#changed timeline

[fishybehavior]

Stuck in the Layers

(476 Words) 

Control time, control everything. That’s what Wu taught them, hoping that they would understand the power and responsibility they held together. And they did.

They saw how their world was ripped apart and crumbling; from the war, the riots, and the fear. They only had each other now, because of this world. But they could change that now. They had the power, no, the responsibility to change the world. Control it. Make sure that it never broke apart again.

But the rest were all blind. They thought that they couldn’t do it. They saw their power, their potential, and they were afraid where it would lead to.

And in that fear they broke them.

Ripped them from their powers.

And in the end, each other.

Acronix thought over his decisions, stuck in between time, like loose change in between the cushions. Krux being ripped from him forever ago. At least it felt like forever.

In between time there isn't time. So to a mortal everything seemed to go on forever and not at all. It was disorientating, like going through an avalanche, if you survive you forget what was up or down, trapped and stuck with little room to move or breathe.

Acronix was stuck with nothing but his thoughts, which sped up or slowed with whatever current of time he was stuck along, his eyes on the timeblade ahead. But not perceiving it, he’s stared at it for hours or seconds, he’s seen the smallest scratches from the rushed forging after looking at it for hours. But he’s barley registered the color of the blade for only looking at it for mere seconds.

Stuck for years, seconds, hours, days, he’s had some time to think. Of why he jumped, of why the others betrayed him. Of why he wants that blade so desperately. And he’s seen it now, his hubris. How could he, one half of a whole, an adult but really a child. Except to stop everything bad, to prevent the things of life. With such a big sweeping goals, he’s forgotten to look at the details. He had the why but not the how.They’d never have the control that they thought they had, never the responsibility of the world, never the understanding of what they truly desired.

But it was too late; he took the step and jumped before he looked, and now he was here. Banished forever in between the layers of time, betraying those he called allies, friends, and maybe even family.

Abruptly after years or minutes the course of time changed for Acronix. Turbulence was rocking him as he was swept along with the time blade, across a sub-channel, turning to see a portal of white at the end of the new stream. Hope and fear fluttered as he raced towards it as he dropped out of the current into the portal. Everything became to bright for his vision as he hit something hard.

“My old student. I've been expecting you.”

[da-blackgeek]

Nora got Snapped😮😮

[wildwindtrail]

young one/closed

@mxsterworks continued from here

Nedra was a bit lost, somehow she had lost all her friends. Well actually it was nit new as she got lost easily and now there was no Zevran or Alistair helping her out. She walked and walked, tried to see something that was familiar, then suddenly almost stumbled over the little girl sitting on a tree stump. 

She looked lovely, but oddly had white hair and lashed, Nedra had never seen anything like that. “What was that?...? Oh you speak elven...” She leaned down and looked at her. “Hello...I’m Nedra..can you show me the way to nearest town?...I am lost.”

[fishybehavior]

Readjustment

(733 words) Continuation from “Stuck in the Layers”

Acronix blinked at the old man before him. Old and wrinkled, with a long beard and a staff. Sitting off to the side with a pot of tea. “It’s been a long time,” He stated as he put down the cup and stood.

The young man scrambled to get on his own feet, “I’m sorry, but who are you?” The old man seemed to know him, but Acronix knew no man like him. This man had the body of an ancient but the aura of a warrior.

“Do you not recognize me Acronix? How amusing! I’ve spent all this time thinking and preparing for this moment, and you’ve seemed to have forgotten me?” The old man smiled, a warm crooked smile that Acronix could not believe was on that old man’s face.

“Wu… Is that you?” The old man moved into the opening stance that Wu always went into for their spars, seemly as an answer.

“How much time-”

“40 years. I’ve been waiting 40 years for this day.” Wu interrupted as he raised his staff, and centered his balance.

Acronix froze, 40 years, trapped between the layers of realities. In what felt like seconds, eons. It felt wrong, how could someone put a number, a measurement on the limbo he spent forever and no time in. He stood there, thinking, as he has forever. Forgetting Wu was there, unused to the idea of action, as Wu brought his staff down on his shoulder.

Gasping at the sensation, the young man grabbed the shoulder. Stumbling back at confusion. “What?”

The fire in Wu’s eyes was bright like they were always before a battle. Just as they have done when he last saw them.

“You’ve come back for the time blades, to try once again to take over Ninjago. And I must prevent that at all costs. You will not take Ninjago Acronix.” Wu stated as he swung again. Aiming to take him down.

Acronix stumbled back, again as Wu continued his frontal attack. “Wu, Wait! ” Acronix stumbled, “stop!” He said as he tripped over something and fell backwards. Finally noticing the wreckage surrounding him.

The monastery of his childhood was just debris, burned, and destroyed. He remembered how he and Krux would come here, they’d escape their tumultuous lives, for a few hours of purpose.

Their childhood reprieve was as burned and crushed as they were the last day he saw this place.

Acronix watched as Wu recentered himself, studying him, yet never lowering his staff. “You haven’t seemed to have aged Acronix. Yet you act very differently from that young man I banished so long ago. Tell me, how long you were trapped in time?”

Acronix scoffed, how was he supposed to answer a question such as that. “I don’t know old man. I’ve been trapped and cornered. At the mercy of my element, for so long, yet so little. Time doesn’t have time for itself, so I didn’t either. I wouldn’t believe you if you said I was stuck there for five minutes or five hundred years.” He bit his tongue, at the helplessness, he escaped from. At the full submission of time itself, the power he once held within him was around him controlling him.

“I no longer desire to control Ninjago. I’ve seen, I…. I’ve been through the complete control that I once desired for others to be under…. And I can no longer wish to obtain that.” He finished, thumbing through the debris he sat in, not seeing the old man approach until he felt his hand on his head. Patting him like he was a child again, the familiar affection Wu gave the boys since he was always taller than them.

“I am sorry that you had to go through that. I never wanted to send you through time, but after you jumped….” Wu softly said, sitting down next to the young man, pulling out his teapot, from where? Acronix never knew.

The two sat there, in silence. As if they were back when they would do morning meditation. The silence full of questions, yet empty with action. One readjusting to the other, how they’ve changed, how they stayed the same.

And they continued their silence as another portal opened and dropped the green blade.

They continued their silence as time skipped forward a few minutes.

They continued their silence as something descended from the heavens.

[fishybehavior]

Reunion?

(1,025 Words) Continuation from Readjustment

 Today's my B-day, so y’all get a part 3!

Acronix stared at the sight before him. A flying ship? How is that even possible?

He continued to stare at the ship, and noticed some heads poking out from the side, as he heard someone shout, “Master Wu! Ya down there?”

Wu chucked as he stood up and waved at the ship. Then the anchor dropped next to him as some of the figures slid down the chain to meet the old man.

“Why didn’t you tell us where you were?” A kid wearing a black gi, asked, “Why did you come alone?” A kid in blue asked over the last kid. But he was pushed aside by two kids, who looked startlingly familiar.

“Ray? Maya?” Acronix asked in shock. Shifting the full attention of the party on to him. The two stared at him with shock and confusion. And as Acronix looked at the two who looked so similar to his friends, he realized that they couldn’t be them, they looked way too young. But they looked too similar to his old friends to be a coincidence.

“You knew our parents?” The boy asked, face full of confusion and hope. The girl was standing slightly behind him, staring with disbelief and doubt.

Wu stepped in between the two sides, “Ninja, let me introduce an old student of mine. This is Acronix.” Acronix gave a polite bow at the introduction.

“He doesn’t look very old!” The blue boy piped in.

The old man chuckled at the interruption, “No he does not. But he is still an old student of mine, and you will treat him with the respect he is due.” Wu said as he walked to the timeblade, picking up the green blade.

“What is that!” The blue ninja asked.

“This is a timeblade Jay. One of four, and it is the reason that Acronix was stuck in time. And that is why he doesn’t appear very old” Wu said pointedly at the blue ninja, who seemed very excited about hearing about blades that control time.

“But this is not the place for all of these questions,” Wu quickly stated, stopping the boy before he could ask the mountain of questions he seemed to contain at any given moment. “We can continue this on the Bounty.”

The ninja nodded their heads as they rushed to get everyone aboard the ship. Quickly landing the ship so Acronix and Wu could get on board.

“Amazing, what did you do to make it fly?” Acronix marveled as Wu they boarded the ship.

“You’ll have to ask Jay or Nya about the specifics, they understand it better than me.” Wu climbed on board with Acronix following behind. Besides the large metal barrels on the bottom of the ship, the ship looked relatively normal. The deck was open yet littered with training gear, tools, and a strange bike. Acronix moved forward to look at the technology when he was pulled by Wu to the main cabin.

The room was packed with flashing lights, beeping, and every kind of button and lever one could think of. Acronix watched as one of the ninjas pressed buttons, correlating with the subtle movements of the ship, till they were off sailing, no, flying off to wherever their destination was.

“Where are we going?” He asked the pilot, who was a ninja in a white gi. He turned to him and smiled. “We’re going home, we’ve all had a long day, and we should rest.”

The boy who looked like Ray approached him, “Umm… I’m Kai,” he held his hand out, Acronix looked at it, until he awkwardly grabbed it while giving a shallow bow. “...So, uh... You knew my parents?”

“Uh… Yes. I met him during the war. He didn’t fight, but he was the best blacksmith I’ve ever seen. He made most of my weapons and armor, his work probably saved me more than Krux!” He chuckled at the joke. “So what is he doing nowadays? Does he still work at his old shop?”

He watched as the boy's face fell, looking down at his shoes. “Um… No, he and mom disappeared about 11 years ago…”

“Oh… I’m sorry… I didn’t-”

“It’s fine!” He spat as he quickly exited the room.

Acronix looked to Wu, who sighed, “I’m sorry. I’ve had no time to fill you in. A lot has changed after 40 years.-”

“40 years! Did you travel forward 40 years in time?” Jay quickly piped in, grabbing some paper seemingly ready to take notes on the situation.

“Jay! Please calm down, so we can explain.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Acronix let me introduce you properly. This is Jay, elemental master of lightning. Cole, the master of earth, Nya the master of water, Zane the master of ice, Lloyd the green ninja, and Kai who just left is the master of fire. I have been training them for the last few years.”

Acronix chuckled, “I should’ve guessed you were Libby’s kid, you chatter as much as her.” Acronix said towards Jay.

Who froze at his words, dropping the pencil he was writing with. “What?” He whispered.

Acronix smile became strains at the atmosphere, that became more awkward. He looked back at Wu, trying to figure out what he did wrong this time.

“You knew my mom?” Jay whispered as he kept his face blank.

He paused, “Of course, all us elemental masters knew each other at least in passing. Mostly due to the war…” Acronix mumbled trying not to say anything else wrong. But after a beat, Jay too stood and walked out of the room.

Standing there awkwardly, Acronix frowned confused about what he said that made the kid so upset.

The rest of the ninja stood there as well, as the silence wore on, not sure what to say. Or if they should ask more questions.

Wu tapped his staff on the ground, “It’s been a long day, how about you go and rest.” The rest of the ninja, except Zane, left quickly. Seemingly grateful for the dismissal.

Acronix waited till they left before he turned to his old master, “Wu. How much have I missed?”