Lloyd POV
I had no idea what on earth I was witnessing. The entity—an unsettling amalgamation of shadows and shifting darkness—absorbed the dark energy blast with its finger, drawing in the chaotic energy as if it were the most natural thing in the world. It flowed seamlessly into its fingertip, swirling like mist commanded to obey. At that moment, I wouldn't have been surprised if it were indeed the case.
The blast was being consumed like a vacuum, ensuring that not a single speck of energy escaped into the atmosphere. A powerful gust of wind surged outward, consuming everything within its radius as the air crackled with raw energy. The force was so strong that I felt my chair shifting beneath me—an unsettling reminder of how fragile my existence was—until the entity grasped it firmly, anchoring me from being swept away into the unknown.
Lord Wu and the Oni butlers hurled themselves at a solid structure nearby, their claws digging in with desperate precision, fighting against the suction that threatened to claim them. Around us, I heard the unmistakable sound of cracks appearing in the walls—thin lines forming like broken veins—as the very room began to tremble. It seemed that the blast was poised to consume everything in its path, a devouring force showing no signs of relenting.
"Stop it!" I shouted, my voice nearly buried beneath the roaring wind. "You're going to get us all killed!"
Suddenly, everything came to a halt. The abrupt silence was deafening. Within moments, the deadly blast unleashed by Lord Wu vanished, erasing much of the furniture that had surrounded us. It was as if the universe itself had hit rewind, erasing moments of chaos. Where had those objects gone? The question hung in the air, its answer lost to us all. The fear on Lord Wu's face was palpable; the glimmer of realization twisted his features, unmistakably showing that he understood he had messed up.
"I don't like people touching my things," the entity spoke, its voice rumbling like thunder—casual yet charged with an otherworldly edge. Leaning closer to me, it picked up my fingers—yes, my fingers—those appendages that had miraculously avoided the fate of the furniture. "I also don't like pathetic roaches who get in my way."
As the entity shifted its focus to Lord Wu, its form began to swell, shadows coiling and twisting, hands expanding ominously, ready to seize him in a suffocating grip. Lord Wu, panicking and desperate, took hasty steps back. He had looked powerful moments ago, a man accustomed to commanding respect, but now he appeared like a cornered animal. Without thinking, he sprinted for the door, the Oni butlers scrambling after him in frantic pursuit.
The entity made no move to chase them. Instead, its intense gaze turned back to my fingers, examining them with unsettling fascination. Its two red eyes seemed to express something I couldn't quite decipher—curiosity? Sadness? It was strange, considering the entity's menacing demeanor.
"What are you doing here?" I found myself asking, my voice trembling slightly. Despite the danger, a part of me was relieved that it had saved me from the torturous grip of whatever Arthur had planned for Lord Wu. "Didn't you say you had to stay low?"
The entity turned its head toward me, its form undulating like smoke in the wind. "Yes, but I also promised to ensure your survival in this timeline." It snapped its fingers, and with unexpected delicacy, the straps that had bound me fell away as if they had merely been made of thread. "A promise is a promise." Before I could process what was happening, it lifted me effortlessly with one hand, cradling me as if I were weightless. "Besides, there's something we must do first."
With a swift motion, it pointed toward the sky. I followed its gesture, and it released the energy blast it had absorbed moments earlier in an astonishing display of power. The massive explosion shot through the roof, obliterating everything in its path as if the world itself had erupted in a dazzling array of colors. The building trembled violently, and I could hear the distant roar of destruction—a chorus of chaos that seemed to signal the end of everything we knew. In that chilling moment, it truly felt like the entity had no intention of letting Lord Wu survive this encounter.
Then, the entity conjured another swirling rift in reality, stepping through it and pulling me along as it led us outside. We emerged just in time to witness the once-proud estate crumbling like sandcastles before a rising tide. Debris fell around us, and for a split second, I felt the weight of disaster pressing down. It seemed impossible for anyone inside to have survived the onslaught—yet I was soon proved wrong.
From the ruins, a figure crawled out, battered and broken. It was Lord Wu, but he was in no condition to celebrate his survival. The blast had taken half of him; his left side was charred, the smoldering remnants of flesh making it painfully obvious even to him. Half his face was gone, raw bone exposed to the chilling air, while his remaining eye—once so filled with authority—now hung lifelessly, haunted by the realization of his imminent demise. Things did not look good for him at all.
"You're still alive? I was hoping you'd be taken out by the blast, but it seems I have to handle things myself," the entity remarked, delight unmistakable in its voice as it reveled in the chaos and destruction. I made a mental note to stay on this entity's good side if such a thing were even possible.
It set me down and, almost tenderly, handed me my fingers, placing them one by one as if offering candy to a child—an ironic gesture given the circumstances. "I'll be right back," it stated matter-of-factly before turning away, striding purposefully toward Lord Wu.
Lord Wu was a mess; his leg was useless now, panic radiating from him as his eyes darted around the destruction, desperately searching for his Oni butlers, who seemed to have vanished without a trace. They truly hadn't made it, leaving him utterly alone to face the wrath of the entity.
As the entity approached, its hand morphed into a blade—sharp, glistening, and deadly—casting shadows that danced across the ground. I cringed, instinctively turning my head away, not wanting to witness his futile attempts to escape from impending doom. Just then, the sound of something snapping drew my attention; I turned to see Noah standing wide-eyed, staring straight at me. The usual anger in his expression had been replaced with shock. What was he doing here? How had he survived the blast?
"Noah, what are you doing?" Lord Wu suddenly shouted, finally realizing his son was present. "You have to help me!"
But Noah didn't move; he merely looked at his father with a mix of fear and confusion. The entity halted its advance, now locking its gaze on Noah. "Hello, other pet."
Noah flinched, limbs frozen in place—the very picture of terror. He instinctively retreated further back, widening the distance between himself and the overwhelming presence of the entity.
"What a wise choice, pet," the entity purred, amusement lacing its voice. "You're much wiser than the original pet."
Lord Wu's remaining eye burned with fury. "How dare you, brat?!" he yelled, defiance bleeding through even in his weakened state. "This is why you were abandoned! This is why you will never be the greatest villain to ever exist!"
"Shut it," the entity commanded, its voice suddenly low and dangerous. Without hesitation, it lunged forward, plunging the blade straight into Lord Wu's chest. "You're getting on my nerves."
Blood gushed from the wound, spilling out in torrents as horror etched itself onto Lord Wu's face. His remaining eye widened with understanding—a realization that he wasn't going to escape this alive. "W-What are you?" he stammered, desperate for answers.
The entity's mouth split open in a cruel, unfathomable grin. "Let's just say, I am something far greater than you can ever imagine." And with that, it yanked the blade upward, slicing Lord Wu in half in a grotesque display of power.
As the entity's hand returned to normal, it turned towards Noah. "What should I do with you now, other pet?"
It then approached me, casually plucking my fingers right off my hand, sending a chill down my spine. "Should I let you live? Maybe I should send you to join your father?" It regarded me with a glint of malice. "But those two options seem boring. What if I turned you into a slave?"
Noah stood frozen, fear rendering him speechless. How on earth was Lloyd allied with such a formidable being? His gaze shifted to the remains of his father, panic etched on his features; he was terrified of ending up like him, yet he couldn't fathom a life as a servant to this dark entity.
"Leave him alone," I suddenly interjected, desperately looking away from the grotesque sight of blood and bone. "There's no point in killing him. It's not like it will complete our mission."
The entity turned its attention from Noah back to my fingers, which it began sucking into its mouth, drowning them in a pool of saliva. "Of course; they're already prepared. Who knew the ninjas worked quickly?"
A wave of disgust washed over me at the sight of my fingers being consumed. "Then I guess our mission is over," I muttered, stealing a glance at Noah, who appeared lost in the chaos of emotions swirling around him. "I suppose I still have one more mission to complete."
My gaze drifted to Tenebis Peak, shrouded in thick fog that obscured whatever lay atop it. Yet we both knew what awaited us there. I had promised Mister Glasses I would retrieve the Shadow Artifact for him, and the feeling of obligation tugged at me like a forgotten memory. After all, he was the one who had granted me the ray gun. It only made sense that I should honor my commitment.
"Hey…" I hesitated, feeling uncertainty weigh heavily on my chest. I realized how little I truly knew about this entity, especially given the monumental shift in reality that had just unfolded. "Can you fetch the Shadow Artifact for me?"
"The Shadow Artifact?" the entity asked, tilting its head in a questioning manner. "You mean this?"
With a flourish, it opened another rift, and as I gazed into the abyss, it drew out a large, obsidian black crystal, about the size of my head. A low hum filled the air, and I could feel the energy pulsating from it. As the fog escaped the rift, clarity washed over me, revealing the cause of countless disappearances that haunted this realm over the years.
Emerging from the mist was something truly monstrous—a gigantic serpent, at least thirty feet long, coiling gracefully with an elegance that belied its menacing presence. I wouldn't have been surprised if it were the Great Devourer of this world, a being of ancient and terrifying power. Its eyes glowed a furious crimson, brimming with rage as its forked tongue flicked out like a whip. Ghostly tendrils trailed behind it, resembling ropes of smoke that danced ominously in the air.
"Oh, I never had the chance to meet you, Umbra Wyrm," the entity suddenly spoke, a note of dark amusement woven through its words. "But it appears I truly have a second chance."
The shadowy serpent, identified as the Umbra Wyrm, hissed in response. "Who dares steal the Shadow Artifact?!"
Tension surged through the air, thick enough to cut. Yet this fear wasn't directed toward the entity as it had been before. "I did," the entity replied with chilling nonchalance. "But what are you going to do about it?"
The Umbra Wyrm glared back, fury igniting within its depths. It charged forward, fangs bared and ready to strike, a testament to the rage that pulsed through its being. Unfortunately for the serpent, it had chosen the wrong target.
In a fluid motion, the entity effortlessly seized the Umbra Wyrm, lifting it with ease as it began to levitate, suspending the creature in mid-air. "Even though your task was to protect the Shadow Artifact, you are nothing without your tricks and shadows."
The Umbra Wyrm thrashed in a futile attempt to escape the entity's grasp, but Noah and I both realized the hopelessness of the creature's struggles. I glanced at the Artifact in my hand, feeling its powerful essence thrum beneath my fingertips. I would have relished keeping it for myself, yet I no longer needed such power. It was time to pass it on, to give it to someone who would use it wisely. I turned to Noah and extended my hand.
"I guess I can leave this with you," I offered, trying to ignore his bewildered expression as he processed my words.
"Are you truly Lloyd Garmadon from another universe?" Noah blurted, catching me off guard. How on earth did he know that?
"I guess you were eavesdropping on my little chat with your father," I chuckled, despite the grim reality of the situation. "Yeah, it's true. So, what are you going to do with that information?"
Noah seemed to recoil at the question. "Can I ask you a question first?"
"What is it?" I raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "And it better not be about how I got here, because you can figure that out on your own."
Noah glanced at the entity, which was now nonchalantly tossing the Umbra Wyrm like a discarded toy. "How was I in your world? What was my life like there?"
"That's two questions," I pointed out, smirking at his audacity. "I'm just kidding. You lived an ordinary, decent life, I suppose." Memories washed over me, tinged with nostalgia. "You had a loving father and a mother who cherished you so much that she ultimately abandoned her other child."
Noah closed his eyes as if trying to conjure a vision of the life I was describing. "You were good friends with the ninjas, and you were the protector of Ninjago," I continued. "But to be honest, you were pretty pathetic."
That revelation was enough to make Noah's eyes widen, disbelief flooding his features. "Excuse me?" He sounded incredulous, and I couldn't blame him. "What do you mean I'm pathetic? Explain!"
"How should I put this?" I began, choosing my words carefully to avoid unnecessary offense. "I just had to push a few of your buttons, and you would fall apart." I gestured toward my hand, still raw and ghostly with the memory of missing fingers. "You struggled to use your ability, Creation, because of waning confidence and a lack of imagination." I pressed on, not wanting to sugarcoat the truth. "You even ruined your relationships with the ninjas."
Noah blinked, visibly shocked, grappling with the troubling revelation. "What the actual hell!" He began pacing back and forth, his mind racing. "Ugh, I can't believe I was that pathetic and weak." He turned to me, gripping my shoulder. "What am I doing now?"
I didn't hesitate, delivering the blunt truth. "Your other self is teaming up with his future self to hunt me down all because I'm planning to take over Ninjago and all sixteen realms."
Noah stood there, mouth agape. "Wow, compared to me, you have some incredibly ambitious dreams." A look of understanding washed over his face. "Maybe you should just kill my other self."
I was taken aback by his suggestion. "I'm surprised you would even entertain that idea," I replied. "But I'm not planning on doing so just yet. I want him to try his hardest until the end, only to realize it's futile."
Noah nodded, his eyes drifting to the remnants of his shattered home. "It's strange; even though you destroyed my home and killed my father," he mused, glancing at the ominous Shadow Artifact still in my hand, "I feel oddly at ease."
"Of course," I said, matching his gaze. "Now you can finally pursue whatever you want, free from the constraints of that useless piece of trash Father."
"True," Noah chuckled darkly, a glimmer of humor amidst the chaos. "I guess it seems like you're heading back home."
Recalling the entity's earlier mention of the ninjas returning with the Dark Artifacts, I realized it might be time to fulfill my promise. "I guess I am going back."
"To be honest, I never really expected any of this to happen," he admitted with a sigh, the gravity of the moment settling in.
"Well, just tell Mister Glasses I said hello and goodbye," I remarked, a melancholic tug at my heart. "I'll miss him more than I miss my own family."
"Mister Glasses…?" Noah echoed, but he didn't press the issue further. He must have figured it out on his own. "I'll do that. I guess this is goodbye."
"Yeah, it is," I murmured, steeling myself for what lay ahead. "It was nice meeting you, the other Noah, and I wish you all the best." I turned toward the entity, which had seated itself gracefully atop the unconscious form of the Umbra Wyrm. "Is it time to leave?"
The entity opened a swirling rift, and as it did, what came through were the Dark Artifacts. Instead of the expected gleaming gold, they sparkled with a silver sheen, casting eerie reflections in the moonlight—a peculiar sight, but it would serve as an apt substitute for what I had come to retrieve. I reached out and pulled forth the Abyssal Devourer, still masquerading as a bracelet.
"Abyssal Devourer, wake up," I commanded, and the bracelet shifted, transforming into a fluid black blob wriggling energetically in my palm. "It's time for you to have a meal."
But for the second time, the entity snatched the Abyssal Devourer from my grasp, shaking its finger disapprovingly. "Not yet, my precious." It transformed the Abyssal Devourer back into a bracelet and placed it back onto my wrist with a gesture that felt almost maternal. "We have something to take care of first—something with the Dark Artifacts—and it will aid you greatly."
I couldn't help but force a smile. "And that is…?"
"You'll see," it replied enigmatically, arching an eyebrow. "But for now…" It reached into its mouth and retrieved my three fingers, still covered in saliva. "We must reattach your fingers."
I couldn't stop staring at the grotesque sight of the spit-covered appendages. A wave of surreal resignation swept over me at that moment; at least I was alive and had managed to complete the mission. However, I couldn't shake the sensation that I would undoubtedly need a long break after everything I had endured.