1 Year Later...

3rd Person POV with Aeria

Another day another battle… Aeria thought to herself while eating her cereal and watching the Good Morning Ninjago show as they made their 95% chance of a Garmadon attack forecast.

Spooning another mouthful of cereal, she felt someone poke the back of her head and she turned to smile at her big brother Morro.

"Come on Ari, shouldn't you be on your way to school already?"

"Shouldn't you be on your way to work already?"

"Touche." Morro told her as he began packing a bag for work.

His part-time job was washing windows and he made a pretty decent amount, enough to support himself and Aeria and he was always offered tips, but he didn't always take them.

Morro turned the volume on their mini tv up just as Robin, the news lady, was announcing local birthdays,

"Celebrating birthdays today are this hot dog guy, this panda and, uh-oh… Lloyd Garmadon. The son of the evil Lord Garmadon."

The screen flashed to a picture of Lloyd awkwardly smiling as Garmadon's laughter sounds in the background.

"Must be tough to be that kid." Robin concluded right before Morro decided to turn the tv off.

"I feel bad for him, the city's worst villain is his father and all of a sudden that makes him a bad guy too, it's not right…" Morro crossed his arms. I was about to agree with him when a knock sounded at the front door.

When Morro answered it, their neighbor, Abigail Tyson, was right outside,

"Your rent's overdue Morro, I can't hold off on the excuse to the landlord for much longer."

"I told you my paycheck isn't until tomorrow and I can bring it to him myself."

"Ok, but please be careful, you know how he gets when you're late. Good morning, Aeria." Abigail waved to Aeria and patted Morro on the shoulder before she left.

"Thanks, Mrs. Tyson." Morro thanked her before closing the door.

After the accident, the two of them had to move to a smaller apartment that Morro could afford and Mrs. Tyson had come over often to make sure they were doing alright and to provide them with food or money if need be since she had no children of her own.

After Morro closed the door, he rubbed his face tiredly and went back to getting his things for the day together.

"Hey bro, why don't you let me get a job too? That way it's not just you helping out around here." Aeria suggested.

"No way, I can take care of us and you need to focus on getting an education so you don't end up like me."

"What would be wrong with that?" She asked, making Morro freeze in place and she instantly regretted asking so she shoved another spoonful into her mouth.

She knew that as great of a brother he was now, he still regretted his mistakes of the past and was trying to make up for it by stepping up and taking care of them like their parents wanted before the accident that took them from them.

"Hey, where's my hoodie?"

Aeria stopped midchew when she realized she was sitting on it.

"I have no idea." She responded with a half-full mouth before she got up to wash her bowl and he saw it on the chair.

"There it is." Morro picked it up and threw it into his bag, "Come on or you'll be late."

"Ok ok." Aeria responded mildly as she put her black leather jacket on.

"Don't forget Lloyd's present." He reminded her pointing to the little box and card on the countertop.

"Right! Can't believe I almost left without them." Aeria grabbed them and placed them in her backpack as they left the apartment and Morro locked the door behind them.

"Let's go, I'll give you a ride since you already missed the school bus." Morro put on his motorcycle helmet and tossed Aeria hers as they got onto the green and purple streaked motorcycle before riding off.

Slightly Earlier...

3rd Person POV with Lloyd

After waking up to a particularly disappointing phone call from his dad, Lloyd went downstairs to eat breakfast before school.

"Lloyd! Good morning!" Koko cheerfully greeted Lloyd as she packed her purse for work.

"Mom, hey, um, here's a thought. What if I didn't go to school today?" Lloyd asked nervously.

"What? Oh, no! You don't want to miss school, honey. These are the best years of your life."

"Um, have you… Have you been to high school? 'Cause, uh… It's judgey. Pretty judgey."

"Oh, honey. You just need to give them a chance to see the real you."

"Yeah, I don't think I can actually show people the real me."

"That's not true. What about Aeria? You're always talking about her and she's a nice girl."

"She's just a friend and I think even she thinks I'm weird sometimes."

"But she's still your friend, isn't she?"

Lloyd stayed silent as he couldn't think of anything to say back.

"See? All you've got to do is just show people the person you are on the inside." Koko placed a hand over Lloyd's heart, "Right here. Where it matters most. Oh, and also don't forget, if your dad attacks the city again today, just be sure to…"

"Duck and cover until the Secret Ninjas give the all-clear." They both chorused in unison before Koko reminded him,

"Oh, and also, don't forget,"

"Yeah?"

"Have a happy birthday, honey."

"Thanks, Mom. I'll try my best."

"Of course you will!."

They both walked out of their home when Koko remembered,

"Oh and could you ask Aeria if could come over tonight, there's something I need to give her since today's also..."

"Oh right…"

They both trailed off, Lloyd looking down at the bracelet hidden under his sleeve, remembering today was the day of the accident and Koko remembering how she had been good friends with their mother before the accident.

They both knew today was supposed to be a happy day for Lloyd, but a mournful day for them, but Koko shook it off and said goodbye to Lloyd with a bright smile on her face.

Later, after a long and awkward bus ride to school, Lloyd stepped off the bus to see everyone either glaring at him or whispering about him out loud about how his dad is evil and ruins everything. Yet he tried to make his way through the crowd with a friendly, and still slightly awkward, smile.