A/N: Alola, peoples! I'm Lily, aka BOOM!, and welcome! Now, before we begin, I have a few things I'd like to clear up.

-This story is based on "There is Always the Future" by Fabro de Omres, and yes, I asked them for permission to use the idea.

-Jils is a fusion of me and my friend/co-writer Geri. Specifically, a Steven Universe-style fusion - she's technically an Amazonite (Though she identifies herself as a Pike's Peak Jade, another name for Amazonite, due to the fact that I lived in Colorado in view of Pike's Peak at one time). Her voice is the same as Amy Lee from Evanescence.

-I have a very inconsistent schedule. And by inconsistent, I mean non-existent, so be prepared for sporadic updates and/or unplanned hiatuses.

-Currently, I've only seen up to almost all of Season 7 (though I have done some research on later seasons), so my current Ninjago knowledge is pretty rusty. Just a word of warning for if I miss something that gets explained later.

-Most chapters are written in an ambiguous PoV, but "break" chapters (like this one) will have a focused PoV.

-And, of course, I don't own Ninjago or the original idea. Those belong to LEGO and Fabro de Omres, respectively. The only things I own are Jils, the TV room (it's kinda inspired by my basement), my headcanons (like the First Spinjitzu Master's name or Amazonite being the Lapis/Peridot fusion), and a few Ninjago minifigures...er, at least, my brother owns some minifigures…

-\/-{The Monastery, near the end of "Home"}-\/-

(Zane's PoV)

The hate in the air is evident, burning, with a heat more scorching than the now-extinguished flames that had only moments ago been relentlessly consuming the monastery that the six figures gathered in the wreckages have until now called home.

Zane, white ninja of ice, swears he can physically feel his teammate's glares boring into him, as their emotions spiral out of control into a rage that prevents them from thinking straight. No sound seems to register but a muffled roar in the blonde's ears, being borne from his growing state of mental panic. For the first time in as long as he can remember (which wasn't much, to be honest (A/N: Why does no one seem to remember that Zane basically has amnesia at first?!)), Zane feels overcome by pure, unadulterated terror as Kai draws back his hand to strike.

Time seems to slow to a stop, and he shuts his eyes, flinching away as he braces himself for the arriving blow…

"STOP!"

...that never arrives.

Instead, Zane nearly falls over as a powerful rush of air like a wave accentuates the sudden shout. He knows the power should have swept him off his feet, but unidentified hands grip his shoulders from behind, steadying him. He opens his eyes to find the hands are that of a stranger, encased in fingerless gloves colored a deep purple, a blue-green gemstone set in the back of each-the left, smoothly cut into a triangle; the right, polished in the shape of a teardrop.

"You alright?" the stranger's voice-the same one whose shout had shaken the air with the power behind it-calmly asks, the haunting tone behind it giving a quality one would find in the voice of a singer.

Zane breathlessly nods, still reeling as he tries to process this development. Recovering his nerves, he turns to look at his mysterious protector.

Giving the white-clad ninja a small, warm smile is an unusually tall, nearly 7ft young woman of medium build who seems to be in her early 20s, if he has to guess. Her pale peach skin is dotted with dark tan freckles, and her ginger hair streaked with a bubblegum-pink comes to her chin in a curly bob, some of it held back in a small ponytail. She is clad in a white tee bearing the message "I'm an adult but not like a real adult" in black lettering, shorts made of a navy-blue denim, knee-length socks striped in black-and-white, and caramel-brown boots lined with white fuzz. A gray hoodie is tied around her waist, while a purple bandana hangs from her neck and a similarly colored baseball cap that says "Cute but Psycho" in aqua-green script rests on her head. Mirrored sunglasses almost completely obscure her stormy-blue eyes, but he can make out a twinkle from behind them.

"Glad you're ok," she tells him, still with the same relaxed attitude. "The name's Jils. J-I-L-S, yes, it sounds plural, I get that alot." Looking back out at the monastery, she continues, "Now, no one hurts my metal son, cle-" she frowns slightly "-well, chaos, guess I knocked them out."

"...Metal son?" is the only reply that comes to Zane's mind.

"Eh, it's all I could think of. Probably'll come up with something better later-anyways, I need you guys to come with me."

"What...what just happened?" Zane can hear Nya wonder in disbelief.

"I happened. Now, can you guys take Cole, I'd do it myself but unlike some Ninjago characters and/or SU fusions I've only got two arms." Jils doesn't seem to notice the incredulous looks that her statement has earned her, and she walks over and hoists an unconscious Kai and Jay over her shoulders. "This way, the portal's over here."

-\/-{On the other side of the portal}-\/-

Needless to say, Zane is unprepared for the sight that meets his eyes after having passed through the "portal"-a rectangular hole of shimmering lights that seems as if someone cut a piece out a piece of space itself, replacing it with a curtain of pure energy colored a fluorescent, glow-in-the-dark cyan. The dimensional doorway gives way to a large room whose main focus appears to be a 10ft-wide TV set into the wall, bookshelves framing it on either side.

Most of the shelves are laden with various books, movies, and video games, while the top shelves display a collection of scenes and models formed of plastic building bricks. Among the myriad structures, the ninja of ice finds he can recognize the monastery (in its normal, whole state) and the team's dragons.

A large, grey modular couch sits a few yards away from the TV, facing it, while scattered about the floor are beanbag chairs in a variety of colors. Jils, with little ceremony, plops the blue- and red-clad ninja onto two of said beanbags, then looks around as if searching for someone.

"Huh, guess I got back first. Make yourselves comfy, I have to take care of one more stop." The young adult walks back towards the portal, then pauses. "Oh, there's Lava Cookies in the top left-most cupboard if you need help waking the others up." Thatbeing said, she vanishes through the curtain of light.

Zane looks on as the mysterious woman disappears, then turns to Sensei Wu, who has been mysteriously quiet throughout all the confusion Jils has brought. "Sensei? What do you make of all this?"

"I...I must admit, I don't know. Jils seems...enigmatic, for lack of a better term. Almost unnaturally calm, and with a power unlike anything I've seen."

"Plus, she seems sort of crazy," Nya adds, earning her a disapproving look. "What? You have to admit, nearly half of what she says makes no sense whatsoever!"

"That may be true, Nya, but one must never judge another simply by how different from you they may seem." As Wu says this, he gives Zane a knowing smile. "But enough of that-would one of you be willing to find these 'Lava Cookies' our host has mentioned?"

"I'm on it," Nya volunteers, heading through an archway to a well-equipped kitchen.

A sudden flash from the portal draws the remaining conscious member's attention. However, instead of Jils as they expect, a pair of old men have appeared in the room.

The first man, visibly the younger of the two, feels strangely familiar to Zane, though he can't quite place it. He has swept-back, tousled hair grayed by his age, and is clad in a mostly black gi accented with gold. Over that he wears a white sleeved, gray overcoat and a green belt clasped with the crest of a black dragon in a gold circle. His face is visibly lined, but his green eyes sparkle with life.

The second man, though he seems to be much older, has just as much, if not more, energy to him. His snow-white hair is held back in a braid under his conical hat, and a short white goatee graces his chin. His black robes are embroidered with the image of a golden dragon, and his gaze feels powerful, yet kind as he surveys the group.

The younger man looks around the room, blinking in confusion, when his eyes land on Sensei Wu. He gasps, his eyes growing wide in delight.

"WU!" he cries, rushing over with surprising speed and embracing the white-bearded teacher. Zane suddenly realizes why the man feels familiar-that was Lord Garmadon's voice. But how-

"...Brother?" Wu finally replies, his shock evident. "You...how?..." He returns the embrace, still somewhat confused.

"Wu...you cannot believe how much I have missed you...missed being able to be here for you…"

The second arrival smiles and places a hand on each brother's shoulder. "My sons...finally reunited, for good." He joins the hug.

Sensei Wu is speechless at this point, and seems close to tears, something Zane has never before seen from his team's mentor.

"F-father?"

"Yes, Wu, it's me."

And then, it clicks, and Zane realizes the other man's identity, feeling a sudden urge to kneel at the realization.

This was the creator of Ninjago, and the father of Wu and Garmadon.

This was the First Spinjitzu Master.

"Found the cookies-wait, what's going on?" Nya asks, walking back into the main room while holding a plastic package.

"I...believe the best way to describe this situation is as a 'family reunion'," Zane supplies.

Nya blinks. "What."

-\/-{This line break is brought to you by BOOM! Fanstudios}-\/-

It took some time for the others to come to (though the cookies definitely helped somehow), but once they had, it had been...hectic, to say the least.

After it had explained what had happened (their memories being a little fuzzy due to having just woken up), Jay had proceeded to freak out, while Kai and Cole had apologized about 30 or so times...each. While they are calmer now, well, except for Jay, who is still freaking out, Zane still catches them giving him a guilty look every now and again.

"I still can't believe we're in the same room as the FIRST SPINJITZU MASTER!"

Kai groans. "Jay, we get it. You've said this over a dozen times since we woke up!" He shakes his head. "Anyways, when is this 'Jils' getting back? I'm starting to get bored just sitting here while the elders talk…"

"You could read something, like Zane is," Cole offers.

Zane looks up from the book he is currently reading, a sci-fi novel entitled Ender's Game. "I concur, this book is quite intriguing. I do not know when Jils will return, though-she has been gone for nearly a quarter of an hour now."

"Where do you think she went?" Jay wonders. "Do you think she's getting someone else? Who do you think it'll be?"

A flash is once again emitted from the portal.

"Seems we're about to find out," Nya replies, and the group turns to face the emerging figure.

Jils has indeed returned, snow dusting her hair and shoulders. In her arms, bridal style, rests a familiar, 10-year-old boy clad in a black cloak.

"I'm back-oh, Tamashii, you found him. I take it The Grass is Greener had the right idea about the Grail, then." The young adult gently shakes the child in her arms. "Lloyd, we're here."

The boy yawns softly, stirring. "We are?" he slurs out, half-awake.

"LLOYD?!" everyone minus the First Spinjitzu Master-Tamashii, Jils had called him-yells in shocked unison.

"Yes, this is in fact Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon. No one try anything, because if anything happens to Lloyd here, I will most likely kill everyone else in the room, followed by myself. In increasingly dramatic and/or morbid ways. So, yeah, don't touch my honorary little brother."

EVERYONE stares blankly at her at this remark.

"O...kay?" Jay eeps, slowly scooching away from the redhead.

"Here, Garmadon, hug your son. He needs it. Now, if you don't mind, I gotta quick return the Holy Grail to Dr. Jones before I forget." Jils catches the simple chalice tossed to her by the First Spinjitzu Master, and heads back through the portal, humming a snippet of song under her breath. A minute or so later, she reemerges, plopping down onto an aqua-green beanbag chair.

"Okay, so Jils, right?" At the woman's nod, Kai impatiently continues. "Okay, can you please tell us why in, well-" he gestures to Tamashii "-his name we're here right now?"

"Yes, I was just about to. Basically, I'm from a place where you guys are all in a TV show, which I'm gonna show you right now. Note, all except the first few-and-a-half episodes are the future for all of you, so...yeah, word of warning, spoilers."

"Wait, we're on TV?!" Jay gushes. "This is so AWESOME!"

"Woah, woah, woah-you're showing us the future?" Cole clarifies, concerned. "Won't that have consequences?"

"Jils has her reasons," the First Spinjitzu Master replies from his seat on the couch with his sons and grandson. "Part of the future she feels would be better off not occurring-and some of it simply CAN'T anymore, due to my son's corruption being reversed."

"Early, at least," Jils adds. "And, yeah, basically what Tamashii said. Especially since I have now adopted Lloyd as a brother, and he does not deserve the trauma he would end up put through if events run their normal course." Turning on the TV, she continues, "Anyways, we'll start with what has already happened so far-the Pilot. You should all recognize these events, well, except for Lloyd at first, so you should be able to be eased in pretty well. Ready to start?"

The agreement was unanimous.

The woman smirks. "Then let's spin it." Then she frowns slightly. "Wait, that was a Talespin joke...hold on, got it. Get comfy, everyone, cause we're about to jump up, kick back, whip around-" she gives them all a slightly disturbing smile "-and spin."