𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦 ?
⊹🌿 ⫶ 𝙻𝙻𝙾𝚈𝙳 𝙶.
𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐮 🥥

Y/N ; your name
F/N ; friend's name
E/C ; eye colour
S/C ; skin colour

🌱☘️✨

LLOYD'S EMERALD EYES scanned the images printed on the book he had stolen from Master Wu, who had, for some unknown reason, begun isolating himself from the ninja. Curious, or as he liked to call it, concerned, he had taken the opportunity to sneak into the old man's study when he had gone to watch the others train, and spent minutes rummaging through his drawers and shelves to uncover whatever it was his uncle was hiding. It felt wrong. As much as he mentally told himself that he was merely trying to help, there was nothing in him that was able to chase away the guilt trickling through him. It wasn't right. Yet, he kept on searching and searching for something until finally giving up, when his eyes fell onto a thick, hard-cover, book that looked twice as ancient as his uncle.

Too fascinated, he had sat down and pulled the book towards him. The yin-yang symbol, the symbol of peace, a significant symbol in several Ninjago legends, was etched on the maroon cover. That itself, especially knowing how it played a major role in the legend involving his father, for he was believed to be the epitome of pure evil, made him flip the book open to a random page. There was nothing odd about it. A million words cramped onto a page, typically expected of a book belonging to their master. He flickered the pages every second, not quite interested in the book's contents. But once he stumbled upon a chapter regarding "the legendary green ninja", his breath hitched. A shiver ran down his spine. His heart drummed against his ribcage. His senses heightened. Master Wu's voice echoed in his head. Hands shaking, he snatched the book to his room.

Now, he was seated on his bed, back against the headboard as he read, his heartbeat growing faster by word out of both excitement and fear. He didn't know what to expect. He wasn't sure whether this book was his master's secret, seeing how it had been placed carelessly on top of his desk, as if waiting for someone to steal it. But then again, he or anyone in that matter wouldn't expect any of the ninja to be interested in entering his room, which awfully resembled a library. None of them quite enjoyed reading, excluding Nya, who took no interest in legends. She believed them to be stories created from one's imagination, passed down through generations as lessons to scare away children. Though, there were exceptions. She simply needed evidence supporting its reliability to come into a conclusion that it was true.

A sigh escaped his lips, disappointment evident in his features. There was noting about the green ninja, himself, that he didn't know of. Nevertheless, he kept the book open. His eyes flickered to the next chapter. Soulmates. Compared to his teammates, he was the least interested in love, especially after being betrayed by someone he had fallen for. She had crushed his heart into tiny fragments. Harumi. But he believed, no he knew, that there was some good buried deep within her. It was revenge that drove her insane. He somewhat felt guilty for her loss, for he was somewhat the reason behind it. However, he found himself a million times more indulged in soulmates than his prophecy.

A soulmate is one person in the universe who is your match, one person in creation who completes you, whom you will recognise in a flash of lightning. Not many are fortunate enough to come across their soulmate, as most live in another time. The moment both your eyes lock, you will experience -

The door clicked open. He instantly hid the book beneath his pillow, heart pounding against his chest. It was his uncle. Like usual, he wore a kasa hat, his long white moustache concealing his lips as he spoke. His beard had grown by an inch since his return from time, now reaching his stomach. What terrified Lloyd the most was the knowing glint in the old man's wise grey eyes, and he involuntarily moved closer to the hidden book, which didn't go unnoticed. Something told Lloyd his master suspected him as the thief, though Master Wu's features were nothing but calm.

"I could've sworn I put my book on the table this morning, right before leaving the room," he started. "Nephew, have you seen it? It couldn't have walked on his own, could it?"

Lloyd shrugged. "Sorry, I don't know," he lied effortlessly, "I'll help you find it."

Master Wu shook his head, letting out a chuckle. His eyes darted to the pillow where Lloyd had hidden the book, before glancing back at the blond. "That won't be necessary." Once the man had stepped out, shutting the door behind him, Lloyd swallowed his saliva. As much as he wanted to know more about soulmates, he needed to return the book. The boy recalled his dreams, wondering if he had met them before. Very unlikely. Even meeting them was unlikely.

Honking sounds flooded the streets. Vehicles emitted smoke. Music filled my ears, drowning down the chaos that was Ninjago City. My feet walked upon the pavement, hands in my pockets, eyes observing the pedestrians rushing past me, muttering apologies whenever their shoulders bumped into someone.

Ninjago City was peaceful. Busy, noisy, and slightly polluted, but no villain attacks for months. It was better this way. Watching an action movie was nothing like practically being in one. I liked to think of myself as a daring person for surviving one, single attack although that was far from the truth. By the time the ninja had arrived, I had already been hiding behind a wall, taking a peek whenever I felt brave. Brave. Brave was an adjective that defined me the least. Courageous, fearless, bold. None of those described me at all. I was cowardly, sometimes selfish. Never would I put myself in harm's way for anyone other than myself. Fear controlled my actions. I was no hero. Heroes were selfless. They risked their lives to protect those who couldn't protect themselves, to ensure peace. The ninja were exactly that, heroes. If it weren't for them, Ninjago wouldn't be standing, already in ruins. Because of them, Ninjago lived to see another day. For that, I adored them and so did the citizens of Ninjago.

It was a pity some repaid their good deeds with lies and rumours for the sake of money. Most were targeted towards the green ninja, rumored to be the strongest of them all. The most stupid, absolutely pathetic rumour was that he went to the same school as I did. Ninjago High. It was a typical, boring and dull public school with a rivalry with an elite private academy. Someone like him probably had a more interesting life. He was most likely an adult that had graduated from high school, now either attending college or whatever grownups did. However, his build made people think that he was in his late teenage years. Therefore, some idiots decided to come into the conclusion that he was still a student, and since they obviously doubted his wealth, even though he probably owned a million times more than the greatest billionaire of all time, the thought that he could possibly attend the private school instead of ours never crossed their minds. Insulting.

Unlike his teammates, who fought in mechs, he rode a dragon. A spectacular, gigantic one with emerald scales the same shade as his mesmerising emerald eyes, glinting in the sunlight like the blades of daggers. Its jaw would part widely to roar out green flames at the enemy. It seemed real, from its so-called powers to its appearance, almost as if it were a living creature, but obviously fake. Dragons didn't exist. They were mythical creatures. Myths were lies. They weren't true, a fantasy of those before us. The dragon he flew was simply a machine constructed by the most advanced technology. Something like that was worth more than my existence, which was why he definitely wasn't a Ninjago High student, though I wouldn't mind if he was one. Technically, it wasn't impossible, but it was quite illogical. A rich martial artist with billions of fans swooning over him, roaming around my school without being swarmed by crowds. Hilarious. Downright hilarious.

But nothing was as amusing as my bizarre infatuation with him. Someone I knew completely nothing about. He was a total stranger, a world-known guy with a heart of gold, who never spared me a glance, unattainable. We were nothing. He probably had a girlfriend, or maybe even a wife and three children. Yet, somehow, I somewhat liked him. If only I knew the root of the problem, the reason of my dumb crush on him. Every time, every single time, he spoke to the water ninja, the girl of the group, I could hear my heart crack slightly. Pain. Rumours swirled about them being together. A few journalists wrote about the couple making the blue ninja, who "obviously" had a thing for her, green with envy. Once, I told F/N about how stupid the whole love triangle thing was, and she told me I was being closed-minded. To me, the media enjoyed spreading lies, often dramatising events for wads of cash. Not everything was reliable, but not many understood that.

I halted to a stop in front of a coffee shop, eyes peeking through the glass door. Pushing the door open, I was met with a boy with green eyes, blond hair and tanned skin. Lloyd Garmadon. Our eyes locked. Shivers ran down my spine, the beat of my heart increasing. He was the son of Garmadon, a villain that often attacked Ninjago City with his army dressed in Halloween costumes. Crabs, sharks, and even starfish. For someone that looked like an absolute monster, he had the taste of a three-year-old boy. And of course, the media found ways to make him seem like a being conjured from darkness, the first son of the First Spinjitsu Master, Yin. The things they wrote, said, were convincing it nearly fooled me, except I was aware that such things were merely legends and nothing more. They were far from the truth. Magic, powers, the idea of creation. Two sons, one representing light and the other darkness, together keeping the world balanced. It was the good people who kept the world going, not two brothers that fought each other endlessly.

Most believed that Garmadon's son was going to replace him as the dark lord once he died. Although I barely knew anything about him, his behavior at school went against what people said about him. People said he was as evil as Garmadon himself, but from what I had witnessed, he was the victim of bullying who suffered in silence. Mocked daily, made fun of by the cheerleaders, insulted wherever he went. It was all because people thought he was the epitome of evil like his father. People like F/N. Those who were prejudiced. I, on the other hand, refused to believe that anyone was born evil. Corrupted souls became evil. He was as innocent as the rest of us. He didn't deserve the torment. It's was unfair. It wasn't as if he chose to be the son of an evil warlord. But I never did anything. I was a bystander, too afraid of receiving backlash from my peers.

His eyes were enlarged slightly as they stared into mine, probably shocked at the sight of me. My hand was still on the handle, and so was his. He stepped to the side to let me enter, which I did, before he left the shop. I took off my wireless earpieces. Curious, I found myself walking out, trailing not far behind him. Weirdly, he took a turn to a deserted, dangerous-looking corridor that led to a dead end. Maybe I had gone mad, because I followed behind, squatting beside a trash can when he stopped walking. He started talking. I began to think he was mentally unstable before noticing a device in his left ear.

What's he doing here?

Areas like these were usually where criminals hung out, but I hadn't jumped into the conclusion that he was one. Perhaps he needed some rest from being ambushed by the press, a quiet place to make a phone call, a place where he wouldn't get interrupted. But something in his posture, the way his eyes looked around frantically, made me nearly think that he was doing something illegal. His eyes squinted, trying to make out of his surroundings in the dim lighting, before his hand produced a green glow, eventually forming a green flame. My lips parted in a silent gasp. There were rumours that elemental masters walked upon the earth. Of course, my mind shrugged off the possibility of their existence. There were people in Ninjago who were confident that the green ninja was one, claiming that they had seen him use his powers. They described that it resembled a green flame, and a few added that it had golden tints. I never believed them, finding such things delusional. Now that I had witnessed it with my own eyes, I started seeing the truth in F/N's words. Maybe I was closed-minded.

"Is anyone there?" Lloyd asked, brows furrowed intimidatingly. I hid behind the trash can some more, no longer peeking to watch him. The green hue on my S/C skin confirmed that he hadn't extinguished the flame in his hand. I held my breath as my ears listened to the pound of my heart. "Come out." I hesitated. With the bits of courage in me, I stood up. It was the safer option. I hope. Our eyes locked for the second time. E/C and green. "Y/N?"

Stretching my lips into a sheepish smile, I waved. "Hi?"

His posture relaxed, the flame still in his hand. "What are you doing here?"

My mind conjured up a lie in seconds. A terrible one. "I was searching for the bathroom," I responded, earning a look of disbelief, "you?"

He avoided my question by saying, "it's not safe here."

A chuckle escaped my lips. "Nor is Ninjago City."

"How much did you hear?"

"None." His eyes stared at me skeptically, before releasing a subtle but noticeable sigh. Being the curious being I had always been, I was unable to hold back the urge to shower him with questions. My eyes flickered to the flame. "Are you an elemental master?" He nodded. Green eyes. Powers like the dragon. Same height. "Are you the green ninja?"

Silence.

"Yes," his eyes met mine. "But promise me you won't tell anyone?"

I smiled faintly. "I won't tell a single soul."

"Why's that?"

Because I like you.

"Because I don't hate you."

"Do you believe in love at first sight?" he asked, swinging his legs. We were sitting on the edge of a roof, eyes downcast. Darkness engulfed the city. Road lights brightened up the roads, light inside buildings visible through windows. Ninjago City was just as busy as it was during daytime. Noise polluted it, but up where we were, it was silent, calm. I looked at Lloyd. The breeze blew his blonde locks softly, caressing his tanned skin that had appeared darker in the night. His eyes were as captivating as they were beneath the scorching sun.

"You can't feel a strong emotion towards someone at first sight, but you can be slightly attracted to them which could gradually lead to loving them," I replied, eyes on the city, "so, no. Love at first sight isn't true." I glanced at him. "Do you believe in it?"

Our eyes met briefly. "Yeah," he answered.

"Why?"

"No reason." It was quiet for a moment, neither of us saying a word. I wanted to press on the matter but went against it. "How about soulmates? Do you think they're real?"

"Yes and no," I started. "Having only one true love. Red strings. Tattoos. Crap. Made up. Not true. I believe it's possible to have more than one soulmate who you have a deep emotional bond with. It doesn't have to be romantic, could be platonic like a best friend."

He nodded. "Who do you think yours is?"

I shrugged, letting out a hum.

"Would you believe me if I told you you're my soulmate?"

A/N ; The prompt is a cliche but I tried to make it more original and stuff. I won't be turning this into a fanfic but I might once I finish all my drafts and current books. actually, no. if i ever do write a lloyd x reader, it'll have a different prompt. idk wut yet cause i have lots of drafts i haven't even started writing.

edit: ancient oneshot