Once [M/n] had been stabilized, wound tightly bandaged and cleaned as best they could get it, Lloyd allowed Dr. Julien to wrap up his leg. The blond sat beside [M/n], leaning back against the same rock but very pointedly not touching the older ninja.
"Can I still fight?" Lloyd asked, anxious. At his side, [M/n] seemed to be asleep, eyes closed and chest slowly rising. Dr. Julien sighed, tying off the bandages with a shake of his head.
"Hmm, I'm sorry. You likely broke your fibia, and it'll take weeks for it to properly heal," Dr. Julien explained, standing back up.
"I don't have weeks to just sit around and heal. The Overlord is in Ninjago right now," Lloyd denied, shaking his head as he dragged himself to his feet. Luckily, since the fibia was not a load bearing bone, he was able to limp forward.
[M/n] silently climbed back up onto his own feet, standing tall even with the bloodsoaked bandages visible because of his open GI.
"The battle between good and evil must be decided today," Wu murmured, more to himself than to the ninja, but they responded anyway.
"How? We can't even get to the fight, much less get off the island," Kai snapped.
"I hope Nya's okay," Jay whispered, wringing his hands. Kai flinched at the reminder of his sister, her twisted, warped form flashing behind his eyes.
"Perhaps it's best to think of our friends as we remember them in our hearts, not as they are now," Zane stated gently.
"But I don't remember my father any other way."
"Your father loved you. It was the evil of the Great Devourer that corrupted him," Misako comforted, watching him sadly.
"Even when the venom was coursing through his veins, you were the most important thing in his life," [M/n] reminded him, gently brushing bloodsoaked bangs from Lloyd's eyes.
"Sensei, I don't understand. The prophecy said the Green Ninja would defeat the Dark Lord. Why didn't we win?" Kai asked.
"I . . . don't know," Wu admitted, lowering his head shamefully.
"Don't know? You're Sensei! You always know! You have a long white beard!" Jay shouted hysterically.
"There must be some message to learn. A lesson. A word of wisdom. Just a word? Something," Kai near begged.
"For once, I'm afraid there is nothing to learn. Only that evil has won."
"No. It might have won the battle, but the war is not over," [M/n] refuted.
"I have a lesson, then. I used to be nothing but trouble, but then I met you guys. You took me in. Showed me the importance of being brave, the importance of being strong. And most importantly, being good. You taught me what it meant to be good, gave me something to fight for," Lloyd stated, groaning as he limped to be in front of everyone. "When this battle first began, when the First Spinjitzu Master and Kovidar fought the Overlord and their backs were up against the wall and they knew it was all over, did they quit? No. The FSM found a way to keep the fight going. He passed his Elemental Powers to us. Of all people, a bunch of kids. But there must have been a reason he chose us. I'd like to think it's because he knew we'd never back down, we'd never give up. We've learned the ancient ways of the ninja, just as he did. And ninja never quit."
"He's right. If that means we have to swim the sea to get off this island, then so be it," Kai said, trembling as he stepped into the ocean.
"The entire ocean? But I didn't bring my floaties," Jay complained.
"Well, if you got a better plan . . ."
"Jay might not, but he may," Zane stated, watching as the Falcon circled.
YOU ARE READING
Querencia
Fanfiction(n.) A place where one feels safe, a place from which one's strength of character is drawn. [M/n] Caelestis has no memory of who he is, relying entirely upon Sensei Wu to fill in the gaps. With knowledge, a history, skills, and a willingness to kill...
