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Chapter Text

Garmadon's new machine fired a missile at the green ninja, but our hero dodged it. a medium-sized rocket hit the building, which a moment later began to collapse, but no one paid attention to it. After all, everyone evacuated...

-Hi Mom! I'm here. - said the blonde, entering the apartment. however, no one answered him. -Mom?!- Lloyd called, but he still didn't hear an answer. The 13-year-old went deeper into the apartment, but the redhead was nowhere to be found. suddenly there was a knock on the door...

today was September 22. the green-eyed boy left the "house" and headed towards school. a green backpack filled with school supplies, already a bit worn in some places, hung freely on his right shoulder, and a gray hoodie covered the boy's emaciated body and his blond hair. Lloyd himself walked, staring at the sidewalk, ignoring the glances of the residents filled with various negative emotions. today was his birthday. it had been a month since his mother died, and two weeks since the ninjas revealed their identities. it turned out that the mysterious heroes are: Kai and Nya Smith, Cole Blake, Jay Gordon, Zane Bennet and Gesu Yaroo, the great green ninja. the boy sighed. he was tired of it all. his uncle, Wu, decided that since the boy was forced to move in with his Father, it was too dangerous for Lloyd to continue his life as a ninja, so he replaced him with another boy. however, Lloyd doesn't care. not any more.

The lesson passed peacefully for the green-eyed boy. During breaks, he either sat outside the classroom or hid somewhere from his persecutors. and they were... his friends. ever since the ninja's identity was revealed, his friends started teasing him. I mean... Gesu is tormenting him and his "friends" were standing behind him without reacting. The bell rang to indicate that the lesson was over. Lloyd quickly packed up and left the building. suddenly something collapsed in the background. -Garmadon!- screams could be heard.-thanks Lloyd!- shouted everyone around, apart from our heroes who ran to the mech to defeat the evil Lord Garmadon.Lloyd just rolled his eyes and went in the opposite direction. battles, a.k.a. to the outskirts of the city on the border with the forest. boy liked this place. it was... peaceful there. After a dozen or so minutes, the boy reached his destination, and without thinking, he entered the forest, heading for a well-known clearing.

when the boy found himself in his beloved place, he saw an old woman kneeling by a stream flowing through the middle of the clearing. As soon as Lloyd took a step, the woman turned to face him. -Hello, boy. Will you mount? - suggested the woman. Lloyd did what she asked, and after a while he was sitting next to the stranger. -What's your name?- she asked after a while, staring at the water surface.-Lloyd. Lloyd Garmadon.- the green-eyed boy introduced himself.- Ah. are you Garmadon and Koko's child? - the woman asked. - um... yes, - Lloyd answered her, a little embarrassed by her calmness, and curious about how the stranger knew her parents. - I'm Mistake. It's very nice to meet you, young Garmadon. - The woman introduced herself, turning her head towards the interlocutor.

Lloyd looked around the huge two-story library in disbelief. wooden shelves filled with books were practically everywhere. against the wall, arranged parallel to each other with spaces practically everywhere, and some hidden in the wall near the stairs. -Come on.- Mistake said, heading to the back room, which was right behind the wooden desk where books were borrowed. Lloyd stared at this amazing sight for a moment longer, then followed the old lady.

the back room was also filled with books, but only along the walls. the room itself was about the size of his old apartment. -Do you want something to drink? - the woman asked. -Em... I'd like to. - The green-eyed man replied with a slight smile. no one had been so nice to him for a long time... Lloyd walked to the Japanese-style table in the middle and sat down at it, and after a while Mistake came with two cups and a kettle, most likely with tea. - Here. - she said, pouring it. infusion into a cup. -Thank you, ma'am. - Lloyd replied with a small smile. they both sat in silence for a while, which was broken by the hostess. -I heard about what happened to Koko. - she started. -I won't say that I'm not sad about it. Koko was a wonderful woman and had great talent and a good heart. - she said and sighed. - I don't know what you must be going through now, Young Garmadon, but I can guess. - Mistake paused to drink her infusion, then resumed her statement. - But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about, Green Warrior.

Lloyd looked at the old woman in disbelief. did she know Lloyd was the Green Ninja? or rather, he was a long time ago... - I'm very sorry, but I'm not a Ninja anymore. - the boy replied, and Mistake laughed slightly. - Just because you don't wear a mask doesn't mean you're not a warrior. you have a gift, you just have to develop it. - said the old woman. - and I want to help you develop it. After all, the real art is to see talent in what others cannot see. - she said, taking another sip of tea, and looked at the blonde's almost untouched infusion - will you drink this tea? - she finally asked.

the boy opened the door to his room and threw his backpack on the bed, then stood next to it, covered his eyes with his hand and sighed. this day was tiring. not physically, but mentally. suddenly he heard a knock on the door. - come in. - he muttered loudly enough for the person standing behind the door to hear, and after a moment, none other than Lord Garmadon was standing in the room. - where were you? - he asked bluntly. - I was going back around. After all, you and the ninja destroyed practically the entire city. - said the boy, not bothering his father with a glance. Garmadon stared at the boy for a while, then left without a word. these "quiet days" have been going on since my mother's death. actually... even when she was alive, they didn't talk to each other. the boy lifted his hand from his face and looked at his backpack, then with a sigh he got up from the bed and grabbed his backpack and headed to the desk. homework won't do itself...

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the next day Lloyd skipped class and went straight to the library. surprisingly, it was open. when Lloyd walked in, it took his breath away again. this place had not changed anything, and yet the sun streaming into the building through the glass roof had its effect. Lloyd looked towards the desk, where no one was there. the boy decided that Mrs. Mistake was busy, so he went to the first shelf and opened the first book. - in times when chakra did not exist, selected clans had artifacts. most of them were destroyed or hidden outside the consciousness of humanity. however, not all the artifacts were properly hidden... - he read, and then looked at the title of the story. - Cursed Clan - he read the name of the book. - a great story. tells the story of two members of the Namikaze Clan, Kira and Naruto. - said Mistake, standing behind the boy. Lloyd, surprised by the woman's sudden appearance, jumped up with a scream and turned to face the old woman. - Surprised? - the woman asked with amusement. - Hiding in the shadows is one of the traits of a ninja. they once guarded Ninjago and fought against real evil, which almost led to the destruction of this beautiful land more than once. - she said, and before Lloyd said anything, she added. - you won't hear about them in history, because all traces of them were carefully erased. .- then she turned to face the back room and looked at Lloyd again. - but it's impossible to disappear without leaving anything behind. come on. - and she headed in the direction she was looking at earlier, and Lloyd hesitantly followed the woman.

Mistake walked to one of the walls where there were no shelves. it was a small piece of wall the size of a door. the woman pressed a button hidden in the wall of the bookcase, and the wall lifted, revealing stairs leading down. - wow... - Lloyd whispered, looking over the older woman's shoulder. Mistake turned to Lloyd and said. - young Garmadon, know that if you follow me now, you will initiate a series of events that may be beyond your control and that may be dangerous. However, in return, you will gain knowledge and education that will help you face them if you do your best. however, you will have to renounce what you have been taught since childhood. Are you ready for this? - she asked. Lloyd looked at the old woman and their eyes met. Lloyd saw something familiar in the old woman's eyes. something he had seen before, but he couldn't remember what. Young Garmadon, someone has already called him that before... but who and when?! the boy broke eye contact and thought about his answer for a moment. -I don't think you can be ready for something like this, but it's worth a try. - he said after a while, and the old woman smiled. -Come, then. - she said, entering the darkness.

it didn't take long to get downstairs, and a moment later Lloyd was standing on the cold floor. it was dark, and the boy could barely see the tip of his nose. -Mrs. Mistake! Are you here?! - the boy called, neither seeing nor hearing the old woman. However, instead of an answer, the light turned on. Lloyd had to squint, but after a while, as he got used to the light again, he noticed Mistake. -Lloyd, it's time for you to learn to use your potential. you may no longer fight Garmadon, but that doesn't mean you're no longer a warrior. - Mistake began, walking through the corridor they were in. -It's time for you to learn what the Green Ninja heritage is. -She said, walking up and opening a large door made of red wood, with gold decorations, and Lloyd's eyes saw a huge hall. the entire room was filled with various exercise items. punching bags, shooting targets or strange circular obstacle courses. but there were various things behind glass in the walls. a strange lamp, a blue crystal, golden weapons, some scrolls and many other things. only one wall was not glassed. it was a wall with regular weapons on it. - It's time to start training, Young Garmadon - said Mistake, approaching the golden post depicting a dragon. she lifted his head and pressed the red button, activating the obstacle courses.

when Lloyd returned "home" he was all out of breath and bruised. he never thought training could be so painful. but... well, he was used to using mechs, he had never trained so fiercely. Fortunately, it was Friday, so the fourteen-year-old didn't have to worry about school. -What happened to you?-he heard a well-known voice behind him. and he was about to go into his room and take a shower! "Nothing." Lloyd said, grabbing the door handle to his room. if "nothing" means that you come home all beat up at such a late hour, then you're right. - said the elder Garmadon seriously. - I'll ask again. where were you and what happened to you? - the red-eyed man repeated the question, piercing his son with his eyes. - it's none of your business. - Lloyd said dryly, opening the door. - it IS my business, because I'm responsible for you. Just because Koko's gone doesn't mean you can roam wherever you want. - Garmadon said, starting to get irritated. - well, if it weren't for YOU, mom would be here. - Lloyd replied, raising his voice slightly and turning to face his "father". - don't speak to me in that tone! - Garmadon shouted, who started to get irritated by his son's behavior.-oh! because what?! - Lloyd shouted back at him.If it weren't for HIM, the fight that caused my mother's death would never have happened - I'm your father, and you have to show me respect! - shouted the older one, getting more and more angry - yes!? If you're my father, where the fuck were you when we needed you?! - Lloyd shouted, not even realizing that he had just cursed for the first time in his life. However, after a while he felt a blow so strong that his face turned to the side and his cheek began to burn terribly. Lloyd slowly placed his hand on the sore spot, then looked at his parent's face, which now showed pure fury. the boy opened his mouth to say something, but Garmadon interrupted him. -Go to your room, and don't show your shitty face to me until you think about your behavior! - he shouted, and Lloyd felt tears gathering in his eyes. -I hate it you... - he whispered, entering the room and quickly locking the door. he leaned back against the door and felt tears begin to stream down his cheeks. he slid to the floor and pulled his legs together, hiding his head between his knees. - Mom... where are you when I need you... - he whispered, and then began to sob quietly

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for the next three months, Lloyd completely ignored his father. his days looked like this: school in the morning and ignoring bullies, then the rest of the day he wandered around the city or helped in the library or read something, and finally in the evening, at 6:30 p.m., he started intense training under Mistake's supervision, which lasted until 10 p.m. Even though the training sessions were demanding, they helped Lloyd forget about his problems and have a good time. when Lloyd came home, he made himself a small dinner, or he skipped the meal and went straight to his room. The "quiet days" between him and his father didn't bother him at all. on the contrary, it helped the boy focus on more important matters, such as finding a job. Lloyd wanted to move away from his father as soon as possible, and preferably live somewhere on the other side of Ninjago. however, he was temporarily out of money, making it difficult for him to fulfill his goals. he was just going to the bus stop. it was winter, which meant there was snow everywhere. luckily Lloyd had a green winter jacket from last year. it was the same with shoes. - hey! lilia, get down! - he heard someone's squeaky voice. Lloyd stopped and looked to the side where the tree was. a little girl was standing under the tree. she had brown hair, a purple hat and a pink jacket, and typical brown winter boots.the girl was looking at the tree, shouting every now and then to the white cat that was sitting on the tree and apparently couldn't get down. Lloyd sighed, then walked up to the girl. -Hey, are you okay? -he asked indifferently. -No. Lilia is stuck in a tree and she doesn't want to get down! - the nervous girl shouted, then she looked at her interlocutor and became petrified - but it's nothing, you can go away, Mr.... - she muttered, looking down at her shoes. Lloyd looked at the girl for a moment, then sighed again, took off his backpack and handed it to the girl. - Hold it. -he said when she gave him a surprised look, but obediently took the backpack in her hands. Lloyd, however, jumped onto the nearest branch without any problems, and then jumped to the one higher up, where the cat was. the animal got scared and started hissing at the blond, who stretched out his hand to the white cat. -hey, hey, calm down... I won't hurt you - he whispered, approaching the cat, and then took the animal in his arms. Surprisingly, the cat didn't object, on the contrary, she started purring. the boy smiled slightly and then jumped down from the tree. - here. - he said, handing the cat to the girl. she immediately dropped his backpack and took the cat in her arms with a squeal. - thank you very much! - she shouted, hugging the animal to her. Lloyd picked up his backpack and brushed the snow off it before putting it on his shoulder. -Cool. but be careful with her. the streets are very dangerous. - said the blond, and then headed to the bus stop.

When the boy got off the bus, all eyes immediately turned to him. however, the boy simply ignored it and headed to his locker. Once he took out the appropriate books and put away his jacket, he went to the classroom. the only thing that surprised him was that no one had picked on him yet. neither those idiotic basketball players and cheerleaders nor "great heroes". however, the boy was not interested in what was happening to them. especially since the bell rang, announcing the start of classes.

After school, Lloyd went for a walk. maybe he will be able to find a job this time? the boy approached the notice board and saw one advertisement that interested him: "we are looking for an employee as a railway technologist! desk work, and nice employees! welcome!" the boy looked at the small pieces of paper with the phone number and address, then tore one off and went to the library.

-Good morning.-He said, seeing Mistake. the woman looked at the boy and gave him a warm smile. -Good morning, Lloyd. - she replied and returned to her work, and Lloyd went to the floor and looked at the note. he thought for a moment, then took out his phone and dialed the number written on the note. After a while, someone picked up the phone. "Hello? Oh! I think you have a job! Great, please come to the address I wrote down whenever you have time! Goodbye!" then the call ended. For a moment, Lloyd didn't know what had happened, but it looked like the woman on the other end of the phone had just invited him to a job interview. the boy got up and went downstairs. -Goodbye, Mrs. Mistake.- said the boy and left.

when the boy arrived at the given address, he couldn't believe his eyes. Lloyd was now standing in front of a large mansion. the boy hesitated for a moment, but after a while he called. ~Hello?~ a voice said on the phone. the same one the boy was talking to. - um... I'm here about the announcement. - said the boy uncertainly. ~ah! ok, I'm opening the gate now. please come in.~ said a voice, then the gate on the left opened, and Lloyd hesitantly stepped inside and headed to the front door. the boy wanted to knock, but before he made any move, the door opened and a woman stood in the doorway. she was about twenty-something years old and had brown hair. she was wearing a white shirt with a navy blue tie and denim pants. however, as soon as she saw Lloyd, her smile disappeared. -oh... um... - she started, probably not knowing what to say. Fortunately, she was interrupted by a scream - Lilia! come back here! - and after a while a white cat ran between the woman's legs and jumped on Lloyd, climbing on his neck, digging her claws into the boy's skin. - ouch! ow! ow! - the boy hissed with every movement of the cat, and after a while the girl whom Lloyd had met in the morning stood behind her mother. - Mom! Lilia is running away again!-she screamed, and only then she realized Lloyd's presence.-oh! it's you! - the girl shouted with a smile.

-I see. Thank you very much for helping my daughter. - said Mrs. Emili, taking a sip of tea. Lloyd was just sitting in an elegantly decorated living room, and, drinking tea, he was explaining to the mother of ten-year-old Ali how the girl knew him. Ala herself was sitting next to Lloyd, and petting Lilia, who was curled up in a ball and sleeping on the blonde's lap. -And as for this job... - she started and looked at Lloyd's ID card. -you're only fourteen. Even if I wanted to, I can't hire you. you are underage and you are not allowed to work. - said the woman with a quiet sigh. - can't an exception be made? - Lloyd asked pleadingly, and Mrs. Emili looked at the boy. - if I may ask, why do you need to work? - she asked after a while. silence. the blond looked at his tea, and after a moment of silence he replied: - I want to get away from my father. move so far away that I wouldn't even hear about him. - confessed the boy, and then there was silence.

Lloyd sighed. -Thank you for your hospitality, Mrs. Emili, but I have to get going. - said the boy, putting the almost empty cup of tea on the table and taking the cat off his legs. as soon as Ala realized that the blonde was already coming, she quickly stood up and grabbed the boy's arm - Mr. Lloyd, can you play with me?! - she asked begging, and Lloyd smiled slightly at this proposition. - forgive me, little one, but another time. - he said, ruffling the girl's hair, then stood up and headed to the exit. - goodbye. - he said before leaving, then left the residence and headed to the library

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the boy entered the library, and as always, he took a moment to look at the wonderful view he encountered every time he entered this place.-oh! Hello, Young Garmadon. where were you? -Mistake asked with a smile. -eh... I was trying to get some job. Unfortunately, to no avail. - said the boy, and approached the desk. - Do you need help with something? - he asked, looking at a small pile of papers. - If possible, could you look through these papers? and in the meantime I will take care of the books. - said the woman, handing the papers to the boy. - as ordered - said the boy, saluting, and went to the back.

the boy was walking through the city. it was already night, but Lloyd wasn't afraid that something would happen to him. after all, he was a spinjitsu master. maybe he couldn't use his power yet, but that doesn't mean he couldn't make a tornado. the boy could see the few lights turned on in some houses, and the shadows of the people living there. happy families, or loners enjoying freedom, most likely with some stable job, or some workaholics who were just returning home or had to spend the night working again. Lloyd just rolled his eyes, then had an idea. the boy was supposed to go home, but he decided he would check something first. the green-eyed boy turned into the first alley he found, then easily climbed onto the roof and headed towards the Ninja base. as he expected, the light was on in the base. Lloyd jumped onto the roof of the building and looked through a larger hole to see what his old friends were doing. Lloyd noticed that they were talking about something. or rather they argue. the boy sighed. and these are the defenders of their city? legendary heroes? Lloyd decided he wasn't going to stay here anymore. he still has to revise the material for tomorrow's test, so he jumped off the roof and headed towards his temporary place of residence. because Lloyd wouldn't call this place home, and never will

Kai was fed up with this. this whole new ninja thing was seriously annoying him, and he was currently arguing with the other ninjas about an issue that needed attention. more specifically, Lloyd's case. -I don't care that you're a green ninja! Lloyd doesn't deserve to be treated like this! - he shouted outraged. why don't others see this?! maybe he understands this idiot Gesu, but the others should understand what Kai means! and yet everyone sided with this idiot! - he's Garmadon's son! what's more, he lives with him under the same roof! we can't trust him. -Cole said seriously. as always. still the same song.-exactly! Lloyd is his son, not Garmadon himself! The Master is Garmadon's brother, and somehow you trust him! - Kai exclaimed. why are they so blind?! - that's different Kai! - Nya shouted - yes?! and I think it's exactly the same thing! - exclaimed Kai, and then left the base. he was fed up with them! suddenly Kai noticed a retreating silhouette. however, before he could say anything, the figure disappeared.

the next day at school, during the first break, a girl started talking to Lloyd. -um... hey.- she approached, drawing the boy's attention. Lloyd glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. she had black hair with dark green tips and gray eyes. the girl definitely wasn't from here. -hm? - he muttered indifferently, taking out the necessary things for the next lesson from the locker. -my name is Miko. and I'm new here, and I wanted to ask if you could show me where the secretariat is? - she asked, looking at her shoes. Lloyd closed the locker and headed down the hall, but seeing that the girl wasn't responding, he called after her - are you coming? the break doesn't last forever. - as soon as the green-haired woman heard this, she ran to Lloyd with a smile.

-here it is.-said Lloyd, standing in front of the door to the office.-thank you very much.-said Miko and smiled at Lloyd-you're welcome.-the blonde said, and went to the room where the lesson would be held.

When Lloyd reached the appropriate classroom, the bell rang, signaling the start of class. when he was about to enter the hall, someone pushed him back - a passage for heroes - he heard Gesu's voice. Lloyd just rolled his eyes and got up from the floor, walking into the room and taking a seat at the very back by the window. The teacher entered the class, followed by someone else. - Good morning, dear ones, I wanted to tell you that for some time there will be an exchange student in your class. please introduce yourself. - said the man. - nice to meet you. - the girl started. - my name is Miko Dragon. and I will study with you in the near future. - she added. - okay Miko, sit down in a free seat. - said the man, and then he started writing down the topic of the lesson on the board. Miyo instead sat down next to Lloyd. the boy looked at her out of the corner of his eye, then focused on the lesson. this girl is suspicious

as Lloyd was leaving school, Miko ran up to him again.-h hey. You're Lloyd Garmadon, right? - she asked, standing next to the blonde. - Yeah. - the boy grumbled, resuming his walk. - Could you show me around the city? - the girl asked. - Sorry, I'm busy. - Lloyd replied, trying to dismiss the girl. however, she clung to the green-eyed boy as if out of spite. - Please. - she insisted, catching up with Lloyd. - why do you care so much, huh? go hang on to someone else. - said the boy, quickening his pace. - but the others are not m - the girl started, but quickly covered her mouth with her hands. Lloyd stopped and looked at Miko - aren't the others who? - he asked.

It was 6 p.m. and Lloyd was about to start his training. it was already cold, so the boy blew on his frozen hands and then put them in his jacket pocket. it was the last day of the month, and therefore Lloyd had training not in the library but in the forest. always on the last day of the month, somewhere in the forest there appears a passage from which dangerous creatures come out. Lloyd's task is to lure them to the cliffs, where Mistake opens a passage to send the creatures away. the boy closed his eyes, and when everything went black, the boy focused on feeling the energy of the portal. he saw the forest and all the creatures that inhabited it. some were already going to sleep, and the others were waking up and getting ready to hunt. finally the boy found the beginning of a passage. Lloyd opened his eyes and ran in that direction. Lloyd has to be there before the passage opens.

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when the passage opened, Lloyd was already there. after a while, about fifteen human-like creatures, black as night, emerged from the purple circle. as soon as they saw the blonde, they attacked him. This was what Lloyd had been waiting for. he neatly passed the creatures and started running towards the cliff. the creatures, of course, followed him.

when it's dark, the forest can seem scary and mysterious, but that's when Lloyd was at his best. his instincts sharpened and his intuition never failed. the night gave the boy strength. the boy nimbly jumped over a fallen tree and then slipped through an opening in a huge rock wall. he quickly turned left, looking back to make sure the creatures were following him. they ran, trying to reach the boy with their paws. Lloyd, seeing this, jumped up and jumped onto a tree branch to change his movement, and after a while he was jumping from branch to branch, avoiding the creatures' paws. -Easy,- he muttered and accelerated.

as the trees began to thin out, Lloyd spotted a purple passage artificially created by Mistake. the boy smiled, jumping down to the ground and running towards the passage. a few centimeters before the portal, the boy jumped up, avoiding the entrance to another land. Unfortunately, the speeding beings were not so lucky, and after a while they all returned to their world and the passage closed - bravo. You're getting faster and faster, Young Garmadon. - Mistake said, appearing out of nowhere. - Well, if it weren't for your training, I wouldn't have done anything. - Lloyd said, turning to the woman. It took a while for him to get used to some of the old woman's actions, but now they didn't bother him. -It's already evening, but how about some tea?- she suggested, and Lloyd smiled. while training with Mistake, he sentenced himself to drinking tea constantly. however, it didn't bother him. It even happened several times that the boy went with the old woman to the forest on an expedition dedicated to herbs. - With great pleasure - he replied.

the blonde sat down in a familiar place at the table in the library. -I would like to ask you something.-Lloyd started, taking a sip of the brew that Mistake had just brought.-What is it?-the woman asked, sitting down opposite Lloyd.-What does it mean to be a master? spinjitsu? and are there any other masters? - the blonde asked, and Mistake looked at him. the woman was silent for a moment, then sighed. -Lloyd. Unfortunately, you have to find the answer to the first question yourself. however, I can answer the second one for you. Yes. there are other spinjitsu masters. for example, there are elemental masters trained by your uncle. there are masters of wind, water, fire, earth, lightning, ice, amber, speed, metal and many others. you yourself are a spinjitsu master, as you know. but why did you ask me such a question? - replied Mistake, taking a sip of tea and looking at Lloyd. - I... um... I don't know. - said the boy. then they were both silent for a while, but the silence was broken by Mistake. - Boy, tell me, would you like to visit a certain place with me this weekend? - the woman asked. - hm? what place? - Lloyd raised his head and looked at the old woman. - one that you will definitely like. - she said.

the next day Lloyd skipped school. he didn't want to deal with these morons. besides, his head hurt terribly.
most of the day was like this, the boy kept falling asleep and waking up, he was shivering and he was alternately cold and hot. Even an idiot would know that the boy had a cold. it's best to stay in bed. so Lloyd texted Mrs. Mistake that he would be gone for a few days.

Miko was worried that Lloyd wasn't at school today. She really wanted to be friends with the boy, but he rejected her out of spite. The black-haired girl realized during their first meeting that this boy was one big mystery, but she was not going to give up solving it. it was also obvious that the blonde was a Spinjitsu Master, but she didn't think the boy knew about it. she also needs to meet the current Green Ninja. unfortunately, she has no idea where he is. because this guy who claims to be him is definitely not him. so with new determination Miko left the school. and at that moment screams could be heard. Garmadon attacked. Miko just rolled her eyes. idiocy. Don't they have something better to do?

As soon as the news showed that Garmadon had attacked, Lloyd, wrapped in a blanket, went to the kitchen to make himself some tea and something to eat. the boy also noticed that there was a photo on the shelf. this floor was intended only for Garmadon, and ever since Lloyd was forced to move in, he had been living here. he didn't care what was in that idiotic volcano. it was enough for him to know the route out and back. nothing more. the boy walked up to the photo, looking at it. Garmadon and his mother were on it. Lloyd smiled at the sight of his beloved parent. he missed her every day. and one day he will join her, but now he can't. he can't leave Mrs. Mistake. the woman was like a grandmother to him, and he couldn't leave her like that. Lloyd saw another small child in the photo. the boy easily guessed it was him. everyone was so happy in this photo... it looked so real... but it's not. at first Lloyd was overcome with sadness. somewhere in his heart he would like to have such a loving family. however, this is not possible. In a fit of anger, the boy threw the photo onto the floor with his hand. but he cared little about it. Lloyd finished his sandwiches and made himself some mint tea, then went to his room.

when Garmadon entered the floor where he lived, he was greeted by silence, as always. his son was probably wandering around again. it's kind of funny that even his drones couldn't find him. as if he were invisible. Garmadon sighed and headed to the kitchen to make himself some tea. it was already quite late, but he had to settle matters with his subordinates. these morons are so annoying. almost as much as this green ninja knockoff. because come on! I guess only the ninjas themselves and his stupid brother Wu haven't realized yet that it's clear that this kid is not a real green ninja. Garmadon entered the kitchen and turned on the light, then put water for tea. after all, good mint tea could soothe the nerves. out of habit, the man looked at the shelf where there was a photo of his family. how surprised he was when he didn't see the photo in its place. the man walked to the cabinet and looked around. the photo was lying on the floor. the man bent down and picked them up, then turned them around so that the figures in the photo could be seen. Garmadon felt a strange pang in his heart when he saw that the glass was all cracked. one crack line separated him from the rest of his family, and others completely obscured his wife's face. With a quiet sigh, Garmadon put the photo back in its place and went to pour his tea. another time he will fix them.

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after three days Lloyd was feeling quite well, so now he was rotting in the school desk. not that it's anything, but during these three days, the boy forgot what idiots he had to deal with, and now he feels like he's about to explode. of course, only inside. outwardly, he still looks indifferent, pretending to be concentrating on the lesson. he had already learned this topic from books in the library a time ago.

when the bell rang, Lloyd went to the locker to get the things needed for the next lesson, i.e. art. - hey - he heard someone's voice. Lloyd looked to the side where she was standing... how was she? Miyo? Mike? I guess so. -Hi.-he replied to her, closing the cabinet and turning to the girl. Lloyd still didn't trust her. something about her didn't suit him. - I wanted to ask if I could be in a pair with you in art class? - the girl stammered. - In what pair? - Lloyd asked, not fully understanding what was going on. um... well, because while you were gone, the teacher announced that we would work in pairs today - the black-haired girl explained, looking down. - okay then. - said the blond, and Miko looked at him with surprise on her face. and in gray irises. - What? - she asked, not fully understanding what happened. - I'm saying that we can be together. Nobody else would want to be with me anyway. - Lloyd said indifferently, passing the girl and heading towards the classroom. After a while, Miko was walking next to him. - That's great! - said the excited girl, and Lloyd felt a strange warmth in his heart. no one had ever been so happy to be paired with him. however, there was also suspicion. -Why do you care so much about it, huh?-Lloyd suddenly asked, and Miko looked at him with a smile.-Because I would like to be your friend.-The girl replied, and Lloyd was shocked.-What? why? - he asked, shaking off the shock. - because you are different from others. You made me curious from the very beginning - Miko said - yea? Are you sure you want to be friends with me? - Lloyd asked, looking sideways at Miko. - Yes. and I'll warn you, I know what they say about you and who your father is, but I don't care much about it - she said calmly, looking at the blonde, then laughed. - what are you laughing about? - Lloyd asked, looking at Miko. - at your face. - said the girl, calming down.

Lloyd's art lesson was very enjoyable. in pairs they had to create a picture. he and Miko decided to paint an ordinary forest. Lloyd painted the background, and Miko came up with the idea of ​​using ferns to make trees, and used blue paint to create something that looked like clouds or fog. Lloyd finally came up with the idea to paint a small figure using black paint, and surprisingly the painting even looked nice. he and Miko received an A for their work and even praise from the teacher for their creativity in using ferns. this was probably the first time the teacher had graded the work rather than the performer, and Lloyd was grateful to the black-haired girl for that.

During the remaining lessons and during breaks, Lloyd spent time with Miko, and when the bell rang to signal the end of the lesson, they left the school building. -Hey, why don't we go somewhere? -Miko suggested. -Sure, why not. -Lloyd replied, and At that moment, Garmadon attacked the city. - Well, maybe to the forest? - suggested the boy. - I think it's a great idea. - Miko said.

the walk with the grey-eyed girl was pleasant. Lloyd found some common topics with her that they talked about. they also told each other funny stories from the past, and from time to time they walked in silence, listening to the forest. that's how they were walking now.-I love the forest.-Miko said after a while.-Me too.-said Lloyd, staring at the greenery in front of him.-When I was little, I often went to the forest with my brother.-Miko said suddenly, and Lloyd he looked at his friend.-Do you have a brother?-he asked.-Yes. his name is Morro, and he is a year older than me. - replied Miko. - I envy you. I would also like to have siblings.-said Lloyd, looking straight ahead again.-well... my brother and I are not that close now.-said the gray-eyed girl, looking at the ground. Lloyd looked at her out of the corner of his eye, waiting for the girl's next move. -That's why I want to find the Green Ninja. - She said, and Lloyd stopped in shock. - What? - He asked, not sure of what he heard. - That's what you heard. - replied the girl, stopping a few steps in front of Lloyd and turning to him. - So... why don't you talk to Gesu? - the blonde asked stupidly. During these few hours, Miko Dragon has gained his sympathy, but every now and then she surprises him with something. - come on. You don't believe that this is the real Green Ninja, do you? - the girl asked ironically. Lloyd stared at the gray-eyed woman for a moment, then sighed. -NO. and I'm glad I'm not the only one with this forbidden knowledge. Lloyd joked, resuming his coldness. during these few hours his vigilance was loweredhe needs to be more careful. Miko smiled and fell in step with the green-eyed man. -And why are you looking for the Green Ninja, anyway?-Lloyd asked.-well... I wanted to ask him something.-the grey-eyed girl replied.-and why him?-Lloyd asked. , and Miko smiled. Lloyd knew that smile. he says "you better not keep pushing, kid, or you'll hurt yourself" - well... you're just an ordinary teenager, so you may not know, but as a good friend, I can tell you this secret. - said the black-haired girl, overtaking Lloyd, and now walking a few steps in front of him, facing the boy. - However, you must swear that you will keep this secret until your grave. - said the girl, and Lloyd smiled slightly, then put his hand on his heart, saying - I swear that I will not tell anyone your secret. - on Miko stopped at these words and Lloyd did exactly the same. - my family has a gift. my brother is a Spinjitsu Master, and he controls the wind. I wanted to ask the Green Ninja something related to this. - said the black-haired woman, and Lloyd was once again stunned. Miko is most likely a Spinjitsu Master! that's what he didn't like about her. the girl was not a normal teenager because she is not from a normal family! but with that, another question arose. -Why do you want to meet the Green Ninja? - Lloyd asked, shaking off the first wave of shock and mentally preparing for an even bigger one. -well... The Green Ninja is a direct descendant of the First Master Spinjitsu, the creators of our world. the first Green Ninja was his grandson, and together with five other ninja, he saved the world from the forces of darkness more than once. they even repelled the Legion of Doom's attack. he is my idol. and I'm sure he knows the answer to my question. - Miko said, then turned around and walked forward. Lloyd stood in shock for a moment, but after a while he recovered and caught up with his friend. then he would ask Mrs. Mistake about it.

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That evening after training, Lloyd asked Mrs. Mistake about the origins of the Green Ninja, and she said exactly what Miko had said - but know, Young Garmadon, that who we are depends on us. what matters is not our roots, but what is above the ground. - added the old woman, when the boy was heading to the exit from the library. - I understand. I guess... anyway, thanks for the info, and I'll see you tomorrow.-he said.-Goodbye Lloyd.-said the old woman, before Lloyd found himself on the street, reluctantly heading home. however, his thoughts still revolved around the black-haired girl. Lloyd didn't expect that he would ever meet anyone from the Spinjitsu Masters' family. let alone find a friend in such a person! - It's a small world after all - he said to himself with a laugh. however, he still wondered about Miko's question. what was it about? is it so important that Miko needs advice from the Green Ninja himself?

Walking past a karaoke club, Lloyd heard familiar voices. the boy went to the window and saw his old friends having a great time with Gesu. everyone except Kai. however, the blonde didn't care much. he had other things on his mind than a bunch of people who didn't care about him anymore. the boy left the window and headed towards the place where he slept. however, after a while he changed his mind, and with a small smile he headed towards the ninja base. he had an idea.

when the boy arrived in front of the old warehouse, he bluntly walked in and headed to where the ninjas had their spare outfits. if he remembers correctly, hidden somewhere behind them were the fabrics from which their outfits are made. the boy wasn't wrong. behind the six cabinets was a room filled with different colored fabrics. the boy entered the small room, looking around for some fabric that would catch his eye. at one point he noticed a roll with the perfect color. - got you. -he said to himself, approaching the fabric.

the next day Lloyd went straight to the library after school.-oh! You came early Lloyd.-said Mistake.-mhm.-muttered the boy, heading straight to the sewing section. the boy has never sewn before, but as they say, there's always a first time. -what are you looking for? - asked the old woman. - I want to help my friend. - replied the boy, searching through the books. - and do you need a sewing machine for that? - the old woman asked ironically. -Stop, boy. sit down and tell me what you want to do. -Mistake said, placing her hand on the blonde's shoulder.

-hmm... I see.-said the old woman when the boy finished his speech. of course, Lloyd remembered his promise. said Mistake only that his friend Miko was looking for the Green Ninja and that it was very important to her, and about his idea. -I can help you. either way, you'll want an outfit tailored to your powers. -said the woman. -Tomorrow you will get your ostrich. Either way, you'll need it while traveling. unless you forgot about our little trip? - asked the old woman. - hm? - muttered Lloyd, looking at Mistake. - aa! oh this one! Yes Yes. I remember. - said the blonde after a while, remembering the invitation to a small trip a few days ago. Mistake just laughed. - there will be no training today. rest and regenerate. and tomorrow we leave at sunrise. I will wait for you at the port. -said the old woman. -Okay. - replied the boy, standing up. - But I would like to use the training field anyway. Can I? - asked the boy. - Of course you can. You don't have to ask about such things. -

theoretically speaking, Lloyd should be on his way home now, but the boy decided that he would visit the cliffs to which he attracts creatures from another world every month at night. despite everything, there was a great view of the city from here. his father just decided to destroy Ninjago again. cool. At least the boy could watch the fight safely. the green-eyed boy smiled slightly at the memories of fighting together with his friends. despite everything, somewhere deep in his heart he missed the old days. the blonde sighed and then stood up. once he reaches the city it should all be over.

when Lloyd entered the city, it turned out that the fighting was still going on. their stubbornness is idiotic. the boy just put on his hood and headed towards the volcano. there was chaos all around. the ninja and his father were fighting, being so focused that they couldn't see the world around them, people were screaming and running away from the battlefield and hiding from his father's men, and Lloyd, ignoring the whole world, walked past the crowd of people as if nothing had happened. suddenly something hit the blonde's legs. Lloyd stopped and spotted Lilia. a white cat he met a few days ago. her fur was ruffled, and she was meowing at Lloyd as if she wanted to tell him something. the boy crouched down and stroked the cat soothingly. - hey, little one. What is it about? - he asked as if the cat was going to answer him. only after a while Lloyd realized that little Ala was usually with Lilia. -Where is Ala? -the boy asked, and the cat started running somewhere. Without a second thought, Lloyd got up and ran after the cat. Lilia ran into a building that turned out to be an elementary school. it was very close to where the ninja and Garmadon were fighting, and it could collapse at any moment. - Ala! - the boy shouted, running after the cat. the boy ran to class 013. There he saw a little girl whose leg was stuck under the rubble. the girl was crying and trying hard to get her leg out.unfortunately, it did not bring any benefit. Without a moment's hesitation, the boy ran to the girl, who already had a cat, and started throwing parts of the ceiling off the girl's leg. - Mr. Lloyd? - Ala asked, not believing that someone had come to help her. - You have a smart cat. - He only answered her, trying to lift the largest stone. unfortunately to no avail. Lloyd looked at the terrified girl. the building may collapse at any time. the boy approached the brown-haired girl and grabbed her arm, drawing her attention. - Listen, I'm going to try to lift this stone. As soon as you feel like you can extend your leg, do it immediately. okay? - Lloyd said, looking at Ala. she just nodded her head to show that she understood. Instead, Lloyd walked over to the boulder again and grabbed it so that it could be lifted, then tried again, lifting the rock slightly. however, after just a few seconds the stone fell. Fortunately, these few seconds were enough for Ala to stretch her leg. Lloyd immediately picked up the girl, as well as the cat, and started running towards the exit. however, as soon as he reached the door, it was blocked by debris. Lloyd cursed under his breath, then turned to Ali. - Do you know where there is another exit? - he asked. - Yes. there is an exit on the other side of the school. - she said, and Lloyd immediately started running in the opposite direction, avoiding obstacles in the form of rubble, and after a while the boy saw the exit. however, he also saw a piece of the ceiling that was about to collapse. Lloyd sped up and in a moment he was standing in the doorway, putting little Ala down. However, when he was about to leave, the ceiling collapsed and the boy jumped back, leaving him in the collapsing building.

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-Lloyd!-he heard Ali scream.-get out of here!-Lloyd shouted.-no!-Ala shouted back.-listen Ala!-Lloyd started.-your mom is worried about you! you have to go back to her! - the boy shouted. - what about you! - Ala shouted again. - I can handle it! run away! Now! - Lloyd shouted, then jumped back, avoiding more parts of the falling ceiling. the boy looked around the building. most of the rooms are in ruins, so you won't be able to get back to them. the exits are blocked, so you can't go out either from the front, back or side. he won't go down either, so that left... Lloyd looked up. the school had several floors. there is a chance that he will somehow manage to get out of them. Without hesitation, the boy jumped to the next floor and started looking around. he ran to the first door he saw and opened it. rubble collapsed the entrance. the boy ran to another unlocked door. big hole in the floor. the boy looked up again. two floors and a hole in the roof! this was his chance! Lloyd walked carefully into the classroom and jumped to the next floor. Unfortunately, the "floor" collapsed under the boy's feet and he began to fall. Fortunately, Lloyd managed to grab onto the remains of whatever he was standing on and climbed up. with that Lloyd turned around again and jumped to the next floor. one more jump! the boy jumped out and stretched out his arms, trying to reach the roof. a few more centimeters and... it worked! the blonde pulled himself onto the roof, then quickly ran to what he thought was the back of the school. as the boy assumed, there was a ladder there. Lloyd went downstairs with her help. Fortunately, Ali was nowhere to be found, which only meant that she had escaped. Lloyd himself made his way to the exit between the two buildings. He was about to leave when suddenly he heard a whistle. the green dragon crashed into the school, completely destroying it, and Lloyd was crushed by its rubble. the boy didn't even have time to scream.

darkness. that's all he saw. is this the end of him? Will he join his mother? well, that's about it. a slight smile appeared on the boy's face. he will finally have peace. Mrs. Mistake will probably be furious with him... Miko won't be able to get an answer to her question... at least Ali is safe. Lilia must have taken her straight to her mother...

...it's not your time yet...

Lloyd!

get up! you have a job to do...

Lloyd!

Lloyd...!

Lloyd!

-Lloyd! Lloyd! - he heard muffled screams. the boy recognized that voice. -Lilia says he's here!- he heard another voice. this one also made the connection. after a while something began to sting his eyes. Lloyd opened his eyes, then blinked a few times. the boy saw a light and two silhouettes. when his vision cleared, he saw Miko and a crying Ala. -Lloyd! are you alive?! - the girl shouted, trying to dig the green-eyed man out of the rubble. - yeah... I guess. - he replied to her, trying to get out himself. after a few minutes the boy was completely screwed up. his left arm and ankle in his right leg hurt, and his head and chest hurt a little. Miko threw her arms around the blonde's neck, knocking him down and locking him in a tight hug, joined by Ala. - you idiot! Do you know how scared I was?! - the black-haired girl shouted, hugging her friend tighter. - If it weren't for Ala and Lilia, you would probably be dead! - she screamed, moving away from the shocked boy and hitting him on the head. - Ouch! - Lloyd shouted when his head started hurting him more and he grabbed the place where the gray-eyed girl hit. - It hurt! - he shouted at Miko, who only replied - it was supposed to hurt! idiot, do you know how you scared us!? - she shouted, but after a while she hugged the blonde again. - exactly! I was afraid for you! - Ala screamed, hugging Lloyd. after thinking for a moment, the boy simply replied. -Sorry. I'll try not to let it happen again. -

Lloyd entered his room and breathed a sigh of relief, immediately laying down on his bed, which only caused him more pain. After the girls calmed down, Miko went to take Ala to her mother, and the boy went to his home, reassuring the girls that he was fine. however, his right ankle hurt terribly. Additionally, his left hand practically refused to work and the boy felt dizzy all the time. his chest also hurt terribly, but he could breathe normally, which meant that no organ was punctured. I guess... Lloyd pushed himself into a sitting position with a sigh, then got out of bed. even he knew he needed medical help, which he didn't have. Lloyd wasn't sure he would make it to Mistake, and even though Uncle Wu and his dad were quite close, he had no intention of talking to them. he won't go to ninja either, so there's one more option left. talk to his father's people. Even though Lloyd didn't want to talk to them, he had to do something or he would be in trouble. so the blonde moved with difficulty to the floor below, where he immediately saw some of his dad's employees. it was an elderly woman. she was wearing some kind of white coat, so Lloyd immediately guessed that she was one of his father's scientists. - um... sorry! Mrs! -he shouted, attracting the woman's attention, who immediately approached Lloyd. -Is something wrong? -she asked with a nice smile.- um... I... I'm looking for a first aid kit. - Lloyd finally stammered. - first aid kit? why? - she asked, looking at the blonde. - I need it. - the boy replied. the woman stared at Lloyd for a moment longer, then smiled and said ---come on. I'll take you. - Then she passed Lloyd and went in a direction known only to her, and the blonde followed the old woman with difficulty. after about a minute they entered a room that looked like a medical point. -will you tell me what happened? I can help you if necessary. I'm a scientist, but I also know medicine. - said the old woman, taking out a first aid kit. Lloyd was silent for a moment, weighing the pros and cons. he finally came to the conclusion that he himself had no knowledge of medicine and could only harm himself. -During my father's attack on the city, I ran to help the girl get out of the collapsing building, and while running away I was overwhelmed by the threat. -he finally said, and the woman froze. after a while, however, she ordered the green-eyed boy to sit down and show her where he was hurt.

Mrs. Sara took care of Lloyd's wounds, and at the same time gave him a sermon about how irresponsible he had behaved by not telling his friend anything, and then told him to go to his room and rest for at least a week. it turned out that he had a sprained ankle and his hand was dislocated. Additionally, he had a slightly bruised head and a slightly bruised chest. Mrs. Sara immediately bandaged his leg and stopped the bleeding in his head (although he didn't even realize he was bleeding), and by some miracle she managed to put the bone in its place. the woman turned out to be very nice. Lloyd liked her immediately. Mrs. Sara also gave him painkillers and told him that if something happened, he should let her know immediately. Lloyd himself was currently scrolling through his messages when he received a call from an unknown number. the boy answered the phone and then said uncertainly - Hello? - silence. He was about to hang up when he heard someone's voice - Lloyd? Hello? Can you hear me? - he recognized this voice as Miko. - Miko? Is that you? - he asked to be sure - no. alien-she replied-I wanted to make sure you were okay-she said and Lloyd smiled. it was nice to hear that someone was worried about him. But wait a minute... - Where did you get my number? - the boy asked. after all, he didn't give it to Miko. - That's my sweet secret. - Miko said with satisfaction, and Lloyd just sighed, which made the black-haired laugh.

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the next day Lloyd got up very early. even though Mrs. Sara told the boy to stay in bed, Lloyd was going to go for a walk with Mrs. Mistake today, and he couldn't miss it. that's why at five in the morning the boy was sitting in the meadow where he first met Mrs. Mistake. Not five minutes had passed and the woman found herself in the clearing. -I see that you got up early today, Young Garmadon. - she said as a greeting. - It somehow happened that way - the boy replied, getting up and approaching the old woman. - so... where are we going? - asked the boy, when he was already next to the woman. - First, I want you to try on your outfit. - said Mistake, and then she literally took out a net out of nothingness, which most likely contained the outfit.

Lloyd had to admit that Mistake had a talent for sewing. the outfit fit Lloyd perfectly. it was gray, with green elements and something in the form of gold shoulder protectors. he had a black dragon drawn on his back, its tail starting perfectly in the middle and forming a vortex. the dragon's head was placed exactly where the blonde's heart is. Lloyd liked it immediately. -It's wonderful, Mrs. Mistake. -said the boy, approaching the woman. -I'm glad you like it. -the old woman replied. -And now let's go. -She added, and then started walking forward.

for the first time, Lloyd and Mistake stopped at a huge gorge. Lloyd recognized it immediately. He ran through this place more than once, herding monsters to the cliff. just use a little more strength and you can safely jump on the stone pillars placed here. Lloyd was about to take a running start when Mistake interrupted him. - Your task is to get to the other side, using only spinjitsu. - she said. - what? - Lloyd asked, not sure of what he heard. - what I said. - the old woman replied, then passed the shocked teenager and started to get to the other side of the ravine. - I'll be waiting! - she just shouted, leaving Lloyd alone. Instead, Lloyd took a running start and started running towards the edge. once he was on the brink, he kicked out and created a spinjitsu vortex. he jumped easily onto the first stone base, and landed perfectly - ouch! - he hissed in pain as the wounds from yesterday's action took their toll. the boy lost his balance and fell forward. In order not to fall, Lloyd immediately jumped off and created a vortex again, with the help of which he miraculously landed on a column a few centimeters away. - This is harder than I thought. - he said to himself, and then prepared for the next jump.

-forty-four minutes, sixteen seconds. -The old woman said as Lloyd crawled to the other end of the gorge. normally it took him no more than five minutes to walk through this place... -let's move on. -she said, turning her back to the boy, and then, without waiting for the green-eyed boy, she moved forward. Lloyd just groaned in agony before getting up and running at Mistake, trying to ignore the pain in his leg.

They made a second stop at a large rock ledge. - You'll also use spinjitsu here, understand? - the woman asked. Lloyd just grunted in confirmation, and Mistake began to easily jump onto the protruding rock ledges. As soon as the old woman disappeared from the boy's sight, Lloyd fell to the ground. - Maybe I should tell her about yesterday? - he asked himself. - I wonder if she would give me more slack then... - the boy dreamed. regular training in the library was much easier. After a while, the boy stood up and jumped from the place where he was standing, and then, with the help of spinjitsu, he got to the first shelf. it's going to be a hard day...

Lloyd somehow managed to come out on top. it took him over an hour... - you have to improve your spinjitsu, otherwise you will never reach your full potential - commented the old woman as the boy lay flat on the ground catching his breath - but Mrs. Mistake! Spinjist is not used for flying! - the boy shouted indignantly, getting up to sit down. - and you will be surprised. Well, there is an offshoot of the spinjitsu tornado called airjitsu. using it, outsiders could say that the user of this technique practically flew. unfortunately, the scrolls in which this technique is described no longer exist. - said the old woman, walking up to Lloyd and helping him up. - so you want me to try to activate it with something like this? - asked the boy, now standing in front of the woman. Mistake just smiled. -You're smart.- at her words, a smile appeared on the boy's face.- and no - she added, shocking Lloyd. - what? where do you get that from? - asked the boy. - you came here today despite your injuries, but you could have informed me about what happened and postponed our training until next weekend. or until you regain your full strength - said the old woman, approaching the edge of the cliff. - rest and regenerate. Then we'll come here again. - she said, jumping down to the first shelf, leaving a shocked Lloyd. - What?! - the boy practically shouted.

when Lloyd was going to the floor where he lived, he met Mrs. Sara, who gave him a good lecture about his unreasonable behavior, and then warned him that if she saw that the boy was going on expeditions again and came back from looking like he had just fought with at least Wojira, then she will personally beat him to a pulp. - I'm... sorry, but may I know what this Wojira thing is? - the boy asked when the older woman finished her speech. - Wojira? oh! it is a sea monster from legends. is the great sea serpent that ruled over the wind and water at the beginning of the world. however, it was tamed by a brave warrior named Nyad. legends say that Nyad was able to control the ocean, and during the fight, she became one with it. a wonderful legend, isn't it? - said the woman, completely forgetting about the previous threats. - true. Thank you very much for telling me about it. - said the boy, heading upstairs. - ah! and don't think that I forgot about our conversation! - the woman shouted, and then went to do her work.

when Lloyd made sure there was no one in the kitchen, he entered the room and started preparing something to eat. this time he chose toast with jam. simple and good. so while the boy was waiting for the bread to heat up, he began to think about Airjitsu, and the legend of Wojir and Nyad. mainly focused on the legend. if her words can be believed, then it can be concluded that the elements of water and wind are independent powers, coming not from the First Master of Spinjitsu, but from the great sea serpent. was the FSM able to control them then? or maybe it was Nyad who received this honor? but she apparently became part of the ocean. but what does it mean? is she dead? turned into sea foam? or maybe it just became part of the ocean, turning into water? well... now he definitely won't find out. he has to wait until his injuries heal a little, otherwise he will have a problem. - is something burning? - he asked himself, feeling the smell of burning. only after a while he realized what was happening - my toast! - he shouted, immediately turning off the fire.

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On Monday, unfortunately for Lloyd, his last lesson was PE. and to another misfortune, the teacher decided to organize a game of dodgeball today. Lloyd didn't have to say who everyone was targeting, did he? so now, all bruised, he was rotting on the pitch and dodging balls flying towards him. the injuries he had sustained while rescuing Ali were taking their toll over and over again, and were preventing the boy from fully focusing on what was happening. Additionally, he decided that today, in Ninja disguise, he would meet Miko and talk to her. he had already placed the note last week, so all that was left was to meet his friend at a given place at the appointed time and settle the matter.after all, no matter how you look at it, he's probably the one the black-haired girl is looking for. Lloyd furtively saw the girl staring at him with her gray eyes. her face showed worry. they made eye contact for a moment and... -Lloyd! you're out! - the teacher shouted when the boy got hit by the ball. the boy got up and headed to his friend. - what's that face? - he asked, sitting on Miko's right side - I'm worried about you. - she said - it's unnecessary - the boy replied, taking a sip of his water. - it's just a ball. It won't kill me- he joked. Lloyd knew perfectly well that Miko meant something completely different. - I don't mean PE. - she said, turning to the boy and pointing her finger at him - no one. Truly, no one would be able to emerge unscathed from under a pile of rubble. - she said, pointing a finger at the guy. - I'm not no one. I'm Lloyd Garmadon. - replied the black-haired woman with a smile. he's not going to worry Miko. apart from that, he's fine. -you're annoying. - she said, and then stood there taking her things because the bell rang for break. Lloyd did the same

evening came. At that time, Lloyd was sitting on a branch of one of the trees, waiting for his friend. he was in his costume, and had a mask with him, which he would put on as soon as the girl showed up. after a while he heard a rustle and Miko came out onto his favorite cliff - hello? Is anyone here? - she asked, leaving the forest. Lloyd saw that she had a pocket knife in her pocket. what does she want to do with it? he asked himself, putting on the mask and silently jumping to the ground. - Is anyone here?! - the black-haired girl asked again, only louder. - Yep. - Lloyd replied. Miko jumped up, not expecting anyone. the girl immediately grabbed the penknife and turned around and aimed it at the boy. so it was supposed to be used for defense. -Who are you? - Miko asked, and Lloyd could see the fear in her eyes. even though she tried to hide it with her posture. -Who do you think I am?- he answered with a question. Miko remained motionless for a moment, then asked - are you the Green Ninja? - Lloyd just nodded. - you can put it aside. I won't hurt you- he said, pointing to the penknife. Miko sheathed her weapon after a few seconds' delay. Lloyd, however, passed the girl and walked over to the cliff. -so?- he started after a minute when Miko didn't answer. he will talk to her for a while, then she will ask a question and Lloyd will answer it and it will be over. the boy spent the weekend, when Mrs. Mistake and Sara told him to rest, working on the role of the "Green Ninja".and even though he had come up with answers to every question Miko could ask, he was very stressed. however, it was not visible at all. Lloyd was able to mask his emotions perfectly - I heard you were looking for me - he replied when the girl showed no sign of life, and then slightly turned his head towards the gray-eyed girl. Miko stood like a pole and stared at Lloyd. or rather the Great Green Ninja, because that was the blond right now. It took Miko a while to recover - yes. I'm looking for you. for a long time. -she said, trying to calm down. Lloyd was silent. he waited for her to move. she'll ask a question, he'll answer it and that's it. -I... I wanted to ask you something... - she started, bowing her head. Lloyd was still silent. -Will... even though I am the second daughter of the Master of the Wind Element, will I be able to use the power? - she asked, looking at Lloyd again. this time it was the boy who froze. he didn't expect such a question. Miko, on the other hand, stared at him, filled with hope that could vanish at any moment. Lloyd knew virtually nothing about elemental masters. all he knew was that they existed and had special abilities, such as controlling the elements, copying powers and other such. the boy only now realized that he shouldn't show himself. he shouldn't have initiated this conversation. what is he supposed to do? what to do? what to do?!- um... is everything okay? - Miko asked, taking a step towards the green-eyed boy. Lloyd finally decided he could let his intuition guide him. after all, both Mistake and Wu have always said that a Ninja should follow his intuition. Lloyd sighed. Will he regret it? -come here.- he said, turning towards the city skyline, and then sat down on the ground. Miko was soon standing next to the Ninja. Lloyd patted the place next to him, where the black-haired woman immediately sat down, staring intently at her idol. - To be honest, I have no idea - he said. - What? but, you are the Green Ninja! - Miko shouted, and she probably wanted to shout something more, but Lloyd silenced her with a wave of his hand. - Listen. Maybe you won't believe me, but I only recently started training as a ninja. - he said, turning his head towards Miko. the girl was in complete shock. -I don't know how to answer your question, but I know who can help you - he said. -Why should I be sure that what you say is true? -The black-haired girl asked reproachfully. Lloyd knew that now the girl would be angry. - well... I guess you can trust your friend- he said, taking off his mask.

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Lloyd was sitting at a desk and pretending to listen to the teacher's lecture about some reading material. truth be told, Lloyd didn't even know what book it was. anyway, he was paying attention to a certain black-haired girl. Miko hadn't spoken to him since yesterday's conversation at the cliff. when the boy revealed to her the truth about his identity, she ran away. actually, he's not surprised by her behavior. Lloyd, however, must make sure that Miko doesn't tell anyone. and yet, during these few days, he really liked the gray-eyed teenager, and he didn't want to make her an enemy.

when the bell rang for recess, Miko immediately left the classroom, and Lloyd followed her. -Miko!- he called after the girl, but she ignored him. the blonde accelerated to catch up with the black-haired girl, but Gesu blocked his path, along with the rest of the ninja. -What do you want from her, Gramadon?-hissed the boy, not letting Lloyd pass -to talk-he replied quickly, trying to squeeze between the pretend Green Ninja and Jey. unfortunately, the black-eyed man grabbed the blonde's arm and pushed him forward so that the boy fell. Lloyd could feel the places that had been hit the hardest during the building collapse starting to hurt. -Get away from her.-Gesu said "threateningly", but Lloyd had a bigger problem. he knew that attending classes even though he was injured wouldn't be a good idea, and now it was affecting him. the boy began to feel dizzy and began to see spots in front of his eyes. Lloyd grabbed his head. he heard Gesu saying something to him, but he didn't understand what.

Miko stood to the side and watched as some redheaded idiot called Lloyd names. However, she didn't really care about the idiot's words. she focused more on the blonde himself. The Great Green Ninja, who turned out to be new to ninja things himself. even though the gray-eyed girl felt a little betrayed after their meeting at the cliff, now she seems to understand his actions a little. Besides, from the very beginning she felt that the boy was not like the others and she felt something about him that she felt only with spinjitsu masters. and... maybe he really knows someone who could help her master the power of the element? If this is true, then Miko will finally be able to join the Academy! the girl suddenly noticed that something was wrong with the green-eyed boy. the black-haired girl decided that she would react. After all, Lloyd has something to tell her, doesn't he? - Hey! - she shouted, approaching the group. - Oh! Miko, nice to meet you. We were just showing that idiot what will happen if he continues to bother you- the red-haired boy said with a smile. the girl felt anger fill her. Why the hell does this squirrel get involved in other people's affairs?! - I didn't ask you for help - she hissed. -and you didn't have to. it's a ninja's duty to make sure that people like him - he started, pointing to the blonde, who by the way probably had no contact with the world - didn't tease someone like you - the girl looked at Lloyd. she noticed blood on one of his hands. the gray-eyed girl looked at that gang of pajamas again. - Explain who exactly? - she asked. Gesu was visibly confused. and the rest of the ninja looked at each other. did they know his identity? if so, why didn't they react? - well... like him, i.e. the bad ones. after all, Lloyd is the son of Lord Garmadon - said Gesu. - it just so happens that Lloyd is not like his father - hissed the girl, crouching down next to the blonde. Lloyd didn't look too good. he was pale. -Lloyd? is everything okay? - the girl asked, but she didn't get an answer. - how do you know what he's like? - asked the white-haired boy. - because he's my friend. - she replied in a confident voice, and then grabbed the boy by the arm, helping him stand up. Lloyd was barely conscious and needed medical attention. - Does anyone know where the nurse is? - she asked. the brunette dressed in red spoke first. - yes, come on, I'll take you - he said, approaching Miko.

when Lloyd opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a white ceiling. the boy rose to a sitting position, with a slight pain, and then looked around the room. he was in the nurse's office. at least that's what he thought. There was no one in the room. - Did I lose consciousness? - he asked himself, then looked at his hand. it was bandaged and his gray sweatshirt was lying sideways on a chair, stained with blood. Had his wound on his arm somehow opened up? but how? suddenly the door to the room opened. Lloyd immediately looked that way and saw Miko and... Kai?! what is he doing here? when the gray-eyed girl saw that the blonde was awake, she immediately smiled broadly and ran to the green-eyed one. -Lloyd! I'm so glad you're okay! - she shouted, hugging the boy. At this sudden movement, Lloyd hissed in pain because the gray-eyed woman touched his hurting hand. Miko immediately jumped away from the blonde. - Oh, jeez! I'm sorry! - she shouted, covering her mouth with her hands. - no, no. calm down, it's okay-the green-eyed man replied quickly, trying to control the pain. -The nurse said that one of your bones fell out of the joint. That's why you started bleeding, the bone pierced your skin. - Kai said, standing next to the black-haired girl. - I didn't know Gesu had such strength. I need to talk to the master about this, he muttered to himself. Lloyd looked at him like he was an idiot. did he seriously think that idiot did this to him? - it's not Gesu's fault. well... at least not completely. - Lloyd replied. Miko looked at him, then stood up and exclaimed - I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! - pointing a finger at the blonde. Lloyd just rolled his eyes - bravo, you were right. do you want a trophy for that? - he asked ironically. Miko hit him lightly with her fist on his bandaged hand. not in a way that would hurt him, but it still hurt Lloyd - ouch! what's wrong with you?! - he exclaimed, grabbing the sore spot - this is my reward. I told you, no one, and no one, would be able to get out of the pile of rubble unscathed! - she shouted, pointing a finger at the boy. - okay. I admit, I got hit a bit. - replied the boy, completely forgetting about the presence of the red ninja. - A bit? A bit?! You'd better tell me where else you're hurt! - the girl shouted, looking nervously at the green-eyed man. - What, should I confess to you? - he asked ironically - yes. - Miko replied, folding her arms over her chest. - Wait a minute, I can't follow, what happened to you? - Kai interjected. Lloyd and Miko looked at the brunette, whose existence they had forgotten. - you still here? - Lloyd asked.

luckily, fifteen minutes was enough to explain everything to the brown-haired ninja. and just fifteen minutes later a nurse came into the room. with obvious reluctance, she made sure the blonde was okay and then told him to go home. Fortunately or unfortunately for Lloyd, classes were already over and Miko insisted that she would take the boy home and, if necessary, put him to bed herself. however, Lloyd had a different plan.-hey, because I was talking about someone recently who could talk to you.-Lloyd started, stopping.-mhm-Miko muttered, turning to face the blonde. -So how about approaching this person now?-he suggested. Miko looked at him with narrowed eyes.

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-Good morning.-said the blonde, entering the library. Miko didn't know what was so special about the library? Will Lloyd show her a story? - What are we doing here? - she asked in a whisper. Lloyd just smiled. -The real art is to see an opportunity where others don't see it - he replied to her. Miko couldn't for the life of her understand what her friend meant, but she had a feeling she would find out soon. after a while, an old woman appeared behind the desk - good morning, Mrs. Mistake - greeted the boy. - hello, Young Garmadon. - the old woman also greeted, and then looked at the gray-eyed woman - is she your friend? - she asked. - yes. the one I told you about, he said. -Nice to meet you. My name is Mistake. - greeted the old woman, extending her hand in greeting - it's nice to meet you too. I'm Miko Dragon. -The black-haired girl introduced herself.the old woman made a surprised face - Dragon? Now I understand what was wrong with Lloyd's stories. -she said, smiling again. the green-eyed boy leaned towards the black-haired girl and whispered in her ear - you can tell her about your heritage. - Miko gave him a questioning look. Lloyd just smiled. -Is something wrong? -the old woman asked. -We would like to talk to you. can we go to the back? -the boy asked. Mistake looked at Lloyd, then nodded. - Lloyd, could you put those books back where they belonged? - she asked, pointing to a medium-sized pile. Miko was about to say that the boy shouldn't strain his arm, but Lloyd beat her to it - of course - and then went to the books. - Shall we go? - the old woman asked, going to the back. Miko looked at Lloyd, who completely ignored her, and then followed the old woman.

-sit down.-Mistake ordered, sitting down at the table. Miko did the same-so?-the old woman started, after a moment of silence-Lloyd told me that you had a question for him. if he brought you to me, it means he probably didn't know how to answer them. - she said. - wait a minute... so you know his identity? - Miko asked, looking at the old woman with surprise. - yes. I knew the real Green Ninja - she replied - but I haven't had the opportunity to meet the Master of Wind yet - she added, shocking the gray-eyed girl even more. who is this old lady? the question crossed her mind. However, Miko decided to trust her heart, which told her that she could trust this woman. and her heart has never failed her yet. bah! it led her to the Green Ninja - well... I wanted to know if, as the second daughter of the Dragon family, I can control the power of the element? - said the girl. Mistake closed her eyes for a moment. after a while she opened them again - Young Wind Mistress, know that whether you are the first or second daughter does not matter. you come from a family that has been taming the wind for millions of years. since you have older siblings who already have powers, you will have to train several times harder to awaken your elemental power. - said the old woman. Miko couldn't believe what she was hearing. can awaken the power of the element! it's possible! A big smile appeared on Miko's face - thank you very much! - she exclaimed.Mistake laughed lightly. - you don't have to. instead, come to training with Lloyd tomorrow. - she said, getting up. Miko did the same - I'd love to come. - she replied, following Mistake out of the back room. - just... where? - she asked. - Lloyd will show you everything - the old woman replied. suddenly there was a bang in the library. Miko and Mistake immediately ran towards the noise, where they found Lloyd buried under a mountain of books. the boy was swearing under his breath about novels, his injured hand and something else, but Miko didn't hear what. instead, she tried not to laugh. and this is supposed to be the Magnificent Green Ninja? Mistake just shook her head pityingly. -Lloyd is just learning himself, so even if he wanted to, he wouldn't be able to answer your question - the woman said. -Yes. I see it now - said the girl, intending to help her friend. - Miko, could I ask you for something? - the old woman asked before the black-haired girl moved towards her friend - what is it? - asked the girl, turning towards the older woman - While you're here, could you keep an eye on Lloyd? I see that the two of you are close, and I want to be sure that nothing will happen to him, like during his father's last attack. - The woman said seriously. - Of course - she replied with a smile, and went to help her friend.

Once Lloyd and Miko finished arranging the books, they both left the library and headed towards Lloyd's house. even though the boy insisted that he would come on his own, the black-haired girl knew better. and she won't let Lloyd wander off to who knows where. they were walking along the beach when a huge moss emerged from the volcano. Miko just sighed at the sight of the large machine. out of the corner of her eye she saw Lloyd rolling his eyes - this is getting boring - said the boy - nom. - confirmed Miko, and Lloyd looked at her - what does "nom" mean? - he asked. - nom means nom - replied the gray-eyed girl. it's interesting to look at this version of the famous hero. -well... I should make sure you rot in bed now, but how about a little comedy? - suggested the black-haired woman. Lloyd's smile spoke for itself - with great pleasure - he said - so lead me to the nearest stands - she joked - then, follow me - said the boy, starting to run in the opposite direction.

after just five minutes, Miko and Lloyd were sitting on the roof of a skyscraper and admiring a wonderful cabaret in the form of Lord Garmadon's fight with "Ninja". - I wonder... - Miko began, taking her eyes off the "spectacle" for a moment. -Do their fights make any sense? -she asked herself. -Do I know? it's basically routine. -Lloyd replied to her. Miko suddenly had an idea - hey... how about digging through their things a bit? - the girl asked, looking at Lloyd. - cool. maybe this will be more interesting - said the boy, getting up. - um... and where is their hideout? - the gray-eyed girl asked, also getting up. - I'll show you. - replied Lloyd, taking a running start and landing neatly on the neighboring building. Miko did the same, but had a little trouble landing, causing her to lose her balance and fall backwards. when the black-haired girl was convinced that she was going to fall, Lloyd grabbed her hand and dragged her to the other side - have you ever traveled like this before? - the boy asked.-nope. this is the first time. However, since we will be training together for some time, it would be useful to learn how to travel in other ways. - The girl replied. Lloyd just sighed and jumped to the next building. this one was closer this time, so Miko didn't have much of a problem with the jump. -So you've never acted as a ninja? -the boy asked, jumping again to the next roof. this one was lower.-no. but I'm in good shape and I learn quickly, Miko replied, keeping up with her friend. -if you say so-Lloyd shrugged and jumped to the next building again, with Miko right after him.

after a while, they were both standing on the roof of some old warehouse or something. it was built above the port. there was a boat in front of her. -Is this here? -the girl asked. -Yes. -the boy replied, making sure that there was no one inside. -And how do you know that? -Miko asked, approaching the boy who was digging something in the roof. - you could say that Gesu wasn't always a ninja. - the blonde answered her, picking up one of the metal plates. - so are we going sightseeing? - the boy asked. Miko ignored his earlier answer, and replied - with pleasure - and then she jumped inside first. In a moment Lloyd was standing next to her.

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After a few minutes of searching through the ninja's belongings, Miko found a photo. it depicted six ninjas. it was these... Kai, his sister Nya, Cole, Jay, that weird Zane and... some blond haired boy. he had eyes the color of imperial jade. It took Miko a moment to recognize those eyes. those were Lloyd's eyes.-hey! Loli, I didn't know you were in the pajama team before?! - the gray-eyed girl shouted, drawing the blonde's attention. - Loli? - the boy asked, hearing his new nickname. - what? suits you. - the girl explained, giving the photo to the boy. Lloyd looked at the photo, then smiled slightly.-yeah. I used to be in their team - said the boy, putting the photo on a shelf. - but those are long gone. we're not friends anymore. - he added, and then headed towards the exit - come on. We'll get into trouble if we stay here any longer. - and he left. Miko immediately ran after the boy. She managed to notice the boy going behind some crates. Miko ran towards him, and as soon as she was behind the crate, ninjas rushed into the quarters, putting their robots back in their places. -It was close.-the girl whispered, then looked at Lloyd, who was already gone.-And apparently he's just learning. -she said to herself and then headed home. when Lloyd entered the "house" there was chaos everywhere. the boy sighed. this noise was annoying. the blonde immediately went towards his room. He was a little dizzy, but he could handle it. Once he reached the floor, he decided to make himself some tea. after all, his father is probably at a meeting or something right now. Lloyd set the water to boil and leaned back against the counter. out of the corner of his eye he looked at the place where there was a photo of his "family". it was there. fixed. the boy just snorted and looked away. he didn't want to look at that stupid photo. maybe because somewhere in his heart there was still a spark of hope that one day this photo would become true... //the boy entered the house. it was already late, and his mother must be worried. being a ninja is still something new for him, but he manages to cope. -Hey mom! I'm back! - he shouted, but no one answered him. the boy walked deeper into his apartment and looked around. his mother was sleeping. the red-haired woman fell asleep at the table working on her work. the boy sighed. his mother had worked hard to provide him with everything he needed for as long as he could remember. the boy came closer to his parent and looked at the table. all the papers were mixed up. the boy went to his room and took a blanket from there, then covered his mother. she deserved to rest. the blonde himself went to make himself some mint tea, then sat down at the table and started sorting the papers. at least this is how he can repay her for everything. he may have been twelve years old, but he already knew something. he was a green ninja after all. the one everyone loves. Too bad it's not like that in real life... but Lloyd made a promise to himself ~ I will try my hardest to make sure we are safe ~// Lloyd sighed. he and his mother may not have had much in those days, but they had each other. and that was enough for them. but now the cheerful and always positive Koko was not with him. at the mention of his mother, a few tears rolled down the boy's cheeks. however, Lloyd quickly wiped them away. - Heh... a man is only wise after a loss, isn't he? - he muttered to himself, pouring the tea. then his father is not human. he hasn't gotten smarter. he didn't see things through, which is why he almost broke up an innocent family recently. -well. some people don't change. - he muttered, entering the room. The silence in the room was interrupted by the phone ringing. Lloyd broke away from the lesson and looked at his phone screen. -number unknown. - he read it, and then picked up the phone. - Hello? - he asked hesitantly, but he immediately smiled at the voice of little Ali. - hey, young one. How are you? - he asked, and then he started listening to the young girl's chatter. however, after a while it was interrupted by Mrs. Emili. she scolded her daughter and then apologized to Lloyd for her behavior. Lloyd just laughed before replying. -Nothing happened. I'm glad she's okay - after that, he started a short conversation with the woman, which ended with inviting the blonde to her place for dinner. Lloyd, after a moment of reflection and hearing Ala asking every now and then if he had agreed, the boy agreed. -At three o'clock, right? -he made sure, looking at the clock. he still had an hour and a half.-okay. so see you later. - he said, but before he hung up, Mrs. Emili asked him to invite Miko, to which the boy also agreed, then said goodbye and hung up. Lloyd and Miko were just walking towards Mrs. Emilia's apartment. the boy was wearing black pants and a white T-shirt and his green jacket. Miko put on a dress. Every time he looked at her, Lloyd wondered how she wasn't cold. after all, it's winter and she just walks around in a dress. However, when the boy asked about it earlier, the gray-eyed girl replied that it was none of his business. when they reached the gate, Lloyd stretched out his hand to ring the bell, but before he could do it, Ali rushed out of the house like a slingshot and immediately rushed at Lloyd with a scream of joy. unfortunately, the blonde didn't keep his balance, and after a while he was lying in the snow with a brown-haired girl on his chest, who was laughing loudly. the boy felt a "small" pain in his chest and in his injured arm. -h hey, young one - he said, stroking the girl's hair. -Ala! come home! Can't you see what the weather is like?! - came the scream of Mrs. Emilia, who had just left the house. when she noticed her daughter and Miko laughing at the blonde lying in the snow, she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. when Ala finally got off Lloyd, the boy quickly made a snow ball and threw it at the brown-haired girl, and then another one at Miko, starting a huge snowball fight in which even Mrs. Emili joined in. the boy smiled, realizing that the world presented in the photo could come true, just not necessarily with the people depicted in it

Chapter Text

The next day, Lloyd and Miko went straight to the library after classes. The blonde was curious about how their joint training would go, especially considering they were at different levels.“Lloyd?” the dark-haired girl asked.“Hmm?” the boy murmured.“And where exactly will we be training?” she inquired.Lloyd just smiled. “Don’t you remember what I told you yesterday?” he replied with a question.“Something… about the art of seeing things where others don’t?” the girl said, trying to recall her friend's words.“The true art is recognizing an opportunity where others don’t see it,” the boy corrected her as they entered the library. This place never ceased to amaze him. Along with Miko, he approached the desk where Mrs. Mistake was going through some papers. As soon as she heard their footsteps, she looked up from her documents and greeted the two teenagers with a smile.“Good morning, Miko, Lloyd,” she said, getting up. “Good morning, ma’am,” Miko greeted her, while Lloyd nodded respectfully at the elderly lady. “Since you’re here, we can start the training,” she said, turning around and heading to the back room.

Lloyd expected Miko’s reaction to the training room to be priceless, but her expression exceeded his wildest expectations! The boy really had to make an effort not to laugh, though he still couldn’t stop a wide grin from spreading across his face. He stepped further inside and picked up a katana, his favorite weapon. "So, shall we start the training?" he asked, turning to face Miko and Mrs. Mistake.

Lloyd was genuinely displeased. Instead of training, he got a scolding from Mrs. Mistake for overestimating his body's abilities, and was sent upstairs in case someone might come to the library. "It's just that most people prefer being rescued in the middle of the city rather than reading books they can find online..." he muttered to himself, flipping to the next page of a book with the delightful title Old Legends of Ninjago. It talked about, among other things, the creation of Ninjago, the Devourer of Worlds, the Serpentine, the First Spinjitzu Master, and the Warlord. The latter intrigued him the most, even though he would rather be training right now. Truth be told, Lloyd didn’t know as much as one might think. He was only able to perform Spinjitzu. Unfortunately, he still wasn’t able to activate his elemental power. The boy sighed and shifted his gaze to the next page.

As evening fell, Lloyd and Miko said goodbye to Mrs. Mistake and left the library."That was pretty fun, wasn’t it?" the black-haired girl asked with a smile on her face."Yeah. I" he said. After their training, Lloyd and Miko spent the rest of the day at the library. First, they did their homework, and then they helped Mrs. Mistake, having a great time in the process. "And I can’t believe you didn’t know there are other places in the world besides your Ninjago!" the girl remarked. "It’s not my fault no one ever talks about it!" the boy defended himself."Relax, it’s no big deal," the gray-eyed girl said with a smile. And so, they spent the rest of the evening walking and chatting happily. Finally, around 9 p.m., they said their goodbyes and went their separate ways home.

When Lloyd reached the floor where he lived, he almost ran into a terrified woman. "Is everything okay?" he asked, noticing her panicked expression. As soon as the woman saw the blond boy, she became even more frightened and, with the speed of light and a scream, left the floor. "Uh, okay?" he muttered to himself, looking back at where the woman had disappeared. Only then did Lloyd hear noises coming from the kitchen. He headed in that direction and peeked inside. What he saw was pure chaos, and in the midst of it, his furious father. "Guess that means no dinner," he said to himself before heading to his room. Still, one question kept swirling in his mind. What happened in there?

The next two weeks passed without much change for Lloyd. School, followed by the library, where he filled in for Mrs. Mistake while she trained with Miko. Afterward, the three of them would take care of the building. In the evenings, Lloyd and his friend would leave the library and wander around the city. Lloyd gave her tips on certain aspects of combat and how to use chakra, while she told him stories about the places she had visited. They also shared their personal experiences and adventures. Lloyd had truly found a friend in Miko, and he was happy about it.

After their walks, which usually lasted until around nine or ten o'clock, they both returned home, where Lloyd spent another half hour helping Mrs. Sara, gradually learning where everything was. One perk was that he could tinker with his father’s machines without anyone scolding him. He usually spent weekends alone, wandering through the forest. Despite the cold, he enjoyed watching the animals that lived there. Some even approached him, curious about this friendly stranger. In the evenings, he would play with Ala at her house.

It was Friday, and as usual after school, Lloyd was in the library. This time, he was checking and organizing some papers related to the catalog of books or something similar. Suddenly, his phone vibrated. He paused from his work, picked up the phone, and looked at the screen. ~Meet me tomorrow at 5:00 AM on the cliff~ said a message from an unknown number. "Is this some kind of joke?" he asked himself before putting the phone down. Just a few seconds later, his phone vibrated again. ~The future of the world depends on it~ was the next message from the same number. Lloyd opened the messages and replied to the unknown sender: ~Listen, this isn’t funny. If you text me again, I’ll report it to the police~ he wrote and sent the message. Shortly after, he got a response. ~The world needs a True Hero. Stop hiding in the library and stand up to fight against evil~ the person replied, then blocked Lloyd. He stared at the message for a moment, then set the phone aside and got back to work.

In the evening, as usual, Lloyd and Miko went for a walk. Earlier, Lloyd had been wondering whether to tell her about the strange prank. "Hey, Miko," he began, interrupting her story about a new song from some band. "What’s up?" she asked, turning her attention to the blond boy. "During your training, someone decided to play a dumb prank on me," he said, pulling his phone from his pocket and opening the messages. "Honestly, I think it’s just some kid messing with me, but I’d like to know what you think about it too," he added, showing her the messages. The black-haired girl took the phone and, stopping for a moment, began reading the messages carefully. "I think you should go, just in case. It might be a prank, but it could also be something important," she said after a moment, handing the phone back to him. "And now, back to what I was saying..." she continued, returning to her previous topic. Lloyd just sighed, put the phone back in his pocket, and focused on listening to his friend's story. Regardless, Lloyd had already made up his mind to go to the cliff tomorrow at sunrise.

Chapter Text

The next day, Lloyd, dressed in the tengui that Mistake had recently made for him, headed to the cliffs. Even though the message was likely just a silly prank, it could also be something important. As he emerged from the forest, he arrived at the cliff just as the sun began to rise. He took his phone from his gray backpack and checked the time.
"4:59..." he muttered to himself, then put the phone away and moved closer to the edge. The sun started to rise from the horizon, casting golden rays over the city of Ninjago. Lloyd stepped forward, momentarily forgetting the strange message as he became captivated by the stunning golden light. The view was... magnificent.

Suddenly, something began to take shape around the sun.
"What the...?" Lloyd stepped to the very edge of the cliff to get a closer look. It took him a moment to realize it was a dragon—a golden one, just like the one depicted on his outfit. The dragon slowly moved closer to Lloyd as he, in turn, edged toward the cliff's brink. When he finally stood at the very edge, he was face to face with the golden dragon. Lloyd reached out his hand toward the creature, and the dragon moved its head closer to him. In a moment, the tips of Lloyd's fingers brushed against the dragon's nose, and he felt a surge of the creature's energy flow through him.

The clock struck five.

At that moment, a blinding golden light flashed.

When Lloyd opened his eyes, he found himself in his room.
"Huh... what’s going on...?" he muttered sleepily, sitting up.
"Was that a dream?" he wondered, glancing around the room.
"But... it felt so real..." he said to himself, then checked the time on his watch. It was 4:00. Lloyd sighed.
"So it was a dream." He got up, grabbed the outfit Mistake had prepared for him, and headed to the bathroom to get ready.

At 4:59, Lloyd was already at the cliff. The sun had just begun to rise. He sat cross-legged a few meters from the edge and watched the beautiful sunrise, waiting for the mysterious person who had messaged him earlier.

An hour passed since Lloyd arrived at the cliff, and nothing happened.
"Boring," he groaned, finally standing up. Grabbing his backpack, he began walking back toward Ninjago.
"Knew it was just a stupid prank," he muttered to himself, just about to enter the forest when he heard noises coming from the city. He turned around, mumbling under his breath, and walked to the edge of the cliff.
"Who would've guessed? The city's under attack again," he grumbled, then turned and entered the forest. The peacefulness of the place calmed Lloyd. After spending a little time in this serene setting, he found himself forgetting about all his worries, just like in Mistake's library. Lloyd took a deep breath and exhaled.
"Ah, that's what I needed," he said to himself, closing his eyes and letting his mind guide him. Although all he could see was darkness, soon a vision began to take shape—a scene that resembled sand started forming in Lloyd's mind, creating a surrounding landscape. Or at least, it seemed that way to him. Startled, Lloyd quickly opened his eyes and looked around.
"That... was strange," he muttered to himself before continuing his walk.

The next day, Lloyd headed straight to the library. It was still early, and the library was closed. Not bothered by this, he used his keys to unlock the door. Entering the building, he immediately locked it behind him and headed to the back room. Opening the passage to the basement, he made his way to the training room.
"I think I’ve rested enough to finally start training. After all, someone needs to deal with those creatures," he said, grabbing a katana and starting his workout.

After two hours, Lloyd decided to take a break. He gathered up the weapons and headed toward the wall where they were meant to be hung. Glancing at one of the glass cases, he noticed four golden weapons—a katana, nunchaku, shurikens, and a scythe. Lloyd approached the case and placed his hand on the glass.
"I wonder who these belonged to..." he murmured to himself, then closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the glass.

Darkness enveloped his vision, and soon glowing golden sand appeared, forming into the four weapons. Moments later, four masked figures appeared near the weapons—one red near the katana, one brown by the scythe, one white by the shurikens, and one blue by the nunchaku. The figures seemed to be fighting someone. A green light appeared between them.
"Retreat! Everyone to the temple!" a voice shouted.
"Understood!" another responded.
"$%&^ help me!" the voice yelled again. Lloyd also heard someone pounding on a door.
"They won't hold much longer," another voice said.
"%*^ I need to ask you something important," a new voice spoke.
"What? Now?" the person responded.
"Yes, now," the voice insisted.
"&(* You make me smile every day when you're gone I miss you so much it feels like there's a hole inside me, will you be my Jang?" asked the voice.
Jang? What’s that? Lloyd wondered. Two blurry figures stood side by side—the blue one, with the nunchaku, and a figure dressed in maroon. Somewhere nearby were a green and a white figure, and after a moment, the brown and red figures appeared behind the maroon one.
"Now you decide?!" the brown figure asked.
"We really need to talk about your timing, $*&," the red figure said.
"We might not have much time left," the blue figure responded. Lloyd opened his eyes and stepped away from the glass.
"W-what was that...?" he asked himself.
"A memory?" he muttered, stepping closer to the glass and touching it again. The golden weapons glowed faintly. Lloyd felt a strange sense of déjà vu. His thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his phone. He glanced over at it and then walked over to answer.
"Miko? What could she want this early?" he asked himself before checking the time. It was 6:30.
"Hello?" he asked, picking up.
"Hey, Lloyd! I was thinking... how about we go for a walk on Monday? I have something to show you, and besides, winter break just started," Miko suggested. Lloyd smiled slightly.
"I’d love to. By the way, will you be at the library today?" he asked, grabbing his things and heading upstairs.
"Nope. I’m busy this weekend, so you’re on your own," the girl replied.
"Oh. Well, have a great weekend," Lloyd said.
"You too!" she called out before hanging up. Lloyd turned off his phone and tucked it into his pocket just as he stepped back into the back room.

Chapter Text

When Lloyd stepped into the back room, he decided to search for something about the Golden Weapons. The blond headed toward the shelves and began looking for a certain book that might help him learn more about these four weapons. Lloyd entered the "Legends of Ninjago" section and started searching for a specific title—no... no... not that...—he muttered to himself as he scanned the book titles—I've got it!—he shouted upon seeing the title he was looking for. *Legends of Ninjago: The Beginnings*—he read the title, then took the book and made his way to one of the tables. He opened it to the first page and began to read, hoping to find what he was looking for.

*The first Master of Spinjitzu took gold from the Golden Peaks to the Temple of Light, where he forged the four Golden Weapons of Spinjitzu. The Master used them to create the Land of Ninjago. Many years later, one of his sons recruited four Ninja to recover the weapons and protect them from dark powers. The four Golden Weapons of Spinjitzu possessed the powers of the four main elements present in the Land of Ninjago: The Scythe of Quakes for Earth, the Nunchaku of Lightning for Lightning, the Sword of Fire for Fire, and the Shurikens of Ice for Ice. Each weapon granted its user the ability to wield one of the elements. When combined, all four weapons possessed the power of creation. However, using all four weapons simultaneously required immense power. The only known beings capable of this were the First Master of Spinjitzu and his second son. The first rightful users of the Golden Weapons were the First Master of Spinjitzu and the First recorded Ninja in the world's history.* he read—*so... this was some sort of memory?* he asked himself as he closed the book—*but then again, these are just legends.* he added, getting up and putting the book back in its place. After that, he left the library. Ms. Mistake was not going to open it until ten o'clock, which was two and a half hours away. Lloyd decided to walk to the port this time—*maybe Uncle Wu is training those idiots now?* he wondered—*it would be funny to mock them.* he recalled Uncle Wu's Spinjitzu lessons. Looking back at it, it was actually quite amusing.

When Lloyd arrived at the Ninja base, he immediately heard noise coming from there—*are they arguing again?* Lloyd sighed, then climbed onto the roof of the building to eavesdrop on what they were "cheerfully" discussing.

*He is evil! What don't you understand?!* someone shouted... Jay? *Can he actually yell?* Lloyd murmured—*Yeah?! And when did he do anything wrong?!* Kai shouted back. Lloyd peeked through a hole to see what was happening. It looked like Kai was arguing with the rest of the team—*He's the son of Garmadon! The greatest villain to ever walk the earth!* Gesu shouted—*Yeah... if you believe the legends, my dear old dad is last on the list of villains,* the blond commented on the "Green Ninja's" statement—*Yeah?! It didn't bother us before!* Kai shouted back—*Because he didn't have contact with his father. Kai, you saw for yourself that Lloyd is not the same as before,* Nya stated, trying to calm her brother—*Death changes people, water girl,* Lloyd said, no longer paying attention to their quarrel—*No. We are not the same as we used to be.* Kai hissed and slammed out of the building. Lloyd could clearly see the angry brunette storming off—*Nice to see that at least one ninja still cares,* Lloyd muttered as he stood up and jumped off the roof as if nothing happened, then put the hood of his jacket on and followed Kai. The blond could easily hear the boy's quiet curses.

Lloyd was surprised when he realized that Kai was heading to the cemetery. *Did someone die on his end?* the thought crossed the boy's mind, but Lloyd quickly dismissed it—*it would have been loud news,* he murmured to himself, increasing the distance between him and the brunette for safety. Kai stopped at one of the graves, and Lloyd immediately recognized the stone as his mother’s grave—*What is he doing...?* he asked himself and silently moved closer to Kai. The boy was muttering something under his breath, but Lloyd couldn't make out his words, so he decided there was no point in hiding any longer. As if nothing happened, Lloyd approached and stood next to the brunette, then began to pray. When he finished, he looked at the brunette, who was now staring at him.

*What?* Lloyd asked coldly. He still had no intention of being nice to ANY ninja. Kai simply stared at him with a vacant expression. A chill ran down Lloyd’s spine—*What's wrong with you?* he asked after a moment of silence, but Kai still didn't respond. Lloyd shrugged and turned to leave, but then he was grabbed by the sleeve of his jacket—*What’s wrong with you?* Lloyd asked again, turning back to the brunette—*I’m sorry...* Kai whispered.

*What?* Lloyd asked, not sure if he heard correctly. *I'm sorry. For the whole team. For what we did to you.* Kai said, looking at the ground—*Yeah. As if I care.* the blond muttered, pulling his hand away from Kai's grip—*I... I don’t want to be a ninja anymore,* Kai stated.

*Why should I care?* Lloyd grumbled, but somewhere inside him, curiosity arose—*Without you, it’s not the same, Lloyd. Gesu is a terrible Green Ninja,* Kai continued. Lloyd scrutinized Kai with a measuring gaze. Somewhere deep inside, he felt a pang of sympathy. After all, they used to be friends...

*Talk to Wu about it. He chose Gesu as the new ninja,* he said, then started to head toward the cemetery exit, leaving Kai behind—*But they don’t want to listen to me!* Kai shouted—*Everyone thinks that since you moved to your father’s side, you’re evil!* he shouted, chasing after the blond. Lloyd stopped again and turned toward Kai—*And you?* he asked. The brunette also stopped—*What about me?* he asked foolishly—*Do you also think I’m evil?* Lloyd repeated the question, piercing through his old friend's facade. Kai froze—*I...* he started, but couldn’t finish. Lloyd sighed and left the cemetery, heading toward the library. Ms. Mistake should be in the library by now when he reached his destination...

As Lloyd expected, when he arrived at the library, it was already open—*Good morning,* he said as he walked inside.

*Good morning, Lloyd!* the old woman replied from the top of the building. Lloyd immediately headed to Ms. Mistake, who was just organizing some books—*Ugh... will people ever learn to put their things back in place?* she muttered, swapping some books around.

*I don’t think so,* Lloyd replied and stood next to her—*Can I help?* he offered.

Chapter Text

With a smile, Lloyd leaned against one of the bamboo stalks in his gray outfit, waiting for the passage to open. It was around one in the morning, but the blond didn’t mind. After all, he had the chance to train again. Moments later, a black and purple portal from another world appeared before him.

“Well, here we go,” he muttered to himself as he pushed off from the bamboo. Almost immediately, a large figure stood before the green-eyed boy. The figure resembled a human in stature but had red skin, horns, a tail, and four arms. The figure carried a weapon. Lloyd felt a sudden wave of unease. The figure didn’t seem threatening, but all his senses screamed, “Run!” The figure began to look around.

“Hmm... so this is the land of the First?” it said to itself before noticing Lloyd. “Oh! I didn’t know anyone was waiting for me!” said a cheerful male voice as he took his weapon and slowly approached the green-eyed boy. Lloyd stood there, staring at him, unable to move from his spot.

“Hello, boy! What’s your name?” the figure asked, standing in front of the much shorter blond.

“Uh... I’m Lloyd,” he replied after a moment, somehow managing to step one foot back.

“Lloyd?” the figure repeated. “Nice to meet you, boy. I’m Aka,” he replied with a big smile, showing all his white teeth. Then, he ruffled Lloyd’s hair. “You look clever, Lloyd. Could you take me somewhere?” he asked cheerfully.

“Um... where to?” Lloyd asked, stepping back again.

“I’m looking for the descendant of the First Master of Spinjitzu, the Green Ninja. Do you know where he is?” he asked happily, sending shivers down Lloyd’s spine. He swallowed hard before answering, “N-no…”

The man’s smile vanished. “Oh…” he muttered, and Lloyd stepped back once more. “Well, since you don’t know where my target is—” he began smiling again. Lloyd noticed him grabbing his weapon with one hand. “Then forgive me, boy, even though you seem really nice, I must kill you,” he finished, swinging his weapon.

Lloyd dodged at the last moment, and a huge hole appeared where he had stood. “Oh? You dodged? You’re not an ordinary boy, are you?” he muttered to himself, swinging again. Lloyd didn’t think much and took off running.

“Hey! Come back!” he heard Aka shout, but Lloyd had no intention of stopping. He skillfully dodged the bamboo and other obstacles, instinctively heading toward the cliff where Ms. Mistake was waiting for him. Moments later, he exited the bamboo forest and dashed into the regular woods.

“Come back!” he heard the man’s voice behind him. Seeing a tree, he leaped into the air and climbed onto the lowest branch, moving among the trees. Suddenly, something flew past Lloyd, leaving a cut on his cheek from which blood began to flow. However, Lloyd didn’t pay much attention to it and didn’t stop running.

Several more projectiles flew in his direction, leaving shallow wounds on his skin. After a moment, his vision began to blur, and Lloyd couldn’t see what was in front of him. After a few more jumps, darkness completely enveloped him. Despite everything, Lloyd continued to leap from branch to branch, not stopping, just relying on his memory.

“If you think something like this can stop me, you’re mistaken!” Lloyd shouted, then trusting his instincts, jumped back to the ground and turned right. Soon, in the darkness, a golden thread—or something similar—began to appear. In any case, it was guiding Lloyd somewhere, and since it was the only thing he could see at that moment, he decided to follow it.

He turned several times, jumped over or under something until finally, he heard a familiar voice. “Lloyd!” Moments later, he felt something pulling him to the side. “Are you okay? Why are you running with your eyes closed?!” Ms. Mistake yelled at him. The boy felt a sense of relief that he was no longer alone, but the golden sand vanished, and Lloyd plunged back into darkness.

“Here you go,” the old woman said, handing the blond a potion. Without protest, Lloyd drank the liquid and set the glass down on the most likely table. “In a few minutes, you should start regaining your sight,” she said after a moment.

“Thank you very much,” Lloyd replied, bowing his head. Although he could still see, he could feel how serious the situation was. Ever since Lloyd had told Ms. Mistake about what had happened in the forest, she had been extremely serious and thoughtful.

“Ms. Mistake?” he asked after a moment of silence. “Lloyd, until you and Miko learn to master the elemental powers and airjitsu, you must not approach the forest. Is that clear?” she ordered seriously.

“Yes, I’ll tell Miko,” the blond replied. “But... can I know who, or rather what, Aka was?” Lloyd added, rubbing his eyes, which were starting to sting slightly. The woman sighed. “For now, stay away from the forest. I have something to take care of, and I won’t be around the whole holiday, so I’ll explain everything to you after the holidays. Okay?” Ms. Mistake replied. Lloyd just nodded and blinked several times. Moments later, he began to see a blurry image.

“It’s starting to work,” the blond informed her as he began looking for Ms. Mistake.

“That’s good,” the old woman replied. Soon, Lloyd had completely regained his vision. “Thank you very much for your help,” he said as he stood up and looked at the clock. It was nine o’clock. “I have to get going. We’re meeting with Miko in an hour,” he informed her, gathering his things.

“Take care, Young Garmadon,” the old woman said as a farewell.

“I will,” Lloyd replied as he left the library.

Chapter Text

“Miko! Over here!” Lloyd shouted, waving at the dark-haired girl in greeting.
“Lloyd!” the girl shouted, running up to the blonde.
“Hi!” she exclaimed cheerfully.
“Hey,” Lloyd replied.
“So... what did you want to talk about?” the blonde began.
“Oh, right! Maybe we can talk about it on the cliff? We’ll have nice views,” suggested the gray-eyed girl.
“Um... there might be a small problem with that,” Lloyd said, placing one hand behind his neck.
“Hmm? Why?”

“So you’re telling me that a portal to another dimension appears in the forest every month, and you and Lady Mistake send the creatures that come out of it back to their world?!” the dark-haired girl shouted.
“Yeah,” Lloyd answered, taking a small step back from the angry girl.
“And you want to tell me that this morning, some other creature came out of there that’s more dangerous, and because of that, we can’t go to the forest for the entire break because Lady Mistake is going away?!” the gray-eyed girl shouted again.
“Yup... as you put it, it sounds really terrible,” Lloyd mumbled, but Miko heard him clearly. Despite everything, the girl tried to calm down and took a deep breath in and out.
“Okay... so what are we going to do now?” Miko asked slowly, so calmly that Lloyd became slightly worried.
“Um... maybe... we can find another place?” the boy suggested.
“Where?” the dark-haired girl immediately asked.
“Uh... maybe we just keep moving until we find something?” the green-eyed boy proposed again.
Miko sighed.
“Let’s go,” she huffed, turning around and walking ahead.
Lloyd quickly caught up to the gray-eyed girl.
“So... what did you want to talk about?” he asked after a moment.
“I forgot,” the dark-haired girl declared. Lloyd decided not to ask any more questions; it wouldn’t lead to anything good while the girl was angry...

After a while, Miko stopped.
“I remember what I wanted to tell you,” she said to herself and pulled out her phone. Lloyd also stopped and looked at his friend.
“Come here,” she ordered, and Lloyd approached the girl, looking at the phone screen. There was some text on it. When the boy read the message, he froze. “Someone is watching us,” said the short text entered in the search engine.
“Isn’t it interesting?” Miko asked, pulling the blonde out of his thoughts. The boy looked at his friend. Nothing indicated that she was stressed or scared. However, that text made Lloyd feel like someone was watching him.
“Yeah,” he replied, trying to calm down. “But you know you could have sent it to me?” he asked after a moment.
“No. You wouldn’t understand,” she replied, and seeing a store, she immediately dragged the blonde inside.

An hour passed, and Lloyd had managed to relax. Despite the awareness of being watched constantly lingering in the back of his mind, he felt a bit safer with Miko. Unfortunately, it was getting dark, and Miko had to return home because she had arranged a video call with her brother.
“Do you want me to walk you home?” the blonde offered. Neither of them wanted to be alone right now. The gray-eyed girl was about to respond when her phone vibrated.
“Oh! It’s my friend,” she said, looking at the phone screen. “I’ll be fine. I live nearby, and when I get back, I’ll text you, okay?” the dark-haired girl suggested.
“Okay. Just don’t forget to text me,” the blonde warned his friend.
“I won’t forget. See you later,” she said, hugging the green-eyed boy. Lloyd froze for a moment but then returned the hug.
“See you later,” he replied. A moment later, they pulled away from each other, and Miko answered the call.
“Hey Sky! What’s up?” she started cheerfully, heading toward her temporary home. Lloyd watched his friend for a moment, then turned around and headed to the port.

When the blonde arrived at his well-known base, he jumped onto the roof, where there was still a hole. He settled comfortably on the roof—“weird that no one has noticed yet,” he murmured to himself, peering into the base. This time the ninjas weren’t training; they were sitting around a table, drinking some brew and chatting cheerfully. Well... not everyone. Kai was missing.
“Where’s the fiery one...?” he asked himself.
“Here.” A voice answered him. Lloyd jumped in shock, turning around.
“Oh man! Don’t scare me like that!” he yelled, but then realized he might have been a bit too loud. The boy quickly glanced back through the hole at the ninjas. No one reacted. Lloyd let out a sigh of relief and turned back to the brunette.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, noticing that his former friend didn’t look well. Kai looked like he hadn’t slept in days, or like Lloyd did when he first saw the demon and was plagued by terrible nightmares for days afterward.
“I should be asking you that,” Kai stated, smiling slightly. “I’m watching a comedy. But it turns out there’s nothing interesting happening today,” the blonde stated, adopting his indifferent tone and expression.
“I see,” Kai replied, and then an awkward silence fell, interrupted by the voices from below. Finally, Lloyd cleared his throat and stood up.
“I’ll be heading out,” he said, but that seemed to pull Kai from his thoughts, as the red ninja immediately reacted.
“Wait. Can we go for a walk?” he asked quickly. Lloyd looked at the brunette.

At first, he was going to refuse, but the constant feeling of being watched finally convinced him to change his mind—“So... what did you want to talk about?” he asked, seeing that Kai wasn’t sure how to start. They had been walking in silence for about ten minutes, and the observer hadn’t given up yet. The good thing was that if it was just one person, then Miko was safe.
“So... I’m still thinking about leaving the ninjas,” Kai began.
“And?” Lloyd asked, not really interested in whether Kai wanted to be a ninja or not.
“And... I’d like to talk to you about it. You’ve seen that things haven’t been going well with the others lately,” said Kai, looking down at the ground. Lloyd kept his eyes forward. They were on some street near the port.
“Why don’t you talk to Wu?” Lloyd asked bluntly.
“The Master hasn’t been making very smart decisions lately, starting with replacing you,” Kai stated.
“Yeah, I have to agree with you there,” Lloyd said.
“So... what do you think about all this?” Kai asked again.
“Why do you care so much about my opinion?” the green-eyed boy replied with a question.
“After all, I’m supposedly the bad guy,” he added, and there was a hint of anger in his voice. After those words, silence fell. Each was lost in their thoughts, reminiscing about the past. Lloyd would be lying if he said part of him wasn’t glad that someone from his team wasn’t against him, especially Kai. After all, the brunette was Lloyd’s closest friend. He was practically like a brother to him.
“I don’t think you’re bad,” Kai stated after a moment.
“Hm?” the blonde mumbled, looking at Kai. Did he mishear?
“If you were bad, you would never have become the Green Ninja. And even after you had to move in with your father, you still helped the townspeople, even risking your life,” the older boy concluded, looking at the blonde.
Lloyd stood still, not quite knowing what to say. This sight brought a wider smile to Kai’s face. Whatever it was, Lloyd’s expression was genuinely amusing. Unfortunately, Kai couldn’t enjoy it for long because Lloyd soon returned to his indifferent expression and walked ahead.
“You don’t have to share the same opinion as the rest of the team to be the Red Ninja. Heck, you don’t even have to hang out with them. If you truly care about being a ninja and protecting the weak, you don’t have to leave the team. Besides, Uncle isn’t fit for choosing new ninjas, as you’ve probably already seen,” Lloyd said, sidestepping Kai.
“And if you want any more great advice, I’m just a phone call away,” he added, disappearing around the corner of the building. Kai immediately ran after him, but Lloyd was already on the roof of that building, and moving across the rooftops, he distanced himself from the brunette. A moment later, his phone vibrated. The green-eyed boy stopped and pulled out the device.
“I’m here. Sorry it took so long, but I was chatting with my friend and then my brother,” said the text from Miko. Lloyd smiled slightly and replied to his friend, then made his way home.

Chapter Text

After three days, Lloyd decided he couldn't spend the entire holiday sitting in the library. “We have to do something, or I’ll go crazy!” he finally shouted after finishing arranging the books. “If you want, you can go train. Even though you shouldn’t, I know you’ll do your thing anyway,” replied the girl sitting at the desk, reading an adventure book. Lloyd sighed and lay down on one of the sofas on the first floor. “Training has become boring since I stopped leveling up my experience,” the green-eyed boy stated, staring at the sky through the glass ceiling. “We won’t go into the forest until Miss Mistake returns,” Miko reminded him. Lloyd sat up and looked at his friend; something just came to his mind. “You know... Miss Mistake said we can’t go into the forest until she returns, or until we master our powers and airjitsu,” the blonde said, and Miko looked up from her book at him. “Are you suggesting something?” she asked, staring at the boy. “Maybe,” the blonde replied, getting up from the couch and heading to his favorite section, “Ninjago Legends.” Moments later, he returned to the gray-eyed girl with a book titled, “Old Ninjago Legends.” “Why do we need that?” the gray-eyed girl asked, seeing the book. “You know, there’s always a grain of truth in legends. Maybe we can learn more about the elemental powers from them,” the blonde proposed, sitting next to Miko and placing the book on the table. “Well, why not?” Miko agreed and opened the book to the table of contents.

“Wow. So according to the legends, my power comes from a great sea serpent,” Miko said, fascinated as she immersed herself in the legends. Lloyd, sitting next to her, was dying of boredom. As soon as Miko started reading about a certain legend, she became so engrossed that she couldn't be pulled away from the book. “Maybe we should search for it?” the girl suggested. “Wodzira is a sea serpent. As the name suggests, it lives underwater,” Lloyd stated. “Damn! What are we supposed to do?!” the girl shouted, putting the book down on the table. “Hmm...” Lloyd began, as a thought struck him. “Maybe you could try to control the wind somehow, right above the water,” the boy suggested, getting to his feet. “That’s not a bad idea, but we can’t go to the forest, and someone might see us on the beach,” Miko replied. “Well, I know a place by the sea where people don’t go,” the blonde said.

“It’s beautiful here,” Miko said, looking around the cave. The entrance was hidden behind some bushes, and seawater flowed into the cave. There was also a view of the sea. Stalactites, stalagmites, and stalagnates could be seen as well. “Right? My mom showed me this place when I was little,” the blonde said, walking over to the water. “It’s not too deep, but during high tide, the entire cave can get flooded,” the blonde explained. Moments later, a gust of wind swept into the cave. The breeze circled the cave several times before rushing out through a medium-sized opening in the ceiling. A small smile crept onto Miko’s face. “Shall we begin?”

Since neither Miko nor Lloyd knew how to start training, it ended up with Miko meditating above the water while Lloyd wandered around the cave. Nevertheless, he didn’t visit this cave too often, mainly because he didn’t have time since he was working as the Green Ninja. Well... now that he wasn’t defending Ninjago from a giant mechanical dragon, he could afford to explore. The cave wasn’t very large. It was practically round, not counting the hole through which they had a view of the sea and the small hole at the top. The entire space was humid, and some stones had algae on them. In other words, the cave didn’t stand out in any special way. The wind blew from time to time, but that didn’t bother Lloyd, and the calm atmosphere of the place also affected him.

After a while, Lloyd noticed the water level rising a bit. “Uh-oh,” he murmured to himself, then looked at the girl with black hair. Miko was still sitting in the same place, meditating. She was really stubborn and persistent. Unfortunately, they had to head back. The blonde approached his friend. “Hey, Miko. It’s time to go,” he said. The girl opened her eyes and looked at Lloyd. “So soon?” she asked. “Well... the tide is coming in, so yes,” the green-eyed boy replied. Miko sighed. “But it’s so nice here…” she groaned, but still got up. “If you want, we can come back here tomorrow,” the blonde suggested, and the gray-eyed girl brightened up. “I would love to!” she exclaimed with a smile.

Lloyd walked Miko back to her apartment, then headed to the library himself. Well... even though the training had become boring, that didn’t mean he would stop. The blonde approached the building's doors and was about to reach for his keys when he heard the sound of a drone. He looked to the side and spotted a small spy drone he had used with the other ninjas. He stared at the camera for a moment, then turned and walked away. He had completely lost the desire to train. The drone followed him. Lloyd wandered through the now sleepy city for a while, with the drone trailing behind. The boy finally took out his phone, opened messages, and selected Miko’s number—“Hey, are you alive?”—he typed and then put the phone back in his pocket. A few minutes later, the phone vibrated. Lloyd pulled it out immediately and saw a message—“Yeah, what’s up?” He quickly replied—“I’ve got a bunch of masked stalkers on my tail. Can you help?” Moments later, he received a response—“Where are you?” asked the message. “I’ll be passing by the center shortly,” he replied. “Cool. Give me a minute,” she replied. Lloyd put his phone away and continued walking.

After ten minutes, suddenly the drone zoomed past a few centimeters to the right of Lloyd at breakneck speed. The boy jumped with a scream, then looked back to see Miko. The girl stood there smiling, leaning against a baseball bat. The green-eyed boy opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to say something, but he couldn’t get any words out. “What’s up? Stalkers taken care of,” the girl stated, approaching the drone. “When I asked for help, I thought you would just put something on it to cover the camera, not smash it to bits,” Lloyd finally said, walking over to Miko, who was just picking up the destroyed drone. “Oh, come on,” she replied, turning to the blonde. “But you know, the materials for this drone are really expensive, right?” the boy asked, and the gray-eyed girl froze for a moment. “Um...” she started, looking at Lloyd. The boy just sighed, then took the device from his friend and examined it closely. “I remember building it,” he murmured, then added, “I should be able to find the materials needed for repair at my dad’s.” “Great! So you won’t be bored while we’re in the cave,” the black-haired girl said cheerfully. “Looks like it...” Lloyd murmured.

Chapter Text

The next day, bright and early, Lloyd set out to find the parts he needed to repair his drone. He felt somewhat familiar with the place, having helped Mrs. Sara carry things a few times, but he still struggled to navigate the gigantic volcano that belonged to his father. Well, at least he hadn’t run into him yet. For the past few days, there had been no sign of him, which was a relief for Lloyd. Fortunately, after just a few (dozen) minutes, he found the room he was looking for.

“Alright. Now I just need to find the necessary parts and tools, and I can get out of here,” he said to himself and started searching.

After about an hour, Lloyd had gathered everything he needed and was looking for the way out of the volcano. “This is like a maze,” he muttered to himself, turning yet again. “How do others find their way around here?” he wondered as he ended up in another strange room. “Well… you eventually learn how to get around,” a voice replied. Lloyd turned around and saw a boy with medium-length hair tied in a ponytail, wearing an outfit similar to one of his father’s troops.

“Lloyd, right?” the boy asked.

“Um… yes. Who am I speaking with?” the blond boy asked.

“I’m Shi. A new worker,” the boy replied. “Where do you want to go?” he inquired.

“To the exit,” Lloyd answered, and Shi smiled.

“Then come on, I’ll take you there,” he said, turning his back to Lloyd and walking ahead. After a moment, the blond boy ran after him.

“So, you’re Garmadon’s son?” he asked after a while.

“Mhm,” Lloyd grunted in response.

“Well, shouldn’t you know this place like the back of your hand?” Shi asked.

“Usually, I just head to my room and to the exit. Today, I just had to look for something,” Lloyd explained.

“I get it. I got lost here a lot at first too. Now I kind of have it figured out,” the brunet said.

“I understand,” Lloyd replied, and a silence fell between them.

“Um… if I may ask, why do you work here?” he inquired after a moment.

“Well, I need to earn some money to live, and this is the only job I was offered,” the older boy stated.

“And how old are you?” the blond boy asked again.

“I’ll be nineteen soon, and you?”

“Just turned fourteen.”

After about half an hour, Lloyd was already in the cave. Shi turned out to be quite a nice guy, and Lloyd enjoyed talking to him.

“Hello!” Miko shouted as she entered the cave.

“Hey,” Lloyd replied.

“How’s it going?” she asked, but before Lloyd could answer, she slipped and fell on her backside.

“Ouch!” she cried out as she hit the cold, wet rock.

“Are you okay?” Lloyd asked, approaching her and offering a helping hand.

“No, I’m dying,” Miko declared, accepting Lloyd’s help to get up.

“It’s low tide, so it’s wet,” the green-eyed boy noted.

“Yeah, I noticed,” Miko replied, rubbing her sore spot.

Lloyd glanced at the time on his phone. “It’s past seven, so we have about three hours until high tide. If the tide isn’t too high, we could even stay here,” he said, putting his phone away and looking for a comfortable spot to settle down.

“Well then, I’m going to bond with the wind!” Miko shouted cheerfully, and she began to lay out a blanket in her chosen spot by the water.

“Just weigh down the blanket with something, or it might blow away,” Lloyd advised, and as if on cue, the wind picked up. If Miko hadn’t been kneeling on a part of the blanket, it would have flown all over the cave.

Time passed. Miko was meditating, while Lloyd was completely absorbed in fixing the drone. It wasn’t as difficult as it might seem, and he had built the machine himself to keep an eye on the city while they had little breaks from training. Ultimately, he had never used the drone and left it somewhere in the base. Apparently, the ninja decided they would use his own project against him. Well… the boy had the plans for the drone with him, so the ninja wouldn’t have been able to fix it anyway, and besides, it gave him not only something to do but also a chance to improve it a little. He wouldn’t let his creation be used against him. No way.

Miko was slowly losing hope of awakening her elemental power. She sat and meditated, but didn’t feel it was yielding any results. She sighed softly and glanced at Lloyd. The boy was completely absorbed in fixing the drone and seemed unaware of his surroundings. Even the wind, which was occasionally quite strong, didn’t distract him. Just then, a powerful gust blew through. Miko had to brace herself with her hands to avoid falling over. When she looked back at Lloyd, he remained unfazed, engrossed in his work. Miko adjusted her position and closed her eyes, trying to focus, but she couldn’t help wondering how Lloyd could concentrate so deeply.

About three and a half hours later, the water began to rise.

“Hey, Lloyd! I think we should start packing up!” Miko shouted. Lloyd broke his focus on his work and looked at her, not entirely sure what she meant.

“The water is rising,” Miko explained.

“Oh. I completely forgot about that,” Lloyd admitted as he stood up. Suddenly, his phone vibrated.

“Who is it?” Miko asked, slowly gathering her things.

Lloyd glanced at the phone screen. “Kai,” he replied.

“The fiery one? What does he want from you?” the gray-eyed girl asked.

“He wants to meet at the ninja base,” Lloyd said, reading the message.

“Is he serious? I thought he didn’t like you,” Miko remarked, approaching Lloyd.

“Well, I talked to him recently, and I think we’re kind of mending our relationship,” the green-eyed boy explained, also putting away his things.

“So are you going?” Miko asked.

“Are you coming with me?” Lloyd responded with a question.

“Well… I can go. I’m curious about what they want,” Miko replied.

“Alright, then let’s go. But first, I’ll drop the drone off in my room,” Lloyd said, putting on his already packed backpack.

Chapter Text

Just half an hour later, Lloyd and Miko were heading towards the ninja base.

"What do you think they might want?" asked Miko.

"How would I know? If they want the drone, they're not getting it back. I built it, and it belongs to me," Lloyd stated.

"Why do you care so much about that drone?" Miko inquired.

"Well... it was probably the first thing I ever built on my own," the boy replied.

"Oh... and I broke it..." Miko said sadly after a moment, stopping in her tracks. "I'm sorry!" she shouted, grabbing Lloyd by the shoulders.

"Hey, calm down! It's alright. Besides, with your help, I got it back, so I should be thanking you," said the green-eyed boy, trying to reassure his friend. Fortunately, it worked, and five minutes later, the ninja base appeared on the horizon along with the ninjas.

"So, what do you want?" Lloyd asked as soon as they were close enough for the others to hear him.

"You didn't mention you'd be bringing someone," Gesu stated, ignoring Lloyd’s question.

"You didn't say I had to come alone," Lloyd retorted, crossing his arms.

"Well... just hand over the drone," said the redhead bluntly.

"No," the blonde immediately replied.

"That drone is ours, and you have no right to take it from us. Unless you'd like us to lock you up for theft?" the ninja leader threatened.

"Well... if I remember correctly, I built that drone, so legally it belongs to me," the green-eyed boy countered.

"Um... I actually agree. I remember perfectly well how Lloyd built it," Kai spoke up.

"But he built it to help the ninjas, so it's ours," Nya insisted.

"You know it doesn't work that way, right?" Miko interjected.

"You have no say in this," Cole stated.

"Care to bet on that?" Miko shot back, glaring at the Earth Master.

"Sorry, but Cole is right. You shouldn't even be here, so you shouldn't interfere in this conversation," Zane added.

"You're supposed to be the smart one here, so I thought you'd know that the drone is actually mine," Lloyd said, standing up for his friend.

"Well, technically, you did build it for us, so it kind of belongs to us," Jay chimed in.

"Yeah, but I never gave it to you," Lloyd snapped.

"Everyone, calm down!" a voice shouted. They all turned toward the voice and saw Wu.

"You didn’t come here to argue with the rest about the drone, Lloyd," the old man said.

"And I don’t intend to. The drone belongs to me, and there's nothing you can do about it," the green-eyed boy declared, shooting a sideways glance at Gesu, who did not look pleased.

"Anyway, what do you want?" Miko asked, clearly getting frustrated too.

"We want your help. A dangerous creature has appeared in the forest, and we can’t handle it alone. We need you to talk to your father and convince him to cooperate with us, and we'd like you to help as well," Wu explained.

"Yeah... no. We're leaving," Lloyd said, turning around to walk away. "You're overestimating your gadgets if you think they can handle it," he added.

"Well... Lloyd's right; this isn't your league," Miko agreed. "Bye!" she shouted, running after Lloyd.

"Wait... so you've already encountered this creature?!" Jay called after them, but Lloyd ignored him.

Lloyd immediately led Miko to a cave. "So, they know about that thing?" the girl asked.

"Apparently," Lloyd muttered.

"The water hasn’t risen that high," he observed, approaching a hollow where water had collected. "We can stay here for a while," he said, turning to Miko.

"Yeah..." she replied.

"What's wrong?" Lloyd asked, noticing his friend's mood.

"You know... I just don’t feel any of this," she began, sitting by the water. "I’m trying to sense the power of the wind, but I can’t do it! No matter how hard I try, I can’t feel that power, and the wind blowing here only distracts me!" the girl confessed.

"What do you mean it distracts you?" Lloyd asked, sitting next to her.

"Well... every time it blows, I completely lose my concentration, and sometimes I can't even keep my balance and fall over," the gray-eyed girl said, just as a strong gust of wind blew. The force of it made Miko lose her balance, and she nearly fell into the water, but Lloyd caught her at the last moment.

"How do you do it?" she asked.

"What?" Lloyd responded with a question.

"How come the wind doesn’t affect you?" Miko clarified.

"Well... I guess I just don’t fight against it. It's like some water currents; you just let them carry you to get out," the blonde explained. "I also think you’re trying too hard. What did Mistake tell you when you asked her about it?" he asked.

"Um... I think she said I can also master the elemental power, but I’d have to try much harder," the girl recalled her conversation with the old lady.

"Well, I think Mistake meant that your brother has a natural talent, and you’ll have to work to master it," Lloyd suggested.

"So, you think I should take it easy?" the girl confirmed.

"If I’m right, the wind is always changing and easily adapts to new situations. Maybe you should try adapting to the wind too?" the green-eyed boy proposed.

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Miko asked.

"I have no idea," Lloyd replied. Unfortunately, before they could do anything else, the ninja ship appeared outside the cave.

"Hey! Get on, right now!" Gesu’s voice shouted.

"I told you, stalkers," Lloyd muttered, making the girl laugh. "Looks like we won’t get rid of them," she stated.

"Yeah, I’m not going anywhere," Lloyd responded, heading deeper into the cave. Miko glanced at him and decided to follow. Lloyd settled comfortably under a stalagmite and didn't seem inclined to move.

"So, are we just going to rot here?" the girl asked, sitting next to him.

"Yeah. I’m not dealing with them," he replied, but they didn’t get to relax as Lloyd's phone rang. He pulled out the device and saw who was calling.

"Kai," he said, before silencing the phone and putting it away. "They can shove it," he muttered.

"Why don’t you want to go with them?" the girl asked. "I mean, I know you don’t get along, and Lady Mistake told us not to go into the forest, but maybe if we’re not alone, nothing bad will happen," she added, looking at Lloyd.

"You can’t fight him. Trust me, as soon as you see him, you’ll be overwhelmed with fear, and your body will refuse to cooperate. This is way beyond our level," he said seriously, resting his head against the stalagmite.

"I... I understand," Miko murmured. She had never encountered this entity, so she had no idea how she would react. "I should have figured out on my own that if Lady Mistake forbade us from approaching the forest, it must be something serious," she added, also leaning her head against the stalagmite.

"Honestly... there's a good chance that if I didn’t know the forest so well, I’d be dead by now," Lloyd said after a moment of silence.

"Hm?" Miko hummed, prompting him to continue.

"Aka used some kind of poison that made me lose my sight. If it weren’t for Mistake’s herbs, I’d probably be blind," he revealed. Miko was about to respond when Wu appeared in the cave.

"What do you want?" the gray-eyed girl grumbled.

"First of all, watch your tone, young lady. Second, get on the ship. The day won’t last forever," the old man said.

"Sorry, but gravity likes me too much and won’t let me get up, let alone board your little boat," the blonde boy responded, getting even more comfortable under the rock.

Chapter Text

Lloyd had no idea how, but somehow his father was on the ship too.

“What’s he doing here?” he asked as soon as he spotted his son.

“Lloyd apparently already encountered that creature, so he’s going to help us,” Nya explained.

“I never agreed to any of this! And what you guys are doing is basically kidnapping!” the blonde shouted, distancing himself as far as possible from the rest. The last thing he needed was his dad here too. At least he managed to convince Miko not to come. She knew this was out of her league and that they wouldn’t take a civilian with them anyway, so she just wished him good luck and told him to call her as soon as he got back.

Lloyd stared at the clouds; it had been a while since he’d been in the air.

“Hey,” Kai’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Hm?” Lloyd grunted. He wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone.

“Did you really come across that creature?” the brunette asked.

“Yeah. Barely made it out alive. I told you guys it’s out of your league, but apparently, everyone here is not only stupid but deaf too,” Lloyd muttered.

“Is it really that dangerous?” Kai pressed on.

“What is this, an interrogation?” Lloyd shot back, turning to face Kai. But before the fire ninja could say anything, he continued, “It doesn’t look scary, but the moment you see it, you’re paralyzed with fear, can’t move at all. Fighting it is out of the question. Your best bet is to run like hell if you can even manage to move.”

“...I see,” Kai replied after a moment. “So how did you get away?”

“Luck,” Lloyd said flatly, walking away from the fire master. This was getting annoying. Without a second thought, Lloyd headed to the very front of the ship, climbing onto the wooden pole there and sitting at the very edge.

“Lloyd, get back here! That’s dangerous!” someone shouted.

The green-eyed boy ignored the voice and lay down on the pole, watching the clouds.

“Lloyd!” another shout, probably Cole’s this time.

“I’ll be fine, so just shut up already!” he shouted back, closing his eyes as their voices slowly faded away.

---

After a while, the ship landed, and everyone disembarked.

“Alright! Time to start the hunt!” Jay shouted.

“Lloyd, where did you last see that thing?” Zane asked.

The blonde looked at everyone. Did they seriously think he was going to help them? No way, his life was more important.

“You seriously think I’m going to help you?” he asked bluntly. And before anyone could respond, he continued, “I had no intention of coming here in the first place. You dragged me here by force! You can’t fight Aka.”

He pushed past them and walked into the forest. “I’m heading back.”

“Wait, Lloyd!” Kai called out. The blonde stopped and gave the brunette a sidelong glance.

“I know we acted a bit rash, but it’s our duty to protect Ninjago, even if it means risking our lives. You don’t have to fight, but at least help us find this creature,” Kai pleaded.

“No. Goodbye,” Lloyd said, disappearing into the trees.

But in the end, everyone ended up following him, chatting cheerfully. Lloyd changed his mind because as soon as he closed his eyes, he saw an image of the forest exit, with Aka standing right there. He figured he’d lead them around in circles for a bit, and when they gave up, he’d quietly head back by air.

“Didn’t think you’d change your mind,” a voice said. Lloyd glanced to the side, where he saw Kai.

“I’m only doing this to stay alive,” he muttered.

“You mentioned something earlier about Aka. Is that the creature’s name?” Kai asked.

“I’m not obligated to answer any of your questions,” Lloyd replied, hoping to kill the fire ninja’s enthusiasm. He closed his eyes again, trying to sense where Aka was. Unfortunately, he couldn’t feel its presence.

Lloyd stopped abruptly.

“What’s wrong?” Gesu asked.

“This is where I last saw it. I don’t know where to go from here,” Lloyd said, turning to face the others.

“Maybe go in the direction you were running?” Nya suggested.

“And you seriously think it’ll still be there?” he shot back. “Just because it’s from another world doesn’t mean it’s stupid. Quite the opposite, Aka is clearly a highly skilled warrior. It’s not going to stand around like an idiot for days in the same spot.”

“So, what do we do?” Gesu asked, confused.

“I was just supposed to lead you here,” Lloyd said grudgingly. He just wanted to go back, grab his backpack, and return to his cave to finish fixing his drone. Was that too much to ask?

“If we had a drone, this would be way easier,” Cole remarked.

“Yeah, but someone’s not willing to lend it to us,” he added, louder.

“You’re starting to piss me off,” Lloyd said. “I built that drone myself, and I never said it was yours, first of all. And second, don’t forget I could’ve easily led you into the middle of nowhere and left you stranded deep in the forest,” he hissed.

“Oh! So now it’s our fault, huh?!” Gesu shouted, stepping right up to Lloyd.

“Careful, or I’ll deck you,” Lloyd warned, rolling up one of his sleeves.

“Boys, calm down!” Wu shouted, but they both ignored him.

“Oh, I’d love to punch you right now. You have no idea how much your stupidity annoys me,” Lloyd shot back, not even bothering to change his stance. To him, this spoiled, arrogant brat was no real threat.

Gesu was about to swing when Garmadon stepped in between them.

“Enough! Both of you!” he yelled. “You can fight all you want once we’re out of here, but until then, we need to work together. Got it?” He glared at both of them. Gesu huffed but backed off, while Lloyd just turned and walked away.

“Where are you going?” Zane asked.

“As far away from you guys as possible,” Lloyd replied, marching off. The others tried to catch up, but by the time they did, he was already up in the trees, observing them from above. He wasn’t planning to go anywhere but had no intention of dealing with them either.

“Nice going! Look what you did!” Kai yelled at the redhead.

“Forget it, we’ll manage without him,” Gesu said.

“Yeah, well, according to Lloyd, we don’t stand a chance anyway. But if he’s the first to run into that creature, he’ll get killed! And that’ll be on you!” Kai shouted back.

“Nice to know he cares,” Lloyd muttered to himself. They kept arguing for a while longer until his father and Wu finally calmed them down. After that, they continued on their way, with Lloyd silently tailing them from above.

When evening came, the ninja decided to set up camp. Lloyd climbed higher and pulled out his phone. *Hey, Miko. Still alive. Looks like we’re staying overnight,* he texted her, then quickly turned off the phone to save battery. It might come in handy later.

He found a comfortable spot on one of the branches, lying down with a sigh. “This is gonna be one long trip,” he muttered, glancing down at his companions who were bickering again.

“If these are the great heroes of Ninjago, then I must be a dragon,” said a voice.

“Well, nice to meet you, Mr. Dragon,” Lloyd replied, turning toward the voice — and froze, his heart suddenly racing.

Chapter Text

As soon as Lloyd got onto the ship, Miko sank to the ground, hiding her face in her hands. Until she could master her element, she wouldn't be able to help Lloyd if he ever found himself in trouble.
“What do I do now...?” she asked herself, lowering her hands from her face.

“You don’t understand, do you? You’ll never master the power of wind. You’re weak and useless.”

“They were right... I’ll never succeed...” Miko murmured, closing her eyes. At that moment, the wind blew again.

“Maybe you should adapt to the wind, too?” Lloyd had once suggested.

“But how do I even do that...?” she wondered aloud.

Miko had no idea how long she had been lying in the cave, but suddenly her phone vibrated. She reached for it and looked at the screen. “Hey, Miko. Still alive. We’re staying overnight,” the message read.
“Overnight?” she mumbled, glancing at the time.
“Eight already?!” she exclaimed, sitting up abruptly.
“I was supposed to call Morro in half an hour!” she cried, springing to her feet and running home, grabbing Lloyd’s things along the way.

Lloyd stared silently at the figure next to him. Aku, meanwhile, was watching a group of idiots arguing below them.
“You know, kid, I was hoping for a good fight at first, but I can see there’s no point now,” he said in disappointment, glancing at the green-eyed boy. Seeing Lloyd’s fear, Aku chuckled softly.
“Don’t worry. I have no intention of killing anyone,” he said, though Lloyd wasn’t entirely convinced. Even so, he turned his gaze away from the man and back to the arguing group.
“What are you doing here, Lloyd?” Aku asked after a moment.
“Making sure those fools don’t kill each other in mid-air,” Lloyd muttered, drawing a laugh from the white-haired man.
“That’s not what I meant. Why did you come with them?” Aku clarified.
“That’s none of your business,” Lloyd replied. Surprisingly, he found the conversation with the four-armed man quite pleasant. He didn’t feel the same fear he had during their first meeting.
“I see your vision is back to normal. I don’t know who helped you with the antidote, but they’re very skilled,” Aku remarked.
“I’ll pass that along,” Lloyd replied, and a silence settled between them, broken only by the sounds of the camp below.

“And why did you come to this realm?” Lloyd asked after a while.
“I already told you. I’m looking for the Green Ninja,” Aku replied.
“Why?” Lloyd pressed.
“You’re a curious one, kid. Has no one ever told you that curiosity is the first step to death?” the red-skinned man said, locking eyes with Lloyd.
“And has no one ever told you that curiosity is human nature?” Lloyd retorted, meeting his gaze. Aku laughed.
“I knew you were cool,” he said simply, turning his gaze to the stars.

Lloyd hadn’t even realized when he’d fallen asleep. When he woke up, it was already morning. The blond glanced to his side, but Aku was gone. To be sure, Lloyd leapt to the branch Aku had been sitting on the night before. There was only a message carved into the bark: “I enjoyed our conversation, but I need to get back. I hope we meet again, kid.” Lloyd shook his head in disapproval and jumped back down to the campsite. Grabbing something sharp, he returned to the branch to erase the message. Once back at the campsite, Kai emerged from one of the tents.
“I knew you were lurking around here,” he said in greeting.
“Yeah. Aku’s gone now, so when the others wake up, you can head back,” Lloyd replied, putting the tool back in its place and turning away from the brunette.
“How do you know?” Kai asked.
“Because I know,” Lloyd said dismissively, before heading into the forest.
“Wait!” Kai called out, running after him.
“I’ll leave them a note and join you,” he said, heading to the tent without waiting for a response. Lloyd rolled his eyes and kept walking. There were cliffs nearby where he’d trained with Mistake, and he wasn’t about to miss the opportunity.

When Lloyd reached the cliffs, he looked up.
“Windy today...” he muttered. Nonetheless, he used Spinjitzu to leap onto the nearest ledge.

After about an hour, completely exhausted, he finally reached the top of the cliff.
“Ugh... I’m... out of shape...” he panted, gazing at the blue sky above him. The wind blew again, cooling him slightly. Lloyd gave himself a moment to rest, then made his way to the next training spot he used with Mistake. He needed to get back into shape!

Miko had to admit, Lloyd really knew his stuff when it came to building machines. During her evening call with Morro, she told him a little about Lloyd (as she always did since she’d met him) and showed him the drone she was repairing. Her older brother was impressed that a fourteen-year-old could handle such a complex machine and said he’d like to meet the green-eyed boy someday. Miko was genuinely glad that Lloyd was the Green Ninja. After all, her friend was truly an amazing person if you spent enough time with him. At the moment, she was meditating in their cave, trying to connect with the wind. Unfortunately, she wasn’t having much success. But she had the entire break—and more—to master it. And soon, Lloyd should be back.

After a few hours, Lloyd decided he’d trained enough for the day. After a short rest, he started heading back. On the way, he thought he might check where the other Ninja were.

Just as he planned, he made his way toward their ship. If it was still docked, it meant they’d gotten lost in the forest—or Aku was still around and had taken them out. And if it wasn’t, it meant they were still alive. When Lloyd reached the cliff where the airship was docked, he muttered to himself,
“So I won’t see them again.”
“You will—many times!” a voice shouted from behind him. Lloyd turned to see an angry Gesu, with the rest of the team trailing behind him. They looked utterly ridiculous, covered in mud and leaves. Even Lloyd had never been this filthy before.
“You,” the redhead began, pointing at the blond, “left us!” he yelled.
“Not my fault,” Lloyd muttered, unfazed by the boy’s anger. Unfortunately—or perhaps fortunately—his words seemed to annoy the rest of the group (Kai excluded).
“Oh, we’re going to have a talk when we get home!” Garmadon yelled. Lloyd simply gave him a cold glare, scanning the rest of the group with the same expression.
“Let me remind you, I didn’t want to come here. But since it’s safe now, can we kindly head back? I have things to do,” he said, completely ignoring Garmadon’s angry stare and earlier words.

Chapter Text

Lloyd sent Miko a text message that they were already on their way back, then hid in a corner of the ship and watched the clouds. He wished he could fly like this more often... just without the unnecessary weight of stupidity. The boy closed his eyes, sinking into darkness.

How did you survive? someone’s voice asked. Lloyd felt like he recognized it.
And how did you achieve your full potential? came another question.
Full potential? What even is that? the blond wondered to himself.
I realized I had to decide. I wanted so badly to get the Fang Blade to prove that I could become the Green Ninja. Then I understood that my long training wasn’t meant to make me the chosen one from the prophecy but to protect him, confessed another voice, and then there was silence.
What? Why’s everyone staring at me like that? asked yet another voice, this one sounding more... childlike.
But that means... a girl started, taking a deep breath full of astonishment, disbelief, and joy. Suddenly, something began to shine in the darkness. It was shades of gold and green, along with a few other colors that Lloyd could barely discern.
%$#*& is the Green Ninja! a voice proclaimed.

That’s when Lloyd opened his eyes. They were still on the ship.
“Did you dream about something interesting?” asked Kai, who was sitting next to the blond. Lloyd jumped in surprise and looked at the Fire Ninja.
“What do you mean?” he replied, watching the brunette.
“I’ve been talking to you for a while, but you didn’t react at all,” the boy said.
“Oh,” Lloyd muttered, then turned his gaze back to the sky.
“What were you talking about?” he asked after a moment of thought.
“Nothing important, really,” the Fire Ninja replied, also gazing at the sky.

Once the ship landed near the ninja base, Lloyd immediately noticed Miko. The girl was sitting on the roof of the heroes’ base. Lloyd looked at the others, and once he made sure they weren’t watching, he ran quietly to his friend.
“Hey,” he said as soon as he reached Miko.
“Hey. How’s it going?” the girl asked. Lloyd glanced toward the port, where the others still were.
“I’ll tell you somewhere else,” the blond stated.

“So let me get this straight—you talked to that thing, and apparently, it’s gone now?” the black-haired girl asked to confirm.
“Yes,” Lloyd replied. The sun was slowly setting as they sat in the cave and talked.
“Eh... You know that if Mistress Misako finds out about this, you’ll be in trouble, right?” she asked, staring at the water, which was slowly starting to rise.
“Well, it wasn’t my choice to go there,” the blond stated, lying down on the cold rock.
“Yeah,” the girl murmured. “We’ll have to head back soon, right?” she asked after a moment of silence.
“I don’t feel like going home,” the boy muttered.

The next day, Lloyd and Miko went to the library early in the morning. The previous day ended with Lloyd staying over at Miko’s place, and the blond had to admit that staying at a friend’s house was really great.
“So, what now?” the girl asked.
“There’s so much dust here,” she added, running her finger along one of the shelves.
“If you want, we can clean it up in a bit. I’m going to check something downstairs,” the blond said and headed to the back room.

When the blond reached the training hall, he approached the four golden weapons. He touched the glass with his hand and examined them. After a moment, he noticed that the weapons were glowing slightly, but after a few seconds, the glow faded. Lloyd squinted, staring at the four weapons. They were supposedly created by the First Spinjitzu Master.
“If he used them to create our realm, then they must have some kind of power,” he murmured to himself. “The Scythe of Quakes, the Shurikens of Ice, the Nunchucks of Lightning, and the Sword of Fire. From what they wrote, they also belonged to the first ninja. If they’re still here, then there must also be some scrolls about Spinjitzu and elemental powers,” he said to himself and began looking around the room.

After about an hour, Lloyd emerged from the back room again.
“What were you looking for?” Miko asked, tearing her gaze away from her book.
“I was looking for scrolls about elemental powers,” the boy replied, sitting next to his friend.
“Did you find anything?” she asked.
“No,” the blond answered.

“Well... Since there’s no danger, we can do something in the forest,” the girl suddenly suggested.
“We could go watch the sunset and have a camping trip,” Lloyd said, setting down his empty teacup.
“That’s a great idea!” Miko shouted, standing up from her chair. “I’m going to get ready now!” she added and left the library. Lloyd just sighed, looking at the table.
“We need to tidy up a bit here,” he murmured to himself, getting up and heading to the back room.

Lloyd quietly sneaked up to the floor where he lived, then, making sure his father wasn’t around, went to his room. He quickly pulled out his green backpack, packed the necessary things, and then went to the kitchen. There, he grabbed some snacks before leaving the floor.
“Disappearing again?” a voice asked. The blond turned toward it and saw Shi.
“Aren’t you supposed to be working?” Lloyd responded with a question.
“I’m just on my way home,” the brunette replied.
“I see,” Lloyd murmured.
“Are you heading to the exit too?” the older boy asked.
“Yeah,” Lloyd replied.
“You know that Garmadon ordered you to be brought to him as soon as you show up, right?” Shi suddenly said. Lloyd didn’t reply, still looking at his conversational partner.
“But I don’t think you’d care to cooperate,” Shi added, passing by the green-eyed boy.
“That doesn’t change the fact that others will follow the order,” he stated.
“If you want, I can safely escort you to the exit,” he said, turning to face Lloyd.
“We’re going in the same direction anyway,” Lloyd said, walking up to the brunette.

“Hey,” the boy said, seeing Miko.
“Hey, Loli,” the girl said cheerfully. The blond didn’t comment on the nickname she gave him, and as they started talking, they headed toward the forest.
“So... Where will our camp be?” Miko asked at some point.
“Where you met the Green Ninja,” the boy replied.
“By the way, in the morning, we’ll be able to do some training in the field,” he added after a moment of thought, which made his friend laugh.

Chapter Text

The rest of the break went by pretty smoothly. Lloyd spent most of his time training with Miko and helping out in the library. He also got pretty close with Shi, and the two started hanging out more. When Miss Mistake finally returned, she explained everything to Lloyd and Miko. Turns out Aka is related to the Oni. More specifically, he’s from the tribe of traitors who left the Legion of Doom and settled in the First Realm.

“Hey, Lloyd! I’ve got something cool to show you. You in?” Shi asked one afternoon.

“Huh? Sure,” Lloyd muttered, still focused on sketching some gadget in his notebook. Putting it aside, he got up and followed his friend. Lloyd had really grown to like Shi. Around him, he could just be. Kind of like with Miko… and, well, maybe a bit with Kai, too.

The two left his father’s volcano and headed toward the cliffs.

“So, what’s this big surprise?” Lloyd asked, turning his back to his friend.

But instead of a reply, darkness answered.

Miko’s Saturday started off pretty chill. As usual, she slept until noon, catching up on rest after yesterday’s exhausting training. Miss Mistake wasn’t exactly known for going easy on them when it came to unlocking their powers. But Miko was feeling optimistic. Thanks to the meditations Lloyd showed her in the cave, she was starting to feel just a little bit of her elemental energy.

Speaking of Lloyd, the blond really impressed her. He totally lived up to being the Green Ninja. Sure, he had stuff to work on, but both she and Miss Mistake knew he was destined for greatness. He’d become the greatest Ninja the world had ever seen.

Miko smiled at the thought of her friend, and right at that moment, her phone buzzed. Lloyd’s name popped up on the screen.

When Lloyd opened his eyes again, he was in some kind of dungeon.

“Where the heck… am I?” he muttered, sitting up.

“Hey, Lloyd,” came Shi’s voice.

“Shi…?” Lloyd whispered, squinting at his friend. His brown hair was tied up in its usual ponytail, but something was off. He was wearing black robes with a matching cape, and his expression was cold, his eyes distant.

“Glad you’re awake,” Shi said, unlocking the bars that separated them. He stepped inside and locked the door behind him.

Lloyd tried to move, but chains wrapped around his arms, snake-like, kept him stuck.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Shi chuckled, noticing Lloyd’s mix of anger and betrayal. “I’m just trying to help you.”

“By kidnapping me?” Lloyd shot back sarcastically, earning a laugh from the older boy.

“You can’t have everything handed to you right away,” Shi replied. Then, hearing voices approaching, he added, “Good luck,” before vanishing.

Moments later, Lloyd heard footsteps and saw shadows… Ninja? What were they doing here?

“He’s gotta be somewhere in here!” someone shouted.

But Lloyd didn’t recognize the voice. It wasn’t one of the Ninja.

Miko sat on the cliff, watching the sunset. She was supposed to meet Lloyd there and was waiting for him.

Hearing a noise behind her, she turned and grinned.

“Lloyd! Finally!” she called out, getting to her feet—only to realize it wasn’t him.

“Oh… you’re not Lloyd,” she said, narrowing her eyes at the boy in front of her.

“Shi, right?” she asked, already feeling uneasy. She’d met him before as Lloyd’s friend, but something about him felt off.

“Uh… have you seen Lloyd?” she asked after a moment.

Shi didn’t respond. He just stood there, staring at her.

“Miko, isn’t it?” he finally said, flashing her a strange smile. “I have a… proposition for you.”

“What?” Miko asked, frowning. “Look, I’m here to meet Lloyd. If he’s not here, then I’ll just…” She trailed off, trying to step past him.

But Shi blocked her path.

“Lloyd’s not here anymore,” he said coldly.

Miko froze. Her heart skipped a beat, then started racing.

“You’re… joking, right?” she whispered, trying to keep calm.

“No. Your friend is already in another time,” Shi said, stepping closer.

Miko instinctively stepped back, only to realize she was almost at the edge of the cliff.

“What do you want?” she asked, her voice trembling.

“I just want to make you an offer,” Shi said.

“What kind of offer?” she asked, trapped.

“I’ll teach you how to control your powers,” Shi explained. “In return, you’ll do me a small favor.”

“What kind of favor?” Miko asked immediately.

“You’ll use your powers to help me get rid of the Ninja,” Shi said.

“You… want me to kill the Ninja?” Miko asked, stunned.

“Exactly,” Shi confirmed. “And don’t get me wrong—I’m not some villain or anything. You get rid of the Ninja, and I’ll take care of Garmadon. Together, we’ll bring peace to this city. Sounds like a sweet deal, doesn’t it?”

Miko stared at him, fear gripping her. Shi looked… deranged. His smile was unnatural, and there was a crazed glint in his eyes.

“What do you say?” he asked, standing just a few feet away.

Miko’s mind raced. What would Lloyd do? Of course, he’d say no… right? Or would he? After all, the Ninja and his father had ruined his life. But would he really be able to kill them?

“How do you even do that?!” Miko shouted, watching Lloyd use Spinjitzu to climb up the cliff.

“I’ve been training longer than you, so I’ve got more experience,” Lloyd said, offering her a hand.

“Ugh… I wish I were like you,” Miko muttered, letting him help her up.

“Really?” Lloyd asked.

“Yeah! You’re so talented, smart, and everything just comes so naturally to you!”

“That’s not true,” Lloyd replied.

“Seriously?” Miko said, rolling her eyes.

“Like I said, I’ve been training longer. Maybe it looks like talent to you, but it’s not. You wouldn’t believe the stuff Miss Mistake put me through to get here. Plus, I’ve had to put in my own work,” Lloyd explained.

“Then teach me how you do it!” Miko demanded.

Lloyd just laughed.

“No.”

“What?! Why not?!” Miko asked, offended.

“Because I think it’s better to find your own way instead of copying someone else’s path,” Lloyd said.

“So, have you made up your mind?” Shi asked, stepping in front of Miko again.

She looked at him, her heart steady now. She shouldn’t think about what Lloyd would do. She needed to focus on what Miko Dragon would do.

“Yes,” she said with newfound confidence.

“And?” Shi asked.

“I’m saying no,” Miko said firmly.

Sure, she didn’t like the Ninja, but that didn’t mean she was going to kill them just to unlock her powers. With Lloyd and Miss Mistake’s help, she’d find her own path.

“Oh…” Shi muttered, disappointed. His smile faded, only to reappear seconds later.

“In that case…” he said, grinning wickedly. “Die.”

Before Miko could react, Shi shoved her off the cliff.

She screamed as she fell. To an outsider, it might have lasted only a second, but for Miko, it felt like forever.

The wind howled in her ears, yet her heart was calm.

Suddenly, the wind around her shifted, taking on a soft pistachio hue. A faint melody reached her ears, soothing her.

Miko reached out toward the colorful wind, and in an instant, it wrapped around her, gently lowering her to the ground.

Chapter Text

Lloyd couldn’t believe what he was seeing when his green irises met their exact counterpart.
“Who are you?” asked the boy dressed as the Green Ninja, but Lloyd didn’t answer. The blond-haired boy simply stared at the man in front of him, who looked like his identical copy—just older.
“Um… maybe I’ll try a different way?” the stranger muttered to himself.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“L-Lloyd. Lloyd Garmadon,” the green-eyed boy replied, and seeing the shock in his counterpart’s eyes, he wondered what he might have said wrong.
“That’s impossible!” the older one declared. “That’s my name! Lloyd Garmadon. The Green Ninja.” The older man introduced himself, as they both stared at each other in shock.

“So… I’ve traveled back in time,” the fourteen-year-old muttered to himself, staring at the floor, while the older boy struggled with the chains binding the teenager.
“This is pretty strange. If I remember correctly, the Time Masters were defeated,” the older one stated, and when he freed the younger boy, they both stood up.
“We’ll have to send you back to your time,” he announced, then headed toward the exit of the cell.
“Come on. I’ll introduce you to the rest of the team,” he said with a smile, and the younger blond immediately followed the older one, still trying to process the information he’d just received.

At first, Lloyd found it hard to adjust to the reality of having traveled back in time, but after a few weeks in the monastery with the first ninja, he began to settle in. Everyone was truly amazing to him, and the older Lloyd quickly became like a real brother in the short time they had spent together. Training with real ninja and exploring Ninjago—a place so drastically different from the one the fourteen-year-old lived in—was incredible. Of course, they were still searching for a way to send "Gray" Lloyd back to his own time. But the teenager wasn’t about to waste the opportunity, and when he wasn’t training with the others or out on patrol, he poured over scrolls. He had already mastered Airjitsu, and with the help of "Green" Lloyd, "Gray" Lloyd was working to awaken his powers.

At the moment, he was helping Zane with dinner while Jay, Cole, and Kai played some kind of game. The older Lloyd was assisting Master Wu, and Nya and Pixal were busy tinkering in the workshop.
“Dinner’s ready!” the fourteen-year-old called out to the adults, who were so focused on their game that they didn’t hear him. Lloyd just sighed, then walked into the living room and repeated himself.
“Dinner.”

At his voice, the three ninja jumped with a scream, accidentally losing their game in the process.
“You scared us, kid!” Kai shouted as Jay scrambled up from the floor and Cole tried to calm down.
“You shouldn’t sneak around like that,” the Earth Ninja scolded him.
“I wasn’t sneaking. You just weren’t paying attention,” the youngest stated with a slight smile, then walked over to help the Lightning Master to his feet.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Barely,” the redhead replied with a light laugh.

“I see you’re not slacking,” came the voice of the old man. “That’s good,” he added, sitting down beside the fourteen-year-old and glancing sideways at what the blond was reading.
“Well, I can’t waste this chance,” Lloyd replied, sending a small smile to the older man.
“I understand. We have a meeting in half an hour. The team is expecting you to join,” he said before leaving what served as a library.

As soon as he left, Lloyd sighed. Even though he felt like he finally belonged here, he couldn’t stop thinking about Miko, Miss Emily, and the others. Somewhere in his heart, fear for his friends—who had done so much for him—began to grow. The boy set aside the scroll and left the library. After all, the meeting was about to start.

“Hey, kid,” greeted "Green" Lloyd, ruffling the boy’s hair.
“Hey,” replied "Gray" Lloyd with a quiet chuckle.
“Ready for patrol?” the older one asked.
“Of course I am,” the younger replied, stretching.
“Then let’s go?” "Gray" asked.
“Absolutely,” said "Green."

Lloyd made himself comfortable on one of the tree branches and pulled out his notebook to write about his day. Since arriving here, he had made a habit of recording each day.
“I see you’re enjoying yourself,” came a voice. The boy jumped slightly, glancing toward the sound.
“You,” he hissed, seeing none other than the brunette who had once been a close friend.
“Surprised?” the other asked cheerfully, his grin widening as he saw the fourteen-year-old take a combat stance.
“I didn’t come here to fight,” he stated, seemingly unaffected by the younger boy’s hostile posture. “Unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury of letting you sit around here forever. So, we’re going back to our own time,” he declared, stepping closer to the blond.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Lloyd replied, still keeping a close eye on his opponent.
“Oh, but it’s not up to you,” the older one said, lunging at the fourteen-year-old. Lloyd immediately dodged the attack and struck Shi from the side, initiating a fight.

Chapter Text

“Do you really have to leave?” asked Lloyd, helping Miko pack.

“Unfortunately, yes. Miss Mistake herself admitted she can’t teach me anything more, and Moro knows a lot about wind power,” the girl said sadly, taking her toiletry bag from her friend.

“But that doesn’t change the fact that we’re friends. We just won’t see each other for a while, but we can still talk on the phone,” she added, closing her suitcase and looking into Lloyd’s green eyes.
“Besides, you probably have more important things on your mind,” she noted.
“The exam will be a piece of cake,” Lloyd replied confidently.
“I know that. I meant school,” the black-haired girl clarified.
“You know, I’ve heard of a school that would be perfect for you,” she began, piquing her friend’s interest.
“The Warrior Academy, where Spinjitzu masters train. Unfortunately, it’s not up to us whether we get in. When someone deliberately turns sixteen, they might get an invitation letter from the academy. But no one really knows how they choose us,” she explained.
“And that’s my goal — to get in and master my elemental powers!” she said with determination.

“Safe travels,” Lloyd said, giving Miko one last hug.
“Good luck with school,” she replied, then grabbed her luggage and headed toward the plane. Lloyd stayed behind, waving at his friend, just like Miss Mistake, Emili, and Ala. Only once the plane disappeared from sight did the group leave the airport.

“You know, Lloyd,” said the woman, “a while ago I was at the library and found something interesting.”
“Hm? What was it?” asked the blond boy, glancing at the slightly smiling Mistake.
“Well, I found a clause that would let me hire you part-time,” she announced.

Since Lloyd's time-traveling adventure, History had become his new favorite subject. He had never realized that even an old scrap of paper or a pebble could hold an incredible story! Surprisingly, his new classmates totally understood his fascination. With Miss Emili’s help, he enrolled in a morning class where lessons usually ran from six to ten or eleven. It was a class mostly made up of people who had failed a grade or were working.

Including Lloyd, there were six of them — and they got along really well.

Three girls:
– Goshi, a seventeen-year-old gothic girl with black hair. She was both amazing and a bit terrifying.
– Ichi, a brunette with a sharp personality. Like Lloyd, she lived with her father, and their relationship was pretty tense.
– Ata, a super energetic redhead and class president — her fiery hair made her hard to miss.

Then the boys:
– Tet, a seventeen-year-old gambler who, despite his bad habits, was a loyal friend.
– Aru, Ata’s twin brother.

Most of them had some sort of addiction, but Lloyd didn’t mind. The six of them really clicked and shared a lot in common — like parents who didn’t understand them, constant arguments at home, or their mutual dislike of ninjas and Garmadon. They thought all those battles were pointless.

Lloyd actually had a blast trash-talking the ninja and his father at the park or in some bar over a drink. Of course, he never went overboard with alcohol and kept it under control. Their little outings happened every other Saturday, and they usually got so caught up in conversation they forgot about drinking altogether. They shared all kinds of stories — mostly Lloyd listened since he didn’t have many of his own. Only Miko and Misako knew about his time-travel adventure.

Lloyd also adapted quickly to his new job. At first, the other workers were skeptical, but they warmed up to him quickly. Well… except for the ladies in the staff room, who always had some issue — but no one really cared, since they always had some problem.

He also sometimes earned extra money babysitting Ala and her friends when Miss Emili was busy. Of course, he didn’t neglect his training. He continued working to awaken his powers, sharpened his Spinjitzu and Airjitzu skills, and kept up with martial arts. He also took care of the library, helping Miss Mistake keep it in one piece. Together, they often went on little expeditions. Mistake decided to teach Lloyd herbology and survival skills useful in any environment.

After Miko left, Lloyd set himself a new goal: to get into the Warrior Academy — and Miko supported him fully, staying in regular contact. She herself was working hard to master her powers and get in as well.

As for the ninja, Lloyd hadn’t seen them since — except for a few conversations with Kai, who was trying to rebuild their relationship. Lloyd appreciated the effort, but he couldn’t forget how he had been treated. They agreed to stay friends — for now, nothing more.

Lloyd also started getting more comfortable moving around his father’s volcano base. He even made friends with a few of the staff — though he got along best with Miss Sara.

As for Shi — there had been no sign of him since their last encounter, and that was perfectly fine by Lloyd. He knew they’d probably clash again someday, but that was a problem for later.

He still didn’t speak with his father, but somehow, that didn’t bother either of them.

Either way, Lloyd had started a new chapter in his life.

Chapter Text

“Good morning, Ninjago! I’m Anna Wędzikowska,” announced the woman on the TV.
“And Filip Haizer here, bringing you today’s warm news—with style!” finished the man beside her.
“Boring...” Lloyd muttered, closing the laptop and leaving his room.

“Good morning,” the boy greeted an elderly woman he knew well—one of his father’s employees.
“Hello, Lloyd. What are you doing out so early?” she asked, without taking her eyes off the workers she was directing as they moved boxes.
“I’ve got a little adventure planned with the crew,” he replied.
“Well then, good luck.” That was the end of their exchange, as Lloyd left the volcano base.

“Hey! Finally! What took you so long?!” Aru shouted, immediately getting smacked on the head by Ata.
“What was that for?!” he asked his sister indignantly.
“Do I need a reason to hit you?” she shot back.
“Are they fighting again?” asked Ichi, who had just arrived.
“Yup,” Tet replied lazily, sitting under a tree and playing on his phone.
“Where’s Goshi?” Lloyd asked.
“Said she couldn’t make it today—her boss wouldn’t give her the day off,” explained Ata.
“Oh. That’s a shame,” mumbled Ichi.
“So, are we going or what? I recently won a pretty interesting map,” Tet said, putting away his phone and standing up.
“Of course we are,” Lloyd grinned.

“Uhm… I think they gave you a fake,” Ata said, staring out over the ocean from the cliff they stood on.
“Or we’re just lost,” added Aru.
“We’re not lost! The map clearly leads right here!” Tet insisted.
“But there’s nothing here!” Ichi shouted, while Lloyd observed the sea below.
“Tet, can I see the map?” Lloyd asked suddenly, interrupting the argument.
“Huh? Sure,” Tet muttered, handing over the piece of paper.
“What if there is something here?” Lloyd said, kneeling to lay the map on the ground. He picked up a stick and started sketching.
“Look. This is what our Ninjago looks like now.” He pointed to the drawing.
“But on the map, it looks completely different,” he continued.
“So… the map is real, just not from our time?” Ichi followed his logic.
“Exactly.” Lloyd stood up and began taking off his shoes.
“Wait, you’re not actually gonna jump, are you?” Aru asked.
“Why not?” Lloyd replied with a grin, taking off his backpack and hoodie and stepping up to the edge.
“Ugh… You always come up with the craziest ideas,” Ata sighed, also removing her shoes and pack.
“Wasn’t planning to swim today, but oh well,” muttered Ichi, joining them.

The water was freezing, but no one seemed to care. Lloyd looked around, then glanced at his friends—all of them had resurfaced, gasping for air.
“Can’t see a thing,” Ata said, brushing wet hair from her face.
“Maybe it’s deeper,” Tet suggested.
“I’ll try again. You guys look for some kind of exit,” Lloyd offered, then dove under again, this time swimming straight down.

After a few seconds in darkness, a golden-green glow appeared, lighting up the depths. Lloyd could now clearly see a cave at the base of the cliff wall. He smiled and swam back up.
“I found something!” he shouted, getting the attention of the others who were still searching for a way up.
“Seriously?!”
“Yeah. A cave!”

After a few minutes, the whole group managed to swim through the submerged tunnel and surfaced again—but what they saw exceeded all expectations.
“Ninjago City...” Lloyd whispered, recognizing the ancient city that had existed hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago.
“You know this place, Lloyd?” Ichi asked.
“How could I not?” he replied, walking deeper into the ruins, eyes wide with wonder.
“To think something like this has been hidden beneath our feet for years...” Tet murmured, admiring the nature-covered city. It was a sight none of them would ever forget.

The city was surprisingly well-preserved. Though much of it was overgrown, the buildings still stood firm, untouched by time. Some streets had turned into rivers leading back to the submerged entrance.
“Borg Tower is still in great shape. So’s the old broadcast station. I wonder if any footage survived,” Lloyd mumbled to himself.
“Judging by the layout, this has to be the center of the city,” he added aloud.
“Let’s spread out. Maybe we’ll find something interesting. Meet back here in two hours,” Lloyd suggested, pointing to the tallest tower—the one that once belonged to the great inventor, Cyrus Borg.

A small smile played on his lips as he walked through the old streets of Ninjago, letting memories slowly wash over him like a warm tide. He saw glimpses of the city as it used to be—bustling with people, vibrant and alive. In his mind, the ninja team darted through the crowds—helping police, stopping villains. Green and gold sparks flickered between his fingers as memories sparked joy in his heart. But those visions faded as he arrived at Borg Tower. If anything had survived, it would be here.

Lloyd started his search underground. He remembered well the amount of security once used to protect powerful artifacts like the Golden Armor or the Realm Crystal. He remembered the powerful aura those items gave off.

As he’d suspected, all the rooms down below were now empty. That made sense—he’d seen some of these items at Mistake’s dojo.
But how did they get there? he wondered.
He’d ask her another time.

Lloyd climbed back up. The best chance of finding something now was in Borg’s workshop… or his office.

Chapter Text

Lloyd had always known that Gesu was a complete idiot. But using the ULTIMATE WEAPON?! That took a special kind of stupid. The blond regretted not having stolen that weapon and giving it to Mistake—then the city would probably still be in one piece, not under attack by a giant cat.

He was currently sitting in his room, texting his friends. Thankfully, everyone was safe. Ms. Emili, Ala, and the other staff had managed to evacuate, and his classmates were already at the port, ready to board a ship and flee.

Lloyd briefly considered doing the same… but in the end, he stayed. He was too curious to see what the ninja would do now. Besides, he still needed to retrieve the files he’d found in Old Ninjago, and the boat didn’t have the necessary tech for that. So now, he wandered around the volcano, looking for the “nerd room,” as Garmadon always called it.

"Le-loyd" Garmadon’s voice stopped him in his tracks. He turned to face his father.
"Hm?" he mumbled, as Garmadon approached with a grin and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
"You know, since I’ve already conquered Ninjago and you’re turning sixteen tomorrow, what do you say to a little adventure? Father and son! I could teach you some truly wonderful things! Like—" he started cheerfully, but Lloyd caught sight of Ms. Sara behind Garmadon, giving him an encouraging look.
"No thanks. I’m not interested" Lloyd cut him off.
"I couldn’t care less about your so-called conquest, especially since it was mostly the cat that did all the work" he added, stepping away.

He noticed Sara gesturing weirdly, clearly trying to convince him to give Garmadon a chance.
"Huh. I thought visiting the family home would mean something to you, but if not... "Garmadon muttered, turning his back—and Lloyd could feel the smug smirk forming on his father’s face.
"You mean the apartment block that’s probably already destroyed?" he asked, despite himself.
"No. I mean the monastery. On the other side of the island" Garmadon replied, voice dripping with satisfaction.

Lloyd knew he should’ve ignored him and focused on the data. But the mention of a monastery immediately pulled up memories from his time-travel adventures. He HAD to know if it was the same one.

And that’s how he ended up hiking with a group of brightly dressed idiots, carrying his father in a bamboo cage.
"You guys do realize you’re wasting your energy, right?" he asked, not even bothering to look at them.
"Oh, shut up" Gesu snapped back.
"You’ll have to let him out soon anyway" Lloyd muttered, knowing they’d soon be climbing the cliff he often trained on.

"Hey, random question—where did you get that extra pair of arms?" Kai asked.
"Hey! You can’t just ask stuff like that!" Jay scolded.
"No, no, it’s actually a good question. Not many people bother asking" Garmadon chimed in.
"To answer you: I was bitten by a snake" he said matter-of-factly. Lloyd snorted quietly.
"But… snakes don’t have hands" Cole pointed out.
"True. But that snake had been bitten by a spider first. Then it bit me" explained the only adult in a hundred-meter radius. Lloyd couldn’t help it—he burst out laughing.
What’s so funny? Zane asked.
"You guys. And your ridiculous stories" Lloyd replied, hearing offended gasps behind him.
"Oh yeah? Then what’s your brilliant explanation for the four arms, genius?" Nya asked.
Oh, now you care about my opinion? Alright, Lloyd said, finally turning to face them.
"Theory one: like my father said, bitten by a snake—specifically, the Devourer. But that’s unlikely, seeing as he was defeated by the first ninja and is probably in the Realm of the Departed.
Theory two, much more plausible: one of my dad’s ancestors was an Oni" he said, then sighed at their blank stares.
"Sorry, but I don’t have any information about that in my database" Zane admitted.
"What’s an Oni?" Kai asked.
"You guys seriously never heard the legend of the Oni and the Dragons? Or the Doom Legion? "Lloyd asked, but silence was his only answer. What else had he expected?
"Could you maybe explain it to us? Garmadon asked, apparently genuinely curious.
"It’s all in the library. Sometimes it’s worth reading a book" Lloyd said, turning his back to them and continuing the march.

At least they were quiet now.

Chapter Text

“Here we are. The Monastery of Unsteady Beginnings,” announced the four-armed one, stepping up to the massive doors.
“Also known as the Garmadon family home,” he added, pulling a key from under the doormat.
“It's... pretty dark in here,” Kai noted as he stepped inside—just as the lights flicked on.
“Found the switch!” Jay shouted excitedly.
“Oh my gosh! Fruit!” Nya exclaimed, spotting a bowl of what were clearly plastic decorations. Her yelp of pain confirmed it.
“So? What do you think, Le-Loyd?” asked Garmadon, leaning on the blonde’s shoulder.
“Impressive,” he added, though Lloyd ignored him—his attention caught by an old mural. The green-eyed boy approached it to take a closer look.
“What is this?” he asked.
“Seriously, Lloyd? We’re basically in a treasure vault and you’re interested in some rock?” Cole scoffed.
“According to my scan, that rock is over several million years old,” Zane said, joining them.
“I don’t recognize this script in any database,” he added, studying the glowing green inscriptions.
But Lloyd understood every word. He knew this script. The Script of the Green.

Only when you open your heart and mind will you gain control of the power. Good luck, Grey.

A faint smile tugged at his lips. It had been a long time since anyone called him that.
“Hey! I think I found that ultimate weapon!” Gesu shouted, holding up a box.
“Hm?” Lloyd murmured, joining the others. Inside were several elemental symbols that began to glow the moment the five picked them up.
“With this, we can totally beat that cat!” Jay cheered as they placed the items back into the box and began celebrating.
Meanwhile, Garmadon approached the blonde, who stood slightly apart.
“Le-Loyd,” he began, catching the teen’s attention.
“I was wondering... would you want to come back with me to the city? As a father...” he trailed off, something stirring in Lloyd.
“...and as my first officer?” he added. Whatever had sparked in Lloyd vanished.
“What?” the blonde asked flatly.
“We’re a great team! Unstoppable! We could rule Ninjago together!” Garmadon said cheerfully. But as their eyes met, his smile faded.
Lloyd said nothing. He simply brushed past his father, grabbing the box.
“Move it. We’ve got a city to save,” he snapped, shoving the box into Kai’s hands and heading for the door.
“Lloyd? You okay?” the fire ninja asked.
“Fine,” he replied instantly, without looking back—even though he heard shouting. Then suddenly, he was shoved backwards
“Sorry, Le-Loyd,” Lord whispered, slamming the door shut. The building began to collapse.

Should he take this as disownment? His father had literally slammed a door in his face and left him to die two minutes ago.
“Ugh... no point dwelling on it,” he muttered, standing up and glancing back at the panicking ninja.
“Hey! You gonna whine all day?!” he shouted, catching their attention.
“In case you haven’t noticed, we’re about to die!” Gesu yelled back. Lloyd sighed. He forgot the guy was an idiot. He needed a different way to reach them. They were ninja after all.
“Wait a sec... That’s it!” he said to himself, a smile forming.
“Kai, Nya, Zane, Cole, Jay! Use your powers!” he yelled, causing the five to stare at him like he was insane.
“What?” Jay blinked.
“You’re ninja! You weren’t chosen as the original team for nothing! Fire! Water! Ice! Earth! Lightning!” he said, pointing at each.
“Those are your powers! Open your minds and hearts! Let the primal power flow through you and awaken your true potential!”
Seeing something spark in their eyes, he continued.
“Close your eyes. Take a deep breath in... and out. Feel the power within you.” He joined them in doing so.
“Quiet your mind. Find your strength and let it flow through you,” he instructed.

In the darkness, he saw a green spark. A warm tingle ran down his spine as his fingers touched the vibrant green light—so familiar, yet so alien. Master Wu from the First Ninja era always preached opening one’s mind—detaching from emotion and letting thoughts flow—but reminded that a true ninja balances heart and mind.

At that moment, perhaps calming both mind and heart was enough to reignite even a spark of ninja power.
When Lloyd opened his eyes, a faint green flame hovered in his hand. Maybe the power had been waiting all along—for him to break through and choose to help the ninja again. A small smile curved his lips as he looked at the team. Each ninja stared in awe at a tiny elemental spark in their own hands.
“Alright. Ready to get out of here?” Lloyd asked, drawing their attention once more. Before they could answer, he turned to the doors.
“It’ll be tough at first, but if you focus and set a clear goal, you’ll be able to control your power.” As he spoke, he held the green flame close to the massive doors. It transformed into a glowing orb of energy—and then exploded, blasting the doors open.
A part of Lloyd was thrilled to be working with the old team again. Another part hated reopening old wounds. But there was also a part, despite everything, that knew if saving his loved ones meant working with the ninja again... then he’d do it.

“Nice outfit,” Kai said, walking up to him.
“How long’ve you had it?” he asked. Lloyd only shrugged.
Kai sighed quietly and extended his hand, summoning a small red flame.
“It’s weak, but with enough training, you should be able to grow your power,” Lloyd noted, eyeing the flame. Kai smiled.
“Good to have you back on the team,” he said, closing his fist to extinguish the flame.
“So... how’s it feel having sixteen on your back?” he asked, leaning against the ship’s rail.
“Hm?” Lloyd blinked.
“Y’know. You’re turning sixteen today.” Kai explained.
A quiet “Oh” escaped Lloyd’s lips. He’d been so focused on everything else, he completely forgot.
“Don’t tell me you forgot.” Kai chuckled.
“I had other things on my mind,” Lloyd replied.

“Team! We’re approaching the city!” Nya called out.
“So, ready to save the city from your dad and a giant cat?” Kai asked.
Lloyd snorted.
“Yeah. Time to put the old team back together,” he replied with a grin, following his friend.
Sneaking through the city unnoticed was a small challenge with five ninja. Luckily, they had plenty of opportunities to train their powers. Gesu stayed with Wu to oversee the situation from above. Lloyd was probably the only one covering his face.
“Isn’t it a little stuffy in there?” Cole asked as they slipped through a collapsed building.
“No,” the blond replied quickly. “Better focus on the mission,” he added, taking down one of his father’s men.
“Uh… not to worry you guys, but I think Garmadon’s about to get eaten!” Nya shouted as she saw the giant cat closing in on the four-armed man.
“I’ll handle it. You take care of Garmadon’s men,” Lloyd ordered, and instead of following the team, he leapt onto a still-standing building.
“Hey! Over here!” he yelled, drawing the creature’s attention.

Within moments, the cat was in front of the masked blond. His green eyes met the glowing green feline ones. Lloyd’s gaze moved to the tag on the animal’s collar.
“Psotka?” he murmured, and seeing the creature react, he smiled slightly. “It suits you,” he said, removing his mask.
He slowly began approaching the animal.
“Easy now…” he whispered as the cat bared her fangs and hissed.
“I won’t hurt you,” he said gently, extending a hand toward the creature.
“I’m a friend,” he added with a warm smile.
The cat seemed to understand, letting the teen touch her, and after a moment of petting, she even began to purr.
“There. See? It works,” he muttered.
“If you have a collar, you have an owner. You should go back to them, beautiful. They’re probably worried,” he told the cat.
She meowed in response and walked away.
The blond exhaled and looked over the city. People were already celebrating, thanking the ninja for saving the city once again.

His phone buzzed, and a message appeared on the screen:

Come join us!

wrote Kai. Lloyd smiled at the message and was just heading to the fire escape when a voice stopped him.

“Lloyd Montgomery-Garmadon, is that correct?” asked a voice behind him.

Chapter Text

"Lloyd Montgomery-Garmadon, is that correct?" asked a voice behind him.
The blond felt a slight breeze pass by. He turned to see a black-haired man standing a short distance away. One strand of his hair was dyed green, and his gray eyes were fixed on Lloyd.
"Morro Dragon, right?" Lloyd replied with a question. "Miko told me a bit about you," he added, noticing the man's slightly surprised expression and giving him a small smile.
"Well. Miko rarely knows how to keep her mouth shut," Morro remarked, walking closer to the younger boy.
"So... what brings you here? Came to meet our amazing heroes?" Lloyd asked. "Or maybe my father?" he added right after.
"No," Morro replied. "I came for you."
He pulled a small USB drive from his pocket.
"This is an official invitation to the Warrior Academy. All the details are on the drive, and the school year starts in a month. The Academy is hoping you'll attend," he said, handing the device to Lloyd.
The boy looked at the USB, and when he raised his gaze again, Morro was gone.
"Lloyd?! Where are you hiding?!" Kai called, climbing onto the rooftop—only to find it empty...

The Ninjago port was huge, and now crowded with people returning to the city since yesterday. According to the data on the USB, the ship wasn’t set to depart for another week, but it couldn’t hurt to look around, maybe even meet the people he'd be traveling with, right?
It didn’t take long for him to find a medium-sized ship marked with a dragon symbol.

"You looking for something, kid?" asked a woman’s voice from behind.
Lloyd jumped slightly and turned around. Before he could say anything, the redhead spoke again:
"You’re that kid who got accepted into the Academy? Just so you know, we don’t leave for another week," she said firmly.
"Uh... I know! I just wanted to look around," the boy explained.
The woman scanned him with her cold green eyes.
"What’s your name?" she asked after a pause.
"Lloyd. Lloyd Garmadon," he introduced himself.
"Charming," she muttered. "I’m Misako Montgomery," she introduced herself.
"You can look around, fine. But if you break anything, you're paying for it," she warned, then headed toward the ship.
"Understood!" he called after her, unsure if she even heard.

The crew turned out to be quite friendly. They were happy to show him around the ship and explain how the journey would go.
They mentioned that Misako didn’t tolerate laziness, so he’d be expected to work alongside them—which didn’t bother him—and they started showing him what did what, so he wouldn’t have to learn everything just by watching.
They also gave him the exact time he needed to show up and offered tips on what to pack.

"So you're leaving?" Goshi asked.
"Yeah. But we’ve still got a week, so we can make the most of it," the blond said.
"How about going back to those ruins? Maybe we’ll find something cool!" Aru suggested.
"Ugh, give it a rest. Let’s do something exciting. Something new!" Ata chimed in.
"I don’t know what’s so boring about that old town, but okay," Tet muttered.
"What if we go to a party? There’s one tomorrow to celebrate that cat being defeated," Ichi suggested.
"Hmm, not sure..." Goshi hesitated. "I’ve got a night shift then," she explained.
"Then let’s skip school and go somewhere," Lloyd proposed.

"Good luck, Lloyd," Mistake said with a warm smile.
"We’re all rooting for you!" added Mrs. Emili.
Ala waved at him happily. His friends had come to see him off.
He had left Kai and his father a note saying he found a better school and was transferring.
He also said goodbye to his mom, and Mistake had promised to tend to the grave.

"Hey! We don’t have all day!" Misako shouted.
"Coming!" he called back and gave one last look at his loved ones.
The sun was just rising over the mountains.
He smiled at them.
"See you soon!" he said cheerfully, then ran onto the ship with his backpack.

"Alright kid. During the trip, you’re under Niko’s supervision. If he tells you to do something, you do it, got it?" the redhead said.
"Got it," Lloyd replied, setting his backpack down by the bed he’d been shown.
"There’s another bed here. That means someone else will be joining us later, right?" he asked immediately.
Misako stared at him for a moment before muttering:
"You’re pretty observant."
Lloyd caught that, and after a short pause, she added:
"Yes. One more person who got accepted will be joining us."
"I see," he nodded.
"You’re expected at morning assembly in an hour. I don’t tolerate tardiness," she said, then walked out.

Chapter Text

Over the past month, Lloyd had grown used to life on the ship. He would wake with the sun and start the day with morning training. After that, he’d meet with the others for roll call before they all went off to their respective tasks. During breaks, he’d chat with the crew over second breakfast, and after the evening meeting, he’d end the day with another round of training. When they docked at islands, he eagerly learned from the locals and restocked on medicinal herbs, which proved incredibly useful on board.

“Hey, Lloyd! When you're done with your task, report to me!” the captain shouted.

“On it!” the boy called back, not even lifting his head as he scrubbed grime from the hull.

“How much you wanna bet it’s about another new recruit?” he heard someone whisper.

“Oh shut it and focus on your job, or the captain will turn you into shark bait,” another voice snapped back.

Well, Misako did run a tight ship. She made sure everyone pulled their weight, and if someone slacked off, they’d be on dish duty for the rest of the week—if they were lucky.

“Alright crew! We’re docking here for two weeks—time to restock, pick up the new candidate, and move on!” the captain announced as they reached the shore of the Jade Kingdom.

“First big city, huh?” asked Derek, the dark-haired guy who always hung out in the crow’s nest, giving Lloyd a pat on the back. “Let’s get things done and then have some fun,” he added more loudly, getting cheers from the rest of the crew before heading off to his duties. Lloyd just rolled his eyes and got to work.

“What do you mean you’re calling off our engagement?!” the furious girl shouted, staring at the black-haired prince and her younger sister, who was now clinging to him shamelessly.

“We’re not right for each other. I don’t love you. I only agreed to this crap because of our parents—but I never cared for you,” he said coldly, looking straight into her malachite-green eyes.

Her life with him flashed before her eyes—every gentle, loving moment, every smile filled with joy, every second she thought she was loved. Her heart shattered. But she didn’t show it. She didn’t cry. Instead, she smiled softly and looked at the traitorous pair.

“I understand. Vex, Dalia, I wish you both happiness on your new path,” she said and walked away.

The Jade Palace was a stunning place filled with various artifacts, but the most powerful of them all was a simple katana. It was the symbol of the kingdom’s founder—and the beloved of the First Green Ninja.

When Harumi was rejected by her beloved and consequently lost her right to the throne, her friend suggested she apply to the Warrior Academy, which trained generations of ninjas and people gifted in combat or magic. Harumi had always loved getting into trouble, and her wild, childish spirit meant she had little actual battle experience. She didn’t know how to apply, but when a red-haired girl appeared in her room a week ago with an invitation, she didn’t hesitate. She packed up her savings, essentials, and the founder’s sword—which she’d already used in battle away from prying eyes—and headed for the port.

Imagine her surprise when, instead of the captain, she was greeted by some green-eyed blond boy.

“Oh! You must be the new recruit for the academy?” he asked, more to himself than to her. “Just so you know—the Captain is... a bit much. Good luck with her,” he added before returning to his duties when someone called him away.

Harumi didn’t need to ask—she instantly knew he was also a candidate. His posture, his voice, his eyes—it was all obvious. A trained fighter. Someone who’s been through a lot. Not that she cared.

Lloyd only needed one look to recognize Her Royal Highness Harumi. Since that morning, he’d been hearing echoes of memories from the Green Ninja. The former Lloyd had loved her with all his heart. And when he finally saw her, something in him stirred... strangely. But he brushed it off. His goal was to get into the Academy.

It was clear Harumi had the same aim. And despite being a princess, she had strong determination and a solid work ethic. She wasn’t particularly strong, but she had deep knowledge of herbs and was skilled with a sword—something Lloyd had seen for himself over the past two weeks at sea.

Well… maybe they’d get along. Who knows?

“LLOYD! Focus on your work or you’re going overboard!” Misako shouted.

“Yes, Captain!” he called back, snapping back to his duties.

Chapter Text

"You're leaving the crew?!" Her scream shattered the forest silence near the port.
"You wouldn't understand," stated the nineteen-year-old girl. Her red hair was tied into a long braid, and her green eyes shimmered with something she herself couldn't explain.
"Think it through, sister. You're the Sea Dragon Lady! You strike fear into the hearts of pirates, and the crew will always stand by your side. What more could you want?" asked her older sister.
"That's just it. I don't want to live as a pirate anymore. I want to find my calling and my place in the world. I want to start making my own choices, Misako." The younger one looked straight at the future captain. Silence settled between them for a moment.
"Do what you want, Koko. But make sure you won’t regret it," she said, turning and walking away.

When she first saw him and heard his name, she was convinced the world was mocking her.
How could that scrawny kid possibly share blood with the Sea—now known as the Iron—Dragon Lady and her, the almighty Jormungandr?
Well, the boy definitely inherited his mother’s stubbornness and love for adventure—that much was certain. Her slightly wild nature and some of her habits too. Just like her work ethic and desire to follow her own path.
From what she’d gathered, Koko had lived a peaceful life as an ordinary citizen of Ninjago, so Lloyd likely didn’t know anything about her past.
She debated whether to tell him, or to keep it to herself.
Some of the crew members who had known her sister occasionally commented that he took after his mother and that it was a shame he never got to meet his grandparents—they would’ve gotten along great.

Misako simply sighed as she heard yet another argument between the two candidates. She still couldn’t believe she had agreed to work with the Academy.
"Lloyd, Harumi! Calm down immediately, or I’ll leave you on the next island!" she yelled, and the two teens fell silent.

Lloyd had inherited the pride of both Koko and Garmadon. The princess was just as headstrong. They had probably already forgotten what they were even arguing about. Well, Misako herself had forgotten too. Maybe they just needed someone to bicker with. She didn’t blame them—the sea had been calm and uneventful lately.

"Captain, IT is coming," said Nik, also glancing at the two teenagers.
"You think they'll survive?" he asked after a moment.

Misako sighed again.
"Harumi doesn’t have real combat experience. But she knows etiquette, self-defense, and she can handle herself in the wild. Her swordsmanship has potential, and being a princess won’t make her future any easier, but she’ll manage. She’ll grow into a powerful Warrior," she stated.
"And the boy?" he asked.
"Lloyd is impulsive but can calmly assess a situation. His previous experience as a ninja and constant training since leaving his post are assets. He’ll find a way out of difficult situations, though it might take time. Even though he tries to keep his distance and is stubborn, he has a leader’s heart—others will follow him. His sense of justice is strong, but he needs to learn how to pass that on to others. On top of that, he possesses elemental power, has learned Spinjitzu, and even awakened powers in four other ninjas. He’ll be fine."

Nik just chuckled.
"They both take after their parents," he said with a smile.
"This year’s batch will bring a lot of change to the Academy," he added before returning to his duties.

Misako watched the two teens for a moment longer, then with a quiet sigh, returned to her cabin.

The exam was about to begin.

Lloyd rolled his eyes but quieted down after the captain’s warning.
It turned out Harumi was, in fact, an arrogant princess who constantly acted like a know-it-all—hence the argument they just had.
Seriously, who in their right mind uses a sword to chop wood?!
And so what if it’s faster?! Come on, people! Show some respect for your weapons!!!

Lloyd was just about to help Nik check the supplies when suddenly a thunderclap echoed through the air, and the sky darkened...

Chapter Text

“What the…?” Harumi muttered, standing next to the blond boy, eyes fixed on the dark cloud rolling toward them.
“All right, crew! We’re about to enter the Purple Whirlpools!” Misako announced hurriedly as she rushed through the ship.
“Everyone’s gotta be on high alert! Secure all cargo on deck! Roll up the sails! Move it!” she barked orders, then stopped beside Harumi and Lloyd.
“What should we do, Captain?” Lloyd asked, turning to face her.
“You two,” she said, stepping between them and placing a hand on each of their shoulders, “go below deck and stay there until we’re through this storm.” She gently pushed them toward the hatch.
“What?!” Lloyd protested, immediately running back to her. “But you said I should help on the ship! Maybe I haven’t sailed as long as you, but I’m sure any help right now would be useful!”
Misako stopped and leaned toward the green-eyed boy, her eyes flashing dangerously — or maybe it was just the lightning flashing in the distance.
“Below deck. Now.” She hissed, then slipped past him.

“We should go out and check if everything’s okay,” Lloyd muttered, half to himself, half to Harumi, who was sitting a bit away, playing with a loose thread from the cloth covering one of the crates in the shared cabin.
“For what? They’ve got everything under control,” the white-haired girl said, glancing at Lloyd, who was pacing back and forth. “Besides, if something happened, they’d let us know.” She went back to fiddling with the thread.
The girl had long since stopped wondering how Lloyd could still stand steady while the ship was being tossed wildly in every direction. As if on cue, the ship jerked sharply to the right, throwing Harumi against a nearby crate, while the blond barely stumbled.
“How are you still standing?” she muttered to herself.
“Hm?” Lloyd muttered, stopping and looking at her.
“Did you say something?” he asked.
Harumi was about to answer when a loud bang interrupted her, followed by something splashing into the water.
“That… didn’t sound like a storm,” Harumi said.
“Because it wasn’t a storm,” Lloyd replied.
They stared at each other for a moment, trying to comprehend the noise.
“Mast!” they shouted simultaneously.

Harumi cursed quietly as she saw the scene above. As suspected, half the top mast was gone, likely floating somewhere in the ocean, while the rest burned with a pastel purple flame that kept blazing despite the rain and waves continuously washing over the ship.
Some of the crew tried to extinguish the fire and secure the cargo, while others ran around managing the ship and driving off black-purple humanoid monsters trying to board.
Harumi glanced at Lloyd, who watched the chaos with a grimace.
“Kids! What are you doing here?! Back below deck!” Misako shouted from the helm.
Harumi turned to look at the Captain, who struggled to keep the ship on course while fighting off the attacking creatures.
“Harumi,” Lloyd began, catching her attention. “Go help the crew. I’ll join you soon.”
He ran toward the Captain, grabbing a tool for fighting as he went.
Harumi stood dazed for a moment, but hearing shouts from behind, she hurried to help the crew. This was going to be a long storm…

Lloyd hissed quietly as the antiseptic touched one of his wounds — though he’d personally call them scratches — silently thanking Lady Mistake for all the herbal remedies she’d taught him about, and for instilling the habit of always carrying bandages, which were proving very useful given the number of injured. The healing herbs too.
They had just escaped the Purple Whirlpools about half an hour ago and were now drifting toward the nearest island to repair the ship.
Harumi and Lloyd sat on the edge, watching the others bandage their wounds.
“Hey…” Harumi began quietly.
“Hm?” Lloyd murmured, not looking away from the scratch on his leg, left by one of those creatures trying to pull him into the ocean.
“How did you manage to react so fast to the chaos back there?” the green-eyed girl asked, eyes on the crew.
Lloyd just shrugged.
“Guess I just got used to it. I once led a team that defended our cities from my father — until I got kicked out,” he said, also looking at the crew.
“I see,” the teenager muttered, then after a moment of silence added, “I think it’s better not to use a katana for chopping wood. It’s harder to fight with a dull weapon just because you used it like an axe earlier.”

They fell silent again.

Chapter Text

After several hours of sailing, they finally reached the port of Jinjago. Lloyd had never heard of this kingdom (from Harumi’s and Misako’s explanation, every island or land is called a Kingdom), except for one legend about a fallen land of djinn. But if he remembered correctly, that land had disappeared even before the first ninja appeared. For the next while, the whole crew would be on land while the ship was being repaired. Lloyd quietly sighed, then, making sure his sword was on his back in his backpack, just like his wallet, and his phone in the pocket of his hoodie, he left the ship and started looking for the library.
“Going out?” Harumi asked without looking up from her phone.
“I’m just going to look around,” he replied, and set off again.
After the incident with the Purple Maelstrom, some kind of... understanding had developed between them? Mistake had often said that the strongest bonds form not by fighting side by side. Maybe it was something like that? Lloyd shook his head, clearing his thoughts and focusing on his current goal, when Harumi interrupted him again.
“The captain said Jinjago is a dangerous place, and we should stick together,” she muttered, putting her phone away and walking up to the blond boy.
Lloyd just nodded.
“So... where first?” she asked.
“To the library. I want to learn a bit about this place,” Lloyd answered.
Harumi only muttered in acknowledgment, and together they set off to find the building.

After some time wandering through the port city, avoiding a few pickpockets and dodging suspicious places, they finally found the library. It wasn’t as large or breathtaking as the one Mistake ran, but it was clearly rich in literature.
“Good day,” the librarian said kindly, smiling at the two teenagers. Lloyd nodded to the woman, and Harumi smiled slightly before both began searching for interesting books.
Harumi glanced over the top of her book at the blond boy beside her. He had found a book about the legends of Jinjago and was completely absorbed in it, while she was browsing something about the culture of this kingdom.
“Are you interested in legends?” she asked after a moment.
“Well, they’re not just legends. It’s an important piece of history that society has labeled a myth,” Lloyd replied, turning a page.
“That’s quite an interesting perspective,” Harumi noted, but received no response. She rolled her eyes and returned her gaze to the book. In her mind, she tried to decipher the green-eyed boy beside her. Lloyd had been... different from the start. He felt familiar, as if they’d known each other all their lives. During the Purple Maelstrom, when they fought side by side to fend off those creatures, she felt like she was experiencing... déjà vu? Something like that. As if they had fought together, ages ago, to protect others.
Lloyd quietly sighed, closing the book and looking out the window at the setting sun. Most of these legends confirmed stories told by the first ninja about their battles, while some spoke of events that happened after the ninja era. Glancing to the side, Lloyd saw Harumi sleeping. Rolling his eyes, he stood up to wake her.

“We’re lost,” Harumi stated, as once again, trying to exit the library, the two teenagers found themselves in another section filled with books.
“I noticed,” Lloyd muttered, looking around at the shelves.
“Do you have your katana?” he asked after a moment.
“Hm? Yes,” the green-eyed girl answered, holding back from asking why he wanted to know about her weapon.
“Good. Keep it ready,” Lloyd said, drawing his sword. “This place feels suspicious,” he added, as if knowing Harumi wanted to ask why.
A moment later, they heard footsteps. Lloyd reacted immediately, moving toward the intruder, stopping his sword just inches from the librarian’s face. Strangely, she didn’t even blink. She just smiled.
“I see you’re keeping your guard up. That’s good. It’s very easy to get lost in this city and end up somewhere you don’t want to be,” she said. As Lloyd stepped back, she added, “We’re closing soon,” then turned and disappeared around the corner.
Harumi looked at Lloyd, who sighed and sheathed his sword.
“Let’s go,” he muttered, following the woman.
Surprisingly, as soon as they turned toward the direction the librarian went, they found themselves right on the street in front of the library.
“The captain was right. This place is strange,” Harumi said.

“Let’s go back to the ship. We can puzzle this out another time,” Lloyd said, heading toward the port.
“How do you do it?” came the question, breaking the quiet night on the deck. Lloyd slightly turned his head to look at the white-haired girl lying in a hammock a little distance away, which served as a bed.
“Do what exactly?” he replied, deciding to let her know he wasn’t asleep — though Harumi probably already knew.
“How are you able to just... decide what to do in every situation? Choose what’s important and what’s not? Back during the Purple Maelstrom, you didn’t even blink when you told me what to do and then went into battle yourself. And in the library too. Even though we didn’t know what was happening, as soon as someone got close, you were ready to fight,” Harumi expanded her question, then silence fell.
After a few minutes, Lloyd spoke again.
“My teacher always said a warrior should trust their gut and instincts. They should follow their heart, without forgetting their mind. During that storm, when I went to help the captain, I just felt that’s what I should do. At first, I didn’t even realize I told you to go help the crew,” the blond boy said, quietly laughing at his confession. “It was the same in the library. I just felt something was wrong, so I reacted,” he finished. Then silence fell again.
“You said you led a team before. What happened to them?” Harumi asked.
“They kicked me out,” Lloyd answered immediately. Harumi looked at him in shock.
“What?! That’s complete idiocy! Who in their right mind kicks out their team leader?!” she shouted.
“Exactly! And they replaced me with a complete imbecile! He wouldn’t recognize sense even if it hit him in the head!” Lloyd said, also standing up.
“Just like my ex! The guy literally thinks all samurai swords are katanas!” she said, and Lloyd looked at her with something like sympathy.
“That’s worse than using a katana to chop wood,” he said, and after a moment of silence, they both burst out laughing.
“Want to go complain about the idiots from your old team?” Harumi asked.
“If you tell me about your ex. That guy clearly has a log for a brain,” Lloyd answered.

Chapter Text

"Well, well! Have you finally buried the hatchet?"
Nik asked, approaching the two teenagers who were in the middle of training.
"You could say that," Lloyd replied.
"Turns out we both lived with idiots," added Harumi, sheathing her katana.
"Really?" the adult asked, raising one eyebrow.
"Yeah. You have no idea what a relief it is that someone else realizes that too," Harumi said, and Lloyd just nodded.
"Hey, Nik. Do you think I can find a herb stand around here? Most of my supplies ran out after that storm," Lloyd asked.
"I don’t know if you’ll find anything decent in the port city, but I heard the Captain’s acquaintance from this Kingdom will dock here soon. Apparently, his fiancée was with them this time and gathered some plants," the older man said. Lloyd just grunted to show he understood, then got back into fighting stance opposite Harumi, who did the same.

"Haha! Nadakhan! I thought you had sunk at sea!" Misako shouted as the huge ship docked.
"Jormungradr! What brings you to these waters?" called the man from the ship. He had practically orange skin, black eyes, and hair tied in a high ponytail. Next to him stood a woman with pale, almost white skin, equally black eyes, and hair reaching her neck.
"Misako, good to see you again!" the woman called happily.
"Delara! Still haven’t had enough of this sea rat?" the Captain called back.
"So that’s the Captain’s friend?" Harumi murmured, approaching Lloyd, who was just stepping off the ship.
"Looks like it," the blond shrugged.
"Are you going to ask about the herbs?" the white-haired girl asked, and Lloyd shook his head.
"Turns out there’s a forest not far from here," he said and was about to leave when the Captain’s voice stopped him. He had just been talking with Misako.
"Hey, kid!" he shouted, startling Lloyd as he jumped off the ship and wrapped an arm around the green-eyed boy.
"You must be Koko’s brat! How is she? I haven’t seen her since she finally docked in Ninjago," he said cheerfully, and Lloyd froze.
"You... know my mom?" Lloyd asked after a moment, shaking off the shock. Nadakhan just laughed.
"Why wouldn’t I?! The Sea Dragon Lady struck fear in the hearts of many pirates, along with Misako! I still remember her kicking my butt years ago!" he said, then laughed again.
"Darling, I think you should calm down a bit," said the black-haired woman, placing a hand on her fiancé’s shoulder.
"But I have to admit, you really remind me of her," she said, smiling warmly at the boy. Seeing the shock in his eyes, she pulled her lover away and asked,
"Has Koko never told you about her days at sea?"
Lloyd just shook his head.
"Hmm? So what are you doing on her family’s ship?" Nadakhan asked.
"Harumi and I are candidates for the Academy," Harumi interrupted.
"So... what happened to Koko?" Delara asked.
"I’m sorry to say, but Mom passed away some time ago," Lloyd said, not looking up from his shoes.

"I understand. I’m sorry for your loss," Delara said sadly. Lloyd just nodded, and silence fell. Misako sighed.
"If I had known, I would have come earlier," she said.
"So... you’re Mom’s older sister?" Lloyd finally asked, looking at the woman.
"Yes. I thought Koko had a reason not to tell you, but..." she started, then sighed again without finishing.
"I understand," Lloyd said, standing up.
"Harumi and I were planning to take a walk. We’ll be back in the evening," he said, then looked at the couple from Jinjago.
"I’m very glad I got to meet you," he said with a smile, then nodded in farewell to the three adults and left the Captain’s cabin.

"So... the Captain is your aunt?" Harumi finally asked, breaking the silence in the forest.
"Looks like it," Lloyd answered without looking away from the plant he was carefully pulling from the ground.
"Want to talk about it?" the green-eyed girl asked.
"Maybe later. I need to sort things out myself first," Lloyd answered, and Harumi nodded.

"You have quite a lot of knowledge about plants," the white-haired girl noticed, flipping through the herbarium Lloyd had made himself. It contained detailed descriptions of plants, their properties, and where to find them.
"Thanks. I traveled a lot through Ninjago’s forests with Mistake," Lloyd replied, smiling slightly at the memory of the old woman.
"When I was younger, I was interested in plants too. Though more in their meanings," the white-haired girl said.
"Really?" Lloyd muttered, jumping over a fallen trunk.
"Yeah. Though I never thought of writing my knowledge down," Harumi said.
"I think you should try. It’s a good way to organize what you know and don’t know," Lloyd replied, his gaze stopping on a small clearing with Calathea flowers.
"What do they symbolize?" Lloyd asked.
"Hmm? If I remember correctly, Calathea symbolizes new beginnings and rebirth," Harumi answered.
"I see," Lloyd muttered, looking at the flowers for a moment.
"I think they suit us," he said after a moment, smiling lightly at the flowers. Harumi smiled too.
"Yes. They suit us," she said.

Chapter Text

“Alright crew! We’ll be docking at the Academy Port soon! Get ready to unload the cargo!” the Captain shouted from behind the wheel.
“Finally,” Harumi muttered as she stepped onto the deck.
“Hey, Nik! Have you seen Lloyd?” the green-eyed girl asked, approaching the man.
“No. He’s probably hanging around somewhere,” the older man replied, returning to what he was doing.

Lloyd sighed quietly, watching the island that had recently appeared on the horizon. Cheng Island. He had read about this island. Supposedly, years ago it was the source of the Noodle Empire. He had also heard about the Elemental Tournament that took place there. The boy smiled slightly, feeling the adventure approaching.
“Do you live there, kid?” Misako asked, approaching the blond boy.
“Mhm,” Lloyd murmured, not taking his eyes off the approaching island. His relationship with Misako had changed a bit over the last month. They weren’t super close, but they had a friendly connection. Lloyd had the chance to learn about his mother from a different perspective, and Misako could find out a bit about her sister.
“Get ready. We’re docking soon,” the Captain announced.
“I’m coming,” Lloyd replied, still looking at the island for a moment longer.

“Good luck, kids,” Misako muttered, ruffling the hair of the two teenagers.
“See you, Captain,” Harumi said with a smile.
“Thanks for the trip,” Lloyd said, adjusting the backpack slung over his shoulder and smiling at the elder woman as well.
“The Academy is right in the heart of the island. Most people and cargo are heading that way, but newcomers have to stay in the port until someone picks them up,” Misako said before returning to her crew.
“Well, we’re on our own,” Harumi muttered.
“Not for long,” Lloyd replied, putting his phone—which he had been writing on earlier—into his pocket.

“Lloyd!! Over here!” someone shouted, and a girl with black hair, dark green streaks, and gray eyes ran out from another ship.
“Miko. Good to see you,” Lloyd said with a small smile.
“You too! I knew you’d get in,” Miko said, then her gaze shifted to the white-haired girl.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Miko Dragon,” the teenager introduced herself, extending her hand to the green-eyed girl.
“Harumi Jade. The pleasure is mine,” Harumi replied, smiling gently and shaking the gray-eyed girl’s hand.

“There are quite a lot of people here...” Lloyd muttered, walking through the port, now filling up with Academy candidates, and instinctively pulling the hood of his green hoodie over his head.
“No wonder. Thousands of candidates come to the Academy every year, from which the best group of young warriors with promising futures is selected,” said a familiar voice behind him. Lloyd froze for a moment, then quickly turned toward the person behind them.
“You,” the blond hissed, glaring angrily at an older boy and reaching for the sword strapped to his backpack.
“Shi..?” Miko whispered, and Lloyd noticed the wind starting to swirl around the girl’s wrists. The dark-haired boy just smiled.
“I see you arrived safely,” he said, but receiving no response, his smile faded.
“I understand. You’re not in the mood to talk,” he muttered and walked away from the trio.
“Who was that?” Harumi asked as Lloyd and Miko relaxed a little.
“That’s Shi. The lunatic who pushed me off a cliff,” Miko said.
“The Time Master of this generation,” Lloyd added, watching the man now bothering another group with his typical smirk...

Only when the sun started setting and the square began to empty did a call ring out:
“All candidates for the exam, gather at the main square!”
Lloyd, Harumi, and Miko—who were nearby—arrived among the first. In the middle of the square stood a man wearing brown pants and something on his head that looked like a snake skull. His body was covered in snake-themed tattoos. Lloyd shuddered at the unwelcome memory of a certain purple snake. Although he was getting used to sudden flashes of memories from his past life as the First Green Ninja, it was still unpleasant. When a fairly large group had gathered (about 200 people—well, he was bored), the man spoke again:
“The rules are simple! The first hundred who get into the Academy will be accepted! The rest can go home and give up!” he shouted and then walked away.

Only after a moment did some people start running toward the forest.
“So... do we run after them, or what?” Miko finally asked.
Harumi just sighed.
“This is stupid,” she said.
Lloyd nodded.
“Charging into unknown territory without a plan is the fastest way to lose,” he said, and then Miko suddenly remembered something.
“There was a map of the island somewhere here!” she shouted, running toward the port. Lloyd and Harumi immediately followed her.

Chapter Text

Lloyd took a breath as what must have been the tenth robot collapsed to the ground.
“Where are all these bots coming from?” Harumi asked as she sliced through one of the smaller drones attacking them.
“I don't know—maybe every powerful organization has thousands of leftover parts and nothing better to do with them than build killer robots,” Miko replied sarcastically.
Lloyd chuckled softly. “Believe me, you don’t need to run a global organization to mess up people’s lives with killer robots out of sheer aimlessness.”
He was thinking back to the endless attacks on Ninjago City.
“Still, it is strange where all that material keeps coming from,” he added as he resumed walking.
“Where to now?” Harumi asked, glancing over her shoulder at the wind master, the only one in their group who had brought any tech.
“Right at the waterfall. Then straight for a few minutes—we’ll be there,” the grey-eyed girl replied, barely dodging a laser from another bot.
The trio groaned in unison and dove back into battle.

Half an hour later, the group reached the waterfall, only to find another fight already underway. A girl with short black hair wearing some odd white-and-red outfit, and... Shi. The older boy was clearly trying to talk to the black-haired girl, distracting her while she struggled a bit in the fight. There were two large robots and a dozen or so drones.
They exchanged quick glances and charged in. Harumi took out the drones with her katana, while Lloyd and Miko handled the biggest robot. The stranger finished off the one she had been wrestling with.
“You okay?” Miko asked as she approached the girl.
“Lloyd! Miko! Well, look who it is!” Shi said cheerfully, catching the girl's attention.
“You—!” she snapped, marching up to him and jabbing her finger in his chest.
“What in the name of the First Spinjitzu Master are you doing?! You said you knew how to get into the academy, but instead, you're just causing trouble! For some of us, this is the only shot we’ll ever get to make it here!”
She nearly shoved Shi into the nearby lake.
“Uhh… maybe let’s focus on getting to the goal for now?” Harumi suggested.
Lloyd nodded. “You can yell at him later, um…?”
“Akita,” the girl introduced herself.
“Nice to meet you. I'm Lloyd. This is Miko, and that’s Harumi.”
“We should get moving. We’re only minutes away,” Harumi interrupted, already heading off.
“Harumi! It's the other way!” Miko shouted, checking the map photo.
“How do you even know which way to go?” Akita asked as the group got moving again.
“There was a map at the port,” Miko explained, showing her the picture.
“Oh,” Akita murmured, as if just now realizing maps were a thing.

While the girls chatted ahead, Lloyd lagged a few steps behind with Shi.
“Didn’t think you’d make it this far,” Shi said eventually, not even looking at him.
“I didn’t think I’d ever have to see your face again. Looks like we both get to be disappointed,” Lloyd replied, picking up the pace as he heard Shi chuckling behind him.
Could he have handled that better? Probably.
Would he have? No.
Respect and trust had to be earned.

“Let’s hurry. Who knows how many spots are still open,” Lloyd called ahead, hand still resting on his sword.

After a few minutes of brisk walking, they arrived at a massive wall, in front of which stood two men. One, older, wore Tai Chi robes—something like a bathrobe draped over them—and had the skull of a serpent on his head.
Next to him stood a younger, more serious-looking man with black hair tied in a topknot. He wore something resembling samurai armor, with a twist of purple snake motifs.
“So these are the ones?” the younger man asked, eyeing Lloyd and Miko.
“Yes,” Shi confirmed.
Lloyd tightened his grip on his sword. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Harumi ready to draw, and the wind started swirling around Miko’s wrist.
“Did we make the cut?” Akita asked, seemingly unaware of the tension.
Lloyd felt someone’s gaze on him, then footsteps approaching.
He didn’t wait—drawing his sword in a smooth motion, he spun and pointed the tip at Shi, who backed up slightly.
“Relax, I’m not gonna attack you,” the older man said calmly, raising his hands with a faint smile.
They locked eyes for a moment—and likely would’ve continued had someone not laughed.
Lloyd turned slightly to see that it was the man with the snake skull chuckling.
Once he calmed down, he spoke again.
“Put your weapon away, boy. None of us are your enemies,” he said softly.
Lloyd studied him a moment longer, searching for any hint of a lie, then slowly lowered his sword and slid it back into its sheath.
“I believe introductions are in order. I am Master Chen, owner of this island. The man beside me is Clouse, my right hand.”
“I’m Akita, of the Morphling clan. It’s an honor to meet you,” Akita said with a bow.
“Miko Dragon, of the Dragon lineage—second Wind Master,” Miko introduced, also bowing, though she was clearly still on guard.
“Harumi Jade, of the royal Jade family,” Harumi said, bowing her head briefly in respect, hand near her katana’s hilt.
“Lloyd Garmadon,” Lloyd said, nodding slightly.
Master Chen laughed again.
“I’m delighted to host so many distinguished guests on my island. Come, the written exams are about to begin,” he announced as the gate behind him opened.

Chapter Text

To say this school was different would be a huge understatement.
For Lloyd—who in old schools was either bullied, avoided, or gossiped about—ending up in a place where people saw him and not his parents was like stepping into an entirely different reality. And not just for him. For Harumi, it was something similar. No one saw her as a princess—just as herself. A break from the world as they knew it.

The whole group—Lloyd, Miko, Harumi, and Akita—had passed the written exams and now sat in a large dining hall filled with various snacks, surrounded by other new students and upperclassmen who would be mentoring the newcomers this year.

“Hey! Loli! Rumi!”
Miko’s voice cut through the noise as she rushed over to where Lloyd and Harumi, being the less social ones, were leaning against the wall with plastic cups of juice in their hands.

“Pff—Loli?” Harumi asked, covering her mouth with a mocking smirk.
Lloyd just rolled his eyes. “Sorry, Your Highness Tojad,” he replied sarcastically.
“Tojad? Why Tojad?” Harumi asked, raising a brow.
He shrugged. “It fits,” he replied just before Miko got close enough to hear them.

“What’s up?” he asked, eyeing his friend.

“I wanted to introduce you to my brother and my friend,” Miko said, not waiting for a reply before dragging them through the crowd.

Moments later, they stopped in front of two people—an older boy with black hair and a single green streak, and grey eyes, whom Lloyd immediately recognized as Morro Dragon, Miko’s older brother and the one who had delivered his invitation.
The second person had fiery red hair and black eyes.

—“Does she control fire too?” someone whispered nearby.
—“No,” came a more mature voice. “She’s the Amber Master. She copies the powers of those she touches.”

Lloyd felt a dull headache forming, the kind he always got when the past tried to resurface.

“This is Morro, my brother, and Skylor, my close friend,” Miko said cheerfully.
Then she turned to the older pair. “This is Lloyd and Harumi, my friends.”

“We’ve already met,” Morro said with a faint smile, shaking Harumi’s hand.

“Seriously? I’ve already met the kid too,” Skylor added, resting her arm on Miko’s head as she offered her hand to Lloyd. “Skylor. Nice to meet you.”

“Lloyd Garmadon,” he said, giving her a slight nod, which made the redhead raise a brow.

“Not gonna shake my hand?” she asked.

“I’ve got a feeling I shouldn’t,” he replied calmly.

Skylor laughed. “I like you already,” she said, using a breeze of wind to ruffle his hair.
Lloyd sighed and fixed it so it didn’t fall in front of his eyes.

“I’m the Amber Master. I can copy elemental powers from anyone I’ve had physical contact with,” she explained, noticing the look of surprise on Harumi’s face.

“Skylor! Morro! Over here!” someone from the crowd called out.

“Oh great, we’re in demand again,” Skylor muttered, pulling away from Miko and vanishing into the sea of students with a parting “Good luck!”

Morro sighed and turned back to them. “Welcome to the Warrior Academy,” he said simply before following Skylor into the crowd.

Lloyd looked around his new room, which he had just been shown to by a geisha—one of several currently helping the new students settle in.
The room was split into two parts: a bathroom and a bedroom with a terrace.

The bathroom had a tub, sink, and toilet, along with basic hygiene supplies like toothpaste, a toothbrush, soap, shampoo, bubble bath, and towels—though Lloyd had brought his own. Well, now he had spares.

The bedroom held a massive double bed, half-hidden by semi-transparent green curtains. The bedding was green with white accents.
A light green rug lay in the center of the room, and across from the bed stood a large wardrobe. Beside the bed was a nightstand made of beech wood, just like the wardrobe.
Next to the window, by the terrace door, stood a desk and chair, and in the corner beside the bed, there was a comfy armchair, a bookshelf, and a dresser—all beech wood as well.

The rest of the room was his to decorate and fill for the coming year.

Lloyd smiled slightly, then started unpacking.
“I really hope they allow part-time work,” he muttered to himself, knowing that even with his savings, he’d need a source of income.

“You just got here and you’re already thinking about jobs?”
The voice was familiar—too familiar.
Lloyd instinctively reached for his weapon, only to curse quietly when he remembered he’d left it on the bed.

“Relax. Like Master Chen said, I’m not your enemy,” said Shi, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him.

“And to answer your question: the Academy covers all student expenses for basic needs—clothing, hygiene products. Food’s served in the dining hall at specific hours.
The geishas working here will help guide you and the others for the next week. After that, you’re on your own,” he explained, sitting at the desk and gazing out the window, which offered a view of the forest behind the Academy walls.

“Don’t expect an apology for what happened,” he added after a moment.

Lloyd leaned against the bedpost, arms crossed. “I’m not expecting one,” he replied.
“But since we’re probably going to be working together… I think some explanation would help,” he added, noticing the other boy stay silent.

Shi sighed.
“I’m the Master of Time. Which means there are things I just can’t explain,” he said finally, getting up and heading for the door.

“But don’t forget one thing: you have a friend in me here. And not just me.
You’re going to need them,” he said, then opened the door and paused.

“One piece of advice—lock your door,” he added, then walked out.

Lloyd stared at the door for a few seconds before walking over, locking it, and returning to unpack.

Chapter Text

A quiet sigh escaped the boy’s lips as he stepped into the dark room beneath the Academy.
“Is that him?” a voice asked.
Shi rolled his eyes. “Of course it’s him, Master.”
“Does the blood of the Destroyer run through him?” the Master asked again, watching footage from that day’s exams, closely observing the blond boy in the gray gi.
“Yes, Master,” Shi replied once more, not even glancing at the monitors displaying the participants.
“And the girl?” came another question.
“Skylor confirmed that she’s also a Wind Master. Considering that there can only be one per era, she most likely carries a spark.”
“Were sparks confirmed in the others?”
“Almost everyone within these walls this year has a spark, except for Ice, Fire, Water, Earth, and Lightning — they didn’t even qualify to be invited,” Shi answered again, suppressing a scoff at the thought of the five teens from Ninjago City.
“Will they be ready for the Transfer?”
“Yes, Master,” Shi responded.

At exactly 5:30 AM, there was a knock on the door.
“Just a sec!” Lloyd called out, putting the sword he’d been training with back on the hidden weapons rack behind a concealed mechanism in the room. He then walked to open the door. As Shi had said, a geisha stood waiting. When she saw he was already awake, she turned immediately toward the dining hall.
Luckily, Lloyd was used to early mornings and had already completed his morning routine and gotten dressed. Otherwise, he would’ve been chasing after her in his pajamas. Upon arriving, he noticed most of the students were still in their pajamas and barely awake. He thanked the geisha and got in line for breakfast.
Breakfast consisted of oatmeal and a fruit salad.
“Enjoy it while you can,” the cook said, which likely meant things were about to get intense.

While scanning the room for Miko and Harumi, someone approached.
“Lloyd, right?” asked a boy who had quite literally appeared out of nowhere.
“Uh… yeah,” Lloyd responded, eyeing the kid with red sunglasses.
“Nice to meet you! I’m Griffin Thunder,” he introduced himself, and before Lloyd could say anything, he continued,
“Wanna come sit with us?”
Before Lloyd could answer, he was already being dragged to a table with several others of varying ages.
“So here’s the crew,” Griffin began.
“You already know me. This is Ash, Master of Smoke,” he said, gesturing to a gray-haired guy with dark blue eyes.
“That’s Neuro, Master of Mind,” pointing to an older teen with black hair streaked by a thick white band.
“Karlof, Master of Metal,” he added, pointing at a still-sleeping boy in pajamas.
“Chamille, Master of Transformation,” he said, indicating a purple-haired girl who was also still in her PJs.
“And I’m the Master of Speed,” Griffin concluded, taking a seat and nudging Karlof to wake him up.
“Nice to meet you all. I’m Lloyd, Master of Energy,” he introduced himself.
Just then, he spotted Miko and Harumi approaching the table — both in pajamas.
“Morning…” Miko mumbled sleepily, dropping her tray on the table and laying her head on her arms, falling back asleep.
“Good thing our rooms are next to each other — otherwise she’d have missed breakfast,” Harumi said as she sat down.
“And who are you two?” Chamille asked, now awake and noticing the new faces.
“Harumi Jade. And the one sleeping is Miko Dragon,” Harumi replied without lifting her eyes from her meal.

The rest of breakfast passed calmly, with food and chatter. At 6:30, Master Chen’s voice boomed through the speakers:
“Good morning, everyone!” he announced cheerfully, eliciting a few groans from those not fully awake.
“I hope you’re all ready for your morning classes! All elemental masters, please report to Training Hall 305! All novice warriors, proceed to Hall 203!” Silence followed.
“Well, guess this is where we part ways,” Harumi said, getting up and taking her tray.
“Good luck,” she added before walking off.
“Good luck, Toadflame,” Lloyd called after her, then nudged Miko awake and went to return his tray.

Training Hall 305 was massive — nearly a quarter the size of Ninjago City. And that said a lot.
“Line up!” a commanding voice rang out, and Lloyd instantly recognized it as Morro’s. He and a few others who were already awake fell into formation.
Miko, still half-asleep but recognizing her brother’s voice, also joined the line.
Moments later, a powerful gust of wind swept through the hall, waking the rest. They quickly scrambled into place.
Lloyd took the opportunity to glance around the room. It was completely empty — it reminded him of Master Mystake’s old training hall.
“Twenty-one seconds to react and line up,” the Wind Master stated. “Since it’s the first day, I’ll go easy on you. But from tomorrow onward, such delays won’t be tolerated.”
“My name is Morro Dragon, and I’ll be in charge of your morning sessions. Today, we’ll do a test to assess your current combat levels.”
He pressed a tile on the floor, and suddenly various training machines emerged while the walls rotated, revealing a range of weapons.
“We’ll begin with hand-to-hand combat. But first…” he trailed off, eyes scanning each of them sharply.
A sudden gust blew again — this time bringing shurikens flying toward them at high speed.
Miko stopped them midair with her elemental power. Griffin dodged them effortlessly. The blades phased right through Ash, and bounced off Karlof, who had turned his skin to metal. Chamille ducked to avoid them, and Lloyd caught one mid-air.
“Good. For every delay, the weapons will come faster and hit harder. Now, let’s begin,” Morro declared, turning toward the training grounds.

After morning training with Morro, Skylor and a few other elemental masters split them into trios and sent them into the jungle for team-versus-team combat exercises. This lasted until lunch.
Before they could eat, they were asked to analyze their battles, explain their mistakes, and offer ways to improve. After lunch, they were divided into academic classes.
Because of the age differences and written test scores, each student was assigned to a fitting class, where — aside from short breaks — they spent the rest of the day learning until dinner at 7:45 PM. After that, they were guided back to their rooms.

After a quick shower, Lloyd collapsed onto his bed. The first day had been exhausting — but satisfying. He smiled faintly.
When they’d get the chance to go down to the port town, he had to send a message to Master Mystake and the others.
He already couldn’t wait for tomorrow.

Chapter Text

"Ash! This is hand-to-hand combat training, not elemental power practice! If I catch you using your powers again, you’ll be running laps until sunset!" Morro shouted, clearly having caught the boy trying to take the easy way out. Lloyd’s attention quickly shifted back to his sparring partner.The blond blocked Miko’s strike and, spotting an opening, aimed a kick toward her right side—but she stopped him midway, swung her fist toward his face, and before she could land the hit, Lloyd dodged and jumped back to avoid it. Just as he was about to go on the offensive again, the bell rang. Both stopped, bowed to one another like the others, and ended their training session."Alright! Ten-minute break! Shi takes over the next hour!" Morro announced, signaling the end of their class.Miko sighed in relief, stretching her arms."Finally," she groaned, flashing Lloyd a quick smile before heading to the girls’ locker room.
"See you in a bit!" she called over her shoulder, already chatting with another girl."You did pretty good today," Ash commented, unscrewing the cap of his water bottle."Only because I’ve sparred with Miko before," Lloyd replied, grabbing his own drink."Still got plenty to polish, though."Karlof, standing nearby, let out a hearty chuckle."Karlof says you’re doing great for your age," the master of metal remarked."Thanks, Karlof," Lloyd said with a small smile."You’re all doing impressively well for your second week," Shi chimed in, suddenly appearing in the locker room."Next session—we’re training elemental powers."The grin on his face promised nothing but pain before he disappeared again. Lloyd sighed quietly. He hadn’t trained with Shi yet, but something told him it wasn’t going to be pleasant."That’s the master of time, right?" someone whispered. Lloyd turned to see a group of students staring at the spot where Shi had just stood, a mix of fear and disgust on their faces."Yeah. Apparently, every master of time is a little crazy," another whispered back.Lloyd frowned. He’d heard about the masters of time from the early days of Ninjago—and what they had done—but judging someone based on their ancestors? That wasn’t right. He was just about to confront the group when the bell rang again. With one last look their way, he headed back to the gym.

"I’m done." Lloyd groaned, slumping onto the cafeteria table beside Harumi and letting his head drop with a dull thud."It couldn’t have been that bad, right?" the white-haired girl asked, glancing at Miko and Lloyd sitting across from her."Shi’s a sadist," Miko muttered, lifting her head just enough to start eating."It can’t be that terrible," Harumi said, earning twin glares from both of them."I have him tomorrow, so I’ll see for myself," she added calmly, deciding there was no point arguing.

"Hey, Lloyd!"Shi greeted cheerfully, throwing an arm over the younger boy’s shoulder. Lloyd immediately brushed it off, nodding in greeting without slowing his pace. Shi, unbothered by the cold reception, walked alongside him."You know, I was wondering…" Shi began."You’re into history, right?"Lloyd nodded cautiously."How about joining the history club?" Shi offered, flashing his usual grin.Lloyd sighed. "What’s in it for me?""Oh, I don’t know… maybe permission to check that USB drive you found in old Ninjago?" Shi said casually.Lloyd froze."H-how do you—?!" he stammered. No one was supposed to know about that. No one here, at least."We also get extended library access and free entry to several historical sites that usually cost a fortune. So?" Shi continued with a smile, ignoring Lloyd’s stunned expression.The blond sighed again. No point in asking how Shi knew—he wouldn’t get a straight answer anyway. Not from a master of time.

"Okay… wallet, backpack, and… where is it?" Lloyd muttered to himself, searching for his résumé. From what he’d heard, most students picked up part-time jobs for personal expenses—things not covered by the academy or their families."Here it is!" he said triumphantly, tucking the papers into his bag. Just then, a knock came at his door."One sec!" he called, throwing on his shoes, slinging his backpack over his shoulder, and opening the door to find Harumi waiting."Finally. I was starting to think I’d grow old out here," she teased, adjusting her bag and slipping her phone into it."Ready?""Of course."Lloyd locked his door and followed her toward the port town."Akita said it’s a nice place and the pay’s good. Personally, I’d rather work somewhere quiet—like a café or a library—but those don’t pay nearly as well," Harumi mused, breaking the silence."It’s a pub, right? Shi mentioned something about that place," Lloyd said, glancing around the forest—the same one where their exams had begun just two weeks ago.
Two weeks… plus the time spent reaching this island—it must have been, what, four months since he left Ninjago? Two months on the ship, two weeks fixing it in Jinjago, and another month to reach the final port."What are you thinking about, Lloyd?" Harumi asked, snapping him out of his thoughts."Oh, nothing really. Just wondering if there’s any way to contact people back home," he replied, thinking of Miss Emili, Ali, Master Misako, and his friends."You want to reach your old teacher?" she asked."Among others. Don’t you have anyone you’d want to reach out to?""Not really," she said with a shrug, ending the topic and turning her gaze back to the red-tinted leaves.

"This is the place?" Lloyd asked, eyeing the two-story wooden building labeled “Mojo Dojo.”"The address checks out," Harumi confirmed.They exchanged a look and stepped inside. The interior was all polished wood and lush plants—beautiful, but eerily quiet."Hello? Anyone here?" Harumi called out.A brown-haired man humming to himself looked up from polishing a row of glasses."Uh… excuse me?" Lloyd began, catching the man’s attention."Oh! You must be Lloyd and Harumi!" the man said brightly, setting down the glass and flashing them a beaming smile.
"So nice to finally meet you! I’m Daerth, the owner of this fine establishment!"Before either teen could react, he pulled them both into a quick hug."You have no idea how happy I am to have you two here. Come on, I’ll show you around and introduce you to the others!"He led them deeper inside, enthusiasm practically radiating from him. Lloyd and Harumi shared a look, then smiled faintly and followed the man.