So I don't know why it takes me a week to write 500 words of Skyward and one evening to do this. Blame my brain. But hey, look! A continuation of something you didn't know was being continued! Surprise! Lemme know if there are any errors and what you think down in the comments :D
"Hey Ky. Ky."
"Huh?"
Ky looks up from where he's busy planning how best to take his nap. Lloyd raises an eyebrow at him. He's clearly going for nonchalant, but there's this tenseness in the way he's sitting that immediately puts Ky on guard.
He shifts to face Lloyd better. "Yeah, sure bro, what's up?"
Lloyd smiles, but there's a crease between his eyes. "Hey. I was wondering if you'd meet me in the library later?"
Oh. Oh. Ky sits up straight and pushes all plans of sleep to the back of his mind. Because if Lloyd wants to talk to him, then it could be about… that. No, scratch that, it's almost definitely about it.
Ever since that trip to the Museum of History a couple of days ago, Lloyd's been acting… strange. And Ky doesn't mean his usual brand of strange -how anyone could eat steak cold is beyond him. No, he's acting shifty. And Ky plans to get to the bottom of it.
"Yeah, sure thing," Ky says. They're some of the first to the classroom; none of the others are here yet. "I'll let Noa know, she'll tell the others-"
"No." Lloyd's hand on his arm stops Ky in his tracks. "Don't tell them. Or at least, not yet. I, uh, I want to look into something by myself first. Make sure I'm not going crazy." He mumbles that last part under his breath, but Ky still hears him.
"Can do," Ky says, electing to ignore that last part. Lloyd has a tendency for self-deprecation, after all.
Lloyd gives him a thankful grin. Ky grins back. Lloyd turns back to his seat and Ky's grin settles into something more thoughtful. What's Lloyd got to say that's that important? He shifts back and tries to get comfortable. He's not getting that nap today.
At the end of the day, Ky shoves his books into his locker and heads for the school library. When he arrives, he almost doesn't find Lloyd behind the ginormous pile of books at his table.
"What the heck is this?" Ky asks, gesturing sharply at the stack. It truly is impressive, and Ky would be more impressed if he wasn't so crestfallen. "You didn't tell me we would be reading," he whines. "You should have asked Zach or someone else to help you with this. I'm terrible at reading."
"But I wanted you," Lloyd says matter-of-factly, not looking up from his book. He pats the seat beside him. "Come on, stop complaining and help."
Ky goes over, ignoring the warm feeling in his chest. "What's got you all interested in this history stuff all of a sudden?" he asks.
Lloyd shrugs evasively. "Just curious."
Ky stares. That almost sounded like a believable lie. Lloyd does not do almost believable lies. He doesn't do halfway believable or even -what's the word for half of a half? oh yeah!- or even quarterway believable lies.
"Okay," he says, slamming his book down. "What has gotten into you?"
Lloyd flails. "Gotten into me? Nothing! Nothing's gotten into me!" He props his elbow on the table and gives Ky the fakest grin ever. "Uh, what makes you think that?"
Ky squints. While that sounds more like the Lloyd he knows, that grin isn't fooling anyone. "You never stay at school longer than you have to," he points out. He sits down. "So what are we researching? Mongooses? Puberty?"
"You think you're so funny," Lloyd says dryly. He sighs. "No. I'm- it's the original Ninja Force."
Ky shoots up so fast he knocks his chair over. "Aha! I knew this was about what happened at the museum!"
"Ky!" Lloyd hisses, pulling him back down. He glances around the library and glares at him. "People could be listening!"
"What people," Ky grouses. "There's no one here. I checked as I came in."
Honestly, Lloyd needs to trust him more. It's not like Ky evacuates buildings all the time for a living or anything- well, not for a living exactly, but you get the point.
Lloyd's brow pulls together, but he concedes the point. "Just be more careful," he says.
"Got it, chief." Ky picks up his chair and sits down again. "So did you find anything? You said you didn't know why you were glowing when I asked." He has to fight to keep the hurt out of his voice. Lloyd wouldn't lie to him about something like that.
Lloyd shifts. "I didn't know exactly why," he hedges, "but I had a hunch. Did you hear what the tour guide said? Right before I, uh, started glowing?" His face turns pink.
"You know I didn't," Ky says, "otherwise I wouldn't be asking questions."
Lloyd nods. "Right. Okay. He said that those golden weapons on the wall- you saw them, right?"
Ky nods too. He'd thought the sword with the dragon eating flames had looked pretty sick.
"He said that they react in the presence of the Green Ninja."
Ky feels his eyes widen. "So that's why you- but- how-?" His mind seizes the strongest response- anger- and he runs with it. "That idiot! He could have given away your secret identity!"
"He didn't know!" Lloyd defends. "And it's not like anyone else made the connection."
"Still," Ky says, for the principle of it even though he knows Lloyd's right. He breathes out. "Wow. So, like, at least now you know you're the green ninja for sure."
"You've got that right," Lloyd says in a strange tone. Suddenly, he's looking hard into Ky's face. "Have you been, uh… Have you ever felt deja vu before?"
Ky shrugs. "Sure, I guess. Hasn't everyone?"
Lloyd searches his face a little while longer. Ky fidgets. Apparently that's not the answer he was looking for, because Lloyd sighs and turns away. "Yeah, I guess so. Nevermind."
He checks his watch and stands, stretching. "We've gotta go. Master Wu expects us for training in half an hour."
Ky follows him out, wondering what else he was supposed to say.
Three days later finds the whole gang sans Jay at the pool, soaking up the last of the summer heat. Ky lounges in one of the deck chairs, sunglasses perched on his nose and arms crossed behind his head. The sun is warm on his bare chest. He sighs contentedly.
A little ways away, Lloyd floats in the water. He's on one of those blowup chair thingies, the ones that everyone love but just make Ky's skin feel sticky. Well, at least he seems happy. This is one of those rich people pools, so there's an entire area dedicated to kids with spray guns and buckets. Kai squirts Lloyd with water just to see the way he scowls at him.
Also on dry ground are Noa, Zach, and Colton. Zach can't get in the water for… obvious reasons, and Noa's taking a break from the water to pass a bright yellow frisbee back and forth with him. Colton has a stupid drink hat on and an ever-present earbud tucked into one ear. He's the reason any of them are even allowed in the rich people pool, so Ky will hold back from mocking him. Probably.
Ky leans back again. There was just a Garmadon attack two days ago, so according to Zach, they're in the clear. Hmm. He could take a nap, wouldn't that be nice…
"Lloyd, think fast!"
Ky opens his eyes right as Noa tosses a frisbee in the air. Everything after that happens in slow motion. Lloyd reaches up for the frisbee, overextends. He topples off his float, which would be fine if he were anyone else. But Ky sees the panic in his eyes as he goes under, his complete terror-
And Kai. Doesn't think. Doesn't hesitate. Doesn't do anything except fling off his sunglasses and jump into the pool. Water rushes up over his head but he can't think about that now, can't think about the lump of panic that rises in his own throat. He has to get to Lloyd. His hand brushes something and he seizes it.
They break the surface, gasping, but very much alive.
"Lloyd!" Nya's face appears in front of his. The girl is wide-eyed with horror. "I'm so sorry! I didn't think-"
She starts to haul him up and exhausted, Kai can't do much more than let Lloyd go into her care. He clutches at the side of the pool as images flash through his head. What's happening to him? Why is he seeing:
Himself, bent over an anvil.
Himself, looking out of a volcano from the inside.
Himself, a staff in one hand and a ball of energy around him.
Himself, opening the door to a hut in a swamp.
Himself, with gold weapons laid out at his feet and a dying forge at his back.
A thousand pictures flash through Ky's mind, a thousand memories, and he lets out a whine as he clutches his head. It feels like he's dying. Or maybe he's being born again. Oh FSM, what Lloyd must have felt going through this alone-
Lloyd!
Ky clambers out of the pool. He doesn't realize he's shivering until Zach drapes a towel over his shoulders and starts spouting off facts about human death rates from falling into pools. Which, number one, is a lot higher than Ky would have thought, and number two, not important right now. He pushes past the teen, not unkindly, and goes over to the chair they've set Lloyd in. Lloyd looks up as he approaches.
"Kai?" he asks.
It sounds exactly like his name, but Ky knows- he doesn't know how, but he knows- that it's meant for the other him. "Yeah. Yeah, Lloyd, I'm here."
Lloyd's face crumples. "I thought I was alone."
And ouch. Ky tries not to let his hurt show on his face. "Alone, Lloyd? With all of us at your side?" He gestures widely to their group of friends, who are not so subtly eavesdropping on their conversation. "Any of them, us, would follow you into battle without question. Don't try and undermine that."
Lloyd must see how much he's affected him because his eyes go wide and a flurry of 'sorry's spill from his lips. Kai rubs a hand over his eyes. Yeesh. Combine his Lloyd's tendency to apologize for anything and everything with this Lloyd's tendency to blabber and this is what you end up with.
"No, no, sorry," he says. "I know you didn't mean it like that."
"Yeah," Lloyd says softly. "So you remember-?"
"Most of it," Ky says. "It's really weird. It's like I've got a whole other life inside my head." He wrinkles his nose.
"You kinda do," Lloyd says, but not mocking.
"Okay," says Noa, hands on her hips. "Is anyone going to tell me what the heck is going on here, or will I have to-"
The warning sirens cut off whatever she was going to say next. The five of them look at each other and collectively groan.
"You are not getting out of this conversation," Noa warns.
"I wouldn't dream of it," Ky says. "C'mon, let's go!"
