This is it fellas, the epilogue! If you were content with the ending in the last chapter it's entirely optional, just a bit of "few years later" fluff. And if you're graduating yourself this year, many congrats!
And if you're staying, let it be known that the graduation song for the Class of 2019 (Lloyd's class) was "I'm Good" by the Mowgli's. Put it on and GROOVE, frens!
In the meantime, some technical notes!
As I understand it, the PinkFong version of the Baby Shark Song was released in 2016, but didn't become viral until the summer of 2017. The Ninjago Movie was released September of 2017 . . . So assuming that the movie portrays events of the previous spring, it lines up perfectly.
I figured I'd give Lloyd a more "physical" manifestation of his element. I've seen other fics that also gave him Green/Energy, because apparently several people were frustrated that Lloyd didn't get a "real" power. Personally it didn't bug me that much, but I did think making the "connection" thing a little more clear would be nice, especially since that's how it works in the show.
One thing that did bug me a lot was the cop-out on the Ultimate Ultimate Weapon. They made it painfully obvious that Lloyd's component was meant to connect the others, they explicitly showed Lloyd was disappointed with his own element to build up for the reveal later, and then what? They had Lloyd name the "connection" factor, but never SHOWED the connector piece actually doing its job. I was like that meme of the stick figure guy eating cereal. :P So yeah! Originally I was going to end it on the "just after battle" scene, but then at the last moment I added the final bit in the museum, because I realized I had to do something with the connector. Not leaving that danged loose end.
kordifm: Heyyyyyy! Thanks for the review!
Thalassa: Thanks for the review! He is lowkey meant to be unredeemable, yeah. He chose to reject redemption.
Heh, thanks! Jay's figured out that most of Garmadon's power-tripping comes from making others feel afraid or worthless. If you treat him like he's ridiculous, you take away his ability to terrorize others, and that's half of defeating him right there.
Hehe, I'm glad so many people caught the original finale line in there.
The movie had the symbolism all set up! They just never fully used it.
Thanks very much! So glad you enjoyed it.
JustRandom: I have seen the new season! Although I thought it was 15? . . . I've just given up and taken to using names only, like the producers. XD "Seabound" it is, from here on out.
That is a compliment, thanks! I usually can't be bothered to hate villains myself, so I know it matters when one actually gets to ya. And yeah, I think I do know what you mean. Everyone is the hero of their own story, and it's possible to respect someone for being so dedicated to what they honestly think is right, while simultaneously acknowledging that their idea of "right" is freaking messed-up. (At least, it seems that way with fiction. In the real world, not so much, I've noticed.)
I was more surprised that you could copy-and-paste on mobile. XD FFN removed the ability to copy-paste on computers yearrrrrrrs ago.
Haha, thanks! That was the idea, honestly. Garmadon is a delusionally egotistical man, who keeps getting his ego further inflated by seeing people fear him and cower before his abuse. He keeps getting the message that yes, he really is all-powerful, terrifying, and above punishment. Jay just slashed that wide open and declawed him. And that's flattering, but I don't know that I could really do a tutorial on this kind of thing, everything I know I learned from other stories!
Heh. Yeah, I hear ya there. I've been saying it to everyone who will listen (and even some people who won't :P), if the movie wanted to redeem Garmadon in the end, they shouldn't have done such a good job making him irredeemable and unrepentant. You can't just say, "here is a clinical narcissist who can't even comprehend that his actions hurt others, much less care. He's magically cured because his son cries one time!" That's bogus.
Um, recommendations for what? Either way, I kind of do and don't take 'em. I can never promise that I'll take someone's suggestion, but sometimes I do. Let's hear it. :)
Lloyd gets caged, chained, or tied up at least once in like . . . every season, I think, up until 10. In that one he just got killed instead. :P
Yeah. Seabound succeeded in throwing a wrench into the ENTIRE PAST OF THE SHOW. Now you basically can't watch any of it without thinking, "ah yes, there's Nya, a few seasons later SHE'S GONNA - "
Yeah, no emojis stick, sorry. XD
Yeah. I've also heard "you shouldn't set yourself on fire to keep someone else warm." And yeah; really, the main point of writing this fic in the first place was to undo the movie's message that being desperate for approval from someone who treats you like dirt is ever going to end well.
A little bit of satisfaction, yes! Although mostly I was just anxious because I wasn't sure if I should have included the museum scene or not. XP
Cheesy without being cringe . . . huh! I'd have to know how you define both of those first, to know what exactly you're trying to avoid.
Haha, thanks! Here's the epilogue, as you can see. Thanks so much for your incredibly thorough reviews!
"No no no, guys, I swear! I can do a whole flip and it won't budge!"
Kai was very excited about the strength with which his mortarboard was pinned to his hair.
"We believe ya, you don't have to prove it," said Nya, rolling her eyes.
"I'm gonna prove it!"
"Oh geez."
"Gimme some space guys. Here I go!"
Graduation was on a beautiful warm day, with a stiff breeze to keep it from being oppressive. The families were already getting settled in the auditorium, while the graduates were waiting for their turn to head in, milling about on the school's lawn. It was like a party; music was playing loudly on the school's speaker system, everyone was mingling and chattering, Lloyd and his friends were chasing Kai's mortarboard across the sidewalk. Apparently it hadn't been that well attached.
"Got it!" Cole finally tackled the windborne cap into the grass. Before he could even hold it up in triumph Kai tripped over him.
"You're messing up your gowns," said Jay disapprovingly, as Kai and Cole wrestled for the mortarboard, laughing.
"Give it back already," said Kai, tugging. "That's the only one I'm ever gonna get!"
"Oh, thanks for letting me know it matters, now I'm demanding a ransom."
"Give it! Sis, a little help here? Anybody?"
Jay looked around at the others, then shrugged and gave Cole a light zap, just enough to startle him into dropping the cap.
"Ow! Geez, of all the guys to stab me in the back—" Cole tried to straggle to his feet, but was stymied by Kai diving crosswise over him and snatching the cap, tumbling neatly and jamming it triumphantly back onto his head.
"Ta-da!" he crowed, and stuck out his tongue at Cole. The others burst out laughing; by now his hair was full of grass clippings and sticking out wildly in every direction under the cap.
"You and your great ideas." Cole got up, smacking grass from his gown. "Here, geez, hold still. Lemme get that."
"Just give him a haircut, he needs one," said Jay.
"Don't you dare!"
"I'm gonna miss you guys so much . . . " sighed Lloyd, above the others' chaos.
"This is such a bogus deal," agreed Kai. "I mean, how is this even legal? We went through, like . . . everything, we're joined at the freakin' hip—" He made a noise of protest as Cole jammed a bobby pin the wrong way, yanking his hair "—and now it's just, whup, you're grown-ups now, time to just LEAVE all your friends and head to college! Bye!"
"Oh my god." Nya buried her face in her hands. "I caaaaaaan't . . . "
Kai was taking up a job in Uncle Chet's scrapyard, while Nya was heading to a college off Ninjago Island. Surprisingly, Nya was the one going to pieces at the thought of being separated from her twin. Nobody had seen that one coming. She'd mellowed out a bit over the last two years of high school, while Kai had really filled out his young-adult shoes.
"You're gonna be fine, sis," said Kai soothingly, his cap finally back in order. "There's video chat, we can call all the time. And we're all still gonna see each other over the summers, right?"
"Totally," said Lloyd. "All of us."
"And at least we'll still be together," said Cole, smiling over at Zane. They were going to the same school.
"Yeah, you're gonna have your hands full, Cole," said Jay. "He's going to start the whole 'wild college kid' routine."
"Absolutely," said Zane, entirely serious. "I shall be consistently inebriated!"
"Oh god. Zane no."
"I will go to all the frat parties and 'hook up' with strangers!"
"Zane are you okay."
"I shall attempt streaking!"
"Thaaaaaat does it." Cole held up a hand. "If anyone asks, I don't know you. I'm taking no responsibility for your shenanigans, got it?"
"'Shenanigans'?" Zane's eyes snapped mischievously. "I had no idea you knew such large words."
"All right, you, get over here—"
The others were still laughing when the outdoor speaker system shrilled obnoxiously.
"Will all members of the Class of 2019 please proceed towards the auditorium; the graduation ceremony will begin in half an hour. Congratulations to the Class of 2019!"
"Ah, let's go guys, I wanna get good seats!" said Kai.
"It's assigned seating, doofus," said Nya good-naturedly.
"Okay fine, so let's find our assigned seats and then figure out where our parents are sitting!"
"Is Ms. Sweetie here, Zane?" said Lloyd, as they joined the throng drifting towards the school building.
"Of course. And my mom."
"Mine too," said Lloyd cheerfully. Nobody asked if his dad was coming, and nobody cared, least of all him. Not even sure if the guy was in jail these days or what.
"Ahhhh, I hope Ms. Perkins from English 101 sees me," said Nya, lovingly adjusting the "Honors English" tassels slung over her shoulders. "She's gonna cry."
"Pretty weird feeling though, huh?" said Jay. "People being proud of us for, like, school. Normal stuff."
"It's nice though," said Kai. "I'd be kinda depressed if I had to be a superhero just for people to be proud of me."
"I know Uncle Wu would have been pretty proud of us today," said Lloyd quietly.
The others grew quiet as well.
"I wish he could have seen this," said Jay. "He always made such a big deal about school."
The solemn mood was suddenly shattered by a shrill, piercing ring coming from six sources at once. All the teens yelped and grabbed for various pockets—they had taken to carrying pagers connected to the city's police system.
"Armed heist in progress," read the scrolling LCD display on the pagers. "300 Main Street. Multiple sources confirming the Dangerbuff Gang."
"Oh come ON, seriously?!" wailed Nya. "It's graduation!"
"And we just fought those losers last week," said Kai.
"Do we have to go? . . . " ventured Jay.
They all wavered, torn.
"I mean, they're easily the most pathetic guys we've ever faced . . . " said Kai hesitantly. "For sure the police could handle it, it's not a huge deal if we skip out once."
He didn't sound too confident himself, though, and nobody spoke up to agree with him. They kept standing there looking at each other a while more, everyone waiting for someone else to make the final call. Most gazes were on Lloyd.
"Naw, naw." Lloyd finally groaned. "I'm sorry, guys. I just—I'm not gonna be able to stand there and enjoy graduation knowing I'm cutting ninja duties. You guys don't have to go though, it's fine."
"No way," said Cole. "If you're going, we're all going."
"Guys! We heard the news!"
It was a seventh voice. The ninja all turned, startled, as a gang of six freshmen, class of 2022, came flying up the walkway. The piled to a halt in front of the ninja, gasping for breath but wild with excitement.
"We're ready to take on our first solo mission!" panted Candy, the de facto leader of the group. She saluted overdramatically, her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"Woah, woah!" Lloyd threw up his hands. "You guys still have a lot of training to go!"
"But we also have a lot of training behind us!" piped Vincent, Jay's prize pupil.
"And we'll be defending the city by ourselves in just a few months anyway," said Tyshay, tightening her digital bracelet. "We're ready to prove ourselves."
"And it's your graduation!" said Mitch. "We don't want you to miss that. C'mon, it's your big day! Let us give you a hand."
Jack was signing something too fast for the older teens to track with their nascent familiarity with the language. Jackie pulled back the hood she had purposely chosen to be inverse-colored to his.
"He says we've literally done simulations about fighting the Dangerbuff Gang before, if we're not ready for this we'll never be ready." She grinned. "He has my vote."
The original Secret Ninja Force exchanged bewildered looks, unsure what to say. Then they huddled together and discussed in whispers for a moment. Their younger counterparts waited breathlessly.
"The final call's on you, Lloyd," murmured Nya at last. "Whatcha say?"
Lloyd hesitated a moment, his eyes distant. Maybe he was thinking back to. his own days as a trainee, begging over and over for Wu to give him a chance. At last he sighed and turned around.
"You've got to promise you'll call us the second things get out of—"
"WHOOOOOOOOO!" The trainees drowned out the rest of his warning. Without waiting for further admonishments they took off.
"They're so totally not gonna call us." Despite his folded arms Cole's voice was tinged with laughter.
"I know." Lloyd chuckled. "The police will send us a second page if things go south. But I think they'll be just fine . . . "
"Yeesh." Nya was watching the freshmen vanishing into the distance. "I can't believe we were ever that small and innocent."
"Well, you definitely weren't," said Kai. Nya smacked his arm playfully.
"Today Vince is gonna unlock his element," said Jay, as they turned towards the auditorium again. "I just know it!"
"Dude, you've been saying that for like two months by now . . . "
"Well, someday I'm gonna be right!"
"He does have a point. Master Wu hand-selected these trainees for their elemental predilections. I doubt he would be wrong."
Lloyd lagged behind the others, trying to catch a last glimpse of Ninja Force 2.0. Despite his external confidence, he did feel a significant knot of anxiety in his stomach. He did know the youngsters were smart, tough, and capable, but he couldn't help worrying. Maybe that was how Wu had felt training him. Maybe that was how his mom felt every time he went out on missions.
He thought back to the years leading up to this moment. The shame and misery growing up, the grueling drudgery of becoming a ninja master, the highs and lows and darkest days before things got better. A city now peaceful, no longer holding its breath waiting for pointless destruction. Everything he'd gained and lost in just a few years. This was the turning point; his last few moments as a high schooler, before one last glorious summer with his friends and their eager successors. And then the future, hopefully even brighter.
"I hope you really would be proud, Uncle Wu," he said softly. After a second he half-smiled. "Master Wu."
"Hey Lloyd!" Kai's voice echoed from down the school's hallway. "Ya coming?"
Lloyd started from his thoughts. Casting a last glance at the city skyline, serene and shining in the midday sun, he adjusted his mortarboard and turned to head inside.