Hey everyone! This is my first Ninjago fanfic so please don't flame me too much. Constructive criticism I welcome but not if it is rude. FYI this involves gender bending. I know some people dislike that so if you don't like it, don't read the story! Anyways, on with the story! Disclaimer: I don't own Ninjago and if I did Chima would never had made it onto the screen!

"Ever since I found out who I really was, what I really was, I desired to become like my brothers. I was so different and not as much use to them. I wished so hard to have a chance for them to rely on me, to put their lives in my hands. This wish came true in ways I never could have imagined. Then it was my dream; now it is my nightmare."

-Zane

"Woooohooooo!"

Four identical yells ring out in the crisp, clear autumn air as five figures leap from the deck of a large ship that is hovering several feet above the water, which they hit at top speed, sending huge splashes skyward. Four figures stand on the deck of the ship and look down as five heads surface.

"Wow, who would have thought the water would be so warm in mid October!" Comments the teen in the black swimsuit as he shakes his long black hair out of his eyes. One of his friends laughs, his green eyes sparkling as he stretches out on his back.

"I know right? Ever since the five of us defeated the Overlord, Ninjago just seems to get better and better every day!"

"You said it Lloyd!" Agrees a boy with spikey brown hair.

Looking up towards the deck of the ship, another young man blinks away the water that is streaming into his blue eyes from his short auburn hair.

"Nya, are you going to come in? It feels great!"

A girl with short black hair smiles and shrugs, "Sorry Jay, swimming isn't really my thing."

Zane sat cross-legged on the floor of the ocean several feet below his fellow ninja. Muffled splashes and shouts came from above as the others raced and wrestled. Jay was undoubtedly showing off for Nya again. He unthinkingly sighed at how ridiculous his "brother" acted. Zane couldn't imagine feeling that way about a girl, it just wasn't in his programing. Suddenly, he realized that his lungs were aching for air. He hurriedly kicked off the ocean floor and swam to the surface. As he broke the skin of the water Zane took a deep gulp of air and then choked out some of the water he had swallowed.

"Huh, I didn't know it was possible for Zane to run out of air," commented Jay, clearly amused. "Maybe I do stand a chance in a breath holding contest!"

Zane shrugged, "I did not intend to surface. I simply let out my breath without thinking."

As he took a deep breath and prepared to dive under again, a glance passed between the other ninja and they grinned.

"Get him!" Cheered Lloyd and they all jumped the serious ninja, forcing him under the waves and starting a rather one-sided wrestling match.

Garmadon looked at his brother and wife and smiled,

"Why don't we get something to drink and leave them to their fun?" He suggested.

Later that day, Misako came in with a several small packages. "It seems that we have fan mail."

"Alright!" Cheered Cole as he took one. Everyone opened his or her box. Gasps arose from all at the sight of the content.

"Rings!" Gasped Nya as she held up hers. It was true, everyone had a unique ring. Cole's was gold with a glittering black stone set in it, engraved with the Kanji for "earth." Kai's was a dark red ruby set in a gold band around which were many small engravings of the kanji "fire." Jay's was a dark sapphire that had a golden lightning bolt embedded into it. Garmadon and Misako had matching gold rings with deep purple gems while Sensei Wu's was a dark gold band with an amber stone etched with the kanji for "creation." Lloyd's was a silver band with a light emerald and Nya's was gold with a rare pink quartz. Zane's band was of white gold and a transparent, frost-blue stone was set in it, etched with the kanji for ice.

"There is a note," Announced Wu and he read aloud: "These rings have the power to grant the wearer their greatest desire. Signed, An Admirer."

Jay grinned, "Their greatest desire? Cool!"

Kai snorted, "You aren't honestly buying this are you?"

"Well you never know! Maybe-"

"Oh calm down you two!" Laughed Nya. "I'm going to make a wish out on the deck. Maybe it will come true." She winked and left followed by the others all on their own to their respective "Personal Spaces."

Cole gazed at his ring, he wasn't big on jewelry, but there was something about this ring that drew him to it. Closing his eyes, the black ninja whispered, "I wish that I had the strength of a dragon to help protect my friends!"

Then, feeling rather foolish, Cole slipped the ring onto his finger and picked up a book on battle tactics; not noticing that the ring flashed a dull red before returning to its original shade of black.

Kai flipped the ring like a quarter and then caught it.

"Grant a wish. Ha! Like that's gonna happen," he scoffed. However, a faint flicker of hope sparked in him at what the ring might do. Kai had been the last to reach his full potential and he had always believed it was because he was not as "one" with his element as the others were with theirs. Before he could change his mind, Kai said in at top speed: "IwishIwastrulyintunewiththefireinsidemesoIcoulddo theultimategood!"

Putting on the ring, Kai went to make dinner muttering, "I hate it when it is my night to cook!"

The ring flashed in the fading light.

"Hey Nya!" Said Jay as he walked across the deck to his girlfriend. "Made a wish yet?"

Nya smiled, "No, I haven't made a decision."

As she turned and started walking towards Jay, her foot caught on a loose floorboard and she tripped. Stepping forward quickly, Jay caught her.

"Are you alright?" Nya nodded but then let out a cry of alarm.

"My ring! It's gone!"

Jay glanced over the side rail of the ship and then looked at Nya's stricken face and his heart went out to her. "Here, take mine! I really don't need it anyways, I have everything I need."

Nya looked as though she might refuse, but then her eyes met Jays and she smiled and took the ring and slid it on to her finger.

As she took Jay's hand and turned to look at the setting sun, she silently thought,

"I wish that I could do spinjitzu so that I could protect Jay just like he protects me."

Shielded by the couple's clasped hands, Jay's gift glowed red.

Lloyd's fist slammed into the head of a practice dummy, knocking it over. Dusting off his hands, he glanced at the ring on his index finger. His twelve-year-old side wanted to wish for something geared towards his actual age like unlimited comic books. Then he shook his head and muttered to himself, "Your body has grown up, Lloyd. It's time your mind did to. You're the Green Ninja, you have to be a leader."

The sparkling green gem drew his eye once again. Lloyd sighed, "I wish that I had the ability to lead the others!"

For a moment, it seemed to Lloyd that the emerald blinked red for a moment, but it was so fast that he decided he had imagined it and turned back to pummeling the training dummies.

Zane was the only ninja in the room that he shared with his friends. He was lying flat on his back, one arm across his eyes. His thoughts were running wild. Logic told him that there was no possible way for the rings to grant wishes, it just wasn't humanly possible. Then there was that one part of him that wanted more then anything to wish for something.

"One wish couldn't hurt," Zane thought. "And if it doesn't work then I have lost nothing."

Taking a deep breath, Zane said calmly and clearly, "I wish to be human."

Suddenly loud shouts sounded above him followed by a huge crash. "See Cole? THIS is why we don't let you in the kitchen!" "Oh sure! At least I don't set the food on fire!" "No, just the ship itself!"

Zane sighed and got up. "It would appear that I have some peace making to do. And then I should prepare dinner to help avoid any more conflict."

The ring began to flare red, but then it's light sputtered weakly and died.

AN: Since this is a lot of writing I'll leave Sense Wu's, Garmadon's, and Misako's wishes up to your imaginations. :)

Later that night, as the Ninja were having a video game tournament, the door opened and, turning, they saw Sensei Wu standing in the opening.

"Hi Sensei!" Said Cole cheerfully, "What's going on, I thought you would have gone to bed by now. It's not like you to be out past nine. What gives?"

"You question me?" Asked Wu in a cold, low voice. "I thought I had trained you better. Well that shall be corrected. Get to bed, all of you!"

Kai's jaw dropped, "What? B-but it's only 9:00! Normally we-"

"ENOUGH!" Roared Sensei. "You are a disgrace to Spinjitzu and I regret that I did not teach you better. Now go to bed!"

Tripping over each other, his baffled students hastened to comply. Once in their rooms they lay silent, each wondering what had happened to their beloved, normally gentle teacher.