Dreams and Desires
Chapter 24
Insanity
*I own nothing and any similarities with any other works are purely coincidental.
Lloyd trudged back down the hallway, not quite meeting her eyes as he moved along. He felt incredibly conflicted, for as much as he had rejoiced at finally seeing his best friend again, it had hurt his girlfriend far more than he could have ever imagined. Nya's sudden arrival had thrown a wrench in everything he had fought for, as Harumi had quickly grown bitter and furiously jealous as she watched them converse. They had gone from blissfully gazing into a sunset to experiencing their first real fight as a couple, all in the course of an hour. And despite some feelings of guilt, Lloyd couldn't help but feel annoyed by the debacle he had been forcefully thrust into. He hadn't done anything wrong, simply tried to console his friend when she needed him most. If it had been Kai or Jay then this wouldn't even be a fight. he thought angrily, tossing a sideways glance at his girlfriend before quickly looking back at the cold floor. It wasn't fair, but the simple fact that his closest friend was another woman had set off an impulsive sense of fierce protectiveness in her.
Because while they had chatted like the pair of old friends that they were, she had seen something far more in the way they had embraced. The tenderness of the moment infuriated her; in her mind it was a sense of shared affection and sentiment that Lloyd should only show to her, much less another woman. But that was just who he was, a purely kind and considerate man who practically exuded generosity wherever he went. To be endlessly compassionate was simply in his nature, and that was an admirable but extremely abnormal trait in the cruel world that they inhabited.
"So why exactly did you come here?" Harumi asked quietly, still somewhat ashamed of her assumptions. But even as she looked over he remained silent, unusually cold and distant. His mind was awash with second thoughts and doubts, fueled by a slowly growing contempt for the man who had sent him falling to his death. Jay had won the fight fair and square, but he had nonetheless taken advantage of a moment of weakness in his friend. That single bolt of lightning had changed the course of history forever, and while Lloyd had been defeated in the short term, the decision had ironically warped the world in his favor. Jay had saved the entire realm from the wrath of its Golden Master, and yet he was the one wrought with life-threatening injuries. The unsung hero would never see his accomplishments recognized, for their fallen leader had managed to effortlessly escape every bit of punishment he deserved for his crimes. Lloyd had quite literally gotten away with murder, and he had done it all without ruining his spotless reputation. Even if he had been caught he could probably make a pretty compelling insanity plea, as the Oni corruption had effectively rendered him unable to tell right from wrong. That man had not really been Lloyd, only a tainted shadow of himself.
"I wanted to see Jay." he said finally, still refusing to meet her gaze as he stared off at the nearby hospital room. Harumi was unsettled by his demeanor, it was as if he was lost in another world. She could see that Lloyd wasn't acting like himself, but it went far deeper than having his feelings hurt. There was a battle raging inside of him, a ferocious clash of ideals and ethics at their most fundamental level. His darker side was crawling back, latching onto his love in an attempt to wrench back control of his mind. The most important thing to him was protecting Harumi, and he was mentally preparing to defend his relationship by any means necessary.
"I think we need to abduct him." Lloyd stated calmly, not a trace of amusement or humor in his voice. She was taken aback by his bluntness, finding his aloof and detached attitude extremely worrying. It wasn't quite the same as the corruption however, for in this case he seemed to be purely impervious; there was no sense of anger or malice to be found. Maybe he's just being way more reserved than usual? she hoped, although the thought did little to reassure her.
"Um, are you sure you want to do that Lloyd?" Harumi asked tensely, trying in vain to keep her voice measured and free from fear. "I mean, if he's as injured as we think then he should probably stay here." Lloyd was finally roused from the trance-like fixation, and he whipped his head around to stare at her. A wry grin crossed his face, but it was not one of over-confidence or mockery. No, this was a truly joyful smile that put her mind at ease.
"Yeah, but I can heal him Rumi!" he argued excitedly, almost giddy with impatience. Harumi sighed, shaking her head with mild amusement. She was still extremely wary of his grander motives, but she couldn't argue with the logic. Jay was the final obstacle preventing them from being together, and he had to be removed from the equation if his memories were indeed intact. It had been a small oversight on her part, but now it seemed that the inability to erase Lloyd's darker deeds from the ninja's mind would force her to stay in character a little longer. So I still get to be a ruthless asshole?
The couple hesitantly approached the room, subconsciously stirred by a shared sense of foreboding. An air of apprehensive anxiety was still afflicting them both, even though they were in total agreement about the plan. Lloyd reached for the handle, turning back to Harumi before opening the room. She nodded quickly, and he slowly opened the door. The place was dark and deserted, unsurprisingly occupied by a lone figure restrained to the rather plain bed. There was nothing particularly remarkable or special about any of it, but it was nonetheless the source of their lingering worries.
Lloyd quickly skipped over to his bedside, bouncing around with an uncharacteristic spring in his step. He leaned over to try and look at his friend but found that the natural lighting was far too insufficient to make out any details. With a slight sigh he lit the room himself, a dim glow emanating from a set of green flames he ignited. The sight before him was more disturbing than anything he had ever seen before, and it took every bit of self-restraint to not cry out in shock. Lloyd could hardly believe his eyes, but every bit of physical trauma and pain was indeed genuine. It was his actions that had precipitated this, causing Jay a morose level of suffering.
He didn't have to jump after me. he thought bitterly, as the darker thoughts were finally gaining some traction in his mind. None of this was truly his fault, not directly at least. It had been Jay's choice to strike out against him, even if it was logically in self-defense. The ninja had then chosen to leap off the tower out of his own volition, he had done nothing to sway the decision in any way. I have nothing to feel sorry for, but this pathetic bastard is going to be sorry that he ever messed with me!
Lloyd could feel his body start to twitch violently, for he was quite literally shaking with rage. He felt a sudden snap in his legs, and his head was thrown backwards as he toppled to the ground. Harumi gasped in horror, all the color drained from her face as she watched him uncontrollably spasming upon the floor. He was no longer in control, as the war for his mind was now being fought throughout his entire body. It was always an agonizing process, both to experience and watch. Every bit of honor and nobility that made up his very identity was being forcefully ripped away as he writhed in pain.
"Lloyd!" Harumi cried, starting to run over to her helpless boyfriend. Seeing him wholly corrupted again scared her more than anything else, but she could not find the strength to put him to sleep. Their relationship had grown too much, he was no longer her unruly prisoner. They were equals now, and she knew in her heart that it would only be delaying the inevitable. She knelt down to meet his quivering figure, confident that she would be able to help calm him down.
"Stay back!" he yelled, summoning his last bit of remaining strength to push her away. Harumi was taken aback by the vicious outburst but she could see the endless sense of pain in his eyes. They were still bright green, filled to the brim with haunting regret as tears began to run down his face. She begrudgingly obliged, retreating to the back of the room as his screams began to echo throughout the hospital. Jay was still sound asleep, blissfully unaware of the harrowing transformation playing out in his quarters. Janice had given him some medicine to help ease his incessant nerves, and fortunately for them, the drugged ninja had not yet stirred.
Lloyd began to gnash his teeth, seething in a manic frenzy as the macabre metamorphosis reached its peak. This had been entirely different from the other times his darker side had taken over, it was much more drawn out and excruciating. Before he had been an unhinged basket case, a broken man perfectly content with throwing away his life on a whim. But now that he had finally begun to heal, his Oni blood had to work far harder to vanquish the good in him. His spine twisted suddenly, arching backwards in a brutal display of whiplash. "I can't control it…"
He fell limp, collapsing onto the cold linoleum as the room went dark. The green fire had been extinguished, shrouding their surroundings once more in a spell of darkness. Harumi blinked, trying to adjust her eyes once more to the lack of light. She was astounded to spot Lloyd on his feet in a flash, looking down once more at the man in the hospital bed. He had not decided to relight the room, but she could spot an obvious glint of red that sent a shiver running down her spine.
"What is Jay dreaming about?" Lloyd asked calmly, his voice low yet demanding. Harumi was surprised by the question, but chose to comply with his request. She was extremely nervous about the situation they were in but there was a part of her that wanted to see where this would go. They were partners in crime after all, even if neither of them were really bad people. Not wishing to anger the demented version of Lloyd, she played along, closing her eyes and peering into the ninja's mind.
"Nya." Harumi answered bitterly, frowning with malcontent at the observation. He didn't pick up on the disdain in her voice however, for his face immediately lit up with excitement. A wicked grin had formed, and he began to chuckle as a delightfully devilish idea began to take shape. Without warning a dark cloud enveloped the ninja, as Lloyd saw no use in beating around the bush. She quickly charged up her powers in the seemingly unlikely event that he was attempting to flee, but soon relaxed as the smoke dissipated. Her boyfriend had not teleported away, merely chosen to adopt a different form. The red eyes remained, but he had the ingenious idea to simply fashion himself a set of color contacts. Why didn't I think of this earlier?
Harumi chuckled at the clever maneuver, but any sense of joy vanished when she picked up on who he was pretending to be. The image before her eyes was equally unsettling and captivating, as she was incredibly curious to see how he would play this. Despite her recent reform she could still appreciate the value in villainy, and she concluded that whatever act of retribution he had planned was going to be very tactical.
"Jay!" Lloyd called softly, gently shaking him awake. His eyes shot open, and he glanced around wildly as they adjusted to the increasingly perplexing surroundings. Jay had been abruptly thrust back into reality, and the specific circumstances made everything all the more confusing. He was engulfed in shadow, and it was several moments before he could even make out the figure patiently standing next to his bed. Someone else was standing near the door but they were far beyond recognition, their face completely obscured by both the dim lighting and a dark mask they had donned. Jay completely ignored the stranger, for his focus was entirely drawn to the familiar sight that greeted him.
"Nya? What are you doing here?" he mumbled groggily, staring up in confusion at what appeared to be his girlfriend. Lloyd smiled fondly, only feigning an appearance of actual affection because he knew how much pain this cutthroat deception would cause. Jay was extremely insecure about his relationship, and it was a fact that he intended to exploit for nothing more than his own amusement. There was little strategic purpose to the plan, but toying with his victims was just something that Lloyd did when he found his morals askew.
"It's Lloyd, he's alive!" he said excitedly, pointing to the partially open door to illustrate his point. "I don't know how but he just showed out of the blue! It was so great to see him again." It took an immense amount of self-control for him to not burst out in laughter, as he had never even addressed himself in the third person before, much less pretended to act like someone else while doing it. But embracing his Oni side gave him the confidence to pull crazy stunts he would have never dreamed of trying before, and that list now included doing a perfect impression of his best friend fangirling over himself. Jeez, this is so meta.
"What?" Jay asked sharply, for the startling statement had fully woken up the crippled ninja. His friend had reacted about as well as Lloyd had would have expected, frozen in shock as the color drained from his face. He quickly nodded in response, before furrowing his brow and adopting a concerned frown.
"Jay, I need to talk to you about something." he said quietly, trying to come off as nervous and hesitant. Of course it was a feeling he knew all too well, as, although the corruption tended to imbue him with a misplaced sense of courage and gusto, social awkwardness was usually a central part of his personality. Lloyd had meant the statement as nothing more than a subtle segue towards his ultimate payback, but allowing Jay to jump to his own conclusions played perfectly into his hand.
"Whatever he told you isn't true!" he cried desperately, essentially imploring for understanding. "You weren't there Nya, he's not the same person anymore!" Lloyd felt his eyebrows raise in genuine surprise, for his friend had just confirmed that he hadn't said anything to the other ninja. Probably too afraid that I would hunt him down. he thought happily, relishing the level of distress he was causing the man before him. Lloyd took a rehearsed double take, looking back towards the hallway as if he was questioning what he had been told. He offered Harumi a quick wink, hoping that the move would help key her into the impending joke, before whipping his head around and ruining Jay's life.
"Jay, I think I love him." he said calmly, which sent both of his companions reeling backwards. Harumi was beside herself with rage, but her temper mellowed as she recognized the signal he had given her. The urge to run across the room and wring him up by his neck had been almost overwhelming, for it was by far the cruelest joke she had ever heard. It was intentionally insidious, making such a mockery of his love that even she thought it went too far. I mean breaking someone's heart is bad enough, but you're seriously doing it for no other reason than pure pettiness?
"No… please, please don't say that." he moaned, tears already streaming down his face. Jay couldn't believe what he had just heard, his ears were pounding with a low ringing that was growing louder by the second. They had been together for so long, but he realized in that moment that she had never professed her love to him. He had never heard those words, and even though he was besotted to the point that he had been trying to work up the courage to ask Nya to be his yang, it seemed like there had always been another man for her.
"You know, you're right Jay." Lloyd said thoughtfully, bringing his hand up to his chin to make it look like he was actually reflecting on something. That was technically true, but he was simply racking his brain for the perfect one-liner. The answer came to him quite quickly, for there was an endless amount of great material to borrow from his bloody past.
"Words can really hurt, and after all, there's nothing more powerful than a blow to the heart." he concluded sneeringly. Harumi flinched in terror, absolutely horrified to see him reciting her old mantras. It was a wake up call, for it signaled that his demons still ran deeper than she had thought. Every moment seemed to reveal a new truth about the miserable blond, slowly chipping away at the mask he wore so well. Lloyd would always choose to suffer in silence, and at times it was very easy to assume that he wasn't hurting.
"Oh well." Lloyd said blankly, suddenly disinterested in the ninja's pain. Having grown bored of the pedantic conversation, he decided that it was about time to reveal himself. Within moments he was hidden behind another dusky veil of concealment, and Jay had no idea what was coming next. Acting on instinct Harumi once again charged up her powers, but she knew full well that Lloyd would not run. Indeed, he soon emerged once more from the shadows, his face emblazoned with a long-repressed sense of loathing.
"I guess that'll teach you not to make fun of my feelings for Harumi!" he screamed, finally revealing his true feelings of hatred for how they had treated him since her supposed death. Jay yelled in fright as he immediately tried to back away, but he found himself once again thwarted by the restrictive hospital bed. He was horrified to learn that Lloyd had masterfully orchestrated this entire thing, playing out the ninja's greatest fear out of little more than an exacerbated sense of spite.
"You." he whispered, feeling more scared than in any other moment in his entire life. After a restless day fraught with flashbacks and worrying, the last person he wanted to see right now was his former friend. Their leader had shown signs of conflicted doubt in their fight, but the disgustingly evil way in which he had returned had effectively ruined any lingering hope of reconciliation. Lloyd took a condescending bow, further announcing his presence with an overdramatic display of theatrics he had picked up from Harumi. He said nothing however, choosing to remain silent as his blood red eyes worked their magical intimidation.
"Stay away from Nya." Jay said quickly, trying in vain to sound commanding and self-assured. Lloyd scoffed at the wishy-washy request, for he still found the idea of being with her preposterous. It was kind of out of his control unfortunately, as society seemed to simply reject the idea that he could be inseparable with a girl and still remain friends. There was apparently nothing wrong with him and Kai being close friends, but evidently stereotypical gender roles dictated that he needed to fall in love with her. I hate these goddamn double standards so much!
"Oh, you needn't worry Jay. I don't think of her like that." he said nonchalantly, somehow managing to not let any of his fury show. In this state Lloyd was always focused on the end result, and his rapidly evolving plan essentially required him to continue acting like a pretentious douchebag. He would hold all of his cards close to his chest, once again letting the sentence simmer as he waited patiently for a response. For while the statement had brought an endless amount of relief to the wounded ninja, he hadn't said anything about Nya's feelings.
"Did you actually talk with her?" Jay asked softly, desperately hoping beyond belief that the crazed megalomaniac had simply made up this entire situation. It was the question Lloyd had been planning for, and while there wasn't any actual reason to think that Nya actually loved him, he could very easily spin the truth to make it seem that way.
He gave no immediate response, choosing once again to glance back towards the door. It looked like he was double checking for listeners, but it was just an excuse to give Harumi another wink. His eyes were pleading for understanding, and she sighed quietly, nodding curtly to indicate that he could indeed continue with the elaborate plan. Thank you. he mouthed, before quickly turning his attention back to his helpless prey. Lloyd smiled down at the man, sniggering slightly as he leaned in closer towards his ear.
"Let's just say that the way she was looking at me made my girlfriend jealous." he whispered, causing Jay's face to immediately flare with rage. The statement was completely accurate, he hadn't even needed to lie to rile him up. It was only his mischievous and rather cheeky delivery that managed to sell a non-existent double meaning as fact. He quickly jumped back from the bed, effortlessly dodging a clumsy left hook.
"You son of a bitch!" Jay screamed, but the hospital restraints once again held him back from fighting the conniving bastard that his friend had become. Lloyd burst out laughing, finding his continued inability to break free utterly hilarious. It was a struggle he understood quite well, having been perilously claustrophobic ever since Morro's possession, but the impulsive insult had truly been the icing on the cake.
"I'm glad we're in agreement about my floozy cocksucker of a mother." he quipped, his voice cracking as he continued to strain through the fit of uncontrollable laughter. Jay was shocked by the statement, it was about the most vulgar and disturbing thing he had ever heard. Lloyd had never before possessed the courage to voice his disdain towards Misako, but the enmity had been slowly festering in him like a cancer. It was one of his most cherished secrets, that he never truly forgave her for leaving him. He had grown up alone and abandoned, left to rot in a miserable boarding school where he didn't belong. The years of torment and ridicule had helped to turn him into the terribly shy man he was today, although Lloyd was no longer acting like himself. This level of carefree arrogance was simply unheard of, to such a point that Jay could no longer see the resemblance. The harsh truth however, was that he had been this way all along. And no one noticed.
"Who are you?" Jay questioned hesitantly, utterly mortified by the demonic monster still consumed by manic laughter. They really had swapped personalities, for he had become the joker with a mouth of lightning. Poking fun at everything can help someone cope with their pain, but he was taking the concept to the extreme. To act so cold and distant, cutthroat and heartless, it was almost inhuman. He abruptly stopped laughing, slowly looking up to face his former friend. Jay felt a chill run down his spine; it was as if Lloyd was staring right into his soul, and it didn't help matters that he gazed through a pair of bloody eyes as his face burned with hatred.
"I'm your mad prince." he spat, his voice filled with fierce derision and scorn. Those seemingly harmless jokes had infuriated him for months, but he had said nothing as his closest friends made a mockery of his feelings. Now he was fighting back, churning out a demented but definitely derivative version of Jay's own comedy. Lloyd was using his signature move against him, showing no mercy as he debuted what was effectively the most scathing stand-up routine to have ever existed. He was all in now, having completely embraced a distastefully nihilistic sense of humor. After all, it had been the main reason behind Lloyd's refusal to talk about his pain before. He knew that no one would take him seriously.
"Okay, I'm sorry, but this is ridiculous!" Jay cried, completely flabbergasted by how a single running joke had spawned an endless array of misery and sorrow. "I don't understand why you're so upset about Harumi, I mean you just said that you had a new girlfriend."
Lloyd could not believe his ears, for it was the single most ironic statement he had ever heard in his life. "You just don't get it, do you?" he muttered, chuckling softly as he pondered whether to go through with the next ingenious idea that was taking form. The delight was abated however, as thoughts of sadness and disappointment began to finally slither their way back into his mind. It disconcerted him to find that, despite all the trauma Jay had gone through in the past few days, he was still completely ignorant to how cruel their world truly was.
"No, I really don't!" he snapped, growing increasingly impatient with these eccentric games. Every part of their conversation had been purposefully drawn out, needlessly delayed for the sake of annoying him further. Lloyd was a naturally patient person, but he was not doing it out of kindness or courtesy. It was all good fun to the delirious ninja, and Jay seethed in anger as he gleefully kept his mouth shut.
"What could I have possibly done to make you turn insane?" he asked, his face awash with senseless irritation. Lloyd looked over suddenly, in utter disbelief of just how idiotic his former friend was. He was blind to the truth, stubbornly holding onto an almost obsessive amount of denial to ease his guilty conscience. In choosing to completely ignore his own failings and mistakes, he was effectively destroying what little good remained of their relationship. Every bridge had been burned, and Lloyd saw no point in restraining himself any longer.
"When the hell is it going to get through your thick skull that those dumb jokes made me want to kill myself?" he shouted, inadvertently causing the ground to shake as an insatiable anger began to cloud his judgement. Jay stared at him in shock, mouth held agape as the message finally sank in. Lloyd had once again left out a significant amount of crucial information, but it was certainly true that the constant ridicule he had faced played a huge factor in his reluctance to disclose anything. They had never understood his feelings, never felt his pain.
"You're just like the rest of them." Lloyd said sourly, shaking his head in disgust. There was no one in Ninjago who actually treated him like a person, he only ever existed as an idea they liked. He was their golden boy, a shining example of all things good and just; a slave to society is what he had become, shutting out all selfish thoughts for the good of the realm. But the Green Ninja no longer lived that lie, as he had been freed from the wretched responsibilities associated with being a public figure.
"I still saved you." Jay mumbled, but the anger had all but disappeared from his voice. The contempt vanished from Lloyd's face, for it was a very valid point. That one act of kindness had turned his life around, leading to both his newfound love and his assumed death. Of course Nya now knew of his survival, but the rest of the world was grieving for their lost savior. All the while he had been off shagging one of Ninjago's most infamous villains, quite literally losing his innocence. He saw through the lies, finally abandoning his mandate to protect the realm for the sake of his own mental health and well being. The wide-eyed boy he had been just a year before was dead, replaced forever by a far more mature and cynical man.
"And I cannot thank you enough for your generosity." Lloyd replied honestly, bowing his head in sincere respect. He turned back to the door, gesturing towards the bedridden ninja with a somewhat puzzled expression. It might not be the best idea to reveal her identity, but considering the fact that Jay already knew too much, it couldn't really do much harm.
"Do you want to tell him?" he mouthed, trying to make the query more apparent through gestures and body language. Harumi shrugged, before quickly sauntering over to meet her boyfriend. She looked down at the man, her expression a muddled mix of pity and disgust. Jay's eyes went wide with horror, as although he could not identify who they were, he could make an educated guess based on previous context clues. The paramedic said that some caped wacko abducted Lloyd…
"Are you the Master of Dreams?" he asked nervously, his face one of utter terror as he looked up at the hooded stranger. If his assumption was accurate then they were certainly the one behind it all, brilliantly orchestrating Lloyd's fall from grace as they hid in the shadows. This was the most dangerous foe they had ever had to deal with, one so feared that Master Wu, who was normally peaceful to the point of indolence, had tried to kill their predecessor. She smiled fondly, reaching up to pull back the mask.
"Yes I am." Harumi answered, happily responding in her natural voice. It was always a massive relief when she could just be herself, as having to constantly lead a double life could be very draining. Jay shrieked in terror, and his signature high-pitch caused the nearby windows to shake. He was scared beyond belief, instilled with such potent fear that it rooted him to the spot. All thoughts of worry and anxiety had been elevated to a scale never before seen, for this revelation forced him to reevaluate everything that had transpired in the past 6 months.
Jay had not been present for Garmadon's reign over Ninjago City, as he and the other ninja were away in the Realm of Oni and Dragons. With only Lloyd and Nya left behind, they alone were forced to deal with the horrifying consequences of Harumi's actions. Her death had never been technically confirmed, but it seemed impossible for her to have survived such a fall. Dropping a building on someone's face is a pretty surefire way to kill them, but it was in that moment that she had been conveniently imbued with her Elemental Powers.
Lloyd had never truly recovered, finding himself adrift in a sea of endless loneliness following her wrongful termination. Nya had been his sole companion as they led the Resistance, and because of that there was no one else he felt even slightly comfortable talking with. Jay's absence had given him an uninformed and rather slanted opinion on the matter, as he could not comprehend what their leader had gone through. He had fallen hopelessly in love, fully opening himself up for the first time ever. In return his romance brought only wrath and ruin, for she had selfishly taken advantage of his vulnerabilities. She had dropped him without a second thought as soon as her plan came to fruition, for he had only ever been a means to an end. And despite that, he couldn't make himself hate her.
As much as he tried to deny it, Lloyd had longed for her presence. He was still pining for her return months after her apparent death, leaving him aimlessly despondent and irritable. His friends didn't understand, for none of them could truly see his misery. A master of deception and isolation, he had managed to completely hide his shameful desires from prying eyes. Unfortunately, cutting himself off from the world had led him down a darker path, and it was now an issue he wrestled with constantly. His thoughts were conflicted, his mind horrifically warped into a harsh and unforgiving war zone. It seemed that love was a battleground, and Lloyd had fought through thick and thin to be with his soul mate.
At first she had ruthlessly haunted him with the ghosts of his past, leaving the man forever taunted by visions of what could have been. Her entire life had been spent pursuing retribution, as every moment was just another step towards avenging her parents. She knew of nothing else; holding onto her anger for so long had rendered her effectively unable to feel anything. So when she was given another chance in life, Harumi had latched onto the art of revenge once more. There was no true motive behind her plan, no larger reason for stealing back her ex-boyfriend. All of her choices were made on whims, and that lack of forethought had very nearly cost her everything.
Spending so long cooped up in captivity had turned Lloyd into a powder keg, ready to explode at any moment. He had lashed out against the entire world, a weapon of mass destruction capable of raising the city to the ground. Harumi was forced to troubleshoot his rampage, playing damage control as she desperately tried to limit the impact of her foolish mistakes. Seeing him in such a heartless and insidious state had finally broken through her mask of indifference, and in turn it revealed who she was on the inside. Harumi had been so ensnared by anger that she didn't know herself, and that same pain infected Lloyd. He had been bewitched by grief, to the point that he relished the idea of gutting her like a fish. Of course any intentions of murder had been forever dismissed when she revealed her identity, but that moment had finally brought her back to reality. She had been entirely at his mercy, completely helpless as he jammed a sword against her neck. Lloyd had been along for the ride, for her descent into madness had turned him into an equally heartless monster.
And against all odds, they had found each other. His devotion had never really been in doubt, but Harumi had finally owned up to her true feelings. Any lingering sense of affection or fondness had been constantly buried deep inside of her, swallowed up by a wall of ravenous rage. But she now saw the error in her ways, having expressed a perpetual level of guilt and remorse for her actions. They were broken, both learning to heal as their love became everlasting. The Green Ninja and the Jade Princess were together at last.
"You see Jay, I didn't get a new girlfriend." Lloyd stated matter of factly, smirking as he looked over his petrified colleague. "Just reconnected with an old one." Jay shook his head, trying to wrap his brain around the stunning development. It made no sense, he could not believe that Lloyd had just managed to shack up with the same person who had abducted him in the first place. She has to be using him again!
"No…" he whispered quietly, physically unable to accurately put all of his worried thoughts into words. His mind was gripped by dread, filled with so much unfounded speculation that he was starting to feel lightheaded. Harumi frowned, confused and slightly disappointed by his lackluster reaction. She hadn't anticipated a particularly glowing reception, but this complete lack of dissent was pretty pathetic.
"I thought you said he was the talkative one." she said worriedly, turning to Lloyd with a somewhat concerned expression. His face softened, as in that moment his certainty began to falter for the first time. Harumi was the only one who had been able to break through his blinding anger, and his Oni side quickly began to lose control. He looked over at her, his mind drowned by disorderly disarray as the lines of morality blurred. The eyes were still red, but they had lost their luster.
"I don't think he's coping with his pain very well." he replied softly, as the malice in his voice slowly washing away. Jay had become the next victim in this cycle of suffering, left in a state of aimless depression as a direct result of Lloyd's own issues. It was the same story all over again, as yet another person got caught up in their shared emptiness. He didn't deserve such cruelty, even if they still needed to effectively get him out of the picture.
Lloyd turned back to face their honored guest, beholding the pitiful mess that his friend had become. "I'm sorry." he muttered distantly, a flood of light beginning to illuminate the dark room. His eyes shifted to the blinding shade of gold, ethereal energy flowing effortlessly from his hands. Jay furiously shook against the restraints, screaming in agony as the wave of radiation washed over him. It felt like a thousand ants were crawling in his skin, for the regenerative force was violently invading every fiber in his body. His biology was being overwritten, making him feel incredibly woozy and tipsy. The pain was extremely misplaced however, for within moments all of his extensive physical trauma had been completely reversed. He opened his eyes, wondrously in awe of the power his friend now possessed.
"There, you're healed." Lloyd said sheepishly, not meeting his gaze due to an overwhelming sense of shame. His eyes had returned to their signature green, and Jay felt all feelings of resentment begin to fade away. He couldn't make any sense of his friend or his newfound relationship, but it seemed evident that this deep-rooted hatred was just a phase.
"You're letting me go?" he asked incredulously, stupefied by the superb act of kindness. Lloyd's eyes snapped up, immediately meeting his stare as the doubt and duality was abruptly tossed aside. A wicked grin crossed his face, although he was not nearly as confident as before.
"Of course not." he answered quickly, rolling his eyes at the absurdity of the request. He was not under any obligation, moral or otherwise, to grant the ninja his freedom, and he had no intention of doing so. Lloyd may have gotten his anger under control, but he was not about to let his friend roam free. Jay was a liability, plain and simple.
"Rumi." he muttered, nodding his head slightly to call her to action. She smiled with excitement, and quickly began charging up her Elemental Powers. His relatively relaxed and composed demeanor was quickly threatened when she sent out a red beam to envelop his body, lifting Jay into the air as his eyes glazed over. Lloyd whipped his head around, gawking at her with a mix of worry and apprehension clouding his face. He had never seen her use the power before, but just as soon as the process began it was over. Jay fell back onto the bed and she sent out a cyan beam to put him to sleep.
"What, what the hell did you just do?" he asked worriedly, unsure of what exactly the crimson beam of energy signified. The harsh shade subconsciously suggested that the power was in some way dangerous or cruel, but it seemed to have had little to no effect on the revitalized ninja.
"I wiped his memories." Harumi answered casually, acting as if it was the most routine thing in the world. Lloyd didn't see it that way, although he didn't really know how to react. It was definitely the logical thing to do considering the circumstances, but it also made his rather impassioned speech completely superfluous in the grand scheme of things.
"So… what exactly was the point of this whole conversation then?" he questioned, wondering why she hadn't just cut him off earlier. This entire situation had been an exercise of futility, a complete waste of time that now left him feeling extremely worn out and tired. Harumi shrugged her shoulders, looking over with an expression of awkward uncertainty.
"It was fun to watch."
All in all this was quite the stressful nightmare to write, although it's definitely the most proud I have ever been of a chapter to date. It's by far the longest one yet, and it was another pretty dark one at that. It was a lot more nuanced than overtly morbid in my opinion, so that's something I guess. The next chapter will probably be a bit happier but I can't really say for sure since I haven't written any of it yet. Oh, and if you didn't pick up on it before, yeah, they shagged between chapters 17 and 18.