A.N: Uh oh, I'm at the unlucky number of chapters! Dun dun dun! This a huge and really important chapter, so read closely! I think this is my longest chapter yet, so, YAY! And to guest, wow you are a good guesser! Dang, spot on! R&R please!
Kai's POV:
In my mind, I went over the plan over and over again; I didn't want to let the kid down. I was dressed as a venomari warrior, and was slinking throughout the fortress with the falcon close behind. Jay suggested having the falcon record me so they know what's going on and if I'm alright.
Chills went up my spine. The fortress was so cold and dark, and very unwelcoming. I kept my eyes peeled for a prison of some sort. Every once in a while, a group of soldiers walked by, and in response I hugged the wall and held my breath.
I peered around a corner, and my heart skipped a beat. 2 venomari warriors were standing in front of a steel door. Lloyd. I grinned and faced the camera, then nodded. Lloyd was in there. I could feel it.
In one swift motion, I yanked out my sword and stabbed the guards. Then I eagerly slid open the steel door, where I saw Lloyd leaning against the wall, clutching his stomach. He looked pale, and very tired. When he saw me, he gasped. Leaping to his feet, he pulled out his swiss army knife and shouted: "I already went to Pythor today! What more do ya want?!"
Hastily, I pulled off my mask. "Kid, it's me." A wide smile stretched across his face. "Kai, I'm so glad you're here!" he said as he embraced me. "I'm not alone" I said as the falcon settled on my shoulder. "The falcon!" I smiled. "And he's recording." Lloyd smiled and waved at the falcon's eyes. "Hey guys."
Remembering the mission, I looked at Lloyd. "Are you ok? Are you hurt?" His face darkened and he looked at the floor. The realization dawned on me. "Lloyd, how many times has Pythor slashed your back?" He counted on his fingers, than held up his hand. 5 times. Instantly I spun him around and rolled up his shirt. He had 5 large gashes stretching across his back, horribly deep and a sickly dark dark red. I also remembered his ribs. I felt around his torso, and when my hand rested on one spot, I heard Lloyd yelp.
"Lloyd, I, I'm so sorry this happened. Why didn't you give us up, taking the torture?" "You guys are my friends! I would never be able to live with myself if you guys got hurt and it was my fault!" I shook my head. "Well, when we get back, Nya will take a look at you. By the way, why were you clutching your stomach?" "I felt queasy" he said simply. "Too much food or something?" He shook his head. "The opposite." Lloyd did look thinner than when I last saw him.
I led him out of the room. Quietly, the two of us slipped out of the prison, not daring to make a sound. Yet everything we did seem to echo off the chamber walls. We turned a corner, but what we saw stopped us in our tracks.
Zoe's POV:
I sat in my room, trying to hold back the tears. Cole forbade me to see the footage, so I camped out in my room.
Lloyd, he shouldn't be their prisoner. When I saw the darkened looks on my friend's faces, I knew he was badly hurt. I loved him! Yes, I admit it, I LOVE HIM! And yet, he will never know unless he gets out of there.
As the tears poured out of my eyes, I looked to the stars. For so many years, they were my only comfort. After I met Lloyd, he comforted me. Understood me. And, looked to me as a friend. Now he's gone. When will he come back?
Nya talked to me. She could see that I held feelings for him. She told me to tell him how I feel. Easier said than done Nya. Easier said than done.
Staring at the North Star, I remembered that it was the star that never moved. Wherever Lloyd was, he could see it too. Looking at it, I whispered barely audible, "Lloyd, I love you. Come home."
Lloyd's POV:
"Hello young fire sstarter. I ssssee you have freed our prissssoner. That will not lasst long my dear. Not long at all." Darn you Skales.
Kai gently moved me behind him, and I gladly obeyed. Then Kai pulled put his sword. "You will not hurt him anymore Skales. Not on my watch." Skales rolled his blood red eyes. "Hm. In that casse." He pulled out a double bladed dagger. "Time to play ninja." And he charged.
I popped open my swiss army knife. "Lloyd, stay back, I got this!" Kai shouted. Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. "Well too bad hot-head, I'm helping!" Skales had his back to me, and I sliced at his tail. He hissed and turned on me, but I reacted quicker and lunged my blade into his throat. Skales gagged and clutched it, and I kicked him in the gut.
The hypnobri general stumbled backwards into Kai's grasp. However, Skales elbowed Kai in the chest, than put him in a headlock. I gasped when Skales held the dagger to his throat. "One falssse move little one, just one false move!" Painful painting surged through me. I looked pleadingly at the falcon. "Help" I whispered. I wished the falcon had laser vision or something, or judo skills.
(This part tugs the heart strings, oh dear when I was writing this I was crying) Trying to act tough, I glared right at Skales. "Let him go." He chuckled. "You really think you can ssstop me? You're only a child, a pathetic, uselesssss little twerp! You'll never triumph as the chosen one! You are nothing!" The words stung, but had no effect. I attempted to seem unfazed. "I said, let him go." Skales only dug the blade farther. My anger bubbled to the surface. "LET HIM GO SKALES!" "Like I'm afraid of a little boy." All my anger flowed through me. I felt hot, and I felt heat surge through my arms. My knife was still in my hands. "LET…HIM...GO!" I threw the knife at his head, but I saw green flames burst from me, and nailed the general in the head.
Kai flopped to the ground, and I rushed to him as Skales lay on the floor unconscious. "Kai, are you ok?" He got up. "Yeah, I'm ok. But Lloyd, that thing you did, with the fire, how did you do that?" I slowly looked at my hand, closed my eyes and concentrated, and flames flickered up my arm. "That, that is so cool!" I grinned and put it out.
"Can we go home now?" I asked. I felt really tired, and the blood loss from my cuts didn't help much at all. "Sure thing kiddo." However, a mob of serpentine emerged from around the corner from which we came from. They all saw the unconscious general, and bolted towards us, seeking vengeance. I rushed to the wall to receive my knife, and got some fire ready. Bring it.
Xander's POV:
The thought of the green ninja escaping angered me, but as I walked to Venom's chamber, I worried about the reaction he will have.
We still needed 3 more scrolls, and the winter solstice is quickly approaching. Time is the key to our success, and we needed to manage it well, before it runs out.
Venom soon stood before me. "Yes my apprentice?" I gulped. "Sir, I regret to inform you that the boy escaped his prison. Him and his rescuer are currently subduing the army, but winning fast." Closing my eyes, I prepared for the worst. "Hm. I see. However Xander, I am not angry. Think about it. The boy returning home with the ninja will give them hope, happiness, and most of all, a sense of approaching victory. Imagine the response we would receive if all that joy was shattered over the boy's death." I pondered this. "Brilliant sir. But, how will we get him back to us?" "When the time is right, my friend. When the time is right."
Kai's POV:
The two of us were subduing snakes left and right. I was slicing and burning them, as well as Lloyd. He was going from mad knife skills, to frying the competition with his powers. I was greatly impressed; he's gonna be a great ninja someday. Skales was wrong.
"Hey, how are ya doing back there Lloyd?" I called. "Pretty good!" Then he got punched in the jaw. "Hey!" he said as he sliced the snake's shoulder. "Don't you know it's rude to butt into other people's conversations?" I laughed. I love this kid. (I love that line, it seemed fitting. Genius!)
The serpentine's numbers got smaller and smaller, and soon there were only a handful of them left. There wasn't any more left around me, and I saw Lloyd finishing off the rest of them. He had a bruised jaw and a new cut on his back, but other than that he seemed ok.
The two of us met back up, and the falcon fluttered on my shoulder again. "Now what?" asked Lloyd. "Now, we go home." He smiled. "Good. I'm hungry!"
Garmadon's POV:
When the footage ended, a huge mix of emotions surged through me. Lloyd's ok, but horribly wounded. And, he used his powers for the first time. AND took on the entire serpentine army. It's a lot to process, but I was just glad he was coming home.
Cole looked at me. "That's quite a son you got there, Lord G." I smiled.
Zoe peered around the corner. "Can I come out now?" Cole walked over to his little sister. "Yep, all clear sis." She rushed into the room. I found it sweet that my son likes her, but I wouldn't pry and rush things with the two of them.
An awkward silence filled the room as we waited for Kai and Lloyd to come back. Eventually, I heard footsteps, and I felt relief flood me. Kai stepped in, with Lloyd behind him. "We're back."
Wu and I rushed over to the two of them. Lloyd ran to me and unexpectedly embraced me tight. "I missed you Dad." I hugged back without hesitation. When I put him down, I remembered how badly injured he was. A large bruise was on his jaw, not to mention his ribs and bloody back.
Nya walked over to him. "Alright kiddo, let's get you patched up." And so, she, Lloyd and my brother and I followed her to the bounty infirmary.
Lloyd sat down on the bed as Nya got some supplies from the cabinets. I sat next to him and held his hand for comfort. "You alright son?" I asked. "Mentally scarred for life I guess, but, yeah, I think so."
Nya sat down behind him and rolled up his shirt. The gashes on his back were brutal, I felt so guilty that he got captured and it was partially my fault he's hurt. She started putting some medicine on them and cleaning them, and every once in a while Lloyd cried out and grimaced. Wu tried to calm him down while I sat with Lloyd every step of the way.
Soon his back was bandaged. Nya stepped in front of Lloyd and looked at his jaw. She asked him to open his mouth, and she checked for broken or loose teeth, and thankfully, there weren't any.
Last were his ribs. Nya felt around his torso, until her hand rested briefly on one spot, and Lloyd squeaked in pain. "I guess we found it" stated Nya. After a few minutes, Nya said he had at least 2 broken ribs, but it's very difficult to tell. Some could be cracked, or there could be more broken ones, but the face that he broke a few of them is for sure.
"That's it kiddo. Get some rest and take it easy for the next few days ok? I'll get you some aspirin. You must be tired." In response, my son lazily yawned. I am so happy he's home.
Later…
That night, I aimlessly wandered the bounty to clear my head. When I passed Lloyd's room, I decided to check on him.
I carefully cracked open the door. Trying not to make a sound, I saw Lloyd asleep. On his nightstand were some aspirin, a Ninjago 2ds, some video games, and a pack of baseball cards.
Whimpering interrupted my thoughts. I saw Lloyd asleep, yes, but it looked like he was having bad dreams. Tears were pouring from his closed eyes, and he was curled up in a little ball clutching his injured ribs. I walked over to him and stroked his arm, humming a melody my father played for me and Wu, if we were upset, on his flute.
I tucked a loose strand of his pale blonde hair behind his ear as I continued to calm him down. He relaxed a little in his sleep, and his crying started to cease. I gave his hand a squeeze. After a few minutes he was alright, and continued to sleep soundly.
I wiped the tears from his cheeks as a gust of wind burst through the room through the open window. The two of us shivered. Instantly I closed the window and pulled up the blankets on Lloyd's bed. The weather is only going to get colder after all. I took another glance at Lloyd as he rested on his bed, now having peaceful dreams. I was proud. Lloyd continues to amaze me. He will go on to do great things, and even though we are on opposite sides, I will always love him.
A.N: *cries* Most emotional chapter too! Yay, Lloyd unlocked his powers! Well, one of them at least. And, he's back on the bounty. However, the snakes still have scrolls to get! What's gonna happen next? REVIEW PLEASE!