It's been that way since he was five and his sister was three.
It's been that way since he was sixteen and gained three brothers.
It's been that way since he gained a baby brother a few months later.
Kai Jiang will be twenty in a few months.
He hasn't gotten trully sick since he was five, not long after his parents had disappeared.
Nya doesn't remember, she was too young.
Kai's memory of that time is patchy at best, but, he remembers enough to know he had to learn how to stop an illness before it worsens.
But that was fifteen years ago.
Two years ago, he got his parents back.
Six months ago, his sister got engaged.
Six months ago, the team earned their greatest victory.
And maybe Kai has let his guard down during the down time.
And maybe Aspheera's theft of his powers had slightly bigger consequences.
And maybe the Never Realm was a bit colder for him, than it was for the team.
And maybe there was a reason he never let himself get sick, a reason Nya didn't know, didn't remember.
Because Kai is the protector.
Kai is the caretaker.
That means he makes sacrifices.
Sacrifices of himself so that no one else has to.
And maybe he's never told anyone just how many sacrifices he's made.
But a sick Kai is unaware.
A sick Kai is tragically open and honest.
'Oh, I'm sick' is Kai last thought before the illness pulls him under.
~
The first thought from the other residents of the Monastery of Spinjitzu, is worry and concern when the Master of Fire doesn't show up for the rare brunch their Master had allowed.
When they discover his current state, they remain worry but are also relieved.
They actually find it funny when Jay discovers that Kai will answer any question they have as though he was under truth tea.
A Tale of the Wind (Intro, A Tale of Water) - A Ninjago History
Thanks to @fantaghoul for letting me use their post to fill out my own Morro Headcanon
AU concept:
Ya know how in Dragons Rising Euphrasia said that if they found out she was an elemental master she would be exiled from the cl
Disclaimer: I have not watched Dragons Rising - however, I have hear that it tends to retcon lore from the OG show as such I will be sticking to the original lore and expanding on that. Also, there will be a slight retcon of a detail concerning The First Master's control over water and wind and his creating of the Ninjago Realm. I'll make a separate post about my retcons at another time for now I just wanted to finally get this work out there. Now, without further ado.
~~~~~~~
Ninjago.
That's what he would call it and this would be where he would primarily reside. It had been so long since he had returned to the Realm he had created and the world beneath the waves was thriving; but, they had forgotten him.
In his time away - creating other Realms, defending the First Realm to keep all the others from falling into ruin - the seven tribes of Merlopia (two of which were Serpentine) had forgotten him. He knew that some part of them knew him, some part deep within but on the surface, his creations did not recall him.
The First Master understood that this was impart due to Wojira, the Grand Guardian he had left to watch over his work, but like the Grand Guardian of the First Realm, who now called himself, The Overlord, this Guardian as well had turned against him.
And yet, he could see it in how her eyes would flicker between red and blue, in those moments he saw remorse. Wojira was a good Guardian, but she had made mistakes and now it was beyond her power to stop herself.
The Merlopians fought bravely and with him there they fought twice as hard. The First Master, however, did not wish to see Wojira killed so he called together his Protectors - Fire, Metal, Wind and finally Water, Water who was the first to be given mortal form.
Water love the world beneath the waves and it had been the proof of this love that convinced the First Master to give her mortal form. She was called Nyad, Nyad of Merlopia, Nyad who would be the first Master of Water. Above and below the waves Nyad fought to protect her husband, her daughter and the people she had been made a part of; then appeared, the Master of Ice, still immortal, and without speaking a word Nyad knew.
There were many options and Nyad knew that the First Master would never ask something so desperate of her, she knew that he would exhaust every option and still never ask for her sacrifice and that was why she made the choice herself.
Working with the First Master, working with her fellow Protectors, Metal, Fire, and Wind, the five of them were able to construct two amulets, one of Wind (the Storm) and one of Water (the Flood). These would be able to tame Wojira and perhaps one day the former Guardian would be able to return to her post but for now sleep was more favorable then death.
Nyad, to ensure their success, became one with the great ocean of Ninjago and soon the battle came to an end. The Merlopians constructed a great temple far and deep beneath the waves to honor Nyad's sacrifice and to house the sleeping Wojira. As for the daughter of Nyad, her mother, mind lost to the sea would observe her naming ceremony from a distance, unaware of her connection to the baby girl who would one day make water dance.
The baby girl would be named Nya, a naming tradition that would be passed down for generations to come.
On the surface, though the Realm was his creation, the First Master asked if the Merlopians would be willing to share the Realm with another. The king of Merlopia gave his terms and there was agreement. The war had tired them and all they desired was peace in isolation so the First Master created the land of Ninjago a fair distance away, a distance that would satisfy the agreement.
One day the Merlopians would remember who created their Realm.
~
The First Master found Wind, Fire and Ice at the edge of the newly created land, the three Protectors contemplating the sea.
"Thoughts in isolation tend to double back on themselves" said the First Master in greeting.
The three turned to the First Master and bowed, greeting their master.
"Rise and please speak clearly what is among you that I may be of aid."
The three Protectors looked between themselves, then Fire spoke, "Master, you gave us life and great purpose and even among the Protectors, you gave us three another gift each for use when the time is right. You gave me quick foresight that I may be a guiding light in dire circumstances."
"You gave me far sight," said Ice, "and with this I was able to see the end of this battle before you called Nyad for the creation of the amulets."
"And you gave me", said Wind, "the gift to effect destiny and yet as I am there is only so much I am able to do. Master, you said that all of us, each one of your Protectors would one day take on mortal form and in doing so we would be able to do things that we cannot yet do as we are. Nyad has returned to her element and her power will one day awaken in her daughter. Wojira is sleeping and I ... I wish to stay apart of Destiny's Trio, I wish to remain where the wind meets the water. But, now I feel what Nyad felt when she asked to become mortal and though I wish to stay I feel a pulling calling me. Master, you who command every element, I ask of you, make me mortal that I may fulfill my destiny."
And the First Master smile a gentle smile one that had the slightest touch of sorrow. He gave his creations freewill, all his creations in every realm and for every generation; but freewill ment that one had the ability to choose good and the ability to choose evil. Destiny's Trio never kept things from each other and so the First Master knew that Wind made his request in full knowledge of blessings and tragedies that could one day be.
"It will be done" said the First Master.
As they were, the Elemental Protectors could travel between Realms without any aide and so they followed the First Master to what would one day be called the Wailing Alps, the tallest mountain in Ninjago that would one day house the Temple of Wind. From the mountain the First Master and his Protectors entered the Realm of the Cloud Kingdom and there they were met by the Master Writer, a man who had been a scribe when the First had left the Realm, who now rejoiced in having lived long enough to see the First Master's return and welcomed him and his Protectors, knowing why they were there.
The Master Writer was honored to have been remembered and further honored by the First Master by the task he would be given - to care for and teach Wind in just the same way the King of Merlopia had been tasked to do for Water when she became Nyad. And so with great power, Wind was given mortal form, like Nyad had been made merlopian, Wind became a being of The Cloud Kingdom clothed in the robes of a scribe.
"Now," the First Master said, "what is your name?"
Wind thought in silence as all waited with baited breaths, then, he spoke.
"My name, ... is Morro."
This would be a name passed down for generations to come.
~
Freewill. The freedom of choice, the choice to be good but also the choice to be bad.
It would be several thousand year after the first Master of Wind was laid to rest that someone would enact a change, the tragedy the First Master hoped would never come to fruition. Fenwick could hardly be called a scribe when he first came upon the thought as he contemplated how others rejoice in the return of the Master of Wind from his mission in Ninjago. Every Master of Wind, since the first would be trained to the level of a Master Writer, then sent down to Ninjago when the need was at its most, to lessen pain, to alter tragedy, to defy what the scribes of the Cloud Kingdom had written. Fenwick despise the thought that his people rejoiced that someone would overruled their writings, the words of the Cloud Kingdom were absolute but the Master of Wind could always find ways to change the winds of fate. Unfortunately, Fenwick was not alone in his arrogance but he would be the catalyst for a horrific age in the Cloud Kingdom.
In time Fenwick grew his skill, in time he climb the ranks, in time he gathered his hidden forces and then they struck. The Master of Wind was found dead. It was an accident many concluded but generations would pass and as numbers dwindled people became wary of the Family of the Wind, something was after them and no-one wanted to be caught in the crosshairs, yet soon even the Family of the Wind feared stepping out their own door but better to be seen then be found dead in the dark. Time passed on and the Master of Wind had become long forgotten in Ninjago, often times the Family of the Wind contemplated escaping to Ninjago but something always stopped them from leaving just yet.
~
Her name was Morria. She lost her father as a baby, her older cousins when she was five, her friend when she was twelve and her mother when she was seventeen. She was twenty-three, the last of her family when she met the man who would be her husband, he was an orphan and his name was Arnon, two years later they would be married, two years after that they would have their son, a small child who, by Arnon's dying wish, would be named Morro.
Morro had a remarkable memory and each day as Morria would braid Morro's hair, to hide the natural streak of green that marked him as member of the Family of the Wind, she would teach him all she knew about the Cloud Kingdom, about their work as a scribe, and about their family history but there was only so much she could teach him. It had become to dangerous to live in the family home of the Family of the Wind, Arnon, while he had lived, had worked hard to find them a home where they could be safe; Arnon's death had been a sacrifice to keep Morro and Morria safe.
Once Morro's silky black hair had been given braids to hide the green, Morria would teach Morro how to manage the task himself by teaching him how to hide the green in her hair. This was how they kept each other safe, Morria would not let Arnon's sacrifice be in vain, she needed to learn as much as she could then she could teach Morro herself after the two of them escaped to Ninjago. Morria kept close her and Morro scrolls of life, as Arnon's had already been laid at his tomb, after all, you cannot write a life scroll for the dead. As to Morria's scroll, her parents and potential guardians were nolonger around to write in it and she feared what would happen should she open it herself, but, Morro's scroll was written in with the care, respect and wisdom of a true Master Writer.
There was peace, a balance and that of course was when tragedy struck again. Morria had been contemplating how she would retrieve Arnon's scroll, a scroll that she had full rights to but hadn't claimed for fear of being caught; Morria wanted to bring it with her when she and Morro escaped to Ninjago but as it was, it was not ment to be.
It was night when Morria bundle up Morro that he wouldn't be recognized; in her bag was her and Morro's scrolls along with some quills and ink, a change of clothes, some rations and the only three books her family had been able to keep from their old home - it was time to go to Ninjago. Into the night they went but half way through the city, Morria knew something was wrong, though her hood was up to obscure her face, she could tell that the shadows had eyes and they watched her like starving wolves. Morria slowed her steps and quickened her turns, she could feel the wind in her heart begging to be used but she would not reveal herself so quickly, she could not reveal herself so quickly, Morro was only five and had no power of his own and with his and her scroll so close at hand, Morria, could not take the risk. Part of her begged that that the monsters in the shadows would turn away from her but she knew now what she didn't before, she would not live to see Ninjago.
In her angered fueled sorrows at all the tragedy she had been forced to bear, at knowing her son would be an orphan, the wind began to roar, to unleash the full extent of the sorrows of the Family of the Wind, and in the wind, Morria, could hear her family as they fought back. Taking advantage of the chaos, Morria used the shadows like the Ninja her ancestors were trained to be and made her way to a small orphanage.
"Morro," Morria said as she placed him on the steps and handed him his change of clothes and part of the rations from her bag, "I have to go, but I need you to promise me to remember everything and do everything I had taught you. Do you understand?"
"You're not coming back," Morro asked.
It was a cruel thing that a child so young had to be prepared incase they became an orphan but Morria hadn't shielded Morro from the possibility.
"I'm sorry", it was all she could say, and, "I love you Morro."
With one last hug as they held each other tight, Morria hear her son whisper, "I love you, momma". She let him go, knock on the door of the orphanage, and Morria dissappeared into the windy night.
~
There was a part of Morria that had wished she had taken the chance to escape with Morro but she could hear on the wind that the possibility of escape had ended the moment she had been spotted; for Morria, there was only one thing left to do, the monsters in the dark had been hunting her a long time but the moment she died none but her family would be able to open her scroll, she knew this, but as to her son's scroll, she would hide it that none could harm him with it. Her task completed, Morria faced her attackers far away from Morro's scroll and as she took her last breath, the wind combed through Morro's hair like a mother guiding her son to sleep.
~
The first Morro had heard of his mother the next morning had been a grim cold voice that had concluded that her death had to have been destiny. It would be many years later when the nights would nolonger be filled with Morro's silent tears, as it was, it was four months after he had become an orphan, that the monsters had found him. He could not see their faces; they kept their voices gravelly, their grip one his arms was tight to bruising and their nails sunk deep into his skin. Morro had always been a careful child, he had to be, but somehow, someone had seen him playing with the wind.
Morro, though frightened, struggled fiercely in their grasp. The whole group was near the outskirts of the Cloud Kingdom as many did not know that the dead woman with green in her hair had been a mother, as such, they who had killed her and caught her son wanted the matter to be over and done with. Still, Morro struggled and slowly the wind began to kick up, he had to live, for his ancestors, for his father Arnon, and for his mother.
"My apologies child," said a grim cold voice that didn't sound sorry at all, "it's just destiny."
Then, just as death was about greet him, the wind gave one last push and Morro was falling. On the wind he could hear the grim cold voice speak, "thrown out, ah, it's just as well, the fall will take care of him itself."
Perhaps one could say that Morro was halfway to his True Potential but he gathered what control he had of the wind and ruffly costed down the Wailing Alps, past the abandoned Temple of the Wind all the way to the bottom of the mountain, landing with a tumbling head over heels crash. There he sat in shock and soon began to cry and the wind cried with him. The night came and then the day and with no more tears to be had, Morro begain to follow the wind. It would be seven months before he'd find rest at the Monastery of Spinjitzu.
