Chapter Text

It was a long trip back home after defeating the Preeminent. Or maybe it just felt long to Lloyd, finally feeling the fatigue of the past few weeks catching up to him. 

After being released from Morro’s possession, there had been no time to rest and recuperate. They had much more pressing matters to attend to, getting the realm crystal back and stopping a full-on ghost invasion. When they’d planned their final confrontation in Stiix, Lloyd had said he was up for it. He’d been honest then, itching to get out into the field after being passive for so long, being able to fight against Morro rather than being at his mercy. His team needed him. He couldn’t possibly sit this out. 

But now, as they flew home on the bounty, his body could feel the abuse it had been put through. The danger was gone, there was no threat present, all the adrenaline had drained from his body. And Lloyd was beyond exhausted. Everything hurt. His feet ached from running around all night. He could feel several bruises forming from his struggle with Morro for the realm crystal. It hurt when he inhaled, his throat burned when he swallowed, his head throbbed. 

Lloyd had come up to the deck, hoping some fresh air would help until they finally reached the monastery. He leaned over the railing, no longer able to stand upright as his head swam. Air sickness, he wondered. No, he’d been on the bounty loads of times. He didn’t get airsick. He also didn’t feel this exhausted after a fight. Sure, he’d felt tired and might need a good night's sleep to be back at full strength, but this was different. He was trained for these sorts of fights, trained to have the endurance and stamina to get back up and fight again. Now he was completely drained. 

His legs felt like they might give out. He knew he should sit down. What he wanted to do was lie down and squeeze his eyes shut until the bounty landed and stopped swaying. But that would raise questions, the rest of his team coming to aid him, a million questions about what was wrong. They’d all spent more than enough time worrying about Lloyd, having chased Morro halfway across Ninjago just to get him back. And now Lloyd was back, so the team should have some time to rest easy after their victory. 

Lloyd hadn’t slept since he was released from his possession. There hadn’t been time. He was sure that all he needed was a good night's sleep, and he’d feel a lot better. 

When they did finally land, Lloyd was quick to excuse himself to bed. No one questioned this; they’d all had quite the night and all needed their rest. 

Once Lloyd got back to his room, he wanted nothing more than to go straight to sleep. Instead, he just stood at the threshold, like he was waiting to be invited into his own bedroom. He remembered he’d left the place a bit of a mess. The bed undone, clothing discarded on the floor. The last time he was in his room, he told himself he’d straighten things out before he went to bed. That had been weeks ago. For weeks, he’d been sharing a mind with Morro, having no control over his own body. The few moments of respite he had from that possession were spent sleeping on the floor of a cage, far too weak to find a way out of there. It had been weeks since he’d even seen his own bed. 

The place was cleaner than how he’d left it. Someone had come in to clean and put away the laundry, make the bed, maybe sweep. Straightening things out just enough so he’d have a clean space when he made it back. 

Lloyd finally made the step over the threshold. It was the first time back in his room, a mark that all of this was truly over. There had been some part of him that worried he had imagined the whole thing. He really had seen Morro pulled into the water through the sword of sanctuary. He really had seen his father in the cursed realm, the realm that was now destroyed. He really was wearing his father’s robes. He really had been rescued by the others, pulled out of the water before he could go over the waterfall. 

The water he’d coughed up after nearly drowning had definitely felt real. Maybe that’s why he was so run down. Being possessed for so long and then having that water in his lungs. 

Lloyd stood in front of his mirror. His under eyes were dark, portraying how tired he felt. An angry red bruise was blooming on the left side of his jaw that he didn’t remember getting. He started to pull at the robes, feeling far too warm in them. He’d only exposed his collarbone before stopping. Black and purple bruises and some splotches of sickly green were spread over the top of his chest. He pulled the robe further to see it extended over his shoulder. These bruises were tender to the touch, a lot older than what he had on his face after the fight. Lloyd knew he’d gotten banged around during his time being possessed, but he didn't think it had been this bad. This was the first time in so long that he'd gotten a good look at himself. Morro used him as nothing more than a tool to further his plans, not caring if Lloyd was hurt on their excursions, and even toying with him when he was in the cage. 

He patted his chest and down his side, too afraid of what he’d see if he exposed his entire chest, and felt that same pain and tenderness. The pain in his body he’d managed to ignore all night, simply because he was so focused on their goal of stopping the Preeminent. And with that goal achieved, he could feel that he’d pushed himself way too far. 

There was a knock at his door. Lloyd pulled the robe back up to cover the bruising, wincing as he moved his sore arms too fast. 

“Come in,” he said. His voice came out hoarse, his sore throat reaching a point where it hurt to speak. 

His mother came in with what was presumably dinner, or possibly lunch, seeing as it was the middle of the day now. Time didn’t feel real after being up all night. She carried a mug with a small plate balanced on it as she opened the door. 

She grabbed the plate and held it out to Lloyd, a sandwich she’d made for him. “You should eat,” she smiled. 

“Oh, thanks. But I’m really not hungry,” Lloyd said, his voice still coming out scratchy. Honestly, the thought of eating anything turned his stomach, the room still swayed even though they had long since left the bounty. 

“You should still eat. Keep your strength up.” She set the plate down on the dresser, holding out the mug to him as steam drifted from it. “This has lemon, some honey. Just something to warm you up.”

Lloyd didn’t feel like he needed warming up, even after being dunked in the water a few times in Stiix. His skin seemed to burn. It was far too warm in there, but he took the tea anyway. He took a long sip, not able to taste much of it, but he could feel the hot liquid soothe his throat a bit. 

“Your uncle and I were going to head back to Stiix tonight,” his mother said. “Survey the damage and see what sort of reconstruction they might need. I just wanted to make sure you were alright before we set out.”

“I’m fine, Mom, really,” Lloyd said, trying not to sway on his feet. “Just tired.” That much was true. He was exhausted. 

“You definitely look tired. Promise you’ll rest up while we’re gone?” 

“I will.” 

His mother smiled again as she left the room, closing the door behind her with a soft click. 

Lloyd drank about half his tea before setting it aside, suddenly too nauseous to have any more. He flopped onto his bed, still in his father’s robes. He didn’t have the energy in him anymore to change. Curling into himself, he pulled the robes tighter. Maybe if he held on tight enough, he wouldn’t have to think about how his father was really gone. For good this time. 

He hoped that sleep would come quickly.

Chapter Text

Kai got up bright and early the next morning. Not so much because the early bird gets the worm, but because he’d spent almost the entire night tossing and turning, barely able to get a wink of sleep. By the time he could see the first light of dawn through the window, he decided it was better just to start the day early. He might be able to get a better sleep the next night, or maybe a nap later in the day. 

He got dressed and stretched, planning on doing their usual training like it was a normal day. Routine. Routine was good. It’s how he stopped his mind from racing.

As Kai stretched, his mind kept racing anyway, not able to be distracted. Everything had been so frantic as of late, very go-go-go. There was no time to rest or unwind, not when Lloyd was being held by those ghosts. It felt like back when he’d lost Nya to the skeletons. He couldn’t think of anything other than getting her back. Everything he did, training to be a ninja and joining the team, was in service of that goal. He’d been so focused on getting Lloyd back, anything they did that wasn’t towards freeing him felt like a waste of their time, even though they did need to focus on stopping Morro’s plans to unleash all of those ghosts on Ninjago. Now the Preeminent was defeated, the ghosts were gone.

Well, not all of them. Cole was thankfully still around after the whole ordeal of him turning into a ghost. 

Back when he got Nya back, he felt like he could relax. That there were surely more dangers they would have to face, but once Garmadon left, it felt like they’d have some time to themselves. Time to recuperate and prepare to face him again.

And now they had Lloyd back, but it didn’t feel the same. Kai didn’t feel that same sigh of relief that things were over. Maybe because he knew for a fact it wasn’t over. A new problem was bound to rear its ugly head, another enemy for the team to fight. It wasn’t a question of if they would have to fight again, but when. And while having to jump into action the day after saving Stiix was unlikely, it wasn’t impossible. It couldn’t hurt to keep his guard up. Having his guard down was how they got into this mess in the first place. 

There was no way he could have known that Lloyd’s trip to the museum would result in his possession of all things, but Kai should have gone with him. Someone should have gone with him. There’s strength in numbers. That’s why they work as a team. To make sure things like this don’t happen. 

And Kai wasn’t going to let it happen again. 

Nya came to the kitchen for some breakfast some hours later, closer to noon. She brushed past Kai as he nursed another cup of tea, going straight to the cabinet to dig out a rarely used jar of instant coffee. No one there was a big coffee drinker; Wu’s passion for tea had rubbed off on the rest of them, so the jar of instant coffee was for serious caffeine needs. 

“Careful with that. It might stunt your growth,” Kai joked. 

Nya only groaned in response as she put the kettle on. Nya was only an inch shorter than Kai, a fact that her brother wouldn’t let go of anytime soon. A bit of childish teasing that would never die. 

She sat down at the table, her head pressed to the tabletop. She wrapped her arms over her head, blocking out the light. Strands of hair stuck out at odd angles, a bad case of tangled bedhead. 

Kai nudged his sister with his foot. “You good?”

“Tired,” she said flatly. “Coffee.” 

She raised her head, rubbing her eyes. “Do you ever feel this tired? After using your power too much? This is all new territory for me.”

“Sometimes,” Kai said. The kettle started to boil, so he went to make the coffee. “Although I’ve never had to do something as big as make it rain. Or raise a giant wave. You just need to rest.”

“Yeah. Rest,” Nya mumbled. “Fourteen hours of sleep and I feel worse than I did yesterday.”

“Milk? Sugar?” Kai asked as he poured water from the kettle. 

“Black.”

He set the cup on the table. “What, like your soul?” he smiled. 

“Yes,” Nya said, taking a sip before the coffee had a chance to cool.

Kai finished the last of his tea, putting the cup in the sink. 

“Do you know if Lloyd is alright?” Nya asked softly. “He didn’t look so hot yesterday.”

Kai paused over the sink, rubbing the back of his neck. “He isn’t up yet. I thought we should just let him sleep in.”

“I just wanted to make sure he was okay after— everything. And, you know, seeing his father.”

Nya didn’t have to elaborate on “everything”. The team wasn’t the best at talking things through every time something significant happened. They’d stopped the great devourer, beaten the overlord twice, and gotten Zane back after thinking he was dead. And now they’d gone through a ghost invasion that had turned Cole into a ghost trying to stop it. They went through life-threatening and life-changing events on the regular and never seemed to catch a break. 

But at the end of the day, their work was important. Protecting Ninjago was a job that needed doing. They were a group of elemental masters. No one else could do what they could, so didn’t they have a responsibility to use that power for good?

All in a day's work for the ninja. They could only say that so many times before they had to confront the damage.

“Did Sensei—” Kai said. He sighed, trying to get his wording right. “Did Wu ever say anything about Mom and Dad?”

“What do you mean?” Nya asked. 

Kai sat back at the table. “I've been thinking a lot about that map for the golden weapons. Wu gave it to Dad for safekeeping. He knew that I was the master of fire before he even met us. And that you were the master of water.”

“He thought I might be the master of water,” Nya corrected. “Which he was right about, I guess.”

“Because he already knew Mom was the master of water. He knew our parents, both of them. Do you think Wu maybe knows what happened to them after they disappeared?”

Nya looked confused, her half-asleep brain not following what her brother was getting at. “If Sensei knew anything, don’t you think he would have told us?”

“Then why’d he wait so long to tell you you might have elemental powers?” Kai pressed. “Or that Mom was an elemental master in the first place? Why is he only telling us this now?”

“Maybe he had his reasons,” Nya said slowly. “There’s a lot that we couldn’t possibly understand. If he isn’t telling us everything, it could be for a reason.”

Kai scoffed. “Like he didn’t tell us about Morro until he was banging on our doorstep? What reason did he have for keeping that from us?”

“How could Sensei have possibly known that his former student would come back from the grave to enact his revenge?”

“We’re the ones who have to fight his battles,” Kai spat, feeling the venom creep into his voice. “He knows something, and don’t we deserve to know what happened to our parents?”

“Well, maybe I don’t want to know!” Nya slammed down on the table, shooting up quickly from her seat. Her coffee cup jostled with the table, barely managing to stay upright. 

Kai started at this, feeling his heart leap and losing what composure he had. He hadn’t expected this reaction from her. If anything, he thought she’d be on his side, the two of them working together to get information out of their teacher. 

“Nya, I—”

Kai was cut off by a loud thump from deeper in the monastery. Kai jumped from the table, assuming a fighting stance and ready to jump into action. After weeks of dealing with these ghosts, it couldn’t be too outlandish to assume the horrors followed them home.

Neither of them spoke, both siblings trying to pick up any noise following the thump. Nothing. The peaceful quiet of the monastery had become a suffocating silence. Kai looked to his sister, the two having a wordless exchange. Possible danger? Check it out together. 

The two crept quietly down the hall, still hearing nothing out of the ordinary. Kai joked in his head that this is what characters in a horror movie do before getting an axe to the skull. Investigating the scary noise is the worst thing to do in a horror movie, but the sound had come from the sleeping quarters. 

It was only when they were halfway down the hall that Kai realized they might be overreacting. Other people lived there; someone might have just dropped something. Something heavy? It was a loud thud. Zane or Cole or Jay could have been doing something totally innocuous. But then again, after dealing with ghosts stealing your friend's body for a joyride, Kai felt they couldn’t be too careful. 

The silence is finally broken by a loud coughing fit, further down the hall. 

“Is that Lloyd’s room?” Kai whispered. He rushed forward, losing any sense of caution. He knocked quickly on Lloyd’s door, trying not to bang on it. “Lloyd? You okay?” No response. He pushed into the room anyway. 

Lloyd was curled up on the floor, tangled in his blanket. He seemed to be trying to pull himself up from the floor. Kai was quick to crouch down at his side. 

“Whoa, Lloyd, what’s wrong?” Kai grabbed Lloyd's arm, trying to pull him up.

“Don’t touch me!” Lloyd croaked, batting Kai’s hand away and falling back to the floor. “Just stop, please.” He curled in on himself, arms over his head defensively. His breathing was ragged, practically gasping for air. 

“Lloyd, it’s me, it’s Kai. You’re okay, you’re okay, look at me.”

He waited for Lloyd to slowly peek out from his defensive position, his labored breathing was agony to listen to. His eyes softened with recognition. “Kai?” he said softly, between ragged breaths. 

Kai pulled him up to a sitting position. Lloyd’s face was flushed, his skin hot to the touch. His head hung, and his body was limp as Kai held him upright by his shoulders. The change in position didn’t seem to help with his wheezing. Kai brushed away some stringy blonde hair that clung to the boy's forehead. His clothes clung to his damp skin, the same clothes from the day before. 

“Shit, you’re boiling.” 

Kai was pretty good with first aid. Not a professional, but he was usually the one to patch up scrapes and check for concussions when something went wrong during training. He was usually able to spot things like this, so why hadn’t he caught this until it had gotten so bad? He knew Lloyd seemed off the day before. He should have come to check on him sooner. 

“My chest—” was all Lloyd could croak out before being consumed by another coughing fit. He covered his mouth as he struggled for breath between wet coughs; the sound of mucus being dislodged was sickening. When the coughs stopped racking through him, Lloyd's hand came away with a splatter of blood.

Chapter Text

Lloyd’s throat felt like it was bleeding with every swallow. There was a metallic taste in his mouth. Maybe it was bleeding. He couldn’t seem to get enough air into his lungs, but the deeper he tried to inhale, the more pain he felt in his chest. 

He’d been horribly disoriented when he woke, not remembering where he was until Kai came in. 

“Shit shit shit,” Kai muttered to himself. He lay Lloyd down on his back, starting to pull the robes from the boy's burning skin. “Nya,” he called. “There's a first aid kit in the training area. In the storage room, you know, with all the kendo stuff. It should have some sort of fever medicine. Also, some water and a washcloth. Got all that?”

“Wait,” Lloyd pushed weakly against Kai's hand, trying to sit back up. It was a futile attempt; his arms felt so heavy, but they'd worry more once they saw the bruising. “Please, it's my dad's. He gave it to me.” He really didn't want to be separated from it. It felt like his last link to his father, bringing him some much-needed comfort. 

“You’re burning up, Lloyd,” Kai said softly, coaxing Lloyd to lie back down on the floor. He went back to pulling off the robe, Lloyd feeling the cool air hitting damp skin. “I’m not taking it, we’re just gonna put it away for safe… keeping.”

Lloyd hears a gasp. He turns and sees Nya is still here, a clear reaction to the array of bruises peeking from his undershirt and across his shoulder. Kai continued hesitantly, freeing Lloyd’s arms and pulling the robe away completely. It just revealed more wounds down his arms, not just bruises, but some bad cuts and scrapes that had scabbed over. His right forearm was the most peculiar. Small, round, uniform burns formed a small sort of grid down his arm— cigarette burns. 

“First Master, what did they do to him?” Nya brought a hand to her mouth, eyes wide as she took in Lloyd’s state. She looked like she was going to be sick. 

Kai also just stared for a moment, looking shocked, jaw clenching and unclenching. He shakes his head as if to clear it, then gently guides Lloyd back to a sitting position. “Nya, the first aid kit,” he repeated firmly. 

“Right, right.” Nya scurried off, footsteps heard all the way down the hall. 

“Do you think you can stand?” Kai asked softly. 

Lloyd was about to answer that he couldn't; he honestly couldn't even sit upright without Kai's support. He was consumed by another coughing fit, each cough tearing painfully at his throat. He could only shake his head in response, struggling for air between coughs. 

Kai took the boy's arm over his shoulder, another arm around his torso to hoist him from the floor. Lloyd winced at the pressure it put on his bruises as he got his feet under him. He was lowered slowly back into bed, rolling over to his side as more coughs racked through him. 

A hand brushed against Lloyd’s arm, the one with the burns. He yanked it away, pressing both arms to his chest as he curled into himself. Not so much from the pain, the burns didn’t hurt anymore. It was because he didn’t want anyone to see. He felt too exposed. Vulnerable. 

Kai said something else. A question, maybe? Lloyd couldn’t make out the words, his head buried into his pillow as he wanted to disappear. 

Don’t look at me, he wanted to say. He hated being under their gazes, their eyes filled with concern, shock, pity. But forming words was beyond him at that point. The only things he managed to get out were choked sobs between his wheezing. 

Lloyd felt Kai’s hand rub up and down his back. A gesture that was meant to be comforting, but just coaxed more tears out of him.  

Chapter Text

Lloyd had a high fever, as well as sweats and chills, much worse than just a bad flu. He didn’t answer direct questions very well. His speech became too slurred, clearly delirious. All he could get out were complaints about his chest being painfully tight, and occasionally apologizing for being such a bother. 

What he had to be apologizing for, Nya wasn’t quite sure. 

Kai had quickly taken charge, tending to Lloyd while offloading tasks to Nya. Making a cold compress, boiling some water to steam his face, getting some soup started. Nya did them quickly without question, being able to help Lloyd, but also not having to be in the room too long. 

She felt bad, scampering off whenever she had the chance just because she felt squeamish. It was Lloyd. The kid she’d known from when he was a lot smaller and scrawnier. The kid she practically helped raise until he magically shot up to her eye level. She still saw him as that little kid, even now. And now that kid had been beaten black and blue after being held hostage, sick and wheezing after almost drowning. She couldn’t stand the thought of it. 

And she couldn’t help but think that if she had just been better, mastered her element, and reached her true potential sooner, she could have prevented this. Helped protect him. 

The rest of the team had only caught wind of Lloyd's condition after seeing Kai and Nya running around the monastery. While concerned, they weren’t sure what they could do that the two of them hadn’t already handled. 

Nya had called Misako and Sensei Wu down in Stiix to inform them of the situation, and also to ask for their counsel. Neither Kai nor Nya was sure if Lloyd might need a hospital. The nearest major hospital was in Ninjago City, and the monastery was far out in the rural countryside. Misako and Wu had taken the bounty to Stiix, and while they had other vehicles, they didn’t want to take Lloyd on the hour-long trek unless it was strictly necessary. Sensei Wu thought it was best they stay put, continuing the treatment they had done so far. He also had some tea he kept in reserve for ailments like these. It was effective, but it took time to really see the results. 

Magic healing tea? Nya wondered. She followed Sensei’s instructions for steeping and serving. Three cups a day for three days. It didn’t smell the best, and likely didn’t taste much better, but apparently, any sweeteners would neutralize its effects. 

The plan had been for the rest of the ninja to help with the reconstruction in Stiix, at least until the city’s local government was back on its feet after the evacuation and could take care of things themselves. After hearing about Lloyd's condition, they decided it was best for the ninja to all stay at the monastery for the time being. To take care of Lloyd, but also to take care of themselves. They’d gone through quite the ordeal, and Misako and Wu would handle the damages from their battle.

While the team certainly needed their rest, Nya wasn’t exactly sure what Sensei had meant. Lloyd needed more time to recover, but the rest of them were fine. At least physically. They weren’t injured, or sick, or both. They were fine, right?

Nya pondered this as she wrapped another cold compress. Maybe she couldn’t speak for the others, but she felt fine. Tired, yes, but otherwise fine. 

At least, she had felt fine. Until Kai had started talking about their parents again out of the blue. It was a tired subject, not one she wanted to keep dredging up again and again. Their parents were gone, had been for years, and were most likely dead. What else was there to say about it? 

Apparently a lot, according to Kai. And what was this about Sensei not being honest with them? Sensei might withhold information, but he was all old and wise and knew better than them. His keeping secrets was never malicious. Was it?

Nya sighed, taking the compress back to Lloyd’s room. 

It was late evening now, the last bit of light poking through the window. Kai was crouched on the floor, cleaning up the mess they had made of their medical supplies as quietly as he could. A gash on Lloyd's arm had been reopened at some point after having only a fresh scab to keep the wound closed. It bled quite a bit, causing a panic as Kai stemmed the bleeding and had Nya help dress the wound. When they were done, Nya washed the blood off her hands for far longer than was necessary. Even after three rounds of soap and hot water, they still didn’t feel clean enough. 

“Here.” She held the compress out to Kai, hoping he’d take it while she finished the cleanup. 

“Give me a minute,” Kai said, fishing out some heat packs that had been kicked under the bed in their panic. “Just press it to his forehead.”

Nya gripped the cold pack a little tighter. “Right,” she said after a pause. She crouched down so she was level with Lloyd’s sleeping form on the bed. 

Lloyd’s fever hadn’t seemed to have gone down much by now, hence the need for another compress, but his breathing was far less labored. Kai had him breathe in steam several times over the past few hours. It had helped to clear his airways enough that Lloyd had finally drifted off to sleep. 

He looked peaceful now as he slept. No longer was his face scrunched as he winced from his aches and pains, eyebrows furrowed and eyes squeezed tight. Now his features were much softer, finally relaxed. Hair stuck to his face, his skin still flushed and blotchy. His breaths were slow and even, but there was still a small rattle in his chest from more mucus. It could almost be mistaken for snoring. 

She laid the compress gently on his forehead, not wanting to wake him. Lloyd flinched from the contact of cold against his burning skin, like he did every other time they’d done this today. His features scrunched up again, breath hitching as a soft groan escaped him as though it hurt him.

His face softened again as he adjusted to it, reverting to his peaceful expression and even breaths as the compress soothed his fever. He remained asleep. 

Nya brushed some of his hair out of his face, her hand coming to rest on his arm that had been wrapped. She could still feel the heat of his skin through the bandages. 

She rose to her feet, still looking down at him. Curled up and sleeping like this, Lloyd looked so small. He really was still a boy. 

Kai’s hand rested on her shoulder. “You okay?”

Nya was about to say "I’m fine". Reflexively, because what else are you meant to say when someone asks if you’re alright? Be honest?

But she wasn’t fine. She was only now realizing it. Seeing Lloyd in this state, and having to think about her parents again. It was all starting to weigh on her. 

“I was thinking about what you said. About how Sensei might know something about our parents,” she said. “What was up with that?”

Kai paused, rubbing the back of his neck and glancing away. “I just wanted to know more about them,” he said. “About what really happened to them. But it seems like you don't.”

Nya sighed. “It's been years, Kai. Maybe it's best to just let it go. To not get your hopes up.”

“They're our parents—”

Lloyd sneezed below them, sniffing a bit before going still once more. Nya exchanged a glance with her brother, both making their way out of the bedroom so as not to disturb Lloyd.

Kai let the door click closed before continuing. “How could we possibly just let it go?”

“Even if Wu does know something— It's been so long.” Nya swallowed, feeling a lump in her throat. “They're probably dead.” She'd never said that out loud before, but she knew they'd both pondered this possibility.

“We don't know that for sure.”

“Exactly. And we've made it this far, haven’t we? And what good would come from knowing the truth? Closure? Is it closure that you want?”

Kai only stared for a moment. “And you don't?”

“Kai, listen to me. Maybe Sensei does know what happened to them. But this can only go two ways. Either we find out they're dead, and Sensei knows what horrific things happened to them. Or, they're alive. And if they're out there somewhere, then—” Nya's voice cracked as she tried to keep it steady, tears starting to prick behind her eyes. “Then that means they left us. When we were little kids, to fend for ourselves. They left us alone.”

She felt a tear run down her cheek, and that was all it took to open the floodgates. She choked back a sob as the tears flowed freely. 

“And I don't think I want that kind of closure, Kai,” she sniffed. “I'd rather just not know.”

Kai pulled her into a hug, squeezing tight as she sobbed into his shoulder. Nya didn’t expect the water works, but once the tears started, they just kept flowing. Maybe she just needed to get it all out. 

“I’m so sorry, Nya,” he said, smoothing down her hair. “I didn’t realize…”

Nya pulled away, wiping her eyes. “To be honest, it’s been so long I can’t really remember what they look like. When I try to picture Dad’s face, I just see yours. Because you were the closest thing to a parent I had. You were the one who was actually there. We only had each other for so long, and look how we turned out. Isn’t this enough?”

Kai didn’t answer, looking away with a pained expression. 

Nya sighed. “Look, ask Sensei whatever you want. Get your closure. Just leave me out of it.” 

She pushed past him into Lloyd’s room. Kai stayed in the hall for quite a while. 

Chapter Text

Lloyd’s eyes cracked open. It was dark, quiet. His skin felt clammy, and his body shook. Bringing a hand up to wipe sweat from his nose took tremendous effort, his limbs still heavy. He swallowed, his sore throat felt sticky with phlegm, but that just triggered another coughing fit. 

It was a weak cough, like his body didn’t have the energy even for that anymore. He curled up tighter as if that would stop his shaking. 

“Looks like you caught quite the bug,” a familiar voice called. Lloyd looked towards the voice, only to see Morro’s glowing green form in the corner of the room. 

Lloyd jolted. He wanted to spring into action, to at least move away. But he couldn’t. His limbs didn’t respond to him, as though a force was pinning them down. Or maybe he was so drained of energy that he still couldn’t stand, even in a moment of panic. 

This wasn’t real. But he couldn’t be here? Could he?

“What’s wrong, Lloyd?” Morro taunted. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” He chuckled at his own joke, leaning against the bedroom wall. So relaxed, so sure of himself. 

He couldn’t be here. Morro was pulled into the water by the preeminent. He let himself be pulled under. Everyone saw. 

“You think you can get rid of me that easily,” Morro said, as though he were reading Lloyd’s mind. Maybe he didn’t have to after being in Lloyd’s head for so long. 

Morro strode over to him, all too casually. “Destiny works in mysterious ways. Like how destiny chose you to be the green ninja.”

Lloyd could do nothing but watch as Morro approached, watch as he was pulled up by his shoulders. All of it felt far too real. He felt his breathing quicken, his heart ready to beat out of his chest. But he still couldn't move. 

“Stop,” Lloyd croaked, squeezing his eyes shut. “Please, please just stop.”

“You think you’re so much better than me, don’t you, Lloyd?” Morro chastised, shaking the boy's shoulders. 

Lloyd didn’t struggle; he didn’t have the energy. He kept still and kept his eyes shut tight. If he didn’t give a reaction, Morro would eventually get bored and leave him be. But he couldn’t control his breathing as he was heaving once again, portraying his true fear. 

“Lloyd. Can you hear me, Lloyd?” the voice continued in his ears. It seemed to morph and shift now, not sounding quite right.

He felt something cold against his flushed face, making him flinch. Ice pack? He thought. Lloyd dared to crack his eyes open again. Now he only saw Zane looking back at him, metallic hands soothing his burning skin. Zane gave his shoulder another soft shake, trying to keep him conscious. 

“Morro—” Lloyd tried to speak between his gasps. “He—” His breath hitched, no longer able to speak as he struggled to catch his breath.

“I need you to focus on your breathing right now. Slow, deep breaths,” Zane instructed. 

Lloyd attempted to slow his breathing, holding his breath for only a second before gasping for air again. He shook his head, feeling lightheaded now. He couldn’t do it. 

“You’re hyperventilating,” Zane said. “Your breathing is too quick and shallow. Breathe deep, in through your nose and then blow slowly.” 

Lloyd did as he was instructed, Zane coaching him through it. After a minute or so, he had his breathing under control, feeling his whole body become less tense. 

Zane helped to sit him up in bed. “Your heart rate is no longer elevated, but you’re still running a high fever.” He held a glass of water to Lloyd’s lips, the boy still too fatigued to hold it himself. He drank in long gulps, only now realizing how thirsty he was. He would have chugged all of it as quickly as he could if Zane hadn’t forced him to pace himself. 

Finishing the glass, he wiped his mouth as he leaned on Zane for support. Lloyd was drained, wanting desperately to go back to sleep, but not wanting to face those nightmares again. 

“So you think I only exist in your dreams?” the voice said again. “I’m a bit hurt by that.” Morro stood in the corner once more, looking very real. 

Lloyd cried out, jolting back and almost toppling over. Zane was barely able to keep him upright as Lloyd kept trying to move further back. 

“What is it, Lloyd? What’s wrong?” he asked as the boy’s breathing sped up once more. 

“Morro. He’s here,” Lloyd managed to get out, pointing to the ghost in the corner. “He followed us here.”

Zane turned back to where Lloyd was pointing. “No one’s there. There’s no one in this room but us,” he said softly. 

Lloyd kept his eyes glued on Morro, his ghostly green glow bathing the corner of the room. Morro continued his taunting, a smirk forming on his face. “So this is what the green ninja has been reduced to?”

“Your fever seems to be causing you to hallucinate.”

“Oh, so I’m a hallucination now?”

“Your heart rate is elevated again. Focus on your breathing. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Like you're blowing out a candle.”

“What, you’re gonna make me go away with your little breathing exercises?”

“Lloyd? You’re home. There’s no one else here. You are safe.”

“Yeah, Lloyd. I haven’t done anything yet, so why don’t you calm down?”

Lloyd covered his ears as he curled himself into a ball. Both of their voices were too much, overwhelming him. He gave a long groan, drowning out whatever else Zane was trying to say. 

“I won’t just go away, Lloyd,” Morro said, as clear as day. As though he were speaking in Lloyd’s ear. “You and I have a score to settle, don't you think?”

“You’re not here,” Lloyd whispered to himself. “You’re not real. You’re not real, you’re not real, you're not real…”

It was clear to anyone that he'd lost his wits, seeing and hearing things that weren’t there. He didn’t know how long he repeated this to himself. Long enough for it to become a true madness mantra.

“You’re not real.”

Chapter Text

The rest of the team insisted that Kai and Nya get their rest after tending to Lloyd all day, with Zane watching over him for the night. Nya was out like a light, but Kai kept tossing and turning, finding himself in the common area with another cup of tea. He hadn’t slept the night before either. He was exhausted, but too antsy to go to sleep.

Kai had finished his tea, still holding the cup in his hand, feeling its leftover warmth seep into his fingers. He couldn’t go back to bed, not when his mind kept replaying that fateful day before Lloyd went to the museum. It felt like years ago now. 

“Don't worry, big shot. I'll watch over you from now on.”

That had been a promise. And he had broken it. Nothing he did now could possibly make up for that, couldn’t erase the damage that had already been done. 

“Can't sleep?” Cole asked as he walked into the room. His ghostly green glow was still something to get used to. 

Kai only shook his head, putting his cup down on the coffee table. Cole sat down as well, placing a hand on Kai's shoulder. 

“Look, you gotta understand, this isn't on you.” Cole's hand was firm, despite looking translucent and intangible. “All of us did everything we could, you especially. There's no changing the past. We just have to keep moving forward.”

Kai had expressed before that he felt responsible for the mess they'd been in these past few weeks. He should have been more cautious. After Lloyd had been taken by the overlord for his golden power, he should have known someone else later down the line would be gunning for him simply because he was the green ninja. 

If he could turn back time, he would. If none of this had happened, Lloyd would still be fine, the village of Stiix would still be standing tall, and Cole wouldn't be a ghost. He put his own hand on Coles. It was cool to the touch, body heat no longer emanating from it. 

“I just wish I could have done more,” Kai said. “Things feel so helpless right now, I don't like it.”

“You won’t be any help to anyone if you don't get some rest. Lloyd’s a tough kid. He'll pull through.”

“I know. It's just—"Kai shifted in his seat. “He looked so scared. Like he didn’t know where he was. Like we were going to hurt him.”

Kai clenched his jaw, starting to shake with his bottled-up anger. “And Morro. First Master, he was torturing Lloyd. Just because he could.”

“But Morro’s gone now,” Cole said. “There's nothing we can do about him now but keep moving forward.” Despite looking ghostly and incorporeal, Cole still managed to be the rock of the team, keeping them grounded. 

“How's Lloyd doing now?” Cole asked. “I'd check myself, but I'm worried how he'd react right now to my— situation.”

Kai wants to protest that of course Cole is still himself and Lloyd still cares about him, but he ends up saying nothing. He can’t speak for Lloyd, and Lloyd had been so delirious that there was no telling how he’d react. 

“He's alright,” Kai said finally. “Better than this morning, though I don't think that's saying much.” He sighed, sinking further into the couch, letting Cole wrap an arm around him. Being engulfed like this by a steady hand, he finally felt his guard drop, the tension leaving his body. 

They stayed still on the couch for some time before Kai finally felt himself start to nod off. 

Chapter Text

“Come on, just one more,” Nya said, holding a spoonful of oatmeal up to Lloyd’s mouth. He shook his head, lips pressed tight. 

It was mid-afternoon. Lloyd was still incredibly fatigued, barely able to stay seated upright. He slipped in and out of sleep, always disoriented and jumpy when he first woke, then nodding off just as quickly. 

Nya had tried to keep him awake for a moment to give him his tea and try to get him to eat. Emphasis on try. He drained his tea without complaint, but he only had a few bites of oatmeal before he refused any more. He’d only had that and the small bit of broth he managed to stomach the day before. He needed to eat, but didn’t have the appetite for it. 

Lloyd barely spoke either, not having the energy even for that. All he seemed to manage was “no”, “yeah”, “thank you”, and “sorry”. He still said sorry a lot, though Nya had chalked that up to delirium. 

Nya set the mostly full bowl of oatmeal aside. “I can get you something else. Is there something you’d…” she trailed off. Lloyd had slumped to the side, already dozing off again. She helped readjust him, trying to get him to a more comfortable sleeping position where his neck wasn’t slumped.

Lloyd’s eyes fluttered as he inhaled sharply, suddenly jerking away. “Aahh—” He brought a hand up to his shoulder, rubbing at it as he winced. 

Nya pulled her hands away. “Sorry, sorry,” she said, realizing she must have put pressure on his wounds. His bruising hadn’t improved much, somewhat expected after only a day. They didn’t get any easier to look at. 

Nya grabbed the bowl and got up to leave, wanting to let Lloyd go back to sleep. She felt a tug at her arm, Lloyd pulling her by the sleeve and looking up with glassy eyes. 

“Wait. My dad… where's…” he slurred, eyes half lidded as he fought sleep. Nya had trouble understanding his mumbling.

“Your dad's robe?” Nya asked. “We've still got to wash it. I'll put it away for you, alright. Nothing’s going to happen to it.”

“When's my dad coming home? I need to ask him something.” That was the most the boy had said all day. 

Nya's heart sank at this, completely at a loss for how to respond. His feverish haze had reached an all-time high, scrambling his mind enough that Lloyd seemed to have forgotten that Garmadon wasn't coming back. Ever. He'd given himself up to the cursed realm, and the cursed realm was then destroyed. 

The brave face Lloyd had put on before had melted away. Now all that was left was a sick kid who just wanted his dad. 

“He… might be a while,” Nya lied. “So you should get some sleep until then, okay?”

Lloyd stared for a bit, his glassy eyes unfocused, looking through her rather than at her. “Okay,” he said, letting his eyes close. 

Nya stroked his hair until she heard the even breathing of sleep. It felt truly awful lying so blatantly. But she'd leave it alone for now, letting him not feel the pain of loss for just a little while. He'd remember the truth soon enough. 

Chapter Text

The next few days were a blur for Lloyd. Time seemed to speed up, losing its meaning as he spent so much of his time sleeping. People coming and going, being coaxed to drink and have something to eat. He’d vomited once on Kai’s shoes, which he apologized for repeatedly. 

“You apologize too much,” Kai had said after Lloyd was still mumbling his sorrys an hour later. 

Lloyd awoke one night with a jolt. He sighed with relief after surveying his surroundings. He was home, in his own bed. He was safe. 

But just telling himself he was safe wasn’t enough to feel secure. The room was empty, and the monastery was quiet. He had only now realized that someone was always there when he woke. The dark corners of the room seemed to play tricks on him. While he couldn’t help but feel like a burden for eating up everyone else’s time, he couldn’t stand being alone either. 

Despite his exhaustion, he’d much rather be awake and face the full brunt of his sickness than be asleep and deal with his nightmares. Having to relive every horrible thing Morro put him through. 

Lloyd had fought back during his time possessed, not able to break free but doing enough to slow Morro down and trip him up. Morro found this more annoying than anything else, but some resistance was better than nothing. 

Eventually, the ghost had had enough of this, deciding he needed to do something to keep his host under control. He'd already made it known that even while possessing the boy's body, he didn't feel pain anymore. All the strain on his body and blows from battle were felt only by Lloyd. He certainly felt every blow, forced to watch as his body acted of its own accord. Forced to watch his own hands hurt his friends. 

Morro's way of pacifying Lloyd was— methodical, to say the least. Delivering well-placed blows and jabs in a way that would minimize damage, yet maximize pain. Nothing that could break a bone, he still needed Lloyd’s body to be functional. But the pain made it so Lloyd could barely think straight, let alone fight back against Morro's hold. He also hadn't been fed nearly enough, the hunger adding to his loss of concentration. 

Even when Morro was sure he had Lloyd under control, he pushed things even further. When he was out of Lloyd's body, he'd poke and prod at the boy's injuries, getting him to squirm. Filling his ears with taunts, putting out his cigarette on Lloyd's arm. 

“It's been a while since we've seen your little friends. Maybe they've given up on coming to get you. They have much more pressing matters to attend to, anyway.”

Morro did this just for the hell of it, for his own amusement. Wanting to see what it would take to get Lloyd to break. 

Lloyd did his best not to give Morro the satisfaction. He did his best not to scream, not to beg, not to cry. But Morro was persistent, and Lloyd always broke eventually.

Lloyd pulled the thermometer out of his mouth, turning it over to Kai. “It’s official. No more fever.”

Lloyd had finished his treatment with the tea a few days before, but it only now seemed to finally take effect. His throat was no longer sore, and his fatigue no longer left him bedridden. But Lloyd still felt like crap. His coughing was just as persistent, and he was still on bed rest, so his fever was now replaced with cabin fever from being confined to the monastery. His appetite had returned in full force, now finding himself ravenously hungry, like his body was trying to make up for weeks of missed meals. 

The team had all taken turns watching over him, but Kai always insisted on staying with him whenever he could. Lloyd felt guilty about this, even though he was delirious with fever and coughing up blood. He wasn’t fully recovered, but he’d gotten through the worst of it. 

“Isn’t everyone back to training today?” Lloyd asked. “You shouldn’t have to stay in just ‘cause of me. I’ll be fine, really.”

“Oh, it’s no bother. It’s gotta suck more for you, being cooped up in here all day,” Kai smiled, pocketing the thermometer. His smile slipped a bit. “Unless you want some time alone, which is also totally fine. I don’t want to be overbearing.”

Kai rubbed the back of his neck, his smile now turning nervous. 

“Actually,” Lloyd started, feeling his words falter as he glanced away. “I, um…”

“You okay?” Kai’s voice turned somber. “I can go if you—”

“No,” Lloyd said too quickly. “I want you to stay, I do. It’s just—” He sighed, not sure how to get his words right. 

“Hey.” Kai sat down on the bed with him. “What’s going on? Come on, you can talk to me.”

Lloyd buried his head in his hands, pushing his hair back.  “I think there’s something wrong with me, Kai.” He pulled his knees in closer, deciding to just let everything spill out. “It’s like my mind is still playing tricks on me. Shadows in the corner, a bump in the night. It makes me jumpy. And I know there’s nothing there, but it’s like my body can’t help but react like it’s a genuine threat. Being stuck in bed so long hasn’t made things any easier.  I know it’s irrational, but I keep thinking that if there were a threat, here at the monastery, I wouldn’t be able to do anything. I couldn’t even protect myself. So now, when I’m alone, I start to panic. Like if I’m alone for too long, Morro’s gonna find a way to drag me away again.”

He threw his hand up suddenly. “Which is stupid! Because Morro isn’t here. He’s gone. So why am I like this? How am I supposed to go back to normal if I’m always looking over my shoulder? I’ve dealt with dangerous stuff before. I’ve been taken before. By the serpentine and the overlord. So why am I only freaking out now? Am I— am I just broken now?”

“No, no, of course not.” Kai put a hand on Lloyd’s shoulder. “It’s only been a week. No one expects you to bounce back right away. You gotta give yourself more time.”

“But what if I don’t just bounce back? Ever.”

“Well,” Kai started. “Then we’ll just figure things out as we go. I wouldn’t say that the rest of the team has just ‘bounced back’ from a big crisis either. I mean, we all went our separate ways for a while after we lost Zane to the overlord. And you were the one who brought us all back together and helped us work through it. So, of course, we’ll be here to give you a hand.”

Kai shifted, moving to sit cross-legged. “And honestly,” he continued, looking down at his hands. “I sort of get it. Feeling jumpy all the time, like you need to be ready to jump into action. Even when you leave the battlefield, it’s never really over. Up here,” he tapped a finger to his head. “It follows you. And you just have to try your best to make peace with it.”

“Does it get really bad for you?” Lloyd asked softly. He didn’t really expect Kai to relate to his problem. Or admit that it’s something he’d felt for a while now.

“Yeah. When I know that the people I care about are in trouble or hurt, suddenly I’m a complete mess. I barely sleep or eat. Can get a bit reckless, not think things all the way through. It’s honestly been this way since I was little.” He chuckled a bit. “You’d think I’d have a better handle on things by now.”

“Since you were little?” Lloyd repeated. “What happened when…”

Kai froze, like he’d said more than he meant to. He rubbed at his neck. A nervous tell, Lloyd had realized. It dawned on Lloyd that he might have pressed a sore spot. 

“Oh,” was all he could say. When Kai was a child, his parents had disappeared. He and Nya had to grow up on their own. Of course he wouldn’t have the best reactions to stress. 

“I’m sorry if I’m all up in your space,” Kai started. “It’s just— you were really sick. Like coughing-up-blood sick. And—” He sighed. “Me and Nya got really sick like that once. It was winter, and we were on our own after our parents disappeared. I was like nine. Nya, maybe six? No seven. We both picked up something bad, some virus, but Nya had it a lot worse. A lot like you were, couldn’t even keep water down. And I was just a kid, I didn’t know what to do. Most of the time, we just huddled together to stay warm, just hoping to get through it. And we did, of course, as I am standing before you today.” He gave a breathy laugh, though his heart wasn’t in it. “But there was a point where I thought…” he paused. “I knew no one was coming for us. And that feeling of helplessness— hopelessness. I never wanted to feel like that again. And, well, I guess that sort of manifested in needing to protect and take care of other people.”

“And you were the one who knew what to do,” Lloyd said. “You know, when I was sick and you guys found me. And you're usually our medic for when we're training. Is that how you deal with things?”

Kai nodded. “I don't want anyone to feel that sort of hopelessness ever again. I think that's why I’m still here. Still a ninja. Because there’s always going to be something else to fight, another problem to solve. And if I don’t join the fight, a lot more people are going to have their lives upended. It’s not just you or Nya or Cole or the whole team that I feel responsible for. It’s all of Ninjago. This whole island is under our protection.”

He turned to Lloyd, eyes fierce. “And when I remember that this is all so much bigger than just me, it helps me keep my head on straight. And until you’re on your feet again, I’ll be right here. And I will always do everything I can to protect you.”

He smiled and gave Lloyd’s arm a playful punch, barely brushing against his sleeve. “I promised I’d look out for you, didn’t I?”

Chapter Text

Cole had come to learn he no longer needed to sleep. He didn’t need food either. He’d lost his physical body, and with that went his sleep and hunger cues. But he would still eat and sleep on occasion, more so out of habit than anything else. 

His ghost form still needed some getting used to. He’d been able to fight against the preeminent, but now he would sometimes have trouble holding and carrying some objects. His hand could sometimes go transparent without warning, sending whatever he held clattering to the floor. Training became nearly impossible. 

It was beyond frustrating, and Cole couldn’t figure out what was causing it. Jay had suggested he just wasn’t focusing, that his mind was elsewhere. During battle, they all had to stay focused on the task at hand. Now, not so much. It made sense to him, but identifying the problem was a lot easier than actually fixing it. He wasn’t sure where to start. Just focus? Be more mentally present? Easier said than done.

It was impossible to focus when his mind kept wandering, ruminating on everything that had happened. He couldn’t help but ponder his new state of being, how things would have been different if he hadn’t gone back for the scroll. They could have come back for it the next night. However, that would have added an extra day to their mission. Time that they didn’t have. That’s why Cole had gone back for it. It was far too valuable to leave behind. 

But now they had Lloyd back, and Ninjago was safe. While Cole had lost his physical form in the process, this was a net positive. Right?

He was a ninja. The elemental master of Earth. A protector of Ninjago. And this line of work required sacrifice. He knew that when he first decided to train under Sensei Wu. And in order to protect Ninjago, to protect Lloyd, his sacrifice had been his physical body. And if he had to make that sacrifice again, knowing the consequences of it, he would do it again. In a heartbeat. 

But that still didn’t make the consequences any easier to live with. 

Instead of actively working through whatever mental block he was having, Cole took advantage of his sleepless nights by reading scrolls from Sensei’s collection. Anything he could find on ghosts, combing through them for any mention of Sensei Yang. His research hadn’t yielded much on the crazed teacher, and he definitely didn’t find anything titled “How to navigate life with your newfound incorporeal state of being”. 

A scroll slipped through his fingers, his hands going intangible once again. It hit the floor with a clatter, making Cole swear under his breath. He bent to pick it up, only for his fingers to phase right through it. He tried again. A third time. Still, he couldn’t touch it. 

Cole groaned, letting himself flop back onto his bed. He decided he was done for the night. He hadn’t found anything useful to him yet, and maybe he never would. 

He heard coughing further down the hall. Lloyd was up. The monastery was dead quiet at night, so sound traveled easily. Like the clattering of the scroll he had dropped. Had he woken Lloyd with the sudden noise? 

Way to go, Cole, he thought. 

The coughing continued, followed by a door opening and quick footsteps down the hallway. Cole got up, planning to at least check on him, but stopped at the door. 

He and Lloyd hadn’t really spoken since getting back to the monastery. Cole had only heard about Lloyd’s condition second-hand. And hearing of his visions and nightmares about Morro, Cole felt that the boy didn’t need another ghost in the room. 

But Lloyd seemed to be doing better, at least he’d heard. And someone really should check on him. Cole would have to be in the same room as Lloyd sooner or later. 

He pulled his door open. At least he could touch things again. 

He found Lloyd in the kitchen. The coughing had subsided, but now Lloyd stood hunched over the sink, trying to catch his breath. He looked like he might throw up, an empty glass of water beside him. 

Cole stepped a bit closer. “Hey, are you—”

He was barely able to get the question out. As soon as Lloyd looked towards him, the blonde jumped back, assuming a fighting stance with green energy ready to fire. 

“Sorry, sorry. Didn’t mean to sneak up on you. Comes with being a ninja, I guess.” Cole puts his hands up, trying to defuse the situation by joking. “My fault.”

Lloyd’s eyes softened, energy dissipating from his hands. “Cole,” he panted. “Sorry, you startled me. I'm alright.”

Cole lowered his hand again. “I guess you of all people wouldn’t be the fondest of ghosts.”

“Oh no, it’s not that. I just—” Lloyd was cut off by more coughing. He resumed his position over the sink, a hand clutching at his chest. He dry heaved, almost sticking his head into the basin. 

“Whoa, you sure you’re okay? Do you need something?” Cole stepped closer. 

Lloyd put a hand up, head still bowed. “Just— just give me a minute,” he breathed, leaning on the sink for support. He retched again, harder this time. 

Cole wanted to protest, but seeing as he was being held at arm's length, he didn't know what else to do but stand there as Lloyd dry heaved once more. 

It was true, wasn’t it? He’d seen a ghost in the corner of his eye and just reacted. Cole had to be making things worse just by being there. 

Lloyd stayed hunched for a bit, catching his breath and waiting to see if he really was going to vomit. He finally straightened a bit, filling his glass with water and draining it. 

“I’m sorry,” Lloyd repeated, filling his glass once more. 

“Just wanted to make sure you were okay,” Cole said quietly as he turned to leave. 

“No, don't go,” Lloyd said quickly. “I mean, you don't have to leave. If you don’t want to.”

Lloyd admitted to still feeling horribly nauseous, so Cole made some peppermint tea. 

“Although I think Wu would take offense to calling this ‘tea’,” Cole joked as he set the cup in front of Lloyd. This earned a small chuckle. 

The two stayed in the common area for a while, chatting for a bit. Lloyd apologized once more for his reaction. He’d just been so tense as of late and doesn’t know why he’s acting this way. Cole downplayed it. It was a bit expected for him to be so hypervigilant after everything he had to go through. 

Lloyd set down his empty cup. “Can I ask you a question? A sort of personal one?”

“Sure, shoot.”

“Everything has been so crazy lately, and I’ve been pretty out of the loop.” Lloyd paused, shifting in his seat. “So, how exactly does your whole— ghost situation work? Like, are you… departed now? Or…”

“Oh.” Cole glanced off, eyebrows furrowed. He didn’t have an answer for that. He sucked air through his teeth, his face scrunched. “Uhhh…”

“Actually, you don’t have to answer that,” Lloyd added. “I’m sorry, it was just on my mind—”

“No, no,” Cole cut in. “It’s fine. To be honest, I don’t really know how the whole ghost thing works either. I think it might be more of a curse, maybe? It’s been easier not to think about it too hard.” He didn’t even know what happened to his body. 

Cole turned the question back on Lloyd. “What was it like? Being possessed like that for so long? Were you— conscious?”

Lloyd went quiet, looking down at the floor. Cole realized too late that he may have overstepped. 

“Yes,” was all Lloyd said. “The whole time.”

He stood from the couch with some effort, stumbling a bit before righting himself. “Thanks for the tea, but I’m gonna go back to bed,” he said, already making his way out of the room. 

“Oh. Good night, then,” Cole called after him as he disappeared into the hall. 

Chapter Text

After another week of rest and fluids and more rest and more fluids, Lloyd wanted to ease back into his normal training. Kai told him that there wasn’t any rush, but he was insistent. 

“My arms are gonna atrophy if I stay cooped up any longer.” Lloyd had said it like a joke, but it sort of wasn’t. He’d already had pretty noticeable weight loss after getting back from Morro. Being back in his uniform and training again, it was clear how much weight he’d lost after being possessed and then being sick. 

“Alright,” Kai eventually agreed. “But you gotta ease into things.”

While Lloyd did make an honest attempt at easing into things, trying not to push himself too far, their usual warm-up proved to be a bit too much. The rest of his body seemed to have recovered, itching to get back to the training grind, but his lungs couldn’t keep up. 

“Symptoms of pneumonia can sometimes persist for over a month,” Zane had said, attempting to help with Lloyd’s frustration. “The infection has cleared, but it will still take some time for your lungs to heal fully.”

This only made Lloyd more frustrated. He felt as though he’d done nothing but be patient, and now it felt like the goal posts had moved. 

Sensei Wu had returned some days later, having done what he could in organizing the Stiix reconstruction effort and leaving things to Lloyd’s mother for the time being. His return to the monastery also marked the return of his lessons and team training sessions. 

Since Lloyd would not be joining in on combat training, he spent his time going through Wu’s library of scrolls, looking for where he’d left off in his history lessons. It had been ages since he cracked any of these open, and he’d need to backtrack in his lesson to make sure he understood everything. 

It’s a windy day. The sound of the wind put him on edge, hence his finding an excuse to spend his time indoors while still being productive. He felt silly, letting the wind bother him so much, but he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t help being reminded of Morro. 

The winds are especially strong, pushing open a window that hadn’t been secured properly. It clatters against the wall, making Lloyd duck for cover as the howling wind fills his ears. 

It banged against the wall again and again until Lloyd finally managed to get to his feet. He struggled to get it closed, having to fight against the gust of wind, but managed to shut and lock it. Stepping back, he realized he was breathing heavily, too quick and shallow. He was confused by this, thinking he’d finally recovered from his sickness, but his breathing continued to get worse as his heart raced. 

He doubled over, not able to catch his breath. He found himself trying those breathing exercises from before, but he couldn’t get the rhythm of it. He felt himself starting to panic as he felt his chest tightening again. The library felt far too cramped, the walls pressing on him. He needed to get out of there, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to get back on his feet. 

Was he dying? It felt like it. His nerves lit up, shouting at him. Danger, danger, danger. There is immediate danger. Do something, or you will die. But there wasn’t any danger, he knew that. So why was his body telling him the opposite? 

Lloyd put his head between his knees, shutting his eyes to block out the light. Even that became too much to bear. He felt that lightheadedness coming on again. Hyperventilation? If he kept going at this rate, he would likely pass out. 

But he wasn’t sure how to stop it. His attempts at getting his breathing under control seemed to just make it worse. It wasn’t only the pain in his chest building, but an impending sense of doom. When he couldn’t catch his breath before, there had always been someone else there, someone to talk him through it. 

Breathing. Focus on breathing. In through the nose and out through the mouth, like blowing out a candle. Just focus on breathing. Lloyd thought. That thing you need to do in order to live. There’s nothing there. There is no danger. You are safe. 

He wasn’t sure how long he spent trying to calm down. Much longer than the seemingly simple act of breathing usually demands. Long enough that when he finally got to his feet, his body was quite stiff from being in a cramped position for so long. 

Lloyd stretched a bit, feeling tired. But strangely, also a bit elated. He’d been able to work through this on his own this time. That was a good thing, right? It could only get better from here.

Lloyd had been doing much better as of late, but Kai could tell he wouldn’t really be the same. Maybe for a little while longer. Maybe forever. A total shift had happened in him. Was it a result of everything that had happened as of late, or was this just the culmination of Lloyd being forced to grow up too quickly?

Being so preoccupied with Lloyd, Kai had used the situation as a bit of a distraction. A way to not think about his own issues, like finding out more about his parents or asking Nya if she was still angry with him. 

She had at least seemed angry. She avoided the topic of Wu and his secrets as much as she could. Lloyd’s illness had taken precedence, but now that he was out and about, Kai didn’t have much of a reason to keep avoiding the issue. 

So why was he still avoiding it? Avoiding his sister.

And Nya had made her points about why she just didn’t want to know what had happened to their parents. And with Kai having time to really digest what she had said, he found that he agreed with her. While he was still morbidly curious, wanting to put a nearly decade-long mystery to rest. But Nya was right about how knowing the truth wouldn't change anything. It wouldn’t make them any less orphans. 

Kai came up to her room one evening, cup of tea in hand. 

“Come in,” Nya called. Kai came in to see her hunched over her desk, tinkering with— something Kai couldn’t make out since it was partially dismantled, a few parts scattered on the floor. The desk in her room had become a mini version of her workbench in another part of the monastery. In her room, she usually did quick fixes and tinkering, or she stayed up late on a project, burning the midnight oil. 

She took off her goggles and looked up. “Oh. Hey, Kai,” she said, not expecting him. “Did you need something?”

He set the cup on her workstation, managing not to send any bits and bobs clattering to the floor. “Can’t I just say hi?” He asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

Nya raised an eyebrow, but accepted the tea. “Come on. What’s wrong?” She read him instantly. 

Kai wrung his hands a bit, the words feeling stuck in his throat. He sighed. “I’m— I’m not gonna talk to Sensei. About Mom and Dad.”

“I said you could ask him whatever you want,” Nya said softly. “You don’t have to hold back for my sake.”

“I know. But— I thought about what you said. And you’re right.”

Kai sat down at the foot of Nya’s bed, rubbing his legs a bit. “As much as I want to know the truth, actually knowing wouldn’t help. It would just make me feel worse. You already knew this. And the last thing I’d want is to hurt you just because I wanted closure.”

Nya paused, looking down into the steam of her tea. “And you're sure you're not just doing this for me?” 

“We could keep dwelling on the past, or we could look to the future. Prepare for what’s ahead. Constantly looking back won’t do any of us much good.”

Nya looked back at him, a softness in her eyes, before letting out a snort. 

“When did you become such an old man?” she laughed. “You take that spiel out of Wu’s lesson book?”

Kai shot back up to his feet. “Hey, come on. I was being sincere.”

Nya just laughed harder. “Someone better tell Sensei that someone’s coming for his job.”

Kai couldn’t help but laugh now, too. “Oh, screw you,” he said as he turned to leave. 

“Thank you, Kai,” Nya said. “For the tea,” she added.