Lloyd let out a sigh as he slowly pulled away from his father, his eyes reddened from his tears. He walked outside to get some fresh night air. Garmadon followed him closely. The green ninja let out a sigh, sitting down on the stairs outside the temple.
"Son? Is everything alright?" Garmadon asked, his voice soft.
Lloyd sniffed, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. He looked over at his dad. "No, not really…" He said, his voice small and tired.
Garmadon sat next to him, gently putting an arm around him.
They sat there in silence for about ten minutes before Lloyd spoke up again. He took shaky, deep breaths to calm himself before speaking once more.
"I'm worried about Yakunan. He's been miserable ever since Xenudah left. Whenever we talk, he gets sadder and sadder until he breaks down and cries. I just feel horrible." Lloyd sighed and looked down at the ground.
"This is between him and Xenudah now, son. We aren't needed here." Garmadon replied gently, as Lloyd shifted to lie down on his lap. The destruction elemental ran his fingers through his son's hair, calming his boy immensely. "But you're my world, Lloyd Ryuda..." Garmadon's voice cracked and wavered ever so slightly from the pure emotion in his own voice. "...my whole world…"
Lloyd closed his eyes, taking in his dad's soothing voice and feeling the gentle touch that radiated comfort through him. This time, Lloyd didn't try to stop the tears anymore.
Garmadon held him close, rubbing circles on his back, letting Lloyd cry his heart out. "I've got you, son. I'll never let you go…"
Yakunan unclasped the locket that was around his neck, opening it up to reveal a photo of him holding Xenudah as a child. His heart swelled with emotion as he choked on a sob. He clutched the picture closer to his chest, feeling a sense of warmth bloom in his chest and cheeks from how happy this little image made him. If only some moment like this would happen once again…
"Oh, Xenu...please come back to me…" he whispered softly, his voice barely a breath as he began to feel tears prick at his eyes. The pain he felt had dulled now since Xenudah had left, but it still came crashing down whenever his mind wandered back to what happened. But there were no signs of his child returning to him anytime soon and so he simply held onto the memory like a lifeline.
He looked up, trying desperately not to cry anymore, and took in a deep breath, wiping his eyes before getting up and turning the lights off. He walked out of his son's room quietly and into his own bedroom, lying down on the bed and staring up at the ceiling blankly as he closed his eyes. Soon he began drifting off to sleep, but it wasn't long before an orb of light emerged in front of him. It was similar to a hologram, and Xenudah came into view as the orb grew larger.
"Son, what's the matter?" the elder man asked, concern evident in his voice. He shook his head. "Xenudah…I miss you… Please come back…" His vision became hazy as tears began flowing down his face.
Xenudah sighed. "I'm so close, father...so close to finding them. My wife and child are waiting for me and I can't keep postponing the rescue any longer. Even if it means leaving you behind...I don't care! There will be no more time wasting, waiting for something I have to get right away!" He paused and smiled sadly. "I know we haven't spoken much after my absence… But I love you, father… I love you so much, and I promise I'll never forget you…"
Yakunan nodded slowly and sniffled. His voice cracked as he spoke. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry about all this… I just want you to come back to me… It feels wrong to not see you in person… but I know that's just how you do things. You must go. We can't hold you back…you have your life ahead of you. So I'll wait for you, no matter what. But please, promise me that you'll stay safe… No matter what happens next..." His eyes widened and water droplets fell down his cheeks, falling onto the mattress.
"Xenudah...I hope you can forgive me when I say this. I've hurt you many times in the past and I wish I could take it back… I truly do." His face contorted in anguish, and tears flowed freely, spilling down his face. He tried hard to keep himself composed, but couldn't stop the torrential waterfall of emotions from spilling out from within. "Please… Don't leave me… You're the only thing that matters to me… Xenudah! Promise me you'll come back to me! Come home to me! I need you…" A small whimper escaped his throat as he cried even harder, the tears streaming down his face, unable to stop the flow of tears.
Xenudah didn't speak. Instead, he stared back at his father, sadness and sorrow clear in his eyes.
The silence was deafening as Yakunan continued to sob, clutching onto the locket tightly. "I…I love you, son…I always did…And I miss you terribly…" His voice cracked and he let out a weak smile. "If you're really going then…then I guess I'm not saying goodbye… I guess I'll see you soon…and I pray you'll be safe." He let loose one last shaky laugh, tears rolling down his face. "Goodbye, my son."
With that said, the orb of light dissipated. Another shaky sigh of relief escaped his lips. After everything, he was finally able to rest.
Xenudah was huddled next to a fire on the Island of Darkness. A large hooded cloak covered his body, hiding him. As he sat silently near the fire, he heard footsteps approaching him.
As if by reflex, Xenudah turned towards the approaching footsteps to find a fluffy rabbit curled against his leg. He turned to carry it gently in his hands. The creature gave a soft cooing noise at him as it curled further into his lap. Xenudah's face broke out in a smile as he looked down at the adorable little animal who had been left in his care.
"You look so peaceful when you sleep," Xenudah whispered to the rabbit while looking down at the adorable creature resting in his arms. "I don't want to wake you up." He slowly brushed the top of its head and continued to gaze upon the small creature with admiration. He felt as though he could never get enough of the adorable creature.
Suddenly, Xenudah heard the distant sound of voices approaching, and he instinctively hugged the rabbit closer. Using his element, he created a black fog, disappearing into the night.
I'm coming, Kymika...Shiren… Please wait… When I get you back, I won't leave you again. I promise.