CANDY!!! 🍬🍬🍭🍭

Prompt: Returning Villain

WARNING! Contains some violence and blood. And to think there's a candy distribution up above. 😬

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"Oh, uh . . . Mr. Garmadon!" yelled the mailman, waving an envelope up at the Green Ninja who was running on the rooftops with the rest of the Ninja, leaping over gaps and flipping in mid-air. "Mr. Garmadon!" the man tried again, one hand holding onto the envelope while the other gripped the handle of his bike.

He peddled faster, trying to catch up to the quick warriors. "LLOYD GARMADON!!!" He shrieked as he stopped his bike to rest his aching muscles.

"WHAT??" Came an irritated yell from above. The mailman squinted up to see the Ninja gathered on the top of a building, looking down at him through their hoods. Lloyd's eyes, however, screamed irritation.

"What is with you guys?" the blonde snapped at the man. "Seriously, I can't even go a day without everyone always screaming my name. Lloyd Garmadon, Lloyd Garmadon, Lloyd Garmadon! Day and night, dusk till dawn!"

"Lloyd . . ." Kai tried to calm him down but the boy ignored him, fuming. "I'm not Lloyd Garmadon, I'm a messiah from the sky!" he screamed sarcastically. Cole grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "Snap out of it, man! I think the mail guy has something for you."

That's when Lloyd finally stopped his rambling and noticed the mailman timidly waving an envelope at him. "Oh," Lloyd muttered, clearly embarrassed by all the noise he had made. "Right, give it here."

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Lloyd flopped down onto his bed, his body drained of energy from the fatiguing run around town that day. He never mentioned it but he felt more and more tired everyday. Maybe he needed a break or just a little get away.

He rolled around on the mattress, trying to get into a more comfortable position (though that was impossible with a gi on). He stopped as he heard the crinkling of paper issuing from his pocket. All of a sudden, he remembered the mail he'd received.

He never opened it since he never got the chance what with the Mechanic and his gang up to no good again. He pulled the envelope out and fumbled with his bedside lamp. He switched it on, squinting at the piece of paper.

To,
Lloyd Garmadon,
The Green Ninja

From,
TQ1

Lloyd furrowed his brow in confusion at the name of the sender. There was neither a return address nor a stamp. It could be fan-mail written by some teen with no idea how to write a letter. "Boy, do I love reading those," he muttered dryly, tearing open the envelope.

He fished out the paper inside and brought it close to the lamp for more light. It was sort of a short poem instead of an actual letter and the writing looked feminine. It looked rushed though. The more Lloyd read, the more it felt like an invitation to meet somewhere but the location was hidden between the lines.

Meet me where the people sleep

Where eternal slumber is lying deep

Where their identities are carved in stone

Under which they rest all alone

So come meet me beside the same tree

Where you buried your heart with the thoughts of me

I may come as a friend or as a foe

Keep this a secret; no one has to know

~~ The villain that got away.

Lloyd's hand shook as the paper fell and fluttered to the floor. He exhaled shakily before dropping down onto his bed. He could feel goosebumps growing on his skin and his feet and hands had suddenly gone cold. This had to be a prank. No way was this real.

She had died right before his eyes. She couldn't be alive!

TQ1?

The Quiet One . . .

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The sun was almost down below the horizon as Lloyd traipsed along the graveyard path, wounding his way through the tombstones and burial mounds. The dry, orange leaves crunched under his feet along with the gravel while some leaves blew around his knees in the crisp autumn zephyr.

Lloyd shivered, stuffing his freezing hands into the pockets of his jacket and hunching over against the wind. He kept his gaze on the gravel path, raising his green eyes only when he saw someone approaching close.

Not many people were usually in the graveyard at this time of the evening. Ever since the news of Morro and the other ghosts reached Ninjago City, people began to avoid hanging around in graveyards and cemeteries when it was getting dark.

But he was used to these kind of things. Take the current situation: he was actually here to meet his ex who he thought had been dead for over two months. Go figure!

After re-reading the letter more than was necessary, Lloyd debated whether this was a cruel joke or the real deal. What led his usually rational mind to swing to the very irrational option two? The last line that quoted what Harumi had once said.

The greatest villain is the one you never knew was there in the first place - the one that gets away.

Besides, he had a feeling that this was real. They had never found her body after all. Did they?

Lloyd stopped, reaching the last row of graves. He turned his head one way then the other, making sure no one was watching him. It was getting dark so shadows could be an advantage. He stepped off the gravel path and walked on, into the forest of sycamore trees topped with golden shades of autumn.

The huge branches formed a canopy over him, blocking the evening sky out of view. It grew more dark the deeper he went, the trees more closely spaced than before. Recognizing the familiar trunks and boulders, Lloyd made his way forward.

His steps were now a bit more reluctant as he was nearing the place he was asked to come to. Back on the Bounty, he had decided to go alone since that was what the writer wanted.

Now, he really wished he had brought someone along, the number one choice being Nya since she was the one who had stood by his side during the resistance against his father and the Sons Of Garmadon.

He approached a big sycamore, placing his hand on the thick trunk. He walked around it till his fingers felt a carving in the natural grooves of the wood. Squinting, he saw the broken heart shape he had carved days ago to mark the spot.

He bent down and found the stone embedded in the earth on which he had scratched Rumi Oshiro. After the entire ordeal with the Sons Of Garmadon, he had discovered Harumi's adoption papers in the wreck of the palace. That was her real name.

Taking in a deep breath, he buried his fingers in the cool earth and began digging. He dug and dug, dirt getting stuck in his nails, till he felt a small box. He retrieved it from the ground, wiping off the dirt. He pulled it open to reveal the photographs of Harumi with her real parents and the Emperor and Empress which he had salvaged from the ruins of the Bounty.

He looked at them for a minute or so not really paying attention as the last light of day vanished, replaced by darkness. Lloyd's ninja instincts suddenly kicked in as he heard feeble crunching of leaves through the gentle breeze. In a swift motion, he stood up and began scrutinizing the forest around him, eyes narrowed.

He shivered slightly and his heart began beating faster as he heard a faint whisper. Gentle but cold as the wind itself.

"Spider's in the house
Sleep, sleep

Spider bit the mouse
Sleep deep

Don't wake up or else you'll find a spider in your mouth . . ."

These words echoed all around him and he couldn't pinpoint the exact location of it in the dark. It was only when the singing grew louder did he figure out the direction from where it was coming. He quickly twisted around and stopped. His eyes widened in shock and horror as she strolled nearer to him.

Her small yet confident figure emerged from the dark and into the dim moonlight, her blue eyes gleaming. Her hair flowed behind her like a white cape and seemed to be glowing in contrast to the darkness all around. It could easily be mistaken as a ghostly figure gliding silently in the wind.

She wore a grey and black striped high-neck over dark blue jeans. What shoes she wore couldn't be made out but it wouldn't be wrong to assume she came barefooted for no distinct noise came when she walked closer.

Lloyd took in a sharp breath as she parted her lips and said, "Missed me, Lloyd?" For a moment, Lloyd was struck dumb. She was real. She was right in front of him. His throat was dry but he still managed to speak.

"What did we do on the first night we were alone together?"

Harumi smiled, though Lloyd couldn't tell if it was a sinister one or not. She gazed into his eyes, making him uncomfortable. "We took a walk on the canal and gave food to the poor," she whispered.

Hearing the correct answer, Lloyd was relieved and scared. Relieved that it was her and not a prank. Scared that . . . it was her and not a prank. Why was she alive? Even if it did turn out to be a prank, he wouldn't mind but this was too much to handle.

"How . . . how are you not dead?" he inquired unsurely.

The girl pursed her lips, looking offended. "My goodness, Lloyd. You can't just ask someone why they aren't dead," she muttered and Lloyd half expected her to laugh afterwards. "People might say negative things about your upbringing."

Lloyd tried to make himself look calm and confident. He folded his arms, gazing at her suspiciously. "In my defence, my upbringing was done by a school for bad boys."

This time, she laughed. She twirled a strand of white hair around her finger, the other hand on her hip. "Same old Lloyd. You always have something to say. I prefer to be . . ." She raised a finger to her lips, " . . . quiet."

Lloyd shook his head, trying not to get distracted by her sweet voice. "What do you want from me?"

"I'm just here for a hug," she replied, smiling angelically. Lloyd gave a mirthless laugh. "A hug?!"

"What part of 'I'm just here for a hug' do you not understand?"

Lloyd gritted his teeth and took a step closer. "The part where you think that after all you've done, I'll still trust you."

"Of course you trust me," Harumi purred, stepping closer herself. "You love me, don't you?"

"No," Lloyd stated, his voice laced with venom but his eyes yelled 'yes'. "Maybe I used to but not anymore."

Harumi tried to act disappointed and tutted, shaking her head. "Lying again, young Garmadon."

Lloyd freaked and shifted away as Harumi slowly advanced towards him. Before he could scream for help or fight back, the girl rushed forwards and wrapped her arms around his chest in a hug.

Shock was the only thing Lloyd could comprehend. He stood still as if Harumi's touch had turned him to stone and freezed his senses. Once again, his trusting side took over and against his own better judgement, he slowly put his arms around her, completing the hug.

The day that building crumbled underneath her, Lloyd was sure he had lost her forever. But the feeling of holding her in his arms, real and alive, drove him to start sobbing. Harumi tightened the hug, stroking his hair.

"Please don't cry, Lloyd," she murmured, trying to sound sympathetic. "Or else it'll be hard for me to do this."

Lloyd hiccoughed, attempting to make his voice steady. "Do . . . do what?" he muttered, not breaking the hug. He didn't get an answer though.

A short cry escaped his lips as an unbearable pain cut through his abdomen. His body went numb but screamed with the slicing pain simultaneously. He began breathing unevenly, pulling back. His eyes met Harumi's but they were blank, devoid of any emotion.

"You were right, Lloyd," she whispered in his trembling ear. "You shouldn't have trusted me." Her cold voice turned into a soft, sinister chuckle.

With laboured respiration, the blonde looked down at his stomach where a dagger was embedded into the skin, blood soaking the green cloth of his shirt. Tremors rocked his body as he glanced fearfully at Harumi's retreating form. She yanked out the weapon causing him to yell in pain and fall uselessly on the ground.

His vision went blurry, his head spun and he writhed in pain as the girl disappeared with the breath of the wind. He lay there, blood pooling around him and the darkness closing in. A tear rolled down his cheek as he lost life force with every drop of blood. He would perish - right next to the tree where he buried his heart.

There was no one to see. There was no one to call out to, no one to ask for help. No one knew.

No one has to know.

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