In which the ninja find out about their elements, and Wu takes in Lloyd Garmadon.

Kai didn't really want to train to be a ninja. His only motivation was because Nya was doing it, and he didn't want her to be better at something than he was. Not that he didn't love her, obviously, but it was just in Kai's nature to be competitive and to want to be the best at everything.

(To Kai's dismay, Nya completed the training course before him. The rest of that day he was mad and barely talked to anyone. The next day he got over it a little more and started training harder.)

When he met the other three, it was awkward at first, but he grew to like being around them. They were a fun group, even if they clashed sometimes.

So far, Kai was closest to Jay. He was the most social and they were drawn together in that way. Of course Cole and Zane were nice, and he enjoyed them too. But Jay and him just "clicked" more.

* * *

https://youtu.be/7tK3gPbYGFU

"Ray, it is time."

"You want the map?"

"Yes. They must start training with their elements now."

* * *

"Ninja, I have decided you are ready," Wu told them one morning. "Today we are going on a quest."

The ninja-in-training gasped.

"Quest for what?" Jay asked.

"To find the golden weapons of Spinjitzu. Each of you have been chosen, each in tune with elemental properties. But first-"

Wu did spinjitzu, spinning past each of them. The next thing they knew, their ninja gis were different different and Wu stood before them, beaming.

"Whoa..." Kai gasped.

"How'd he do that?" Cole breathed.

"Whoa!" Jay nearly shouted. "Look what color I am!" 

"Wait a minute-" Cole said as he glanced around. "I'm still black." Jay giggled at him.

"Kai," Wu said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Master of Fire. It burns bright in you."

He turned to Jay. "Jay, blue ninja. Master of Lightning."

"Heh, that's not all I'm the master of," Jay smiled. "I do a little inventing, a dabble in model building, a touch of cooking, a little poetry."

"More like mouth of lightning," Cole whispered to Kai, who scoffed.

"Cole," Wu said as he walked up to him. "Solid as a rock. Master of Earth."

Cole nodded to Sensei.

"And Zane, Master of Ice, and seer with sixth sense." Wu looked at each of them. "You will begin training in your element soon. Be strong, and do not give up. But beware of pride. It makes a bad end for a lot of good things."

The ninja trained for a few weeks, growing stronger, wiser, and more in tune with their element.

One day, Nya went out shopping but came back an hour later, yelling that Lord Garmadon (whoever that was) was heading to Jamanakai Village.

Wu went with them, riding with Kai on his dragon. When they got there, they immediately spotted Lloyd.

https://youtu.be/o9jdTLrsiGg

"Stay back," Wu told the ninja, "and let me handle this." As he walked up to the boy, Wu called, "nephew, what are you doing?"

"I am Lord Garmadon!" Lloyd tried to sound intimidating. "What do you want?"

"I am your uncle, and you are going to come with me," Wu said, laying a hand on Lloyd's shoulder.

"No way! I'm just getting started here." The boy pulled away. "Give me all your candy," he yelled at the villagers, "or else I will unleash the serpentine on you!"

The villagers booed and started to throw vegetables at him.

"No, not vegetables," Lloyd shrieked. "I hate vegetables!"

Wu grabbed him by the arm and dragged him away. "Lloyd, this is no way for you to act. Your father wouldn't want you to be acting foolishly like this."

"My father?" This spiked his attention. Lloyd looked up, confused and concerned.

"Yes. Lloyd, you have been without a home for a while, yes?"

He looked downcast. "Uh, well, yeah."

"It's time for you to come home."

"Home?"

Wu nodded.

"Where's that?"

"Your grandfather's monastery. It's a little ways out of town. I think you'd like it. Will you come with me to see it?" Wu held out his hand.

"Well, sure, I guess." Lloyd took his hand, and they walked back to where the Ninjas were with their dragons.

"Lloyd is Wu's nephew?" Jay wondered aloud to the other ninja.

"Yeah, since he's Garmadon's son," Kai said.

"Whoa!" the boy smiled. "Dragons!"

"Care for a ride?" Wu offered

"Yeah!"

Wu helped Lloyd onto Zane's dragon, and the ninja watched as he wrapped his arms around the white ninja's stomach and shivered with excitement. Wu smiled, and got onto Kai's dragon.

"This is so cool! I can't believe I'm riding a dragon!" he shouted, as they lifted off into the air. "Wait, who are you?" he asked Zane.

"I am Zane, white ninja, your uncle's student."

"Oh, a ninja. That's cool, I guess. I'm Lloyd. Son of Lord Garmadon."

"Nice to meet you, Lloyd."

"Sure."

...

That evening, as soon as they got to the monastery, they had dinner. Wu tried to explain to Lloyd the truth of the situation. He also let the ninja ask no questions until after Lloyd was put to bed.

Finally, what seemed like an eternity later, the ninja had their sensei all to themselves.

They all spoke at once. Jay: "Ok, sensei, what- why- why is he here?" Cole: "What are you gonna do with him?" Zane: "Is he going to train to be a ninja, too?" Kai: "How long is he going to be here?"

"QUIET," Wu said, not without a slight hint of impatience in his voice.

Jay and Kai: "Sorry."

Zane and Cole: "Sorry, Sensei."

He let out a deep sigh before beginning. "Lloyd needs a home, a good home, that will give him what he needs. He hasn't had a good childhood, and I'm hoping that this will be for the better for him. You all must treat him well, like your own brother. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sensei." they all nodded.

He looked each of them in the eye before asking, "is there anything else you want to know?"

"Why doesn't he have a home?" Jay blurted out. Cole elbowed him.

And this is the point when I realize that in this story, Misako told Wu that she realized Lloyd was going to be the Green Ninja, so Wu took him in long before, so they could train him and do research about it together, instead of Misako just disappearing from Lloyd's life...

Sigh. I guess I have to rewrite this?