Dreams and Desires

Chapter 12

Masked

*I own nothing and any similarities with any other works are purely coincidental.

Lloyd was standing on a stone surface, the ground beneath him worn and weathered. He was in the Oni temple, a mysterious locale hidden away in the dense and uncharted jungle that was Primeval's Eye. The rather obscure and clandestine location had been constructed for the sole purpose of protecting the final Oni mask, and Lloyd had been foolish enough to remove it.

I never should have taken it from the alter. he thought, wishing desperately that he could go back and return the powerful relic. But it was too late, and Lloyd would have to deal with the consequences of his mistake. And they were extremely grave, for his beloved Harumi was no more. She had been consumed by rage and anger, with the Mask of Hatred amplifying her degenerate emotions and feelings exponentially. She was hideously demonic in her new form; a disturbing, twisted version of the woman he loved. Lloyd had tried to deny it, attempted to tell himself that it was just a trick or illusion. But this was her, the person she truly was. It had all been a lie; a deceitful facade to trick and ensnare the young ninja. He had fallen for it, and for her.

"Hurt me all you want, but I'm never gonna let you get away with this." Lloyd stated, refusing to let all of the pain and heartbreak he felt cloud his judgement. His emotions would only hurt him right now; he needed to stop her, and his feelings couldn't get in the way of that.

"Physical pain can only hurt so much." she retorted, her voice warped and distorted. "I intend far worse."

The whole thing was rather unsettling, her voice was lowered as if it was being processed through some kind of advanced technical filter. Or a garbage disposal, he quietly thought to himself. "Then what do you want?" he asked shakily, failing to keep all of the fear and concern out of his voice. He was intimidated by the anger that had corrupted her, and he found that his skin was beginning to shiver with fright. What had she become?

"I want you to feel the emptiness that I feel!" Harumi yelled. Lloyd was taken aback by the outburst, and as much as he hated to admit it, he was scared of her. "When your father is reborn, he won't be the man you recognize!" she said gleefully. "His soul will be gone and I want his cold hands to destroy you!" It was as if she was almost gloating about it, enjoying how much she was hurting Lloyd. She relished his pain, feeding off of his misery to hide her own.

"You're a monster!" Lloyd spat, utterly disgusted by her true nature. She was crazy, psychotically warped and demented by her suffering. "I'll never feel what you feel." he said, still doing his best to hold back all of his affection and sentiment. She had used him; manipulated his heart and soul for her own personal gain, and it was tearing Lloyd apart. He vowed that he would never again be so trusting and open. Never again! he screamed, the thought echoing throughout his troubled mind.

"We will see."

Lloyd had been wrong, for he now felt exactly what Harumi had felt. It had taken months, and it had only come after her death, but Ninjago's beloved Green Ninja had fallen. He had never even begun to heal from the blow to his heart and all of the pain and torment had finally corrupted his soul. Lloyd had become the very monster he had sworn to destroy. His morals and ethics were warped; changed against his will, and now he only wished harm upon the people who cared about him most. Lloyd felt truly alone and isolated, as if he had been cruelly condemned to deal with all of his agony in solitude.

All of the grief he had felt over Harumi's untimely death had simply been left to fester, to grow in him like a cancer until he had been engulfed completely. All of his trust, compassion, and kindness had been replaced by a bitter and spiteful rage. But it was a very controlled, calculated rage, as Lloyd had methodically planned his revenge to a T. He would not seek out his prey, for he knew that they would find him soon enough. The element of surprise was key to inflicting the most mental damage possible to his friends. So when the ninja arrived Lloyd planned to act like his former self until their guards were down. He would lull them into a false sense of security before utterly breaking their hearts. After all, Lloyd could wear a mask just as well as his lost love.

A blue helicopter suddenly flew in, shaking Lloyd from his thoughts. The news people had arrived, and as annoying as that was, it would simply make the ninja arrive sooner. For if they didn't know where he was, now they did. Everyone in Ninjago City would know where he was now.

"NGTV reporter Gayle Gossip here, and it seems that the search for the Green Ninja is finally over!" she said enthusiastically. "He was spotted flying into Ninjago City just half an hour ago, and he has now turned up at Borg Tower." She looked down from her helicopter to see him, but the image before her eyes was rather puzzling.

"Strangely, he doesn't appear to be doing anything." she remarked, before turning back at the camera. Her face was marred with confusion, but Gayle was a professional news reporter. She could get past her own surprise and reactions to an event in order to best inform the public.

"The Green Ninja seems to just be sitting on the roof of the tower, meditating." she proposed, before motioning the cameraman to focus on Lloyd. His blond hair was being blown back by the wind, and his golden gi shone brilliantly against the dark backdrop of the tower. The combination gave him an almost mystical look, as if he had ascended to some sort of god-like state. His eyes were closed, giving off an appearance of deep thought and reflection. In reality the whole thing was a ruse; a ploy to trick the public and hide his true intentions. Lloyd had chosen to present himself in such a way very intentionally. Not only would it calm the public and hide his evil eyes, but it would make it seem like he had been away on some sort of retreat; as if he had only left in order to learn something, and to further his own understanding. And if he appeared to be doing very little, then the news team would have very little to say about him. Which meant that they would hopefully leave a lot sooner.

Kai, Jay, and Cole had all returned to the Bounty following their unsuccessful searches for Lloyd, and they soon discovered that Master Wu had left them Lloyd's set of stone armor, as well as Jay and Coles old suits. However, their master was nowhere to be found, and Nya and Zane had not returned either. The ship was deserted other than Misako, who was getting somewhat frustrated with having to constantly watch over the ship.

"Three sets of armor, and only the three of us are back." Kai smugly remarked. "Pretty convenient if I say so myself." He quickly snatched up the spare set of armor and put it on over his gi. The armor melded itself into his Hunted Robe, and Kai immediately remembered how limiting the armor could be. It was not a huge difference, but he definitely felt slower and held back in his movements. Jay and Cole took their respective suits and used Spinjitzu to quickly change. They released their colorful tornadoes quickly, and Jay felt himself stumble a bit under the added weight. None of them really liked wearing the armor, but it was a necessary precaution. Hopefully we won't have to fight him anyway. Jay thought.

All of their concerns were simultaneously heightened and lessened when Kai lazily flicked on the television. His eyes widened in shock, as he was instantly jolted awake by the image being displayed on the screen. It was Lloyd, wearing a new golden suit. "Where did Lloyd get a swanky new costume?" Kai questioned, failing to keep the slight envy from his tone. The sight put him very much on edge, as the gold was an immediate red flag. Wu had warned them that the Master of Dreams might wish to activate Lloyd's Golden Power, and now it seemed that he had been right. The armor had disappeared from Dareth's apartment, and Lloyd had not been carrying it when he was spotted soon afterwards. he internally reasoned. So he must have absorbed the power from the armor beforehand, but then where was the sword? Lloyd didn't have it on him anymore, nor did he seem to possess any weapon for that matter. Granted Lloyd doesn't need a sword, he mused, but why leave it behind?

The whole situation was extremely confusing him, and so he chose to turn his attention back to the television. Lloyd was just sitting on the roof; peacefully meditating. "Well, I guess I stand corrected." said Gayle. "It appears we have the Golden Ninja on our hands again!"

They were all pretty worn out from searching the realm for Lloyd, but low and behold, he had been found. "Well, there goes my evening." Jay said.

"Yeah, I think it's about time that we got his royal highness back to the Monastery." Kai quipped.

The trio bolted out of the lounge and quickly ran back onto the deck. They jumped from the ship and each summoned their own Elemental Dragons. Lloyd has quite a bit of explaining to do. Kai thought.

The sound of the whirring helicopter slowly faded away as the news crew left to follow another story. Lloyd quickly leapt up from his meditative trance, thankful that he didn't have to shut his eyes any longer. Sitting still for those few minutes had been rather annoying, since immeasurable patience was no longer something he possessed. He had waited long enough, and he was very pleased to see that a group dragons were already approaching. But there were only three, which meant that two of the ninja weren't there. Well that's pretty nice I guess. he thought. Makes my life a lot easier.

Lloyd squinted through his scarlet eyes, trying to make out the precise colors of the distant specks. One of them was definitely red, so Kai must be with the group. he reasoned. And there looked to be a, uh, yes, that's definitely a brown dragon. That's alright, I can deal with Cole. And the third one is…

He froze at the sight. It was a blue dragon, and that could be either Jay or… Nya. Oh shit. Please god be Jay, I can't deal with having her here now. Nya had always been extremely nice and comforting to him, and he was terrified that he wouldn't have the strength to attack her. Don't make me do this. he pleaded, desperately hoping that his prayers would be answered. As the dragons neared he could make out more of the details, and to his immense relief, it appeared that Jay was flying upon the blue dragon. Thank the First Spinjitzu Master.

Now far more reassured and confident in his plan, Lloyd turned away from the approaching Ninja. He would need to look away from them, to stare off distantly at the skyline. To appear once more to be reflective and introspective; as if he was far wiser than when he had left. Of course it would all be a ploy, another tactic concocted to hide his true ambitions. His blood-red eyes were now a very serious liability, and covering them up would only raise suspicions. Closing them would be far better, as that would further enhance that appearance of possessing greater knowledge and understanding.

Lloyd heard the faint sound of feet landing upon the tower roof, and without needing to look, he knew that half of the fruit-colored ninja had arrived. The wait was finally over, and he was almost giddy with excitement. Of course he showed none of it, for he had learned how to keep all of his plans close to his chest.

"Hello again friends." Lloyd quietly remarked. It took every bit of acting talent he possessed to call them friends, but he needed to stay calm. He was in control of his emotions, a cold and calculated killer.

"Hey buddy." Kai said shakily. Lloyd's actions were really quite confusing to him, as being pensive and contemplative was not something that he often did. He was often quiet and distant, but never quite like this. There was something slightly off about him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

And with how Lloyd had just randomly appeared with this more wistful nature, Kai was beginning to wonder whether he had actually been abducted. Would Lloyd really have ran away from the Monastery? He couldn't believe it, but it just seemed to be more and more likely. Lloyd did not have the look of an escaped prisoner; he was too calm and measured. If he had broken out of some sort of confinement he would definitely be more frantic and distressed. Kai thought. But it was as if he had simply returned from a sojourn, some sort of a short journey undertaken for personal reasons.

The act was working like a charm. All three ninja were utterly befuddled by his actions, and Lloyd couldn't help but smile slightly at his handiwork. Jay was the one to finally speak up and break the silence. "So, uh, Lloyd. Where have you been this whole time?" he asked, trying to keep the worry from his voice. "We've been really worried about you."

"I was taken from the Temple against my will." he sadly remarked. Playing for sympathy was going to be crucial if he was to quickly regain their trust. He would need to be mostly honest, for blatant lies could only come back to haunt him. But speaking only in half-truths, and leaving out key details would also be very important.

"They forced me to steal the Golden Armor, and to pin the crime on Dareth." As difficult as admitting his crime was, he knew that the public would very easily forgive him. He had in fact acted under his own volition, but if he could successfully shift the blame onto his captor, then he could kill two birds with one stone. The Master of Dreams would be rightfully imprisoned, and the minuscule amount of guilt that he felt for Dareth's arrest would also go away.

Lloyd's statements were rather shocking to hear. Their friend was not usually so aloof and blunt, nor was he ever so open with the truth. Something happened to him when he was held captive. Kai instinctively surmised. He couldn't be sure if the Elemental Master had actually gotten to him, or if he was simply experiencing a bit of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but either way Kai had to be wary. Lloyd was acting strangely, and the last time they ignored that had led to his disappearance.

"Where's the sword?" Jay asked quickly, a little more harshly than he intended.

"I don't know." he honestly answered. "I guess the conniving bastard who imprisoned me must still have it." His voice was dripping with anger and spite, but it was restrained. Lloyd could not let his emotions control him; never again would he be a slave to his own foolish feelings.

"How did you escape?" Cole inquired. It was a question Lloyd had been expecting, and he had planned for it. Telling the truth, even just a sliver of it, would be a very poor idea, because it would most likely scare them quite a bit. Going into the full details of his torture would also have the same effect, and he needed to downplay his misery, not embellish it. So Lloyd went for humor instead.

"With great skill." Lloyd quipped.

The joke was extremely effective, as it instantly put the trio at ease. They erupted with a chorus of laughter, and the worries began to vanish from their minds. He hated the sound; their feelings of joy and amusement were not something he wished to hear, but he held his tongue.

"Now that's our Lloyd!" Jay cried, his words still choking through the laughter.

The words struck at him, drawing up a distant and forgotten memory. The moment felt so remote; so far from his current reality, as if it had been from a former life. Jay had said the same thing to him out on the training grounds, right after a different joke that he had made.

I forgive you Kai. But if you're going to try to kill me, I would prefer that it be for a better reason than simply having lost a race to get to our daily exercise.

It felt like a lifetime ago to him. He could hardly even remember spending time with his friends; the rage was too blinding. And for the first time since his Oni side had taken over, Lloyd truly began to doubt himself. Do they actually care about me? he questioned. Could I actually be wrong in my assessments? All of his ambitions and desires were suddenly put under heavy scrutiny; he was no longer so sure of his convictions and desires.

"Yeah, we've really missed having our royal prince around." Kai cracked.

Almost as if a metaphorical switch had been flicked, all of Lloyd's second thoughts immediately vanished upon hearing the comment. He hated that name so goddamn much; despised hearing it more than anything else. It was a cruel joke that poked fun at his love. It made a mockery of his pain, all of the heartbreak and suffering. Kai could not have chosen a worse thing to say, for his fate had been sealed, right then and there. Kai had just signed his own death certificate.

Lloyd couldn't contain his rage for any longer. He quickly conjured a dark purple tendril; a physical manifestation of destruction, and sent it to stab Kai through his back. Then he finally turned and faced the insufferable ninja; whipping his body so quickly and violently that the force shook the ground beneath their feet.

"I am not your prince!" he screamed, his voice shaking the foundation of the tower. The blow had shot through Kai like a bullet; the weapon crushing his windpipe and, quite literally, taking his breath away. But it felt like a blow to the heart, for Kai looked up in horror at the cold and distant figure standing before him. The pair of eyes that stared back at him were the darkest and more malevolent shade of scarlet he had ever seen, and they weren't the only spot of blood. There was a deep gash across his left cheek, a painful cut that Lloyd had been hiding when he was on the news. He could not have presented himself in such a way to the public, so he had used his Oni powers to hide the wound. But he made no such attempt now, for all of his morbid physical injuries only added to the fear instilled in the three ninja.

The man standing in front him was not Lloyd. Kai was utterly mortified at the sight, to see his best friend so twisted and contorted by anger. Something very painful and traumatic had corrupted his soul, and blackened his heart. The purple highlights on the golden gi finally clicked in his mind; they were for the Essence of Destruction.

Lloyd was no longer the Green Ninja, and he was not the Golden Ninja either. He was the Golden Master.

Sorry to leave you all hanging, but I think that the big confrontation deserves its own chapter. I also really don't know how I'm going to write it yet, so there's that too. If anyone is interested I have put up the story illustrations on my deviantart account. I can't seem to get stuff to link properly on this site, but my account is under the name Tob3yface, so just look for that I guess. Or don't, it's your choice.