It takes two
Chapter 19
Waking up (But reality is worse)
PrincePacman47: Garmadon and Liv are definitely both trying to take control for completely different reasons, but both of them are equally determined to defeat the other. Lloyd is Lloyd. A self-sacrificing moron. He would rather die for his sister then have her die for him. In Lloyd's mind, Liv has suffered enough, but in Liv's mind, she has yet to make up for her mistakes. One of the things I love about this show is the relationship the ninja have with each other. It's honestly just nothing but incredible.
Thank you to everyone who's stuck with this story for so long. Especially since my writing wasn't the best in the beginning. I'm shocked at how far i've made it in this story, so thank you thank you thank you :'D
So, Harumi decides after she's made sure that the fight between Liv and Lloyd was placed on repeat. That was not at all what she was expecting. She may or may not have recorded Lloyd getting smashed through a wall on her phone.
But she knows for sure that Liv is not happy about her current...situation. Harumi doesn't know how she feels about it, either. She wanted to rule ninjago with Liv. And sure, she technically still is. But it'll just take a little getting used too, that's all.
And she should probably address the raging ninja that she currently has locked up in a vengestone cell. Because Cole looks like he's going to make balloon animals out of the bars, Kai's trying to burn her with his eyes, Nya looks ready to strangle her, the lights have began to flicker eerily (Courtesy of Jay), and Zane has a deathly calm look that promises murder.
Liv (Or is it Garmadon?) struts past the ninja towards the gaping hole in the wall. A light breeze pulls at her hair, and to Harumi's surprise, Liv shudders. The blond girl is staring out into the night with an unreadable expression. When Liv turns around, her eyes have a flicker of utter despair and heartbreak.
Harumi feels a pang of guilt. Lloyd and Liv are family. No matter what side they're on. And Liv is Harumi's friend. But Harumi desperately wants to pitch her best friend's brother off a cliff.
The ninja are screaming at Liv, but she pays them no mind. Glowing flames of violet dancing around her. She spares the ninja a reluctant glance, then looks to Harumi. Then towards the whole in the wall. Harumi knows exactly what Liv's trying to say. Harumi thinks it is a terrible idea. And she can tell that Garmadon is not happy about what Liv's trying to do. So Harumi could just ignore the pleading spark in Liv's eyes. Liv nods toward the cell again, and Harumi curses before turning to free the raging ninja.
Zane wastes no time encasing Harumi in ice. The Quiet One shivers violently as the bitter cold frost glazes over her. The ninja are soon all up in her face, shouting threats with looks of utter fury. Liv jumps to the third level of the prison, staring down on the entire exchange.
"I'm going to kill you." Kai says, rage laced thickly into every syllable. Harumi doesn't doubt it.
"You're wasting time~" Liv bellows in a sing-song voice. The ninja simultaneously look up at the blond.
"You-" Nya yells, hurling orbs of water at the corrupted teen. "You disgusting little son of a-!" A ball of water punctuates every venom filled word. The water just splashes to the ground, not a drop wasted on Liv.
"Oh, enough with the dramatics." Liv chuckles, hopping down from the third level and striding over towards the ninja. Harumi doesn't know if Liv's the bravest person she's ever met, or the stupidest.
"I'll show you dramatics!" Cole yells, hurling chunks of rock at Liv. The rocks hit her, but they didn't hit her hit her. Instead, a flurry of violet lights up around her chest, destroying the rocks on impact. Liv just dusts her shoulder off mockingly.
"Every second you spend fighting with me." Liv says, gesturing towards the destroyed wall. "Is a second lost to save your dear green ninja."
The ninja instantly pale, looking from one another in worry.
"We will be back for you." Zane says, looking pointedly at Liv before sprinting towards their fallen brother. One by one the ninja turn away, glaring at the two blond teens the whole way. The lightning ninja, Jay, was the last to leave. Studying Liv with a sorrowful expression before turning to leave.
Liv's rooted to the ground for a beat before shaking her head. She eyes Harumi, amusement gleaming in her heartbroken eyes. She walks over, places a dark energy powered hand on Harumi's shoulder, and the ice melts away. Harumi shivers again, trying her best to hide it.
"I'll have goons clean this puddle up, Liv. And then we can start-"
"My name is not Liv."
Harumi blinks. The blond in front of her shoots Harumi a stern glance. "I believe that you have potential to be a great leader in my plan, Harumi." Liv says, walking a small circle around the Quiet One. "But, nevertheless, you will have no part in my conquest if you can not address your ruler by their name."
Harumi swiftly bows, her long, snowy white hair touching the floor. "My apologies, Lord Garmadon. Shall we start looking for a way to grant you physical form?"
Lord Garmadon smirks, motioning for Harumi to stand and follow. "I do not think that will be necessary." The dark lord lights his fist with the stolen powers of his daughter. "I think this body will do just fine."
The ninja race to Lloyd where he lies in the dirt, curled on his side, eyes screwed shut in pain. Kai wanted nothing more than to pull his little brother into a tight embrace, to let him know that he's going to be okay.
"Lloyd-" Kai says, he's about to reach for him, but Cole puts a firm arm in front of him. His eyes soft, but pained. He slowly shakes his head, and Kai's face falls. His brother is so hurt that they can't even touch him. He's so hurt by the person that Kai had thought would always protect him. Always have Lloyds best interest in mind. Lloyd was destroyed by his own father in the body of his twin sister.
Everyone stands frozen. No one wants to tear their gaze away from Lloyd, but desperately wanting to look away at the same time. At last, Cole finally speaks up, taking his place as leader.
"Alright, guys. We gotta get to work and we gotta work fast. Zane and Nya, you guys get the bounty, get the med bay ready and get here as fast as you can. Me and Jay will keep watch in case any SoG decide to come down here. Kai, you stay with Lloyd."
The ninja nod. Following their substitute leaders orders for the sake of their brother. Nya and Zane run at top speeds towards the bounty. Zane's nindroid status gives him the one up on Nya, but she summons twin jets of water to her hands, using them to propel her forward. They didn't leave the bounty far, she can already see it. But right now, their flying ship feels millions of miles away.
Cole could've easily told Pixal to bring the bounty to them, it'd be faster. But Nya's thankful he didn't. As much as Nya wants to stay with Lloyd right now, it just breaks her heart to see him like that. She's never seen him like that. Beaten to a bloody pulp that his elemental powers turned against him by his sister no less. So Nya pushed her power to push her farther, to push her faster. Because she needs to help Lloyd as fast as possible. And right now, that's not standing still like a useless stone, feeling like her world just ended (Even though it feels like it has), Nya needs to help Lloyd by being on her feet and moving.
Cole and Jay slowly walk away from Kai and their fallen brother. The two are lost in their own thoughts. Cole speaks up again, bumping Jay's shoulder.
"What a night." He says, sighing heavily and running a hand through his jet black locks.
Jay gives a huffing sort of laugh. Kicking up dirt as he walks. "You don't say." He says. The two fall silent for a beat, then, "Do you really think Lord Garmadons back? Didn't we stop the ceremony?"
"I dunno." Cole breaths. "I mean, Zane did say something was in her head. And we all saw Lloyd and Liv fight. What they said to each other…" Cole stops, dragging his foot in the dirt absentmindedly.
"And besides, we - well, more likely you know Liv better than any of us, even Lloyd. And I don't think that you think Liv would willingly chuck her brother through a wall." Cole slings an arm over Jay's shoulder. It's been a long, somewhat confusing, stressful night.
Kai leans back on his elbows, staring down on his brother. The rise and fall of Lloyds blood stained chest is too fast and choppy to mean anything good. Kai mentally kicks himself, he keeps promising that he'll look out for Lloyd, that he'll always be there for Lloyd, that he'll protect Lloyd.
And every. Single. Time!
He fails!
Kai continuously fails to protect his little brother! He couldn't protect him from Pythor, he couldn't protect him from the tomorrow's tea, he couldn't protect him from the Overlord, he couldn't protect him from Morro, he couldn't protect him from the Quiet One, he couldn't protect him from his father.
Kai's never been able to protect Lloyd from his father. Whether physically, or mentally.
Kai gingerly moves a strand of damp, blond hair from Lloyds face, weak, pitiful sparks light up around him, trying to create some form of protection. Lloyd seizes, a heart wrenching cry tearing from his slip lips. Kai bits down on the inside of his cheek, watching as the sparks flutter and die.
The fire ninja kicks himself again. Because Lloyds powers are supposed to help him, not tear him apart. His powers tried so hard to protect him, but in the end, it was all for nothing. Lloyds stretched himself too thin, pushed too hard. And Kai should've seen this coming!
Because Lloyd is Lloyd.
Kai's bratty little brother with a bleeding heart and pure soul and a gentle smile and kind eyes and just a small innocent child in a world of big bads-
"...Kai! Calm down! It's okay - breath, Kai, breath!" Someone - no, not someone - Cole, shouts into Kai's ear. Kai chokes back a sob, reeling his emotions in check and rubbing furiously at his eyes. Cole and Jay stand worriedly next to him.
"You okay, Kai?" Jay asks.
Kai nods, swiping at his eyes one last time. A bright light suddenly shines down on the three standing ninja. The bounty's shadow looms over them. It's just like Zane, Kai thinks. Kai, Jay and Cole gingerly pick Lloyd up from the dirt, more sparks lit up his chest, making Lloyd whimper softly, the three ninjas carefully place Lloyd delicately on the gurney, and Pixal slowly brings him up.
Nya lowers down a rope ladder to the three ninja on the ground, and they hastily climb up. Nya doesn't stick around though, Jay pulls the ladder back up while Nya and Pixal finish setting up the med bay. Kai doesn't leave Lloyds side, Cole helps Nya and Pixal in any way that he can, Jay stands awkwardly off to the side and Zane sets the bounty on autopilot so he can assist Lloyd. But it's useless in the long run. Because the ninja don't have the right medical tools that'll help their leader.
"We've gotta get him to a hospital." Nya says, softly as she dabs Lloyds forehead with a warm rag. Zane set a course for Ninjago city, but no one knows where to go from there. Nya knows they have to get Lloyd to a hospital, but she doesn't think he'll make it.
The bounty's gone quiet. No one says anything else. They just sit and wait for Lloyd to wake up.
The sun has just barely begun to peak over the horizon. Banishing the dark and the cold and replacing it with light and warmth. If only the new day could wash away the terrors of the night. Even with the brightest light, you'll still see the darkest shadows.
About two hours after they'd gotten Lloyd, after the sun had cast the land into that quiet early morning vibe, that's when Lloyd began to stir. Heads shot up from where they lent on half asleep teammates towards the green ninja. Lloyd continued to stir on their terrible excuse of a sick bed. Green-ish gold sparks dancing around him as he did.
"Lloyd?" Zane says, gently, standing up and walking over to Lloyd.
Lloyd doesn't answer, doesn't open his eyes. But he still stirs.
"Lloyd." Zane tries again.
He's met with the same silence.
Pixal places a hand on Zane's shoulder, Nya places her hand in Jays and squeezes. Kai leans his head back, letting it thump quietly on the wall, and Cole crosses his arms, stretching out his legs and screwing his eyes shut.
It's dark.
That's the only thing that he can really complain about. He's not in pain, he's not stuck under the night's starry gaze. But most importantly, he doesn't feel that agonizing pain that had coursed throughout his body with every breath. He didn't feel that empty sensation when he tried to call up his green, he doesn't feel so scared.
But he'd thought everything was going so well. He'd talked her down, right? Hadn't he convinced her that there was a way to help her? Hadn't he used what's left of his green to heal her?
Did he not save her?
There's something tugging at him, telling him that he has to do something. But he doesn't know what that thing is. He longs to fall back into blissful unconsciousness, but something won't let him fall back under. Something keeps him from falling asleep.
Something keeps him from dying.
It's not his power, he knows that. His power is just hurting him now. And it's not himself, he'd welcome death rather than live with this pain. So if it's not him that's keeping him alive…
Then who is it?
'Wake up.'
He doesn't want to wake up. He knows he's being childish, but he can't help it. This darkness feels better than waking up in that pain.
'Wake up!'
Why should he listen? Why would anyone want him to go back? He was alone out there under the stars. He was in pain under the stars. He watched several shooting stars fly above him, but not one of them granted him any wish.
Suddenly, he wasn't in the pitch black emptiness anymore, but back under the stars. He sits up, and is astonished when he feels no pain. It's quiet out. He can't hear the raged scream from the prison, there's no gaping hole in the wall anymore, and-
He's not alone.
In the dirt not far from him, a blond girl lies. He slowly walks towards the girl, standing next to her. The girl doesn't turn her head, just continues to stare up at the stars.
He decides to lie down next to her.
"The sky is beautiful tonight." The girl says.
"Yeah." He replies. "It is."
"You must wake up." The girl continues.
"Says who?"
The girl turns her head to face him. "Says me." She says. "Says your family. You have a job to do. And you can't do it from here."
He looks at the girl next to him. His emerald eyes are quizzical. "What if I don't want to do my job?"
The girl looks at him again, surprisingly, she takes his hand. Holding on to it tightly. "There was a time when I didn't want to do my job. I ran from my responsibilities." She sighs. "And now I'm paying for my mistakes. I will not let you make the same mistake as me."
The girl stands, pulling him up with her. Their green eyes meet, the girls eyes reflect a sense of resignation. Like she's accepted something important. His eyes reflect stubbornness. He doesn't want to go back.
"Go." She says, pressing her forehead into his. "Don't be like me."
"But I am like you. We're both stuck here. And…" He studies the girl in front of him. They're remarkably similar. "And we both have blond hair and green eyes."
The girl laughs. "You're not like me." She whispers, looking up at him. "You're better."
And with that, the girl was gone. And he was plunged back into the dark, empty void.
"Okay - Okay… We'll be there, Misako." Nya says as she hangs up the phone. She'd told them to go to Mystake's tea shop, and Nya is hoping against hope that they'll make it. Kryptarium prison is ridiculously far from Ninjago city. It would take them at least two hours to get to the citys edge, Mystakes tea shop was in the heart of the city.
Nya stepped back into the med bay, wiping her eyes. "Misako says we need to take him to Mystakes." She informs, leaning on Jay.
"That will take too long." Zane says. "Lloyds medical state is delicate at most. I do not think he will survive the trip back to the city."
"We need to do all we can here." Kai interjects, his eyes rove over Lloyds still form. The blond groans, all eyes turning towards him. "Is he waking up?"
Zane looks at Kai for a beat before his eyes flash a bright blue. "He is."
Relief flooded through the ninja. The ominous 'what if' had loomed over them like a cloud. But now that Lloyd was waking up… Well, progress. It's just progress. Pixal continued to dab a warm rag on Lloyds forehead.
A couple minutes later, Lloyd's eyes slowly creeped open. Kai laughs, calling the others over with a shout of, "He's awake!" The rest of the ninja hurried into the med bay, just in time to see a dazed Lloyd slowly try and slide to his feet. Kai pushed him back down.
Lloyd looks around blearily, his eyes focusing and unfocusing. Nya ran over to him, taking his hand in hers.
"Did it -" Lloyd starts, but a flurry of sparks light up his chest. He coughs violently, blood drips from his mouth. Lloyd wipes away the blood from his mouth with a shaky hand, his hand came back with more blood than was normal.
"Did...it...work?" Lloyd says, gasping with each word. Nya shushes him, squeezing his hand. No one needs to ask what Lloyd's talking about. But no one has the guts to say that it didn't. That Lloyds just lost his sister. No one can bring themselves to just tell him.
But apparently, no one needs to. Lloyds face falls, and he slams his head into the table he's laying on. Everyone quickly rushes towards Lloyd, trying to stop him from hurting himself more than he already has.
They manage to stop Lloyd from smashing his head into the table, but he's crying. Shouting and in far more pain than anyone understands. Kai's never understood Lloyds ability to love people who've hurt him so much. But he guesses it's like him and Skylor.
Lloyds cries echo faintly off the bounty's halls. Nya runs her fingers through Lloyds sweaty blond locks. His breaths were shallow and short, and his eyes were bloodshot and puffy. "You're gonna be okay." She says. "We're gonna make sure she's okay, too. I promise."
"How far out are we?" Cole asks, biting the inside of his cheek.
"Closer, but still too far." Pixal answers, somberly.
"I'll say it again: 'We have to do all we can here.'" Kai says, sounding like he wants to sleep for a month. Everyone's eyes flick to Lloyd, he'd wanted to be sitting up, so they propped him up on a bunch of pillows.
"What do you need? Tell us and we'll get it." Nya states, standing up with a determined gaze.
Zane smiles. "Needles, thread, damp rags, and a water basin."
Everyone rushes to fill Zanes needs, scrambling around the bounty gathering supplies. Once they had everything, they cramped it all into the med bay. Standing by in case Zane or Pixal needed them.
"We need to set his leg." Zane says, gesturing towards Lloyds leg. Which looked like someone had taken it and tried to make a balloon animal out of it. Pixal nods, giving Lloyd a wet rag to bite down on.
Lloyd stared at the rag for a beat before turning a suspicious eye on Zane. He still goes to bite down on the rag, but the minute Pixal's metal hand returns to his leg, the sparks build back up, jumping onto Pixal and filling her circuits with a green buzz. The android stumbles away, shocked. Literally.
Lloyd looks around with panicked eyes, he doesn't want to be hurt again. The rest of the ninja team file into the med bay to help, Kai takes Lloyds right and Nya takes his left. Cole goes to stand behind Kai and Jay goes behind Nya, trying to block Lloyd's line of sight.
Zane slowly rolled up Lloyd's sleeve, the green ninja instantly turned his head, sparks building as he saw the syringe in Zanes hands. Kai moves closer to block Lloyd from seeing Zane, the ninja huddle closer around Lloyd. Trying to keep him calm so Pixal and Nya could try their best to help him.
Zane slowly injected the morphine shot into Lloyds arm (It was all they had to sedate him with, sue them). After Zane had given him the shot, the process really began. The ninja talked to Lloyd, telling jokes and stories to keep his attention off Zane and Pixal. Lloyd groaned, his eyes rolling as Pixal set his broken leg.
A shock wave of green/gold sparks exploded around Lloyd, trying to protect him from the pain he was in. Lloyd cried out as his powers attempted to help. "Shh, shh. It's okay." Nya says, squeezing Lloyd's hand.
"Ninja never quit, Lloyd." Jay says. Lloyds pained eyes fall on him, and Jay quirks a smile. "Can you do that for us? Don't quit, buddy."
The hardest part was probably setting Lloyds leg. Cole, Kai, Jay, and Nya kept Lloyd busy while Zane and Pixal stitched him up. The mantra of 'Ninja never quit' seemed to be working well, and soon they were all chanting. Lloyd chanted, too. It was choppy and he often took shallow breaths between every word ("Broken ribs." Zane had said).
But Lloyd was smiling like he was going to be okay. Chanting like he wasn't on the brink of death. They all saw as the green bled from his irises, returning to their natural shade of scarlet. Of course, no one said anything.
Liv leans her head back on the walls of her prison. Her father had completely shut her out, blocked her off, cut her out. She's alone, and she hates it. Which is weird, because she's spent a lot of her life alone.
Now she'd give an arm and a leg just to talk to somebody.
The fight in Kryptarium was on replay in her mind, as Liv was sure it was also on replay in every TV in Ninjago. She'd failed at the one thing that she swore never to fail. Liv doesn't even try to fight back against him anymore. Doesn't even look through the eyes that are no longer her's anymore.
Because what else is there to see?
She'd freed the ninja, and that's all she could do. Now Liv found herself pondering her life up until now. Reflecting on all the decisions she's made. All the people she's lost and the friendships she's gained.
She'd gained Harumi. But Liv doesn't know where Harumi stands with her now. For all she knows, Harumi could've played Liv like she did Lloyd. Told her what she wanted to hear, and got Liv to let down walls she should've never built.
But she'd lost Lloyd. Which is by far her greatest loss. His blood is on her hands, now Liv has to live with the fact that she'd killed her own brother. Thrown him through several brick walls and beat him to a bloody pulp. What could he possibly see in her? How was a monster like her still worth saving? Still worth dying for?
That was still worth caring for?
Liv groaned as more of her power was drained from her by Garmadon. Hot tears streamed down her face as she curled into a ball as the pain came with the power drain. She could tell from the amount of power he'd taken, that her father was doing something big, but Liv couldn't bring herself to get up and look.
She'd seen enough.
When the pain stopped, Liv wanted it to come back. She needs something to take her mind off of the aching, burning hole in her heart. She wants to feel something - anything besides this! Tears soaked the shoulder of her black gi as Liv sat alone, waiting for the darkness to swallow her whole.
So haha, just a chapter of pain. In case it wasn't clear, "he" from that one part in the chapter before Lloyd woke up, that was Lloyd. He was in, like, a coma state. And the girl he saw in there was Liv. Now, keep that little scene in mind because if you understand it now, you'll understand it later. Because Liv wasn't the one who did it. Lloyd and Liv are twins after all.
Liv sadly thinks that she killed Lloyd. And wow is that going to do some damage.
Next time: Keep their power or lose Lloyd? Quit or fight? Stand up or stand down? These are all choices the ninja, Liv, and Harumi must make.
GreenGirl~