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Lloyd coughed, iron filled his mouth as he laid against a boulder. He was basically in the middle of nowhere, all thanks to his own stupidity. He had been trying to fight off too many wolf warriors at once, trying to draw them away.
–
Lloyd watched as Zane, Arin, Sora, and Nya ran beside him. His students were of course slower than the ninjas, making them easy targets. He saw one of the warriors swipe at Sora and he snapped to action. He pounced on the warrior, getting cut on the arm in the process. He hissed with pain as Zane and Nya called out for him.
“Lloyd! Hurry!” Zane cried out, but Lloyd couldn’t get to them before getting tackled by another warrior.
“Just leave me!” Lloyd shouted, kicking the warrior off. He blasted his power at a few more, drawing the warriors attention to him. “Come and get me!” Lloyd shouted angrily, painting into the forest as fast as he could, despite the other’s objections.
His legs burned as he kept on running. He had to hold back a scream as thorns tore into his skin as he ran right through a bramble bush. He could hear many wolf warriors chasing him, they made a racket as they ran after him.
Lloyd probably should have noticed the rock, but he didn’t. He tripped, falling down and off a small ledge. The wind was knocked out of him as he landed on his back. He groaned as he fought to get up. The wolf warriors got to him first, tackling him and trying to restrain him.
Lloyd clawed at anything he could reach, hissing as he tried to fight and get away. Blades cut into his hands and limbs as he fought, but the adrenaline in him allowed him to fight for his life. He managed to kick two off, punching another right in their mask, causing the warrior to stumble back. Four more tried to restrain him, but he managed to get up and tried to make a run for it.
He wouldn’t be taken as a prisoner, he’d rather die than be locked in some ugly cage.
Lloyd made it a long way before he began to slow down. He knew he was losing too much blood, he had cuts all over him that were oozing blood. He felt it all soak into his gi. A warrior caught up to him and tackled him, not being mindful of the blades on its hands.
It burned, it all burned. Iron filled his mouth as his abdomen burned with a fire he had never felt before. The blades were sharp enough to go through the armor and even the bulletproof armor that was underneath his gi. He coughed up the scarlet liquid, hearing it splatter onto the ground below. The wolf warrior took the blades out, leaving Lloyd to fall to his knees before falling onto his side.
He could hear the wolf warriors leave, likely following after Zane, Nya, Arin, and Sora. He choked back a sob, he was so useless. He couldn’t even lead a group of warriors without getting himself killed. He spotted a boulder a few feet away. Despite the agony, Lloyd managed to crawl over to the boulder and layer down against it.
—
Lloyd spit out more blood, he felt like he was on fire, the wounds burned, and he was certain it was way worse since dirt, and whatever else was on the ground, got into them. He groaned as he thought about everything. He knew his death was near, he wasn’t the smartest on the team, but he was far from stupid.
‘What about my kids?’
Lloyd shot upright before flinching at the pain, coughing up more blood. “My students, my kids…oh First Spinjitzu Master no, no no no no no no. I can’t- I can’t die yet!” Lloyd wailed, letting out a whimper, and he felt like he’d failed them. Who was going to protect them now?
—
Arin and Sora felt relief as the wolf warriors retreated, seeming to give up on the fruitless hunt.
“We have to go and find Lloyd,” Arin said, and Sora agreed.
Zane nodded, turning to Nya. “We’ll find him,” he reassured the other ninja, but it did little to reassure her.
—
Lloyd slowly but surely felt like he was floating, he knew his time was running out. He began to lose feeling in his fingers and toes, which was beginning to make him panic. He thought about his element. He didn’t have any biological children, so all he knew was that it was going to go to some random person or kid. He couldn’t let that happen, what if it went to another Morro? Another power hunger villain waiting to take over the world? He could still choose an heir. The only problem was that most of the people he knew already either already had an element, or weren’t good candidates for his power.
All except. Lloyd paused. He was perfect, he was kind, gentle, clumsy yet strong. He had aspirations and dreams, he was the one. As Lloyd’s body fell limp as his heart slowly stopped beating, he glowed green, jerking upwards as he felt his power leave him for the final time.
‘Forgive me, Arin. This is the biggest burden I could ever give you.’
Lloyd closed his eyes one last time, letting out his final breath. He could finally rest, he could let go.
—
As Arin called out for Lloyd, he felt a sudden buzz of energy. Green light surrounded him and Arin could feel power imbed into his soul. He let out a gasp as the power attached to him. By the time the glowing stopped, Sora had run over, concerned. Arin opened his eyes, and Sora widened hers, taking a step back.
“Arin! Your eyes, they’re green!” She exclaimed, stunned.
Arin extended his palm, letting the warm buzz rise above his skin, leaving a foreign feeling. His hand glowed with a familiar power, one he had only seen one person use. ‘Lloyd? Why would he give me his power? Is he—‘
“He’s dead,” Arin gaped, leaving Sora frowning.
“He, we just haven’t found him yet! He’s not dead, he’s Lloyd!” She argued, but even she knew, deep down, that Lloyd was likely gone if Arin had his element.
Arin felt tears welling up in his eyes, threatening to fall. “We have to keep looking, he’s somewhere in these woods.”
—
Arin nearly threw up at the trail of blood, it wasn’t much at first, but the farther Sora and him followed it, the more blood they found. They finally reached a short ledge, findning a rock that must have been torn out of the ground.
Sora and Arin hopped down, finding a large puddle of blood. Blood was smeared all over, as if the source fought his attackers, but when they followed the smears with their eyes, they spotted him.
Sora covered her mouth with her hands, letting out a scream. Arin just sobbed, praying for Lloyd to wake up, for him to stand up and tell them it’s all a joke. He saw that most of his gi was as red as Kai’s. Arin and Sora crouched down, they both held one of Lloyd’s cold hands. His hands were extremely stiff, and Arin was pretty sure it was because rigor mortis had set in already.
‘I don’t know why you chose me of all people to take your legacy, but I will make them all pay, Lloyd’.
Lloyd smiled as he wrapped his invisible wings around the two, before fading with the wind.