"He is a robot. My father seems to have built him." Zane held his arm towards her, where the falcon perched.
P.I.X.A.L. looked at the falcon in interest. "Fascinating… May I touch him?"
"Of course."
She gently stroked it's chest feathers, then sighed. "I am sorry about your father, Zane…I wish I could do something."
"It is alright." Zane frowned, watching the bird.
Wu tapped his staff on the floor. "We must get training now."
Zane nodded, lifting his arm slightly. The falcon took the cue, flying over to the top of the monastery's wall and perching there.
Lloyd watched the bird. He still didn't understand technology. How someone could actually build a bird was beyond his comprehension.
"We're going to be working on your elemental powers again," Wu said.
The ninja glanced at each other. Training in elemental powers had been very slow going.
"Begin." Wu sat down cross-legged on the stairs that led into the monastery, sipping a cup of tea with his staff beside him.
Zane immediately started training, his ice flowing nicely with his movements. Jay took a light bulb from a box full of them, biting his lip. Nya stared at her bucket of water, hovering her hands over it. And Kai experimentally lit some sparks in his hands.
Lloyd sighed quietly. He started training by himself, shooting his power at a training dummy. Because his friends were so far behind, he often found himself training alone. Wu was stuck helping his friends, his father seemed to avoid the ninja, and his mother was busy with work.
A sudden rush of heat hit him.
Lloyd looked over, seeing Kai shooting flames across the courtyard in an uncontrolled inferno. The heat radiated over the place in waves.
Wu quickly spun over to Kai in Spinjitzu, whisking the flames in and putting them out. He stopped, looking at the red ninja.
Kai huffed, crossing his arms. "I had that under control."
"You did not. Your power has gone out of control too often."
Kai scoffed quietly, staring at the ground.
"I think you need to meditate again."
"What?!" Kai glared at him.
"Your power is out of control because you forced it out at the palace, when you and your friends decided to defeat the Emperor. Your power can be very dangerous, Kai. You could hurt someone. Do you understand?"
Kai grit his teeth.
"He's right, Kai." Nya walked over. "Just a few days ago, you lit the blacksmith shop on fire. You're lucky I was training and had plenty of water with me…"
"Whatever." Kai stalked over to Lloyd. "I'll prove you all wrong…"
Lloyd watched him, a little uneasy.
Wu shook his head, going back over to the porch. "I cannot train you if you will not listen." He sat down.
Kai didn't reply, ruffling Lloyd's hair. "How's it going?"
Lloyd glanced at is uncle, then to Kai. "Uh…fine."
Kai went and grabbed two katanas, then came back over. "Want to spar?"
"Sure." Lloyd was bored, anyway. He went and got his sword.
"Who do you think the elemental is?"
Lloyd shrugged, getting into a ready stance in front of Kai. "I don't know…but with the Emperor dead, I don't think there is an elemental. Unless one of those half breeds that killed him was an elemental master."
Kai scoffed. "Doubt it. Besides, we don't even know if the former Emperor was the Dark Lord. It could be anyone."
"I guess…"
"Think I'm good enough?" He twirled his swords.
"Uh…what do you mean?"
"For the elemental. Do you think I could be him?"
Lloyd rose his eyebrows. "Uh…I don't know. Maybe, I guess."
Kai grinned.
Nya walked over, shaking her head. "Kai, that's ridiculous."
"Nuh-uh. You're just jealous." Kai smirked.
Nya rolled her eyes.
Zane and Jay also walked over. Apparently, they were all taking a break. Lloyd glanced at Wu, who did not look happy about it. Though surprisingly, he didn't say anything.
"So, who do you guys think the new Emperor is, anyway?" Kai twirled his katanas again.
"It is whoever was next in line for the throne," Zane said.
P.I.X.A.L. walked over, joining them.
"Hey, Pix, do you know who the Emperor would be?" Kai looked at her.
"I do not know." P.I.X.A.L. stood close to Zane. She'd been shy since they'd met her, always by Zane, tense and anxious.
It reminded Lloyd of himself. It made him wonder what she'd been through, as a nindroid—if it was similar to his experience or not.
"Whoever it is, they must like half breeds for some reason…" Kai swung his sword at the dummy.
Lloyd frowned.
Kai paused. "Uh…that came out wrong."
Nya rolled her eyes again.
"So if the half breeds killed the former Emperor, and the current Emperor is probably his relative…why would he let half breeds in?" Jay asked. "They would have probably murdered his family…"
Lloyd remembered Cole's mother, who'd unfortunately been killed by half breeds. Cole had hated the half breeds ever since, though he was glad he seemed to longer hate him.
Kai shrugged. "Maybe he didn't like 'em?"
"Maybe…" Nya looked unconvinced.
So did Jay.
"Alright, that's enough chit-chatting. Back to work!" Wu called.
The ninja sighed. They all spread out again, training with their powers. P.I.X.A.L. watched Zane from the side-lines. She often came to watch him.
Kai started attacking Lloyd's training dummy, a new spark in his eyes.
Lloyd frowned, watching.
"Hey, Lloyd, you gonna train or just watch my awesomeness?" Kai smirked at him.
Lloyd blushed a little in embarrassment, then turned, training in weapon stances instead.
Kai started training again, going at the training dummy hard.
Something was bugging him…Lloyd knew it. He sighed. Of course, Kai wouldn't tell him what it was, though. And Lloyd didn't expect him to.
The door to the monastery opened, and Lloyd looked over, seeing his father. Garmadon watched the ninja train, then glanced at Wu with an unreadable expression.
Wu looked at Garmadon. "Hello."
Garmadon nodded to him silently.
A few of the ninja glanced over, some curious and some cautious. They may trust Lloyd, but knowing Garmadon was a half breed, and that he'd been the half breed to blast all those people years ago and therefore earn himself a reputation, they weren't very trusting of him.
And all they knew, was that Garmadon was Wu's half breed friend. They had no clue they were related. Or that Wu was Lloyd's uncle.
He bit his lip. All these secrets were starting to weigh on him. Especially after he'd gotten discovered to be a half breed—it had taught him the danger of revealing secrets.
Sure, there had been benefits. Like friendship, and being let into the city without hiding who he was. But his friends' reputations were ruined, they were mocked along with him, and they had originally turned on him. Which had hurt a lot.
Garmadon went back inside.
Lloyd sighed. He glanced at Kai, seeing him still attacking the training dummy.
Kai paused, looking at him. "Do you think I could be the elemental?"
"Uh…didn't you already ask this?"
"Yeah. But do you think I could be?"
Lloyd frowned. "Well…I said it's possible. But I don't know."
Kai frowned, staring at the dummy. "Okay."
He bit his lip, then started training again.
He briefly wondered how long they would have to defend the city. He'd always seen it as a permanent thing. But what if they defeated the oni? They couldn't let them attack the city forever. And the half breeds were barely a threat anymore.
What would he do? Without his ninja identity, who was he? And how could he be accepted by the humans?
Lloyd swiped his sword at the air, throwing the thoughts to the back of his mind. He'd worry about that when it came. For now, he had training to do.