“Well, Benji, there’s something I have to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“That ninja-man passed away a month ago after he protected the city.”
“…Oh.”
“And he covered the city with ice when he died.”
“S-so…the statue…”
“Was made in memory of him.”
He stares at the bird. That’s why Mom and Dad weren’t smiling, he thinks quietly.
“Is this your first time seeing it, sir?”
“Why do you ask?”
“This is my first time at the park. I really like that statue.”
“Really? Why?”
“I like how he is looking up at the sky. There’s nothing to see there except clouds, but he is looking up all the same. He's seeing something beyond that, something we can’t see.”
“…What do you think it is?”
Benji smiles as the bird pecks at his jacket. “He’s seeing New Ninjago with flying cars and neon signs. He’s seeing Mr. Borg with his inventions and thousands of lights in that giant tower. He’s seeing the city now and what it will become. He sees the before and after. He sees the future. He sees hope.” He looks at the man directly. “So, I will hold on to my hope.”
The man seems amused by what he said. “Which one?”
“That Birdie will see him. It has a better chance than I do. I’m going home soon.”
As he speaks, the bird hops back to the man’s shoulder and gently taps its feet.
-----the feels have struck again u~u *hands you tissues and comfort cookies*
(Thank you, Tigress! ^0^ I'm in this big Rebooted mood recently so I decided to write about it. I wonder about that sometimes...I feel like these normal civilians probably all have an epic/terrifying childhood as a result of all these constant attacks )
*takes them gratefully and gulps down the comfort cookies*
(Right? I'd swear 90% of them would be suffering from a lot of PTSD. )
...Would you like some tea to go with that? ] ówò
(They probably all saw a building collapse or an army invasion at some point. Trauma is inevitable. )
“Well, Benji, there’s something I have to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“That ninja-man passed away a month ago after he protected the city.”
“…Oh.”
“And he covered the city with ice when he died.”
“S-so…the statue…”
“Was made in memory of him.”
He stares at the bird. That’s why Mom and Dad weren’t smiling, he thinks quietly.
“Is this your first time seeing it, sir?”
“Why do you ask?”
“This is my first time at the park. I really like that statue.”
“Really? Why?”
“I like how he is looking up at the sky. There’s nothing to see there except clouds, but he is looking up all the same. He's seeing something beyond that, something we can’t see.”
“…What do you think it is?”
Benji smiles as the bird pecks at his jacket. “He’s seeing New Ninjago with flying cars and neon signs. He’s seeing Mr. Borg with his inventions and thousands of lights in that giant tower. He’s seeing the city now and what it will become. He sees the before and after. He sees the future. He sees hope.” He looks at the man directly. “So, I will hold on to my hope.”
The man seems amused by what he said. “Which one?”
“That Birdie will see him. It has a better chance than I do. I’m going home soon.”
As he speaks, the bird hops back to the man’s shoulder and gently taps its feet.
Benji, you are precious. :3
Benji is a very precious boy. He also likes birbs and rhinoceros beetles. :3
-last edited on Aug 19, 2020 6:19:19 GMT by TeaLeaf❀
Post by TeaLeaf❀ on Aug 19, 2020 6:17:38 GMT
“…It’s my first time seeing the statue, too,” admits the tall stranger. “What you just said makes me like it even more.”
“I’m glad! Oh, do you know what…umm… ‘tai-tei-nee-uhm’ is?” The little boy does the best he can to repeat the odd word.
“Titanium?”
“It was on the plaque along with his name. It also called him ‘Beloved,” so I think many people love him and miss him.”
“Is that so?”
“Yep! He’s a good guy. I hope I can learn more about him.”
“Benji! Time to go!” Mom’s voice. His heart warms.
“Goodbye, Birdie! Bye-bye, sir! Take care!”
Benji dashes out from the tiny path, snow and mud splattering on his shoes as he leaves, and he soon rejoins his parents by the silver statue. He pouts when Mom gushes over the melted ice in his hair and the dirtied jacket, but he instantly beams when Dad suggests the three of them go get ice cream before continuing their trip. The stranger watches them depart.
“Zane? Zane?”
“…Yes?”
“Where are you?” PIXAL asks. She sounds worried.
“The park. I decided to go on a little walk.”
“Your body isn’t stable yet! Father isn’t done with the modifications—”
“It’s alright. It’s only a walk.” Falcon twitches its head. Left. Right. Left. “I’m coming back now.”
“Next time, let us install a locator before you run off. It’s too dangerous!”
“I’m fine.”
“No, it’s just…I don’t want to lose you again.”
Zane thinks back to the statue. Benji. The plaque. Beloved. He closes his eyes. “Thank you, Pixal.”
After sharing a silent goodbye, the bird took to the skies once more and left with the wind. Zane pulls on his hood and begins the short walk back to Borg Tower, his temporary core brimming with static and warmth as he recounts the friends and family he is blessed with. No matter where they are now, he hopes they are safe.
“…For what?” The droid eventually replies, confused by the non sequitur.
“Everything,” the nindroid looks up as he answers. The clouds have parted, and the sun is shining down on Ninjago City once more. He forms a smile. “Everything.”
After sharing a silent goodbye, the bird took to the skies once more and left with the wind. Zane pulls on his hood and begins the short walk back to Borg Tower, his temporary core brimming with static and warmth as he recounts the friends and family he is blessed with. No matter where they are now, he hopes they are safe.
“…For what?” The droid eventually replies, confused by the non sequitur.
“Everything,” the nindroid looks up as he answers. The clouds have parted, and the sun is shining down on Ninjago City once more. He forms a smile. “Everything.”
Beloved-End-
asldkajsldkjas IT'S ONLY WEDNESDAY WHY MUST YOU TOY WITH MY EMOTIONS LIKE THIS
That is such a precious ending and such precious lines. This entire story is precious. Thank you for sharing your preciousness. x'3
After sharing a silent goodbye, the bird took to the skies once more and left with the wind. Zane pulls on his hood and begins the short walk back to Borg Tower, his temporary core brimming with static and warmth as he recounts the friends and family he is blessed with. No matter where they are now, he hopes they are safe.
“…For what?” The droid eventually replies, confused by the non sequitur.
“Everything,” the nindroid looks up as he answers. The clouds have parted, and the sun is shining down on Ninjago City once more. He forms a smile. “Everything.”
Beloved-End-
asldkajsldkjas IT'S ONLY WEDNESDAY WHY MUST YOU TOY WITH MY EMOTIONS LIKE THIS
That is such a precious ending and such precious lines. This entire story is precious. Thank you for sharing your preciousness. x'3
It's Wednesday my dudes Awww you're welcome! x3 hopefully this will make up for the lack of preciousness in the next couple of stories
-last edited on Aug 24, 2020 7:52:47 GMT by TeaLeaf❀
Post by TeaLeaf❀ on Aug 24, 2020 7:51:10 GMT
To\Forget (Post Season 3)
There are three things they both know.
"Mr. Walker, myself and the company included are very happy about your interest. We are certain your heroic endeavors and involvement will bring great success to this television program."
"Thank you very much! I am glad to hear that."
"If you don't mind us asking…why have you decided to enter the business? I understand that as a protector of Ninjago, time must be tight on your hands."
"Of course! Allow me to explain. Schedule conflict with the team is no longer an issue, unlike our first negotiation. This is something I wanted to mention before we finalize the terms."
"I see. Has your team agreed to let you become a full-time show host through some sort of arrangement?"
"No. We simply couldn't see eye to eye, so I have decided to resign."
Zane is dead.
"We don't want you here."
"—And why is that?"
"You're that fire ninja. Kai, is it? This is no place for the likes of you. If I let you in, you're going to frighten everyone."
"Hey, what's there to be afraid of? I don't plan on beating you guys up again."
"Well, who's to say you won't? You've been doing plenty of fighting out on the streets. Some even our own people. Don't think we haven't heard."
"Ha. What is this? What makes you think you can shut me out? You go tell them: either you open this door, or I burn this trash tavern down. I won't mind having some of you lot trapped inside."
"Please…you should understand. You have your honor, we have ours. This is the only place we belong to."
-last edited on Aug 24, 2020 7:57:19 GMT by TeaLeaf❀
Post by TeaLeaf❀ on Aug 24, 2020 7:56:29 GMT
The team is gone.
"…Then…"
"I am now officially retired from my duty as a ninja, just as I have before the city's attack. Please don't worry, I am still the Lightning Ninja in name, and I have every right to the fame my team has gathered up to this point."
"Publicity shouldn't be an issue then. This is good news, indeed. As a follow-up question from our staff working on the show, have you had any formal training or mental preparedness for hosting?"
"I have experience teaching and working before a crowd, and I don't have stage fright. My…former team…has even entered the annual talent show and won the Blade Cup. I believe I listed that on my resume—"
"Ah, yes. It's one of the main qualifications that caught our interest while narrowing the candidate pool. Very well, we will inform the production team of your skill set and have them aid you along the way. I'm sure you'll get the basics down as you go."
"I'm a fast learner."
"…So we've heard."
And life…will never be the way it was.
"Honor? There's no honor for us, the lowest of the low. I'm not a ninja anymore. I left my team, and now I don't belong anywhere."
"…What makes you think you will fit in here?"
"I don't. I have no clue. And honestly, I'm tired of searching. It took me seven guys to even get this address, and I'm sick of it. They have no fight in them. No tries. No thrill."
"Have you looked at yourself? Have you seen what you've become? You are terrible to look at, Fire Ninja. You have disgraced your name."
"…The Slither Pits. All I'm asking for is the Pits. Please, let me in. I promise I won't cause you any trouble. I will learn your rules and play by them."
-last edited on Aug 30, 2020 13:02:46 GMT by TeaLeaf❀
Post by TeaLeaf❀ on Aug 30, 2020 13:00:25 GMT
By lying to themselves, day after day…
The concealer makes him shine, smile natural, and camera perfect. All he has to do is put on a stellar performance, entice the crowd, and money will roll in within the blink of an eye. The drama, the amazement, the sizzling excitement are all he lives for. His face is all over TV, the ratings soar, and soon he is so enthralled in the set that he doesn't even remember why he was so conflicted to make the choice in the first place.
Jacket off, mask on, and the outside world fades away. He just has to throw punches and not think of anything else, have the fight and thrill eat away the guilt that tugged at him like extra weight. People cheer when he lands a mean right hook, riot when he tosses out the body, and scream vicious protests when he sneers. His mind is blank, the motions overtake him, and a sickening part of him feels finally at ease.
They have forgotten who they were.
They have given up.
Sometimes he remembers. In between those fleeting moments before the crew goes on air, or the anticlimactic aftermaths in his quiet dressing room, he would think of him. Of them. He brings the photo out from its hiding place and buys a cheap frame, and later in these rare seconds of clarity, he reaches for the people forever shut away in the glass. He asks them to forgive him. He thinks of how pathetic he is for running away, counts the days he has lived and the days that go into the promised year...
Then he puts on an extra layer of powder and smiles, and everything is normal again.
He has to pass by that place every night, and he curses when he does. He attempts to circle around it or cross the bushes head-down, but he can't bring himself to. How can he hurry back to his apartment when his dead friend just stands there out in the open, judging him silently for his loss of faith? The statue isn't polished anymore, and his throat tightens at the red graffiti. They remind him of his swollen hands, and he couldn't step away...
So the park became a necessary stop, and it takes everything he has to choke back the tears and recompose himself, well enough to fight on one more day.