Green Ninjas and How to Catch Them

Article 1: Lloyd Garmadon

~~Gone Gone Gone~~
Phillip Phillips

"So I would do it for you, for you

Baby I'm not moving on

I love you long after you're gone

For you, for you"

———
✨THE BOY WHO COULDN'T SEE✨
_____________
🎍🏔🥡🏔🎍

I had never looked at myself with anything but hatred. Whenever I looked in the mirror, all I ever saw was the damned son of Lord Garmadon; Ninjago Cities next warlord.

I always have seen myself as a monster. At least, I did until I met her.
Or rather, to be more precise, when I first encountered evidence of her existence.

It had been a long day of training, and school was just around the corner so it created a perfect blend of stress and anxiety. Since I was the damned one, everybody disliked me to some degree. Some more than others but, regardless of the person, the anger towards me and my family was still there. Despite my dad's attempt to come around after Meowthra struck, the hatred was still there. With my identity still a secret, we still received hate from all corners of Ninjago.

My gi hung off of my body as I trudged into my room. Sword slipping from my grip, I flopped onto my bed. I let a loud groan escape my lips, an attempt to make the stress leave my body to no avail. Even though my life became easier since my dad went well, it felt so much harder now. I had very little time to mentally prepare myself for school. I sat up and stripped from my clothes, putting my pj's on.

I pried open my computer, the bright screen blinding me. Typing in the website name I hit enter, scrolling through the blog. My eyes took in the sight of beautiful skylines and floral gardens. I felt my body relax as I passed through, enjoying the beautiful photos.

A few months ago, my mother introduced me to a photography blog called Shiroi Yuri. She told me an anonymous lady runs it, and that her pictures are award-winning. I explored it a month later, after ranting about the stress of training. She had said to look through it since it has always helped her relax and relieve stress. That night I finally did, and I was immediately captivated by the gorgeous colors and scenery that I saw. They were so pretty, the pictures, that I had spent almost the entire night looking through the blog.

I felt embarrassed that I stalked her whole page, but once I consulted Nya I felt better. She said that she didn't blame me, and neither did Kai. Everyone I asked about it seemed to react the same: awestruck by its magnificence. Slowly, after the initial shock, it became a small part of my life. One of the few coping mechanisms I used to escape my hectic life.

My anxiety demanded me to take my mind off of the stress, so I did. My fingers on the mouse commanded the clicker, passing over photograph after photograph. She seemed to be most active at night since most of her photos are taken at that time. That, and her blog is updated thrice a week at midnight exactly.

My chest slowly unwinded as I ran a hand through my hair. Now thoroughly relaxed, I began to plug in for the night. Until I saw it.

It was a picture of me.

It had to be me, I was wearing my iconic green jacket. This picture depicted me standing in front of some cherry blossoms, holding a pink lily.

There is no way that she took this photo, but oh it had to be. She always incorporates a white lily in her photos, whether she edits it on or it has the actual flower present.

I looked....beautiful. My eyes darted to the caption, desperate for more background.

"🌸🍃 green boy in his natural habitat 🍃🌸"

My face flushed. She didn't take this picture out of spite, otherwise, she would've said something cruel. I glanced over the comments, my sudden spike in self-confidence plummeting.

"Honey I love your work, but this wasn't it."

"If you needed a model you should've called me"

"🧚🏻‍♀️✨The trash gets picked up tomorrow be ready✨🧚🏻‍♀️🤭"

I sighed. It follows me wherever I go. While yes, the comments hurt, the fact that she posted a nice picture of me felt nice. I kept looking at it silently, admiring the effort she put into it.

When did she take this picture of me? I think it was when I went out with Cole and Jay. When we had gone to get fast food and passed through a public park. We were on the way back to base when I noticed a pink lily drop from nowhere and- Oh. That's when she got me. How did I not notice her? My training should've prevented her from sneaking around me, much less take a detailed photograph.

I bit my lip, brain split in two. On one, logic: this person was able to sneak by a group of highly trained ninja and take an elaborate picture. The other, Emotion: She cared enough to make an effort to snap a photo. The idea made my heart flutter and the mystery behind her had me thinking. I desperately wanted to know who she was so that I could thank her for bringing a positive influence on my life. And, of course, not hating me because of my ancestry.

What am I thinking? For all I know, this person could be twice my age or a criminal. It'd be morally wrong to want to track down this photographer. I don't know her, and she hasn't done anything illegal. It'd break the ninja code.

However... if this person is taking photographs of the green ninja without my consent then they technically could be considered a criminal. And Master Wu's most recent orders were to bring in anyone starting up trouble in Ninjago City. This could be my own project of sorts. With school just around the corner, I had a little window of free time before I am locked up there for most of the week.

Picking up my phone I called the only person who I knew for sure would keep a secret.

"Good evening, fellow teenager."

Good old Zane Julien. A robot, or more accurately, Nindroid. If anyone could help me track her down it would be him.

"Hey, Zane! Could you do a favor for me?"

"Of course! How shall I assist you."

I grin softly at his wording before continuing. "Well, there's a certain someone causing trouble and I need to find their location."

"Oh? Who's the villain in question?"

I cringe. I probably sound so creepy in retrospect, but curiosity is getting the better of me.

"They're not a villain per say, but I do need to know what they're up to."

"Alright. Send me the subject in question."

While I felt a little guilt in having to talk about them this way, even though I haven't even met her, there's no harm in wanting to know who this person is.

After all, I am the green ninja. Protecting others is my duty.