Brother of Wind {Book 8: the Sons of Garmadon}

chapter 3

The brothers slowly entered the room. It was a mess and the window was wide open. They ran to the balcony. A hooded figure carried a large bag.
"He's got the Princess!" Lloyd pointed.
"You go, I'll tell the others." Morro said. Lloyd jumped out of the window and into a chase. He flipped on his hood.

He slid across the rooftops, following this hooded figure. Just as they looked back, Lloyd hid to not be spotted. Lloyd looked around. The figure jumped buildings. Llpyd quickly ran to catch up. He reached another jump.

"Ahh!" He stopped at the edge. It was a big jump.
"You gotta be kidding me." Lloyd saw multiple lantern and clothes lines hanging across the buildings. He used them as aids to get across. But as he reached the other end, all that Lloyd could grab was a ladder. And it was on the verge of breaking.

Lloyd almost fell towards the ground when the one he was chasing grabbed his hand.
"Who are you?" Lloyd raised his stance to the figure. They took off the hood, revealing the platnum white hair of Harumi.
"Oh. Princess? I thought you were kidnapped. I was trying to save you." Lloyd said, taking off his hood.

'False alarm. Don't tell anyone!'
Lloyd played with his hands.

'False alarm? Just what exactly are you doing?'
Morro's voice rung in Lloyd's head.

"Was that what that was? From my vantage, it looked like I was the one saving you." Harumi leaned forwards. Lloyd snapoed back to reality.
"Then who's in the bag?" Lloyd asked.
"You mean what's in the bag. Food. For the less fortunate." Harumi openes the large bag.
"Even though I'm confined to the palace, I still try to give what I can."

"But your bedroom. It was ransacked." Lloyd pointed out.
"Yes, I can be quite a slob. Thank you for noticing." Harumi said.
"I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean—" Lloyd stammered.

"The Princess is gone! Find her!" The yell of Hutchins made it all the way to where Lloyd and Harumi stood.
"Ha. Excuse me." Lloyd said.

He whipped around and tensed up.

'I SAID FALSE ALARM.'
Lloyd frowned.

'Your chase took one minute. You know I'm fast. But at least I didn't say she was kidnapped. Just gone.'
Morro felt off about it.

Lloyd sighed.
"They can't know I left the palace." Harumi said. She threw a jacket to Lloyd.
"You have to disguise yourself. Hurry!" The two jumped down into the dim lit canals of the less fortunate.

Harumi went around, passing out the food she took from the palace. Lloyd watched from a few steps behind.
"Some things are easier to do when you're not a princess. If I asked my parents, they would never allow it. But these people are hungry. And we have so much food in the palace." Harumi said as she continued. She handed some to Lloyd. Seemed like all the kids came to surround them.
"Patience, little ones. There's enough for each of you." Harumi said. Soon enough, the whole bag was gone.

"Can I ask you a question?" Lloyd asked.
"Do you enjoy being a princess?"

"Everyone thinks being a princess is supposed to be easy, and wonderful, and I
guess it's okay, but a lot of the time it's really hard." Harumi said, ducking under the wooden supports of the buildings.
"Huh. Tell me about it. Not being a princess, I mean being the Green Ninja." Lloyd said. They reached a small brige riding over the small stream.

"We have to live up to a role that was bestowed upon us. We never chose these mantles we hold." Harumi said.
"I know. It's hard to live a normal life." Lloyd leaned on the bridge.
"Nothing about me or my family is normal." He laughed.
"Such as you and your brother's vastly different hair colours?" Harumi asked.
"Ah! Uh, we're not actually-- uh I don't want to explain it right now haha..." Lloyd trailed off.
"But a normal... Is something I probably wont get. At least I get to wear a mask, but you--"