Querencia

S2 E12: The Last Hope

With everyone having received new powers – even though the ninja had had access to their elements before, it was different with the Elemental Blades – the past days had been spent practicing, preparing for the Final Battle. 

[M/n] struggled with his senses bumping up several degrees, leaving him to adjust to this new normal as his mind constantly brought up his memories, leaving him wrong-footed. For now, he focused on his training with Lloyd, who had recently become more aggressive than normal. With so much power begging to be used, Lloyd was struggling to keep it contained, leaving his temper on a short leash. 

Lloyd was currently throwing [M/n] around, with the assassin landing on his feet each time, seemingly not struggling. Each time [M/n] rose from the sand, Lloyd's temper would flare and he would lunge, only to be kicked back or knocked back, as if he wasn't a real threat. 

"Easy, Lloyd," [M/n] commanded, signaling the end of the fight. Lloyd panted, on his knees in the sand as he tried to calm back down. "Your power is an ocean, you cannot pull on it all at once. It will overwhelm you."

"How do you know about all this?" Lloyd asked, struggling to take deep breaths to calm himself down.

"My grandfather spoke of the FSM a lot. When he realized I was either going to be the Silver Ninja or one of my descendants was, he began teaching me about the Golden Power," [M/n] admitted. Since his memories had returned, he'd slowly begun sharing the more important ones with Lloyd. "Ra's power was so great and vast, you could feel wherever he was. Even if you had no powers, you could feel his presence. My mother struggled to really explain it to me since I was so young."

"Your mother met him? My grandfather?" 

"She did. Often, actually. My grandfather and yours were close, so my mother was close with . . . Wu and Garmadon," [M/n] stated, jaw flexing as he ground his teeth. Lloyd was surprised, having never heard any mention of this from his dad or uncle. "We should focus on what my grandfather taught me about your father."

Shutting down the questions he could see brewing in Lloyd's eyes. It was too much for him right now, he knew he wouldn't be able to handle being questioned just yet. 

"Okay," Lloyd agreed. He knew that if he pushed hard enough, [M/n] would answer his questions but at the cost of his own mental health. 

"Meditation seems to be a large part of it. You cannot lose control of yourself at any time. If you do, this power could overwhelm you and destroy everything," [M/n] warned, easily turning the conversation back to his power. When he saw the despair that flashed across Lloyd's face, he dropped a hand onto his shoulder to comfort him.

"If that happens-"

"It won't. I know it won't. There is no if," [M/n] interrupted. "I know you, Λιακάδα, you would not let yourself hit that point. And neither would I."

Lloyd smiled, pressing his forehead into the hard planes of [M/n]'s stomach. Humming, [M/n] ran his fingers through Lloyd's hair, trying to soothe him.

"How do I control it? How do I control something so . . . So powerful?" 

"This power, the Golden Energy, isn't something to be controlled, ηλιαχτίδα μου. Guide it, don't force it. Our power wants to be used, but we have to keep it controlled. Every element is a force of nature but ours? Ours are far more than that. They are nature, they are what created nature and gave her this power," [M/n] explained. "Take a deep breath. Feel it rise, and guide it."

Lloyd lingered in the hug, practicing the breathing in [M/n]'s grasp before pulling away to sit down properly and practice. For the next hour, Lloyd practiced with [M/n] passing out advice at points to help keep his calm.