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Lloyd grunted as he hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of him.
“Get up.” Cole says, holding his scythe defensively as Lloyd panted heavily.
He swallowed before getting to his feet, turning to face Cole while all the other ninja leaned back and watched, Sensei Wu’s scrutinizing gaze unmoving on him. This wasn’t fair- but then again, when had it ever been? Cole was strong and merciless and all his ‘training’ has been to teach him to fight the bad guys perfectly and to never make the mistake of striking a blow against any of them, even as they trained him. Phantom pains bloomed all over his body at the memory of that mistake.
“This is training for the three of you as well.” Wu says, looking towards Kai, Jay and Zane.
“If you insist…” Zane says, pulling his shurikens out of nowhere as he stepped forward, Kai and Jay following suit with their weapons.
Lloyd looked at them nervously. All four of them against him- and he didn’t even have a weapon!
“One more thing.” Wu says, pulling out a blindfold and Lloyd paled.
He mentally shook his head. This was all to make him a better ninja… Right?… It’s worth it… Isn’t it?…
“Maybe it’s time for a break.” Nya says, nervous for Lloyd as she watched Wu tie the blindfold on him. “I even have watermelon!” She added cheerfully, holding it up.
“Training has but just begun.” Wu declined, stepping back and allowing his ninja to surround Lloyd who held his hands up in defense (but really, it was to cover himself from their blows).
“A-are you sure? Just a-”
“Begin.” Wu says, cutting her off.
All four ninja charged at Lloyd with a yell and he shielded his face- only to blink once something landed on his head.
“The Falcon!” He pushed the blindfold up to see the ninja looking at his head, a few short steps away and the Falcon lowered its head then, looking at Lloyd.
Lloyd couldn’t help but smile at the sight of it.
’Thanks buddy. You’re a lifesaver.’
Seeming to hear his grateful thought, the Falcon chirped before flying onto Zane’s outstretched arm and squawking at him.
“The Falcon has returned with troubling news. What did you see my mechanical-feathered friend?” Zane asked, cleaning its feet and his arm as he headed towards the bridge, the others following behind him.
“You ok?” Nya asked once they were gone, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Yeah. I’m fine.” He says with a reassuring smile. “Let’s go see what’s up.” He told her, heading towards the bridge.
Nya watched him go, knowing he was not fine but she could hardly do anything to stop this. She tried talking to them about it before but it went nowhere and she was ignored. Now that he looked older… Things have only been getting worse. She followed him into the bridge. She could only hope things get better. A fool’s hope really.
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Lloyd was more excited than he should have been when he heard that they were going to stop his father. But could you blame him? His excitement vanished once he remembered his father doesn’t know that he's… Grown. Will he hate him too? He didn’t have time to think about it. He had to stop his father from using the Mega Weapon. He grunted as he somersaulted before Wu and the other ninja, using ice to freeze his father’s Mega Weapon, making him growl before he froze.
“Lloyd?… Is that… You?…” Garmadon asked, shocked.
What happened to his boy? Did they do something to him?!
“Yeah. I’ve grown a little since the last time you saw me, dad.” Lloyd says sheepishly and Jay rolled his eyes behind him as Cole sneered.
Garmadon had more to say, more to ask but he saw the nindroid move towards his son and he growled.
“Stop him!” He yelled and the Serpentine hissed, rushing at the ninja as he escaped under the holding area beneath the stands, closing the door behind himself.
He then hit the iced up Mega Weapon against the wall, breaking some of the ice around it.
“Blast those ninja! It’s bad enough they always stand in my way but to treat my son like they do?!” He growled angrily, knowing he couldn’t force his son to follow his dark path but wished he would so he could protect him. “If only they weren’t around! If only they never existed!” He yelled, slamming the Mega Weapon against the wall once more, shattering all the ice around it before he perked up.
“Yes! Yes! That’s it!” He laughed gleefully before holding the Mega Weapon in all four hands. “Hear me Mega Weapon! I wish I could go back in time, and make it so the ninja were never formed in the first place!” He yelled and the weapon glowed, creating a glowing, swirling portal to the past.
“Now, to finish the Ninja once and for all, so that not only does my son never become the green ninja, but he never had to suffer under Wu and his dastardly ninja!” He yelled before jumping into the portal.
Just then, the Ninja, Wu, Nya and Lloyd burst in, only to find Garmadon gone and a glowing portal left behind.
“He used the Mega Weapon again!” Cole yelled, gesturing to the portal.
“Oh great! Just great!” Jay yelled, throwing his hands up. “Everytime he uses that stupid thing, something bad always happens! Now what?!”
“That’s just like Garmadon. Always causing us trouble!” Kai growled.
“And the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Zane commented and they all turned to shoot Lloyd a glare who wisely looked away, keeping his head low.
Suddenly, the ground began to rumble and sand began to fill the area.
“What’s going on?!” Kai asked, alarmed as the sand filled the area alarmingly quick.
“Is the city sinking?” Jay asked, confused as he kept pulling his feet out of the sand.
“Worse. The city is returning back to the desert, as if it had never been found in the first place.” Zane says as sand began climbing up their calves.
“Uh, what? What does that mean?” Kai asked as Lloyd frowned, feeling strange.
“Garmadon’s gone back in time to make it so Lloyd never turns into the green ninja!” Zane explained and they all gasped then hummed.
“Actually, that’s not so bad.” Jay says as Lloyd held up his fading hands.
“I can't… I can’t feel my hands…” He says to Nya who was looking at his hands horrified.
“He’s doing a good thing for once.” Cole agreed.
“Perhaps this is for the best…” Wu says, stroking his beard.
“No it’s not!” Nya yelled at them, thinking of an excuse for them to go save Lloyd. “Garmadon isn’t going back to stop Lloyd from being conceived or anything, he’s preventing you four from ever becoming ninja!” She yelled and they gasped, horrified.
“We have to go in and stop him!” Kai yelled as they struggled through thigh deep sand.
“Protect your future ninja!” Wu yelled after them and they nodded at their Sensei before jumping forward, into the portal.
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Later on, Nya sighed in relief from the Bounty where she was seated with Lloyd, his hands coming back in full as his picture in the group photo hung on the wall. He was in the far back, smiling warily but it was a sign that his future was secure… For now at least.
“Don’t worry Lloyd, you’ll be ok.” Nya says, draping a blanket over his shoulders and he gave her a meek smile.
Wu, who was standing by the door, turned away then with a frown on his face, walking towards the edge of the deck where he could see the dark gray clouds retreating from Ninjago City. He told his students to secure their future and he has no doubt that they will.
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“Ok. So we’re here in the past and we just made sure Wu took Kai to the monastery.” Cole says, hands on his hips.
“Your point?” Kai asked with an arched brow.
“My point is, wouldn’t that little brat be in Darkly’s right now?” Cole says and one by one, they all light up at the implications of his statement.
“Are you guys thinking what I’m thinking?” Jay says with a wicked grin.
“Eliminate all chances of Lloyd becoming the green ninja?” Zane supplied helpfully.
“Eliminate all chances of Lloyd becoming the green ninja.” Kai repeated more sinisterly.
“What are we waiting for? Let’s go.” Cole says and they nodded at each other before moving out.
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Garmadon temporarily ditched the Skullkin once a feeling of dread washed over him suddenly. He knew the ninja where in the past with him and knew they thwarted his attempt to end their careers as ninja before they even started but the last time he felt a feeling of dread like this was when Lloyd almost died in the fire temple. Something was very wrong but he knew just where to go…
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“Alright. We’re here. How do we do this?” Cole asked as they all spied on Lloyd who was sitting alone in his dorm room, drawing on a piece of paper.
“Oh! Oh! Send him to the underworld!” Jay says with a grin, pulling out a Skullkin mask.
“Hmm. That would be feasible, but Garmadon is in the underworld at this time. And how would we get there to begin with?” Zane questioned.
“Through the Fire Temple. But that’s off the list. What else?” Kai asked, looking towards his brothers.
“He got kicked of this place for not being evil enough, right?” Jay asked them and they grinned at that.
“So… We stir up some trouble and blame it on him.” Kai chuckled.
They all looked at each other before nodding, sneaking into the school.
Jay blindfolded a teacher, pulling them into a secret passage before tying him up and stealing his clothes. Cole, Zane and Kai set up the traps, Cole luring all the students into the mess hall with the promise of candy written on a piece of paper and posted to the wall.
Jay walked towards the teacher’s lounge once they have him the go ahead and he opened the door.
“Fellow evil teachers!” Jay yelled, pitching his voice lower and the three ninja facepalmed at his choice words. “That student! Lloyd Garmadon has captured all the other students!” He continued and the evil teachers looked at him before laughing.
“What? That brat? There’s nothing evil about him. Look again Dr. Evilman.” A woman says, brushing him off and Jay had a moment of panic before he thought of something.
“He’s changed! He- he even called his father!” Jay yelled and they all gasped.
“You- that’s obscene!” A male teacher says, getting to his feet. “Everyone knows Lord Garmadon is trapped in the underworld! I’ll prove it!” He yelled, pushing Jay aside, the other teachers rushing to the door to see.
“Wait…” Zane says, holding a hand out towards Kai who holding onto a rope that lead to the inside, watching the teacher walk closely. “Wait… Wait… Now!” He yelled and Kai pulled the rope, making the floor beneath the teacher give way.
He yelled as he fell, a loud grunt sounding after, making the teachers now gathered outside the teacher’s lounge gasp.
“I’m fine!” He yelled out but then Cole pulled his rope, letting the Spykors free.
His screams echoed as they rained down on him, making the teachers whisper in fear as Jay snuck out.
“Alright!” Jay yelled, highfiving the others.
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Nya gasped once Lloyd groaned, hold up his hands that were disappearing again.
“No! Why is this happening?!” Nya yelled panicking, the disappearance happening quicker this time.
“It’s fine Nya. Don’t- don’t worry about me…” Lloyd says with his brightest smile, despite his arms being gone and his legs quickly following.
“No! Lloyd…” She whispered, not knowing what to do as tears poured down her cheeks.
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Garmadon ran towards Darkly’s, hearing screaming and crashing that made his blackened heart pound into his throat. Lloyd! He was about to rush in once he heard four sets of familiar laughter. He growled, rushing around to the side of the school where the ninja were all watching the chaos, having themselves a jolly good time. Garmadon wanted nothing but to wipe those smiles off their faces. Permanently.
“Garmadon!” Zane gasped once he spotted him, warming the others as he charged at them with a yell.
His Mega Weapon clashed against Kai’s sword, sending Sparks flying as he struggled against Garmadon’s wrath.
“A little help guys?!” Kai yelled, just before Garmadon sent him flying back a sharp blow to the gut.
He whirled around, blocking the shurikens thrown at him before yelling as he charged at the master of earth.
“Woah! What’s gotten into you?!” Cole gritted out, skidding back as he used his scythe to hold him back.
“Worry about what’s about to be in you!” Garmadon yelled, lifting his Mega Weapon, revealing it’s pointed tip at the bottom and Cole paled.
Luckily for him, Jay and Zane ran in, both of them kicking him away from their friend. Garmadon stuff back but growler as he regained his footing. Despite how strong and energy he appeared, he was still very much weakened by the use of the Mega Weapon. It was his rage that have him second wind. His son could be-
“You! Lloyd Garmadon!” They all froze at the teacher’s yell from the inside.
“Uh, me?” Past Lloyd says, confused from his bed, looking at the teacher with crispy hair standing by the door.
“Don’t play innocent! We’ve rescued the other children from where you locked them in the mess hall but you. You are in big trouble! Detention!” The teacher yelled at him.
“But I didn’t-!” Past Lloyd cut himself off.
What was he doing?! Taking the fall for this would make the others respect him!
“I mean uh, Mwuhahaha! Yes! I did it! Me, Lloyd Garmadon!” He yelled and the teacher only grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out.
Garmadon panting, second wind gone now that he knows his son was unharmed. He retreated while they were distracted, running down to the Skulkin bike he stole, the ninja snapping out of it to rush after him.
“You will pay ninja! I promise you this! You may have ruined my son’s day but I’ll be ruining your entire life!” Garmadon spat at them before riding off down the hill.
“Stop him!” “He’s getting away!” “No!”
Garmadon kept speeding downwards, his speed gauge going from green to orange to red, until he winked out of existence, reappearing in the Underworld. Now, to have a chat with his old self…
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Nya was outright sobbing, holding onto what was left of Lloyd. He was nothing but a head and half a torso now.
“Hey… Come on… S-stop crying like that…” Lloyd says, looking up at her with tear filled eyes as her tears fell against his face. “Don’t worry about it. You should be happy! You won’t have me to worry about anymore…” He told her with a watery smile, tears running down the sides of his face.
“How can-can I be happy?! I rather have you alive and to w-worry over you all the ti-time than to n-not have you at a-all!” She got out between sobs, the last of his chest vanishing, moving up his neck now. “You can’t leave Lloyd! Please!” She yelled desperately, cupping his head with shaking hands as his neck disappeared.
“I’m sorry Nya…” Lloyd says, mouth disappearing and Nya was all out hysterical.
He looked up at her, with teary green eyes before closing them and vanishing completely. Nya looked down at her empty lap, reaching a hand down to see if hopefully, he just turned invisible. But no. The space where he once lay was completely empty. Nya’s breathing picked up as even more tears poured down her cheeks.