Day Two: Inspired by a song

Inspired by Red Ribbon
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Lloyd stared out at the horizon, his thumb slid along the smooth shred of fabric in his hands as he absentmindedly wove it through his fingers. His feet hung off of the edge of the rooftop and swung back and forth with the breeze, making a soft thud when his heel hit the wall.

His green gaze stared at the rising sun. How did the sun rise over the hills? Did it ever get tired of breaking through the day? Did it ever feel too weak to spread its light on everyone? But even if it did the sun rose anyway. Becoming a symbol of hope to those who needed it, no matter how much of itself it gave. Its glow created life, created joy and symbolized peace, feeding hundreds and warming the skins of millions more.

But the sun's light also created the shadow on the moon.

"There must always be a balance." Wu always said, the small hairs of his moustache twitched with his lips. "A simple tip of the scales could create catastrophic consequences." And yet a teenager was forced to take care of the world's near-death experiences.

"The Green Ninja," Lloyd mused. "Destined defender of Ninjago, protector of peace and balance, and the one in charge of all the catastrophic consequences."

His eyes flicked to the item in his hand. It was a ribbon, coloured a scarlet as rich as blood and as bright as rubies. With a simple tug, it unravelled from his hand, reminding him of how many times chances have slipped through his fingers. He tied it around his thumb, trapping the digit so tight it seemed to lose circulation, with a release the ribbon fell limply in his palm.

The simple material seemed so harmless. A little decoration you'd wrap a gift with or a child would use in a craft. Yet to Lloyd it represented so many things. It could be laid down to create the path of fate he must follow, it would be knotted into the ties of his life, it could be cut and scattered across the ground like the things he's lost.

Red was a colour of warning and danger. It was printed on stop signs and the words 'red flag' were used more than once when concerning someone you didn't want to get involved with. Apparently Lloyd hadn't been able to see the red flags of Harumi. At least not the figurative ones.

Harumi had worn red. Red powder was dabbed on her cheeks and over her eyelids. Red flowers detailed her cloak. Red covered her lips as they tilted in a smile and leaned towards him. Red was painted like graffiti across her face, her eyes flashing brighter than the colour on her face. Red liquid covered her hands and dropped to the ground as Lloyd stared at the person she's become.

Yet this ribbon wasn't about The Quiet One either.

Lloyd hadn't meant to find it. He had been cleaning through his father's old room when his hip had caught on Garmadon's side table. The furniture had gone crashing to the ground, a loud boom filling the peaceful monastery. The green ninja had gone to lift it back
to its original spot when he noticed a small compartment hidden in the wall just where the table had been.

Nails dug into the wooden box and pried it out. Fingers searching through the pictures, scrolls, and tons of papers Garmadon had hidden in there. Lloyd's brow furrowed as he found scribbled notes on the prophecy of The Green Ninja, images of ancient ruins and the hieroglyphics carved inside, and dark spells from the time of the First Spinjitzu Master.

Then at the very bottom was the red ribbon. Lloyd pulled it out, examining it for anything actually important but found nothing.

"Why would my father put a ribbon with his deepest research?" Lloyd had muttered to himself as he turned it in his hand.

There Lloyd was now, contemplating life on a roof just because of a stupid arts-and-crafts material. Gosh, Lloyd was starting to hate his dad. At least how cryptic he could be. Or forgetful, perhaps Garmadon had just accidentally dropped it inside and forgotten about it.

"What are you doing up there?" Kai peered at him from the window just under the boy. "You're not even in a fresh gi! We're about to leave!"

Lloyd rolled his eyes but reluctantly slipped back into his room. He undid the ties of his suit, tossing the emerald clothing into his laundry hamper and pulling out his more formal wear. Lloyd tugged at the golden embroidered outfit until it laid smoothly before following his family to the city.

The streets were decorated with jack-o-lanterns and were lit orange from the lanterns strung over the roads. Lloyd smiled as kids darted across the streets, cheering and laughing in their costumes.

"That's four earth ninja costumes for me!" Cole cackled, shoving Jay with a grin.

"Oh come on! I only have one!" Jay whined.

Kai came up behind them with a few lanterns and he rolled his eyes. "Please, I've seen so many green ninjas that I talked to one at the store for ten minutes thinking it was Lloyd."

Nya snickered and handed her boyfriend his light with a kiss, making the master of lightning swoon. Lloyd tuned out the rest of the teams teasing as he looked at the rising lanterns floating in the sky like stared Misako gently placed a hand on her son's shoulder, eyes warm with motherly concern.

"Are you alright, honey?" She asked softly. "You seem distracted."

Lloyd forced a smile and took the lantern she handed him. "I'm fine, Mom. Thank you."

They met with Zane and Pixal in a quiet clearing. The androids handed out matches while everyone carefully lit the candles inside. Lloyd stared at his lantern for his father numbly, it felt weird doing one for him even though he was technically alive. Alive... but still lost. Lloyd remembered the red eyes glaring into his own, the hand gripping the front of his gi before he was thrown away. Hate dripping from his tone as he spoke out the word that had hurt Lloyd more than the blow that followed.

"I have no son."

He blinked away the memories, a last-minute decision forming in his mind. Lloyd took the name he written on the little strip of paper secured to its string and tore it off, crumpling it in his hand. He went to shove it into the pocket of his gi but he found something already inside. His fingers gripped it and pulled it out, eyes flicking to the familiar ribbon in his palm.

"Are you ready, Lloyd?" Cole called from where he and his father positioned themselves to let it fly.

"Uh... just a minute!" Lloyd called. He stared at the ribbon, the shine from the lantern flickering over it, creating light over the shadow.

Like the sun lit up the moon.

Maybe the ribbon meant more than his losses and failures. Maybe it could represent the red string that tied him to the ones he cared for, maybe it was the road he forged with his own decisions, maybe it was the red of the love he felt for Ninjago. Maybe it was the thread that stitched his heart together again, and again, and again.

Lloyd took the material in his hands, carefully wrapping it over the loop on his lantern and securing it with a double knot. He turned to his family and nodded with a smile. After a moment they released their lanterns, watching them rise slowly into the air with an amber glow like a million fireflies taking flight.

Lloyd watched his lantern fly, rising like the sun, glowing in the darkness, the red ribbon fluttering in the breeze beneath it. He wasn't mourning for his losses. He was remembering every time he's fallen so hard that he felt like he couldn't get up, every moment his heart was torn apart like paper and tossed in his face, every second he's been trapped under the weight of the world. Every time that he brushed himself off and lifted the sky, rising like a beacon, and carefully putting together his soul one by one.

"I've got stitches and scars
I've got yards of yarn
Got miles of string running under my skin
I've got so much to give
So I'll give it again and again and again
I'll take this red ribbon
Stitch my heart together and I know I'll be fine"

authors note****
I know I just did an angst Lloyd one-shot but I couldn't help myself!!!🤣

It was really hard for me to pick out what I wanted to write about. In the end, I chose Red Ribbon by Madelyn Bailey. It's a beautiful song she did in tribute to her grandmother who had passed away. Many talented people came together to do the music video and shared their stories of loss and struggles that they went through. I highly recommend watching it!

Hope you all liked this one-shot!

LuckyBugBooks 🐞

Here are the full lyrics:

I'll take this red ribbon
Stitch my heart together
It will heal given time
It beats a strange rhythm
But I'll still go on living
When I don't get it right
Don't beat me about the things that didn't work out
Least I can say is that I tried
I'll take this red ribbon
Stitch my heart together and I know I'll be fine
Remember all of the pain, was it all too much?
Remember falling apart everytime we touch
Remember going insane but I'll never give up
A heart that's been broken is a heart that's been loved
Red-red ribbon, ribbon red-red
Red-red, red-red ribbon, ribbon red-red, red-red
I'll take this lead pencil
Make a different picture
And I'll draw in a smile
I'll take these sharp scissors
Cut a new heart out of paper
You know I'll make it mine
Don't beat myself about the things that didn't work out
Least I can say is that I tried
I'll take this red ribbon
Lie it on the pavement and I won't cross that line
Remember all of the pain, was it all too much?
Remember falling apart everytime we touch
Remember going insane but I'll never give up
A heart that's been broken is a heart that's been loved
Red-red ribbon, ribbon red-red, red-red, red-red ribbon
A heart that's been broken is a heart that's been loved
Ribbon red-red, red-red
Red-red ribbon, ribbon red-red, red-red
I've got stitches and scars
I've got yards of yarn
Got miles of string running under my skin
I've got so much to give
So I'll give it again and again and again
I'll take this red ribbon
Stitch my heart together and I know I'll be fine
Remember all of the pain, was it all too much?
Remember falling apart everytime we touch
Remember going insane but I'll never give up
A heart that's been broken is a heart that's been loved
Remember going insane but I'll never give up
A heart that's been broken is a heart that's been loved
Red-red ribbon, ribbon red-red, red-red
Red-red ribbon, ribbon red-red, red-red
Red-red ribbon, ribbon red-red, red-red
Red-red ribbon, ribbon red-red, red-red-red