"Family Means No One's Left Behind"~ A Greenflame and Children Story

Chapter Twenty Seven: A Change of Heart

Lari's Point of View~
Kabaz and I went back inside the factory because I started to get cold and shiver. When we got back inside, Akidah and Mia were up and the others were sitting in one big group. But there was something a bit with Sker's expression - it was very stern-looking, something I've rarely ever seen before. It was a shocker, but I didn't point it out to the others. "Finally, you two are here. Now we can have our discussion." Sker said. When he said that, his voice sounded disgusted or irritated and like he's been having a really bad day. And that would kind of odd because it was just last night when he was telling us stories of things he did as a kid during dinner to raise our spirits. Now this, a more intense and humorless Sker. The two of us sat down next to May and Kano. "So, what did you want to talk about?" Akidah asked. "I've been thinking about a plan to stop the Overlord and Haru." Sker began. "What is it?" I asked. "I say we should ambush them without them even knowing. Kabaz, May, Mia, and I will fight off Overlord, Haru, and some of the warriors while the rest of you set our parents free. If everything goes according to plan, we can bring them back here and possibly have more people to fight them off." Sker interpreted. Everyone gave him the 'are you serious' look. "An ambush? Really?" Mia asked. "That sounds way too reckless and dangerous," Sonia commented. "She's right. And plus, that'll be the eight of us against two powerful beings who also have control over a massive army of invincible Stone warriors! It'll be like suicide to ambush them!" I added. "Anything we do is gonna dangerous and we can't waste any time we have to spare. Besides, I don't hear the rest of you coming up with any other plans." Sker said. We were silent. He was right, none of us had a plan. Even though I don't particularly agree with Sker's plan of an ambush, I agreed that we couldn't waste time. Who knows if our parents were being tortured and how long the Overlord and Haru will be willing to wait before they make an attack on us? "So tonight, at sundown, we put our attack into motion," Sker ordered.

Narration~
And so, the clock till the ambush started ticking, counting down the minutes. And at Borg Tower, lie the greatest threats that Ninjago has faced had made the tower their home. At the moment, Haru had many thoughts raging in his head like a ferocious storm.

Haru's Point of View~
There were many thoughts storming my head and it was hard to process them. I was pacing back and forth in the same room as those disposable parents of the remaining elemental children. Just then, my father walked in. "Haru, what are you doing? Why are you going around in circles?" He asked. "When will I become King?! I've been waiting for years! You always say it'll be 'one day when I'm older'! When will this 'day' come?!" I snapped. "I've told you countless times that you're not ready. Those nuisances of elements are still out there and could possibly dethrone you. Once they're gone and out of the way, then you shall be King." My father responded. "Then why don't we just attack them ourselves?" I grumbled. "Because it'll be more of a fight if they strike first." Father said deviously. I growled. "Then why are they still alive? I thought you hated them! Especially this one!" I asked furiously as I latched onto the mop of blonde hair on Lloyd's hair, tightening my grip and locking it. He let out a small and quick yelp. The chains around his wrists and ankles clinked as his limbs moved as a reaction to the hair-pulling. My father sighed and shook his head in annoyance. "Are you that simpleminded Haru? They're our bait to get those children. If we killed them, they'd feel as if there were no point in saving the city then." Father responded. My lips quivered in anger and I roughly let go of Lloyd's hair. He clutched his head and was panting. He trembled in fear and pain, but there was nothing he, nor Kai and Skylor, could do, escape. For they have been stripped of their powers and were left with nothing but misery. I gave my father a glare full of hatred and anger. He stared right back at me. Then, he made his way towards me and was now slightly towering above me. He grabbed me by the scruff of my armor and shouted, "If you're ever going to be King, you will obey me and dare not question my methods unless it's of assistance! Do you understand me, you ungrateful brat?!" right in my face. "Ye-yes father, I understand you. Loud and clear." I spat out. My father let go and I dropped onto the floor. He grumbled before leaving and slamming the door behind him. I could feel the three ninjas' glare at me. "What are you staring at?" I muttered. Then, that green one spoke. "I...I noticed how he treats you, and I was wondering...do the two of you ever get along?" He said softly. Huh? What is talking about? Does he actually care about me? I thought. I looked back at him and saw he was staring right into my red, beady eyes. But his eyes, they were filled with something else...something I've never seen...concern. "Well, no, we never get along. Never have, never will. I was born to hate. He was made to hate. Neither of us has ever felt what it feels like to be loved or to love someone." I said. "So, you've...you've never been loved at all in your life? Not even by...your mother?" Lloyd asked softly. My eyes widened as to what he said. My mother. "I vaguely remember her. But I do remember that she never loved me. She was ashamed of me and herself. My mother was very gullible and was tricked into being the carrier of me for months. And after she gave birth to me, my father revealed what he planned to do with her child. He wanted me to follow him in footsteps and become King of Ninjago. My mother was crushed after she heard this, but she was condemned to stay by me and my father's sides until her death. My mother couldn't bear to love me. I only reminded her of the horrible mistake she made so many years ago. Now, my mother had passed away mysteriously. We just found her on the coast, dead. Father and I didn't know how she died, but we knew it wasn't suicide or a drowning. But we didn't care. We just left her body for the hungry creatures lurking around the area to feed on." I explained. "So, you've never been loved at all?" Lloyd asked. "Never. And I didn't love her nor hate her. She was just nothing to me." I said. "So you really don't know what it feels like to feel love at all." Kai commented. "I may not know now, but once your brats are out of the way, I will become King and everyone will adore me! They will love me." I proclaimed. "No, they won't." Lloyd said faintly. I jolted. I looked at him and his head was lowered. "What did you say?! Of course, they'll love me! Everyone loves their King!" I yelled as I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "They won't love you! It's not real love because it's not the real people showing their real feelings towards you. You can't just force people to love you, it's not right." Lloyd said. "True love has to be earned. You have to do something good for everyone and prove yourself worthy of love." Skylor said. "But if you don't, you will be alone for the rest of your life." Lloyd added. I still held him by his collar and tightened my grip. "What do you know?! What do you know about being alone?! Especially if you have been alone your entire life!" I yelled. Now I felt offended by what they said. It has to be obvious by they way they were so happy with each other, had a big family, and most of the entire city knows them and adores them, they've lived the best of lives anyone could ask for. "We actually know what it felt like to be so alone! And it was painful! Kai and his sister, Nya, had their parents taken from them when they were the ages of seven and three! Skylor had her mother's life taken right before her eyes and was forced to live with her horrible father! And I grew up with no parents to be there for me! I grew up in a horrible boarding school with no one to look up to! And when I was kicked out, I had no one there for me! I didn't have true friends! I didn't even have a whole childhood!" Lloyd yelled. And at this point, he was in tears. They fell and I could see how upset he was. I was stunned and my eyes widened. "But that all changed when we met the ninja. We all felt like a part of something great, something pure. We had friends to look up to and be there for. We all even found love along the way. Our love grew every second we spent together and then made it official by getting married." Skylor said. "And then our love grew when we had our kids." Kai added. I didn't know what to say or think, but my body didn't move. My hand was still holding onto Lloyd's collar. "So you see, we do know what it feels like to be alone, it's painful. But we also know what it feels like to love another and to be loved by many. You can be loved too, but you have to change! You have control over your life! Go against your father and help save Ninjago! You'll be loved by the city!" Lloyd said. I didn't say a word, but I forcefully released Lloyd and his back hit the wall with a thud. I stumbled as I backed away from the three of them. Tears were tracing Lloyd's cheeks as he faintly said, "You can change." I left the room. I didn't know what to think or how to feel. Why don't I feel rage or hatred right now?! Why wouldn't my body allow me to fight them?! What am I even thinking right now?! I asked myself inside my head. Were the things they were saying to me actually making me feel something rather than hate and anger?