Lloyd's P.O.V:

I was still laying in bed trying to sleep when my alarm went off. Kira got up and turned it off. She looked at how tired I was.

"Good morning." She kissed me on the cheek. "Did you get any sleep?"

I shook my head. "I couldn't sleep no matter how hard I tried. I was worried I would have that nightmare again."

"Oh Lloyd, I told you there's nothing to worry about." She comforted me.

"I don't know, it felt so real."

"I think we should go see someone about this." She suggested.

"I'm way ahead of you. I'm meeting with Zane today and he was going to run some tests. Just to make sure everything's ok." I told her before I yawned.

"Ok then let's go." Kira said.

"But I thought you told me everything was gonna be ok?"

"It will be, but I don't like seeing you like this." She kissed me. "If it will make you feel better, then we should go."

"Thank you."

"Of course. I'll go get Ryder ready."

"Ok." Then I remembered. "Oh I'm so sorry, I completely forgot about our plans with Nya today."

"Oh that's right." Kira said. "Well I'm sure she'll understand if I call and cancel."

"No, you should go." I insisted. "I'll be ok by myself. Besides, I know how much you were looking forward to it."

"Are you sure Lloyd? I would hate for you to be alone."

"Please, go have fun." I smiled. "I won't be there long. I'll catch up with you guys as soon as I can."

"Thank you." She kissed me. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Then we got dressed and ready to go. Ryder went with Kira to grab a cab to take them to the cafe. Once I got outside I tried to form my dragon but I couldn't do it.

"Dang it! Why can't I get it to work?" I complained.

"What are you doing son?" My mom said as she walked out into the yard.

"Hey mom I was just..."

"You look exhausted." She interrupted me. "Is everything ok?"

"Yeah, I just didn't sleep well last night." I yawned.

"Why aren't you going to breakfast with Kira and Ryder?"

"I'm going to Zane's. He said he needed help testing one of his new inventions." I lied. "I was going to meet up with them as soon as I was done."

"I don't know what's going on, but I feel like there's something you're not telling me." She put her hand on my shoulder. "What's the matter?"

"Fine." I sighed. "I had a nightmare last night and it felt so real. I want to make sure it's not anything serious."

"Say no more, I'll take you." She smiled.

"Ok. Thanks." I yawned.

With that I got into my mom's car and we started heading for Zane's. According to my mom, I fell asleep three different times that trip.

Zane's P.O.V.:

Lloyd texted me last night saying he was having some kind of nightmare. Him and Misako were at our place so I could help Lloyd. Pixal and Misako were in the living room with Alex while Lloyd was with me in the lab.

"Are we ready to get started Lloyd?" I turned to him, but he had fallen asleep in the chair. "Lloyd!" I yelled.

"Ahh!" Lloyd said as he bolted awake. "Oh did I fall asleep?"

"Yes. I sense you are sleep deprived?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm sorry Zane." He said yawning. "I didn't sleep well last night."

"I know. That's why you are here." I reminded him. "Now just relax. This will not hurt."

He nodded. I used my scanner to scan him and something wasn't right. I couldn't tell what, but Lloyd was part Oni so maybe that was normal for him but I did not know.

"Well?" Lloyd said getting anxious. "Is it bad?"

"I'm sorry, I forgot to adjust my scanners to accommodate for your Oni side." I told him. "Let me fix that and I'll be right back."

"That's alright, take your time." Lloyd said as he yawned again.

I took a few minutes to adjust my scanners, then I turned back to Lloyd and he had fallen asleep again.

"Lloyd, wake up." I said shaking him awake.

"Oh what?" Lloyd said waking up. "Oh I did it again didn't I?"

"Yeah kind of." I answered.

"Oh sorry." He said.

"Well you seem to have no problem sleeping right now." I laughed.

"Trust me, I'm not trying to go to sleep. That's the last thing I want to do."

I scanned him once again and was able to get some results this time.

"Well other than increased anxiety levels and sleep deprivation, you seem to be fine." I explained.

"Tell me something I don't know." Lloyd snarked.

"I'm sorry. Maybe we could try something else." I suggested. "Come with me."

"Oh ok." Lloyd said yawning again.

When Lloyd got up, he was so tired that he looked like he was going to pass out. I gave him a shoulder to lean on and I walked him to a machine I had set up in the back.

It was an experimental machine that me and Pixal built that we had been waiting to test out. It's function was to read people's brainwaves and measure their anxiety levels while they slept. With Lloyd having those nightmares, he was the perfect person to test it. It was a win-win for both of us.

I helped Lloyd into the machine and explained to him how it worked.

"And all you have to do is fall asleep." I finished.

As I turned around, Lloyd was already asleep again. I shrugged and started looking at the data the machine was recording. So far there was no sign of anything unusual, except what we already knew.

What I needed to happen was for Lloyd to have another nightmare so I could get the data to find out why this was happening to him. And more importantly what was happening to him.

All was peaceful for a while until the machine started to go crazy. The readings were almost off the charts. It was almost like a part of him had been sucked into some kind of realm where he could be controlled to act against his will, but he was somehow still here in Ninjago.

The machine was about to short out. I shut it down as quickly as possible and pulled Lloyd out. He was out of breath and was freaking out.

"Lloyd are you alright?" I asked him.

"I-I saw him." Lloyd said looking even more tired and scared than before. "He was there. He was trying to get to me. My son, my wife, my baby, everyone. H-he tried to take them."

"Woah calm down. It's ok." I tried to calm him down.

"It felt so real." He held his head in pain. "That was no normal nightmare was it?"

"I'm afraid not. I don't know exactly what happened, but normal wouldn't be a word I would use to describe it." I noticed the way he was holding his head. "Lloyd, are you injured?"

"I'm a little dizzy, but I'll be fine." He said as I helped him sit down in a chair.

"I apologize, we still have a few bugs to work out."

"It's ok Zane, thank you for trying to help."

Then Misako, Pixal and Alex ran into the room. Misako saw Lloyd and ran up to him.

"Lloyd are you ok? I heard you screaming." She said as she comforted him.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, don't worry." Lloyd said still holding his head.

"Zane, did you find out anything?" Misako asked me.

"I would have found something if the machine hadn't malfunctioned." I told her.

"Did it save the data?" Pixal asked.

"I can recover it, but it will take some time." I answered.

"That's fine." Lloyd said. "Just let us know as soon as you find something."

"Of course." I replied. "If I find anything you would be the first to know."

"Thank you Zane." Misako said.

"It was no problem at all." I replied.

"Llo..." Misako was about to say something to Lloyd, but he fell asleep again.

"Should I..." I started to say.

"Let him sleep, he really needs his rest." Misako told me.

"I understand." I said. "Did he take his dragon over here?"

"No, I drove him. I didn't want him to form his dragon when he was that sleep deprived." She said. "I didn't want us to crash and get hurt."

"Good idea. Sleep deprivation and elemental dragons don't mix well together." I agreed.

"Yeah." She said.

"What happened Dad?" Alex asked.

"Lloyd's nightmare seems to have overloaded the machine." I told him. "I think I can fix it."

"How did that happen?" Misako asked.

"I don't know. It certainly is peculiar." Pixal informed her looking at the machine.

"Is he going to be ok?" Misako asked.

"He'll be fine, he just has to lower his stress levels. Which I can see how that would be difficult considering that Kira is expecting."

Misako's eyes lit up and I covered my mouth. Maybe Lloyd and Kira hadn't told her yet. Nindroids don't usually mess up, but I got the feeling that I had just, as Jay would say, 'dun goofed.'

"Expecting? You mean like a baby?" She sounded surprised.

"I'm sorry." I apologized. "I thought they told you already?"

"I had no idea." Misako said.

Just then Lloyd started to wake up.

"Lloyd?" Misako said to him. "How are you feeling son?"

"I'm still a little dizzy but I'll be fine." Lloyd replied.

"Come on Alex, let's go get Lloyd some tea." Pixal said to our son.

"Ok Mom." Alex said taking her hand and walking with her into the kitchen.

"Thanks." Lloyd yawned

Lloyd tried to get up from the chair but he was too dizzy. Misako saw him and set him back down.

"Son." Misako said. "You're sleep deprived, dizzy, tired, and you can barely walk straight. You couldn't even get your powers to work this morning. What's really going on?"

"Mom, I'm fine." He yawned.

"Does this have something to do with your father?" Misako said.

Lloyd frowned and nodded.

To be honest I was worried about my green friend too. Without sleep one can not properly function and complete daily tasks. And if he was afraid to sleep, the problem was only going to get worse over time. Plus Kira was expecting a baby, Lloyd would not be able to care for her until it comes.

"Here you go Lloyd." Said Pixal bringing Lloyd his tea.

"Thanks Pix." Lloyd said as he took a sip.

"Your anxiety levels are still pretty high." I warned "I recommend meditation and whatever else you can do to keep yourself calm until I can recover the results. Also do not try to keep from sleeping, it will only make things worse."

"Will do." Lloyd said "Thank you so much Zane, I really appreciate it."

"Happy to help a friend." I said.

"Come on Lloyd, let's go home so you can get some rest." Misako said as she was helping him out of the chair.

"No, I need meet up with Kira and our friends. She needs me." Lloyd held his head again "Gah!"

"Easy son, I know you wanna help, but she'll be fine."

"Mom." He looked her in the eyes. "She's pregnant."

"I know." She smiled.

"You told her?" Lloyd looked at me.

"I'm sorry I thought she knew." I apologized.

"It's ok." She said. "I was going to find out eventually, plus I'm really excited to have another grandkid."

Lloyd and Misako hugged and they headed on their way. I really hoped that Lloyd was going to be alright, he seemed really stressed.

As soon as they left, Alex went to watch TV and me and Pixal started to assess the damage to the machine.

"I do not understand. That nightmare definitely was not normal." I said.

"Any ideas?" Pixal said.

"Not a clue." I admitted.

We continued working on the machine trying to recover the data.

"Hi Mom and Dad." Alex said walking back into the lab. "What are you doing?"

"Oh hi Alex." Pixal said. "We were just working on something."

"Maybe I can help." He said.

"Sure, you can have a go at it." I agreed.

"Just be careful not to fry your circuits." Pixal reminded him.

"Ok, I'll be careful." Alex agreed.

I was about to inform him about the machine's mechanics, but I looked away for a minute and then I looked back. He was already done fixing the machine.

"How did you do that?" I asked him.

"It was easy, you just needed to rewire the circuit board and reboot the system." Alex told me.

"Wow, somebody is a little genius." Pixal said.

"Thank you Alex. Now let's see if I can recover the data." I said.

I looked closer at the machine and tried to get the data back. It took a little while but I eventually got the results back. I started to analyze them and I gasped at what I found out...

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Sorry about the cliffhanger. 🙃

~AwesomeSpecs21