moral of the story | a ninjago highschool fanfiction

[27] multiverse shenanigans (jk)

"Like the water brand?" Nya raised her spoon threateningly and Lloyd shut up instantly.

"Where's yours?" directed at Kai, Nya's question prompted a dash up the stairs. Five minutes later, Kai returned with the Fire book stuffed into his pocket.

"Right, uh...Calla. First Master of Fire." Kai jabbed a finger at the very first entry.

The three books were lined up next to each other, all open to the first pages leaving it very clear that there had been plenty of Fire and Water Masters, yet no trace of Energy. If there even had been one before him. The idea stayed with Lloyd, the possibility becoming clearer as his thoughts jumbled together.

"I'm going on that trip. I need answers." he snapped his book close and dropped it into his bag, nodding to himself.

Kai and Nya shared a look, that way siblings have. "We're coming with you. We need answers on our parents."

Lloyd's smile was spreading before he realised it. "Two weeks in who knows where, learning how to control these 'powers'? Sounds fan-tas-tic."

o o o

Thus came Thursday morning when Lloyd, Kai and Nya were ready to go to Wu's office to accept his offer. As far as Lloyd knew, none of his other friends were coming. A tentative, touchy topic, it had been well avoided at lunch and it was almost as if that encounter had never happened at all. But even then, Lloyd had become more aware since Monday's meeting of those little signs. Cole was constantly crouching to pick up those rocks or kicking at them with his foot, Zane seemed reluctant to walk anywhere in case ice would follow him, in Science when their classes joined, Kai played with the bunsen burner's hottest flame like it was nothing. After school everyday Nya would swim laps up and down the Smith's pool without tiring, and, well...Lloyd and Skylor showed no signs of having any powers.

Pixal hadn't revealed anything about her talk with Principal Wu, but Lloyd reckoned he might be able to get it out of Cole because his friend was always glancing at Pixal and Zane, shaking his head and looking away. Maybe Cole had overheard them. All three of them were in different homerooms so they organised a time to excuse themselves so they could leave. In fact, Zane asked to go straight after Lloyd's request, both being approved, they set off for the office in awkward tension.

"So, uh, you going on that trip with uncl—sorry, Principal Wu?"

"Yes, I am. I needed some time away from Evan...and my father."

"Oh. Why?" Lloyd asked as they began to turn the corner.

"I am a robot."

He walked into a wall.

Dazed, and now somehow on the floor, Lloyd's forehead was pounding with a shooting pain that slowly ebbed away in a mild all-round sore.

Sucking a sharp breath in, he blinked a few times so his vision would stop swimming like he'd been tossed into a laundry's tumbler. "I'm sorry, you're a what?"

"Apologies Lloyd, I have been looking at my settings and I must have altered something unintentionally. Please remain seated, and have some water."

From the corner of his view, he saw Zane pass him a bottle of unopened water. Twisting the cap off, he took a long chug and focused on everything but the throb in his head. He opened his mouth to inquire further on Zane's...being a robot, but his mouth hung open as Zane's arm had somehow opened up? A compartment of sorts, set into his left arm that he was fiddling with.

"Dude...did I just fall into a multiverse or can you explain that?"

Zane turned around and helped Lloyd stand to his feet on shaky legs. Lloyd almost toppled over again and put his hand up against the wall to steady him.