Author's Note/Disclaimer: Still don't own Ninjago.

So, Dareth gets the epilogue. I have this whole idea in my head about his past, this is just a glimpse at it. Occurs at some point after Ninjaball Run but before Child's Play. (It should be clear by now that I have no idea what I'm doing. Whee!)

Epilogue

Zane didn't really know where the other ninja had taken Lloyd, as he'd opted to stay behind. For reasons he didn't really understand, he felt like he ought to be here, at the Mojo Dojo, instead.

Standing off to the side, he watched Dareth, the dojo's owner and "grand" sensei, practice. The others wrote the man off as a sad joke, but Zane didn't see him that way. Not exactly, anyway.

It was true that Dareth wasn't in the best shape considering his chosen profession; he'd even admitted to being a outright fraud. However, Zane could read in his movements the telltale signs of a greater skill he'd once possessed. Dareth could have at one time been a passable fighter, if not a great one, but for reasons Zane didn't understand, the man had clearly let himself go and chose to lie about his history.

Zane wanted to ask why, almost needed to know, but didn't know how to broach the subject. He barely knew Dareth; they'd only been borrowing his dojo for a couple of weeks. It didn't feel right to ask him such a personal question.

Zane's eyes strayed to the display of fake trophies Dareth seemed so proud of. That confused Zane. He didn't understand why Dareth would readily admit that the trophies weren't real, and yet take such great stock in them.

Dareth wasn't really paying Zane any attention, so Zane made his way over to the display and began to study it. The trophies all seemed to bear Dareth's name; it was plastered everywhere. Zane found himself wondering if there were any real ones hiding amongst the fakes, but if there were, he wouldn't have been able to tell, anyway.

His eye caught on something and he stopped. One of the trophies didn't say Dareth. Instead, it held a different name, Vance. None of Dareth's current crop of students went by that name as far as Zane knew. Without thinking, he spoke up.

"Dareth?"

Dareth finished poorly executing a spinning strike before replying. "Yeah?"

"Who is Vance?"

Dareth froze. Zane had never seen the man react like this, and began to regret his question. After a moment, Dareth waved his hand dismissively.

"Never you mind about that. Now, if you'll excuse me," he said before hastily fleeing the room.

Zane stood there, blinking in confusion and worry. What was that all about?

The End