ooo[Neido is a canon character, but maybe not this story… You never know, though…~]ooo

((Is my writing really that bad? I don't do it very often because I don't get much feedback... But same for my drawings, except I have the time at school. Ugh, maybe I should get the hint and leave...))

"Get back here, we've been having fun!" Demanded the blond, following after his childhood friend. Or at least, whom he figured was his friend. The older brunet was way too scared of him, it was uncanny. Unless you had Neido in your life, you wouldn't see why it was so bad.

Microwaving hamsters in the middle of the night. Setting newspapers on fire under his parents' bed. Throwing nearly completely smoked cigarettes into his koi pond, that was once beautiful. Cutting into trees with signals on traffic signs. Prank calling the police, making up the most disturbing details… That's what Rufus was made to do, anyways.

Something was so enchanting about whatever Neido would go on about… The way the teen would talk repeatedly about anything. It was both intriguing and frightening. Something made it seem as if he were putting the person under some sort of spell.

One minute you would talk to him, the next you wake up in the parking lot. Rufus didn't even want to know why he had to go through this the most.

He was wearing some leather jacket that he clearly could never have owned in the first place. It still had the tags and all of that. The fit was constricting, so he bet he knew who had wanted it.

The younger had no sorrow for the robbed item. He caught up, snatching it off the chubby body. Once it was on, he eagerly spun in circles, chuckling, "Thanks Rufus, you always come through for me."

The said male wanted out, but soon he would, "I'm done, Neido."

It took a moment to process, but the other stopped in his tracks. Fear subtly shot through his veins, but he played it off, "Oh?"

"You heard me," Rufus sighed, then kept on speaking, "I'm moving soon, anyways." Instead of demanding they take the jacket back, he just backed, the afternoon sun beating down on him. After how many years he was suddenly freed? "Keep that, just don't follow me."

That felt like a low betrayal. Neido was one of the only people that even talked to Rufus. Not many other people found themselves interested to strike up a conversation with the foreigner. With a southern twang, the others only passed by him, mocking him. Not to mention the unhealthy obsession with comics.

He was nothing but a loser. It was Neido who was the nice one here. Only he would even bother giving the long-haired teen another glance in general. Still, he gave an eerie grin, "Oh?" He walked up towards the older.

Instead of instant red lights, Rufus just turned around to leave. A sudden blow to his back caused him to fall forward. Cursing everything and everyone in his head from the blistering pain, he just watched the ground. It felt like everything was on fire now, but that made no sense. He squirmed around to look at Neido, but all he saw was that gleeful stare.

He must have looked odd, nearly openly writhing on the grassy part on the edge of the car dividers. Fighting back the urge to scream, he just clenched his fists and took the inward burning. Was he truly set on fire? Rufus could be dying from it right now, and Neido was just standing there. Something changed, and he stopped moving that much.

Then, like the older wanted, he was gradually left alone. It took some time, but suddenly he found that there were men standing over him. They startled him, but all he could really do was widen his eyes. Yelling happened, then he numbly felt their harsh gloved hands tugging him onto a stretcher. He shut his eyes to will it all away, unsure why something like this had happened.

Eventually he was told why; that Rufus had been under a false heart attack. Something had triggered his body to start going under the struggle. The doctors were puzzled as to why, but he knew. He had made his friend angry, and the opposing had some sort of powers. Supposedly dangerous ninja-like powers.

Now he believed that, having to deal with those pains every so often for the rest of his life. To this day he had no clue who called the ambulance, perhaps even Neido did... But who would believe such an innocent boy could do anything harmful?

*I*I*I*I*

Wu set his jaw as he walked up to the front door of the home. This was either too soon, or much overdue... Rapping his fist against the door, he stepped back respectably. The woman who answered looked scared until she made a wide smile, "You came back at last?" Practically yanking the older man inside, she waved him along and down the hallway. She then backed away when they got to end of the hall, "Just take him back, we're done trying..."

The graying man nodded, fixing his hat as he tapped on this door. There was no answer from behind the door, so he walked into the room. A teenage boy was lying with his back to the elder. He was tinkering with some sort of device, so Wu walked up to him quietly, looking down at what that could be. He found out it was a spoon.

Neido was heavily concentrated upon twisting the piece of metal in his grasp, but was trying with his mind. He ignored the shadow falling over him. It had no importance to him. The younger eventually starting having it bend, but not by much. The more experienced ninja was amused, until he started hearing buzzing in his mind.

Suddenly, the room became dark. He was confused as he then looked around, there were shadows filling the room. It was starting to get to him, since he secretly had great fear over this sort of scenario.

"Get out."

It was so simple sounding, causing Wu to look down at the boy. He didn't respond, but the shadows crept up closer. This was no good, so at last he spoke back, "I think you know why I'm here, Neido..."

The apparitions were getting fiercer, so the other then gave in to his next idea, "I am Sensei Wu... Don't you want to know what's so different about you?"

Neido scoffed, then went back to his spoon troubles.

Wu noticed that the visions were gone... like they were all in his imagination. He tried kneeling down beside Neido, but his knees were terrible after so many years, so he just held out a hand, "Come on, you need to face your destiny."

"What?" That sounded weaker than intended. He then realized he didn't care whether he stayed or not, because his parents were like torture. They finally caught on to everything he was up to. This spoon had also been shoved down a running toaster. He apologized as convincingly to his father as he could, though he truthfully wanted to laugh in glee at that.

Fishing it out of the trash, Neido then started to train in his own way. Maybe his sanity was down the garbage as well, now that it was thought upon. He ignored the voice telling him to twist the arm as he used it to get up. The blond was very protective of the utensil after a few days of it. The only reason he had left the room was to cause the dog to... take a permanent rest against the fence.

Too bad the little boy was grounded and sent to a shrink, because he didn't even remember why he had the gardening tools in his grasp anyways. Why there was such gruesome details his little ten-year-old mind could barely grasp. Neido was unsure why he hadn't been spotted in the sparse bushes, making the actions for the human puppet to do. It was the parents' faults for not being more aware of their child.

Neido refused to speak up, allowing this practical stranger to lead him away from the prison. He blinked and forced his parents to face away in the living room, whether they wanted to or not. All he cared about was that his spoon was safe. He stuck it inside his ratty leather jacket pocket. After that, nothing could go wrong.

But oh, did it...

*I*I*I*I*

"Sorry Uncle," said the young adult, watching his elder start getting up. He had thrown another fearful vision on accident. This was meant to be nicer sparring, and he felt he had been getting better. Yet every so often, he felt his reality slipping. The other ninjas in training had complained, threatening to leave.

All because of him... He was supposedly meant to be the green ninja, but he didn't see why. All he did was destroy everything in his path without much of a care. It wasn't even directly him doing it, either. It was difficult to control this side to him, though...

Sensei Wu merely shrugged it off, getting up on his on. He had to keep up with the twists more carefully. He wanted to prepare early for Garmadon's rise. "Just be prepared for your father."

The man threw off the green hood, frustrated, "What if I'm not the green ninja? Then what?" His anger and fear vibrated, ready to lash out and start something. He found no reply, then grew bitter inside.

"You just need more focus, and to control these powers." The older figured these weren't the things that the destined ninja could do. It was killing him that he would have to wait all over again... Trying to word his next sentence carefully, "Though there is always Lloyd..."

That got the figured reaction of shock and more fury. Circling his relative with a strange expression, "I'm a good ninja, I can still take Garmadon down! Who needs some stupid destiny to tell us this? Lloyd's only a baby!"

Thinking of how he was near drinking an odd concoction of tea and some strange dangerous liquids intermixed, just that morning, Wu gave a long sigh. Stroking his beard, he calmly went to the next room to cool off. He sat on his lower legs as he was at his little table. Pouring newly made and cooling tea, the male drank from it. "...Perhaps the wait will be worth it, Neido. I'd hate to see you be unprepared, no matter how much you feel you are up to the challenges ahead."

*I*I*I*I*

Eventually the current batch of ninja would be considered unfit, as well. They weren't able to make advancements to finding their true potentials. But Neido stuck around. He was told to make himself scarce around people, or rather, to at least try to stay where he felt he should be. Same thing, he figured.

When the older at last found his own true potential, it was like the room was done for. He had to move where he slept, because he then began waking up with night terrors. Neido was miserable, but what else was new? He then got his nerve-wracking powers under control... mostly.

Sensei Wu even allowed him to teach alongside him, happy his nephew was slowly coming out from his shell. He was still twitchy and awkward, so he rarely allowed himself to leave his room, only leaving for personal breaks or for lunch, the only meal he would honestly eat. But only in private. If certain criterias weren't met, he'd shy right away, and Wu was scared what could happen if this was pushed a certain way.

There was one catch though; Neido couldn't tell Lloyd they were brothers. He had to wear his headpiece and full ninja uniform whenever he graced the new teenaged ninjas with his presence. Apparently that would distract the younger, but he knew the truth.

Even his wrecked family had things to be ashamed about. Too bad Lloyd never got to find out that he wasn't the first to be picked out as the green ninja... Or that all his childhood was sweet as candy. He got the good genes from his mother, while Neido was no better than Garmadon.

Of course he wouldn't ever tell Lloyd, but since the dark lord fell, maybe he would have his chance to get to know the elemental ninjas... He'd been feeling extra antsy for something fun to do.

And besides, who wouldn't want to trust the ninja of imagination?