Chapter Text
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The temporal winds clawed at Lloyd's very essence, each gust a painful reminder of the desperate mission gone awry. One heartbeat he stood shoulder to shoulder with his team, a united front against a rift threatening to consume their reality; the next, a cataclysmic surge of energy tore him from their ranks, casting him adrift in the merciless currents of time. He crashed onto solid ground, the air heavy with the sweet fragrance of cherry blossoms, yet laced with a disorienting sense of déjà vu. It was unmistakably Ninjago City, but disturbingly… different. Younger, more vibrant, untouched by the looming specter of battles unknown…yet to come.
A ghost of a life he vaguely recognized, now hauntingly unfamiliar. His emerald eyes, wide with disbelief, scanned the vibrant cityscape. A soft gasp escaped his lips as he pulled off his mask, his fingers tangling in his messy, blond hair. He wore his Green Gi, a symbol of a life he thought he'd lost forever. He was back—impossibly, miraculously—before Harumi's fall.
A wave of grief crashed over Lloyd, the memory of all that was lost a crushing weight. He knew what horrors were coming: the pain, the destruction, the lives that would be shattered by Harumi's actions. But beneath the weight of that knowledge, he saw the girl he had once known, the friend he had cherished, the ghost he still mourned.
Could he save her from the darkness that consumed her? Should he even try?
The girl he loved was on a path to destruction, and he found himself standing in the heart of the Sons of Garmadon territory, younger in years but burdened with the memories of a future he desperately wanted to change. His team was scattered, Jay and Nya on a distant relief mission, leaving him alone with this impossible choice.
"But how?"
He whispered, the question barely audible as he stared at the palace, still gleaming with an untouched brilliance.
"And why?"
The questions hung in the air, unanswered, mocking him with their elusiveness.
His heart twisted at the sight of her—Harumi. Laughing, radiant, and untouched by the darkness he knew would consume her. The guilt of her parents, the hurt he would inflict, all of it a crushing weight. Across the bustling marketplace, her laughter rang like the chime of distant bells. It was Harumi, yet not the vengeful specter that haunted his nightmares.
This was a girl of pure light, her eyes sparkling with an innocence that pierced him. She was feeding hungry children from a basket overflowing with goods from the palace, his younger self standing beside her.
"Wait…" he muttered, his mind racing. "If I've been thrown back in time, then that means…" His breath hitched as he saw his younger self, a light blush dusting his cheeks as he gazed at her. Then… the realization crashed over him. The team would be here too. The weight of the world settled on his young shoulders. To change the past could save countless lives, but at what cost?
Could altering the timeline erase his future, too?
The sight of Harumi struck Lloyd like a physical blow, a maelstrom of grief, longing, and sheer terror churning within him. He was assaulted by memories: the trusting warmth of her small hand in his, the echo of their shared dreams, the sound of her innocent laughter bouncing off the palace walls.
Seeing her now, so vibrantly alive, so untainted by the darkness he knew awaited her, felt like a cruel twist of fate. How could he condemn this innocent girl, so full of promise, to the agonizing destiny he knew awaited her? Could he betray the sacred trust they once shared, all in the name of a future that might never even come to pass, especially while protecting his younger self?
He found himself moving, one step, then another, drawn to her with a desperate gravity, like a moth to a flickering flame. Each step forward was a fresh betrayal, a violent tear in the delicate fabric of time, a reckless gamble with reality itself. He halted, his hand outstretched, fingers trembling as if with a fever.
He yearned to reach out, to pull her close, to whisper warnings, to somehow save her from the inevitable. But he knew, with a chilling certainty, that any action, any word, could unravel the intricate threads of time, unleashing consequences too terrible to comprehend.
The air hung thick with the gravity of his impossible choice, the sweet scent of cherry blossoms now a suffocating reminder of the innocence he was about to shatter. His gaze was locked on her—this vibrant echo of the girl he once loved—and a sob tore through his throat. "Rumi," he breathed, her name a painful prayer on his lips. It was like staring into a fractured mirror, reflecting a past he could never reclaim and a future he was desperate to rewrite.
His hand, which had been reaching out, now clenched into a tight fist. He had to focus—the mission, the countless lives hanging in the balance. He had to steel himself against the agonizing pull of his heart, a heart that remembered stolen moments and whispered promises. But how could he reconcile the cold, calculated strategy with the raw, visceral pain of knowing what awaited her?
How could he become the architect of her suffering, even if it meant saving the world?
The weight of that question threatened to crush him, to shatter the resolve he'd so carefully cultivated.
Torn between the agonizing weight of the future and the haunting beauty of the past, Lloyd stood frozen, a solitary figure caught in the merciless currents of time. He was burdened by memories, a savior paralyzed by love, a ghost haunting his own life. And as Harumi's carefree laughter danced on the wind, each note a shard of glass piercing his soul, he knew that whatever choice he made, a part of him would forever remain lost in this impossible moment, trapped in the echo of what could have been.
“Gotta find the team first or we’ll the past team.” He muttered turning away from the sight of Rumi and his past younger self in the market place. “Would they even believe he’s from the future?” He wondered. If his memory serves him correctly the team would have already meet to discuss SOG and who’s behind it which Lloyd knew who.
"I have to find the others first, or rather, the team they once were," he murmured, wrenching his gaze from the sight of Harumi and his younger self in the marketplace. Each step away felt like abandoning a piece of himself he could never reclaim.
"Would they even believe me? That I'm from the future? Highly doubtful…" Doubt was a ravenous beast, tearing at his resolve. If his memory served him right, the team would have already gathered, their voices a low hum of concern over the Sons of Garmadon, unaware of the puppet master pulling their strings. A bitter irony coiled in his gut—he possessed the knowledge to alter their fate, a secret that could shatter their world or save it, yet he was paralyzed by the fear of ridicule, of being branded a liar.
He spun, the emerald of his gi a swirling vortex of suppressed emotion, a solitary beacon in the marketplace's kaleidoscope of chaos. Faces blurred past, each a stranger, a potential ally or enemy. He needed to find Kai, Cole, Zane, Nya, and Jay—his anchors, the foundation upon which his world was built. But the question echoed in his mind: Could he burden them with this impossible truth? Would they embrace his outlandish tale of fractured timelines and impending doom, or would they see him as nothing more than a broken reflection of their Lloyd?
The weight of his isolation threatened to suffocate him. He longed for their camaraderie, their unwavering support, the unspoken understanding that had guided them through countless battles. But he couldn't simply burst into their lives, spewing prophecies of doom. He needed a plan, a way to gently weave the truth into their reality, without unraveling the delicate threads of the past.
His thoughts spiraled, a frantic dance through fragmented memories. The image of their old training dojo surfaced—a sanctuary hidden from the city's clamor. It was a fragile hope, a lifeline in a sea of uncertainty, but it was all he had. With newfound resolve, he plunged into the throng, his senses heightened, every shadow a potential threat, every whisper a warning.
As he navigated the labyrinthine rooftops of the Royal Palace, a fleeting shadow caught his eye. A figure, cloaked in darkness, slipped into a doorway. His heart leaped with a surge of hope, a desperate prayer that it might be one of them. He quickened his pace, his hand instinctively reaching for the dormant power within. Caution was paramount, but the burning desire for connection propelled him forward. He reached the doorway, his breath catching in his throat, the air thick with anticipation. He peered into the abyss, his eyes straining to penetrate the darkness. A voice, young and wary, echoed from the shadows.
"Who's there? Show yourself!"
It was Jay—younger, more impetuous, but undeniably Jay. Relief washed over Lloyd, but he knew this was only the beginning. The true challenge lay ahead: convincing his team of his future identity and preparing them for the battles yet to come, battles he knew they were destined to face. The sound of Jay's voice cut through Lloyd's despair like a lifeline. Hope flickered within him, momentarily eclipsing the fear that had become his constant companion. Yet, he couldn't reveal himself so easily. He was a ghost from a future gone wrong, a walking paradox, and every step had to be measured.
He emerged from the shadows of the palace hallway, hands raised in a gesture of peace, moving to intercept Jay. "Let me go, or you'll be fried!" Jay's muffled exclamation was almost comical, but Lloyd's expression remained grave as he pulled Jay into a secluded alcove. "It's me, Jay," he said, his voice thick with suppressed emotion. "It's Lloyd."
Jay stepped into the dim light, his face a mixture of confusion and suspicion. His youthful eyes scanned Lloyd, taking in the worn green gi, the familiar blond hair, and the haunted depths of his gaze. "Lloyd?" he echoed, disbelief coloring his tone. "But you're older...way older. And what's with that look? I thought you were with the princess?"
Lloyd closed the distance between them, his heart pounding. He saw the internal battle raging in Jay's eyes. "I know this is hard to believe," he began, his voice trembling slightly. "But I'm from the future, Jay. A future where everything... everything fell apart."
Jay recoiled, his hand instinctively moving as if to summon his elemental power. "The future? What are you talking about? Is this some kind of prank? Was it Cole? It was Kai wasn't it!" Lloyd knew he had to tread carefully. He couldn't risk overwhelming Jay with the full weight of what was to come. "Because I've fought alongside you, Jay," he said, his voice laced with conviction. "I've seen you save the world, time and time again. We're a team."
He reached out, his hand outstretched in a silent plea for trust. "Just listen to me, Jay. Please. I know things are going to get dark. But I also know that we can stop it. We can save everyone." The air hung heavy with unspoken tension, the weight of the future pressing down on them. Jay stared at Lloyd, his mind struggling to reconcile the familiar face with the impossible claim. In that moment, Lloyd knew that the fate of their future, of Ninjago itself, hung precariously in the balance, dependent on a single spark of belief.
Jay's eyes darted around the alcove, a storm of disbelief and suspicion brewing within them. He opened his mouth to retort, to dismiss Lloyd as an imposter or a madman, but the raw emotion etched on the older ninja's face gave him pause. He saw a flicker of the Lloyd he knew—the courageous leader, the loyal friend—but beneath it lay a weariness that spoke of battles fought and lost.
"Prove it," Jay challenged, his voice barely a whisper.
"Prove that you're really Lloyd."
Lloyd stepped closer, his gaze intense. "Remember the time we were stuck in the Caves of Despair, and you tried to use your lightning to recharge my energy? You ended up electrocuting us both, and we spent the next hour with our hair standing on end, arguing about who was more responsible."
A ghost of a smile touched Lloyd's lips. "Or what about the time you accidentally turned Nya's hair blue with one of your inventions, and you spent a week trying to fix it before she found out?"
Jay's eyes widened, a flicker of recognition igniting within them. Those were memories only he and Lloyd shared, moments of levity amidst the chaos of their lives. But still, doubt lingered. "Okay, maybe you know some things," Jay conceded, "but that doesn't mean you're from the future. Anyone could have found out about those things."
Lloyd sighed, the weight of his mission pressing down on him. He knew he couldn't reveal too much, couldn't risk altering the timeline irreparably. But he needed to convince Jay, needed to gain his trust.
"The Sons of Garmadon," Lloyd said, his voice low and urgent. "They're not who you think they are. There's someone else pulling the strings, someone far more dangerous. And if you don't stop them, everything you know will be destroyed."
He paused, letting his words sink in. "I can't tell you everything, Jay. But trust me, please. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't important." He extended his hand once more, his eyes pleading. "We need to find the others. We need to be ready." Jay hesitated, his mind reeling. He looked at Lloyd's outstretched hand, then back at his face, searching for any sign of deceit.
He saw only sincerity, a desperate plea for help from a friend he thought he knew. With a deep breath, Jay reached out and clasped Lloyd's hand, his grip firm. "Alright, Lloyd," he said, a newfound resolve in his voice. "I'm with you. But you better have a good explanation for all of this."
As their hands met, a surge of pure, untamed energy arced between them, a fragile spark of hope against the overwhelming darkness. For the first time since being plunged into this nightmare, Lloyd felt a delicate tendril of hope unfurl within him. He wasn't alone in this twisted reality. "Thank you, Jay," Lloyd whispered, his voice thick with a mixture of profound relief and gnawing trepidation.
"You won't regret this, I promise you."
Yet, even as the words escaped his lips, a dark cloud of doubt clung to his mind like a shroud. Convincing the others would be an uphill battle, a struggle against the very core of who they were. Kai's burning skepticism, Cole's unwavering practicality, Zane's chilling logic—each loomed like an insurmountable wall. And Nya… the mere thought of revealing the truth to her, of burdening her with the crushing weight of a doomed future, was almost too much to bear.
"So, where do we even begin?"
Jay asked, his eyes gleaming with a newfound resolve that mirrored Lloyd's own.
Lloyd hesitated, his mind racing through a labyrinth of treacherous possibilities. "First, we find the others, but we must tread carefully, like walking on shattered glass. If what I know is true, alerting our enemy to our presence could unleash a catastrophe beyond our wildest nightmares. The Sons of Garmadon are nothing more than pawns in a much larger, more sinister game.
Someone we trust implicitly is pulling the strings, manipulating them like puppets on a stage of chaos. And they are under control by someone called the Quiet One…" he whispered, his voice laced with a chilling dread. Jay chuckled, a nervous sound that barely masked the fear beneath.
"That's their name?"
He asked, his voice incredulous.
Lloyd groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose, his frustration bubbling to the surface. "Jay, listen to me," he snapped, his voice urgent. "The SOG are poised to attack the Royal Palace, leaving it in flames at any moment. But that's just a distraction. There's a far greater threat looming over Ninjago, a darkness so profound it could swallow everything we hold dear, leaving nothing but ashes in its wake."
As they stepped out of the shadows of the Royal Palace, ready to confront the unknown horrors that awaited them, Lloyd couldn't shake the ominous feeling that they were walking into a meticulously crafted trap, each step carefully orchestrated by their unseen enemy. But with Jay standing steadfastly beside him, a flicker of defiance ignited within his heart, pushing back against the encroaching darkness.