AN: Here is the first of three endings, this one being the "canon" one, as the other two are alternate endings and will be published as separate stories very soon. (Or not so soon, depending on how fast I can get them ready. :P) Also, catch the "Tick Tock" reference if you can. Thank you for all of your support for this story! This chapter's title is from "Clocks" by Coldplay, which I do not own.

"The ninja!" Judge Manthus declared.

The room exploded with shouts of elation and vexation.

"We did it! We did it!" Lloyd proclaimed.

"In your face, Azizi!" Kai yelled.

Nya was at a loss for words but not for actions. She grabbed Zane and wrapped him up in a hug, grinning all the while.

"No! It can't be! No, noooo!" Azizi shrieked.

"I'm not finished!" Judge Manthus said loudly over the chaos.

The room quieted for the most part.

"The court finds in favor of the ninja. Zane Julien, although not human, is a person in the eyes of the law and has all the rights and claims that go along with such a title. He and Azizi Julien will come to an agreement as to splitting up their father's property. Azizi will cease and desist in her attempt to gain ownership over Zane, and Zane shall continue to be free to operate as a ninja. This concludes the court's decision," Judge Manthus explained. Unceremoniously, he stepped down from the bench and exited the room.

The ninja and their friends and families flooded the courtroom floor, surrounding the defendant's desk and crowding around Zane and Nya in a loud, bustling rush of congratulations and declarations that they had never doubted the ninja would win, not for a second.

After several minutes of this, Zane freed himself from the group hug with which the other ninja had swarmed him. He glanced across to where Azizi sat in shocked silence on the other side of the courtroom with the line of people behind whispering to each other in hushed tones. He cocked his head to one side, then he nodded to himself.

"Excuse me for a moment?" Zane asked his friends.

Nya and Wu glanced at each other in confusion.

"Uh, sure," Kai said hesitantly.

"Where are we excusing you to?" Lloyd asked.

Zane didn't reply; instead, he began walking across the courtroom.

"Hey! Zane! Where are you going?" Jay yelled after him.

"What is he doing?" Cole wondered, mystified.

Zane stopped in front of the plantiff's desk. Gently, he said, "Greetings."

Azizi, who had been staring blankly down at her papers spread across her desk, jumped and looked up. "Oh! Uh, greetings. Why are you talking to me?"

"Well, we have never officially met, and the fact that you sued my friends does nothing to change the fact that you are my father's daughter," Zane said, getting to the point.

"No, I'm my father's daughter. You're no child of Dr. Julien," Azizi said firmly.

Zane shook his head. "Legally, I am now. We are both the children of Dr. Julien. We should not let our differences or our rough beginning get between us. I would like to make things up with you."

"Make things up with me?" Azizi echoed harshly. "Make up for the fact that I won't be getting to take you apart, you mean."

"That is exactly what I mean," Zane said lightly.

Azizi shook her head exaggeratedly. "What are you even doing over here? I just tried to get permission to own you. What you are after? What motivation could you possibly have to be saying this?"

"My father recently died. Although my friends are my family in every way that matters, I still wish to have every connection possible with my original family. That includes you," Zane stated. "I would like to become, if not friends, then tentatively amiable acquaintances."

Azizi hesitated. "...Dr. Julien essentially abandoned me to build you. I have no reason to have any possible positive feelings for you."

"Dr. Julien believed you were dead. Furthermore, you yourself just said you tried to get permission to own me. I have no reason to have any possible positive feelings toward you," Zane pointed out. "But I would like to try."

"I-" Azizi paused. "I don't know what to say."

"Then say nothing. Just think about it," Zane told her. Without further ado, he turned and walked back to his friends, leaving Azizi staring off into space thoughtfully.

"Frosty! What were you doing over there?" Cole said immediately as soon as Zane rejoined the group, who had been staring after him.

"Could you not hear what we said?" Zane questioned.

"We heard it, we just don't believe it," Jay stammered. "You reached out to Azizi, the same Azizi who just made us go through this whole trial thing and almost got you dismantled."

"But I am fine," Zane pointed out. "In the end, nothing negative happened except the fact that we spent a while preparing for this case instead of preparing the academy, which is regrettable, but which cannot be helped now. It all turned out fine."

Nya laughed a little and shook her head. "I've gotta admit, he's got a point."

"Whatever. You can do what you want, Zane, you're your own person. Just don't expect me to become 'friends' with her," Kai huffed. He gave Azizi the "I'm watching you" gesture, which she didn't notice because she was still staring at nothing dazedly.

"Enough of thinking about her, let's get out of here!" Lloyd declared feveredly. He started walking out of the courtroom and all of the ninja, their friends, and their families followed him out to the steps of the courthouse.

As soon as Zane stepped out of the courthouse, the chatter from the crowd rose to a fever pitch. After several moments of staring at the screaming crowd in confusion, the ninja team were able to make out one question being repeated above the rest.

"What happened?" Voice after voice demanded.

Nya grabbed one of Zane's hands in one of her own and thrust the pair of their hands in the air in a classic victory pose.

The crowd roared. A few people began to slip away sheepishly, seemingly ashamed by their previous screams for Azizi to win the case, but in general the crowd cheered and stayed put, celebrating the ninja's triumph.

"C'mon, guys. Let's go have that victory party," Nya declared.

They piled into the small bus which Nya drove away.

The victory party that followed as soon as the group returned to the academy was both wild and wildly entertaining. There was singing, dancing, and much congratulating. They played games, they told stories, and they laughed quite a lot. It was incredible for all those who participated, and it was well-known afterward that Zane Julien's celebration was a very awesome celebration, probably as awesome as a celebration could get.