~ Part 3~ | A Visitor

~*~*~*~
** I Found My Place (The LEGO Ninjago Movie) **
~*~*~*~

"But just because you're different
Doesn't mean that you'll never make a difference
As long as you're with good friends
You can save the world!"

~ Oh, Hush!

This chapter is dedicated to Harumi115 ! Thank you for voting and commenting!!!

(comment or PM if you'd like a shoutout! I do not mind! I'm running out of people that are at this chapter!)

******

When did my life come to this? Kai wondered to himself as he chewed on a cherry lollipop outside of the boy's washroom. He leaned against the wall casually and nibbled on the lollipop stick as he waited for the sound of the tap turning off. The little kid smiled sheepishly as he pattered out. Kai raised his eyebrow as the child stumbled over his shoelaces.

"You done, kid?" Kai asked, ducking into the bathroom to toss the stick into the garbage.

He nodded quickly, shyly ducking his head and stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Alright, let's rejoin the others." Kai jerked his thumb towards the staircase where the thudding and laughter wafted down from the second floor.

Kai watched as the boy went running up the stairs excitedly, waving as his friends cheered to his arrival. A slight smile tilted at Kai's lips and he followed the kids up. He didn't dislike children per se but he'd lost interest in childhood early on. Maybe a part of him was still bitter about that.

But as he watched the younger students rush around that dark, the twisted feeling faded away into something much more pleasant, almost fond. They joked and teased each other, chattering endlessly about nonsense at a pace that could rival Jay's. It seemed so free and fun in a way that was different from the joy he felt as a teenager. Yes, he was beyond happy when he was around his friends but there was a slight innocence in kids that seemed so precious yet so familiar.

The sweet feeling slipped away as quickly as it came when Kai spotted a pair of trouble-makers peering into the door leading to the attic.

Those little-

"Hey!" Kai shouted. The kids glanced at each other and giggled before slipping inside the room. "You're not allowed in there- are you ignoring me???"

*****

Zane smiled as he watched all the other students excitedly search for the items they hid around the building. It was nice hearing laughter fill the quiet halls.

Wu wandered into the kitchen, his lips set in a frown, and he walked hastily as if he needed to be somewhere.

"Hello, Headmaster Wu." Zane greeted his teacher cheerfully. "Shall I pour you some tea?"

"Uh- no thank you, Zane." The man hesitated a moment. "Perhaps boil some water for later."

Zane's brow furrowed in confusion. "Are you feeling alright? You appear distracted."

Wu paused a moment to give Zane a comforting touch to the shoulder. "Do not worry, I just need to handle something."

Zane tilted his head. "Does it have anything to do with your absence at the big interview with Miss Gossip?" He blurted out before he could stop himself. Cole had long explained the concept of timing when it came to these sorts of questions but Zane hadn't totally grasped it.

Wu chuckled in tired amusement. "You never miss a thing, do you? But no... not exactly."

Now Zane was even more confused.

The headmaster shook himself a little and waved the boy off. "Don't worry too much about it."

The old man began to move again but glanced back, step stuttering as if he just remembered something. "And...if someone comes to the door I will answer it. Do not let any of the others come to the entryway... let them enjoy their fun." The last part seemed like forced cheerfulness but he was gone before Zane could question it.

Zane pondered in the kitchen for a minute and wondered what Wu could be so concerned about. There were many tactics to his kind of situation; letting things simmer until the person was ready or being direct and asking some more. Zane was a strong believer in the first, he didn't like pressuring people, and he liked it when his friends were comfortable enough to talk.

A ding brought him back to the present as he turned to pull a tray from the oven. The delicious smell of freshly baked cookies wafted through the air and Zane sighed in satisfaction as he laid the cookie tray on the top of the oven.

The students will be pleased to have a treat. He thought to himself while he closed the oven door. The warmth radiating from the baked goods was comforting, like sitting by a fire on a cold winter's night.

Zane blinked as something seemed to stir in the back of his mind. The crackle of the flames burning the wood, pouring warm broth, a wrinkled hand gently grasping the mug and pulling it from his fingers. But just as quick as the memory had come, it was gone. The tiny shred of his past slipping through his fingers like water through a sieve.

Disappointment clung to the young man as he leaned on the counter, lips pressed together in thought. It was a bitter feeling but he easily shook it off. Zane wasn't one to dwell on the negative so he was pleased when a squawk called for his attention.

"Hello, my friend," Zane said smoothly the mechanical bird that had landed on the counter before him. The falcon tilted its head in interest at the cookies but hopped away when Zane shooed him backwards.

"Those are for the students." He scolded, icy blue eyes light with mirth.

Beautiful laughter erupted from the falcon, anyone else would've freaked out but Zane simply smiled and leaned back on the table.

"Greetings, Pixal." Zane dipped his head as the android whirred, its eyes flashing before a hologram appeared before Zane.

A familiar young woman stood in his kitchen, her features tinted blue and glowing slightly. Zane fought back a flush as she fixed her green gaze on him. Her striking gaze seemed to stare at him through the connection and the realistic projection didn't help. It was as if she was really there.

"Hello, Zane," Pixal replied somewhat shyly as she brushed a lock of her silvery hair back. "How are you?"

"I am well, you?"

"I'm fine. Is everyone else doing alright?" Pixal was cut off by the crash of someone knocking over one of Wu's expensive pots. "Oh, dear."

Zane grimaced a little but a small rumble of laughter rolled off his tongue. "Yes, we are doing just fine."

They both seemed to pause as they simply stared at each other. The tension, at last, became too much for Zane to handle so he cleared his throat. "Is there any specific reason you wanted to call?"

"Oh! Yes." Pixal said hastily, her cheeks reddening. Zane couldn't help but think about how pretty she was as she fumbled to gather something from her desk. "I know you said you wanted to wait on the DNA research while you helped Wu get everyone settled but I concluded that it was the right time to start again."

Zane watched as she brought out some familiar-looking papers. Usually, they came up empty but today he was surprised to see results printed upon the pages. His breath caught and his eyes widened as he stared at her.

"I don't have a lot," Pixal told him quickly before he got his hopes up. "But it seems I may have a tiny trace. I had to dig very far and I don't believe this man wanted to be found. It appears there may be someone who could be sharing your DNA but it's so obscure that it's hard to know. The records are very old."

"I do know that he headed out of Ninjago City after living here for quite a few years but I can't get any information on exactly who he was. It's as if the trail just... ended!" Pixal continued with a frustrated grumble. Her eyes looked sad. "I'm sorry."

Zane's breath shuddered as he took in the new information. It was a weird feeling... that maybe he would finally... eventually get scraps of the pieces missing in his puzzle. He was happy here. He really was. But there were therapy sessions, doctor's appointments, and meetings with people regarding his safety. They all were to help him but they simply reminded him of the empty space in his life.

But as he said, he was happy. Wu made him happy with his gentle concern and careful guidance. Kai made him happy even if he grouched about being woken up in the morning. Cole made him happy with silly jokes and Jay made him laugh with his antics. Nya was always there to fuss over him and Lloyd was a constant presence of innocence wrapped in with wisdom.

Zane glanced at the young woman.

Pixal made him happy.

"It is alright," Zane responded, thankful his voice didn't shake. "I am in no need of the results. I have a good life. It was nice to hope though. Thank you for doing it though."

Pixal's eyes widened and her words came out rushed as she scrambled for more papers. "No, no, no! I'm going to look into it more!" She told him. Zane went to protest, worried the girl was putting in too much effort and energy for him but Pixal was already leaning forward to turn off the communication.

"I'll call you back when I have more!" Pixal said.

"But-" The hologram flickered off. Zane sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose tiredly.

He frowned down at the falcon. "I do not understand what happened."

The bird chirped a little, obviously unable to understand before it flew away, dragging a cookie in its beak as it left. Zane shook his head and walked to the window to watch it go in amusement. Hopefully, he would share the snack with Pixal. Android birds did not possess saliva, right?

The sound of an engine dragged his attention to a taxi pulling up before the school. Zane blinked, puzzled. They were not expecting any new students. A woman stepped out, dragging a small bag behind her. She was an average height, an older woman with greying hair twisted in a braid down her back, she wore a beige top with an olive green scarf around her neck. She surveyed the building, a hand over the tops of her glasses so she could see through the glare of the sun. The woman began to walk up the long road to the front gate and that's when Zane remembered Master Wu's request.

Hurriedly, the young man rushed to the door so he could get there before she did. Thankfully, his fellow students were distracted by the activity and he managed to push through the stragglers to the entrance. Zane twisted the handle, swinging the door open aggressively to reveal a started pair of green eyes. The woman was frozen on the front stoop, her hand poised to ring the antique doorbell.

"H-hello?" She said, swallowing and adjusting her flustered expression.

"Hello," Zane replied, tilting his head. "Are you here to enrol your child? Or perhaps they are already here and they need something..?"

The woman went to say something but then stopped as she caught the last bit of her sentence. Her mouth opened and closed for a second then she finally spoke up.

"May I speak to Wu?"

authors note*****

Duh duh duh duuhhhhhhh!

At last I have updated! It has been a bit, so sorry about that! I had been working on the 30 Days of April contest Alice (Harumi115 ) made. It was so much fun by the way!!!

But now I'm back on track!

Expect an update for either Fractured again, Quiet, Dreamscape, or PAL next since those are the books I am currently putting my focus on. To anyone in The Cozy Clan I'm also working on the rules in The Cozy Clan 101.

Thank you all for your patience and support! You're sweet comments really eased my stress and I wanted to thank you so so much for how kind they were!

Have a wonderful day!

LuckyBugBooks 🐞