Greetings from the Cursed Realm - J.R.R. Not-Tolkien relatively alive here. Yes, I said I'm in the Cursed Realm: I haven't been updating recently, and so I've been punished with lack of inspiration for my fanfics XP Which, saying that aloud is kind of a Catch-22, but what do I know? I'm a lowly author.

Anyway, it's been three years since I posted and completed my story A Grief Observed. Three years can do a lot to a person's writing capabilities. So, I've decided to revise and rewrite this story. After reading it through now, a lot of it was a little too convenient and unrealistic for my current tastes, and I feel like I could do a better job of it now.

So, between December 17th (the original date of the first chapter's upload) and February 25th (the original date of the story's completion), I will be posting the revised, and now J.R.R. canonically-correct story. As it is a revised and rewritten version, some of what happened in the original story may not happen here, and new stuff might happen. I'll hopefully still be able to carry the spirit of the original story here, but also better.

So . . . please enjoy. (Oh, and anything with a little * next to it has a note at the end of the chapter)

Chapter 1: A Peace Interrupted

November 30th, 2015

"Hup-two-three-four, no one's gettin' in this door―five-six-seven-eight, gonna ask Cindy Crawford for a date―"

"Hey, cheating on your significant other is my gig, Sparky." Nya whacked Jay playfully on the shoulder.

"You make it sound like that's something to be proud of," Jay teased back, tightening his black belt around his waist. "And besides, I'd take you over Cindy Crawford any day, sweetheart."

"Knock it off, you sweet-talker!" Jay dodged another light-hearted hit from his girlfriend.

"Oh boy―urgh―" Cole walked onto the back porch, struggling to tie his belt "―did my gi shrink since our last training session? It's feeling kinda tight."

"I think it's more likely you gained weight since our last training session," Zane commented placidly. The black-clad Nindroid was leaning against a support beam with his titanium nose stuck in a book.

"Hey, this is pure muscle!" Cole protested hotly, finally managing to tie his belt.

Grinning widely, Jay stuck a hand through Cole's transparent chest. "Nope. Not feelin' any muscle, Ghost Boy."

Cole huffed and shoved Jay's hand away. "Har har, you're a riot, Mr. Walker."

"It's a talent, Mr. Brookstone," Jay chirped mischievously.

The Master of Earth rolled his eyes. "Where's Kai at?"

"He got restless, so he got a head start on exercises." Nya thumbed out into the yard, where Kai was doing jumping jacks with vehement fervor. "I think he's still trying to fill in Lloyd's spot: he used to do exercises early like that."

The smile faded from Jay's face. "It's been four months since Lloyd and Misako went off on that retreat in the States. I'da thought had gotten over that by now."

"Gotten over what?" Right on cue, Kai jogged up to the porch, shaking sweat out of his spiky hair.

"Training hasn't even started yet and you already need to hit the showers." Cole tossed the brunet Master of Fire his red towel.

"We were talking about you trying to fill in Green Bean's shoes," Jay piped up. "Which might be a tad too small for ya."

"I'm not trying to fill in anyone's shoes!" Kai swabbed the sweat off his face before draping the towel around his neck like a scarf.

"Coming from the guy who complains about not getting enough 'beauty sleep', yet wakes up before the crack of dawn to meditate," the younger Master of Lightning snarked under his breath. "That's Lloyd's thing, dude. You don't think we notice that stuff?"

"Well, if you've noticed it, why haven't you done anything about it?" Kai had his hands on his hips. "We've been slacking off since Lloyd and Misako left, and the publicity from both Sokovia* and the Cursed Realm haven't done us any favors in the responsibility department."

"Sokovia happened months ago!" Jay protested.

"So did what happened with Morro, and yet here we are with yet another six interviews set up for what's left of this month and going into December, not the least of which is the one with the United Nations and the Ninjagonian representative in a two weeks."

"Another one?" Cole groaned. "I thought we gave the UN all the intel we could without completely butchering Ninjago's privacy!"

"Apparently they got wind of the incident with the Preeminent, so they want to get the scoop on that." Kai sighed. "The point is, all the free time that isn't spent with answering stupid questions for reporters looking for soap operas means nothing if we don't use it wisely and train for the next headliner. Which could be any minute for all we know - and I'd rather my name not be in the Obituaries for a long time yet. Since Lloyd's not around to tell you knuckleheads that, I figure I might as well be the one to be the example."

"So, on that note, I believe it would behoove us to begin our warm-ups before Sensei Wu is ready to render further instruction," Zane spoke up, closing his book and setting it down on the porch railing.

"That's a really weird choice of word, but okay." Jay hopped up from the steps and jogged out into the spacious yard that doubled as their outdoor training grounds, followed by his four teammates. "Last one to finish is a rotten egg!"

"Hey, no fair!" Kai complained as Jay immediately launched into jumping-jacks. "And I already did those!"

"You keep griping and you'll for sure lose," Cole quipped; he was already close on Jay's heels.

"Early exercises don't count!" Jay chirped innocently. "So suck it up and start jumpin'!"

"You sound like a fitness instructor," Nya laughed as her brother begrudgingly joined in the jumping-jacks.

"All I'm missing is the Day-Glo leg warmers and that 1980s upchuck called Spandex," Jay joked, carelessly swiping sweat off his forehead with one hand.

"Oh dear fizzims, don't give me that imagery, please." Cole mimed blowing chunks in between jumps. "Yep, I'm gonna have that lovely piece of modern art stuck in my head for about a week."

"Hey, it's better than Picasso!" Jay chirped, dropping down into push-ups. "Or would you take melted clocks over Happy Days reruns?"

"I think Salvador Dali was the nutcase behind the melted clocks, but yeah, I guess I'd take Mork and Mindy over Pablo and Pollock." Cole face-palmed. "Did I date myself so hard?"

"Hooo-whee, you just took yourself out to the movies, your treat." Kai regained his good humor and joined in on the banter in between crunches.

"Robin Williams will never be replaced!" Jay shrieked, falling flat on his back mid-situp and shaking his finger at the heavens.

Cole rolled his eyes. "Dude, can't I bring up one character plays without you going on a tirade about 'the world's loss of a true comedic genius'?"

"Neverrrrrr!" Jay kicked the air like he was pedaling an invisible bicycle.

"I hope that wasn't in response to the question, 'will you ever listen to your sensei', Mr. Walker."

The teen's* eyes widened and he quickly jumped to attention next to Cole. "No, sensei, of course not!" he stammered, looking around the yard for the elderly master. "Where the heck are you?"

"What have I said about using such language in sentences where I am the subject?" Jay yelped as someone bonked him over the head with a staff.

"Saw-REE!" Jay rubbed the back of his head as he spun around, still unable to find the source of Sensei Wu's disembodied voice and the unpleasant staff whack. "Don't tell me you decided to get in on the ghost scene!" He turned toward Cole. "Where is he?"

The ghost shrugged. "He's right behind you―can't you see him?"

"Aw, dang it, Cole, don't tell me I'm going mental!" Jay raked his hands frantically through his ginger curls, somewhat oblivious of his friend's concealed grin and Nya's stifled giggling. "I can't lose my mind! I'm too young and cute to be off my nut!"

"You're off your nut most of the time: you're allergic," Cole snarked, trying unsuccessfully to turn a laugh into a snorting cough.

"Heyyyyyy―" something clicked in Jay's brain "―why hasn't Kai made a joke at my expense or Zane said something intelligent?" His blue eyes narrowed; he sensed someone creeping around behind him.

"I'm right behind you―or has your training gone to pot in five months?" He heard Sensei Wu's voice again, but it wasn't as close as it should have been if he really were the one coming up to his back.

"Nope―I'm not that rusty!" With a lightning-fast movement, Jay dodged the second staff blow, then dove forward and knocked his attacker off his feet. In a split second, he had him gripped in a solid headlock.

Kai cursed as he squirmed in Jay's tight grip, dropping the staff and trying to pry the younger teen's arms off his neck. "Ah, dang it, Zane! Why'd you have to tell him that? We could have had him chasing his tail for hours!"

"With at least one concussion, no doubt," Zane cleared his throat and his voice reverted to its normal intonation. "And as neurons do not reform after dying, Jay would lose valuable mental capacity and have to deal with repercussions even after the concussion resolves. He would also be at higher risk of developing dementia in old age should the occurrence be repeated."

"Thank you, Doctor Zane," Kai grunted, still trying to break Jay's firm hold.

"Yes―as a licensed medical doctor, I make it my personal duty to ensure that we avoid sustaining serious physical injury both on the battlefield and off it." Zane decided to ignore the brunet's sarcasm. "It's been a miracle of God that the worse injuries we've received since our formation have been dislocated or mildly fractured limbs."

"Which begs the question―" Jay glared down at the Fire Ninja twisting in his headlock "―why did you want to give a heart attack by pretending to be Sensei Wu?!"

"Zane was the one who did the voice!" Kai protested hotly.

"But you were the one who bonked me on the head with that stupid staff! And you still didn't answer my question!"

Kai huffed. "I was bored, okay? I didn't wanna go through those warm-ups again, and that staff was just begging to be whacked over someone's head."

"And it had to be mine?" Jay whined; his arms were getting tired, but he stubbornly refused to release Kai.

"It's not like there was anyone else: Cole's transparent, Nya's my sister, and I needed Zane in a good mood to pull off the Sensei Wu gag." Kai sensed Jay's grasp was weakening. "And besides―you have the best reactions!"

Taking advantage of Jay's relaxation, Kai simultaneously wormed his way out of the headlock and pinned the younger ninja face-first to the grass. "Getoffame!" Jay shrieked, relieved his arms could relax, but freaked that his girlfriend's brother was sitting on top of him.

"Hey, Cole!" Kai smirked and pointed back to Jay's kicking legs. "He's got socks on."

Cole snickered; Jay's eyes nearly bulged in panic. "Jeez, no, Cole, don't, please―" he swiped desperately as his leg as the ghost casually sauntered around him "―pleaseohpleaseohpleaseohplease―" Cole knelt down at Jay's feet, completely ignoring his protests, and calmly stuck his transparent fingers into Jay's socks.

As soon as the socks' hue changed from dingy white to ghostly green, a smirking Cole wiggled his fingers. Jay let out an uncontrollable scream of laughter, squirming all the more as Cole tickled his feet harder. His laughter was punctuated with half-hearted protests, both of which increased in volume when Kai started tickling his underarms. "S-s-stop it!" he was barely able to choke out, his sides absolutely aching from laughing so hard.

Nya and Zane were both openly laughing off on the sidelines; tears of mirth were rolling down Nya's face. Oh, even when he isn't trying, Jay makes me smile, she was able to think between gasps.

All the while, a certain white-bearded sensei watched the scene from a window looking into the yard, smiling quietly as he allowed his students' attempts to stay on the topic of training fall completely apart: Nya had decided enough was enough and doused Kai with a blast of water, sending Cole diving for cover and initiating a brother-sister chase sequence around the yard.

~*two hours later*~

Jay stumbled into his bedroom, drenched in sweat with grass and dirt adhered to his training gi. "Oh my FSM, I'd forgotten how exhausting good clean fun could be!" He flicked a dirt clod off his sleeve. "Although I'm not sure it was really 'clean'―I'm gonna need a week or two in the shower to get this muck off."

However, just as he was about to strip his sweaty clothes off and sink into the tub, his phone, which had been sitting placidly on his night table, abruptly announced that "Jay, you have a call―Jay you have a call―"

The Lightning Master groaned. "Oh, jeez, gotta change that ringtone." Reluctantly, he checked the caller ID. "Unknown number, huh? Well, I'll see what they want, but I'll give them a greeting they won't expect."

With a lazy nonchalance, Jay answered the call. "Ennyn Durin Aran o Moria: pedo mellon a minno. Im Narvi hain echant: Celebrimbor o Eregion teithant i thiw hin."

There was silence on the other end of the line. Jay smirked. If that doesn't tell the guy they've got a wrong number, I don't know what will.

Then, a voice responded. "Annon edhellen, edro hi ammen!"*

At this, Jay's smirk melted off his face. Only one person knew this phrase and its proper response. . . "Alex? Alex Azam, is that you?"

"The one and only, mellon-nin." The young man on the other side barked with laughter. "You sounded so smug when you rattled that off―I almost hated to rain on your parade."

"If there's anyone I'd want to rain on my parade, it's you, Alex!" Jay almost forgot about how tired he was. His face broke into a broad smile. "It's good to hear from you, buddy!"

Alex Azam was Jay's playmate back in the old days when Jay had lived in the desert town of Rakurai. He couldn't remember the last time he'd talked to him since he'd left . . . jeez, how many years ago was it? Four? Holy cow, it had been awhile. . .

"How are things down in the old homestead? Your parents doing good?"

"Ah, they're doing great―still hassling me to get hitched so I can give them some grandbabies to spoil," Alex laughed. "Jeez, you tell some people you start dating and the first thing they ask you about her is 'When's the wedding?'"

Jay grinned. "So you finally got yourself a girlfriend, huh? Who is she?"

"You remember Melissa Myers from youth group?"

"You didn't! You were her sworn enemy because you hated her simultaneously whining about Rakurai being a hick town and charming the high school bigshots!"

"She's grown up since you went off for college, Jay―I think you leaving gave her a good dose of reality. You and I both know she had the biggest crush on you, despite your status as a notorious double-decker geek 'n' nerd. She's a real nice girl now, and I don't think I could have asked for a better girlfriend."

Jay smiled. "I'm glad things are working out for you, Alex. Now I've got another excuse to come down for a visit."

"We'll make a date of it, buddy," Alex replied with a grin. "Or a double-date if you decide to finally introduce me to your girlfriend."

Jay laughed. "It's a deal." He settled himself back against his pillows. "So, whatchoo callin' me up for? Not that I don't enjoy talking to you or anything, but it's been so long since I talked to you that I'm a leetle suspicious of your motives."

Alex's cheerful demeanor instantly went flat. "Ahhh, dangit, Jay, this just got harder. . ."

"Why? What's wrong?" The young Master of Lightning sat up now, his brows knitting into a frown.

"Well, to be honest," Alex faltered, "the only reason I called was because your mom couldn't get a hold of you."

"That's not like my mom - she usually calls until she gets an answer from something other than my answering machine."

"Well, she would have, but she left in such a rush that she forgot to take her phone with her in the ambulance―"

"Ambulance?!" Jay nearly shrieked the word. His palms went damp with a sudden sweat secretion, and his heart started pounding in his ears like Cole practicing drum licks.

Alex cringed. "That didn't come out right. . ."

"Alex, what was my mom doing in an ambulance?!"

"Your mom's completely fine!" Alex blurted out. "She's completely and totally fine, except for the panic attack she nearly had when your dad collapsed on the sidewalk―"

"When my dad WHAT?!" This time, Jay's voice went up a full octave. He could feel the rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins; his heart thumping quicker than a tap-dancing millipede and louder than a hammer on rock. "ALEX, WHERE IN THE NAME OF THE OVERLORD IS MY DAD?!"

"Last I saw him he was on an ambulance heading for Ninjago City General!" Alex stammered. "I think he had a stroke or something because when I was talking to them he just keeled over and wouldn't wake up―"

With a sob of panic, Jay abruptly hung up on Alex. His phone clunked to the floor as he barrelled out of his room and down the hallway: he had to get the hospital!

As the speeding teen whizzed through the front living room, nearly charging through Cole and almost knocking Zane down, Kai yelled, "Did you drain the soda dispenser again, buddy?"

Jay didn't even hear the brunet's quip; his mind was fully focused on just getting out the door, summoning his Elemental dragon, and getting to the hospital. Dear God, Dad has to be okay! He was out on the street in an instant, and in an even quicker second, was soaring just below the skyline on his dragon. But after only a few minutes of flying, he realized that he wasn't even looking for the hospital―his dragon was wandering aimlessly past skyscraper rooftops and brushing against apartment complexes weakly, as if it didn't know what it was doing.

That was when the panic set back in. Jay's breathing came out in shallow gasps as he realized he had absolutely no handle on his bearings: he had absolutely no idea where the hospital was; his brain was too clouded with fear for him to think straight.

He didn't even realize his dragon was fizzling out until he no longer felt the reins gripped between his sweaty palms. Then the sensation of falling jolted him back to his senses. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

He flailed desperately at the air, struggling wildly to resummon his dragon before he hit the pavement below. Without any armor on, the fall could definitely break his spinal cord but good from this height. "HEEEEEEEEEEELP!"

"HANG ON, JAY!"

Only seconds after he heard the voice, Jay landed right into a pair of cool, muscular arms. He could have cried with relief―Cole had swooped in on his dragon out of nowhere and caught him just in time.

Looking around, Jay was surprised to see Zane and Kai in the skies next to them, Nya hitchhiking a ride on her brother's dragon. "What are you guys doing here?" he stammered.

"When you bolted like that without saying anything, we got worried!" Nya called.

"You okay, Sparkplug?" Kai asked; Cole carefully set Jay down on the back of the Earth Dragon.

Jay breathed shakily. "A little better, but I've got to get to the hospital!"

"The hospital's a couple of blocks that way!" Zane pointed to the right. "Let's go!"

As the others followed Zane's lead, Cole, noting with concern that Jay was still pale and trembling a little, asked, "What's the matter?"

Jay swallowed a sob; all the feelings of anxiety and panic were flooding back into his brain. "It's . . . it's my dad."

Cole nodded. That's all he needed to hear. "We'll be there in a heartbeat, buddy."

A heartbeat, Jay thought, wrapping his arms tightly around Cole as they caught up to and passed Zane. But would a heartbeat still be too late?

I hoped you enjoyed Chapter 1 of the revised edition of A Grief Observed. I should hopefully have the next chapter up in the next couple of weeks.

#God's Not Dead!
#ForeverNinjNerd!

(posted on December 17th, 2018)

*Sokovia is a reference to the events that take place in an unpublished fanfic set in the WarTime Universe. (Points if you guess what it means.)

*The definition of "teenager" in Ninjagonite culture is slightly different than the traditional definition. It's used to refer not only to young people 13-19, but also to anyone under the age of thirty who has not married and had at least one child. This is due to the Ninjagonian belief that marriage and having children is a sign of maturity, showing that the person is ready and capable to be responsible in part for their family's lives, not just their own. The term is also used as a negative connotation to irresponsible spouses or adults, referring to their immature, childish behavior.

So, even though only eighteen-year-old Nya and nineteen-year-old Lloyd are still traditional teenagers, twenty-year-old Jay, twenty-one-year-old Kai, twenty-two-year-old Cole, and twenty-five-year-old Zane would still be classified as "teens" due to the fact that none of them have married and had a child.

(Note: there are exceptions to this rule, e.g. a person marries but is unable to have children)

*This almost completely incomprehensible language that Jay and Alex are speaking is several Elvish phrases from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The reason Jay uses this phrase is because only the geekiest of geeks would understand what it meant and know how to respond appropriately. In this case, what Jay says is an inscription written over the secret doors to the Mines of Moria, and what Alex says in reply is one of Gandalf's attempts to open the doors.

The exact translations are as follows:

Jay: The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter. I, Narvi, made them. Celebrimbor of Hollin drew these signs.
Alex: Gate of the Elves, open now for me!

The other instance of Elvish used here is Alex calling Jay "mellon-nin", which means "my friend."