Hey, guys!
It's been a long time since I've posted a Ninjago fanfic here, but I fell back in love with the show recently and after watching Never Trust a Human I came up with this idea. I realized that the house they lived in during the episode was not the same as the monastery, and Wu practically begged for this story to be written. xD
The title of this story is lyrics from "Brother" by Madds Buckley. (That entire song has a billion different Ninjago related story ideas in it, lol.)
I hope you enjoy!
A House, Not a Home.
It was quiet. And in a way, that made everything worse.
Wu rolled over on his bed, but he couldn't sleep. His mind was elsewhere, somewhere where he didn't want it to be.
He looked around the room and felt his throat tighten. For longer than he could remember, Garmadon had always slept in the same room as him, but not anymore.
When they had first moved to the monastery, Wu remembered how excited he was that he didn't have to share a room with his older brother anymore. After all, he hated trying to sleep to the sound of Garmadon's snoring.
But on nights like these, he missed having his brother so close.
He sat up and pulled his legs to his chest as he tried to push back the tears.
So much had changed since they had moved away. It was like nothing was the same anymore.
The area was basically empty, the dry mountain air was too cold for him, he had to train all day, and Garmadon had been…
Wu squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to push away the reminder of what had happened to his brother.
But he couldn't, and his mind began to wander to the room across the hall where Garmadon slept fitfully.
Wu had tried to ask his father if Garmadon would get better from the snake's bite, but he hadn't gotten an answer.
Garmadon hadn't left his room since their father found him, he was too weak to get out of bed.
Wu had sneaked in there a couple of times, but it was like Garmadon was a completely different person.
His brother had always been the shy one. When they had sneaked onto the Serpentine's land, Garmadon was the one who was really scared of King Mambo.
But now? Now Garmadon was so mean… He yelled at their father, and at him. He said that he hated them.
Wu swallowed back the lump in his throat at the memory of Garmadon blaming him for the snake bite.
Maybe if he had gotten the sword instead…
He wiped at his eyes, then looked around the room. The quietness and loneliness was suffocating.
He hated this stupid monastery. He hated having his own room. Most of all, he hated the stupid snake that bit his brother.
Before he really knew what he was doing, Wu opened the window in his room and climbed out of it.
He knew that this would get him in trouble if he was caught, but he didn't care. He didn't want to be in the monastery anymore.
He wanted to be home.
Home. Where he could play with Garmadon all day, where they could go to the lake…
If they had never moved, Garmadon never would have been bitten. He would still be okay.
Wu began to climb down the mountain, only looking over his shoulder a couple of times to make sure that he hadn't been caught.
The mountain was steep, and the steps were ragged. The area around his home had never been like that. The dirt had been soft under his shoes, but stable nonetheless.
The trip down the mountain was a hard one, one that took much more endurance than Wu thought he had. It had been easier when he had lived in the valley below. Running around on the flat ground was so much easier.
He had missed this. The trees and greenery called to him, and he couldn't resist touching the large leaf of a bush that had grown beside the path.
But that wasn't why he had come down the mountain.
No, he was going home.
Wu wasn't sure if it was a perk of being the son of the First Spinjitzu Master, or if it was something that other humans had as well, but he had no problem with directions.
He had only been back home a couple of times since the move to the monastery, mostly to collect things that had been left behind to move them as well, but he knew the way like the back of his hand.
He followed the dirt path, letting the twist and turns guide him back to the place that he loved.
Everything good had happened there. With the exception of Aspheera, Wu had been happy. He'd been able to play with Garmadon, fish with his father, enjoy swimming in the lake…
He couldn't do any of that now that they lived on top of a stupid mountain.
Faintly, in the distance, Wu could hear the sounds of rolling thunder. He chose to ignore it though. It was always thundering somewhere in Ninjago. That didn't mean it was going to rain on top of him.
And then he reached his home.
The vines that had once danced up the sides of the house now strangled it. The window in the kitchen was shattered, part of the roof was caved in…
Wu tried to swallow back the lump in his throat, but it wouldn't go away as his eyes began to fill with tears.
The house wasn't the same. It was worn down, broken just like him… It had been ruined by the time that had passed. Broken unfairly by the hands of destiny.
Wu couldn't keep the tears in any longer. He sobbed openly, louder than he ever would have if he was inside of the monastery. The stupid quiet monastery that he hated.
That was when the first cold drop of rain landed on Wu's head.
Then another.
And another.
In a matter of seconds, it was pouring rain. The raindrops seeping through Wu's clothing and chilling his bones.
He ran over to the door of his home and tried to pull it open.
However, when he went to turn the knob, it wouldn't budge.
"No, no, no…" he whispered. He didn't wanna be stuck out in the rain.
Lightning lit up the world around him, and Wu couldn't help but jump.
Suddenly, his mind was filled with ideas of all of the things that could be creeping around in the surrounding woods.
Snakes, Serpentine, people who would do anything to get their hands on the son of the First Spinjitzu Master.
He was completely soaked through now, and shivering. Even if he wasn't on the top of a mountain right now, that didn't mean he wasn't cold.
Wu choked back another sob, then sat down on the front step of the building he used to live in. He pulled his legs up to his chest and pressed his forehead to his kneecaps.
He was so stupid.
He had run away from the safety of the monastery on a night with bad weather, and now he was going to get kidnapped by some horrible creature or human who wanted him for his blood and family ties…
"Wu!"
Wu's heart stopped for just a second when he heard the other voice, then he looked up.
Just like always, there was his older brother. He had come to get him out of whatever situation he'd found himself in.
Before he could stop himself, he threw his arms around Garmadon. "Garmadon!" he exclaimed.
Then something dawned on him, a thought that made his stomach fill with guilt. "What are you doing out here!?" he asked.
Garmadon pulled away from the hug, leaning heavily on the bamboo staff that Wu knew was their father's.
"I should be asking you the same thing!" Garmadon said.
Wu shook his head. "You're the sick one, you shouldn't be out here."
Wu couldn't help but feel sick with guilt. His brother had come out here to find him, but he shouldn't even be out of bed… Had Garmadon's fever even broken? By the way Garmadon was leaning on the staff, it was obvious to him that his brother could hardly even support his own weight right now.
A look that Wu didn't recognize flashed onto Garmadon's face, but it was gone in an instant.
"Wu," he said. His voice was shaky and quieter than normal. "I know that things have… changed. But I'm always going to be your brother, and… I'll always come find you."
The tears sprung back into Wu's eyes. The last time he had tried to talk to his brother, he had been faced with someone he hardly recognized. But Garmadon was there now, being the good brother he had almost always been.
"We should get you home," Wu said as he wrapped an arm around Garmadon. His skin was hot to the touch, and he was shaking more than any person should ever be able to.
Wu swallowed. Garmadon was feverish, and out in the rain because of him. If anything happened to his brother because of this…
He shook the thought from his head as they began to make their way back home.
As difficult as the walk had been on the way to their old house, it was much worse on the way back. Maybe it was the rain, maybe it was the fact that Wu had to practically pull Garmadon along… Either way, climbing back up the mountain was much harder than going down had been.
They also didn't speak much, if at all. The only sound other than the rain was the sound of Garmadon's labored breathing.
When they finally reached the monastery though, Wu could have cheered. However, he stayed completely quiet.
If their father found out that they had been gone…
He reached out to grab the door handle, only for it to open right before he could grab it.
"Boys…"
Wu looked up into the face of his father and tried not to cringe.
But before he could even begin to come up with ideas of the punishments his father would give them, his father pulled them both inside.
Once the door was closed, their father turned back to Wu and Garmadon. "Where in all of Ninjago have you two been?" he asked.
Garmadon opened his mouth to speak, but Wu knew that he needed to tell the truth. He wouldn't let his sick brother take the blame for something that he had caused.
"It was my fault, Father," Wu said. "I went outside and Garmadon went to find me when he noticed that I was gone."
Their father sighed and looked over at Garmadon. "We should get you back to bed, Young One," he said, then turned to Wu. "Go to my study. I'll be in to speak with you once your brother is settled."
Wu gulped, then nodded his head. "Yes, Father."
Obediently, he walked to his father's study, then opened the door. The room was warm as a fire glowed from the fireplace.
He made his way over to the fireplace and sat beside it, hoping that the heat from the fire would warm his chilled bones. He was well aware that he was still dripping wet, and he was shivering too.
He was also well aware that he was in for quite the lecture. He didn't even want to know what kind of punishment he was about to be served.
Time seemed to pass slowly as he waited for his father to come back, and he could feel his eyelids starting to get heavy as he waited. Of course, the anxiety of whatever punishment he was about to get kept him awake though.
Finally, after what felt like a year, the door opened.
"Wu?"
Wu looked up. "Yes, Father?" His heart was beating a million beats per second. He felt like he was going to explode.
His father walked over and sat down beside him. Once he was sitting down, Wu noticed that he had things in his hands. A soft blanket and a cup of tea.
His father wrapped the blanket around Wu's shoulders, then handed him the cup of steaming tea. "There," he said. "We don't want you to catch a cold."
Wu looked down at the steaming tea, then back up at his father. "Will Garmadon be okay?"
For a second, his father's face darkened, and Wu's heart sank. If anything happened to Garmadon because of him…
"Being out in the rain brought back up his fever, but I imagine that some rest will bring him back to where he was before he went outside."
It wasn't the answer Wu wanted, but if it meant he wasn't going to be the death of his brother…
"But, we should talk about you."
Wu swallowed, and looked back down at the tea. It was warming up his hands, but he couldn't stomach it.
"Why did you go outside, Wu?" his father asked. "It's dangerous after dark."
Before he could hold himself back, Wu let everything out. "Because I hate this stupid monastery," he began as he looked up at his father. "I hate how isolated we are, how we don't do anything fun anymore, how all we do is train. And I hate that the stupid snake bit my brother and now everything is different!"
Wu felt the tears falling down his face again, but he didn't wipe them off. Instead, he just lowered his head and glared at his tea.
"Wu…" His father began, and Wu felt a gentle hand rest on his shoulder.
"I thought that going home would fix everything," Wu whispered as he put down the tea cup. "But it didn't, and the house we lived in is all broken, just like us…"
"Look at me, child."
Though his father's voice was the same loving and gentle one that Wu had always known, a little bit of dread filled him.
He looked up. "Yes, Father?"
His father's kind eyes glowed a bright golden in the light from the fire, but there was a sadness in them too. He reached down and grabbed one of Wu's hands.
"I wish I had some words of wisdom, some advice to make everything better… I know things have been difficult and scary. The move was hard for you, and your brother's illness has changed so much," he said. "But Wu, you cannot run off. Especially at night, Little One. If something had happened to you, I…"
His father didn't finish the sentence, and Wu didn't expect him to. He didn't even want his father to have to think about that.
"I'm sorry," Wu whispered.
His father smiled, then cleared his throat and the smile was gone. Wu knew what was coming next… "As much as I understand what you're going through, you still can't do it," he said. "You'll have extra chores for the next week."
Wu bit back a sigh as he nodded. He hated chores… "Yes, Father."
"You should head to bed," his father told him. "It's been past your bedtime for hours now. But please, come to me next time. I might not be able to fix the problem, but I can listen. Even if our family is broken, we still have to look out for each other."
The exhaustion that had been held back by anxiety suddenly overtook Wu, and even the floor in front of him looked like a good place to sleep. He was an active child, but between everything he had done earlier in the day, along with going to his old house… He was exhausted.
Wu nodded, then stood up. "Goodnight, Father."
His father smiled. "Goodnight, my son," he said.
Wu walked out of his father's study and towards his bedroom. He could hear the tapping of raindrops on the roof, and the rustling of the wind.
When he reached Garmadon's bedroom, he hesitated in front of the door for a moment. A part of him yearned to check on his older brother, though the more sensible part of him knew that Garmadon was sick and trying to sleep.
The desire to see his brother won out though and Wu peeked into Garmadon's room.
Garmadon lifted his head from his pillow and frowned. "Wu..?" he asked. "What are you doing?"
Wu tried to figure out what to say, but only one thing could come to his mind. "How did you know where to find me?"
"You're my little brother, Wu. I know you better than anyone else in all of Ninjago," he said. "Nothing will ever change that."
It was out of Wu's mouth before he could stop it, a question he had been wanting to ask, but had held back. "Not even the snake venom?"
Garmadon smiled weakly. "Yeah, not even the snake venom."
The End.
Yeah, blame little Wu for this one, lol. Sorry for the sadness. Please fave and review!
Thanks for reading!