All characters belong to the creators of "Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu".

Chapter 1

Something Special

A tall, skinny pole beat against the cobblestone path in a rhythmic beat as an aged old man walked up the hill. Click. Click. Click. Long white beard reaching his waist, his head was tilted down, baby blue eyes watching the path in front of him. His steps along the cobbled path filled the empty space when his walking stick left the ground, creating a slow, tranquil beat. He was in no hurry.

Taking his time, he only looked up when he heard voices coming from the top of the hill. From what it sounded like, their conversation was comfortable and light-hearted. He listened a bit more; a man's voice came from the shop, followed by the higher voice of a woman. He tilted his head down and continued walking. Hopefully, he found what he was looking for.

Metal splashed into water, steam hissing as the clear liquid cooled the red-hot blade. Pulled out almost immediately, the metal warped, looking more like a snake than a blade. Kai groaned.

"You have to be patient, Kai." Kai turned to his younger sister, smiling sympathetically at him from across the shop. Kai sighed.

"Dad made it look so easy."

Nya came up behind him, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"He also had years of practice. You need to be patient."

"I know." He went to the workbench, tossing the ruined weapon onto it. He turned slightly, not quite looking over his shoulder. "Do you think we'll ever be as good as Dad?" Nya smiled.

"Sure! All it takes is a little practice." Kai snorted.

"Yeah, that's easy for you to say. Everything comes so easy to you."

"Kai, even I needed to practice before I could make a decent sword."

"I'm just saying: maybe it'd be easier if I had the talent Dad passed to you." Nya gave him a sad smile but didn't say anything. Once again, she went to her brother and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Think of it this way: the harder you work for something, the more it means to you when you achieve it. Don't worry, Kai - you'll get it. And when you do, you'll appreciate it even more." Kai turned, smiling down at his little sister. He didn't know what he would do without her.

A loud clang had his head shooting up as Nya whipped around to see what had happened. Their hearts slowed to a normal pace, eyes slowly shrinking to their normal size as they saw an old man picking up what was, presumably, the fallen samurai helmet.

"Can we help you?" Nya asked.

The old man looked up from straightening the helmet on its perch, looking intently at the two. Kai felt his own eyes widen again as he took in the man's long, white beard and wrinkled features. What would he want in a blacksmith's shop?

"This armor is loud and heavy, impossible for stealth. I see everything for a samurai, but... nothing for a ninja?" Kai cocked an eyebrow.

"You're in the wrong place if you're shopping for ninja, old man. This is a blacksmith's shop, not a monastery."

The old man cocked his eyebrow, too, as if egging him to go on. Kai's eyes narrowed.

"Look, this is a shop; the sign says "for sale" not "for browsing." Either you buy something or go peddle your insults somewhere else."

"Hmph! I thought I'd find something special here." Kai turned to his sister when the old man turned to leave. She waved her arm in subtle "go on" fashion as the man walked away. Swallowing his pride, Kai turned back to the entrance.

"If it's something special you're looking for, there's some..." Open air filled the space where the man had been standing, the cobblestone floor mocking him.

"Kai? What is it?"

"He was just... never mind."

The moon shone in the dark night sky, admiring its reflection in a small pond. Peeking its round face into a small, dingy window, the moon cast its pale glow on a small boy in black sleeping peacefully in an old, creaking bed. Blonde locks fell across pale cheeks and sunken eyes, failing to hide the boyish, round cheeks and small ears. Chapped lips parted to let air come out, staying open only to let a new breath of air come back in.

One skinny arm rested under the thin pillow, holding the boy's head up only slightly as he dreamt. A small smile tugged the corner of his mouth upward as colorful images played in his mind's eye. To him, he was in his father's arms in a place far away from Darkely's. Green grass tickled his nose as he tumbled throughout the fields, a bright blue sky looking down at him. He looked at his father, a wide grin stretching his round cheeks. His father beamed back, brown hair framing a young face with green eyes. He was happy here, sitting with his father.

White, puffy clouds floated lazily across the sky, forming shapes with little effort. And as they passed overhead, his father pointing out certain ones as they moseyed on by, he realized that he never wanted to leave. He realized that, if he could stay here forever, with his father, in the green, green grass, he would. Because if he could spend a day with his father, he would have all that he desired.

Author's Notes:

I finished chapter 1! As you can see, I kept most of this chapter the same as the beginning of the prequel episode (including a bit of the dialogue). Though, I think the short scene with Lloyd was a good addition and will help me move into my own storyline. What do you think? Please comment any ideas below! Feedback is really appreciated :)