Chapter 2: Announcement

Movie Ninjago

Lord Garmadon wasted no time announcing he and Koko were getting remarried to the world.

Because of course he would!

Still, he pulled out all the stops in declaring it. First by gleefully shouting it over the PA system in his volcano to the raucous applause of those working there. Everyone who worked at the volcano was overjoyed to hear of their coming union. With Koko around, Lord Garmadon was far less of a pain of a boss than he was without her. Anything that kept her around was alright with them.

However, along with his announcement of his engagement, Garmadon had a request. He wanted everyone outside the volcano to know in the flashiest way possible and ordered his science nerds to drop whatever they were doing to get on it.

That evening, after alerting the Ninjago News stations, the volcano erupted with a massive display of fireworks. The first set burst into the image of Garmadon on one knee in front of Koko, making his intentions very clear. The next set spelled out the words 'SHE SAID YES!' What followed was a celebration of noise and lights the likes of which Ninjago City had never seen before, and left the citizens dazzled.

The second the news sunk in for them, social media practically exploded as it was all people could talk about.

Most of the response, gossip-ridden though it was, was positive. Everyone could see that Koko and Lloyd could keep Garmadon in line and on the path of good. If Koko remarried him, that meant the chances of him turning evil again were a lot slimmer.

Overall, everyone was happy at the coming union.

Well… okay, not everybody.

There were still some that took the news badly.

"WHAT! NO!" a young white-haired girl shrieked when she saw the news and threw a pillow at her TV.

Her name was Harumi, she was sixteen years old, and she had just heard the worst news imaginable... Also, was her TV wobbling?

It quickly became apparent that she'd used too much force in her throw, and she had to scramble to catch it before it fell, resulting in a loud clatter.

Just as she righted the screen, there was a knock on her bedroom door.

"Harumi? Are you okay, sweetie? I thought I heard something from my office?" asked her adoptive mother.

"It's nothing, Mother. I just saw a spider, bumped a table when I caught it, and let it go outside the window," Harumi called back, the lie slipping out with practiced ease.

Proving what a fool her mother was, she bought it easily without even opening the door. "Okay, Princess. You'd better get to bed soon. Garmadon's still causing a scene even when he's not evil. Looks like we'll have to make a statement to the press about it in the morning, and I want you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed."

Harumi rolled her eyes after hearing that. Of course her mother would prioritize her job as the mayor over everything else. Her daughter was having a crisis, and all she cared about was the press. Still, she called back a dutiful, "Alright," and made noises like she was preparing for bed.

Her mother called good night through the door and her footsteps retreated.

The second she was gone, Harumi dove for her computer. Logging into a secure message board, she could already see her fellow Sons of Garmadon members blowing up the chat, each message as devastated as the last.

SSSnakeJagRAWR!:

Did you see the news?

Garmalover334:

NOOO! My Garmy! D8

Hail_Emperor_Dark:

Ths will rune him! Hes neber goingg back 2 evil now!

MrsGarmadon:

HE'S SUPPOSED TO MARRY ME NOT HER ٩(╬ʘ益ʘ╬)۶

ULTRA!VIOLET!:

We're not letting them do this right Quiet1?

With that question, Harumi's fingers flew across the keyboard to respond.

:Quiet1

No, we will not. The brainwashing of our beloved future emperor has gone too far.

We will not stand back and allow the Ninja and Lady Irondragon to corrupt him further.

We will stop this union if it's the last thing we do!

Kill-u-OW!:

Sounds gr8 boss! But how?

Harumi let a smirk play across her lips as she tapped out her response.

:Quiet1

Here's what we're going to do...

One morning press conference later, Harumi stomped back to her room rubbing her sore cheeks from having to smile and pretend to be happy about all this throughout it. Sometimes her perfect princess act could be a drag.

"So what do you think?" asked a voice the second she entered, startling her and forcing her princess smile back onto her face to keep up appearances.

Her two (only) friends Brad and Gene stared back at her from where they were already sitting on her bed like they owned the place.

Harumi blinked, then let her perfect facade fall away and a scowl took its place. "Hutchins let you in, didn't he?" she deadpanned, making a mental note to tell her butler to give her some warning next time.

"Yep," said Brad shamelessly.

"But we can leave if you're not feeling up to hanging out right now," offered Gene. "Considering the odds are high you aren't happy about these recent tidings."

"Gee, ya think?" Harumi scoffed and she moved to flop down on the bed next to them.

"Knew it," said Brad with a grin. "So what's your evil scheme this time?"

"Oh, my scheme? It's-" She leaned closer as if to whisper to them.

Brad and Gene leaned in to listen.

"NOT TELLING YOU!" said Harumi shouted in their ears.

Both boys squawked and fell off her bed, leaving Harumi smirking above them.

"Aw, come on, Rumi! Details!" begged Brad once he recovered.

"Or if you just want to vent, that's cool too," said Gene.

Harumi's smirk fell off her face and she jumped on the chance to indulge in the latter option. "I just can't believe the nerve of IronDragon!" she groused. "She seduced him, I know she did. Bad enough her stupid son tricked Lord Garmadon into giving up evil, and now this! I mean…"

Brad and Gene just listened, nodded, and made agreeable comments when necessary. It felt good to get this off her chest to people who actually listen to her. So few people did.

Harumi had never planned to make friends with Brad and Gene. For some reason, the two boys had latched onto her in children's therapy back when she was a tiny, traumatized mute and hadn't let go. (Well, it may have something to do with Gene's childhood crush on her, and Brad was ever his trusty sidekick.) They hadn't cared that she couldn't speak for three years, and unlike just about anyone else in the whole city, they had actually taken the time to read her subtle cues to know the real her, not the innocent little princess fantasy everyone else had projected onto her.

And even then, even when they saw the depths of her hatred and burning rage, they hadn't been scared away. They liked her, darkness and all. It was… nice… If only for moments like this where she could get her frustrations off her chest. Being friends with a pair of budding 'supervillains' (their words, not hers) had its benefits.

They also shared her admiration for Lord Garmadon, and unlike her, were open and avid fans, always eager to talk about his schemes, mechs, and general chaos. However, they weren't members of the SoG for one reason.

For whatever reason, they somehow were fans of the Ninja Force as well.

Harumi couldn't understand it. They didn't hate that Garmadon had been forced to turn 'good', and would gush about the Ninja just as much as they did her future dark emperor.

It didn't use to be like that, in fact, Gene (with Brad's help) had tried to kickstart their evil career a few years ago. She didn't know what they did, only that it failed spectacularly, and the Green Ninja had to save them. Apparently, whatever he said to them afterwards had left an impact, and they were fans ever since.

It was the one thing they all agreed to disagree on.

Still, even if they thought the Ninja Force was cool, they never tried to stop her, which was all Harumi cared about.

"... I just can't let them ruin Lord Garmadon any further! I just can't!" Harumi finished her rant at them and buried her face in her pillows to drown out a frustrated scream.

"I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to ruin the marriage at the wedding, Rumi," said Gene reassuringly.

Harumi pried her head up out of the pillows and stared at him. "What?" she asked. How was she going to get into the wedding? She hadn't worked out that part of the plan yet.

"Well, duh," said Brad, like the answer should be obvious. "Even if you don't like her, Lady IronDragon likes you! She still buys your perfect princess act, hook, line, and sinker."

"Yes, she is still under the impression you enjoy your chats during random encounters with her as much as she does. Statistically, it is very likely that you will receive an invitation," agreed Gene.

Harumi blinked as that hadn't occurred to her. When Garmadon had briefly taken over Ninjago City during the Meowthra disaster, she had attempted to sneak into his victory party at the top of Ninjago Tower so she could meet and pledge fealty to him. However, she was caught and turned away every time due to being 'Too young to party'. When Lady IronDragon showed up, she'd helped her sneak up to the top of the tower in hopes that that would be her ticket in, but alas, Lady IronDragon had gotten in, and she'd been left out once again.

Still, Lady IronDragon had appreciated her help that day, and the two would often strike up a friendly conversation whenever their paths 'happened' to cross. It was a good way to get information, and by this point, Lady IronDragon might even consider her a friend.

And friends get invited to weddings…

Harumi felt an evil smirk spread across her face. It wouldn't be a sure thing until the invitation arrived in the mail, but a few 'chance' encounters and some wistful words could make that a guarantee.

"Boys! Looks like I have some shopping to do," she said, jumping to her feet.

"Shopping?" asked Brad, confused how she'd come to that conclusion.

Sending them a grin, Harumi said flippantly. "I'm going to be invited to a wedding."

Her smile then turned wicked. "And I intend to look my very best."

A/N And the villain of this story has arrived. As mentioned before in the Greener Pastures oneshots, my imagining of Movie Harumi is that of a crazy stalker fangirl and is president of his fan club of like-minded stalker fans. She idolizes Lord Garmadon and views his turn from evil to good as a corruption of his character that she has to save him from. Of course, she's completely wrong, but try telling her that, she's got her headcanon in a death grip.

Major props to Kay Hau for beta reading and helping with this chapter. This is where my recommendation to read her story Greener Gift-fics becomes more prominent, as the characterization of Brad and Gene comes from it. I summarize it here, but it's expanded upon in detail in her story. It was her idea for Movie Brad and Gene to be friends with Movie Harumi, and the effect actually having friends would have on her character. It's in chapter 4, go read it. She also helped with a lot of ideas for this chapter.

Next Time: The wedding is announced, now to invite the guests...