The sun rose in the furthest realm from Ninjago, as it always did, and with it Lloyd and Akita. It had been another cold night, yet the two hadn't felt it sleeping together as they did. The two, curled up against one another under the woven blankets, couldn't have been warmer. Or at least, that is what Lloyd would have been doing on any other morning.

"I will not be calm right now, Akita!" Lloyd paced outside of the home, despite the chill in the morning air, "Today is an important day for them!"

"Yes, and it is a day that all Formlings must undergo," Akita leaned forward, "Must I tell you the story of how I myself went through my own Choosing Ceremony?"

"I know your story!" Lloyd shook his head, "I mean, I am not trying to make it sound like I am panicking! I am happy for them! I… I just never went through it myself so I cannot help but worry!"

"Lloyd," Akita sighed, shaking her head, "There is no danger involved in this. Every Formling has found their form," She raised her hand, "And before you mention Vex, I worried about that same fear myself when it was time. Yet I am still here, and I had no issues finding my own form. Neither did my brother."

"But… I am not a Formling, I mean I am but I do not have that trait in me," Lloyd gulped, "What if… what if that means that they were not born able to?"

"I do not worry about them," Akita stretched her back out, "You should not either. They are our children. If they cannot find their forms, then none in the village can."

Lloyd gulped nervously, rubbing his arm a bit as he often did when nervous. Akita, seeing that, took a few steps forward and gestured for him to follow. Lloyd, feeling his nerves rising, decided to go after her. He picked up his staff from the side of their home and followed her past the unlit firepit and towards the forest. Lloyd, unsure where they were going, didn't ask anything in fear of making Akita annoyed with him.

Soon, Akita had led Lloyd to a small clearing, not too far from the village. She moved to stand in front of a large oak tree, one that Lloyd immediately recognized. She leaned up against it, her head dipping slightly into a large knot in the tree one could store something in. She gestured for Lloyd to come closer who, as his memories sparked with the sight of said tree, did so until she reached out to tug him against her.

"Lloyd," Akita whispered to him, "You have been a wonderful father. You have raised our children to be strong, loyal and dependable. I do not know why you would be worried now. I thought we had resolved this last night… but, I see that no amount of talking will relent your fears. So, I will have you here when they leave, and allow you some peace of mind."

Lloyd, confused, nodded his head. Akita chuckled and gently pushed him back, pointing over to a large thick gathering of brush to his right. She reached out to take hold of his staff for him, planting it in the ground beside her.

"I will see them off to begin their journey," Akita explained to him, "It is the duty of the Chief to do so for all formlings. I did so for Kairi, and I will do so for all of the others. This is the spot in which they will depart. I will allow you to be here when they leave. But!" Akita raised her voice, "You are not to interfere with their journey. When they leave, they will be on their own. You cannot help them find their true forms. If you do, you could disrupt the connection they will make back to our roots. I am certain that you do not want that, do you?"

Lloyd awkwardly nodded his head, "I… I know that it is something I do not have to be worried bout. I just, worry about them. I do not want them to get hurt!"

"You let Seishi go out to hunt, knowing that she could be hurt," Akita pointed out, "This trip is no more dangerous than that. I do not know what you are afraid of."

"I…" Lloyd relented, knowing that whatever fears he had now were just the irrational ones of a parent attempting to protect their child, "I, just worry about them."

"I worry too, my love," Akita shook her head, "Do you think that I do not? Yet because I brought them into this world, I am able to push that fear aside. Are you saying that the one I love is not strong enough to do as I do?"

Lloyd grimaced, "We both know that you are still stronger than me."

"Please," Akita rolled her eyes, "I know the hours you have spent in the woods with your cutters. It would be a fair match by now."

Lloyd and Akita laughed together. It brought out a little bit of their nerves collectively and dispelled them. It was a day that the two of them would remember for a long time. Lloyd had known this day was coming ever since Akita had first conceived the two. It made it somewhat easier that they were born twins, something Akita attributed to being a staple of her family. Still, even if Lloyd knew that they would be fine, it didn't help him relax anymore!

"They will arrive soon," Akita informed him, "Stand to the side, and do not speak. Let me tell them what it is they need to know, and then I will send them off. With luck, they will return by evening, and we will share a feast to them."

Lloyd looked down at the ground, knowing that he had to relent. He'd only heard about how this worked by the stories that Akita had told him, and seeing it happening in front of him was far different from having it being narrated to him. Akita produced a small jar, revealing a few special berries inside of it.

It felt like an inordinate amount of time for the two to arrive. Lloyd himself tried to keep still, but found at least some part of his body fidgeting on the spot. Akita looked to him with some residual annoyance, but didn't say anything. Both of them were there to see them off. It was, in a sense, the most important day of their lives.

With a shuffling of bushes, two figures emerged. They were both children, exactly twelve each, and both stood at roughly the same height. The first was a boy with the golden hair of his father. His shining eyes reflected behind his hair refused to part from his face. He was lithe in frame, and carried himself with a slightly nervous jitter. His eyes darted around to look for anything, and thus he was the first to spot the two waiting.

The other was a girl that had a shining set of brown curled hair which spiralled down to her shoulders. Once it reached there, it began to curl up on itself and swish as she walked. She was smaller than her brother, with a build that looked perfect to crawl and squeeze between gaps and slink across the grasses. She was smiling brightly as she walked, and one of her hands was gripped around the boy's wrist to try to calm him down. They both wore the distinct red and white robes of all those that had yet to find their true forms and, to that end, no headdress was present on their heads.

"Ryu," Akita greeted the boy, "Seishi," She greeted the girl, "Today is a day that will mark you as apart of our people in a way in which nothing else will. You have heard the story of the Formlings, and you have heard how it is we came to diverge from the animals which we hunt. It is time for you two to discover your connection to the Great Forest. You will find your guide in the spirits. Listen for them, and they will call you to where it is you must go."

"Uhm… where exactly, is that?" Ryu asked, nervously looking toward Lloyd, "Do, you tell us?"

"She just said that we listen for the spirits, Ryu!" Seishi lightly tugged his arm, "It is not something that they can tell us!"

"Yes, but…" Ryu looked around, "This, is a big forest! How are we to know if we are going the right way?"

"That is something which you can only answer for yourselves," Akita shook her head, "As your Chief and as your mother, I can only tell you which you must know. You two will find the call of these lands on your own. As long as you are willing to listen, then you will find it."

"I am ready to leave!" Seishi declared, "When do we start?"

Akita had to restrain rolling her eyes, instead stepping forward to gently paint two small lines under Seishi's eyes. She moved over to Ryu, who flinched as she moved to paint wavy lines around Ryu's eyes. He reached up to touch the lines as they were drawn, which was quickly swatted down by Seishi.

"You will take these, as they will serve you in times of danger, and in times of need," Akita produced two daggers, ones which Lloyd immediately recalled her mentioning from her own ceremony, "You may return to us when you have found your connection. Until then, you must fend for yourselves, and allow the Great Forest to take you where it will."

Seishi immediately moved to loop the dagger into her belt, nodding eagerly to it. Ryu held the thing in his hands nervously. He had been shown how to use weapons before, but having something like this given to him felt far more weighty than learning how to use a cutter. He looked over to his father, who had managed to stay silent the entire time.

"Dad?" Ryu asked, "Are you coming with us?"

"No," Lloyd shook his head and smiled gently, "I cannot interfere with this. I came to see you two off."

"You did not need to!" Seishi smirked, "We will have our forms before the night is over! We will be looking forward to the feast to come with it! Right, Ryu?"

"Y-Yeah," Ryu agreed with mustered confidence, "We will get our forms as soon as we can! A-As soon as we learn how to get them!"

"Then you have no time to waste," Akita replied firmly, "Go now, and seek out your connection."

Seishi and Ryu shared a look, one of determination and the other of apprehension. Seishi broke the stare and quickly raced forward into the woods, barely able to contain her excitement. Ryu looked around nervously, trying to figure out which way to go and, after looking to his father, darting into the trees after his sister. The two left the clearing, and with it, their parents.

"So… we just wait now?" Lloyd asked Akita nervously.

"Yes," Akita began walking back to the village, "All we must do now is wait for them to return."

"Yeah…" Lloyd began to nervously follow after Akita. As the two began to return, Akita chuckled slightly, making Lloyd blink.

"Your son is the spitting image of you," Akita looked forward, "He shares your anxiety. Seishi inherited your passions."

"I do not think that is how that works," Lloyd pointed out. Akita just rolled her eyes and kept walking forward. Soon, the two had reached the Formling village again. Someone, to Lloyd, it felt as though time itself hadn't moved, and thus he was shocked to find himself actually standing near a now lit fire with a particular man at it.

"Kotaru?" Akita asked, "You are up early. You are never up early."

"Am I not allowed to rise when the mornings require it?" Kotaru asked with a grin, "I got up to have this for you when you both returned. I know that you are likely worried about little Ryu and Seishi."

"I am not worried," Akita moved up to the flames and sat down in front of them to warm up, "I have sent many children forward into the woods to find their forms. Why would my own children be any different?"

"Hrmm…. I guess I did not think you took your role as chief so seriously, Akita," Kotaru chuckled, "Though, I imagine that Lloyd is rather worried, right?"

"I…" Lloyd sat down beside Akita and held out his hands to warm up, "I should not be worried about them. They are going to be fine. They are not in danger."

"Then you are worried about them," Kotaru snickered, "Do not worry. It is a natural feeling. I had the same feeling with Kairi."

Lloyd nodded. Kairi was Kotaru's daughter, one year older than Ryu and Seishi. Lloyd had often challenged Akita's notion that twins ran in her family, given that Kotaru had only produced one child. Kairi's mother was Sheka, one of the Makers that Kotaru had apprenticed with during his time studying to become one. Lloyd had met Sheka many times, and Kotaru seemed to love her dearly. Given his own feelings towards Akita, he was nothing but happy for his brother-in-law.

"If it helps you," Kotaru looked up, "You can follow them."

"What?" Akita perked up, "No, you cannot do that! You must not interfere with the process!"

"Kairi found her form, just as all of the others did, and I was following her diligently," Kotaru pointed out, "If you keep distance and do not attempt to change things, there is nothing that would ever interfere with their choices."

"Brother!" Akita protested, "You should not have done that!"

"Our mother would have followed us, had she not been busy that day," Kotaru pointed out, "I thought you were aware it was rather common for this to happen."

"I… I had assumed the tradition was meant to be observed only by the one that went through it," Akita muttered in slight embarrassment, "I did not wish to do anything that would take away from the ability of those in the trial to… to complete it!"

"I know that you would not follow them, sister," Kotaru turned to Lloyd, "I can see in his eyes that he is nervous beyond belief. I do not think anything will quell his mind. The only thing he can do is to follow them, and to see with his own eyes what is happening. Does that not sound fair to you, sister?"

"It…" Akita looked to Lloyd, "Do you wish to do so?"

"I… I did not think to before now, but…" Lloyd nodded, "It does sound like something that would make me feel better."

"If you leave now, you will likely be able to catch up to them before they go too far," Kotaru sighed, "Seishi seems like she will be harder to track. She has spent many days learning how to hunt. You will likely be able to find Ryu. He does not seem like one for quietness."

"...If you do follow them," Akita looked fiercely to Lloyd, "You must swear to me that no matter what is to happen to them, you will not speak to them or show your presence! You could change their very future as Formlings if you were to do so! Swear it to me, Lloyd!"

Lloyd, having seen Akita had already accepted he was going even before he fully did, just nodded his head and spoke solemnly, "I swear to you, Akita! I will not do anything to stop them!"

"T-Thank you," Lloyd stood up slowly from the fire, "I will make sure that they are safe! Thank you, Kotaru!"

"Do not thank him," Akita grumbled, "He has only given me more to worry about."

"As it seems I always do," Kotaru chuckled, "We will see you tonight when they return, Lloyd."

Lloyd gave them both a smile, then he raced his way back into the trees. Just like Seishi, he was unable to stop himself from rushing back into the woods in search of them. Akita just sighed and leaned forward, muttering to herself. Kotaru smiled and worked the fire to keep her warm.

It wasn't hard to track where Ryu had been. The boy had clearly not been attempting to hide his tracks, unlike his sister. Not long after where the two had left the clearing, the path clearly split in two. One path led towards the mountains, while the other went deeper into the forest. The one towards the mountains stopped very early in, and while it was clear the tracks had been marked over, their direction was impossible to ascertain. Seishi had truly taken to the idea of becoming a Hunter, even before gaining her animal form.

Thus, Lloyd decided to follow the path into the woods. Lloyd made his way into the treeline, finding himself heading off towards the northern part of the woods. The trail was clearly marked, easy to follow even for one that wasn't used to doing so. Lloyd recalled training for a long while as to how it was that he knew how to follow tracks. It was something that he didn't think about much, as that training was long since behind him.

Soon, however, he was able to see Ryu off in the distance. He was walking aimlessly, it seemed, looking around as if trying to find someplace to go. His feet shuffled in the fallen leaves, and with each step he took, he looked like he was that much more lost. He was walking up a hill, forcing Lloyd to hide in several bushes just to not be seen by him.

Slowly, Lloyd made his way up closer to Ryu so he could hear more of what he was saying. It was clear to see he was mumbling to himself, but as to what, he could not tell. Ryu rubbed his hands together as he walked. His body looked tense. He would often find his foot catching on roots or in clumps of dirt, stumbling a bit as he refused to pick his feet up. Lloyd soon had gotten close enough to fully make out his mumblings.

"I… I need to listen to the spirits…" Ryu gulped to himself, "I just need to, figure out where I am going! It should not be hair. Seishi said to just follow where you needed to go…"

Ryu looked around. He searched the brush for something, some sight as to where he needed to continue. Lloyd made sure to remain out of sight, so as not to make Ryu even more nervous in thinking his father was following him. Ryu stumbled several more feet forward, then put his hand against a tree.

"The spirits are, all around us, right?" Ryu inhaled, "So, that means that I just have to listen to them. I… I need to listen. Calm down. Calm down… calm down and… listen…"

Ryu tried his best to clear his mind. Lloyd watched his fingers relax against the tree as he listened. The sounds of the forest were clear to hear. Birds were singing off in the distance, the wind would send the sound of trees rustling in the air, and when Ryu shuffled his feet, snow would crunch underfoot. Each sound blended together, all in a way which left Lloyd at peace.

For Ryu, however, it made him kick the snow in anger, "I do not hear anything! It is the same sounds I always hear! What is it that the spirits are meant to say to me?!"

Lloyd winced as he watched Ryu drift around for several more minutes. He walked about, trying to find his way around to discover where it was that he needed to go. Occasionally, Ryu would stop to try to figure out what direction to go, and in turn he would pick a random one and keep going. His direction was aimless, thoughtless, and it left Lloyd wondering what exactly this was meant to entail.

For almost two hours, Lloyd watched Ryu roam and wander. He made his way through the forest, just walking and shifting about in small paths or occasionally breaking through the tres to find somewhere else to go. He climbed up hills and rocks, then sat for minutes at a time before moving again. The longer it went on, the more Lloyd found himself filled with worry.

Soon, Ryu came to the river. He sat on top of a rock that overlooked it, nearby the rock from which Lloyd and Akita had first journeyed from to find the hidden sanctuary. He hung his feet over the edge and looked down at the water, sighing as he rubbed his head. The sun was up in the sky, and he slumped down as he looked up at the sky. He'd already wandered around for so long, and found nothing?

"I bet Seishi already found her form…" Ryu gripped the rocks, "It, it is not like I am not trying! I just, was not told what I must do! I have to have something to tell me! I must find it somewhere!"

Lloyd could see that his son was getting ready to sit for a long while. He settled down against a tree, his back to Ryu so that he wouldn't turn around and see him. There was a large part of Lloyd that wanted to help him, though. He wanted to go out and tell Ryu what he needed to do to actually find his form. But… Lloyd wasn't a Formling in the same way that the others were. He couldn't do that. If anything, he'd confuse Ryu more.

For a long while, Lloyd sat. He soon heard Ryu carving something into the stone with his knife, producing a sound that definitely meant any nearby animals would have long since left. Each time Lloyd dared a glance at him, Ryu looked like he wanted to do something. He was tense and looked ready to stand up, but each time he shifted, it was only to move the knife. He could read the fear and anxiety so clearly in Ryu's face. Was… that how Lloyd had looked so long ago?

"Huh?" Ryu suddenly perked up, "...Sister?"

Lloyd froze, feeling ice shoot through him to do so. He held his breath, thinking that Ryu had spotted him. Instead, Ryu had stood up to look across the river. Lloyd, confused, stood up to see Ryu doing so… only to then see Ryu leap down from the rock. It took all Lloyd had not to immediately rush to the rock to see what was going on. Instead, he forced his tense body to follow his son slowly, and peer over the rock to see Ryu swimming.

"Sister!" Ryu was shouting at the treeline, "Seishi! Wait!"

Lloyd wasn't sure what Ryu was shouting at. Thankfully, the river wasn't very dangerous that day, meaning it was easy for Ryu to swim across and quickly make his way into the treeline. Lloyd stood up on the rock once he saw Ryu long gone, then he focused. It had been a long time since he managed to do it, but he focused his body. Slowly, green power began to once more flow from his palms. Soon, the dragon for which his headdress was styled appeared, carrying him across the water and dropping him at the other side of the shoreline.

Ryu's path seemed to be disparate and without reason. Lloyd was forced to keep a massive distance at the sheer amount of doubling back and switchbacks that Ryu took as he made his way through the forest. He wasn't moving towards any particular spot, only moving vaguely westward. After a rather long scare with Ryu having slid back down a slope Lloyd waited at the bottom of, he instead let Ryu wander far ahead of him, then caught up to him slowly to maintain a reasonable distance.

For hours, the two continued to do so. Lloyd was forced to find creeks for water several times, yet Ryu seemed never to falter. He kept moving, kept walking, and no longer had a hesitation in his stance. He was following something, well and truly. And thus, Lloyd followed along, seeing where it was that his son was moving to.

By now, it was evening. The sun had touched the horizon, and Lloyd was exhausted from walking all day. Ryu was heaving at several points as well, but he never did seem to take more than a minute to catch his breath. Lloyd wondered if soon, he'd have to turn back. He had no idea where Seishi was, and following Ryu began to feel somewhat pointless given Ryu didn't know what he was doing. He was almost at his wits end, when Ryu broke into a clearing.

"What…" Ryu blinked, "You… did, did someone lead me here?"

Lloyd, seeing Ryu had stopped, snuck his way around until he could see what Ryu was looking at. He was at a pool that Lloyd had never seen before. The trees were unlike anything that Lloyd had seen before, leading him to wonder where even in the Great forest they were. He could only vaguely see the mountains, which led him to wonder if they had somehow crossed out of them.

Ryu stood at the edge of a lake of pure crystalline water. He looked down into its waters, and saw his perfect reflection in the low light. He blinked and moved himself around, ensuring it was him. He slowly got down onto his knees to look even closer, and in doing so, he reached out to touch the surface of the water.

"I…" Ryu blinked, "I cannot hear you. Are… are you sure you are speaking to me?"

Lloyd didn't hear anything, leading him to wonder what it was that Ryu heard. Ryu leaned down to place his ear close to the surface of the water, closing his eyes to concentrate. As he listened, the water began to ripple. The surface turned near white, like ice freezing over its surface. It stopped right at the edge of where Ryu was. It continued to ripple and pulse in the small section of water that was there, right as the light of the moon shone down on the now translucent water.

"I… I understand," Ryu whispered, "I… I think I know what you are trying to say."

With that, Ryu fell. He fell forward into the pool, his entire body disappearing as soon as he did. Lloyd blinked in shock, his body rooted to the spot. He had no idea what was happening, no idea what to think of what Ryu had just done. But, for the sake of his promise, he waited. The white coloration of the water fully formed over the spot where Ryu had fallen, almost as though it had trapped him under the waves.

Minutes passed. The moonlight shone on the water's surface, dancing against it in a reflection that was crystal clear for Lloyd to see. He knew that something was happening. Mist began to rise from the water. In a strange way, Lloyd began to see the entire area around him glow with the light of the moon. The very snow started to shimmer and reflect the light. He stood up in full, leaning in to watch as he felt a strange sense of calm over the air. Somehow… he knew that to say anything would change everything.

Then, the water rippled. The surface suddenly went from white back to its crystal blue. The ripples were coming from a central point in the water, one where the moonlight shone directly upon. It rippled faster, faster, becoming almost violent. Then, with a violent burst, something shot from the water, a dark shadow that went right into the air. The light glistened out from it as it spun within the light, and when it reflected, the sight awed Lloyd.

Hovering in the air, was a dragon. It was a dragon with no wings, one that could wrap around Lloyd's body perhaps three or four times. It was a glistening green, with golden accents that formed its scales, whiskers and tail tip. Four legs hung from it, each with black claws. It hovered in the air without wings, curled around itself. When it moved, its body flowed and twisted like an elegant piece of art, and the creature's eyes, large and expressive, showed joy as it rapidly soared around in the night sky.

"He's… he's a dragon?" Lloyd briefly slipped back into his old way of speaking out of shock, "I-I didn't think that… think that…"

Ryu, as the green serpent, spun around in the air and rapidly flew up into the sky. Lloyd watched as he seemed to meld into the night sky. His form was reflected in the stars just like the moon was. He soared around in it, spinning and rolling, embracing his form. It was something Lloyd would never have thought he'd see, yet there Ryu was, doing just that!

Suddenly, Lloyd heard a growl from behind him. Before he could move to intercept it, something had slammed down into his back and thrown him to the ground. The creature that was on top of him, he soon found, was a glistening white arctic fox. The fox was slightly larger than the average foxes he'd seen, and notably, it had two tails that swished about as the fox pinned him down. Lloyd, confused, looked to the fox in fear until he saw the fox's lips actually curl into a smile.

"S-Seishi?" Lloyd realized. As soon as he spoke her name, the telltale glow overcame the fox, and Seishi was now sitting on top of her father's back.

"I knew you were worried about us, but I did not think you would follow us!" Seishi smirked, "You are not that hard to track, especially with my new nose!"

"You, you found your form!" Lloyd exclaimed, "You take after your mother! How long have you-"

Seishi suddenly clamped Lloyd's mouth shut, pointing up with her other hand to show Ryu still flying above them. She waited until Lloyd had seen him, then she let go and shook her head.

"Not too long before now," Seishi explained quietly, "I figured you would follow one of us. I found my form by stepping into a cave and meeting a strange spirit that spoke to me. After that, I woke up in my new form, and found your scent was all over the woods. I tracked you here!"

Lloyd gently shuffled so he could stand up, "I… am I really that predictable?"

"Dad," Seishi shook her head, "You have warned us to be safe for two days now. Kairi said that her father followed her. Our mother is too beholden to her role to do so. It had to be you!"

Lloyd blushed, realizing his mistake. Seishi, seeing that Ryu had started to fly off, stood up and brushed her robes off. On top of her head now sat a proud fox visage, one that she proudly adjusted to make sure her father saw it. Lloyd felt a rush of happiness go through him, one that left his body feeling alight and ready to move again.

"I will help you follow him back to the village," Seishi explained, "Please try to act as though you did not see us around mom. She will likely be jealous if you say you saw it," She began turning into her fox form, "Plus, I am ready for the feast! Try to keep up, dad!"

The feast was indeed just as large as Seishi and Ryu were expecting. The entire village would always get together to celebrate for the feast, and with Seishi allowing Lloyd to arrive home first, they were able to have it ready for them. Everyone, from elder to child, were present, and Ryu and Seishi were the ones of honor. Ryu now had upon his head a headdress not unlike his father's own, one that brought many gasps and sounds of awe from those that saw him.

That night, Lloyd and Akita feasted. Just as he had promised his daughter, he did not tell Akita he saw the moment of Ryu's connection. Granted, he hadn't seen much, but Seishi was correct that Akita seemed rather interested in what Lloyd had to say. He told her he hadn't seen much, and that he'd lost track of them early on and caught up to them as they were heading back. Normally, Akita would dig into it, but she had a feast to begin and so let Lloyd off the hook.

Long into the night, they feasted. Lloyd found that his heart was incapable of anything other than joy. Joy of seeing his children mingling among the others. Joy at seeing them show off their new forms to all who asked. Akita seemed especially happy at her daughter's form, while both of them were amazed by Ryu's form. Never before had a dragon been formed, which only led to Kotaru joking to him about what sort of possibilities he'd opened.

The feast was still going strong into the late hours of the night. When it was time for them all to rest, Lloyd guided his family back to their home. The home was the same as it had been when first made, though slightly expanded on the inside to put a divide between where Ryu and Seishi slept, and he and Akita did. Both Ryu and Seishi were rather full and looking slightly tired from an entire day of running about, which Lloyd quickly shuffled them into bed for. Akita gave him a kiss and told him not to be long before he too came to rest.

As his family settled down, Lloyd stood outside of his home. He looked up towards the sky, up towards the moon that still shone on the village. Right now, he was happy. It was a feeling that, while not always at the front of his mind, was something which never seemed to leave him. He was in a place where he wished to be. He was in a place where he was happy.

Thirteen years. It had been thirteen years since that day. It was a day that Lloyd knew well. In that time, he'd changed. He knew each day, he looked more and more like a Formling in the village. He knew that each day, he became more, and more like them. It was a feeling that brought him comfort, joy, and satisfaction. Most importantly, however, it had brought him something he worried he might never have been allowed to have: his family.

Speaking of his family, Lloyd knew that if he waited too long, he'd freeze them. So, slowly, he turned and stepped his way into his home. He saw Akita already lying in bed and, across the distance, the sheet that divided them form their children was pulled back. Ryu and Seishi lay in bed, both of them fighting to stay away, and Akita had the blanket open for him. Lloyd stepped inside, using his staff to balance himself as he slipped out of the brown thick robe to settle down for the night.

"Show us your staff again, dad!" Ryu asked excitedly.

"You always ask to see it," Seishi pointed out with a sigh, "Does that not get old for you?"

"The story it has is worth hearing again!" Ryu shot back, "The stories we have are what help define who we are as a people!"

"I do not mind showing you," Lloyd looked down to his staff, "Are you certain you wish to hear it again, though?"

Ryu nodded, while Seisha just smiled at him and rolled her eyes but leaned up to listen regardless. Akita did the same, reaching out to wrap one arm around her daughter. Lloyd looked around, then he moved to take some bits of berry from Akita's ceremony to smear over the staff. When it was finished, he pushed his own bag aside to show the ground underneath and placed his staff down onto the floor.

"You do intend to clean that, yes?" Akita asked him playfully, "You could do so outside."

"It is already nighttime and you have all gotten into bed," Lloyd pointed out, "I have cleaned this up before, do not worry."

Slowly, Lloyd rolled out the staff. In the smear that it left on the ground, there were three symbols. One was of a strange crescent-like shaped symbol, carved beautifully to show the intricate details of what was most clearly a shoreline. The second symbol was one that the children knew well: it was a wolf, standing firm and proud with three tails, framed against the sight of a large figure with beautiful, jagged wings. The third symbol was of a large flame, and around said flame were several shapes that looked like the homes they lived in.

"Like the First Spinjitzu Master, I carved three clues to something," Lloyd began, "I wanted to carve the three symbols that showed what it was that brought me to the place where I found my peace. I came from a land of strife and fighting, one where I am sure is still in turmoil today. It was a far away land, in a realm that we cannot reach. I came from a place known as Ninjago, to rescue someone that was very important to me."

"I came with a machine that carried me through the snow, and to the one that would influence my destiny more so than anyone else," Lloyd drifted his gaze to the second symbol, "I met the one that would give me the most joy, the most love, the most peace that I had ever experienced. She opened my eyes to a life that I had never considered. She was the wolf that rescued me from the snowy depths of this land, and from my own despair."

He looked towards the last symbol, "And so I made a choice. A choice which brought me to where I am today. There have been days that I wonder what could have been, but those thoughts can never sway my heart from this place. This village welcomed me. In front of their fire, they made me one of their own. They crowned me as apart of you, and allowed me to be with the one that I loved. Here, in the Furthest Realm, I found a life that I never knew I wanted… and that I will continue to live for as long as my time allows me."

Akita grinned to him, nodding her head approvingly at his storytelling. Ryu and Seishi both looked at him with attention, loving the story tonight as they had any other night. Lloyd slowly reached down and retrieved a small towel from the wall to dip in the snow outside and then wipe away the stain on the floor before moving to clean his staff. When he placed it back on the wall, he walked over and got down on his knees between the two beds.

"And most importantly," Lloyd reached down to wrap one arm around each of his children, "I was given the chance to have something that Ninjago would never have let me have… a family," His voice faltered for a brief moment, "A family that I love more than anything in the world. I love you, Ryu. And I love you, Seishi."

Seishi and Ryu both sat up, gently hugging him. Ryu clung to his side, while Seishi just hugged his arm to convey the same feeling. Lloyd didn't care how intensely they did. They were his family. The people he held most dear in his life. Akita soon reached over to join the hug, bringing the four of them together again.

"I'm proud of you both," Lloyd whispered, "I love all of you."

"And we all love you, Lloyd," Akita chuckled, "No matter how much you must hear it, we will say it."

There was no way that the chill of the Never Realm could reach Lloyd. There was nothing that could ever strip away the feeling of warmth that the love of his family brought to him. As the family sat there, together, the moon rose on another day in the furthest realm from Ninjago. Another day in the place where Lloyd now called his home.

Author's Note:

And thus, we have come to the conclusion of The Furthest Realm. Sixteen chapters for the sixteen realms.

This is the first fanfiction that I've completed that wasn't a one-shot. When I first sat down to write this story, I wanted to do more than simply give Lloyd his 'happy ending.' I wanted to make the story both an exploration of Lloyd as a character and of Akita. I wanted to writ these two growing as a couple and culminating in this very moment. I had completed the story before I began to post it so I knew where it was going from the start.

With the conclusion of this story, however, I am still writing more. If you wish to see more about Lloyd as a character, I would recommend Autobiography of a Legend. The fic revolves around Lloyd writing an autobiography of his life, and several of the themes from the first half of this fic are carried through into AoL. If you would like something more action oriented, Enter the Ninjaverse is and always will be my main fic.

Regardless, I want to thank each of you for reading my fic, and I hope that you all enjoyed it. Thank you all again for each view you've given this fic, and, as always, NINJA-GO!