Lloyd yawned as he opened his eyes. He was curled up in the desert sand, and it was nighttime. Odd, he distinctly remembered falling asleep in the town. What happened? He got up, dusting himself off. “Hello?”
He called out, but nobody answered. Then, the sound of a violent fight rang out behind him. Lloyd turned to see The Desert Tribe caught mostly on fire. “They’re back?!” He panicked as he rushed to help. However, when he reached the village, and attempted to attack a fire soldier, he fell right through them. His confusion was broken the second he noticed a familiar light perched on a roof. Their bright white eyes stared down at Lloyd with wonder.
‘You are quite amusing.’ He whispered, but it almost came out like a small laugh. Lloyd looked up at him like he knew the routine, but he was unsure if he wanted to go through it. A battle cry filled the night, but above it all, he heard a little child scream. The ghost floated over to an alley, where a child, only about 3, lay cornered by a warrior. Tears rolled down the child’s face as the blade that held his fate drew closer. Lloyd noticed the kid had a fresh wound on his forehead that was still bleeding; it looked painful being right near his eye. Lloyd recognized the location of the injury almost immediately; it was where Cole had his forehead scar. Actually, the more he looked at him, the more apparent it became that it was a young Cole. He was so small and cute, but utterly terrified. The blade came crashing down on him, but before it could connect, a piece of earth rose up underneath the man and sent the attacker flying. A rather strong looking woman darted to the child, embracing him warmly. The little boy buried his face in her arm, clearly being comforted by her presence. The woman laid her hand on the ground as her eyes began to glow orange. The same crackling lava pattern that Cole got on his arms formed on hers. A loud rumble began to erupt from the ground, and the barricade that surrounded the town rose from the sand. Except it nearly encapsulated the town, even having what you could consider a roof. Lloyd turned to the apparition. “That’s Cole’s mother. Th- the Fire Tribe didn’t kill her?”
The ghost nodded, then the world whirled around until where they were standing was a completely different location. It looked like a hospital of sorts. Lloyd could hear violent coughing coming from a nearby room, so he headed toward it. His heart sank as he saw the scene in front of him. Cole’s mother was on her death bed. Literally. She was laying on a bed covered mostly in a white blanket. Cole, who looked around 7 now, was crying by the dying woman. Lloyd felt so awful watching it all. He desperately wanted to help, but he knew that he couldn’t. The ghostly figure floated up to Lloyd, but hung in the hallway, like he refused to witness the scene beyond the doorway.
‘Death takes us all eventually, that we all gather, but he was still so young to have lost his loving mother.’

The green ninja turned to look at the saddened spirit. “I lost mine when I was only a few weeks old…”

The ghost nodded. ‘I am aware of your tragedy, I do truly feel your pain, but understanding that of others, more wisdom you’ll gain. Sickness is a terrible thing, and this day it claimed a soul, in the heart of her son, an innocent child, it left a painful hole. Unite the tribes and make more broken like this whole.’

Huh, Lloyd guessed that he never actually thought about how many people probably died the last time the Fire Tribe attacked. I mean, yes, his mother was killed, and so were Harumi’s biological parents, but in his tribe only there were so many more lost. Lloyd and Harumi might have miraculously survived with the protection of Garmadon, but there were probably several young children and babies that weren’t so lucky. Especially the one nobody dare talk about- Brad’s little sister. She wasn’t even born yet, but… well… it was truly something no one liked to talk or think about honestly. That night broke so many hearts, and now that he thought about it, the other tribes probably went through the same thing. The same terrible, horrible thing. As Lloyd stared down at the floor in thought, the apparition reached its hand out to touch his shoulder, but recoiled at the last moment. Almost like it was scared to touch him. The world around them began to flicker and fade away, then Lloyd’s eyes shot open and he quickly sat up; awake.

He was still in the storage room, with Jay still sleeping on the opposite side. He looked so peaceful… until Cole came into the room shouting “Rise and shine!!” The blue leader popped up so quickly he was almost a blur. Lightning danced around his body while he hyperventilated; looking around frantically. Cole burst out laughing at the sight of it. “Ya know, I was about to ask you to prove that you were elemental masters, but I think that checks out.” Lloyd smiled at how chill Cole’s personality was. To prove himself as well, he opened his palm and let elemental energy poof out, forming a glowing sphere that pulsated over his hand. The master of earth’s eyes lit up with wonder.
“Woah! It’s like green fire or something!”

Lloyd chuckled. “My father calls it ‘ENERGY’. He said it’s a combination of his Oni power and the Dragon power my uncle possessed. Or something along those lines.”

“Being part dragon sounds SO cool!!” Jay expressed. Cole agreed.
Lloyd looked into the glowing orb longingly. Yeah, it must be. Garmadon told stories of when he and his brother were younger once in a while, but it was a rare occurrence. His sacrifice left a deep wound, so he preferred not to talk about it often. Understandable. But still… something in Lloyd felt his uncle was near. Possibly because he had half of his powers or whatever it was, but it didn’t feel like it was exactly that. Regardless, he decided to shake it off and break the silence. The green ninja got serious as he began to explain in full detail what the Fire Tribe was up to. It was a chilling discussion, and Lloyd knew it wouldn’t be easy to convince Cole to leave his home to travel with them, but-

“Aw, heck yeah!” Cole agreed.

“I know it’s a difficult choice, but… WAIT. Did you seriously just agree that easily?!” The green ninja turned to him; shook by how easy that was.

“Of course I agreed! You just ended a rant about how the fate of everyone was at stake! What kind of heartless jerk would I be if I DIDN’T join the cause immediately?”

Lloyd liked his spirit, and tried not to glance at Jay, who he practically had to drag with him; and he KNEW the blue ninja was avoiding eye contact right now because he knew that. He definitely did not volunteer very willingly, and based on what Cole just said, he was embarrassed by that fact. Ah yes, Jay- the “heartless jerk” leader that didn’t join the cause immediately. Lloyd tried not to chuckle at the thought.
Cole nodded. “Yep, just gotta inform my old man first. He should be in his blacksmithing shop by now. Probably fixing things that were damaged last night.” Jay seemed to be exited and intrigued by Cole’s father being a blacksmith; however, Lloyd had no idea what it meant. Maybe Jay was right? Maybe he was just a wild, uncultured jungle boy. He didn’t know so much about the world… it honestly made him feel inferior in a way. Then again, he doubted that THEY knew anything about the jungle. Jay didn’t seem to have the ability to leap from tree to tree in single bounds; so maybe, it wasn’t being inferior, just them having different skill sets. Wording it like that made him feel better.

The three leaders made their way to a building with little to no front wall. It looked similar in color to all the other houses; being a tan color. Except the interior was darker, like the roof was stained with smoke. Several metal items were laid out on display on one end of the shop, and the other side held the equipment; like the furnace, anvil, and water trough that was used to cool down the metal. In the shop, was a man who wore a leather apron and fireproof gloves. He was about the same height as Cole, who, mind you, hadn’t stopped growing yet. He was definitely going to be taller than him sooner rather than later, but for now he still had an inch or two on him. He hammered a glowing orange sword, sparks flying with every pound. He quickly pulled it into the water, creating a room full of steam. Cole walked into the room, coughing from it all. “Dad?” he called. “I’m going to go on a mission to save the world or something like that. If anything happens while I’m gone, get everyone to the- location.”
Cole said the last part in a whisper, making Lloyd think it was some secret area; an undisclosed location. Presumably some place to act as a safe place.
The man turned around, looking confused. “You’re what?! But only you can open the entrance to the tunnel-“

Cole gave him the look of “shut up.” And he trailed off.

“Anyway- No. I could never forgive myself if something happened to you out there.”
Cole almost looked offended by the statement. “But I won’t be alone! And you’ve seen me fight! You know I can handle myself!”
The father glanced down at his child’s scars, then reiterated that he wasn’t going anywhere. It was nearly silent, but Cole grumbled- "Mom would've let me go..."

Upset by the order, the leader ran off. Lloyd and Jay followed with worried expressions. When they finally caught up, Cole was hiding behind his house. It was completely shadowed, and hidden from the village. Nobody could possibly see what happened back there. He knew that; that’s why it was his favorite quiet place. Cole turned to Lloyd. “Where do we go first?”

Jay tilted his head. “But your father said-..”

“I KNOW what he said!” he growled. “But as a tribe leader, it’s my job to protect others. I’m going with you whether he likes it or not. Now- where to?”

Lloyd pulled out his map. “We’ll be heading to the Ice tribe next.”

Cole looked like a mixture of shocked and disappointed. “The ICE TRIBE?! Those spirit following, pacifist, recluses?! What are they going to do? Bore the Fire Tribe to death with the story of how the wolf spirit taught their ancestors how to hunt?...”

“My father instructed me to unite all the tribes. That includes them. Whatever reputation they may have. And reputation isn’t everything, like you guys. Jay’s village thinks you’re all hostile and violent. You clearly aren’t though.”

Cole shot Jay a confused look, then glanced back at Lloyd. He supposed that he’d never actually met anyone from the Ice Tribe, so there was no reason to judge them yet…. Yet. Regardless, from all the rumors he heard, they weren’t even human. He had no clue what that meant, but it sorta freaked him out. Lloyd asked how Cole was planning on leaving, since his father had told him not to. They couldn’t leave through the secret front entrance, that was in front of the entire village, everyone would see. But now that he thought about it… here. Right where they were hiding. Like previously stated, it was a completely hidden area. It was right between the largest building in the town, and the wall. No body would notice if, well, let’s say- someone was to make a doorway through the wall for them to escape through? Cole placed his hands on the barricade, now glowing orange gold, and it began to split open a small doorway. Lloyd and Jay slipped through with Cole right behind them. After they were on the opposite side of the barricade, Cole closed the forbidden exit; whispering under his breath-

“I’m sorry dad, but I have a job to do.”

Lloyd looked out behind him at the open desert. The scorching sun beat down, and the sound of the river flowing was crisp and clear. Vultures flew overhead, staring down at the ninja like it was warning them of their mortality. As the three leaders walked on, Lloyd led the way with his map. Minutes passed of pure silence, which was being to get kind of awkward, so Jay began asking Cole questions to get to know him better. Then after that, he got extra bored. “Alright. I spy with my little eye, something that is..”

“Don’t. Even.” Lloyd sighed. But after a few minutes he picked it back up, with he and Cole going back and forth. They mostly only spotted sand, rocks, and cacti, so the banter was pretty repetitive. But eventually, something broke the broken record of a conversation. “I spy… something green!”

“Cactus.”

“Yes! I spy something… spiky!”

“Cactus.”

“How? Alright, I spy…” The blue ninja trailed off as his eyes locked onto something in the distance. “Fire Tribe.”

Cole was about to tell him that he was making things too easy, then he noticed it too. They all did. The same Fire Tribe soldier that ambushed Lloyd and Jay earlier, Ronin, was headed right for them. The color drained from the green ninja‘s face the moment he noticed. This wasn’t going to be good. He called out for his friends to run, but the enemy was already on their tail. Ronin lunged at Lloyd with his sword, slashing at him. The boy dodged, but just barely. The edge of the blade skimmed his head, taking a millimeter off his blonde hair. Cole activated his powers and punched the earth. A jagged piece of earth sprang from the ground, but instead of sending the enemy flying, Ronin timed it perfectly, launching himself into the air purposefully. He came rocketing back down, landing on the master of earth. Ronin held the blade above him, getting ready to kill Cole; in the glint of the sword, he saw the night the Fire Tribe attacked last. When he was about to meet his end by the same type of weapon. Maybe even the same one. But before any murder could happen, a jolt of lightning shot out from Jay’s palm, landing a hit, and causing the assassin to fly backwards. The blue ninja chuckled. “Real bad idea wearing a suit of metal armor to a fight with electricity. You’re a lightning rod! Did you learn nothing in science class?”

The fire soldier growled as he got up. “No. My tribe doesn’t have time for meaningless junk like that! We’re born, taught how to fight, and die doing so.”

“Well now, that’s just depressing, ain’t it?” mocked Jay.

“Wow! You don’t have school? Lucky.” Cole jokingly stated. Though, it wasn’t a complete joke, he genuinely wasn’t a big fan of school. He absolutely hated math. He’s the kind of person who only shows signs of life at school when recess is going on. He paid full attention, but he never liked it personally. Jay on the other hand, was always so fascinated by his elemental powers, that he became obsessed with electricity and science in general. He was undoubtedly, for lack of a better term, a huge nerd. Lloyd seemed to be pretty neutral; seeing as school in his tribe was more or less learning survival techniques and hunting. A skill that was paying off as they spoke. While the education conversation was happening, Lloyd was sneaking up behind Ronin. Despite being on sand, his footsteps were as quiet as a mouse. Not a sound was heard. He lunged at Ronin in a sneak attack pinning him down while simultaneously blasting an energy beam at him. The assassin shook Lloyd off and stood up. He was caught off guard and dizzy, but not unconscious. Cole quickly fixed the problem with a superhuman punch to the head. Jay kicked him to make sure he was out. “I don’t get it Lloyd. Why don’t we just finish him off so we won’t have to deal with him again?”
Lloyd had already began walking away, which sparked the question.

The green-eyed boy turned to his companions. “Because then we’d be no better than him and his tribe.”
Wow. They certainly didn’t think of it that way before. The Fire Tribe were murderers. And killing Ronin wouldn’t make them all that different. Killing for their own convenience. It was wrong. But something about what the assassin had said stuck with Lloyd. How they were born, taught how to fight, and died doing so. Some part of him felt bad for everyone involved now. Combined with what his father mentioned about their strict standards, it sounded like being born into them was the worst possible outcome. Imagine being born, and the only way that you get to keep your life is to take another. The poor parents involved too- forcing your baby into a death sentence from the moment they can stand just to ensure they aren’t killed sooner?! That sounded disgusting. Lloyd hated to think about it, but it was hard for him not too. The green ninja looked up at the snow-covered peaks in the distance that they were headed towards. It was going to be a LONG journey… In the shadows, a dark, mysterious figure slithered away.

At the Fire Tribe’s Territory, the same shadow made its way to the gates of the volcano temple. The two guards that stood on each side of the massive stone doors glared at them. The mystery person glared daggers right back at the guards, who were intimated, letting them in. The leader sat on his throne looking like he was anticipating something big, but the soldier bowing before him broke his concentration. The boy seemed almost excited at the person’s arrival, and sat up tall in his throne.

“Ah! Skylor! Nice to have you back here. How was your warning raid on the Desert Tribe?”

The soldier took off her helmet, revealing a long, fiery red ponytail. It seemed as if fire itself was draping down her back. “It went well, your highness. However, I spotted something interesting on my way back. Ronin failed to defeat the elemental masters again. But this time it was three against one. The master of earth was with them.”

The leader’s eyes burned like a wild fire in pure rage. “WHAT?! So, it’s true… They really are trying to unite the tribes to stand up against me. I guarantee they’ll be headed to the mountains to get help from the Emperor of Ice next. We can not allow that to happen! I give you permission to assist Ronin in the next assassination. I don’t care how you do it, I want that maggot Lloyd Garmadon VAPORIZED!” His voice echoed like thunder through the throne room.

“Didn’t you say- Lloyd...
‘GARMADON?’...”

A new voice questioned. A tall, pale man with long black hair and a small mustache entered the room. He wore a red and purple robe, with the fire tribe symbol on his belt. His deep purple eyes glistened in the dancing firelight of the atmosphere. “Well now, young master- ‘VAPORIZED’ is a bit harsh, now isn’t it?” His voice was calm, but to the point of being menacing.

“Not really.” The boy growled. “He’s plotting against us Clouse. We need him and his friends dead.”

“Hm… perhaps his friends, but his wretched surname… I’d recognize it from a mile away. Lloyd is the only son of Lord Garmadon. That mole and I have history. I’ve been contemplating revenge for years, but never had a painful enough idea… until now. Do what you will with the others, but I want the little Garmadon alive. Bring him to me so I may crush him myself.”

The Fire Tribe leader nodded, then turned to Skylor; pointing his staff at her. “You heard my advisor- you have your orders! Now go.”

The girl respectfully bowed, then disappeared quickly into the outside. Clouse glanced up at the boy, who was now back to being sloped in his throne. Clouse's purple eyes gleamed a bright glowing violet for a moment before returning to normal.

‘Hm… ADVISOR...’ He thought.
His mustache twinged in annoyance.

Oh... He was FAR more than that…...