The trip home on the was painfully slow.
The inhabitants were soaked, bruised, tired, and fearful. The loud battle had ended abruptly with a crash of seawater, the preeminent sinking, its eerie glow dying beneath the water.
Colors of black, white, blue, red, and green huddled in the far corner of the boat. Masks off, windswept hair heavy with worry and bruises making their presence known.
The teams a mess with Nya off to the side, Jay wavering about and looking 5 seconds away from crashing, Zane and Kai hovering over Lloyd who's barely standing with a hand on the ship's thin walls, and Cole silently wondering between them all, his face deep with worry as he places a hand of jays shoulder but keeps his gaze on the others.
No-one speaks. They listen quietly to the rush of waves as the boat slowly drifts towards the mainland.
Lloyd gives a heartbreaking sob and collapses.
Kai barely manages to catch him before he hits the deck, wrapping his arms around his midsection and holding him tight. The blonde cries out in pain and protests, the first true sound he's made in a while.
Kai lays back against the wooden walls of the boat and rests the blonde on his chest, trying to ignore the sickly heaving coming from him.
The others quickly gather around, muttering hushed worries in a circle.
"What can we do?"
"What do you think? We're in the ocean on a broken boat, take your guess."
"I mean, is there like a first-aid kit somewhere?"
"Already checked, this useless junk of-"
"Watch your mouth."
"-doesn't have anything on board or below deck. And Zane this isn't the time-"
"Please be quiet, bickering isn't going to help the situation." Cole gets cut off, Zane stares blankly at the two before turning back to Lloyd.
This silences the voices around them. Zane sits on the other side of Lloyd, scanning him for injuries (although that may be a little bit of a nice way to word it) as Kai runs shaking fingers through his tangled blonde locks.
"So..." Jay whispers, his voice wavering whether it be from exhaustion or anxiety. "Is he gonna be alright?"
Zane cuts him off, "It's hard to tell." he opens his mouth to speak again but hesitates and stops
Lloyd gives a short moan as Kai shuffles him closer to his chest, letting his head and body rest gently against him. Zane carefully lifts his left arm, seemingly trying to get to where Kai can see purpling under the torn gi.
Lloyd gives another cry of pain and subconsciously moves away from Zane, the effort causing him to put weight on his hip which causes him to wince. The movement must have also stirred his head because now he's clutching it with boney fingers that are pulling as if life depends on it. Zane stops and tries to pull Lloyds hands away from his skull, then settles for letting him sit for now, however the look on his face says he recommends otherwise.
Kai watches as Zanes' eyes continue to linger on Lloyd, he watches as Jay slowly and carefully drifts away, then turning to speak to the new Water Ninja, their words hushed by the wind and waves and whimpers from Lloyd. Nya - Kai's little sister, the Samurai X, the Water Ninja - she's been using her abilities to help the boat flow back home.
Coles bends down to whip some dirt of Lloyds cheek. As ghostly hands meet cold skin Lloyd starts and turns eyes wide but blinded by fear and pain, he turns his head around to the first non-ghost he sees and grips Zane's gi, inching out of Kai's arms and burying his head into Zane's arm.
Cole stops, a hurt look crosses his face briefly before it turns into sorrow. He takes his hand away and steps back, deciding to comfort from a distance.
Kai can feel Zane's eyes switch between him and Lloyd, he wants to sleep- he wants to tear his hair out he wants to cry- but he can't, not right now.
Lloyds shaking like a leaf, blood dripping out of his nose and lips, tears streaking his cheeks. Part of Kai wonders if Lloyd can even identify where he is right now, a majority doubts it.
Zane's voice snaps him from his thoughts, even if it took him three tries.
"Hm?" Kai mumbles, his throat sore and eyelids drifting shut with every passing heartbeat.
"Can you use your powers to warm him, please?" Zane's arms are curled around Lloyd, buried under his chin. It can't be very comfortable. Kai thinks, then nods to Zane as he passes Lloyd back over. Lloyd gives a short pained noise then stops again as he meets Kai's arms.
He forces his weak powers to heat his hands, not making a flame but a warm and soft touch. After a few moments of confused and distant staring from Lloyd he finally eases in, his face still scrunched in pain, however.
Another thing Kais worries about is how Lloyds powers seem to break, sometimes slowly and painfully just lighting up at the end of his fingertips, and other times flashing rapidly around them and striking anything near. But like Lloyd himself, it's weak but it cracks out of his control.
They sit like that for a while, Kai holding Lloyd protectively with all the strength he has left - because if anyone thinks they're going to take him again when they've just gotten him back after months of abuse from a crazy ghost then they're gravely mistaken - and Zane sitting next to them with a stare blank but full of hurt.
Lifting his head as the boat rocks against the water, Kai realizes Coles stepped away, now talking with Wu, Misako, Ronin, and a few of the former residents of Stiix closer to the frontal-main area of the boat.
Kai feels a hand in his hair, he turns to see Zane gently guiding his hand through Kai's own tangled hair.
Normal Kai would protest but right now he just wants to sleep.
He wants to go home-
His grip tightens on Lloyd ever so slightly as his eyelids drift closed. He feels Zane scooting closer to let him lean on him.
His mind goes black and the sounds of wind and Lloyds quiet whimpers fade.
He's woken by a gentle tapping on the shoulder.
He locks tired eyes with Jay whose reason for the tapping, "Come on, we're going home." his voice is quiet and scratched.
He moves and quickly realizes Lloyd is gone, he panics and turns back to Jay who seemed to have noticed his worry. "Zane and Nya got him," He then reached out and carefully grabbed Kai's hand, tugging lightly. "let's go."
He pulls against Jay and stands, his lungs itch and he breaks into a coughing fit, his throat begs otherwise but air forces its way out of his mouth. He feels a hand pat him on the back and lead him to the bridge where almost everyone had exited the boat.
Lloyd is leaning against Zane with Nya on his right trying to keep him from collapsing. Every movement sends flares of agony all over as he tries to walk on his own, but his legs tremble and panicked green sparks of energy burst from his body, making the police lights and sirens flicker and some even break.
As Kai walks past him he's partially aware of the incoherent and slurred mumbling escaping his bleeding lips.
Once on the mainland - which Kai has never missed more - he raises his head to see Wu speaking with cops and civilians. Wu is facing away and Kai cannot see his face, however, the expression on the other person is frustrated.
Kai can hear someone pulling the Bounty up to the shore through pained and muffled ears. He watches as Zane and Nya carry Lloyd inside. He turns to Cole, it'd be easier if he carried him but - Kai paused, remembering how Lloyd had panicked when Cole touched him. He hadn't meant it, surely, but he was still scared nonetheless.
They've changed into different clothes, now dryer than in their wet and torn gis'. Although they'll all have to wash tomorrow, but it can wait.
He turns his drowsy attention back to Lloyd, who's sitting on the floor leaning on Jay, his face pinched roughly in pain. Zanes' working on the outer layers of his gi, he gets Lloyd's full arm unwrapped, it's bruised and thin and without the suit covering it up they can see all the cuts and stab wounds that were left untreated for so long.
Kai hears a sharp intake of breath to his left from Nya then her quiet orders to Cole to get more medical supplies. Zane continues unraveling the gi and soon the whole top is off, giving the team a clear look at all of his wounds and how frail he has become. Kai curls his fingers into fists, he can count his ribs, but if he tried to count the bruises and wounds he'd be lost.
With Zanes's orders, Kai switches places with Jay, which he is somewhat thankful for, He lets Lloyd lean on him yet still holds him upright as comfortable as he can be. Lloyds just stared at the floor, his eyes haunted and hollow, the normal shine and pride in them gone, replaced with dull pain. He grunts and leans closer to Kai when Zane touches the deep bruising along his ribs.
"Broken ribs," Zane mutters it's quiet but they could hear him.
Cole comes back with the supplies from the med-bay and sets them down next to Zane. Kai notices how Cole avoids going near Lloyd as much as possible, he knows why and it hurts him to realize it.
Zane starts putting medicine on the wounds and then tries to medicate his ribs. When his shaking hands press harder than needed Lloyd's eyes go wide with pain and panic, he twists away from him and weakly yanks against Kai's grasp. It's taking all of Kai's attention to make sure he doesn't hurt him further while trying to restrain him. He just needs to get him calm, they need to help him, but Lloyd can't see that - eerily thin and broken as Morro left him - over a month trapped in his own body, his own mind, while being constantly tormented by the ghost finally broke the strong sense of sanity and light he had.
Cole tries to help - he really does - but when his ghostly hands fade onto Lloyd, the heart-wrenching stammering of "No- no- stop-stop-stop-stop-" makes Cole tear his hands away, holding them to his chest with a heartbroken expression.
Nya gives him a pained look and takes his place in helping Kai restrain him.
Lloyd whacks his head against the wall, a harsh ragged cry of pain follows. Kai takes his hand from where it's around Lloyds waist and tries to hold Lloyds head still with it. Zane quickly finishes putting the medication on him, hastily wraps his wounds (they'll change them later when he's still enough to actually treat), and takes the needle of anesthetic from the medkit.
Once the anesthetic kicks in Lloyd lets out a pained huff and gives up, finally resting with painful breaths.
Kai helps Nya get him into more comfortable clothes, he cringes as his fingers trace some of his wounds.
Cole reaches out, his hand lightly ghosting Lloyd. The blonde stirs but doesn't make any other indication of notice. Cole hesitates, then scoops Lloyd out of Kai's arms and they follow as he listens to Wu's orders and sets him carefully on the couch. Kai sits on the other side, he just needs to know that he's there and not going to disappear again-
Nya looks close to tears from where she stands in the doorway, her hand hovering along with the wall trim. Sensei Wu starts, his voice empty but wavering slightly. "You're tired, overworked," He says to no one in particular. "Get some rest, we'll work things out when everyone wakes up."
Kai turns his head to look at Lloyd. "I'll stay out here."
Wu nods and walks to the kitchen. The other Ninja hesitate but eventually disperse, either heading to the kitchen, bathroom, or straight to the shared bedroom.
Kai watches Lloyd turn lightly in his sleep, whimpering when he hits something that hurts against the edge of the couch. Dread sat in his stomach, tangled with guilt. Morro and the other ghosts were gone. That threat was - Kai paused. The ghosts along with the preeminent were gone, and so was Garmadon.
He glances at Lloyd again, he was taken into the Cursed Realm, he had to have seen him. Kai shuddered, he pulls his blankets up to his chin, curling up and burying his face under the covers.
Yet it does nothing to keep the monsters away.
He was falling- the cold and hollow darkness consumes him-
He tries to scream but his voice dies, he tries to move but he can't.
Then the pain starts. His head is exploding, bones shattering, legs twisting, eyes burning, arms breaking-
The voice laughed, he felt his mind being ripped open and torn apart carelessly-
Everything flashed, some quicker than others. He was being kicked in the stomach after being punched to the floor, images of his friends - his family were being dragged out, scenes of them crying, dying, begging for him to stop, leaving him behind, hating him - the line between the sick, fake, memories began to blur into reality.
How long had he been trapped? His legs weren't his own, his hands weren't his own, his body wasn't his own, it wasn't his to command - it was Morro's.
He could see the pleading expression on the night guard's face as Morro - as he - swung the sludge hammer down, repeatedly. The laughter and the smile felt wrong.
Even when he wasn't being possessed the other ghosts made sure he knew his place. Tormenting him, making games out of his suffering, petting his hair, calling him names (their favorites being "Little Buddy" or "Kid"), Telling him things that at some point he couldn't tell whether they were true or not.
Days faded into weeks and weeks faded into - something. He doesn't know, he's lost count, his own memories being warped every time the ghost enters his body. He had forgotten the feeling of rest-
-and Jay's laughter and jokes and his solution to even the smallest of things that really didn't even need fixing-
-and Cole's reassuring voice, comforting him, showing him shortcuts in video games when they'd get the chance to play-
-Zane's smart insights and the calm and collective way he'd smile at Lloyd when he'd be comfortable enough to share his thoughts-
-Nya's playful attitude and her stubborn inability to accept defeat and her creative mind that matched Jay's perfectly-
-and Kai's warm hugs, the hair ruffles, how he was always there for the laughs, and the way he said he'd look after him. He promised-
Their faces were fading away- he had lost control and was losing himself- he was losing the people he loved- he was losing his family and he was too weak to do anything about it.
He's losing it, his mind, everything he has, and all for some stupid gi he never asked for in the first place. He's falling- he's dying- and he-
-woke up.
Gasping and taking sharp, painful breaths, as he shot upright to take in his surroundings. His body begged against the movement, stabbing- flaring pain shot all throughout his body.
He felt tears stream down his cheeks, a pained choked sob forced its way out of his mouth. He wants to go home- he doesn't want to spend another minute with the ghosts. He's scared- he wants to go home- he wants his room- he wants his friends- he wanted his brothers and Nya-
Something nearby moved, slowly at first then shot up. Something else, further away this time, moved as well. Dim lights flickered on, forcing Lloyd to shield his eyes from the foreign sight.
"-yd?'
"-ear me? -oyd?"
The voices sound familiar but he can't- he just can't- either it's a dream or another cruel joke-
Something touches his shoulder, its solid and warm and gentle and comforting-
"-look at me ok?"
The voices slowly faded in, he knew those voices, the voices knew him. Another touches his head, cupping the left side of his face just as gentle and warm as the first.
He blinks and looks up, while every inch of his body wants to stop- wants to crumble and fall- he forces himself to look up.
Kai is there, worried and relieved and safe and there- everything Lloyd missed-
There's an eerie glowing mist from the side.
His heart stops, Morros back, coming to take him away, coming to torture him again, coming to use him just to kill again-
He buries his face in Kai's t-shirt, fearful sobs manage to escape his chest and Lloyd couldn't be more disgusted with himself but now isn't the time because Morros right there, and if he's right there-
"I'll go." A familiar voice spoke.
Lloyd stiffened. Slowly, he raised his head from Kai's shirt and turned to see a ghostly transparent Cole stepping away from them, his head held down to face the floor.
"No. No, no-no-no-" Lloyd shoves himself away from Kai, while everything in his body begs against it, he climbs onto the back of the couch and tries to reach out towards Cole. His hand slips from under him and he falls shoulder first onto the floor.
"Lloyd!"
He tried to move but the adrenaline quickly faded, all the pain came flowing back, stabbing him, burning him, shaking him, breaking him-
Through the pain, there's gentle but cold arms wrapping around him and heaving him upright. He freezes at the touch that was so similar to his touch - no, can't think about that - but instead of hurting him, the touch tries to comfort him.
He's settled back on the couch. Pain still flaring throughout his being. He limply curls in on himself when he realizes the cold gentle touch was leaving and he reaches out to grab it.
"Hey, hey, I'm sorry I shouldn't have moved like that-" What sounds like Cole is speaking but it just sounds wrong-
He tries to turn his head but every movement makes his body throb more. He tries to open his eyes but is met with a blinding light above him. He hissed softly and manages to shift to where the voice had come from.
"'O- N'- no-"
He tries to convince Cole that it's not his fault- (because it isn't, if anything, It's Lloyd's) but he can't get his stupid head to work.
"D'n't- i's n'ot your fault-"
A second set of hands comes to cup his face from where he is still laying on the floor, this time warmer and more physical. "Shh- Lloyd please, not now."
"It's alright," Cole mumbles from somewhere next to him.
Warmer, more physical hands scoop him up carefully and Lloyd has to bite his lip and push back sounds of pain.
He's set on something soft and gentle, he opens his eyes slightly to see Kai and Cole standing over him.
"Hey buddy, you're fine." Kai cups his cheek, gently brushing his skin with his thumb, and Lloyd tries (and fails) to hold himself back from leaning into it with a whimper. (Pause to Edit)
Cole makes a soft humming noise and moves, From the edge of his vision, he can see as Cole turns the main light off and then move to turn on a small lamp in the corner of the room.
"Better?" Kai asks, his voice is soft and gentle and exhausted.
Lloyd gives out a weak hum and nods.
He's then cradled with more warmth, he can hear Kai's breathing move to where he's now laying next to Lloyd, practically cradling him.
He almost misses how Cole's linger on him, his face is difficult to read but Lloyd knows he's upset.
Lloyd tries to speak but his voice instantly fails him, with a huff and grunt he slowly and agonizingly raises his hand out toward Cole who (thankfully) seems to get the message and steps over.
He hesitates but Lloyd brushes his wrist and weakly tries to latch on.
Cole meets his eyes and, with a sigh, settles next to Lloyd and Kai (who has fallen asleep) and wraps his arms carefully around them.
Lloyd is aware of how Cole keeps glancing at him like he is some fragile piece of glass, but he doesn't blame him.
He feels his eyes water as he thinks about how far he's fallen, how fragile he's become, weak and pathetic and shaking with unshed tears.
As he lets his eyes slip shut- as he buried his face into Kai's chest and Cole's arms-
-he starts to realize that Morro had a point.