Lloyd
Lloyd had his arm wrapped around Flame, trying to comfort her about what she'd seen in her washroom mirror. He was thinking, his eyes clouded. Could it be...? he thought. We all got rid of them a few months ago...
"Lloyd?" He looked up; his thoughts interrupted. He looked down to see Flame stare up at him with worry in her eyes. "Are you okay? You seem... distressed?" she said. Lloyd put on a warm smile. "I'm fine, thanks. The others and I will get to the bottom of this situation, don't worry about it too much for now."
Flame turned her head. "It's probably nothing. I don't want to drag anyone into something that probably isn't anything at all," she muttered. Lloyd stiffened. "Flame, we are a family. We help each other, no matter what. I don't want you saying things like that. Judging by your expression back in your room, whatever you saw must've scared you a lot. No one wants that happening. And if it does involve ghosts, well... I'll see what it's about."
Flame looked slightly embarrassed, but she shot him an appreciative glance. "I... I really appreciate it, thank you. I'll help you, too, if I can." Lloyd smiled at her bravery. "Let's get you to the others for now. Do you feel like eating cake?" he said, trying to lighten the mood. At that moment, he heard Flame's stomach growl.
Lloyd chuckled. "Seems like a yes." Flame's face went red. "U-um... argh! Urch!" she muttered, trying to cover the unnecessary noises her stomach made. Lloyd laughed softly. "Can't fool me!" he said jokingly. Flame grinned, and Lloyd was relieved when he saw her distracted. They made it to the doorway of the kitchen.
"Jay," Lloyd called, his voice more serious than before. Jay looked up. He noticed Flame had a slightly shaken up expression on her face. "What's up?" he said, but a look of worry and concern betrayed his cheery tone. Flame walked over to Jay, burying her face in his chest. Jay embraced her comfortingly, and Lloyd felt a pang of sadness, the thought of his wise and caring father flooding his mind.
"Hey," Jay asked his younger sister. "What happened? What made you like this?" Flame didn't respond, only leaned into the hug. After a few moments she murmured something about her reflection and a ghost. Jay's eyes widened. He looked at Lloyd, his face a look of mild anxiety. "Do you think this has something to do with... Morro?" he asked. Lloyd hung his head. He remembered when he'd been possessed by a ghost-like boy his age.
The boy, Morro, had been told by Sensei Wu that he would be the destined Green ninja, but he later found out it wasn't meant for him. This led to anger and despair in the boy's life. He had tried proving himself worthy by traveling to the Tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master, which, misinterpreting his location, led him to the Caves of Despair, leading him to his death by an explosion. When Lloyd's father was sent to the Cursed Realm, Morro had slipped through at the same time, when the portal had been opened, and since then he'd taken control of Lloyd's body, finally being the Green ninja, like he'd wanted from long ago.
Lloyd shivered at the thought. All those seconds of feeling as if he were trapped inside a dark chamber with no escape... being able to witness what Morro had done to countless innocent lives without having the ability to stop it... Lloyd had hated it. It sometimes gave him nightmares. Fortunately, the vivid dreams were swept away from the comfort of his friends. They'd tried their hardest to find a way to bring him back, to stop Morro from having full control of his body.
After a few tries of getting his attention, Jay finally got Lloyd to look up at him. "You okay, Lloyd? You spaced out for a second." Lloyd shook his head in embarrassment. "Huh? Oh, yeah! I'm fine. Just got a few things to think about. Flame, you doing alright?" Flame glanced back at him, a smile on her lips. "I feel safer now, but still a bit shaken up, I guess," she said softly. He ruffled her flame-colored hair. "We'll get to the bottom of this, don't worry."
Immediately after reassuring his friend, someone stepped inside the kitchen. He had glowing but transparent skin, his face lined with green patterns. He had murky black hair, a streak of green lining down the front. His eyes looked emotionless, and Lloyd froze, recognizing the boy immediately.
"M-Morro?!" he exclaimed. It had been a few months since their last battle with the Preeminent and Morro being sent to the Cursed Realm once again, but he didn't expect him to be here, in the Bounty. Just seeing him here made shivers go down his spine, his legs shaking slightly. He still wasn't used to imagining Morro without an edge of fear seeping into his mind. The experience was a nightmare itself.
Everyone in the room heard Lloyd's exclamation and immediately stood up and changed to their fighting stances, their faces contorted with rage when they saw Morro. Lloyd noticed that Kai's expression was one of pure anger, his brows knotted together, nose flaring.
He remembered when Kai had continuously thought about the outcome of the situation he had been in. He'd been terrified of how he would've ended up, and ever since Lloyd was no longer in Morro's grasp, he was more protective of him than usual, always keeping an eye on him, especially when they'd faced any sort of danger. It sometimes annoyed Lloyd how much the eyes of his friend were plastered on his back, but he knew as well as any of the other ninja that it was an act of wanting to keep him safe.
"Morro!" Cole spat, his teeth flashing. "What are you doing here?" Surprisingly, Lloyd noticed that Morro's expression wasn't one of vengeance, but... worry? Morro's ragged voice spoke up. "Wait, I'm not here to—"
Nya cut him off. "Cut the act, Morro! After all that you've done, all the people you've hurt, all the damage you've caused! You better keep your mouth shut before I extinguish you with my element of water!" Lloyd was slightly taken aback from her harsh words. He knew how much of a warrior Nya was from the outside as well as on the inside, but he sometimes forgot how aggressive she could be when messing with people that were family to her.
He looked over to Jay and Zane, their expressions fierce. Jay held Flame tighter than before. He knew that Morro was the one who had frightened her earlier, and he wasn't about to let it slip easily. Morro's dark eyes flashed a look of fear at Nya's outburst, but it vanished as quickly as it had come.
Kai stepped forward. "After playing a dumb move of possessing Lloyd before, don't think that we've forgotten it just like that!" he nearly yelled. His voice was getting louder after each word. His right hand burst into flame, sparks of red and orange swirling around his palm. He balled his hand into a fist and pulled back, only to strike a hard blow directly at Morro's face. Seconds before it reached him, Morro brought his hands in front of his head and used his element of wind to prevent the force of Kai's punch, blowing out his fire in the process. "Would you all just listen?" he said, raising his voice so that everyone could hear.
His hoarse voice rang in the silent room. There was a low growl coming from Kai's throat, his eyes wide with anger. He fought the urge to strike another blow, but his eyes remained on the boy who'd hurt his best friend. Lloyd watched with uneasiness as Morro stood straight, watching everyone in the room. He realized that Flame was hiding behind Jay now, looking terrified. Everyone told her some details about their battle against Morro and the Preeminent, but that wasn't enough for her to get the full depiction of him. "I'm not here to fight you," he said. "I'm here to warn you, to tell you about something I've seen." He looked over to Lloyd, his expression grim. "Lloyd, your uncle, Wu, he's been captured!"
Suddenly, everyone's faces switched to surprise and anxiousness. "What? How? Sensei's gone on a month-long journey! Wherever he's gone, there aren't supposed to be any enemies!" Jay exclaimed. "Or, that's what we thought..."
Zane fixed Morro with an icy stare. "Why should we believe what you say?" he said. Morro let out an exasperated sigh. He grunted with impatience. "I was travelling throughout different mirrors. Don't look at me like that, I know it sounds weird, but it's hard to explain. Anyway, I came across one that looked dirty and... unsettling. I heard a familiar voice, too. I decided to look and see who it was, and..." Lloyd was surprised when Morro began to slightly tremble, his voice cracking. Despite the news, though, he stood tall and forced himself to be strong. A tiny fraction of Lloyd's mind admired his courage, but it didn't cover the least amount of fear and hatred he felt towards him.
"It was Sensei Wu," he continued. "He looked frail; his body was beaten down badly. I knew he was alive, but just barely. There were blood splotches all over his white gi. His breathing was ragged, and I fear that he doesn't have much time left." Lloyd stared at him, eyes wide in shock and despair. Uncle Wu? he thought. No... not him, too...
"Who hurt him? Who's his captor?" Zane demanded, obviously worried for his mentor, his eyes glazed with faint hostility. "I don't know. I wanted to reach out to him as soon as I saw him, but the place he was in... there was an aura of merciless death. It was disturbing, even for a ghost like me." Lloyd felt an insane amount of boiling rage well up inside his chest. His mind was detonating with explosions of disbelief and furiousness, his hands straining from pulverizing the transparent boy. "Why?!" he screeched, catching everyone's attention. "He was your mentor before, wasn't he? Why couldn't you have at least tried to help him?! Just because you felt uneasy about the place doesn't give you the right to leave him behind!" Morro looked away, guilt coating him entirely. "I-I know that, but—"
"No buts!" Lloyd shouted, anger and pain radiating from his green, iridescent eyes. "You had a choice! You could've helped him; you could've saved him!" Kai walked over to him, reaching to put his hand on his shoulder. "Lloyd..." he began. "No!" he yelled, swiping his arm at Kai to shush him. "For all we know, Uncle could be dead by now! Why! Why..." Lloyd faltered to the ground, writhing in pain from the agony he was feeling from within his heart. There were wet spots on the wooden planks on the floor, tears dripping down his face. His body was shaking from the thought of losing another family member. He didn't want to experience that feeling again.
All the ninja walked towards him, rubbing their hands on his back, trying to comfort his cries. Kai held onto him, not letting go of his best friend. Lloyd's face was slightly red from crying, and he leaned over to Kai, placing his face in the crook of his neck. Morro stared with dread and sorrow, feeling horrible for not doing anything like the green ninja had said. Cole stood up from his spot, looking at him. "Thanks for giving us the warning, we'll be ready soon. Are you going to show us the way to where he is?" he said, however, he glared at him with a hateful look. "Of course," Morro said firmly, but not threateningly. He tried not to let resentment overtake him entirely. Cole was silent for a few moments, observing him suspiciously. After what felt like hours of uncomfortable stillness, Cole said, "Alright. But for now, just... leave the room." Morro gave a curt nod and walked off, his insides churning with mixed feelings.
Lloyd saw him leave, feeling glad that he was gone, but also knowing that him shouting wasn't the right thing to do. He shifted his head and whispered into Kai's ear. "I'm fine now, thanks," he said. Kai moved his head and looked at him, smiling in relief when he saw him looking better than before. He leaned his head forward and pressed it against Lloyd's. "I'm glad you're okay," he said warmly, traces of his aggressiveness completely gone.
Lloyd stood up, shaking his head. He wiped his face with the sleeve of his gi. Flame walked over to him, a tissue in her hand. "Are you alright?" she asked softly. Lloyd smiled down at her. "Yeah, thanks. Just a little worked up. I'm fine now." He took the tissue from her hand and wiped his face with it. "Alright, guys," he started, "Sensei is somewhere, possibly being held captive by someone we've faced before. We're going to ask Morro for further information, but we'll have to start gathering supplies for our journey there."
He turned to Flame. "You can't come with us, it's far too dangerous." He glanced at Jay. The Lightning ninja nodded in approval, not wanting his sister to face any sort of danger. "Wait," Flame said, "I've trained with all of you! I have experience. I won't be a drag, I promise!" Nya walked from behind her. "It's not just fighting," she said. "This is a serious issue. Our teacher is gravely injured. We have limited information on whoever our enemies are. It's not safe, Flame."
"Yeah," Jay said, joining their talk. "If anything were to happen to you, I don't know what I would do with myself..." Nya placed an arm around his shoulders, side-hugging him. Flame said nothing, only stared at her feet. "I wasn't trained under your Sensei," she began, "but I want to help as much as you all do. But if my safety is that crucial to you all, then I'll do my part in not making more trouble." Jay knelt in front of her, his eyes shining with brotherly care. Both siblings embraced each other, taking their time.
"I refuse to sit back and do nothing, though. I've got to help in a way," she said determinedly, but a tear slipped down her cheek. Lloyd felt sympathy for the young girl. She was a ninja, just like the rest of them. Perhaps not literally, but that didn't matter in the slightest. He allowed them to share their brother-sister moment and turned to Kai. "We should get food for the road," he pointed out. "Pack all the snacks you can find that'll last for a long time." Kai nodded, walking off in the other direction. "Zane," he called to the nindroid, "you'll need oil for your mechanical joints. Find your falcon and all the materials we've used to battle our previous enemies."
"Yes, Lloyd," he replied.
Lloyd snapped his fingers. "Before I forget, do you still have the recording of the flute? We might need it in case we come across Serpentine warriors." Zane nodded to his question, opening a small door on his left forearm and pressed a button with tape that said 'recording'. A soft, high-pitched tune played over the sound of shuffling feet and whispers. Lloyd gave a satisfied nod. "That'll do," he said. "Nya, I want you to prepare yourself if we get involved with ghosts. Your water will be the key to demolishing them. I also want you to prepare any vehicles we'll use to travel on our journey. Jay, you can help her as well. Don't forget to get sleeping bags and pillows, too," he ordered. "Cole, find any weapons and pack them in a box and put them in Nya's vehicle. I'll have a talk with Morro." Cole glanced at him with wide eyes. "Are you sure you want to talk to him? Alone? I can come with you."
Lloyd looked at him with a strict face. "I'm not weak, I can handle him. And I gave you direct orders, didn't I?" Cole reared back, slightly angry at being talked to like that, then thought better of it and dipped his head in understanding.
"Yup, on my way," he said. And with that, he left the kitchen. "Come on, Flame," Nya said, and left with her two friends following behind her.
Lloyd stood in silence, bracing himself to talk with his supposed enemy. He walked out the kitchen and saw Morro sitting on a chair in the far corner. Lloyd cleared his throat, catching the other's attention. He stood up from his seat and walked over to stand in front of him.
There was a moment of awkward silence, none of them saying anything. Lloyd decided to speak up first. "Where do you think Sensei is located?" he asked, his voice stiff. Morro's face was thoughtful, trying to think of a sensible place. "When I saw him, he looked like he was in some sort of alleyway, but it could've been an abandoned building. There was rubble everywhere, the walls chipped, as if the building itself was beaten senseless." Lloyd's inside bubbled with anger, but he tried to keep calm. "His wounds, what did they look like? Were there any scratch or bite marks, injections, anything like that?"
"No", he said, shaking his head. "However, there were bruises on his face, and it looked like he was hit with a whip many times..." His words trailed, realizing that what he said broke Lloyd down piece by piece. Despite the horrifying thought, Lloyd gazed into the ghost's black eyes, putting his fears aside. "Sensei didn't mention a lot of details about his trip, so none of us really know what might've taken him," he said, and he winced, clearly wanting nothing to do with his next words, "but we need you to come with us. We'll need you to track him through the mirrors, however that works." Morro hesitated, then nodded in agreement. He obviously wanted to fix his wrong doings.
"However, if you do anything to turn against us," he said in a low voice, "don't expect us to give in easily."
Morro stared at his former enemy. "He was my Sensei, too," he pointed out. "Wanting to be the green ninja all that time blinded me from respecting him and being an actual ninja that had a duty to protect Ninjago. I know that I can't do anything to change what happened, but we can still save Sensei Wu." Lloyd took a moment and stared at his hands, giving his words some thought. Eventually he nodded. "Right," he said. "Will it work if we bring a mirror with us so you can go through it to find Sensei? That way you could come and report to us while we're on our way to wherever he is." The ghost boy shrugged. "I hadn't really thought of it that way. That's a possibility, but how will we know if it'll work?"
Lloyd gave him a quick eye roll, though not unfriendly. "Well, we're obviously not going before we try it out," he said. "Come on, we'll tell the others so we can test it out. I'll fly over to Mega Monster amusement park and see if you can travel from a far distance. You're gonna stay with the others and wait until I give a call so you can go through and find your way to mine. Sound good?"
Morro hesitated yet again, then nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Let's do it." Both ninjas headed out of the room to the others. Zane was already outside the kitchen.
Probably waiting, Lloyd thought.
He saw them, his pale blue eyes glistening. The ice ninja stepped toward the two, observing Morro with an ice-cold stare. "It's fine, Morro and I talked," he informed. "We're going to do a test; we'll discuss it with everyone else. Could you call the others? It'll be quick." Zane looked at him, his gaze pooling with worry but trust. "Alright," he finally replied, moving away to find the others and give him and Morro space to walk in. Lloyd glanced around.
He saw Kai leaning against the counter, looking like he was thinking about something important. Cole was sitting at the table, a cup of water in his hands. Kai saw Lloyd and Morro enter. He walked over to Lloyd, his eyes looking as if they were asking him if he was okay. Lloyd nodded in response. "All good," he whispered.
He put on a small smile, trying to make the fire ninja less worried. "Morro and I discussed traveling through mirrors, which is something he can do, apparently. Before we leave for the journey, we're going to test it out," he explained. "I'll go to Mega Monster amusement park to see if he can travel from a far distance. All of you will remain here. When I reach there, I'll give you a call. That'll be a signal for him to go through. He'll look for my mirror and try to fit inside, and if it works, we'll be set."
Kai hung his head to the floor, looking uncertain. "What if... what if he hurts you again?" he asked, catching Lloyd off guard. "What if he turns on you while you're alone? If nobody's there to help you, then..." He trailed off, looking frightened at the thought of his prediction. Lloyd reached an arm to his friend. He pulled him into a comforting hug. "Hey," he said. "Don't be so worried. You taught me well, back when I was young. I can take care of myself, and besides, I doubt Morro's going to turn on us now. I'll keep my guard up, though." Kai didn't seem very convinced, but he said nothing more. He smiled at the younger teen. Lloyd's heart gave a little flutter at the sight of him. They both looked at each other, knowing very well that they've got the other's back, no matter what.
"It's dark, though," he pointed out, making Lloyd look out the window. "It'll be fine, I'll be quick. I'll summon my elemental dragon and fly there."
"And what if it doesn't work?" he asked. Lloyd hadn't really thought about it. "Well, we'll just have to think of something else, then." Kai looked away and sighed. "Well," he began, "if it doesn't work, I'll still try to help with ideas." Lloyd stared into his amber colored eyes.
"Thanks, Kai." He gave a nod of appreciation, grateful to have a considerate friend by his side. He turned around and saw the rest of his team entering the kitchen. As they surrounded him, Lloyd explained his plan, trying to sound confident about it.
"That plan sounds a little dodgy," Nya said, shaking her head.
"I can see why, but it's worth a shot, Nya. I mean, if Morro's traveling through the mirror thing works, it'll be a huge help for us."
"Speaking of which, how did you find out about that weird ability?" Jay piped up, looking genuinely curious. Morro stiffened a little, frowning at Jay's comment of his newly discovered ability being 'weird', but he shrugged it off.
"Well," Morro started slowly, not sure if what he would say would make sense to the ninja. "When I was in the Cursed Realm, it was like I was in my own dark cell. I may seem like I'm suited for a place like that, but I despised it. I wanted out." He sighed. "I was sitting in my cell. There was no way of knowing what time of day it was. Some ghosts went crazy that way, but this one time, something caught my eye. It was so strange. It looked shiny and bright. I'd never seen it in the Realm before. My mind had been blank and empty, but that light gave me a sense of freedom, a different kind from when I was with the Preeminent." He paused, waiting for the others to catch up. He didn't blame their confused faces.
Zane spoke up. "The Cursed Realm is a dark realm without any light, isn't it?" he asked. "How is it possible you saw something like that?"
"I have no idea. I can't think of anything that explains that. Anyways, I couldn't exactly remember what I was feeling, but I reached for it. I thought it was a possible route out of the Realm, and surprisingly..." Morro looked around. "It was like it sucked me out. I felt as if I was spiraling inside some sort of vortex, and when I gained focus, I saw glassy frames all around me." He cringed as he saw the others scrunch their faces and look at him like he was crazy.
"Well, however it works, I should really get going," Lloyd said. However, he couldn't help but think if any of the others in the Cursed Realm had been able to get out like Morro. The thought horrified him for a moment, but he shoved the thought away. He had something to do now. He looked at Morro in the eyes. He couldn't suppress a shiver when he made contact with his void black irises. He shook himself and nodded to him, telling him that he would be on the way to the amusement park.
As he passed the him, he could sense both Cole and Kai give the ghost boy small glares of distrust. Lloyd walked to the deck of the Bounty, hoisting himself onto the edge. He balanced himself on the wood, staring at the expansive grassland. It'll be a long way to the park from here, Lloyd thought. He pulled his ninja mask on, gazing at the moon-lit sky. It shone on his gi, making the fabric turn a pale-green color.
He closed his eyes, concentrating on summoning his energy from within him. He leaned forward, the wind pressing against him as he fell toward the ground at a frightening pace. Moments before he reached the grassy moorland, a bright green light shone from his palms, expanding and shaping into the outline of a massive dragon.
It solidified, its muscles rippling from its back, claws outstretched, wings opening at full length. Small golden streaks swiveled throughout the flaps of its wings. Its eyes glowed a bright yellow, lighting up the space in front of it. Its tail swung back and forth, waiting for a command to dive forward and travel to wherever its master ordered it to. It let out a deafening roar, the silence of the night falling beneath its mighty presence.
Lloyd patted its side, soothing it to be calm. "Shh, there we go," he said in a calming voice. "Hi, buddy. Ready to go on a little night stroll?" He caressed his dragon's neck, then grabbed a hold of the reins. His dragon immediately picked up the wind and shot forward, flapping its wings. Lloyd leaned forward, the current of cool wind blowing against his face.
Uncle, he thought, wherever you are, I won't stop until me and the others find you. We'll find whoever did this to you. He closed his eyes.
Please be safe.