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Lloyd had failed.
Broken and battered, he hopelessly stared down at his brothers and sisters unmoving bodies, trying his best not to give into despair. He grabbed the red ninja’s arm, shaking it to no avail. Kai still didn't move.
“Kai…?” He whimpered. “Kai, come on, you've gotta get up…!”
Harumi's wicked laughter echoed throughout the room. Shakily, Lloyd forced himself to stand up and face her. She smirked, glaring down at him.
“You really think you can save them?” She mocked. “You're already too late. You failed them, just like you failed me! Just like you’ve failed everyone else you couldn't save!”
Lloyd huffed.
“I can't let her do this… I can't…! I can't let her break me!!”
Lloyd conjured elemental energy, prepared to fight back against the girl who had stolen his family from him. But…
He was halted by the feeling of soft fingers pulling on his cheek. The pinch had snapped him back into reality. He jolted awake to the sight of his cousin staring down at him and tears spilling from his eyes.
"Your face looked scary." Estrella said plainly, moving off of him. Lloyd sat up in his futon, regaining his bearings. He looked around the garbage depot, seeing the rest of the resistance asleep in their futons, the only sound being from the garbage trucks and the Sons Of Garmadon lurking around outside.
Lloyd wiped his eyes with the back of his hands.
“What time is it…?”
“I dunno. Late.” The girl shrugged. “...What were you dreaming about?”
Lloyd grimaced.
“i don't… I don't want to talk about it.”
Estrella nodded.
“That's okay.” She swayed from side to side in her seat. “I… I had a nice dream. I dreamt we were all at this park together. Zane made sandwiches and stuff, and we all had a picnic. You were there, too. I made you this crown out of sunflowers, and even got you to wear it. And Kai pushed Jay into the lake! It was really funny.”
“That… that is nice.” Lloyd replied. The story had calmed him down, just a little bit. He wished he could have peaceful dreams like that, but the incident before the city fell into ruin continued to replay in his mind, over and over and over again.
Estrella sniffed.
"I miss them." She said quietly, putting her cheeks in her hands. “I miss them enough that I'd eat Cole's cooking every night for the rest of my life if I could just hug him again. Even if it's just one more time.”
Lloyd’s expression softened.
“I… I miss them too. I promise, I'll get us all out of here. I'm going to save them. I'm going to save everyone.”
Estrella frowned.
“You don't have to pretend to be strong all the time, you know? I saw that you were crying in your sleep, Lloyd.”
“I’m… I'm the leader, Estrella. I'm the green ninja, the one with the responsibility to protect, the one who has to-”
“Hey, stop that!” Estrella retorted, cutting him off. “You can't expect to do everything on your own when we're all here to help you!”
Estrella threw her arms around him, trapping the boy in a hug. Lloyd’s eyes widened, his head over her shoulder.
“You keep saying ‘I’ and not ‘we’. We're here too, Lloyd. Don't forget that. We're gonna save them, and we're gonna save everyone together!”
Relaxing from the shock, he hugged her back and nodded.
“...Right. Together.”
She released him, smiling. She then lied back down on her futon, pulling her blanket over herself. Lloyd followed suit.
“Hey, Lloyd?” Estrella whispered. “When we get out of here… let's all go to the park together.”
“...And eat Zane's cooking?”
“Yeah! And I'll make you a flower crown!”
“...And I guess I'll wear it…”
“And then we'll push Jay into the lake!” They said in unison, both of them laughing after the fact. Afterwards, they both closed their eyes, ready to try to get back to sleep.
Estrella rolled into Lloyd’s futon, pressing their foreheads together. Not opening his eyes, he furrowed his eyebrows.
“...What are you doing?”
“If I do this…” Estrella started, concentrating. “I'll be able to transfer my dream to you, and you won't have to have nightmares anymore!”
Lloyd smiled.
“...Thank you.”
“Mmhmm!”
Lloyd slept peacefully for the rest of that night.