A/N: Hello! Time to oh no… time travel?! I'm doomed! *quickly opens up closet door and dives in, snapping it shut behind me.* I will come out…later. After this entire mess is sorted out.

Disclaimer: I own Nothing! Except for any OC name drops that might happen!

Chapter Six: Huh? Kai? Ever heard of a Parachute? Use it!

I swung my practice sword up and over, swiftly blocking a blow from Lloyd. Now that he was older, the kid was concentrating more on his training, and less likely to get distracted by anything. Scowling, Lloyd twisted around and forced me to point the wooden sword down towards the floor. Grunting, I flicked the sword up again. This time disarming my opponent, while knocking flat against his back. Lloyd blinked as he tried to regain sense of what happened. shaking his head ruefully, he accepted Cole's hand to help him back up. "Good job Kai. If I had paid more attention when I was younger, then I wouldn't have fallen for that trick. Where did you learn how to do that anyways?"

I froze, just now realizing that I highly favored a move my father had taught me when I was younger during training. "I don't know… maybe if I had my memories back it will help me with all kinds of questions."

Zane looked at me funny like briefly, as if he sensed that I was not telling the truth right then. I felt bad for lying so bluntly to them, but my past must stay in the past. Zane placed a hand on my shoulder, a warm smile on his face. "Perchance you took fencing lessons in your past life? Instinct will bring those skills out very smoothly, and quickly."

Jay bounced on his heels, excitement flashing in his eyes. "Ooh! That would totally explain why you had a sword on you when Sensei first met you!"

Lloyd snapped his head back up to stare at me, surprise flashing across his face. "You had a sword with you when you met Sensei?"

I frowned, not liking how Lloyd since the Tomorrow's Tea incident had stopped calling Sensei Uncle. "Yeah… it's pretty beat up though. I really should sharpen it. Maybe smooth out the dents too. It's a nice sword once you get past all that."

Cole scratched the back of his head. "Don't we just hire that old fashioned blacksmith guy to do all the weapon repairs?"

I half-shrugged at him, not really thinking about what I was about to say…or a revealing it is to my past. "You do. I don't. I fix my own weapons. It really is easy to do. Especially the sharpening. Fixing dents takes more out of me though. I might have to hire him to that for me… the dents don't look right when I fix them."

Zane dropped his mouth open as he stared at me…before he could say anything about this little revelation though, Sensei came into the room. "Falcon has spotted Lord Garmadon and the serpentine. They are preparing for a final battle in the City of Ouroboros. We must go and slow their progress immediately."

With that, we broke off running. Time for battle. I spun around as I realize that the kid was not coming with us. "Aren't you coming Lloyd?"

Lloyd started, surprise flaring in his eyes. "You mean I can come with this time?"

"You're old enough now. I don't think we have that much to worry about like we did when you were younger. Now come on!" With that, Lloyd took off charging after us, eager to get to put what he learned to actual use.

…

Everything went great, until Garmadon noticed Lloyd. He went pale immediately, and disappeared into one of the underground rooms. Leaving us to fight off the serpentine. We very easily had knocked them down, before charging down to the room he had retreated in, just in time to see him enter a glowing blue portal. And here I was thinking I would never see another portal again.

"Guys…I can't feel my hands." Lloyd wiggled his fingers, even as sand quickly filled the room.

"The lost city is retreating back into the sand, as if it were never found in the first place!" Zane cried out in alarm as he struggled to keep the sand from burying him alive.

Sensei narrowed his eyes, concern dancing in them. "He has gone back in time to change past events which will prevent Lloyd from becoming the green ninja!" Swallowing hard, he looked each of us in the eye. "Ninja go! You must stop Garmadon! If he changes one thing in the past, he changes everything!"

Seriously? He expected me to go through a time portal!? He did know that those are the most dangerous portals out there right? Once you went through one…you would never come back. Instead of arguing that he was expecting us to do something that is completely dangerous, I leapt into the portal, with my brothers right behind me.

…

When I landed, I wasn't sure what I was expecting. My old house with me doing my chores…or the road where I met Sensei with me already lying face down on the ground. Definitely not the empty road with only a confused Garmadon standing around.

"What's going on here!? The time portal was supposed to drop me off here the same time you arrived Kai. There isn't so much as a bicycle for a hundred miles!" Garmadon ranted as he turned to face us.

Jay suddenly pointed to the sky. "Uh, guys? Why is there another portal opening in the sky?"

Startled, we all tilted our heads up in time to see past me…I think I'll just call him Kai…fall out of the said portal. My mouth dropped open as I watched him plummet to the ground at a very fast unhealthy speed…headfirst. Kai jerked suddenly, stabbing himself in the leg. "Well, that explains how I got that injury." Thud. Kai landed head first on the ground, face planting it very quickly.

Zane promptly flinched. "And that explains your amnesia. How did you survived any of that?!"

I shook my head. "I have no idea. Must have been lucky I guess."

Jay promptly began shaking me like crazy. "Lucky?! You call falling out of a mystery portal; and landing on your head…without a PARACHUTE! Lucky!? That is not LUCK!"

I pinched the bridge of my nose. Cole hadn't said anything yet…but the way he was pointing at Kai, then the now empty sky told me he was still processing it. Garmadon grinned hugely as he lifted his Megaweapon up into the air. "I have to go farther back to see what that was about. Anyone coming with?"

I gave my brethren a withered look as they all chimed in that they wanted to go farther back. Crazy. No way are they going to find me entering another portal.

…

We must have gone back too far or something. We were in Old Joe's shop…if you could call it that. Not wanting to be seen, especially since there were no pictures of Min anywhere, a sign that this was who knows how many years before I met Sensei, I dragged everyone behind several of the large, stuffy plants that made for amazing hiding spots. Just then, Old Joe himself walked in. And he didn't look any different now than he did the last time I had seen him. Pure white hair, with silvery gray streaks, that went down his back. And a matching beard and mustache, roughly the same size. Humming some obstruct song only he knew, he sat down behind the only piece of furniture in the entire crowded room. A cedar desk that was so old, it was a miracle it was still standing. He pulled out a piece of paper, a scroll, and dipped a quill into a pot of ink. Slowly, he began scratching the quill against the paper, writing something that only he knew what it was.

Garmadon was about to open up another portal, when with no warning at all, Old Joe stood up and walked over to the door. Yanking it open, he smiled warmly, an amused twinkle in his eyes. "Ah! Ray! Come on in! I've been waiting for you." He gestured for someone to come in…which was exactly what happened.

My father looked younger than last time I had seen him with smooth black hair that was spiked all over the place. He still had extremely thick muscles and large calluses on his fingers. His neatly trimmed mustache quivered as his lips twitched suddenly. "I didn't tell anyone I was coming over. How did you know?"

Old Joe twisted his hands around, his trademark mischievous smile in place. "I always know when someone is coming. How can I not with my special talent?"

Father gulped loudly as he sank down into the chair in front of the desk. My eyes immediately narrowed in alarm. You only sit in that chair if you're not there to buy herbs. You're there because you want to know what the future holds for you. A tricky business; and one that Old Joe did not enjoy being a part of. Cole suddenly elbowed me in the ribs. "You ok Kai?"

I quickly nodded my head yes, before lifting my hand up and gesturing to them. "They look familiar. Not sure why though…"

Zane's eyes bored into the back of my head as he once again sensed that I was lying to them. Old Joe moved so that he was sitting down again, facing my father. "Ray…you came here because you're worried that your parents and future in-laws," I may have choked on that… this was before my parents were married! "May be right that this marriage you seek on doing will disrupt the balance." I frowned at that, confused about what he meant by that. What balance?

Father twisted his hands together nervously, anxiety flaring in his eyes. "So, it is true then? If I marry Maya, it will doom the entirety of Ninjago?" Hisses of surprise rippled from all those hiding amongst the plants.

Old Joe quickly waved him off. "No. I did not say that. Are you sure you want to know what the future holds young man?"

Father took a deep breath, determination gleaming in his eyes. "Yes."

Old Joe looked down as he closed his eyes. "You and Maya will find yourselves unable to have children for many years. However…when the medic announces that she can't bear any children…count seven months. Then she will deliver twins into this cruel world. A boy and a girl. The boy you named after your grandfather, with your name has his first name."

Father arched his eyebrow up, puzzlement crossing his face. "You are saying I should name my son Kai Ray Smith?"

I had to try and cover the mouths of everyone there to prevent them from revealing our hiding spot. Cole pried my hand off, shock dancing in his eyes. "Remind me never to challenge your old man to arm wrestling… I might actually loose."

I sniggered at that, even as Old Joe shook his head wryly. "No. You already named your son that. Leave your daughter's name for your bride to come with. Your daughter will not need anyone to balance herself. She can do it herself, preventing her from accidently destroying whole cities. However, your son for the first fourteen years of his life must stay close to her…or else Ninjago will be doomed. Once that trial period passes…he will find three friends who will be like brothers unto him. They will keep him balanced. I believe that is all you wanted to know?" Old Joe looked up suddenly, peering straight into Father's eyes.

Father worriedly knitted his eyebrows together. "So…you are saying my future daughter will be no threat…but my son…"

Old Joe waved his hand fervently. "Only if he is not with his friends. Ray. You must marry Maya and have the twins. The boy plays a very big role in the life of the Legendary Green Ninja." Springing to his feet suddenly, Old Joe walked over to one of the plants. "You might want to give this to Maya. In two days time she will come down with a rather nasty cold."

I rolled my eyes at that. No one ever has to go to him for herbs. He always makes sure that they had the exact herb they needed days before the need arises. Ray nodded his head, before making to leave the shop. Old Joe suddenly raised a hand. "Oh? Ray? You might want to teach your son that time travel is a very fickle thing…and not to worry about following your footsteps. He has a bigger destiny than forging weapons."

Garmadon raised the Megaweapon, quickly opening up another portal.

…

I stopped the others from stopping Garmadon from sneaking up on Kai. I just knew what was going to happen. Sure enough, he wasn't that far from Kai when he suddenly spun around, flicking the sword up to Garmadon's neck. Garmadon very quickly backed track away from him, diving into a bush to hide. Kai then continued limping along…only for Sensei to show up and get the same treatment as Garmadon. Yeah…the others weren't real impressed with me when that happened. We followed closely, nervously watching our past unfold before us. I still found myself constantly going back to that conversation that Father and Old Joe had. I have never heard of something called a balance…and they were speaking as if both sides of my family were involved in it. That an imbalance amongst one of their families would lead to Ninjago's downfall…

…

"Kai? What happens next? Since you know more about this temple than us." Cole crouched low on a branch that hung over the campsite that our past selves were sleeping in. We had made ourselves scarce when the Great Chocolate Incident happened. Unfortunately, we lost sight of Garmadon when we did that.

"Garmadon's shadow is going to lure me away by talking about well…Jay kinda knows." I glanced over to my talkative brother.

Jay nodded in understanding, a frown crossing his face. "This is when Garmadon taunts you about a secret…one that you don't even remember."

Zane quickly shot me a worried look. "You don't think it has to do with the balancing thing now…do you?"

I quickly shook my head no. "None of that sounded remotely familiar. Father must have decided not to tell me that I can accidently destroy all of Ninjago."

Cole suddenly lurched forward, his eyes round. "Guys! There goes past Kai!"

With that we hurried after him. I sucked in a breath, recalling how defensive I had gotten when he suggested that I was lying to the others about something…but he didn't technically had anything on me besides how I reacted to his taunts.

…

That could have gone better than it did. I pushed myself up as I stared at the two Garmadons. Battling two of them was not as easy as I had initially thought, with five of us doing the fighting. Four of us being more advanced in our skills than the fifth member of our little group. Ugh. Kai looks like he's hyperventilating a little because I'm here. Jay suddenly pulled the other golden weapons out. "Guys! We can use the golden weapons to destroy the Megaweapon!" We each grabbed a weapon, our old gold weapons, and twirling around, we pointed them right at Garmadon.

"Ninja go!" We cried out as we blasted the Megaweapon out to space. The gold weapons flew out of our hands and joined the Megaweapon in the night sky.

Everything suddenly went blurry, startling me a great deal. Alarmed, I reached out and grabbed a hold of someone…I think it was Zane… I hope it was Zane. When everything settled back down, we were back in the Bounty's training room. I glanced around noting how much it looks the same. When Jay suddenly spoke up. "Kai? Can you let go please? I can't feel my arm."

I quickly released my grip on him, embarrassment heating my cheeks very quickly. "Sorry. I just got a little unnerved back there."

"Sensei! I'm going go train while we wait for the ninja to come back from the past!" A minute later the door swung open to reveal a very much still here Lloyd. Who may have frozen at the sight of us. "You're back!" Lloyd ran up and tackled hugged Zane. I tiptoed away, leaving Lloyd to distract the others from my leaving.

Unfortunately, Cole noticed. "Where do you think you're going Kai?"

I turned to face him, worry dancing in my eyes. "I figured…after what we, umm, learned today, you would like me to leave the team…"

Jay immediately grabbed me by my arm, dragging me back to the others. "What?! No way! Come on! The old guy basically said that you're safe long you're with us! We're keeping you balanced…whatever that means. But, hey! If it's keeping Ninjago from being destroyed…I'm all for it! Besides. We're brothers. Your brothers. I think we can handle whatever it is that is so dangerous about you. Also. We need to invest in getting you some parachutes. They were invented for a reason. Use it."

We all looked to each other for five seconds, before bursting out laughing. Much to Lloyd's annoyance. "What's so funny? Come on guys. Let me in on the joke. Guys!"

Yeah, so I actually learned something new about myself in that little adventure. And I didn't get stuck in time either! I hope the next adventure life throws at us will not include any more time travelling. That was educational in ways that were really weird…

A/N: *flings closet door wide open as I tumble out.* Done! Ok…so apparently Kai actually didn't know he can accidently destroy all of Ninjago if he isn't careful…by that I mean 'balanced', which apparently the other ninja help him with somehow. Interesting.

Till next time!

SkyTalon