~~ Ch43:Thur3, Gordon's Mansion~~

I couldn't get Echo's crying out of my head.

Don't get me wrong, the Gordon's home is beautiful! Not as big as the volcano, of course, but the rooms are much more comfortable and elaborately decorated both with Starfarer and Lightning Ninja memorabilia (both Jay and Libber).

But, no matter how much I wanted to geek out over all the cool Starfarer stuff, and Cliff Gordon's entire wall of awards, and kinda wanted to cry when Libber happily showed me a collection of pictures I'd drawn her that she'd saved... my mind kept cycling back to Echo.

Echo. Who'd wanted to change, even as he didn't truly understand what was involved. Whose family only wanted the best for him, but had to hurt in order to heal.

Why did my mind keep cycling back to Echo? It took me a while for it to really hit.

It makes me think of Dad.

I want to cure my dad. To save him. To help him see the error of his ways, to turn around and use his abilities for good!

But he's not like Echo. He doesn't want to change. And, what's more, I'm not even sure it's possible. Mom searched for over a decade and found nothing. Mom asked him to change, and his response was that he can't. He just can't.

Even if I could force my dad to change... was it right?

And if I succeeded... would he still be Dad?

Zane had been so sure that Echo would still be the same, before and after. That any and all changes, even if at first they didn't seem so, even if Echo himself hated them, would be beneficial in the end.

I just... I don't have that confidence. Not anymore. It had slipped away as I saw Echo collapse. Start screaming and crying. Never actually putting into words that horrible, heartbreaking, infamous phrase, but I still heard it loud and clear: This is not what I wanted!

I had been so confident. So sure of myself. Something about Green just made everything feel possible, probable, almost as if I'd already won. That my dad had already happily given up being a warlord just for me, to make me happy.

But would he be happy? If he was forced to change?

Was he happy now?

I... don't know. I know he loves me. I know being with me makes him happy. Being with Mom makes him happy.

But does his 'work' make him happy? Is it an intricate part of him?

How much of my dad is 'the venom'? Is there even any venom? Was there ever a Great Devourer? What if it's just a metaphor for some weird genetic thing? For Dad failing to hold to a standard others had set.

Was I doing the same thing?

I had snuck off to sit with Meowthra, and suddenly remembered that photo from Mom. I quickly pulled my sketchbook out of my backpack and fished it out.

There. My dad. My real dad?

Smiling. Happy. A deep joy shining from familiar and yet alien purple eyes, caught mid-laugh in this moment of time. A much younger Uncle Wu at his side, also laughing.

I don't know that man.

Or do I?

I whipped out my phone, quickly opened up the photos app. Flipped through to a recent picture of my dad. Here, one Cole took of Dad and me at our last sleepover. I was giggling at some joke I don't remember, and he was leaning over my shoulder to pose for the picture, sticking out his tongue over his fangs and giving me bunny ears behind my head.

A completely different person? Or not?

No. No. Still Dad. I felt a surge of relief, holding the physical photo next to my phone screen. Maybe he looked completely different (other than being crazy tall), but... his eyes. The way they glowed, not necessarily literally, but with emotion. Good humor. Love for his family. That lopsided smile, the way he held his head and angled his shoulders.

But...

My mind flashed to that news report. Those video clips of him raging and roaring and...

I reluctantly closed the photo app on my phone and opened the Internet. Pulled up the newsfeed from yesterday. Scrolled past the fight with Meowthra to his furious march through the city when I was missing.

My heart twisted as I watched the clips of a murderous monster plowing through anything and anyone in his way. Now that I was looking for details, I spotted Mom trailing in his wake, occasionally trying to call to him, but he was deaf and blind to her.

The clips moved to a fight with Uncle Wu. Brilliant clashes of power, flashes of dazzling light that exploded outwards and prevented anyone else from getting near. I chose to ignore the revelation of my uncle's powers and paused the video, zooming in on my dad's cold face. Cold, harsh eyes, filled with hate, threat, murder. A terrifyingly dark elation at this terrible fight with his own brother. That he had been winning.

He had wanted to kill him. He would've killed him, had Mom not intervened.

My stomach chose to practice somersaults and I had to set aside my phone to focus on not being sick. I curled up tight, not even able to take comfort in Meowthra's inquiring and worried mews.

He had to be stopped.

I would eventually have to stop him.

Whether I believed in the prophecy or not, whether... whether he wanted this or not. This would happen again, sooner or later. It had happened before. This had to be what happened on that night I'd been in the hospital. It would happen again.

And I would not be able to stand aside. Not be able to duck my head and leave this to someone else. It's my dad. My responsibility to stop him, to save him. I have to.

He'll only stop for me. Suddenly I was sure of it. I don't know how, but somehow, when the time comes, only I will be able to stop him.

And, if I fail...

I'm scared. I'm so, so scared. I don't want to do this. But I need to. No one else can. I need to save him. I love him.

Dad...

~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~

Lloyd was sitting out by the fountain the driveway looped around, leaning against Meowthra, off in his own world again. Poor little man.

On a whim, Libber flicked on the switch that turned on the auxiliary sprays around the fountain, than the next switch that activated the intricately placed color-shifting lights. The affect wasn't as spectacular as it would be at night, but Lloyd shifted upright to stare wide-eyed in awe at the beautiful art piece. Hopefully pulling him out of whatever dark mood had taken over.

She just... she couldn't handle seeing kids look so sad. Anyone look so sad, really, but especially kids.

(Especially little boys with bright eyes meant to sparkle and dazzle and delight everyone around them...)

She nervously fixed her hair, elaborately piled up on top of her head in thick curls. Perhaps it was silly, but she'd dressed up when Jay told her he was bringing everyone over. Deep breath, then she let herself walk over.

"What's the problem, sweetie?"

Lloyd flinched, and visibly began fumbling for an excuse, even as he leaned closer to an overprotective Meowthra.

"I was... uh, it was..."

The giant cat began licking his head, effectively throwing him off so much he couldn't even finish his sentence.

Libber chuckled and came the rest of the way over, plopping down next to Lloyd. Meowthra didn't seem to mind, so she let herself lean back against the soft fur.

Oh, wow. Nice. So soft... No wonder Lloyd ran off to Meowthra for cuddles when he felt, uh, however he was feeling. At least he seemed a little better after the fountain show, Meowthra's mothering, and Libber's own presence. Even if she didn't say anything.

Well, she really hoped she wouldn't have to say anything. Jay didn't get his, ahem, eloquence, from Cliff.

"Echo," Lloyd finally whispered, staring at the fountain. "Echo, my dad, people making choices for others, forcing them to change, for the better, but is it?"

Oh dear. Lloyd was probably hoping to hear some wise, adult words of advice that would just magically make everything better, but...

Despite her worries, Libber took the question(?) seriously, leaning forward to rest her chin on a fist. Her whole face was a picture of deep concentration. Her ultimate conclusion?

"I don't know."

Lloyd couldn't help a watery sounding giggle, and quickly cleared his throat and looked away.

"Huh, strangely that's infinitely more comforting than one of Uncle Wu's wise sayings," he teased, though Libber got the impression he meant it.

Libber nudged his shoulder in mock insult. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. I'm woman enough to not pretend to have all the answers. The fact is, I really don't know. But there's no getting around making decisions, and those decisions will affect others." She sighed.

Lloyd's eyes glanced at her and widened, quickly darting back towards the mansion before returning to the fountain. She knew what had crossed his mind. After all, the subject was never far from hers.

Jay.

She folded her hands in her lap and stared at them. "I had to make choices for Jay that I know he's mad at me for, even now. Maybe, looking back, they were the wrong choices. But even now, I don't know if I'd change them. It's... complicated."

But this conversation wasn't supposed to be about her.

"I only know that, well, that I do like your father. I miss him."

Lloyd swallowed. Libber shifted to sit a little closer to him, so she could lean against his shoulder.

"How much of my dad is the venom?" Lloyd suddenly asked, rather pathetically, sounding close to tears. It didn't sound like a spur of the moment question either, but something that had been on his mind for a while now, blurted out like a confession and instantly regretted.

Libber looked at him in surprise and a bit of confusion, trying to think of how that question connected with the previous. In answer, sort of, Lloyd unlocked his phone that had been at his side on the ground and handed it to her. Not looking at the screen himself.

She quickly found out why, and found herself swallowing nervously at the news clips of Garmadon's rampage and fight with Wu. She couldn't look any more and turned the screen off, struggling against her own flashbacks of fighting... that... and losing.

"I didn't know. I didn't want to know. This is what he did that night he thought I was dying, isn't it. What he becomes. He almost killed Uncle Wu."

Lloyd leaned forward, digging his fingers into his hair.

"He... he has to be stopped. He has to change... And it has to be me that makes him."

Libber just pulled Lloyd into a hug, at a complete loss for words. It wasn't fair. But Lloyd was right.

The choice had to be made. And it was Lloyd's choice, his alone.

~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~

Skales watched in irritation, both through his own eyes and those of the three generals of Garmadon's he had hypnotized.

The generals had been an easy catch, already tailing their so-called "young master", and they themselves were unaware that they were still under Skales' thrall, that if he willed he could take control of any of them at any time he wished.

Not just anyone could pull off that particular trick, but it wasn't for nothing that Skales had managed to usurp leadership of the Hypnobrai and wheedled his way into his place as King Pythor's second in command. He had spent decades perfecting his race's talent to a degree even other Hyponbrai believed impossible, and it was time to reap the benefits.

Garmadon's brat was still with his new pet monster, and now some human woman was there too. He wouldn't be able to get anywhere near the brat right now, let alone get close enough to kidnap him, and if he used any of his puppets, he would undoubtedly lose them to Meowthra or possibly even lose control over them entirely, should his attention become too divided.

Skales glared at Garmadon's spawn. If it wasn't for that brat, they could've released the Great Devourer years ago.

Though that didn't justify Pythor's obsession with the boy. They didn't actually need the brat for the next step of their plans. They never had.

Skales was seriously beginning to regret throwing his lot in with the last Anacondrai. With every temper tantrum, cowardly retreat, or episode of blame-shifting, the huge purple Serpentine that had originally seemed so clever and regal became more of a selfish child in his people's eyes. A bully, at that. But it was too late to shift loyalties now. Not on the cusp of their revenge against humankind.

That blasted Ninja Force may have destroyed the Fang Blades, but the Serpentine already knew by that point exactly where the Great Devourer was imprisoned. It was a long a complicated process to dig out the prison and unlock the seals, but in the end it had been possible.

They could have the Great Devourer freed in a matter of hours. Would already have, if Skales was in charge. But Pythor was in charge, and he ordered that it was too risky. That Garmadon was sure to interfere, and so they needed leverage over the warlord. That the Ninja Force would again be in their way, and he knew exactly how to stop them.

Lloyd Garmadon was the answer to both problems. Problems Skales didn't entirely believe in, but whatever. The fact was Lloyd Garmadon had somehow become beloved by the Ninja Force - who knew or cared the how and why. And obviously Garmadon adored his son and would happily sacrifice the world to protect him.

If they held the brat, Pythor had explained, Garmadon and the Ninja Force would have their hands tied. Be unable to prevent the release of the beast. And certainly unable to take revenge themselves on the Serpentine for said release.

Skales personally believed kidnapping the brat would have the opposite affect and bring Garmadon, Wu, Lady Irondragon, and the whole of the Ninja Force onto their heads, should they fail. And, should they succeed, that the Great Devourer would destroy them all, in which case why worry about future repercussions?

Obviously, this was really just some grudge Pythor had against the kid. He didn't say so, but he must just want the boy there to taunt and humiliate, to force him to watch the destruction of his people. It was all just for Pythor's silly personal satisfaction. But again, it was too late to go against Pythor, and they were so close to success anyway. Might as well go with it. Capture the brat at first chance, release the Great Devourer in the direction of Ninjago City, then sit back and enjoy the show.

~~ ! Go Ninja Go ! ~~

Author's Notes: Ugh, this chapter did not want to be written. I just couldn't get anything I was satisfied with. I FINALLY think I have something that works, and hopefully future chapters won't give me as much trouble!

Thanks SO MUCH to Sunny Lighter for all her amazing advice and support! After several long conversations, I think I've got a pretty good map of how to get from here to the finale!

Also thanks SO MUCH to all of you for being so patient and supportive! Without all your encouragement and interest in this story, I probably would've quit long, long ago.

Next chapter, we're still at the Gordon's mansion, and this time Lloyd gets to have fun with Green and his friends!