Garmadon walked into the kitchen, Ochre at his heel. They'd left early that morning so Ochre could find something to eat—which he had, that grouse hadn't stood a chance—because he hadn't wanted to take anything from the fridge. And he wasn't sure how Wu felt about feeding Ochre human food…
Wu stood at the stove, pouring himself some tea. He'd turned when he'd entered, smiling. "Good morning, brother."
Garmadon nodded, petting Ochre's head. "Good morning…" He glanced around the kitchen.
"I noticed you were gone this morning; you missed breakfast. Where were you?"
Garmadon swallowed, shifting uneasily. "I don't want you leaving the monastery without someone with you." Wu's words rang in his mind. "Uh…I went on a walk…with Ochre…"
Wu frowned. "I assumed as much… I thought I said I didn't want you leaving the monastery without someone with you? I don't want those people hurting you again…"
"I…I know…but Ochre was with me. And you didn't specify what 'someone' meant…" Garmadon looked away, aware that the excuse was a lame one—he'd known what Wu meant.
"I see…are you alright?"
"Yes. I'm fine."
Wu's eyes narrowed for a moment. "Alright…but you still haven't had breakfast yet."
Garmadon nodded. "Right…um…" He looked around again.
"Zane made some scrambled eggs. The leftovers are in the fridge."
Garmadon nodded again, then headed for the fridge, opening it. He felt Wu's gaze on him as he pulled out the container, setting it on the counter.
Ochre came over, sniffing the counter in interest.
Garmadon shoved his nose away, patting his head, and then grabbed himself a plate. Ochre continued to sniff the counter as he got his eggs, cooked them in the microwave, and then brought it to the table and sat down.
Ochre followed him then to the table, ears pricked excitedly.
Garmadon handed him a bit of eggs.
The dog gobbled it up happily, tail wagging.
Wu walked over, eyeing the dog, before his gaze went to Garmadon. "You seem more willing to eat this morning than you've been the past couple days…"
Garmadon stared at his food, stirring it slowly with the fork, and shrugged.
"… It's because of the dog, isn't it?"
Garmadon didn't reply at first, reaching out a hand to pet Ochre—who was now sniffing at the table. "…Yes." Then he moved the dog's nose away, not wanting him to actually get to his food, and took a small bite.
He hadn't taken much eggs, only a small amount. But Wu didn't seem to mind, thankfully.
"Hmm."
Garmadon glanced at him, seeing the pondering look in his eyes.
"Why is that?"
He looked away again, shrugging, and took another bite.
"Well…I'm glad the dog helps you. I wish you would have told me before how much he meant to you…I would have tried to buy him from Mr. Dommick instead of letting him take him like that."
Garmadon stared at his plate, chewing slowly.
Wu eventually left with his tea, leaving Garmadon alone. Which…was surprising, that he wasn't watching him eat to make sure he did.
Ochre whined, putting a paw on his leg.
Garmadon smiled a little, patting his paw. "No more, you already had your breakfast."
Ochre's ears went back in disappointment.
He stared at him for a few seconds…then sighed. "Fine…but only a bit more." He handed him so more eggs in his hand, the dog licking his palm clean.
Ochre's tail wagged happily, looking up at him expectantly—for more food.
Garmadon shook his head, wiping the saliva from his hand onto his pants. "Nope. You've had enough, bud. Lay down."
Ochre slowly laid down, eyes staring into his pleadingly.
Garmadon sighed, then went back to eating. He smiled a little though in amusement. "You're such a silly thing…" he murmured.
The dog just whined again.
Garmadon laughed quietly, slipping some more food to Ochre.
Lunch time came along.
Garmadon had hung out with Ochre in the living room, not really sure what to do. Wu had come and got him for lunch a few minutes ago, and now Garmadon found himself in the kitchen, watching the ninja.
Cole and Kai had started arguing over food instead of Cole and Jay, and Nya was trying to get them to stop. Jay was happily eating his food in peace for once, and Zane looked confused. Lloyd was eating by himself, gaze far away.
Wu stood at the counted, pouring himself tea again. He turned, cup in hand. "Ninja, sit down and eat."
They reluctantly obeyed.
Wu motioned to Garmadon to sit down.
Garmadon hesitantly did so, Ochre following him over.
The ninja had already heard about what had happened last night, he assumed, because they didn't bat an eye that Ochre was here again.
"Here, doggy!" Cole held out some sandwich meat.
Ochre happily ate it, sniffing around for any more free food.
Garmadon wasn't sure how he felt about the ninja feeding him, since the dog had already eaten, but he didn't say anything for the time being.
Lunch went by slowly, and at the end, the ninja started helping to put everything away—plus clean up Cole and Kai's mess they'd made earlier.
Garmadon stood around awkwardly, by the door. He wanted to help, instead of sitting around uselessly, but Wu would never let him. He really didn't know why…
Nya came over, handing Ochre some of the mustard-covered meat that had been thrown to the floor earlier.
Ochre wagged his tail, gobbling it down. He sniffed her hand for more, but finding none, he whined.
Nya smiled, patting his head. "So, he's staying, then?"
Garmadon stared at her for a moment, before he realized she was talking to him, and not someone else. He blinked, fumbling for words. "U-um…yes."
"That's good. It'll be nice having a dog around here…" She glanced at Lloyd, then back to Ochre.
Garmadon's gaze flicked to Lloyd, who was staring off into space again, frowning—and was failing to help the others. He felt like he was missing something, something Nya had unintentionally implied, but he couldn't figure out what…
"Hmm. We should get him a collar, since he's going to be an official member of the monastery…"
Garmadon looked at her, blinking. "Um…what?"
"Since he's officially yours, right?" She looked up at him, now kneeling by Ochre.
"Um…yes. He is…"
She squinted at him, then looked at Ochre again. "Are you planning on getting him a collar and a tag? Like most dogs have?"
"Um…I…hadn't thought about it…do you think he needs one?"
Nya shrugged. "Maybe…it's just an idea. If he does ever get lost again, if someone finds him, they'll know he's not just a stray. That he belongs to someone. When we first found him, we had no idea he was someone's dog. He'd looked like a stray, like any other dog on the street."
Garmadon swallowed. "Oh…"
She stood. "Maybe we should get him one this afternoon?"
"Uh…what?"
"A collar?"
"Er…yes…but where?"
She smiled. "A pet store, probably."
"I…don't have any money…" Garmadon glanced away.
"That's okay. We can lend you some."
He looked at her. "Really?"
"Yeah! I'd be willing to pitch in. Ochre is such a sweet dog." She smiled again.
"Um…I…are you sure?"
"Yeah, it'll be worth it. I have some money saved up. I can see if anyone else wants to pitch in, as well."
Garmadon blinked, then stroked Ochre's head. "Uh…I…I don't know…"
"Why not?"
He shrugged, looking down at Ochre.
She studied him a for a moment. "…You know, you've changed a lot."
"What do you mean?"
"You're…I guess…awkward, almost? Or…uncertain. Nervous." She shrugged. "It's just not a look I've ever seen on you."
Garmadon frowned. "Oh."
"I didn't mean it in a bad way. It's just something I've observed." She smiled a little. "So, what do you think?"
"…About what?"
"Getting Ochre a collar?"
"Oh…um…I…" He shrugged, avoiding her gaze. I can't take anymore. No.
"Hmm…" Nya walked over to Wu, talking with him briefly.
Garmadon watched uneasily.
A few minutes later, they both walked over to him.
"Here—" Wu held out a twenty dollar bill—"I think getting Ochre a collar is a wonderful idea." He smiled.
Garmadon blinked, taking a step back. "I…what?"
"Since the dog is yours, now, he does need a tag."
"And—" Nya grinned—"a collar will make it more official."
Garmadon blinked again. "I…I can't…"
"Why not?" She frowned.
He looked away, stroking Ochre's head again.
"Brother, it will probably be good for you to get away from the monastery, anyway. Or…out, somewhere, that's not the woods and not somewhere like last night."
Garmadon frowned.
Wu gestured the twenty at him again. "You can bring Ochre with you, as well."
Nya nodded. "Yeah, pet stores usually allow pets."
He shifted uneasily. "Are…are you sure…?"
"Of course." Wu nodded, smiling reassuringly.
Garmadon hesitated, then took the twenty dollar bill from Wu. He mentally promised to repay him.
Nya smiled, then walked over to Lloyd. "Hey, you want to go shopping?"
He looked up, blinking in confusion. "Uh…what?"
"Your dad and I are going to get Ochre a collar. Since he's going to be staying here permanently, now."
Lloyd blinked again. "Uh…" He shrugged, looking away.
"No? Why not?"
"I just…I don't know. I might train for a bit…"
"You don't want to come?"
"Eh…you have fun. I have stuff to do."
Nya frowned in concern.
Garmadon looked away, head down. Ochre nudged his hand with his nose. He pet him absentmindedly.
"Lloyd, I think you should go."
He looked over, seeing Wu now over by Lloyd as well.
Lloyd crossed his arms, looking away. "I'll be busy training."
"No, you won't. I think you should go."
Lloyd stared at the floor.
"Please? It'll be good for you."
Lloyd bit his lip—hard. He took a slow breath. "I really don't want to."
"But it will be good for you."
"I'm going out in a few days, anyway. It's my day to get groceries soon, isn't it?"
"Yes…but you know that's not what I mean. Please, go."
Lloyd scowled. "…Yeah. I know."
"Then will you please?"
Lloyd hesitated, glancing at Garmadon. He quickly looked away when their eyes met.
Garmadon did as well, staring at the floor as his fingers went deeper into Ochre's fur. Lloyd's gaze…there was hurt. Hurt that he had caused.
Idiot.
He took a breath, glancing down at Ochre. The dog stared up at him, tongue hanging out.
At least he had Ochre.
Not that he deserved him, though…
"…Fine," Lloyd said through gritted teeth.
Garmadon looked up at him, blinking in surprise.
Wu smiled. "Thank you, nephew." He went back over to the stove, sipping his tea.
Nya grinned excitedly, pulling Lloyd into a side hug. "Don't worry, it'll be great! Besides, it's a pet store—do you know what that means?"
Lloyd frowned in confusion, blinking. "Uh…no…?"
"That means they might have cats! Or other pets to look at. And fish." Her smile widened, and she stared ahead, almost distractedly. "Fish are so calming to watch…"
A small, amused smile briefly flitted across Lloyd's face.
Nya let go of him, going to help clean the rest of lunch up.
Lloyd sighed quietly, staring at the wall.
The other ninja looked over at Nya.
"Can I come?" Jay slid some plates into the soapy water in the sink, causing water to splash to the floor from how full it was filled.
Nya shook her head apologetically. "Sorry, Jay…it's just—" She gestured with her head at Lloyd, then Garmadon, before her gaze went back to him.
Jay frowned, looking confused.
Nya rolled her eyes, then kissed him on the cheek quick. She turned, grabbing some bins of food from Zane.
Jay blushed.
The other ninja didn't bother asking, it seemed, and kept working until everything was cleared and cleaned up.
Nya came over to Garmadon then, grinning. "Let's go! We can take the Bounty."
"The Bounty…?" Garmadon blinked. He was suddenly very less fond of this idea than before… Did they really want him on that ship with them again? He had almost crashed it and almost killed everyone and—
The red button glared up at him. 'Do not press while in motion' was clearly labeled onto it. While in motion?
Like they were right now.
He stared at it thoughtfully.
"And anyway, he doesn't have his powers back. So how much trouble can he really cause?" Lloyd said.
Garmadon glanced at Lloyd. Then back to the button.
He pressed it.
The thrusters suddenly gave a slow, whooshing sound, then stopped altogether.
He felt the stares of the ninja suddenly on him. Garmadon walked around the console, hands behind his back innocently.
"Did he just turn off the…?" Zane asked.
"Oh, great—"
The ninja screamed as the ship suddenly nose-dived towards the ground.
Garmadon calmly hung onto some thing on the wall, watching as the ninja screamed dramatically. How pathetic.
As they scrambled to turn the button back on, he watched them almost…curiously.
Eventually, Zane managed to reach the button, and the ship's thrusters ignited. The Bounty righted itself, and the ninja groaned.
Too bad. His fun was over. Not that he ever had fun, but it'd been interesting.
He walked back over to the button, staring at it with his hands on his hips. "Hmm…" Then he gestured to it nonchalantly. "That button should be labeled." He smiled, walking past the stunned, flabbergasted ninja.
How interesting, indeed.
"Ugh! It IS labeled!" Nya shouted exasperatedly. "It says, 'Don't push while in motion'!"
Of course. He smiled, leaving the—
Garmadon was jerked back into reality, Ochre licking his hand.
"Are…you okay?" Nya was looking at him concernedly.
He blinked, realizing that the ninja and Wu had left, now. He stroked Ocher's head, swallowing. "Er…yes. I'm fine." He turned, walking out.
He felt Nya's gaze on him as she followed him.
"Okay…well, Lloyd already headed down to the hanger. We'll meet him there." She paused. "You know…while we're there, we should probably get Ochre a leash, as well."
He only half listened to her, mind going over and over the memory he'd just had. He…didn't want to mess up again.
When they reached the living room, Nya opened the hanger door and walked in.
Garmadon hesitated for a second, then came in as well.
Ochre paused, sniffing the small space uncertainly.
Garmadon patted his leg, looking at Ochre. "Come on."
The dog hesitated again, whining.
"It's okay, it's just an elevator."
Ochre sat down, ears back.
Nya watched Ochre curiously. "Come on, Ochre. It's okay."
The dog didn't budge.
"Why won't he come in?" She looked at Garmadon.
He shrugged, than walked over to Ochre, picking him up. The dog's forepaws hung over his shoulders, and Garmadon carried him into the elevator. "It's an enclosed space…maybe he thinks it looks like a cage, or something…or a kennel for him, I guess…"
The dog whined uncertainly.
"Huh. Maybe…"
The elevator door closed, and they started moving down.
Garmadon set Ochre down. The dog leaned against his leg, ears back as he looked around in confusion. Probably because of the weird sensation of moving down. Garmadon patted his head reassuringly.
The door opened again at the bottom, and they came out.
When they neared the Bounty, Garmadon felt his anxiety spike again. But he came aboard the ship anyway, ignoring it for it now.
Ochre seemed fascinated by the ship, sniffing around and around, sticking his nose into cracks and crevices and sticking his head through the rails to look out at the hanger bay.
Garmadon watched him, trying to hide his amusement—and his anxiety.
Lloyd looked over the rails at them from the bridge. "Hey, are we leaving or sightseeing?"
Nya glanced up at him. "We're coming, Lloyd…be patient, we have plenty of time." She gave him a small smile, then climbed one of the ladders up to the bridge.
Lloyd frowned. His head disappeared as he moved back, most likely to the wheel.
Garmadon sighed. Ochre came over to him, tail wagging. He pat his head as the ship started up, then rose a bit.
Ochre stumbled, leaning against his leg for support. He whined uncertainly.
"It's okay…" he murmured quietly. Then he bit his lip. Don't touch the button, don't touch the button, I won't touch the button—
The ship nose-dived towards the ground, the ninja screaming—
The Bounty started forwards, going at a slow pace towards the large door that led out of the mountain.
I could have killed them all.
Ochre nosed his hand.
Garmadon pet him, jaw clenched.
"We should get to the city in about an hour or so." Nya's voice floated down from the bridge.
Garmadon continued to stroke Ochre's head, taking a calming breath.
The ship left the hanger, going high into the sky. It turned west, towards Ninjago City. The wind blew lightly as they flew, and the sun shown brightly. It was a nice day out…
Eventually, Ochre left his side, sniffing around again. The he looked between the rail. His ears pricked forward at record-speed, and he tensed, hackles raising.
Garmadon walked over to him, looking over at the view. He smiled a little, patting Ochre's head.
The dog stared in shock for a few minutes, before he relaxed again. His hackles lowered slowly.
"It's okay. We're flying, bud. Like those birds you like to catch." He chuckled.
Ochre's tail wagged a little. He started panting lightly, and he sniffed the air with his tongue still sticking out, making him look ridiculous as it slid to the side of his mouth.
Garmadon laughed. "You're such a silly dog…" Then he frowned, glancing around. The anxiety was back again. His stomach clenched uncomfortably.
Ochre sat down, leaning against his leg as he gathered the smells into his nose.
Garmadon stayed there, stroking his head and breathing in the fresh, clear air.