it's only when i hit the bottom

Chapter 1: You can't have peace without a war

Lloyd Garmadon was dead.

In all this incessant chaos, Harumi had not yet had time to properly comprehend this thought and realize the reality of what had happened. She had to put it aside again and keep listening to what was going on around her. She didn't have time for sentiments. What else could she do? All week she was busy with other interesting things. Such as, for example, not to die. And it wasn't an easy task when the Council she had gathered not so long ago was hunting for her and could attack at any moment. In addition, it should be noted that the situation in Ninjago City was also not the most comforting: the streets were empty, from time to time you could hear the massacre, looters and the screams of innocent people who had no one to protect them. Therefore, it was also impossible to hide in the crowd when there was wasteland everywhere.

When Pythor and Aspheera flew past her, she finally got out from under the broken advertising stand and walked to the parapet of the roof. Carefully descending the stairs to the second floor, she stepped over the broken window with one foot, being careful of the shards — she cut herself when she first discovered this place —  and in a hurry climbed inside. Today she was again in search of water, food and the ninjas themselves.

It was stupid. Presumptuous and risky. But any means are good in war, right?

Harumi wasn't a fool and knew that no one would welcome her with open arms, but she couldn't fight the evil she brought to this world alone. The power that the Crystal King gave her, he also took away that first night when she had just escaped from the battlefield and found a place to sleep. And she also shed more tears than she had ever shed in her life.

But the disappearance of the ninja alerted her. Where are they? Why has no one seen them since that ill-fated battle? Why don't they protect the city when it needs heroes so much? This infuriated her, and with an exasperated sigh, she lay down in her little corner, allowing herself to immerse in her thoughts.

The plan was simple and banal: not to get caught by either side because she betrayed the Crystal Bastard and because the police and authorities would want to kill her for the right reasons if she leaned out. But she also needed to enlist someone's help to... what? For what?

Harumi swallowed the lump that appeared in her throat and tightly squeezed her eyes shut, not letting loose the tears that threatened to spill out.

Lloyd Garmadon was dead.

Or what the whole world believed in these days.

She had never allowed herself to seriously think about what those words meant, but right now her thoughts didn't know the way back. She was so fucking tired to fight them. Memories flooded her, and she remembered that terrible day all too well.

The green ninja turned into an Oni, or a demon (call it whatever you want), and fought with his old enemy, and Harumi at some point really believed that the monster would be defeated now at any moment, until, for some reason she did not understand, Lloyd was distracted. She didn't see the whole battle as clearly as she wanted, because the girl was on the other side of what was happening, but the ground shook from each of his attacks, and it seemed that the flying piece of the island would sooner or later fall to the ground with a deafening roar.

The confusion that Lloyd created by stopping attacking the enemy was enough for him to gather himself and attack the ninja. There was an explosion.

There was a ringing in her ears, and a muffled scream came out of her, which she was sure no one heard. When the dust settled and the picture in front of her eyes stopped rippling, she didn't see Lloyd. He wasn't there. In his place, all the crystals shattered into splinters, and a trace of the dark power of the Crystal King remained on the ground. She put her hand to her mouth to keep from screaming again and hid behind the throne. The monster behind her seemed to have forgotten about the traitor and burst into such laughter that it sent shivers down her spine. She felt sick .