Before we knew it, a week had passed.

Apparently, I still had to train on Christmas Eve, which I thought was total bologna.
But, on the plus side, this was a special kind of training - fighting against powers.
Even though most of Lloyd's powers were the same as the teams, with the exception of Morro.
"Can we take a break?" I asked, puffing. We'd been endlessly at it for over an hour and my body was about to give out on me. A break was long overdue - plus, I had something that I really needed to do.
"Another ten minutes," Lloyd grunted, wiping sweat from his brow. It was the only time we'd been at the same level of exhaustion. His new powers still took a lot out of him. He was panting in exertion.
"You're going to train us into a grave, Lloyd," I groaned. I was answered by a glare. "Sorry - sensei Lloyd."

"That's not why-" he broke off to sigh, giving up. "One more round."
I stared at him blandly as a ball of fire was shot towards me. I was supposed to dodge out of the way, but I was stubborn and making a point. Besides, it's not as if Lloyd's powers could actually harm me.
The fire hit my shoulder harmlessly. I was glad for packing the fireproof shirt that was handed down from Kai. I may be immune, but clothing wasn't.
"Y/n, please," Lloyd tried, wiping his forehead. He shot a bolt of lightning and it tickled against the skin of my arm. I continued to stand completely still, daring him to continue. Lloyd groaned.
"You're so stubborn," he grumbled to himself. "Fine, we can take a break."

My face brightened.
"Thank you!" I gushed, darting over the sand to kiss him. Lloyd pretended that he didn't love it.
I darted back to the Bounty and ignored the suspicious look Lloyd sent at my sudden burst of energy.
I slipped inside the ship, grabbing the tools I needed and returning them to the dojo. I had just come from a hunt for some sellotape (who on earth puts sellotape in the cupboard where you keep the cereal?) when Lloyd caught me red handed.

"What are you doing?"

"eeeEE," I shrieked from the back of my throat and threw myself around to hide the sellotape behind me. Lloyd watched, eyebrow raised. "Nothing!"
"Are you seriously trying to sneak around a ninja?" Lloyd asked dryly, lips curled in amusement. I scoffed, blew a raspberry and shook my head in the span of a second, which made me pull some unattractive faces.
"No!" I denied, staring sheepishly to the side. "I just need to go, uh- um... check on the, uh. The sand."
I turned my head away from him and pulled a truly ugly expression. Check on the sand? What did that even mean?
"Let me start over;" Lloyd offered as he ducked to find my eyes again, fully enjoying the game. "Are you lying to your boyfriend?"

"Absolutely not!" I squalled, attempting to stuff the sellotape down the back of my pants after abruptly straightening. It was a struggle. Lloyd's red eyes dropped to where my hands were causing a commotion as the plastic hooked onto the hem. I sweat dropped. "I never lie! Anymore!"
"Uh-huh," Lloyd nodded, eyes lidded in doubt. "What's in your hand?"
I blinked, transferred the sellotape to one hand and then held out the free palm before him.
"Nothing," I replied innocently.
"What's in the other?" Lloyd goaded, unable to hide the playful grin. I swiftly transferred the tape between hands behind me and held up the free one.
"At the same time," he ordered. I swallowed, hooked the metal teeth into the inside of my shorts, prayed, and then held both hands before me.

Lloyd's grin grew.
"Alllllright," he drawled, eyes narrowed as he appraised my nervously sweating face. "I guess you really are telling the truth. Carry on."
He stared at me. I stared back. I knew what he was waiting for me to do.
I sighed shortly through my nose before turning around and continuing down the hall.
"What's in the back of your pants?" Lloyd called, catching me. Or so he thought.
"That's called my ass, Lloyd," I said without looking back. "Have some decency."
He couldn't hold back the snort. He struggled to breathe correctly for a second.
"My mistake," Lloyd said after coughing. "Carry on, sunshine."
I sent a smile over my shoulder.
"That's what I intend to do," I said with a closed-eyed smile before darting into the dojo and slamming the door after me.

"Nehehe," I chuckled slyly to myself as I pulled the sellotape from my pants and dropped to the mats, cross legged. I smiled proudly at the small object before me. "He didn't suspect a thing."
"Yes I did," Lloyd said from behind me, making my heart leap for the sky for the second time that morning. "Really, Y/n, we've gotta work on your interrogation skills. It's sorely lacking in believability."
"Go away!" I yelled, shrieking as I kicked my foot out at his standing legs. He simply stepped back from my firing range. "How the hell did you-" then I remembered that I had long ago decided to stop asking questions like that. "Dang it, Lloyd, I wanted it to be a surprise!"
"What?" he asked, catching my foot and rendering me caught. I fell back against the floor mats with a groan, leg still raised.
"Your Christmas present," I grumbled at the ceiling.

Lloyd squeaked before slapping his hands over his eyes. My foot fell. I raised a brow.
"Why didn't you just say it was that!" he cried, betrayed. "I would've left you alone!"
"Then it wouldn't have been a surprise!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up.
"What surprise!" Lloyd shrieked, backing out of the room. "It's no secret that tomorrow's Christmas!"
"That's a you problem! Just get out!" I shrieked, throwing a roll of Santa-themed wrapping paper at him. He swatted it away with an expert kick despite his inability to see.
"I'm leaving!" he assured in a scream. I sat up and pushed the door closed.
"Good!" I said, huffing. I closed my eyes, took an inhale, before turning back to the unwrapped present with a satisfied smile. "Now, I've got a job to do."

This was going to be my first Christmas with Lloyd. It was also going to be my first Christmas away from my family, away from home as well as being on an island and with a boyfriend.
Basically, it was a lot of firsts.
There was going to be a lot of family traditions that I was going to miss out, and while a tiny part of me ached from that, most of me was excited to see what this totally alien experience would be like.
I swear to god, if Lloyd made me train on Christmas, I will drop kick him into the ocean.
I gave my now wrapped present a satisfied pat before collecting the tools I needed to put them back in their places. You would not believe how long it took me to scour the ship for a pair of scissors.
Our Christmas tree was a small native from the island, propped up against the mast with festive lights strewn around it and coloured bobbles haphazardly decorating the branches. Under it sat a small present. Mine joined it.

I stood back with a proud huff and landed my hands on my hips. It wasn't that impressive, but it was decorated by both Lloyd and I, so that made it more special than even the biggest, most prettiest Christmas tree.
But the summer heat was going to make me melt through the deck's wooden boards. The Bounty's AC wasn't as strong as we would've preferred.
But, hey. Christmas! I hadn't been this excited for one since I was younger.
I slunk back inside, already feeling my skin beginning to cook from the ferocious summer sun despite the late hour. My feet took me to the kitchen, where the berries from our efforts of 'survival training' (in which Lloyd just showed me which food I could eat and what would kill me in the wild) sat in a large bowl. Lloyd himself was cooking dinner - nothing fancy. We were saving all the really nice dishes for Christmas, per his insistence.
As much as Lloyd hated his birthday, he loved Christmas. But that just made sense for him. If he said that he didn't, then I'd start wondering who swapped my Lloyd out for this near-perfect clone.

"Need any help?" I asked, leaning against the kitchen bench while Lloyd measured out some water to pop into the rice cooker.
"Nah," he murmured, watching as the water poured onto the dry rice with a look of utmost concentration. "But you can keep me company."
"If you insist," I sighed, leaping onto the bench and swinging my legs. He stuck out his tongue at me. I stuck out my own in response. We are adults.
We talked about meaningless things while Lloyd cooked (using as many dishes as possible so I'd have a hell of a time cleaning, the jerk). Things like whether algebra would be useful - our answers were both no - and if the earth was alive in a sense, did it hurt when we ripped grass from the ground?
Among others.
"We gonna wait up for Santa?" I teased. My hands were busy making a special treat to go with our dinner - gingerbread hot chocolates that I had learnt from a family friend's daughter long ago and saved for occasions such as Christmas Eve - but I was fully focused on the way Lloyd's smile turned excited. He was looking forward to Christmas the same way a toddler was.

Lloyd Garmadon, green saviour, leader of the secret ninja force, prophesied warrior, ruthless fighting machine and the enemy of everyone bad guy out there - and he's almost buzzing from the mention of Santa.

The range.
He will forever mystify me.

And as much as I suggested staying up for Santa, we were far too exhausted to even stay up another half hour after we finished dinner.
After texting my family and friends a wishful Christmas Eve, I slipped into bed and silently cursed as the weather was too warm to snuggle. That was one thing I missed about winter.
When I woke, Lloyd had planted himself above me, totally caged. I blinked against the blur of having just woken.
"It's Christmas!" he whispered brightly. I smiled small, still in the process of batting off sleep.
"Merry Christmas," I mumbled, raising a hand to cup his cheek. He eagerly leant into my touch.
"Merry Christmas," Lloyd said softly. He seemed only just able to contain his energy to something sweet and subdued for a few seconds, as he swiftly and silently leapt to his feet a beat later. He caught my hand and began pulling me to my feet. "C'mon, c'mon!"

"I'm coming," I giggled, stumbling upright per his adorable insistence. I barely had time to orient myself before Lloyd was pulling me through the hallways and towards the deck.
I'd added my present the night before, so two wrapped parcels sat under the tree's branches. He beamed at me when we sat down. I swayed, still waking up.
"You go first," I offered, handing Lloyd his present. He ripped open the wrapping paper and pulled out a dark green hoody and held back a chuckle at the design on the back. It was of a dragon, and underneath it had Green Ninja in a darker shade than the bulk of the material, matching with the darker hood, pocket and strings. Yes, it was another green hoody, but at least this one was of a different style.
"Too on the nose?" I asked with a sheepish grin. I got the idea by Lloyd's absolute crackhead idea of wearing green all the time despite his identity being a secret. It was like an inside joke, one that I was glad I was a part of.
"On the nose enough," Lloyd reassured with a huge smirk. I knew it would cater to his sense of humour.

"Look inside," I said. Lloyd reached into the folds of the hoody and pulled out a comic book, one that he'd been eyeing for a while since it's release the week before, as per Jay's confidence.
"It's the new Starfarer issue!" Lloyd gasped like the fanboy he is. "I haven't had time to get this!"
"Jay told me that you wanted it," I noted with a big grin at his expression.
"You're the best!" Lloyd exclaimed before tackling me into a hug. I squeaked, encased wholly and tightly by his strong arms. I patted his bicep with a breathless giggle.
"Okay, your turn," Lloyd said, pulling back and grabbing the small boxy present before I could blink. He shuffled closer, attention solely focused on me and nothing else.
I eyed his expression before slowly unwrapping the Christmas paper.

"Wait!" he said loudly, making me jump. "You have to stand."
"What?" I asked. Lloyd stood up and stared at me with expectant, begging eyes.
"Please?"
Confused, my brow crawled together. I did as asked, though, and stood.
"Okay," Lloyd said, satisfied now that we were both standing like idiots. "Open."
I decided to keep quiet on how weird he was acting and continued peeling the paper from the present. Lloyd watched, almost vibrating from eagerness.
I barely had time to realise that the present was a small jewellery box before it was snatched from my hand. My delayed response was a flinch from the fast movement. My confusion skyrocketed. I considered calling Misako for help.
But then, while holding the box in one hand, Lloyd knelt down on one knee. My chest seized.
"H- hey, wait-"

"Y/n," he began softly. Panic made my heart dance the salsa in my throat. "Will you..."
"Lloyd-" I begged, not wanting to see his hopes get crushed.
"Do me the greatest honour," he continued, eyes like molten rubies. "... in accepting this necklace?"
My face dropped.
"What."
Lloyd popped the lid with a shit eating grin. On the velvet pillow sat a gorgeous dragon-shaped pendant on a chain, but my eyes stayed frozen, focused solely on Lloyd.
"What?" he shrugged, utter mischievous joy lighting his face. "You told me that you wanted to wait until after you've graduated, right?"
"You..." I began breathlessly. My words continued, but no sound slipped from my mouth.
"What?" Lloyd asked, teasing. "I didn't quite catch that."
"I'M GOING TO MURDER YOU," I yelled a barbaric war cry before grabbing the small tree and smashing it against his head. Lloyd yelped, on the retreat as bobbles went sailing across the deck. The velvet box, miraculously closed, clattered to the ground.

"It was a joke!" Lloyd tried to defend.
"A STUPID JOKE!" I yelled, tossing the tree to the side and giving chase. Lloyd shrieked. I scrambled after him, growling. He didn't seem as hard to catch as he did a few weeks ago, despite still slipping from my grasp with the slickness of an eel.
"I know!" Lloyd cried, skidding to a stop on the other side of the deck. "But I couldn't help myself. You should've seen your face!"
My expression twisted before I gave up, slumping onto the ground and hiding my face in my knees.
"Don't do that to me," I said in a pathetic voice that shook. I heard Lloyd guiltily sigh before approaching, footsteps light.
"I'm sorry, Princess," he began, truly apologetic. I hugged my knees tighter, awaiting the perfect time to strike. "I won't do it agai-ahck!"

"What's that?" I asked innocently, pinning Lloyd to the deck. My grin was ruthless. "Rule one; don't get distracted?"
Lloyd stared at me with wide eyes. Totally stunned. His red eyes glanced down to my calf pressed over his thighs to my hands, gripping his wrists above his head.
Then he stared at my smug face again before his expression pinched.
"Using my sympathy against myself?" he began, and I would've described his voice as venomous if it weren't for the impressiveness that overwhelmed it. "Dirty move."
I shrugged airily. "Girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do."
Lloyd tugged weakly against my grip. His frown deepened when my fingers tightened their hold.
"Can you let me go?" he asked dryly, as if he couldn't overpower me without even thinking about it. My eyes narrowed.
"You could if you wanted to." His cheeks went a bright red, which was enough evidence I needed. "You like this, don't you?"

"I- I said that I can't-" Lloyd began, stammering in alarm. I sighed, releasing his wrists and pulling myself away.
"I know, I know," I said, sitting back on his lap. "Don't worry, Casanova. I'm just getting back at you."
Lloyd dropped his head back onto the deck and closed his eyes in relief.
"It was kinda hot," he admitted. I grinned triumphantly. His cheeks' bright red colour had yet begun to fade.
"I'll keep that in mind," I promised. I stood and waited for Lloyd to reopen his eyes. "You okay? Think you'll survive?"
"Maybe," he grumbled. I snickered. "You're evil."
"Just for you," I coed, holding out a hand. Lloyd rolled his eyes before slapping his palm into mine and letting me help him up. "Pretty good, though, right? I got you by surprise."
"You did," he grumbling relented, rubbing his wrist despite my little strength in comparison to him. "You're progressing fast. Still need to get stronger on your holds, though."

"Is that an offer, I hear?" I teased. Lloyd's fading cheeks returned to a hot red and my chuckle was immediate.
"Is this you getting stir crazy for being alone with me for a week?" Lloyd asked, raising a brow.
No, this is me getting stir crazy because I'm alone with you on a desolate, beautiful island and I kind of want you to rail me.
I was tempted to speak the truth, but couldn't find the courage. I just answered with a wordless shrug and prayed that he didn't notice my flustered hesitation.
"Alright, this time," Lloyd said, bending to pick up the jewellery container. He held it out for me with such a charming smile that I felt my heart burst, sew itself back together, and burst again. "Merry Christmas."
"Thank you, Lloyd," I replied softly, taking the small box and getting my first proper look at the dragon-shaped pendant. Gold, aside from the diamond eye. Very on par. "It's beautiful."
"It's so you don't forget me when you're in college," he said, but his smile wavered, and I felt my heart burst for an entirely new reason.

"Oh, baby," I said sadly, hating the way his smile gave up and a frown took its place. I stepped into his chest for a hug and he held me tightly. I knew that he wasn't looking forward to me leaving for college, but I didn't realise it was this bad. "I could never forget about you. You're the first thing I think of when I wake up and the last when I go to sleep."
Lloyd's reply was a muffled whine into my hair.
"You're my whole world, you silly boy," I continued, stroking his arms in reassurance. My words hit his chest and I hoped that they soaked through to his heart, only to understand the true genuineness my words held.
"You're my existence," he whispered. My chest fluttered.
"So are you," I murmured, and then the crushing feeling of remembering that I was going to be living in a dorm fourteen hours away from home, from Lloyd, sunk in again. My throat swelled. I closed my eyes. "Let's go make some pancakes, yeah?"

"Yeah," Lloyd nodded before pulling away and plastering on a smile. "I'll show you my dad's famous recipe. It's said to taste so good that you cry."
"Intriguing," I mused. "I'll have to judge it myself."
"The best part is," Lloyd continued, slinging an arm around my shoulders and guiding me towards the kitchen. The thrown Christmas tree was ignored. "Is that he created the recipe while being Lord Garmadon. Proof that he wasn't as bad as everyone makes him out to be."
"Can somebody truly be evil if they make some really good pancakes?" I questioned.
"Right?!" Lloyd chirped as we stepped into the kitchen. "Anyway, prepare to get your socks knocked off, Princess."
"My socks are ready to be knocked," I announced, saluting. "Where shall I be stationed, O' Captain, My Captain?"
"To the pantry!" Lloyd bellowed, pointing a wooden spoon at the closed doors as he jumped into my game without falter. I pulled them open in flourish and retrieved the ingredients he said we'd need.

We calmed down once Lloyd got set on making the batter. I picked off the stems of the array of wild berries we had picked and listen to Lloyd hum a song while he focused.
"Hey, handsome?" I murmured, plucking the spike off of a blueberry.
"Yeah?"
"So you say that elemental powers have their own colours, right?" I asked, watching as the blueberry rolled from my finger and into the bowl of ready berries. I'd been thinking about it ever since he showed me the cave full of luminite stones. "Is that why the team all wear different colours instead of the traditional dark clothing?"
"Yeah, kind of," Lloyd replied, stopping his mixing and resting his palms on the bench. "It's also in honour of past elemental masters. They weren't ninja, but they wore the colours of their element."
Huh. Interesting. And it did make sense - though I always associated lightning with a bright yellow, but I guess blue worked, too.
Better than my theory of Wu ordering the gi's in the wrong colours one day and instead of returning them, decided to run with the mistake.

"And... green is in honour of Uchū?" I guessed, scrunching my brow in doubt. Was Uchū's colour green? Or was he just a kaleidoscope of a million different colours, an iridescent kind of person?
"Well... yes and no," Lloyd answered, returning to mixing the pancake batter. "Mum says that Uchū represents everything. The good and the bad, the shadow and the light. He tried so hard to create a place without shadow that it manifested into the Overlord. Everyone has a flaw."
Even just mentioning him made me have to suppress a shiver.
"Uchū's got two colours," Lloyd continued. "Green for good, for creation, and purple for, well, for evil and destruction. When dad was Lord Garmadon, he became part of the shadow that granddad couldn't destroy. And his colour-"
"Was purple," I finished quietly. "So that made you green. Some kind of yin and yang, right? A defence to an offence."
"Exactly," Lloyd said with a gentle smile. "You pick this kind of stuff up fast."

"It's interesting," I shrugged. "I never really liked history until I met you. I thought all these tales and legends about Uchū were fake. And now I've met the actual guy."
"I can see how that would change someone's perspective of things," Lloyd said, smiling.
"How do you know what colour an elemental master is?" I queried.
"Well, you can kinda just look at them," Lloyd said, taking a break from mixing and leaning against the bench. "It takes some practise but eventually I'll be able to look at any elemental master and know what colour they are. Garm and Wu can both instantly see what colour somebody is."
"Can you see what colour I am?" I asked. "Or is it something only elemental masters do?"
Lloyd shook his head.
"You're different. You're like grandad - you've got two colours," he replied. He lifted himself up and stepped closer, eyeing me in a scrutinising look. "I know that your colour is supposed to be peach, because that's the colour of your actual powers. But that's not the colour I get from you. You're easier to interpret than anyone else. I see a bright yellow in you - which is why I always put you in yellow when I draw you. And also why I called you sunshine soon after we met."

I blinked. I was not expecting that.
"Really?" I asked, a little breathless in awe. I cleared my throat and reoriented myself. "Uh. Wow. Two colours, huh? That's... neat. I think."
Lloyd smiled at my confused expression.
"It makes sense to me," he said, returning to his job. "Your powers look and act like ones that stem from Uchū, but they're not from him. So far, your colours and the luminite stones are really the only outstanding points that prove they're from something else."
"Huh," I said. "... neat." I said again.
Because who doesn't love mystery powers?
Nothing else was said on the subject, but old residing questions began to stir once more.
Where did the powers come from? If Uchū doesn't know, than would I ever? Are they from another god-like entity, or is just powers pulled together by the Cloud Kingdom purely for the convenience of the prophecies?
So many questions. Not one answer.

Lloyd burnt the first couple of pancakes, so I brushed him aside and took over at the stove. Soon enough, we were eating pancakes with wild berries, banana and ice cream with golden syrup drizzled over the top. It was sticky and sweet and I was sure that I would be disappointing my dentist at my next appointment due to how unhealthy that meal was.
But it tasted so good.
To pass morning, Lloyd took me back to the luminite caves behind the waterfall. We followed the cave down into the systems, illuminated only by the glowing rainbow stones. It was like a very small, very quiet disco party.
We found a spring in one of the caves, and once the glow of the luminite crystals faded away, a softer, blue light from above had stolen my attention and my breath.
A colony of glow worms stuck to the roof of the cave, creating a galaxy of softly glowing stars. They reflected back in the still, freezing water. It was like being stuck in the middle of space, except I was sure that my feet were still firmly on the ground.

After spending a large chunk of an hour in the glow worm's cave, Lloyd and I continued to explore the rest of the system. Though we didn't come across any bow-and-arrow wielding skeletons like one particular block game suggests, we did find a large ravine that seemed to drop for miles and miles. We couldn't see the bottom. It gave me a hearty sense of vertigo and I was quick to step away from the edge.
After lunch (and waiting for twenty minutes), we went swimming in the warm ocean. We swam over bright coral forests, shot through with volcanic rock and anemone. Exuberant coloured fish darted every which way, and sharks hovered in the blue distance.
Then, as the afternoon drew to an end, we relaxed on the beach and dried in the hot, summer sun. Despite the heat, Lloyd slumped over the top of me while I read a book, mindlessly curling my fingers through his damp hair. His purr made my abdomen rattle.
Whenever I'd lift my hand to flip the page, he'd chase after my fingers like a touch starved kitten. It was too cute to tell him to quit it.

While it wasn't my usual Christmas, it certainly was a special one. Even if we just spent it lazing around on the couch, it would've been special. Only because it was my first Christmas with Lloyd.
Everything else is just a plus.
It was a perfect day. We collected a vast haul of sea shells and rocks that were lined up along the rail of the bounty, drying in the afternoon sun. I was excited to show them to Nya.
Actually, I was excited to go home. As much as I adored spending unbridled time with Lloyd without being interrupted by trainings or patrols or missions or anything else in our hectics lives, I missed my friends and family.
But still, Christmas was perfect. Dinner should've been followed by a nice, fitless sleep, without so much as a peep of an unfavourable dream, so we could continue training the next day without a hitch.

Except that it wasn't.
It was Lloyd lurching upright that woke me.

Actually, I think I was already half-awake (maybe a quarter-awake was more correct), just a slither bit aware of the movement he was making in his sleep while the rest of me drifted in unconsciousness. It was a dark - pitch black aside from the moon and stars - and warm, early morning.
Only in retrospect did I realise that his restlessness was panicked thrashing.
But what really woke me up was the way Lloyd all but leapt onto me with a pained cry, hand splaying firmly across my stomach.
I bolted upright in surprise and fear, shaken from my unceremonious and abrupt rouse from slumber. It took a few seconds for my blurry vision to shift focus in the dark room, and even longer for my stumbling brain to catch up. When they did, I found Lloyd hovering above me, wide eyes glued to his hand over my abdomen.
"... it... you were..." he breathed, voice catching and croaky. His brow furrowed deeper, breathing shuttering and uneven. Sweat beaded on his forehead. His eyes were bloodshot. "... it looked so..."

"Uh," I said, catching up the situation but still far behind on what was actually going on. My eyes flickered to the window - it was still pitch black. "Are you okay? What's going on?"
"It..." Lloyd shook his head, confuddled. I grew concerned.
"Lloyd?" I sat more upright. He couldn't tear his stare away from his hand over my stomach. "What happened?"
"... you were on the rooftops. The city- the city was destroyed," he murmured, slowly taking his palm away from my singlet and staring at my bare skin. He looked sick. "And I- I couldn't see where it came from, but- Y/n, it was so vivid. It was- it was like I was actually there. I could... I could smell the blood."
I felt a chill run down my spine. I shivered.
"What was it?" I whispered, but found myself not really wanting to know the answer. I could take a guess.
"You... you were stabbed," Lloyd managed in a haunted, shaken voice. "You- you died. And I couldn't do anything."
My throat ran dry. I wanted to reassure Lloyd that it was just a figment of his scrambled consciousness, but the way he was staring at my stomach, fists white-knuckled and clenched over the bedsheets, made me think otherwise. Even without, I couldn't be sure with Lloyd. It's not as if he were particularly normal.

And for it to be as vivid as he said. For him to smell-
"It was just a nightmare," I whispered and inwardly prayed that what I was saying was the truth, despite me thinking otherwise. "I'm here. I'm alive."
Lloyd wasn't reassured in the slightest. But he did raise his eyes to me and I almost flinched by how pained they looked.
"What if I fail?" he asked. His voice sounded empty yet so full of distraught at the same time. "What if one day, I can't save you?"
"You won't," I soothed, taking his clammy hand in mine. "And I'll be able to save myself. That's why I'm training, isn't it?"
"It's not enough," Lloyd muttered, slipping from the bed. His hand left mine. He paced anxiously. "It won't be enough. It takes years to train to just get at a competent level against backstreet Ninjago City thugs. What if it's Axon? What if it's somebody like him? A proper fighter - a skilled one."
He suddenly froze. The blood drained from his face.
"Lloyd?" I asked from the bed, worry growing.
"It wasn't a dream," he whispered. "It was a vision. It was a warning."

I suddenly felt as if I had been stabbed through the stomach.
"Can you even-?"
"Wu gets them," Lloyd said, voice growing thick. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair. "Dad sometimes does, too."
I dropped my gaze to the duvet. My chest had grown still and cold in fear. So, there was a countdown on my head. Okay. Don't panic.
"There's nothing we can do about it now," I said, feeling smaller and weaker than I have been for months. I cracked a failing smile. "I'll just have to avoid rooftops. Easy."
Lloyd sent me a strained look that made it clear he didn't appreciate the joke. I sighed.
"It's late, sweetheart. You're tired. You should sleep."
"How can you think about going back to sleep?" Lloyd stressed.
"You can't do any good being sleep deprived," I pointed out. I held out my hands. "We can talk more about it in the morning."

Lloyd regarded me for a few long seconds before caving and returning to bed. Even though the summer heat was almost stifling, he shuffled until he was pressed right up against me. I didn't complain against the fact that we were going to wake up as a ball of sweat. Lloyd seemed to need this.
"It'll be okay," I whispered, carding my fingers through his messy hair. I wished I could believe my own words. "Everything will be fine."
Lloyd shifted, still tense. I frowned before guiding my hand up his shirt so I could trace nonsense shapes on the skin of his taut back. He began to melt into something more relaxed.
As I began to softly draw Bentley with the tip of my finger, Lloyd lifted his hand up to adjust the dragon pendant that rested on the mattress between us.
"I can't lose you," he whispered. My heart stilled at the thought of Lloyd being alone. I couldn't bear the image of it.
I pressed a soft, long kiss to his lips. He kissed back, but without conviction, distracted, tense. I poured everything I had into the kiss, if only to bolster the genuineness of my next vow.
"You won't."

My lips brushed his as I spoke my promise.

I hoped that I could keep it.