Dark ending of Crystalized -Part 1
Request from ao3!
Original ending of Crytalized.
“Good luck, Lloyd!” Pixal hugged him and then walked past Garmadon as if he wasn’t even there.
“She didn’t wish me good luck.” Garmadon grumbled.
“You can’t blame her for not trusting you,” Lloyd said as he climbed into his mech.
“Do you trust me?” Garmadon suddenly asked, and Lloyd froze.“Well…”
“Well?” Garmadon was clearly irritated.
Lloyd sighed. “I think I do. Can we go now?”
“You think?” Garmadon pressed, lips tightening.
“All right! I know I think I trust you!” Lloyd just wanted to leave. This was not a comfortable conversation.
“You think you know, or you know you think?” Garmadon asked angrily. “Those are two very different things.”
“Can we just go!” Lloyd screamed. He wasn’t ready for that kind of conversation. He wasn’t ready to trust him—or to lose him—either.
“For the sake of all Ninjago, let’s go!”And with that, Lloyd flew off. He heard Garmadon roar and transform.
Maybe he was angry, but at least it was useful. Now they were truly ready for battle.Lloyd felt a dark, guilty satisfaction when he heard Garmadon roar and shift into his Oni form.
Soon after, he passed him and flew toward the Crystal Island. For once, it seemed like they stood a real chance against the Overlord.
Lloyd sped up.“You didn’t wait for me!” Garmadon landed beside him and cut through a crystal.
“GARMADON!” the Overlord roared and attacked him, but Lloyd caught him just in time.
Lloyd focused on the fight as the Overlord tried to strike him, but Garmadon helped him.Then Lloyd saw someone.
“Harumi!” he screamed. “Help us! We can end this together!”
“I’m sorry, Lloyd,” she replied coldly.
“This must end. Ninjago is falling apart.”Lloyd struggled to fight and talk at the same time. “Why are you helping him, Harumi? I know you’re not evil!”
“The only way for this to ever end is for one side of the balance to win,” Harumi sighed.“And you’re just not strong enough.”
Lloyd cursed himself for ever believing in her after everything she had done.
“You’re wrong!” he yelled and attacked the Overlord.Lloyd and his father fought like an old but well-oiled machine.
Lloyd surprised himself by being glad Garmadon was beside him despite everything. In battle they were one—striking and protecting each other.
“You hope to defeat me?” the Overlord roared as he blocked Garmadon’s attack.“Your powers were a gift from me!”Crystals began swirling around him.
“This can’t be good,” Garmadon gulped—and suddenly the Overlord transformed into a huge, four-legged beast.
“I’m going to end this once and for all!”Overlord attacked Lloyd and sliced off his mech’s arm. Lloyd fell back, trying to retreat, but his mech’s legs were destroyed next.
“NO!” Garmadon screamed and attacked the Overlord, giving Lloyd time to jump out of the mech.
“Ah…” Lloyd almost fell, but caught himself and stood up.
“We can do this,” he panted. He wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince—himself or the worried Garmadon.
“Garmadon, son of the First Spinjitzu Master!”The Overlord slammed them to the ground with his power. Lloyd and Garmadon screamed as destruction energy shot through them.
“Your powers were a gift from me!” Another blast.“I controlled the Great Devourer!” the Overlord hissed as he continued attacking. “I sent it after you so you would become my pawn!”
Garmadon roared in pain and anger at the mention of the monster that ruined his life.
Lloyd felt furious. This creature had destroyed his family, his childhood, everything—and he still couldn’t stop him. He was too weak—
“You killed my parents!”Harumi screamed and sliced off the Overlord’s hand.“You took everything from me!”
“Harumi?” Lloyd said in disbelief.She kept the Overlord occupied just long enough for Lloyd and Garmadon to recover.
“Foolish girl!” the Overlord snarled. “You will all be destroyed!”
No matter how they charged, the Overlord always pushed them back.
“Don’t let him reach the crystal!” Lloyd shouted and tried to strike him from the side. The Overlord hurled him away.Garmadon jumped in, giving Lloyd time to stand up.
“It’s over!”The Overlord struck Garmadon so hard that he flew into the crystal. The crystal began to crack and collapse.
“Father!” Lloyd screamed and used the last of his strength to pull him away.
“Father?” Lloyd asked breathlessly, holding him in his arms.Garmadon coughed weakly.
“You’ll be fine,” Lloyd tried to convince him. “I won’t lose you again.”
“It’s over, my son…” Garmadon whispered.
“No…” Lloyd began to panic. “I can’t lose you again.”
“I’m not the father you once had,” Garmadon sighed as he reverted from his Oni form.
“No… you aren’t,” Lloyd said sadly. “But you are my father, and I can’t bear to lose you again.”
“I’m sorry.”Garmadon closed his eyes.“I love you… I’m so sorry…”
“I’ll get you out of here.” Lloyd felt tears in his eyes.
“Father!”But Garmadon was still—cold.“NO!” Lloyd sobbed until the Overlord approached.
“Do not grieve. You soon will join him.”Lloyd felt rage ignite inside him.
His life had been ruined—his parents taken, his childhood destroyed. He had been forced to fight his own father, then save him… only to lose him again and again. And now the Overlord wanted to destroy all of Ninjago.He wouldn’t let him.
“AAAAHGHH!”Lloyd screamed as his body changed. He felt stronger—full of power, and with an extra set of arms.
“NO!” he repeated and attacked the Overlord with a new kind of strength that actually pushed the monster back.
