Chapter Text
Lloyd had been alone for weeks. Isolated in the empty monastery, trying to piece together both the building and his life, along with the puzzle that was whatever it was that happened- this ‘coalescence.’ The lack of any sort of information drove him mad, but a part of him felt that even if those scrolls had survived, he still wouldn't have had a chance to understand. Lloyd had no hope of matching up to Wu, and he had seen the way that the search for knowledge had frustrated even his master so severely.
He had no idea where the others could be. No idea if they were even alive, but he didn’t let himself think about that possibility. After all, his friends had come back from supposed death time and time again. It was impossible to count the number of times it was assumed that one or more of the ninja were dead, only for them to pop back in exactly when everyone needed them most. So he had to hold out for that. He’d find them sometime- if they didn’t find him first.
His hope came in the form of the Destiny’s Bounty. When he stepped outside to begin his same old search, it took him a moment to realize there was something new about the monastery. Their ship, which he had long thought was a much more hopeless cause than his friends- sat docked just outside. He couldn’t sense any activity from where he stood, so he boarded the ship.
He didn’t find any immediate sign of life as he poked around the ship with bated breath. If there was nobody on board, how did it get here…? Until he saw something move out of the corner of his eye.
Pincers. Claws. Several pairs of eyes glowing at him menacingly from the dark.
Whatever was on board was not one of his friends.
It hadn't noticed him yet. If he played it right, he could fling this thing off of his ship before it even had a chance to react.
He leapt at it and grabbed it, yanking its heavy body into the light of the main deck with his spinjitzu. He finally got a good look at the monster. Almost humanoid upper body, but only barely- it was much bigger than a human, with big claws on its forelegs like knives and an ugly armored carapace. Its body was long like a centipede, at least a dozen legs scuttering as the monster quickly curled its body away from his next attack.
It somehow pulled away from his punch in a flash, shockingly fast for something so large and bulky. Lloyd turned to shoot energy at it, but it scuttled back away from him with its forelegs up in the air almost like… surrender? It wasn’t attacking back. He hesitated.
“Lloyd, what the heck!? It’s me!”
The shock at the monster being able to speak was instantly drowned out by the familiarity of the voice striking Lloyd. He knew that voice, of course he did, he knew it almost like his own. It was…
“Kai!?” Looking at the monster- no, at Kai more closely, he could see what he missed before. He was nearly unrecognizable, but the expression on his face, the sort of stupid smug Kai face that Lloyd was so familiar with, was unmistakable. The same scars crossed on his face, the same ridiculous hair up in a headband. “When did you- why are you-”
“An awesome bug? Long story, we can get into that later. I’m just… so glad to be back.”
Before Lloyd could have a chance to even attempt to question that (because boy did he have questions), Kai leaned down toward him, big scary mandibles snapping, teeth- sharp teeth- flashing in a grin. Lloyd stepped back. “Kai, what are you- whuh!??”
All of a sudden, Lloyd was yanked off his feet, held by sharp pinchers on the back of his shirt, uncomfortably close to the very important and delicate flesh of his neck. He thrashed for a moment, confused, before he was pulled close to Kai, held against his chest by his forelegs. Kai tucked his face into his neck and squeezed him tight, spinning him in a circle.
Oh. A hug. Despite the strange feeling of Kai’s armored, buggy body, and the sharp claws inches from his back, it radiated familiarity. Lloyd let himself melt into Kai’s grip.
“It’s good to see you, buddy,” Kai muttered.
“You too,” he whispered back. “You too.”
Kai spun him around again before gently dropping him back onto the ground. He straightened up fully, still looking at Lloyd with that wide grin on his face. He was massive- Lloyd barely reached the top of each long leg. What in the world had happened to him? How? Surely it couldn’t have been good. They’ve all had their moments of being transformed in some way, but… not like this.
“You still have a lot to explain,” Lloyd said.
“Sure thing,” Kai said brightly. “Think we can go inside before we catch up? I haven’t had a real place to sleep in weeks.”
“Yeah, of course.” Lloyd realized he was lucky. He might have been alone, but at least he was home… But now Kai was home, and Lloyd wasn’t alone anymore.
…Even if his best friend was now a big scary bug. That would take some getting used to.