Chapter Text
When Lloyd woke up the next morning, he stayed in bed for a few more minutes, staring at his bedroom ceiling. He then rubbed his eyes, swung his covers off, and made his way towards his door. He paused for a moment in confusion, thinking about the weird dream that he had had. Emperor of Ninjago? Ha, that sure was strange. Lloyd chuckled, shook his head, and began walking down the hall. However, when he reached the kitchen he came to an abrupt stop. There was a bright red envelope on the table, an official piece of parchment beside it. The events of yesterday hit the young man like a speeding truck, and he frowned.
Nope, Lloyd thought, his heart sinking. I guess it wasn’t a dream after all.
“Good morning.” Zane turned away from the stove to face Lloyd. He was wearing an apron and had a spatula in his hand. “You’re the first one up besides myself and PIXAL. Would you like some pancakes?”
“That sounds great, Zane.” Lloyd sat down at the kitchen table and poured himself a cup of tea.
Before he could even get a sip, PIXAL came in a placed an open laptop in front of Lloyd. Lloyd gave the samurai a confused look, then examined the laptop more closely. The current open page was his personal email, and he realized with a start that there were over fifty new emails for him. It looked like each and every lord and lady of parliament had sent him a message either thanking him for accepting his position or simply congratulating him. A lot of the nobles briefly introduced themselves in their messages as well. Lloyd blinked, then promptly poured himself a large cup of coffee as well.
“You should take some time to respond to them,” said PIXAL. “It will give a good impression.”
“Every single one? All of them? PIXAL, there’s over fifty, that’ll take forever! How am I supposed to keep everyone apart? How do I-”
PIXAL quickly held up her hand to cut Lloyd off. “Don’t panic. I’ve already numbered each email in order of importance. We’ll start with the group email with Lords and Ladies Adachi, Kimura, Ida, and Tano. They sent some basic information about what to do right now. By the way, I made this laptop. It is absolutely secure and almost impossible to hack or break into.”
“Thanks, PIXAL. You’re a lifesaver.” Lloyd stirred five spoonfuls of sugar into his coffee. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
PIXAL smiled and waved a hand dismissively. “Of course. Zane helped too.”
Lloyd thanked the other nindroid, both for his help and the plate of pancakes that was placed in front of him. Zane and PIXAL both sat down at the table to eat with Lloyd, who was answering emails as he ate. Lloyd asked for the pair’s help quite a bit, and they were more than willing to assist the younger boy. When Cole came in half an hour later, they were about a fifth of the way through the emails. Cole raised an eyebrow as he got himself a drink, looking critically at the group.
“It’s not even seven yet, and you’re already working? C’mon man, eat your food in peace.”
“Cole, I still have over forty more emails to get through, and I have a ton of stuff to do today.” Lloyd carefully took a bit of pancake, then resumed tapping away at his keyboard. “Gotta keep moving,” he said through a mouthful of food.
Cole narrowed his eyes, and sat across the table from PIXAL and Zane. They looked torn, like they realized that Cole was right, but that they also saw the importance in finishing this task as soon as possible. Cole leaned over to see what Lloyd was working on, and read the email he was currently typing.
“Gosh, you sound so formal. That doesn’t sound like you at all.”
Lloyd shrugged. “It’s supposed to sound formal, Cole. I’m talking to these people in a professional setting. Also, I need to look competent.”
Cole didn’t reply, and instead poured syrup over his pancakes. The rest of the ninja came drifting in as the morning went on, and soon the entire team was gathered at the table. Kai was still half-asleep as he ate his breakfast, Jay and Nya were talking about wedding colors, Cole was reading the news on his phone, and Zane was cleaning up the kitchen. PIXAL was still sitting next to Lloyd and helping him with the emails.
“FSM, Lloyd. How long are you gonna be answering emails?” Jay said after a while. “It feels like you’ve been working on this for hours.”
Lloyd huffed. “I have been working on this for hours. I’ve been working on this longer than you’ve been awake, Jay. People just keep sending more and more of them. But hey, on the bright side, I’m almost done.”
Jay’s jaw dropped. “Dude, it’s your first day on the job. Chill out!”
Lloyd shook his head and kept typing. The rest of the group exchanged glances, silently holding a discussion. Lloyd seemed to sense that there was something happening, and he looked up at the rest of the group in confusion. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the rest of the ninja and stopped typing.
“What’s up?”
Kai, finally fully awake, cleared his throat and took the lead. “Buddy, we’re just a little worried that you’re gonna overwork yourself.”
“Yeah, dude,” added Jay. “It’s literally your first unofficial day on the job. You haven’t even been coronated yet!”
“It is extremely important to maintain a healthy work-life balance.” Zane nodded in agreement with the others.
Lloyd stared at the group, then let out a small sigh. “I see what you mean, but if I don’t take care of it now, it’s just going to build up over time. I promise I’ll take a break and hang out with you guys later.”
“That’s a start,” said Cole. “We’re not mad at you or anything, Lloyd. We’re just trying to look out for you.”
“I know, and I appreciate it.” Lloyd smiled gently. “I have the best family in the world. You all will be the best advisors ever, too.”
Lloyd ended up finishing all the emails by the time the rest of the team had cleared up the breakfast dishes and gotten ready for the day. The bathroom was open for him to use, and as he combed his hair he thought about what the others had said. They were right, of course. Although… Lloyd wasn’t quite sure that the others understood where he was mentally right now. FSM, he wasn’t even sure where he was right now. All her knew was that he needed to be responsible, he needed to be focused on his tasks, he needed-
He needed to be what everyone else needed him to be.
Lloyd realized that he had spaced out, the comb halfway through a lock of hair and his hands gripping the edge of the counter tightly. He let out a shaky breath, pulled the comb out of his hair, then left the bathroom.
“Okay, first things first.”
Lloyd had promised the rest of the team that he would spend some time with them today, but there were a few things he needed to do first. He had a mental list going, and the task at the top of the list was calling his mother. Lloyd had no idea how Misako would react to her son being named the sole ruler of the nation. It was shocking, yes, but she’d also heard much stranger news than that, he was sure. When he reached his bedroom, Lloyd closed the door and pulled out his phone. His stomach was doing somersaults, but he swallowed his nervousness and dialed Misako’s number. She picked up on the second ring.
“Hello, Lloyd. How are you doing?”
“Hi, Mom. I’m okay.”
There was a brief pause on the other side of the line, a shuffling noise, then Misako spoke again.
“Are you sure? You sound a little… uncertain.” Her voice grew slightly worried.
“Well, I’m fine physically,” said Lloyd. “Everyone is slowly healing. We enjoyed a little time off.”
“A little? Enjoyed, like in the past tense? Lloyd, is there a new crisis?” Misako sounded even more worried.
Lloyd took a deep breath and closed his eyes. There was really no avoiding this.
“No. There’s no crisis. Well, at least not for Ninjago. Yesterday we had some visitors from Parliament. They wanted to talk about the death of the royal family, the future of throne, all that stuff…” Lloyd trailed off. “They said that I’m next in line for the throne.”
He heard Misako inhale sharply over the phone. When she began to speak again, her voice was very quiet.
“Oh. Oh dear. I was afraid that would happen. Lloyd, I’m so sorry. I-” she stopped abruptly.
Lloyd didn’t say anything, his throat refusing to form words or sounds. He suddenly felt like wanted to cry, but he swallowed the feeling down
“I’m assuming you accepted the position? When- when will it happen?”
“Yes. In around three months. I’ll be studying during that time, traveling around with the rest of the team. They told us not to stay in one place for too long.”
A thought suddenly crossed his mind, and he let out a soft ‘oh’.
“Hey Mom? Would it be at all possible for you to stay at the monastery for a while? Master Wu will be traveling with us, and he wasn’t too happy about leaving the place alone for that long.”
“Of course. I’ll be there by tonight.” Misako said firmly. “I’ll help in any way I can.”
“Thanks, I’ll tell Master Wu. Anyways, how’s the museum doing? Did it hold up alright during the attacks?”
“Oh, yes, it’s fine. It’s in great condition, and luckily none of the artifacts were damaged.”
“That’s good news,” said Lloyd. “Nice.”
The conversation came to an awkward stop, neither the mother nor son knowing how to proceed. Eventually, Lloyd said goodbye, see you tonight, and gave an excuse for having to go. After he had hung up, he let out a tired sigh. His relationship with his mother was definitely a lot better than before, but there still were times where it was difficult to connect and communicate. This was definitely one of those times. Lloyd stood abruptly and left his room in search of the rest of the team. He didn’t want to be alone right now, he decided.
“There you are!” Nya said as Lloyd walked into the common room. “We were wondering where you were.”
“I called my mom,” said Lloyd. “Good news, she said that she’d watch the monastery for us while we’re gone.”
“That is good news.” PIXAL nodded. “Master Wu will be pleased to hear that, I am sure.”
Cole’s comment was a lot quieter, and a lot more personal. “So, I don’t want to pry, but how did she react?”
Lloyd thought for a moment, then shrugged. “I mean, she was a little surprised, but she didn’t seem too shaken up. She told me she was sorry.”
The room fell quiet, the statement left hovering in the air. Jay, Kai, Cole, and Nya had paused the video game they had been playing when Lloyd walked in, and now the cheerful background music provided a stark, almost comedic contrast to the current mood in the room. Lloyd felt a small smile pull at his lips, then let out a quiet chuckle. The others visibly relaxed at the sound, and the mood turned calm again.
“Want to play cards?” Zane patted the ground next to him at the coffee table. “PIXAL and I just finished a round of Karuta.”
“Sure!” Lloyd sat next to his friends and was soon absorbed in the game.
The group happily passed a few hours together, talking about anything and everything. They did talk briefly about packing, what they needed to bring, what could stay behind until the final move, and who would be packing what. Zane and PIXAL were nominated as the directors of the packing process, or, as Jay said: The Moving Masters.
“We should probably head out by tomorrow or the day after at the latest.” Nya said. “The lords and ladies told us to go pretty quickly.”
“Okay, but where are we going first? Or are we just hanging out on the Bounty for three months?” Kai grinned.
“Let’s not.” Cole laughed. “Personally, I’d like to move around a lot. It can be like a mini-vacation or something.”
“Ooh, we could visit all our friends! Or our parents!”
Jay’s suggestion was readily accepted, and it was decided that they would try to visit as many parents and friends as possible. A last hurrah, Lloyd thought to himself. Before I will literally have no life outside of ruling Ninjago. He was pretty sure that the others saw it that way too, as Cole and Kai gave each other a look, and Nya gave a small sigh. Lloyd clapped his hands together and got to his feet.
“Well, I think I lost enough rounds of Karuta for today. I’m going to go start packing.”
Zane and PIXAL followed Lloyd out into the hall, the others saying that they would join them in a few minutes. Lloyd made his way to his room and once he was there, he pulled out a duffle bag and began to pack. Shirts, pants, socks, underwear, maybe a sweatshirt or two. Of course, there would be lots of gi on the Bounty for everyone to wear. The Ninja made sure to keep a good stock of uniforms on board. As Lloyd packed his bag for the three months, he let his mind wander to what being an emperor might be like. Surely if he wanted to take a vacation or two every once in a while they wouldn’t say no, right? What would they do? Fire him? Lloyd smirked and tossed another pair of socks into his bag. He doubted that they could do that.
“Hey, buddy. How’s it going?”
Lloyd looked up and saw Kai standing in his doorway. Lloyd gestured to his duffel bag and his messy closet, then gave a shrug.
“It’s going.”
Kai came in, stepping over the mounds of clothes on the floor, and sat on the edge of Lloyd’s bed. He picked up a small pile of shirts and began folding them and placing them in a pile on the bed.
“You don’t have to fold my laundry, Kai. I can do it myself.”
“I know,” Kai responded. “But you have a lot on your plate right now. I’m happy to help in any way I can.”
Lloyd gave the Master of Fire a small smile, and continued packing his bag. They sat in a peaceful silence for a few minutes, before Kai began to talk.
“So… how are you doing today? How was the talk with your mom.”
Lloyd paused, tilting his head to the side. “I’m alright. I’ll admit, the conversation was a bit stiff.” He narrowed his eyes as he recalled something his mother had said to him. “‘You know, I don’t think she was really that surprised. She said that she was afraid that this would happen, but I think it went over my head at the time.”
“That’s weird.” Kai frowned. “I wonder if Wu or Garmadon mentioned it to her when they were young.”
Lloyd nodded, not really wanting to talk about it any further. Luckily for him, the sound of a knock at the monastery door acted as a distraction. Jay hollered from the game room that he would get it, so Kai and Lloyd remained where they were. However, the sound of a yell a moment later made both of the boys jump to their feet.
“What was that?” Kai hissed, his fists beginning to glow. “Stay here!”
He shoved Lloyd into the open closet, closed the door slightly, and raced out of the room. Lloyd let out an indignant cry, throwing the door open and marching after Kai. He did not appreciate the supposedly well-meant gesture. He could absolutely defend himself if there was an intruder. He was a ninja for crying out loud! Lloyd stormed out into the hallway, but only got a yard away from his door before Zane and Cole came racing around the corner. They barreled into Lloyd, grabbing him under the arms and dragging him back into his bedroom. They ignored his protests until the door was shut tight, then released the Green Ninja.
“What the heck was that?” Lloyd whisper-shouted at the two other ninja. “Are we under attack or something?”
“No.”
“Sure feels like it.”
Cole and Zane eyed each other for their respective answers, Cole smirking and Zane frowning. Zane snatched up the dress clothes that Lloyd had worn yesterday and shoved them into the younger boy’s arms.
“Here. We have another visitor.”
“What? Oh come on!” Lloyd hastily began switching his clothes. “Who is it now?”
Cole shrugged as went to the dresser in the room and picked up Lloyd’s comb and hair gel. Zane answered as he dug through a pile of clothes in search for a clean pair of socks.
“Lord Shenoh. Member of Parliament.”
“Okay, why is he here?”
“I don’t know, Lloyd. I am absolutely certain that he sent you a congratulatory message this morning, and even more sure that you responded. There was no mention of him coming by in his email.”
Lloyd winced as Cole ran the comb through his hair, and let out a frustrated sigh.
“I really wish that these people would give a little more warning before they visit.”
“You and me both, bud.” Cole nodded his head in agreement.
“I swear I am going to make a law banning unexpected visits,” muttered Lloyd as he once again strode out into the hallway. “Library?”
“Yes.”
“Why did Jay scream when he answered the door?”
“Lord Shenoh was wearing armor, and his face covering startled Jay.” Zane said. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“It was kind of funny.” Cole grinned. “I don’t think Jay likes this guy very much.”
The three boys laughed quietly as they approached the library door.
When Lloyd walked into the library, Lord Shenoh was standing by the far window. He was covered in armor from head to toe, but he didn’t have his face covered at the moment. Master Wu was there as well, stroking his beard thoughtfully and frowning at the guest. The narrowed eyes of his master told Lloyd that Wu had no fond feelings for their guest. The rest of the ninja were there as well, hiding in the shadows or behind the pillars in the library. As he walked into the room, Lloyd examined the guest. Lord Shenoh was a middle-aged man with a fair amount of wrinkles and a short, gray beard. His eyes were narrowed, and the wrinkles around his eyes suggested that this was often the case. Cole and Zane stepped in after Lloyd, Zane closing the door behind him. Lord Shenoh turned at the sound, and a smile broke out on his face at the sight of the young man near the entrance of the room.
“Ah, Master Lloyd Garmadon! I’m so grateful and pleased that you could meet with me today.”
Lloyd fought the urge to say that he didn’t really have a choice.
“Of course. Please, have a seat.”
Lord Shenoh waved his hand in the air. “Oh no, no. I won’t be long. I don’t want to take up much of your precious time. I know it is going to get very busy for you very soon. I do apologize for the short notice of my visit, but I hope that this gift will partially make up for my rudeness.”
The man bent down, placed a large box on the table and pushed it in Lloyd’s direction. Lloyd reached out to open it, but before he could, he felt a hand on his wrist. Lloyd turned and saw Jay next to him, a wide smile on his face, but a sharp look of distrust in his eyes. He had appeared so suddenly it made Lloyd wonder if the other boy had been hiding under the table.
“Here, Lloyd. I’ll cut it open while you keep talking with Lord Shenoh.”
“Thanks, Jay. Thank you as well, Lord Shenoh. I look forward to opening that later.”
Lord Shenoh smiled and bowed. “Of course, of course.” He reached into the bag he had with him and pulled out a three-ringed binder. He placed it on the table and pushed it in Lloyd’s direction. Lloyd cautiously pulled the binder in front of him and opened it. Various graphs, numbers, and other information stared up at him, and a quick flip through the rest of the binder showed that most of it was the same.
“That is some of the main information about the Ninjago National Defense.” Lord Shenoh said, gesturing to the binder. “I thought it would be useful for you to have, considering that Parliament is considering a massive budget change at the moment. The more you know about it, the better.”
Maybe this is actually important, Lloyd thought with a frown. I guess I really should pay attention.
Lord Shenoh carried on. “I am one of the main advocates for the budget expansion, actually. Just think about it,” he said as he came to stand by Lloyd. He pointed to one of the graphs. “There are so many attacks on Ninjago, and they never seem to end! We need more protection, so it would make sense to increase the budget. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Lloyd thought about it for a minute. Yes, he would agree that it made sense, but diverting more money to the National Guard would mean that the money would have to come from somewhere else. As Lloyd thought about it, Lord Shenoh continued to talk. Lloyd paged through the folder and tried to tune the other man out as he examined the graphs. Lloyd narrowed his eyes when he came to a certain page, and threw a glance at Zane. Zane noticed this, and raised an eyebrow at the Green Ninja. He then tilted his head to the left. Lloyd looked over to see PIXAL shaking her head ever so slightly. She mouthed the word ‘no’ as well, solidifying Lloyd’s decision.
“Lord Shenoh,” said Lloyd as he put the binder down. “Thank you for bringing me this information and for bringing this matter to my attention. I will definitely consider it.” Lloyd left his statement vague and hoped that the lord would not push further. However, this was not the case.
Lord Shenoh narrowed his eyes, and they glinted sharply. “Consider? May I perhaps ask what you think of this proposal?”
“I don’t have enough information about it yet, and I’d like to do my research before I endorse anything.” Lloyd said firmly. “I do not know what I think yet.”
“I… understand completely.” Lord Shenoh bowed, his face obscured from view. “That is a very wise decision, your highness.”
Lloyd bowed back slightly, but did not respond. Both men straightened up, then Lord Shenoh stepped towards the door. Cole opened it as the lord got closer. When he reached the door, the older man turned around to look at Lloyd again.
“I will leave that binder with you, so that you can look over it when you’re available.”
“Thank you, I appreciate it. It was a pleasure meeting you.”
“The honor is all mine. I’m sure we’ll see each other soon.” The man bowed and walked out the door, Cole following close behind him.
As soon as the library door shut, the rest of the group came to stand around the table. Lloyd immediately turned to PIXAL and raised an eyebrow.
“So, what was that all about?”
“I did not think it was a good idea to immediately agree with him. He is only one representative of the proposal, and we only know his side of the story.”
“I agree with PIXAL,” said Master Wu. “I do not like Lord Shenoh very much.”
“Yeah, showing up alone on the emperor’s doorstep to ask for his personal support is kind of weird.” Nya nodded her head. “Especially when he’s one of the main supporters of this bill or whatever.”
Lloyd nodded his head and slid the binder across the table towards Zane and PIXAl. “I wasn’t planning on making a decision in the first place, I just hope he doesn’t take it personally. Zane, PIXAL, could you look over the info he gave me at some point and verify whether it’s legitimate?”
“Of course,” said Zane as he picked up the binder. “I will begin immediately.”
“Actually,” interrupted Lloyd. “I’d rather have you do that later. I want to pack up the Bounty and get moving as soon as possible. I’m tired of all these unexpected visits.”
“Yep, I agree,” interjected Kai. “Let’s get packing, people!”
The group dispersed, each of them heading to their own room. They updated Jay and Cole on the way, and agreed that they would leave immediately after dinner. Lloyd stated that if anyone else showed up unexpectedly, they would pretend that he wasn’t there. When the doorbell rang an hour and a half later, Lloyd stopped packing and immediately jumped into his closet.
“Please, please, please don’t be another lord or lady,” he whispered as he crouched lower in his laundry basket. “I’m so sick and tired of talking to people.”
Luckily, it was just Misako. She appeared in the doorway to his bedroom, stuck her head in and looked around for her son.
“Lloyd? Are you in here?”
“Uhh, yep! Just give me a sec-” Lloyd fell out of the closet with an ‘oof’ and quickly got to his feet. “Hi, mom,” he said awkwardly as he brushed his hands off.
Misako silently stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her son. Lloyd let out a heavy sigh and buried his face in his mother’s shoulder. They stayed like that for a long time, neither of them really sure what to do next. Eventually, Lloyd stepped away and looked at his mom. His eyes were conflicted.
“So, has Master Wu given you the rundown of everything that’s happened since we last talked?”
Misako nodded. “Yes. I think it’s a good idea to go.” She gave a little sigh. “I just wish that I could do more for you.”
Lloyd reached out and gave his mom’s hand a small squeeze. “You’re doing enough, I promise. There isn’t a lot that can be done.”
Misako gave a weak smile, then inhaled sharply and turned away. “Well, how about I help you pack until dinner? It looks like you’ve gotten most of it, but I’ll help clean up.”
The two of them worked until Zane called everyone in for dinner. Dinner was nice and cheerful, it seemed like everyone was trying to keep their minds off of the upcoming chaos. However, once all the dishes were washed and put away, Zane immediately entered business mode.
“Alright everyone,” said Zane, clapping his hands together. “Let’s get going. Cole, you’re in charge of carrying all the bags out. Kai, you can help Cole.”
“On it!”
“Jay, Nya, go do a final sweep of the rooms. Check that all the electronics are off, and that we haven’t forgotten anything.”
“Aye aye, captain!” Jay saluted and jogged after Nya.
“PIXAL, do what you need to do with the computers and the tech. I am handling the food.”
Lloyd, Master Wu, and Misako were left alone in the dining room, and Lloyd quickly excused himself with the excuse that he’d forgotten something. So now, here he was, sitting alone on his bed and staring blankly at the walls of his room. He didn’t like leaving. The realization that he wouldn’t live in the monastery much longer was even more unpleasant. He had lived in the monastery for a while, not as long as the others, but long enough that he considered it his home. Lloyd sighed and flopped back onto his bed. He closed his eyes and let himself lie there for a moment to think.
“Hey. All good?”
Lloyd sat up and saw Nya standing in the doorway. She gave him a sad smile, then came to sit next to him on the bed.
“Yeah. I’m just thinking.”
“Mhm. You don’t need to explain anything to me.” She sighed, then looked Lloyd in the eyes. “I think I understand.”
Lloyd didn’t respond, instead looking down at his hands that were resting in his lap. After a few minutes, Nya slapped his knee and stood up with a sigh.
“Well, it’s probably time to go, bud. Let’s go.”
Lloyd stood and followed the Water Ninja out of the room. He stopped briefly in the doorway, giving his room one last look, then walked down the hallway. He gazed sadly at the pictures that decorated the wall as he walked along. He swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to pull himself together, but the happiness in the memories was making it difficult. He stopped suddenly and stared at a picture that had been taken a long time ago, evidence of this being how young he looked in this particular photo. Sometimes, I wish I was you again, Lloyd thought as he stared at the smiling boy. But he would never be the boy in the photo again. Lloyd blinked rapidly, then walked away. This time, he didn’t look back.
When he reached the courtyard, everyone else was already there. Cole was tossing the last bag up to Kai, who was already aboard the ship, and the rest of the team was giving Misako some last-minute instructions.
“Can you water my plants? I couldn’t take them along…”
“Make sure to feed the chicken. Even though I hate that bird with a passion, Master Wu really loves it for some reason, and he’d be really sad if it died.”
“All of the complex computers should be powered down, but the casual-use monitor is in the living room by the-”
“Everyone, I printed out a list for Misako. She’ll be fine, so you can quit bothering her now.” Zane pushed the team in the direction of the Bounty. “Get on the ship, please. Please!” He sounded exasperated.
Lloyd waited for the group to move away from his mom, then he approached her. He looked at his feet as he drew closer, but Misako lifted his chin once he was standing in front of her. The older woman gazed into her son’s bright green eyes for a long moment, then sighed softly.
“You are going to be great. You are great, and you must never forget that.”
“Thanks, mom.”
“I love you. Be safe.” Misako pressed a gentle kiss to her son’s forehead. “Now go. It is time for you to leave.”
“Okay. I love you too.” Lloyd whispered, then he turned and walked away.
Once everyone was onboard, PIXAL took the wheel and began to pull away from the mountain. Misako stood in the courtyard and waved until they could no longer see her through the clouds. Lloyd immediately walked away from the others and made his way to one of his favorite spots on the Bounty. No one stopped him, they simply watched him climb up the main mast and into the crow’s nest. Once he was there, Lloyd sat down and pulled his knees up to his chest. His eyes were burning, and he was very glad that no one could see him right now. For some reason, leaving the monastery felt like leaving his old life. Things weren’t going to go back to the way they were, even if he wanted it to. FSM, I wish I had said no, Lloyd thought. I’m tired of this already.
“But… I have an obligation. I have a duty.” Lloyd whispered. “I have to do this.”
His mother was right. It was time to go.