Have a drabble I wrote this morning at work because I was thinking about it.
Takes place not long after season 4.
Kai found Lloyd at his father’s monastery.
It was odd Misako hadn’t checked there, or if she had she didn’t look very hard.
The green ninja had been missing for two days. It didn’t surprise Kai in the slightest considering how the fight with Chen had ended. He was more than happy to give Lloyd his space.
But Misako and Wu became frantic. The ninja were sent out to search.
The monastery was the first place Kai went to. It took some digging, but he found Lloyd curled up in Garmadon’s room. They hadn’t cleared out any of his stuff yet, which was more evident by the fact it was all over the floor. Pictures were torn down. The pillows were who-knew-where. All the decorative weapons were scattered on the floor, apart from one sword which had been driven into the wall.
Kai studied it all from the barely opened door before looking at Lloyd. “Hey bud, you want me to leave?”
Lloyd sniffed, wiping his eyes. “No.”
Kai took his invitation, slowly stepping into the room. “You wanna talk?”
Silence.
“Yeah, that’s cool.” Kai sat next to him on the floor. Photos were scattered around, all of them from the past couple of years.
They really hadn’t had Garmadon around that long, had they?
“Do you really wish you were the green ninja?” Lloyd suddenly spoke up, gaze fixed on the floor.
Kai sighed. “It’s... complicated.”
“No it’s not. It’s a yes or no question.”
He looked away, wondering where the question had even come from. “I don’t think about it much, but I guess so, yeah. I often just wish I was stronger. Strong enough that I could stop these bad guys before they do any damage.”
Lloyd nodded, expression unreadable.
“Does that bug you?”
“No,” he curled up again. “Honestly, sometimes I wish you were the green ninja too.”
Kai flinched at how alien that sounded. Lloyd Garmadon? Wishing someone else was the big hero?
“What are you saying dude? Nobody would do better at this than you.” He reached toward the young ninja’s shoulder, but hesitated.
“So?” Lloyd turned his head to glare. “What good is it? I don’t want this. Having to fight my own dad. Having to send him away.” He clutched at his hair. “I’m supposed to be super powered but I can’t even save the people close to me.”
“Hey–”
“And then you have to act like it doesn’t matter.” Lloyd choked back a sob. “That you’re fine, ‘cause you’re the green ninja. You have to be a leader. You have to be strong.” He hung his head. “I hate it.”
This time Kai did grip his shoulder, shaking him a bit. “Hey, come on bud, look at me.”
Lloyd looked up, still glaring.
“You’re not the green ninja right now, okay? Right now you’re just Lloyd, and Lloyd isn’t required to act tough for everyone.”
His glare got stronger as he slowly lost the fight against tears. Kai let go and held open his arms.
Lloyd crashed into him, hiding his face as he began to sob. Kai wasn’t sure what to say, so he just hung on.
Honestly, he should have done this much sooner.
“It’s not fair,” Lloyd’s shouts were muffled by Kai’s hoodie. “Why me? If it had been someone else maybe dad wouldn’t have turned evil.”
“You don’t know that.”
“It was only twelve.” Lloyd pushed him at arms length. His cheeks were already soaked. “I was twelve until all of this got dumped on me. I never even asked for it!”
Kai hugged him again, squeezing tighter and heating up his palms.
“I know bud, I’m sorry.” Pressure rose up in his chest but he refused to cry too. “I know it’s not fair. I wish there was something I could have done.”
Lloyd’s voice quieted down. “I’m never gonna see him again.”
Kai wasn’t sure he could hug Lloyd any tighter without hurting him. Still, there was nothing else he could say. He couldn’t deny that, couldn’t confirm it either. He found himself overwhelmed with the reminder of what Lloyd had been through. He couldn’t imagine having to experience it himself.
Kai sighed. “Do you want to head back to the others tonight?”
Lloyd had managed to stop crying but didn’t move. “No.”
“Okay then, when you’re ready we’re going to get some ice cream.”
He snorted and tilted his head up. “Ice cream? Isn’t that a bit childish?”
“Tch, you can’t fool me little bro,” Kai pinched his cheek. “I know you miss those triple layer sundaes with sprinkles and gummi bears.”
Lloyd smacked his hand away but actually laughed. “Yeah, okay, thanks.”
