I am so so so sorry this chapter took me this long. The last few weeks were just really crazy, and I had a few 'high priority updates' (i.e. Birthday presents for some wattpad friends). Which also means I once more haven't managed to reply to all those lovely comments on the previous chapter... (and I also have a very long list of alerts to catch up on!)

But I am really happy to at least have this chapter done before all my theories will get busted when 'Hunted' starts airing tomorrow 😉.

Reunion (Part 2)

"Now, tell me." Lloyd requested, already having recounted his – Ninjago's – side of the story as well as having more or less accurately memorised all those little (or not so little in certain cases) messages for the Ninja's (girl)friends and families. "What's been going on with you for the past couple of days?"

The young Master still couldn't believe it had been merely week since the team had been separated. While his brothers and uncle had been gone and believed dead, those few days had felt like an eternity to him. Now, on the other hand, it almost was as if they had never been apart at all.

His glance fell on the two purple-clad Ninja. "And what happened to your gi?" He asked Jay and Kai.

"Wu happened." The formerly red Ninja replied dryly. "He put Jay and I's laundry together in the washer, and we don't have any dye remover or even enough detergent here to rewash our clothes."

"You see, little Sensei here's been having a bit of a naughty phase." Cole affectionately ruffled the short boy's golden hair. "And he still remembers all the pranks you used to play on us when you were about this age."

"Oh, I see." Lloyd blushed. "Even the..."

"Yes, even the one with the cling film on the toilet seat." Zane confirmed. "It was a rather unpleasant exp..."

"Can we please not talk about that one?" Jay interrupted him. "I mean, Lloyd doesn't have that much time and he needs to know what we've been up to in this Realm rather than what Wu's been up to with us, right?" He said, obviously eager to switch topics.

"Jay is right." Lloyd quickly agreed, feeling slightly responsible for his uncle's pranks. "So, what's going on here?"

"Remember that story Mystake told us about the Oni and the Dragon?" Jay asked.

"Sure." The Green Ninja nodded. How could I forget my own heritage?

"Well, we were able to learn a little bit more about the whole situation in this Realm." Cole explained. "For many years following the First Spinjitzu Master's departure, the Oni and the Dragon had some kind of a truce. But as said before, Ninjago and the First Realm are connected, so everything that happens back home has an impact on what's happening here. And ever since the Mask of Vengeance had been stolen, the balance of powers was shifted: The stronger the Sons of Garmadon became, so did the Oni. Thus, they broke the truce and started hunting down the Dragons."

Lloyd understood. "So that's why..."

"Yes, we believe that is why we have lost control of our Elemental Dragons." Zane confirmed. And Jay continued: "And it's only getting worse. The more the Dragons get suppressed by the Oni, the more control Garmadon gains over Ninjago. And in turn, the more power Garmadon gets, the more the Oni will do too. And that will make Garmadon even more stronger, and then the Oni..."

"Thank you, Jay." Cole interrupted his best friend's rant. "Anyway, in order to stop – or at least to slow down – this downslide, we've decided to join in the war here; we're helping the Dragons, trying to free them and to bring back peace to this Realm."

"But what about Ninjago?" Lloyd wanted to know. "We need you there. And... we miss you."

"We miss you too." His friends agreed. "But the Dragons have helped us so many times, now it's our turn to support them. We can't just leave and go home until the balance here has been somewhat restored."

"Like literally even." Jay chimed in. "We have no more Traveller's Tea, so the only way to cross over between the Realms is either to use one of the portals or our dragons. And at this moment, neither of them are strong enough to bring all of us back. Also, battling the Oni here should hopefully also weaken Garmadon and Harumi back in Ninjago."

"Is there a way I – we can help you?"

Kai placed a hand on his younger brother's shoulder. "Lloyd." He looked him in the eyes. "You have to go back. Ninjago needs you. You need to tell - and show - the people that the Ninja are still alive and are fighting for them. Because that's what we are doing here. We are fighting for both Realms. And you will have to do the same back home."

Lloyd swallowed. "I will." He promised.

"Just don't take any unnecessary risks, okay?"

"When have I ever done that?" The Green Ninja grinned at his honorary big brother.

"Oh, I could give you quite a few examples..." Little Wu piped up.

"Wu, respect." Cole said in a firm voice. "That's not the way to talk to an adult... well, sort of... an adult."

"Don't worry." Lloyd smiled. "I have three way more responsible teammates than I used to do."

"So, it's you and the girls now ..." Kai smirked. "How does it feel to be the Boy Ninja?"

"Oooh, those fan magazines would love to write stuff about 'Lloyd's Angels' or something like that." Jay grinned. "Don't let Dareth find out or he'll tell Gayle..."

"Right now, I would actually love for something like that to happen. Remember, Dareth's been arrested, and Garmadon is in control of the press." Lloyd reminded him. "But Nya, PIX, and Skylor are really great. The last few days have been tough for all of us, and I don't think I would have made it without them. I can't wait to let them know that you're not dead."

"Well, I guess that means goodbye then..." said Kai, hugging the younger Ninja.

"I prefer see you soon." Lloyd smiled as his three other brothers and uncle joined in.

"You will." They promised. "As soon as possible. We can't let you take on Garmadon on your own... again."

After reluctantly letting go, Lloyd closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he focused his mind on Ninjago, on the Temple of Light, and most of all on the three girls who were probably worrying about him right now.

And as he opened his eyes again, he could just make out his five friends smiling at him as they and the Destiny' Bounty were slowly fading away.

But instead of back on the Dark Island, Lloyd found himself back in the desert, at the same spot where he had first arrived in this Realm a few hours ago.

"It is very rude to leave without at least saying hello to your family." An unfamiliar voice said."Your real family."

Lloyd turned around and found himself face to face with three dark and rather scary looking creatures.

"Wh-who are you?" He asked.

"Oh, you should very well know the answer to that question yourself." One of the demons replied with a devilish grin on their face. "But we can maybe give you a little hint."

As their face morphed into the Mask of Hatred, the demon's body turning into magma stone, their two companions took the appearances of the other two masks.

Lloyd swallowed hard. The Oni.

"What do you want?" He asked, fear lacing his voice. Remember, you are not really here, they can't hurt you. He reminded himself.

"Oh, we know that." The demon wearing the telepathic Mask of Deception smirked. "And we wouldn't want to hurt you. We just want to have a little chat between long lost relatives."

"That's all?"

"And, we want you to join us." The Mask of Vengeance said. "Embrace who you are - one of us."

"I-I am not." Lloyd replied in a shaking voice. Or, am I?

"You are Oni." The purple demon stated.

"I-I may be part Oni but that doesn't make me one of you." Or, does it?

"Then, why couldn't you defeat your father?" The red one claimed. "Because you couldn't fight one of your own kind."

"That was not my father." And I couldn't fight Garmadon because I was scared.

"Oh, but he was." The Mask of Vengeance stated. "He just has fully embraced his Oni side, and it's time for you to do the same."

"I will never become one of you." I couldn't fight him because I was scared of becoming just like him if I did.

"And why not?"

"Because it is my choice who I am." Lloyd yelled. Even if that means loosing my powers.

"And who are you?" A soft voice asked. The three Oni had dissipated, and an old, yet ageless, man in pure white and gold had taken their place.

"Grandfather?" Lloyd gasped.

"My child." The First Spinjitzu Master beamed at him. "I am proud of you. I once was in the same situation, two sides fighting over me when all I wanted as to keep the balance between them. But I am asking you again. Who do you choose to be?" He repeated.

Lloyd hesitated. So far, the decision who he was always had been made for him.

"I am Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon." My parents gave me this name.

"I am part Oni and part Dragon." My heritage made me this.

"I was a student at Darkley's." My mother left me there.

"I am the Green Ninja." The Golden Weapons chose me.

"I was the Golden Ninja." Destiny made me.

"I am the protector of Ninjago." The people of Ninjago gave me this title.

I am an idiot. Harumi made me fall for her. He couldn't even say this out loud, but the way his grandfather's lips curled into a little smile suggested that he probably knew what his grandson was thinking.

But Lloyd couldn't let this distract him. Had there ever been anything that he had decided to be himself?

Sure, he had made some decisions what not to be, like when he had gotten himself expelled from Darkley's by not being bad enough, when he had given up his Golden Powers, and even when he had refused to fight Garmadon out of fear to let his Oni side take over, but Lloyd couldn't think of anything he had ever chosen to be...

Well, except for one.

Lloyd raised his head and looked into his grandfather's glistening amber eyes.

"I am Master Lloyd." He claimed. "And I have a team that I need to go back to."

"What's going on with him now?" Nya wondered as the aura surrounding Lloyd suddenly started to glow in a deep shade of purple. The boy had been floating mid-air for several hours, engulfed in a bright beam of light.

"His aura has been changing colours faster than a chameleon in a paint shop." PIXAL stated.

"PIX?" Two pairs of eyes turned to the female Nindroid in disbelief.

"What?" The Samurai shrugged. "Spending time with the Ninja has taught me that a small, even inappropriate, joke can sometimes brighten up a desperate situation."

"I think I know who you mean." Nya smiled sadly. She sighed. "I miss him so much..."

Just at that moment, Lloyd's aura changed its appearance once again, briefly glowing in a bright silver light before the beam suddenly disappeared altogether.

The three girls jumped up and ran to their teammate who had collapsed onto the ground from exhaustion.

"Lloyd." PIXAL was the first one to reach him. She carefully turned him around.

"What happened?" She asked, noticing that he was once again wearing his father's Sensei robes.

Lloyd opened his eyes and smiled at her.

"They're alive." He just managed to say before he passed out again.