Again, been a while. At least this series is finished. :)

Next chapter will be an aftermath. I reckon it'll start with "It wasn't enough". Just cause.

Sorry for the wait (as I always am). Thanks for sticking around, and please enjoy the end of this mini series. The next one is going to be a heck of a ride.

Series Summary:

After doing the unthinkable, Lloyd is left in shambles. Piecing himself back together like he did is not what he should have done, because now he's set himself up to fall - and he's going to fall harder than ever before.

Because to revive the soul...that's a feat almost no one has ever accomplished.

(One he's going to achieve, dammit. He's not going to let it slip away. Not this time.)

/ /

The AU where Lloyd jumps to conclusions. Because of this, he fights two battles: one unavoidable (distracting) battle…and one he could have avoided (and chose not to).

Chapter Summary:

Ninjago revolves around Lloyd. It's about time he gets some sense knocked into him.

14 - Revolve - Part 3

Ninjago revolves around Lloyd, whether he likes it or not.

It's something he was forced to accept as a boy, when he just had tomorrow's tea and found out he was the Green Ninja. When fighting his corrupt father was the only way to save Ninjago. When it was his responsibility – his duty – to protect the people of Ninjago. When he was the only one who could face him.

During that time, Lloyd seethed. Wanted to pummel fate and destiny until it was defeated and broken at his feet. Maybe that's the part of him that reflects his father, the part of the boy who hated everything and everyone at Darkleys, after his mother abandoned him for her career.

Now is the same, except Lloyd ran. Chose a path that wouldn't matter in the end, because everything would still play out the same, except his father took them by storm and everything went to hell. If he stayed, they would've been prepared for it, but instead they walked right into the invasion and fell. Hard.

Why didn't he just give up on his fantasy? Why did he ignore his calling and make it all worse?

Maybe if he fell through the web faster, Ninjago wouldn't have fallen into Garmadon's hands.

/ / I \ \

"Let me up, Cole." Lloyd grunts after a moment, watching Zane pick up the Realm Crystal off the dusty floor and examine it with glowing blue eyes.

"And let you run off to who knows where?" The Black Ninja scoffs. "No thanks."

Well, that went well. "I gotta find Kai, Cole. It's my responsibility!" And yeah, he's trying that path. Better that then having his Energy propel his friend off his back.

A slight pause. The weight on his back increases. The others crouch down so he can see the bags under their eyes. And their anger.

"Kai's gone, Lloyd. You must accept that before you're consumed." That's Zane and his cool and calm robotic voice. It's already making his muscles relax without his approval.

And that can't happen. He knew they would stop him if they ever caught up. And now, they have the Realm Crystal and they're telling his best friend is fucking gone. He won't accept that. Not when he's walked through multiple worlds to find answers to the glowing hourglass in the rock floor.

Fuck that. Fuck that.

Instead of showing his distress with short breaths, the Green Ninja inhales deeply, trying to calm his racing heart. "How did you even get here? Last I checked, there wasn't another magical crystal that could transport you to other realms."

It's all a distraction. A question that can be answered another time. Lloyd can't halt his accelerating heartrate, so he glances around for ways to escape after he gets Cole off.

There isn't anywhere he can go – unless he wants to dive into the clouds or run past hostile Ninja. It won't work. And even if it did, there's no way he'll be able to escape without the Realm Crystal.

But…

"Travelers Tea. Wu's shop is still selling brews that have…mystical properties."

…Lloyd knows he must try. At least for his own soul's sake.

And he does. While Zane is talking about Wu's tea shop, Lloyd brings his Energy out and wills it to erupt.

Cole squawks and leaps backwards. A moment later, Lloyd is leaping to his feet.

Right into a jet of water.

Lloyd manages to use the hit to backflip and send a couple pulses of Energy at Nya and Zane. An Energy shield forms just as Jay's lightning reaches him in a jagged arc.

Water conducts electricity. One hit from that, and I'm out. The ice will lock me up, the earth will swallow me, and the water will allow the other elements to hit harder. He swallows the lump in his throat. Yep, an impossible battle. How in the realms did Kai manage to hold us all off at once?

That thought hits him like a train, and just like that everything is slamming into him at once.

He doesn't remember hitting the ground.

/ / II \ \

The world swims in an inky blue. Not too blue – more of a sky blue, obscuring the edges of his vision in a tunnel which he only sees when adrenaline sinks into his bones. It's probably the pain throbbing deep in his bones, face and stomach that has it acting up.

It leaves him so very tense, because now that he's fully awake, he's in so much pain he can't move. And when he tries to think it's all cotton wool and there's nothing there. Nothing where everything should be.

What the fuck? Nausea bites – deeper than any flesh wound – and before he can contain it, he's throwing up onto the stone floor on his right. What's going on?

Everything hurts. White spots are igniting his vision in the darkness. There's nothing to think except sick and hurt and what's happening, what the fuck?

In the next moment, he's retching. Then-

/ / III \ \

-he wakes slowly. Something is moving underneath him, but it leaves a calming rhythm Lloyd doesn't mind. It makes sleeping that much more enticing.

It takes a while for his sleepy mind to recognise he's slumped over somebody's shoulders. He can barely open his eyes the call to rest is so loud, so they stay at slits.

Cole is carrying him in a piggyback. There's a moment where he enjoys it, until he starts wondering why he's being carried.

Without his bidding, his stomach growls loud. The neck his arms are handing around twists to look at him. "I'm guessing you've forgotten to eat while you've been out, right?" On any long mission, Lloyd often forgets to eat. He's probably collapsed on watch or something. He nods. "And you've forgotten to sleep, too?" With how tired he is, it's likely. Another nod. "Sleep, then. And don't try anything else."

Try what? he thinks, displeased when the hands around his calves tighten. But his eyes are drooping, his body's aching and he really wants to sleep.

With an affirmative hum, Lloyd closes his eyes and surrenders to the dark.

/ / IV \ \

Lloyd stands in a dark room illuminated by a blue glow that doesn't hurt his eyes.

"Times are changing, Lloyd." In an instant, the blue glow is creating a woman in a dress that reaches her ankles and straight hair that touches her elbows. She's transparent, but her form seems to shimmer. Like her control is waning. "There is must darkness ahead. Darkness that not even you can face alone. You must-" Her voice cracks up into a fizz, like a radio unleashing a loud static noise. Along with it, her form fades in and out of existence, like this dark world is forcing her out.

"What must I do?" He asks, heart clenching. "You can't just leave it like that!"

A word repeats multiple times before she flashes back into the room and stays, albeit the blue particles now fading off her dress. It leaves black holes where the transparent fabric should be. "I-I-I do not have much time left in this world. P-p-precautions had to be taken for-r-r-r-r-r the survival of this wor-r-r-rld. The Loops weren't going to cut it. Your s-s-shattered will had to be fixed for the good of this l-l-l-land." She fades again, the reappears with more blue flaking off the bottom of her frilly dress. "It had to; else nobody would have survived your greatest test."

"Test?" Mind whirling, Lloyd demands answers. "What are you talking about?"

Instead of answering, her eyes glow green. "A great darkness is approaching. One I c-c-cannot lead you through. You must prepare for the assault. If you don't, Ninjago will be shrouded in darkness." Time shudders violently – enough for the static noise to erupt in his head.

Yelling, he grips his temple, squeezing his eyes shut at the intensity of the pulsing in his head.

"Goodbye, Lloyd Garmadon." Is whispered in the darkness, before everything compacts and-

/ / V \ \

Lloyd wonders. About Time, Kai…himself.

It's all one huge mess. Kai asked him to protect everyone, to be the glue that kept them all together, and before, he didn't understand how he could do that when he was gone. But now…now Lloyd gets it.

In an effort to prepare them for the trying times to come, Kai tried to tell him to stay and heal and defend Ninjago. Without saying that. Why couldn't he just say that? That's just so Kai and it's…urgh!

Yet, he cannot blame this on Kai. Not even on Time, who will not be able to save them when the going gets tough. Who likely enforced Kai's silence. It sucks, but this is something he needed. Something he's sure everybody needs at some point. Closure.

When Kai's body couldn't be found, Lloyd admittedly jumped to conclusions. Believed the best possible outcome and dived headfirst into a raging ocean.

An idiotic and suicidal move, sure, but…he'd do that for anyone. Especially Kai. Always Kai.

He's finally resurfaced. Even though he's floundering in the water, the Green Ninja has emerged from that search and is looking forward. Searching the horizon for threats he's missed since he's been under

It took far too long for him to cut through the web. Too long to say sorry to his team for being a horrible, impulsive friend. (Reminds him of Kai, but he can't deal with that right now. Not when just the colour red sparks a deep despair that threatens to split his heart in two.)

Now, he sees the impending darkness on the horizon. Can feel the way it sinks into his bones and how a part of him knows what's coming. Who's coming. That dread is shoved right down – something to be ignored in the face of the duty he's neglected.

Finding Kai was always a one-sided decision. It wasn't for the good of Ninjago, no matter how much he kidded himself. All of it was for himself and his desperate wish for Kai to be alive. That he didn't kill his best friend.

No matter how far he walks, Kai will forever be by his side – a haunting phantom or comforting ally. This is his sin. Lloyd will carry him in his heart for as long as he lives. It's his responsibility.

Now…now it's time to move forward. Time to accept the world revolves around him.

Time to go home.

/ / VI \ \

The tree trunk he wakes against is solid. So solid his muscles ache, complaining as he opens his eyes to short grass and quiet chatter amongst his team. They stand ahead, looking at a blue projection Lloyd can't see clearly from his spot on the ground.

"Wait, so we're all the way over here? That's crazy!" Jay exclaims, waving his arms in the air.

Sounds like they're surveying a map. Arching his back, Lloyd lifts a knee so he can drape an arm around it, placing his chin on it. The relief he feels is immense. That's better.

Now that he's moved, Lloyd can feel his throbbing ribs, arm, and head. None are sharp enough to be broken; just heavy bruises that will take a while to heal.

"Yes. If my calculations are correct, it'll take approximately one week to get to Ninjago City on foot." Zane nods, blue map following his eyes.

Back no longer aching, Lloyd finishes the stretch. Getting to his feet is another ordeal entirely; his legs shake so bad he must use the white oak to support himself. He's been hurt more than he thought.

It doesn't matter, though. Soon, a new evil will arise and try to take Ninjago by storm. They need time to prepare for the threat. Time they don't have.

His friends need him to keep going. Without the glue holding them together, everything will fall apart.

This is why the world revolves around him…whether he likes it or not.

"Come on, then." Lloyd says, voice scratchy. It grates against his throat. "Let's go home."

The Ninja jump, twisting around to see him leaning against the tree they laid him against. Zane's hologram switches off. "Lloyd!" They set themselves into a fighting stance. It makes him smile.

"I'm not fighting you." That makes them pause. "We have…more important things to worry about."

Cole tilts his head. "Wait…you're coming with us?"

Immediately after, Nya asks, "what important things?"

Smiling wider, Lloyd looks up at the sunny sky of Ninjago and inhales a deep breath. It's been a while since air's felt this cool. "Yeah. There's a new threat to Ninjago. One more challenging than anything we've ever faced." Eyeing his team, he purses his lips. "We must be ready for them."

Jay cries that they haven't even had a break since the last one. He's right, but…such is the life of a Ninja.

The world relies on them to keep the balance. There is no shortage of good or evil; Lloyd knows this because of Kai. It means Ninjago revolves around all of them. It means they must be ready.

Because the world relies on them to dispel the overwhelming darkness, and nothing will change that.

"Let's go." Lloyd says, before walking in the direction he perceives as home.

It's time to climb out the web. Time to stop floundering in the pounding waves. Time to move on and prepare for what's to come.

Because if Lloyd got anything out of his encounter with Time, it's that he's going to need all the tricks in the book to ensure Ninjago's survival.

He just hopes it's enough.

/ / VII \ \

She watches the boy filled with so much pain and loss and the boy who deserves a kinder fate.

These are her last moments here, on an Earth she's inhabited since her old master passed on this mantle to her. That was millennia ago. Her power will soon fill one who has endured more pain than anyone she's seen over her thousand years of existence. It is a lonely fate that doesn't match his efforts. Not when all his friends will grow old while he stays the same.

However, her hands are tied. For the future of all the realms, he must take her place and save Ninjago from Garmadon's wrath.

In her last inhale, she hopes Ninjago's future has been purged of everlasting darkness.

With her last exhale, Time allows her blue form to disintegrate into dust.