TW: blood, fighting

🛹🥺💖
meet me at the park tomorrow morning at nine. lets talk.
Sent yesterday 7.43pm

Me:
okay

Delivered

I stared at the texts from the night before, nervously gnawing on my bottom lip. I was twenty minutes early. I hadn't slept a wink the night before - Naomi staying the night or no, Lloyd's drawings or no; it wouldn't have changed the outcome of my sudden, critical burst of anxiety-induced severe insomnia - worse than usual.
Placing my phone to the side, I inhaled deeply through my nose in a useless effort to settle my nerves. My stomach was rolling with knots and it felt as if my lungs had been bundled too tight in a blanket - each breath was heavy and thick and doing little to actually oxygenate my chest.
Drowning on dry land.
It was the height of spring. A Saturday morning and also Jay's birthday. A couple of parents were out with their kids. A few dogs chased frisbees thrown by teenagers. It was still cold from the lingering chill of the night, but the way the dew on the grass glittered gold in the sunlight was a sight worth the shiver that tumbled up my spine.
It was early and peaceful.
I was a ball of agitation.

I checked the time again. Only a minute had passed from when I last looked at my phone screen. The morning was dragging slow and languidly, unaware of my turmoil. Time waited for no one and apparently it ignored the impatient, too.
I felt a little guilty leaving Naomi alone at my own house aside from my parents, but she insisted that it was fine when I told her about the meeting Lloyd had set up. Besides, she'd been over enough times to consider my home as her own. She'd be fine.
I swallowed again, throat still like the desert - to absolutely nobody's surprise. I cursed myself for not bringing a water bottle but I couldn't find it in myself to get up from the bench closest to the entrance to purchase one - on the paranoid off-chance that Lloyd arrived and left while I was gone. And what if I bumped into trouble?
No, no. Kai was patrolling the area and keeping an eye on me in the park. Weird, because he told me that it was supposed to be Lloyd's shift. The green ninja wasn't there in the morning. His bed was empty.
I gnawed on my lips to distract myself, eyes following a ladybug's journey across the vast jungle of grass stems.
I tried not to think too hard about Lloyd's absence at his own home. About why he wasn't there.

I pulled out my phone again and caved, not caring whether I was still fifteen minutes early. So what if I was eager? Of course I'd be eager. It's Lloyd. We both want to sort this out just as much as the other, right?

Me:i'm hereDelivered

It'd be nice to fix us before Jay's party-turned-training session. Apparently my dad's present to Jay was letting the ninja absolutely decimate a handful of military captains in sword combat.
Did I say decimate? I meant teach. Teach a handful of military captions in sword combat.
Jay was excited, at least.
I counted the seconds as I stared at the sky. Maybe keeping an eye out for Bentley? How was Bentley? I hadn't seen him in three weeks. I missed the dragon. He was so much more than an elemental beast, so much more than a pet. It was crazy that Lloyd was calling him an it when we first met. He was so much more sentient than to be reduced to an it.
Seemed that Lloyd quickly understood that, too.
Was he still having trouble with Bentley? He hadn't ran off again, but had Lloyd even summoned him since his little trip to see me in the ungodly hours of the morning? I hadn't been keeping up with the ninja stan accounts on Twitter. I stopped using it when I found out about a negative, trending hashtag to expose the green ninja's fiancée - because that one interview he did a while back didn't fool anybody, apparently.

It was nine.

I shifted in my seat nervously as I waited, eyes scouring the park for the familiar messy blond hair that my hands were begging to run through once more. I itched to stand and pace but I kept myself seated, knee nervously bouncing as my anxiety spiked to the stratosphere.
Ten minutes passed.
Don't ring him don't ring him don't ring him.
Do not seem desperate.

I rang him.
Voicemail.

There were indents in my bottom lip from how hard I was chomping down, breaths growing short and panicky. He- he wouldn't stand me up, right? Not when Lloyd himself organised this. It wasn't like him but-
But where was he?
My eyes stung as the clock on my phone reached nine-thirty.
Did he bring me here just to make a fool out of me? Was he hiding in the shadows and laughing at my heartbroken expression? Snickering at how wrapped around his finger I still was? Then why did he drop the drawings off at my house?
Was it a parting gift?
There was one thing I knew about Lloyd. He's punctual. If he ran into trouble, he'd have no qualms in letting me know, so...
So what's going on?

I sat at that park bench for another hour. My hands shook before I clenched them into fists and dug them into my thighs. I felt played. Like I'd been made a fool of. I'd rung twice more, both going straight to voicemail. Texts were unanswered.
I stood. I'd been waiting for an hour and a half and he clearly wasn't going to show. I picked up my pride and brushed down my tears, shoving my phone into my pocket and making my way back home. Feeling achy and hollow as I left the park and walked down the streets.
My phone rang and I my heart leapt up into my mouth as I scrambled to catch it before it ended. Maybe it was Lloyd? Maybe he had a viable excuse? Okay, Y/n, cool and calm. Have some dignity.
Kai's contact stared back up at me. My shoulders dropped.
"Hey," I answered quietly, glancing up to the rooftops and spotting a hint of red as the ninja kept pace.
"What's going on?"

My eyes dropped to the cracked sidewalk, blurring with tears. I sniffed them back.
"He didn't show."
There was a brief hit of silence.
"He what?" Kai said incredulously. "He didn't show up? What the hell is wrong with him?! Did he at least tell you why?"
"No," I mumbled, turning into my street. "I've called and texted. There's been nothing. I... I think he stood me up, or- or forgot?"
"He doesn't forget things like this, Y/n," Kai snapped before ending the call as he landed beside me when I reached into my pocket to grab my keys. Naomi had to leave already, something about her little brother having a stomach bug while her parents had some non-refundable tickets to this fancy convention or whatever. "There's something up with him."
"It's just not like Lloyd," I mumbled, unlocking the door and letting the ninja inside. Kai pulled off his hood with a scowl. "I d- I don't understand what's going on with him. I'm trying so hard to fix things b- but it's still not enough. Am- am I not enough-?"
"Don't say that," Kai said, words snapping but voice gentle. I collapsed back onto the couch. "This has to just be some big misunderstanding."

"But how could he forget something like this?" I stressed, voice growing thin as I stared at the ceiling. "He's not one to forget things, a- and he'd tell me if he couldn't make it, so-"
With a cry, I dropped myself forward and squeezed my legs, burying my face into my knees.
"I'm so confused, Kai," I whimpered, clenching my eyes shut. He took a seat beside me with a heavy sigh. "It's been going on for so long. I just want to know where I'm standing with him."
"Kid, usually I know what's going on with him - but even this... Lloyd's just... I don't know," Kai confessed. I turned my head to stare up at him, resting my cheek on my thighs. "He used to be so predictable. Everything was the same routine but now it's like- I can't even pick what he's going to do tomorrow. It used to be just school, then training, then patrol. Maybe some big villain would show up and we get a little excitement. Now, he could be halfway across Ninjago tomorrow afternoon!"

I sniffed, eyes dropping to the carpet.
"When we talked on Monday after I got pushed into the pool, it felt like everything was back to normal," I murmured. My hands tightened in frustration. "And then we started talking about his dad and Lloyd brought up the fight again and- and he wouldn't even be within five meters of me for the rest of the week. Couldn't even look at me. Why do I always mess things up?"
"You don't mess things up," Kai murmured, grabbing my shoulders and gently pulling me into a hug. "Everyone has days where things go wrong. Making mistakes is part of being human - you've got to stop pressuring yourself into being perfect."
I sunk into his chest with an unconvinced frown. He was a walking heater. Kai smelt like burning wood and dry forests and bonfires.
He didn't smell as nice as Lloyd.
"It's prom next weekend," I murmured, changing the subject. "Did you ask Skylor?"
"I did," Kai replied, hands rubbing circles on my shoulder. "She did not enjoy my love ballad in the middle of the street."
I snorted. "Please tell me you didn't."
"I did."
"You hopeless romantic," I snickered with a shake of my head. Kai gave a small chuckle before shrugging.
"Where's the fun in not being one?"

I smiled forlornly, gaze jumping to the ceiling as I shifted in Kai's brotherly hold.
"It's going to be my last prom," I murmured, staring at one of the lights. The silver rim glinted in the shrouded light. "And when I finally get a boyfriend, he's gone by the time the dance comes around."
"Meh," Kai shrugged. "Prom's overrated."
My eyes shot to him in confusion. I poked his forehead.
"Are you really Kai Smith?" I asked and he caught my wrist with a grin. "When did you get swapped out for a doppelgänger?"
"What? It is," he reiterated nonchalantly. I sat up and sent him a look.
"Kai, you literally asked your girlfriend to prom by performing a ballad in the street," I stressed. "You made us spend hours trying on dresses - you're the one who made us match!"
He huffed a smile. My own grin faded away.
"I should take my dress back," I said quietly. He frowned.
"What? Why?"
"I only got it because you said it matched with Lloyd," I murmured, rubbing my arm. "What's the point?"

Kai grabbed my shoulders and sent me a hard stare. I jolted from the movement and caught his gaze, eyes wide.
"The point is that you look fantastic in that dress," he said sharply. "And if you really don't think you're going to go with Lloyd, then fuck it - wear it to taunt him."
"T- taunt him?" I questioned nervously. "But I don't wanna-"
"Maybe you should," Kai intercepted and I silenced. "It's gone on long enough. Show him what his stupidity is missing out on."
"I don't even look that good in it-"
Kai gave a shake of my shoulders. My words cut off before I could finish my sentence.
"Where the hell did your self esteem go?" he demanded. "Where's the cocky Y/n that knows she looks good in it? You're the one with the doppelgänger!"
I stared, puzzled. "Y- you think it looks good-?"
"Are you kidding me?" Kai laughed. "Why would I pick it out if it didn't look good on you? Lloyd will lose his mind when he sees you in that dress!"

Working my way out of his hold, I sent Kai a grateful, albeit sad smile. I cradled my knees as I sat back.
"Thanks, Kai," I said quietly. "But I don't really want to go to prom anymore."
"But it's our last one!" Kai tried, crestfallen at my change in attitude. "You won't even be alone. We'll all be going as a big group!"
"I'll just be miserable," I reasoned weakly. "I'll bring everyone else down. I don't want to ruin your guys' last prom."
"And what about your last prom?"
I dropped my gaze to the carpet.
"Spitfire," Kai said gently, placing a hand to my cheek and cradling it. I returned my attention back to him and his amber eyes that almost seemed to glow with determination and concern. "Don't let Lloyd take this experience away from you."
My face crumpled and the all too familiar stinging of my eyes returned with vengeance.
"But it's so hard," I whimpered, hands clutching my thighs. "It's so hard to pretend that I'm fine when I'm not."
Kai frowned in sympathy, brushing some hair from my face. I leant into his touch, finding myself a little bit internally jealous that Nya had such a caring brother.

"It's okay to not be okay," he said quietly. "Hell, I'm hardly okay all of the time."
"What do you do?" I asked, voice barely a whisper. "What do you do to make yourself feel better?"
Kai hummed in thought. I dropped my weight to cradle myself against the backrest, tears soaking the material of the couch.
"If it's something I can fix, I'll think of solutions and then act on them," Kai answered quietly. "If it's something I have no control over, I'll distract myself with something else and when I'm ready, I'll talk to someone about it... we kind of already talked. Do you wanna put on a movie? We can watch Iron maaaannn."
Not really. I didn't even want to watch Iron Man - but Kai's tempting smile was too encouraging and hopeful to ignore. He was trying so hard to help me; who would I be to push him away? Wasn't that partly the problem in the first place? Doubting, pushing people I love away?

"Sure," I said with a tight smile and a small nod. "We can watch a movie."

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

•• 2am, the previous morning ••

On the other side of Ninjago from Y/n's house, Lloyd Garmadon was having a crisis of his own.

It seemed that he and Bentley were finally on the same page again, as the pair had never flown quite so fast before. The ocean was nothing but a blur and the line between horizon and the dark, morning sky was barely visible. He'd be able to taste the salt in the air if it weren't for it rushing past him too fast to do so.
It was strange, really. A sadistic piece of irony that Lloyd was headed in a pace so desperate to the spot that his worst nightmares took place. The same place where death stared him in the face, where he watched helplessly as his own body attacked his team, where he failed as the green ninja.
The same place where his subconscious would twist memories with darker thoughts and imaginations. Nightmares which made him wake in a puddle of sweat and silent tears in the middle of the night.

His grandfather's tomb haunted him in many ways.

Lloyd's night terrors had gotten worse recently. He couldn't work out if it was because of the build up to the first prophetic dream he had just hours before or if it was because of an absence of a slumbering presence beside him. Of course, they never really stopped after his possession. In all actuality, his nightmares that he already had just got worse after Morro. Sure, they may have somewhat tapered off during the good months with Y/n, but that didn't stop them from slamming back into Lloyd's life with a pact to make up for lost time.
He didn't have his rock to lean on anymore.
Pushing all that to the back of his head, Lloyd focused on the here and now - the chilly, dark morning air that pierced him so. The absolute lack of lethargy. His senses were as sharp and focused at four in the morning as if it were the middle of the day and working on five cups of coffee.
The fly to the tomb was long; much too long. With each second, each flap of Bentley's wings, Lloyd's anxiety swelled a mile. By the time the sun peeked over the ends of the earth and the rock became a peck in the distance, he was sure that the city of Ninjago could see the ball of nerves and panic that originated from him.

He tried to not let it get the better of him. Breathe in and out. In and out. The stinging air kept his mind from wandering too far off from the course that had him directed to his destination. It slowly grew in size as the pair approached, framed by the pink sunrise that canvased the ocean's surface in an array of pretty colours. He didn't have the heart or the time to admire the breathtaking view - but he did find himself briefly acknowledging that Y/n would've loved it.
Finally, the rock that held the entrance to the tomb towered above Lloyd - half crumbled from the nuclear explosion that was the green ninja himself, all those months ago. He pushed back the urge to stall or convince himself out of it and instead landed on the ground, Bentley disappearing with a burst from behind.

The entrance was dark and mountainous.

Suppressing a chilled shiver, Lloyd clenched his eyes shut and held his breath. Red flags and warning alarms blared in his brain, but he forced his feet to stay rooted to the rock beneath his jika tabis. It felt so wrong to be there. Every part of him screamed to turn back it. That it wasn't worth it.
He opened his eyes and stared into the darkness.
But it was worth it.
Releasing his breath in a shaky tremble, Lloyd held out a hand and summoned a small, green fire. It flickered above his palm, licking the sides of the entrance in a flickering emerald haze and it held there while his knees locked into place.
Fear had him frozen still.
Lloyd gritted his teeth before forcing himself forward and manually moving a foot to step inside. He gained a stilted pace, jerky and hurried and heart rapidly beating in his ears as he eyed the river that cut through the cavern floor with a wary gaze. He passed the tombstone and Uchū's resting place - void of the realm crystal, which had been transported to Cyrus Borg's high security stronghold with Hiroshi's Labyrinth.

Lloyd's teeth chattered out of fear and the frigid temperature that had him wishing he brought a coat. His hastily thrown-together outfit did little to warm him.
Somehow, venturing into the tomb was worse than the first time. Perhaps because this time he was truly, really alone. Home was a four hour flight back. Everyone was a four hour flight back. But as much as it pained him to be walking through the very place that plagued his sleep, Lloyd knew that it must be done.
He reached the top of the slope and send one, pained look down at the cavern. He could almost see it playing out before him. The team, huddled there. Morro with his hand around Lloyd's throat as he teetered over the edge of the small cliff.
He had never felt so useless before. He never wanted to feel that again.
Lloyd's green eyes lifted from the view to the ice ceiling, finding the hole that the team had once made to hack their way through to get to the crystal first. A rush of energy and a brief hit of airjitzu, and he was up to the next level. The ice maze. His true goal, his rightful destination.

His grandfather's tomb may not be his favourite place, but one thing he was certain of;
He was not going to fuck up another prophecy.
Even so, doubt gnawed at him. What if it did mess up? What would he do? And if he did screw it up, how could he tell Y/n?
If their kid was gone before they even existed-
What if the kid never...
No. No, don't think like that. Everything will be fine. Lloyd will go to the cave, find the vision walls, make sure everything is as needs to be - and catch a curious glimpse of his future child, too. It'll be okay. It'll be right.
Besides, the first prophecy messed up and he still got Y/n, right? Granted, it hadn't been easy because of it, but they got there in the end. Sort of. Kind of.
So surely, the kid should be fine, Lloyd thought to himself as he slowly made his way towards the wall in front of him. Maybe the kid will just come late, too. Maybe they'll even come early, who knows? Marriage rings and a child. It almost seemed too good to be true.

With a hesitant step, Lloyd found himself staring back.
But it wasn't him. Not really. In a way; yes, it was Lloyd - but he looked completely unrecognisable. Grizzled and apathetic. Many scars marred his face and the stubble along his chin and jaw trailed up to his blond hair - which sat tangled and messy under a rice hat like his uncle's. Sensei robes hung halfheartedly and messily on his body. Scowl lines dug into his skin. His red eyes were cold. So, so cold. His fingers were ringless.
His future looked emotionless. It looked miserable and he was alone. His future was to be alone.
His world shattered around him.
"No," Lloyd whispered, an opening crevice wrenching wider into a bottomless abyss of panic and fear in his stomach. His red eyes began to sting with the onslaught of incoming tears. "N- no, please-"
Heart beating in his ears, he turned to face a different wall - only to be met with the same vision fate had planned for him.

"Please, no," Lloyd cried, stumbling along the walls that circled and caged and suffocated him. He was crowded by the cold truth. Everywhere he turned, he saw the same gnarled face of him but not him, Lloyd but it couldn't be Lloyd. It was a different person, a hard, brash and abrasive old man who'd lost everything.
"I don't WANT THIS!" he yelled and the force of it sent the cavern shivering. Ice cracked under his feet as he dropped to his knees and held his arms, whimpering as a feeling of hopeless misery consumed him whole - a different kind of poison, but a poison all the same.
"I- I don't want this," Lloyd whimpered, hands curling tight into the flesh of his arm under his sleeves. It hurt but he hardly noticed, he didn't have it in him to care.
His reflection stared back at him, red eyes without mercy.

Head rushing and racing, Lloyd's vision blurred and swam before him. He could barely understand what was happening but was all too aware of it at the same time - no kid, but possibly even worse; no Y/n.
Was this really it? Did everything get fucked up so poorly that there was no hope? Or did one of them just decide that it wasn't worth trying anymore? Which one of them stopped wanting to put the effort in to fix things? And what got them to that point? Was it all because - was it all because Lloyd got curious again?
Was it his fault?
He eavesdropped on Jay and Nya even when he knew he shouldn't have, and that caused it to screw up.
The kid disappeared before they even existed.
And it was his fault.

His worst fear had been realised.
With no one to blame but himself.

It was eleven in the morning by the time Lloyd got back home to the monastery, the flight from the tomb long and depressive and filled with many little breakdowns between an overarching mental shutdown. This was his new reality and he'd have to learn to live with it, whether he despised himself and everything around him for it or not. Except he totally did, so an 'or not' was already off of the table.
Ignoring his mother's worried call as he passed, Lloyd dragged his feet to his room. He was exhausted, mentally drained and his mind was as blank as a new sheet of paper. He didn't know what to do, how to handle this news.
How was he going to tell Y/n? Would she forgive him for this monumental screw up?
Was... was that why he was alone in the vision?
What if- what if he just never told her about the kid not being in the future glimpse anymore? She'd be none the wiser.
No... no, he couldn't do that to her. He couldn't live a lie as horrific as this. He had to tell her.
Lloyd dropped himself onto his bed, face mushed into the duvet with a grunt. A little, childish part of him was jealous - why did Y/n get to know about the kid without it screwing everything up? Why did it always have to be his fault?

His phone buzzed, having been left stranded on the bedside table since his excursion. Lloyd peeked one, red eye over the rolls of the duvet before giving a tired groan from the effort of grabbing it. He just wanted to sleep this all off, even though he knew that nightmares of the tomb would be hitting the backs of his eyelids as soon as they slid shut.
Lloyd turned the screen towards him. It was a text from Nya, asking where he was and that the training/Jay's birthday was starting shortly.
His breaths caught in horror when he read what was underneath.

(9) missed calls

"Shit," he said as he suddenly pulled himself upright and checked the time. His heart dropped right through to the centre of the earth and out of the other side. He was supposed to meet Y/n three hours ago and he totally forgot, too occupied with worries over the future vision.
Y/n sent many texts because of his absence, most of which were asking where he was. Each grew shorter and colder as the time stamps marched deeper into the morning. The last one had him gripping his phone hard enough to crack the screen.

sunshine baby ☀️
i'm done.
Sent 10.56am

"SHIT," Lloyd cursed again before pulling up her contact and pressing call. It rang. Rang and rang. Either she wasn't near her phone or ignoring it. He couldn't blame her for either - but fuck if it made his anxiety clench tight enough to suffocate him.
"No, no, no," Lloyd mumbled to himself, panic reaching exponential heights as he leapt from his bed and crashed through his door, racing down the hallway. He tried to call again, but this time it ended as soon as it began to dial.
"Lloyd?" Kai called, stepping out of his room just as the blond sprinted past. The fire master reached out and grabbed Lloyd's shoulder in an iron grip, shoving him to face each other. His face scrunched into a look of absolute fury, whereas Lloyd was drifting and distracted. "Where the fuck have you been?!"
"I- I can't talk-!" Lloyd rushed.
"This is the perfect time to talk!" Kai snapped, furious, and a small flame burst to life against his ankle. "Do you know how hurt Y/n is that you ditched her?! She feels played, dude! Do you think this is funny?!"

"No!" Lloyd replied, panicking. "I- I know I-"
"Where were you?!"
"At the tomb!"
"WHY THE HELL WERE YOU AT THE TOMB?!"
"I just had to check something!" he squeaked, trying to step away from Kai's unforgiving hold. "Let- let go-!"
"So that was more important than seeing her?" Kai snarled.
"Yes! I mean no! I mean-" Lloyd slurred his words before grabbing Kai's wrist and roughly yanking his hand from his shoulder. "I have to go, back off!"
"What's your problem, Lloyd?" Kai pressed, grabbing his wrist before he could escape. "What's going on with you-?"
"I said BACK OFF," Lloyd snarled, ripping Kai's hand off of his wrist and shoving the boy back. The fire master stumbled, staring at Lloyd with wide, amber eyes. They were stunned.
Then they got angry and a crack had Lloyd's head snapping back.

In retrospect, Lloyd should've handled this situation much better. He knew that Kai had a fierce passion and a downright disastrous sense of protection and devotion that flicked to attack mode as quick as Lloyd himself goes. He should've predicted how Kai would react, how he would retaliate after what seemed to be a clear invitation for a brawl.
But there was nothing going on in Lloyd's head that would've been of use. All he could think about was the fact that his kid had all but vanished from (eventual) existence and that he had to get to Y/n as quickly as possible to fix things. Every lesson Wu and his father taught him about being the leader, about pacifying when he could, about keeping a clear head, was thrown right out of the window long ago.
For all he knew, driven by nothing but pure instinct, was that he had to get to his Y/n, and Kai was the obstacle in the way.

Pain blossomed across his cheek, spreading like an ink and burning a splitting ache. Lloyd took no time to be surprised, no time to spit out the blood from where a fang had caught the inside of his cheek. After all, he was a fighting machine, the switch had been flicked, and this was a battle he was determined to win.
Swifter than light and not a breath after his own assault, Lloyd dug his fist into Kai's stomach. An attack so fast that the more experienced ninja didn't have time to avoid it. Kai coughed before retaliating, fists catching aflame as he growled.

"You've changed, Lloyd!" he snapped, swinging his fist towards Lloyd's face and sending him slipping backwards into the hallway from a near miss. The flame singed the end of his blond hair. "This stupid fight has been going on too long and we're all fucking sick of it!"
"What do you think I'm trying to do?!" Lloyd yelled, catching Kai's foot before it could slam into the side of his head. He elbowed the boy in the chest before shoving him back, sending him sprawling into the wall with a heavy thud. "I'm trying to fix things!"
"You have a real fucking funny way of fixing things!" Kai roared, launching into another attack. Lloyd diverted the first one but didn't see the second and a clenched fist was driven into his nose. "You stood her up!"
"I didn't-!"
"YOU DID-!"

"What the FUCK is going on here?"

Both boys halted, clashing fury caught and snared and briefly subdued as they heavily breathed. Standing in the hallway was Jamie, arms crossed and unimpressed by the sight of the two frazzled and adrenaline-crazed elemental masters. Lloyd felt warm blood pouring from his nose and it throbbed in such a way that he knew it was broken. Kai looked no better with a split lip and holding his stomach.
"I thought you ninja were supposed to be dignified," Y/n's dad noted coolly, raising a brow at Lloyd specifically. The green ninja felt himself wilt a little in shame. "Hurry up. Training's about to begin."
Lloyd wiped the blood from the top of his lip as he dutifully began trailing behind the Sargent major. He ignored the scathing, hateful glare Kai shot his way.
"Is Y/n here?" Lloyd asked quietly, wincing at a burn that marred his arm. He didn't even notice it in the heat of the battle.
"Yes," Jamie replied stiffly. "As much as she doesn't want to be. I'll give you one guess as to why."
Lloyd closed his eyes, guilt crashing through him viscerally. And now Jamie hated him, too.
Great.

It seemed that his day was just getting worse and worse.

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If it was up to me, I would've stayed in bed and cried.

Unfortunately, I had already promised dad that I'd help him and Jonesy out. I also promised Kai that I'd go to Jay's party - for the birthday boy's sake more so than anyone else's. It was a double promise, which meant that I had to go twice as much as before.
Kai left early after watching the movie that I barely paid attention to and after that, I stared blankly at the ceiling. Part of me wanted to scream at it but I lacked the motivation to muster the energy.
And, despite the internal whinging I subjected myself to when dad told me to get ready for the training session, I did so without audible complaint. Jonesy was to meet us there.
The drive there was quiet until he asked how the meeting with Lloyd went. I replied that it was more of a non-meeting before returning to silence.
Dad didn't say anything to my response, but I did see his fists clench around the steering wheel out of the corner of my eyes.

Jay swept me into an exuberant hug as soon as I slipped off my shoes at the monastery's entrance. I gave him his wrapped present before he tugged us down to the dojo, where some monks and captains in training from the military were helping the others set up.
"Hey, angel!" Jonesy chirped, pulling me into a hug. I returned it with as much gusto I could manage, which still wasn't very much. "Excited?"
"I am!" Jay piped up, interrupting as he all but bounced on the spot with a beaming grin. Some electric sparks dazzled throughout his messy auburn hair. "I'm excited!"
"I haven't seen Kai in a while," Garmadon murmured as he approached us. "Nor have I seen Lloyd at all, today."
My stomach did a disgraceful dip. A brief hit of blind rage sparked in my gut but outwardly, I remained passive.

"Jamie, would you mind looking for them? I'm still setting up."
"Sure thing," dad nodded before ruffling my hair and exiting the dojo. Jay bounded off to bug Nya with smooches and I couldn't stomach thinking of that so I turned to Garm with a practised smile, hoping he had a job for me purely so I could distract myself.
"Anything I can do to help?"
"Oh, yes please," the Sensei nodded as he guided me towards where Wu was conversing with Dimitri. "We're still setting up the lesson plan. We could use your opinion."
"Okay!" I said before Wu began going over the plan again once more now that I was in hearing range. I instinctively pulled out my phone to check the time before remembering that it had died. I needed to ask mum for a new charger - the spare one I had spent a solid hour looking for had all but disappeared.

"Your students were fighting in the hallway."
We all glanced up at my dad's return, tacked on with a disgruntled notation. My phone slipped from my hands in shock at the sight of Kai and Lloyd. They looked terrible - hair tussled and faces bloodied and limping guiltily into the dojo. Lloyd's nose was suspiciously crooked. Kai had the beginning of a black eye forming. They were fighting? But they never fought!
"What?" Misako asked, stunned expression hardening into a disappointed glare. "What were you two thinking?"
"Oh, my god," Nya whispered at the sheer severity of their injuries. Lloyd stared at me and it took a full ten seconds for me to drop my gaze, an aching sense of loneliness and betrayal returning with full force now that I could see his green eyes trained on me.
"We will discuss this later," Wu said gravely and both boys flinched at the edge to their sensei's tone. "For now, go and get cleaned up. Zane, Y/n. Would you mind?"

By the way Wu's shoulders were tense and the stressed crease between his brows deepened, it was clear that I didn't have a choice. I picked up my useless phone and shoved it back into my pocket before following Zane's lead quietly, ignoring the way Lloyd's eyes followed me. I almost felt bad for him and mad at them both for fighting (I had an educated guess as to what it was about) before remembering that I supposed to be mad at Lloyd for standing me up that morning. I didn't want an explanation from him right that second. I just wanted to be alone - a feat that's incredibly difficult considering the circumstances.
The four of us were tensely silent as we slipped into the med bay. I swooped in to help out Kai before Zane could, just to avoid being that close to Lloyd.

"What were you two fighting about?" Zane asked, voice calm and melodic and I tried to convince myself that I was as settled as he was. That still didn't stop my hands from shaking as I cleaned Kai's split lip with disinfectant and a cotton bud.
The three of us went rigid at the question. Zane, ever diligent, immediately picked up on the tense vibe.
"Ah," he said simply. "I see."
I swallowed, returning to my task and pretending that I didn't notice the little glance Lloyd sent me as Zane tended to his injuries. The silence made it difficult to breathe. Zane had to reset Lloyd's nose and I grimaced at the loud sound of it.
Fifteen minutes later and the boys were ready to go. We returned to the dojo only to be met with two new people I hadn't met before - a man with greying hair in oil-stained dungarees and a woman with mousy brown hair pulled back into a bun with a bomber jacket.

By the way they were fussing over Jay, it didn't take me long to work out who they were - it was Jay's parents.
"Oh, there you three are!" the man said in a chipper voice, smiling brighter than the sun itself. I could see where Jay got it from. "Huh- you four?"
Kai lifted his weight from my shoulders, straightening with a grimace.
"Hey, Mr and Mrs Walker," he greeted with his trademarked smirk. "This is Y/n."
"Hi," I waved with a small smile. The man took my hand and shook it vigorously.
"It's wonderful to meet you," Jay's dad commented and my smile grew a little more genuine. It was hard to be sullen around them and if their presence was offering me a break in my depression, I was going to take it. "I'm Ed and this is Edna. We're Jay's parents."
"It's lovely to meet you," I said, spirits lifting. "Jay's one of my best friends."
"AwWW," Jay gushed, launching at me for a hug. I squeaked and stumbled at the sudden weight. "Y/n!!!"

"Aren't you just the sweetest deary?" Edna coed while Jay dug his head into my neck with a delighted squeal. "Are you Kai's girlfriend?"
"She's mine."
Jay and I stilled at Lloyd's unmistakable declaration. A telling silence fell over the others (aside from the captains, who were all blissfully unaware of the drama - I was so jealous of their naivety) and Jay's parents shifted awkwardly. I stared, baffled - and frankly, a little insulted - at the side of Lloyd's face. This time it was him avoiding my gaze.
"Well," Dad said, clapping his hands and diverting the attention to him. "Let's get this training started, shall we?"
"Yeah!" Jay nodded, slipping from me with a firm nod.
"Okay," Garmadon said, requesting the audience of the room. I still didn't tear my glare away from the side of Lloyd's face. "Let's start with a demonstration."

"A word?" I hissed under my breath, knowing that Lloyd could hear me anyway. He bit his lip, steady gaze faltering in regret as I brushed past on the way out of the dojo. I didn't need to be able to hear him follow to know that he was.
Once we were a hefty distance away from the the others, I turned back to Lloyd with a stormy expression. I forced myself to not be easy on him because he looked like a kicked puppy with plasters and bandages stuck to his face. His softness wasn't getting him out of this one. I refused to be walked on any longer.
"Is this some kind of game to you?" I hissed, poking his chest as I rounded back on him. "Some sick joke against me? You played me this morning, made me look like an idiot - and you're still declaring that I'm yours?"
Lloyd set his jaw and dropped his gaze, red eyes flashing to existence while he held his tongue. It just stoked my irritation more.
"I have given you time," I seethed, bristling in anger. "I have given you space. I've stepped back and given you everything you asked for but this- this is ridiculous, Lloyd! I'm not yours to just come back to when you've had your fun toying with me. I've waited almost two months for you and it's cruel - if you think we can't be together anymore then fine, that's fine, but you need to tell me! I need to move on, I need to live my own life! I can't just trail after you like some lost puppy!"

"Are you done?" Lloyd muttered. I gritted my teeth and dug my nails into my palms.
"Yes, Lloyd. I am done," I snapped. "I'm so done with this."
His red eyes jumped to mine.
"That's not what I m-"
"That's the answer you get," I said sourly. "You standing me up was the last straw. I've put my neck out but what's the point if you don't even care?"
"Of course I care!"
"Then where's the effort!" I yelled, furiously shoving my sleeve over my wet eyes. "I can't do this alone, Lloyd!"
"It was your fault to begin with!" he pointed out.
"I know it was my fault!" I cried, balling my fists as a sob curled in my throat. "God, don't you think I've been kicking myself since it happened? Don't you think I've been hating myself for what I said? My life has been miserable!"
"So has mine! Can I talk, now?" Lloyd stressed.

"I've been waiting for you to talk to me for two months!" I shrilled in disbelief. "I've been trying to talk to you for two months, but every time I do, you just push me away! I can't do this anymore!"
Lloyd's snarl dropped. He stared at me, quiet, before his breaths picked up in speed.
"Wh- what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I'm done trying so hard," I said, voice cracking as I felt a suffocating weight of exhaustion crash through me. "I'm finished."