Author's note: Well, I must say, I love having free time again. It's so nice to be able to sit down and write without constant interruptions. "Lost" is a little different, in that it is more closely connected to events in Ninjago itself. This chapter takes place during "The Snake King", right after Lloyd gets captured while trying to spy on the Serpentine. I hope that you enjoy reading this installment of "Of Milk And Cookies" as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Replies to Reviews: Well, I only ended up with two reviews for "Family", which is understandable what with the end of summer/beginning of school starting, but still, lots of cookies for Guest and Random Dragon 2.0 for being the only people to review.

Guest: Hello, there! Oh my goodness! That's so sweet of you. I'm so glad to hear that you are enjoying this story. I totally plan on having a chapter from after the others go to the First Realm (be warned, it may not be quite as light hearted as the rest of my stories so far, when I finally get around to writing it…). Thank you so much for taking the time to review! You should choose a cool name for yourself, so that I know it's you if you review again in the future.

Random Dragon 2.0: Hi! Thank you so much, you're too kind. I really love the headcannon that Lloyd was actually the first to know about Nya being Samurai X. He was left behind with her so much, that I feel like it makes sense that he would want to help cover for her. I totally plan on writing another short series about all the times Lloyd had to cover for Nya while the ninja look on in confusion. I really appreciate your feedback and hope that you continue reading!

/

Nya stared at the drawing Lloyd had lovingly made for her only days ago, hands trembling. How on earth could Kai have possibly thought that leaving Lloyd at that arcade – by himself no less- was a good idea? He could be anywhere. Doing anything. And none of them would even know. What if he were lying in a ditch somewhere, bleeding out? What if one of their many, many enemies had kidnapped him? What if he had done something stupid and gotten himself arrested? What if-

"Don't worry, sis. We'll find him." The girl glowered at her brother, not finding his words particularly comforting.

"Don't worry?! Don't worry…. Kai, do you have any idea how much of an idiot you are? You're standing here telling me not to worry, when all of this could have been avoided had you simply done your job and watched Lloyd yourself instead of ditching him! Why, I oughta-" Her attempt to punch her brother was interrupted by a pair of hands grabbing her own. Stupid Kai – getting in the way of her fists! He deserved far worse than being punched.

"I know you're upset. And I feel like such an idiot for leaving him like that but guess what – standing here and letting you beat me up is not going to bring him back here. Please. Save this for after we've found him." The look of pain in Kai's eyes told Nya that he was right… Fighting wouldn't solve anything. She sighed and breathed deeply.

"I… You're absolutely right. This isn't helping. It's just… Kai," She sobbed, holding up the drawing, "we're the only family he's got… And just when he's finally reached the point where he feels safe enough to admit that, we've gone and lost him. What if we can't bring him back? How can we live with knowing we failed him?" Though she was clearly trying to sound strong, Kai was pretty sure he could hear his sister's voice cracking when she spoke. He couldn't blame her. Lloyd had come to mean a lot to all of them, no matter how annoying he could be. Choosing to leave the boy at that arcade had been a huge mistake.

"It won't come to that." Kai promised, placing an arm around Nya protectively. She stayed quiet for a moment, appreciating the gesture.

"I really hope so. Or you are dead to me. So dead. I won't hesitate to disown you…" She mumbled.

"Well, guess I better head out and start looking then… We can't have you getting rid of your, favorite brother, now can we?"

"I suppose that would be a tragedy. I'll head out in a few minutes. The more people we have looking, the faster we'll find him." Kai shot Nya a worried look.

"You sure you'll be OK on your own? I can go with you, or, you know, Jay would be more than happy to stick around…" She smiled weakly.

"I'll be fine. You go ahead."

"If you're sure…" Kai gave her shoulders another squeeze before seeking out the rest of his team. Nya looked at the slightly crumpled (she needed to remember to laminate it once everything calmed down again) drawing one last time. Her samurai suit was waiting, and she had work to do…

\/\/\

Captured – and with no one to blame, but himself. The cold, cramped cage made him feel unspeakably lonely. Lloyd had long ago given up fear that the Serpentine planned to cause him physical harm. No, it was much more likely that they intended to use him as bait to lure the ninja – and therefore the mysterious Samurai X – into a trap, or some such scheme. Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon wasn't scared – he was miserable, cold, and hungry, but definitely not scared. Nya would come for him, even if no one else did. Of that he was certain. And when she arrived, those stupid snakes were in for it! She wouldn't let them off without a serious beating. One that they'd never forget. But first, she had to find him. And that might be a problem, because, he hadn't exactly told anyone where he was going, and he certainly didn't have a way to tell them now. Oh, how he wished he had thought his plan through instead of moving forward with reckless abandon. Lloyd missed the safe comfort of the Destiny's Bounty. The sense of calm he always felt when sharing a plate of cookies. Even the endless argument that seemed to emanate from his honorary brothers. Nya, please hurry…

With nothing else to do, Lloyd stared through the bars of his cage, watching the snakes move about. He could tell that not all of them were pleased by the change of leadership they had just experienced. Perhaps this could be to his advantage. Were they less likely to notice him escaping if they were still reeling from the slither pit incident? There would certainly be less focus on prisoners at a time like this. Now, if he had only thought to learn how to pick a lock. Escaping would be so much easier. Better add that to my list of hobbies… he thought to himself. One never knew when certain skills might come in handy. Maybe Nya would be willing to help him learn when he got him. If he got home. Lloyd shook his head. He had to stay optimistic. Someone was sure to rescue him soon.

Looking out across the ruins, his face grew pale at the sight of a large figure fighting against a length of hefty chains. Nya too? How cruel could fate be? Unless, of course, she had let herself get caught in order to find him. That must be it… right? But no, as the figure grew nearer, Lloyd realized that she had been well and truly trapped. The chains that bound her were too intricate to easily undo.

"What on earth were you thinking?" Was the first thing she asked him, after the Serpentine had temporarily chained her mech suit to a nearby rock. Lloyd frowned, drawing his knees to his chest.

"I was just trying to help… I thought maybe if I got some really good dirt on the Serpentine, the ninja would let me tag along on some of their missions instead of leaving me at some lame arcade…" Nya sighed, voice slightly disguised by the mask she wore.

"Oh, Lloyd… I've been helping gather information for them for months, and they still leave me behind. They think they're protecting us. Which, in your case, is clearly needed…"

"I know… I'm sorry…"

"Just tell me you're OK. No life-threatening injuries?"

"Yeah. I'm alright. Just a little freaked out. Thanks for coming after me. I'm sorry you got captured…" Lloyd couldn't tell what Nya was thinking, her face blocked by the armor.

"It's no big deal. I had to find you. It's not like I was gonna let someone get away with messing with my baby brother." At this, Lloyd made a face. He certainly wasn't any baby – even if he had cried when they first threw him in the cage. Better not let anyone know about that.

"That said, I really don't know how we're gonna get out of this one, to be honest. I wish I could tell you I have some brilliant plan, but the truth is, I got nothing. Plain and simple. I should never have come here alone. I overhead my captors mention that Pythor intends to have me fight the ninja if they show up. I don't want to hurt them… My brothers…My friends… But I'm not sure how much of a choice I have…They took my chain cutter…" Even with the disguised voice, he could still sense the worry in her tone. If Nya was worried, things must be worse than he thought. Was his freedom really worth Nya's imprisonment? No, Lloyd decided. It wasn't. There was a small part of him that wanted to kick and scream until someone finally took him home and fed him lots of chocolate and told him he'd never have to worry about snakes ever again, wanted to throw a hissy fit until things finally went his way, but a newer, brighter part of him (a part that was growing stronger by the day) knew that it wouldn't help him to behave like that – not this time. Somewhere, somehow, he had outgrown that behavior. His priorities were different now. He wasn't alone anymore.

"Nya?"

"Uh huh? "

"If you have the chance to get out of here… You need to take it… even if you hafta leave me here…" It wasn't easy, but it was right. At least, for Lloyd it was. Nya didn't have to approve of his logic.

"But Lloyd! The whole reason I came here was to get you. I'm not going if you aren't with me…" She shook her head.

"Look. Having both of us here makes it more difficult for the ninja to rescue us. If you're out there helping them, you can come back for me later… I'm not worth you being stuck here." Lloyd was pretty sure Nya was glaring at him, but he couldn't tell for sure.

"Yes you are!" She argued. He waved a hand dismissively.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm your brother and you love me. Thanks, but, I'd rather be at the Bounty, then stuck here in some cage. You'll get me out. Eventually."

"Yeah, well, that doesn't mean I like this idea."

"You don't have to like it."

"Lloyd! I'm not leaving you here!" He rolled his eyes. This was going to take a while. The two probably could have continued bickering for several more hours, if not for the fact that the Serpentine who had chained Nya to the rock chose to relocate her elsewhere. The ninja must have been spotted… As she was dragged away, Lloyd gave her his bravest smile, but she could still see the fear in his eyes. If only she could go over and hug him, tell him that everything would be alright.

"I'll be fine. Just do it." She wanted to disagree but was out of hearing distance before she could formulate a convincing response. Lloyd was right about one thing. She wouldn't rest until he was brought home safely.

/\/\/

"Nya… Are you OK? You seem super spacey…" Nya glanced absently at her brother. By the time they returned to the Bounty, it was evening. They were in her room, discussing the samurai situation, but it was obvious that she wasn't very invested in the conversation.

"No… Not really. I left Lloyd. I found him and then I just left him there…" Kai sighed, guiding her to her bed. There wasn't much he could do to comfort her.

"You did what you could. That's more than a lot of people would have done. And he flat out told you to leave him there. He trusts you, Nya."

"That's what makes it so hard… I feel like I've failed him." She replied, sinking onto the mattress, the day's events having exhausted her.

"We'll get him back. We know what we're up against now, and as soon as I've reached my full potential, we'll be strong enough to fight back."

"I hope you're right…"

"Of course I am. Have I ever led you astray?" Kai said. To be honest, he was also upset that their mission had been a failure, but, his big brother instincts made him choose to focus on Nya instead. She smiled weakly.

"Well, actually, yeah. Like, at least once a week…"

"Oh, gee, thanks. You're such a loving little sister. But trust me on this. We will rescue Lloyd. No ifs ands or buts. Except yours in bed… It's late and we both know that you are not a morning person."

"Kai! I'm not a child anymore. I can take care of myself." She pouted. Kai patted her on the head, only a little patronizingly.

"I know. That doesn't mean I don't still worry about you."

"Guess you're right. It has been a rough day, and I really don't function well without sleep. So good night. And thanks. For being there. I don't know if I would have made it through today without my annoying, overprotective older brother." Kai rolled his eyes in acknowledgement, gave her one final pat as she snuggled beneath the covers, and headed for the door.

"Love you."

"Love you too."

Those Serpentine didn't know who they'd messed with.

/

Thank you for reading. I hope you were entertained by this chapter. I had a lot of fun writing it. As always, reviews and feedback are greatly appreciated.

-GwenBrightly