Tw: spiralling mental state, a fucking bitch

Lloyd tried to wrack his brain for the reason of the festival that crowded the streets of Ninjago City.

He watched the bright, bustling scene as Bentley zipped over the city, taking great care to avoid the abundance of fireworks. It was a massive celebration, it seemed. But what for?
New Years, Lloyd recalled with a surprised start. It was already New Years. The idea of it, the concept of time itself, had slipped from his very mind. He swore it was still August.
Apparently not, though, if an entire world was celebrating the passing of a new year.
But that meant...

He missed Y/n's birthday.

"Shit," Lloyd hissed. Bentley gave an exasperated growl. What a great boyfriend he was. Dating the love his life, his by-genuine soulmate, and he missed her birthday.
Good job, Garmaboy. Anything else you want to fuck up while you're here?
Lloyd didn't get a chance to answer the spiteful voice in his head, as he found himself perched atop Borg Tower just in time to see a group of what looked to be like suited street soldiers pour from the building. Bentley disappeared and Lloyd slipped into a swift crouch, footsteps silent as he peeked over the edge of the roof.
Six. Lloyd narrowed his eyes when he realised that their suits were each painted to have accents the same colour as each of the ninja. Weird, but he'd seen weirder in this sector of the city alone.
Only one is armed with katana, he noted, green eyes surveying the group as they looked for an escape route, unaware of his presence. He frowned when he noticed another clasping a weird-looking mask before handing it to the guy with the swords. That's really ugly, but so is most modern art and they still sell for millions. Not that I'm a professional artist, or anything.
Thievery is still thievery, even if their taste is bad.
Oh, how easy this would be if he had the team, but alas. He'd just have to knock the shit out of them alone.
More fun for me.

And, just to play around with them like how a cat would toy with its dinner, Lloyd leapt into spinjitzu and traced the balcony, just out of sight but not quite out of hearing. He bumped into one of them along the way, just for the fun of it.
His little plan worked, as the group began to drift apart to investigate.
"Nice masks." Lloyd threw an energy burst into one of the street soldiers just as he stepped out of spinjitzu, sending his victim to the ground with a loud grunt and a brief sheen of green static. Lloyd tilted his head at the remaining five and smirked under his mask, raising an arm as he got into position leisurely. "You could almost pass as ninja."
He flicked his fingers. Come hither, if you're not a coward.
The soldier in green shoved one of his companions towards Lloyd before taking off and grabbing a massive grappling hook contraption. Lloyd wanted to sigh. A coward, and for what? An ugly mask? No offence, Borg. I'm sure your grandmother thought it was beautiful.
The one that was shoved forward rushed him with a kick to the face, which Lloyd easily swept off. He expertly avoided the rusty punches and leaping attacks. He may be outnumbered, but his skill was rivalled to none. These guys didn't stand a chance. Fighting was second nature to Lloyd. He didn't just train everyday, he lived for it. He was fate's weapon and hate this forced position as he may, he wouldn't dare slack off and put his people in peril.
Only when he noticed that the guy with the mask and the katana had successfully created an escape route and was sliding down the grappling hook's rope from the building, did Lloyd sweep the remaining soldiers into spinjitzu to finish them off.

Lloyd leapt, grabbing ahold of the rope and slicing down it after the two soldiers who made their escape. His heart only leapt into his chest when the guy with the katana reached the end and sliced the rope, sacrificing his companion just for his escape. The unlucky guy was thrown through the night air from the sudden lack of tension, flailing his arms and screaming.
"Fuck," Lloyd muttered, and shifted his momentum to swing his body after the falling man. He caught him easily, of course he did, and threw him to the ground of an alleyway from a safe distance.
The tell-tale flash of red-and-blue lights illuminated Lloyd's peripherals and he sighed in relief. At least that guy would be taken care of.
Fireworks smashed and cracked through the air as Lloyd tried to spot the katana-wielding soldier, finding him in a modified racing bike on the closed-off section on the motorway. His revs were almost taunting. Lloyd tightened his grip on the swinging rope and touched his comm link with his shoulder.
"Hey, Pix, you there?"
"I am here, master Lloyd."
Lloyd grimaced. Ever since his uncle was declared missing, he'd taken on the mantle of being the master of the monastery. 'Master Lloyd' still didn't sound right to him.
"You're at Borg's, right? This guy's gone awol onto the motorway. Care to be my GPS?"
He could almost hear the smirk in Pixal's voice when she replied.
"I can do you one better. Jump."

Lloyd raised his brows, though he knew that Borg's assistant on the other end of the comms link wouldn't see it. Did she want him to fall to his death?
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me, master Lloyd."
Well, he couldn't argue with that. Lloyd released the rope and fell through the air and wondered just then, how he ended up in this position; falling to his death because his brother's not-girlfriend told him to.
He wondered how Pix would tell Y/n.
Lloyd didn't have to wonder for long, however, as a zooming racing buggy zipped across the lanes of traffic Lloyd was hurtling towards and neatly plucked him from midair.
The buggy went skidding across the pavement and Lloyd had to grasp onto the door to recenter his stomach. With a bewildered shake of his head, Lloyd glanced down at the buggy with wide eyes.
"Consider it a welcome home present from Borg," Pixal said. "He has been waiting a while to give it to you."
Lloyd laughed brightly as he stomped on the peddle, sending the buggy launching down the motorway at a speed that would surely be twice the limit. He was buzzing on pure adrenaline - this was what he missed from before Wu went missing. This was what he wished for when he wanted normalcy again.

"I could kiss you, Pix!"
"I do not think Zane would approve."
Lloyd's laughter died into an awkward chuckle as he zipped past and slipped through the traffic. Silence encompassed the cab. Lloyd's discomfort was palpable.
"It was a joke-"
"I am aware."
Yeesh. I need to work on my people skills more. I've been alone for too long.

The chase lead Lloyd through the city, eyeing only the ugly red mask on the back of the street bike the soldier rode. He was good, Lloyd would give him that. Almost too good. He was struggling to keep pace, even in his fancy new toy.
"Who am I chasing?" Lloyd ordered, jerking the wheel to avoid a merging truck.
"He or she is not in our database," Pixal replied.
"Whoever they are, they're good," he grunted. "I need backup."
"All of the others are on active missions throughout Ninjago," Pixal reminded. "You are on your own."
"Of course," Lloyd muttered, and pressed on the peddle harder. The chase was only growing faster and more desperate, and Lloyd was missing multiple collisions by a hair's breath.
The chase took a closed exit and suddenly the traffic had disappeared. Taking this to his advantage, Lloyd pulled up beside the solider.

And almost did a double take.

Because somewhere back, the soldier had lost his green-coloured helmet. It was a disguise, a temporary headgear. He already had his own helmet.
And Lloyd had seen him before.
Red and black. With glowing eyes.
"YOU!" Lloyd seethed, blood boiling as he stared at the bastard who'd tried to kill Y/n back when she was seventeen. "I'm gonna-!"

The red-helmeted solider suddenly pushed on the brakes, tires squealing on tarmac as he came to a halt. Lloyd braked, sending his buggy drifting back a half circle to face him. The steering wheel creaked under the force of his fists.
It was a stand off.
But no, that's wrong, because the street solider's bike shot forward, headed straight for Lloyd, and he realised with a strike of energy that it was a game of chicken.
Lloyd was the best at playing chicken. An undefeated champion. This would be like no other.
Lloyd's buggy shot out from under him, advancing on the soldier with neck-breaking speed. He watched in spiteful confusion as two arms extended from the soldier's bike before they suddenly struck the tarmac.
And he was flying.
Lloyd watched, dumbfounded, as the soldier and his bike flew over his buggy. He stared at the glowing eyes of his enemy at the peak of his arc and felt berated, as if his silent opponent was peeling his confidence from him, layer by layer.
And then the fucker had the audacity to eject himself from his bike, sending him even further away. Lloyd skidded to a stop, eyes following the figure as he pulled on a latch from his suit and out popped a parachute.

He watched, feeling suddenly quite sick and not so vigorous as the image of Lord Garmadon, of his father in his worser days, stared back at him. Taunting him.
The soldier touched down on a boat passing through the waterway network. Lloyd could only helplessly watch on as this mysterious, competent soldier left with the image of his father and the ugly mask on his back.
"Master Lloyd? Are you alright? Are you there?"
Lloyd turned away from the scene, lips trembling. He raised his fingers to his hood.

"Yeah, I'm here," Lloyd mumbled. Something
twisted vehemently in his gut - something violent and sick. "It's time to get the team back."

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

"This is not good," Borg said as he stared at the empty vault in which his mask once sat. He wheeled back around and stared at Lloyd with a worried grimace, Pixal mirroring her father's expression. "This is not good at all."

"Forgive me, but how?" Lloyd asked as he leant against the wall, scrolling through a B-Pad given to him by Borg fill of information about what organisation that solider belonged to. He hadn't had a chance to sleep yet, having been scouring the crime scene for clues and anything to do with local gangs on the web. The police detectives gave the masked ninja a wide berth and scrutinising stares. "Isn't it just a mask?"
"It is far from being 'just a mask,'" a new voice drawled. The three turned at the entrance of a neatly-dressed man in green robes and an expression that could curdle milk. "It is an Oni mask, a weapon of hideous power."
It's hideous alright. Lloyd straightened.
"Who are you?"
"This is Hutchins," Borg introduced. "He's an expert on the Oni masks, as well as master-at-arms and council for the royal empire. I called him once I knew what had been stolen. Hutchins, this is the green ninja."
Hutchins turned from the empty vault to Lloyd and gave him a once over. He didn't look impressed.
"The great green ninja," he dryly mused. "And he couldn't stop the mask from being stolen."
Lloyd's hands gripped his arms tighter. Great. Now an old man was berating him for his failure.
"We are waiting for the arrival of the rest of the secret ninja force," Pixal supplied. "Then you may discuss with them your worries."
Lloyd glanced from Pix to Hutchins.
Worries?

The sound of heavy beings landing on the balcony and laughter alerted the group, distracting Lloyd.
"The ninja have arrived," Pixal announced. She turned on her heel and slipped from the room to where the ninja had gathered, still chortling as they caught up.
Lloyd followed Pixal, albeit more hesitantly. It'd been months since he'd seen his team, and a feeling of failure was swiftly beginning to weigh down on his shoulders. His throat suddenly felt dry.
"Hey, hey!" Kai was the first to notice Lloyd's arrival. He grinned from behind his mask at his friend and clapped his hand, and Lloyd suddenly felt silly for feeling guilty - sure, he wasn't a perfect team leader, but these were his friends. "You're late."
Lloyd raised a brow and smirked. The estimated arrival time was twenty minutes ago, and Lloyd hadn't even left the building since when he arrived in the early morning.
"Kai was late, too," Zane inputted. "If it's any consolation."
Kai rolled his eyes.
"Thanks for meeting me here," Lloyd said. The presence of his team made a familial warmth seep through him, one that he hadn't realised he'd missed. His smile came warm and easy, as it always had with his siblings. "It's been a while since we've all been under one roof."

Nya giggled. Cole nudged Jay with a grin. Lloyd's smile dropped.
"What?"
"Are we gonna talk about it?" Jay coed as he leant on Nya's shoulder, only adding to Lloyd's confusion. He sent a glance at Pixal, but she was too busy looking at Zane to notice. He turned back to his team, perplexed.
"Talk about what?" he asked.
"Your voice," Cole said with a quirk of his brows. "It's..."
"Lower," Zane supplied.
Lloyd furrowed his brow. This wasn't important at all, but apparently to the team, it was. It'd only been a couple of months, too. How much could somebody's voice change in that span of time?
"Sounds like our little ninja's growing up," Kai teased as he patted Lloyd's back. Lloyd winced under the noogie.
"I- I just... haven't spoken much recently." It's not as if he could've held a conversation with anyone.
"Leave him alone," Nya chastised her brother with an well-meaning smile. Her eyes turned to Lloyd. "Have you talked to Y/n recently?"
Lloyd felt himself seize up. To say that no, actually, I haven't spoken to her in months would be practically declaring a fight to the death to the Smith siblings. So, instead, Lloyd just scratched his neck under his mask and turned his eyes away.
"Th- that isn't why I called you here."
Nya raised a brow. Lloyd's fear skyrocketed. He cleared his throat and pulled out the tablet Borg had supplied him with. He turned the B-Pad to face the team.
"I called you because of this."

The team had varying reactions, but all of surprise.
"Your father- Lord Garmadon?" Cole blurted before taking a quick, sheepish glance around the room to make sure that nobody who wasn't in on Lloyd's identity hadn't overheard. Kai hit the back of his head.
"After poking around, I've learned it's the symbol to-"
"The Sons of Garmadon," Zane interrupted as he stepped forward. His blue optics scanned walls of text that he had pulled up, taking in the information. "The mysterious criminal syndicate growing in prominence in Ninjago City, most likely to our... lack of presence."
"That's not all," Lloyd said as he lowered the tablet. The hint of growl to his voice didn't go unnoticed. "The guy I was fighting... he's the same one who shot Y/n."
"What?" Nya spluttered. "But that means that he works for Axon..."
"The Sons of Garmadon is Axon's gang," Zane finished solemnly. "And they are only getting stronger. They must be preparing for something big."
"That's what I thought, too," Lloyd said. "Eleven hours ago, they stole a powerful relic from Cyrus Borg. Some mask-"

"Not 'some mask,'" Hutchins repeated himself from earlier before. He set Lloyd with a distasteful frown. "The Oni mask. There are only three in existence."
Jay scrunched his face with a pout. "Whoa- I'm confused. How can there be three masks when you just said it's the only mask?"
"Not 'only,' Blue," Nya said as she placed her hand on Jay's shoulder. "'Oni.'"
"The Oni are said to be all-powerful beings, demon that predate Ninjago," Zane inputted. Hutchins seemed mildly impressed with his knowledge.
"Each mask embodies one of the three Oni warlords," Hutchins elaborated in a cool voice. "If all three masks are united, whomever owns them will wield tremendous power."
Lloyd swallowed. Okay. So that definitely sounded a lot worse than initial.
"Ninja, this is Hutchins," he announced. "Master-at-arms and council to the royal family. Borg asked him here."
"The royal family?" Kai echoed.
"Let me guess," Cole jumped in. "They have an Oni mask, too."
"Two?" Jay chirped. "Now there's two?"
Nya slapped a hand over Jay's mask.
Hutchins looked like he wanted to throw Jay off of the balcony. He inhaled slowly.

"The emperor will be delivering a public speech tomorrow and I'm worried the Sons of Garmadon may try to steal the mask." Hutchins sent a look over the team. "We could use your assistance. That is- if you can keep a low profile."
"We are ninja," Zane said assuredly. "No one will know we are there."
Hutchins sent a doubtful look. Lloyd stepped forward.
"Just let us know where and when."
Hutchins turned his judgemental gaze to the leader.
"Tomorrow afternoon," he replied coolly. "You might want to head over in the morning to assert positions. This is a... big deal."
As Hutchins collectedly left the room, Jay leant over to Nya.
"I don't like him," he whispered.
"He doesn't like you, either," she replied amusedly.

Lloyd watched as the doors slid shut. That awful feeling in his gut was back.

🍂🍃🍁🍃🍂

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Sent 12.37pm

Ten minutes later, I was being tightly embraced by Nya herself outside the entrance to the monastery. We were quickly joined by Kai, then Jay, and then swiftly followed by Cole and Zane until we were teetering and almost falling over.
"What are you guys doing back?!" I laughed in ecstatic disbelief when we pulled back and I was given room to breathe.
"Trouble in Ninjago City, what else is new?" Kai replied with an amused roll of his eyes.
"It seems to be quite troubling," Zane continued. "The search for Wu has been put on hold."
My hope simmered into something sorrowful. I truly had thought they returned because they found Wu. I glanced over the team and frowned.
"Where's Lloyd?"
"He'll be here soon," Cole reassured with a ruffle of my hair. I squeaked. "He's just fine tuning some information with Borg before joining us.
The weight in my chest deepened.
"Oh... okay."
The team piled through the entrance, loudly announcing their return and receiving an even louder reply. I watched as they were embraced by Lloyd's parents and the monks, feeling out of place and as if I were standing behind a screen.
The rest of the team was here. Lloyd wasn't.
We hadn't spoken since I walked out in a huff after our argument.
Was he avoiding me again? That's usually what he did when he was pissed off with me.

I felt the clawed weights of anxiety drag up my throat. Did he hate me? No, of course he doesn't. Then why isn't he here? Cole just said that Lloyd's busy. You know that he's busy! He's team leader! But it just makes too much sense that he'd be avoiding me. Why wouldn't he avoid me? We haven't been seeing eye-to-eye for the past couple of months.
We haven't even talked in months.
Oh, god. What if he doesn't love me anymore?
I wouldn't know what to do with myself if it ever came to that. He was too entrenched in my life to just stop. What would I do? Would I still continue my training? Would Axon's gang still be after me? What if they were? Would Lloyd still even care?
Kashu whined and nudged my fingertips with his nose. I was pulled from my spiralling thoughts and glanced down, seeing the mastiff give me a worried look that only dogs could do.
"You're right," I sighed as I stared at his doggy face. Therapy dog. I felt myself settle as I reeled my anxieties back into something manageable. "I am being silly."
That didn't stop the stinging tears from making their appearance. I couldn't help it. Lloyd was here, he was in Ninjago City. Would he even want to talk when he got home? What if he avoided coming home entirely just because I was there?

"Let's go for a walk," I whispered to the dog. He gave a soft little big dog 'boof' before leading the way to the zen garden.
"I should do some meditation," I said out loud as I followed Kashu up the path, past the small pond surrounded by bamboo, towards the statue-studded maple and sakura forest. But meditating would just involve Lloyd's echoed instructions in his voice, and I don't think I could even handle that.
Instead, I just took a seat with my back to a rock and let my mind wander. Kashu settled beside me and laid his head on my lap. My fingers absentmindedly curled his soft ears.

'Minerva caused the collision.'

I stared at the leaves of the trees above, eyes trailing the god rays that filtered through the canopies. If Uchū knew that my ancestor ruined what was supposed to be his perfect world, then why doesn't he hate me?
Maybe he does. Maybe he's just a good actor. Maybe everyone in the Garmadon family hates you.
I sunk further against the rock.
"What am I?" I whispered. What are these powers? What's my use? What do I do in the prophecies? Surely that's the only reason why they haven't pushed me away.
Stupid Minerva. Stupid powers. How long had I known about them and still can't use them? Three years? This was just ridiculous.
I'm so useless.
The painfully familiar roar of a dragon made mr glance up through the trees, spotting a green beast preparing to land outside the monastery like how his teammates did just before. My heart leapt, the tugging returned with vigour, but I didn't dare move from my spot.
He hates me.
I could hear the squealing of a mother embracing her son that she hadn't seen in over a year, and the laughter of a father overjoyed. I swallowed thickly.
They deserve to have a life without me complicating things.

Kashu perked up. I stared hard at my shoes, digging the toes into the dirt. A footstep - deliberately placed, Lloyd was always silent unless he didn't want to be - made my spine bristle.
Kashu leapt to his feet and barrelled towards him. My hands felt empty without him there to ground me.
I didn't dare look up.
My heart was between my teeth. I could feel it there, pulsing and crying and just waiting from the pain of my bite. My eyes were painfully dry.
"Y/n."
I looked up.
There, Lloyd stood, haloed and dotted by the sun's gold as if he were its chosen prince. My breath caught as I stared at him, all red eyes, pale skin, messy hair. An image of raw beauty.
"Y/n," he breathed my name again, as if it were his saving grace, his mantra. I had to look down at my lap again, praying that I wouldn't burst into tears.
I felt him approach rather than heard him, taking slow, deliberate steps as if I were a wild animal. I cycled through a million different thoughts and a hundred different emotions. Where were you? Why didn't you ever once call me? Do you hate me? What's the point of being in a relationship with me? I'm not good enough for you.

When he was a handful of steps away, I launched myself into his chest.
IloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyou
Lloyd stumbled back from the unexpected force. At first, my heart stilled, but then his arms wrapped around me and I was lifted from the ground with an elated, stuttering laugh from him and I realised-
He still loves me, too.
I always did this. I always talked myself into spirals, always thought too little of myself, and then Lloyd would barrel his way past my pesky insecurities and remind me just how much I meant to him. So what if we had a falling out? So what if it'd been months since we last talked? It came with the territory, and I was more than happy to handle that if it meant that I got to be here, right now, in his arms.
I am good enough for him. He loves me. His parents love me. His entire family does.
I am not unloved. I needed to stop thinking that I was.
"Sunshine," Lloyd breathed, pressing his cheek against the top of my head in a desperate kind of hug only a long separation could bring. "Oh, I've missed you, my beautiful sunshine."
How could I ever think that he hates me when he speaks to me so sweetly? I tightened my hold around him and sighed something shaky and full of my unshed tears - happy ones, this time.
"I missed you, too," I whispered.

This felt right. This felt safe. It felt as if everything had fallen back into place and I wasn't left drifting through the unknown anymore. This was solid and both my feet were firmly on the ground.
And when we kissed, it only felt better.
Lloyd parted and pressed his forehead to mine.
"I'm sorry," he said between gasping for breath. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, princess."
"What?"
Lloyd sent me a mournful look and my breathing began to pick up in panic. What happened? Why did he look so sad?
"I missed your birthday."
A relieved laugh slipped from my lips. Then the laugh turned bewilderedly amused.
"Oh, Lloydie, I don't care about that!" I chuckled. I clasped each side of his face and brought him down for a small kiss. His grip on my arm tightened. "It doesn't matter. I'm just glad you're here."
"It does matter," he insisted. "I haven't been the best boyfriend-"
I pressed my hand to his mouth. Lloyd blinked.
"None of that, you silly boy," I murmured with a shake of my head. "You've been doing your best. That's all anyone can ask for."
Lloyd slumped into my hands. His face twisted into the most distraught, heartbroken expressions I'd ever seen him wear.
"I can't find him," he whimpered. "I don't think I ever will. I let him down."

His utter despair sent a break through my heart and I had to bite my cheek to keep myself from falling into tears.
"That's not true," I strongly whispered. My fingers brushed his fringe to the side, his eyes fluttering at the feeling. "That's not true at all."
He looked so stressed. I couldn't even begin to imagine the weight of responsibility he had on his shoulders.
"Come on," I urged softly. "Let's head inside. You can make up for my birthday with lots of kisses and cuddles."
At least Lloyd smiled at that. Kisses and cuddles can soothe anyone, even a stressed green ninja.
"That sounds good."

During dinner, the team entertained us with various tales from their adventures. Jay was, unsurprisingly, the best at the dramatics, keeping us on the edge of our seats while we dug into donburi.
The scene alone was enough to fuel my happiness bar for the next couple of weeks. I hadn't realised just how much I missed having the massive dinners at the monastery with everyone until I figured out what I had been missing on. The banter, the jokes, the laughter. Such a familial scene.
It was an early night to bed. I think the team was just happy to be sleeping in the own rooms again, which was understandable. Even just watching Lloyd kick about his gi on the floor of his bedroom felt like a dream.
But boy, settling into bed beside him? Now that was heaven. He carded his hands through my hair while telling me what happened at Borg's tower and about the plan to be on lookout for the emperor's speech.
"I won't be around much tomorrow," Lloyd murmured while sliding his fingers between mine. "But after that, we're going to spend the rest of your break together, just you and I."
"That's only three days, Lloyd," I reminded, voice just as hushed. He pressed the backs of my fingers to his lips and stared me down with affectionate determination.
"It'll be the best three days of your life."

I had to laugh at his pure resolve. He was certainly serious, and I wouldn't put it past him to actually go through and succeed with his vow. He was so cute that I just had to peck his nose.

"I look forward to it," I said with a grin.

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"... as many of you know, my family has kept a private life. We are not interested in meddling with current affairs. But as crime has risen, so has our concern."

Lloyd crept over the terracotta tiles, eyes scanning the crowd. It was the day that the emperor was giving a speech to the public for the first time in decades, and such commotion drew the attention of the entire city and beyond.
The team had to be more than vigilant. They had to be perfectly precise.
"... so it is time to step out of the shadows and into the light."
"I don't like this one bit," Nya grumbled through the comms as she snuck through the crowd in civilian garb. "If the royal family likes their privacy, why give such a public speech?"
"I think it's nice," Jay whispered from his vantage spot. "They're reaching out to the people."
"Why all the hate, sis?" Kai snickered. "You just don't like getting gussied up."
"My term of 'gussying up' and the royal family's are much different, thank you," she shot. "All that gold and glitter is for show. They royal family are figureheads, they don't have any real power. What purpose do they have?"
"Their purpose is to be protected, as do all our traditions," Zane reminded. He glanced at Lloyd, awaiting instruction, and instead found the ninja spacing out. He followed his gaze. "I believe Master Lloyd has spotted something of interest."

Lloyd tilted his head as he stared at the podium. Standing behind her father and beside her mother stood a young woman, dolled up in the finest green kimono with impeccable make-up that played as much of a mask as his own did. Her soft platinum hair dripped from behind her gold headpiece like glass water.
His gut was twisting. It was trying to tell him something, he knew it, but it was as if the words were muddled or he was being yelled at from two rooms over. He didn't understand.
Kai raised his brows.
"Don't tell me he's getting eyes for the princess," he grunted.
"I guess green is her favourite colour," Jay shrugged. Lloyd pulled a face at his team's comments.
"You do know I can hear you, right?"
"And you do know that I have Y/n on speed dial, right?" Nya said coolly. Lloyd glanced down at the water mistress in the crowd with a perplexed look. She glared right back up at him, subtly forgone.
"What are you implying?" Lloyd asked, confused.
Nya just sighed.
"Men," she grumbled.

Lloyd shook his head and pushed aside his confusion.
"The emperor's almost finished," he said. "Let's just do our job."
The emperor's speech wrapped up and cheering ensued, creating a cacophony of noise that encompassed the entire stadium. Lloyd's eyes darted over the scene, taking in every minute detail, every step, every brush of an arm.
"Be on the lookout," he demanded.
Zane pulled his bow taut. Nya darted between the crowd. Photos flashed. It was loud.
And then, rising innocently over the crowd, was a balloon.
Imprinted with the Sons of Garmadon emblem.
"I see them-!" Lloyd called, only to be cut off by the sound of multiple fires. His heart leapt into his mouth as the crowd began screaming in chaos, trying to escape to safety from whatever weapon was making the noise.
"Get down!" Lloyd shouted as he leapt towards the empress and princess and tackled them to the ground. The fires ensued, louder than even the panicking crowd.
She wears rose perfume, Lloyd noted as he shielded the royals. Y/n wears something similar.

The screaming slowly dispersed. He raised his head.
"Is the threat clear?"
"Firecrackers," Nya groaned as she stared at the object of the panic. "False alarm."
Lloyd sighed and helped the empress and princess to their feet.
"Thank you, green ninja," the empress smiled kindly. Lloyd nodded.
The princess stared before being herded away. Lloyd watched the royals enter their domain, sharp eyes scanning.
The princess looked over her shoulder.
Lloyd turned, taking in the quickly emptied stadium, green eyes darting over every crevice that could hold a sniper, or a street soldier, or anything of the same caliber.
"It's all clear," Cole said through the comms as the team regrouped at the stage. Lloyd had to forcibly relax his shoulders.

"You protected the royal family," Hutchins said as he approached the team. He looked grumpy that he even had to interact with the ninja again at all. "You have their gratitude. You are invited to be their guests in the palace."
"No one ever gets invited into the palace!" Jay gushed. "Are you sure they meant us?"
"It's just a palace," Nya reminded with a cocksure smile. "Once you've seen one, you've seen 'em all."
Lloyd shot his team a subtle glare. Behave, he seemed to be saying. He turned back to Hutchins.
"We'd be honoured," Lloyd replied with a bow of his head. He suddenly perked up. "May I bring-?"

"No outsiders," Hutchins growled with a swish of his cloak as he followed the royal family.

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

"Wow," Y/n gushed as she adjusted Lloyd's gi. "An invitation for dinner with the royal family!"

"I've been there before," Lloyd reminded with a quirk of his brows. He was entranced by the way her tongue poked out the side of the mouth when she concentrated and suppressed a smile at the sight. "It's nothing special."
Her eyes jumped from the sleeve of his gi to him and playfully slapped his shoulder. Her face scrunched.
"Don't be so modest!" She turned back to fussing over the gi and frowned. "It feels like I should be adjusting your tie or something. But, uh. Gi."
Lloyd shrugged. "I can put on a bow tie."
Y/n snorted. "Now that would be a look."
"A pretty hot one," he agreed.
Y/n laughed, hands slipping to land on his chest. Lloyd grinned as she did, living for the way that her face brightened and cheeks flushed with joy. This was what he craved for whenever he felt lonely, whenever the bed felt empty. He didn't want to spend another second apart.
"I wish you could come with me," Lloyd said, cupping her jaw as she calmed down. Y/n pursed her lips and shrugged, turning her focus to Lloyd's unruly hair that answered to no one.

"I'm not surprised. I'm not part of the team and they're so secretive." She shrugged. "Why would they even want me there?"
I can think of a million reasons why I want you there, but Lloyd didn't have the time to say them, so instead he did the next best thing; brought her into a kiss.
If there was one thing that Lloyd loved just as much as snuggles after a long mission, it was kisses before one. Celebratory kisses, or worried kisses. Sorry-to-see-you-go kisses and you-better-come-back-alive kisses. They were all unique, each had their own flavour, each sparked a different feeling in his chest. Lloyd could catalog each kiss that they shared into their own meaning. This was his only way to truly read Y/n's mind, and her only way to read his.
Currently, this kiss was an 'I'm-desperate-for-you-to-stay-but-you-have-to-leave.' It was all dull yearning and background sparks. Not electrifying, but not boring. It was a hand hold and a wave goodbye. A beg to stay and a demand to come home safe.
He wondered what Y/n read from her point of view. Was his want to stay easy to read? Or was it too shrouded by the desire to pick his pretty little girlfriend up and hole themselves away in his bedroom, ignoring the rest of the world?
Either way, he hoped that she could read the absolute adoration that was flooding from him in sweetly smothering waves. Expressing his feelings, true and unadulterated, had always been difficult for him in lieu of words.

Y/n had always been so patient.
He hoped she could read the gratitude, too.

"Alright, lovebirds!" interrupted Kai, boisterous as usual. "It's time to get going. Y/n, stop distracting him."
Y/n turned her head to send Kai an unmeaning glare.
"I'm not distracting him! He started it!"
"I don't care!" Kai insisted and tapped his wrist to indicate his hurry. "We have to go!"
Y/n huffed and returned her attention to Lloyd, lips pouted and brow folded in gentle annoyance. He wanted to kiss her nose just to see the way her face would scrunch and blush.
"I'll be waiting for you, Greenie," she said with a last pat of his gi's neckline to make it sit flat. "Keep them in line."
"My team?" Lloyd snorted. "Never."
Y/n sighed in defeat. "Yeah."

It was dark when the ninja arrived at the palace, a beautiful structure whose history was rivalled by only the monastery. It was a place that Misako loved to visit when given the rare opportune moments, in which Lloyd would have to physically drag his mother away just to get back home before dinner.
Being at the palace for nothing but simple pleasure and courtesy, Lloyd felt out of place. The last time he was here, he had a lengthy discussion with the emperor and empress about the treatment of the serpentine. It was weird to be back, and even weirder for the entire team to be there without their hoods up.
The doors pushed open and to greet the team was Hutchins, fully complete with his grumpy frown.
"Welcome to the royal palace," he greeted as he urged the ninja through the entranceway. Hands politely clasped, the master-at-arms with a regal kind of disgruntlement that only he seemed to possess. "Also known as the Palace of Secrets."
Lloyd snuck a look out the side of his eyes as he passed Hutchins. The old man stared him down.
"Ooh!" Kai gushed, just as Lloyd quickly tore his gaze away and pretended to take in the elaborate entrance hall. A shiver shot down his spine. "Why do they call it the 'Palace of Secrets?"
"If I were to tell you that," Hutchins purred scornfully as he closed the doors, "then it wouldn't be a secret now, would it?"
The doors slammed shut.

"I already feel royal," Jay gasped as the team took in the palace's interior. Expensive drapery hung from the ceiling, partnered with ancient-looking but well cared for paper lanterns that hung beside them.
"It's beautiful," Zane noted.
"Yeah!" Cole agreed as he grinned at the decorations. "I can really get used to living in a place like this!"
"Well don't," Lloyd ordered as he followed after Hutchins. "We're only here as guests. Then back to protecting Ninjago."
"Humph," Nya loured. "Too much gold in my opinion."
Kai nudged his sister with a pointed grin, teasing. She rolled her eyes.
Hutchins, ignoring the conversation entirely, pushed open the next set of doors. His bellowing words quickly silenced any other quips any of the ninja were preparing to drop. He bowed to the figures at the back of the room, stood by the throne.
"I present to you the exalted emperor and empress of Ninjago," Hutchins announced in a voice the resounded through the large throne room. The royal family stood before them, towering on their elevated platform, dripping with gold and prosperity, taking the team in. Dragon snakes carved from gold curled around the columns, lanterns seemed to float from the ceiling. Gold seemed to sweep the entirety of the room in sparkling, regal prettiness.

Hutchins turned to the ninja, his eyes solely boring into Lloyd's face. But Lloyd wasn't staring at him.
"And their daughter," Hutchins said in a voice that held too many tones. "The Jade Princess...

"Princess Harumi."