"And what about this tree?" Alphonse can barely contain his excitement as he gestures to a lone tree with purple bark and blue pine needles. It stood in opposition to the trees around it, the only pine-type tree they'd come across.

"This beauty is an ever-young," Viperae replies, letting out a small hum of appreciation. "Its bark is used to make tomorrow tea."

"Tomorrow tea?" Alphonse glances over the tree again, feeling his brows pull down as a slight frown takes hold. "But doesn't that tea make you age?"

"It does." Viperae's tone is light, almost giddy, as he answers. Alphonse was coming to realize that meant there was something… well, not exactly bad, but unpleasant, associated with the plant.

"But then why is it called ever-young?" Alphonse pushes on anyway. He wasn't one to judge another's macabre interests, anyway. "If the tree's bark makes you age, shouldn't it be named something like…. I don't know, the tomorrow tree?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Viperae says with a small huff of a laugh. "the tree and the tea were named by two different people. Mainly because the man who named the tree died before he could name the tea."

"Okay, but that doesn't explain why he named the tree ever-young in the first place."

"That~ is because he thought it would be his proverbial fountain of youth!"

"Wait, don't tell me he aged himself to death using the tea!" Alphonse gasps.

"He did~!" Viperae laughs. "The poor fool managed to test the tea on a phoenix of all things. When it turned into a baby bird, he thought he'd finally found what he was looking for, and without further question, poured it on himself. There was nothing left of the man but bones."

"How unfortunate." Alphosne says with a sympathetic wince, even as he starts to chuckle as well. Any scientist should know better than to trust just a single trial or point of data. Assuming the man was a scientist at all, that is.

"Hey, Al?" Ed calls out, drawing their attention. "Everything is ready, we just need the two grooms."

"Already?" Alphonse asks a touch breathlessly.

"Of course," Ed laughs, clapping a hand on his younger brother's shoulder. "We're all looking forward to the ceremony."

"I'm pretty sure you're just looking forward to the after party." Alphonse ribs his brother as they start to head towards the camp. His stomach was flipping over itself excitedly, his hands were trembling even as he found a skip in his step.

This was it, he was going to marry the man of his dreams.

Cliff Gordon couldn't help the odd feeling that he was intruding. It wasn't exactly a new feeling, he felt out of place in many of the high-end gatherings he'd attended. The difference, though, was that in those he knew how to act. They were ways of forging contacts or giving the paparazzi a story that cast you in a good light. Even the few weddings he'd attended had been like that… this, however, was an intimate affair, and Cliff had never been to a celebration with such tight-knit people.

Cliff is completely out of his element, with no script to help guide him, and it's putting his nerves on edge.

"Hey," James says, approaching him with a fast-paced walk; and here was the other thing that has him on edge. "we're just about ready to get started, so you should probably head on over to the… uh, seats? They're kinda just logs, like you'd sit on at a campfire, only we arranged them to face the… uh… the place where Al and Dan are going to stand? It's not really an altar, so it can't be called that, I guess…"

It felt like someone had stabbed him right in the heart, watching James ramble like Storm used to, except with a slight furrow to his brows and a constant shifting of his weight from foot to foot that Cliff himself had worked hard to break as a nervous habit.

"Are you feeling alright?" Cliff asks before he can think things through. He shouldn't be asking, shouldn't be getting involved in James' life. Not after what he'd done. He didn't have the right.

"Huh?" James pauses, freezes in his shifting, before a tinge of pink covers his cheeks as he looks away and forces out an embarrassed laugh. "I'm fine."

It was clearly a lie. Cliff had watched enough of James' interviews and his game show in order to know that he wasn't the type to normally avoid eye contact. The question was, though, should he call out the lie? Certainly, it'd be easier not to. Cliff could go back to being just another stranger in James' life…

"James," Cliff speaks up, surprising not only himself, but James as well. "I… may be a stranger, but if there's something you'd like to talk about, I'm willing to listen and offer whatever advice I may be able to give."

James gives him an odd look, before saying with a chuckle, "no one calls me James."

A flush of embarrassment washes over Cliff, and he's certain that his own face is betraying him.

"Right," he says, a tad faster than perhaps needed. "Sorry, I suppose that's something only your family would call you."

"Well, no," James shrugs. "Ma and Da just call me Jay." Cliff nods solemnly, preparing to offer another apology when James continues. "But I don't mind you calling me James; you are my dad after all… or, one of them, at least. A dad of mine."

Those words were like a bucket of ice to counter the previous flush Cliff felt.

"You know?"

"I do."

"I see." Cliff crosses his arms, acting casual despite feeling his fingers starting to tremble. This was it, then. "I understand if you don't want anything to do with me."

"Actually I was kinda hoping for that advice you offered?"

"Oh!" Cliff's heart was going to give out from all these swinging emotions. "I-, yes, of course." This was like a dream, or a nightmare, it was hard to tell which at the moment. "What seems to be the matter?"

"Where do I start?" James lets out a breath, studying a nearby rock for a moment before starting. "So… a friend of mine confessed."

"And you don't know how to turn them down?"

"No! I mean, no." He brushes a lock of hair out of his face, and Cliff feels another pang as the action reminds him of Storm, before he shakes his head and forces himself to focus on the moment. "I think I like them, too, but…"

"But?"

"Okay this," James takes a deep breath. "This is where things get complicated. So, I-I was in a relationship before, kinda," he turns to begin pacing. "It happened because of some weird genie-heritage magic and it influenced how I acted and…" He stops, shoulders dropping as his arms come up to grip himself. "I'm worried it won't be any different than before. That I won't be any different from how I acted before, and that I'll end up driving him away and ruining our team further."

Okay, what?

Alright, he knew that the previous relationship was probably with that girl, Nya, who was now the Master of Water. Cliff couldn't say that he exactly liked the girl, at least as a match for his son, especially after the entire controversy of her… tryst, with another member got out, but he knew that the tabloids skewed details to cause as much outrage as possible. Magic, though? Cliff didn't know what James meant by that, and it was a worrying thought.

Maybe I should talk to the others, after all, Cliff thinks. Perhaps they can fill me in on what's been happening.

At the moment, though, James was looking to him for advice. He needed to say something.

"If… magic was the cause of your actions, then there isn't anything to worry about, right?"

"But that's just it," James laughs hollowly, looking away and hugging himself tighter. "I'm not sure it was… those thoughts and feelings, the jealousy and the constant need for affection… I think that might've been there before. The magic just made it worse."

"That-," Cliff stops, finding himself chuckling as a thought strikes him. "I understand your worries. I've dealt with similar, myself."

"You?" James looks over at him, disbelief clear on his face. "But you're…"

"Famous?"

"Yeah!"

"Fame does little to stop you from worrying that your partner won't be faithful, especially when her job is to photograph other, more famous and attractive people than yourself." Cliff shakes his head at the memory of his past self. "It was foolish, but what really helped me to get past it was Storm asking me if I had any intention of cheating on her with my coworkers, and I realized that she was dealing with the same worries I was. Neither of us had eyes for anyone else, but that didn't stop us from worrying that the other did…" He trails off, noticing that James looked unconvinced. "But I suppose that doesn't help if you don't trust the other person."

"Trust?" James perks up a bit.

"Yes, every relationship is based on trust, love doubly so," Cliff nods. "Would you say you trust this person?"

"Yeah." James says without hesitation. "I'd trust him with my life."

"There you go, then." Cliff lays a hand on James' shoulder.

"Yeah…" James' smile is slow to form, but it quickly lights up his whole face. "Yeah! Thanks, Cliff, I think I'm gonna go tell him how I feel now before I lose my nerve!"

"You're welcome." Cliff waves off his son, who was already racing off to go find whoever it was who had captured his heart.

'He,' huh? Cliff muses. I'm glad he isn't hiding a part of himself just to maintain his image.

Garmadon looks over the hastily scribbled speech he hoped to have memorized before everything was set up, although that was looking less and less likely. He disliked the thought of presiding over a wedding and reading aloud in order to wed them.

Would Jay notice if I were to make something up? Garmadon wonders, eyeing the blue ninja as he raced across the small clearing that they were having the wedding in, likely to make some last-minute changes to the plans or something. Did this much planning go into my wedding?

He'd left most of the planning to Misako, who seemed happy at the time, but he wasn't sure if that was actually the case, and now he couldn't ask her even if he wanted to. The thought twisted his stomach, adding fuel to his ire, which he did his best to set aside for the moment.

Unfortunately, his brother had decided that now was the perfect time to approach him.

"Garmadon," Wu begins, which only serves to agitate him further. "I would like to talk with you after the ceremony."

"I don't believe there is anything left to say," Garmadon folds up the paper and stuffs it into his robe pocket. He wasn't going to memorize anything with his brother there and based on what he'd written he doubted Jay even knew what was said at a wedding.

Wu, for his part, seemed to consider his next words carefully.

"I understand your anger with me, Brother, I am angry with myself over what happened, too." Wu shifts his grip on his staff, lowering his head as if to glance at it, but Garmadon knows he's just hiding his face behind his hat. "I… acknowledge that I have not been the best brother throughout the years." When Wu looks up, his face is sorrowful. "Somewhere along the way I stopped trying to help you… and just focused on how I could defeat you. I thought you were beyond saving, and so I stopped even trying."

"If there is a point to this," Garmadon says evenly, keeping his flagging ire hidden. "I suggest you get to it."

"The point is, that I am sorry." Wu holds out his hand. "And I would like to work with you to be as brothers should be, again."

"You still don't understand," Garmadon says softly, shaking his head. He was surprised that it wasn't anger that was the dominant emotion he felt now, but sadness. "You talk as if you want to regain the closeness of our youth, and yet you continue to distance yourself from me."

His words bring out a spark of frustration in his brother's eyes, he notes, but Wu simply asks.

"How am I distancing myself from you?"

"No man can force another to see something he refuses to, Wu," Garmadon turns to take his place at the ceremony. "We can talk when you stop playing blind."

The last thing Zane expected shortly after finishing hanging the lanterns was for Jay to run up full-tilt, nearly tripping over his feet as he stops before the Master of ice.

"Is everything alright?" Zane asks, glancing at the lanterns. Maybe Jay was going to tell them they put them up wrong, or that they had put up the wrong ones and now they'd have to hurry to replace them before the ceremony started.

"Yeah…" Jay pants, holds up a hand for him to wait, and then straightens up with a nervous, but bright smile. "I trust you!"

"…What?" Zane feels that phantom ache in his chest at those words and feels a cold sweat break out on his skin.

"Uh, sorry," Jay laughs. "I had this whole conversation and… it doesn't matter. I meant to say I like you, too."

Zane can only manage a breathy "oh?"

"Zane?" Jay's studying his face, and Zane has no idea what expression he's making but he knows it's the wrong one.

"Sorry, I'm feeling a little light headed." Zane half-lies, because his head is starting to spin.

"Why don't we sit down then?" Jay says, starting to head towards the seating. "I was hoping to get a front-row seat, an—"

Jay's cut off by Zane pulling him back and into his arms, where he grips him in a tight, desperate hug. He's a solid weight in his arms as the memory of a cloak fluttering in the wind as he leaves dances across his eyes, the last time he saw him… the thief… "James." He's barely aware of the rasp of his voice, but Jay shudders in his arms, letting out a little squeak.

"Okay, guys, looks like everything's ready!" Kai announces loudly, quickly making a beeline for the logs. "I'm just gonna go sit down now!"

"…sorry." Zane stiffly let's go of Jay, feeling his face start to flush.

"It's fine." Jay says softly, his own face red. "Um, how did you know that 'Jay' is short for 'James?'"

"I didn't." Zane blinks. "I think… it was the thief's name?"

"Thief?"

"I'll explain later," Zane says, realizing that the ceremony looked just about ready to start, and finding himself feeling a little guilty that whatever that was had overshadowed Jay reciprocating his feelings. "Wait, did you say you like me too?"

"Yeah?" Jay gives him a quizzical look. "Maybe you should go lay down?"

"No, no, I'll be fine!" Zane can't help but smile. "Is it too soon to ask if I can kiss you?"

The red that was fading from Jay's face comes back full force.

"I think… in this case, it'd be alright." Jay says slowly, stepping a bit closer.

"Then, can I kiss you?" Zane cups Jay's cheek, feeling the warmth of his skin sink into his hand.

"Please do." Jay smirks, sliding his arms around Zane's neck and pulling him forward.

Jay's lips are softer than Zane expected, and he feels a flutter in his stomach that makes him think why people might have come up with such an absurd notion as butterflies in one's stomach (aside from having literal butterflies within your chest plate).

Jay lets out a giddy laugh when they part, and Zane wishes they could just stay there forever… but there was a wedding to attend, and he doubted anyone would appreciate him keeping the ringbearer from his duties.

"Come on," Zane grabs Jay's hand and interlaces their fingers. "Let's go get seated."

After they're seated, after the ceremony had gotten well underway, and after the rush has died down, Zane is left to think about what happened, the memory of the thief lingering in the back of his mind, and he comes to a conclusion.

I need to find out what happened to him.

It was going to linger over his head forever if he didn't.

"Are there any vows you'd like to exchange?" Sensei Garmadon asks the happy couple.

"I have something to say," Dan nods, before turning his attention to Alphonse. "So… I can honestly say I never expected my life to turn out this way, getting married in a sentient forest that I technically adopted, dressed in my paint-splattered clothes, with one of the most feared men in recent history presiding over our wedding." Dan chuckles to himself. "I still remember how we met. I was working at a plant nursery and you arrived, demanded to see the person behind the painting of what you described as 'bloody dream weed.' You asked so many questions and were so intense that I couldn't help but be curious… and from that day I knew life with you would never be boring. I don't care how much or how little life we have left, I just know I want to spend it with you."

"I honestly never thought I'd get to see you again." Alphonse sniffles, carefully wiping away a tear. "I still feel like I'm going to wake up at any moment and this'll all be gone… and although I know our remaining time is short, I want to spend the rest of it with you, too."

"Now, the rings." Sensei Garmadon gestures over to where Jay was waiting with the rings. He quickly steps forward and hands them off. The two carefully slip the rings on each other's fingers and Alphonse has to wipe away a few more tears. "I now pronounce you husband and husband."

Dan and Alphonse kiss while the small crowd claps, with a few whistles as well.

After a few tearful, quiet words traded between the two, Alphonse turns to their audience and announces.

"Time for cake!"

"Borg," Hykos says after several long moments of searching his memory for the little spider's actual name. While the others had all swarmed the food, Hykos noticed that Cyrus Borg had stayed back, likely waiting for the crowd to thin a bit, as navigating both the terrain and all those people would be difficult. And so, now, hopefully, was as good a time as any to enact his plan, especially given that everyone else's attention was elsewhere. "you seem well."

"Yes, thankfully having your soul removed is reversable, given you don't fully detach it." He replies in a cold tone, which was expected.

"I…" Hykos hesitates, cursing himself, and then cursing his father for raising him to be so prideful. Biting the bullet, he bows low to the inventor. "I'm sorry. For what I did… for everything; hurting both you and your business."

Hykos had never felt this vulnerable since he was a child, waiting for the other man to say something. Either positive or negative. This was the first step he had to take in making amends, and Hykos was determined to face whatever outcome this would have.

"…Thank you." Cyrus says after some time. "I can see how hard this is for you."

"Yes, well, I'm used to pain," he says breezily.

"Is that so?"

"M~hm," Hykos hums. "When you can never die you either get used to pain, lose your mind, or both!"

"It must have been quite the mental strain." Cyrus says seriously, which throws Hykos a bit, expecting a more adverse reaction. "Have you considered seeing a therapist?"

"Ah…" Hykos could rarely say he'd been caught speechless, but here it was.

"There's no shame in it," Cyrus says surprisingly softly. "I talked to many therapists and psychologists when I first started working on AI, and I know they're just there to help."

"I don't… need therapy."

"It's just something to keep in mind." Cyrus says, before he starts wheeling towards the cake, pausing only to hand Hykos his card. "I know several good ones if you change your mind."

It's only when he has to take the card that he realizes how tightly he'd balled his fists, driving his nails into his skin until it bled, and he had no idea when he had done it. The red smears on the white of the card, and Hykos feels his chest shudder as he tries to take a deep breath.

I'm fine, he tells himself. I don't need to rely on some pseudoscience.

The card is slid into his pocket anyway.

"Jay, can we talk?" Nya speaks up tentatively. If there was ever a good grease for something so bitter, it'd be cake, right? Nya hoped so, at least.

"Uh… sure?" Jay lowers the bite of cake back to his plate, giving her his full attention. "What about?"

"I… me." She sits nearby, close but not too close. "I was a horrible girlfriend, and a bad friend, and I just wanted to apologize for how I treated you."

"Well, it's not like I was perfect, either."

"Yeah, but you were under the effects of some spell, I don't have an excuse for my behavior." Nya shakes her head. "All I could think about was myself, and I didn't care if you suffered for it. I didn't care if anyone suffered because of me… even outside of us. I haven't been a team player when it comes to being a ninja, either."

"Nya, are you happy being a ninja?"

"What?"

"I mean, I know you wanted to be one at first, but then you became the samurai instead, and then you had to be a ninja…" Jay shrugs, pushing around the cake on his plate. "And I was pushing you to date me, magic or not, I can understand why you felt like you had no control over anything."

"Yeah, but it doesn't excuse my actions." Nya shakes her head. "What I did to you was terrible, and I'm sorry."

"I appreciate your apology, Nya," Jay gives her a wane smile. "I think I'm gonna need some time, but I want you to know that what I'm saying has nothing to do with me forgiving you or not." Setting aside his cake, Jay turns his full attention on her. "The choice is ultimately yours, but I don't think you're actually happy being a ninja…"

"You think I should quit?"

"Not exactly." Jay picks his cake back up. "I just think you should consider going back to being a samurai."

"It's not that simple, though."

"Yeah, but isn't water the element that slowly carves out its own path?" Jay points at her with his fork. "The river cuts the boulder in half or… however that phrase went!"

"I suppose you're right," Nya laughs, lightly batting the fork aside. "I'll… think about it."

With that Nya leaves Jay to his cake and goes back to her own slice to think things over.

Samurai X was dead. A part of her past that, while fun while it lasted, she didn't feel right just slipping back into. Jay was right, though, she had never fully gotten over the team being a 'boys club' even after they'd fully accepted her. Even if she'd been here for most of it, it was still something that had been separate from her for so long that it didn't feel right being a part of her now.

So what should she do?

Nya had no intentions of not helping to protect Ninjago, but she also didn't feel like playing third wheel to the rest of the ninja again, either… and then a familiar orange gi catches her eye.

Maybe I don't have to do this alone.

Overlooking the gathering of people, all happily chatting and enjoying food, Jay can't help but feel content. Things almost felt… normal. If you can call a sentient forest destination wedding normal.

And he had a boyfriend, too, which is something he honestly thought he'd never say.

Things are looking up, he thinks, while he gets up to get a second slice after all. Hopefully it keeps getting better.

The End

AN: So this chapter took way longer than I expected it to. But hey, it's here, the final chapter of Broken Circles! I hope you all have enjoyed this so far. ^u^

I do still plan on writing a sequel to this, but I want to get a decent amount ahead before I start posting, as well as maintaining a more reasonable posting schedule so I don't catch up to the chapter currently being written. In the interim, though, I will be posting a few oneshots that didn't really have a place in Broken Circles or the sequel.

I hope to see you there,

-Kit