Heirloom

Lloyd sat up. He couldn't do this anymore. He'd been tossing and turning in bed for hours now. It seemed that sleep was the last thing his body and mind wanted to do, however bad he just wanted to lay down and turn off his brain for a few hours.

Lloyd sighed, and got up. Maybe a walk around the Monastery would clear his head.

The wind bit into his skin as he walked out into the courtyard, making him wish he put on a hoodie, or at least brought a blanket out with him. His thoughts wandered from here to there as he climbed up onto the roof and looked out at the merged world. So different from the familiar view of a few years ago. Not any less beautiful, but just different. A pang went through his chest as he was reminded that he would never see that view again.

There were a lot of things that would never be the same again, including his family. Yes, he and Kai had found each other, but that was purely by chance. Lloyd didn't think finding the others would be as easy, and it scared him to think that he might never see them again. Heck, he thought they were all gone before he bumped into Kai.

And what about his father? What happened to him? They had decided to take a break from seeing each other to sort out their thoughts and feelings (or rather, for Lloyd to sort out his thoughts and feelings, and for Garmadon to figure out how to feel again). He hadn't talked to or seen him since then, and he still didn't know what to think about him. Yes, he was his father, but was he? He certainly had the same name, but he really wasn't the same as before he was sent to the Cursed realm.

Lloyd had thought about this over and over before, and it never hurt his brain any less. His dad loved him and would never do anything directly to hurt him, and yet he had. He had hurt him. Almost killed him. But the father Lloyd remembered so well would never do anything like that. Even when he was still affected by the venom he never wanted to hurt Lloyd.

He chuckled mirthlessly as he remembered when he was really little and wanted to be evil like his dad. It was a little ironic now, seeing as that was the thing he feared the most these days. And he'd had a close call, too. He still remembered how it felt, growing horns and four arms, feeling the destructive power running through his veins.

Lloyd shuddered a little, but then snapped out of his thoughts when he realized that he couldn't stop shuddering. When did he become so cold? And wait- was he crying? He couldn't remember starting, but he was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he couldn't really remember anything that was going on around him.

Lloyd threw himself to lay on his back, flopping his arms out. "Curse the Cloud Kingdom! Why did it have to be me? Why do I have to go through all of this!"

"I'd like to think it's because you're very strong and very brave," a voice said from behind him.

Lloyd swiftly sat up and looked behind him, rubbing his eyes. He saw Kai walking up the roof, arms full of blankets.

"What are you doing here?" Lloyd asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

"I saw you weren't in your bed and came looking for you."

"Why were you out of bed?"

"Why were you out of bed?"

"I asked first."

"Yeah, well I'm not the one shivering and crying on the roof."

Guess he couldn't hide it anymore. "Couldn't sleep," he muttered, and looked away.

Kai sat down next to him and put his arm around him. "Too many thoughts?" he asked.

Lloyd nodded.

"Care to share, or do I have to start guessing?"

Lloyd sighed. No use trying to hide anything from Kai. Even if he didn't tell him what was on his mind, he was sure to make a right guess, and Lloyd was such a horrible liar Kai would be able to tell when he got it right. It was better to just get it over with.

"I was thinking about Dad," he said softly. "What if I end up turning out like him? I'm trying to leave what he did in the past, but it's so hard. He's either been evil or gone for most of my life, and it's all I've ever known."

"Oh, buddy," Kai said, tightening the grip his arm had around him. "Your father might've been evil, but he was also good. And you know what? You're turning out to be so much more than him. So much more than any of us, you know that?"

Lloyd shrugged.

"Well you are. Yes, your destiny was written out before you were a twinkle in anyone's eye, but that doesn't make you any less of your own person."

"I know, but it doesn't make it any easier. I was literally born to defeat my father. That was my purpose in life. And I've tried-" Lloyd hiccuped. "I've tried to fill the shoes of the fabled Green Ninja, but it's so hard! Looking through scrolls trying to figure out how to act, training 'til my bones ache, desperate for some kind of clue how to be a hero that everyone can look up to. And just when I had got the hang of it and Destiny had been fulfilled and everything was how it should be, things change again and suddenly there's more expected of me and I have to scramble to figure out how to act and how to fix things and it's just so much!" Lloyd was openly sobbing now, and buried his head in a blanket that Kai had brought out.

"FSM, Lloyd. C'mere, bud," Kai said, and pulled Lloyd into his lap. Lloyd held onto him like there was no tomorrow. "You've got so much weight on your shoulders I'm surprised you haven't snapped in half already. I wish I could take it all away, even for just a day. You are so much more than just a hero though. So much more than the battles you've fought and the wars you've won. You're my little green bean! And you know who you remind me of a little bit?"

"Who?" Lloyd asked softly.

"Me."

Lloyd looked up at Kai, confused. "You?"

"Yes, me. You remind me of who I could've been if I'd been stronger and braver way back when I was first starting out as a ninja, and even before that when Nya and I were on our own. In a weird way, I kind of look up to you. You've had so much pressure put on you at such a young age, and you've handled it way better than any of us ever could've. You've had to make a million little choices that have all added up to change the world. That's something I think no one else could do. I'm so proud of you, green bean. No one has ever had to be the Green Ninja before. Not your father, not Wu, heck, not even the First Spinjitzu Master has had to do what you're doing. And you're doing so great at it. You're paving the way for future ninja and elemental masters, and I think that is the most badass thing ever. And no matter what happens with your dad, it's not your fault. You're so much more than just your father's son. I want you to remember that, okay?"

"Okay," Lloyd whispers.

"Good," Kai says softly, rubbing Lloyd's back.

They sit like that for a while, Kai starting to hum a tune after a while, until he feels Lloyd get heavier and heavier against him. He pulls back a bit to see Lloyd's face, peacefully sleeping.

Kai gets up, and climbs down from the roof, careful not to wake Lloyd. He carries him all the way back to the room they were sharing, as they couldn't stand to be apart for longer than they had to after being separated for so long. He set Lloyd down on his bed and tucked him in, before climbing in after him. Lloyd unconsciously shifted closer to Kai, and Kai wrapped his arms around him.

"Goodnight, green bean," he whispered, and closed his eyes to sleep.