Eh, I tried to shorten the chapters, but oh well. I'll just stick to an episode an update. As for Myrana, I don't think she'll know, but things are not always set in stone here, so this may change. Besides, the Overlord didn't bring her into Ninjago. That's one thing set in stone for sure. The Overlord has no reason for bringing her into Ninjago, and he wouldn't have enough energy before the power shift in episode twenty-four. In fact, the two meet up, but it's very bland and short. The Overlord has more important things to do than deal with a kid who has no power.
As for telling the Ninja the truth... It'll be very rough. I don't think that she will spill anything until after Day of The Departed. Maybe small things, because of pressure, but she will keep a very tight lip on Ninjago's show. Remember, she is willing to die instead of facing the possible consequences that knowing the future would bring Of course, the others will make up their own theories... Besides, her relations will be stable until the end of Rebooted. But as Ninjago's plot matures, Myrana will suffer more until Day of the Departed. *Cough* KAI *Cough* Kai's a jerk when you get on his bad side...
About two weeks had gone by now, and the Ninja looked mostly recovered, if their recent win of Ninjaball Run was any indication. It was a filler sort of episode, and didn't take too much thinking, so I trusted the Ninja to solve it on their own. I felt it was finally time to talk to the group again. I felt like I owed the Ninja something. I knew child's play was next, so… Yes! Yes, that's it!
Doomsday Comix was definitely in my near future, and I was going to practically pre-order the comic. I set off determinedly, I was going to find that comic store, and get Lloyd the comic he will want. I knew that I could, since the Ninja would use the Lightsaber bootlegs anyways. I walked the streets and asked some people where it was, and finally found it after about two hours.
A bell rang as I entered, and I looked at the comics around me. "Daffy Dale" was sitting upon one of the shelves, and I smiled. Jay said he loved that as he grew up, right? Of course he would like something that was obviously related to Looney Toons. Others were standard battle-filled comics, or tragedies. I had never read many comics, so I felt out of place. I read long books and fanfiction, where the fanfiction could be longer than an average novel.
"Mother Doomsday?" I asked politely. Mother Doomsday hummed in response, looking down from his comic.
"Why, hello there. I haven't seen you before, are you new?" He asked, lowering himself from his seat.
"Yeah, I was actually here to ask if I could save a copy of the Limited Print Starfarer comic? It comes out soon, and I have someone I want to save it for." I shyly requested, and he bought my sweet personality.
"Well, I'd love to, but it costs a lot of money, since it's a limited print. You think you've got the money?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Oh I knew I did, I had a little over two thousand Jyn. I could definitely pay fifty bucks for a comic.
"How much sir?" I confidently asked, and he told me. Seventy-five Jyn. This guy must have thought I had only a few. I wasn't poor in either world, I had a lot in Jyn, and I once had nine-hundred dollars saved up for a car, and over a hundred dollars still unused.
"I can pay that. When can I come in and get it?" I happily said, bouncing on my feet slightly. Maybe I could give Lloyd something good before the worst. The calm before the storm, so to speak. I started counting Jyn, getting out seventy-five Jyn.
"Uh, in about three days. Since you're ordering early, I think I can give it to you a day early." He replied, and I must have looked like I was getting a house made of chocolate for Christmas, because he started to laugh. I don't know how, but I am so lucky to get all of these opportunities. It also meant the episode began in four days, since I was getting the comic early.
"Thank you, I'll be back!" I cheered, handing him the money and leaving quickly. The Ninja were at the forefront of my mind now, and I set off for Dareth's dojo. I calmed myself over the long walk, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to walk in so happily. I think so anyways, I still lacked some social skills.
I reached the remains of the dojo, that somehow the Ninja were still training Lloyd in. As soon as I appeared, everyone stopped. Silence fell throughout the air again.
"Hi?" I chuckled nervously, until the air from my lungs was forcibly pushed out by Lloyd hugging me tightly.
"Please don't ever do that again! Check up with us, or send a note! We didn't think you'd be gone over a week, and I thought that you might have hurt yourself out there!" Lloyd bawled out, while the other Ninja were content with watching again.
"Sorry, I just thought you'd need some extra time. I'll leave a note if I do that again. You guys won the Ninjaball Run, I'm glad that you were able to save the dojo, and probably have enough money to fix what happened to it while I was gone. Speaking of which, how'd that happen? I can't imagine that something would go awry inside and cause such damage." I asked as my brows furrowed, looking at the damage. I already knew what it was caused by.
"I was balancing everyone on my arm, and then a wrecking ball came in. Luckily no one got hurt too bad." Lloyd told me, and I hummed in response.
"That's good no one got too hurt. So, um, Kai. I know you're probably not fond of me, so just ask me your most burning question, and then we can try and put our bad pasts behind us, alright? I don't want this to turn into a bad grudge." I proposed, and Kai was quick to answer.
"What did you mean that 'you're not sure that they all might be dead?'" Kai asked, and I shrunk slightly. I think it is finally time to give up a bit of Earth if I am to live with these Ninja.
"Well, much like you have realms, Sensei can tell you later, there are other dimensions beyond you. I originally came from one of those dimensions, that's what I meant. I don't know if the universe collapsed or not, or stayed the same. All I know is that I'm here, they're not, and I can't leave." I confessed. Somehow, I felt like a weight upon my head was taken off, it felt good to share my secret, especially after being under pressure for so long. Kai walked over and put a hand on my shoulder in respect and understanding.
Cole was next, respectfully nodding towards me. Jay followed, dragging Zane with him. I was hugged fiercely by everyone now, everyone but Sensei.
"I- thank you. I finally have people who care. Thank you, friends." I gently whispered. They were friends now, which equated to practically family. We hugged for a moment longer, then we let go.
"We got the Bounty painted last night, and in a while we'll be able to take the Bounty to the skies. So uh, we'd like to take you with us instead of being a stowaway. It was mainly Lloyd's idea." Cole offered, and I looked up happily.
"Yes, I'd love to, thank you! I just need to be at Doomsday Comix in three days. It's here in the city, and I need to pick up something." I bashfully replied, and Lloyd perked up.
"You go to Doomsday Comix? You never told me that!" He pouted and I laughed. A true, genuine laugh.
"No, I just went there to pre-order something coming out in three days. I heard the Starfarer comic was coming out the day after, though." I happily replied, hiding that I was buying him that comic a day early.
"Oh, yeah! Have you read them?" Lloyd was practically fanboying in front of me, and it was actually pretty adorable. It was like having that one friend with a cute sneeze, it was just a fun aspect about him.
"I haven't, actually. Maybe you could tell me about it." I suggested, and he seemed to almost explode right on the spot. Kai laughed, and everyone soon followed.
"We'll have time for that later, right now we should probably head towards the Bounty, it's a little outside the city. We just decided to stay here until you got back." Kai sheepishly admitted, and I gave the most eloquent response in return.
"Oh, okay." I gave a nervous laugh afterwards, and we decided we should just go. We did give Dareth our farewells first though, it was only polite.
As we walked to get back to the apartment, Lloyd attempted to talk about the Starfarer comics.
"His catchphrase is 'Fear? Fear isn't a word where I come from!' and…" He beamed, speaking so fast it was hard to listen to him sometimes.
"Slow down Lloyd, I think you're giving everyone a bit of a headache there! You're talking faster than Eminem…" I laughed out, and Lloyd looked confused.
"Home kind of thing?" Nya asked, and I sheepishly nodded. Oops!
"Yeah, he was a rapper. Oh, there's the Bounty! Wow, it's nice to see her again…" I exclaimed, running towards the ship happily. I jumped on happily, cheering as I managed to climb up to the deck.
"It's good to be back!" Cole sighed happily as he and everyone else boarded.
"Yeah, and now we can travel around Ninjago freely!" Nya pointed out, and we gave a hurrah in good spirit.
"Anyone up for a celebration?" Cole offered, old cake batter in hand. We laughed and set off to have a party in the bridge.
Once everything was set up, we started to party. Wu was doing his own dance moves, while the others were dancing to the song. I watched for a minute, before laughing and doing my own dances, laughing in relief as I attempted to form something that looked remotely graceful. None of it was, but we all had a good time anyways. Nya occasionally tried to talk to me, but I was so wrapped up in dancing, she wouldn't get too much of a chance to say anything.
The party ended after a while, and we all cleaned up the area respectively. I liked to pick up streamers and confetti, it was oddly satisfying to pick up the pieces. I suppose it was because they were shiny and colorful, who wouldn't want to pick it up?
However, the Ninja decided to train Lloyd afterwards, and I decided to go out and watch. I had missed them for so long, I believed it was time to actually hang out with them.
"So, how exactly do you fight? Other than your unconventional methods?" Zane asked while Kai was trying to teach Lloyd how to do different combat moves.
"I have never taken any defense classes. Admittedly, I'm very inexperienced in any sort of combat or strategy, if my chess skills are anything to go by. But I am good at being paranoid, and I do my best to hide my tracks and eliminate any problems that might occur. That's about it. I know you fight with speed and precision, but you don't fight with pressure points. Just maneuvering the body's momentum to incapacitate enemies. However, it would be hard to find pressure points, I suppose. There aren't many places to have pressure points." I hummed, answering Zane. I was curious, did Legos actually have pressure points? They are all smooth, and there are very few joints. Well, I was certain I'd never need to learn them, so I decided to archive that thought for a later date.
"Pressure points? There are only the critical areas, the neck, head, and arms. I am not sure what you mean by 'Pressure Points'." Zane pondered aloud, and it seems my question was answered. I decided to shrug in response, brushing off his question.
"Nevermind. Anyways, just make sure that we're back at Ninjago City in three days, please. I really do need that comic." I politely ordered Zane. He nodded, and so then I was sure I would get to Ninjago City. Poor Lloyd would have to face a big decision soon, and it would be another turning point for time.
"What is so important about it? You are usually not so demanding for something like a comic." Zane asked, and I concentrated on a good answer.
"It's just for childhood laughs, I guess. It's important though, I need it in three days. I can't wait a day, it'll be too late by then." I replied, watching as Zane nodded again and walked off to train Lloyd.
I watched for a while, as Lloyd was taught how to fight and learn from his opponents. I tried to learn some of it, but I failed miserably, and decided to find a room to stay in instead. Deciding to stay here, I unpacked some stuff, I'd be around for a while.
The three days had passed, and Zane had stuck to his word, piloting the ship over Ninjago City, giving me easy access to Doomsday Comix. I gleefully walked onto the top of a nearby skyscraper, and rode an elevator down. I walked out the building's front door, and headed to my right, where the comic store was in, I found Mother Doomsday sitting at his desk, and he lightened when he saw me.
"Look who's back! Nice to see you again. I assume you're here for the comic you ordered?" He asked, rummaging behind his desk.
"Yes sir! Do you have the comic yet?" I asked excitedly, I was getting something for Lloyd! Today was marked as the day before Lloyd turns into an adult. I bet he'll be so happy! He was my brother now, and to see family smile made me feel special and good inside. Just bringing anyone a smile was nice.
"Yes I do, here ya go. Hope you enjoy, just don't give out spoilers to anyone, alright?" He whispered, and I nodded happily, agreeing to his terms. However, I was giving it to Lloyd, so I wasn't in total control.
"Thank you!" I yelled out, already leaving the store. He was laughing, waving as I headed off to the skyscraper again to get back on the Bounty. I was very lucky that I didn't need a keycard, it would be very complicated if I did. Waiting patiently in the elevator, I stared at the comic I just bought. I paid one hefty price to get it early, comics would not usually be seventy five dollars.
I reached the top floor and used the stairs to get to the roof. Walking outside, the wind was at a steady breeze, as I held the comic tightly and boarded the Bounty. I walked inside immediately, and Nya set the course to wander Ninjago. That's what I think anyways, I don't specifically know what she sets the course for.
"Hey Lloyd! I got something for you!" I sing-songed as I found Lloyd in the gaming room with Jay.
"What is it, I'm in a game!" Lloyd called out, swinging his controller side to side as he fought to beat Jay.
"Oh, nothing. Just the latest edition of Starfarer a day early, and it's a limited print. I guess you can wai-" I was cut off by Lloyd jumping up quickly with a cry of excitement. I laughed and gave him the comic.
"What? How'd you get this? This doesn't come out until tomorrow! Wait, nevermind, I'm going to go read it, see you guys later!" He practically squealed out, and ran out of the room, comic in hand. Jay smiled, and looked at me.
"I think you just made his day, nice timing too, I was running out of ideas to keep him happy. Training's been doing a number on him lately." Jay noted, and I smiled underneath the hood.
"He just needs a bit of time to enjoy being a kid. I knew my day was coming up, it just happened a lot sooner for me than I thought, and I've made my fair share of mistakes. But childhood is just something that makes someone be themselves, good or bad." I stated, half-responding to Jay.
"True. Say, wanna play a round?" Jay offered me. I grinned underneath my hood and snatched away his remote.
"You bet! Come on, let's see what you've got!" I cheered as we played a game similar to Smash Brothers. I was fairly skilled at this game, and I managed to beat Jay most of the time. It was a bit of a home favorite, along with dogfight games. However, doing anything related to team objective games, I failed badly. I had often been independent, more so as of late, and so I found I couldn't work with others well sometimes.
It had been about an hour before Lloyd came bursting into the game room again, still happy as ever.
"Hey, Starlord, can I read the comic to you? I just finished and it's so cool and thank you, thank you, thank you!" Lloyd cheerfully asked.
"Of course you can! Besides, Starfarer was stuck on a ship with the Imperial Sledge, right? Well, you've got to show me what happens!" I accepted, and Lloyd seemed to bounce around the room, ecstatic I said yes.
"Come on, let's go to my room!" Lloyd demanded as he dragged me to his room, and I laughed all the way, spending time with a young Lloyd. Sadly, he wouldn't be so young for much longer. We quickly reached his room and he brought me inside, immediately sitting on the bed and inviting me to sit next to him.
"Here we are, with Starfarer against the Imperial Sledge, trapped against his will in the plasma cage..."
Lloyd read aloud, and I watched as he turned the pages as he excitedly read about the protagonist's escape.
Lloyd finally finished reading to me a few hours later, and we talked about all the little details afterwards. I didn't understand everything, but I tried my best to get the main idea of it. Lloyd seemed happy enough with what I understood.
"It smells like dinner, also smells like Zane cooked. Want to head out?" I asked Lloyd as I noticed Zane's cooking. He nodded, leaving his comic behind, but still certainly holding a happy glow around him.
We reached the dining room, food set out and all, everyone was already there, and we were a few minutes late. Luckily, we were able to come in and eat our food while still having the meal be warm.
"How was the comic you two?" Jay asked Lloyd and I.
"It was really cool, and we managed to see how Starfarer managed to escape the Imperial Sledge. He reversed the polarity of something, right?" I asked Lloyd, and he answered perfectly.
"He reversed the polarity of the ship's gravity transducer!"
"Sounds like you had fun then." Kai said in between mouthfuls.
"Yeah! You should try reading it sometime." I suggested.
"Maybe. Say, Jay, where did you head off to in the middle of training for so long? I had to spar against Cole for you." Kai asked, and Jay froze a bit in shock.
"Uh, something important..." Jay trailed off.
"Were you playing video games?" Sensei Wu asked.
"Yes…" Jay admitted, and everyone laughed, including me.
It was midday of the old-day, as I've called it, where Lloyd was training and we were heading over Jamanakai. Surprisingly, Lloyd was not paying attention to the kids playing down in Jamanakai. He was actually in an intense training session against the Ninja, while I hoped that nothing would change. Lloyd was supposed to be complaining about not getting the Starfarer comic, which I took care of already. I decided to let this one slide, since it was small and I was the one who changed it.
"Guys, there's been a break in at the Ninjago City Museum of History, and the security camera's picked up You-Know-Who!" Nya exclaimed hurriedly. Well, is it Voldemort? No, of course it's not, and you should never say that again unless it's Voldemort. I rolled my eyes at Nya, I wanted that phrase to mean something more, not just Garmadon.
"Garmadon." And there it is, proudly proclaimed by Cole. Good job, now all you need is some Star Wars and we'll be golden!
"We have to stop him before he uses the Mega Weapon to start another one of his diabolical plots!" Jay pointed out the obvious. Lloyd walked forward, a hopeful smile on his face.
"Uh," He started, and the Ninja turned immediately to look at Lloyd, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I can't go and it's safer if I stay here and train." Lloyd mocked, and the Ninja hummed and nodded in agreement simultaneously. Lloyd looked to me in hopes of me staying.
"I've got to go too, it's a crucial day." I simply answered, and he sighed.
"How come you get to fight?" He whined, and I shook my head.
"I watch, they fight. I'm not exactly strong, you know." I explained, but Lloyd still seemed annoyed. Nya left and piloted the Bounty to the outskirts of Ninjago City. It took a while, but we were able to get there at about sundown.
Ninjago seriously needed some first responders here, the time it took to get from Jamanakai to the museum was so long, Garmadon could have already taken over Ninjago City if he wanted. However, I stopped my nitpicking about this world when we arrived, and I boarded the Ultra Sonic Raider.
"We'll meet up at the Bounty as soon as we're done." Kai informed Nya.
"We'll be waiting for your safe return." Nya responded, and we set off for the history museum. We arrived much faster this time, and I had to follow the Ninja through a museum window. Trespassing was easily one of our crimes now, but who cares! Ninjago doesn't have a legal system at all! While they set off for the lobby, I set off for stairs, and found my own way down. I had a grudge against Garmadon, despite my attempt to get rid of my anger earlier.
I walked into the lobby as soon as Skales slithered in. He didn't notice me while I watched him and the other generals, excluding the missing Pythor, slither into the room.
"Boy, did they get that wrong." Skales hissed as he looked at an old serpentine painting.
"Why would we come to a museum if we weren't going to steal anything from it!" Acidus, the Venomari general questioned. Well, the closest thing to a black market Ninjago has is Ronin's shop, and the thieves in the soon-to-be-built prison known as Kryptarium. Good luck finding a place to sell it, dimwits.
Oh, I was already calling them names now? I must have had a bad night, I usually am much more calm than this. Whatever, I think I like this snark today, let's see where it goes.
"Because Master Garmadon! Has another plan to destroy the Ninja!" Fangtom's heads explained.
"Master Garmadon? He's no master of mine! Since his so called Mega Weapon has failed every time, I don't see why we shouldn't call our own shots!" Skales hissed out, clearly irritated.
"Because this time, I will not fail!" Garmadon retorted, coming out from inside the shadows. I stepped forwards as well, they did not have a problem with me. Skales in shock, dropped his flashlight and it pointed towards Garmadon 'menacingly.'
"Yes Lord Garmadon!" All the snakes except Skales bowed down immediately.
"Yes, Lord Garmadon." Skales slowly finished, bowing down to Garmadon.
"Behold, the Dromaeosaurid Theropod Grundalicus! Otherwise known as, the Grundle." Garmadon growled out, explaining the bone's purpose behind him. I'd give an A grade for being smart though, you did well. However, I'm going to steal your thunder tonight for revenge.
"It's extinct now, but when it was alive, it was feared. The most feared and dangerous thing in Ninjago. Claws strong enough to slice through your strongest of steels, and senses strong enough to feel it's prey from miles away. If you weren't stronger, you were dead. Stealthy or not, there was no escaping this beast in it's prime." I dramatically entered, startling the snake generals. Garmadon was unfazed, but certainly on edge.
"What are you doing here?" Garmadon growled, taking a step towards me bravely.
"Stealing your thunder, Anakin. Say, got plans to use the Mega Weapon? I'd announce them now so that I don't have to deal with waiting. I have one heck of a grudge against you now, since my clone asked me to commit murder. Maybe it was suicide, I can't tell. I forgot what the word was to describe killing someone who asked for you to kill themselves." I spitefully replied, and his expressen fell.
"I asked them to destroy you, not that! Then she disobeyed m-" Garmadon angrily mumbled before I cut him off.
"You never said that she couldn't destroy us mentally. I don't think Ninjago has ever had a need for psychologists, but at the rate you're going, you might just start a whole new branch. Since I'm not exactly as feeling as the Ninja, I wasn't as harshly affected. However, they faced a lot worse than I did. You'd better watch your words here, I'm in a bit of a bad mood. Also, I'd get to your plan. You don't have forever." I insulted Garmadon and he finally backed off, finally realizing that maybe he had been caught and needed to make an escape soon.
"Fine. Tonight I will revive the Grundle, to make it roam once more, and hunt down the Ninja! Rise Grundle, and feel the strength of the Mega Weapon! I wish to create the power to make you young! Turn back the clock, so that you are no longer extinct, but hungry, hungry for the Ninja!" He ordered, and the Mega Weapon bent to his will. Purple mist started to circle around the bones, the weapon glowing brightly with blue electricity cracking and giving off a soft glow.
The Ninja made their dramatic entry, holding their weapons for all to see on the banister behind us.
"The Ninja, stop them!" Garmadon ordered quickly, as the Ninja raced to get on top of the Grundle.
"Rise Grundle, rise!" Garmadon demanded, as if it would make the Grundle come back to life faster.
"We can't let him finish, go!" Cole cried out as he jumped on top of the Grundle bones, his teammates following his actions.
"This is not a solid plan, Cole!" Zane fearfully exclaimed as he was being threatened with spears. Immediately, Cole, Zane and Jay fell backwards off the Grundle, leaving Kai on top.
"Uh, feeling pretty alone up here!" Kai called out in warning. Before he too fell, throwing his sword at Garmadon's Mega Weapon.
It missed.
Oh God, it missed.
I ran over to the Dark Lord, picking up the fallen weapon. I immediately slashed it out of Garmadon's hands with all the strength I could muster, it barely falling out of Garmadon's grasp. As it hit the floor, the glow and electricity faded, along with the purple mist.
"What? You! Not again!" Garmadon cried out, grabbing me by the shirt.
"LET GO OF ME!" I screamed, thrashing and kicking against Garmadon. My mind was blank, but it seemed everything was rushing through it all at once. Where did I go wrong? How did this happen, was it because of me? Could it have gone differently? Garmadon yelled something, I didn't know what he said.
"NO NO NO NO NO NO LET GO RUN GET OUT HOW NO NO," I continued screaming no, thrashing against Garmadon's superior strength. Somebody managed to knock down Garmadon, because I was dropped to the floor. I was practically experiencing tunnel vision, trying to find a place to hide, nothing else mattered. I found one place and I ran over, hiding away immediately.
I rocked back and forth, muttering questions and 'no' again and again. I then started to change my mantra, switching from 'no' to 'shut up.' I don't even know what I'm telling to shut up. Whatever it was, it was noise and I wanted it gone. I eventually ended up laughing and crying all at once, starting out with giggles then full on laughing. It wasn't my normal genuine laugh, it was shrill, short and what people would consider psychotic. I kept holding my head or shaking as I hysterically laughed and sobbed.
"Are you alright now? I hope that I've given you enough time to calm down." Zane asked, his voice slightly higher pitched as I looked to see he was a kid. I didn't reply, I was stuck halfway between being conscious and panicked.
"Why is my voice higher?" Zane asked himself as he looked down.
"Uh, Zane? When did everything get so big?" Jay questioned Zane.
"Since you all became kids." I answered sharply, trying to calm myself down and focus on the current situation.
"Wai-" Kai started before they looked at each other and started screaming. I held my hands to my ears, I wanted everything to be quiet!
"SHUT UP!" I screamed and they all silenced.
"Are you okay?" Cole asked after a moment, and I took a deep breath in.
"No. Just, let's get out of here and find a way to get you back to normal, okay? I don't think I can handle anything else right now." I replied passive aggressively.
"What are we going to do? This is so bad on so many levels!" Jay screeched, panicked.
"This is impossible! Zane, what's going on?" Cole asked Zane to explain.
"I can't be sure, perhaps Garmadon succeeded in turning back the clock, but instead of reviving the Grundle, it only affected us!" Zane hastily tried to explain. I watched, and I noticed Kai looked the youngest now, having freckles on his face.
"Well, Nindroids don't just turn into kids, explain that genius!" Kai lashed out, trying to find something to get rid of his anger and confusion on.
"I've extended my logic parameters, but nothing's coming up! This does not compute!" Zane exclaimed, his right eye twitching in response to the unanswerable question.
"Alright, I get it, we're all in this together. Oh, but I hated being a kid! You can't drive, nobody listens to you, oh no, bedtimes!" Cole exclaimed, separating himself from his team.
"Try getting a job and being homeless. No parents, no money, nothing but the clothes on your back." I glared, not enjoying their complaining.
"What would you know about all this?" Kai demanded, angrily snapping at me.
"I was living a good life. I had friends, family, and I had always been mature for my age. So what if I couldn't drive, or I needed to sleep at a certain time? I was travelling the world, seeing things people only dream of. Here you are, complaining about being a child when there is so much worse. Trust me when I say desperation can push one far. Right now, let's find a way out of this, and quickly. We should call Lloyd." I growled back, trying to recover and not completely rip Kai to shreds.
"Good idea. How though? We can't just ask for someone's phone." Cole replied, calming me down instantly.
"I say we should use a phone booth, since you still have them around. Anybody got any change? Or will I have to go to the Laundromat and get us some?" I asked everyone, and Jay responded with about three Jyn.
"That should do, and I will call Lloyd, rendezvous point?" I continued.
"Buddy's Pizza!" Jay cried out instantly, but then quieting down in bashfulness.
"Really? That place?" Cole asked.
"They have good pizza!" Jay retorted, and Cole just facepalmed.
"Anyways, we've set up everything we need. Let's go." I ordered, but as I tried to walk out I found it was much harder than it should have been.
"Yeah, we've got time. Sit down, you're not okay." Kai said as he tried to get me to sit down, and the world spun slightly.
"I- I need to get to the Bounty, Kai! Once I'm there I will be good. Let's just have Nya or Sensei pick us up." I replied aggressively, trying to keep my balance.
"No, you're obviously in no shape to go anywhere. We'll go outside, and set up your tent." Kai refused, and I growled, but I was in no shape to fight them, even as kids.
"Fine, but I give out supplies. I don't trust anyone with my things unless I can see them." I bargained and Kai agreed.
"Speaking of which, why do you always carry that around? Wouldn't it be easier to have a small bag or something?" Jay asked much quieter than he usually would.
"Absolutely not. I travel a lot, and I don't have a bike or car. It's a travelling home, and it's all that I have worked for. It took some darn hard work to get this thing, and get paid. When all you have is this, you don't easily let it go." I defended my pack, there was no way I'd let someone else touch it.
"Okay, no need to get pushy." Jay pouted.
"I'm not in the most stable of moods, it would be better if you do not push me." I warned Jay, and for once he silenced himself. We walked silently back to the window, and I was at least strong enough to crawl down the rope, with a bit of a shaky landing.
"We can set up camp right over there. Starlord, can you get out the tent?" Cole requested, and I took off my pack and retrieved the tent.
"Thanks, come on guys, let's set it up." Cole ordered and the four went off to set up the tent. I watched as they quickly set it up, and Kai dragged me inside.
"I'm tired. See you in the morning." I drawled out as I turned to face the small tent's walls. I closed my eyes, but I kept thinking.
How did this happen? Kai was a ninja, he shouldn't have missed! He wasn't supposed to, and now I had to knock the weapon out of Garmadon's hands himself! This, this was dangerous and risky business. If I'm not more careful, then the timeline will change, and my ability to do things the way they're supposed to will be shredded into tiny little specks. Everything will be destroyed, and I'd be the cause of it. Heck, the Ninja didn't even chase after Skales, because Skales never tried to steal the golden sarcophagus!
What was I supposed to do after Day of the Departed? I knew that the next season was called the 'Hands of Time' but I didn't know what would happen! What was I going to do if the timeline fell apart? There were so many factors, and questions I had! Yet, absolutely no answers.
"I hope I didn't make the world's biggest mistake." I muttered before the world finally faded, and I fell unconscious.
I woke up, and found I was awake before any of the others. They were all peaceful sleeping the way they were, and I sighed. I pulled the drawing out of my pack, the portrait I made of myself. It was nowhere near perfect, but it was a little piece of home.
"I hoped one day that I'd be remembered. I had always been afraid of being forgotten, my legacy being nothing more than a piece of stone that would fade away over time. I hoped I'd be a legend, something that would live on forever through history. Like King Tut or something. I never got my chance, and there's nothing I can do here." I sadly mumbled to myself, still not over last night. I needed to be somewhere private for that. I looked down at the photo, it was smiling. Happy and carefree, unlike the mess I was now.
I continued staring at it, memories of my old life flashing before me. I cried about them already, I didn't need to shed more tears, but I really missed them. I missed my good future, I missed my family. Yet, I didn't even know if all of humanity was dead or not.
I suppose I'll never get closure on that.
However, I believe it's time for us to go back, and get Lloyd to compete in the Starfarer battle royal. I stood up and nudged Zane gently, hoping he wouldn't hit me in reflex. He woke up quickly, and looked to see me.
"Morning. We should call the Bounty. Can you wake the others up? I'm afraid they'll punch me in reflex or something." I requested, and Zane nodded. He woke Jay and Kai up, while I woke up Cole. Cole luckily didn't try to punch me, but did shoot up and yelp.
"It's just me, Cole. Calm down, we need to call the Bounty today." I informed him.
"Oh. Uh, feeling better?" Cole asked, and I nodded. I lied. We walked outside and took down the tent when we heard some security guards talk about how the Grundle bones were 'stolen.'
"Wait, stolen? You don't think…" Jay started.
"It just walked out! You're right Starlord, we've got to call the Bounty! Over there, there's a phone!" Kai whisper-yelled, and we followed him.
"Ugh, how are we going to reach it?" Cole frustratingly complained.
"We could climb on top of one another, and have the person on top call." Zane suggested, while I laughed.
"Here, I've got this. Just give me the number for the Bounty and I'll call. They'll know it's a situation if I'm calling for backup." I told them, and Zane nodded in response. I gently let down my pack, and stood on top of it, now tall enough to reach the phone, if only barely. I followed the payphone instructions, inserting money and pressing the right buttons. I gave the 'okay' gesture for Zane to list the numbers.
"One, two, zero, two…" Zane listed the numbers aloud as I pressed them in. I waited for someone to pick up the phone, and I was relieved to hear Lloyd's voice.
"Destiny's Bounty." He said simply.
"Lloyd! Uh, we're in a bit of a situation. A bad one, and we need you to meet up with us at Buddy's Pizza. Leave a note for Sensei saying that we need Tomorrow's Tea urgently. We'll explain more later, a payphone is actually more expensive than we thought. See you there." I finished, hanging up quickly.
"Why didn't you ask for weapons, or Sensei?" Jay asked while I picked up my pack.
"Lloyd will leave a note. Sensei should get the note, and I don't think your weapons will work. Let's just get a move on to Buddy's Pizza, Jay lead the way. I don't know where that place is." I replied, and we set off to get to Buddy's Pizza.
Surprisingly, it was a silent walk, with Jay only giving directions every so often. I didn't need help walking, unlike yesterday. Walking past other pedestrians and things, we reached Buddy's Pizza, walking inside. Quickly, we sat down at a booth and chatted mindlessly. At least I was mindless, I wasn't so sure about everyone else.
Lloyd walked in eventually, and I watched him as he was about to pass by.
"Hey Lloyd, don't freak out. We need you." I called out to the boy in green.
"Starlord? What are you doing with these guys? I thought you were with the others." Lloyd said as he furrowed his brows in confusion.
"They are the the others. Just, younger. Your dad wanted to bring an old dinosaur to life, and succeeded, but these guys managed to get themselves caught in it too. Got anyone with more info on how to defeat the now-alive Grundle?" I rushed out, not mentally ready to face anything seriously at this point. It was more of a defense mechanism for me right now.
"Hmm, I think I know just the guy." Lloyd said after a moment, looking at someone nearby with a Starfarer comic.
"Let's go then, because I am just not in any mood to deal with anything. I'm very close to either breaking down, or breaking someone." I snapped, just too mentally exhausted still to deal with people.
"Yeah, you're in a bad mood. We're going to Doomsday Comix, follow me." Lloyd instructed, and we followed. It was silent again as we walked to the comic store.
"Well if it isn't Lloyd Hemroid Garmadon. Starfarer is sold out, but I'm guessing that this one right here," Rufus pointed to me, "Gave you the latest one." Mother Doomsday greeted.
"Guys, meet Rufus McCallister. Also known as, Mother Doomsday. So, we've got an issue. There's a Grundle on the loose and we need to know how to stop it. How do we do that?" Lloyd asked.
"Ah, a theoretical question!" Mother Doomsday replied. Lloyd hastily agreed so he wouldn't get suspicious.
"Well, it's said to have tough skin, so it's invulnerable to any kind of weapon you may have, such as swords or throwing stars. The Grundle is also nocturnal, it will only hunt at night. However, like a vampire, if you use enough light, it might just be enough to defeat the Grundle. May I suggest the Illumi Swords," Rufus said as he opened a case full of purple Lightsaber-like swords, "If you use these, you might just survive long enough to get away. And if swords are your thing, maybe I can interest you in an authentic Ninja Gi, signed by the very Ninja themselves." Rufus finished, pointing towards the suits.
"We'll just take the glowing swords." Kai said as he reached for the Lightsaber knock offs.
"No can do, you can only win these in the Starfarer Battle Royal. Do you think you have what it takes?" Rufus asked, and everyone looked to Lloyd. We nodded in confirmation, and Lloyd followed.
"Let's do this." Lloyd replied, being an obvious yes.
"Alright then, we start in an hour. Good luck." Rufus finished, walking away.
"Oh, hey, it's the first edition of Daffy Dale! I used to love that nut growing up!" Jay smiled, picking up a comic book. Funny thing is, I grew up with the Ninja. I remembered shows like Little Einsteins, but just barely. Ninjago was the first cartoon I grew up with, I watched it since the beginning. I was only about seven at the time, and I loved the show. I never grew out of it, unlike those around me.
"Uh, so juvenile." Jay rephrased as his friends looked at him with glares.
"Haha, you've no idea the people who loved comics! Manga, anime, anything was loved. We had anything you could think of. At least, imagination wise. We never quite got to commercial space travel or anything, but we were working on it. It was to be the second space race." I smiled, looking at the comics that were somehow a mix between English and whatever type of alphabet Ninjago wrote in.
"You had a space race?" Zane asked.
"Yep. Admittedly it was out of paranoia, and my country didn't get the first person to space, but we were the first to set foot on the moon. 'One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind' was the famous quote." I smiled, looking at all the comics I could. I never read them often, but they were neat.
"Countries? We only have Ninjago. Of course there is the slang term use for 'country', but not like how you used it. We do understand that you are from a different dimension, but it's interesting to hear you use terms like these more often around us." Zane noted, and I furrowed my brows.
"I'm glad you enjoy learning, maybe I could teach you a bit about modern life. I just don't remember a lot of history. Yet, it's hard to believe you have such unity, my world never had that. Imagine there was another Ninjago, with people of course, and they called their continent Sarah, or something. They had their own government, law and such. Then that would be another country, where there is a government and land. Ninjago would be a country, since it has a government and land. I think you guys have a government, anyways. I've haven't seen anyone political at all lately. However, in my world countries may not agree with each other, and compete. Most of the times, compete means war." I sighed, and Zane frowned.
"That bad?" Jay asked.
"I may not remember history that well, but there are certainly many wars throughout mankind's history. There's good things too, though. First flight, video games, people rising above social challenges, and so much more. A rich bunch of cultures too, so much to see and experience." I pointed out the good in my home, trying to lessen the pain and fear in the other's eyes.
"Oh, okay." Jay simply replied. I still don't think he was the most comfortable around me when I talked about the bad things of my home. But I suppose he had a right to be scared. I meandered around the building until the competition started. I watched until there were only two contestants, then I hid towards the front entrance.
"Lloyd wins!" Rufus declared, and everyone cheered. I looked towards the ceiling, watching as I saw the Grundle stand on top of the glass roof and look down just as the Ninja won their prize. The glass cracked, alerting the people of the red dinosaur above their heads. People screamed, and the Grundle fell down through the now shattered glass. The sign saying 'Doomsday Comix' fell, ensuring that the people and I were trapped. The Ninja went and put on the Ninja Gi's that were in the glass case, and started to fight the Grundle with light, it's weakness. It swung its tail in warning, nearly hitting the group of fans behind him.
"Hey McNasty!" Cole taunted the Grundle as he held his sword out to protect the people. The four Ninja sought out to hit the Grundle with the replica swords, and found that all but Cole's bent and broke.
"Stupid toys!" Cole cried out as he and his friends were smacked to the side of the room in front of Rufus' desk. The four started to scream as the Grundle came close and opened its jaw to eat the four. They trembled as slimey green saliva came from the beast.
"Everyone out!" Nya ordered as she broke in, and all the fans left. I stayed, and I was relieved to see Sensei Wu with a jar of Tomorrow's tea in his hands. He watched for a moment, and then yelled out to his students.
"This is tomorrow's tea, it will make you old again and turn the Grundle back into dust and bones! But be careful, there is no going back!" Sensei warned and tossed the tea, which Cole caught. Lloyd jumped in and used his power against the Grundle, which kept it at bay for five seconds before he too was knocked back, with Cole doing his best to keep the Grundle away from the desk.
"Just do it!" Lloyd cried out, and Cole refused.
"We can't do that!" Cole replied.
"We can't just take away your childhood like that!" Jay supported Cole's decision.
"It's not fair!" Kai called as he looked back at Lloyd. Then the Grundle finally managed to knock the Ninja back, the jar slipping out of Cole's hands. It moved in slow motion as it landed on top of Lloyd.
"Fair? Fair isn't a word where I come from!" Lloyd called out, his last words as a child. If only he knew how truthful he was in that moment. He threw the tea at the Grundle, the bottle smashing into tiny pieces, the purple tea showering over the Ninja, including Lloyd. Sensei said something, but I was focused on the light in front of me, aging the Grundle back to bone. But I knew Lloyd was inside. I wasn't going to age. I was going to have some sort of childhood, no matter how messed up it would be.
"I'm so sorry, brother. I hope you can forgive me someday." I whispered as the light faded. The Ninja stood, back to their old selves. They said something, but I didn't pay attention. Lloyd stood up, and looked at himself.
"I-I'm older." He simply said, and everyone gaped. Sensei said something again, I didn't pay attention. I opened my mouth so say something, but my mind couldn't figure out what.
Lloyd. Lloyd, my little brother just became a man, and I watched it. My thoughts kept starting and stopping, each one zipping across the forefront of my mind before disappearing. Yet, all of them were about the Green Ninja that stood in front of me, the man that grew from my little brother.
"I'm ready." Lloyd said in response to Sensei. Together, we grouped and started to walk out the door, Lloyd and I last. Rufus came up to Lloyd, and wished him good luck, and that he was always welcome in the store.
"Thanks." Lloyd smiled in his new, deeper voice. I just followed behind him silently, my mind still buzzing and unsure of what to do.
"When we get back to the Bounty, can I talk to you?" He whispered to me after a moment of walking out of the store. We hopped onto the Ultra Sonic Raider, making our way back to the Bounty. I sat behind Lloyd.
"Yes, you can always talk to me." I whispered back, falling into the old and almost abandoned habit of comforting my friends by petting their head. He sighed softly, barely enough for me to hear.
We drove off, our vehicle heading straight for the Bounty at a respective speed. I continued to pet Lloyd, doing my best to comfort him somewhat as we continued to move towards the Bounty. It was once again silent as we drove for a few minutes before reaching the flying ship we called home.
Jumping down, we climbed back onto the Bounty, Lloyd stumbling every so often, as he wasn't used to his body yet. He walked with me back to my storage room, and I had to catch him sometimes. As soon as I closed the door behind us, he collapsed, hugging me tightly and sobbing without restraint. I hugged him back immediately, starting to cry myself.
"Why?" Lloyd sobbed on my shoulder, and I didn't answer his question. It wasn't for me, though I already knew the answer.
"I might just have to call you the big brother now, won't I? I-I'll admit that I will always think of you as my little brother." I sniffled out, and Lloyd huffed out in the closest thing to a laugh he could make.
"Maybe, I-I'll ha-ave to cal-l you l-little sis. Bu-t y-you're al-always my big sis-ter." Lloyd practically whimpered. I smiled and hugged him tighter, he would always be my little brother Lloyd, a family member I never had. We continued sobbing on each other's shoulders, trying to let out all of our pains in that moment. A boy forced to be a man, and a girl forced to be on her own.
"It'll get better and worse, but when you're not on the battlefield, I'll be there. That's one thing I can promise. I know I'll look bad, maybe even a traitor, but I really do care. I care with all of my heart for you guys, but Ninjago needs you. I just watch so everything stays the same. I hope you can forgive me in the future, brother." I sighed out, ending our desperate hug.
"I guess we're both in the same boat." Lloyd tried to smile.
"You said it, not me." I laughed weakly, pointing to the walls around us.
"Thank you, I don't think it's easy to find someone who would care about me like this." Lloyd sighed, starting to close himself off.
"I'm sure the others care too, but it's just tough for all of us. Even I wasn't prepared, Lloyd." I reminded Lloyd. But this was a half-truth. I was prepared, just not prepared enough. I knew this was going to happen, and I still feel like I haven't done enough.
"I know, but all of this, it's just so hard to accept all at once. What am I going to do?" Lloyd moaned out sadly, and it hurt to see him so upset.
"Be yourself, Lloyd. You've got the chance to. I know things can be hard, and I know that everything seems like it was just taken away in an instant. Just be you, and it'll go your way, I know it will." I smiled at Lloyd, and he finally brightened, a weight lifted from his eyes.
"Thanks. I don't know what I'd do without you sometimes." Lloyd thanked me, hugging me once more. Sad thing was, I knew what he would do without me.
He would do what the timeline demanded.
I stayed silent, just squeezing Lloyd a bit harder in acknowledgement. I was too cowardly to answer his question. I let go, and we stared at each other for a moment, silent thanks and relief passing through us.
"You should probably train with the guys to get your balance back. You kept stumbling on the way back, and fighting snakes won't be so easy if you can't figure out left from right." I suggested, and Lloyd wiped his eyes.
"Yeah, you're right. Want to watch?" Lloyd asked and I laughed.
"And miss the one chance my brother will stumble around embarrassingly? Not a chance." I laughed out, Lloyd rolled his eyes in response.
"Alright, let's go." Lloyd grumbled half-heartedly. I opened the door, and he managed to stumble through. I had to help him around the ship up to the deck, but he was slowly getting better at walking. The Ninja weren't outside, and I had to let Lloyd sit down as I went over to the Ninja's bedroom and ordered them to train with Lloyd. Apparently, they were waiting for Lloyd in the first place, not wanting to start without him.
As I speedwalked back outside with the Ninja in tow, I saw Lloyd stumbling on his feet, trying to walk straight without falling. I laughed and helped him walk.
"This is so weird, like the ground is so much further than it should be. This is going to take some t- whoah!" Lloyd yelped as he stumbled and almost fell, leaning on me for support, "Yeah, this is going to take time. Think you can help me guys?" Lloyd asked as he stumbled around.
"Yeah, we've got you. Here, I've got you." Cole replied, catching Lloyd and I let go so Lloyd could learn to walk properly. Zane walked over and soon everyone was working together to help Lloyd, except me. There would be too many people if I joined. But I was there to watch and laugh at Lloyd, but it was a friendly joke. He would always roll his eyes, and say something in return. I gave him support every so often though, and he was happy with that least.
He was slowly getting better, and managed to run and flip in about two hours, then we called it a day. Lloyd was tired, and Zane cooked again. Lloyd almost ate as much as Cole! Lloyd blamed it on growing up.
We laughed and had a good time, eating dinner together happily. In the end, I went back to my room and snuggled into my sleeping bag. It was finally time to sleep, and falling asleep was easy. It was only a minute before I slept.
Ah, wonderful bonding! Also, should I add in a warning for the "I'd rather die" part from last chapter? It almost feels like this is mature without a single swear word being written out. Changing the summary also seems like a good idea, so if anyone has any suggestions for that, I'm all ears!
Review, favorite, follow, share, whatever. HAVE A GOOD DAY!
