꧁𓊈𒆜"Chapter Five"𒆜𓊉꧂
A Can Of Worms.

"Ashton get back!" My father grunted, pushing me behind him and springing into a tacke to create more space between me and my Uncle.

I watched in astonishment as Wu blocked my father with his Bo staff. My hands fisted at my side as I ducked back into the house, to my room to retrieve my Bow and Quiver and returned to the doorstep to see them battling near the cliffs edge.

"Hello Brother," Father glared at him, equal strength used to fight off his relative, "What took you so long? You brought the katana of our youth... funny. You never had the courage to cross the temple wall yet now you have the courage to come here?"

"Why do you like this place of darkness?" He wondered, holding his strength.

"This place is as wicked as me. Don't you see? Here I feel at home. In Ninjago, I was physically unable to hold all four Spinjitzu Weapons. But here, dark magic has made me stronger and what was once impossible is now possible," He threw his sword back, startling the intruder.

I stepped out of the house, my eyes narrowed as I witnessed my father reveal his extra 2 arms to his brother. Uncle Wu glanced at me and then to the other threat.

"You stayed here only to possess the weapons of Spinjitzu?" Wu asked, unsure if it was the right thing to do.

"Yes, brother," Father nodded, sending me a look, "And I refuse to allow you or your petty ninja to stop me!"

Lord Garmadon launched towards his brother and I stared in shock. Wu defended himself quickly, shoving the Bo Staff in front of him for protection, but it wasn't enough.

I ran after them both, after so long my father was finally getting his revenge. I wanted to help, to dig a bow into my Uncle's side as revenge for trapping him here. We should both be free with Lloyd by our side and the Ninja as our prisoners as we ruled over Ninjago.

Wu took that from us.

With a final push, Wu fell off the cliffs edge and slid down into a ditch of mud. Father and I stayed shoulder to shoulder knowing what was down there.

Wu scrambled to his feet, glaring up at us as we sneered down to him, though he wasn't able to look for long. Mud Monsters started to form at the disturbance of his movement and starting an attack.

A sick smile found my face. If my father wasn't going to finish of his brother, then something else would.

"Brother, I've not come here to--"

"You will pay for your visit. Mud Monsters converge! You don't belong here Old Fool! You should've known better then to try and stop me!" My father laughed at his pathetic pleads.

The monsters trapped him between their mud bodies. There was no escaping.

"I didn't come to stop you. I came to warn you. To tell you—your son's in danger! Aah!" The Monsters pressed together, trapping him fully between them.

Suddenly my smile dropped.

Lloyd was in danger?

I looked to my father anxiously. What was he going to do? Was Uncle Wu telling the truth? Was it all a lie to trap us somewhere else?

He was captured by the mud, only his hand on show as it waved towards us, begging, pleading to be saved.

"Lloyd?" My father effortlessly slid down into the pit, knowing the monsters wouldn't hurt him.

He grabbed Wu's hand and pulled him from between the bodies of the Mud Monsters. I stared from the edge, not knowing what to trust.

"What has Lloyd gotten himself into?" My father pulled Wu to his feet.

"He has opened a can of worms I fear I will never be able to close," He muttered, glancing up at me.

I clenched my jaw to stop a nasty snarl forming on my lips. This was the guy supposed to be protecting the people of ninjago. Lloyd was people. Lloyd was his family.

"You mean we will never be able to close. Get up. You can tell me more later. First, we need to return home. How did you find us?" My father looked at me as well, his eyes quickly returning to his brother.

I frowned.

"Traveler's Tea. But I used it all and now have no way back," Wu winced, he should've prepared better.

The king of darkness looked to me again with an expression of guilt.

"There is only one way to return to Ninjago. But to get there, we must pass through the Mountain of Madness and it is a long and dangerous road ahead,"

What...?

"You closed the portal Father," I swallowed thickly, my eyes narrowing as my fingers clench around my Bow again.

"I...lied. For your own sake Asher," He told, his red eyes full of authority.

I stared at him blankly.

He lied to me.

He lied?

The portal was open all this time, 2 weeks I spend yearning to see my brother, terrified that if I ever saw him again he would hate me for abandoning him. He had lied. I hadn't been to see Lloyd when I had every ability to.

And I didn't even check! I didn't even go to the mountain to check if it was the truth! Me, it was my fault. I did abandon Lloyd. But it was still our Father's fault.

"Ashton," Uncle Wu called, "Will you be making this journey with us?"

I turned my stare to him and nodded once, ignoring the frown on my father's features. He caused this. He was going to have to put up with my return to Ninjago City. He took Lloyd away from me.

"Then we should leave now... before it gets dark," He advised, patting Wu's shoulder to assist him back up the muddy cliff.

We walked for days, only stopping for food and rest. By the time we reached to the mountain edge my feet were sore and my head was aching.

They tried to make conversation with each other, Wu tried to speak to me but everything he brought up, I couldn't really relate to. School, friends, hobbies... it was if he'd forgotten who had raised me.

And my father, he tried to be kind and give me some of his found food but I turned them down. He tried to speak with me normally, I didn't answer. He deserved so much more as a punishment for hurting me in such a way.

The brothers spoke occationally but preffered the silence. There wasn't much to speak about. If Lloyd banished me to the underworld, the last person I would like to recall memories with was the one who made it nearly impossible to create more.

"I had hoped to reach the summit before the moon has risen. The Craglings never miss a midnight snack," My father frowned in worry, looking at the height left to climb.

I winced slightly. There were some monsters in the underworld who understood and sensed the venom of the great snake in my father's veins and knew not to trouble him. The Craglings were not one of those monsters.

"Craglings? What is this place? There's no such thing in Ninjago," Uncle Wu asked which surprised me.

Wasn't he supposed to know everything?

"They're a horde unlike any you've seen. Not all places exist to be found, brother. Sometimes, one must revel in the shadows to truly see the light,"

I snorted. How ironically convenient. My father should learn to follow his own words of wisdom.

Before I could enjoy the small amusement, the rocks began to shudder and roll towards each other. Bright, yellow eyes formed through the stone and I braced my arrow for an attack.

Before I could strike one with my arrow, Uncle Wu stood protectively in front of me, blocking my shot. I frowned. What was he doing?

I jumped into a roll to avoid a hit, steadying myself on my knee to pull the string back and hit a Cragling. I turn to see if my family was alright and am caught with Wu being pinned down.

"Watch out, brother!" Father reached out to destroy the Cragling then help his brother up.

"Thanks. Just like old times?" He quipped, almost excitedly.

"Just like old times," My father smiled back.

They both broke out in a violent wind of Spinjitzu. I stepped back, the clashing colours of bright gold and deep purple filling the surrounding area.

I clenched my jaw in jealousy. My father had sworn never to teach me how to so Spinjitzu and instead stole an elemental power to give me instead. What a powerful move. I wish I could do it.

But as I watched my Father and Uncle fight off the Craglings, I wished that if Lloyd and I were to ever be in different sides, we would still find a place to be brothers.

OK so stuff has happened.

Asher really has some issues huh.

Also the foreshadow in the last paragraph 🤭

But for some more personal matters...

My dog got put down on the 19th and that kinda sucked so sorry for not updating but also I'm not coz yk, grief?

I hope you are all OK!!!

Ninja in the next chapter fr this time!!!! 

🔥🧊⚡🪨