Dreams and Desires
Chapter 29
Runaways
*I own nothing and any similarities with any other works are purely coincidental.
"So where exactly are we going?" Lloyd asked wearily, his tone reflected a growing sense of worry that had been festering for some time now. Harumi shrugged halfheartedly, not even bothering to turn around and look at him as she silently scanned the distant skyline. They had been flying across the sea for nearly half an hour now without a single word and that level of uncertainty was slowly killing him. He was extremely nervous about their somewhat perilous predicament and it was even worse because it was indirectly his fault that their cover had been blown in the first place. Now they were adrift in completely uncharted waters, both literally and figuratively. He had given up practically everything to be with her, but he wouldn't trade it for the world.
"Maybe it'd go by faster if you used your fancy Golden Dragon." she muttered under her breath, having grown rather annoyed with their current arrangement. His dragon could easily get them to the mainland in half the time but she had whisked him away so quickly that the option hadn't really been there. At this point she was starting to regret that decision and was more than willing to let him take the reins for a bit.
"It's too noticeable, especially since I'm supposed to be dead." he mumbled, his voice low and flat as he really wasn't in the mood to argue with her. "And even if that wasn't a problem I think I'm too scared to summon my dragon." Harumi sighed quietly, her shoulders slumping with sadness as she silently pondered his strange idiosyncrasies. Considering the circumstances it wasn't particularly surprising that a nagging sense of fear had taken a hold of him but she was still mystified by just how much he cared. He was willing to go to the ends of the world to be with her and yet his kind heart prevented him from truly enjoying their time together. Fear seemed to surround him at every turn, clouding his judgement and sometimes manifesting into a panicked paranoia. He was utterly terrified of losing her, and while that flattery was certainly appreciated, there were times when she wished that Lloyd could be a little more carefree in life.
Her muddled thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a screeching cry in the distance, a low roar of anger that disturbed their silent solitude. There was a sudden chill to the air, as if an ill wind had just blown in unexpectedly. She snapped her eyes up and quickly spotted the source of the ruckus. In seconds they shot up into the clouds, moving with such ferocity that Lloyd was forced to immediately hold on to her for dear life. Once they were out of sight she instructed her dragon to stop and started listening intently for some sort of sign.
"Why did you do that?" he asked angrily, having been completely caught off guard by the jarring change in direction. He cracked his neck, groaning slightly as he tried to alleviate the stinging soreness in his spine. Harumi shook her head, shushing him and waiting until she was sure that the coast was clear.
"I saw another dragon." she said finally, her face falling flat with an almost defeated sense of worry. "I should have seen it coming, I'm sorry." Lloyd wasn't sure what to make of the situation, although he was obviously thankful for her quick thinking and generally good instincts. It wasn't too shocking to think that she would want to avoid any other travelers, especially if it had been another Elemental Master, but he wasn't quite following the second part of her explanation.
"I think it was Zane." Harumi added, quickly clarifying why she had reacted so viscerally. That detail certainly helped to put things in perspective for him and he nodded in agreement as if to signal that he got the point now. As of yet no looming threats had emerged in his absence, so of course the other ninja would be on the prowl.
"Right, that makes sense." Lloyd murmured sheepishly, feeling slightly stupid for not connecting the dots on his own. Harumi smiled before turning her attention back to flying. They emerged from the clouds and resumed the perilous journey, continuing to travel aimlessly with no clear destination in mind. Their only shared objective right now was to get away from the ninja, and from that point of view Nya summoning the group to her was actually a fortunate turn of events. The close encounter with the Master of Ice had been a blessing in disguise, for it now essentially confirmed that they were all traveling in the opposite direction.
Night had fallen by the time Zane reached the shores of the Dark Island, and traveling so far had been a rather harrowing experience to say the least. He hadn't minded giving Pixal a ride in the slightest but having to bring Cole along had complicated matters. The Elemental Dragons weren't really built for a whole entourage of passengers and he obviously would have preferred being alone with Pixal. But it wouldn't really have been fair to make him stay behind so he hadn't complained about it.
They were all taken aback by the golden training course, clearly illuminated by the moonlight and losing none of its luster. If anything it shined brighter in the dark, practically radiated light and warmth against a contrasting canvas of shadows. Zane turned his head, glancing between the bridge and the training course as he cross-referenced his internal databases to analyze what they had been built with. Unsurprisingly his scans could not match them with any recorded material, which essentially confirmed his suspicions about the golden constructions.
Golden Power. he thought worriedly, finding himself slightly concerned by the revelation. He needed to talk with the others before the theory could be definitively confirmed, but if this was what he thought then it probably meant Lloyd was now a criminal. Shaking the anxiety from his mind Zane turned his attention towards the rest of the cliff face, quickly spotting the familiar clock and rundown shack. It was pretty much identical to how it had looked several days before and he began mentally scolding himself for forgetting that crucial detail. He had technically known Lloyd's whereabouts this whole time but the truth had just gotten lost as the team fell into disarray. The logical nindroid was more affected by the grief than he had initially assumed and it had allowed their fallen leader to escape once again.
Nya was waiting for them, having taken up a somewhat leisurely position as she leaned up against the training equipment. As they arrived she leapt to her feet, running towards the house and motioning for them to follow. She hadn't said very much in her message to the group before and they all found her reluctance to speak to be rather odd. In this case however she was simply focused on trying to free Jay from his confinement and didn't feel like wasting time with needless formalities.
Nya burst into the room, quickly picking up spare bits of clothing and pushing some of the furniture out of the way to make a clear path. Jay looked up from the comic she had given him and jumped up with excitement upon seeing the remaining team members file in after her. It was incredibly relieving considering how he hadn't seen Cole or Pixal since the fight at Borg Tower but Kai's continued absence brought a lingering sense of fear to the forefront of his mind.
"Where's Kai?" he asked worriedly, unsure of why the sociable Master of Fire had not managed to make it to the impromptu reunion. He had been alive when Jay last saw him, although his condition hadn't been particularly stable. Nya turned towards the group with a similarly concerned expression, suddenly feeling extremely guilty about her own decision to leave her brother behind. Despite already knowing that he had survived the battle, she still had no idea how he was doing.
"Kai is still recovering at Ninjago City Hospital." Zane responded tensely, glancing over at Pixal and sharing a hesitant look. "He has not yet regained consciousness but he is alive. But… how have you already made a full recovery?" Seeing the sickly ninja up and about again made very little sense to the amicable android, as Jay had been completely bedridden just a day earlier. It was remarkable to see just how invigorated he was; to the uninitiated it would seem like he had never been injured at all.
"I don't know." he answered honestly, shrugging indifferently since he didn't really care about knowing the specifics. "I suppose Lloyd or that psychotic Elemental Master must have healed me at some point but I'm not really sure how."
"I think it was probably Lloyd, but can we please focus on getting Jay free?" Nya said quickly, trying to get the group back on track and focused on the task at hand. Zane nodded in agreement, putting off the discussion and beginning to analyze his surroundings. The cage was definitely built with vengestone but the surrounding walls seemed to be built out of simple stone. Previously there had been a huge break in the back wall, and although the rather convenient exit was now gone, it still helped him decide the best course of action.
"Well, I'm not sure that any of our powers will be able to break through vengestone." he said quietly, not finding their prospects there to be particularly favorable. "I don't think that my ice or your water will be able to do very much to get him loose. Cole, your element might have been able to do more but since it is no longer accessible that is a mostly moot point."
Cole sighed quietly, not quite able to meet his gaze as he stared at the floor. He already felt terrible about the situation and that somewhat blunt admission had just added fuel to the fire. Without his powers he just felt limited and useless, like he wasn't able to contribute anymore. Similar feelings of despair and aimlessness had affected him when he was turned into a ghost but even that had had its fair share of benefits. If he was still a ghost then he could simply become the key and free Jay, but becoming human again had obviously taken away those possessive abilities.
"Fortunately the entire building is not constructed with vengestone and if we need to break him out using force it may be a better idea to go through one of the walls." Zane added, quickly choosing to continue with his logical analysis. "Granted stone is not going to be an easy material to get through either, so currently the best solution I can think of is to pick the lock. If I can get an accurate scan of the cell and how the lock is structured then I might be able to make a duplicate key."
The others sort of murmured in agreement, not bothering to question the nindroid's judgement. Nya began moving away from the cell to give him a full view of the bars and everyone else just sort of backed away. Of course Pixal quickly surmised the only real hitch in the plan, easily finding a potential problem as a sense of concern crossed her mind.
"How long would it take for you to create a copy?" she asked suddenly, turning towards him with a somewhat nervous expression. "Furthermore, do we even have any materials that you could craft from on hand?" Zane frowned, conceding the point and mulling over the rather obvious drawbacks. He had already compensated for those concerns in his simulations and it was still probably their best shot if nothing about their situation changed.
"That depends on a variety of factors, but I might have to carve from the spare furniture or try to dissect the training equipment." he responded solemnly, slightly saddened by the possibility of tampering with such remarkable craftsmanship. "Regardless, I think we should send out a message requesting for Misako to bring the Destiny's Bounty over to help. That would expand out options significantly and I am guessing that most of you would prefer to have a proper place to sleep tonight."
A chorus of awkward chuckles rang out across the room, for it was a very valid point. The only bed in the small flat was Lloyd's and none of them would feel comfortable using it. They would have felt even more averse to the idea if they knew who their leader had been sleeping with for the past few days but they were probably better off not knowing the details of his nighttime activities. That obviously made no impact on their shared reluctance; rampant weariness alone was already enough to dissuade them from wanting to stay here overnight. Jay couldn't wait to go home, as just being able to sleep in his own bed would be quite the luxury compared to solitary confinement.
In hindsight Zane felt rather foolish for not having taken the ship from the start, but at the time he had just wanted to leave for the Dark Island as soon as possible and his dragon was probably faster anyway. He quickly wrote up a brief text message and sent it along to Misako before starting his initial scans of the vengestone cell.
Harumi leapt from her dragon, landing softly in the familiar courtyard. Lloyd, who had not been warned of the sudden departure, came crashing down behind her. He instinctively fell into a roll, barely managing to avoid hitting the training equipment as he slowed to a stop. She immediately ran over to his crumpled form but was soon reassured as he managed to stand up without much trouble.
"Maybe warn me the next time you're going to do that." he mumbled, shaking his head around to alleviate the dizziness. She chuckled awkwardly before turning her attention to their surroundings, silently pondering how safe this place would actually be. They had stopped here several times in their travels without much trouble but the trip still seemed inherently risky; it would be unwise to linger.
"I don't think we can stay here forever." she said quietly, fervently glancing around as if she was expecting another pesky ninja to jump out of the shadows. "Let's just get some rest and regroup in the morning." Lloyd nodded in agreement, saying nothing more as they began walking across the courtyard and approaching the proper entrance. Once inside they immediately made their way to his room, only to find it in an unsurprising state of disrepair.
"Oh right." Harumi mumbled abashedly, quickly remembering that she had already pillaged his belongings and rendered the place essentially inhospitable. Lloyd was still trying not to abuse his powers but in this case he was just too tired to care. Within moments a burst of golden energy was flowing from his hands, soon melding into a perfect recreation of his old bed. He flashed her a wry grin before sauntering over to the closet, cheerfully rifling through its contents as he searched for a more comfortable change of clothes. It didn't take him very long to find what he was looking for, as he had pretty much worn the exact same pair of green striped pajamas ever since he was artificially aged up with Tomorrow's Tea. Despite his now increased mental maturity he really hadn't grown all that much physically, which conveniently meant that nearly all of his old clothing still fit perfectly.
With a succinct spin Lloyd fluidly changed into the two piece set and flopped down onto the bed. Harumi was somewhat entranced by his uncharacteristically impish disposition; it was true that his excitement could be almost infectious at times. But his own sense of surety faltered in that moment, for he saw a tiny flare of rage in her eyes. They were quite literally green with envy, although not to such an extent that he was worried for his safety or anything.
"What's wrong?" he asked knowingly, sitting up and looking at her with a sincere expression of concern. Harumi sighed, silently unclasping her cloak and letting it fall to the floor in a heap. She sat down on the edge of the bed, gazing towards the ground with an air of sadness. Her growing impatience regarding the martial art of Spinjitzu was certainly a part of the equation but her feelings were never quite so simple. Having conflicted thoughts was an unfortunate experience that they both dealt with on a regular basis; in this case she was affected by a deep-rooted sense of loss that she hadn't even known was there.
"I wish that I had somewhere to go back to." she answered softly, her voice shaking with uncharacteristic uncertainty. "No matter what happens you have people to rely on and a loving home, and… I guess I just never knew how much I really needed that." Lloyd slowly got up, moving to walk across the room and sit down next to her. He reached up and began gently stroking her hair, trying his best to calm her nerves as he silently pondered the revelation. It was some time before he decided to respond, as he had learned that taking his time was usually more helpful in the long run.
"I'm sorry." he whispered, his voice distant and hazy as he continued the soothing routine. Harumi jerked suddenly, accidentally knocking his hand away as she looked him in the eyes. Her face was beset with a shocked and slightly ticked-off looking expression, which wasn't exactly the reaction he had been expecting. She paused for a moment and while the momentarily flash of anger soon dissipated, she still seemed bothered by his statement.
"This isn't your fault." Harumi said quietly, turning away and staring at the wall. She had spent so long holding him responsible for the death of her parents when he wasn't really to blame. And that was only a part of it, as, although she had always detested her adopted parents and the royal lifestyle that had been thrust upon her, there were times when she longed for that sense of stability in her life. Granted she didn't really miss them and she had never really wanted to be a princess to begin with, but the Emperor and Empress had not deserved their tragic fate.
"Well, I never said it was." Lloyd responded finally, causing her to roll her eyes in annoyance. "I'm sorry that your parents died and I'm sorry that you've had to deal with so much heartbreak. I suppose we've both dealt with our fair share of grief in life and sometimes I wish it wasn't so. But then we might never have met and… I don't want to live without you Rumi."
It was the truth, one that was somehow both effortlessly endearing and dangerously disturbing at the same time. While Lloyd had meant the statement in a comforting manner, his previous suicide attempts added significantly darker undertones to the otherwise innocent sentiment. Harumi slowly turned her head around at the sickening thought, her eyes wide and her mouth held agape with unadulterated dread. Her skin was ghostly, all the color draining away as a protective fear bewitched her senses.
"Lloyd, don't say things like that." she whispered worriedly, absolutely aghast with agonizing anxiety. Once again he was somewhat puzzled by her response, finding himself continually vexed by the rather remorseful reaction. He didn't understand how she had interpreted his words and he was somehow stumped by the unintentionally dark double meaning. Without her now persistent presence he had been more than willing to throw his life away on a whim, which was an extremely concerning state of mind for anyone to inhabit. And while he no longer toed the line between life and death, it was still a strong source of stress for his loving partner.
"What was it I said?" Lloyd asked hesitantly, shaking his head ever so slightly as he became befuddled with convoluted confusion. He had a pretty sharp mind but he could just be so thick in the head sometimes. Often he seemed to be wise beyond his years, while in other situations he more so resembled a hopelessly naive child. A lifetime of trauma had given him an old soul, but through thick and thin his whimsical nature had remained mostly intact.
"I don't want to lose you Lloyd!" Harumi cried despondently, morosely mortified by his idiotic ignorance. "What you said scared me… because it was my mistakes that made you try to kill yourself."
"Oh… I didn't mean it like that." he said quietly, quickly averting his eyes and holding his head in shame. With her helpful clarification the more morbid interpretation had finally dawned on him and he resisted the heavy urge to facepalm. The thought of living without her was truly the most terrifying thing he could think of but phrasing it in such a way had been a rather poor decision. After taking some time to collect his thoughts a bit he took in a deep breath and finally gave her his full attention.
"Rumi, I'm not going to kill myself." Lloyd said confidently, emboldened with sudden determination as he sought to stop focusing on the negatives. "I've never feared death but I no longer welcome it with open arms. I don't know how my life will play out and I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't a little scared of what the future may hold. But we'll get to find out together."
Harumi felt extremely reassured by his sweet soliloquy and she smiled in agreement. It was almost freaky; he just seemed to have an uncanny feel for how to best console people, whether it be through poetically inspiring messages or passively patient listening. It was simply in his nature to be kind and that was a rare thing to find in a person.
"I love you so much Lloyd." she muttered fondly, moving to ruffle his hair before rolling backwards against the pillows. He chuckled quietly, falling down next to her with a wide grin across his face. Their lives were marred with chaos and instability, wrecked by heartbreak and grief. Against all odds they had both come out stronger, survived the physical and mental battles with a renewed sense of freedom. And there was nothing that could disturb the peace they had found. It was beautifully blissful; just being together was more than enough to fill their hearts with contentment.
But an ever-present sense of worry had been permanently entrenched in the back of Lloyd's mind, always preventing him from entirely enjoying her company. Time after time life had thrown him curveballs, as destiny always managed to come up with new challenges and struggles for him to face. The Green Ninja seemed to always attract and ensnare enemies; darker minds flocked to his power like moths to a flame. He could not wholly revel in the love that they shared and that was because in his heart Lloyd knew exactly what this moment was.
The calm before the storm.
I really did try to progress the plot more with this chapter but I got carried away writing Llorumi fluff again. At least the other ninja are actually doing stuff now, which is nice I guess. Everyone should be contributing a bit more going forward and I'm still trying to find some way to get Kai involved again. It has been a lot harder for me to write lately but I'll try to keep the story moving along at a somewhat steady pace.
Yeah I couldn't really think of a good segue into this next topic but some anonymous guest reviewer on my last chapter asked a rather interesting question. Now, I don't like doing review responses in my fanfics because I think it waters down my writing and I already embellish way too much as it is, but in this case I couldn't respond using private messages so I begrudgingly composed an impromptu public service announcement instead.
Yes, if anyone out there actually wants to use the Elemental Master of Dreams in their own writing then they are free to do so. Obviously I want to be credited but as long as I'm not getting plagiarized I don't really care how my ideas are used. That also goes for any other interesting concepts I've written and anything else I will ever write, although I would still prefer for people to politely ask first regardless. Frankly I don't know why anyone would ever want to use my stupid element in their own writing but I suppose it is somewhat flattering to hear.