Okay, so this is the final chapter. Honest. This will hopefully tie the other three together and bring this story to a close. I'm gonna admit that I wasn't trying to make Kai and Cole such big characters in this; Lloyd was supposed to be my main focus, but I guess that's what I get for saying that we need more than one side of the story to understand - and you can't understand without all the pieces. Anywho, maybe this actually made them all seem a little more human. You know, in hindsight, this wasn't supposed to be so darn depressing. A little angst here and there, explain the inference to Kai's self harm from Chapter One - and then I had to go and make Cole a freaking antihero (that's the best way to describe him right now) because I can't leave well enough alone. … Alright, I'm done ranting. Read, review, and don't forget to read the concluding A/N at the bottom ('cause it'll be written, you know, after the story is actually done, so - yeah). Enjoy :)

Lloyd had always loved the ocean. It didn't mock, didn't judge, just rose and fell - breaths of an ancient creature, vast and wise and steady. When things had gotten hard, he had always run to the ocean. He would talk to it and pretend it could listen, imagining that every sigh of the waves were an answer only he could hear.

The Green Ninja listened to it now as he stood on a low-rise roof, leaning against the wall and staring out at the moonlight waves. From up here, all of his problems seemed unimportant (he felt like he could breathe) where the city life couldn't touch him and all he could see was the glittering, navy sea.

Four days ago the Not-So-Secret Ninja Force had been divided throughout the city clearing rubble and organizing relief efforts. Koko and Wu had been going around and doing the same, cataloguing the damage so that everything could be dealt with efficiently. The second day was when things had started to fall apart again rather spectacularly.

Ninjago City was calling for Lord Garmadon to answer for his crimes. They wanted monetary compensation, a confession, jail time - anything they could wheedle out of him. Lloyd, Wu, and Koko had been forced to hand over their humanitarian efforts to the others as they talked to lawyer after lawyer after lawyer, trying to find a way to reach a compromise. He had also been bombarded by the press, everyone wanting to 'hear the story of Lloyd Garmadon', to be the first tabloid to 'expose his mistreatment' - heck, he'd even had lawyers trying to convince him to hire them to help him sue the city for compensation for his supposed life of misery. Four hours ago the Green Ninja had stumbled back to his apartment, seen his mother and father looking over photos of Lloyd, and promptly turned and ran back to his uncle's ship.

Except… he didn't want to be there either.

Approximately 11 minutes later he was perched on the top of a nearby low-rise (his favorite, but he'd never told anyone that). From here he could see most of Ninjago city and all of Brick Bay, the closest bit of ocean to his home.

It was peaceful.

Sirens, city life, shadows and light in equal measure - it was the city he had grown up with.

The city that wanted to finally claim him.

Lloyd tossed his head back in disgust and let the ocean breeze wash over his skin and tousle his hair (familial in a way he wouldn't - couldn't - understand). Salt water teased his nostrils, and the moonlight lit everything from behind closed lids; if only everything could be this -

"Come here often?"

Perfect. The famed Green Ninja jumped about 10 feet in the air. "First Master, Kai!" He panted for breath as if he'd run a marathon. "Don't do that!"

"Or you'll, what, accidently jump off a building?"

His glare at the Ninja of Fire had the teen scowling.

"Geez, I'm sorry; it was just a joke."

Lloyd turned to look back out over the tranquil sea. "What do you wan't, Kai."

"What a way to say hi to a friend."

"Kai -"

"Alright, alright." Kai leaned against the wall beside him with a huff, and silence fell once more.

Guilt began to gnaw at him, and he sighed and turned. "Kai -"

"No. Just -" The older teen huffed again, one hand running back through his hair. "I know what you're gonna say, an' you don't owe me a damn apology."

Lloyd couldn't help his flinch. Kai watched him carefully.

"We missed you the last couple o' days."

He shrugged, mumbled, "I was busy."

"Yeah; that's what yer mom said." More silence, this time uncomfortable. Kai shifted. "You wanna talk -"

"No." Short, clipped - Lloyd was angry again (he had maybe never stopped). He didn't apologize. "No, I'm tired of talking. That's all I've done the last three days is talk." Bitter, too (maybe he had been all along). He exhaled sharply, turning back to the sea. "So, yeah; no more talking."

He thought maybe the older teen would go away, leave him alone like he wanted - but Kai surprised him by saying, "Fine, then just listen." A deep breath in and out again. "Back on the cliff," (Lloyd flinched again), "I realized that I'd made a mistake. I - I broke my promise to you - the one I made when we were freshman."

Lloyd furrowed his brow. Broken? What did Kai mean, broken?

"I promised you that you wouldn't be alone, but on the docks when Jay and Zane said those things…"

… Oh. That promise. Lloyd turned to face him in his confusion (he had meant to face the sea). "You never broke your promise."

"... Huh? What're you talkin' about? I was there!"

Golden-blond hair whipped across his face. "No. What you said, it's what made me realize why I couldn't hate my father, and it helped me learn why I couldn't hate you - even after what Jay and Zane said; you're - you're my family." His voice cracked, and tears stung his eyes, so he looked away, voice now a whisper. "I could never hate you." Even if you hate me (he only thought it).

Kai still heard it. "Kid," the Red Ninja sighed, and the Green felt a hand on his shoulder (it was warm). "Don't you think it works both ways? That if we're your family, then you're our family, too? That we could never actually hate you?"

He'd never thought it.

"We were mad at you, yeah, but we've never, ever hated you. I convinced myself that you knew that even when I knew that you wouldn't. It's my fault for letting you believe a lie, Lloyd, and I - I'm sorry." His voice dropped. "Please forgive me."

Out of the corner of his eye, Lloyd could see that Kai's head was bowed (in shame or humility, he couldn't tell) and that his hands were uncharacteristically limp by his sides; he was begging, Lloyd realized - begging for forgiveness.

"... They want to make my father stand trial."

Kai jerked, eyes snapping to his face. "What?!"

"The city. The people are calling for Garmadon to pay for all the crimes he's committed: the property he's ruined, the lives he's destroyed - the lives he's taken -" His voice hitched in a way he didn't like (didn't want Kai to hear), so he cut himself off.

"Well… it would be fair, Lloyd -"

"Fair?!" Without warning Lloyd turned on him. "Fair?! What the HELL would anyone in this First Master-damned city know about fair?!" The rage he had felt just days ago bubbled up in his chest, heating his face, energizing his limbs - burning his heart. "I'll tell you what's fair: every person that's ever made my life a living hell personally experiencing every damn thing they've put me through! Fair is having my father around for twice as long as he was gone! Fair is every person now trying to get on my good side rotting in hell because they think that suddenly coming to my side will make. Everything. BETTER!"

It wasn't until he let out a broken sob that Lloyd Garmadon realized he was crying (his tears tasted like his ocean). Again and again he gasped for air, crying and crying and crying because apparently now was the time to let out all the 16 years of torment. He leaned his forearms against the wall to hold himself up (his legs had given out), head bowed as he cried to the sea (it wasn't the only one listening - not anymore). Each sob shook his body, and eventually he just… let himself fall.

Bony knees hit the concrete, thin fingers gripped the edge above him for dear life (what life?). Everything had almost been fine, and then he'd had to go and mess it all up (again). What was wrong with him that he couldn't even protect Ninjago from himself or keep his father by his side for more than a mere handful of days (he'd just gotten him back)?

"Easy there kid," a voice soothed from somewhere above and beside him; a hand rubbed his back, and another gently turned him and guided his head to rest on a warm, solid chest. "Let it out."

"M-My father has killed," he sobbed, fists clenching in the red jacket, "and I st-till don't w-want him to leave me again. W-What kind of person does that make m-me? First I dest-troy the city - which G-Garmadon has never done so b-badly - and then I want to be rew-warded?!" He curled into the warmth of his friend (maybe). "Kai, I'm a monster!"

"No." Kai shoved them apart suddenly, holding Lloyd at arms length so he couldn't get away; his glare froze the younger teen more than any hold could. "You are not a monster, Lloyd, and don't you EVER let me catch you even thinking that in my vicinity again!"

He nodded wildly, too terrified to do anything but agree.

"No, you're not listening!" Kai shook him (gently), voice beginning to sound desperate. "Lloyd, you are the kindest, most selfless guy I know; all of the others would say the same. Why can't you believe that?!"

Lloyd couldn't bring himself to answer. How could he tell his friend (brother?) the truth? That he had never been led, taught, or made to believe anything other than that he simply did not deserve to be anything other than dead-weight - a waste of space - trash? Everything he had ever done had only seemed to prove this to him until all he could do was run to his ocean and let the water hide his tears.

Hide them like he wished he could do now.

He was no longer sobbing; that had stopped with a small hiccup in the face of his fear when Kai had begun to lecture him. Now the tears rolled silently down his face (traitors).

Kai's eyes narrowed. "Lloyd? Lloyd, you okay kid?"

He couldn't - He couldn't -

"Lloyd, I need you to focus, okay? Just - Focus on my voice…. That's right, just like that. Listen to me, and only hear my voice, okay? We're the only two people here. Just us. Only us…"

Eventually Lloyd was no longer crying, and he was completely aware of everything around him. The wind, the cool night air, Kai's warmth - he even thought he could feel the moonlight (cool and gentle, like mist or autumn or a watchful protector). "...Kai?" His voice was small and weak. "Kai, I… I don't -" He didn't know what to think; he didn't know where he stood. Lloyd was lost and alone again, and he wasn't sure what to think.

Kai studied him with a sad look in his brown eyes and stood. "Come on," he sighed helping Lloyd to his feet. "Let's get you to bed. You have a long day tomorrow."

Lloyd most missed the sound of the waves in his dreams that night.

Apparently I'm still a big fat liar, because this will not be the chapter. I have decided that there will be chapters for Cole, Zane, Jay, and Nya after this. I like to make things complicated, I guess. I was originally gonna seperate the chapters into individual one shots, but since I'm adding more, I've decided against that. As always, please review :) As other reviewers have discovered, I make it a point to respond to each review I get. Till next time!