Please Note: The following fanfic is set before the events of season 15 (Seabound). If anything happens in the show afterwards that contradicts this story, it should just be accepted as an alternate universe.

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Once Skylor entered, she began running to turn on every light, then ran to the front door to let her staff inside. As everyone walked in, all Skylor could do was greet everyone and rub her right temporalis.
“Did you lose track of time today?” Shan asked, with a faint smirk on his face.
“What gave it away? “Skylor asked sarcastically.
“You mean other than the orange blur through the window? I’d say rubbing the side of your head might have given it away. I’ve worked with you long enough to know you tend to get headaches if you use your powers.”
“Alright, you caught me. I got lost in thought, but at least I wasn’t late.”
“Fair enough. Just don’t overuse your powers in a short time. I’m not sure if normal headache medication could help against magic.”
“I’ll try and remember that.”

The day came and went just like yesterday, minus the annoyance of the Sons of Garmadon members showing up. Skylor was relieved at this. She didn’t feel like fighting today. Her mind was elsewhere, and she knew what she had to do to make her mind sound again. Once midnight came around, multiple staff left, all wishing her a good weekend. Skylor approached Shan just as he was about to open the door to exit.
“Shan, can I talk to you at some point? It doesn’t need to be now, but there’s been something on my mind that I need to put to rest.” Skylor said.
“How about later today in the evening? I would offer to do it now, but with my age, I can’t stay up as late as you probably could.” Shan replied.
“Can we meet up at the front, say 11:00 AM?”
“Sounds like a plan.”

Sahn waved goodbye as Skylor locked up the restaurant, then returned to her apartment. Once she entered, she was tempted to fall asleep on the couch, yet figured it would be more comfortable if she slept in her bed. As a result, she mustered up enough energy to get to her room before falling asleep. When she awoke a swift glance at the clock confirmed not much time has passed since she fell asleep. Despite this, she felt wide awake, so she decided to start her day off early. She turned on her tv out of boredom. As she flickered through the channels endlessly, she heard bits and pieces of the channels.
“Fear, fear isn’t a word from where I come from!”
“This is Gayle Gossip with the weather.”
“Welcome to the tournament of elements!”

Skylor held the remote in her hand and didn’t change the channel. She quickly began to relax as she realized it was just a commercial for the Hall of Villainy exhibit at the Ninjago Museum of History. Just like that, Skylor decided she wasn’t in the mood to watch tv. She turned off the tv and went to the bookshelf in her room. Perhaps she could get some reading in, then she realized she didn’t own many books other than…
“What’s this?” Skylor asked herself as she noticed a large book with an orange lace pattern on the spine.

She proceeded to pick the book to examine its contents. All it took was one glance to see the words “My little amber’s birthday” and she slammed the book shut and put it back on the shelf. She sat on the floor with her head leaning against the bookshelf for what felt like hours but probably was only a few minutes before she got up and cleaned herself up. Time passed and she debated in her head on how to initiate the conversation with Shan. She concluded the best option was to be upfront with what’s been bothering her and hopefully get an answer to questions she didn’t feel comfortable asking in a work setting.

Skylor began to worry about meeting with Shan, even to the point where she felt compelled to cancel. However, she convinced herself cancelling wasn’t an option. She had put this off for too long already and things weren’t going to get better if she didn’t confront it as much as she hated to admit it. When the time came, she walked to the front where she noticed Shan waiting.
“Do you have a set destination, or would you prefer to just walk around? “Shan asked.
“I’d prefer to walk around if that’s alright.” Skylor replied.

The two began walking until Skylor broke the silence:
“Why didn’t you quit with the rest?”
“Pardon?” Shan asked.
“I mean when my father was… defeated everyone else that worked for the company that wasn’t cursed, quit. You were the only one who knew my father and stayed when I took over. Why?"
“I suppose my answer can be simplified in one sentence. You aren’t your father’s daughter.”
When Skylor just stared in confusion, Shan continued:
“Allow me to clarify by telling you my story.”
Shan was a young man seeking out employment. Much to his misfortune, he either was unqualified for a position or the position he got didn’t pay well. So, when he heard rumours of a place hiring and paying employees well above minimum wage he sent in his application. He was hopeful, as he had some experience in the food industry thanks to the odd jobs he picked up over several years. Yet he didn’t want to get his hopes up in fear of the worse. The next day, he received a call saying he had gotten the job and could start at his earliest convenience. At first, he was thrilled to have this opportunity, that was until his first day.

Shan was instructed to go onto a ferry that would take him to an island so he could meet Master Chen. He approached the front of what appeared to be nothing shy of a palace. Once the doors opened, he heard someone speak, then notice the man was sitting on what was an abnormal size chair.
“Don’t be shy come in, come in. You must be Shan; my name is Master Chen. Welcome to my palace, given to me by the first spinjitzu master himself.” Master Chen said.

Shan stared in wonder at everything around him.
“I know my palace is amazing but there is work to be done. Come! Come!” Master Chan said while he pressed a button on his chair that open a hidden doorway.

With another push of a button, the chair began to hover towards the doorway and Shan followed. Shan walked within a hallway that had a wide clearing at the end. Upon arrival, he notices the wide clearing was what looked like an office, with a man to the left of the desk. Master Chen maneuvered his chair around the table and pressed a button so it would land, then spoke:
“Shan, I would like you to meet Clouse. He is the one who will be at the restaurant supervising since I can’t go to Ninjago Island as I would cause too much of a scene. Since everyone would be honoured to see me. Right, Clouse?”
“Right Master.” Clouse responded in a dull tone.
“We have plans for Ninjago and you will play a part. Once the restaurant receives its shipments from here, your job is simple. Unload the truck and make the customers welcome, we wouldn't want to lose a profit you know.” Master Chan said.
“Plans?” Shan asked.

Master Chan spoke to Shan about the great tribe of Anacondrai and their immense strength. Along with how he prepared something big to bring this legacy back with spells and an army.
“If you’d like to join us all you need is a tattoo of the Anacondrai to become one of us.” Master Chen said.
“I…I think I’ll pass. I’ll only be at the restaurant and I’m not much of a fighter. Even if I join, I wouldn't be much help.” Shan said, trying to cover up the fear he felt.

This is not what I signed up for, Shan thought but it was too late to leave. He feared what would happen to him if he tried to leave, especially given all he found out.
“Very well. If you change your mind, be free to let Clouse or I know.” Master Chen said.
“Do you have any questions?” Clouse asked, staring blankly at Shan.
“N…no.” Shan said, still with a bit of fear in his voice.
“Wonderful! You start tomorrow and if you disappoint us, there is always room for you in the factory. Let’s hope it won’t come to that though.” Master Chen said in a way to cheerful tone, despite what was being said.

At this, Shan shuttered he didn’t even want to think about what would wait for him in the factory. So he nodded his head, showing he understood what the words meant. Master Chen bid him farewell, as Clouse escorted him through the tunnel. As he did so, Clouse discussed when to arrive at the restaurant, what a normal day was like, and so on. Eventually, he and Clouse were at the docs where a ferry was waiting for him. Clouse sent him on his way and told him, no, warned him one last time not to say anything or else there would be consequences. Once Shan returned to Ninjago City, he began to prepare himself mentally for what would be waiting for him at Chen’s Noodle House.

For years Shan worked hours on end at Chen’s Noodle House. Unfortunately, he was given the night shift where he got the ill privilege of meeting several of Master Chen’s followers. He hated the job but he didn’t want to leave because the pay was good and he feared what would happen if he tried. However, one night a woman and a little girl came with Clouse into the restaurant. Once the woman and little girl sat at a table, Clouse approached the staff and informed them that it was Master Chen’s wife and daughter.
“If you fail to treat them with the best customer service when they come, Master will deal with you” Clouse said firmly.

Shan wasn’t worried about this, but in fact, was happy. Perhaps having a child around would help bring joy to a dull and horrible work environment. He was right. Once a week; the woman and little girl would come to the restaurant, and he made sure he was the one serving them. It wasn’t hard, most staff were afraid to serve them and make a mistake and be punished but Shan didn’t care. He made the little girl smile by playing games like peek-a-boo or patty-cake. When the little girl grew older, he brought papers so she could draw to her heart’s content. This of course got Clouse’s attention and he reported to Master Chen for his excellent work. Shan was given a promotion as a reward for his hard work, but he couldn’t care less. He was just happy there was light in such a dark place.

Years passed, and one day the woman stopped appearing at the shop, and it was just the girl. No one asked what happened to the woman out of fear of being punished for bringing it up. Shan tried to approach the girl with his attempts to make her smile at the very least but was unsuccessful. At this, his heart broke, the one light was flickering, and he felt helpless. He tried every week to make her smile, but she began to stay with Clouse when she came, learning how to run the restaurant. The light was gone one day when the girl showed up. She was wearing a shirt that showed one of her shoulders, which revealed a purple Anacondrai tattoo on her back.
Once Shan finished telling his story he stared at Skylor. Who avoided eye contact out of shame.
“I… I’m sorry. I never knew.” Skylor said sorrowfully.
“There is no need for apologies. After all, there is still a little more to the story. Once your father and all of them were cursed, I couldn’t have cared less. Everyone else quit because word spread that you portrayed your father and wanted nothing to do with you as a result.”Shan said.

Shan paused for a moment before continuing:
“ I, on the other hand, stayed. I knew if what I heard was true, I did not need to fear for my life every day. You started running the restaurant with a smile on your face and a kind heart. While keeping your darker side whenever someone tried to cause discord in the restaurant. Yet…”
“Yet what?” Skylor asked in a nervous tone.
“Yet something tells me you didn’t just want to hear why I stayed.”
“No, but to be honest just hearing your answer changed my concerns… somewhat.”
“What else is troubling you?”
“Just hearing about my father and being compared to him, breaks me.”

Skylor stopped in her tracks and continued:
“ I snap or freeze up. I don’t want to ever see him again but it’s impossible. Whether it’s my last name or hearing about him on the news. There’s no escaping him, and it hurts more when I act like him. I know you didn’t mean any harm, but it still hurts. “

At this point, the two found a bench and decided to sit.
“If you wish for me not to compare you to your father, I won’t. The last thing I want to see is you upset because of something I did.” Shan said.
“That won’t be necessary, I have to learn to deal with what my father did and realize I’m not him and never will be,” Skylor said.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“You’ve already helped, more than you realized. You shared your story and listened to me.”
“My story upset you.”
“It did, but I needed to hear it regardless. That story helped me realize how much my life has changed for the better and how I can’t let the thought of my father corrupt me again. We’re both free from him and we should start living. Thank you, Shan! Thanks for everything you’ve done”

Skylor hugged Shan and they said their farewells and parted their separate ways. Skylor eventually found her way back to her apartment. She entered her room and pulled out the large book with an orange lace pattern on the spine then walked to the living room and sat on the couch. She opened the book to the page with the words “My little amber’s birthday”. Underneath the words, there was a picture of her mother smiling at her, her smiling as Shan made a grand entrance when coming out with the cake. All of a sudden, Skylor heard a knock at the door. She put the open book on the table and went to open the door.
“Hey Skylor, are we still up for dinner?” Kai asked.
“Yeah, I just lost track of time. Come in.” Skylor said.

Kai took a step inside and noticed the book on the table along with the picture.
“Is that you in the photo?” Kai asked.
“Yeah, me and my real family.” Skylor replied as she smiled at the picture.

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Fun fact: My main goal with this story was to take someone who was seen in the show yet didn’t have a name and to give a name a backstory. In this case, that unnamed character was the restaurant owner who I named Shan.

Part 1: https://www.planetminecraft.com/blog/lego-ninjago-painful-legacies-part-1-skylor/

Do you have questions about the story? Be free to check out my Q&A: https://www.planetminecraft.com/blog/harumiquietone4-q-amp-a/

Skins used in the story:
Skylor: https://www.planetminecraft.com/skin/lego-ninjago-skylor-painful-legacies-hd/
Shan: https://www.planetminecraft.com/skin/lego-ninjago-shan-restaurant-owner-painful-legacies-hd/