Garmadon knelt next to the wolf-dog, being careful if his own injured leg, to take a look at its paw. He'd wrapped it up in some leaves and had created a sort of splint for it, since its paw had been broken by the bear trap.

Its paw seemed to be healing well. He gently lifted it, keeping the wolf-dog's expression in his line of sight so he didn't get bit.

The wolf-dog sniffed its injured paw in his hand, ears slightly back. It whined, looking back at him.

Garmadon ran his hands gently over its paw, taking his eye off the wolf-dog's face. He wanted to make sure it'd been healing as well as it looked. It was, which was good.

He let go of it, scooting a couple feet back.

The wolf-dog just stared at him, wagging its tail.

"You'll be healed in no time, don't worry. Then you can…go home, or wherever you're from."

Christofern. That's what the wolf-dog reminded him of. Garmadon stared at it, sitting about a yard away from him. Its head was between its paws, eyes closed, its tail wrapped tightly next to its hindpaws. The way he'd been taking care of it the past week reminded Garmadon of Christofern.

He frowned. He…sort of missed the little plant.

He shook his head, closing his eyes for a moment.

The dog lifted its head, staring at him. Its eyes unnerved him. It still seemed to be staring into his soul, its eyes piercing, fixed, like a wolf. Its demeanor, however, was certainly not a wolf's. It was gentle, soft—dog-like.

Garmadon squinted at it.

The wolf-dog wagged its tail, pink tongue hanging out the side.

Garmadon shook his head, finding that he was fighting back an amused smile. "You're a very silly wolf-dog…"

It just wagged its tail harder, shifting a little, towards him. Its eyes stared at him brightly.

Lloyd. It reminded him of Lloyd too. The playful, child-like attitude—

Garmadon flinched, eye shutting tightly. He took a shuddering breath. No no no—

"Dad, can we go in there?" Lloyd pointed to the right, eyes lit up hopefully.

Garmadon turned his head in the direction he'd indicated, reading the store's partly broken sign, 'Ninjago City Sweets'. He smiled, chuckling. "You still have a sweet tooth, huh?"

Lloyd ducked his head, a hand to the back of his neck, blushing. He laughed sheepishly. "Heh, yeah…"

Garmadon grinned. "Well, so do I."

Lloyd returned his grin, excitedly opening the shop's door. Inside was neater than the outside, which showed some signs of wear, and the sign, which was partly broken, caused by the Great Devourer.

Lloyd went down an aisle, eyes lit up in child-like awe.

Garmadon followed him, glancing around and trying to decided what he should get. Misako probably wouldn't mind if he did get some, and he could probably get her some chocolate or something to avoid any wrath and also, hopefully, start to repair their relationship.

"Hey, can I get this?" Lloyd held up a bag of gummy bears.

Garmadon nodded, smiling amusedly. "As long as you share."

Lloyd frowned slightly—not liking the sharing idea as much as he did—but then nodded, his grin returning. "Sure!" He turned back to the aisle, continuing on.

Garmadon grinned. "Excellent." He looked around, then asked, "Lloyd, what do you think—

Something wet licked his hand. Garmadon flinched, suddenly finding himself back in the forest, the wolf-dog in front of him, head cocked in concern. It wagged its tail slowly—uncertainly.

Garmadon realized that he was gasping for air, feeling strangled, one hand clutching his chest. No no no— He shut his eyes tightly, trying to shove the memory out. It was…

Pain.

NO. STOP.

Something wet touched his hand again, jerking him back to reality once more. Garmadon blinked, staring down at the wolf-dog. Its eyes pierced into his.

Garmadon tried to calm his racing heart; tried to relax. He was fine. He pat the wolf-dog awkwardly on the head, earning him a happy wag of its tail.

He sighed, feeling a sense of relief as the memory faded. "Thank you," he choked.

The wolf-dog wagged its tail a final time, then lay down, this time next to him.

Garmadon gazed at it, his breathing slowing. He looked down at his hands, wringing them.

The snow crunched softly under his feet, yet somehow still sent nervous shivers down his spine. He glanced around, searching.

Nothing.

The white birch trees around him blended nicely with the sparkling, nearly perfect-looking snow. Though behind them, they could also conceal something deadly—their enemies.

He shook his head. Then he stopped, glancing around again. Hadn't he just been…?

"Ichor…?" He was just here…right beside him…

He turned around in a slow circle. Nothing. Just white.

Garmadon bit his lip, sudden anger burning in his mind. If this was a prank, he was going to—

"Garmadon."

He whipped around—then gaped in shock. "Ichor…? Wha…what happened to your face…?" Faintly, it almost felt…familiar.

Ichor chuckled darkly. "You don't know?" Blood bled freely, leaking from the deep cuts and dripping down his mangled face. Blood seeped through his gi, turning it a dark brown-ish red.

Garmadon…hardly even recognized him. "What—"

Suddenly, anxiety and sheer terror slammed into him.

Run.

He found his feet were frozen to the ground. They wouldn't move.

Ichor took another step towards him. "You murdered me, Garmadon."

Garmadon opened his mouth, tried to speak—

Nothing came.

Ichor suddenly grinned, his hand moving swiftly from behind his back. The metal object glinted coldly in the light—

Garmadon gasped, a choking feeling suddenly—

RUN.

He couldn't move.

The scenery suddenly changed, morphing into a dark room, a single light above a metal table being the only light. Ichor came out of the shadows, bloody gi gone and now being robed in black. He grinned, still clutching the scoop.

Garmadon whimpered, trying to run, ANYTHING—

"Don't worry. I'll only blind you. It's not too terrible."

Garmadon shook his head, his limbs frozen. "No no no— Please, no—"

Ichor lunged at him, the ice cream scoop flying towards his face—

There was suddenly something wet on his face. Garmadon screamed, panic coming over him. He shoved whatever it was away, gasping and shaking.

Something barked sharply. Then it touched his face again.

Garmadon batted it again, blinking rapidly, trying to scramble away from it—

There was another bark, then a whine.

Garmadon shot up. A soft breeze blew, rustling the leaves. Faint light from the moon shown down, barely illuminating the forested area.

Garmadon blinked in confusion, squinting. He glanced around, before his eyes landed on the wolf-dog, who was partially crouched, ears erect as it stared at him…almost in concern.

Garmadon blinked again, then shook his head, putting his head in his hands. Only a dream. It was only a dream…

The wolf-dog suddenly crept towards him, nuzzling his elbow.

Garmadon jumped, jerking away from it.

The wolf-dog flattened its ears, flinching back.

Garmadon took a breath. Then sighed, letting it out slowly. He reached out a shaking hand to it, mouthing, "Sorry…"

The wolf-dog sniffed it, then rested its nose in his hand, letting out another soft whine.

Garmadon patted its nose, then folded his hands, squeezing them, trying to block out his nightmare from his mind. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on his breathing.

He was FINE.

The wolf-dog whined again.

Garmadon glanced at it. "What?" His voice sounded more choked then he'd intended.

It wagged its tail, staring into his eye.

Garmadon suddenly realized part of his face was still wet. He quickly swiped a sleeve across, careful to avoid his…the metal on him. He'd been…was he crying?

He shook his head. This was…humiliating.

If Wu knew—

He shut his eye tightly. No no no—

The wolf-dog whined again.

Garmadon looked at it. He sighed again, wearily. "Thanks, buddy…"

The dog wagged its tail, staring up at him happily. Its tongue hang out the side.

Garmadon felt a smile tug at his lips. "Okay, take it easy, though. Your paw is still injured." He lifted the stick, preparing to throw it.

The dog stood up abruptly, ears and eyes now alert and focused. Its muscles tensed, ready to bolt.

Garmadon sent the stick flying through the air—though only about five feet from the dog. He didn't want it to injure itself.

The dog shot off, a slight limp in its step. It had been healing nicely, now almost healed. The dog snapped the stick up into its teeth. It trotted back over to him proudly, head held high, its tail swaying with each pawstep.

Garmadon smiled. "Good boy." He held out a hand, and the dog gave the stick to him, letting go. His smile grew. He'd been trying to teach it to take the stick back to him and then actually DROP it all week. He had finally accomplished that. He ruffled the dog's head, then prepared to throw again.

The dog backed up excitedly, tail wagging and tongue still hanging out awkwardly. Its sharp yellow eyes stared at the stick.

"Murderer. What will your brother, wife—SON—think of you now?"

Garmadon paused, shuddering. He shook his head, blinking rapidly, and grit his teeth. Ichor wasn't here. It was just—

"You're pathetic, Garmadon. Look at you! You're cowering! The mighty EMPEROR Garmadon, on his knees!"

The dog's mouth closed in confusion, now staring at him instead.

Garmadon shut his eye tightly, lowering his head. No, he would not—

"I know you, Garmadon. I can get into your head. I can see your guilt, your fear. You know they'll reject you. Don't you?"

"No…" Garmadon shook his head, shaking.

The dog whined.

Ichor wasn't HERE—

Garmadon suddenly felt something wet on his hand. He flinched, then looked down, seeing that the dog was now next to him, its piercing yellow eyes—

Ochre.

It had come to him so suddenly. The taunting voice vanished, and Garmadon stared down at the dog, into its eyes.

"Ochre…" Garmadon frowned, wondering where the word had come from. Its eyes? They were yellow…not quite an ochre yellow, but maybe that had triggered it…

He shook his head.

The dog pricked its ears, now looking confused.

Garmadon knelt, his hand rubbing behind its ear.

The dog's tail wagged, its tongue hanging out once more.

"Ochre…how do you like that?"

The dog cocked its head.

"You like that? I think… I need something to call you… How does Ochre sound?"

The dog sat, its tail flapping on the ground.

Garmadon smiled. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."

"Sit."

The dog—Ochre—stared at him uncomprehendingly.

Garmadon sighed. Apparently, teaching it to fetch was easier than getting it to sit. Garmadon sat down himself, gesturing for it to do the same. "See? SIT. It's not hard."

The dog just stared at him.

Garmadon frowned. "Okay…" He stood up, crossing his arms.

The dog wagged its tail, then sat.

"There, good boy! Sit!" Garmadon ruffled Ochre's head with both hands, grinning happily. Of course, he'd do it AFTER he'd said to, but whatever. At least he may be learning.

Ochre wagged his tail excitedly, standing, body practically vibrating at the praise.

He probably had no clue what he'd done, either… Garmadon stood back up, holding out a hand in a fist motion. "Sit."

The dog stared at him, head cocking and making his tongue hang out the side.

Garmadon sighed, biting his lip. "Ochre, sit! Like you just did, remember?"

The dog still stared at him uncomprehendingly.

"…You don't even know what I'm saying, do you?"
The dog wagged its tail.

Garmadon shook his head. "You'll get it eventually, like with fetch…"

The dog stood, bolting a few feet away. It trotted back with a stick.

Garmadon blinked. Then a smile tugged at his lips. He took the stick, ruffling the dog's head. "At least you know that word, huh?"
Ochre barked, backing a few feet away, eyes going to the stick, then back to him.

Garmadon's eyes briefly flitted to the dog's paw. Ochre was barely limping anymore. It…it was practically healed now.

Better keep the dog a couple more weeks, just in case.

"Ochre, heel." Garmadon patted his leg, starting for the woods.

The dog quickly trotted up to him, where he'd indicated.

"Good boy." He smiled. Ochre's training had gone well over the past two weeks. He'd taught him a lot. He was now fully trained.

Garmadon gazed around at the scenery, his hand subconsciously rubbing Ochre's head. His fur was soft, comforting. It grounded him.

They walked for about twenty minutes, Ochre occasionally wandering off to sniff some smell he found interesting. Garmadon was panting slightly now, his leg still bothering him. It was still technically broken, but it was healed enough that he could walk on it fine.

Garmadon suddenly swayed, blinking. Black dots appeared in his vision. He rested a hand on a tree, his other hand going to his head. His chest felt tight—it hurt.

Ochre trotted over to him from where he'd been sniffing a bush. He nuzzled his leg, staring up at him questioningly.

Garmadon shook his head. "I…I'm fine, bud. Just—"

His stomach rumbled. Garmadon winced, his chest tightening. When was the last time he'd eaten, again? …Few days ago?

It had been that long already? He kept losing track of time… Well, that wasn't entirely true…

Ochre's ears went back in concern. He whined.

Garmadon patted the dog's head. "Don't worry, I'm fine… I just… I should probably eat something…" He looked back the way they'd come. Sighing, he turned around.

He could find food later. He was too tired…

Ochre nudged his hand with his nose.

Garmadon patted him again, absentmindedly.

Ochre suddenly barked, stopping.

Garmadon looked back. "What?"

The dog lowered its head, ears back. He whined again.

Garmadon frowned. "What is it?"

The dog suddenly turned, trotting off into the woods.

"Ochre? Hey!" Garmadon stumbled, trying to follow, but pain suddenly shot up his leg like needles. He winced, leaning against a tree. His leg may be healed enough to walk, but apparently not to sprint. "Ochre…?"

Confusion clouded his mind. Had he just…left? The dog did sometimes leave… He often went to go get food for himself, or to just…do whatever wolf-dogs did. But this…

It felt different. It was abrupt. Had the dog finally gotten sick of him? Maybe he'd done something to upset it…

Maybe he'd hurt it.

"No, no, I didn't—" Garmadon swallowed. He hadn't, had he?

He sat down, the confusion and hurt—

What had he done this time?!

No, he was probably overthinking this… Why had Ochre left again?

Because he hates you. Like everyone else.

Garmadon shook his head, biting his lip. "No…" Not Ochre. He wouldn't. Right…?

Garmadon put his head in his hands. He took a couple breaths, trying to shove the thoughts down, ground himself—

He hadn't hurt it, had he?

No. No, he was sure he hadn't.

Right?

An hour passed. Or at least, Garmadon assumed that. Time…well, he didn't really keep track of it too well. He knew it had been a few weeks since he'd escaped Ichor—

Garmadon almost face-planted into a metal door. He looked behind his shoulder quickly, then started trying to crack the code next to the door.

It beeped, a red light flashing.

No no no—

Garmadon bit his lip. He tasted blood, metallic and salty.

The thing beeped again.

No! Garmadon slammed his fist against it. It beeped again.

He sucked in a strangled, choked gasp.

Breathe. Breathe, Garmadon. He'd make it. He would. This time would be different—

He ripped the whole outer cover off the code box, instead staring at the wiring behind it. "I can— It's just wires. Jay can do it—"

He blinked rapidly, shaking his head. He shoved the thought away. "How hard can it be…?"

Garmadon awkwardly pulled some wires out, touching them to different ones, hoping—

He choked, blinking. No no NO—

You can do this. Just focus.

"Yeah, FOCUS, Garmadon." Wu huffed, eyes still closed, sitting cross-legged away from him.

Garmadon huffed as well, once more shutting his eyes tightly. "I AM!" he hissed.

"Quiet, both of you."

Garmadon could practically feel their father's disapproving stare—at him. Wu was the good boy, the favorite. Garmadon almost growled under his breath. Stupid Wu.

Garmadon suddenly blinked, jerking back, finding himself back in Ichor's lab. He growled, then shook his head. He didn't have time for this. He punched the whole locking mechanism, causing it to spark rapidly. The whole thing glitched, then—

The door creaked, then opened a crack.

Garmadon clenched his jaw, vision blurring. He blinked, feeling his chest loosen slightly. He quickly swiped at his face, then bolted down the hall.

Something touched his hand.

Garmadon jumped, snapping back to the present, a sharp gasp escaping him. Ochre stood in front of him, a rabbit in its mouth. The dog stared at him, eyes piercing, its tail wagging.

Garmadon blinked. "Ochre…?"

The dog dropped the rabbit.

Garmadon stared down at it. The dog licked his hand. He pet it absentmindedly, then looked up. "What's…what's this…?"

Ochre wagged his tail.

Garmadon frowned in confusion, eyebrows scrunching. "You're… giving it to me…?"

The dog sat down, still staring at him.

Garmadon's stomach suddenly rumbled again. He winced, a knot seeming to form right beneath his chest.

The dog nudged the rabbit closer to him.

Garmadon winced again, tilting his head slightly as he glanced at the rabbit. "Oh…" So the dog hadn't abandoned him after all. It had just—

Ochre barked.

Garmadon patted the dog's head. "Thanks, bud…"

Ochre lay next to him, his head resting on his knee. The dog's eyes were closed, content. His paw was now fully healed.

Garmadon stroked him, a smile flitting across his face. He glanced around, watching the leaves blow in the soft breeze. The small stream flowed before him smoothly, snaking further into the forest.

It was peaceful.

Garmadon frowned, glancing down at Ochre again. The dog…had helped him so much this past month. His anxiety had gone down a lot, and the dog helped him with nightmares. Ochre had stayed by his side no matter what, and…Garmadon was beginning to see him as a true friend. The only one he had.

He sighed, rubbing the dog's ears. He stared down at Ochre's ruff, contemplating. He had no collar. He was a stray, most likely. The dog probably hadn't been wild, since he was so friendly.

He most likely had no owner.

The dog suddenly stirred, looking up at him. Ochre's tongue hung out the side, giving a silly look to him.

Garmadon laughed, petting his nose.

Then he frowned. He…the dog had no owners, right? At least, not likely…and…that meant Ochre needed someone to take care of him—he ignored the fact that Ochre could take care of himself just fine—so that meant…it wouldn't hurt to keep him, would it?

Garmadon gazed into the dog's eyes. "What do you think? You…want to stay with me?"

Ochre wagged his tail.

Garmadon smiled. "Is that a yes?" He took the dog's face in his hands. "I'm going to keep you, alright? You like that?"

The dog barked, seeming to smile lopsidedly, wagging his tail faster.

Garmadon's smile turned into a grin. He rubbed Ochre's neck, the dog licking his face.

Garmadon stood. "You want to go for a walk?"

Ochre leaped to his paws, tail wagging faster, now staring up at him expectantly.

Garmadon started into the woods, the dog following at his heel.

He could stay in this place. These woods were peaceful.

I can't hurt anyone here.

Author's note: Ochre is an original character I created, so please don't use him without permission (: