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Lloyd woke up with a gasp. Looking around he saw a green field with pretty yellow, almost gold, flowers. He heard a growl, looking to his side, ne noticed a golden dragon. It seemed weirdly familiar.
The Green Ninja stood up and walked to the dragon. He pet it.
“Hello, Lloyd.”, said a powerful voice behind the blonde, “Do you like my dragon?”
Lloyd turned around. This was the First Spinjitsu Master, his very own grandfather.
Lloyd kneeled in the ground before he spoke.
“You… You’re the First Spinjitsu Master.”
The man walked closer to Lloyd and said: “No, no, please. No kneeling.” HE reached out a hand to Lloyd. “You have done so much for Ninjago, if anyone should kneel it should be I.”
Lloyd stood; he was quite a lot shorter than his grandfather. He was short in general, weirdly so considering his father was quite tall, even when he only had two arms, and his mother was also pretty tall. Sensei had the theory that him being short had something to do with the Tomorrows Tea somewhat stunting this growth.
Lloyd being the curios boy he was could help but ask: “What is this place? What happened?”
His grandfather answered: “You faced destruction with dignity and courage and you responded with creation and love. There is no greater response.”
Still not completely satisfied with this answer Lloyd asked: “But… why am I here?”
The old master said: “I brought you here. To say thank you. For all you have done.”
Why does he keep answering is riddles? Lloyd certainly knows where his uncle gets it from now and he hates it. Why can’t old people just make sense and talk like normal people? “But… But I …”
“Yes?”
“I don’t understand.”
“Life is balance. Endings are never really endings. Only new beginning. And you have given us all a new beginning. The future is what we make of it. And you refused to let our future end in darkness.”
Flower pedals flew around Lloyd.
“Well done, Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon. Well done.”
His grandfather kneeled down in front of the boy, taking off his hat. Lloyd always felt awkward when people thanked him. He liked it but sometimes it was just too much. This was too much.
“Thanks, but… Well, I really don’t understand any of this.”
Lloyd motioned around himself, this place was odd. Pretty and peaceful but odd. He didn’t like it.
“You will soon. If you choose to come with me.”
“Come with you where?”
“That is a secret. But you will be happy there. Or you can return to your friends and take up your duties as the Green Ninja again.”
“And if I go home, will I remember this?”
“You will think it was a dream. In time you will forget all about it.”
Should he take the offer?
No, he couldn’t no matter what lies with his grandfather, he can’t he wants to go home. Go home to his family. To the ones that loved him and raised him. His older siblings. He wouldn’t be happy anywhere without them.
Lloyd remembers the pain he felt when they had thought Zane died, the pain that came after when his brothers left to grieve in their own way. The hurt he felt when his father was ripped from him. The loneliness when Morro forced him to be away from his family. The grieve when he had to say goodbye to his dad for good. The feeling of being lost when his uncle was lost in time. The countless time he felt alone in the time the team was separated in their search for Wu. How hurt he was when Harumi resurrected his dad only for him not to be the man that loved him no matter how evil he got. The way he had lost all hope when he thought his big brothers and uncle had been killed.
The boy didn’t want to fell that again. He already began feeling that way. He was only here for maybe ten minutes, but he missed his home, his siblings.
He missed the warm hug; Kai was sure to give him the moment he got back. The comforting hand on his shoulder from Nya. The kind smile Zane would give him. The short and strong side hug from Cole. The hair ruffle Jay would give him, the kind that would surely mess up his hair for the rest of the day. And the relieved expression on Pixal.
His decision was easy.
“I appreciate the offer, but I want to go home.”
“As you wish. Goodbye, Lloyd.”
“Goodbye, grandfather.”
Much to his surprise when Garmadon woke up, he felt good. He sat up, the first thing he noticed was that he was shorter. He looked at his hand. It wasn’t the black of the Oni, it once was. His skin was back to what it was always meant to be. Somehow, for some reason he became good again.
Oh, how he craved it.
No matter how hard Harumi had hoped that this wouldn’t have been the case, but Sensei Garmadon was always in the back of Emperor Garmadon’s head. Locked away, forced to watch everything that happened. It pained him seeing this evil version of himself, hurt his beloved son. Having to see how he killed his students and brother. No matter the short time he spent with the four ninja, they grew on him. Having to watch everything happening just hurt.
When Lloyd finally won. He was relived he was glad he couldn’t hurt anyone again. He was certain that this time he couldn’t return as Sensei, but that was okay. He could settle for this.
But fate had different plans. He returned, hopefully for good. Maybe this time, he could finally leave his evil past fully behind.
“Brother?”
Garmadon turned to his side. Wu was standing there; tears began to form in his eyes.
“Hello, Wu.”
Before the brothers could have their heartfelt reunion they heard Cole.
“Someone find Wu! Where’s Wu?”
The brothers turned. They saw the ninja.
Garmadon’s heart sank when he laid eyes on his son, he wasn’t moving. He just came back but at what cost? Would he lose his son the second he was able to return? Life was never fair for Garmadon.
They ran over to Lloyd; Wu began to check Lloyd’s pulls while Garmadon dropped to his son’s side. Hoping this wasn’t true. He ignored the ninja’s gasps of surprise to see him.
“You can do something, right? Right?”
“There’s nothing to be done.”
Garmadon’s heart broke. Lloyd was… dead? He can’t be. This was all just a horrible nightmare right? What would he do without his son? There’s no way he could ever enjoy this new opportunity if Lloyd was gone. He wanted to make up for lost time. Apologize for everything. For leaving him and for not being able to fight the evil when he got resurrected. He wasn’t even sure if Lloyd wanted him around, after everything. But even if Lloyd wanted him to leave, he would be happy with that, knowing his son was happy with his friends.
Please let him see his son’s smile one more time.
Garmadon, lost in his thoughts, noticed a golden flower pedal, blow over his son’s unmoving body. Where did that come from? That’s when he heard Lloyd gasp.
Lloyd began coughing. He was alive! His son lived!
Garmadon never felt such a relief in his live. All the worry washed away. He was filled with joy as his son gasps for air.
Lloyd opened his eyes. He saw his dad. He was smiling at him, he looked human again, safe for the red eyes the two of them shared, their pointy ears and sharp teeth too. He looked like the Sensei he once was.
“Dad?”
“Hello, Lloyd.”
“Am I… dreaming?”
“No, you’re not, son.”
Son. He called him son. He missed that.
Lloyd was exhausted but he used all the strength he had left in his body and forced himself to sit up a little. His dad began to look worried. Lloyd looked at the older man for a second, as if to see if that was true. Was his dad truly back. Lloyd decided that no matter, if this was a dream or not, he really wanted to hug his dad.
The blonde practically threw himself at the man. Luckily they were sitting or else they would have landed on the hard floor.
Garmadon immediately returned the hug. He was finally able to hold son again.
As the hugged Lloyd processed everything.
He was actually hugging his dad. His dad was good again. He was here. He came back. Lloyd’s eyes began to tear up. He grip on Garmadon’s shirt became stronger, afraid that this might not be real. It felt to real to be a dream, but the fear was still there. Lloyd may be one of the protectors of Ninjago but sometimes he was reminded of how young he actually is. He began crying like the child he truly was.
As Garmadon was holding his boy, he noticed that his shirt was getting wet, right where Lloyd buried his face into his chest. Shortly after he began to sob. This only made Garmadon hold onto the child more. Trying to reassure the blonde.
After what felt like ages Lloyd had finally calmed down a little. He pulled away a little and looked up at his father, eyes still wet and sniffing a little.
“You’re really here, right?”
“Yes, I am.”
“I missed you, dad.”
“I missed you too, son.”
“Where did the others go? I could have sworn they were here.”
“They were. I believe they went inside a bit ago.”
“We should join them. I’m sure they’re happy to see you too!”
“Sure.”
They stood up. For the first time Garmadon stood next to his son and noticed how short Lloyd was. One would have expected that he would have grown a little in the last few years, but no, Lloyd was still the same height as he had been when Garmadon had last seen him in the Cursed Realm. Lloyd didn’t change all that much. He grew out his hair a little and his voice finally dropped but he still looked the same in every other aspect.
Garmadon put a hand on Lloyd’s shoulder before they went inside.
“Lloyd. Before we go to the others, I- I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry? For what?”
“For leaving, for not being able to fight the evil, for everything.”
“Well, I accept your apology then. Just please, don’t leave again.”
“I promise.”
They hugged one more time before they headed inside.
This was the start something new. Something great, they hoped.