Flyte
••• Spiral •••

we are tumbling
we are churning in eternal paradigm
our world expand
and still no matter where i stand
whatever i do
i spiral down to you

•••••

TW: gore

  I woke in quiet tears.

  I'd had a nightmare I couldn't recall, and all it left me with was a distant feeling of regret and helplessness. My limp hand wiped at my wet cheeks as I contemplated the heaviness in my chest. My body ached wit the ferocity of a thousand suns. Did I get hit by a truck?

  I flinched when a bolt of lightning illuminated the room through the porthole. The following thunder rattled the Bounty, a deep bass that reverberated across the sea, through the ship and into my bones. My hand searched for the body who'd been beside mine.

  "Lloyd?" I groggily called when my touch found nothing. I raised my head and looked at his empty pillow, and a lightning flash of worry struck me through my chest. My voice pitched. "Lloyd?"

  A hand rested on the cover above my ankle. "Right here, sunshine."  

  My gaze turned to Lloyd's voice. He sat at the end of the bed with a katana across his lap and a whetstone in his hand. It was early morning, so I could actually see with the dawn light seeping in through the window, and his distressed curls made him look like he belonged in an early 2000s rock band. My fear soothed enough at seeing him to appreciate the cuteness of his bed-hair.

  "You okay?" Lloyd asked. He reached down the bed and wiped my damp cheek with his thumb and a frown. "Nightmare?"

  I nodded. He didn't prompt me to tell him what it was about, and I couldn't even really remember. I could take an educated guess, though, and I was sure Lloyd could, too. I wiped some crust from the corner of my eye and exhaled out my tension.

  "What are you doing?" I asked.

  Lloyd glanced down at the sword that laid across his lap. It wasn't his sword, the one engraved with the kanji for hope and gleamed like starlight, as that had been lost when Ronin's airship abandoned us at the tomb. But this one looked just as lethal.

  "Preparing," he answered.

  "You should be resting."

  "I tried to." Lloyd picked up his sword and stroked the whetstone down it. The long, scraping sound wasn't entirely awful on the ears. "I really did, but I woke up and I couldn't get back to sleep. May as well do something productive."

  He's an active relaxer. That made sense for him.

  Lloyd lifted his gaze from the weapon to me. I stared at it in his hand blankly, still working on waking up. The emptiness in my chest from the nightmare had yet to recede. Thunder crashed outside and made me flinch.

  He turned toward me and patted the bed beside him. "C'mere." 

  My eyes drifted to his face. "Hm?"

  He patted the duvet again. I rubbed my eyes one more time before shuffling across the mattress toward him. The morning had a little bit of a chill to the air and it prickled against my skin, raising goosebumps. Lloyd mitigated it by wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me to sit, trapped between his legs. He laid the sword across my lap and held up the whetstone for me to take.

  It took a moment for my brain to catch up, and then I was blushing wickedly. It was too early to be in a position such as this - what did he expect me to do? Lose my head? I took the offered whetstone with a hesitant hand.

  Lloyd laid his chin upon my shoulder. "I'm gonna teach you how to sharpen a sword."

  "I think you're gonna teach me how to have a heart attack," I muttered with a fluttering heart. His quiet chuckle escaped him in a breath.

  Lloyd showed me how to hold the blade and position my hand over the whetstone. He explained the force needed and demonstrated it with his grip over mine, his touch warm and guiding. It was strangely intimate and informative, a combination I realised I quite enjoyed. Soon, I was sharpening the sword by myself.

  The rain had returned with force. With that and the thunder, it created a symphony with the shink, shink of the stone sliding against the blade. Lloyd was almost dozing off again with his head tucked against mine, arms looped around my waist. His body was warm enough to stave off the cold.

  "Do you think it's storming because of Morro?" I quietly asked.

  "I don't know," he murmured.

  "What are we going to do if we can't stop him?"

  Lloyd hid his face into my shoulder. "Don't know. I'm just glad I'm back with you."

  My rhythm faltered. I'd missed him so much. "Me, too."

  Lloyd changed the subject without even speaking a word. He ran the backs of his fingers along my bruised throat, and it both felt heavenly and tinged with a little bit of pain. He pressed his lips to the imprint of his own hand. My shiver was  involuntary, rolling up my spine with an inhale that was sharp and shaky. He kissed my neck again.

  Lloyd knew I wouldn't let him apologise for something he didn't do, but he also knew I wouldn't stop him from saying sorry through his lips. I was weak for him, and he was always able to use that to his advantage. I wasn't being hyperbolic when I said I was wrapped around his finger.

  The whetstone dropped with a heavy thud and rolled across the floor. Lloyd flinched.

  "Sorry-" I whispered, but was cut off by his fingers lifting to my chin and turning me toward him. My apology died on his lips.

  I startled at first, but then my eyes closed as I leant into the kiss, pulled along by his enticing touch. The katana on my lap slid to the floor and clattered, but this time Lloyd didn't jump at the sound. He just continued to kiss me, soft and sweet and content, enamoured into docility, calm with quiet reverie.

  I turned in his arms when my neck began to ache, kneeling on the edge of the mattress between his thighs. Lloyd craned his head up to reach me, I dug my fingers through his hair. The tiny gasps I'd snatch between swift partings wasn't enough; my lungs burned with the need for air. The hands on my waist dug into my flesh. I was anchored to him.

  Lloyd'd changed. It was obvious he was going to and noticeable that he'd had. There was an intensity to him that wasn't there before, a clinginess, an affectionate fervour that kept taking me by surprise. He was kissing me as if it'd be the last time we ever got to.

  And what with our impending battle, maybe he wasn't entirely wrong.

  Jay opened the door. "What do you want for breakfast-?" he cut himself off with a short scream.  

  My knees slipped from the bed's edge when I flinched apart from Lloyd, and I landed on the floor with a startled yelp. Lloyd was uncharacteristically too slow to catch me. He cursed and held out his arm for me to take.

  "Jay!" Lloyd bit in annoyance as he helped me back to my feet. "Knock."

  "Sorry!" he squeaked, and slammed the door shut behind him.

  Lloyd huffed and turned his attention back to me. The moment had been shattered, but it was probably for the best. He looked a bit more than breathless. I was a little winded, myself.

  "Sorry, sunshine," he said, and his face twisted with frustration. "I'm usually faster than that. Are you okay?"

  "I'm fine," I said with a half-smile. I planted my hands on his shoulders and tilted my head in question. "You heard him coming, didn't you?"

  Lloyd pursed his lips and looked away. "No."

  So a yes, then. He'd heard Jay coming and didn't even care. I smiled dryly at his pout and pressed an amused kiss to the crown of his head. For a guy who was still so early on in his recovery, he sure was insatiable.

  "I thought I said no more making out," I halfheartedly grumbled into his hair. He wrapped his arms tight around my waist.

  "I didn't hear you complaining," Lloyd smugly replied.

  My response was a life-wearied sigh. I couldn't argue against that.

  Since I no longer had Lloyd's body heat to keep me warm, I stole one of his hoodies, which didn't make me feel so melancholic to wear anymore. My legs ached and he was still unwell, so we hobbled like my elderly neighbours toward the bridge. It was so early. Did they all usually wake up at this time?

  "How's your stomach?" I asked. "Do you want me to make you some more rice?"

  "Don't worry about it, I'll make it myself," Lloyd said, and then turned to me when he felt my death glare burning a hole in the side of his head. His green eyes widened. "... or you can."

  I brightened. "Okay!"

  Lloyd's startled gaze warmed with appreciation, and my heart skipped a beat when they melted red. He shook his head with a small grin and took my hand to thread his fingers through, and I hoped he knew that he'd just opened an entirely new can of worms than what he was used to. I was going to do everything for him until he recovered.

  I started by darting forward and holding the door for him as we entered the bridge. Lloyd's amusement soared.

  A few members of the team were in there already, a bleary-eyed Cole and Nya, one curly-haired Lightning Master who purposefully avoided looking at us, and Lloyd's parents. They all looked up at our entrance (except for Jay), and the greeting was one of both weariness and relief.

  Misako, who'd been reading over a book at the table, stood so fast that she knocked over her chair. I quickly stepped aside to avoid being in her line of fire as she darted to her son and yanked him into a hug fast enough for Lloyd to grunt. Garmadon followed a little more calmly.

  "Oh, my baby boy." Misako pulled him down to kiss his forehead, and then held her hand to his brow. "Are you still sick? You're too warm."

  "I'm fine," Lloyd reassured as if disgruntled, and carefully pulled his mother's hand from his face. His faint smile betrayed his fondness.

  "How was he?" Misako asked as she turned her worried eyes to me. "Did he sleep okay? How was his fever?"

  "Mum," Lloyd insisted, a tad embarrassed.

  "It took him a while, but he got some sleep," I answered. "He did throw up a couple of times, though."

  Lloyd held his exasperation behind his teeth. Garmadon planted his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it with fatherly affection, and Lloyd sighed. I watched him, slightly fascinated and upset at the look on his face. He really wasn't used to being so nurtured.

  "Oh, goodness." Misako turned back to Lloyd, who ducked away to further avoid her fussing.

  "Y/n took good care of me," he insisted. "I'm okay, really, just a little weak."

  Misako's face pulled into a look of reluctance. Her hands dropped with a sigh and Lloyd's shoulders fell with relief.

  "At least let me check your bandage," Garmadon said, and gestured to the table for Lloyd to join him at. He followed with a heavy huff, and Misako and I trailed after. "Jay, would you mind fetching the medical kit?"

  Still avoiding looking at us, Jay dashed out of the bridge. Nya stood from her slumped seat and approached us with a yawn.

  "Let's take a look." Garmadon unwound the bandage from his shoulder and carefully peeled the dirtied pad from where the arrow had struck him. He handed it over to Misako's outstretched hand before assessing the damage with sharp eyes. "Good. It doesn't seem to be getting infected. We'll give it another wash just to be safe."

  Lloyd remained impassive, letting his father inspect his shoulder with a face that barely twitched - but that just made me worry more. When Nya began to flush out his wound with water, his gaze turned to me. He sent a calm smile that I couldn't return.

  Jay returned with a large tin box and placed it on the table before quickly retreating with Nya back to where Cole sat making battle plans. They were trying to act as if they weren't watching like eagles, whispering to one another in low voices that I couldn't hear. I didn't blame them for casting their worried glances - Lloyd wasn't exactly his normal, healthy self.

  Like most first-aid kits, theirs was filled with bandages and plasters, but instead of chemical creams and pills there were jars of grounded tea leaves and herbal pastes, dried flowers and containers of willow bark. I decided that after this was all over, I'd throw myself into studying their natural medicines.

  Misako returned from discarding the old bandages and set into helping Garmadon. She uncapped a container of what looked to be homemade saline to soak a fresh pad and Garmadon pulled out the next few items they'd need. They worked in tandem like a well-oiled machine, and Lloyd was the perfect patient. It was kind of cute to think about at first, but then I realised that this kind of partnered efficiency could only have come from multiple experiences. It wasn't so cute, anymore.

  "Y/n, would you hold his arm still for me?" Garmadon asked, and I jolted from my dwindling thoughts of how often Lloyd got hurt. "We decided against stitching it last night, but Lloyd looks to be better able to handle it, now."

  Lloyd turned his palm and teasingly flexed his fingers for me to take. His hopeful smile fell when I continued being unable to smile back at him, and I took his hand with a worried frown.

  "What's wrong?" Lloyd quietly asked while his parents picked out and sterilised the thread and needle.

  I shook my head. "You don't even look like you're in pain." It felt almost worse to watch, because that meant he'd been in pain so much and so often that he became good at regulating his reaction to it.

  Lloyd squeezed my hand. "I'll be okay."

  But that wasn't what upset me.

  I didn't even really need to keep Lloyd's arm still as Misako set to stitching the wound, and part of me suspected that Garmadon had asked that of me for my sake, and not his son's. Still, it didn't take long, and soon his dad was wiping marigold paste onto the stitches and wrapping it back up.

  "Wu's brewing some more healing tea for you," Misako said when Garmadon had finished and began packing the kit away. Lloyd pulled a face, and his mum turned stern. "Drink it. You know it'll help."

  "It's so gross, though," Lloyd grumpily muttered. He got to his feet with a groan and began to head in the direction of the kitchen. I followed along, led by my hand in his.

  "Excuse me, young man."

  Lloyd raised his eyes to the ceiling with superficial annoyance before turning to where his mother was waiting with open arms and an expectant look. He crossed back over and pulled her into a one-armed hug.

  "Thank you," Misako said as she held him to her tight, her voice a little emotional. "I love you."

  Lloyd softened. "Love you, too."

  I looked away for mother and son to have their moment and caught Garmadon's gaze as he continued packing away the kit. We shared a small smile.

  "You, too." Misako pulled me into a firm hug. "Thank you for looking after him."

  I smiled into her hold, pulled from my depressing thoughts. "Of course. Always."

  "Okay," Lloyd said when we parted, and gently tugged my hand to get my attention. "Hungry? Let's see where breakfast's at."

  I stared at his new bandage as we walked to the kitchen. I wasn't squeamish, it wasn't the sight of it that made my stomach roll, but the fact that Lloyd's been hurt before, was hurt at that moment, and would be hurt again. And these weren't mere stubbed toes.

  The magnitude of what had once been and what could happen again frightened me. I really didn't like seeing him injured, even if his face looked like he wasn't in pain.

  It was like the scar on his chest, the one he'd refused to tell me about, the one that almost looked to have cut him in two. How close had he come to dying back then? How close would he come yet?

  I had never been afraid of death before, but I'd never been so close to someone who flirted with it as recklessly as Lloyd.

  "Is your neck bothering you?" Lloyd quietly asked.

  I lifted my gaze to him in question, plucked from floating among my thick sea of thoughts. My hand had been agitatedly rubbing my neck while I got lost in the ocean.

  My hand dropped. "No."

  We slowed to a mere dawdle. "Does it hurt?" he hesitantly asked.

  "A little," I said truthfully. "It's not bad."

  Lloyd attempted to lighten the mood. "I'll keep kissing it until you're better."

  I smiled at his tease, even if his joviality was a little forced. His eyes fell away with a pained grimace that he tried to hide and failed. He could take stitches just fine, but his emotions were a different story - his poker face didn't hide everything.

  "What about after I'm better?" I slyly asked.

  Lloyd blinked at my airy question, and my smile grew at the blank look he'd taken. It took him a few beats to realise what I'd just said. His cheeks turned pink, and the hurt was quickly replaced by red-faced shock.

  "Oh- oh," he stammered, and I snickered beneath my breath at the success of my plan. Flustering Lloyd had always made him feel better. He kept on blushing until we made it to the kitchen.

  I opened the door for him again and we entered the kitchen. The room smelt of herbs, pasta and that god-awful healing tea stink that Wu was brewing again. Lloyd wilted with reluctant surrender.

  It turned out that I didn't have to make Lloyd rice, because Zane and Kai were already bent over a pot and bickering. Wu watched them with an amused smile as he sipped on a cup of normal-smelling tea.

  "... that isn't what the recipe says-" Kai was arguing.

  "The recipe is wrong," Zane said coolly.

  "Lloyd, Y/n," Wu greeted, and the argument at the stovetop quickly stopped. "Good morning to you both."

  "Hey, lovebirds," Kai said with an impish grin when he turned to us. His grin grew at our linked hands. "Decided to sleep in, huh?"

  "Considering the state of Lloyd's health-"

  Kai's face dropped into a frown. "I get it, Tin Can."

  Zane ignored the remark and turned to Lloyd. "I am making you a stew that is beneficial for malnutrition. It should be easy to digest."

  Lloyd grinned. "Thanks, Zane. I missed your cooking."

  Zane's analytical expression was touched by a bittersweet smile. "We have all wished dearly for your return." He turned back to the stove and picked the pot up without mittens, and I had to stifle back my yelp of warning. Right. Nindroid. "I will dish you a serving. I will be just a moment."

  Lloyd said his thanks again. There were a mistiness to his eyes that wasn't there before.

  "How are you two feeling after your little swim yesterday?" Kai asked as he approached.

  "Awful," Lloyd muttered, and my interest raised at his answer. He'd just insisted that he was fine to his parents before, and then tells the truth to Kai? "My head feels like it needs to be split open."

  "Then it is good that your tea has just finished steeping," Wu said.

  Lloyd trudged toward him with a sigh to dutifully drink his magic tea. Zane began pouring me some stew when he'd asked if I wanted some and nodded - even if it was a meal for combatting malnutrition, it was Zane's cooking. He could fry up a packet of plasters and make them into something heavenly to eat.

  Kai turned to me. "What about you, spitfire? Feeling okay?"

  I shrugged. "I have a headache, too. That's not a surprise." It'd be a lot worse if I didn't have the necklace Borg made to limit my outage.

  "Maybe you should have some of that tea, then?"

  I looked to where Lloyd was forcing down it between gags. I grimaced. I'd prefer to just stick with painkillers rather than go through all that.

  "No, thanks," I said, and Kai snorted. Overhearing us, Lloyd sent a shitty pout from behind the cup.

  "Good choice," Kai commented, and crossed his arms as he leant on the wall behind us. "That stuff is nasty. Almost as bad as-"

  "Cole's cooking?" I finished his sentence with an amused smirk. I'd heard the horror stories.

  Kai shuddered. "Exactly."  

  When Lloyd finished his tea and looked a little better for it (despite his nose being scrunched in disgust) we stepped into the dining room, where the others had congregated. Lloyd returned to my side and looked a little less pale than he had before.

  Over the last few days, the tension among the Bounty's denizens had been almost unbearable. There'd been shouting and tears, injuries and bouts of hopelessness, restless days and sleepless nights. Over those few days, despair ran wicked and wild. The absence of Lloyd had torn at all of us.

  But now he was back, and it was as though the heavy cloud that hid our sun had dispersed. Our centre was back, and with it he brought hope that was boundless. Even though it was storming outside as the Bounty flew to Steep Wisdom, it was all blue skies and smiles inside. Even Morro couldn't ruin this.

  "Oh! Oh! And Y/n!" Jay excitedly pointed at me during his recount for Lloyd, and slammed his hands on the table. "You shoulda seen her! She was like FWOOOM! Over the side of the ship! And then FLAAAM down the anchor! And PAKCHOW! onto the ground like some kind of crazy spy or- or a free runner or- or-"

  "Or a ninja?" Nya raised an eyebrow.

  "Yeah, a ninja!" he exclaimed.

  "I landed on my back and winded myself, Jay," I reminded with a half-smile. "Not exactly very ninja of me."

  "No, but it's the attitude that counts!" Jay insisted.

  Lloyd laughed and our blue sky brightened, an azure so true and blinding that it drenched me with warmth. He was still so weak, still so unsure and afraid, and he hid it well but we all knew, so we smiled confidently and laughed loudly. It was our unspoken way of telling him that nobody would ever steal him away from us again.

  Between Lloyd and I, and hidden beneath the table, our hands laid entwined.

  After breakfast, the adults went to the study to research any possible way to counteract the Realm Crystal. The team continued to recover, taking the chance between fighting like hell to rest their bodies and let their injuries heal, if only for a brief moment.

  We sat in the living room while the ninja fought each other in Smash Bros, a battle a little less intense than the ones we'd faced. Lloyd and I were content just to watch after he grew drowsy from the healing tea (a side effect, I was told) and I suffered a humiliating defeat from Cole. 

  "Get him, Nya!" I cheered. "Avenge me!"

  Nya, Jay and I yelled in triumph when Cole's character fell off-screen, and he groaned with defeat. Nya slapped her hand to mine so sharply that it stung all the way down to my elbow, and I laughed through my yelp of pain. Lloyd watched on with a soft smile and an arm around my waist. He always had to be holding me in some way - not that I would ever complain.

  But soon, even the excitement of Smash Bros began to aggravate his weariness, so Lloyd and I snuck out during Kai and Zane's match so he could regain some energy in the quiet. We stood in the hallway while the team's muffled shouts carried on and watched through a window as the world passed below. The Bounty would occasionally shudder with the turbulence from the storm outside.

  But Lloyd's tired gaze kept drifting to my face.

  "What is it?" I asked when I had enough of him sneaking glances and saying nothing.

  "You're so comfortable with them, now," he sweetly murmured.

  I lifted my eyes to him. Before Lloyd was taken, I was barely able to hold a conversation with one of his teammates without tripping over my own anxiety. But when he was stolen from us, we all shared the common goal of getting him back. We'd shared tears and heartaches, and we supported each other and broke down into shouts and made up again. It was enough to tighten anyone's relationship.

  I smiled wryly and made it concise. "We all trauma bonded." At Lloyd's complex expression, I coaxed him to elaborate on it. "What?"

  "Nothing, it's just... it's really nice to see." He shrugged with an enamoured, proud smile. "You fit in perfectly."

  My own smile grew upon my face. "You think so?"

  He nodded. "I always knew you would. You're one of us, sunshine."

  That made me feel far happier than it should've. I looked out at the world beneath us with my smile I couldn't control and marvelled at how fast I'd slipped and fitted into their lives. I'd never been so at ease around people before, and certainly never this fast.

  "I don't think I've ever really fit in anywhere," I said quietly, and even though it was a depressing reality to uncover, it wasn't enough to make me sad. "But your family... I don't know, I just... I've never experienced this before. And now that you're back - well, I know that world's probably going to end, but still," I shrugged with a smile, "everything finally feels right."

  I could practically feel Lloyd melt beside me, and I peeked up at him to gauge his reaction. His eyes had blown red again, there were practically hearts in them. His entire focus was centred solely on me, as if I were the sun to his universe. It was a little overwhelming to be looked at like that, but a nice overwhelming, like trying to hold too many strawberries in the summer, or as though my heart were a container and it was overfilling.

  Lloyd pulled me into his chest, because he really couldn't get enough of holding me. His head pressed against mine. "You're like a piece of me that I didn't even realise I'd been missing."

  I dropped my head with a bashful smile. I could yammer on and on about how much I loved Lloyd, but he could say just as much with so few words. It left me dizzy.

  "That's cheesy," I murmured, my affection uncontainable.

  "Ah, but it's the truth," Lloyd said with a happy sigh. He planted his arm on the window sill and stared out at the mountains we passed over. "Do you ever think back to when we first met?"

  "I can't escape embarrassment, no," I said dryly, and he huffed a laugh. "I do, a lot. It's kind of crazy how much has happened in a month and a half."

  Lloyd pressed his lips to my hair. "Kinda crazy how much I fell in love with you."

  I was going to die before the big battle would even begin all because he kept making my heart race. I feared it would give out from all this sweetness. How could he be so suave when he was still teetering on his feet? It was astounding.

  "You are the most smooth-talking, charismatic, soulmate demigod fate could have thrown in the way of my car," I said, and his chuckle rolled through me. Then my eyes widened as a thought occurred. "And I need to call my mum."

  His faced paled. "Oh."

  Lloyd watched as I fumbled for the phone in my pocket and hurriedly dialled my mother. The last time I'd called her was two nights ago, when we were headed to the tomb. I was meaning to last night, but with just getting Lloyd back and all the drama that followed, it'd slipped my frazzled mind.

  I held Lloyd's hand like a lifeline. Mum was going to have my neck and murder me. I was going to be grounded until I was seventy. I dialled her contact and held the phone to my ear.

  "Shit, shit, shit," I muttered. She picked up on the second ring, and my voice pitched with forced cheerfulness. "Mum!"

  "Save your cute act, Y/n L/n," she immediately said, cutting off any hope I had to win her over. I squeezed Lloyd's hand tight. "Do you realise how worried you made me? I was almost going to call your father!"

  "No- don't!" I blurted. Even without his superhearing, Lloyd would be able to hear every word she spoke. This couldn't be how he found out about his rivalry against my own dad. "I'm fine, I promise. Things just got really hectic last night, and then I kinda passed out as soon as it was over."

  Mum was silent for a second before releasing a grumble of a sigh. I could picture her pinching the bridge of her nose in stress.

  "You're shortening my lifespan by the decades here, kid," she said tiredly. I realised that she must've been so stressed about my silence that her anger had been taken over by exhaustion. I wilted with guilt.

  "I don't mean to," I mumbled apologetically.

  "A simple text would've sufficed." 

  My guilt only grew. "I know, I'm sorry."

  Mum sighed and changed the subject. It was a relief, too, because the hair on my neck had been standing on end. If she'd so much as mentioned a little bit more about my dad, Lloyd most certainly would've gotten suspicious. I really needed to find some time to tell him.

  "You said things got hectic? What's happening?" Mum asked. "Is it okay out where you are? It's storming like mad here."

  The rain was so sharp, I was surprised it hadn't pierced through the deck and started flooding the insides of the ship. "It's not great where we are, either." I tilted my head back and found my boyfriend's eyes. "We got Lloyd back."

  "Oh!" Mum said with relief. "Oh, good. How's he doing?"

  "I'm alright, Mrs. L/n," Lloyd spoke up, a little awkward. "I've been better."

  "I can imagine," Mum said. "Oh, you poor thing. Take care of yourself, okay?"

  Lloyd's tense expression eased a tad. "I will. Thanks, Mrs. L/n."

  I leant back into Lloyd's chest and caught Mum up to speed, recounting a softened-down version of what'd happened since I called her last - and leaving out the whole 'I almost died like five times,' if only to save her blood pressure and sanity.

  "But it's not over, yet," I continued. "We still need to stop Morro from using the Realm Crystal." I glanced out at the roiling storm and grimaced. "But I think he might already have."

  Mum made a sound of concern. "Just stay as safe as you can, alright?"

  "We'll try our best," I said, though knew that it was hardly reassuring when we were facing the end of the world.

  "Your daughter's safety is my top priority," Lloyd said firmly. His arm tightened around me, and I realised that this was a promise for me, too. "I'll get her home safe and sound. You have my word."

  Mum held her silence for a few beats. "Well, I can hardly doubt the Green Ninja when he speaks like that, can I?"

  Silver-tongued Lloyd struck again. I pressed my fingers to his for a job well done.

  "Thank you for being okay with all this," I said.

  "I'm not okay with any of it, actually," my mum said stiffly, and then broke to groan. "But I also know that I couldn't stop you if I wanted to, so... I'm still coming to terms with things." She paused. Her voice hardened. "And I hope you two are sleeping in separate rooms."

  We froze. Silver-tongued Lloyd abruptly fumbled and disappeared.

  "Of- of course!" Lloyd's voice had gone up a handful of octaves. "We couldn't be further apart! We're even a few bedrooms apart, too, and you know, it's preferable, even! Because I am so... pure..?"

  Horrified, I slapped my hand over the mic in my phone. I sent his panicked face an incredulous look.

  "You're a horrible actor!" I hissed.

  "Your mother's terrifying!" Lloyd whispered back.

"You fought a ghost!" I reminded in disbelief. "The Overlord - the literal embodiment of evil!"

  "And?" Lloyd whispered back. "She's worse!"

  "How is she worse?!" I exclaimed beneath my breath.

  "Because I want to impress her and I'm failing horribly!" he insisted, and I raised my eyes to the ceiling in devastated exasperation. At least he was aware. "I'm not as irresistible as you! All you had to do was sneeze and look cute and my family were fawning all over you!"

  I clenched my hand into a frustrated fist before forcing myself to relax with a deep breath. Forget having my neck, Mum was going to chop me up, skewer me, and then roast me over a goddamn spit.

  "Just-" I placed my hand over Lloyd's mouth. "Don't talk." I released the mic and brought the phone up to my ear again. "Sorry about that! Bad reception."

  "Uh-huh." She was utterly unconvinced. "So, you slept in the same bed."

  I nervously chuckled. "See, what Lloyd was trying to say was that, yeah, I had to stay in his room last night - but it's only because we just got him back, and he was possessed by ghost, Mum." I tried to lay the sympathy on thick. "He's so weak, and he's so unwell and scared - I mean, really, he looks terrible. I couldn't just leave him alone."

  Lloyd sent me a look of faux-insult. "Woooow," he mouthed. I shot him a glare.

  "And one of his teammates couldn't watch over him, instead?" Mum asked.

  I wracked my brain for a reasonable excuse. "Well, yeah, they're the ninja. They were way more tired than me. Looking after Lloyd was the least I could do." 

  Mum's hum was tangled with an unhappy grumble. "That's the kind of excuse I told my mother about your dad at your age, and look what happened."

  "You had a daughter that you love and never regretted it for a day in your life," I said quickly. "Wu's calling us, gotta go, love you, bye!" I hung up and dropped my head into my hands with horror.

  Lloyd was silent for a moment as I stewed in the thoughts of how I was never going to see daylight again once I returned home. Not even the best lying could've fixed it - my mother was too astute. She knew all the tricks, because she'd once pulled them, too.

  "I think you really saved that," Lloyd said.

  I lifted my head from my hands. My stare at him was lethal. "Never act again," I spat. "Next time we need to fib, let me do the talking."

  His nod was sombre with acceptance. "Yeah, I saw that coming."

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

  By the time we got to Steep Wisdom, Lloyd was looking far healthier than was that morning. He walked with a strength that soothed me, but the look of unease remained steadfast in his gaze.

  "This is a waste of time," Kai complained as we disembarked from the Bounty and into the rain. We quickly crossed the half-destroyed courtyard of Steep Wisdom. "Lloyd told us that Morro's plan once he got the Crystal was to unleash it from Stiix. Shouldn't we be going there? The longer we wait, the worse it'll get."

  "Patience, Kai," Wu said. "We need to stock up. We cannot go into battle ill-prepared." 

  "Stock up? On what?" Jay asked excitedly, bouncing on his feet. "Magic tea that'll make us invincible? Give us special powers?! Is it going to give us four arms?!"

  Misako snickered. Garmadon sent Jay an unimpressed look.

  "I am within hearing range," he said.

  "Sorry," Jay squeaked sheepishly.

  "Sadly, no magical tea today," Wu answered as he opened the rattling door to the tea shop. We filed inside swiftly. "But we do have some new toys."

  "New toys?" Cole asked, interest piqued. "Like what?"

  Before Wu could answer, the door to the back of the shop opened. I startled with true shock at seeing Borg roll into the room with his robot assistant at his side. He smiled happily at all of us despite our confused looks.

  "Hello, again, ninja!" he cheerily greeted. "Wu contacted me a few days ago with the request to create you all something to help balance the scales incase of your ghost friend succeeding in stealing the Realm Crystal!" Borg chuckled to himself, though didn't seem overly concerned about the impending doom. "And just as well. Pixal, if you may?"

  The robot girl - whom I now knew was called Pixal - retreated to the shop's back rooms. Borg returned to smiling at us while we waited.

  "It feels as though I have not seen you all in months," he said, and settled into an easy conversation despite the world's predicament. Did nothing bother this guy? "Lloyd, I'm glad you are with us. Y/n, you, too! Nya, looking as strong as ever." He smiled warmly at the fidgeting Master of Ice. "Zane, Pixal has missed you dearly."

  Zane nervously laughed before his voice glitched out. I glanced at him in confusion, but Borg carried on before I could think too much about his reaction.

  "Cole's a- a ghost!" Borg blinked with a confused smile. Cole's expression soured. "Jay looks shorter and... and then there's Kai."

  Wow.

  Jay frowned. "Hey... what do you mean I look shorter?"

  Ignoring Jay's complaint, Kai stepped forward to bring the conversation back on topic.

  "I'm sorry, Dr. Borg, but cut to the chase?" he requested. "We don't have much time."

  "Always the impatient one," Borg hummed with a smile. "Pixal will have completed the finishing touches by now. Come, let me show you."

  We followed as Borg wheeled out into the rain, and his wheelchair automatically popped up an umbrella to shield him from getting wet. The rest of us were left to get slowly soaked.

  "Behold!" Borg exclaimed joyously, just as lightning flashed from the moody sky above. He looked every bit the mad scientist he was.

  I thought that the rumble beneath my feet was thunder at first, but I was quickly proved wrong when the courtyard began to be split in two. Lloyd hauled me backwards as the halves began to sink and slide beneath the ground. Replacing it was an ascending platform that held various different vehicles and weapons - all colour coordinated, of course.

  My eyes bulged at the sight. "Oh, wow," I mumbled. He'd made this all in just a few days?

  "Oh, yeah." Cole grinned, and crossed his arms at the impressive array before us. "Now we're talking."