"Happy Day of the Departed, i miss you."
This is a gift for @galacticspaceguy for the Ninjago OC Secret Santa 2025! This features their OC Keith, Lloyd and mentions Clouse a bunch. This was so much fun to write! I loved reading about Keith in "A Serpents Bloodline". I hope I see more of him because he is so cool. I hope you love this! The title is based off one of my favorite Christmas songs. I hope this actually fits into the time line of your AU and if not then it's an AU on it's own. Enjoy!
Word count: 1364
Ninjago city's shoreline was packed, like everyone in the city was there. Keith tried to make himself as excluded as he could be. He didn’t want to talk to anyone, and no one wanted to talk to him either, they were all in their own little world. Families and those alone alike, all coming together to mourn. The best way they knew how. It gave Keith an overwhelming sense of..something. He wasn’t quite sure what. He was already having a hard time with his own feelings, this new one didn’t help. The concept of Day of the Departed was a new one to Keith. The first time he had heard about it he was with Skylor. Kai had come into the shop to, very horribly, ask her out on a ‘Day of the Date-parted.’ That guy was really something.
The silly pun had led him here, to the shore of the city. A poorly put together lantern accompanying him. A part of him cringed just knowing that. He wasn’t one for junky work, and he knew his father wouldn’t be either, but it’s what happened. The young man had found himself under one of the docks, surprisingly alone.
“Finally, somewhere that isn’t crowded.”
He thought out loud, the thought just quieter than the waves. He guided himself carefully into the wet sand. The wetness wasn’t an issue, honestly Keith had barely noticed.
The pathetic lantern sat right in front of him. He felt pitiful just looking at it. He felt as if it was taunting him.
“What am I even doing?”
His elbows positioned on his knees, and his head in his hands, he waited. Unsure of what he was waiting for. It was silly to think that Clouse would somehow receive the lantern, even more to think he’d care about it. Paired with the craftsmanship of it, it was just useless junk. Keith was sure there was a better way to honor his father. Or maybe that was Clouse talking. That’s just who his father was.
After a moment of listening to soft waves crash against the wooden supports, his mind wandering, he felt as if he knew what he was waiting for.
His dad.
Keith wasn’t stupid. He had figured out what his fathers fate was just hours after he didn’t return. But part of him, so, so, badly, wanted Clouse to just show up next to him. To hear the sound of his feet push against the wet sand. For him to make a snide remark about how Keith is ‘pouting’ and how he ‘should put that energy into something else’ instead. Could he live without Clouse guiding him? Surely. It was idiotic to assume one would die because their father is dead. Clouse gave him the world's knowledge, and raised him to be an intelligent and loyal young man. Keith would be just fine. The question was really if he wanted to live without his father's guidance. Despite how the two left off, Keith couldn't help but miss Clouse. He could imagine Skylor in his ear right now saying,
“You made the right choice, don’t beat yourself up.” and while he wanted to believe her, to believe it was the right choice, he wasn’t so sure. He hadn't been the best ally during all the serpentine stuff anyway. Only really making the choice to go against Chen in the final hours.
Almost as if he willed it into existence, he caught the noise of another's feet on the wet sand, and he tensed. After taking a deep breath to prepare himself, his head snapped up, and instead of his father, it was Lloyd. Carrying his own lantern.
“Keith,” Lloyd smiled, “it’s good to see you. Did I interrupt?”
Keith relaxed slightly. Mentally cursing himself for getting his hopes up.
“Not at all. I was just,, thinking. Sit.” Keith offered the spot next to him, forcing a small enough smile onto his face. Ever since his fathers sacrifice, Keith and him have gotten along pretty well. Lloyd was pretty wise, and Keith understood a lot of what he had to say.
“I guess you’re here for your father too, huh?” Lloyd sat down his lantern, and suddenly Keith didn’t feel too horrible about his. Lloyds looked much the same quality wise. Keith nodded a simple ‘yes’ to Lloyd's question. Easier than admitting it out loud.
The once peaceful silence only interrupted by slow waves, was now debilitating. It wasn’t Lloyds fault, Keith just wasn’t expecting to grieve with a friend present…was Lloyd really his friend? Yeah they got along, but friends? Keith was really sick of all the questions being raised tonight, and the waiting like some miracle was going to happen. Lloyd had his head down and eyes shut tight. Like he was thinking, just like Keith had been. He watched silently. Eventually, all he could see was a boy who lost his dad. It seemed familiar to Keith.
..Right..
Keith reached into his pocket for the lantern's candle. It was just one of those tiny circle ones, nothing too fancy. Except he felt something smooth and definitely not candle-ish. He pulled it out, recognizing it almost immediately. The final thing his father ever handed to him, a green crystal. The very one he had worn in his chest piece. Keith had wondered where it ended up.
“What’s that?” Lloyd questioned, now up from his previous position. He was standing, lantern in hand.
“Something my father gave me.” Keith replied, unreadable, “Before..” He trailed off, Lloyd picking up immediately.
“Right. I’m sorry.”
“It wasn’t your fault. Or really anyone's. Things have to happen a certain way.”
“What did you write on your lantern?” The blond boy asked. Keith finally looked up at Lloyd, unsuspecting to the changed topic.
“Just uh..” He grabbed his lantern, “An apology.” He didn’t like the strange angle between him and Lloyd, so he finally stood. Now relatively eye-level with each other, Lloyd made a ‘follow me’ gesture. Walking out just enough from under the dock. Keith now felt obligated to ask.
“What did you write on yours?”
Lloyd cracked a smile, “Just a letter. Something about missing him and stuff. Your apology?”
Keith took a deep breath, he wasn’t too keen on reciting the apology out loud. He looked back down at the lantern, eyes roaming over the sloppy handiwork. At least his handwriting was as clean as ever.
‘My dear father, forgive me for going against your wishes…’ Was how it started. Keith wasn’t sure if he could read it to the end again.
“I just wrote ‘I am sorry’. Honestly.” What a lie. But Lloyd accepted it. That was all that mattered to Keith.
He reached into the right pocket this time, pulling out a small candle. Slipping the green crystal in place of it. The candle resided inside the bottom of the lantern, and Lloyd was kind enough to light it for him. That’s what the element of..whatever his element was got you.
The two lanterns drifted out in the ocean and eventually floated up into the air. It was nice just to watch. The soft breeze blew Keith's ponytail like a flag in the wind. Lloyd had begun a very heartfelt story about the day he and his father reunited. Keith followed it with the day his father gave him the very gi he was wearing now. Maybe it was nice to grieve with a friend.
As the night went on, eventually the two said their goodbyes.
“See you tomorrow then?” Lloyd asked, running a hand through his windswept hair.
“Hopefully.” Keith smiled, if Ninjago didn’t fall by then, then yeah, they’d see each other. Lloyd rolled his eyes and began walking away from the shore, Keith watched him go. After he was out of sight Keith turned back to the sea.
“I’ll see you next year.” His hand gripped onto the crystal in his pocket. He would have to find a better place for it. Perhaps a necklace or his own chestpiece. He was going to be okay. No matter how much he missed his dad. He could make it.
Luckily, he wouldn’t have to wait that long.