It's Jay's birthday today. Which means there's cake. In other words, it's a good day.

I stand by a small folding table of snacks and punch and watch the ninja playing some game they made up (which includes several rubber balls and a lot of trying to hit each other) from a distance. The outside air is lovely, and the sun shines bright above us. Leaning agains the side of the Bounty are Sensei Wu, a curious fellow who is very interesting to talk to, and the newly reformed Garmadon, who looks very different without four arms and red eyes. In fact, had I just been a stranger passing by, I would have never linked the two together. The new Garmadon is… interesting. I'd like to talk to him more, but I'm not sure quite how to go about it. I don't even know much about him, although I commend the love he has for his son. He's a good father. Speaking of which…

My attention turns towards my own son, Zane. He and Cole seem to have teamed up on Kai, who is desperately flinging rubber balls in their direction. I smile with the most authentic happiness in my heart. I couldn't be prouder of my son, or happier that he found such a close group of brothers to bond with. I don't know any of them as well as Wu seems to, but I've talked with Lloyd a fair deal— he's a good young man, and eager to learn— and the conversations I've held with the others have always been enlightening in one way or another. Nya and Jay both love mechanics, which has given me plenty of chances to show off, and Kai is cocky but fun to listen to. He also knows a surprising amount of information about my son, for someone who seems to only care about himself. I suppose he's one of the types that's more caring on the inside. Cole, on the other hand, is a very supportive and outgoing teammate, and appreciates good cooking as much as I do. He and I picked out the cake for Jay together, although really he picked it out while I admired everything in the freezer. I wasn't really sure what to say, since he seemed to know his friend inside and out and I was still just a newcomer. That's one of the difficulties I've had living on the Bounty so far, but I really can't complain. At any rate, the cake he chose is delicious.

I pile another handful of veggies onto my plate for dipping, and glance around to see if there are any chairs I can drag over. Lately my back's been going out all too often, but I don't want to say anything, as the other two old guys seem perfectly comfortable. I don't want to intrude.

"Hi, Doctor J!" a friendly voice calls as Cole runs over to the table, panting and sweating but grinning like he just won the lottery.

"Hello, Cole," I say with a friendly smile. "Is the game over?"

"Nope!" Cole grins as he cuts himself a piece of blue-frosted cake and starts digging in ravenously. "Just taking a cake break."

"Hey, lazybutt, step aside!" I hear Kai yell as a mess of red comes in our direction. The brown-haired boy snatches some chips straight out of the bowl and pops them in his mouth, ignoring the plates. I step aside as I see the other ninja following his lead, coming over to fuel themselves for more of whatever crazy game they're playing.

I simply smile and watch from a few feet away as they eat. Zane offers to get me a chair— he always knows when I'm hurting— but I tell him to enjoy his friends. I can always sit on the grass if the aching gets too bad.

I love my son, and I love learning about the brothers he's growing up with. No— grown up with. I have to remember that he isn't a little kid anymore. But… he is still growing. I suppose none of us ever really stop growing. We're always changing, always learning, always bettering ourselves.

I give in and sit cross-legged on the grass as the boys run back to the patch of grass they've designated as the field to play. My crow's feet wrinkle as I grin at the sight of the five ninja chasing each other around and falling on the grass. Nya emerges from the Bounty and says something, then walks over to talk to Garmadon and Wu. Seeing so much youthful energy makes me feel just a little more youthful myself. I'm not, of course— in fact, my time is drawing very near, and I'm aware of it. But I don't mind. These scenes of joy are the best memories to end on. When you get to the point I've gotten to, you realize that the beauty of friendship and life is one of the only really important things there is— far more important than any discovery or machine.

In fact, I think my only regret is not having known that wisdom sooner.

"Sanjay?"

I was awakened by Garmadon, who was whispering very quietly but still managed to break through my dream. I blinked and rubbed my eyes, unsure of what time it was.

"Oh, no, I'm so sorry, I thought you were awake—" he started, but I shook my head and cut him off.

"That's all right, I was just getting to the end of a flashback. What's on your mind?" I asked. It was still dark out; it probably wasn't even morning yet.

"Oh… nothing," he said, clearing his throat. I was amused by how weak the lie was.

"Come, now," I coaxed gently, although it felt weird being the one doing the coaxing, "you know I won't mind whatever you have to say."

Garmadon paused. As my eyes slowly adjusted to the dark, I could make out his face. It didn't look like he'd slept at all.

When he still didn't answer, I asked hesitantly, "Is… is it about Morro?"

He nodded quietly. Then he turned to me and said in a worried voice that I didn't know he had, "I… I think I was too hard on him earlier."

Although it pained me, I nodded in affirmation. "Yes, I think perhaps he was under a bit too much stress thinking about his past to act properly. Maybe a more lenient approach would have been better, under the circumstances."

He sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "But… I couldn't just let him act disrespectful like that. Even if I was being prideful— and I admit that's a fault of mine— it still wouldn't have been right for me to let him act that way." This statement surprised me, but I paused and thought carefully before answering.

"It's good that you acknowledge your faults. But… telling me doesn't do much good. I think you need to apologize to Morro before you can worry about anything else."

Garmadon seemed legitimately surprised at this suggestion. "Apologize to him?" he asked in a slightly scary voice. "I'm his elder! What sort of message would it send if I apologized to him? He'd lose all respect for me!"

Respect. Something about that word resonated deep within my soul, and some of his behavior suddenly felt frighteningly familiar.

"…I think," I said slowly, "I understand where you're coming from. Especially the part about wanting to be looked up to and respected. But…" I took a deep breath. "Apologizing won't make anybody lose respect for you. In fact, they'll respect you more for showing that you can lead by example. After all, we all have faults, but not all of us are willing to admit to them— much less apologize for them. To own up to your actions is to prove that you have the humility and courage to make things right. And trust me, that's a feat worthy of admiration." I took a deep breath and waited out the inevitable silent pause after my words.

"I… suppose you're right," Garmadon finally sighed. "I'm just so used to teaching others, I… have a hard time accepting advice myself. But if I'm going to be worthy of the title Sensei, I'll have to re-learn that skill." He turned to me. "You're… you're a good friend, Sanjay."

I don't think I'd been prouder of myself or more excited since the day that Zane first woke up.

"…Thank you," I managed to respond in an impressively calm voice. My partner then rolled over and put his head back down on the pillow, trying to go to sleep. I had a feeling it would be easier now that he'd figured out what he was going to do in the morning. I hoped that Morro (who had returned after several hours of flying around outside and was sleeping safely on the couch) was able to get some rest, as well. Both of them needed it.

I probably need it, too, I thought as I lay back down, gazing at nothing in particular.

I was comforted knowing that if I had another flashback once I fell asleep, it would be one of joy and tranquility.

(A/N: Huge thanks to Order of the Aether for making the suggestions that led to this chapter, which is honestly probably one of my favorites so far! Have I mentioned that you should all go read her stories? Because you should all go read her stories. *cough* also there's a certain line in this chapter with a double meaning, points to anyone who finds it *cough*)