AN: Hey everybody! Welcome to "To Be the Son of Garmadon!" Please note that this is an AU of the movie, not the show. The chapter titles are from "Found My Place" by Oh Hush! featuring Jeff Lewis from the The Lego Ninjago Movie soundtrack. I hope you enjoy!
Lloyd's eyelids flared open at the call of his name, revealing his eyes, which gleamed menacingly red.
Then his eyelids drooped, and Lloyd yawned, scrunched his eyes up, and rolled over in bed. Pulling his covers over his head, he mumbled, "Uhhh, gimme ten more minutes."
"I'm very sorry, Lad Garmadon," a quivering voice replied, "but the Lady Garmadon requests your presence in the Throne Room."
"Huh?" Lloyd wondered, peeking his head out from his covers and peering at his constantly-nervous personal butler. "What does she want?"
"Lady Garmadon did not say; however, if I am allowed to make a guess, I would hazard to say it has something to do with what day it is?" His butler (what was the new guy's name again? Lloyd really didn't remember; after all, his last butler had only been fired a week ago, but then again he hadn't known that guy's name either) ventured.
"What day it is?" Lloyd repeated sleepily. "What day- oh!"
Lloyd jumped out of bed excitedly, startling his butler, who stumbled back with a squeak.
"It's my birthday!" Lloyd exclaimed proudly.
"Indeed, Lad Garmadon. Uh, if I may say, Lady Garmadon is still waiting for you," his butler said nervously.
"Oh, right! Thanks, you're the best!" Lloyd called back over his shoulder to the butler as he bolted out of his bedroom and into his dressing room. After quickly changing into a cool outfit, Lloyd ran back into his bedroom and scooped up his phone, tossing his pajamas to a nearby maid to be washed. Running down the hall, he passed servant after servant, each of whom hastily bowed or curtsied as he passed. Lloyd skidded around a corner and hurried through a pair of large doors into the Throne Room where Lady Garmadon awaited.
And there she was, sitting on her throne, Misako Garmadon. Her nickname was "Koko" but only her husband and co-ruler called her that. Instead, she was known to all the citizens of Ninjago as "Lady Garmadon" when she was working as the co-ruler of Ninjago or as "General #1" on the rare occasions when she was working as the leader of the army. No matter the situation, however, Lloyd just called her "Mom."
"'Morning!" Lloyd greeted cheerfully, running up to the throne, something only he was allowed to do without asking for permission.
"Good morning, Lloyd," Lady Garmadon said happily, standing and giving him a hug. "Are you excited for your big day?"
"Very!" Lloyd stated enthusiastically, hugging her back. "What've you and Dad got planned?"
Pulling back, Lady Garmadon shook her head at her son fondly. "Oh, you know better than that. Your father and I have been working hard to get everything ready without you figuring it, and you won't figure it out until it happens."
"Awww," Lloyd groaned, but he relented. He did know better; when his parents put their minds to something, nothing could stop them. After all, they had saved Ninjago from certain destruction by themselves when he was only a baby and they had ruled it ever since.
"Now, your father's very sorry he couldn't be here this morning," Lady Garmadon began, sitting back down in her large throne.
"He had that meeting with the farmers from that little village, right?" Lloyd checked, settling into his own throne between his father's and his mother's thrones. "And the meeting with the skeleton, shark, and snake guards after that?"
"Mmm-hmm. But he has a break between meetings, which should be right abouuuuut," Lady Garmadon's voice trailed off.
The sound of Lloyd's favorite song cut her off as it blared from his phone.
"Now!" Lady Garmadon cheered.
Lloyd scrambled for his phone and sure enough, his father's face and name were plastered across the caller-ID screen. Grinning, Lloyd hit "talk" and said, "Hey, Dad!"
"Lloyd! Happy birthday, my boy!" Lord Garmadon gushed. "I can't believe you're sixteen already, it seems like just yesterday you were taking your first steps and saying your first words and your mom and I were arguing over how to pronounce your name! Before I know it, you'll be taking over ruling Ninjago!"
"Aw, Dad!" Lloyd dismissed, but he was smiling.
Lord Garmadon sighed, sounding wistful. "Oh, what a day that will be. You'll firing servants and punishing rebels, rewarding loyal followers and leading strong armies. I can't wait to see it! You'll be the best of your mom and me in our heyday, probably even better."
"As good as you two were when you saved Ninjago from the beast Meowthra?" Lloyd asked hopefully, already knowing the answer.
"As good or more so," Lord Garmadon affirmed.
"Tell me that story again?" Lloyd asked.
"I've only got a few minutes," Lord Garmadon hedged.
"A shortened version, then," Lloyd wheedled. "Please?"
"Oh, all right. Well, your mom and I had just finished saving a small village from some rogue skeletons when we came across Ninjago City, which was being attacked by this huge creature your evil Uncle Wu had summoned. Well, we couldn't have that, so we ran straight into battle!" Lord Garmadon boasted.
"Because you wanted to stop the beast from destroying the city and then moving on to all of Ninjago," Lloyd added.
"Exactly," Lord Garmadon agreed. "It took some time, and the city was practically in ashes by the time we were done, but we defeated Meowthra and banished it and your Uncle Wu to another realm."
"And the citizens of Ninjago City were so grateful that they named you two their new overlords!" Lloyd exclaimed. "Then all of Ninjago realized how awesome you two were and made you rulers of everything, and you recreated it in your own images so it was so much better, right?"
"Right. And one day, you'll take our places and rule Ninjago as its supreme overlord," Lord Garmadon said happily. "But you've got a ways to go. You aren't ruler yet, you're just a kid, a kid that we're preparing to rule one day, but a kid nonetheless. So enjoy being a kid, all right? And enjoy what your mom and I have planned for you today."
"Which isssss…" Lloyd baited.
"Like I'd tell you," Lord Garmadon teased, and Lloyd could practically see what he was doing: pointed teeth bared in a grin, upper arms spread and lower arms crossed, red eyes just like Lloyd's own gleaming.
"I should've known I couldn't get you to crack," Lloyd sighed. "Okay. I gotta get ready for school now. Love you!"
"Love you too, son," Lord Garmadon said fondly.
Lloyd clicked "end call" and smiled at his mom. "Is breakfast ready?"
"Chef!" Lady Garmadon called instead of answering directly.
A man in a white uniform slunk into the Throne Room. "Yes, Lady Garmadon!"
"My son is hungry. Bring him breakfast," Lady Garmadon commanded.
The man bowed low and scurried out.
Lloyd smiled. All was good in Ninjago.