Chapter 28: Answers

                                    

                                          
Harumi's POV
                          
     I couldn't deny that the scenario I had just experienced had left me in a state of shock.
                          
     It seemed like I had dreamed forever that one day maybe Lloyd could have been able to forgive me. What surprised me even more was that he hadn't only done that, but he'd also apologized for his own mistakes. He had stepped past his pride to try and make things better.
                          
     He wanted to make things better.
                          
     This time when my heart expanded, I didn't desperately try to suppress it. Perhaps these feelings were not going to ruin my life; perhaps they were just another step at being a good ally. Maybe they would lead to me finally becoming the good person Morro believed I could be.
                          
     Despite the somewhat touching moment we had next to the sunrise, however, Lloyd and I were back at odds before we ate breakfast. The darkening circles under his eyes were obvious signs that he had been lying when he said he got enough sleep. He seemed so distressed for some random reason that I knew it probably wasn't a good idea to let him do anything other than rest and recharge. He tried to argue that he could make the journey across the ocean, but I dismissed his protests enough where he finally realized that I wasn't going to let him fly back to Ninjago. Lloyd frowned at me, then turned to go find a nice spot to rest.
                          
     Allies had to look after each other... right?
                          
     While Lloyd mumbled something about overbearing people, I went back to reading the history book the temple had picked out for me. The book encompassed many interesting topics, starting with the First Spinjitzu Master before he created Ninjago. It went through the first battle with the Overlord, to his fight with the Oni assassins, to the creation of the Elemental Masters, to the history of the Elemental Houses. I mostly skimmed over the parts that talked about how nomads slowly grouped together and became societies. The Elemental Masters started to practice a bit of dominion over other people, but since the Elemental Masters were allied, Ninjago became one big country. The end of the book was in sight, since it had not been updated to the current times.
                          
     As much as my stubborn mind tried to dismiss what I'd read as a boring lecture, I found I was fascinated with the history of how Ninjago came to be. The history I learned in school talked of the Elemental Houses as powerful dictators who suppressed the people of Ninjago. Those books never mentioned the Houses being made of descendants from the first Elemental Masters. It always said they were stuffy noble families that wanted power for themselves. The move to the central Ninjago City was always described as the peasants showing they could rule fairly too. Now I saw that every society grew technologically as time passed, and that the Houses didn't rule everyone. As more people chose technology over tradition, the Houses lost their power and eventually faded away. It was amazing to see a different side to the story.
                          
     Before I knew it, I had finished the very thick book. Outside, the afternoon was fading into the evening. I looked around the temple for Lloyd, only to see him fast asleep across the room. His blonde head was leaning against one of the massive pillars and he used one of his hands as a temporary pillow. He looked quite peaceful, devoid of the stress that seemed to constantly weigh down on his back. Even if it took some arguing to get him to rest, it was worth it. He would feel a lot better in the morning. I still wasn't exactly sure why I suddenly cared so much, so I simply dismissed it all as a survival instinct. If Lloyd couldn't make it across the ocean, then we'd likely drown.
                          
     I picked up the history book and slid it back into its place on the bookshelf. In the morning, we could head back to the Bounty and update Wu, PIXAL, and the rest of the Ninja on our progress. I had seen nothing in the history book about a 'light' among the Oni or Dragons. And judging by what Lloyd had said about his vision, he couldn't be related to the prophecy. We would have to move on and ask the other ninja what they found. Hopefully one of them had an epiphany and was ready to beat the Overlord.