Ninjago: Where Heroes Come From

Chapter Nine: Brought to Light

"Garmadon." Lexi stared at Lloyd, unsure of if she could take him seriously. She didn't dare look back at Fiona, afraid of what she might see, afraid of the truth. If Lloyd was right, if her scar really was the same as Garmadon's, Lord Garmadon's, then what did that mean about her? It would certainly explain her powers, and why she knew nothing of her parents. She'd been told about the river and the necklace, but that entire story was falling to pieces around her now, the walls of certainty built by her parents suddenly cracking and crumbling. It was like standing over a precipice and watching bits and pieces of her life, so carefully painted and laid out by the hands of her foster family, falling one by one, lost of the stormy waters below her.

"Garmadon," she repeated, when Lloyd failed to elaborate. He was fidgeting nervously as he stood, gnawing at the inside of his cheek. "That... that can't be right. I can't be his... his..."

"Daughter." Lloyd blinked, as though he had just heard the word for the first time. "My sister."

Sister? No. "No." She snatched the glove back from him, as if putting it back in would somehow erase what she'd just heard. The glove fell from his fingers loosely, his hand going slack and limp. Lexi tugged it over her hand, her fingers feeling too big, her hand clumsy and awkward, like it didn't belong inside... she scowled, ripping the glove off and throwing it too the floor, the sudden and overpowering urge to stamp on it for good measure visiting her briefly.

"Lexi..." It was was Fiona. Lexi turned to look at her, her eyes narrowed, glaring at her sister— or whatever she was— with real, pure hatred. For the first time in her life, Lexi was honestly angry at Fiona.

"He's right." Fiona's face burned with shame. She was hanging her head. She was guilty. Queen Fiona was guilty. "Garmadon was... is... he's your f-father." She stumbled over the word like it hurt her to say. Lexi shook her head feverishly.

"He can't be," she said, her voice strained. She felt like she was grasping desperately for some semblance of reason, like everything she said was bound to be wrong. But how could she be? How could Garmadon, a demon, the man who had been corrupted by darkness, fought the elemental masters, been banished by his own brother for the good of the world... how could he be her father? He didn't have children. He couldn't.

"He is," Fiona said softly. She was still hanging her head, her expression unreadable.

"I'm sorry," Fiona said in a rush as Lexi turned on her, her mouth open to snap at her, "I should have told you, we shouldn't have kept this a secret from you, it was wrong and unfair and I don't know why we did it, but we had to keep you safe— you always wanted to leave the castle, if you'd known this you'd have left forever, and you'd have been killed or— or worse, and the rest of the world should have seen your scar and hated you for it, and I just— I didn't want that for you! I still don't!" Fiona lifted her head, and Lexi was almost repulsed when she saw her sister's eyes shining with tears. "Please, please, listen to me— I am so, so sorry, and I'll do anything to make this right, but you have to understand that this was because we loved you— you're my sister, Lexi, and I— I—"

Words seemed to fail her, and Fiona hastily wiped her eyes and sniffed. The guards who had been standing at the doors were looking away awkwardly, determinedly avoiding Lexi or Fiona's gaze. Lloyd was staring pointedly at the floor, clenching his fists tightly and shifting from one foot to the other nervously.

"We knew all along, and I know it's not fair," Fiona went on when Lexi failed to fill the silence with accusations or questions, "but we— we wanted to keep you safe—"

"We?" Lexi asked, her voice finally presenting itself. It was strangled and dangerously quiet, and Fiona stared at her fearfully and Lloyd took a step back. "Who's we, Fiona? You and mother and father and— and Francis?"