Chapter Text
EPILOGUE
THUNDER!
Lloyd woke up so fast he might've gotten whiplash.
"Quickly!" He heard someone shout beyond his doors.
' What's happening?'
Lloyd's instincts kicked in as he burst out of the room and into the courtyard. His footsteps drown as the wind picks up.
“Guys!” He shouts out. Everything was dark, he couldn't find anyone. He looks up as purple lightning flashes and illuminates a slim body.
The tall creature dominates over him, slithering like a snake and roaring like thunder. Its eyes glowed and the rain crashed loudly in the background.
For a long time, it stared at him.
His stomach dropped and the feeling seized his heart. The same feeling he gets when he fails to protect Ninjago.
Lloyd covers his ears as the enormous serpent-like creature lets out a wrenching roar.
' You can't defeat this and you can't protect them.'
He hears his own voice whispering in his mind as if all his fear, anxiety, and worries suddenly spoke to him.
“ YOU FAILED!"
He gasps and opens his eyes once more. This time he was greeted by the monastery.
Gone was the dark storm.
The loud thunders were replaced by the soft silence of the morning.
There were so many people, he noticed, all gathered around. Suddenly, it was bright, too bright . The sun was preventing Lloyd from seeing their faces.
He strides to the front, where all of them are watching. Were they grieving?
Each step he took felt tiring. Like he was walking underwater.
He blinked and he was met with his own reflection. This time it was tinted with a purple hue. His self reflected off of a crystal-like surface. 'There's something special about the crystal'
If Lloyd could focus enough, he swore he saw something behind him. A silhouette grew behind him—a figure with horns.
And as quickly as it came, his surroundings changed. Everything faded and there was nothing but pitch-black darkness.
"-That's just how the cookie crumbles…" a voice whispered. There were more voices, most of them incomprehensible.
"In order to defeat him, you must embrace-"
"Oni"
He felt his heart breaking again.
So much sadness…
" Don't you sense it? Can't you feel it?" the voice said.
"Something is coming," Lloyd found himself speaking.
He was talking with someone and yet he didn't know who.
His words left his mouth without control. "And I'm not ready,"
"This ends now,"
Lloyd gasped awake.
He lay there motionless as if he fell a thousand-foot drop and landed on his bed. His mind was spinning from the dream he just had. He quickly sat up and looked around, measuring whether he was still asleep or not. 'I really should talk to Master Wu about my dreams,' he thought. They were becoming more and more disturbing.
Lloyd moves to sit at the edge of his bed, remembering the events of the past days.
If it wasn't for the phantom pain in his abdomen, he would've thought the whole Time Temple fiasco was a dream.
It's still hard to grasp the idea of having alternative timelines.
Kai even joked on their way back that maybe there's a timeline where the Ninjas never had powers. Lloyd smiled at the thought. If that were the case, they probably would rely heavily on their vehicles or mechs or whatever technological weapon they have.
Zane had said that there are infinite alternate realities. No matter how long Lloyd mulled over the idea. It still was a lot to swallow.
'Somewhere out there, I failed to protect Ninjago,'
He rubbed his temples then dragged his hand across his face.
The Time Temple mission was only yesterday. He slept the whole late afternoon till late morning and yet he still felt pretty tired.
They didn't know what happened to Pythor, whether he got caught by the police or not. Letting him go was the right thing to do though. He had no other choice.
Lloyd stood up and stretched. He grabbed his newly washed gi and changed clothes.
Aside from the uninvited nightmare-dream-vision thing, It was a nice day. It was calm and peaceful. He basked in it as he strode to the kitchen.
"I see you're finally awake," Nya greeted as soon as he stepped in. She was the only one there. And it looks like she just finished her chore.
"Who knew jumping through timelines can be so tiring," Lloyd joked, striding to the cupboards. He opened the cabinet and rummaged inside.
He found the box he was looking for and grabbed it. It was suspiciously light.
Lloyd took a look inside and frowned.
"No cookies?" He whispered to himself. 'Who puts back an empty box?'
"I think Jay took the last plate." Nya supplied from behind, seeing Lloyd's disappointment.
Nya wiped the counter one last time and then disposed of the rag. She looked up and observed her young brother again. "How are you holding up?" She asked.
"Hmm?" Lloyd said distractedly as he looked around the cabinet, looking if there was another box.
"From what you told us, you've been through a lot in a few days," Nya added.
"I've been better," Lloyd admitted, subconsciously bringing his hand to touch his old stab wound. He stops rummaging through their kitchen and pauses to think.
He was about to turn around and leave to entertain himself with Prime Empire or something but then thought against it.
Nya saw his reluctance and waited in curiosity.
"Umm...I woke up from a nightmare or a vision...I don't know." He finally shared.
Nya blinked, she wasn't expecting that. "Wanna talk about it?" She offered.
Lloyd glanced at her, then back to the empty box in his hands. "Everything…" He sighs in frustration as the details of his dreams escape him. "I-it's so blurry."
"What's clear was what I felt. And I felt sad and angry ."
"Like I was losing someone or something," He ended.
Nya's gaze softened, "I may not know what your dreams meant, Lloyd, but I do know we'll do everything in our power not to lose anyone." she promised.
"Maybe talking to Master Wu would help,"
"Yeah,"
Maybe it was just his mind processing and reacting to the traumatic 'getting-stabbed' incident. Lloyd thought. He fiddled at the empty cookie box. ' But also, what if it wasn't.'
'I don't want to lose anyone. I won't be able to forgive myself.'
The voices he heard from his dream were familiar, yet he couldn't place who.
Nya must've noticed his anxiety.
“I’ll always be here , Lloyd.” She said kindly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We all will,"
Lloyd turned around and leaned as Nya pulled him into a hug. He rested his forehead on her shoulder, grateful for the support. Through everything that’s happened, Nya was always there for him, an older sister looking out for him.
He can’t imagine ever losing her .
Lloyd could feel his worries start to disappear. Perhaps he was just overthinking.
"MY WALL!"
Master Wu's voice echoed from outside.
Lloyd pulled back and they shared a curious look.
A smile made its way to Lloyd's face, "Any guess why Master Wu's yelling?" he asked, mood uplifting.
Nya shrugged, "Probably something Kai and Jay did."
Lloyd smiled at this, "Wanna check it out?"
Nya grinned in response, "You don't have to ask me twice,"
Both ninjas headed to the courtyard where another lesson awaited .
As long as we all stick together, everything’s gonna be okay.
…
..
.
.
..
…
A few months later…
"Okay," Pythor said unsurely as the bright multicolored smoke spilled into the atmosphere.
It's been months since the time travel vengestone plan failed. Luckily, they were able to hide the stones in the forest.
Now, Pythor was gathering the last of it.
Until the most unusual thing happened.
"I didn't know there'd be a light show." He said sarcastically, rolling his sharp red eyes.
Smoke bombs, he observed. But it wasn't lethal, it was only for show.
"Wherever there are criminals,"
A teal-robed figure jumps out of the pastel smoke.
"-wherever there are convicts,"
Pythor watched as 5 of them revealed themselves. They wear an unusual color. Teal, Fuschia, Orange, Pink, and Yellow.
"-wherever there are felons, you will find us!"
And they have a very long introduction.
"We are the New Ninja!-"
Pythor yawned mockingly, "-Are you guys done?" he cut off.
The teal one, who seems to be the leader, faltered for a second before shaking his head. He points his glowing blue blade at the serpent.
"You are under arrest, Pythor P. Chumsworth !"
"Hmm, persistent" Pythor commented, not really seeing the danger in the scenario.
"We never stopped looking." One of the 'new' ninjas replied, taking the comment as a question. "When the mayor asks, we deliver justice!" They boasted.
'The mayor,' Pythor thought in surprise. The mayor barely does anything for the city. Why now?
"How did you know I'd be here today?" Pythor asked curiously.
Surprisingly and foolishly, they answered. "We found that vengestone and planted a tracker. Then we placed it back so- OOF!" The orange one elbowed the Fuschia.
Pythor chuckled condescendingly, "Not very bright, are you?"
"Enough!" The teal one exclaimed. "You. Are. Under. Arrest."
"Yeah! Put your claws up and remain silent. I hope you enjoy your stay at Kryptarium Prison ."
"Hmmm," Pythor mused.
With many villains locked up behind the thick walls of the structure, maybe it wouldn't be too bad to be sent to Kryptarium Prison.
Perhaps he can gather more intel inside their walls.
I'll just have to wait for a call.
His scaled lips stretched up into a grin as he raised up his claws.
"Fine, boys, you've got me."
--
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In another life,...
Flesh turned to bones.
The dust settled and parted.
The Grundle vanished,
And there stood the boy,
“I’m...older,” he said with mixed emotions.
And Kai watched as everything clicked in place.
END
[BONUS] DELETED/UNUSED SCENES:
Chapter Eight
- Lloyd hallucination fight..? (Oni moment). In addition to hallucinations, Lloyd was initially going to have mood swings.
Chapter Ten
- Lloyd and Krux fight in the museum. I removed it because it kind of doesn't have much of a purpose.
- Kid Lloyd tells older Lloyd about his new friend, Harumi, during training on the Golden Peak.
Chapter Eleven
- Instead of Pythor's staff, the time blade was gonna be the one stabilizing the portal.
Epilogue
- Nya hides some cookies at the bottom cabinet and gives Lloyd some xD
- I was gonna include the first few dialogues of Lloyd from the 1st Core episode.
- Another villain introduced at the end. I didn't add that 'cause it will stray too far from canon.