Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

21:33, Stone Army Vault/Resident home of the Serpentine

Meeting room of the leaders

"ALL OF THIS COULD HAVE BEEN USSSS. USS, JUST IF WE SSSSAW THE POTENTIAL HE HAD", shouted Skales. The stone walls around them shook as he hit the heavy table. "Thats what all of them ssssay." remarked the leader of the Constrictai, Skalidor. "This sssscreaming doesnt", "change anything but cause more cracksss in our wallsss.", said the two headed Fangpyre leader, Fangtom. "Acidussss! you would know what to do! you alwayssss do!" bewildred Skales to a very much confused Venomari leader. "A snake made out of drugs would only know about how to make it! You want to get the ninjas high? That would be a gift for them!" Shot Skalidor at Skales. "We are not made out of drugssss!" "You ssssure about that? Cause last time i saw your people they were-"

"SSSSTOP IT!" screamed Skales that the entire Snakes of the underground world could hear him.

"we really are", "missserable aren't we?..." said Fangtom sorrowful.
"All cause of that blonde kid in pyjamassss!...just if he was on the side of evil, the side he wassss meant to be on! but noooo, the ninjasss couldnt let anyone other then them have sssomething nice! Just if we could go back in time with our current knowledge to make him go the evil path, the RIGHT path." hallooed Skales.

"I have jussst what you need." announced a familiar voice. A unwelcome one.

 "You. What are YOU doing here?!" yelled Skalidor. "CALM DOWN SKALIDOR. Let him talk...whats this thing your talking about?" questioned Skales. 

"the one item that lets you change the past, today and future of our world...The time blade of reversal" muttered the unwelcomed voice as it threw the blade on the stone table revealing the bleached skin of a snake. A silence fell on the room, if not being broken by the dripping sound of the remaining venom from the Great Devourer.

"impossible...they were ssssupposed to be destroyed! Or gone in time!" enunciated Acidus.

"yesss, they are...except this one. the ninjassss took it with them in the fight back to our current time, but didnt really take care of it..." explained the voice knowingly. "wait wait wait...you arent one snake that would just give something..." stated Skales. 

"well...lets sssay your goal is the same asss mine...in ssssome kind of way" corroborated the rare voice. "Ok take that hood down we all know itssss you Pythor, stop being ashamed to be bleached by the venom of the giant all eating sssnake." shot Skalidor at the formerly purple now bleached white Anacondrai. "sure sure." nodded Pythor as he took the hood of his cloak down.

"took you long enough." muttered skales. "ssso what will we do now?" asked Acidus. "Go with our plan trough!...when we make it. we have the basssic idea for it. now we need to 'branch it out'" explained Skales.

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22:56, Ninjago City Borg Tower

The borg tower was lit up with a few candle's , Lloyd preferring not to use the light since it commonly hurt his eyes. Which was one of the reasons the lights in the monastery were specially made of the shards from the Realm Crystal.

Lloyd was sitting in the middle of the room looking at a painting, a painting that meant for him more then anything. A reminder that at some point everything was normal, that it still could be like that. Just not for him. He stared at the picture in silence looking at the different textures, the paint strokes, how some parts are more layered then the other. The green eyes and freshly but am maturely short cut hair of the little boy he knew but now was so far away.

Pale skin, decorated with blood red eyes that could make people scream in fear, but for him, those eyes were more comforting. Ginger hair dyed to brown, a smile of happiness looking down at the boy, both red and brown eyes full of admiration.

The details of this painting would go unnoticed by everyone who came to admire it, but not him, he knew the story behind every single layer of paint and brush strokes, every single light and colour. 

So many memories that belonged to him, but didn't feel like they did.

The more he stared at it, the more time passed slowly the beautiful full moon started shining in all its glory, a full moon that normally meant nothing for people, but this one is cherished, cherished by the old and young. 

Everyone except the person that its about.

A door being slowly opened could be heard followed by the footsteps, Lloyd instantly recognized the rhythm. A habit he picked up at Darkleys, especially from the fire ant attacks Gene and Brad had done.

 "Lloyd? its me, Nya." said the voice that Lloyd always knew he could trust. The voice of the person who was kind to him for the first time in his life. The voice that helped him. Comforted him at the worst times, a voice that he would do everything to keep safe and alive. 

Nya's kind heart and strong feeling of independence was something that always inspired him, even as a kid. He still does, something he doesn't fear to admit, especially when it came to remind people that everyone starts small but with help everything possible. 

"...Hi Nya." Lloyd didn't stand up not even thinking about moving his eyes away from the painting. 

"You really love that painting don't you? You always stare at it on your birthday. Its quite understandable, a painting that shows your family when all was okay is special in your heart, me and kai did it too." soothed Nya as she sat next to Lloyd looking at the Painting. “When you said you want to donate the painting to the Borg Tower display archives or whatever they call it, I was shocked. But when I understood why…I was proud, it showed how much you have grown.”

"...Nya I know your not here to sit with me staring at a painting of my family and compliment about my so called ‘improvement’. I said this and will say it again, i do not want to celebrate my birthday. I really am thankful for everything but i don't want to take part in whatever you have planned." expressed Lloyd, still not moving his eyes from the painting. "I know, i know...you don't really like your birthday and see it more like a curse, which we will have a talk about, but the people of Ninjago cherish it, the day their hero and saviour was born. Please just come with me i promise its worth it! No cake or anything, but please just look." Pleaded Nya as she slowly stood up looking down at Lloyd.

"Nya i know you only mean well but-" before Lloyd could finish his sentence was Nya dragging him out to the Borg Towers Balcony. "H-Hey! What are you doing..." 

Lloyd slowly looked meeting the view of something magical, so surreal as if it was from a kids movie. Endless miles of sky lanterns flying, each one being different. Some made out of drawings of him by kids other made with ancient scrolls telling stories that no one remembers. 

“W-what is this…” asked Lloyd admiring the beauty in front of him. “Our gift for you.” said Kai ruffling lloyds hair as he and the other ninjas with master Wu appeared. “Ours and the civilians of the entirety of ninjago. Happy birthday Nephew.” congratulated Sensei Wu, hugging his nephew.

“So wheres the cake?” asked cole, trying his best suppress his happiness about the cake rather then Lloyd’s birthday, jokingly of course. “Well i did promise Lloyd there wont be cake so..” told Nya but was cut off by Jay, “Some promises are meant to be broken for good.” he said while holding a cake, decorated in green with the words ‘happy birthday Lloyd! We love you’ in gold surrounded by stars. “..well i guess i can forgive a broken promise in this case…” said the blonde boy smiling. “Thats my boy! Now lets start eating this cake!”

Chapter Text

The Monastery, resident of the ninja’s

23:48, Underground base

Pixal and Zane were sitting together going through old documents in the hardbase of the Monastery’s computer to make up space for new or more important things, for normal person this would have been the most boring thing they could do especially so late at night, but since Zane and Pixal were nindroids they actually quite enjoyed these things. 

“Some of these documents are so old! This one’s from the time the First Spinjitzu Master was still alive!”, shared Pixal with Zane. “how did they even document these things at that time and keep it in this good state for so many hundreds of years…also could you bring these papers upstairs later? It would be good topics to discuss with the others in the morning!” explained Zane “Sure just let me answer this call very fast! Hello this is Pixal, you just called the monastery of master Wu, what can I help you with?” Pixel asked, listening to the answer of the caller. “Hello! My son was telling me about him not being able to sleep yesterday and I think he witnessed a break in!” said the worried father on the other end of the line. “Could you put your son on call so I can ask him a few questions?” requested Pixal as she wrote down what the man said. “Of course I will go and get him now!”

“Shouldn’t they call the police for something like this?” questioned Zane as he walked towards Pixal with a puzzled face. “Maybe they don't trust the police, but I don't think that's the case, the kid most likely did not visit any ordinary break in.” “Why do you think so?” Zane asked her while analyzing the situation at hand. “Well the man sounded really distraught, and if it was an ordinary break in it would have been reported to the police by now by someone else. Even if-”,.

“I brought him, I'm sorry it took so long! Arhit, this nice lady on the phone will ask you questions ok? Please answer them honestly!” “ok phâaw!”

“Hello sweetie! I'm Pixal from the monastery of spinjitzu, do you mind if I ask some questions?” requested Pixal in a kind tone to not freak the kid out. “WOW YOU ARE ACTUALLY PIXAL! YOUR LIKE THE COOLEST PERSON EVER!...sorry hahaha but sure i don't mind miss Pixal!” replied the boy in a excited tone as if his biggest dreams came true.

Date: 23/8/xxxx  Time: 00:03

recording begins

Pixal: You said your name is Arhit right?

Xxx-xx-xxx: Yes!

Pixal: How old are you Arhit?

Xxx-xx-xxx: I am 12!

Pixal: So, Arhit, where do you live?

Xxx-xx-xxx: we live at xxxxxxxxx s street, in Ninjago city!

Pixal: So when did you go to your bedroom and at what time did you start noticing something?

Xxx-xx-xxx: I think I went to bed at 22:30…and around 23:45 I noticed a figure near the explorer museum or something that's in front of our house. 

Pixal: what did the figure look like?

Xxx-xx-xxx: it was too dark but I could make out its figure a little, it was tall, maybe around 180-200 cm? I don't think it had legs, because it was moving in a weird motion that a person couldn't make…

Pixal: hmmm…did it have something instead of legs?

Xxx-xx-xxx:uhhh…พ่อ คุณพูดหางยาวในภาษาอังกฤษว่าอย่างไร?

*muffled voice in the background*

Xxx-xx-xxx: yes! It looked like a long tail? But not like a dogs tail, their tail was was connected to the body like a fish human !

Pixal: You mean a mermaid?

Xxx-xx-xxx: yes a mermaid! But this one could walk!

Pixal:ok…did you see anything else?

Xxx-xx-xxx: Well I saw it enter from the ventilation I think? But thats it.

Pixal: that was the last question! Thank you for answering everything thoroughly! Could you give the phone to your father a

Ahrit?

Xxx-xx-xxx: Sure!

*shuffling sounds*

Xxx-xx-xxx: you asked for me?

Pixal: yes yes, I wanted to know if it was possible for me to contact you again through this number in case that anything happens.

Xxx-xx-xxx: of course! Thank you so much!

Pixal: dont mention it sir! Hear you later!

recording ends

Pixal sighs as she sinks in her chair knowing what this means. “You're thinking what I'm thinking?” said Zane while turning to Pixal from the computer. “The snakes?” “the snakes…” 

“But which snake could it be? There are so many versions of them!” huffed Pixal looking up to zanes bright blue eyes that could make a person go blind if they looked too long. “Well we can exclude the normal snakes, only the leader and maybe their right hands have tails.” replied Zane, laying his hand on Pixals shoulder to comfort her knowing how stressed she might feel knowing she was supposed to visit Borg next week and now a new mystery is happening. “I mean if you think about it, the snakes have pretty much given up being evil…except one”

“Pythor. This snake is the doom of us all I swear to FSM” expressed Pixal in a grim tone, putting her hand on her forehead to ease her mind. Zane hugs her, what else can he do? Both of them know it, their roles in this life, this destiny, this very world. They couldn't escape it before and neither can they now.

“...we should wake the others as early as possible and get to work”,. Stated Zane staring holes hoping this won't be as big of a situation as they think it is.