Lloyd and his father stayed embraced for a few moments more before they finally pulled away. The green ninja smiled shyly, summoning a soft golden orb in his hands, watching the energy dance around his fingertips. It calmed him down instantly.
Garmadon watched in admiration and pride. His son had grown to be a confident and capable leader of his team. But even so, Lloyd was still a child at heart.
"Dad, what do we do now?" Lloyd asked. "Xenudah's still out there."
"We'll have to discuss that with the others. Come, you're probably hungry." Garmadon reached his hand towards his son. "Your mother's making you some tonkatsu."
"Mmm okay." Lloyd nodded, taking Garmadon's hand, and walking with him out of the training room.
The destruction elemental turned to his wife. "Darling, could you make one more serving?" he said. "This boy is quite hungry."
"Sure thing, honey," Misako said without looking up.
Lloyd sighed as he sat down on the couch, glancing up towards Yakunan.
The once-former Overlord sighed. "Lloyd, we need to talk."
"What is there to talk about?" Lloyd scoffed, "Yakunan, we're done... Bygones are bygones."
Yakunan shifted on the couch, frowning once more. "I know we're not on the best terms right now; I overheard your conversation with your father."
"I didn't mean that." Lloyd looked helplessly across the room.
"My intentions were good," the former Overlord began hesitantly, "I'm not saying I have a problem with you or your team, but...I'd have to get to know you all before we can properly move on."
"Move on?" Lloyd exclaimed. "Move on from what?! You're still going with your plans to destroy Ninjago while we're trying to save it!"
"I'm not lying, Lloyd," Yakunan said. "You saved me from the evil that the Oni corrupted me with, but even so, the damage that I've caused is unforgivable. All I want is a second chance. A chance to truly be a father to Xenudah again… A chance to finally have a happier life."
An air of sadness overcame the green ninja. Against his better judgment, he reached his arm out towards Yakunan, smiling warmly. "I can't do anything about the past," Lloyd said, "But we can all start again. So... let's start over."
As Yakunan grasped onto the opportunity, Lloyd offered a genuine smile. They both pulled away as the former Overlord put his hands together in a bow. "Truly, it is an honor to formally meet you."
"Likewise," Lloyd said. "Let's make this work."
"Lloyd are you feeling better?" Garmadon asked, his voice concernful, as he carried the plate of tonkatsu and rice over to his son, handing it to him.
"Much better now, dad." Lloyd smiled as he began to eat. "I think we'll be able to get along with him now."
"That's good."
The other ninja, Dr. Julien, and Nya watched on in curiosity.
"Are you two getting along now?" Nya asked, frowning. "I thought you two hated each other..."
"Never mind that." Garmadon waved his hands dismissively. "Let's talk about something else. We need to figure out this next part of our mission…"
"I thought we agreed to meet Xenudah on his own terms," Yakunan interjected. "Besides, Garmadon, you said that yourself.
"I know," Garmadon muttered, gazing down at his calloused hands, before turning to Yakunan again. "But the longer we wait, the more damage Xenudah will inflict on our home."
"I know…and that's what worries me." Yakunan sighed. "Perhaps he's not even trying to attack right now. I know him too well, and he's one to not work alone."
"If that is the case, then we must be ready at all times." Garmadon firmly stated. "It would be helpful if you can tell us what his weaknesses are."
"He's heavily driven by emotion, as you've already noticed, but other than that, it's hard to remember. I hadn't seen him in years."
"What about how he fights?" Nya asked, tilting her head doubtfully. "Haven't you fought side by side with Xenudah before? You must be very familiar with his techniques."
"A few of them," Yakunan said.
"So you are familiar with fighting alongside Xenudah…" Misako replied as she carried more plates and split them evenly.
"Yeah, I guess." Yakunan laughed half-heartedly, reminiscing the moments where he fought by his son's side. "It's been so long… Well…" He laughed once more. "There is one thing. Xenudah is very clever. He's always thinking of a plan, and he's always analyzing his opponent's moves before they even attack. Be wary of that."
"Yakunan, you look hesitant," Lloyd sighed. "You don't want to fight him, do you?"
"I'd wish nothing more than to fight alongside you all, to save Ninjago… To save my son. But I…" Yakunan sighed, his voice shaky now. "I'm worried for Xenudah's safety...he's still my child, and I love him. I want him to be happy and safe."
"It's understandable," Dr. Julien said, "But you realize that he could and will continue his choices? He could fall under the influence of the Oni again."
"Yes," Yakunan replied. "I'm aware of that." He gazed down at his hands. "I just want to see my son." The former Overlord breathed. "To talk with him… I can't keep watching him suffer like this… He has endured all of this. And he is strong. Stronger than I could have ever imagined. If there's a chance to get back his true self, I want to be there for him."
The group held their breaths as they listened in silence. Yakunan was more considerate and empathetic than they had previously imagined. As the Overlord, he would not have easily given up on his goal, whatever it may be. They all sensed his fear and reluctance, and they couldn't blame him. He loved Xenudah too much… He was a father, first and foremost. That was unconditional.
"I think you should go see Xenudah." Nya smiled, putting her hands on Yakunan's shoulders. "Was that even a question? You're his father–"
"Nya, you don't understand! He's already threatened to end my life twice, and I barely made it out alive!" Yakunan cried, his voice rising. "If I go see him, that only makes it more personal, and he won't hesitate to end me!"
The room was still once again. Even Garmadon had stopped eating. The only sounds of activity came from Lloyd's eating. Lloyd looked up to his father who shrugged, his head nodding towards the former Overlord. Now Garmadon completely understood.
"But if you don't go, we'll never be able to explain to him what he has become." Nya reasoned. "He's your son, and you're his father. We both know that he needs you right now, and this is a chance for him to grow and change. This is his second chance."
"Nya's right," Misako said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "You need to go."
"I can't." Yakunan shook his head, his voice trembling. "I can't go near him. I can barely hold a conversation with him without Xenudah wanting to kill me!"
"But he needs to know that you're still alive," Lloyd said, weary. "He needs to know that you haven't forgotten him. Otherwise he'll never fully recover. This is going to be absolutely painful for Xenudah…"
"Then I'll go," Lloyd said, standing up, "I'll go and see him."
"No, Lloyd…" Yakunan replied, trying to calm down. "You purified me, and he hates you because of that… He's too dangerous for you to see alone."
Lloyd closed his eyes shut and breathed deeply. "But I'm the only one who can purify him," he replied, full of determination. "All I have to do is walk in there and talk to him... He'll listen to me."
"Lloyd, I don't want to see you end up in the same situation that I did," the former Overlord continued. "And your father can't bear to lose you again. We promised we'd meet Xenudah on his terms."
"But if that were to happen, he'll know we're coming, and he'll have the upper hand," Kai said.
"Exactly," Cole added. "He'll get angry and violent. And then what?"
"I'll go," Misako said. "I know what it's like to abandon my child. I don't want to see anyone else go through that, ever. If I can go, then no one will get hurt."
"But, Misako…" Garmadon said in dismay. "I can't just let you go by yourself… we're talking about Xenudah of all people! He wants nothing more than to kill our entire family."
"Aiyah…" Kai muttered. "We're just going around in circles now; we won't get anywhere if we keep arguing like this."
"We compromise. We wait another day, then if there's no sign of Xenudah wanting to initiate the meeting, then we'll go to him." Misako said. "We'll wait today, and then meet him tomorrow."
"That's the best we can do," Lloyd said, nodding.
"Very well then..." Yakunan sighed, bowing his head down. "I suppose I'll have to agree with Misako's proposal."
Once Yakunan and the others agreed, Lloyd looked towards the former Overlord. "What was your son like when you were with him, before you were both corrupted?"
Yakunan raised his head and closed his eyes to the memories of his son. It had been so long… "Xenudah," he whispered. "He was such a mischievous boy. He used to play pranks on Hikari and I… He'd do little things that no other child would ever do." He inhaled a deep breath and continued. "He always had more energy than he knew what to do with. And he never tired of playing ninja. He loved being different. He hated being ordinary. He was bold, full of charismatic charm, that's what he was. Unlike me…" Yakunan smiled and his gaze fell, his eyes becoming glassy. "But then the Oni attacked. Oh was it hard to keep ourselves from embracing the darkness... It was like falling down a black hole... We started to lose ourselves to the darkness, without even realizing it. So many days I wish I could have stopped our descent… But I couldn't, and neither could he…" Yakunan sniveled as he released more tears, his voice cracking. "I didn't want to lose him. I was so afraid…I'd never had to fight for anything. I didn't think I was strong enough. He was so strong…too strong to be corrupted, and yet he still fell... It's been so long… And now… All we can do is hope he can come back to me…"
"It's okay," Misako said, grabbing at Yakunan's hand. "It's okay."
"No, it's not," Yakunan said, shaking his head.
"It is. You're a good father," Misako replied, wiping his tears. "You've done a great job raising him. He idolizes you... He even knows all of your techniques. He will always love you. No matter what, he will always love you."
The tears streamed down Yakunan's face as Misako's words warmed his heart. He so desperately wanted to see his son again; he wanted to hold him. To talk with him. To hug him. It was more than he could bear. He'd loved his son. He'd carried him through so many hardships. He'd done everything to ensure his safety, even if it meant his own.
Even after all of the pain and heartache, all the years apart, the memories still remained. If only he could get his child back, he'd do anything.
"I'm so sorry, Xenu..." he said in a broken voice. "I'm so sorry I couldn't make you stronger than you ever could have imagined. I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you. I'm so sorry I couldn't get you back."
"You did the best you could," Misako said. She smiled weakly, trying her best to cheer up the man. "Now it's your son's turn. He needs to see you. He needs to know who he is. He needs to know that his father will always be by his side...even if he doesn't have his memories anymore. He needs to see that you're still alive…he needs to know you're still his family."
"Thank you, all of you," Yakunan replied, looking tearfully up at the group. "For everything."
The group went quiet for a bit. It was hard to watch Yakunan's state of utter despair. To see him breaking down, his shoulders heaving as he sobbed.
"Yakunan," Garmadon spoke up, trying his best to bring him back to sense. "Don't despair… You did the best you could. You gave Xenudah your everything. It was the only way you could protect him."
"But I still could've done so much more…" Yakunan said. "You know what I did… I could've prevented it from happening!"
"You can't go back and change history," Garmadon replied. "You did what you could, and it still wasn't enough. You absolutely never will ever hold yourself responsible for Xenudah's choices and actions. You didn't force him to become corrupted. It was his own choice."
"That's the only thing I ever really wanted to do," Yakunan said, shaking his head. "I always wanted to watch him grow up. To see him become a great leader. A hero…"
"But you will get to see him again," Cole said. "You will get to hug him again. It's all going to be alright."
"I hope so…" Yakunan said, a heavy sigh escaping his lips.
"Don't just hope," Garmadon said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Believe."
"Believe..." Yakunan repeated. "Thank you…" he began to weep again.
"Let's try and get some sleep," Lloyd said, looking up at the others. "Tomorrow will be a long day." He turned to Yakunan. "Someday we will pull through and you'll have your child back."
Yakunan nodded in response, curling up into a ball on the couch.
Finally, he could rest easy.