TW: mild sexual content, blood, gunshot wound

I could tell that Lloyd was pissed off with me.

What I couldn't do, however, was bring myself to care.
(Or that's what I told myself).
Stress after stress had been piled on my shoulders and I filed through them on the way back to the dojo, walking sullenly and silently. Lloyd was a few steps behind, his quiet presence making my hair stand on end.

First stress - exams. Exams were fast approaching; starting next week after prom, to be exact. I had to ace them if I wanted a chance at getting a scholarship.
Second stress - prom itself. I still wasn't convinced that I should go despite Kai's insistence, too worried that I'd bring the others down with my misery.
Third stress - the serpentine treaty. It wasn't going as smoothly as Garm and I had hoped, and I'd been given a mountain of books to read upon the serpentine's hierarchy, history, lore, etc etc, which just added to my already ginormous study pile.
Fourth stress - powers and prophecies. Pretty self explanatory. The lack of answers and the too many questions kept my brain awake deep into the night.
Fifth stress - Claire and the other bullies making school my own personal hell. I found myself unable to wander anywhere without a buddy to go with me. Just the other day, Alara found me alone in the hallway on my way to the bathroom and spat some extra-spiteful words that made me feel absolutely fantastic. If I was alone, I was a target.
Sixth stress - Axon's people. That gang that the ninja had spotted around my suburb? Either way, it made the team tighten security and I genuinely felt like a prisoner in my own home. Knowing that people were out there, ready for me to slip up and get me by myself just to take me out, was hell on my nerves.

Seventh stress... Lloyd himself.

My seven devils. Stress ate away at me. I was tired all the time, irritable, generally unhappy. This wasn't living. This was barely surviving.
And if Lloyd was just making it worse then... then I had to make a decision - for the betterment of myself. For my own mental and physical health.
It hurt. But Lloyd hurt even more. I could tell that words wanted to bubble out of his mouth but I couldn't be willing to listen. I was done. I was finished.
Maybe we can try again in summer, when everything's calmed down. When exams are over, when I don't have to dodge and plan routes to avoid being verbally degraded by people I used to consider my friends in school. When life has settled down as much as it can.
But until then, some distance - proper, real distance - was probably best.
Was it going to suck? Yes. Am I going to hate it? Absolutely. But is it the best course of action I can think of? Yeah, it is.

We entered the dojo just as Cole and Jay's metal swords clanged against each other in a parry. Garmadon was explaining the process to the captains in training but his words went right over my head. I tried to listen, but my brain was useless mush.
"Are you okay?" Jay asked when we had to go into pairs to practise the sword fighting techniques with wooden blades. He was patient enough to tell me what we were doing because I had no clue. "You look pretty stressed."
"What else is new," I muttered under my breath before giving a sigh. "I'm fine. How's your birthday going so far? Opened any presents yet?"
"Nope!" Jay grinned, bringing the wooden sword down on my guard a little harder than what I was expecting. The shock of the impact shivered in my bones. "I wanted to wait until my best friend got here!"
I couldn't help but smile at Jay's beam. He never failed to take my mind off of things.
"I don't see Chen..."
Jay pressed the tip of the wood into my stomach with very little force, scrunching his nose up playfully.
"It's you, sparky."

"Aw," I gushed, jabbing the sword to his side. He expertly diverted the attack and sent another one back at me which I couldn't avoid. "I'm flattered."
Ed was following Wu around, soaking in the knowledge that the Sensei was imparting on his new students. It warmed me to see that Jay's dad was trying so much to understand everything he could about his son's life.
"Your parents are so nice," I commented, returning my attention back to Jay. "I can see where you get your personality from."
"Thanks!" Jay grinned. "But they're not my biological parents. I was adopted."
"Oh?" I said, stunned. The sword fumbled a little in my slack grip. "I never knew that."
Jay shrugged. "It's not really something that comes up in conversation."
"I guess not," I gave. "Still. They really are nice."
"Yeah, they're great," Jay agreed. "But don't get them started on anything to do with mechanics or robots or whatever because they'll talk for hours. There was this one time at a parent-teacher conference-"

Jay fell into a rambling story and I could barely keep up with his fast words. I almost wanted to ask if he was sure they weren't biologically related because for someone warning about his parents' long-winded stories, he was certainly telling a long-winded story.
Maybe it was learnt through exposure.
We had to swap partners. My eyes followed Lloyd as he stepped away from the captain he was helping teach before finding a new one.
"Hey."
My attention was pulled away from the frowning blond. Kai stood awkwardly, wooden sword already slightly smelling of char.
"Hey, Kai," I greeted with a small smile before getting ready for the next round of drills. "How's your face?"
"Sore," he huffed with a dry little grin. "Lloyd wasn't pulling any punches."
My smile faded.
"Why did you fight him?"
"He pushed me first!" Kai defended, clashing the wood of his sword against the wood of mine. "Seriously!"

I pursed my lips, trying to follow Garmadon's guide as he talked to another pair.
"Then what did you say that irritated him that much?"
Kai's mouth thinned. His amber eyes glinted.
"Take a guess."
My gaze caught his, disappointed.
"I can handle myself," I murmured, bringing the sword up in front of my chest to stop his slow swing. "I don't need you to protect me."
"He stood you up!"
"Trust me, I'm aware," I muttered, gaze flicking to Lloyd as he patiently taught the girl he was partnered up with. "But I'm leaving it, okay? I'll talk to him when summer begins or something. I've got too much shit to worry about without adding you and Lloyd fighting to the list, too."
Kai set his jaw and hid a pained wince.
"Fine," he said curtly. "I'll leave it."
A wave of relief slipped some tension from my shoulders. Not a lot, but some all the same.

"Thank you, Kai," I said quietly before squeaking in alarm when he picked up the intensity of the training. "Wh- what about your face? You were looking forward to prom. It won't heal before next weekend."
"Don't worry about it," Kai reassured as he decimated me with his sword fighting skills. I partly gave up attacking, just sticking to defence as he vented his frustrations through the wooden blade. "Wu has a tea that accelerates healing."
"No way," I said, stilling in shock before immediately regretting it when the wood smacked into my hip. "OW!"
"Pay attention, Y/n," Garmadon said as he strolled past.
"I'm trying," I whined, making the Sensei chuckle.
"How much does it accelerate healing?" I asked Kai once Garm had moved onto the next pair. "Is it like putting manuka honey on wounds?"
"Way better than that," Kai replied. "If I have the tea after this training session, I'll be all healed by tomorrow morning."
"You're kidding," I said in disbelief. "There's no way something works that well."
"How do you think we can still go to school after missions?" Kai grinned. "We're always getting injured. It'd rouse suspicion."

I blinked at him in shock. That made sense. I couldn't believe that I never really noticed the way they all healed so fast. My mind must've been preoccupied with other thoughts.
Or I'm just incredibly unobservant.
"Why do you think we drink tea all the time?" Kai snickered. "It's definitely not because we're fanatics like Wu, Garm and Misako. It's what kept Lloyd from dying when he got that huge injury."
My heart leapt up into my throat sickeningly at the mention of the large scar that crossed his torso. Kai noticed the pained look that flashed in my eyes and frowned.
"Are you sure you want to wait until summer?" Kai asked.
"What am I supposed to do?" I replied, voice hushed despite knowing that Lloyd could still probably hear us loud and clear anyway. "All this stress is running me into the ground. Misako said herself that I need to take better care of myself. Lloyd isn't helping."
"I just don't understand what's going on with him," Kai muttered, shaking his head as we rested our arms for a second. "He looked so giddy last night."
"Giddy?"
"I assumed it was because he was supposed to be meeting with you," the fire ninja murmured. "But now I can't tell. He went to the tomb this morning. Why would he go to the tomb?"

My blood ran cold. Lloyd went to the tomb? Why would he want to go to the tomb? He'd confessed before that most of his nightmares take place in Uchū's grave, so why would he-
Unless he went to see the future vision? The little girl?
I stiffened. He's going to know that I kept it from him since his possession.
But why would he stand me up to go to the tomb? What was the point, initially? And why did he drop those drawings off in the middle of the night?
"I'm so confused," I said breathlessly as Kai picked up his fighting stance and I copied him, beginning the next round of slow parrying and thrusts. "He's giving me a headache."
"You and me both, spitfire," Kai muttered.
"You're being too soft on her, Kai," Misako scolded. "If you're going to be taking it easy because of your injuries, go to someone who needs more help."
Kai pouted but didn't argue, knowing that this was partly his punishment for him and Lloyd picking a fight.
"Y/n, why don't you pair up with Lloyd?"
"I- I'm sorry, what?" I asked, blinking comically. "N- no way."
"Why not?" Misako asked, tilting her head. "He's very skilled. It might even be good for you two. A way to release pent up emotions."

"Yeah, or kill each other," Cole stressed, overhearing the conversation.
"I agree with Cole!" I chimed in. "I really agree with Cole."
"Don't be silly," Misako said before calling her son over. Already knowing what was transpiring, his face was grimly set and displeased. My hands clutched the handle of my wooden sword tighter - they may have been training weapons, but Lloyd could make a pillow fatal. Hell, he himself could be considered fatal.
At least other people were focusing on their own partners to notice the heavy tension between Lloyd and I as we stood before each other. His hand was loose, nonchalant on the sword. My palms were sweaty with nerves.
Uchū, please don't let this be the day that I perish.
"Are you going to stand there or are you going to train?" Misako asked.
At that, Lloyd launched forward. I barely saw him before the blunt tip tapped my stomach. I staggered back in surprise. The hit wasn't enough to bruise, but it still throbbed a little.

"Uh," I said lamely. "Cool, that's done, can I pair up with someone else now?"
"Y/n," Misako warned. I bit back the childish whine that threatened to bubble from my throat and sighed through my nose, turning back to Lloyd. His expression was blank. It was more terrifying than if he were angry.
Once again, Lloyd pounced at a speed faster than I could register. This time I was ready though, so I held up my sword and blocked his attack by pure luck and the skin of my teeth. Lloyd didn't falter, slipping fluidly into the next step that had me fumbling to keep up with. He jabbed my thigh before I could stop it and I stumbled backwards, swinging my sword blindly in defence.
It was getting overwhelming but, at the same time, I was getting the hang of it. The ratio between hits and successful parries began to shift to something a little more equal and pride blossomed in my chest at how quickly I picked it up.
Misako had moved on to the next group that needed help. Please come back. Please.
But then Lloyd upped the intensity - I didn't even realise he could do that, and suddenly the ratio plummeted.
Fuck. This was - fuck, Jesus Christ. I couldn't keep up with his swift attacks, my defence rendered slow and sluggish and totally useless against his precise expertise.

My god. And people tried to make enemies of him? Even this training session had me on the edge between adrenalised and terrified - who in their right mind would want to fight the green ninja on the streets?
One thing I could be grateful for, however, was the fact that Lloyd wasn't hitting my body as hard as what Jay and Kai were doing just prior.
Still fucking hurt, though. And the increasing intensity was making my heart beat double time, not out of exhaustion, but from a carnal, old sense of preservation that had me panicking. My breaths were getting shorter, Lloyd was almost pushing me back into the wall (which, my monkey brain tried to scream, meant death) and everything in me was telling my body to run away. To flight rather than fight.
Lloyd was still so calm, advancing with slitted eyes like a snake, like a lion. He knew he could best me easily but held himself back for the sake of the training session. But this felt more like a standoff between predator and prey than a drill in a controlled environment. As if he were playing with his food.
That must've been why my powers popped into existence. Not to damage, not to attack, but as a warning. The almost invisible wall that crashed into him sent the ninja sprawling backwards in shock.

"Oh- hA" I laughed in surprise, eyes wide while Lloyd blinked, stunned. "Oh, haha, oh my god- I- I swear that wasn't on purpose-!"
Lloyd growled as he lithely leapt to his feet. He's pissed. I'm dead. Oh no.
The next volley of attacks came while I was still nervously giggling, which swiftly turned into a short cry of confusion when I began getting hit by the sword multiple times in the span of a blink. It was already over by the time I lifted my arms to shield myself.
"Oh, shit," I said when the brief but effective attack had ceased. Lloyd's eyes had turned red, narrowed as he crouched to prepare for the next not-quite-but-also-totally assault. At the emergence of the red eyes, my chest thudded almost alluringly painfully. Heat twisted in my lower body.
No. No, please. Please, no. This was not the time to get horny over his red eyes, no matter how attractive you found them. It was literally the worst timing.
And to make it even poorer of a situation (and because my brain hates me), the tense memory I tried so hard to repress of walking in him while he was buck-ass naked emerged to the forefront of my mind.

I slapped my forehead. I slapped it again, then twice more.
"Stop it," I hissed to myself, ignoring the way Lloyd faltered in confusion. "Stop."
My eyes found his just as he swallowed and I followed the movement of his Adam's apple. Suddenly, I was hyper aware of the sweat beading on his forehead and the tension in his biceps that made them look bigger than usual. Or maybe he'd just been working out more.
Suddenly, again, I hated myself for finding him so horrifyingly attractive.
I'm now terrified and horny. Fuck. Fuck you, hormones. You were screaming at me to run away and now you're screaming at me to get laid? Pick a STRUGGLE.
Growing tired of my emotional crisis, Lloyd tossed himself back into the drill once more. I parried his sword successfully for once, eyes squinted in concentration as I tried to juggle my raging teenage hormones that wanted me deceased and paying attention to the literal beast in front of me.
Ha. Beast.
Horny side of Y/n, shut the fuck up. I am begging. I will get on my knees and plead. I will. Just watch me.

"Stop getting turned on," I hissed to myself under my breath before forgetting for that sweet, split second that Lloyd had hearing that far surpassed those of normal people. I paused, cursing myself. Lloyd stilled, face red.
"D- did I say that out loud?" I whimpered, catching his ruby eyes, frozen as he stared. He didn't respond and I couldn't tell if he was stuck in his own head or if I genuinely broke him.
But then I was struck with a memory.
Rule one; never let your opponent distract you.
He seemed pretty distracted. An out! I found myself a loophole. I can just say that it was my plan all along. I lightly smacked the face of my sword into his side and he jolted, shaken from his stupor.
"Point for me!" I cheered quietly, watching nervously as the red of his eyes darkened. "Where did your mind go, huh? I know where mine went."
Lloyd faltered and I took the chance to half-heartedly slap the sword into his stomach. He looked overwhelmed, face blushing a shade of red that he must've invented on the spot.

"Boy, you really can't handle some harmless flirting, huh?" I teased quietly, grinning smugly as it clicked just how wrapped around my finger I could make him. This was nothing. Just a utilisation of what skills I had on hand to ensure my hypothetical survival. It just so happened that my skill was flirting-fighting.
As if we swapped places, Lloyd was suddenly on the back foot as I swung my sword in ways that I'd been taught to while breaking through his sluggish defences.
"Aw, Lloydie," I coed, mentally congratulating myself for my recent finding. This was revenge for standing me up. "You're so cute. Who knew that the mighty green ninja could be broken down by nothing but a couple of words and a little smile?"
"I- I'm not-!" Lloyd tried, but I continued talking, taking much joy in the way his hands were slipping on the sword's handle. He was beginning to sweat in agitation.
"I guess I really can call you katana master daddy now," I smirked.
"You're despicable," Lloyd sneered, getting control of himself once more as he weakly brought his sword down upon mine. I brightened.
"Hey, that's what you said last time you gave me a hickey!" I giggled under my breath, making sure that no one else could hear us. Nobody had even noticed the blush on either of our faces.

"Stop it," Lloyd growled. "You can't just- you can't say stuff like-"
"Like how I really want to try out that tongue piercing of yours?" I finished his sentence with an innocent smile. He choked on his breath, turning his stunned gaze away while I chimed a little laugh.
"Sh- shut up," Lloyd stuttered, genuinely looking on the cusp of an emotional panic. His gaze darted around the room, so I pushed against his sword with more vigour, forcing his gaze back to me.
"You remember when I walked into you getting changed all those weeks ago?" I asked, inclining my head smoothly while Lloyd jittered, tense. "Do you know how hard it is to get an image like that out of my head? Not than I'm complaining or anything."
I leant my head in close, tilting it in a way that I hoped was cute. Frozen once more, he stared helplessly as I gave him a half-lidded gaze and a lip-bitten smile. Part of me thought it was a bit too much, but from the way he shivered, I knew that I got the reaction I was looking for. There was a sense of innate pride that I could make him melt like this, just like how he could make me melt, too.
"It's nice to know what I'll be working with," I whispered, lips quirking a little in amusement as he shuddered from my breath hitting his neck.

"My dad can hear you!" Lloyd finally burst, body shaking. I paused, pulling back as words dying on my tongue.
"I'm sorry?" I asked, blinking owlishly and brows raising. I hoped I heard him wrong. I really, really hoped I heard him wrong.
"He can hear you!" Lloyd hissed frantically, a total red mess as he averted his gaze. If he could melt from flustered embarrassment, he would've been a puddle on the floor. Panic pitched hard in my chest.
"N- no, you said your beast instincts were only-"
"Heightened senses and the instincts are two different things!" he corrected and I felt myself stumble in horror. "I got my heightened hearing from my grandfather - which means dad and Wu have it, too!"
My entire visceral state of being dropped out of my ass.
"What."
Lloyd stood, dropping his sword and placing his hands over his face. I glanced over at Garmadon, who was banging his head into the wall repeatedly while Nya worriedly hovered. Wu held a face of no emotion, electing to ignore everything around him aside from the cup of tea in his hands. It was so obviously clear that they could hear every word I said.

"I- I need to go the bathroom," I squeaked, dropping my sword before booking it in a fast walk to the exit of the dojo. Walking right past the bathroom, I instead went to hide in the throughs of the maple trees in the garden.
"Oh, my god," I whimpered, shame and regret skyrocketing through my body as I curled against the base of a tree. "I'm never going to be able to show my face here again."
Rustling through the bush made me stiffen, hiding myself against the trunk of the tree. Kashu limped through the pretty foliage with a doggy grin and my tension fell away.
"Hey, buddy," I said, letting the large puppy leap onto my lap as if he were a cat. Excited, he squirmed, licking the underside of my chin. "At least you still like me."
Curling my arms around the puppy, I held him close. The sunlight was stitched through by the bare branches of not-quite blossomed sakura flowers.
"I think I'll miss you the most," I murmured to the puppy as he rolled onto his back and cluelessly lifted his three paws into the air. I patted his stomach, much to his delight.
Oh, to be a naive dog.

"I think I'm just going to hide out here forever," I mumbled to nobody, letting my embarrassment simmer as I hid in the bush and behind the statues of the garden. "I'll become nothing but a legend. You and me, Kashu. Right?"
He boofed. I took it as a yes.
More rustling through the garden had me hiding deeper against the tree. Garmadon poked his head around the large dragon statue before finding me with an amused smile.
"There you are."
"Heeeeyyy," I grinned, pained.
"Jay's about to open his presents," Garmadon said, holding out a hand for me to take. Kashu scrambled to his feet and tugged on the sensei's loose cotton pants with a puppy growl. "He won't start until everyone's there."
I closed my eyes and held a breath for five seconds. It was released in a rush as I placed my hand in Garm's and stood. We began to make our way quietly back to the monastery.
"'Katana master daddy,'" Garmadon echoed within a chuckle. I whined, turning away to hide once more. "It was funny!"
"No, it's not!" I shrilled, covering my face with my hands. "It's embarrassing!"
"No," Garmadon scoffed, waving my worries away. I sent him a look and he caved. "Maybe a little - but, on the upside, I haven't seen anybody put up that much of a challenge against Lloyd in years."

"Great," I groaned. "I embarrassed us both enough to make a record."
Garmadon chuckled, patting the top of my head. I cleared my throat and decided to change the subject.
"How well can you hear?" I asked, curious. "And how does it not get overwhelming?"
"Good question," Garmadon smiled as we slipped inside the building and began to make our way towards the large living room. "It's something I've always had, so it's my normal rather than overwhelming. As for how well..."
He tilted his head and concentrated.
"I can pick out Misako's heartbeat," Garmadon announced. My eyes widened as I turned to look at him in shock.
"Your hearing is that good?"
"Yes."
"And Lloyd's hearing is that good, too?"
"That's right," the sensei nodded. "It makes him particularly good at stake out missions."
"I bet," I murmured just as we reached the room where everyone else was waiting. Jay was in the middle, bouncing in excitement as he sat cross legged. He reminded me of a little kid. I hoped he liked my Starfarer action figure and matching socks - woollen, to get the ultimate burst of static electricity when rubbed against carpet and add to his already stunning attacks on his brothers.

"Everyone's here!" Nya said and as if it were a race against time, Jay grabbed the first present and began to rip through the wrapping paper.
I smiled at his enthusiasm, taking a seat beside Zane. Naomi had arrived sometime while I was hiding, leaning against Cole. Even Skylor and Pixal had showed up, the former letting Kai rest his head on her lap and the latter sitting on the other side of Zane. Movement in my peripheral showed the nindroids inching their hands closer to each other.
"Nya!" Jay gushed as he held his Starfarer video game present and leapt into a hug, pressing kisses to her cheek while she giggled. "Thank you!"
Lloyd was avoiding me.
I dropped my gaze to my knees.

This was fine.

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

I was tackled into a hug as soon as I stepped foot into the halls of school on Monday.

"Hey!" Chen greeted.
"Hi!" I chirped, still shocked by his unorthodox entrance. "What's up?"
"What time are we ditching prom to go to the afterparty?"
"Uhh, I dunno," I shrugged, smiling at the team as I passed them on the way to class. Lloyd stared at his phone, ignoring me. He did, however, shoot Chen a quick glare. "After? I thought that was kind of the point of after parties. Cole's allowed to come too, right? I kind of require a bodyguard because of you-know-who."
"Voldemort?" Chen gasped. "I'm kidding. Yeah, Cole can come. But you know what isn't allowed?"
He paused, waiting for my reply. I raised a brow, halting outside my classroom.
"What?"
"A bad attitude," Chen said pointedly. I sighed, disappointed.
"Well, I guess I can't come."
"NooooOO-" the boy chided, grabbing my arm before I could disappear into class. "C'mon, Y/n! You're a free woman! Get drunk, get laid!"

"You do realise that neither option entices me in the slightest right?" I said dryly before scrunching my nose. "Well, kinda. But I'm not going to have sex with some rando."
"But you so would if it was Lloyd, right?" Chen pointed out. I shifted awkwardly, regripping my bag straps.
"That's different."
"Of course," Chen nodded, raising his palms. "See you at morning tea?"
"Yeah," I nodded, frowning slightly. "See you then."
Stepping inside the classroom, I took my seat and prayed that this week would last forever.

Of course, that just made it pass by quickly.

Saturday, we met up at Naomi's place to get ready. By we, I meant Skylor, Pixal, Nya, Naomi and I. I tried to get into the spirit of things but found myself lacking that extra spark of excitement. It was yet another school dance that I would go to by myself.
Going without a date never really bothered me before - but the group I was going with all had dates. Aside from Lloyd, but as if I'd spend the night with him.
"How are you doing, Y/n?" Pixal asked as she adjusted Nya's shoulder straps of her dress. It was black and short with a slit up the thigh. It was going to have Jay drooling.
"Fine," I murmured quietly, feeling sick to my stomach in my dark green dress. I should've ignored Kai. I should've gotten a different dress.
Naomi and Skylor shared a look, obviously knowing that I was lying. Anybody could tell that I was lying. But I didn't want to talk about it. I just wanted to get the night over and done with.
"Jay and I fight all the time," Nya said quietly. "Every relationship has its bumps."
I sent her a small smile, grateful for her reassurance. I felt guilty that once again, the conversation has turned to my problems. I didn't want to be the centre of attention.
"Thanks, Nya," I said quietly, hoping that that would be it for this topic. It wasn't.

"There's no such thing as a perfect relationship," Naomi shrugged, frowning in concentration as she twirled her blonde hair around her finger. Her dress was a pretty, dusty pink, full of flowery lace ending mid-thigh and paired with white converse. "Cole and I fight sometimes - but Cole doesn't have the stress of being the green ninja and everything else and I don't have the stress of what Y/n has to go through."
"How do you resolve your fights?" I asked, voice small. "Is there any specific thing that I'm missing?"
"Oh, uh," Naomi nervously laughed, adjusting one of the pink flowers in her blonde hair after briefly pausing. "W- well, our, uh... 'method' is a little- erm, unconventional."
"What?" Pixal asked, tilting her head.
"B- but it's consensual!" Naomi reassured, cheeks tinting pink. "We talked about it and agreed-"
"DO YOU HATE FUCK," Skylor yelled, making the blonde flinch and face flush red. I gasped a laugh, glancing back at my best friend as I awaited her reply.
"I- no!" Naomi shook her head frantically before pausing, eyes widening. "Oh, wait. Maybe we do."
Nya laughed loudly, slapping her hands onto the vanity and sending the make up scattering. I hid my snickers behind my palm.
"B- but we don't hate each other!" Naomi rushed to elaborate, face growing redder. "It's just- it kind of happened one time? And afterwards we talked about whatever it was that had us pissed off and it was totally fine!"

"I can't believe you hate fuck," Nya guffawed, snorting with each barely restrained laugh. She had to bend down to catch her breath. "I can't believe Cole hate fucks!"
"Okay- alright," Naomi held up her palms with a breathless little giggle. "To be fair, sex is natural and fun when it's done right- and Cole does it right - but also when we do bicker, it's usually about something dumb and meaningless anyway. And when people fight there's so much built up energy and stress and- it's just dumb? So we put that energy into something enjoyable rather than into yelling at each other. It's not like we lack communication either - we always talk about why we were fighting and sort it out afterwards."
"She just made hate fucking sound philosophical," I whispered. Skylor HA'd.
"OKAY!" Naomi chirped, clapping her hands. "That's enough about me! Skylor, what do you do when you Kai's pissing you off?"
Skylor shrugged. "We spar."
I blinked. "That's it?"
"Yeah?" Skylor said, tilting her head. "I mean, sometimes we cry it out. Tears are good, y'know?"
"Sounds like my brother," Nya said.
"I'm very much too close to tears constantly to consider them good," I muttered.

"Y/n and Lloyd have broken up?" Pixal asked, confused as she adjusted her light purple dress. "But the prophecies claim that you and him are fated together. You are the green ninja's guardian angel."
"Woof," Naomi said, eyes wide. "Well, that's heavy."
"Raptra said something along those lines," I said, squinting my eyes as I tried to think back to the little serpentine's exact words when I first met her. "... protector? I don't get it."
"Maybe it has something to do with your powers?" Skylor pointed out, shoving her feet into her gold-coloured heels. "I suppose it's something you're just going to have to wait and see."
"I hate my life," I said, dropping my head onto the vanity.
"No, you don't," Naomi said. "Now, c'mon. The boys will be waiting for us."
I followed the others with a sigh. After six hours of fooling around and getting ready (mostly fooling around), we were finally good to go. I still didn't feel right, but I'd rather suffer in silence than complain. I didn't want to lose anymore friends.

"Don't you girls look splendid!" Naomi's Mother gushed when the five of us stepped into the living room. The other parents, who'd come to see us off while we were still chipper and bright, voiced their compliments, too. Skylor didn't have anyone there for her. I decided that it was better not to ask.
Even Borg arrived to see Pixal. He looked so proud as she showed off her purple dress to her dad. It was her first outing, after all.
"Oh, honey," my mother coed. "You look gorgeous!"
"Thanks, mum," I smiled. It was a little disappointing that dad had to leave before he could see me off to prom, but he was needed back on site.
The dress was gorgeous, I had to admit. If it wasn't so heavily associated with Lloyd then I would've been twirling in front of a mirror with a goofy smile. The top bunched across one shoulder with a silver diamond clasp atop, much like a toga. A matching, thick belt wrapped around my waist and the same type of bejewelled ornament sat in my hair. The material of the dress itself was fluid and thin, lightening in colour at the bottom of the floor-length skirt. Kai had even found a little choker with a sunshine charm. I almost didn't want to wear it the necklace but Nya's insistence made me crumble. Hidden by the hem were a pair of plain, black flats.

"Photo time!" Borg said, pulling out a very expensive looking camera that he most likely invented. "Gather together! This is going on the fridge at home."
After posing for a couple of photos, Borg showed us to the limo he'd kindly sponsored for our ride into the venue that was hosting our prom. Perks of knowing one of the richest men in the city, I supposed. The ride there was loud and full of laugher and I tried to join in, but really, I just felt so tired.
The ninja were already there when we arrived, waiting for us at the entrance to town hall. They all looked nice and classy but my gaze zeroed in on Lloyd, standing off to the side with a distracted look on his face. Black slacks and a tux that matched the darkest green of my dress. His bowtie was black and blond hair styled the same, yet neater.
Kai was right. He did make us match perfectly.
It just made me feel more tired.
"Hey!" Jay yelled with a beaming smile, the first to notice us. His entire tux was a deep, electric blue that matched his eyes. Jay and Nya looked amazing can they please be my substitute parents. "You guys look awesome!"

I turned my head away as the others split off to their respective partner, feeling like a- what, a ninth wheel? I was sure Lloyd felt the same, yet that still wasn't enough of an excuse to talk to him.
I probably should've made more of an effort. I didn't have the energy.
It was unfair that he looked so good, too. The tux fit him in all the right ways and he just looked so clean and authoritative. Actually - he looked like a normal boy, going to a normal high school prom. Aside from the look in his green eyes - the look that had seen more troubles and horrors than anyone else his age should've.
My eyes closed as I hugged my jacket tighter around myself. Guilt swirled heavily, demanding to be addressed and rectified. Could I even wait until summer? I don't think I could hold out that long.
I just wanted to nap for a year.
When I reopened my eyes at Kai's suggestion to head inside, I found Lloyd watching me. He didn't drop his gaze like I thought he would've, holding my eyes as if caught in time.

"Let's go!" Naomi grinned, pulling me back into reality as she grabbed my arm and hauled me along. "I'm so excited to see what the interior looks like! Do you even know what the theme is? They didn't tell anyone!"
"I think it's supposed to be a surprise," I murmured, letting Naomi lead me while she was holding hands with Cole. Pixal was excitedly chatting to Zane as she held his arm.
The theme was 'under the sea.' Cliché - but it wouldn't be prom if the theme wasn't cliché - and cute. Blue streamers sat over the entrance, plastic balls in place of bubbles hung from the ceiling, fake seashells were stuck to the wall. Even the photo corner had golden sand laid out. Beach music played from the speakers situated in every corner of the room.
"It already feels like summer," Skylor grinned, letting Kai lead her towards the photo corner.
"I need a new wallpaper for my phone!" Kai announced, much to his girlfriend's amusement.
"Let's dance!" Naomi cheered, pulling Cole and I towards the dance floor. I gently pulled my wrist from her hold.
"You guys go ahead," I offered. "I don't want to encroach."

Naomi frowned.
"You're not encroaching on anything," Cole reassured. "Come on, have some fun."
"Maybe later," I replied, plastering on a fake smile in hopes to soothe their worries. "You two have fun. I just want to take it all in first, I'll join you later. Promise."
Naomi and Cole shared a hesitant glance.
"... okay," she nodded slowly, blue eyes jumping back to me. "But I'm holding you to that. I'm saving a dance just for you."
"Consider it scheduled," I snickered. Naomi brightened at my agreement before grabbing Cole's arm and dragging him out with her.
My smile faded a little when they disappeared, glancing around my surroundings as I did a small circle. My eyes found Zane and Pixal, sitting off to the side and looking deep engrossed in a conversation that clearly held all of their attention. Jay and Nya has all but disappeared, probably in the crowd somewhere. Lloyd was no where to be seen.
I can handle being alone.
I can handle being alone.
I can handle being alone...

I can't handle being alone.

"Hey, stranger!" chimed a voice, as if hearing my struggle. Chen grinned, looking as sharp as ever in a barber-styled tux suit. He looked like he was pulled right out of the 50s. "What are you doing alone?"
I shrugged, glancing around me once more.
"Everyone disappeared."
"Boo," Chen frowned. "You can hang out with me and the others if you want to? We can even dance!"
"Oh," I said reluctantly, shifting on my feet awkwardly. "I- uh. I'm actually really bad at dancing."
"You just need the right partner!" Chen reassured, holding out his hand. "It's your last prom, Y/n. If fun won't find you, you need to step up and find it yourself!"
I eyed his offered palm hesitantly, giving another quick sweep. What else was I supposed to do, stand here feeling sorry for myself? Chen's right. It's my last prom. I might as well try to have some fun, even if it's me lying to myself.
"Okay," I agreed with a small smile, sliding my hand into his. "Let's have a dance."

"That's the spirit!" Chen cheered, leading me out onto the floor. "You look amazing! Did Lloyd stare?"
My cheeks went pink. "Kind of."
"I bet he's kicking himself."
I rolled my eyes, not believing his words but feeling myself bloom with warmth all the same.
"Oh, there he is," Chen noted, staring over my shoulder. Against my better judgment, I followed his gaze to find Lloyd staring with an unreadable expression as he leant against the wall, alone. "Guess what, Lloyd? I'm dancing with your ex."
"Don't be mean," I chided. "He can hear you."
"Like hell," Chen snickered. "Besides, it's just facts. Look - now he's going off to dance with Jas."
"What?" I squeaked, tossing my head around and found the dark-haired girl lead him into the fray of dancing students with a large, beaming smile. In contrast, there wasn't a hint of happiness on his face.
"Don't worry, Y/n," Chen said, patting my shoulder. "See the way he keeps looking at you? He's trying to make you jealous-"
"I shouldn't have come," I said breathlessly, unable to look away as Jas grabbed his hands and pulled him in close. I just felt hollow at their closeness. Lloyd held her waist and she looped her arms around his shoulders and I felt sick to my stomach. "This was a mistake."
"Are you really going to let him dictate how-"

"Why does everyone keep saying that?!" I burst, yanking my hand from Chen's as I turned to send him a desperate, teary stare. "Maybe I do! Maybe I can't control it!"
"Y/n-"
"Maybe I don't know how to be happy without him!" I cried. "Whether it's because of the prophecies or just because I'm a colossal idiot, I can't live without him and everyday has been agonising! I knew this was a bad idea but everybody kept pushing me to come!"
"I- I'm sorry," Chen stammered. "I didn't realise that you were still hurting."
My gaze flickered back over to Lloyd without intending to. Jas has somehow found her way closer to Lloyd and my chest felt empty.
"N- no, I'm sorry," I said quietly, brushing aside a frustrated tear. "I shouldn't have yelled. I'm just- I'm going to go sit down."
"... okay," Chen nodded, brow pulled in concern. Pushing my way through the crowd, I made a hasty retreat and found the most secluded, hidden spot I could. Sitting on the ground, I dropped my head into my hands with a sorrowful shudder.

Everything I was worried about was coming to fruition. I was bringing everyone down. This sucked. I wanted to go home so I couldn't make anyone else feel bad anymore.
"Y/n?" Kai called worriedly as he found my hiding spot despite everything. I cursed myself under my breath before wiping away my tears and thanking Nya for giving me some waterproof make up.
"He- hey, Kai," I stammered, glancing up at the fire ninja with a watery smile. "Where's Skylor?"
"Trying to convince Pixal to dance," Kai said. "Says it's 'part of the human teenage experience.'"
"Oh," I nodded, sniffing. "Cool."
"What's wrong?" he asked softly, crouching before me. I shook my head.
"Nothing."
"Y/n-"
"Nothing new," I corrected. "I'm fine. It's fine. Go off and enjoy prom. Don't let me bring you-"
"Shut up," Kai snapped, making me falter in surprise. "I'm your friend. I'm not going to go off and pretend everything's okay if you're not okay, either. What do you need me to do?"
I stared at him. A fresh waves of tears flooded down my cheeks and I felt my throat thicken.

"C- can I have- can I have a hug?" I stammered between choking sobs. "P- please."
"Absolutely," Kai said, taking a seat beside me and pulling me into a hug. "Is this better?"
I whimpered, giving a nod as I pushed myself more into his side. We sat there for a few minutes, listening to the music and the laughs and yells of our classmates.
"Are you feeling better?" Kai asked. I gave a half-hearted shrug. "Am I a good older brother?"
I blinked at the question, sending him a confused look.
"To you," he elaborated.
"Oh," I said. "Yeah- yes. The best older brother there is. But don't let the others hear that, they'll think I'm playing favourites."
"We all know that Lloyd is your favourite," Kai snickered. His face fell when he caught my expression. "How are you holding up?"
"I thought I was okay," I said, voice strained. "And then I saw Lloyd dancing with another girl and it feels like my entire world has broken again."

"Dickhead," Kai muttered.
"But I was dancing with Chen."
Kai narrowed his eyes in thought.
"... I revoke my insult," he said finally. "C'mon. Maybe you just need to dance."
"I already tried that," I said. "And that's how I ended up here."
"I don't mean with me," Kai corrected. "Or with Chen. I mean with Lloyd."
"He won't want to-"
"He's already walking over," Kai said, nudging me to glance over. "He's a dumbass, but he's your dumbass. He wants you back just as much as you want him. You two are just fucking awful at communicating."
Fair. I genuinely couldn't argue with that.
Lloyd stopped before us and I dropped my eyes away, wiping at them to make it seem like I wasn't just sobbing pathetically in the corner. I was sure that my attempts were totally futile.
"Well," Kai said. "See ya."
And then he walked off without another word. The music shifted to something slow and sweet, washing over the dancing crowd of excited teenagers and subduing them somewhat.

"We don't have to-" Lloyd began, but I had already stuck my hand out for him to take. He quietened, sliding his fingers through mine and letting me step in closer.
It's stiff. And awkward. But it may be progress. I would take any form of progress.
Lloyd faltered, suddenly seeming at a loss before clearing his throat and sorting himself out. He edged closer than he needed to be, shoes touching the tip of my own as his hands found my waist and gently placed themselves there. As if I was porcelain. As if I was going to run away.
He held his breath as I slowly slid my arms around his neck, staring hard at his bowtie before forcing myself to relax against him. The velvety music, a piano backtrack - soothed me further. My eyes glanced up to find his. Lloyd dropped his forehead against mine with a soft tap.
"Hi," he breathed.
"Hi," I replied, just as hushed. His hands squeezed my waist and I felt him begin to move with the song. "I- I can't dance-"
"I know," Lloyd murmured, tightening his grip as he lifted me to stand back down on top of his shoes. My heart jumped at the even closer contact, lifting my gaze back up to him with pink cheeks. "Did you get the drawings?"
"I did," I replied quietly, staring at his red eyes. "You made me prettier than which I am."
"I only drew what I saw," he murmured. My eyes dropped, flustered. I didn't understand him.

"Why didn't you come last week?" I asked, voice breaking. "Is this it? Are we really over? You have to tell me your answer, Lloyd-"
"I tried to call you."
I paused. I found his eyes once more as I stared, confused.
"What?"
"You ignored me," he said. "I called you just before you arrived at the monastery. It was the earliest I could've called you."
"M- my phone was dead," I recalled, voice shaky. "Because I spent all that morning trying to call you. What was so important that you brushed me off like that? You didn't even warn me or anything. Do you know how much that hurts-?"
"I went to the tomb," Lloyd interrupted, murmuring, though I already knew that. "I- I overheard Nya and Jay talking- I shouldn't have and now it's all- it's all messed up and it's my fault-"
"Y- you're not making any sense," I said quietly, stammering as a slowly building sense of dread began to blossom at the pit of my stomach. "Wh- what is it?"
"The kid," Lloyd said, voice tiny. "They're gone. I'm s- I'm so sorry."
The sense of dread exploded into horrified panic.
"Wh- what?" I whispered, pulling back. My arms slid with me until my hands caught his shoulders. "B- but that- that means-"
"I'm sorry."

I felt sick. Stepping away from Lloyd, I clutched my stomach that began to roll with stressed nausea. Lloyd went to step with me, hand on my shoulder in support, but I could barely register anything aside from the white noise that had rendered me useless.
The little girl was my only reassurance that things were going to be okay. Now that she's gone- what? Where does that leave me? What about Lloyd? Does that mean we don't get back together? Live a life of love like how we promised each other?
Prom was a mistake. Prom was a mistake.
"I c- I can't understand," I said, voice choking with tears. "She's gone?"
"I had no one," Lloyd murmured brokenly.
A shuddering cry had me diving my head into my hands as a feeling akin to death pulsed through me. This wasn't fair. What did they want from us? Why couldn't we just be happy? Why couldn't Lloyd, at the very least, be happy?
"I have to go," I choked a sob, pushing past Lloyd and making my way to the exit.
"Oh, good timing," Chen said, pulling up beside me. "We-"
"Going to the after party?" I interrupted, voice catching. I didn't want to be alone with my thoughts. "Good, lets go."
"O- oh," Chen said as I grabbed his arm and tugged him along. "Okay!"

Chen guided me to his car after calling for a bunch more people. I didn't care that they could see my tears. I was so beyond that right now. I lost a kid I didn't even get to have yet.
I lost my future with Lloyd.
The docks were already filling up with people by the time we arrived. I stepped out before cursing when I realised that I forgot my coat. But fuck, what's the harm in getting sick, right? What's the point, anymore?
"Hey, I saw you dancing with Lloyd," Maggie said, grabbing a beer from a cooler and offering it to me. I grabbed with a smile, despite having no intentions of drinking it. "Didn't you two break up?"
"Yeah," I said curtly before glancing down at the beer. Maybe drinking one would be a good idea. Or maybe ten.
No. I set the beer aside on a table and walked off to explore the docks at night. I wasn't going to be drinking when I had no viable way of getting home. I was underage, anyway.
I did nothing but talked mindlessly to people I didn't know for about an hour before chaos fell.
All of a sudden, even more people were spilling in on motorbikes. They each wore masks and leather gear with tattoos and scars staining their skin.
It was a biker gang.
It was the gang I was warned about.

"Shit," I whispered to myself before slipping away from the crowd during the panicked frenzy. I was shoved, tossed and elbowed but I couldn't risk getting caught. I wasn't experienced enough to fight. My only choice was to flee, hide and call for help.
Thanking Nya and Jay for putting the emergency comm line into my phone, I held down the home button for three seconds before a quiet beep told me that I was being transferred. I pressed the phone against my ear while I slinked through the shadows. Why did my heartbeat have to be so loud? My footsteps? Why did I in general have to be so loud?
"What's wrong?" Jay's voice was first to filter through and I almost wept in relief.
"Gang," I whispered, sliding deeper into the alleyway and hiding behind a dumpster. "At the docks."
"Hide, Y/n," Lloyd said in a rush, panicked. "Hide. We'll be there in five."
"Y- yeah," I breathed.
"Keep the line open," Cole said. "But stay silent."
"Okay."

I think I busted my elbow from where I fell against the concrete. I held my phone to my ear just as I held my injury, staying as still as humanly possible.
The sound of teenagers screaming was never a good sign and it certainly filled me with even more fear. Were they going to be okay? Maybe if I had more control over my powers, I could've protected some people instead of running and hiding like a useless fool.
"We're here," Kai said and a wave of relief soothed my fear. "Lloyd's going to get you out of here."
I stood, brushing down myself as I waited for them to arrive. Lloyd would take me home. Then I can just pretend none of this night ever happened.
"Y/n!" Lloyd yelled. I glanced up, wondering why he was yelling before-

"Target spotted."

I glanced back down at the mouth of the alleyway where a figure in black and red stared me down with the barrel of a gun. My breaths hitched. Lloyd gave a challenging roar as he leapt towards the figure and the sharp, cracking, familiar sound of a firing gun went off.
The guy who was fighting Lloyd fled quickly, as if knowing that he couldn't put up a fight against the green ninja. I wanted to sigh in relief. Mumble some praises or express my gratitude before we went back to our radio silence.
Lloyd turned to me and froze.
"Y/n..." he whispered.
"What?" I asked before following his gaze to my thigh. A worryingly large bloodstain had began to spread on the folds of my once pretty dress.

"Oh," I breathed, voice croaking as I staggered and the initial shock of getting shot wore off. I really began to feel the pain. "Th- that's unfortunate."