Zane stood outside the door of his father's workshop in the birchwood forest. It was snowing lightly, the sky completely white with winter clouds. He knocked three times, waiting as several clatters were heard inside.
The door creaked open to reveal Dr. Julien, smiling gleefully.
"Ah! Zane! I'm so glad you could make it!" He grinned, opening his arms and rushing forward to hug Zane.
"Of course, father! You said it was important." Zane, though delighted to be meeting with his father, held a more serious air about him.
"Yes, yes, I did. Please, step inside!" Dr. Julien insisted, stepping aside and opening the door farther. Zane nodded and walked in through the door, looking around at the recently cleaned home.
"Now, if you'll just follow me down to my workshop, Zane, I have something very important to discuss with you." Dr. Julien said, clasping his hands. He still held a positive tone, but something in his expression faltered slightly, like he was worried, or nervous.
"Is something the matter?" Zane asked worriedly, following his father down the long, winding staircase. As they reached the bottom, Zane took note of the multiple blueprints scattered about the work desk in the corner of the room. There were pencils and erasers and measuring tools of all sorts strewn about.
Typically, especially for an inventor, this wasn't an odd thing, but his father tended to get messier and messier when he was really involved in a project. Based on the scrap metal, paper, tools, and many, many presumed prototypes sitting around the desk, Zane guessed that this was one of those projects. He chuckled a little, a fondness for his father's passion showing itself.
As he turned to look around the room further, he was surprised a little to see Wu standing in the opposite corner of the room.
"Nothing is wrong, quite, Zane, but this is a very serious matter, and it requires your full attention." Dr. Julien said, walking to stand beside Wu, who looked somewhat unsure of himself.
"I understand." Zane replied, not sure what else to say.
"Good. Very good, actually. Before we get started, I need you to understand just a few critical things." The tinkerer paused, watching Zane. "First, when we are finished, you will leave with no memory of what we did."
Zane nodded, an uneasiness settling in his stomach. Dr. Julien eyed him, then continued.
"Second, I need you to remain as calm as you can be while we discuss the situation."
Zane nodded again.
"And third, know that everything we do today…" Dr. Julien paused a moment.
"...is out of love for you. Understand, Zane?"
Once more, Zane nodded, curiosity and worry suddenly very intense in his gut.
Surprising him, Dr. Julien started laughing.
"Relax, Zane! Yes, this is a serious matter, but we aren't doing anything illegal!"
Zane's eyes widened slightly before he realized how stiff he'd gotten and he chuckled lightly with his father. Even Sensei Wu smiled a little. Dr. Julien took a breath and calmed himself, turning back to Zane.
"Now, Zane, I need you to come to terms with something with me. You understand how old I am growing, yes?" Dr. Julien's tone of voice went very quickly from being almost bubbly to be being more solemn. Zane, in response, frowned and looked at Dr. Julien worriedly. Slowly, he nodded.
"Good. It is a hard thing to accept, but I will not live forever. I am nearing my 80's now, and I cannot say how much longer I will be here."
Zane nodded, looking at the ground.
"I could be here for as little as two months. Or I may even last another ten years. And then again, I could just as easily lose my life today. I am simply getting too old, and the conditions of that tower I lived in were too poor. Not to mention my family history of having heart issues. I expect that, one day, these things will catch up to me, and my body will not be strong enough to withstand them." Dr. Julien explained.
"I understand." Zane said quietly.
"Good. I'm sorry to grieve you with these things, but the topic of your required presence has to do with this. Admittedly," Dr. Julien paused, chuckling to himself, "I am a terrible procrastinator. I am as old as I am, and I have yet to write my will."
Zane looked up at him curiously, apparently not expecting this news. In the background, Wu smiled amusedly to himself.
"I know that most have been known to write their wills personally, on their own, but I also feel that I wouldn't be able to include you adequately without your help. Now, before you say anything about it, yes, I do need your help with certain details, but the biggest matter at hand is a very specific piece of the will I indtend on passing to your teacher, Wu, but it needs your approval."
"My approval? What is it?" Zane, his curiosity piqued, took a few steps forward, glancing around.
"Ah, yes, heh, this is where I am uncertain." Dr. Julien rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Zane, when I die, what will you do?" He asked, very seriously. To Zane, it sounded more… rhetorical. But the expression on his father's face said otherwise.
"I… Don't know. I cannot be sure. The first time I discovered the treehouse, and my memory switch, I relived everything I grew up with. I was sad, but I felt at peace because I finally knew where'd I'd come from, who my family was. And I'd made a family out of my Sensei, and my fellow students." Zane gave Wu a warm smile, which Wu returned fondly. "The difference now is that I already have that peace, and I've bonded with you enough to call you my father. It would be the same for me as if Kai, or Jay, or even Sensei Wu, had died. I do not think I would bear it well." He finished explaining. He grabbed onto his arm, rubbing it slightly as a nervous habit.
"Perfect!" Dr. Julien exclaimed, surprising Zane, who gave him an absolutely flabbergasted look.
"Ah, yes, I know, but this is exactly what I was expecting you to say. You're right that we can't be sure as to how you will react, but I myself am fairly certain as to where it may go."
Zane looked at him, both confused and eager.
"I believe you will feel as though you no longer have a family. Being your creator, I am technically your only living relative. You've never met my parents, obviously, and I never had any brothers or sisters, so you can't really say that you had grandparents or aunts, uncles, cousins, the like. Put simply, when I die, you will be an orphan once more, and, like you said, I don't believe you will handle it very well." Dr. Julien rubbed his chin, thinking hard.
"Okay… How, specifically, is this relevant to the separate piece of the will you mentioned?" Zane asked, a genuine curiosity bubbling in his voice. Wu half-chuckled behind Dr. Julien.
"Knowing, at least thinking, that you will feel alone after such an event, I believe that," He paused, biting his finger as he tried to think of the proper words, "You will be in need of a new father-figure."
Zane, taken aback by his creator's words, almost stumbled backward a step, suddenly feeling that he knew what would be said next.
"A new…" He started, trailing off. The look Dr. Julien gave him said that he probably sounded distant or anxious. He looked between Dr. Julien and Wu multiple times, feeling somewhere between flustered and… something else, completely unidentifiable. He couldn't tell if it was a good feeling or a bad one, whether he was shocked or simply unprepared, but regardless, it was probably the most bizzare emotion he'd ever felt.
"Yes, I know." Dr. Julien scratched the back of his head, wearing the kind of expression you expect when you hear the phrase 'nervous laughter.'
"It's a bit… drastic sounding, I'm sure, but after giving it some thought, I'm more than certain that this is what I want to do. You and Wu are already so close and have a very family-like bond already. I could see it that first day you discovered me in that tower. Maybe not quite a traditional father-son bond, but many of your own traits, as well as Wu's, are untraditional anyway. By the way that you tell me of your teacher, I believe Wu would not only serve as an ideal Sensei to you, but also as an ideal father-figure." Dr. Julien explained.
Zane looked around the room, suddenly very focused on taking in every little detail. Aside from the mess around the inventor's desk, to his right, he could turn and see the stairwell's end just behind him, and took note of how Dr. Julien stood about 7 feet in front of him, facing his direction. Wu stood another couple feet behind that, and off to the right, just a bit. It was as his eyes traveled the room that Zane realized how uncomfortable all three of them looked in the situation. Why did such a matter have to be so flustering?
"Zane?"
He shook himself out of his mini-stupor and looked up, realizing that his father stood much closer to him now, a hand extended to touch his shoulder.
"I need to know what you think." Dr. Julien stated, almost flatly.
"I don't know. I don't know what I think. Or how I feel about it. It isn't a bad feeling, though." Zane decided.
"That's okay. Of course! Believe it or not, son, you're handling it much better than I'd anticipated." Dr. Julien smiled warmly, pulling his hand off Zane's shoulder.
As he said that, though, Zane was hit with the realization of just how good it felt to be called 'son.' It wasn't something he heard very often, and he didn't need it to be, but it brought down the full force of the fact that, despite him being a robot- rather, a Nindroid, he was just as much Dr. Julien's son as any other boy was his own father's. And so it was that Dr. Julien was just as much a father to Zane as any other man was to his son.
Zane couldn't really say what came over him exactly, but he suddenly felt a surge of pride and fondness for his father, and the very idea of the tinkerer passing away, as they'd been discussing for a while now, suddenly became much heavier a load on him than it had ever been before.
Without even thinking about it, Zane grabbed onto Dr. Julien's retreating hand, causing him to look back up at Zane's face. He was a little bit bewildered to see Zane's eyes brimming with tears and his face reflecting almost that of betrayal. Zane, admittedly, was just as bewildered, not really knowing why he was suddenly so upset. Yet what really surprised the both of them was when Zane found himself leaning forward and wrapping around Dr. Julien in a massive hug, holding on like his life depended on it.
Dr. Julien took a step back, arms floating at his sides for a moment, completely unsure, before he realized what was happening and wrapped his arms around Zane, returning the hug full-heartedly.
"I'm not going anywhere yet, I promise. And even when I do, I won't ever stop being your creator or father, Zane." Dr. Julien reassured. Zane, in response, tightened his embrace.
As the moment ended, the two pulled apart and Dr. Julien placed one hand on each of Zane's shoulders.
"All we need is to know whether or not you're okay with this. I will always be your father, but you have to be able to turn to someone when I'm not here, and I know full well by now that you won't do that unless you have someone you can feel comfortable confiding in. Please, Zane. I want to do everything I can to make sure that you're not left feeling alone when I can't physically be here for you anymore." Dr. Julien gave him a pleading look, searching Zane's expression. Zane, having recomposed himself now, closed his eyes and took in a large breath, letting it out slowly as he thought hard about the situation.
After a long moment, he opened his eyes, determination filling them.
"Okay."
Dr. Julien looked incredulous for a flash of a second, almost like he wasn't expecting that answer, but quickly replaced the expression with a large grin, turning to look at Wu, who looked both relieved and ecstatic over the situation. The difficult part of the situation was over!
While it seemed like things were done, there were still a few things that needed doing.
"And you're certain?" Dr. Julien turned back to Zane, looking him in the eye.
"Absolutely." Zane replied, smiling a little.
"Oh, this is great!" Dr. Julien clapped his hands together, almost turning back to hug Zane again he was so happy.
"Now, I must admit, I had Wu here mainly so he could hear for himself what you decided, and so I could see if you could really be comfortable enough with him to speak your mind. But he also serves one other purpose, and this needs to be done before you leave." Dr. Julien gestured to Wu, turning in a full circle and stopping when he was pointed at his desk, which he walked over to briskly.
"Yes?" Zane asked, following behind him.
"I- um, I'm afraid you may not like this bit very well. Do you remember what I told you when you came in? The first of three things you needed to keep in mind?"
"I-" Zane was prepared to answer, but had to pause to think, having nearly forgotten. His face dawned with realization, and he continued.
"I won't leave with any memory of what we spoke of today." He said, a little more quietly.
"Right." Dr. Julien confirmed. "However, something I left out, intentionally, mind you, was that later on, you will be granted access to today's memories. It will be a little bit of a wait, but after my passing, which could be, as I said, anywhere between the next few months or as many as 10 years, you will need to heal to a certain point before I believe you will truly be able to accept Wu as a father-figure. This is why I am writing a separate piece to the will, and will be handing it to him. You won't be allowed to so much as look at this piece, but it will tell Wu how long to wait, and how to know when it is the right time to re-introduce this idea to you." He began to explain.
"Which makes sense. I am curious, however, how will you suppress my memories of today until that point?" Zane asked. He looked over Dr. Julien's shoulder, watching as the old man tinkered with one of the many small devices scattered around his desk.
"That," Dr. Julien paused, lifting up the object in his hands, "Is where this comes in. The entire point of my, uh, project, here, is for this little trinket, which, if I programmed everything in correctly, will allow me to select a specific point from your past and virtually pause everything in your memory from then up until the moment the device is activated. Does that make sense?" He lifted the device up to eye level, examining it from every angle.
"I think so. How does it work?" Zane watched him turn it every which way, blowing dust off it and checking underneath its casing for any damage.
"That is where this horrible little piece of plastic and wiring takes its toll. I couldn't come up with very many ways in which I could suspend only a portion of your memory. I couldn't risk causing you to lose all your memory if I'd done something wrong. This was the final design, and it will do what it's intended to do, but it must be installed into your main wiring. And to do so, six of your core wires will have to be severed and integrated into these input and output entries."
At this, Zane's face fell. While it wasn't quite the same as it was for regular people, who didn't HAVE wires, having anything within your body severed wasn't too terrible comfortable. Quite the opposite, actually, especially if he really meant the CORE wires...
"It will take a moment to have the device prepared properly, especially if it has to last until… well, until whenever it is I pass away, which, once again, could be as long as 10 years… You have a few minutes, but now that we have this sorted out, and especially seeing how soon you will need to be at home, resting, it will need to be activated very quickly." Dr. Julien explained. He turned back to his desk, placing the device down and opening a panel on the side of the small object.
Zane watched him tinker with it for a few moments, but decided on walking over to Wu. The whole idea was still a little bit awkward, but he had one question in the back of his mind, burning his tongue.
"Sense?" He asked as he approached the old Master. Wu turned to him, an unreadable gaze falling on Zane.
"Was this… was this something you agreed to personally? I wouldn't feel right if it was something you felt required to do." He said slowly.
"Zane, I care for you very much. As do I Kai and Nya, Cole, Jay. You all mean very much to me, and it is just as much in my own interest as it is in your father's to be there for you if something goes wrong." Wu answered, giving Zane a sympathetic look. Zane looked to the side, not sure what needed to be said.
"The question, Zane, is whether or not you feel comfortable with me taking on that role. I will never be quite the same as your father. We differ greatly. I cannot provide the same kind of comfort, conversation, support, or any such thing that I know Dr. Julien can. It will be a little different. I agreed because I care for you as both a student and, put simply, as a child. I will always do what I can to be present in any kind of situation. What determines it all is whether you will accept such a presence from me when the time is right." Wu said. Zane looked at him fondly, smile growing somewhat.
"Thank you, Sensei." He said respectfully, bowing his head.
Contrasting his more serious and responsible tone of voice, Wu suddenly perked up and looked at Zane with faux exasperation.
"You are admirable and respectful, Zane. But am I too old for a simple hug?"
Zane blinked a few times, somewhat confused. As he realized that Wu was being sarcastic (something Jay taught him aaaall about), he laughed a little bit, voice slowly rising until his laughter rung more heartily.
"Forgive me, Sensei." He said, amusement still in his voice. Then, calming himself somewhat, he added, "I don't think the situation is quite right." He said, deciding with firmity. Wu smiled at him goofily.
Before either could continue the situation, Dr. Julien shouted, "HA!"
Zane jumped a little, turning around to find his father holding the same little device, smiling victorious.
"I think we are finally ready to get this thing installed." Dr. Julien said. His expression fell a little, but he kept up the positive attitude, walking over to join Zane and Wu, the device, as well as a piece of paper, in hand.
"What's-"
Zane meant to ask what the paper was, but, as if on cue, he ended up yawning widely instead, his eyes watering as he moved his hand to cover his mouth. Dr. Julien smiled sympathetically at Zane. He checked his wrist watch, making a 'yikes' face as he read '10:31 P.M..'
As Zane finished his yawn, shaking his head to realert his senses, he tried again.
"What is the paper for?"
"This? Ah, yes, I probably should have simply left it on the desk. I pulled it out a few hours ago, before you arrived. It was intended for a letter to send to you, actually, in a few weeks. I have considered creating a second treehouse. It could make for a number of good things. A second workshop, or perhaps to purely be a home, more comfortable than this, or as a fall-back in the case that Ninjago city is attacked again. It would require some work, and seeing as how you won't remember me telling you now, I figured it would be better if I sent my ideas as a letter in a few weeks, when we can discuss it properly. Big news, I'm sure! See, I would like to-" Dr. Julien cut himself off, shaking his head as he realized how side-tracked he would get if he kept going.
"Really, there isn't much on it. Aside from 'My Dearest Zane,' as most my letters will introduce themselves. I'll have to finish it tomorrow." Dr. Julien chuckled again, taking a breath and turning a bit so he could lift the device in his hands.
"Now, Zane, before you fall asleep in the spot, let's get you situated on a couch or something so we can install this properly. I don't want to sever the wrong wire because you were too tired to stay on your feet. And it's very late. I would assume you'd like to be in bed before you need to be up in the morning, yes?" He laughed again, turning around and walking toward the opposite end of the room at a couch.
"Just lay here, if you could." He said, gesturing broadly to the piece of aged furniture. Zane nodded his head, walking hesitantly to the couch and laying down on it.
It was at this point, though, that he realized how tired he was. His eyelids became very heavy and the conversation Wu and Dr. Julien started began to simply blur into a bunch of gargled sounds.
As his exhaustion finally caught up to him, he could only barely register when the panel on his chest had been flipped open. His father gave him a quick warning before six *snap*s could be heard, followed by six very sharp pains in his lower left abdomen.
The same spots continued to ache as the wires were twisted onto some foreign object and everything began to go hazy.
Where was he again?
And why did his side hurt?
Was that Dr. Julien standing over him? Or was it Sensei Wu?
No! Wait! It was both! Why were they both here?
Where was here?
Did it even matter?
And at that, Zane breathed out a sigh, the hazy colors and sounds above him finally fading to black, leaving him in a peaceful, blissful sleep.
"Here we are!" Wu declared. "Now, who has the basket?" He turned around to look at Zane, knowing full well that the basket was hidden with the ninja. He gave Zane an expectant look as the Nindroid shook himself out of his awe. The tree they stopped at truly was magnificent.
As Zane registered what had been said to him, he looked about himself briefly before shrugging. He didn't have the basket.
"I believe Kai was the one who had it last." Zane said. He turned around to call for Kai, but, as was planned, Kai wasn't there, and neither was anyone else. Wu took in a deep breath, closing his eyes and swallowing. His throat was a dry, and his nervousness was really beginning to show. It was very unlike him. Regardless, as Zane realized everyone was missing, Wu narrowed his eyes, completely focused.
He knew what he had to do.
"Where-?" Zane uttered the unfinished question, to be left unanswered for the moment. He began to turn around, and just as he made eye contact with Wu, he gasped loudly, thoroughly surprised.
Wu had tackled him to the ground. Zane struggled and tried to wriggle away, but Wu was stronger than he looked. Zane looked up at Wu, shock and question in his eyes. What's happening?! Was the unspoken question. Wu scrunched his eyebrows sadly.
"Forgive me, Zane." He said. As he grabbed onto each of Zane's arms, pushing him more firmly in place, he reached for and opened the panel on his chest, proving only to cause Zane more panic.
"Sensei- What are you-"
Wu reached toward the device.
"Ow!" Zane yelped. Wu had grabbed hold of the device placed just to the left of where Zane's belly button would have been, then pulled it out. He flinched at how roughly he had to do it, all the wires it was attached to breaking and snapping back into place. Zane yelled out in pain as the device was disconnected. He would understand, wouldn't he?
Now it was really time to work fast. It was crucial that he got all these wires connected with each other properly as quickly as he could. Zane continued to struggle, completely panicked now, and Wu reached back at the broken wires. He twisted the broken ends together, knowing that Jay or Nya could fix and connect them properly later on.
First wire, done. Zane jerked as the metal ends touched and intertwined.
Second wire, done. Zane jerked again, struggling with all he had.
Third wire, fourth, fifth, all repaired. Zane jerked painfully with each one, but as Wu grabbed the sixth one and twisted the ends together, Zane let out another, more forceful shout, then froze altogether.
He'd done it. Wu relaxed as he watched Zane calm, going limp in his grasp. He stopped struggling and leaned against the ground and his face went blank as his eyes closed.
If he did it right, this meant that Zane was remembering now. That was a good thing!
But Wu felt that it didn't justify everything he had just done.
Slowly, Wu stood up to look at Zane. He almost smiled. Zane looked so innocent when he was asleep, almost child-like. It had been a little while since he'd seen the more positive side of those traits showing through in Zane. It would have to have been…
The day that the device was installed in Zane. Or, perhaps, the morning of the day after that, only hours before he'd received the letter. Oh, how ironic it was! Wu could still remember the conversation so… vividly. It made him both happy and sad at the same time. Dr. Julien had become one of his good friends, and it was very clear how much the man meant to Zane.
'I could be here for as little as two months. Or I may even last another ten years. And then again, I could just as easily lose my life today.'
How right he was, though! Had the topic been on something other than the loss of his life, Wu would have thought Dr. Julien's comment funny at this point. He had lost his life that day. And it was very surreal.
After the device had been installed, Zane pretty instantly passed out, exhausted from the day's events. After that, Wu had decided to help Dr. Julien tidy the tree house once more, remaining there for a number of hours. Once things were cleaned up, Dr. Julien was still so excited at how willing Zane had been to go along with his plan that he decided to keep working on other things, Wu being happy to help. For example, or, actually, for the main event, Dr. Julien decided that the unfinished letter he promised to finish writing the following day was something he wanted to work on before going to bed.
Whilst writing this letter, Dr. Julien had to pause, claiming that he suddenly had very bad heartburn. He asked Wu to check a cabinet in his kitchen, which was in another room. Wu ran off quickly to retrieve a medication or a drink of milk or something, and when he had what he was asked to get, he came back to a sight he would never forget. He was alarmed- horrified- to see Dr. Julien collapsed on the floor, chair knocked on its side and papers scattered on the floor around him. The lamp on the desk had been knocked over, the bulb shattered and fizzing with electricity.
What sealed the morbidity of the whole situation was when Wu went to help him up and found that the old man no longer had a heartbeat.
The emergency services couldn't do anything.
And it was just to Wu's luck that it was 1:00 in the morning, thus Zane was too tired to be conscious and know what was happening. The news spread to the Ninjago City Council ridiculously fast, and before Wu had even made it home, a soundfully sleeping and blissfully unaware Zane in his arms, he was met by an official representative from the council who wanted to help in any way he could.
Surprising this representative, Wu actually had a very specific request for him. He wanted a letter sent to Zane about the situation. Dr. Julien had too, but the representative wasn't aware of the fact that Zane was asleep throughout the whole thing. After Wu explained the basis of what happened, it made sense that he would want the news broken to Zane another way.
The format for the letter, as was customary when delivering this kind of news, would include the topic of each letter sent from the person who had died before informing the recipient of the death. One letter, however, would have made Zane far too suspicious. It was one he had received the day before this one, titled 'Very Important Meeting!' Zane's memory had been paused back to the morning of the day he received this letter, up to the evening of the following day when the device was installed.
The last thing Wu wanted was to have to show Zane the memories prematurely. It would have caused more problems than it was supposed to solve.
Hopefully, this would solve a few things.
He remembered the day the letter was sent, too, only a day after Dr. Julien's death. He had avoided Zane most of the day by simply keeping to his room and letting the ninja have the day off. Zane didn't suspect. Through the whole day, he waited anxiously for that letter, unsure of how Zane would react to it. And he remembered having to act surprised when Nya bumped into him and fell to the floor. It took him a moment to realize that she was holding a snowflake adorned piece of paper, folded into thirds. Once he had, though, he had only to hear her out and find Zane.
And though he had to act surprised, he didn't have to act concerned. He cared very much for Zane, and, aside from Dr. Julien, was probably the most father-like person that Zane had ever had, which was precisely why Dr. Julien asked him to take part in his plan.
How long had it been now? Zane had to re-experience those memories, but they should have been… Sped up, almost. Like a dream. To him, he would be re-living the whole, experiencing it second for second, minute for minute, hour for hour. On the outside, it should only take a fraction of that time.
20 minutes, now. Zane was only just beginning to stir, but not wake.
Where would he have been by now? What was he experiencing at this moment?
"The question, Zane, is whether or not you feel comfortable with me taking on that role. I will never be quite the same as your father. We differ greatly. I cannot provide the same kind of comfort, conversation, support, or any such thing that I know Dr. Julien can. It will be a little different. I agreed because I care for you as both a student and, put simply, as a child. I will always do what I can to be present in any kind of situation. What determines it all is whether you will accept such a presence from me when the time is right."
Wu remembered, smiling a little. Zane had smiled, too, when he heard Wu explain this. When he referred to Zane as a child, he meant it in a great many of ways. Zane was still so innocent and kind. Physically, too, he was very young. Though Zane said his earliest memory included a very young-looking Dr. Julien, the truth was that the inventor was already well into his 50s. He'd done very well taking care of himself, and took the effort to dye his hair, so he never looked as old as he was. It had taken him many years to learn how to create individual emotions and thoughts for Zane, not to mention all the things he did to make Zane's physical features more human-like. Things like pain, memory, movement, intelligence that wasn't based off a computer… It took him many, many years indeed.
After Zane was built, he ended up putting all his efforts into caring for the Nindroid and following his scientific impulses. He no longer cared about the way his hair looked, or how decently lacking of wrinkles his skin was, only that he was healthy and able so as to watch after Zane.
By the time Dr. Julien passed away, he was in his mid-70s. Zane couldn't be any older than his late teens, just like the other ninja. It was funny, how things worked like that.
And he got along with the other ninja just as he should. He was respectful of them, but liked to play around when he could.
It was things like Zane's stubbornness to fight for his friends and his absolute and pure compassion for others that made him stick out, made him more like a child. Even down to the basics of how he displayed emotion showed just how much he was still growing up.
"Thank you, Sensei." Zane had replied.
Would Zane still thank him after the time he's had to spend recovering? Would his mindset change?
Zane bowed his head respectfully toward Wu.
Wu remembered the conversation, finding himself wanting to follow it. He remembered how his mood had changed multiple times that day. He had been cautious when the idea was introduced to Zane, then delighted when Zane agreed. He was more serious and passionate when Zane asked him about whether or not Wu himself thought it was a good idea. But then...
Contrasting his more serious and responsible tone of voice, Wu suddenly perked up and looked at Zane with faux exasperation.
"You are admirable and respectful, Zane."
Wu remembered with a smile, rewatching the memory.
"But am I too old for a simple hug?"
Zane blinked a few times, somewhat confused. As he realized that Wu was being sarcastic (something Jay taught him aaaall about), he laughed a little bit, voice slowly rising until his laughter rung more heartily.
"Forgive me, Sensei." He said, amusement still in his voice. Then, calming himself somewhat, he added, "I don't think the situation is quite right."
It was an odd excuse, Wu had decided, but an acceptable one nonetheless. As he let the memory fall away, Wu sighed heavily. Would Zane really accept the idea?
Since Dr. Julien passed away, Zane's been forced through the heartbreak of losing his father, then through being kept secrets from, and in addition was left underneath false impressions, lies, as Wu prepared for this day.
And he felt terrible about the kind of pain he had to put Zane through in order to reactivate these suppressed memories.
He would have wondered as to whether Zane would be mad at him or not, but that was another thing he loved so dearly about Zane. The Nindroid virtually never got angry at anyone for anything, and especially not if it was a matter that couldn't be controlled. He was the one who looked before he leapt, so to speak, and thought things out in a more controlled and matured way. Yet he also expressed how he felt about the situation and tended to seek out help when he didn't know how to react. It was just another thing that made Zane who he was.
Regardless, Wu couldn't help but to feel bad. He was more worried than ever now, knowing full well that Zane would be experiencing the same pain of losing his father all over again when he woke up. In these vivid memories, he would experience the same love he felt for his father that day, hugging his father and speaking with him one more time. It was almost like getting to say his last goodbye, but this time he would be far more aware that the last time he saw his father was really the last time. It would be all the more meaningful to him now, and thus all the more painful to sit up and realize that he would never be able to experience that sort of thing again.
"I'm so sorry, Zane." Wu said, closing his eyes shut. Dr. Julien wouldn't be coming back, and Wu would never be able to be the same kind of comfort to Zane. Even after the whole ordeal, he had trouble believing that Zane would ever truly be able to accept him.
But that most certainly didn't mean he wasn't going to try and be there. Through all the brutal training sessions, farewells, and secrets, everything Wu'd done was to help Zane and the other ninja.
And yet he just felt so worried… And sad. He had to suppress these memories from Zane, he had to make Zane face the pain of loss, he had to keep secrets and tell lies, he had to lead Zane away from safety, trap him, tackle him, cause him pain, just because Dr. Julien wanted Zane to be able to have someone to confide in.
"So, very, sorry." He said quietly, lowering his head.
"Sensei?" A quiet voice asked, groaning. Wu looked up hopefully, seeing Zane half sitting up, leaning back on one of his elbows. He had his other arm lifted up, a hand to his head.
"Zane! You're awake. Are you alright?" Wu asked, rushing to offer a hand. Zane accepted it, pulling himself up. As he got onto his feet, wobbling back and forth a little bit, he reached a hand down to his side, where the device had been.
"Ow…" He moaned.
"I'm sorry, Zane." Wu said apologetically, grabbing gently onto Zane's shoulders to steady him.
"I-it's okay." Zane said, still sounding a bit dazed.
Wu wasn't certain of what to say, not wanting to push at the topic on both their minds.
"What-" Zane started the question, looking very confused, but a look of realization dawned on his face before he could finish.
"I can't believe…" He trailed off.
"Yes. I am quite well aware of how unbelievable the situation sounds." Wu commented, guiding Zane off to the side and to the tree. As Zane thought hard, Wu moved him underneath the shade of the tree, moving his hand so he could lean against the trunk.
"No… That's not it." Zane said suddenly, sounding firm.
"No? Then what is?" Wu asked. He wasn't quite expecting Zane to say what he had.
"Were you given a say in your part of this?" Zane asked very seriously, turning to Wu. A hand still rested on his head.
"Of course, Zane. I was not only willing, but eager to take part." Wu answered.
"Oh."
Wu looked at him worriedly. Was he disappointed?
"What bothers you?" He asked.
"I… don't know." Zane looked at the ground, staring hard.
Wu looked straight ahead, opting to just stand next to Zane.
Zane's expression was that of confusion, realization, and uncertainty. A very unsteady mix, but he also looked determined, like he was trying to make a final decision.
Wu simply sat, willing to accept anything Zane had to say, before thinking of something to say himself.
"I think your father would be proud of how you have progressed. You have found ways to occupy your time and still interact with the ninja on a healthy level. You have managed to increase and maintain your mental and physical health. And I am proud of you also."
Zane's eyes widened slightly and he turned to Wu decisively.
"Sensei…" He started. Wu listened expectantly, turning to face Zane as he spoke.
"I do think the situation is quite right." He said. Wu looked at him confusedly, taking in Zane's groggy state of mind. Zane really was exhausted, still wobbling on his feet and his eyes half lidded. Was he even fully aware of what he was saying? Perhaps it would be best to take him back to the Bounty and confront him tomorrow?
As these thoughts began to race, Wu remembered, once more, something Zane had said to him that day. Something, even, he'd been reflecting on earlier.
'You are admirable and respectful, Zane. But am I too old for a simple hug?'
'Forgive me, Sensei!' Zane laughed. "I don't think the situation is quite right.'
Surprising Wu out of his thoughts, Zane leaned forward and hugged him firmly, similarly, even, to how he hugged Dr. Julien that same day. A pride for Wu and a gratitude swelled and Zane couldn't have been more happy to know that Wu cared enough for him to take part in making sure he had someone to turn to when things were rough.
PHEW! Ohmigosh, that's the longest one-shot I've ever done! I don't honestly think I could have kept it up much longer, and really, the ending felt a little big abrupt. But I guess it is what it is, and I'll have to re-read it sometime when I'm more awake to make sure it's alright. Whether it is or it isn't, I've got a lot of other things that need writing now, too, and this story is very definitely longer than any other I've done. I wonder if I should be posting these with their own chapters in the collection? Naw… You guys can just read a 23K word story in one page, right? Hah! Oh well, I'll try to make the next one a touch shorter. Tell me what you think, and don't be afraid to request a one-shot! Thanks for reading, everybody! I'll have the next one-shot ASAP!
Oh, by the way, a few things that I want to throw in, the ninja literally just walked off one by one toward the end and hid somewhere amongst the trees, which is why they were all missing when Zane turned to find Kai.
Erm, actually, that's only one thing, but I'll let you know if I think of any others!
-LizzyLucky
Edit: Dude, I reread my opening note and realized that through all my activities, it still took me the whole summer to finish this thing! But considering that it's 39 pages and features how my absolutely terrible skills from the beginning of the story change to that of much better skills near the end, I hope it was worth it. I hope you guys enjoy, and I'll get to what's next when I can!
-LizzyLucky