This one-shot is for Willow Julien who has requested a Jaya story set in her Warriors AU.
If you have read her books: The beginning of this story is set between "True Warriors" and "Stronger Together", i.e. before Willow's funeral, but will continue into the first chapter of the second book. I have made up (or rather extended) Jay and Nya's backstories, so they may be slightly different to the ones in WJ's books. It didn't say in the main story where Willow's funeral took place, so I have placed it in the Middle Realm instead of the North.
If you have not read them, it should still be possible to follow this one-shot (I hope!). Just to give you some background information on the setting etc. (Willow, please correct me if I say anything wrong!): Ninjago is like a medieval country, its three realms are ruled by Zane's parents (Northern Realm), Kai and Nya's parents (Southern Realm), and the Garmadon family (Middle Realm). Five warriors were chosen to protect the country: the four 'original' Ninja plus Willow (OC) who is Zane's sister and Lloyd's lover. At the end of the first book ("True Warriors") Willow is killed during the fight with the Overlord. This story takes place during her funeral.
Disclaimer: Ninjago belongs to LEGO, the Hageman Brothers, and WarnerBros. The setting and OCs belong to Willow Julien. I only own the plot of this story.
The Princess and the Warrior (AU)
"Mind if I join you?" The unexpected question almost made Jay jump. Luckily, it only almost did, as he was sitting on the roof of the highest tower of the grand Garmadon Castle.
Jay was both surprised and annoyed. This location was certainly not a place where one would normally expect to meet other people. Nor was it a place where the blue warrior would go if he actually wanted to have company.
Jay looked up and found his teammate Kai standing next to him, dressed in his signature red colours and wearing a friendly smile on his tanned face.
He did mind, but he didn't want to get into any trouble with the hot-headed Southern nobleman.
"No, not at all," He therefore lied, gesturing around. "There's enough space here for both of us." The roof would have been big enough for their whole team, but, having just lost one of them, they would never be able to try that even if they wanted to. Which probably wasn't the case anyway.
"Thanks." Kai sat down right next to his teammate, for this side of the roof provided the best view over the lands, with the magnificent Birchwood Forest to their left and Ninjago City, the Middle Realm's capital, to the right.
"So, whatcha doin' up here?" The red warrior enquired.
"Uhm, nothing actually." Jay admitted, feeling an embarrassed blush creep onto his freckled face. "I-I just like it up here. You know, ever since I was a kid I've always felt most comfortable being out in the open air and as high up as possible. It just makes me feel… I dunno… free." The former thief chuckled sadly. "This must sound strange, coming from a guy who, just a few weeks ago, would always sneak around in shady places and was more likely to end up down there in the dungeon than anywhere else… anyway, what are you doing up here?" He asked, eager to switch topics before he would reveal more of his inner thoughts and feelings.
"Oh, I was just searching for a place with a good view over the area. My parents and my little sister are coming for the funeral tomorrow and they should be arriving soon. I can't wait to see them, it's been a few weeks."
A few weeks – that felt like nothing to Jay… The nineteen-year old hadn't seen his own parents in almost four years now. And he doubted that he would ever get to see them again. He would constantly remind himself that his mum and dad were a lot better off without this disappointment of a son that he was. But that didn't change anything about the fact that he still missed them dearly.
At least he knew that they were doing alright financially. One of Jay's former business partners did regular business trips to the Sea of Sands. And he would always make a little detour to the Walkers' Workshop and buy some of Jay's father's inventions for him, charging a small fee for that 'favour' of course.
Jay still had some of his savings left. After the funeral, he should probably head to Stiix, a small town near the border to the Southern Realm, and give the money to that greedy bastard Ronin for his next trip to his parents. And after that, he would have to find a proper job.
Just being a hero might work alright for the wealthy sons and daughters of the country's rulers, but it didn't pay the bills for the likes of Jay or Cole. But under no circumstances would the former thief want to go back to his previous 'occupation'. When he and his team were fighting against the Overlord to save Ninjago, it had felt really good. It had felt right.
Despite his history, Jay was a good guy. And suddenly, someone had decided to give him a second chance in life, and he was going to use it. If only he knew how…
"You're coming, right?" Kai's question snapped Jay from his thoughts. He hadn't paid attention to what his friend had talked about.
"Huh?" He asked. "S-sorry, I-I wasn't paying attention…"
"Yeah, I got that much. Are you alright? You are normally never that quiet…"
"I-I am fine, don't worry. What were you talking about again?"
"I was just asking if you are coming to the reception in honour of my family tonight?"
Jay hesitated. "I-I don't think so…"
"Why not? I am sure Willlow would want us to enjoy the evening, despite what happened. The last few days have been tough, and tomorrow will be even harder for all of us. And my parents would really love to meet the other warriors who have helped to save our home."
"But I don't think they would want to meet me. You know what I did before I was chosen to become one of the warriors. And I…" Jay swallowed. "…I already met your parents, about four years ago and not under the best circumstances."
Kai was surprised. "You did?"
"Well, I am originally from the Southern Realm, the Sea of Sands to be precise."
"I've always thought that you have a familiar accent. I probably should have asked…"
"I didn't want you to." Jay interrupted him. "That's why I've never kept my mouth shut. If you constantly joke and talk about random stuff, no one will ever think of asking you any real questions… anyway, you deserve to know the truth in this matter. My parents run a little workshop in the desert. It's going quite alright, but I've always had higher hopes than spending my life in the middle of nowhere. When I was fourteen, I moved to Ignacia and tried to find a job in the Southern capital. But although I was a pretty good engineer - thanks to my parents - no one would hire me. I only got a few small jobs, like working as a delivery boy, but that was about it. I should have just gone home, but I was way too ashamed to admit that I had failed. So I joined a gang of street kids and started thieving. Turned out, I was quite good at it and it went really well for a while. I could even send some money back to my parents, keep up the pretend that I had a proper job at one of the workshops in town. But then, I got cocky. Made a bet with a few of the other guys to steal a couple of things from the palace. Even a few personal items from the Royal Family. Long story short, I made a very stupid mistake and got caught by one of your parents' guards." He shuddered. "It was a samurai warrior, probably the scariest fighter I've ever met. Well, apart from the Overlord."
Kai grinned. "I think I know who you are talking about…"
"He was about twice my size and three times as strong, you must know him." Jay recounted his memories. "Anyway, I was taken to court and your father, Lord Ray, banished me from the Southern Realm. I came to Ninjago City four years ago, all on my own at the age of fifteen, and never got caught again." He looked rather proud of this achievement. "But no, I really don't think your parents would want to see me tonight. Don't worry I will still come to the funeral tomorrow, I owe that to Willow and to Lloyd."
Kai scrutinised the former thief. "You know, despite your young age my father could have easily sentenced to death or at least banished you from all three realms of Ninago. But he didn't. That means he must have seen something in you. And you have changed, haven't you?"
Jay nodded silently.
"Then you should come." Kai stated firmly. "My father deserves to know that he was right about putting some trust in you."
"I-I'll think about it."
"Great." Kai replied.
Jay didn't respond, so the two young men silently sat next to each other for some time, with the warm afternoon sun on their backs.
Soon, the Southern ruler's carriage came into their view. It was accompanied by five mounted guards adorned in the Southern Realms signature red colours.
"Oh, there they are." Kai exclaimed. "I'll see you later then?"
"Sure..."
Without awaiting the other's reply, he got up and climbed down from the roof. Jay watched him appear at the castle gate a few minutes later, just as the carriage approached the entrance as well.
The guard at the front of the train raised their hand, indicating the procession to stop. They jumped off their horse and ran towards the Warrior of Fire, taking off their helmet in the process.
Jay gasped in surprise. The Southern head guard was a very pretty young woman with short raven hair. "Kaiii." Even up here, Jay could her excited call.
When they reached each other, Kai embraced her tightly, lifting her off the ground and twirling them both around.
Jay was slightly surprised. Kai had never mentioned having a sweetheart at home. But Jay couldn't really complain about the lack of information, not having revealed much about himself before either.
Witnessing their happiness, the auburn-haired man could feel a small pang of jealousy, But, Jay kept telling himself that didn't need anyone. He didn't want to love anyone, especially having seen what it had done to Lloyd. The young prince of the Middle Realm had completely broken down after losing the love of his life.
No, this was certainly not something Jay wanted to experience for himself.
In the evening, the warrior of Lightning sat on his bed, in the small room he shared with Cole. Over the past weeks, the warrior of Earth had become the closest to a best friend Jay had ever had. He was wondering if his roommate would mind if the stayed together after the funeral. Before Cole had been imprisoned by the Skypirates, the black-haired man had been a rather successful performer; maybe he could use an assistant?
Cole himself was just getting ready for the reception. "Are you sure you don't want to come?"
"No, I am not feeling well." Jay lied. He was going to tell his friend the truth another time, just not today.
But before Cole could leave their room, there was a knock on the door.
Jay opened and found himself face to face with the female guard he had seen earlier. Instead of her guard armour, she was now wearing a crimson red silk dress. But the back mounted katana as well as the dagger holster on her belt indicated that she was still on duty.
"Are you Sir Jay and Sir Cole?" She asked. "Kai has asked me to escort you to the reception."
"It's j-just Jay." He blushed. "We…uhm…we are almost ready, I-I'll just need to change."
"Alright, just Jay, I will wait for you outside your room." She replied with a friendly smile.
"Looks like you're feeling better now…" Cole commented with a smirk.
The two young man followed the guard to the grand hall, where the reception in honour of Lord Ray and Lady Maya was held. Kai was waiting for them at the doors.
"That wasn't fair play." Jay whispered to him.
"I know." Kai grinned. "I just wanted to make sure you would come as you have promised. And my sister can be very convincing."
Jay felt a strange wave of relief when he heard that this was Kai's sister and not his lover. He took another glimpse at the Southern princess, she looked a lot different to how he remembered her. The last time he had seen her, she had been a cute fourteen-year old girl; now Lady Nya was a beautiful, strong young woman of eighteen years.
They entered the grand hall and were greeted by their hosts, Lord Garmadon and his wife Misako. Their son Lloyd was not attending the event, he obviously didn't feel like celebrating, even if it was for one night.
Zane and his family were present, much to Jay's surprise. They had arrived two nights prior but had been busy preparing their fallen daughter's funeral, so Jay had not met the Northern Lord and Lady yet.
He walked over to the white Warrior and embraced him in a comforting hug. Zane then introduced him and Cole to his parents Lord Julien and Lady Faith, his younger sister Wisp, as well as Willow's closest friends from Icenwood, her hometown.
But eventually, Jay had to meet the guests of honour. While Cole was already talking to Lord Ray and Lady Maya, Jay first took a cup of water, before he slowly made his way towards them, his eyes firmly fixed on the ground.
"And this, father, is Jay Walker, the blue warrior of Lightning." Kai announced. "And my friend."
The Lord carefully eyed the auburn-haired man. "Jay Walker?" He said contemplatively. "I have once encountered a thief by that name. But…" He smiled at Jay. "…that must have been a different person. Am I right, Mr Walker?"
Jay lifted his head and smiled back. "Yes, Lord Ray." He confirmed in a surprisingly firm voice. "I can assure you that that person is no longer around."
On the next day, however, there were no smiles. It was the day of Willow's funeral, and her loss was weighing down on them all. Even the sun wasn't shining today, and the sky was covered in the colours of the grey Warrior.
After they had paid their tributes to their fallen teammate, Jay needed to get outside. He was desperate to be on his own and out in the open air.
Dressed in his ceremonial robes, he wouldn't even try to climb up the tower, so simply went for a walk in the beautiful gardens surrounding the Garmadon Castle. One of the most striking features of the gardens was the Golden Dragon Fountain, which illustrated the famous Ninjagian [I still don't know if this is the correct form XD…] legend of the Final Battle between Good and Evil.
As Jay approached the fountain, he saw another person already sitting on its edge. Slowly walking closer, he soon recognised her as Lady Nya, Kai's sister and the Northern head guard. But today, she was wearing a long black lace dress instead of her uniform. Jay noticed that the slim outfit perfectly accentuated her petite curves, yet it made her look like a very delicate young woman, rather than the strong and confident soldier he had met the day before.
Nya had her body and face turned away from him, she was watching the water fall down from the dragon's mouth.
Jay felt like he was invading her privacy. But secretly sneaking away was something he had done too much in his previous life. So, he carefully approached her.
"L-Lady Nya." He gently addressed the woman.
Nya turned towards him and Jay could see that she had been crying, making him even more uncomfortable. He had never seen a woman cry before and didn't really know what to do or say to comfort her. After all, he felt like crying himself.
"M-may I join you?" He asked shyly.
Nya nodded weakly in reply, and Jay took a seat next to her on the fountain edge.
"Are-are you alright?" As soon as the words left his mouth, the blue Warrior mentally slapped himself. What a stupid question that was. She was crying. Of course, she was not alright. In fact, neither of them was.
"I…" Nya's voice broke and she started sobbing. Jay gently put his arms around her and pulled her into a comforting hug. He just held her as she cried into his chest. The auburn-haired man could detect a faint scent of coconut in her hair, and he suddenly felt his heart pounding fiercely in his chest. Jay blushed. There was no way Nya would not feel that as well but, strangely enough, it seemed to soothe her.
Nya soon fell silent and Jay was wondering if she might have fallen asleep. He carefully pulled back and looked at her. The young woman's short raven was slightly tousled and her chocolate brown eyes were wide open and bloodstained from crying. Despite not wearing any make-up – which was probably a good thing as it would probably have smudged by now – she had perfectly smooth, slightly tanned, skin.
Watching her from the distance the previous afternoon, he had thought that Nya was very pretty. But being this close to her, Jay found her to be the most beautiful person he had ever seen, even in the miserable state she was currently in.
"Would you like to go back? It is getting quite cold." He asked, when he could see her shiver.
She nodded. "Yes, please."
He stood up and offered her a hand. Nya gladly took it. She was still trembling, so she slightly leaned onto her escort.
Jay would have offered to carry her, but he was worried that it would be considered as inappropriate behaviour towards a Lady. Also, he wasn't sure if he would actually be able to do so. The Warrior of Lightning was not the strongest fighter, his (rather limited) skills in battle were based on his speed and agility. Nya most likely had more muscles that he did. Therefore, Jay decided to simply put his arm around her waist and support her walking.
He escorted her to the entrance to the south wing, where the noble families were staying. He bowed his head. "Goodnight, Lady Nya."
"Goodnight, just Jay." She gave him a weak smile. "And thank you."
He couldn't explain why, but Jay returned to the garden the next afternoon. He took the same paths and he eventually reached the Dragon Fountain from the same direction. And he found the same person sitting in the same spot as on the day before.
But today, Nya did not have her back turned towards him. She was looking ahead and, when she saw him approaching, wore a real smile on her face. Jay noticed that she looked a lot stronger. And the light blue dress definitely suited her a lot better than black, making her look even more beautiful, if that was possible.
The blue warrior bowed his head to greet the princess.
"Would you like to go for a walk?" He asked, offering his arm. Not that she would need it today. Nya still took it.
"I was hoping to see you here. I wanted to thank you for… helping me yesterday. And I appreciate you not telling my family that I broke down in front of a total stranger."
"N-no problem. And I'm not a total stranger." Jay replied. "I mean, I am your brother's teammate. That should make me maybe just a partial stranger, right?"
Nya laughed. "Well, maybe you could tell me a bit about yourself, then we wouldn't be strangers at all?" She suggested.
"Alright." Jay agreed, much to his own surprise. "But then I want to know more about you as well. For example, how did you know Willow?" He asked.
Nya's face fell, when he mentioned the name of her late friend. "Well, we've know each other since we were very young. The three families ruling Ninjago would have very regularly meetings, to discuss political affairs and such. And our parents would like for me and Zane to get married, so they would arrange frequent visits between our families. And then later, Willow and I trained together at the guards' academy, that's where we became really close friends. And we kept up that friendship even after returning home."
Jay felt bad for reminding her of their loss and making her upset. "I've heard about the academy, Sensei Dareth is supposed to be a great teacher. I bet you would have made a much better warrior than me." He tried to cheer her up. "I harldy know what I'm doing and I still keep hurting myself when I try to use my weapon…"
"Yes, but you were chosen to be one of Ninjago's protectors, which means it is your destiny. To be honest, I was a bit jealous at first when my friend and my brother became two of Ninjago's protector, but I now understand that my own duty is to guard my home. Even as a young girl, before I joined the academy, I used to sneak out, dressed in a way too big samurai armour, and hunt down the criminals that were roaming the streets of Igancia."
"Y-you were the samurai?" Jay blushed.
Nya smirked. "Embarrassed that you got beaten up by a fourteen-year old girl?"
"I-I was only fifteen back then myself. And without any training at all." Jay defended himself. "B-but how did you know?" He was wondering if Kai had told her what Jay had said about, well, her?
"Your eyes." She replied. "When I came to your room, I thought that you looked somehow familiar, but I only fully recognised you when my father mentioned your name."
"I am sorry." Jay looked down in shame.
"It's alright." Nya said. "Sure, I was quite upset about the necklace you stole from my room. But, as one of my teachers has always told me, the past is the past. You've said it yourself that you are not the same person anymore." Jay lifted his gaze, so she was looking straight into his deep blue eyes. "And you've meant it, haven't you?"
"I have." He confirmed. "Thank you, My Lady."
"Now that you have learned about my little secret, I want to know more about you, both the person you were and the person you are now." She requested.
The couple kept walking, and Jay started to narrate the story of his life.
Over the next two days, they would meet in the park and continue their conversation whenever their busy schedules allowed it. And for the first time in years, Jay felt comfortable talking about himself.
He told her everything. About his parents, his protected childhood, his adventures in the streets of Ignacia, his stupid mistake that resulted in him getting arrested by the 'monstrous samurai', and his life in the Middle Realm. Even his worries about his uncertain future.
He had given his last savings to Nya, so that she would send it to his parents after her return to Ignacia.
In return, Nya talked about her life as the daughter of the Southern ruler. The princess had been educated the same way as her brother. Since her early childhood, she had been trained to become a fighter. And she even was a highly skilled blacksmith.
But in the end, she was still a noblewoman. And she was supposed to be married to a nobleman.
As the couple returned to the palace on the third afternoon, their hands entwined, Nya's father was waiting for them at the stairs.
"Nya, we have been looking for you everywhere." He told his daughter in a firm voice. "As you know we are leaving tomorrow morning. We and Lord Julien and Lady Faith have agreed that tonight's dinner would be a good opportunity to announce our plans for your and Zane's upcoming wedding. But there are a still few things that need to be agreed on beforehand. Please see your mother at our chambers. In the meantime, Lord Garmadon, Lord Julien, and I would like to have a word with Mr Walker."
"Yes, father." Nya let go of Jay's hand and disappeared into the castle.
"Mind if I join you?" The unexpected question almost made Jay jump in surprise. Luckily, it only almost did, as he was sitting on the roof of the highest tower of the grand Garmadon Castle.
Unlike the other days, Jay actually wouldn't mind company, but he doubted that he would ever see her again, unless at some official and very formal occasions.
But when he looked up, he found Nya standing by his side, wearing her red guard uniform and smiling at him.
Jay smiled back. "No, not at all," he replied in all honesty. "But how did you find me?"
"My brother." Nya said, sitting down next to the blue Warrior. "We are leaving in an hour. I was waiting for you in the park to say goodbye, but you didn't come. And then Kai told me that I might find you here. And I... I missed you at the dinner last night."
"Yeah, sorry about that. I wasn't feeling too well." This time, it was even the truth, Jay had been rather miserable all evening. He gave her a forced smile. "Tell me. How did it go? When is the wedding going to be? Congratulations, by the way."
"Oh, there will be no wedding. At least not for us." Nya told him. "Zane and I spoke for quite a long time before the dinner. Turned out he wanted this no more than I did, and he even admitted that he is sweet for another girl. While she isn't a noblewoman, she is from a good family in Ignacia, so he hopes that his parents will approve of her. Especially as their union should also strengthen the bond between the Northern and Southern Realms."
"So, you are not disappointed?"
"Me? No." Nya vigorously shook her head. "Zane is a dear friend, but nothing more. And, I don't think I am ready to get married yet."
"I am sure you will find someone, whenever you are ready. I mean, you are beautiful and strong and smart and kind, one would have to be a fool not to fall in love with you… uhm." Jay could feel his face heat up.
"Thank you." Nya smiled, also wearing light blush on her cheeks. "And I know I will."
She scooted slightly closer to Jay. "But that's not all that that was discussed yesterday. Father wouldn't tell me what he and the other lords talked to you about, but Cole did. I am so happy for both of you."
"Thank you. Yes, it's great that Lord Garmadon is going to formally employ us here at the castle, so that we can receive proper training and even a salary. And Cole and I are going to share a small house on the estate."
"That means… I will see you next time I come here?"
"Yes, unless that happens during the next one or two weeks. Lord Ray, your father has formally pardoned me and revoked the banishment. That mean, I am going to take a few days off to see my parents. Although I doubt that they will be happy to see me…"
"Oh, I am sure they will be ecstatic. From what you have told me, they are wonderful people."
"Yes, but I have caused them a lot of pain and disappointment…"
Nya took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"But they are still your father and mother. Have some faith." She told him. "If my parents have forgiven you, then yours will do so even more. Believe me, they are going to welcome their lost son back with open arms."
"I-I hope you are right."
"So, you need to have your money back, then?" Nya removed the small velvety pouch from her belt.
"Well, if you don't mind, I would still prefer for someone to use it to purchase something from my parents that just give it to them. They are way too proud to accept any kind of charity."
"Of course, I will take good care of it." She smiled. "And when you are in the Southern Realm, are you going to visit some other places as well? Maybe Ignacia"
"Yes, I was thinking of visiting the capital. I had a secret hideout just outside the city and, unless someone else has discovered it, there should still be quite a few valuables in there…"
Nya's face fell. "Oh…"
"Don't worry, I am not planning on making any money with them. I am going to return whatever is left."
"And when you are there, you are more than welcome to visit us. Kai and I can even teach you a few things." She smirked. "Like using your weapon without proving a menace to everyone around, including yourself."
"I-I'd love to. And, some of those items belong to your family, so I'd have to come see your father…"
Jay had never sold the necklace he had stolen from the little princess. He sincerely hoped that it was still safely hidden, so that he could return it to its actual owner.
"And there's also something that I will need to return to you." She smiled.
"A-and what would that be?"
"This." Nya leaned towards him and placed a small kiss on his lips.
Before Jay could process what had just happened, Nya had already left her spot beside him. Jay looked down and saw her was elegantly climbing down the tower wall, towards the window.
"You thief." He called, as she was just disappearing inside the building. "I'm definitely going to get that back."
Jay could hear Nya's cheerful laughter. "I'm counting on that." She replied.