(*sigh* I apologize for the short chapter but school's been stressing me out and. . . this was all I could type this week. Sorry)

Chapter 36-Going downhill

"So is it a boy or a girl?" Wu inquired, pulling up the loose sleeves of his shirt in order to wash the dishes from that morning's breakfast.

Misako's eyes widened and she smacked the blonde man on the back of his head. " Don't say that so loud."

Her green eyes shifted left and right, fearful that Garmadon had been within earshot. Luckily, he didn't seem to be in the kitchen at the moment. Wu rubbed his head, his wet hands causing his thin hair to stick against his skull. " It wasn't loud,"

"Either way I don't know. How am I supposed to know?"

Wu shrugged. "Ask it,"

"You can't just ask ," Misako rolled her eyes.

"You can't just ask what?" Garmadon asked, raising his eyebrow, his crimson eyes bright against the room's shadows.

"Nothing!" Both Wu and Misako exclaimed, their voices responding far too quickly.

"I feel like I am most definitely missing something here. . ." His eyes shifted suspiciously from Misako to his brother, but then he shrugged their weird glances away. " Anyway, I was thinking of training with the fire sword for a while. . ."

"Ah no bad idea." Wu turned towards his brother. " Dad said we shouldn't mess with them anymore. . ."

"Well. . . He's dead."

Misako and Wu both flinched at the cruel reality of the words. Wu sighed. "I can't let you use the weapons anymore. I promised dad I'd keep them from you."

Garmadon scowled. " Why would. . . Fine whatever."

With one last bitter look, Garmadon stepped out of the kitchen, murmuring to himself. Misako tightened her braid, more out of nerves than out of necessity. " Did your dad really ask you to keep the weapons away from him?"

"Yeah. . . He was scared that the power that they had would tempt his evil side and you know, make him go crazy faster."

"Go crazy faster?" Misako frowned. " You say that as if he's going to go crazy no matter what."

"You don't know that! Maybe. . Maybe I can change him you know? Isn't love supposed to fix everything. . .?"Misako's arms rested absent mindedly on her stomach. "Maybe he doesn't have to be evil."

"I don't think you can change the devourer's venom."

"Well aren't you optimistic. . ."

"I'm not trying to-" Wu's voice were cut short by a rapid know on the monastery's front door. The sound was barely audible, as it had to travel through the courtyard to reach Misako and Wu's ears. "Was that a knock . . .? Who would come up here?"

Misako shrugged, trotting out towards the door. She unlocked the big wooden door attachedto the monastery's big walls, causing an eerie creaky noise as the hinges complained about the movement. In front of the door stood a young man, thick glasses too big for his face barely hanging onto his small ears. He was dressed in loose purple clothing, a light brown satchel hanging from his side.

"Ah," He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his small nose. "I've got a letter here. . . For um. . . Wu and Montgomery?"

"Letter? Cool! " Wu snatched the white envelope from the young man's hand.

"Yeah. . . Well that's all!" The mailman smiled halfheartedly, knowing that a long trip down awaited him.

"Who the heck was that?" Garmadon growled looking at the letters within his brother's hand. " We got mail?"

"Yup!" Wu handed Garmadon one of the envelopes, then hurried to open his own.

Misako looked from Garmadon to Wu, a sick feeling growing on her stomach. Letters ? One for Garmadon and One for Wu? She bit her lip, hoping her suspicions were wrong.

Seconds after, the faces of Hikari's sons dropped. Wu looked up at Misako, confusion clouding his blue eyes. "It's from. . . Ninjago's army. They're calling us in."