Avatar/Ninjago: The Legend of Lloyd

Chapter 1: The Message

Kai wipes the sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his kimono. People always assume that, in winter, the heat of the forge is a blessing, and it is... at least, for the first thirty minutes.

Kai looks out the window, unsure of the time but assuming it's almost evening. When the setting sun confirms his suspicions, he feels a flash of concern.

Where's Nya? She should be back by now.

Kai wipes his hands on his apron as he hurries to the door, prepared to search for her. Just as he puts his hand on the doorknob, however, it swings open, pulled from the other side. He finds himself face-to-face with his sister.

"Nya!" He says her name with a note of admonishment.

"Calm down, the baker is sick and his son is overwhelmed with work. Kind of like you..." She says this last part more quietly than the rest, but he hears it clearly.

"That doesn't matter. I'll go for the bread from now on."

"What about the shop? Ever since Dad went to war you've been acting like you've got everything under control, but you don't!

"That's not true!"

Kai's sister scowls at him. "It is and you know it."

Women. They think they know everything.

An uproar outside interrupts their argument, thank the Fire Lord. It sounds like someone's shouting something. Kai and Nya run to the window to see what the fuss is about.

"Halt, boy!" a guard exclaims, although the siblings can't see who he's yelling at. The women of the village lean out of their own doors and windows, their super-human gossiping powers primed and ready.

The guard stumbles in pursuit of his invisible quarry, tripping over a box of peaches. Kai tries, unsuccessfully, to stifle his laughter. Nya glares at him and goes to help the guard up. Kai follows her.

"It was an Air Nomad!" He can hear the guard insisting as he approaches.

"That's impossible." Kai says, shaking his head.

"They're all gone, aren't they?" Asks Nya.

"I don't know... I don't know what to believe anymore," admits the guard, shaking his head, before continuing to chase the 'Air Nomad'.

"Poor guy." Kai says, crossing his arms. "Crazies like him don't last long on their own."

Nya hits his arm, just lightly enough not to bruise. "You're such a skeptic. You wouldn't even believe me if I told you that, would you?"

"Nope." Kai shakes his head firmly. Still, that night, he locks their door, just in case.

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Knock, Knock

A noise at the door rouses Kai from a deep sleep. Groaning, he covers his head with the blankets and tries to ignore it.

KNOCK, KNOCK

The noise returns a moment later. Kai covers his ears with his pillow.

"Go away..." he mumbles.

The knocking returns yet again. Kai gives up, dragging himself from bed with a yawn and stomping down the creaking wooden stairs. He stands before the door and blinks several times before opening it.

Three guards wrapped in red cloaks greet him, their expressions unusually kind.

"Kai Smith." It sounds as though the guard has practiced what he is about to say. Kai stands there, uncomprehending, still half asleep.

"Kai, wait!" his sister comes running, but, seeing that the door is open, she stops dead. Her eyes are wide.

Kai tries to think of a reason for three royal guards to be on his doorstep in the middle of the night. Then he realizes- he forgot to pay his taxes!

"Give me one more day, I swear I'll get you the money!" The guard who'd said his name arches an eyebrow.

"Kai, I think we should talk about this... alone." Kai turns around, following the guard's meaningful gaze over to Nya. The expressions of pity on the guards' faces makes him understand. Kai steps outside and closes the door behind him, catching one last glimpse of his anxious sister as he does.

"Kai..." Again the guard speaks. Kai doesn't meet his eyes. He knows what's coming.

"Your father... is dead."