Brighter Than The Sun

by piplupatamon

Summary:

After a long day of training at with his uncle, Lloyd wants nothing more than to go to sleep. He didn't expect to wake up falling through the sky.

Or, Movie-Lloyd gets teleported into the show-world and the Ninja adopt him.

Notes:

hi !!! this is my first fanfiction !! i hope you enjoy :)

fic and chapter title are from "Light" by Sleeping At Last

Chapter 1: Now That You're Here

Lloyd woke up to the sensation of falling. Only that that feeling didn’t stop. And that he was really, really cold. And then he noticed that he couldn’t feel his mattress under him. Oh no. He carefully opened his eyes and saw nothing but blue and white. Someone must have kidnapped him in his sleep and thrown him out of a plane. He squeezed his eyes shut again. Lloyd didn’t want to know how much time he had left until he would, inevitably, hit the ground.

Suddenly the feeling stopped. Lloyd took a second to get used to not falling anymore and realised that someone caught him. As soon as the realisation hit him, he scrambled to get out of the strangers’ hold and did a messy roll to get further away and only then did he turn around to look at his saviour. It was a man, probably in his mid-twenties, wearing clothing like someone who did martial arts. And he was looking at him with an expression that looked stuck between confusion and recognition. The guy probably didn’t know that he was saving Garmadon’s son. But it’s strange. Usually, when people come face to face with him, their immediate reaction is to get scared or angry. Also, he's on a ship? So he was thrown out of a plane!

This guy could be a pirate, then Lloyd was probably still in danger. He put on his best non-threatening smile and said: “Ahoy, matey”.

The man gave him an unamused look. Dang it. Lloyd's smile dropped. “Are you OK?”, he asked.

“What? Yeah, just a bit surprised, is all!” Lloyd waved him off with a motion that he hoped looked casual. “Thanks for catching me, by the way. Really appreciate that.”

“Are you sure? Because you just fell from the sky.” Unused to concern from strangers, Lloyd started to wonder about where in the world he had ended up. Maybe he wasn't as well known in areas outside the city. He only realised that he completely forgot to answer the question when the man spoke up again. “I’m Cole, Master of Earth. And you are?”

Master of Earth. What does that even mean? Anyway, Cole really doesn't know who he is. His mum always said that he shouldn’t ever feel like he needs to hide who he is, but he's alone on a ship in the middle of nowhere with a trained fighter (judging by the black belt?) so this probably counts as an exception. Time for a fake name. “I’m Floyd, Master of uhhh…” Think, think, think! “...Green?” Lloyd grimaced at his own words.

Cole, on the other hand, seemed amused by his introduction. “Nice to meet you, Floyd, Master of Green.” He smiled and held out his hand. Lloyd hesitantly took his hand and shook it. Cole had a really strong grip. “It will be a while until we're back on the mainland, so. How about we figure out how you ended up here over a cup of hot choccy?”

At the prospect of drinking hot chocolate, Lloyd felt excited. ”With marshmallows?”, he asked, with a far more natural grin.

“As many as you want. Come on, kitchen's this way!”

And so, Lloyd followed Cole through the door to the inside of the ship.

NINJA, GO!!

cole: guys
cole: GUYS
cole: hello? :(
zane: Yes, what is it?
cole: zane! just the guy i need! meet me in the kitchen ;)

Lloyd couldn't help but feel self-conscious when Cole took his phone out of his pocket and started texting someone. Cole was probably talking about him. Lloyd was about to get pranked, wasn't he? But he wanted to believe in the good in people, so he followed Cole the short way over to the kitchen.

Cole arrived first and finally put his phone away. “Hey, Zane! What a coincidence that you're in the kitchen too!”

Lloyd peeked over Cole's shoulder to see someone standing by the stove. The person turned to face the door. “Cole! How completely unexpected! Who's your new friend?”

Cole put a hand on Lloyd's shoulder and gently led him to the table. “This is Floyd, Master of Green.” Lloyd is starting to regret saying that. After Lloyd sat down, Cole walked over to Zane. “He fell from the sky," he said in a stage whisper, to which Zane nodded and quietly said: “I see.”

Cole put his arm around Zane and, with another grin, turned both of them to Lloyd. “Floyd, this is Zane, Master of Ice.”

Why does he keep saying that? Lloyd waved his hand. “Hello,” he said with a smile that was probably too big. Oh well. “How are you doing?”

Zane smiled at him. “I'm just fine, thanks for asking.”

Lloyd really liked the atmosphere in the room right now. Everyone was smiling. That was good. These people were a bit strange, but he decided that he liked them.

Soon all three of them were sitting at the table with steaming mugs of hot chocolate in front of them. Lloyd sat in the middle. After he watched the other two sip their drinks, making sure they did not try to poison him (who knows!?), he started drinking his own hot choccy, as Cole called it. He was about halfway through his mug before Cole spoke up: “So, Floyd…” It occurred to Lloyd that Cole really liked saying his (fake) name. “How did you end up falling from the sky?”

Lloyd sighed. “I don't know. I went to sleep in my bed and woke up in the clouds. I think I was kidnapped. Did you see the plane I was thrown out of?”

Cole's eyebrows shot up in surprise. “What? Kidnapped? Plane? No, what actually happened over here was that… I was cleaning the deck,” at that, Zane interrupted him with a laugh and said: “Sure.”

Cole glared at him, but continued. “As I was saying, I was cleaning the deck, when I suddenly saw a bright yellow light from above. And then I saw a small shadow coming from that same direction. I think you fell through a portal, Floyd.”

Lloyd’s eyes grew wide: “A portal? Are you saying that magic is real–?”

“Yes.” Zane opened his palm and a huge snowflake started to form out of thin air.

“Wooow!” Lloyd brought his face closer to the snowflake to admire its intricate details. “This is beautiful!”

Encouraged by Lloyd's amazement, he made tiny bunnies out of ice and let them jump around Lloyd's mug, earning another “wooow” from the mugs’ owner. Then, Cole held out his palm and deers made of stone appeared and joined the bunnies.

“At first I thought I had landed on a pirate ship, but you guys are magicians, aren’t you?” Lloyd finally teared his gaze from the tiny animals and leaned back in his chair to look at his new friends.

“We’re elemental masters, actually,” Zane corrected him. Elemental masters? Now he really felt silly for saying he was the Master of Green. But no one made fun of him for it yet.

“I think my mum used to tell me good night stories about them. I didn't know they were real.” There was so much to unpack here, but he was too tired to process any of it. He was asleep in bed before being teleported into the sky, after all.

At some point, Lloyd's eyes started to droop and he was ushered out of the kitchen and down the hall. “You can sleep in the guest room,” said Cole.

“Brush your teeth first!”, Zane had insisted.

Lloyd obliged and got ready to go to bed. Cole tucked him in while Zane hovered at the door. Lloyd didn't know why these people he only met an hour ago treated him like this; he knew there was a catch, but he would enjoy it while he still could. And so, he told his new friends good night. He closed his eyes as he heard Zane bid him good night. And then he felt a hand pat his head and, right before he fell asleep, he heard Cole say: “Good night, Lloyd.”

Chapter 2: Interlude: And Let My Change Of Heart Occur

Notes:

hiii im back !! this ones a bit shorter than the last one but !! we got coles POV :) him and lloyd are my favourite ninja

this story takes place sometime after "master of the mountain", when the ninja are travelling around the world on their ship

chapter title is from "Earth" by Sleeping At Last

Cole closed the door behind him and was about to follow Zane when he saw something big and green crawl across the ceiling. He sighed. “Lloyd, what did I tell you about sneaking into people's bedrooms? That's a really bad habit to have.”

 

Lloyd did a flip and landed on the floor. It was a little dangerous to do a flip in a place with such a low ceiling, but Lloyd seemed to enjoy giving his friends mini-heart attacks with his stunts.

 

“ I'm a ninja, remember? ”, Lloyd and Cole said at the same time. Cole crossed his arms. He's heard that one before. Lloyd looked stunned for a moment. Then he said, “Sneaking is what we do. Besides, you weren't answering the group chat. We need to know what's going on. Or, more specifically, what is going on with this ‘Lloyd ’?” He made air quotations for the name.

 

“I think he's another version of you from a different realm.”

 

Cole heard a gasp from around the corner and realised that Lloyd wasn't the only one sneaking around the ship tonight. “Alright guys, let's just go back to bed. We're not going to get any more information out of Floyd until he wakes up.”

 

Jay, who rounded the corner first, let out a laugh as he approached the pair. He put a hand on Lloyd's shoulder and said, “Floyd? If he's really you from another dimension, then being bad at lying must be universal for Lloyds.”

 

The next ones approaching them were Nya and Kai. There was no use in hiding now that Jay had blown their cover. Cole sighed again. Guess they were gathering in the hallway now. “Why do you think Floyd is another version of Lloyd,” asked Kai. “I mean, their names sound similar, but…”

 

“He's a lot younger and smaller than our Lloyd, and his face is a bit different,” Cole listed off. “But he has the blonde hair, the bright green eyes and a sweet tooth. And he's kind of socially awkward too. It's kind of cute, actually.”

 

“What do you mean, ‘ too’ !?”, Lloyd exclaimed. 

 

“Yeah, that checks out.” Kai said, smirking at Lloyd when cried out a ‘What’ .

 

“He probably got it from you,” Nya said, always ready to defend her little brother.

 

“Cole,” Jay started. “Are you about to adopt another child?”

 

“No,” Cole answered, just to disagree with Jay. Then he thought about it and said, “Maybe?”

 

“Now I really want to meet him,” Kai said. 

 

“I suggest you go meet him in pairs. It might be overwhelming for Floyd if he meets you as a group,” Zane said, having quietly returned at some point in the conversation.

 

“I should meet him first tomorrow morning. Kai comes with me. Nya, Jay, you're going to meet him after we're done.” No one disagreed with him. Cole felt a surge of pride. The last few months have been really hard on Lloyd as a leader. It was nice to see some of that old confidence again.

 

So, they all went to bed, excited to meet Floyd on the next day. 

 

Only that Floyd did not wake up that morning. Growing concerned about their young guest's health, they scrapped their original idea and sent in Zane and Kai to check up on him. One person with medical knowledge and one who has experience in taking care of ill children. 

 

When neither of them could find anything wrong with him, a rotation was set up so that someone would be there when Floyd eventually woke up.

 

It was just Lloyd's luck that he was the one in the room with Floyd when he finally opened his eyes.

Notes:

ooouuuu cliffhanger !!! dw well find out why floyd is so sleepy soon

again, thank you so much for reading !!!!

Chapter 3: Though Your Eyes Will Need Some Time To Adjust

Notes:

floyd and lloyd finally come face to face !!! and its from series lloyds POV !!!

title from "Light" by Sleeping At Last

Cole, of course, took the first shift of their Floyd-Watch. Lloyd could tell that, even though he barely knew the boy, Cole had already become attached. So he wasn’t all that surprised when he went in for his shift and saw Cole sitting next to the bed, holding Floyd’s hand. What he did not expect, however, was to see that his friend was crying. Lloyd reached out a hand and asked “Hey, are you ok?”

 

Cole sucked in a breath and quickly wiped his face with the back of the hand he was previously holding Floyd’s with. He stood up to stand at eye level with Lloyd. Lloyd tried not to think about how, not that long ago, he (literally) had looked up at Cole. 

 

“Yeah, I’m fine, it’s just…” Cole paused, looking like he was trying to find the right words. “It’s just that our trip to the mountain brought some memories of my mum back to the surface. And now there’s this boy who looks like a younger version of you… Lying in bed… Not waking up… Just like my mum when her illness took a turn for the worse.”

 

Lloyd pulled Cole into a tight hug. He didn’t realise how much all of this had affected his friend. Now that he thought about it, he barely spent any time alone with Cole anymore. He felt bad. The friend he had neglected opened up to him about his personal feelings and Lloyd did not know how to comfort him. But he would try, for Cole. “Hey, it’s OK! I’m OK and if this guy,” he gestured at Floyd’s sleeping form, “is anything like me, then he’s going to be fine too. Who knows, maybe he’s going to wake up while I’m still watching him. Go take a break, you’ve earned it.”

 

Cole leaned back and smiled. “You’re a good kid,” he said, patting Lloyd’s head gently. Then he moved to leave the room.

 

“Wait!” Lloyd suddenly felt the need to stop him. “I heard that a new café opened up in Ninjago City and they sell matcha flavoured cake. Let’s go there together when we are back in the city.”

 

Cole agreed and then left the room to finally leave Lloyd alone with Floyd. 

 

The shifts would be an hour long each. For the first half hour, nothing happened. Lloyd was playing games on his phone when a bright green light briefly filled the room. His phone’s screen darkened with the rest of his surroundings. His eyes adjusted to the darkness just in time to see Floyd’s eyes flutter closed again. Lloyd worried that Floyd would fall into another deep sleep. 

 

At that moment, Floyd’s hands began to move across the blanket. “Hmm, still home… Just a dream…” he murmured. Lloyd felt sorry for the boy. He was so young and so, so far away from home. It was time to make his presence known.

 

“Uhh, actually. It wasn’t a dream,” Lloyd said. He winced when abruptly sat up and looked at him with impossibly wide eyes. “I mean, I get why you would think that,” he quickly added. “Falling from the sky, landing on a flying pirate ship, meeting ninja with superpowers – that sounds pretty crazy! Anyway, I’m Lloyd. And you’ve already met two of my teammates, Zane and Cole, remember them?” Floyd nodded. “And then there is also Kai, Nya and Jay. You can meet them later, if you want.”

 

Floyd opened and closed his mouth a few times, like he was unsure if he should say what he was thinking. 

 

“It’s alright, take your time,” Lloyd reassured. “In the meantime, I’ll let the others know you’re awake.” Lloyd couldn’t let his friends worry any longer. His phone, which was still in his hand, didn’t turn on when he pressed the on/off-button, so he sent a green spark into the opening at the bottom. The screen lilt up and he opened the group chat.

 

NINJA, GO!!

 

lloyd: he’s awake!

kai: Oh thank goodness

lloyd: but DON’T come in

lloyd: please

lloyd: i want to talk to him alone

 

When Cole sent a thumbs up emoji, he shut off his phone and put it on the night table next to the bed.

 

“Lloyd,” Floyd said.

 

“Yes,” Lloyd answered.

 

“Lloyd as in Lloyd Garmadon ?” Floyd’s voice shook as he asked this. “So it’s true? I somehow travelled to another world? And you’re… me ?”

 

“So your real name is Lloyd. Why did you lie about that?” When he was a child, he was so proud of his name and announced it to everyone, whether they wanted to hear it or not. Why was it different for this version of him?

Floyd stiffened, having been caught in his lie. “Are you living on a flying ship to escape the masses?” What.

 

“What?” Lloyd repeated out loud. Floyd just raised his eyebrows at him. “Yes, a few years ago the situation with our fans was really bad. But it has calmed down since then. The people of Ninjago have become used to us being around.”

 

Floyd looked stunned. “Fans? You have fans ?”

 

Lloyd rubbed his neck, feeling a little embarrassed. “Yeah, I guess that’s what happens when you save the world a few times.”

 

“Must be nice, not to be hated by everyone,” Floyd said longingly. This conversation went into so many different directions that he felt like he could barely keep up. This time though, he would make sure they stayed on track, because what!?

 

“ Why would everyone hate you ?” Was this version of him actually a villain?

 

“Because everyone hates my dad,” Floyd answered.

 

Safe to assume that his father was a villain in every universe. “Are you working with him?” he asked then, because he could not think of another reason why people would hate Floyd ‘because they hate his dad’.

 

“No!” Floyd protested. “I’ve never even met him!” So he had an absent father. Typical Garmadon.

 

“Then why do they hate you ?” Lloyd was so confused.

 

“Because it’s easier to punish me than to find dad’s secret lair and make him pay for his crimes. ‘Like father, like son’,” he quotes. OK, that’s it.

 

Lloyd put both his hands on Floyd’s shoulders. “Lloyd,” he decided to address him by his real name, because what he was about to say next was important. “You are not like your father,” he said firmly. Then he leaned back in his chair again.

 

Floyd looked down and was silent for a moment. He had the tiniest of smiles on his face. “You know, that is exactly why I started to train to become a ninja. So that one day I could defeat my father,” Lloyd started to slowly shake his head. He couldn’t believe this. Floyd did not see this as he was still looking down, and continued, unaware. “And prove to everyone that I am on their side, and not my father’s. I only started to train recently, though,” he added sheepishly. He looked back at Lloyd.

 

“There is no prophecy in your world, is there?” Lloyd asked to make sure.

 

“No,” Floyd answered. 

 

Lloyd took a deep breath. In. And out. “You’d fight him voluntarily?”

 

“Yes,” Floyd said deteminedly. “I hate him. He ruined my life!”

 

So even without a prophecy, father and son would fight each other eventually. Is this some kind of sick joke? But there was one more thing he needed to ask. “Do you know what it means to ‘defeat’ him?”

 

“I… I just wanted it all to stop. Wherever I went, people treated me like I was a criminal. Everyone kept their distance from me. But they were always staring. No one talked to me unless it was to insult me. ‘Garmadork ,’ they called me. And if I did manage to make a friend, they'd turn into another one of my bullies in a matter of days. Sometimes hours, even,” Lloyd was horrified. And Floyd was not finished yet. “I endured it all. Because I want to believe in the good in people. No one deserves to suffer at the hands of my dad. I want to save them.”

 

Lloyd felt a wave of protectiveness go through him. Having an evil father did warrant that kind of treatment. Floyd was a good person. It was a shame the rest of Floyd's world couldn't see that. 

Maybe it was a good thing that Floyd was teleported here. Here, no one knew him. Here, he would never have to fight his father. He would never have to suffer to prove to anyone that he was a good person. Lloyd would make sure of that. “As long as you're with us, no one is going to hurt you.” That's a promise.

Notes:

sorry if the last part seemed a litte fast paced...i hope you liked my interpretation of these two characters anyway :) i would love to know what you think of this story so far !!

Chapter 4: You'll Be An Architect

Summary:

floyd meets the rest of the ninja !!!

Notes:

chapter title is from "I'll Keep You Safe" by Sleeping At Last

To be honest, Lloyd (or maybe he should keep calling himself Floyd in this world?) wanted to know more about this other Lloyd. “So, what's life like for Lloyd Garmadon in this world?,” he asked.

 

Lloyd held his hand to his ear. “Oh, I think I can hear Kai come this way. He was supposed to be on Floyd-Watch after my shift was over.” Floyd could honestly not hear any sound coming from the hall. Does this Lloyd have super hearing? “I should probably let him know you're awake now. Come on!”

 

Lloyd opened the door to reveal Cole and another man. 

 

“Floyd, you're awake!” Cole said, looking… genuinely happy to see him?

 

Cole gestured to the man beside him and said, “This is Kai, Master of Fire. He was the one who checked up on you when we thought you were ill.”

 

“It's good to see you up. That was a really long nap,” Kai said. 

 

“Thanks for taking care of me,” Floyd said politely. “Why would you think I was ill, though? Have I really slept that long?”

 

Kai looked over at Lloyd. “Dude, you didn't tell him?” Next to him, Cole facepalmed.

 

“No… I forgot,” Lloyd said, looking embarrassed.

 

They're acting like he's been asleep for years or something.

 

Cole was the one who finally solved the mystery. “I said goodnight to you yesterday evening… It's noon the next day,” he said.

 

Oh, that's not so bad . “I had a really tiring day, so…” 

 

Floyd talked a bit more about himself during “brunch”. Cole and Kai asked him some questions about himself and he tried to answer them truthfully. How old he is, 13. Who is taking care of him, it's just me and my mum. If he still goes to school, um, yes? I'll start eighth grade after the summer holidays. Apparently they already had their suspicions about his identity, so Floyd was spared explaining who he really was. He didn't mention his ninja training though, having seen how upset it made the other Lloyd to hear about it.

 

So when Cole asked, “what do you like to do in your free time?” he answered, “I play the guitar and I really like to draw. When I grow up, I want to be an architect.” 

 

Kai abruptly stood up from his chair and left the room, Lloyd hurrying after him. “I got this,” Lloyd said to Cole. Cole pursed his lips and nodded. 

 

Cole turned back to Floyd with a tight lipped smile. “Don’t worry about him. He probably just needed to go to the bathroom. Drank a lot of coffee during breakfast.” Floyd did not understand how those two things connected to each other, but he let it go. “Anyway, you want to be an architect? What kind of buildings do you draw?”

 

Buildings? “No, not buildings. I design mechs,” Floyd said proudly. He liked drawing. It helped him tune out his surroundings when he was at school.

 

Cole’s smile turned genuine. “Buddy, I think you mean engineering . Nya and Jay know more about that than me, though. They’re really good at building mechs. You want to go meet them?” he asked.

 

“Yes!” Floyd answered excitedly.

 

On the way to the room where Nya and Jay were working on something, Cole told him about how, not too long ago, he found a mech in a temple deep underground and how he used his powers to turn it on and fight in it. “That’s so cool!”, Floyd exclaimed. To him, mechs were mostly a fantasy but now he’s talking to someone who actually piloted one and it ran on earth magic. He wanted to hear more about Cole’s adventure. But that would have to wait. He would meet the other ninja first.

 

Floyd entered the room after Cole, it was really small and filled with many things, most of which looked unfinished. At a low table in the middle of the room sat a woman and a man. Nya and Jay, he assumed. What surprised him was that both of them wore similar colours. He thought that all ninja wore colours according to their elements. Maybe both of their powers glowed blue?

 

“Guys, this is Floyd,” Cole said, putting an arm around Floyd’s shoulders. With his free hand, he pointed at the man. “This is–”

 

“I’m Jay!” the man –Jay– interrupted. He narrowed his eyes at Cole, who snickered. Maybe they weren’t elemental masters after all?

 

Then the woman must be Nya. She didn’t bother to introduce herself. “You’re awake! Did you already meet everyone?” Floyd nodded.

 

“Saved the best for last,” Cole said. He let go of Floyd. “Floyd here is really into mechs. He wants to become an engineer one day.” Then he just left. It felt very sudden, but maybe Cole drank coffee today too.

 

Nya took his hand then and pulled him over to the table and sat him down between herself and Jay. Jay pulled a blank paper out of a stack and laid it down in front of him with a pen. What is going on? “Show us your ideas,” Nya said. 

 

Floyd took a deep breath. So far, no one on this ship has judged him for anything. They were nice people. He could be honest with them. And so, he drew the rough outline of a dragon.

Notes:

thanks for reading !!!! ill be back with more chapters soon :)

Chapter 5: The Courage Of Stars

Summary:

kai and lloyd's conversation after they left the room

Notes:

this is really short sorry :(

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Lloyd already had a suspicion as to what made Kai leave the room so abruptly, but he wanted to give him a chance to back out of the conversation.

 

Kai did not answer him, instead he made his way over to the living room and fell onto the sofa. Then he let out a long breath.

 

“This other version of you, Lloyd, he still has his mum… And he got to live a normal life. He got to be a child and have normal hobbies.” Kai pressed his hands onto his eyes. Lloyd decided not to interrupt him, for now. He had a feeling that this was not just about Floyd. “And it got me thinking, you know? If there’s another version of you that still has his – well, at least one parent – then that means that there’s a Kai and Nya out there who did not have to grow up without their parents.” Kai sniffled and removed his hands from his eyes to reveal that he was crying. “There’s a Kai out there who didn’t think that his parents abandoned him. Who didn’t have to fend for himself and his sister since he was a child.”

 

Lloyd sat down next to him and pulled him into a side hug. “What you had to go through is awful. No, awful doesn’t even begin to describe it. But you did the best you could and even raised your sister along the way! You never quit. And I am glad you didn’t.” His voice turned tearful. “Because I never would have met the best siblings a little brother could ask for.” 

 

Kai lifted his hands to Lloyd’s head and started stroking his hair. They sat in silence until Cole knocked on the door. “Can I come in?” he asked. 

 

Kai wiped his eyes and said, “Yeah, come in, bro!”

 

Cole entered the room and took in the sight of them in front of him. Then he sat down on Kai’s other side and hugged him too.

 

NINJA, GO!!

 

jay: im watchin g nya help designing a mech for floyd 

jay: and guess what

jay: @ lloyd

lloyd: what

jay: he wants a dragon

jay: a GREEN dragon :D 

lloyd: well green’s the best colour so

kai: dude

kai: no

kai: red is

jay: both of you are wrong

jay: its blue obviously

jay: anyway

jay: hes like. i want lasers to shoot out of the dragons mouth and the dragons head is also a rocket and there should be a backup head that comes out of the mech when i shoot it

zane: D:

jay: and im like. kiddo why and he says its so he can fight against shark people

jay: ???

lloyd: floyds dad and his men attack the city all the time

lloyd: and people hate him because of his dad

jay: thats so stupid???

cole: i’ll fight them all. He’s so sweet

kai: i’m with you bro

lloyd: he wants to defeat him to prove to everyone that he’s a good guy

zane: His behaviour makes more sense now.

lloyd: we’ll have to prove to him that he’s more than just his dad’s son

Notes:

writing hurt/comfort is so hard...

anywaay, thanks for reading !!! i cant believe this fanfic already has 500 hits !!!!!!

Chapter 6: It's Not Your Fault

Notes:

ok so the next three chapters are kind of like a highlight reel of floyds time on the destinys bounty and how 3 of the ninja spend quality time with him !!

have fun reading !!! and thank you for commenting !!!

chapter title is from "Heirloom" by Sleeping At Last

Over the next week, Floyd spent his time divided between watching the Ninja train and spending time with them individually. He heard more stories about their adventures, found out that Nya and Jay did, in fact, have elemental powers and were also dating. Nya is also Kai’s little sister. 

 

Floyd enjoyed spending time on the deck when the Ninja weren’t training. Sometimes he would spend time here alone, just to recharge after spending time with other people. Today, however, he is joined by Zane, who asked him to play pirates with him. 

 

“The others tolerate my roleplays, but they rarely play along,” he’d said. “It would make me very happy if you played with me.” And so, Floyd agreed to play pirates with Zane.

 

Floyd felt a bit strange about roleplaying. He hasn’t done it with his mum (because who else would want to play with The Son of Garmadon?) in a very, very long time and his mum certainly never got into the character like Zane did right now. 

 

“Arrggghhhhh, shiver me timbers! We have a landlubber on board” Zane called, pointing at him with a wooden sword. He seemed to have experience in talking like a pirate. “Catch him!” He said it as if there were other people on board with them. Then Zane ran towards Floyd. Floyd surprised himself by giggling and running while Zane was chasing him. 

 

But Floyd did not have as much stamina as Zane and soon stumbled and fell to his knees. Zane was by his side in an instant, checking his knees for scrapes. Then he laid his hands on Floyd’s knees to cool them. “Maybe we should take a break.” Zane said, talking in his normal voice again. Floyd agreed.

 

“You know, this was so nice. In school, none of the other children ever let me play with them… I couldn’t even watch them play, because they would get so mad that I was ‘staring’ at them. They thought I’d tell my dad to consider them as targets during his next attack.” Floyd said. He knew he was ruining the mood with his tragic backstory again, but it felt so freeing to talk about the things he had to endure in his short life and not be judged for it. “So, I stopped trying to join or watch the other children play.”

 

“What did you do then?” Zane gently asked. He looked sad.

 

“I really got into drawing. I drew during breaks, before class and at lunch.” Floyd explained. “Because when I’m drawing, I can tune out the world around me. And I also don’t look up. And if I don’t look up, no one can get mad at me for ‘staring at them’.” His voice broke at the last part.

 

Zane removed his hands from Floyd’s knees and hugged him. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. People can be so cruel. You did not do anything wrong.” He said into Floyd’s ear. “I, for one, am very happy you’re here with us. And we can play as much as you like. Within reason, of course.”

 

Floyd laughed. “Of course.”

 

Zane pulled back and looked him in the eyes. “Just try not to fall again, alright?”

Notes:

ill post the other chapters tomorrow!! thanks for reading :)

in the meantime, can you guess who floyd will hang out with in the next chapter ?

Chapter 7: The Melody, It Carries On

Notes:

title is from "Woodwork" by Sleeping At Last :)

Floyd was once again out on the deck. This time, he was watching the sunset. He loved watching the sun colour the ocean in orange and yellow before disappearing behind the horizon. 

 

The colours made him think of his mother. He has never been separated from her for this long. Was she looking for him? Did she even notice he was gone? The Ninja told him that time sometimes flows differently in other realms, and that three days here could be seventy years somewhere else. That thought scared him. 

 

“What’re you thinking about?”

 

Floyd did not shriek. He doesn’t shriek. But if he did, then he might have. But he doesn't so he didn't. He turned to see Cole lean next to him on the railing.

 

Floyd didn’t know how to answer this question. I miss my mum. The colours of the sunset remind me of my mum’s hair. Do you think I’ll ever see her again? He didn’t even know if it was OK to say all of that to someone whose mum is dead. He stayed silent.

 

Cole, because he’s apparently a mind reader, then said, “You know, I miss my mum too. But even if she can’t physically be here, she’s always with me. In my thoughts, in my actions, in the way I talk. She’s always there.”

 

Cole was really admirable. To find something positive even in something like this... “You’re so strong.” Floyd said.

 

“Actually, I’m super strong.” Said Cole, and flexed his arm muscles. He could always count on Cole to lift the mood with his terrible jokes. Floyd rolled his eyes and looked back at the sunset. It was almost dark now. Cole did not tell him that everything would be fine, that they'd find a way to send him home and that his mother would still be there. And Floyd was glad for that. He wasn't sure he would have believed Cole anyway.

 

After a while, Cole broke the silence again. “Why’d you start playing the guitar?” 

 

“My dad played the guitar,” Floyd said. Cole hummed in a way that made it sound like he thought it made sense. To Floyd, it was so weird to think of his father as a man with normal hobbies. “Mum made me learn it. Something about how I’ll learn that not everything about my dad is bad.”

 

“Did you like learning how to play it?”

 

“I didn’t, at first. My mum signed me up for a class and my teacher was – you guessed it – not a fan of my dad. He let out his frustrations on me. My teacher did not hit me or yell at me, but he made me play difficult chords until my fingers were bleeding and told me to just quit, because I was not improving at all. My mum pulled me out of that class.” Floyd said. Cole frowned and took one of Floyd's hands in his own. He rubbed circles onto the back of Floyd’s hand with his thumb.

 

“Then why did you continue?” He asked.

 

Floyd sighed. “Honestly? I don’t know. The guitar was collecting dust in the corner of my room and I felt bad for it? I decided to give playing guitar another chance. This time, on my terms. There are many videos on the internet that teach you how to play.”

 

Cole squeezed his hand. “You know, I'm really proud of you.”

 

“ Proud ? Why?” Floyd was puzzled.

 

“You didn't quit. You overcame an obstacle and kept going.”

 

“Huh. I never thought about it like that.” And he really didn't. He thought he kept playing out of guilt. Because it was the one thing his mum wished for him to do.

 

“And you know what?” Cole asked. “I think your mum wanted to teach you another lesson too. That if not everything about your evil dad was bad, then not everything about you can be bad either. Having something in common with bad people doesn’t make you a bad person.”

 

Oh. Floyd felt tears running down his face.

 

“Oh nonono, don't cry!” Cole pleaded. He put his arm around Floyd's shoulder and pulled him close. Then he started humming a bit. The tune sounded familiar. Floyd found himself humming along with him. “Hey, you know this song!?” Cole asked excitedly.

 

“Mhmm!” Floyd nodded and wiped his snotty nose with his sleeve. “‘The Weekend Whip’. It's my favourite song, ever .”

 

“Right!?” Cole agreed. “Wait, wait. Of course! Why didn't I think of this sooner… Floyd! We need to see if you know other songs from this world too! And video games! Come on!” 

 

Floyd followed Cole to the inside of the ship. “Jay!” Cole called. “We need to check what things Floyd knows from his own world!”

 

Out of nowhere, Jay appeared beside him. Ninja… “I'm in! We need to start with the most important things…” He paused for dramatic effect. “Video games. To the game room!” He yelled and ran into said room. Cole followed suit. 

 

This would be interesting.

 

When the others came into the living room later they found Floyd sleeping on the couch, with his legs on Cole's and his head in Jay's lap. He had a chocolate mouth. Jay and Cole were playing with their arms raised so as to not disturb the sleeping boy. Zane secretly took a picture of them.

Notes:

i like this idea of cole trying to make floyd feel better by giving him something made of chocolate haha

thanks so much for reading ! :)

Chapter 8: I’ll Teach You Everything I Know

Notes:

this scene takes place right after the last chapter. like literally 2 seconds later.

chapter title is from “Light” by Sleeping At Last

Kai crouched in front of the coach and shook Floyd’s shoulder. “Hey,” he said quietly. “Get up. You can’t sleep on the couch.” Floyd grumbled and turned around. Kai huffed. “So that’s how it’s going to be.” He leaned over Floyd and blew into his ear.

 

Floyd quickly sat up. His legs were still laying in Cole’s lap and Jay pressed a hand against his back to keep him upright. “Lloyd can’t come to the phone right now. Please try again later.” he mumbled.

 

“Sleepy Floyd is a memer.” Jay whispered, amazed.

 

Floyd then tried to wipe his mouth with his sleeve. “No, dude, that’s gross,” Kai said, grabbing his wrist. “Go wash your face in the bathroom.” Floyd reluctantly stood up and made his way over to the door with his eyes still half closed. “And don’t forget to brush your teeth.” Following him out into the hall, he called “And put on a fresh set of PJs!” Floyd could be heard sighing and not so gently closing the door to the bathroom. Kai stood there for a moment, hands on his hips.

 

“I honestly expected him to say something like ‘Kids these days’.” Nya said, cuddling up to Jay. Kai made gagging noises when she kissed Jay’s cheek.

 

“Careful, Nya, or he’s going to tell you he’s ‘not mad, just disappointed’.” Lloyd said, half laughing. It was always fun to tease their brother.

 

“Ha ha.” Kai said, deadpan. Him, Zane and Lloyd sat down around the couch.

 

“What were you boys up to this evening?” Nya asked.

 

“We were showing Floyd some songs from our world to see if he knows them too. And he does! He knows sooo many songs” Cole gushed. Lloyd was glad he found his match in music-loving.

 

Nodding, Jay added, “And his Uncle Wu always plays pop songs on his flute. Can you imagine our Wu playing ‘The Weekend Whip’ on his flute!?”

 

“We’re taking him to Darreth’s karaoke bar when we’re back in Ninjago City.” Cole said.

 

“Ohhhh, then I’m coming with you! I haven’t had bubble tea in so long.” Kai said.

 

“We know.”

 

“I just love bubble tea.”

 

“We know.”

 

Frowning, Zane asked “Shouldn’t we focus on finding a way to send Floyd home?”

 

Lloyd took this as his cue to speak up. “I think his appearance here has something to do with his powers. When he woke up, he lit up the room in bright green light,” he explained. “His powers almost broke my phone.” Luckily, he was skilled in manipulating electric devices with his own Green. Then he looked at Cole. “Cole, do you remember what the portal Floyd fell through looked like?”

 

“Uhhh…” Then a look of realisation crossed his face. “Green. You think he did this himself.” 

 

“Yes. Maybe I can help him learn how to use his powers?” Lloyd shrugged.

 

Grinning, Kai said “Master Lloyd is back in business!”

 

“But if his own powers, as you say, brought him here, that means his powers are different from yours. I mean, you can’t teleport.” Nya pointed out, as if Lloyd wasn’t aware of that.

 

“Dragons can travel through realms, right? Maybe his dragon side is stronger than mine…” Lloyd mused. He was already thinking about how to broach this subject with Floyd.

 

“I hope we can help him. He really misses his mum.” Cole said. Privately, Lloyd felt jealous about the fact that Floyd got to grow up with his mum. He wondered if his mum would have stayed with him too, if there hadn’t been the prophecy. Maybe he would have found another reason to leave; she never stuck around much, even after they found each other again.

 

Floyd came back into the living room, looking cleaner and less grumpy. Out of the corner of his eye, Lloyd could see Kai making a face that he has come to know as “I’m about to say something that is really funny to me”-Face. 

 

“Did you wash behind your ears too?” Kai asked. Yep, there it is.

 

Jay stood up and skipped over to Floyd. Then he ruffled his hair, which made Floyd duck his head. “Hmm. I think he’s still a bit green behind the ears.” Jay concluded with a grin. “Anyway, it’s my turn to tuck Floyd into bed and tell him a good night story.”

 

“Aren’t I too old for good night stories?” asked Floyd.

 

“No!”

 

“Nonsense!”

 

“You’re never too old to hear a story about one of Fritz Donnegan’s adventures!” said Jay.

 

Floyd looked over to the others, his eyes silently begging them to help him out of this situation. So this is what it feels like to be on the receiving end of his looks. “The stories are really good! I would know; I introduced Jay to Fritz Donnegan.” Lloyd bragged.

 

Jay rolled his eyes. “I would have discovered him sooner or later on my own. The films were literally playing in every cinema everywhere .”

 

“But the films only show a fraction of the story,” said Lloyd. “The comics are way more detailed. And anyway! Every third film is just the origin story all over again.” 

 

Jay gasped offendedly. “That is not true! The films show original stories–”

 

“Girls, girls, you’re both pretty,” Nya interrupted their intellectual debate. “Can I go home now?”

 

Zane raised his eyebrows. “But you already are home?”

 

Kai patted Zane’s hand. “It’s a meme, bro. I’ll show it to you later.” Then he looked back at Floyd and Jay and pointed at the door. “Jay, Floyd, bed!”

 

“OK, dad. ” Jay said sarcastically.

 

“Good night, guys. See you tomorrow.” Floyd waved at everyone before leaving the room with Jay.

 

After a beat of silence, Lloyd said “OK, but the comics really are better.”

 

“Actually–” Cole started.

 

“Cole, don’t do it.” Nya said.

 

“The videogames are better than the films and the comics.”

 

“Oh my god.”

 

Lloyd couldn’t believe this. “Cole, I trusted you.”

 

 

“Floyd, I need to talk to you about something.” Lloyd said when he approached Floyd the next day.

 

Floyd tilted his head. Cute . “What is it?”

 

“It’s about your Green.” answered Lloyd.

 

“My what now?”

 

“Your elemental power.” he clarified.

 

“Oh!” Floyd chuckled. “Well, there’s not much to say. I don’t have any. I guess that’s the main difference between us.”

 

So he doesn’t feel them inside him yet. That’s OK. Lloyd can work with that. “You’ll never know until you try.” Lloyd said sagely.

 

And so, Floyd ended up in Wu’s old meditation room with Lloyd sitting across from him, trying to teach him how to meditate. Lloyd’s special meditation playlist was quietly playing in the background. “Now hold out your hand, palm up,” Lloyd instructed. “Can you feel it?”

 

Floyd furrowed his eyebrows. His fingers twitched. “No.”

 

“That’s OK,” Lloyd said. “I didn’t get it the first time either.” Or did he? It was hard to remember the time before the First Overlord Fiasco. “Want to try again?”

 

Taking a deep breath, Floyd said “Yes.”

Notes:

help me i dont know when and where to put commas guys im just freestyling. like, is it Zane asked, “...?” or Zane asked “...?” and “...,” he said. or “...” he said.

anyway, the vibes are a bit different in this one. i hope you liked it :) thanks for reading !!

Chapter 9: The Blue In An Ocean Of Grey

Summary:

beach episode !!

Notes:

i felt bad for making nya and jay mostly hang out with floyd off screen so i gave them a beach episode with him. enjoy :)

also as im posting this chapter, theres a thunderstorm outside. how fitting <3

chapter title is from "Wanderer's Lullaby" by Adriana Figueroa

Finally, after days of travelling they made a stop at an island. Apparently, there had been a strange signal coming from it and the Ninja wanted to check it out. Floyd was excited. It’s been a long time since he went to the beach. And he’s certainly never been to a beach in the middle of nowhere! Going to a beach where there were no people felt like a luxury to Floyd.

 

When Floyd’s feet landed on the sand, he needed a moment to adjust to the feeling of soft, uneven ground, so unlike the hard wood he had gotten used to. The group split up with Kai, Zane and Cole heading into the jungle to find the source of the signal, while the rest of them made their way over to the shore.

 

Or, more like, the others were running towards the water and he was trying to hurry after them. 

 

“Last one in’s a rotten egg!” Nya shouted. The last few days, Nya has been really vocal about wanting to go for a swim, so Floyd was not that surprised at her haste. 

 

Floyd was growing frustrated with how the sand was slowing him down. It was hot and kept falling away under his heels. Somehow, Jay had noticed that Floyd was falling behind. He stopped and walked back over to Floyd, took his hand and pulled him over to where Nya and Lloyd were already splashing in the water.

 

“Just to make sure, you do know how to swim, right?” Jay asked, stopping right in front of the water. Floyd nodded. Jay let go of his hand and said, “Alright, but stay close, OK? And scream if you need help.” Floyd was sure that nothing would happen to him with the Ninja around.

 

“Hey, guys!” Nya called out to them. “Let’s play mermaid!” To emphasise this, she made the water around her legs look like a giant fish tail, scales and all. Floyd’s eyes widened. It was glowing in Nya’s signature colour. Nya’s powers were so cool!

 

Jay gasped. “I love playing mermaid!” he yelled and ran into the water to join her.

 

“I want to be a turtle,” Lloyd said from beside them. He was floating in the water on his back with his eyes closed, looking very content. How did he stay afloat without moving his arms or legs?

 

“Of course you do,” Nya sighed. Then she looked at Floyd. “Do you want to join us , or Mr. Ninja Turtle over there?”

 

Lloyd opened one eye to glare at Nya. “ You’re a mutant.”

 

“Lloyd.”

 

“Sorry.”

 

Floyd felt conflicted at having to choose between his new friends but then he thought, how often do I get to play mermaid with someone who has water magic? He looked around, just to make sure that there was really no one around who could make fun of him for playing mermaid, and finally walked into the water. “I want to play with you guys.”

 

And so, they all played together in the water.

 

Nya was the first one to explain her mermaid role. “I can control water and make the animals listen to me.”

 

“Lame!” Jay said. “You can already do that. My mermaid power is that I can locate treasures by screaming underwater. And I am also the king.” He closed his eyes and put one hand on his chest when he said this.

 

“My mermaid power is that I can swim really fast and also revive coral reefs by touching them.” Floyd said. He's really getting into this.

 

“I hereby name you sir Floyd, knight of the algae.”

 

Both Nya and Jay then dove underwater. Floyd watched as they swam around each other. It almost looked like they were dancing. When they started to move away from him, Floyd tried to follow, but he only knew the breaststroke and he was not nearly as fast as his friends right now. The water did not resist them at all.

 

When their heads broke through the surface after what felt like a really long time, they realised that Floyd wasn’t a very talented swimmer. Nya taught him how to dive, to spin underwater and how to hold his breath longer. When he successfully dove along the ground for a few seconds, Jay, still in his role as king, asked him to collect seashells for his mother. 

 

Opening his eyes underwater burned, but Floyd kept diving back into the water to find the prettiest seashells. This was the first time one of the Ninja asked him to do something for them and he did not want to disappoint. 

 

Jay was surprisingly picky about the seashells he wanted. While most of those he collected landed back at the bottom of the ocean, only a few of them landed in Jay’s deep pockets. Better than none ! He must be doing something right.

 

When Lloyd decided that he had enough of being a turtle, he joined them and immediately told Jay ‘to stop making Floyd collect seashells for you just to throw them back into the water. He’s not a dog.’ Jay stuck out his tongue and was then splashed in the face for that. Soon after, Lloyd and Jay were chasing each other, swimming so fast that they reminded Floyd of tadpoles.

 

Nya looked like she had forgotten that they were supposed to all play together, swimming around sea animals created by her powers. Floyd was a little tired from all the diving but still tried to make his way over to her. He wanted to see those animals up close.

 

There were hundreds of tiny fishes, jellyfishes and even a few dolphins. They were all see-through and glowing and each animal had a unique blue pattern. Nya's creations were not exactly solid, but Floyd’s hand did not go through the body when he tried to touch one of them. They felt like jelly. He held on to one of the dolphins and let himself be carried through the water.

 

Floyd should have expected it, but still, when he saw the shark’s fin, he gasped and breathed in salty water. Instantly after he started coughing, Floyd felt an arm go around his chest. For a moment, he panicked and tried to push the arm off, but then someone called his name and he remembered that he was safe, with the Ninja, and it was probably just Nya pulling him towards the beach.

 

“I’m so sorry, Floyd, I should have known how scary sharks are to you, after what you told me,” Nya said as they sat in the sand, after Floyd stopped coughing. “Are you OK now?”

 

Floyd felt a bit bad for making Nya come out of the water just because he got scared of a shark that wasn’t even real. She had looked so happy, surrounded by her creations. She made them all disappear when she saved him. “I’m OK. Thanks for saving me,” he said

 

Nya smiled. “Saving my brothers is what I do.”

 

Brother!? Surprised, he turned to look at Nya, who just winked at him before standing back up. He did not know what he did to deserve that title. “Want to go back in? No sharks this time,” Nya promised.

 

“No, I’m actually kind of tired,” Floyd answered honestly. Nya patted his head and headed to where Lloyd and Jay were making handstands in the water right now.

 

With nothing to do, Floyd tried to meditate like Lloyd had shown him. He closed his eyes and tried to quiet his mind. It was hard at first, but listening to the ocean waves helped.

 

Floyd did not know how much time had passed, but he started to hear flowing water. He opened his eyes to see what kind of water creature Nya had created this time, only to discover that he wasn’t at the beach anymore. He must have subconsciously gotten up and walked somewhere. He was standing in front of a waterfall. How did I get here?

 

For some reason, Floyd felt a pull towards that waterfall. Walking closer, he could see that there was a cave behind it. He decided to go in and explore it. Just for a few minutes. Then he would make his way back to the others.

 

The air inside the cave was cool. Floyd could ear the running water behind him get quieter as he walked down the tunnel. The walls and the ceiling of the cave were covered in big blue crystals. Somehow, Floyd felt connected to this place. He considered trying to meditate here, where he could feel something that might be his powers... Floyd shook his head. The others were probably looking for him. He had to go back and let them know he was safe. Some smaller crystals laid littered across the blue shiny ground. He couldn’t stay in the cave, but he could take some of it with him. He picked up a handful of them and walked back towards the entrance of the cave to inspect them in the sunlight. He could give one of them to Jay to make up for being bad at finding pretty things underwater. Maybe he’s good at finding them behind water. Floyd silently laughed at his pun.

 

The moment Floyd exited the cave, he heard someone yell “RUN!” That sounded like Cole. Floyd hastily looked around to find him. There, to his right, he could see Cole, and also Zane and Kai running towards him. He ran to meet them in the middle.

 

“Floyd!? What are you doing here? Where are the others?” Cole exclaimed.

 

“Everyone's OK, they're still at the beach and–”

 

“Then why are you here alone ?” Kai asked. Oh no . He looked angry.

 

But before he could say ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘I got lost’ , Zane said “We can talk about this later, for now, run. ”

 

Floyd joined them in running and soon enough, they were out of the jungle and back at the beach. But they did not stop running yet. 

 

Floyd could hear a buzzing sound behind him now, quickly getting louder. The sand was slowing him down again and he was really, really tired of it. He’s had enough of beaches. Branches were breaking behind him.

 

And then, he fell. The buzzing sounded like it was right above him. Floyd closed his eyes and had already accepted his fate of becoming insect food when he was picked up and thrown over someone' s shoulder. Kai had come back to save him. “Ninja never quit, Floyd. Remember that.” That was something he would think about, when he was no longer in mortal danger.

 

Suddenly, Floyd heard a loud crash and lifted his head to see what was probably the creature that was following them. It was a bug – big, red and also dripping wet and on the ground. 

 

Nya must have used her powers to throw water onto the insect. She was really in her element on this island. Floyd hoped that this attack did not cause any permanent damage to the animal. Technically, they were the ones who invaded the bug's territory.

 

Floyd was only put back down right in front of the ladder of the ship. Kai ran back to the bug to help his sister. Floyd really wanted to see Kai's fire in action but he knew he needed to hurry. Maybe he could ask him to show it to him later? He climbed it as fast as he could and at the end of it he was pulled up onto the deck by Cole who had leaned over the railing to grab him.

 

Cole used both hands to steady him. After giving him a once-over, he turned back to the ladder to help the others who were still climbing onto the ship. If Cole didn’t want to talk to him, then he must have really messed up…

 

Standing uselessly to the side, Floyd watched as everyone made it back onto the ship. Zane and Kai ran straight to the front of the ship, looking prepared to fight off the insect, should it follow them. Nya and Lloyd ran past him to the control room. 

 

Jay, however, walked right up to him, looking upset. Floyd was already preparing to apologise when he was pulled against Jay's chest. 

 

“Are you OK? Where were you? Why did you leave without saying anything? Was it because of the shark?” Floyd distantly noticed how the ship started moving again. He raised his arms to return the hug. Jay's arms around him tightened. “Or because of me ? I'm sorry for treating you like that. I don't think you're a dog–”

 

“Hold on,” Cole interrupted Jay's rambling, “you called Floyd a dog ?” Cole wasn't mad at him?

 

“No, Lloyd did,” answered Jay. The floor stopped shaking as the ship steadied.

 

“Why would Lloyd call him a dog?” Kai asked.

 

“If he was an animal, he'd be a dragon!” Zane said in a joking manner. Zane was one of those people who laughed at their own jokes before they even finished telling it.

 

“Well, we were playing mermaid and then Nya taught Floyd how to dive. Nya’s a great teacher and Floyd's smart so he got really good at it and I thought ‘Why not put his new skills to use?’ I know that that was wrong now,” he quickly amended. The other Ninja were probably giving him Looks right now. “So, I asked him to–”

 

Before Jay could finish explaining, Nya called out to them. “Guys! Are you all OK? What happened?”

 

“We're fine.” answered Zane.

 

“What happened was that Cole threw a coconut at the bug's head.” said Kai.

 

“I didn't know it was there!” Cole defended himself. 

 

“Why does it always have to be giant bugs though? First Bernie, then Adam… And now this fly!” Jay complained.

 

“Hey! Adam's a friend!”

 

“Spiders aren't bugs. They're arachnids.”

 

“OK, OK! I'm just saying…”

 

While the Ninja kept bickering with each other, Lloyd walked out onto the deck and threw sweatshirts at Floyd, Nya and Jay, who had to let go of Floyd to catch his. 

 

Floyd immediately shivered at the sudden loss of warmth and fumbled with his sweatshirt. He quickly pulled it over his head and said, “Wow, you're really good at throwing!”

 

“Good? You call that good ? He threw that sweatshirt right onto my face!” protested Jay.

 

Behind him, Floyd heard Zane say “Bullseye,” and then the distinct sound of people high fiving each other.

 

Lloyd appeared confused at the compliment. “It was nothing.”

 

“I’m really bad at throwing. I always thought it was because I never had a dad to play ball with me…” Floyd's voice trailed off. Lloyd scoffed. Suddenly he felt insecure again. There he was, in another universe where no one hated him for his dad and now he was the one who constantly brought him up.

 

“Lloyd, what'd you call Floyd a dog for! We raised you better than this.” Cole said loudly.

 

“I said he is not a dog. Jay was making him fetch seashells for Edna.”

 

“Oh! We should visit her soon. I've been craving her lemon squares.” Cole rubbed his belly.

 

Kai added, “And I just know she would adore our youngest.” Our youngest . Floyd was amazed at how quickly the Ninja accepted him as one of their own. He smiled.

 

Then a hand landed on his shoulder and Nya looked like she was about to say something but the others were already walking back inside and Floyd still hadn't answered any of their questions.

 

“Wait,” he called out to them. “When I was at the beach… I didn't leave because of Nya's sharks or Jay's seashells. I was meditating,” he looked at Lloyd and continued, “just like you taught me. And I felt this pull. I didn't realise I was walking away from you until I stood alone in front of a cave.

 

“I went inside and it was filled with these blue crystals,” he looked at the rest of the group, “ I think that's where the weird signal came from. I picked one up.” 

 

Floyd pulled out the biggest crystal he had in his pockets and held it out to the ninja. 

 

Zane stepped closer to inspect it. “I think you're right. We should put it somewhere safe until we get back to the monastery and can research what the stone actually does. Thank you for being honest with us.”

 

Floyd handed over the crystal and watched everyone go back inside. He smiled and followed them. He managed to do something for the Ninja after all.

Notes:

this is the end of part one of Brighter Than The Sun !!! everyone, thank you so much for reading and liking this story :)

i will post the rest of the story once ive finished writing part two ! stay tuned for the drama ;)

Chapter 10: What Can You See On The Horizon

Summary:

journey home

Notes:

chapter title is from “Into the West” by Annie Lennox !!!

i figured out how to add horizontal lines !!! get ready for multiple scenes in a single chapter omg

After their adventure at the beach, Floyd sought out Cole. Cole was obviously mad at him for what happened. He didn’t talk to him at all! Floyd had to fix this. 

 

His friendship with Cole meant a lot to him. After all, Cole was the first person he had met in a long time who did not treat him like an extension of his father. He was kind, and he took him in even though he was a stranger and lying about his identity. Floyd was used to losing new friends after just a few days - and usually, he just let them go. But this time, he would make an effort to win a friend back over.

 

Armed with a slice of chocolate cake in each hand, he was about to leave the kitchen when the man he was looking for walked in. Once Cole saw Floyd, he smiled. “Hey, buddy. You hungry? You know, I was just about to go for a slice of cake myself!”

 

Floyd was startled. He did not expect to find Cole this quickly. He hasn’t even thought about what to say to him yet! “Umm… This is for you,” Floyd said shyly as he held one of the cakes out to Cole.

 

“For me!?” Cole excitedly took the cake from him. Neither the plate nor the fork that was placed on it. Clearly Zane and Kai were not as strict about Cole’s table manners as they were about his… “What’s the occasion?” Cole asked around a mouthful of cake. “Trying to bribe me into extending your bedtime? You know I don’t have a say in that after the Cake Incident.”

 

“No, it’s not that. I mean, staying up longer would be nice but.” Floyd shook his head. Focus! “I wanted to apologise!”

 

“Apologise for what?” Cole asked. 

 

“For, you know, going off on my own on the island… I’m sorry.” Floyd hung his head.

 

Cole looked puzzled. “You already explained why you’ve done it,” said Cole. “And I’m not mad at you, if that’s what you’re thinking. I messed up too. I was the one who threw a coconut at a giant bug. But I’m kind of glad that I did, because it led us straight to you.” As he said this, Cole booped Floyd’s nose with his clean hand. “So don’t worry. Everyone in this team has gone off on their own and gotten in trouble before. It happens." He shrugged and went over to the sink to wash his hands.

 

Floyd keeps telling himself that the Ninja won’t treat him like the people of his Ninjago would, but it is so hard to change his thought process after experiencing nothing but rejection his entire life. He notices the slightest change in someone’s behaviour and immediately assumes that they don’t want him around anymore. It’s like he can’t let himself get used to the Ninja’s patience and kindness, because if he does, being rejected will hurt even more. He doesn’t even understand why they like him so much to begin with. All he ever did was talk about his life in the other Ninjago and how horrible it was. And even if he did let himself be loved by them, he is going to go back home eventually (hopefully!) and then everyone will hate him again and it will hurt even more because now he knows what it’s like to be accepted for who he is–

 

“Floyd,” Cole said as he took the plate out of Floyd’s hand and put it on the table. “I was afraid you’d drop it. Why don’t you go rest for a bit? I know for a fact that playing mermaid with Jay and Nya is fun, but exhausting .”

 

“That’s the mindset of someone who’ll never beat my record.”

 

“And you’ll never beat my highscore in Aliens vs. Zombies so I guess that makes us even.” Cole retorted.

 

“You sure about that?” Nya taunted. “Let’s go find out.”

 

“Right now?!”

 

“No, I wouldn’t want your ego to get hurt twice in a single day.” Nya glanced over at Floyd. “I’m here for the Little Guy.”

 

Floyd looked around the room to look for this “Little Guy”... Ohhhh . “I’m not ‘little’,” he pouted. Nya laughed and ruffled his hair. “Really!” Floyd insisted.

 

“Small enough for me to do this,” said Nya, and then she lifted Floyd off the ground and spun him around. She turned faster with every round and soon Floyd had a funny feeling in his stomach; it was a mixture of nausea and excitement. It was like he was on a really fast carousel. This is so fun! 

 

“Nya, stop it! No Spinjitzu under the deck.”

---

“Tonight’s good night story is going to be a bit different.” Nya said after she settled down in the chair next to Floyd’s bed. “It’s a story about me.”

 

“One of your Samurai X adventures?” asked Floyd.

 

“No, not tonight. This story is from way earlier. From my childhood.” Nya sighed heavily. “I’m going to tell you how I learnt to tie my shoelaces. Now, don’t look at me like that! It’s not going to be as boring as you think.” Floyd did not realise that his disappointment was showing on his face. He pulled the blanket up to cover the lower half of his face. Nya continued, “When I was a child, all I ever wore were sandals, flip-flops or just boots. One day, my brother surprised me with a pair of trainers. Apparently I’d need them for PE.” Somehow, Floyd never thought about how the Ninja had lived different, more or less regular lives before they met eachother. 

 

“And Kai, he was so excited for me to try these shoes on. They probably cost a lot of money which we didn’t really have back then. I put the shoes on, had both ends of the lace in my hands and realised… I did not know how to tie them into a bow. And then I got frustrated with myself, because how did I not know how to do this? It is so simple, everyone ties their shoelaces so why can’t I?

 

“Kai must have realised that no one actually ever explained to me how to tie my shoelaces. He tried to explain it to me ‘the way dad explained it to him’.” She held up her hands to make air quotes. “And that was the wrong thing to say.

 

“I got so angry. I broke a chair. I yelled at him, ‘ Why isn’t he here to teach me himself!? ’ He didn’t have the answer to that question back then. Instead, he just hugged me and let me cry it all out.

 

“The next day, he took me to the village and left me with three old women who were already waiting for me. They were going to teach me how to tie my shoelaces. I was so happy when I finally tied them on my own. I ran around the village and showed off my shoes to everyone. But there was one person whose reaction really mattered. My brother’s.” Nya smiled ruefully. “I went back home and I found him fixing the chair I broke. He was so proud of me.”

 

“You won the younger sibling lottery,” said Floyd, with tears in his eyes.

 

Nya nodded. “I did. Anyway, the moral of the story is that not having a dad around to teach you all the little things is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s OK to ask others for help. To ask us for help.”

 

“I… I will. Thank you, Nya.” Floyd hesitated before he said, “For being my big sister.”

 

Nya kissed his forehead and wiped away his tears. “It’s my pleasure.”

---

“Land ahoy!” Zane’s voice called over the speaker.

 

Floyd, startled by the sudden noise, dropped the orange he was holding. Lloyd offered to help him learn how to catch and throw an ora– a ball. He really wanted to spend more time with Floyd. The boy was part of the family now! Until now, he just didn't know how to… befriend him? But this seemed like a good start.

 

“Showoff,” Lloyd muttered as he picked up the orange rolling his way. He’d picked a few from a tree when he and the rest were looking for Floyd.

 

“ Showoff? ” asked Floyd incredulously.

 

“Oh, not you. Zane.” Lloyd dismissed quickly.

 

Floyd glared at him. “What makes you say that?”

 

Lloyd grinned. Was Floyd feeling protective over Zane? “I wasn’t serious. He’s just such a good actor. I’m glad he’s using his abilities for something fun for a change. Meanwhile, I’m not allowed to go on undercover missions because I suck at pretending to be someone I’m not.”

 

Floyd patted his arm. “You can practise acting with Zane then! I think he’d really like that.” 

 

Lloyd had, of course, noticed Zane and Floyd running around the ship pretending to be pirates. But he’d always thought that Zane was being indulgent to Floyd, and not the other way around. I’m such a bad friend! First I neglected Cole and now I find out that I’d been doing the same thing to Zane!? Lloyd won’t tell Floyd about his worries though. The poor guy already has enough on his plate without adding Lloyd's problems to the pile. “That’s a great idea! Want to go see what our captain has discovered?”

 

“I think he just told us that we have reached the coast of Ninjago?”

 

“Ah.”

---

Ninjago wasn’t at all like the one Floyd was from. His Ninjago consisted of forests and mountains and forests on mountains. This Ninjago was nothing but desert?

 

“I don't like sand,” Jay said to Nya. “It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere.”

 

“Not like here,” Nya answered, taking Jay’s hand. “Here everything is soft and smooth."

 

“They are quoting Starfarer to each other.” Lloyd whispered to Floyd.

 

Jay sighed. “You meme so much to me, Nya.”

 

“Are we there soon?” asked Floyd.

 

“Patience, my friend,” said Zane. “We entered Ninjago from the east. Our destination is located in the west.”

---

The landscape changed quite a few times during their trip. It was actually really diverse and pretty! There were snowy mountains, rice fields and farms, more desert, finally a forest, snowy alps and then more mountains. The ship stopped mid-air over the peak of a high mountain. Someone had built a house on top of a mountain? Who would want to live here?

 

“Home sweet home,” said Cole. 

Floyd sighed. Of course this was the Ninja’s monastery.

Notes:

tfw someones vibes around you change by 0,001 degrees and that means they hate you now

please ppleasee let me know what you think of this chapter

Chapter 11: Our Compass Needle Stands Still

Notes:

chapter title is from “Homesick” by Sleeping At Last :)

 

pixal is heeere yayyy and if her names spelt as “pixel” at some point during this fic its not my fault !!! its the freaking autocorrect thing from google docs

The Ninja disembarked from the ship by doing a trillion flips in the air and landed directly in the courtyard. Floyd was the only one who used the ladder. When he walked through the gate, he saw that the others were huddling around someone.

 

Oh, it's Pixal! Floyd has seen pictures of her on the ship. 

 

He stood a bit to the side to give his friends some privacy while they all hugged Pixal and asked her about what had happened while they were gone.

 

“Not much,” she said. “Samurai X got it all handled.”

 

“Heck yeah!” Nya said and high fived her.

 

Then Zane approached Pixal again. “I have waited so long to do this,” he said. And then he… Well, Floyd couldn’t see what he did because someone suddenly covered his eyes. But. Come on. He's watched enough Romcoms with his mum to know what they were doing.

 

Cole whistled. “Whew, someone’s really missed Za– Hey wow, rude !”

 

“So, Floyd,” Kai asked from behind him. “How do you like the monastery so far?”

 

“I mean, I can’t really see it right now, so…”

 

“Oh right!” said Kai and removed his hands. “Well? Do you like it?”

 

“It’s really, really pretty.” Much smaller than his uncle’s home, though. He also wondered if they had a pet chicken as well.

 

“Thank you,” said Pixal. “I actually did it myself.”

 

“Nice!” Nya said in a funny voice.

 

“Yeah… Yeah,” Pixal nodded. “You must be Floyd. I am Pixal. Zane has already told me so much about you just now.” She shook his hand. “Welcome to the team.”

 

“Just now!?” Floyd was stunned. He didn’t hear Zane talking about him that much.

 

“Yes. Pixal and I are compatible. We don’t need to speak out loud to communicate,” Zane said proudly.

 

“You have a soulmate ? And you can talk to each other telepathically ?” Floyd looked at Zane with wide eyes. “Zane, every time I find out something new about you, you become even cooler!”

 

“I can’t help it. After all, I am the Elemental Master of Ice.”

 

“Come with me, Floyd," said Pixa. "I will give you a tour while the others unpack all of their luggage. Knowing them, it might take a while.”

 

“We’re not that bad!” Lloyd argued.

 

Jay held up his hands and shrugged. “I don’t know. We kind of are.”

 

“Is it fun? Are you having fun opposing everything I’m saying?”

 

“Yes,” Jay said, grinning. “Very much so.”

 

“They don’t know they are currently proving my point,” Pixal quietly said to Floyd. “Let’s go.”

 

That is when Floyd saw the chicken. It calmly and quietly walked over to the group of Ninja and yeah. Having a chicken in the monastery felt right. It made him feel more at home in this foreign place.

 

But if the chicken was anything like his uncle’s, it was probably up to no good. The Ninja deserved a break from fighting. He moved (“ Floyd, wait! ”—“ Don’t touch it! ”—” Be careful! ”) and picked the chicken up. Holding it tingled a little.

 

“Ooh, my baby! Come to mommy,” Pixal cooed as she took the chicken from Floyd. The Ninja all sighed in relief at that.

 

Except Zane. “Mommy?” he asked in bewilderment.

 

“Congratulations, Zane, you’re a father now,” said Pixal and handed the chicken over to Zane, who looked at it with sparkling eyes. “Don’t put him inside the box again.”

 

“Little Bro, you almost gave poor Cole a heart attack,” said Kai.

 

“And grey hairs,” added Cole. “You and Lloyd, I swear…”

 

Lloyd glared at his friends. “Can everyone stop attacking me please?” 

 

---

 

“And this is the…” Pixal sighed. “The ‘hot tub’.”

 

Floyd took in the sight in front of him with furrowed brows. “That’s a bell though?”

 

“No, Floyd,” Pixal said in a tone that made clear she had had this conversation many times before. “The bell is the hot tub. This is where the Ninja go after saving the city.” That made sense. His mum once told him that hot water can relieve pain.

 

“And what do you do?” he asked. 

 

“What do you mean?”

“What do you do after saving the city? You’ve probably done that a lot while the Ninja were travelling. I mean, this is Ninjago City we’re talking about.” Something was always happening in that city.

 

Pixal considered his question for a moment, and then said “I spend a lot of time in our underground headquarters–”

 

Floyd gasped. “You have a secret hideout? Like real superheroes?”

 

Pixal blinked. “Yes. If you want to call it that. That is where I build things for me and the Ninja. Like vehicles, mechs and–”

 

“ Mechs ! That’s so cool ! Can you show them to me? Please!” Floyd pleaded.

 

“Only if you promise to stop interrupting me.”

 

“Sorry. I got too excited. I promise not to interrupt you anymore.” 

 

Pixal nodded and started walking. “Alright, this way, please. We will enter through the garage.”

 

---

 

When Floyd saw the inside of the Ninja’s secret hideout, his jaw dropped. This place was huge ! And there was so much stuff! Cars, motorcycles, ships and “Mechs!” He ran to the nearest one to inspect it. It was rare that he got to see one from up close.

 

Pixal was an artist! She was obviously creative and, judging by the detail of the machine's design, she put a lot of thought and work into making them. It was white with gold and purple details, so obviously this was Pixal’s colour palette. In one hand, the mech held a blaster or something attached to a tube and in the other, it held a huge golden sword. So cool ! The helmet reminded Floyd of samurai armour that he saw in museums sometimes. 

 

The cockpit was under the helmet and between the shoulders. It was barely visible. Floyd wondered how someone made a machine like this move. Was there a gas pedal for the legs, joysticks for the arms?

 

It hit Floyd that he did not understand much about engineering at all. Actually building things and making them work was much more complicated than drawing designs on a piece of paper. He suddenly wished he understood more about mechs. Good thing that he was in the presence of an expert. “Can you teach me how to make one of these?” he asked. “I designed a mech with Jay and Nya.”

 

“I don’t know about teaching you. I never had to ‘learn’ it either. But if you show me the design, we can try building it together.” Pixal compromised.

 

And then Floyd was hugging Pixal. Blame the Ninja for making him so touchy-feely. Pixal had not just agreed to building a mech with him. She offered to make his dream come true. “Pixal, you’re the best!”

 

Pixal hugged him back. “So I’ve been told. Want to see the weaponry next?”

 

“ Yes! ”

 

---

 

“So this is where you’ve been all afternoon,” said Nya as she put a plate with sliced apples on the table. “Should’ve known.” Floyd did not hear her come in, but at this point he’d be more surprised if he heard her. 

 

“There was much to explore for our new friend,” Pixal answered before eating an apple piece.

 

“I’m sure there was.” Nya’s gaze was fixed on a mech that hasn’t been painted in Pixal’s colours yet. “Pixal, you’ve really kept yourself busy while we were gone.”

 

“It’s yours if you want it,” said Pixal.

 

“My Samurai X days are over…” She sighed dejectedly.

 

“And who says that you can’t be a Ninja with a mech?” asked Floyd. Nya fighting in a water mech would probably be the awesomest thing anyone would ever see. And it was clear that she was longing for it, so what’s stopping her?

 

Nya did not answer him.

 

“Nya, please!” Floyd put a hand on her forearm. “It’d be so cool.”

 

Nya patted his hand. “I’ll think about it. Anyway, what are you guys working on? And, can I join you?”

 

---

 

The last stop of the tour was Floyd’s room. This room was as big as his living room back home. There was a pile of clothes for him on his bed and a neat paper stack with his numerous designs on the desk. The walls were decorated with paintings of dragons flying above the clouds.

 

“Do you like your new room?” Lloyd asked.

 

“Yes! It’s perfect,” answered Floyd.

 

Lloyd laughed and rubbed his neck. “Well, I’m glad you think so! This is actually my room. I’m going to sleep in my uncle’s room for now.” He paused. “Oh, right! Your room is sandwiched between Kai’s and Zane’s. I’m actually really grateful that you gave me an excuse to get away from them… They snore.”

 

“Hey! I heard that!” Kai's muffled voice came through the wall.

 

“I can’t wait to sleep in my room, far away from the red snorer ,” Cole said as he walked by their rooms, carrying boxes.

 

“The walls are really thin.” Lloyd said solemnly. “Tomorrow, you and I are going to start practising with your Green again. I will be waiting for you in my room at 5:30.”

 

“In the morning!?”

 

Lloyd raised his eyebrows. “Is that too early for you?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Kai walked in and clapped Floyd on the shoulder. "It's not as bad as it sounds,” he said. “Meditating is just sleeping while sitting up.”

 

Lloyd slapped his forehead. 

 

"I'll be there,” Floyd promised.

 

“Great. See you tomorrow then,” Lloyd said and left.

 

“Now that he's gone,” Kai said conspiratorially, "I can show you Lloyd’s secret candy stash.”

 

“NO,” Lloyd yelled as he rolled back into the room and tackled Kai.

 

---

 

Lloyd was back in Stiix. The Ninja split up and he was in a team with Cole, Soul Archer in pursuit of them.

 

They were running across the wooden floor, it was cracking under the force of their steps. He could hear arrows swishing through the air. Lloyd briefly looked down at his feet, and when he looked back up, they were in a narrow alley with nowhere to run but forward.

 

The archer could appear and disappear anywhere he wanted. He could appear right in front of them at any moment. This was bad. How do you defeat a ghost– right, water ! Lloyd looked around for a bucket, or something. Anything!

 

And then, a ghost did appear in front of him, but it wasn’t the archer. It was Morro. Lloyd’s feet were glued to the ground. He was shivering from the sudden wind. Morro disappeared and appeared again. Closer and closer. Until he was right in front of Lloyd. He smelt like earth after rain.

 

“You shouldn’t be the Green Ninja. You couldn’t protect even one of them,” Morro accused.

 

What– Protect who ?

 

“Lloyd, help me.”

 

Lloyd felt his stomach drop. He whipped around to see Cole falling to his knees, one hand pressed against his chest. Cole’s been hit by Soul Archer’s arrow. He knows this, even though the archer and the arrow have both vanished. 

 

It took Lloyd an impossibly long time to cross the short distance between them. Lloyd kneeled next to Cole, unsure of what to do. There was no wound, no blood. He could only watch as the poison from the arrow spread from Cole’s chest, quickly turning him green and translucent.

 

“Lloyd, what’s happening to me?” Cole asked. His voice was echoey. This was bad . This couldn’t be happening. 

 

“You’re going to be OK!” Lloyd tried to assure him. “Just hold on until the others get here. We can fix this.”

 

“I can’t feel anything…”

 

“Lloyd!”

 

The walls around them were gone and Nya and Kai were running towards them. Kai pointed at Cole and said, “Nya, a ghost!”

 

“I got this. Lloyd, get out of the splash zone!” The water was already forming into swirling spheres in Nya’s hands.

 

“No, no, guys, stop, this is Cole!”

 

“Who’s Cole?” asked Kai.

 

Nya shrugged at him and then threw the water at Cole.

 

“ NO –”

 

---

 

Cole woke to the feeling of something poking his cheek. Probably a bug . He wiped it away. Pulling his blanket over his face, he tried to go back to sleep.

 

But then he heard a sigh and retreating footsteps. He sat up and saw his younger brother, clad in his favourite dinosaur pyjamas, silently make his way back to the door. 

 

“Lloyd?”

 

Lloyd flinched and hesitantly turned around. “Cole! Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up. You can go back to sleep now.” 

 

Cole scooted over in bed and patted the free space next to him. Lloyd sat down next to him and pushed his legs under the blanket. “So,” Cole started, “Was there any reason you were poking my face at 2 A.M.? Or did you just feel like it?”

 

Lloyd grimaced. “I guess I… Just… Got used to sleeping… I mean– unused to– I was alone and I didn’t like it.”

“You had a nightmare?” Cole asked. Lloyd pressing his hands to his eyes was answer enough. Kai did that too, whenever he was upset. “Want to talk about it?”

 

Lloyd shook his head and then nodded. Cole pulled his hands away from his face. “That’s bad for your eyes,” he chided.

 

“I needed to make sure you were alright,” Lloyd admitted. He looked directly into Cole’s eyes. “Something… Bad… Happened to you in my dream. I had to make sure.”

 

Cole felt very sad for his little brother. He was so young and already went through so much. And every time you think he finally gets a bit of a break, another terrible thing happens to him. Not even at night, safe in his own home, Lloyd gets to rest. This wasn't fair and Cole didn't know how to make it better!

 

All he could do is be there for Lloyd, through it all. He took Lloyd’s hand and held it to his chest. “Feel that?” He asked. Lloyd nodded. “That's my heart. It's still beating." Cole breathed in deeply. " Still breathing, see? I'm safe. I'm OK.”

 

They stayed like this for a while. Cole used his other hand to rub circles on Lloyd's back. At some point, he had to ask, “Are you ready to go back to sleep?”

 

“I don't think I can sleep tonight. Too spooked,” Lloyd admitted.

 

And Cole had the perfect remedy for spooked sleepy Lloyds. He bumped Lloyd's shoulder with his own. “I guess I'll make us some hot choccy then.”

 

Lloyd grinned at him then. Finally. “With lots of marshmallows?” Cole got déjà vu from Floyd's first day on the Bounty. It was so cute how alike both Lloyds were in some aspects.

 

Cole grinned back. “You know it. Let's go.”

Notes:

neither lloyd or floyd showed up for meditation that morning :’)

 

floyds  a really happy boy in this chapter :) i had so much fun writing him being excited about everything

 

thank you all for reading !! id love to hear everyones thoughts on this chapter !!! <3

Notes:

i already have more planned out, i am SO excited... thanks for reading !!!