The Meeting

I watched everyone assemble. When they were all there I said, "I got a phone call an hour ago from Liam." Everyone started muttering. I cleared my throat and they fell quiet. "He told me that I either hand myself over or Misako Garmadon dies." My eyes landed on my husband and I saw this hit him hard. "The Lloyd from the sideways Ninjago told me to call this meeting but I think it's pointless. I only see one thing we could do." My husband and my eyes met. "I have to turn myself over to him."

"No!" My Lloyd said. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Lloyd, don't you see? If I don't your mom will die. I can't let that happen," I said desperately. 

He shook his head. "I can't lose you."

"But your mom..."

"Who says he'll even hold up his end of the bargain?" Harumi said. "He's evil. What makes you think he'll kill her even if he gets you? He took the other Lloyd when he said he wouldn't so we know we can't trust his word."

"I have to try," I said.

"No," our Nya said. "He's lying to you. He'll kill Misako and then kill you. Then Lloyd will go crazy like he did last time."

"We were there the last time he took you," other Kai said. "He swore he would take any of us. That he would only take just you. But, like Harumi said, he took our leader too."

"Please! I have to at least try to get her back," I pleaded. "Let me turn myself in."

"Why don't we just make a plan to help her escape?" Naruto said. "That way we'll know for sure that you'll both live."

"Even if we make a plan there's no telling that she'll live!" I shouted.

"Same if you turn yourself in!" Vania answered.

I turned to Koko. "You think I should go, right?"

She shook her head. "No. You're our leader. Your husband won't be the only one falling apart if you die. We all will."

I looked around and was met with stares that told me no one would be siding with me. I shut my eyes. "Okay. I'll stay," I lied. I'll just leave when everyone is asleep. I could get past the guards easily.

However, Harumi gave me away. "You're lying. You're going to leave when the rest of us aren't around to stop you."

I glared. "Damn, I wish you didn't know me so well."

"Y/n, can I talk to you? Alone?" My Lloyd asked.

"We're in the middle of a meeting," I replied but it fell flat because everyone was nodding that he could. I honestly only said because I didn't want to be alone with him. I sighed. "Alright. I can see I'm outnumbered." I followed him until we were out of the other's hearing range. "What?" I asked.

"You aren't going," he said firmly.

"Lloyd, your mom..."

"I can bear losing my mom as long as I don't lose you," he snapped. "I let my dragon side take over because I lost you. Not her. You told Koko that we can't let Liam win and that's exactly what you're going to let happen!" I opened my mouth to protest but he held up a hand. "That's exactly what's going to happen if you turn yourself in. And we all aren't going to get away without a scratch. He's going to kill us no matter what." He looked at me in the eye. "He lies. He'll never keep his word. My mom would say the same thing I am if she was here. Don't let him win, Y/n."

Tears started rolling down my cheeks. "I can't let someone die because."

"Don't you get it! He isn't going to let her go. So whether you go or not my mom will still end up dead." He shut his eyes and breathed slowly. I knew he was calming himself down. He opened his eyes and wrapped me in his arms. "Don't let him win, Y/n. Please. I can't lose you."

I dropped my head so that it rested against his chest. He was right. They all were. I was letting myself get caught up in wanting to save someone. Liam is a liar. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. I couldn't let him fool me again. I breathed in Lloyd's scent of lemon and green grass and let it relax me. I lifted my head. "Okay. You win. I won't go." His eyes narrowed. "I mean it. I won't go anywhere," I said tightening my grip on him.

He kissed me tenderly. "I love you," he murmured.

"I love you too." I pulled back and smiled a little. "And too imagine you falling in love with a princess of all things."

"Ex-princess," he reminded me.

I giggled. "I was still a princess when we first got together."

He rolled his eyes. "Don't remind me." We talked back to the meeting.

Lloyd let me walk back to the platform. I climbed up and turned back to the crowd. "Alright, I won't go to Liam," I said looking Harumi in the eye so she knew I was telling the truth. "But I do know how to save Misako."

"How?" Sasuke asked.

I smiled. "Easy. We have a dragon that can open a portal into her cell. Then we'll pull her out."

"Oh, good. The person we put in charge is back to her usual self," Harumi said.

I scowled at her. "Shut up."

"We need to know the schedules of tortures, mealtimes, and the guards," Gaara said. "We don't want to open up a portal when they are in her cell."

I scooped up the squirrel that was hovering around my ankles. "This is the squirrel who helped me and the other Lloyd when we were captured. She'll go and peek in the cell window and tell us what she sees."

She looked around. "Can all of them understand me?"

I shook my head. "No. I could give you something that will allow them to hear you if you want."

"No, I'm good." Her eyes landed on the other Lloyd. "There are two of him."

I giggled. "Yeah. Now will you help us?"

She sighed. "Sure." I set her down and she ran off.

I turned to the others. "We'll meet again tomorrow. She'll have answers for us then." Everyone went their separate ways. My husband and I went to our tent and went to sleep.