Just Can't Choose - Ninjago High School AU

Chapter Three: Letters

Lloyd had been planning for this moment ever since his mother had told him that his uncle existed. He had been repeating the possible scenarios in his head over and over again until he was sure he could get the answers he desired- But when he was finally standing in front of the very building that his uncle lived in, he found himself at a loss for words.

Lloyd paused, his hand hovering over one of the golden door knockers.

"Here goes nothing." He reached forward and grasped the ring, banging on the door rhythmically. His confidence level dropped immediately after doing so, and he turned around, marching down a few steps.

"Okay, this is a bad idea. It is a very bad idea, I wil-"

He was cut off by the sound of a door creaking open. When he turned around, he saw a teenager with hair so sharp it looked like he had grabbed a porcupine, dyed it brown, and called it a hat.

"Who in the history of Ninjago are you?"

"Uh, my name is Lloyd? I'm here to see someone named-"

The person on the other side of the gate gasped dramatically, pointing an accusatory finger in his direction.

"I KNEW IT! You're a suitor for Nya, aren't you? Well, sorry-not-sorry, but my baby sister doesn't date creeps. Even better, she doesn't date at all! Have fun looking for your significant other that's not Nya!"

Before Porcupine was able to shut the gate door, Lloyd stuck his left foot inside and swung it open.

"I'm here to see Wu, and since I had to climb a mountain to get here, I think it would be fair if I got to talk to him." Lloyd folded his arms across his chest. He didn't normally talk to people like that- but Porcupine's attitude reminded him of the boys in Darkley's, and in Darkley's, you either eat or get eaten.

"You could've led with that, but whatever." Porcupine huffed and turned on his heel, sauntering into the monastery. That was easier than Lloyd expected.

The monastery felt... familiar, in a way. There were a few weapons scattered here and there, which were reminiscent of his childhood at Darkley's Boarding School for Bad Boys. The difference was the atmosphere here was serene and didn't send chills down his spine when he walked inside- Not to mention nobody was trying to throw spiky projectiles at his head.

Lloyd followed Porcupine through the monastery until they stopped in front of a room with large sliding doors.

"You stay here," Porcupine commanded, jabbing Lloyd in the chest. He nodded in response. Porcupine slid one of the doors open, peeking his head in.

"Uh, Dad? You've got a visitor. If you don't want any right now, I can beat him up for you."

Porcupine was probably one of the orphans Wu adopted, Lloyd figured.

"Thank you, Kai. You can bring him in."

Lloyd walked inside the room, sitting across from his uncle. Wu spit his tea all over Kai, his eyes stretched wide.

"EW! It's still hot!" Kai shrieked, tugging at his clothes and running out the door like a headless chicken. Lloyd watched the scene with confusion, clearing his throat.

"Uh... Hello. I'm Lloyd- your nephew?"

Wu's silence prodded him to continue.

"You knew where I was, and I'm pretty sure you knew that I shouldn't have been there. I- I didn't belong there, and being there made me feel like-" Lloyd took a deep breath, calming himself. "Like I didn't belong... anywhere at all."

Wu looked down shamefully, sipping his tea. "I have made many mistakes in the years I have lived, but that is the one that I regret the most."

Lloyd's lips tilted upward in what was at least a half-smile, slightly comforted by the fact that his uncle did care. Well, now he did, at least. Lloyd's expression hardened again.

"I came here to ask you a question. A few questions, actually- and I want you to tell me the truth. No white lies, no sugarcoating-" Lloyd paused, biting his lip. "The truth, even if it hurts." Lloyd looked his uncle in the eye, steeling himself for the reply.

Wu stroked his long, white beard, lifting a hand to adjust his hat.

"Why... Why didn't you come? I thought nobody cared..." Lloyd's voice broke as he tried to maintain his coldness. He couldn't forgive his mother, even after she gave him an explanation. They didn't deserve his forgiveness, and he didn't need their pity.

"It's... complicated." Wu sighed. "You reminded me of my past. A past that I had tried to run from. A past I shared with Garmadon."

He flinched at his father's name. People would recoil in disgust when they saw Lloyd. They saw the son of Garmadon, an imperfection- A monster. It went on for so long that he started used that fear to his advantage.

"I hid Misako from him," Wu whispered. "He didn't deserve her. But she wanted you back. Her regret and grief overtook her, and the tearstains I found on her bed- she cried herself to sleep." Wu shook his head, regret filling his features. Perhaps if he did things differently, they would have been happy, and Lloyd would not be so... cold. "I never knew how much she was hurting until the day she left. Everything was normal- except that she was gone, and only a note was left in her place."

Wu opened a drawer, groping around for a few moments before retrieving a crumpled piece of paper. He placed it gingerly in Lloyd's open palms and sat back down silently. Lloyd uncrumpled the note, deciphering the messily scrawled-out words. Most of it was just his mom going on about the good times she spent with Wu- but one part stuck out.

It was about him. His eyes flicked to the top of it, reading it slowly.

'I believe that Lloyd has elemental powers.

Whenever he experienced a strong emotion, a light would appear. Some days it was soft and gentle, warm and safe. Other days, when the emotions were negative, it was much stronger. The light was almost blinding, and it would guard him, striking anyone who got too close. They had opposite effects when you touched them- the first would heal you and the other would hurt.

Lloyd is unlike anything I have ever read about. Oni and dragon, creation and destruction, good and evil, light and dark- All molded together into one being. You must train him, Wu. There is a battle raging inside of him, and one wrong move can shift his entire being to darkness."

*Wow, some foreshadowing??? Anywho- I might have to put Quiet on hiatus because I just reread my plan and it's just... horrible. So many ding-dang plot holes. Also, in an attempt to make actual good quality chapters, I'll be taking longer to write them (but the chappies will also be longer too, so yay) 

Next chapter will be directly linked to this chapter! Yeah, you heard me right, a direct continuation! And some of you might be wondering where the high school part is in this AU, but DON'T WORRY- I'M GETTING THERE REEEEEEE*