Salt: A Ninjago story

40: In Time

Lloyd gazed at the vision of his past home. He had wanted answers and The Dark Island had given them. He had wanted to fill the void that was his lost childhood and understand how he had ended up here. Here at this godforsaken school, where they tried to mould him into... what? He was the one who had wanted to emulate his father. The father he had barely met. It seemed he was no stranger to visions and had been creating one of his parents before he had even met them. He remembered Wu though. The day he came to the school was hazy but all he remembered was that he was there. Had Wu told him then, who he was? Did it matter? He knew now and a sorry story it was. But it was over. At least he could try to move forward now, knowing that even in his fathers last throws of humanity he loved him and neither his mother or father had abandoned him at Darkly's. Darkly's had saved him. He had finally found something positive from that place.

The visionary world before him, held an ephemeral picture drawn for him alone. Now no longer required it softly fractured and crumbled, disintegrating on the wind. The Celestial Clock was revealed once more, tired and rusting on its mountain top perch. It was over. His story had been told.

'Harumi' he saw her. Standing quietly in the centre of the clock, amid its complex machinations, quiet and still like a perfect statue. Gazing somewhere beyond the present, she could not have looked more lost. Was she experiencing something similar to him? Was she having her questions answered?

Not wanting to wake her from her dream he approached and stood quietly beside her as if keeping a sleepwalker company. He felt drained but Harumi's journey was still underway and he would wait for her. The still silence drew him into contemplation of his loves past. Of the past they shared. He pulled the battle for Ninjago back into his mind. It would be the making of the Green Ninja; so he was told... so he fought; but why? Had the Celestial Clock kept his demon and counted down the day he would be able to battle it? No matter how many answers he was given, there were still more questions!

He turned his mind to Harumi, the child caught in that awful battle. One of many he was sure. What she experienced he could not imagine. Unlike him, she had no warning, no support. In the chaos of destruction she lost her family and her life was changed forever. His memory of the day was clear; he would never forget it. He recalled the air heavy with dust from the collapsing buildings. The indiscriminate destruction of the city was something he could not stop. He imagined Harumi seeing her parents through the crumbling masonry for the last time as she choked on the dust and grit.

What would he give to set that right?

He held her hand...

He felt a subtle blush of warmth on his face and through his closed eyes the orange glow of the sun spread. He lifted his face to the heat. The light was blinding, all encompassing and he squinted to see. He felt a tug on his hand, light but urgent. From the brightness, forms started to pull into focus, large shapes, rugged and haphazard, teetering and falling. The silence of the mountain peak was shattered as the scene, emerging before him snapped into place and the horrific sounds of that day assaulted his ears.

As easy as it was to conjure the events in his mind, this felt different. Had he called forth another vision? No. Light burst through walls as they cracked, throwing shadows that confused his eyes. Gaping holes sucked air inwards and a rush of falling debris threw shrapnel that stung his skin. This was tangible, substantial and very real. Crouched low in confusion amongst the bewildering destruction he registered the insignificant pull on his hand only after it released.

'Harumi!' He had just held her hand and he had lost her. He shielded his eyes as he span around, trying to see her, but she was gone. Through a broken door he saw a man scoop up his daughter to shield her as best he could and a woman pushing through the confusion, screaming to move.

It's real! This is real! Lloyd dived after them, tumbling through the door and scrabbled to follow them. What would I give? To take away her pain, what would I give? His mind raced as he fell into the corridor to see the elevator at the end close its doors and the woman howl the name of his love. I have nothing to give, but everything to loose.

The building shook and gave an almighty lurch; his body became weightless as the floor dropped dramatically and just as suddenly jolted to a stop. He landed in a crumpled heap. Shit. He looked up. The couple were screaming and holding on to one another. The building was about to collapse. Harumi was about to be orphaned and he was here at the precise moment her life altered. He could change that reality.

She means everything to me. She holds my hand and my heart. I would give up everything for her... she is my everything.

Vibrations hit the building. Lloyd leapt forward an explosion of energy bursting from him. It pushed its way along the fractured corridor towards the desperate couple, the soft green light enveloping them in a protective cocoon. The floor lurched again and fell, collapsing to crash down to the streets below. The couple remained where they were, holding on to each other and together held by the protective shield. They stared in fear and confusion at the young man that hovered close by, gritting his teeth, performing the impossible to hold them from falling.

He lowered them all down; past the open carcass of peoples' homes, the ephemera of their lives spilling from the open wounds and softly brought them to land away from the dangerous ruin. The energy dispersed on contact and the couple stared in shock at their saviour, who stared back, in a certain amount of shock himself. Lloyd shook himself into the present 'you need to find your daughter' he said.

'Harumi' the couple spoke in unison and backed away, unable to draw their eyes from Lloyd or find the words to convey their gratitude. They tried to speak but nothing came except a quiet 'thank you' from Harumi's mother.

'Please go...' Lloyd choked back.

They turned, drawn to the flashing lights of emergency vehicles that convened at the base of the collapsed building. Lloyd followed at a distance and stopped a way off to watch their frantic search start. Desperately begging with survivors, had they seen their daughter? They described her; their hands indicating her height and showed the length of her hair, but they were met with shaking heads. As they looked, lost in the confusion, a call from an ambulance came. They turned and Lloyd saw their precious daughter run from the open doors and into their arms.

He held on to his joy as the pain of his loss welled his throat. He had given his everything and would never see her again. The warmth of the sun cast onto his face and he closed his eyes 'take me back'.