Lloyd nearly jumped as his father splashed him. He let out a soft chuckle, wrapping his arms around Garmadon, not caring about the water that had soaked his gi. "It's finally over… We actually did it!"

"I know, son… I know…" Garmadon reassured, pulling Lloyd closer. "I'm glad we're together once more. I've missed you a lot, Lloyd Ryuda. You have no idea…"

Lloyd couldn't help it. He let tears slip freely down his face at his father's soft voice. "Never thought I'd see the day…"

"You and I both…" chuckled the destruction elemental. "You've truly come so far."

The green ninja nodded softly at his father, letting his eyes fall shut in relief as he took in a deep breath. Everything's gonna be okay… We're all gonna be okay… Dad's here, and he's never going to leave. He promised me…

"You alright there, son?" Garmadon asked, squeezing his son's shoulders as he pulled away just slightly.

"I am now."

"That's good. Let's join the others, shall we? The fireworks are about to start in an hour."

Lloyd smiled as he pushed himself out of the water and onto the dock, his body shivering. His father quickly followed, keeping a tight, protective hold on him when he finally came out, sheltering him from all that tried to bring him harm.

"I really missed you…" Lloyd shivered slightly from the cold air brushing past his trembling body.

"I know, son," Garmadon assured, rubbing Lloyd's back in circular motions. "I've missed you just as much… You don't have to worry any longer; It's all over… No one can hurt you... Not anymore..." he said, closing his eyes and letting his mind drift to the present moment. His son was here in his arms and his family was complete once more. He could finally rejoice, for the future was bright.

However, he couldn't help but think of all those people who have been hurt by what he had done when he was corrupted. He would never be able to forget their pain. That pain, it seemed like it had already taken a toll on him. There were so many things that needed fixing. So much work that needed to be done. What he had done was irreversible, even if it was destiny pulling the strings the whole time. He didn't have a choice, though. "Lloyd," he sighed, "I want you to know that I'm sorry for ever wanting to hurt you, not that I did, but what the evil almost urged me to do. I'm not a monster, I promise you. I don't want to see you hurt."

"I know you didn't mean it, dad. I'm just glad you're here now."

"It was wrong of me, and I will try to make up for it in the future. But for now, I just need to be here for you and make sure you're okay."

"I am, for now at least." Lloyd looked at his father with a smile. "We gotta go meet with the others. Let's get going."

And so they did.

The walk to the park lawn felt like an eternity. There were a lot of people walking around, and it looked like they were waiting for something to happen. The park was filled with people, but it was quiet. Everyone was looking at the lake, watching the waves crash against the rocks. It felt as if everyone in town knew what would happen next, even though no one said anything. The sun continued to set over the city, casting shadows across the water, but still revealing only its surface beneath. As night fell, everything went silent, except for the occasional splash from a wave. Everything seemed so quiet.

"Lloyd!" Kai exclaimed, waving his arms around, breaking the seeming silence. "We're over here!"

"Come on, let's go!" Lloyd and his father followed the voice, rushing over to where the fire ninja was.

"Hey, Lloyd!" Jay said as the energy elemental sat down on the grass. He was still wearing his kimono gi, and his almost crimson hair was messy and fluffy, unlike the more styled hair from when he was a ninja.

"What's up?" Lloyd asked.

Kai smiled. "I'm glad you're here. I was wondering where you were."

Lloyd looked around the area, then at his father. "Hanging out with dad. We missed each other a lot, y'know." He looked down at the ground. He was a little sad, but he didn't want to be. It was just that he was scared for what the future might hold.

"Hey, I'm glad you're okay," Kai said, giving his friend a hug.

"Yeah, I guess I am now." Lloyd shivered from the dampness of his gi. "I bet you never thought I'd live to see another day."

"You did good, kid." Cole praised, a big smile on his face.

"We're so proud of you, honey."

"Moooooom! Stop embarrassing me in front of literally everyone in Ninjago City!"

"Sorry..." Misako walked over to where Garmadon was, so they could have a moment alone. She was looking very serious. "I think I need to talk with you about something."

"What is it now," he said. "I'm not going anywhere."

"You know what this is about. I've loved Wu for so long–" She paused before continuing. "I thought you might have...been upset with me for betraying you." Her voice was quiet, almost emotionless. "You know I've always had feelings for you, even when we weren't together, right?"

Garmadon leaned in closer, peering into her emerald eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered, trying not to cry. "I wish I could have been here for you more." His voice was almost inaudible as he spoke. "You know, it's funny how things work out in life. You know what I mean? Our son saved me. Saved our whole family, our whole world for that matter." His voice was deep with sorrow, yet at the same time, held relief too. He looked down and felt his eyes brimming with tears, but he kept it back. "I love you, Misako."

"As do I," she said softly. He beamed in return. "The future looks bright. We'll pull through."

The destruction elemental's gaze was full of hope now. Even after all that happened, his family always seemed to come out on top. Their fingers interlocked, and he reached up, stroking her hair in gentle motions. At that moment, Garmadon wished that his father was still around. But then again, his father—the so-called creator of Ninjago—didn't want to take care of him to begin with. He sighed, and for a moment, looked back into the trail of shadow that was his past.

"Garmadon." Misako sighed. "I know your past was dark, but we're here for you no matter what. Besides, it's the past. It's all behind you now."

"I know. Sorry." He smiled weakly. "I can't really get over it. It just seems like I'm in a phase." He rubbed his temples for a moment with his fingers. "But at least I've got you and Lloyd now. I guess it'll take time to really cope with what we've all endured." He broke the embrace and turned around, continuing to walk with his wife. The future beckoned to him, and he knew he wanted to be a part of it for sure.

Misako had her hand entwined with his. "Sometimes I fear that I could have lost you both." Garmadon stopped in his tracks and gently looked down at her. She continued, "Because the universe was so cruel, you know? If you hadn't been there to save Lloyd, the results could have been drastically different."

He gently squeezed her hand. "Everything happens for a reason. You've got to remember this, Misako," he told her, raising his voice a touch and speaking to her as he used to. "And I'll always be there to make sure everything's okay." He chuckled a bit to himself and let slip a look of relief.

She laughed and replied, "That's why you love me." She patted him on the shoulder and they resumed walking.

"The only reason I love you is because you're so flippant," he joked.

Misako laughed again and looked back at her husband, eyes beaming with happiness. "I have to say, if there's anything I've learned from you, it's to take a deep breath and everything will come into focus," she said. She turned back to face the path before her. The black sky above them glistened with a million flickering lights. She could still feel the essence of his tender gaze on her, even from a good distance away.

Garmadon grinned and took her hand. "That's what I like to think," he said. Life was short. They had to relish every moment of it, lest they regret it.

The two continued walking, then they paused. He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly. The air was warm, and the trees were swaying in the low humid breeze. Sporadically, the leaves rippled, and thick clouds of insects flew between them.

His wife didn't swat them away and instead continued with their journey. All was silent, except for a distant crackling noise arising from the distance. The two watched as the sparks leapt from one tree to another, growing hollower. Garmadon decreased his pace and turned to look at the sky, seeking the source of the noise. His arms, swinging at his side, stopped.

"I think the show's starting to start," he said to her.

"I think so," she replied. The two turned to face the distance.

The crackling noise became louder until it exploded into a roar of sound, the like of which they had never heard before. The colors exploded, and they gaped in awe.

"Lloyd did it." Garmadon smiled. "He really did it.

"He sure did, Garmadon," she said, proud of their son. She squeezed his hand tighter, before pressing it to her chest, above her heart.

"Well," Garmadon said, "let's go sit back with the others."

"Hey mom, dad, you're back!" Lloyd exclaimed cheerfully.

"We're right here," Misako indicated to their son, then she leaned over and kissed Garmadon's cheek, before sitting down beside him.

Atop her husband's head, she gazed up at her son, while he planted both his feet on either side of his head. She smiled. Lloyd had turned out alright. While Garmadon was his own man, Lloyd took after his mother in many ways: her smile, her eyes, her hair, her kindness—every little bit of it.

After the war ended, Lloyd didn't want to follow in the darkness, and instead, sought to protect the people of Ninjago. They loved each other so much. How could they not? Garmadon was Lloyd's father.

"Hey," Lloyd laughed as he noticed the two smiling at each other. His mother kept quiet. "Is something going on?"

"Nothing at all," said Misako.

"I don't know about you, but I'd like to think of today as a new day," Garmadon said. "We almost lost you once, Lloyd, and that will never happen again. You don't have to worry about anything ever again, my boy."

"Yeah. I'm glad we finally ended this," the young ninja said, raising his fist in the air. "With my friends." He flexed his muscles and looked proud of what he had done. "I think, for once, I can actually relax."

"I'm glad, Lloyd," Misako said, putting her arms around Lloyd's neck and hugging him. He gave her a quick kiss on her cheek.

"The future looks bright," said Garmadon. "All thanks to you, son." he patted Lloyd's shoulder.

Lloyd smiled brightly. How nice it was to have the two of them back. After all the turmoil of the past, he didn't know how long the suffering was at this rate, nor did he even want to think about it anymore. He looked out to the distance and saw the golden tower of light on the horizon, that he had just created with his elemental powers. His eyes shone with a brightness that only came with the excitement of a new day. The green—now golden—ninja looked over to his friends, and then to his parents and uncle. "I think I finally know what the ninja way truly means."

He stood and walked over to the four team members he had gotten to know, now sitting at the base of the tree. He looked over at Cole, who was pouring some apple cider. He walked to him and the earth elemental passed it over.

"Thanks!" Lloyd replied.

"You're welcome, Lloyd." Cole smiled at him.

Lloyd then walked over and sat down beside Zane, who was engrossed by Kai's clip on tail.

"Aw, man, not again," said Kai.

"Kai!" Zane exclaimed, letting out an excited laugh.

"Nice one," Lloyd laughed and slapped Zane's back. "That was pretty good. It looked pretty real too."

"No, it wasn't," Kai pleaded. "Please, don't tell me that you fell for it!"

"Oh, I sure did!" Lloyd giggled and rolled over on the grass, now bursting into full-on laughter. "I thought the trees were going to come alive and try to kill us!"

"I did too," said Kai, who joined in the laughter.

The five friends laughed loudly to each other, Nya joining them. They then looked out over the horizon. As the last streak of light faded from the sky, they all felt a sense of peace settling over them.

It was nice for Lloyd to finally see his friends happy, after so long. With his parents here and alive, he felt like everything was back to normal.

"Where do you think that happy little family on the hill is, and where was that other guy?" Cole asked.

"I'm guessing they live on one of those rooftops. He might have taken off to get his car," Jay replied.

The group continued again, deep in conversation. The essence of young friendship brought them together and brought out the intriguing parts about themselves that they wouldn't have been willing to say out loud several months ago. They felt completely at ease with each other. After all, this was how it was supposed to feel: like together, they could do anything. Their troubles were over. It was a new day. A new chapter of their lives.

The group enjoyed themselves in the heat of the moment as they watched the last streak of light fade from the sky. Then, the whole world seemed to darken...as if someone turned off the lights. The group sat in awestruck silence. It was so sudden that only a few of them even noticed the other citygoers getting up.

"Shall we go home to the monastery?" Garmadon asked.

Lloyd tensed. In his happiness, he completely forgot about the damages he caused as a child. And even so, it wasn't his fault to begin with. "It got burned down. I was such a stupid little brat back then." He shrugged dismissively.

"Calm down, please." Garmadon felt his chest clench in empathy. "It was a mistake, and we can make this right. No matter what happens, we'll do this together, okay?"

Lloyd's breaths slowed down. The fact that Garmadon still cared about him, even after what he did, made Lloyd's heart feel warm all over. And he loved Garmadon's protective instinct.

"Yes, it's okay to forget about the past. I want to forget it too."

Lloyd looked at his father. He smiled. "But I've got you now, dad. And mom. And Uncle Wu. Even my friends. Everything's great in the world. I don't have to worry about anything at all. I don't ever want to be sad again."

"We're finally starting to feel normal again," Cole said, elated. "No more worries, no more death and suffering is. This is what the ninja life is. This is what it's all about."

"Yeah," Kai added. "Never have I felt this alive than I do right now. I can't believe we've already done it! We took down the Overlord!" Then he smiled at them. "We did, and because of it, Ninjago is saved, finally. By all of us, friends now! Just look at what we've accomplished!"

Lloyd let a warm feeling fill him up. "Yeah, just look at us. Not only did we save Ninjago, but we saved each other."

Zane, Cole, Kai, Nya, and Jay all smiled. "Right," they said in unison.

"Who would've thought?" Lloyd looked around at each person, smiling at each and every friend. "We're here. All of us here. We made it."

"I knew you could do it, son." Misako's voice was filled with pride. Garmadon nodded in agreement.

They all seemed to be joking around and laughing, but really, they all still felt intensely emotional about the ordeal they had been through. The fact that they had gotten the good ending made their moment special, more real, more sweet.

They were still young, with a long road ahead of them. But for now, they were all alive, happy, and enjoying themselves. And with that, they knew that no matter what, everything would be alright.