Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Thank you all for gathering here on such short notice. I wouldn't have arranged this meeting if the situation wasn't dire.”

The voice echoed throughout the endless planes, constellations swirling around the Source Dragon council. They were here to discuss a dire matter indeed.

“Dire? We're Source Dragons, what could possibly be dire to us?” a voice asked.

“Have you been living under a rock? Life’s going down to the mortal world,” another remarked.

“What!?”

“The mortal world- no he can't go there! It's far too dangerous, I forbid it!” one shouted.

“Yes, as I said the situation is dire. Life has expressed… discontent with our way of existence. He has asked me- and by extension all of you- to grant him your blessings to venture down to the mortals’ world-”

“More like demanded. You should have seen him, he was not going to take no for an answer,” one of the voices laughed.

“Ahem- to ‘check on his creations’.”

“You mean those fleshy organics? Those things are… odd.”

“This news is very troubling,” one sighed.

“Indeed it is, which is why I have not included the youngest of us in this discussion, and why I am asking for your opinions on the matter.”

“My answer still stands. He does not have my blessing and he is not going down there!” 

“I’ll have to agree with Flow, think of all the damage he could do,” a voice agreed.

“Yeah, that little dragon’s got quite the temper on him.”

“I don't know, I for one would be happy to have a break from that hatchling. He's unbearable,” one complained.

“Focus, don't be rude. Life can be… a lot, but he's still a Source Dragon,” another voice scolded.

“Barely,” one mumbled.

“Normally, this would be put to a vote like all our other decisions, however, I believe Life has already made up his mind and will leave regardless of the result. And forcing him to stay would surely upset the Balance we've tirelessly maintained all this time,” the echoey voice explained.

“He would cause quite a ruckus. You know how he gets when someone tells him no,” another concurred, “this might save all us Source Dragons the headache.”

“While I am not entirely okay with it, I don't want Life to feel trapped with us. As long as he stays safe, he has my blessing.”

“Hmmm… what if,” the voice started, “he had someone to protect him, while he's down there. Guardians, so to say.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“There are mortals who possess echoes of our elemental abilities. What if we made them Life’s protectors? I would be willing to offer the aid of my own mortal.”

“You want to get humans to keep Life safe? That’s complete asinine. Leave me out of it,” a voice huffed.

“Yeah, count my human out too. I wouldn't wish that fate on anyone,” one said.

“Please, take my two most powerful humans! They will be sure to keep Life out of trouble,” said a voice desperately.

“I suppose this could be interesting. Take one of mine too,” a gruff voice announced.

“Have one of mine as well. That little dragon needs someone wise to guide him, and it certainly won't be from Strength’s human,” one cool voice remarked.

“Hey!”

“Then it will be done. I will see to it that Life’s guardians get the message. Thank you Source Dragons for your time.”

Lloyd Garmadon, from the moment he was born, was different. 

The birth itself had gone like any other- perhaps easier than most. They'd decided to have the child at home, and within their dark bedroom, her husband was the only witness.

The baby did not kick and scream. No, he was silent- so silent in fact that his mother believed him dead at first. She’d cradled the baby close, her heaving chest and hot red skin buzzing with Life, pressing her nose to his head. She kissed him gently and whispered a name. 

Lloyd.

But this was not the Lloyd Garmadon that could have been. This was not the child born of ancient blood that destiny had written to defeat the Dark Lord and become Ninjago’s savior. For beneath the skin and bone and Oni blood, a Source Dragon dwelled.

Life was a curious creature. He was the youngest of his kin- godly beings that possessed indescribable power known to mortals as Source Dragons. Before Life, their world was one of perfection and order. Everything had a place and a function, and for millenia that's how it stayed. 

When Life came into existence, a new era of chaos was ushered in, bringing the Source Dragons’ stagnant world to an end.

For Life created beings from the Earth itself, utilizing the elements of his kin to bring them into existence. He called them humans, and Life fell in love with them almost instantly.

His kin, however, did not.

For a long time, Life was content to oversee his creations. The Source Dragon watched as they developed civilizations, created brilliant technology and fought in glorious, passionate wars. He watched them love and betray each other, watched as their relationships blossomed and soon spawned more of their kind. In the Source Dragons’ world, his chaotic creations flourished.

They were beautiful, and soon enough Life began to crave more.

A Source Dragon’s existence was absolute. They were gods that would live forever. They had so much power they didn't even know what to do with it all, and as such were forbidden from meddling with the affairs of the mortal realm, lest they upset the Balance. Life, along with the rest of his kin, were cursed to an eternity of spectating.

The other Source Dragons might have been okay with that, but not Life. Oh No.

He'd abandoned his kin, abandoned his responsibilities, abandoned his divinity and abandoned his body- but most importantly, he'd abandoned his name.

Lloyd Garmadon. Whoever this mortal could have been before a Source Dragon had wriggled its way inside his body was not worth dwelling on. What he could have achieved, how he would have acted, what his impact would have been- it’s all pointless to think on. In fact, this might just be for the best.

The Source Dragon of Life would not waste this chance. He'd make sure his new existence would be interesting, and he would embrace his new name with pride.

He was just Lloyd now, and that was enough.

Lloyd sat alone before the shrine dedicated to his late sensei and his student in a silent vigil. Surrounding him were the sounds of the night; locusts chirped, owls hooted, and a soft breeze rustled through his tangled hair. The bags under his eyes weighed heavy, but Lloyd didn't have plans of going to bed anytime soon. He couldn't, really. Not with his mind screaming at him like this.

After the tournament, everyone had been rightfully exhausted, and as such went to bed as soon as they touched down at the monastery. Lloyd had even wished Sora congrats on her victory before tucking her into bed. His pupil didn't seem all that responsive, trapped in her own head about Arin, and he couldn't really blame the poor girl. He too couldn't stop thinking about Arin.

It just didn't make sense.

Why had he done that? Why had he chosen Ras over Sora? Over him? Had he been a bad teacher? Could he have been better, tried harder? 

Why Master, why?

What had he done wrong?

“How long do you plan on keeping up this little game of yours?”

The booming voice shattered the calm silence that had fallen over the monastery courtyard. The birds that had settled on the tall walls squawked in alarm before fluttering off.

With a sigh, Lloyd gave the portraits one last bow of respect, and he turned his head to see just who had disturbed the peace, despite already knowing.

In all her glory stood the Source Dragon of Motion, in her mortal form of course. Which, in Lloyd's opinion, wasn't anything special. The red and gold of her scales seemed an obvious choice, and her horns curved like that of a deer’s.

Despite her underwhelming appearance, traces of her immense power managed to just barely shine through along the tips of her wings, thrumming a fiery orange.

But more importantly, she did not look happy with him.

“Ah, Motion, I'm glad you're back. I wanted to thank you for earlier and not giving me up to my friends. Really thought for a second you were-”

“Friends?” she asks, cutting him off mid-sentence. “These humans are your friends now? Honestly Life, we leave you down here for a few years and you’re already growing attached?"

“Did you come all the way down here just to berate me,” Lloyd grumbled, getting up from the mat to make his way toward the fuming Source Dragon. This was part of the whole reason he'd started pretending to be human in the first place. Unlike Source Dragons, mortals knew how to have a little bit of fun and weren't total buzzkills.

“And hey, a few years is a long time! And of course they're my friends, you just haven't seen them cause you've been up there with the rest of those windbags talking while we do all the work.” Lloyd defends. Motion had never been the fondest of his creations, but she had been fond of him, and she often let him get away with things the others would have smited him for. Ah, good times.

“Those windbags are trying to stop reality from tearing itself apart, and I think it's high time you started taking your responsibility as a Source Dragon more seriously. The others have been talking… It’s time to come home, Life,” Motion said.

Something cold washed over Lloyd. 

“What!? No, I can't leave yet, there's still so much I have to do! You can't do this!” he shouted. Lloyd hated this, hated feeling like a child. He wasn't a child, but everyone around him seemed to treat him like one, both human and Source Dragon alike. 

“You don't have to do anything. You have no allegiance to these organics, and you have a far more important job to attend to. I've let you play pretend long enough, but this ends now.” To emphasize her point, the Source Dragon stamped her massive paw, rumbling the ground and kicking up dust.

He hoped nobody heard that. If anyone came out and saw this it'd be catastrophic.

Lloyd stalked closer to the giant dragon, trying to puff himself up. His human form wasn't all that intimidating.

“Well it looks like you're doing just fine without me! Don't lie, I know how the others felt about me. They were all ecstatic when I left! Down here, people actually appreciate me!”

Then, “I'm not leaving my family!” 

Oops, did he say family?

“Family?! Do you have any shred of dignity left? I let you go to that silly tournament and yet you still want more? Still want to keep playing with these mortals!?” Motion cried, her voice echoing throughout the courtyard.

“These things aren't your family, Life!”

Lloyd could see this clearly wasn't working, so he decided to switch tactics. Begging always worked before.

The ninja brought his hands up to his chest, looking up at the Source Dragon of Motion with the saddest eyes he could muster.

“I know they're not. I know, I'm sorry, but please Motion. I just want to keep playing for a little longer. Please don't make me go, please.”

Motion seemed to falter at Lloyd's little display. She lost the tension in her body and lowered her head slightly, observing the small thing in front of her with conflicting eyes. She was cracking.

“How long have you been keeping up this facade, Life? Five years, Ten? Haven't you grown tired of stifling your power like this, wearing their skin? Laughing with them, fighting with them- when will it be enough for you?” She demanded, but her voice seemed tired and had no force to it.

“Fifteen actually, and no, I'm not tired of it. This is the most fun I've had in millennia,” Lloyd smiled weakly.

“Well if you aren't tired of this game then I and the rest of the Source Dragons are. You can't keep acting like this, it is unbefitting of our kind,” Motion sighs, her tail flicking behind her in annoyance.

The Source Dragon of Life saunters over to the fountain in the center of the courtyard. Lily pads and water lilies bob in the water, the moonlight reflecting across the surface. He hops up to sit along the stone rim, gazing at the golden dragon statue in the middle.

So what, being a Source Dragon just meant he couldn't be happy anymore?

Aside from the mortals being entertaining, as much as he hates to admit that Motion is right, he really has grown attached to the humans he's been living with. Lloyd’s become invested in the simplicities of their everyday lives. Their likes, dislikes. Their relationships and struggles. 

It fascinated him, and somehow he's found himself at the center of it all as the leader of their team of ninjas. He himself had even become one.

The Green Ninja.

They treated him like one of their own, like he was family, and Lloyd was almost scared how far he found himself going just to keep them alive…

“Look, I know since you created them you feel a connection to them that the rest of us don't, but you have to see that things are out of your control now. It's too dangerous to let you continue with the realms merged like this. We've let you have your fun, but it's time to put this game to rest.”

Absolutely not.

“But if I'm gone, who will protect them? They need me, Motion!” he desperately tried to reason, turning to face the Source Dragon again.

“So what if a few of them expire!? You know just how fast they replenish their kind!” she shouts suddenly, regaining the fire in her voice.

A bad feeling started eating away inside his belly. He slid off the fountain, keeping his eyes glued to the ground.

Another sigh from Motion.

“Us Source Dragons have a sacred duty to uphold to keep reality as we know it from destroying itself. We cannot allow ourselves to be distracted by such insignificant things,” she explained like she had a thousand times before, bringing the smooth end of her tail to his chin and lifting it up so he'd look at her.

It made him feel like a child, despite being thousands of years old.

“It’s just… I just wanted to…” Lloyd mumbled lamely.

“Well, it seems you've also grown attached in the process. I've been watching you, how far you're willing to go for them. You're being reckless, Life. Mortal bodies are fragile things, and you've already had one too many close calls.”

He might possess unimaginable power, but she was right nonetheless. Lloyd has had quite a few close calls. Not to his actual life, but to his mortal body.

The Overlord, Morro, the Oni. His Father. Just recently it has been The Forbidden Five and the list just goes on.

“Mortals are a lot more sturdy than I gave them credit for,” he tries to quip, and receives a tail slap on the head for.

“We may be Source Dragons,” Motion growls, “but we are not invincible. You've seen first hand what they are capable of doing to us.”

He had. Lloyd didn't like thinking about it.

Seeing the Source Dragon of Energy imprisoned in that horrible device made his skin crawl. He'd thankfully been able to free his kin, but the experience lingered in his mind, creeping into his nightmares.

Yes, he knew full well what these humans were capable of doing to him.

But he also knew all the good they could do too. Lloyd couldn't just forget geeking out over comic books with Jay, or cooking lessons with Zane, or sparring matches with Cole. He couldn't just forget tinkering with Nya or all the times Kai had comforted him when being human just got to be too much. He especially couldn't forget the long nature walks he'd had with his father before everything got complicated.

“I know. But, I also know the humans will protect me. And I really still have things I need to do here. I know how much you hate to leave things unfinished. I still have to find my student and stop The Forbidden Five- oh and I also have to find my father-”

“You don't have a father, Life. All those mortals did was give you a body, nothing more,” Motion cuts him off again.

“Yeah, I know,” he grumbles, “but the point is that I'm not finished playing yet. I'm not leaving.”

There's a finality to his words, and he knows Motion senses it too. The Source Dragon sighs despairingly and she slumps down to the floor to be closer to Lloyd and looks at him with sad eyes.

“Why do I keep allowing myself to enable your bad behavior? What would the others say?” She wallows in self pity. 

He knows he's got her now.

“That I'm a lost cause. That I need to ‘act my age’, but that I'm also ‘too young to understand the responsibility of a Source Dragon’. I know I came into existence after time had a name, but that doesn't mean you guys can keep treating me like I'm the weakest forever,” he gripes.

“You are the weakest,” Motion says, “everything was calm- balanced before you got here. And then you came into existence and brought those… infernal organic creatures with you, and now everything has gone to chaos.”

“Please Motion. I'm begging you…”

It's silent again for a while. The only noise Lloyd thinks he can hear is the sound of the birds who got scared off by Motion’s arrival earlier perching themselves back on the monastery walls.

“Fine,” she finally says. “This isn't the last of this conversation, but I will leave you be with your playthings for now. Please at least try to stay out of trouble?” 

Lloyd laughs in relief before getting out an “I'll try”.

“You've still got the icon I gave you when you first arrived here, right? You haven't lost it? Those things are incredibly dangerous in the hands of a-”

“Yes yes, I still have it. It's in my room. If I ever need you I promise I'll use it,” Lloyd says, which seems to pacify the Source Dragon of Motion.

She rises from the ground and the air around her starts to buzz. Her wings start to glow more than usual, bathing Lloyd in a red light as she gets ready to depart.

Wait.

“Oh- and Motion, it's Lloyd now.”

“...I will need some time to get used to that. Maybe in a few hundred years?”

And just like that she’s gone, only a few wisps of red being any indication that she was here at all.

Looks like he'd bought himself a little time. But this… complicated things a little…

That could come later, however. Sleep was calling to him, and Lloyd would deny it no longer.

Lloyd turns back to the portraits of Sensei Wu and Arin, giving them another bow before he enters the monastery to head to bed. 

What he doesn't notice is Nya hiding behind one of the shoji screens, clutching a hand to her mouth in horror. She had heard everything.

Chapter Text

Today marked Lloyd’s fifth day living aboard the Destiny’s Bounty. 

It had been quite the… adjustment, having to live with the son of the dark lord himself. Lloyd had already been a handful and a half when he hadn't been living with them, and it only seemed worse now that he had a permanent room on the ship. 

The closet that used to house some of the ninja's gear had to be cleared out and transformed into a makeshift bedroom for the little demon, meaning the leftover gear had to be crammed into the boys’ shared room.

To say it was cramped would be an understatement. The ship was only so big.

Anyway, right now they were all seated around their little table eating. It was Zane’s night to cook- a day everyone aboard the ship looked forward to- and just like always he prepared the most delicious meal for them to enjoy.

Dinner had been mostly quiet- a rarity for them- the silence only interrupted by a few comments here and there and a minor spat between Jay and Cole over their earlier mission.

Nya was just about done with her plate when she looked over to the far end of the table, where Lloyd was sitting. This was the first night the kid was joining them for dinner, all the days prior having his food brought straight to his room.

Glancing down, Nya noted that his plate was barely disturbed, the food pushed around with his chopsticks and not actually eaten.

Everyone else was on their last bites, so Nya decided to speak up.

“Not hungry, Lloyd?” she asked.

The kid looked up from his art piece of a plate, clearly not expecting the question.

“Wha.. oh uh- no, not really,” he mumbled quietly.

This caught the attention of Zane. “Do you not like it? If you want, I could make you something else?”

The kid’s cheeks started to turn red as everyone looked at him. Master Wu’s sharp eyes scanned his nephew, a glint of concern in them.

Lloyd shrunk back into himself. “No it's okay. I'm just not hungry, you don't need to get me more food,” he said quickly.

An awkward silence had taken over the dining room. Then, Lloyd pushed his still-full plate forward and started to get up from his seat. “Here, you guys can have it.” And then he was gone- probably back to his room- leaving the ninja, Nya and Master Wu to look at each other confused.

That was odd.

A couple days passed, and everyone seemed to have forgotten about Lloyd’s little “incident”. But eventually, Master Wu decided he'd had enough of his nephew sulking around in his room and forced him to the table. Tonight had been Nya’s turn to make dinner, and while she wasn't as skilled as Zane when it came to culinary prowess, she was at least better than her brother. 

Her food was never burnt.

And same as before, when it came time to clear the table, Lloyd's plate was once again untouched.

“Lloyd, you didn't even touch your vegetables,” Nya noted, referencing the steamed broccoli that was surely cold by now.

“Or anything else on the plate,” Kai muttered. That earned him a swift kick under the table.

Lloyd had his head resting on his hand, a bored look on his face. “Vegetables are gross,” he said simply. “I don't want them.” 

“What about your sweet roll? Do you want that,” Jay piped up quickly.

The boy grabbed the roll and tossed it the Lightning Ninja’s way.

“What- no fair! I was just about to ask him!” Cole shouted. “You snooze you lose, I asked first,” Jay laughed, taking a big bite of the desert. “C'mon, can't we split it?” “No way!”

Lloyd had started to rise from the table, deciding to use this typical Jay and Cole fight to escape dinner, when Master Wu spoke up above the commotion.

“Lloyd, you are not allowed to leave this table until you've eaten your food. Nya worked hard to make it,” the old sensei ordered.

Lloyd whipped around to stare appalled at his uncle. “What! Seriously!?” he sputtered.

“Quite. Now sit back down.”

Lloyd didn't move.

“Lloyd,” Wu warned, his voice dangerous and promising consequences if his nephew would not listen.

Thankfully, he did, sitting back down with a huff.

“Ooooh you're in trouble,” Jay snickered, and the other ninja smiled at the little brat’s misfortune.

Nya thought that would be the end of it. 

Boy was she wrong. 

Lloyd sat there until all the ninja had finished eating, he'd sat there when Zane cleaned the table, and he even sat there another thirty minutes after everyone had begun to get ready for bed. That little gremlin was not relenting, his plate still as full as when dinner had started over an hour ago.

Finally, Master Wu had released him from the table, and the kid scurried back to his room, not a single bite of the food Nya had cooked taken.

That kid was stubborn.

Now, they say once is by chance, twice is a coincidence, and three times is a pattern. Glaring down at Lloyd’s uneaten dinner, Nya couldn't agree more. He'd been forced to join them again, Wu not allowing him to take three days in-between socializing with everyone at the table anymore.

Honestly, Nya was starting to worry. She knew Lloyd didn't eat last night, and by the looks of it hadn't eaten anything today either. He had to have been hungry, so why wouldn't he eat? Was it the taste? Maybe a texture thing? A preference? What?

Nya was going to get to the bottom of it.

Dinner went by without any fanfare. It looked like Master Wu didn't want to fight with his nephew about food tonight, so Lloyd got to leave the table when everyone else finished. 

Once everyone busied themselves with their bedtime rituals, she snuck through the Bounty until she found herself in front of Lloyd’s room.

She knocked, hoping the kid was still awake. “Lloyd?” she called softly.

There was no response.

“Lloyd,” she called again, louder this time. A muffled shuffling noise could be heard from inside, and then the door was opening.

It was only a crack, and then a scrutinizing ruby eye was greeting Nya’s chocolate brown ones.

“What do you want?”

“Can I come in? I want to talk to you.”

Lloyd paused for a moment, seemingly pondering her request.

“Hmm, let me think about it. No!”

The door slammed in her face.

Oh hell no!

“Lloyd, you open this door right now!” Nya demanded, gunning for the handle and furiously tugging on it, but it wouldn't budge. That little brat must've locked the door. 

“Lloyd!” Nya shouted again.

From inside the room she could hear the cackling of a little boy who was taking great pleasure in pushing her buttons.

Alright. Playtime’s over. “If you don't open the door I'm getting Master Wu.”

Thankfully, that seemed to do the trick. As much as Lloyd pranked, tricked, insulted, and teased everyone on the ship, Master Wu appeared to be strictly off-limits. Probably because he was his uncle and the only one that vouched for him, and at the very least the boy had realized that getting on the bad side of the only person on the ship who tolerated him wasn't the smartest idea. 

But Nya thought it was because Sensei Wu could be a scary, scary man when he wanted to be.

Slowly but surely, the door squeaked all the way open, Lloyd giving her his best death glare. 

That's more like it.

Nya shoved her way into the room before Lloyd could change his mind and lock her out again.

Stepping inside, it was… actually pretty clean. Although, that could just be because of how few belongings Lloyd really owned. He'd come onto the ship with nothing but the clothes on his back and a nasty attitude. 

They'd only gotten him the necessities: clothes, basic hygiene products, and a place to sleep that wasn't the couch. 

Nya quickly made herself comfy on the little nest of blankets and pillows Lloyd called a bed, and beckoned for the boy to follow. He rolled his eyes, shutting his door and plopping down next to her.

They really needed to get him a bed frame.

“So, you wanna tell me why you haven't been eating dinner? Or any other meal for that matter,” Nya asked, getting straight to the point. She didn't like wasting time beating around the bush with niceties, and she had a feeling Lloyd wouldn't either.

“Not really…” he grumbled.

“The guys have been keeping a close eye on you, y’know. They say you almost never leave your room, unless you're causing trouble.”

The boy remained silent, pouting with his arms crossed tight in front of him.

“You sleep through breakfast and disappear when lunch rolls around, and no matter who cooks you never eat dinner. You've got to be hungry.”

Still, no response.

“C’mon kid, Master Wu is worried about you. If you keep refusing meals you’ll have to start drinking Cole’s nasty protein shakes,” Nya tried.

“...”

Okay, this wasn't working. Fortunately, she'd come prepared.

Quickly, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a bright red lollipop. Call it whatever you like: a peace offering, an incentive, a bribe. Regardless, it caught the little sugar-crazed gremlin’s attention.

Once Lloyd noticed the candy, he immediately perked up. His previous moodiness all but vanished in the face of the sweet treat.

Bingo.

“If you promise to tell me what's going on, you can have the lollipop,” Nya smirked, already knowing the kid’s answer. If there was one thing Nya had learned, it was that Lloyd couldn't refuse candy.

“I promise!” he chirped eagerly.

As soon as it was in his hand, Lloyd was ripping off the crinkly wrapper and sticking the sucker in his mouth with a happy little sound.

After a few seconds, Nya prompted him again. “Lloyd?”

“Mm?”

“Why won't you eat?”

“...it's weird,” he finally mumbled.

“Weird?”

“Yeah.” And then he was back to sucking on the cherry flavored candy.

First Master, why did talking to kids have to be so difficult. It was like pulling teeth.

Nya sighed. “You've gotta give me more than just that, bud. What’s weird about it?” she pressed the boy.

“... I dunno, s’just weird. Like- the way you have to chew things up, and then swallow. And then it just sits in your belly until… eugh. It's gross, I don't like it,” Lloyd explained.

Huh.

Well, that was a new one. Nya had thought he was just a really picky eater or something, seeing as the kid only seemed to like sweet things. But to think the entire act itself was disgusting was… odd to say the least. And difficult to find a work-around for.

She thought for a moment, peering at the lollipop in Lloyd’s hand, before speaking again.

“Tell you what, kid. If you come to dinner, I'll get you more candy.”

“Really?!”

“Yes, but you have to actually eat. No more giving your food to Jay and Cole.”

“...is this after every meal?” Lloyd asked suspiciously. He wanted to get the most out of this little deal, it seemed. Smart kid.

“Yup. I've got more candy than I know what to do with, anyway,” Nya said.

“Where did you get it all?”

“The boys are really bad at hiding their Halloween stash,” she chuckled.

With that, Nya pushed herself up from Lloyd’s little blanket nest and walked to the door. She opened it, ready to head to bed, but turned to the boy one last time before leaving.

“So, I'll see you at dinner tomorrow?” 

“Yeah yeah I'll be there. Now get out!”

Nya shut the door, leaving the brat to his own devices.

On her way back to her bedroom, Nya’s thoughts raced. That… was the first ever conversation she’d had with Lloyd. The first real conversation, one without any swears or insults or yelling.

When he'd literally been dragged kicking and screaming onto the Bounty, Nya hadn't been all too thrilled to get to know Sensei Wu’s nephew. In the first few days aboard the ship, he'd immediately established that he didn't want to get to know the ninja, nor did he want to try and be civil with them. To Lloyd, they were apparently mortal enemies, and he treated everyone as such.

He was mean and crude and unapproachable, laughing at the others when they fell for his cruel pranks and swearing left and right.

He was a true nightmare to be around, so everyone did their best to avoid him. Including her.

He wasn't worth the trouble. The headache.

But, after actually talking with Lloyd… maybe Nya had been too quick to judge.

He was a child- an obnoxious, bratty one- but a child nonetheless. He'd grown up in a school that indoctrinated young, impressionable kids to believe evil was the only way to live. It was all he knew.

Now in this new environment, surrounded by figures who literally embodied good, he was lost. Misguided. Lonely.

Like she herself had been long ago.

And just like Kai had done for her, Nya would help take care of him, show him the way.

As she reached her bedroom and gripped the handle, she came to a conclusion.

Nya wouldn't let Lloyd get left behind.

The next day when Lloyd had miraculously cleared his plate, he happily skipped back to his room with a pack of gummy bears in his claws.

Nya could tell it was morning when the clanging of pots and pans echoed down the monastery halls. It was Wyldfyre’s way of waking everybody up, and it was rather effective.

It reminded her of when Sensei Wu used to wake them all up with a gong. 

“Wake up, wake up, wake up!” Wyldfyre sang, the clangs getting louder and louder as she skipped past everyone’s doors.

Normally, Nya found her little display charming, if a bit annoying. But after having what had to be the worst sleep of her life, tossing and turning all throughout the night, it was all just obnoxious now. She could feel a headache coming on.

The water ninja smashed her pillow against her face to groan loudly, before finally getting up to start the day.

Besides, there was a certain ninja she really needed to talk to.

Breakfast was the liveliest it’s been in awhile. Now that Kai and Bonzle were back, the whole mood had lightened tremendously.

A delicious smell guided Nya to the kitchen, where she could see Zane hard at work cooking breakfast. After the tournament, nobody really wanted to be alone, so a lot of people had decided to spend the night in the monastery. Which meant lots of food needed to be prepared.

“Ah, good morning Nya,” Zane called without taking his gaze off the sizzling skillet in front of him.

From the table, Cole looked up from his conversation with Bonzle- who'd stayed the night in the Earth Ninja's room.

“Morning Nya,” he said, his voice a little scratchy from sleep. Bonzle gave her a little wave.

Everyone was still in their pajamas, including her. They'd all agreed that today would be a rest day, which meant no training, no planning, and especially no worrying.

“Everyone else still asleep?” Nya asked, taking her seat beside Cole at the table.

“Trying to sleep,” Cole corrected, “Wyldfyre’s being very persistent this morning.” Another bang echoed from where Kai’s room was just as Cole took a sip from his cup of coffee.

“Mmmm,” Nya mumbled, feeling dead on her feet. She probably looked like it too, with how messy her hair was and the bags she was certain were under her eyes.

“So Bonzle, would you like eggs? I know most everyone's breakfast preferences, but yours I am unfamiliar with,” Zane asked.

“Oh I don't need to eat,” the skeleton responded.

There was a brief awkward silence before Zane recovered. “I understand. If you change your mind don't hesitate to let me know. I'm happy to make anything you'd like.”

Bonzle smiled. “Thanks.”

It was just then that Fritz and Spitz came tumbling through the door, a disgruntled Geo following behind them.

“I smell food!” Spitz chirped, rushing over to Zane with Fritz not far behind him. 

The serpentine child peeked his head over the counter, watching the nindroid work intently.

“Whatcha making, I'm really hungry.”

“I'm cooking breakfast for everyone, but I am not finished. Both of you go sit and I'll prepare you a plate.”

“Yeah c'mon Spitz, let's pick a spot to sit,” Fritz said, tugging on the little Hypnobrai’s arm.

They both found their spots on either side of Geo, who was sitting across from Cole with his head resting on his hand.

“I take it you didn't sleep well?” Cole asked.

“With them,” Geo gestured to Fritz and Spitz, “yeah no. I didn't.”

Cole chuckled and took another sip of coffee.

Just then, Frak came into the kitchen, arms high above his head in a stretch. With how packed the monastery was, the Quake Master had unfortunately been banished to the couch after the tournament. With the way the serpentine’s back popped and cracked as he stretched, the couch had not been kind to him, it seemed.

“What smells good?” he asked.

“That would be Zane’s cooking. Here, come sit next to Spitz.”

Next through the door arrived Kai, Wyldfyre clinging to his arm. They'd practically been attached at the hip since he'd returned, and the dragon girl seemed much happier in the Fire Ninja’s presence 

“Morning,” Kai said through a yawn, taking his seat next to Nya. She smiled, feeling a little better now that the warming presence of her brother had returned to her life. They were a pair, her and Kai. Fire and Water. Brother and sister.

“I don't know about you, but I'm excited for breakfast. I haven't had a good meal in forever,” Kai exclaimed.

“Good, because breakfast is served,” Zane finally announced. 

The Ice Ninja quickly passed out plates and silverware to everyone, before a large plate of steaming pancakes was placed in the center of the table, along with a pitcher of syrup. Then came two plates of still sizzling bacon and sausages, a massive platter of eggs all cooked differently, toast and a bowl of fresh fruit. 

Spitz and Fritz wasted no time loading their plates up with pancakes and bacon, adding a frankly disgusting amount of sweet syrup on top.

Wyldfyre was next to grab a helping of food. She scooped a few eggs onto her plate and snatched the bottle of hot sauce Zane had set out before Kai could grab it.

The rest of the table that was eating began fixing their own food, Nya topping her own helping of pancakes with a reasonable amount of syrup, and some fruit.

They'd only just started to really dig into the food when Sora ambled in. Riyu followed close behind her, the dragon almost acting as a crutch for the Tech Master as she swayed. First Master, did she look tired.

“Sora hey, come sit next to me,” Wyldfyre said, patting the seat next to her. Sora didn't complain and took her spot next to the dragon girl.

Wyldfyre was quick to grab Sora’s plate and help her pick out what to eat.

Nya smiled at the sight. She'd been worried for Sora, after everything that happened with Ras and Arin at the tournament. She could tell the Master of Tech was not taking it well, if her appearance was anything to go off of. Nya knew people didn't look their best first thing in the morning, but wow did Sora look rough. Her pink hair was so tangled it looked like a cone of cotton candy, large dark bags hung under her eyes and… wait- was the cat shirt she had on backwards?

She…kind of looked like Nya, actually…

At least Riyu was looking after her in Arin’s absence. He was always there, padding beside her, ready to catch her if she fell. He’d even taken to sleeping in Sora’s room, snuggling up next to her in bed, no matter how much the piece of furniture creaked in protest.

The Tech Master takes one of the pancakes Wyldfyre had put on her plate and throws it Riyu, the hungry dragon catching it in his mouth with a trill.

Just as Riyu rested his head on the seat next to Sora, Frak suddenly pipes up from across the table. “Need more syrup, Sora?” he asks, holding up the pitcher eagerly. “Hm? Oh uh, sure,” she replied, her eyes barely open. The serpentine smiles and pours some over the pancakes she had yet to touch.

It was nice to see the kids getting along.

Now, there was only one person who wasn't at the table.

“Where’s Lloyd? Is he still asleep?” Kai asked, drenching his eggs in hot sauce.

“No way, I made sure I woke everybody up,” Wyldfyre huffed.

“Well I don't want him to miss breakfast, could someone go grab him?” Zane asked.

“I'll go,” Nya said, standing up and abandoning her plate of pancakes to finally go get some answers.

She hadn't even been aware enough to knock on Lloyd’s door before she barged in, too caught up in her own thoughts.

Thankfully he was awake, sitting on his bed and rubbing the sleep from his eyes like he just woke up. Unlike Nya, he'd actually gotten some rest.

He finally noticed her standing in his doorway.

“Oh, Nya, I was just about to head down to-”

“I know you're a Source Dragon.”

The silence was deafening. 

Lloyd seemed pretty wide awake now.

“...What? Nya-”

“Don't play dumb with me. I heard your conversation last night.”

The truth. That's all she wanted. She was so damn sick and tired of all the betrayal and deception and lying. She just wanted someone to be up front with her for once.

No sugarcoating. No excuses. Just the cold, hard truth.

“I don't know what you heard, but I promise it's not what you think,” Lloyd said slowly.

No. That wasn't good enough.

“Lloyd. Tell me the truth.”

Please. Tell her she's wrong. Tell her she’s jumping to conclusions too soon. Tell her she's being silly because she didn't sleep well last night. Tell her what she saw was all a dream.

But Lloyd had always been a terrible liar.

“I… I didn't want you to find out like this.”

Something in Nya broke.

“Bullshit!”

She stepped further into the room, having enough foresight to close the door behind her. She didn't want anyone to accidently overhear them before she got some answers for herself.

“Nya-”

“Stop, just stop- tell me right now just what the hell is going on! Explain!”

A guilty expression spread across Lloyd’s face. He began fidgeting with his hands, a nervous habit he'd picked up from Jay awhile back.

For a moment he couldn't even speak, unable to get the words out. How was he supposed to explain? This wasn't meant to be happening. He was supposed to have more time.

“Im so sorry Nya,” was all Lloyd could say, his words dripping with misery and regret.

It only made Nya angrier.

“Sorry!?”

She was probably yelling, but right now she didn't really care. That was future her’s problem.

“You didn't sound very sorry last night when you were talking to that- that dragon!” She could hardly even get out a full thought, she was just so unbelievably mad.

She'd stewed in an awful storm of rage and confusion and hurt all night, and now she was taking it all out on Lloyd.

Her perception of her sweet little brother was crumbling right before her eyes.

Actually, scratch that, her perception of everything was crumbling.

Lloyd. A Source Dragon.

It was just so impossible.

Yet it was happening.

“I swear I was gonna tell you guys!” Lloyd shouts.

But Nya didn't hear him.

“Was it all a lie? Have you just been lying to everyone this whole time!? All those battles.. all that time.. everything..”

“N-no no no, please Nya just let me explain-”

Nya let her back hit the door, her body feeling heavy all of a sudden.

“I promise it was real, everything was real. You guys mean so much to me and I know I should have told you sooner but I didn't want to hurt you. I love you all and you guys are like my family, I didn't want anything to change that. Please Nya you've got to understand!” Lloyd gasps in a frenzy. He's trembling slightly, and Nya thinks his eyes look glassy.

Lloyd steps closer to her, extending his hand. He needed to comfort her. He needed to let her know that he wasn't like them.

He was Lloyd Garmadon. Just Lloyd. Nothing else.

Right when he was about to touch her shoulder, Nya swatted it away.

“Don't,” she spat.

The venom in her voice made Lloyd back up. And, well- he just couldn't hold back the tears anymore.

It was all falling apart.

Everything he'd tried so hard to clutch on to was falling apart.

“I.. I need a second- I need to think. Just- just stay here, okay. Don't follow me.”

And then Nya was gone, tearing the door open and rushing back to the familiarity of the others. 

When she rushes into the kitchen, everyone turns to her.

“Oh Nya, where's Llo-” Kai starts, but the Water Ninja cuts him off.

“Let him sleep,” she says quickly. A bone-deep tiredness had invaded her body, and she just wanted a second to process… everything.

“But he'll miss breakfast.”

“He said he wasn't hungry. Just let him sleep.” Her response left no room for argument.

“Ooooookay,” Kai says, sensing that his sister was not in the mood to talk.

Eventually, the awkward silence returned to the aimless, light-hearted chatter from before, and for the rest of breakfast, Nya picked at her plate as the world around her faded into the background.

Lloyd didn't join everyone for breakfast

In fact, he stayed in his room for the rest of the day, turning away anyone who tried to coax him out.

Hiding.