Chapter Text
“Just as the building crumbled to the ground, they saw a burst of green light, so bright it blinded them. And there he was, coming out from the dust and bringing Kai with him, glowing from head to toe. It was magnificent, they thought. And that is how he discovered he was the Green Ninja.”
“Woahhh,” the little girl’s blue eyes widened, awestruck as Harumi finished her story. The woman smiled, reaching to brush the child’s blond bangs from her eyes. “He almost died !”
Harumi chuckled. “It wasn’t the first time, and it certainly wasn’t the last, I’m sure.”
“But what about Emperor Garmadon! The Green ninja was supposed to fight him! What happened!”
Harumi briefly glanced to the open window, where it was clear the sun had long since set. She sighed.
“I suppose that is for another night.”
“But-”
“Emmalyn, darling, surely you don’t want to fall asleep during the story.” Harumi reminded her, sweetly.
The little girl jutted her lip in a pout. “I guess...”
Harumi leaned forward to plant a tentative kiss on her forehead. “How about I tell you the rest tomorrow?”
Emmalyn reluctantly nodded in her eager five-year-old way, that Harumi still found so adorable, and she stood over the girl, starting to tuck her in. As expected, the eventual protest came to rise.
“No! Daddy is supposed to tuck me in.”
Harumi smiled at her, sympathetic. “Oh, Emmalyn. I already told you. He’s working a little late tonight.”
“But he always tucks me in.” she continued to whine. Harumi wasn’t quite sure what to do about this one.
A rustling noise outside the window caught her attention. Shifting her focus from her daughter, Harumi approached it, looking outside.
“What is it, mommy?” Emmalyn innocently asked, sitting up and craning her neck to get a look past Harumi. The woman had already scanned what she could see of the area, concluding that it must have been her imagination.
“Nothing, darling.”
Sometimes she forgot she was married to a jokester.
“ Gotcha !”
Harumi jumped back with a scream as Lloyd flipped from on top of the window, suddenly appearing right in front of her. Though probably equally shocked, Emmalyn still squealed with delight, hands raised in the air as excitement hit her.
Harumi gave him a pointed look.
“That was unnecessary.”
“Unnecessarily entertaining. ” His eyes lit up as he took in the girl who had just jumped out of her freshly made bed. Harumi sighed again. “Come here, sunshine!”
As he scooped his daughter up in her giggling fit, twirling her in the air, Harumi gave him another look.
“We were just going to bed.”
“Mommy told me a story!” Emmalyn announced. “About the Green Ninja!”
“Oh, I know. I was right outside listening,” he flashed Harumi a grin. “Your mom tells the best stories.”
Harumi shook her head, though unable to contain a smile, especially as she watched him finally tuck in Emmalyn for good, giving her cheek a kiss and whispering a goodnight. She followed him outside the room and the two of them gave their daughter one last look before turning off the lights.
“I take it you didn’t complete the mission,” Harumi mused when it was just them.
“Jay totally blew it.”
“It was your own fault for taking him on a stealth mission.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter anyway. No task or mission is more important than this,” Lloyd assured her, taking her hand and giving it a soft kiss. “Besides. I couldn’t miss watching my girls bond.”
“So, you spy on us outside of her window.”
“It was a good story. Though it’s not exactly how I remember it.”
Harumi chuckled. “Well, I had to make it kid-friendly.”
“Yes, of course, the very kid-friendly becoming of the Green Ninja. Did you explain to her what an assassin is?”
“Surprisingly, Kai already did. Apparently, she and Amber now pretend to be trained killers and try to poison each other.”
Lloyd scrunched his nose, seeming almost impressed. “Wow, at five years old she’s already deadlier than I was.”
“Don’t enable her.” Harumi laughed. “I already gave Kai several warnings.”
“I can’t imagine he’s still alive after those.”
Harumi shoved him slightly and Lloyd chuckled, good-naturedly.
“All that aside, it all certainly brought back a lot of memories.”
Coming to a sudden halt, Harumi thought for a minute.
“That was about all I could remember in detail, actually. I’m not all too sure where the story picks up now that I think about it.”
Lloyd regarded her adoringly. “I don’t think I could ever forget the days I spent falling in love with you.”
“Nor could I, but it wasn’t just our love story. It was the building of our whole family and the beginning of New Ninjago, and the fall of an entire empire -”
“And the fight of our lives,” he finished for her. “It will forever be engrained in my memory.”
“Then perhaps you should enlighten me; when exactly did it all start to come together?”
“Easy,” Lloyd said in confidence, delicately taking her waist in his hand as the two of them neared their shared bedroom. “The season of new beginnings. The first spring we ever saw together.”
Spring in Ninjago was widely celebrated by those lucky enough to see it. Each new bloom brought life and prosperity back to a suffering continent sucked dry of hope after the long and grueling winter.
Ninjago’s first yearly blossom was truly symbolic of the phases to come.
To the ninja team, however, spring was an invitation for flight. And, maybe, just a little bit of a fight .
“Oh no you don’t, tin can ,” Cole grit his teeth, steering Rocky as close as possible to the ice dragon. Zane was acutely aware of his gain but kept his eyes fixed ahead.
“Calculating trajectory. You are point zero-five-four seconds slower than I,” He smiled as if the victory was already his. “It pays to have the heavier dragon.”
“Well, now you hurt Rocky’s feelings!”
They were neck and neck, unrelenting. In their competition, neither of them noticed the extra weight on Shard’s tale. It wasn’t until a flash of green worked its way up the dragon’s lower spine and onto its sheer white wings that they were shocked.
“Lloyd!” Cole yelled, growing angry.
“That is cheating !” Zane protested in the same manner.
They could see the smirk behind Lloyd’s mask as he flipped over Zane, perching on the dragon’s neck.
“Just using my resources!” He laughed before jumping off. A bright green light blinded them for half a second, before the formation of an opaque emerald dragon could be seen accelerating ahead of them. Lloyd looked behind him just briefly to salute the two. “Thanks for the lift!”
Cole had the mind to flip him off, disregarding Zane’s reminder of “ Manners !”
Just then, a burst of blue and crackles of lightning sped past with familiar laughter, followed by Kai on Flame giving an excited whoop as he reached third place, falling just behind Lloyd.
“Bout to be too slow muchacho!” he taunted, much to Lloyd’s irritation. Hell to the no way was he letting Kai best him again.
However, despite his best efforts to remain ahead, Kai surpassed his energy dragon.
Oh, it’s not over, he decided, knitting his brows and concentrating on his elemental power. As his focus fixed on beating Kai, his hands glowed greener and greener, affecting the strength and speed of his dragon in the way he was looking for. If he could just keep it up-
His hands began to shake beyond control, drawing his attention to just how much power he was starting to use. In a sudden frenzy, Lloyd withdrew all control he could muster, and in an instant, the green dragon dissipated.
“ LLOYD!” Zane and Cole shouted in unison as Lloyd began a steady descent from the sky.
Kai looked behind him to see what the commotion was, and he couldn’t stop himself from sighing.
“Not again ...”
Lloyd was starting to feel the gravity of his situation. Quite literally.
Flailing every which way, he tried to get his powers to cooperate again. Every time he could start to feel something, attempting to emulate it, his powers fritzed, leaving him high and dry in this situation and much closer to the ground.
“ Dammit ,” he swore after his final try, knowing it was useless. He looked up to find that Kai had already swooped down in a majestic dive after the plummeting member of the team. Drawing nearer, he reached a hand out to catch Lloyd. The Green Ninja attempted to grab it, but his arm was too unsteady.
“Should make you the master of falling!”
“Shut up !” Lloyd shouted.
Right in the knick of time, Lloyd latched onto Kai’s forearm, and the master of fire pulled him onto the dragon with one strong tug. Unfortunately for the two, Kai couldn’t steer Flame back towards the sky in time. The fire dragon braced for impact, enclosing the ninja in his wings as they crashed, sending them rolling into the forest below them.
Exasperated, Flame’s wings flopped on the ground, exposing a shaken Kai and Lloyd, who dizzily stumbled onto the dirt.
“That... was...” Kai stopped himself, feeling something in his throat. “Oh, I’m gonna hurl -”
Lloyd winced as Kai relieved himself by the nearest tree, disgusted by the sight.
“I’m- I’m good,” Kai grumbled after a moment, holding a hand in the air as he stood hunched over still.
Lloyd removed his hood to brush a hand through his hair, and when Kai finally stood, they met eyes...
And immediately burst into laughter.
Flame did not take this reaction lightly, dipping his tail into a nearby puddle of mud, and sending a wave their way. They sputtered in response, flicking the sludge off of their gi.
“ Flame, grossss ,” Lloyd whined in protest.
“What was that for!” Kai snapped at the dragon.
Flame grumbled, almost seeming grumpy, and extended his wings, hovering in the air.
“What? Where the hell are you going?” Kai raised his hands, trudging through the mud. Lloyd attempted to follow but slipped with a yelp.
Flame thrashed his head, snapping back at his master with a roar.
“Come on, don’t be like that! Flame ! Get back here!”
Flame ignored Kai’s instruction, flying away without a second thought and leaving the two mud-covered boys stranded in the forest.
Seething, Kai turned his anger to Lloyd.
“This is your fault, string bean.”
“It’s not like I have control over it,” Lloyd explained, coming to a wobbly stand in his slippery condition. “Geez.”
Kai sighed, running a frustrated palm down his face. “I don’t suppose you can magically conjure your green motorcycle and make this trip a whole lot easier.”
Lloyd demonstrated his fritzy powers. “ Nope .”
“Great,” Kai muttered. “Well, we better get walking. Would hate to be out here when it gets dark.”
Kai started first, but Lloyd was still looking at his hands.
“ Weird ...” he said aloud, finding the lack of presence his powers had to be abnormal lately. Did it... mean something?
Shoving the thought to the back of his mind, Lloyd jogged to catch up with Kai. Together the two of them began the trek through the forest with only a vague idea of where they were going.
“Do you think they might come back for us?” Lloyd asked, only slightly optimistic about the possibility.
Kai snorted. “Are you kidding? They probably have money placed on whether we come back alive.”
It was well after nightfall when the green and red ninja made it to the monastery, after hours of walking, more of arguing about the correct direction, even more going in the right direction, and at least one more climbing up the mountain.
Least to say, neither of them was in good spirits.
They threw open the doors to the monastery looking worse for the wear- or at least worse than what was normal for these two. Nya had to smother laughter as she took them in from where she sat next to Cole. Zane and Jay stopped their sparring to behold the two losers of that day's race.
“What in the FSM’s name happened to you two?” Nya said. A snicker escaped her, and several more escaped Cole.
Kai glared at the lot of them, sheathing the sword of fire on his back.
“You’re lucky I don’t make you all into barbeque. I’ll give you some four-letter words instead.”
Lloyd trailed behind him, looking utterly disturbed. “There were wolves. And a ravture nest. Kai almost started the biggest forest fire in history. Among... other things.”
“We wouldn’t have had a problem if you just left the damn baby birdy alone !” Kai said.
“Ugh, say less,” Jay covered his nose as they passed him. “You guys reek .”
Kai dramatically sighed his woes. “Don’t remind me. I haven’t had a hair day this bad since the prepubescent dark ages.”
Cole chuckled. “Well, you might have to wait on a quality shower. Zane used the last of the hot water.”
“Zane?!” Kai whipped his head around, spearing Zane with a venomous look. “But you’re a robot!”
Zane shrugged, sweeping Jay off his feet to continue their spar. The blue ninja gave an indignant groan. “What can I say? Even I must maintain my shine .”
Jay burst into laughter on the ground as Kai stepped over him to storm off. In his wake, Lloyd warily watched Nya begrudgingly drop some cash in Cole’s palm.
“You bet against us?”
“You couldn’t have come back injured at least?” Nya complained. “It’s not that hard.”
“Don't listen to her, pal,” Cole bust in, showing off his earnings. “Thanks to you and Kai’s questionable survival skills, I am a whole ten dollars richer.”
Lloyd had some comments for that, but was too tired to get worked up about it. He rolled his eyes, walking off to get this mess off of him.
“Hey, that reminds me. Before you turn in, Lloyd, Harumi was looking for you.”
It took all of one second for those words to resonate with Lloyd, and with newfound energy, he turned to Nya with wide eyes.
“Rumi? She was?”
Nya studied him intently before tilting her head in the general direction. “Yeah. She should still be in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner.”
Nothing more needed to be said for Lloyd to take off, excitement radiating off of him like heat. Nya and Cole measured the reaction in silence.
“Always wanted a puppy. Who knew you just needed a Lloyd,” he remarked. “Do you think they’ll get anywhere this time?”
“Knowing Lloyd, probably not. Knowing Harumi... definitely not.” Nya despaired.
Cole’s shoulders drooped. “Poor kid. He’s so oblivious... he's really gonna end up hurting himself.”
While true, Nya withheld the bitter thought that Harumi wasn’t exactly being the kindest to Lloyd about it. As her long-time best friend, Nya knew she was flirtatious by nature, rarely committing to any sort of serious engagement, but it was that careless nature that got Lloyd attached and unfairly pushed away as a result. And did Harumi care?... of course, she didn’t.
“We can hope,” she said, instead.
She turned to find Cole staring at her. The two friends smiled at each other.
Four months ago, she'd pushed the passings of a crush behind her- doing so really allowed her to appreciate him as a person. She’d since found why Jay liked his company so much. Cole was a truly grounded person and had really worked his way into becoming the strong foundation of the team. Though Lloyd was technically the leader strategically, Cole was the person who’d committed himself to keeping the team standing strong in their physicality and mentality, regularly offering his encouragement and support no matter the situation. Something told her it was because he lacked it growing up.
“Sorry, am I interrupting something?”
Eyes widening, Cole and Nya turned to find Jay looking at them. At that point, they scrambled to their feet, beaming.
“Jay!”
“Nothing at all!”
Jay made an odd face, before seemingly dropping it with an offhanded shrug. “Okay then.”
“So, Jay, are you ready to play Fist to Face Three?” Cole rubbed his hands together excitedly. Jay’s expression lit up.
“Oh em gee , I totally forgot it was out!”
Nya got a weird feeling in her stomach- something possessive - and she strained to smile. “Um, actually, Jay wanted to show me a movie. Remember Jay? You promised we’d watch it tonight. Specifically, tonight .”
Jay thought through her words before it seemed an understanding dawned in his expression. “ Right . The movie. I did, didn’t I.” He turned to Cole with an apologetic look. “Sorry Cole, but a promise is a promise.”
Cole didn’t look all that pleased, but he plastered a grin on his face for Jay’s sake. “Of course. Just don’t spend all your time with Nya- there's plenty of us to hang out with. I mean...”
He trailed off sadly, as Jay and Nya had already started walking away, sharing laughter. Cole felt a pang of jealousy that had been rather common these days.
He didn’t hate Nya. She was great! Almost like a little sister to him. Lately, she was a lot more cheerful and friendly- someone to light up the room. And definitely closer to Jay as a result. She occupied a lot of his time. Doing what; he didn’t know. They couldn’t have too much in common, right?
In all honesty, he missed the days when he didn’t care, but of course, he had to come to the realization that he didn’t see Jay as just a friend.
Was it the same for her?
Whatever , Cole thought, shaking his head as he headed back to his room. Jay would tell me if something was going on. They’re just friends...
Lloyd managed to catch a glimpse of his appearance in a hallway mirror, immediately working at his head to shake out the crusted mud from his hair. There wasn't much he could do about the gi- which was probably beyond repair, sadly- or the unfortunate odor. He’d just keep his distance, and hopefully, she wouldn’t notice.
He slowly stepped into the dining room, which connected to the kitchen past the counter. There, Harumi was humming a tune as she calmly scrubbed dishes, as Nya had said. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped himself, hesitant to bother her.
He cleared his throat, awkwardly adjusting a chair at the table as she whipped her head around to face him.
“What in the FSM’s name happened to you ?” she mirrored Nya’s words before immediately making a face, bringing a hand to her nose. “And what’s that smell?”
Well so much for keeping that under wraps. Lloyd took a good, long inhale through his teeth. “That’s a... long story.”
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d assume you and Kai got in some sort of predicament.”
“Yep.”
“Typical.” She nodded slowly as if understanding exactly. Lloyd blushed from embarrassment- this was not the kind of impression he wanted to be making as the Green Ninja. Especially in front of her.
He shifted, feeling out of place. “I’ll be out of your hair. Nya just said you were looking for me?”
“ Oh .” Rumi blinked. She looked put off for a second. “I suppose. Though, that is a weird way of putting it.”
“What?”
Rumi turned back to the dishes rather sharply. “Was I actively seeking you out? No, I simply mentioned I eventually may need to see you.”
“Okay well-”
“It wasn’t urgent, nor do I particularly want your company-”
“I never said-”
“I simply don’t think about you like that.”
Though such a small statement, that hurt just a little bit. Defeated and wondering why the hell he even bothered to come, Lloyd frowned. “Good to know, then. I’ll just... go.”
Her fingers gripped the edge of the sink as she froze, listening to his retreating footsteps with a pang of sympathy.
She regretted it in an instant, whipping her head back around.
“Lloyd, wait-” she protested. Lloyd did just that, measuring her new reaction with both interest and caution. “I forgot... I was going to give you this.” She picked up a pile of cloth from the counter that she'd set aside earlier and shoved it towards him. “I know you’ve been wearing a placeholder for some time, but it just didn’t sit right with us. Nya and I thought we’d design you something more... permanent .”
She gave him a small smile as he meticulously inspected the embroidery on the green fabric. “You... made me a gi?”
Rumi avoided his eyes, which were no doubt shining with admiration. “Well, we made them for all of the guys. But we thought we’d give yours to you first so it’d feel more special or something like that.”
“I don’t know what to-”
She interrupted him by placing a hand on his shoulder, still keeping her gaze anywhere but him. “Go ahead and use my shower. Nya and I set up a separate water supply for our rooms a long time ago because Kai habitually used all the hot water.”
“That’s really generous, Ru-”
At that moment, Rumi pulled away from him. “It’s no issue, Lloyd. I’d do it for any friend.”
Truthfully, she was sorry to have hurt him in such a manner and thought maybe this would make up for it, while simultaneously allowing her to maintain that she saw him as a good companion and nothing more.
She hoped at least, fidgeting as she distanced herself.
“Well...” Lloyd trailed, taking that in. Taking her in as she turned her back to him once more. Did she really find his company that unenjoyable? “It’s kind of you, nonetheless.”
She counted his steps until she was certain that it was just her in the kitchen. Checking to make sure, she turned her head, her face flushed red in the wake of his company. He was in fact gone, and thank goodness for it – she wasn't sure what she would have done had he seen her in her current state.
Harumi splayed her hands on the counter, bending over to breathe through her range of emotions. She couldn’t recall at what point in time, her heart rate started to speed up around him, or when making eye contact with him became almost physically impossible. Normally she was quite composed, but of course, it was Lloyd Garmadon who could make her like this.
It wasn’t that long ago that Garmadon had threatened her over this. She’d made a promise that she’d end Lloyd’s feelings for her, and had remained true to it, in fear of whatever he may be able to watch. Though truthfully, the more confusing it got for Lloyd, the harder it got for her to keep up this act. What was worse was that nothing she did seemed to deter his spirit. He was always just so... hopeful. And that made her... well, all sorts of things.
What am I to do if I really do start to reciprocate...?
Harumi defiantly shook her head, remembering what was at stake. This was about the final battle- this was about her claim to the throne of Ninjago. That’s all that mattered to her. That’s all that should matter to her.
She was willing to put aside Lloyd’s and her own feelings when it came down to it.
Everything will be fine. I just have to remain on my guard.
Fresh out of the shower, Lloyd didn’t stick around Harumi’s room much longer than he had to, feeling as though he’d just invaded something personal. He retreated to his bedroom instead, pleased to find Kai was elsewhere, giving him some peace and quiet. Immediately, his gaze wandered to the folded fabric of his new gi that he’d laid on his bed.
He contemplated it.
Lloyd had eventually gotten used to receiving things since living here, but every once in a while, the generosity of his friends took him by surprise. It amazed him how people could not only stop to think about him but to consider putting time and effort into something for him.
He smiled in spite of himself just thinking about it. Yeah, he had to get over her, but in a split second, this had become a prized possession. So much so that he didn’t think he should even wear it.
In his debate, he eyed a single button on his bedside.
Besides the bracelet Garmadon had tricked him with... that button was the first gift he’d ever been given. Lloyd once cherished it. Now, he just didn’t have it in him to put it on anymore. The last he’d worn it, the strings had snapped, and he’d all but lost it during a mission. Nya kindly returned it to him later that day, after stashing her Samurai X getup. Somehow, she’d found it and remembered it had some importance to him.
He’d let it lay there since. There wasn’t a point in keeping it now really. Harumi had probably already forgotten it.
Looking at the gi again, Lloyd ran his fingers over the fabric, deciding that if not for Rumi, he should at least try it on to give Nya some praise.
So, he did just that.
The gi was measured almost to perfection. The material was soft and allowed for growth while also hugging his skin. Not too cold, not too warm- surprisingly flexible. He was impressed with the quality.
The deep green matched his eyes, and he knew they’d picked that color carefully so it'd be that way. Black and gold accents adorned his hood and the edges of the tunic, sturdily tied with a black belt. Lastly, he noted two symbols on his chest. One in black and one in gold.
He took a deep breath, absorbing it all.
“ What . Are you wearing?”
Lloyd saw Kai in the mirror, leaning against the doorframe. When did he get there?
“My new gi,” he explained. “Rumi and Nya made it.”
Kai inspected it, thoroughly unimpressed. “Really? It’s kind of... simple. No wow factor. I mean unless you wanna go down in history as the blandest of all of us.”
Lloyd made a face. “Well, I like it.”
Kai snorted. “That explains your fashion sense.” With that, threw himself on his bed and pulled out his phone.
Lloyd reached for the nearest pillow and prepared to chuck it. “What’s your deal?”
Kai narrowly dodged the cushion, giving Lloyd a warning look. The younger boy rolled his eyes, backing down.
“Fine, I’ll stop bothering you.”
Ignoring Kai, he turned back to his reflection with a frown, suddenly doubting it. Was it really not all that impressive? Kai made a good point; as the Green Ninja, he had to make a bold impression: someone for his enemies to fear, someone powerful. But also, someone the people could look up to.
Unbeknownst to Lloyd, Kai had glanced up from his phone, studying Lloyd a bit more intensely. He’d noticed a while ago that Lloyd would really take what he said to heart- maybe a bit more than the others. Almost as if seeking his approval.
He smiled at his screen with a halfhearted chuckle.
Too easy, hellspawn.
“Hey. You manage to make it look good. Barely.”
Though Kai couldn’t see it, he knew the kid was beaming.
Everything started with flames.
Lloyd assumed a defensive position where he was, watching yet again as the palace burned from within, slowly collapsing upon itself, and creating chaos all around him.
“No...” Lloyd swiveled, trying to find a way out as the fear hit him. “No, not again.”
I can’t be back. The massacre happened years ago!
“HARUMI!” He cried in his panic, running through the debris falling from above him. His breath sped up as he looked every which way, but to no avail, there was no way to tell where he was. She was lost to him here.
He kept running, letting his feet take him to where he needed to be. His father was here somewhere.
Eventually, he found someone... though not at all someone he expected to be here.
Chen.
This is Chen’s palace.
Lloyd froze, watching the scene in front of him. Chen, the warlord who had tortured both him and Harumi for days now looked up in pure terror, cowardly scrambling on the ground.
“My former pupil!” Chen’s voice shook nervously. “ Please, you must have mercy! I assure you, I was not plotting against you in any way-”
Lloyd approached further, finding his father taking a menacingly emerge from the flames. A deep purple glow formed in his hands, reflecting his pent-up anger.
The shadows followed from behind him, slowly inching towards Chen. The man whimpered.
“Never mind that you sent your useless daughter to assassinate me. You were supposed to collect elements for me . But you chose to keep them for yourself... and now... they are gone .”
“It was Princess Harumi who foolishly destroyed my- your staff! And surely you cannot blame me for being curious about power! You of all people should know-” His rambling was cut off by one of the shadows closing around his throat.
Garmadon stared at the dying man, emotionlessly.
“Do not waste my time with your useless sputtering- tell me where the map is.”
“I- I do not know what you are looking for!”
Garmadon was growing frustrated. Lloyd watched with bated breath as the shadows locked onto each of Chen’s arms, slowly dragging him into the fire. He clawed to be let go, howling in fear.
But there was no one to save him.
“Do not lie to me. The map to the Dark Island is here .”
“The Dark Island is a myth ! I have no idea where-”
“NO! My son said it was here !”
“Your son is a traitor !” Chen cried.
Something seemed to snap within Garmadon. He seethed in anger, and his powers grew stronger.
“MY SON IS LOYAL ONLY TO ME !”
Lloyd couldn’t tear his eyes away as Chen’s fate was brought upon him. The shadows that Garmadon commanded closed in on him, and he disappeared into the fire, screaming in agony until he was all but consumed.
When it was over, and Garmadon was satisfied with his death, he turned his fiery red eyes directly to where Lloyd stood.
The Emperor took a step closer, and Lloyd took a step back, suddenly feeling suffocated by the smoke.
“This isn’t real... this is a dream.”
Despite his assurances, Garmadon kept getting closer, more murderous by the second.
“ You can’t hurt me ...”
He was backed against a wall, and his father stood over him, forming a dagger with his powers.
“You found the Dark Island. You thought you could keep it from me...”
Lloyd was petrified . “ No ... no, I didn’t find anything.”
“I will reach that island one way or another. Even if I have to pry the information from your mind with force.” Garmadon pressed a hand to his son’s throat, pinning him to the wall, and he winced. “I will find you. Wherever you dare to plot against me.”
“You’re just a dream...” Lloyd breathed. But even he didn’t believe himself.
It all felt... real.
“No son... you’ve made me your nightmare.”
Before Lloyd could fully register the chill that ran down his spine, Garmadon pushed the blade into Lloyd’s stomach. He felt the agonizing pain of the wound, and seconds later, he jolted into consciousness. Cold sweat laced every inch of his body, and his heart still raced with fear.
He could still feel the burning of his father’s knife. As though he’d really been stabbed.
And yet, he was in his room. Right where he’d been when he fell asleep.
Lloyd ran his hands down his face, contemplating everything that had happened in the dream.
It was all just a dream. Right?
He can’t be coming. He doesn’t know where I am. He doesn’t know I know about the island. We’re safe... we have to be.
They had to be... because Lloyd didn’t know what he could do to keep his team safe otherwise.
Sad as it was, nightmares weren’t uncommon for Lloyd. Even though his life right now with a family was next to perfect, something always haunted him.
Oftentimes, he needed to walk these stresses off. So, even though he knew he needed the sleep, Lloyd quietly snuck from his room, shutting the door so as to not disturb Kai. His feet took him as far as he needed to go, and soon, Lloyd found himself outside, overlooking the courtyard.
Where it seemed, he wasn’t alone.
For as common as his nightmares were, it was equally as common for Harumi to be up at this hour, practicing her forms or revisiting the training course. Lloyd often found it easy to get lost watching her train; she had a knack for it, no doubt having trained every night for years. But it had taken her as far as it was able... he wondered when she’d realize there was nothing more to it to master.
Sometimes, he found himself so invested that he’d make little praises and critiques for her in his head. Thoughts he was tempted to share, but doing so would require an explanation as to why he was watching in the first place.
Lloyd didn't feel like hiding from her tonight, though. Instead, he leaned on the nearest wooden pillar, studying her in plain view as she focused on her punches.
I’ve seen better from her... she’s got several of her kicks down, but her punches are all over the place.
Semi-amused, Lloyd watched her make another jab at the punching bag.
“You’re putting too much of your weight into it,” Lloyd offered without thought.
Harumi looked up at him with some degree of shock, which faded with exasperation. She was clearly wearing herself out.
“What do you mean?”
“Your punches,” Lloyd explained. “You’re putting your whole body into it.”
“Is that not how I’m supposed to apply my strength?”
“Strength without foundation is pointless,” Lloyd countered. He walked over to demonstrate, striking the right stance and steadily sending one of his fists out to attack the bag. “Like that.”
She made a face, copying what he did. Her form was still off despite her best efforts.
“You’re tense. Relax a bit,” he told her. Gently, he brought his hands to splay on her shoulders, softly squeezing her pressure points to loosen up. Standing behind her, he adjusted her arms accordingly, keeping a hand on her waist to steady her.
“Instead of throwing your weight, keep yourself firm,” Lloyd said, assumingly. He kept another hand on her wrist for reference, guiding her movement. “Your arm is the focal point. All of your strength should come from here. Tilt your fist a little bit more. That’s good.”
Her jade eyes flickered to look at him, as though slightly distracted, before training themselves on the punching bag.
“So... like this?”
She threw her fist forward, following Lloyd’s instruction.
“Much better,” he said. The way he raised his brows said he was impressed, and so Harumi took it in stride.
“You wouldn’t happen to have any other tips, would you?”
Lloyd chuckled, already picking a sword from the ground. He handed it to her.
“Maybe a few. Spar?”
For once, Harumi couldn’t deny his offer. She smiled, nodding as she took the sword. They put some distance between themselves to start; Lloyd chose to go without a sword, giving Harumi an advantage. She aimed it at him, and in unison, they charged.
“You’re a good fighter,” Lloyd spun behind her to avoid her blade. He kicked her back to push her to the ground, where the sword clattered. “But you lack technique.”
She picked herself back up, rolling the shoulder that had collided with the ground. Lloyd threw the sword back to her, and she caught it once more. “Care to enlighten me?”
They went for another round. When she made an attack with the sword, Lloyd swiftly slid behind her again, grabbing her wrist in place. She struggled to break free of him, making a sound of frustration. “Real fighting isn’t like some training course. You can’t rely on the same flow of moves or else you’ll get predictable. You need to put what you know to practical use depending on what opponent you face.” He slipped a foot in between where hers were spread, pulling her wrist forward so that she tripped over him.
She found herself collapsing on the ground again, bested once more. Still, she picked herself up.
“I’m bigger. Stronger. I’ve trained longer and more intensively. On paper, you’re not going to beat me through skill alone. Figure out how I fight and strategize from there. Anything of note so far?”
“You’re swift,” Harumi raised her sword again. “That’s how you always take me by surprise. You find somewhere I don’t expect you.” They sparred again. This time, Lloyd went straight for a kick. She ducked under in time, noticing just as quickly that while she’d been busy dodging, he pulled a small knife from his pocket.
“Stealth!” She said, blocking his next attack with the knife. “You use obvious attacks to distract from the use of smaller weapons.”
“Good,” Lloyd flashed her a grin, bringing the knife back into her view, raised to attack. “Now what are your strengths.”
“Bigger weapon,” she said.
“It’s not always about the size of the weapon. Think bigger.” He rushed forward in another series of attacks. Their weapons clashed as she blocked each hit he aimed at her. “You’re smaller; I’m fast but your size allows you to be faster . Dodging will always come easier to you. You’ll have to use your weapon more because your strength can’t best mine, but you can use it in ways that aren’t expected.”
She took that into account, digging her sword into the ground to provide an anchor for her to swing a kick at him. As his knife came at her from above, her leg made contact with his arm, and just as she planned, she linked her leg around it to yank the dagger from his grasp.
“Nice misdirection,” he praised her. “Now find a weakness.”
Lloyd landed a kick on her chest, pulling her sword from her grip and sending her back a few paces. She huffed, registering this new arrangement; Lloyd with her sword and her weaponless.
“You don’t have any that I can target!”
Lloyd stepped back, opening his arms to allow her to come at him with fists. She did so in frustration, which only intensified as he bent under each one.
“Everyone has a weakness. The most consistent one I’ve seen is that everyone underestimates you. But you can use that.”
Hearing enough, Harumi ducked to grab the knife he’d dropped earlier, swinging it at him aggressively. He flipped backward, not even bothering to use the sword to attack her.
“Everyone sees a pretty girl who wouldn’t be able to fight if she tried.” Harumi huffed, lunging forward with the knife again. Again, he dodged without effort, as if her attacks were predictable. “You can take them by surprise.”
“And what about you! What’s your weakness!”
As she went for another strike, Lloyd grabbed her wrist once more, dragging it down. Their faces were parallel then, and Harumi finally looked into his emerald eyes after what felt like forever.
“Mine is...” he trailed off, taking her in.
She suddenly got an idea.
Her free hand traveled to cup his cheek, and in the split second he was vulnerable, she’d pressed her lips to his. Lloyd’s eyes widened in shock, before they steadily closed, falling deeper into the kiss. His grip on her wrist loosened as a result. Knowing she had him backed in a corner, Harumi smiled, hiding her knife behind her back whilst she felt at his other hand for the sword.
By the time Lloyd realized what she was doing, she’d already twisted the sword from his hand, sliding it behind his neck and pointing the knife at his throat.
She grinned, victoriously.
“It seems as though you get easily distracted by a pretty face.”
“That- that was low.” He sputtered, growing red.
“That was technique .”
She felt rather proud that she'd finally been able to best him until she finally saw how wounded she had left him. After all this time of distancing herself, and trying her best to ignore him, she thought she'd been well prepared to deal with his reactions to... but seeing the hurt in his eyes was almost too much for her conscience.
Because she didn't want it to be this way at all.
The urge she'd been trying to bury suddenly spiked, and Harumi dropped her weapons to the ground, pulling him to her by the neck. He responded immediately this time- hands gently framing the sides of her face as their lips found each other at an angle, parting and closing at a mutual rhythm. It was as though they were both trying to get their fill right then and there, the intensity of their making out slowly starting to increase the longer they both got a taste for it.
She knew she was being selfish, but the thought of stopping was the last thing on her mind- Not when being close to him felt right.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” Lloyd finally pulled away to breathily mutter, before falling back into the rhythm. He pulled away again seconds later, panting. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she responded quickly, not one for the small talk. He was like a magnet, only managing to draw her closer and closer. “And who says that?”
“I’m better at reading people than you’d think.”
With the odd comment, Harumi was disappointed to feel him push away.
“I’m reading you two different ways here, and despite my better judgment, I can’t figure out which one I should be listening to, Rumi.” Lloyd gave her an intense look.
Harumi shook her head, annoyed. Why in Ninjago’s name did he have to make a big deal out of it?
“I’m not a damn book , Lloyd. I have- I have feelings and they’re complicated, okay? And they’re certainly not for you to try and decipher.”
“But you can’t just completely disregard how I feel. One minute you dismiss me, and the next you kiss me. It’s- it’s frustrating !”
She didn’t know how to explain this to him. How could she? He was right- she'd been balancing two different acts for way too long. Her façade had finally slipped, and now she was backed into a corner.
Instead of explaining, she turned on her heel, retreating. “I have no need to explain things to you, especially considering you were the one who told me to think things through. If you’re confused, just forget it happened.”
“Is that what you do? Just forget? Maybe these kinds of things don’t mean anything to you, Rumi, but they do to me .”
Though she’d just decided that she wasn’t going to debate further, those words got to her.
Harumi stopped.
“It does mean something to me...”
“Then why ?”
Harumi couldn’t answer.
“I’m all for you figuring out how you feel, Rumi,” Lloyd said, softly. She felt him grab at her wrist from behind, but she couldn’t turn to face him. “If you need the space for that, I’ll give it to you with no hesitation. You need to figure out what you want .”
“What I want... is something I shouldn’t.”
“I understand,” he said, sympathetically, even though he couldn’t. No one could understand the situation she was in. She couldn’t have everything... Garmadon wouldn’t let her. “You should be able to determine what to do free of pressure. I’m sorry if I added to your pile.”
You did nothing wrong...
Harumi’s eyes were downcast. “No, I apologize. I got carried away tonight. It won’t happen again.”
“I would never fault you for being human...”
First Spinjitzu Master... he made it so hard sometimes.
Overcome with emotion, she looked to their hands, which had connected somewhere in their interaction.
But she was taken by surprise to find a green glow forming in his palm.
“Lloyd,” Harumi, grabbed for his other hand, her concern spiking. “Your powers ...”
As if suddenly aware, Lloyd yanked himself away from her, looking at his hands worriedly.
“ Dammit ,” he swore, trying to shake them out. The glow only grew bigger.
She stood, conflicted. “I thought you told the team you gained control of your powers.”
“I have !”
Rumi frowned at him, the display in front of her clearly saying otherwise.
“Look,” he began to explain. “Without the bracelet, they get a little stronger than usual at times. Any kind of emotion can set them off. I’m just a little... stressed.”
“I suppose that is why you find yourself out here with me, is it not?” she pieced together the clues right then, coming to the assumption that something must have been on his mind.
She felt a sudden stab of guilt that she’d added to his distress.
“It was just... a dream. I was coming to clear my head when I saw you out here... it must be getting to me more than I thought.”
Harumi knew she wouldn’t be able to pry a more detailed answer from him, but just from that, she could tell he wasn't quite as okay as he appeared at times.
How often did this happen without any of them knowing?
Suddenly sympathetic, Harumi softened, reaching for his hands again.
“Here...”
Panicked, Lloyd pulled away immediately. “I-I don’t want to hurt you!”
“It’s alright,” she assured him, already pressing her hands into his. “See?”
He studied her, waiting for the moment where she'd yank herself away, saying she'd burnt him. But she stayed calm, not tearing her eyes from his.
Lloyd relaxed.
Rumi moved to ever so softly brush her fingers down his, and Lloyd felt his skin tingle where her tips met his skin.
“Do you feel me?” She asked.
“Yes...” He let out a shaky breath, swallowing something in his throat.
“Okay... then focus on just me.”
Rumi shifted her focus to his palms, rubbing them with precision, and Lloyd tried his best to let go of all of his thoughts and fears, concentrating solely on what he could feel from her. Her pale white hands were small in his and were flushed with warmth- contrasting his which were cold and calloused from years of mastering blades. It surprised him how such a simple contrast could be such a comfort in a moment like this, and he relished how delicate she felt in his hold.
After a while, Lloyd sighed, his expression calming.
“You should have told us you were struggling...” she said after a beat of silence.
“I know...” he said. “It's getting harder to hide, though. Sometimes it’s like they short circuit when I want them to work. Times like this, they’re too strong for me to control. I have no will over them...”
Obviously, the thought stressed him to no end, and Harumi watched as his powers grew consequentially. Before he could take notice, she began lightly tracing swirls in his hands.
“No one expects you to get it perfect, Lloyd. We’re not like Garmadon.”
He said nothing to that, but Harumi continued her tiny ministrations until eventually, he reached a point until he was effectively soothed, and the glow subsided.
Lloyd stared in disbelief at his hands.
“It worked...”
“I’m glad I could help...” Rumi smiled.
Without much thought, their fingers aligned, and they stared at their linked hands.
She wondered what he was thinking. For something to bother him to this degree, it must have had a lot of importance. But then again... she didn't know Lloyd that much. This could be completely normal for him, to live in constant fear and worry.
“Do you think he’s up to something?” Harumi asked, only guessing it had to do with his father. “Garmadon? There have been so many attacks...”
Lloyd nodded, all but confirming what she'd been paranoid about. “We’ll be safe here, though...”
"How do you know?”
“Because if he knew we were here... he’d already be here,” Lloyd said.
He sounded so sure. And yet, Harumi knew it was far from true; Garmadon had already found them. It was her doing that had stopped him from attacking. She’d abided by his offer in return for the safety of the monastery.
it was the sudden reminder of her unfortunate task that forced Harumi to draw away from him.
“I... I’m going to bed. You ought to as well...”
“Alright... goodnight, Rumi.”
She offered no response. And though the guilt ate at her that she had to be so cold , she drew into herself, putting it behind her.
She was doing it for his own good.
Lloyd, on the other hand, was more aware than ever that something serious was up. He watched her walk away intently before turning his gaze to the shadows that avoided the moonlight. One of them, in particular, seemed to move almost eerily...
He let it go with a sigh, beginning to follow her inside. It would do him no good to wonder now; he’d just get all worked up again.
But unbeknownst to both of them, once they were gone, a pair of red eyes flashed through the dark.
He knew everything .