Chapter Text
As Lloyd followed Riyu away from Morro, he began bracing himself for the storm of questions he was about to get from his two students.
“So… who was that guy back there?” Sora asked, curiosity filling her tone, as per-usual.
“Yeah!” Frak chimed in, “You two seemed.. tense around each other.”
“To say the least,” Sora scoffed.
Lloyd let out a sigh, he didn’t want to explain, but Sora would pry it out of him sooner or later, “That was Morro. He’s an old,” Lloyd wasn’t about to say friend. Him and Morro were far from friends, but they weren’t enemies either. They spent weeks feeling each other’s every thought and emotions, it was like they were family. But not like how he was family with the Ninja, he felt no brotherhood towards Morro like how he felt towards Kai, nor any other Ninja. They were family, distant yet close. “He’s like an old cousin.” Lloyd settled on. Closest fitting term from him and Morro.
“Really?” Frak tilted his head, “I didn’t know Master Wu had kids… But I can see the resemblance between you too!”
“He’s not really my cousin…” Lloyd ran a hand down his face, “Just a guy who I have a very complicated relationship with…”
Sora gave him a deadpan look, “So you picked cousin to describe it? Really?”
“It was the best way I could think of!”
Frak tilted his head, “And what did you mean when you guys like shared a mind for a few weeks?”
“It was complicated…” Lloyd sighed, being stuck with these two was starting to get to him… They really needed to catch up with Zane soon.
Sora smirked, “So complicated he became your cousin?”
Lloyd decided to pick up his walking pace, not wanting to continue this conversation. He would explain what happened with Morro to them, just not right now. “Come on, we need to meet up with Zane.”
Lloyd walked a few meters before noticing the distinct lack of bickering behind him. He pinched his nose bridge before turning around.
Sora was standingly proud right where she was before Lloyd began moving faster. She had her hand tightly tugging on Frank's sleeve, with Riyu behind her.
Lloyd closed his eyes for a moment, this is exactly the kind of stuff he would have pulled on his uncle. He opened his eyes again, now staring at his students with a soft sense of nostalgia, but still with a distinct annoyance. “Really? We’re gonna play this game?”
Sora grinned, “Yep! Just tell us! Come on, we want to hear about your cool Ninja stories.”
Frak nodded eagerly, making no move to free himself from Sora’s grasp.
Lloyd shook his head, walking back over to his students, “Alright… I’ll tell you..”
“Yes!” Sora and Frak yelled in unison, Riyu also letting out a happy squeal.
Lloyd sat down on a large rock, motioning his students to do the same, “It’s a bit of a long one, so get comfy.”
Frak had a giddy smile on his face, “I’m hearing a Ninja story, from the Green Ninja!”
Lloyd shook his head with a smile, “Okay so, Morro was Master Wu’s first student and the previous Master of Wind.”
“So, Euphrasia's predecessor?” Sora asked, her mind as curious as ever.
Lloyd nodded, he liked Euphrasia more than Morro. She was such a sweet kid. “Yeah. But, Morro got convinced he was the Green Ninja, like to the point where it got him killed, and sent to the Cursed Realm…”
“Oh…” Sora’s grin faded, her mind quick to put together the puzzle laid before her, “But he doesn’t look much older than Frak and I.”
Lloyd nodded again, his face taking on a sad expression, “He died young, but his obsession with being the Green Ninja didn’t die with him. So when I opened a portal to banish my Father to the Cursed Realm-”
Sora stood up from her rock, her face a mix of shock, anger, and worry, “What?! No! You cannot just say that causally Lloyd!”
Frak shrugged, “I mean, it makes sense. His dad was an evil dictator. He ruled Ninjago City for a little while. I was too young to remember it, but my parents do. He’s a really bad person.”
“He wasn’t always,” Lloyd stared at the ground, “It’s Harumi’s fault what he did later. She brought him back wrong.”
Sora stared at him with eyes of confusion and horror, “Are you allergic to telling me things?”
“These things just don’t tend to come up often!” Lloyd bowed his head further, he didn’t mean to leave his students in the dark. He wanted to tell them everything. He didn’t want to be like Wu, with past threats coming out of nowhere to hurt his students, who don’t even know what’s going on. “And it’s hard to remember what’s common public knowledge. It gets really confusing.”
“Wait! So there’s stories you haven’t told the public?!” Frak’s voice lit up with excitement, “Can you tell us one?!”
Lloyd squeezed his eyes shut, “I’m trying to… You two just have a lot of questions…”
“Yeah, shut up, Frak,” Sora elbowed him.
Frak gasped, “Hey! You’re the one who interrupted first!”
“But you’re more annoying!”
“But you started it!”
The pair's squabbling went on for another minute. Lloyd stared at them with tired eyes, he hoped they’d just wear themselves out soon.
They did eventually take notice of Lloyd’s watching and quieted down.
“So, you still want to hear about Morro?” Lloyd asked.
The pair nodded eagerly, and Lloyd began his story.
<~~~~~~>
After an inordinate amount of time, Ras finally began to land the jet.
Garmadon and Ras had trade seats not too long ago. They were nearing their final destination, and Ras, ever the control freak, wanted to fly the rest of the way.
They had been soaring over an empty grey sea for so long that Garmadon had almost fallen asleep by the time they arrived. The plain surroundings bored his mind to a hushed calmness that sought to bring me rest, even with a monster flying the plane he was stuck in.
The island they landed on was about as boring as the sea. It was a rocky little mass that Garmadon would have normally brushed off as nothing. But it was here that they were landing, apparently. Garmadon hadn’t seen much from the air, but he wasn’t truly looking.
Before they had even finished landing, Arin had leapt off the back of the jet. The boy waited anxiously on the ground, fidgeting with his hands.
He looked up at Ras as the tiger man climbed out of the jet. Garmadon followed him out, his body moving slowly.
“Is this really it?” Arin asked, a sliver of hope in his voice, “No tricks, no lies. Are they really here?”
Ras put a hand on Arin’s shoulder, causing Garmadon to frown, “They are just over that hill.” Ras pointed with his free hand.
Arin began spriting up the rocky hill, joy evident in every stride.
Once Arin was nearing the top of the hill, Ras started to follow him, with a slow but very intentional pace. Garmadon rolled his eyes at Ras’ stalking.
The boy just got his parents back, let him be happy.
This was the moment that Garmadon realized he didn’t have a way of getting off this island. If Arin stayed here with his parents, Ras would certainly not allow him to ride on the jet.
Swimming would not be an option because it would take far too long, and be far too strenuous on his old bones.
There wasn’t much here to build a boat out of…
Garmadon looked up at the jet longingly… He could just steal it from Ras… Garmadon actually liked that idea.
His thoughts of thievery were interrupted by a howling scream of agony and heartbreak.
Arin!
Garmadon turned around, charging up the hill.
In his hurry, Garmadon’s foot got caught under one of the rocks that built up the hill. His face slammed into the ground, he felt one of the sharp rocks slice open his cheek. He groaned, pushing himself back to his feet. His old bones weren’t quite in the shape they used to be. It didn’t help that the rocky surface had become slick as rain fell from the gloomy clouds above.
From the top of the hill, Garmadon could see a large grave yard. His heart sank as he spotted Arin on his knees in front of two graves on the far side of the yard, Ras standing between them, looking down at the boy.
“By the Sources…” Garmadon muttered aloud before rushing down the hill.
As he ran past the many graves, drawing near Arin and Ras, he heard the tiger man speak to Arin in a hushed voice, “Tell Darnagom none of what we just spoke of. He will not be willing to go along with my plan.”
“Arin?!” Garmadon now called out to the boy, hoping to pull him away from Ras when he was in such a vulnerable state of mind.
The child turned his head to look at him. Arin’s eyes were ringed with red from crying.
Garmadon stopped a few feet away from the pair, holding his arms out to Arin.
The boy got to his feet, running over to Garmadon and accepted this embrace.
Garmadon held Arin there for a few moments, hugging the child gently. “I am so sorry for your loss. I know what it is like to lose your parents.”
Arin didn’t respond, but Garmadon felt the lad’s grip on him tighten slightly.
Garmadon wanted to tell Arin that he was going to be alright, that everything was going to be okay. But the boy didn’t need yet another person whispering lies into his ears. He had Ras for that already.
Garmadon had been pushed away from Arin by Ras. The boy had found out his parents were dead not two hours ago, and he was being forced to train.
Garmadon was fuming.
Arin deserved to do what he felt he needed to in the moment, if that was training, then so be it! But Ras didn’t even give him the choice!
He was enraged by all of Ras’ behavior around Arin, especially now.
Let the boy be! By the Sources!
A small purple flame began to tickle his palm as he bent down to pick up a rock he’d been sent to get for Arin.
Garmadon didn’t get the idea of Arin training by smashing piles of rocks. Where was the precision? Where was the skill?!
Anyone with basic abilities in spinjitzu could do that!
The small flame of destruction grew in Garmadon’s hand. It wrapped around the large rock in his hand, making it crumble into ash.
He tilted his hand to the side, letting the ash blow into the wind.
He was still angry.
Garmadon came back to find Ras talking with Arin.
Garmadon could make out Arin softly speaking, “If that will bring my parents back, I’ll help you. Whatever it takes.”
So Ras had promised a method to bring back Arin’s parents… That was likely what he and Ras were discussing in front of the graves… Hm.
“Good,” Ras smiled.
Garmadon felt disgust consumed around his face as he looked at Ras. That man somehow even made smiling look monstrous.
“Now, continue from where you stop, Arin.”
“No, no!” Garmadon yelled out, “You’re done, Ras.”
Ras’ head snapped to look at him, “What. What gives you the right to stop me from training my student?”
“Prehaps the fact that he is my student too?” Garmadon crossed his arms, “Now, I would like to train him. So leave.”
Ras scoffed, gripping his hammer tightly, “You’ll have to force me.”
Garmadon smiled, holding out his hand and letting it swell with elemental power. He allowed the element to flow out of his hand, letting it shape itself into the form of a dagger. “Don’t think I won’t, my Lord.”
Ras huffed, “Fine. I’ll leave. Only because if I kill you, you’ll be of no use to me.”
“You can tell yourself whatever makes you happiest, my Lord,” Garmadon couldn’t hold back his smirk.
Ras finally left, a low growl caught in his throat.
“Gone at last!” Garmadon announced joyfully to Arin.
Arin didn’t seem to reciprocate the feeling. “Why did you do that?”
“He was forcing you to train.” Garmadon thought it was simple. Arin just learned of his parents death, he needed rest.
“He wasn’t forcing me. I need to train. I need to get better.” Arin had an intensity in his eyes that broke Garmadon’s heart. This sweet child had been through so much.
He appeared to have massively misread this situation. “Alright, Arin. If you want to push yourself through your grief, sharpen yourself until you are raw to the bone, I would be a hypocrite to stop you.”
Arin nodded, “Then go get Ras back here.”
Garmadon laughed, “No. I’m not doing that. You want real training, Arin. Not what some stray cat gives you.”
Arin frowned, “Fine. Kick my shins again, whatever.”
“I had something else in mind,” Garmadon crossed his arms again. “You see that pile of rocks that I so artfully stacked for you?”
Arin nodded, “Yeah. Want me to smash it?”
“No no. I want you to bring me the rock at the top of the pile.”
As Arin began walking to grab it, Garmadon stopped him, “No. I want you to use spinjitzu.”
Arin raised an eyebrow, but shrugged before breaking out into his orange vortex, streaks of red dancing around it.
As Arin came into contact with the pile, all the rocks exploded outward from him, spreading out as far as the jet.
“What?!” Arin yelled out, stopping his spin.
Garmadon smiled, “Not as easy as it appears. Restack the rocks and try again.”
Arin groaned, slowly regathering the rocks, putting them back into a stack.
“Now, remember, you just want to take the top from the pile, and hand it to me without stopping spinning.”
“Yeah, got it.”
Arin tried much slower this time, he slowly spun over to the rocks. And yet, it did little to change the results. The rocks still went flying outward, just not as far this time.
Arin stopped his turning, “Oh come on! I was so careful!”
“Restack and try again.”
Arin grumbled as he restacked each of the rocks. “Why don’t you try? Show me how I’m supposed to do it, old man.”
Garmadon had been waiting for Arin to ask that, “Of course.”
He broke into spinjitzu, twisting and turning as he drew near the pile. Once he was close to it, he jumped over it, doing a flip and grabbing the top rock without disturbing the rest of the pile.
He landed on the ground behind it, still in his vortex. He spun back over to Arin, and presented the boy with the rock. “See?”
“I’m supposed to jump it?! Couldn’t you have just said so?!” Arin yelled at him.
Garmadon shook his head, “That’s how I did it. I want you to do it your own way. When my father made me and my brother do this exercise, we each did it differently. Even my son found his own way of doing it. I want you to think carefully about the rules of it, Arin. Grab the rock, and don’t stop spinning.”
“You have a son!?”
Garmadon winced, “Don’t focus on that. Just get the rock.”
Aric shook his head, “No. I want to hear about your family! You are always so mysterious! Share a little!”
“Get the rock, Arin.”
“I will… If you agree to tell me about your family once I get it.”
Garmadon sighed, this child was so stubborn, “Fine. Just get the rock.”
“Whoa hoo!” Arin yelled, jumping up in the air with joy.
“You don’t have to be so happy about it…” Garmadon shook his head, before throwing the rock back onto the top of the pile, “Now go!”
Arin charged at the pile, all of them instantly exploding away again.
“Shoot…” Arin chuckled, breaking out of his spin “I got a little over excited.”
“Again!”
They went for another hour. Arin still hadn’t gotten it.
“Arin… Listen to the rules…”
Arin rolled his eyes, “Get the top rock, don’t smash the others, don’t stop spinning.”
Garmadon shook his head, “No. You need to get the rock on the top of the pile, and not stop spinning.”
Arin threw his hands out in exasperation, “That’s what I just said!”
“No, it’s not, Arin. Think. Use your brilliant mind, I know you can.” Garmadon had full faith in Arin that he could figure it out. He was such a bright child, Garmadon knew he could do it. Even if it took them all day, Arin was going to get this. “Think about it as you restack the rocks. Think about the rules, Arin.”
“Fine.” Arin said roughly. He was clearly getting fed up with this exercise, but Garmadon had no plans of stopping. Arin could do this, Arin would do this.
Arin slowly put the rocks back into their pile, forcing each one into place with anger behind each movement.
Once finished, Arin took a kick at the pile, knocking a few rocks out of it.
“AAHHHHGGRR!!” Arin screamed, his voice raw with rage! He threw himself to his knees, grabbing the rocks that fell and putting them back on to the pile.
But when he took the last rock into his hand, he paused. His gaze lingered on the rock for a few moments, before he gently returned it to the pile.
Arin stood up, taking a few steps back and staring at the pile. He looked back at Garmadon, then back at the pile.
The boy walked back over to the starting position next to Garmadon, but he stood still for a few moments, staring at Garmadon with narrowed eyes, “You wouldn’t… Would you?”
Garmadon simply smirked in response. Arin had figured it out.
Arin spun at the pile wildly, letting them all explode outward, but being careful to catch the rock that belonged at the top of the pile.
As Arin spun back towards Garmadon, he smiled, “Great job, Arin! I knew you could-” He was cut off as the rock came spinning towards him, hitting Garmadon squarely in the chest, “Oof!” He was knocked off his face, landing on his back against the cold wet rocky floor. “I deserved that…” Garmadon muttered.
“Yeah, you did!” Arin called at him. The boy walked over to him, offering a hand up.
Garmadon decided to take it. “You did well.”
“That was a terrible exercise,” Arin lamented.
“You wanted to train,” Garmadon teased. He smiled at the kid, resting a hand on his shoulder.
Arin rolled his eyes, before his annoyance morphed into a smirk of mischief, “I did it.”
Garmadon raised an eyebrow, “Yes, you did. You figured at the puzzle.”
“Now you have to tell me about your family,” Arin grinned.
Garmadon closed his eyes. He forgot he made that deal, “Right…”
He reopened his eyes to see that Arin was still grinning, “So, what are their names?”
Garmadon pulled his hand back from Arin’s shoulder, “I’m not saying that.”
“Aw, but you promised!” A sad expression started to leak into Arin’s kind face.
Garmadon ran a hand down his face, “Just ask another question…”
Arin’s eyes lit up, “Alright! Um… What was your husband's favourite colour?”
“That’s your question?” Garmadon chuckled, “Well, my wife loved the yellow of old paper scrolls. I once had a boyfriend who really liked purple though.”
“And what was your son’s?’ Arin asked, his tone a bit more careful now.
Garmadon smiled, his mind full of thoughts of Lloyd’s bright expression when he was little. His young face was always so full of joy, “Green. My son is full of the colour Green.”