I'm not sure why I bothered to ask him that question. Lloyd is around the age of 5 or 6, so how could he become a ninja like the rest of us? It's not impossible, but why would I want to put a child through that? That would be a bit inhumane of me. Imagine all the things he would witness at this age if we really went through with this– there's just no way. I have to tell him no before it settles in his mind.
But it was already too late to change my answer.
Lloyd was excited and jumped around the room, there was no way I could tell him no now. I guess we'll go with it. I thought to myself. It's not like I can do anything at this point. "Lloyd, since you are now a ninja in training, we must go over some things."
"Okay! What is it?" He stood in front of me and smiled.
"Rule number one, you are to wake up early every morning for training. Since I will be the one training you, you must be up and ready to train when I do. Rule number two, do not interrupt the ninja's training sessions. You have yours and they have theirs. It will be very tempting to do, but you must stay focused so you can progress. Rule number three, when I say training is done for the day, that means it's done. I don't want to hear any complaining. You are a young child, and if you overwork yourself it'll hurt you in the long run."
It took me some time to explain my expectations and the rules to Lloyd, but thankfully he's a good listener. He sat through the whole thing and nodded whenever I asked if he understood. Lloyd is such a good kid, I thought to myself as Lloyd started helping me clean up the kitchen. I get the others' concern about him being Garmadon's son, but seriously! This cute kid possibly having evil run through his veins? I call that bullshit.
I still haven't gotten over what the ninja said about Lloyd. Maybe it's because they haven't spent much time with him as I have. The only time they spent with him was when we decorated the room, but that's all. Are they really going to base him on a tiny interaction, and by his last name? Who knows if Garmadon himself even raised this kid! I mean hell, Garmadon isn't even around, who knows what the hell he's doing. Would someone as evil as him have time to raise a child?
I took a glance at Lloyd. No, he didn't raise him, I thought to myself. He's too innocent. He doesn't even know the majority of the things that exist in the world. But.. then where was he raised? Who raised him?
Training day.
"Lloyd, let's go buddy," I called as I walked into his room. "Today's your first day of training, you mustn't sleep in."
He rolled around in his bed and whined, clearly still sleepy. I wanted to laugh and say never mind, but I made this decision- the least I could do was stick to it. "Eh? What happened to all that excitement yesterday?"
Lloyd popped up from his bed, his eyes still closed and his hair a complete mess. "What time is it...?" He mumbled softly as he rubbed his eye.
"4 o'clock," I said as I ruffled his hair. "Now c'mon, we gotta get started or else you'll be late."
"But Kai," he whined more. "It's too early! Can't we start later?"
I sat on his bed in front of him and tilted my head. "Lloyd, this is the time you're supposed to be stretching. I already gave you extra time to sleep."
We both sat in silence for a while.
"Alright, now that you've stretched, let's get into some basic moves," one glance at Lloyd and I could tell he was starting to regret this decision. "Let's see, what's easy for you?"
He tilted his head. "Dunno." All he could say.
Did I really think this through? Can he even do anything? I thought to myself. Shit, maybe today should be just simple stretching... or maybe I could have him exercise a bit? He's very skinny and frail-looking, maybe I should have him try the training course. But what if the training course is too advanced for him?
I glanced at Lloyd briefly, hoping he wasn't staring at me as he waited for an answer. Maybe we should stretch more... so his limbs can get used to working out before we decide to start with anything advanced... I rested my head in my hands out of frustration. Fuck, I really don't know what to do. How did Sensei train us when we started? I can't remember. I've been doing this for some time now and I can't even remember what training was like. How can I guarantee that I'll be a good mentor for Lloyd?
Well, not like I have a choice anyway.
"Alright Lloyd, since it's your first day we'll start easy," I clapped my hands together and smiled. "I know you already stretched, but we'll stretch more, okay? I don't think you're ready yet for the other things."
"Aw, really? I wanna do the cool stuff!" He huffed with a pout.
I raised a brow. "Lloyd, we talked about this already. You cannot complain. You are a child, so there are certain things you can and can't do. Unfortunately, this is one of the things you can't."
He stared at me for a bit before he spoke. "Maybe.. later then?"
"Sure, in 8 years."
"All I had you do today was stretch," I huffed. "Why are you acting like you're dying?"
Lloyd was currently lying down with his arms sprawled out on both sides. He looked at me with a glare. "Did you forget I'm a child?" He said in a mocking tone.
"Don't give me that attitude, child," I responded, emphasizing the 'child' part. "You wanted to do something you couldn't. With that confidence, I would assume you could at least do something."
"I can stretch! It's just... I never needed to," he mumbled under his breath.
Of course, you don't need to, why would you? I thought to myself. You don't go to school, and it's not like you have any physical labor to do. Lucky... I wish I didn't have to do anything. Then again, I don't have to be a ninja anymore either.
I only became a ninja to save Nya, and I did. There's no reason for me to be a ninja now. So, why am I still doing this? The others do well on their own, with or without me. If I leave, what difference would it make? Besides, if I retire as a ninja, it would be easier to keep an eye on Lloyd. He is my main priority after all. My dreams haven't come back, which is a good sign. Having him around puts me at ease knowing that the situation won't happen. As long as he's here and in my sight, then it's fine.
I reached my hand out to Lloyd and smiled. "Alright, come on. Let's go inside and clean up. We can head back to bed."
He smiled and wasted no time in getting up. "Yay! Let's go, I'm tired!"
We walked into the monastery and took turns showering, then played in Lloyd's room until he was too tired to continue. I picked him up and laid him in bed, waiting until he fell asleep before leaving. Closing the door behind me, I made my way to my room. Why do I feel so weird? I questioned myself as I entered my room. I can't tell what this feeling is anymore, but it's annoying. It makes my chest hurt.
I lay down on my bed and stared at the ceiling for some time. "What's become of me?" I asked myself quietly, hearing nothing but the slow breath escaping between my lips. "First, I yelled at the others, now I'm questioning my occupation. What's wrong with me? Is Lloyd being here really that much of an issue? He's just a kid... ah, I'm saying it again. Is that my only defense? There's more to him, I know there is. Why is my only defense for Lloyd is 'he's just a kid'? I know how he is. He's a kind and gentle kid who knows nothing about the world. Nothing about his father, his mother- not even flowers or toys like other kids. Is he really all that bad just because of his blood? I sense no evil, only the pure innocence of his soul.
"He isn't bad. In fact, Lloyd is really cute, nothing wrong with that. He listens well and offers to help others. Perhaps... that's why I offered him the role of a ninja," I nodded to myself. "Yeah, maybe."
I turned to lay on my side and sighed, closing my eyes slowly. Let's just sleep on this feeling. There's nothing I can do, and dwelling on it won't change anything. I thought to myself as I drifted off to sleep.
There was the stench of fire in the air.
I opened my eyes slowly, my vision was fuzzy but I could make out what was around me. It wasn't too clear and bright, but the scenery was all too familiar to forget. I know this place... I thought as I slowly rose to my feet. I know this place!
"What am I doing back here?" I mumbled in disbelief.
"KAI!! KAI, HELP ME!!"
That voice... I turned and saw him, desperately reaching his hands out to me. Tears streamed down his face as he screamed and sobbed, his voice breaking by the second. Those pitiful screams of terror tore at my heart, making it ache horrendously. How I hated hearing those screams. The screams and tears that haunted me for months.
"Lloyd. LLOYD!!"
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- Haruki