!"

Zap shook their head in disbelief. "Your idea of a prank is stranding us in a foreign realm with no way of getting home?!"

"This is why our parents left," Harper said, face entirely blank except for her glaring eyes.

"Reaalllmmm," Morro whined, "Harper is bullying me."

The girl ignored the both of them, still looking around to see if there was any sign of danger, or even the person in trouble. It was suspiciously calm (save for the five angry teenagers yelling at each other). "Can you guys see anything?" She asked, interrupting the endless bickering.

Everybody shut up immediately to scan the area. Though, like before, it was seemingly silent.

Ally kicked at the cardboard boxes again. "Still nothing!" She called, going deeper into the short concrete maze to find some more boxes to attack.

Skylar walked toward the end of the alleyway, poking his head around the buildings that framed the opening onto the main street. He glanced left, then right, then suddenly left again. They jumped backward, immediately pressing their back to the concrete behind them. "Uhhh, guys."

The ninja stilled, catching sight of his sobered face before he flipped his hood back up. They did the same instinctually.

"What is it?" Zap questioned seriously, jogging up to meet him by the edge of the wall. They, too, peaked their head around the edge then swiftly returned out of sight. She looked over her shoulder and beckoned for the others to come forth, eyes equally as confused as Sky's.

"Is it aliens?" Ally hissed, pulling on Zap's sleeve like a toddler too scared to go be social.

"I- what-"

Harper pushed before them all to get a good look. "What the fuck?" She glanced back at the others. "You guys are seeing what I'm seeing, right?"