{1 YEAR LATER...}
"C'mon on Cole." Nya grabbed the ebony haired boy and tugged him into the storage shed.
"Where is he?" Cole asked in a hushed tone, peeking out the window.
The little girl covered her mouth, giggling to herself, "He won't find us here~"
"Sh, he's coming." Cole dropped into a crouch behind a stack of crates with Nya.
The two remained as quiet as possible as they heard footsteps approach them.
Nya clamped her tiny hands around her mouth tighter and squeezed her eyes shut. Cole pulled the little girl closer to him to better conceal themselves.
The doorknob creaked a little as it slowly turned left. Another creak as it turned right before the door slowly opened, the rays of the sun filtering into the room.
Cole and Nya remained as silent as possible. The five year old boy held his breathe as the footsteps got closer and closer to where they were hiding.
The sound of footfalls ceased and the shed fell silent.
Cole and Nya remained as silent as possible, unsure if their pursuer had already found them.
Apparently not. The person retreated, the door opened and then closed.
Cole peeked around the stack of crates-
"BOO!"
The high pitched screams of Nya and Cole rang out through the shed.
Kai doubled over in laughter as the five year old and four year old held onto each other for dear life, staring wide eyed at the brunette.
"I found you, Kai found you!" The boy said between laughs, Cole untangling himself from the little girl and glared at Kai.
After their lessons, Cole suggested a game of hide n' seek. Nya quickly announced Kai was it and ran off. Cole ran off in the opposite direction, leaving a grumpy Kai to grumpily count as high as he could (he can't count past 10).
"That not nice, Kai," Nya cried out, tears starting to well up in her eyes. Kai's laughter died down upon seeing Nya's expression. He knelt down to wrap his sister in a hug and apologized, "Doleo. Don't cry."
"Nya, how about we go get some juice?" Cole suggested. The girl furiously wipped at her eyes and nodded.
The three headed to the shop; Steep Wisdom, to find Janice.
Nya cheered up a little when they entered. There was nothing new inside they haven't seen but Kai, Cole and Nya still awed at the different smells and teas that lined the shelves.
"-no problem at all," Janice told whoever was on the other side of the phone, "We'll be delighted to have him over... uh-huh...don't worry Misako...okay...see you soon, bye, love you."
She hung up and turned to the kids, "Oh, hi." She smiled.
"Hi, Janice, can we have juice?" Cole askes, Kai and Nya nodding enthusiastically besides him.
"'May we'. Sure." They followed her back to the house where she gave them a drink. Nya eagerly took her plastic cup, downing the contents, the boys following her example.
"Cole, Kai, Nya guess what." Janice asked as they finished up their drinks.
"Cake?"
"Toys?"
"Puppy?"
They answered respectively, excitement obvious on their little faces.
"Even better, Lloyd is coming over soon."
"No cake?"
"No toys?"
"Who Lloyd?"
Janice answered Nya's question, "You'll see who he is when he arrives." She took the empty plastic cups to the kitchen for washing. The kids didn't really ponder on the proclaimed arrival of this Lloyd person and decided to play a game of tag.
An hour after lunch, still no sign of Lloyd. Nya had been put down for a nap and somehow convinced Kai to do so too. Janice tried to coax the five year old to do so too but Cole strongly protested and went back outside.
The boy was crouched in the dirt between the rows of tea plants digging in the dirt. He occasionally found worms but dug up somewhere else and buried them there, having no need for them. Cole didn't know why this activity was so fun. The soil was slightly damp so he shaped and molded it into various things. Maybe he liked the earth because it was everywhere; here with him and there.
Cole raised his head when he heard a car coming up the road. It parked outside the compound and a woman in her thirties came out of the driver's side. She went to the back and retrieved a baby seat and a baby bag. Cole knelt down, lowering himself to the ground. His curious filled eyes still on the new arrival as she headed straight to the tea shop. Cole got up and followed her but stopped at the door of Steep Wisdom.
"Hi," The woman greeted, a big smile on her face.
"Misako!" Janice beamed wrapping the woman, Misako, in a tight hug.
"Hello, Misako. It's good to see you." Wu said, hugging Misako next.
The woman put down the baby seat and bag and Cole saw a baby with blonde hair and the most red eyes he's ever seen. The baby noticed him and cooed happily. Cole slunk back a bit, not wanting to be caught...um... assessing the situation.
"Aww, Hi Lloyd." Janice cooed, removing the baby from his baby seat. Lloyd, the baby, giggled happily as he was picked up.
So that is Lloyd.
Cole remembered Janice telling them about a Lloyd coming over. Cole wondered if Lloyd was another addition but when Misako never handed Janice or Wu folders, he doubted the thought.
Cole quietly left, heading back to the house. He went straight to Kai and Nya's room.
"Kai, Nya."
The raven haired girl's ocean blue eyes flutter open. She yawns a little before she sits up.
Kai turns in his bed and squints at Cole.
"Lloyd is here." Cole told them.
The trio left the house just in time to see Misako enter her car and drive away.
They're heads snapped to the left upon hearing the cries of a baby.
"Ssshh, don't cry Lloyd." Janice soothed, "She'll be back soon." She bounced the boy on her hip.
Kai, Nya and Cole silently stood in the doorway of Steep Wisdom, eyes fixated on Lloyd.
When the baby calmed down some, Janice noticed the three kids at the door.
"Guys, this is Lloyd," She said, gesturing them to come closer.
Kai was the first to take a closer look at him.
Lloyd stopped whining, his big green eyes staring up at the light brownish orange eyes of the new face.
A barely toothful smile spread across little Lloyd's face as he made grabby hands at the boy with slightly spiky hair.
"Aww, he likes you. I'll put him down in the house so you kids can get to know him better."
"But he's a baby. He no talk." Nya argued.
"Sometimes actions speak louder than words." Janice told them.
They went to the house and Janice put Lloyd down on the soft grey carpet. She then locked the door leading to the dining and kitchen.
"Stay in the living room. If you need anything, just ask okay?" Janice told them.
"Okay." Cole nodded.
"Quod sic." Kai and Nya answered simultaneously.
"Play nice with Lloyd, he's just a baby." And with that, Janice went back to the tea shop.
Lloyd looked around inquisitively. When his eyes landed on the TV, he crawled over to it. He shakily stood up so that his hands were touching the screen. Lloyd then proceeded to bang his teeny hands against the screen, giggling as he did.
"Lloyd, No," Kai gasped rushing over to drag the little boy away from the magic box of sound and moving pictures.
Lloyd threw his head back and started wailing at the top of his lungs.
Kai set him down and clutched his stomach, Lloyd's head having hit the brunette in the stomach.
"You, o'kay?" Nya asked her brother.
"I o'kay." Kai answered, standing up straight. He didn't like to show weakness in front of Nya.
Lloyd quickly recovered and crawled back to the TV to proceed using it as a drum set.
"Lloyd no." Cole picked up little Lloyd but making sure there was some distance between the two of them when Lloyd threw himself backwards and started bawling.
Cole took Lloyd to the toy box, set little Lloyd down before opening the toy box and handing the baby a plushie.
Lloyd slowly started calming down as he stared at the toy given to him. Lloyd put the plushie's hand in his mouth and started chewing it.
Cole could care less about what Lloyd did with the toy as it didn't hold a special place in any of the hearts of him, Nya or Kai.
Lloyd contentedly played with the plushie (more like ate the plushie) while Kai, Nya and Cole used the other toys to play a game of battle.
They each had a toy of their choosing (Cole a gorilla, Kai a firefighter and Nya a polar bear) which had to battle the others. It kept switching from a battle royale to a two on one, Cole and Nya teaming up against Kai or Nya and Kai teaming up against Cole.
"Yay, I win!" Kai smiled when his firefighter had Cole's gorilla pinned to the ground, struggling to break out of Kai's grip on it.
"Oh no," Nya gasped, making her voice a little higher to act out her character, "I'll save you, Cole."
Nya wrapped her polar bear's front paws around Kai's firefighter and did a backwards slam.
"Thanks Nya, now let's get Kai." Cole said, making his high pitched voice as rough and gruff as he could as his gorilla got the firefighter in a headlock while Nya's polar bear punched the daylights out of the firefighter.
Lloyd watched all this fun going on and decided to join in on the action. He crawled over to the older kids, a wide smile on his face. He stopped behind Nya and wobbly stood up. With all his might he swung the plushie at the little girl's head from the side.
One of the plushie's legs hit Nya in the eye and the girl yelped and clutched her left eye, her bottom lip beginning to tremble.
"Nya!" Kai rushed to her aid, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her into a hug.
Lloyd, still not having got the message that he'd done something wrong started hitting Kai and Nya with the plushie.
"Lloyd stop." Cole told the baby, grabbing the plushie before he swung again. Lloyd didn't give up that easily and started tugging back at the toy. Little Lloyd was strong but no match for a five year old. The toy was taken from him and put back in the toy box for good measures.
"I'm okay now." Nya said, pulling out of Kai's embrace whilst rubbing her left eye.
The green eyed baby pouted heavily, tiny eyebrows bumped together, he slapped his hand on Cole's leg.
The ebony yelped and recoiled, taking a step away from the baby. Lloyd's slap was effective. The baby swings again but Cole caught his hand. Lloyd whines as he tries to get out of Cole's grip and swings his other hand. Cole let's go of Lloyd before his hand makes contact with him.
Cole backs away as Lloyd advances on him. He climbs up on to the couch and Kai and Nya do the same.
Baby Lloyd tries to climb up onto the couch too but his attempts are futile.
It frustrated Lloyd and he began to whimper, bottom lip trembling before outright bursting into tears.
The trio stared at the baby for a while. They exchanged glances before looking back down at the baby.
"We should get Janice." Kai told the others who nodded absently, still staring at the baby throwing a tantrum on the floor.
Nya was the first to react, jumping off the couch and making a mad dash to Steep Wisdom. She didn't want to play with Lloyd, not one bit. Maybe she could convince Janice to let her, Kai and Cole play outside away from Lloyd.
"Janice," Nya called for her once she entered.
"What's the matter, Nya?" Wu asked her, seeing the upset expression of the little girl.
"May we play outside?" Nya asked then added, "Please?"
"Maybe another time. Lloyd could easily fall into the well or pond or he could run off." Wu told her.
"Lloyd will stay inside." Kai said sternly.
"Can we play out now?" Nya inquired.
"Please?" Cole put in for Nya.
Wu then realised that if they all were here, then Lloyd was in the house alone.
He looked out the door just in time to see Lloyd sitting in the middle of the compound.
Wu went out and picked up the baby.
Lloyd smiled at his uncle, glad to be carried by him.
Wu wondered why Nya, Cole and Kai didn't want to play with Lloyd. Or maybe, they didn't want to be cooped up inside. But that has never really bothered the kids in the past.
"Let's go and get a snack, shall we?" Wu offered. Kai, Cole and Nya were hungry, which almost made them forget about how they didn't want to be around the baby.
Almost.
Wu brought them juice boxes and cookies and yoghurt for Lloyd.
The action was not discreet; Kai, Nya and Cole took their snacks and sat at the furthest corner of the room and ate happily.
Wu looked at them confuzzled before remembering how the trio did not want to hangout with the baby.
"Kai, Cole, Nya, come here." Wu called them.
They hesitated for a moment before moving to sit on the grey rug near the couch.
Wu then questioned,"How do you find Lloyd's visit?"
The trio exchanged looks before Kai spoke, "Lloyd not nice."
"Mhm," Cole agreed whilst Nya nodded enthusiastically.
Wu brought a hand up to his mustache and traced it gently in thought.
"How about we play a game?"
It was finally closing time. Janice closed up Steep Wisdom and headed to the house.
She didn't expect to see a fort made of pillows and blankets in the middle of the room. All the plush toys were either collected in the corner or scattered around the room.
"Halt, who go there?" She looked down to see Kai pointing a toy sword at her, a paper hat covered his spiky brown hair.
A smile tugged at her lips as she played along, "Lady Janice." She answered curtseying.
"You may go." He stepped aside and she entered, closing the shoji behind her.
At that moment Lloyd crawled out of the pillow fort. A cardboard crown atop his head which was obviously a little too big for the toddler.
Cole appeared from behind the fort and made trumpet noises, "His topperness, King Lloyd."
Nya jumped out of her hiding spot behind the toy box and stood at attention on Lloyd's left, Kai standing beside her.
Lloyd made his way to Janice and sat at her feet, arms raised and fingers curling and uncurling.
"King Lloyd wants uppy." Kai said.
"Well I wouldn't want to disappoint King Lloyd." Janice smiles, picking up the blonde.
Janice had to restrain an 'aww' when Lloyd snuggled into her and let out a tiny yawn.
"It's getting late," She told the kids.
"I don't want sleep." Cole protested.
"But the Castle." Kai whined a little.
"Yeah, play, play, play!" Nya cheered, raising her plastic sword in the air.
"C'mon, kids, bedtime." Janice announced, heading upstairs. Kai, Nya and Cole begrudgingly followed the brown haired woman.
"Bedtime story?" Kai inquired, holding out a book he took on their way up.
"Sure, let me just put Lloyd in his crib." Janice agreed. This isn't the first time Lloyd has been over- well first time he's been over with Kai, Nya and Cole present- so spare baby items were available.
"Lloyd sleep with us." Nya declairs.
Janice stood still in thought.
"I guess I could move his crib to Cole's room." She thought out loud.
Janice moved Lloyd's crib to Cole's room. Leaving both the doors of Kai's and Nya's and Cole's rooms open, Janice sat in the hallway and read them a book titled: 'The King of Kennelwick Castle'.
Though, the kids may dream of it as 'King Lloyd of Pillow-Fort Castle'.
Janice silently stood, closing the doors before heading to her and Wu's bedroom.
Her husband sat on the bed pushed up against the left wall. The windows right ahead with the curtains slightly parted allowing some moonlight in.
To the right, other furniture like a closet.
"What'cha readin'?" Janice questioned, plopping down on the bed.
Wu let out a tired sigh, "Just trying to find some answers."
Janice nodded knowingly, "Misako probably knows more than we do thanks to her research. We can ask her when she comes back." Janice reached over Wu to grab one of the scrolls on his bedside table and unrolled it.
'One Ninja
Will rise above the others
And become
the green ninja
the ninja destined to defeat
the Dark Lord'.
A/N: END of Chapter...Can I get an 'aww' for baby Woyd? Hitting the terrible twos early huh? Well maybe more the for-the-most-part misunderstood-twos-but-still-one-turning-two-soon.Hope y'all enjoyed this;See ya next chappy!
Latin
Doleo = I am sorry
Quod sic = Yes