The Life of Livana Garmadon

July 24th, 2023

A funny thing about battles with bad guys was that they all said the same things. They love to say the same things. They'll always tell you that you're going to fail, this is going bad, this and that. It's annoying, to be honest, but you have to let the villains have their fun before you put them where they belong.

"You don't look too nervous." I looked up to find Nya sitting down next to me, "Is it confidence that's fueling you right now, Livvy?"

"I just find it funny." I responded simply and Nya looked over at me.

"Funny? You find the destruction of our home funny?" Nya raised an eyebrow, "What's wrong with you?"

I rolled my eyes, "Dude. You know that's not how I mean it."

"What do you find funny, then?" Nya prodded me in the shoulder and I shrugged, putting my hair up into a ponytail.

"Just that all villains tell us we're going to fail and then they're the ones that end up losing the battle. Or, if it's dark, dead." Nya winced and I looked at her. I frowned, "Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry. I'm just... a little nervous." Nya said and then added later, "That's a lie. I'm literally going to have a breakdown."

"Shouldn't Jay be doing this?" I asked, gesturing at us, "Calming you down? You guys are engaged, so where is he?"

"He's... uh... in the bathroom." Nya said, "Kind of..." Nya brushed her hair aside and rubbed her neck, "Whenever he gets really nervous, he kind of... pukes a lot. That's what he's been doing. Kai's been calming him down though."

I grimaced, "Oh... yikes. Hope he feels better soon because the Oni are coming."

"Do you think they're stalling to make us feel uneasy? Like, we're somehow not prepared?" Nya asked tentatively and I thought about it. Maybe.

"Not sure, since I'm clearly not an Oni, but I would say that they're scared of us." I said, "I'm definitely not scared. I'm ready to kick someone after what they did to me back at their lair and what they showed me."

"What did they show you?" Nya asked bluntly.

"Things you don't wanna see." I brushed the dust off my knees and got up from the monastery stairs, "Have you seen Lloyd?"

"He's in his room." Nya told me, "Don't know what he's doing."

"I'll check on him. Thanks." I jogged into the building and then found Cole, sitting on the ground, looking at a picture in his hand. I put my hands on my knees and gazed over his shoulder before finally saying, "How long have you been sitting here?"

Cole leapt a few feet into the air before he calmed down and looked at me, "Geez. Mind giving a brother a warning next time?" We always called each other "brother". Or "sister", in Nya, P.I.X.A.L, and I's case.

"My bad, brother dear. Are you gonna answer my question?" I asked.

"How can you be so calm, Liv?" Cole demanded, "It's inhumane. Jay had a puke breakdown in the bathroom and Kai's temper is... enormous right now. Zane downloaded a really sad playlist and Nya's unsettled. I have no idea what your brother is doing and even your uncle is scared. Your uncle is never scared!"

"I'm not calm." I crossed my arms and sat down next to Cole, "Not really. I just have the aura of calm. But right now, I am worried, yes, but..." I trailed off. I know I'm going to be alive after this. That's why I'm not scared. I mentally slapped myself. How selfish of me to think like this. I sucked in a breath.

"Who's in the picture?" I asked, pointing at the frame Cole was holding. Cole handed the picture to me and I realized who it was. It was all of us. Kai, Nya, Jay, Cole, P.I.X.A.L, Zane, Lloyd, Uncle Wu, and me. We were all sitting on the stairs of the monastery, our faces full of joy. The Destiny's Bounty was right behind us, hovering in the air. It was when we had rebuilt the monastery after Aspheera completely burnt it down when she got that moment of power. Inside that frame, next to the picture, was a tiny snapshot of Cole's parents.