"Illora! You're back!" Nya's familiar face said through the motorcycle's vidcam. "How was your month away?"
I shook my head, chuckling. "It was... a little scary, to be honest."
"How so?"
I took a right through Jamanakai Village. "I spent a month dealing with the darkness within me without guidance." I sighed. "I mean, other than Uncle Wu, you're the only person that knows that I'm the Elemental Master of Darkness, let alone the evil Lord Garmadon's daughter."
Nya paused. "Touche. Where are you now?"
"Jamanakai Village," I answered, taking off my helmet. My braided hair fell out of it, all messed-up. "I'm a little hungry." We chuckled as I parked my bike. I switched the audio to the comm system in my ear and continued walking to the market. "How are the boys?"
"Why don't you hear for yourself?" Nya asked. I listened closely, trying to hear the Ninja's voices.
"Fire strike! Oh my gosh, is that the greatest move you've ever seen?"
"Stop trying to do it yourself. We need to attack as a team!"
"They aren't training," I asked, deadpan, "are they?"
"Nope," Nya sighed.
"Zane, why are you wasting your special attack on me? You have to save it."
"Fantastic! I'm out of lives!"
"But the lesson lives on, and I am getting the hang of it. Hi-yah!"
I walked over to a fruit stand and held a melon in my hands, checking it for any dark spots as Nya started to speak again. "Obviously, they aren't taking their duties as the 'Protectors of Ninjago' seriously."
We laughed as I said, "Obviously." I paid for the fruit and sat down on my bike, eager to satisfy my hunger. "What's new with you?"
"Oh, nothing much. I have been working on a new mech, but I don't know when I'll use it."
"Does it have a name yet?"
"Nope."
"So it's an X Mech?"
Nya paused, thinking. "You know, that's not a bad name."
We giggled as I switched the audio back to the vidcam. I took one end of my glaive and chopped the melon in half, revealing the fruity orange interior. Suddenly, I felt a pair of eyes watching me. I turned around to see a kid, not older than 10, half-starved. "Uh, Nya?"
"Yeah?"
"Gimme a second." I got up and handed the little girl half of my melon, as well as some copper pieces. She shied away slowly. "I'm not going to hurt you. Take this, I insist," I said. The little girl accepted the food and money as she hugged me.
"Thank you so much!" She ran away quickly as I switched the audio again.
"Lore, that was really generous of you," Nya said, startling me. I didn't know that she was still listening in.
I ran a hand through my hair. "Oh, um... Thanks! " I chuckled. "I'm sorry, I'm still not used to receiving compliments."
"You're fine. You deserve it, too."
I teared up a little. "Thank you. I needed to hear that."
Suddenly, I heard a scream echo in the distance. A stampede of people rushed by me, and I got up to see what was going on. I walked out into the road but was immediately knocked to the ground.
I heard Nya gasp as I tried to get up again. "Lore, are you okay?"
"Just dandy," I said. "I'm gonna see what's going on."
"Be careful, alright?"
I sighed. "Fine." I switched the audio system back to my comm and flagged down a random passer-by. "Hey! What's going on?"
"It's the Dark Lord! He's here!"
I froze and loosened my grip on the villager, allowing him to run away. "Garmadon... here?" A shiver ran down my spine as I ran a hand through my hair again.
"Lore, talk to me!" Nya's voice chimed through the comm.
My breath hitched, but I regained my composure. "Nya... My father, he's back!"
"Really? Where?"
"Here, in Jamanakai Village!"
"I'm going to go warn the boys."
"Alright. I'm going to get a better view." I run across the street and climb to the top of a hut. The roof shingles rattled and clanked as I scurried up. I craned my neck over the edge but sat back down as I heard Nya again.
"Guys! Lord Garmadon! He's returned! He was spotted approaching Jamanakai Village!" she warned the Ninja. I could hear them scurrying around to grab their weapons. One particular voice, though, shone through the rest.
"Er-th-thanks-er-uh-" stammered Jay.
"Hurry!" Nya scolded.
"Okay!" he said. I heard Nya run across the monastery and out to the Dragon Stables. The Dragons roared ferociously, and I envied not having one.
"Uh... can I help?" Nya asked.
"Sorry, sis," Kai's cocky voice said. "Where we go, danger abounds. This is a job for the Ninja." I heard a jingling noise as Kai asked for a little help. The Ninja whooped and cheered as I heard the Elemental Dragons fly away.
Nya sighed. "Will they ever reach their full potential?"
"In time. Maybe a long time, but in time," answered Uncle Wu.
I heard footsteps receding as Nya scoffed.
"You know," I started, "if it makes you feel better, I think you'd make a great Ninja."
Nya seemed startled to hear me. "You were on the line the whole time?"
"Of course! And, by the way, I think you and Jay would make a great couple," I snickered.
"Oh, shut up!" she chuckled.
"I can hear you blushing from all the way over here~!"
"Don't you have to scope out the area?"
"Oh yeah! I'll talk to you later."
"Stay safe!"
I scoffed. "Fine, I will."
I hung up and jumped down to the ground, laughing to myself. Suddenly, evil laughter echoed from an alleyway. Get ready, I told myself. This is your father, who is the Elemental Master of Darkness... I gulped, readying myself into a fighting stance. A silhouette of Garmadon came into view as I heard four familiar voices behind me. No, not right now! I groaned and climbed back onto the roof, watching from afar.
"Ha-ha! I was first!" Kai boasted.
Jay crossed his arms. "No! No one was faster than me!"
Cole laughed. "My feet were down before yours!"
"You were all disillusioned!" Zane argued. "It was clearly me!"
I face-palmed. You all touched down at the same time! I wanted to yell. Get a move on! The villagers screaming and running back to their homes finally seemed to click in as the boys readied up. The evil laughter came back again, alerting the Ninja.
"Stay sharp, fellas," Kai said. "Whatever happens, never let your guard down."
The silhouette got closer and closer as the laughter got louder and louder. I got ready to jump into action as a figure turned around the corner.
A figure I recognized.
"It is I, Lloyd Garmadon!" he laughed. "I demand all the candy in town, or else!"
I face-planted onto the roof as I forced myself not to jump. Shocked, I picked myself up and watched everything unfold.
"Lloyd Garmadon? I thought we were gonna face Lord Garmadon!" Jay whined.
Cole stated the obvious. "It's his son. Looks like he escaped his boarding school for bad boys again. And to think we could've been doing Spinjitzu already!"
Jay groaned in exasperation.
Lloyd, now exposed, struggled to invoke fear in the hearts of the villagers. "Er... uh... Gimme your candy or I'll release the Serpentine on you!"
The villagers started to gather around Lloyd and booed at him as he took out a can of rubber snakes. He released them into the audience, and I couldn't help feeling sorry for him. He was my little brother, after all. The villagers started to throw vegetables at him, and Lloyd started to throw a tantrum.
"No way! I asked for candy, not vegetables! I hate vegetables!" Lloyd grunted but slipped on a stray eggplant. I flinched and turned away in embarrassment, focusing on the Ninja.
Kai facepalmed. "He's gonna have to do a lot better than use an old bedtime story to scare people."
"The Serpentine are real, Kai," Zane argued. "They're not something to joke about."
Kai was still skeptical. "Serpentine? Real? We're talking about the ancient race of snake people who once ruled Ninjago and were supposedly locked underground."
"Sealed in five different tombs to separate the warring tribes and ensure they don't unify to exact their revenge upon those who put them there!" whimpered Jay.
Kai scoffed. "It was an old wive's tale to teach kids not to poke their noses where they don't belong. Don't you think it's a little suspicious no one's ever found one of their tombs?"
"Well, that's because you'd be a fool to look for one," Cole said. "If there was anything I hated more than dragons, it was snakes. Rubber or not." He walked toward Lloyd and picked him up, with Zane, Kai, and Jay helping him. Lloyd threw the can at Jay's head, making me snicker. "Don't worry, folks, we'll take care of this. Nothing to see here."
"Bow down to me or suffer my wrath!" Lloyd yelled. "I'll give you till the count of three! One! Two!"
"What are we supposed to do? Spank him?" asked Kai.
"Two and a half!"
The next thing I knew, Lloyd was hanging on a sign and all the villagers, along with the Ninja, were throwing food at him.
"You just made me your nemesis!" Lloyd screamed. "Mark my words, you'll pay for this!"
The uproars of the village stopped abruptly as I approached the Elemental Dragons to get a better view. I petted them softly as I looked at Zane buying candy for his friends.
"Next time," Cole said, "try paying for your candy."
"Crime doesn't pay, muchacho," Kai laughed. "You can take that to the bank."
"Mmm... Cotton candy!" Jay taunted, taking a bite out of his.
Lloyd screamed in rage as the Ninja laughed at him. I said goodbye to the Dragons as I ran behind the nearest building, waiting for the people around us to leave. The village dispersed as the Ninja rode away, leaving the kid screaming for help. I put my hood on and sneaked over to Lloyd when no one was around and used my glaive to cut him down.
"Alley-oop!" I said to myself as I caught him.
"Who? Wha-?" he started, but I covered his mouth and slung him over my shoulder as I ran into an alleyway. He thrashed around and said, "Let go of me!" I leaned forward and pushed him off my shoulder, putting a hand on my waist.
"Of course, my liege." I exaggerated a bow.
Lloyd scoffed. "Don't you know who I am? I'm-"
"I know, Lloyd," I said as I took off my mask to reveal a huge smile. "Guess who?" I kneeled down and opened my arms to him.
"...Illora?" he asked trepidatiously. "Is that you?"
"Who else would it be?" I said as I waved my hands around. Lloyd was cautious, almost... scared. I sighed as my arms dropped down. I thought this would happen. I was gone for 3 years, just like how mom and dad left us.
"Wait, Lloyd!" I said, anxiously. I separated a strand of hair, one that matched the color of Lloyd's blond bowl cut. "Do you remember this? You were sad that you and I had different hair colors, so I dyed parts of my hair blond. Granted, I did it really badly, but you still loved it."
"Lore, it is you!" He ran to me and hugged me tightly.
"Yeah, it is."
We stayed like that for a good moment.
"You left me," he said as he pulled away. "You left me for three years! Just like how mom and dad left us."
I sighed. "Lloyd, not coming with me was for the best. Trust me, it was better for you to go to Darkly's."
"Oh really?" Lloyd started to raise his voice. "Because it felt like one of the only people I ever trusted left me for good!"
"Lloyd, I-"
"I think you should go," he said softly but sternly.
"But, Lloyd, if you'll give me a chance to explain-"
"Go!" Lloyd yelled. "Just go."
I opened my mouth but closed it and turned around. "Alright, if that's what you want." I walked away from Lloyd again as I felt the weirdest sense of deja vu. I wiped away the unshed tears in my eyes as I rode away on my motorcycle.
