Lego Ninjago: The Elemental Master of Magic (Under Editing) (Re-Write)

Chapter Seven: The Weakest Link

Despite the lightness of the dawning sky, the stars were so bright and clear like distant diamonds sparkling in the morning sky. As the sun started to rise, it had caught the colors of a blazing, aflame ember as it rise in the east. The faint outline of the moon was in a pale circle of silver, glowing faintly in the dawning sky.
The conversation that had happened in the warehouse moments before started to play in Sensei Garmadon's head. Wait... If what Lloyd said is true, then he should have his powers over creation as well, since there must always be a balance in life. But will it happen in time? The thoughts were flooding in Sensei Garmadon's head as he remembered Lloyd's close encounters with death and Diana's close death experiences too. I'm so scared... What if I lose you... I CAN'T lose you, Lloyd... Not again... Not after I have just gotten you BACK...! He choked back a sob, trying to stay strong.
Diana felt a shred of defiance enter her heart. She turned around to look at Sensei Garmadon as he turned around to look at her. Her blue eyes stared intensely back at her Sensei, challenging him to stop whatever it was she was about to do. Sensei Garmadon stared back at her. Even with his broken heart, he still looked into her eyes with the same love he always held for her.
She wrapped her arms around Sensei Garmadon and squeezed her Sensei tightly. Diana felt Sensei Garmadon's strong arms wrap around her. She shut her eyes and let her whole body relax into the embrace. A silent sob escaped from her. Warm tears were sliding Sensei Garmadon's face too. Sensei Garmadon looked over to his son. Their eyes met for a couple of seconds before Lloyd rushed in to join the embrace. Sensei Garmadon held them close, not wanting to let go of them, but the ache in his heart reminded him that he would need to. He admired their loyalty and courage, but they were still very young. The world would challenge them in so many ways and Sensei Garmadon wished he could shield them from those challenges, to keep them as pure and innocent, but he knew doing so would do them more harm than good.
"Lloyd, Diana." The two of them looked at Sensei Garmadon, whose expression was worried about them both. "Please promise you two will be careful."
"We'll try," whispered Diana.
Sensei Garmadon, however, held his son for a few seconds more.
"Father? You can let go now," Lloyd assured, although his father's soft gaze comforted Lloyd greatly.
"I'm so proud of you..." Sensei Garmadon whispered into his ear.
"Thanks, father..." Lloyd relaxed in his hug before the three of them pulled out of their embrace.
In the next hour, Diana then gave Lloyd a nod as she walked up to him, signaling that she was ready. Then, without wasting any more time, the Green Ninja began leading her and the others outside. As Diana, Skylor, and Mystake stepped outside, the three Ninja that were with them stopped in the doorway.
"Do you all remember the plan?" Lloyd questioned as he looked between the three women in front of him.
"Mystake, who will be disguised as Ultra Violet will lead Skylor and Diana up to the top of Borg Tower," Nya began. "From there, we will present us as a prisoner to Lord Garmadon."
"As Garmadon gets close enough, I'll use my powers on him," Skylor spoke up. "Then once I'm sure l've absorbed his abilities, I'll give the signal for us to leave."
"And then I'll summon a portal to bring us back here in case we were followed," finished Diana.
"And if your father finds out about our deception, and tries to use his powers to stop us, I'll give him the ol' beat down until Skylor and Diana here can get away. I'll show him how destructive a real Oni can be!" Mystake added, a bit more enthusiastic and excited sounding than Lloyd feared she should be.
The Green Ninja made no audible comment though. "Exactly. Remember, our ultimate goal here is for Skylor to gain control of his colossus. This is an infiltration mission, not an outright attack. I need you all back here in one piece. So get in, get Skylor to Lord Garmadon, and get out. Rendezvous back at the depot as soon as the mission is completed. Understood?" Lloyd checked with the other members of the Resistance to make sure they were all on the same page.
"Yes, yes. We've got it." Mystake was the first one to reply, waving her hand over her shoulder dismissively as she turned to walk away.
"We'll be back before sun down," Skylor informed the green clad boy before moving to catch up with the surprisingly spry elder.
"Diana," Lloyd called out again just as the girl was turning to walk away. As the light golden-haired girl looked back at the Green Ninja, she noticed that Lloyd looked nervous. "Just... Look out for each other."
"Like Skylor said, we'll have the mission completed before sun down," Diana reaffirmed before finally walking away.
Lloyd stayed standing in the doorway as he watched his allies disappeared from view, and the Teal Ninja beside him stayed by his side even after they were gone. She too had noticed the nervous look plastered onto her younger brother's face. After a moment of silence between the two of them had passed, Nya placed a gentle hand onto the Green Ninja's shoulder, pulling him back to reality.
"You're worried about them," Nya stated, causing Lloyd to frown as he looked up at her. "They'll succeed. I know they will."
However, his sister's words did nothing to quell the worry Lloyd could feel still swirling about inside his chest. "It's not whether or not they'll succeed that I'm worried about. I just... I wish we could go with them." This time, his words caused a frown to go over Nya's face.
"I know. I do too..." The Water Ninja agreed. After another moment of silence, Nya removed her hand from off of Lloyd's shoulder. "Come on, let's head back inside. We need to make sure everyone that's here, and the base, are all ready. Just in case things go wrong."
As Nya headed back inside the warehouse, Lloyd hesitated for a moment. The thought passed through his mind again, the thought that had already passed through his mind a dozen times now, the thought of following Diana and the others. Ultimately though, the Green Ninja decided against it. If he followed them, he would just be delivering himself right to his father, and he would be doing exactly as Garmadon wanted.
His presence would only put the others in more danger than they were already going to be in, and he would become a liability. So for the sake of the others, and for the sake of the resistance entirely, he couldn't risk it. As much as he hated it, he had to be patient. He had to endure.