Nya handed the cool, cold cloth to Kai. Who carefully placed it on the little blond's flushed forehead, and they both breathed a little sigh of relief when Lloyd seemed to calm down.

- How are you? she asked her brother.

Kai sighed, running a hand through his straight hair - Now he's better. He's just tired -

Nya put her hand against the ten-year-old's cheek. "It's still burning ... at this rate, we'd better cover it with snow." Kai shook his head.

"Zane is on a mission right now, as I wish he was here right now." He leaned his head against the wall. He had been the first to realize that Lloyd was ill: the boy had woken him up early that morning after a strong wave of an upset stomach. He still remembers ...

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Flashback

- Kai ...? -

The red ninja faintly heard his little brother's small voice.

"Kai ..." Lloyd called back to Kai.

"Mmm ..." Kai growled sleepily as he rolled onto his blankets and opened one eye so he could look at Lloyd. The child showed a face almost twisted by pain - Nightmares? - He asked, imagining that that would be Lloyd's problem, anyway Kai always let him sleep with him to calm him down.

However Lloyd shook his head "No ... it hurts ..." he moaned a little as he rubbed his stomach with his hand.

Hearing that, Kai suddenly sat down quickly on his bed and pulled Lloyd closer to him by the shoulders - What hurts? - He asked worried about the child.

Lloyd sobbed - I ... My stomach hurts ... and my head hurts a lot ... even my body hurts a lot ... - At that Lloyd continued to rub his stomach in small circles with his hand.

Kai instinctively touched Lloyd's forehead and verified that indeed he was burning a lot, maybe even more than him - You're burning - he sighs somewhat worried - Okay, sit here - he said as he sat Lloyd on his bed - I'll wake up Zane -

Lloyd watched as Kai woke up Zane who immediately approached him and checked him, and indeed Zane revealed that it was a strong fever. After that Kai took him to his room where the next morning Zane called Sensei Wu to see if he could give Lloyd something.

End of flashback

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But since then Kai has not slept again because he is keeping an eye on Lloyd - Besides, I don't think there is much left to do besides waiting -

Nya sat on the ground next to him - However, that doesn't mean I don't worry -

He hummed in agreement - You know, Lloyd reminds me of you when you were little and you got sick often -

Nya groaned - Really? -

- But of course - he gestured to the feverish child in front of them - Maximum every winter you got sick and I took care of you until you were well. I stayed that way all the time as I am doing now with Lloyd. He was even able to sleep on the floor -

- If I had known that, I swear to you and that I would have forced you to lie down next to me in my bed so that you would not have to sleep on the floor -

- Please, your bed was too small for me to sleep with you -

Both voices were cut off at the silent screech from the bed. Kai sat up higher and looked at the blonde with concern.

- Kai ...? Lloyd's face was red and flushed with fever. His usually bright green eyes were dull.

- Hey friend - Kai and Nya smiled softly - Did you have a good nap? -

Lloyd snorted - My head feels like ... ugh ... -

Nya frowned as she readjusted the cold cloth over Lloyd's rent. "We know, little one." She rests her hand on the boy's warm cheek. "Just sleep a little longer, okay?" When Wu returns, we'll see if he has anything to help you -

Once his breathing had settled down again, Loyd went back to sleep again and this time quietly. When they saw that he was fast asleep this time Nya and Kai left the room in silence.

- Don't you think it's better if we stay with him? Just to make sure you don't have another fever attack -

- Easy, he will be fine. Besides, you also need to rest - Nya insisted as she led her older brother to the ninja room.

We will still be here for you

There were times when Lloyd Garmadon forgot he was a boy. There were times when that very thought hit him without warning in his mind.

This was one of those times.

Sometimes the thoughts come when he doesn't expect it. This time, it was just because ... it started with something so stupid.

He had been making a sandwich. Nothing weird, nothing irregular. But then he had dropped one of the pieces of bread, the one that already had peanut butter on it, face down on the floor. And he just ... lost it.

Still holding the knife she had been using, she began to cry. And then his breathing got faster and his knees gave out and he was sitting on the floor, sobbing on a piece of bread.

But it wasn't for a piece of bread. He hadn't finished the bread at all.

His uncle, who had been there for him when his father hadn't been able to, was gone. Maybe forever. His mother had been looking for him for months, and he hadn't heard from her since she was gone. His father was dead. He had nothing left of his own family.

For a long time, Kai and Nya had been the older siblings that he never knew he wanted. They were everything I could have asked for, and more.

But now they had their parents, and why would they still need Lloyd now that they had a royal family?

The knife fell to the ground, slipping from his shaking hands.

His entire bloodline was a mess, and now what were essentially his adoptive siblings really didn't need him anymore, and the other three, who were as siblings to him as Kai and Nya, well, they were never around. Not of his own accord, there were a lot of ninja business to attend to these days, but still. Lloyd found himself very lonely too often.

He just wanted it all to come back before the twins ruined his entire world. His father had already died, and not only had they rubbed salt on the wound, but they had ripped it open until it was bleeding.

His sobs shook his entire body, and he was too cold and too hot at the same time, and he was being ripped apart. Why she didn't know what that meant, but it still hurt her heart.

"Oh dear," he heard Nya's voice from the kitchen entrance, and he couldn't even try to recover himself. It didn't matter anyway, because Nya had already seen him, huddled against the cabinets next to a lone knife and a slice of bread with the cut crusts stuck to the floor with creamy peanut butter.

She rushed in, and Kai very close to her, and sat next to her on the ground. Kai sat on the other side of him, hugging him.

- Hey, calm down, tell us what happened? Kai asked once Lloyd remembered how to breathe properly.

Lloyd sobbed, shaking his head. It was stupid, just a sandwich, and he didn't need to bother anyone else about it.

- Lloyd, we are here for you. What's the matter? Nya asked, rubbing her back in a relaxing motion.

I wanted to tell you. He wanted to unload all his troubles on them and let them tell him that everything was going to be okay. But it wasn't going to be okay, and he couldn't tell them.

- We can't help you if we don't know what's wrong with you, dwarf -

I wanted to tell you.

I wanted so badly to tell you. But this was not something that could be fixed with them by his side perhaps. Most of his problems weren't that important, but revealing them to Kai and Nya in the past was extremely helpful in the past.

- I just ... I don't want to be alone again ... - he finally answered - I know that you already have your parents back, and I know that now you will no longer need me because I am not really part of your family, I am not his blood brother or anything like that ... and I no longer have anyone else in my family who can help me or comfort me ... -

The words were spilling out before she could stop herself and the tears kept coming and she couldn't breathe.

- Oh, Lloyd - he hears Nya's voice murmur near him, and he was wrapped in a hug from both sides. His breathing calmed - Don't think like that, we will always be here for you -

"And we promise you that you will always be our little brother, it doesn't matter if you are of our blood or not, you are part of our family" Kai said, ruffling his hair. Lloyd smiled, just a little, already feeling a little better.

- And you can always talk to us when you feel like that, you know. I'm never too busy, and I mean, it's not like Kai has a social life or anything like that -

- Hey! - Kai exclaimed indignantly with her.

Lloyd laughed. A real, genuine laugh, and for a moment, he forgot why he was so sad. Nya smiled to herself, because that was exactly what she had been trying to do.

- Come on, Green Machine, let's have an ice cream. Yyyy ~ will be on Nya's account, right, little sister? -

Nya rolled her eyes - Fine, but only if you pay next time -

- Yes, yes, all right -

Lloyd may no longer be a boy, but at least he can still live as one thanks to his two honorary older brothers.