6Made this little one shot while listening to the song home by Machine Gun Kelly, X Ambassadors & Bebe Rexha, from the movie bright. I do not own the movie or this awesome song. But if you guys like the way I've written this one-shot, I'll write more. But I might do it anyways because it's fun.
Each line break starts off with different lyrics from the song. Which are the italicized words, and the scenes are in no particular order.
Home. A place where I can go. To take this off my shoulders, someone take me home…
They were lost to the outskirts of the first realm. In torn gis and little to no food or water. Kai was hopeless. Every thing depended on getting this stupid communicator/radio/satellite thing to work. Him and his brothers searched the remains of the bounty's cabin for the materials that Zane needed to build such a device. But they were in this first spinjitzu master damned realm! Kai tried to stay calm. He needed to stay calm. He needed to stay calm for Nya, for Cole, for Jay, (No matter how much Kais lightning brother drove him crazy). For Zane, for - for Lloyd.
Kai needed to hold out from his family. He needed to get back to them. He had too. Kai wouldn't leave his baby brother and sister to the likes of the sons of garmadon. He wouldn't leave Ninjago to the rule of Garmadon. Never.
So for now, Kai focused himself on trying to find Zane some foil.
After everything I witnessed, after all of these decisions, all these miles, feet, inches they can't add up to the distance, that I have been through, just to get to, a place where even if there's no closure i'm still safe.
Lloyd sat numb on the cold ground outside of Ed and Edna's scrap yard. He couldn't go inside. Because in his mind, he was still on the cursed sky tram with Haru - the quiet one. Watching as the colossus crushed his brothers. With the occasional battle in kryptarium thrown in there from time to time.
He shivered.
Not that he was cold. He liked being cold. It made the various aches and bruises hurt less. It was numbing. Nya had tried to patch up some of the… Larger wounds, you could say. But Lloyd was having none of that, not after… He was fine. And if he wasn't? Ha, he'll make himself fine.
Lloyd went still. He could hear the quiet scuffle of feet on the dry desert ground. Nya. She didn't even look at him, just sat down and leaned her head on his shoulder. Lloyd, still, was rigid as an iceberg. But Nya didn't seem the least bit concerned.
"It's okay, I miss them too." She whispered, her voice was soft in a way that only happened when Nya had been crying recently. And it made Lloyd want to bag his head on a rock for bringing those tears to her eyes. But that was not what Lloyd had expected. No, 'It's your fault.' Or 'I hate you'. Or 'Their blood is on your hands.' Just two words that meant the world to him.
'It's okay.'
Any mental stability that Lloyd had was gone (Not that he had that much in the first place, like, hello? He's sitting out in the windy desert in front of his dead brothers junkyard).
He clung to Nya, she clung back. They had both been through too much, It was too much in so little time. Lloyd feared that if he let her go, he'd never get her back. So he held tighter. And he might just be able to really carry out what he said to Harumi. After all, the greatest hero is the one who stands up.
Now tell me: How did all my dreams turn to nightmares? How did I lose it when I was right there? Now i'm so far that it feels like it's all gone to pieces.
Had this really been what she wanted? Harumi didn't know if her heart was really still in this anymore. But her pride kept her from running. Would he even take her back if she did? Would he even believe her? No. Not after what she did. But seeing her city in ruins when she wanted the sun to set on it in glory… Was hard. Ninjago city looked worse than when the great devourer attacked. It was terrible. Cries rang from the streets in the dead of night. Buildings fell, and so did the people in them.
But, this is what she wanted. What Harumis dreamed of. She was almost positive that not one of her followers would stick by her now. Not after seeing the power that Garmadon wields. She couldn't go to Lloyd and his rebel alliance. They would murder her in cold blood the second she came within a ten miles radious of their hideout.
The penalty for thinking these thoughts of insubordination would be death. But maybe that's what needs to be done to pay the price of redemption in his eyes.
Tell me why the world never fights fair.
His heart was in his throat. Cole watched as the dragon hunters released a dragon on his brothers. The dragon let out a roar that shook the whole stadium of hunters. His heart beat a mile a minute. The dragon was shooting blasts of earth at his brothers. Use your powers! Cole mentally screamed. His brothers could take out that dragon with ease. But they didn't. Cole's chest clenched as the dragon shot more rock at his family. That was it. He raised his hand, aiming at the dragon, when another smaller hand reached up to his. Little Wu shook his head at the earth elemental,Cole scoffed.
"They're fighting a losing fight! I'm not going to sit back and watch like I'm one of these monsters! They're fighting an earth dragon, hello? I'm the earth ninja! I can help." Cole whisper shouted at the boy.
Wu just shook his head again, pointing over his shoulder to the far back stands. Cole rolled his eyes, but followed his young master up the stands to the very top. Cole was about to ask why Wu had led him up here, but his sensei spoke before he got the chance.
"Look, the dragons are locked up and being used for their elemental power. If you expose yours, then the dragon hunters will know that you're elemental masters, and your powers will be exploited like the dragons. How'll you get home then?" He said, a smirk on the edges of his small mouth.
Cole glared at the vast surroundings of brown. He just wanted to go home. He would gladly argue with Wu, he would've liked to tell him that being stuck in this realm together, being used as batteries, would be better than being stuck in this realm separated. But he could hear the cheers from the dragon hunters, panic flooded his mind, controlling his thoughts.
Grabbing Wu by the arm, Cole practically lept down the rows of bleacher things till he was back at the bottom. His heart plummeted all the way down to his feet. The things he saw couldn't possibly go together, could they?
There was Kai, and there was the dragon. But the dragon was leaning over Kai. And he was lying still in the dirt as the dragon sniffed at him. Cole needed to do something! That goddamn dragon's about to eat his brother! Abandoning Wu's warnings Cole bought his hand up again, even as Wu grabbed it and held it tight.
"No, don't use your power. You'll do more harm than good. I have an idea."
Cole didn't lower his arm, but he turned his head to the young master.
"You see that pulley system over there?" Wu asked, pointing to a pulley to the right of cole. The dark haired teen nodded. "You could give them the chain."
Cole lowered his arm fully. That… Could work. The teen walked over as casually as he could, and leaned on the pulley. Little Wu stood behind him and pulled a switch, causing a ton of chain to fall to the ground.
Zane looked up at the noise, then up at Cole and Wu, who smiled at their brothers and ran from the stadium. Hopefully that even things out.
I've been through so much pain that it's hard to maintain, any smile on my face 'cause there's madness on my brain.
Jay was freaking out. Losing his marbles. Off his rocker. Cue more sayings that meant he was starting to go crazy. But he had to be the one who kept everyone laughing, everyone smiling. Because that's all he knows how to do when times are rough.
So of course, when the dragon hunters tied them up to a pole, trying to attract a dragon for some sorta feast or whatever - sue him, Jay wasn't really paying attention to the Barons monologue. But what Jay did know: Was that scary people who have anger management issues were trying to eat some dragons and apparently needed him and his brothers to do that.
So, seeing that his two brothers, Kai and Zane, were tense, he tried to break the tension with a well crafted pun. Because Ma always told him that laughter is the best medicine. And that sometimes, a good laugh can go a mile.
But before Jay could even get the joke out, Kai was yelling at him.
"Would you just shut it? Okay? For five minutes, jay!" He exclaimed, eyes blazing. Jay yelped, not expecting his brother to blow a fuse.
"Wha - what?" He asked quietly.
Kai glared at the blue ninja from across the pole that he was tied to. "Stop acting like everything is fine! We're tied to a freaking pole, forced to summon dragons! Lloyd and Nya are stuck in Ninjago with the sons of freaking garmadon! And not to mention the last time Lloyd fought Garmadon, left him dying in a sketchy tea shop! And you're over here making jokes? How'd Nya ever fall for you?" Kai said, sounding disgusted.
Zane looked like he wanted to freeze Kai. And Jay didn't know if he should feel happy that Kai says that Nya has feelings for him, or anger that Kai thinks that Nya can do better in her choice of boyfriends. The latter finally won out, and Jay scowled at Kai.
"Oh, really? Well what about Skylor? Haven't seen her around in a while." Jay snapped. Kai gasped, and - Oh FSM, maybe Kai really is a hothead - Holy crap is that actual smoke?
"Well, if my sister really had feelings for you, then why'd she get wrapped up with Cole? Huh? And if you really care about her, why haven't you told her? Why haven't you figured out a way to help get us home? What have you done that's actually helpful to this team besides being super annoying and telling bad jokes?" Kai said, eyes blazing.
Jay didn't have a response to that. Because he didn't know the answer. Or maybe he did and just didn't want to admit it? He looked down in defeat.
"KAI?!" Zane shouted, looking horrified.
Kai looked at Zane hotly, before deciding to just ignore his brothers entirely.
Home. A place where I can go, to take this off my shoulders... Someone take me home. Someone take me.
Lloyd and Nya hadn't left the junkyard. Instead, Nya finally decided that it was about time she dragged Lloyd inside. It had been three days since - since… It happened. And they went straight to the walkers right after they got Lloyd.
But he refused to even look at Nya or Pixal. He wouldn't let anybody touch him. He was quiet. And Nya didn't like his type of quiet. She could understand why he wouldn't want to go inside the walkers scrap yard. Heck, Nya didn't want to either.
So, with that said, Nya was now half dragging Lloyd into the junkyard. Wither because of his ankle that looks really out of place, or because Lloyd simply didn't want to go inside. When Nya finally came back to the old trailer in the center of the junkyard, that's when the real resistance was shown. Lloyd stopped dead in his tracks. Nya turned back to him, hands still firmly placed on Lloyd's wrists in case he tried to make a run for it.
"Come on, Lloyd. You can't sleep outside forever." She said, pulling him closer to the trailer.
Lloyd didn't say anything. He just stood in front of the trailer, eyes wide, but his face was blank. He has a good poker face, and he knows it. Nya frowned, she was going to get him inside, fed, and patched up whether he likes it or not.
She let go of his wrist, Lloyd immediately began to back away from the trailer. As expected. Nya closed her eyes and moved her hand in small rotations like she was rolling a batch of cookie dough. Soon she had a small tether made of water. Using her element, Nya threw the rope at Lloyd, wrapping him up in the water rope.
He fell hard, and Nya silently prayed that she didn't hurt him.
She walked over to him, picked up the other end of the water rope, and dragged him back towards that trailer. And to Nya's surprise, he didn't even struggle. He just let her drag him back towards the place he'd tried so desperately to avoid.
When Nya finally got to the trailer, there was still no struggle, when Nya got to the doorstep, still no struggle, when Nya got to the door, Lloyd still didn't struggle. Not even when Nya got Lloyd inside, he still didn't struggle.
Nya sighed and undid the water ropes. Lloyd bolted upright, glaring at Nya.
"What was that?" He snapped.
Nya leveled him with a glare of her own. "What do you mean me? You're the one sitting outside!"
Lloyd didn't respond. She knows exactly why Lloyd is being salty. But he doesn't need to take his anger out on her of all people.
"Maybe I like sitting outside!" He said, Nya was taken aback by the heat in his voice. This was far deeper than she thought. Lloyd never yelled, much less yelled at her. She wondered how he would ever heal from Harumi's claws. But maybe the real question was, would he ever heal from Garmadons? But then again, maybe Nya knew the answer to both before the question even formed.
"You and I both know that's not the case. Not this time."
Lloyd was silent again, he was thinking. He was guarded. And Nya didn't like it, he had never been so tough to crack. But now… It's like Lloyd's a whole other person! It made Nya angry, because she could look at him and know how to help. She couldn't look at him now and know what to say. She couldn't look at him now and know what to do. This wasn't her baby brother.
No, this was what's left of Harumi and the knife that she tore through Lloyd. This is what's left Garmadons destruction. This is what's left of the family that they destroyed. When Nya got her hands on those little-
"Lloyd, look, I'm serious! What is wrong? I need you to talk to me. I want you to talk to me, okay. I need you too, please." She whispered.
Lloyd looked up at her, then his shoulders sagged, and he began to cry. "I-I want to go home, N-Nya. I want to go home. But he destroyed it. He destroyed t-them. I want to go home but their n-not there." Lloyd choked out, clinging to Nya. She was almost shocked, because she really hadn't expected to get through to him, but she did. Maybe she's still got it.
Nya held him as he cried. He looked so small. So broken. She didn't know what to say. Nya just hoped that being here for him would help. Because she wanted to go home to them, too.
So I gotta make it back, but my home ain't on the map. Gotta follow what I'm feeling to discover where it's at.
Kai was angry. Couldn't they see that? He hadn't meant to blow up at Jay. Jay was a brother, and he was only trying to help. And Kai had to go and be an idiot. So when they finally, finally were free of the dragon hunters, and the tension between the two ninjas were high… Kai had nothing better to do than apologize. Now seemed like as good a time as any.
"Jay… I - I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said. I know for a fact that Nya loves you. And I should've never said that you don't do anything for the team, because you do." He said, walking faster to catch up with Jay, who only scowled at him.
"Jay?"
Jay whirled on Kai. Eyes filled with hurt and anger. Oh FSM, did Jay think Kai meant what he said?
"Listen, Kai! I don't care. I know you didn't mean it, but you still said it! I still heard it. So, tell me. Did you really think you could just come and apologize after that? Really? Because we're in this darn realm with people who probably wanna eat us! Looking for the firstborn, and you decide to pick a fight with your friend?" Jay shouted, Cole placed a hand on his shoulder and he calmed down, a bit. Sighing, Jay walked away from Kai.
Zane walked back to Kai. "Look, Kai. Just give him some time. I'm sure he'll come around." He reassured, throwing his arm around Kai's shoulder. Kai smiled at Zane. At least he'd always have him.
I found no cure for the loneliness. I found no cure for the sickness.
Lloyd was supposed to be asleep, but he wasn't. His shoulder and ankle were killing him and he hadn't let Nya completely patch him up yet. And besides, he knows exactly what's waiting for him when he closes his eyes. And Lloyd would prefer not to wake up the whole scrapyard.
But that's been getting harder. How can he ignore his memories when he's right in the center of them? This is where Jay was raised. This was Jay's couch. The couch that Lloyd remembers from that one Christmas when they'd come to drop off the presents they'd gotten the Walkers, but got snowed in. And ms. Walker made hot chocolate from them.
This is where they built the ultra sonic raider to try and stop the great devourer.
Lloyd had too many memories from this place. And it was getting harder to hold back his flood gates. He got up from the couch, slowly, painfully slowly. Limping towards the door, Lloyd put his hand on the handle and gave it a light pull, then he was out.
He felt bad for leaving. He'd promised Nya that he would get a good night's sleep. Or at least more than an hour. But in his defense, Lloyd doesn't even think Nya believed him in the first place. Because if she thinks he can sleep in Jay's house, she's wrong.
He went and climbed up on one of the junk piles and sat. Finally, he was alone. Lloyd didn't want to be alone, but he felt he needed to. He finally opened his flood gates, and everything came back.
Jay making jokes at the worst of times.
Zane giving Lloyd his first real white Christmas.
Cole helping him regain his balance by dancing.
Uncle Wu showing him how to make tea.
Nya teaching him how to fly the bounty.
Kai… Kai saving him from the fire temple.
Lloyd remembered it all. Every smile, every laugh, everything they'd gone through together. And now all his brothers are gone. Because he fell in love. Lloyd wanted to slam his head into a wall.
He'd never felt so alone in his life. He hated it. He wanted to go back inside, but going inside meant seeing Jays things on the Walkers fridge. It meant sleeping on Jays couch. It means he has to face the Walkers. Every. Single. Day.
Maybe he could just sleep out here for one more night.
Somebody give me a sign, I'm starting to lose faith.
Why is this so hard? This is what she wants. This is what she wants. This is what she wants! Harumi doesn't want this! She wants them! She wants to go back to the ninja, she wants to talk with Lloyd, and laugh with Jay, and take care of baby Wu with Cole, and cook with Zane, take more sword lessons with Kai,and try to help Nya build stuff. But she blew it. She blew it.
Garmadon is destroying the city. That's not what she wanted. She wanted to rule ninjago by his side. She wanted to avenge her family. But what she hadn't realized is that she already had. Harumi already ruled ninjago. Harumi might've never avenged her parents… But is this what they would have wanted?
They died for her, and Harumi repaid them by reviving a maniac. Oh, she's terrible. She's terrible. She doesn't want to be the quiet one anymore. She wants to be Harumi Xi'an! Not the jade princess, either.
But she still has to wait, Harumi can't forget everything, she needs to plan this right. So she'll get out alive.
Nothing here feels like home.
Jay was upset, Cole had tried to talk to him, but Jay was angry, he was mad at Kai for snapping on him. Because how dare he bring up the… Tension around him and his best friend over Nya? But after everything that happened with Nadakon, curse him to hell and back, because Jay had nightmares from the gin long after his defeat, even if his brothers didn't. But Jay will admit, bringing up Skylor was probably not the way to go.
But that doesn't mean Jay's ready to accept Kai's apology. Because Kai hurt him. Kai hurt Jay, not physically. But Jay had always doubted his worth on the team, but having Kai voice those thoughts? No no. Jay isn't going to forgive him just yet.
He just wants to go home. To Lloyd. To Nya. To Ma and Pa. To ninjago. He doesn't want to stay in this first spinjitzu master damned realm!
Crowded streets, but I'm all alone.
They're in the city. Holy FSM! They're in the freaking city! Why? Why? Why were they in the city? Lloyd should've backed out of going. He can't be here! Not here! Not where Garmadon-
Lloyd sighed. Pixal had suggested that they leave the Walkers, to Lloyd eternally thankfulness. He wasn't sure he could be in a place where he had so many memories. But when Pixal suggested that they go to one of the samurai X bases located in the city... Lloyd didn't want to go back to the city. Not where it happened, not where he has even more memories! But he also didn't want to get the Walkers killed for helping him and the what's left of his family.
So he agreed. Now here he is. Sneaking through the city with Nya and Pixal (He had banned mom from coming. She was staying with the Walkers as far away from the city as possible). But Lloyd really, really did not want to be in the city. Memories flashed in his brain as he leaped from building to building. It didn't help that it was dark out. It happened in the night. His whole world was burned in the wake of the starry night sky. But he made sure to stay away from any sky trams.
He stopped. Nya and Pixal almost ran into him.
"Lloyd?" Nya whispered, tugging on his red sweatshirt (They had to abandon their Gis, or in Pixals case, armor. In order not to be noticed. But he guesses that the bright red sweater that he knows is Kai's wasn't any better. Curse his brothers for not wearing every color of the rainbow).
But Lloyd couldn't answer. He could see her. He could see her! Harumi, standing on the northern balcony of the temple of resurrection. He could get her. This is who killed his brothers! He could get her, here and now. He could get her. Nya followed his gaze then panicked.
"Lloyd! Let's go, NOW!" Nya whispered, shouted, Pixal was looking too. Something flickered in her green eyes. Nya looked even more panicked.
"Both of you! They wouldn't want us to do this! They wouldn't want us to do this! They would want us to survive! Harumi will go to kryptarium, Garmadon too! But we have to go now! Please."
That seemed to break Pixal from her spell, she nodded stiffly at Nya. Expression unreadable. But Lloiyd heard nothing. Saw nothing. Felt nothing. He could only see his target, could only hear the bitter sweet laughter, could only feel the pain of his loss. He would avenge his family. She will pay! He made his escape, but Pixal and Nya stopped him. They held him back, Pixal put a hand to his mouth and Nya held his arms. He struggled in their combined grasp. He had to get to her. But he couldn't. He was stuck.
Finally, Lloyd let himself go. He just stopped. Nya looked to Pixal, she nodded, and the let go of him. Lloyd looked up at the two, then ran.
He ran to where he needed to go. Where he should've gone. He ran back to that sky tram. The memories flashed, he used them. He ran faster. Soon he was on the sky tram where it all happened, and he pushed himself harder to remember exactly where the colossus stood as it crushed his family.
Lloyd found himself in an alley between two large,smoking buildings. But he also found himself in the wreckage of his memories. In the wreckage of the bounty. He slowly walked toward the center of the rumble, he knelt down next to one of the larger piles, and began to tear throw it. It had to be here, it had to!
He finally found what he was looking for, it was a small picture. A picture of his brothers, Wu, and Nya. Of his family. He smiled, tears beginning to fall. Lloyd didn't care. He needed to do this. Needed something from his brothers. He placed the picture in the small backpack that Ed had given to him. It was Jays, and he almost didn't take it. But his mom said that he should, just in case. And Lloyd thinks that she knew he was going to come here.
He dug some more till he found as many items of his brothers as possible. He looked at his pile of treasure. His treasures, his family's treasures.
He found Jay's favorite video games and starffer comics.
He found Zane's tattered pink apron.
He found Cole's photo album.
He found some of Kai's hair gel and one of his katanas.
He found Uncle Wu's shattered remains of his porcelain teapot.
Lloyd held the backpack of treasures close to him. He would never lose them, ever again.
I need the memory, in case this fates forever, just to be sure these last days are better.
Wu felt weird. He felt like he knew these people, yet didn't at the same time. He felt like he'd been to this strange place, yet hadn't at the same time. He could remember flashes of things. Of people and places, but could never place them.
He tried to place the names of the people with him to his flashes of memory. When he heard Kai he saw fire, he saw red, he saw a girl with dark hair dressed in a gray gi, and a boy with blond wearing a green one. When he heard Jay he saw lightning, he saw blue, He saw the same girl, but instead of the long black hair, Wu saw her with short hair in a red kimono. He saw an elderly couple and a scrapyard. When he heard Zane he saw white, he saw ice. He saw a snow covered forest, a falcon and an elderly man. He saw a pink apron and a girl with bright silver hair and radiant green eyes. When he heard Cole he saw earth, he saw black. He saw a man holding a gold trophy and a woman with long black hair, both beaming. He saw mountains and dragons. Wu had even heard new names, He heard Nya and Lloyd. Garmadon and Misako. He kept trying to think of them, trying to place the names to the faces, but he just couldn't. He couldn't remember them.
But when he thought of Wu… He'd heard the ninja call him that multiple times. And he just didn't know why! But for some reason, when he thought of the name Wu, he got the most memory. He didn't even know why!
When he thought of the name Wu, he saw gold, he saw creation. He saw a golden dragon and a bamboo staff. He saw a woman with a long mouse brown braid, and a man with eerie pale skin and fiery red eyes. He saw a young boy with a green streak, and another in a black hoodie. He saw four golden weapons, and a monastery on a mountain. He saw tea cups. But for the first time, he heard something from his memories. He heard laughing. The sound took him to a memory of a room, there were five people seated around the table, their faces all blurred. He could hear them laughing and could see things being thrown.
But in all of his memories, he kept seeing the same faces, the same voices. And with each memory, their faces became clearer
And if I have any enemies. To give me the strength to look the devil in the face and make it home safe.
"Come on! Fight me!"
"It's the fight that fuels him."
"You must endure."
"The resistance never quits."
"You may not have power, but that's never what made you powerful."
Lloyd stood, slowly walked down from where he stood atop a pile of ruble. Fiery orange, met bright scarlet. Lloyd stopped a few feet from Garmadon, staring him down. Garmadon snarled, lobbing more purple orbs at him, they disappeared feet from Lloyd. He almost smirked. Lloyd stepped down fully from the ruble, and began to walk in a semi circle around Garmadon. Head held high and his scarlet eyes locked on his lava orange ones, never once going a stray.
Garmadon glared, hurling more orbs of purple flame at him. None of them hit home.
"I cannot fight you, but I can resist you."
Garmadon lit his fist up one last time, holding them high and panting like he'd ran a marathon. His fists slowly fizzled out, one by one until only one remand. Garmadon tried to throw it at Lloyd, but it dissipated soon after. Garmadon dropped to his knees, finally, finally out of energy, and, out of power.
Lloyd felt something come to life in his chest. It was warm and buzzing with excitement. He closed his eyes, reaching for the sparks and trying to bring them up. He felt the chime of the sparks grow louder, growing stronger. Soon it felt like his whole body was buzzing. He could feel the chime in his soul, like something was just begging to be let out. He felt something sizzling up inside him, he honed in, reaching.
When he opened his eyes, Lloyd found himself in the middle of a sparkling green storm. He looked down to his hand and laughed. He found them! They came back! Large green, glistening spheres circled his hands, sending little shocks of energy into his soul.
The flurry of energy slowed to a stop, falling to the ground like snow. He turned to his father, who was staring at him, incredulous.
"I may have power, but that's never what made me… Powerful.."
Someone take me.
Ho-o-o-o-me, Ho-o-o-o-me.
Somebody, somebody.
Ho-o-o-o-me.
Take. Me. Home.
Someone take me.
Does anyone remember the flashes backs? Cole's photo album might be a little harder to remember ;) Here's a hint, look in s1.
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