~~Ch38:Wed3, Kitty!~~

"So you were my babysitter?" I asked, still wrapping my head around the concept.

"Indeed!" agreed Zane. "And weren't you the most adorable little thing, in your little green onesie with your stuffed dragon!"

To my mortification, apparently Zane had a video function, which he used to flick on a short clip of a tiny blond-haired ME crawling around and giggling. The little me set down my toy and used Zane's foot to climb upright and toddle a few steps before plonking on my bum and starting to cry. Almost instantly baby Kai and baby Nya were at my side, mushing me between the two of them until I was giggling again. Zane's eyes, the camera view, swept to the side to look over at Jay and Cole, who were crawling over to see what the commotion was about, and then around the room, to show younger versions of all our parents.

Oh. Wow. This was a lot to take in. I quickly moved the subject along. "How cool that we're all together again, so many years later!"

"Yes! And now I can embarrass any of you on command with baby photos!"

I was hoping he wouldn't think of that.

"Though I am still unsure what is so embarrassing about having been a baby. Ah well, I suppose as a nindroid, I may never know."

That sentence made me pause. As a nindroid? "You're not gonna, um...?"

Zane laughed. "Pretend to be human anymore? No. It is quite odd, actually. Before my reset, I was quite proud of being the first of my kind, a nindroid, a ninja android built to protect those who cannot protect themselves! A hero." He set a hand over his heart, um, power source. "I will have to thank my father and apologize when I get home. He must have been so upset when I began denying myself. Perhaps it was leftover from my breakdown before my reset, even before my emotions were complex enough to understand... myself."

"So, it wasn't like gaining your powers changed who you were?"

"No, no, no," insisted Zane, checking our speed and direction on the autopilot before turning his attention back to me. "I believe my core personality was set from when I was first turned on, born you could say, and then was further shaped by my experiences and upbringing, same as any human. It was merely that I was, well, handicapped. I was unable to interpret my emotions or the situations around me correctly. I still felt sad, but since I didn't understand sadness, it just... didn't compute. And I had no concept at all of fear or pain, as nothing had ever hurt or felt... permanent, before. Anger too was alien."

"So Echo..."

Zane laughed. "I'm not sure I was ever quite that cheery! And since my role was to be a guardian, not a little brother and assistant, I was much more independent. Echo should become a quite different person from me if... when, we discover how to make Echo complete. I was built to protect, but I believe Father built Echo as a companion."

I played with my fingers, glancing down and watching the green sparks and swirls play around my hands and arms. "Yeah, about that... I can do it."

Zane froze. "What?" he asked, after a long minute of silence.

"Green is apparently different from other elements. I just kind of know what I can and can't do."

To demonstrate, I allowed the Green around each arm to coalesce over my open palms, shaping into bright green glowing orbs, crackling with power. Without any thought I combined those orbs into one, then into a spiral, then had it explode outwards like a firework. I had to stifle a giggle at the usual buzz of power and raw optimism.

"And I can fix Echo! I know I can! Just like I know if the battery in this jet were to die, no sweat, I can charge it up. Just... you didn't want it. Back then. When you realized what was happening."

Zane sighed and leaned back.

"Are you mad?"

He shook his head. "Of course not. But you are right. Once Echo understands what gaining a full spectrum of emotions entails, not to mention functioning nerve endings, he will not appreciate it. The first time he feels pain, fear, anger... In a way, he lives in a sort of fairy tale right now. He doesn't understand what reality is, and it will take time for him to appreciate it. He will, as I did, but that will not be his initial reaction."

"Betrayal," I whispered. The Green flickering around my hands winked out. "Hurt. Confusion."

Zane nodded. "My father and I have known this and discussed it at length, Lloyd. We have tried to include him, but to him, he just sees it as an upgrade, us making him 'better'." He let out a sad sort of chuckle. "The reasoning skills and emotional depth he would need to decide for himself whether or not he truly wants something... are the very skills and emotions the procedure would grant him. It is, I suppose, a gray area. A moral conundrum."

"So you and Dr. Julian decided, years ago, to make this decision for him?"

Zane nodded, frowning. "And he will likely hate us for it, at least for a short while. But we both firmly believe it is the right decision."

I clenched my fists, calling my Green back. It was easy to get it to come back, just hard to get it to slip away. I stared at the flickering sparks, allowed the steady glow to amp up, to warm me from within at the sudden chill.

"He might... he will probably hate me. If I'm the one to actually do it."

"Yes."

I imagined that sweet little face, twisted in rage. Like Zane's face when he'd been screaming at Gerald, before they'd reconciled.

"But, once he understands, he will likely accept it and be grateful. Even if not..."

He trailed off until I looked up at him. He was holding out one of his hands. I set one of mine in his and he grasped it firmly.

"Even if Echo does not forgive you, does not forgive me, I still believe it is the right thing for his future. A future where he can go to school, make friends, even grow up. It is possible you know, our exteriors can be upgraded as we age. So thank you, Lloyd. I will be forever grateful."

~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~

"Finally!" grumbled Garmadon, snatching the box from a general's hands. "It's so hard to get good service up here!"

He popped a handful of salty, buttery popcorn in his mouth, eyes riveted on the monster as it lunged at the fire mech. Even from up here on top of Ninjago Tower (he took advantage of the chaos to climb up here and enjoy the view, even if it didn't count as conquering the city), he could hear the Ninja shouting. The fire mech dodged and Meowthra slammed into a skyscraper. It teetered and tilted, but didn't fall, and every window but one on that side exploded.

"Music to my ears! Hey, Meowthra! You missed one!" He waved to try get the giant cat's attention, but she had turned her attention to the water mech and was swatting at it.

"Have to do everything myself," grumbled the warlord, reaching for a missile launcher.

"What. Are. You. Doing," hissed the only voice to send a shiver of fear up the warlord's spine.

"Ah, uh, getting a strategic..."

"With popcorn. And a missile launcher."

"And a radio!" he interrupted, holding up said little walkie-talkie. "So I can totally help out the fight, let them know where Meowthra is at any time with my bird's eye view!"

Koko narrowed her eyes. "I really don't think 'knowing where she is' is one of the issues in this battle."

Garmadon huffed. "It's not like anything we've been doing the last several hours has done anything! She just swats aside or ignores every single attack in our arsenal!"

His wife sighed and plopped down next to him. "Put the launcher away, Garm. And I actually was coming to tell you the evacuation is complete, no casualties, only minor injuries. We're going to pull out and regroup. Wu should be contacting the Ninja over their own communicators right now."

"They're going to have to abandon their mechs," commented Garmadon casually, sharp lava eyes taking in the details of the battlefield. Or rather, the monster's playground.

"What do you mean?"

As if in explanation, the earth mech tried to pull away and automatically became the focus of her attention. While that one returned to fighting, or rather, dodging, the ice mech tried to withdraw, instantly drawing her attention. Garmadon's generals tried to cover for the Ninja, but it was no use. Meowthra definitely favored playing with the Ninja mechs over her other 'toys', thus why they'd taken a much harsher beating than Garmadon's troops.

Garmadon waved a hand dismissively. "She'll get bored. All cats do eventually. La-Loyd told me so. Just tell them to cut their engines and wait it out until she's clear."

~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~

I had fallen asleep on the long ride back, but stirred when I heard Zane calling my name. Gerald and he were looking out the front windshield of the jet in abject despair.

I yawned and stretched, Green flickering around me. Perhaps from the influence of my power, all my dreams had been simple and happy. Even with sleeping sitting in a corner, I felt extremely well rested and ready to face this monster Zane was so worried about.

I climbed upright and came over to Zane's side, looking up and out to see - a giant kitty cat!

"She's so cute!" I exclaimed, not able to hold back my laughter.

Both Ice Ninjas turned to glare at me.

"She's taller than many of our skyscrapers and seems to be entertaining herself knocking them over."

"She's just a cat!" I tried to explain. "She's playing! We just need to give her some love and attention and she'll stop destroying things!"

Gerald and Zane exchanged glances and sighed identically.

"Yeah, he's still high," grumbled Gerald.

How rude!

"Am not! Well, not in a way that my judgment is impaired!" I huffed, folding my arms. "Just get me over there and I'll handle it!"

"Handle it?" asked Zane. "You have a plan?"

"Yes!" I grinned excitedly. "Get me right on top of her! I'm gonna pet her!"

It took pretty much the rest of the trip back to the city to convince them that NO, I was not high, and YES, I can do this!

Even if, admittedly, it was a "Green thing" that had me so convinced I could actually do this. Huh, I wonder if Green has anything to do with animals?

~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~

It was daybreak. The Ninja had rested for a few hours while Garmadon's forces took the brunt of Meowthra's attention, trying unsuccessfully to drive her back or lure her away. Now the Ninja were back to try the same themselves.

They weren't particularly hopeful. It didn't help morale that somehow Gayle Gossip had gotten a remote drone camera into the air and was thus able to report on their rather incredible failure to do anything about The Monster. Though she had seemed impressed that Garmadon's armies had joined with the Ninja Force for the sake of this battle for the city. It was believed that Garmadon couldn't stand the idea of anyone conquering the city except him, which did have a degree of truth to it, though everyone involved knew credit really went to Koko.

So here they were, firing at Meowthra with everything they had, and only seeming to irritate her. She was swiping at them like they were flies, which they nearly were to her.

Garmadon's phone rang. It was La-Loyd. That's right, his son had been kidnapped yesterday. He hadn't forgotten, but he'd certainly been distracted.

"Hi Dad! Sorry I forgot to leave a note! Put me on the communication line with all the Ninja and your troops, would you?"

"Ah, sure?" replied Garmadon, in something of a daze. This honestly felt kind of dreamlike. He flicked the button on the walkie-talkie and held his phone to it.

"This is Lloyd. I have a plan. Everyone, power down your mechs and stop firing immediately!"

There was so much chatter it was completely indecipherable.

"THAT'S AN ORDER!" roared Lloyd, and that was so beautiful a tear slipped from Garmadon's left eye. To add to the beauty of his son's perfect evil overlord skills, every mech immediately powered off and all troops lowered their weapons.

The Lightning Jet, which had been suspiciously absent this whole time (Garmadon had suspected the stupid Lightning Ninja had finally crashed, but apparently not), soon came into view. The buzzing of its engines loud and clear, the only other sound Meowthra's irritated rumbling.

A figure in a green hoodie with blond hair was standing on a wing, leaning against the glass of the hatch.

Just when Garmadon's heart was surging in happiness, it plummeted in terror, as his son leapt from the jet and landed... on Meowthra's head.

~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~

"Sorry about the landing, baby girl! You done playing? Did you have fun?" I murmured to her, stroking the back of one of her massive ears. So soft!

Her growling turned to a confused rumble, almost a purr, and I slid down her neck and then her leg.

I had her full attention, and held up my arms to her.

"Hello, sweetie! There's a good girl! No more bad noises and angry people, hmm? Oh, you're so pretty! Such a good girl!"

I laughed as she leaned down and nuzzled the top of my head, which was barely the size of her nose! The rumbling now was definitely purring, and I giggled and jumped up to hug her.

She meowed questioningly and let me climb back up on top of her head, where I made sure to give her a good scratch, all while talking sweet nothings to her.

"That's my good girl! She's no monster! She didn't mean to break anything, hmm? Good girl!"

~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~

"FSM, it WORKED!" exclaimed Zane. "He tamed her!"

"That... is not an application of Green I anticipated..." mumbled Gerald, looking extremely confused. "If it even has anything to do with Green?"

~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~

The Ninja Force were the first to brave approaching, and Lloyd eagerly waved them forward.

"She's fine, guys! She'll be more careful from now on! Won't you, sweetheart?"

Meowthra meowed, seemingly in agreement, and purred louder as the brightly colored tiny people began coming over to hesitantly pet her. She even laid down so they could stroke her back and sides!

Garmadon came on over, and HE got a hiss from her, but she quieted after some more crooning from Lloyd.

"Dad! She likes me! Can I keep her?"

"A devastating ultra-bio-weapon the size of a skyscraper that no one can control but you? Of course!"

~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~

"In conclusion," Gayle Gossip wrapped up, "Should we be terrified that the son of Garmadon is now in control of the great monster that devastated our city? Or should we celebrate that Lloyd Garmadon, who most of us strongly suspect to be the Green Ninja himself, has a magical ability to talk to cats and that, thanks to his efforts, we apparently now have a massive and fairly harmless city mascot? Next up, what to do if your home and/or business was destroyed by Meowthra! Spoiler, it's really not that different from business as usual! Back to you, Robin!"

~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~

Author's Notes: Some of you actually called it! There really was nothing to worry about with Meowthra. Except, you know, her destroying a sizable chunk of the city. *Ahem.* Moving on...

Garmadon sitting around eating popcorn and cheering on Meowthra was totally Sunny Lighter's idea! Also the whole Echo discussion came about after a lot of back and forth with her about the morally gray area of "changing someone for the better". Is it better to accept them as they are, even with the ability to 'fix' them? What if they don't want to change, are incapable of making that decision for themselves, and/or are perfectly happy as they are? In Echo's case, even knowing he will likely be resentful afterwards, Dr. Julien can and has made that decision on the basis that Echo is a child and, without the procedure, wouldn't have much of a future.

Coming up next, time for Lloyd to face the music, or, rather, his Dad, Mom, Uncle, and friends. Probably in that order. Also, more Echo! One issue, hehe, I'm not exactly done with the next chapter. I'll try have it done in a month or so. Check my profile for updates!