Chapter Text
It was a gray autumn day.
The sun was already setting, and silence filled the monastery.
Misako lay in bed, surrounded by pillows—exhausted, but happy. In her arms rested their newborn son, Lloyd. He was only a few hours old, so small he almost disappeared within the folds of the blanket.
Garmadon stood beside the bed, visibly nervous.
“You can hold him,” Misako said softly, her voice hoarse but warm.
“I don’t know…” Garmadon looked down at the baby, as if afraid even speaking too loudly might startle him. “I’ve never held something this small before.”
Wu, standing by the door, chuckled quietly. Garmadon shot his brother an annoyed glance before quickly turning his attention back to Misako.
She carefully held out the baby. “Support his head, like this.”
Garmadon hesitated, then took the tiny boy into his arms. He immediately felt how fragile and light he was. Lloyd shifted slightly, let out a soft sigh, then settled back into stillness.
“He’s… really this small?” Garmadon asked quietly. “Aren’t babies usually… bigger?”
“He’s special,” Misako replied with a tired smile. “He’ll grow fast.”
Garmadon studied his son’s face—peaceful, soft-skinned, with faint blond hair sticking to his forehead. His tiny chest rose and fell in a slow rhythm.
Garmadon carefully sat down on the edge of the bed. Lloyd stirred again, his small hand reaching out to grab one of Garmadon’s fingers. Then his little ruby-red eyes—just like his father’s—fluttered open.
Garmadon froze. “Wow… that grip is strong for someone so small,” he said in awe.
Wu smiled. “Seems he already doesn’t want to let you go. And his eyes—just like yours.”
Garmadon didn’t answer. He just kept looking at the tiny boy in his arms. For the first time in so long, there was peace—no shadows whispering at the edges of his mind.
He began to rock Lloyd gently. The baby made a tiny sound, a soft giggle that melted the tension from Garmadon’s shoulders.
“I don’t know what kind of father I’ll be,” he whispered. “But I promise… I’ll try.”
Lloyd didn’t answer, of course. He only looked up at Garmadon with those glowing red eyes, then slowly curled his little hands around his father’s finger and drifted back to sleep.
---
A few weeks later:
The afternoon passed slowly. The monastery was quiet. Misako had finally managed to rest a little—truly sleep for the first time in weeks. Wu had gone to the nearby village to get some tea and a few supplies. That left just the two of them: Garmadon and Lloyd.
The little boy was already several weeks old. He didn’t just sleep all day anymore. His hair had started to darken slightly, and his eyes were now fully visible: ruby red with faint streaks of green.
Garmadon held the baby, wrapped snugly in a small blanket, in his arms and looked around uncertainly.
“Well, Lloyd…” he murmured quietly. “Your mother says you don’t need feeding anymore, you’re clean, so… what do we do now?”
Lloyd responded with a small smacking sound, then let out a big yawn.
Garmadon smiled. “Well… I guess that’s an answer.”
Instead of putting him in the crib, Garmadon sat in the large armchair in the room. He tried to get comfortable.
“You really are tiny…” he whispered. “And I’m always afraid something might happen to you.”
Lloyd made a soft sound, then suddenly stretched out his arms. Garmadon grabbed his tiny hands and smiled as the little boy instinctively squeezed.
“Now that’s some strength, huh?” he said quietly. “Someday, you’ll be a great warrior…”
Lloyd squinted, then smiled. Garmadon completely melted at the sight.
“You… you just smiled at me? Really?” he asked, laughing. “I saw that! Wu won’t believe it.”
The little boy started wriggling, so Garmadon gently began rocking him.
“Alright, alright… you know I’m not an expert at this,” he said softly. “But I’ll do my best.”
Lloyd’s eyes slowly closed, his tiny chest rising and falling evenly. Garmadon leaned back, holding the boy close, and let out a soft sigh.
“You don’t even know how strange this feels for me,” he whispered. “All my life, I thought power and strength were what mattered. But you… you’ve shown me that love is stronger than anything. When I look at you, I no longer feel that darkness that’s always burned inside me. Just… peace. Something I never truly knew before.”
The little boy let out a quiet sigh, his tiny head resting on his father’s chest.
“You know what, Lloyd?” Garmadon continued. “I think you secretly enjoy driving me completely crazy.”
Lloyd let out a small sound—almost like a half-smile—and wiggled his little legs. Garmadon chuckled softly.
“There we go, you’re caught.”
“You don’t know what the future holds, but I hope it brings us good things. Because I really love you, son, and I won’t ever let you go.”
The little boy fell completely asleep. Garmadon watched him for a while longer before sleep claimed him as well.
Outside, a gentle rain began to fall.
---
Lloyd was already a few months old, and lately he had been unusually fussy. He didn’t sleep well, drooled constantly, and wanted to put everything he could reach into his mouth.
“His teeth must be coming in,” Misako said as she rocked the little boy gently in her arms.
Garmadon stood beside the crib, arms crossed, watching them. His brow was furrowed, but he was smiling nonetheless.
Lloyd let out a sharp little sound, then began to make angry smacking noises. A few minutes later, he stretched his arms out toward his father. Garmadon sighed and stepped closer to take him.
The baby immediately nuzzled his face against his father’s shoulder, then tried once again to shove his hand into his mouth.
Garmadon tried to get him to open his mouth. “Let me see—are your teeth coming in already?”
Misako smiled. “He won’t let you. You know how much he hates being poked and prodded.”
“It’ll only take a second,” Garmadon replied, gently touching the baby’s chin. “Just let me take a quick look…”
At first, Lloyd resisted, but then he opened his mouth for a brief moment—and Garmadon froze.
There were two tiny white dots on his gums, not in the center, but a little to the sides… and oddly sharp.
Not normal baby teeth. More like the beginnings of two small fangs.
“Uh…” Garmadon went quiet for a moment. “Misako, come here for a second.”
“What is it?” she asked, stepping closer to look into the baby’s mouth.
Garmadon couldn’t help but notice how much more the boy seemed to take after him than after her.
Misako, however, didn’t look nearly as alarmed. “Well, of course. He gets it from his father. Why else would they be a little pointy?” she said lightly.
“Yeah… probably,” Garmadon murmured.
Misako smiled wearily. “Come on, don’t worry so much.”
“I know,” Garmadon said, and finally smiled again. “It just… surprised me.”
A few minutes later, Misako stretched, clearly exhausted. “I’ll go make some tea,” she said, lightly touching Garmadon’s arm. The gentle gesture helped ease the tension that had been building inside him.
He truly didn’t deserve Misako—or Lloyd. They were both too good for him. He was never known for kindness or a warm heart.
“Alright,” he said softly, smiling faintly.
When Misako left, the room fell quiet. Only the soft crackle of the fire and Lloyd’s tiny breaths filled the air.
Garmadon sat down in the armchair and rested his son against his chest. The baby’s warmth soothed him. Lloyd's head rested right above his heart."
Lloyd shifted slightly, letting out a tiny sigh, as if still complaining about his sore gums.
Garmadon stroked his back and lowered his head to look at his little face more closely.
The firelight flickered across Lloyd’s cheeks, and for a moment Garmadon caught another glimpse of those tiny fangs.
His stomach tightened.
He didn’t know why he felt afraid—his son was beautiful, perfect… and yet.
Just like me, he thought.
My blood. My curse.
His gaze went distant as he remembered the first time he’d noticed his own oni traits as a child. His father had taught him how to hide the horns, the claws, and every trace of what he truly was. He hadn’t taken that form since.
Lloyd stirred softly in his arms, and Garmadon adjusted the blanket around him.
“No… you won’t be like me,” he whispered, as if making a vow. “I won’t let you become that.”
The little boy sighed in his sleep and clutched a handful of his father’s robe.
Garmadon’s chest tightened, then slowly relaxed.
“You’ll be different,” he whispered. “Strong—but kind. You have your mother’s heart.”
“Maybe… I’m just overthinking things,” he murmured half to himself.
Lloyd sighed softly again in his sleep and snuggled even closer.
Garmadon held him tighter. Deep down, he truly believed that Lloyd wouldn’t take after him—not in that way. It would only bring him pain.
Lloyd was already fast asleep.
A few minutes later, Garmadon’s eyes closed as well.
When Misako returned, she found them both asleep in the armchair. She quietly fetched a blanket, draped it over them, and pressed a soft kiss to each of their foreheads before heading to bed herself.