It was strange making dinner without Jay's usual quips, Kai's hectic stirring and Zane's incredible ability to handle the chaos.

It was strange, but it was nice. For one, it was completely silent aside from the odd chirps of exotic parrots, the ceaseless, gentle waves and the quiet sounds of cooking. We didn't speak much, content to focus on our various little tasks.
Since it was a dish Mum and I made regularly, it was my job to make sure Lloyd knew what he was doing. I'd occasionally peek around his arm and give him a thumbs up when it was looking good. The green luminite crystal sat on the bench, glinting rainbows in the evening sunlight.

Twenty minutes later and our dinner was ready. We migrated to the deck to soak in the last of the dying rays and watched as they illuminated the island forest in a soft, aged gold. We leant with our backs against the mast and admired the view.
"It's so quiet," I murmured, just as a loud bird let out an obnoxious 'CWAAQ.' I nodded, staring at the trees as if I was staring directly at our little avian friend with such perfect comedic timing. "Thank you for that."
Lloyd scoffed a little laugh through his nose at my comment.
"Still quieter than Jay," he noted and I gasped in amused delight.
"I was just about to say that!"
He gave a low chuckle, scooping some more food into his mouth. Seagulls dotted the twilight sky.

"Have you picked what you want to study, yet?" Lloyd asked, placing his empty plate to the side and turning his attention to me. I sighed and stared in frustration at the pinky clouds.
"Not yet," I admitted, frowning. "I can't pick what I want to do. There's just so many options."
Lloyd tilted his head against the mast in consideration. He was about to hit me with the wonderful wisdom pertaining only to the Garmadon lineage.
"Well," he began, red eyes flittering between my own in seriousness. "What's your plan?"
I stared back at him.
"My what?" I asked.
"Your plan," Lloyd repeated. He shifted himself so he was totally facing me. "What do you want to do with your life? Goals. That kind of stuff."
I blinked, brows furrowing as I turned my gaze to the wood of the deck beneath us.
"I guess I don't really have one," I confessed with a shrug. Well, I did have a few goals in mind - but they all went topsy turvy when Lloyd came barreling into my life like a perfect storm. My priorities and wants adapted to the new life he presented me with. I glanced back up at him. "What are yours?"

Lloyd sighed in thought, releasing a long breath into the sea-salt air.
"I guess I have the luxury of having my life planned out for me," he said. "And I'm lucky in that the plans coincide with my morals, too. I don't feel like I'm being forced into something I don't want to do."
"Even if it feels like fate's using you as a puppet?" I asked quietly. Lloyd smiled something small.
"It's all in perspective," he reminded, bringing his hands up to allow a ball of energy burst into existence between us. The green light illuminated the night that had fallen around the Bounty. "While I am a soldier for fate, I like to think that I'm a soldier for the betterment of everything. For everyone's fates, including my family's."
My gaze softened, as did my heart. It turned to absolute mush.
"You're selfless," I noted gently. The swirling, swelling and shrinking green light played effortlessly against his face. He shrugged.

"I try to be the best person I can be," Lloyd said. "But I still make a lot of mistakes."
"Ah, well," I hummed with a grin. "You're only half human."
"Ha-ha," Lloyd said dryly before reaching across to flick my forehead. I clenched my eyes shut with a little giggle. "Alright, missy. We should get ready for bed."
"What?" I asked with a frown, reopening my eyes. I turned to where the sun had set just half an hour before. "But it's so early."
"Yep," Lloyd replied while standing after picking up our empty plates. "And we're waking up early, too."
My body gave a revolting shudder at the mere thought of it.
"But we're on holiday!" I whined, swiftly scrambling to my feet and following Lloyd. I hoped my puppy-dog eyes would work on him. He just covered my face with his hand.
"Llooooyyyd," I groaned from behind his palm.
"This isn't a holiday," he pointed out, pushing open the door to the kitchen with his shoulder. He removed his hand from my face and revealed my pout. "This is a hideaway. You've still got to train."

"Can't we train in the afternoon?" I complained, turning on the water for the dishes. Lloyd held them under the warm stream.
"We'll be training all day," he announced, thus crushing my hopes even more into the dirt. "Morning and afternoon, so no, no sleep-ins." And that was a complimentary stomp. I raised my eyes to the ceiling and prayed for some godly-grandfatherly mercy from Uchū.

He gave none. Figures.

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

"You know, when couples go on a romantic beach getaway, they usually have other things hidden in duffel bags."

Lloyd pulled an unamused look my way as he retrieved two wooden swords from a black duffel bag that had been put inside the Bounty's dojo.
"What?" I asked innocently, rocking my weight on my feet. "It's a fact."
It wasn't. What it was, was five-thirty in the morning. The sun hadn't even started peeking its rays over the Endless Ocean's horizon yet. The birds had yet to wake, and I envied them for it.
Lloyd had to all but drag me out of bed by my ankles at quarter to five and I beat him up with a pillow to wake myself. It was effective enough.
After a twenty minute meditation session (in which I just fell asleep again), we had breakfast and then finally - training time.
"Dang," I said as I peeked out of the porthole window. "It's still dark."

"Good," Lloyd said without much emotion. He dropped a sword into my arms before guiding me out of the dojo with a hand to the small of my back. I ignored the pleasant shiver that tumbled up my spine from his touch. "You need to learn to fight in low-viability settings."
"I can't even fight the way you're teaching me in normal-visibility settings," I grumbled, awkwardly holding the wooden handle as I clambered over the railing and onto the rock pier. "And now you want to take away my sight? Boo."
"Only one way to learn," Lloyd said with a nonchalant shrug. He lead the way down to the beach while rechecking the leather strap on the handle of his mock katana before handing it to me and exchanging it for the other. It was now my mock katana.
"First position," Lloyd ordered once we stopped in the middle between the shoreline and the forest. I sighed through my nose before shifting into what he wanted. He used the blunt tip of his sword to reposition my limbs into the correct spot and manoeuvred my weight into something more effective. I adapted to the press.

Sensei Lloyd is boring, I decided.

Lloyd strolled a circle in the dark, bare feet almost silent on the sand. If it were anybody else, I would've felt like vulnerable prey to a stalking predator, but this was Lloyd. And green ninja or not, Lloyd's just a huge dork.
"How are you feeling?" Lloyd asked.
"Stiff," I replied with a frown. My grip shifted on the shaft of the blade.
"I'd be surprised if you weren't," he said before stepping backwards. I'd learnt that this was his inaudible acceptance of what I offered - I got the first position correct.
"Second," Lloyd commanded and I obeyed. I stepped back on my right foot, swapping sides. The sword changed from in front of me to outstretched beside my chest. "Very good."
I tried not to look too pleased by his praise. He could tell, anyway, shown by the small smirk that pulled to life on his once stern expression.
"Third," Lloyd said. It went like that for another ten minutes, with Lloyd calling out positions and me trying my best to get them correct. He'd have to occasionally reposition me and it took everything in me to not crack a joke or do something stupid - this was training. Training's serious.

"Okay," Lloyd said after he was happy with my memorisation of the sword fighting positions. "Let's get you warmed up."
I wilted as I dropped the wooden sword into the sand. Warm ups usually involved a hard run - and running over sand would be even worse.
Lloyd kept to my pace as I jogged and stumbled through the sand. The birds had finally woken and filled the air with their sweet melodies, but I could barely hear them over my own heavy breaths.
"Ow," I gasped. "Ste- stepped on a shell. Ow. There's another one."
"You're going to use up all your energy talking," Lloyd pointed out, not even slightly out of breath. I sent him a squinted look.
"A- and deprive you of- of my humour?" I panted, throwing a grin his way. "That's n- not fair."
"Hilarious," Lloyd said.
"I know," I said with a smug smirk. I contemplated jumping or diverting to the left of a log that sat in my path. I found myself too tired to leap and went with the latter. "I'm v- very funny. I should be a- gack!"

My leg caught the uprooted end of the log and sent me sprawling face-first into the sand.
"A gack?" Lloyd asked, crouching beside me with a bemused smile. "Remind me what that is?"
"Stuff you," I groaned, spitting out sand as I hauled myself upright on shaky arms. "That hurt."
Lloyd chuckled, brushing some sand from my hair. "Are you okay?"
"M'hine," I slurred during my attempts of transferring grains of sand from my tongue onto my shirt. No shame.
"You're right," Lloyd agreed, rubbing his thumb over my nose to rid it of sand. My eyes caught red on my leg - great, and I'm bleeding too. Way to impress your ninja boyfriend, Y/n. "You are funny."
I glared. His smile widened, unabashed.
"That's why you don't talk when you're running," Lloyd pointed out while pulling me to my feet.
"You talk when you run all the time," I countered in a grumble. He shrugged.
"Yeah," Lloyd admitted, before a sly look crossed his ridiculously pretty face. "But I'm better than you."

"Uh, WOW," I exclaimed, expression pulled into one of amused shock. "Way to be egotistical, mr green eyes! You save the world with your big head?"
"I do, actually," Lloyd grinned. "And my clumsy girlfriend, too. Is your leg okay?"
I peeked down at the gash and pulled a mighty pout.
"No," I confessed, feigning a wince. "It's really sore. I should probably not do training and go back to bed to sleep it off."
Lloyd's green eyes, lidded in amused doubt, jumped from my pleading face to the tiny, unimpressive wound above my ankle. I pulled my expression further in an attempt to win him over with mere adorableness.
"Nice try," he said. I groaned. My attempts had failed me.
After washing out my gash in the shallow shore of the sea (which was a wonderful combination of both stinging and being freezing cold), we regrouped at the part of the beach by the bounty. I gave the sand an uneasy kick while Lloyd positioned himself a few meters away, wooden sword in hand.

"Ready?" Lloyd asked. I gripped the katana in my hand unsurely.
"I guess," I murmured, to which he raised a brow. "I mean yes."
Lloyd gave a nod before advancing, sword in front of him with the ease and poise of someone who's been sword fighting for decades despite his age. I was a bumbling baby in comparison.
"We'll start off slow," Lloyd announced, swinging his sword in a pace that made it almost too easy for me to block. "Just to get you used to the sand."
"'Kay," I murmured, going in for a slow attack to his side. It was deflected. "You ever fought someone on a beach before?"
"Only once, but the serpentine sure like to make trouble on the desert," Lloyd replied with a wry smile. "But those have declined rapidly since the proposal of the treaty."
Oh, dang. The treaty. With everything that's been going on over the past week, it'd completely slipped my mind. We were supposed to visit them on the upcoming Saturday, too - another meeting I'll have to forgo.

I missed Raptra. And, funnily enough, I missed Pythor, too. Even if he was a crusty asshole to Lloyd (but hey, people - er, snakes - change).
Actually, the main thing about Pythor that I missed was pissing him off, but it still counts-
"Pay attention!" Lloyd urged when the tip of his sword dug into my side. I yelped, stumbling aside from the force.
"Hey- ow!" I snapped, dropping a hand from my sword to place it against my sore waist. "You didn't need to hit me so hard!"
Lloyd sent me a pointed look, unaffected by my glare.
"You think Axon's gonna play nice because you asked him to?" he asked dryly. "You can't lose your focus, Y/n! What if we were training with real swords? What if you were in a real fight?"
Unable to find a counterpoint, I turned my heated stare to the sand. Lloyd sighed, bristle attitude softening into something more apologetic.
"I'm sorry," he said softly, replacing the hand over my waist with his own. "I wish I could be easier on you, but this world is so dangerous. If I can't protect you from it, then I have to-"
"I know," I mumbled, dropping my forehead against his collarbone. "I know. I'm sorry. I'm just being a wuss." I inhaled deeply before stepping back with a determined smile. "Alright, Sensei Lloyd. Where were we?"

Lloyd grinned, patting my cheek once before hoisting his sword up before me.
"I was kicking your ass."

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

I was going to be dead before sundown.

I kept my whinging behind clamped teeth as I followed Lloyd up the steep incline of the island's volcano. Sure, the view was spectacular, but the gargantuan drop to the ground was giving me vertigo and a sickness in the pit of my stomach that had my belly rolling.
I paused against the side of the mountain, heavy pants ripping through my throat. I kept my eyes on the blue of the distant ocean and forced myself to keep my gaze from drifting to the ground, all the way down below me.
Look, I'm not ashamed of my height of fear - I mean fear of heights - my father would make me clamber up and down the abseiling station five times before breakfast when I stayed at the military site. I'd challenge the older lads to speed matches just to be a show off (not that I ever won, but my pride wasn't as tenacious as my stubbornness).
However, that was with harnesses and rope. Not to mention the safety mats at the bottom and, in case of dire situations, a highly efficient staff of trained nurses and medical centre just a few klicks away from the abseil station.

Lloyd's training had me stuck to the side of a volcano with nothing more than the clothes on my body.

Volcanic rock, jagged and sharp and waiting to bite into the soft flesh of my hands, was not my friend. The hard, somewhat spiky stone drew out every wince and grimace I could muster as I clawed my way up Lloyd's invisible path he paved. I tried my best to place my hands and feet where he had placed his, while also keeping an eye on the rock to make sure it wouldn't crumble under my weight. And trying not to think about the sizeable gap of air between me and the forest floor.
It wasn't just physically exhausting, it was mentally draining.
Lloyd, I cried inside my head as I tried not to burst into tears just from how sore my hands and knees were. This is only the first day.
I thought I knew what I was getting into - but this was not it.
"You doing okay, sunshine?" Lloyd called from over his shoulder, glancing down at me to make sure I wasn't dead at the bottom of the cliff or something.
I cracked a weak smile in return. I was sure that if I opened my mouth to speak, my only sound would be wailing.

With a sucked inhale, I forced my trembling hands to edge my body up another inch of the volcano. It was pretty incredible how much the human body could handle. I really wished I wasn't realising just how much I could handle.
I paused with a groan, dropping my forehead against the rock. I had to keep breaks brief - if I stopped for too long, my muscles would start to stiffen up and I'd be screwed. Sure, if I was in actual peril, I could just call for Lloyd - but I didn't want to be in peril (I mean damn, who does, right?), I wanted to prove to Lloyd that I could handle myself, that I wasn't the same person I was a year ago.
I'd grown stronger, both mentally and physically. It was time to validate that both to myself and him.
With that extra self-encouragement, I forced myself to continue after Lloyd. I could feel his eyes more than once when he routinely checked on me, making sure I wasn't about to drop off like a fly. His constant surveillance was the only thing reassuring my background panics.

The sound of crumbling rock above had both my sight and heart shooting upwards. A bit of dirt and stone from underneath Lloyd's foot had given way with a direct course to my face.
"Y/n-" Lloyd called shortly just as I gasped in fear.
The rocks hit a shield and harmlessly tumbled to the side.
Lloyd stared down at me. I stared back, half-listening to the sound of the stones cracking against the volcanic rock miles below. I tried not to think about how those cracks could've just as easily been my skull.
"... sorry," Lloyd whispered, still frozen with one arm outstretched towards me. He seemed to have been caught off just before using his powers. Probably to save my head should I have had fallen.
"S'alright," I breathed, heart thundering in my ears. Thanks, powers. Now can you tell me how to properly use you?
"You okay?" Lloyd asked. I nodded. With one last, long surveying glance over me, he continued the climb up the side of the volcano. I gave a heart-steadying, heavy breath before following.

Lloyd reached the top before me, slipping over the lip with the grace and ease of a lion. His blond head poked back over the ridge to watch me slowly close the distance with ragged breathing.
I grabbed his outstretched hand and he hauled me up and over onto level ground. My legs couldn't even begin to hold my weight and I collapsed against Lloyd with a gurgled, ugly grunt. He was ready for it, though, and caught us both before we could go toppling over onto the unforgiving volcanic rock.
The climb had taken a good few hours to complete, and the sun was settling heavy in the afternoon sky. I didn't bother trying to keep my eyes open. Slumping against Lloyd seemed like a far better option.
"Well done," he murmured. "Do you feel accomplished?"
"I feel like m'gonna throw up," I moaned into the folds of his sweaty shirt. His hand reached up to drag along my hair and cup my cheek.
"Maybe I asked too much of you," he mumbled, though it was mainly to himself.
"M'gonna die," I groaned.
"You're not going to die."
"YesIam," I cried, trying to clutch at his shirt only to recoil my hand when it ached upon contact. "M'gonna die and s'your fault."
Lloyd huffed shortly in amusement before hoisting me up so my back was resting against his chest. My stomach gave a protesting twist and I blanched, scrunching my face at the ill sensation.

"Open your eyes," Lloyd whispered. I gave a grumbled whine from the back of my throat. His chuckle sounded like molten chocolate. "Open your eyes, sweetheart. Look at the view. You'll never see something like this again."
I paused, assessing the pros and cons of forcing my eyelids open. With a low sigh through my nose, I peeked through squinted lashes before giving a gasp and opening them further.
Islands in the distance dotted the rolling ocean, tinted a rosy orange from the deep afternoon that I hadn't noticed for the past twenty or so minutes while I climbed. Fluffy clouds speared across the sky like plucks of soft, watercoloured cotton and the setting sun sent dazzling rays across the world.
My gaze zeroed in on the surface of the ocean.
"Are those..." I leant my head forward and squinted my eyes. A delighted laugh followed. "Dolphins! I've never seen them in real life before!"
"Really?" Lloyd asked, surprised. I supposed he still wasn't used to how little I've seen of the world compared to how much he has. I had an educated guess that it was why he kept showing me new places - like the secret beach he took me to just a few weeks back, and now this island (even if it's just a boot camp in disguise).

Though I couldn't straighten my fingers because of how cramped they were from exertion, I still felt an overwhelming sensation of utmost gratitude fill me with warmth. I soaked into Lloyd and gave a relaxing sigh. Even the hard volcanic rock beneath us felt more forgiving.
"Thank you," I whispered, nuzzling the side of my face into his chest. My eyes were trained on the pod of dolphins that dipped and dove through the white-foamed sea caps.
"For what?" Lloyd asked with a naive snicker. "All I did was push you beyond your limits."
"You know what for," I sighed, closing my eyes and letting the enticing concoction made from the ocean breeze, the freshness of the forest, the grit of the dormant volcano and Lloyd's individual, unique scent fill my lungs. The air had never tasted quite as sweet as it did just then.
Or maybe I was just getting sappy in my exhaustion.
"I get to see so many amazing places because of what I do and who I am," Lloyd murmured, fingers subconsciously massaging into my biceps and relieving the ache. I melted further into his touch with a satisfied smile. "I want to share them all with you."

The adoring warmth within me doubled. If I had the energy, I'd lift his arm and hide my flustered blush behind it.
"You're the best," I whispered. Lloyd's reply was a soft kiss to my forehead. He didn't comment on the dried sweat. Thank god.
"Okay," he said, patting my shoulders. "Time to get up."
"What? No!" I complained, feeling my stiff body already beginning to shiver and clench painfully in anticipation of the climb down. "I take it back, you're not the best!"
Lloyd slid from beneath me and despite my protests, pulled me to my feet. I teetered unsteadily, face crunched in discomfort.
"We're not going down yet," Lloyd corrected with a beguiled smile at my desperate pout. "We're going in there."
Lloyd nodded his head to the side. My gaze followed the gesture until I noticed a slightly steaming lake in the crater of the volcano. Dark green bushes with ivory flowers bunched around the rim of the shore.

"Are you going to make me do laps?" I asked with a dry sob.
"No," Lloyd reassured with a laugh. "Good idea for next week, though."
I sent him a horrified expression. He tapped my nose with a bright, coy smile.
"It was a joke."
"Oh, thank god," I breathed in relief.
"This volcano is home to the flowers Wu uses for the Tea of Healing," Lloyd continued, leading me slowly down the crater edge and towards the shore. My legs felt like used elastic, all rubbery and deformed. "Its lake holds the same magical qualities the flowers have through the soil. It's like drinking a cup, but because you're not ingesting it, the healing doesn't give you the side effects."
I wanted to weep in delight. I could cry so much in relief that a new lake would join the crater.
"If it doesn't have the side effects, then why don't you guys just bottle the water?" I asked when the thought occurred to me. Lloyd caught me when my knee decided to give out.

"It doesn't work like that," he explained, guiding me to the rocky edge of the lake. "If the water is removed from contact with the soil, the potency of the magic slowly recedes. Then it's just water."
"Oh," I said, pulling my lips to the side in disappointment. The water, impossibly cyan in colour, lapped at the dark maroon shore. "That sucks. Magic stones, magic soil... this place is pretty impressive. What's the island called?"
"Mahō no Shima," Lloyd replied with a tight grin as he stared at the surface softly rippling in the afternoon breeze. I winced as I sat down to shove off my shoes. "Direct translation? Magic Isle."
I snorted. "That's lazy, Uchū."
Thunder rumbled distantly through the clear sky. Lloyd laughed at my surprised expression, sock paused under my heel.
"I think he's offended by your insult to his naming skills," he noted in great humour. My surprise faded into bemusement.
"So he should," I sniffed, kicking my sneaker off with my toes.
"What would you name it then, O' Great Naming Goddess?" Lloyd teased.

I bit the inside of my cheek as I thought for a moment.
"Lake Graham," I decided, promptly ridding my foot of my other shoe. Lloyd snorted.
"You two are one in the same," he sighed in amusement. He stood and I had to squint my eyes against the golden glint of the sun reflecting against his soft, blond hair. "Let's go."
I glanced down at my clothes. They were sport-based articles and absorbent, but the idea of getting them soaked still didn't entice me all that much.
"Like this?" I asked dubiously.
Lloyd shrugged as he began towards the shore. "Whatever you're comfortable with." And then he pulled off his shirt and left me choking on my breath.
"This is a war crime," I whispered hauntedly to myself as Lloyd nonchalantly wandered into the warm water. The steam curled against his bare back, muscles rolling under skin, blemished only by battle scars. Have mercy upon my soul. "This is a crime against war."
"Drama queen," Lloyd murmured, just loud enough for me to hear. I gasped in feigned outrage.
"I am NOT."

"Are too," Lloyd countered as he descended deeper into the lake. The water lapped at his shorts, then hemmed at his hips, then licked at his waist. My eyes watched it catch more of his body like a cat would a laser light - dilated and intense.
I caught Lloyd smirking as I stood, frozen at the edge of the shoreline. The healing water was now edging its way up his stomach, taking more and more of the large scar that crossed his torso. More steam slid around him, hiding him in misty curls of heat.
I'm pretty sure my face was hotter than the water.
I glanced down at my clothes, then at my hands which had still refused to uncurl. Blisters and dirty scratches riddled my skin. Not to mention the general discomfort my entire body was suffering from.
I inhaled through my nose and exhaled through my mouth. Wet clothes would have to be the sacrifice.

Wincing, I edged my way into the calm surf of the heated lake. Any tiny movement had me grimacing in pain, and the longer I took to procrastinate, the worse I was beginning to feel.
The gritty sand beneath my feet was certainly a far throw from the soft, golden dunes of the beaches miles below, but it was still more forgiving than the volcanic rock. The heat of the water almost had me melting as soon as I stepped my foot in.
Surely, this was heaven.
"It's so warm," I sighed, letting my eyes slide shut as I subconsciously drifted deeper and closer to Lloyd. The crater itself was about the size of two football stadiums and the lake was just a little less than that, but the steam concealed everything from sight. The lake was its own world, seperate from everything else.
"Nice, right?" Lloyd asked. "Let's have a look at your hands."
I slowly opened my eyes when his hands gently wound themselves around my wrists. Water cascaded from my palms as they rose above the surface.

"Your hands are so soft," Lloyd murmured, tracing the blisters with the most careful of touches. "They have no callouses to add protection. That's why you're blistering so easily."
I hummed, not really caring about what Lloyd was saying. I was too enraptured in the delicious, enticing warmth of the water. Even my injuries felt dull and distant. I was almost falling asleep.
Sleep.
God, that sounded so good. I should go to sleep! I let my eyes close again and drifted closer to Lloyd, finding a pillow in the place of his shoulder.
"Are you okay?" he asked, amused as I snuggled deeper into the crook of his neck. My reply was a wordless, blissful sigh.
"Thought you said 'no side effects,'" I murmured, eyelashes fluttering against his clavicle. The water lapped at my chest, bringing heavenly warmth with it. I would've thought that a cold shower might had been nicer, but now - my mind was made up for me.
"There isn't," Lloyd replied. "You're just exhausted."
Mmm. Yeah, that checks out. Lloyd began cupping water and drizzling the warmth over my head, combing out the sweat with his fingers. My eyes almost rolled into the back of my head.

I tried to raise my hand to do the same to him, but I found my arm not responding.
Dang. My own body wasn't listening to me. Blasphemy.
Still - everything felt so nice. And I was so comfortable and tired. I could sleep here for years without complaint, drifting in the healing lake of Mahō no Shima for eternity.
I must have actually fallen asleep, because the next time I opened my eyes, the sun was long gone and the stars dotted the sky.
The healing lake was possibly even more enchanting than before, reflecting the galaxies with unhindered clarity on the still surface. There was zero light pollution out in the middle of the Endless Sea, and the perfect view of space from our spot in the lake proved it.
"Sleeping beauty wakes," Lloyd noted. We had moved into the shallows, where he was sitting and I was slumped against him. "How was your rest?"

"Best I've ever had," I yawned. I gave my hands an experimental clench and felt silly for being surprised at the absolute lack of pain. Even the near-constant nagging ache in my abs and biceps that I've endured since I started training had completely disappeared.
Yeah. Okay. This was my new favourite place.
"You could've woken me up," I continued, sitting up from Lloyd. I felt as fresh as a newborn baby. "Aren't you hungry?"
"A little," Lloyd admitted with a shrug. "But I couldn't bring myself to wake you. You haven't slept so soundly before. You looked so cute."
"Aww," I coed, holding my uninjured hands to my chest. "That's so sweet. I love you."
Lloyd smiled and ruffled a hand through my damp hair.
"Love you too, sunshine," he said. Lloyd stood and summoned Bentley for the flight back to the bounty. Thank god. I could not handle climbing back down the volcano.

"Hey, buddy," I said with a small smile. Bentley shoved his snout into my hands and let out a rumbling purr, wispy whiskers vibrating. After we each clambered onto the saddle, Bentley spread his wings and eased into a gentle soar across the island to the beach where we had docked.
"How was your first day of island training?" Lloyd asked as we strolled back to the ship across the soft sand. Our hands swung between us. I wasn't even bothered by my wet clothes.
"I'm going to perish before the week is up," I announced. "Unless, of course, we get to go to that lake everyday."
"Nope," Lloyd declined with a shake of his head. "Can't get you relying on that. You've got to learn to deal with the ache, otherwise you'll be rendered useless in the middle of a mission because you don't know how to handle it."
My hopes were totally crushed.

"Ah," I said with a frown. "Boo."

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

"Use the sand to your advantage. It's got more give than grass or concrete, so how would you adjust your fighting?"

"Uh..." I said, before swiftly bending down to scoop up some sand in the middle of a roll and flicked it towards him. "Like this?"
Lloyd turned away before the sand could hit his face.
"No, not like that," he chided, turning back and advancing with his sword once more. I squeaked, bringing up my sword to stop his own weapon's swift, arcing descent. "The military taught you to fight dirty. I'm teaching you to fight effectively."
A few days had passed since we arrived on the island, and a pattern was beginning to emerge.
Lloyd would force me out of bed at quarter to five in the mornings (I started ignoring him, so he's resulted in just shoving me onto the floor. To be fair, it is more effective). This would be followed with a twenty minute mediation session on the deck and then breakfast.
After that, morning trainings would begin. It'd start with going over the essential sword-fighting positions, followed by a jog through the sand. I was finally starting to get used to running over the unstable surface.
Then it was time for combat training. Mostly with swords. This was when Sensei Lloyd was at its peak.

Afternoon trainings varied. The day before, we played hide and seek through the forest as a fun way to get me sneaking and hiding like how the ninja would in a stakeout or pursue. Lloyd caught me within two minutes every time.
The one time that Lloyd hid, he was so good at it that I give up searching and instead sat on the forest floor and watched a worm wiggle across the ground.
"I was taught to fight using my environments to my advantage," I countered Lloyd with a grunt, pushing back against his sword.
"And yet-" Lloyd said before I felt my world blur and my back hit the sand. The wooden tip of the sword touched my throat. "You're at my mercy. What's this, seven to zero?"
My face twisted with disappointed fury. Lloyd straightened and held out a hand. I dutifully slipped my hand into his and he lifted me to my feet, expression sympathetic.
"You're progressing well," Lloyd complimented softly when he noticed the frustration on my face. "It just takes practise and building up your instinct."
"My instincts suck," I grumbled.
"No, they don't," he said with a small smile, brushing some sand from my hair. "You were taught differently, so they're tuned to a different frequency than the one we're aiming for."

I still mustn't have looked convinced, because Lloyd stepped forward and caught my cheeks in a gentle hold.
"Hey," he said. I stared back, on the edge of defeat. "You're doing better than when I first started training."
I sighed through my nose.
"You were ten when you first started, Lloyd," I reminded.
"Age is just a number," he shrugged. His expression turned stern. "Seriously, sunshine. I know it doesn't feel like it, but you're progressing so well. I'm really proud of you."
A smile tugged at my lips. I urged it down.
"You're just saying that."
"It's the truth," Lloyd insisted. I pursed my lips in doubt before caving and giving him a grin. My hands snagged the front of his shirt and brought him more towards me, closing the gap.
"How do you always know what to say?" I asked, voice quiet and warm. The wooden swords were discarded on the sand, forgotten for the time being. "You always know how to make me feel better."

Lloyd shrugged.
"It's the team leader in me," he replied with a teasing grin. I rolled my eyes.
"Of course," I conceded. "It's totally not because of your senseis or anything."
"No way," Lloyd said, continuing the joke with glee. "I learnt this all on my own. I'm just that awesome."
I snickered, shaking my head at the egotistically proud look on his face. It gave way to a genuinely amused expression.
"You're so funny," I noted dryly.
"Absolutely hilarious," Lloyd agreed, tracing one hand down my jaw to cup my chin. I eagerly leant forward for the kiss he was just about to ask for.
Lloyd wasted no time in returning it, warm lips sliding against mine. My heart gave a massive leap in my chest before fluttering incoherently at the ever-exhilarating feeling of kissing Lloyd. It never not felt like the first time I had kissed him. In the back of my mind, I wondered if this intense reaction would ever cease. Would I ever get used to kissing Lloyd?

To answer my own question, I realised that I would never get used to the feeling - the soft push of his lips, the delectable warmth of his hands on me, the explosion of emotions that stormed throughout me like a tornado of butterflies. And that was just scraping the surface of the chain reaction that had me slipping into his endearment.
How long had it been since we kissed like this? Over two weeks, surely. We'd been so busy with training that I'd been so exhausted recently. I missed kissing Lloyd like this. Small pecks weren't always enough.
My thumb raised to catch his bottom lip and pull it down so I could deepen the kiss. Lloyd chuckled, inclining his head away. I chased after his lips in frustration.
"We're supposed to be training," he reminded in a hoarse whisper.
"Don't care," I replied, eyes catching sight of the glint of metal from his piercing. It drew me forward, begging me to kiss him again. I was more than happy to comply.

"You're evil," Lloyd groaned before reclaiming me in another heart-fluttering kiss that could render me completely numb to everything that wasn't Lloyd. The reaction was reverberating through my very bones, shivering across my nerves. It had my mind swaying, floating atop cloud nine.
His hands dropped to my waist and dragged me closer, tightening his grip over my skin just as he did as asked and opened his mouth into the kiss. The heat was unbearably addicting, swirling over me like intoxicating fog. It twisted in my gut and had me in a chokehold.
Lloyd parted, only to replace his lips at the curve of my jaw and drag a line of unbroken kisses down my neck. His small, unsheathed fangs touched my skin and my breath left me in a shuddering escape. My fingers curled through his blond hair.
He paused, teeth pressed against the skin of my shoulder. My eyes opened, confused by the sudden halt. Wait - it couldn't be over yet! It was just getting good. If anything, Lloyd's the evil one for stopping at a spot so cruel.
"I can't," he whispered, dropping his forehead against my shoulder. I faltered in surprise.
"What?"
"I... I can't lose control again," he murmured, and that was when I realised that he wasn't stopping just to be a tease. "You make me lose control. And out- out here, there's nobody else. No. No, we can't do anything like that here."

I stared at him, lips parted and stinging from the session that had been cut short so fast it gave me whiplash. I was stunned, working hard to comprehend it while my mushy brain tried to pick itself back together.
"I don't trust myself," Lloyd said into my silence.
"I trust you," I blurted, words unfiltered from my scrambled mind. His red eyes regarded me with a look that clearly showed that he didn't believe me, or that maybe he didn't want my unbridled faith.
"You shouldn't," he said quietly, stepping away. The space between us, though only a few steps, seemed far too vast. "Not after what I've already done."
It clicked.
"Is this about the bite?" I asked, subconsciously raising a hand to my shoulder. The new skin was shiny and obvious, making me recoil away from anything that didn't have sleeves.
But it wasn't as if I was ashamed or blamed Lloyd, I just didn't want to get asked questions that I couldn't answer without revealing Lloyd's instinct stuff. He didn't need other people knowing about that, too. It would just give more fuel to the fire of hating the son of Lord Garmadon.
"I told you that I'm fine," I continued. "I don't blame you."

"That doesn't make it okay!" Lloyd exclaimed, eyes distressed. "If I hurt you again-"
"You're not going to," I insisted, reaching out a hand. He stepped away again and my hand fell awkwardly.
"You don't know that," he recriminated, face twisted in conflict. "These instincts are- they're weird. And dangerous! I'm dangerous, so we should just - just focus on training."
I stared at him with sympathy. I knew more than most at just how much Lloyd was having trouble accepting whatever he was. And as much as I believed that he was right about the instincts stuff being weird and dangerous, I also knew that he's still Lloyd. He would never hurt me.
I wished I could do more to help him. He's got so much resting on his shoulders as the green ninja - let alone, being Lloyd Garmadon. He really didn't need to have to be asking about what he was, too. He didn't deserve the stress of wondering what the instincts might make him subconsciously do next.
The sooner we figure out what his true biology is, the faster Lloyd can learn about himself. Maybe then he'll finally start trusting himself.
But until then, I'll just continue having faith in him enough for the both of us.

Lloyd picked up my discarded wooden sword and held it out for me.
"Let's just continue with training," he muttered, expression clouded and troubled. I grabbed the handle and dropped it back on the sand.
"We're extending our break," I decided, stepping forward. He backed up.
"Y/n-" he choked. "We can't kiss, I'm sorry-"
"I don't want one," I said with a shake of my head. Lloyd paused in confusion and I took the chance to grab his hand before he could slip away again. I wrapped my arms around him and sighed through my nose.
He stiffened, but I stayed put, pressing my head into his chest. This always used to make me feel better. I hoped it would work for him, too.
He relaxed. Mission success.
"Sometimes you just need a hug," I whispered.
"... you do give good hugs," Lloyd admitted in a murmur. I giggled in a breath, holding him tighter before leaning back and assessing his expression. He used to be so much more guarded and despite the situation, I was overjoyed by his willingness to at least talk to me about what was bothering him. He was still new to it, after all.

"Feeling better?" I asked. Lloyd inhaled deeply, held it for a few seconds with his eyes closed, before releasing. Hugs are so much better than meditating, in my opinion.
"Yeah," he replied with a nod, green eyes opening and softening at me. "Thank you."
"Why don't we go for a walk?" I asked, and continued when Lloyd opened his mouth to shoot me down. "We can do hand-to-hand combat in the afternoon."
He pondered for a few seconds. His thumb brushed rhythmically on my lower back, a sure sign that he had left the small panic behind him.

"Okay," Lloyd agreed. "But it's going to be a race."
I groaned. Yeah, he was definitely feeling better. Sensei Lloyd was back in town.