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Lloyd... had failed... he failed his friends, his family, his whole world... nothing was left for him to fight for. He sat atop a building, staring out at the once beautiful city, covered in crystals everywhere. He gazed up at the Temple floating above the city and let out a defeated sigh.
Even if he KNEW there was still a chance to defeat the Overlord, Lloyd was too beat to try it, to even entertain such a thought. As Lloyd sat, holding back the tears willing in his eyes, a familiar set of heavy footsteps approached him, to which he slightly glanced behind him.
"F-father," he had tried to address him coldly, but given the state he was currently in, he didn't have it in him to be hateful, only hurt.
"Mind if I sit there?" Garmadon asked, as if genuinely... caring for one's emotions?
Lloyd silently nodded, to which Garmadon sat beside his son and sighed.
The two sat in awkward silence for quite some time, not uttering a word to one another. Although at many points in time, they would awkwardly open their mouth as if to say something, but then close it again.
After too long having sat in silence, Garmadon finally spoke. "L-listen, I may not understand... human emotions, but I can at the very least tell you feel... lost, afraid, hurt, and broken... as you did, with me," for some reason, that last part hurt fur Garmadon to have to utter, as if he had felt... guilt for harming this child who he felt little to no connection with.
Lloyd however stayed in silence, not wishing to speak.
"It hurts, I get it, to watch everything you care about be snatched from you by the cruel, cold, dark hands of destiny and its hateful future for you... but you can't give up, not when there's still a chance to fight, a chance to triumph, and conquer evil, as you always have."
Silence, once again.
"Just because the Overlord has taken everything from you, doesn't mean you can't fight back, there's still something to be hopeful for, you just have to embrace the oni withi-" Garmadon was cut off by Lloyd.
"No," he says solemnly.
"What?"
"I said, NO!" Lloyd stood up on the ledge and turned, prompting Garmadon to stand as well and face his angered son.
"Why? There's still a chance, we could still defeat the Overlord and-" cut off once again.
"DON'T YOU GET !T!? THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO FIGHT FOR. WE'VE LOST. EVERYTHING IS GONE." The tears had begun to stream down Lloyd's eyes at this point, not caring whether or not he was seen as vulnerable or weak by this cold, unfeeling husk of a father.
"What happened to 'ninja never quit'?"
"WELL WHAT ABOUT WHEN NINJA HAVE NOTHING LEFT?! WHEN THEY LOSE EVERYTHING!? WHEN THEY SEE EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE FALL BEFORE THEIR EYES!?"
"There is still reason to fight, to move forward, to live on."
"What reason!?"
"I... I don't know. Even without your friends, even if you can't use your powers, you are still powerful, all you must do is endure long enough to stick it to the Overlord, save your friends, and purify all of Ninjago..."
Garmadon was unsure if it had really gotten Lloyd contemplating the best course of action or not, but his pondering was soon put to an end when Lloyd pulled him in for an embrace, and for some reason that he had yet to understand, Garmadon wrapped his own arms around Lloyd...
Perhaps there is a future for Ninjago, but whether it is to end in light, or in shadow, that is for time to tell.