5

Lloyd's POV

She's ignoring me. I really didn't mean to make her mad. "Alora?" I said. She ignored me. "Please, I'm sorry. I wasn't implying that you'd him suffer."

She looked at me with narrowed eyes. "Then why did you say what you did?"

"I...don't know. I'm sorry."

She looked at me and then sighed. "Geez, you're letting your guilt eat you up."

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks. I need to have that pointed out."

She grinned. "You're welcome."

We arrived at the park. "It wasn't a compliment," I grumbled.

She scanned the park and her eyes widened. "Lloyd, that's Ash," she said pointing to a kid who had just been shoved into the lake. She took off running with the rest of us following. She got there first and dove in. Jay and Zane held the woman down while the rest of us waited at the edge of the lake. Alora came up towing in the little boy. Her hands started glowing and Ash threw the water he had swallowed up. She let out a relieved sigh. "Ash?"

He blinked. "Alora?"

She nodded. "I have some news."

"What?"

She lifted her eyes and looked at me. "That woman isn't your mother. The Green Ninja is your real family."

Ash followed her gaze and his eye widened. "Wow."

Alora stood. "What are you two waiting for? Go hug."

Ash jumped up and threw himself at me. I held him and caught Alora smirking at me. I rolled my eyes at her. "Ash?" I said quietly.

He looked at me. "Yes?"

"I will never let anyone hurt you."

Alora's POV

They really did look alike. Even if Lloyd's hair is blond and Ash's is brown. Lloyd set him down and looked at me. "Thank you," he said.

I raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"Saving him."

I smiled. "Isn't that what Ninja do?"

He smiled. "Yeah."

Ash ran and hugged me. I grinned ."What's this for?"

"Giving me a family," he said.

My eyes fell closed. "Everyone deserves to be with their actual family sometimes."

"Al..." Nya said worriedly.

I opened my eyes. "I'm good."

"Okay."

Ash's POV

They took me to my new home. I had a brother! And a nice mom! And an uncle! I watched Alora train by herself. She looked up. "Your happiness is strong, Ash," she said.

I sighed. "I can't sneak up on you because you just keep sensing me."

She grinned. "Mm-hmm. My power is useful. Medical and emotional."

I nodded. "What do you sense when you're around Lloyd? Does he love me?"

Her eyes softened. "Yeah, he does. Your mom and Wu do too."

"Yay!"

"We all care about you, Ash. You're part of the family now and we protect each other."

I smiled. "I'm very happy."

"I know. I can sense it." Lloyd came in and I threw myself at him. "Big brother!"

He caught me and smiled. "Hey, Ash." He looked behind me. "And Alora."

I heard her snort. "Glad to know you still know I'm here."

He set me down. "Of course, I know you're still here. I really don't want to get on your bad side again."

I looked at them. "You've been on her bad side?"

Alora snickered. "Your brother made a comment he shouldn't have and the result was me ignoring him. He hated it."

Lloyd rolled his eyes. "You are an excellent friend," he said sarcastically.

She smiled ."I know."

Alora's POV

My phone started ringing and I saw it was Darla. I put it on speaker. "Hey, Darla," I said.

"Alora! You're never going to believe this," Darla said excitedly.

"What?"

"Zeke and I are coming to Ninjago!"

I paled and Lloyd met my eyes. Oh no. "Um, not a good idea."

"Why?"

"Because I really don't want you guys to get hurt. The people who are after me know where I am. If you come here you'll be in danger."

"Well, it's too late anyway. We're already on the plane and besides, we aren't scared." She hung up.

I stared at the phone too terrified to put it down. Lloyd moved and hugged me. "We'll keep them safe," he murmured.

"H-how?" I choked out.

Ash came over and hugged me too. "Your powers will keep them safe," he said.

I shook my head and squirmed out of their arms. "I can't lose them too." I ran out of the training room and into my bedroom. I ignored the knocks on the door I broke down sobbing. Only thing is, I had forgotten to lock it so Lloyd walked right in.

Hu wrapped his arms around me and I cried onto his shoulder. "Shh, it's okay," Lloyd said. "They'll be safe with us."

"How do you know?" I whimpered.

"Alora, look at me." I did. He gently wiped the tear that was rolling down my cheek. "We will keep them safe. It's our job. They'll be safer with us than if they were alone."

I shook my head. "I should leave. I'm a..."

He kissed me and my senses filled with love. It was radiating from him. Whoa. I've never sensed that when I was around him. I kissed him back and clung to him tightly. He broke it off. "If you leave, I will hunt you down and bring you back here," he said.

I was about to tell him that everyone would be safer if I did but I could still feel his love radiating off him. "How long have you loved me?" I asked quietly.

He hesitated and shook his head.

"Lloyd," I said warningly. "I can sense it and you kissed me. Tell me the truth."

He closed his eyes. "Since I first met you. But I've been holding it because of what happened before."

I smiled not that he noticed because his eyes were still closed. "Harumi?"

He nodded. "I fell for her as soon as I saw but...that was a mistake and I just wanted to make sure that it wouldn't be this time."

"Lloyd, open your eyes." He did. "Listen, I felt that way too but I didn't realize it." I smiled. "In a way, we can say Ash got us together."

He smiled. "Maybe."

I kissed him again. "Help me protect my friends and I'll stay."

He stood pulling me to my feet. "I'll help but you'll need to help me train Ash."

I rolled my eyes. "Nice."

He smirked. "Had to try."

I shook my head. "He's your brother."

"And we're both his favorite ninja."

I blinked. "We are?"

"Yes."

I sighed. "Brother out matches favorite."

He frowned. "I've never heard of that."

I grinned. "Better learn then."

He sighed. "But you're my girlfriend."

My heart flipped when he said that. "I'm still not helping you. Let you training him be the time you spend together."

He groaned. "I hate you."

I snickered. "Good."