TW: mentions of character death, feeling of being replaced

Ten Hours Prior to the Fall of the Jade Palace

"Princess, what a delight."

Harumi stopped in front of Axon's cage and scowled through the vengestone bars. The master of the mind wasn't phased by the absolute fury that stood before him, anger so thick and suffocating that the singular guard that snuck the princess into Kryptarium could barely breathe. In fact, Axon was even slightly amused at the sight as he leisurely picked at his nails.
"Your people are fools," she hissed. "They are blundering idiots who can't tell their up from their down and they misinformed me."
"Oh, dear," Axon sighed. He placed his hand on his cheek and tilted his head, as if in sympathy. His yellow eyes finally bothered to find her. "Now that is disappointing."
"I was told that the green ninja and his girlfriend were no longer seeing each other," Harumi snarled. She balled her fists and gnashed her teeth. All she could see was red, and yet, Axon continued to lounge on his steel bed without a care. It only stoked her fury to higher heights, hotter heats. "I was told that they had been split up for over a year! My entire plan is in shambles thanks to your useless goons!"
"My useless goons?" Axon purred as he sat up from his bed. "My dear, do you not remember that Mr. E was the one who failed the simple task of killing Y/n L/n not only once, but twice? I would hardly call that robotic pupil of yours 'useful.'"

Harumi's nostrils flared in rage and irritation.
"Don't forget that he only followed after the failure of your own 'star fighter' Violet," she quipped poisonously. "Tell me, Axon, was this intentional? How on earth am I supposed to gain Lloyd's trust now?"
"Of course not, my princess," Axon smoothly assured. "And as for Lloyd, well... he's a man who likes to be the hero."
Harumi narrowed her eyes. Axon elaborated.
"Let him be the hero, Princess," he whispered. "And he will be eating out of the palm of your hand."
"But what about Y/n?" Harumi interjected with a scowl. Her hand was placed on her hip. Her grip was white-knuckled. "What's the point of me playing damsel when he's hanging onto her every word?"
Axon turned from the princess, signalling the end of the conversation.

"You're as smart as you are pretty, my princess," Axon murmured in shadowed delight as he began absentmindedly stroking the bars of his cage. The glowing cracks of rock brightened under his touch. "Make use of your attributes and get rid of them all."

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

Present Day

"Good morning second father!" I chirped as I bound up to Garmadon and gave him a hug.

Garmadon smiled, though a tad confused. He patted the top of my head and returned to cooking a mouth-watering breakfast with Zane. It was barely beyond dawn - the sun was still rising over the horizon - and yet the Bounty was wide awake.
"Good morning to you, too," he replied as he stirred something in a bowl. "What's got you in such a jolly mood?"
I have a giddy shrug and poked my finger in the batter of what looked to be pancakes to get a taste. He tapped my hand in bemused warning.
"Where's Lloyd?" I asked, stealing a blueberry from Zane's bench. The nindroid sent me a frustrated frown from taking a berry.
"I believe that he's doing a round of surveillance," Garmadon answered, going to steal a strawberry from Zane the same time I went in for another blueberry. Zane grumbled under his breath. "He wanted to check for anyone who managed to track us."
"First you use my bow, and now you steal my berries," Zane huffed. "What did I do to deserve such disrespect?"
"Aw, I love you, Zane, I really do," I said with a sincere pout. "But I love berries more."
"No berries for you," he said dryly as he picked up the container and placed it on a high shelf. I watched him with a hint of insult.
"How dare you," I said. "Putting my berries on a shelf that I can't reach? Low blow, Zane. Low blow."
Zane sent me a look out of the corner of his eyes and raised a brow.
"'Low?'" he echoed. I violently gasped and raised my foot to kick his ankle in childish retaliation, but was distracted by Garmadon.

"Why don't you see if the princess is awake?" he asked. "I'm sure she could use with a friendly face."
I paused, foot raised in mid-air. I placed it back down onto the floor and Zane sighed in relief.
"... okay," I murmured hesitantly. I shuffled out of the kitchen.
I chewed on the inside of my cheek as I walked down the hall of the Bounty. The princess had been given Wu's old room, the only one available. I couldn't imagine that it was anything like her old digs at the palace.
The blown-up palace...
A shiver up my spine had me jolting. Lloyd was there. People died. He could've died. Just the thought alone had me chomping on my bottom lip to stop it from quivering.
I turned my gaze to the environment outside the porthole windows. The place Garmadon chose was dense with fog and sprouted stone spires at random. It was the perfect place to hide. Lloyd almost didn't need to bother to do a surveillance check; there was no way anybody could find us out there.
Then again, Lloyd not doing an extra perimeter spot? That's like trying to take the green from his person; absolutely impossible. He was so embedded with the colour.

I released my lip from my teeth and felt a giddy warmth blossom in my stomach; my mind flashed back to last night, the lounging on the deck, the constellations and he wants me here.
It was a mission, and he wants me here.
Maybe I was overreacting. Maybe I was thinking that the idea of Lloyd wanting me around while on an active mission fundamentally held more weight than it actually did, but-
But the happiness that coursed through me, lightened my steps, beamed on my face. Now that, that was certain.
I didn't feel so guilty by being towed along by Garmadon. I didn't feel so guilty by thinking about how I'd be getting in the way and fumbling all over the Bounty while the ninja handled a precarious mission. Lloyd wanted me with him on this mission, and that was all that mattered. I'd shoot a million arrows if he so asked.
I skipped down the hallway and sailed right past Wu's old bedroom door. It wasn't until I reached the end of the hallway that I remembered what I was supposed to be doing.
Hiding blushing cheeks of shame and glad that nobody was around to see me space, I quickly backtracked.
"Princess?" I asked, gently tapping my knuckles against the door. "Princess Harumi? Are you up?"

The door was slowly pulled open. The princess, in all her grace and beauty, looked just about ready to snip the ribbon to a new hospital in front of the press, despite ditching her robes for a green jacket and jeans. How did she look so put together at that early in the morning? I hadn't even been able to brush my hair yet. She was truly admirable!
"Oh, Y/n," she greeted in that charming, cute voice of hers as she held the door. "Good morning."
"Good morning, princess!" I beamed, and discreetly wondered how she got her hair that soft and shiny. "Garmadon's making pancakes. You might wanna head over to the kitchen before the others get there, otherwise you'll miss out. The team eats like rabid dogs."
Harumi's brows piqued a smidge before a smile crossed her face. She stepped out into the hall.
"Pancakes?" she echoed wistfully. "It has been years since I've had pancakes."
"Zane's helping him cook, so I can guarantee you that these will be the best you'll ever have."
Harumi's face squished subtly into an amused look. Her platinum lashes brushed her cheeks.
"That sounds wonderful."
Smiling somewhat awkwardly, I nodded and began making my way back down the hall. Harumi fell in step, shoulders back, chin high, posture regal. She was so floaty and cloud-like, as if the essence of the moon was imbued into her very being. Princesses really were a different kind of people.

"Where did you get the clothes?" I asked as we passed the portholes. From what I could recall, all that she had was those thick, traditional robes.
"Ah," Harumi said happily. "Nya leant me some articles to wear in the meantime."
Sounds like Nya. I recalled the amount of times I'd been given clothes from her to wear. I was then granted free access to her closest, and her to mine. It was like having a sister.
"And... Lloyd gave me his jacket."
My toe caught the end of my heel and I stumbled, heart jumping out of my throat. I was quick to righten myself and stare forward, down the hallway, away from the gorgeous, angel-like princess who was wearing my boyfriend's clothes.
"Oh," I chuckled, but it sounded odd and strange and like I was being strangled. I cleared my throat and sent the princess a warm smile. "Yeah, he's thoughtful like that."
Harumi stared at me for a beat before falling into a velvety, genuine grin. She nodded.
"He is."
I turned my gaze away, but not after my eyes lingered on the jacket that swamped her feminine frame. I wondered when Lloyd gave it to her. Was it the night before, when he saw her off to bed? Or was it this morning; did he stop by while everyone else was sleeping and hand it over - him all messy-haired and bright-eyed, her probably still looking like a goddamn renaissance painting with perfect hair even after just waking up.

I bit my cheek so hard that I felt the metallic taste of blood on my tongue. A cruel twist of possessive jealousy had me almost cringing in on myself.
I shouldn't be jealous. I shouldn't be feeling this empty anger that had consumed me wholly and thoroughly so fast that it gave me whiplash. What was there even to be jealous of? Sure, she might notice how nice his clothes smelt and yeah, maybe she did look really cute wearing them, but that didn't mean that Lloyd liked her.
That's how you started dating him.
Shut up.
He likes it when you wear his clothes.
Shut up.
God, did I just wake up incredibly insecure? Was I having one of those awful days?
It shouldn't be a big deal, but the way the princess said it; 'and... Lloyd gave me his jacket,' it was like watching the beginning of a rom-com in real life. Her voice was so warm when she spoke, as if she felt genuine adoration for him and his action. And that look she gives him - as if the stars aligned only when he was in her gaze.
I felt sick.

Harumi greeted Zane and Garmadon brightly, and pulled on ahead when I stopped at the entrance to the kitchen. She and Zane began making pleasant conversation. Her fingers fiddled with the hem of the jacket.
Did she purposefully say it like that? It's not as if the princess didn't know that Lloyd and I were in a relationship (I mean, god, he kissed me in front of her). Maybe she was trying to get under my skin? Maybe she was trying to get me to overthink?
Dammit Y/n, you're so paranoid.
Of course it wasn't intentional. She probably just admired Lloyd because he saved her life. It was just like Aisling, except... we were all living in close quarters.
And Lloyd gave her his jacket.
I crushed my eyelids closed and crossed my arms. Stop it, Y/n! Stop thinking like that! She just has a silly little crush and you're getting insecure because nobody's ever really looked at Lloyd the way Harumi does (aside from you) and you're unsure on how to handle it.
It's not even as if she's the first person to have a crush on Lloyd. Naomi had a crush on Lloyd.
God, just... get over yourself.
I caught sight of Garmadon's stare from the stove. He was looking at me weirdly while Zane and Harumi chatted, as if concerned and reluctant.
His green eyes darted to Harumi and back to me. I blinked glassily, owlishly. His brow crumpled for a reason unknown, but he turned back to the stove before I could begin to decipher it. I noticed the troubled frown on his lips.

"Lloyd's back," Garmadon said, his superior hearing picking up on his son's return far before the rest of us. By the time Harumi turned to the door I was already pushing through the entrance and slamming it shut behind me.
Stop feeling jealous. Stop feeling jealous. I wished it was as easy as flicking a switch, but the curling, gross rage still tingled through my fingers. The sunlight that pierced through the fog burst against my eyes and I strode across the deck to where Bentley was just landing.
It's just a fucking jacket, Y/n.
Bentley crooned at my approach and snuffled his snout into my hands while Lloyd rebandaged one of his arms. My lips trembled as I hid my face into the spot between Bentley's eyes.
"Someone's quiet," Lloyd noted with a grin as he tied off his bandage with his teeth. "Still tired? I told you to go to sleep early. You had a big day."
I turned my cheek to Bentley's forehead and stared at Lloyd. I must've been wearing my wounded heart on my sleeve, because the moment his green eyes found my face, he dropped the roll of bandage and stared.
"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly. Lloyd stepped over the bandage and caught my face in his gentle, cradling hands and leant in close, red eyes scanning every single speck on my face. Bentley disappeared and my hand fell to my side. "What happened? Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

I felt my tense body soften at his touch and care. I clasped my hand over his and leant heavily into his palm. He managed to settle my rage and soothe my insecurities by doing nothing but being there.
"It's nothing," I said with a tired smile, and it was. It was nothing. "I think I'm just having a bad mental day."
Lloyd frowned and brought me into a bear hug. I sunk my face into the crook of his neck and inhaled the spring-time smell of him. It could always calm me down.
"Those days are the worst," he mumbled. I nodded against his shoulder in quiet agreement and felt weary tears prickle at my eyes. "Did you overthink?"
I nodded again. He pressed a sympathetic peck to the crown of my head.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked under his breath. It was hard to imagine that we were in a world with everyone else when he was holding me so closely and talking to me so quietly.
I shook my head. "Not right now," I requested in a small voice. "I'm really tired."
"But later, right?" Lloyd asked. He pulled back just to send me a pleading look. "Later, you'll tell me what's bothering you?"
I nodded. "I will. Sorry. I'm just tired."
Lloyd's frown deepened. He pressed a kiss to my nose and stared at me worriedly.
"You don't need to apologise," he murmured and followed the trajectory of my gaze as it began to drift. I focused back on him. "Let's get inside and have some pancakes. Pancakes always make me feel better, especially ones that Zane makes."
I cracked a grin. "Me, too."

Lloyd, looking a little brighter at my smile, threaded his fingers through mine. He pressed another kiss on me, this time a proper one, and I could feel the last of my nervous tension drain away.
Jacket or no jacket, he's Lloyd, and he loves me.
I wish I could just be... more confident in myself. I thought I was getting better.
Still, I followed Lloyd contently as he pulled me along to the kitchen, where the smell of delicious pancakes were wafting from. Lloyd was smiling at me when we entered, probably because I began to drool at the smell, and greeted the rest of the team that had finally gathered themselves up for the day and ventured out for breakfast.
Plates were given out, pancakes dished, berries strewn and syrup bottles passed around. The team were laughing at something Jay had said, and Harumi was smiling in a way that told me she didn't understand the joke as she stood with her plate of pancakes and waited for Kai to be finished with the berries.
"I apologise, but I must ask," the princess began hesitantly when there was a break in the chatter. Lloyd offered a blueberry to me and I took it with a grateful smile. Zane glared at me. "But... is this where we'll be living?
"Just until we know you're safe," Lloyd answered as he stole some more blueberries from Zane's plate and shared them with me. The Nindroid grumbled something along the lines of 'two peas in a pod.'

"Don't you have a headquarters?" she asked. Her nail tapped the rim of her ceramic plate as she stood in line. "Surely that will be safer than... wherever we are."
"It is too close to the city, princess," Garmadon answered. "It would not take them long to find it and it would be too much of a risk, even with the barrier. We would be no more than caged rats."
Harumi tilted her head. "Barrier?"
"It's a magic force field that keeps people who don't have authority away from our base," Kai answered. "Well-" his eyes darted to me, amused. "Almost everyone."
"Y/n got through the barrier herself," Cole answered Harumi's questioning gaze as he poured syrup over his plate. I avoided looking at her, shoulders hunched. "It was pretty crazy at the time. And scary, I guess. I mean; 'here's this random girl who got through our magical force field barrier that's never let in anyone before.'"
"Not as scary as when she yelled at me for not having a shirt on when I found her," Lloyd reminisced.
"I didn't realise it was you," I grumbled.
"Three meters for the Holy Spirit," Lloyd echoed amusedly. My cheeks burnt in embarrassment. "That was how I knew that you really did come from a catholic girl's school."
"WAIT-" Jay snorted viciously. "Y/n, you SAID that?!"
"And tried to walk herself to the monastery on a sprained ankle," Lloyd recalled with a grin. "I had to carry her. She fell asleep in my arms."

"What is it, pick on Y/n day?" I complained when Jay and Kai started howling with laughter. "I just wanted some damn blueberries."
Lloyd held out a berry. I grumpily snatched it from his fingers.
"Thank you," I snapped. He chuckled.
Plates full, people began migrating to the large table in the meeting room to eat. Lloyd, Kai and Jay were still teasing me for my old catholic girls school ways, and despite the grumpy frown on my face, I couldn't help but recall that this was how the old days used to be - hanging out, eating breakfast, teasing one another and laughing. We all seemed to click right back into place, and the awful feeling that had began to reside in my chest from earlier began to disappear.
And it slammed right back into me when Harumi swooped in and took the seat next to Lloyd.
No, god! Just as I began getting a handle on these wicked emotions, they barrelled right back into me like a bowling ball. I felt the crash of it against my ribs, the disgusting weight of it above my stomach. My fingers clenched around my plate.
Was it just because Lloyd and I had spent so much time apart? Was I subconsciously worried that we were drifting away from one another? I knew that it wasn't true; but Jesus, try telling that to the fears in the back of my head.

So I sat across on the other side of the table and felt a million miles away from Lloyd. He was surprised by her appearance beside him, but they launched into a conversation about the differing traditions between the monastery and the palace, anyway.
I would've thought that the princess would rather not talk about the palace, considering what occurred only yesterday. She was probably in denial.
I bitterly picked at my food. Even Zane's impeccable cooking couldn't erase this awful, nauseating feeling that began to shift and swirl in my gut. My appetite was totally gone.
"Are you okay?" Nya whispered from beside me. "You look a little green. You don't get seasick, do you?"
I shook my head.
"You're not okay or you don't get seasick?"
I just shook my head again. I couldn't bring myself to answer; to lie would be worthless, because Nya could see through anyone, anyway. But to admit why I was feeling awful would be like yelling it to Lloyd's face but from behind a glass door. He'd be able to hear me tell Nya about my jealous insecurities, and I think I'd rather die than have him learn about why I was behaving so oddly through that rather than me being upfront about it first.

Nya's brows furrowed, but, bless her intelligence and observation, her eyes widened.
"Is it..?" Her grey eyes jumped to where Harumi and Lloyd were still deep in conversation. The incline of Lloyd's head told me that he was keeping a curious ear out.
Embarrassed and ashamed, I gave a small nod. Nya bit her lip and sent a sympathetic look. I stared at my plate. I could feel Lloyd's worried stare. I glanced up and found Garmadon with a similar look.
"So, Harumi, looks like we're gonna be... roomies for a while," Cole grinned, distracting the four of us from whatever I was going through.
"Bad joke," Jay said between mouthfuls.
"Three outta ten," Kai added from beside him. Cole kicked their legs from under the table.
"You have all been so gracious to take me in since our palace was... taken away," Harumi murmured quietly. I felt a constricting vice strangle around my throat - she lost her home and her family, and I had the decency to be jealous over her. I couldn't look up from my lap.
I am a terrible person.
"Don't worry, princess," Jay said with a chirpy grin. "You're safe with us! Besides, the more the merrier, right?"
"That assumption is not entirely justified, Jay," Zane corrected. "We know very little about the Sons of Garmadon's full capabilities."
"We know nothing about them. Period," Kai grumbled as he stabbed some berries with a fork.
"We do know they're after the three Oni Masks," Nya corrected. "Unfortunately, they already have two of them."

I furrowed my brow as I stared at my lap. Oni masks... why did they suddenly sound so familiar?
"Pixal scanned everywhere for the third mask, but it came up empty," Zane continued to speak while I wracked my brain for why a foggy memory was tugging at me. "It's as if... it never existed."
Oni masks!
"No, it does!" I exclaimed, heart racing. All eyes turned to me as I recalled back to those late nights when I was so anxious that I couldn't sleep, pouring over ancient books. "I- I read about it in one of the old elemental master's journals! I think it was... the master of shadow's?"
Garmadon leant forward, eyes bright.
"What did it say?" he asked.
"It- it says that the oni mask, the only one that hasn't been found already, it's hidden so well that people have been searching for it for- for centuries," I excitedly gushed. "There's no clues, nothing."
Zane blinked. "That would be why Pixal could not find anything. Those journals have not been digitalised or recorded."
"Well, at least we have some time on our hands," Cole murmured. Harumi was watching me with interest.
"But there's a catch," I said with a frown. "At least, a legend. Only an... an oni can find the mask."
Kai frowned. "There's no onis in Ninjago. They got wiped out ages ago."

"I guess we just have to keep them away from the mask," Nya said.
"Then we need to focus on who's giving the orders," Lloyd said. "A group this organized must have a leader, and not someone in prison."
"In prison?" Harumi echoed.
"Axon," Kai said. "But he did say something about a woman..."
"You're right," Lloyd nodded.
"Maybe someone from our past?" Jay asked. "Do we know anyone?"
"Violet Thorn?" Zane suggested.
"No, no." Lloyd shook his head. "She was clearly acting on orders."
"Uh, forgive me," Harumi interrupted the group brainstorm and pointed over Kai's shoulder. "But is that... underwear?"
Everyone turned to look, finding a pair of blue boxers draped across one of the extra storage crates. Jay leapt to his feet with a yelp and hid the boxers behind him.
"We're usually more organised," he giggled sheepishly, freckled cheeks pink. "Ahem. But our sensei got lost in a time-stream and uh... they're Cole's."
"They're blue!"
"You're lucky they're not yellow," Kai laughed. I found myself giggling with him, and the rest of the team, even Garmadon, joined in.
Harumi pulled an uncomfortable smile.

"Well, there's not much we can do right now," Garmadon said, still in the throes of amusement. "There's a beautiful beach nearby Hollow's Bluff. Vacation day, anyone?"

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

I never expected to have a beach day in the middle of a mission as serious as the one we were on, but I found myself on a beautiful, sandy beach, anyway.

The golden dunes curved for miles, hemming a forest that bled into a massive cliff face. I sat a bit away from the others, nose tucked into a book while my toes roved through the soft grains. I didn't want to join them, I couldn't bear to laugh with them, to see Lloyd and Harumi still talking and talking and talking.
The dynamic in the group had changed to accommodate her arrival, the positions shifted, and I felt my part in the team move and bulge grotesquely. I felt pushed aside, even though I assured myself that I wasn't.
I was pelted with a sickening sense of déjà vu, the familiar feeling of unintentionally being ostracised.
Wuthering Heights was probably not the best choice of book to read when I was feeling dejected, but unfortunately it was the only book I had left in Lloyd's room on the bounty. I would rather be distracted by the awful lives the characters lead rather than the awful life my one was currently turning into.
The words blurred on the page and my feet dug more anxiously through the sand. I couldn't help but try to listen in on them, though I preemptively made the decision to purposefully sit far out of earshot.
I wished that Garmadon was around, but he remained on the ship, counting through our storage and seeing what we needed to stock up on. I really needed his wise words and sage advice. Even if all he did was give me a hug.
The waves lapped just beyond reach. An autumn chill hung in the air.

I stiffened when a presence crouched behind me. Deft fingers stroked loose hair from my face and tucked it behind my ear.
"'You say I killed you - haunt me then,'" Lloyd whispered, quoting the book's most prominent and my favourite line. His hands ghosted my hips and he pressed a kiss to my neck.
At first, I found myself furious at Lloyd - I told him that I wasn't having a good day, and he spent the entire afternoon doting on the princess. He knew I was fragile and still, he left me alone.
Secondly, I found myself guilty; of course he was doting on her, she literally just lost her parents. Thirdly; I couldn't blame him. He didn't even know. I couldn't expect him to be a mind reader (at least, not until he unlocked those certain powers) and I didn't want to become one of those girlfriends that exploded for no apparent reason because I couldn't get a handle on my emotions. I'd taken it out on Lloyd before, and I never wanted to do that ever again.
But Lloyd was good - too good - at reading my face when I glanced at him. I should've stayed buried in my book.
"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" he asked quietly. "Why don't you join us?"
"I don't..." I began, before scrambling for words. I didn't want to join in? I didn't want to pretend that I was fine and having fun? I didn't want to push down these things I was feeling and ignore them? "I don't know. I just... I'm feeling a lot of... things right now, and I want to go through them. I don't want to snap at anyone."

"You can go through them with me?" he offered, kneeling in the sand beside me. His face was open and honest and pleading. I sent a small, though grateful smile.
"Let me rephrase;" I murmured, touching his freckled cheek with the backs of my fingers. He pressed a delicate kiss to my knuckles. "I don't want to snap at you."
"But if it helps you..." he began, brows furrowed. He broke off to a sigh and clicked his tongue, thinking, as he stared out at the sea. His red eyes found me again. "Okay. We don't need to talk. But I'm not leaving you alone."
My forehead knotted. "But the princess-"
"The princess is fine," Lloyd said as he settled beside me, bodies touching. "Nya's keeping her company. My princess, on the other hand, I think she needs me. I've neglected her for too long today." He broke off to frown at me in a way that had my heart breaking. "Is that what this was about?"
I bit my lip. I didn't want to say yes, partly, but my hesitation answered for me. Lloyd pushed his face against mine in affectionate apology.
"I'm sorry for leaving you alone."
I smiled softly and nudged his shoulder with my own. His blond hair swayed in the wind.
"You're just doing your job," I said. "And I just had... a weird day."

Lloyd pulled me into his side with an arm around my shoulders. I settled comfortably into the new position and pondered. Yeah, I was a little hurt by him ignoring me the whole day, but that wasn't half of what was going on. It was the jacket, it was the way Harumi looked at him and tried to steal his attention every second that she could, it was the way she prowled around me, as if she was looking for weaknesses. It felt as if I was in a battle, and not one I signed up for.
Even now, I could feel her gaze. It had the hairs on the the back of my neck standing on end. It was uncomfortable and weird and I just wanted this mission to be over as soon as possible so we could all go back to our lives.
I wasn't a possessive girlfriend. I didn't ever want to be one. I didn't want to be controlling or freak out every time my boyfriend simply spoke to someone. But I couldn't explain this heavy feeling in my stomach otherwise.
I found Lloyd staring at the open book, pages fluttering in the wind, and maybe I wasn't the only one feeling the shift in dynamics. Maybe I wasn't the only one aware of how Harumi was slowly wriggling her way into my spot with the team, with my best friends.
Maybe the only person unaffected by her introduction was Lloyd himself.

"Haunt me, Y/n," Lloyd murmured as he watched the pages turn in the wind. I stared at him as his eyes, heavy and full of eternal promise, turned and bored into me. "Haunt me forever."

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

After a quiet few hours talking only when we went felt the need to and strolling along the shore while our minds wandered, we returned to the group.

I ignored the heavy look in Harumi's eyes as she stared at Lloyd upon our arrival. Cole was showing off his influence over the earth by making little figurines out of random rocks and packs of dirt that Jay found.
"We're showing our powers to the princess," Nya said with a smile as I settled beside her. "She wants to see yours, Lloyd."
Of course she does.
"Okay," Lloyd complied with an easy-going smile. He sat down on the sand and hooked an arm around my waist to hoist me into the space between his legs. I gasped in surprise.
"Ah, yes," Kai teased. "The green ninja's greatest power; cuddling Y/n."
Lloyd rolled his eyes in amusement before placing his hands in the space in front of my chest. His lips brushed my ear.
"Ready to show off our party trick, doll?"
"What?"
The gap between Lloyd's palms burst into green light, a swirling orb of compact, buzzing energy. It illuminated us and beyond, a tiny sun, painting the sand a vibrant emerald. The tendrils of power revolved in a sphere between his hands and in front of me, and a lazy smirk plastered over Lloyd's face as he watched my eyes widen.

"Why don't you draw Kashu?" he asked, and my eyes widened further. Oh, party trick! Like that time long ago, when I made a dragon out of his power.
"It's going to look awful," I mumbled, but dove my hand into the tendrils, anyway. I manipulated the slowly moving wisps, moulding them into the basic shape of a large dog with three legs. When I glanced at Harumi, I saw her watching in genuine amazement.
The buzzing warmth of the energy licked over my skin as I made art out of it, slid between my fingers and caressed my wrists. It was as if his powers were sentient and alive, just as much as Bentley was, and reacted to me the same way the team's elemental dragons did.
"That's incredible," Harumi whispered, and dared to let her fingers touch the gaudy-looking dog before anybody could stop her. A massive spark set off as soon as she made contact, making her yelp and quickly recoil her hand to her chest, eyes wide as she stared at me. "Ow."
"Sorry," Lloyd winced.
"Yeah, Y/n's the only one who can mess around with Lloyd's power like that," Jay chimed in as the tendrils of power faded from existence and settled over my skin. "Even we can't do that. She's got green ninja immunity!"
"Oh," Harumi said. "... that's neat."
"If you think that's neat, you should see the dragons with her," Nya snickered. "They're like total puppy dogs. But anyone else? They couldn't care less."
"You seem to be very entrenched in the team," Harumi said, addressing me with a smile. My eyes dropped away. I gave a small, unsure nod.
"We didn't get a choice," Kai bemoaned in jest. "Her and Lloyd are practically fused at the hip."

"What happened to your shoulder, Y/n?"

The entire team froze, jovial vibe disappearing as fast as the feeling of ice pouring over me. I glanced down at my collarbone, only just realising that my oversized sweatshirt had slipped down and revealed my shoulder. The light scars of Lloyd's teeth bites glinted in the afternoon light, on display for all the world to see.
Lloyd's arms around me tensed.
Harumi, taken aback by the sudden silence, the chill in the air, the chokeable tension, stared at the faces of the team. Everyone was looking in a different direction in an effort to not catch her gaze. We all waited on bated breath for the silence to break.
"I slipped up," Lloyd murmured, taking me by surprise. I thought I was going to have to explain, awkwardly and reluctantly, though in a way that painted the situation in a better light than the one Lloyd saw it in. "I lost control."
Harumi's hazel eyes widened as she stared at Lloyd. I shifted the crewneck back over my shoulder and fiddled with my fingers. Lloyd hadn't retreated yet, which was a good sign.
"It was an accident," I said, squeezing my hands over Lloyd's that lay across my stomach. He felt coiled and tense.
"Yeah," he muttered darkly. "Accident."

"I- I apologise," Harumi stammered, meekly searching the uncomfortable faces of the team. "I did not mean to pry or to cause any harm."
"It's okay," I replied quietly. My shoulder gave a phantom throb.
"We've been out for a while," Cole said as he stood, and everybody eagerly took to the conversation change. "We should get back to the bounty. Garm may have found something of use by now."
There was a fast murmur of agreement before everybody began quickly packing up and headed back towards where the Bounty had been anchored. Hand intwined with Lloyd's, I pressed a kiss to his shoulder when I noticed that his expression was still clouded and grey.
His red eyes dropped to me, and a small smile spread over his face. He pressed a kiss to my forehead.
Yeah. This new dynamic was weird.
Garm, in fact, had found something. Something not too useful and, in fact, quite annoying.
"Pixal just informed me that the suspect apprehended at the heist in Borg's Tower has refused to talk and is set for release today," Garmadon said as he ran a hand down his face in disgruntled stress and leant against the meeting table with a comm in hand. "I don't really want to go back into the city, but..."
"But it could be the only option we have," Lloyd finished with a stern nod. "You're right. Besides, if they spot us in the city, we can trick them into thinking we're still around."

Garmadon nodded. "Good idea."
Cole checked the time on his phone and grimaced. "If we want to get to the police station before this guy's released, we need to leave now."
"We should leave a couple of us here," Zane suggested. "Just in case they find our location."
"That's a good idea," Nya gave a nod. "I can stay."
"Me, too," Kai offered. "I need to sharpen my katana, anyway."
"I will remain behind, as well," Garmadon said. "The rest of you must leave at once. We cannot let this opportunity slip away."
The team quickly left to suit up and Garmadon returned to corresponding with Pixal and Misako over the comm. It left the Smith siblings, Harumi and I hovering in the meeting room.

"So, princess..." Kai began in the awkward silence. "Do you like Mario Cart?"
Harumi gave a tight, uncomfortable smile.

We ventured out to the deck to see the team off. Four dragons slipped into existence and four of them peddled for my attention. Harumi stood far back, watching as I dotted on the dragons while the ninja made some finishing touches to their suits.
"Be quick, be firm," Garmadon said to his son. "You won't have much time when you arrive. I've spoken to Mistaké, she'll have something that can help speed up the confession process."
Lloyd nodded as he mounted Bentley. I scratched Randall's chin while kissing Bentley's nose. I tried to ignore the hollow feeling of anxiety in my stomach.
"Lloyd," Nya called. He looked to her, but I missed their silent conversation as I was too busy fending off Sparkplug's erratic nuzzling for pets while giggling.
"Nya..." Lloyd began, and I glanced up to find his face scrunched in reluctance.
"Lloyd," Nya said with more insistence. It wasn't a suggestion, but a demand. "She'll be fine."
Okay, they're definitely talking about me. I sent Nya a questioning look but she was too busy glaring dangerously at the leader. Harumi was watching the exchange, expression shadowed.
Lloyd sighed.
"You're being pedantic and way too overprotective," Nya said.
"What's this about?" Cole asked. Jay shrugged.
"They're doing one of their weird mental conversations again," the master of lightning complained. "There's no point trying to figure out what they're talking about."

"Well, whatever it is, we have to go," Cole ordered.
"Lloyd," Nya snapped.
"Okay!" Lloyd relented. "Okay. Y/n-"
My head shot up to stare at him. He was looking down at me from atop Bentley, eyes guarded and hesitant.
"- hop on."
I sucked in a breath in surprise. I honestly thought that I was going to be locked up in the bounty, much like the Princess. I think I would've gone mental trying to avoid her.
I kept my stilled shock brief and eagerly grabbed his hand. Lloyd's eyes softened at the massive, excited grin on my face and waited until I was secure in the saddle behind him. Nya gave me a smug grin and I beamed back thankfully. Trust Nya to have my back, always.
"Grab my spare mask," Lloyd said. I quickly unzipped his belt pouch that hung on his hip and pulled out the dark hood. "I can't believe I agreed to this."
"It's only an interrogation," Cole snickered while I giddily pulled the mask over my face. "Worry wart."

"Yeah," Lloyd grumbled, but I felt him relax a little when I tightly wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my cheek into his back. "Whatever."