AU Mash [Ninjago] [Greenflame]

AU Mash [7k Words]

    Morro creeped around the outside of the monastery, careful not to make a sound. He spotted the trash bins.
    Sneaking towards them, he opened the lid and looked in. It was full! He dug around a bit, trying to find something edible.
    The monastery door opened and a man walked out. He had white hair, but was not old. He carried a tan wooden pole.
    Morro jumped and tried to run away, but the man spoke, "Stop! Wait, I will not hurt you." He said.
    He stopped and turned around, looking at the man with a fearful expression.
    "Come, you are hungry, correct?" The man asked. Morro nodded, and rushed in after him. The door closed.
    The man made some tea, and cooked a nice meal. He gave Morro a large helping of everything.
    As he ate, the man asked some questions, "What is your name, young one?"
    "Um... Morro..." He said timidly.
    "It is nice to meet you, Morro. I'm Wu. How old are you?" He asked.
    "S...Seven."
    "Hm... Well, Morro, you can stay here with me if you'd like. Do you have a family?" Wu asked.
    Morro thought for a moment, "N-No... I don't think so..." He mumbled.
    "Then you are welcome to stay here."
    -
    Over the next few weeks, Wu worked with Morro to come out of his shell a little. One day he decided to propose a question to the child.
    "Morro," He began, as they sat down for tea, "How would you like to begin training? I have always wanted to teach, and I believe you would make a good ninja."
    Morro's murky, green eyes lit up, "Yes! I can be a ninja? Really?" He asked, excited.
    Wu chuckled and nodded, "Yes, really. I have one other question, if you don't mind."
    "What's that?" Morro asked.
    One of the things that stuck out about young Morro was his vibrant streak of green in his otherwise jet-black hair.
    "That streak in your hair, where did it come from?" He asked.
    "I- I don't know... It's always been there, I guess." He said with childish acceptance.
    Wu hummed, but did not speak again.
    -
    Morro woke the next morning to find a dark green gi on the end of his bed. Excited, he put it on. He ran out to the main area, to find Wu waiting for him.
    "Ah, I see you are ready to begin training. To start, we will attempt some basic stretches." He said.
    Morro quickly showed that he was a good listener, and a fast learner. By lunch time, he had mastered the stretches.
    After lunch, Wu decided to let him try his hand at the training course. Pushing the button, he told Morro to try it on his own without any instruction first, to get an idea of what was ahead.
    Much to Wu's suprise, Morro got half way before failing, "Impressive, It seems I may have underestimated you, Morro." He told him.
    -
    Wu woke Morro the next day, "Come, we have a visitor." He said.
    Confused, Morro followed Wu to the main area, where a man stood. He had dark hair and eyes, and pale skin.
    "Morro, this is my brother, Garmadon. Garmadon, this is Morro, the boy I was telling you about." He said.
    Garmadon held his hand out to Morro, who timidly shook it, "It's good to meet you. I heard you are training to become a ninja." He said, smiling.
    Morro smiled, "Y-Yeah! Wu said I'm a fast learner!"
    Garmadon laughed, "That's good to hear. Do you have an elemental power?"
    "A... A what?" Morro asked, confused.
    "An elemental power is a power over something in this world. For example, I am close friends with a woman named Maya, who has the elemental power of water. She can control it, create it, and use it however she pleases." Wu explained.
    "Woah! Could I do that one day?" Morro asked.
    "I do not know. It may be too early to tell if you have elemental power or not, I would not know." Wu said.
    "Brother, I actually have a reason for my visit. It is good news." Garmadon said.
    "Join us for tea, and you can tell me." Wu said.
    -
    Wu poured the steaming tea into their three cups and sat down, "Now, what is the good news you have?" He asked.
    "Ah. Misako is expecting, it's a girl." He said, grinning proudly.
    "That is great news, brother! Have you found a name for her?" Wu asked.
    "Yes, Misako wants to name her Lydia, a beautiful name." Garmadon said.
    "Indeed. Have you heard, Maya and Ray's son recently had his seventh birthday. Their daughter would be around five, correct?" Wu asked.
    "I did hear, and I believe you are right."
    They finished their tea, and Garmadon left.
    -
    "Dad! Garmadon and Misako are here!" Morro called, rushing to the door. Wu followed, a grin on his face.
    It had only been a few months since he had found Morro, and the boy had taken to him. He referred to Wu as his father, which warmed his heart.
    Wu opened the door. He smiled, seeing the little bundle of blankets in Misako's arms.
    "Come in, come in! Morro, make some tea please." He said, ushering in his brother and friend.
    Morro nodded and ran off, "I assume this is young Lydia?" Wu asked.
    Misako smiled, "Yes. She inherited her grandfather's hair, the purest of whites." She said, referring to the First Spinjitzu Master.
    Wu led them inside, where Morro had warm tea waiting.
    -
    In the next two years, the bite from the Great Devorer affected Garmadon heavily. He became corrupted, and his greed for the Golden Weapons of Spinjitzu grew.
    Wu awoke one night to a loud noise. He ran to the source and found his brother, the Sword of Fire in one hand, the Sycthe of Quakes in the other.
    "Brother! What are you doing?" Wu shouted, rushing forward. They began fighting, and Wu got him to the main area of the monastery, where the stars could be seen.
    The power of the weapons fighting against eachother opened a rift to the Underworld, and Wu pushed his brother in. It closed, but not before Wu saw a glimse of Garmadon morphing into a monster.
    Hearing footsteps, Wu turned around to see Morro running towards him, scared, "What happened? I heard fighting!" He asked.
    Wu sighed, "I have told you the story of my youth, when my brother was bitten by that evil snake. That evil has since... changed him. Garmadon has been banished to a realm neither of us will ever reach, do not worry. Go back to sleep, Morro." He said.
    -
    After Garmadon was banished to the Underworld, Misako and Lydia disappeared. Wu searched for them, but to no avail.
    Morro's training was perfect, he always did as expected, and never gave up.
    One morning, Wu gifted the nine year old boy with a kite. He left to make tea while Morro learned how to use it.
    When he came back, he saw the most pecular thing. The kite was flying, but Morro was not holding the string. Instead, he was controlling it with his hands.
    "How... are you doing that?" Wu asked.
    "I don't know! I just- I tried to fly it, but I let go of the string by accident- and it kept flying!" Morro explained. He motioned for the kite to come down, and it did so, landing gracefully in his hands.
    "Amazing... Morro, I believe you have just discovered your elemental power. The power of wind." Wu smiled.
    -
    Morro, now ten, had become a master of his element. He could make himself or others fly, and could blow away storm clouds in a matter of seconds, making weather at the monastery perfect.
    Wu taught him Spinjitzu, which he also mastered quickly. The child took to things unlike he had ever seen, able to adapt to any new situation.
    Wu had the prophecy of the green ninja, and believed that it may be Morro. He had thought it since he had seen his elemental power, and the mastery he had of it.
    So he told Morro this, and had him stand before the weapons and gi. But nothing happened. Morro wasn't bothered, however. He didn't expect it to be him.
    "I'm happy just being a ninja, dad." He said.
    As the years went past, Morro grew into a great ninja. Misako and Lydia were still missing, but Wu thought less and less of them as each day passed.
    For years, Morro had known of Wu's plan to find four ninja to protect the golden weapons, and had asked Morro if he wanted to be one of those ninja.
    He had declined, saying he would rather help him train the four people he would choose.
    As Morro turned seventeen, Wu decided now was the time to find those ninja.
    "While Maya and Ray have been missing for many years, their children still run their old blacksmiths shop. I believe one of them may have inherited an elemental power from their parents." Wu explained.
    Wu was an old man now, with a long white beard. (YES I KNOW IT DOESNT MAKE SENSE BUT IDK WHAT TO DO, OKAY? AGES ARE WEIRD.)
    Wu and Morro walked down to the outskirts of a nearby village, where the Smith's blacksmith shop was located.
    "You made it too fast, Kai. Father always said-"
    "Yeah, yeah. I know, Nya. But I'm going to be a better blacksmith than dad ever was!" Kai said.
    Wu and Morro walked into the shop, "Hm... All tools for a Samarai, but nothing for a ninja?"
    Kai scoffed, "You're a long way from finding a ninja in these parts, old man."
    "Hey, chill out." Morro said, crossing his arms. He already didn't like this guy.
    "Hmph, thought I might find something special here." Wu said, walking away. Morro followed.
    Not a few feet out the door, a group of skelotons appeared through a large vortex.
    Wu watched as Kai, in Samarai armour, attempted to fight them. His sister managed to knock a few down with a stick, but there were too many.
    The two rushed in to help, Morro taking on skelotons while Wu fought Samukai.
    "Hah! Pathetic." Morro laughed, using his wind to push back the skelotons.
    Kai and Nya watched as Wu dodged Samukai's four daggers. They hit the water tower, which tipped over. Wu used Spinjitzu and saved them.
    "Garmadon says take the girl!" A skeloton yelled. The grappling hook, made of bones, shot out and grabbed Nya, pulling her onto their vehicle.
    "Nya!" Kai yelled, running after her. The vortex reopened, taking the skelotons in it and closing, all in a moment.
    "No! Argh!" Kai shouted, kicking the ground.
    Morro flew down from where he had been hovering, "Seriously, dude, calm down!" He called.
    Wu walked over, "I see the fire burns bright within you. You would make a fine ninja." He said.
    "Sorry, but I have to save my sister." Kai said, attempting to walk back to his shop.
    "That was Samukai, king of the Underworld. If you are going to get her back, you must train to become a ninja." Wu said. Kai turned around.
    "Fine."
    -
    "Y'know, the other three were a lot nicer." Morro whispered to Wu as they walked back to the monastery. Kai grumbled and complained the whole time.
    When they got there, Wu explained to Kai his task, "Finish the training course before I finish my tea, then we will see if you are ready to be a ninja."
    Of course, he failed immediately. Morro laughed, "Better luck tomorrow." He said sarcastically. Kai rolled his eyes.
    Over the next few days, the cycle continued. Kai only got about half way before failing.
    "Hah, I was seven when I first completed that course. You suck." Morro said.
    "Yeah, well, I wasn't raised by a sensei!" Kai complained.
    The other three ninja trainees, Cole, Jay, and Zane, were on training missions outside of the monastery, as to keep them seperated from Kai until he finished the course.
    Eventually, Kai did manage it, just barely.
    "Finally." Morro said, smirking.
    That night, the ninja returned. Finding this random person sleeping in the monastery, they naturally... attacked.
    Morro woke up and found them, and got Wu.
    "Stop!" Wu called. The four stood still.
    "Sensei, who-" One of the masked ninja began.
    "Wait! They're your students too?!" Kai asked.
    Morro rolled his eyes, "Hey, hey, hey! You never said anything about a forth! It was always three- Three muskateers, three blind mice-" Another ninja started.
    "Jay, we get it." A ninja said, shutting him up.
    "You are all my students. Kai, it's time you meet your teammates." Wu said. He used Spinjitzu and spun the four around, effectivly changing them into their new gi's.
    "Woah!" The one in blue said.
    "Jay, Master of Lightning and blue ninja." Wu began.
    "Cole, Master of Earth, black ninja."
    "Kai, Master of Fire. Red ninja."
    "Lastly, Zane, Master of Ice and seer with the sixth sense. White ninja." He finished.
    "I sense this one takes things a bit too seriously." Kai mumbled.
    "Now, you all have trained well. Tomorrow, we will go on a journey to find the Golden Weapons of Spinjitzu." Wu said.
    "But what about my sister!" Kai said.
    "Shut up, will you?" Morro said.
    "We will find you sister in time. For now, we must focus on the golden weapons." Wu said.
    -
    "Lord Garmadon! He's returned! He was spotted attacking Jamanakai Village!" Nya yelled, running into the room.
    The ninja jumped up, grabbing their weapons and tripping over eachother. Morro facepalmed.
    "Hurry!" She said as the five left.
    While the other four had dragons, Morro didn't. He didn't need one, being able to use his power to fly. He did so alongside the ninja, and they flew to Jamanakai Village.
    They landed just outside of the town, tying up their dragons. Morro led them in.
    "Muahahahahahha!" A voice laughed from behind the fountain.
    "Unless Lord Garmadon went reverse through puberty, I don't think that's who we're dealing with." Jay joked.
    "Pfft-" Morro laughed under his breath.
    A little girl, no older than twelve, walked into view. She was wearing a large, black hoodie with a skeloton messily painted on it. Her hood was up.
    "It is I, Lydia Garmadon! I demand all the candy in town, or else!" She yelled, jumping up on the edge of the fountain.
    "Lydia Garmadon?" Kai asked.
    "It's his daughter. She went missing years ago, though, when I was younger." Morro explained.
    "Missing?"
    "I'll explain later, let's just deal with her." He said, walking up to her, "Hey!"
    She jumped, "Who are you?!" She yelled.
    "Apparently your cousin. Get down from there now." Morro said, putting one hand on his hip.
    "I don't have a cousin! I demand candy!" She screeched.
    'Brat...' Morro thought. He walked right up to her and picked her up, holding her over his shoulder.
    "Hey! Let me go!" She yelled. Morro ignored her, leaving the village. The ninja followed, confused.
    -
    Back at the monastery, Morro sent Cole to get Wu.
    "Guess who we found in Jamanakai Village, dad? Lydia." He said sarcastically. She screeched again, pounding her fists against his back.
    "Lydia? My brother's daughter?" He asked.
    Morro nodded and put her down not-so-gently.
    "Lydia Garmadon. Where have you been for the past eight years?" Wu asked.
    She stood up, "Darkly's Boarding School for Bad Kids!" She said, stomping her foot.
    "And your mother?"
    Lydia looked at him strangely, "I don't have one." She said.
    "Well, Lydia. I think it would be better if you stayed with us, rather than returning to your boarding school." Wu decided.
    "Great, another annoyance." Morro mumbled.
    Wu chuckled, "She's your cousin, try to get along."
    -
    The next few weeks were rough. Lydia very much didn't want to be there, constantly throwing fits and screaming. For a ten year old, this was not expected.
    Morro absolutely hated her, and refused to 'get along' with her.
    When she had one of these fits, everyone would try to calm her down, if only to shut her up. The ninja learned quickly that, for some reason, only Kai was ever able to calm her.
    It confused Kai, too. Sure, he had a little sister, but he was by no means an expert on kids. Nya was only two years younger than him, while Lydia was seven.
    Slowly, Lydia got used to everyone. She stopped throwing fits, and actually became quite likable. Even Morro started to come around.
    She and Kai became good friends, at the expense of the other ninja. They were constantly pulling pranks on them, mostly Jay.
    -
    "Guys! Lord Garmadon was spotted at the museum, quick!" Nya called over the intercom. Lots of problems had sprung up since Garmadon had made the mega-weapon.
    A few weeks prior to all of this, it had been discovered that Lydia was the green ninja. Definately a shock for everyone.
    The ninja jumped into action, leaving the landed bounty in seconds. Morro led them into the museum. They watched from the balcony as Garmadon wished for his mega-weapon to turn back the clock, reviving the Grundal.
    They jumped onto the dinosaur bones, and Morro blew the weapon out of Garmadon's hands.
    "No!" He yelled, running away. The team followed.
    They lost him, "Why didn't we catch up to him? It's like my legs are half as long as normal!" Jay said.
    "Not possible, shorty." Morro said.
    Kai gasped, "Look!" He said, pointing to the reflective building across from them. They all gasped.
    "We're- We're kids!" Jay cried.
    -
    Wu and Nya broke into the comic store, and Wu tossed them a glass bottle of Tomorrow's Tea leaves. Morro caught it.
    "Dad! What is this?" He yelled.
    "Tomorrow's Tea! It will turn the hands of time forward, returing the Grundal to bones, and making you old again!" Wu yelled.
    "But what about Lydia? Won't that make her old too?" Jay asked.
    The Grundal roared, swinging at them. Morro lost hold of the tea, watching as it flew behind the broken desk to where Lydia was.
    She stood up and threw it without hesitation. A large cloud of dusk engulfed them all, and the Grundal. It slowly cleared.
    The Grundal was nothing but a pile of dusty bones, and the five ninja were teens again.
    Morro looked behind him for Lydia. She must have fallen down, because she rose from behind the desk again.
    "Woah... I'm... older..." She said.
    -
    Back at the bounty, Lydia was training. The ninja acted as enemies while she fought them, blindfolded.
    She lost the practice fight, and sat down moodily on a wooden crate, sighing.
    Everyone but Morro left for lunch. He could tell something was up.
    "Lyd. What's up?" He asked, sitting next to her.
    "Nothing, just tired." She said.
    "Uh-huh. Sure." He said sarcastically.
    She rolled her eyes, "You wouldn't understand, More."
    "Really? There's very few things in this world I don't understand, Lyd. I'm not stupid." He joked.
    "I just... Nevermind." She said, standing up. She left before Morro could say anything else.
    -
    For the next week, Morro kept asking her what was up. Each time she would change the topic, walk away, or say it was nothing. Each time he told her he knew she was lying.
    Finally, the two were talking in an empty training room, and he asked again.
    "Seriously, Lydia, you have to tell me what's going on. You're less focused, always moody, and you keep sighing." He said.
    "Fine! You want to know? You really want to know?" She snapped.
    "Yes! Just tell me!"
    "I'm transgender, that's what's wrong. There. I said it, will you shut up now?" Without waiting for an answer, she stormed out.
    Morro stood there for a few seconds before following her. He found her in her room, crying.
    He sat down next to her on her bed, "Lyd."
    "What!" She said, trying to sound mad.
    "Chill out, It's fine. You said I wouldn't understand, but I do." He said.
    "What?" She asked.
    "I'm genderfluid. I haven't told anyone, obviously. I understand."
    She calmed down, "Sorry." She said.
    "Don't be, crying is fine. I'd probably be crying too if I were you right now." He said. She stayed quiet for a few minutes.
    "What would you like to be called?" Morro asked.
    "What...?" She asked.
    "Your name. Would you like to be called something else? Lydia is a pretty feminine name."
    "Y...Yeah. I really like the name Lloyd..." She said.
    "Lloyd. Spelled with one or two 'L's? I've seen it spelled both ways."
    "Two."
    Morro smiled, "I'm glad you told me. I know it's scary to come out, which is why I haven't." He laughed.
    Lydia grinned, "I'm glad too. Um... I actually have something else to tell you." She said.
    "What's that?"
    "...I'm gay."
    -
    Lydia asked Morro not to tell anyone, and so he didn't. In return, he made her promise that she would eventually tell them, for her own mental health.
    Over the course of the next month or so, Lydia and Kai got really close. They were always seen together, closer than Jay and Cole, who had been best friends since childhood.
    One night, Lydia couldn't sleep, so she crept outside onto the deck. She sat on the edge of the ship as it moved along the soft waves, her legs hanging through the rails.
    She hummed to herself, just singing random melodys that came across her mind. She watched small fish flick around in the water.
    She didn't notice Kai walking towards her until he sat down next to her.
    She jumped, "Jeez, you scared me..." She said quietly.
    "Sorry... I couldn't sleep."
    "Me neither..."
    They sat in silence for a few minutes.
    "Hey, what's wrong? You've been so down lately." Kai asked.
    "Nothing..."
    "It's not nothing. I'm you best friend, you can't hide things from me."
    She sighed, "You'll hate me..."
    "Hate you? Why would I ever hate you?" He asked.
    "Because..."
    "Lydia, you can tell me anything."
    "Kai... I'm... transgender." She said in a whisper. She closed her eyes, a tear escaping.
    Kai wiped the tear off her face, "I would never hate you for that, or any other reason."
    This made her cry more, and the tears started flowing freely from her closed eyes.
    "Hey... don't cry... It's okay." Kai soothed, rubbing her back, "Have you told anyone else?" He asked.
    She opened her eyes but did not look at him, "Yes... I told Morro, he wouldn't stop asking what was up..." She said, barely audible.
    "What did he say? Was he accepting?" He asked.
    She sniffled, "Yes. He asked what I wanted to be called, he told me he was-" She stopped, she didn't want to out him.
    Kai seemed to catch on, and directed his next question as if she hadn't said anything, "What do you want to be called?"
    "L-Lloyd." She mumbled.
    "Lloyd is a good name, it suits you." He said, smiling.
    "Thanks..."
    She finally met his eyes. He had his arm around her shoulder, and the moonlight shined perfectly on his face.
    Something about how quiet and peaceful it was made her imagine something like this, but a date. With Kai.
    She shoved that thought away as soon as it came, looking away. The moment seemed broken.
    "Hey." Kai said. She looked back at him. He leaned in and kissed her, just for a second.
    She blinked a few times, "I- Um-" She stuttered.
    "S-Sorry!" Kai said. He looked away this time.
    "No- It's okay, I was just... suprised." She said.
    He looked at her, face red, "Ly- Lloyd... I wanted to ask- Or say, I guess... I- Well, I like you, a lot... I mean, I have- for- for a while..." He tried.
    She smiled, "Are- Are you trying to ask me out?" She asked.
    "Uh- Yes- I mean, if you-"
    She kissed him, "Yes."
    -
    "Morro!" Lydia called, rushing into his room. He was half-asleep, hair messy and still in pajamas. He was on his laptop.
    "What d'you want..." He mumbled.
    "Today. I want to come out today." She said.
    He rubbed his eyes and sat up, "Okay, why today? Yesterday you were terrified."
    "Because I told Kai." She said.
    Now Morro was really confused, "When? I was literally with you all of yesterday."
    "I couldn't sleep, so I went to the deck, but then Kai came out too, he said he also couldn't sleep and-"
    "Get to the point!"
    "He asked me what was wrong, so I told him... and... he kissed me." She said, sitting down next to him.
    "Wait what? He kissed you?" He asked.
    "Yes... and he asked me out." She said, calming down a bit.
    "Hm. Okay, so you're sure you want to come out today?" Morro asked.
    "Yes."
    -
    Under the guise of holiday shopping, as Christmas was coming up soon, Morro took Lloyd to Ninjago city to get a few things for his coming out.
    "First stop will be to get you a binder." Morro said.
    "Alright. I'm a little scared about this now..."
    "Don't be, you can't back out now." He joked.
    They found a store and bought a high-quality chest binder in white. They paid and left.
    "Next, clothes. Besides your gi, you don't really have any masculine clothing."
    Picking out clothes was the funnest thing Lloyd had ever done. He was able to go through all the boy's aisles and choose whatever he wanted. It was amazing.
    Morro waited outside of the fitting room for his cousin to change. He walked out slowly, a smile on his face.
    Lloyd was wearing a dark green, flannel button-down with the sleeves unbuttoned and thin jeans. His chest was flat, evidently he was wearing the binder.
    "Nice. Last thing is a haircut, if you're up for it." Morro said.
    "Definately." He said confidently.
    Morro led him to a hair stylist place called Ninjago Cuts.
    "Hello there! What cuts would you two like today?" The lady asked.
    "Actually, it's just him." Morro said. Lloyd smiled at the use of 'him'.
    "Alright then, what would you like?"
    "Um..." Lloyd described what he wanted. She sat him down and started cutting.
    Lloyd's hair had always been fairly short, at shoulder length. It just didn't grow that much, so he kept it there. A lot of the time he would put it in a ponytail so it wouldn't bother him during battle.
    When she was done, Lloyd's hair was just below his ears, a little curly, and perfect. It was exactly what he'd asked for.
    Grinning, he thanked her and payed. They left.
    "When we get back to the bounty, everyone should be gone, doing their own shopping. Does Kai know you're coming out today?" Morro asked.
    "Oh- no... I didn't tell him." He said.
    "Okay. Do you have any sort of plan?"
    "Um... No..." Lloyd admitted.
    "Luckily, I do. I'll send the falcon to find everyone and bring them back here, and you can wait in your room. I'll talk to them, tell them you want to tell them something. It's all you from there." He explained.
    "Okay. Yeah, I'm ready. I can do this." Lloyd said.
    "I know you can."
    -
    Kai, Jay, Cole, Zane, and Nya followed Morro to the hall where Lloyd's bedroom was.
    "Why'd you need us here?" Cole asked.
    "Well, Lydia has something to tell you all. Kai, you might already know." He said, looking at the fire ninja.
    "Wha- Oh!" He said. He smiled with the realization.
    "Lydia, you can come out now." Morro said. He caught his own little pun.
    The door creaked open, and Lloyd stepped out. Several of the ninja gasped.
    "Um... Hi..." He started, nervous.
    "What's with the new look?" Jay asked.
    "Well... For the past couple weeks, I've been.. kinda distant. I'm sure you noticed, I know Kai and Morro did..." He trailed.
    "Yeah, we wanted to ask what was up, but you always seemed busy." Cole said.
    "I.. I have a reason for that... but I- I'm scared all of you will hate me..." Lloyd said.
    "Hate you? What?" Jay asked bluntly.
    "Tell them." Morro urged.
    Lloyd took a deep breath, "Guys... I'm transgender."
    The hall was quiet for a solid few seconds, before Jay piped up.
    "Cool! I'm gay!" He said, grinning. Lloyd laughed.
    Morro decided there was no better time then now, "I'm genderfluid." He said.
    "I'm Bisexual." Kai said.
    "I'm Ace." Cole said.
    Lloyd nearly startes crying. He was so happy that his friends, the people he cared for most in the world, were so accepting of him. He broke down, sitting on the floor as the tears started flowing. Everyone sat around him, and Kai rubbed his back.
    "T- Thank you..." He said.
    "You don't have to thank us, Lloyd. We accept you no matter what." Kai said.
    "Lloyd? Is that what you want to be called?" Cole asked.
    Lloyd nodded.
    -
    The next day, Kai took Lloyd on a dinner date. They went to a fancy resturaunt in Ninjago City.
    They sat down and a waiter came over, "Would you like to start off with some drinks?" He asked.
    "Sure, what do you want, Lloyd?" Kai asked.
    "Um... a chocolate milkshake, please." He said. While he was happy to present as himself, he was very self-concious about his voice.
    "I'll just have water." Kai said. He was sitting across from Lloyd in the booth.
    The waiter left. Kai looked at Lloyd, "Hey, you alright?" He asked.
    "Yeah... I just don't like how my voice sounds... I feel like everyone can tell..." He said.
    "They can't. Don't worry, just enjoy yourself." He smiled. Lloyd smiled back.
    They got their drinks and ordered, talking while they waited for their food.
    "Hey Kai..." Lloyd said.
    "Yeah?"
    "Thank you again... Just for.... accepting me, I guess." He said sheepishly.
    "You don't have to thank me, Lloyd. I'd be kinda hypocritical if I didn't." He joked.
    "Hey, that reminds me, I think Jay might have a crush on Cole." Lloyd said, smirking.
    "Really? Explain." Kai asked, interested.
    "I know they've been friends for, well, forever, but did you ever notice how Jay will literally drop anything if Cole wants something? Like a few days ago, Cole mentioned he was hungry, and Jay jumped up from his videogame to make him something. I didn't even know Jay could hear the outside world when he was playing videogames." Lloyd said.
    "Now that you mention it, he does do that sort of thing a lot. Oh yeah, Morro said he was genderfluid yesterday, sorry if I sound rude, but I don't really understand..." Kai said.
    "It's not rude. Genderfluid basically means that sometimes a person feels more feminine, sometimes more masculine, and sometimes somewhere in the middle. Most genderfluid people use they, them pronouns." Lloyd explained.
    "Oh okay. What pronouns does he use? Or does he still use masculine ones?" Kai asked.
    "He, him or they, them. He doesn't mind." Lloyd said.
    "Alright."
    -
    After dinner, Kai and Lloyd took a walk through the empty streets of the city. The sun had set, but the buildings still glowed bright.
    Almost subconciously, Lloyd's hand found Kai's while they walked. They weren't really walking to a certain place, but rather just for the sake of walking.
    They eventually ended up in the city's park, where they sat on the edge of the lake.
    "Lloyd?" Kai said.
    "Yeah?"
    "Um... I wanted to ask, if you- Well, I mean, I..." He trailed, face heating up.
    Lloyd laughed, "You're whole face is pink." He said.
    "Sorry- What I'm trying to say is, um, I wanted to ask you, if you- you-" He stuttered. Giving up, he put his face in his hands.
    "Kai?" Lloyd asked jokingly, poking his arm. He put his hands down.
    "I- Uh, I wanted to ask, if you'd, um, be by b-boyfriend?" He said quietly, cheeks burning.
    Lloyd felt his own face heating up, "I- Y- Yes." He said sheepishly. God he hated his voice.
    Kai kissed him, and they sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes. After a while, they decided to head back to the bounty.
    -
    As soon as they stepped onto the deck, the two were met with five smug stares. Jay, Cole, Zane, Morro, and Nya were waiting for them.
    "So~ How was your date?" Jay teased.
    Both of them blushed furiously, "G-Good." Kai sqeaked. They didn't realize they were still holding hands.
    "Haha, we're just messing with you guys." Nya said, laughing. They smiled shyly.
    After about a million questions from Jay, Kai and Lloyd went off to their rooms to sleep. Well, message eachother via email until midnight, then sleep.
    The next morning, they were woken up early by Sensei Wu for Sunrise Exercise.
    The ninja talked while doing stretches, "Remember what I said about Jay?" Lloyd whispered.
    "Yeah?" Kai whispered back.
    "Look." He nodded towards Jay. Kai looked.
    "Pfft-" He hid his laughter.
    Jay was about to fall over because he was staring at Cole. Like, it would be a death stare if he wasn't blushing so much. Cole, somehow, didn't notice this.
    Zane did, and he gave Lloyd a look that said, 'It's so obvious'.
    They finished their excercises and began training. Wu left to make tea.
    "Okay, get into pairs. Treat this like a real fight against an enemy, and don't be afraid to use your powers." Morro said. Because he had more training then them, and had literally been raised by Wu, he instructed the ninja whenever Wu wasn't there.
    Kai and Lloyd paired up, as did Cole and Jay, and Zane and Nya. Nya technecally wasn't a ninja, but as Samarai X, she liked to train with them so keep her at her best.
    The practice fights went well at first, everyone besides Nya using their powers effectively but safely.
    Jay, distracted as he was with the Earth ninja, accidentally shot a very large bolt of lightning at him, hitting him square in the chest. He fell over.
    "Cole!" He yelled, running over to him. Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch this.
    Jay sat down next to the knocked-out ninja, a worried expression on his freckle-covered face.
    "Cole? Cole?" He said, shaking him. He was breathing, but that didn't do much to ease Jay.
    "Cole, please get up, Cole..." Jay said, still trying to shske him awake.
    He finally started to open his eyes, "Wha..." He mumbled, carefully sitting up.
    "Cole! I thought I- I'm so sorry!" Jay cried, hugging him.
    "Haha, Jay, it's okay. I'm fine." He laughed.
    Jay backed up from the hug, and, to everyone's suprise, kissed Cole. The ninja's eyes widened before he sort of melted into it.
    "Knew it." Lloyd said under his breath. Kai laughed, breaking their moment.
    -
    "Guys," Nya called over the intercom, "We have a situation down at the Ninjago City museum, we're landing shortly."
    The ninja got up from whatever they were doing and grabbed their weapons. They followed Wu off the ship and into the museum.
    In the past few months, Lloyd had transitioned a lot. He started T shots and his voice was much deeper. He still wore a binder, but hoped to change that soon.
    Kai and him had been together every second during that time. They were almost inseperable. Cole and Jay also started dating, unsuprisingly.
    The museum worker explained the problem, and they went to the gift shop room to destory the mini stone warriors.
    It was easy enough, and Wu chased the last one out the door and into the halls. The ninja followed.
    When they caught up to him, he was talking with a woman. Morro walked over.
    "Mind introducing us dad?" He said.
    "Wu, you have a son?" The woman asked.
    "Ah, this is Morro. You might not remember him, it was so long ago." Wu said.
    "Oh! I didn't recognize him. Sorry, I'm Misako, Wu is my husband's brother." She said to Morro.
    "Wait... That would mean..." Lloyd said from behind her. He was sub-conciously holding Kai's hand.
    Misako turned around, "Who are all of you?" She asked.
    "Ninja, this is Misako. Lloyd's mother." Wu said.
    "My- My mother?" Lloyd said. She looked at him.
    "Lydia...? Is that... you?" She asked.
    He didn't say anything. Overwhelmed, he turned and ran, pulling Kai with him.
    "What..." Misako asked, confused. Her child should be around ten, and a girl. This was very strange for her.
    Morro knew this, and explained it to her, "That was Lydia, but he goes by Lloyd now. He was aged with Tomorrow's Tea during battle against a dinosaur." He said.
    "I see... I haven't seen he- him in so long, I wish he didn't run away..." She said.
    "I understand," Wu said, "Maybe you should go find him."
    She nodded and walked away in the direction he went.
    -
    Lloyd ran into a random room, Kai following closely behind. The green ninja sat on the very edge of the bottomless pit, legs danging off the edge. Kai carefully sat next to him.
    "Hey," He said, rubbing Lloyd's back, "Why'd you run away?" He asked.
    "I don't remember my mother at all, she must've left me at that boarding school when I was really young. I've transitioned a lot, plus that tea that aged me seven years... I guess I'm just scared." Lloyd explained.
    Kai pulled him close, hugging him gently, "It'll be okay." He said simply. Neither of them noticed Misako standing in the doorway, watching them.
    After a few seconds, Lloyd moved so that he was facing Kai and kissed him. It was gentle and sweet. They stayed like that for a long time.
    Eventually they broke apart, slowly. Lloyd smiled, "I love you..." He whispered.
    Kai smiled as well, blushing, "I love you too." He whispered.
    Misako didn't want to disturb their moment, so she quietly closed the door and knocked as if she had just got there.
    Lloyd jumped, nearly falling in. Kai held onto him, though. Standing up, the two went to open the door.
    It opened, and Misako gave Lloyd a hug, "You don't know how much I've missed you... It's been so long." She said, backing up.
    "You... You aren't... upset... or- or mad?" Lloyd asked cautiously.
    "How could I be? I have a beautiful son." She said, smiling. Lloyd could feel his eyes watering.
    She turned to Kai, "I didn't get your name, sorry." She said.
    "Um..." Kai muttered, not expecting to be talked to.
    Lloyd interjected, "This is Kai, my- my boyfriend." He said quickly.
    "It's nice to meet you, Kai." She said politely. She wasn't phased by the fact that her child, who she hadn't seen in eight years, was seven years ahead of schedual, transgender, and gay.
    'Definately mother of the year.' Kai thought, mentally laughing. The three walked back to the others, who were waiting outside by the bounty.
    -
    Months had passed. In that time, Misako helped the ninja learn about the dark island, regain the powers they lost, and now they were on their way to fight against Garmadon.
    Nya being kidnapped was by far the biggest issue besides, well, Garmadon making Ninjago in his own image. Kai was constantly worried about her, always distracted. Lloyd understood, but it was still a little saddening whenever Kai would turn away from him, a blank expression on his usually energetic face.
    Speaking of Lloyd, one good thing was his transitioning. Because the ninja weren't really popular as far as celebrity status went, it was easy to pass Lloyd as cis once they started gaining popularity, which happened quite quickly.
    Lloyd had been able to get top surgery, with Kai by his side the entire time he was recovering. It was a life-changing milestone for the green ninja, and it gave him more confidence about the prophicised final battle.
    He didn't feel very confident at the moment, as he, Kai, Morro, Wu, Misako, Cole, Jay, and Zane ran through the forest after the large tire tracks.
    They all stopped, hearing a noise coming from the bushes. Nya jumped out, but she was... Evil.
    "Nya!" Kai yelled. Cole, Jay, and Zane stayed behind to fight her so the others could go ahead.
    Lloyd thought about the last time he had seen his father. It was when he was still a kid, far before his transition... Would that make matters better or worse? He didn't know.
    They kept running, Morro now half-gliding alongside them with his powers. They emerged from the trees, seeing a large vehicle and a lot of stone warriors.
    Lord Garmadon, hearing the noise, turned around. His red eyes widened as he laughed.
    "So fate has sent my brother, wife, and daughter to try and stop me?!" He cackled. Lloyd clenched his fists.
    "I'm not your daughter!" He yelled. The masculine voice seemed to suprise Garmadon, because his laughter ceased.
    "What?! What is this?!" He demanded.
    "Ģářmæđőñ, ťhə węæpøń íş řëăđý..." The Overlord said in his raspy, evil filled voice.
    "Good!" He yelled, slamming the button. It fired at Ninjago.
    "No!" Wu called, "You are disturbing the balence, brother!"
    Garmadon laughed again, "That's the point! If Ninjago falls to darkness, I can rule it in my image!"
    "Father, don't do this!" Lloyd cried. He was ignored, and another missle was fired.
    Lloyd ran up and jumped onto the vehicle, directly behind Garmadon. He turned around quickly.
    "I don't want to fight you, but I will if it means saving Ninjago!" Lloyd yelled.
    "Foolish child..." Garmadon said. He pressed the button several times in quick sucession before battling his son.
    "Lloyd! Look out!" Kai called. Lloyd narrowly avoided a swing.
    Morro flew up and fought too.
    "Who are you?!" He demanded.
    "Technecally your neice!" He yelled, dodging a blow skillfully. Three stone warriors joined the fight, overpowering the cousins. They fell off, and the last thing Lloyd heard before passing out was Garmadon's evil laughter.
    -
    Lloyd slowly came to. His head ached, and his leg was throbbing.
    "Wha... What happened?" He asked, sitting up. He realized he had been laying on Kai's lap.
    "You were knocked out just as Garmadon left to Ninjago through a portal... The Overlord possessed him." Misako explained.
    "Ow! What's with my leg?"
    "You broke it on impact. Don't stand, you need to heal." Kai said, rubbing his back.
    "But I have to fight... I have to defeat my father..." He tried to stand, shakily balencing on his good leg with Kai's help.
    "Lloyd, you can't fight when you're this hurt..." The red ninja protested.
    "No! Ninja never quit. We can't just give up, waiting for me to heal. By the time I can walk again, Ninjago will be..." He trailed off.
    "Lloyd's right. We have to fight." Cole agreed. Jay nodded.
    "But how are we supposed to get back to Ninjago? The bounty was destroyed, and Morro is the only one who can fly." Zane said.
    "I... I don't know." Lloyd admitted.
    Just at that moment, Zane's falcon swooped down, getting their attention. It started flying away, as if it wanted them to follow.
    So they did.
    -
    The ninja landed in Ninjago City. Everything was dark, corrupted by evil. A large dragon, the overlord, sat atop the highest skyscraper.
    Lloyd held onto Kai for support, and the six ninja made their way up the tower. Wu and Misako distracted the overlord on the Ultradragon.
    Of course, the ninja's presence did not go completely unnoticed, and dark matter was shot at them. It hit Cole.
    "G- Go!" He said. They didn't look back.
    The next one hit Jay, then Zane. It was just Lloyd, Kai, and Morro left.
    About halfway up, the other ninja caught up. Morro stayed ro fight them off, leaving just the two.
    They nearly got to the top, when four corrupted ninja growled from behind them. Morro had been hit.
    "I'll stay and fight them! Go!" Kai said.
    "No! I can't to this alone!" Lloyd cried.
    "You have to! There's only one green ninja." Kai called. He kissed the smaller boy, mouthing one last 'I love you.'
    Lloyd stumbled up the last few steps. He had tears running down his face, his leg was broken, and whatever hope he had was gone.
    'No!' He thought, 'I've made it so far... I can't give up now...' He looked up to face the Overlord.
    He laughed, "You're hurt! You can't defeat me!" The raspy voice was much more powerful. It made Lloyd's eardrums hurt.
    "Hurt or not, Ninja never quit!" He yelled. He formed the biggest ball of green energy he had ever made and fired it straight at the Overlord.
    It did... nothing. He laughed again, flapping his wings. Lloyd nearly fell off the edge of the building.
    Suddenly he heard something. A voice. Kai's voice.
    "LLOYD!" Kai yelled. The boy looked around, but he was nowhere to be seen. But it didn't matter. Hearing his voice was enough.
    Something inside of him started... glowing. It was bright, gold, pure light. He embraced it, forming a golden dragon.
    "Even in the light, there will always be shadow!" The Overlord rasped.
    "NOT IF MY LIGHT SHINES BRIGHT ENOUGH!" Lloyd yelled. He flew around the large being, circling and circling until he was surrounded by the golden light.
    Silence. Pure, ringing silence. Then everything was light.
    The entire building was gone, the darkness was gone. People on the streets looked at eachother, confused. Lloyd landed his golden dragon, leg good as new.
    He immediately found Kai and ran over to him. Everyone was laying on the ground, but they quickly came to.
    "Kai!" He yelled, running up to him.
    Kai grabbed him in a hug on impact, and they held onto eachother for a split second before Kai lifted Lloyd into the air, kissing him as they spun around. They laughed on landing, hugging for dear life.
    The other ninja stood up, and Cole and Jay awkwardly held hands where they stood. Morro helped Wu up.
    Things calmed down after a few seconds, and the group was standing around eachother. Lloyd's expression dropped.
    Misako noticed, "We will all miss your father." She said. A noise came from behind them. They all turned and looked.
    From the rubble, none other than Garmadon emerged. He was... different.
    There wasn't a single ounce of evil left in him, and he smiled as his family ran up to him, hugging him. Wu stood back and watched.
    Lloyd and Misako backed up, "You're... good." She said.
    "It feels good." He said. He turned to Lloyd, "I am so sorry... I should've been there for you during... this."
    Lloyd smiled, "It's alright. I... I did have someone with me... Through everything." He looked back at Kai, who walked forward, hand automatically linking with Lloyd's.
    "And who might you be?" Garmadon asked kindly.
    "Kai Smith, certified boyfriend." He joked. They all laughed. Morro walked over with Wu.
    "Brother." Garmadon greeted.
    "Brother," Wu responded, "It is nice to see you as yourself after all these years."
    "As it is for me."
    The family talked, just sitting in the middle of the rubble, the sun shining bright upon them.
    "Wait... Did you say you were... my neice?" Garmadon asked, turning to Morro.
    He laughed, "Morro, master of wind. Dad, er, Wu sort of adopted me when I was really young. I met you and Misako once, when Lloyd was born."
    "Ah yes, I remember you. But that doesn't explain the neice part." He said, still confused.
    "Oh yeah, I'm genderfluid." He said.
    "Strange children..." He muttered. The group laughed.
    [THE END! Continuation into Season 3? Who know! Find out next time on Dr. Phil!]