Lloyd was kinda freaking out. Maybe. Sorta. Just a little.

He was in some place called the 'Sanctum', which was watched over by this magic dude. Who wasn't an Elemental Master apparently. (Maybe he was like Clouse, Lloyd wasn't sure what the guy did.)

He'd lost the Realm Crystal and he lost Morro.

It was horrible but at least he wasn't going to have a breakdown because of it anymore. So—uh…6/10? Maybe? At least he wasn't a solid 2/10 anymore. Because the aftermath of being possessed was the worst. Tremors, nightmares, flashbacks, the phantom feeling of cold hands pressing all over him. Oh and you can't forget the absolute feeling of helplessness and the void of nothing that clawed at his feet and prickled relentlessly at the edge of his mind. That was probably the worst, Lloyd hated feeling helpless.

So—yeah. He's…sorta maybe okay now. It's been a few days, Lloyd wasn't exactly sure how long but it's been at least three. If the light that showed through that big eye window that came and went was any indication. There weren't any clocks that made sense in this place. So he had to rely on his internal clock (which was shot at the moment), the light levels in the Sanctum and what Doctor Strange said. (At least he was more straight forward then Wu.)

The guy was good enough company.

Lloyd was still freaking out about his friends. But at least the Preeminent couldn't be released. And maybe that was one of the reasons he was sorta maybe okay. Otherwise he'd be…

A-anyway. He was okay.

His wounds were healing nicely, the trace of Gold inside him stitching him back together and his Oni–Dragon blood numbing the pain and helping the process even further. Lloyd wasn't sure what he'd do if a broken leg didn't heal in less than a week. Cry maybe?

And Lloyd couldn't remember the last time he'd been allowed to sleep for so long. At Darkely's he woke up at 7 am sharp to the sounds of pots and pans and yelling adults. When he was kicked out for 'not being bad enough' (he just didn't want to push Bradly down the stairs and somehow he was the one in the wrong) he barely slept because he was homeless. And with the ninja….he well…he was waking up with them. Waking up at 7 am was sleeping in. And at some point a bamboo stick to head got real old and you just woke up with the sun instead of trying to roll over. (It seems his sleeping habits hadn't really gotten that much better either.)

So being able to sleep in as much as he wanted was…Lloyd…he wasn't sure what he should do about it. He still woke up earlier, occasionally he'd startle when something creaked a little too loudly or something shifted a little too far to the right. He still woke up at the butt crack of dawn, but it was…nice to have the option of sleeping in. Just having it there did wonders on his nerves. Not much of his nerves but still some of them. It was still nice to have that option there.

So here he was. Somewhere into the fourth or fifth day. Waking up when he normally would've anywhere else. He awoke to silence.

Because no one was here. It was just him and the dust.

And that was horrible for his nerves.

He still got up anyway. He had things to do. Even if that was just him telling himself that.

(::)

Lloyd finished running his hands through his hair, trying to avoid his own gaze in the mirror while still trying to see if his hair was going in the right direction. He knew he looked horrible. Not as horrible as he did before—but still; horrible.

Eyebags, bruises that had faded from deep wine purple and molted green, to unhealthy yellow and gradually back to his own skin tone. He looked kinda pale. At least he was himself. A terrible looking version of himself but still…himself. And that was pretty good for his nerves as well.

Lloyd was tired in more ways than one.

The washroom he was using wasn't really a washroom and more of a closet with a water basin, with a mirror propped up on the side. It wasn't much but at least there was a functioning toilet. So…that was nice he guessed.

His hair was okay, Doctor Strange gave him some shampoo and a bar of soap on the second—maybe second day here. He made due, he wasn't about to complain.

And…and he'd still yet to find the Realm Crystal.

Lloyd sighed, hands resting on the edge of the basin, staring into his pale reflection. His eyes were still green. He didn't know why they'd be any other color. They'd been green since…the Green Ninja debacle. Maybe he was hoping they'd turn back to red. Back to the color he and his Father once shared.

He missed him.

Lloyd finished messing with his hair, nodding when he found it suitable to leave be. He had a Realm Crystal to find.

(::)

It was a little ridiculous how much stuff was in the Sanctum. Rows and rows and shelves upon shelves of things.

Things he'd been looking through for the past hour or so, for the days he was here, he looked.

He carefully moved a vase to the side, tilting it away from the corner it was in front of. Keeping his Green and Gold just beneath his skin. It warmed his scars and eased the pain in his side—the wound pinching just a little when the skin closed just another centimeter before leaving the healing injury be. He couldn't force too much, it wasn't good for him. It might heal wrong if he did it all at once. (And that had happened more times than he could count. It hurt more when he did that, so he just left it be.)

Still, he kept his Elemental Powers on stand by—who knew what kind of magic artifacts were waiting to explode on him the moment he touched them. The vase didn't explode and there was nothing behind it. He tilted it back and started rifling through the shelves he could reach. Some of the shelves reached all the way up to the dark ceiling, dust drifting down from the infinitely tall ceiling arches.

He couldn't reach up there and he didn't dare to try to climb the shelves. They looked like they were holding on by sheer spite alone. He didn't think they'd hold his weight and even if they did, he didn't didn't want them to fall over and he certainly didn't want something on those shelves to fall and break because of his negligence. Doctor Strange was nice enough to let him stay while Lloyd looked for the Crystal. He wouldn't break the man's trust by breaking his magic junk. He wasn't stupid.

And he didn't think the Realm Crystal was up there anyway. It would be pretty dumb if it was.

He gently pulled some books out, moving them so he could see what was behind them. He put them back and did the same thing to the weird glowy cubes next to the dusty tomes. His Powers buzzed in warning, tingling like firecrackers through his fingers and down his arms. Oh—kay, not touching those. He barely brushed their surface. He could tell they were the kind of things that would definitely explode if he handled them wrong.

Yeah—yeah, no touching at all.

Lloyd moved on.

There were some dusty glass vials, whatever was in them long dried and crusted to the sides. More books, an actual honest to First Master's fortune teller's ball, some kind of weird dark green chalkboard. (He didn't touch that one either, he was gonna but the Black Purple inside him snarled before he got within a foot of that one. He didn't trust the Black Purple as far as he could throw it but he knew what a useful sixth sense it could be. He didn't like it but it was really helpful with the stuff that basically just Evil incarnate.)

There was some black pearl jewelry, another book that was half his size and probably more than half his weight. A peacock feather that was covered by an ornate glass cover, a statuette of pig with rubies instead of eyes. Bad vibes—0/10, no touching.

There was a lot. Lloyd could probably look through the stuff for a whole year without stopping, and he wouldn't even get through half of it. It was crazy. (There was magic in the air, Lloyd could probably look through for a year and never reach the end because of the magic. It was the twisting kind, the kind that wrapped itself around you and made you think up was down if you weren't careful.)

(Lloyd was careful. He had to be.)

At some point the shelves started to twist around him, bending at the edges of his vision. It was just him—Lloyd really wanted it to just be him. It was just him and him slowly losing him to the—

"Ah—Green Ninja, there you,"

First Spinjitzu Master—that guy came outta nowhere.

"Walk with me,"

Lloyd almost tripped over something clear and circular on the ground, he stumbled a little, set the thing upright again, and hesitated just a little before taking his place by his side. It reminded him of times when Wu would say the same thing—demanding Lloyd's compliance and loyalty. They were there, just under his uncle's words, Lloyd knew they were there. The teachers at Darkely's did the same thing. They always—

"Did you need something?" Lloyd bent over to pick up a book as he was walking, scooping it up smoothly and placing it somewhere where it wouldn't fall again. He almost missed the way Doctor Strange's eyes sparkled with something.

Doctor Strange hummed. "Yes," He didn't look like he was walking. That cloak of his making his feet glide on the floor rather than walking. "I have some curiosity that I was wondering if you would be willing to quell?"

Lloyd blinked, mulling it over. Questions—the Doctor had questions. There's no telling what kind of questions he might have. Right now they were unsaid, and realistically Doctor Strange could ask anything. Anything….

And…and that was okay—it should be fine. Questions were okay, as long as Lloyd watched his answers, watched what he said. It would be okay. Lloyd wasn't the best at lying but you couldn't live through Darkely's without being able to twist the truth and vomit out half–lies and truths like no tomorrow. Lying with body language wasn't really something he picked up to the degree most of the other boys did but he had a good enough grasp on it for his eyebrows not to give him away if nobody looked close enough.

It would be okay. Lloyd would make it okay.

Lloyd nodded slowly. "...um, yeah..sure," Lloyd wanted to swallow nervously but he didn't. It tickled uncomfortably and he ignored it.

Doctor Strange nodded to himself, his feet settling on the ground, boots scuffing the aged wood. His steps were light and his expression frustratingly blank.

"You mentioned Elemental Masters," The man kept a watchful, thoughtful eye on Lloyd. It made something squirm under Lloyd's skin.

Lloyd nodded. "...Yeah," Now Lloyd wished he didn't. He wasn't from this realm. His abilities and quirks weren't exactly from this realm. Nothing of him was from this realm. So how could he explain something that never existed here?

"I…" Lloyd paused, with holding the worst of his frown.

"You are not from this world, are you?"

Lloyd stopped dead. How did he—?

"I wondered as much from the moment you fell through your gateway,"

Gateway?

The Realm Crystal.

First Master he was stupid.

"And I am guessing these 'Elemental Masters' are from your world?"

"Realm," Lloyd felt him say it before his mind caught up with his dumb mouth. Lloyd wanted to slap himself. "It's…it's realm,"

Doctor Strange hummed. "Realm then,"

Lloyd inhaled sharply and started walking again. "Y-yeah, I'm…not..from here," That felt really weird to say. He…he still had to answer his question about the Elemental Masters. How could he talk about it without saying anything too compromising.

Oh.

Or he could just say that.

"Elemental Masters are people that have the ability to control an element of the natural world," It was a weird way to describe them but Lloyd's never really had to describe them to someone who's never heard of them before. Usually he could just show people when they asked instead of explaining with no showing.

He didn't want to show more than he had too. He knew Doctor Strange knew about his Green. Maybe he even knew about the Black Purple and ever encompassing bleeding Gold, but he didn't want to show him. There were too many people that already wanted to use him as a glorified battery and he didn't want to unintentionally add someone to the list. Getting literally parts of your Soul sucked out didn't feel particularly nice. No thank you. He was done with that show boat. 0/10.

"Hm, I see," Doctor Strange continued to walk with purpose, his brow creased thoughtfully and the magic in the air grew taut. The man turned forward, striding with purpose. With what kind of purpose—Lloyd…didn't really know. His stomach twisted nervously and he wasn't sure what he should be doing with his hands.

The guy must have more questions, he must've. But it was impossible to really tell with the way he was just looking so…serene.

Like Sensi Wu.

Lloyd shook his head, he didn't want to think about those similarities. It only hurt.

"And…" The Doctor started slow, words careful. "Are you an Elemental Master?"

Why was he asking? He obviously knew the answer to that already. Lloyd felt how the man's Gold-Bronze had passed over him, there was no way to not notice the Green Power infused in Lloyd's cells and very Soul.

Lloyd glanced at the guy's face, taking in the soft, curious expression he had. It was a perfect cover for anything else. It was good. Really, really good. He hated how he couldn't tell what the guy was thinking when usually it was so easy. It didn't matter who it was—enemy, fellow ninja, civilians—Lloyd could reasonably tell what people were thinking based on past experiences with them. Of course not everything had a clear cut blueprint on how to act around them, but most of the time he could guess pretty well. He'd go off of a similar experience and well he'd gotten pretty good at winging it.

But this guy…

Lloyd knew nothing about this guy.

Friend or foe. Random dude or evil tyrant in disguise. Lloyd didn't know.

He didn't trust him. He didn't trust him one bit.

But Doctor Strange knew, he knew about his Mastery of Energy and Balance. He knew—so why was he asking?

It must be a test of some kind. Something to see if….if…Lloyd didn't know. But it could also be a trap. (It could always be a trap.)

Well….

Here goes nothing.

Lloyd nodded. Sharp and decisive. He kept his eyes forward, even though he wanted to track Doctor Strange's movements, he felt the way the air shifted into something a little colder and Lloyd clenched his fists to keep them from twitching too badly.

"Yeah…" The air in Lloyd's lungs were cold and something annoyingly thick was sitting in the back of his throat. "I am,"

Lloyd wanted to hold his breath, hold it till his face turned purple and things just disappeared and he was safe. Safe—back in the Bounty with Kai and Cole and Zane and Jay and Nya and—and—

"And if you don't mind me asking," Doctor Strange hummed. His dark eyes sparkling with dull gold. Lloyd minded. He minded a lot. "What element do you have mastery over?"

He couldn't stop his fingers from twitching. What if—? What if he didn't…

Hm.

"I…" Something bubbled under his skin, something sharp and Black and dark and so snarky and—

It felt Good. It curled and laughed and snickered and felt more and more Purple. Filling him up with the desire to skirt the truth. To become the predator behind his own words. To become the thing that was Black and Purple and Dusty Gold. There was something inside that wanted to be More.

And Lloyd listened to it.

"Green," Lloyd smiled to himself, suddenly feeling quite pleased with himself. The Black Purple inside him hummed, infinitely pleased with something. "I'm the Master of Green," Lloyd hopped a little, a small skip in his step. Something about that felt nice. He wasn't sure what it was, but he liked it.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow, smiling lightly to himself. "I see,"

Lloyd picked up another book and Doctor Strange asked another question.

(::)

It's been another two days and Lloyd's pretty sure he's going crazy.

There was something crawling under his skin and rattling in his bones. It hurt. It stung and burned and the Bleeding Gold inside him was screaming. There was something there—something different, something wrong. Something that was wedged in his Soul and crushing something very delicate inside him and sending white hot phantom pain through his nerves and made it feel like his scars were writhing and itching and burning—

Lloyd was in pain. He got up anyway.

It got worse as he looked for Realm Crystal. The little warning signs that constantly buzzed inside him were muted, almost…stretched thin. The thing that was pressing too sharply into him, was making it hard to breath and scaring the Green.

It made it hard to do anything. He found himself stumbling more often than not, something raging up inside him, choking the Green—it was Wild and Old and it felt like Lloyd was drowning because of it.

Walking hurt. Breathing hurt. It hurt to shuffle carefully around the magic artifacts, being delicate with each one because it would backfire massively if handled any differently. It hurt to touch them too. They buzzed like a million bees right up against his fingers. And if he touched them, all those bees decided to sting all at once. A flinching explosion of prickles and needle thin stabs, all between his skin and directly into each pore.

Awful. It was awful.

He avoided touching things as much as he could, rather than moving them himself—Lloyd craned his neck around them, peering at weird angles to see what's behind them. That was easier than touching everything. It was uncomfortable more often than not, but at least he didn't want to cry every time he did it.

Thirty minutes passed and the pain only got worse. At some point he stopped looking and just sat down and crammed himself in a dusty corner, moving things with his foot, his shoes kept most of the sharp prickles away and that was good enough for him. He scrappingly moved a bronze vase draped in cobwebs and a stack of papers tied together with fraying coarse string. He didn't know what it said, and he wasn't even curious. He was just hurting. It didn't matter what it said as long as he was hurting.

Lloyd's pretty sure his heart would beat out of his chest, his chest felt too tight and his ribs felt more like a claustrophobic cage of death than something meant to protect his organs. It's hot. Too hot. And too cold. All at the same time. Horrible, awful, wrenching, Lloyd didn't want to be here. He didn't want to be alone—at the mercy of this…this pain. First Master, what did he do wrong? What did he—

Something was trying to pull itself out of his chest. Something sharp and Blue and Old and Powerful and so, so Complex that it made the Bleeding Gold seem simple by comparison.

Lloyd curled even tighter and tried to breath.

Lloyd didn't know if he could keep this up if it got any worse. Maybe he would die. Maybe he would just perish right here and now and all his friends would never see him again. Maybe he would die here, in this realm, lost to the branches of the Realm Tree and he would never get to see his family again.

He would never get to dance and learn about all the little things from Kai again. He would never get to play video games with Jay again. He'd never get to go on joy rides with Nya again. He'd never get to eat Zane's cooking again. He'd never get to hang out with Cole and listen to whatever indie band he was into that week. He'd never get to see his family again. He'd never—

Lloyd curled even tighter and tried not to scream.

He missed them. He missed them so, so much.

(::)

Something was wrong in the Sanctum.

Magic curled in confusion and alarm around him. The magic haunting each plank of wood and singing with each piece of dust was tainted with something, something sharp and Old and something that almost vibrated in the air. It was something that immediately set Steven on edge. Goosebumps prickled where they could and his hair stood on end.

So he set down what he was doing as soon as he could and left in a swirl of velvet cape. He followed the magic. The stinging, buzzing, prickling magic. And if he felt close enough he could feel the Green Ninja's own magic. It was crushed underneath the buzzing–Old magic. It wasn't right and it wasn't good.

So he followed the magic.

He walked through rows and rows of towering shelves filled with all manner of things that were here long before he was born and would be here long after he faded. Big things, small things, glass, metal, wood, stone, gem and bone. Everything that could be made was a magical artifact created by the thousands of sorcerers that lived before him. (Once Steven found a spell book bound in human skin. He put that particular one in a box and left the key somewhere he wouldn't be able to find it without trying. It was something that he didn't care to replicate.)

Steven strood and the magic grew stronger. More potent. He could almost taste it at this point, sharp with invisible needles and ringing strong with the clarity of a bell.

And there was the Green Ninja. The boy was curled up, head between his knees and a clenching hand in his gold-white locks. His face was screwed in pain, his teeth grit and the magic around him was boiling.

And not in the pleasant way when it soothed you, instead of burned you.

This was not good.

It seems that impossible balance had tipped too far to the left. Steven would help.

It would be horribly shameful if he did otherwise.

(::)

Lloyd's pretty sure he's on fire.

His insides are absolutely melting and his bones are revolting against his skin and the crushing Old was pulling his Soul apart.

What a pathetic way to die.

His own Elemental Powers were trying to kill him in a way they haven't since the Power of the First Spinjitzu pulsed Gold and Too Bright like a second molten heartbeat nestled deep in his fleshy organs and claiming territory Lloyd didn't know could be claimed. That hurt. Like—hurt really bad.

Lloyd's starting to think this hurts worse. Because it wasn't scorchingly comfortable, roaring like a river liquid gold lava beneath his skin and in his bones. This just hurt. Like there was a spike with a million red hot edges trying to jam and splinter it's way through his sternum and erupt from his chest like a rabid weasel trapped in a burlap sack.

Lloyd's pretty sure he's dying.

And he's not happy about it.

0/10.

(::)

The Green Ninja wasn't responding.

His magic swirled and spiked and ravaged in a way that was picking up stray papers and displacing smaller artifacts, throwing some and cracking and singeing others. It cried out and roared with the power of cosmic horror and terrifying novelty itself. The Green Ninja's magic was no longer a waterfall. No—it was an ocean. A raging, tumultuous ocean, made from fire and glass. Steven could feel his exposed hair curl and burn black just by the exposure.

Papers whipped around him, pale blue winds rocked the shelves and clawed at his clothes. It was hot. And unbearably cold.

And Something was wrong with it.

Something was wrong with the boy's magic. It screamed and cried and whimpered all at once. It was in pain. His magic was in pain from something. Steven needed to know what was wrong. He needed to know so he could stop it. Stop the horrific burning.

Steven took a deep breath and pulled on his abilities. He cupped his palms danced his fingers and shook his wrists and an analysis spell crackled to life in a circlet of runes and bronze gold magics. It curled like a python and slithered towards the boy.

The Green Ninja's magic ate away at the edges of his spell but it held strong. It sparked copper and circled the blond. Tasting his magic and bleeding an alarming red. It snapped back to Steven and he got a mouthful of Wrong.

(He nearly collapsed right then and there because of it.)

There was something in his magic that wasn't supposed to be there. It was Old and Blue and it felt like a Gateway. And unnervingly like an Infinity Stone. It…

It seems the Green Ninja had somehow absorbed the artifact he was looking for. His…Realm Crystal temporarily merging with his magic. Which should have been impossible but…maybe to someone from another Realm it was possible.

And it seemed the Crystal was trying to escape the confines of the boy's Soul. And it was killing him for it to do so.

Steven could help. It wouldn't work permanently but he could provide a temporary solution. A temporary balm to the Green Ninja's burning soul.

So Steven gathered up his abilities once again and spread them in a delicate net of thought and Calm. He gently weaved buzzing gold threads, and made a web of Sleep and Contentment.

It wouldn't work forever but it would work until the boy learned to safely separate the artifact from his Soul without tearing out his own Being in the process.

The Green Ninja's magic slowed, moving stunned and suddenly sleepy. The ravaging Blue winds calmed and the burning in the air stopped burning and turned to a slight warmth and then to a conforting chill.

Good.

Hopefully that would work for the time being.

(Steven wasn't quite sure why, but that spell wrought him almost dry. It was way more powerful than he expected it to be. He wasn't sure he could do the spell a second time if needs be.)

He needed to teach the boy to control his innate magics or else the Crystal would kill him. And he would need control over the Crystal if he was to get home like he wanted to.

It would take time. But better to take time then for the Green Ninja to perish from something that could have been controlled.

Steven started preparing his proposal in his mind.

He needed the Green Ninja to agree. It would be for both their safety.

(::)

Turns out…

Lloyd's not…dead?

At least he's pretty sure he's not dead. He's not burning anymore, his insides weren't writhing like a bunch of aggravated snakes trapped in a box. So that was nice. And the Old Blue was quiet. Not silent but at least it wasn't strangling the Green anymore.

So…another good thing.

There was…something covering it. Holding it down in rich layers of Bronze mesh and hooked anchors. It…felt weird. It wasn't bad but it…itched almost. Like just beneath his skin, an itch that was faint enough for it not to bother you all that much but was still there enough for you to feel it. It buzzed faintly. It wasn't the kind of buzz he was used to. Weird but not…necessarily bad.

And Lloyd could unravel himself without wanting to scream. He blinked the tears out of his eyes, rubbing the wells of his eyes with his palms. Ugh. He wasn't dead but he did not feel good at all.

"Green Ninja?"

Lloyd couldn't help his flinch. He blinked again, looking up and…

Oh..it was Doctor Strange. The Bronze mesh must've been his doing. That was…really nice of him to stop Lloyd from dying. Lloyd didn't particularly like dying all that much.

"...hi?" First Master—Lloyd sounded terrible.

Doctor Strange looked…concerned. If lightly so. The guy still had a crazy good poker face but Lloyd could recognize concern when he saw it. And that was definitely concern.

"Are you alright?"

Lloyd didn't….maybe..? How could he answer that? He still felt terrible, but he wasn't dead and he wasn't burning so…maybe he was sorta maybe…okay?

Lloyd swallowed roughly, his throat burned, but a scratchy 'I need a glass of water' way and not in the 'oh Master I'm literally burning alive and my throat's one of the first things to go' kinda way.

Lloyd opened his mouth and his tongue tasted like sandpaper. (And he'd rather not get into why he knows what sandpaper tastes like. The boys at Darkley's were menaces.)

"I…" Lloyd swallowed his cough and it only made him want to cough more. He didn't. He couldn't talk or breathe if he was coughing. It didn't help as much as his body thought it did. "...I…I think so?"

Lloyd clenched and unclenched his hands experimentally at his sides. His bones were still working. He didn't know why he thought they wouldn't.

Oh—Doctor Strange definitely did not believe him.

"...Right, if you say so," The caped man paused for a moment. Obviously thinking about something. If the guy wasn't so composed, he might've been shifting on his feet. Lloyd didn't know what it was but he looked kinda nervous. "I have a proposition for you, Green Ninja. If you were to agree it would help you to return to your Realm and it would help ease my own worries and answer a few of my questions,"

…A…proposition? What could he want? What could he possibly ask from Lloyd? (What could Lloyd give him?)

But then again…what did he have to lose from hearing him out? (It's not like the guy would ask him to murder some or something….that would be…stupid. So incredibly stupid.)

He didn't. He really didn't have anything to lose. He was alone in an unrecognizable Realm. Morro was still at large and the Realm Crystal was still gone. The burning Old inside him had settled and bronze mesh was holding it down as it writhed. He wasn't dying anymore…so…so what did he have to lose? Being dead would make it really hard to find the Crystal and capture Morro. Then again, being a ghost might make catching Morro easier. Maybe? Lloyd didn't know and he wasn't too keen on finding out.

So Lloyd slowly inclined head, his hands clenching in his lap, watching Doctor Strange's expression carefully. You could never be too careful about these things.

Doctor Strange nodded, something hesitant lingering in his serene expression. Too serene. It was always too serene to really know anything about the guy.

"...It seems that the artifact that had brought you here was…absorbed into your 'Elemental Power',"

..What? Was that even possible? What did–? Something pulsed too cold and too hot in his chest and Lloyd knew that….that it could very well be the case. Could he really have absorbed the Realm Crystal? Was that what that thing was? Was that what that awful horrible pain was?

"And my spell can only contain your Realm Crystal for a finite amount of time. It is more powerful than I anticipated and if it were to free itself from your Soul as it wishes too then…"

Doctor Strange looked at Lloyd with…well it was hard to tell but it might have been fear…maybe pity. Lloyd wasn't sure but it made something cold settle heavily and coldly in his gut.

"...You would not survive,"

Lloyd pressed a shaking hand to his chest, his own breathing loud to his own ears. He would die? Lloyd didn't want to die. He didn't—

But…but how would this guy know that? How would—?

"However,"

Lloyd's head snapped up. However. However was good. (Lloyd didn't want to die. He really, really didn't want to die.)

"I may be able to help you and avoid that fate,"

Lloyd narrowed his eyes. Hesitant but willing to hear him out. He didn't want to die but it didn't necessarily mean he trusted Doctor Strange to stop him from going off the deep end.

Doctor Strange paused, staring at Lloyd for an uncomfortable amount of time. "I wish for you to become my student. I would teach you how to have better control over your magic and how to use it in a myriad of situations and ways. In time and with enough practice we could remove your Realm Crystal safely and you would be able to return to your own Realm," He looked like he wanted to say more but didn't. His lip pursing with restrained thought.

Doctor Strange looked at Lloyd, something was almost…desperate about the way he did it. ALmost like..he really wanted to help. But Lloyd didn't…

"But I already have a Master," Lloyd pointed out. As much as it left a weird taste in his mouth, he did. Sensei Wu was his Master and nobody else. (His Dad was different. He was Master, Sensei and Father. He was more than his Uncle could ever be.)

Doctor Strange's face spasmed, before settling into a firm line. "Yes but the Realm Crystal is of immediate concern, no? Surely your Master wouldn't want you to perish in a place he could not reach?"

Ouch. That was…man that stung a little. But…No…Lloyd's…Lloyd's pretty sure his uncle wouldn't want him to die from accidentally absorbing the Realm Crystal and then exploding into a bajillion pieces because of it.

But…well if Lloyd was going to die if he didn't…Lloyd didn't know if he knew how to do it by himself. At least Docter Strange seemed like he at least had an if a new idea or solution presented itself, then he would just go with that instead. Whatever got him home the fastest.

So…Lloyd agreed. However slowly and reluctantly. He's trusted the guy so far and it hasn't killed him yet. And he doesn't know what else he could do, so he'll just do this instead. And if another, better solution presents itself he'll just go with that one. Whatever gets him home the fastest.

Doctor Strange smiled. And he seemed relieved about something. "Very well, I will teach you the art of magic and when the time comes you will return home in one piece,"

Home…

Lloyd missed home.

Lloyd sighed. Might as well.

"Lloyd,"

Doctor Strange blinked, momentarily confused. "I'm sorry?"

Lloyd huffed, feeling amused despite himself. "That's my name: Lloyd," Lloyd felt himself smile. "Lloyd Garmadon,"

Doctor Strange mirrored his smile, that relief only seeming to grow. "It's nice to formally meet you Lloyd. I look forward to working with you,"

..

Yeah..

Lloyd…Lloyd kinda did too.