Chapter Text
Lloyd was hiding in a cave in the realm of dragon and oni.
Of course, if anyone asked, he'd say he was strategizing, and yes, curling up into a little ball while crying was definitely included in his strategy.
Of course, if anyone was around to ask, he wouldn't be crying. Ninjago had turned dark, and he had run. After all, what was the point in fighting when you had already lost? His friends and family were dead, even the twisted version of his father that Harumi had brought back.
He was the green ninja, the prophesied hero of Ninjago, and he had failed miserably.
"Hatchling."
Lloyd peaked out from behind his arms to see Firstbourn. "Oh, hi Firstbourn. What's up?"
She smiled, or, as well as dragons can smile. "Come hatching. The fight is not over yet."
Lloyd sat up with a wince. As comforting as becoming a little ball is, it's terrible for joints. "Not to be rude or anything, but I'm pretty fucking sure it is. The balance is destroyed, darkness rules Ninjago, and all of my friends are dead."
Firstbourn's tail wrapped around him, in a scaly sort of hug as she lay down. "How much do you know about your family?"
"Not fully sure how the good old family tree's gonna help, but sure. First Spinjitzu Master was created from both oni and dragon, he created Ninjago, had my dad and Uncle Wu, died, dad had me, I have oni powers."
"Ah, but both oni and dragon runs in your vein. My blood runs in your veins. Shohie, the man you call the First Spinjitzu master knew the second that Garmadon was bitten by Orochi, the twisted servant of the oni king, his son's would no longer be able to keep the balance, and so he ensured the balance would be passed to his grandchild. You are the balance, the one with all the magic of both dragon and oni. Light and darkness. Creation and destruction. And this fight is not over yet."
She crouched down and told Lloyd to climb on. He scrambled up her leg, and enjoyed the flight. Flying was his favourite thing after he met Ultra, especially with all the embarrassing stories they had about the ninja.
Firstbourn took him to a different cave, this one made of an iridescent stone. "All elemental powers come from here. And that includes the same one your former enemies Krux and Acronix had. This is the time cave. Shohei created these to help him channel, as whenever he didn't have a conduit, he would end up using too much energy. These caves are how he created Ninjago, and how he changed it. This is not the first time the Overlord has won, and every time he did, Shohei, would come here and try again, until he managed to force him onto that island."
She looked at Lloyd's confused face.
"That was not true balance. As much as we dragon despise the oni, we acknowledge their necessity, and they us, but the Overlord is a primordial spirit of pure darkness. He has no place in the balance. Think of him as an all consuming black hole. While the oni and us dragons coexist to ensure balance, he attempts to consume all in his path, and now it is up to you to stop him. Permanently."
Lloyd gave Firstbourn a look, the same look he gave Kai when he challenged him to a hot sauce drinking competition for the first time, before Lloyd absolutely crushed him. Actually the whole dragon thing might explain that. "Again not to be rude, but if the First Spinjitzu Master-, er Shohei? Grandfath- nope, too weird, FSM it is. If he couldn't beat him, what chance do I have?"
"Magic is not some unchanging thing. It flows and changes and strengthens through every new generation. You are significantly stronger than Shohei. You will also get more time for your magic to strengthen before facing the Overlord once more. Are you willing to accept this burden? To redo your life and change it to save Ninjago, to save your friends?"
Lloyd stared into the stone, and could almost make out his friends in the reflection. "My body won't go back with me? But Krux and Acronix-"
"The last two elemental masters of time utilized a time vortex. You will be using raw time. Not mortal shell can survive time, but the immortal soul can."
"And this realm," Lloyd asked, his voice small, reflecting the thirteen years he had actually lived, "will the time affect this realm too?"
Firstbourn shook her head. "Shohie was just another regular citizen of this realm to us. He could only access his additional magic in these caves here. These caves are essentially holes where Ninjago seeps through. Nothing that happens in them, or in Ninjago affects the rest of us."
Her tail rested on Lloyd's shoulder. "It is not a sin to say no. You are a child still. You have only lived thirteen years. This is not a burden to be forced on such a young hatchling."
"What should I change?"
Firstbourn makes a confused sound. "What do you mean?"
Lloyd turned to face her, a determined face solidifying on his face for the first time since Kai died. "I'll go back to when I was kicked out of Darkley's, but then I released the serpentine. Do I only not release Pythor, or do I not release any of them?"
Firstbourn shook her head. "The serpentine deserve their freedom. Release them all, ensure the new general of the Hypnobrai arises, Skales, I believe is his name, but do not stay long at each. After that, I would recommend going to Mistaké. Your travel will affect her, but there is a rather large chance she will retain her memories, as she is an oni."
"And my father? Wu? The ninja?"
"That is up to you hatchling. You must create your own future."
Lloyd nods, and steps into the cave, before pausing and turning back. "Er, how do I do this?"
"Meditate hatchling. The power is all around you. You simply must find and access it."
Lloyd hugged her. "Thank you Firstbourn. I hope to see you again in the new world."
"I trust you will."
Firstbourn then flew away, and Lloyd walked to the center of the cave, sat down, and closed his eyes. It wasn't the first time he had meditated. It was a good way to feel his powers without actually using them. It gave him comfort. This time though, instead of looking inward, he tried to find the tendrils of elemental power outside of him. After a minute or so, he found them.
He felt them wrap around him, like soft ribbons of pure energy. "See you soon," He whispered, and vanished from the cave.