Fractured | Ninjago AU

~ Part 8 ~ | Early Morning Thoughts

~ Part 8 ~ | Early Morning Thoughts

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**The Climb (Miley Cyrus) **
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"The struggles I'm facing
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down, but
No, I'm not breaking"

~Miley Cyrus

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This chapter is dedicated to Chel. I know you hate it when I call you that but haha you probably won't ever see this so you'll never know!

You introduced me to writing and for that, I say thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You changed my life forever. It was a good change. It was a great change. Some changes are scary but this one was like coming home.

(comment or PM if you'd like a shoutout!)

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Lloyd wasn't an early bird but he certainly wasn't a night owl either. He liked to think he was somewhere in between a late morning dove and an afternoon pigeon. Some days he slept in, other days he was up at dawn. It wasn't a pattern like on even days he ignored his alarm clock or on weekends he decided to rise with the sun. It just happened.

This time Lloyd was up before the sun had even begun to peak out from the hills. He had tried to fall asleep again, he really did. He counted so many sheep that whenever Lloyd closed his eyes he saw the fuzzy mammals staring at him with their bugged-out eyes. He would hum songs as softly as he could which would only result in him getting annoying jingles stuck in his head. Lloyd read all his comic books (even the really boring ones) and even recited a few of the weird poems Wu had made them memorize backwards. No matter what Lloyd found himself staring wide-awake at a ceiling stain instead of drifting off into dreamland.

Finally, Lloyd gave up and shoved on his shoes, ignoring the fact that he wasn't wearing socks. Nya was sound asleep and snoring like a bear (not that he would ever tell her that) so she didn't notice him slowly slide along the creaky floorboards and shut their room behind him. Lloyd shuffled down the halls in his pyjamas, hoping he didn't look too much like a toddler who couldn't sleep as he pattered along.

Lloyd barely suppressed a shiver as he crept down the hall but it wasn't from the cold temperature. Lloyd couldn't help but think of the creepy stories the kids had been telling before he drifted off. Haunted houses and scary dolls filled the tall tales, each one more horrific and violent than the last. Lloyd tried to deny his thumping heart and the adrenaline high he was having but eventually, he stopped lying to himself.

You're scared, Lloyd. You're scared of a stupid ghost story.

Lloyd huffed in irritation and wrapped his arms around himself, continuing towards the staircase with a wary gaze. The halls were empty since Wu was very strict about his curfew for the younger students. The headmaster didn't want any of them discovering his vintage sword collection and try out how well they can pierce their classmates.

Lloyd made his way down the stairs and snagged the blanket on the armchair by the door before he slipped outside. The cool air welcomed him as he took a deep breath and carefully closed the door.

Three pairs of eyes followed him suspiciously as he made his way into the garden.

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