I think my earliest memory would have to be when my dad held me in his arms, way high above his head. How he'd let his mouth in a slight curl of a smile at me, a silly toddler begging in my slurred baby-like speech to go higher or to throw me up into the air slightly before gravity would whisk me back to him. He never threw me up though, since he was really strong on so many unknown levels that he subconsciously knew he would use on accident. Of course he loved me to bits, despite him being one of the most hated people; Lord Garmadon.
Though some memory quality in my head was better than others I knew I had a good idea of it all. Though one thing never made sense, whenever I asked if my dad ever had a wife or who my mother was; he'd freeze up and quickly change the subject. Maybe they split or she was a one-time deal for him? I might as well be a mistake. It would explain why sometimes he would make sure I was in sight almost all the time. Then again, he must've had a tough go if he keeps me this close all the time. I sometimes had dreams about a burning village that could understand at all, and seeing some strange couple hold me, but their faces were never seen fully- it was too fuzzy to really tell who they were.
That's right though, it's my fault for needing all the protection… When I was about five, I remember getting confronted with a strange snake-like person that had legs. Officially freaked out and helpless alone in the living room where he slithered into, I began to cry as loud as I possibly could, to get Dad to help me against it. Or anyone as the creature advanced further towards me on the blood red couch that I sunk into in terror, too afraid to run, as the leer seemed to be poison enough.
I can't remember what my father was currently doing but he rushed into the room after moving over the sliding door into the opposite wall. The blue snake froze itself and the red eyes looked around, probably to make an excuse for the uncalled for intrusion. Clearly his stuttering and odd sounds he made at the pronunciations of "s" he made didn't make a good enough impression on Dad and he grabbed the snake by the neck and growled some things to him with worse venom in his voice that I have ever heard, even if I couldn't make out what he was actually threatening the blue menace with.
My eyes widened as he threw the aqua snake off our three-story house with much force that it surprised me in the future how the thing could survive it at all. Dad turned to me and walked over to me on the couch and sighed gently as he sat down, probably noticing how scared I still was. He drew my quivering form onto his lap and hugged me gently, which for him was clearly difficult. He looked down at me with his tired-looking stare, "Are you alright, Lloyd?"
I felt like crying, but I was finally calming down so I fought back the urge, "Y-Yeah, but what w-was that?"
A ragged sigh passed his lips, he must've been expecting this for awhile by the sound of things, "It was a Serpentine, my son, and their second in command; Skales," with a soft laugh he shook his head, but it was humorless, "I knew they'd eventually follow me back to my home and try and get you. Just promise me not to get mixed up with them, alright?" He tried and pet my childish bowl-cut with his gloved hand gently, my scalp feeling the leather-softened feel of the talon-like fingernails he had under there and caused me to inadvertently shift uncomfortably on his leg.
Oh how I lied to you… "I promise Daddy," I hugged his free arm to my tiny chest until I got his face to crack a rare smile. "Thanks for saving me," I gushed in appreciation, not knowing as I grew I'd always need help with this sort of thing.
Maybe Dad foresaw that? "Then I promise to always protect you no matter where you are or by what means it takes, my son."
"Even if I get caught by the Serpentine and they're on the other side of the world?" I challenged lightly in a joke, noticing his finally gave me a real hug during my question.
"Then they better watch out for me when I get there," Lord Garmadon then looked much older during this, maybe everything was slowly catching up to him, "I'd even join some ninjas in the hunt to get you back," I noticed how he struggled to say that, but that clearly meant something- he wanted to defeat ninjas that would protect the city from his eventual ruling of it.
"Isn't Uncle still looking for recruits with special abilities?" I may never have really gotten to see Sensei Wu most the time, but when I did he was always talking about how close he was to finding leads to chosen ninjas especially.
"Yes," said my father and he plopped me back onto the floor on my two feet and he took off his helmet and placed it on the side table on his side gingerly. Next came his chest armor though he usually kept on his bright white tank top and his leg armor and boots and socks combo came off next, leaving him in oversized gray shorts and barefoot (with equally scary sharp pointed toenails). He lay on the overly stuffed couch on his back and closed his eyes; the upper half of his body was bathed in bright sunlight from the afternoon sun.
I blinked and looked around, then pouted like the smaller child I was, "Now what do I do? I'm bored?"
Without opening his eyes, he moved so he was on his side, his hair getting pulled out of the ponytail and the chocolate color spilled random over the arm of the couch where his head currently lay (his feet humorously over the other side), "Then come take a nap with me," I liked it when I was here and no one else was around, then he'd be carefree until his headaches started up and ruined it all. There was room on the couch for two to lie on their sides so I took up the offer and got on gently and spun around so I could have my back up against his strong chest. His arms caught around my stomach so my sleeping form wouldn't squirm off onto the hard wooden floor, I tended to move a lot in my sleep.
~~
A few months back I had decided to run off on my own to get some Serpentine under my control. To make Dad proud of me that I had done so, I decided to think up some ways to show it off. I had a sweet tooth for candy so of course I sent them to get all the candy, crying out to the village to get me all their candy. It was good enough at the time. Then I decided on a tree house to rest and play in perhaps, but also for embarrassment. Which was how I felt for those two months after, having to be rescued so much or probably being in the way so much…
I remember Kai getting me from the lava when the Serpentine had held me hostage there eventually and how I felt my face light up in a gentle blush of gratefulness… and something else. Though that was crushed after I noticed Cole kiss him thankful that he wasn't actually melted or destroyed in the volcano that forcibly started up; it brought me back to reality. That they were together and I had no chance with impressing Jay or getting Zane since they were also in a relationship deeper than any friendship could reach. I couldn't possibly try to break that up even if I wanted to.
When Kai realized his need to protect me was because it turned out being me who was the green ninja, I looked over to my father whose smile vanished from his face slowly. I walked bit towards him as Uncle sighed and spoke of how our family was even more divided than before.
Then during the last month the most eventful thing that's happened was that my father eventually showed up again with the help of my uncle telling him. I remember how he yelled out to the beast of a snake how he wanted to get it back for what it did. The way his expression was clearly angry even from the distance away I was. As the ninjas and I made our way through the green slime I notice Sensei Wu there, but no Dad. Disappointed at this I soon realized he had taken the weapons.
Even then I felt sorry for him and how we had to eventually battle. I wonder what would happen then. Would I back out or would I stand up against his domination? I know I would hate to do this, but there's more to life than winning. What would be harder though; losing your only child or never being able to see your only child again?