Just an Illusion (A Ninjago Reader Insert)

Past Pain: Part 2

Y/n knew that whatever Clouse showed her next would not be pretty. Obvious, yes, but truer than ever, as he dragged her through the earlier years of her current life. Adrenaline pumped through her blood, tiny beads of sweat sending shivers down her spine.

They landed outside a monastery on a tall mountain. Thousands of stairs ran down into the fog below. She gazed up at the wooden doors inside the high walls. Clouse sat waiting on the wall, his usual sneer plastered across his face.

"Familiar, is it?" he grinned, jumping down carefully and opening the door with his magic. Through the doors was a small courtyard. She took in her surroundings. There was a familiarity about the monastery, but for the most part she didn't recognise it. She had small flashes of a memory here; walking around the courtyard in circles, lying on the stone floor. But none of it made much sense.

They stepped inside the monastery and began to wander around. Y/n came across a small nursery with a tiny crib in the centre. Stars hung from the ceiling and a tiny pile of basic wooden toys sat in the far corner of the room. There was no baby to be seen.

Soon after she entered the living room and found what they were looking for. A man with a grey-white beard and dressed in robes stood on one side of the room, a look of concern on his face. On the other side of the room was a tall woman with a long brunette braid that was slowly turning grey. Her face was pale and dark circles hung under her eyes. A suitcase stood beside her, and she was packing baby supplies into another bag.

On the couch sat the baby in a carrier basket, wrapped in green blankets with small tuffs of blonde hair peeking through. Beside him sat a younger Y/n. She looked to be about five years old and was wearing some old khaki clothes that had been cut to fit her. Her eyes were red and swollen but she had a wide smile on her face as she played with the baby.

Clouse entered the room and his eyes lit up at the sight of Wu. "He looks just as withered as I remember him," he sneered as he walked towards the woman. "Ah and of course, dear Misako is here too. Wretched thing, always was caught between two men."

Y/n frowned. "The baby must be Lloyd, right? But he said that she abandoned him...."

Clouse scoffed. "It seems he's not the first," he said, snapping his fingers and bringing the scene to life.

                                           ***********

Misako stuffed more and more supplies into the bag as Lloyd giggled and cooed from the basket. Wu looked between them and ran a hand through his beard.

"Misako please, stay and we can work this out!"

"There's nothing to say Wu," she sighed, zipping up the bag and throwing it over her shoulder.

"Please, just explain it to me! I'll understand."

"I just can't stay here anymore, alright? I must..."

She stopped at the sight of the young girl playing with her son. Y/n looked up at her with wide eyes. "Where you going Mi-Mi?" she asked in her quiet little voice. "You going to get Mummy and Daddy?"

Misako's eyes welled up as she snatched the basket away from her. Lloyd started to wail, and Wu frowned at her.

"Tell me you're not leaving because of her."

"Why else? Wu please, I can't be around her anymore!"

"She's just a child! The poor girl has already seen so much she can't understand, she needs support Misako!"