Misako pushed her husband away, curling up more on her side of the bed. "Come on… this isn't like you…" he sighed and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"Garmadon stop…" she finally said with a heavy sigh, "I don't want to tonight…" she turned her face into her pillow, curling her body up more.

"You didn't want to last night either… or the night before…" he kissed the back of her head. "I don't mind some personal space but… it feels like you don't want me around at all anymore…" he looked hurt.

She sighed and shook her head, "I want you around… gods of Spinjitsu I love you more than you'll ever know…" she twisted her body so just her legs sideways and torso was on her back and ruffled his darker hair, hands touching his face gently, "I just… I can't…"

He frowned, "You can't what?"

She looked up with bloodshot eyes; "get pregnant again…" she wiped her eyes with her long sleeves. "I don't think I could go through that again for nothing…"

He slowly nodded, "Okay but…" he held her shaking hands. "I… know no one can replace her… but… please? I waited so long with her… and she was just… ripped away…"

She sniffed and wiped the tear from his left eye. "I know… but I can't take that again…" she shook her head and repeated, "if we have so many enemies… I don't want to have a child be at constant risk of dying or getting kidnapped… or…" she started crying again.

"Oh Misako…" Garmadon didn't want to see her cry again, but she couldn't help it. They wrapped their arms around each other, giving into quiet tears. "Shh… it's okay… I'm completely fine with it… don't worry…" he consoled her. He shut his glowing red eyes and stroked the back of her head. "It's okay…"

Kasai let out a breath and went through the couple of letters from his friends. "Well… at least we're all healing…" he muttered to himself and shook his head, folding up the one from Namiko and pulled out a pen, ready to respond to the three separate letters.

"Ah Kasai, just who I wanted to see," Hiroshi smiled.

The black haired young man looked up and smiled a little, "What is it master?" he blinked, unsure as to why he was looking for him this early in the morning.

"Well, it's been more than another three months since you came back from your visit… and you've been here for about six… I'm… considering… with the work you've been doing here…" he chuckled, "People are saying I'm crazy for doing this but I think you're ready to stand alone…"

"You mean…"

"Yes Kasai, you are a prodigy in the art of blacksmiths and I think you have nothing left to learn from me, you picked it all up so quick!" he smiled warmly. "Why don't… you test your skills by making a ring for that girl you like?"

Kasai blushed and looked down and slowly nodded. "Thank you master…" he smiled back.

Namiko slid another few beers down the counter with a cheery smile on her face. Over the past few months she got the tavern up and running again all on her own. Well; with some help from Wu of course.

"Hey Nami!" she turned her head at the young man.

"What is it Jack?" she leaned on the counter, "Don't tell me you finished that ale already!" she laughed playfully. One thing she enjoyed about being in charge of the bar was because she made the rules and could deny them a drink and was able to tease them all she wanted.

"Nah, I'm still working on," he shook his head with chuckle. "Just wanted to know what a pretty little thing like you is running a bar and is still single?" he winked.

The brunette laughed again and stood up with a hand on her hip, she always loved flirting and playing around with her regulars like Jack. "Guess I'm just waiting for the right guy… Right Tana?" she looked at the black haired young man on the last stool.

"Well, I guess you could say that," his gray eyes winked at her. Of course she was committed to someone, being, Kasai. He found enjoyment in seeing the young woman being filled with life again.

"Yes you could say that!"

Her heart skipped a beat and she saw Kasai come and take a seat next to Jack. "That's my lady you're talkin to there Jack," he lightly punched him in the shoulder. "That is… if she'll still have me…" he brandished a silver ring with a decent size garnet encrusted in it.

Namiko covered her mouth, "You actually got a ring!?"

Kasai laughed, "I did more than that… I made it… just for you,"

"Aww," a couple of girls in a table behind the two said in unison.

The brunette behind the bar looked down and laughed, "Round of drinks on the house!"

Everyone inside cheered. Kasai leaned over the bar counter to kiss his bride to be, slipping the silver and garnet ring on her left ring finger. "Does that mean you're done?" she hopefully asked.

"I of course plan on visiting Hiroshi," Kasai smiled, though he viewed Masuta as a father figure, being he grew up without his dad, Hiroshi was a more nurturing kind of figure he grown to like over the past seven months. "but… yes… I'm free to stand on my own… as of right now of course…" he pecked her lips again.

Wu moped around the monastery which was all he ever did since the team had split up. Tanaka visited more than the others, but it was still lonely for him. Everyone once in a while he dropped by his brother's home, Misako happy to see him and Garmadon was just indifferent about his presence. It was still better than fighting with each other.

He would often stare at the weapons that were taken from them, sitting idly on the wall, gathering dust. He ached for his nun chucks of lightning, wanting to feel the electricity through him again. But what his father said was law to him and he never dared to touch them.

The hardest part about staying at home was the graves. Twice a day he sat in between the headstones of his mother and niece, feeling sadder just because there was nothing he could do.

"At least… everyone found something to do with their lives…" Wu stared at the picture of the group of six; they all were sitting on the deck of the monastery, happy and smiles untainted with loss and grief on their faces. His brother was around fifteen so they all were still rather young, just before Misako confessed she loved him. "Everyone except me…" he frowned.

"Something troubles you?"

Wu looked up as his father took a seat opposite of him. "Y-yea…" he quietly said.

Masuta nodded. "Wu… why don't you think you have a life? Why do you compare yourselves to the others?"

The blonde young man looked down and slid the picture over. "Garmadon and Misako got married and work and… have a life… Kasai became a blacksmith… Namiko runs the bar and they're getting married now… Tanaka is happy on his own wanderings and has a family to go back to… I just… I have nothing…"

"You are my son and…" he smiled a little, "I suppose that… when the time comes, you will take my place…"

Wu's blue eyes widened, he was speechless, "But… dad… I… I couldn't… Garmadon is the better fighter… he knows more than I do-"

"About fighting," Masuta hushed his youngest son. "Your future I can see… you will be stronger and maybe even wiser than I would be… your brother… well… I can't foresee what will become of him in the future…" he held Wu's hand. "Just… be wary of your older brother… I do not know what could become of him when I am dead and gone…"

"Don't say that!" Wu shouted. "You lived for thousands of years! You'll outlive us too".

"I don't know about that one Wu…" He scratched the back of his head. "At this rate… I don't know how much longer I actually have…" He looked him in the eye, "And no father should have to bury their child… your brother can understand that much…"

Wu slowly nodded.

Days turned into weeks and Kasai and Namiko got married and shortly after Tanaka left once again. It was eight months in total that had gone by since the six were at their lowest point, but things started to look brighter once more.

Misako came out, smiling as Garmadon waited for her to get off of work, "You seem rather cheery…" he commented, "What happened?"

"They put me at head of the department," she squealed. "Not only that but there are new interns I have to be in charge of! Ha!" She jumped into his arms excitedly.

He smiled, "Well after what? Four years of being side kick secretary I'd imagine you'd get bumped up sooner or later," he kissed her cheek. He started the car up, "Tanaka's back in town… we're all meeting up at the tavern I think".

She nodded, "Yea… that sounds nice," she leaned back in her seat. "I wonder what went on… he's been gone for three months…"

Namiko waved over from the bar when they parked and came in. She had a worried look though when they drew closer, "Uh… Tanaka didn't have such a good time…" she looked to a table in the far corner of the room. The couple exchanged worried looks and walked over with Namiko. Wu and Kasai were already sitting on the other side of the small table.

"Hey Tana…" Misako smiled a little, "What… did you find?"

The other young men looked up at the three newcomers. Tanaka looked rather upset. His skin was paler than normal and there were dark blue and black rings under his eyes adding to the feeling that he may have had too much to drink and not enough sleep. "I uh… had a run in with Cardinsto again…" he scratched behind his ear.

The exchanged looks, how could they forget the nature wizard who tried to kill them when they were young teenagers camping in the forest as survival lesson?

"And… my parents were apparently explorers… they got lost in the labyrinth and he killed them…"

Tanaka prepared to cut his way through the thick foliage when the vines came to life and restrained him. "Well hello there… what do I have here?" A gruff voice said and Cardinsto came out. His dark green and brown robes made him blend in with the jungle vegetation.

The younger man's light gray eyes widened, "I'm surprised you don't remember me… I was one of the six students you attacked years back…" he smiled. "Tanaka Fugiyoka". He reintroduced himself.

"Oh yes I remember you now," the wizard nodded. "Why are you here?"

"I was told the last place my parents went to explore was here… they never came back…" he briefly explained. "Do you know where they would be?"

"Hmm," Cardinsto turned and tried to recall the two people. People came in went, some people he let go and others weren't so lucky. "Oh yes… a man and a woman came by many years back… What were their names… oh yes the man was Yang and the woman, I assumed his wife, was… Dottie I think".

"That's them!" Tanaka grinned, "Where can I find them are they still here or did they move on?" he asked eagerly.

Cardinsto folded his arms and sighed, "I may not like you but I suppose you ought to know the truth boy, I killed them for trespassing". Tanaka's smile faded quickly. "I kept up signs and everything saying that mortals were not welcomed but you parents just had to meddle… they were explorers and botanists… I'd tell you I'm sorry but I really don't care!" He released his vines from the lavender and gray clothes man. "Get lost before I'll have you meet the same fate!"

Tanaka's body started shaking, different emotions he had never felt before were running wild in his head as he turned and ran all the way back to Yosho and basically collapsed on the hard wood floor of his grandparents' home. "Grandfather!" his voice cracked. The young man's lungs were burning with a white hot sensation and his throat was dry as he tried to clear his head.

"What is it?" Armin asked. "What happened? You look terrible! What did you find?!" he started asking questions. "No wait, hold on, let me get your grandmother and uncle!" he ran into the other room, "Ayana! Mason! Get in here! Tanaka is home!"

Both came in quickly and Tanaka wiped his eyes, "They're dead… I ran into a wizard once during my training with Masuta. During a survival lesson, we were attack by a wizard named Cardinsto… I met him again while I was exploring and… and he said he killed them for trespassing…"

His grandmother gasped, covering her mouth. Mason wrapped an arm around her. "I lost two of my sons!" she looked just as upset as Tanaka did. The ninja's body ached as he walked forward to hug his grandmother.

He ball one hand up and slammed his fist on the table; glasses clattering from the sudden motion. "So like the lot of you… I don't have parents either…" he bitterly said.

Misako sat right next to him, "Hey… we're all a family…" she smiled, "That was what was instilled in me since I was little… and I think you need to start believing it to… and it might have always been… we're all running from something and Masuta took everyone in and gave us a place to call home"

The older man sighed and placed his stein down and nodded, "I guess you're right…" he wiped his eyes, "I never really knew them either… like you…"

"Believe me I know how it feels finding out… especially when they dumped you wherever to find your own way… but I think your parents truly cared… they wanted to come back to you I'm sure…" she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Mine never cared if they came back or not..."

Tanaka slowly nodded at her words. "This is my home… you are all correct…" he set his drink down. "I think this will be my last drink…" he laughed a little and slid it over to Namiko, "I think seven is enough… you should have stopped me after three…"

The brunette bar maid took it and smiled with a quiet nod, "Yes… yes I think that's a few too many…" she looked down, "I knew you were upset though… and you don't get as drunk as Kasai or Garmadon…"

"Hey!" Both said in unison.

"Enough about me…" Tanaka looked weakly at Misako. "Are… you thinking about another child? What's gone on since the last time I was here?"

She looked down and folded her arms on the table, lowering her head. "No…" she mumbled, "No we are not thinking about trying for a third time…" she wiped the tear bubbles in her eyes.

"Third times a charm right?" Wu meekly asked, half laughing. He was just trying to lighten the sudden serious mood. Garmadon shook his head, making eye contact with his younger brother, prompting him to shut his far too talkative mouth.

Misako sniffed and rested her forehead on her left hand. "Ya know… with all the crap we've put up with over all these long years… I'm happy to know we're all still alive at least…" she let a small smile slip.

"Damn straight," Kasai slammed his fist on the table and grinned, "Ain't nothing's gonna split us up!" he laughed.

Nice long chapters for your enjoyment. I hate in between stuff like this but I it gets good with the next few chapters with the spirit smoke a special uh... book thing :D oh and baby Kai will be here soon just to let ya know ;)

thank you for reading :)

~Mar