𝑬𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑱𝒂𝒅𝒆：𝐴 𝐿𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑢𝑚𝑖 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦

Chapter One

                                 

~Dedicated to anyone who needs a second chance~

                                        •Harumi•

What was I doing? Lloyd was right this isn't me. But this time, I actually meant it. I was creating a situation where so many people like myself were going to loose people that they loved. I had already lost my parents and my perfect life. I had lost probably the only person who cared about me by betraying him because I was selfish. I was selfish to inflict pain on others because I was hurting. This was not who my parents wanted me to be. What had I become? Here I was, helping Lord Garmadon himself, rule Ninjago with an iron fist, and cause many to suffer because I could not come to terms with the death of my parents.

I had pushed away Lloyd and broken him, in an attempt to cause him pain. I blamed him for the death of my parents, when I should be blaming fate. Lloyd genuinely cared about me. He truly did. And how did I repay him? By emotionally manipulating him and breaking his heart. By resurrecting his father, just soon after he was finally starting to come to terms with his father's sacrifice. Lloyd was the only person that I truly let into my heart after the death of my parents.

As the Royal Jade Princess, I was not allowed to leave the palace. I was only allowed to socialize with people from our same social class, who were very dull and never my age. My adoptive parents were of course kind to take me in, but we're never really there for me as much as my real parents were. I longed to be back in the small, yet cozy apartment that I grew up in. The Palace of Secrets was so large that it felt dark and cold. My adoptive parents were never there to comfort me when I had a nightmare, or when I cried myself to sleep over the daunting memories of my parents. And here I was, running through a building attempting to escape before it collapsed, and trying to save the few people who were left and trapped inside. I just had to get everyone out. I just had to.

I hear a child cry out, and it jerks me out of my thoughts.

"Please take him!"

His mother tearfully cries to the crowd in the elevator. I feel the building sway a little under my feet. "No!" The son cries and looks at his mother with tears starting to roll down his cheeks. The look of pain in his mother's eyes tear at my heart. My own mother displayed the same look many years ago.

"This is my fault." I whisper under my breath.

The mother and father start to push their son into the elevator and he tries to push back.

"No!" He cries and attempts to hug his mom.

My palms start to sweat as I feel the building shake. I knew there wasn't much time left. I had to help them. I would not let that child become like me. I rush towards the family and grab the boy's wrist.

"I'll get you out. Together."

I pull the child from the elevator and the doors slam shut. I just had to get them out.

"I promise."

I say as I lock eyes with the mother. The look of distress on her face is almost unbearable. I take hold of her hand as well and lead the mother and son to the fire escape, with the father following close behind. As soon as he starts to head down the escape, a huge wooden beam falls down and blocks the exit. They all three look at me through the tiny opening in the beam with distress in their eyes. I knew there wasn't much time.

"Go," I say as my hands start to shake. "I'll find another way." They shoot me a look of gratitude and run down the escape.

I start to run up to the top of the building, hoping to be able to get to another escape. My head is spinning and my palms are sweaty. The building starts to sway. I make it up to the top of the building and look around at my surroundings.

The sound of fear and screams of innocent people who are experiencing the wrath of Garmadon echo in my ears. My heart shatters at the sound of so many screams and the noise of lives being threatened. The sound of people thinking that death and the end is near. I know that I caused this. I am the reason for all of this. I deserve to die along with them. I don't deserve to be saved. It seems fitting that I should die by the destruction that I inflicted upon this city.

I look at the now destroyed skyline of Ninjago and I see him. I see the memories and conversations flash before my eyes as well. Why couldn't I have just chose to be with him? To abandon my hatred and choose to be loved again?  Our eyes lock. The building's foundation cracks. I knew in my heart that this was the end. This is how I would die. This is how I would be remembered. The girl who helped Lord Garmadon destroy Ninjago. The girl who could not let go of her anger and caused the whole city to suffer. The girl who broke Lloyd Garmadon's heart. The Quiet One.

"Lloyd." I whisper.
"Harumi." He says softly.
The foundation gives.
My heart drops.
This is it.

Darkness surrounds me. I don't remember falling, but I do remember the physical and mental pain. I'm surrounded and buried in the rubble of the buildings. I'm mentally buried in my destruction. My life has been buried. The hope of redemption, the hope of stopping Garmadon, and the hope of Lloyd's forgiveness, all buried underneath the building along with me.

I take a moment to assess my physical pain. The smell of blood surrounds me. My blood. I clench my teeth and wince. Everything aches. Especially my head. My body hurts so much, that it is impossible just to focus on one specific spot on my body that could be hurting. Thinking about how much I'm hurting, makes me feel selfish. There are so many people right now in Ninjago who are hurting because of me. But the one who is hurting the most, is Lloyd.

He lost so much. He lost all his friends, he lost his dad, and he lost me. Of course, loosing me was his one loss that would be considered a benefit. Now, he doesn't have to worry about me, and if I would hurt him again. I was better off dead where I couldn't hurt anyone ever again.

I truly wanted to die right at the moment of the building collapse, but I somehow did not. I took a moment to try to move my arm and feel around. A sharp, shooting pain made me place my arm back down. I cannot see anything. Once again, I tried to free my arm from the rubble, this time succeeding. I lifted it up and feel cool metal. Something had caused some of the building not to totally crush me. I screamed internally. Why could I have not just died instantly? Now I was stuck in the darkness, covered in blood and rubble, alone with my thoughts and guilt.
"Please," I cry out, "I don't want to be here anymore. I can't. Why does this have to be happening? I just...want...to..."

And that's when everything went black...
Little did I know, that I had not died that day, but rather, I was given a second chance at living. A chance at redemption, and a chance to change.