Chapter by: LillaSmolBean
~~~~~~~~~~
Bewilderment, such an absurd emotion. Yet that and a clear tint of shock was spread all over the white haired girl's face.
She stood there, panting as wild thoughts raced in her mind. First of all, what was that he wanted? Friends? He wanted to be friends with her? He practically went out of his way to kidnap her, she didn't know whether the resistance was aware that she was stolen through the night...that was insane!

"Hold on a second, did I hear that right?" She growled, staring right at her kidnapper. It was the same boy, the same figure who asked her days ago if they could be friends. It was him. She could not believe any of this, then again, they were in fact in Ninjago city, anything happens here. It was a boy, in whom she couldn't care less about appearances. Unless they looked rather menacing, Harumi knew she had to be weary in those cases.

However, his request for her friendship a second time truly caught her off guard from the first time, thus she didn't know what to think of this situation. "You really are insane." She blatantly revealed to her kidnapper. Who wouldn't? Well perhaps Harumi was raised to keep quiet and be more "lady-like" though she had learned with the help of her family that speaking out your opinions might just save you one day.

The kidnapper rubbed the back of his head, looking down for mere moments in what seemed to be guilt? Did he suddenly feel bad or asking such an absurd request from the Jade princess? Or did he finally acknowledge how dangerous she was when she was mad? "I know what you're thinking, it's strange on my part that I've done all of this just to ask you to be friends. But hear me out, really," he tried.

Harumi's instant reaction was to seem menacing, to make her seem like she was the one with the power in this situation. "Can't I at least know your name?" She inquired, her tone reducing aggression for this instance. The kidnapper looked slightly perplexed at the question before nodding, he figured that it was best if they knew each other's names first. The kidnapper slowly shifted in her direction,

"It's Collin, you must be Harumi?" He answered, earning wide eyes from the white haired girl. She bit her lips, gulping unwillingly as she had realized that he could potentially be a stalker. Was he?
How did he know her name, second of all, she didn't know him at all. She didn't remember him being a visitor of the palace nor would think she had met him elsewhere for him to know her name?
"Collin, how did you know?" The words fell off her tongue.

Collin chuckled and approached her, in which Harumi gladly took a step back.
"You see, you were quite popular at one point. With being associated with Lord Garmadon and leader of the SOG. I've read about you once." He told her. Now her crimes were her absolute downfall, Harumi shivered, stepping even more back from Collin as she didn't want to allow herself to give in and show weakness.

She regretted her actions and the whole resurrection plan whom she calls her masterpiece for years. Her time in the resistance—her time with Lloyd meant to her so much. Therefore, with wide eyes, Harumi looked up at Collin, she didn't want to be reminded of her past. The resistance managed to wash it all away, she had a new home with her family and former generals. "I've changed...therefore
if your impression of me is from my crimes-" her scowl was interrupted by the boy shaking his head.

"No no, of course not, I said I wanted to be your friend, now didn't I?" He begged.
No, she was not having it. She was kidnapped, in the plain middle of the night by a creep, whom she figured out from now, only wanted stole her away just to ask her the same question for the second time: "Harumi, please let's be friends." Collin asked again.

"Harumi! Harumi where are you?"

Both individuals' eyes widened. The voices were recognizable, they were her friends, her family. The first one to react was Harumi, she lightly gasps and proceeded to rush off to the edge of the rooftop of a building where Collin foolishly brought her to. The building wasn't at all high therefore it sousing hurt a single bit if someone jumped down. "Guys?" She called out, catching the top of their heads. Her friends were really coming.

"Harumi? Are you in trouble because if you are, whoever they are better not mess wth us! We're over here!" It was the voice of Ultra Violet. Harumi tightly shut her eyes in relief.

They really did care.

That was just enough for the white haired girl to jump down the building. She wanted to reunite with her rescuers. There was Mistaké, of course. Faith, Jet Jack, Ultra Violet....Harumi's eyes widened even more at the sight of two figures who were slowly trailing behind the girls. "Well...I..." her phrase was forgotten in her tongue as she could not believe to see a reluctant oni lord and white puppy follow the girls.

"Cloud? Garmadon?" Now she really wanted to jump directly down and join her family. However, she felt her hand being yanked back and Harumi prevented a defensive hiss. She turned around to see Collin pulling her back. He had a begging look, like he was desperate for her answer this instant. "Harumi, please don't go." He tried to keep her as far away from her own friends as possible.

"Collin, I-" she shook her head. She couldn't, she just stared him in the eyes, both of them locking eye contact as Harumi was utterly speechless. Collin still kept that begging expression, thinking he had her full attention this instant. Harumi was torn, she couldn't escape, not until she answered this one question of his. But it was hard, she didn't know Collin at all.
How did he even find her? Why her specifically?

"Listen, it's a really bad time now, I don't know you at all. Why are you even after me? Why would you even kidnap me?"
She had a blurry set of questions to ask the boy, all of them showed his frantic and desperate she was to earn answers. However, as Collin was about to answer, Harumi screeched quietly, like her right arm that had been pulled by the boy, her left one had been yanked.

"Young Harumi."

The white haired girl's eyes darted to the left to spot the elderly woman holding her left arm, practically beckoning her to come with them. Mistaké had climbed up to the roof with a nearby ladder and grabbed her arm, almost scaring her girl in the process. Harumi bit her lip, what a real predicament they were in. "Mistaké, I'm so glad to see you. But first, Collin, please-" her head turned to face Collin.

"Collin?" Mistaké raised an eyebrow.

When Harumi was going to answer Collin's request, she had spotted no one holding onto her right arm. In embarrassment and overwhelming confusion, she lowered her right arm, she had been keeping it in the air for particularly no reason. But it left the question, where had Collin gone? He was right here with her, hence, he was the one who even kidnapped her.

"Who were you talking to, young one?" Mistaké questioned, letting go of her hand and beckoning her to climb down the ladder. Harumi narrowed her eyes and followed Mistaké down. What had just happened? Why tonight? Why did Collin want to be friends? Did he needed to be close with her for a certain reason? She made sure not to miss a step as these questions flooded her mind.

"Collin, I was talking to him." She responded honestly. Mistaké was one of the few people who wouldn't give her, ever, the benefit of the doubt. Harumi can say that Mistaké was a walking diary. She was so wise, caring and loyal, the princess can easily trust someone like her any day.
Arriving to the ground, the woman glanced over at Rumi. "But I saw no Collin up there, I just saw you." She reasoned.

Ah, was she the only witness in that case? Will she be called insane among her friends? Harumi's shoulders lowered, ah she couldn't wait....

"But don't worry, I trust you." Mistaké assured her, already noticing the lowered spirits within the white haired princess. It surprised the girl, certainly. However, she couldn't say that she wasn't thankful. She returned a reassured smile towards the elderly woman and managed to reach the rest of the resistance, eagerly waiting for the two to come back.

"Rumi! Why did you decide to up' and leave, eh?" Ultra Violet snagged her into a rough hug, much to the latter's amusement.

Ultra Violet had always been known to be rough and even if Harumi would order her one day to go easy during a mission, she wouldn't really rely too much on her own words. But it did have a pro though, it just means you had a pretty amazing and righteous best friend. "But I didn't, you may not believe it but here's the thing, I've been kidnapped." She explained herself.

The next one to question her was Jet Jack. She gave a light gasp and immediately patted Harumi on the shoulder. "By who? Who was it?" She questioned with force along with a complimentary: "Yeah we'll kill em'!" from Violet beside Rumi. Harumi shrugged and glanced over at Mistaké, who only smiled. She was probably proud that Harumi was back safely with her friends.

"I don't know, they didn't say their name." She lied, no, she didn't want to bring any of her friends in the mess she involuntarily created for herself. It made the old woman smile when she had heard Harumi's response, had she felt the pride too? It'll be their little secret for now. Though, that answer didn't please the two very well.

"What? How are we supposed to teach them a lesson now?"

"At least give us description!"

Harumi was bothered with comments from respectively Ultra and Jet Jack about this whole matter however she and Garmadon caught in an eye contact. She sheepishly looked down to the ground, noticing the puppy, Cloud, playfully barking at her.
But she knew if that if she raised her head, Garmadon would be the first one in her vision of view.

"I see...well, what do you-" she tried to ask him what he wanted just by keeping her eyes peeled to the floor.

"The kidnapping, likely story." Garmadon had not believed a single of the misadventure she had briefly explained.
Harumi immediately lifted her head and shook her head, shifting slightly when Cloud wrapped her bushy tail around her leg. "Pardon? But Garmadon, I'm not lying." She retorted calmly.

"You went out here out of your own accord, do you not know how dangerous that is?" He scolded, taking a step forward. But no one had expected the oni lord to start speaking up, Ultra and Jet Jack's tantrums decreased down to hear the argument between the two. Harumi bit her lips as he had brought up good points eventually. "Even if you were kidnapped, how come Mistaké didn't encounter any danger when coming to 'rescue' you?"

Faith nodded in response to what Garmadon had said, Harumi felt the happiness of being reunited from a while ago crumble down. Was this where her friends begin to turn on her? Garmadon was purposely pushing it, now wasn't he? He didn't care if she was kidnapped or not. Though, Mistaké had made an approach and coughed, "Please, it's quite late, let's head back to the bounty." She requested.

A gut has been punched inside of Harumi as her eyes narrowed, already daring to shut when she had realized that her friends' looks may have gone hostile. She already knew that Garmadon's glare was a bloodbath—a sight that innocence itself would hate to discover. Harumi felt herself become outnumbered as all that supportive pep talk from minutes ago evaporated just because of this man's words.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Faith had asked, trying to step closer to Harumi however the latter moved forward, avoiding their shoulders being pressed against one another. No, she didn't wanna hear it.

"If you really wanted to get rid of us, you could have told us!" Harumi silently froze at the tone of Ultra Violet's voice. No, she couldn't believe him too, not her.

But as the scolding got even worse, Harumi's utter nightmare had arrived in Ninjago. She glared at Garmadon, her angry and irritated expression betraying her in the end and displayed her true emotions: fear itself. Harumi was completely frozen, looking up at Garmadon as if he were some dictator.

"And what if I told Lloyd about what happened tonight?" He threatened.

Harumi couldn't agree more about returning to the bounty. They did end up going back there though, but Harumi needed to deal with the answer Garmadon desperately wanted from her for his threat. With clenched fists and trembling lips, her eyes displayed the scene of nothing more but a hopeless and dull reality.

"He wouldn't care anyways." She lifted her head up and spoke with no smile nor frown.
~~~~~~~~~
Back at the bounty, the undying questions to why Harumi found herself "strolling" around Ninjago city never ceased, the princess slightly overwhelmed, especially since they were questions from people whom she believes won't trust her ever since what happened. Chills went down her spine as Jet Jack prompted her with another similar question.

"Say Harumi, why were you alone on such a quiet night in Ninjago? Meeting up with someone who didn't show u-" Jet Jack shushed, she had noticed the uneasy look on Harumi's face. Location, reason, questioning of the time of day, motives...it was those questions that bombarded her ever since she was rescued by the resistance. Even she was confused that she got stood up by Collin in the end.

Then again, she should be relieved that was the case since she had been kidnapped without the resistance being aware. Secret kidnappings were terrible.
The white haired girl grumbled, glaring Jet Jack straight in the eyes. "Oh yeah? Why do you care if I was alone at the time? Considering whether to rescue me or not?" She snapped. Now who wouldn't be irritated after a night like this?

She hadn't mean to snap but no saying that she was not at all angry, she really was. She was too tired to play guest and answer all of these questions, not to mention, the resistance could use her answers to jab at her later. Worse, the responses she gives are sent out to Lloyd.
She huffs and claims that she didn't want to hear anymore of this. "Whatever, I'm going to my room. Thanks for saving me." She sulked before storming off.

Jet Jack looked just as perplexed as everyone else in the rescue group minus Garmadon and Cloud. The puppy rushed over to Harumi, trying to catch up to her owner as she walked off towards her room and left the resistance out of a mini outburst in her mind. Jet Jack shrugged and frowned slightly. "Woah dudes. Didn't mean it." She whispered to herself.

Garmadon rolled his eyes. His dark red eyes darting over to the current view over Ninjago city. It still remained night. "She reminds me of an oni, always associated with danger and backlash." He muttered to himself. Mistaké was the only one between everyone present to narrow down her pupils at such comment.

The white haired girl halted by the railings of the bounty, pausing from her destination—which was her bedroom. She sighed and whimpered to herself. What was she doing? What was Lloyd doing? Why hasn't she progressed into apologizing to everyone and why couldn't they buy into her testimony? Garmadon practically looked harmless back there, so why? Why couldn't she just live with her family again?

Cloud gave a sad bark, noticing how an uncertain expression was fixed on her owner's face. If she could speak, the puppy would smother her with affectionate and reassuring compliments, how she'll never change sides and keep her pride for fighting for her. But despite all that, rubbing her head against her owner's leg would be enough of an affectionate gesture.

"What have I done, Cloud? I practically ruined everything for myself now. I thought that if I ignored the hate from my own family, I-...no, I thought it would have gone away but-" another sigh escaped her lips as she shook her head. No, of course not. It wouldn't go away unless she faced the problem up front. She couldn't cower out now and return to this sweet innocent girl from her childhood days. The girl's hand trailed down to her pockets and pulled out what seemed to have been a souvenir photo.

It was one with a young girl, a young Harumi, who looked happy along with her birth parents in the background. Harumi winced, forcing a smile just for them. She really did miss them...ah, it was too hard, the smile in which she had hoped would have been a determination fueler for her, simply crumbled down as she glanced down at the buildings of the fallen city.
"Papa, Mama, I'm scared and lost," she admitted, battling out with her feelings.

Her start of a blurry vision changed their view to the night skies, she held the photos tighter and clenched her teeth in a wobbly attempt to not cry. Cloud frowned, wanting to comfort her owner rather badly. Harumi trembles from top to bottom. If she had dropped these photos down in an attempt to control herself, she would never forgive herself. But luckily, she had not.

"What do I do? Please give me advise, I can't fight a war alone." She begged. The feeling was so ethereal but the temporary and short bond between her and her loving parents will forever remain in her heart and soul. She'll always ask for their help when needed. The skies have so many stars up tonight, so many wonders and so many reasons to enjoy life.

Harumi likes to imagine that her parents want their little girl to learn in what way had they helped her with her problems.
Not too long ago, when she was working with Garmadon along with Ultra Violet, Killow and Mr. E, the emperor had strangled her in an attempt to teach her a lesson for not returning back to Borg tower with the green ninja. She had remembered the sun being so bright that day, she couldn't imagine herself dying on such a beautiful day.

Yet, how did her parents possibly contributed? By influencing Garmadon's mind to take her in as his daughter of darkness, the only family that she'll ever need in her time as second in command. She accepted without hesitation since she was the one who practically offered the spot for him but still, she couldn't lie when she says that she was not at all surprised.
Still, it shocks her that Garmadon had been nothing but caring.

Even with those accidental moments where she was transformed as a baby temporarily, he still cared for her.

She dismisses herself to her bedroom after a brief moment of pondering. Will her parents ever help her this time? She feels as if she acquired arrogance, using people and things for her own gain and supposedly thinking only about herself, no she did not want to be like that. But she feels that in a situation where she was outnumbered by 1 to 5+, she'd need a handicap.

Harumi growls, collapsing on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. "Why do I need help from others? Why can't I deal with everything myself? I don't always need to involve others in the bad things that happen!" She addressed to particularly no one, Cloud was already nestling in her doggy bed a few inches away from Rumi's. The white haired girl shook her head. No, she couldn't possibly rant so late at night-

Her fist slammed itself into the pillow she was laying on. "FSM." She cursed out, disapproval and disgust dripping down from her words. Cloud, who was shaken up by the slap, raised her head and flopped her ears down in a sign of fear.
Harumi stood up and clenched the soft pillow tightly. Her canines were showing as she could not possibly express how angry she was at herself.

"How dare I, Harumi Jade, be so weak and naive and idiotic and dependent! When did I ever become dependant?! I'm the leader of my own mind and no one can tell me so! Do I really need the resistance's opinions?!" She snapped out, again to no one. "There's no right and wrong, if they were real friends, they'd support me even if my choices seem-" she stopped herself right there, her nails grabbing her hair and pulled for FSM's sake. She couldn't take it anymore. Why did she needed to act so hurt because everyone was blaming her?

A faint light was fixed upon the pillow, specifically from the angle that her arm was holding it however, she paid no mind. Probably broad moonlight or something, she guesses.

Why did Garmadon get the last laugh at all this? It just wasn't fair? Could she not speak and explain herself for one dang minute? Little did she know, the white haired princess ended up sleeping through the night out of frustration. Staying awake just to rant and possibly cause commotion wasn't a good idea when everyone was against you.
~~~~~~~~~~~
3:40AM, Harumi wakes up to a semi-silent tap on her bedroom window. Since it was right beside her and practically at her head's level, she woke up with minimal effort. Rubbing her eyes and refraining a yawn, Harumi rose from the bed and glanced at the window.

She could have shrieked at the blue light racing to enter her half opened pupils, but she knew she needed to look at least awake to face the problem first hand. "Who could possibly.." she sulked, raising her head even more so that she could glance through the window with ease.
The source of the problem shocked her.
It was a boy carrying two items, a teddy bear in which had the print of words: "I'm sorry" and a box of chocolates.

Harumi blinked, making sure that she wasn't dreaming. "Collin?"
~~~~~~~~~~~
She allowed him in, of course, despite the clear time for no visitors. But FSM, she couldn't help it, curiosity has spared the cat but killed the princess in its place.
"Collin, I thought you left me. What are you doing here? How did you find this place?" She bombarded him with questions herself.

The boy set aside the presents on the side of her head and frowned, already not liking the fact that he was being asked all these extraordinary questions. Harumi lifted a brow at the gifts, it was truly a rare sight for her as Lloyd was the only one who gifted her things. "Where did you even get these?" She asked.

Collin glanced at the teddy bear before he sighed at the girl, she just wouldn't shut up, huh? "When the city is in disorder, it's easy to steal things you know?" He responded with little to no emotion at all. He didn't seem at all impressed by the girl's massive blabbermouth at such an hour. Harumi huffed and crossed her arms.

"That's besides the point," she growled, earning very wide eyes from Collin. But, but she was the one that asked the question how could she-

"I did think whether I'd want to be your friend or not. But after leaving me like that, I think that's already a clear decision for me that I refuse." Harumi continued her sentence. She did wanted to mention other things such as: Not knowing him, not knowing where he came from, his intentions and how he found her. Though, the one that she voiced out already made enough sense to why she shouldn't befriend him.

"Come on now, I'm sure you don't really mean that." He sighed in discourage albeit in disappointment too. He had come all of this way just to hear this sort of response? He couldn't understand the logic between her reasoning, he wished that they could just be friends. "I just want to be friends, that's all."

Harumi shook her head, glancing away from the visitor. "No way. Friends don't leave each other." What a hypothetical thing to say on her part. Harumi internally winced, already regretting her words of choice. Collin noticed her brief episode of uneasiness and tilted his head in confusion. "But I have a good reason for it." He interjected.

The white haired girl wasn't having it, already tired and frustrated over this whole ordeal, she just wanted to go back to sleep. "Collin please, I said no-"

Mere seconds before the second apocalypse started.

Harumi's eyes went wide as she felt Collin approach her, momentarily closing the gap between them and landing his lips onto hers. It was sudden and quick but felt so slow and meaningful.

Like a net catching a beautiful butterfly, Collin's lips could have grabbed hers into a kiss. But it ended all too quickly for Harumi to rightfully process the emotions she was feeling at the moment. She does admit, it's been awhile she has been kissed.

"Whoops sorry, I didn't mean to do that. Guess you were just saying too many questions." Collin laughed, his cheeks becoming a little pink. Now Harumi was on the spot, frozen in time. Being striked down blue-flamed time blade could not compare to this. "What did you do that for? I just...I.." the pink tint on her cheeks following the fluttering heart of hers and dreamy smile blooming on her lips betrayed her previous sentiments of anger. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all.

Collin snickered and made sure to keep his distance this time. He didn't want to cause any more awkwardness between them. Kissing her had already been a very bold move for people who aren't "friends". Harumi sighed and smiled at her former kidnapper and thought for a second before saying: "I'll think about it, alright? Whether I want to be friends with you. You're rather interesting and genuinely a nice guy." She confessed her observations on him for the past minute.

Collin nodded. "I can accept that. Oh and by the way, how did I find this place? Well it's pretty obvious to find a parked flying ship atop one of the buildings. How couldn't I? You must have really bad eye sight to miss that." He cracked a joke and the princess managed to hum in delight for the first time today. He really wasn't all that bad, maybe they could be friends after all...

However, from the doggy bed meant for Cloud, the puppy was not at all amused at the potential impressions building up between Collin and Harumi. A snarl and angry growl escaped her snout as she enviously and annoyingly watched Collin's every move.
~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Now I know what you guys are probably thinking and bringing(the pitchforks), I can allow you all to murder a certain someone when their motives are revealed, haha! (Jdizzle, we have a problem here, we have angry Llorumi fans, help!) But jokes aside, thank you for reading chapter 83 of Reconciled Hearts! It's really great to see new people finding out about the story every single day so thank you all for that! That's the end of my author's note, hope you all stay safe in quarantine! Cya!^^