Dreams and Desires
Chapter 27
Duplicitous
*I own nothing and any similarities with any other works are purely coincidental.
"Have you heard from her yet?" Pixal asked wearily, glancing over at her mechanical mate. He shook his head, offering no verbal response as he gazed upon the bedridden ninja. His internal injuries had been more severe than initially anticipated, and it was very worrying to see that he had not woken yet. Kai's surgeries had concluded several hours earlier, but they had not been allowed to see him until now. Nya had been the frequent rule-breaker of the group, and with her sudden absence they had chosen to actually follow the hospital guidelines on patient visitation.
"I just don't understand why she would have run off like that!" Cole cried, continuing to frantically pace up and down the room. "Our team has been falling apart ever since we lost Lloyd, and it's especially important for us to stick together right now. Jay's gone missing, Kai is still unconscious, I've lost my powers, and Master Wu…" He let out a sorrowful sigh, and a wistful glint formed in his eyes as his voice trailed off. There were so many questions left unanswered, and they had no one to turn to. Misako was still watching over the ship but she had been completely lost in mourning, constantly grieving and awash with emotion. Cole had been the team leader before, and while his curiosity was driving many of their conversations, he just felt so disenfranchised without his powers. He had never been truly defined by his element, but it certainly contributed to his overall identity and personality. And this debacle was very different from how his powers had been taken away by Chen and Morro, as now he was facing the plight alone. This was a personal battle; there was no obvious solution and no clear path forward. Of course his powers were not permanently gone, but they would not return if he truly believed that they never would. Being in the right frame of mind was an essential part of the recovery process, although it would be a pretty moot point if they could actually track down Lloyd.
"Nya was extremely hesitant to answer our questions, and judging from her sudden departure, I can only assume that she's hiding something." Zane said quietly, his voice measured but noticeably dejected. "My scans seem to back up this assessment, as her heart rate data was wildly fluctuating and inconsistent. I don't think that she was lying, but it's pretty apparent that she left out a lot of crucial information." Cole perked up at the indirect accusation, and his brain immediately went off on a wild goose chase trying to find the answer. Rampant speculation and relatively unfounded theories had been a constant over the past few days, and today was no different.
"What information could be that important?" Pixal wondered quizzically, beating Cole to the punch and asking the same question that was on his mind. Zane's processors had been strained tremendously trying to work through everything they didn't know, but he quickly diverted his attention to the more pressing matter. Nya had revealed that Lloyd had come back and was fully healed, and not much more than that. The knowledge that he had given her a bouquet of flowers was intriguing, but it wasn't much to go on by itself. Trying to analyze the strange gift and message was proving to be a difficult task, as it made his motivations very hard to nail down. What Lloyd might have been apologizing for was extremely unclear and as such he had basically ignored that part.
Zane had managed to correctly identify the yellow flowers as sword lilies, and neither their color or genus seemed to necessarily indicate any deeper sense of attraction. From the sparse amounts of research that he could scrounge up about plant symbolism it was apparent that Lloyd had not chosen a set of flowers to represent romantic interest, but it was nonetheless a puzzling decision. He knew that the pair were very close friends, and his absence had certainly affected her the most. On the other hand Jay's disappearance was also a very clear motivating factor for the woman, and in all likelihood it was probably a combination of the two.
"I cannot say for sure, but there's a 71% chance that it's about Lloyd." he answered solemnly. He had not chosen to suggest anything more specific, as there wasn't really a clear scenario that immediately came to mind. He needed more time to work through all of the possibilities, but making a definitive guess would be impossible due to the lack of information; there were just too many factors that were completely out of his control. He had a few more general theories starting to take shape, but now was not the time for brainstorming. The ninja were still grieving, and either way they were supposed to be here for Kai.
Cole quickly nodded in agreement, although he found the vague response somewhat annoying. That fact was already kind of assumed considering the previous events, and Zane hadn't really addressed the actual question. To be fair that lack of context was extremely debilitating, as some of the stuff that Nya had learned in her conversation with Lloyd had been pretty groundbreaking. He had revealed that his Golden Power had returned, and he had once again confirmed that he had been taken against his will. The Green Ninja had not ran away from the Monastery of Spinjitzu, but the specific hoodie and gi he had worn also hinted that he went back at some point. That was not a detail Nya had picked up on, and it was not really something any of them would have focused on if they were in her shoes. That was a pretty key bit of information that Zane would have benefited from having, but the potential for accurate analysis had been severely limited by Nya's lack of cooperation.
"I just don't get the lone wolf mentality on this one." Cole muttered worriedly, looking over at the pair of rational robots with an extremely concerned expression. "I know I wouldn't be much help since I still don't have my powers, but there is still a case to be made for strength in numbers. If Nya does know something about Lloyd or his whereabouts, why would she choose to go after him alone?"
Nya didn't know what to say. It was a very simple question, but it was not one she immediately knew the answer to. She was confused and conflicted, overwhelmed by constantly clashing motivating factors. There was a large part of her that wanted to get revenge, but that growing vengeance mostly simmered in the background. It affected her in subtle and unpredictable ways, as the only consistent difference in her personality since the start of this mess had been, ironically enough, a lack of consistency. Her general mood was extremely bipolar; she was increasingly irritable while also being practically on the verge of tears at any moment. She was a naturally stubborn and headstrong woman, and while frustration tended to devour her more often than not, these were not normal circumstances.
In addition to the subconscious retribution she sought, a larger sense of fear for Jay's safety was driving her to track down the Master of Dreams. At this point it seemed only fair to assume that they had been behind his sudden disappearance from the hospital, and losing him was not something she could handle. They had been together for several years now, and Nya had never before questioned her relationship with him. But now there was another man she couldn't stop thinking about, and although she had never seen him as a romantic interest, there was an anxious sense of uncertainty that clouded her judgement. Why am I here?
She was begrudgingly talking with Lord Garmadon because she needed to find Lloyd, and that crucial realization left her feeling somewhat ashamed. The past few days had been filled with far more hardship than anyone could have anticipated, but in that state of grief and aimless misery her boyfriend had been slipping from her mind. It hadn't been a sudden shift either, for ever since the abduction she had been worried sick about their young leader. Her over-protectiveness was logically justified due to the traumatic experiences they had shared leading the Resistance, but it went far beyond that. She felt personally at fault for his disappearance, as it had been her words that finally drove him away. In reality it was little more than an unfortunate coincidence, but the guilt had nonetheless been magnified tenfold by more recent events.
Seeing two of the people she cared about most reduced to mangled corpses on national television had been far more heart wrenching than anything else in her life, and Nya could not forgive herself for being powerless to stop the destruction. The Master of Dreams had been somewhat merciful to shield her from the fray, but that small victory had been fleeting. The irreparable mental trauma had far surpassed any physical injuries she might have sustained, and it seemed entirely possible that her presence would have prevented all the bloodshed and gore. While their brief reunion had managed to alleviate some of that lingering misery, his sudden departure had once again left her adrift in a sea of loneliness and self-doubt. After much reflection Nya had come to the accurate conclusion that there was something else going on here that she didn't know about, and her thirst for understanding was now utterly insatiable.
"I'm here because I care about him." she answered determinedly, finally looking up from the flowers and facing down the conniving prisoner. "I know you don't give a shit about your own son, but he's very important to me." Garmadon looked at her curiously, finding the completely sincere confession to be extremely surprising. Lloyd was weak, and he always had been. The sickly boy did not have the strength to do what was necessary, but the bumbling idiot had somehow managed to convince legions of people to fight his battles for him. He relied on others far too much, and yet there was a strange sense of pride brewing beneath the surface. Garmadon did not acknowledge Lloyd as his own son, but the fact that he had seemingly bewitched and ensnared this girl was quite the achievement. Manipulating people for personal gain was a disgustingly evil thing to do, although it was equally likely that Lloyd was not even aware of what he was doing.
"I do not understand why you're so attached to that pathetic waste, but it matters not." he said finally, his voice dripping with venom. "I do know where he is, and I would not advise you to venture there." Her eyes narrowed at the unhindered advice, and his statement did little to deter her. Nya did not care where he was, and nothing was going to change her mind. She would go to the ends of the world to get him back.
"And why is that?" she asked haughtily, crossing her arms in annoyance. Garmadon smiled with delight, for he found her blind arrogance to be rather amusing. The woman was obsessed, and she seemed completely incapable of acknowledging that his son had fallen to the dark. Her personal account threw the ninja's ambitions into doubt, but the fact that he had gone back to the Dark Island was extremely compelling evidence. If he had truly escaped as she had so furiously insisted, then he was now choosing to be at the mercy of darker minds. The Master of Dreams had managed to turn Ninjago's greatest hero into their most dangerous enemy, and there was a part of him that felt indebted to the mysterious poltergeist.
"This time around I will not reveal his precise location without getting anything in return, but I can confirm that he has willingly returned to his alleged captor." he replied jeeringly, smirking as the color suddenly drained from her face. The revelation threw a wrench in her own estimation of the situation, as she had foolishly painted him as the victim. His dark deeds had been covered up and masterfully hidden from the world, and it seemed that the truth was a slippery slope.
"Lloyd wouldn't do that!" she snapped, her blood beginning to boil as she doubled down with blind denial. "His heart is still in the right place, even if his mind is divided." Garmadon raised his eyebrows in suspicion, not believing her in the slightest. This had to be some sort of an elaborate ploy; he could think of nothing else to explain away the evidently inconsistent behavior. If his assumptions were indeed accurate, than he had to concede to the genius of the technique. One could truly act with impunity if everyone was blind to their faults.
"I don't know how you are so ignorant to this fact, but your beloved Green Ninja was completely consumed by the darkness." Garmadon said condescendingly, chuckling slightly as her eyes widened in horror. "While I cannot comment on his current state of mind, he was disgustingly evil when he escaped two days ago."
"No, I don't believe you!" Nya yelled, her face flushed with rage as she grew tired of his games. "He must have been fighting against the Master of Dreams, there's no other explanation! I saw him on the news, helplessly and horrifically injured with Jay right next to him. He was fighting alongside the ninja, and he fell protecting our realm."
"Oh, you're too smart a girl to be so naive." he answered gleefully, relishing every moment of their heated argument. "The Master of Dreams could not have caused such devastation on their own. Their element is admittedly one of the most dangerous in existence, but its fearsome reputation has not been forged by brute strength or raw power. Those abilities are seeped in devilish deceit and cunning manipulation, and for a master of deception there would be no better target than your beloved Green Ninja. So tell me water ninja, what exactly has Lloyd done to your other foolish allies?"
"Oh, well… Kai is in intensive care, Jay was bedridden before he got abducted, and Cole has lost his Elemental Powers." Nya mumbled, lowering her eyes as she realized the truth in what he was saying. She flat-out refused to believe that Lloyd was still completely corrupted, but there was no denying that he had been partially responsible for every bit of lasting damage to their team unity. It was an extremely sobering thought, and it took every bit of self-control to not break down in tears. Her anger was quickly overwhelming however, and Garmadon found himself taken aback by the sudden shift in her demeanor. Nya was often impatient and irritable, but there was something far more sinister in this expression.
"Where is he?" she seethed, her tone uncharacteristically icy and cold. There was a bitter edge to her voice, as her repressed urges for revenge were only growing. There was a determined look in her eyes, one that seemed to show an unbreakable sense of conviction and tenacity. This secretive Elemental Master had taken everything from her; fundamentally destroying who her friend was as a person and tearing apart the team. They had stolen Jay, and they were now keeping her away from the pair of them. She hated being here, but there was really no one she could turn to for guidance. Master Wu's death had left so many questions forever unanswered, and only a select few even knew about the reclusive line of elementals.
"You see, I'm not going to tell you anything unless you can get me released from this hellhole." Garmadon retorted calmly, his voice measured and calm. He held all of the leverage and obviously just giving away the location would be a complete waste. It wasn't a fair trade in the slightest, but this information was very valuable. Naturally Nya's rage only intensified, and she gawked at him with what may have been the most ferocious expression he had ever seen. The girl's got spirit, I'll give her that.
"And what exactly do you plan to do if you get your freedom?" she asked menacingly, her eyes cutting like daggers through an accusatory glare. She didn't trust him at all, and it's not like her heavy skepticism was particularly unfounded. This was the same man who had conquered Ninjago several months prior, so trying to get an accurate reading on his larger motivations was a very important thing to do. The information he was offering was virtually invaluable, but even so the gravity of his request was not to be taken lightly.
"Initially I had only been planning to confront your Green Ninja in order to better understand his recent fall from grace, but I now find the idea of meeting this Elemental Master to be equally intriguing." Garmadon answered honestly, and unsurprisingly the statement drew another suspicious look from the Master of Water. Seeing this he elaborated that, "That is the truth whether you choose to accept it or not, and either way I would not expect you to let me roam free regardless."
Nya didn't respond immediately, as she was silently mulling over the argument in her mind. It was a pretty fair point, and while having this despicable deadbeat tag along was not something she would have ever chosen willingly, tracking down Lloyd was her primary objective. And if he was with the Master of Dreams, then Jay would almost certainly be there as well. Logically speaking, finding Lloyd would actually allow her to follow through on all three of her conflicting motivations. She sighed quietly, before shaking her head slightly in resignation. She abruptly turned on her heels and quickly walked down the metal catwalk without another word.
Lloyd felt a sharp chill run down his spine, as if all the warmth in the world was being sucked away. Hyperbole notwithstanding, his attuned senses had indeed picked up on a stark change in the balance of the world. The sky had been clear and still, sunny and extremely warm for the season. Now there was a breeze coming down from the north, but there was an odd choppiness to it. It was very difficult to place, and at first he wasn't entirely sure what was actually worrying him. The atmospheric shift just seemed off, strangely unnatural and perverse on an almost fundamental level. He whipped his head around and in an instant everything became clear. A paradoxical mix of joy and fear consumed his mind, for it was an extremely bittersweet sight to behold.
Harumi became acutely aware that he was no longer following her and she abruptly stopped walking towards the door. She turned back, finding his somewhat lackluster posture to be an immediate red flag. His shoulders were noticeably sagging, and his general body language seemed to give off an appearance of defeat. There was no logical explanation for the sadness, so she concluded that something must have changed. I mean we literally just worked through some of your demons!
"What's wrong?" she asked tensely, slightly concerned by his suddenly somber demeanor. Of course it wasn't necessarily surprising since they were both prone to frequent mood swings, but typical teenage angst alone could not explain his rapidly changing emotions. His temperament had been far more erratic than normal, and most of the blame seemed to fall on his deviously divided mind. Ever since Harumi had come into his life again he had been gripped by conflicted feelings of paranoid indecision and repressed guilt. He had sacrificed everything to be with his love, and the strain of leading a double life was finally starting to get to him. It wasn't having to distance himself from the other ninja that he felt bad about, but constantly spinning a twisted web of lies was slowly testing his resolve. And he was quickly learning that his friends would not be so easily dissuaded.
He offered no response, training his eyes on the cliff face as he grappled with the consistently contradictory thoughts. His soul was forever tainted, for the idolized version of him that the world was grieving over simply didn't exist. The Green Ninja was no more, but the Golden Master was not in his stead either. Lloyd was his own man, and although he now walked along a darker path, it was not one motivated by anger or hatred. In his heart he was a kind and trusting person, but that same heart also compelled him to be overprotective and loyal to a fault. Obviously he did not take pleasure in casting aside his friends, and he wasn't sure that he would have the strength to do what must be done. He was caught in a puzzling dilemma, marred by a uncertain source of hesitation. His Oni side could offer him a prideful sense of confidence and unbridled moxie, but the insecure blond was still in control.
"Is that a dragon?" Harumi gasped, her eyes widening with surprise as she followed his gaze. Lloyd nodded stiffly, his eyes still averted and brimming with restless apprehension. The speckled creature was a far more neutered and faded shade than both the Elemental Lightning Dragon and Elemental Dream Dragon; overall it was certainly distinct enough in its appearance to be easily recognizable. Additionally Harumi and Jay were already on the Dark Island, which meant that the only other Elements directly associated with the color blue not already accounted for were Sound and Water. And Jacob Pevsner was definitely not the one venturing to confront the pair of star-crossed lovers.
"It's Nya." he whispered, his voice hollow and empty. He felt extremely uneasy about her impending arrival, and his brain was enthralled in terrible turmoil. The fact that she had found them was already bad enough, but the ferocity she flew with seemed to indicate a worrying amount of untapped rage. It was pretty logical to assume that she had it out for the Master of Dreams, although it was entirely possible that some of that anger was directed towards the man who had left her behind at the hospital. At this point there was really no telling whether she was actually after him, but either way it seemed obvious that she wouldn't approve of his relationship with Harumi. There was a burning anguish in his heart, for having to cut ties with his best friend would be extremely difficult. He would do it if it was necessary, but he desperately hoped that any unnecessary conflict could be avoided. Fighting with shin splints would be a pretty bad idea.
Yeah, I left this chapter on yet another cheeky cliffhanger. I really like writing on the fly, and this is a somewhat necessary tactic for me to come up with consistently fresh ideas. I don't want to limit my future creativity so I tried to keep the ending even more open and ambiguous than normal. Right now I'm meticulously trying to build towards the second climax of the story, and while the next turning point probably won't be as drastic as the first, I do have some pretty serious plot developments planned.