Have you ever felt like nobody was there?

Have you ever felt forgotten, in the middle of nowhere?

Have you ever felt like you could disappear?

Like you could fall, and no one would hear.

~ Lyrics from "You Will Be Found" from "Dear Evan Hansen" ~

~ around five years after the events of 'Prophecy' ~

Shade Shadow hated his name. He hated how redundant it was, and how insignificant the name appeared to anyone outside the Shadow Bay's borders. He hated a lot more than his name, actually, but there wasn't much he could do about any of that. Like his name, the legacy of his ancestors was stuck to him and would never go away.

     He'd heard the stories, of course, about how the position he held was one of usurpation. That his uncle hadn't actually ruled over Shadow Bay; that his uncle had simply walked in and claimed the land from his lesser relation. There were tales that the city divided in two long before his uncle came in to claim the title of 'Grand Master Shadow'. Stories that Shadow Bay was a product of something much bigger than the leader of the House. Shade had heard many legends of the great Elemental Houses, and how all of them fell in a terrible war. House Shadow was the only one remaining, and even then, all they had left to their name was this one city, tucked away in the mountains.

     Shade spent his days sitting on an obsidian throne of the most uncomfortably cut stone in existence. He miserably had to attend to hundreds of nobles wanting favors, peasants wanting marriages, and guards bringing in prisoners. His days were baskets of paperwork, meetings, and pageantry. He was the Grand Master's heir, after all, he couldn't afford to be anything less than perfection in the public's eyes.

     And while Shade was anything but perfect, Thunder's spies did their work well to polish Shade's image.

     Shade wasn't sure why he kept waking up day after day to this mundane existence. He was secluded. Friends meant attachment, which meant his judgement might be impaired. If he were ever to marry, it would be to a girl Thunder chose specifically to grant him an heir. Love was not allowed. Thunder himself didn't like to spend time with his nephew. Age had only made Thunder bitter and crabby.

     Shade had left Shadow Bay once. It had been the day he realized that he needed to leave that he unlocked his true potential. And surprisingly enough, Thunder let him go. Not that Shade needed Thunder's permission, but it was still nice to have.

     "You'll be back," said the Grand Master after giving Shade his permission. Thunder had smiled eerily at his nephew over a pile of nose-high scrolls. "You'll be back when you see the outside world isn't as nice as this one."

     Shade had spent many months travelling Ninjago, and he had seen the beauty of it. The world was so different from Shadow Bay. People were a lot friendlier. They offered Shade shelter and money when he had none. They oohed and ahhed at his elemental abilities, not because it was an heirloom of greatness, but because they thought it a cool power. They thought Shade a type of superhero instead of a destined leader.

     Over time the friendliness began to sit in Shade's stomach like undercooked chicken. Were the people of the outside world trying to lull him into a false sense of security? Everyone had an angle with their actions. Everyone was trying to climb the social ladder. Everyone was trying to gain money or power.

     Even after the Tournament of Elements and winning the war on Ninjago City, Shade felt more isolated than ever. Here was a world where loyalty to authority wasn't prized. Everyone's allegiances seemed to be to their friends. Friends, as Shade had always been taught, were simply blockages in a clear mind.

     Yet when Shade returned to Shadow Bay, he continued to have the feeling that something wasn't right. Had his uncles' approving pats always felt that threatening? Why did it seem like there were claws in the shadows waiting to slit Shade's throat? And why did the people he watched over sound so miserable? They hadn't sounded that way before... or had they? He wasn't sure.

     Shade tried the friendship thing when he left Shadow Bay again, but it still felt wrong. Everything felt wrong. The people in Ninjago were out of control. They didn't know how to face life with discipline and dedication. The people in Shadow Bay were out of control. They worshiped Thunder like a deity, acting like the very words that came out of his mouth were the gospel for life-or-death sentences. Shade had watched 'traitor' after 'traitor' die in that throne room for rules they broke. The death sentence was an easy way to keep people in line, but Shade often wondered if they were slaughtering far too many of their citizens.

     The blood that stained the throne room's floors was so plentiful that the fabric weavers had begun to use it as dye for their wool.

     "The outside world isn't as nice as you thought it was." Thunder watched him with dark eyes. Shade bore the stares with about as much grace as he could give.

     For as much as he hated his life, there was also something about it that was so incredibly... pleasing.

     If he ever wanted something, be it food, a towel to wipe his forehead, or a glass of liquor, all he had to do was snap. There were always servants around to make sure his life was comfortable. Shade hated to admit it, but he enjoyed the way the nobles looked upon him in awe. Every step he took was building a legendary history. The world of Shadow Bay was built around serving the Grand Master of Shadow. All of that power was thrilling; it was hard not to get intoxicated by it.

     Shade supposed that was the reason he kept returning to Shadow Bay. Power was like a drug. He didn't trust a soul, and they didn't trust him, but they'd give him exactly what he wanted. He could order the city to burn itself and it'd fall over itself to set the first flames.

     He was Shade Shadow.

     Soon, he'd be the Grand Master.

     As inhumane as Thunder was, Shade wondered if Thunder was the only thing keeping him human. Thunder was miserable, and the lines of that past misery were etched so deep in his skin it'd take days to explore. Shade didn't know much about his uncle; almost everything he did know were lies fabricated to keep Thunder trapped in an eternal glory.

     Thunder Shadow, leader of House Shadow and champion of the Serpentine War.

     Thunder Shadow, the man holding together the last remaining Elemental House.

     Thunder Shadow, voice of the people and glorious sovereign.

     Thunder should have been perfect (if the stories were true), but he was nothing of the sort. He'd married for convenience to a woman who had so many miscarriages afterwards rumors began to spread that she was cursed. When she'd died in childbirth and left behind her only living child—a child who died three weeks after its mother—she'd also left behind a lone nephew, an orphaned son of her brother. Thunder had been forced to raise Shade as his own, forced to teach him the tools to the trade. Everything Shade knew about leadership was from Thunder.

     Poor, broken Thunder, who hadn't smiled since he left the war so many years ago.

     They said he'd been in love with a beautiful elemental master. They said her hair was like spun gold, and that her smile could light up any room. They said she'd rejected him for a peasant and doomed her House in the process.

     Thunder had become the man Shade had always known after that rejection. Bitter, broken, depressed, and narcissistic. The world slowly began to revolve around him, literally. Shadow Bay turned from a sheltering society into a tyrannical one. The Grand Master took everything by force. And anyone who defied him was killed. Thunder never wanted to face rejection again.

     It was Thunder's story that kept Shade's attention occupied during the long meetings and rambling nobility. He thought often about his own cravings for power. Shade wondered if he would one day become like his uncle. He wondered if he was already like his uncle.

     This was the very topic on Shade's mind when the front doors to the throne room slammed open. Outlined in pitch black armor were a few guards that patrolled the city.

     Ah, Shade thought bitterly, another execution.

     He'd already had two executions in the past few hours, and he wasn't sure if he had enough composure to stomach a third. But then Shade noticed the boy the guards were dragging in wasn't screaming for mercy. He wasn't thrashing around or whimpering his final prayers. In fact, this boy wasn't even being dragged.

     He was calmly walking towards Shade, like Shade was simply an acquaintance. And the guards were letting him.

     Shade's grip tightened on the armrests of rocky throne. He knew better than to speak out of turn. The guards would bow in sync (as they always did), then the highest-ranking official of their group would step forward (it was always best to know exactly where you were ranked on the social scale), then said official would proclaim why they had decided to bother the Grand Master's heir rather than carry out city laws. Most of the time such occasions were for children who unknowingly broke the rules. The guards took pity on them and wanted to spare their lives. It was always a futile attempt.

     This boy, however, was not a child.

     His hair was a ghostly white; his eyes were the color of bright sea-glass. There was a composure in his shoulders that seemed almost to come from centuries of practice. He looked far too tranquil to be awaiting execution. Shade noticed the boy's attire was brightly colored like the highest-ranking nobles, yet Shade also noticed he didn't recognize this individual at all. Shade knew every single member of the Upper City's name and ranking. It dawned on him what this meeting was really about.

     The guard closest to the boy stepped forward and bowed. He introduced himself curtly.

     "We request your Lordship's time on the matter concerning the request of this boy," said the guard.

     "Request?" Shade finally asked after staring down the guard. At first this meeting had seemed ridiculous, but now Shade was absolutely flabbergasted. Was his own guard so stupid that they could not recognize this was a foreigner? All foreigners were killed on sight; that was the rule. "Request, my good official? No, I—and especially you—should be more concerned with the fate of this boy."

      The official paled considerably. "I understand your implications, sire, and you have my deepest apologies. But this boy..."

      Shade had never in his entire life wanted to perform an execution. They were bitter, bloody things that made too much of a mess for his weak stomach to handle. This insanely stupid patrol though, and their far too placid victim, they made an exception in Shade's mind.

      "... he says he is a descendant of the First Master."

      "What does that have to do with anything?" Shade burst out, clenching his fists so hard his knuckles turned white. "Is this 'First Master' so important that you disregard all respect for your Grand Master? I should have you executed where you stand for such blatant disrespect."

      "No offense, your Excellency," the boy cut it, causing every single guard to gape at him, "but I find it highly discourteous that you don't seem to know your place. House Shadow was always ranked lower than the Garmadons, was it not? Thus, am not I ranked higher than you?"

      Garmadons.

     Shade's eyes widened. The curve of this boy's face, the tinge of green in his eyes, the way he stood with authority, it was all familiar. Shade had seen it before in a boy who seemed far too old to look so young.

     Lloyd Garmadon.

     The grandson of the First Spinjitzu Master, who was the supposed creator of the entire realm. If there was one entity the outside world worshiped, it was the First Spinjitzu Master. His story of creating the world with golden weapons was told around every campfire. Lloyd himself had to bear the weight of a legacy too great and a power far too extreme for him. The stories said Lloyd once fought with the manifestation of darkness himself. The Overlord.

     Shade had even been there when Lord Garmadon had used his strong magic to take over Ninjago City. He'd seen the power that the sons of the First Spinjitzu Master possessed. They were incredible beings, even more incredible than the elemental masters.

     "Who is your father?" Shade's voice cracked. He had to make sure.

     "Lloyd Garmadon, grandson of the First Spinjitzu Master." The boy bowed in reverence to the name.

     "What..." Shade swallowed, sucking back fear. His elemental power had been taken from him a while ago, so who knew how much of an actual chance he stood against this boy should a fight break out. Shade cleared his throat. "State your name and reason breaking the rules of Shadow Bay."

      "My name is Morro," the boy calmly said. "I have broken into your fine city to speak to the Grand Master. I have a request for him."

     "I am the spokesperson of Grand Master Shadow. Dictate your request to me."

     "I have come to free five members of your people."

     "Impossible," Shade hissed. "No one gets to 'go free' in Shadow Bay."

     "They do with a large sum of money."

     "You are a moron." Shade's fingers gripped the armrests, the little appendages beginning to hurt from all the squeezing. "It's impossible to accomplish, so we did away with it years ago. The only reason that declaration hasn't gone public yet is because hope is a fragile thing that we like to keep maintained."

      The words hit Morro, even though his reaction was barely a blink. Shade could tell the boy was affected. Morro's blue-green eyes wavered; his mouth set into a thin line.

     "I would like to speak with the Grand Master," he repeated dully.

     "I told you, I am his spokesperson—"

     "Well, well."

     The words chilled Shade's core. Instinctively he shifted away from the sound, forcing himself to stay composed even though gooseflesh erupted on his arms.

     And into the room walked the man himself.

     Thunder coughed, then glared at both the intruder and his incapable heir. His eyes were dark, scathing. Thunder was the type of person you knew could have been beautiful once, with his sharp cheekbones and strong jawline. Even in old age he walked with grace and poise, though to Shade it looked more like a lethal prowl. Thunder was dressed in fine layers of grey silk, cascading down his shriveled form in waves. His voice was as smooth as cut honey, even with the rasp of old age tinting it.

     Thunder, to his merit, did not dropkick and murder the Garmadon. His eyes merely narrowed as he took in more of the boy's appearance.

     "Why isn't he dead?"

     The words should have been accusatory, but they were polite, as Thunder often spoke in public.

     Shade reeled for a response when he felt his uncle's eyes land on him. "He—I... I was... I was hearing him out, sir."

     Thunder blinked, obviously disappointed but still trying to put up an image for the people in the room. With all the elegance of a gazelle he made his way over the throne, and Shade surrendered it without hesitation. Thunder didn't seem at all uncomfortable in the rigidness in the chair, but Shade was pretty sure Thunder would rather die than admit to weakness of any kind.

     "You are a Garmadon, yes?" Thunder asked Morro.

     He had always been observant, calculating. Shade wrung his hands behind his back, setting his face in stone.

     Morro did not seem intimidated. "Yes, Your Excellency. I have come to free five members of your people."

     "Which people?"

     "A fisherman and his family. They are poor, and I have gathered enough wealth to pay off their lifetimes of work."

     "We abolished that rule long ago." Thunder was unrelenting. He was a cat toying with his prey. "You cannot buy freedom with money. Freedom is dangerous thing."

     Shade saw Morro flinch, just barely, but it was enough to make Thunder's fingers relax on the throne. Thunder knew he had won.

     "You want to free a certain set of my people. To control them? To experiment on them?"

     "I..." Morro was trapped now, a mouse in a corner. "I love the daughter. The others are her beloved family."

     "How can you 'love' someone you've never met?" Thunder accused; his honeyed words were stinging fire. "Unless you've met them before? Unless you've snuck into my city before."

     Morro turned red.

     "And since you've obviously been here before, you must be familiar with our most respected rule. All outsiders must be killed."

     Shade's skin erupted in chills as he noticed the guards, who normally stood passive behind the subject of interest, had drawn their weapons. They were creeping forward silently, ready to quickly execute the next order from Thunder's mouth. Their mouths were hesitant, but the resolution in their eyes showed they preferred their lives over the Garmadon boy's.

     Shade had always known his uncle was a monster.

     He slaughtered children for rules they were ignorant of.

     But this boy, this Garmadon, brought a swarm of memories and rumors into Shade's head. Memories of laughter around campfires, laced with tales of halfling who created the realm. Memories of old eyes, yet a kind smile, who saved the city time and time again. Memories of half-baked tales of his uncle's true origins. Things weren't always in black and white, were they?

     Morro had done nothing wrong. He'd come into the city with the understanding that he could use wealth to free someone, which was a rule that existed before. Even if he had visited Shadow Bay before, how could that be punishable by death? They were a thriving city, one that had outlasted all of the Elemental Houses. Shadow Bay was a wonder, a sight to behold. It should be shared with the rest of humanity, not sheltered away from it.

     The old Elemental Houses understood this. They'd had their own rigid rules and traditions, yet they allowed themselves to flow with the laughter and tales of the outside people. They'd taken the best of both worlds to thrive. And even now, when they were gone, Shade knew that it was probably better off that way. He'd rather they be dissembled than them all have turned out like Shadow Bay.

     The Elemental Houses were something to be proud of being a part of. But they were in past, fragments of history. It was in that moment that Shade realized Thunder had forsaken everything honorable to take total control. There was nothing good left about this system. And there was nothing about it that Shade wanted to be part of anymore.

     For what was the benefit of power if all that came with it was misery?

     "Kill him."

     Shade's hands reacted before his mind did. He blinked, and his grip was around the hilt of an ornate sword always carried by his uncle for decoration. The blade slid cleanly out of its sheath with a hiss of steel, cleanly looped through the air, and imbedded itself straight into its owner's shoulder.

     Thunder screeched in shock as blood spewed, but Shade was already tearing the sword from his flesh and running.

     In front of him, a golden ball of light consumed every guard that got too close.

     His eyes widened, but he'd seen it before.

     In a different boy: in a different time.

     Spinjitzu.

     Guards flung out of the golden tornado as it came to a stop. Morro was already fighting off the ones he hadn't knocked away, twin daggers in hand. For a moment it looked like the world was going in slow motion. When Shade blinked again, Morro's dagger was pressed against his throat.

     Then the First Master's descendant saw the blood, heard the screaming, and realized what was going on. As quick as the dagger came, it was gone. Morro whipped around, countering one attack and dodging the next. And while the guards were hesitant to attack the Grand Master's heir, Thunder was not.

     "Traitor!" he screeched from his seat, his smooth voice turning raggedy and pitched.

     His words were what turned the guards against Shade.

     And Shade knew what had to happen at that point.

     "You are the traitor!" Shade rammed the sword's hilt into a guard's chest, knocking him backwards. "You betrayed your House to create this monstrosity of a system!" Metal hissed at the blade found its way through tightly knit armor, sinking into skin. "And you don't mind killing every single person in this city if it means you will still walk away as 'Grand Master.' The Elemental Houses do not live on through you, and they never will."

     Shade stopped, pausing as the guards did. For as loyal as the guards were, they knew the tale. Anyone who worked close to the Grand Master knew. Shadow Bay was the last remaining Elemental House. There was honor in that title, glory even.

     "You, Thunder Shadow, are a House Traitor."

     "Imbecile!" Thunder screeched, his hand clutching his bloody shoulder. "Kill him! Killhimkillhimkillhim—"

     Shade was already stalking closer. The ornate sword was bloody, dripping scarlet onto the floor that had seen too much death. His grip was white' his heart pounded in his chest. The clashing steel was quiet in the background, as if the entire world had stopped to hold its breath.

     "Call them off," Shade seethed. "Call the guards off and step down. You can live out the rest of your days in luxury, and I will try to bring some semblance of honor back to this realm."

     They both knew Thunder would never surrender. He was in too deep for anyone to stop him now.

     Thunder's dark eyes were hateful. He was in a lot of pain, but like always, he would never show it. He was in charge, in power, in control. There was no way he could be anything less than perfection. He had a dream once, a dream that would have brought him happiness. But that dream left with the girl who rejected him, and now all he had was a warped sense of reality. It was a painful reality to bear. Over time, Thunder had learned how to deal with such discomforts. Power blocked out pain.

     But even Thunder knew when to accept his situation.

     "Kill me," he rasped, choking on his own fury, "and you will be no better. Yes, the power will be in your hands, but so will my blood. So will the blood of everyone you've let die on these marble floors. You are truly my heir, Shade, because you are no better than I."

     Shade's hands hesitated, only for a second. But his heart didn't waver, and he plunged the ostentatious decoration down. Straight into Thunder's heart.

     "I might not be better than you," Shade said, "but at least I know how to make things right."

     And Thunder's body slumped, dribbling blood on that cold, cold floor.

     Limp.

     Lifeless.

     Dead.

     The room was quiet. All of them: Shade, Morro, the remaining guards, they just stood and stared, all in the same, with Shade panting from the effort of his deed and the rest of them in a temporary sort of shock.

     Shade prepared to die as well. Why shouldn't the guards kill him for murdering their Grand Master? But the blade never came, nor did any sword ever fall. So Shade stood breathing, waiting, pondering. When he turned, the congregation stared back at him, with eyes as empty as his own.

     "Thunder is dead," Shade's words were hollow. "I am his heir."

     Shakily, the remaining guards raised their swords, turning to Morro.

     "The Garmadon will not die today."

     The doors burst open, and a new set of guards rushed in. The leader of the pack held a small child, barely older than a baby. His step faltered when he took in his surroundings, but he did not hesitate to offer the child to Shade. Hesitation was usually a step towards execution.

     "We request your Lordship's time on the matter concerning the fate of this child."

     Shade couldn't sit on the throne, so he stood. His dark robes were stained, his hands shaking as he folded them. He took a steadying breath and said, "State your case."

     "This child was born of a forbidden union, then hidden and raised with the hope of it reentering society later on. It is a disgrace to your uncle's—" (the guard paused upon taking in the scene) "—forgive me, it is a disgrace to your mandate for family units. We've already dealt with the parents and their respective families, but this child is innocent. A baby should not be blamed for its parents' crimes." The official gulped when he had finished his spiel. He knew better than to question Thunder's dead body. His slip up would probably already cost him everything.

     But Shade, as numb as he felt, was forgiving of the error. The child was painstakingly silent, as grave on the outside as Shade was within. The baby looked at Shade with wide eyes, its mouth wavering with coming tears.

     Shade held out his arms. "Give me the child."

     Shade took the baby into his arms, cradling him against his chest. Shade had never held a child before, but he found it wasn't unpleasant. It wasn't unpleasant at all.

     In an instant, a million possibilities flashed by Shade's eyes. A family, a circle of friends, laughing children running down a hill. Fantasies that Shade had scarce considered, because he knew they'd never come true. But maybe without Thunder they could.

     When Shade looked up, the guards were all staring at him, uncertain. Some of their heads were bowed; the newer ones' cheeks were flushed with shame. And behind them, Morro watched, his gaze calm and steady. The dark walls had never felt so tight. Shade knew in that moment that he was standing on a precipice larger than he'd ever fathomed. He knew the next steps he took would change Shadow Bay forever.

     Then, Shade looked down at the child. The infant was too young to understand the gravity of the air around him, but old enough to know that Shade wasn't his adulterous mother. But the child didn't cry. He just watched, bright eyes contrasted by dark skin and a curly red fuzz atop his head. In time he'd grow to be a curious child. In time he'd bound around the whole city, a smile bigger than the lake upon his face. In time he'd grow to win the hearts of the people.

     Shade looked at the infant, and then he smiled.

     "Does this child have a name?"

     The leading guard shook his head, pursing his lips as his hands moved to the hilt of his sword.

     "Then his name will be Ravli," Shade said, touching the baby's cheek. "In an old language it meant, 'skyward.'"

     In the distance, a hint of a grin passed over Morro's face. And even though the room had never been colder, it was the first breath of fresh air Shade had ever truly breathed.

     "This child will be my heir."

     The guards were silent before, but now they were utterly incredulous. Even the ones who wanted to save the baby's life. First they walked into room with a dead Thunder, and then their new leader was proclaiming a child of wedlock as an heir.

     Shade watched them, his arms finding a rhythm of bouncing. Cuddled in them, the baby started to coo. "Ravli is an heir chosen from the lowest, an heir chosen from the people. He will not grow up under Thunder's influence. My hands may be dirty with blood, but this child will be raised on honey and sweets. Ravli will be one with his people. He will raise them skyward, as he himself was brought high."

     One of the guards opened his mouth, then closed it. He was younger, with curly hair and eyes scarred with violence. In the end, he was the bravest one of the bunch.

     "What is going to happen to our country?"

     And the words came easily to Shade. "Thunder Shadow is dead. It is time for a new era of Shadow Bay. As your leader, I officially end the last Elemental House. We will abolish extreme death sentences, open our borders, and establish peace with the rest of Ninjago. For too long we've been holed away in these mountains, afraid of every decision we make. I will change that. I will not force you to live in a society where you are terrified of death at every turn."

     Shade turned to the curly-haired guard. "Gather a squadron and release the people the Garmadon tells you he's after. Bring them here for a full pardon."

     The guard hesitated, then nodded. Loyalty was in his nature, after all.

     "Open the windows. Declare today a feast day!" Shade called to the other standing guards. "Today is a birth of a new nation."

     "The nobles aren't going to like this," one of the leader guards peeped, "the Grand Master has been murdered. You murdered the Grand Master."

     "Yes," said Shade, "and I acknowledge my hands are dirty. But I am Thunder's heir, and he did not assume power peacefully either—"

     "Thunder had a vision for his people!" called one of the older guards. "He was the rightful leader of Shadow Bay, because he was the elemental master!"

     "And have I not also been an elemental master?" Shade demanded. "I am Thunder's chosen and rightful heir. I am the new leader of House Shadow. And I will spend every day of my life repenting of the sins I have committed today. Thunder was right. I am no better than him. But when he took Shadow Bay by force, he did so out of malice. I do so out of compassion. My sins will not be excused like Thunder's. That is why when Ravli is of age, I will step down as leader of this city. He will be the future of Shadow Bay now."

     The guards, knowing they weren't going to be punished for it, started murmuring amongst themselves. Change did not come easily to those set in routine. But Shade knew patience. Deep in his heart he knew this was the start of a better world. His hands might be dirty, but the one coming after him would be clean.

      It was Morro who stepped forward first, who smiled, who kneeled.

      "Grand Master Shadow."

      And slowly, the guards, one by one, decided to kneel as well. Shade neither knew how long their loyalty would last, nor how long it would take the city to rebel against him, but if he knew one thing, it was that Thunder was right. When the Grand Master fell, Shadow Bay would fall. House Shadow would cease to be. But Shade knew that was okay.

      He'd finally destroyed his legacy and was ready to craft a new one.

      One that would lead his people into a better future.

      In his arms, Ravli smiled as well.

Finis.