"I want your parents to meet Uchū."

I stared at the ceiling of my dorm with wide eyes. The leg that had been merrily swinging, balanced over my other knee, stilled.
"Pardon me?" I spluttered, shyly missing yanking out my lock of hair that I had been curling around my finger. Violet, finally back from wherever she went, looked over from her bed at my startled voice.
"I want your parents to meet my grandfather," Lloyd repeated confidently.
I blinked once, twice, and had to replay his sentence in my head another four times before I could manage to even move my mouth.
I ended up gaping like a fish, unable to find even a scrap of a word.
"You still there?" he asked.
"I- I am," I stammered. My messy duvet curled and dipped as I sat up, eyes still wide open and staring hard at the designs on my quilt. "I just- wow. Really?"
"Why not?" he commented nonchalantly. "I want your family to meet mine. Sure, it's a little unconventional-"
"A little," I breathed with a shake of my head. "Lloyd, you forget-"

Abruptly remembering my company, my words stopped dead. Seeking privacy, I quickly shoved my feet into my slippers and fled the room, ignoring the way Violet's eyebrows raised at my swift exit.
"I forget..?" Lloyd egged curiously at my silence. I glanced up and down the hall before turning towards the storage cupboard and lowering my voice to a whisper.
"You forget how... important your grandfather is, Lloyd!" I murmured as I shut the door behind me. It was dark and smelt of dust, but at least nobody could overhear me.
"And you forget how important you are to me," Lloyd reminded kindly. "To all of us, Uchū included."
"Flattery doesn't change the fact that he created the entire world," I pointed out.
"And it doesn't change the fact that your parents created my entire world in you," Lloyd craftily responded. I dropped my head back with a flustered groan.
"Lloyd!" I complained. "This is serious!"
"I'm being serious!" he laughed. "C'mon, sunshine. What are you overthinking about now?"

My bristling reproach subsided into wearisome acceptance. He knew how to pick out what was going through my head.
"I don't know," I muttered meekly, resting my back on the wall of the storage closet. "What if he doesn't think my family is good enough? Children are reflections of their parents."
"One; not true, and I'm the proof of that," Lloyd counterpointed, which I had to agree with. "Two; Uchū loves you! Even if your parents spat in his face, he would still adore you. Not- not that your parents would ever spit in his face, or anything."
"You can never really tell what my mother's going to do," I said offhandedly. "She's very unpredictable."
"True," Lloyd agreed. "She did punch Axon hard enough to knock him out."
"Yeah," I laughed quietly. "That was fun."
"I'll drop by your place to tell your mum, then," Lloyd said. "And I'll ring your dad, too. He's my best friend now, you know."
I rolled my eyes. "Suck up."
"It's not my fault that your parents love me," he said. "It's my natural charisma."

"I'm sure it is," I commented dryly. "Will you be picking me up tomorrow?"
"That's the plan," Lloyd chirped. "I'll text you when I'm leaving. Semester break, finally. I've been waiting for this for months."
"You know what I've been waiting months for?" I asked enthusiastically. "BIT holds a ball. A ball. Not prom, Lloyd, it's a whole dang ball."
"Heard you the first million times," Lloyd commented. "It's all you've been talking about for the past month."
"I'm excited!" I quietly defended with a smile. "You know, as long as I don't get shot in the leg this time."
I could almost see Lloyd grimacing. My chuckle was strained.
"Make sure you're using some of that energy for your exams," Lloyd reminded. I was tempted to roll my eyes.
"Yes, mother."
"Just looking out for you, princess."
"I know," I said with a soft smile. "Thank you, baby... I have to go." It was nearing on dinner time and my stomach was not shy in reminding me, even though I yearned to spend more time with Lloyd. "I love you."

"I love you."

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

In the dead of winter lingered a frigid chill that submerged me to the bone.

Snow (snow!!! Nom has snow!) had settled over the campus, imploring its residents to break out their long-forgotten ski coats and thick pants. Boots were worn to avoid wet socks, while mittens pulled to the wrists and beanies covered to the nose were a common necessity to brave the harsh winds that tore through the city of Nom.
"It's so cold," Aisling hissed as she rubbed her woollen-covered hands together. "I can't stand it."
Snow kicked up against our boots as we strolled through the campus court. My eyes danced along my surroundings and took great joy in taking in the warm, yellow lights that flooded from the halls we were passing. They looked seriously cozy.
"Cold, yes," I hummed in agreement as I turned my attention to the cloudy sky, where snowflakes were fluttering down from. They swayed through the bare branches of a planted tree that sat outside Albert Hall and made my content smile grow. "But frighteningly beautiful, don't you think?"

"No, actually," Aisling huffed as she stumbled over the thick duvet of snow. "I can't think. The coldness has shut down my brain. There's nothing going on up here."
My gaze jumped to my friend and I smiled in amusement. Her usually pinkish face had flushed a deeper maroon at the chill and her curly red hair was pulled tightly back into a ponytail. It contrasted nicely with her dark blue coat.
"I'm going to catch my death out here," Aisling bemoaned. Her blue eyes turned to me, pleading. "Make sure the ninja mourn my passing."
"Consider it done," I replied dryly. "Stop being dramatic, Ais. It's only a little snow."
"Easy for you to say!" Aisling squeaked worriedly. She tucked herself into her arms and pushed her chin into her scarf with a pout. "My immune system is in the wars as it is."
"You got over your cold weeks ago," I pointed out with a snicker. She huffed.

We were on our way for our last meet up with the boys before we all went our seperate ways for the break. Aisling was returning to her home in Ignacia, while Ambrose and Chen were forgoing Ninjago City altogether and instead taking the two weeks off to peruse the west coast, which was supposedly gorgeously warm, even in the dead of winter.
Kvasir was to meet up with the tribes of venomari that resided underneath Nom. He had an uncle here, apparently, and wanted to spend a week with him before taking the second week at home.
The walk from Aisling's hall to the student cafe wasn't usually long, but I found it more lengthy than usual that day - though, not unpleasantly. Not when a promise of hot beverages and heated rooms and my friends awaited me.
I watched a couple of students have a snowball fight on what used to have been the tennis courts. Now, it was an all out battle arena of the frosty spheres, and the speed of which they were thrown was downright startling.

"How can you enjoy this weather?" Aisling grumbled as she shoved her face into her jacket's neckline. I shrugged.
"It's whimsical," I answered in a pleasant sigh. "It's fun. Nothing dances quite like how snowflakes do. We don't get snow in Ninjago City, so I'm trying to make up for eighteen years of snow-less winters."
"It's all fun and games until you get sick," Aisling grumbled.
I sent her a beaming smile and kicked a spray of snow before us. She grimaced back at the cold frost.
"I better not get sick then, huh?"
Aisling stared at me, appalled at my lack of care as I merrily shoved my shoes into the snow and kicked high, watching as the white ice soared through the air and landed on my face. I gasped at the chill, half-shocked, all delighted.
"You confound me," she confessed in a sigh. I brushed the snow from my hair and chuckled.

"You have snow on your everywhere," Chen announced as Aisling and I entered the small student cafe. It was deliciously warm inside, and snow left a trail where I walked. I could imagine it piling atop my shoulders and head.
"She's going to get sick," Aisling muttered through a chattering of teeth as she climatized to the change in temperature. She pulled her beanie from her hand and draped her coat across the back of a chair from a table our friends had snagged.
I copied, except a small mountain of snow dropped when I pulled my jacket from my back. I laughed at the sight - I would never have experienced such amusing concepts in Ninjago City, the snowless city.
"Is winter your favourite season?" Dylan asked with a small smile as I plopped down onto my chair with a spent grin.

"Yes," I agreed readily, before closing my mouth in thought as I ran it through my head once more. "But I do enjoy the new growth of Spring."
I reached for the drinks menu before pausing.
"And I do like the heat and beaches of summer," I added, then continuing on sheepishly; "also the colours of autumn and the leaves to play in. I don't know! I love all of them."
Ambrose remained unimpressed by my inability to pick a favourite.
"C'mon!" he egged. "There must be one you like best!"
"There isn't," I confessed with a shake of my head. "Every season has their strengths and weaknesses. To pick a favourite when taking the pros and cons into account is simply impossible. So, I like all of them."
"A versssatile choice," Kvasir complimented. "And an admirable one. You may never be disssappointed by the sseassonsss."

"Look at us, talking about the weather like old crooks," June sighed from her side of the table. "We grow up so fast. Next week, we'll be in our retirement homes."
Aiden snorted.
"So, what's the plan?" Elijah asked, leaning forward on his elbows as he addressed me. His dark eyes were resoundingly piercing. "You know, regarding the books?"
"Our fifth member's coming in a bit, so we better discuss strategies quickly before she arrives," Dylan spoke up.
"Oh," I said, sobering quickly as the weight of responsibility made itself known. I grabbed a small sugar packet from the bowl on the table to fidget with. "I guess we'll have Aisling bring her ones in and I'll get them to the team. As for until then, just try to look for the books in any places you can. Even your grandparents' house if you're able to."
"Hello, west coast pawn shops," Chen murmured.
"Little slices of paradise," Aiden grunted as he popped a piece of baked slice into his mouth. Chen smirked.

"We should also consider getting some of the elemental masters in on this," Ambrose suggested. "Just a couple to help the effort but keep it on the down low. We don't want to risk Axon finding out about books that hold our weaknesses, if he doesn't already know."
"Good idea," I agreed. We didn't know how many books were out there.
"Who's Axon?" Aisling asked.
"A really bad man," I murmured quickly, avoiding her inquisitive gaze as I tapped the table with the end of the smell sugar packet. I changed the subject. "Getting some elemental masters in would be good. They can cover the areas that we can't-"
My voice suddenly died in shock as a figure passed through the snow laden world beyond the window of the cafe. Auburn, wavy hair with an unmissable blue streak. My eyes widened.

Seliel, donned in casual clothing, caught my stunned gaze through the window with a smirk. She wiggled her fingers in greeting and smugly winked. She looked like a student.
"Are you okay?" Kvasir asked.
I cleared my throat and shook my head, returning to reality - I hadn't seen the Phantom Ninja since two weeks ago when she took out the gang members who were stalking me, but my dreams certainly remembered the pile of bodies she left that night. I was still unclear whether they were alive or not.
"Yeah," I replied. "Sorry. Lost in my head."
"Getting sick," Aisling supplied with a shake of her head. "Shouldn't have played in the snow for so long."
"Shouldn't have," I swiftly agreed, watching as Seliel entered the cafe in a flurry of snowflakes and a burst of cold air. A couple of my friends turned at her entrance.
I cradled my hot chocolate closer. What was her angle?

"Oh, Seliel!" June said with a grin and a wave, taking me by abrupt surprise. The ninja approached, shrugging off her coat as she did so. "Y/n, this is Seliel Patel. She's the fifth member of our band."
Oh, my god, she is a student.
"Pleasure to meet you, Y/n. Sorry I wasn't there when you watched practise." Her eyes flashed something dangerously humorous as she took her seat. "I was busy."
What is it with undercover ninja and attending the same place of education as me?
"Not at all," I reassured, forcing myself to recover quick. "At least we get to meet now."
Seliel's curling smirk widened in amusement.
The rest of the table was none the wiser.

Well," Seliel said as she glanced out the window. "What weather to end our semester. Who doesn't love snow?"
Aisling groaned.

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

dingbutt poopy head:
lloyd got pulled on a mission so ur stuck with me today
Sent 11.24am

Me:
darn
Delivered

Me:
at least ur warm tho
Delivered

dingbutt poopy head:
:(
Sent 11.25pm

dingbutt poopy head:
is that all im good for?
Sent 11.25pm

Me:
ofc not ur the best blazin brother i could ask for 😎🔥🗿🚶‍♂️🦆
Delivered

dingbutt poopy head:
what do those emojis even mean
Sent 11.26pm

"Kai's gonna pick me up soon," I announced as I tucked my phone away, a few hours into our cafe meet up. "I should get ready to leave."
"Boo," frowned Ambrose.
"Who's Kai?" Seliel asked. Her face screamed detective mode - though I really didn't need another Aisling. "Is he your boyfriend?"
There was a challenging tilt to her voice, as though she wanted to fight him. Maybe to see how good he was, if she thought that he was indeed the boyfriend who taught me to fight.
"No," I snickered. "He's more like a brother."
Seliel backed into her seat, deflated and unstimulated.
Aisling's wide eyes danced around the room and agitatedly chewed on her lip. Clearly, she was having trouble keeping herself restrained. I kicked her ankle under the table to remind her to compose herself - I didn't want any more people finding out about Lloyd, phantom ninja or not.

"What are you doing for the break, Ssseliel?" Kvasir asked as he stirred a hot chocolate in his hand, his new favourite beverage. It was also followed by a coffee with three shots of espresso, just to stay active and keep brumation at bay. It was terrifying how he still acted like normal Kvasir after he had two of those kinds of coffees in the morning.
"Oh, nothing really," she said with a sigh. "I'll just help my dad out around the office, I guess. I don't usually do much during breaks."
I had a feeling that she actually did a lot during breaks.
"How is your dad going?" Elijah asked. "Settling in well at the new job?"
Seliel rolled her eyes in amusement.
"It's as if he's been preparing for this role his entire life," she said dryly. Her gaze turned to me. "Which he has."
"Seliel's dad is the new mayor of Nom," June supplied upon seeing the confusion on half of the table's faces. My brows raised.
"Wow," Chen said. "That's impressive."

Seliel shrugged, unbothered.
"I'm just glad he's not complaining anymore. Nothing quite like an old man whining to drive you up the wall."
I snickered.
"I can attest to that," I agreed with an amused grin, reminded of the childish complaints my father had against Lloyd when we first started seeing each other. "Alright, I have to get my stuff from my room. I'll see you guys in two weeks."
"I'll go with you!" Aisling suddenly said as she all but erupted from her seat. I stared in surprise before falling into an amused smile.
"You're welcome to, Ais," I said. She huffed through her nose in acceptance before grabbing my hand and pulling me to the exit.
Coats and mittens on, Aisling hauled me out of sight from the windows of the cafe. At this point, I was just used to her antics. I awaited her reasoning with great interest.
She took an uneasy glance around the campus and upon finding no one in hearing range, leant in close to whisper.

"Is Kai one of the ninja?" she asked in an intensely quiet voice. It was almost funny, if not for the almost scary look in her blue eyes.
"Yes?" I answered, unsure where she was heading with the question.
Aisling suddenly stood straight, as if somebody had put an iron rod from her head to her heels. Her arms visibly trembled. A squeaking noise came from her clamped lips.
"Can I PLEASE meet him!" Aisling suddenly burst, giving me a fright. She caught my hands in her own and all but begged. "Please please please! I'll do anything you ask! I'll- I'll do your assignments for you! I'll buy you lunch everyday! I'll-"
"Ais," I said, cutting her off with a grin. "Of course you can meet him."
Aisling paused. She froze for a solid ten seconds before collapsing to her knees on the snowy ground. My eyebrows raised.
"You are truly a blessing," she whispered up at me. Her arms hugged my legs and I made a sound of surprise, raising my arms unsurely. "Thank you, O' Gracious One, for the gift you have bestowed upon me-"

"Okay, alright," I said, pushing Aisling back by her forehead. "Stop being weird."
Aisling fell onto her back with a giggle. Her eyes watched the snowflakes flutter from the cloudy sky.
"You're right," she said dreamily as flakes began to settle on her red lashes. "Snow is whimsical."
"You're going to catch a chill," I said. I grabbed her hands and pulled her to her feet while she snorted.
"Says the one who kept kicking snow onto her own face," Aisling teased.
"Whatever," I scoffed. "You can make me eat my words if you talk to Kai as if he's just another normal human being."
"Please," Aisling said smugly as she stood and brushed her coat down. "I've got this in the bag."

She did not have this in the bag.

It was already going downhill by the time Kai landed his dragon, Jonathon, in the meadow beyond the forest. He dismounted as the dragon burst into a cloud of red.
Aisling was still. Terrifyingly still, really. It was as if she were made of stone.
"Kai!" I greeted excitedly before rushing across the snow and leaping into his arms. He caught me with a startled laugh, barely stumbling back an inch.
"Hey, spitfire!" Kai gushed, placing me back on my feet with a crunch of snow. He grinned down at me. "Dang, did you shrink?"
My beam twisted into a half-hearted scowl. I snapped my fist into his stomach and he grunted a laugh.
"Who's this?" he asked when he spotted my statuesque friend. "One of the 'insiders,' I presume?"
"This is Aisling," I said, before leading Kai towards said girl since it was clear that her feet were rooted to the ground, starstruck.
"She's got the first batch of books that we'll be taking back to the monastery."

"Thank you, Aisling," Kai smiled. "You're helping us out big time."
"... oh. Oh, god. Oh, no. I- I can't feel my legs," Aisling stammered, voice even yet hollow in warning. Her gaze was unfocused and glassy. "Hold me-"
I leapt to react when she began to tilt. She slumped into my arms and I staggered under her dead weight, cursing in surprise.
"S- sorry," Aisling whispered as I tried to righten myself with her in my hold. Kai came over to assist, doing nothing to hide his amusement.
"It's alright, fangirl," I reassured, gratefully letting Kai help Aisling get upright and steady.
"It's nice to meet a fan like this," Kai confessed. He sent me a pointed smile while Aisling held her forehead and clutched at Kai's arm as she tried to regain her bearings. "I could get used to this. Being fawned over rather than scorned."
"Don't let Lloyd hear you say that," I warned. "He'll chew you out for 'responsibility to the team' and 'doing what's best for the greater good.'"

"Don't need another one of those lectures," Kai grumbled. "How tragic. The life of a star, identity shrouded in mystery."
"Don't be so dramatic," I scorned teasingly.
"Like Hannah Montana," Aisling murmured disjointedly. Kai and I paused. He glanced at me with wide eyes.
"Oh, my god," he breathed. "I am Hannah Montana."

After Aisling scarcely recovered and we engaged in a short conversation (which mostly consisted of Aisling playing a one-sided game of twenty questions with Kai as she milked him of every scrap of knowledge he had), we were on our way back to Ninjago City.
"Hmm, warm..." I sighed, scooching closer to Kai's back and draping myself over his larger body. The heat that was radiating from the master of fire was positively intoxicating, and was a nice contrast to the bitterly cold winter gales. "Warm... so very warm... super warm..."
"Alright, I get it, I'm hot," Kai said with a dramatic sigh of woe. I snorted and slapped his shoulder blade.
"There's a reason why I said 'warm' and not 'hot.'
"Ouch! Right for my throat." Kai hissed in feigned pain. "What a stinger."
It was a three hour flight to Ninjago City, so you bet my ass was frozen and sore when we finally arrived, soaring over the city rooftops. I stared down at my home in delight, watching as cars drove through recently ploughed streets while warm, yellow lights dotted the scene.

"Hey," Kai said suddenly, making my sleepy, drooping eyes open. "Yeah, just on our way back."
I furrowed my brows. My face that was squished against Kai's warm back scrunched in confusion.
"Ten minutes, give or take," he said into his gi mask. Oh, he's on the comm link. "Yes, I'm keeping her warm." His voice dropped to a grumble. "Mr. paranoid."
A smile tugged at my lips. He's on the comms with Lloyd. Another rush of frigid wind had me huddling closer into Kai's back.
"Tell him I miss him," I murmured through chattering teeth.
"She misses you," Kai said. A pause. "He misses you, too."
"Tell him I love h-"
"Oh, my god, you're literally going to see him in ten minutes," Kai groaned. He turned back to Lloyd on the comms. "No, don't you fucking start, little menace... YES, I know that you're not little anymore, but the insult still counts!"
I stifled a giggle with a shudder. Kai ended the call with a press of the button by his ear and a loaded sigh.
"You used to call Lloyd 'little menace?'" I queried, amused.
"You try looking after a twelve year old who wanted to follow in his father's footsteps," Kai replied, irked. I snickered. "Not fun. I will never ever babysit again."

True to his word it was only ten minutes flying in the bitter cold until we arrived at the monastery. My chest warmed at the sight of Lloyd's ancestral home that I considered my own home as well - I missed it. I missed everything about it, even the horrible creaking the old wood would make in the middle of the night.
Lloyd himself was waiting at the entrance, still wearing his gi from the mission he just returned from. I was flinging myself off of Jonathon before his paws settled on the ground and stumbling over the gravel to get to him.
"Cold, cold, cold," I muttered, racing stiffly across the driveway and barreling into his open arms. "Ahh. Toasty."
"Hey, princess," Lloyd chuckled. I snuggled myself further into his warmth and blissfully sighed, loving the smell of spring that the presence of him. It was comforting. My eyes closed and threatened to fall asleep right then.
"Hi," I whispered. Kai patted my shoulder as he passed, so I poked my head out of the little cocoon of warmth that Lloyd's arms had made. "Thanks, Kai."
"No worries, spitfire."

When Kai disappeared, Lloyd reached out with one arm to close the door and cease the constant billowing of cold air. His muscles tensed and faltered as he moved. I was reminded that he just came home from a mission.
"Where are you hurt?" I asked, pulling myself back and scanning his gi for tears or blood.
"What?"
"Where are you hurt?"
Lloyd watched in amused surprise as I untied the belt around his robe, eyes narrowed in concentration as I pulled his gi off. My fingers were beginning to tug the hem of his turtleneck undershirt up when he grabbed my wrist. A lick of his lower abdomen showed off to the world.
"We should probably go somewhere more private if you want to strip me."
Dimitri walked past the entrance, took one look at us, and scurried faster to his destination.
My ears burnt. Lloyd smirked.
"You planned that," I muttered, giving him the stink eye. "You planned that with your unfair super hearing."
"You have no proof, doll," he said with a smug grin that proved me right anyway. Lloyd fell into a reassuring smile. "I'm fine. Just a bruise on my shoulder."

I stared up at him with a frown and a huff. He stared back with raised eyebrows.
"Have you iced it, at least?"
Ice grew from his shoulder and encased it.
"Yes," Lloyd answered. I remained unimpressed, which only added to his growing amusement.
"I hate you," I grumbled.
"You adore me," Lloyd corrected, which, you know, was the truth, but I didn't want to openly admit it when I was trying to be mad about his blatant lack of care to his own well-being. I huffed when he pressed a kiss to my nose, feigning annoyance while my heart did twists.
"We'll pick your parents up tomorrow before heading to Uchū's mountain," Lloyd said, pulling off my ski jacket and hanging it on the coat rack for me. He picked up his discarded gi robe and slung it over my head, making me squawk in surprise. "You think your grandad would want to come?"
I snorted, pulling the robe from my head and dropping it over my shoulder.
"He'd sooner have an aneurysm," I said with a roll of my eyes. Lloyd grinned. "No, even Uchū couldn't charm my dear old grandpapa into liking the Garmadon lineage. His loss."

"Ah, yes," Lloyd hummed, swooping around to pick me up in his arms and making me squeak a giggle. "Why wouldn't he want to meet his granddaughter's boyfriend who isn't even entirely human?"
"Simple things are boring," I declared, watching his face as he carried me down the hall. I couldn't get over Lloyd in his black woollen turtlenecks - a rare blessing that winter brought. "You keep me on my toes, Lloyd Garmadon, and I love you either way."
His red eyes jumped down to me with a soft smile.
"Thanks, sunshine," he said gently, nuzzling his nose against my hairline. "And I love you even though you're incredibly clumsy."
"Shut up, not everyone is blessed with amazing core balance like you," I groaned. Padding of paws along the wooden planked floor made me perk up. "Kashu?"
The padding paws stopped. And then they turned into scampering claws against the floorboards. I struggled out of Lloyd's arms and landed on the floor just in time for the huge, three-legged english mastiff to come barrelling into my arms.

"Hey- hey buddy!" I managed to exclaim amongst tongue licks and a whipping tail. I kissed his dark muzzle when he was still enough to allow me so. "I missed you, too!"
"He's stealing you away from me," Lloyd grumbled as he pulled me back into his chest and dug his nose against my neck. Kashu followed, so I used my free hands to pat his soft head while Lloyd stared at the overjoyed mastiff with a phoney glare. "Go play with Jay, Kashu. It's my turn to spend time with Y/n."
"Are you jealous over a dog?" I asked, incredulously amused. "You didn't even get jealous over Dylan, but you're jealous over Kashu?"
"That's different. You're not kissing Dylan," Lloyd pouted. I turned my head up to face him and almost laughed at the put-off expression that he wore without shame.
"Okay," I hummed, reaching up to caress Lloyd's cheek with my palm. He snuggled deeply into my touch, making my heart rate skyrocket. "Kisses only for you, little menace."

Lloyd's lips grinned at the nickname I'd stolen from Kai. His red eyes, slitted in content, gazed down at me in mirth.
"Actually, you're the little menace."
"Really?" I asked in mock interest as I scratched Kashu behind his soft, velvety ear. "Am I, now?"
"Yes," he answered. The monastery's cat darted past and intrigued, Kashu lumbered after him. Lloyd's arms tightened around me. "My little menace."
"I thought I was your princess?"
"Little menace princess," Lloyd decided in a voice muffled by my shoulder. He pressed a kiss to my neck and the shivers that would slither up and down my spine made their nighty return. "Speaking of Dylan, you smell like him."
"Yeah," I sighed, head beginning to spin as I focused on Lloyd brushing his lips along my jugular. "We had a group lunch before we all left campus."
"Sounds nice," Lloyd murmured. His hands recoiled to rest at my hips. He audibly swallowed. "It's hitting. The instinct."

"Mmmhm." My eyelids fluttered. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah..." he breathed. "Just..." Lloyd trailed off, unable to find the words. I found some for him.
"Are you going to just sit there or are you gonna take me back to your room?" I asked. His fingers gripped my hips tightly. His exhale was ragged and hit my shoulder in a rush of warm air.
"Don't say it like that," he mumbled, pressing his cheek against my head. I giggled at his fluster.
"Alright, dragon boy," I whispered, running my fingers through his blond hair as I pressed myself back against his chest. "Take me to bed."
Lloyd's face twisted into a disgruntled frown, already tired from my teasing. Merry laughter bubbled in my chest as he squeezed my waist in warning.

"Stop."

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

"And he's... alive, right?" my father asked nervously from where he was sat behind Garmadon on the elemental master's dragon, Geoff. "He's not a zombie?"

"I can guarantee you that he is not a zombie," Garmadon reassured over the harsh winter wind. "Though, I'm sure that my father would find the assumption amusing."
Jamie nodded wearily. On the other side of Geoff flew Valerie, Misako's dragon, which my mother was hitching a ride with. Wu lead the pack over an ever-expansive thrush of pine forestry, shot through with snow. White-capped mountains rose in the distance.
Lloyd leant back against me and inclined his head so I could better hear his soft voice over the wind. My eyes jumped from the scenery to the side of his face. His faintly freckled cheeks and nose were flushed from the cold.
"Nervous?" he asked, red gaze finding me.
"A bit," I replied breathlessly. I re-gripped Lloyd's jacket with my gloved hands and shuffled closer across the saddle. "At least last time I didn't know we were meeting your grandfather, so I wasn't nervous. Is it normal to sweat from your hips?"
Lloyd snickered and turned back to steering Bentley.

The flight, in theory, didn't take long, but the cold winter wind made it feel as it were an eternity before we arrived. Uchū's mountain hadn't changed a bit since the last time I was there the year before - the small temple still stood proudly, bravely battling the weather with ne'er a blemish to show.
"Can you feel the magic in the air?" Lloyd asked when Bentley disappeared. "Tonight it's extra strong. Remember?"
"Yeah," I nodded, walking through the long, lush grass towards the temple. I'd forgotten that it seemed to have its own weather system - I was tempted to pull off my jacket from the spring-time warmth. "Which is why Uchū can only come to the material realm on this day of the year. It's the date Ninjago was created."
"Wow," my mother breathed as she stared at the temple. "I feel like we shouldn't be here."
My father hummed in stunned agreement.
"Nonsense," Wu said, patting Jamie on his shoulder. "You are family."
"It won't be time for another half-hour," Garmadon announced. "Shall we start cooking?"

"What's on the menu?" Mum asked as she followed Wu to help unpack the large bags of camping gear. "Is it traditional dishes? What kind of dishes did you guys eat a thousand years ago? They must be very healthy - nothing like the modern dinners we have nowadays."
"Uh, no," Misako said with a sheepish grin as she brought out a packet of pastry. "We're making calzones."
"Oh," mum said dejectedly.
"Nice!" Dad cheered. He shared a high-five with Lloyd before quickly trotting over to help set up the gas burner. "I love calzones!"
I shook my head in amusement as I carried a bag of groceries to the small campsite area after discarding my jacket. After setting everything up, the parents flittered around and started cooking. My help was unneeded, so I sat back and watching the darkening, evening sky.
"What are you thinking about?" Lloyd asked as he took a seat next to me. I hummed and dropped my weight onto his shoulder.
"Nothing," I murmured. The stars were concealed by thick clouds, which was a little disappointing. "Just waiting."
"Let me help you pass the time," he offered. I raised my brows and turned my attention to Lloyd, who held out a palm to the ground and pulled a funny expression.
"What are you doing?" I asked blandly, amused by his face.
"Shhhhhush," he murmured with squinted eyes. His tongue started moving around his teeth, as if he were searching for a pesty kernel that had lodged itself in between them. "You'll see."

I made a look but didn't speak, letting Lloyd do his thing - whatever the thing was. Just as I was about to give up with him and return to gazing at the starless evening sky, the ground underneath his hand began to rumble.
Now intrigued, I watched as the ground bulged and deformed. An object popped out of the earth and the hole it left behind was quickly covered, as if nothing magical had happened whatsoever.
Lloyd held out his newly acquired object proudly.
"Is that gold?" I asked incredulously as he brushed dirt off of the precious metal that he had just summoned. It was big enough to fit snugly in his palm.
"Yep," he said. He handed it to me. "A gift."
"I- what?" I exclaimed, startled, as I stared at the heavy hunk of metal in my hand. "I can't take this! It must be- Lloyd, put this back in the ground!"
Lloyd pouted. "Why? Don't you like it?"
I stared at him with bulging eyes. I glanced at the gold and back up at him again.
"I- of course I do, but-"
"Perfect," he beamed brightly, overjoyed. "I like getting you gifts. You deserve everything in the world."
"But the economy, Lloyd-"
"Since when did you care about the economy?" he asked, confused. "I thought you were a history major."

I opened my mouth to retort before finding myself unable to actually argue his point. Why did I care about the economy? I'm a broke university student. The only thing I care about is getting assignments in on time and Lloyd (mainly the latter).
"Fair enough," I sighed, relenting to his charms as I leant back against his chest. I cradled the rock of gold with a troubled frown while Lloyd grinned in triumph.
A few minutes of our parents laughing over cooking dinner later, it was time for Uchū to make his grand entrance. Lloyd lit the fire bowl alight with a finger to the marble rim, which then crackled with electricity and turned a startling shade of green.
Dad clutched my hand. I glanced up at him.
"He's not a zombie, papa."
"You don't know that," he whimpered.
"Uh. Yes, actually. Yes, I do."
Uchū emerged from the green fire like a dove from snow, in which meant that he stumbled from the altar while flapping his arms for balance.
"Family," Uchū greeted after throwing himself upright and feigning collectiveness. His green eyes found my parents, but he wasn't surprised. I don't think Uchū could ever be surprised. Maybe.
"Hello, father-" Garmadon began, but was ultimately pushed aside when Uchū rushed forward.

"Ah, new friends!" the first spinjitzu exclaimed merrily. "You must be Y/n's parents. It's wonderful to meet you."
My mother breathed a strangled exhale.
"This is a wonderful day," Uchū announced with a smile. "You have raised a very special daughter."
Lloyd nudged me with his elbow. I rolled my eyes.
"I- it's an honour to meet you," mum stammered. "Uh, I mean, in person."
Uchū smiled brightly.
"The honour is all mine!" he said before swooping my mother and father into a group hug. Dad was still clearly wary. When Uchū stepped back, he immediately grabbed my mother's chin and peered at her face in scrutiny. "You were the parent with the lineage of power, correct?"
Mum could only wordlessly nod, still taken aback by the lack of personal space. I should've warned them about that.
"So intriguing," Uchū sighed forlornly as he released her face. "There are very few questions in this world that I don't know the answer to, yet Y/n's powers are the biggest mystery."
"Ah, yes," Lloyd murmured into my ear. "My girlfriend, the local cryptid."
I snorted. "Shut up."

"You keep bringing me more family members to meet," Uchū said joyously. "Who's it going to be next, hmm? My great-granddaughter?"
"Uh- aha- not for another decade, at least," Jamie announced firmly, finally getting over his stage fright. Uchū seemed unswayed, amusedly smiling.
"Sure, yes," he answered with a nod that made me immediately suspicious. The subject was changed before I could ponder more about it.
While Uchū caught up with his sons, I helped Miskao and my parents set up dinner. Uchū apparently had a thing for modern-day dishes, which wasn't something I would've guessed from last year.
I glanced back at the three really old men and noticed their matching, trouble expressions as they spoke lowly within their little father-sons huddle. My gaze jumped to Lloyd, who'd also noticed them and was watching with a scrutinising stare reminiscent of Uchū's, but he could only shrug in return. They were speaking quietly enough to surpass even his super hearing.
"What do you think they're talking about?" I asked Lloyd as we set out the plates on the small folding table that Benedict carried in his claws. He cluelessly shrugged.
"Probably something important that involves us," he sighed. "The usual."
"The usual," I echoed.

"Calzones!" the first spinjitzu master cheered as he caught sight of the pastry pizza pies and eagerly swept the bottom of his robes aside to allow him to sit. "I've always wanted to try one of these!"
After small talk was out of the way and our dinner half-way eaten, I spoke up about the books.
"And when we get them, we'll destroy the books," I announced to the table between bites of my calzone. "That way their secrets can't harm any of the elemental masters."
"No, no," Uchū interrupted with a raised hand. "Be as it may, you mustn't destroy what history has let us preserve."
"But it's dangerous," I insisted. "Who knows what someone will do with that kind of information?"
"Your want to protect our family is a fine and admirable quality, Y/n, but you still should not destroy those books," Uchū reiterated kindly. "Let the Library of Domu take them in. They hold much more artefacts of similar statue in their storages, away from the public's eye. Shouldn't you worry more about the people who tried to attack you in Nom?"

"What?!" Lloyd exclaimed, whipping around to face me with a startled look.
"Attack?!" my father echoed. Lloyd's parents shared an apprehensive look and my heart simultaneously kicked up ten notches and came to a complete stop.
"U- um," I began, cheeks flushed as all the attention turned to me for a different reason. I couldn't find the words to un-dig my own grave. "I- uh-"
"When were you going to tell me this?" Lloyd blazed. "Where was Ambrose? He's supposed to protect you!"
"It's fine! I was fine," I insisted to my audience of concerned individuals. My cheeks grew warmer and I sheepishly scratched at my temple. "... the phantom ninja helped me."
"The who?" my mother asked. I meekly tangled my fingers together.
"A girl... who's a ninja... who helped me," I elaborated nervously. "I didn't even get a scratch, I promise."
"That's besides the point," Lloyd pressed anxiously. "Why wasn't Ambrose with you? Were you alone when they attacked?"
"Yeah. He was..." I thought back to the evening where shit hit the fan and all of my new friends turned to brief enemies. I grimaced. "... indisposed at the time."

Lloyd dropped his head back with an annoyed growl.
"Don't be angry with him," I jumped in to defend my friend. "Please, it was- it was weird circumstances."
"Do you realise how much danger you were in?" he asked with a strained voice. "You could've been abducted, Y/n! Or worse! You can't be by yourself until Axon and his men are gone."
"I'm sorry," I whispered guiltily. "You're right, I'm sorry." I really didn't fancy being dead.
Lloyd's stressed expression crumpled at the apologetic look on my face. He lifted a hand to caress my cheek, only to pause when my father made an abrupt and obvious clearing of his throat. It was almost enough to make me smile in amusement.
"Tell me more about this 'phantom ninja,'" Wu requested, so with Lloyd snaking his arms around my own in a affectionate-sort-of-clinginess, I began telling them all everything I knew about Seliel Patel, including her tendency to stab-first-ask-questions-later policy the contrasted severely against the secret ninja force's ethics.

"Maybe we should consider asking her to help Ambrose in protecting Y/n while at university?" Misako asked. "Despite her moral code, she could be an extra set of hands and eyes to help Ambrose out."
Lloyd immediately liked the idea. I, however, had my reservations.
"It's not that I don't like Seliel, it's just that she's a little..." I paused to find the right word. "... explosive. Wild. She's not like any of the team or the monks. Besides, she might not even want to."
"There's no harm in asking," Lloyd said, squeezing his arms around my own. "And I don't care if she's a little wild or not, as long as it's keeping you safe."

I sighed. There was literally no way to discourage him.

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

"I like that one."

I eyed myself in the mirror with a distracted frown, brushing my palms over the front of the dress I was trying on. Seliel, Aisling and I were dress shopping for the ball that was just over a month away, but I was distracted by two very distinct things.
One; Seliel and I were meeting up with Lloyd in a couple of hours.
And two; Violet had been missing ever since we returned from the mid-semester break.
Now, Violet being M-I-A wasn't necessarily a new thing, but it had been almost a month since I last saw her. My texts were bouncing back and my calls yielded nothing but an automated message declaring that the number didn't exist.
To say I was wary by these turn of events (as predictable as they may have been in retrospect) was a vast understatement.
"Hey." A hand clicked in front of my eyes and I blinked, refocusing my attention and bringing my wandering brain back down to this petite pop-up boutique shop that the three of us were currently the only occupants of. Aside from the single staff member, of course, but they were busy being engrossed in their phone at the till.

"What?" I asked, turning back to the girl with the startling cerulean streak through her front lock of auburn hair. Her face was unimpressed and bored, but she still humoured Aisling by slipping into a black halter dress upon the girl's request. Said girl, who couldn't seem to take her eyes off of our resident secret ninja (of which she also didn't know).
"You're spacing," she noted coolly. "Why are you spacing? What are you thinking about?"
My gaze jumped to Aisling, who was continuously peeking looks at Seliel over the edge of her phone - unsubtly. I glanced back at Seliel and my brow furrowed further.
"Later."
She did nothing more to acknowledge my answer than by lifting a single eyebrow.
"Do you think that this one is okay?" I asked, turning back to our mission at hand - dress hunting. Aisling leapt to her feet upon my query and the navy blue empire dress she had on ruffled at the movement.
"Yes!" she almost yelled, grabbing my shoulders as we stared at the mirror - her more excited than I. "It fits you just right! And the colour is gorgeous."

I stared at my reflection with less enthusiasm than my fire-haired friend and continued to frown. While the princess shape certainly complimented my body type and the white material made my skin tone really pop, I couldn't help but be uninspired. I wasn't in the right head space to be shopping for dress clothes.
"I think that's the one," Aisling insisted. "You could easily dress it up with some silver heels but also dress it down with sneakers and a jacket if you want to go casual one day! It's versatile, don't you think?"
I mindlessly agreed and paid when the others bought their dresses.
We bade goodbye to Aisling and stayed to make sure she got to her hall safely. It was late evening and the campus was still crawling with students heading to and fro, though no parties were being held on a Thursday.
"Alright, I'll be right back," Seliel said as she walked me to my hall. "I just gotta get changed and make sure Vali's here. Meet me around the side of the building in ten."

I hadn't met Vali before, but if anything, they were more wild than Seliel. Their ninja gi armour were of similar design to Phantom's, except a Cheshire grin was crudely painted over the mouthpiece of their helmet.
"I'm Stryker," they greeted, holding out a hand for me to shake. I furrowed my brow in confusion.
"You're not Vali?" I asked. Stryker paused before shooting Seliel what I assumed was a glare - it was hidden by their helmet but their body language told me enough.
"I told you that my code name is STRYKER, SELIEL!"
Seliel only carelessly shrugged in return.
"She already knows about me," the ninja reminded nonchalantly. "May as well know about you. Okay, Y/n, what's your damage?"
"It's about Violet, my roommate," I murmured. "She's missing."
Seliel's arms dropped from their crossed position, troubled. The three of us began quickly making our way across the campus, hiding from and wandering students and teachers.
"Have you put out a missing person's report?" I shook my head in an answer and Seliel's frown deepened. "You should probably consider that, then. Do you have her number?"

"It says it doesn't exist," I whispered as a laughing group of boys walked past. After sending a quick glance around to make sure we weren't being watched, we quickly slipped inside the forest that lined the sports field. "I'm really worried."
Seliel turned her gaze back to the front with a worried bite of her lip. Vali remained silent. Stumbling through the forest in the dark was hard enough as is, but at least the bright moon broke through the canopy of trees.
"We'll ask the green ninja," she murmured as sticks and leaves crunched under our shoes. The springtime growth was barely starting to make its debut. I wordlessly agreed.
The moon, unobstructed from foliage, beamed down fiercely upon the hidden meadow where we had all decided to meet. Ambrose was already there, having been busy doing other stuff that evening.
Perfectly on time, Seliel and I had just arrived where Ambrose was standing when Bentley appeared over the tall tree tops and landed within the wheat. He surged forward and Seliel stiffened, only to tilt her head in confusion when the dragon began snuzzling his snout into my stomach with such gentle ferociousness that it had me in a fit of giggles.

Lloyd dropped to the ground with barely a brush of wheat and Bentley disappeared. He was staring at Seliel through his mask with a prying glare, looking her up and down and evaluating her worth. His calculating gaze turned to me and softened exponentially.
"Hi," I greeted with a bashful smile. He sighed in content.
"Hey," he breathed.
"Oh- oh, my god," Seliel suddenly burst, mouth agape and eyes wide. "Oh, my god, you're the boyfriend - holy shit. Okay. Alright. Wow. I'm... wow."
"No way!" Vali exclaimed. "Oh, man, this is like... making history, or something!"
"So, you're the boyfriend who taught her ninjitsu!" Seliel interpreted as she took a step towards Lloyd in bewilderment. "Oh, my god, it all makes sense now! Why else would somebody need this much protection?"
Lloyd's eyes crinkled in an awkward smile. He shared a wary look with Ambrose, who could only shrug in return. These two were my tag-alongs, not his.
He pulled his mask off and Vali almost punched Seliel in the face in surprised excitement.
"Lloyd fuckin' GARMADON?!" they shouted in exuberant disbelief. "Holy shit! Who woulda' guessed?!"

"I thought it was only fair, since I know Phantom's identity," Lloyd reasoned, ignoring the way Vali was circling him like an observing sculpture enthusiast at a museum with his gloved hand on his helmet's chin. "Let's get started, shall we?"
"Wait, wait," Seliel said as she slipped off her helmet and held up her hand. "I just gotta process this for a moment."
Vali took off their helmet too, revealing a dark complexion and a bright smile, with chin-length black hair shaved down on the right. A nose piercing glinted against the light of the moon.
"This is crazy!" they exclaimed with a bewildered laugh, capturing Lloyd's face between their hands. "How fuckin' ironic is this! Talk about a plot twist!"
Lloyd gingerly stepped back from Vali's hands with an awkward smile. He opened his mouth to continue the purpose of the meeting, but Seliel beat him to it.
"You're right, Y/n, he is sex machine."
Ambrose coughed in shock. Lloyd sent me a stunned, flustered look while I stared at Seliel's smug face in horror.
"I- I NEVER SAID THAT?????"

"Yes, you did," Seliel said with upmost sincerity. It clashed horrifically with the shit-eating glint in her brown eyes. "I distinctly remember. You also said that you wanted to ride his fac-"
I leapt to shove my hand over her mouth, face burning unprecedentedly hot.
"WHAT THE FUCK SHUT UP," I cried furiously. "Seliel, what the hell?"
Seliel laughed under my palm and the other two joined in. Lloyd was staring at the ground, face completely and irrefutably red, as was mine. She grabbed my wrist and pulled it away from her face with a delighted giggle.
"I'm sorry," Seliel gasped a laugh while I shimmered in embarrassed rage. "I just- your face!"
I flicked off her hand on my wrist and huffed, while my ears rang and felt as if they were on fire.
"Can we discuss what we're actually all here for already?" I grumbled.
"Sure, sure," Seliel chortled, wiping her eye. "Go ahead, Lloyd Garmadon the Green Ninja."
Lloyd eyed me with a wary look and I sent him one back in response - I did warn him that Seliel was controversial.

"Okay," Lloyd said with a clap of his hands, demanding attention with his team leader voice and aura. "Let's start at the beginning. There's this guy named Axon..."

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

"I still can't get over that your boyfriend is the green ninja who is also Lloyd Garmadon," Vali said as they strolled with me back to my hall.

Trailing behind us were Ambrose and Seliel, discussing plans and what-not. Vali's dark eyes regarded me and my silence.
"You're not happy," they gathered.
I sighed. No, not really. Lloyd couldn't even stay after the meeting, but that was only a fraction to the equation of the unappetising weight that hung heavy in my stomach.
"I'm just tired of being treated like I'm some princess in need of protecting," I murmured.
"But... you are," Vali said with furrowed brows. "Not the princess part, but you certainly need protecting from what I've heard. Not just anybody is the green ninja's girlfriend."
My shoulders sunk lower. The weight in my stomach doubled.
"I know," I sighed. "It just makes me feel useless."
"Hey," Vali said sternly. "There's nothing weak in needing help. Besides, Lloyd's just thorough. He knows what he's doing - and frankly, I don't blame him for assigning you bodyguards. That Axon guy's a total goober."
I cracked a smile.
Vali decided that changing the subject would get my mind off of things and began talking mindlessly about furbies. I pulled out my phone and tapped on my recent messages.

Me:
thank you for always protecting me
Delivered

🥺🛹💖:
i will always protect you. youre my world
Sent 11.46pm

I pressed my phone to my chest and smiled, flustered. How could I have gotten so lucky?
I could deal with anything as long as I had Lloyd, I decided. This Axon situation was nothing compared to the pay off of being loved by and loving Lloyd.
I was dropped off at my hall and bid farewells to my friends. Hannah, the hall mentor, was just passing by and I was suddenly struck with an idea.
"Hannah?" I asked, hurrying after the blonde girl. She turned at my call and sent a smile.
"Hey, Y/n," she greeted. "What's up?"
"Have you heard anything from Violet Thorn?" I asked worriedly, clutching my phone in both hands as the warm, fluffy feelings from before transformed into stifling concern. "She hasn't returned from the semester break and her phone number isn't working. Do you know anything?"
The hall monitor smiled in confusion and titled her head.
"Who's that?"
I faltered, staring back at Hannah in just as much confusion.
"She... she's my roommate," I said slowly. An innate sense of something wrong began to crawl up my innards. Hannah's gentle confusion hardened into sincere doubt. An icy chill slither down my back. My hands immediately grew clammy.

"We don't have a Violet Thorn in Gladys West Hall," Hannah replied with certainty. My chest was growing uncomfortably tight. "We never did."