First Fight

Summary: Lloyd thinks it's the end of the world when Nya gets mad at him. Morro explains some facts about friendship.

Timeline: Shortly after chapter 2 of Greener Pastures. Lloyd is about 8 years old.

World: Movie-verse.

Author's Notes: Dedicated to Sunny Lighter, of course! Based on a headcanon that Lloyd believes what other people say a little too easily. Couple this with a rather severe lack of socialization until Nya and Kai, and you've got a recipe for a terrible misunderstanding. Thank goodness for a certain overprotective cousin!

Note, this may contain spoilers if you are not caught up in Greener Pastures.

~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~

I ruined it. I ruined it. I ruined it. The best thing in my life and I ruined it, just like I ruin everything.

"I don't know what happened, Wu!" Mom thought she was being quiet, but it's kind of hard to have private phone conversations in an apartment with little more than cardboard for walls. "He hasn't said a word since last night! I'm getting scared! All he does is shake his head when I ask him questions and hide under my bed!"

I'll come out. Eventually. Maybe.

Maybe not. If I come out, I'll ruin more things. Next time, it'll be my mom. I shivered and slunk further back beneath the heavy old bed someone had given mom. She couldn't move it, and was too large to get under it with me, making it the perfect place to hide away so I wouldn't hurt her too.

"I can't lose this job too, Wu. Please. I'm begging you. Yes, yes I know there's always a chance of a Garmadon attack, but... Ok. Ok, thank you. Morro? Doesn't he have school?"

"What?! He just ran off?! Oh, dear, he must have overheard us! Yes. He can do that? Um, ok. Are you sure? Oh, thank you! Uh, yeah. Fifteen minutes, I think I can wait that long. I'll be a little late, but they shouldn't be able to fire me just for that. Ok, see you soon."

I heard Mom hang up the phone. Then footsteps, the tapping of her sensible low heels as she came over. A slight shuffle sound as she lowered herself to peer under the bed at me.

I hid my face so she wouldn't see my tears. She was already worried. I didn't want to make it worse. She had to go to work, so we wouldn't lose our home. Again.

My fault. It's always my fault. I ruin everything.

"Uncle Wu and Morro are coming over to watch you while I'm at work, sweetie," Mom explained gently, reaching out her hand as far as it would go. "You sure you don't want to tell me what happened?"

I shook my head, not reaching back to her hand. If I touched her, maybe I would, like, infect her. They'd been talking about germs at school. Maybe that's what I am? Some giant germ that just goes around infecting people.

"Are you sure you don't need to see a doctor, love? Please, be honest with me. Are you hurt?"

I shook my head. No. Not hurt. Just, just wrong.

"Did something happen with Kai and Nya?"

I shook my head. No. Not their fault. They'd been so patient, so kind, so loyal. Not their fault. Everything's my fault.

It was bound to happen sooner or later. Nothing good in my life sticks around.

~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~

"It's a present from my mommy and daddy!" cheered Nya excitedly, showing me her Lego model of a giant spider, bigger than my head. It was in a position of honor on her desk. Girls have weird tastes. "We spent days putting it together! Kai too!"

"Isn't it kind of... creepy?"

Nya laughed and tackled me. "Nope! No more creepy than you, silly! Spiders are awesome! There's this one that can walk on water - isn't that SO COOL?!"

I took a step back, right into Kai, who caught me in a hug and giggled. "I don't like spiders either," he whispered. "But Nya loves 'em!"

~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~

"YOU DID IT ON PURPOSE!" shrieked Nya, shoving me away. Kai was too stunned to defend me, or maybe he didn't want to anymore, because he was on his knees in a panic before Nya's shattered treasure, trying to scrape together the blocks.

It had been a mistake. I didn't mean to. We'd just been playing, and I bumped the desk, and I hadn't been quick enough, and...

"We never should have let you come over! You ruin everything!" shouted Nya, face red and hot tears shining in her eyes.

"I didn't -"

"DON'T SAY ANYTHING! Don't talk to me EVER again! I hate you!" she continued screaming. Nya took one more furious glare over the scattered Legos, the hours and hours of work she and her family put in, and stormed out of the room.

"Nya!" shouted Kai, running after her. "Nya, wait!"

Shaking, I sat on the floor of the bedroom, staring at the disaster. My fault.

I should fix my mistakes. I couldn't fix my relationship with Nya, and probably not Kai either since they're always together, but maybe...

Probably half of the spider was still intact. Most of the body and head, a couple of the legs. It looked worse than it was.

I swallowed, already knowing they were gone. I'd never be able to come back again.

I shoved that thought back and scrounged around the room, making sure I had every piece, then began clicking together the little blocks. It took about half an hour. I could still hear Nya crying and screaming in the living room. Occasionally I could hear her mom and Kai trying to talk to her, reason with her, but her mind was made up.

It was all Lloyd's fault. Of course it is. I ruin everything. She didn't want to see or talk to me ever again.

Nya was right. About everything. She always was. Maybe I had broken the spider on purpose. I had thought it was creepy. Maybe I'm evil like my dad after all. I break things and don't even know why.

I carefully placed the repaired spider figure back on her desk and slipped out the window. Ran home as fast as I could and hid under mom's bed. I wouldn't be able to hurt anyone down there. Nya wouldn't have to see me or talk to me. No one would have to see me or talk to me.

~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~

"What's up, squirt?" asked my cousin, poking his head under the bed.

I had heard him and Uncle Wu arrive a minute ago, heard them greeting Mom as she hurried out the door, desperate not to be later than she had to.

I'm just making trouble for everyone, aren't I. Ruining things without even meaning to. Or, I don't think I mean to? I try not to...

I didn't look up. Morro shouldn't have to see or talk to me either. I would just mess things up with him too.

"Ok, enough of this crap," Morro said, squirming under the bed and - No! He fits!

I tried to hurry away from him, but he caught my ankle and yanked me out.

"YOU are going to tell me what happened!" ordered Morro, bossy as usual.

I shook my head and scrabbled to try get away, so I wouldn't hurt him too, so he wouldn't hate me too, but he sat on my feet!

My mouth dropped open and I stared at him in disbelief.

He smirked. "Refuse to talk all you want, Lloyd. I can read you anyway! Are you hurt?"

I shook my head.

"Good. I haven't taken those first aid classes yet. You went over to Kai and Nya's after school yesterday. Was it Kai?"

I shook my head.

"Was it Nya?"

I shook my head even quicker. Not her fault. Mine. All mine. Tears rose again to my eyes.

"So it was Nya. That brat."

My eyes widened in panic. "No!" I shouted.

Morro flashed his signature smirk. "See! You can still talk! So talk!"

I tried to sit up. Morro stood and offered me a hand, but he didn't let go once I was up. Probably suspected I would try to hide under the bed again.

I kind of wanted to, after all.

"What happened? Something happened. Tell me or I'm going after Kai and Nya for the story."

"No!" I shouted again. "Don't bother them! They just - Nya just - theyjustdontwanttobemyfriendsanymore. It's my fault. Don't bother them, please."

Morro looked stunned. He pulled on my arm that he was holding until I stood up, then pushed me to sit on Mom's bed. He sat next to me, pulling me into a hug.

"That doesn't sound like the twins at all, Lloyd. I'm gonna have to hear this whole story."

Morro wasn't big on hugs, so his were extra special. I sniffed, choked, tried not to spill the whole stupid story, but eventually couldn't resist. Eventually I reached the end.

"So, so, Nya's screaming and crying and she says she hates me and never to talk to her again, so, so," I sniffed and wiped my snotty face with my sleeves. "So I can't go to school because she'll have to SEE me, and I don't want to, want to talk, because talking makes everything worse, and, and this is all my fault and -"

Morro sighed and leaned back on the bed. "So, knowing you, you fixed her model then ran away back home, and you've been hiding under this bed until I dragged you out."

I nodded miserably, cuddling close to my big cousin. He didn't usually let me act like this, usually called me out for being a crybaby, but right now he was letting me so I was taking full advantage.

"There's only one solution to problems like this, Lloyd," said Morro sadly.

I looked up at him in confusion. Well, yeah. Obviously. Never talk to them again. And do my best so they don't have to see me either.

"You have to talk to them."

"No!" I panicked. "I promised!"

"You did no such thing."

"But, but, but Nya said-!"

"When people are angry, they say all sorts of crap. She didn't mean it."

"It's Nya! She always means it!"

Morro shook his head, seeing he wasn't getting anywhere. "Let make a bet. I bet that right after school Kai and Nya are going to come pounding on the front door, demanding to talk to you. That Nya's gonna apologize and say she didn't mean it. And that you three will go back to being annoyingly inseparable."

"No, they won't. She won't," I denied, staring at the floor. Morro didn't get it. Morro was family, like Uncle Wu and Mom, so he didn't get that I was evil and shouldn't be allowed to talk to people. I hugged him a little tighter.

"C'mon, let's play scrabble or watch a movie or something. And Wu's gonna want to check you over. He was worried you got hurt and were hiding an injury from your mom. He's probably already got tea waiting for us."

~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~

Morro was right, to my eternal confusion. Within fifteen minutes of when the last bell for my elementary school would have rung, there were pounding feet running down the hall of our apartment building and then pounding fists on our door.

Uncle Wu opened the door at hearing the young voices, not surprised at all at seeing Kai and Nya trip over themselves to rush in.

They can't see me. Can't talk to me. Not my friends any more. I'll hurt them. Again.

I dodged Morro's hands as he reached out to grab me - how can he always read my mind?! - and lunged for the door to Mom's room, fully intending to crawl back under her bed and never come out again.

Nya jumped me, slamming me to the ground with her on my back. I was crying already.

She hated me. Hated me. Was probably here to beat me up. I shied away and brought up my arms to shield my head.

"Lloyd?" she asked hesitantly, which isn't like Nya at all. I trembled in fear. She was gonna hit me. I just knew it. I deserved it. I broke her spider.

Another weight slammed into me, this time Kai, grabbing me and squeezing me tight in one of his hugs. Lifting me half off the ground as he began shouting at Morro for some reason.

Even now, Kai has the best hugs. I squeezed him back. Maybe Kai doesn't hate me like Nya.

"What happened?! Why did you - Why did he miss school, Morro?! Who hurt him?!"

"Seriously?" asked Morro, really laying on the dark voice. "You have to ask? He said Nya hates him now. Never wants to see or talk to him again."

I didn't dare glance at Nya. Couldn't bear to see the hate in everyone else's eyes reflecting out of hers.

There was a long silence.

"I didn't mean it," Nya said, in a trembling voice. "I didn't mean it!" she protested again, louder.

I shivered and clung to Kai. I felt her hand on my back and shied away again.

"Talk to me, Lloyd!" Nya cried. "Please! I didn't mean it!"

I shook my head, not looking at her. She'd said it. She'd meant it. I know she did.

Even if she, if she didn't. Hadn't. I didn't want to hurt her again. Not like that. Never again.

I heard the zip of a backpack, and then SMASH. My head whipped over in shock and saw...

Nya, face red with tears and snot running down. At her feet, the smashed remains of her spider. This time completely broken apart. Barely any blocks were still attached after she'd... thrown... why?

"My little brother is worth more than a stupid spider," choked out Nya. "I'm so sorry, Lloyd. I didn't mean it. I'll never hurt you like that again."

I stared at her, stunned. She reached into her backpack again, pulling out a box with a picture of a green dragon on the front. Another model.

"After, after you left yesterday, I felt so bad. I looked for you all day today to give this to you to apologize. Mom and Dad took me to the store last night. I had just enough saved up."

"Hey! It's from me too!" complained Kai.

"With Kai's money, I had just enough saved up."

Kai seemed content with that.

Nya held it out to me. A present. For me. An apology present.

"But I'm the one that -"

"It was an accident," said Nya softly, sounding like she was quoting from a lecture she'd gotten. "I've broken things too. Lots of Kai's things. Accidents happen. But what I said was, was 'uncalled for' and just really mean. I'm sorry. I don't want you to never talk to me again. I want to be your friend and big sister every day forever."

I hesitantly pulled away from Kai and held out my arms. She rushed forward and hugged me tight, repeating how sorry she was and how I was her little brother and that she didn't mean it and would never mean it.

Glancing over, I saw Morro roll his eyes and Uncle Wu passively sipping his tea.

We cleaned up the blocks from Nya's spider and put them in her backpack. She said she could just make it again, or maybe use the blocks for something even cooler next time. Then we opened the box for the green dragon figure and spent the evening putting it together.

~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~

I smiled happily as I waved goodbye to Kai and Nya. Their Dad had come to pick them up, and to give them quite the lecture. They were not supposed to leave school on their own, apparently.

"You know this is going to happen again, right?" asked Morro.

I turned and gaped at him in horror. "No!" I finally protested. "No, it was an accident, it won't happen again! And we promised! No more screaming at each other!"

Morro shrugged. "Friends fight sometimes, Lloyd. It doesn't mean you're not friends. Sometimes it just means they need some space until they cool off."

I blinked. Fighting with friends was... normal?

"Of course, that's no excuse to say hateful or cruel things. Just, be ready to forgive? And don't let it drive you into the ground again."

I think I know what he meant. I blushed as I remembered my mom panicking. I hadn't meant to do that to her. It was kind of babyish to hide under the bed like that.

Uncle Wu chuckled and stroked my hair. "You'll be fine, Lloyd. Just remember to give people the benefit of the doubt. Most of the time, they probably don't mean it."

"I don't know about that," grumbled Morro, using his dark voice.

I smiled. He loved me. Morro always used the dark voice when people were mean to me. I wrapped my arms around his waist as tight as I could.

Wu chuckled and I heard a click as he must have pulled out his phone and taken a picture. He did that a lot when Morro and I were together.

I heard keys in the door. "Mom!" I shouted, as she turned the handle and came in. I rushed to her and gave her a tight hug. "I'm sorry! I'll go to school tomorrow! I won't be quiet like that again! I didn't mean to scare you!"

She bent over and kissed my head, smiling in relief, eyes shining with love.

Maybe I don't ruin everything after all.